WASHINGTON — U.S. officials have told several Middle East countries and regional allies to prepare for possible renewed military action against Iran after next week’s midterm elections, according to The Associated Press, citing two diplomats briefed on the matter.
The diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, said allies were also warned Iran could try to retaliate against them. Both stressed that President Donald Trump has not made a final decision on new strikes.
Trump has repeatedly said he is weighing new military action once the Nov. 3 elections are over. The White House and U.S. officials declined to comment, The Associated Press reported.
U.S. officials told allies a new round of action could last several days, the diplomats said. Regional officials are bracing for a longer fight if Iran and its proxy groups respond, and allies were urged to protect energy facilities and other crucial infrastructure against possible retaliatory strikes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday in a post on X that Tehran “continues to give diplomacy a chance to succeed.” He said Iran is working with mediators to review ideas from a proposal floated last month, which Trump rejected, that Tehran wants used as a basis to return to a ceasefire.
The United Arab Emirates foreign ministry issued a statement urging the sides to “exercise wisdom and pursue political solutions to help contain tensions” and prevent a return to full-scale operations in the war that began in late February.
The last U.S. strike on Iran came in early September. What followed was not quiet: Houthi rebels backed by Iran hit Saudi oil sites and airports, and a Saudi-led coalition hit back in Houthi-held parts of Yemen, The Associated Press reported.
Late last month the Pentagon sent the USS Theodore Roosevelt toward the Persian Gulf from San Diego. Amphibious landing ships with Marines went with it — about 9,000 troops in all, The Associated Press reported. The cost of the Iran war to American taxpayers has grown to $47.1 billion, according to the latest estimate the Pentagon provided to Congress.
While campaigning in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday, Trump said a conclusive end to the eight-month-old conflict could come “in a couple of weeks, if you don’t mind.”
Late Wednesday, reports emerged that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had fired the Pentagon’s top military planner, Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity. No immediate replacement and no reason were given, the official said.
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