The United States has told several Gulf Arab countries to be ready for a short but intense military campaign against Iran after next week’s midterm elections, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing people briefed on the conversations, according to a summary of the report by Israel’s Ynet News.
The messages went out through diplomatic and military channels, and the Journal described them as one of a growing number of signs that the United States and Israel are preparing for another round of large-scale operations against Tehran, Ynet reported. President Trump has not made a final decision on whether to strike, according to the report, but is leaning toward a broad operation after the Nov. 3 vote. A negotiated agreement remains the alternative.
🚨 NOW: US and Israeli forces are reportedly drawing up options to LAUNCH STRIKES against Iran if President Trump decides to do so, after the midterms
"SHORT, INTENSE MILITARY CAMPAIGN"
47 said publicly he is indeed deciding how he wants to FINISH THEM OFF: A major deal or more… pic.twitter.com/QHrNrSOUNU
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 28, 2026
Forces moving into the region
Officials told the Journal that the U.S. military is moving a Patriot air defense system from Texas to the Middle East to guard against possible Iranian missile attacks, according to Ynet. American troops have also been moved away from bases considered vulnerable, and forces in the region have restocked ammunition while bombers and fighter jets are readied for possible strikes, several officials said in the report.
An additional aircraft carrier strike group and a Marine Corps expeditionary force are expected to join the buildup next month, the Journal reported, adding to roughly 20 U.S. warships already in the region, though some incoming ships could replace vessels already deployed, according to Ynet.
Plans drawn up for after Election Day
The new report builds on earlier accounts of joint war planning. Two Israeli sources told ABC News that the Israeli military and the U.S. military have drawn up plans to renew joint strikes on Iran in the coming weeks, and that the strikes would almost certainly come after the midterms because of President Trump’s reluctance to further shake oil markets in the final days of the campaign.
“The United States will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the midterm elections,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to ABC News. A White House official told ABC the administration does not comment on “sensitive military plans that may or may not exist,” and said the president “keeps all options on the table” to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
According to one of ABC’s Israeli sources, new strikes would aim to further squeeze Iran’s economy and build on the ongoing U.S. blockade, with targets including petrochemical facilities tied to Iran’s oil industry and nuclear facilities, but not civilian infrastructure such as power plants. Both sources told ABC the decision to resume joint strikes is “only for Trump to decide.”
NPR reported last week, citing a person briefed on the planning, that the U.S. is assembling forces to be ready to strike by early November, while noting that the preparations could also be part of a pressure campaign to push Iran toward a diplomatic deal.
Diplomacy still on the table
Regional mediators led by Qatar are working to restart talks between Washington and Tehran and head off renewed fighting, Axios reported Wednesday, citing U.S., Israeli and regional sources. Ynet, summarizing the Journal’s reporting, said mediation efforts have not yet produced a breakthrough.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told Iranian state media last week that Tehran is “just as prepared for diplomacy as we are for war,” according to NPR.
The reported posture fits the approach President Trump has described for months: keep the military option ready, keep the pressure on, and leave the door open for Tehran to make a deal. For now, the White House says nothing happens before Americans vote on Tuesday.
Sources
- Ynet News: US urges Gulf allies to prepare for possible Iran strikes after midterms, report says
- ABC News: US and Israel drawing up plans to resume attacks on Iran post-election
- NPR: U.S. and Israel are planning for a possible post-midterms attack on Iran
- The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Warns Gulf of Possible Short, Intense Renewal of Iran War After Midterms
- Axios: Iran pressed to make nuke concessions as post-midterms strikes loom
- Eric Daugherty on X
Sources cited
Sources
- Original post: Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) on X, Oct 28, 2026
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