The White House has asked the Pentagon to develop plans for attacks on Iran that could be carried out before midterm elections are held on November 3, according to a report from The Atlantic.
Unnamed Trump administration officials told the outlet that the planning underscores how much Trump wants to reduce gas prices and show some progress in the conflict, but any US attacks would lead to Iranian retaliation and would further exacerbate the global energy crisis.
Despite the obvious risk of repercussions, a Republican source told The Atlantic that the potential strikes would “make the president look like he got a win and that gas prices would start going down.” The report said the administration is still debating the scope of potential strikes and whether they will be carried out before the midterms.
NBC News also reported that the administration was considering strikes on Iran ahead of the midterms and that the military drew up potential attack plans following a meeting between Trump’s national security officials at Camp David, Maryland, last week. They also discussed the Saudi war in Yemen, which the US is supporting by providing intelligence and refueling Saudi warplanes.
Axios carried a similar report that said the Pentagon had instructed US Central Command several days ago to conclude preparations for resuming “major combat operations” in Iran, and that the strikes could start before the US midterms and possibly before Israel’s elections, which are scheduled for October 27.
Unlike Trump and the Republicans, Netanyahu and his allies would likely benefit politically from a renewed full-scale war with Iran. The Axios report said that if major combat operations resume, they will likely involve both the US and Israel striking Iran, and the attacks are expected to include massive bombing of Iranian energy, infrastructure, and nuclear targets.
Trump has made clear that he has been considering a massive escalation of the Iran war after the midterms, recently saying that the US will win the war “right after the election.” He has also continued to threaten the complete destruction of Iran, saying at the UN General Assembly last month that he was considering whether to “annihilate the Islamic Republic” and “drive them into hell.”
