US military prepares for wide-scale attack on Iran

Washington – Agencies: The US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, issued directives to US Central Command days ago to complete preparations in anticipation of resuming large-scale combat operations against Iran, as President Donald Trump weighs the timing for any military move, according to US officials speaking to Axios. The directives do not specify a date for launching strikes on Iran, and Trump has not yet made a final decision on resuming military operations. However, US and Israeli sources indicated that any potential move could come before the US midterm elections, and possibly before the Israeli elections scheduled a week earlier. If major combat operations resume, they are expected to include intense bombing of Iranian targets linked to the energy sector, infrastructure, and the nuclear program, according to sources who spoke to Axios. The resumption of war in the coming three to four weeks could have a direct impact on the US midterm elections, particularly given the likelihood of rising oil prices due to escalation, according to the US website. A Pentagon official told Axios that the Defense Department’s mission is to “prepare and present military options to the president,” while a White House official confirmed that all options remain on the table for Trump. The official added that, in his assessment, the United States holds a strong position due to its control over the Strait of Hormuz and the damage to the Iranian economy, stating that Iran has been “severely damaged” and that matters will head in one of two directions, “the easy way or the hard way,” as he put it. He added that Trump “holds all the cards” and will make the decision he deems best for the United States. On Wednesday, The Atlantic magazine reported that Trump was considering a strike on Iran before the midterm elections. Trump’s National Security Council met at Camp David on Friday for several hours to discuss the war and other issues, while an Israeli official told Axios that part of the meeting addressed the possibility of resuming large-scale combat operations against Iran. After the meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the discussions focused on long-term foreign policy planning. This comes at a time when negotiations between the United States and Iran have made no progress, while Qatari mediators are awaiting an Iranian response to a US proposal that includes demands for concessions on the nuclear file, according to Axios. A second Israeli official told Axios that talk of the possibility of resuming large-scale combat operations against Iran is increasing, noting that while the chances of such an event occurring before the elections are not high, they are not ruled out, whereas these probabilities rise significantly after the US midterm elections. Meanwhile, Trump made a phone call on Wednesday to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, their second conversation in a few days, after weeks of no communication. If major combat operations resume, they are likely to be carried out in close coordination between the United States and Israel, with the participation of the Israeli military, according to Israeli officials. The two officials pointed out that the Iranian regime is experiencing a state of despair and deep uncertainty, which could drive it to launch a preemptive strike, given that it has suffered two previous surprise attacks and does not wish to face a third.