Trump Considers 'Short and Intense War'... 'Anything is Possible'

The United States has informed Arab countries of the need to prepare for the possibility of a short, intense military campaign against Iran following the U.S. midterm elections, as signs mount that Washington and Israel are ready to resume air strikes aimed at weakening Iran’s capabilities and pushing Tehran to the negotiating table, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Trump, in remarks reported by U.S. media on the night of Tuesday into Wednesday, said Tehran was attempting to stall and buy time in anticipation of election results, stressing that this approach would not benefit Iran and that the decision on how to resolve the Iranian file depended on timing.

In a notable development, CNN reported that U.S. officials said American forces deployed in the Middle East had become capable of carrying out large-scale military operations against Iran within 96 hours of an order from Trump.

The report noted that Trump had not yet made a final decision, although some officials believe the possibility of escalation after the midterms remains on the table.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned against any Israeli “military adventure” in the Gulf, stating that its impact would be “devastating” on global energy markets.

Diplomatically, an informed source said Qatari mediators had presented Tehran with a draft new agreement to end the war with the United States and Israel, but a senior Iranian official said Doha had “presented only unacceptable ideas that do not amount to an offer.”

The official, who is not Iranian but is familiar with the negotiations, said a new draft of the proposal to resolve the eight-month-old conflict was submitted on Sunday, adding that Tehran was reviewing it and was expected to respond by the end of the week.

He said the timeline might begin in early next week, with several countries serving as guarantors of the agreement.

Later, a senior Iranian official involved in the talks said Qatar had presented only “unacceptable ideas and not an offer,” and that Tehran’s policy of showing no flexibility on the nuclear issue remained unchanged.

The official, familiar with the negotiations, said the draft discussed in Tehran on Sunday differed from that proposal, but details of the latest plan were not yet clear. The official had previously told Reuters that Qatari mediators had coordinated with Washington before approaching Tehran.

The informed official added that there were concerns before the Tehran meeting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would resume attacks this week.