U.S. and Israeli military planning for possible action against Iran after the U.S. midterm elections is advancing as diplomats press Tehran over its nuclear program and Strait of Hormuz control, The New York Times reported.
The operation under consideration is described as short but intensive. The report says the two militaries have expanded exercises that include flights over Iraq to rehearse strike maneuvers. U.S. officials said a discussion of possible strikes took place in Israel earlier in October between U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. EconoTimes previously covered Hegseth’s meeting with Netanyahu before Israel’s Oct. 27 election.
The contemplated target set could span energy sites, nuclear installations and capabilities linked to Iran’s missile and drone programs, according to the report. Officials told the paper they believe another major attack might leave Iran’s economy near collapse and prompt diplomatic concessions.
Earlier U.S.-Israeli strikes from February through April lifted global energy prices and inflation and put pressure on the Pentagon’s supply of missile interceptors, the report says. It also says a U.S. military buildup is expected to be ready by early November.
Diplomacy is continuing alongside the military preparations. The report says U.S. negotiators are using the prospect of renewed fighting as leverage in talks over Iran’s nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian negotiators have resisted nuclear concessions and sought to defer that issue until later in the discussions.
Iranian officials have warned that retaliation could reach data centers and undersea internet cables as well as commercial shipping and energy infrastructure in the region, according to the report. U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval for another operation is uncertain; the paper reports he has repeatedly turned aside proposals in 2026 to resume major combat operations.
Israel’s Oct. 27 election is another factor. Experts cited in the report say a caretaker role after an election loss could make it harder for Netanyahu to launch a war. Other analysts see a possible political benefit: discussion of joint U.S.-Israeli action might help him bring rivals into a unity government and extend his time in power.
