Overview
- Senior U.S. and Israeli military planners have prepared detailed options for strikes to begin after the U.S. midterm election on November 3, 2026.
- Planned targets focus on Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile and drone arsenals, and energy infrastructure, with planners also considering assaults on deeply buried sites such as Pickaxe Mountain.
- U.S. and Israeli forces have increased joint rehearsals, including flights over Iraq, while the Pentagon is moving carriers, thousands of Marines, fighter jets and special operations forces to be in place by early November.
- Final approval is unresolved because President Trump has publicly pledged not to strike before the midterms and has twice rejected proposals this year, even as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss options.
- Iran has warned any renewed fighting would not be limited and has threatened expanded targets such as data centers and undersea cables, and analysts warn renewed strikes could raise oil prices, strain missile‑defense stocks and widen regional harm to civilians.