US military has Iran strike plans ready after midterms, reports say

The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM), which runs American operations in the Middle East, has plans ready for renewed strikes on Iran if President Donald Trump gives the order, US media have reported. The preparations come as Washington and Israel weigh a new military campaign after the 3 November US midterm elections, Al Jazeera, The Hill and other outlets reported.

The plans are not an order to attack. Trump has said the US could strike "tomorrow", but has also held out hope of a "big, beautiful" agreement with Tehran.

Key points

• CENTCOM has options ready for follow-up strikes on Iran, pending White House approval, and has presented options to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, The Hill reported.
• The New York Times reported that the US and Israel have drawn up joint plans for a short, intense campaign after the midterms, possibly lasting about three days.
• Possible targets include energy facilities, infrastructure and nuclear sites, Axios reported.
• The US is sending the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier group, about 10,000 troops and a Marine expeditionary unit to the region by the end of November.
• Iran says talks should continue but has threatened an "offensive" response and attacks on Gulf undersea cables if struck.

What has been reported

Sources: Al Jazeera, Israel National News, Haaretz and other outlets carrying the reports. None of the reports says Trump has approved an attack.

What Trump has said

Trump has kept both options open. He said the US could strike Iran "tomorrow", while also talking of a possible "big, beautiful" deal, Al Jazeera reported. At a rally, he said the US "may do another little Epic Fury", a reference to the codename of the war the US and Israel launched against Iran on 28 February. Asked about timing, he said: "Most people think it will happen after the elections," without saying which elections he meant.

Earlier this month, Trump said the US would not attack Iran before the midterms. Israel holds its own parliamentary election on 27 October, two days from now.

The military build-up

According to Al Jazeera, the US is sending to the Middle East by the end of November:

• The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier group.
• About 10,000 soldiers.
• The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

At the same time, a US intelligence memo has warned that Iranian plots against American personnel abroad have reached "advanced stages", and the State Department has cut staff at several embassies in the region. We reported on the memo here: US intelligence warns Iranian plots against Americans are advanced.

Iran's response

• Talks: President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed Washington for derailing negotiations, but said efforts to reach an agreement should continue, Al Jazeera reported.
• A new doctrine: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a shift to an "offensive" doctrine. Its spokesman said Iran would not only respond to attacks but could launch its own.
• Undersea cables: Reuters, citing Iranian security officials, reported that Tehran has drawn up plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf if US and Israeli attacks resume.
• Drone shot down: Iran's army said it shot down a US-developed drone over Bandar Abbas.

Tension at sea

October has been the worst month for attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz since the war began in February, with more than 120 attacks reported, Al Jazeera said. Iran also claimed that seven oil tankers were damaged or caught fire in and around the strait this week. Earlier this month, a tanker with 21 Indian crew was hit in the strait, as we reported in Tanker with 21 Indian seafarers hit in Strait of Hormuz.

Israel's role

Israel is pushing hard for another round. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly pressed for an attack as his support falls in polls ahead of Israel's 27 October election, and he has said that overthrowing Iran's government remains Israel's "primary objective", Al Jazeera reported. Earlier this month, the Financial Times reported that Netanyahu had ordered the Israeli military to prepare a multi-day campaign for the weekend of 10 October, which was shelved after Trump opposed it.

Any new campaign is likely to be joint, given the plans the New York Times described. That means the timing will depend on both Israel's election and America's, and on whether Washington judges that talks with Tehran have run out of road.

What analysts say

Julie Norman of Chatham House told Al Jazeera that the planning works both as short-term deterrence and as a real option after the midterms, and that military advisers are asking what another round of escalation would achieve that earlier rounds did not. Mohamad Elmasry of the Doha Institute said the signals point towards renewed fighting and warned that the next round could be more dangerous.

The war so far in 2026

We reported on Israel's shelved October strike here: Israel planned Iran strike, Trump blocked it, FT reports.

Why it matters for India

• Oil prices: India imports most of its crude oil, much of it through the Strait of Hormuz. A new campaign, especially one hitting Iran's energy facilities, and Iranian retaliation could push prices sharply higher, affecting fuel prices and inflation in India.
• Indians in the Gulf: Millions of Indians live in Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia is already under Houthi missile attack, and India has issued advice to its nationals there. Read our report: India tells nationals in Saudi Arabia not to film missile interceptions.
• Seafarers and shipping: Indian sailors crew many ships passing through Hormuz, and attacks on shipping put them at direct risk.
• Internet: Threats to Gulf undersea cables matter for India's connections to the Middle East and Europe.

Indian refiners and the government will be watching the oil market closely over the next fortnight, as any announcement of strikes is likely to move prices quickly.

The plans are drawn and the ships are moving. Whether they are used now depends on one man's decision after an election nine days away.