reported<\/a><\/span> that the blueprint anticipates a brief but intense campaign.<\/p>\nAs military units step up their drills, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed prospective strike options with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<\/p>\n
The list of targets encompasses Iran’s nuclear sites, its energy infrastructure, and its arsenals of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.<\/p>\n
Several officials who spoke to the newspaper argued that a new wave of attacks could deal a heavy blow to the Iranian economy, forcing the leadership in Tehran into concessions.<\/p>\n
Conversely, other sources doubt whether a resumption of fighting would prove any more successful than the earlier campaign conducted between February and April.<\/p>\n
That previous offensive drove energy prices higher and drained US stockpiles of interceptor missiles.<\/p>\n
It remains unclear whether US President Donald Trump will authorise the operation.<\/p>\n
Domestic political calculations in Israel could also influence the trajectory of the plans, given that the country faces general elections on 27 October.<\/p>\n
While some experts speaking to the newspaper contended that Netanyahu could leverage the threat of war to form a national unity government, others pointed to the opposition’s distrust of the prime minister.<\/p>\n
Washington fears regional spillover<\/strong><\/p>\nThe US administration also harbours concerns that the fighting could engulf the wider region. On Wednesday, the US State Department ordered non-essential government personnel and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia following attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis.<\/p>\n
A US military build-up, comprising three aircraft carriers, fighter aircraft, and special forces units, is slated to be fully deployed to the region by early November.<\/p>\n
The targets under review include the deep underground nuclear facility code-named “Pickaxe”. Trump suggested that the high-yield GBU-43\/B bomb, known as the “mother of all bombs”, could be deployed against the site, though experts doubt whether the ordnance can destroy a complex buried so deeply.<\/p>\n
For its part, Tehran is preparing for a potential escalation, threatening to broaden its target list. Retaliatory options under consideration by Iran reportedly include data centres and subsea internet cables, in addition to shipping and energy facilities.<\/p>\n
Mehdi Mohammadi, an adviser to an Iranian negotiator, dismissed US hopes of wrapping up a new campaign within 72 hours as a “fantasy”. Mohammadi warned that Tehran’s response would be more severe and unpredictable.<\/p>\n
The Financial Times previously reported that an Israeli strike on Iran set for 10 October had been called off because the US president was unwilling to risk a broader conflict ahead of the Congressional midterms.<\/p>\n
According to that report, the Israeli military had prepared a multi-day assault on nuclear sites, Iranian government targets, power plants, and civilian infrastructure on Netanyahu’s orders. The strikes had been designed to exceed the intensity of the campaign begun in February.<\/p>\n
Washington seeks to secure an agreement from Tehran covering both the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear programme.<\/p>\n
“It will either be a deal or a strike,” one source told the Financial Times, adding that an operation could get under way in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
Another official who spoke to the paper suggested that Israeli preparations might serve as leverage to squeeze Iran in negotiations.<\/p>\n
Axios also reported that the Pentagon had issued orders to prepare for renewed strikes, though the directive contained no specific date and Trump has yet to take a final decision.<\/p>\n
The US and Israel launched their offensive against Iran on 28 February. Iran hit back by targeting US and Israeli assets across the region and curbing vessel transit through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
Although both sides signed a memorandum of understanding in June that provided for a ceasefire and talks to lift the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, reciprocal attacks between the US and Iran have persisted.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The US and Israeli defence ministries have drawn up plans for a fresh assault on Iran, with the envisioned offensive under consideration to launch after the US Congressional midterm elections on 3 November. Citing sources, The New York Times reported that the blueprint anticipates a brief but intense campaign. As military units step up their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17056,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[10671,1138,319,2071,6457,22660,1703,288,812,21236,16452,10913,823,3667,22677,679,10763,821],"class_list":["post-17055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middleeast","tag-ballistic-missiles","tag-benjamin-netanyahu","tag-donald-trump","tag-drones","tag-energy-infrastructure","tag-gbu-43-b","tag-houthis","tag-iran","tag-israel","tag-mehdi-mohammadi","tag-midterms","tag-nuclear-facilities","tag-pentagon","tag-pete-hegseth","tag-pickaxe","tag-saudi-arabia","tag-strait-of-hormuz","tag-us"],"yoast_head":"\n
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