WASHINGTON — The United States has told several Gulf Arab countries to prepare for a possible short and intense military campaign against Iran after the US midterm elections on November 3, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people briefed on the conversations.
Source: The Wall Street Journal via InvestingLive
The warnings were delivered through diplomatic and military channels, Anadolu Agency reported, citing the Journal's reporting. According to the Journal, the messages are among a growing number of signs that the US and Israel are preparing for a new round of heavy combat operations aimed at degrading Iran's capabilities and pushing Tehran toward negotiations.
President Donald Trump has not made a final decision, the Journal's sources said, but he is leaning toward a large post-election attack that could target Iranian infrastructure and nuclear sites. Trump has said he will not attack Iran before the November 3 midterms, according to the report.
Forces being readied, the Journal says
Military preparations are under way to give the president options, officials told the Journal. The US is moving a Patriot missile defence system from Texas to the region and has moved troops off bases where they were vulnerable to Iranian retaliation. US forces have been restocking munitions, and bomber and fighter aircraft are preparing for strikes, the report said.
An additional aircraft carrier strike group and a Marine expeditionary unit are poised to join roughly 20 other US warships already in the Middle East next month, according to the Journal. Israel has also prepared plans and targets for a new attack, the Journal reported, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continuing to push for a resumption of strikes.
The White House declined to comment on what it called sensitive military plans that may or may not exist. "President Trump is keeping all options available and ensuring that Iran will never possess a nuclear weapon," the White House said, in the statement carried by Anadolu.
Iran's warning, and a $47 billion war bill
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned last week that the US would suffer "an even greater strategic failure" if it opted for renewed military action, RT reported, citing his remarks. Press TV, citing a senior Iranian official, reported on Tuesday that Tehran was prepared for an all-out war "without any limitations." Those are Iranian officials' stated positions, reported as claims, not verified plans.
Separately on Tuesday, Reuters reported Pentagon data showing the US military has spent over $47 billion so far on the war in Iran — yaani roughly 4,700 crore US dollars — more than 25% above the $37.5 billion estimate Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth gave in July. More than $29 billion of that is the projected cost of replacing expended munitions, and more than $6 billion would be needed to replace lost equipment and aircraft, including many drones, Reuters said. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the estimate.
Source: Reuters
For the lakhs of Punjabi and Indian workers who live and work across the Gulf states, any new campaign would carry direct risks — airspace closures, flight disruption and threats to oil installations and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large share of the world's oil passes. No Gulf government named in the reports has publicly announced any evacuation or advisory for foreign workers, and mediators are still trying to revive talks, with little progress so far, according to the Journal's reporting.
What happens next turns on two dates and one decision: the November 3 midterms, the arrival of the additional US naval forces next month, and whether Trump gives the order the Journal says he has not yet given.