October 22, 2026
The Middle East stands on the verge of an unprecedented round of escalation, after the New York Times revealed details of joint American-Israeli military plans to launch a large-scale air and naval campaign against strategic targets deep inside Iran. It was designed in the form of an intense attack that would last 72 hours and aim to paralyze the missile system, energy facilities, and fortified nuclear sites. At a time when Tehran asserts that the “blitzkrieg” option is just an illusion, threatening an unconventional response that will affect infrastructure and lines. Vital supplies deep in the area.
These preparations come in parallel with the completion of a huge American military build-up that is expected to reach its peak readiness early next November, led by three aircraft carrier strike groups and thousands of Marines, coinciding with continuous air exercises over Iraqi airspace to simulate heavy bombardment operations. The data reveal that the American and Israeli sides were about to launch the strike at the beginning of this month and raise the air force’s readiness to the maximum level, before President Donald Trump intervened at the last moments and decided to freeze the attack, sticking to his decision to avoid any major military adventure prior to the midterm elections scheduled for November 3, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in turn, faces the test of the Israeli elections on October 27.
In the details of the target bank, the operating rooms are studying the use of the giant “GBU-43/B” bomb known as the “Mother of All Bombs” to penetrate a highly fortified nuclear facility carved into the granite of Mount Pikax, amid discrepancies in experts’ assessments about the feasibility of this weapon in destroying the depths of the mountain, and an American warning against targeting some oil installations to avoid inflationary jumps in global fuel prices. On the other hand, the Iranian side rejects the equation of a quick resolution. Officials in Tehran warned that their response would extend to include data centers, power networks, Internet cables, and major regional oil refineries, stressing that whoever initiates the strike will not have the decision to end it, which prompted the US administration to preemptively evacuate the families of non-essential diplomats from Saudi Arabia in anticipation of the spark of the explosion.
