October 9, 2026
Laura Yammine – Central
Axios revealed that, several days ago, the Pentagon issued directives to US Central Command to complete preparations for the resumption of major combat operations in Iran. The website quoted American officials as saying that the directives did not include a specific date for launching the strikes, and that US President Donald Trump had not taken any final decisions in this regard. But American and Israeli sources said that the resumption of operations may occur before the US midterm elections, and perhaps before the Israeli elections scheduled a week before. According to the sources, the resumption of major combat operations will likely include widespread bombing of Iranian targets in the energy sectors, infrastructure, and nuclear facilities. A Pentagon official said: The ministry’s mission is to prepare military options and present them to the president.
The Atlantic newspaper reported on Wednesday that Trump is considering launching a strike against Iran before the midterm elections. On Friday, Trump’s national security team met at Camp David for several hours to discuss the war and other issues. An Israeli official said that part of the meeting dealt with the possibility of resuming major combat operations in Iran.
Trump spoke by phone on Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in their second contact within days, after weeks during which there were almost no contacts between them. A US official said that Trump and Netanyahu discussed “commemorating and respecting the victims of the October 7 massacre.” Two Israeli officials said that the Iranian regime might launch a first strike, in light of what they described as its desperation and sense of suspicion, noting that Iran had been subjected to two surprise attacks and did not want to be subjected to a third attack.
Indeed, before this information, the Iranian army spokesman, Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami Nia, had confirmed that Iran would, when needed, carry out “preemptive operations” to deter the enemy from any aggression or transgression. Akrami Nia told Fars Agency that Iranian forces carried out pre-emptive operations during the recent war, and will repeat them in the future when needed, noting that American bases that were preparing to carry out operations against Iran were targeted during the war by drones belonging to the Iranian army. He explained that the Iranian military doctrine moved from the defensive to the offensive approach during the period of the martyr Amir Mousavi’s tenure as Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and that this doctrine was applied during the last war.
All of these data, in addition to the mobilization of American fleets in territorial waters, indicate that both parties are on alert and on their weapons. According to what diplomatic sources told Al Markazia, there are American-Israeli “fears” that Tehran will fire, this time, the “first shot,” on the basis that Trump keeps threatening us with a strike, meaning that it is definitely coming, “so why should we wait for it and not start it?”? The Americans and Israelis are currently preparing for this scenario, even though it is unlikely, as Washington considers that Iran is well aware that any escalatory step will take the initiative. To her, the response to her will be harsh, even judgmental. But in light of what Akrami Nia said, all possibilities must be taken into account. Also based on this, and in light of the Iranians continuing to raise the ceiling negotiated as well, as the talks have been going negatively for weeks, the Americans consider that renewing the strikes on Iran may contribute to breaking this status quo. Although Trump announced yesterday that there would be no strikes before the midterm elections, the sources do not rule out that his position is to mislead the Iranians.
This option is strongly encouraged by Israel, and is even waiting for it on fire, and it encourages Washington to return to it as soon as possible. The situation is that renewed escalation may be politically in Netanyahu’s interest and give his opponents less space to attack him in the final stage of the election campaign, which is why he is rushing it.
It seems, then, that a new round of escalation is inevitable. The question is: Who will start it, and when?
