CENTCOM reportedly has plans for Iran strikes: Will Trump approve them?

US military reportedly has plans for Iran strikes, but analysts question what another bombing campaign could achieve.

The full report

US media is reporting that the Pentagon has drawn up plans to renew strikes on Iran after the November 3 midterm elections, according to The Hill. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US forces in the Middle East, has plans ready for follow-up strikes if authorised by the White House. The report focused on possible attacks after the midterm elections, but President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that the United States could strike as soon as “tomorrow”.

The latest reporting suggests military preparations are advancing, although it remains unclear which options Trump might approve or when. Earlier this month, Axios reported that the Pentagon had instructed CENTCOM to complete preparations for a possible resumption of major combat operations. Its sources said a renewed campaign could target Iranian energy facilities, infrastructure and nuclear sites.

The US and Israel have drawn up joint plans for an attack on Iran after the midterm elections, according to The New York Times. The reports come alongside US warnings about alleged Iranian threats to American personnel overseas. An intelligence memo sent on Friday by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran had “substantially increased efforts to target US personnel”, with lethal plots reaching “advanced stages” in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Tehran has combined calls for further negotiations with warnings that renewed US attacks would bring a wider response. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Washington of derailing negotiations but said efforts to reach an agreement should continue. Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will also miss the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi, according to the Iranian Embassy in India.