CENTCOM reportedly has plans for Iran strikes: Will Trump approve them?
Reports say Pentagon has drawn up plans for strikes after midterm polls, but analysts question what it could achieve.
Key points
- US Central Command has prepared options for renewed strikes on Iran, but only President Donald Trump can authorize them.
- The US is sending a third aircraft carrier strike group and about 10,000 more soldiers to the Middle East by the end of November.
- Iran has warned of an offensive military doctrine and, according to Reuters, plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf.
US Central Command has drawn up plans for possible follow-up strikes on Iran if the White House authorizes them, according to The Hill. Military planners also prepared several options for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The reporting focused on possible attacks after the November 3 US midterm elections, but President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday the US could strike as soon as "tomorrow" while also raising the possibility of an agreement with Tehran.
The preparations are not an order to attack, and it remains unclear which options Trump might approve or when. Earlier this month, Axios reported the Pentagon had told CENTCOM to complete preparations for a possible resumption of major combat operations, with sources saying a renewed campaign could target Iranian energy facilities, infrastructure and nuclear sites. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the US and Israel have drawn up joint plans for an attack after the midterms.
Warnings and military buildup
A Friday intelligence memo from 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. The State Department has ordered staffing reductions at several regional embassies. The memo did not identify specific targets or say when any alleged attacks might occur.
The US is deploying a third aircraft carrier strike group, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, along with roughly 10,000 additional soldiers and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East by the end of November. Iran's army said on Sunday it shot down a US-developed LUCAS drone over Bandar Abbas, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Reuters, quoting Iranian security officials, reported Tehran has plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf if US and Israeli attacks resume.
With Trump, I think he is always keeping options on the table, but I think this particular drawing up of plans is an immediate posturing deterrent, but also a very real option after the midterms
— Julie Norman, associate fellow at Chatham House
Iran's stance and regional risks
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Washington of derailing negotiations but said efforts to reach an agreement should continue. Parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will miss the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi, with the Iranian Embassy in India citing "unforeseen circumstances". Iran also announced what it describes as a shift toward an "offensive" military doctrine.
Julie Norman of Chatham House told Al Jazeera the preparations serve as both short-term posturing and a possible longer-term objective after the midterms. She said there is "a very high risk of miscalculation by either side". Mohamad Elmasry of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies said recent developments suggest "we are headed for another round of fighting".
