The source, who spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity, said Israel had originally planned to strike Iran in mid-October, about two weeks before Israel's elections on October 27, but President Donald Trump objected. Instead, the U.S. is now amassing forces in the region to be ready by early November, after the U.S. midterms on November 3, though the preparations could also be a pressure campaign to push Tehran toward a diplomatic deal, the source said.
The planning comes against the backdrop of a conflict that began in February, when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran that killed its supreme leader and senior officials. The sides have since failed to uphold a ceasefire and have traded strikes over the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked to commercial shipping while the U.S. has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and oil shipments.
Separately, citing senior U.S. officials, The New York Times reported that Washington and Jerusalem have developed specific plans for a "short but intensive operation" against targets including nuclear facilities, energy infrastructure and Iran's missile and drone arsenals, with the goal of forcing diplomatic concessions by further weakening Iran's economy.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state media, "We are just as prepared for diplomacy as we are for war," adding that "any scenario is conceivable, including the possibility of an attack by the U.S. and Israel." An Iranian security source warned that any attack on Iranian officials or civilian infrastructure would be met with retaliation against U.S. interests in the region. With both Israeli and American elections just days away, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is campaigning on a promise to topple Iran's regime — a pledge that could shape how the plans develop after the votes are counted.