Trump Is Considering a Plan to Strike Iran Before the Midterms

The Jerusalem Post, summarising The Atlantic's reporting, says US Central Command is developing the options, a US official told the magazine[1], and that the potential targets, scope of an operation, and whether US President Donald Trump will authorize military action remain under discussion.[1]According to the report, administration officials linked the planning to Trump's desire to show progress in the conflict and address high gasoline prices ahead of the vote.[1] The Hill notes that Trump has said the midterms and voters' concern over high gas prices and participation in a foreign war don't factor into his decisionmaking on Iran[2].Rolling Stone reports, citing The Atlantic, that Centcom has, for weeks, been preparing attack plans that would be carried out after the midterms, but only recently started accelerating their timeline.[3]Axios reported that the Pentagon instructed U.S. Central Command several days ago to conclude preparations for resuming major combat operations in Iran[4], and that sources expect any resumed campaign to include massive bombing of Iranian energy, infrastructure and nuclear targets[4].An Israeli official told Axios that the chance of strikes "before the elections is not high but we don't rule it out."[4]According to NewsNation, the White House is neither confirming nor denying[5] the report, with an official saying, "The Commander-in-Chief has all options available at any time."[5]The Jerusalem Post reports that The Atlantic said Washington and Tehran are continuing to communicate through intermediaries[1].