US urges Middle East allies to brace for Iran strikes after November 3 election

Washington has instructed several Middle East countries and regional allies to prepare for renewed military action against Iran following next week's midterm elections. Two diplomats briefed on the matter said the United States also expects Iran may attempt to retaliate against these partners. Both diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on the sensitive warnings conveyed by U.S. diplomats and defense officials.

President Donald Trump has not made a final decision on whether to order new strikes, the diplomats stressed. However, the president has repeatedly said he is weighing military action once the November 3 elections are over. The White House and U.S. officials declined to comment on the developing situation. These threats and the fresh urgings for allies to prepare have put the region on alert that a return to major operations could occur soon.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday in a post on X that Tehran continues to give diplomacy a chance to succeed. He stated that Iran is working with mediators to review ideas from a proposal floated last month. That proposal was rejected by Trump, but the Iranians still want to use it as the basis to return to a ceasefire. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates foreign ministry issued a statement urging the sides to exercise wisdom and pursue political solutions to contain tensions and prevent a return to full-scale operations in the war that began in late February.

The U.S. has told regional allies that a new round of military action could last for several days. However, regional officials are bracing for Iran and its proxy groups to retaliate, which could lead to a conflict that lasts even longer, the diplomats said. U.S. officials have urged allies to take precautionary measures in anticipation that Iran’s response will include retaliatory strikes on energy facilities and other critical infrastructure.

The conflict has spread since early September, when the U.S. last carried out a strike against Iran. Iran-backed Houthi rebels have attacked Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure and airports. A Saudi-led coalition has responded with deadly attacks on Houthi-held territory in Yemen. The Pentagon deployed the USS Theodore Roosevelt and a series of amphibious landing ships with Marines aboard from San Diego to the Persian Gulf late last month. The deployment brings roughly 9,000 troops to the region.

At the time of the deployment, one U.S. official said it could lead to an unusually high naval presence of more than 20,000 sailors and Marines, along with hundreds of aircraft, in the region. This level of force has only occurred a handful of times in the last two decades. The Navy had three carrier strike groups in the Middle East in April for the first time since 2003. It is not clear how soon after Election Day the U.S. military would be ready to resume strikes.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the Pentagon’s top military planner late Wednesday. Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was removed as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said there is no immediate replacement for Sylvia and no reason has been given for the firing. The cost of fighting the Iran war has grown to $47.1 billion, according to the latest estimate the Pentagon provided to Congress.

Trump campaigned for Republicans in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday. He said a conclusive end to the eight-month-old conflict could be coming in a couple of weeks. He told voters that the war will end when he wants it to end, but it must end properly with a total statement that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. Jonathan Schanzer, executive director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the region is on edge that Tehran could do something provocative before the election if they feel U.S. actions are imminent.