WASHINGTON: US officials told Axios on Wednesday that the Pentagon ordered US Central Command (CENTCOM) to prepare for possible Iran strikes.
President Donald Trump has not made a final decision, said Wednesday that the United States had moved more oil through the Strait of Hormuz over the past three nights than at any previous point in the waterway’s history. .
A Pentagon official said the department’s role was to “develop and present military options to the President”. Officials described potential large-scale attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities if renewed operations receive approval.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran would deliver its response to US proposals through mediators. He maintained that Iran had outlined conditions for ending the war and restoring regional security.
Qatari mediators were still awaiting Tehran’s answer to a US counterproposal seeking nuclear concessions, according to the officials’ account.
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Although the directive arrived several days earlier, it set no date for launching attacks. US and Israeli sources described possible operations before the November 3 US midterm elections, potentially before Israel’s elections a week earlier.
Trump’s national security team met at Camp David on October 2. An Israeli official said they discussed restarting major combat operations there.
Separately, Trump spoke with Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Wednesday. They had held another call in recent days.
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Officials expected American and Israeli forces to operate together if major combat operations resumed. US officials say the Pentagon ordered preparations for possible renewed operations against Iran, but Trump has not approved strikes.
