Trump or his staff have ordered the Pentagon to develop attack plans that could be put into effect within the next few weeks if necessary, The Atlantic magazine and the news site Axios report, both citing anonymous sources.
In recent weeks, there has been speculation that Trump may want to rest on his laurels ahead of this fall's high-stakes midterm elections, with the Iran war and oil prices already weighing heavily on public opinion.
Conversation with Israel
Axios' Israeli sources say the US president has spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu twice in recent days, following a period of silence between them. There have been no strikes on Iran since late August.
Israel is again expected to be involved if and when there are new attacks on Iran. Elections are also being held there shortly, with a vote for the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, a week before the US midterm elections.
There is speculation and concern that Netanyahu may want to escalate the conflict during the election campaign for political purposes. The prime minister has warned that Israel is at risk of being attacked by its enemies during the election campaign.
Diplomatic stalemate
Negotiations for a peace deal have stalled. The US and Iran tried to resume talks during the UN General Assembly in New York at the end of September, but failed to reach an agreement. Iran said it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping if the US made a number of concessions, but the US refused.
Iran’s isolated economy is considered to be under increasing strain, but the country continues to maintain a grip on global oil exports through new attacks and threats to attack ships in the Persian Gulf.
