Military preparations between Washington and Tel Aviv have reached a critical juncture as United States and Israeli officials draw up potential joint war plans for an attack on Iran as early as early November. The planning, confirmed by a person briefed on the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly, follows public signals from President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a new military campaign against Tehran remains on the table.
According to the briefed source, the prospective strike timeline is structured around upcoming political events, positioned to occur after Israeli parliamentary elections next week and following the U.S. midterm elections on November 3. Israel had originally envisioned launching a military strike against Iran in mid-October, but the initiative was ruled out by the United States. While the development was initially reported by the Financial Times and The New York Times, Netanyahu has publicly denied the claims.
The reports emerge alongside escalating political and military rhetoric from key leadership. President Trump publicly endorsed Netanyahu for reelection on Sunday ahead of next Tuesday's Israeli polls, asserting that his endorsement was rooted in national security priorities. Trump stated that the two nations "may have to finish the job in Iran" and indicated that he would require Netanyahu and Israel's active support to accomplish that goal. Following Trump's endorsement, Netanyahu has centered his reelection campaign on a explicit promise to strike Iran.
Addressing the political climate, Netanyahu delivered a speech declaring that Iran's newly elevated supreme leader is actively trying to develop nuclear weapons, which the prime minister characterized as "bombs of death." Netanyahu argued that the singular method to permanently eliminate the security threat is to overthrow the Iranian regime, noting that he has formally issued this directive to the Israeli military as well as to security and intelligence agencies. He added that the Iranian supreme leader failed to learn lessons from the two previous rounds of warfare Iran fought against Israel and the U.S.
The strategic stance has drawn significant pushback from national security figures within Israel. Danny Citrinowicz, who previously directed the Iran branch of Israel's military intelligence, countered that it is actually the U.S. and Israel that have failed to absorb the lessons of recent conflicts. Citrinowicz emphasized that additional military bombardments will not force Iran to abandon its nuclear or ballistic missile ambitions and technical programs. He warned that a new war could prompt Tehran to launch even more severe retaliatory strikes capable of disrupting global markets, questioning what a renewed military campaign could realistically accomplish that the previous two conflicts failed to achieve.
In response to the mounting threats, Iranian Foreign Minister stated that Tehran remains equally prepared for diplomacy or full-scale war, acknowledging that any scenario—including an imminent joint attack by the U.S. and Israel—is conceivable. Iranian state media reported warnings from government officials indicating that any assault on Iran's civilian infrastructure would trigger immediate retaliatory strikes against U.S. regional interests. Furthermore, Tehran has threatened to target critical data centers and underwater internet cables situated throughout the Persian Gulf.
These escalating threats have heightened anxiety among neighbouring Gulf states. A recent report released by the International Monetary Fund highlighted that Gulf economies suffered severe economic damage during the previous rounds of U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran, amplifying fears over the broader economic fallout of a fresh military confrontation.
SUMMERS: Daniel, what can you tell us about these plans?
SUMMERS: But Daniel, hasn't Netanyahu openly been threatening an attack?
