The Pentagon has ordered U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to complete preparations for a possible resumption of major combat operations against Iran as President Donald Trump weighs renewed strikes that could come before November’s midterm elections, according to multiple reports Wednesday.
The directive, issued several days ago, comes as the administration considers strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, energy infrastructure, and other strategic targets, although Trump has not made a final decision on whether or when to authorize another major military campaign.
Axios first reported the order to CENTCOM, citing U.S. officials who said discussions about renewed operations have intensified amid the continuing standoff with Tehran.
The preparations follow a meeting Friday at Camp David, where Trump’s national security team spent several hours discussing Iran and other regional security challenges, including the conflict with the Houthis in Yemen.
An Israeli official told the outlet that resuming major combat operations against Iran was among the subjects discussed.
The military subsequently developed new options for Trump’s consideration, NBC News separately reported Wednesday, citing two U.S. officials and another person familiar with the discussions. The Atlantic also reported Wednesday that the White House had requested strike options that could be carried out ahead of the midterms.
While the scale and targets of a potential operation remain undecided, officials have discussed strikes against Iran’s nuclear and energy infrastructure, with a broader campaign also possible after the elections.
Israeli officials expect that renewed major operations could involve a joint American-Israeli campaign, although no decision has been announced.
“The chances of it happening before the elections is not high but we don’t rule it out,” one Israeli official was quoted as saying. “After the midterms the chances of it happening increase significantly.”
The military preparations come as Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran that it faces a choice between reaching an agreement with Washington and confronting further American action.
“We have to finish up, and it’s only a question of which way do we want to do it,” Trump said Tuesday, contrasting the “nice way” with the “not-so-nice way” and adding that the outcome would become clear soon.
Speaking Wednesday in San Antonio, Texas, Trump reiterated his determination to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“And just as I promised, I am ensuring that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. Ever,” he declared.
The president also predicted that the conflict would end soon, telling the audience that oil prices would “come down like a rock” as the fighting concludes.
The administration’s military preparations come as Tehran continues to resist Washington’s nuclear demands, leaving negotiations without a breakthrough despite mounting economic pressure on the Iranian regime.
The Trump administration has rejected another interim agreement focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz while postponing substantive negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, insisting that any deal must address Washington’s broader demands.
Tehran had proposed a seven-day arrangement under which Washington would begin lifting sanctions and releasing frozen Iranian funds in exchange for reopening the strait, leaving negotiations over its nuclear program for a later stage.
Trump rejected the proposal, which resembled an earlier framework that collapsed after Iran resumed attacks on shipping in the strategic waterway.
The two countries nevertheless discussed Tehran’s nuclear program during indirect negotiations in New York, according to American, Middle Eastern, and Iranian officials cited by NBC News.
A senior Iranian official, however, told Reuters that Tehran would never relinquish its claimed right to enrich uranium and insisted that Washington must first meet Iranian conditions before negotiations over the nuclear program could proceed.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced Washington’s position Wednesday, saying Tehran had repeatedly squandered opportunities to reach an agreement while its military capabilities and economy continued to deteriorate.
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, simple, period, end of story,” Rubio said in Athens.
The administration’s negotiating position is strengthened by American control of the Strait of Hormuz, where U.S. forces continue protecting international shipping while enforcing an ironclad blockade that has effectively shut down Iran’s oil exports.
CENTCOM reported Monday that American forces had redirected 130 commercial vessels attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports since the blockade resumed in July.
On Wednesday, the command also rejected an Iranian military official’s assertion that Tehran controlled the strait, emphasizing that commercial vessels and energy shipments continued moving through the waterway.
“The United States and regional partners clearly control the strait,” CENTCOM declared.
The blockade has become a central source of American leverage as Iran faces a worsening economic crisis. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned over the weekend that Tehran was on the verge of having no oil at sea available for export for the first time in its history, effectively cutting off a critical source of revenue.
Against that backdrop, the White House emphasized that Trump faces no immediate pressure to accept an agreement that fails to meet American demands.
“The U.S. is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing,” a White House official said.
“Iran has been decimated, and things will go one of two ways: the easy way or the hard way,” the official added.
A separate White House official told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that Trump was “comfortable letting Iran’s inevitable collapse take its course,” underscoring the administration’s willingness to maintain pressure rather than concede to Tehran’s demands.
With preparations for renewed military operations advancing and Iran continuing to resist Washington’s nuclear demands, Trump has left open both a negotiated settlement and another major campaign against the Islamic Republic.
The president framed the decision Tuesday as a choice between ending the conflict the “nice way” or the “not-so-nice way,” saying the outcome would become clear “pretty soon.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.