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US and Israel Draft Plans to Resume Iran Strikes After the Midterms

A New York Times report says the Pentagon and Israeli military have mapped out a short, intense new bombing campaign for after Nov. 3 — and it's already moving oil prices.

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BY OBSERVER NEWSDESK

The Weekly Observer

OCT 23, 2026 · 2 MIN READ
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US and Israel Draft Plans to Resume Iran Strikes After the Midterms
The White House in Washington, D.C. (David Everett Strickler/Unsplash — file photo)

The United States and Israel have drawn up detailed military plans for a renewed round of strikes on Iran to launch after the November 3 midterm elections, according to a New York Times report that has rattled oil markets and is rippling into Friday's stock selloff.

The plans call for a short, intensive operation lasting roughly three days, with targets including Iranian nuclear facilities, energy infrastructure and the country's missile and drone production sites, according to reporting corroborated by the Washington Times and Breitbart. Officials briefed on the planning said President Trump would likely avoid Iran's oil refineries specifically, to keep gasoline and diesel prices from climbing any further before Americans finish voting.

No green light yet

Trump has not approved a new operation, and the Times assessed only a "small chance" he authorizes one before the midterms. That caution follows a near-miss earlier this month: the U.S. and Israel reportedly came close to launching a strike before Trump called it off at the last minute, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will keep Washington informed of Israel's own planning rather than ask for a formal green light, while separately insisting Israel will not move against Iran before the midterms. Iran, meanwhile, has warned through diplomatic channels — reported by the Wall Street Journal and relayed in Yahoo News' roundup of the coverage — that renewed strikes would draw retaliation against Gulf airports, pipelines and undersea communications cables, and could include attempts to target U.S. warships in the region.

A SHORT, INTENSE CAMPAIGN IS MAPPED OUT — BUT THE ORDER TO GO HASN'T BEEN GIVEN

The report lands at a delicate moment for energy markets. Brent crude has climbed above $113 a barrel this week on the prospect of renewed conflict, compounding a rough stretch for Wall Street: the Dow fell more than 500 points Friday morning and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both slid as traders weighed oil-price risk on top of separate worries about AI spending, according to CNBC's Friday markets coverage.

For now, the fight stays in the planning stage. Diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran are continuing alongside the military preparations, and officials on both sides say nothing is likely to be decided publicly until after votes are counted on Nov. 3. Gas and diesel prices — already a sore point for voters heading into the midterms — are likely to stay in the headlines either way.

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