The U.S. and Israeli militaries have developed plans for renewed strikes against Iran after the U.S. midterm elections, with preparations advancing for a potential short but intensive campaign, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
The U.S. State Department has ordered some diplomats and family members to depart from its missions in Saudi Arabia and plans to withdraw family members from a number of other U.S. missions in the region.
The order came as attacks in Saudi Arabia killed at least one person and injured eight others at a civilian airport in Dammam, and two people were killed in a drone attack on an oil field.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a post on X that the department ordered the departure of “non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that if the U.S. chooses military action over diplomacy again, it will face an even greater strategic failure. He stressed that Iran is prepared to give diplomacy another chance if Washington demonstrates a sincere commitment to a just and lasting solution to end the conflict.
Araghchi also warned that repeating what he described as President Donald Trump’s mistaken assumptions about Iran would lead to an even more painful outcome.
An attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday evening killed one resident and injured eight others, the General Authority of Civil Aviation said.
The statement said material damage was being assessed.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the U.S. had defeated Iran militarily and financially, adding that Tehran would “never have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump also said the U.S. has a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, which he called the “Trump Strait.”
“We changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico. Why can't we change the name of the Hormuz Strait?” he added.
Citing U.S. officials and other people briefed on the deliberations, The New York Times reported that the two militaries have stepped up exercises, including flights over Iraq to practice strike maneuvers.
Potential targets could include Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile and drone arsenal, and energy infrastructure, according to the report.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel this week to discuss possible new strikes, the newspaper reported.
Plans to target Iran’s nuclear program could include a strike on Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried site, according to the Times.
The report said it is far from certain that Trump will approve the strikes, noting that he has repeatedly vetoed plans to return to major combat this year.
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