The Pentagon has instructed the US central command (CENTCOM) to complete preparations for a possible resumption of major combat operations against Iran. US President Donald Trump has not made a final decision yet on whether to launch fresh strikes, Axios reported, citing US officials.According to Axios, the preparations could pave the way for a new US military campaign targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, energy infrastructure and other strategic sites. However, the report said no timeline for an attack has been set and the Pentagon’s preparations do not amount to a presidential order to begin strikes.The development comes as Washington’s diplomatic efforts with Tehran remain deadlocked.Axios reported that negotiations have stalled, while a separate meeting of Trump’s senior national-security team at Camp David last week focused on the Iran war and the escalating Saudi-Houthi conflict in Yemen. The meeting was chaired by Vice President JD Vance and included senior US defence, intelligence, diplomatic and economic officials.The timing is also linked to the US midterm elections and elections in Israel. Axios reported that US and Israeli officials are assessing the possibility of renewed operations before the elections, although an Israeli official said the chances of action before the polls are currently low and could rise after them.Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken twice in recent days. If fighting resumes, US and Israeli forces are expected to operate in tandem, while Israeli officials believe Iran could retaliate with ballistic-missile attacks against Israel.Situation in the Middle EastThe Middle East is facing multiple connected fronts, with the US-Iran war now overlapping with renewed fighting in Yemen, direct Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and continuing Israeli operations in Gaza and the wider region.Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launched a major offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis earlier this week, seeking to retake territory along the Red Sea coast and around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.The Houthis have responded with missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia. Three people were killed and dozens wounded in attacks on Abha and Riyadh’s King Khalid International airports, according to Saudi authorities cited by Reuters and AP. The Saudi-led coalition subsequently said it had struck more than 80 Houthi targets in Yemen.Israel is also heading towards elections on October 27, with the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack remaining a central issue in the campaign. AP reported that the election is increasingly being framed around responsibility for the security failure and Netanyahu’s handling of the wars that followed.
