Report: U.S. Told Gulf Allies to Prepare for New Iran Strikes as Early as Nov. 4
Three Gulf Arab officials are cited in the report, and the White House will not comment. A new round could again draw in Israel, which has received another Patriot air-defense system.
See where this is ›JERUSALEM, Israel —
The United States has told Gulf allies to prepare for a possible new round of strikes on Iran as early as Nov. 4, the day after the U.S. midterm elections, MSNOW reported, citing three senior Gulf Arab officials. The Times of Israel carried the report Oct. 31. The officials expect any strikes to be brief but intense.
See where this is ›A White House official told MSNOW, “we do not comment on sensitive military plans that may or may not exist,” and said President Donald Trump keeps all options on the table. According to the report, the U.S. has not struck Iran since Sept. 1, and Trump pledged to hold off on further attacks until after the midterms.
Gulf states are pressing Washington to de-escalate because they fear Iranian retaliation, the report said. One official said they “would not be surprised” if some Gulf countries opposed the use of American bases to launch attacks. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, speaking at the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, said he is “extremely worried” about a new escalation.
See where this is ›All Israel News reported Oct. 28, citing The Wall Street Journal, that the U.S. has sent one more Patriot missile system from Texas to Israel, along with an additional aircraft carrier and a Marine expeditionary unit to the region. The same report said Israel has been preparing to resume operations against Iran, and that a new round would likely resume the military cooperation seen earlier this year in Operation Roaring Lion, which the U.S. called Operation Epic Fury.
Iran has answered with warnings of its own. Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of Iran's National Security Commission, said revenge against the U.S. and Israel is certain, All Israel News reported.
Diplomacy is also under way. The outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported a breakthrough in indirect U.S.-Iran talks mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, with a U.S. delegation reportedly joining direct talks in Doha, according to the Times of Israel. Axios reported more than 12 hours of Qatari-Iranian talks in Tehran.
What we don't know yet: Whether any strike has been ordered, or when. The Nov. 4 date rests on unnamed Gulf officials quoted by one outlet, and the White House has neither confirmed nor denied it. The Times of Israel page we reviewed showed no Israeli government response, and the reported progress in the talks has not been confirmed by either government.
