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Pentagon Prepares 'Options' For Trump To Strike Iran Before Midterms

Tyler Durden's Photo
by Tyler Durden
Authored...

Update(1615ET): The Atlantic is reporting Wednesday afternoon that the Pentagon is preparing strike options for the Commander-in-Chief to consider, and that Trump may actually pull the trigger before the midterm elections - though the report emphasizes that the decision is still being debated:

After months of on-again, off-again fighting, the United States hasn’t struck Iran in several weeks. The stretch of relative tranquility is coinciding with the final phase of the midterm-election campaign, and the assumption has been that President Trump will want to keep it going through November 3 so as not to remind voters of an unpopular war that is dragging Republican candidates down nationwide.

But that may not be what happens. The White House has asked the Pentagon to develop strike options against Iranian targets that could be exercised ahead of the midterms, according to two administration officials. The planning underscores just how much the president wants to reduce gas prices and demonstrate progress in the conflict before the vote, administration officials told us.

And yet a renewed outbreak of direct bombing would likely actually serve to do the opposite, given oil prices have tended to shoot up on headlines of major direct escalation.

Reports out of Iran confirmed earlier Wednesday that negotiations are 'stalemated' - also as the Iranians have ramped up targeting tankers with drones in the Strait of Hormuz over the last week.

One peculiar and notable line from The Atlantic report is that Trump and the Republicans are looking for "some sort of victory" in a war that they promised would be swift and decisive, but instead has drifted into a seven-month quagmire:

The plans are being developed by U.S. Central Command, which is coordinating the war effort, a U.S. official told us. Even the plans’ advocates acknowledge that limited strikes would not, by themselves, bring Iran to the negotiating table, restore safe travel through the Strait of Hormuz, or lower gas prices before Election Day. But those in favor believe that further action after months of uneasy peace could allow Trump to demonstrate strength and potentially declare some sort of victory, giving Republicans much-needed momentum heading into the election. 

Tehran has constantly signaled its military is at the 'ready' and that it is continuing to build up its ballistic missile arsenal, even as its exports have dropped dramatically due to the US naval blockade. Meanwhile...

Some of the latest out of state IRNA:

  • Iran's considerations and conditions for ending the war on all fronts and restoring security to the Persian Gulf region and the Strait have been clearly and firmly explained, and the necessary response to the other side's proposals will be provided through mediators.
  • "Iran will continue its efforts to strengthen trust and interaction between regional countries."
  • The agreement between Iran and Oman on the safe routes of Hormuz will soon be reflected in international references.

*  *  *

Saudi Arabian state-owned outlet Al Hadath is reporting what many might consider obvious: Stalemate in mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran, the source reports Wednesday.

US officials are continuing to tell Tehran that there will be "no progress" in negotiations until there's progress on the nuclear file and that Hormuz is no longer a priority after Iran "lost control of it". 

via AFP

And yet, there's been possibly a dozen or more Iranian drone attacks on foreign vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz in the last eight days.

All of this comes as President Masoud Pezeshkian has urged the Iranian public to 'stand up' against the US and West, as Washington's sweeping sanctions as well as US naval blockade actions against Iranian ports continue to bite.

"We must not allow the production cycle to be damaged. We will reduce the consumption of electricity, gas, gasoline, water and other energy sectors," he said to semi-official Fars news agency.

"The condition for resistance and standing up to the West is for everyone to endure hardship," Pezeshkian added, saying that "if necessary, cultural and sport complexes will be closed in Iran to provide electricity and energy needed for industrial production" - as the US blockade hammers Iran’s economy.

The rial has cratered, and the fallout has begun to severely impact neighboring Iraq and its Tehran-aligned economy and government, as we previously detailed.

Fars also quoted Pezeshkian as saying Wednesday, "Iran is fully prepared to reach a balanced and fair agreement that ensures lasting peace and security in the region."

"Our red line is the national interests and rights of the Iranian people. If the United States adheres to international legal frameworks, reaching an agreement is not out of reach," he added.

There's also this admission (but which could also be interpreted as pushback) from Iranian state media, in the face of Scott Bessent's recent assertions that Iran's crude exports have fallen to near 'Zero':

Iranian media is reporting a 60 percent decrease in oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz, saying that the flow of crude oil has faced a significant drop in the last two days, reaching around 3.8 million barrels per day.

The weekly average of oil passing through the Strait is estimated to be about 9.3 million barrels per day, Tasnim news agency said.

The claim comes as an IRGC adviser said that the strait is “fully controlled” by Iran and will remain closed until the US accepts its demands, adding that the volume of oil currently being smuggled out is “very small”.

But ultimately, Iran is admitting it is enduring severe economic hardship amid a heavily sanctioned wartime economy.

There's a battle of narratives over Hormuz and markets as well as mainstream Western media are simply favoring once side while ignoring the claims of the other at this point:

The stalemate looks to endure past the November midterm elections in the US, as even President Trump has seemed to lately suggest this status won't change until after the US vote. He has also signaled a heavy bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic could ensue by November's end.

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