US Warns Gulf States to Prepare for Short, Intense Offensive Against Iran After Midterms

The United States has told several Gulf Arab countries to prepare for a short and intense military offensive against Iran once the US midterm elections on 3 November are over, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

According to the newspaper's sources, the warning was delivered through diplomatic and military channels. It is the latest sign that the United States and Israel are readying another round of attacks meant to weaken Tehran and push it toward negotiations.

Officials told the WSJ that US forces have been restocking munitions in the region, while bombers and fighter jets are being readied for strikes. Flight tracking data and two officials indicate that the US military is moving a Patriot missile defence system, including radar equipment, launchers and interceptor missiles, from Texas to Israel. Next month, an aircraft carrier strike group and a Marine expeditionary unit are also due to join roughly 20 other warships already operating in the Middle East.

Last week, the US press reported that American troops and diplomats had been evacuating posts across the region. NBC News said the State Department had ordered a further cut in staff at diplomatic posts there. Several reports say President Donald Trump has not made a final decision but leans toward a major attack that could hit Iranian infrastructure and nuclear sites.

The financial toll is also growing. The Pentagon told Congress last week that the US-Israeli war on Iran, now in its eighth month, had cost the United States $47.1bn through 16 October. That is up from the $37.5bn figure previously cited by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Bombs, missiles and other ammunition accounted for more than 60 percent of the total.

The alternative to renewed fighting would be a deal, but mediation has faltered. Iran rejected a draft agreement from Qatar on Sunday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday that Qatar had not presented a proposal at all, but had floated "unacceptable" ideas, and that Tehran would show no flexibility on the nuclear issue.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned of severe economic consequences from any new attack. "Devastating impact on int'l markets of any Israel-instigated military misadventure in Persian Gulf region remains major concern for both gas suppliers and consumers," he said in a post on X.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been promoting the prospect of fresh strikes as he seeks re-election. With 85 percent of votes counted in the parliamentary elections, his bloc had fallen to 53 of 120 seats. On Wednesday, as talks on forming a new government were set to begin, Netanyahu said he would work with Trump to eliminate the "existential threat" posed by Iran. His main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, has also backed strikes on Iran alongside economic pressure.

Trump has said he would not attack Iran before the midterms. "We may do another little Epic Fury," he said at a rally in Florida last week, using the US military's name for its war on Iran.