United States and Israel Prepare Renewed Strikes Against Iran As Early As Next Week

The United States and Israel are preparing for a possible resumption of strikes against Iran as early as next week, after a ceasefire paused the Pentagon’s operation “Operation Epic Fury” during the April ceasefire.

“Toggle Play Top US admiral: Strikes severely degraded Iran's military, defence Admiral Brad Cooper defended the results of the US-Israeli war on Iran, as lawmakers questioned whether they had in fact damaged the Iranian military’s capabilities”

Al Jazeera

The Times of Israel reported that options for renewed operations include “launching a more intense bombing campaign against military and infrastructure sites,” and it also cited a senior Israeli official saying Israel was preparing for imminent war while waiting for U.S. President Donald Trump to decide how to proceed in negotiations with Iran.

Al Jazeera

In parallel, CBS News said Israel launched new strikes in southern Lebanon after agreeing to extend the current ceasefire between the countries by 45 days after two days of talks in Washington, D.C., while it also reported that the U.S. is in control of the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump declared.

CBS News further reported that the USS Gerald R. Ford returned home to Virginia after an 11-month deployment with about 5,000 soldiers aboard, and it said the Ford’s 326 days at sea were the most for an aircraft carrier in the past 50 years.

The Times of India said Trump returned from China on Friday facing mounting pressure over the Iran war, with top aides preparing options for renewed military action against Tehran if diplomacy fails, while it added that Trump had not yet made a final decision.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told CBS News that his country “cannot trust the Americans at all” and that Iran is “trying to maintain” the “shaky” ceasefire “to give diplomacy a chance.”

CBS News also reported that Israel Defense Forces said it struck “observation posts, terror infrastructure, and a weapons storage facility” on Saturday in response to Hezbollah launching “hostile aircraft, mortar shells, and explosive drones” near IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon in the past 24 hours.

CBS News

The Times of Israel quoted a senior Israeli official saying, “The Americans understand that negotiations with Iran are going nowhere,” and it added that Israel was “preparing for days to weeks of fighting and waiting for Trump’s final decision.”

In a separate framing, Al Jazeera said Trump was awaiting a decision while Israel braces for a resumption of the war on Iran, and it described scenarios ranging from infrastructure strikes to a diplomatic solution.

Al Jazeera also reported that Araqchi said Tehran had received American messages indicating Washington’s readiness to resume talks and maintain communication, while it noted that Araqchi stressed Iran’s mistrust of the United States.

CBS News said the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported the death toll from the Israel-Hezbollah conflict was closing in on 3,000 people, with 2,969 dead and 9,112 injured since the latest round of fighting broke out on March 2.

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Haaretz

It also said Israel has struck approximately 100 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon beginning Friday despite the ceasefire, and it reported that two alleged Hezbollah members were targeted in an Israeli air force strike on Friday after they fired a rocket toward Israeli soldiers.

The Times of Israel described how U.S. officials cited by the newspaper said one option would be conquering Iran’s key oil export hub of Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, while it also said extracting highly enriched uranium would “risk several casualties” and require “thousands of supporting forces.”

The Times of India reported that Pentagon officials have drafted plans for a possible resumption of strikes under a renewed military campaign after “Operation Epic Fury” was paused during the April ceasefire, while it added that Trump had not yet made a final decision.

CBS News added that the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz had turned back 78 ships either exiting or entering Iranian ports, and it said Iran’s stock market will reopen on Tuesday, with state media quoting Hamid Yari on the Securities and Exchange Organization’s planning to protect shareholders’ assets.