US warns Gulf allies of possible strikes against Iran after midterm elections as president declares at Texas rally the war will end 'whenever I want it to be over'

America's allies in the Gulf region have been warned that the US may begin a 'short, intense renewal' of strikes on Iran shortly after the midterms . Donald Trump has promised to not strike Iran at least until the November 3 elections have concluded, though he gave an ominous threat regarding the war at a rally in Lubbock, Texas Tuesday. 'We brought inflation way down. We have it way down now. When the war ends, it will come way down,' he told his supporters. 'It can be over whenever I want it to be over.

Someone asked me, "When will the war in Iran end?" I said, "Whenever I want it to end."' The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that several Gulf Arab allies have been asked to prepare for short, intense strikes on Tehran shortly after the elections. The military has begun preparing bomber aircraft and jet fighters and restocking munitions. The Pentagon has also sent another aircraft carrier strike group to the region, which already has around 20 warships.

America's missile defenses will be bolstered by a Patriot system from Texas, while troops have been moved from potentially vulnerable bases and diplomats have been asked to exit embassies in recent weeks. Sources close to President Trump have said that he has not yet given the go ahead on the strikes but wants to stage a post-election attack against Iran's nuclear sites and other infrastructure. 'The Department is a planning organization and its job is to develop and execute military options ordered by the President,' a Senior Pentagon official told The Daily Mail when asked about the potential for a strike.

Donald Trump has promised to not strike Iran at least until the November 3 elections have concluded, though he gave an ominous threat regarding the war at a rally in Lubbock, Texas Tuesday In this on February 24, 2024, image released by the US Central Command, a US fighter plane lauches from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower in the Red Sea during operations against Huthi targets The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment.

Trump took his midterm campaign blitz to Texas, where Senate candidate Ken Paxton is locked in a tight race against Democrat James Talarico. Read More Which midterm races should YOU be watching? Enter your zip code in our exclusive election calculator Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined Trump to show off a newly arrived oil tanker filled with Venezuelan crude to be processed in Texas refineries. The Iran war has emerged as an unforced liability for a president who promised to keep the US out of foreign wars.

Republican strategists privately acknowledge it´s severely damaging party efforts to retain control of Congress as gasoline price hikes drive up costs across the economy. The national average price of gas is currently at $4.27 per gallon, per American Automobile Association (AAA). Diesel sits at $6.35, down from a record high of $6.52 at the end of September. Regular gasoline sat at $2.81 a gallon in January. The highest average US gas price reached $5.02 in June 2022 under former President Joe Biden .

However, the national average price in Trump's second term has been $3.473 per gallon compared with $3.471 under Biden per a CNN analysis of AAA data, making the average higher under Trump. Sailors prepare an E/A-18G Growler, attached to the "Zappers" of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130, for launch aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) in the Red Sea, April 16 Pictured: An explosion following strikes close to Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran on March 7, 2026, after the US and Israel launched attacks against the country seven days prior An oil tanker burns after being hit by an Iranian strike in the ship-to-ship transfer zone at Khor al-Zubair port near Basra, Iraq, late Wednesday, March 11 Those skyrocketing costs, which rose as a result of President Trump's war with Iran that he often calls a 'little detour,' are sinking Republicans on the campaign trail.

Americans are angry at soaring energy prices and frustrated over the nearly eight-month Iran war, which Trump initially said would be over within weeks. At a rally in Michigan on Sunday, Trump dismissed the concerns on higher gas prices, calling them a 'small price to pay.' However, the drawn-out conflict has instead rocked the global economy and piled fresh pressure on Americans already struggling with the cost of living. An AP-NORC poll released last week found voters in both parties want the next Congress to focus on bringing down everyday costs and ending the war which has presented another headache for GOP candidates ahead of the November 3 elections.

Paxton was caught trashing the war in audio leaked by Axios from a private event last month. At the event, Paxton was asked by an attendee what he sees as 'dragging' his campaign, to which he responded: 'It's not tariffs.... It's the war, it's gas prices, it's diesel,' according to the audio from September 24th. The Lone Star State Republican made the admission to a room of lobbyists at a private fundraising lunch in Washington, DC. Although Trump tried to address diesel costs by making a deal with Russian president Vladimir Putin that centered on the administration issuing temporary licenses allowing Russian diesel imports into the US for six months, he faced criticism from Republicans.

Texas GOP Senate candidate Ken Paxton (pictured) was caught trashing the war in audio leaked by Axios from a private event last month A new memo circulated by US intelligence claims that Iran is in the 'advanced stages' of plots to kill American officials in the Middle East and elsewhere In Iowa, where fall means harvest season as much as it does election season, Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson told the Daily Mail earlier in October that the diesel deal made her 'nervous.'

Beyond a deal with Russia, Hinson floated several other fixes. She called for 'investing in our refining capacity here in the United States that has gone by the wayside,' and said the administration was taking steps to 'reinvigorate American independence again.' She also urged lawmakers to explore 'a temporary pause in the gas tax' and 'potentially a diesel rebate program' for farmers and truckers who rely on the fuel for work. Hinson continued at the time that she has 'seen this administration taking steps to make sure we reinvigorate America's energy independence again,' before adding that further proposals such as 'a temporary pause in the gas tax,' as well as 'potentially a diesel rebate program for people who are, for instance, farmers or truckers using diesel for their jobs and their work,' should be explored.

A new memo circulated by US intelligence claims that Iran is in the 'advanced stages' of plots to kill American officials in the Middle East and elsewhere. The news comes amid another spike in oil prices and rumors that Donald Trump may resume strikes on Tehran after the midterm elections . The memo, written by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio , suggests the information should be used as part of a continued effort to draw down personnel at US embassies.

Clayton said his teams 'have received intelligence that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target US personnel.' The memo, written by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio (pictured), suggests the information should be used as part of a continued effort to draw down personnel at US embassies Join the discussion How should America balance its energy needs with the risks and costs of foreign military actions?

What's your view? 'The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries,' Clayton wrote. Three US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed to the Associated Press that the memo was sent to Rubio in his capacity as secretary of state and national security adviser. The memo emerged shortly after the State Department announced it is reducing staff at the US embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The three officials said the threats from Iran and Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels are related to the staffing changes. The embassies involved are all under what is known as 'restricted operations' status that has already reduced the size of their personnel footprints. The embassies will remain open. However, unlike in Saudi Arabia, where nonessential US personnel and their families were ordered Wednesday to leave the country, staff in the other four countries are not compelled to depart.

In announcing the staffing drawdowns this week, the State Department pointed specifically to increased threats from Yemen's Houthi rebels and did not mention threats to US personnel directly from Iran. There has been a resurgence of fighting between a Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis, with the militant group launching missile and drone strikes against Saudi Arabia . US officials have adamantly denied the drawdowns are tied to any potential new US and Israeli strikes on Iran.