Top admiral briefs Trump on Iran war efforts as momentum builds for more attacks after midterms: report

Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in President Donald Trump was briefed by top military officials on options for Iran , as administration officials gave Arab Gulf states a heads-up that attacks would resume after the midterm elections , according to a report. Trump met Thursday with the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, Adm.

Brad Cooper, at the White House, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, sources told The Wall Street Journal. U.S. officials have warned several Gulf Arab nations to be ready for a short, intense military campaign after November 3, with Trump looking to potentially target Iranian infrastructure and nuclear sites, two diplomats briefed on the matter told the Associated Press on Wednesday, and the Journal previously reported.

“We may do another little Epic Fury,” Trump said at a rally last week, referring to the heavy bombing campaign by the U.S. and Israel this past spring. “Or they’ll agree.” Trump and Cooper rarely meet in person, meaning Thursday’s meeting could have been about significant military actions, according to the report. The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command, which Cooper heads, declined to comment to the Journal. open image in gallery President Trump met with the top US commander in the Middle East on Thursday amid reports that he will resume strikes on Iran after the midterm elections ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press.

All rights reserved. ) The diplomats stressed that Trump has not made a final decision on whether to carry out new strikes on Iran. However, Trump has said he is weighing new military action once the critical midterm elections are over. The U.S. has not carried out a strike against Iran since early September, but the conflict has since spread, now including Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacking Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure and airports.

While recently campaigning for Republicans across the country, Trump has tried to convince voters that the war will end soon — while also threatening refreshed attacks after the election. “Somebody asked me before, when will the war in Iran end?” Trump said in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday. “I said, ‘Whenever I want it to end.’ It’ll be very quick, but we have to have it end properly, with total and complete — a total statement: they will never have a nuclear weapon.”

The report comes amid increased chatter that strikes will resume after midterms, as the $47 billion war against Iran remains at a standstill without a ceasefire or peace deal in sight. Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy spoke out about Trump’s reported plans to resume the war with Iran after the election. open image in gallery Trump met Adm. Brad Cooper Thursday in the White House. Trump has hinted at resuming attacks on Iran after the midterm elections.

The war with Iran is now in its 8th month ( Getty Images ) “Trump is reportedly planning to restart war with Iran after the election,” he wrote on X on Thursday. “Some of us have been briefed on the war plan. And while I cannot disclose any details, I can say this: the plan is insane. It will not achieve objectives and will set off a new cycle of escalation.” Republican strategist Karl Rove also said that he expects Trump to resume strikes post-Election Day, telling Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade Trump has “sort of signaled it.”

“If you look at what’s happening on the ground — two aircraft carriers in the region, a third one on the way, plus enough ground forces, plus enough air assets. If I were the Iranians, I’d be certainly thinking that’s what’s coming my way after the election,” Rove said on Wednesday. With reporting by the Associated Press.