Iran said shoring up defenses at nuclear sites, warning it could invade neighbors if war resumes

Iran is strengthening defenses around its nuclear sites and preparing for possible renewed fighting with the United States, while Iranian officials have warned of possible ground incursions into neighboring countries, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. These preparations come as Tehran seeks to deter another American attack, which officials believe could come after the US November 3 midterm elections, according to the report. Iranian officials have also warned regional counterparts that Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities could be targeted if fighting resumes, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the warnings. This would compound woes for the Saudis, who have faced multiple attacks in recent days form the Iran-backed Houthis, including repeated strikes on Riyadh airport. Iran’s top national security official, Mohsen Rezaei, reportedly said on Sunday that Tehran could also target the United Arab Emirates, and data centers and internet cables across the region. At the end of September, Brig. Gen. Gholamreza Jalali, the official in charge of the country’s contingency plans, told reporters that the country was installing shelters and backup supplies to continue operating in a crisis. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms Tehran has separately told mediators that it could step up attacks on American forces, including attempts to sink US warships in the region and kill their crews, according to the report. Iran has also reportedly strengthened defenses around nuclear sites. Last month, the IAEA reported signs of construction at the Pickaxe Mountain and Natanz nuclear sites. The Journal, citing an analysis of Vantor satellite images by the Institute for Science and International Security, said it appeared to be the construction of makeshift dirt mounds to obstruct ground raids. Advertisement Iranian authorities also have begun preparing civilians for a potential return to conflict by sending paramilitary forces to read stories about war to children in kindergartens, hosting rallies and advertising training in the use of shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft missiles, the report added. A man talks on his cellphone and sits on a motorbike in front of a billboard of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, late leaders of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group Hassan Nasrallah, second right, and Hashem Safieddine, left, late commander of IRGC, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, second left, and a top commander of the guard Gen. Abbas Nilforoushan, killed in Israeli and US strikes, at the Islamic Revolution Square in Tehran, Iran, October 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) These efforts may also be an attempt to distract the Iranian population from mounting economic challenges it has been grappling with as the US tightens sanctions. “The war footing is serving them well for now due to an impasse on many fronts—diplomatically, economically and politically,” Sanam Vakil, Middle East director at London’s Chatham House think tank, told the Journal. “With a new war, the Islamic Republic could dig itself out of the cul-de-sac it has dug for itself.” Meanwhile, the US military has also been preparing for possible renewed fighting, with a third aircraft carrier strike group and another Marine expeditionary unit heading towards the Middle East. While campaigning for Republican candidates last week, US President Donald Trump hinted that the war could end soon before or after the midterm elections, but left open the possibility that military operations against Iran could continue, according to the AP. The war started on February 28, when ​the US and Israel attacked Iran. Tehran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases. Advertisement The conflict has weighed on Trump’s domestic approval ratings and on fellow Republicans seeking to keep their narrow majorities in Congress in the November elections. About 60% of Americans, including one in four Republicans, disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll. The US and Iran signed a short-lived interim agreement in June that intended to establish a 60-day ceasefire and provide a framework for a permanent peace deal. The deal collapsed with renewed military actions and disputes over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas flowed before the war. 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Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 Teen killed, 24 injured by Hezbollah munition found on hike near Lebanon border 2 How cancer cells survive chemo: Israeli researchers find ‘guardian proteins’ protect tumors 3 Inside story One year into ceasefire, vexed Gazans say they’re still living like war never ended 4 Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight denied landing in Israel, forced to turn around, due to Indonesian pilot 5 Netanyahu demands criminal probe of soldiers who testified in ‘NAZA’ film on Gaza killings 6 Security footage shows deadly Houthi missile attack on Riyadh airport over weekend 7 Student killed in blast near Lebanon border ID’d as 9th grader Elazar Yair Wilensky 8 Bennett suggests Netanyahu could sit in future government, backtracks, says he wasn’t serious read more: Israel & the Region Saudi Arabia Houthis 2026 US-Israel war with Iran Strait of Hormuz Hormuz Peace Initiative Iran Donald Trump If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. 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