United States and Israel Prepare New Military Strikes Against Iran

The United States and Israel are preparing plans for a possible military attack on Iran in early November following midterm elections, according to a person briefed on the war planning.

The preparations follow an earlier conflict that began on February 28 with strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader and led to a brief ceasefire before shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz were blocked.

The renewed military threat risks worsening regional economic instability and driving energy prices higher as international lenders report widespread contractions across Middle Eastern economies.

Foreign ministers gathered at a summit in Istanbul urged the two governments to abandon plans for fresh strikes and pursue diplomatic negotiations instead.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, "Military intervention in Iran is not any kind of solution."

Fidan added that officials agreed a new offensive would expand the ongoing conflict throughout the region.

According to the person familiar with the planning, Israel had initially intended to launch the operation in mid-October before Israeli elections, but President Trump objected.

Washington is now massing military forces in the region to prepare for an early November strike, though the buildup may also serve to pressure Tehran into a diplomatic agreement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media that his country is ready for either outcome.

Araghchi said, "We are just as prepared for diplomacy as we are for war."

Iranian officials warned that any attacks on civilian infrastructure or leadership would prompt retaliatory strikes against regional United States interests and participating nations.

European and regional diplomats at the Istanbul meeting also called for an immediate halt to Houthi assaults and the reopening of the blockaded shipping lane in the Strait of Hormuz.

German official Johann Wadephul said participants were united by the economic impact of the deadlocked conflicts.

Wadephul accused Iran and the Houthis of blackmailing world trade and restricting energy supplies.

The International Monetary Fund reports that ongoing disruptions have caused severe economic contractions across several Gulf nations this year.

It remains unclear whether the military preparations will result in active combat operations or serve primarily as leverage for a lasting diplomatic resolution.