The White House has asked the Pentagon to draw up options for strikes on Iranian targets before the U.S. midterm elections, The Atlantic reported, citing two American officials.
The report said U.S. Central Command is developing the options. The officials linked the request to President Donald Trump’s efforts to lower gasoline prices and show progress in the conflict before voters go to the polls.
The scale and targets of any potential strikes remain under discussion. The report describes planning options, not a decision to launch an attack, and attributes the information to two U.S. officials.
Trump previously said he would have to decide how to proceed in the conflict with Iran. The United States and Israel began striking Iranian targets on Feb. 28. Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum to halt hostilities in mid-June, but later exchanged strikes again.
The conflict remained unresolved at the time of the report. It did not specify a timetable or the targets of any potential operation.