Follow-Up: US, Israeli Militaries Said to Have Drawn Up Post-Midterm Strike Plans on Iran; Tehran Warns of a "Stronger" Response
Xinhua reported on October 22 that, according to The New York Times (October 21), the U.S. and Israeli militaries have drawn up concrete plans for a new round of strikes on Iran after the U.S. midterm elections, envisioning "short, high-intensity" air strikes across Iran — plans President Trump has not yet approved. The strikes would reportedly last about three days and target Iran's energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone arsenals.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel this week, with the plans among the topics discussed. The report said the two sides have more than once come close to launching, including earlier this month when the militaries were almost ready, before Trump called it off. A White House official told the Times it would not comment on military plans "that may or may not exist." The report also noted that Israel's parliamentary election, set for October 27, adds uncertainty: if Netanyahu loses and becomes a caretaker prime minister, launching strikes of this scale during a transition would be harder.
Tehran has issued a string of warnings. Mehdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Iran's parliament speaker, wrote on social media that talk of finishing strikes within 72 hours is a "fantasy," that Iran's response will be "more fierce, creative and different," and that strong planning has been put in place. Xinhua, citing Iranian media on October 22, reported that army commander Amir Hatami, visiting a combat-drone production center the same day, said Iran's armed forces are equipped for any scenario including asymmetric warfare and that its drone capability has reached a "relatively mature level"; Iran has reportedly deployed naval mines and automated control systems east of the Strait of Hormuz and is closely monitoring adversary movements. Earlier, Yadollah Javani, deputy for political affairs to the IRGC commander-in-chief, warned that if Iran's infrastructure is attacked, Tehran could target undersea internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz and assets linked to the United States and its allies.
The immediate backdrop is an escalating regional standoff: tankers catching fire near the Strait of Hormuz, IRGC mining warnings, an attack on Saudi Arabia's Dammam port, and missile exchanges between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国国防部五角大楼航拍（资料图）。照片：mariordo59，CC BY-SA 2.0，经Wikimedia Commons。Photo: An aerial view of the Pentagon (file photo). Photo: mariordo59, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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