US warns allies to prepare for possible Iran strikes, retaliation after US elections
US officials have warned several Middle Eastern countries and regional allies to prepare for the possibility of renewed military strikes against Iran after the November 3 US midterm elections, as well as potential Iranian retaliation, according to two diplomats briefed on the matter.
The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to disclose sensitive warnings conveyed by US diplomatic and defence officials. They stressed that President Donald Trump has not made a final decision on whether to launch fresh strikes against Iran. However, Trump has repeatedly indicated that he is considering renewed military action after the elections.
The warnings and fresh US appeals for regional allies to prepare for possible retaliation have heightened concerns that major military operations could resume in the Middle East. The United States has reportedly told its regional partners that a new round of strikes could last several days, while officials in the region are preparing for the possibility of Iranian retaliation and attacks by groups allied with Tehran that could prolong the conflict.
US officials have also urged regional allies to take precautionary measures against potential Iranian strikes targeting energy facilities and other critical infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Tehran continued to give diplomacy a chance and was working with mediators to review proposals included in an initiative put forward last month. The proposal, which was rejected by Trump, remains part of Iran’s efforts to establish a basis for returning to a ceasefire.
The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry also called on the parties to exercise restraint and pursue political solutions to contain tensions and prevent a return to full-scale military operations in the conflict, which began in late February.
It remains unclear how soon the US military could be ready to resume strikes after Election Day. The United States has not launched an attack against Iran since early September, but the regional security situation has become increasingly complicated as the conflict has expanded.
The United States has also reinforced its military presence in the region. Late last month, the Pentagon deployed the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and several amphibious assault ships carrying Marines from San Diego to the Persian Gulf, involving approximately 9,000 troops.
A US official said at the time that the deployment could result in an unusually large regional presence of more than 20,000 sailors and Marines, supported by hundreds of aircraft. A comparable concentration of US naval forces had occurred only a handful of times over the previous two decades. In April, the US Navy deployed three carrier strike groups to the Middle East for the first time since 2003.
Trump has also said the war would end when he decided, adding that the United States wanted to ensure the conflict concluded on terms that would prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
However, the possibility of renewed US military action has raised concerns that tensions could escalate even before the elections. Jonathan Schanzer, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank, said Tehran might not wait until after the US vote if it believed an American attack was imminent and saw an opportunity to gain an advantage.
Source: AP
