US tells Gulf nations to prepare for possible military campaign in Iran following midterm elections

The U.S. government warned Persian Gulf states of the possibility for renewed military operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran following the midterm elections, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

According to that report, the U.S. military is transferring military equipment to the region, including an additional Patriot missile system from Texas to Israel to bolster its air defense systems in preparation.

The Pentagon is also removing troops from several bases in the area which would likely be targeted by Iranian retaliatory ballistic missile fire.

The WSJ also reported that U.S. forces in the region are restocking munitions stockpiles, transferring additional air units, including bombers and fighter jets, and sending an additional aircraft carrier and Marine expeditionary unit the region.

Last Friday President Donald Trump told crowds at a political rally that the U.S. may “do another little Epic Fury,” if Iran does not agree to U.S. conditions for a nuclear deal.

“If they're smart, they'll just say, ‘Let's get down to business,’ the president told the crowds. “But, you know, I doubt they'll do that because perhaps they're not smart.”

"We may do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree." President Trump teases another potential U.S. strike on Iran if Tehran doesn't reach a deal. "If they're smart, they'll just say, 'Let's get down to business.' But, you know, I doubt they'll do that because perhaps they're not smart." Download the FOX News app for the latest details: https://t.co/ISpW9Fc0R3

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 23, 2026

Trump has faced significant criticism, even from conservatives, over the high cost of the war effort against Iran, without having achieved clear victory conditions. Analysts have speculated that the U.S. president might wait until after the mid-term elections to resume military strikes on the Islamic Republic.

“I think that with Iran, we’re in a very good position,” Trump told reporters late Tuesday night, “It’s a question: when do I want to end it.”

The president refused to answer a question of whether he is planning strikes after the elections, saying, “I can’t tell you that.”

President Trump said 'anything's possible’ when asked whether the US would conduct more strikes against Iran after the midterm elections https://t.co/ejxF7bnmyF

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 28, 2026

Asked for a statement, the White House told the WSJ it wouldn’t comment on “sensitive military plans that may or may not exist.”

“President Trump keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” the White House stated.

Israel has been preparing for a resumption of operations in Iran, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking repeatedly about the need to “finish the job,” in the lead up to the elections.

Several opposition parties even warned that Netanyahu could try to instigate a conflict with the Islamic Republic in order to improve his election standing; a claim that did not prove accurate.

The Iranian regime itself also appears to be preparing for a possible resumption of hostilities.

Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of Iran’s National Security Commission, said that the regime would avenge the blood of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“We will certainly not let the blood of our martyred leader go unavenged. Revenge against the U.S. and Israel is certain,” Rezaei said Wednesday morning., according to reports in Iranian media.

He also said that Iran would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the U.S. agreed to its terms.

Parliament member Alireza Salimi said Iran must end its “neither war nor peace” situation, by expelling the U.S. from the region.

“The way to end the war is to expel the invading U.S. forces from the region,” Salimi said. “We will no longer allow their vessels to move freely in the region’s waters.”

“Reopening the Strait of Hormuz requires the other side to accept all of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s conditions,” he said.

Meanwhile, a report in the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), notes that the U.S. is asking its regional partners to share more of the burden of defense at exactly the moment when those countries are feeling less confident in the U.S.’s political will to defend them.

This could lead to a situation in which Gulf states willing to accept an agreement with Iran that is at odds with what the U.S. might like to achieve.

The defense think tank argued that Israel appears to be the model for what the U.S. government would like to see from regional allies, as it possesses significant intelligence, offensive, and defensive capabilities and has demonstrated itself capable of acting independently against Iran and its proxies.

The think tank estimates that a future round of operations in Iran would likely see a resumption of the military cooperation displayed during Operation Roaring Lion [Operation Epic Fury in the U.S.] earlier this year.