White House on possible Iran strikes before midterms: Trump ‘has all options’

President Trump has “all options” available concerning the next steps with Iran , amid reports the president is weighing whether to resume major combat operations before or after elections in the U.S. and Israel.

“The Commander-in-Chief has all options available at any time. The United States is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing,” a White House official told The Hill.

“Iran has been decimated, and things will go one of two ways; the easy way or the hard way. President Trump holds all the cards and will do whatever is best for the United States,” they added.

The U.S. and Iran are at an impasse more than seven months into the war. The Islamic Republic is deeply strained under a U.S. economic pressure campaign and naval blockade against its oil exports. But the regime has demonstrated its leverage against Trump by disrupting energy exports in the Strait of Hormuz and striking American targets and its allies across the region.

Trump has threatened Iran with an ultimatum to make a deal or risk annihilation. The president has asked the Pentagon to develop strike options against Iranian targets that could be exercised before the midterm elections, The Atlantic reported Wednesday.

While Trump has said the midterms and voters’ concern over high gas prices and participation in a foreign war don’t factor into his decisionmaking on Iran, The Atlantic reported he is thinking about how lower gas prices and demonstrated progress with Iran can impact the elections.

The Pentagon has instructed U.S. Central Command to conclude preparations for a renewed military campaign against Iran, Axios reported Wednesday, citing U.S. officials.

The president is weighing the timing of the strikes, according to the outlet, considering whether to launch them before the Nov. 3 elections — and possibly the Israeli elections, which take place on Oct. 27.

The bombing campaign is likely to include Iranian energy, infrastructure and nuclear targets, Axios reported, and may lead to increased gas prices in the U.S.

Between 9,000 and 10,000 more troops are expected to arrive in the Middle East by the end of November, The Wall Street Journal reported last week , dispatching a third aircraft carrier and an additional Marine expeditionary unit to the region.

There are already two carriers in the region, and if both remain, it will mark the first time since April that the U.S. has placed three carrier strike groups there, according to the Journal.

The U.S. and Iran struck a fragile ceasefire at that time, but it quickly fell apart and has devolved into sporadic fighting over the intervening months.