Iran has warned that it can serve up freah attack in ways that Trump might not anticipate in places unknown….
It seems the response has been to pull some troops , diplomatic staff and families out of the Gulf region…..
Could these withdrawal’s also mean post Midterms?
Trump would go back to bombing Iran?
Or?
Is this another move by Trump & Co. to get a ‘Deal’ with Iran?
“The U.S. military has quietly been scaling back its troop presence at bases across the Middle East in recent days, and the State Department is ordering a further reduction in staff at multiple diplomatic posts in the region,” NBC News reports.
“The reduction of American forces and diplomatic personnel is similar to drawdowns at bases and embassies that the Pentagon and State Department initiated around the start of the war with Iran in February, the sources said. They said the moves are in response to ongoing threats in the region, including from Iran.”
Mediaite: Trump to order families home from Gulf embassies amid war worries.
…
NY Times….
U.S. and Israel Draw Up Plans for Renewed Strikes on Iran After Elections
The U.S. and Israeli militaries have developed specific plans for renewed strikes against Iran after the American midterm elections, according to U.S. officials and other people briefed on the deliberations.
As planning for a short but intensive operation progresses, the U.S. and Israeli militaries have stepped up exercises, flying planes over Iraq to practice strike maneuvers. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel this week to discuss new strikes, U.S. officials said.
The targets would likely include Iran’s energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone arsenal. Some officials say one more big round of attacks could push Iran’s economy over the brink and force the country to make diplomatic concessions after nearly eight months of conflict.
Still, there are reasons to be skeptical that a renewed war would be any more successful than the first phase of intense U.S.-Israeli strikes between February and April. Those rounds of fighting drove up energy prices and inflation around the world, eroded security in the Middle East and severely strained the Pentagon’s supply of missile interceptors.
It is also far from certain Mr. Trump will approve fresh strikes. Repeatedly this year he has vetoed plans for a return to major combat operations, including this month when the U.S. and Israeli militaries were nearly ready to attack.
All of the officials interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly discuss military planning.
Iranian officials have promised to retaliate this time by expanding their targets beyond commercial ships and energy infrastructure in the region to data centers and underwater internet cables.
They say the fighting will neither be quick nor limited.
While the United States is assembling a massive arsenal that will be fully in place by early November, diplomatic efforts have continued, as U.S. negotiators use the potential return to war as leverage with Iran to make progress on their demands on its nuclear program and control over the Strait of Hormuz.
So far, however, Iran’s negotiators have been unwilling to make concessions on the nuclear program, insisting on deferring that issue until later in the talks….
…
ISW….Iran Update, October 21, 2026
-
Iran may have used more accurate systems to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz over the past two weeks, which is consistent with ISW-CTP’s October 5 assessment that Iran is likely improving its ability to target maritime traffic in the waterway after it faced targeting constraints in August and early September 2026.
-
Iran may be using drones or cruise missiles equipped with infrared terminal guidance systems to target some of these vessels. Repeated successful strikes on engine rooms require weapon systems with a sufficient degree of precision, which suggests that Iran is likely firing anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) or IR-equipped drones.
-
The Washington Post, citing oil price-tracking firm Kpler, reported that the number of barrels of oil exported per day is approaching prewar daily averages after increasing from mid-August to late September. Iran likely launched its recent waves of attacks on civilian ships in an attempt to change these conditions in Iran’s favor…..
…
Israel to resume commercial shipments to Gaza after Hamas fee dispute
Congressional candidate Brad Lander said Wednesday that the Israel Defense Forces detained him in the occupied West Bank while he was participating in an olive harvest.
Lander, who is running in New York’s 10th District, said in an interview that he was later released with a warning.
Lander, a former New York City comptroller, said he was harvesting olives for Palestinians in the West Bank along with more than 40 international volunteers, including Americans, and 28 Israelis, who were affiliated with a coalition of human rights groups. Israeli authorities told him that his actions were illegal and that the group had been “causing a disturbance of public order,” he said….
…
Lander told NBC News that he was apparently released from detention because of his “public profile,” adding that Israeli authorities kept calling him “congressman.”
“I tried to explain to them I wasn’t a member of Congress, just a primary winner,” he said, referring to the Democratic primary this year. “If they don’t want a diplomatic or international incident, they should stop state-sponsored ethnic cleansing. Releasing me is not going to change the facts of occupation.”….
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.