Trump Briefed on Iran Strike Options
The White House briefing follows a similar session with VP Vance on Wednesday, as Gulf states have been warned US strikes could resume after the November 3 midterms and the Wall Street Journal reported Trump is leaning toward a large post-election attack
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - President Donald Trump received a high-level military briefing at the White House on potential US military options involving Iran, US Local Medias reported Friday with the top US commander in the Middle East meeting Trump alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine.
The briefing follows a similar session held with Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday, as regional allies have received warnings that US strikes on Iran could resume after the November 3 midterm elections.
The back-to-back briefing, first Vance on Wednesday, then Trump on Friday, represent the most concentrated senior military planning activity around Iran since the original Operation Rising Lion began in February 2026. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Trump is leaning toward a large post-election attack that could target Iranian infrastructure and nuclear sites, and that the US has warned several Gulf Arab countries to be prepared for a short and intense military campaign after the midterms.
A Patriot missile defense system has been sent from Texas to Israel. Bomber aircraft and jet fighters are preparing for strikes. The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and a Marine Expeditionary Unit are poised to join roughly 20 other US warships already in the Middle East next month.
Trump told a Florida rally last week: "We may do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree." He told reporters Wednesday that a development regarding Iran is expected very soon. US intelligence agencies warned last Friday that Iranian preparations to attack Americans have reached advanced stages, prompting evacuations from embassies and military bases across the region.
The military briefings are taking place simultaneously with the most active phase of the diplomatic track since the June memorandum of understanding collapsed. Qatar presented Iran with a new war-ending draft agreement on Sunday, with Tehran expected to respond by the end of this week. The draft requires Iran to address US concerns within seven days. Regional mediators including Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye are all simultaneously active, with the quadrilateral Tehran summit on Monday producing agreement to continue security consultations. November 3 is now four days away.