U.S. forces in the Middle East ready to carry out wide strikes on Iran within 96 hours of a Trump order

U.S. officials, citing CNN, said U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East are prepared to carry out new military operations against Iran that could be wide-ranging within 96 hours of an order from President Donald Trump.

Those officials said the deployed force has the capabilities needed to execute strikes that go beyond the limited, repeated attacks that previously targeted radars, rocket-launch platforms and Iranian assets that can be rebuilt quickly. One official described the potential operation as "a significant effort."

Current and former officials familiar with military planning discussions said issuing an order from Trump to move could be a matter of time, with expectations it would happen after the U.S. midterm elections, while noting that no final decision has been made so far.

The report said U.S. Central Command leaders and the Defense Department are preparing a wide list of potential targets that includes energy infrastructure, military sites and Iranian nuclear facilities, while officials acknowledged the difficulty of destroying some targets because Iranian forces have increasingly learned adversary tactics.

The White House declined to comment on these reports, while a senior Defense Department official said the department is engaged in planning, developing military options and executing what the president orders.

According to two sources familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments, Iran and the Houthi group are taking seriously the possibility of renewed U.S., and possibly Israeli, strikes, with expectations that Tehran and the Houthis could respond quickly by targeting U.S. personnel and facilities across the region and possibly beyond if military operations are carried out against Iran.

The report pointed to an unclassified memorandum dated October 23 from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which said U.S. intelligence had observed a significant intensification in Iran's efforts to target U.S. personnel, and that some targeting plots had reached advanced stages in the Middle East and other areas.

Nevertheless, CNN quoted a source familiar with the latest assessments as saying intelligence officials do not think Iran or the Houthis are likely to initiate escalatory attacks against Americans or Israel at this time, though they could respond if Iran were attacked first.

The report linked these risks to the possibility that the United States will continue reducing staff at its diplomatic missions in the Middle East in the coming days, noting previous orders for employees to leave the U.S. embassy in Riyadh and expectations that similar instructions will be issued for other missions, and that nonessential military personnel who had been scheduled to deploy to the region were told not to send.

Separately, U.S. Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper visited the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, flying by helicopter to review the operational situation and meeting personnel who took part in clearing the waterway of Iranian mines. Cooper said in a statement that cooperation with Gulf partners and the shipping sector continues and that Washington is committed to ensuring freedom of navigation through the strait.

On the Israeli front, the report said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed for carrying out new attacks against Iran and tried to persuade Trump to launch a joint attack before the U.S. midterm elections, but did not obtain approval. An Israeli security source said Israel postponed plans to carry out additional strikes in the near term but is preparing for the possibility of joint operations with the United States later.

The report added that the need for U.S. support in missile defense and the stocks of defensive munitions that were depleted during the war were among the reasons for delaying action, noting that Israeli military plans are ready and await Trump's approval, which is expected after the elections.

The report also quoted a speech Netanyahu gave at a military graduation this week saying his directives include toppling the regime in Iran, while a source familiar said the plans are awaiting Washington's decision on timing and participation.