US media: US military actively prepares Middle East force options, Trump repeatedly rejects

October 9 — According to The New York Times, U.S. officials said that even as President Donald Trump is ambivalent about restarting a war, the U.S. military is still preparing options to relaunch large-scale combat operations against Iran. It is reported that three aircraft carriers will soon arrive in the Middle East, and according to Trump's instructions, the Pentagon has drawn up plans to strike Iran's drone and missile arsenals, energy facilities, and other military targets.

Officials disclosed that in recent months, Trump's national security team and the Pentagon had five times presented him with options for large-scale military action against Iran or the Houthis, but each time Trump rejected them. At the same time, Trump has once again ordered the strike plans to be activated. Senior national security officials led by Vice President Vance held a meeting at Camp David last Friday to discuss the related plans.

People familiar with the matter disclosed that the core of these plans is to launch a short, high-intensity operation lasting about three days. The strike operation will focus on Iran's missile and drone arsenals, and other targets may include Iran's energy facilities as well as Revolutionary Guard command posts and headquarters. The latest development is that Trump said the U.S. and Iran are holding productive discussions and that he will not attack Iran before the midterm elections.