New York Times: Pentagon drafts three-day Iran strike plan targeting missiles, drones, energy facilities and IRGC headquarters
The Pentagon has drawn up plans for an intense three-day bombing campaign against Iran that could target the country’s missile and drone arsenal, energy facilities and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters, The New York Times reported Thursday.
According to the Times, the plans are among several military options developed in recent months as President Donald Trump weighs whether to resume major combat operations. Trump has rejected five proposals for large-scale operations against Iran or the Houthis during that period.
Some of Trump’s advisers have questioned whether another major round of strikes would force Tehran to change course, while others believe a short, concentrated campaign could increase pressure on Iran as its economy weakens. The plans have not been approved.
Trump said Thursday that the United States would not attack Iran before the November 3 midterm elections, citing “productive discussions” with Tehran.
The latest planning follows months of debate inside the Trump administration over whether expanding the war would achieve U.S. objectives. In July, Trump held off on a larger bombing campaign after military officials warned that renewed fighting could further strain U.S. stocks of Patriot interceptors and other air-defense munitions, while some advisers argued that additional strikes could strengthen Tehran’s resolve rather than push it back to negotiations.
