US Warns West Asian Allies to Brace for Possible New Iran Strikes After November 3 Vote
United States diplomats and defence officials have told several West Asian countries and regional allies to be prepared for the possibility of renewed military action against Iran after the November 3 midterm elections, and for the possibility that Iran may retaliate against them, according to two diplomats briefed on the matter.
Both diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment on the sensitive warnings conveyed by US diplomats and defence officials.
The diplomats stressed that President Donald Trump has not made a final decision on whether to carry out new strikes against Iran. The President has, however, repeatedly said in public that he is weighing ordering new military action once the elections are over. The White House and US officials declined to comment.
The warnings, and the fresh US urging of allies to prepare for potential retaliation, have put the region on alert that a return to major military operations could be ahead. The war began in late February.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday (October 28, 2026) in a post on X that Tehran "continues to give diplomacy a chance to succeed" and is working with mediators to review ideas that Iran had included in a proposal floated last month. That proposal was summarily rejected by Mr. Trump, but the Iranians still want it used as the basis for returning to a ceasefire.
The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry issued a statement urging the sides to "exercise wisdom and pursue political solutions to help contain tensions" and to prevent a return to full-scale operations.
According to the two diplomats, the US has told regional allies that a new round of military action could last for several days, while regional officials are bracing for Iran and its proxy groups to retaliate — leading to a fight that could last longer still. The allies have also been urged by US officials to take precautionary measures in anticipation that Iran's response will include retaliatory strikes on energy facilities and other crucial infrastructure.
It is unclear how soon the US military would be ready. Washington has not carried out a strike against Iran since early September, and the situation in West Asia has grown more complicated since then.
The conflict has spread, with Iran-backed Houthi rebels carrying out attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure and airports. A Saudi-led coalition has responded with its own deadly attacks on Houthi-held territory in Yemen. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that Gulf nations had been briefed to be prepared for a potential escalation by the US.
The Pentagon late last month deployed the USS Theodore Roosevelt, along with a series of amphibious landing ships carrying Marines aboard — roughly 9,000 troops in all — from San Diego to the Persian Gulf to bolster the US military presence in the region. At the time, one US official said the deployment could lead to an unusually high naval presence of more than 20,000 sailors and Marines, as well as hundreds of aircraft, in the region — a concentration that has occurred only a handful of times in the last two decades. The Navy had three carrier strike groups in West Asia in April, the first time since 2003.
Mr. Trump, who has spent recent weeks campaigning for Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 elections, has been evasive about what he plans to do next with Iran.
The war has weighed heavily on Republican candidates as they make their case to voters fatigued by rising gasoline prices, a byproduct of the conflict that has driven up costs across nearly every sector of the global economy. According to the latest Pentagon estimate provided to Congress, the cost of the Iran war to American taxpayers has grown to $47.1 billion.
With the election days away, officials in the region say they are preparing for several possible outcomes, and are seeking clarity from Washington on both the timing and the scope of any future action.
