U.S. Warns Gulf States to Prepare – The United States looks to be going ahead with planned strikes against Iran, warning several Gulf Arab countries to prepare for a possible new military campaign after the November 3 midterm elections. According to an October 27 report by The Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials have communicated the warnings via diplomatic and military channels, describing a likely operation that would be short and intense.
The reports come as American forces continue to build up their military presence in the Middle East and arm naval vessels with a range of weapons and interceptors in preparation for more Iranian retaliation. President Trump has also not made a final decision, sources continue to suggest, but officials familiar with his thinking have said that he is likely moving closer to authorizing strikes after Americans go to the polls on Tuesday — a claim that appears to be supported by recent reports that the president blocked a planned Israeli strike against Iran as it required U.S. forces to be ready to assist if Iran responded.
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak privately in the Vermeil Room before a dinner, Monday, July 7, 2025, at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
Donald Trump in the Oval Office
The preparations also come as new diplomatic efforts to end the war continue, with reports on October 28 describing how Qatar has presented Tehran with a new seven-day peace proposal from Washington.
U.S. Military Prepares for New Strikes
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon is deploying a Patriot missile defense system from Texas to strengthen its regional defenses, and also moving American personnel away from Gulf bases that are considered vulnerable to Iranian strikes.
“The U.S. military is bringing in a Patriot system from Texas to beef up its missile defenses and has moved troops off bases where they were vulnerable in preparation for an escalation, officials familiar with those moves said,” the report explains.
U.S. forces have been replenishing ammunition supplies, while bombers and fighter aircraft are also being prepared for renewed strikes. An additional aircraft carrier strike group and a Marine expeditionary unit are also expected to arrive next month, joining a naval force that already numbers around 20 warships.
The recent movements all point to the likelihood that Washington is preparing for a substantial confrontation with Iran, rather than continuing President Trump’s policy of “low-keying it” with Iran, in which he has maintained economic pressure and the U.S. naval blockade.
Responding to questions from the Journal, the White House declined to confirm that it is planning the strikes.
Trump Signals Strikes After Election
President Trump has repeatedly suggested that the war with Iran could resume after the November 3 midterm elections. On October 27, he told a campaign rally audience in Lubbock, Texas, that it was likely to happen.
“You’ll see Iran in a couple of weeks, if you don’t mind,” he said.
“We obliterated Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity with Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury and defeated them militarily, financially and otherwise. And it will all end very soon,” he continued. “It could be over whenever I wanted it to be over.”
The comments came after a CNN report from October 26 revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had attempted to convince the U.S. president to support a new strike against Iran before Israel’s elections on October 27. Netanyahu was reportedly told to wait until American forces were ready to participate — suggesting that Washington is holding off until after November 3.
And, according to two American officials and an Israeli security source, Netanyahu was insisting on new strikes, but was repeatedly met with refusals from President Trump to authorize a new joint operation. The same Israeli source claimed that Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned Gen. Dan Caine, his American counterpart, that military action would provoke retaliation from Iran and disrupt the election in Israel.
Netanyahu’s office, however, dismissed the reports as “fake news.”
German soldiers assigned to Surface Air and Missile Defense Wing 1 fire the Patriot weapons system at the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) during Artemis Strike Nov. 7 in Chania, Greece. Artemis Strike is a German-led multinational air defense exercise. German soldiers Over 200 U.S. soldiers and approximately 650 German airmen will be participating in the realistic training within a combined construct, exercise the rigors associated with force projection and educate operators on their air missile defense systems. (Photo By Officer Candidate Sebastian Apel, Air Defence Missile Group 24)
According to CNN, Israel ultimately agreed to delay the operation in part because it would have required U.S. assistance to defend against Iranian missiles that would likely have been launched in retaliation.
Trump had already announced on October 8 that he would not launch another attack before November 3, citing ongoing diplomatic discussions with Iran — though, in a succession of other comments, he hinted that nobody really knows the timeline he is considering and that the attacks may come at any time.
Iran War Costs Exceed $47 Billion
The preparations for the resumption of strikes against Iran come as new figures reveal just how costly the war has been so far.
According to an October 27 Reuters report, the Pentagon now estimates that U.S. military spending on the conflict has surpassed $47 billion — up from $37.5 billion in July. More than $29 billion has been allocated to replace expended ammunition, and another $6 billion will cover equipment losses.
The Romanian Army’s 74th Patriot Regiment conducted the country’s first PATRIOT missile system live-fire exercise at the Capu Midia test firing range in Romania Nov. 14-15, 2023. Romania received the first of seven PATRIOT systems in 2020 through a foreign military sales case executed by the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command. (Courtesy photo)
The figures do not, however, include the cost of repairing American military bases damaged by Iranian attacks—nor the financial impact on the global economy caused by disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz and refining capacity.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, and he produces and edits analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
