U.S. Briefs Gulf Allies on Possible Iran Strikes

The Trump administration has briefed Gulf Arab allies to prepare for a possible renewed U.S. strike campaign against Iran as soon as November 4, according to three senior Gulf officials, but no final decision or order has been announced. The officials described the potential operation as a short, intense round of strikes and said the earliest date would be the day after the U.S. midterm elections. Their account, reported across the supplied articles, traces to the same three officials and has not been independently confirmed. The White House declined to discuss whether military plans exist, saying President Donald Trump keeps options open to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Gulf governments are pressing for de-escalation and are concerned about retaliation, the officials said. One said some countries might resist allowing U.S. strikes to be launched from bases on their territory. Iran’s response to any renewed attack has not been established. A warning by former U.S. counterterrorism director Joe Kent that strikes could provoke wider retaliation was his assessment, not confirmation of Iran’s plans. Diplomacy is continuing alongside the reported military...