The United States appears to be preparing to resume large-scale strikes against Iran, but there is unlikely to be a military solution for either side in the devastating conflict, experts said.
Trump’s Republican Party in the key vote. Mr. Mr. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel.
Because it has sharply driven up fuel prices and is likely to be a drag on Mr, the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is largely unpopular in the United States, especially.
“I’m banking now on the likelihood of strikes shortly after the midterms,” said Suzanne Maloney, director of the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution, referring to November 3 elections in the United States. Additionally, President Donald Trump “came out publicly and said that he wouldn’t strike before the midterms,” and “it wouldn’t seem to help him at the polls to do so,” Ms. Maloney said. “Fundamentally, the situation isn’t sustainable in its current state,” Ms. Maloney said, noting that the U.S. blockade is “creating greater pain for the Iranians,” while Washington has a large number of naval assets tied up in enforcing it. Trump said on Friday (October 23, 2026) that “we may do another little Epic Fury” — the name for the U.S. operation against Iran that was launched in late February — if Tehran does not make a deal, but gave no indication on timing. Jason Campbell, a senior fellow at the Institute, said there have “certainly been recent signs that renewed strikes may be in the offing,” or that “the US is expecting strikes carried out by Iran” or their Houthi allies in Yemen. Campbell also said Israeli warplanes recently carried out a “show of force” mimicking previous strikes on Iran, and noted that U.S.
