US and Israel poised for renewed strikes on Iran, diplomats brace for evacuations
US diplomats are preparing to evacuate embassies as Israeli jets increase sorties near Iran, and officials say a new US-Israel attack on Tehran is likely.
US diplomatic missions in the Middle East are reportedly planning evacuation procedures as Israeli warplanes intensify operations near Iran's border. Officials from Arab states and the United States expressed confidence that a fresh US-Israel attack on Iran will occur soon, describing it as a question of timing rather than possibility. Tehran has threatened to hit US-affiliated data centres, artificial-intelligence hubs, energy infrastructure and airports across the Gulf if struck.
Aaron David Miller, who previously negotiated Middle East agreements for both Republican and Democratic presidents, warned that an escalation is imminent and its timing relative to the US midterm elections is irrelevant. Direct combat between the US and Iran had largely ceased after a fragile ceasefire in April, but a June memorandum of understanding that offered Iran broad concessions remains unimplemented.
Why it matters
A renewed US-Israel strike on Iran could destabilize the Middle East and threaten global energy and tech infrastructure.
How this story developed
- Sep 29 Oil prices jump as US-Iran tensions flare and US troops leave Iraq
- Oct 8 Trump publicly ruled out an Iranian strike before the midterm elections.
- Oct 9 Oil prices rose sharply as uncertainty over the U.S. stance on Iran grew.
- Oct 11 Trump has kept large‑scale military pressure on Iran on hold for the next 24 days until the midterm elections conclude.
- Oct 13 Trump’s Strait of Hormuz announcement and dismissal of Iran’s UN proposal occurred alongside a Brent price jump and the departure of the final U.S. soldiers from Iraq.
- Oct 14 Trump warned that Washington will soon decide its next move against Iran.
- Oct 17 President Pezeshkian issued a new statement declaring talks with the United States futile.
- Oct 20 During an unannounced trip, US Defense Secretary Χέγκσεθ met Israeli Prime Minister Νετανιάχου at an air base in the southern desert. Israeli officials declined to detail the discussion, while the US Defense Department offered no comment. The encounter occurred as friction between the United States and Iran intensifies, and regional militant activity escalates.
- Oct 21 Pete Hegseth’s visit, initially unreported, has now been confirmed.
- Oct 21 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared a more extensive attack on Iran for Oct. 10, but President Donald Trump opposed the plan ahead of the U.S. midterms.
- Oct 23 Netanyahu announced plans for a larger strike on Iran.
- Oct 24 Trump hinted at a possible limited “Epic Fury” operation against Iran.
- Oct 24 Former President Barack Obama publicly criticized Trump’s conduct of the Iran war and tied it to cost‑of‑living concerns.
- Oct 26 Trump said a choice remains between a "very easy" new strike and a diplomatic deal, and no strike would occur that day.
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