US readying to strike Iran? Report suggests Trump preparing to put on show of strength ahead of US midterms

The White House, as per reports, has asked the Pentagon to develop military options for striking Iranian targets ahead of the upcoming US midterm elections. Citing two unnamed US administration officials, The Atlantic reported that the scale and targets of any potential operation remain under discussion, and no decision has been made to launch strikes. The US Central Command, which is overseeing the war effort, is preparing options, it added. This comes as US President Donald Trump seeks to show progress in the much-criticised eight-month-old conflict and ease pressure from soaring fuel prices ahead of the November 2026 mid-term elections.

Trump attempting to project strength ahead of midterms

Administration officials have acknowledged that limited military action alone would be unlikely to force Tehran back to negotiations, reopen the Strait of Hormuz or bring down gasoline prices before Election Day. Supporters of the idea, however, believe a limited operation could allow Trump to project strength and claim progress before voters head to the polls. A more extensive military campaign could then follow the midterms.

Trump has repeatedly suggested that the conflict could resume after the election. In a recent interview with Time, he said the US had been “stocking up for the last six months”. Last week, he said the US would win the war “right after the election”, while adding, “Maybe before the election.”

Iran war becomes US election issue

The conflict has become a growing political liability for Republicans as higher oil and gasoline prices weigh on voters. Oil prices surged to nearly $118 a barrel earlier in the conflict and have remained around $100 since then. US gasoline prices are now averaging $4.37 a gallon, according to AAA, compared with just under $3 before the US and Israeli strikes began on February 28.

Energy analysts have warned that renewed military action could push prices higher. The US Energy Information Administration has also found that crude prices have typically risen when American strikes resume after pauses.

Trump's approval rating, meanwhile, is at a record low thanks to these rising prices. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released in September put the second-term president's approval rating at a new low of 32 per cent, while Democrats led Republicans by eight points among registered voters. The poll results also show that only 34 per cent of Americans support Trump's handling of the Iran war, and just 17 per cent approve of his handling of the cost of living.

Another poll by CNN/SSRS also showed similar results. According to it, only about one in four Americans approve of his administration's handling of the conflict with Iran, and a majority say the conflict has hurt the United States. The poll, conducted among 1,206 US adults from September 16 to 17, found that 26 per cent approve of Trump's handling of the situation in Iran, while 73 per cent disapprove. That is down from 33 per cent approval in a CNN/SSRS poll conducted in March, shortly after the conflict began.

Any attack carries risks

A renewed campaign would put roughly 50,000 US troops stationed across the region and Gulf allies at risk of Iranian retaliation. It could also further strain American weapons stocks. “The military action has done nothing to drive down oil prices; in fact, it has done the opposite,” Will Walldorf, an international-affairs professor at Wake Forest University and senior fellow at Defense Priorities, said.

Washington is simultaneously pursuing indirect talks with Tehran, but major differences remain over a cease-fire, the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and reopening the vital waterway.