President Donald Trump could sign off on renewed major combat operations against Iran, with the Pentagon reportedly drawing up military options for potential strikes on the country's nuclear, energy and infrastructure targets.

Pentagon Prepares for Possible Iran Strikes

The Pentagon has instructed U.S. Central Command to finish preparations that would let it potentially resume major combat operations in Iran, Axios reported Wednesday, citing U.S. officials.

That directive didn't come with a launch date, and Trump hasn't made a final decision on whether to actually order strikes.

Still, U.S. and Israeli officials told the publication that renewed military action could happen before the U.S. midterm elections, though they described that possibility as relatively low.

Earlier in the day, The Atlantic also reported that Trump is weighing strikes against Iran before the midterms.

A White House official told Axios, "President Trump holds all the cards and will do whatever is best for the United States."

In an emailed statement to MarketDash, a Department of War official said, "The Department's job is to develop and present military options to the President."

The White House did not immediately respond to MarketDash's request for comment.

US-Iran Negotiations Remain Stalled

All of this is happening against a backdrop of talks between Washington and Tehran that have gone basically nowhere. Qatari mediators are still waiting on an Iranian response to a U.S. counterproposal that reportedly includes demands for concessions on Iran's nuclear program.

Trump's national security team huddled at Camp David on Friday, and an Israeli official told Axios that a possible resumption of major combat operations in Iran came up in the discussion.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the meeting as focused on "long-term" foreign policy planning.

Trump also reportedly spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, their second conversation in several days.

Markets noticed. Late in the day, WTI crude oil rose 1.12% to $89.27 per barrel, while Brent crude gained 1.26% to $101.46 per barrel. Natural gas futures rose 1.90% to $3.264 per MMBtu.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by MarketDash editors.