Iranian officials have privately raised the possibility of sending troops into neighboring countries if the United States resumes major strikes, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, as Tehran threatens a broader regional response and Washington prepares military options despite President Donald Trump's pledge to wait until after the midterm elections.
The warnings also encompass Saudi oil infrastructure, the United Arab Emirates and American warships, according to the Journal. The newspaper did not identify the officials discussing ground incursions, name potential destinations or specify when those warnings were conveyed.
The reported discussions indicate options under consideration rather than an announced deployment. They come amid stalled negotiations and escalating attacks on commercial vessels, even as Trump describes diplomatic contacts with Tehran as productive.
Iranian officials told mediators they could pursue U.S. forces more aggressively, including attempts to sink warships and kill their crews, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the messages. Iranian missiles came close to American warships during September attacks, according to the newspaper.
Regional governments have received separate warnings about their own infrastructure. People cited by the Journal said Tehran had threatened Saudi oil facilities, while senior Iranian national security official Mohsen Rezaei publicly warned Sunday that the UAE could also be targeted.
Rezaei's threats extended to data centers and internet cables across the region. Such targets would broaden the threatened campaign beyond military installations and oil shipments to communications infrastructure.
At sea, the Nicaragua-flagged Petro Dolphin was hit by a drone Sunday, Iran International reported. Two other vessels were reportedly struck over the weekend as Iran intensified efforts to dictate shipping routes around the Strait of Hormuz.
The Revolutionary Guard announced Friday that ships avoiding its approved routes could be pursued beyond the strait, "throughout the entire region." It warned that "its punishment will be definitive."
Washington is also making preparations. The Journal reported that a third aircraft carrier strike group and another Marine expeditionary unit were heading toward the Middle East, while the Pentagon considered additional air defenses and munitions for regional bases.
Axios separately reported that the Pentagon had instructed U.S. Central Command to complete preparations for a possible renewed campaign. Sources familiar with the planning said operations could include extensive bombing of Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear targets.
Trump nevertheless ruled out attacks before the Nov. 3 elections in a social-media statement Thursday. He said the United States was holding "productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran" and that the blockade would remain in effect.
A White House official responding to reports of military planning argued that Washington held the stronger position. "Iran has been decimated, and things will go one of two ways: the easy way or the hard way," the official said.
Iran has used the pause in major direct fighting to rebuild missile and drone production facilities and replenish weapons stocks, the Journal reported. Satellite imagery analyzed by the Institute for Science and International Security showed additional passive defenses, including dirt barriers, around Natanz and Pickaxe Mountain nuclear sites.
Iranian officials have also said airports, ports and power plants are being prepared for wartime operations. State media have shown military-related training, while Tehran billboards advertise civilian courses involving shoulder-fired antiaircraft weapons and sniper rifles.
