Trump hints at new Iran operation as US diplomats exit Saudi Arabia

President Donald Trump told a Florida rally the US “may do another little Epic Fury” against Iran, after saying he knew nothing about US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack’s remark that a strike could come this weekend. The New York Times, citing officials, reported Iran is in “advanced stages” of planning attacks on Americans and that Washington ordered diplomats and federal employees to leave Saudi Arabia. Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei warned Tehran would widen retaliatory targets in any new war, while Turkish, German and French officials said military intervention is not a solution.

Middle East Eye reported that US diplomats were preparing for embassy evacuations and Israeli fighter jets were conducting sorties along the Iranian border, with Arab and US officials describing the question as when, not if, Washington and Israel resume attacks. Direct fighting largely stopped after a fragile ceasefire in April, but a 14-point memorandum signed in June was never implemented, the outlet said. It also reported at least 27 ships attacked this month in the Strait of Hormuz region and said Brent crude was up 43 percent since the memorandum was signed.

Drop Site News reported that White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said: “The United States will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the midterm elections.” A US official told the outlet that military assets were moving into place and that CENTCOM commander Gen. Brad Cooper was among those pushing for renewed attacks. The USS Theodore Roosevelt and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit were heading to the Middle East with about 10,000 additional sailors and Marines, Drop Site reported. Rezaei told the outlet that in another war “cables, data centers and artificial intelligence facilities could also come within range.” Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute told Drop Site that, in his view, Trump had already decided to go to war and that this would be a massive miscalculation; former senior US Iran negotiator Robert Malley said the overlap between Trump’s and Netanyahu’s political interests could produce an intensive but not overly long campaign.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, after meeting counterparts from Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, Britain and Italy in Istanbul, said: “A military intervention on Iran is not in any way a solution. Nobody approves this at the moment.” France’s Jean-Noel Barrot said renewed escalation would only have losers and raise oil prices, Middle East Eye reported, and Germany’s foreign minister also opposed a new military adventure, Donya-e-Eqtesad reported.

Sources