The United States and Israel are reportedly preparing for a possible return to direct attacks on Iran as negotiations stall, raising the stakes around the fragile pause in fighting and the still-disrupted Strait of Hormuz.
The Times of Israel, citing a New York Times report and regional officials, said Israel and the U.S. are carrying out their most intense preparations yet to renew attacks on Iran, possibly as soon as next week. The reported options include a heavier bombing campaign against military and infrastructure targets, moves against Kharg Island, and possible commando operations tied to nuclear material believed to remain buried after earlier strikes.
The report also cited an unnamed senior Israeli official saying Israel was preparing for “days to weeks” of fighting while waiting for President Donald Trump’s decision on whether diplomacy with Tehran can still produce a deal.
Iran Signals It Is Ready for War
Tehran is not treating the latest diplomatic deadlock as routine bargaining. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran remains ready to resume direct military conflict with the United States if talks fail, according to Al Jazeera. His comments came as Iranian officials framed the crisis as both a military confrontation and an economic pressure campaign against Washington.
Al Jazeera reported that Iranian state messaging has intensified, with officials warning that the war and the Hormuz blockade are already feeding higher energy costs, inflation pressure, and broader market stress. Iran’s parliament speaker and other senior figures have also publicly mocked U.S. borrowing costs and argued that American households will feel the price of continued conflict.
Why This Is a New Turn
The immediate shift is not simply that the talks are stuck. That has been true for days. The new angle is that both sides now appear to be preparing their publics and militaries for the possibility that diplomacy fails quickly.
On the U.S.-Israeli side, the latest reporting points to active operational planning rather than general threats. On the Iranian side, officials are openly tying the negotiations to war readiness, Hormuz access, and economic pain. That combination makes the next few days more dangerous than the previous round of stalled talks.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the central pressure point. Roughly a fifth of global oil and gas shipments normally pass through the waterway, and even partial disruption has forced governments, energy markets, and navies to plan around a prolonged crisis. Tehran has also floated new traffic-management and fee mechanisms for vessels using the strait, while Gulf states and Washington reject Iranian claims of control over an international chokepoint.
Cyber and Economic Pressure Add Another Front
The confrontation is also spreading beyond conventional military planning. CNN reported Friday that U.S. officials suspect Iran may be responsible for a hack targeting systems that monitor fuel levels at some American gas stations. The report said no physical damage was done, but the suspected breach underscores how the crisis could widen into infrastructure and cyber pressure if fighting resumes.
For now, the most important question is whether Trump accepts a narrowed diplomatic compromise or decides the talks have failed. If the new reporting proves accurate, Israel and the U.S. are not just warning Iran anymore. They are preparing options for what comes next.