Trump meets with top Middle East commander to weigh post-midterm Iran combat options: report

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On Thursday, President Donald Trump met with top military officials to be briefed on attack options for Iran after he has indicated that strikes may take place after the

midterm elections, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.

The president met with the top US commander of the Middle East, Adm. Brad Cooper, in a meeting at the White House. They huddled along with Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth as well as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine.

Officials have warned multiple Arab Gulf nations that they should be ready for an intense military campaign after the midterm elections. The president is looking to potentially hit Iranian nuclear infrastructure and other targets.

In recent weeks, the US has been moving more military capabilities to the Middle East while also moving troops away from some bases that may be vulnerable to potential retaliation from Iran.

The discussions come after he said in a rally last week that the US "may do another little Epic Fury," which refers to the bombing campaign that the US and Israel conducted in the Spring earlier this year. Cooper and Trump rarely meet in person.

Trump on Iran:

We may do another little Operation Epic Fury, or they will agree.

If they're smart, they will just say, "Let's get down to business."

But I doubt they will do that because perhaps they're not smart. pic.twitter.com/cucvWMKi4p
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 23, 2026

CENTCOM and the Pentagon declined to give comment the Journal about the report.

Trump has not ordered strikes on Iran since early September, but there has been more conflict in the region as the Iran-backed Houthis have been attacking oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, which heavily disrupted energy production in Europe.

Update from CENTCOM Commander: pic.twitter.com/oipZRRCJuE
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 30, 2026

In a post on Friday, Cooper gave an update with CENTCOM, saying that the IRGC has not been able to control the Strait of Hormuz and said that many cargo boats and tankers are transiting the key waterway without interruption.

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