US warns of further military action against Iran after midterm elections

The United States has signaled to some Persian Gulf countries that it could carry out a short but intense military action against Iran after the November 3 midterm congressional elections. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon has withdrawn personnel from at-risk US military bases in West Asia, and bombers and fighter jets have been placed on standby.

The paper reported that although President Donald Trump has not made a final decision, he is leaning toward a large-scale strike on Iranian infrastructure and nuclear facilities.

According to a classified estimate CENTCOM submitted to Congress on October 16, US spending on the campaign against Iran has reached about $47 billion, up more than $3 billion from the previous month. Replenishing weapons and ammunition alone has cost about $29 billion, with about $12 billion earmarked for additional military operations and about $6.1 billion for replacing destroyed equipment.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Trump's remarks about the 14-point memorandum of understanding showed US diplomatic commitments were hollow. At an election rally in Lubbock, Texas, Trump had claimed the US had not started the war, but that Iran itself had been in conflict with the US since 1979. Baghaei said international law cannot be applied selectively.