Trump Mulls Iran Strike Before Midterms, Report Says.

The White House has asked the Pentagon to prepare attack options against Iran ahead of the November 3 midterms. Two administration officials told The Atlantic no final decision has been made.

• U.S. Central Command is drafting the plans; scope and targets remain undecided.
• The conflict has now lasted roughly eight months, per The Atlantic's reporting.
• Post-midterm strike plans had already been in preparation for weeks at Centcom.
• Trump told Time magazine the U.S. has been "stocking up for the last six months."

Why it matters: The planning reflects White House pressure to show progress on a conflict that has weighed on Republican candidates and kept gas prices elevated.

• Supporters say a strike would give Trump a political win and signal that gas prices could fall.
• Will Walldorf, a Wake Forest University international affairs professor and Defense Priorities senior fellow, told The Atlantic that military action has not lowered oil prices — it has raised them.

How 6 sources split on this story

Where they split: The central dispute is whether a pre-election strike would help or hurt Republican prospects given the war's unpopularity.

What’s next: Trump's own advisers reportedly favor waiting until after the election to strike.

• A White House official said Trump "has all options available at any time."
• Would a pre-election strike change voter sentiment, or deepen opposition to the war?
• What condition are U.S. conventional weapons reserves actually in after months of operations?
• Would Iran retaliate in ways that further close the Strait of Hormuz before November 3?