Trump says the US has "had it" with Iran and will decide "very soon," while Tehran tells Britain to prove its Fairford accusation

At a campaign rally, President Donald Trump said the United States has "had it" with Iran and promised to "do a number" to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. "We'll make a decision on Iran very soon," he said, according to the Times of Israel. The paper also reported discussions about resuming military action before Israel's October 27 election and the US midterm elections on November 3. Israel's Globes quoted Trump, in Hebrew translation, as saying "we will land a heavy blow on it, we have had enough."

The Israeli government's actual position is more cautious than that rhetoric suggests. Globes reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Trump last week about possibly renewing the war. Israeli officials stressed, however, that their intelligence assessment has not changed in a way that would justify a new military operation in Iran. The same report cited Iranian sources telling Reuters that Iran has begun using new offensive tactics against ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Gulf states are preparing for a wider conflict. US partners in the Gulf have raised the possibility that Iran could send ground forces into their territory if Washington launches a major new bombing campaign, ZeroHedge reported. The same report said Iran is preparing civilians for an insurgency-style defense. In August, Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, had already called neighboring governments and the Pakistani army chief to warn of a "decisive response to any aggression," Euronews Persian reported.

A separate dispute is growing with Britain. Iran's foreign ministry summoned the British ambassador in Tehran, Hugo Shorter, and demanded evidence for London's accusation that Iran was involved in an incident at the Fairford air base, Kommersant reported, citing Press TV. On September 27, police arrested five British men near the base on suspected terrorism and explosives offenses. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the plot was "highly likely" coordinated in Iran and "almost certainly" directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), France 24 reported. Trump said an Iran-linked threat led to the withdrawal of US bombers from the base. Iranian foreign ministry official Alireza Yousefi rejected the accusation and warned that Tehran would "seriously reconsider" relations with Britain if London does not support its claims with evidence, Iran International reported.