WASHINGTON (TNND) — As the war with Iran nears its eighth month, U.S. Central Command has reportedly drawn up options for renewed attacks on Iran, with plans being eyed for after the Nov. 3 midterm elections as President Donald Trump continues to signal the possibility of another round of strikes while also leaving the door open to a deal.
COLONEL MIKE JERNIGAN FULL INTV 10262026
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. Mike Jernigan told The National News Desk he believes “several things” are happening at once, including the president “maximizing his options.”
“What we’re seeing is the end of the middle phase of the military campaign,” Jernigan said, pointing to what he described as the effects of economic sanctions. He said Iran “has no oil in its ships afloat,” and cited reporting from the Kepler media company that “the rate of ships getting through and the barrels of oil are reaching the levels before the war.”
He said CENTCOM struck 5,000 targets, which he described as “only 80% of the target list.” He said remaining initial targets include infrastructure that “really gonna sting Iran,” including “striking dams, electrical power grids, bridges going out of ports, things like that.”
The discussion comes as Trump has said the conflict will be over after Election Day, even as reports indicate another battle group is en route.
Asked how much politics and elections play into decisions about additional strikes, Jernigan said politics and military operations are “both related and not.” He pointed to elections abroad and at home, saying, “We can’t ignore the world that the Israeli elections are tomorrow and the United States elections are next Tuesday.”
He said those are factors political leaders weigh, but added that military strikes could resume at any time.
“We can resume military strikes at any time,” Jernigan said. “We’re only paused, you know, for breaks for negotiation or for other reasons.”
Jernigan said a cease of hostilities is preferable, but argued Iran has not negotiated “in good faith.”
With mixed messaging, including Iran saying the U.S. cannot traverse the Strait of Hormuz or the Persian Gulf, Jernigan said deterrence depends on being believed.
“The thing about deterrence that you mentioned is that you have to be believed that you’re actually going to exercise the force,” he said.
Jernigan said he expects strikes to resume.
“To your question if I believe that the kinetic strikes are going to resume, I do,” he said. “I think the Iranian’s only respond to pain and they’re beginning to get the pain significantly from the economics and they are about to get pain significantly from additional kinetic strikes.”