A satellite image shows Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, where Tehran has reportedly reinforced defences amid fears of renewed US military strikes. [Getty]
Iran is strengthening its nuclear and military facilities, mobilising supporters and threatening a wider regional conflict as it prepares for the possibility of renewed war with the United States, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Iranian leaders believe US President Donald Trump could launch fresh attacks after the 3 November midterm elections, prompting Tehran to reinforce sensitive sites and warn Washington that another offensive would trigger a more devastating response, the newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Citing Iranian officials and people familiar with regional communications, the WSJ said Tehran had issued both public and private warnings that renewed US strikes could lead to attacks on American interests and Gulf allies.
Satellite imagery has shown Iran strengthening defences around nuclear facilities and border areas, while authorities have stepped up pro-government rallies and promoted military training for civilians.
Iran’s limited ability to counter advanced US fighter jets, high-altitude bombers and cruise missiles has pushed Tehran to rely increasingly on threats of wider retaliation to deter Washington, according to the report.
Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at London-based Chatham House, said the prospect of war also served Iran’s leadership as it grappled with diplomatic, economic and political deadlock.
Iran threatens Gulf infrastructure and US warships
Iranian officials have raised the possibility of launching ground incursions into neighbouring countries in response to further US attacks, according to people familiar with Tehran’s warnings.
Senior Iranian national security official Mohsen Rezaei warned on Sunday that the United Arab Emirates could be targeted, along with regional data centres and internet cables.
Tehran has also warned Arab officials that critical infrastructure, including Saudi oil facilities, could come under attack if fighting resumes, the WSJ reported.
The threats come as Saudi Arabia faces mounting attacks from Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
A Houthi missile strike on Riyadh’s airport on Saturday killed at least 13 people and wounded hundreds, according to the newspaper, which described it as the deadliest attack on the US or its Gulf allies during the conflict linked to the war with Iran.
Iran has also told intermediaries that it could respond more forcefully against American military personnel, including by attempting to sink US warships and inflict casualties among their crews.
The warnings highlight the risks to the Gulf’s vital economic infrastructure if Trump orders another round of strikes.
US sends more military assets to Middle East
The US military is also preparing for a possible resumption of hostilities, with a third aircraft carrier strike group and an additional Marine unit heading towards the region according to the outlet.
The Pentagon is considering sending more air defence systems and ammunition to American bases across the region.
Trump ruled out launching an attack before the midterm elections last week but publicly raised the possibility of striking Iran’s Mount Pickaxe nuclear site.
US officials said the military was developing several options for renewed strikes.
Direct fighting between Washington and Tehran has eased considerably since late July, when Trump backed away from plans for a major escalation, partly over concerns about dwindling interceptor missile stocks needed to protect American and regional targets.
The lull has nevertheless allowed both sides to prepare for another confrontation.
Iran has used the period to rebuild missile and drone production facilities and replenish its weapons stockpiles, while Washington has intensified economic pressure on Tehran.
Meanwhile, attacks on commercial shipping and tankers in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz have increased.
At least three merchant vessels came under attack over the weekend, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency.
A drone strike on the Emirati tanker Petro Dolphin near Oman on Sunday sparked a fire aboard the vessel and left two Indian sailors missing.
Iran reinforces nuclear sites and mobilises civilians
Satellite images taken by Vantor and analysed by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security show Iran constructing new defensive barriers around its Pickaxe Mountain and Natanz nuclear facilities.
The measures, introduced last month, include makeshift earthworks designed to obstruct potential ground raids.
Iranian officials have also sought to demonstrate the country’s readiness for another war.
Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali, who oversees Iran’s contingency planning, said in late September that airports, seaports and power plants had been equipped with shelters and emergency supplies to maintain operations during a conflict.
State media have meanwhile intensified coverage of pro-government demonstrations, with residents reporting that rallies have grown larger and spread to more locations in recent weeks.
Billboards in Tehran have advertised civilian training courses in the use of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles and sniper rifles.
Last month, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released footage of women undergoing training in guerrilla warfare, firearms and drone operations through its Basij paramilitary force.
In the northeastern city of Sabzevar, Revolutionary Guard personnel visited a kindergarten to recount stories of earlier fighting and display a US-made Tomahawk missile they claimed to have intercepted.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran programme at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Tehran’s political rhetoric and military preparations indicated it was actively preparing for another confrontation.
He described the measures as serving both deterrence and war planning.