Iran prepares for possible renewed conflict as Mideast tensions continue
A boat floats as commercial vessels appear anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, October 13, 2026. /VCG
In an interview published on Thursday, Iran's senior security official Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Iran preferred diplomacy but was prepared to continue fighting if the conflict resumed.
Rezaei said US assets in the region, including communications cables, data centers and artificial intelligence facilities, could become targets if the conflict resumed.
According to The Times of Israel on Thursday, Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had "decided to renew the nuclear program," adding that he had instructed Israel's security services to topple the Iranian leadership.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the US and Israeli militaries had drawn up plans for renewed strikes against Iran after the US midterm elections, citing US officials and others briefed on the discussions. However, it remains far from certain that US President Donald Trump will approve fresh strikes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned on Tuesday that the United States and Israel might launch another war against Iran, adding that Tehran was fully prepared to defend itself.
IRGC says seven vessels hit or damaged near Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said on Thursday that four vessels involved in illegal oil transfers in the northern Persian Gulf had been hit simultaneously and caught fire after being tracked by its forces on Wednesday.
The IRGC added that three more vessels had collided with mines west of the Strait of Hormuz and warned the US military that continued provocations could lead to a wider response targeting its regional bases.
Bloomberg cited data from regional naval organizations and alerts from maritime security consultants showing that at least 23 incidents involving attacks on vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz were recorded in the first two weeks of October, with at least five involving damage to engine rooms.