The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to target seabed internet and communication cables if Iranian civilian infrastructure is attacked by the United States or Israel

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U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Washington was deliberating whether to end the Iran war that began on February 28 quickly through major attacks or rely on a naval blockade and sanctions

Maritime security officials reported that Iranian forces began deploying guided missiles against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz rather than attack drones

Ali Abdollahi, chief of general staff of the Iranian armed forces, stated that Iranian forces would prevent U.S. Navy warships from re-entering Iran's territorial waters or periphery

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated in the Financial Times that Iran is prepared to resume diplomatic negotiations if the United States shows a sincere desire to end the Iran war that began on February 28 permanently

The United States military deployed a third aircraft carrier strike group and 10,000 additional sailors and Marines toward the Persian Gulf

US President Donald Trump stated on October 23, 2026, that the United States may launch another military operation against Iran

Iranian security officials told Reuters that Tehran has developed detailed plans to strike Gulf undersea cables if attacked again by the United States and Israel

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that seven oil tankers were attacked or hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz overnight into October 22, 2026, followed by two supertankers on October 23

U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at a rally in Florida that the U.S. military may launch a new bombing campaign against Iran following the November 3, 2026 U.S. midterm elections

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton issued an October 23, 2026 memorandum warning that Iranian operatives have increased lethal assassination plots against U.S. officials

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on October 25, 2026 that a potential resumption of war with Israel and the United States would not change Iran's strategic positions

Iranian media and analysts reported that Tehran activated a 'dead hand' military doctrine allowing continued strikes across 31 provinces if senior Iranian figures are assassinated

A Pew Research Center poll conducted from September 28 to October 4, 2026 found that roughly two-thirds of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump's handling of the Iran war that began on February 28

A Pew Research Center poll conducted from September 28 to October 4, 2026 found that roughly half of Americans expect the Iran war that began on February 28 to continue for more than another year

Two Iranian officials told The New York Times that U.S. officials are considered targets in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli military strikes that killed Iranian personnel

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy reported on October 22, 2026, that seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged overnight after four were directly hit and three struck naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz

Shipping analysis firm Lloyd's List Intelligence reported 28 attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz during October 2026, the highest monthly total since the Iran war began in February 2026

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that reducing energy prices depends on resolving the military conflict with Iran, noting that the United States is experiencing an energy shock

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy threatened on October 22, 2026, to strike U.S. military bases in the Middle East if U.S. forces continue escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump rejected a ceasefire proposal from Iran that would have reopened the Strait of Hormuz within a week in exchange for ending the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports