Photo: Collected
Reports of a growing US military presence in the Middle East, the US defence secretary’s visit to Israel and the evacuation of people from some diplomatic facilities and military bases in the region have fuelled fresh fears of conflict.
According to one analyst, these recent developments suggest that rather than pursuing peace talks with Iran, the United States and Israel are again preparing for a full-scale military attack on the country.
Mohamad Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in Qatar, voiced the concern in an interview with Al Jazeera. In his assessment, recent events show that the United States and Israel are moving towards another round of military operations in Iran.
Speaking to Al Jazeera from Doha, Elmasry said, ‘There are a lot of signals and shows of force which suggest that we are heading towards another round of fighting.’
He cited several developments in support of his argument. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Israel. At almost the same time, Washington is sending a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East. There are also reports of US personnel being withdrawn from several diplomatic facilities and military bases in the region.
In Elmasry’s words, ‘All of this indicates that the United States and Israel are planning another round of attacks on Iran soon, perhaps very soon.’
However, he did not present any confirmed information on whether the United States and Israel have taken a final decision on new strikes. His remarks are essentially an assessment based on recent military and diplomatic activity.
Conflict could be worse than before
Elmasry believes that if the war resumes, it could be more dangerous and destructive than the previous conflict. He said, ‘One aspect of the concern is that this round of fighting could be even more dangerous and terrible than the previous one.’
The increase in US military activity in the Middle East and the hardline stance of the United States and Israel on Iran lie behind his concern. Any new attack could further escalate retaliatory strikes, the spread of regional conflict and tensions around military installations.
Peace talks or military preparations?
In the ongoing situation surrounding Iran, the prospect of military preparations has come to the fore alongside the possibility of a diplomatic settlement. US President Donald Trump has earlier spoken of the possibility of attacking Iran, while also keeping open the chance of reaching a deal with Tehran.
According to Elmasry, in such a situation, the deployment of additional US military power in the Middle East and reports of personnel being withdrawn from some facilities have further heightened fears of a new attack.
Military preparations or the withdrawal of personnel for security reasons cannot, however, be called conclusive proof of an imminent attack. There is no mention here of any formal announcement by the United States or Israel on a timetable or final decision for new strikes on Iran.
All in all, mounting military activity and diplomatic uncertainty in the Middle East are increasing fears of a new conflict over Iran. Concern is also growing over whether the impact of another round of war would remain confined to Iran and Israel or spread across the entire region.
Source: Al Jazeera
Background
According to a Reuters report of 20 October, Pete Hegseth went to Israel that day on an unannounced visit and discussed Iran with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; the Pentagon made no public comment on the visit.
The same report said a large-scale war in the Middle East over Iran began in late February this year with joint US and Israeli strikes.
Reuters also reported that Trump has said he will not attack Iran before the US midterm elections in November, while Netanyahu told Israeli media this month that he is not seeking to strike Iran before Israel’s 27 October election.
Sources
Background sources: Reuters (GV Wire), 20 October 2026
