Iran is openly preparing for the possibility of renewed conflict with the United States and Israel, even as it continues diplomatic contacts aimed at preventing it. President Masoud Pezeshkian told executive bodies on 28 October to remain in a constant state of readiness, as fears grow that airstrikes could resume after the US midterm elections on 3 November.

Readiness alongside diplomacy

At the same cabinet meeting, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed consultations with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, as well as Qatar. Talks have focused on regional security and a possible provisional agreement brokered by Qatar and Pakistan. Iranian officials have stressed that while the armed forces are fully prepared to defend the country, Tehran continues to give diplomacy a chance.

Warnings of strikes after the midterms

According to the Associated Press, US officials have warned several Middle Eastern countries to prepare for possible new strikes against Iran after the midterms, as well as a potential Iranian response, in an operation that could last several days. President Donald Trump has not made a final decision, reports say. A reported letter from US Vice President JD Vance to Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei, proposing talks centred on the nuclear programme, has not produced an agreed response, with Iran's stated conditions unchanged.

Why the region is watching

Analysts say Tehran has now fully integrated the risk of war into its planning and has rebuilt part of its military capabilities, partly with Chinese economic and technological support. Regional mediators fear any new round of fighting would spread quickly, hitting shipping through Hormuz and energy markets already unsettled by tanker attacks. For now, both tracks — preparation and negotiation — are running in parallel, and the days after the US elections are seen as the critical window.