Top US commander briefs Trump on military options for Iran - WSJ
The top US military commander in the Middle East briefed President Donald Trump on military options for Iran at the White House on Thursday, as Washington weighs resuming major combat operations, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials and people with direct knowledge of the meeting.
Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), was joined by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.
The meeting, a rare in-person White House visit by Cooper, also involved other Cabinet members and covered additional topics, according to the report.
US President Donald Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
An advert for an Israeli television channel that will broadcast Israel's election coverage features Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, ahead of Israel's national election, on a bridge in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 21, 2026.
Iranian media have highlighted Benjamin Netanyahu's weakened position following Israel's election, but analysts in Tehran say his departure would be unlikely to change Israel's approach to Iran, even if it weakened its ability to pursue the confrontation.
Reports by the Tasnim and Fars news agencies, both affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), as well as state radio and television, have focused on the failure of either of Israel's two main electoral blocs to secure a governing majority, raising the prospect of prolonged political deadlock.
These outlets have also devoted considerable attention to gains by Arab parties and the possibility that their increased representation could help bring about Netanyahu's removal as prime minister.
They have largely avoided discussing whether the election outcome could increase or reduce the risk of further escalation in the war with Iran.
Senior Iranian officials have yet to comment on the result. Before the vote, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran did not care who led Israel, stressing that Iran was at war and would not hesitate to defend itself.
Netanyahu or Eisenkot?
Iranian analysts have generally argued that the election outcome could affect the timing, scope or objectives of potential Israeli military action, but would not fundamentally change Israel's approach to Iran's nuclear and missile programs or its regional influence.
Masoud Asadollahi, a Middle East expert and university professor, told Nour News, an outlet close to Iran's Supreme National Security Council: “From a military and security perspective, one cannot simply conclude that the mutual threats or strategic differences between Iran and Israel will disappear because a prime minister leaves office.”
He said Netanyahu's opponents differed from him mainly in how they would manage the war and make strategic decisions, rather than in their fundamental approach to Iran.
The conservative Khorasan newspaper addressed the question in a Thursday article titled “Which Is Better for Iran: Netanyahu or Eisenkot?”
It argued that Netanyahu's removal should not be equated with the end of the Israeli threat to Iran. Gadi Eisenkot, it said, was neither an outsider to Israel's political establishment nor opposed to confrontation with the Islamic Republic.
“The experience of coalition governments and political disagreements in Israel has shown that diversity within the cabinet can increase the costs of decision-making,” the newspaper wrote.
Khorasan argued that Netanyahu's departure could benefit Iran by weakening the political and diplomatic capacity he had accumulated during the confrontation, even if his successor pursued similar policies.
But it also acknowledged that internal political rivalries could produce more aggressive policies.
“Sometimes removing one player does not end the game, but it can make the game more difficult for the other side,” the newspaper wrote.
Other analysts warned that political uncertainty could itself increase the risk of military escalation.
Morteza Makki, an international affairs analyst, told the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) that delays in forming Israel's next government could work to Netanyahu's advantage by giving him a potential window to attack Iran.
Makki said the uncertainty could also affect the prospects for coordination with the United States in any such operation.
“Overall, the likelihood of war is high, and one cannot judge whether war will or will not occur solely on the basis of which political camp wins the election, because both camps are inclined toward war,” foreign policy analyst Alireza Komeili told the conservative Nameh News website.
Hardliner claims Iran drove Israeli turnout
Ali Akbar Raefipour, an ultra-hardline political figure, claimed in a social media post that concerns about Iran were behind the high turnout in Israel's election.
“The highest voter turnout in Israel's elections in the past 28 years has been recorded so far. And the main reason for it is Iran alone. Yes, Iran,” he wrote on X.
His claim drew responses from Iranian social media users who contrasted Israeli participation with low turnout in Iranian elections.
“We have influence over elections all over the world, and the results of elections everywhere in the world affect our lives, except for the results of our own elections,” one user wrote.
Yellow warning tape cordons off a damaged section of pavement in Tehran.
The prospect of another US-Iran war has fuelled debate over whether Washington is preparing for a prolonged campaign of military and economic pressure or whether diplomacy can still avert a wider conflict.
The debate comes amid continuing attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, warnings from Tehran that it is better prepared for another confrontation, and fresh revelations about Iran's efforts to circumvent sanctions and the US naval blockade to import military equipment.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Thursday that three tankers had struck naval mines in the strait over the previous 24 hours. Vice President Mohammadreza Aref said Tehran was managing the strategic waterway and that its defensive readiness had improved since the 12-day and 40-day wars.
Analyses published in Iranian newspapers in recent days offer differing assessments of the likelihood of another confrontation and the prospects for a negotiated settlement.
The economic daily Donya-ye Eghtesad said war was not inevitable, pointing to continuing backchannel contacts despite deep disagreements between the two sides.
Political analyst Rahman Ghahramanpour told the paper that another conflict would be unlikely to end after only a few days, warning that even limited US military action could become part of a sustained campaign combining strikes and sanctions.
Ghahramanpour described a possible eight-to-twelve-month strategy aimed at weakening Iran's ability to resist US demands.
War: disastrous but not inevitable
Reuters investigation published Thursday revealed how Iran has used a network of more than 5,000 military-linked agencies to import at least $2 billion worth of equipment, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025, circumventing Western sanctions and the US naval blockade.
The findings shed light on Tehran's efforts to sustain its military capabilities despite the pressure campaign.
Former diplomat Kourosh Ahmadi challenged predictions that another war was imminent, arguing that the remaining disagreements between Tehran and Washington might not be substantial enough to justify the costs of a new conflict.
Writing in the reformist daily Shargh, Ahmadi said President Donald Trump's statements should not be treated as evidence that he had decided to attack Iran, while warning that another war could have devastating consequences.
He identified three broad options available to Washington: pursue a diplomatic settlement, continue economic and military pressure to weaken Iran, or undertake another military operation.
Diplomacy remained possible, Ahmadi argued, because the dispute concerned the sequencing of concessions more than fundamentally incompatible objectives.
Cost of stalemate
The moderate news website Fararu examined the damage already being inflicted by the prolonged stalemate.
Former diplomat Fereydoun Majlesi argued that Iran's state of “neither war nor peace” was itself becoming a major economic burden, with uncertainty prompting businesses to hold on to cash and avoid investment.
Such decisions weaken production, employment and economic growth over time, he said, even without another military confrontation.
Both sides, Majlesi said, continued to define an acceptable agreement primarily in terms of their own interests while resisting the concessions necessary to bridge the gap.
He warned that prolonged uncertainty could make an eventual settlement more difficult as economic pressure and mutual distrust intensified.
For Ghahramanpour, the question was not simply whether Washington might strike again, but whether military pressure could secure political concessions without triggering a wider war.
An Iranian student attends an online class from home, using a laptop and headset.
Some Iranian families are paying thousands of dollars to put their children in foreign online schools, buying an international education from home and stepping outside the Islamic Republic’s school system, despite the education ministry’s warnings.
The government-affiliated newspaper Iran reported on Thursday that institutions offering foreign curricula and diplomas from countries including Canada and Britain were attracting Iranian students.
A mother whose 15-year-old daughter attends an online high school based in Toronto told the newspaper her family pays $7,000 annually to prepare her daughter for admission to Canadian universities without leaving Iran.
Another father cited shortcomings in Iranian schools’ approach to practical skills and creative thinking as reasons for enrolling his son in a foreign online college alongside his education in Tehran.
Diplomas not recognized in Iran
Mohammad Salimi, head of the Education Ministry’s Center for International Affairs and Overseas Schools, warned that the foreign online institutions in question lack authorization to operate in Iran and that their diplomas are not recognized by the domestic education system.
Students attending only these institutions are not registered in Iran’s official education databases and could face difficulties continuing their studies domestically, Salimi told Iran daily.
For families planning to send their children to universities abroad, however, recognition by institutions in the destination country may matter more than approval from Iranian authorities.
Students attend a classroom lesson at a school in Iran, where some families are increasingly exploring international online education as an alternative to the domestic curriculum.
A diploma’s lack of recognition in Iran does not necessarily make it invalid internationally. Its acceptance depends on the school’s accreditation and the admission requirements of individual universities.
What do foreign schools offer?
The expansion of international online schools allows students to follow American and British curricula without relocating.
International Virtual Learning Academy (IVLA), a private American school, provides online education from elementary through high school, allowing students to select courses and progress at a pace suited to their circumstances.
Annual high school tuition starts at $2,679 for its basic program, rising to $3,799 or $5,279 for packages offering additional educational support.
Britain’s King's InterHigh offers live and recorded online classes, with subjects including computer science, economics, psychology and film studies.
For the 2026–2027 academic year, annual tuition is £7,250 for students aged 14 to 16 and £7,585 for the pre-university program covering three principal subjects.
Crimson Global Academy also provides American and British curricula online. Annual full-time tuition for its American high school program ranges from $22,375 to $25,500.
The differences show that foreign online schooling does not carry a uniform price. Costs vary according to grade level, course selection and the educational services provided.
Ideological education and alternative choices
Some families are turning to foreign education in a country whose school system was restructured around the Islamic Republic’s religious and political objectives after the 1979 revolution.
UNESCO has documented how Iranian textbooks were revised after the revolution to incorporate Islamic teachings, with religious and political content extending beyond religious education into subjects including history, social studies and Persian literature.
Iran’s Fundamental Reform Document of Education also identifies the cultivation of Islamic-Iranian identity and religious values among the education system’s central objectives.
In a study published in July 2025, education researcher Golnar Mehran examined Iranian social studies textbooks and the role of Islamization and politicization in their content.
By contrast, the international online schools examined offer greater flexibility in course selection, different academic pathways and preparation for universities abroad.
The YouTube generation and English-language learning
The spread of the internet and social media has also exposed Iranian students to English-language material and international educational resources from an early age.
Female students attend a classroom lesson at a school in Iran, where the education system emphasizes Islamic values and a centrally prescribed curriculum.
YouTube, online gaming and English-language social media content have expanded opportunities to learn beyond formal classrooms, despite extensive internet filtering in Iran.
A 2024 survey by the Iranian Students Polling Agency, ISPA, found that roughly half of the university students surveyed used YouTube.
Another official survey published in 2026 found that around 23 percent of children and adolescents aged six to 15 used tools to circumvent internet restrictions.
A 2026 study involving 120 English-language learners in Tehran and Isfahan found that structured educational use of YouTube, Instagram, Telegram and WhatsApp over 12 weeks significantly improved English proficiency among participants in the experimental group.
Such resources can make international online education more accessible to students who develop sufficient English-language skills.
IVLA, for example, expects international applicants to have adequate English proficiency but does not require a language-test certificate at enrollment.
Dollar-priced education and a future beyond Iran’s job market
The cost of foreign online schooling means it is largely accessible to families with greater financial resources, some of whom may be considering educational and professional futures beyond Iran.
English-language instruction, exposure to international curricula and experience with remote learning could help prepare students for university education abroad and potential participation in the global labor market.
The growth of remote employment has also created opportunities for people to work for foreign companies or clients without emigrating. Language skills, digital proficiency and familiarity with international educational and professional environments can support access to such work.
However, Iran’s internet restrictions, difficulties receiving foreign payments because of limited access to international banking networks, and overseas employers’ hiring policies can still obstruct those opportunities.
More than 16.5 million students were enrolled in Iran’s education system at the beginning of the 2026–2027 academic year, but no comprehensive figures have been published on the number attending foreign online schools or whether enrollment is increasing.
An instructor leads a computer training session in an Iranian classroom as students work at desktop computers.
It is also unclear how many intend to pursue education abroad and how many regard foreign courses as a supplement to their domestic schooling.
Although the newspaper Iran focused on tuition costs and the risks associated with diploma recognition, the parents it interviewed described different priorities, including alternative curricula and preparation for education overseas.
For families already investing substantial sums in international schooling, recognition by Iranian authorities may carry less weight than access to foreign universities, migration opportunities or employment beyond the domestic market.
The Education Ministry’s warning about unrecognized diplomas therefore addresses only part of a broader issue: how far Iran’s education system can meet the expectations of students increasingly using the internet, English-language resources and online education to explore academic and professional opportunities beyond the country’s borders.
A young man smokes cannabis beside marijuana plants, as reports point to growing cannabis use among younger Iranians.
Young Iranians are turning from opium, their parents’ drug, to cannabis, methamphetamine and a widening range of synthetic substances, treatment specialists and officials say, as unemployment, hardship and uncertainty about the future reshape the country’s drug use.
Opium is still common among older users, Tejarat News reported. The younger generation’s drugs go by other names: cannabis, known locally as gol (bud), and methamphetamine, known as shisheh (glass).
In July, the head of prevention at Iran's Drug Control Headquarters, Zahra Abedini, said the highest prevalence of drug use was among people aged 24 to 35.
She estimated the prevalence of drug use among university students at between 2.5 and 2.7 percent, although the figures were based on existing studies. A new nationwide survey is underway to provide updated data on addiction in Iran.
Kamran Fateh, an addiction specialist, told Tejarat News that drug consumption should not be viewed simply as a matter of personal choice.
Behind many cases of drug use lies a combination of social, economic and psychological factors, he said.
"A young person facing anxiety, unemployment, a sense of having no future, emotional setbacks, economic pressure or family tensions may look for a quick way to temporarily escape those pressures," Fateh added.
Cannabis use and the changing drug market
The Drug Control Headquarters' director of treatment has identified cannabis and hashish as among the country's most commonly consumed substances, warning about the rapid emergence of synthetic drugs and new psychoactive compounds.
One concern highlighted in the report is the growing normalization of cannabis use among young people, some of whom regard it as less dangerous than traditional narcotics or believe occasional consumption carries little risk of dependence.
A cannabis plant is seen beside people handling what appears to be marijuana.
Fateh warned that misconceptions about the safety of certain substances were among the biggest obstacles to prevention.
"When a substance is described as 'recreational,' 'herbal' or 'less harmful,' people's awareness of the risk of dependence decreases," he said.
Addiction treatment specialists in several provinces have reported cases of young people beginning with cannabis before experimenting with other substances, although such progression is not inevitable.
According to prices reported by addiction treatment specialists, a cannabis cigarette costs around 1.5 million rials ($0.55), while methamphetamine sells for approximately 2.5 million to 7 million rials ($0.92 to $2.59) per gram.
Heroin prices range from 2 million to 7 million rials ($0.74 to $2.59) per gram, compared with 1.21 million to 3 million rials ($0.45 to $1.11) for opium. The figures are estimates rather than official market rates.
Experts have also warned that newly emerging substances are increasingly marketed with claims of reducing stress, boosting energy, improving concentration or promoting weight loss.
Economic hardship and uncertainty fuel vulnerability
Fateh said the expanding illegal drug market was making prevention increasingly difficult as suppliers introduced new substances and combinations to meet changing demand.
He also said that families sometimes discover drug use only after occasional consumption has developed into a more serious problem, adding that punishment and intimidation are not necessarily effective responses.
"If society focuses only on 'saying no to drugs' but offers no solutions to problems such as unemployment, social isolation, depression, identity crises, economic pressure and a lack of healthy recreational activities, many of the underlying causes of drug use will remain," he said.
A person exhales smoke while holding a cigarette, as reports point to changing patterns of drug use among young Iranians.
Fateh highlighted the relationship between economic hardship and addiction, saying that rising drug prices could drive dependent users toward cheaper, unfamiliar or more dangerous substances.
"If a dependent person does not have access to effective, affordable and accessible treatment, higher prices may even push them toward more dangerous alternatives," he said.
He argued that enforcement measures against drug suppliers alone would not resolve Iran's addiction problem without addressing the broader economic and social pressures facing younger generations.
Women carry models of Iranian missiles during a public procession in Iran.
Iran has used a secret network of more than 5,000 military agencies to import at least $2 billion worth of equipment, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025, bypassing Western sanctions and the US naval blockade, a Reuters investigation published on Thursday found.
One agency alone, identified as MOD 346428, imported $2.3 billion in military-related goods between January 2025 and June 2026, according to shipping records examined by Reuters.
The shipments included rocket fuel ingredients, explosives, aircraft parts, industrial machinery and hundreds of heavy-duty trucks that could be adapted for military use, with goods recorded as originating in China, Russia, Germany and other countries.
The findings provide details of how Iran has continued to obtain materials used in missile and drone production during the US-Israeli war, which began in February, despite attacks on its weapons production facilities.
Thousands of agencies linked to defense ministry
Reuters identified more than 5,000 agencies whose names begin with MOD, referring to Iran's Ministry of Defense, and which share the Tehran address of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
Although their registration records list February 11, 1979, as their founding date, most were established in 2013, when Iran was facing severe economic sanctions, the investigation found.
Reuters and Israeli-American risk consultancy 240 Analytics traced the agencies through Iranian banking records, corporate filings and shipping documents, including around 19,000 import records.
Some entities were linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and large Iranian foundations known as bonyads.
The agencies use intermediaries and overseas companies to purchase goods with proceeds from oil sales that bypass sanctions, according to the investigation.
In 97% of the shipments reviewed, transactions were recorded as settled "without currency transfer," allowing purchases to be made using funds held outside Iran.
Banking records also showed that 36 agencies held about $1.2 billion in foreign currency deposits at the end of 2024, while the wider network held around $1.8 billion in local currency, Reuters reported.
The news agency said it found no evidence that the numbered agencies identified in the documents had been individually sanctioned by Western governments.
A satellite image taken on February 8, 2025, shows a customs yard containing Iveco trucks imported by Irans military, in Tehran, Iran. The yard matches the location of a video posted the same day and verified by Reuters showing the trucks. Janes, the UK-based open-source defence intelligence company, confirmed the make of the trucks seen in the social media video.
Missile materials and hundreds of trucks imported
The investigation found that Iran continued importing materials that could be used in missiles and drones after the war began on February 28.
In the first six months of 2026, deliveries included detonators, explosives, aircraft engine components and rocket fuel ingredients.
In February, shortly before the war, Iran imported 93 metric tons of Chinese titanium and hundreds of tons of chemicals that could be used in rocket propellants and explosives, according to customs records.
Between January 2025 and June 2026, MOD 346428 also imported 435 Iveco trucks, some of which matched models used as disguised mobile missile launchers, Reuters reported.
The same agency imported thousands of Toyota Hilux and Land Cruiser vehicles, as well as Toyota Tundra trucks, models that Iranian forces have used for military purposes.
The investigation also traced imports of chemicals to the port of Bandar Abbas, where an explosion in April 2025 killed at least 70 people and injured more than 1,200.
Reuters said it could not determine whether chemicals in one of the shipments it identified were responsible for the explosion.
A combination image shows a projectile reaching an imported Iveco truck (left) and explosion after imported Iveco truck was hit by a projectile at a location given as Iran during what US Central Command (CENTCOM) says are strikes targeting Iranian mobile missile-launch capabilities, in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on March 5, 2026. U.S. Central CommandHandout via REUTERS
It also could not establish that all imported goods were intended for weapons production, noting that many materials and machines have both civilian and military uses.
Imports continued during war and blockade
The materials entered Iran through several routes, including cargo vessels crossing the Caspian Sea from Russia, trucks traveling from Central Asia and freight aircraft arriving from China, Reuters reported.
Monthly imports by the identified military agency fell by 47% to $54 million in March, shortly after the war began, but recovered to $77 million by May.
The investigation identified five shipments of Russian detonators worth $7.6 million since January 2025, including a $1.9 million delivery in June 2026.
An Iveco truck is parked in a parking yard in Tehran, Iran in this screengrab obtained from a social media video released on February 8, 2025. Social Mediavia REUTERS
Since the war began, $27 million worth of goods purchased by Iran's military were recorded as originating in the United Arab Emirates, mostly arriving by sea.
The Reuters data also listed hundreds of millions of dollars in trucks, aircraft components and electronics as coming from Germany and other European Union countries.
Reuters cautioned that some customs records identified shipments only through product codes and declared countries of origin, which it could not always independently verify.
Western companies and governments respond
China's Foreign Ministry told Reuters it was unaware of the reported shipments and rejected attempts to link Beijing to the regional conflict.
"We firmly oppose attempts to maliciously link regional hostilities to China or smear China's reputation," the ministry said.
Italian truck manufacturer Iveco said it had safeguards to prevent its vehicles from reaching prohibited users and destinations but could not control products resold by third parties.
Toyota said it did not conduct business in Iran and had no knowledge of the purchases described in the investigation.
The European Union said it was examining information about Iran's efforts to strengthen its missile and drone programs.
A US Treasury spokesperson said Washington had cut off Iran's economic lifelines and would continue enforcing sanctions.
"While the regime may continue its desperate attempts to evade our powerful sanctions, fund its military and weapons programs, and access foreign currency, we are always 10 steps ahead," the spokesperson said.
Iranian government bodies and companies contacted by Reuters, including the country's presidency and its UN delegation in Geneva, did not respond to requests for comment.
