U.S. and Israeli officials expect week-long bombing of Iran without a deal, Axios reports

Iran rejected Washington's seven-day plan for the Strait of Hormuz on October 28, calling its terms “unacceptable demands”.

Axios reports that, without a deal, U.S. and Israeli officials expect a week-long bombing campaign against Iran. The campaign would target Iran's leadership, energy facilities, nuclear sites and infrastructure. Axios reports that Iran is expected to seek approval from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei for the proposals in the coming days.

Iran rejected Washington's seven-day plan for the Strait of Hormuz on October 28. Tehran called its terms “unacceptable demands”. Qatari mediators have presented Iran with a new draft deal. An official briefed on the talks says Tehran is weighing the draft and will reply by the end of the week. Arab mediators are pressing Iran for a deal on inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and on U.S. sanctions relief. Iran's Foreign Minister says the U.S. blockade has cut Iran's imports by 25 per cent.

U.S. Energy Secretary Wright said, as reported by Fox, that the Iran war has “come at a cost”. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says U.S. forces and regional partners control the strait.

Earlier planning centred on the strait and on Iran's leadership. Axios had previously described a broader campaign that could follow the U.S. midterms on November 3. The scope now described, covering leadership, energy, nuclear sites and infrastructure over a week, is wider than a response limited to shipping lanes. Retaliation risk has repeatedly been cited as the trigger for a reversal in oil's risk premium and in equity risk sentiment. Planning reported through October has also moved beyond carrier deployments and travel advisories to a proposal package awaiting Khamenei's sign-off. That runs alongside Trump's public pledge not to strike Iran.