Donald Trump and his national security team have reportedly discussed the possibility of restarting large-scale US military operations in Iran in the coming weeks, including potential strikes ahead of next month’s midterm elections, according to a US official and another person familiar with the discussions.

A defence department official told NBC News: “The department’s job is to develop and present military options to the president.”

A White House official said the US “is in a very strong position”.

“Iran has been decimated, and things will go one of two ways: the easy way or the hard way,” the official said.

“President Trump holds all the cards and will do whatever is best for the United States.”

Donald Trump says Steve Witkoff, his special envoy to the Middle East, is “doing very well” while he works on a potential agreement with Iran.

But he added that “I think the deal isn’t really something that I want to do, but they’re willing to offer us anything to stop,” Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in San Antonio.

“That war ends – it’s going to be very soon. It’s got to be very soon,” Trump said.

He also called Iran “a failed nation” with “a little spunk left, but not much.”

Iran would “never have a nuclear weapon”, he said and praised Witkoff as “a great negotiator”.

The US and Iran have held indirect nuclear talks in New York this month, according to NBC News, as Washington pushes for a broader agreement to address Iran’s nuclear programme.

According to the report, the Trump administration wants any agreement with Tehran to address what it describes as outstanding critical issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.

The Trump administration has rejected Tehran’s proposal for a seven-day deal focused first on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, in which the US would lift sanctions and unfreeze Iranian funds while nuclear talks were postponed.

Instead, Washington wants the nuclear issue included in any agreement rather than handled separately at a later stage.

“After three years, my worst fear is that my kids’ memory will fade away,” Sigal Manzuri says, on the eve of the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks that claimed her two daughters’ lives.

“I just ask from others to really please remember that behind every picture they see, every story they hear, there is a soul, there are so many dreams cut short. And just remember them.”

Sigal, a US-Israeli mother and activist from Hod HaSharon in central Israel, today dedicates her time to preserving the memory of her daughters, Norelle, 25, and Roya, 22, who were both killed at the Supernova music festival in 2023.

Some 1,200 people were killed that day as the Palestinian terror group led an armed incursion across the border, rampaging through towns and taking 251 hostages back into Gaza.

Hezbollah has received $200 million from Iran to help Lebanese displaced by this year’s war with Israel, two people with direct knowledge of the transfer said, the first significant aid from the group to supporters who bore the brunt of the conflict.

Hezbollah received the cash last month despite a tightening US economic chokehold on Iran and increasing difficulties in getting funds to Tehran’s Lebanese ally, said the people.

Intermediaries who moved the money charged a 20% fee, reflecting the risks of dealing with the group, they said. One said this was four times the normal fee.

Asked for comment, a Hezbollah official said an amount had been secured and a plan for distributing it would be announced in the coming days, without elaborating on the source of the funds.

Jimmy Kimmel wasted no time condemning President Donald Trump over his viral remarks about Iran destroying American cities.

At a rally in Nebraska on Monday, Trump discussed rising prices tied to the ongoing Iran war, calling them “a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe.”

“They could take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles; let them take out San Diego,” he said next, drawing cheers from the crowd. “This is a very small price to pay. And it’s gonna be over with very soon.”

One person was killed and eight injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh, and two were killed and 28 injured in an attack on facilities at Abha airport, Saudi civil aviation authorities said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

One of the attacks was on Wednesday and the other on Tuesday, it said, without saying which attack had occurred on which day.

The Israeli government refuses to commemorate the date of the greatest murder of Jews since the Holocaust, and wants to remove the word ‘massacre’ from how it is discussed in an official capacity.

It is because a reckoning is coming for Netanyahu and the era over which he has presided, writes Gary Cohen:

A tanker was struck by multiple projectiles in an incident 51 nautical miles north of Qatar’s Madinat ash Shamal, with casualties reported, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said on Wednesday.