Iran is reinforcing defenses around nuclear facilities and border areas, mobilizing supporters and warning of a broader regional conflict as it prepares for the possibility of renewed hostilities with the United States after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Citing Iranian officials and people familiar with communications between Tehran and regional governments, the newspaper said Iran had issued public and private warnings that any fresh U.S. strikes would trigger a wider response across the Middle East, potentially targeting American forces, Gulf allies and critical infrastructure.

Some Iranian officials have privately raised the possibility of sending ground forces into neighboring countries if Washington launches new attacks, according to people familiar with the warnings. The newspaper did not identify the officials, specify which countries could face such incursions or provide details about when the warnings were delivered.

The reported threats appear intended in part to deter Washington from resuming military action. They come as satellite imagery shows Iran strengthening defenses around sensitive nuclear facilities and border regions, while authorities step up military training for civilians and efforts to rally public support for another potential conflict.

Iran threatens US forces and Gulf infrastructure

Tehran has told intermediaries that it could retaliate more aggressively against U.S. military personnel, including by attempting to sink American warships in the region and inflict casualties among their crews, the Journal reported. Iranian missiles came close to U.S. warships during attacks in September, according to the newspaper.

Iranian officials have also warned Arab governments that critical infrastructure, including Saudi oil facilities, could be targeted if fighting resumes.

Mohsen Rezaei, a senior Iranian national security official, warned in a televised interview on Sunday, Oct. 11, that a renewed conflict could bring attacks on the United Arab Emirates and regional digital infrastructure, including communications cables, data centers and artificial intelligence facilities.

The warnings underscore the potential risks to Gulf energy supplies and other vital economic infrastructure if U.S.-Iranian hostilities intensify.

The threats come as Saudi Arabia faces mounting attacks from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement. The Journal reported that a Houthi missile strike on Riyadh's airport on Saturday killed at least 13 people and wounded hundreds, describing it as the deadliest attack on the United States or its Gulf allies during the conflict linked to the war with Iran.

Meanwhile, attacks on commercial shipping and tankers in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz have increased. At least three merchant vessels came under attack over the weekend, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency. A drone strike on the Emirati tanker Petro Dolphin near Oman on Sunday sparked a fire aboard the vessel and left two Indian sailors missing.

US prepares for possible renewed fighting

Washington is also preparing for a possible resumption of hostilities. A third aircraft carrier strike group and an additional Marine expeditionary unit are heading toward the Middle East, the Journal reported, while the Pentagon is considering sending more air-defense systems and ammunition to U.S. bases across the region.

President Donald Trump said last week that he would not launch an attack on Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, although he has publicly raised the possibility of striking Iran's Mount Pickaxe nuclear site. U.S. officials have said the military is developing several options for renewed strikes.

Direct fighting between Washington and Tehran has eased considerably since late July, when Trump backed away from plans for a major escalation, partly over concerns about dwindling stocks of interceptor missiles needed to protect American and regional targets.

The pause has given both sides time to prepare for another confrontation. Iran has used the period to rebuild missile and drone production facilities and replenish its weapons stockpiles, while Washington has intensified economic pressure on Tehran.

Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at London-based Chatham House, said the prospect of war also served Iran's leadership as it grappled with diplomatic, economic and political deadlock.

Nuclear sites reinforced as Iran mobilizes civilians

Satellite imagery from Vantor, analyzed by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, shows Iran building new defensive barriers around its Natanz and Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facilities, according to the Journal.

The measures, introduced last month, include earthworks intended to obstruct potential ground raids. The imagery points to an effort to strengthen passive defenses around sensitive sites as Tehran prepares for the possibility of further attacks.

Iranian officials have also sought to demonstrate the country's readiness for another war. Brig. Gen. Gholamreza Jalali, who oversees Iran's contingency planning, said in late September that airports, seaports and power plants had been equipped with shelters and emergency supplies to help them continue operating during a conflict.

State media have increased coverage of pro-government demonstrations, with residents reporting that rallies have grown larger and spread to more locations in recent weeks.

Billboards in Tehran have advertised civilian training courses in the use of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft weapons and sniper rifles. Last month, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released footage of women receiving training in guerrilla warfare, firearms and drone operations through its Basij paramilitary force.

In the northeastern city of Sabzevar, Revolutionary Guard personnel visited a kindergarten to recount stories of earlier fighting and display a U.S.-made Tomahawk missile they claimed to have intercepted. The activities form part of a broader effort to prepare the public psychologically and practically for the possibility of renewed hostilities.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Tehran's rhetoric and military preparations indicated that it was actively preparing for another confrontation. He described the measures as serving both deterrence and war planning.

Iran's ability to counter advanced U.S. fighter jets, high-altitude bombers and cruise missiles is limited, the Journal reported, prompting Tehran to rely increasingly on the threat of wider retaliation to discourage Washington from attacking.