Middle East — 2026-08-01

Trump Considering Strikes on Iranian Energy Targets Within Days

BLUFU.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure are very likely within the next week, risking a retaliatory spiral that could reopen the broader regional war.

Trump is weighing a new bombing campaign against Iranian energy infrastructure within days but has not issued final execution orders, according to a U.S. official cited by Axios 1. CBS News reports the U.S. and Israel are coordinating on what would be one of the harshest such campaigns to date, with strikes possible over the weekend and discussion of concluding before Monday's market open, though no end point was set 2. Likely targets include power plants and refineries, two sources told CBS, and Israeli forces could join combat operations for the first time since the U.S.-brokered truce collapsed 2. Trump told reporters at Camp David "we'll be hitting them very hard" and that Iran would eventually "peter out" 12, while an IRGC-affiliated official quoted by Tasnim called the plan "an act of madness" and said Iran had prepared strikes on U.S. and Israeli infrastructure in response 13.

Analysis
Strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure will very likely proceed within the next week, most likely over the coming weekend, given Trump's public vow to hit Iran "very hard" and Pentagon confirmation that forces are locked and loaded. Israeli participation would mark its first return to combat since the truce collapsed, raising the odds of renewed Iranian missile fire against Israeli territory. Targeting power plants and refineries ahead of Monday's market open signals intent to bank leverage before global energy markets can react. This assessment carries high confidence, reflecting convergent primary reporting and on-record confirmation from the White House and Pentagon of active strike planning.

3 sources