Military ordered to be ready for possible Iran strikes as Trump weighs timing

The Pentagon instructed U.S.

Central Command several days ago to conclude preparations for resuming major combat operations in Iran , U.S. officials said.

Why it matters: The directive didn't include a specific date for launching strikes, and President Trump hasn't made any final decisions.

But U.S. and Israeli sources say it could happen before the U.S. midterm elections and possibly the Israeli elections a week earlier.

The big picture: If major combat operations resume, they're expected to include massive bombing of Iranian energy, infrastructure and nuclear targets, sources say.

Resuming the war in the next three to four weeks could influence the midterm elections, in part because oil prices might rise in response.

"The Department's job is to develop and present military options to the President," a Pentagon official told Axios.

A White House official said Trump has all options available at any time.

"The U.S. is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing.

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." The Atlantic reported earlier Wednesday that Trump is weighing striking Iran before the midterm election.

Driving the news: On Friday, Trump's national security team met at Camp David for several hours to discuss the war and other issues.

An Israeli official told Axios that part of the meeting focused on a possible resumption of major combat operations in Iran.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after the meeting that it focused on "long-term" foreign policy planning.