Will Trump strike nuclear sites again as Iran engages ‘cognitive warfare’?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that US President Donald Trump has sent mixed signals in the days after Republicans lost ground in the US midterm elections, alternating between threats toward Iran and suggestions that a settlement may be close. The article says Trump acknowledged that the war on Iran contributed to the party’s poor showing and later said the United States may need to “destroy” more of Iran, while also claiming that Washington has been talking with Iranian representatives.

The report says US forces carried out new strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Friday, which Trump described as minor attacks on air-defence systems. Iranian state media said missiles hit the island again and reported that Iranian forces intercepted a US drone there. US Central Command said the situation remained relatively calm, while the article notes that Washington says it is trying to prevent Iranian missile launches against US assets.

Al Jazeera also highlights signs that Tehran is preparing for the possibility of further US strikes on nuclear sites. The article cites reports that Iran is distributing iodine tablets near nuclear facilities and that officials are considering how to respond if a major strike occurs. It says the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice program offered up to $20 million for information on Iran’s nuclear network.

The piece frames the standoff as a political and military dilemma for Trump: he faces domestic backlash over the war, while Iran is setting conditions for broader talks that Washington has not accepted. Both sides, the article says, are publicly signaling readiness for escalation even as mediation efforts continue through Qatar.