Iran's retaliation warning

News · Heat 2.3 / 10 · 2 shows · 3m airtime

On October 23, 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran warned it will strike U.S. warships, military bases and Gulf civilian infrastructure if the U.S. and Israel resume strikes after the midterms. The reporting said Iran is also preparing to target undersea cables crossing the Strait of Hormuz, special forces operations in countries such as Kuwait, and attacks outside the region. Oil climbed to a five-month high on the escalation fears. U.S. officials now say the intelligence indicates Iran may have operatives inside the United States. The warning remains a threat tied to a resumption of strikes, and no attack has been reported.

How 2 podcasts covered it

1. WSJ What's News, 2026-10-23 (4:50 to 6:23)
   Reports Iran's warning to strike warships
   Exclusive reporting from Benoit Faucon on Iran's war preparations: strikes on U.S. warships and Gulf infrastructure, attacks on undersea cables in Hormuz, special-forces land operations in Kuwait, and the Fairford drone plot. Oil's five-month high is the backdrop, not the story.
   New angle: Iran has warned it will strike U.S. warships, bases and Gulf civilian infrastructure if U.S. and Israeli strikes resume.
2. The Headlines, 2026-10-26 (5:39 to 7:34)
   Reports intelligence on planned attacks
   Reports that U.S. officials say intelligence shows Iran in advanced stages of planning attacks on Americans, with diplomats ordered out of the region and potential targets in Europe. Adds the operative-in-the-U.S. claim and the miscalculation framing from Julian Barnes.
   New angle: U.S. officials say the intelligence indicates Iran may have operatives inside the United States.