Residents continue their daily activities in business centers, shopping districts and city streets despite escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, October 12, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.
Fatemeh Bahrami | Anadolu | Getty Images
Iran is reportedly working to build up its military capabilities in anticipation of possible new U.S. attacks after November’s midterm elections.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the Islamic Republic had strengthened its defenses around sensitive sites like nuclear sites and told regional officials that Tehran would respond to any further U.S. strikes with retaliatory measures across the Middle East.
The WSJ report also says that the Iranian regime is preparing its population for war by holding rallies, sending paramilitaries to read war stories to young children, and advertising training in defensive missile firing.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that American forces would not attack Iran before the midterm congressional elections, which take place on November 3.
The Iranian and US governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the WSJ report.
Houthi attacks on Riyadh
Meanwhile, a Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis – a Yemeni militant group backed by Tehran – said it had intercepted a ballistic missile strike on the Saudi capital Riyadh on Monday, the Reuters news agency reported.
The Houthis have been attacking the Saudi capital since last week, launching multiple strikes against energy facilities and airports. An attack at the airport left several people dead, including a pilot working for the Saudi airline Saudia.
The closure of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport has been extended until Saturday.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Monday urged airlines to exercise caution when flying over or near Saudi Arabia.
British base threat linked to Iran
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told British lawmakers on Monday that an attempted attack on an air base in England was “almost certainly led by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”
Ed Miliband, the British foreign secretary, said he had summoned the Iranian ambassador to emphasize that “Britain will not tolerate threats on our soil.”
British police arrested five men on September 27 on suspicion of terrorism offenses over an alleged threat against RAF Fairford in western England, a Royal Air Force base that the US Air Force has used to strike Iranian missile sites.
Trump later said the US had withdrawn all its long-range bombers from the UK in response to “a threat”.
Gn headline
