Iran Awaits Fallout From US and Israeli Elections Amid Fears of "Total War"

Many Iranians are bracing for the possibility of returning to a "total war," amid escalating American and Israeli threats and continued military and economic pressure on Tehran. This coincides with Israel's general election on Tuesday and the upcoming US midterm elections scheduled for November 3, while Tehran maintains a defiant stance despite growing pressures, according to the Associated Press.

While US President Donald Trump vows to "finish the job" in Iran, nearly eight months after the outbreak of war, as a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops head to the region, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasizes the need to "eliminate" the Iranian leadership.

In response, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of obstructing negotiations, which have shown little progress in months, amid fears of a diplomatic collapse and renewed military confrontation.

Some Iranians fear new attacks following the US elections; some residents of Tehran plan to leave the capital in anticipation of fresh strikes, while others stockpile food and medicine in case conditions deteriorate, according to the Associated Press.

Threatening Escalation Against Pressure
The Associated Press quoted Sasan Karimi, a former government official and professor of foreign policy at the University of Tehran, who said that the Iranian leadership believes Trump may order new strikes regardless of the outcome of the US midterm elections.

Karimi noted that the Iranian leadership is "making plans for various scenarios so it can take measures to address their consequences," indicating that they now expect "a new US attack, whether before or after the elections."

Iran reiterated its threats to target US military bases and Washington's allies in the Middle East, warning that the scope of targets could expand to include undersea data cables running through the Strait of Hormuz.

This month saw the highest number of reported attacks on commercial ships passing through the strait since the early weeks of the war in March, according to the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, the US naval blockade of Iranian ports has restricted oil exports relied upon by the Iranian government, increasing economic pressure as each side tries to outlast the other. Trucks have piled up at borders as part of Iranian trade shifts to land routes.

The blockade has caused shortages of medicines within Iran, but there are no signs of shortages in food or other basic goods. Conversely, Iranians have seen a sharp decline in income sources and purchasing power, with the currency falling to record lows after losing much of its value over the past year, and inflation soaring significantly, according to the US agency.

Iranian officials accused the United States of seeking to incite internal unrest. Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator in previous rounds of talks with Washington, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated during an officials' meeting this month: "Economic war is the main axis of the war waged against us."

Difficulty Providing Basic Needs
For his part, the Iranian president said his country faces a "dangerous turning point," as the government attempts to deal with worsening economic problems and reach consensus within the power structure, which is experiencing divisions among its components.

The repercussions of protests across the country driven by economic pressures remain present, having been followed by a security crackdown that resulted in casualties, weeks before the outbreak of war.

According to the Associated Press, providing basic food needs has become difficult even for middle-class Iranians, with sharp rises in staple prices since the war began, where rice prices increased by more than 60%, while beef prices rose by more than 150%.

In political circles, moderates call for reaching an agreement with the United States to save the economy. Politician Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani warned in an op-ed published by the reformist newspaper "Sazandegi" this month that "the high exchange rate has made managing the country difficult for the executive authority."

But Karimi, the former official who served under Pezeshkian, said that economic pressures will not change Iran's negotiating positions, adding: "This has been tested. No economic pressures will push people here to make a deal."

He continued: "Tehran calculates its steps based on resistance, because it is convinced that this will change the other party's calculations."

Awaiting Elections and Fears of Renewed War
Little information has been publicly released regarding negotiations conducted through intermediaries, after Trump rejected an Iranian proposal last month to end the war and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week, in exchange for Washington meeting certain conditions, including lifting the blockade.

The effects of US and Israeli strikes targeting Tehran during the peak of the war in March and April remain visible throughout the capital, where thousands of homes were damaged or completely destroyed.

Trump also repeated his threats to target power stations and other infrastructure.

Some residents said they intend to leave Tehran as anxiety grows, while others expressed resentment toward Trump, arguing that he launched the war claiming to help Iranians, but "made our people's situation worse."