US Reinforcements Head to Middle East as Early Voting Surges Ahead of Midterms

Heavier fighting involving Iran could resume in the coming weeks, as military reinforcements arrive in the Middle East and some U.S. personnel leave the region. A person briefed on U.S. and Israeli war planning told NPR that the two countries are preparing for a possible attack on Iran after the American midterm elections. Iran has said it is prepared.

NPR's Greg Myre said there are clear signs of preparation. The United States is sending a third aircraft carrier to the region, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently traveled to Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Myre said President Trump will likely weigh military action after Nov. 3, in order to avoid a jump in oil prices before voters go to the polls.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded that his country is ready for both diplomacy and war. According to Myre, the U.S. and Israel have the power to do heavy damage, but Iran shows no sign of making major concessions. Tehran is instead demanding formal control of the Strait of Hormuz and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region.

At home, voting is already well underway. Although Election Day is more than a week away, nearly 21 million Americans have cast ballots by mail or in person, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab. NPR's Saige Miller said that total rose by about 2 million in a single day, and that early voting in key battleground states is significantly higher than during the last midterm cycle.

Miller cautioned against reading too much into early figures as a forecast of final results. The data show Democrats voting early at higher rates than Republicans, and unaffiliated voters are also taking part. Democrats are generally more likely to vote early, while Republicans tend to turn out on Election Day. Separately, a federal judge in California is restricting pre-election field operations by the Department of Homeland Security, which says the efforts aim to identify noncitizens who allegedly voted illegally in nine states.

In another development, a federal magistrate judge ruled that Trump must sit for a deposition in his $10 billion defamation case against the BBC. The judge said he must comply with court rules or face sanctions. The suit centers on a Panorama broadcast from late October 2024 that allegedly edited his Jan. 6 speech to make it seem he incited a violent siege of Congress. Trump has called the broadcast false, misleading and defamatory under Florida law.

NPR's David Folkenflik said it is unclear whether Trump will appear, since he earlier canceled citing "matters of national importance" and proposed January instead. The case first focused on economic harm to Trump's brand and financial prospects. The BBC, which apologized for the splicing, now wants to understand his state of mind during the speech, as he may have intended to encourage violence. BBC attorneys say more than 200 Jan. 6 defendants have said the speech motivated them. The network is also seeking details on how Trump has profited since returning to the White House, likely to gauge the extent of any damage.

Grocery costs remain a concern as well. Trump promised lower prices in his second term, and while some items have become cheaper, overall grocery prices have risen, driven by higher labor costs, tariffs and energy prices tied to the conflict with Iran. Ground beef reached $6.79 per pound last month, up 85% in a decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Eggs fell to $2.27 per dozen after a record $6.23 in March 2025, and butter averaged $3.96 in September, down 17.3% from a year earlier because of oversupply. Coffee is still 44% higher than two years ago despite the removal of tariffs on it.