7,000 dead in Iran as analysts predict next war round
Experts say U.S. and Israeli strikes may resume after November 3, targeting energy and internet infrastructure.
By Jonathan Hoffmann ·
More than 7,000 people have died in Iran according to Western non-governmental organizations. A further 4,000 deaths have been reported in Lebanon. Twenty-one U.S. service members and more than 70 Israelis have also been killed. Deaths have been recorded in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Yemen. Danny Citrinowicz, an Israeli analyst and former military intelligence official, warns that a third round of fighting could be more destructive than the first two.
Citrinowicz told CBC News that a renewed war seems almost inevitable. He expects the next phase to begin once U.S. midterm election ballots are counted on November 3. The United States and Israel have fought Iran in two separate wars over the past 18 months. The first started in June 2025 with strikes on nuclear facilities and lasted 12 days. Fighting returned in February following a large U.S. military buildup. That conflict opened with Israeli strikes on Iran's senior leadership, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Citrinowicz predicts the next round will hit Gulf energy facilities, civilian infrastructure and communications lines. He specifically pointed to internet cables running beneath the Strait of Hormuz. He also raised the possibility that Iran could send parts of its land army into limited attacks on Gulf states. Kuwait and Bahrain host U.S. bases and could face strikes aimed at damaging the American economy.
The conflict has not gone quiet since the summer truce collapsed. The U.S. has blockaded Iranian ports. Iran has targeted commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up global energy costs. On Thursday, President Donald Trump accused Iran of trying to inflate oil prices before the midterms. He claimed on Truth Social that Iran was making up fake hits and mines. A report from the Critical Threats Project and the Institute for the Study of War agreed that the attacks aim to pressure Washington into meeting Iranian demands.
Iranian demands include relief from sanctions, reparations for strike damage, the release of frozen assets and the right to keep enriched uranium. Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar have tried to restart talks without success. Suzanne Maloney of the Brookings Institution warned that retaliation would come from proxies such as the Houthis and Hezbollah. Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment said Trump lacks a clear goal. He noted that no military knockout punch will force Iran to capitulate.
The New York Times reports that the Pentagon is drafting a new battle plan. It is unknown whether Trump will approve it. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken of finishing the job and bringing down the Iranian regime. He faces voters in a close race in the coming days. Citrinowicz said a widening crisis could help Netanyahu stay in power by enabling an emergency unity government.
Sadjadpour argued that diplomacy is not dead but has been narrowed by Trump's maximalist aims. He said Iran's government would compromise only under existential economic pressure and a clear diplomatic exit. He noted that asking Iran to change its identity is unlikely to succeed.
