The New York Times revealed that Iran is implementing a "secret plan" to expand the scope of attacks in the Middle East through its proxies, should the United States intensify its strikes, with the aim of "raising the cost of war" for President Donald Trump.

The newspaper quoted Iranian officials as saying that Tehran seeks to push Washington to halt its military campaign against Tehran by targeting U.S. interests in the region and disrupting global markets through "allied groups," noting that the war "has recently expanded to a wider range of targets across the Middle East." The report stated that a senior advisor to the Iranian negotiators, Mehdi Mohammadi, publicly bragged on social media about this strategy that relies on Iran's proxies in the region. Mohammadi was quoted as saying that "the rules of engagement are changing and being redefined," and that "the fronts are multiplying from different directions in the region," adding that they are "coordinated by nature but operate independently," and that "a new axis of resistance is emerging with new players," according to him. According to what The New York Times reported from Iranian officials who are members of the Revolutionary Guard, "Iranian generals have developed, during the ceasefire, secret plans in coordination with leaders of allied armed groups on how to expand the war and increase its cost for Washington." The two officials mentioned that senior leaders from the Quds Force, the external arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, "conducted group calls online with leaders from Hezbollah, the Houthis, and armed groups in Iraq." Observers believe that Iran has mobilized the forces it operates through for several reasons, as this strategy aims to limit oil exports from the Middle East, leading to higher fuel prices in the United States ahead of the midterm elections. The newspaper quoted analysts stating that "there is another reason for the attacks by Iran's allies, as Tehran has developed a network of its proxies to achieve two main goals: to help expel the U.S. military from the region and to harm Israel, using these militias as a shield against any attacks that may target Iran itself." However, the newspaper noted that "Iran's goals have not been achieved, especially after the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was the cornerstone of this axis, and Hamas has become nothing more than a shadow of its former self," while Hezbollah's capabilities in Lebanon have significantly weakened.