The Trump Admin. is Reportedly Drawing Up Plans For Renewed Attacks Against Iran. Oil Prices Soar.

Oil prices are soaring again on Thursday following reports that the Trump administration is considering relaunching strikes against Iran even before the November midterms.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, jumped 4.23% and stood at $104.44 per barrel at 7:49 a.m. ET, while West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, climbed 4.40% and clocked in at $92.16 at the same time.

President Donald Trump and his national security team discussed resuming the campaign against Tehran in the coming weeks, according to NBC News. Axios also detailed that the Pentagon instructed the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to conclude preparations to that end.

The outlet went on to cite sources familiar with the matter, who said that if the campaign resumes it will include large bombings of Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear targets.

A White House official reacted to the report saying that the U.S. "is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing."

"Iran has been decimated, and things will go one of two ways: the easy way or the hard way," the official added.

Trump, on his end, said at a campaign rally in Texas on Wednesday that Tehran is in the brink of collapse. "I think the deal isn't really something that I want to do, but they're willing to offer us anything to stop," Trump claimed.

Attacks against tankers in the Strait of Hormuz reached a record for the U.S.-Iran war last week, new data showed.

The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said in a note that the figure reached 12 in the week that ended on October 5, the highest figure since the war began in late February.

"These actions continue to demonstrate Iran's ⁠intent to assert presence along key transit lanes and maintain pressure ​on transiting vessels," it added.

Tehran claimed on Wednesday that the waterway will remain closed as the two countries remain far from a deal.

Mohammad Reza Naghdi, senior adviser to the commander-in-chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, said the country's "armed forces have full control over it." "This situation will continue until Iran's legitimate demands are met," Naghdi added.

In contrast, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Tehran has "lost complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz and is unable to prevent ships from going through the waterway.

"The Strait of Hormuz is open. There's almost as much oil flowing out now as there was before this conflict began," he added.