New Delhi, Aug. 1 -- WASHINGTON - Tens of millions of Iranians who have endured months of power cuts and fuel rationing have been told to expect more. A Friday night CBS News report, citing multiple US sources, described the United States and Israel preparing to bombard Iran's power plants and oil refineries, a campaign that could begin as soon as this weekend and would represent the most destructive escalation in the ongoing war between Washington and Tehran.

Neither side has yet crossed into deliberate targeting of civilian energy infrastructure. According to the CBS News report, high-level discussions have included cutting electricity across Tehran itself. The president has not yet given the final orders, two sources said, and an Isra...