The United States pressed Israel to launch a strike against Iran in talks over the past two weeks, but has since backed away from the demand, Israeli journalist Ben Caspit reported.
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According to Caspit, Washington sought an Israeli attack rather than an American strike or a joint operation, as concerns grew over Tehran’s efforts to rebuild its drone and ballistic missile production capacity.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told his American counterparts that an attack would, in all likelihood, force Israel to postpone its elections, Caspit said, citing earlier reporting by Barak Ravid. Israel is scheduled to vote on October 27, a week before the November 3 US midterm elections. Iranian retaliation involving heavy missile fire was the principal concern behind the assessment that the Israeli vote could be disrupted.
Trump weighs Iran strikes
Caspit reported that Washington wanted Israel to assume the political risk of renewed fighting ahead of the American elections. US officials believed Israel might favor a strike before its own vote, while direct American involvement could carry a political cost for President Donald Trump.
The initiative has now been put on hold, according to Caspit. He said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s position remained unclear, although the prime minister had held a series of sensitive security meetings and visits over the past week.
The report comes as Western officials say Iran has retained the factories needed to replenish its missile and drone stocks despite months of US and Israeli bombing. Bloomberg reported Friday that Tehran’s surviving production capacity had allowed it to rebuild its arsenal during the lull in fighting, with one Western official saying Russia was also supplying Iran with missiles.
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Trump has sent conflicting signals about the prospect of another attack. On Thursday, he said the US would not strike Iran before the midterms, citing what he described as productive discussions with Tehran. On Friday, however, he left the possibility open when questioned by reporters: “We may. I mean, we’ll see.”
The US and Israel launched the current war against Iran in late February. The conflict has weighed on Trump’s approval ratings and complicated Republican efforts to retain their narrow congressional majorities, giving the timing of any renewed military campaign added political significance.