TEL AVIV — An Israeli strike against Iran before Israel’s Oct. 27 election appears to be off the table, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could attack after the vote, using renewed fighting to pressure his political rivals to join a wartime unity government, political sources told Al-Monitor.
Tensions in Israel are running high just four days before the country goes to the polls. As Al-Monitor has reported on Tuesday, Netanyahu appears to have failed in his recent attempts to reignite hostilities with Iran in a bid to delay what could be the most consequential election of his political career and one with far-reaching implications for Israel’s future. That possibility, however, cannot be entirely ruled out until election day, insist the political sources.
For now, Netanyahu faces opposition from US President Donald Trump, who sent Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Israel last Monday on a visit that was not announced in advance. A Monday Reuters report cited three Israeli officials as saying that the two discussed the Iranian file. Citing three diplomatic sources, the Financial Times reported Wednesday that Netanyahu had planned to strike Iran earlier this month, but Trump opposed reigniting the conflict before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Israel’s top military officer, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, has also signaled little appetite for more fighting, warning of the consequences of attacking Iran at such a politically sensitive moment. In early October, Zamir held several conversations with his American counterparts, explaining the implications that new fighting could have for Israel’s upcoming elections, Al-Monitor reported Oct. 9.