The Financial Times and The Jerusalem Post published conflicting accounts of a purported Israeli plan to strike Iran, as elections approach in Israel and the United States.
The Financial Times cited three people who described preparations for a bombing campaign lasting several days around the weekend of Oct. 10. It said Iranian nuclear facilities and power plants were among the proposed targets. According to the newspaper, U.S. President Donald Trump opposed renewed fighting before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The attack described in the report did not occur; whether Israel ordered preparations for it is disputed.
The Jerusalem Post reported that its sources said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials had not directed the military to prepare an Oct. 10 attack. Those sources also disputed the account that Trump had stopped an imminent operation.
In an Oct. 8 social media post, Trump said the United States would not attack Iran before the midterms. His pledge addressed U.S. action and did not mention Israeli plans.
At an air force base Oct. 19, Netanyahu said Israel could strike its enemies when needed and warned of stronger blows. He announced no operation against Iran. A doctrine he published Oct. 18 calls for early action against developing threats, including offensive strikes, but identifies no planned attack on Iran.
Axios reported Oct. 13, citing four people with knowledge of the matter, that Netanyahu and Trump had discussed a possible new operation against Iran. A White House official told Axios the leaders had not discussed resuming the war.
Israel’s Interior Ministry says the country will vote Oct. 27. A polling average cited in an earlier EconoTimes review of Israel’s election projected 54 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc, below the 61 needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. The U.S. midterms are on Nov. 3.
