Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held several discussions with President Donald Trump over the past two weeks about the possibility of launching a renewed, large-scale military campaign against Iran, potentially before Israel’s October 27 elections. Senior American officials said they came away with the impression that Netanyahu wanted to resume strikes before Israelis head to the polls, citing alarming new Iranian nuclear activities as a central justification.

According to the report, Netanyahu and Trump discussed the possibility of a major joint American-Israeli military operation targeting Iranian military installations and nuclear facilities. Netanyahu expressed concern over steps Tehran is taking to restart activities across various components of its nuclear program, warning that the developments could require a renewed military response.

A senior American official revealed that Netanyahu raised the possibility of renewed military action with Trump on multiple occasions. During those conversations, Trump reportedly told Netanyahu to proceed with preparations but stopped short of authorizing an attack. The official explained that Trump’s encouragement to prepare did not constitute a commitment to launch an operation, whether immediately, at a later date, or at all.

A senior Israeli official said Trump initially appeared inclined to give Netanyahu the green light, but his enthusiasm subsequently cooled. Another senior American official described the president as repeatedly shifting his position on the question of renewed military action against Iran.

Despite Trump’s public declaration that he would not attack Iran before the November 3 U.S. midterm elections, the IDF and U.S. Central Command remain on heightened alert and are completing operational preparations in case the president changes his mind.

Within the Trump administration, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. Central Command are reportedly among the strongest supporters of resuming large-scale military operations against Iran. However, most of Trump’s advisers currently favor maintaining sanctions and economic pressure, arguing that the mounting financial strain on Tehran is proving increasingly effective.

The possibility of renewed fighting carries significant implications for Israel’s upcoming elections. According to the report, Israeli defense officials expect Iran to retaliate against a major military operation by launching hundreds of ballistic missiles toward Israel, potentially disrupting the electoral process.

IDF Chief of Staff LTG Eyal Zamir discussed the possibility of renewed military action against Iran within the next three weeks during a conversation last week with Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine. According to a source briefed on the discussion, Zamir warned that launching an operation during that period could force Israel to postpone its elections because of the anticipated Iranian missile response.

The report also described concerns within Israel’s security establishment about the domestic political implications of military action immediately before the elections. Zamir faces the possibility that an operation launched during the election campaign could be perceived by significant portions of the Israeli public as a political maneuver by Netanyahu, potentially damaging public confidence in the IDF as an institution widely regarded as nonpolitical.

American officials also acknowledged awareness of Netanyahu’s domestic political considerations. One senior official suggested that Netanyahu believes his political strength is enhanced by serving as prime minister during wartime.

However, a senior Israeli official offered a different account of the discussions. According to that official, Netanyahu told senior Israeli defense officials in recent meetings that Trump, rather than Netanyahu, initiated the conversation about restarting the broader war against Iran before the elections. Netanyahu reportedly said Trump had asked whether Israel would participate in such an operation.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts involving Iran remain unresolved. Qatari mediators are still awaiting Tehran’s response to the latest American proposals. A senior American official described negotiations as neither completely dead nor genuinely active, saying Washington continues increasing pressure while hoping more pragmatic figures within Iran’s leadership eventually prevail.

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