JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday rejected a Financial Times report claiming that US President Donald Trump had prevented Israel from launching a major military offensive against Iran earlier this month, dismissing the account as inaccurate and biased.“This report is not true. I’m not going to get into correcting this biased report,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 7 on Thursday.

The prime minister was responding to a report published Wednesday by the British newspaper, which claimed that Israel had prepared an extensive aerial assault against Iranian targets for the weekend of October 10, but abandoned the operation after Trump opposed renewed hostilities ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections.

Asked directly whether he had intended to launch the offensive and Trump had intervened to stop it, Netanyahu rejected the premise without explaining which specific details he disputed.

According to the Financial Times, which cited three individuals familiar with the preparations, the Israel Defense Forces had developed plans for several days of intensive airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, power plants, civilian infrastructure and facilities associated with the Iranian regime.

The proposed campaign would reportedly have been more extensive than Operation Roaring Lion, the earlier Israeli military offensive against Iran. The newspaper reported that Netanyahu had instructed the military to prepare for the operation, but that Washington’s opposition prevented it from proceeding as scheduled.

The reported disagreement comes amid uncertainty over Washington’s next steps toward Tehran, as Trump attempts to balance military pressure against Iran with the possibility of a negotiated agreement. Ahead of the weekend when the Israeli operation was reportedly scheduled, Trump publicly indicated that he did not intend to authorize further attacks before the American midterm elections.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said Washington was engaged in productive discussions with Tehran, while emphasizing that Iran remained under severe economic and military pressure. He also said the US naval blockade would remain in effect and reiterated his administration’s commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections,” Trump declared.

The statement was consistent with the Financial Times’ account of Trump’s opposition to renewed fighting before November 3, although it did not independently establish that the president had intervened to cancel a specific Israeli operation.

Despite Netanyahu’s denial, additional reporting suggests that Israel and the United States have continued discussing possible military action against Iran. According to a New York Times report cited Thursday by the Jerusalem Post, American and Israeli military planners have developed proposals for a short but intensive campaign lasting approximately three days after the US midterm elections. Potential targets reportedly include Iranian nuclear installations, energy infrastructure, ballistic missile facilities and drone capabilities.

Earlier, Axios reported that Netanyahu and Trump had discussed the possibility of renewed strikes before their respective national elections, citing American and Israeli officials familiar with the conversations. However, the White House disputed that account, saying the two leaders had not discussed restarting the war.

The issue is particularly sensitive because Israel is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on October 27, just one week before American voters head to the polls.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials have warned Israel against launching another offensive. Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, threatened severe retaliation, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remained open to diplomacy but was prepared to defend itself.

The Financial Times also quoted a source familiar with Israeli planning who suggested that renewed military action remained possible in the coming weeks. “There will either be a deal or an attack,” the source said. Another person familiar with the discussions insisted that “everything is on the table.”

Netanyahu’s categorical rejection of the Financial Times report leaves significant uncertainty surrounding the military preparations and the extent of Washington’s involvement. While the prime minister denies the newspaper’s account, multiple reports indicate that preparations for a possible renewed confrontation with Iran remain under discussion, with the period following the American midterm elections emerging as a potential turning point.