Report: Netanyahu pressed Trump to renew Iran fighting before election; PMO denies

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged US President Donald Trump last week to renew the fighting against Iran before Israel’s October 27 election and the US midterm elections a week later, Channel 12 reports, citing officials familiar with the talks.

The US officials tell the network they came away with the impression that Netanyahu wanted to launch an attack before the elections, with Netanyahu citing concerning steps by Iran in the nuclear arena.

Even though Trump has said publicly that he will not resume attacks on Iran before the US midterms, the IDF and CENTCOM are both at a high state of readiness and are completing preparations in case Trump changes his mind, the report quotes unnamed sources saying.

It also quotes an American source saying that Netanyahu “has discussed the issue” of a resumption of attacks “several times,” and that Trump told Netanyahu he can “go ahead and prepare,” but made no official commitment to approving an attack. The source says Trump could order an attack now, later or never.

Trump has reportedly shifted back and forth on the issue every few days.

Netanyahu has told Israeli security chiefs that Trump, not he, initiated the discussion about renewed fighting before the elections, the report says. A senior Israeli official says Trump initially appeared ready to give the move a green light but later backtracked on the idea.

The Prime Minister’s Office denies that Netanyahu is seeking to start a war with Iran before the elections, a move that critics say would be politically motivated.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has reportedly warned that renewed fighting before the Israeli elections could lead to their postponement.

Israeli security officials say there has been no change in the intelligence assessment of Iran that would justify an Israeli-American operation in the next two to three weeks, according to Channel 12.

However, Iran has reportedly conducted ballistic missile tests from several sites in recent days, apparently as part of an effort to rebuild its deteriorated missile program. The military assesses that this rebuilding remains slow and partial.