The key facts

  • The Israeli strike plan from October 10 included power plants and nuclear facilities — FT
  • Trump postponed the operation until the US Congressional midterm elections on November 3
  • FT sources do not rule out that the statements are a pressure tactic on Tehran

Netanyahu seeks resumption of military action

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in talks with the US, is demanding the resumption of large-scale military action against Iran. This was reported by The Financial Times, citing informed sources. Earlier, the outlet Axios, also citing its sources, wrote that Trump and Netanyahu discussed the possibility of a new major operation against Iran before the elections in the US and Israel.

The prepared strike plan

According to FT, the Israeli military in early October prepared a plan for intensive operations against Iran. The strikes were to begin on October 10 and continue for several days. The list of targets included civilian infrastructure facilities, including power plants, as well as nuclear facilities.

Trump's position and the postponement

The plans were postponed due to the position of US President Donald Trump. According to the outlet, he made it clear to the Israeli side that Washington does not want to take decisive action before the conclusion of the midterm elections to Congress. The elections, in which all seats in the House of Representatives and part of the seats in the Senate are up, will take place on November 3.

Possible pressure tactic

FT sources note that the statements about resuming military action may also be a tactic aimed at pressuring Tehran to force it to make concessions. Thus, it is unclear whether this concerns real intentions or a negotiating tool.