The key facts
- Israel planned to begin strikes on Iran on October 10; the operation was to last several days
- Trump opposed escalation before the Congressional elections on November 3
- Netanyahu continues to urge the US to 'finish the job'; no final decision has been made
Trump halted the prepared operation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing a new large-scale military operation against Iran, but US President Donald Trump opposed its conduct, Financial Times reports citing informed sources. The Israeli side had expected to begin the strikes as early as October 10. The operation was supposed to last several days, and potential targets included Iranian nuclear facilities, power plants and other infrastructure. Netanyahu ordered the military to prepare for the offensive, but the plans could not be implemented.
The reason — the Congressional elections
The decisive factor was Washington's position. According to the outlet, Trump made it clear to the Israeli leadership that he did not intend to take steps that could lead to a new escalation before the US Congressional midterm elections scheduled for November 3. As a result, the prepared operation was postponed.
Netanyahu continues to push for strikes
According to FT, Netanyahu continues to seek the resumption of strikes on Iran and urges the American side to 'finish the job.' During a recent visit by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to Israel, the American side was given updated data on potential targets on Iranian territory.
Possible scenarios and pressure on Tehran
The newspaper's sources suggest that the US and Israel may return to discussing a joint operation if diplomatic talks with Tehran fail to produce results. As far as is known, no final decision on new strikes has been made. The outlet's interlocutors also do not rule out that talk of preparing an offensive is being used as a tool to pressure the Iranian authorities into making concessions in the negotiations.
Context of previous reports
Earlier, Life.ru reported, citing Axios, that Trump and Netanyahu had discussed the possibility of joint strikes on Iran, and that American and Israeli militaries continued preparing for a potential operation despite the White House's reluctance to start an escalation before the elections. At the same time, the US administration denied reports of negotiations between the leaders about resuming the war.
