Iranupdated 1h ago2 min read
Benjamin Netanyahu Presses Donald Trump To Launch Extensive Air Campaign Against Iran After Midterm Elections
“A return to full-scale war with Iran could help Netanyahu to form an emergency government”
“Netanyahu is urging the Trump administration to carry out another wave of strikes on Iran”
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Netanyahu pressures Trump to launch a large-scale air campaign against Iran after midterms. Trump is reportedly reluctant but leaning to delay strikes, favoring diplomacy time.
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Pressure After Midterms
Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing Donald Trump to attack Iran after Tuesday’s midterm elections, with an official saying Netanyahu is working with senior US figures to persuade Trump to launch a quick but extensive air campaign in Iran. Qatari mediators held two rounds of talks last week with Iranian officials, and regional officials said the mediators were trying to advance a framework for Iran to cease its attacks in the Strait of Hormuz in return for the US lifting its blockade on Iran’s ports. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, "Consultations through mediators are very intense," and he added that "everything depends on Washington’s political rationality."
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told the press that "if our demands are met, it will be possible to restore security in Hormuz and resume negotiations," while Reuters-cited Iranian sources considered a new American attack more likely than an agreement. The Revolutionary Guard reported that eleven tankers that "violated navigation rules have been set on fire" and that several later sank, as the Strait of Hormuz became the focal point for escalation and diplomacy.
Hormuz Proposal and Talks
Tehran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, and mediators led by Qatar intensified contacts with Iran after three days of meetings. Abbas Araghchi said, "We have presented our conditions and proposals and everything depends on Washington’s political rationality," as Tehran maintained its seven-point peace plan presented in September. Esmail Baghaei said the possibility of implementing the plan in two days was "another demonstration of Iran’s good faith," and he added that "everything depends on Washington accepting our conditions."
The Jerusalem Post reported that Trump raised doubts on Monday about whether he would follow through on a threatened resumption of military strikes against Iran and said a deal with Tehran could happen. Trump told reporters, "We're going to keep on working at it," after JD Vance said there had been "a number of good conversations with the Iranians."
Nuclear Claims and Next Steps
Tucker Carlson said Netanyahu is pressuring the Trump administration to launch a nuclear attack against Iran, and Carlson described the target as Mount Pickax in the center of Iranian territory. Carlson claimed, "The only military option is a nuclear attack," and he said the radioactive fallout from a ground explosion on Mount Pickax would contaminate the Persian Gulf, poisoning the water supply for 100 million people. Trump, speaking to reporters on Sunday, said, "We can do that in 10 minutes," and he told reporters, "You can look at Pickaxe Mountain."
“‘The only military option is a nuclear attack,’ he details.”
Trump also insisted that the operation was not actually a war because "we've done very little fighting" recently after sweeping strikes months ago in which some Iranian leaders were killed. The Associated Press reported that Iran indicated it had a two-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks with the United States if it meets its demands, while the Israeli government did not comment and the White House did not directly respond.