Iranupdated 1h ago3 min read
Trump And Netanyahu Discuss Joint Military Operation Against Iran Before Elections
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Netanyahu and Trump discussed resuming military strikes against Iran before Israeli elections and US midterms. Talks occurred last week amid concerns about Iran's nuclear program rebuilding.
www.timesofisrael › iran-said-shoring-up-defenses-at-nuclear-sites-wa... was read line by line by the Watchdog: 3.2. See the score →
Election-timed Iran talks
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed resuming wide military strikes against Iran before the Israeli elections on 27 October and the American midterm elections on 3 November, according to a report by Axios.
Netanyahu told Trump of his concerns about Israeli intelligence indicating troubling Iranian steps to rebuild the nuclear program during a call prior to Trump’s rejection of striking Iran before the midterm elections, the Axios report said.
The White House denied that the two sides had discussed resuming war on Iran, affirming that Trump would not attack Iran before the midterm elections, while the Israeli government refrained from commenting on the content of the talks.
Axios also reported that Trump and Netanyahu discussed a joint military operation targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities, while Israel focused especially on the possible use of the site 'Jabal al-Faas' to enrich uranium.
Senior Trump administration officials held a lengthy meeting at Camp David on October 2 to discuss the course of the war and the prospects for resuming strikes, without a final decision on returning to military confrontation.
Readiness, denials, and missiles
The Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu urged Trump to renew the fighting against Iran before Israel’s October 27 election and the US midterm elections a week later, while the Prime Minister’s Office denied that Netanyahu was seeking to start a war with Iran before the elections.
The Prime Minister’s Office said, "the prime minister maintains an ongoing dialogue with President Trump and senior US administration officials, and does not address the content of the conversations between them," as it said the White House did not comment.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned that renewed fighting before the Israeli elections could lead to their postponement, and Israel Defense Forces and CENTCOM remained at a high state of readiness.
Trump told reporters, "We haven’t even thought about it. I may be doing something," when asked why he had not yet endorsed a candidate in Israel’s upcoming election, and he also said, "We’ll make a decision on Iran very soon," amid reports of discussions about resumption of fighting.
Iran had reportedly conducted ballistic missile tests from several sites in recent days, as part of an effort to rebuild its deteriorated missile program, and the military assesses that this rebuilding remains slow and partial.
Iran warns and offers mediation
Iran said it was strengthening defenses around its nuclear sites and preparing for possible renewed fighting with the United States, while Iranian officials warned of possible ground incursions into neighboring countries, the Wall Street Journal reported via The Times of Israel’s linked coverage.
“Insisting on a military approach and disregarding a political solution would only further complicate the situation.”
The report said Iran’s top national security official Mohsen Rezaei reportedly said on Sunday that Tehran could also target the United Arab Emirates, and it said the Journal reported warnings that Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities could be targeted if fighting resumes.
Brig. Gen. Gholamreza Jalali told reporters that the country was installing shelters and backup supplies to continue operating in a crisis, and it said the IAEA reported signs of construction at the Pickaxe Mountain and Natanz nuclear sites last month.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged Saudi Arabia to avoid a military approach and pursue a political solution, saying, "Insisting on a military approach and disregarding a political solution would only further complicate the situation."
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, "We do not want hostilities to continue between two Muslim countries," and Tehran offered to help facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.