Israeli jets flew toward Iran in drill over Syria, Iraq

Israeli fighter jets flew toward Iran in a nighttime drill this week, Fox News reported Wednesday.

According to the report, the exercise took place overnight between Monday and Tuesday, as part of a series of drills in which Israeli warplanes were sent eastward, flying over Syria and Iraq and approaching the Iranian border.

Separately, Middle East Eye reported that Israeli fighter jets were spotted over southern and eastern Syria, as well as over the al-Muthanna province in southern Iraq. It's unclear whether the sightings were part of the same drill or a separate exercise.

The current reports come against the backdrop of concerns over a potential Iranian strike ahead of Israel's Knesset elections, and amid assessments that the military confrontation between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other will resume soon. The Financial Times reported this morning that Israel initiated a strike on Iran about a week and a half ago but was stopped by US President Donald Trump, who opposed an attack before the midterm elections.

According to that report, Netanyahu tried to persuade the American president to allow the resumption of military action against Iran, citing Israeli concerns over new developments in Iran's nuclear program. But Trump was not interested in opening another round of fighting before the US midterm elections, scheduled for November 3. Following his opposition, Netanyahu canceled his strike plans.