The United States demanded that Israel attack Iran on its own, and dropped the demand, at least for now, after Israel made clear that such a strike would almost certainly force a postponement of the national election.
The demand came up in contacts between the two countries over the past two weeks, veteran journalist Ben Caspit reported Saturday in Maariv. The Americans were not talking about a US strike or a joint operation, but an Israeli one.
Behind the demand, according to the report, was a political calculation in Washington: a strike would hurt President Donald Trump in the US midterms but help Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the polls in Israel.
Israel's answer was that going it alone would come at a price. A strike would almost certainly mean delaying the vote, Israeli officials told their American counterparts. According to Caspit, Washington has since backed off.
The warning matches what IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has already told the Americans. In talks with senior US administration and military officials, Zamir said a flare-up with Iran could force Israel to postpone the election set for October 27. The assessment is that Iran would respond by firing missiles at Israel.
Trump has taken a US strike off the table for the coming weeks. He wrote on Truth Social that the US will not attack Iran before the November 3 midterms, that talks with Tehran are productive, and that the American blockade stays in place.
The military planning continues regardless. The Pentagon has drawn up plans, on Trump's orders, for an intensive three-day campaign against Iran's missile and drone arrays, energy facilities and other military sites. The Israeli Air Force and Military Intelligence remain on alert in case of escalation.
