Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed President Trump for a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran before Israel's October 27 election, and the White House asked him to wait, CNN reported Monday, citing two U.S. officials and an Israeli security source. Netanyahu's office called the report "fake news."
The report landed the day before Israelis voted and a week before the U.S. midterms on November 3. It adds to a run of anonymously sourced accounts, all denied by Israeli officials, of a dispute inside Israel's leadership over whether to resume the war with Iran that began in February.
What the reports say
According to The Times of Israel's account of the CNN report, an Israeli source said Netanyahu "really wanted and tried to convince Trump for a joint attack in Iran before the elections." Trump did not approve it. The sources said Trump and senior officials asked Israel to hold off and indicated joint operations would come soon. Israel reportedly agreed in part because it would need U.S. help with missile defense if Iran, and possibly the Houthis in Yemen, fired back.
One reason Trump declined, according to a CNN source, was a warning from Israel's military chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, to his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Dan Caine, that an attack could force Israel to postpone its election.
The report also described U.S. preparations. If ordered, U.S. forces could launch a major operation "within 96 hours of receiving" the order, against military sites, nuclear facilities and key infrastructure. Ynet's summary of the CNN report quoted one American official saying, "It will be a big effort," and a senior Pentagon official saying that "developing military options is part of the department's responsibility." The White House declined to comment, Ynet reported.
The denials
Netanyahu's office called the CNN account "fake news" without elaborating. Defense Minister Israel Katz said reports of disagreement between the political leadership and the army were "completely baseless and false," said Israel had no intention of attacking Iran before the election, and warned that Israel would respond "with great force" if Iran attacks.
The Israel Defense Forces said it was focused on its missions and on a high state of alert, and called other discussion "misleading and irrelevant." The Times of Israel noted that the statement was cleared by the military censor.
How the story built
The newsroom's timeline of the reporting, drawn from the outlets cited:
Oct. 9: Trump says the U.S. will not attack Iran before the midterms. n/a.
Mid-October: Channel 12 says Netanyahu urged Trump to renew the fighting. Prime Minister's Office denies.
Oct. 21: Financial Times, citing three people, says Israel was ready to strike around October 10 but Trump opposed it. Pentagon declines comment.
Oct. 25: Channel 12 reports a clash between Netanyahu and Zamir over an order for unspecified military action. Netanyahu denies.
Oct. 26: CNN reports the push for a joint strike and U.S. plans ready within 96 hours. PMO: "fake news", Katz: "baseless".
The Financial Times account was summarized by The Times of Israel. One FT source called renewed strikes after both countries' elections "not an unreasonable scenario," while another said the early-October planning could have been a negotiating tactic.
All of these accounts rest on unnamed sources. None has been confirmed on the record by the U.S. or Israeli governments, and the officials who have spoken publicly have denied them.
Iran and the diplomats
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, accused "the Israeli regime" of being "highly skilled at carrying out false-flag operations." Delegations from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey were in Tehran on Monday for talks aimed at heading off renewed fighting, and Qatari mediators had visited on Sunday, The Times of Israel reported.
At home, opposition politician Avigdor Liberman asked Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to open a criminal investigation of Netanyahu for alleged "treason." There was no indication the request had been acted on.
The legal question in Washington
Whether the United States joins any new campaign raises the same constitutional fight we examined in who decides on war with Iran. The Senate fell one vote short of passing a resolution to rein in the war on October 22, and the timing of any strike now appears tied to two elections. For the wider debate over U.S. interests, see our report on Operation Epic Fury, and for the vote itself, our Israel election preview.
Two Taps News stories summarize reporting and the analysis discussed on Two Taps and Friends. They are not legal advice. Read our standards.
