Netanyahu urges Trump for post-election Iran strike
The Israeli leader pushed for a quick air campaign after losing his parliamentary majority, though U.S. officials say the president has not decided on military action.
By Marco Ortega ·
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is lobbying President Donald Trump to launch a new series of strikes against Iran following the November 3 midterm elections. Two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter said Netanyahu views a return to full-scale war as a way to consolidate power after his coalition lost its parliamentary majority in Israel's recent elections.
Netanyahu discussed the possibility of an attack during a weekend phone call with Trump. A person briefed on the conversation said the Israeli leader requested a quick but extensive air campaign. Trump did not commit to military action during that call, and one official said the U.S. president has not yet made a final decision.
Diplomatic channels remain open despite the push for strikes. Qatari mediators held two rounds of talks with Iranian officials last week. The goal is to create a framework where Iran stops attacking shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States lifting its blockade on Iranian ports. Additional talks are scheduled for this week.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Saturday that the administration prefers a diplomatic solution. He noted that Trump has incredible confidence in military action if necessary but has not made a decision. Trump told reporters on Sunday that he had a very good call with Netanyahu and that they discussed Iran, though he provided no further details.
Allied nations in the Middle East are warning against immediate strikes. One regional official said new attacks could destabilize the region and encourage Yemen's Houthi rebels to increase attacks on Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping. Iraq-based militias backed by Iran could also become involved in a new conflict.
Iranian leadership says it is prepared for either war or diplomacy. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader, met with military chiefs and said any threat from the U.S. or Israel should be met with an immediate response without geographic limits. He urged an expansion of the list of potential targets.
At the Manama Dialogue security summit in Bahrain, Gulf nations expressed concern over the widening gap between U.S. and Iranian positions. United Arab Emirates presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said the two sides are far apart and that failure to bridge their positions could lead to the worst outcome. Egypt's foreign minister warned that the next escalation would be more destructive and lead nowhere.
China plans to send a special envoy to Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia in early to mid-November. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the envoy aims to support dialogue. President Xi Jinping told Oman's sultan that the Gulf region should not become an arena for great-power rivalry.
The Israeli government and the White House did not immediately comment on the weekend call or the specific plans for strikes. The standoff continues as both sides weigh military options against diplomatic efforts to end the blockade and ceasefire violations.
