Israel: Netanyahu pushes for a resumption of attacks on Iran
The Israeli army had planned a large-scale operation at the start of the month, but called it off after Donald Trump ruled out an attack before the US mid-term elections
Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for a resumption of large-scale attacks against Iran and, in early October, ordered the Israeli armed forces to plan a new major offensive. This move risks plunging the region back into a full-scale war.
According to three sources familiar with the matter, as reported by the Financial Times, the Israeli army had prepared a bombing campaign lasting several days, scheduled for the weekend of 10 October. The targets were said to have included civilian infrastructure, such as power stations, as well as nuclear facilities and targets linked to the Iranian regime.
In the end, the operation was not authorised. According to sources, it was blocked by US President Donald Trump, who was opposed to reigniting the conflict before the US mid-term elections, scheduled for 3 November.
Israel: IDF appeal against Netanyahu’s speech at cadet graduation ceremony
The Israel Defence Forces are reportedly seeking to have Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech – scheduled for Wednesday at the cadets’ graduation ceremony – cancelled, due to fears that it might be exploited for electoral purposes. This has been reported by Channel 13 and Haaretz, which explain that the military has approached the Ministry of Justice to seek clear instructions on how to proceed. The Israeli Defence Forces have also approached the Central Elections Committee.
Iran will not hand over uranium; US rules out attacks before the mid-term elections
Iran will not hand over its enriched uranium, rejecting proposals to transfer around 400 kg of nuclear material to Russia. The announcement, as reported by Al Jazeera, comes as the head of the Pakistani army, Asim Munir, is visiting Tehran to facilitate mediation between Iran and the United States. Iranian officials insist that Washington must rebuild trust before negotiations can resume, citing previous US attacks during diplomatic talks and refusing to compromise on the proposal put forward by Tehran. Meanwhile, the White House has told Al Jazeera that the United States has no intention of attacking Iran before the mid-term elections on 3 November. However, doubts remain about Washington’s intentions, given the deployment of three US aircraft carriers to the region and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to Israel.
