Israeli media have reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Director Roman Gofman intended to launch an operation against Iran just before the national election on October 27. The plan was reportedly thwarted after an Israeli security operative accidentally informed the United States, prompting Washington to intervene quickly to halt the proposed action.
According to a report from Channel 12, senior officials within Israel's security establishment opposed the operation. They feared that such a move could trigger a major escalation with Iran, potentially leading to the postponement of the vote. Despite these internal objections, preparations continued until the inadvertent alert to the United States changed the trajectory of events.
Netanyahu's office denied the account, stating that the prime minister clarified in real time that an attack prior to the elections was not on the agenda. The latest reports add to growing allegations of tension between Netanyahu and senior military officials regarding the timing and nature of potential actions against Iran in the days leading up to the poll.
On October 25, two days before Israelis voted, Channel 12 described an unprecedented confrontation between Netanyahu and military chief of staff Eyal Zamir. Zamir resisted carrying out the action and requested further deliberations, along with signed documentation from the prime minister confirming legal authorization for the move.
A military source quoted by the network noted that the action could lead to a flare-up with Iran at a sensitive and dramatic moment, creating the potential for miscalculation. Unnamed sources also indicated that military leaders were concerned the political leadership was seeking to utilize the Iranian issue for political benefit.
The following day, Channels 12 and 13 reported that Zamir was the only senior security chief to oppose the military action sought by Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz. The New York Times also reported that Netanyahu had sought for weeks to orchestrate a new airstrike on Iran but was blocked by Zamir, who worried that a separate operation short of an overt strike could still provoke an Iranian response.
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, a known critic of Netanyahu, stated in a Channel 12 interview on Thursday that the current prime minister had planned a provocation involving Iran via the Mossad, behind the back of the IDF chief of staff.
These reports emerge amid diplomatic efforts to end the war between the United States and Iran, with Qatar mediating between the two sides. On November 1, Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu urged US President Donald Trump to resume the war against Iran immediately after the November 3 US midterm elections. Trump reportedly wanted to give negotiations with Tehran more time, while Netanyahu feared a diplomatic agreement could ease pressure on the Iranian regime.
Qatar's mediation efforts have continued since the US midterms. On Saturday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said Washington remained willing to reach an agreement with Tehran and that significant progress had been made. He noted that while they cannot wait for a perfect agreement, they hope to reach a good one.
President Trump stated on Friday that the United States was talking to Iran while insisting that Washington had the upper hand in the conflict. He told reporters outside the White House that the US had beaten Iran and had not lost a soldier in six or seven months. He also repeated his claim that Israel and the entire Middle East would not exist today if he had not stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon.
