US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the possibility of renewed strikes against Iran during a phone call last week, Axios reported, citing four sources familiar with the matter. However, the White House has denied that the two leaders discussed restarting the war.
According to the report, Netanyahu is concerned that Iran is rebuilding its nuclear programme and wants to resume military action. Trump, meanwhile, said on Thursday that the US would not attack Iran before the November midterm elections. Despite this, the US and Israeli militaries remain on alert and are preparing for the possibility that Trump could change his position, the sources told Axios.
Netanyahu Pushes For Strikes
A US official told Axios that Netanyahu had raised the prospect of renewed attacks with Trump on multiple occasions. The US president reportedly asked the Israeli leader to prepare but made no commitment on whether or when an operation would take place.
“Bibi seems to want to go in again. He has talked to the president about it a couple times, and the president has said, ‘Well, you know, Bibi, go ahead and get ready.’ But there’s really no commitment. ‘Go ahead and get ready’ is maybe now, maybe later, maybe never,” the official said.
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US Advisers Divided
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and the leadership of US Central Command reportedly support the Israeli proposal for renewed military action. Most of Trump’s advisers, however, favour continuing economic sanctions and other pressure measures for now.
The report comes amid Israeli concerns over intelligence suggesting that Iran is working to reconstitute its nuclear programme.
Elections Raise Political Stakes
Any renewed military campaign could complicate the political calculations for both leaders. Israel is scheduled to hold elections on October 27, while the US midterm elections are set for November 3.
In Israel, fresh combat operations could make national security a prominent election issue for Netanyahu. However, Israel Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir reportedly warned that restarting the war during the election period could force a postponement of the polls, as Iran would likely retaliate.
For Trump, another conflict could hurt Republicans ahead of the midterms by reviving memories of an unpopular war and potentially pushing petrol prices higher.
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White House Rejects Report
A White House official dismissed the report, denying that Trump and Netanyahu had discussed resuming military operations against Iran.
“The President has said that we will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the midterm elections,” the official said.
Netanyahu’s office did not directly address the reported conversation, stating that the Israeli prime minister “maintains regular contact with President Trump and senior US administration officials and does not comment on the content of their conversations.”
