Netanyahu’ office rejected the reports
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad chief Roman Gofman reportedly sought to launch an operation against Iran just before Israel’s October 27 election, but the plan was stopped after the United States was alerted. The US then moved quickly to prevent the operation from going ahead, Channel 12 reported, as quoted by Times of Israel.
The proposed operation was said to be opposed by senior officials in Israel’s security establishment. They feared it could trigger a major escalation with Iran and disrupt the election. Despite these concerns, preparations for the unspecified operation continued. However, a mistake by an Israeli security operative reportedly tipped off Washington about the plan.
A day later, Channels 12 and 13 reported that Zamir was the only senior Israeli security chief opposing military action sought by Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, amid fears it could escalate tensions with Iran and derail the election. The reported attempt to launch an operation comes amid diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between the US and Iran, with Qatar mediating negotiations. The latest report follows a series of accounts in Israeli media about tensions between Netanyahu and senior military officials over possible action against Iran in the run-up to the election. US President Donald Trump has indicated that he wants to give diplomacy more time, even as the possibility of renewed military action remains.
Netanyahu’s office rejected the report, saying: “The prime minister himself clarified in real time that an attack before the Israeli elections was not on the agenda.