Israel’s Channel 12, citing people familiar with the matter, reported on Oct. 13
that Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump have held multiple calls to
discuss a possible large-scale US-Israel military strike on Iran before Israel’s
Oct. 27 parliamentary vote and the US Nov. 3 midterms. The report says Netanyahu
has pressed the case citing Iran’s “new worrying measures” in the nuclear
sphere. Senior US officials told Channel 12 Trump asked relevant US agencies to
“move forward and be prepared,” but the US has not made any substantive
commitment; Trump has previously said he would not attack Iran before the
midterms. The report adds there are differing views inside both governments and
mediators including Qatar are awaiting Tehran’s response to recent US
negotiation proposals.
