On a Saturday call between two leaders who have long shared a single fear and a single strategy, the question of whether to strike Iran again has returned to the table, carried by reports that Washington is readying its forces even as it keeps the diplomatic door ajar. Israeli defense officials read the stalled talks as a delay chosen by Tehran, whose economy is failing and whose nuclear and missile ambitions remain beyond what it will surrender. Yet the calendar may hold the decisive pause: with American voters about to go to the polls, officials believe the military option will wait unless a
Trump Calls Netanyahu After Military Briefing as US and Israel Reportedly Prepare Iran Strikes After Midterms
Iran is merely attempting to buy time, defense officials assess
Mark
Why does a phone call on a Saturday make news?
Mimi
Because of what came before it. Trump reportedly talked through options for resuming military operations with senior commanders, and then called Netanyahu.
Luke
Worth noting that's the Wall Street Journal's account. Nothing in this reporting tells us what was actually said on the call.
Mark
And the timing, the midterms, how central is that?
Mimi
Israeli defense officials say the White House won't order a strike before the elections unless it detects preparations for a surprise attack. Plans for after the midterms reportedly exist.
Luke
Both of those are assessments and reports. No official has confirmed a date or a decision.
Mark
What about the claim that Iran is stalling?
Mimi
Defense officials believe Iran won't give up its nuclear program or stop making ballistic missiles, so they read the talks as a way to buy time until the midterms.
Luke
That's the Israeli read of Iranian intent. We don't have Iran's side here, and intent is hard to confirm.
Mark
What's physically happening on the ground?
Mimi
Ten USAF transport planes from Fort Bliss landed in southern Israel, others in Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. A Patriot system was reportedly added, and another carrier and Marine unit are reportedly coming.
Luke
Careful with the cargo. KAN says the planes are likely carrying air defense systems, which is an inference, not a manifest. And the carrier is a report, not a confirmed deployment.
Il Polso
- A phone call between Trump and Netanyahu follows reports that Trump has been weighing restarted military operations with senior commanders.
- Israeli assessments say Iran is stalling talks to buy time while its economy deteriorates and its missile program threatens Europe.
- US forces in the region are being reinforced with air defense systems, transport aircraft, and reports of an added carrier and Marine unit.
- Officials say a strike is unlikely before the midterms unless Iran is seen preparing a surprise attack, while post-election plans are reportedly drawn up.
- Much of the picture rests on anonymous defense assessments and media reports, leaving the real timing uncertain.
On a Saturday call between two leaders who have long shared a single fear and a single strategy, the question of whether to strike Iran again has returned to the table, carried by reports that Washington is readying its forces even as it keeps the diplomatic door ajar. Israeli defense officials read the stalled talks as a delay chosen by Tehran, whose economy is failing and whose nuclear and missile ambitions remain beyond what it will surrender. Yet the calendar may hold the decisive pause: with American voters about to go to the polls, officials believe the military option will wait unless a surprise attack appears on the horizon. The moment, in other words, is one of readiness without yet resolve, a tense interval in which war is being prepared for but not yet chosen.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the call came as Washington prepares to resume strikes on Iran, after Trump discussed options for restarting military operations with senior commanders.
Israel's defense establishment has kept its own preparations ambiguous. Its officials believe the White House is still offering Tehran a chance to return to negotiations, even as military groundwork continues. Those same officials doubt diplomacy will succeed. They argue that Iran, struggling with a worsening economic crisis, will not give up its nuclear program entirely or stop producing ballistic missiles, and they conclude that Tehran is deliberately prolonging talks to buy time before the US midterm elections.
Timing is central. Although US Central Command is preparing for a possible strike, officials say the White House will not act before the midterms unless it detects preparations for a surprise attack. Plans for renewed strikes after the elections reportedly already exist.
The physical signs are mixed. More than 3,000 American troops are stationed in Israel, and no sharp rise in redirected US military aircraft was recorded last week, a contrast with the earlier unprecedented deployment of refueling aircraft. Still, there was movement: KAN reported that ten US Air Force transport aircraft, flown from Fort Bliss, landed at Israeli Air Force bases in the south, likely carrying air defense systems, while others landed in Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Reports also suggest another carrier and a Marine unit may join American forces.
Much of this rests on defense assessments and media reports rather than official statements. What to watch is whether Iran shows signs of a surprise attack, and whether post-election plans move toward action once the votes are counted.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the call came as the United States prepares to resume strikes on Iran. It followed a discussion Trump held with senior military commanders about options for restarting military operations.
Israel's defense establishment has stayed ambiguous about its own preparations for a possible escalation. Israeli defense assessments hold that the White House has been trying to give the Iranian regime another opportunity to return to negotiations, even as the military groundwork continues.
Those same officials doubt the diplomacy will work. They assess that Iran, facing an economic crisis that is worsening from week to week, will not sign any agreement requiring it to give up its nuclear program entirely. They also believe Tehran will not agree to stop producing ballistic missiles, which now threaten Europe as well. From this, the defense assessment concludes that Iran is simply trying to buy time, and it has reportedly been prolonging the talks deliberately ahead of the US midterm elections.
The timing matters. Israeli defense officials say that although US Central Command (CENTCOM) is preparing for a possible strike, the White House will not order an operation against Iran before the midterms unless it detects preparations for a surprise attack. The US and Israel have also reportedly drawn up plans for renewed strikes after the elections.
The physical picture in Israel is mixed. More than 3,000 American troops are currently stationed there, and no sharp increase was recorded last week in the number of US military aircraft redirected to the country. That contrasts with the earlier, unprecedented deployment of US refueling aircraft that filled the runways at Ben-Gurion Airport and Ramon Airport, with a significant presence at Israeli Air Force bases as well.
Still, there was movement. KAN News reported that last week ten US Air Force transport aircraft landed at IAF bases in southern Israel, having flown from Fort Bliss in Texas. They are likely carrying air defense systems meant to protect regional assets, KAN said, after reported US warnings earlier in the week of a potential "short, focused war with Iran." Other aircraft in the same air convoy landed in Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The report followed an earlier one that the US had sent an additional Patriot system to the region pending a possible escalation.
An Israeli source told KAN that the US and Israel are coordinating closely on Iran, and there are reports that another US aircraft carrier and an additional Marine unit will join American forces in the region. Two weeks ago, according to an Axios report citing US and Israeli officials, dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets flew "as far as the Iranian border" before turning back in a practice sortie.
Much of this rests on defense assessments and media reports rather than official announcements. What to watch is whether the Iranians show any sign of preparing a surprise attack, which officials say is the one thing likely to bring a strike before the midterms, and whether the post-election plans move toward execution once the votes are counted.
Citazioni salienti
The US and Israel are closely coordinating on Iran.— An Israeli source, speaking to KAN News
Vuoi la storia completa?
Leggi l'originale su The Jerusalem Post ↗
Politics & Governance