WASHINGTON, October 13. /TASS/. The US and Israel are readying to resume a large-scale military operation against Iran before the parliamentary elections in Israel on October 27 and the midterm elections to the US Congress on November 3, Axios quoted US administration sources as saying.
According to it, US President Donald Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week discussed "the possibility of launching a major new operation against Iran before the Israeli and US elections." The portal said the discussion took place before Trump said on October 8 that the US would not strike Iran before the Congressional elections. "But the Israeli and US militaries are still on alert and concluding preparations to be ready in case he changes his mind," Axios said.
According to the portal’s sources, "Netanyahu and Trump spoke about a potential joint US-Israeli operation that would hit military and nuclear targets" of the Islamic Republic. According to Axios, the main proponents of resuming a large-scale military operation against Iran within the US administration are Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and the US Central Command (CENTCOM). At the same time, most of Trump’s advisers advocate maintaining economic and other forms of pressure on Tehran. On October 13, Trump said the US would soon decide on further actions against Iran.
The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28. In June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding providing for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. However, on the night of July 8, the United States resumed large-scale strikes against Iran, accusing it of violating the agreements on the Strait of Hormuz. About 25% of the world’s oil and about 20% of liquefied natural gas are transported through it. Later the American administration effectively signaled its intention to cease the use of large-scale military force against Iran and to shift to an attempt to choke it through sanctions.