Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to launch a new large-scale military operation against Iran in early October was halted by US President Donald Trump.
According to the Financial Times, citing three sources familiar with the operational plans, Trump was concerned that a renewed war with Iran could undermine the Republican Party’s prospects ahead of the US congressional midterm elections scheduled for November 3.
The report said Netanyahu had instructed the Israeli military to prepare a bombing campaign lasting several days over the weekend of October 10. The plan envisaged strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, power plants, other civilian infrastructure and sites associated with the Iranian regime.
The proposed operation was expected to be more intensive than the US-Israeli military campaign launched in February.
The plan was postponed after Trump withheld his approval. However, both leaders have continued to threaten new military action against Tehran.
One source told the newspaper that further strikes in the coming weeks remained a realistic possibility. According to the source, a potential operation could involve both Israel and the United States.
“Either there will be a deal or there will be an attack,” the source said.
Washington is seeking to reach an agreement covering Iran’s nuclear programme and the issue of control over the Strait of Hormuz, according to the report.
The Financial Times also reported that Israeli officials had provided their US counterparts with an updated list of Iranian targets based on intelligence assessments. The list reportedly includes civilian infrastructure facilities that were not struck during the previous military campaign.
The United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28 this year. The conflict is currently continuing in a lower-intensity, largely inactive phase.