Trump Delayed Netanyahu's Planned Iran Strikes Until After US Midterms: Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had initially planned to carry out strikes against Iran earlier in the month, aiming to target both civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities. However, US President Donald Trump intervened, preferring to postpone any military action until after the November 3 midterm elections, according to a report.

The Israeli military had prepared a multi-day bombing operation scheduled for October 10, with targets including power plants, nuclear installations, and sites linked to the Iranian regime, as reported by the Financial Times. The plan was more extensive than the February 28 strikes carried out by the US and Israel. The delay came after Trump expressed concerns about initiating another conflict prior to the important US elections.

Despite this pause, Trump and Netanyahu, who is also up for election, have continued to threaten further military action. Both leaders have indicated their intention to complete the campaign to dismantle the Iranian regime. It is unclear whether Washington would directly participate in the proposed operation, though a source cited by the Financial Times suggested that cooperative military action in the coming weeks was not an unreasonable scenario.

The goal, according to the source, was to pressure Tehran into accepting its demands in talks regarding the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital waterway that has been partially blocked since February. An Israeli official stated that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Israel and met with Netanyahu and other senior officials, during which Israeli representatives presented a revised list of potential targets, including civilian infrastructure not hit during the February offensive.

Trump warned of additional strikes, stating that the US and Israel would "soon finish the job" unless Iran changed their behavior rapidly. Netanyahu also shared a video showing a conversation with Trump, where the Israeli leader affirmed that the US president had promised them a job to finish and that they would complete it together.

Netanyahu reiterated his stance that removing Iran's threat required overthrowing its government, emphasizing that Iran had sought to destroy them and produce nuclear weapons, but they had successfully stopped them. Iran continued to persist, and Netanyahu called for the overthrow of the regime.