Binyamin Netanyahu pushed for a new round of attacks on Iran in the days before Israel's 27 October election, according to reports in The Times and CNN, despite resistance from Israel's military chief and from US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu has denied the reports, calling them fake news.

The Times reported that Netanyahu tried to force the military to launch new strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, ending a fragile ceasefire, and that Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, the chief of staff, pushed back, warning that fresh fighting could jeopardise the election. In another account, Netanyahu suggested a lower-level attack. CNN reported that Netanyahu tried in recent weeks to persuade Trump to strike Iran again; Trump did not give the green light, and the Financial Times reported that he refused a new attack before the US congressional elections.

Denials and the election backdrop

Netanyahu said he does not intend to fire Zamir, and that he does intend to finally remove the Iranian nuclear threat. Defence Minister Israel Katz rejected claims of a pre-election attack plan, and the Israel Defense Forces said operational decisions rest solely on security, professional and objective considerations, without directly denying the reports.

The row broke as Israelis voted in record numbers: turnout reached 44.9% by early afternoon, the highest at that point in the day since 1973, The Times reported, in the first election since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks. Netanyahu's leading rival is former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, who accused him of fear-mongering; Eisenkot said Trump would work in full cooperation with any leader chosen by the voters.

Sources: The Times, Reuters and CNN reporting as carried by other outlets.