The US and Israel are preparing plans for a possible attack on Iran early next month, after the American midterm elections and Israel’s elections, according to a person briefed on the preparations.
The potential operation follows a reported disagreement over an Israeli strike originally intended for mid-October. The person said Donald Trump objected to the earlier timing.
The preparations may be intended to increase pressure on Iran to reach a diplomatic agreement, although Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is campaigning for the overthrow of the Iranian regime.
Uncertainty over the outcome of Israel’s election next week could also affect the situation. If the result leaves the political landscape unresolved, Mr Netanyahu may use the threat of military action in an attempt to form a unity government.
The development came as Israeli security forces detained about 80 people in the occupied West Bank, including Brad Lander, a US Democratic congressional nominee for New York, and more than a dozen American rabbis.
The person briefed on the preparations spoke anonymously to discuss the plans. No decision to launch an attack has been confirmed.
