US Wanted Israel to Strike Iran Independently, Citing Election Risks
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
The U.S. asked Israel to independently strike Iran to avoid political risks before American elections, according to observer Ben Caspit. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned this could delay Israeli elections, leading the U.S. to drop the demand. The U.S. reportedly sought to shift political fallout to Israel, fearing negative impacts on then-President Donald Trump's election prospects. Meanwhile, reports suggest Iran has maintained its weapons production despite strikes, contradicting U.S. claims.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- U.S. asked Israel to independently strike Iran to avoid election risks, according to Ben Caspit.
- IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned an Israeli strike could delay elections, halting the U.S. demand.
- Washington sought to shift political risks of an Iran strike to Israel before U.S. elections.
- Reports indicate Iran has maintained its drone and missile production capacity despite strikes.
- U.S. claims of Iran's military capacity being destroyed are contradicted by new assessments.
The United States requested that Israel conduct an independent strike against Iran, aiming to shift political risks associated with the action away from Washington ahead of U.S. elections, according to Maariv observer Ben Caspit, citing sources familiar with recent U.S.-Israel negotiations. The U.S. reportedly proposed an Israeli-led attack rather than a joint operation or a unilateral U.S. strike. However, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir cautioned the Americans that such an operation would likely lead to the postponement of Israeli elections, causing Washington to abandon its demand. The initiative is currently on hold, Caspit reported.
The American demand was reportedly linked to Iran's rapid rebuilding of its drone and ballistic missile production capabilities. Caspit suggests Washington sought to transfer the political fallout of a potential military operation to Israel, fearing that resuming strikes against Iran before the U.S. midterm elections could harm then-President Donald Trump. Conversely, an Israeli operation might have benefited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu politically before Israeli elections.
While media reports previously indicated Trump was considering renewed strikes on Iran, Caspit claims the original plan was for the U.S. president to effectively delegate the action to Israel. Netanyahu's stance on the matter remains unclear, with his schedule last week described as "very busy with security issues." He also held several undisclosed meetings and visited unspecified sites.
Bloomberg reported earlier that Iran has maintained its missile and drone production capacity despite months of U.S. and Israeli strikes, with sources indicating Tehran can replenish its arsenals while Trump refrains from further action before the U.S. midterm elections. Western sources estimate Iran still possesses significant ballistic missile and anti-ship weapon stockpiles and can rapidly increase them, with Russia reportedly supplying missiles. These assessments contradict previous statements by Trump and his administration, who claimed that eight months of airstrikes had eliminated Iran's ability to threaten U.S. bases and regional allies. Trump had previously declared the Iranian military "completely destroyed," and then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth asserted that American forces had dismantled the Islamic Republic's military-industrial complex.
The question of resuming military action against Iran remains open, with reports of Iran's arsenal rebuilding intensifying pressure on Washington and Jerusalem to consider both military and domestic political consequences.
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