Reports say Israel's plan to counter-attack Iran is well-prepared and US officials expect the attack to take place before the US election.
Israel's retaliation for Iran's massive ballistic missile barrage against the Jewish state earlier this month has put the escalating conflict in the Middle East at the forefront of US voters' minds ahead of the November 5 vote. Possibly placed on the front line.
source of information told CNN Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the timing of Israel's military response is not directly related to the US election, as he is closely following US politics and is concerned about the political impact on Israel.
Israel's attack on Iran would be carried out in a way that avoids “political interference in the U.S. election,” another person familiar with the matter told The Washington Post on Tuesday.
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Iran will “pay” for the Oct. 1 missile attack, but told President Biden last week that the IDF's response would target military targets, not refineries or nuclear power plants. It was stated that it would be limited.
The Harris-Biden administration had publicly said it opposed an Israeli attack on Tehran's oil and nuclear facilities, fearing it could spark an all-out war in the region.
In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “We will listen to the U.S. opinion, but the final decision will be based on national interests.''
Other countries in the Middle East have also urged Israel not to target Iranian oil fields, as this could cause oil prices to soar.
Analysts speculate that rising gas prices, which voters have traditionally blamed on the ruling party, could hurt Vice President Kamala Harris in the election.
The newspaper has contacted the Israeli Ministry of Defense for comment.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where some 42,000 Palestinians were killed last year, is a major issue among Democratic voters, especially younger Democrats, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Gaza health authorities do not distinguish between terrorist deaths and civilian deaths.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin wrote a letter this week warning that the United States could suspend military aid to Israel if it fails to facilitate more humanitarian aid to the devastated enclave. .
It's notable that the letter was not signed by President Biden or the vice president, according to CNN. According to CNN, neither has publicly threatened to halt military supplies to Israel, despite growing pressure from the left.
Iran fired nearly 200 missiles at the Jewish state on October 1, killing one Palestinian man in a barrage of fire targeting Tel Aviv and other populated areas. Most of the missiles were intercepted.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed the attack was a direct response to the recent assassinations of Hezbollah founder Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, and an Iranian general.
On Sunday, U.S. officials announced they would send troops and an advanced air defense system, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), to Israel, even after Iran warned to keep U.S. forces away from Israel.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Austin authorized the THAAD deployment at the direction of President Joe Biden.
The system is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles like the one launched by Iran at Israel.
