Report: US Foiled Netanyahu's Plan to Strike Iran on Eve of Israeli Elections

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Intelligence Agency (Mossad) head Roman Gofman sought to carry out an operation inside Iranian territory on the eve of the Israeli elections held on October 27, before the United States intervened to thwart the plan, according to Israeli Channel 12, reported on Friday.

The channel stated in a report that did not disclose its sources that the proposed operation lacked support from senior officials in the Israeli security establishment, fearing it could lead to wide-scale military escalation that would prevent the elections from taking place on schedule.

The Israeli channel added that a mistake made by one of the Israeli security personnel led to the United States being informed of the full details of the plan, prompting Washington to intervene to halt the execution of the operation, whose specifics or the nature of the American intervention were not detailed by the channel.

Flight Near Iranian Borders
Previously, the "Axios" website reported on October 21, citing Israeli and American officials, that dozens of Israeli fighter jets conducted a long-range flight, approaching the Iranian borders before returning to Israel.

The flight took place on October 19, about a week before the Israeli elections, during which the aircraft covered a distance of more than 800 miles starting from Israel, involving fighter jets and aerial refueling tankers, according to the site.

Officials said the planes crossed Syrian and Iraqi airspace, following a route consistent with a potential path for executing strikes against Iran, before turning back to Israel as they approached the Iranian borders.

Prior American Notification of the Flight
According to "Axios," Israel notified the United States in advance of the flight, describing it as a military exercise aimed at "showing force" and deterring Iran from launching attacks on Israel before the elections.

Some Israeli and American officials considered the flight unusual, stating its goal was deterrence, while American officials said the Israeli side was aware that Iranian air defense systems would detect the aircraft.

But other American sources said they got the impression that Israel hoped Iran would fire on the planes, which could provide justification for launching Israeli strikes against it.

The American site noted that the flight carried the risk of miscalculation that might provoke an Iranian response and lead to renewed military confrontations.

It is worth noting that the flight took place on the same day US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the "Ovda" Air Base in southern Israel, but the site cited officials saying the flight was not linked to the visit.