Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad chief Roman Gofman sought to carry out an operation against Iran on the eve of Israel's 27 October election, but the plan was thwarted after Washington was inadvertently alerted, Israeli media have reported.
A report by Channel 12 said the proposed operation was opposed by senior officials in Israel's security establishment, who feared it could trigger a major escalation with Iran and lead to the postponement of the vote. It said preparations nevertheless continued until an Israeli security operative mistakenly alerted the United States, prompting Washington to move quickly to stop the plan.
Netanyahu's office denied the account, saying: “The prime minister himself clarified in real time that an attack before the Israeli elections was not on the agenda.”
The report adds to allegations of tensions between Netanyahu and senior military officials over proposed action against Iran in the days before the election.
On October 25, two days before Israelis went to the polls, Channel 12 reported an "unprecedented confrontation" between Netanyahu and Israeli military chief of staff Eyal Zamir over a military action that defence officials feared could provoke a confrontation with Iran.
The network said Zamir had resisted carrying out the action and sought further deliberations, as well as signed documentation from Netanyahu confirming its legal authorization. A military source quoted by Channel 12 said: "This relates to an action that could lead to a flare-up with Iran, at a sensitive and dramatic moment, creating this [potential] miscalculation."
The report also cited unnamed sources who said military leaders were concerned that the political leadership was seeking to “utilize the Iranian issue for political benefit”.
On October 26, a day before the election, Channels 12 and 13 reported that Zamir was the only senior Israeli security chief to oppose military action sought by Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, amid concerns that it could trigger an escalation with Iran and disrupt the vote.
The New York Times also reported that Netanyahu had "sought for weeks to orchestrate a new airstrike on Iran" but was blocked by Zamir. It said the military chief had become concerned that Netanyahu was pushing for a separate operation short of an overt strike, which Zamir believed could provoke an Iranian response.
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, a critic of Netanyahu, said in an interview with Channel 12 on Thursday that the prime minister had planned to carry out “a provocation” involving Iran “via the Mossad, behind the back of the IDF chief of staff”.
The reports of the alleged operation come amid diplomatic efforts to end the war between the United States and Iran, with Qatar mediating between the two sides as Washington weighs its next steps.
On November 1, Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu had urged US President Donald Trump to resume the war against Iran immediately after the 3 November US midterm elections. The report, citing Israeli and American sources familiar with a phone call between the leaders, said Trump wanted to give negotiations with Tehran more time.
Netanyahu reportedly feared that a diplomatic agreement could lead to a significant easing of pressure on Iran, while Trump wanted Israel to avoid disrupting the negotiations. Qatar's mediation efforts have continued since the US midterm elections.
Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said on Saturday that Washington remained willing to reach an agreement with Tehran and that significant progress had been made. “We cannot wait to reach a perfect agreement; we hope to reach a good agreement,” he said, according to Reuters.
Trump said on Friday that the United States was talking to Iran, while insisting that Washington had the upper hand in the conflict. “We've beaten Iran. We are doing very well with Iran. We're talking to Iran. We haven't lost a soldier in six or seven months,” he told reporters outside the White House.
He also repeated his claim that “Israel and, in fact, the entire Middle East, WOULD NOT EXIST TODAY if I did not stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon”.