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 American voters heading to the polls on November 5. There is a possibility that it will be placed on the front line.
Sources told CNN that the timing of Israel’s military action is not directly related to the U.S. election, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is closely following U.S. politics and is concerned about the political impact on Israel. said.
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.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed that Iran will “pay” for the October 1 missile attack, but he also assured President Biden last week that the IDF’s response would be limited to military targets, not refineries or nuclear power plants. did.
The Biden-Harris administration has publicly expressed opposition to Iran’s attack on oil and nuclear facilities in Tehran, raising concerns that an all-out war could break out 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, has emerged as 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 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 Biden or Harris, 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 Guard Corps 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 Washington not to send troops into the country.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Austin authorized the THAAD deployment at Biden’s direction.
The system is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles like the one launched by Iran at Israel.
