Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has placed the threat from Iran at the centre of his closing election campaign, while U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed his endorsement ahead of Tuesday’s vote.
The developments come amid disputed reporting about differences between Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir over an unspecified military operation connected to Iran. Netanyahu has denied that a confrontation occurred.
Netanyahu Emphasises Security
Ahead of the 27 October election, Netanyahu warned that Iran or groups supported by Tehran could seek to disrupt voting. He presented the warning as intelligence-based and said Israel’s armed forces were prepared to defend the country and respond to an attack.
His remarks placed national security firmly within the final campaign debate. The public statements reviewed for this article did not provide sufficient detail to independently assess the specific threat to election day.
Disputed Account of Military Discussions
Channel 12 reported on Sunday, citing unnamed sources, that Zamir sought additional discussions and written legal authorisation concerning a proposed military action. The report said defence officials feared the operation could trigger a confrontation with Iran shortly before the election.
The operation’s nature was not publicly disclosed. Netanyahu subsequently rejected the account during a television interview and denied having a fight with the military chief.
These competing accounts leave important questions unresolved, including what action was considered and the precise advice military commanders provided. The reporting does not establish that a new strike against Iran has been authorised or that one is imminent.
Trump Renews His Backing
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump again urged Israeli voters to support Netanyahu, stressing their close relationship and cooperation against Iran. The message followed his endorsement a week earlier.
“We have to finish the job that we started!” Trump wrote.
The endorsement gives Netanyahu a prominent expression of American political support as he asks voters to return his party to power. However, the statement did not set out a timetable or operational plan for further military action.
Diplomacy Remains in View
Alongside the security warnings, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said messages continued to pass between Tehran and Washington through intermediaries and that Iran remained open to diplomacy. Trump said on Sunday that no U.S. strike would take place that day.
Those statements leave both diplomatic engagement and military deterrence in the foreground as Israelis prepare to vote. For the next government, managing the confrontation with Iran will remain a central security challenge, requiring decisions about defence readiness, coordination with Washington and the risks of renewed regional conflict.
