Reports: Israeli jets flew to Iran’s border; some US sources suspect bid to rile Tehran

Dozens of Israeli fighter jets and refueling aircraft flew over Syria and Iraq toward the Iranian border earlier this week, following a flight path resembling an attack on Iran, Axios and Fox News reported

The aircraft turned around shortly before reaching Iranian territory and returned to Israel, according to an Axios report citing unnamed US and Israeli officials, following an earlier Fox News report on the matter.

Israel informed Washington of the sortie in advance, saying it was a military exercise and a show of force intended to deter Iran from attacking ahead of next week’s election, the sources told Axios.

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Promoted: JPPI, Rabbi Sharon Brous

However, some US sources said they suspected Israeli officials may have hoped Iran would fire on the aircraft, providing Israel with justification to launch an attack.

The reports came after the Financial Times reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sought to launch strikes against Iran earlier this month, but US President Donald Trump opposed renewed fighting before the US midterm elections.

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Axios added that IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir told his American counterpart, Dan Caine, that a war before Israel’s elections next week would likely force the vote to be postponed.

Zamir said Tuesday that the military will enable next week’s election to take place “without external interference.”

Channel 12 reported Wednesday that top security officials oppose military action against Iran that could upend the election.

The network said Israeli officials assess that Iran may consider launching its own strikes to preempt any American-Israeli plan to strike it, and noted concern among heads of the defense establishment that ongoing saber-rattling by Israeli leaders could encourage Iran to choose such a course of action.

The report said some in the defense establishment had told Zamir they expected him to stand in the way of any attempt to strike Iran before the national vote, which they consider a political move, rather than one based on a military imperative.

New threats

Netanyahu and Katz continued their aggressive rhetoric toward Iran on Wednesday.

While speaking at an IDF cadets graduation ceremony, Netanyahu said Iran has been trying to advance the development of nuclear weapons.

“The Iranian regime still has not learned its lesson. Mojtaba Khamenei decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. He has taken off the safety, and Iran is once again trying to develop its weapons of death,” Netanyahu said at the officers’ school in southern Israel, known as Bahad 1.

“Therefore, there is only one way to remove this threat once and for all — to topple the regime in Iran, and that is my directive to the IDF, the Mossad and the security agencies,” he said.

Katz, speaking at the same ceremony, warned Iran and its proxies against carrying out attacks during the election next week.

“In recent days, we have identified attempts by our enemies, foremost among them Iran and its proxies, to carry out terror attacks that would affect the results of the election in Israel,” he said.

Katz said that “the Iranian regime is at its weakest point ever, and we identify that this weakness could lead it to take the most extreme measures, including against the State of Israel.”

“Our message to the Iranian regime is clear: We see your attempts, we are prepared to thwart them, and we are ready to strike you with full force,” he continued, adding: “If Iran attacks Israel, Iran will burn!”

Meanwhile, Zamir said the defense of Israel must be a shared goal, amid ongoing efforts by the military to draft members of the ultra-Orthodox community who largely do not enlist.

“The mission of defending the State of Israel is shared by all of us and is greater than any disagreement. The IDF is the people’s army, and unity within it is essential to its strength,” he told the graduating officers.

US to clear some personnel from Gulf embassies

Amid the tensions, the US State Department is preparing to issue an ordered departure of some personnel and family members from US embassies across the Gulf region, three US officials said on Wednesday.

The move was due to a possible resumption of hostilities, particularly with Iran-aligned Houthi militia in Yemen, two of the US officials said.

The US Embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert on Wednesday about possible further attacks by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia, after recent deadly strikes including on Riyadh’s airport.

Two of the US officials said the ordered departures would potentially involve the evacuation of all personnel and their families from the embassy.

Stalled talks

Negotiations between the US and Iran have largely stalled in recent months. At their heart is a dispute over the future of Iran’s nuclear program. Iran maintains that the program is peaceful but has enriched uranium far beyond any civilian use, blocked inspectors and built a ballistic missile program.

The US seeks the nuclear program’s dismantlement. US Vice President JD Vance said ​earlier this month that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction ​in ⁠its uranium enrichment capacity to satisfy US demands.

But Iran has rebuffed those demands, saying Washington could not regain Tehran’s trust until it fulfilled seven conditions Iran set last month for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the key pathway for oil and gas that the Islamic Republic has blocked since the beginning of the war, according to an Iranian readout of the meeting.

Iran’s demands include ending a US blockade on its ports that was launched in response to the strait’s obstruction. They also include the ‌lifting of sanctions on its oil exports and ending hostilities on all regional fronts, a term referring to conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

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