US blocked Netanyahu’s planned Iran strike before Israeli election

Senior Israeli security officials warned it could trigger escalation and delay elections.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to advance a military operation against Iran shortly before Israel’s elections, with the backing of Mossad chief Roman Gofman, but American officials intervened to prevent the attack, according to a Channel 12 report Friday.

The report said senior Israeli security officials opposed the operation, warning that it could provoke a dangerous escalation with Tehran and potentially force the postponement of the elections.

Gofman was reportedly the only senior security official who supported Netanyahu’s proposal.

Preparations had already advanced when Washington was alerted to the planned operation, prompting the Trump administration to intervene, Channel 12 reported.

Netanyahu’s office rejected the allegations, stating that “The prime minister himself made it clear at the time that an attack before the elections in Israel was not on the table.”

Channel 12 previously reported a confrontation between Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir over the proposed military action. According to officials familiar with the discussions, military leaders feared the Iranian issue could be exploited for political advantage ahead of the vote.

Zamir reportedly demanded a comprehensive review of the operation and signed legal authorization from the political leadership before proceeding.

A security official warned that the proposal risked triggering a rapid confrontation with Iran and a potentially serious miscalculation.

The revelations come as President Donald Trump considers whether to resume large-scale military operations against Iran while negotiations continue through Qatari intermediaries.

Washington is weighing renewed strikes, a negotiated agreement or continued economic sanctions and a naval blockade.

Earlier this week, an American fighter jet destroyed an Iranian surface-to-air missile launcher on Qeshm Island after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired an anti-aircraft missile from the location.

A senior US official told N12 the operation constituted “self-defense.”