Trump: US May Strike Iran After Elections
Voter turnout reached 77.7 percent, the highest in more than 20 years and nearly seven points above 2022, as Netanyahu's bloc leads Eisenkot's 46 seats and coalition talks are expected to take weeks given the complex political arithmetic
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Israeli election results are emerging Wednesday, October 28, 2026, with Netanyahu's coalition leading on 59 seats against opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's bloc on 46 seats after 28 percent of votes were counted, as US President Donald Trump told reporters that the United States may strike Iran after the elections, that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be set up very soon, and that his support for Netanyahu had saved the Israeli PM from a major defeat.
The Israeli Central Elections Commission reported that after counting 28 percent of ballots, Netanyahu's coalition has secured 59 seats and Eisenkot's bloc 46 seats, with 61 seats required in the 120-seat Knesset to form a majority government. An earlier count of 37 percent had shown Netanyahu's bloc on 57 seats and Eisenkot's on 47.
Trump said there is a possibility the US will carry out a military strike against Iran after the elections. On his relationship with Netanyahu, Trump emphasized that his support had created a major change in Netanyahu's situation, saying his backing had saved Netanyahu from the possibility of suffering a major defeat and made him the owner of a strong victory.
Trump told reporters Wednesday that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky would be set up very soon. "There'll be a meeting set up very soon and I think a lot of progress could be made," Trump said. The statement follows Witkoff's meeting with Putin in St. Petersburg last week, in which Witkoff declared there is a foundation upon which a Ukraine ceasefire can be built and expressed hope that Putin would consider resuming trilateral Russia-US-Ukraine technical negotiations. Trump's Wednesday statement that a Putin-Zelensky meeting is coming very soon is the most specific American presidential commitment yet to a direct summit between the two warring leaders.
The Elections Commission confirmed voter turnout reached 77.7 percent, the highest rate in more than 20 years and nearly seven percentage points above the 2022 election turnout. Coalition formation negotiations are expected to take several weeks due to complex political arrangements, even if Netanyahu's bloc maintains its lead as more votes are counted.