Israeli Media Reports IDF Awaits US Decision on Iran Strike

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The possibility of a strike on Iran remains open, even after the elections in Israel and the United States, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Friday, adding that the Israeli military is keeping its readiness while it awaits Washington’s next move. According to the report, no dramatic changes have been detected in the buildup of US forces in the region.

The exceptions are the reinforcement of American forces in southern Israel and several movements in the Arabian Sea that were described as not particularly unusual.

Defense officials emphasized that the situation could change rapidly, depending on decisions made in Washington and on the objectives of any potential operation.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), meanwhile, are continuing routine operational activities and waiting for diplomatic developments to show which direction events will take.

The newspaper said significant tensions emerged before Israel’s elections between IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

The dispute was over the latter two’s wish to advance a particular operation in Iran. Zamir, who was concerned that Israel’s elections could be canceled if a major operation against Iran were launched, blocked the move together with the Americans, the report said.

Another confrontation arose over the military operation in Hebron, launched after an attack that killed two IDF soldiers about two weeks ago.

The report added that during the election period, the IDF’s senior leadership exercised particular caution in its dealings with the political leadership and the public, almost entirely suspending briefings and background discussions to keep the military out of the political arena.

Even now that the elections are over, concerns remain about major operations, particularly against Iran, that could damage Israel’s home front and affect ongoing political developments.

Differing objectives

Israeli defense officials are trying to understand not only whether fighting will resume but also what its objectives would be, according to the report.

Israel and the United States previously launched Operation Roaring Lion out of a shared interest in weakening the Iranian government.

The newspaper said their aims do not necessarily appear to align now. Netanyahu speaks of toppling the government in Tehran, while voices in the United States advocate an intense, swift military operation that would weaken Iran and bring it to the negotiating table from a position of disadvantage, with the aim of securing a better nuclear agreement.

The report said such an agreement could be presented as an achievement for President Donald Trump after his party’s poor performance in the midterm elections.

The IDF is refining its procedures and maintaining readiness for a possible major operation against Iran, the report said.

Military planning also takes into account the possibility that such an operation could involve another round of fighting in Lebanon.

Forces along the Lebanese border continue operations to clear the area, though a significant portion of their efforts is now focused on preparing positions and adapting operational procedures for winter.

The IDF is also preparing strike plans against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon should they become necessary.

West Bank

In the West Bank, the IDF is working to keep tensions below the threshold of escalation. The report said that, as of the time of writing, the military has managed to some extent to interrupt a sequence of attacks it described as terrorist attacks carried out by individuals and local cells.

Recent weeks have also seen a faster pace of settlement establishment, particularly in Samaria and the Binyamin region.

The assessment is that this trend could accelerate if government officials believe the bloc seeking to replace Netanyahu is approaching the formation of a new government, or if a caretaker government remains in place ahead of another election.

A senior security official quoted in the report said: “The trends in nationalist crime remain extremely negative. The phenomenon is growing, and we are not seeing anything positive in the handling of these incidents.

With the political developments, it will intensify even further, and the scale of nationalist crime will continue to increase.

The pace of people moving into settlements and the establishment of outposts has risen significantly, and this is placing an extreme strain on the IDF.”