Israel on highest military alert on eve of US midterms amid fears of surprise Iranian attack, Walla reports
Israel remained on its highest state of military alert on Monday, a day before the United States midterm elections, amid fears that Iran could launch a surprise attack aimed at American interests or at influencing the vote, Israeli media reported.
Israel remained on its highest state of military alert on Monday, a day before voters in the United States go to the polls, amid concern that a sudden escalation with Iran could erupt before or just after the midterm elections. Israeli media reported that the alert reflected worry in both Jerusalem and Washington that Tehran, or groups aligned with it, could launch a surprise attack against Israel or against American interests in the region.
The Hebrew-language news site Walla, cited by Anadolu Agency and other outlets, reported that the Israeli military had intensified its defensive and offensive preparations in recent weeks in close coordination with United States Central Command and the Pentagon. The report said intelligence agencies feared Tehran could stage a large-scale military provocation capable of influencing the course of the American elections and the wider political landscape in the United States.
According to Walla, security coordination between Israel and the Pentagon has reached its highest level in recent times. Citing unnamed Israeli military officials, the report said Israel would receive advance warning if Washington decided to attack Iran, a detail that underlines how tightly the two militaries are now working together as the election approaches.
The same report put the number of American troops stationed in Israel at more than 3,000. It also noted that no unusual increase in American military aircraft arrivals had been recorded over the past week, unlike in the periods that preceded earlier escalations, a point that may suggest preparations are defensive rather than the immediate prelude to a strike.
Israeli military assessments quoted in the report suggest that the likelihood of an American pre-emptive strike before the midterms remains low. President Donald Trump, the report said, prefers to exhaust diplomatic negotiations and pressure before resorting to military action, even as he has repeatedly suggested that operations against Iran could resume after the election.
That preference has been at the centre of a reported disagreement between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Channel 12 reported on Sunday that Netanyahu had pressed Trump during a telephone conversation to resume the war against Iran immediately after the midterms, while the American president preferred to give diplomacy another chance. Trump confirmed on Sunday that he had spoken to Netanyahu and described it as a very good talk, without giving details of what was discussed.
The tension comes against a backdrop of repeated warnings from Tehran. On Sunday, Iran's army spokesman warned that any renewed war could last longer than the previous round of fighting and that Trump would not be in a position to dictate when or how it ended. The Revolutionary Guards' spokesman echoed a warning from Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, that in a conflict with America there would be no geographical limitations on inflicting damage on the enemy.
The wider conflict began in February, when the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran, followed by a ceasefire in April and renewed confrontations between the United States and Iran in July. Since then, Qatar-mediated talks have sought a deal that would end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian negotiators leaving Doha on Sunday after three days of talks and a draft proposal now said to be circulating for feedback.
The heightened alert also comes amid political uncertainty inside Israel itself. Results from last week's parliamentary elections left Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for opposition parties led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot and 19 for Arab parties, with no bloc reaching the 61 seats needed to form a government. That deadlock has complicated coalition efforts at precisely the moment when decisions about war and diplomacy are most sensitive.
Haaretz military analyst Amos Harel warned in an article published on Sunday that Netanyahu might resort to military and political escalation to remain in power, using the Iranian issue and the pressure surrounding the American midterms. Harel also warned against attempts to persuade Washington to resume military operations despite lacking a domestic mandate to launch another war, a concern that adds a domestic political dimension to the security alert.
What happens next now depends largely on Tuesday's vote and on the days immediately after it. If diplomacy continues, the Doha draft proposal could move to a follow-up meeting, and the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened under a deal. If, however, American or Israeli intelligence concludes that Iran's Revolutionary Guards are preparing an imminent attack, Washington would face a difficult choice between a pre-emptive strike and restraint, a dilemma that the Walla report itself highlighted. For now, Israel's highest alert signals that both countries are preparing for either outcome.
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