According to a report by the Financial Times, Trump did not want to initiate a renewed war or military confrontation with Iran just days before the US midterm elections scheduled for November 3.
The report, citing sources familiar with the plans, said the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) were fully prepared to launch large-scale airstrikes against Iran during the weekend of October 10, 2026.
The proposed targets included Iranian nuclear facilities, government installations and civilian infrastructure, including power plants and oil refineries. The planned operation was reportedly intended to strike a wide range of strategic targets across Iran.
According to sources cited in the report, the proposed offensive would have been even more intense and destructive than the joint military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran in February this year.
One source said Israel had already prepared a list of new targets and indicated that resuming the operation in the coming weeks was not an “impossible scenario”. The possibility of renewed military action therefore remains open despite the reported postponement.
The timing of the proposed strikes was also influenced by the political calendar in both countries. The report identified the November 3 US midterm elections and Israel’s general elections scheduled for October 27 as the principal factors behind the decision to hold back the operation.
According to the report, Israeli assessments suggested that any attack on Iran by either the United States or Israel could trigger a major retaliatory missile barrage against Israeli territory.
IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir had reportedly warned US officials that an attack on such a scale could force Israel to postpone its elections. The prospect of Iranian retaliation was therefore a significant concern in assessing the potential consequences of the proposed operation.
The report emerged just two days after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth made a secret visit to Israel, during which he held closed-door discussions with Netanyahu about regional threats and policy towards Iran.
Israeli media reports have also suggested that Netanyahu’s move could be part of a strategy to increase psychological pressure on Iran or strengthen Israel’s position in negotiations.
Neither the Pentagon nor the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office had issued an official statement on the report at the time of publication. With Israel reportedly having prepared additional targets and the possibility of renewed strikes still being discussed, the postponement leaves uncertainty over the next phase of its approach towards Iran.
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