A new confrontation with Iran may be looming as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc leads the election results, putting Tehran back at the center of the national security agenda he has long prioritized.
In his first remarks following the vote, Netanyahu signaled that Israel could once again target Iran, raising the prospect of renewed military action amid reports of joint U.S.-Israeli preparations for possible strikes.
“Israel is facing a historic, one-time opportunity, along with our friend President Trump, to remove the Iranian threat once and for all,” he told supporters at an election night event at Likud party headquarters, according to the Times of Israel. “We have been able to overcome our enemies, and we will be able to in the future.”
The preliminary results of Israel’s Knesset election, with about almost all of the votes counted, showed Netanyahu’s bloc—which includes right-wing and ultra-religious parties—leading with 53 seats, compared with 48 for the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot. Parties representing Arab Israelis, meanwhile, made significant gains and were expected to secure around 19 seats.
Although Netanyahu’s bloc lost the narrow majority it had held in the 120-seat Knesset, ousting him from power would require broad support from Arab parties, an arrangement many Jewish political leaders oppose.
The Israeli election took place amid a state of neither war nor peace between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, as signs of preparations for possible new U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran mounted.
Michael Koplow, chief policy officer at the Washington-based Israel Policy Forum, said Netanyahu’s expected continuation in office would give him room to pursue military action even before a new government is formed. Serving as caretaker prime minister does not, in itself, prevent Netanyahu from acting against Iran, Koplow told MBN.
Before Netanyahu delivered his remarks, former military leader Eisenkot called on Israel’s security establishment to “stand firm” against any attempt to put political interests ahead of the country’s security. He described Netanyahu as “a caretaker prime minister, without a mandate or the confidence of the people.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz condemned Eisenkot’s appeal, saying the military was “a full partner in the great achievements against Iran” and remained involved in all discussions. The military, he added, would execute whatever was required of it regarding Iran.
Kobi Michael, a researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told MBN that Netanyahu’s continued tenure meant war would return soon.
“The winter is coming,” he told MBN, “which means the attacking U.S. knocking on the door. It’s a matter of time but not a long period of time, probably two weeks.”
On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported, citing unidentified diplomats, that U.S. officials had told several Middle Eastern countries and regional allies to prepare for the possibility of renewed military operations against Iran after next week’s U.S. midterm elections. The officials also warned of Iranian retaliation.
The diplomats reportedly said Washington had told its regional allies that a new round of military operations could last several days. Regional officials, however, were preparing for retaliation by Iran and its affiliated groups, a response that could trigger a more prolonged confrontation.
Iran has threatened to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf if the United States and Israel launch another attack, according to Iranian officials who spoke to Reuters. “If Iran is attacked, there will no longer be any red lines … from undersea cables to military bases, including secret bases,” one official said.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X that Iran’s armed forces were continuing preparations to defend the country, while Tehran pursued diplomatic efforts through intermediaries.
The New York Times reported on Oct. 21 that the American and Israeli militaries had drawn up specific plans for new strikes on Iran following the election, according to U.S. officials and people familiar with the deliberations. The AP reported that the two militaries had stepped up training in preparation for a possible short, intensive military operation, including flights over Iraq to practice offensive maneuvers. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also discussed Iran and defensive and offensive operations during a meeting with Netanyahu in Israel a week earlier, according to Reuters.
Potential targets could include Iranian energy facilities, nuclear sites, and the country’s missile and drone arsenals, the newspaper reported. Formal coalition talks have yet to begin, and forming a government in Israel typically takes weeks. Koplow said a drawn-out process, potentially leading to another election in the spring, could strengthen Netanyahu’s political incentives to adopt a more hardline approach rather than moderate his position.
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
