‘No need’ for pre-election Iran strike, IDF chief says as gov’t, opposition trade blame for potential escalation – report

The Israeli military does not currently see an operational need for a strike against the Iranian regime ahead of Tuesday’s elections, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said during a recent private meeting, according to comments cited by Channel 13 News on Thursday.

The report comes amid multiple reports of rising tensions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the governments in Washington and Jerusalem, as well as preparations by all sides for possible renewed fighting.

In Israel, opposition leaders have repeatedly accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to resume the fighting in an effort to influence the elections.

“We do not see any indications of a need to strike Iran before the election. If we determine that a strike on Iran is necessary, we will carry it out,” Zamir was quoted as saying. The IDF chief has warned that an outbreak of fighting just before or on election day could force elections to be postponed.

The comments echoed a statement by Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot, who told the same channel earlier Thursday: “There is no direct, immediate threat from Iran that necessitates a war prior to the election.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz was criticized by opposition leaders earlier that day after blaming them for “any attack on Israel, and any future terrorist attacks” because of their skepticism toward his and Netanyahu’s warnings.

Katz said, “Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, and their fellow opposition members, […] never stop attacking the Prime Minister and me and casting doubt on our judgment in warning and alerting the public – based on information in our possession – about our enemies’ intentions to attack Israel… in order to influence the election results.”

The defense minister stressed that the IDF is “prepared to carry out preventive and defensive operations against Iran and its proxies on all fronts…if necessary, it will act immediately.”

“All the criticism and statements attributing ulterior motives to us demonstrate how out of touch their speakers are and reflect their narrow political interests. They undermine Israeli deterrence and encourage our enemies to act,” Katz charged.

Eisenkot hit back, saying that Katz “is laying the groundwork for the next disaster and shifting blame in advance.” He also called Katz's accusations “absurd” and “disgraceful.”

“Our military is strong, but the leadership is rotten and dangerous. Netanyahu and Katz have proven that their political survival comes before everything else. Every additional day they remain in office is a danger to Israel’s security,” Eisenkot added.

Lapid, No. 2 on the Together (B'Yachad) party slate after Naftali Bennett, said Katz’s statement was “reckless and hysterical” and a “gift to Israel’s enemies.”

“They failed to eliminate Hamas, failed to bring down Iran, failed to eliminate Hezbollah, and failed on the international stage. And now they’re blaming the opposition," he added.

Yair Golan, a retired general and leader of the far-left Democrats party, dismissed Katz’s statement as evidence of “panic and hysteria.”

“This man proves that he is not mentally well. This is an insane, irresponsible statement,” Golan said. “Incitement works and this is an illustration of why it is forbidden to work with these people.”

Meanwhile, tensions with Iran continue as the regime claimed on Thursday that seven oil tankers had been damaged by strikes or naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz overnight.

U.S. President Donald Trump later accused Iran of fabricating reports of attacks, writing on Truth Social that Tehran was trying to “drive up the price of Oil prior to the US Midterm Election.”

“They are even making up fake hits, mines, and everything else, because more Oil is coming through the Hormuz Strait now than it did even prior to the beginning of the Conflict.”

However, Trump also hinted that the U.S. could launch further attacks, saying that it had already inflicted significant damage on Iran but “may do it a little bit further.”

Recent international media reports say Israel and the U.S. have been preparing for renewed strikes on Iran, while The Financial Times reported that Trump blocked an Israeli attack two weeks ago.

The report was disputed by The Jerusalem Post, which cited IDF sources saying that neither the political nor military leadership had ordered preparations for an imminent attack like those made ahead of the June 2025 strike or the war with Iran earlier this year.