Netanyahu rules out a preemptive strike on Iran before the Israeli elections as Israel raises its alert level

⏱️ Timeline

1. 14 Oct 2026, 13:50 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Iran with an unprecedented strike, while ruling out striking it before the elections.
2. 14 Oct 2026, 14:00 In an interview with the occupation army radio, Netanyahu said he opposes launching a preemptive attack on Iran under current conditions and before the elections in Israel, following a report that he had urged US President Donald Trump to resume the war against Iran before Israel's elections and the US midterms, while Trump said he would decide on Iran very soon.
3. 14 Oct 2026, 14:55 Netanyahu announced his opposition to a US or Israeli attack on Iran in the coming days before the Israeli parliamentary elections set for October 27, telling the army radio that such an attack "is not suitable for us". He also confirmed that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir will not take the defense portfolio in the next government and that the portfolio "will remain in the hands of the Likud party".
4. 14 Oct 2026, 15:28 Israeli reports spoke of preparations for a possible Iranian missile attack during the elections, and Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu had urged US President Donald Trump to resume the confrontation with Iran before the elections. In later remarks, Netanyahu warned Tehran that if Iran made the mistake of attacking Israel during this period it would face "a response it cannot imagine", and said Israel had achieved about 60% of its security objectives against the Iranian axis.
5. 14 Oct 2026, 17:12 Defense Minister Israel Katz, speaking from the security zone in southern Lebanon, warned Hezbollah against attacking Israel, threatening a harsh strike.
6. 14 Oct 2026, 19:23 Netanyahu declined to comment on whether Israel is helping Saudi Arabia confront Houthi attacks, saying he does not address such matters, while Hebrew media reported that he had asked US President Donald Trump to strike Iran.
7. 15 Oct 2026, 03:40 A divergence emerged between Washington and Tel Aviv over the timing of the war on Iran: a group of senior US military officials, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, is pushing to resume the war against Iran, while President Donald Trump's advisers prefer to continue "choking Iran" with economic sanctions. Netanyahu said he opposes a preemptive attack on Tehran ahead of the Israeli elections, but asserted that Iran "will fall" within the next two years.
8. 15 Oct 2026, 10:48 The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that Netanyahu fears losing power if a new military confrontation with Iran erupts before the Knesset elections set for October 27. It quoted informed sources as saying an Israeli message was conveyed to Washington preferring to postpone any military action against Iran until after the elections, for fear of a broad Iranian missile response hitting the home front and changing voters' choices in the final moments.
9. 15 Oct 2026, 12:20 Netanyahu issued new threats against Iran, claiming that Tehran and its regional allies are preparing to launch military attacks on Israel, but ruled out carrying out a preemptive strike at present, attributing that to the political timing and the elections set for October 27. He claimed that within the next two years Israel would be able to eliminate Hamas and Hezbollah and topple the administration in Iran.
10. 15 Oct 2026, 15:51 Political analyst Salim Barik said in an interview with i24NEWS that the Israeli electoral map has been relatively stable for more than four months, warning that Netanyahu is trying to use the escalation in Gaza and the West Bank and the Iranian threat for electoral purposes, and affirmed that the Israeli security establishment believes there is no security emergency regarding Iran that would warrant waging a war days before the elections.
11. 15 Oct 2026, 19:02 Israel raised its security alert before the elections, amid fears of a possible attack by Hamas, along with talk of escalation in the confrontation with Iran.
12. 15 Oct 2026, 20:00 Hebrew Channel Kan reported that Israel has raised its alert level in recent days in anticipation of a possible escalation, less than two weeks before the elections, noting that at this stage there is no confirmed information about an intention by Iran or Hezbollah to attack Israel, and that the Israeli army is closely monitoring the situation. It noted that Iran has been conducting ballistic missile and drone tests since last week.
13. 15 Oct 2026, 21:30 Israel raised its security and military alert level amid growing fears of a possible escalation with Iran, Hezbollah and the Houthis, coinciding with the approach of the Israeli elections and the US midterm congressional elections. Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Israeli assessments ruling out an Israeli or US attack on Iran before the elections for fear of political repercussions, while Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned of rising probabilities of escalation.
14. 16 Oct 2026, 02:42 The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported, citing a document submitted by the cabinet secretary, that there is a state of uncertainty regarding the Iranian and Lebanese fronts, with security assessments of a continuing high probability of an attack, while an attached legal consultation considered that the circumstances justify extending the state of emergency.

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