October 23, 2026
An Israeli official downplayed the importance of Israeli fighter jets approaching the Iranian border, considering that the step falls within “routine training” and does not reflect an indication that an attack is imminent, at a time when field and diplomatic indicators are rising in anticipation of the possibility of renewed confrontation with Tehran.
Israeli Channel 12 quoted the official as saying that the flight near Iranian airspace comes within the context of regular training operations and is not an exceptional step. In the same context, senior officials in the Israeli army confirmed that there is no current justification for launching an attack on Iran ahead of the American elections, except for monitoring any prior Iranian movements to fire towards Israel. They also denied the validity of the reports that US President Donald Trump prevented Israel from attacking Iran, explaining that the option of a strike “was not even on the agenda.”
On the field level, the Axios website, citing American and Israeli officials, reported that dozens of Israeli fighters, armed with air refueling planes, carried out an air sortie through Syrian and Iraqi airspace towards the Iranian border, before turning around and returning without penetrating Iranian airspace. Following this, the Israeli military establishment raised the level of alert and preparedness, coinciding with a similar American state of alert to monitor developments in the file.
These moves come amid increasing indications of joint military preparations for the possible resumption of operations against Tehran following the US midterm elections scheduled for November 3. According to US officials and those familiar with the discussions, plans have been prepared for possible strikes that could target nuclear facilities, energy infrastructure, Iran’s missile arsenal and drones.
Despite these preparations, diplomatic channels continue in an attempt to contain the escalation, in light of the continuing outstanding disputes regarding the conditions for ending the war, the nuclear file, and the security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, without efforts so far succeeding in reaching a political settlement that ends the conflict.
