October 11, 2026
An Israeli report revealed an American request directed to Tel Aviv to carry out a unilateral attack against Iran, independent of any direct American military participation or joint operations.
According to what was published by the newspaper “Maariv” by journalist Ben Caspit, the behind-the-scenes communication between Washington and Jerusalem is witnessing intense discussions regarding this option, amid a state of American confusion. The report quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that the US administration “is confused and does not realize what it really wants. The position changes daily between leaning towards an attack or temporarily ruling it out, which hinders any serious planning.” The report indicated that the bilateral contacts that took place during the past two weeks included an explicit request that Israel carry out the strike alone in order to bear the political risks and to avoid US President Donald Trump from any negative repercussions that might harm his party ahead of the midterm elections.
On the Israeli internal level, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not reject this option in principle, as he devoted his security agenda during the past week to intensive meetings and visits to sensitive military sites, leaving the option of launching a strike before the Israeli elections on the table if necessary. On the other hand, the reservation of the Army Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, is evident, as he informed the American side that such an attack would inevitably lead to the postponement of the elections in Israel, a demand that the Americans temporarily backed down from.
Zamir faces pressure and disagreements within the narrow security decision-making circle, especially since the heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad agencies newly appointed by Netanyahu, along with the head of the National Security Council, identify with the prime minister’s positions.
According to the report, the American request is linked to foreign reports indicating that Tehran is rebuilding its missile and drone capabilities at an accelerated pace. While media reports focused on Trump’s consideration of resuming attacks on Iran, Caspit explains that the basic perception was that Trump would instruct Israel to carry out the attack, which is a currently frozen path, although the option remains on the Israeli table, in conjunction with intensive preparations made by Israel in anticipation of the possibility of a regional confrontation igniting.
