IDF chief Zamir: no operational need to strike Iran before election

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said during a recent private meeting that he does not currently see an operational need to strike Iran before next week’s Knesset election, Channel 13 reported on Thursday (Times of Israel).

“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 remarks land amid criticism that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing to renew the war against Iran to influence or delay the October 27 vote — a charge he has denied. Netanyahu’s main rival, Yashar chief Gadi Eisenkot, struck a similar note publicly on Thursday, telling Channel 13: “There is no direct, immediate threat from Iran that necessitates a war prior to the election.”

The contrast is sharp. On October 21, Netanyahu told IDF cadets at the Bahad 1 training facility that Tehran was once again pursuing nuclear weapons, declaring that Iran’s leadership had “decided to follow in his father’s footsteps” and that his directive to the IDF and Mossad was “to topple the regime in Iran” (Republic World; Tribune India).

Tensions remain high, with seven oil tankers hit or damaged near the Strait of Hormuz overnight and the United States moving a third aircraft carrier into the region (Times of Israel).