Israeli officials see Iran talks stalled as IDF awaits Trump's decision

Israeli security officials believe negotiations between the United States and Iran have stalled and that Tehran is not moving toward a compromise, Ynet reported, as the United States heads into its midterm elections this week. The Israeli news site said preparations for a possible resumption of hostilities with Iran are intensifying, with the hope in some quarters that renewed fighting could bring down the Iranian government.

A separate Ynet report said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has completed its preparations for another round in Iran and is now waiting on a decision from President Donald Trump. The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel is readying itself for a possible escalation with Iran while the United States holds off on military action until after the midterms.

Why the US midterms matter here

Midterm elections in the United States are held halfway through a president's term and decide control of Congress. Ynet described this round as a kind of referendum on how Mr Trump has performed in office, noting that he faces opponents of a war with Iran on both the left and the right of American politics.

That domestic pressure is the backdrop to the Israeli assessment. According to Ynet, the chances of fighting resuming increase once American polls close, a view that matches the Jerusalem Post's framing of a US decision deferred until after the vote.

A military in waiting

The IDF is Israel's armed forces, combining the army, air force and navy under a single command. Ynet reported that the military has finished getting ready and is effectively on hold pending word from Washington. The same report said it remains unclear whether Mr Trump would rather keep negotiating or turn to the military option, what he would want such a campaign to achieve, and how he would intend to bring it to a close if it began. That piece argued that Israel needs to make sure any move serves its own security and to ask what the strategic goal would be.

The Iranian government, Ynet noted, has already come through two wars and a wave of protests the site called historic. A photograph caption accompanying the Jerusalem Post report refers to the "late" Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shown on a mural in Tehran.

Claims about Netanyahu's push for action

The most serious allegation comes from a third Ynet report, which cites unnamed senior security officials. They told the outlet that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed for an operation against Iran ahead of the elections, describing it as an action that was "not necessarily an air strike" and that was expected to provoke an Iranian response.

According to that report, the idea caused anger and concern among the IDF's senior ranks, including in the Air Force and the intelligence community, until it was dropped. Ynet said the prime minister's efforts were blocked but that he kept trying until the final moment. A senior military official quoted by the outlet said Israel had been a step away from offensive action in Iran and remains in that position.

These claims are attributed to anonymous officials in a single outlet. Ynet also referred to political deadlock inside Israel as part of the context for the preparations.

Where the reports differ

The two organisations frame the American position differently. The Jerusalem Post describes the United States as delaying military action until after the midterms, which implies a decision in principle has been made. Ynet's analysis says it is still not clear whether Mr Trump will choose negotiations or force. We report both framings rather than choosing between them.

What the reports do not say

None of the reports gives details of the state of the US talks with Iran, who is taking part, or what terms are on the table. They do not describe what the IDF's preparations involve, nor what kind of action Mr Netanyahu is said to have proposed beyond the phrase quoted above. The Ynet report on the prime minister refers to elections without the excerpt making clear which vote is meant. There is no response from the prime minister's office, the IDF spokesperson, the White House or Iran in the material available. The reports also do not say when, or whether, Mr Trump is expected to announce a decision.