Benjamin Netanyahu rules out preemptive strike on Iran before upcoming election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed allegations that he plans to launch a preemptive strike on Iran before Israel heads to the polls later this month, while maintaining that any aggression against the country will meet a strong response.

Speaking during an interview on Israel's Army Radio on Wednesday, Netanyahu responded directly to claims from political opponents who suggested he might pursue military escalation to influence the upcoming election on October 27. Addressing the prospect of an offensive, he remarked that such an action would not be convenient or beneficial, noting that critics would still hold him responsible even in the event of incoming Iranian missile fire.

The prime minister refrained from commenting on potential operations following the vote, nor did he provide details regarding his ongoing discussions with officials in Washington. The broader regional conflict escalated on February 28 when joint military actions by the United States and Israel against Iran triggered retaliatory strikes from Tehran across Israel and the Gulf states. Direct exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran have been paused since June.

Netanyahu also issued warnings against Tehran's regional allies, asserting that proxy networks might seek to stage assaults against Israel prior to election day. When asked if the Israeli military was offering support to Saudi Arabia amid escalating cross-border raids by Yemen's Houthi movement, Netanyahu declined to provide details. He stated only that multiple regional states have approached Israel in the wake of its strategic achievements. Saudi territory has experienced heightened attacks in recent days, including a Houthi strike targeting Riyadh's airport over the weekend that left 13 people dead.

Separately, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a stern warning to Hezbollah while visiting positions inside southern Lebanon. Katz cautioned that the Lebanese militia risked facing decisive action and forfeiting further territory within the Litani and Nabatieh regions to Israel's declared security zone should it resume hostility.

Katz warned that renewed confrontations could displace up to a million Shiite residents and warned that Hezbollah's primary stronghold in Beirut would not remain untouched. Israeli forces initially initiated ground and aerial offensives in southern Lebanon earlier this year following Hezbollah attacks, an operation that has already displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians across Lebanon's Shiite community.