US pressured Israel to strike Iran alone to boost Trump’s election chances: Maariv

Israel’s Maariv newspaper has revealed that the United States pressured Israel to carry out a unilateral military strike against Iran, before the US administration recently withdrew this demand, according to the report.

The report stated that the pressure continued over two weeks of discussions, during which Washington asked Tel Aviv to conduct the attack independently, without US military involvement or a joint operation between the two countries.

According to Maariv, the US administration aimed to shift the political risks of any military escalation with Iran onto Israel, as the US midterm elections approach, seeking to avoid repercussions that could negatively impact President Donald Trump’s electoral prospects.

The report also noted that American calculations were influenced by assessments that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had an interest in striking Iran before Israel’s own elections, prompting Washington to propose that Israel act alone.

Sources cited in the report added that, at least for now, the United States has backed away from its request for Israel to launch a unilateral military attack on Iran, without providing further details on the reasons for this reversal or the next steps regarding the Iran issue.