The IDF was ready to resume strikes against Iran and conduct a multi-day operation against the regime on the weekend of October 10, but canceled the operation after receiving opposition from US President Donald Trump, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
The report noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently campaigning to resume large-scale strikes against Iran, and recently instructed the IDF to plan for a new offensive.
The Israeli military had prepared several targets, including civilian infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and regime targets, three people familiar with the matter told the FT, adding that the operation was planned to be larger in scale than February's Operation Roaring Lion.
Trump reportedly opposed the plan, as he did not want to reignite a military conflict in the region ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, the FT reported.
It was not clear whether the US was meant to join the operation directly, sources told FT, noting that it was "not an unreasonable scenario" that the two nations would jointly restart strikes in the coming weeks.
"There will either be a deal or an attack,” they said.
Netanyahu, Hegseth hold covert meeting at Israel's Ovda air base days before Israel's election
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Netanyahu met in Israel on Monday, two sources confirmed to Walla on Tuesday.
Reuters reported that Hegseth also confirmed the visit, but would not elaborate on the details of his talk with Netanyahu.
According to a KAN News report on Tuesday, the main topic of discussion was Iran.
Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly attended the meeting, but IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior Israeli officials were not invited for confidentiality reasons.
US sources told The Jerusalem Post that representatives of the United Arab Emirates were not at the meeting, despite earlier reports saying otherwise.
Hegseth reportedly arrived at the meeting in a military transport plane rather than a US government plane to avoid raising suspicion about the covert meeting.
The unannounced meeting comes eight days before Israeli elections and amid US-Israel discussions to resume combat operations against Iran, according to the report.