Israel is ready to strike Iran with attack expected before US election: report

Israel’s counter-strike plans against Iran are ready — and American officials expect the attack to happen before the US election, according to a report.A retaliatory strike from Israel — in response to Iran’s massive ballistic missile barrage against the Jewish state earlier this month — could put the growing conflict in the Middle East front and center for US voters before they head to the ballots on Nov.5.A source told CNN that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu closely follows US politics and that the timing Israel’s military response is not directly tied to the US election, because he’s worried about the political implications for Israel.Israel’s strike on Iran would be done in a way to avoid the “political interference in the US elections,” another source familiar with the matter told the Washington Post on Tuesday.Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Iran will “pay” for the Oct.

1 missile attack, but assured President Biden last week that the Israeli Defense Forces response would be limited to military targets rather than oil refineries or nuclear plants.The Harris-Biden administration had publicly stated their opposition to an Israeli strike on Tehran’s oil and nuclear sites, fearing that it could spark all-out war in the region.“We listen to the opinions of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interests,” Netanyahu’s office said in response.Other countries in the Middle East have also urged Israel to avoid targeting Iran’s oil fields, as it could cause a spike in oil prices.Analysts have speculated higher gas prices, which voters have historically blamed on the party in power, could hurt Vice President Kamala Harris in the election.The Post has reached out to Israel’s Ministry of Defense for comment.The humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where some 42,000 Palestinians have been killed over the last year according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, has emerged a major is...