American officials: Large Israeli military movement near the Iranian border

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On Monday, dozens of Israeli Air Force fighters carried out a large-scale sortie that reached close to the Iranian border, in an operation that American and Israeli officials described as aiming to display force and deter Tehran, amid fears that it would lead to a military miscalculation that would lead to an Iranian response and a renewal of the war.

According to a report published by Axios, the operation took place more than 800 miles from Israel, a week before the Israeli elections scheduled for October 27, and on the same day that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Uvda Air Base in Israel, without the flight being linked to the US minister’s visit.

Israeli and American officials said that the operation was not exceptional, and that its goal was to deter Iran, but the move entailed the risk of escalation, as it could have led to an Iranian response that would reignite the military confrontation.

According to informed sources, dozens of fighters and air refueling planes participated in the maneuver, and the planes took a path consistent with the path of a possible attack on Iran, passing through Syrian and Iraqi airspace. When the planes approached the Iranian border, they changed their course and returned to Israel, according to the sources.

American officials said that Israel was aware that Iranian air defense systems would detect the sortie. Tel Aviv also informed Washington of the operation in advance, describing it as a military exercise aimed at a “show of force” and deterring Iran from launching attacks on Israel before the elections, but some American sources said that they had the impression that Israel may have been hoping that Iran would fire on Israeli aircraft, providing a justification for launching military strikes against it. Fox News reported on Tuesday that the Israeli Air Force carried out air training towards Iran.

The move comes at a time when there are increasing indications that Israel is considering new military options against Iran. Axios reported last week that Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump discussed, in early October, the possibility of launching a new broad military operation against Iran before the Israeli and US elections. During those discussions, Netanyahu informed Trump of his concern about Israeli intelligence indicating that Iran is taking troubling steps to rebuild its nuclear program. According to the report, Trump initially seemed inclined to resume attacks on Iran, before his enthusiasm gradually declined and he ended up rejecting Netanyahu’s proposal.

In a related development, an Israeli official said that Zamir would not allow any unjustified military activity that would undermine the elections scheduled for October 27. This position, according to the report, reflects the sensitivity of the political and security phase that Israel is going through, in light of fears that any escalation with Iran would lead to internal repercussions that go beyond military calculations.

In statements he made on Wednesday during a military graduation ceremony, Netanyahu accused Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei of following in his father’s footsteps and allowing Iranian scientists to continue working on developing a nuclear weapon. “The restrictions have been lifted, and Iran is once again trying to develop its own death bombs,” Netanyahu said.

He added: "Therefore, there is only one way to eliminate this threat once and for all, which is to overthrow the regime in Iran. This is the directive that I issued to the Israeli army, the Mossad, and the security services."

These statements come at a time when Israeli military calculations are intertwined with electoral elections, amid fears that displays of force and deterrence will turn into a spark for a broader confrontation, the repercussions of which will be difficult to contain.