Netanyahu urges Trump to strike Iran post-midterms

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing President Donald Trump to launch a new wave of strikes against Iran following Tuesday's midterm elections in the United States, according to three sources familiar with the discussions. The push for military action comes as Netanyahu seeks to solidify his grip on power after his far-right coalition lost its majority in last week's Israeli elections.

The Israeli leader is working with senior U.S. officials to convince Trump to authorize a quick but extensive air campaign. A person briefed on a weekend call between the two leaders said Netanyahu pushed for the strikes, but the president did not commit to military action. Trump told reporters on Sunday that he had a "very good" conversation with Netanyahu and that they discussed Iran, though he offered no further details.

Diplomatic efforts continue in parallel with the military discussions. Two regional officials stated that Qatari mediators held two rounds of talks with Iranian officials last week. The mediators are attempting to secure a framework in which Iran would cease attacks in the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the U.S. lifting its blockade on Iranian ports. Additional talks are scheduled for this week.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that the Trump administration prefers a diplomatic solution. He noted that while Trump has "incredible confidence" in military action if necessary, the president has not yet made a decision. "He hasn't made a decision," Rubio said regarding the possibility of new strikes.

Other U.S. allies in the Middle East are warning against further escalation. A third regional official said these allies fear that new strikes would destabilize the region. They expressed concern that Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen could increase attacks on Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping, and that militias in Iraq might become involved.

Iran is signaling readiness for war while keeping the door open to negotiation. Iranian officials state they are prepared for either outcome. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader, met with military chiefs and instructed that the response to any threat from the U.S. or Israel should be immediate and without geographic limits. He urged an expansion of potential targets.

Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's security chief, told state television that the tone from the U.S. has changed and called it a "very good sign." He referenced a letter received from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, which Iran acknowledged last week, but said he had not yet responded. Iran seeks guarantees that the U.S. will implement its side of any agreement, a concern rooted in the fact that the U.S. and Israel have attacked Iran twice during previous negotiations.

The conflict has placed pressure on commercial shipping and defense spending in the Gulf. October recorded the most attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz since March. At the Manama Dialogue security summit in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates presidential adviser Anwar Gargash warned that if U.S. and Iranian positions are not bridged, the region must worry about the worst. Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the next escalation would be more destructive and lead to nowhere.

China is moving to increase its diplomatic presence in the region. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday that a special envoy will travel to Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia in early to mid-November. Chinese President Xi Jinping told Oman's sultan that the Middle East Gulf region should not become an arena for great-power rivalry, calling for a return to dialogue.