Iran war: Will Trump, Netanyahu escalate conflict ahead of crucial elections? | Race to Power

In the next few weeks, two elections in two different parts of the world will have the power to determine the future of not just domestic issues, but peace and stability as well, across regions.

First in line are elections in Israel. And soon after are the US midterms. The stakes are high for both incumbents.

For Benjamin Netanyahu, the upcoming election will determine his future in Israeli politics. For Donald Trump, the midterms will decide crucial control of the US Congress, and its domestic as well as several foreign policy decisions, especially the wars Washington is involved in.

And both leaders know this.

In fact, a report in Israeli media claims that the country's prime minister is trying to push the US president into carrying out a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, just ahead of elections.

A news channel in Israel reported that the militaries of both countries are prepared for the possibility of an order from Trump to attack Iran.

According to reports, Netanyahu told Israel's security chiefs that it was Trump who initiated this conversation and not him.

The report also said that Donald Trump later backtracked on this idea. However, Netanyahu's office has denied all these claims. The White House has not commented on this matter yet.

These reports emerged shortly after remarks by Donald Trump at an election rally, in which he indicated possible action against Iran. The US president has not explicitly mentioned details of what the nature of the upcoming action will be.

This statement comes a few days after Trump said at a different election rally that the US had gone too far with its military operations in Iran.

Earlier this week, on Monday, he said, "We might have gone too far with the (Iranian) leaders. We’re having a hard time figuring out who the hell to deal with, to be honest with you. Nobody wants to be president of Iran."

Iran already has a president in Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist who was voted into the post by Iranians and approved in July 2024.

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Other senior leaders of Iran, including parliamentary speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, have been part of the delegation that has been negotiating with the US through intermediaries.

Iran has threatened retaliation if it comes under attack again.

But the threat of a response is not the biggest problem that Trump and Netanyahu face. There is domestic backlash too for both leaders, as far as the war with Iran is concerned.

In Israel, Netanyahu faces a mountain of accusations of keeping war fronts active and pushing for fresh strikes for his own political mileage. These accusations have been made by Israel's opposition as well.

In America, Trump also faces backlash over his decision to launch a war against Iran.

Remember, the US president had championed an anti-war image and rallied to put America first during his presidential race.

Now, his popularity is at a record low across surveys. The war and its economic impact on Americans are the biggest reasons behind Trump's declining popularity.

And his approval ratings have slumped not just because of critics, but because of hesitation among many MAGA voters and Republican lawmakers as well.

So, two leaders, two elections and one major question that hangs in the air: will the allies choose the path of a renewed war with Iran for political mileage, this close to elections in both countries?