US President Donald Trump held a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, October 31, amid mounting tensions surrounding Iran. This is reported by The Wall Street Journal, as cited by RBC-Ukraine. According to the publication, the call took place a few days after Trump held a closed-door meeting at the White House with key military commanders to discuss the possibility of resuming major combat operations in the region. The purpose of the call, according to WSJ sources, was to brief the ally in Israel on Washington's impending steps regarding Iranian territory.
Military Context: White House Meeting and Strike Plan
The telephone contact between the two leaders fits into a broader picture of preparations for a possible new wave of strikes against Iran. Recently, Axios reported that the US and Israel have jointly developed a plan for large-scale attacks, which could target the country's leadership, energy and nuclear infrastructure, and other strategic facilities. According to the same source, the new wave of strikes could begin after the US midterm congressional elections, creating a specific timeframe for the White House to make a final decision.
The Electoral Factor: War and Fuel Prices
The political context in which preparations for a possible escalation are taking place deserves special attention. Trump is making final attempts to motivate Republican voters ahead of the midterm congressional elections. The war in the Middle East, unpopular among part of the electorate, has led to rising fuel prices, which in turn has dampened the enthusiasm of Republican supporters. Thus, the decision to resume bombardments of Iranian territory will be made taking into account domestic political consequences and their impact on the outcome of the November midterms.
The Diplomatic Track: Qatar's Attempt to Prevent Escalation
Parallel to military preparations, diplomatic activity is underway. As it became known on October 31, Qatar is making efforts to resume negotiations between the US and Iran in order to prevent a new military escalation. These attempts represent the final diplomatic opportunity to smooth things over before, according to Axios, a new phase of combat operations could be launched. The success or failure of Qatari mediation will largely determine whether a transition from diplomacy to a forceful scenario takes place in the coming weeks.
What This Means for the Region
The combination of factors — military readiness, electoral arithmetic, and the diplomatic efforts of third countries — creates a situation where a decision to resume strikes on Iran could be made in a short timeframe. The phone conversation between Trump and Netanyahu confirms that coordination between Washington and Tel Aviv on this issue is being conducted at the highest level. At the same time, neither the White House nor the Israeli Prime Minister's office had officially confirmed the content of the conversation at the time of publication, relying on anonymous WSJ sources.
