U.S. Officials Say Trump Told Netanyahu to 'Get Ready' on Iran Strikes. White House Denies the Leaders Discussed It

The war with Iran that began in February is back at the center of the pre-election argument. On Tuesday, Oct. 13, two separate developments pointed toward renewed escalation, and one official denial points the other way.

What Axios reported on Netanyahu and Trump

Axios reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump discussed last week the possibility of a major new operation against Iran before the Israeli and U.S. elections. The outlet cited two U.S. officials, one Israeli official and a fourth person with knowledge of the matter.

Senior U.S. officials told Axios that Netanyahu pointed to alleged Iranian efforts to rebuild nuclear capacity as the reason to strike. Israel votes Oct. 27. The U.S. midterms follow in early November.

One U.S. official, speaking to Israel's Channel 12, described the exchange this way: "Bibi spoke to the president about it several times, and the president told him, 'Well, you know what, Bibi, go ahead and get ready.' But he didn't really give him any commitment. 'Go ahead and get ready' could be now, could be later, and could be never."

Axios also reported that the IDF and U.S. Central Command are on alert and finalizing preparations in case Trump orders strikes. Sources told the outlet a renewed campaign would include heavy bombing of Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear targets. Axios further reported that the Pentagon told CENTCOM to complete preparations.

NBC News separately reported that Trump and his national security team discussed resuming the campaign against Tehran in the coming weeks.

The White House denial

A White House official denied that the two leaders talked about resuming the war. The official said Trump has stated the U.S. will not attack Iran before the midterms. The official was not named.

Netanyahu's office confirmed he is in regular contact with Trump but declined to comment on what they discussed.

Trump himself said last week he had rejected resuming attacks before the midterms. Channel 12's account adds that Trump initially appeared to favor resuming strikes, then cooled on the idea. Most of his advisers, it reported, recommend keeping the economic blockade of Iran in place instead.

The accounts do not line up neatly. A "get ready" with no commitment is consistent with both a real planning track and a president keeping options open while publicly ruling out pre-election action. No official has put on the record that a strike order exists.

Trump's Houthi post

Trump added to the tension today. In a Truth Social post, he said the Houthis in Yemen "have been silent for a long time, but now they've emerged again, probably at the behest of Iran," hitting Saudi Arabia and "purposefully trying to drive up Oil Prices, probably prior to the US Elections."

He offered no evidence in the post for either "probably." He also described Iran as a country with "No Navy, No Airforce" and "301 percent Inflation," figures he did not source.

He closed with a message to the Houthis: "I'm not running in the Elections, I've already won, IN A MASSIVE LANDSLIDE, but I'll be there after the Elections, and I will never forget!" That repeats his earlier threat of expanded military action across the Middle East once voting is over.

The political backdrop

Energy prices have climbed since the war began, and cost of living is a live midterm issue. Democrats are betting that voter frustration over the war and prices can win them one or both chambers of Congress.

An AP-NORC poll found nearly 70 percent of voters say the war was not worth fighting. Trump has dismissed unfavorable polls as "fake" and points to crowds at his rallies.

A large strike on Iranian energy infrastructure would hit the same oil markets Trump says the Houthis are trying to push higher. The sources do not say how the administration weighs that.

Iran's threats and Hormuz

Tehran is also signaling what a wider war would look like. The Wall Street Journal reported that Iranian officials are weighing sending ground troops into countries in the region if full-scale fighting with the U.S. resumes. The report did not name the countries.

Iranian officials have warned that Saudi oil facilities could be targeted. Mohsen Rezaei, described as Iran's top national security official, publicly threatened the United Arab Emirates. Other options Iran has floated include hitting regional data centers and internet cables. Iranian officials also told mediators they could target U.S. forces more aggressively, including trying to sink warships.

Shipping is already under fire. Iran International reported that the Nicaragua-flagged Petro Dolphin was struck by a drone on Sunday, and two other vessels were hit over the weekend. On Friday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would pursue vessels that do not use its approved routes, even outside the waterway and "throughout the entire region," and that "its punishment will be definitive."

Talks to end the standoff remain stalemated.

What comes next

The next fixed dates are the Israeli election on Oct. 27 and the U.S. midterms in early November. Whether Netanyahu's push for action before his own vote meets Trump's public pledge of no strikes before the midterms will show up first in CENTCOM's posture and in what happens to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.