Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s caretaker government ordered the military to step up preparations for a potential strike on Iran, according to Al Jazeera.
Netanyahu Presses Trump
Netanyahu has been telephoning President Trump daily to urge a renewed military campaign, according to a Financial Times report cited by Bhaskar English. Trump has resisted those demands. He favors economic pressure and a maritime blockade instead. Netanyahu addressed the 26th Knesset assembly on Tuesday.
He asserted that toppling the ayatollah regime is the sole permanent method to remove the existential threat and halt Tehran’s nuclear program. US officials have framed their strategy as a careful balance between pressure and an open door for negotiations. President Trump said that he could end the conflict immediately if he chose to do so.
Israel has reportedly ordered its military to step up readiness for possible strikes on Iran as Tehran warned it would expand the war beyond the region if attacked. 🔗: https://t.co/xhA1tSVhc3 pic.twitter.com/ZzeNFGKTiF
“Saudi Arabia has asked me to please just let it be the way it is now for a while, because [Iran is] disintegrating. Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, all of them would much prefer the waiting period,” said President Trump, as reported by Republic World. Trump said that militarily, Iran is effectively over and that the situation is being maintained at the status quo.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei issued a warning. He invoked international law and the United Nations Charter to caution foreign governments against participating in the US-Israeli campaign against Tehran. Baghaei cited Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter and UN General Assembly Resolution 3314. He said that actions supporting the offensive violate international law and cannot be justified by pretexts such as protecting freedom of navigation or countering piracy.
Tehran maintains that the US blockade must be lifted. Sanctions must be eased, and hostilities ended before any negotiations can resume. National Security Chief Mohsen Rezaei said that no talks are happening with the United States. He said that not a single particle of enriched uranium will leave the country.
Mossad Director Visits
Mossad Director Roman Gofman arrived in Washington on November 13 to meet CIA Director John Ratcliffe, according to Organiser. Gofman was scheduled to travel to Miami to meet White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Common Dreams.
Israeli media reported that Netanyahu had previously sought to orchestrate a new strike on Iran on the eve of the October 27 election, but that plan was thwarted. Reports from Channels 12 and 13 indicated that Eyal Zamir was the sole senior Israeli security official to oppose the action due to fears of an escalation.
Defence Minister Israel Katz pushed back against reports of discord. He asserted through his office that he, Netanyahu, and the IDF chief of staff see eye to eye on all aspects of the Iranian issue. He said that transitional coalition decisions are handled responsibly and in complete coordination with the military.
Opposition Fears Action
Opposition leaders in Israel fear Netanyahu could provoke a confrontation to sabotage efforts by Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot to form a new government, according to Al-Monitor. Eisenkot received the recommendation of 67 Knesset members.
President Isaac Herzog tasked him with forming a government. Eisenkot met with Netanyahu and his military secretary on Thursday. He said on X that both the security situation and the internal state of affairs demand close oversight during this sensitive transitional period.
Following the October elections, Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc lost its parliamentary majority. It secured 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, well short of the 61-seat threshold required to govern.
“The Supreme Court has historically avoided intervening in decisions to go to war, and parliamentary oversight is at its thinnest in the weeks after the new Knesset convenes and before its committees are formed,” said Or Asher, a researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Tachlith Institute.
Legal Powers Set
Neve Gordon, a professor of international law at Queen Mary University, London, and author of Israel’s Occupation, told Al Jazeera that an outgoing prime minister can still initiate military action with the approval of a caretaker government if presented as urgent and in the national interest.
Historical precedent shows that former prime ministers conducted military operations while leading caretaker administrations. The 2008 war directed by Olmert resulted in about 1,400 Palestinian deaths. Netanyahu launched an 11-day military campaign in May 2021 that killed at least 260 Palestinians after his party lost seats and coalition talks were underway.
The Israel Supreme Court maintains that outgoing governments should avoid irreversible major decisions. Article 30 provides the legal framework allowing an interim government to continue functioning while coalition negotiations unfold.
“an outgoing prime minister can still initiate military action with the approval of a caretaker government if presented as urgent and in the national interest,” said Neve Gordon.