Reports: US and Israel draw up plans for short, intense Iran strikes after the US midterms
The New York Times reports that US and Israeli militaries have planned a short, intense operation against Iran for after the 3 November US midterms. Hegseth discussed it with Netanyahu, and Trump has not approved it.
Left 1 · Centre-left 4 · Centre 1 · Centre-right 3 · Right 4
Sources by leanFollow the moneyMore coverage
How each side framed it
Left-leaning outlets
Danger and electoral motives: Haaretz's editorial calls Netanyahu's Iran plans 'a dangerous gamble with Israel's election'. A former IDF intelligence officer calls it 'sheer madness' (Ynet), and Yair Golan accuses Netanyahu of political motives (JC).
Centre outlets
Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Netanyahu made plans to restart Iran strikes earlier this month” (Financial Times).
Right-leaning outlets
Preparedness: 'short, intense' operation (Breitbart, JPost), 'US and Israel prepare new Iran strikes' (Israel Hayom), 'let's attack Iran again' (Times), with a focus on Hegseth's meeting with Netanyahu (Daily Caller).
Holding the paradox
Agreed facts
The New York Times reports, citing US officials, that US and Israeli militaries have drawn up plans for a short, intense operation of about three days against Iran's nuclear, energy and missile sites after the 3 November US midterms. Hegseth discussed the plans with Netanyahu this week. Trump has not approved an operation. The FT reported that Netanyahu planned strikes for around 10 October but Trump opposed them.
Where claims conflict
Timing and motive: critics say the timing is driven by the Israeli election (27 Oct) and the US midterms. Supporters frame it as military necessity. Trump says the US is 'not negotiating with Iran', while other reports describe talks as stalled but ongoing.
The paradox
Both governments reportedly avoid war before their own elections and plan it for after them. Everyone sees that voters matter, and voters are not asked.
Sources by lean
Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.
Left 1
Centre 1
- Financial Times
Netanyahu made plans to restart Iran strikes earlier this month (paywalled or blocks bots)
Showing 1 from each side of 13 rated outlets (L 5 / C 1 / R 7). Capped at 1 because that is all we found on the thinnest side. More coverage
Follow the money
Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.
Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (13 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| Haaretz | Left | According to the Financial Times, Haaretz does not report its earnings. They were also the first Israeli paper to introduce the paywall. For subscription fees, please see here. source |
| CNBC | Centre-left | CNBC is owned by NBC Universal, which Comcast owns. Comcast’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Brian L. Roberts, founded by his father, Ralph J. source |
| New York Times | Centre-left | The Ochs-Sulzberger family controls the New York Times through Class B shares. Since 1967, the company has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYT. Class B shares are those that are held privately. source |
| Times of Israel | Centre-left | The Times of Israel is co-owned by David Horovitz and Seth Klarman. Revenue is generated through advertising..push({}); source |
| Ynet News | Centre-left | Yedioth Ahronoth owns Ynetnews. Advertising derives revenue. source |
| Financial Times | Centre | The Financial Times is owned by The Nikkei, a Japanese news and financial information company that publishes the leading financial paper, The Nikkei. The FT generates revenue through subscriptions, a hard paywall, and advertising..push({}); source |
| Jerusalem Post | Centre-right | In 1989, the paper was purchased by Hollinger Inc. for $17-million, which Canadian-born British Conservative Conrad Black owned. Conrad Black later was charged with “swindling his company, Hollinger International, of $60 million.” He was serving a prison sentence; however, in 2019, President Donald Trump pardoned him. source |
| The Jewish Chronicle | Centre-right | In 2020, The Jewish Chronicle was purchased by a consortium of philanthropists led by Sir Robbie Gibb and others, rescuing the paper from financial collapse. However, the full details of its ownership and funding remain unclear, as the financial backers of the consortium have not been fully disclosed. Speculation about involvement from figures such as billionaire Paul E. source |
| The Times | Centre-right | The Times and Sunday Times is owned by News UK (News Corp UK & Ireland Limited), which American News Corp owns. The owner and Executive Chairman of News Corp are Rupert Murdoch. Revenue is derived from advertising and subscription fees. source |
| Breitbart | Right | After the death of Andrew Breitbart in 2012, Larry Solov became CEO and president of Breitbart News. In 2017, according to Politico, Larry Solov revealed the owner of Breitbart as “himself, founder Andrew Breitbart’s widow, Susie Breitbart, and the Republican mega-donor family, the Mercers.” Further, Solov also stated that he wants “to disclose as little as possible about financial and ownership structure.” source |
| Daily Caller | Right | No ownership data found |
| Israel Hayom | Right | Israel Hayom is owned by the family of Sheldon Adelson, an American businessman and casino tycoon. He was also one of the largest donors to the Republican Party. His wife Miriam Adelson is the publisher of the paper and also a prominent Republican donor. source |
| Newsmax | Right | Newsmax is owned by publicly traded Newsmax Inc., which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol NMAX on March 31, 2025. The company completed a $75 million public offering after previously raising approximately $225 million through a preferred-stock offering. source |