Israel is unlikely to launch major military operations against Iran before October's national elections without President Donald Trump's approval, former Israeli Consul General in New York Ido Aharoni said Saturday.
"I don't think Israel will do anything without getting the green light from President Trump and his administration," Aharoni said on Newsmax's "America Right Now." "It's highly unlikely that Israel will act alone without coordination with the Americans at this point."
The comments came after reports that Iran had identified new Israeli targets that it claimed could not be repaired for years if struck.
Trump said this week he is considering a major attack on Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to travel to Washington for talks with Trump.
Although Aharoni does not expect Israel to independently reengage Iran before the Oct. 27 elections, he said the country could still play a military role if requested by the United States.
"If the United States were to reengage Iran and would require Israel to serve as a subcontractor, as Israel did in the past, I think then that will happen," he said. "This is certainly something that is in the cards."
He dismissed Iran's latest threats against Israeli infrastructure as nothing new.
"This has always been the Iranian plan," Aharoni said. "We know that, but we also have our own plan. And as the Iranians painfully learned, we're pretty accurate."
The former diplomat also praised Trump's decision to link a proposed U.S.-Saudi nuclear agreement to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords.
"I think it's a wonderful thing that the president is stressing the need to link any kind of progress in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Abraham Accords," he said.
Aharoni said such an agreement would strengthen Saudi Arabia's position against Iran and China while drawing the kingdom closer to the United States.
"It actually pushes Saudi Arabia into the arms of the pro-American axis," he said.
He cautioned, however, that expanding civilian nuclear capabilities in the region could carry risks.
"The only downside that I can see here is that this could trigger a regional nuclear arms race," he said, adding that he believes the Trump administration is aware of those concerns.
Addressing reports that Kuwait and Bahrain have directly retaliated against Iran, Aharoni said recent military developments have altered the balance of power in the Middle East.
He said that while Operation Epic Fury had not yet achieved its ultimate objective of toppling Iran's regime, it had restored deterrence against Tehran.
"What happened with the Iranians? They made a terrible mistake miscalculating President Trump, miscalculating the Israel Defense Forces, and the Israeli Air Force," he said.
As a result, he added, Gulf nations have become more willing to confront Iran.
"Saudi Arabia is certainly a third," he said. "They feel emboldened and feel that they can actually attack Iran. Iran is not so mighty militarily as we tended to think."
Aharoni said the shifting regional dynamics are likely to continue as Middle Eastern nations reassess Iran's military strength.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com