Israel, US Elections Stoke Iran Strike Speculation as 500,000 Dual Voters Could Sway Both Polls
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Oct 26
Israel, US Elections Stoke Iran Strike Speculation as 500,000 Dual Voters Could Sway Both Polls
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Oct 26
Summary
Israel votes Tuesday and the US elects a new Congress a week later, with both campaigns fueling fresh speculation over whether new strikes on Iran will come before or after the ballots.
Benjamin Netanyahu has raised the prospect of another attack to bolster his security credentials, while Donald Trump has publicly urged him to “finish the job” but reportedly also tried to avoid a pre-election oil-price spike.
500,000 Israelis with US passports can vote in both elections, and Republicans Overseas Israel says about 10,000 absentee ballots from Israel could matter in tight races such as Michigan’s Senate contest.
Any post-election strike could trigger wider retaliation: Iranian officials have threatened airports, pipelines, undersea cables, energy facilities and US bases, warning of risks to regional civilians and the global economy.
The overlap underscores how the Iran war has become an election issue in both countries—raising living costs, straining Israel’s finances and fracturing traditional bipartisan US support for Israel.