Israeli Jets Fly to Iran’s Border in Deterrence Exercise Before Elections

Dozens of Israeli fighter jets flew to the Iranian border on Monday before turning back, a move officials described as a deterrence exercise a week ahead of Israel’s elections. The sortie covered over 800 miles, passing through Syrian and Iraqi airspace, and involved refueling aircraft. Israel informed the US beforehand, and officials said the flight was meant to show strength and discourage Iranian attacks, though some believed Israel hoped for an Iranian response to justify strikes. The exercise followed reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump discussed a major operation against Iran in early October, which Trump ultimately rejected. Netanyahu said Wednesday that Iran’s supreme leader has allowed nuclear weapons work, and he has ordered security agencies to overthrow the government.