Netanyahu pushes US for new strikes on Iran after midterms

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for the United States to launch a new wave of attacks against Iran following the US midterm elections, according to three regional officials and a person familiar with the matter. Renewing full-scale war with Iran could help Netanyahu form an emergency government after he and his far-right allies lost their parliamentary majority in last week's election. US President Donald Trump has alternated between threatening Iran and pushing for a deal, while Iranian officials reported "intense negotiations" Monday to avoid another war. One official said Netanyahu is working with senior US administration figures to persuade Trump to conduct a rapid, comprehensive wave of airstrikes, though no decision has been made. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson claimed Sunday that Trump's administration may consider a nuclear strike on Iran's Pickaxe Mountain facility, an unconfirmed assertion.