Washington asked Israel to strike Iran alone... then backed down

Israel's Maariv newspaper revealed that Washington, during talks with Tel Aviv over the past two weeks, raised the possibility of Israel carrying out an attack on Iran on its own before the US midterm elections, before the US administration backed away from the proposal, at least for now. It said Washington sought to avoid the political consequences of direct participation in a military operation against Iran before the elections. The Atlantic also reported that the White House asked the War Department to prepare options for striking Iranian targets before the elections, while the Pentagon presented Trump with options for resuming operations after the elections. Indirect contacts continue between Washington and Tehran through mediators amid disagreements over ceasefire conditions and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.