📰 8 sources 8 articles · 24 Oct 2026, 20:57 → 19 days ago

Netanyahu accuses Iran of renewing its nuclear program ahead of Israeli elections amid mutual threats

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran has resumed or is renewing its nuclear program and accused it of seeking to destroy Israel within a short period, in remarks made days before the Israeli elections scheduled for 27 October. Iranian official and parliamentary responses followed, including affirmations of military readiness, threats to close the Strait of Hormuz and to make Israel uninhabitable, alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's call to end the 'no war, no peace' situation and resume the diplomatic track.

📍 Where things stand: The situation remains one of mutual statements and threats between the Israeli and Iranian sides, with no field development reported in the available material.

⏱️ Timeline

24 Oct 2026, 20:57 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran has resumed its nuclear program and is seeking to eliminate Israel in the near future; the statement included no details on the nature of the Iranian nuclear program or on the evidence behind it.
24 Oct 2026, 21:37 Reports said Netanyahu's remarks came in an electoral context days before the Israeli elections scheduled for 27 October; Israeli media said Netanyahu was seeking to tie the elections to the security file, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for ending the 'no war, no peace' situation and resuming the diplomatic track.
24 Oct 2026, 21:55 A review of the Iranian press noted the stalled Iranian-American negotiations despite Russian, Pakistani and Qatari mediation, and quoted Iranian officials including Mohsen Rezaei, Masoud Pezeshkian and Mehrdad Akhlaqi affirming that the armed forces had reached maximum readiness, along with threats to close the Strait of Hormuz and target infrastructure in the region.
25 Oct 2026, 10:13 Reports said Netanyahu, in a promotional video broadcast on Saturday evening, said Iran is renewing its nuclear program, warning that it wants to destroy Israel within a short period, while the head of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Ebrahim Azizi, threatened to make Israel uninhabitable in less than an hour if Iran is subjected to aggression, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said any resumption of war would not change his country's positions.
25 Oct 2026, 13:03 Netanyahu escalated his threatening rhetoric toward Iran in the period preceding the elections, amid fears of a return of war, according to Sawt Beirut International.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

⚠️ Sources disagree

Content of Netanyahu's statement on Iran's nuclear program

Iran has resumed its nuclear program according to lebanon debate
Iran is renewing its nuclear program according to الشرق الأوسط
Iran concealed its nuclear program according to Iran International

Figures as each outlet reported them at the time. We do not judge which is correct; numbers often change as events develop.

How the sources covered it

Some coverage limited itself to relaying Netanyahu's statement about Iran resuming its nuclear program without context, while other coverage tied the statement to the Israeli elections scheduled for 27 October and to the security file; one review of the Iranian press focused on military readiness and Iranian threats, while another coverage reported the Iranian parliamentary and diplomatic officials' responses.

lebanon debate Relayed Netanyahu's statement that Iran resumed its nuclear program and seeks to eliminate Israel, noting the absence of details on the program or the evidence behind it.
صدى البلد Presented the remarks as electoral statements days before the 27 October elections, cited Israeli media saying Netanyahu seeks to tie the elections to the security file, and added Pezeshkian's call to resume the diplomatic track.
Iran International Focused on a review of the Iranian press and the stalled Iranian-American negotiations, quoted Iranian officials affirming military readiness and threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, and headlined the statement as Iran having 'concealed its nuclear program'.
الشرق الأوسط Reported that the statement came in a promotional video broadcast Saturday evening, and balanced it with Iranian responses: Ebrahim Azizi's threat to make Israel uninhabitable in less than an hour, and Araghchi's position on resuming war.
العربية Limited itself to quoting Netanyahu saying the Iranian regime is renewing its nuclear program, without further details.
صوت بيروت إنترناشونال Focused on Netanyahu's escalation of threatening rhetoric toward Iran in the pre-election period and pointed to fears of a return of war.