Dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets conducted a sortie on Monday that reached the Iranian border, according to Israeli and U.S. officials. The operation, which took place more than 800 miles from Israel, occurred on the same day Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ovda Air Base, though officials stated the two events were not connected.
The exercise involved dozens of fighter jets and refueling aircraft following a flight path consistent with a potential strike against Iran. The aircraft passed through Syrian and Iraqi airspace before turning around and returning to Israel as they approached the Iranian border. Israeli officials described the mission as a training exercise intended for "power projection" to deter Iran from launching attacks ahead of the Israeli elections. While some Israeli and U.S. officials characterized the sortie as routine, others warned it carried the risk of miscalculation that could trigger an Iranian response and reignite the war.
U.S. officials indicated that Israel notified Washington in advance of the operation. The Israelis knew that Iran's air defense systems would detect the aircraft. Some U.S. sources expressed the impression that Israel hoped Iran would fire at the jets, which would provide a justification for launching strikes against Iran. Fox News reported on Tuesday that the Israeli Air Force had conducted a drill towards Iran.
The sortie follows recent diplomatic discussions regarding a potential new operation against Iran. Axios reported last week that Netanyahu and President Donald Trump discussed launching a major operation before the Israeli and U.S. elections in early October. Netanyahu told Trump he was concerned about intelligence indicating Iran was taking steps to reconstitute its nuclear program. At the time, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine that restarting the war in that timeframe could cause the Israeli elections to be postponed, as Iran would probably retaliate. Trump initially appeared inclined to resume attacks but ultimately decided against Netanyahu's proposal.
An Israeli official stated that Lt. Gen. Zamir will not allow any unjustified military activity that could undermine the October 27 elections. On Wednesday, Netanyahu addressed a military graduation ceremony, asserting that Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has chosen to continue his father's legacy by permitting scientists to advance nuclear weapon development. Netanyahu claimed this decision effectively removed safeguards, placing Iran on a path to create destructive weapons. He stated that removing the regime is the sole method to permanently eliminate this threat, a directive he said he has issued to the IDF, Mossad, and security agencies.