'Israel' conducts massive "power projection" operation near Iran: Axios

• Dozens of 'Israeli' jets flew 800 miles to the Iranian border through Syrian and Iraqi airspace before returning
• 'Israel' alerted the US before the exercise, which occurred ahead of 'Israeli' elections; US sources suspected 'Israel' hoped to draw Iranian fire
• Trump rejected Netanyahu's proposed major strike on Iran after the 'Israeli' military chief warned of retaliatory risks to the Oct. 27 election
• Netanyahu accused Iran's leader of building a nuclear weapon 

Dozens of 'Israeli' Air Force fighter jets conducted a sortie on Monday, flying as far as the Iranian border, according to 'Israeli' and US officials cited by Axios.

The operation, located more than 800 miles away from 'Israel', took place a week before the 'Israeli' elections and occurred on the same day US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at 'Israel's' Ovda Air Base.

Officials noted that the sortie was not connected to Hegseth's visit.

While some 'Israeli' and US officials stated the sortie was not unusual and was designed to deter Iran, others warned it could have led to a miscalculation, triggering an Iranian response and reigniting the war.

Behind the scenes, the exercise involved dozens of fighter jets and refueling aircraft following a flight path consistent with a potential strike against Iran, passing through Syrian and Iraqi airspace.

As the aircraft approached the Iranian border, they turned around and returned to 'Israel', the sources said.

Pre-election maneuverings

US officials said the 'Israelis' were aware that Iran's air defense systems would detect the flight.

According to sources cited by Axios, 'Israel' notified Washington in advance and described the operation as a training exercise intended for "power projection" to deter Iranian attacks ahead of the vote.

However, some US sources told Axios they gained the impression that 'Israel' was hoping Iranian forces would fire at the aircraft, which would have provided a justification to launch strikes against Iran.

Fox News also reported on Tuesday that the 'Israeli' Air Force had conducted a drill directed toward Iran.

The news follows an earlier report by Axios revealing that Netanyahu and President Donald Trump discussed in early October the possibility of launching a major new operation against Iran prior to the 'Israeli' and US elections.

Netanyahu expressed concern over 'Israeli' intelligence indicating that Iran was taking troubling steps to reconstitute its nuclear program.

At the time, 'Israeli' military chief of staff Eyal Zamir informed joint chiefs chairman Dan Caine that restarting the war within that timeframe could cause the 'Israeli' elections to be postponed due to probable Iranian retaliation.

Although Trump initially seemed inclined to resume attacks, he grew hesitant and eventually decided against Netanyahu's proposal.

An 'Israeli' official claimed that Zamir will not allow any unjustified military activity that could undermine the Oct. 27 elections.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu reiterated his aggressive stance during a military graduation ceremony on Wednesday.

He stated that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei "has decided to follow in his father's footsteps" by allowing Iranian scientists to advance toward building a nuclear weapon.

"He has taken the safety off, and Iran is once again trying to develop its bombs of death," Netanyahu said. "Therefore, there is only one way to eliminate this threat once and for all: to overthrow the regime in Iran. And that is the directive I have given to the IDF, the Mossad and the security agencies."