Israel just threatened to restart its war with Iran and Trump is backing it

Israel votes today.

And going into the vote, Benjamin Netanyahu went on television and made Iran his closing pitch.

His message was simple. Donald Trump wants to finish the war with Iran. But only if Netanyahu stays in power.

Netanyahu says Trump has given him a closeness no Israeli prime minister has had with an American president before.

That's Netanyahu telling voters that Trump is ready to act, but only for him.

Then he said something bigger.

Netanyahu says quote "I have already instructed the Mossad and the IDF to bring down this regime".

Read that again. Israel's Prime Minister, hours before an election, saying he's told his spy agency and his army to get ready to topple Iran's government.

Trump backed him within hours.

He posted on Truth Social telling Israelis to vote for Netanyahu, and said they have to finish the job they started.

This was Trump's second endorsement in nine days. He first backed Netanyahu on 18 October.

Asked about it the next day, Trump said he hadn't spoken to Netanyahu about asking for it. He said Netanyahu has done a very good job under very trying conditions.

So what job are they finishing? The war. Trump and Netanyahu launched it together in February this year.

Fighting has mostly been on hold for months. There's a ceasefire. Israel wasn't even part of the talks that produced it.

But here's the twist.

The White House moved fast to shut this down.

Anna Kelly, the White House's Deputy Press Secretary, told Reuters by email that the US will not attack Iran before the midterm elections.

America votes in its own midterms on 3 November. That's about a week away.

So the White House just ruled out a new war for more than a week, in writing, hours after Netanyahu suggested one was coming.

And there's a reason for that. The Iran war is unpopular in America. People blame it for pushing up fuel prices. Trump's Republicans are trying to hold Congress in those same midterms.