As elections near, Iranians fear US and Israel could resume war

Iranians reportedly fear the U.S. and Israel could resume their war against the Islamic regime after the U.S. midterm elections next month and Israel’s election on Tuesday, which could determine Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future.

The Associated Press reported Monday that residents in Tehran described a growing anxiety within the capital, with some saying they were preparing to leave should strikes resume. Others said Iran’s leadership believes President Trump will authorize new strikes regardless of the outcome of the midterms.

“They’ve accepted that he will attack us again, before or after the elections,” Sasan Karimi, a professor of foreign policy at the University of Tehran and a former government official, told the AP, noting that Iranians were “planning for scenarios so they can take remedial measures.”

Gym trainer Hashem Vajdani told the outlet he plans to leave Tehran.

“I have already packed my belongings to go to a safer town in the north of the country,” he said. “Today I bought more canned food, crackers and extra blankets.”

The greatest concern among those who spoke with the AP was that the civilian death toll could rise if the conflict resumes, particularly after Trump’s threats to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including its energy grid.

Tehran-based analyst Rahman Ghahremanpour told the AP the results of Israel’s elections could also determine Iran’s future in the near term. The risk if Netanyahu remains in power is that all-out war could commence because of his willingness to take major risks, Ghahremanpour said.

The conflict has remained at a standstill in recent months, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accusing the U.S. of disrupting negotiations while Trump regularly threatens the nation with complete annihilation months after the first U.S.-Israeli strikes in February.

Trump and Netanyahu could both face diminished political support after their respective elections, with the Iran war being widely unpopular in the U.S. and a mixed consensus among Israelis on how to confront Iran’s perceived threat, NPR reported .

Middle East Institute senior fellow Natan Sachs told NPR it would be a “shocking surprise” if Netanyahu won another term.

“Israel’s position regarding confrontation with Iran is that it’s not going to be the dove in this conversation,” Sachs said. “So really President Trump is the one who holds the keys here. Israel will be keen to degrade Iran’s capacity and, much more broader than that, the way Netanyahu has put it, to promote regime change in Iran that he still believes can be done or should be done partly through the use of force.”

Trump has warned he could resume strikes on Iran after the midterms. U.S. Central Command has plans ready to conduct follow-up strikes against Iran if there’s authorization from the White House, a source aware of the plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity, previously told The Hill .