US President Donald Trump endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu on Truth Social ahead of Israel's October 27 elections, calling him a "Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran," and "Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition." Trump had withheld his endorsement for months as the two leaders' strategies in the region diverged.
Trump tied the endorsement directly to Iran, saying he might "soon finish the job" against Tehran "unless they change their ways, rapidly." He added that he might not want to do so if Netanyahu loses, saying that if Israel had a leader other than Netanyahu, the United States would have to handle the work itself, something he is not inclined to do.
Netanyahu's X page shared the endorsement twice, once in a Hebrew post and once as a screenshot of Trump's Truth Social post, thanking Trump for his "tremendous support and the joint work" and adding: "Together we will complete the mission!" Likud attached a 35-second video of the two leaders to its own post.
The same day, Netanyahu presented his updated security doctrine, the first in a decade, and told Israel Hayom that Israel is prepared to strike Iran first, without American help. He said Israel is "ready for proactive action" and that "the first blow from the enemy must be prevented," and that "the goals I set do not depend on American consent," adding that he always seeks agreement from Washington but never makes action conditional on it. "We already did it, and if necessary, we will do it again," he said, calling the elimination of Iran's nuclear program his "life's mission," the toppling of the Iranian regime the goal, and saying that "90% of the work has been done." The doctrine itself lists a "pre-emptive surprise strike" among Israel's options and the principle that Israel "must always be one step ahead of its enemies."
Earlier in the election campaign, Netanyahu had been reported to rule out a pre-emptive strike on Iran before the vote, saying that attacking under current circumstances would not be appropriate or beneficial for Israel.
Trump and Netanyahu were close allies after the joint American and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in 2025, but they disagreed during this year's war with Iran, which began in February and lasted nearly eight months. Many Israelis were disappointed by its inconclusive outcome and by Trump's ceasefire proposal, which fell short of the goals both countries had set. The endorsement is a significant boost for Netanyahu because of Trump's popularity in Israel, in the first national election since October 2023, which is expected to be tight. Netanyahu leads the most nationalist and far-right government in Israel's history, and it faces criticism over its security failures and its treatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
Trump says that America would have to carry out the Iran operation itself if Netanyahu loses, while Netanyahu says that the goals he sets do not depend on American consent.
