Dozens of Israeli fighter jets, accompanied by aerial refuelling aircraft, flew through Syrian and Iraqi airspace towards the Iranian border overnight from Monday to Tuesday, October 19-20, before returning to Israel without entering Iranian airspace. The US news website Axios reported on Wednesday, October 21, citing American and Israeli officials, that although Israel described the operation as a show of force intended to bolster deterrence, some US sources believe the flights may have been aimed at provoking Iran into a military response.

According to Axios, dozens of fighter jets and several Israeli Air Force refuelling aircraft took part in the operation, following a route similar to one that could be used in a potential strike on Iran and travelling more than 1,280 kilometres from Israel. The aircraft turned back after approaching the Iranian border and returned to their bases.

US officials said Israel had informed Washington of the operation in advance, describing it as an exercise intended to demonstrate military strength and deter Iran from a possible attack on Israel ahead of the October 27 parliamentary election.

However, some US sources told Axios they believed Israel had hoped Iranian air defences would fire at the fighter jets, providing justification for launching fresh strikes against Iran.

According to the sources, Israeli officials knew Iran’s air defence systems were capable of detecting the aircraft. Nevertheless, some US and Israeli officials stressed that the operation was not unusual and was intended solely as a deterrent.

Axios warned that even if the operation was intended as a deterrent, a miscalculation could have triggered an Iranian military response and led to a resumption of the war.

The flights took place on the same day that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel and met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ovda Air Base. However, Axios sources said the timing was coincidental and that the air operation was unrelated to Hegseth’s visit.

The latest report comes after Axios revealed last week that Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had discussed in early October the possibility of another large-scale military operation against Iran before the Israeli and US elections.

According to the outlet’s sources, Netanyahu raised concerns during the discussion about intelligence that Israel claims shows Iran is attempting to rebuild its nuclear programme. Trump initially appeared open to renewed strikes but later backed away from the proposal. The White House had previously denied reports that the two leaders discussed restarting the war.

In a related development, Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine that resuming the war at this stage could delay Israel’s election because of retaliatory Iranian attacks.

An Israeli official also told Axios that Zamir would not authorise any unjustified military action that could disrupt the October 27 election.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu claimed at a graduation ceremony for Israeli military officers on Wednesday, October 21, that Mojtaba Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, was following in his father’s footsteps and that Iran was once again seeking to build a nuclear bomb.

He added: “There is only one way to eliminate this threat permanently, and that is to overthrow the Iranian regime. This is the directive I have given to the military, Mossad and the security agencies.”

Despite speculation over the true purpose of the Israeli fighter flights, no evidence has emerged that the aircraft entered Iranian airspace or that any military confrontation occurred during the operation. The claim that Israel sought to provoke Iran’s air defences also remains an assessment by some US sources and has not been independently verified.