IDF fears Iran confrontation could be used to influence Israeli elections - report

A confrontation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has escalated over the past 24 hours, Channel 12 reported on Sunday night.

According to the report, the IDF is concerned that "an attempt will be made to exploit the Iranian issue for political momentum just before the elections."

Zamir reportedly received instructions from the political level for which prompted him to request an in-depth discussion before implementing them, reportedly demanding legal guarantees, including written signatures, in a rare move.

A source told Channel 12 that the instructions could lead to a sudden confrontation with Iran at a sensitive time, as well as creating problems in assessing the situation.

Netanyahu denied reports of a confrontation with Chief of Staff Zamir over Iran. "There is no confrontation," he said. "Someone is trying to obscure the fact that the Chief of Staff himself said that Iran is trying to harm the elections," he added.