Dozens of Israeli fighter jets flew a long-range sortie near the Iranian border shortly before Israeli elections. This extensive flight path, over 800 miles away, mimicked a potential strike route through Syrian and Iraqi airspace. The exercise was described as a training mission for "power projection" and to deter Iran. Israel reportedly notified the U.S. of the operation in advance. Some U.S. sources suggested Israel might have hoped for an Iranian response to justify strikes. This occurred around the same time President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu discussed potential operations against Iran. Netanyahu expressed concerns about Iran's nuclear program to Trump. However, Trump seemed hesitant about resuming attacks. An Israeli official stated that military activity would not jeopardize the upcoming elections. Netanyahu publicly accused Iran's leader of moving forward with nuclear weapons development.