Netanyahu posts AI image of Tel Aviv under a nuclear mushroom cloud and reportedly presses military on Iran before election

Summary

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has posted an AI-generated image of a nuclear mushroom cloud destroying Tel Aviv, telling voters to choose him or risk nuclear annihilation, according to The Guardian. The Times of Israel describes the image as Iranian-style propaganda and reports that Netanyahu is telling Israelis they will die if they do not re-elect him. Both outlets report that Netanyahu has reportedly pressed Israel's military to act against Iran. The Times of Israel says he is reportedly pressing his IDF chief to act 'relating to Iran' and potentially trigger a 'miscalculation.' The Guardian reports that his far-right coalition narrowly trails in the polls ahead of Tuesday's close-run elections.

Timeline

1. Times of Israel

   26 Oct 2026, 12:32 UTCSource ↗

   The Times of Israel reports that Netanyahu is disseminating Iranian-style propaganda showing Tel Aviv under a mushroom cloud, telling Israelis they will die if they do not re-elect him, and is reportedly pressing his IDF chief to act 'relating to Iran' and potentially trigger a 'miscalculation.'

2. The Guardian

   26 Oct 2026, 19:21 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Netanyahu posted an AI-generated image of a nuclear mushroom cloud destroying Tel Aviv, telling voters to choose him or risk nuclear annihilation, and reportedly put pressure on Israel's military to take action against Iran as his far-right coalition narrowly trails in the polls.