Netanyahu warns Iran against disrupting Israel's October 27 election

Summary

Israel holds elections on October 27 to elect all 120 members of the Knesset, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving prime minister, is seeking re-election. Netanyahu said Iran and its allies might try to disrupt the vote and warned Iran against any hostile acts, with the message 'don't test us'. In a video published on Sunday, he warned Iran and its proxies that they would 'suffer blows out of all proportion' if they targeted Israel, calling it 'a decisive strike against you', and said intelligence suggested Iran was planning a disruption. Middle East Eye reports that the vote is the first Israeli election since October 7, 2023, and could oust the current cabinet. Netanyahu has campaigned heavily on his security credentials, touting the war he launched against Iran in February alongside the United States. Israel's Channel 12 reported, citing unnamed sources, a confrontation between Netanyahu and army chief Eyal Zamir over an unspecified new directive in the war with Iran, which Netanyahu denied.

Timeline

1. Hindustan Times

   25 Oct 2026, 17:07 UTCSource ↗

   Hindustan Times reports that Netanyahu warned Iran against attempts to disrupt Israel's October 27 elections under the headline 'Don't test us', noting that the vote will elect all 120 Knesset members and that Netanyahu is the country's longest-serving prime minister.

2. South China Morning Post

   25 Oct 2026, 17:29 UTCSource ↗

   The South China Morning Post reports that Netanyahu said Iran and its allies might try to disrupt Tuesday's Israeli elections and warned Iran against any hostile acts, and that Channel 12 reported an unconfirmed confrontation between Netanyahu and army chief Eyal Zamir, which Netanyahu denied.

3. Middle East Eye

   26 Oct 2026, 00:50 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports that Netanyahu published a video on Sunday warning Iran and its proxies that they would 'suffer blows out of all proportion' if they targeted Israel to disrupt the upcoming elections, and that the vote is the first since October 7, 2023 and could oust the current cabinet.