Iran Targets US Midterms and Israeli Election With Interference Plans

Iran is preparing to interfere in the US midterm elections scheduled for November 3 after attempting to influence Israel's general election, according to a report published by The Telegraph on October 29. Iranian officials described plans to recruit people involved in both countries' electoral processes and establish cyber groups to target election systems, seeking political divisions that could constrain Washington and Jerusalem during their ongoing conflict with Tehran.

The report did not establish that Iranian operatives had successfully penetrated voting systems in either country. Instead, officials described the alleged preparations as part of a broader confrontation following US-Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28.

Several Iranian officials told The Telegraph that Tehran was interested in weakening both adversaries regardless of which candidates or political blocs won. They said domestic political disputes could restrict military decisions and give Iran time to restore capabilities damaged during the conflict.

One Iranian official described efforts to develop access to both countries' electoral processes and the creation of cyber groups targeting their systems.

Another official characterized the strategy as extending beyond conventional military operations.

"War does not just mean missiles and guns when we are under their blockade. It also means we are prepared to disrupt their elections, their banking, their travel and all their ordinary systems. We are not in favour of any candidate anywhere, but we would like to see a divided America and a divided Israel." The official told The Telegraph.

The reported approach coincides with uncertainty surrounding Israel's ability to form a governing coalition following its October 28 election. Results reported by Israeli broadcasters and cited by The Telegraph indicated that neither major political bloc had secured the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority in the 120-member Knesset.

With nearly 86% of votes counted on Wednesday, Netanyahu's bloc of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties was projected to win 53 seats, compared with 48 for the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot. Arab parties were projected to secure 19 seats, potentially giving them substantial influence over coalition negotiations.

Fada Hossein Maleki, a member of Iran's parliamentary national security and foreign policy committee, said the Arab parties could affect the outcome despite lacking enough seats to govern independently.

"Although the Arab parties do not by themselves have the seats to form a government, in a situation where none of the rival camps can secure a majority, even a limited number of seats can prove decisive," Maleki told The Telegraph.

Netanyahu has opposed relying on Arab parties, while Eisenkot faces political constraints over whether to seek their support. The resulting negotiations could delay the formation of a government or lead to another election, potentially limiting Israel's ability to make major strategic decisions.

Steven Wagner, a senior lecturer in international security at Brunel University of London, said Tehran had incentives to wait for the political consequences of the Israeli vote rather than immediately escalate military action.

"I would expect Iran has been hoping for Netanyahu to lose, and for the criminal proceedings against him to disqualify him from future office," Wagner told The Telegraph.

He said the coalition negotiations could create opportunities for Iran to consolidate surviving military assets and strengthen its defenses while Israel dealt with domestic political uncertainty.

"From Iran's point of view, there is plenty of time to wait and see what happens, to continue to consolidate what hasn't been destroyed and to bolster defences where they need to. I would not expect any major action from Iran under the circumstances, as it would disturb their very good chances for favourable outcomes in both cases," Wagner said.

Iranian officials also see the November 3 US midterms as a potential constraint on President Donald Trump's ability to continue military operations. The elections will determine control of the House of Representatives and approximately one-third of the Senate.

According to The Jerusalem Post's account of The Telegraph report, Tehran hopes that Democratic gains in Congress could complicate decisions on military spending and assistance to Israel. However, a change in congressional control would not automatically prevent further US military action because the president retains substantial authority as commander-in-chief.

Amir Ali Abolfath, an Iranian analyst specializing in American affairs, said a rapid US military operation before the election was another possibility if the Trump administration believed it could strengthen Republican electoral prospects. He also noted that Washington might avoid an attack that risked expanding into a prolonged regional conflict.

Iranian officials warned that renewed US or Israeli strikes could trigger retaliation extending beyond the American military assets targeted in previous exchanges. One senior official said Tehran remained open to a diplomatic settlement but was prepared to respond forcefully if hostilities resumed.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei publicly dismissed the significance of Israel's election during remarks in Tehran on Monday, portraying the competing political camps as unlikely to change their policies toward Iran.

Israel had also faced warnings about foreign interference before the election. In December 2025, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman identified shortcomings in the country's preparedness for foreign digital interference and warned that Iranian cyberattacks and espionage attempts were intensifying ahead of the 2026 vote.