Israel sees rising risk of Iranian attack as Tehran weighs escalation before US midte

An Israeli official familiar with current security assessments said Saturday there is substance to a U.S. intelligence report that Iran is considering escalating the regional conflict in an effort to pressure President Donald Trump, adding that Tehran’s worsening domestic situation may be providing another incentive for action. According to the assessment, Iran may seek to force the United States back to negotiations because Tehran increasingly believes time is working against it. After the U.S. midterm elections in November, the official said, Iran may have little meaningful economic or political leverage left over Trump. The official said the likelihood is increasing that Iran, which so far has refrained from directly attacking Israel in the current phase of the confrontation, could do so.