Amos Harel in Haaretz: ‘Meanwhile, the possibility of another war with Iran continues to loom. The U.S. midterm elections are Tuesday. Over the weekend, Arab media outlets reported that Donald Trump already told Arab states in the Persian Gulf that he planned to resume war against Iran on Wednesday. Qatar is reportedly making a last-ditch mediation effort to keep this from happening.
The U.S. president has been expressing increasing frustration over the deadlock with Iran. He is also concerned about the expected election results and, as usual, has been spreading suspicions and allegations of fraud against Democratic candidates. Trump seems even more agitated and less coherent in his remarks than usual.’

And: ‘It is important to say this plainly: Netanyahu (…) does not have a mandate to renew the war.’

No mandate, and yet war.

The scorched earth policy of the desperate autocrats and their less desperate electorate.

(a sf 2276)