The New York Post is reporting that Obama persuaded Israel's Netanyahu to delay an attack on Iran into 2013 by promising to provide Israel with advanced new bunker-busting bombs and several in-flight refueling tankers. This makes a lot of sense. Israel's rationale for attacking in the next few months is that -- using their current bunker-busters -- they will soon be unable to destroy deeply-buried Iranian facilities. But the latest US ultra-deep bunker busters, combined with enough refueling tankers to keep a fleet of Israeli fighter bombers aloft for many hours would change the whole equation. For Israel such a deal would remove the imperative for imminent attack. For Obama it would delay any war until after the general election, meanwhile it gives diplomatic efforts and sanctions more chance of working. And, as a bonus, it applies still more leverage to the Iranians to negotiate, knowing the advanced weaponry Israel will have in store for them, if the Iranians don't back off from developing nukes.
