“Better to wait until after the election. If Romney wins, the US will assist Israel. If Obama wins, they can attack the day after the election.”
Your logic makes eminent sense—and the Iranians know this too. Thus, if Israel wishes strategic surprise, attacking before the election may make more sense. If it were a slam dunk that Romney will win, then the case for waiting becomes more compelling (any U.S. assistance in such a strike presumably would outweigh the advantages of surprise from an October attack). The issue therefore is whether the election’s outcome will become so open-and-shut before the end of October that it precludes the need for surprise attack etc.
What element of surprise? I assure you that Iran has a newspaper subscription to Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post.