Middle East

Trump said on Sunday there would be no strike that day, but that he must choose between a deal and finishing Iran off. Iran says it downed a US drone.

Geopolitics

Saudi Arabia reopened two terminals at Riyadh's main airport on Sunday while the Houthis fired more missiles and drones. The Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted them.

Geopolitics

Israelis vote on Tuesday with neither bloc near 61 seats, though polls put Gadi Eisenkot's opposition narrowly ahead.

Geopolitics

Israel's army says all West Bank land crossings will close on Tuesday, election day. In Hebron, thousands have been forced from their homes since an attack on Friday killed two soldiers.

Geopolitics

Thousands attended funerals on Sunday for eight victims of the church attack in Karak, with the prime minister representing the king. The hunt for the gunmen continues, Al Jazeera reports.

Geopolitics

Israeli air strikes hit the Islamic University in Gaza City in two attacks on Sunday, killing three security guards, according to Al Jazeera. Seven people were killed across Gaza, and Telesur reports that flour shortages leave only seven bakeries operating.

Geopolitics

An oil slick from a tanker reportedly hit by a mine in the Strait of Hormuz has washed ashore in the UAE, and authorities have closed beaches in Umm Al Quwain. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that the war against the United States and Israel has changed security conditions and that Hormuz shipping will not return to its pre-war standard.

Geopolitics

US ambassador Tom Barrack says Washington could "absolutely" strike Iran this weekend, while Trump stays open to a deal. Tehran warns of an "apocalyptic war".

Geopolitics

Houthi media say Saudi strikes killed 11 to 17 people in Houthi-held areas on Saturday. The Houthis claim attacks on Saudi airports and oil sites, while Riyadh reports intercepting missiles.

Geopolitics

Israel demolished buildings in Hebron and displaced 1,200 to 2,000 Palestinians after two soldiers were killed nearby on Friday. The army will seal the West Bank on election day.

Geopolitics

Before Tuesday's election, a huge Tel Aviv rally demanded an October 7 inquiry. The Bank of Israel rejected Netanyahu's crypto idea against sanctions.

Geopolitics

The death toll from Friday's shooting at a funeral in Karak rose to nine on Saturday. None of the three attackers has been caught.

Geopolitics

Ras Al Khaimah has closed all beaches until further notice because of an oil spill off the UAE coast, The National reports. Al Jazeera says a vessel reportedly hit a naval mine in early October.

Geopolitics

European and Middle Eastern foreign ministers meeting in Istanbul warned that renewed US-Israeli strikes on Iran would widen the war. A Trump envoy, Mike Waltz, said Washington is ready for a long stand-off, the Financial Times reports.

Geopolitics

Houthi missiles and drones hit Saudi military, energy and airport targets, and airlines keep suspending flights. In Yemen, 800,000 people are cut off in besieged Taiz.

Geopolitics

Two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near Hebron on Friday before being shot dead. Netanyahu ordered Hebron sealed and a West Bank lockdown.

Geopolitics

Gunmen opened fire on a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak on Friday, killing seven and wounding dozens. King Abdullah II vowed the harshest retaliation.

Geopolitics

A Maariv poll puts Netanyahu's bloc at 48 seats and the opposition at 54 ahead of Tuesday's vote. Eisenkot's Yashar leads Likud by two seats.

Geopolitics

This year's olive harvest in the Israeli-occupied West Bank is the most violent in years, with settlers attacking farmers and besieging homes, according to the New York Times. On Friday the UN and an Israeli human rights group warned of escalating violence, sweeping closures and the threat of forced displacement, and Al Jazeera reports that Israel arrested 36 Palestinians.

Geopolitics

Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least four Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, according to Daily Sabah, underscoring the fragility of the US-brokered ceasefire. Separately, The National reports that Dubai is sending winter relief supplies to Gaza through a new air bridge.

Geopolitics

Iran's IRGC says seven vessels were hit near Hormuz, while the New York Times reports US-Israeli plans for renewed strikes after the 3 November midterms.

Geopolitics

Houthi attacks hit a Saudi airport and an oil field this week. Aramco and Washington both scaled back their presence in the kingdom.

Geopolitics

Polls put Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar ahead of Netanyahu's Likud, but neither bloc has a majority. Israelis vote on Tuesday.

Geopolitics

A Jerusalem court released nine of ten suspects in attacks on a US journalist and European diplomats to house arrest. On Thursday UN chief Guterres called the West Bank situation "simply out of control".

Geopolitics

Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia have signed a defence industry pact, Premium Times reports. The Qatari Defence Ministry said the agreement aims to foster cooperation in defence manufacturing and enhance defence capabilities among the four countries.

Geopolitics

Israeli fire killed four people in Gaza, including a young girl, medics told Reuters. Gaza's Health Ministry warned on Thursday of a complete depletion of oil and lubricants for hospital generators, according to Telesur, while Al Jazeera reports that breast cancer patients face delayed diagnoses and medicine shortages.

Geopolitics

Netanyahu said on Wednesday he has told the IDF and Mossad to overthrow Iran's regime. Iran says Hormuz stays closed until the US accepts its terms.

Geopolitics

The Houthis claimed a third strike in a week on Aden on Wednesday. The US ordered non-emergency embassy staff and families out of Saudi Arabia.

Geopolitics

Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia signed a defence cooperation memorandum in Doha on Wednesday. Turkey's ruling party also plans a mandate to send military personnel to Saudi Arabia.

Geopolitics

Israeli army chief of staff Eyal Zamir visited the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, and the Jerusalem Post reports that the army is stepping up operations and preparing for Hamas attacks ahead of Israel's election. Al Jazeera reports that families in Gaza struggle to provide nutritious meals for their children as prices rise and aid is cut.

Geopolitics

Libya's eastern parliament ratified the maritime memorandum with Turkey, which the EU called legally void, according to Politika; Greece and Israel also condemned the move. Turkey's ruling and opposition parties defended the agreement on Wednesday, according to Daily Sabah.

Geopolitics

Israelis vote next Tuesday in what Daily Sabah describes as a tight race over whether Benjamin Netanyahu wins another term as prime minister. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu threatened to respond with force if Iran makes a 'big mistake', while Reuters says the election may change the leader but not Iran war policy.

Geopolitics

The Israeli military detained about 80 volunteers on Wednesday near Nahalin in the West Bank, including US congressional nominee Brad Lander, while they helped Palestinian farmers harvest olives, according to the Guardian; the Jerusalem Post puts the number at 90. Al Jazeera reports that Lander was later freed and said dozens remained in custody.

Geopolitics

Water, food and fuel are running short in the Yemeni city of Taiz after fighting between the Saudi-backed government and the Houthis since September cut key supply routes, according to Reuters and The Guardian. Aid workers warn that water rationing and piling rubbish raise the risk of disease, and The National reports that Halo Trust demining workers remain trapped by the siege.

Geopolitics

Iraq closed the Sheeb border crossing with Iran on Wednesday for urgent security reasons, Reuters reports, citing sources. According to a portal cited by TASS, Iraqi authorities believe Iran was involved in the strike on Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline and imported drone components into border areas.

Geopolitics

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced trip to Israel, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. Netanyahu says he discussed toppling Iran's regime with Trump.

Geopolitics

Britain announced on Tuesday that RAF Typhoons will fly defensive missions over Saudi Arabia. The death toll from Monday's Houthi strike on a Yemeni government camp has risen to 73.

Geopolitics

A week before the 27 October election, a Walla poll shows neither bloc near a majority after Benny Gantz quit the race. Trump endorsed Netanyahu, but Vice President Vance would not.

Geopolitics

Israeli attacks across Gaza early on Tuesday killed between four and seven Palestinians, according to Reuters, Daily Sabah and Le Monde, with medical sources and civil defence citing a couple and two children among the dead. Al Jazeera reports that funding shortages threaten food aid for half a million people, while Le Monde says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing an election on 27 October, has vowed to keep attacking Hamas despite the ceasefire.

Geopolitics

The parliament in eastern Libya approved the 2019 maritime boundary agreement between Turkey and Tripoli on Tuesday and revoked its 2020 boycott decision. Daily Sabah reports that Turkey welcomed the unanimous approval as a step toward strengthening bilateral relations.

Geopolitics

Israeli and Lebanese delegations met at CENTCOM's Tampa headquarters, according to IDF sources quoted by the Jerusalem Post. The IDF also says it filmed Hezbollah moving weapons that the Lebanese army had claimed to have seized.

Geopolitics

The text of the Mecca Defense Alliance, sent by the Foreign Ministry, was presented to the Turkish parliament on Tuesday for ratification. According to TASS, Erdogan's ruling party says the agreement is not an alternative to NATO and is open to other countries.

Geopolitics

Iran says its Hormuz offer stands if its conditions are met, even as attacks on shipping continue. Russia's foreign minister arrived in Tehran on Monday.

Geopolitics

Houthi ballistic missiles hit a Yemeni government training camp on Monday, the deadliest single strike since fighting reignited in September. Egypt delayed a vote on backing Saudi Arabia.

Geopolitics

The World Food Programme said on Monday it is ending monthly aid for 500,000 people in Gaza, citing lack of funding. Reuters reports Israel will resume commercial shipments.

Geopolitics

Israeli security forces detained between eight and ten suspects, according to differing reports, after settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats in the West Bank and seriously injured a US photographer over the weekend. Le Monde reports that a French mayor was beaten in the attack on the diplomats.

Geopolitics

US President Donald Trump has endorsed Netanyahu ahead of next week's Israeli election. Al Jazeera reports that Arab-led and ultra-Orthodox parties could hold the balance of power, while Polymarket gave Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, a roughly 49% chance of becoming prime minister.

Geopolitics

Saudi Arabia has postponed its Future Investment Initiative, known as 'Davos in the Desert', after Houthi attacks, Reuters and the New York Times report on Monday. The event, a centerpiece of the kingdom's push to diversify its economy, was due to begin next week, and Bloomberg reports that Riyadh airport has restricted jet traffic.

Economy

Lebanon will reject direct military coordination with Israel at talks in Florida, The National reports. Al Jazeera reports that reported Iranian aid of $200m to Hezbollah has increased pressure from the US on the Lebanese government.

Geopolitics

Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran's offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days remains on the table. The Revolutionary Guards report another tanker hit a mine.

Geopolitics

Houthi missiles and drones keep hitting Saudi Arabia, and Egypt says it is ready to support the kingdom's defence. Riyadh has reported its first military deaths.

Geopolitics

Masked Israeli settlers attacked Belgian, French and Polish diplomats and a French mayor near Taybeh on Saturday, a day after a Washington Post photographer was beaten. The EU and US demanded accountability.

Geopolitics

Hundreds of Palestinians attended a funeral on Sunday for 75 people whose remains were recovered from the ruins of Gaza City, most of them from the Daraj neighbourhood according to the Health Ministry. Al Jazeera reports that residents face rising prices and fear food shortages after Israel halted commercial shipments.

Geopolitics

Trump endorsed Netanyahu nine days before the 27 October Israeli election and suggested the US could face Iran alone if Netanyahu loses, according to the Jerusalem Post. The Financial Times and Bloomberg report that Arab Israeli voters are mobilising to oust Netanyahu in a tightly fought vote.

Geopolitics

Iran's Revolutionary Guards say two loaded supertankers caught fire after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The Guards also declared the strait closed.

Geopolitics

Houthi forces have encircled Taiz and hit Aden's airport while attacking Saudi Arabia. Egypt and the UAE are moving to support Riyadh.

Geopolitics

Masked settlers attacked European diplomats and a French mayor in the West Bank on Saturday, a day after a Washington Post photographer was beaten. The US and Belgium demanded action.

Geopolitics

Floods in Istanbul have killed four people, and three others are listed as missing, Politika reports. Koha calls them the heaviest floods in 80 years.

Geopolitics

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced on Saturday that Lebanon and Israel will take part in US-backed trilateral talks in Tampa, Florida, on 20 October. According to Reuters, Lebanon's military delegation will press for a halt to Israeli attacks.

Geopolitics

Israeli drone attacks killed six Palestinians across Gaza despite the ceasefire, according to Al Jazeera, which also reports that UNICEF says more than 340 children have been killed since the ceasefire began a year ago. Daily Sabah reports that shelters are increasingly damaged after repeated displacement during three years of war, as millions face winter rains and floods.

Geopolitics

Trump told Newsmax the US may have to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. Iran's military reported a tanker on fire in the Gulf of Oman.

Geopolitics

Houthi missiles hit the government's palace in Aden on Thursday, killing five. The group is closing in on Taiz while its attacks on Saudi Arabia continue.

Geopolitics

Israeli settlers attacked olive pickers in several West Bank villages on Friday and beat photographer Heidi Levine. The Washington Post demanded an investigation.

Geopolitics

Israel has stopped commercial shipments into Gaza for a second day, citing a dispute between merchants and Hamas. UNICEF warned on Friday that progress against malnutrition could unravel.

Geopolitics

Rubio is pressing Lebanon not to return seized explosives to Hezbollah, according to Politika and Al Jazeera. Hezbollah says they were meant for use against Israel, while political figures and some analysts fear assassinations.

Geopolitics

The death toll from flooding in Istanbul has risen to four after a worker died at a school construction site in the Beykoz district, Daily Sabah reports. Search operations continue for five missing people, while the heavy rain triggered 48 landslides and damaged 300 businesses.

Geopolitics

Houthi missiles hit the government's palace complex in Aden on Thursday, while strikes on Saudi Arabia continue.

Geopolitics

CNN reported on Thursday that US strike plans for Iran include the 'mother of all bombs' should Trump order combat to resume. Officials doubt it would achieve Washington's aims.

Geopolitics

A Singapore-registered container ship sank in the Strait of Hormuz after an attack. A UN official warns of a food crisis without a fertiliser deal.

Geopolitics

Israel's military body COGAT said on Thursday that commercial goods have stopped entering Gaza, blaming a dispute between traders and Hamas. Hamas and Gaza's government media office deny imposing taxes.

Geopolitics

The EU-Gulf summit in Riyadh has been postponed amid Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, The National reports. The FIFAe Finals in Jeddah and the Six Kings Slam tennis tournament were also postponed, and the AFC president says the Asian Cup, due to start in January, could be moved by a year.

Geopolitics

Hezbollah said on Thursday that an explosive-laden vehicle seized by the Lebanese army belonged to it and that the explosives were meant to attack Israel, according to Reuters. The Jerusalem Post reports, citing sources, that Iran told Hezbollah to raise its readiness for a possible conflict.

Geopolitics

Hezbollah claimed ownership of the explosive-laden vehicle the Lebanese army seized, The National reports. According to the Jerusalem Post, Iran told the group to prepare, and all full-time members who receive monthly salaries were summoned.

Geopolitics

A Singapore-flagged container ship sank near the Strait of Hormuz after an attack, as Iranian strikes on shipping surge.

Geopolitics

Houthi missiles damaged Saudi Aramco's headquarters in Dhahran on Tuesday night. The group says attacks on Saudi airports and oil sites will continue.

Geopolitics

Fighting in Yemen is overwhelming hospitals and cutting food aid, relief agencies warn, as Houthi forces press toward Taiz.

Geopolitics

An Israeli air strike killed a woman in Gaza City on Wednesday, and settlers burned a West Bank prayer room. Israel is also blocking a Board of Peace outpost.

Geopolitics

Netanyahu said on Wednesday he is not seeking to attack Iran again before Israel's election, Reuters reports. The Jerusalem Post, citing regional diplomats, reports that Iranian leaders consider renewed US strikes inevitable.

Geopolitics

Iran executed a monarchist convicted of armed attacks during the war, the judiciary's news outlet said, and a woman received a death sentence over a social media post deemed blasphemous, according to the Guardian. Separately, at least two security officials were killed near Chabahar port, while rights groups count at least 600 executions in Iran this year.

Geopolitics

The Saudi-led coalition struck oil facilities around Sanaa on Tuesday after an evacuation warning. The Houthis answered with missiles and drones aimed at Riyadh and Dhahran.

Geopolitics

Iran has hit 24 ships near the Strait of Hormuz in two weeks, the most intense spell since the war began. Tehran says it has agreed a temporary safe route with Oman.

Geopolitics

Axios and Israel's Channel 12 report that Netanyahu pressed Trump last week on resuming strikes on Iran before Israel votes. Trump says a decision will come "very soon".

Geopolitics

Israeli forces raided several Palestinian NGO offices in Ramallah and a hospital in the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera reports. WAFA reported that snipers were deployed outside the entrances to the Palestine Medical Complex.

Geopolitics

A year after the Gaza ceasefire, Israeli attacks continue, according to Al Jazeera's weekly Palestine roundup published on Tuesday. Settler violence is also disrupting the oil harvest in the West Bank.

Geopolitics

Saudi Arabia extended the closure of Riyadh's King Khalid airport until Saturday after repeated Houthi strikes. Iran has offered to mediate.

Geopolitics

Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they hit a third supertanker in the Strait of Hormuz within two days. Tehran is still reviewing Washington's reply to its seven-point plan, with mediators relaying messages.

Geopolitics

Israeli fire killed at least two people in Gaza on Monday, according to medics and health officials, a day after three others were killed. Al Jazeera reports that Israel restricts access to 65 percent of the territory and that more than 1.4 million people are acutely short of food.

Geopolitics

Turkish security sources said on Monday that PKK militants evacuated four 'areas of accommodation' in Metina in northern Iraq, according to Daily Sabah and Reuters. The Hindu describes the pullout as part of the peace process with Turkey.

Geopolitics

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the identification and prosecution of the soldiers and officers interviewed in the documentary NAZA, the Guardian reports. The film by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor draws on 24 anonymous Israeli sources who accuse the military of killing Palestinians in Gaza using AI systems.

Geopolitics

The EU established a support mission for Lebanon on Monday that will advise and assist the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces on territorial control, border security and internal security. France and Italy are expected to take part, and according to Le Monde the mission is not meant to replace the UN force Unifil.

Geopolitics

A Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid airport on Saturday killed at least 12 and wounded more than 300, and a second attack followed on Sunday. The Saudi-led coalition promised a firm response, while airlines and regulators pull back.

Geopolitics

A US jet disabled a ship leaving Iran, and tankers burned near Hormuz and Sohar. Iran called Washington's reply to its seven conditions insufficient.

Geopolitics

A tour bus collided with a truck on a highway in Turkey's Manisa province on Sunday, killing at least 11 people and injuring 27, local authorities said. Politika reports the crash happened near Akhisar and that the cause is being determined.

Geopolitics

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas postponed elections on Saturday, with the vote now set for September 2027 instead of November, according to the Jerusalem Post and Le Monde. France urged the Palestinian Authority leadership to reverse the decision, and The National reports that Palestinian factions will meet in Egypt for reconciliation talks.

Geopolitics

A missile hit Riyadh's King Khalid airport on Saturday, the third attack there this week. Trump says the US may join Saudi strikes on the Houthis.

Geopolitics

Iran says a supertanker hit a mine in Hormuz, while the US disabled a ship leaving an Iranian port.

Geopolitics

A year after the ceasefire, Al Jazeera reports that continuing attacks, restrictions on medical aid and delayed evacuations are still killing Palestinians in Gaza. Kushner, marking a year of Trump's peace plan, cited hostage returns and increased aid but warned that Hamas disarmament remains unfinished, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Geopolitics

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas postponed the legislative elections planned for 28 November by a year and called a presidential election for September 2027, Le Monde and Reuters report. The Jerusalem Post says Israeli military attacks, settlement expansion, settler violence, movement restrictions and withheld Palestinian revenues were cited as reasons.

Geopolitics

Turkey will bar children under 15 from social media from 1 November, with stricter age verification and new safeguards for teenagers, Daily Sabah reports. Le Monde notes that the law takes effect while Ankara is restricting freedom of expression.

Technology

Trump said on Thursday the US will not attack Iran before the 3 November midterms, citing talks with Tehran. Iran's Revolutionary Guards meanwhile hit tankers beyond Hormuz.

Geopolitics

Saudi Arabia said on Friday that three of its citizens, including a pilot, died in two Houthi attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid airport a day earlier. The UN envoy for Yemen told the Security Council the country has returned to full-scale war.

Geopolitics

The UAE attorney general said on Friday that the Omani co-pilot who tried to seize a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight meant to crash it into a Ben Gurion airport terminal. The suspect says he acted alone.

Geopolitics

More than 100 humanitarian and human rights groups say the Gaza ceasefire exists in name only, citing continued Israeli killings and restrictions, according to Al Jazeera. The UN says nearly all residents need shelter and thousands remain missing, one year into the truce.

Geopolitics

The Palestinian Authority is set to delay legislative elections planned for 28 November, according to a letter to France cited by Reuters and the New York Times. The letter blames deteriorating conditions in the Palestinian territory, and the New York Times notes the delay comes as the governing Fatah party suffers deep internal rifts.

Geopolitics

Al Jazeera recorded at least 19 attacks by Israeli settlers across the West Bank on Friday, while Israeli forces separately detained 16 Palestinians. Palestinian farmers harvesting olives are asking international activists for protection.

Geopolitics

The Houthis claimed a third attack on Riyadh's airport on Thursday, after earlier strikes on Saudi airports killed three people. The Saudi-led coalition vows punishment.

Geopolitics

Trump said on Thursday the US will not attack Iran before the 3 November midterms, after a report on Pentagon strike options. Ship traffic through Hormuz fell to its lowest in over two months.

Geopolitics

Britain's consulate general in East Jerusalem will stay open under a new name, UK mission, after Israel's 30-day closure order expired on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said. Workers removed the consulate's signage, Reuters journalists saw, and the New York Times describes the arrangement as a last-minute deal between Israel and the UK.

Geopolitics

The World Bank forecasts that the Middle East economy will shrink 2.1% in 2026 and Gulf economies 4.3%, the Jerusalem Post reports. Asian states are building oil buffers in response to the Iran war, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE joining a Japan-led push, according to Reuters and Bloomberg.

Economy

Three years after Hamas's attack on southern Israel, 82% of structures in the Gaza Strip are damaged, Folha de S.Paulo reports. On the anniversary, Israeli forces killed Civil Defense volunteer Mohammad Tammous near the ruined Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, according to Telesur.

Geopolitics

Israeli army captain Eliav Haim Tzapalamus was killed during an operation in southern Lebanon, and three other soldiers were lightly injured, the Jerusalem Post reports. More than 340,000 people from southern Lebanon remain displaced three months after the end-of-June ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, according to Le Monde.

Geopolitics

Cemil Tugay, mayor of Türkiye's third-largest city, joined Erdoğan's ruling AK Party on Wednesday, according to Daily Sabah. He previously belonged to the opposition CHP and, as FAZ notes, still called switching parties "indecent" in 2025.

Geopolitics

Three foreign nationals died in attacks on the Riyadh and Abha airports, Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said on Wednesday. The Houthis claimed the strikes and also hit Aden's airport.

Geopolitics

Attacks on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz reached their highest weekly count of the war, sources told Reuters. Washington says the strait is open, Tehran says it is closed.

Geopolitics

The UN migration agency says more than 200,000 people have fled their homes in Yemen since fighting escalated, up from 76,000 in mid-September. About 3,700 have crossed the sea to Djibouti.

Geopolitics

Turkey is sending mainly defensive and technical support to Saudi Arabia against the Houthis, two officials said on Wednesday. Syria denied reports that it may join.

Geopolitics

Israel marked the third anniversary of the Hamas attack that set off the Gaza war on Wednesday with silent tributes and political debate, weeks before elections. Al Jazeera reports that Israeli attacks across Gaza killed at least four Palestinians, among them a Civil Defence rescue volunteer in the north.

Geopolitics

Iraq set the dinar at 1,520 per US dollar, the state news agency said, according to Reuters. Bloomberg links the devaluation to the Hormuz disruption hitting oil exports, while The National cites a cash squeeze from war and the Hormuz closure.

Economy

Israeli forces raided several West Bank communities, imposing curfews, detaining people and demolishing a Palestinian home, Telesur reports, around the third anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel. Al Jazeera showed a soldier smashing a memorial to Palestinians, and the Jerusalem Post, citing N12 footage, reports that settlers attacked a Palestinian home and set a vehicle on fire.

Geopolitics

New Zealand authorities have launched their own investigation as the alleged hijacker's training there comes under scrutiny: Hamam al-Hammami spent 175 days in the country until May 2019, The Guardian reports. Reuters reports, citing sources, that Saudi Arabia has opened an air safety probe, while the Jerusalem Post says police are examining aviation security failures at the Transport Ministry.

Geopolitics

The Guardian reports that the forced closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem marks a low point in UK-Israeli relations. According to reports, the UK is considering expelling Israeli diplomats from London in retaliation.

Geopolitics

Cemil Tugay, mayor of Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city and an opposition stronghold, joined President Erdoğan's AKP on Wednesday. The Guardian reports that he had vowed never to switch sides, and that the move comes amid a political crackdown.

Geopolitics

Oman evacuated injured crew members from the tanker On Peace after an attack in the Strait of Hormuz. India's Foreign Ministry says 11 of the 12 injured are Indian nationals.

Geopolitics

Yemen's government says it pushed the Houthis back near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which the Houthis deny. The Houthis meanwhile struck Saudi airports.

Geopolitics

Oil exports from the Gulf are back near 80% of prewar levels, according to Shell's chief executive. Iran keeps attacking ships in Hormuz, and Western stockpiles are nearly spent.

Economy

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey invoked their Mecca defence pact on Monday, citing Houthi attacks. Neither the size nor the role of the forces has been disclosed.

Geopolitics

Defense Minister Katz ordered the army on Tuesday to raise its vigilance and prepare for 'any possible scenario' in Gaza, and warned that Gaza's population would pay a heavy price if Hamas attacks during the commemorations, Le Monde reports. Prime Minister Netanyahu claims Hamas is plotting an attack, according to TASS.

Geopolitics

One year after the Gaza ceasefire began, Trump's plan remains stalled according to Reuters and the Jerusalem Post: Hamas is still armed, Israeli forces hold most of Gaza and reconstruction has barely started. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday the truce has failed to provide stability or sufficient relief and urged all parties to meet their obligations.

Geopolitics

Britain will expel Israeli diplomats if Israel closes its consulate in Jerusalem, the Financial Times reports, while Reuters, citing sources, says such expulsions are likely. National security adviser Jonathan Powell held talks with the Israeli government last week in a bid to reach a compromise, but The National reports Israel rebuffed the British plea as the closure deadline nears.

Geopolitics

Saudi-backed Yemeni forces claim control of the Bab el-Mandeb area as their offensive against the Houthis continues. The Houthis deny this and are striking Saudi targets.

Geopolitics

Attacks on tankers in and around the Strait of Hormuz continued over the weekend, and the IRGC turned another vessel back. Iran says no US warships remain in the Gulf region.

Geopolitics

Iranian oil minister Mohsen Paknejad resigned amid a large drop in oil receipts, rampant inflation and a shrinking economy, The Guardian reports. According to Shana via Tehran Times, President Masoud Pezeshkian accepted the resignation and named Hamid Bovard acting minister, while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, per Breitbart, that Iran will have no oil revenue this week.

Economy

Britain's national security adviser Jonathan Powell held talks with Israeli officials last week but failed to agree on keeping the UK consulate in East Jerusalem open, according to sources cited by Reuters. London has threatened to expel 27 Israeli diplomats if the consulate is closed and British diplomats are expelled, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Geopolitics

Tanker attacks resumed in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran says stays shut until its conditions are met. Iran's security chief admitted a dire economic crisis.

Geopolitics

Yemen's Saudi-backed government announced on Sunday an operation to retake all Houthi-held territory. Hours earlier, the Houthis had cut Taiz's supply route.

Geopolitics

An Omani co-pilot attacked the captain of a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, and Israeli passengers overpowered him. Israeli agencies now dispute who should have vetted him.

Geopolitics

The WFP cut Gaza food aid by 50% for lack of funds, Telesur reports. Israeli strikes killed at least six Palestinians at the weekend.

Geopolitics

American troops withdrew from Erbil at the end of September, closing a chapter that began with the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to Daily Sabah. Iraq's prime minister ordered a probe after Iran-backed militias trampled a US flag, The National reports, while Iran welcomed the departure of US and other foreign forces, according to Tehran Times.

Geopolitics

Iran has rejected Trump's threat to declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory, saying its blockade holds until Washington concedes defeat. Attacks on shipping are multiplying.

Geopolitics

Israeli air strikes on two villages in southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people, including three children, on Saturday, the deadliest day since the truce with Hezbollah took effect in June.

Geopolitics

Washington is preparing new economic measures to force Tehran to capitulate after almost six months of war. Iran says its ports and oil output are holding up.

Economy

Washington is pressing Israel's prime minister to condemn settlers besieging Palestinian families in the West Bank village of Qusra. Benjamin Netanyahu has not commented.

Geopolitics

Houthi missiles and drones hit residential areas of government-held Marib on Saturday and again overnight. Yemen's government calls the attacks an escalation; the port of Mokha has halted operations.

Geopolitics

Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya travelled to Cairo on Sunday to meet Egypt's intelligence chief. US envoy Jared Kushner is due in Israel and Egypt next week.

Geopolitics

Parliament has adopted an amnesty law for members of the PKK, which President Erdoğan presents as a gift of peace. The FAZ writes that something quite different lies behind the move, with critics reading the law as a political trade rather than an opening of democratic space.

Geopolitics

Al Jazeera reported on Saturday that cleanup crews are working along 12 kilometres of Omani coastline after a spill from the grounded tanker. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei put the region's environmental damage from the Hormuz oil slicks in the trillions of dollars and said everyone involved in commercial shipping operations must bear legal and moral responsibility for clearing the aftermath.

Geopolitics

Iran has formally accused Qatar of holding three air force pilots as prisoners of war since their fighter jets were shot down in March during an attack on the US Al Udeid air base, and has asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to examine the case. Qatar denies detaining any Iranian pilots and dismissed Tehran's account as misleading.

Geopolitics

Iran's intelligence ministry says it has detained two French diplomats and that seized material points to a foreign influence operation. Tehran said on Saturday that France should not waste its citizens' tax money on illegal interference in Iranian affairs.

Geopolitics

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States. Tehran rejected the claim.

Geopolitics

Israel's defence minister ordered the army on Friday to hand civilian law enforcement in the occupied West Bank to the police. Settlers have besieged Palestinian families in Qusra since Sunday.

Geopolitics