Iran: US strikes Qeshm Island. Tehran: ‘The response will be crushing’

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, has condemned the US attacks on the island of Qeshm in the Persian Gulf, which took place last night. “In our view, the aggression against Iran has not ended and we remain in a state of war,” he added, warning: “Iran reserves the right to self-defence until the military aggression comes to a complete and definitive end.” “We are prepared for any scenario. Should the United States choose to take a different course of action, Iran will take its defence seriously.”

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has led to a €127 billion increase in the cost of fossil fuel imports for Europe, without any increase in the amount of energy available. This was stated by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at the WinWin Brussels Summit, emphasising that the energy transition is now not only a climate issue, but also one of competitiveness and the European Union’s strategic independence. “Since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, imported fossil fuels have cost Europe an extra €127 billion, without a single additional molecule of energy,” said von der Leyen. “When we import oil and gas, we risk importing the shocks and crises that come with them. The green transition is therefore, on the one hand, about protecting our climate, but on the other, also about Europe’s competitiveness and independence.” The Commission President reiterated the commitment to achieving climate neutrality by 2050, recalling the agreement on the target to reduce European emissions by 90 per cent by 2040. “I want to be absolutely clear: Europe will stay the course; we will meet our targets and support our clean industries,” she assured. Von der Leyen pointed out that, since 2021, over 1,200 billion euros have been invested in sustainable activities across the EU and that the global market for clean technologies is growing by around 20 per cent a year. The Commission is also working on the creation of a Bank for Industrial Decarbonisation, with the aim of mobilising €100 billion to support the transformation of manufacturing.

“Any further act of aggression by the United States will be met with an immediate and overwhelming response, even more extensive than before, and the geographical scope of the conflict will not be limited to the West Asia region.” This was reiterated by the Iranian army spokesperson, Mohammad Akraminia, who warned: “If they were to carry out a new threat, US facilities, equipment, forces and interests, wherever they may be within reach, could become targets of retaliation,” he continued, according to the Fars news agency. “The armed forces are updating their targets to include a wide range of material and immaterial resources belonging to the American-Zionist enemy.”

The leader of Israel Beytenu, Avigdor Lieberman, wrote in a post on X that “new elections must be avoided” and that it is possible to form “a stable government” without the Israeli-Arab parties. In a statement published shortly before the scheduled meeting between the leaders of the parties making up the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, Lieberman stated that “in the current political situation, there is sufficient room for manoeuvre and, with prudent management, it is possible to quickly form a stable and functioning government, without the United Arab List (Ra’am, ed.) or the Joint List”.

The leader of the Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, has ruled out the possibility of joining a government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even if a request to that effect were to come from US President Donald Trump. This was reported by the Israeli broadcaster Kan, citing sources. “I will not sit in a government led by Netanyahu,” Eisenkot is reported to have said during a recent closed-door meeting, adding: “If Trump were to call me, I would respect the President and attend, but I would reiterate that this is an internal Israeli matter.”

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Europe is set to head into winter with the lowest levels of natural gas storage since 2013, which could prolong tensions on the global gas market in 2027. This is according to a report by the International Energy Agency.

At the end of October, the EU’s gas reserves were only 75 per cent full, well below the minimum 80 per cent fill target set at European Union level, and at their lowest level in over ten years, according to the organisation.

Violent fires have broken out following Saudi Arabian air strikes on the port of Ras Issa, on the Red Sea in Yemen, and on an oil facility in the province of Hodeidah. The Houthis have reported that seven people have been injured. Footage broadcast by the Houthi-run television channel Al-Masirah.

“Iran and the United States are a long way from reaching an agreement to end the war.” This was reported by Ynet News, quoting a senior Iranian official who spoke to the Reuters news agency, adding that “the United States’ excessive demands will not be accepted by Tehran. “The United States must meet the conditions we have set if it wants the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened. Talks on the nuclear issue can only begin after that. Iran,” he concluded, “is prepared to respond forcefully, both in the region and beyond, if the United States attacks.”

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has reported that a merchant ship, the MSV Al Jusufi, was attacked near Limah, in Oman, and that an Indian seafarer has died. This was reported by the Indian news agency PTI. “We condemn the attack carried out last night on the merchant vessel MSV Al Jusufi, near Limah in Oman. Of the 14 Indian nationals on board, 13 were rescued, whilst one Indian national tragically lost his life as a result of his injuries. We express our deepest condolences for the precious life lost,” reads the statement from the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. “The spate of attacks on commercial shipping in the region is a source of deep concern. We reiterate our call for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and for the conclusion of the ongoing negotiations aimed at a diplomatic solution, so that peace and stability may return to the region,” the ministry stated, adding that “attacks on commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must cease, and free and unhindered navigation and trade through the region’s international waterways, in accordance with international law, must be restored as soon as possible”.

The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and chief negotiator in the talks with the United States, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has stated that it is up to Washington to “prevent war”. “The countries in the region must know that, just as the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready for battle with its finger on the trigger, it has also provided the American side with a strong and rational response,” he said in a televised address. “It is now up to the United States to prevent war.”

“Iran harbours no hostility towards the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council”: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote this today on X, referring to the interview he gave to Al Jazeera in recent days, in which he expressed Tehran’s intention to reach regional security agreements that do not involve the military presence of foreign powers. “In my interview with Al Jazeera, I emphasised that Iran harbours no hostility towards the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council. We appreciate the positive role played by Qatar and Oman and are continuing our dialogue with Saudi Arabia,” the minister wrote. “Our aim is to establish new regional security agreements, defined by the countries of the region, without the military presence of foreign powers.”

Following the attacks on the island of Qeshm, in Iran, US President Donald Trump stated in an interview with Fox News that “we may have to strike Fordo (site of Iran’s main and most heavily guarded underground uranium enrichment facility, ed.), it’s no problem”. According to the tycoon, the United States can do so “within an hour and at any time they wish”. He added: “Iran is not in a good position to negotiate. This is not a war; it is a very minor conflict.” The United States struck the Iranian island of Qeshm, in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Wall Street Journal, just as Donald Trump had, shortly before, expressed optimism regarding negotiations with Tehran. The attack comes on the eve of the US mid-term elections.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are advising President Donald Trump to maintain the status quo with Iran – characterised by the absence of both war and agreements – with the aim of continuing the campaign of economic pressure rather than launching a new large-scale military attack. This is reported by Axios, which states that, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter, Ratcliffe explained to the tycoon how “prolonged economic hardship” could push Tehran towards further concessions or create such instability within the country as to provoke a popular uprising.

Yesterday afternoon, US President Donald Trump replied “No” when asked about a possible new attack on Iran. Trump himself made this clear by shaking his head when asked by an NBC News journalist whether he was considering a new attack on Iran following the mid-term elections. The exchange took place immediately after the President’s remarks this afternoon at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington DC.

President Donald Trump speaks at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

US forces attacked the Iranian island of Qeshm, in the Strait of Hormuz, last night. US officials told the Wall Street Journal this, after Iranian media had reported several explosions heard on the island. According to officials interviewed by the WSJ, last night’s raid is the latest in a series of limited attacks that Washington has been conducting covertly against Iran in recent weeks. Other officials interviewed by the US media went on to clarify that the raids, carried out on the eve of the US mid-term elections, do not signal a resumption of large-scale military operations against Iran. The sources described the attacks as measures of self-defence, in response to Iran’s attempts to target maritime traffic and US targets.