Trump: ‘The war in Iran will end soon, one way or another.’ Israel: Netanyahu in the lead but without a majority

The Israeli news website Ynet reports that the investigation launched in Israel into alleged foreign interference in this week’s national elections is focusing on Turkey, as well as Qatar. The Mossad is also involved in the investigation, alongside the Shin Bet. Doha and Ankara have rejected the allegations.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard claims that a supertanker carrying over 2 million barrels of oil struck a naval mine, exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz. This is the third incident involving an oil tanker on Friday resulting from the use of unauthorised routes. The US military denies the allegations regarding the mines, stating that the main shipping lanes are clear. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia claims to have intercepted a drone launched by the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels near Mecca, a claim the Houthis deny. In other news, mediators from Qatar are returning to Tehran for talks, whilst rescue teams are searching for people missing following flash floods in Syria.

According to an unconfirmed report, the source of which is not specified, broadcast by Channel 12, the intelligence agency is reportedly working with the Shin Bet to investigate alleged foreign interference, which is suspected to originate not only from Qatar but also from other countries.

The allegations relate to an alleged attempt to pay Arab voters to increase their turnout at the polls.

“We will not sit down with supporters of terrorism!” Avigdor Liberman, leader of the Israel Beiteinu party – a right-wing party forming part of the Change Bloc, which won seven seats in the election – wrote this on Facebook, declaring that he would not join a coalition with the Arab parties. “After 7 October, Ofer Cassif supported the legal proceedings initiated by South Africa against Israel at the ICC and said that the Israeli army carries out acts of terrorism. Ra’am MP Yasir Hujeirat said that Hamas is a charitable organisation. If anyone wishes to rely on supporters of terrorism, that is their choice. Israel Beiteinu will not be part of it.”

The meeting held yesterday at the White House, during which the US commander in the Middle East, Brad Cooper, is reported to have outlined military options for Iran to Donald Trump, “did not focus on attacks”. This was reported by Barak Ravid of Axios on X, who added that, according to several US officials, “more than 20 people” attended the meeting. In particular, the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss “at length economic sanctions and pressure”. However, “this does not mean that attacks cannot take place immediately after the mid-term elections”. Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine were also present at the meeting. Cooper, in particular, rarely briefs Trump in person, and the meeting, the WSJ noted, may have indicated that the United States is moving towards an operation in the near future.

The Omani Navy has confirmed that it assisted in rescue operations for 25 crew members of a merchant ship that was “targeted” 106 nautical miles off the coast of the Musandam Governorate, without specifying the origin of the attack, which caused a fire on board the Panama-flagged vessel. This was reported by the satellite TV channel Al Jazeera. The Omani authorities have stated that medical assistance was provided to the crew members.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has stated that it has intercepted two oil tankers attempting to sail along unauthorised routes through the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by the Iranian state news agency IRNA. The Pasdaran Navy specified that one oil tanker was intercepted in the eastern part of the Strait and the other in the western part. Both had switched off their navigation and tracking systems and were attempting to cross the Strait along unauthorised routes with US military support, it added. The Revolutionary Guards stated that the vessels had ignored repeated radio warnings, but did not specify how they were intercepted in the waters along the southern side of the Strait.

The war in Iran will end soon, one way or another. Donald Trump reiterated this in an interview on the radio programme “Mundo in the Morning”, stressing that Tehran must reach an agreement.

The commander of the US Central Command (Centcom), Admiral Brad Cooper, has stated that the main internationally recognised shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz are free of Iranian naval mines and that vessels are sailing freely through the strait. In a video posted on Centcom’s X account, Cooper said he had flown over the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, observing dozens of commercial vessels of all kinds passing through the waterway. “Here’s what I didn’t see: I didn’t see the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in that area at all,” Cooper said, claiming that the Iranian navy is “entirely at the bottom of the sea”.

“I wasn’t the one who started the war with Iran. They were the ones who started the war against us in 1979.” US President Donald Trump made this statement today whilst speaking on KCMO radio. “They want to reach an agreement. But you know, they have to reach an agreement. We need a guarantee that there will never be a nuclear weapon,” Trump told Kansas City radio.

In Gaza, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are no longer able to treat patients with severe facial burns due to the blockade on supplies imposed by Israel. The humanitarian organisation states in a press release that the Israeli authorities are refusing entry to essential materials needed to produce the 3D masks that help burn patients, including children, to avoid deformities and permanent disabilities. “We produced the last 3D mask for people with severe burns on 14 October 2026 in Gaza,” emphasised Dr Feras Swairjo, head of MSF’s physiotherapy activities, “Due to the restrictions and blockade imposed by the Israeli authorities on essential materials, we are no longer able to continue treating patients who have suffered severe facial injuries and burns.” “We have the medical expertise and capacity to help these patients, but we are being denied the basic materials needed to carry out our work,” the doctor added.

A Qatari delegation has arrived in Tehran for “talks” with Iranian officials, according to reports in the Iranian state media, as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to revive peace talks with the United States. According to the official IRNA news agency, the Qatari delegation, led by a senior adviser to the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, arrived in Tehran to meet senior officials of the Islamic Republic and discuss “bilateral relations between Iran and Qatar, as well as regional developments”.

In a lengthy post on X, Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, commented on the political situation in the wake of the complete count of the ballot papers. “I know. I, too, wanted a clear, immediate victory – the sort that lets you go to bed feeling satisfied. That’s not what we got. What did we get, then? A 77.7 per cent turnout – the highest since 1999. The people turned out to vote. Netanyahu secured 53 seats. A collapse.” “Even of this reduced number, 13 seats belong to parties that declare themselves to be non-Zionist. That leaves him with 40. That’s all he has. Whatever he does, he has nowhere to find a governing majority. So we’ve won. It’s not a knockout victory. It’s a victory on points. But that counts too. A victory is a victory.” Lapid then outlined the real difficulty that now arises, given that there was no overwhelming majority. “Now comes the really difficult part: trying to form a government. It’s not an exact science, nor is it a mechanical process: it’s a complicated political process. But we have something we didn’t have on Monday morning: a huge Israeli majority that has declared it wants this.” “So I must ask you for something that is difficult to ask of Israelis: patience. An election campaign is the most high-profile thing there is. Everything is public, everything is fast-paced, everything is immediate; there’s a headline in the papers every hour. Forming a government is exactly the opposite. It’s done in small rooms, slowly, without cameras. Those who talk about it are usually not actually involved in the process. I know that human nature abhors uncertainty, but just think how much you would hate to discover, in a month’s time, that because of a newspaper headline or some rumour, we had not worked intelligently, quietly and precisely.”

The Houthis have denied launching an attack on Saudi Arabia this morning, after the Saudi-led coalition claimed to have intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the group over the Mecca region.

The Houthis’ military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, dismissed the coalition’s account as false in a post on X, stating that the group had not carried out any operations into Saudi territory. He also clarified that their operations target Saudi oil facilities and military bases. The Houthis, backed by Iran, have launched a series of cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia, striking military installations, airports and energy infrastructure. The group has repeatedly denied targeting Mecca and Medina, Islam’s two holiest cities, rejecting previous allegations by the Saudi-led coalition that they had launched drones towards those locations.

Turkey is ready to host a new round of talks between the United States and Iran, although the venue and date of the meeting have not yet been finalised. This was reported by a source within the Ankara government.

“We have expressed our willingness to host these talks [between the United States and Iran] at the highest level. We have, in fact, made this clear. However, the venue and date of the negotiations have not yet been finalised,” the source said.

Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, is the man on whom US intelligence is pinning its hopes to prevent the crisis with Iran from escalating into a new war following the mid-term elections. The former commander of the Revolutionary Guards is regarded by Washington as the only figure capable of facilitating an agreement on the nuclear programme and building consensus within the Iranian leadership. For this reason, in recent days, Vice-President Jd Vance sent him a letter, expressing his willingness to meet him in person to discuss a solution. According to a report by David Ignatius in the Washington Post, US intelligence officials believe that Rezaei is in constant contact with the Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and that the two have also been in communication in recent days, following Vance’s letter. According to the newspaper, a possible meeting between the Vice-President and Rezaei could take place in Qatar – a country that continues to play a leading role in mediation – or in Istanbul. US intelligence officials believe that, within the current Iranian power structure, Rezaei is one of the few capable of facilitating dialogue between the various factions of the regime and of pursuing an agreement with the United States. The former commander of the Pasdaran retains the authority he has built up over the years at the helm of the Revolutionary Guards and has gradually consolidated his influence within the Supreme National Security Council, which he now heads.

An oil tanker caught fire after a small boat attached two explosive devices to its hull whilst the vessel was passing through the Strait of Hormuz, rendering it temporarily out of action. This was reported today by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which stated that the explosives had been attached above the waterline, causing explosions on Thursday that led to a fire in the engine room. The UKMTO did not identify the oil tanker, which was sailing approximately 46 kilometres north-east of Khasab, in Oman, nor did it indicate who was responsible for the attack. It stated that the crew were safe and that there were no environmental consequences. The incident comes after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard stated yesterday that three oil tankers had struck mines whilst attempting to leave the Strait via an unauthorised route. Earlier this month, the UKMTO stated that October has already been the busiest month in terms of reported attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz since March, during the early months of the war with Iran.

Qatari mediators have returned to Tehran in an attempt to reach an “agreement” between Iran and the United States. This is reported by Ynet News, citing Reuters, which states that the Qatari delegation arrived in the Iranian capital with the consent of the US.

The Pentagon has referred to the Department of Justice the case concerning the alleged leaks of classified information that led to the removal of Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, one of the key figures responsible for US military strategic planning. The affair, which concerns confidential information on Ukraine and Iran, has caused serious tensions within the Joint Chiefs of Staff, whilst conflicting accounts are emerging regarding the officer’s responsibility.

“The Department of Defence has a zero-tolerance policy towards the deliberate and unauthorised disclosure of classified information,” said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, explaining that, following “an extensive internal investigation”, the case had been referred to the Department of Justice “for possible legal action”. Parnell did not explicitly mention Sylvia, but a Defence official confirmed to the Washington Post that the statement referred to her removal. According to the spokesperson, the measure was necessary to “protect sensitive information”.

The letter that Iran claims to have received from J.D. Vance was drafted following mediation led primarily by Qatar, according to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to The Guardian. It was sent on Sunday to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. The document calls on Tehran to make concrete commitments regarding its nuclear programme, setting in motion a process that would lead, within seven days, to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, in exchange for an easing of US sanctions.

Israel’s Electoral Commission, in announcing the results this morning – which show that the bloc led by Benjamin Netanyahu is in the lead but does not have a majority in Parliament – stated that the Shin Bet’s investigation into alleged electoral interference by unspecified “foreign entities” is based on classified intelligence. In a video statement, the commission’s acting director-general, Dean Livne, did not go into detail, but warned that reports concerning the investigation are “entirely unfounded”. “This does not affect the final findings that will be presented to the President, nor does it concern any particular segment of the population,” he said.

“These elections were won by the millions of Israelis who want to change and rebuild the country. Of course, we were hoping for a few more seats, but what matters is that the outgoing coalition has lost support and ended up well behind the combined opposition bloc.” This was stated by Yair Golan, leader of Israel’s left-wing party, the Democrats, in an interview with *Corriere della Sera*. What is the first thing you will do? “Make full use of the majority we have in Parliament, as soon as the swearing-in takes place next week. The opposition will elect a new Speaker of the Knesset and push through key legislation, starting with a state commission of inquiry into 7 October,” he replied. “I will do everything I can to convince my allies that this is a historic moment, and that we must do everything possible to send Netanyahu and his lot packing. Working with the Arab parties is not just one option among many; it is what the moment demands of us. We cannot let the taboos of politics hold us back,” Golan added, arguing that “Bibi” Netanyahu “has lost and is in a panic. He’s clinging on to power. Hearing his camp talk about money from Qatar is laughable. It was he who channelled Qatari funds to Hamas, and money from Doha found its way into his office during the war. Any suspicion regarding the vote must be investigated, but the real agents of Qatar were right there with him. The truth is that Netanyahu is terrified that we will elect a new Speaker of the Knesset, that we will scrap the judicial reform and that we will set up a commission of inquiry to investigate him. So this is an attempt to delegitimise part of the opposition.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition has overtaken the main opposition bloc, though it remains well short of the majority needed to retain control of the Knesset: this is according to the final results of the general election, which were announced last night.