Latest war news. UK Deputy Prime Minister: the war in Iran has been catastrophic; de-escalation is needed

The Lebanese Prime Minister has warned of the risk of dragging the country into a new war should the conflict in the Middle East flare up again; a warning that appears to be clearly directed at Hezbollah. “Faced with the risks of a resumption of conflict in the region, I reiterate my warning about the dangers of dragging Lebanon into a new, senseless adventure in the service of external interests,” said Nawaf Salam. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has dragged Lebanon into war against Israel twice in the space of a few years; the most recent incident dates back to March, when the group attacked Lebanon’s southern neighbour on behalf of Tehran. “We cannot accept the country becoming, once again, a theatre for other people’s conflicts,” added Salam, stressing that Lebanon has “already paid a very high price”.

China is calling for a resumption of hostilities in the Middle East to be avoided and says it is ready to strengthen dialogue with Saudi Arabia, Iran and other countries in the region to facilitate a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crises, including that relating to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This was stated by the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, who emphasised that Beijing supports negotiations between Tehran and Washington and a political solution to the conflict in Yemen. During the daily press conference, Mao was asked about the recent visits to China by Saudi National Security Adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban and the Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Bagheri Kani, who arrived in Beijing at the same time. “In the face of the current escalation of tensions in the Middle East, China is willing to strengthen communication and dialogue with Saudi Arabia, Iran and other countries in the region. The most urgent priority is to prevent hostilities from resuming in the Middle East, causing further suffering to the people of the region,” the spokesperson said.

The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia has issued a security warning advising US nationals of the risks of possible Houthi attacks, which could target airports. “The Houthis, supported by Iran, have carried out hostile actions against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure, resulting in civilian casualties and severe disruption to transport. These hostilities could rapidly escalate beyond the immediate area affected,” reads the embassy’s advisory, which adds that “US citizens should be aware of the possibility of attacks on airports, airspace closures, flight cancellations and transport disruptions. Please exercise the utmost caution if you choose to use airports in Saudi Arabia”. “It is recommended that you check the status of your flight directly with the airline and the airport”, it adds.

The Israeli Electoral Commission has stated that it found no evidence of any breach of electoral integrity in last week’s vote, following repeated allegations of fraud levelled by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against the Israeli Arab minority. “An investigation has been completed. All complaints submitted by the political parties have been examined and nothing has come to light to suggest that the integrity of the election was compromised,” reads a statement from the Central Electoral Commission, released a few hours before President Isaac Herzog officially receives the results.

“Following the Shin Bet’s revelations regarding suspicions of foreign funding and electoral interference involving substantial sums of money, and the involvement of thousands of people, I call on the head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, to take immediate action, even without the approval of the Attorney General, to arrest all the leaders of the Arab parties and interrogate them in the Shin Bet’s underground facilities until the suspicions have been fully cleared up, and to immediately block the certification of the election results and the formation of the government”. Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, wrote this on X. “The elections have been rigged here in the State of Israel. We cannot remain silent and we must leave no stone unturned to bring the truth to light,” he added.

Il ministro della Sicurezza nazionale israeliano Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader del partito “Potere ebraico” (Otzma Yehudit), osserva i risultati degli exit poll presso la sede elettorale del partito durante le elezioni nazionali israeliane, a Modiin, Israele, il 28 ottobre 2026. REUTERS/Rami Shlush

The IRGC has promised a response “without geographical limits” to any US-Israeli attack. This was reported by the Iranian news agency Fars. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that any new US-Israeli attack against Iran will be met with a comprehensive and effective response, dismissing the threats and psychological warfare against Tehran as baseless. The Pasdaran added that they had updated their list of targets to include “the enemy’s tangible and intangible assets within range”, emphasising that the force will provide “an immediate and effective response, without geographical limitations, to threats of any level or type”. “The Armed Forces and the Iranian nation will determine when and under what circumstances the enemy’s attacks will cease,” the statement read. The capabilities of the Iranian Air Force remain intact and ready for combat, Brigadier General Alireza Sheikh, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces, also stated, promising that the country’s armed forces would keep “their finger on the trigger” to respond to any level of enemy threat.

“The remarks made last night by Zini (head of the Shin Bet, ed.), combined with this morning’s US election results, have led to an unexpected consequence: they effectively rule out any possibility of a national unity government led by Netanyahu”. This was written in X by the Israeli opposition leader, Yair Lapid. “Israel cannot afford to let him remain Prime Minister. This puts our security at risk, undermines our democracy and will ruin our standing on the global stage.”

The leader of the Israeli Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, has stated that he will take action to prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from “entrenching himself” in power. “We will act as quickly as possible to prevent Israel from being dragged into another election and to stop Netanyahu from continuing to entrench himself in power.” Eisenkot said he had met with other opposition leaders on Tuesday to discuss the formation of a “national emergency government”.

Four oil tankers caught fire after striking mines whilst attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz. This was announced by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The incident occurred the day after US President Donald Trump stated that the United States had launched attacks against the Islamic Republic, following reports of a raid on Qeshm, the largest island in the strait. “Four unauthorised oil tankers, which were attempting to pass through the prohibited southern passage of the Strait of Hormuz, were destroyed after striking naval mines and are still ablaze”, stated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in a statement broadcast on state television. “Two further unauthorised vessels have been intercepted.” The Guard also reported that it had shot down a drone over the Strait. Tehran claims control over Hormuz, a vital global energy hub, and, since the start of the conflict, has targeted vessels attempting to pass through it without its authorisation.

The United States has no immediate plans to strike Iran. Donald Trump said this in an interview with the Financial Times, emphasising: “It seems we are getting everything we want.” When asked about the clear signals sent by Benjamin Netanyahu regarding a possible attack by the end of the week, Trump said: “I’m ready, we’re ready. We’re ready to take action, if necessary, but there may be no reason to do so.” The President then explained that the United States is not at war with Iran. “We’re not really at war. I don’t consider us to be at war in the same way as in Ukraine, or as in the First or Second World War,” he emphasised.

Il presidente degli Stati Uniti Donald Trump punta il dito verso il primo ministro israeliano Benjamin Netanyahu mentre si stringono la mano durante una conferenza stampa al termine di un incontro tenutosi presso il club Mar-a-Lago di Trump a Palm Beach, in Florida (Stati Uniti), il 29 dicembre 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Foto d'archivio

Donald Trump has no regrets about starting the war with Iran, whilst admitting that the conflict played a part in the Republicans’ defeat in the mid-term elections. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the president said: “I did the right thing, I’d do it again”. In an interview with Fox News, the President also said: “People agree with what I’m doing on Iran, but they probably weren’t prepared to face the initial, short-term consequence of paying more for petrol.” “You know, I understand that,” he added, “but I don’t agree: it’s a short-term problem for a long-term benefit. It’s a shame.”

“Whether out of conscience or because of the cost of living, Americans have said NO TO WAR, and we support this message.” This was written in X by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and chief negotiator in the talks between Iran and the United States, commenting on the results of the US mid-term elections in which the Republicans suffered a defeat. “If the US government betrays the will of its own public to serve its international masters and blackmailers,” he adds, “it will find that our ‘NO’ will be accompanied by a nightmare.”