Middle East & North Africa
Syria says it foiled a Hezbollah plot to attack the Homs refinery; the group denies it
Syrian security services say they arrested members of a cell linked to Lebanon’s Hezbollah and seized explosive devices meant for…
Desk
Middle East & North Africa
Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Iraq, the Gulf, Yemen, Egypt and Libya.
Middle East & North Africa
Trump: the US will stop its $4 billion a year in aid to Israel at the end of 2026, under a deal with Netanyahu
Speaking to Fox News on US midterm election day, Donald Trump said Washington will end its $4 billion annual funding…
Middle East & North Africa
Second US airlift to Israel ahead of possible strike on Iran: up to 16 C-17s with air defences to Ovda, open-source trackers say
Open-source flight trackers report at least six more USAF C-17s flying from Fort Bliss to Israel with air-defence systems, as…
Cyprus
Iran: Greece and Cyprus named among possible targets by hardline daily Kayhan, as army and Basij officials issue new threats
Iran’s hardline daily Kayhan has named military facilities in Cyprus, Greece and other European countries as possible targets if US…
Middle East & North Africa
Yemen: UN says all roads into Taiz are closed, nearly 250,000 have lost essential healthcare and 12 hospitals are at risk
OCHA says no commercial supplies are reaching Ta’iz, where 12 hospitals could close, nearly 250,000 people have lost essential healthcare…
Middle East & North Africa
Qeshm: US officials say the blasts were “defensive” American strikes on a missile launcher, on the eve of the midterms
The explosions heard late on November 2 on Iran’s Qeshm island were US strikes, American officials told major US outlets,…
Drones
Explosions on Iran’s Qeshm island, as the IRGC says it captured two US drones and Trump plays down new strikes after the election
Iran’s IRNA reported several explosions on Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz late on November 2, cause unclear. The…
Middle East & North Africa
Pezeshkian: Mojtaba Khamenei has given the government some powers to negotiate with the US; Vance: “We have made some progress”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has authorised the government to negotiate with the US. Vice President…
Middle East & North Africa
Israel: Central Elections Committee says the result stands even if foreign interference is confirmed, as Likud talks of “stolen” elections
The head of Israel’s Central Elections Committee, Justice Noam Sohlberg, said the October 27 result will stand even if claims…
Middle East & North Africa
Yemen: the Houthis come within 50 miles of Aden, their deepest advance since 2015, and the EU condemns the escalation
Four military sources told Reuters on November 2 that the Houthis have reached 80 kilometres from Aden, the government’s temporary…
Middle East & North Africa
Trump on Iran: “At some point we’ll have to hit them hard”, citing Pickaxe Mountain and “one or two sites” he says can be neutralised in 10 minutes
At a rally in Dubuque, Iowa, Trump said the US will have to “hammer” Iran at some point. A day…
Africa
MINURSO ends: UN begins liquidating its Western Sahara mission as Guterres urges maximum restraint
The UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara has ended after its mandate expired on 31 October, and Secretary-General Guterres warned…