A senior U.S. official said President Donald Trump had “a very good conversation with Netanyahu; they talked about Iran.” Trump himself: “I’m going to rename the Strait of Hormuz ‘Trump’s Strait.’ I don’t think the jihadists will have a big problem with that. They’ll like it.”
Israel is in the process of forming a new government, and the most unusual historical fact regarding the 26th Knesset is that, for the first time in Israel’s history, the number of Arab MKs representing Arab parties has exceeded that of ultra-Orthodox MKs representing ultra-Orthodox parties. There have been instances of numerical parity in the past, but never before has such a ratio been recorded: 17 to 13.
The Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth – Nadav Eyal: “The leaders of the ‘Change Bloc’ lack confidence even in themselves. They warn of the end of democracy, but ignore the obvious truth before their eyes: the possibility of holding free elections is rapidly fading. If Netanyahu has crossed the red line and is ready to use the police and secret forces to crush the opposition, why do the leaders of the ‘Change Bloc’ presume they can compete in the next elections on equal terms? The climate of violence in the Israeli streets after the elections is an indicator of the gravity of the situation; the slogans shouted in front of Eisenkot’s house in the last 24 hours, or the furious hatred that emerged during the demonstration in Habima – including calls for the reopening of the Holocaust camps – only pave the way for even more widespread violence.”
At a rally in support of Netanyahu, one supporter threatened left-wing Jews by evoking the Nazi death camps, warning that they would be “the first enemies” to be sent “far, far away,” to Auschwitz and Birkenau.
According to some social media channels close to the Israeli military: “Benjamin Netanyahu will never again be Prime Minister of Israel. The Arab parties have agreed to form a coalition with Gadi Eisenkot, having accepted all his conditions. Gadi Eisenkot will be sworn in as Prime Minister on November 10.”
Last Saturday, Jordan’s Directorate of Public Security reported that nine automatic weapons and several GPS devices were found inside a suspicious bag in the southern province of Karak. A spokesperson for the Directorate of Public Security stated that police received a report of a suspicious object in the Muhi area (Karak province). Officers immediately arrived at the scene, cordoned off the area, and specialists examined the bag. During the search, nine automatic weapons and GPS tracking devices were found inside. According to available information, these items were smuggled into Jordan using hot air balloons.
A senior Lebanese official told the UAE -based newspaper The National that Hezbollah is unlikely to automatically join a new military conflict between Israel, the United States, and Iran. According to the official, the decision will depend on whether the attacks pose an existential threat to the Iranian regime. The official stated that Hezbollah could intervene—even from a currently weakened military position—if it concludes that the regime in Tehran faces an existential threat.
Diplomatic sources told Lebanese TV station Al Jadeed that Lebanon had received a warning: Israel could resume attacks — similar to the large-scale one it conducted in Beirut — but this time they would not be limited to just one day.
According to media reports, an Iranian delegation did indeed visit Doha on October 31, but no negotiations with the United States are planned in Qatar. The purpose of the Iranian delegation’s visit is to “advance matters related to recent contacts with Qatar.”
According to some reports, Iran has requested guarantees for the end of the war in exchange for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Discussions are ongoing about possible steps to this end, although no definitive proposal has yet been formulated. This information has not been confirmed by other sources. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated: “We will decide whether to engage in direct or indirect negotiations with the Americans only after Washington accepts our conditions.”
Iranian media have published a list of countries Iran intends to target in the event of a new attack by the United States or Israel. The targets are located in Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Jordan; they include ports, airports, power plants, water treatment plants, undersea cables, hotels, and shopping malls.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, met with senior generals, briefing them on a possible conflict. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said: “We are considering whether to maintain our historic ban on nuclear weapons should hostilities resume; however, no decision has yet been made regarding a possible change in this policy.”
On November 2, Vladimir Putin and the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, had a telephone conversation, according to the Tasnim news agency. Among the topics discussed was the situation in the Middle East. Putin and Rezaei emphasized the need to continue the strategic partnership between Russia and Iran, based on an action plan developed by the leaders of both countries.
Iran remains a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and is committed to complying with all its provisions, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated, emphasizing the peaceful nature of the country’s nuclear program. The Ministry also clarified that the issue of Iran’s transfer of highly enriched uranium to third countries has never been raised in communications with the United States.
And now a look at the ongoing military scenarios in the Middle East and Western Asia, updated as of 3:30 PM on November 2. Arab sources are reporting disruptions to GPS systems in the Persian Gulf and other areas near Iran. A senior US official stated: “We have informed the Persian Gulf states that they must prepare for a possible resumption of conflict, starting next Wednesday.”
A new US military campaign against Iran could last several weeks, The Atlantic reports , citing Pentagon sources. Furthermore, Washington could maintain a naval blockade against Iran—keeping the threat of renewed hostilities alive—or it could choose not to take any further action. Each of these options aims to create the conditions for Trump to declare victory.
Furthermore, in the event of a failure or prolongation of the war, Trump could blame the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Atlantic reports . Donald Trump is reportedly considering making Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kane, his “scapegoats.” According to The Atlantic, the president is dissatisfied with the failure to end combat operations and has blamed advisers for providing optimistic predictions of a “blitzkrieg.”
Sources close to Trump suggest that Hegseth may have been dishonest in his assessment of the conflict, painting a “rosy” scenario to gain the president’s approval. Hegseth and Kane were key advisers to Trump during the initial campaign stages. Previously, the US president stated that the conflict with Iran must end either through an agreement or the use of force.
A large number of U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tankers were spotted deployed at Ramon Air Base in Israel. A military drone crashed on November 2 near the Israeli town of Beit Shikma, starting a fire in an open area, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported. According to the IDF, the crash was caused by a “technical malfunction,” and further investigations are underway to clarify the details of the incident. No casualties were reported.
The enemy army is carrying out a bombing raid on Zawtar al-Sharqiya, in southern Lebanon. The Israeli Home Front Command has announced air activity and strikes planned on the Lebanese front in the coming hours; explosions are expected to be heard in the Upper Galilee, the Hula Valley, and the Ramim Ridge.
Large fires broke out at an industrial complex in the city of Dammam, Saudi Arabia. This afternoon, the Yemeni movement Ansar Allah reported launching missiles from Yemen against targets in Saudi Arabia.
Explosions were reported in the Al-Khur Maksar area, near Aden International Airport, Yemen over the weekend. Ansar Allah forces have not yet managed to eliminate the “Taiz pocket.” Furthermore, pro-Saudi militiamen and government-aligned units continue to maintain control of the city of Taiz. As a result, the planned offensive towards Aden and operations along the Gulf of Aden coast have been postponed. The Houthis claim to have captured several districts and highlands in Taiz province following the withdrawal of Saudi-backed forces.
Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Houthi armed forces: “Ansar Allah reports that, in the last 24 hours, the Royal Saudi Air Force has conducted 119 airstrikes against the governorates of Sa’dah, Ta’izz, Lahij, Al-Jawf, and Hudaydah, areas under Ansar Allah’s control. As usual, the strikes were carried out by F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets, which took off from King Khalid and King Fahd air bases.”
On November 2, two oil tankers struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz. One of them, a supertanker, caught fire, according to Iranian media. According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the vessels were traveling an “unauthorized route” with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders turned off, attempting to cross clandestinely with the support of the U.S. military. Both tankers stopped following the explosions.
Iran’s Fars news agency reports that Captain Naser Ebrahimi-Najadan was killed Friday in a US attack in the Persian Gulf. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy Command: “In just nine days, since October 25 (when CENTCOM chief Brad Cooper made his ostentatious visit to the Strait of Hormuz), 11 rogue oil tankers have caught fire; some have sunk to the bottom of the sea.”
A firefight involving border guards occurred on the Azerbaijan-Iran border, resulting in one fatality. According to the Azerbaijani State Border Service, a group of individuals attempted to cross the border from the Iranian side. The agency reports that, after several warning shots, one of the intruders opened fire on the border guards, who returned fire.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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