On Monday, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance stopped short of expressing his support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election, a day after President Donald Trump publicly endorsed the Israeli leader. Vance laughed when journalist Mark Halperin asked him—urging a terse “yes or no” answer—whether he would support Netanyahu, the leader of the Likud party. “The president has the most influential endorsement in American and international political history,” Vance said. “I support American candidates; that’s what I’m focused on going into the midterm elections,” Vance said as he traveled to North Carolina on Monday to support the campaign of Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley.
Netanyahu’s plans for a massive offensive against Iran have reportedly been blocked by Trump. According to the Financial Times , citing three sources familiar with the plans, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing to launch a major military campaign against Iran starting October 10, but the operation was reportedly halted following objections from US President Donald Trump.
In Israel, young men who evaded military service were arrested at Ben Gurion Airport: approximately 40 young Haredi men, associated with the Chabad movement, landed after spending a year studying at the “770” Jewish Institute in the United States. The Israeli army, informed of their arrival, mobilized a large force to arrest them. Dozens of people were arrested at the airport and are currently being transported on a bus, which is expected to arrive at Tel Hashomer shortly.
After intense pressure, Chabad students have been released from military detention and are en route to Bakuam, where they will sign a declaration and, most likely, be sent home. Haredi settlers have been protesting and blocking a road in Jerusalem, opposing conscription into the occupation army.
Israeli Settlement Minister Orit Strock, in the midst of a campaign, said: “There is no Area A or Area B. The entire Land of Israel is ours.” Strock rejected the territorial divisions established by the Oslo Accords, asserting Israeli control over the entire West Bank and calling for settlement expansion throughout the territory. Under the Oslo Accords, Areas A and B were defined by providing for different regimes regarding Palestinian civil administration and security.
On October 20, leaders of Arab parties in Israel vowed, through the “Joint List” alliance, to work to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the October 27 Knesset elections. At a press conference in the northern city of Haifa, party representatives stressed that increased Arab participation could prevent Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition from forming a new government.
On October 21, Iraq closed the Al-Shaib (Sheeb) border crossing with Iran, without specifying the reasons. The Al-Shaib crossing will remain closed to the transit of people and goods starting Wednesday and until further notice. According to an Iraqi government official, other border crossings between Iran and Iraq will gradually close in the coming days. Pakistan has also closed its border with Iran.
A Syrian military delegation is in Riyadh, while another is present in Najran and Asir, preparing for the transfer of thousands of fighters from Syria to Yemen.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi reiterated: “We have opened special routes for ships carrying Iraqi oil to transit through the Strait of Hormuz in order to reduce Iraq’s losses.”
And the minister continued: the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States accepts our conditions. There is a possibility that the United States and Israel will unleash another war against Iran. We are fully prepared for a new conflict. We are ready to defend ourselves and our people, and we will stand firm until the last moment. They have tested us before, and they can do so again.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei, during a meeting with Pakistan’s Chief of Staff: “Not even a fraction of enriched nuclear material will leave Iran under any circumstances. This enriched nuclear material represents a strategic asset and a national treasure for the Iranian people.”
And now a look at the military landscape in the Middle East and West Asia, updated at 3:00 PM ET on October 21. The United States is sending a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East, a day after Hegseth secretly met with Netanyahu at Israel’s Ovda Air Base. The USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit are scheduled to arrive by the end of November. This represents an additional 10,000 sailors and Marines. The Roosevelt will join the USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington, both currently in the Arabian Sea.
Still on the subject of territorial control and border defense, the Turkish Defense Minister said in a press release: “Our forces will remain in Syria and Iraq until our borders are secured.”
Israeli bulldozers have begun demolishing Palestinian-owned homes on the outskirts of Qalandia refugee camp, north of Jerusalem (al-Quds).
Between October 20 and 21, Israel reported numerous attacks in the Gaza Strip. An Israeli drone strike targeted a group of civilians in the Qassasib neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip, wounding several Palestinians. Surveillance camera footage captures the moment an Israeli airstrike struck Palestinians on Al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City yesterday.
Palestinian accounts complain: “Israel has begun building a base in Jabalia over the bodies of slain Palestinians and the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings, thus hiding evidence of the genocide.”
A settler was injured during clashes with youths in the town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah. Shepherd Saeed Rshaideh was admitted to the intensive care unit of Al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron following a brutal attack by settlers who used sharp objects while he was herding his flock in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.
Israeli forces arrested several Palestinians during an incursion into the West Bank town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus. Extremist Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian-owned land in the village of Burqa, northwest of Nablus. Israeli settlers, under police protection, also stole Palestinian livestock in the village of Ramun, east of Ramallah. The Saraya Al-Quds Brigade of Jenin stated: “As part of the response to settler crimes in West Bank towns, one of our units managed to target a settler bus on the main road leading to the Mevo Dotan settlement, opening fire with a barrage of bullets.
From southern Lebanon, attacks and destruction of homes by the IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces) are the order of the day. In recent weeks, forces from the 91st Division have destroyed over 540 Hezbollah facilities in southern Lebanon, including in the areas of Khiam, Meiss El Jabal, Tair Harfa, and Majdal Zoun. During these operations, more than 150 weapons were recovered, including anti-tank missiles, rockets, mines, and launchers.
Israeli shelling with phosphorus munitions hits the outskirts of the town of Zoutar el-Sharqiyeh, in southern Lebanon. A video shows Israeli soldiers inside the home of a displaced Lebanese family in southern Lebanon, planting explosives in preparation for the demolition of the building. Soldiers continue to document the destruction of homes and what remains of villages in southern Lebanon.
The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has begun moving military equipment to the peak of Jabal al-Arab in the Syrian province of As-Suwayda—an area under Druze control—to install an early warning radar. In recent days, dozens of Israeli military helicopters have transported large quantities of weapons, equipment, and communications devices to the area. Local Druze authorities have reportedly prohibited civilians from approaching or photographing the military site. The radar will likely be used as an early warning system against Iranian ballistic missiles and drones launched toward Israel.
The Ukrainian embassy in Iraq denies reports that Ukraine has deployed drone units and thousands of drones in the Kurdistan Region. Smoke rises from the Kurdish opposition headquarters in Erbil province after a swarm of suicide drones attacked.
Saudi Arabia recently deployed “SKYGUARD” air defense systems, “SILENT HUNTER” laser systems and 3D air surveillance radars in Riyadh.
Saudi warplanes targeted the telecommunications network in the Saqayn district of Saada (northern Yemen) with two airstrikes. Eight fishermen were killed after Saudi aircraft bombed two fishing boats in two airstrikes along the Al-Kadha coast in the coastal district of Dhubab.
A statement from Ansar Allah read: “Over the past 24 hours, Saudi warplanes have conducted 93 air and missile strikes against civilian sites in the governorates of Al-Jawf, Taiz, Saada, Marib, Hajjah, Lahij, Amran, and Ibb. The attacks were carried out using F-15 and Typhoon aircraft, which took off from enemy bases in Khamis Mushait, Taif, Al-Kharj, and Sharurah Airport, causing civilian deaths and injuries. The total number of air and missile strikes in the Saudi aggression against our country since the beginning of the escalation thus rises to 2,793.”
Saudi airstrikes in Taiz Governorate, southern Yemen. The communications network in Maran District was targeted and destroyed, with three airstrikes .
Two powerful explosions rocked Aden, southern Yemen. The Houthis announced they had struck a Saudi operations center near Badr Camp in Aden with a ballistic missile. Ansar Allah denied conducting military operations toward Saudi territory today. They called Saudi Arabia’s claims—regarding the interception of drones over Medina—false accusations and a grave slander, emphasizing that these claims have proven unfounded and can no longer deceive the Islamic nation.
This afternoon, Ansar Allah announced that they had struck a gathering of Saudi army and allied forces commanders at Al-Rayyan Airport in Hadramaut, using ballistic missiles and drones. A subsequent statement specified that the airport was targeted because Saudi Arabia reportedly uses it to transport weapons and military equipment.
A fire broke out aboard an oil tanker that violated Iranian regulations in the southern Strait of Hormuz. The tanker had disabled its tracking systems. The Iranian military stated that the uncoordinated transit and failure to heed warnings are contributing to increased insecurity.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy released footage of a supertanker carrying over 2 million barrels of crude oil that caught fire after hitting a naval mine along an illegal route in the southern Strait of Hormuz. The tanker had disabled its AIS radar systems and ignored warnings.
On the morning of October 21, UK Maritime Trade Operations reported an incident off the coast of Bukha, Oman. The Royal Navy announced that the targeted oil tanker caught fire off the coast of Oman. UKMTO reported the tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile approximately 11 nautical miles west of Bukha, Oman. UKMTO reported that an oil tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile approximately 30 nautical miles southeast of Al Faw, Iraq, on October 20 at 18:30 UTC. The crew is safe; no damage or environmental impact has been reported.
Iranian security forces report that Ukraine has deployed troops equipped with drones and thousands of micro-drones in several countries in the region, including Iraqi Kurdistan. Tehran views Kiev’s actions as part of Europe and NATO’s hostile moves against Iran, stating that it is fully aware of these operations and is evaluating the most appropriate response options. Tasnim also noted that, in the summer of 2025, Sulaymaniyah police announced the arrest of three Ukrainian citizens, accused of supervising the training of a local group in the use of small drones.
Iranians took to the streets to demonstrate in support of the armed forces as part of the “Sacrifice for Iran” campaign. Iranian police reported that a suspected terrorist was killed during a clash involving two suspicious vehicles near the Sarhad gas station in Khash, Sistan and Baluchestan province. Two other suspects reportedly fled, prompting a search operation. Police said both vehicles were seized and a Kalashnikov rifle, four magazines, and 77 rounds of ammunition were recovered.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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