JERUSALEM, October 2026: Iran has said diplomatic messages are still being exchanged with the United States through intermediaries, even as concerns grow over a possible return to full-scale war in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump said there would be no American strike against Iran “today,” while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran or its regional allies could attempt to disrupt Israel’s upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has resumed receiving lists of Palestinian detainees held by Israel after a Supreme Court order directed the government to restore the information-sharing process.
Here are the latest developments across the Middle East.
Iran Says Diplomatic Channel With US Remains Open
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran had not abandoned diplomacy and that messages continued to reach Washington through intermediaries, according to Iranian state media.
Negotiations related to the conflict have appeared stalled for weeks. Baghaei accused the United States of continuing to make unilateral demands, particularly through its repeated calls for Iran’s “complete surrender.”
He said such demands were unacceptable to the Iranian people.
The remarks come amid heightened concerns about renewed military confrontation as political developments in the United States and Israel add to regional uncertainty. Tehran’s statement indicates that diplomatic communication remains possible despite the absence of a clear breakthrough.
Trump Says No Attack on Iran Today
Trump was asked whether he intended to launch an attack against Iran. He initially suggested that announcing military plans in advance would be unwise but subsequently said, “No. There will not be a strike today.”
His remarks came as US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper flew over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping route for global oil supplies.
CENTCOM has said that more than 3,000 commercial vessels have transited the waterway with US military support over the past six months. Washington has maintained that protecting freedom of navigation and ensuring the uninterrupted movement of commercial shipping remain key priorities.
In Israel, Netanyahu warned that Iran or its regional proxies could attempt attacks ahead of Tuesday’s closely watched elections.
“The (military) is ready both to defend and to strike,” Netanyahu said in a video statement. He also warned that any attack would invite a response significantly greater than its perpetrators might anticipate.
Netanyahu Faces Questions Over Iran Directive
A report by Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 alleged that Netanyahu had confronted military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir over a directive related to Iran shortly before the election.
The report triggered political concern, with Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s leading rival, expressing support for Zamir on social media.
The controversy reflects wider questions in Israel about the timing of potential military action against Iran and whether escalating security tensions could influence the election campaign. Netanyahu, who has served as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has recently spoken about the need to “topple” Iran’s leadership.
However, Channel 12 did not specify the nature of the alleged directive. Netanyahu dismissed the report as nonsense during an appearance on Channel 14. The Israeli military had not immediately commented.
Red Cross Resumes Receiving Palestinian Detainee Lists
The ICRC has begun receiving lists of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons from the occupied West Bank and Gaza, a spokesperson confirmed.
The development follows an Israeli Supreme Court order directing the government to resume sharing detainee information and permit Red Cross visits to assess prison conditions. Both practices had been suspended following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks and the subsequent Gaza war.
ICRC spokesperson Gilad Grossman said prison visits had not yet resumed but expressed hope that access would be restored soon.
Thousands of Palestinians were detained in the West Bank and Gaza after the October 2023 attacks. Although some detainees were released during a ceasefire last year, around 9,000 reportedly remain imprisoned or detained under difficult conditions.
The renewed sharing of lists is an important step towards improving transparency, although the resumption of independent prison visits remains unresolved.
Houthi Attacks Continue as Riyadh Airport Reopens
Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh reopened terminals 1 and 2 for domestic and international flights as Houthi attacks on the kingdom continued.
Saudi military spokesperson Major General Turki al-Malki said air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and a drone launched towards Riyadh. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed responsibility.
Earlier in October, Houthi strikes reportedly hit an airport complex housing two other terminals, killing 17 people and injuring more than 330.
Saudi authorities also reported that debris from the interception of two ballistic missiles in Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafida wounded two people, including a Saudi citizen and a resident from an unspecified Asian country. The debris damaged three buildings and seven vehicles.
The Houthis described some of their attacks, including those targeting King Khalid Air Base, as retaliation for Saudi military action against rebel-held Sanaa. The claims could not be independently verified by The Associated Press.
Separately, Yemen’s Saudi-backed government accused the Houthis of firing three ballistic missiles at displacement camps in Ras Imran, near Aden. No casualties were immediately reported, and the Houthis had not commented.
Israeli Strikes Kill Seven in Gaza, Palestinian Officials Say
Israeli strikes in Gaza killed seven people, according to Palestinian hospital officials.
Four people were reportedly killed in two strikes in Gaza City, while two brothers died in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Another person was killed in Deir al-Balah in the central part of the territory. Officials from several hospitals, including Shifa, Hamad, Nasser and Al-Aqsa, as well as an American field hospital, confirmed the reported deaths.
The Israeli military had not immediately commented on the latest strikes.
More than a year after a ceasefire began, Israel continues to conduct strikes in Gaza, saying it targets militants. Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run administration, says more than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed during this period. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says women and children account for nearly half of the deaths.
Pope Appeals for End to Fighting in Yemen
Pope Leo XIV called for an end to the fighting in Yemen, highlighting worsening humanitarian conditions in Taiz, where more than one million residents face the consequences of a prolonged siege by Houthi rebels.
“The population is suffering from a lack of food, water and medical care,” the pope wrote on social media.
Families in the city have reportedly begun rationing water, while shortages of essential groceries have driven prices higher.
The latest developments underline the breadth of the Middle East crisis, with tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel unfolding alongside continued violence in Gaza, renewed Houthi attacks and a deepening humanitarian emergency in Yemen. Diplomatic contacts between Tehran and Washington remain active, but the prospect of a wider regional confrontation continues to concern governments and civilians across the region.
Disclaimer: This review is based on the reviewer’s individual perspective. Audience opinions may vary.
