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🇾🇪🇸🇦⚡️ — The Houthis (Ansarallah) have demanded $51 billion from Saudi Arabia in exchange for a negotiated end to hostilities, alongside formal Saudi recognition of the group as Yemen's legitimate rulers, according to WSJ, citing people familiar with the discussions. The Houthis initially justified the demand as compensation for years of Saudi airstrikes and blockade measures. Although other figures have since been discussed, the proposed settlement would still cost tens of billions of dollars.
🇲🇩⚡️ — A drone has been discovered in a wooded area near the village of Gordinești, Rezina district, Moldova. Police explosive ordnance experts have been dispatched to examine the object and determine its origin and nature. Police have urged residents to stay away from the drone and any suspicious debris until the inspection is completed
🇺🇸🇮🇱⚡️ — Senior advisers to President Trump joked about escaping to Israel and requesting asylum as they anticipated a Republican defeat in the midterm elections, NYT reports. During a private strategy call six days before the vote, Trump adviser James Blair sarcastically remarked, "At least Bibi won. He’ll protect us." Trump's chief pollster, Tony Fabrizio, responded, "Maybe we could get asylum in Israel."
🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️ — President Trump questioned in private whether the war with Iran had cost Republicans the midterm elections, NYT reports. Before polls closed, he asked someone he was speaking with: "If we never went into Iran, what do you think would happen in the midterms?" The question followed repeated warnings from his advisers that the prolonged conflict, closure of the Strait of Hormuz and surging gasoline prices were damaging Republicans' electoral prospects. An internal presentation circulated by Trump adviser James Blair warned that the Iran war was seriously undermining Republican support ahead of the midterms. It showed Democrats' polling advantage growing during periods of active fighting, shrinking during ceasefire negotiations and widening again after the ceasefire collapsed. The presentation cautioned that Republicans could lose control of the Senate unless a prolonged ceasefire was secured, the Strait of Hormuz reopened and gasoline prices declined.
🇮🇷🇺🇸⚡️ — Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf to Vance: Losing gambler energy, can't walk away from the table. Boss is prepping the next war phase while America teeters on an Israel-First cliff. Skip the TED talk. Why not say this to your boss?
🇷🇺🇮🇷⚡️ — Russia agreed to supply Iran with 90 helicopter-mounted missile launchers, according to Russian defense production documents obtained by the Financial Times. A May 2024 document from Russian defense manufacturer Vympel identifies an order for 90 APU-L launchers from a buyer designated "K-10," a code used by Russia's state arms exporter to refer to Iran. The same production schedule lists a Chinese order for 192 APU-305 launchers. The documents do not confirm whether the 90 launchers were ultimately delivered to Iran. Western intelligence officials say Russia and Iran have strengthened their military partnership during this year's war, despite President Trump's claims that Moscow has provided little assistance to Tehran.
🇮🇷⚡️ — IRGC Ground Forces Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Karami inspected military units stationed on islands in the Persian Gulf, including forces operating under the Medina Forward Headquarters, and declared their readiness to respond forcefully to any hostile action. Karami said Iran's armed forces are guided by divine principles and recognize no power greater than God's.
🇺🇸⚡️ — President Trump told aides on several occasions that he was unconcerned about the 2026 midterm elections, placing greater importance on foreign policy and shaping his presidential legacy, WSJ reports. Trump had become frustrated with domestic political matters, viewing them as less significant than international affairs and his long-term legacy.
🇺🇸⚡️ — First Lady Melania Trump raised concerns with President Trump after people she personally knew were deported under his administration’s immigration crackdown, WSJ reports. Trump subsequently told aides that policy architect Stephen Miller had gone too far. Trump has shifted between demanding tougher enforcement and privately questioning the severity of deportations.
🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️ — The U.S. military is finalizing preparations for a potential resumption of major combat operations against Iran, including deploying additional military assets to the region, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Qatari mediators are attempting to secure U.S. and Iranian approval for a draft agreement aimed at preventing renewed hostilities and potentially restarting direct negotiations within days. Diplomats and advisers now warn that Iran's celebrations of Republican electoral losses could increase Trump's willingness to resume military action.
🇺🇸🇮🇱🇮🇷⚡️ — Vice President JD Vance has led efforts within President Trump's inner circle to secure a negotiated end to the war with Iran, privately criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "being wrong on everything" regarding Iran, according to Axios. Vance warned that the war's unpopularity would eventually cost Republicans the midterm elections, a concern shared by most senior Trump administration officials that turned out to be true. Despite this advice, Trump considered resuming strikes against Iran before the elections under pressure from Netanyahu, but ultimately postponed military action.
🇺🇸⚡️ — President Trump is complaining about the Sunshine Protection Act not being approved by the Senate on Truth Social. The proposal would make daylight saving time permanent while allowing states to opt instead for permanent standard time.
🇮🇷❌🇺🇸 — A 15-day public display in Tehran's Tajrish Square concluded earlier tonight with the staged hanging of an actor portraying President Trump. The display, unveiled on October 20, featured an actor wearing a Trump mask, wig, suit, and red tie inside a mock prison cell suspended several stories above the square.
🇺🇸⚡️ — Fox's Jesse Watters on the midterms: A lot of people voted for a dictator. Lock up crooked, deport the whole country. But that didn't happen. That’s why the base didn’t show up...
🇺🇸⚡️ — Ben Shapiro: Simply put, very simply put, like in one sentence, this midterm election was a repudiation of President Trump. Period. End of story. That's the whole thing.
🇺🇸⚡️ — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: This midterm was a rebuke of the president and the Congress by Democrats, Independents, and some Republicans that crossed over. But a lot of our voters stayed home because they were frustrated with the lack of productivity from Republicans in the House and Senate.
🇺🇸⚡️ — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: If we (Republicans) can't win in places like Texas or Kansas or Iowa—we are not viable nationally.
🇺🇦🇺🇸⚡️ — Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed hope that Democrats' victory in the U.S. midterm elections and their control of both chambers of Congress would lead to increased American military and financial assistance for Ukraine. Speaking to Germany's ZDF, Zelensky thanked Republicans for their support but said Democrats had been more explicit about backing Ukraine and strengthening U.S.–European relations.
🇮🇷🇺🇸🇮🇱⚡️ — Iranians gathered at Enqelab Square in Tehran to celebrate the Republican Party's defeat in the U.S. midterm elections, burning a poster depicting Steve Witkoff, President Trump, Israeli PM Netanyahu and VP JD Vance.
🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇳🇹🇷⚡️ — The U.S. Treasury has imposed new sanctions on Indian and Turkish individuals and companies accused of helping Iran evade international restrictions. The sanctions target an India-based network allegedly providing fraudulent vessel registrations, flags and certifications to ships transporting Iranian oil, including those linked to Iran's military and its proxies. Turkish company Fugo Ground Services was also sanctioned for providing services to several Iranian airlines already under U.S. sanctions.