Day 248 | Iran warns US, ‘Israel’ against renewed attacks as regional tensions escalate

• The reported heightened alert involves the ‘Israeli’ Air Force, air-defence systems and military intelligence.
• More than 10 US military transport aircraft reportedly arrived at ‘Israel's’ Nevatim and Uvda airbases over the preceding week, alongside reports of additional air-defence deployments.

‘Israel’ has reportedly raised its military readiness across several fronts amid concerns about a renewed confrontation with Iran, as Washington and Tel Aviv intensify coordination over possible US military action, according to ‘Israeli’ media reports published early Monday.

‘Israeli’ news outlet Walla said ‘Israel’ had placed its air force, air-defence systems and military intelligence on heightened alert in anticipation of a possible escalation with Tehran.

The report also claimed that ‘Israel’ and the US Pentagon had reached an unprecedented level of security and operational coordination, including an arrangement under which Washington would notify Tel Aviv in advance if US President Donald Trump decided to launch air or missile strikes against Iran. The alleged warning would give ‘Israel’ time to prepare its air defences for potential Iranian retaliation.

The report comes amid growing indications that Washington and Tel Aviv are preparing for the possibility of renewed military operations against Iran following the Nov. 3 US midterm elections.

In a Nov. 1 report, The Jerusalem Post said the ‘Israeli’ military was prepared to join a US-led operation against Iran if Trump requested its participation. The newspaper, citing ‘Israeli’ and American sources, reported that more than 10 US military transport aircraft had arrived at ‘Israel's’ Nevatim and Uvda airbases over the preceding week, alongside the reported deployment of additional air-defence systems and interceptors. 

Meanwhile, a separate report by The Jerusalem Post, citing Walla and American sources, said ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged Trump to launch another attack on Iran. Netanyahu reportedly sought a joint offensive aimed at toppling the Iranian government, while ‘Israeli’ officials presented US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with an updated list of potential targets based on new intelligence. 

Read more: Netanyahu’s party claims “dark cloud hangs over” election results in ‘Israel’

Houthi-affiliated media reported on Monday that seven people were injured in two Saudi airstrikes targeting locations in Yemen’s Al-Hudaydah Governorate, alongside reports of shelling in Taiz Governorate.

According to the Houthi-run Ministry of Health spokesperson, four people were injured when Saudi airstrikes targeted the dock at Ras Issa port, while another three were wounded in a separate strike targeting an oil company station in the Bajil district.

Separately, Houthi media reported that Saudi reinforcements shelled civilian homes in the Al-Abous district of Haifan Directorate in Taiz.

The reports come amid renewed fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and the Houthis, following the collapse of a fragile 2022 truce in July. The Saudi-led coalition has said it carried out operations targeting resources used by the Houthis to support their military capabilities.

There was no immediate comment from the Saudi-led coalition on the reported casualties. 

Former Fox News host and conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson warned Sunday that US President Donald Trump could be days away from considering a nuclear strike on Iran, alleging that 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressuring the Trump administration to launch an attack on an underground facility at Pickaxe Mountain in central Iran.

In a lengthy statement, Carlson claimed that Netanyahu wants Washington to target the heavily fortified site, where 'Israeli' intelligence allegedly believes Iran has resumed uranium enrichment activities. He argued that the facility's depth, reportedly around 300 feet beneath solid granite, would make it difficult for conventional US weapons to destroy, leaving a nuclear strike as the only military option.

Carlson alleged that Netanyahu has been pressing Trump directly, claiming that the 'Israeli' prime minister calls the US president about the possibility daily. He also accused Netanyahu of seeking renewed military operations partly to preserve his political position following recent 'Israeli' election results, which Carlson said had left him struggling to secure enough parliamentary support to form a government.

Carlson further claimed that Netanyahu had been lobbying senior Trump administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper, to resume major combat operations. He also alleged that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe supported Netanyahu's position, while claiming former US President Barack Obama had opposed a proposed Iran peace agreement. Carlson did not provide evidence for these accounts.

His warning comes amid renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the eight-month conflict. Iranian negotiators and Qatari mediators held a third consecutive day of talks in Doha on Nov. 1, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying consultations were progressing but no final agreement had been reached.

Pickaxe Mountain, also known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, is an underground complex near Iran's Natanz nuclear facility. It is estimated to extend approximately 80–100 metres underground, making it significantly harder to penetrate than previously targeted nuclear sites. 'Israeli' intelligence has reportedly told Washington that Iran moved thousands of centrifuges there, although their presence and the facility's operational status remain disputed.

Under pressure from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Trump administration may be within days of launching a nuclear strike on Iran. The target would be Pickax Mountain in central Iran, where Israeli intelligence claims the Iranian government has restarted its nuclear enrichment program. No conventional weapon in the American arsenal can penetrate 300 feet of solid granite to destroy the tunnels where enrichment is supposedly taking place. The only military option is a nuclear strike. Netanyahu has been pushing hard for one. “Bibi calls Trump about it every day,” says an informed observer. Netanyahu is cornered and desperate. After last week’s election results, he can’t form a government unless Trump intervenes directly in Israeli politics and brokers a deal with other parties that gives Netanyahu 61 seats in the Knesset. Otherwise, he is out as prime minister and on his way to ignominy, investigations and possibly jail. Netanyahu must stay close to Trump. He needs this war. To that end, he’s applied maximum pressure to his closest allies in the administration, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper. Both oppose a negotiated settlement to the war they’ve so grievously mismanaged; both are pushing to restart major combat operations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA director John Ratcliffe are also following Netanyahu’s lead, as are leaders of the Democratic Party. In a recent meeting on the subject, former president Barack Obama said he opposes the current Iran peace deal being drafted in Doha. The rest of America’s longtime allies in the Middle East are terrified by the prospect of more war. On September 27th, Netanyahu flew secretly to Abu Dhabi to enlist the UAE in his lobbying effort for a final attack on Iran. The Emiratis refused. After eight months of conflict, Gulf economies are teetering. So are global energy and fertilizer markets. They won’t recover soon. Globally, there are a total of about 850 supertankers used to transport oil from producers to the rest of the world. In October alone, 11 of them were badly damaged in Hormuz. At this pace, a global depression is imminent. A nuclear strike would radically accelerate the destruction. Fallout from a ground explosion at Pickax Mountain would contaminate the Persian Gulf, poisoning the water supply for 100 million people. And those are just some of the immediate consequences for the region. The rest of the world is every bit as exposed. No country other than the United States has ever used a nuclear weapon in war. Some would like to. An American nuclear attack on Iran would set a new precedent. The Russians have already told at least two other governments that an American nuclear strike on Iran would free them to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Pakistan and India would be tempted to do the same against each other, as would North Korea against Seoul. After the first nuclear strike, World War Three is inevitable. That war would be short and final. We’ve been sleepwalking toward this moment for months. Since February, the administration has quietly rewritten America’s nuclear doctrine to make first use of so-called “battlefield nukes” easier and therefore more likely. No one in Washington in either party seems bothered by this. Now we’re on the brink of it. Close observers say Trump is likely to decide by next weekend whether or not to use nuclear weapons. That would be November 7, six days from now. To his credit, he’s hesitating. At the moment, Trump is listening to his vice president, JD Vance, and to his envoy and friend Steve Witkoff, both of whom argue a deal with Iran can be made. They’re right, though it won’t be simple. The Iranians are famously frustrating to negotiate with under any circumstances, and elements of that government have become more radical since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family were killed in February. After decades of isolation, even relatively moderate Iranian leaders seem confused by how decisions are made in the West. (There is a widespread belief in Tehran, for example, that the United States government controls Israel.) But overall, people who have spoken to decision-makers in Iran say there is consensus there that more war is bad for everyone and a deal is worth making. One group that hasn’t been consulted so far is the global population — the hundreds of millions of people who will be killed along with their children if Trump is pushed by Netanyahu into launching a nuclear strike next week. Now would be the time for them to speak up.

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) November 2, 2026

• The US military accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, residential neighborhoods and other facilities across Gulf countries.
• CENTCOM also alleged that Iranian attacks on commercial vessels had killed more than 20 civilian mariners in recent months.

The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) accused Iran on Sunday of targeting civilian infrastructure, residential neighborhoods and commercial vessels across the Gulf, responding to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's remarks that Tehran had not attacked civilians in neighboring countries.

In a statement published on social media, CENTCOM rejected Araghchi's assertion, labeling it “false” and accusing Iran of deliberately striking civilian facilities and neighborhoods in neighboring Gulf states.

“Iran has not only intentionally attacked civilian infrastructure, neighborhoods, and other facilities in neighboring Gulf countries, but it has also deliberately attacked civilian mariners at sea, killing more than 20 in recent months,” the command said.

CENTCOM described the alleged attacks as evidence of what it called Iran's “indiscriminate aggression,” without providing a breakdown of the reported maritime fatalities in its statement.

Independent reporting has documented civilian deaths and injuries resulting from Iranian attacks across the Gulf. Human Rights Watch reported that Iranian strikes had killed at least 11 civilians and injured at least 268 across Gulf Cooperation Council countries since February 28, citing government figures.

The attacks affected Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with residential buildings, hotels, airports and other civilian facilities among the sites struck.

The International Maritime Organization also reported 21 attacks on commercial vessels since Fen. 28, resulting in 10 seafarer fatalities as of April 2. The figures confirm casualties among civilian maritime crews, although they do not independently substantiate CENTCOM's claim that more than 20 mariners had been killed.

CENTCOM's response to Araghchi, meanwhile, did not address civilian casualties resulting from US military operations inside Iran, including the deadly strike on a girls' school in Minab and a reported attack on a wedding gathering in southern Iran.

🚫 CLAIM: Iran’s foreign minister recently claimed publicly that Iran has not attacked civilians in neighboring countries. This is FALSE. ✅ FACT: Iran has not only intentionally attacked civilian infrastructure, neighborhoods, and other facilities in neighboring Gulf countries, but it has also deliberately attacked civilian mariners at sea — killing more than 20 in recent months. Iran’s indiscriminate aggression is clearly evident and inexcusable.

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) November 2, 2026

Read more: Trump threatens to 'give Iran the hammer' despite claims of military victory

• A tanker was struck by two unidentified projectiles in the Arabian Gulf.
• The incident occurred 72 nautical miles east of Ras Al Khafji, Saudi Arabia.
• The vessel was travelling southeast when it was hit on its port side.

A tanker sailing southeast through the Arabian Gulf was struck by two unidentified projectiles approximately 72 nautical miles east of Ras Al Khafji, Saudi Arabia, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Monday.

The projectiles struck the vessel on its port side, according to the UKMTO, which said all crew members were accounted for following the incident.

No environmental impact has been reported so far.

The UKMTO advised vessels operating in the area to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity, as authorities investigate the incident.

The incident comes amid escalating maritime security concerns across the Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, where commercial vessels have faced repeated attacks since the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict. The UKMTO has reported multiple incidents involving tankers and cargo ships in the region in recent weeks, while Iran has tightened restrictions on maritime traffic through the strategic waterway. 

Read more: IRGC says two tankers explode after striking mines in Strait of Hormuz

• Trump threatened further military action against Iran, saying the US may eventually have to “give them the hammer.”
• He claimed he was holding back to avoid further casualties, saying he wanted to “save all those lives.”
• Trump defended the US decision to strike Iran, saying: “We had to hit Iran, and that's what we did.”

US President Donald Trump threatened further military action against Iran in his rally on Sunday, saying he has so far held back because he wants to avoid additional casualties, while insisting that the conflict will end “very soon” one way or another.

“The only reason we are not finished with Iran is because I want to be nice. I want to try and save all those lives if I can,” Trump said. “But at some point, we're going to have to give them the hammer.”

The remarks signal the possibility of renewed escalation despite Trump's repeated claims that Iran has already been defeated militarily and financially.

At a campaign rally in Dubuque, Iowa, Trump also defended the decision to attack Iran, saying: “We had to hit Iran, and that's what we did.” He claimed Washington had defeated Tehran both militarily and financially, saying: “We defeated Iran financially and militarily.”

Trump reiterated his prediction that the conflict would soon be over, saying: “The war in Iran will end very soon, one way or another,” and that it would be brought to an end “very, very soon.”

His latest remarks come amid mounting uncertainty over whether Washington will resume military operations against Iran. Trump has repeatedly suggested that the war could end through an agreement or further military action, while maintaining that preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains his central objective.

He also spoke of the possibility of renewed strikes, despite his claims that US operations had already severely degraded Iran's military capabilities.

Read more: Rubio says Trump has not made a decision on military strike against Iran

Iranian lawmaker Mottaki has warned that any renewed war against Iran could extend beyond the Middle East and reach Europe, citing the involvement of European countries that have allowed the United States to use their military bases.

According to Iran's Fars News Agency, Mottaki, a representative of Tehran in parliament, said a new conflict would take on a transregional dimension, with geographical boundaries no longer limiting its scope.

He said European countries that had provided their territory and military bases to Washington would be considered complicit in what he described as a crime, adding that the removal of geographical restrictions carried a clear message for Iran's military, its population and foreign adversaries.

The remarks amount to a warning that Tehran could consider targets beyond the Middle East in the event of another war, although Mottaki did not specify which European countries or facilities could be affected.

• Trump dismissed concerns about Chinese and Russian espionage against the US, saying Washington also conducts intelligence operations against its rivals.
• Recounting an exchange with officials, Trump said he responded to warnings about Chinese spying by saying: "We're spying on them too."
• He acknowledged that China and Russia were spying on the US but suggested such activities were part of the intelligence practices between major powers.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday in an election rally that the United States also conducts espionage against China and Russia, brushing aside concerns about the two countries spying on Washington during remarks in which he described intelligence-gathering as a reciprocal practice between major powers.

Trump made the comments while recounting an exchange with officials who had raised concerns about Chinese and Russian spying against the US.

"Somebody said, 'China is spying on us, sir.' And I said, 'Yeah, we're spying on them too. Don't worry about it,'" Trump said.

He added that officials had warned him that China and Russia were spying on the United States, responding: "It's true."

Trump's remarks come amid reports of Chinese assistance to Iran during the US-’Israeli’ war, including allegations that Chinese-linked entities provided Tehran with intelligence and satellite imagery that could help it track US military positions and operations.

The allegations have drawn scrutiny over the extent of Beijing's support for Tehran and its potential implications for American forces in the region. China has rejected accusations of providing military assistance to Iran.

Read more: Trump says US ready to hit remaining Iranian nuclear sites in ten minutes

US President Donald Trump has said the war with Iran will be brought to an end “very soon,” warning that Washington will end the conflict “one way or another” if Tehran does not agree to a deal.

Speaking to RSBN on the sidelines of a rally in Dubuque, Iowa, Trump said the outcome would depend on whether Iran agreed to an agreement with the United States.

“Either they’ll make a deal, or we just end it. I guess you could say maybe the easy way,” Trump said.

The remarks come as diplomatic efforts to end the eight-month-old US-'Israeli' war on Iran continue, with Iranian and Qatari officials holding a third consecutive day of talks in Doha on Sunday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the discussions include proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while stressing that Tehran remains prepared for both diplomacy and renewed military confrontation. No final agreement has been reached.

Trump has repeatedly threatened further military action against Iran while expressing interest in a negotiated settlement, leaving the possibility of renewed strikes open