US-Iran talks (file image)
Day 254 | Iran tensions persist as US-Iran talks advance, regional military activity intensifies
Diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran continued on Saturday, with US President Donald Trump describing negotiations as making “very good progress” and Qatar reaffirming that mediation efforts remain ongoing. The diplomatic push, led behind the scenes by Vice President JD Vance, comes alongside continued US military pressure, fresh sanctions and heightened regional security concerns.
According to Axios, Vance has spent two weeks leading indirect negotiations with Iran, working alongside US envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner, with Qatar and Pakistan facilitating contacts. The discussions aim to revive a ceasefire and restart nuclear negotiations, although a potential technical meeting between US and Iranian officials has yet to materialize. Qatar rejected reports that negotiations had collapsed, warning against attempts to undermine diplomatic efforts and push the region toward further escalation.
Despite the diplomatic momentum, Washington continued its pressure campaign. US Central Command announced the formation of Task Force Iron Gate, comprising around 20 military and civilian personnel, to disrupt Iranian weapons transfers through land routes and the Caspian Sea. CENTCOM also said the naval blockade had prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion worth of crude oil. Separately, the US Treasury sanctioned eight Canadian currency exchange businesses over alleged links to Iranian financial networks, the IRGC and international drug trafficking.
Military tensions also remained high. Iranian media reported two explosions near Qeshm Island, with state television saying there were no casualties. Iranian state television also reported that the army had destroyed a US MQ-9 drone. Meanwhile, Iran's Navy claimed an oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine east of the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the vessel of ignoring maritime warnings. Trump, meanwhile, claimed Washington had full control over the strategic waterway and confirmed that limited US strikes inside Iran were continuing.
Iranian officials also issued fresh warnings of a potential renewed confrontation. The IRGC claimed that decades of sanctions had strengthened the country's domestic military capabilities, while its spokesperson warned that previously undisclosed weapons systems could be deployed in a future round of fighting. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, meanwhile, held consultations with 12 regional counterparts over 48 hours, including officials from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Oman, calling for regional security arrangements without outside interference.
Elsewhere, security developments across the region continued to unfold. Saudi Arabia's air defenses reportedly intercepted a cruise missile heading toward Riyadh, while Civil Defense authorities issued emergency alerts in Najran and Jizan before declaring the danger had passed. The United States also renewed its regional travel warning for Americans, citing potential Iranian targeting of US officials and attacks by the Houthis.
In Yemen, government forces said they had repelled Houthi movements along the northern Marib front and reported airstrikes against Houthi positions in Taiz. Separately, Houthi-run media claimed that Saudi-led coalition airstrikes killed at least 31 people in Sanaa province, including women and children. The reports have not been independently verified. Meanwhile, AFP reported that thousands of Syrian troops could deploy to Saudi Arabia and Yemen to support operations against the Houthis, although Damascus and Riyadh have not officially confirmed the reported deployment.
Iranian media: Gunfire heard near Strait of Hormuz during encounter with illicit vessels
Three gunshots were heard in the Sirik area, near the Strait of Hormuz, according to an informed source cited by Iranian media.
The source said the shots were fired during an encounter with what it described as illicit vessels in the strategic waterway. No further details were provided about the vessels involved, their identities or whether the incident resulted in any damage or casualties.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where maritime security has deteriorated amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict and repeated reports of attacks involving commercial vessels.
The waterway, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, is a critical global shipping route. Around 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum products passed through it daily in 2025, accounting for roughly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade, according to the International Energy Agency.
Recent incidents have included reports of tankers struck by projectiles and mines, as well as US military action against a commercial vessel accused of attempting to breach its naval blockade of Iran.
Iranian media reports possible strikes on Qeshm Island after four explosions
Four explosions were heard on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Sunday evening, with an IRNA correspondent reporting that several locations on the island may have been hit.
The Iranian state news agency said the explosions were heard minutes earlier and that it appeared certain sites on the island had been struck. Local and provincial authorities had not yet commented on the reports, and no information was immediately available on potential damage or casualties.
The reported explosions come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States, with the security situation around the Strait of Hormuz remaining a major point of concern. Qeshm, Iran’s largest island, lies in the Strait of Hormuz near the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas.
The wider context is significant: Qeshm is strategically located in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical international shipping route that has been at the center of escalating military tensions between Iran and the United States.
The latest reports follow earlier explosions along Iran’s southern coast, including in Qeshm, Jask, Sirik and Bandar Abbas. Iranian media have offered conflicting accounts of the cause, with state television suggesting some blasts could be connected to Iranian military activities aimed at defending the Strait of Hormuz.
The reports also come days after US forces conducted limited strikes on Qeshm Island targeting an Iranian air-defense system, an operation later acknowledged by US President Donald Trump.
Iranian media reports explosions in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm
Residents in parts of Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island reported hearing several explosions, according to Iranian media reports on Sunday.
Some local sources attributed the sounds to warning shots allegedly fired at vessels violating regulations in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a significant share of the world’s oil shipments passes.
However, no official confirmation has been issued regarding the explosions or their cause.
Saudi-led coalition says it destroyed ballistic missile launcher in Sanaa
The Saudi-led coalition announced on Sunday that it had destroyed a ballistic missile launch platform in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, accusing the Houthis of using it in an attempted attack on Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province earlier in the day.
This follows an earlier announcement that they had destroyed two other launchers used to launch missiles at Riyadh.
Trump says renewed US strikes on Iran 'highly unlikely' if Tehran reaches deal
- He says any agreement must be “very strong” but warns that US forces remain ready to resume military operations.
- Trump claims the US could destroy 38 Iranian bridges within an hour, and that Iran retains only 10% of its missile capacity and 15% of its drone capabilities.
- He says a new military campaign will most likely not be necessary because Iran is eager to reach a deal.
- The remarks come amid ongoing US-Iran negotiations mediated by Qatar, with disagreements over the nuclear issue, sanctions and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that renewed American strikes on Iran are “highly unlikely” if Tehran makes progress toward a nuclear agreement and agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while warning that US forces remain prepared to resume military operations if negotiations fail.
In an interview with CNN, Trump said the possibility of further strikes would depend on whether Iran signed what he described as a “very strong agreement.” Although he said he would authorize additional attacks if necessary, he argued that the US had already inflicted significant damage on Iran's military capabilities.
“I would if necessary, but we hit them really hard,” Trump said, adding that American forces remained on high alert. “I've got three aircraft carriers here. They're fully locked and loaded.”
Trump also made a series of claims about the extent of damage inflicted on Iran during the conflict, saying Washington could destroy 38 Iranian bridges within an hour. He further claimed that Iran had been left with just 10% of its missile capacity and 15% of its drone capabilities. He did not provide evidence for those figures.
Despite the warnings, Trump expressed confidence that a diplomatic agreement could be reached, saying, “Most likely it will not be necessary. They want to make a deal so badly.”
Diplomatic efforts continue amid renewed military escalation
The remarks come as Washington and Tehran continue exchanging proposals through Qatari mediation, despite growing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz and the possibility of renewed fighting.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has outlined a revised two-day proposal under which the United States would first meet Tehran's conditions, including lifting its naval blockade of Iranian ports and easing sanctions, before Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz and shipping resumes. Broader nuclear negotiations would follow.
A separate proposal reportedly being discussed through Qatar would link the reopening of the waterway to renewed access for International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to Iran's damaged nuclear facilities, alongside steps by Washington to ease economic pressure on Tehran.
However, no agreement has been reached, and disagreements remain over the sequencing of concessions, Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and the lifting of US restrictions.
Tensions have also continued at sea. On Sunday, the US military said it had disabled a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman after it allegedly attempted to breach the American naval blockade. Iran's Revolutionary Guard, meanwhile, reported attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, further underscoring the risks to shipping through the strategic waterway.
Trump's latest comments therefore leave open the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough while maintaining the threat of further military action if negotiations fail.
Read more: Trump says 'Israel' Middle East would not exist without his actions on Iran
Araghchi to Washington: Choose diplomacy or face war
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the US administration to choose between pursuing a diplomatic agreement with Tehran and escalating the conflict, saying a two-day proposal put forward by Iran remains on the table.
In a post on X, Araghchi said American voters had made their choice, adding that it was now time for the White House to make its own.
"Our 2-day proposal stands: meet the requirements, including end to war on all fronts, and you will see results," he wrote.
Warning against further military escalation, Araghchi said Washington could instead "choose war" and face Iran's "alert and battle-hardened Warriors."
His remarks come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement between Washington and Tehran, with Iran making an end to hostilities on all fronts a key condition for negotiations.
American voters have made their choice. Time for the White House to make its own. Our 2-day proposal stands: meet the requirements, including end to war on all fronts, and you will see results. Or choose war, and see our alert and battle-hardened Warriors rain down hell.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) November 8, 2026
Saudi-led coalition says it destroyed platforms used in Houthi attack on Riyadh
Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said on Sunday that coalition forces destroyed two ballistic missile launch platforms in Yemen's Saada governorate, alleging that the Houthis had used them in an attempted attack on Riyadh earlier in the day.
Al-Maliki said the two platforms had been used by the Houthi group in an attempt to target the Saudi capital. The coalition also released footage showing the operation to destroy the platforms.
The announcement comes amid an escalation in Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia. On Sunday, the group claimed responsibility for multiple military operations targeting King Khalid International Airport, the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities, including in Riyadh and Abqaiq.
The coalition has also reported intercepting ballistic missiles launched towards the kingdom, while Saudi authorities reported damage to an administrative building in Riyadh following the attacks.
Houthis threaten further attacks deep inside Saudi Arabia
Yemen’s Houthi movement threatened Sunday to continue military operations deep inside Saudi Arabia, vowing to escalate attacks until Riyadh ends its military campaign and lifts what it describes as a blockade on Yemen.
In a statement, the group’s armed forces said they had carried out four military operations using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, targeting several locations across Saudi Arabia and forces it described as affiliated with the Saudi military.
The Houthis claimed the first operation targeted King Khalid International Airport, Aramco storage facilities and the financial center in Riyadh, alleging significant damage and direct hits. A second operation targeted Aramco facilities in Abqaiq, which the group said resulted in fires.
The third and fourth operations allegedly targeted Saudi-affiliated military gatherings in eastern Al-Jawf and Marib, as well as Al-Mudhariba in Lahj, Yemen. The group claimed the attacks caused numerous casualties, without providing independently verified figures.
The Houthis said the operations were carried out in retaliation for Saudi attacks on Al-Hadhara market and Bani Hashish, which they claimed killed and wounded more than 120 people.
The group vowed to continue targeting what it called Saudi military build-ups, warning that it would maintain a policy of responding to escalation with escalation and imposing a blockade in response to a blockade.
Houthis claim attacks on Riyadh airport, financial center, Aramco
Yemen's Houthis claimed on Nov. 8 to have carried out four military operations targeting sites across Saudi Arabia, including King Khalid International Airport, Aramco oil storage facilities and the financial center in Riyadh, as well as Aramco's facilities in Abqaiq.
Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree announced the operations in a statement, saying they also targeted Saudi military build-ups and officers in Al-Jawf, Marib and Lahj.
The announcement was issued under the slogan “Escalation will be met with escalation.” The Houthis did not provide further details on the weapons used, the extent of the damage or casualties. The claims have not been independently verified.
Footage shows smoke rising from Aramco tower after Houthi attack
Footage shared by ConflictRadarME on Sunday, Nov. 8, shows thick plumes of smoke rising from the upper floors of a damaged commercial tower in Riyadh’s Al-Aqiq district, as Saudi Civil Defense teams secure the site.
The footage captures smoke continuing to pour from several floors of the building, identified as an administrative tower belonging to Saudi state-owned oil giant Aramco.
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said falling shrapnel from an intercepted attack caused limited damage to the building, with no injuries or fatalities reported.
The Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh, as well as two cruise missiles targeting the kingdom’s southern region, attributing the ballistic missile launches to the Houthis.
The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions and renewed exchanges involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
'Israel' tells US Iran may use nuclear weapon against adversaries: NYT
'Israel' has provided the United States with intelligence claiming that Iran intends to use a nuclear weapon against its adversaries, The New York Times reported.
The report said opinions within the White House are divided over the intelligence, with some officials believing it may be an 'Israeli' attempt to pressure Washington into launching an attack on Iran.
IRGC says third tanker ablaze in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said three oil tankers were hit by explosions and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement published on Telegram, the IRGC navy said the incidents occurred in the early hours, describing the vessels as “rogue oil tankers” traveling along an unauthorized route.
The statement said smoke was covering the sky over the strategic waterway.
The IRGC accused the tankers of switching off their navigation and identification systems and blamed the fires on what it called “the aggression of the American invading military.”
It also warned that vessels violating Iran’s announced regulations for passage through the Strait of Hormuz would face consequences.
IRGC pledges to ‘hit harder’ against US as ‘war continues’
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned the United States that Tehran will respond more forcefully to attacks, saying the war between the two countries continues on both military and economic fronts.
“The war continues between us and the enemy, both militarily and economically,” IRGC spokesman Sardar Mohebi told Iran’s Fars news agency.
“Naturally, in a war, they might hit one of our vessels. But we’ll hit harder,” he added.
Commenting on Washington’s newly announced “Iron Gate” plan to disrupt Iran’s land-based supply routes, Mohebi said the United States would not achieve its intended economic blockade, regardless of how it was implemented.
“America can never achieve the type of economic blockade it’s after, whichever iteration it takes,” he said.
US Central Command has announced plans to establish a 20-member task force aimed at disrupting land routes into Iran that Washington says are used to transport weapons and illicit materials.
The initiative would expand US restrictions beyond Iranian ports, adding pressure on land-based supply networks amid the ongoing conflict and tensions over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
US Iron Gate plan is ‘just a play on words’, IRGC says
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has dismissed the US military’s “Iron Gate” plan to disrupt Iran’s land supply routes as “just a play on words.”
IRGC spokesman Sardar Mohebi said the plan would fail to achieve Washington’s goal of imposing severe economic pressure on Iran and collapsing its economy, according to Iran’s Fars news agency.
“The Americans cannot achieve their goal through this,” Mohebi said, referring to efforts to pressure Iran’s economy.
He added that Washington had previously predicted Iran would face economic collapse within two weeks, but that this had not happened.
US Central Command announced on Saturday that its “Iron Gate” task force would seek to disrupt Iran’s land-based supply routes and prevent the movement of weapons.
Iran shares land borders with seven countries: Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. It also has a coastline along the Caspian Sea.
Fire reported aboard oil tanker off Oman’s Khasab coast
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said it had received a report of a fire aboard an oil tanker approximately eight nautical miles northwest of Khasab in Oman.
Saudi Arabia reports no casualties after debris hits Aramco building in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said no injuries or deaths were reported after debris fell on a building belonging to state oil giant Saudi Aramco in Riyadh.
Measles outbreak threatens children in Yemen’s Taiz
A Yemeni health official has warned of a worsening measles outbreak among children in Taiz, reporting 26 deaths and 2,738 infections since the beginning of the year through the end of October.
Taysir Al-Samie, the health media official in Taiz, said the war and blockade imposed on the city have deprived around 347,000 children of measles and rubella vaccinations.
Al-Samie warned that infections and deaths among children could increase as immunization programs remain disrupted.
He stressed that the continued interruption of vaccination services is leaving thousands of children vulnerable to preventable diseases.
CENTCOM says 147 ships diverted since resumption of Iran naval blockade
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it has redirected 147 ships and disabled five others since the resumption of the US naval blockade on Iran.
The announcement comes amid continued tensions over maritime traffic and restrictions on shipping linked to Iran.
Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted 2 Houthi missiles fired at Riyadh
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
The announcement came hours after the coalition reported intercepting another ballistic missile launched toward the kingdom’s Eastern Province.
Sirens sound in northern ‘Israel’ over suspected drone infiltration
Sirens sounded in communities across the Western Galilee in northern ‘Israel’ at around 6:14 a.m. on Sunday following a suspected drone infiltration, according to The Times of ‘Israel’.
The ‘Israeli’ military said it was investigating the incident. No further details were immediately available regarding the suspected drone or whether it entered ‘Israeli’ airspace.
