As regional tensions escalate over a potential Iran war ahead of closely watched elections in the United States and Israel, Tehran said it remains open to diplomacy and continues exchanging messages with Washington through intermediaries. U.S. President Donald Trump also said there would not be a strike on Iran “today.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed it has again begun receiving lists of Palestinian detainees from the occupied West Bank and Gaza, following an Israeli Supreme Court order requiring the government to resume sharing the information.
Iran war messaging and election jitters
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said Tehran has not closed the door on diplomacy and that messages are being relayed to the U.S. via third parties. Talks connected to the conflict have appeared stalled for weeks. State media said Baghaei, speaking with a German broadcaster, criticized what he described as U.S. insistence on unilateral demands and the repeated use of the phrase “complete surrender,” which he said no Iranian would accept.
Concerns inside Iran have grown over the possibility of a broader conflict as Israel and the U.S. head into elections. Asked about the prospect of an attack on Iran, Trump first declined to telegraph plans, then added, “No. There will not be a strike today.” Separately, U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper flew over the Strait of Hormuz and said more than 3,000 commercial vessels have passed through the waterway with U.S. military support in the past six months.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran or allied groups could try to carry out attacks ahead of Tuesday’s tight vote, citing intelligence. “The military is ready both to defend and to strike,” he said in a video, adding that any attackers would suffer heavy retaliation.
A report by Israel’s Channel 12 said Netanyahu and the military chief of staff clashed over a political directive related to Iran shortly before the election, sparking alarm among some politicians. Netanyahu’s main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, voiced support for Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on social media. Netanyahu dismissed the report as nonsense during an appearance on Channel 14. The Channel 12 piece did not specify the directive. In recent days, Netanyahu has said Iran’s leadership should be “toppled.”
ICRC receives detainee lists, prison visits still pending
The Red Cross said it is again receiving names of Palestinian detainees from the West Bank and Gaza after Israel’s top court ordered the government to resume the practice and allow prison visits. Visits have not yet restarted, an ICRC spokesperson said, adding that the organization hopes they will resume soon. Israel detained thousands of Palestinians after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. Some were released during a ceasefire last year, but about 9,000 remain imprisoned or detained in difficult conditions, rights groups and officials say.
Houthis target Saudi Arabia as airports reopen
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh said terminals 1 and 2 are open for domestic and international flights, even as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement fired drones and missiles toward the capital again. Saudi military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said air defenses downed a ballistic missile and a drone. The Houthis claimed responsibility.
Earlier this month, Houthi strikes hit another airport complex, killing 17 and injuring more than 330. Debris from intercepts in Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafida wounded two people and damaged buildings and vehicles, Saudi officials said. The Houthis later claimed attacks that included King Khalid air base in Khamis Mushait, describing them as a response to Saudi operations in Sanaa. Those claims could not be independently verified.
Late Sunday, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government accused the Houthis of firing three ballistic missiles at displacement camps in Ras Imran on the outskirts of Aden. No casualties were reported. The Houthis did not immediately comment.
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill seven, officials say
Palestinian hospital officials said Israeli strikes killed seven people on Sunday. Two strikes in Gaza City killed four people, two brothers were killed in Khan Younis, and one person died in Deir al-Balah. The fatalities were confirmed by officials at Shifa, Hamad, Nasser and Al-Aqsa hospitals, as well as an American field hospital. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
One year after a ceasefire began, Israel continues to carry out strikes in Gaza, which it says target militants. More than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run administration. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and fighters, but says women and children make up nearly half of the dead.
Pope urges end to Yemen fighting
Pope Leo XIV called for an end to the conflict in Yemen and warned of deteriorating conditions for more than 1 million residents of Taiz, which remains under Houthi siege. “The population is suffering from a lack of food, water and medical care,” he said on social media. Households have begun rationing water and soaring prices are worsening shortages in Yemen’s third-largest city.
This report will be updated as new developments emerge. For more on U.S. political dynamics around the ballot box, see how Trump casts his midterm ballot early in Florida. For broader context on the humanitarian work underway, information is available from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
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