Iran officials push for nuclear weapons as Middle East conflict escalates

Iranian officials are now openly declaring that the time for nuclear weapons has come, with a growing faction demanding Tehran weaponize its enrichment program and withdraw from the NPT to establish a complete deterrent against future US-Israeli attacks, per the Financial Times.

Iranian officials now argue that negotiations alone have failed to prevent repeated attacks.

Hassan Ghashghavi, a spokesperson for parliament’s National Security Committee, said Iran’s new Supreme Leader could issue a new ruling on nuclear weapons and “nobody can stop him from doing so.” One insider estimates support for acquiring a bomb has surged from “almost zero to over 50%.”

German Ambassador Axel Dittmann was called to Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday over what Tehran described as repeated baseless accusations by German officials, state-affiliated media reported.

The move followed Germany's decision to summon Iran's ambassador in Berlin after a Hamburg court last week sentenced two men to lengthy prison terms over plots to attack prominent Jewish and pro-Israel figures in Germany. The men were convicted of spying for Iran and identifying potential targets.

Alireza Yousefi, a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official, rejected the allegations, describing them as a longstanding tactic used by Israel and some Western countries against Iran.

Yousefi also accused Berlin of attempting to conceal its alleged involvement in American and Israeli military strikes against Iran, saying Tehran would continue pursuing international accountability for what it called “Germany's participation in war crimes.”

The prolonged closure of Riyadh's airport after a series of fatal attacks has exposed the risks confronting Saudi Arabia's drive to shift its international image, disrupting businesses, airlines and residents more than a week after flights were grounded.

Deadly strikes by Yemen's Houthis in recent weeks have dealt a blow to the kingdom, forcing the airport to close until further notice and a slate of events to be postponed or cancelled including its flagship investment forum dubbed "Davos in the desert".

Government agencies in the Saudi capital have also told employees to work from home starting Monday, one worker and two consultants told AFP, as has the 99-storey Kingdom Centre skyscraper in downtown Riyadh housing the regional office of the International Monetary Fund.

"When people start throwing missiles directly at Riyadh airport and any other airport, you can't just continue to operate," said Captain Desmond Ross, an aviation expert based in Dubai and Ireland with decades of experience as a pilot and air traffic controller.

"An attack on an airport is something entirely different from a non-aviation target," he told AFP.

"I think Riyadh has suffered that more dramatically than any other of the Gulf nations or the Arab nations," during the ongoing Middle East war.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran on Monday to discuss bilateral relations and regional and international developments, according to state-affiliated news agencies.

The two officials also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between Tehran and Moscow, the country’s presidency said, without providing further details.

Yemeni government forces said they had launched 13 air strikes targeting Houthi positions, weapons sites and vehicles across Taiz governorate.

The strikes targeted several locations, including 60th Street north of Taiz city, Taiz Airport, Al Rabiei in the northwest, Dhubab district in the west, and Al Maafir and Al Masrakh districts in the south.

US President Donald Trump told Benjamin Netanyahu he expects him to win a "tremendous" election victory next week, in a telephone call aired by the Israeli prime minister on Monday.

In the call on speakerphone that Netanyahu released a day after Trump endorsed him, the right-wing prime minister in turn called Trump "by far, the greatest friend Israel has ever had".

An Iranian man remains in prison 75 days after his arrest for liking a social media post by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, human rights news agency HRANA reported Monday.

Vahid Vidafar, a resident of Tabriz in northwestern Iran, was arrested by Intelligence Ministry agents on August 5 and is being held in the city's prison.

Vidafar suffers from a spinal disc condition and has been denied medical treatment, according to HRANA. He has been allowed only one brief phone call with his family, while details of the judicial proceedings against him remain unknown.

Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad Sherida Al Kaabi met Iran’s Acting Minister of Petroleum Hamid Bovard in Doha on Monday to discuss energy relations and cooperation between the two countries.

A major Saudi investment conference is set to be postponed, three sources briefed on the matter told AFP on Monday, as the kingdom comes under repeated attacks from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.

One source said that the event "won't happen on time" and that organisers "won't announce a new date soon". A second source, who confirmed the event would be postponed, added: "Who would be willing to risk flying to Riyadh these days?".

Saudi Arabia's Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute hosts an annual forum dubbed "Davos in the desert", which usually draws foreign leaders and business titans, and this year it is scheduled to be held in Riyadh from October 26 to 29.

Egypt's parliament on Monday delayed a debate on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's request to authorise military support for Saudi Arabia until next week, state media reported, after an emergency session ended without a decision a day earlier.

The sessions over the past two days were convened after Sisi asked lawmakers to approve military support for Saudi Arabia if requested by the kingdom, which has come under near-daily attacks from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.

"House Speaker Hisham Badawi has adjourned the second parliamentary session dedicated to discussing authorisation for taking necessary measures to support and assist the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with discussions set to resume on October 26," the state-run Al-Akhbar newspaper reported.

Two lawmakers told AFP on Sunday that no decision was reached during the session in order to "give all lawmakers the opportunity to speak and express their views", adding that most parliamentarians supported the proposal.

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence has announced that the danger has passed in Riyadh City and Al-Kharj Governorate following earlier warnings issued through the National Early Warning Platform.

In posts on X, Civil Defence urged residents to continue following safety instructions, avoid gathering and refrain from filming. Residents were advised to call 911 in an emergency.

Iran's top diplomat on Monday accused the United States of being responsible for the "insecurity" in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been at the heart of the conflict between the foes.

"The war imposed by the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel), combined with the economic blockade, constitutes the principal source of insecurity in our region," said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, having previously referred to "the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz" during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called for dialogue among Gulf states to prevent a return to full-scale war in the Middle East, describing regional stability as essential for economic cooperation.

Speaking at the Russia-GCC Strategic Dialogue in Manama on October 18, Lavrov said Russia’s trade with Gulf Cooperation Council member states grew by 45% in 2025. He also reaffirmed Moscow’s support for peace efforts and proposed greater regional cooperation on Gulf security.

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday received French President Emmanuel Macron, who arrived in the UAE on an official visit.

An official reception ceremony was held for Macron upon his arrival at the airport. The national anthems of the UAE and the French Republic were played, while an honour guard lined up in salute.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, discussed the latest regional developments and efforts to maintain the security and stability of the region during a phone call with Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The two sides also discussed the fraternal relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen frameworks for joint cooperation in a manner that serves their mutual interests and brings prosperity and well-being to their peoples.

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence has announced that the danger has passed in Najran Province, following an earlier warning issued through the National Early Warning Platform about a potential threat.

In a post on X, Civil Defence urged residents to continue following safety instructions, avoid gathering and refrain from filming.

Residents were advised to call 998 in an emergency.

A Houthi attack killed more than 30 people and wounded at least 70 others on Monday when three ballistic missiles struck a military camp in Yemen's oil-rich Shabwa province, two military sources told AFP.

The government sources said the missiles hit the al-Alam camp, used by forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognised government, amid renewed fighting with the Iran-backed Houthis after the collapse of a truce that had largely held since 2022.

Majed al-Nuzaili, spokesperson for the Yemeni armed forces, wrote on X that the "Houthi militia targeted Shabwa with three ballistic missiles".

He said the attack hit a training centre for members of the security and police services.

A government military source in Shabwa said the army feared the strikes could pave the way for a ground offensive "similar to what happened in Mocha", when the Houthis seized the strategic port city on Yemen's Red Sea coast near the Bab al-Mandab strait.

The source, who requested anonymity, added that the Houthis cut a road linking government-held Shabwa with Houthi-controlled Al-Bayda province on Sunday, with locals saying they had been prevented from using the route.

US embassies across much of the Middle East urged Americans to increase their vigilance on Monday, citing a "complex security environment" and travel disruptions eight months into the US-Israel-Iran war.

Embassies in the Gulf, Israel, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan issued a security alert saying: "Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise heightened vigilance due to the complex security environment.

"Be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions."

The warning cited attacks by Yemen's Houthis on Saudi Arabia, where Riyadh's international airport remains closed after 18 people were killed in a string of strikes this month.

"The hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly beyond that immediate area," the warning said, urging US citizens to monitor flight information and prepare contingency plans.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels struck a military camp for government forces in southern Yemen on Monday, killing at least 20 soldiers, two Yemeni military officials said.

The rebels fired ballistic missiles on the Al Alam military camp in the southern province of Shabwa in an attack that also wounded at least two dozen of troops, they said.

The military officials with the internationally recognised government of Yemen spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel will not hesitate to strike its enemies at a moment's notice, eight days before a tight election and following his warnings to Iran.

Netanyahu said he spoke to the commander of an unspecified base and saw Israel's "capability to strike our enemies the moment it is required".

"I say to our enemies: Do not test us - you will receive harsher blows than you have suffered to date," he said in a video statement from the base.

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Kuwait on Monday for an official visit, accompanied by a delegation of senior French officials, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.

Kuwaiti Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah and Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah led the reception at the Amiri Airport.

Macron was also welcomed by Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al Sabah and other senior Kuwaiti officials, including the ministers of interior, defence and foreign affairs. Macron’s visit is part of a Gulf tour from October 19 to 21 that will also take him to the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar.

Austrian Airlines said no danger was found aboard a flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna after it made an emergency landing in Sofia, Bulgaria, following a bomb threat on Sunday.

Bulgarian authorities searched Flight OS82, its passengers and crew after the threat was reported.

The aircraft later continued to Vienna on Sunday night, carrying all 51 passengers and six crew members, the airline said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has denied reports of explosions in eastern Tehran, saying no blast or security incident had been reported in the area.

The public relations office of the Seyyed al-Shohada Corps, the IRGC’s unit in Tehran province, dismissed the reports early Monday, October 19, as false, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency. The statement followed claims circulating on social media that explosions had been heard in the eastern part of the capital.

The denial comes amid heightened regional tensions following the US-Israeli war against Iran. Explosions, airstrikes and military activity have fuelled public concern over security incidents across Iran during the conflict.

Mohammadreza Naghdi, a senior adviser to the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Monday that Iran’s missile facilities were not damaged despite heavy bombing. Naghdi added Iran's strategic stockpiles remain intact. The claim, reported by Iran International, has not been independently verified.

In late August, also spelled Naghdi (also spelled "Naqdi") said more than 90% of Iran’s missiles remain intact and secure. He also said domestic production was keeping pace with use, allowing Iran to maintain its capabilities despite wartime losses.

That statement came as recent US media reports questioned White House claims that American strikes destroyed Iran’s missile and drone capabilities. Those reports said the strikes did not completely disable Iran’s underground missile networks and drone launch platforms.

In a state television broadcast, Naghdi asserted that the production rate of ballistic missiles "exceeds" the rate at which they are launched, and that Iran’s stockpiles will not be depleted.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused French President Emmanuel Macron of endorsing atrocities against Iran, saying the French leader had “made his bed” by assuring US President Donald Trump of his support.

“Too late to blame the war his ilk helped cause,” Araghchi wrote on X on Monday, accusing Macron of bearing responsibility for the consequences of a conflict he said Western leaders had helped trigger.

The accusation comes amid continuing tensions between Tehran and Western governments over the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which began on February 28, 2026.

France has said it did not participate in the initial strikes. In a joint statement with Germany and the United Kingdom on February 28, the three countries condemned Iran's nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes and its regional activities, while calling for renewed negotiations and protection of civilians.

Macron has also called for de-escalation and a halt to attacks on civilian infrastructure. In March, he said France's involvement in defending regional partners was strictly defensive and urged the parties to resume negotiations.

Araghchi's remarks reflect Tehran's broader criticism of Western governments that it considers politically or militarily supportive of Washington and its allies.

US naval forces have moved 700 km away to avoid Iranian missiles, IRGC deputy commander Mostafa Izadi said.

“We are advancing day by day, and the Guards’ missiles have gained the capability to target enemy vessels,” Izadi was quoted by the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency as saying.

“American forces are now wandering at sea and have moved about 700 kilometers away so that the missiles of the Guards Aerospace Force cannot harm them,” the report added.

The US Mission in Saudi Arabia has warned of potential missile and drone attacks, airport closures and flight disruptions. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport remains suspended, while Jeddah and Dammam airports are operating with delays and cancellations.

The mission urged travellers to check flight status, consider land transport alternatives and avoid filming or sharing images of missile interceptions and strike sites, warning that violations of Saudi law could lead to detention.

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence has announced that the danger has passed in the southern city of Jizan, seven minutes after issuing an alert warning residents of a potential threat.

Authorities urged residents to continue following Civil Defence instructions and avoid gathering or filming at the scene.

IRGC warns of retaliation over any strike on Iranian energy infrastructure, threatening displacement of Israelis to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened devastating retaliation against Israel if Iranian energy infrastructure is attacked, warning that the occupied territories would be turned into “scorched land” and their inhabitants displaced to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

“Any aggression against Iran's energy infrastructure, although it will be immediately repaired by young scientists, will turn the occupied territories into a scorched land forever and will displace its usurpers to Sinai Peninsula. The world will see what will happen!” the IRGC spokesperson was quoted as saying in a post shared by IRNA English on X.

The threat was reported on Sunday, October 18, amid escalating tensions in the US-Israeli war against Iran, which began with strikes on February 28, 2026.

The statement did not identify a specific Israeli target or provide a timeline for any retaliatory action.

Pakistan and Egypt have condemned attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement on Saudi Arabia, reaffirming their support for the kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security amid escalating regional tensions.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty exchanged views on regional developments during a telephone call on Sunday, October 18, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said.

“The two leaders exchanged views on recent regional developments and strongly condemned the Houthi attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the ministry said, adding that both countries reaffirmed their full solidarity with Riyadh.

The ministers also discussed cooperation under the R-4 framework, which brings together Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia. They expressed their intention to hold another meeting soon to strengthen ties and coordinate responses to regional issues.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran's proposed seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is "still on the table."

Araghchi made the remarks in an interview with Iran's official news agency IRNA on the sidelines of the 52nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. Tasnim, IRGC's mouthpiece, also carried the interview with Araghchi.

The Iran FM said Tehran's conditions for ceasing hostilities and reopening the strait were "completely clear" and had been submitted to the United States under the seven-day plan.

Oil prices fell in early Asian trading Monday after US President Donald Trump waived sanctions and tariffs on Russia under the Graham Russia-Iran Act.

Brent crude futures fell $1.90, or 1.73%, to $108 a barrel by 8.30am Beijing time, after settling Friday at their highest level since May 19. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 64 cents, or 0.63%, to $100.8 a barrel.

However, Murban crude rose by $3.39 or 3.08% to $113.4 .

Trump on Friday waived the application of sanctions, restrictions and duties on Russia under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers on Sunday called for a return to dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the crisis involving Iran and safeguard regional security and stability, urging a political solution to prevent further tensions. The call was included in the final communiqué of the GCC Ministerial Council’s 168th session in Manama, Bahrain.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that another supertanker, carrying about two million barrels of crude, hit a mine while sailing an "unauthorised" route with its tracking systems off. The IRGC framed the explosion and engine room fire as enforcement against ships ignoring new transit rules imposed after the US-Israeli conflict began in late February.

The latest claim follows an earlier Iranian report of a similar tanker incident. Reuters reported that Iranian state media described two tankers catching fire after mine strikes, but said the reports had not been independently confirmed.

In the latest incident, the vessel’s name, flag, ownership, crew status and the extent of any environmental damage were not disclosed in the initial reports. There was no independent confirmation that the tanker had struck a mine, according to Reuters reporting carried by other outlets.

Trump endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu before Israel's close-fought parliamentary election on October 27, providing a boost to the veteran prime minister's bid to win a new mandate.

Netanyahu touted his close relationship with the US president in a video released by his Likud party, saying that together they had "crushed Iran" and adding that re-election would allow him to work with Trump to "elminate the Iranian threat over the next two years, or even sooner".

"Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, using a common nickname for the Israeli leader.

"This is the kind of Partner that the United States of America is demanding of Israel, a Country for which it has done so much. Please let this Letter serve to represent my Complete and Total Endorsement of Bibi Netanyahu in his upcoming Race for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Israel."

The election is seen as a referendum on Netanyahu, who quickly thanked the US leader for his support on Sunday.

"Thank you, President Trump, for your tremendous support and for our work together. Together we will complete the mission!" he wrote on X.

"I ask you to listen carefully to what President Trump said this evening," Netanyahu told voters. "He said that together we have accomplished extraordinary things... But there is still a mission to complete."

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has warned governments, investors and businesses in the region against providing financial or other resources to AI and data companies he accuses of supporting military operations that kill civilians.

In a post on X, Ghalibaf said 'Persian Gulf Data Authority' was coming and warned that those assisting the companies could face enforcement action.

Egypt's top security body said Sunday it has agreed to support close ally Saudi Arabia in the major escalation of fighting between the kingdom and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has marked the latest front in the Iran war.

Saudi Arabia has been pressing allies for military assistance. The Houthis have repeatedly attacked airports and oil infrastructure across the kingdom with drones and missiles that can change direction during flight, posing a challenge to interceptors. At least 19 people have been killed, thousands of flights have been affected and global markets have been rattled.

The United Arab Emirates has expressed its solidarity and sincere condolences to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia following the martyrdom of two officers in the crash of a reconnaissance helicopter belonging to the Ministry of National Guard in the Najran region.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the two martyrs, and to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people over this tragedy.

Day 232: 7-day Hormuz reopening plan still on the table: Iran

Day 231: Saudi Arabia intercepts four drones in Riyadh and east

Day 230: Iran faces cash shortages, military strain: CENTCOM

Day 230: Saudi-led coalition shows cruise missile interception

Day 229: Falling shrapnel injures resident as Houthis claim airport strike

Day 228: Netanyahu is seriously considering resuming strikes on Iran

Day 227: Houthis claim attack targeting Riyadh airport

Day 226: Houthis issue new threat to Saudi Arabia’s airspace

Day 225: US, UK warn citizens to avoid Riyadh airport