Middle East conflict: Iran warns new war with US could last longer; UAE hopes for peace, ‘braced for worst’

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US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he had a “good talk” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that the two leaders discussed Iran.

Axios cited sources as saying Netanyahu is pressing Trump to strike Iran immediately after Tuesday’s midterm elections, but Trump, for now, wants to let negotiations play out — a strategy Netanyahu is concerned about.

On Sunday, Iran’s army spokesman warned that any new war could extend beyond the Middle East and last much longer than the previous conflict.

Iranian negotiators were in Doha on Nov. 1 for a third consecutive day of talks with Qatari mediators aimed at reaching a deal to end the war with the US and Israel, Reuters reported, citing an official briefed on the talks.

The discussions follow an initial Iranian proposal, conveyed o Qatari intermediaries, for a "seven-day plan" under which the US and Iran would take daily confidence-building steps before broader peace talks.

Following back-and-forth communications, the seven days had been whittled down to a "two-day plan", as per Iran FM Abbas Araghchi.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump has not decided whether to launch new strikes but prefers a diplomatic resolution. The split highlights a key decision point: continued diplomacy or renewed military action. The outcome could determine whether the Strait of Hormuz reopens and whether the conflict escalates further. Watch for Trump’s post-election decision, Iran’s response to the Iranain proposal and any announcement on Hormuz reopening. Further Doha talks or renewed strikes would signal the next phase.

President Donald Trump has been asking allies about the performances of War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, The Atlantic reported Sunday, citing two outside advisers close to him.

The questioning comes as Trump focuses on advisers who assured him the war would be "quick and decisive". He often seeks friends’ opinions before making personnel changes.

Some people close to Trump accused Hegseth of giving him an "overly optimistic" picture. The Pentagon rejected that claim, saying Hegseth provides the “full operational picture.”

Hegseth and Caine presented military options to Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House last week, the report added.

The White House said Trump had “full confidence” in both men. No order to resume strikes had been given, the report said.

The Atlantic noted that Trump has been contemplating a renewal of hostilities aimed at forcing Iran to negotiate. Advisers told the magazine that a new round of attacks could "come soon" after Tuesday’s midterms.

Hegseth and Caine have been two of Trump’s key counselors on the war. In its earliest stages, they were among the most publicly optimistic about its prospects, though they have not held a press conference since May.

US President Donald Trump has predicted that the war with Iran will end “very soon”, defending higher oil prices as a "small" sacrifice for American and global security.

Speaking at a midterm election rally in Iowa on Sunday, November 1, Trump claimed the US military campaign had prevented Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

He forecast a sharp decline in fuel prices once hostilities end, saying oil would come “plunging” afterwards.

Trump said energy prices had risen less than he initially expected, describing the increase as “a very small price to pay” for security.

However, he provided no timetable or details of a possible settlement, leaving uncertainty over when the conflict might end.

The remarks come ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, with the Iran war driving up energy costs and adding pressure on American households.

Oil prices have exceeded $100 per barrel amid disruptions to Gulf shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

US crude benchmark WTI Crude dropped by $2.39 to $101.7, down 2.30%; Brent Crude was down 2% at $111.2 (down $2.27); Murban Crude rose 1.85% to $114.8 per barrel, as of 10.11 am Beijing time on Monday (Nov. 2, 2026).

Two oil tankers "exploded after striking mines” while transitting Hormuz through what the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy declared as an "unauthorised route", Iranian state media reported late on Sunday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Qatar-mediated talks have produced a "two-day plan" under which the US would implement a set of measures on the first day, allowing Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore normal navigation on the second.

"I can say that we have now reached a two-day plan. This means that on the first day, the U.S. implements a set of measures, and on the second day, the Strait of Hormuz reopens and transit returns to its previous state," Clash Report quoted Araghchi as saying..

The proposal is a shortened version of an earlier seven-day plan, reduced to 48 hours after consultations with Qatari mediators. Araghchi said talks were continuing and “moving toward implementation.”

Araghchi's statement, corroborated by Al Jazeera and The Washington Times, is a proposal, not an agreed deal.

The report clarified that consultations continue and no definitive conclusion has been reached. The two-day sequence is conditional on U.S. action; the US has not publicly accepted it.

US President Donald Trump held a call with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu over when and whether to ramp up combat operations against Iran, US media reported Sunday.

Axios quoted one US and one Israeli official saying the two leaders on Saturday discussed the state of negotiations with the Islamic republic, with Netanyahu pressing the president to launch strikes on Iran immediately after the US midterm elections and Trump eager to let negotiations play out.

The Israeli source described the call as "tough," while the American source said it was "direct," according to Axios.

The Trump-Netanyahu talks followed the disclosure Saturday by Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei that he had received a letter from US Vice President JD Vance seeking to revive stalled talks.

A vessel was struck on Sunday by "an unknown projectile" in the Strait of Hormuz, a British maritime security agency said, after Qatari media reported an earlier attack on a gas tanker.

Britain's UKMTO maritime agency said "the master of a merchant vessel has relayed a mayday call... stating that another vessel has been struck by an unknown projectile" in the strait.

Houthi media said on Sunday that Saudi airstrikes targeted a key Red Sea port in Hodeidah province, as the Iran-backed group battles a Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognised government.

"Saudi Arabia has launched two airstrikes on Ras Issa port," A -Masirah TV said, subsequently adding that Saudi Arabia had attacked the "pier and a commercial ship there in a series of airstrikes".

Houthi media on Sunday also reported strikes targeting the faculty of medicine at Hodeidah University, in the same province, while two residents told AFP they heard an explosion in the area.

The Saudi-led coalition, for its part, said it had conducted "a precision operation to neutralise vital resources" used by the Houthis.

Houthi media, citing an anonymous military official, on Sunday repeated threats against Saudi oil giant Aramco and aviation in the kingdom.

"Aramco facilities are within range of the Yemeni Armed Forces, and investments in them are a venture fraught with losses," the Houthis' Saba news agency quoted the military official as saying.

The official also warned international airlines against using Saudi airspace "except for the airspaces of Mecca and Medina".

Iran's top diplomat said consultations with mediators are ongoing as diplomatic efforts try to avoid a return to all-out war, and the final outcome depends on answers provided by the United States to the "Iranian questions."

In an interview shared on his Telegram channel, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran hoped the US would choose "diplomacy over other paths." He said Iran was ready for both defence and diplomacy, depending on Washington's "rationality."

More than 300,000 people have fled their homes in western Yemen because of intensifying fighting in the country, pitting the Houthis against Saudi-backed government forces, the UN said on Sunday.

Almost all were displaced in the last two months, and they "urgently need shelter, food, clean water and health care", the International Organization for Migration said in a statement.

Qatar has condemned the attack on its LNG carrier Al Mayeda in the Arabian Gulf, calling it a threat to maritime navigation and global energy supplies.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Qatar reserves the right to take necessary measures under international law to protect its vessels and crews. Investigations are under way to identify those responsible.

Qatar also warned that attacks on energy carriers could threaten regional stability, the global economy, the marine environment and water security across the region.

 The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced that it had carried out a military operation targeting resources used by the Houthi militia to support its war effort, following repeated attacks on civilians and threats to maritime navigation in the southern Red Sea.

Major General Turki Al Maliki, spokesman for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, said the operation was launched on Sunday morning to disrupt resources used by the Houthis to carry out what he described as repeated and indiscriminate attacks.

In a statement, Al Maliki accused the Houthis of continuing to mobilise resources to sustain their military operations and strengthen their capabilities, particularly ballistic missiles and drones.

Somali pirates have seized an Iranian fishing vessel carrying 23 people, the Maritime Security Center Indian Ocean said, warning that the ship was approaching a commercial shipping lane and could become a floating base for further attacks.

The Azini was hijacked Thursday between the coastal towns of Bandar Bayla and Hafun in northeastern Somalia, a maritime security officer with the Puntland Maritime Police Force said Sunday.

The officer told The Associated Press that 12 pirates seized the vessel, which was carrying 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak with the media.

The crew's safety was unknown, the center said in an alert dated Saturday. In an updated warning, it said that pirates could use the vessel as a "mother ship" to support attacks on commercial vessels.

The European Union's naval Operation Atalanta was investigating. The center urged ships in the area to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.

MotoGP team Yamaha said it will not race in the Qatar Grand Prix next weekend over safety concerns in the Middle East.

The Japanese team said in a statement that it assessed the situation and made its decision independently from MotoGP Group and the event organizer. The race was scheduled to be held from Friday to Sunday at Lusail International Circuit.

"Following its latest assessment of the situation in the Middle East, Yamaha has not identified sufficient grounds to change its existing company-wide travel restrictions," Yamaha racing said. "As a result, Yamaha has informed MotoGP Group about its decision not to participate in the 2026 Qatar Grand Prix."

Following the Qatar GP there are two races left this month in Portugal and Spain.

"Yamaha remains fully committed to MotoGP and looks forward to returning to competition at the Portuguese Grand Prix," the team said.

Several riders are reportedly pushing to call off next week's race.

The UAE is hoping for a diplomatic breakthrough between the United States and Iran but remains “braced for the worst” amid threats of renewed fighting in the Middle East, a senior UAE official warned on Sunday.

Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, said another round of conflict would not serve the region's interests, even as governments remained alert to the possibility of further military escalation.

“We’re hoping that there is a diplomatic breakthrough,” Gargash said at a conference in Bahrain, according to AFP.

“It is not the interest of the region to go through another round... But I think we’re also, as we’ve shown before, braced for the worst.”

Iran warned on Sunday that any new war with the United States could last longer than the previous conflict and that US President Donald Trump would not be the one to determine its duration.

"A potential future war could last longer than previous conflict, and the American president would not be in a position to dictate the timing or the conditions of its conclusion," said army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia, according to Iranian state television.

DAkasa Air has extended the suspension of flights to and from Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia amid the prevailing security situation in the Kingdom.

In an advisory shared on November 1, the airline said flights to and from Jeddah would remain suspended until and including November 18, 2026, while services to Riyadh would remain suspended until and including November 30.

The airline said it was closely monitoring developments and assessing the security situation in real time, with passenger and crew safety remaining its priority.

A Qatari tanker has been attacked with "unidentified objects" while transiting Gulf waters, the country's state news agency reported Sunday.

The attack on Friday evening struck a liquefied natural gas carrier, Al Mayeda, which belongs to the Qatar Gas Transport Company, Qatar News Agency said.

Since the Middle East war broke out in February, Iran has been targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and wider Gulf in an effort to assert control over shipping.

It says ships must obtain its permission to transit.

In response, the US has been blockading Iranian ports.

None of the crew members onboard the vessel struck on Friday were injured and there was no environmental impact from the attack, the report said.

The ship was in a "safe condition" and operational, the Qatari company was cited as saying.

Qatar, a mediator in the war, has stepped up diplomatic efforts in recent days in an attempt to revive negotiations between the United States and Iran.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has designated Britain's foreign intelligence service, MI6, as a "hostile group" and the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations, according to the Tasnim news agency.

In a statement issued on Sunday, November 1, the ministry said the measures were adopted in response to what it described as Britain's anti-Iranian actions, including providing military bases, facilities and logistical support during the US-Israeli war against Iran.

The ministry also cited Britain's decision on July 13, 2026, to place Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under the State Threats Act 2026.

The measures, based on a resolution by Iran's Supreme National Security Council, took effect on November 1, the statement said.

Tehran said the move was based on the principle of reciprocity and aimed at protecting Iran's national security and interests.

Iran's top security official Mohsen Rezaei has warned that Tehran would deliver "devastating blows" to any aggressor using "new weaponry" if the country is attacked, while asserting that the path of diplomacy would remain open if Iran's seven conditions are fulfilled.

In a post shared on X, Rezaei said, "We have repeatedly stated: the seven conditions announced by Iran must be fulfilled. If the conditions are met, the path of diplomacy will be open."

He further warned, "In response, if any action is taken against the country, in accordance with the Supreme Leader's directive today to the armed forces, we will deliver devastating blows to the aggressor using new weaponry."

A US senator has criticised major oil companies, claiming their profits have surged while motorists face higher fuel costs.

In a post on X, the senator said gas prices had risen 39 per cent since what they described as “Trump’s illegal Iran War”. The senator claimed Exxon’s profits were up 130 per cent, Chevron’s 185 per cent, while Shell’s had nearly doubled.

“Working families struggle while Big Oil rips them off,” the senator said.

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has knocked out much of Iran's military but it still has to "take care of" one or two targets including a suspected nuclear site known as Pickaxe Mountain.

Trump maintained that negotiations with Iran to end the war that the US and Israel began at the end of February were "going fine but you know they're not very reliable."

The US president reiterated that the US was not in a hurry to take offensive action because it had decimated Iran's military and nuclear program.

"We've knocked out their nuclear. We still have to take care of, I would say one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes," Trump told reporters at his Florida residence.

"You probably could look at Pickaxe Mountain, and you have to take care of that. We can do that all very quickly," he added, referring to a suspected underground nuclear complex.

The Iranian government has denied any nuclear work is carried out there.

After a week dominated by warnings of imminent US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Tehran has signalled an unexpected shift in the diplomatic atmosphere, acknowledging a major change in Washington’s approach as intensive mediation raises cautious hopes of averting another round of war.

Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei said on Saturday that the tone of a letter from US Vice President JD Vance had “changed completely”, describing it as a positive development.

The remarks were reinforced by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who welcomed Washington’s latest attempt to reopen dialogue, even as Tehran maintained that it was not yet ready for direct negotiations with American officials.

Read full story here.

Iran's supreme leader warned the United States and Israel Saturday of fresh attacks following their threats to resume strikes after crucial elections, as fears increased over a return to fighting.

President Donald Trump suggested he could launch fresh military action after the United States holds its midterm elections early next week.

But US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday: "If there is a diplomatic solution, we would be open to it."

In Israel, which is coming off a general election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken of a "historic, one-time opportunity" to topple the Iranian government.

The elections in both countries could determine the direction of the conflict, with Israel having voted on Tuesday but yet to form a new government.

"Any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response," Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei told top military commanders, according to a statement.

Khamenei also ordered commanders to update Iran's target list to include "all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American-Zionist enemy".

Iran has previously warned it would consider severing undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz.

This was the first reported meeting between Khamenei and military top brass.

The supreme leader has not been seen publicly since before he took the helm in March, after the killing of his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has warned the United States and Israel against launching fresh attacks, threatening an immediate military response as concerns grow over a possible return to war.

The warning comes as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says President Donald Trump has yet to decide whether to order further strikes on Iran. Tehran, meanwhile, has ruled out immediate direct talks with Washington, despite ongoing mediation efforts involving Qatar and Pakistan.

With both sides maintaining their positions, regional leaders are urging restraint as uncertainty grows over what could happen after the US midterm elections.

Will the US launch fresh strikes on Iran?

Iran's strikes on more than two dozen US bases in the Middle East focused on early-warning systems before hitting aircraft and buildings, causing billions of dollars in equipment damage, according to an Associated Press analysis.

The AP independently verified damage to American targets using satellite imagery from multiple providers and spoke to four regional officials who were briefed or have firsthand knowledge of what was hit. The AP found that, through August, more than 115 drone or missile strikes claimed by Iran or Iranian-backed militias damaged or destroyed structures on 26 military bases and other sites with US equipment.

Read more here.

Day 245: Rubio says US yet to decide on new Iran strikes

Day 244: US denies Iran destroyed sea drone in Strait of Hormuz

Day 243: US fires senior army general in latest ouster: reports

Day 242: Iran discusses plan to end war and reopen Hormuz

Day 241: Iran says supreme leader met with security chief

Day 240: 'Entering new path could be considered': Iran tells US