NETANYAHU TRIED TO STRIKE IRAN BEFORE THE VOTE. HIS OWN MILITARY CHIEF STOPPED HIM

Multiple Israeli sources confirm Netanyahu pushed for a military operation against Iran in the final days before today's election, with Mossad Director Gofman supporting it 10GDN Netanyahu reportedly pressured military to attack Iran in run-up to election 12AAM Israel's Mossad chief backed swift Iran operation opposed by army chief: Report 14IHY New details emerge about attack Netanyahu planned against Iran. IDF Chief Zamir refused to move without written authorisation and a formal VARASH review, which is the committee of intelligence and military chiefs 14IHY New details emerge about attack Netanyahu planned against Iran. Netanyahu denied a confrontation but did not deny issuing the directive, which is the relevant detail. The operation wasn't described as a full resumption of war, but sources said it could have reignited one 12AAM Israel's Mossad chief backed swift Iran operation opposed by army chief: Report, and Channel 12 called the Netanyahu-Zamir standoff "unprecedented" 10GDN Netanyahu reportedly pressured military to attack Iran in run-up to election. Trump is reportedly pushing Israel to wait until after November 3 midterms, partly on oil price grounds 12AAM Israel's Mossad chief backed swift Iran operation opposed by army chief: Report 14IHY New details emerge about attack Netanyahu planned against Iran. That gives you a hard window: the strike question doesn't go away, it just moved to November 4.

Khamenei explicitly stressed Iran's "continued management of the Strait of Hormuz" in a formal meeting with security chief Rezaei 4TSN Leader Stresses Iran’s Continued Management of Strait of Hormuz. Hours later, IDF Chief of Staff Major General Abdollahi said from the Sea of Oman coastline that any vessel transiting outside designated routes "will have its security endangered and will suffer serious damage" 7MHR No violating vessel safe in Strait of Hormuz. Two statements, one from the Supreme Leader and one from a senior military commander, on the same day, saying the same thing. That's coordinated signalling directed at Washington, timed to the expected post-midterm window. LNG shipments through Hormuz remain around 80 percent below pre-war levels 8RTN EU gas prices hit four-year high, so this isn't theoretical.

Two British nationals have been charged under the National Security Act in connection with the September incident at RAF Fairford, the Gloucestershire base used to fly B-1 and B-52 bombers to the Middle East 2BBC Two charged over alleged plot to assist Iran in RAF Fairford incident. Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim faces charges of assisting a foreign intelligence service; Nouman Essghir faces charges of entering a prohibited place for a prejudicial purpose 2BBC Two charged over alleged plot to assist Iran in RAF Fairford incident. Counter-terror police said the incident was part of "a range of incidents in recent months that we believe have been directed by the Iranian state" 2BBC Two charged over alleged plot to assist Iran in RAF Fairford incident. The US pulled its bombers from Fairford after the incident 2BBC Two charged over alleged plot to assist Iran in RAF Fairford incident. If the charges hold, Iran disrupted US bomber operations from British soil, which is the kind of thing that tends to complicate future basing decisions considerably.

The Tehran quadripartite summit ended with a joint statement on dialogue and regional security cooperation, no ceasefire language, and no specific commitments on Houthi restraint 6AJE Saudi-led coalition says it downed Houthi missiles and drones 11CNN Iran hosts Saudi Arabia and regional powers as fears grow of return to war. Within hours of the summit concluding, the Houthis launched three ballistic missiles and four drones at Saudi Arabia, all intercepted 6AJE Saudi-led coalition says it downed Houthi missiles and drones. Saudi Arabia was a summit participant. The timing is either a spectacular failure of Iranian proxy management or a deliberate signal about who actually sets the operational tempo. Neither interpretation reflects well on the summit's substance.

Maysan province council chairman Mustafa Da'ir, facing an arrest warrant from Baghdad after threatening civil disobedience, has given the central government until Thursday to reopen the al-Shib border crossing with Iran 1JPM Tensions continue to mount as Iraq balances the Iran border crossing closures with national needs. Baghdad closed it under US pressure to restrict Iranian militia supply lines 1JPM Tensions continue to mount as Iraq balances the Iran border crossing closures with national needs. The local economic pain is real: residents abandoned agriculture to rely on cheap Iranian imports and are now squeezed 1JPM Tensions continue to mount as Iraq balances the Iran border crossing closures with national needs. If Baghdad caves to Da'ir, it signals that Washington's leverage over Iraq's border policy has a floor, and Iran's land-route pressure is working. Thursday is the test.