Middle East Eye

Morning update Good Morning Middle East Eye readers, If you are just joining us, here are key developments from across the region and beyond: *Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, has said that efforts at mediation between Iran and the United States remain active to prevent escalation, warning that the crisis "cannot be left unresolved". *Qatar has denied reports that its prime minister said the United States and Iran had failed to reach an agreement to end the war, calling the claims “false and misleading”. *US Pres

Middle East Eye·قبل 3 ساعات

US-Israeli former soldier on visit to Netherlands accused of Gaza war crimes The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a criminal complaint in the Netherlands against a former US-Israeli soldier accused of involvement in attacks on schools sheltering displaced Palestinians, mass detentions and the destruction of residential buildings in Gaza. The complaint, submitted to the Dutch National Public Prosecutor's Office on 4 November, names Noam Himmelman, a former member of the Israeli army's Netzah Yehuda Battalion, who is currently in Amsterdam. HRF alleges that Himmelman was involved in w

Middle East Eye·قبل 3 ساعات

Israeli forces raid West Bank areas of Salfit and Nablus, detain Palestinian man Israeli forces have carried out raids in several parts of the occupied West Bank and detained at least one person on Saturday, Wafa reported. Forces raided homes in the town of az-Zawiya, near Salfit, as well as in the Askar al-Jadeed and Balata camps, near Nablus, Wafa reported. A Palestinian man was detained in Askar al-Jadeed, the agency added. Quds News Network, meanwhile, released a video showing Israeli forces detaining several Palestinians by the roadside after intercepting their vehicle near the tow

Middle East Eye·قبل 4 ساعات

'It would facilitate Gaza genocide': Protesters storm Microsoft planned site Several hundred activists occupied the construction site of a planned Microsoft data centre in Amsterdam on Friday, protesting the technology giant's alleged role in facilitating Israel's genocide in Gaza, as well as the environmental impact of artificial intelligence infrastructure. The demonstration, organised by climate and justice collective Geef Tegengas and environmental group Fossielvrij, halted construction work for the day in the city's Sloterdijk district. The protesters argued that the facility could

Middle East Eye·قبل 4 ساعات

Egypt's foreign minister discusses 'de-escalation' with Saudi, UAE, Kuwaiti counterparts Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty says that he has discussed with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the need to sustain joint efforts to "prevent escalation, restore calm, and pursue the path of negotiations". Abdelatty said that in a phone call for UAE foreign minister on Friday, he discussed efforts to "restore calm, prevent escalation and prioritise diplomacy", while in another call with his Kuwaiti counterpart, he emphasised "the importance of supporting de-escalat

Middle East Eye·قبل 5 ساعات

Saudi-led coalition forces destroy Houthi missile over Riyadh region Saudi-led coalition forces intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile launched by the Houthis targeting the Riyadh region, spokesperson for the forces, Major General Turki al-Malki, said in a post on X.

Middle East Eye·قبل 5 ساعات

Iran will not allow US bases in the region to be rebuilt, army spokesman says Iranian Army Spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia has said Iran's army will not allow US military bases in the region to be rebuilt. Akraminia said more than 228 locations or facilities at US bases across the region had been severely damaged or destroyed, according to Iran’s Fars news agency, claiming no US base in the region remained capable of operational missions, forcing US forces to bring in fuel for their vessels and supplies for personnel from outside the region. “We will never allow the enemy’

Middle East Eye·قبل 6 ساعات

Israeli settler attacks on West Bank olive harvest hit record since 2006, UN says The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said Israeli settlers have carried out a total of 377 attacks on olive harvest across the occupied West Bank since September, a record since 2006 when the UN began recording them. In a statement, OCHA said that during these attacks, one Palestinian was killed by a settler, more than 200 Palestinians were injured, and over 3,850 olive trees and saplings were damaged or vandalised. Combined with official Israeli restrictions on

Middle East Eye·قبل 6 ساعات

Iranian forces on higher alert, stronger than before war, spokesman says Iran's military is "stronger" and more motivated than it was when the United States and Israel started the war in February, says Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia. "Today, the Islamic Republic's armed forces... having gained experience from direct confrontation with the United States and the Israeli regime, are on higher alert and are stronger than they were at the beginning of the war," Akraminia said, according to the state news agency Irna. "They now possess greater motivation, commitment, and self-confid

Middle East Eye·قبل 7 ساعات

'Crisis cannot be left unresolved': Qatar PM says mediation efforts continue Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, has said that efforts at mediation between Iran and the United States remain active to prevent escalation, warning that the crisis "cannot be left unresolved". During a public interview at Oxford University on Friday, Al Thani said that “for the past couple of weeks, we have worked with colleagues in the US administration who have very genuine intentions to find a way to contain the situation and de-esca

Middle East Eye·قبل 8 ساعات

US urges citizens across Middle East to exercise 'heightened caution' The United States has urged Americans currently in the Middle East to exercise "heightened vigilance" due to the "increased threat of armed attacks by Houthis and Iranian efforts to target US government officials in the region". "Be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions," reads an alert issued by the Department of State on X. The Department of State and multiple US embassies/missions across the MiddleEast issued security alerts for Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Om

Middle East Eye·قبل 8 ساعات

Trump says US knocked out Iranian 'little bit of anti-aircraft device' US President Donald Trump says Washington had made considerable progress in its dealings with Iran, while acknowledging that US forces had carried out limited strikes against targets on the country. "I don't want to talk about it. We do minor strikes. But they knocked out... and they built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device. And we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five," Trump told reporters when asked about reports of strikes near Iran's Qeshm Island. Speaking to reporters after arriving aboard Air For

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UKMTO says 11 ships attacked in week to 4 Nov in Hormuz, Arabian Gulf The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has reported 11 attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and Arabian Gulf in the seven days to November 4, including incidents that left three vessels sunk. Eight attacks occurred in the Strait of Hormuz and three in the Arabian Gulf, according to UKMTO's weekly overview. Of the 11 incidents, three vessels continued their voyages, five required assistance and three sank. The report said one dhow was struck by an unidentified projectile on 2 November, ki

Middle East Eye·قبل 9 ساعات

US offers $20 million reward for info on Iran's nuclear programme Washington is offering a $20 million reward "and possible relocation" for information about Iran's nuclear programme, the US military said Friday, as President Donald Trump reiterated Tehran wants to make a deal to end the war. A State Department programme, Rewards for Justice, "is offering a reward of up to $20 million and possible relocation for information about Iran's nuclear program, including its facilities, equipment, and associated personnel, such as those in the scientific community," US Central Command said on X.

Middle East Eye·قبل 9 ساعات

Israeli settlers beat Palestinian man unconscious with clubs Israeli settlers have been filmed attacking Palestinians during an overnight attack on a hamlet in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, according to Quds News Network. One of the men can be seen lying unconscious after being beaten with clubs amid cries of a woman in the background, the report said. Israeli settler gangs attack Palestinians, beating one unconscious with clubs in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. https://t.co/ZXAqMFPILx November 6, 2026

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Trump says 'there would be no Israel' if Iran was allowed nuclear weapon US President Donald Trump says Israel would no longer exist if he had allowed Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, while defending his military campaign against Tehran. Speaking at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Trump  said: “If I allowed Iran to have a nuclear weapon, today there would be no Israel,” he said. “Israel would’ve been wiped off the face of the earth,” Trump added, according to Al Jazeera.

Middle East Eye·قبل 10 ساعات

Harmeet Dhillon, who led anti-Israel campus protest crackdown, resigns Several senior US Justice Department officials have resigned, including Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon who was one of the department’s leads in the administration’s efforts to crack down against anti-Israel protests on college campuses. US Attorney General Todd Blanche, a former personal lawyer for Trump, announced on Thursday that he had accepted the resignation of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon. According to Democracy Now, Dhillon spent her 19-month tenure "g

Middle East Eye·قبل 10 ساعات

Iranian air defence destroys MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island, report says Iran’s army has said air defence force intercepted and destroyed an American MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island, according to state broadcaster IRIB. The announcement followed reports from Iranian local media that two missiles had struck Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Hours earlier, IRNA reported that a US MQ-1 drone became the 16th of its kind to be brought down over Qeshm Island. The aircraft was engaged and destroyed by the IRGC's newly developed air defense system, it added.

Middle East Eye·قبل 11 ساعة