Donald Trump has said his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was making progress in negotiations with Iran, but suggested that reaching a deal was not his preferred outcome.
He said: “I think the deal isn’t really something that I want to do, but they’re willing to offer us anything to stop,” Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in San Antonio.
NBC News reported that Trump and his national security team have discussed the possibility of restarting large-scale US military operations in Iran in the coming weeks, including potential strikes ahead of next month’s midterm elections.
Meanwhile, three people were killed and more than 30 were injured in strikes on airports across Saudi Arabia, the country’s civil aviation authorities said on Wednesday, amid a flare up in clashes with the Yemeni Houthi rebels.
One person was killed and eight were injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, while two were killed and 28 were injured in an attack at Abha airport, a statement read.
Read MoreTrump says Iran can take out these two US cities: ‘That’s a very small price to pay’
White House blasts media coverage of Trump’s remark about Iran destroying LA and San Diego
Trump blames Iran for attempted hijack of Israel plane after captain stabbed
How the UK could be brought to a standstill by a low cost drone attack
Key Points
- Houthi missiles 'fired at international airport' minutes before arrival of passenger flight
- JD Vance says Iran must cut enrichment to end war
- Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted Houthi missile
- Most families of US troops killed in the Iran war won't be at White House event
- Trump was misunderstood over US attack comments, says White House
US military prepares new Iran war options ahead of midterm elections - report
06:01 , Maroosha MuzaffarDonald Trump and his national security team have reportedly discussed the possibility of restarting large-scale US military operations in Iran in the coming weeks, including potential strikes ahead of next month’s midterm elections, according to a US official and another person familiar with the discussions.
A defence department official told NBC News: “The department’s job is to develop and present military options to the president.”
A White House official said the US “is in a very strong position”.
“Iran has been decimated, and things will go one of two ways: the easy way or the hard way,” the official said.
“President Trump holds all the cards and will do whatever is best for the United States.”
Trump says Iran deal is not his preferred outcome as special envoy negotiates
05:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarDonald Trump says Steve Witkoff, his special envoy to the Middle East, is “doing very well” while he works on a potential agreement with Iran.
But he added that “I think the deal isn’t really something that I want to do, but they’re willing to offer us anything to stop,” Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in San Antonio.
“That war ends – it’s going to be very soon. It’s got to be very soon,” Trump said.
He also called Iran “a failed nation” with “a little spunk left, but not much.”
Iran would “never have a nuclear weapon”, he said and praised Witkoff as “a great negotiator”.
US and Iran hold indirect nuclear talks in New York - report
03:56 , Maroosha MuzaffarThe US and Iran have held indirect nuclear talks in New York this month, according to NBC News, as Washington pushes for a broader agreement to address Iran’s nuclear programme.
According to the report, the Trump administration wants any agreement with Tehran to address what it describes as outstanding critical issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.
The Trump administration has rejected Tehran’s proposal for a seven-day deal focused first on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, in which the US would lift sanctions and unfreeze Iranian funds while nuclear talks were postponed.
Instead, Washington wants the nuclear issue included in any agreement rather than handled separately at a later stage.
The bereaved families hoping for peace three years after October 7: ‘We don’t fight with weapons. We believe in love’
03:00 , James Reynolds“After three years, my worst fear is that my kids’ memory will fade away,” Sigal Manzuri says, on the eve of the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks that claimed her two daughters’ lives.
“I just ask from others to really please remember that behind every picture they see, every story they hear, there is a soul, there are so many dreams cut short. And just remember them.”
Sigal, a US-Israeli mother and activist from Hod HaSharon in central Israel, today dedicates her time to preserving the memory of her daughters, Norelle, 25, and Roya, 22, who were both killed at the Supernova music festival in 2023.
Some 1,200 people were killed that day as the Palestinian terror group led an armed incursion across the border, rampaging through towns and taking 251 hostages back into Gaza.
Read the full story:
Bereaved Israeli families still hoping for peace three years after October 7 massacre
02:00 , James ReynoldsUS vice president JD Vance told Reuters that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to satisfy US demands and end the countries’ seven-month war.
Vance, a longtime skeptic of US involvement in foreign wars, has taken a leading role in negotiating a settlement to the conflict and brokered a provisional peace agreement in June that quickly fell apart. The war has jolted global energy markets and become a political liability for US president Donald Trump ahead of November midterm elections.
Vance told Reuters on Monday after a campaign trip in Alaska that any agreement would require Iran to reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity, rather than offer assurances of future nuclear drawdowns.
"If you don't want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel? And if you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, don't build highly enriched fuel. That's a very basic threshold issue," Vance said.
"I think if they want to show a commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, they would do something meaningful on their enrichment capacity."
Lebanon's Hezbollah 'gets $200 million from Iran' to help displaced
01:00 , James ReynoldsHezbollah has received $200 million from Iran to help Lebanese displaced by this year’s war with Israel, two people with direct knowledge of the transfer said, the first significant aid from the group to supporters who bore the brunt of the conflict.
Hezbollah received the cash last month despite a tightening US economic chokehold on Iran and increasing difficulties in getting funds to Tehran's Lebanese ally, said the people.
Intermediaries who moved the money charged a 20% fee, reflecting the risks of dealing with the group, they said. One said this was four times the normal fee.
Asked for comment, a Hezbollah official said an amount had been secured and a plan for distributing it would be announced in the coming days, without elaborating on the source of the funds.
Jimmy Kimmel slams Trump for suggesting Iran could bomb California
Thursday 8 October 2026 00:00 , James ReynoldsJimmy Kimmel wasted no time condemning President Donald Trump over his viral remarks about Iran destroying American cities.
At a rally in Nebraska on Monday, Trump discussed rising prices tied to the ongoing Iran war, calling them “a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe.”
“They could take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles; let them take out San Diego,” he said next, drawing cheers from the crowd. “This is a very small price to pay. And it’s gonna be over with very soon.”
Read the full story:
Jimmy Kimmel slams Trump’s ‘truly appalling’ suggestion Iran could bomb California
Three killed in attacks on two Saudi airports, over 30 hurt, Saudi civil aviation says
Wednesday 7 October 2026 23:34 , James ReynoldsOne person was killed and eight injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh, and two were killed and 28 injured in an attack on facilities at Abha airport, Saudi civil aviation authorities said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
One of the attacks was on Wednesday and the other on Tuesday, it said, without saying which attack had occurred on which day.
The Longer Read: Netanyahu has no interest in an investigation into October 7 – he fears what it would find
Wednesday 7 October 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsThe Israeli government refuses to commemorate the date of the greatest murder of Jews since the Holocaust, and wants to remove the word ‘massacre’ from how it is discussed in an official capacity.
It is because a reckoning is coming for Netanyahu and the era over which he has presided, writes Gary Cohen:
Netanyahu doesn’t want an investigation into October 7 – he fears what it would find
Tanker struck by multiple projectiles north of Qatar's Madinat ash Shamal, reports UKMTO
Wednesday 7 October 2026 22:45 , James ReynoldsA tanker was struck by multiple projectiles in an incident 51 nautical miles north of Qatar's Madinat ash Shamal, with casualties reported, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said on Wednesday.
Syria 'considering sending troops to Yemen to fight Houthis'
Wednesday 7 October 2026 22:33 , James ReynoldsSyria is considering sending troops to Yemen to help Saudi Arabia and its partners fight the Houthi rebels, according a report.
Three US officials told US outlet Axios that Riyadh and Damascus are weighing Syrian involvement in a counteroffensive, but are yet to make a final decision.
The official Syrian Response page on X responded to the reports saying they supported Saudi Arabia were not interested in opening new fronts.
“Our priority is Syria: rebuilding the country, strengthening its institutions, working with our partners on reconstruction and improving the lives of Syrians. Any military cooperation with partner countries would take place only through official channels and existing bilateral frameworks,” they wrote.
Iraq devalues its currency as Iran-U.S. war disrupts oil shipping routes
Wednesday 7 October 2026 22:30 , James ReynoldsIraq devalued its currency Wednesday, changing the official exchange rate from around 1,300 dinars to the U.S. dollar to 1,500 dinars to the dollar.
The country’s central bank said in a statement that the new exchange rate had been decided at a meeting of Iraq’s Cabinet the night before “to meet the relevant financial, economic and monetary requirements.”
The previous exchange rate was set in 2023. In practice, there has always been a gap between the official rate and the market rate used by exchange shops.
At the new official rate, Iraq's Finance Ministry will sell dollars at 1,500 dinars to the dollar, while consumers purchasing from banks will pay 1,520 dinars to the dollar.
Trump says he should win the Nobel Prize despite Iran war
Wednesday 7 October 2026 22:29 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump, who waged war with Iran and has yet to broker peace in Ukraine, said on Wednesday that he should win the Nobel Peace Prize but acknowledged doubt about his chances.
"I don't know what their decision is going to be," Trump said of the 2026 award, which the Norwegian Nobel Committee will announce on Friday. "They have a reputation for maybe not giving it to people like me."
Since his return to the White House last year, Trump has repeatedly said he deserves what may be the world's most prestigious award.
"It is about that time," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "But I was very honored to receive it indirectly last time by the recipient, who said nobody in history deserves it more than President Trump."
Comment: October 7 attacks have led to an apocalyptic reality in Gaza – the violence must stop
Wednesday 7 October 2026 22:00 , James ReynoldsIn the aftermath of Hamas’s bloody attacks on southern Israel three years ago today, the resounding emotion was horror, grief and, in some quarters, revenge.
And so I expected rage and despair when I interviewed relatives, including Yonatan Zeigen, just days after his mother, peace activist Vivian Silver, had been killed in Kibbutz Be’eri, one of over 1,200 people killed by militants that day.
But what he said at the time silenced me. “Vengeance is not a strategy,” the father-of-three warned. Still drowning in personal grief, he urged the world to instead “invest in peace”.
Read the full story:
October 7 attacks have led to an apocalyptic reality in Gaza – the violence must stop
Trump: ‘Dozens of Iran’s leaders have been blown out of existence’
Wednesday 7 October 2026 21:30 , James ReynoldsFive arrested for inciting racial hatred at pro-Palestine protest on October 7 anniversary
Wednesday 7 October 2026 21:00 , James ReynoldsFive people have been arrested outside the Board of Deputies of British Jews in London during a protest on the anniversary of the October 7 attacks.
The Metropolitan Police said five people were arrested for inciting racial hatred, involving allegedly shouting or chanting slogans calling for intifada in what police described as a “spontaneous protest” outside the venue in Camden.
Wednesday marks the third anniversary of the attacks on October 7 which saw Hamas-led militants invade Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 250 others hostage.
Read the full story:
Five arrested at pro-Palestine protest on October 7 anniversary
Attacks on tankers in Hormuz hit highest of any week since start of Iran war, sources say
Wednesday 7 October 2026 20:30 , James ReynoldsAttacks on tankers sailing through the Strait of Hormuz hit their highest last week of any week since the Iran war began, according to maritime security sources tracking incidents, amid a bigger export push by Gulf producers.
Attacks, attempted attacks and harassment activity including drone overflights, surveillance and hailing using VHF radio by Iran's Revolutionary Guards have persisted in the strait, the US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said in a note on Sunday.
"These actions continue to demonstrate Iran’s intent to assert presence along key transit lanes and maintain pressure on transiting vessels," the JMIC said.
The bereaved families hoping for peace three years after October 7: ‘We don’t fight with weapons. We believe in love’
Wednesday 7 October 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds“After three years, my worst fear is that my kids’ memory will fade away,” Sigal Manzuri says, on the eve of the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks that claimed her two daughters’ lives.
“I just ask from others to really please remember that behind every picture they see, every story they hear, there is a soul, there are so many dreams cut short. And just remember them.”
Sigal, a US-Israeli mother and activist from Hod HaSharon in central Israel, today dedicates her time to preserving the memory of her daughters, Norelle, 25, and Roya, 22, who were both killed at the Supernova music festival in 2023.
Some 1,200 people were killed that day as the Palestinian terror group led an armed incursion across the border, rampaging through towns and taking 251 hostages back into Gaza.
Read the full story:
Bereaved Israeli families still hoping for peace three years after October 7 massacre
Oil flow through Hormuz drops 60 per cent in two days, says Iranian media
Wednesday 7 October 2026 19:30 , James ReynoldsIranian media is now reporting a 60 per cent drop in oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran tries to pile pressure onto the US, claiming full control of the vital waterway.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, linked to Iran’s IRGC, claims that the flow of crude oil has fallen significantly in the last two days to around 3.8m barrels per day.
The pre-war baseline was around 17m barrels per day.
A seven-day moving average for crude exports from the region was 18.3 million barrels per day on September 30, provisional data from Kpler showed, with volumes topping pre-war levels on 14 days in September.
But that included Gulf oil sent via Hormuz, the Red Sea, and from terminals and ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman.
Flydubai co-pilot ‘trained at one of UK’s biggest flight schools’
Wednesday 7 October 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsThe FlyDubai co-pilot who allegedly stabbed his captain in a bid to crash an Israel-bound plane underwent pilot training at one of the biggest flight schools in the UK, according to a report.
Hamam al-Hammami, 29, finished his training at L3 Airline Academy between 2018 and 2019, reported the Telegraph. The pilot training company has centres in England and has since become part of Acron Aviation, which said it was assisting investigators in their probe.
Police in New Zealand said on Tuesday that Mr Hammami was in New Zealand seven years ago to complete a portion of his flight training for a UK-based company, without naming the organisation.
Flydubai co-pilot trained at one of UK’s biggest flight schools – report
Turkey sending technical, defensive support to Saudi Arabia to help fight Houthis
Wednesday 7 October 2026 18:30 , James ReynoldsTurkey is sending mainly defensive and technical support to Saudi Arabia to help it fight Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, two officials said on Wednesday, after the NATO member and Pakistan pledged to act on the collective defence commitment of their newly formed alliance.
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member constituted an attack on all. They have been working to set the parameters of the new alliance and have held political and military meetings in response to the Houthi attacks.
On Monday, the countries said they had agreed to move immediately to implement their collective defence commitments and ensure the "rapid deployment" of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu echoes Iran with strange AI-generated Lego video
Wednesday 7 October 2026 18:00 , James ReynoldsIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has posted a Lego video of the war in Gaza that denies that there is a genocide taking place on the third anniversary of 7 October.
In a clip posted to the Prime Minister of Israel’s official X account late on Tuesday, the one minute and 19 second clip reenacts the events of 7 October with Lego Hamas figures seen kidnapping Israeli citizens.
It then shows the Israeli military going into tunnels through what appears to be a household kitchen in Gaza before a debate on the meaning of the word genocide, in an imitation of popular videos released by Iran.
Netanyahu posts October 7 AI Lego video denying Israel is committing genocide in Gaza
Watch: Donald Trump ignores reporters asking him to explain LA, San Diego comment
Wednesday 7 October 2026 17:30 , James ReynoldsPresident Donald Trump suggested to a crowd of his supporters in Nebraska that Iran could "take out" a major US city like Los Angeles or San Diego, drawing a swift rebuke from California's Democratic leaders and some fellow Republicans.
Trump, speaking at a political rally in the state's farm belt on Monday, discussed American wartime economic sacrifices and said he was determined to "see a tremendous victory, because it verifies all the things we did."
"It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, for keeping our country safe. They could take out a city. Let 'em take out Los Angeles, let 'em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay, and it's going to be over with very soon," he said.
On Tuesday, the White House dismissed criticism of the remark.
"The media freakout over President Trump’s comments is not rooted in reality. He was clearly stating US cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped," White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung said in a social media post.
"America is safer because of the President. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money."
