Key political developments across the Arab world and beyond.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Saturday a new task force to support Washington's efforts to stop Iran from moving advanced weapons and sanctioned materials across its land borders and the Caspian Sea. The move follows months of a US naval blockade of Iran, according to CNN Arabic.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog's office announced on Saturday that Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, has been tasked with forming the next government, a setback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Sky News Arabia, the vote gave neither camp a parliamentary majority, while RT reported that Eisenkot secured the backing of 67 lawmakers. CNN Arabic said the formal mandate would be handed over on Sunday.
US Central Command said on Saturday that it disabled a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman, saying the ship had tried to breach the naval blockade imposed on Iran. In a statement early Sunday, Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy said two oil tankers struck naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, though accounts of the cause differ. Iranian sources also reported hearing two explosions on Qeshm Island and denied they were linked to any projectiles, according to Sky News Arabia.
President Donald Trump has announced that Stephen Miller will become White House chief of staff, succeeding Susie Wiles, who is leaving after Republicans lost both the House and the Senate. According to Fox News, Wiles served 21 months, making her Trump's longest-serving chief of staff across his two terms. The New York Times describes Miller as the architect of the mass deportation campaign and a public face of many of Trump's immigration policies.
Iran's Tasnim news agency reported early Saturday that preliminary reports point to two missiles landing on Qeshm Island in southern Iran, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz. RT Arabic carried the report, citing Tasnim, which in turn relied on unnamed sources. The nature of the missiles, who launched them and the extent of any damage remain unclear, and there has been no official confirmation.
US Vice President JD Vance is leading secret contacts aimed at a new ceasefire agreement with Iran, according to a report by RT Arabic. The effort also seeks to restart negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. The report does not say who is involved in the contacts or when they are taking place.
US President Donald Trump said Washington is continuing negotiations with Iran and that the contacts are going very well, amid intensive diplomatic efforts to settle the dispute between the two countries. According to the BBC, he said the United States will decide within the next two weeks whether to take further steps against Iran or approve a deal. The BBC also cited preliminary reports that two missiles struck Qeshm island, though no further details were available.
US envoy Jared Kushner said Washington held talks in Brussels with Ukraine, NATO and European partners on ending the war. He described the discussions as productive and substantive, and said they covered two linked tracks for a lasting peace: security guarantees for Ukraine and a broader European security framework.
Security authorities in several European countries went on alert after reports of bombs on flights operated by different airlines, according to Sky News Arabia. BBC Arabic reported that at least 21 flights were affected in the second such wave within a week, which the British government calls a malicious false threat.
US President Donald Trump has said he is confident a major agreement with Russia can be reached. According to reports, the deal he envisions would not be limited to settling the conflict in Ukraine but could extend to the entire European security architecture.
Egypt's army announced on Thursday that it will begin the fourth phase of its large-scale campaign against illegal gold prospecting in the Eastern Desert on Saturday. It said its forces have not targeted civilians and are working to protect the country's borders. Media reports citing the military spokesman said two officers, the chief of staff of the southern region border guards and a battalion operations chief, were killed in clashes with armed elements linked to the prospecting.
Turkey's parliament formally approved the Mecca joint defense agreement on Thursday, according to Al Jazeera and RT Arabic. Al Jazeera reports that the pact aims to strengthen the security of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan through deterrence and joint defense, reflecting a shared focus on regional stability.
Iran has sent a nuclear proposal to the United States through Qatari mediation, a senior Iranian official told Reuters. The official said Tehran will not discuss the proposal until Washington meets seven Iranian demands. Al Jazeera also reported that Rezaei discussed post-war issues with the Russian president, as part of regional contacts aimed at easing tensions.
Democrats scored a decisive win in the US midterm elections and took control of both the Senate and the House, according to BBC Arabic. Sky News Arabia reports that this gives the party greater power to obstruct President Donald Trump's agenda, including his war against Iran, which could become one of its priorities. Trump acknowledged that the war with Iran, higher fuel prices and living costs weighed on the result.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday that the war with Iran must end. He hinted that his party's expected majority in Congress could use its control over government funding to press for that outcome. RT Arabic reported that Democrats won the midterm elections, while Sky News Arabia said Vance blamed the war for the Republican loss.
Morocco's King Mohammed VI has instructed the authorities to help speed up the departure of the UN peacekeeping mission MINURSO from Western Sahara, after its mandate, in place for 35 years, was not renewed. Sky News Arabia reported that the king chaired a working session on Wednesday to discuss the period after the mission's end, following the Security Council's decision not to renew its mandate.
President Donald Trump acknowledged that the war with Iran influenced the outcome of the midterm elections, saying he had no choice but to fight it despite the impact on Republican performance. According to CNN Arabic, he gave conditional backing to Vice President JD Vance's assessment, which blamed Republican losses in the vote on the war.
Democratic gains in the US midterm elections have cleared the way for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to become the first Black speaker of the chamber, Sky News Arabia reported. Jeffries has formally announced his bid for the post, according to RT Arabic. He faces the twin task of confronting President Donald Trump while bridging divisions between moderates and progressives in his own party. He told CNN that ending the war in Iran is among the party's most urgent goals, part of a broader agenda to tackle the cost-of-living crisis in 2027.
Democrats have taken majorities in both the Senate and the House from Republicans in the US midterm elections held on 3 November, according to preliminary results reported by RT Arabic. President Donald Trump said he could work with a Democratic majority on far more issues than people realize, Sky News Arabia reported. Ahead of the vote, BBC Arabic had noted an intensifying contest between the two parties for control of both chambers.
The Houthis said they targeted King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, and BBC Arabic reported that the death toll from the attack has risen to 14. Hezbollah denied giving the group military support, while Saudi Arabia announced that a potential threat in Jazan had passed. The United Nations warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Taiz, and Yemeni parties accused Iran of stepping up its military backing for the Houthis.
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