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Politics

Key political developments across the Arab world and beyond.

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Iran's Rezaei says Hormuz will not open until Tehran's conditions are met

Iran's National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei said he has not yet replied to a message from US Vice President Vance, and that the Strait of Hormuz will not open until Tehran's conditions are implemented. He also stressed Iran's readiness for deterrence and the firmness of its nuclear doctrine, according to Al Jazeera. RT Arabic reported that he said Iran will not negotiate with Washington until its seven conditions, passed on through intermediaries, are met.

الجزيرة2 sources
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Sudan accuses Ethiopia of drone attacks on its facilities

Sudan's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that Ethiopia carried out drone attacks on several Sudanese facilities, and it released details of the strikes. The ministry stressed Sudan's right to respond to any aggression. Egypt condemned the escalating drone attacks on civilian and vital sites in Sudan, citing civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure, and called for an end to the flow of weapons from Sudan's neighboring countries, according to RT Arabic.

CNN بالعربية2 sources
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Khamenei orders military to respond without geographic limits as Trump holds off on decision

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has ordered the armed forces to respond to any new threat "without geographic restrictions," after meeting senior military commanders, according to BBC Arabic and CNN Arabic. Iran's army warned that any fresh US attack would only widen the war, following threats of further military action from the United States and Israel. BBC Arabic reported that Trump has not yet made a decision on military action against Iran.

BBC عربي2 sources
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Morocco welcomes Security Council's decision not to extend MINURSO mission

Morocco's Royal Court said the UN Security Council did not extend the mandate of the UN mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) at its meeting on Friday, 30 October 2026. In an official statement, the Court called the development a highly significant step toward closing the Sahara file at the United Nations for good. Media reports said the statement also expressed the kingdom's satisfaction with the outcome.

سكاي نيوز عربية2 sources
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Three tankers halted in Strait of Hormuz as Oman rescues 25 sailors

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said three oil tankers have stopped in the Strait of Hormuz after "incidents", while Oman's navy rescued 25 sailors from a merchant ship off the country's coast. According to CNN Arabic, citing the Guards, two tankers halted and a third supertanker caught fire after striking a naval mine. The reports come despite the US military's statement that mines had been cleared from the main shipping lanes.

BBC عربي2 sources
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Houthis reportedly target Aden airport as coalition says it intercepted drones

The Saudi-led coalition said on Friday it intercepted two drones that it says the Houthis launched toward Riyadh and Medina, though other coverage placed one over Mecca. A Yemeni army spokesman said the Houthis targeted Aden international airport for the sixth time, along with Maashiq palace, using ballistic missiles. The Houthis denied carrying out any operation toward Saudi territory, while government forces and the coalition struck Houthi positions in Marib, Taiz and al-Jawf.

الجزيرة3 sources
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Flávio Bolsonaro calls himself Brazil's leader after arriving in Miami

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday morning with his family aboard a private jet, days after losing Brazil's presidential election held last Sunday. In a letter he published, he declared himself the country's "true president", although his own party, Brazil's institutions and international observers have recognised Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's victory, according to The Guardian. The paper reported that he crossed from Brazil into Argentina and then flew via Ecuador, while Fox News said a Supreme Court justice ordered his passport seized minutes after Lula's win.

The Guardian2 sources
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Israeli soldier charged with spying for Iran in exchange for cryptocurrency

Israeli authorities on Thursday charged a soldier with spying for Iran, according to Hebrew-language media. The Shin Bet, police and military were reported to be involved in the case. The soldier is accused of passing sensitive military information and photographing military sites and equipment, and of being paid in cryptocurrency.

روسيا اليوم (RT Arabic)2 sources
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Trump responds to Vance's message to Iran amid Hormuz tensions

US President Donald Trump has commented on a message from Vice President Vance to Iran, as reports emerge of new military options and tension grows around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran warned it would respond more broadly to any fresh attack. Rezaei threatened to target infrastructure linked to the United States, according to BBC Arabic.

BBC عربي2 sources
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Houthis claim strikes on Saudi oil sites and airports; Riyadh reports intercepting two missiles

The Houthis announced six military operations, saying they targeted the Ras Tanura and Rabigh refineries, Aramco facilities in Abqaiq, the Riyadh and Dammam airports, and a command post for Saudi troop build-ups in Najran. According to BBC Arabic, Saudi Arabia said it destroyed two missiles fired toward Riyadh. The broadcaster also quoted a source in Aden's police as saying a Houthi missile landed at the city's airport after the Houthis had called for it to be evacuated.

روسيا اليوم (RT Arabic)3 sources
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Houthi missile hits Aden airport before group urges evacuation

A Houthi missile landed inside the grounds of Aden International Airport on Wednesday, a source in Aden's police told AFP. The group had called on people at the airport to leave immediately, the source said, and the missile fell before that call was issued. Yemen's Transport Ministry said the Houthis targeted the airport twice with ballistic missiles.

سكاي نيوز عربية3 sources
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Israeli election estimates show neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot reaching 61 seats

Election estimates in Israel indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, have both fallen short of the 61 seats needed for a governing majority in the 120-seat Knesset. According to BBC Arabic, neither main bloc appears to have enough seats to form the next government without relying on Arab parties.

CNN بالعربية2 sources
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Vance sends message to Iranian security chief to revive US-Iran talks

US Vice President JD Vance has sent a message to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in an effort to revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran, according to The Wall Street Journal. The talks aim to end the conflict between the two sides. Other media reports described the message as confidential.

سكاي نيوز عربية2 sources
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Syria says traffic resumes at Nassib crossing with Jordan after closure

Syria announced the closure of the Nassib border crossing with Jordan, suspending passenger travel and trade in both directions after Jordanian air strikes on areas in the country's south, BBC Arabic reported. RT Arabic said Syria's General Authority for Ports and Customs announced in a statement early Wednesday that passenger and commercial traffic had resumed.

BBC عربي2 sources

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