Friday, October 23, 2026

English

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, who traveled to Florida to speak at an election rally, said he was unaware of Tom Barrack’s recent remarks. Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, replied “Definitely” on Friday, 1 Aban, in response to a question about the possibility of a U.S. attack on Iran over the weekend. Asked about the comment by a reporter, Trump joked: “It seems our ambassador to Turkey is a powerful man. If there’s such a plan, I don’t know anything about it.” @ VahidOOnLine “Donald Trump,” the U.S. president, said at an election rally in Florida on Friday: “We might carry out another small operation of the ‘Epic Fury’ kind, or they could agree.” He added: “If they’re smart, they’ll simply say, ‘Let’s enter serious negotiations.’ But I doubt they’ll do that, because they may not be very smart.” @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

English

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the country, together with France and Britain, is ready to negotiate with the Islamic Republic to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons. He made the remarks after a meeting of eight European and regional countries in Istanbul, held on Friday, 1 Aban. Wadephul stressed that Tehran must show serious readiness to reach a lasting diplomatic solution. In Shahrivar this year, the three countries, together with the United States, referred a Board of Governors resolution to the UN Security Council for the first time in 20 years, citing Iran’s failure to meet its nuclear reporting obligations. Since Israel and the United States attacked Iran’s key nuclear facilities, Iran has not allowed International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to return to the bombed sites. Iran has more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium and, after its nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Fordow and Natanz were damaged during last year’s 12-day war, has yet to clarify the fate of its enriched uranium stockpile. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

English

U.S. President Donald Trump said in remarks about Iran on Friday, 1 Aban, that Washington could end the current situation “very quickly,” but the question was whether to “finish the job” or allow Iran to gradually weaken. Describing Iran as “a country in decline,” Trump said: “We take out as much oil as we want. You see that in the Strait of Hormuz and with our navy.” He added that the United States had blocked the Strait of Hormuz for Iran, but other countries could still transport oil through it. The U.S. president went on to say: “In fact, last week we took out more oil than ever before, even more than before the war.” He described this as one of the main points of disagreement and said the United States now had the situation under control. Referring to Iran’s economic conditions, Trump added: “They have inflation, they have no money, and the question is whether we want to finish the job or just let it gradually collapse?” He concluded by saying that the United States was achieving everything it wanted, and that the amount of oil now being taken out through the Strait of Hormuz was greater than a year ago. @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

English

Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s foreign minister, said the countries participating in the Istanbul meeting agreed that another attack on Iran would spread war and conflict across the region, and that diplomacy and dialogue are the only way forward. On Friday, 1 Aban, after a meeting in Istanbul of the foreign ministers of European and regional countries, Fidan said all participants called for preventing the war from spreading and for a ceasefire in the Persian Gulf and Ukraine as soon as possible. He said the participants had decided to convey this message to all parties in a unified manner. The Turkish foreign minister also called for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to attacks on Saudi Arabia. He said the meeting had examined in detail the diplomatic tools and approaches for achieving these goals. He said disruption to passage through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, along with the near-total loss of maritime security in the Black Sea, was putting extensive pressure on the world’s energy and food supplies and free trade. According to Fidan, the topics discussed included the war in Ukraine, the situation in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, attacks on Saudi Arabia, and Israel’s potentially destabilizing role in the region. @ VahidOOnLine Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s foreign minister, warned on Friday, 1 Aban, on the sidelines of a meeting in Istanbul of the foreign ministers of the R4 group (Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia) and the E3 (the United Kingdom, France and Germany), along with Italy, that renewed tensions between Iran and the United States would leave only losers and have serious consequences for oil and fuel prices. Speaking to reporters, Barrot said: “A renewed escalation of tensions between Iran and the United States would have no winners and would undoubtedly have very serious consequences for fossil fuel prices and, consequently, for the price of gasoline for French citizens.” Referring to past diplomatic efforts to ease tensions, the French foreign minister said that an agreement between Tehran and Washington, although it is not currently being fully implemented, had at least helped reduce the intensity of attacks by both sides. He also referred to attacks that have affected European countries, including Cyprus. Barrot stressed that the group’s first step would be to call on Iran and the United States to exercise the utmost restraint. He added: “We cannot tolerate another escalation of tensions in the region.” The meeting was held at Turkey’s initiative. The participating countries’ foreign ministers discussed regional conflicts and threats to security and shipping routes. @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

English

Jordanian state television reported that at least seven people were killed and 10 injured in a shooting inside a church. According to the broadcaster, two gunmen opened fire on those present at a church in the village of Hamoud, in the central governorate of Karak. Security officials are pursuing the suspects, and no further details about the incident have been released yet. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

English

The Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported on Friday, 1 Aban, citing an informed source close to the IRGC Navy, that the passage of “offending vessels” through the Strait of Hormuz had been completely halted. According to Fars, this development followed the destruction of “the navigation-aid systems used by these vessels, strikes on three oil tankers yesterday, and the destruction of another oil tanker last night.” The IRGC source warned that if “oil smuggling” resumes, offending ships and the technical systems supporting them will be dealt with far more forcefully. According to the source close to the IRGC: “Any renewed intervention by the U.S. Air Force and support for oil smuggling will be met with a more direct and decisive response, and the U.S. military will bear responsibility for the consequences.” @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

English

Following an armed attack by two Palestinians at the Yehuda Junction in the southern West Bank, five Israelis were wounded, two of them reportedly in critical condition. The Israeli military said its forces killed both attackers. According to emergency responders at the scene, the three other people wounded in the attack, which took place on Friday, 1 Aban, suffered minor to moderate injuries. The Israeli military said its forces opened fire on the attackers at the Yehuda Junction, on Route 35, killing two armed Palestinians. The military also said it had sealed off the area and was continuing search operations. Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the Israeli military, said the swift action of his forces had prevented a larger attack. Speaking at a meeting with military officers to review the incident, he said: “This was a serious attack. The swift action of the forces prevented an even more severe attack and further harm to civilians and security forces.” Zamir added: “A large quantity of ammunition was found in the vehicle the terrorists used to reach the scene. It was intended to be used in a larger-scale attack.” @ VahidOOnLine Update: The Israeli military said that two Israeli soldiers who were shot and wounded this morning in the city of Hebron had died from their injuries. According to Israeli military officials, two armed attackers, believed to be Palestinians, were also shot dead. Five Israeli soldiers were wounded in the shooting, which took place in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. No information has been released about the condition of the three other soldiers. The shooting took place at a military checkpoint at the entrance to Hebron. We earlier reported that following the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the city of Hebron placed under “siege and severe restrictions.” Netanyahu also said the Israeli military had prevented a “major attack.” Videos released online show a prolonged armed clash between Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen near a military checkpoint at the northern entrance to Hebron. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

English

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, 1 Aban, that officials in Tehran had warned through intermediaries that if the United States attacks again, strikes would spread to Gulf countries and include economic infrastructure and civilian targets. According to the newspaper, the threats include attacks on airports, oil pipelines, and other civilian infrastructure in countries across the region. Islamic Republic officials also said that if U.S. attacks resume, they will target American forces more intensely and may even try to sink U.S. warships in the region. The Wall Street Journal writes that despite much of its missile and drone arsenal being damaged in previous U.S. and Israeli attacks, the Islamic Republic still has the ability to carry out retaliatory strikes. Analysts believe Tehran may use asymmetric attacks to damage the region’s energy and communications infrastructure. @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

English

With tensions continuing in the Middle East and reports emerging of a possible U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran, global oil prices crossed the $114 mark on Friday, 1 Aban, reaching their highest level in five months. Brent crude traded at $114.50 a barrel in European markets on Friday, up more than 1% from the previous day. This was the highest price for this grade of oil since May. Experts have cited continued attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces on Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure, along with growing speculation about a new round of Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran after the U.S. midterm elections, as the main reasons behind the rise in oil prices. Meanwhile, European natural gas prices jumped another 4% on Friday, bringing their total increase this month to around 30%. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

English

Following flooding in Salmas and Maku counties, at least three people—including a ten-year-old girl—had died by the time this report was published. According to the head of the West Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society, 24 homes in Salmas and Maku have been flooded. Search and rescue operations are ongoing. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

English

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, once again said that the conflict with Iran would end soon and that oil and gasoline prices would then fall, as he continued campaigning for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. Speaking at a Republican campaign rally in South Carolina, Trump said: “The Iran situation will be over very soon, one way or another. I hardly care how it happens, but in any case, this will be over very soon. After that, your gasoline and oil prices will drop sharply.” @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline