Wednesday, October 28, 2026

English

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, 6 Aban, citing people familiar with the matter, that the United States had told several Arab countries in the Persian Gulf to be prepared for a short but intense military campaign after the U.S. midterm elections. According to the newspaper, the U.S. military is moving a Patriot missile defense system from Texas to bolster its missile defense capabilities. As part of preparations for an escalation in the conflict, it has also withdrawn its forces from bases around Iran that were vulnerable to attack. People familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal that U.S. forces in the region are replenishing their ammunition stocks, while fighter jets are also being readied for strikes. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

English

CENTCOM post, machine translation: 🚫 Claim: In recent days and weeks, Iranian-controlled media have reported Iranian officials’ claims that commercial ships struck naval mines while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. These claims are false. ✅ Fact: U.S. forces have cleared all internationally recognized main shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz of naval mines, and these routes remain mine-free. Thousands of commercial ships have safely used these lanes and continue to transit them safely today. CENTCOM 📡 @VahidOnline

English

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, 6 Aban, discussing bilateral relations and regional and global issues. Referring to the 100th anniversary of relations between the two countries next year, Erdoğan stressed efforts to strengthen cooperation across the board. Erdoğan told Trump that, under its joint defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Turkey is working to resolve issues related to the Strait of Hormuz and Yemen through diplomacy. Erdoğan also informed Trump that Turkey is ready to support efforts to revive the diplomatic process between Ukraine and Russia in order to end their war. @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

English

Axios: Pressure on Iran to make nuclear concessions ahead of major strikes after the U.S. midterm elections Machine translation: Three U.S., Israeli, and regional sources say regional mediators led by Qatar are working to reach a diplomatic agreement to resume talks between the United States and Iran and prevent war from breaking out again after the U.S. midterm elections. Qataris are trying to persuade Iran to allow U.N. inspectors to visit its bombed nuclear facilities in exchange for some U.S. sanctions relief. 🔻 Why it matters: If no last-minute agreement is reached, a new round of airstrikes appears likely shortly after the midterm elections. On Monday, Israeli military Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir spoke with Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of CENTCOM, to coordinate ahead of possible strikes. ▪️ U.S. and Israeli officials expect such an operation to involve a week of extensive strikes on targets linked to Iran’s leadership, energy sector, nuclear facilities, and infrastructure. 🔻 Trump’s remarks: In a brief interview with Axios on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said talks with Iran were underway through mediators, but stressed that he did not know whether they would succeed. ▪️ Trump said: “We have to finish the job, either through a deal or some other way. We’ll see if the talks can succeed.” ▪️ Abbas Araghchi, the Islamic Republic’s foreign minister, wrote on the social media platform X on Wednesday: “While our brave armed forces are fully prepared to defend the homeland, Iran is still giving diplomacy a chance to succeed.” 🔻 Behind the scenes: Sources say mediation efforts are being led by Qatar, with support from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey. ▪️ Ali al-Thawadi, a Qatari negotiator, traveled to Tehran earlier this week to discuss a possible agreement with the Trump administration with Iranian officials. ▪️ A regional source briefed on the talks said the Qataris have put forward proposals to find a way to bridge the gap between the U.S. demand that Iran hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium and Iran’s insistence that the U.S. naval blockade be lifted and its frozen assets released before it takes any other steps. ▪️ The regional source and a U.S. official said mediators are telling Iran that accepting these proposals may be the only way to prevent major strikes after the midterm elections. ▪️ Security officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan reinforced the same message during a visit to Tehran in recent days. ▪️ According to the regional source, the Iranians responded that they would seek the approval of Mojtaba Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s leader, for the proposals over the next few days. ▪️ A U.S. official said that after visiting Tehran, Saudi officials told the White House that the Iranians were concerned about possible U.S. and Israeli bombing operations after the midterm elections. The Saudis urged Trump not to rush into war and to give the negotiations more time. 🔻 More details: One idea under discussion is returning to an agreement Iran reached with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Cairo last year. ▪️ The September 2025 agreement allowed U.N. inspectors to resume visits to Iran’s nuclear facilities. It was suspended after the U.N. Security Council reinstated the so-called “snapback” sanctions against Iran a month later. ▪️ On Tuesday, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the U.N. Security Council that reviving the Cairo agreement could provide a framework for resuming inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities damaged in U.S. and Israeli attacks. ▪️ According to the regional source, if Iran agrees to let U.N. inspectors visit its nuclear facilities, it may receive waivers allowing it to sell oil, and some of its frozen assets could be released to buy food and other humanitarian goods. ▪️ The source said: “There is movement. We are waiting for Iran’s response.” The source added: “The idea is for the Iranians to be able to say they did not hand over their enriched uranium from the outset, while the U.S. can say it secured nuclear concessions from Iran.” 🔻 The other side’s position: The regional source said the White House told mediators it would state its position on the proposed agreement after it became clear whether Iran would accept the offer. ▪️ U.S. officials said Trump discussed Iran with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff aboard Air Force One on Tuesday while traveling to Texas. On Wednesday, he also reviewed Iran with his national security team as part of an intelligence briefing. ▪️ A White House official said: “As the president has said, they have been systematically destroyed, both militarily and financially, and if they don’t change their behavior quickly, we will finish the job soon.” ▪️ The official added: “With the U.S. controlling the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s economy collapsing, the U.S. is in a very powerful position. Iran has been severely battered, and one way or another, the conflict in Iran will end very soon.” axios 📡 @VahidOnline

English

Reuters reported on Wednesday, 6 Aban, that Qatari mediators had presented Iran with a draft of a new agreement to end the war with the United States and Israel. But, citing a senior Islamic Republic official, it wrote that Doha had put forward only “unacceptable” ideas that could not be considered a “proposal.” A source familiar with the negotiations, whose name was not disclosed, told Reuters that a new draft was presented to Tehran on Sunday and that Iran’s response is expected by the end of the week. According to the source, Qatar’s proposal includes a seven-day timeline addressing the concerns of Tehran and Washington and setting out daily confidence-building steps. The source added that implementation of the timeline could begin as early as next week, and that several countries would serve as guarantors of the agreement. Shortly after the report was published, a senior Iranian official involved in the talks, whose name was not disclosed, told Reuters that Qatar had presented only “unacceptable ideas,” not a “proposal.” @VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

English

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in a rare comment on Wednesday, 6 Aban, about the protests in Iran last Dey that the demonstrations began on social media. According to the Russian news agency Interfax, Putin said during a visit to an exhibition in Moscow: “What happened as the crisis spread through the streets of Tehran began largely through social media—platforms that Iranian officials neither managed nor controlled.” The Russian president said the only thing Iranian officials could do was “cut everything off.” @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

English

With most of the votes in Israel’s parliamentary election counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s alliance won the most seats. Although it fell short of the 61 seats needed for a majority, the results indicate that Netanyahu will remain in power, at least as caretaker prime minister. According to reports from Israel’s three major television networks, with nearly 86 percent of the votes counted by Wednesday morning, 6 Aban, Netanyahu’s alliance—made up of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties—is on track to win 53 parliamentary seats. That is well ahead of the 48 seats projected for the opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot. Parties representing Israeli citizens of Arab descent are also set to win a combined 19 seats, following a high turnout among highly motivated voters—a record for these parties. As vote counting continues, the results could still change, but Eisenkot’s chances of winning appear to have dwindled considerably. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

English

Mehr News Agency reported on Wednesday morning, the sixth of Aban, that at least one student was killed and 12 others injured when a semi-trailer truck collided with a minibus carrying students to school in Ardakan, Yazd. According to the report, three of those injured are in critical condition. @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

English

U.S. President Donald Trump said at a campaign rally in Texas on Wednesday, 6 Aban: “In two weeks, you’ll see what happens,” referring to Iran. Speaking about his administration’s record on trade and military affairs, Trump said: “We rebuilt our military...” Earlier, referring to tensions and the military confrontation with the Islamic Republic of Iran, he said: “Someone once asked me, ‘When will the war in Iran end?’ I told him, ‘Whenever I want it to end.’” @ VahidOOnLine U.S. President Donald Trump said: “The Islamic Republic wanted to make a deal. Maybe they’re waiting for the elections. The elections won’t help them.” Referring to the war’s impact on the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities and economic situation, he added: “We’ve crushed their military capabilities and severely weakened their financial resources. They have no money.” Trump also said: “They have the highest inflation rate in the world; it’s now 340 percent. Watch what happens.” @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

English

Iranian state news agencies and media outlets, including Fars, Tasnim, Entekhab, Daneshjoo, IRNA, Mehr, and the IRIB News Agency, are providing extensive, live, minute-by-minute coverage of Israel’s parliamentary election, reporting news, statistics, polling results, and statements from various political factions. @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

English

Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Artin Ghanfari, a photojournalist and Bahá’í citizen, to 26 years in prison. The verdict was delivered to him on Monday, 5 Aban, at Greater Tehran Prison, also known as Fashafuyeh Prison. The branch was presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati. He received 20 years for “media activity,” with enhanced sentencing applied, five years for “assembly and collusion,” and one year for “propaganda against the system.” @VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

English

At a campaign rally in Texas, Donald Trump, referring to tensions and the military confrontation with the Islamic Republic of Iran, stressed that Washington was not the one that started the conflict. Addressing those in attendance, Trump said: “You have to understand that America did not start the war with Iran. Iran has been waging this war against America since 1979 [1357] and has killed many of our great people.” @ VahidOOnLine On Tuesday, 5 Aban, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticized the immediate impact of events on gas prices during a speech at a Republican campaign event in Michigan. With a sarcastic quip, Vance oversimplified how oil prices depend on global relations, saying: “Every time a foreign leader in the Middle East throws a tantrum, gas prices go up.” @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline