UK Green Party leader Zack Polanski on Sunday defended his party's decision to adopt the 'Zionism is racism' policy, amid sustained media focus on the motion passed at the party's conference.

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Keunssberg, Polanski said the motion would not be overturned, and pushed back against the notion that it was "controversial", pointing to the atrocities committed against Palestinians by Israel and other adherents of Zionism.

“What’s controversial is that 75,000 Palestinians have been murdered in the last few years, including more child amputees than ever in modern history," Polanski said, referring to Israel's genocidal war in Gaza. "So when you take that to account, the fact that they’re being murdered because they’re Palestinian – that’s very obviously a racist ideology.”

“I think Zionism is racism in the practical application of it. Now the conference had a debate about the motion, about the word. I said I think debates about words are unhelpful, and I still think that," he added.

Polanksi also dismissed Keunssberg's characterisation of Zionism as "ahistorical", after she said that "the creation of Israel itself by the United Nations was itself a response to racism".

Keunsberg also questioned the Green leader on whether he believed Israel had a "right to exist" -- a phrase frequently used by supporters of Israel.

“I don’t think any state has a right to exist under international law,” he said, while also highlighting Israel's opposition to a two-state solution.

Polanski did not vote for the 'Zionism is racism' motion at the Greens' conference earlier this month but has given his backing to the party's decision.

However, he has voiced concern about the motion's support for a one-state solution.

"At the first available opportunity, I do want to amend it - I want to move away from one state, towards saying that Israelis and Palestinians should decide that future for themselves," he said, adding that the policy would not be able to be changed until 2028 due to the party's rules.

Under Polanski's leadership, the Green Party has seen a bounce in support from left-leaning voters, many of whom left the Labour Party over the previous Starmer government's stance on Palestine.

The 'Zionism is racism motion' was passed on 4 October, attracting crticism from UK media outlets, Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and pro-Israel groups.

Polanski was not present at the party conference in Brighton at the time of the vote, due to his by-election campaign in the London seat of Holborn and St Pancras.

Since losing the race to Labour candidate Sagal Abdi Wali, questions have been raised about his future as party leader, however Polanski has said he will stay on.

As fighting rages on between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebels, reports have emerged of possible intervention by the United Arab Emirates to help their Gulf neighbour.

The UAE officially announced the end of its involvement in Yemen in December 2025, after the Saudi-led military coalition bombed a southern separatist arms depot in Mukalla, and backed the Yemeni government's call for Abu Dhabi's forces to leave the country.

The episode marked a new low in relations between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, who had both entered Yemen's conflict to oppose the Iran-backed Houthis.

The Houthis control the Yemeni capital Sana'a and most of northern Yemen. 

Less than a year later, however, it appears that the UAE could once again join Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.

How would the UAE re-enter Yemen's war?

Citing unnamed sources in Yemen, The Guardian reported on Saturday that the UAE had agreed to resume payments to some separatist factions it had previously backed in the south, in order to help the anti-Houthi cause.

Maysaa Shujaa al-Deen, a senior analyst at the Sanaa Centre for Strategic Studies, said that while it is unlikely that the Emiratis will jump back in militarily, they could help Saudi Arabia logistically.

"They have experience, which they have through their military intervention in Yemen, and experience in fighting the Houthis and being in charge of some important areas, including the coast and Aden," Shujaa al-Deen told The New Arab.

Shujaa al-Deen noted that it would also "take time" for the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), which was backed by the UAE, to mobilise in the south.

Meanwhile, questions remain over whether the southern separatists will take their fight beyond the borders of old southern Yemen.

"There are generally two positions in the south - one is that they should engage in the war before it comes to the south, and the other is that we are not going to engage unless the Houthis attack the south - and this second position is that of most of the STC," Shujaa al-Deen said.

What would be the UAE's demands?

Prior to disengaging from Yemen in late 2025, the UAE had backed southern separatist factions, most notably the STC, which led an offensive into against government forces in the Hadramaut region at that time.

The takeover was one of several moves by the separatists that led to the Saudi-backed call for the Emiratis to leave Yemen.

Shujaa al-Deen says that while Abu Dhabi has backed the separatists, its own interest is not to see the complete separation of the south from the rest of Yemen, as this would reduce UAE leverage in the country. Rather, any Emirati intervention would come with guarantees that "that their political agenda will be enforced in return".

"Aidarous al-Zubaidi has shown up for the first time since the crisis of December/ January, so this is one of the indications that the UAE's conditions [are in play]," Shujaa al-Deen said, referring to the STC leader who fled to Abu Dhabi after the fallout from the Saudi-UAE clash in January 2026.

Al-Zubaidi had attempted to establish STC control across southern Yemen, and called for a referendum on independence, leading to the demand that the UAE disengage from Yemen.

Al-Zubaidi made a video appearance last week after a long hiatus, drawing speculation of an attempted return to the political scene.

If re-engaged in Yemen, the Emiratis would also like to influence which factions are able to rule in the country, Shuja al-Deen adds.

"Another condition would be to oppose the Muslim Brotherhood, who have a really strong presence there, particularly in Taiz and Marib," she said.

Are relations cooling between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh?

The prospect of Abu Dhabi re-entering Yemen's war has also been viewed as a signal of a detente with Riyadh.

Shuja al-Deen says that the presence of a common enemy -- the Houthis -- would defuse tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, adding that relations between them also deteriorated after the Saudi-Houthi truce in March 2022.

However, she notes that Yemen is just one theatre in which Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have clashed.

"They disagreed on Israel, Sudan, Somalia, also there is economic competition between them. So any agreement would only be about Yemen, not a comprehensive agreement between the two countries."

The discovery of a tunnel northeast of Beirut has sparked fresh tensions in Lebanon, with opposition lawmakers demanding a security crackdown amid suspicions over possible links to Hezbollah.

Lebanese army engineers launched an investigation on Monday after a tunnel was discovered in the Fanar-Zaitariyeh area of the Metn district, prompting calls for a comprehensive security sweep and the arrest of those responsible.

The discovery comes just over a week after Lebanese security forces intercepted a shipment of explosives belonging to Hezbollah in Dahr al-Baydar, raising tensions between the group and its political opponents.

However, a Lebanese military source told The New Arab that initial investigations suggested the newly discovered tunnel was small and was not intended for military or security purposes.

"Inspections and investigations are continuing, but so far it has emerged that the tunnel is small and was not prepared for military or security use," the source said.

Fanar mayor Michel Salameh told The New Arab that a resident discovered the tunnel on Sunday evening and alerted the municipality, which subsequently contacted the security authorities.

Salameh said the tunnel was located in a remote wooded area that was difficult to access, with the excavation concealed by trees.

تواصلت صباحاً مع وزير الدفاع، وطلبت منه اجراء الجيش والقوى الأمنية مسحاً شاملاً لمنطقة الرويسات - الجديدة ومحيطها، عقب اكتشاف نفق في المنطقة. وأبدى تجاوباً مع المطلب. نفق في المتن، شحنة متفجرات في ضهر البيدر، ومواجهات مع قوى الأمن في الضاحية… مؤشرات خطيرة تفرض وضع حدّ نهائي لازدواجية السلاح والتنظيم العسكري لحزب الله على كامل الأراضي اللبنانية. استمرار عمل السلاح غير الشرعي والتنظيم العسكري والأمني لحزب الله يشكل خطر داهم، وعلى الدولة الحسم حفاظاً على لبنان.

— Samy Gemayel (@samygemayel) October 19, 2026

When the vegetation was removed, a ladder, basic digging equipment and freshly excavated sand were discovered nearby.

"The tunnel is located in a wooded area in a remote spot that is difficult to reach," Salameh said, adding that the municipality had immediately informed army intelligence, which dispatched an engineering unit to inspect the site.

According to the mayor's preliminary assessment, the tunnel was approximately four metres deep, extended horizontally for two metres and then continued for another four metres.

He suggested that the excavation appeared recent, possibly dating back no more than a week, although its location made it difficult to detect.

Hezbollah accused as lawmakers demand security sweep

The discovery quickly prompted accusations against Hezbollah, which maintains influence in parts of the surrounding Zaitariyeh-Roueissat al-Jadideh area.

However, no evidence establishing Hezbollah's involvement in the tunnel's construction has been announced.

Lebanese Kataeb Party leader and MP Sami Gemayel said he had contacted Defence Minister Michel Menassa on Monday morning to demand a comprehensive security sweep of Roueissat al-Jadideh and its surroundings.

Gemayel said the minister had responded positively to his request.

"A tunnel in Metn, an explosives shipment in Dahr al-Baydar, and confrontations with security forces in the southern suburbs... dangerous indicators that require a definitive end to the duality of arms and Hezbollah's military organisation across all Lebanese territory," Gemayel said.

He warned that the continued operation of Hezbollah's military and security structures outside state authority posed a serious threat to Lebanon.

Kataeb MP Elias Hankach, who represents the area, also called for immediate army intervention.

He said he was contacting the Lebanese army command to demand searches of streets and buildings in Roueissat and neighbouring areas, the confiscation of weapons, arrests of those involved and the establishment of permanent security checkpoints and patrols.

The accusations come amid growing calls from Hezbollah's opponents for the Lebanese authorities to accelerate efforts to bring all weapons under exclusive state control.

Explosives seizure deepens political divisions

The tunnel controversy follows the seizure of a shipment of explosives in Dahr al-Baydar, on a route linking Beirut to the Bekaa Valley and Syria, more than a week ago.

Hezbollah acknowledged ownership of the explosives, insisting they were intended exclusively for use against Israel, and demanded their return along with the release of those detained.

The case has become a major point of contention between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, with authorities pledging to pursue those involved in transporting and possessing weapons outside state control.

Further tensions erupted on Friday evening in the Galerie Semaan area at the entrance to Beirut's southern suburbs, when Hezbollah members confronted security personnel who had arrived to seal a pharmaceutical warehouse.

The incident was subsequently contained, but it fuelled criticism from Hezbollah's opponents over the group's continued security presence in areas where it holds considerable influence.

Lebanese security forces have intensified operations in recent days, including in Beirut's southern suburbs and the eastern Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel regions, targeting wanted suspects, smuggling networks and unauthorised crossings along the Syrian border.

Hezbollah warns government over rising tensions

Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad, a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc, warned on Monday that the Lebanese authorities bore "full responsibility for pushing the country towards dangerous internal tensions".

In a statement distributed by Hezbollah's media relations office, Fayyad accused the government of confronting a major component of Lebanese society and pursuing policies dictated by foreign powers.

He argued that the dispute had expanded beyond Hezbollah's weapons to encompass the movement's social, institutional and political presence.

"The authorities deliberately, knowingly and persistently expanded the dispute with the resistance, so that it is no longer limited to the issue of weapons," Fayyad said.

He also accused the government of compromising Lebanese sovereignty and failing to confront Israel's continued occupation and attacks.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, meanwhile, reiterated on Sunday that lasting stability could not be achieved without extending state authority across all Lebanese territory.

"Stability will not be established in the country unless the state's authority is extended over all its territory, even gradually, exclusively through its own forces," Salam said.

The prime minister said he had contacted army commander General Rodolphe Haykal and Internal Security Forces chief Major General Raed Abdallah to commend the increased deployment of security personnel across Greater Beirut.

The measures followed overnight gatherings in the capital that had raised public concerns about security.

Salam also met Justice Minister Adel Nassar and Public Prosecutor Rami al-Hajj to review the investigation into the Dahr al-Baydar explosives shipment and ensure that everyone involved in possessing or transporting unauthorised weapons was brought before the judiciary.

He stressed that there would be no limits to the investigation beyond those imposed by law.

Salam further urged political groups to prioritise Lebanon's national interests over foreign agendas, reiterating that decisions over war and peace must remain exclusively in the hands of the state and its constitutional institutions.

His comments followed a telephone conversation last week in which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to hold those responsible for ordering, financing and directing the explosives shipment accountable.

Rubio also insisted that returning the seized explosives to Hezbollah should be ruled out entirely.

The latest incidents have heightened concerns over internal instability as Lebanon faces continued Israeli military attacks and occupation in the south.

Good afternoon,

Here are the key developments so far today:

• Yemen's government forces have targeted Houthi positions, vehicles and weapons south of Taiz, as fighting continues to escalate across the country.
• More than 50 people were killed and over 200 wounded in a Houthi ballistic missile attack on a military camp in Yemen's Shabwa province, marking the deadliest attack in weeks.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has blamed the US for insecurity and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, calling for regional disputes to be resolved through diplomacy.
• Speaking alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Araqchi also called for a regional security arrangement without the presence of foreign forces.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called for conditions in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region to return to what they were before the US-Israeli war on Iran, following talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Tehran on Monday.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow's strategic partnership with Tehran and said Russia remained committed to its comprehensive cooperation agreement with Iran.

He described the talks as "productive" and said the two countries shared similar positions on regional developments, while pledging to continue cooperation through international organisations including BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Eurasian Economic Union.

Lavrov also announced that Russian personnel would gradually return to Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant.

The developments come as diplomatic efforts to avert another confrontation intensify, with The New Arab reporting on Monday that a breakthrough in US-Iran mediation efforts could be announced this week.

Senior sources familiar with negotiations told TNA that Qatar and Pakistan were working to narrow differences between Washington and Tehran and secure mutual concessions, while ruling out an immediate military escalation.

Lavrov's visit, his first to Iran since the US-Israeli war began on 28 February, follows Moscow's recent involvement in exchanging messages between the two countries.

It also comes ahead of a possible visit to Tehran by Pakistan's army chief, General Asim Munir, who has been involved in mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran.

Iran and Russia blame US-Israeli attacks for regional instability

Araghchi described Iran's relationship with Russia as "strategic", saying it had taken on new dimensions since the implementation of their comprehensive cooperation agreement nearly two years ago.

He said Monday's discussions had been "extremely productive", covering regional and international developments alongside practical plans to expand political, cultural and commercial cooperation.

The Iranian foreign minister said economic ties between the two countries were developing significantly and that no major obstacles stood in the way of expanding bilateral trade.

On regional security, Araghchi blamed US and Israeli military attacks for instability in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as recent security incidents in the Caspian Sea involving attacks on Iranian and Russian vessels and port infrastructure.

He warned that the situation posed serious consequences for regional peace, security and the environment.

Araghchi also called for an immediate end to the genocide in Palestine, Israeli expansion in Lebanon and the war in Yemen.

The two ministers discussed tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, including the need to reduce tensions between Kabul and Islamabad and address threats from armed groups operating in Afghanistan.

Araghchi stressed that regional disputes could not be resolved through military means and required diplomacy and political solutions.

Lavrov, meanwhile, said opposition to US unilateralism remained a shared priority for Moscow and Tehran, with both countries seeking to strengthen multilateral institutions and uphold international law.

He also reaffirmed Russia's commitment to its comprehensive cooperation agreement with Iran.

Can Russia mediate between Iran and the US?

Despite the emphasis on regional diplomacy, neither minister publicly announced a new Russian mediation initiative between Washington and Tehran following Monday's talks.

Russia's potential mediation role began taking shape earlier this month, amid growing contacts between Moscow and Washington over the war in Ukraine.

On 10 October, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had informed his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian of an upcoming telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump.

The exchange followed a meeting between Putin and Pezeshkian in Turkmenistan on 9 October.

The Kremlin subsequently announced that Putin had conveyed Iran's position on a possible settlement to Trump, raising expectations that Moscow could become another diplomatic channel between Washington and Tehran.

However, Iranian officials have stopped short of recognising Russia as a formal mediator.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said last week that, "technically, in the strict sense of the word", Pakistan and Qatar remained the actual mediators between Iran and the United States.

He added that consultations between Tehran and Moscow, particularly on the nuclear issue, were nothing new.

Ahead of his arrival in Tehran, Lavrov criticised Trump's approach towards Iran as "wrong", arguing that it would not help achieve an agreement based on mutual respect and international law.

His visit followed a stop in Bahrain, prompting speculation that he could also be carrying messages from Gulf states amid heightened regional tensions.

Experts question prospects of Russian mediation

Iranian analyst Hadi Mohammadi told The New Arab that Lavrov's visit reflected growing Russian concerns about developments in the Gulf and the possibility of further escalation.

He said Moscow appeared to be intensifying its diplomatic activities in an attempt to contain tensions, noting that the US-Iran confrontation had become closely linked to the war in Ukraine amid renewed contacts between Washington and Moscow.

Mohammadi suggested that Lavrov could be carrying messages from Washington or Israel during what he described as an extremely sensitive period.

He recalled that Putin had previously conveyed messages between Tehran and Israel, including an Israeli assurance before the latest war that it did not intend to attack Iran.

However, Mohammadi expressed limited confidence in Russia's ability to secure a breakthrough.

He argued that some international actors were making a fundamental mistake by pressuring Iran alone to accept the other side's conditions, while overlooking Tehran's position that it had been attacked and had complied with the Islamabad memorandum of understanding reached in June, which Iran accuses Washington of violating.

Mohammadi said Lavrov's visit could help reduce regional tensions but was unlikely to resolve the crisis on its own.

At best, he suggested, it could mark the beginning of further diplomatic exchanges, although he did not rule out the possibility that it represented a final attempt to avert another war.

Iranian analyst Abbas Aslani similarly told The New Arab that Lavrov's visit reflected the depth of cooperation between Tehran and Moscow in confronting Western pressure.

He said shared economic, political and military challenges had strengthened the importance of bilateral and regional coordination.

Aslani considered it possible that Lavrov was carrying a response or message from Washington, although he cautioned against drawing conclusions before the talks took place.

He also suggested that Moscow could use the visit to assess the Trump administration's position ahead of the US midterm elections on 3 November.

According to Aslani, Russia was already familiar with Iran's strategic red lines, including the conditions outlined in Tehran's seven-day proposal, and was unlikely to persuade Iranian officials to make substantial changes.

He described the visit as a potential opportunity to exchange "hard truths", but argued that any genuine breakthrough would depend on Washington accepting what he described as the new balance of power and security in the Gulf.

Egypt's parliament has postponed a vote on authorising military support for Saudi Arabia until 26 October, amid growing political debate over President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's request to deploy forces to help Riyadh confront Houthi attacks from Yemen.

The postponement comes as Egyptian political parties and public figures call for a diplomatic solution to the escalating conflict, warning against drawing the country into another regional war without clearly defined objectives or an assessment of the potential costs.

Lawmakers delayed the vote after debating whether Egyptian forces should be sent to Saudi Arabia to support its confrontation with Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Sisi has requested parliamentary authorisation to provide air defence forces and logistical support to help Saudi Arabia counter Houthi missiles and drones.

The Egyptian National Defence Council, chaired by the president, has also expressed Cairo's readiness to provide Saudi Arabia with necessary and available forms of assistance.

However, the prospect of military involvement has divided political parties, with some supporting the proposed authorisation and others demanding clearer limits on any deployment.

Calls for mediation instead of military intervention

The debate has intensified following a call by Al-Azhar's Grand Imam, Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, for an urgent mediation initiative involving prominent Arab and Muslim figures to help end regional conflicts.

Tayeb called on Sunday for an immediate and comprehensive halt to fighting and destruction, proposing the formation of a committee of respected figures from Arab and Islamic countries to defuse tensions and bring opposing parties closer together.

He also expressed Al-Azhar's readiness to support the initiative.

The proposal has gained support from Egyptian political parties and public figures seeking to prioritise negotiations over military intervention.

Egypt's Grand Mufti Nazir Ayyad welcomed the initiative, calling for dialogue and efforts to promote peace.

The Constitution Party also expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia against threats to its security and sovereignty but urged caution over any decision that could involve Egypt in a regional military confrontation.

It called for the proposed military authorisation to have clearly defined objectives, limits and conditions, while stressing the importance of ending the war through mediation and diplomatic efforts.

The Egyptian Social Democratic Party adopted a more cautious position, instructing its parliamentary representatives to abstain from voting on the request.

While reaffirming its support for Saudi Arabia, the party argued that insufficient information had been provided about the nature of the proposed military missions.

It warned that Egyptian involvement could expose the country's interests and infrastructure to additional risks, particularly shipping through the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait and Suez Canal.

Lawmaker Reda Abdel Salam proposed limiting any Egyptian deployment to defending Saudi territory and critical infrastructure, including airports and water and electricity facilities, while avoiding combat operations inside Yemen.

Parties divided over risks of involvement

Other Egyptian parties have backed Sisi's request, arguing that Saudi Arabia's security is closely linked to Egypt's national security and wider Arab stability.

The parliamentary blocs of the Wafd Party, the Republican People's Party and the Justice Party have expressed support for the proposed authorisation.

However, even among those supporting assistance to Riyadh, questions remain over the scope of any deployment and the risks of prolonged involvement.

Justice Party deputy leader and MP Mohamed Fouad told The New Arab that a decision of this magnitude required a serious discussion of its objectives, limitations and possible consequences.

He said political parties should move beyond simply supporting or opposing the proposal and examine the circumstances under which Egyptian forces might be deployed.

Fouad stressed that previous regional conflicts demonstrated the importance of establishing clear objectives from the outset, warning against open-ended military operations that could drain human and economic resources.

He argued that supporting Saudi Arabia did not contradict efforts to reduce tensions, and that political and diplomatic engagement remained essential to preventing a wider conflict.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Tehran on Monday for talks with senior Iranian officials, raising questions over whether Moscow could play a greater role in mediating between Iran and the United States amid fears of renewed war.

The visit comes as diplomatic efforts to avert another confrontation intensify, with The New Arab reporting on Monday that a breakthrough in US-Iran mediation efforts could be announced this week.

Senior sources familiar with negotiations told The New Arab that Qatar and Pakistan were working to narrow differences between Washington and Tehran and secure mutual concessions, while ruling out an immediate military escalation.

Lavrov's visit, his first to Iran since the US-Israeli war began on 28 February, follows Moscow's recent involvement in exchanging messages between the two countries.

It also comes ahead of a possible visit to Tehran by Pakistan's army chief, General Asim Munir, who has been involved in mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran.

The timing has raised speculation that Lavrov could be carrying messages from Washington, while his arrival from Bahrain on Sunday has also prompted questions about whether he could be conveying messages from Gulf states amid heightened regional tensions.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei described the visit as part of ongoing consultations between Tehran and Moscow aimed at following up on bilateral agreements and discussing regional and international developments.

Russia's foreign ministry said the talks would involve a "frank and in-depth" exchange of views on bilateral cooperation, major international issues and developments in the Gulf, including possible ways to resolve the crisis stemming from the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Ahead of his arrival, Lavrov criticised US President Donald Trump's approach towards Tehran as "wrong", arguing that it would not help achieve an agreement based on mutual respect and international law.

Can Russia mediate between Iran and the US?

Russia's potential mediation role began taking shape earlier this month, amid growing contacts between Moscow and Washington over the war in Ukraine.

On 10 October, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had informed his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian of an upcoming telephone conversation with Trump.

The exchange followed a meeting between Putin and Pezeshkian in Turkmenistan on 9 October.

The Kremlin subsequently announced that Putin had conveyed Iran's position on a possible settlement to Trump, raising expectations that Moscow could become another diplomatic channel between Washington and Tehran.

However, Iranian officials have stopped short of recognising Russia as a formal mediator.

Baghaei said last week that, "technically, in the strict sense of the word", Pakistan and Qatar remained the actual mediators between Iran and the United States.

He added that consultations between Tehran and Moscow, particularly on the nuclear issue, were nothing new.

Experts question prospects of Russian mediation

Iranian analyst Hadi Mohammadi told The New Arab that Lavrov's visit reflected growing Russian concerns about developments in the Gulf and the possibility of further escalation.

He said Moscow appeared to be intensifying its diplomatic activities in an attempt to contain tensions, noting that the US-Iran confrontation had become closely linked to the war in Ukraine amid renewed contacts between Washington and Moscow.

Mohammadi suggested that Lavrov could be carrying messages from Washington or Israel during what he described as an extremely sensitive period.

He recalled that Putin had previously conveyed messages between Tehran and Israel, including an Israeli assurance before the latest war that it did not intend to attack Iran.

However, Mohammadi expressed limited confidence in Russia's ability to secure a breakthrough.

He argued that some international actors were making a fundamental mistake by pressuring Iran alone to accept the other side's conditions, while overlooking Tehran's position that it had been attacked and had complied with the Islamabad memorandum of understanding reached in June, which Iran accuses Washington of violating.

Mohammadi said Lavrov's visit could help reduce regional tensions but was unlikely to resolve the crisis on its own.

At best, he suggested, it could mark the beginning of further diplomatic exchanges, although he did not rule out the possibility that it represented a final attempt to avert another war.

Iranian analyst Abbas Aslani similarly told The New Arab that Lavrov's visit reflected the depth of cooperation between Tehran and Moscow in confronting Western pressure.

He said shared economic, political and military challenges had strengthened the importance of bilateral and regional coordination.

Aslani considered it possible that Lavrov was carrying a response or message from Washington, although he cautioned against drawing conclusions before the talks took place.

He also suggested that Moscow could use the visit to assess the Trump administration's position ahead of the US midterm elections on 3 November.

According to Aslani, Russia was already familiar with Iran's strategic red lines, including the conditions outlined in Tehran's seven-day proposal, and was unlikely to persuade Iranian officials to make substantial changes.

He described the visit as a potential opportunity to exchange "hard truths", but argued that any genuine breakthrough would depend on Washington accepting the new balance of power and security in the Gulf.

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz bragged about "wiping out" dozens of villages in southern Lebanon in a television interview on Saturday.

In an appearance on Channel 14, the far-right minister said the Israeli military had destroyed more than 60 villages across the so-called security zone that reaches deep inside Lebanon.

"Every single village, we’re talking about 23,000 homes, is in ruins. And that’s not even mentioning the underground infrastructure and the tunnels," he said to a round of applause in the studio.

"There are no residents left, 200,000 people have been displaced," he said.

"This is the Gaza model. That's what we've been implementing."

Israeli forces have for months been systematically levelling villages across the south, repeating their strategy in Gaza which has seen more than 80% of the territory wiped from the face of the earth.

The UN estimated last month that as many as 360,000 Lebanese remained displaced due to Israel's occupation.

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has subsided since a US-brokered ceasefire came into force in June, though Israeli forces regularly violate it with airstrikes in the south.

They continue to occupy hundreds of square-kilometres of Lebanese territory inside the so-called "yellow line" and are refusing to withdraw until Hezbollah is completely disarmed.

Earlier last week Katz visited Israel's occupying forces in southern Lebanon, where he threatened to seize more territory if Hezbollah resumes attacks on Israel.

"If Hezbollah joins Iran in an attack on Israel, it will be dealt a heavy blow and lose additional territory in southern Lebanon, in the areas of Nabatieh and the Litani [River], which will become part of a permanent Israeli security zone," he said.

The minister's comments came 10 days ahead of Israel's general election, which has seen the incumbent far-right parties compete for the vote by bragging about the military's violence and the brutality shown towards Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has urged the French Jewish community to leave France and move to Israel amid widespread protests over the cost of living, as the Israeli government reportedly prepares a broader campaign to encourage Jewish immigration from the European country.

Ben-Gvir made the appeal during a conference for France's Jewish community in the central Israeli city of Netanya, attended by hundreds of supporters of his far-right Otzma Yehudit party, according to a statement released late on Sunday.

"There are people in France today from various quarters who are seeking to harm Israel," Ben-Gvir claimed, without identifying the groups he was referring to or providing evidence for his allegations.

He urged the French government to reconsider its policies and its treatment of those allegedly seeking to expand their influence in the country.

"All of Europe must wake up, and the whole world must wake up," he declared, before addressing French Jews directly.

"Come home. Come back here. Be here. This is your home, and this is your homeland," he said.

Ben-Gvir, who oversees Israel's police and prison system rather than immigration policy, has long been associated with anti-Palestinian extremism and has previously been convicted of incitement to racism and violence and supporting a banned Jewish extremist organisation.

He has also repeatedly advocated the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and called for the expulsion by force of Palestinians from Gaza.

His appeal comes just days before Israel's 27 October parliamentary elections, amid a campaign in which far-right politicians have increasingly promoted expansionist policies.

It also follows reports that Israeli ministers have been preparing to encourage a potentially significant increase in Jewish immigration from France.

According to Israeli media, Immigration and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer urged the government during a cabinet meeting on 6 October to prepare for potentially "massive" immigration from France.

"We need to remove the barriers in order to allow them to come here," Sofer reportedly told ministers.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also reportedly called for funding to help prospective immigrants, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed ministers to develop a joint plan.

The discussions suggest Ben-Gvir's latest appeal forms part of a wider Israeli government effort to capitalise on the unrest in France to encourage immigration, rather than an isolated response to the protests.

Israeli officials have also sought to link the demonstrations to concerns about antisemitism, although the protests themselves have primarily focused on economic hardship, education and public services.

France formally recognised the State of Palestine in September 2025 and joined other Western countries last month in announcing restrictions on trade involving products from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

France grapples with mass protests

France has experienced some of its worst civil unrest in years, following mass demonstrations on Saturday against rising living costs, fuel prices and deteriorating public services.

Around half a million people took to the streets, with students, trade unionists and members of the Yellow Vests movement among those protesting.

While many demonstrations were peaceful, clashes erupted in several cities, including Paris, where buildings and vehicles were set ablaze and shops looted.

More than 2,500 people were arrested over the weekend, while nearly 1,000 members of the security forces were injured, according to French authorities.

On Monday, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu called for localised curfews after protesters blocked the entrance to the Louvre Museum, warning that a state of emergency could be imposed if necessary.

President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged failures in the security response but blamed groups on the far left for the violence, while recognising the legitimacy of peaceful protesters' social demands.

Iran's foreign minister takes aim at Macron

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also seized on the protests to criticise Macron, accusing him of supporting the US-Israeli war against Iran while failing to listen to demonstrators in his own country.

"Mr. Macron brought this situation upon himself when he assured the US President that he welcomed crimes against Iranians," Araghchi wrote on X, according to IranWire.

"Now it is too late to blame the war that people like him helped unleash."

The Iranian minister then offered Macron advice on handling public discontent.

"The French people want fundamental changes, including the freedom of assembly. Mr. President, listen to the voice of France's future," he wrote.

The unrest in France has meanwhile spread to other European countries, with demonstrations and clashes reported in Belgium and Italy, while protests over housing and living costs continue in Spain and Portugal.

More than 30 soldiers for the internationally recognised Yemeni government were reportedly killed and dozens wounded on Monday after Houthi forces launched a ballistic missile attack on a military camp in Yemen's southern Shabwa province, according to military and medical sources.

The attack targeted Al-Alam military camp near the city of Ataq while soldiers were taking part in a training course.

Yemeni armed forces spokesperson Majed al-Nuzaili said the Houthis had fired three ballistic missiles at the camp.

The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, have not yet commented on the attack.

The camp belongs to Shabwa's emergency forces and was hosting recruits from a newly formed military brigade at the time of the strike.

A source at a government hospital told The New Arab that the number of casualties was high, while other sources reported that Houthi drones had been flying over the area on Sunday evening, hours before the attack.

A Yemeni military source told Germany's DPA news agency that more than 30 soldiers had been killed and dozens of others wounded.

Social media users also circulated footage purportedly showing dead and wounded soldiers scattered across the military camp following the strikes. The New Arab could not independently verify the footage.

The attack comes amid an escalation in Yemen's conflict, with fighting continuing between government forces and the Houthis on several fronts, accompanied by increasingly hostile rhetoric and threats from the warring sides.

Fighting intensifies in Taiz

On Sunday evening, warplanes belonging to the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government carried out airstrikes on Houthi positions in the Dhi al-Birah and Najd Qasim areas of Al-Misrakh district, south of Taiz province.

Two additional strikes targeted Al-Wazi'iyah district in western Taiz.

The airstrikes coincided with an escalation in fighting around Jabal Sabir, where government forces and local resistance fighters have been attempting to repel Houthi attacks and infiltration attempts.

Sources told The New Arab that local resistance fighters from the village of Al-Rahn were engaged in fierce clashes with Houthi groups attempting to advance from the villages of Khurayshah and Al-Ma'yanah towards Al-Najjadah and neighbouring communities.

The sources said the Houthis were seeking to reach the summit of Jabal al-Arus and cut off a road connecting several villages and districts across the Sabir mountain area.

The clashes coincided with heavy Houthi attacks on the Al-Sina'a position on the opposite side of the front, following the group's reported loss of several positions in Al-Sanamat, Al-Sarari and Ambiyan.

Elsewhere in Taiz, an 11-year-old Yemeni girl was wounded by shrapnel to the head on Sunday evening after Houthi shelling struck the village of Al-Shaqab in Sabir al-Mawadim district, south of the province.

The latest violence comes as Yemen's long-running war continues to intensify, with renewed clashes and missile attacks threatening to deepen the country's humanitarian and security crisis.

A breakthrough in mediation efforts between the United States and Iran is expected to be announced this week, sources familiar with the negotiations told The New Arab on Monday, as Qatar and Pakistan continue diplomatic efforts to prevent a renewed war between Washington and Tehran.

Senior sources familiar with the mediation efforts, speaking to The New Arab on condition of anonymity, said negotiations were continuing to narrow differences and encourage mutual concessions aimed at preventing another military confrontation.

Despite ongoing threats exchanged between Washington and Tehran, and concerns that the war with Iran could resume after the US midterm elections on 3 November, the sources ruled out an immediate escalation in the region.

The anticipated breakthrough comes amid mounting tensions over Iran's nuclear programme, the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz and US demands for Tehran to curb its uranium enrichment capabilities.

On Saturday evening, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned that Iran would face "destruction" unless it abandoned its nuclear ambitions at the negotiating table.

Speaking at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Hegseth accused Iran of building a "large arsenal" of conventional missiles and attempting to pursue a strategy similar to that of North Korea.

Meanwhile, US embassies across the region have warned of the possibility of rapidly developing security threats, including potential attacks by Iran and its regional allies.

Iran accuses Netanyahu of pushing for another war

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to drag the United States into another war with Tehran to avoid imprisonment.

Responding to remarks made by Netanyahu about Iran, Araghchi wrote on X that the Israeli leader was "dragging the United States into a new war to avoid going to prison", while disregarding the potential consequences for Israel and the US president.

The Iranian foreign minister also reiterated Tehran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, provided Washington meets several Iranian demands.

These include lifting the blockade on Iranian ports, easing restrictions on Iranian oil exports and halting hostilities across regional fronts.

Araghchi said Tehran had received US feedback on the proposal and was reviewing it, although significant disagreements continued to obstruct progress.

According to Reuters, one of the main sticking points remains Washington's insistence on placing Iran's nuclear programme at the centre of negotiations, including demands for substantial reductions in Tehran's uranium enrichment capabilities.

Iran, however, wants to prioritise reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing the economic and security restrictions imposed on the country.

Qatar and Pakistan intensify mediation efforts

Qatar and Pakistan have continued diplomatic efforts to bridge differences between Washington and Tehran, although political and security obstacles have so far prevented an agreement that could end the confrontation and restore regional stability.

The talks come amid growing concerns over the consequences of the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed, with disruptions to shipping and global energy supplies adding urgency to efforts to reach a settlement.

Iran's ISNA news agency reported on Sunday that Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, could visit Tehran this week as part of ongoing cooperation between the two countries and discussions concerning regional developments and US-Iran negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the central issues in the crisis because of its strategic importance to global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Reopening the waterway could serve not only as a measure to restore maritime traffic but also as an initial confidence-building step towards reducing tensions and restarting negotiations on broader disputes.

However, Tehran's proposal remains conditional on Washington meeting its demands, while the United States continues to insist that concerns over Iran's nuclear programme must be addressed.

Disagreements over sanctions, the blockade on Iranian ports and mechanisms for ending hostilities across the region also remain unresolved.

The latest mediation efforts therefore present Qatar and Pakistan with a critical challenge of preventing the collapse of diplomatic contacts while securing reciprocal confidence-building measures that could pave the way for broader negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions and regional security arrangements.

The sources' assessment that an immediate escalation is unlikely offers a potential opening for diplomacy, despite the continued exchange of threats and the absence of a comprehensive agreement between Washington and Tehran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unveiled a security doctrine advocating pre-emptive military strikes and buffer zones along Israel's borders, despite the collapse of his previous security strategy during the 7 October 2023 attack, while displaying maps of supposed regional alliances just days before Israeli elections.

The three-page document, titled "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Concept", was published on the Israeli government's website on Sunday and outlines the country's alleged principal security threats and 10 central principles guiding its military strategy.

The proposals drew sharp criticism from Israeli opposition leaders, who dismissed the document as superficial, filled with hollow slogans and an attempt to distract from Netanyahu's security failures ahead of the 27 October parliamentary elections.

The document was released as Netanyahu struggles in opinion polls and has recently acknowledged being "very worried" about his prospects of winning another term.

According to Haaretz, Netanyahu's previous security doctrine, unveiled in 2018, was in place ahead of the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, when Israel's intelligence, deterrence and border defences failed.

An Israeli state comptroller's report last year criticised Netanyahu for failing to submit his national security doctrine for formal cabinet approval, meaning it was never translated into binding military plans or budgets.

The report found that three fundamental pillars of Israel's security strategy collapsed on 7 October: deterrence, intelligence warnings and border defences, including advanced technological barriers that were breached during the attack.

Despite those failures, Netanyahu has yet to establish an independent state commission of inquiry into the decisions that preceded the attack, instead focusing his latest presentation on Israel's subsequent military campaigns.

Pre-emptive strikes and military expansion

In the document's introduction, Netanyahu argued that the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023 had "forced" Israel into a wide-ranging war, claiming that Israeli military operations from Gaza to Yemen, Lebanon and Iran had averted an elleged threat of imminent nuclear "annihilation".

He also claimed that Israel had dismantled the "stranglehold" imposed by the so-called Iranian axis, despite the devastating consequences of Israel's military campaigns across the region, including its genocidal war in Gaza.

Netanyahu said the conflict had required a fundamental revision of Israel's security doctrine, prioritising offensive military action over containment and defence.

The document calls for "prioritising the prevention of threats and attacking them rather than containing them and defending against them", including pre-emptive strikes against emerging threats.

It identifies Iran, which Israel accuses of seeking nuclear weapons, as a principal threat, alongside Yemen's Houthis, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza.

Precision-guided missiles, drones, electronic warfare and cyberattacks are also listed among Israel's major security concerns, alongside what it calls "domestic terrorism and internal enemies" and international efforts to isolate Israel.

Among its central principles, the doctrine calls for maintaining Israel's military superiority, strengthening deterrence and early-warning capabilities, and preparing for preventive attacks.

It also advocates establishing buffer zones along Israel's borders where deemed necessary, although it does not specify their locations or which neighbouring countries could be affected.

Israel has already occupied additional territory in southern Syria and maintained military positions inside southern Lebanon, while continuing its occupation of Palestinian territory.

The document also calls for strengthening Israel's domestic military industries to reduce dependence on foreign arms suppliers, including underground weapons production, while expanding technological capabilities in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and space.

Under a section titled "Spirit of the People", it advocates encouraging settlement in the "Land of Israel", despite the illegality of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank under international law.

According to Netanyahu's office, the document was prepared with assistance from Israel's National Security Council and its head, Shmuel Ben Ezra.

Maps of regional alliances raise questions

During Sunday's presentation, Netanyahu displayed a geopolitical map depicting what he claimed were emerging regional alliances and alleged threats to Israel.

The map, which carried the logo of Germany's Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung foundation, identified Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan as the "Sunni Diamond", alongside Iran and its allies as the "Axis of Resistance", and an Israel-UAE grouping described as the "Hexagon Alliance".

Originally published in May 2026 by researchers Marc Saxer and Marcus Schneider, the graphic also categorised countries and territories considered friendly to the competing blocs.

Somaliland and Puntland were depicted as friendly to Israel and the UAE, alongside Ethiopia, Djibouti and Greece, while Somalia and its North East State were shown as friendly to the Turkey-Egypt-Pakistan-Saudi Arabia grouping.

The classifications reflect the researchers' assessment of regional alignments rather than formal military alliances.

The presentation also referred to an "Iranian-Shia axis" and a Turkey-linked Muslim Brotherhood axis as regional challenges.

Netanyahu urged Israel to take advantage of the remaining two years of US President Donald Trump's administration to expand its alliances, warning that a future American government might be less supportive.

He acknowledged differences with Trump over Turkey and claimed Israel had acted to prevent Ankara from expanding its military presence in Syria.

"I hope we don't reach a direct confrontation," Netanyahu said.

Israel recognised Somaliland as an independent state in December 2025, a move rejected by Somalia's federal government as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Israeli opposition dismisses 'empty slogans'

The publication of Netanyahu's security doctrine prompted fierce criticism from opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Gadi Eisenkot, who accused the prime minister of attempting to conceal his government's failures, particularly those surrounding 7 October 2023.

In a post on X, Lapid described the document as "superficial and strange", saying it appeared to have been written using a free version of an AI chatbot.

He argued that it offered no genuine national security strategy and criticised Netanyahu's refusal to establish an official commission of inquiry into the 7 October failures.

Lapid also accused the prime minister of contradicting his own security principles by allowing ultra-Orthodox Jews to avoid military service, damaging Israel's international relationships and deepening domestic divisions.

Eisenkot, who leads the opposition Yashar party, described the document as "two empty pages filled with slogans", arguing that it exposed the strategic vacuum created by Netanyahu's leadership.

He questioned why the prime minister had waited until nine days before the elections, and three years after the 7 October attack, to publish his national security vision.

Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of failing to achieve his stated military objectives, including dismantling the military and governing capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, deterring Hezbollah and maintaining stability in the occupied West Bank.

He also argued that Hamas continued to maintain armed forces in Gaza while Hezbollah was rebuilding its military capabilities.

Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of refusing to investigate the failures of 7 October or draw lessons from them.

He described the document's publication as another example of Netanyahu's political tactics, accusing him of "manipulating public consciousness, stirring fear and trying to divert attention from the series of lies and racism surrounding his election campaign".

Eisenkot pledged that an opposition-led government would prepare and approve a formal Israeli national security strategy within 150 days of taking office.

Israeli police arrested 10 people in the occupied West Bank before dawn on Monday following settler attacks on Palestinians harvesting olives, a Washington Post photojournalist and a delegation of European diplomats, though Israel's record of rarely prosecuting settlers raises questions over whether any will face charges.

The arrests followed days of violence that left photographer Heidi Levine seriously injured and a visiting French mayor beaten, drawing international condemnation as settlers targeted Palestinians during the annual olive harvest.

Despite repeated pledges by Israeli authorities to hold perpetrators accountable, prosecutions of settlers for violence against Palestinians remain exceptionally rare, with convictions even rarer.

Police said the suspects were detained on suspicion of involvement in violent incidents, violating a military order declaring a closed military zone, and illegal construction.

They did not identify those arrested or specify their individual roles in the attacks. Israel's Army Radio reported that the suspects were Israeli citizens.

"Following the severe incidents of violence over the past weekend, including the assault of a media worker and the suspected attacks on foreign civilians, an arrest operation was conducted before dawn," said Major General Moshe Finchi, the Israeli police commander in the occupied West Bank.

Police said they had seized vehicles and items linking suspects to alleged offences, although Israeli police have long been accused of enabling settler attacks on Palestinians.

The Shin Bet security agency, Israeli military and border police also participated in the investigation, according to the police account. Those arrested were transferred for questioning.

Pledges to prosecute amid entrenched impunity

Police said those arrested had been taken into custody "with the intent to bring anyone who perpetrated criminal activity to justice".

"The Israel Police condemns all forms of violence and will pursue these active investigations so that anyone involved in these incidents faces the judicial process, regardless of background," the force alleged.

But those pledges stand against a longstanding record of impunity for Israelis who attack Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank, casting doubt on whether the latest arrests will result in prosecutions.

Israeli human rights organisation Yesh Din found that 93.6% of the police investigation files it monitored concerning ideologically motivated offences by Israelis against Palestinians between 2005 and 2025 were closed without an indictment. Just 3% of those cases led to full or partial convictions.

Yesh Din said the findings demonstrated a systematic failure to hold perpetrators accountable and protect Palestinians, arguing that settler violence helps expand Israeli control over Palestinian land by intimidating residents and driving them from their communities.

The latest arrests come amid an escalation in settler violence during the annual olive harvest, with Palestinians facing repeated attacks while attempting to access and cultivate their land.

Nearly 200 settler attacks linked to this year's olive harvest had caused casualties or property damage by mid-October, according to the UN humanitarian office, a figure that already surpasses the 185 incidents recorded throughout the entire 2025 season.

Qatar will soon announce the establishment of a new defence centre as part of efforts to strengthen its military capabilities amid heightened regional tensions, the country's deputy prime minister and minister of state for defence affairs said on Monday.

Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani made the announcement at the opening of the Global Security Forum in Doha, revealing that Qatar was working with regional partners, the United States, Britain and France to enhance its capabilities in ammunition, air defence, counter-drone systems and cybersecurity.

The minister said Qatar was also exploring domestic production and investment opportunities in certain defence sectors, while maintaining a state of readiness for potential crises in coordination with the Ministry of Interior and other security agencies.

His remarks come amid continuing regional tensions and efforts to prevent further instability from the US-Israeli war involving Iran.

Addressing developments in the region, Sheikh Saoud stressed the importance of diplomatic coordination, saying that mediation efforts by Qatar, Pakistan and Oman complemented one another and required close cooperation to achieve their objectives.

He also called for regional dialogue involving Turkey and Pakistan once the war ends.

The Qatari official reaffirmed that Doha had maintained communication with Iran despite disagreements between the two countries, expressing hope that Qatar would not face another attack following the strike on Ras Laffan.

In March, Iran launched missile attacks on Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, triggering fires and causing material damage.

Qatar's foreign ministry condemned the attack at the time as a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of its sovereignty, warning that it posed a direct threat to national security and regional stability.

The announcement comes as Doha hosts the Global Security Forum from 19 to 21 October under the theme "The Future of Alliances".

The annual international gathering brings together leaders and experts from around the world to discuss shifting global dynamics, emerging security challenges and international cooperation.

The forum provides a platform for policymakers and security specialists to examine major threats facing the international community and explore opportunities for dialogue and collaboration.

Welcome,

Here are the key updates to start your day:

• US embassies in the West Asian region issued security warnings to US citizens in the region, citing potential threats from Iran and Yemen’s Houthis on US citizens and interests
   
• War in Yemen continues with tit-for-tat strikes between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition
   
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he hopes the Islamic world can resolve its challenges and differences at an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Baghdad, Iraq, and conducted various meetings with other country reps
   
• Israeli attacks continue on Gaza, occupied West Bank, southern Lebanon and south Syria despite any agreements or alleged ceasefires.

And so we continue our live coverage...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with top US envoys Sunday to try to ease tensions, as Donald Trump accused his counterpart of not wanting to end the war with Russia.

Zelensky spoke to US officials Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as both Russia and Ukraine hit each other's energy sites, with Moscow leaving thousands without power and Kyiv carrying out the largest drone attack on Saint Petersburg since the start of the war in 2022.

Trump and Zelensky have clashed as the US president blocked new sanctions on Russia and struck a diesel deal with Moscow, fuelling fears in Kyiv and Europe that the White House was steering towards Moscow.

On Sunday Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he was in the process of negotiating a peace between Russia and Ukraine and making "great progress," but claimed: "Zelenskyy doesn't care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him... he doesn't want to end this war, and probably never did."

"Zelenskyy is using Diesel Refineries in Russia as a target, knowing that these attacks are seriously hurting the world diesel markets, including those in the United States," Trump said.

Earlier, after speaking to Trump's business partner Witkoff and son-in-law Kushner, Zelensky said "a lot depends" on the US position in the war but that "it is clear that there are many things that matter to all of us and that this war must be brought to an end."

Ukraine was ready to work "constructively" and "honestly", he said. "We expect exactly this approach from all our partners -- both from the Europeans and, of course, from the American side."

He said he discussed deliveries of US Patriot air defence systems, as Kyiv struggles to counter Russian missiles.

Zelensky earlier told US broadcaster NBC it would be a "historic mistake" if Washington formally supported Russia and that he hoped Trump would "change his decisions."

But he also said he was "thankful" the US resumed intelligence sharing after a pause that left his country vulnerable to Russian missile strikes.

Thousands without power

A US-led push to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II has so far not brought about a breakthrough and Trump has in the past grown frustrated with both Zelensky and Russia's Vladimir Putin because of their lack of progress.

Zelensky spoke to the American officials as he accused Russia of breaking Trump's "energy ceasefire" 76 times and warning Moscow planned to deprive Ukrainians of heat and electricity before winter.

Russian strikes left "tens of thousands" without power in several regions, he said, with Ukrainian officials reporting three people had been killed.

Ukraine's army launched drones at Putin's hometown of Saint Petersburg late Sunday, setting an oil refinery ablaze and killing one person, Moscow said.

Rising smoke was visible from Saint Petersburg's historic city centre on the banks of the Neva River, with Russia saying Ukraine struck an oil refinery and depot.

Saint Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said one person was killed and five hospitalised in the city.

Authorities were fighting fires at the Saint Petersburg oil terminal, the Ruchyi oil depot and industrial warehouses, he said.

Russia's VKontakte social network said its data centre was hit and Ozon -- Russia's second largest retailer -- also reported a strike on its logistics centre.

The head of the wider Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, said air defence shot down 144 Ukrainian drones, with state media saying this was the largest attack on the city since the start of the war.

'Dreadful routine of war' 

The Kremlin, however, said Ukrainian attacks on its cities will not change its war aims.

Putin has repeatedly said Moscow intends to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine and, in a fifth year of war, few see a way out of the conflict.

"There's a general feeling: they're attacking, we're attacking -- it's become the dreadful routine of war," 58-year-old Galina told AFP in Saint Petersburg.

Moscow has rained drones and missiles on Ukrainian cities daily and Kyiv says its strikes are fair retribution.

Sergei, another Saint Petersburg resident who is also 58, said he felt his apartment block shake and quickly realised it was a drone attack.

"I don't know if I was scared, what must be will be," he said.

Ukrainian strikes caused nationwide fuel shortages in Russia earlier this year.

Albanian police fired water cannon and tear gas Sunday as violent anti-government protests entered a sixth day and Prime Minister Edi Rama rejected demonstrators' demands that he resign.

Violent demonstrations have rocked Tirana since Tuesday, with protesters calling for action over poor university conditions, high tuition fees and corruption.

Hundreds of protesters gathered again at noon in front of the education ministry chanting "Rama, resign" amid a tense standoff with police.

After police bid to disperse the crowds, the protests scattered across the city centre, escalating into hours-long violent clashes.

Protesters set ablaze litter bins in the streets, smashed windows, including at the headquarters of the governing Socialist Party, and set fire to a police station and the entrance of the interior ministry.

Chaotic clashes extended to the main boulevard and square, with demonstrators throwing rocks, Molotov cocktails and charging pyrotechnic devices, as the police responded with rubber bullets and tear gas, according to an AFP journalist.

Ambulances were seen rushing in and out of the scenes of clashes to pick up the injured.

The ministry of Health told AFP that 16 police officers were injured -- 14 of them when protesters attacked the police station.

Before the protest, shops and offices in the city centre secured their doors and windows with metal shutters, while city workers removed paving stones to prevent them being thrown by protesters.

In a video broadcast lasting more than an hour, Rama ruled out resigning, stating that the protests are the "work of an outside hand".

According to Austrian federal press service, Rama's official visit to Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker scheduled for Monday, has been cancelled by the Albanian side.

Buildings on fire

Writer and activist Lura Elezi, 38, told AFP that she is protesting for "a better life, rule of law and against crime and corruption".

"I love my country, but my government does not respect us - it defies us. Every citizen must take responsibility for their country, taking on the duty to lead, to love, and not to destroy one's own nation", she said.

Tirana saw its harshest violence on Saturday when protesters threw rocks, Molotov cocktails, metal objects and pyrotechnic devices at police, and torched cars and litter bins to use as barricades against advancing police.

Buildings including a court, banks and a post office were set on fire or severely damaged. Police used rubber bullets on demonstrators for the first time since the protests began, AFP journalists saw.

Albert Nushi, from the police public security department, said in a statement that because of "the unprecedented scale of attacks on the police", a "limited use of specialised crowd-control equipment was used".

He urged protesters to stay away from masked individuals behind the violence and "assemble in a peaceful manner".

He said police detained 54 individuals in Tirana on Saturday, and 27 face criminal proceedings.

According to a health ministry report issued Sunday, 65 people were injured, including 37 police, with 12 people hospitalised.

Since Tuesday, 272 people have been injured in the clashes, including 169 police, the ministry said.

Albania's close ally, the United States, reacted late Saturday. Its embassy in Tirana urged "restraint and calm on all sides".

The European Commission in a written statement, "condemned the use of violence in Tirana and other cities", adding that the response to it "must remain proportionate".

"In a candidate country firmly committed to the EU accession process... grievances should be handled through constructive dialogue and in a peaceful manner," the statement said.

The unrest follows months of anti-government protests in the Balkan nation, initially sparked by a controversial resort development linked to US President Donald Trump's family.

 

Palestinian journalist Bushra al-Taweel has been held by Israel for nearly 50 days in solitary confinement, the Palestinian Prisoners Club (PPC) said in a statement on Sunday.

Al-Taweel, 33, who was previously released by Israel in January 2025 as part of a prisoner exchange deal, was rearrested in February 2026 and has since been subjected to repeated administrative detention orders.

The journalist is facing frequent raids on her cell, during which she is beaten, subjected to tear gas, and verbal abuse from prison authorities, the PPC said, based on al-Taweel's testimony given during a recent visit. The most recent raid took place two days before the visit.

Al-Taweel reported suffering dryness in her eyes, skin, and hands, as well as numbness in her hands due to being handcuffed. She also suffered from scabies prior to being transferred to solitary confinement, where she is being deprived of basic necessities.

The PPC said prison authorities have provided insufficient food for al-Taweel, while forcing her to drink discoloured tap water. She also reported having few clothes to wear, while also being unable to wash what she has.

Al-Taweel indicated that on 4 October, she signed papers for her transfer to Damon Prison, but was surprised to find herself transferred to solitary confinement at the Ohalei Oz Prison in Beersheba, where she remains detained until today. Israeli authorities renewed her administrative detention order for an additional four months.

The PPC described al-Taweel's treatment by Israel as being part of an escalating policy of systematic targeting of female prisoners through administrative detention, solitary confinement, ill-treatment, and the denial of their basic rights.

The Prisoners Club called upon international human rights groups, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross, to intervene urgently to investigate al-Taweel's detention conditions.

Al-Taweel, a journalist who has campaigned for the rights of Palestinian prisoners, was first arrested by Israeli forces in 2011 at the age of 18, when she was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Egypt's top security body said Sunday it has agreed to support close ally Saudi Arabia in the major escalation of fighting between the kingdom and Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has marked the latest front in the Iran war.

Saudi Arabia has been pressing allies for military assistance. The Houthis have repeatedly attacked airports and oil infrastructure across the kingdom with drones and missiles that can change direction during flight, posing a challenge to interceptors. At least 19 people have been killed, thousands of flights have been affected and global markets have been rattled.

Also on Sunday, the Saudi defense minister was meeting with the United Arab Emirates president about ways to strengthen cooperation, according to the UAE’s news agency WAM. The countries have had tense relations in the recent past as they backed different factions in the Yemeni coalition fighting the rebels.

The Egyptian announcement on military assistance came a month after a visit by the Saudi crown prince. Chaired by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the National Defense Council decided to provide “all possible forms of support” to enable Saudi Arabia to defend its security, according to a presidential statement.

It didn’t provide details. El-Sissi on Saturday called for parliament to grant him the authorization to deploy troops and military equipment abroad.

The surge in fighting has threatened civilians in both Saudi Arabia and Yemen, which has seen a return to civil war. The interim capital of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, Aden, has seen its airport and a palace used by the government attacked in the past week.

On Sunday, an airstrike killed at least nine people, including five children and two women, in Yemen’s rebel-held northern province of Saada, the Houthi-run Health Ministry said.

Spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi said the strike hit a house in Sahar district and wounded 19 others, including 11 children. Some were in critical condition, he said.

Al-Asbahi blamed Saudi Arabia. There was no immediate comment from the kingdom. The Houthi-run al-Masirah satellite channel aired footage of people clearing debris with their hands and pulling two young people out of the rubble.

The rebels said attacks by Saudi-led forces had killed or wounded over 30 people in the past 24 hours. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesperson, said 110 missiles or airstrikes were carried out against civilian sites in Sanaa and other cities. The Associated Press could not independently verify the claim.

Across the border in Saudi Arabia, a Saudi helicopter gunship crashed near the city of Najran in the southwest, killing its two-member crew, a Saudi military spokesperson said, citing a technical malfunction. The Houthis earlier claimed to have downed it.

Later, Saudi Civil Defense authorities said a projectile fired by the Houthis landed in a residential area of Najran province, wounding six people.

The Houthis have resumed attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks because the kingdom has supported Yemen’s internationally recognized government in the civil war. The rebels recently seized more territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthis’ chief negotiator on Sunday blamed Saudi Arabia for the escalation. Mohamed Abdulsalam said on social media that the rebels had warned the kingdom against striking the rebel-held Sanaa airport in mid-July.

That strike prevented the landing of an Iranian flight carrying a Houthi delegation returning from the funeral of Iran’s supreme leader, who had been killed in the opening strikes of the war in February.

The Houthis, angry over the longstanding Saudi blockade on them, declared their own blockade on the kingdom.

Oman had offered a five-day truce during which the two sides would meet and settle their dispute, Abdulsalam said. He said the Houthis agreed to stop attacks if Saudi Arabia agreed to “humanitarian demands.” He didn’t elaborate.

He said Saudi Arabia didn’t show “any indication that it is ready to deal positively” with the demands. The rebels shortly after that launched their offensive down the Red Sea coast.

A Saudi diplomat last week in a rare briefing said the kingdom had called for a meeting in Oman with the Houthis in July “to resolve outstanding differences and bring an end to this escalation,” but the rebels refused to participate.

On Sunday, the Sunni Muslim world’s foremost religious institution, Al-Azhar in Egypt, called for the formation of an “urgent mediation committee” to end conflicts across the Arab region.

US diplomats visited a Christian Palestinian village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Sunday following attacks by militant Israeli settlers on European diplomats and an American photojournalist in the previous two days.

Riley Barnes, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, Brian Burch, US ambassador to the Holy See, and a number of other diplomats visited the Latin Convent church and were expected to meet with members of the Christian community in Taybeh.

Belgian, French and Polish diplomats, along with a French mayor and Palestinian civilians, had been attacked near Taybeh on Saturday by masked Israeli settlers.

The previous day, Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was taken to hospital after being assaulted while covering a Palestinian olive harvest near another West Bank village.

The diplomats' visit coincided with US President Donald Trump endorsing his ally, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for Israel's parliamentary election on 27 October.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee attended a settler conference in the West Bank on Sunday.

Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and longtime supporter of Israel, earlier wrote on X calling for "those who attacked" the Washington Post photojournalist, a US citizen, to be jailed.

Trump has expressed his opposition to Israeli annexation of the West Bank, but his administration has put little pressure on Netanyahu's right-wing, pro-settler government to change its policy.

UN bodies and most countries deem the settlements illegal under international law, but Israel rejects this, viewing the territory as disputed rather than occupied.

While Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and the Israeli military both blamed "Israeli rioters" for the attack on the diplomats, Netanyahu, whose coalition is projected to lose its governing majority, has been more circumspect.

He has said the diplomats entered a "sensitive area with a history of confrontations without prior coordination" with the Israeli military, and that the facts of the attack on Levine are "unclear".

France urged Israeli authorities to arrest Saturday's attackers and to end criminal violence in the West Bank, but by Sunday there was no announcement from Israeli authorities of any arrests in either of the two latest incidents.

The West Bank is home to some 500,000 settlers and at least 3 million Palestinians.

Settler attacks on the Palestinians are surging, with at least 170 since September 27, according to Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group. Journalists, activists and foreign observers have also been targeted.

Yet prosecutions of Israeli settlers are rare.

On Sunday, Reuters saw a group of at least 10 settlers, masked and dressed in black, hurling rocks at Palestinians and activists harvesting olives near the Palestinian West Bank town of Salfit, prompting the farmers to flee.

Israeli border police were in the area and shot tear gas towards the hills.