Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt's military support for Saudi Arabia would be limited to defending the kingdom's territory and borders and would not include an attack on Yemen, the presidency said on Wednesday, as the Iran-allied Houthis intensify attacks on the kingdom.

Sisi's comments came as Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi state news agency SPA said. Abdelatty delivered a written message from Sisi to King Salman, and the two sides discussed bilateral ties and regional developments, SPA said.

Any Egyptian military backing for Saudi Arabia could mark a significant escalation in the broader Middle East conflict, which has threatened global energy supplies and pushed oil prices higher since the US and Israel attacked Iran in February.

Egypt would also defend the territory of any other Arab country if asked, Sisi said, but its military effort would not extend beyond Egyptian territory or that of an Arab state whose security and stability Cairo was seeking to protect.

On Monday, Egypt's parliament delayed until October 26 a vote on authorizing the armed forces to support Saudi Arabia if requested, lawmakers said.

Fighting between the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognised government and the Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa and much of the north, has escalated in recent weeks, opening another front in the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are close strategic and economic partners. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, provided Egypt with billions of dollars in aid, central bank deposits and investments after the 2013 military overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. Sisi became president a year later.

Egypt, a regional military power, previously joined the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 in support of the government against the Houthis, though it played a limited combat role in the civil war.

Israeli forces on Wednesday briefly detained a US congressional candidate as he joined activists supporting Palestinians harvesting olives in the face of threats by extremist settlers.

Brad Lander, a left-wing Democrat who is expected to easily win a House seat in New York City on November 3, posted on social media that he was detained along with a group of rabbis and volunteers as they harvested olives west of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

"The occupation is a crime under international law. Harvesting olives isn't a crime under any law I know," Lander wrote on X.

He later wrote that he was released on account of his prominence, adding that "Palestinians face far worse consequences every day".

The Israeli foreign ministry lashed out at Lander over what it called a "calculated political stunt", and said he had ignored guidance to coordinate with Israeli authorities.

"This was not about harvesting olives. It was about harvesting headlines," it said.

The Israeli military said that the Palestinian landowner had not requested permission to conduct the harvest.

"This coordination is necessary to ensure the security of the area and maintain public order," it said, pointing to the "security risk of an uncoordinated harvest" near an Israeli settlement.

Israel has faced growing international criticism over violence during the harvest, with rights groups documenting multiple attacks and other disruptions each day by settlers against Palestinians.

Israel on Monday announced it had made several arrests after settlers beat up a US photojournalist covering the incidents and a French mayor who had come for the olive season.

The violence comes in the final days before Israeli elections in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought to shore up his right-wing base, which is staunchly pro-settlement.

Israel has come under growing fire within the United States, traditionally its top ally.

Lander, who is Jewish, is a close ally of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, an outspoken critic of Israeli policies.

In a party primary in June, Lander ousted the sitting congressman, Dan Goldman, one of a dwindling number of Democrats who support Israel.

Millions of Egyptians are expected to take part in celebrations honouring the 13th-century Sufi saint Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi in the Nile Delta city of Tanta, as one of the country's largest religious festivals approaches its climax on Thursday.

The week-long festival, known as the Mawlid al-Sayyid al-Badawi, an annual celebration commemorating the birth of the revered Sufi saint, began on 16 October and is expected to attract more than two million visitors, according to Egyptian media reports.

Worshippers and pilgrims have travelled from across Egypt, including the Nile Delta and Upper Egypt, to visit al-Badawi's shrine and participate in collective prayers, devotional chanting and dhikr, the Sufi practice of remembering God through the repetition of sacred phrases.

The celebrations centre on the Sayyid al-Badawi Mosque in Tanta, where the saint is buried, while surrounding streets host religious gatherings, food stalls and traditional festivities.

Egypt's General Sheikhdom of Sufi Orders announced that the celebrations would culminate on 22 October, with a major Sufi conference scheduled for Wednesday in Tanta's Sigar district.

Who was Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi?

Ahmad al-Badawi was a Muslim mystic who travelled through the Islamic world before settling in Tanta in the 13th century.

He became renowned for his asceticism, religious devotion and spiritual teachings, eventually becoming one of the most revered figures in Egyptian Sufism.

Al-Badawi also occupies a prominent place in Egyptian popular traditions surrounding the struggle against the Crusaders.

According to accounts passed down through Sufi traditions and folklore, he helped fight the Crusaders while blind during the Seventh Crusade, launched by King Louis IX of France in 1249, and was associated with the Egyptian resistance that culminated in the Crusaders' defeat and Louis IX's capture in 1250.

Although his personal participation in the fighting is not firmly established by contemporary historical evidence, the tradition helped establish his reputation as a spiritual protector of Egypt as well as a religious teacher.

Al-Badawi, who died in 1276, is associated with the founding of the Badawiyya, also known as the Ahmadiyya, one of Egypt's historic Sufi orders.

His followers regard him as a "wali", or friend of God, a designation used in Sufi traditions for individuals believed to have attained exceptional spiritual closeness to the divine.

For generations, his shrine has been a major destination for religious pilgrimage, and his annual mawlid has developed into one of the most prominent expressions of Egypt's popular Islamic culture.

For Egyptian Sufis, the occasion is both an act of religious remembrance and a celebration of spiritual continuity, connecting contemporary worshippers with centuries-old traditions of devotion, hospitality and communal solidarity.

The festival also attracts many Egyptians who do not belong to any particular Sufi order, reflecting the enduring place of saints, shrines and religious festivals in the country's social and cultural life.

The celebrations come ahead of another major Sufi festival honouring Ibrahim al-Desouki, which is scheduled to begin on Friday in the Nile Delta city of Desouk.

Lina Attalah, co-founder and editor-in-chief of independent news website Mada Masr, appeared for questioning on Wednesday after she was summoned by Egyptian authorities, who did not specify the reasons for the summons or the subject of the investigation.

The summons came after Mada Masr published a report detailing complaints by detainees who said they had been subjected to violations inside Egyptian prisons.

"Prosecutors have been investigating Mada Masr Editor-in-Chief Lina Attalah for three hours at the headquarters of the Supreme State Security Prosecution in New Cairo. Her defence team has been present with her throughout the questioning. The investigation session is ongoing," Mada Masr wrote on X on Wednesday.

The news site said this was the sixth case brought against the outlet, its journalists or its editor-in-chief over the past six years.

The most recent was in August 2025, when the State Security Prosecution ordered Attalah's release on bail of 30,000 Egyptian pounds after charging her with "publishing false news" and "using a website without a licence".

Egyptian authorities arrested Attalah in May 2020 while she was interviewing Laila Soueif, the mother of political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, outside Tora Prison, where he was being held at the time. Attalah was detained for seven hours before being released on bail.

The latest summons comes amid mounting pressure and a continued crackdown on press freedom in Egypt. In September, authorities arrested six journalists from the fact-checking platform Matsad2sh (Don't Believe It).

After five days in secret detention under the country's anti-terrorism law, the six journalists appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution.

Some said they had been subjected to torture and ill-treatment, including blindfolding, being handcuffed behind their backs, being stripped of their clothes, beatings and electric shocks.

On 13 October, the prosecution ordered the journalists' detention to be extended by a further 15 days pending investigation by the Supreme State Security Prosecution. They face charges of joining and financing a "terrorist group" and "publishing false news".

Egypt ranks 169th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 2026 World Press Freedom Index. The organisation says 18 Egyptian journalists are currently behind bars.

Israeli forces have resealed the only reopened entrance to a Palestinian village south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, leaving around 2,500 residents isolated and facing severe restrictions on movement, as hundreds of olive trees have reportedly been uprooted during the harvest season.

Rami Nassar, head of Madama village council, told The New Arab that Israeli forces had closed the village's entrances with earth barriers, disrupting access to medical care, schools, workplaces and agricultural land.

A passage for humanitarian access was briefly reopened on Tuesday, but Israeli forces returned with a bulldozer on Wednesday and blocked it again, according to accounts provided by Nassar.

He said hundreds of olive trees had also been uprooted, describing the village as having become "a prison under the open sky".

The blockade began on 11 October, when Israeli bulldozers sealed roads connecting Madama with neighbouring Palestinian communities.

"On the morning of 11 October, we woke up to find that our village had been isolated from the world," Nassar said.

"It wasn't just the closure of one entrance, but a complete and tightly enforced closure."

He said Israeli forces blocked the northern entrance, the eastern road towards Burin and routes connecting Madama with Asira al-Qibliya, before obstructing smaller roads and dirt tracks.

Residents attempting to reach Nablus for work, education or medical appointments have consequently been forced to leave their vehicles behind and walk along difficult mountain paths.

Videos supplied to The New Arab show large mounds of earth and rocks obstructing paved roads. One recording shows schoolchildren carrying backpacks negotiating uneven, rocky ground beside an earth barrier, with a yellow school transport vehicle stopped nearby.

The restrictions have also disrupted deliveries of vegetables, cooking gas and essential medicines.

"This siege has suffocated our lives," Nassar said, warning of shortages of medication for chronic illnesses.

Among those most seriously affected are patients requiring regular kidney dialysis at An-Najah Hospital in Nablus.

Nassar said these patients had previously travelled by ambulance or private vehicle, but the blockade has made accessing treatment increasingly difficult.

He described an incident in which a resident suffered a serious medical emergency and villagers were forced to carry the patient along a rugged mountain path because an ambulance could not reach the village in time.

The blockade has coincided with the annual olive harvest, a vital source of income for Palestinian families.

Farmers have struggled to reach their groves, transport equipment and bring harvested olives home, while village accounts describe repeated attacks on agricultural land by Israeli forces and settlers.

Footage provided by Nassar shows uprooted olive trees lying amid disturbed earth, while separate recordings show excavators operating among olive groves on hillsides surrounding the village.

Nassar said Israeli forces had uprooted hundreds of trees, although the total number destroyed could not be independently established from the footage.

Other accounts shared with The New Arab describe a security guard from the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzhar confiscating harvesting equipment from a Palestinian farmer in the Al-Rasm area south of Madama and scattering collected olives across the ground.

Palestinian news agency WAFA separately reported attacks on olive harvesters in Madama and other villages around Nablus on Sunday, including the theft of agricultural equipment and crops.

"For us, this season is not merely about agriculture. It is our livelihood for the entire year. It is our memory," Nassar told The New Arab.

"The olive trees stand there waiting for us, but our farmers cannot reach their land."

He warned that families risk losing an entire year's agricultural income.

"We fear that an entire year's labour will be lost before our eyes."

The events in Madama come amid escalating Israeli settler violence across the occupied West Bank during the olive harvest.

According to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, 199 harvest-related settler attacks were documented between 1 September and 12 October, leaving one Palestinian dead, 124 injured and more than 2,500 trees and saplings damaged.

The agency also documented settlers assaulting farmers and stealing harvesting equipment and crops in Madama itself earlier this month.

The agency said attacks on farmers have increased sharply in recent years, with restrictions on access to agricultural land threatening the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Palestinian families.

Nassar said the village council had contacted the Nablus governorate, Palestinian authorities, humanitarian organisations, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the International Committee of the Red Cross, seeking intervention to reopen the roads.

He said Israeli authorities had provided no official explanation for the closures or indication of when they might end.

"Nobody has told us when this collective punishment will end," he said.

Israel’s annual music showcase is struggling to attract international guests ahead of its November edition, with organisers citing a growing cultural boycott amid the genocidal war on Gaza.

The Israel Music Showcase Festival, held annually in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, expects to welcome half as many international guests as last year, according to Israeli media reports on Wednesday.

The festival, which connects Israeli musicians with international music industry professionals, receives backing from Israeli state institutions, including the Foreign Ministry’s Cultural Diplomacy Division, the Culture Ministry and the Jerusalem Municipality.

As the event prepares for its November edition, organisers have acknowledged the growing impact of the cultural boycott amid continued international condemnation of Israel’s devastating military campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Hadas Vanunu, the festival’s artistic director, told Israeli media that around 30 international guests were expected to attend this year, half the number who travelled from abroad last year.

Vanunu described the anticipated turnout as “both surprising and not surprising”.

The growing cultural boycott comes amid recent backlash against UK rapper Russ Millions, who cancelled his scheduled performance at the Boomerang Music Festival in Tel Aviv on Wednesday.

The rapper, known for hits including “Gun Lean” and “Body”, had been advertised as performing at the event.

His booking prompted criticism online, with fans and social media users questioning why a prominent British artist would perform in Israel amid its ongoing genocidal war on Gaza.

Russ Millions addressed the controversy during an Instagram Live session, saying: “If I was aware of any form of people killing, children or women I wouldn’t even have accepted any show.”

The growing international isolation of Israel’s music industry reflects a wider campaign by artists and cultural workers to oppose what they view as the normalisation of Israel’s actions against Palestinians through international cultural participation.

Long supported by pro-Palestine advocates, including the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, the campaign has gained greater visibility since Israel launched its assault on Gaza in October 2023.

Musicians have withdrawn from performances, filmmakers have pulled their work from Israeli festivals, and industry figures have urged cultural organisations to sever institutional ties with Israel.

Israel’s continued participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has also prompted a backlash, with the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Iceland and Slovenia withdrawing from the 2026 competition.

Israel’s inclusion has additionally sparked protests from critics opposing its participation.

Israel’s offensive has displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza and killed more than 74,450 people, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Israeli forces have continued to carry out near-daily strikes on Gaza, with the health ministry reporting that at least 1,500 people have been killed in attacks since the ceasefire came into effect in October 2025.

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, chaired by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Navi Pillay, concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Lebanese judicial authorities have ordered the release of former Palestinian ambassador to Lebanon Ashraf Dabbour under a settlement requiring him to leave the country, the Almodon news site reported on Tuesday.

Security forces were expected to escort Dabbour to Beirut Airport for departure to Bulgaria, bringing to a close a judicial case that involved his detention and questioning. It was not clear exactly when he would be required to leave Lebanon.

The agreement, according to Almodon, includes halting all media campaigns waged by both his supporters and those aligned with his rival, Mazen Abbas, son of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Sources close to Dabbour stressed that the agreement did not involve any financial settlement. The sources said several factors had contributed to his release, including a firm position by Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri against allowing the dispute to escalate, as well as repeated interventions by former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, who questioned the legal grounds for Dabbour's detention.

There were also concerns among Palestinian and Lebanese figures that handing Dabbour over to the Palestinian Authority (PA), if carried out, would set a legal precedent that could trigger further disputes and potentially prompt the authority to seek the detention of other Palestinians in Lebanon, the sources said.

Fatah leaders also played an important role in containing the dispute, which had begun to affect the movement's internal cohesion. Several messages were reportedly sent by senior Fatah figures to President Abbas, urging him to intervene and prevent the situation from escalating further.

Lebanese security forces arrested Dabbour in April, acting on an Interpol arrest warrant tied to financial corruption allegations. He was detained upon his arrival at Beirut Airport from Jordan, in implementation of a Red Notice issued in absentia.

In July 2025, Abbas relieved Dabbour of his duties as deputy to the general supervisor of the Palestinian file in Lebanon, reportedly as part of broader organisational and security changes within Fatah.

He later faced multiple financial allegations, including corruption and illicit enrichment.

Dabbour had been under scrutiny over his alleged role in the sale of properties in Beirut owned by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which maintained a significant presence in Lebanon until Israel’s 1982 invasion.

Jumblatt had close and direct ties to the PLO during the Lebanese civil war.

During his tenure as ambassador from 2012 to 2015, Dabbour is accused of approving real estate deals for personal gain, including the purchase of a PLO-owned building in Beirut’s Corniche al-Mazraa area, and of transferring funds from embassy accounts into his personal bank accounts.

After refusing to appear before Palestinian judicial authorities, an arrest warrant was issued against him through Interpol.

Egypt has launched an AI-powered tool for countering disinformation, days after security forces detained journalists working for the independent fact-checking outlet Matsad2sh.

The Chat Egypt app, unveiled at the 2026 Egypt Forum on Monday, draws on state-owned media and official communications to counter information designated as false news published outside official channels.

The government describes the app as the "first unified platform to combat rumours using artificial intelligence".

Its algorithm screens text, images and video and flags content it identifies as misleading or manipulated, the cabinet's media centre said.

It also tracks the spread of rumours and their circulation rates, and enables users to report potentially false content to authorities.

Statements by government officials are uploaded to the platform daily, along with information published in state media.

The app appears to have had a rocky launch, with local news outlet Almanasa reporting that the image and video verification feature was disabled a day after it went live.

The platform warns users that its answers may contain errors, omissions and outdated information.

Chat Egypt's launch came less than three weeks after security forces forcibly disappeared Matsad2sh's entire editorial team.

Prosecutors charged the six journalists with terror offences after they were held incommunicado for almost a week. They allege that the platform, whose name means 'Don't Believe It' in Arabic, has links to the Muslim Brotherhood and receives foreign funding to spread disinformation.

Lawyers representing the journalists say they reported being subjected to "various forms of torture and mistreatment".

The arrests triggered protests by dozens of local reporters at the Journalists Syndicate and were condemned by dozens of international organisations.

Egypt ranks 169th out of 180 countries on the 2026 World Press Freedom Index.

It is one of the world's leading jailers of media workers, with more than two dozen currently behind bars, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Yemeni government forces and local anti-Houthi fighters are preparing to launch a counteroffensive to break the tightening Houthi siege of Taiz, after a series of battlefield setbacks left the country's third-largest city increasingly isolated, a senior military commander has told The New Arab.

Brigadier General Mohamed al-Mahmoudi, Yemen's deputy interior minister and commander of anti-Houthi forces on Jabal Sabir in Taiz governorate, said government forces had begun regaining the initiative after reorganising their ranks and strengthening defensive positions around the besieged city.

He warned, however, that the rapid collapse of government-held positions in the surrounding countryside had left Taiz facing a deepening humanitarian crisis, with around two million people at risk of being cut off from essential supplies.

"If Taiz falls it means the fall of the Yemeni republic and the legitimate government," al-Mahmoudi said. "It is the first and last stronghold of the republic. If it falls, that will carry huge symbolic significance."

Al-Mahmoudi attributed the latest setbacks to the collapse of National Resistance forces on Yemen's western coast, followed by the loss of al-Kadha, Shamir and Maqbana, and the Houthi advance into Jabal Habashi district and parts of the Al-Hujariyah region.

He said these areas had fallen rapidly because they were predominantly civilian population centres with a limited military presence, allowing Houthi forces to advance with little resistance and tighten their siege of Taiz.

"The Houthis' incursion into Jabal Habashi had extremely serious consequences," he explained, "as did their expansion into al-Hujariyah and their capture of its towns, which they were able to overrun at great speed, leading to a suffocating siege on Taiz."

Government complacency blamed for military setbacks

Al-Mahmoudi accused Yemen's internationally recognised government and military leadership of failing to prepare for the Houthi offensive, despite years of warnings about the group's intentions.

"Since the legitimate government agreed to a truce with the Houthi militias in 2022, they've been preparing for this day," he said.

He argued that the army, local authorities and other government factions had become distracted by internal disputes and secondary issues while neglecting the growing Houthi threat.

"Complacency, turning a blind eye and failing to focus on the real enemy led to this outcome."

Al-Mahmoudi said the country's military and political leadership must bear substantial responsibility for the territorial losses, calling for an investigation into how government-held positions had collapsed so rapidly.

Jabal Sabir becomes key to defending Taiz

The loss of surrounding territory has left around two million people facing an increasingly severe siege, according to al-Mahmoudi, who warned that prolonged isolation could have devastating consequences for civilians and the forces defending the city.

He identified Jabal Sabir, the strategic mountain overlooking Taiz, as central to the city's defence, recalling its importance during the fighting in 2015.

However, he acknowledged that the mountain had not been adequately prepared to serve as a frontline defensive position when the latest Houthi advance began.

Since Sunday, 18 October, government forces and local anti-Houthi fighters have reorganised their ranks, halted parts of the Houthi advance and reinforced their positions on the mountain, he said.

Al-Mahmoudi said the forces were now preparing to move beyond defensive operations towards a counteroffensive aimed at "breaking the siege".

He identified the battle for al-Misrakh as particularly important to reopening access to Taiz, warning that a prolonged blockade would deprive civilians of fuel, food and freedom of movement.

"All these factors will put enormous pressure on the resistance and the national army. We must act as fast as possible," he said.

Preparing to shift from defence to attack

Al-Mahmoudi said the immediate priority was to consolidate Taiz's defences before launching a separate military operation to push Houthi forces back from the city's southern approaches and reopen vital supply routes.

"It is essential to move the fighting out of Taiz city and into the southern rural areas of Taiz, and to open supply routes from Taiz to the interim capital, Aden, through Al-Hujariyah," he said.

The commander acknowledged that government forces remained constrained by limited military resources, particularly following the loss of key supply routes.

"Nevertheless, the national army is capable of standing firm. We must also work to arm ourselves and develop our own capacity using what we seize from the enemy."

He also highlighted Saudi Arabia's continued military support, saying Riyadh had maintained assistance through air power, communications and intelligence.

Despite the territorial losses and worsening siege, al-Mahmoudi expressed confidence that Taiz would withstand the offensive and that Houthi forces would ultimately be defeated.

He argued that domestic, regional and international developments were increasingly working against the group, which he accused of seeking to use the siege of Taiz to strengthen its negotiating position.

"The Houthis are weak internally right now and wish to wield greater leverage in negotiations by strangling the city and its civilians," he said. "However, Taiz will emerge victorious."

Saudi Arabia has agreed to supply extra diesel to France "for as many months as necessary", the Elysee Palace told AFP on Wednesday, as President Emmanuel Macron was visiting Riyadh days after violent rioting across France.

Macron and de facto Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman met in Riyadh where they also agreed to consult on expanding security cooperation and infrastructure projects to bypass the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, the palace added.

Macron landed in Riyadh in a surprise "solidarity" visit, making him the first Western leader to touch down in the kingdom since Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis intensified their attacks this month.

The unannounced trip sends a strong signal to his oil-rich Saudi ally as Riyadh comes under near-daily attack.

It was part of a Gulf tour to secure oil and diesel and bring down prices in France, following a weekend of violent protests over soaring living costs.

Faced with criticism of his Gulf tour in France, Macron told reporters he was just "doing his job" in a bid to "ease tensions" over gas prices, one of the causes of social unrest in France.

"There must be no sign of febrility," he said. "I am fulfilling my role. I am at my post."

The presidential jet landed in Riyadh, where he was set to meet Saudi de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman.

"The president of the republic is travelling to Saudi Arabia this afternoon to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman," a statement from the presidency said earlier.

The visit aimed to "demonstrate France's solidarity with the kingdom in the face of the attacks carried out by the Houthis against its territory, and to continue efforts undertaken on securing and diversifying hydrocarbon supplies", it added.

In recent weeks, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have reached an unprecedented scale, forcing Riyadh airport to shut and the postponement of a major investment conference.

A Houthi maritime blockade is also threatening oil exports from the kingdom.

Macron's visit comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to rally Western support in the face of Houthi attacks.

'Personnel deployed'

Earlier Wednesday, Macron said France had sent troops to help shield the key Saudi oil terminal of Yanbu on the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, while insisting it was important "discussions resume" with the group.

"For the past eight days, we've had personnel and capabilities deployed (in Yanbu); we're working with Saudi Arabia in this direction, and so we have a defensive role to play," he told reporters in the Qatari capital.

The world's biggest crude exporter had been relying on Yanbu to export its oil, after Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz at the start of the Middle East war.

Last month, Macron said in a televised interview that France would send "military means" to help shield the Yanbu terminal from Houthi attacks.

On Tuesday, the UK government announced it would deploy British fighter planes to help Saudi Arabia defend itself against increasing attacks from Yemen's Houthis.

As part of his tour, Macron secured the delivery of an additional 200,000 tonnes of diesel per month from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as two terawatt-hours per month of LNG from Qatar.

In July, a fragile 2022 truce fell apart after the Houthis allowed an Iranian plane to land in Yemen's capital Sanaa in defiance of Riyadh's control over Yemeni airspace, setting off a spate of attacks.

Later, the Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began hitting its ships, territory and oil facilities, before seizing government-held territory along the Red Sea coastline in a lightning campaign in September.

In response, the Saudi air force has been regularly targeting the group in support of the Yemeni government as hostilities resumed.

Israeli occupation forces have turned a Lebanese home into a polling station for Israel's upcoming parliamentary elections, bringing the country's electoral process onto occupied southern Lebanese territory as its military continues to seize land and destroy villages.

Footage filmed from a distance and circulated by Lebanese media appears to show Israeli soldiers using a house in the village of Zawtar al-Sharqiya as a polling station, transforming civilian property in an occupied Lebanese village into a voting site for the very forces occupying it.

Israeli media have also reported that soldiers deployed in occupied Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian territories began casting their ballots on Wednesday ahead of Israel's 27 October election.

Lebanese media reported that Israeli soldiers were voting at military positions stretching from Naqoura to Zawtar al-Sharqiya, deepening the controversy over Israel's use of occupied Lebanese territory for its domestic political process.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported earlier this month that the military was preparing more than 800 polling stations, including sites in occupied lands in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, as thousands of Israeli soldiers remain deployed beyond the country's borders.

Around 850 polling stations had been established, including mobile voting facilities serving Israeli forces stationed at 40 military outposts in Gaza, numerous positions in southern Lebanon and nine outposts in souhwesern Syria, according to Israeli media reports.

The military has deployed approximately 3,000 soldiers to administer the voting process, which began on Wednesday and will continue until election day.

"Our mission is to enable all IDF service members to exercise their democratic right to a secret ballot, including during operational activities and combat beyond the border," Israeli Colonel Vered Ben Yehuda, who oversees the military's election preparations, told the Times of Israel.

The Israeli military's invocation of democratic rights stands in stark contrast to the reality in southern Lebanon, where occupation forces are using seized territory to hold their own elections while hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians remain displaced and unable to return to their homes.

Meanwhile, Lebanon itself has been forced to postpone its parliamentary elections amid the devastation and disruption caused by Israel's war.

Occupation and destruction of Lebanese homes

Israel has maintained a military presence in parts of southern Lebanon since its October 2024 invasion. Since March this year, it has significantly expanded its occupation, establishing a so-called security zone while destroying dozens of towns and villages.

Against this backdrop, the apparent use of a Lebanese house for an Israeli election illustrates how occupation forces are treating territory belonging to another country as an extension of their own military infrastructure.

Numerous videos have surfaced showing Israeli troops occupying and destroying Lebanese civilian property, often filmed by the soldiers themselves.

In one video that went viral on Tuesday, Israeli soldiers were seen boasting as they rigged a house with explosives at an undisclosed location in southern Lebanon.

Other footage has repeatedly shown entire neighbourhoods being demolished, with Israeli forces systematically reducing residential areas to rubble.

The reported use of a Lebanese home as a polling station comes as Israeli officials continue to insist that their forces will remain in occupied southern Lebanon, despite repeated demands from Beirut for their withdrawal.

Israeli elections extend into occupied Arab territories

The voting arrangements are not limited to Lebanon, with Israeli soldiers also casting ballots at military positions in occupied Palestinian and Syrian territories.

In Syria, Israeli forces crossed the armistice line and seized additional territory in the country's southwest, including the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, immediately after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024.

Israel has also occupied Syria's Golan Heights since 1967, with its annexation of the territory rejected under international law.

In Gaza, Israeli forces currently occupy close to 70 percent of the territory following three years of genocidal warfare that has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and devastated much of the enclave.

The Israeli military has established polling arrangements at 40 outposts inside Gaza, allowing soldiers involved in the occupation to participate in Israel's elections from within the devastated Palestinian enclave.

The West Bank, meanwhile, has remained under Israeli occupation since 1967, with illegal settlement construction accelerating alongside increasingly frequent and violent settler attacks against Palestinian communities.

Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that their forces will remain in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, citing security threats to justify their continued military presence.

Beirut and Damascus have demanded that Israel withdraw its forces from their territories, maintaining that they seek no further conflict.

A Turkish court will begin proceedings on Friday against 35 Israeli political and military officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over attacks on humanitarian aid flotillas attempting to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The first hearing will take place on 23 October at Istanbul's 11th High Criminal Court, with defendants facing charges including torture, unlawful deprivation of liberty, armed robbery, hijacking of vessels, genocide and crimes against humanity.

The Global Sumud Flotilla movement announced the proceedings on Tuesday, saying the case seeks to hold Israeli officials accountable for intercepting civilian aid vessels in international waters, detaining their passengers and allegedly subjecting them to violence and mistreatment.

Among those named in the indictment are Netanyahu, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Defence Minister Israel Katz and several senior military commanders.

The indictment was prepared in April and subsequently accepted by the court, which is examining the case under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

Turkish authorities have already issued arrest warrants for suspects in the case and completed the necessary legal procedures to request Interpol red notices, according to the movement.

The proceedings concern Israeli military operations against flotillas attempting to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza and challenge the naval blockade imposed on the Palestinian territory.

Italian prosecutors expand investigations

The Istanbul proceedings come as Italian prosecutors have expanded a separate investigation into alleged abuses against 50 Italian civilians who participated in Global Sumud Flotilla missions in 2025 and 2026.

According to the movement, Italian prosecutors announced on 16 October that their investigation, which initially examined Ben-Gvir's suspected involvement in torture, unlawful detention, deliberate injury, looting and damage to vessels, had been expanded to include Katz, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir and 11 senior officials from the military, police and prison authorities.

Italian investigators also found that alleged abuses had been repeated during the April and May 2026 flotilla mission, with more severe methods reportedly employed, including electric shocks and rubber bullets.

The movement said judicial authorities investigating similar incidents had participated in a coordination meeting at Eurojust, the European Union's criminal justice cooperation agency, in The Hague.

Citing Italian newspaper La Repubblica, it said representatives from ten other countries attended the meeting, including Portugal, Spain, France, Sweden, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, Finland and Slovakia.

The developments indicate a growing international effort to investigate alleged Israeli violations against humanitarian activists attempting to reach Gaza.

The Global Sumud Flotilla movement said the legal proceedings in Turkey and Italy demonstrated that the interception of its vessels was no longer the end of the matter, but the beginning of criminal proceedings against Israeli decision-makers.

It also cited a UN investigative report issued on 9 September, which it said concluded that flotilla vessels had been unlawfully intercepted in international waters, with hundreds of participants arbitrarily arrested, forcibly transferred to Israel and detained.

Allegations of systematic violence

The Istanbul case covers alleged Israeli attacks on the vessel Conscience, its eight accompanying boats and the wider Global Sumud Flotilla.

According to the movement, evidence submitted to the court includes drone attacks on the Alma and Familia Madeira vessels near Tunisia, as well as the interception of 42 humanitarian boats carrying 462 civilian volunteers, including healthcare workers, parliamentarians, lawyers and journalists.

The movement said the evidence documented a pattern of violence, including drone attacks on civilian vessels near Malta and Tunisia, attacks on boats off Crete, forced deportations, physical assaults and humiliating searches.

Activists also reported degrading treatment in Israeli detention facilities, including Ketziot prison.

The organisation said the court proceedings represented a direct challenge to what it described as unlawful military interventions against unarmed civilians attempting to deliver aid to Gaza.

Push for accountability

Lawyers Without Borders International, an organisation established in Turkey in 2016 that is supporting victims in the case, said the proceedings concerned not only the 101 victims identified in the court file but also the broader question of accountability for alleged Israeli abuses.

The organisation argued that when states use armed force against unarmed civilians attempting to deliver essential assistance to people facing hunger, those responsible throughout the chain of command must be held accountable under international law.

The Global Sumud Flotilla movement said it would continue pursuing legal action through national courts, European judicial institutions and international mechanisms.

Its planned efforts include seeking the return of confiscated vessels and submitting a request to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

The movement said its ultimate objectives were to secure accountability for those responsible for alleged abuses, recover seized ships and bring about the permanent lifting of Israel's blockade of Gaza.

Hello and welcome to our continuing coverage of the Middle East. Here is the latest:

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a peace deal with Iran would be "extremely difficult" to achieve unless Tehran stops attacking ships in Hormuz. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, meanwhile, said that while Iran was "firmly committed to seeking a dignified peaceful resolution to the conflict, we are also fully prepared to defend ourselves".

In Yemen, a ballistic missile targeted Aden International Airport on Wednesday - the third such attack this month amid escalating strikes with Saudi Arabia and a tightening siege on Taizz.

Israeli attacks continue in Gaza, the West Bank, southern Lebanon and Syria.

Iran is preparing for the possibility of renewed military confrontation with the United States and Israel, with officials threatening a broader and less predictable response drawing on revised military tactics, upgraded weapons and targets beyond those struck in previous rounds of fighting.

This comes amid reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sought to launch a major new bombing campaign against Iran earlier this month but was opposed by US President Donald Trump.

Iranian military expert Mohammad Sadegh Alizadeh told The New Arab that lessons from the 12-day war in June 2025 and the 40-day war that began on 28 February had prompted changes to the tactics of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) aerospace and naval forces, as well as the army's air defences.

He said Iran had also upgraded parts of its missile arsenal, including converting some missiles capable of reaching Israel into modular systems that could be activated more quickly and with fewer logistical requirements. Coastal anti-ship missiles had also undergone technical improvements, while recent military exercises were aimed at testing their capabilities.

Alizadeh also pointed to reports of potential arms purchases from allied countries, including hypersonic anti-ship missiles. Such weapons, he said, would have more complex flight paths and be harder to intercept, although their range was shorter than that of Iran's ballistic missiles.

Former IRGC commander Hossein Kanani Moghaddam said Iran's response to any new attack would move beyond the reciprocal strikes seen in previous conflicts. He warned that operations could target not only US bases and Israeli positions across the region, but also sites further afield.

He specifically cited the possibility of strikes on Israeli cities including Haifa and Tel Aviv, as well as the Dimona nuclear facility. He also referred to weapons Iran had not previously deployed, including what he described as powerful electromagnetic bombs and a missile known as Rastakhiz, or Resurrection. These claims have not been independently verified.

Iranian military chief Ali Abdollahi separately warned that any new attack would be met with a harsher response, claiming Tehran had developed missiles that could not be detected or intercepted. Meanwhile, senior security official Mohsen Rezaei said Iran had prepared a plan more destructive than those used in the previous two wars, without providing details.

IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi also suggested that Iran could target seven major undersea internet cables running through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that even a limited US military operation could trigger a serious global energy crisis.

Diplomatic efforts led by Qatar and Pakistan have intensified in an effort to avert a renewed US-Iran conflict and secure a compromise deal.

Trump opposed Netanyahu’s plans

Israel had prepared a multi-day bombing campaign for the weekend of 10 October, which would have seen it target Iran’s power plants, nuclear facilities, and sites associated with the Iranian government, according to a report by the Financial Times on Wednesday. But the operation was ultimately shelved after Trump opposed reigniting the conflict ahead of the US midterm elections on 3 November.

The proposed campaign was intended to be more intense than the previous round of fighting that began in February, which immediately drew in much of the Middle East.

While it remains unclear whether the United States was expected to participate directly, one person familiar with Netanyahu’s plans said renewed US-Israeli strikes in the coming weeks were "not an unreasonable scenario."

"There will either be a deal or an attack," the person said, adding that Washington was seeking to force Tehran to accept its terms as part of an agreement covering the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme, which would bring the war to a full end.

Israeli officials presented an updated list of targets in Iran, based on new intelligence, during a visit by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to Israel on Monday, according to one source cited by the FT. The list included civilian infrastructure targets that had not been struck earlier this year.

Another source said the offensive proposed by the Israeli military earlier this month could have been part of an effort to put pressure on Iran in negotiations. The final decision on whether to launch any new attack rests with Trump, the source added.

However, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly ruled out a US attack on Iran before the midterm elections, telling the newspaper that the US will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the midterms. Trump has also stated he will not launch strikes on Iran before the elections.

The timing of the FT report also raises questions about whether the disclosure of the proposed Israeli plans is intended to portray Trump as seeking to restrain Netanyahu and prevent a renewed conflict, despite his public endorsement of the Israeli prime minister ahead of the elections.

Multiple fronts

A future conflict would likely involve multiple fronts again, including the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

While the Houthis are already engaged in cross-border fighting with Saudi Arabia and a domestic war with Saudi-backed government forces, Hezbollah, which has refrained from striking Israel for months, is also preparing for another escalation.

Netanyahu and Israeli government ministers have warned Lebanon that it would face serious consequences if Hezbollah joined the war alongside Iran, including expanding the occupation of southern territories and resuming the bombardment of Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Iraqi militias could also become involved. US-Israeli strikes have already hit multiple bases belonging to Shia armed factions, which in turn have targeted US interests in Iraq and the Gulf.

A Tunisian appeals court specialising in terrorism cases has increased prison sentences for five people convicted in connection with a deadly attack on the Ghriba synagogue on the island of Djerba in May 2023.

The ruling includes harsher sentences for the attacker's fiancée and another individual who provided him with accommodation, according to local media reports on Tuesday.

Both had their prison terms increased from eight to ten years and were fined 50,000 Tunisian dinars ($16,600) each.

The court also increased the sentence of a third defendant from two to six years in prison, while a fourth defendant was sentenced to six years.

A fifth defendant, who remains at large, was also sentenced to six years in prison.

The original verdicts were issued in February 2026 by a Tunisian court specialising in terrorism cases, with sentences ranging from an acquittal for one defendant to eight years in prison for others.

Two defendants had been detained on charges of involvement in murder and membership of a terrorist group, according to The New Arab.

The rulings relate to the May 2023 attack on the historic Ghriba synagogue, which took place during an annual Jewish pilgrimage that attracts worshippers from Tunisia and abroad.

The attack began when a member of Tunisia's National Guard killed a fellow security officer and seized his firearm before travelling towards the synagogue on a quad bike.

The gunman then opened fire near the synagogue, where hundreds of Jewish worshippers had gathered for the third day of the annual pilgrimage.

Five people were killed in the attack, including three security personnel and two visitors, before security forces shot dead the attacker.

The Ghriba synagogue, widely regarded as the oldest synagogue in Africa, was previously targeted in a suicide truck bombing in 2002 that killed 21 people.

The 2023 attack renewed security concerns surrounding the annual pilgrimage, one of the most important events for Tunisia's Jewish community.

Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia are moving towards a new defence manufacturing partnership, with a memorandum of understanding expected to be signed in Doha to expand joint production and technology transfers.

The agreement will build on existing defence cooperation between the four countries and pave the way for closer collaboration in manufacturing, supply chains and military technology.

Turkey's Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) said in a statement on Tuesday that the proposed agreement represented a new step in Ankara's approach to multilateral defence cooperation.

The agency said its efforts were increasingly focused on moving beyond the supply of defence equipment towards joint production, technology transfers, greater interoperability and the integration of supply chains.

It added that defence industry cooperation was a strategic component of Turkish foreign policy, with efforts to expand mass production and exports gaining momentum under SSB President Haluk Görgün.

The announcement coincided with an official visit to Qatar by Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler, who arrived in Doha on Tuesday.

According to Turkey's Defence Ministry, Güler was received at the airport by Qatar's air force commander Faisal bin Khalid Al Ghanim, Turkish Ambassador to Qatar Yakup Caymazoğlu and Turkish military attachés stationed in Doha.

Turkey's defence exports surge

The proposed partnership comes amid rapid growth in Turkey's defence and aerospace industries, which have emerged as major contributors to the country's exports.

According to data from the Turkish Defence and Aerospace Industry Exporters' Association, the sector generated approximately $54 billion in exports between 2012 and the end of September 2026.

More than $30 billion of that total was recorded between 2023 and September 2026, accounting for over 55 percent of the sector's exports during the period.

Defence and aerospace exports rose by 48 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year, exceeding $10 billion.

Exports also surpassed $11 billion over the most recent 12-month period for the first time.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Turkey's arms exports increased by 122 percent over the past five years, making it the world's sixth-largest arms supplier.

Around 56 percent of Turkey's defence and aerospace exports are destined for NATO member states.

Joint production and technology transfers with Qatar

Qatar has been a key partner in Turkey's defence industry for several years, with cooperation covering armed drones, armoured vehicles and naval equipment.

Among the Turkish-made systems already in service with Qatar's armed forces are Bayraktar TB2 armed drones, armoured vehicles and fast attack craft.

In recent years, Qatar's Barzan Holdings, which is affiliated with the country's Ministry of Defence, has signed cooperation agreements with several Turkish defence companies, including Aselsan, STM and MKE.

One of the most prominent examples is Barq, a joint venture established in Qatar by Aselsan and Barzan Holdings.

The company has begun assembling, manufacturing and calibrating SARP remotely controlled weapon systems and electro-optical equipment.

Turkish defence projects in Qatar have also created opportunities for the two countries to jointly provide defence industry solutions to third countries.

Warships with Pakistan, tanks with Indonesia

Turkey's defence cooperation with Pakistan has focused heavily on naval manufacturing, particularly the MILGEM warship project for the Pakistani navy.

The programme involves four Babur-class corvettes, with Turkish defence company ASFAT serving as the main contractor.

The first two vessels were built in Istanbul, while the remaining two were constructed at the Karachi Shipyard in Pakistan.

The project also involved upgrading production infrastructure at the Karachi facility and transferring shipbuilding and engineering expertise to Pakistani personnel.

These measures helped strengthen Pakistan's domestic naval manufacturing capabilities alongside the delivery of the vessels.

Meanwhile, Turkey's defence partnership with Indonesia has centred on the development of the Kaplan MT medium tank.

The tank was jointly designed by Turkish defence manufacturer FNSS and Indonesia's PT Pindad under an intergovernmental agreement between Turkey's Presidency of Defence Industries and Indonesia's Defence Ministry.

Following the delivery of prototypes and the first batches of tanks manufactured in Turkey, PT Pindad has continued local production under a technology transfer arrangement.

Iran is expected to respond within days to Qatari-Pakistani mediation efforts aimed at easing tensions with Washington, French President Emmanuel Macron said in Doha.

Speaking to reporters in Lusail, Qatar, Macron said France had maintained continuous contact with both the United States and Iran over the regional crisis and was working to expand diplomatic channels to prevent further escalation.

He also confirmed that proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remained on the table and had been discussed during his visit.

"There were proposals to open the Strait of Hormuz, and this proposal remains available. We discussed it today," Macron said.

His remarks came a day after sources familiar with the Qatari-Pakistani mediation efforts told The New Arab that the two countries had presented a compromise proposal aimed at addressing demands from both Washington and Tehran.

The proposal seeks to prevent renewed escalation and pave the way for the two sides to return to negotiations.

According to the sources, the proposed agreement includes a partial response to Iran's demand for the release of its frozen assets.

Under the proposal, Iran would receive interest accrued on $6 billion in Iranian funds frozen in Qatari banks, an arrangement that the sources said had received a positive response from both Washington and Tehran.

The proposal also addresses US demands concerning Iran's nuclear programme, with Tehran agreeing in principle to an unannounced, confidential visit by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to Iranian nuclear facilities.

Sources familiar with the mediation efforts had told The New Arab on Monday that a breakthrough could be announced this week as Qatar and Pakistan continue efforts to ease tensions between the two countries.

Macron calls for Hezbollah disarmament and Israeli withdrawal

Macron also addressed developments in Lebanon, reaffirming France's support for the Lebanese army and calling for the disarmament of Hezbollah alongside an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

"We are working to restore calm and stability to Lebanon, and we support the Lebanese army," Macron said.

He stressed the need for Hezbollah to surrender its weapons and for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon.

The French president added that Paris was working with Italy and other international partners to secure support for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose mandate is due to expire at the end of December.

Macron rules out state of emergency in France

Turning to domestic developments, Macron ruled out declaring a state of emergency in France following violence and looting during demonstrations last Saturday.

His comments came as authorities prepared for further protests over the coming weekend.

Macron said meetings would be held on Thursday to discuss the situation, with several measures due to be implemented from Saturday to contain unrest and prevent further violence.

He stressed that the government's objective was to listen to protesters, address public anger and tackle its underlying causes while distinguishing legitimate grievances from acts of violence.

The French president called for all relevant parties to come together to develop a plan for moving forward, insisting that violence could not be justified.

Macron's remarks followed talks with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who received the French president at Lusail Palace on Tuesday evening.

The Qatari leader described the discussions as "fruitful" and referred to Macron as a friend in a post on X.

He said the talks focused on strengthening the strategic partnership between Qatar and France, expanding bilateral cooperation and exchanging views on major regional and international developments.

The emir also praised the progress made in relations between the two countries and their shared commitment to promoting security, stability and the mutual interests of their peoples.

Iran has yet to receive a response from Saudi Arabia or Yemen's Houthi rebels to its offer to mediate between the two sides, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday, as the war in Yemen continues to fuel regional tensions.

Speaking to Iraq's Al-Ikhbariya television channel, Araghchi said Tehran remained willing to help bridge differences between Riyadh and the Iran-backed Houthis, who have launched repeated attacks on Saudi Arabia.

He claimed that the Houthis' failure to respond to Iran's mediation offer demonstrated the group's independence in making its own decisions, despite longstanding accusations that Tehran provides it with military support.

"Ansar Allah certainly has conditions for ending the conflict with the Saudi side, and Saudi Arabia also has its own conditions that Ansar Allah does not accept," Araghchi said, referring to the Houthis by their official name.

"We must provide assistance and cooperation to bring the two sides' positions closer together," he added.

The Iranian foreign minister also accused Saudi Arabia of imposing an economic blockade on Yemen for more than a decade, claiming the Houthis were now using the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait to exert pressure on Riyadh.

"The Yemeni people now believe they have found an opportunity to break this blockade. They have imposed a blockade on the Saudi side using Bab al-Mandeb," he said.

"What does this have to do with us as Iran?" he asked.

Earlier this month, Yemen's internationally recognised government rejected Tehran's mediation offer, accusing Iran of arming, training and providing military and technical expertise to the Houthis.

Yemeni Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba questioned Iran's credibility as a potential mediator, arguing that its alleged military support for the Houthis undermined its stated commitment to ending the conflict.

Iran says US talks continue despite Hormuz dispute

In the same interview, Araghchi addressed ongoing diplomatic efforts between Tehran and Washington, insisting that negotiations through intermediaries, including Pakistan and Qatar, were continuing.

According to details of the interview carried by Iran's official IRNA news agency, Araghchi said Tehran had previously submitted a proposal known as the "seven-day plan", setting out its conditions for reaching an agreement with the United States.

Under the proposal, the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global energy supplies, would be fully reopened on the sixth day.

Araghchi claimed Washington had accepted Iran's initial conditions but subsequently sought to introduce additional provisions.

"The Americans informed us of their agreement to these conditions, but they want to add some other clauses," he said.

He insisted that Washington must first honour the terms of a memorandum of understanding previously signed in Islamabad before negotiations could move on to other outstanding issues.

"After they comply with these provisions, we can enter into negotiations on other files," he said, adding that further disputes could be addressed during the final stages of talks.

The Iranian foreign minister also accused the United States of repeatedly undermining diplomacy through military action.

"We entered into three rounds of negotiations with the American side, and each of the previous three rounds ended with war being declared against us," he said.

"We were in the middle of negotiations, and in the end it became clear to us that the Americans cannot be trusted in negotiations."

Despite his criticism, Araghchi insisted that Tehran remained open to a negotiated settlement, provided Washington respected previous understandings.

"The negotiating table remains open," he said, accusing the United States rather than Iran of obstructing diplomatic progress.

He reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until an agreement or understanding was reached on the conditions for reopening it to shipping.

"We have also said that the American side must accept our conditions for opening the strait to vessels," he said.

"Before such an understanding or agreement is reached, the strait will naturally remain closed, and shipping traffic through it and the existing maritime routes will face difficulties."

Araghchi blamed the disruption in the strategic waterway on US and Israeli military attacks against Iran, warning that the situation would continue unless Washington changed its approach.

The Iranian minister maintained that diplomacy remained the best route to resolving the crisis, but insisted that any agreement must begin with the United States honouring its previous commitments.

Safiya Abu Sabha, a displaced Palestinian woman from Gaza City, questions how she will be able to feed her four children if the food aid her family depends on vanishes.

Since the Israeli army killed her husband in an attack and she fled the Shuja'iyya neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City, the 40-year-old has been raising her children alone, struggling to cope with soaring living costs without an income.

Her concerns have deepened following the World Food Programme's (WFP) announcement of cuts to its assistance in Gaza amid funding shortages.

On Monday, the WFP announced a one-third reduction in its food assistance in Gaza due to funding shortages, affecting approximately 500,000 people.

Around 1.1 million vulnerable Palestinians will receive food or cash assistance, down from approximately 1.6 million the previous month, the WFP said in a press statement.

Food rations will be halved, with families receiving one food parcel instead of two, while wheat flour distributions will also be reduced, it added.

The number of hot meals provided daily will fall from 250,000 to 150,000, and cash assistance for 75,000 households will be reduced, it explained. In hard-to-reach areas, including those near the so-called "Yellow Line", hot meals will be distributed every other day instead of daily.

For Safiya, who lives in a worn-out tent at a shelter in western Gaza City, the prospect of receiving less assistance threatens the limited support she relies on to feed her children.

"What scares me most today is that the aid might be cut back even further. I have no income with which to buy food for my children. I don't know how I will manage to feed them if we lose this support," she told The New Arab.

"The aid we receive isn't enough to cover everything my children need, and I can't always provide the most suitable food for them, but at least it helps me ensure they have something to eat. Something is better than nothing," she said.

Although the assistance does not meet all her family's nutritional needs, it helps Safiya put food on the table when buying groceries is beyond her means.

Losing a lifeline

Safiya's concerns are shared by Samir Abu Hasira, who lives with his wife and three children in a tent near Gaza's beach.

The Israeli army destroyed his house during the genocidal war, leaving his family without shelter or a livelihood.

His situation worsened when Israeli forces shot him as he tried to reach food aid trucks during the famine, costing him a leg and leaving him unable to work. He has since become increasingly dependent on humanitarian assistance to feed his wife and three children.

"I used to regularly receive a sack of flour and a carton of canned goods, which helped me provide food for my wife and children," he told TNA.

The supplies helped cover part of the family's needs, but further reductions could leave Samir struggling to compensate for the shortfall. With no income and no alternative means of support, buying food from local markets is difficult.

"The war has turned our lives upside down. I lost my home, and after losing my leg, I lost my ability to work. My family now depends on aid to survive," he said. "I never imagined reaching a point where I couldn't provide food for my own children. What frightens me most is not knowing what tomorrow will bring for them."

His experience highlights the vulnerability of families that have lost their livelihoods, particularly those caring for people whose injuries or disabilities prevent them from working.

For such households, reduced assistance means more than smaller food rations; it threatens their ability to meet basic needs.

Despite the cuts, the WFP intends to continue supporting bakeries that meet around one-third of Gaza's bread requirements, providing food assistance to approximately 300,000 women and children and nutritious snacks to 200,000 schoolchildren.

However, the funding crisis threatens the programme's ability to maintain assistance at a time when many families have few alternatives. For households such as Safiya and Samir's, the prospect of receiving less food aid adds to the uncertainty of living without stable shelter or income.

Hunger, with psychological and social pressures

The WFP estimates that approximately 1.4 million people, or 67 per cent of Gaza's population, face acute food insecurity at crisis levels or worse. Only one in five children has access to a sufficiently diverse diet.

According to the programme, with unemployment exceeding 80 per cent, many families cannot afford fresh produce and protein-rich foods, even when these are available in local markets. Food assistance has served as a lifeline for up to 90 per cent of households in Gaza over the past three years.

Since the ceasefire began in October 2025, the WFP has reached approximately 1.6 million people each month through food parcels, flour, bread, hot meals, nutrition programmes and cash assistance.

However, funding received for its operations in Palestine in 2026 amounted to no more than half of what it had received in previous years. The programme urgently needs US$450 million to sustain its operations in Gaza and the West Bank from October 2026 through March 2027.

Beyond its physical consequences, food insecurity is taking a psychological toll on families, particularly mothers struggling to provide for their children amid displacement, poverty and the loss of their homes.

Mustafa Ayesh, a social expert from Gaza City, told TNA that food shortages affect mental health and family relationships.

"When a mother cannot provide food for her children or fears she will not be able to feed them the next day, she faces intense psychological pressure and a sense of helplessness," Ayesh said.

He added that cuts to aid increase families' anxiety about the future, while children may feel more fearful and insecure as tensions rise at home.

Ayesh warned that continued shortages could force families to eat whatever food they can find, increasing the risk of malnutrition, particularly among children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

"For many families, food assistance is a basic safeguard against hunger when they have no income or other support. Any reduction adds to the pressure on people already struggling to survive," he said.

For Safiya, food aid cannot restore her home or bring back her husband, but it helps her feed her children.

For her and Samir, the assistance they receive remains essential despite falling short of their needs. As funding shortages threaten further cuts, both families face growing uncertainty about how they will secure their next meal.