U.S. reportedly warns Gulf allies to prepare for brief, intense campaign against Iran post-midterms
The United States has told its Gulf allies to prepare for a brief but intense campaign against Iran after the midterm elections, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people briefed on the matter.
The U.S. military is shipping a Patriot antimissile system from Texas to Israel and has transferred troops off bases where they may have been vulnerable, officials familiar with the decisions told the outlet.
American forces across the Middle East have been restocking munitions and aircraft have been preparing for strikes, the paper reported, while an additional aircraft carrier strike group and Marine unit are set to join the 20 or so warships in the region, though some other vessels could be withdrawn.
Houthis call for immediate evacuation of Yemen’s Aden airport
The Houthis have called on people in Aden International Airport in southern Yemen to evacuate immediately, claiming that a Saudi military cargo aircraft is transporting weapons there intended to kill Yemenis.
Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a post on X: “Our armed forces call on those present at Aden Airport to evacuate the airport immediately, due to the presence of an enemy Saudi military cargo aircraft transporting weapons to kill the sons of the Yemeni people.”
Aden is the seat of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, and has been since the Iran-backed Houthis took the country’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
Senior Iranian official denies Qatar presented new peace proposal, says ideas “unacceptable”
A senior Iranian official denied Wednesday that Qatar had presented Tehran with a new peace proposal, saying instead that Qatar had come with “unacceptable” ideas, the Reuters news agency reported.
Reuters reported earlier Wednesday that Qatari mediators handed Iran a new draft deal to end the war on Sunday, citing an official briefed on the negotiations.
Dismissing the idea that they had been given a new peace proposal, the Iranian official speaking to the news agency said Tehran would show no flexibility on the nuclear issue.
Qatari mediators hand Iran new proposal to end the war, Reuters reports
Qatari mediators on Sunday handed Iran a new draft deal to end the war, the Reuters news agency reported, citing an official briefed on the negotiations.
Tehran is considering the proposal and set to respond by the end of the week, the agency reported Wednesday.
The source added that there were concerns in Tehran before the meeting on Sunday that Israel could resume its bombardment of Iran this week.
Cost of Iran war rises to an estimated $47 billion
The cost of the Iran war has risen to an estimated $47 billion, according to an estimate from the U.S. military’s Central Command obtained by CBS News Tuesday.
Like previous estimates, it does not include damage to U.S. military bases in the Middle East. The bulk of the cost, $29 billion, is for replacing expended munitions.
According to a report released by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office in September, the Iran war could cost approximately $2 billion to $3 billion per month for as long as it continues.
Israeli election exit polls show race headed toward stalemate
Exit polls from Israel’s major television networks project that a majority of Israelis voted against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition in Tuesday’s election, but his Likud party still emerged as the largest party among all the contenders. Neither bloc, Netanyahu or the opposition, has a clear majority.
While Netanyahu appears to have won fewer votes than his main challenger, according to the early exit polls, both candidates will likely struggle to cobble together a coalition.
One or the other would need to obtain majority support in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, known as the Knesset, in order to form a government.
Israel’s two Arab parties won more seats in parliament than in any previous election. That electoral success comes after what some Arab voters told CBS News was a difficult time for them in the country under the hard-right government of Netanyahu, prompting a historic turnout for the minority community.
Both Netanyahu and those opposing him have vowed not to form a government reliant on Arab parties, arguing it would endanger the country if they gain enough seats to influence Israel’s engagement in its myriad conflicts. Arab citizens of Israel are around 20% of the population.
