Qatar says Iran-US talks ongoing

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Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari says negotiations between Iran and the US are continuing, with the sides engaging in diplomatic efforts despite growing tensions and fears of renewed fighting.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasises that Iran and Russia are currently maintaining their closest strategic relationship in history following talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Tehran.
Iran’s IRGC spokesman Brigadier-General Hossein Mohebbi threatens to target undersea communication cables in the Strait of Hormuz if US attacks disrupt Iran’s regional security.
A Houthi missile attack has targeted a Yemen training centre in the governorate of Shabwa when recruits were gathering, killing 58 and injuring more than 200, with many in critical condition, according to the governor.
US role in Middle East ‘secure’ despite Mecca agreement
US’s role in Middle East security is secure despite the Mecca agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan, political analyst Luciano Zaccara says.
  “Mecca agreement was activated on October 5, and even President Sisi in Egypt is trying to get approval from his parliament to participate in the defence of Saudi Arabia. So far, nothing has been done on the ground,” said Luciano Zaccara, adjunct associate professor in Middle Eastern politics at Georgetown University Qatar.
  “The fact that the agreement exists is more deterrence than an actual defence pact.
  “I don’t think the US is really worried about these kinds of pacts replacing its role in the region. Most of the states have said that these are layers of security agreement in order to complement what the US is doing, not replacing it.”
  Zaccara also pointed out that the US is the primary military partner for Mecca Agreement countries.
Barrack says Israel, Turkiye unlikely to enter direct conflict
By Usaid Siddiqui
Reporting from the Global Security Forum in Doha
US Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack has played down the possibility of a direct military confrontation between Israel and Turkiye.
  “My belief is Israel is way too smart to actually pick a real fight with Turkey,” he said, while raising concerns about an Israeli military operation at an airbase in Syria close to the Turkish border.
  “Turkey was not informed of Israeli jets coming. We were not informed of Israeli jets coming. Turkey could have, very quickly, sent its jets, and all of a sudden we’re in another situation.”
  Barrack said neither country wanted a confrontation, but warned that regional tensions had made the situation increasingly dangerous.
  “I don’t think Israel wants that, I know Turkey does not want that,” he said.
Iranian official slams ‘unconstructive remarks by certain Gulf officials’
  The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson adds that “unconstructive remarks by certain officials from Gulf states do not contribute to confidence-building or good neighbourliness”.
  Baghaei did not name any officials or countries.
  “Despite the exploitation of these countries’ territories during the joint military aggression by the US and the Zionist regime – a fact officially acknowledged by American officials – Iran has exercised restraint.”
  Baghaei claimed that “Iran’s defensive responses were directed at the sources of aggression”.
Trump ally Barrack critiques US regime change efforts in Middle East
  Tom Barrack is probably “the most realistic of Trump’s allies” in his assessment of US involvement in the Middle East, says political analyst Luciano Zaccara.
  He told Al Jazeera that Barrack had acknowledged regime change, which was one of Trump’s stated objectives of the war on Iran, was not going to work.
  Barrack’s comments that the US had promoted “23 regime changes in the Middle East was acknowledging that what the US has been doing in the region has not been working, regardless of which administration it was”.
Zaccara said Barrack had stopped just short of saying that Trump needed to step back from “the maximalist demands” he made of Iran.
Yemen conflict should be resolved through dialogue: Iranian official
  Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman says Tehran “has consistently maintained that the issue of Yemen must be resolved through dialogue and reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen”.
  “For over a decade, the people of Yemen have endured an illegal and inhumane blockade,” Baghaei said.
  “The crisis cannot be resolved through the use of force or military might.”
  He said Iran may not endorse a resolution on Yemen at a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Baghdad, as “its content was in no way aligned with the interests of the Islamic ummah”.
  “Furthermore, the organisation’s established procedures and rules of order were not followed.”
Safeguarding national interests is an ‘inviolable tenet’ of Iran: Foreign Ministry
  The Foreign Ministry spokesperson says safeguarding Iran’s interests and security is “an inviolable tenet of the country’s foreign policy”.
  Speaking to reporters, Esmaeil Baghaei said, “Pursuing this – whether through diplomatic channels or legitimate defence – remains a top priority.”
  “Utilising every diplomatic opportunity to prevent the escalation of tensions is a fundamental duty, as Iranian wisdom and prudence emphasise the importance of exercising sound judgement and rationality in managing international crises.”
What’s happening in the occupied West Bank?
  Israeli forces have conducted several raids and arrests across the occupied West Bank as settlers continue their pogroms on Palestinians and their property.
  Here are some of the key developments today, as reported by the Wafa news agency:
- Israeli forces arrested four released prisoners after raiding their homes in east Tulkarem city.
- For the 10th day, Israeli forces continue to besiege the town of Madama, south of Nablus. A Palestinian resident had a heart attack at dawn and was forced to be transported on foot through the mountains, as ambulances were not allowed in. The person’s condition is not immediately clear.
- Israeli settlers set fire to a roundabout in the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah, causing “significant damage”. They also threw stones at vehicles and set them on fire.
- Israeli forces arrested five Palestinians from the Jenin governorate, including three released prisoners.
- Settlers continue to torment an anti-settlement Palestinian lawyer, Montaser Hamayel, and cut off electricity in his home for the third day.
A member of the Israeli forces gestures as an Israeli settler walks in the background during the olive harvest at Palestinian-owned olive groves in Deir Abu Mishal, near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank [Ammar Awad/Reuters]

Qatar backs Saudi Arabia against attacks from Houthis
  Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson added that Doha stood firmly behind Riyadh amid the widening conflict.
  “Qatar is supporting our brothers in Saudi Arabia in defending their sovereignty against this attack,” he said.
Qatar says Iran-US talks ongoing, warns of wider regional war
  Qatar says negotiations between Iran and the US are continuing, with the sides engaging in diplomatic efforts despite growing tensions and fears of renewed fighting.
  “On the negotiations, … they are ongoing; we are seeing engagement from both parties,” Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said at the Global Security Forum in Doha.
  “The fact that we’re not hearing about it is a good sign that we’re doing our job properly,” he said, stressing the importance of confidential negotiations.
Oil prices rise near five-month high as traders weigh Middle East risks
  Oil prices rose on Tuesday, with Brent crude holding near a five-month high as traders price in geopolitical risk following Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure and reported attacks on maritime vessels in the Gulf.
  Brent crude futures gained 52 cents, or 0.47 percent, reaching $110.07 per barrel as of 06:28 GMT, after touching $110.70 per barrel in the prior session, its highest level since May 20.
  The US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude contract for November delivery, which expired Tuesday, climbed 0.36 percent to $104.03 per barrel.
Two Palestinians killed in Israeli strike on Gaza City
  A Palestinian man and his wife have been killed in an Israeli strike on a residential apartment near al-Shifa Hospital, western Gaza City, sources told Al Jazeera.
  Separately, Turkiye’s Anadolu reported that four people were wounded in the same attack carried out by an Israeli helicopter.
Israel trying to ‘stir up trouble’ in Syria, says Erdogan
  Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the country is “surrounded by a ring of fire” with multiple conflicts in the region.
  “Before the tensions in our neighbour, Iran, could fully subside, a new conflict has been ignited – this time in Yemen,” he said in an address at the presidency in Ankara.
  “The attacks by the Houthis, targeting our friend and brotherly nation, Saudi Arabia, have caused a significant escalation in regional tensions.”
  He called the situation in Lebanon “far from promising”.
  “While there is some positive news coming out of Syria, the Zionist state of Israel is doing everything in its power to stir up trouble there as well.”
US no longer ‘master of the world’, says Barrack
By Usaid Siddiqui
Reporting from Global Security Forum in Doha
  We now have more lines from US envoy Barrack, who is speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha.
  Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy for Syria, said the US is moving away from trying to control other countries but will maintain its presence in the Middle East.
  Barrack said Washington’s relationship with the region was undergoing a fundamental shift.
  “The US is no longer the master of the world,” he said, pointing to past US involvement in Libya, Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, questioning the consequences of Washington’s attempts to control developments in those countries.
  “The bargain is not to control, but to not leave. We’re not leaving.”
  However, Barrack acknowledged that regional countries were increasingly recognising the limits of US involvement.
  “What everybody is saying: OK, I can’t rely on America to solve all my problems,” he said.
[Screengrab/Global Security Forum]

US envoy questions past US interventions, says diplomacy needed on Iran
By Usaid Siddiqui
Reporting from the Global Security Forum in Doha
  US envoy Tom Barrack has questioned Washington’s history of military interventions in the Middle East, saying attempts to change governments have repeatedly failed.
  Barrack, speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha, said the US must learn from its past mistakes as tensions with Iran continue.
  “Every time we try and intervene, change the person or the regime, it seems to have been a mistake,” he said.
  Asked whether the US-Israel war on Iran was a mistake, Barrack said: “I don’t know whether it’s a mistake or not.”
  He seemed to acknowledge the conflict had produced unintended consequences across the region, describing the situation as “horrible”.
Palestinian families face food scarcity as aid cuts hit Gaza
By Hind Khoudary
Reporting from Gaza
  Shifa Jneed is a Palestinian mother of seven. Putting food on the table has become a constant struggle for her.
  The flour she receives barely lasts a week. Without humanitarian assistance, she does not know how she will feed her children.
  The World Food Programme says about half a million people will lose monthly assistance. Aid is a critical source of food for families like Shifa’s, but that is being scaled back.
  Food rations in Gaza have been halved, cash support reduced, and fewer cooked meals will be provided. And even with the aid, families queue for hours in front of community kitchens for a hot meal, which ends up being the only food a family will eat in a day.
  Many others have nothing to cook and no money to buy food. With winter approaching, the pressure on people struggling to meet their most basic needs is only growing.
UN says Israel blocked a supply convoy for peacekeepers in Lebanon
  Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN chief, says the Israeli army obstructed the operations of peacekeepers in Lebanon over the weekend and continued to commit violations in various areas.
  He added that Israeli “restrictions on UNIFIL’s freedom of movement continue”.
  “On 16 October, Israeli tanks blocked a UNIFIL logistics convoy near al-Bayyadah in Sector West, preventing the delivery of supplies to our own positions,” Dujarric said at a news conference on Monday.
  “Roadblocks and obstacles on several routes have forced the cancellation of planned patrol and logistics convoys.”
Bernie Sanders calls for an end to US military aid to Israel
  US senator Bernie Sanders has slammed President Trump for supporting Israel’s PM Netanyahu in the upcoming polls and called for a shift in US policy towards the country.
  “Trump just endorsed Netanyahu. No surprise. One authoritarian helping another stay in power. Trump and Netanyahu,” he wrote on X.
  Sanders warned that continued cooperation between the two leaders could contribute to further conflict and destruction.
  “More war. More destruction. More genocide. We must end the Republican rubber-stamp Congress. We must stop all military aid to Israel,” he added.

Saudi coalition says 127 Houthi weapons depots destroyed
  Yemen’s Saudi-backed coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki says forces have destroyed 127 Houthi weapons depots and missile launch platforms.
  He also released a video of the coalition targeting what he says are Houthi smuggling boats and shipments.
Yemeni forces target Bani Moath in Saada
  Houthi-affiliated media is reporting that Yemeni forces launched four air strikes on the Bani Moath area in Saada, northern Yemen.

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Qatar says Iran-US talks ongoing

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