US-Iran War Live Updates: Trump hails decision to attack Tehran, US prepares for possible new strikes after midterms

The US has warned several Arab states in the Persian Gulf to prepare for a possible short, intense military campaign against Iran after the midterm elections, as US and Israeli forces prepare options for renewed strikes.

Saudi Arabia said shrapnel from two ballistic missiles caused material damage in Riyadh on Tuesday, October 27.  Saudi authorities blamed the debris on two Houthi missiles that were shot down over the capital. The Saudi-led coalition said it also stopped three more Houthi missiles and four drones during the day. The Houthis, a group based in Yemen, claimed attacks on the Ras Tanura refinery and on two military transport jets at Najran airport. Those claims have not been confirmed. At the same time, Iran said an oil tanker caught fire after hitting mines east of the Strait of Hormuz, and talks on the war took place in Moscow.

What is happening in the Strait of Hormuz:  The Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil shipping, is at the centre of fresh tension. Iran said an oil tanker caught fire after it hit mines in waters east of the strait. Iran’s Hormuz authority also said it will take action against a shipping company, though the reports did not say which firm or what the action would be. Hormuz was on the agenda in Moscow, where the ruler of Qatar and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian discussed the war and the strait, the Emir’s office said. Oil prices slipped 1% during the day.

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Key world developments

• Riyadh hit by debris: Saudi Arabia said shrapnel from two ballistic missiles caused material damage in the capital. The reports did not give details of the damage.
• Coalition stops more attacks: The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted three Houthi missiles and four drones, and later two more ballistic missiles.
• Houthi claims: The group said it attacked the Ras Tanura refinery and two military transport jets at Najran airport. A Houthi official also said Egypt’s military support for Saudi Arabia amounted to backing a “declaration of war”.
• Fighting near Bab al-Mandeb: The Houthis and Saudi-backed coalition forces both claimed gains in heavy fighting near the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
• Talks in Moscow: Pezeshkian told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Middle East is “capable of resolving our problems” without US involvement.

Follow the latest world news and major international developments here. This live blog is a rolling curation of the day’s key global stories, with updates added as events unfold and the news agenda changes. The headline, introduction, and Top Developments section will be refreshed throughout the day to reflect the stories that matter most at that moment. 

Live Updates
Oct 28, 2026 10:09 AM IST
Iran hasn't tried to repair nuclear facilities damaged in US strikes, UN nuclear chief says

The head of the UN nuclear agency said Tuesday there has been no indication Iran has tried to repair or reconstruct its nuclear facilities damaged in US and Israeli military strikes this year or last year.

President Donald Trump has said one of the major reasons the U.S. went to war with Iran on Feb. 28 was to deny Tehran the ability to develop nuclear weapons, even as he has insisted that strikes the US carried out on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025 "obliterated" the country's atomic program.

Oct 28, 2026 09:32 AM IST
Iran accuses US of ‘contempt for diplomacy’ over Islamabad MoU

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says Trump’s remarks about the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Iran and the US expose Washington’s “contempt for diplomacy”.

In a post on X, Baghaei said Trump’s admission that he never believed in the agreement and considered it a waste of time exposed the “hollowness” of US diplomatic commitments.

He accused Washington of repeatedly breaking its commitments and “treating international obligations as disposable whenever they became inconvenient”.

Baghaei also criticised European countries and others for “shielding” Washington “from accountability”.

“Broken commitments cannot be excused, international law cannot be applied selectively, and no amount of political spin can absolve Washington of accountability,” he wrote.

Oct 28, 2026 08:59 AM IST
US military says it struck vessel in Eastern Pacific, killing five

The US military said on Tuesday five people were killed in a strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, the latest in a ⁠series ​of attacks that Washington says targets "narco-terrorists" but human rights experts condemn as extrajudicial killings.

* The US Southern Command "executed a ​lethal, ​kinetic strike on a go-fast ⁠vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific," it ‌said on X

* It cited what it called "confirmed intelligence" to allege the vessel was actively involved in drug trafficking, without providing more details

Oct 28, 2026 08:53 AM IST
Oil prices rise after attack on Saudi Arabian refinery reignites supply concerns

Oil prices rose on Wednesday after an attack on a refinery in Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude exporter, renewed concerns around the risks to supply in the Middle East stemming from the conflict with Iran and its proxies.

Brent crude futures rose $1.48, or 1.3%, ⁠to $115.36 a ​barrel as of 0140 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude rose $1.22 or 1.22% to $101.12.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Tuesday they had hit Saudi Arabia's biggest ​oil ​refinery with a missile, intensifying their ⁠strikes against the world's second-largest crude producer. Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm ‌the strike on the 550,000 barrel per day facility.

Oct 28, 2026 07:55 AM IST
Qatar ruler, Iran president discuss war, Hormuz in Moscow meeting: Emir's office

Qatar's Ruler and the Iranian president discussed the Middle East war and the blockaded Strait of Hormuz during a meeting in Moscow, the emir's office said on Tuesday.

"They reviewed developments in the regional situation, foremost among them the latest on the negotiations, the Strait of Hormuz, and energy supplies," a statement said.

Oct 28, 2026 07:34 AM IST
Trump says Iran war can end ‘whenever I want it to’

US President Donald Trump says the war with Iran can end whenever he wants, but insists that Tehran must declare it will never have a nuclear weapon.

Speaking at an election rally in Lubbock, Texas, Trump said: “Somebody asked me before, ‘When will the war in Iran end?’ I said, ‘Whenever I want it to end.'”

He added that the war could end “very quick”, but that it needed to end “properly”, with a clear statement that Iran would never have a nuclear weapon.

Oct 28, 2026 07:33 AM IST
Saudi Arabia airlines resume limited India flights from Riyadh

Airlines in Saudi Arabia continue to operate flights to India from Dammam, Jeddah and Madinah, while limited services have also begun from Riyadh, the Indian Embassy has said.

In an update, the embassy said flynas was among the airlines operating flights to India from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.

Indian nationals have been advised to stay in regular contact with their respective airlines and check their flight status before travelling.

Oct 28, 2026 07:31 AM IST
Iran’s foreign minister calls Jordanian counterpart

Abbas Araghchi, in a statement posted on his Telegram channel, says that he held a phone conversation with Jordan’s Ayman Safadi today in order to discuss “regional developments”.

Araghchi “emphasized the need for serious action by Islamic countries and the international community to address the ongoing genocide and expansionism of the Israeli regime”, according to the statement, and “stressed that restoring security to the region requires halting aggressive and interventionist actions by the United States”.

Oct 28, 2026 07:29 AM IST

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