Knesset Stalemate Plunges Israel into Political Paralysis

Israel's October 27 election produced a parliament nobody can run: Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats, Eisenkot's 48, Arab parties 19—far from the 61 needed. Turnout hit 77.7%, the highest since 1999, and Arab voters nearly doubled their representation. Netanyahu cannot form a coalition; Eisenkot refuses to serve under him and his partners reject Arab support. A seventh election may suit both leaders. Meanwhile, no outcome touches Israel's wars—all contenders promise the same aggression with cosmetic changes.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/531619/Knesset-stalemate-plunges-Israel-into-political-paralysis

Israeli Firm Turned Starlink Traffic into Espionage Tool Across 105 Countries

Investigations by TrendAI, Citizen Lab, and Confiant revealed that Tel Aviv-registered Discover-Tech used programmatic ad auctions to geolocate Starlink users across 105 countries, including Syria, Yemen, and Venezuela. The firm won nearly 13% of global ad bids on Starlink connections, harvesting metadata as an intelligence pipeline. Its "AdFection" vector delivered zero-click spyware; at least 45 Al Jazeera devices were targeted with Candiru. Major platforms have since cut ties, but the structural vulnerability of ad exchanges remains unaddressed.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/531624/Israeli-firm-turned-Starlink-traffic-into-espionage-tool-across

Each of the Three Options Facing the US in Confrontation with Iran Carries Strategic Losses

Analyst Batool Subeiti argues Washington faces three options, all costly: maintaining "neither war nor peace" risks prolonged attrition Iran can sustain for years; withdrawing without agreement leaves Iran free to break the blockade and gains strategic advantages; withdrawing under an agreement based on the 14-clause Islamabad memorandum would integrate Iran regionally, strengthen its allies, and restructure the regional balance of power. All three paths carry strategic losses for the United States, with no option free of consequences.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/531623/Each-of-the-three-options-facing-US-in-confrontation-with-Iran

A Qatari delegation led by the Foreign Minister and Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister arrived in Tehran today to hold consultations with Iranian officials.

IRGC Navy: Two violating oil tankers stopped in southern Strait of Hormuz

🔹 The IRGC Navy announced that two violating oil tankers — one east and one west of the Strait of Hormuz — were stopped in its southern waters after attempting to use an unauthorized route.

🔹 Both vessels had switched off all navigation and positioning systems and, with US support, tried to exit via the unauthorized route. After several ignored radio warnings, they entered an unsafe area, suffered incidents, and stopped on the southern shores.

🔹 The IRGC blamed the incidents on "American evil" and disregard for Iranian regulations.

Iran’s Rahman Amouzad secured a bronze medal in the men’s freestyle 65kg category at the 2026 World Wrestling Championships underway in Astana, Kazakhstan on Friday.

Amouzad defeated Bulgaria’s Shamil Mamadov 5-4 in the bronze-medal contest, earning another international podium finish for Iranian wrestling.

Qalamkari: The Centuries-Old Art of Printing Stories on Fabric in Isfahan

Qalamkari, Isfahan's traditional textile art, uses hand-carved wooden stamps and dyes to create richly patterned fabrics. Flourishing under the Safavids and especially the Qajars, some pieces served as visual narratives depicting Persian epics, historical events, and religious traditions—including Day of Judgment scenes. Once threatened by cheaper British and Russian imports, the craft survives through generations of artisans. In 2023, Isfahan's Qalamkari received international recognition from the World Crafts Council, affirming its cultural significance.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/531642/Qalamkari-The-centuries-old-art-of-printing-stories-on-fabric

Trump's Falling Popularity Hangs Over a Midterm Vote Shaped by Iran War, Inflation

With approval at 32%, Trump isn't on the ballot but dominates it. Voters prefer Democrats 47-36, with prices and the Iran war—opposed by nearly two-thirds—driving discontent. Gasoline is over $1 higher than when Trump took office, and at least 21 US service members have died. Republicans have turned to fear, attacking Muslim candidates with slurs. Billionaires, led by Musk's $445 million, are bankrolling a collapsing message. Democrats need three House seats; the Senate is steeper.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/531646/Trump-s-falling-popularity-hangs-over-a-midterm-vote-shaped-by

Washington's Midterm Letter Game

The leaked Vance letter to Iran's Rezaei is the latest in over 20 US messages since 1979—routine, not breakthrough. With midterms days away and gasoline politically toxic, Washington seeks a diplomatic "show" to calm voters while leaking plans for post-election strikes. Tehran has set seven conditions: ceasefire, lifting the blockade and sanctions, unfreezing assets, and guarantees against aggression. Rezaei insists no enriched material will leave Iran. The ball is in Washington's court: balanced agreement or another letter answered with resistance.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/531653/Washington-s-Midterm-Letter-Game

Major General Rezaei: War and terror have a price; now it is your turn to pay

Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, addressing European countries:

🔹 Just yesterday, Europe was boasting about the Zionist regime's dirty deeds, but today it is lamenting the billions of dollars that the war with Iran has cost it.

🔹 When you were cheering for war crimes, did you not think that the consequences would catch up with you too? War and terror have a price; now it is your turn to pay.

Trump's Bluff Meets Iran's Resolve: Limits of American Power

Trump's ultimatums assume Iran will eventually surrender, but analyst Ranjan Solomon argues Tehran has survived decades of sanctions and war, and won't abandon strategic interests under pressure. Military superiority cannot guarantee political victory—as Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan showed. Iran's historical memory, sovereignty concerns, and control of Hormuz make escalation costly. Trump lacks a clear endgame, and eliminating Iran's leadership would likely backfire. The real test isn't how much destruction America can inflict, but whether it knows when to stop.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/531659/Trump-s-bluff-meets-Iran-s-resolve-Limits-of-American-power

Army spokesman warns US: If you start a new adventure, we will expand the geography of war

Brigadier General Akraminia:
🔹 Given the black record of the US President in betraying diplomacy, the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, distrustful and disregardful of the enemy's actions, is continuously upgrading its combat readiness.

🔹 We are closely monitoring America's movements in the region.

🔹 If the US President once again, by threatening and enticing the Zionists, undertakes another adventure in the region, the fire of war will undoubtedly encompass a wider geography, and the end of the war will not be in his hands.

Araghchi to Merz: There will no longer be a red line

🔹 Foreign Minister Araghchi responded to German Chancellor Merz's recent remarks, recalling that when US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran began last year, Merz welcomed them, saying "they are doing Europe's dirty work."

🔹 Araghchi said 100 billion euros is "nothing" compared to the crushing blow Iran's powerful armed forces will inflict on anyone daring to violate the nation, adding: "There will no longer be a red line."

🔹 Merz had acknowledged that rising energy prices over the past eight months cost European companies and consumers over 100 billion euros.

Iran's top Cmdr.: Any threat must be met with an immediate, geographically unrestricted response

🔹 Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei told senior armed forces commanders that any level or type of threat must face an immediate and effective response without geographic limits, describing intelligent combat readiness as a requirement of maximum deterrence.

🔹 He warned that if enemies renew military or terrorist attacks, Iran's armed forces and nation will determine when and how it ends, and ordered the target bank updated so all American-Zionist material and immaterial assets fall within the armed forces' crosshairs.

🔹 He also stressed national support for the armed forces as a pillar of deterrence.

Major General Abdollahi: Passive defense essential to protect Iran's critical infrastructure

🔹 Major General Abdollahi, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said protecting critical infrastructure and assets, cybersecurity, and the continuity of missions in war and crisis conditions plays an unparalleled role.

🔹 He said lessons from the recent American-Zionist imposed and hybrid wars against Islamic Iran showed that implementing passive defense requirements in the armed forces is a vital and definitive necessity.

🔹 The strategic goal, he added, is to ensure reduced vulnerability, a higher tolerance threshold, increased resilience, and continued functioning of the armed forces' main sectors through adherence to passive defense.

19th International Resistance Film Festival Kicks Off

The 19th International Resistance Film Festival opened in Isfahan, with secretary Jalal Ghaffari Ghadir noting it emerged from the Sacred Defense and now includes an international section. He stressed that resistance cinema must "generate belief," not merely record memories, while avoiding slogans and conveying hope alongside war's suffering. Over 109 countries submitted more than 1,900 works. Screenings run at Tehran's Mellat Cineplex until November 4, focusing on resistance, freedom, justice, human dignity, and peace.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/531641/19th-International-Resistance-Film-Festival-kicks-off

Iran Proposes Joint Peace and Friendship Park with Armenia for Biodiversity Protection

Iran has proposed a joint peace and friendship park with Armenia to strengthen cross-border cooperation on biodiversity and wildlife protection, including Persian leopard corridors and the Aras River. The proposal came at COP17 in Armenia, where President Pezeshkian called for "peace diplomacy" to protect biodiversity and condemned wartime ecocide. Iran also joined the CARES coalition as its 18th member, with action plans for 40 wildlife species, and discussed conservation of the Asiatic cheetah and Persian zebra.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/531668/Iran-proposes-joint-peace-and-friendship-park-with-Armenia-for