Day 245 of the WarFriday, October 30, 2026

Day 245 — IRGC Navy Claims Two Tankers Stopped and a Supertanker Hit a Mine in Hormuz; UKMTO: Another Tanker Hit by a Projectile; Axios: Qatari Mediators Still Talking After 12 Hours in Tehran

Strait of Hormuz · QeshmTehran · Doha · Washington · IslamabadWashington · RiyadhTehran · Mashhad · KarajMecca · Aden · Seoul · Atlanta · Canada · Israel

MP Alireza Salimi of Parliament's Presiding Board Writes That Changing the Nuclear Doctrine Is 'Both an Elite Consensus and a Public Demand' and That an NPT-Exit Plan Is on Parliament's Table, and MP Ebrahim Rezaei Tells State TV Iran Should Raise 60% Enrichment to 90%, per Iran International; Mashhad's Friday Prayer Leader Ahmad Alamolhoda Threatens That Iran Will Cut the Undersea Communication Cables in Hormuz if the 'Enemy' Attacks Again, per Iran International; Tehran Prosecutor Ali Salehi Calls on the IRGC and Intelligence Bodies to Confront What He Calls 'Organised Gangs Promoting Corruption' and Warns Officials Over Hijab Enforcement, per BBC Persian and RadioFarda; HRANA Says Dey 1404 Protest Detainee Shahab Zohdi Was Sentenced to Death a Second Time, per Iran International

Iran

MP Alireza Salimi of parliament's presiding board wrote on X that changing the nuclear doctrine is 'both an elite consensus and a public demand' and an NPT-exit plan is 'on parliament's table'; MP Ebrahim Rezaei told state TV Iran should raise 60% enrichment to 90%, saying at least 10 NPT-exit plans exist, per Iran International.source
Mashhad's Friday prayer leader Ahmad Alamolhoda said that if the 'enemy' attacks again, Iran will cut the 'global undersea communication cables' in Hormuz and sever the West's link 'with the whole world', per Iran International, which said other Friday prayer leaders warned neighbours their infrastructure would be missile targets.source
Tehran prosecutor Ali Salehi, at a hijab working-group meeting, called on intelligence bodies and the IRGC to identify and confront what he called 'organised gangs promoting corruption' and said 28 executive bodies will be reviewed within a month, warning their managers over 'negligence', per BBC Persian and RadioFarda.source
HRANA said Shahab Zohdi, a Dey 1404 protest detainee held in Ghezel Hesar prison, was sentenced to death a second time by Tehran's Revolutionary Court after the Supreme Court overturned his first sentence, in a case over a fire at a Basij base in east Tehran in which nobody was killed, per Iran International.source

Israel Hayom, Citing U.S. and Diplomatic Officials, Says Any Resumption of Strikes on Iran Does Not Depend on Israel Forming a New Government, and Quotes a Senior U.S. Official Saying Washington Intends to Remove Iran's Threats in Trump's Remaining Two Years, per Iran International; Axios Says Lt Gen Brett Sylvia, Removed This Week, Admitted in an Internal Probe Giving Classified Information on Iran and Ukraine to Two Journalists, While CBS Cites Pentagon Sources Who Reject the Accusations, per RadioFarda; the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Repeats Its Order for Non-Emergency Staff and Families to Leave, Warning That Fighting After Houthi Attacks Could Spread Quickly, per Iran International; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Says Tehran Cannot Pay Its Forces or Obtain Dollars, and Axios Says a Treasury Document Puts Iran's Inflation at 90% in September, per Iran International

US / Coalition

Israel Hayom, citing U.S. and diplomatic officials, said a resumption of strikes on Iran does not depend on Israel forming a new government and U.S.–Israeli coordination continues; a senior U.S. official said Washington intends to remove Iran's threats in Trump's remaining two years, per Iran International.source
Axios said Lt Gen Brett Sylvia, removed on Wednesday by Hegseth over alleged leaks, admitted in an internal probe giving classified information on Iran and Ukraine to two journalists; Reuters said he failed three polygraph tests, while CBS cited two other Pentagon sources rejecting the accusations, per RadioFarda.source
The U.S. embassy in Riyadh repeated its order, in force since 1 Aban (23 October), for non-emergency U.S. government staff and family members to leave Saudi Arabia, warning that fighting after Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and infrastructure could spread quickly, per Iran International.source
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that Tehran 'cannot pay their forces' salaries' or obtain dollars; Axios, citing a Treasury document, said Iran's general inflation reached 90% in September, from about 70% before the U.S. and Israeli strikes began in Esfand 1404, per Iran International.source

The IRGC Navy Claims Two Tankers on a Route Iran Deems 'Unauthorised' 'Suffered Accidents' and Stopped, Then That a Supertanker Carrying Over 2 Million Barrels Hit a Sea Mine at the Mouth of Hormuz and Is Still Burning — the Day's Third — Claims BBC Persian Says Are Not Independently Confirmed; UKMTO Says Another Crude Tanker Was Hit by an Unknown Projectile While Leaving the Strait, Giving No Details on Crew or Damage, per BBC Persian, and the IRGC News Channel Claims Eight Tankers Exploded on Mines in 48 Hours, Unverified per Iran International; CENTCOM Calls the IRGC Claim of Destroying a U.S. Sea Drone 'False, Just Like Many Other IRGC Lies This Week', as the IRGC Claims It 'Seized' a Second MQM-170 Over Qeshm, Unconfirmed, per Iran International; CENTCOM's Brad Cooper Says Nearly 1.5 Billion Barrels Have Passed Through Hormuz Since Summer, None of It Iranian, per Iran International, and Brent Rises to $116.08, per BBC Persian

Gulf & Naval

The IRGC Navy claimed two tankers 'suffered accidents' and stopped in the strait's southern waters on a route Iran deems 'unauthorised', and later that a supertanker carrying over 2m barrels hit a sea mine at the mouth of Hormuz and is still burning, the day's third; BBC Persian says the claims are not independently confirmed.source
UKMTO said another tanker carrying crude oil was hit by an unknown projectile while leaving Hormuz and authorities are investigating, giving no details on crew or damage, per BBC Persian; the IRGC News Telegram channel claimed eight tankers exploded on mines in 48 hours, which is unverified, per Iran International.source
CENTCOM said the IRGC's claim to have destroyed a U.S. military sea drone in Hormuz 'is FALSE, just like many other IRGC lies this week', with all its unmanned surface vessels accounted for; the IRGC claimed it 'seized' a second U.S. reconnaissance drone, an MQM-170, over Qeshm by electronic warfare, unconfirmed, per Iran International.source
CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper said in a video that nearly 1.5bn barrels of oil have passed through Hormuz since summer, none of it Iranian, and that he saw no IRGC forces on an air patrol over the strait, per Iran International; Brent rose $1.20 to $116.08 a barrel after reports of tankers hitting mines, per BBC Persian.source

Reuters, Citing an Official Familiar With the Talks, Says Qatari Mediators Returned to Tehran in Coordination With Washington, and IRNA Confirms a Qatari Delegation Arrived Without Mentioning Any Role in Iran–U.S. Talks, per BBC Persian; Axios's Barak Ravid, Citing a Diplomatic Source, Says They Came to Discuss the Latest U.S. Proposal for Resuming Peace Talks and Were Still Talking After 12 Hours in Tehran, per BBC Persian and Iran International; Trump Says the War Will End Soon and Washington Needs a Guarantee Iran Never Has a Nuclear Weapon, Then That Talks Continue but the U.S. Has Time, per Iran International; Pakistan's Army Spokesman Tells Reuters Islamabad Is 'Cautiously Optimistic' but Warns of 'Powerful Opposing Actors', per BBC Persian, While Former MP Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh Says the Mediators' Trips Signal War Is Certain, per Iran International

Global

Reuters, citing an official familiar with the talks, said Qatari mediators returned to Tehran in coordination with Washington; IRNA confirmed a Qatari delegation led by a senior adviser to Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister arrived on Friday morning, without mentioning any role in Iran–U.S. talks, per BBC Persian.source
Axios reporter Barak Ravid, citing a diplomatic source, said the Qatari mediators were in Tehran to discuss the latest U.S. proposal for resuming peace talks with Iranian officials, per BBC Persian, and later that they were still in talks after 12 hours in Tehran, per Iran International.source
Trump told KCMO radio in Kansas City the war with Iran will end soon and Iran wants a deal, but Washington needs a guarantee it will never have a nuclear weapon; later at the White House he said talks continue and Iran keeps wanting to talk, but the U.S., frankly, has time, per Iran International.source
Pakistan's army spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told Reuters Islamabad is 'cautiously optimistic' about its mediation but 'powerful opposing actors' see continued war as in their interest, per BBC Persian; former MP Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh wrote that mediators' trips signal war is certain, per Iran International.source

The Saudi-Led Coalition Says It Intercepted and Destroyed a Houthi Drone in the Mecca Area, Which the Houthis Deny Targeting, and AFP, Citing Yemeni Police Sources, Says the Houthis Fired Two Missiles at the Presidential Palace in Aden, per BBC Persian; German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Says the Conflict Has No Military Solution and Higher Energy Prices Have Cost Europe Over €100 Billion, per Vahid Online, and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul Says Most G20 Members Want Iran Back at the Negotiating Table, per Iran International; Canada's CSIS Tells Iran International It Has Identified and Neutralised Several 'Potentially Lethal' Iran-Attributed Threats Against People in Canada; Final Israeli Results Leave Netanyahu's Bloc on 53 Seats and the Four Main Opposition Parties on 48, and Israeli Media Say Mossad Has Joined the Election-Interference Probe, per Iran International

Global

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone in the Mecca area, and the Houthis denied any attempt to target the city; AFP, citing Yemeni police sources, said the Houthis fired two missiles at the presidential palace in Aden, the seat of Yemen's government, per BBC Persian.source
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Seoul the conflict has no military solution and Berlin is stepping up diplomacy to end the Iran war quickly, adding that energy prices have cost Europe over €100bn, per Vahid Online; Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said most G20 members want Iran back at the table, per Iran International.source
Canada's intelligence service CSIS told Iran International it has identified and neutralised several 'potentially lethal' threats attributed to Iran against people in Canada, naming Iran's intelligence services and proxies and expecting such activity to continue in 2026; the RCMP said it pursues such cases seriously.source
Final Israeli results give Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats and the four main opposition parties 48, so neither has a majority, while Arab parties nearly doubled their share to 19 (Joint List 11, Ra'am 8); Israeli media said Mossad has joined the probe into alleged foreign interference in the Knesset election, per Iran International.source