Talks between the U.S. and Iran remain stalled despite the two countries signing a memorandum of understanding in June, aimed at ending the war that began with joint American-Israeli strikes on the country in February. The opening strikes killed a host of top Iranian officials and commanders, among them Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The two sides have continued to exchange strikes, though have not returned to the intense fighting seen in the early stages of the conflict. The U.S. says it is enforcing a naval blockade of the country's Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman ports, while Iran claims control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz and continues to claim attacks on shipping transiting the waterway.
Meanwhile, intensified fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen has seen the latter repeatedly attack Saudi military, oil infrastructure and transport facilities.
Houthis claim new attack on Riyadh airport, Saudis say missile intercepted
Yahya Saree, the spokesperson for the armed forces of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, said on Monday morning that the group launched a new ballistic missile attack on the King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
The attack came hours after flights resumed at the airport, having been suspended following recent and deadly Houthi strikes there.
Saudi military spokesperson Col. Turki Al-Maliki said in a post to X on Monday morning that Saudi forces intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile bound for Riyadh. Maliki also said that Saudi forces launched a series of airstrikes in Houthi-controlled Yemeni territory targeting missile storage and launch sites.
Saudi Arabia's General Directorate of Civil Defense, meanwhile, posted an advisory to X warning of potential danger to Riyadh. An hour later, the directorate said the danger had passed.
Oct 23, 2026, 10:41 PM EDT
Intel finds Iran has 'substantially increased' efforts to target US officials abroad
The U.S. intelligence community has gathered information through various channels indicating that Iran has "substantially increased" efforts to target American officials abroad, according to a memo sent from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries," Clayton wrote.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on as he speaks with members of the media at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026.
Kylie Cooper/Pool Reuters via AP
Clayton also said that senior members of Rubio's staff had been briefed on the matter and that he would make every effort to downgrade as much of the intelligence as possible so that it could be shared more widely within the State Department.
A U.S. official confirmed the authenticity of the memo, which is unclassified and dated Oct. 23.
"When it comes to our staffing at embassies, we constantly evaluate new information about the security environment," the official said. "The threat of Houthi attacks and of Iranian terror plots targeting U.S. officials are informing our decisions on staffing adjustments for embassies on restricted operating status in the region."
The existence of the memo was first reported by Axios.
-ABC News' Shannon Kingston
Oct 22, 2026, 11:08 AM EDT
US, Israel draw up plans to renew Iran strikes after midterms, sources say
The Israel Defense Forces and the U.S. military have drawn up plans to renew joint strikes on Iran in the coming weeks, two Israeli sources familiar with the plans told ABC News.
The Israeli sources said the strikes would almost certainly take place after the U.S. midterm elections, citing President Donald Trump’s reluctance to further destabilize oil markets in the final days of the campaign.
"Hunting season is open as soon as the elections end and it's obvious that they're not going to wait long," one source said.
The New York Times was first to report on the renewed planning. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the reporting and the Pentagon declined to comment.
U.S. Navy Command Master Chief John Shubert, assigned to Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 115, conducts leadership training aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, Oct. 20, 2026.
US Navy
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is firmly in favor of renewed action against Iran, but both sources said the decision for joint strikes to resume is “only for Trump to decide.”
One Israeli source did not rule out Israel striking unilaterally should the U.S. choose not to participate, but added Israel would still require U.S. consent.
The plans to renew joint strikes were discussed during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s unannounced visit to Israel earlier this week, according to one Israeli source, who added that new intelligence was shared between both sides.
Joint strikes would aim to further erode Iran’s economy and build on the ongoing U.S. blockade, with targets to include the petrochemical facilities crucial to Iran’s oil industry, the sources said.
One source also said that striking Iranian nuclear facilities, such as those at Pickaxe Mountain, is a part of the new plans, but added there are no plans to strike civilian infrastructure like power plants.
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One source added that regime change in Iran, and not a negotiated deal, is the Israeli government’s top goal. “The only question is the timing,” they said.
The White House said Thursday that the U.S. would not attack Iran prior to the midterm elections in response to reports Israel and the U.S. had drawn up new plans to strike Iran in the coming weeks.
"As President [Donald] Trump stated, Iran is in very bad condition, both economically and militarily, and the blockade will remain in full force and effect, with oil flowing in record numbers of barrels through the Hormuz Strait," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. "The United States will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the midterm elections."
-ABC News’ Matt Rivers, Jordana Miller and Katherine Faulders
