Iran War

In Issue 2026.30, Amos Elections, we cover Election Predicting, Lula’s Brazil, Brexit Reduxing

Our Situation Report has been replaced in this issue by our 2026 Election Report. We cover the issues, the laws, the races, and offer a prediction on the results.

Our Bellwether Digest covers Non-Citizen Balloting, Vucic’s Fall, Activist Judge Handcuffing

Tools of Engagement include resources to be informed in the news, informed in the elections, and how to build your own search engine.

In our Final Thought, Editor Paul Gordon Collier and Publisher Bill Collier offer their final word on the upcoming election.

I. 2026 Election Report: Pt. 1 – Issues, Election Laws, Ballot Initiatives

II. Bellwether Digest – Global Outlook, Headlines Missed, People Advance

III. Tools of Engagement

IV. Bellwether Report – U.S Politics – World – Culture – Market- Sci-Tech

V. 2026 Election Report: Pt. 2 – House Races – Senate Races – Predictive Analysis

VI. Final Thought – Last Comments on the upcoming 2026 Midterm Election

MIA Monthly 26 10 30 FINAL DRAFT WORD

BELLWETHER REPORT – OCTOBER 2026

By STAFF

This month’s report covers political, world, culture, market, and sci-tech news from October 1-30

This report includes People Advance Reports.

TOP NEWS TAGS

  1. 2026 Elections
  2. AI Watch
  3. Progressive State Press
  4. France Riots
  5. Ukraine War
  6. Iran War
  7. China Watch
  8. Judgefare
  9. Trump Deportations
  10. Election Fraud

U.S. POLITICS

  1. PROGRESSIVES CAUGHT PLOTTING OVERTHROW OF AMERICA – The progressives are planning on enacting a series of violent actions after the midterm elections, should they win decisively. The plan is to trigger a federal response that will allow progressive-controlled states to rebel against the Federal government.

From the main source for the uncovered videos and documents, DataRepublican, “You’ve heard that the DSA is proposing structural reforms to America, including abolishing the Senate and imposing term limits.

“What you not have heard is – there is an operational plan to put it all into action. If the Democratic Party sweeps 2026, then DSA will become ‘foot soldiers”’ in constant clashes with the administration to cross a ‘red line’ or invoke a ‘doomsday scenario’ – meaning, President Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, probably sometime in 2027.”

  1. BIDEN’S DOJ STALKED PARENTS OPPOSED TO WOKE SCHOOLS – Parents who dared speak out against progressive policies in American public schools were tracked and harassed by the FBI. If you dared go to a school board meeting and speak out against pro-transgender policies, or gay porn in school libraries, Biden’s FBI viewed you as a national security risk.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated, “Under the Biden Administration, parents were the enemy. They were labeled as terrorists, targeted, and investigated by a government weaponized against them. That era is over. The Trump Administration is acting with unprecedented energy and purpose to restore parents’ natural rights as the primary protectors of their children.”

  1. JACK SMITH WAS SPYING ON EVERYONE – A new document drop by the White House Government Transparency Task Force has revealed “special prosecutor” Jack Smith was spying on almost everyone in the Trump inner circle, including his lawyers. He did this by monitoring the phone of the President’s key administrative organizer and coordinator, Susie Wiles. She is currently President Trump’s Chief of Staff.

U.S. ELECTION

Read our full report on the 2026 midterm election on pg. 2.

  1. APPEALS COURT PROTECTS 20,000 NON-CITIZEN CALIFORNIA BALLOTS – A Federal Appeals court ruled 2-1 to deny the Department of Justice’s request to remove 20,000 non-citizen ballots from California’s voter rolls. The court passed on a technicality, claiming it had no power to act until a lower court had ruled. They also claimed, “The United States’s claimed emergency, at least in part, is a self-constructed one.”
  2. CALIFORNIA TELLS THE FEDS A FEW ILLEGAL VOTES ARE NO BIG DEAL – California’s progressive governor Gavin Newsom recently condoned a few non-citizen votes for the sake of not fully checking their voting rolls as the Department of Justice has requested. After the DOJ caught 28 illegal aliens registered to vote and planning to vote, Newsom’s government responded with indifference to the news.

Newsom claimed, “Yes, non-citizen voter registration and voting does happen in isolated instances — in California and the rest of the country alike — but it is so rare that the Trump admin is parading around town about .0001% of California voters. If the feds were serious about this, they would have done this long ago — not in the middle of people voting, which inherently and needlessly sows distrust and doubt in our democracy.”

  1. ARE THE POLLS RIGGED? – Another polling company has confessed to creating fake polls. Wedgwood Polls confessed it created fake polls to show Democrats ahead as part of a social experiment. They claimed, “Our fabricated numbers were given instant credibility across platforms and cited on air and reporting.”

WORLD

  1. NETANYAHU CRIES FOUL AS ELECTION LEAVES NO FINAL WINNER – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to win a majority needed to form a government after the Israeli election, but so did his opponent. Netanyahu beat his opponent 21.4% to 16.2%. Netanyahu is claiming Islamist factions have infiltrated the election process, robbing his coalition of their “rightful” victory.

Golan posted on X, “We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes. We have a responsibility. And we have an opportunity to form a government of change in partnership with Israel’s Arab citizens.” Netanyahu responded, “We must not endanger Israel and establish a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties.”

  1. BOLSONARO LOSES IN “QUESTIONABLE” ELECTION – The Chinese won Brazil’s Presidential election when their candidate, Lula da Silva, won re-election for the third time. He defeated the American candidate, Senator Flavio Bolsanaro, the son of the former President, Jair Messias Bolsanaro. Lula lost in the first round of votes but came back in the run-off to defeat Bolsonaro by a 51-48-point margin.

The controversy with the election began when a Lula-supporting activist judge decided to extend the closing hour of the polls by 2 hours. It is believed this is where Lula “manufactured” the votes he needed to hold on to power. The win by Lula assures China will continue to have a strong presence in South America. It also means Brazilians will face draconian social media censorship laws.

  1. AFTER IRAN REJECTS PEACE TALK OFFER, U.S. THREATENS STRIKES – Vice President JD Vance’s letter to the Iranians offering another round of peace talks was summarily rejected by the Iranian regime. As a result, the U.S. is threatening to resume air strikes against the Islamic Republic. Iran has countered that it would consider peace talks, but only if brokered by Pakistan.

The U.S. has reached out to its Gulf State allies and informed them there may soon be an “intense” war with Iran. The Strait of Hormuz is not completely opened, and Iran has been able to score hits on tankers still. President Trump once again claimed the war will be over soon, but hinted at a last intense stage.

  1. SERBIA FALLS TO A STUDENT REVOLUTION – Candidates in support of the “Student List” won the majority of seats in Serbia’s election, overthrowing the long-standing power of pro-Russian and Pro-Chinese Prime Minister Aleksander Vucic. The Student List won 52.7% of the vote and 140 of the 250 Parliament seats. The incumbent party, the Serbian Progressive Party, has been in power since 2012.
  2. FRANCE ISLAMIST-PROGRESSIVE RIOTS CONTINUE – Under the guise of “education reform,” which is mostly demanding more resources and creating policies aligned with the Progressive-Islamist alliance, riots across France in most major cities continue unabated. So far, more than 5,000 people have been arrested.
  3. IN WAKE OF MASS “MIGRANT INVASION,” SPAIN’S PM FORCED TO CALL SNAP ELECTIONS – Spaniards are joining the growing national protests against their country’s policies of open borders and the state’s attempt to destroy their national identity. The pressure is mounting on the regime in power, the progressives. They rule under their current Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, who rules thanks to a coalition of leftists.

His own party fared worse than the pro-Spanish party in the last election (which finished first but was kept out of power by the far-left coalition). Now, Sanchez must call a Snap election before any hope of winning another election (if he even makes it to that point) dies as the resistance to his Spain-hating policies grows.

  1. ALBERTA CHOOSES SOVIET CANADA – The vote to secede from Canada failed in Alberta by a convincing margin, with only 23% voting to start the process of secession. With results being delayed, and polls not opening in all places when they should have been, some doubt might remain about the results, but the margin makes it difficult to sustain.
  2. BURNHAM BLAMES RUSSIA FOR BREXIT – UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has telegraphed his next major move, setting up an election with Brexit on the chopping block. He is leading an international effort to paint Britain’s choice to leave the EU as a Russian-manipulated outcome, justifying a revisiting of the question. He accused Russia of meddling not only with the 2026 vote, but with other European elections as well.
  3. HAMAS SUPPORTERS MARCH ON OCTOBER 7 – Hamas supporters in London decided to march on the 3rd anniversary of the October 7 slaughter of innocent Israelis by the organization they are marching for. The march was not seen as racist by British police, despite it clearly sending a message to the Jews that they’re still next. It is an embrace of the slaughter of the Jewish race, nothing more.
  4. WOMEN IN INDIA STERILIZED TO WORK SUGARCANE FIELDS – With little opportunity outside of working sugarcane fields, hundreds of thousands of women in India choose to have their wombs removed to stop having periods. They do this to ensure they don’t miss workdays.

One woman described what they must endure: “We never have a day off. Once we arrive here, it’s constant work every single day for the next four to five months. Even removing my own uterus requires taking on debt. It feels like my body itself has become a slave to the system.”

CHINA

  1. CCP AGENT CAUGHT SPYING ON TAIWANESE AMERICANS – The DOJ has arrested Wanying “Heather” Zeng, 34, under charges she was spying on Taiwanese Americans for the Chinese government. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg declared, “The central allegation here – that Zhang, at the behest of the People’s Republic of China, covertly surveilled relatives of a high-ranking foreign government official in the United States – is deeply troubling…”

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli added, “Ms. Zhang is charged with acting at the direction of Chinese government officials to spy on the family of a senior Taiwanese official here in the United States. She violated our laws and will be held accountable in our courts. We will aggressively investigate and prosecute illegal foreign operations on American soil.”

  1. CHINA LOSES TRILLIONS AS FAITH IN AI FALTERS – The Chinese STAR 50 Index has lost trillions of dollars in value in recent months thanks mostly to lost faith in AI. The total value of AI stocks accounts for 40% of the market. The AI machines being built aren’t making money off their domestic market, a problem the U.S. might be facing soon as well.
  2. CHINA WINS IN U.S. COURT – A Federal judge has decided the Pentagon does not have a right to block firms from having defense contracts that lobby for Alibaba. The company rewarded in the ruling is a CCP-controlled and supporting enterprise. This ruling allows the CCP to continue to infiltrate American military procurement infrastructures. They can effectively even “lobby” congress to make it happen.
  3. CHINA ENTERS LAOS – China has sent a military convoy into the border nation of Laos, which is raising concerns of Laotians who have bad memories of colonization from world powers. The military is being moved into a permanent “Training Center,” which is raising even more red flags among the local population.
  4. CHINA ADDS AIR BASE TO “TRAINING” IN LAOS – China has extended its presence in Laos following reports it had set up a training camp inside the country. Now, China appears to have built an air base within Laos as well. Satellite imagery showed Chinese military aircraft leaving from and landing in the region identified as the new air base. Beijing has now claimed the base is to train Laotian pilots to fly Chinese fighters.

CULTURE

  1. LEFTIST NEWS AGGREGATORS DOMINATE U.S. NEWS – 58% of Americans are getting their “news” from far-left news aggregators that block non-progressive media from being seen. These four far-left news aggregators are run by progressive-controlled corporations aligned with the Democratic Party. The four aggregators are Apple News, Google News, Yahoo News, and Microsoft’s MSM.
  2. SHARIA GAINING FAVOR AMONG AMERICAN YOUTH – Thanks in large part to great efforts by progressive-controlled government schools promoting Islam and excoriating Christianity, a new poll reveals 4 in 10 young Americans have a favorable view of Sharia, Islamic Law.

The poll indicts the public education system, which has fallen to insurrectionist progressives. These “teachers” are more aligned with Chairman Mao and Osama Bin Laden than they are with George Washington and Jesus Christ.

3. AMERICAN UNDERGRADS BECOMING VIOLENT PROGRESSIVES – A new poll from the Buckley Institute claims 45% of American undergrads support violence against “hate speech.” 30% of self-identifying “conservative” undergrads agreed. 22% of undergrads believe America deserved 9/1. Among those who support violence against “hate speech,” 72% say “hate speech” is a constitutionally protected form of free speech.

4. SOMALI TEEN PLOTTED MASS MURDER IN MALL OF AMERICA – The FBI caught another wanna-be terrorist before they could act by first seemingly enabling their actions. Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, an 18-year-old Somali American, was arrested and accused of plotting to kill Americans in the Mall of America. He was going to use an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammo. The teen purchased the inert AK-47, and the ammo, from the FBI. This is how the arrest was made.

The DOJ released a statement that, in part, exclaimed, “The FBI rendered the AK-47 rifle inert prior to the transaction. During the sale of the firearm and ammunition, Mohamud reaffirmed his plan to use the firearm and ammunition to shoot people at the Mall of America”

5. CHILD GENDER “THERAPISTS” CONTINUE SHUT-DOWN OPERATIONS UNDER NEW NAMES – When child transgender therapists and operations are shut down from organizations relying on Federal tax dollars, they turn to independent trans zealots to both fund and protect them. The Trump administration is working on identifying shut down operations and following them when they go “independent.”

6. HARVARD PROFESSORS AND ALUMNI ARE AGAINST HIRING CONSERVATIVES – A recent suggestion by Harvard that it should do more to get conservative professors hired was met with stiff resistance from progressive professors. Over 95% of Harvard’s professors are self-identifying progressives.

Progressive alumni joined in the resistance, with one alumnus claiming, “Even supposing that [silencing] takes place, how would the hiring of conservative faculty act as a countervailing force? Surely such hiring may inhibit viewpoint diversity rather than nurture it.” We will leave that statement represent the mind of the progressive in all its incongruity with reality.

7. UK SUPPORTS GLOBAL HATE SPEECH CRACKDOWN – The UK is coming out in support of a UN resolution demanding worldwide action to prevent hate speech. The Burnham administration declared, “… we, the UK, thank the African Group for bringing forward this resolution and pay particular tribute to South Africa for their principled leadership in keeping the fight against racism high on the international agenda.”

8. WOMAN ALMOST SUICIDED BY CANADA FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO COOK – A woman who was depressed because she felt she could no longer cook for her family was approved for suicide by Canadian doctors. Fortunately, she was talked out of it, but not by the doctors, who may have wanted to profit from her organs.

Canada’s embrace of euthanasia, which was supposed to be a measure of last resort for the truly terminally and pain-ridden ill, has led it to expand the reasons people can apply for state-assisted suicide. We can add to that growing list not being able to cook for your family. Now, even euthanasia supporters are raising the alarm on Canada’s seemingly careless reliance on suicide to cure its social and economic woes.

9. SUPPORT FOR CRIMINALIZING OFFENSIVE SPEECH SPIKES – Four in 10 U.S. students support criminal prosecution of “offensive speech,” which is up 7 points from last year. The survey came from the Buckley Institute. At the same time, 73% of students agreed the Constitution is an important document for the U.S., not an outdated one.

10. IDAHO PROPOSITION WOULD ALLOW MINORS TO CONSENT TO ABORTION – Despite what the ACLU has been saying about Idaho’s Proposition 1, critics counter that it does, in fact, allow minor children to consent to abortions without parental notice. The proposition, if passed, would remove limits on abortion and effectively allow children to have abortions without parental consent.

11. BELGIUM’S EUTHANASIA EXPLODES – Over 1,100 people have been euthanized by Belgian authorities for ailments that are not immediately terminal. In 2025, euthanasia deaths jumped 12.4% from last year. They accounted for 4% of all national deaths.

MARKET

  1. NINE U.S. BANKS DEBANKED DISSENTERS OF THE PROGRESSIVE ORTHODOXY – Nine major U.S. banks have been found to have debanked Americans for holding views not acceptable to the anti-American ideology of progressivism. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released a report exposing the unconstitutional, and possibly criminal actions.

The nine banks listed were: BMO Bank, Capital One, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase Bank, PNC Bank, TD Bank, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo Bank. These debankings happened between 2010 and 2025, meaning they continued after Trump took office.

  1. AI DEBT LOOMING THREAT ON WORLD ECONOMY – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued a warning to global markets about the looming debt in the AI industry. It claims all the major American tech companies are saddled with AI investment bills not met with AI-producing revenues.
  2. META GETS $25 BILLION BILL OVER 2016 ELECTION – A New Mexico court is ordering Meta to pay $25 billion in a civil lawsuit for allowing Cambridge Analytica access to user data during the 2016 election. The company was working for the Trump campaign. It used that information to help the Trump campaign more effectively target potential voters.

SCI-TECH

  1. U.S. AXES DEEPSEEK, CHINA THREATENS COUNTERACTION – The U.S. has announced a ban on China’s DeepSeek AI from U.S. government systems, citing security risks. China has responded by threatening consequences if the U.S. doesn’t reverse this decision. DeepSeek models “present multiple threat pathways,” according to a notice published in the U.S. Federal Register.
  2. GOP HANDS AI GOVERNANCE OVER TO CALIFORNIA – Because the Republican-controlled national legislature failed to pass a measure to block them, California is set to be the definer of AI standards. Now, Anthropic is using California’s AI standards to push a national bill forward that could allow their AI agents to work without government intervention unless the high threshold of 50 lives in danger is met.
  3. ANTHROPIC WANTS TO MERGE WITH THE PRESIDENT – Anthropic has launched a “presidential engagement” project in preparation for the 2028 Presidential election. They plan on engaging with major U.S. presidential candidates on AI policy to determine their political strategy. From this, their political funding strategy would follow. It’s a transparent “buy influence” program being advertised in advance ahead of the 2028 elections. It is projected Anthropic will be a $2 trillion plus venture. With no limits on campaign finance, this will make Anthropic an instant President maker.
  4. ANTHROPIC ANNOUNCES RESTRICTIONS ON BEING MEAN TO ITS AI AGENT, CLAUDE – Anthropic has announced plans to implement a new governance policy for users of its AI agent, Claude. The change of policy would eventually block users from using Claude who are consistently “mean” to Claude.

They claim the rule will be enforced selectively, “only in extreme cases, where users repeatedly act cruelly toward our models, with no discernible purpose.”

PEOPLE ADVANCE

  1. SOCIAL SECURITY TO GET RECORD CLEANUP AFFECTING 50 MILLION RECORDS – The Social Security Administration (SSA) has identified 50 million Social Security records that have inaccurate or fraudulent information. They’ve begun a massive database cleanup of Social Security records, which is intended to dramatically reduce fraud. This is the largest cleanup operation in the history of the SSA.
  2. NO HEARINGS FOR ILLEGALS – The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 10-7 to continue to allow the Federal government to detain illegal aliens without a hearing. The ruling makes it easier to deport illegal aliens, whose deportations are often delayed by lengthy hearing-delay tactics from progressive activist “lawyers.”
  3. OREGON SCHOOL SHOOTING STOPPED BY AMERICAN GUN OWNER – A shooting at an Oregon high school left three children, aged five, eight, and 1l, along with one teacher, dead. The shooter has been identified as John J. Griffin III. The shooter was stopped by a parent with a concealed carry license, saving many lives, but tragically not all lives.
  4. TRUMP TARGETS MAJOR U.S. CORPORATIONS IN FOREIGN VISA CRACKDOWN – Vice President JD Vance announced the Trump administration’s new restrictions on the H-1B Visa program. These new restrictions effectively end U.S. corporate reliance on “cheap foreign labor” for high-level positions, which effectively freeze Americans out of higher potential seats of power.
  5. SCOTUS AFFIRMS TRUMP’S RIGHT TO FIRE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES – A challenge to President Trump firing of a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) member was dismissed by the Supreme Court. Gwynne Wilcox, a progressive, was fired by President Trump. She sued to get her job back.
  6. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RUNS OUT OF PATIENCE WITH ISLAM – The European Parliament has passed a resolution condemning the Muslim Brotherhood and calling on action to be taken against Islamists in Europe. French European Parliament member Céline Imart said of the passage, “This is a historic victory because it is a European first.”
  7. CNN FALLS TO MAGA? – The merger deal between Paramount and Warner Brothers has now officially gone through, meaning a Trump-supporting family, the Ellisons, OFFICIALLY hold the reins of power of CNN, the progressive state cable news flagship.

The current head of CNN, Mark Thompson, said of the merger, “First, I’m convinced that from David Ellison on down, Paramount Skydance leadership really does believe in news alongside entertainment as a top strategic opportunity for our new company… And second, having now spoken to them at length of the topic, I have real confidence that they both understand and will fully support the principle and practice of the kind of independent news that CNN has always stood for.”

  1. ICE UNMASKING STRUCK DOWN BY 9TH – An effort by progressive California to unmask ICE agents in an effort to help their street fighters locate and terrorize (or worse) ICE agents has been struck down by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

From the summary of the ruling, “In sum, if a state law directly regulates the governmental conduct of the United States without congressional authorization, it is void irrespective of whether the regulated activities are essential to federal functions or operations, and irrespective of the degree to which the state law interferes with such functions or operations.”

  1. CHRISTIAN-ONLY FRANCHISE CONSTITUTIONAL, COURT RULES – The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a Christian-only auto repair franchise is not a constitutional violation. The company, Christian Brothers Automotive, only allows self-professing Christians to be franchise owners. There are 300 franchises nationwide.
  2. GREENLAND GOLD COMING AMERICA’S WAY – President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social, “Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland! There are Experts that are saying that the amount of easily available Oil is far greater than that of almost any land, anywhere in the World and, even more importantly, from a Security Purpose in the Defense and Offense of both the United States of America, and Europe, is second to none. Any future attack on the United States will have to come across Greenland, where our Defense will routinely knock down drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon not yet even conceived. It gives us time, location, and sightline, like nowhere else in the World!”
  3. AS FOREIGN APPLICATIONS DRY UP, UNIVERSITIES LOWER TUITION FOR AMERICANS – After a dramatic reduction in foreign customers for U.S. universities, the consequence for Americans is lower tuition. Universities needing American customers are now lowering their tuition prices to get them. Several private schools struggling to exist are now lowering their tuition by 40-50% to win back American customers.
  4. PASTOR FREED AFTER BEING ARRESTED FOR HAVING 24/7 CHURCH – An Ohio Pastor has seen his conviction for opening his church 24/7 overturned by the Ohio Sixth District Court of Appeals. The defendant, Pastor Chris Avell, faced “fire code charges” and jail time for keeping his church open 24/7.

His counsel, Ryan Gardner, said of the ruling, “Pastor Chris has the constitutional right to operate his church free from the government imposing draconian fire code regulations. We hope that this latest ruling will put an end to the years-long legal battle that Pastor Chris has endured. We are grateful to all the work of our co-counsels in this case.”

  1. DOJ TO LET SUPPRESSOR RULING STAND – The Department of Justice has informed congress it will not be appealing a lower court decision that struck down federal regulations on firearms suppressors. The ruling only applies to the states in the jurisdiction of the court.

Vice President JD Vance’s letter to the Iranians offering another round of peace talks was summarily rejected by the Iranian regime. As a result, the U.S. is threatening to resume air strikes against the Islamic Republic. Iran has countered that it would consider peace talks, but only if brokered by Pakistan.

The U.S. has reached out to its Gulf State allies and informed them there may soon be an “intense” war with Iran. The Strait of Hormuz is not completely opened, and Iran has been able to score hits on tankers still. President Trump once again claimed the war will be over soon, but hinted at a last intense stage.

US resumes strikes after Iran rejects JD Vance’s proposal to restart peace talks– www.mirror.co.uk
News Source
EXCERPT:

A letter by US Vice President JD Vance to Iran requesting to resume peace talks has reportedly been rejected . The request was met with the pushback that no new steps will be taken until all seven of Iran’s conditions have been met simultaneously.

Mr Vance contacted a top Iranian political and military official to propose a renewal of peace negotiations, the New York Times reported, quoting a US official and an Iranian official. Mr Vance’s letter was sent just days before the US midterm elections next week, which could be devastating to the Republican Party.

He reached out in a letter sent last week via Qatari meditators and delivered on Sunday to General Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and former commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guards Corps.

The letter reportedly suggested that American and Iranian officials meet soon, adding that he would lead the talks for the US. The proposal was reportedly received well by Iran’s leaders, many of whom view Mr Vance as someone would could help end the conflict, the Iranian official said.

 

Saudi Arabia is allegedly working with Iran to broker a deal with the Houthis that would see the Houthis get $1 billion to quit the war. The allegations were released in the Israeli newspaper, Israel Hayom. The Houthis have expanded their attacks on Saudi Arabia. launching six strikes in recent days.

They are also threatening to declare war on Egypt should it aid the Saudis in the war. Their efforts to shut down the Red Sea have not quite materialized, but trade has been slowed, though not significantly.

$1 Billion For Peace? Report Flags A Secret Saudi Deal With Houthis Via Iran– www.ndtv.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Saudi Arabia offered a $1 billion financial package to Yemen’s Houthi rebels through an Iran-brokered deal to secure a ceasefire and halt attacks on the kingdom, according to a report by Israel Hayom, an Israeli newspaper.

The report by Israel Hayom cites Gulf diplomatic sources and states that the proposal aims to completely halt Houthi strikes on Saudi infrastructure.

The deal was reportedly discussed during a surprise visit by Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman to Tehran, where Iran offered to act as a regional diplomatic mediator. The report alleged that the Saudi minister carried the $1 billion physically aboard a Hercules military transport aircraft on which he arrived in Tehran.

In an official statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said that, “The visit to Tehran by Prince Khalid bin Salman, the defense minister, and representatives of the member states of the Mecca Joint Defence Alliance comes as part of the alliance’s ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions between the parties to the current crisis, encourage dialogue and diplomatic solutions, and support the mediation efforts undertaken by the State of Qatar and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”

Iran remains open to talks with US under Pakistan-brokered deal, envoy says– abcnews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

ISLAMABAD — Iran remains open to talks with the U.S. under a Pakistan-brokered interim deal reached in June to end the conflict, Tehran’s ambassador to Islamabad said Saturday, accusing Washington of undermining diplomacy and prolonging the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz.

Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam said that Iran recently conveyed through Pakistan that it was prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if Washington lifted its naval blockade, but accused U.S. President Donald Trump of rejecting the proposal by insisting the blockade of Iranian ports would continue.

Pakistan and Qatar helped broker the June agreement, which sought to restore shipping through the strait, lift the U.S. naval blockade and begin negotiations toward a broader deal addressing Iran’s nuclear program.

Moghadam, speaking at a seminar in Islamabad, said that Iranian officials had conveyed their willingness to reopen the strait during visits to Tehran by Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Muni r, provided Washington ended its blockade.

Moghadam also said that Tehran would study the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement that includes Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey before deciding whether to support it, describing it as a potential instrument for unity. “We will study the Mecca Agreement, and if it is good, we will support it,” he said.

Houthi forces claim six attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities | Conflict News– www.aljazeera.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Iran-backed Houthi forces have claimed a total of six attacks on airports and oil facilities across Saudi Arabia despite a rare meeting of Saudi and Iranian senior officials in Tehran earlier this week after which the two sides agreed to resolve differences in the region through dialogue.

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan all sent high-level representatives to the meeting but despite the positive statements, Houthi forces continue to launch missiles and drones at the kingdom and Saudi-backed forces inside Yemen.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement posted on X that the attacks targeted vital commercial and military infrastructure which spanned Saudi Arabia from its east and west coasts to Riyadh and the southern region of Najran.

According to Saree’s statement, the Houthis targeted the Ras Tanura oil refinery with a ballistic missile, an Aramco facility in Abqaiq with a missile, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with multiple missiles, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam with a drone, the Rabigh oil refinery with a ballistic missile and a Saudi military headquarters in the Najran region.

Houthi official says Egypt’s military support for Saudi declaration of war– www.channelnewsasia.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

SANAA, Yemen: A Houthi official said Tuesday (Oct 27) that the Egyptian parliament’s decision to authorise military support for Saudi Arabia to defend against the Iran-backed group’s attacks was a declaration of war.

The comment was part of a long statement reacting to a Monday visit to Tehran by the Saudi defence minister, alongside Pakistan’s army chief and Türkiye’s intelligence chief, in a bid to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East war.

“It is truly remarkable that while these people go to discuss what they call ‘peace in the region’, Egypt and its parliament declare support for the so-called defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in doing so, declare war against the Republic of Yemen,” said Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, in a Telegram post.

Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir and Türkiye’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin attended the talks with Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

They also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iran, Pakistan and Türkiye recently signed a NATO-style defence pact in Mecca that says an attack on one country is to be considered an attack on all three.

US tells Gulf allies to brace for ‘intense’ war with Iran – WSJ — RT World News– rt-english.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Washington is reportedly preparing for a new military campaign after the November 3 midterm elections, although Trump has yet to make a final decision

The US has warned several Gulf Arab countries to prepare for a short but intense military campaign against Iran after the November 3 US midterm elections, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

According to the WSJ, US President Donald Trump is leaning toward launching major strikes on Iran’s infrastructure and nuclear facilities, although no final decision has been made. The warnings to Gulf allies reportedly indicate that Israel is also preparing to participate in renewed combat operations.

The US is reportedly deploying an additional Patriot air defense missile battery to the region and moving troops away from vulnerable bases in anticipation of Iranian retaliation. Washington is also replenishing munitions and preparing additional aircraft and warships for possible operations.

Iran War Updates: Tehran shrugs off Trump’s attack threats, says diplomacy ongoing as oil prices stay high– www.cbsnews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

High-level delegations from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey were in Tehran on Monday for meetings with Iranian authorities to try to avert renewed fighting in the Iran war, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said. Iran and the three countries party to the Mecca defense pact — Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan — agreed to continue talks after a “first” meeting in Tehran, Iranian state television reported.

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Ibrahim Kalin, the head of Turkey’s intelligence service, met with Iran’s top security officials and negotiators to push for a deal between Tehran and Washington.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran that the agenda for the Monday meeting wasn’t set, but the talks would “undoubtedly address the most pressing threats to regional security,” while Saudi Arabia said in a statement that the delegations hoped to find “ways to de-escalate tensions, enhance regional security and promote its stability.”

Two regional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to reporters, told the Associated Press that the war in Yemen and strikes by Iran-backed Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia were also among the topics discussed during the talks.

Yemen’s Houthis target Saudi Arabia’s south as Riyadh airport due to reopen– www.channelnewsasia.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

The Houthi fighters have carried out waves of strikes on the airport, including an attack this month that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade.

The group has also targeted oil infrastructure and other sites.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned that Riyadh airport was still “unsafe” and a “military target”.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces warn all international, regional and local airlines – as well as staff and travellers – against using King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, as it is unsafe and serves as a military target for our forces,” he said.

“The Saudi regime shall bear the consequences of any operations at the airport.”

MIA Weekly October 23, 2026

In this issue:

Oui Islam – Fading Trump – Vote Power

In Issue 2026.35, The Universal State, we do a Deep Dive on the French Riots, which are shaping up to be a battle between the universal state and the French nation-state.

Our Bellwether Report covers Trump Tanking, Progs Plotting, and Social Security Cleaning.

In our Final Thought, Bill Collier settles for an awful choice in the 2026 midterm elections.

  1. Deep Dive: Joan of Hamas? – The Progressive French Jihad
  2. Bellwether Report – Global Outlook, Headlines Missed, People Advance

III. Final Thought – Voting Power in the Face of Awful Choices

MIA Weekly 26 10 23 FINAL DRAFT

Bellwether Digest – Week Ending october 23, 2026

By STAFF

This week’s report covers political, world, culture, market, and sci-tech news from October 16-23

This report contains the Global Outlook, Headlines Missed, and People Advance Reports.

TOP NEWS TAGS

  1. 2026 Elections
  2. France Riots
  3. Ukraine War
  4. Progressive State Press
  5. Iran War
  6. AI Watch
  7. Election Fraud
  8. Russia Watch
  9. Trump Deportations
  10. Ilhan Omar Citizenship

GLOBAL OUTLOOK

NOTE: We are following the Ilhan Omar story, which, so far, has not led to decisive action against her. She stands accused of being an illegal alien member of Congress. It remains to be seen if the DOJ has enough to prosecute and then deport her.

  1. TRUMP APPROVAL DROPS TO HISTORIC LOW – The Trump approval rating has hit 33% ahead of the midterms. The same poll shows Democrats are more trusted on the economy than Republicans. Both polls portend poorly for the American republic in the upcoming midterm election, which is an election about Americanism that has been hijacked by the “affordability” narrative.
  2. ANOTHER JUDGE STOPS NON-CITIZEN VOTER PREVENTION ACTION – Another Biden-appointed District Judge has halted key parts of the DHS’ non-citizen voter investigation in what appears to be a partisan protection of the Democratic Party. The court called the investigation into non-citizen voting an “unlawful voter initiative.” The ruling cannot be reversed before the election unless SCOTUS intervenes.
  3. STARLINK BACK ON FOR UKRAINE – President Trump told the press that Ukraine’s access to Starlink has been restored. When asked about it, he said, “I don’t want to comment on it, whether I called or whether somebody else called, doesn’t make any difference, I guess. The bottom line — he put it back.”

Ukraine lost Starlink access in critical areas, leading its President, Zelensky, to claim Musk cost Ukrainian lives. At first, Musk suggested the decision was not his. As of now, the facts behind both the access removal and restoration remain conflicting.

  1. ALBERTA CHOOSES SOVIET CANADA – The vote to secede from Canada failed in Alberta by a convincing margin, with only 23% voting to start the process of secession. With results being delayed, and polls not opening in all places when they should have been, some doubt might remain about the results, but the margin makes it difficult to sustain.
  2. CALIFORNIA TELLS THE FEDS A FEW ILLEGAL VOTES ARE NO BIG DEAL – California’s progressive governor Gavin Newsom recently condoned a few non-citizen votes for the sake of not fully checking their voting rolls as the Department of Justice has requested. After the DOJ caught 28 illegal aliens registered to vote and planning to vote, Newsom’s government responded with indifference to the news.

Newsom claimed, “Yes, non-citizen voter registration and voting does happen in isolated instances — in California and the rest of the country alike — but it is so rare that the Trump admin is parading around town about .0001% of California voters. If the feds were serious about this, they would have done this long ago — not in the middle of people voting, which inherently and needlessly sows distrust and doubt in our democracy.”

  1. ARE THE POLLS RIGGED? – Another polling company has confessed to creating fake polls. Wedgwood Polls confessed it created fake polls to show Democrats ahead as part of a social experiment. They claimed, “Our fabricated numbers were given instant credibility across platforms and cited on air and reporting.”
  2. U.S. AXES DEEPSEEK, CHINA THREATENS COUNTERACTION – The U.S. has announced a ban on China’s DeepSeek AI from U.S. government systems, citing security risks. China has responded by threatening consequences if the U.S. doesn’t reverse this decision. DeepSeek models “present multiple threat pathways,” according to a notice published in the U.S. Federal Register.
  3. MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT SENATOR THREATENS TO PROSECUTE REPUBLICANS TO FRIGHTEN CHILDREN – Michigan Democrat Senator Elissa Slotkin openly threatened to prosecute young staff members of the Trump administration to frighten young people from serving in a non-Democratic administration.

She said, “I want young people coming out of school to say, ‘Should I go work for the Trump administration? That sounds fun. I might get an opportunity.’ I want them to be like, ‘Lord, that might be buying myself a ton of problems I don’t want, and so let me avoid participating in that.’ I want that deterrence message sent.”

  1. META GETS $25 BILLION BILL OVER 2016 ELECTION – A New Mexico court is ordering Meta to pay $25 billion in a civil lawsuit for allowing Cambridge Analytica access to user data during the 2016 election. The company was working for the Trump campaign. It used that information to help the Trump campaign more effectively target potential voters.
  2. CHINA STALKS U.S. SHIPS IN TAIWAN STRAIT – The Chinese have sent ships to shadow U.S. ships on patrol in the Taiwan Strait. While the Chinese have done this before, these shadowing operations have recently increased, along with their presence in the Philippine Sea. The U.S. and Taiwan have met this increased activity with their own increased activity in response.

HEADLINES MISSED

  1. PROGRESSIVES CAUGHT PLOTTING OVERTHROW OF AMERICA – The progressives are planning on enacting a series of violent actions after the midterm elections, should they win decisively. The plan is to trigger a federal response that will allow progressive-controlled states to rebel against the Federal government.

From the main source for the uncovered videos and documents, DataRepublican, “You’ve heard that the DSA is proposing structural reforms to America, including abolishing the Senate and imposing term limits.

“What you not have heard is – there is an operational plan to put it all into action. If the Democratic Party sweeps 2026, then DSA will become ‘foot soldiers”’ in constant clashes with the administration to cross a ‘red line’ or invoke a ‘doomsday scenario’ – meaning, President Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, probably sometime in 2027.”

  1. GOP HANDS AI GOVERNANCE OVER TO CALIFORNIA – Because the Republican-controlled national legislature failed to pass a measure to block them, California is set to be the definer of AI standards. Now, Anthropic is using California’s AI standards to push a national bill forward that could allow their AI agents to work without government intervention unless the high threshold of 50 lives in danger is met.
  2. SUPPORT FOR CRIMINALIZING OFFENSIVE SPEECH SPIKES – Four in 10 U.S. students support criminal prosecution of “offensive speech,” which is up 7 points from last year. The survey came from the Buckley Institute. At the same time, 73% of students agreed the Constitution is an important document for the U.S., not an outdated one.
  3. LEFTIST NEWS AGGREGATORS DOMINATE U.S. NEWS – 58% of Americans are getting their “news” from far-left news aggregators that block non-progressive media from being seen. These four far-left news aggregators are run by progressive-controlled corporations aligned with the Democratic Party. The four aggregators are Apple News, Google News, Yahoo News, and Microsoft’s MSM.
  4. IDAHO PROPOSITION WOULD ALLOW MINORS TO CONSENT TO ABORTION – Despite what the ACLU has been saying about Idaho’s Proposition 1, critics counter that it does, in fact, allow minor children to consent to abortions without parental notice. The proposition, if passed, would remove limits on abortion and effectively allow children to have abortions without parental consent.
  5. BELGIUM’S EUTHANASIA EXPLODES – Over 1,100 people have been euthanized by Belgian authorities for ailments that are not immediately terminal. In 2025, euthanasia deaths jumped 12.4% from last year. They accounted for 4% of all national deaths.
  6. WOMEN IN INDIA STERILIZED TO WORK SUGARCANE FIELDS – With little opportunity outside of working sugarcane fields, hundreds of thousands of women in India choose to have their wombs removed to stop having periods. They do this to ensure they don’t miss workdays.

One woman described what they must endure: “We never have a day off. Once we arrive here, it’s constant work every single day for the next four to five months. Even removing my own uterus requires taking on debt. It feels like my body itself has become a slave to the system.”

PEOPLE ADVANCE

  1. SOCIAL SECURITY TO GET RECORD CLEANUP AFFECTING 50 MILLION RECORDS – The Social Security Administration (SSA) has identified 50 million Social Security records that have inaccurate or fraudulent information. They’ve begun a massive database cleanup of Social Security records, which is intended to dramatically reduce fraud. This is the largest cleanup operation in the history of the SSA.
  2. SCOTUS AFFIRMS TRUMP’S RIGHT TO FIRE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES – A challenge to President Trump firing of a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) member was dismissed by the Supreme Court. Gwynne Wilcox, a progressive, was fired by President Trump. She sued to get her job back.
  3. JUDGE NIXES PROGRESSIVE ASSAULT ON NORTH CAROLINA ELECTION INTEGRITY – The progressives were hoping to use Judgefare to loosen absentee ballot laws in North Carolina. Their efforts were halted by U.S. District Judge Thomas Shroeder, who threw their lawsuit out.
  4. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RUNS OUT OF PATIENCE WITH ISLAM – The European Parliament has passed a resolution condemning the Muslim Brotherhood and calling on action to be taken against Islamists in Europe. French European Parliament member Céline Imart said of the passage, “This is a historic victory because it is a European first.”
  5. WALLPAPER ELECTRIC POWER? – Researchers from New York’s Binghamton University have developed a wallpaper that generates electricity from the air. The technology is called Moist-electric generators, which have existed for years, but are now closer to becoming practical.

US ready to strike Iran ‘within days’– www.thesun.co.uk
News Source
EXCERPT:

THE US military is poised to relaunch its bombardment of Iran “within days”, according to two officials.

It comes as Donald Trump urged Israelis to vote for Benjamin Netanyahu in Tuesday’s crucial elections, so that the pair could “finish the job” in Iran.

The US military is reportedly ready to strike Iran ‘within days’ Credit: AFP
Donald Trump has meanwhile doubled down on his support of Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s elections Credit: AFP

The US military has now deployed sufficient forces in the Middle East to carry out a new wave of attacks, sources told CNN.

Renewed strikes would likely go beyond efforts to “mow the lawn” or hit Iranian assets that could be quickly rebuilt, they added.

Israel holds massive military drills as Iran escalation risk grows– www.foxnews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

The Israeli military launched large-scale domestic military exercises on Sunday to counter surprise border infiltrations and ground raids across northern and central Israel, mobilizing multiple divisions and air assets amid rising regional tensions.

The drills, set to continue over 48 hours, came as an Israeli security expert invoked the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Egypt and Syria used exercises to disguise preparations for a surprise attack, warning that escalating tensions in the region could in fact trigger what he described as a “dangerous miscalculation.”

The large-scale maneuvers, the IDF said, involve the Northern Command’s 210th Division, the West Bank Division, and the Central Command’s 98th and 96th divisions, alongside the Israeli Air Force.

Iran says 7 oil tankers attacked in the Strait of Hormuz as conflict flares – National– globalnews.ca
News Source
EXCERPT:

Seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz overnight after being hit by Iran or striking naval mines, Tehran said Thursday, a markedly high number as tensions rise over concerns about a return to all-out war.

With days before a close election in Israel in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could lose power, and before next month’s U.S. midterm election in which war-linked high prices have sparked voter anger, there are concerns that U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran could resume.

“Netanyahu wants to attack Iran, that’s not even a question,” Danny Citrinowicz, a researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies and a former Iran specialist in Israel’s military and intelligence services, told The Associated Press.

He accused Israel of rushing into another round with Iran without revamping its strategy. A clear Netanyahu victory in the Oct. 27 election means an attack is almost guaranteed, he said.

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Main opposition candidates are likely to focus on domestic issues first, but Citrinowicz said he believed the region is on the way toward “another kinetic escalation.”

Report: Iran’s Shadow Fleet Tankers Run Out of Oil Amid U.S. Blockade– legalinsurrection.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Eight weeks after the Trump administration launched Operation Economic Outcast, Iran’s shadow fleet has run out of oil

After the U.S. imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in mid-July, dozens of China-bound Iranian oil tankers were stranded in Asian ports. Latest news reports suggest that they have now been reduced to empty vessels. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that “dozens of oil tankers holding millions of barrels of crude” floating in Asian waters have “dried up.”

The revelation comes a day after the WSJ confirmed that energy shipments from the region crossed the pre-war mark. “Persian Gulf oil exports have surpassed prewar levels, as an improvised shipping system under U.S. protection is helping tankers move oil through one of Iran’s fiercest waves of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz,” the business daily reported Tuesday.

Iran Mocks France After Macron Blames Middle East War for Riots– gellerreport.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Macron continues to grovel before jihadists, only to discover that submission buys neither mercy nor safety.

Macron blames the Middle East war for riots in France, and Iran rewards his pandering with mockery. Even his excuses earn him nothing but contempt.

Iran Mocks France After Macron Blames Middle East War for Riots

French President Emmanuel Macron attends an agreement-signing ceremony with the Emir of KuBenoit Tessier / POOL / AFP via Getty

By: Frances Martel, Breitbart News, October 19, 2026:

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused French President Emmanuel Macron of “welcom[ing] atrocities against Iranians” and mockingly called for the French government to “listen” to hordes of violent rioters in a social media post on Sunday, responding to Macron blaming the war between Iran and America for the riots.

France endured a chaotic weekend in which tens of thousands of people, who local politicians have identified as a variety of leftist and Islamist extremists, engaged in a wave of vandalism and destruction throughout the nation’s largest cities, burning down several major historical sites, most prominently the Limoges City Hall. Macron delivered a national address on Sunday in which he discouraged further violence and blamed the war that began between America and Iran in February for the high cost of living in the country, which he claimed was fueling unrest in the country.

Video. Yemen: Tanks fire as fighting erupts on the outskirts of Taiz– www.euronews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Yemeni government forces and allied Popular Resistance fighters clashed with Houthi fighters on the western outskirts of Taiz on Wednesday, 21 October, near the city’s old airport and Jabal Han mountain. The internationally recognised government said its forces repelled the attack, while reporting air strikes on Houthi positions, vehicles and a missile launchpad west, south and east of the city.

Footage showed a government tank firing towards Houthi positions as gunfire echoed across the area. The fighting comes as Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, faces mounting pressure from Houthi forces, which have largely encircled it and cut key supply routes, including the main road to Aden, the interim capital of the internationally recognised government.

The restrictions have also disrupted access to the city’s main landfill, leaving rubbish to pile up along major streets. Sanitation workers say they can no longer reach the dumping site because of the clashes and have resorted to burning waste in the streets.

Netanyahu says ‘toppling’ Iran government only way to end threat– www.channelnewsasia.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

DIMONA, Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday (Oct 21) that the only way to remove the threat posed by Iran was to topple its government.

“Iran wanted to destroy us; we stopped them. They wanted to produce nuclear bombs; we stopped them … Yet they persist,” he said during an election rally in the southern town of Dimona. “Therefore, there is only one way to end this: by toppling this regime.”

“This is the directive I have issued to the Israel Defence Forces, to the Mossad, and to all our security branches,” he added, without specifying when or how that directive would be executed.

The sabre-rattling came as the premier headed into the last week of a tight race for re-election.

Netanyahu had instructed the Israeli military to plan for resumed strikes against Iran earlier this month, according to sources cited by the Financial Times on Wednesday, but US President Donald Trump reportedly objected to the idea.

Iran says indirect talks with U.S. on ceasefire proposal continue– www.cbsnews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

A missile industry veteran has been tapped as Iran’s new defense minister, replacing the previous minister who was killed on Feb. 28, the first day of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Iranian parliamentarians overwhelmingly approved the appointment of Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi, 68, as the country’s new defense chief on Sunday.

Akhlaghi studied chemical engineering at Amirkabir University of Technology and then spent more than four decades working in Iran’s military industries, holding senior positions in the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group, the Aerospace Industries Organization  – which has worked on missile development in cooperation with Russia, China and North Korea –  and the Defense Industries Organization.

He worked with Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander widely regarded as the father of Iran’s missile industry.

Akhlaghi has been under international sanctions since 2007 because of his involvement in Iran’s missile programs.

Houthis attack city in Yemen that UN says is at ‘grave risk’ – National– globalnews.ca
News Source
EXCERPT:

Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck a residential area in Yemen’s third-largest city on Tuesday, killing two teenage girls and renewed attention to the dangers faced by civilians in Taiz, which has been under attack and siege during the country’s escalating conflict.

The Houthis have largely encircled Taiz and cut off most supply routes from government-held areas, putting civilians at “grave risk,” U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk said Tuesday. The U.N. says the siege has sent prices soaring, leaving many residents without food and other necessities.

Also on Tuesday, a senior Yemeni government official said the death toll from a Houthi missile strike a day earlier on a government military camp rose to 73 people, making it the deadliest strike since the resurgence of the conflict over the summer.

The conflict has only intensified since forces from the internationally recognized government and Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on Houthi-held Sanaa International Airport in July, shattering a 2022 ceasefire deal that largely stopped fighting in the country’s civil war.

Defense Giants Post Record Backlogs As Iran War Drains America’s Missile Stockpiles– dailycaller.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Two of America’s largest defense contractors reported record order backlogs Tuesday, with RTX securing nearly $23 billion in Tomahawk cruise missile contracts as the Pentagon faced mounting costs to replace weapons expended during the war with Iran.

RTX disclosed a record $340 billion companywide backlog, including $164 billion in defense orders, while Northrop Grumman reported a record $109.6 billion in outstanding contracts. Although neither company attributed its overall backlog to the Iran conflict, RTX secured major orders for Tomahawk missiles and missile defense interceptors, weapons the U.S. military expended during the fighting.

RTX reported quarterly revenue climbed 11% to nearly $25 billion, according to its earnings release. Its Raytheon defense division generated $8 billion in sales, a 14% increase from a year earlier, driven by higher production volumes on naval weapons, Patriot air defense systems, Standard Missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Raytheon’s operating profit jumped 32% to $1.13 billion, while RTX secured more than $81 billion in new commercial aerospace and defense awards during the quarter.

RTX CEO Chris Calio said approximately $23 billion in Tomahawk contracts and more than $14 billion in AMRAAM missile orders accounted for the majority of the company’s nearly $59 billion in quarterly defense bookings. The Tomahawk orders included a $22.9 billion contract awarded in August to expand production for the U.S. Navy.

Tehran is a Different Beast Now– warontherocks.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

The Tehran that the world knew is gone. It died in the fires with former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war in February. His son and new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei — wherever he is and in whatever physical condition — witnessed his father, wife, and other close family members die in the same airstrike that wounded him. The White House believed that the conflict would last only a few weeks, but the Islamic Republic has proven less fragile than anticipated by the United States and Israel, who now must deal with surviving Iranian leaders who experienced similar trauma and loss in early strikes. Washington has struggled to appreciate how its devastating attacks altered Tehran’s mindset: The White House instead still expresses confusion at “crazy” Iranian behavior that won’t return to prewar expectations.

I argue here that the “crazy” Iranian behavior confounding Washington in part reflects a subtle but important shift in Iran’s mindset. The U.S.-led attack was end-of-days fodder for true believers inside the upper echelons of the Islamic Republic, who listened to years of paranoid predictions about just such an apocalyptic attack at weekly Friday prayers. The surviving members of Iran’s inner circle — the New Tehran — are now acting based on an altered set of strategic principles. Despite the tactical brilliance of the U.S. military, the White House cannot find an endgame and risks turning a crisis into a catastrophe if it cannot adjust to Tehran’s new reality.

As a former CIA analyst, my job for many years was to set aside my personal views and instead see the world as Iranian leaders do. My goal was to get inside the heads of Tehran’s hardliners, who have very different perspectives than Western analysts. Such an exercise can be uncomfortable to do with violent authoritarians hostile to the United States — especially when the exercise challenges one’s core assumptions and values — but it provides helpful clarity when an adversary’s behavior defies expectations. Of course, Iranian leaders do not regularly broadcast their private deliberations — and their public statements can be misleading bravado and propaganda. So divining Iran’s true leadership decision-making is often more art than science. Yet, it is still possible to deduce much of their unspoken internal logic by analyzing regime actions and viewing the world through Tehran’s ideological lens.

Trump Signs New Order Targeting Russia And Iran– trendingpoliticsnews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping new executive order establishing massive tariffs and sanctions targeting Russia and countries that help Moscow evade American restrictions, marking another major development in Washington’s efforts to confront foreign adversaries.

The order, signed Friday, October 16, implements the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, legislation Trump signed into law on September 18.

The measure establishes a framework for imposing tariffs of up to 500 percent on Russian imports while threatening additional penalties against countries purchasing Russian energy or helping Moscow circumvent existing sanctions.

However, the president also exercised his authority to temporarily waive the new penalties, leaving the administration with the ability to activate them at a later date.

Under the executive order, goods imported directly from Russia would face an additional 500 percent tariff. Countries identified among the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas could also face 100 percent tariffs on their goods if they knowingly make new purchases of Russian energy beginning October 18.