Iran war live: Tehran says Netanyahu seeks more war; Yemen fighting flares

9 Updates 15m ago (02:00 GMT) Photos: Palestinians line up for food donated by WFP at Gaza displacement camp Palestinians receive food donated by the World Food Programme at a displacement camp in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on October 18, 2026 [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP] [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP] [Mahmoud Issa/Reuters] Share Photos: Palestinians line up for food donated by WFP at Gaza displacement camp on social media 35m ago (01:40 GMT) Gaza families fear food shortages as Israel halts commercial shipments By Maram Humaid Prices of basic goods are rising rapidly in Gaza, where Israeli restrictions on the import of commercial goods are in their fifth consecutive day. Families already suffering from the siege on the enclave have started stocking up on goods they can still find, for fear of imminent shortages and continued price increases. The cost of flour, eggs, onions and other staples has sharply increased since Wednesday, when Israel said that commercial goods would no longer enter Gaza. This comes amid a dispute over fees involving Palestinian merchants and Hamas, which still has some authority in the Strip. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been plunged into poverty since Israel began its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023. The price of basic goods has soared, as incomes have shrunk due to the war and Israel’s tightened siege. Palestinian children wait to receive food from a soup kitchen funded by the World Food Programme (WFP), in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on October 18, 2026 [Mahmoud Issa/Reuters] Share Gaza families fear food shortages as Israel halts commercial shipments on social media 55m ago (01:20 GMT) ANALYSIS Houthi siege of Taiz intensifies, raising fear of humanitarian disaster “The battle for Taiz remains quasi-existential for the government, but more than anything, it is crucial for the million people living under siege,” said Adam Baron, a fellow of the Future Security programme at the New America think tank. “It’s easy to frame this in geopolitical terms, but we’re talking about what could be the worst humanitarian crisis since the conflict began,” Baron told Al Jazeera. Share Houthi siege of Taiz intensifies, raising fear of humanitarian disaster on social media 1h ago (01:00 GMT) Plane leaving Israel makes emergency landing in Bulgaria after bomb threat An Airbus A320 flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna has made an emergency landing in Bulgaria following a reported bomb threat, according to the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport. Austrian Airlines flight OS82 was near the border with Romania when the crew received a bomb threat and decided to land in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, the Transport Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. A crisis response team has been set up, and relevant authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, the Bulgarian Transport Ministry said. An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320-200 aircraft takes off from Zurich airport [File: Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters] Share Plane leaving Israel makes emergency landing in Bulgaria after bomb threat on social media 1h ago (00:45 GMT) WATCH: Protesters disrupt Ben-Gvir’s event, forcing him off stage Israeli protesters disrupted a Tel Aviv university event featuring far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Demonstrators chanted “There will be no fascism here”, staged a sit-in and scuffled with security personnel before Ben-Gvir left the venue under escort. Share WATCH: Protesters disrupt Ben-Gvir’s event, forcing him off stage on social media 1h ago (00:30 GMT) Who is Mehrdad Akhlaghi, Iran’s new tech-focused defence minister? Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi has been appointed Iran’s defence minister at a time when the war with the United States is expected to escalate. The 68-year-old was approved on Sunday by parliament, which has convened online since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran on February 28, to assume leadership of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics. In total, 237 lawmakers voted in favour of Akhlaghi’s appointment and 15 against. Akhlaghi will be responsible for rebuilding and expanding Iran’s military-industrial infrastructure, which has been heavily targeted by the US and Israel. Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi [Screen grab/Press TV] Share Who is Mehrdad Akhlaghi, Iran’s new tech-focused defence minister? on social media 2h ago (00:15 GMT) Egyptian, Pakistani FMs condemn Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, have strongly condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, reaffirming their support for the kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reports. The condemnation came during a phone call between the two leaders on Sunday, in which they reviewed regional developments and “their implications for security and stability in the region”. “The two ministers also discussed ways to enhance cooperation and coordination within the Quadrilateral Group” of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkiye, the agency added. Share Egyptian, Pakistani FMs condemn Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia on social media 2h ago (00:03 GMT) A recap of recent developments Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says an oil tanker “violating regulations” caught fire after hitting a sea mine in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump says he is in the process of negotiating a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, adding that Moscow had not helped Iran much, if at all, in the US-Israel war on the country. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “driving America into another war to stay out of jail”. Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi, a veteran of Iran’s missile programme, has been appointed defence minister. The military spokesperson for Yemen’s Houthis says Saudi warplanes carried out 110 air strikes and missile attacks over the past 24 hours in Yemen. Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud has met with UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. Egypt’s parliament will continue discussions on Monday over authorising military support to Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Houthi attacks, Reuters reported, quoting MPs. The Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has condemned “in the strongest terms” Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Israeli forces have killed at least five Palestinians, including two children, and wounded 11 others across Gaza. Share A recap of recent developments on social media Get instant alerts and updates based on your interests. Be the first to know when big stories happen. Yes, keep me updated 2h ago (00:00 GMT) Welcome to our coverage Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran. Stay with us for the latest news and analysis on the war and its fallout across the Middle East, including in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Yemen. You can find our updates from Sunday, October 18, here. Boys fill up jerrycans with drinking water from a charity tank in the southwestern city of Taiz, Yemen, October 18, 2026 [Anees Mahyoub/Reuters] Share Welcome to our coverage on social media