Iranian officials were emboldened Wednesday by a stinging election setback for U.S. President Donald Trump, and world leaders waited to see whether Washington would end the war with Iran.
Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed they fired strikes on an airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. The Israeli military said it struck two suspects in Lebanon, killing one person.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Wednesday. Read our full coverage here.
Iran’s leaders say election shows US voters rejected Trump’s war
Iranians celebrated after U.S. voters, concerned about the war and frustrated over rising prices for fuel, gave Democrats control of Congress in Tuesday’s vote — a major blow for Trump and his Republican Party.
Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, wrote Wednesday on X that “Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message.” He warned that if the U.S. government ignores the vote for change, “it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare.”
But Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, dismissed thoughts that the U.S. will change its approach to the Islamic Republic.
The broader region has been on edge for weeks over whether the U.S. will resume full-scale military operations against Iran. Talks are ongoing aimed at preventing renewed fighting.
Underscoring the mutual hostility, thousands marched through Tehran on Wednesday at a government-organized demonstration commemorating the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy.
Pro-government demonstrators burned American and Israeli flags and chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”
UN peacekeeping chief says Lebanon needs UN presence and urges a Security Council decision
Jean-Pierre Lacroix said Wednesday that Lebanese officials fear a “security vacuum” between Israeli forces and the Lebanese army when the U.N. peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL ends Dec. 31.
Lacroix, who recently returned from the Middle East, warned of the risks of leaving the two armies “sort of face-to-face” without a third-party presence. He questioned who would monitor the U.N.-drawn Blue Line separating Israel and Lebanon, prevent unintended clashes and support communities in southern Lebanon.
The border region patrolled by UNIFIL has experienced decades of violence, including a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah militants in 2024. Israel has long accused UNIFIL of failing to prevent Hezbollah from building up its military presence along the border. Lacroix said efforts to disarm Hezbollah had failed because “there was no political will.”
The United States, Israel’s closest ally, successfully pushed the U.N. Security Council to end the mission after nearly five decades. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres proposed three options in June to maintain U.N. monitoring along the border.
Lacroix said unarmed U.N. military observers would still be authorized to operate in southern Lebanon but questioned how they could do so without protection or support.
He said a Security Council resolution adopted in 2000 remains in effect. The council is scheduled to discuss it Nov. 19.
Houthis claim strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia
In Yemen, the Iran-backed Houthis on Wednesday claimed without providing evidence that they targeted King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh as well as several areas in southern parts of the country.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said rebels fired a ballistic missile toward the airport, causing what he described as “major damages” to the airport. He also claimed that the group fired a drone at a radar installation and a ballistic missile at a command and control center in the Jazan province.
The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify these claims. The Saudi information ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Saudi civil defense issued an alert in Riyadh overnight and other warning alerts of potential “danger” in Jazan and Najran early Wednesday.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted oil and logistic facilities as well as airports in Saudi Arabia as part of their plan to fight what they describe as the kingdom’s “blockade” on Yemen.
Israeli drone strike on southern Lebanon
In Lebanon, the Health Ministry said the strike on a motorcycle in the village of Qabrikha killed one person and wounded another.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it had “struck two suspects who were observing IDF soldiers” without providing further details.
The attack was the first in nearly a month as such drone strikes have been rare since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in late June ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war.