World Briefing: Friday, Nov. 6, 2026

Status: Daily briefing. Each item names its source. Items marked UNCONFIRMED have not been independently confirmed.

1. Iran and the Strait of Hormuz

Three tankers were reported hit in or near the Strait of Hormuz. A UK maritime security agency reported an explosion off Oman, and the IRGC said tankers struck mines on "unauthorised" routes (Al Jazeera, AP, The National). About a third of the world's seaborne oil passes through Hormuz; G7 countries agreed to release oil stocks, those outlets report. Trump's sharper Oval Office warnings are covered on our Iran story. UNCONFIRMED: The National says Tehran reportedly sent a nuclear proposal to Washington via Qatar — treat that line as unconfirmed here. Iran's Mohsen Rezaei met Vladimir Putin in Moscow (The National).

2. Israel's next government

President Herzog will announce who gets the first mandate on Sunday. Gadi Eisenkot has recommendations from 67 of 120 seats versus 46 for Benjamin Netanyahu (Anadolu). Sixty-seven recommendations are not a governing coalition — Arab-party recommenders have not committed to join, and stalemate or another election remains possible. Full nuance: Herzog to Name Mandate Sunday; Eisenkot Has 67 Recommendations but Not Yet a Coalition.

3. Gaza and the West Bank

Israeli strikes killed at least five Palestinians in central Gaza, including a 12-year-old boy, overnight coverage says (Ouest-France, Anadolu). Both sides accuse each other of breaking the October 2025 ceasefire. The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 1,600 people have been killed since the truce began — that figure is attributed to the ministry, not independently verified here. The UN condemned a settler takeover of Palestinian homes near Jericho (Anadolu).

4. Yemen and Saudi Arabia

Houthis tried to hit Saudi Arabia's Madinah region with a ballistic missile; Gulf states and Jordan condemned the attack (Anadolu). WHO puts deaths in Yemen since August at 1,771. Türkiye's parliament ratified a defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, redrawing regional security alignments (Anadolu).

5. Russia–Ukraine diplomacy

Trump met privately with Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev and predicted a "very big" deal that could involve Europe (NBC News). U.S.-mediated Russia–Ukraine talks are set for Nov. 10-11 in Abu Dhabi. Allies spent two days in Brussels on postwar security guarantees; the EU sent Ukraine €4.4 billion (NBC News).

6. Russia–Ukraine fighting

Zelenskyy said every Ukrainian power plant has been damaged by Russian attacks (Guardian). The death toll from Monday's bombing of an aid point in Zaporizhzhia rose to 53. Ukraine carried out drone strikes on southern Russia, including the Afipsky refinery area; Russia said it shot down nearly 500 drones (Independent).

7. Leadership turmoil elsewhere

Paraguay's President Santiago Peña resigned over the collapse of digital lender Ueno Bank (Xinhua, Nhan Dan, Anadolu). In France, about 600,000 protested the cost of living, with 400-plus arrests. At least 18 flights faced bomb threats in Europe; Sweden plans to bring back internal border checks on Nov. 12.

What to watch

Herzog's Sunday mandate announcement; Abu Dhabi talks Nov. 10-11; Hormuz incidents.