US envoy says strike on Iran possible this weekend

Summary

A US envoy said on Friday that a strike on Iran could come as soon as this weekend, moving the standoff from diplomacy toward a question of timing.⁠12

The New York Times reported, citing US officials, that the United States and Israel are drafting plans to resume bombing Iran after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, with the aim of pushing Tehran toward concessions at the negotiating table.⁠3

Istanbul offered a counterweight, as foreign ministers from eight European and Middle Eastern countries urged the United States and Israel not to renew attacks and called for a diplomatic path.⁠4

Oil markets reacted, with Brent crude rising to $114.57 a barrel, a five-month high, as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia added to concern about supply.⁠5

In China's Tibet region, a magnitude 7 earthquake killed at least 16 people and destroyed hundreds of homes, according to reports.⁠6

In Africa, the World Health Organization warned that the Ebola outbreak had become 'complex' after the virus reached Nigeria, marking the first case in the continent's west.⁠7

The next test for the United States and Iran is whether the strike plans reported for after the Nov. 3 midterm elections are put into action, a question that will shape the region's energy markets and diplomacy in the weeks ahead.⁠3