US weighs Iran strike as Israel locks down West Bank and French protests spread
The United States said it may attack Iran as soon as Sunday or reach a major deal, while Israel locked down the occupied West Bank and the Houthis claimed new attacks on Saudi Arabia. Mass cost-of-living protests brought clashes and almost 1,000 arrests in France, with unrest also reported in Italy and Spain.
Trump said the US is considering a possible attack on Iran as soon as Sunday, or it could reach a major deal with Tehran. Iran blamed the US for the failed deal, urged a new attempt at talks and warned that even limited strikes would draw a response 'several times greater'. A US intelligence memo says Iranian plots against Americans in the Middle East have reached advanced stages.
The Israeli army began a full lockdown and military operations across the occupied West Bank on Saturday. Hebron's municipality says about 1,500 people were evicted from the Ein Deir Baha district and 35 hectares were destroyed or marked for destruction. The city of 250,000 was sealed off after a militant attack on an army checkpoint, and Netanyahu vowed 'to destroy this place'.
The Interior Ministry reported 410,000 marchers across France on Saturday, while unions claimed 800,000. Clashes and tear gas were reported in several cities and almost 1,000 people were arrested, though officials say they avoided a repeat of last weekend's rioting. Italy deployed 500 more soldiers to Milan, and police clashes with demonstrators were also reported in Spain.
The Houthis said they attacked Saudi oil facilities and airports on Saturday. Yemen's Saudi-backed government said the group also fired three ballistic missiles at coast guard sites in Aden.
Ukraine says Starlink access has been restored, and Elon Musk said he was behind the speed restriction. Maritime analysts say nearly 50 commercial vessels were attacked in the Black Sea in October, halting much traffic. Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US are expected to meet in Abu Dhabi next month.
Thousands gathered at a new antigovernment rally in Tirana on Saturday. More than 300 protesters and police were injured in the fiercest clashes in days.
Four bodies believed to be Salvadoran soldiers ambushed six days earlier while serving in the Gang Suppression Force were found. El Salvador had sent hundreds of troops to search for the men.