Iran Israel Updates October 7

- Trump asks Pentagon for Iran strike options before midterms - report The White House has reportedly requested options for strikes before November 3, although no final decision has been made.

- Israel’s defense establishment’s nightmare scenario: Iran is under heavy internal pressure to launch a preemptive attack on Israel even before the election, amid the economic collapse and the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The IDF and Shin Bet are also concerned about a scenario in which unrest breaks out simultaneously on several fronts. (i24NEWS)

- Israel marks 3 years since Oct. 7/Simchas Torah with memorial ceremonies

- Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran was given multiple opportunities to reach an agreement with the United States over its nuclear program and squandered every one of them. The message from Washington: Tehran had chances for diplomacy. It chose a different path.

- Fars News Agency reports that an adviser to the commander of Iran’s IRGC says “illegal routes” through the Strait of Hormuz will soon be closed.

-Maritime security sources tracking the incidents report that last week saw more attacks on tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz than any other week since the start of the Iran war, the highest weekly figure recorded so far. Reuters

- Ambassador Leiter gave another update on his son’s condition: ‘Neria has severe head injuries, but in recent days he has started breathing on his own. However, he is not conscious.

- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani releases a statement marking three years since the October 7 massacre in Israel. Mamdani mourns those killed and condemns Hamas, but the bulk of the statement is focused on Israel, accusing Israel of genocide and apartheid. “Three years later, we must refuse to accept a world in which occupation and apartheid continue, where war crimes are met with impunity, and our federal government continues its complicity with every arms shipment. To honor the dead, we must fight for a world in which every person can live with freedom, safety, and dignity,” 

- Vance: Iran needs to show ‘meaningful’ reduction in nuclear enrichment for a deal

- Over 75 retired US military leaders reject Gaza genocide allegations in open letter.

- Sec. Marco Rubio: “Three years ago today, Hamas terrorists tortured, mutilated, and murdered 1,200 innocent civilians in Israel. Among those slain were men, women, and children  including dozens of Americans. We will never forget this act of barbarism against an ally and recommit ourselves to the defense of civilization.”

- On the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is scheduled to attend a vigil remembering the victims and then, shortly afterward, meet with Palestinian New Yorkers. His office has provided no further details about the meeting. 

- The US-backed Board of Peace issues a statement marking the third anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7 massacre, highlighting the tragedy of the attack as well as the subsequent suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians in the war “unleashed by Hamas,” and stressing its commitment to advancing Washington’s plan for Gaza’s “demilitarization and deradicalization.”

- A coalition of Jewish officials in New York City calls for a permanent memorial to the victims of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught in Israel.

- In a statement marking three years since the October 7 massacre, Hamas military wing spokesman Abu Obeida says that “October 7 was an extraordinary military achievement, with God’s help” “Enemies and friends alike acknowledged the scale of the planning, execution and deception,” he says.