Iran calls latest US proposal to end war ‘insufficient’ as Netanyahu corruption trial resumes

A senior Iranian official says Tehran considers the latest US response to a proposal to end the war “insufficient” and warns of attacks on regional data centers and cables if fighting escalates again.

Meanwhile, Israel’s former attorney general has taken the witness stand in corruption cases against Benjamin Netanyahu, as the political future of the country’s longest-serving prime minister hangs in the balance just weeks before the election.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Saturday. Read our full coverage here.

Iran says latest US response ‘insufficient’

The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Tehran considers the latest US response “insufficient” as negotiations efforts to end the war and fully open the Strait of Hormuz slow.

The comments of Mohsen Rezaei, former commander of the Revolutionary Guards, were echoed by the official Iranian news agency IRNA.

Rezaei added that Iran was no longer responding to the United States and said Washington needed to clarify some issues, without giving details. He said the United States had agreed to some of the seven conditions, but others remained unclear.

The Iranian delegation to the annual meeting of U.N. world leaders last month proposed a fast-track deal that echoed the memorandum of understanding that collapsed days after it was signed by the United States and Iran in June. The new proposal was rejected, but the two parties remained in contact via mediation.

Rezaei also threatened “cables, data centers, AI facilities and other sites in the region” if intense fighting breaks out again.

Separately, the Navy Guard warned that any vessel circulating in the strait that deactivated its navigation and identification systems would be “identified as hostile,” according to an IRNA report. Attacks on ships transiting the strait have increased since the rejection of the Iranian proposal. An attack was reported on Sunday.

Former legal adviser testifies in Netanyahu corruption case

Israel’s former attorney general took the witness stand in Netanyahu’s lengthy corruption trial.

Avichai Mandelblit indicted the prime minister seven years ago for fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes. These are the first accusations made against a sitting Israeli prime minister.

Netanyahu was present in the courtroom to hear Mandelblit testify. The prime minister chose Mandelblit, his former cabinet secretary, for the post of attorney general. His term ended in 2022.

Netanyahu has been accused of offering or trading favors with wealthy associates and media moguls for political purposes. He denies any wrongdoing.

Saudi Arabia on alert as Houthis warn of further strikes

A projectile hit the same passenger terminal at Riyadh International Airport that was hit on Saturday. The airport had been closed after Saturday’s attack, which killed 12 people, but Saudi authorities reported injuries in the latest attack.

In Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for two attacks on King Khalid International Airport, which has been targeted every day since Wednesday.

Brig. General Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ military spokesman, urged “everyone to take our warnings seriously” about the risks of flying in Saudi airspace.

The attacks marked a major escalation in the war between the Houthis and the kingdom, and complicated efforts to end the war between the United States and Iran.

Gaza residents return to rubble as strikes continue

Residents of central Gaza returned home to assess the damage caused by Israeli strikes after being warned the day before to evacuate.

Bassam Abed said at least 10 residences housing some 300 families were reduced to rubble and families did not have enough time to flee.

“The women were sleeping outside. We didn’t bring any clothes,” Abed said.

The Israeli military said it targeted militant infrastructure, including a rocket launch site and a command center used by Hamas militants to attack soldiers.

A year after Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement, Israel continues to launch almost daily strikes.

Netanyahu wants to investigate ‘NAZA’ documentary

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the attorney general and head of the Shin Bet security service to investigate those who participated in the new documentary “NAZA,” in which members of the Israeli military describe what they consider to be the reckless killing of civilians in Gaza.

Netanyahu said the film, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival to a record 25-minute ovation, tells “a false, misleading and biased story that slanders the State of Israel” and its military.

The documentary has sparked anger and instability among Israelis, whose view of the war in Gaza differs sharply from that of much of the world, where criticism of Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territory has increased.

Netanyahu is fighting to stay in power in an October 27 election, in which security is a major issue.

Lebanese army says retired officer killed by Israeli bombing

The Lebanese army said it had found the body of a retired officer who was killed by Israeli artillery fire while inspecting his property in the southern town of Yater.

He said Ali Abdul Hassan Sweidan had been “directly targeted by a hostile Israeli tank” and called it a “blatant violation of existing agreements.”

An Israeli army spokesperson said it was not aware of the incident.

Israel has occupied much of southern Lebanon since the outbreak of its latest war with the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in March.