Iran shortens Strait reopening plan to two days as Yemen displacement tops 300,000

Iran announced on Monday that it will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks with the United States within two days if Washington meets specific demands. This timeline is shorter than the seven-day period Tehran previously outlined. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that ships using the reopened strait must follow a route agreed upon by Iran and Oman. Vessels would also travel under Iranian supervision. The United States must lift sanctions on Iranian oil sales and agree to a ceasefire that includes Lebanon, according to Iranian officials.

Esmail Baghaei, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said the plan remains the basis for negotiations through mediators. He described the shorter timeline as a sign of Iran’s good-faith approach. Baghaei did not indicate that Tehran changed its demands or that the United States accepted the proposal. President Donald Trump has recently alternated between diplomatic overtures and threats of heavy bombing in public comments.

Displacement in Yemen has intensified as fighting resumes between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces. The U.N. migration agency reported that more than 300,000 people have fled the renewed conflict. The Houthi-run health ministry said explosives hit a market in Taiz province on Monday. The attack killed two children and one other person, while eight others were injured. Ministry spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi blamed Saudi Arabia for the strike, a claim the Associated Press could not independently verify.

Abdusattor Esoev, head of the International Organization for Migration mission in Yemen, described the situation as families fleeing with little more than the clothes on their backs. Many displaced residents from Taiz are moving south toward Aden. Aid groups report limited access to those in need as the four-year truce breaks down.

In the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military concluded an operation in Hebron that began last month. The sweeping response followed a shooting in which two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers. The military demolished the gunmen’s residences and confiscated weapons. Hundreds of displaced Palestinians began returning to Deir Bahha on Monday. Some residents found their homes damaged by military raids, with broken doors and shattered glass.

Wael Shawar, a resident of Deir Bahha, said she was shocked to find her door broken upon her return. Tamara Obei, another resident, expressed fear about bringing her children back into a home where explosives experts were still checking for unexploded devices. The children are already psychologically exhausted, she said.

China plans to send a special envoy to Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia in early to mid-November. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated the envoy would focus on easing tensions and promoting regional stability. President Xi Jinping told Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said that the Gulf region should not become an arena for great-power rivalry. In southern Gaza, two men were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes early Monday, according to Nasser Hospital. The overall death toll in Gaza has risen to more than 74,500 since the conflict began.

Next steps include the arrival of the Chinese special envoy in the Gulf states and the potential resumption of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States within the next two days.