🇸🇦Week of November 2

Republicans are demanding that President Donald Trump change course after defeats in the midterm elections, with the party's losses setting off an internal reckoning over his leadership. The results have pushed Republicans to question the direction Trump has taken the party.123456

Attributed claim: The Democratic win is being measured against past landslides, and the two comparisons differ. CNN Arabic and Asharq Al-Awsat describe the Democrats as approaching their largest House majority in 35 years, while Al Jazeera Net calls the victory the biggest in 52 years.781

Trump said there may have been some tampering in the midterm election results, an allegation he raised as Republicans absorbed their losses.9

Democrats are set to strengthen oversight of trade, while Trump's veto keeps his tariff approach in place.1081

Germany's chancellor said Trump will continue governing by executive orders despite the Republican losses.11

Sudan's armed forces announced the recapture of four areas on the northern Kordofan axis from the Rapid Support Forces, and said the army had taken full control of the strategic al-Mazroub area in North Kordofan after battles with Rapid Support Forces units. Al-Mazroub is a vital link between Sodari and the road toward Darfur, the army said.12

The army seized the al-Hamadi area in South Kordofan and recovered areas west of al-Obeid, according to reports from the battlefield. It also retook four areas in Blue Nile state, while the Rapid Support Forces massed fighters in Kordofan.345

Fighting flared again on front lines in eastern and western Sudan. The army retook a strategic town in North Kordofan and moved closer to opening a route toward Darfur, and it recovered a vital area in North Kordofan state, according to two Arabic-language outlets.627

The Rapid Support Forces held civilian cadres in western Kordofan, and the army took control of a vital area there. The Rapid Support Forces also entered an oil field, Al Jazeera Net reported, while pressing toward Blue Nile state as the army advanced in Kordofan.8910

The Sudanese armed forces announced the liberation of four areas on the northern Kordofan axis from the grip of the Rapid Support Forces, and the army said it had restored cities in North Kordofan that Rapid Support Forces fighters had seized.111

The Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the Houthi militia toward the Medina region. The announcement followed an alert in Yanbu, and Saudi Arabia warned of danger there. The coalition also said it intercepted and destroyed a drone in the Eastern Region.1234

Other reports placed drone interceptions elsewhere. TRT Arabi and Al Emarat Al Youm said the coalition announced the interception and destruction of a drone in the Mecca region, while Al-Ghad reported a Houthi drone destroyed over the Eastern Region.567

The Houthis, through their Ansar Allah group, announced raids on Ras Issa port, while the coalition spoke of intercepting a missile and a drone. Al-Mada reported alerts in both Yanbu and Sharurah as Saudi Arabia intercepted the missile toward Medina.89

The coalition has repeatedly reported intercepting Houthi missiles and drones aimed at Saudi cities including Riyadh and Yanbu, and says it remains committed to destroying the sources of those threats.12

Iran executed two men after they were convicted of killing four police officers during the January protests, according to Arabic-language outlets. The executions are tied to the protest case in Isfahan, and the reported total number of executions in the case has risen to nine.123

The two men were put to death in a case linked to the Isfahan protests, with coverage describing them as convicted over the deaths of four police officers during the January unrest. The count of executions connected to the case now stands at nine.453

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman held a phone call with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Saudi state outlets and Gulf media reported. The two discussed efforts to reduce escalation and Houthi attacks, according to accounts carried by Al Arabiya, Al-Riyadh and CNN Arabic.1234

The call was one of several the Saudi defense minister held the same day. He also spoke with his Japanese and Australian counterparts about strengthening defense cooperation, and with his South Korean counterpart, with whom he condemned Houthi terrorist attacks on the kingdom.567

Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Khalid bin Salman discussed defense cooperation with the United States, France and Greece. The same outlet and Al-Riyadh described the calls as covering defense cooperation and regional developments.89

Attributed claim: The Saudi Press Agency reported the call with the US war minister in a brief political item, while CNN Arabic framed its account around what the Saudi defense minister said he discussed with Hegseth. Sabq led on defense cooperation in the call.1410

The Jordan-based Sarya news agency carried the same account of the Khalid bin Salman and Hegseth call on Thursday, four days after the Saudi outlets reported it.11

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi and regional outlets reported. Al-Sharaa arrived in the kingdom on a visit that Syrian and Gulf coverage described as his sixth since he took the presidency.12345

The Syrian president landed in Riyadh at the head of a ministerial delegation for talks and the signing of agreements, Al Jazeera Net reported. Saudi outlet Sabq reported that the deputy governor of the Riyadh region was at the front of those receiving him at the airport.67

Coverage of the visit raised the question of whether Syria's accession to the Mecca agreement would be discussed during the talks, Euronews reported. The visit is al-Sharaa's sixth to Saudi Arabia since he assumed the Syrian presidency, according to Anadolu Ajansı.85

Saudi Aramco reported third-quarter profit of 36.64 billion dollars, up 41.3 percent from a year earlier, and declared a dividend of 0.34 riyal per share for the quarter. The company said total dividend distributions for the period reached 82.1 billion riyals.123

Aramco's chief executive said the company is continuing to look for additional storage capacity abroad and alternative export routes. The company aims to raise the capacity of the east-west pipeline to 10 million barrels a day, and gas investments are expected to add 15 billion dollars to cash flows by 2030.452

The head of Aramco said the cost of the east-west pipeline was recovered within 15 days and that its expansion is under study. The Saudi stock market opened up 0.45 percent, with the Aramco share steady.67

Attributed claim: Accounts of the profit growth differ. Al Arabiya, a pro-government outlet, reported a 41.3 percent rise to 36.64 billion dollars, while the centrist Euronews reported growth of 34.6 percent for the same quarter.18

The Houthi group said it struck Aramco facilities in Saudi Arabia as raids hit three Yemeni provinces, according to the oppositional Al Jazeera Net. Euronews reported the quarterly profit rise while noting the Houthi attacks.98

US President Donald Trump warned that Washington may be forced to carry out a crushing strike on Iran, saying "we may have to deliver a crushing strike on Iran." The warning was carried by the pro-government Saudi outlet Al Arabiya and by the state outlet Ajel, which reported the same statement on Thursday.12

The warning follows a US official's statement that US Central Command has prepared an expanded list of bombing targets in Iran, with Washington preparing for wide-ranging strikes and the decision resting with Trump. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not ask Trump for a green light to strike Iran, saying he would inform Trump of Israel's intentions but not request permission.34

Former Egyptian vice president Mohamed ElBaradei warned against any new American attack on Iran, calling it "an act of madness," according to CNN Arabic. The same coverage reported that Trump is looking for a "scapegoat" for the Iran war, with attention on Hegseth, and that The Atlantic reported Trump is reviewing the performance of his military advisers over the Iran war.34

The escalation comes after a de-escalation bid in which Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Turkey's intelligence chief and Pakistan's army chief met Iran's president in Tehran. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the visit by the defense minister and representatives of the states of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement aimed to reduce escalation between the parties to the current crisis and encourage dialogue and diplomatic solutions.34