Middle East Crisis

Strait of Hormuz
Sources: Iran shifts tactics – aims to keep oil prices up ahead of midterm elections

Iran has altered its strategy in the Strait of Hormuz to keep oil prices high, two senior Iranian sources told Reuters.

According to one of the sources, Iran began employing new methods of attack about ten days ago against vessels deemed to be violating the country's restrictions. This has reportedly led to an increase in attacks on such vessels.

One objective is reportedly to influence the outcome of the US midterm elections taking place in a few weeks.

"The aim is to hinder attempts by the US and its allies to drive down global oil prices," one of the sources said.

After the US disabled significant portions of Iran's radar capabilities, the Revolutionary Guard began using unarmed personnel in small boats to identify potential targets, a US source told Reuters.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Colombia signals new Israel policy – ​​opens embassy in Jerusalem

On Wednesday, Colombia became the tenth country to open an embassy in Jerusalem, AFP reports. A free trade agreement between the two countries is also being established, according to Reuters.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the key sticking points in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and most countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv to avoid taking a stance on Israel's sovereignty over the annexed capital.

Colombia's right-wing president, Abelardo de la Espriella, decided on the move immediately after taking office in August, following a few years of deteriorating relations between Colombia's left-wing administration and Israel. Left-wing President Gustavo Petro closed the embassy in Tel Aviv in 2024.

Donald Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem during his first term in 2018, followed by a few smaller nations. Argentina’s right-wing President Javier Milei has also pledged to move the embassy there.

In Sweden, the Sweden Democrats (SD) and the Christian Democrats (KD) have long pushed for moving the embassy to Jerusalem, according to *Dagens ETC*.

Analysis: No change for Palestinians as Netanyahu faces likely loss of power

Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is in a precarious position ahead of the Israeli parliamentary election in two weeks, according to several analysts.

"Unfortunately for Netanyahu, several religious right-wing parties have not merged into a single party as he had hoped," writes Tomer Almagor in *The Times of Israel*.

Opinion polls place two of these parties dangerously close to the 3.35 percent electoral threshold. If they fail to enter the Knesset, between 8 and 11 seats would be lost—though even if they do make the cut, the combined seat count would not be enough to form a new right-wing government. However, the opposition bloc—whose sole shared goal is to oust Netanyahu—is not expected to secure a majority of its own, either.

"If no one reaches a majority, Netanyahu’s party could either push for new elections or attempt to recruit a coalition partner from the opposition," writes Anna Barsky in the *Jerusalem Post*.

Israel’s Arab citizens—who make up about 20 percent of the population—are not expected to wield any influence; both blocs campaigned on the premise of excluding them from their governments.

Nor are any changes expected for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, writes Stephen Quillen in *Al Jazeera*. The center-left coalition holds views on the settlements and Gaza similar to those of the current government and would command only a very slim mandate. He quotes Swedish analyst Anders Persson:

"It would be difficult for such a government to agree on anything that could be perceived as significant concessions."