CIA

President Donald Trump said the United States will not carry out further attacks on Iran for now, after a reported strike on Qeshm Island, while saying the military remains ready. He said Gulf allies including Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait prefer no new attacks. Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if Washington accepts a set of conditions. The U.S. describes its counter-blockade on Iranian ports as continuing, and a White House spokesperson said the naval blockade will persist. On 13 Nov, Trump said the United States does not need a deal with Iran.

Melania Trump will host Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the White House on Thursday, a gathering that will recognise a recent six-day humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev is expected to attend, and Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets plans to meet her. A trilateral meeting of US, Ukrainian and Russian officials is planned for 10-11 Nov in Abu Dhabi, the first such talks since February. The US will lead the renewed negotiations there.

The United Nations General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution on Wednesday calling for an end to the United States' embargo on Cuba, with 130 countries in favour, 17 against and 25 abstaining. The vote, held for the 34th consecutive year, is the lowest support for the measure since 1995, down from more than 160 countries the previous year. Western states including Germany, Italy and Latvia abstained for the first time in 34 years. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez accused Washington of coercion, while U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz denied that Cuba faces a blockade.