Hello,
Here are the five things you need to know today:
IRAN. Tehran joins the sledging to delay the match.
ISRAEL. UAE. Netanyahu makes a contentious visit.
SUDAN. Washington appears to lean closer to the RSF.
SOUTH AFRICA. Crime and stagnation boost the DA’s chances.
INDIA. Other political scourges bug the cockroaches.
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IRAN. From the horseman's mouth
Tehran joins the sledging to delay the match.
Oil prices rose after Iran denied it was holding talks with the US and said it would stick to its demands "even if it comes to an apocalyptic war". Donald Trump earlier rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen Hormuz, citing their desperation.
INTELLIGENCE. The US and Iran remain locked in a game of chicken, claiming new records in ships exiting or ships struck, respectively. Brent futures, while an imperfect measure, suggest the reality is in between. Oil continues to trickle out, but at nowhere near the levels needed to derisk a looming winter fuel crisis. For this reason, Tehran is incentivised to maintain the impasse, where, closer to the midterms and cold weather, its leverage will only increase.
FOR BUSINESS. Borrowing Trump’s apocalyptic tone, and rumoured to be behind what looks like hybrid tactics at a US base in England, Tehran is engaging in not just psychological warfare but stalling tactics. A more sober tone, befitting a country experiencing hyperinflation, would suggest it’s ready for a deal on more realistic terms. Tehran will also want to give the Houthis time to capture more of Yemen, giving it leverage over the Bab-al-Mandeb as well.
ISRAEL. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Hey Bibi, come to Abu Dhabi
Netanyahu makes a contentious visit.
Benjamin Netanyahu met Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on a secret visit to Abu Dhabi Sunday, Israeli officials told Reuters. Egypt warned Netanyahu of Hamas attacks days before 7 October 2023, the Wall Street Journal said.
INTELLIGENCE. Netanyahu’s second secret visit, weeks after a separate report in