Global Brief 2026-11-09: Middle East escalates, US politics shifts

1. ISRAEL TASKS EISENKOT WITH FORMING GOVERNMENT
President Isaac Herzog on Nov 8 tasked Yashar party leader and former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government. Eisenkot received 67 MP recommendations against 46 for outgoing PM Netanyahu; he has 28 days, plus a possible 14-day extension. He wrote on X that "this is the time to establish a national emergency government," while his party accused Netanyahu of hypocrisy over unity-government calls.

2. HOUTHI STRIKES RIYADH, ARAMCO SUFFERS MINOR DAMAGE
Houthi forces attacked Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District on Nov 8; Saudi authorities said shrapnel from intercepted projectiles caused minor damage to a Saudi Aramco administrative building with no casualties. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed strikes on King Khalid International Airport, Aramco oil tanks, a distillation tower and a Dawadmi pumping station. Houthi-run al-Masirah reported 27 killed near Sanaa, but this has not been independently verified.

3. US DISABLES CARGO SHIP OFF OMAN
US CENTCOM said a US military aircraft disabled the Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged M/V Huda in the Gulf of Oman after it allegedly breached the naval blockade following an Iranian port visit. The US also announced a Tampa-based task force "Iron Gate" to enforce Iran sanctions; since July, US forces have redirected 147 vessels and disabled five. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the mission against Iran is "not yet complete"; Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.

4. GAZA FLOODING SWAMPS 70,000 DISPLACEMENT TENTS
Winter storms flooded about 70,000 tents sheltering displaced Palestinians within the first 12 hours, affecting roughly 350,000 people; eight deaths were reported. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said Gaza faces a fourth winter amid rubble and sunken tents. The Palestinian presidency blamed Israel and the US-led "Board of Peace" for the worsening humanitarian situation, deepening the dispute over responsibility.

5. TRUMP ORDERS DOJ PROBE AFTER DEMOCRATS WIN CONGRESS
After Democrats won both chambers on Nov 3, President Trump called it "a giant step back in history" but said "we will be back, bigger and stronger than ever before." He directed the Justice Department to investigate Democrats over impeachment threats and alleged extortion, replaced chief of staff Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller effective Nov 9, and said he offered UFC CEO Dana White the press secretary role. Democratic lawmakers promised to reverse tariffs; the Financial Times reported a $15 billion military aid package for Ukraine in preparation.

6. RUSSIA STRIKES KYIV, NUCLEAR PLANT LOSES GRID CONNECTION
Russia launched 36 ballistic missiles at Kyiv and surrounding areas, targeting energy infrastructure, President Zelensky said. The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost its last external 330 kV line on Nov 8 and switched to diesel generators; the IAEA was notified. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said any foreign military force in Ukraine would constitute intervention; EU representatives are expected to join peace talks next week.

7. KRAKOW SHOOTING KILLS SIX, POLAND DECLARES MOURNING
A gunman opened fire in Krakow's main square on Nov 7, killing at least six and wounding 15; PM Donald Tusk called it "terrorism" and announced two days of national mourning. The suspect, a Polish citizen born in 2002, was described as obsessed with far-right ideas; three more bodies were found at his home. A British citizen was among the dead, and wounded foreigners came from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and the UK.

8. JAPAN QUAKE INJURES 22, CHINA CONFIRMS APEC SUMMIT TALKS
A magnitude-5.7 earthquake struck Shizuoka Prefecture at 01:04 on Nov 8, injuring at least 22, shattering windows and disrupting trains; authorities warned of strong aftershocks within a week. Meanwhile, China confirmed talks on a possible Xi-Trump-Putin trilateral meeting on the sidelines of APEC in Shenzhen on Nov 18-19, while protesting US sanctions on Chinese firms linked to Cuba. A trilateral meeting, if held, could shape calculations over Ukraine, trade and strategic competition.

Watch today: G7 foreign ministers meet in Paris on Nov 9-10 to coordinate on Ukraine, the Middle East, energy security and AI.
*Information aggregated from multiple sources for reference at the time of publication.*