Washington and Jerusalem are reportedly preparing for a major military campaign against Iran if diplomacy fails after next week's US midterm elections, while Israel's election count continues with only a small fraction of absentee ballots tallied so far. Here is the latest from Thursday evening.
US and Israel preparing major post-midterm Iran strikes if no deal is reached
According to Axios, the United States and Israel are preparing for a major military campaign against Iran if no diplomatic deal is reached after the US midterm elections on November 3. The attacks could last up to a week and would target Iran's leadership, energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities and other infrastructure. Mediators have warned Tehran that accepting the proposals on the table may be the only way to avoid the attacks, and Iran is expected to seek approval from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the coming days. US President Donald Trump said mediator-led negotiations are continuing.
Israel's absentee count under way as officials reject election-theft claims
Only around 29,000 of roughly 500,000 double-envelope ballots — cast by soldiers, diplomats, prisoners and others voting away from their home polling stations — had been counted so far, according to Ynet. Among those counted, Likud led with 18.5 percent, followed by Together at 15.6 percent and Yashar at 14.8 percent. The Central Elections Committee's acting director general said there was no basis for allegations of election theft, and a police source said there was no investigative or intelligence evidence to support such claims. The overall seat tally remained unchanged at 53 for the Netanyahu bloc, 48 for the Eisenkot bloc and 19 for the Arab parties, with no bloc near the 61 seats needed for a majority.
Bitvavo to delist Portal to Bitcoin (PTB) on November 6
Dutch exchange Bitvavo will end trading in Portal to Bitcoin (PTB) on November 6 at 14:00 CET, according to a company notice dated October 27. Deposits close at 13:00 CET and withdrawals at 15:00 CET on the same day, and any leftover balances will be automatically converted to euros by November 17 at the market price. PTB had already been removed from Binance Alpha on October 23, making Bitvavo's move a separate venue decision.
Market snapshot
Bitcoin traded around $80,259, down about 1.4 percent on the day but holding above the $80,000 level, while Ether traded in the $2,313–$2,325 range, down roughly 1.7–2.1 percent. Oil prices eased further on hopes for diplomatic progress, with Brent crude around $114.10 a barrel, down about 1.1 percent, and US West Texas Intermediate around $101.45, down about 1.3 percent. Investors were also watching US GDP and PCE inflation data scheduled for release on Thursday.
Watch: today's video briefings
Geo News — 4PM Headlines, 29 October 2026
Sources
US–Israel Iran strike preparations: Axios, via UrduPoint (October 29). Israel absentee count and election-integrity rebuttal: Ynet, via VidiaNews live coverage (October 29). Bitvavo PTB delisting: Bitvavo official notice (October 27), via CryptoCompass and Pluang (October 29). Market data: Finnhub live prices, CoinDesk and OKX (October 29); oil prices via Reuters reporting. Video: Geo News 4PM Headlines, October 29, 2026.
