# Washington weighs resuming strikes on Iran on November 9, Fox News reports, as Riyadh denies a $51 billion Houthi demand

Russian state news agency TASS relayed the Fox report that US Central Command is finishing preparations, while Saudi Arabia called a Wall Street Journal account of Houthi ceasefire terms a fabrication and Israel's coalition talks move away from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

- Published: 2026-11-06T09:38:00.817Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/2026-11-06/washington-weighs-resuming-strikes-on-iran-on-november-9-fox
- Publisher: Polylog (Global desk)
- Section: geopolitics
- Sources: [TASS](https://tass.com/world/2213697), [Dawn](https://www.dawn.com/news/2042577/saudi-arabia-denies-wsj-report-claiming-houthis-demanded-51bn-to-halt-hostilities), [Ynet (Hebrew)](https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/byb6xmotzl), [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-trump-negotiations-midterms/)

The United States is considering a resumption of military operations against Iran on November 9, according to Fox News sources cited by [TASS](https://tass.com/world/2213697). The sources said White House meetings on Wednesday and Thursday discussed the date, which falls on a new moon, a condition they described as favorable for military operations. They said US Central Command (CENTCOM) will soon finish preparations, though it has received no new order. On Thursday, President Donald Trump [said he would soon decide](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-trump-negotiations-midterms/) whether to resume strikes, keep up economic pressure on Tehran, or pursue a negotiated settlement. US forces carried out [limited strikes near the Strait of Hormuz](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-strikes-strait-of-hormuz-hours-before-tuesday-midterms) hours before Tuesday's midterm elections, and Iranian officials have said a negotiated deal is unlikely.

The leak is useful to several parties at once. A public timetable puts pressure on Tehran before any talks. Russian state media gains from reporting it, because Moscow earns more from each dollar of war premium in crude. The account rests on unnamed sources, and no strike has been confirmed.

A separate story emerged in reporting on Yemen. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Houthis asked Saudi Arabia for $51 billion and recognition as Yemen's rulers in return for a "negotiated halt" to hostilities. The paper said Riyadh approached the group after attacks on Saudi tankers and Houthi gains on territory overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Saudi Arabia [denied the report](https://www.dawn.com/news/2042577/saudi-arabia-denies-wsj-report-claiming-houthis-demanded-51bn-to-halt-hostilities). Rayed Krimly, Saudi deputy minister for public diplomacy, called it "pure fabrication by the writers or their alleged sources." Riyadh has reason to deny that it is negotiating a payment, and the Journal's account depends on people familiar with the talks. On the same day, the [Saudi military said it shot down a ballistic missile](https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/saudis-say-they-downed-ballistic-missile-as-houthis-demand-51-billion-in-exchange-for-ceasefire/).

In Israel, the domestic case for another round of strikes is weakening. Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats in the October 27 election, short of the 61 needed for a majority, and President Isaac Herzog [is set to give the mandate to form a government to Gadi Eisenkot](https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-913989). [Ynet reports](https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/byb6xmotzl) (in Hebrew) that Avigdor Liberman, head of Yisrael Beiteinu, now says his party will "be flexible and compromise, also on the draft." That opens the way to a coalition that includes ultra-Orthodox parties but excludes Netanyahu.

## What this means

Each actor wants something different. Trump has lost Congress and wants leverage over Tehran without a long war before 2028. Netanyahu, who is losing power, has an interest in strikes before a new Israeli government forms. Iran can raise costs through Hormuz but cannot defend its own infrastructure. The Houthi report, true or not, shows Saudi Arabia exposed on its southern border while the United States is focused on the Gulf. Oil, Gulf shipping insurance and Saudi fiscal plans carry the exposure. Markets priced de-escalation after the midterms, so a strike on November 9 would be new information. The consensus assumes a weakened Trump avoids war. US presidents have often turned to foreign policy after domestic defeats because it needs no congressional vote. One example is Clinton's December 1998 strikes on Iraq, ordered during his impeachment fight. The likelier outcome is a limited US strike package or a further deadline within weeks, not a full return to war, because Washington wants a settlement on its terms. The decisive factor is whether Tehran makes a negotiating offer before Monday. A large-scale campaign, or a public US commitment to talks, would prove this read wrong.

## What to watch

- Statements from the White House or CENTCOM around November 9. Either strikes or a new deadline will show whether the leak was preparation or pressure.
- Formal coalition talks led by Gadi Eisenkot. A government without Netanyahu would weaken the Israeli push for another round of strikes on Iran.
- Further Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers or near Bab al-Mandeb. More strikes would spread the war premium to Red Sea shipping routes.