The FT and Reuters report that some countries will not abide by the new Iran sanctions. The FT report’s that France has vowed to press ahead with plans to flout Washington’s Iran sanctions and boost the international role of the euro as it moves to lead Europe in defying US efforts to act as the world’s “trade policeman”. Bruno Le Maire, economy minister, told the Financial Times that plans for a special financial channel to keep trade with Iran flowing were part of a push by Europe to assure its own “economic sovereignty”, with the goal of making the euro as powerful as the dollar. The spat over Iran sanctions showed the need for the EU to “affirm our independence”, he said. Mr Le Maire’s comments reflect deep frustration in Europe at Mr Trump’s decision in May to pull out of a landmark international nuclear deal with Tehran. Washington has since reimposed sanctions on Iran and anyone doing business with targeted entities and individuals.

Reuters reports that President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday Turkey would not abide by the renewed U.S. sanctions on Iran’s oil and shipping industries as they were aimed at “unbalancing the world”. The FT report’s that Russia has vowed to help Iran counter US attempts to throttle its oil sales when sanctions come into effect next week, saying it will continue trading Tehran’s crude in defiance of Washington. Russia is looking to “continue developing” its trading of Iranian oil, which it sells to third countries under a 2014 oil-for-goods deal, regardless of the sanctions, energy minister Alexander Novak told the Financial Times. “We believe we should look for mechanisms that would allow us to continue developing co-operation with our partners, with Iran,” Mr Novak said.

The Express reports that Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has pledged to “break” the sanctions imposed by the US by targeting the country’s economy. President Rouhani said Iran would “continue to sell oil”. He said: “Unfair sanctions are against the law, U.N. resolutions and international accords. Therefore, we will proudly break the sanctions.”

The Express reports a “World War 3 threat”. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani his country is ready to come to the defence of Gulf Arabs if they are threatened – raising the prospect of a dangerous regional conflict which could escalate alarmingly. But he has also voiced concern about reimposed sanctions on Iran, warning they have the potential to create damaging instability. “We stand by our brothers in the Gulf wholeheartedly and if Gulf security is directly threatened by anyone, the Egyptian people, even before their leadership, will not accept that and will mobilise forces to protect their brethren.”

 Reuters reports that the top U.S. diplomat has granted an exception to certain U.S. sanctions that will allow the India-led development of a port in Iran as part of a new transportation corridor designed to boost Afghanistan’s economy, a State Department spokesman said on Tuesday. The exception, granted by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to U.S. sanctions reimposed on Iran on Monday also will permit the construction of a railway line from Chabahar port to Afghanistan, and for shipments to the war-torn country of non-sanctionable goods, like food and medicines. In addition, Afghanistan will be allowed to continue importing Iranian petroleum products, the spokesman said.

 Reuters reports that oil prices dipped on Wednesday as rising output and U.S. sanction waivers, that allow Iran’s biggest buyers to keep taking its crude, reinforced the outlook for a well-supplied market.

Reuters reports that Iraq plans to increase its oil output and export capacity in 2019, with a focus on its southern oilfields, and is close to reaching a deal with international companies, Oil Minister Thamer Ghadhban said on Tuesday. The new minister also said the shortfall in oil supply caused by new U.S. sanctions on Iran had yet to be gauged before Iraq and other OPEC members could decide what action to take ahead of their policy meeting next month. Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest producer, is targeting production capacity of 5 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2019, with average exports expected to reach around 3.8 million bpd.

The Independent, Reuters, and the Daily Mail report that more than 200 mass graves containing thousands of victims of ISIS have been unearthed in Iraq, according to the United Nations, which said the discoveries highlight the militants’ gruesome and “relentless campaign of terror”. The UN’s mission in Iraq said on Tuesday that they have found 202 grave sites containing as many as 12,000 bodies in the northern and western governorates of Nineveh, Kirkuk, Salah al-Din and Anbar. UN officials added that they believed there to be many more as yet unfound gravesites. The bodies were dumped by the jihadi group during their three-year reign of terror starting in June 2014 and ending in December 2017. Thousands of men, women and children remain unaccounted for. Officials said while it was not possible to determine an exact total of corpses, the largest gravesite is believed to be Khasfa sinkhole south of Mosul which may contain thousands of corpses. The smallest is in west Mosul, which contains at least eight bodies. “The mass grave sites documented in our report are a testament to harrowing human loss, profound suffering and shocking cruelty,” said Jan Kubis, the UN’s representative in Iraq. “Determining the circumstances surrounding the significant loss of life will be an important step in the mourning process for families and their journey to secure their rights to truth and justice,” he added.

The Daily Mail reports that Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has embarked on an unprecedented domestic tour as the country grapples with an international crisis over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The 82-year-old monarch was joined by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a royal reception in central Qassim province, according to state television, as he started what Saudi media dubbed a tour of “several regions” in the kingdom. The Saudi rulers are seeking to rally domestic support.

The Guardian reports that hundreds of airstrikes have hit the besieged Yemeni city of Hodeidah as the Saudi-led coalition advances despite calls for a ceasefire. In the past few days, more than 100 airstrikes have hit civilian neighbourhoods – five times as many as in the whole of the first week of October, according to Save the Children staff in Hodeidah. Pro-government militias are trying to seize as much ground as possible before fighting is supposed to stop at the end of November, when it is hoped UN-sponsored peace talks will restart in Sweden. Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates coalition-backed troops are inching closer to the city’s Houthi rebel-held centre from their current stalemate positions in the southern suburbs and at the airport in a three-pronged attack.

In the Israeli media, Yediot Ahronot reports that President Rivlin attended a Police ceremony and gave awards for excellence. Outgoing Police Commissioner, Roni Alsheikh, was thanked for his many years of service to the security of Israel. The medals were given to members of the Civilian Counter-Terrorism unit (Yamam). Amongst the other recipients were Hadas Malka for excellence in police work whilst risking her life in the terrorist incident at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem in 2017.  The Medal of Distinguished Service to a civilian was awarded to Ari Fuld for conspicuous bravery during a stabbing attack in Gush Etzion last September. The Commissioner’s citation was awarded to Sergeant-Major YL of Yamam for excellence during the operation against the individuals who murdered Rabbi Raziel Shevach, where he displayed professionalism and initiative.

In Haaretz, Amos Harel reviews the security situation in Gaza, “after a week of relative calm in Gaza, Israel is cautiously optimistic about the possibility of achieving a long-term ceasefire. However the possibility of a local incident leading to a new outbreak still looms.” He notes the big improvement is the “increase in the supply of electricity to as much as 12 to 16 hours a day.  It’s the longest daily power supply for Gazans since 2014’s Operation Protective Edge, and more than double the daily average for the past year, ever since the Palestinian Authority imposed sanctions against Hamas.”

Kan radio news reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu will not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Paris next week. National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat had arranged a meeting between the two leaders with his Russian counterpart. Israeli officials thought that the meeting would be held on Sunday on the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum. A few days ago Israel was informed that the meeting had been cancelled. That decision was made against the backdrop of Russia’s anger over Israel’s continued attacks in Syria, even after a Russian plane was shot down.

Haaretz reports Saudi Arabia will “Bar over one million Israeli Muslims from making Hajj to Mecca”  the paper explains, “Muslims who hold Israeli citizenships have been allowed through a loophole, however. Since 1978, in accordance with a decision by Jordan’s King Hussein, Muslim citizens of Israel wishing to make the pilgrimage to Mecca can go first to Jordan, where they are issued a temporary Jordanian passport that allows them to enter and leave Saudi Arabia. But Saudi Arabia has changed the rules.”

Maariv and Haaretz focus on the latest political controversy between Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Deputy Attorney General Dina Zilber. Justice Minister Shaked has asked Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to fire his deputy after Zilber criticised the so-called “loyalty in culture” bill and other recent government-sponsored legislation. Speaking yesterday at a meeting of the Knesset’s Education Committee, Zilber said the bill “raised real difficulties. It grants sweeping powers, to deny budgets, creating the effect of self-censorship.  Culture means free rein for the imagination and beauty, a multiplicity of voices and courage, defiance and honesty and expression that does not seek to flatter and that does not adapt itself to meet government conformity tests.” Shaked announced that she was barring Zilber from representing the Government. Israel Hayom supports Shaked’s position, writing: “Congratulations are due to Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who fearlessly and unflinchingly decided to face off against the veteran legal elites in the courts, academia and the civil service.” Arguing Zilber’s remarks were an “abuse of her office,” adding, “A lawyer who works in the civil service does not represent herself; she is supposed to represent the ministry she works for and to help the elected officials implement their policies.” In Maariv, Ben Caspit writes that the day will arrive in which historians will come to view Zilber’s public stance as a “rare show of public courage in an era of cowardice, personal integrity in an era of hypocritical sycophancy, a last sunrise before the final sunset.”

Yediot Ahronot refers to the “Disgraceful Knesset” while Maariv also reports controversial comments made in the Knesset yesterday. During a Knesset debate discussing the loyalty in culture bill, Yesh Atid MK Elazar Stern implied that Minister Miri Regev advanced her military career as a result of sexual impropriety. She served as the IDF spokesperson over a decade ago reaching the rank of Brig. Gen. MK Stern said, “I don’t want to talk about how you advanced in the army. It’s not worth it for you.”  Stern, was the head of the IDF’s Manpower Division at the time.