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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
Third round of Iran-US talks ends with both sides declaring 'progress made'
Omani officials said a fourth meeting, tentatively scheduled for next week, will likely include the participation of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency
❗️Dual national Israeli shares his visit to Lebanon on social media.
Miquel Otín Gómez, a dual national Israeli based in Barcelona, shared videos on Instagram and TikTok documenting his visit to Beirut and Byblos, alongside another man. His TikTok bio includes both the Spanish and Iraqi flags, suggesting he might have entered Beirut using a Spanish passport.
In other clips, he can be seen exploring various streets in Beirut and the ancient port city of Byblos. Later, Miquel posted a video from an airport in Cyprus, which he appears to have used as a layover before continuing on to Israel's Ben Gurion airport.
⭕️ Iraq will send 220,000 tons of wheat to Syria as a "gift," SANA reported on Friday, quoting the director of the General Organization for Grains. The report noted that the first shipment has already reached Deir Ezzor.
In a previous tender announced on 25 March, Syria had purchased around 100,000 tons of wheat — believed to be its first major wheat procurement since the shift in leadership late last year.
Hamas open to long term Gaza truce, resistance weapons 'not-negotiable
Hamas officials stated they are open to any 'serious' proposal to end the war amid Israel's ongoing bombing and starvation blockade of Gaza
WATCH | Qassam Brigades publishes:
"An operation to rescue Israeli captives from a tunnel that was bombed by the occupation army a few days ago... Details to follow."
❗️French police violently raided journalist Shahin Hazamy’s home at dawn, throwing his pregnant wife against a wall and assaulting him in front of their children.
Despite his wife's cries about Hazamy’s serious respiratory illness, officers pinned him by the neck for around 4 minutes and seized their electronic devices.
Hazamy was detained for over 48 hours on vague 'terrorism' charges, highlighting Europe’s growing crackdown on pro-Palestine journalism.
UPDATE | The number of injured in the Shahid Rajaee port explosion has risen to at least 516.
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❗️Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney:
"The UN World Food Programme just announced that its food stocks in Gaza have run out because of the Israeli Government’s blockade — food cannot be used as a political tool.
Palestinian civilians must not bear the consequences of Hamas’ terrorist crimes. The World Food Programme must be allowed to resume its lifesaving work.
Canada stands for international law and has recently committed an additional amount of nearly $100 million to support the UN and other trusted international partners in providing food and humanitarian aid.
We will continue to work with our allies towards a permanent ceasefire and the immediate return of all hostages."
❗️CEO of the Shahid Rajaee Port’s Dangerous Goods Terminal, denied rumors of an explosion at the terminal in an interview with Mehr, saying:
“The explosion started from adjacent containers and has no connection to the port's dangerous goods terminal.”
“Some media outlets mistakenly described the location of today's (Saturday, 26 May) explosion as a dangerous goods terminal, and we deny this claim.”
BREAKING | The Yemeni Armed Forces announces that its missile force targeted the Nevatim Air Base in the Negev with a ‘Palestine 2’ hypersonic ballistic missile, successfully reaching its target.
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❗️A video shows the moment the violent explosion occurred at the Port of Shahid Rajaee in southern Iran.
At least 47 people have been injured in an initial toll from the explosion and 10 ambulance crews have been dispatched to the site.
❗️Gaza Ministry of Health:
– "56 martyrs (including 7 recovered) and 108 injured arrived at Gaza hospitals during the past 24 hours."
– "The toll from the Israeli aggression has risen to 51,495 martyrs and 117,524 injured since 7 October 2023."
– "The toll and injuries since 18 March 2025 has reached 2,111 martyrs and 5,483 injured."
❗️Hebrew media reports that two Israeli soldiers were killed in yesterday's fighting in Rafah and eastern Gaza.
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WATCH | Qassam Brigade fighters snipe Israeli occupation soldiers and officers on Al-Awda Street east of Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza.
The Brigades indicated that these operations are a continuation of the 'Breaking the Sword' ambush it carried out several days ago.
❗️Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, US President Donald Trump was questioned about whether humanitarian aid access to Gaza had been discussed during his recent phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
"Gaza came up and I said, 'We've got to be good to Gaza ... Those people are suffering,'" Trump said.
When asked if he specifically brought up the issue of opening access points for aid into Gaza, Trump answered, "We are."
"We're going to take care of that. There's a very big need for medicine, food and medicine, and we're taking care of it," he said.
Pressed on how Netanyahu reacted, Trump responded: "Felt well about it."
No aid has reached the Palestinian enclave since 2 March. Israel said that it will not permit the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza until Hamas releases all the remaining captives.
On Friday, the UN World Food Programme announced it had exhausted all of its food stocks in Gaza.
❗️Israel Police and Border Police announced the death of Staff Sergeant Neta Yitzhak Kahana, an undercover operative with the Southern Border Police, who was killed during clashes with resistance fighters in Gaza. His death marks the second Israeli soldier killed over the weekend.
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WATCH | Pakistan's Defense Minister admits his country funded terrorists on behalf of the US and the west.
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⭕️ Turkish authorities arrested 47 additional members of the Istanbul municipality over corruption allegations today, according to broadcaster NTV and other media outlets, as part of an expanding legal crackdown on the opposition and the city’s imprisoned mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu.
NTV also reported that the wife of Imamoglu's aide, Murat Ongun, was among those detained, along with several other senior officials linked to the municipality and related institutions.
❗️Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei stated that the country’s defense capabilities, including its missile program, have never been and will never be a subject of negotiations with the United States.
(IRNA)
❗️Qassam Brigades announces that yesterday its fighters managed to target an Israeli special forces unit that had taken cover inside a house, striking them with several RPG and Yassin-105 shells, and engaging them with machine gun fire, causing deaths and injuries among them in the Shujaiya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
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"While discussions on this matter can continue, the overarching position is that we will not allow Syria to become a source of threat to any party, including Israel."
The letter that Syria sent to Washington also included vows that Syria will "not become a source of threat" to Israel.
It also says that interim Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammad al-Julani) had formed a committee "to monitor the activities of Palestinian factions," and that armed factions outside state control will not be permitted.
(Reuters)
Alawite civilians targeted in killing sprees across central Syria
Nearly a dozen Alawite civilians have been found tortured to death in prison or executed in recent days in Homs governorate
⭕️ Top Iranian and US negotiators launched a fresh round of indirect talks in Oman today aimed at reaching an agreement on Tehran's nuclear program.
Expert teams met first, followed by indirect negotiations between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US West Asia envoy Steve Witkoff, conducted through Omani mediators in Muscat. This came a week after a second round of talks in Rome, which both sides had described as constructive.
An Iranian official familiar with the discussions told Reuters that the expert-level talks "are difficult, complicated and serious," without providing further details.
❗️Maariv, citing security sources, reports that the Israeli army has "no connection" to the bombings in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran.
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UPDATE | The number of injured in the Shahid Rajaee port explosion has risen to 400.
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❗️National Iranian Petroleum Refining and Distribution Company Statement on the Explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port:
"Following reports of an explosion and fire in the Shahid Rajaee Port area, we clarify that this incident was unrelated to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes, or oil pipelines under the company’s management in the area. All facilities in the Bandar Abbas region are operating without disruption."
"Additionally, equipment, rescue, and firefighting resources from all regional oil companies are on standby and providing support to the Ports and Maritime Organization to assist in managing the incident."
BREAKING | A massive explosion has been reported at the Port of Shahid Rajaee, one of two parts of the port of Bandar Abbas, located on the north shores of the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran.
According to Mehr News, a fuel tank in the port exploded for an unknown reason, and rapid response teams were immediately dispatched to the area.
Port activities have now been suspended so that the situation can be quickly brought under control by security and relief forces.
The number of casualties from the explosion has yet to be determined.
Overnight, the Israeli military massacred ten Palestinians in the al-Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, bombing a residential building.
At least 18 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since dawn today, including 14 in Gaza City.
⭕️ Syria has issued a written reply to a list of US demands for potential partial sanctions relief, stating it had addressed most of the conditions while noting that some would need "mutual understandings" with Washington, according to a copy of the letter reviewed by Reuters.
Last month, the United States presented Syria with a list of eight conditions, including the destruction of any remaining chemical weapons and a guarantee that foreigners would not hold senior positions in the government.
❗️Earlier this morning, the Israeli army announced that it destroyed a UAV that was "on its way from the east."
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