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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
⭕️ Gulf stock markets closed mixed on Thursday amid investor concerns over US tariff policies and the potential for a global economic slowdown.
Saudi Arabia's main index (.TASI) fell by 0.7%, weighed down by a 0.5% dip in Al Rajhi Bank and a 2.1% drop in Saudi Arabian Mining Company.
Dubai's benchmark (.DFMGI) managed to recover from earlier losses, ending 0.2% higher thanks to a strong 6.8% gain in Parkin Company.
Abu Dhabi's index (.FTFADGI) closed flat.
Meanwhile, Qatar's index (.QSI) slipped 0.6%, pressured by a 2.8% decline in Qatar Islamic Bank.
❗️Three Palestinian children were killed and others wounded in an Israeli airstrike while they were filling water in central Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
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❗️At least six Palestinians, including two children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a barbershop in central Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
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⭕️ "The talk of disarmament is only found on social media and among inciters," said Hezbollah’s Head of Liaison and Coordination Committee, Hajj Wafiq Safa, in an interview with Radio Al-Nour on Friday.
"Whatever you hear, it's all nonsense; don't be affected by it ... There is no force that can disarm us."
He emphasized that the discussion with the Lebanese army is solely about a defensive strategy after Resolution 1701 is properly implemented (Israel's withdrawal, the release of Lebanese prisoners, and the cessation of Israeli attacks), noting that the strategy begins with arming the Lebanese Army and protecting Lebanon.
Israeli officials head to Paris to ‘influence US position’ on Iran talks
US President Donald Trump said this week that he is ‘not in a rush’ to launch an attack on Iran, after reports that Washington rejected an Israeli proposal for a joint assault
⭕️ Germany's caretaker government has blocked the export of around three dozen Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkiye, citing the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu.
According to German media, the primary reason for halting the export is Imamoglu’s arrest over corruption charges, which Berlin officials view as an attack on Turkish democracy. Imamoglu’s supporters claim the charges are politically motivated.
(Handelsblatt)
Dozens killed in US strikes on western Yemen’s Hodeidah port
The US military said its attack aimed to ‘deprive’ the Ansarallah movement of ‘illegal revenue’
UPDATE | Hodeidah Health Office reports that the toll from the US attacks on the Ras Issa oil facility has risen to 58 killed and 126 wounded.
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❗️The Israeli Air Force carried out raids on 40 locations in Gaza over the past day, the military says.
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⭕️ The Trump administration instructed officials on Thursday to implement social media screenings for all US visa applicants who have traveled to the Gaza Strip since 1 January 2007, according to an internal State Department cable reviewed by Reuters.
The directive states that the social media checks should apply to both immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants, including NGO personnel and those who have visited Gaza in any official or diplomatic role, regardless of the duration of their stay.
"If the review of social media results uncovers potential derogatory information relating to security issues, then a SAO must be submitted," the cable said, referring to a security advisory opinion, which is an interagency process used in deciding whether to grant or deny a US visa.
❗️Following the sirens that sounded in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and their surrounding settlements earlier this morning, the Israel army announced that it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen.
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UPDATE | At least 22 people killed, including 5 paramedics, as a result of the repeated US attacks on Ras Issa port in Yemen's Hodeidah.
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BREAKING | Yemeni Red Crescent tells Al-Masirah that 17 workers and employees have been killed, and dozens injured in the initial toll of the US attack on the Ras Isa oil port in Hodeidah.
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❗️The United States withdraws hundreds of troops from Syria
The New York Times reports that the United States has begun withdrawing hundreds of troops from northeastern Syria. Two senior US officials said the military is closing three of its eight small operating bases in the northeast, reducing troop levels from about 2,000 to 1,400.
❗️US President Donald Trump responds to reports that he prevented an Israeli attack on Iran:
"I wouldn't say waived off, I'm not in a rush to do it..."
WATCH | Quds Brigades fighters target Israeli soldiers and vehicles invading the city of Rafah with mortar shells and 107 missiles.
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⭕️ After returning from a visit to Syria, Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat stated Türkiye’s readiness to negotiate a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with Syria.
"Syrian officials affirmed their willingness to cooperate with Türkiye across all sectors—including trade expansion, joint investments, infrastructure and energy development, as well as land and maritime transportation," he added.
❗️Medical sources to Al Jazeera:
"34 martyrs in ongoing Israeli raids on several areas in the Gaza Strip since dawn today."
"Iran can't have a nuclear weapon."
Yesterday, during a meeting at the White House with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, US President Donald Trump stated that he would "like to see Iran thrive in the future, do fantastically well," adding that he doesn't "want to do anything that's going to hurt anybody." He repeated however, that Iran must not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon.
⭕️ Following their meeting in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a joint press conference announcing deeper bilateral cooperation. Lavrov confirmed upcoming discussions on infrastructure and the Bushehr nuclear plant, while Araqhchi praised the strategic partnership between the two nations.
Araghchi expressed Iran’s openness to talks with the US—but only if Washington acts seriously and does not put forward "unrealistic demands." He added that while direct negotiations remain off the table, Iran is willing to engage in indirect diplomacy, with Russia serving as a key mediator.
Araghchi also condemned US aggression on Yemen and criticized Western complicity in the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing taking place in Gaza.
❗️Qassam Brigades (Gaza) reports that on Wednesday, its fighters detonated three highly-explosive devices on two Israeli D9 bulldozers in the Qizan al-Najjar area, south of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
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Yemen hit by 900 US airstrikes after resuming pro-Palestine operations
The Yemeni Armed Forces have launched 78 missile and drone attacks against Israel and US warships despite the intense western attacks
Saudi defense chief meets Iran supreme leader in historic Tehran visit
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei emphasized that regional cooperation among 'brothers' is needed rather than reliance on outside foreign powers
⭕️ Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad al-Sudani met on Thursday in Qatar with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammad al-Julani), the first encounter between the two leaders, Iraqi and Syrian state news agencies reported.
The meeting was brokered by Qatar, with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani present.
Al-Sudani emphasized the need to launch an inclusive political process in Syria and to safeguard the country’s social, religious, and national diversity—particularly in light of the recent massacres targeting Alawites.
The Iraqi prime minister also highlighted the urgency for the newly formed Syrian government to take decisive action against Islamic State fighters. He noted that advancements in these areas could pave the way for stronger ties between Baghdad and Damascus.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to respecting each nation’s sovereignty and opposing any form of foreign intervention.
UPDATE | Hodeidah Health Office (Yemen) reports at least 38 workers and employees killed and 102 others injured in the preliminary toll of the US attacks on the Ras Issa oil facility.
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❗️An Israeli drone targeted a car on the Ghazieh highway around an hour ago, south Lebanon.
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❗️The US Treasury Department sanctions Yemen-based International Bank of Yemen (IBY) for allegedly providing financial support to Ansarallah.
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Israeli aircraft unleash relentless artillery fire and flare bombs over northern Gaza.
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❗️BREAKING | US warplanes launch airstrikes on the capital Sanaa and Hodeidah Governorate in Yemen.
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⭕️ The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported that the US is intensively supplying Israel with an unprecedented amount of bombs via airlift, with nine US cargo planes landing at Nevatim base within the last 24 hours.
The shipments are intended to prepare Israel for potential strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities if diplomatic negotiations fail.