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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
BREAKING | Israeli artillery targets areas west of the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.
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VIDEO | US Senator Rick Scott openly lays out US plan for intervention across Latin America:
"This is the start of changing Venezuela, then we're gonna fix Cuba, Nicaragua will get fixed, next year we'll get a new president in Colombia. Democracy is coming back to this hemisphere."
KSA–UAE rift deepens as Saudi-appointed Yemen officials charge STC head with ‘high treason’
The UAE-backed STC denied claims that its chief has fled Yemen, coinciding with new Saudi airstrikes on the country
BREAKING | Israeli artillery shells target Tallet al-Azziyah – Kfar Kila, in southern Lebanon.
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BREAKING | Lebanon's Ministry of Health reports that one person was killed and another injured as a result of the Israeli drone strike on the outskirts of Jouaya – Wadi Jilou, southern Lebanon.
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Iran signals 'pre-emptive' action as US official threatens Khamenei's life
US Senator Lindsey Graham said the supreme leader may ‘wake up dead,’ coinciding with anti-government protests and following several recent threats from Washington and Tel Aviv
VIDEO | Footage from Al-Manar correspondent Ali Shoeib shows a residential home that was detonated by Israeli forces in the Bab al-Thaniya area, west of the southern Lebanese village of Khiam, following a blatant ground incursion. The building is located 1,200 meters from the newly established Israeli site in Tallet al-Hammamis and 3,500 meters from the nearest border point.
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VIDEO | From the scene of the Israeli drone strike on the outskirts of Jouaya – Wadi Jilou, southern Lebanon.
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BREAKING | Preliminary reports of a possible Israeli drone strike on Wadi Jilou, in southern Lebanon.
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VIDEO | Heavy clashes reported between Syrian government forces and SDF units in Sheikh Maqsoud, Aleppo.
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❗️France coordinating with allies on response if US takes action on Greenland
France is working with its European partners on a plan to respond if the US acts on President Donald Trump’s renewed threat to take control of Greenland, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday, based on a report from Reuters. Barrot said the issue would be discussed with the foreign ministers of Germany and Poland and stressed that any response would be coordinated with European allies.
The comments follow confirmation from the White House that Trump is exploring options for acquiring Greenland, including potential military involvement, reviving an idea he first raised during his previous presidency. European leaders and Canada have voiced support for Greenland and Denmark, saying the Arctic island belongs to its people and rejecting US claims over the territory.
Barrot said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had ruled out the possibility of a military invasion, but concerns remain in Europe. Greenland, which is covered by NATO through Denmark, holds major strategic value due to its location between Europe and North America and its role in missile defense, as well as its mineral resources.
❗️Syrian army warns that positions held by SDF are 'legitimate military targets'
The Syrian army said on Wednesday that positions held by PKK and YPG forces operating under the Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) umbrella in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods would be considered legitimate military targets, citing what it described as escalation and “mass killings” in the province, according to state news agency SANA.
The statement followed renewed shelling of residential areas in Aleppo on Wednesday morning, marking a second consecutive day of attacks. The bombardment came a day after at least five people were killed and 16 others wounded in strikes attributed by authorities to SDF units.
The army’s Operations Authority announced that the two neighborhoods would be designated closed military zones after 3 PM local time, urging civilians to avoid SDF positions and declaring a complete ban on movement in both areas from that time.
Syria, Israel agree to ‘joint intel sharing mechanism’ during US-mediated talks
Several previous reports have indicated that Syria had already agreed to coordinate with Israel against the Axis of Resistance, specifically Hezbollah and Iran
❗️Last night, a bus rammed a group of Haredim Jews protesting against the Israeli military draft law in Jerusalem, killing 14 year old Haredi Jew Yosef Eisenthal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to investigate what happened and called for de-escalation.
❗️Schools closed in Aleppo as clashes continue
Schools, universities, and public institutions were closed in Syria’s Aleppo on Wednesday as clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led groups entered a second day, according to AFP and state media.
Syria’s official news agency SANA reported exchanges of shelling, while Kurdish officials denied firing from besieged neighborhoods and said efforts toward de-escalation were underway.
At least nine people were killed in Tuesday’s fighting, most of them civilians, as both sides blamed each other for the violence.
⭕️ Widespread Israeli police campaign targets Tarabin, Negev
According to the Israeli police, a large-scale operation involving police, special forces, Border Police National Guard units, and traffic police is ongoing in the Bedouin town of Tarabin al-Sana in the Negev (occupied Al-Naqab) under an operation dubbed “New Order.”
The campaign has led to 30 people being detained, 53 demolition-order warnings issued, and 808 traffic violations recorded.
Police said forces seized two pistols, two rifles, ammunition, four fragmentation grenades, a dummy grenade, and magazines, while six vehicles were confiscated for forfeiture.
Police said the operation in Tarabin remains ongoing, with continued deployment and zero tolerance toward 'weapons possession, violence, and public disorder.'
Israeli campaigns in Tarabin al-Sana have been ongoing for over a week. Three days ago, Israeli police killed 36-year-old Mohammad Hussein in cold blood, and the murder was praised by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
There have been protests and resistance to the presence of Ben-Gvir, while on Tuesday the Al-Qaisum Regional Council and local leadership petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court, calling the campaign collective punishment and demanding the removal of roadblocks, the lifting of movement restrictions, and a ban on Ben-Gvir entering the town until the case is resolved.
‼️ The US Department of War seizes the Russian flagged M/V Bella 1 and the Panama flagged M/T Sophia, two Venezuela-linked oil tankers.
According to the US Southern Command, "[The US] apprehended a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident.
The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Coast Guard is escorting M/T Sophia to the U.S. for final disposition."
Meanwhile, the US European Command announced the seizure of "the M/V Bella 1 for violations of U.S. sanctions. The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro."
Military action ‘always an option’ to takeover Greenland: White House
US officials have floated purchasing the semi-autonomous territory as another course of action
⭕️ Gaza Health Ministry warns of severe lab supply crisis
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The Ministry of Health in Gaza warns that a critical shortage of laboratory and blood bank supplies has reached catastrophic levels, severely impacting patient care. The ministry said 75% of chemistry testing materials and 72% of bacterial culture supplies are unavailable, while 90% of blood testing and transfusion stocks are completely depleted, forcing the suspension of essential tests for patients with endocrine diseases, cancer, kidney transplants, electrolyte disorders, and routine CBCs.
It added that no laboratory or blood bank supplies have entered Gaza for months, risking delays in diagnosis and surgical procedures, and called for urgent international intervention to replenish stocks.
❗️SDF accuses Syrian government forces of using civilians as human shields in Aleppo
In a new statement, the Syrian Democratic Forces said Syrian government troops and affiliated factions are carrying out grave abuses during the assault on Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, including imposing a suffocating siege, heavy shelling, and encirclement with tanks while threatening a full-scale incursion. According to the SDF, after failing to break residents’ resistance, Syrian troops allegedly abducted young men and forced them into front-line positions as human shields, while sending elderly civilians back into the besieged areas to exert pressure.
❗️ SANA reports that the Syrian army has downed an alleged 'suicide drone' belonging to the SDF near the Ashrafieh neighborhood in Aleppo.
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⭕️ Turkiye M&A volume doubles to $11.8 billion in 2025
The total value of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in Turkiye reached $11.81 billion last year, excluding privatizations, according to the country’s competition authority on Wednesday, marking a doubling compared to 2024.
The antitrust body said in a statement that it assessed 416 merger, acquisition, and privatization transactions in 2025, registering the highest annual transaction volume since it began releasing such data.
The authority added that 19 privatization deals were reviewed during the year, with a combined value of about $2.74 billion.
UPDATE | An Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle on on the outskirts of Jouaya – Wadi Jilou, southern Lebanon.
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UPDATE | Fighting has escalated around Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, with SDF Internal Security Forces saying Damascus government–affiliated factions are attacking the areas with heavy weapons and that they are resisting to protect residents, while state media outlet SANA reports that SDF forces are shelling Syrian Arab Army positions and civilians attempting to use announced humanitarian corridors.
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❗️Yemen warns Israeli presence in Somaliland could be treated as military target
Yemen’s Ansarallah-led government has warned that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be considered a legitimate military target, following a visit by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Israel’s decision to recognize the breakaway region. Acting Foreign Minister Abdul Wahid Abu Ras said the move violated international law and Somalia’s sovereignty, accusing Israel of seeking to turn Somaliland into a base for hostile activity that threatens regional security, including the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Senior Ansarallah official Nasr al-Din Amer echoed the warning, calling Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and Saar’s visit an act of aggression and urging regional states to take concrete steps to prevent Israel from establishing a foothold in the Horn of Africa. He said Yemen’s leadership and armed forces would not remain silent over any Israeli presence in Somalia and reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key global shipping route.
The African Union Peace and Security Council also condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, saying it undermines Somalia’s sovereignty and regional stability. Somalia’s representative to the African Union described the move as null and void, warning that Mogadishu is consulting allies on a response and that any Israeli presence would pose a serious threat to regional security and vital maritime corridors such as the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Suez Canal.
❗️Report warns Israel central to US-led AI hegemony strategy
A report by Naked Capitalism, written by Conor Gallagher, argues that Israel plays a central role in a US-led strategy to establish global dominance in artificial intelligence, using the stalled India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC) as its backbone.
The report says IMEC has shifted from a trade corridor into a digital and AI corridor, linking US technology, Gulf energy and capital, Indian labor, and Israeli surveillance and military tech.
Israel’s contribution is described as expertise in AI-driven surveillance, control, and warfare, developed through decades of testing technology on Palestinians, giving it a niche advantage sought by US tech firms and Gulf investors.
The report warns the model incentivizes continued regional violence, deepens US-Israeli-Gulf entanglement, fuels environmental damage, and risks turning AI infrastructure into future military targets, embedding domination and instability into the architecture of global AI power.
❗️Iran army chief warns of preemptive response to threats
Iran’s army chief Amir Hatami warned on Wednesday that Tehran could take preemptive military action in response to escalating “rhetoric” against the Islamic Republic, comments widely linked to recent statements by US President Donald Trump.
Speaking to military academy students, Hatami said Iran views the intensification of such language as a direct threat and “will not leave its continuation without a response,” according to Iran's IRNA.
He added that Iran’s armed forces are in a higher state of readiness than before the recent war, warning that “any aggressor” would face a decisive response.
Despite the warnings, there has been no public indication that Iran is preparing an imminent military strike.
❗️Israeli quadcopters were seen dropping explosive bombs on the roofs of citizens' homes in Al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
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❗️Director of the Gaza Government Media Office to Al Jazeera:
"The [Israeli] occupation has a premeditated intention not to open the Rafah crossing, and we hold the occupation responsible for the catastrophic consequences resulting from the closure of the Rafah crossing. The occupation is using the pretext of the body of the last Israeli to ensure the continuation of the siege on our Palestinian people and to further worsen the humanitarian situation."