The Cradle ✔

VIDEO | Israeli settlers are seen stealing olive crops from land in the town of Beita, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

❗️Kuwait sentences three to death over so-called 'Iran-linked plot' to assassinate interior minister Kuwait’s State Security Circuit issued death sentences today against prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Hussein Abdullah al-Matouq and two others on controversial charges of espionage and plotting to assassinate First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad al-Yousef al-Sabah. According to KUNA, the anti-terror court handed capital punishment to Matouq—the secretary-general of the National Islamic Alliance—along with Hassan Abdulhadi Hajieh and Iranian national Abdulreza Haidar Dehqani, while sentencing eight co-defendants to five-year prison terms. The capital rulings are part of an escalating political campaign targeting Kuwait's Shia minority and domestic political dissidents under the guise of national security. Hajieh was previously pardoned by royal decree in a similar security case before being re-arrested by state security forces, reflecting the government's routine reliance on recycled espionage charges to intimidate community leaders and suppress independent political organizing. The sentences come amid broader efforts by Gulf monarchies to align domestic security policies with western strategic priorities and criminalize ties to regional Resistance movements. Legal defense representatives confirmed that the State Security Circuit's rulings will be appealed, emphasizing that the prosecution relied on coerced testimonies and political framing to manufacture an alleged conspiracy against state authorities.

❗️A drone was intercepted near Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone on Tuesday, producing a loud noise heard across parts of the Iraqi capital, Iraq’s Security Media Cell said in a statement. Two Iraqi security sources told Reuters that the US embassy’s air defense systems were activated after detecting two drones approaching the Green Zone’s perimeter, subsequently shooting them down. The sources added that debris from both drones was recovered at two separate locations, where security forces launched further investigations to determine their origin and intended destination. The Green Zone contains government offices and foreign diplomatic missions, including the US embassy.

❗️Palestinian detainees from Gaza face weekly assaults by Israeli prison guards at Ayalon Prison The Palestinian Prisoners’ Information Office reported that Palestinian detainees from Gaza held in the Rakefet facility of Ayalon Prison (Ramla Prison) were subjected to repeated physical assaults on Friday and Saturday. According to the office, prison guards beat detainees with batons, sprayed tear gas and pepper spray, and used rubber bullets and stun grenades. The assaults left some detainees with injuries and burns to their hands and legs. The office said the attacks have become a weekly occurrence in the absence of the section’s officer, amid escalating assaults by prison guards against detainees. It added that guards take detainees to a room without surveillance cameras to assault them, making it more difficult to document the violations.

❗️Yemeni Armed Forces thwart Saudi-backed advance south of Bab al-Mandab, inflict heavy casualties Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced in a statement on Tuesday afternoon that Yemeni forces repelled an attempted advance by Saudi-backed troop concentrations approaching from south of Bab al-Mandab. He said the forces were operating under the supervision of Saudi officer Badr al-Harbi, commander of the forward operations base in Aden. According to Saree, Yemeni forces targeted the advancing troops with several ballistic missiles and heavy weapons, inflicting large numbers of casualties and prompting ambulances to rush to the targeted areas. Yemeni fighters also destroyed several military vehicles, successfully thwarting the advance. Saree warned those recruited by Saudi forces against following orders from Saudi officers who, he said, were sending them to their deaths.

❗️Egyptian court fines journalist Lina Attalah and shuts down independent outlet Mada Masr A Cairo misdemeanor court sentenced Mada Masr Editor-in-Chief Lina Attalah to a maximum fine of $53,400 today, ordering the immediate closure of the news website and the confiscation of its property. According to a statement released by Mada Masr, security officials took Attalah into custody inside the courthouse following the verdict on charges of operating an unlicensed publication. Defense lawyers reported that the presiding judge rejected all requests to submit documentation or call witnesses, arbitrarily appointing an unknown public defense attorney while refusing to record formal objections in the official trial transcript. The sudden conviction follows years of state administrative harassment targeting Mada Masr, widely regarded as one of Egypt's last remaining independent newsrooms. Outlet representatives confirmed that Mada Masr has submitted repeated licensing applications to the Supreme Council for Media Regulation since 2018, but Egyptian authorities routinely ignored the filings while enforcing regulatory blockades. Human rights groups and press freedom advocates condemned the trial as a politically motivated crackdown aimed at extinguishing investigative reporting across the country. Attalah’s arrest and the judicial liquidation of Mada Masr mark a sharp escalation in Cairo's broader campaign against critical media, coming weeks after state authorities raided alternative newsrooms and detained scores of journalists on alleged national security charges.

White House exploring ways to keep Netanyahu in power under 'unity government': Report Voting is underway across Israel amid the highest turnout in decades and attempts by Netanyahu to incite against Palestinian voters

❗️Iran calls on major gas producers to counter US sanctions at Moscow energy summit Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged major global energy suppliers today to condemn and actively counter US actions threatening international energy stability. Speaking at the 8th Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) summit in Moscow, Pezeshkian stated that unilateral US sanctions and military deployments in the Gulf directly imperil global energy transit, pricing, and supply chains. IRIB reported that the Iranian president warned that damaging energy infrastructure or disrupting maritime trade routes carries grave economic ramifications beyond the region. Pezeshkian pressed GECF member states to deepen multilateral cooperation to mitigate market vulnerabilities and shield natural gas trade from Western economic blockades. Highlighting Iran's annual production capacity of roughly 280 billion cubic meters, he affirmed Tehran's readiness to expand joint investments across the natural gas value chain, advance technical governance, and scale regional gas trade despite ongoing US pressures. The address comes as Washington’s naval containment strategy and regional military escalation continue to squeeze Iranian energy exports. Ahead of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pezeshkian reiterated that establishing independent trade architectures—including local-currency settlements and joint infrastructure development—remains essential to breaking western hegemony over global energy markets.

❗️Israeli occupation authorities detain European lawmakers amid West Bank siege According to statements provided to Anadolu Agency, Israeli border officials detained a prominent international delegation for eight hours earlier today, denying them entry into the occupied West Bank. The 23-member Progressive International delegation—which included British MP Clive Lewis, Scottish National Party MP Lara Bird, and Scottish Greens MSP Kate Nevens—intended to travel to the territory to stand in solidarity with Palestinian farmers facing ongoing settler attacks during the olive harvest season. Nevens described the eight-hour interrogation and detention as a frightening ordeal, noting that it offered a small window into the systemic intimidation and movement restrictions that Palestinians endure daily at military border points. The exclusion of foreign lawmakers follows an announcement by the Israeli military imposing a total closure on all West Bank land crossings, citing heightened security measures ahead of today's national parliamentary election. While international observers were turned away at border crossings, Israeli occupation forces expanded a major military offensive in Hebron for a fifth consecutive day, imposing sweeping curfews and converting residential structures into military outposts. Statements from the Hebron municipality confirm that the ongoing Israeli military campaign has forcibly displaced nearly 5,000 Palestinians—comprising roughly 780 families—from the Deir Bahha and Al-Jilda neighborhoods.

❗️Israeli settlers deliberately sabotaging voting at polling stations in Palestinian towns Knesset member and Ta’al party leader Ahmad Tibi accused Israeli settlers of intentionally delaying the voting process across Palestinian towns during parliamentary elections. In a statement posted on social media, Tibi revealed that organized groups of settlers entered Palestinian towns to disrupt operations at local polling centers, deliberately causing extreme delays and forcing voters to endure hours-long lines. The lawmaker noted that the artificial congestion caused a sick Palestinian woman to faint while waiting in line to cast her ballot. Tibi condemned the disruptions as a desperate tactic to suppress Palestinian voter participation and manipulate the outcome of the general election. Addressing those attempting to derail the vote, the veteran politician emphasized that the community would not be deterred by political intimidation, writing: "It won’t help you. People will stay there until they cast their votes."

❗️Leaked comments reveal Mossad provoked mass Iranian arrests to protect covert agents Former Mossad director David Barnea claims that Israeli intelligence deliberately publicized video footage of covert operations inside Iran to trigger mass arrests, using Iranian citizens to shield its actual operational network. According to leaked comments published by The Jerusalem Post and video footage verified by Yedioth Ahronoth, Barnea admitted during a closed-door address at the Priority Summit that the Israeli spy agency intentionally released real-time footage during the June 2025 military confrontation to overwhelm Iranian security forces. Barnea explained that Mossad sought to provoke sweeping detentions so that Iranian counterintelligence "wouldn't be able to distinguish the wheat from the chaff.". The former intelligence chief claims that a vast majority of those swept up by Iranian authorities under espionage charges had no operational connection to Mossad. This claims mean that Israel intentionally manufactured conditions designed to spark systemic panic within Iran, and that Israeli intelligence calculatedly exposed ordinary Iranian citizens to potential detention to preserve its own intelligence assets working covertly within Iran.

❗️Nearly 5,000 Palestinians displaced or affected as Israel's siege of Hebron (Al-Khalil) enters fifth day Nearly 5,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced or otherwise affected by Israel's ongoing military assault on Hebron in the occupied West Bank, Mayor Yousef al-Jaabari told Anadolu on Tuesday. The assault has entered its fifth consecutive day, with Israeli forces imposing a sweeping siege on the city, including several residential neighborhoods and the Ibrahimi Mosque. Jaabari described the operation as collective punishment, reporting extensive damage to Palestinian homes, private property, and municipal infrastructure, including water and sewage networks, roads, and sidewalks. He said numerous factories have shut down because goods cannot enter or leave the city, while workers have been prevented from reaching their workplaces. Israeli occupation forces have also reportedly entered and vandalized homes under the pretext of searching for weapons, with the mayor citing Israeli media reports indicating that no weapons were found. According to municipal estimates, the number of displaced and affected Palestinians is approaching 5,000, including residents forced from their homes and those living in surrounding neighborhoods whose daily lives have been disrupted by the expanding military operation. Women, children, and elderly residents are among those affected. In a separate statement, Hebron Municipality reported that 4,969 Palestinians had been forcibly displaced from the Deir Bahha and al-Jalda areas. Israeli occupation forces continue to raid neighborhoods, deploy reinforcements, and expel residents from their homes. On Saturday, Israeli War Minister Israel Katz said residents would not be allowed to return until so-called "Hamas infrastructure" was dismantled. Local sources told Anadolu that no such infrastructure exists in the city. The mayor warned that the full extent of the destruction would only become clear once occupation forces withdrew from the affected areas.

❗️Egypt, Bahrain, UAE join Greece in opposing Turkiye-Libya maritime deal Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have joined Greece in opposing a maritime agreement between Turkiye and Libya, arguing that it threatens regional security and the international legal framework amid a long-running dispute over maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean. Libya's eastern parliament approved a maritime boundaries agreement with Turkiye last week. The deal, originally signed in 2019, immediately drew criticism from Greece and Cyprus, which argue that it encroaches on their maritime claims. In a joint statement delivered by Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis at the UN in New York on Monday, Greece and the three Arab states said the agreement raised "serious ⁠concerns for regional security and stability." They warned that it could establish a dangerous precedent by allowing "arbitrary ​bilateral arrangements" to undermine established international legal principles. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan rejected criticism from the European Union and other parties on Monday, saying their reactions to the agreement's approval lacked any legitimate basis. He also defended Ankara's approach to the eastern Mediterranean.

VIDEO | Israeli military vehicles were observed moving in the eastern part of the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar, coinciding with gunfire directed towards the town.

BREAKING | Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree announces a ballistic missile strike targeting the Ras Tanura refinery in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

❗️Mojtaba Khamenei vows no peace with US until Tehran’s wartime demands are met Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called on Tuesday for securing all of Tehran's explicit conditions before agreeing to end the conflict with Washington, according to Anadolu Agency. Speaking in Tehran during a high-level briefing with Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Khamenei emphasized that any resolution must fully protect the rights and strategic interests of the Iranian people and the broader Resistance Front. The Iranian leader stressed that Tehran will maintain full operational management over the strategic Strait of Hormuz to safeguard national and regional security. Pointing to US desperation resulting from Iranian popular resistance, Khamenei reiterated Tehran’s broader policy of cultivating "endogenous regional arrangements" with neighboring Arab states while leveraging maritime control to compel US compliance. Rezaei briefed the Supreme Leader on Iran's security posture and diplomatic communications via regional intermediaries, confirming that Tehran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz or resume formal negotiations until Washington implements seven core requirements—including a total end to hostilities, the lifting of the US naval blockade, and the release of frozen assets. The consultations coincide with active quadrilateral security dialogues between Iran, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan aimed at de-escalating regional friction while Tehran preserves its primary strategic leverage.

UPDATE | Voter turnout for Israeli elections today climbed to 31.5 percent by 12:00 PM local time (09:00 GMT), according to official updates released by the Central Elections Committee. The mid-day participation rate represents the highest voter turnout recorded at this hour in more than half a century, surpassing mid-day voting levels in every parliamentary election since 1973.

BREAKING | An armed man reportedly approached Yair Golan, leader of Israel’s Democrats party, with a knife, according to Ynet. His security personnel apprehended the suspect, and he was arrested by the police.

❗️Emergency warning alerts were reported in Saudi Arabia’s Najran, Khamis Mushait, and Abha a short while ago.

VIDEO | Netanyahu launched a campaign of incitement against Palestinians with Israeli citizenship during elections, urging Likud voters to declare a state of emergency over claims of attempted voter fraud and vote-buying in Palestinian communities in the 1948 territories.