LIVE: War Has Halted Gulf Oil Flow -- And Restarting It Won't Be Easy

With Jerusalem’s holy sites closed, Muslim worshippers pray on streets outside Old City

“Why are people being kept away from praying at Al-Aqsa Mosque?” asked Jerusalem resident Haitham Al-Zaghal. “That is freedom of worship; people should be allowed to pray.”

The Old City contains an area Jews call the Temple Mount — the holiest site in Judaism and home to the ancient biblical temples. Muslims call it the Noble Sanctuary and today it is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam.

Holy sites have been closed to worshippers of all faiths throughout the war.

Israeli police have deployed extra forces and the country’s Home Front Command has cited wartime safety concerns as a reason for restrictions, though Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem has little shelter infrastructure.

Before the war, Israel tightened limits on Muslims seeking to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Tens of thousands prayed there during the first Fridays of Ramadan this year, with Israel allowing less than 10,000 permits for Palestinians to enter from the occupied West Bank.

Jerusalem-based nonprofit Ir Amim questioned why the restrictions have remained in place as other synagogues and mosques have remained open, saying they “cannot be separated from the long-standing Israeli policy aimed at reducing Palestinian presence” at the holy site.  — AP

Over 100 children have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Lebanese Health Ministry says

That’s according to a toll released Friday by Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

It says a total of 773 people have been killed during the latest conflict. Sixty-two women are among those killed, and over 1,900 people have been wounded, according to the ministry.  — AP

Iraq is caught in the crossfire of the Iran war, with attacks by both sides on its soil

Unlike other Middle Eastern states touched by the war, Iraq hosts both entrenched Iran-aligned forces and significant U.S. interests. As in past upheavals, Iraqis have learned to adapt to daily violence that intrudes on everyday life.

But Iraq’s economy depends overwhelmingly on oil, so the longer the conflict lasts, the greater the risk that economic shocks, political paralysis and friction with Iran‑backed militias will combine to unravel Iraq’s hard‑won relative stability.

The government might not be able to meet its oversized public‑sector payroll as soon as next month, risking widespread unrest, two Iraqi Kurdish officials said.

In the meantime, a parallel conflict to the wider war has escalated between Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups and the U.S. — near-daily drone strikes have targeted American interests across the country, while the U.S. has struck back against militia bases to defend its troops.  — AP

Trump dismisses Ukraine’s effort to help US defend against Iranian drones

“No, we don’t need their help on drone defense,” Trump said in the Fox News Radio interview that aired Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the U.S. sought out Ukraine’s help in countering Iran’s Shahed drones, which Russia has been firing at Ukraine in their war.  — AP

German chancellor wants a ‘convincing plan’ for ending the war

Friedrich Merz spoke Friday alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at military exercises in Norway.

Merz said the world is witnessing “a dangerous escalation,” and said Iran is “indiscriminately” carrying out attacks on countries across the Gulf region.

“With every day this war lasts, more questions are coming up, more than can be answered yet,” Merz said. “And one thing becomes increasingly clear, we need a convincing plan on how this war can come to an end.”  — AP

Trump says he’ll consider waiving ‘restrictive’ shipping law

Asked if he would consider suspending the 1920s Jones Act that aims to protect U.S. jobs, Trump said “we’ll take a look at everything.”

The Jones Act requires goods shipped between U.S. ports to be moved on U.S.-flagged vessels. It’s often blamed for making gas more expensive.

In an interview on Fox News Radio that aired Friday, Trump called it a “restrictive act” but also acknowledged it has “tremendous support” in Congress.  — AP

Another Israeli airstrike kills at least 8 people in Lebanon

Eight were killed and nine others were wounded in the strike in the southern coastal city of Sidon, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Friday.

The number will likely rise as civil defense workers search the rubble. It’s unclear what Israel’s target was in the morning strike.

Since the Israel-Hezbollah war started in March, nearly 700 people have been killed and more than 1,700 wounded, the ministry said.  — AP

Trump says no operation is in place to seize Iran’s enriched uranium, but that could change

The president said, “No, not at all,” when asked if the U.S. would attempt to retrieve the material, which is believed to be buried underground in Iran.

“We’re not focused on that,” Trump said. “But at some point, we might be.”  — AP

Israeli warplanes drop leaflets over Beirut, causing panic

BEIRUT, Lebanon:  Israeli planes dropping propaganda leaflets over Beirut on Friday caused a number of loud booms in the sky, terrifying residents of the Lebanese capital.

AFP correspondents heard four successive booms at short intervals, before clouds of paper leaflets appeared high in the air.

State media said the noise was "caused by Israeli aircraft flying at a very low altitude and dropping leaflets over a number of areas, specifically in Verdun, Hamra, and Ain al-Mreisseh", western Beirut neighbourhoods.

One of the leaflets, addressed to the Lebanese people, said: "You must disarm Hezbollah, Iran's shield", and "Lebanon is your decision, not someone else's."

The leaflets included a QR code, along with the line: "Unit 504 is working to secure the future of Lebanon and its people."

Unit 504 is an Israeli military intelligence unit. Leaflet drops have been a tactic also used in Gaza.

Lebanon's military in a statement warned citizens "against scanning the codes and clicking on these links", citing "legal and security risks, as well as the potential for hacking mobile phones and accessing personal data".  — AFP

Trump again suggests the U.S. is holding off from escorting ships through Strait of Hormuz

Trump, in an interview on Fox News Radio that aired Friday, said that when it comes to the U.S. Navy escorting ships through the shipping lane, “We would do it if we need to.”

“Hopefully things are going to go very well,” Trump said.  — AP