US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday that four out of the six crew members aboard a refueling aircraft were killed when the plane went down in western Iraq. CENTCOM clarified that the crash of the refueling tanker was not caused by either hostile or friendly fire, noting that a formal investigation into the circumstances of the incident is currently underway. On Thursday, CENTCOM had confirmed it was monitoring reports regarding the loss of a U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker in western Iraq. Officials noted that the incident occurred within friendly airspace during the ongoing military engagement known as Operation Epic Fury.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received a phone call on Friday from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the rapidly deteriorating regional security situation. The President emphasized that these neighboring nations have neither supported nor participated in the ongoing hostilities against Iran. President Sisi urged the prioritization of the “good neighborly” principle and called for an immediate cessation of these attacks. Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, the presidential spokesperson, noted that the Iranian President expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s role and President el-Sisi’s personal commitment to de-escalation. President al-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s readiness to exert every possible effort in mediation to ensure that political and diplomatic solutions prevail.

Iranian State Television announced on Friday that the Iranian Armed Forces launched a drone strike targeting an Israeli Ministry of Defense headquarters in Beersheba. In an official statement, the Iranian military confirmed it executed the drone attack early Friday morning, specifically targeting the headquarters of the Israeli General Staff in the southern city of Beersheba. “We have successfully struck the General Staff headquarters of the Israeli Defense Forces in Beersheba using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs),” the statement read. “Our large-scale operations will continue over the coming hours against the sites and bases of the Zionist entity.”Minutes before the military announcement, Ali Larijani, Secretary-General of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated that Israeli attacks occurring amidst ongoing demonstrations demonstrate the “enemy’s helplessness.”Larijani asserted that Israeli strikes targeting participants in Iran’s “International Quds Day” rallies are born out of fear. “US President Donald Trump’s problem is his inability to comprehend that the Iranian people are strong, conscious, and possessed of a formidable will,” Larijani added.

A Reuters report published Friday reveals a “complex struggle” brewing within the White House, forcing President Donald Trump to shift his public rhetoric on the trajectory of the war in Iran. Meanwhile, administration hardliners are reportedly lobbying the President to press ahead with the assault to ensure the total collapse of the Islamic Republic. On the opposing side, hardline voices are pressing Trump to maintain military pressure on Tehran. They are reportedly lobbying the President and his top aides to avoid being dragged into yet another protracted Middle East conflict. The entire team is focused on ensuring the operation’s objectives are fully realized.”Trump’s war at a crossroadsWhen President Trump committed U.S. forces to the conflict, he provided little by way of a formal explanation.

US President Donald Trump has asserted that Iran is “on the verge of surrender,” signaling that he believes the end of the ongoing war is near. During a virtual meeting with G7 leaders last Wednesday, Trump claimed the Islamic Republic is “about to give up,” according to an Axios report published Friday. The report cited three G7 officials who were briefed on the contents of the teleconference. Some officials and advisors have warned Trump that surging gasoline prices—which hit a national average of $3.60 per gallon this week—could carry a heavy political cost following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran. These insights were gathered through Reuters interviews with a Trump advisor and several others close to the high-level deliberations.

The Egyptian banking sector witnessed a turbulent close to the trading week as the US Dollar surged to unprecedented heights against the Egyptian Pound. Both the National Bank of Egypt and Banque Cairo followed a similar trajectory, closing at LE 52.39 (buy) and LE 52.49 (sell), marking a weekly increase of LE 2.30. Crédit Agricoleposted the week’s steepest climb of LE 2.45, setting its rates at LE 52.50 for purchase and LE 52.60 for sale. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank matched this selling price, though its weekly increase was slightly more conservative at LE 2.17. Other major institutions, including Bank of Alexandria, the Housing & Development Bank, and Al Baraka Bank, all converged around the LE 52.45–52.49 selling range, further cementing the pound’s new historic low.

New Supreme Leader of Iran Mujtaba Khamenei vowed on Thursday to continue strikes against US military bases in the region and maintain the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, in his first message since assuming office. He further claimed the Iranian armed forces had successfully “thwarted plans to partition Iran.”Addressing neighbouring states, Khamenei said Iran shares land or sea borders with 15 countries and has always desired good relations. However, he alleged that “the enemy” has established military and financial bases in some of these countries to ensure regional hegemony. “In the recent aggression, some of those bases were used, and therefore we targeted only the bases without attacking the countries themselves,” Khamenei said. Flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which handled 20m bpd of crude and products last year, have collapsed by more than 90%.

Iran hopes that hitting Gulf states will drive them away from Washington, while the US and Israel appear to be using the Iranian attacks to pressure Arab governments to join the war. Gulf states are deeply wary of being drawn into a wider war, the long-term consequences of which they may ultimately have to manage alone. “That distrust is likely to be a barrier to Gulf states joining an offensive action,” he said. Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty ImagesSome smaller Gulf states may also be waiting to see how Saudi Arabia responds. The desert Gulf states have less than 1% of the world’s population but account for roughly half its desalination capacity.

The Egyptian snack-food producer delivered an especially strong fourth quarter. Net profit in the fourth quarter surged 178.6% year-on-year to EGP 859.4 million, with net margin reaching 13.9%, nearly double the 7.3% recorded in 4Q2024. In the fourth quarter, total tons sold increased 47.4% year-on-year to 45.5 thousand tons, while total packs rose 23.1% to 1.1 billion packs. Net export sales reached EGP 1.96 billion in FY2025, accounting for 9.5% of total revenues. In the fourth quarter alone, exports rose 45.3% year-on-year to EGP 649 million, representing 10.6% of total revenues.

The Israeli Army Radio reported Wednesday evening that Hezbollah launched a massive, single-wave barrage of approximately 100 rockets targeting multiple areas across Northern Israel. According to Israel’s Channel 12, the launches originated from several locations within Lebanon. Reports indicated that a fire broke out in a building near Karmiel due to falling rocket shrapnel, with other northern sites reporting similar debris impacts. Shortly after the Hezbollah barrage, additional sirens sounded across the north following a secondary wave of missile launches originating directly from Iran. Tehran swiftly retaliated against the offensive by targeting American interests across the Middle East and executing wide-scale strikes on Israel.

The outlook indicates chilly conditions in the early morning, transitioning to warm daytime temperatures across most regions. While Southern Upper Egypt will experience hot afternoon weather, cold temperatures will return nationwide at night. Weather maps indicate morning mist and fog across Northern Egypt, extending to Greater Cairo, the Suez Canal cities, Northern Upper Egypt, and Central Sinai. Satellite imagery has detected wind activity across the North Coast, the Delta, and Greater Cairo, which may stir up sand and dust in parts of the Western Desert. There will be chances of light rain in parts of the Western Desert and Northern Upper Egypt, with a slight possibility of scattered showers reaching Greater Cairo.

Hezbollah announced on Wednesday evening the launch of its “Operation Al-Asf al-Makoul” against Israel, according to reports by Al Jazeera, signifying a major escalation of regional hostilities. The announcement follows a series of recent strikes by the Iranian-aligned group on military sites in Northern Israel. Hezbollah stated these actions are a direct response to Israel’s persistent violations of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement and the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. These strikes coincide with the commencement of what the Israeli military described as a “limited ground incursion” into Southern Lebanon on Tuesday. This flare-up is part of a broader conflict that erupted on February 28, when the administration of US President Donald Trump and Israel launched a massive military operation against Iran.

Education: Facilitating the equivalency of foreign certificates and maintaining flexible quotas for the admission of students from abroad into Egyptian universities to account for varying international curricula. Facilitating the equivalency of foreign certificates and maintaining flexible quotas for the admission of students from abroad into Egyptian universities to account for varying international curricula. In a separate bilateral meeting held the same day, Abdelatty received Konsowa to specifically discuss international cooperation in higher education and scientific research. He also outlined plans to increase the number of international students studying in Egypt and to improve the efficiency of teaching staff. Both ministers emphasised the importance of leveraging the expertise of Egyptian scholars abroad to support the nation’s broader development goals.

CI Capital Holding, through its subsidiary CI Capital PE for Fund Management and Investment (CIPE), has partnered with Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) to launch a new real estate investment fund under the name Awaed Real Estate Fund, with a target size of EGP 8bn. In its capacity as fund manager, CI Capital PE will oversee the overall management of the fund, including leading the contracting process with various service providers. It has also been agreed that one of Talaat Moustafa Group’s subsidiaries will undertake the development and sale of the real estate assets acquired by the fund. Meanwhile, CI Capital for Promotion and Underwriting in Securities acted as the sole transaction coordinator, subscription bookrunner and lead financial adviser for the fund. The company also served as the exclusive financial adviser to Talaat Moustafa Group in the transaction.

Egypt’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Ahmed Rostom, and Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Randa El-Menshawy, held an expanded meeting to review the outlines of the investment plan for fiscal year 2026/2027 and the medium-term investment strategy for 2026-2030. During the meeting, the two sides also reviewed the main pillars of the housing ministry’s investment plan, with a focus on priority projects aimed at improving citizens’ living standards. These include the presidential initiative Decent Life, as well as social and middle-income housing programmes and integrated urban development projects. At the conclusion of the meeting, both ministers emphasised the importance of continued coordination between the ministries in the coming period to follow up on the implementation of projects included in the investment plan. The cooperation aims to support the state’s efforts to develop infrastructure, advance urban development and achieve sustainable development goals.