BBC News reports that Saudi Arabian State-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco has raised a record $25.6bn (£19.4bn) in its initial public offering (IPO) in Riyadh. The share sale was the biggest to date, surpassing that of China’s Alibaba which raised $25bn in 2014.

The Guardian reports that Saudi Aramco will become the world’s most valuable firm after the IPO next week, as its oversubscribed listing would also topple Apple as the world’s most valuable listed company by valuing Aramco’s total market worth at $1.7tn. The Times reports that Saudi Aramco will price its shares at 32 riyals — or about 648p — per share, the higher end of its indicative range. The Financial Times reports that Saudi Aramco’s valuation falls short of the $2tn coveted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Reuters says there is ‘there’s no sign of a stampede’ of global investors focused on emerging markets, which Aramco’s public offering was expected to stimulate. Active fund managers said they would likely steer clear of the IPO, citing persistent concerns about risks around governance, the environment and regional geopolitics.

Writing in The Guardian, Nils Pratley argues the Saudi Aramco flotation represents a ‘failure before it has even begun’, as the world’s most profitable company appears to have missed all three of its IPO goals before shares have started trading.

The Financial Times reports that talks between oil producers discussing deeper cuts to production ran late into the night on Thursday as OPEC officials took longer than anticipated to come to an agreement. A preliminary meeting of ministers earlier in the day, involving Saudi Arabia and Russia, recommended that producers deepen existing production cuts of 1.2m barrels a day by 500,000 b/d.

The Financial Times reports that Israeli prosecutors have charged Benjamin Netanyahu’s former lawyer, his ex-chief of staff and a past head of the navy with corruption over a $2bn purchase of submarines from Germany.The Independentsays Israel’s state prosecutor, Shai Nitzan, has plans to indict prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cousin and personal lawyer, alongside six other people, on charges related to a possible conflict of interest over the submarine purchase.

In The Telegraph, Benedict Spence writes that the UK public’s ‘fatal ignorance’ about anti-Semitism is letting Labour get away with it.

The Associated Press reports that the Pentagon is considering sending several thousand additional troops to the Middle East to help deter Iranian aggression, amid reports of escalating violence in Iran and continued meddling by Tehran in Iraq, Syria and other parts of the region. The Daily Mail also reports that the Pentagon confirms it’s drawing up plans to send as many as 7,000 troops to the Middle East despite Donald Trump’s pledge to ‘end the endless wars’.

Reuters reports that Iranian security forces may have killed more than 1,000 people, the top US diplomat for Iran, Brian Hook, said on Thursday. “As the truth is trickling out of Iran, it appears the regime could have murdered over a thousand Iranian citizens since the protests began.”

The Economist investigates how the Iranian regime put down economic protests in response to fuel price rises with the security forces thought to have killed hundreds of people.

Reuters reports that European powers will demand Iran stop violating the nuclear deal or potentially face renewed UN sanctions, but with Tehran locked in conflict over US sanctions, there appears to be little scope for compromise when they meet on Friday in Vienna.

The Independent reports that Iran has used the continuing chaos in Iraq to build up an arsenal of short-range ballistic missiles in Iraq, part of a widening effort to try to intimidate the region and assert its power, according to US intelligence and military officials.

The Economist reports that elites backed by Iran are clinging to power in Iraq, despite continuing protests regarding corruption, poor governance and a lack of jobs.

Czech Republic buys Iron Dome radars: The Israeli media report that the Czech Republic will buy eight Iron Dome radar systems from Israel in a deal worth $125 million. The ELM-2084 Multi-Mission Radars are part of the Iron Dome missile defence system. Israel Aerospace Industries and its ELTA subsidiary will fill the order, with 30 per cent of the project built domestically in the Czech Republic, a NATO member. According to the Times of Israel, Israel has sold 100 units of the radar to nine countries in deals worth $2 billion.

Rocket tested off Israeli coast: All Israeli media report an early morning rocket test that was clearly visible in central and southern Israel. The test was reportedly of a rocket propulsion system, likely part of the Jericho ballistic missile or Arrow anti-missile defence system. A white contrail above the Palmachim airbase and into the Mediterranean Sea could be seen with the naked eye. The Defence Ministry said in a statement that the timing for the test had been set in advance and that it was conducted as planned. Military analysts, however, observed that the rocket test came amid increasing tensions with Iran over its nuclear program and the threat of missile attack from Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.

Gaza border demonstrations to resume: Hamas has called for the resumption of marches and demonstrations today on the Israel-Gaza border, Ynet and Palestinian media reported. The Friday protests had been suspended for the last three weeks after a two-day escalation last month between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It remains to be seen how large the turnout will be, as well as how violent. Israel warned Hamas that it would “bear the responsibility” for any violence, and that the IDF “would respond firmly” to any attacks on its forces or attempts to cross the border fence.