VIENNA, Austria: The head of the UN agency monitoring Iran’s nuclear deal with the US and five other nations says Tehran is living up to its end of the agreement — comments that indirectly oppose President Donald Trump’s view.
The US president refused last month to certify Iran’s compliance, saying the benefits Tehran is getting from the deal are not proportional to its concessions.
Iran limited its nuclear program in exchange for an end to nuclear-related sanctions, but legislation now is pending before Congress that would attach additional conditions for existing US sanctions relief — a move Tehran says would violate the pact.
Speaking Thursday, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano told the IAEA’s 35-nation board that the “commitments being undertaken by Iran are being implemented.”
UN chief nuke inspector: Iran complying with nuclear deal
UN chief nuke inspector: Iran complying with nuclear deal
Tunisia probes ride-hailing apps for money laundering
- Tunisian authorities said they have seized about 12 million dinars ($3.8 million) from accounts linked to multiple ride-hailing apps
TUNIS: Tunisia has launched an investigation into alleged money laundering and tax fraud involving ride-hailing applications, the interior ministry said on Monday.
Authorities also said they were suspending the apps.
“The financial division of the National Guard has uncovered suspicions of money laundering and tax evasion among operators of private taxi ride-hailing apps,” the ministry said in a statement.
The statement did not name the apps, but a source familiar with the matter told AFP the main company under scrutiny was the Estonia-based Bolt.
The ride-hailing app, operating in more than 500 cities from over 45 countries, is widely used in Tunisia, where public transportation infrastructure is inadequate.
Tunisian authorities said they have seized about 12 million dinars ($3.8 million) from accounts linked to multiple ride-hailing apps.
They said the companies had been removed from the commercial registry and their offices shut for allegedly operating without proper licenses and using fraudulent authorizations.
They were also accused of using bank accounts to illegally funnel funds abroad.
Tunisians have increasingly relied on ride-hailing services amid a deteriorating public transportation system.
Even the capital Tunis, home to over two million people, has suffered from years of public transit underinvestment and neglect.
President Kais Saied has repeatedly denounced corruption within the public transportation sector.
Drought-hit Morocco to extend wheat import subsidies to year-end
- The country has become a major wheat export outlet for the European Union and, increasingly, Russia
PARIS: Morocco will extend its current subsidy program for soft wheat imports until December 31, state grains agency ONICL said on Monday, indicating the drought-affected country will need to import throughout the year.
Citing a decision by Morocco’s finance and agriculture ministries, ONICL said in a statement on its website that the new round of subsidies for importers would run from May 1 to December 31, with details to be announced subsequently.
The authorities had previously announced a subsidy program running up to the end of April.
The continuation of the program for the whole of 2025 suggests the upcoming harvest will be insufficient to replenish supply. In the past, Morocco shut its market to imports at times during good crop years to protect domestic supply.
Morocco has imported wheat heavily in the past two years after prolonged drought led to successive poor crops. Last year, Morocco’s output of soft wheat, durum and barley was 3.1 million tons, down 43 percent compared with the previous crop.
The country has become a major wheat export outlet for the European Union and, increasingly, Russia.
ONICL also said the authorities would provide subsidies between April 1 and December 31 for importers to hold stocks of soft wheat.
Testing time for Lebanon’s foreign aid-reliant education system
- Sudden suspension of USAID funding leaves thousands of students without scholarships or support
- US-funded universities and agencies brace for challenges as aid review prompts program shutdowns
DUBAI: Thousands of students in Lebanon, where public institutions including schools and universities are heavily reliant on international assistance, have been badly hit by the new US administration’s suspension of foreign aid.
The executive order issued in January to ensure all United States Agency for International Development (USAID) projects align with US national interests has plunged students and academic institutions in Lebanon into uncertainty.
“My parents cannot afford to keep me enrolled if I lose my scholarship,” Rawaa, an 18-year-old university student attending the Lebanese American University, told Arab News. “Even if I worked day and night, I would not be able to cover a fraction of my tuition.”
According to USAID, some 16,396 students in Lebanon have previously benefited from the agency’s support as part of its higher education capacity building initiative.
Soon after the suspension was announced, students in Lebanon received official emails notifying them that their scholarships had been discontinued for 90 days. No further clarification has been sent.
“I have been obsessively refreshing my inbox and my news feed to see if there are any updates concerning the continuation of the USAID scholarship,” said Rawaa, but to little avail.
Lebanon received $219 million through USAID in 2024 alone to support nongovernmental organizations, water management and development projects in rural areas, educational and economic opportunities, and humanitarian assistance.
The US administration has said it is eliminating more than 90 percent of USAID’s foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall assistance around the world. An internal memo said officials were “clearing significant waste stemming from decades of institutional drift.”
More changes are planned in how USAID and the State Department deliver foreign assistance, it said, “to use taxpayer dollars wisely to advance American interests.”
Many Republican lawmakers believe USAID has been wasteful and harbors a liberal agenda. US President Donald Trump himself has promised to dramatically reduce spending and shrink the federal government.
The dismantling of USAID by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, overseen by Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk, has seen pushback by unions, aid groups, and foreign policy analysts, who tout the agency’s “soft power” credentials.
Samantha Power, the USAID chief under former President Joe Biden, called the agency “America’s superpower” in an opinion piece for the New York Times. “We are witnessing one of the worst and most costly foreign policy blunders in US history,” she wrote.
“Future generations will marvel that it wasn’t China’s actions that eroded US standing and global security but rather an American president and the billionaire he unleashed to shoot first and aim later,” she added, in reference to Musk.
In 2023, Power allocated $50 million to support educational opportunities for Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian students in Lebanon. Some $15 million was earmarked for 140 university students, while the remainder went to thousands of younger disadvantaged students.
The 90-day suspension of USAID’s work while its programs are reviewed has resulted in thousands of Lebanese losing their jobs and as many as 500 students, who relied on American-funded scholarships, have been forced to drop out.
Teacher training programs have been cut and US-affiliated institutions such as the American University of Beirut, the Lebanese American University, and Haigazian University have also seen their budgets slashed.
USAID is an independent agency established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. It has long been a lifeline for programs in health, disaster relief, environmental protection, development, and education across the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The decision to suspend its operations is already having an impact on the work of UN agencies in the Middle East. The World Food Programme’s cash assistance scheme in Lebanon is expected to end for 170,000 Lebanese citizens and approximately 570,000 Syrian refugees.
The UN children’s fund, UNICEF, has also been forced to suspend or scale back its assistance, with just 26 percent of its donor appeal for Lebanon funded for the year ahead.
Ettie Higgins, UNICEF’s deputy representative in Lebanon, said an initial assessment had shown the agency must “drastically reduce” many of its programmes, including those related to child nutrition.
“The assessment revealed a grim picture of children’s nutrition situation, particularly in Baalbeck and Bekaa governorates, which remained densely populated when they were repeatedly targeted by airstrikes,” Higgins said in a video statement from Beirut.
She was referring to the recent war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, whose strongholds in southern and eastern Lebanon came under intense bombardment during the 15-month conflict.
Higgins said approximately 80 percent of families residing in these areas are in need of support, with 31 percent lacking sufficient drinking water, putting them at risk of contracting waterborne diseases.
“More than half a million children and their families in Lebanon are at risk of losing critical cash support from UN agencies,” she added, highlighting how these cuts could deprive the most vulnerable of their “last lifeline” to afford basic necessities.
Meanwhile, infrastructure and energy programs in rural areas have been halted, while support for small and medium-sized enterprises has stopped, leaving many families struggling.
Civil society groups and nongovernmental organizations reliant on USAID grants have also been forced to place social programs on hold, while countless employees have lost their jobs.
Once home to some of the best academic institutions and programs in the Middle East, the combined impact of economic crisis, political paralysis, the coronavirus pandemic, the Beirut port blast, and conflict with Israel has left Lebanon’s education system a shadow of its former self.
Poverty rates have skyrocketed since the financial crisis hit in 2019, with countless children forced to abandon their studies to seek work in order to support their families.
Furthermore, the war between Israel and Hezbollah forced many schools to postpone their academic terms, as at least 500 state institutions were converted into makeshift shelters to house displaced families.
Now another generation of young people is destined to miss out on higher education having lost access to US-funded scholarships.
“I don’t know what I will do in the case of scholarship suspension,” said Lebanese American University student Rawaa. “I had dreams of becoming an architect and now it’s been taken away from me.”
Jordan condemns Israeli violations in Gaza, pledges to continue diplomatic efforts
- Ayman Safadi accuses Israel of violating prisoner exchange agreement
AMMAN: Jordan’s minister of foreign affairs said on Monday that the kingdom remained steadfast in its efforts to halt Israeli aggression in Gaza and unlawful actions targeting the occupied West Bank, the Jordan News Agency reported.
Speaking to lawmakers, Ayman Safadi accused Israel of violating the prisoner exchange agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.
He added that Israel had resumed hostilities in Gaza while restricting the entry of humanitarian and medical aid since the beginning of March, calling it a “clear violation of the agreement.”
According to Safadi, a joint Egyptian-Qatari operations room, established to monitor compliance, has recorded more than 900 Israeli breaches of the truce in the past 40 to 50 days. These violations include military actions that have resulted in the deaths of more than 70 Palestinians in Gaza and the continued blockade of essential supplies, including tents and caravans needed for displaced persons.
Safadi said: “Since Israel has destroyed more than 70 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure — including homes, schools, streets, and places of worship — it has also cut off electricity to Gaza, which is already suffering from a severe water shortage due to Israel’s targeting of water stations.”
He emphasized Jordan’s commitment, under the leadership of King Abdullah II, to press Israel to cease its military actions and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“Denying the entry of aid is not only a breach of the exchange agreement but a stark violation of international law,” he said, condemning the withholding of food and medicine as a “war crime.”
Jordan has engaged in extensive diplomatic efforts, including participation in the Arab-Islamic Committee, which recently convened in Cairo.
Safadi highlighted an Egyptian initiative, backed by the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, to support the reconstruction of Gaza while preventing the displacement of its residents.
Safadi reaffirmed Jordan’s firm opposition to forced displacement, warning of its severe implications for regional security and stability.
“Forced displacement is not just about physically moving people; it is about creating conditions that make life unsustainable,” he said, adding that Jordan was coordinating efforts with the US, the EU, and other international partners within a joint Arab-Islamic framework.
He also expressed concern over escalating tensions in Lebanon, the West Bank, and the Syrian Arab Republic, blaming Israel for heightening instability, and added: “Israel’s unjustified actions in Syrian territory and its disregard for the 1974 agreement undermine efforts for peace.”
Safadi urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for its violations and to uphold the terms of the ceasefire agreement. He stressed that the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee on Gaza would intensify diplomatic outreach in the coming weeks to push for an end to the hostilities.
“The priority now is to halt the aggression, and this can be achieved through the enforcement of the mediated agreements,” he said. “Israel’s continued non-compliance is escalating tensions across the region.”
He reaffirmed Jordan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s right to sovereignty, saying that a just and lasting peace could only be achieved through the establishment of a Palestinian state, adding: “Though we are in a complex and dangerous phase, Jordan remains dedicated to defending Palestinian rights and working toward a peaceful and stable region.”
Lebanese Army seizes weapons smuggled from Syria
- Traffickers arrested after the reopening of illegal border crossings
- Israeli reconnaissance planes return to Beirut’s airspace after rockets launched from southern Lebanon
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Army Command announced on Monday the arrest of several Lebanese and Syrians suspected of involvement in smuggling operations and the reopening of illegal border crossings in the Masharih Al-Qaa area of eastern Lebanon.
In an official statement, the Army Command said that a patrol from the Directorate of Intelligence foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons from Syrian territory into Lebanon, seizing several handguns and other smuggled goods in the Zahle area in the Bekaa.
Investigations are ongoing to apprehend others suspected of involved in the operation.
FASTFACT
Parliamentary and party statements have urged the Lebanese government to reveal the findings of the investigation aimed at identifying the party responsible for launching the rockets from southern Lebanon.
UN Resolution 1701, which Lebanon is required to implement, highlights the importance of the Lebanese government’s complete control over all Lebanese territory.
This is outlined under UN Resolutions 1559 and 1680, as well as the relevant provisions of the Taif Agreement.
It stipulates that no weapons should exist without the approval of the Lebanese government, which should be the soul executor of authority in the country.
The resolution urges the Lebanese government to strengthen security at its borders and entry points to stop the unauthorized influx of weapons and related materials into Lebanon.
Meanwhile on Monday, Israeli artillery resumed its shelling of Lebanese border areas, targeting the outskirts of Shebaa.
Throughout the day, Israeli reconnaissance aircraft flew over southern Lebanon, extending as far as Beirut’s southern suburbs.
On Sunday, the Israeli Army killed Hezbollah member Hassan Al-Zein in a drone strike that targeted his vehicle in his hometown of Aita Al-Shaab, near the border.
On Monday morning, the Lebanese Army, in coordination with UNIFIL forces, removed an earth barrier an Israeli armored unit had put up.
The Israeli Army’s spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, stated that the targeting of a Hezbollah member was part of ongoing military operations to address the threats posed by the group in the region.
The Israeli Army will continue to implement necessary measures to ensure the security of Israel and protect it from any potential threats arising from Lebanese territory, he said.
Intensive diplomatic communications carried out by President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Foreign Minister Youssef Raji helped to contain the situation, their respective media offices stated.
The military escalation came after unidentified individuals launched five rockets from an area north of the Litani River toward the Israeli settlement of Metula on Saturday.
This incident resulted in multiple casualties, and at the time, Israeli officials warned of a “Beirut for Metula” equation.
Aoun will travel to Paris in four days for a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace.
The discussions will focus on developments in Lebanon and aim to advance three key issues: the release of Lebanese detainees held by Israel, urging Israel to withdraw from five strategic hills it currently occupies along the southern border, and addressing the disputed land border points with Israel.
At the same time in Beirut, parliamentary and party statements urged the government to reveal the findings of the investigation aimed at identifying the party responsible for launching the rockets from southern Lebanon.
Independent MP Fouad Makhzoumi inquired about the steps the government plans to take to identify those responsible for the launches and their backers.
He also inquired about measures to ensure that Lebanon is not held hostage by their actions.
He stated that it was not permissible to classify the incident as an unidentified act, considering the risk of renewed Israeli aggression against Lebanon.
In a related development, the Lebanese Forces Party issued a warning in a statement that if the ceasefire agreement was not upheld, tensions and instability along the southern border would persist, turning Lebanon into a battleground.
The party stated: “While the prime minister and foreign minister urge adherence to international commitments for Lebanon’s protection from military escalation, those advocating for the implementation of international resolutions and ceasefire agreements face accusations of treason. This is a desperate attempt to silence calls for stronger security and sovereignty in Lebanon.”
The Lady of the Mountain Gathering political group stated that the recent rocket attacks on Israel represented a perilous escalation.
It urged the Lebanese Army to identify the party responsible for launching the rockets and to assert the state’s sovereignty over all Lebanese territory under the constitution, the oath of office, and the ministerial statement.
