Saudi Arabia condemns Turkey’s military interference in Libya

Members of the Libyan Parliament in Benghazi accused Ankara of “a return to colonialism.” (File/AFP)
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Updated 05 January 2020
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Saudi Arabia condemns Turkey’s military interference in Libya

  • Saudi Arabia considers the interference a violation of sovereignty
  • Members of Libya’s Parliament in Benghazi accused Ankara of ‘a return to colonialism’

DUBAI/JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s government condemned the latest Turkish interference in Libya, state news agency SPA reported on Saturday.

The Kingdom denounced Turkey’s parliament approving the military deployment in Libya, describing it is a violation of the United Nation’s Security Council resolution on the conflict in the north African country, which aims to solve the crisis.

The resolution was adopted by the Arab League on Dec. 31, 2019.

Saudi officials believe the Turkish interference constitutes a threat to security and stability in Libya and threatens regional and Arab security. It is also an interference in the internal affairs, which it says violates international principles of sovereignty.

Other states have also opposed Turkish President’s Recep plans to send troops to fight in Libya.

Egypt’s Foreign Relations committee at the House of Representatives called Turkish plan for Libya an invasion that endangers Arab safety on Sunday.

Members of the Libyan Parliament in Benghazi accused Ankara of “a return to colonialism,” and the African Union said it was deeply concerned about “interference” in Libya.

Turkish politicians last week approved a law authorizing a military deployment in Libya to shore up the UN-backed government in Tripoli, which has been under sustained attack since April from the rival administration in the east.

At an emergency meeting of the Libyan Parliament in the eastern city of Benghazi, members accused the Tripoli government of “high treason” because of the maritime and military deals it signed with Ankara in November, clearing the way for a Turkish military intervention.

FASTFACT

Members of Libya’s Parliament in Benghazi accused Ankara of ‘a return to colonialism.’

Parliament spokesman Abdallah Bleheq said MPs voted unanimously to scrap the accords, and to sever ties with Ankara.

In Addis Ababa, African Union chief Moussa Faki Mahamat said he was “deeply concerned at the deterioration of the situation in Libya and the continuing suffering of the Libyan people.”

“The various threats of political and military interference in the internal affairs of the country increase the risk of a confrontation, whose motives have nothing to do with the fundamental interests of the Libyan people and their aspirations for freedom, peace, democracy and development,” Faki said.

He urged the international community to join forces with Africa in seeking a peaceful resolution of the crisis, which he warned had “dangerous consequences” for the continent as a whole.


Iranians welcome ceasefire but fearful for future

Updated 4 sec ago
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Iranians welcome ceasefire but fearful for future

“It was an unnecessary war and we people paid the price for the authorities’ war-mongering policies,” said Shima
One man in a busy Tehran street, who also asked to remain anonymous, said “It’s the people who are paying the price — whether our people or theirs”

DUBAI: After 12 days of Israeli airstrikes that echoed in cities around the country, killing hundreds and sending waves of people fleeing their homes, Iranians voiced relief on Tuesday at the surprise overnight announcement of a ceasefire.

For those in the Iranian capital it brought the prospect of a clean-up, a return to normal life and the soothing — for now at least — of anxiety about a further escalation and sustained warfare.

Many Iranians who fled the strikes were also glad, able to return home after tiring, expensive stays outside the city in rented accommodation or with relatives.

“I am overjoyed. It is over and we finally can live in peace. It was an unnecessary war and we people paid the price for the authorities’ war-mongering policies,” said Shima, 40, from Shiraz, withholding her name for fear of reprisals.

Just 24 hours earlier, plumes of smoke hung over parts of the capital as Israel targeted the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and its paramilitary Basij militia, as well as Evin prison at the foot of the Alborz Mountains.

One man in a busy Tehran street, who also asked to remain anonymous, said “It’s the people who are paying the price — whether our people or theirs. Both sides are bearing the cost so it’s better that this happened sooner rather than later.”

Israel has repeatedly warned residents to leave large swathes of the city before it conducted airstrikes, clogging the highways out of Tehran with vast traffic jams.

Exhausted and running out of cash, many of them had started to return home even before the ceasefire was announced.

Arash, a 39-year-old government employee, had taken his family to Damavand, a mountain
resort 35 miles east of Tehran that is popular for its clean air and bucolic setting.

They returned to Tehran two days ago. “My wife and two children were terrified of the bombings but renting even a modest room in Damavand for any length of time is beyond my limited budget,” he said.

Noushin, 35, drove almost five hours with her husband and child to stay with her mother-in-law in Sari, near Iran’s Caspian coast. But the house was already crowded with relatives seeking shelter and Noushin decided they were better off at home.

“My child misses her room. I miss my house. How long can we live like this?” she asked. “Even if there’s another attack, I’d rather die in my own home.”


NO SIGNS OF PROTESTS
Israel launched its surprise air war on June 13, hitting nuclear sites and killing military commanders in the worst blow to Iran since Iraq invaded in 1980, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes could result in regime change.

However, there have been no signs of significant street protests against the Islamic Republic.

Iranians contacted by Reuters, including some who oppose the Islamic Republic and have protested against it in the past, said the airstrikes had brought people to rally around national feeling in the face of what they saw as foreign aggression.

Still, for many Iranians there is anger at the top ranks of the nation’s leadership, and for those returning home the reality of a sanctions-hit economy remains.

“This is unacceptable. This is brutal. Why are we being attacked while the officials hide in safe places?” said Mohammad, 63, from Rasht.

“I place the blame on this country’s decision-makers. Their policies have brought war and destruction upon us,” he said by phone.

While Israel has repeatedly targeted both leaders and facilities of the internal security forces under the IRGC, state media has announced hundreds of arrests of people accused of spying.

Black security vehicles were seen on the streets of Tehran on Tuesday and dissidents expressed fear of a coming crackdown by the authorities to ward off any attempt at mass protests.

Accusations of ceasefire violations on Tuesday also raised fears that the war could reignite.

“I hope they (the Israelis) remain committed to the ceasefire. History has shown that they’ve never truly honored it, but I still hope this time they do — because it’s in our interest and theirs as well,” said one man on a Tehran street.

Syria welcomes EU sanctions against former Assad security officials

Updated 41 min 45 sec ago
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Syria welcomes EU sanctions against former Assad security officials

  • The EU has imposed sanctions on Suhail al-Hassan, Ghiyath Dallah, Miqdad Fathiyeh, Mudallal Khoury, Imad Khoury
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs say they repeatedly assaulted Syrian security personnel, civilians

LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic has welcomed an EU decision to impose sanctions on former security figures in former dictator Bashar Assad’s regime, which collapsed in December 2024.

Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision reflected a growing acknowledgment of the extent of the violations committed by former figures in the Assad regime against Syrians and their role in fueling violent sectarian events.

The EU has imposed sanctions on Suhail al-Hassan, Ghiyath Dallah, Miqdad Fathiyeh, Mudallal Khoury and Imad Khoury. The ministry said the five were involved in committing serious crimes against Syrians and, in March, played a direct role in fueling sectarian strife in the coastal towns of Banias, Latika and Jableh.

It added they had repeatedly assaulted Syrian security personnel and civilians and attempted to destabilize the coastal areas.

The ministry said a report investigating the coastal events would be submitted to the presidency and those responsible would be held accountable.

“The Syrian government reiterates its commitment to prosecute all those involved in these crimes, wherever they may be, inside or outside the country, to ensure that they are brought to justice and that the victims receive justice,” it said in a statement.


Explosion heard in Damascus, Syrian security forces confirm leftover munitions detonation

Updated 29 min 46 sec ago
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Explosion heard in Damascus, Syrian security forces confirm leftover munitions detonation

  • Residents had heard a loud blast and saw a plume of smoke rising in the western neighborhoods of the city

DAMASCUS: Syrian security forces detonated leftover munitions as part of a training exercise in the capital Damascus on Tuesday, a security source said, creating an explosion that was heard across the city.

The source from Syria’s General Security Service, which is broadly responsible for security matters, told Reuters no-one was wounded in the controlled blast.

Residents had heard a loud blast and saw a plume of smoke rising in the western neighborhoods of the city early on Tuesday evening.


UNRWA chief says cash flow crisis may force him into ‘unprecedented decision’

Updated 24 June 2025
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UNRWA chief says cash flow crisis may force him into ‘unprecedented decision’

  • Philippe Lazzarini said the UNRWA faced a $200 million deficit
  • “Without additional funding I will soon have to take an unprecedented decision affecting our services to Palestinian refugees“

GENEVA: The head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency said on Tuesday he may have to take an “unprecedented decision” about the services it provides if funding is not found soon to ease a cash flow crisis.

Philippe Lazzarini said the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) faced a $200 million deficit.

“Cash flow is managed on a weekly basis,” he told reporters in Berlin. “Without additional funding I will soon have to take an unprecedented decision affecting our services to Palestinian refugees.”

Lazzarini gave no further details of what that decision might entail.

The United States was UNRWA’s biggest donor but President Donald Trump announced broad cuts in foreign aid, including to UNRWA, earlier this year.

Other Western governments’ aid budgets are also under pressure following calls by Trump for more spending on defense as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on.

UNRWA provides aid, health and education services to millions in the Palestinian territories and neighboring Arab countries of Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.

Lazzarini said that two weeks ago he had been about to suspend 10,000-15,000 UNRWA staff in the region because of the cash flow crisis but an advance contribution from a donor had given the agency respite for the next two months.

“Just to process the payroll of our staff we need $60 million a month. We have no visibility anymore beyond September,” he added.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has requested a strategic assessment of the impact of the UNRWA mandate and will propose how the right of Palestinian refugees can be protected, Lazzarini said.

Israel has banned UNRWA from operating on its territory, accusing it of employing members of Palestinian militant group Hamas who took part in the October 2023 attacks on Israel that led to the war in Gaza.

UNRWA said as the ban went into effect this year that operations in the Gaza Strip and West Bank would also suffer.

The UN has said it will investigate all accusations made by Israel and asked Israel for evidence, which it says has not been forthcoming. Lazzarini has said that UNRWA has been the target of a disinformation campaign.


Emirati FM reviews regional crisis with Azerbaijani counterpart

Updated 24 June 2025
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Emirati FM reviews regional crisis with Azerbaijani counterpart

  • Ministers discussed latest developments in the Middle East and their impact on regional security

LONDON: UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan discussed several regional issues with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, during a phone call on Tuesday.

The ministers discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and their impact on regional peace and security. Azerbaijan shares part of its southern border with Iran, which has been locked in conflict with Israel since June 13, before a ceasefire was announced on Tuesday.

Sheikh Abdullah and Bayramov said that enhancing diplomacy and dialogue is crucial for tackling the crisis, and fostering the foundations of enduring security in the region and beyond, the Emirates News Agency reported.

Both parties also discussed opportunities to enhance collaboration across various sectors and strengthen cooperation between Abu Dhabi and Baku, WAM added.