His Highness (HH) the Amir Receives Written Message from South Africa's President
The message was received by HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi during a meeting on Sunday with HE Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa to Qatar Ghulam Hoosein Asmal.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The State of Qatar.
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The National
an hour ago
- The National
Public fury in Iraq after clashes between militia and security forces
Public anger is mounting in Iraq after deadly clashes between security forces and gunmen from an Iran -backed militia in Baghdad left two dead, with calls growing to disarm the groups or bring them firmly under state control. The violence was sparked when fighters stormed a government building to forcibly reinstate a dismissed director general in southern Baghdad. Security forces responded, triggering a gun battle that killed a policeman and taxi driver who were caught in the crossfire, security authorities said. At least 15 fighters have been arrested by the security forces, according to authorities. They are affiliated with the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) – an umbrella group formed in 2014 to fight ISIS. It is composed mainly of Iran-backed Shiite militias and is integrated into Iraq's armed forces. The fighters belong to the powerful Tehran-aligned Kataib Hezbollah, which is part of the PMF, a security official said. The Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, has ordered an investigation on the 'circumstances surrounding the incident and how the armed force moved without orders or proper approvals, attempted to take control of a government building and opened fire on security forces', according to a statement. In its own statement, the PMF said it would not 'tolerate any violation by any individual to the orders of security protocols'. It didn't give details on the incident or the measures that will be taken. The Co-ordination Framework, a political group consisting of mainly Iran-backed Shiite political parties and armed factions, and the main backer for Mr Al Sudani, denounced the incident in an emergency meeting. 'It is a breach of the law and state protocols,' it said in a statement, expressing its support for government measures to 'establish security, enforce the law, and preserve the state authority'. The Siyada coalition, which is led by the Sunni tycoon Khamis Al Khanjar, warned of the 'dangers of unregulated arms and outlaw groups,' accusing them of illegally seizing lands in southern Baghdad and causing 'demographic change' by driving out Sunni families. 'We have long warned that the Iraqi state cannot achieve true stability and sustainable development as long as these unregulated and illegal arms are moving freely,' it added. Ordinary Iraqis have expressed deep anger and frustration over the growing impunity of armed factions. For many, the latest violence is not just an isolated incident but a reflection of a broader collapse in state authority. 'This wasn't just a gunfight, it was an assault on the state,' a Baghdad shop owner in the area where clashes took place told The National on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals. 'The fact that an armed group can storm a public office and challenge a government appointment with weapons is proof that we've lost control,' the 62-year-old father of three added. During the fight against ISIS, some of these militias were accused of human rights breaches against civilians in Sunni areas. The Iraqi government and PMF acknowledged these breaches as 'individual acts'. The US has blacklisted several PMF leaders, including its chairman Falih Al Fayyadh, in a bid to increase pressure on Iran's proxies in Iraq, sanctioning senior figures between 2019 and 2021 under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Mr Al Fayyadh is an ally of Mr Al Sudani and is set to run in parliamentary elections in November with him. After declaring ISIS defeated in late 2017, the PMF and mainly Tehran-aligned groups morphed into a major political and military power, growing more defiant towards the government and opposition groups. Since then, they have launched attacks against US troops in Iraq as well as in Syria, where they fought alongside Bashar Al Assad's forces in its civil war. The latest clashes came amid a push by Shiite political parties inside parliament to approve new amendments to the existing PMF law that would elevate their role as security forces. The new amendments were among the main issues discussed by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mr Al Sudani in a phone call last week. Mr Rubio 'reiterated serious US concerns' with the PMF, emphasising that 'any such legislation would institutionalise Iranian influence and armed terrorist groups undermining Iraq's sovereignty,' spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement. The US embassy on Monday called on the Iraqi government to 'take measures to bring these perpetrators and their leaders to justice without delay,' in a statement on X. 'Accountability is essential to upholding the rule of law and preventing further acts of violence,' it added. While officially part of Iraq's security apparatus under the control of the commander-in-chief, many of its factions maintain parallel chains of command and are widely believed to answer to Tehran. A photograph of the dead taxi driver was widely circulated on social media. Bullets ripped through his car when he passed by. 'His image is a grim symbol of a country held hostage by unaccountable militias,' the shop owner said. 'He was trying to earn a living,' he added. 'He didn't belong to any party or faction, and yet he paid for this power struggle. That picture is Iraq. We are all trapped in this chaos.'


The National
2 hours ago
- The National
UN nuclear watchdog to visit Iran in next two weeks
The UN nuclear watchdog will visit Iran within the next two weeks, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. It will be the first such visit since Tehran passed a parliamentary bill restricting co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA has said it must be allowed to resume inspections after Israeli and US air strikes last month that aimed to destroy Iran's nuclear programme and deny it the capacity to build a nuclear weapon. Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons and says its programme is strictly peaceful. Iran has blamed the IAEA for providing Israel with the pretext to start a war after a report accusing Tehran of hiding enriched uranium. After the 12-day war ended, a bill passed in Iran's parliament restricting Tehran's co-operation with the watchdog. The bill, which has now become law, stipulates that any future inspection of Iran's nuclear sites by the IAEA needs approval by Tehran's Supreme National Security Council. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said a manual regarding future co-operation with the agency will be presented during the visit. The UN nuclear watchdog is particularly concerned about the whereabouts of Iran's stocks of some 400kg of highly enriched uranium. On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the CBS News show Face The Nation that Western governments were seeking a 'comprehensive agreement' with Iran, in part to avert the 'risk' that it could covertly pursue a nuclear weapon. 'Regarding matters related to our defence capabilities, there will absolutely be no discussion,' Mr Baghaei said in response during his weekly press briefing. Mr Barrot's comments came after a meeting on Friday between Iranian diplomats and counterparts from France, Germany and Britain – the first nuclear talks since the war with Israel. The European countries, also known as the E3, have in recent weeks threatened to trigger a " snapback mechanism" which would reinstate UN sanctions on Iran. Tehran has warned it might withdraw from the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty if sanctions were reimposed. 'One cannot expect a country to remain in the treaty while being deprived of its stated rights, particularly the peaceful use of nuclear energy,' Mr Baghaei said. Israel's attacks on Iran last month hit vital nuclear and military sites but also residential areas, and killed top commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of others. The US briefly joined the war, striking nuclear sites. The war derailed nuclear negotiations that were under way between Washington and Tehran since April 12. In an interview with Iran's state TV aired on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the decision to engage diplomatically towards a ceasefire was 'what prevented the war from spiralling into a wider regional catastrophe'. Mr Araghchi said he had survived an assassination attempt during the war. A bomb had been placed outside his house but security forces 'took control of it', he said. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian previously said he was lightly injured during an Israeli attack.


The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Hamas demands mediators guarantee positive result for Gaza ceasefire talks to continue
Hamas wants to continue with ceasefire negotiations only if mediators can guarantee a positive outcome, a senior official said on Monday. Mahmoud Taha, a Hamas official in Beirut, was speaking after sources told The National remote discussions had intensified in recent days between Egyptian and Qatari mediators on one side, and US and Israeli officials on the other. 'We have no objection to continuing negotiations if there are guarantees from the mediators and the international community to ensure results,' Mr Taha said. 'The core issue is the cessation of aggression, which [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu refuses to address in the negotiations." Hamas has already agreed unconditionally to a 60-day truce and signalled it was open to suggestions to lay down its arms and for its leaders to leave Gaza and live in exile with their families. However, a Hamas request for "small amendments" to the deal provoked an angry response from the US and Israel. The group has since informed mediators it had dropped its request, a source said. Mr Netanyahu said Israel and the US were "considering alternative options" to bring home the remaining 49 hostages and end Hamas's rule in Gaza. The two allies withdrew their negotiators from Qatar on Friday, where the latest round of Gaza talks started on July 6. US President Donald Trump suggested Mr Netanyahu should intensify military action against Hamas to eliminate the group. 'Hamas didn't really want to make a deal, I think they want to die,' Mr Trump said. It is time to 'finish the job' and 'get rid' of Hamas, he added. Mr Taha said: 'Trump's remarks about changing his strategy in Gaza and threatening Hamas are irresponsible and do not intimidate the movement. If Israel truly had more cards to play, they wouldn't be negotiating with Hamas.' He said 'all of these statements are aimed at pressuring Hamas into making concessions in the talks," calling on the US to "recalibrate" its policy. The back-and-forth between Mr Trump and Hamas marks a shift from earlier this month, when Hamas said Gaza ceasefire talks with Israel were progressing due to Mr Trump's involvement in the process. Change in strategy Israel's announcement of a daily pause in military operations in three parts of Gaza and the opening of new aid corridors was, sources said, effectively the implementation of the humanitarian segment of the latest proposals to pause the Gaza war. The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters stormed southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 250 hostages back to Gaza. Israel's military response has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians and wounded more than twice that number, Gaza health officials say. It has also reduced much of the enclave to ruins and displaced nearly all of the 2.3 million population. Mr Trump said Israel would have to make a decision on its next steps in Gaza. He underscored the importance of securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, saying the group had suddenly 'hardened' its stance on the issue. 'They don't want to give them back and so Israel is going to have to make a decision,' he said at the start of a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at his golf property in Turnberry, south-west Scotland. "I know what I'd do but I don't think it's appropriate that I say it. But Israel is going to have to make a decision," he said, while also claiming – without evidence – that Hamas was stealing food coming into Gaza and selling it. Israel has also accused Hamas of looting aid but a US government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft. US Senator Lindsey Graham has said Israel is preparing to intensify its military campaign in Gaza, comparing the strategy to allied operations on Tokyo and Berlin at the end of the Second World War. 'What we're talking about today is a change in strategy. I think President Trump has come to believe, and I've certainly come to believe, there's no way you're going to negotiate an end to this war with Hamas,' Mr Graham told NBC. 'Hamas is a terrorist organisation that is chartered to destroy the State of Israel. They're religious Nazis. They hold Israeli hostages.' Mr Graham, from South Carolina, said Israel has concluded that dismantling Hamas is the only way to ensure its security.