US top diplomat Rubio meets Syrian counterpart; discuss Israel, human rights
ANTALYA: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani in Turkiye on Thursday, the State Department said in a statement.
'(Rubio) welcomed the Syrian government's calls for peace with Israel, efforts to end Iran's influence in Syria, commitment to ascertaining the fate of US citizens missing or killed in Syria, and elimination of all chemical weapons,' the department said.
'The Secretary underscored the critical importance of protecting the human rights of all Syrians regardless of ethnicity or religion,' the department said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Asharq Al-Awsat
41 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israeli Reports: Hezbollah Uses Less Rockets, More Drones to Target Israel
Lebanon's Hezbollah has ramped up drone production, an easier and cheaper alternative to rockets and missiles, Hebrew newspapers reported on Monday. The Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said on Monday that the Israeli airstrike carried out on June 5 against what it said were Hezbollah targets in Beirut's Southern Suburbs, was an attempt to dismantle five Hezbollah drone manufacturing sites. It added that the operation, months in the making, was approved despite internal debate among Israeli leadership. 'Inspired by the Ukraine-Russia war and facing disruptions to Iranian supply chains, Hezbollah has ramped up its domestic production of drones,' the newspaper wrote. Why Drones? Yedioth Ahronoth said Hezbollah is now focusing on the production of drones as an easier and cheaper alternative to rockets and missiles. According to the Israeli Army intelligence, Hezbollah has shifted its rehabilitation budget in 2025 toward developing explosive-laden UAVs and attack or reconnaissance drones, investing less in precision missiles and rockets. It noted that drone assembly is simpler, faster and cheaper than missile production and often uses civilian parts ordered online. 'Drones are harder for Israeli air defense systems to immediately detect and classify, can be launched from hidden locations like ravines and fly in unpredictable paths. Hezbollah has drawn tactical inspiration from the effectiveness of drones in Ukraine,' the newspaper said. Operational Meetings Yedioth Ahronoth said Israeli Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar has held frequent operational meetings to tighten pressure on Hezbollah's drone unit and prevent its resurgence. It said despite Israeli advances in detection and interception—including a new laser defense system that has already downed about 40 Hezbollah drones—the Israeli Army has yet to face a mass swarm attack combining drones with a barrage of rockets, especially from nearby southern Lebanon. 'That's why Israel continues to prioritize preemptive strikes,' it wrote. The newspaper then quoted an Air Force officer overseeing efforts against Hezbollah's covert UAV Unit 127, as saying that the Thursday strike was a continuation of last year's interception operation, during which Israel reportedly destroyed 70% of Hezbollah's drone arsenal and killed senior figures in the unit. 'We precisely hit underground workshops and storage sites without collapsing nearby buildings,' he said. 'We'll strike again when more sites are identified.' The officer also said that Hezbollah is aiming for greater self-sufficiency and less reliance on Iran. Unit 127 Hezbollah's aerial Unit 127, which is responsible to produce UAVs, is again the focus of the Israeli intelligence particularly after the Israeli Army spokesperson noted that the Lebanese party is trying to regain its activity and recover from attacks it has suffered from during the recent war on Lebanon. On June 5, the Israeli military carried out attacks on alleged Hezbollah targets in Beirut's southern suburb, the stronghold of the Lebanese party. Prior to the strike, the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning, announcing that it would hit eight buildings at four locations. The warning prompted panic on the eve of the Eid al-Adha holiday. The Israeli army said that Hezbollah was 'working to produce thousands of drones under the guidance and financing of Iranian terrorist groups.' After the strikes, the army said Hezbollah tried to rebuild an 'arms production site' after the war, adding that 'this dangerous activity constitutes a flagrant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon under the ceasefire agreement.' Hezbollah's Unit 127 was founded in 2012 by Hassan al-Laqis, who was assassinated near his Beirut home in 2013.
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Diplomats Dismiss to Asharq Al-Awsat Claims about UNIFIL Withdrawal from Lebanon
Western and United Nations diplomats dismissed as rumors claims that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was pulling out of the country. The Lebanese government is expected to request the extension of the peacekeeping forces' mandate that expires in August. A US State Department spokesperson told Asharq Al-Awsat that the reports about the withdrawal are 'inaccurate'. He did not elaborate further. UNIFIL has been deployed in southern Lebanon since March 1978. Some amendments to its mandate were introduced after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and again after the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. Debate rages every year over its duties as the deadline for renewing its mission approaches. Some countries have sought to grant the force more powers, which would put it at odds with Hezbollah that holds sway in the areas of its deployment. Hezbollah was severely weakened after last year's war with Israel and the ensuing ceasefire agreement had demanded that the Iran-backed party remove its weapons from the South. UNIFIL forces are deployed south of the Litani River and along the border with Israel. It boasts over 10,000 soldiers from some 50 countries, as well as 800 civilian employees. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told Asharq Al-Awsat that the forces' greatest challenge is the lack of a long-term political solution between Lebanon and Israel. UNIFIL continues to encourage the parties to renew their commitment to fully implementing UN Security Council resolution 1701 and taking tangible steps to address pending issues related to it, including steps that would lead to a permanent ceasefire, he added. It is too soon to tell what UNIFIL's mandate will be like after next August, he went on to say, stressing that changing its mission is up to the Security Council. Israeli media had reported that the United States wanted to end UNIFIL's mission. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, a diplomat dismissed the report as 'usual fearmongering aimed at influencing Lebanon and other parties interested in extending UNIFIL's mandate and its role in preserving stability in the South and along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel.' The Security Council is currently awaiting Lebanon's request to extend the mandate for another year, said western diplomats. The letter will include Lebanon's clear demand for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all occupied Lebanese territories, including the five hilltops it seized during last year's war. The ceasefire agreement demanded that Israel pull out from those areas within 60 days. Lebanon has been seeking to resolve this issue through the quintet committee tasked with monitoring the ceasefire and through intense contacts with the US. US officials are considering pulling American support from UNIFIL in a bid to cut costs associated with its operations, the Israel Hayom newspaper reported Sunday evening. US sources later confirmed to The Times of Israel that the option was on the table.
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israeli Navy Strikes Yemen's Port of Hodeidah, Army Radio Says
The Israeli navy carried out attacks on Yemen's Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Israeli army radio said on Tuesday, in an ongoing campaign that usually involves airstrikes. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said Israel targeted the docks of Hodeidah port with two strikes. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The strikes come after the Israeli military on Monday urged the evacuation of the Houthi-controlled ports of Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and Salif. Since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have fired at Israel and at shipping in the Red Sea in what it says are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians. Most of the dozens of missiles and drones fired towards Israel have been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes. Israel has severely weakened other allies of Iran in the region - Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas. The Tehran-backed Houthis and pro-Iranian armed groups in Iraq are still standing.
