Latest news with #Basimal-Awadi
Daily Express
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites sparks worldwide condemnation
Published on: Sunday, June 22, 2025 Published on: Sun, Jun 22, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: For illustrative purposes only. - Getty Images/iStockphoto KUALA LUMPUR: A wave of condemnation has followed the United States' recent airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, with global powers and regional states warning of a widening conflict and urging an immediate return to diplomacy. According to Anadolu Ajansi (AA), China strongly condemned the US for targeting Iranian nuclear sites safeguarded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In an official statement, the Foreign Ministry said the strikes 'seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter' and have intensified tensions in the Middle East. Beijing called for dialogue and restraint from all parties. Saudi Arabia voiced deep concern, describing the attack as a violation of Iran's sovereignty. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry urged all parties to pursue de-escalation and called on the international community to intensify efforts toward a political resolution. Oman said the strikes constituted a 'serious violation of international law and the UN Charter.' The Foreign Ministry stressed Iran's right to develop peaceful nuclear energy under international supervision and warned that continued escalation could widen the conflict. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the attacks risk expanding tensions that threaten stability across the region. He called for restraint and serious negotiations, stressing Lebanon's unwillingness to bear the cost of further conflict. Advertisement Iraq condemned the US strikes, calling them an act of escalation that 'goes beyond the borders of any country.' Government spokesman Basim al-Awadi warned that military solutions would only lead to destruction and instability. Qatar expressed deep concern, warning that further escalation could lead to 'catastrophic consequences' for the region. It called for an immediate halt to hostilities and urged renewed diplomatic engagement. Egypt warned of grave consequences resulting from the escalation, with its Foreign Ministry calling for respect for international law and a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Latin American leaders from Chile, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, and Bolivia condemned the US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, describing them as violations of international law and a threat to global stability. Pakistan condemned the strikes as a violation of international norms and reaffirmed Iran's right to defend itself under the UN Charter. Islamabad expressed concern over the deteriorating situation and called for restraint. France expressed concern over the US attacks, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stating on X that Paris was not involved in the operation. He urged all parties to avoid widening the conflict and to prioritise diplomatic solutions. Bahrain shifted to online learning and remote work in response to rising tensions, advising citizens to avoid unnecessary travel. The Interior Ministry cited public safety concerns amid heightened regional risks. European Council President Antonio Costa urged restraint and compliance with international law, stating that diplomacy is the only viable path to peace. He warned against actions that could endanger nuclear safety. Switzerland called for an immediate return to negotiations and full respect for the UN Charter. The Swiss Foreign Ministry said the escalating conflict poses a serious threat to civilian lives and infrastructure. Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris warned that the risk of a wider Iran-Israel conflict is 'more real than ever.' He stressed the need for de-escalation and highlighted the safety of Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Iran to begin immediate talks with the US and Israel to avoid further bloodshed. He urged a diplomatic solution to prevent broader conflict. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and urged 'immediate' de-escalation. Modi reiterated that diplomacy remains the only path toward regional peace and stability. Turkiye said it is deeply concerned over the consequences of the US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. The Foreign Ministry emphasised that peace must be sought through dialogue, not armed confrontation. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Rudaw Net
16-05-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Iraq says ready to help with PKK disarmament
Also in Iraq Mass grave of suspected ISIS militants found in Shingal Jordan to supply Iraq's electrical grid with 150-200 MW by August Iraq begins registering land for Development Road Green Climate Fund approves Iraq's $1.3bn climate program ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An Iraqi government spokesperson said on Friday that Baghdad is willing to receive weapons from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which this week announced it has decided to dissolve itself and end its armed struggle against the Turkish state. 'Iraq is ready to cooperate with Turkey and the Turkish Kurdistan Workers' Party in receiving weapons," Basim al-Awadi told Rudaw, adding that Iraq has presented "initiatives that it is also ready to deal with this issue from both humanitarian and relief aspects." He said that a potential PKK disarmament would significantly contribute to Ankara-Baghdad relations and that if the process is done properly 'this will certainly be encouraging and a factor in the withdrawal of all foreign forces from northern Iraq, that is, from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq." The Turkish army has established dozens of bases and outposts in northern Kurdistan Region on the pretext of battling the PKK. The PKK said on Monday that it had decided to 'dissolve its organizational structure and end the armed struggle' against Ankara. The move, widely seen to include its disarmament, has been welcomed by regional and Western countries. No timeline has been set. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told journalists on Wednesday that they have conducted in-depth discussions with the Turkish authorities regarding the PKK's disarmament. 'There are specific visions, and there will be cooperation between the federal government in Baghdad, the Turkish government, and the Kurdistan Regional Government to deal with this important decision. We hope that this decision will be a step toward achieving peace and stability in Turkey and the region,' he said. Iraq banned the PKK in March last year ahead of a visit from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan when the two sides signed agreements in various fields, including security. A PKK spokesperson said on Friday that the group has not decided to lay down arms yet, saying there has been no change to the security landscape in northern Kurdistan Region where the group is based and battling Turkish forces. 'No one has talked about laying down and surrendering weapons. The caves and tunnels of resistance in Zap and Metina are still surrounded by the Turkish state and the KDP,' Zagros Hiwa, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Community Union's (KCK) foreign relations department, told the PKK-affiliated Sterk TV. KCK is an umbrella organization consisting of several groups including the PKK. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is the most powerful political party in the Kurdistan Region and enjoys close relations with Turkey. The PKK has often accused it of supporting Ankara in anti-PKK operations. 'The distance between the guerrilla fighters and the Turkish occupying soldiers is 50 meters, 100 meters. In such a situation, how can one lay down weapons?' asked Hiwa. 'Before we talk about laying down weapons, we need to talk about the withdrawal of the Turkish occupying army from the soil of Southern Kurdistan [Kurdistan Region]. It's too early to define this situation as a process.' Iraqi government spokesperson Awadi said that the mechanism of the PKK's potential disarmament will be discussed in talks between intelligence agencies of Iraq, Turkey and the Kurdistan Region. This is not the first time Iraq has been involved in disarming a Kurdish group. A security pact signed between Iran and Iraq in March 2023 saw Baghdad agree to disarm Iranian Kurdish opposition groups and secure the border regions. The groups are being relocated within the Kurdistan Region. Awadi said Baghdad intends to apply "the same mechanisms that we used with the Kurdish Iranian opposition inside Iraq, including weapons surrender and finding alternatives with the participation of the international community and organizations." Turkey has named the peace efforts 'terror-free Turkey.' During an event in Istanbul on Friday, Erdogan said that the 40 years of war with the PKK has affected the economy. 'We have also suffered a lot economically. We have had to allocate resources of nearly two trillion dollars to this issue. We have faced numerous problems in politics and democracy as well as in our unity and solidarity," he said. "We have had to grapple with this issue besides other troubles in international relations. Our brotherhood has been harmed because of terrorism. Our development journey proceeded very slowly because of terrorism. Now, we are taking our steps very determinedly and yet very carefully to free our country and our nation from this scourge once and for all. We will not stop until we reach our target. We will definitely achieve the goal of a terror-free Turkey,' he said.
Rudaw Net
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Deadlines for US-led coalition withdrawal unchanged: Iraqi gov
Also in Iraq Kurdish official says land return law to be finalized 'within two days' Senior Iraqi ISIS commander captured in Syria: SANA 448 Iraqi children died from cancer in 2023 Sadr says some in Iraqi government benefit from drug trade A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The deadlines for the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq remain unchanged, a spokesperson for the Iraqi government stated on Monday. Basim al-Awadi confirmed to Rudaw that 'The deadlines agreed upon between Iraq and the [US-led international] coalition are still valid' and 'have not been changed yet.' In September, Iraq and the United States jointly announced an agreement to end the coalition's combat mission against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq by September 2025. The security relationship between Iraq and the US shifted to an advise-and-assist role in December 2021, following intense pressure from Iran-aligned political groups in Iraq. These factions had called for the withdrawal of US forces after the assassination of Iranian Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani and the deputy head of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in a US airstrike in Baghdad. Since then, Iraq has emphasized its capability to independently address the ISIS threat independently. The US, in turn, has framed the shift as a transition from a combat role to one focused on support and advising. The Associated Press in late January quoted American and Iraqi officials as stating that the Iran-allied factions, which previously advocated for the coalition forces' withdrawal, are now reconsidering their position due to the changing regional dynamics, including the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria and concerns over the potential resurgence of ISIS. On his part, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Sunday stated that Erbil "views ISIS as an existential threat to Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and Syria.' He insisted that Iraq still 'requires [the support of] international forces.' Despite its territorial defeat in 2017, ISIS remnants and sleeper cells continue to pose a security threat, particularly in disputed areas across multiple provinces, including Diyala, Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Salahaddin. Hastyar Qadir contributed to this report.
