Latest news with #pro-Iranian
Nahar Net
2 days ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Iraq condemns 'repeated Israeli attacks' on Lebanon
by Naharnet Newsdesk 02 June 2025, 11:55 Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Sunday condemned Israeli attacks on Lebanon as he hosted Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, on his first visit to Baghdad since taking office. Israel has continued to strike Lebanon despite a November ceasefire that ended more than a year of conflict -- including two months of open war -- with militant group Hezbollah, which emerged severely weakened. Lebanese authorities reported on Sunday the third deadly Israeli raid on the country's south in four days. In a joint press conference with Aoun, Sudani denounced "repeated Israeli attacks against Lebanon's sovereignty" which he said were in "violation of international law". The Iraqi prime minister called to "fully implement" a U.N. Security Council resolution that ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and served as the basis for the latest truce, which went into effect on November 27. Under the truce terms, Hezbollah fighters were to withdraw north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border, and dismantle their military posts to the south. Israel, for its part, was to pull all its troops out of Lebanon but has maintained five positions it deems "strategic" along the frontier. Sudani also said he discussed with the visiting Lebanese president "shared opportunities in various sectors" including energy, telecommunications and commerce. Dominated by pro-Iranian parties, the Iraqi government has close ties with Lebanon and welcomed thousands of Lebanese people, mostly Shiite Muslims, displaced by the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war. Tehran-aligned armed factions in Iraq are staunch allies of Lebanon's Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Since 2021, gas-rich Iraq has provided fuel for power stations in Lebanon, mired in a grave economic crisis. Last month Beirut said it was expecting a delivery of 320,000 tons of wheat from Iraq. In Baghdad, Aoun expressed his gratitude for "all the support and donations" Iraq has given Lebanon. Aoun, who assumed the presidency in January, also met with his Iraqi counterpart Abdel Latif Rashid.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Iraq condemns ‘repeated Israeli attacks' on Lebanon
BAGHDAD: Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Sunday condemned Israeli attacks on Lebanon as he hosted Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, on his first visit to Baghdad since taking office. Israel has continued to strike Lebanon despite a November ceasefire that ended more than a year of conflict -- including two months of open war -- with militant group Hezbollah, which emerged severely weakened. Lebanese authorities reported on Sunday the third deadly Israeli raid on the country's south in four days. In a joint press conference with Aoun, Sudani denounced 'repeated Israeli attacks against Lebanon's sovereignty' which he said were in 'violation of international law'. The Iraqi prime minister called to 'fully implement' a UN Security Council resolution that ended a 2006 war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah and served as the basis for the latest truce, which went into effect on November 27. Under the truce terms, Hezbollah fighters were to withdraw north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the border, and dismantle their military posts to the south. Israel, for its part, was to pull all its troops out of Lebanon but has maintained five positions it deems 'strategic' along the frontier. Sudani also said he discussed with the visiting Lebanese president 'shared opportunities in various sectors' including energy, telecommunications and commerce. Dominated by pro-Iranian parties, the Iraqi government has close ties with Lebanon and welcomed thousands of Lebanese people, mostly Shiite Muslims, displaced by the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war. Tehran-aligned armed factions in Iraq are staunch allies of Lebanon's Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Since 2021, gas-rich Iraq has provided fuel for power stations in Lebanon, mired in a grave economic crisis. Last month Beirut said it was expecting a delivery of 320,000 tons of wheat from Iraq. In Baghdad, Aoun expressed his gratitude for 'all the support and donations' Iraq has given Lebanon. Aoun, who assumed the presidency in January, also met with his Iraqi counterpart Abdel Latif Rashid.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli military say another rocket intercepted from Yemen
The Israeli military stated on Thursday that it has once again intercepted a rocket fired from Yemen. In several areas of Israel, including the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv and other locations in the centre of the country, alarm sirens sounded. According to official reports, there were initially no reports of injuries or significant damage. Due to the rocket alarm, the final of the Israeli football cup had to be interrupted. According to the Israeli TV channel N12, about 30,000 football fans were in the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv. A few minutes after the alarm, the players from the teams Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Be'er Sheva were able to return to the pitch and continue the match. In recent days, there have been repeated alarms in various locations in Israel due to rockets launched from Yemen. Most of these are intercepted. However, three weeks ago, a projectile hit near the international airport by Tel Aviv for the first time. Since the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023, the pro-Iranian Houthi militia has been regularly attacking Israel with rockets and drones, which they claim is an expression of their solidarity with the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement. After the end of the ceasefire in mid-March, the attacks increased. Israel's air force responded with airstrikes on militia targets in Yemen, such as in the port city of Hodeidah.
Shafaq News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
US warning on Iranian influence in Iraq signals potential policy shift
Shafaq News/ A fresh wave of concern has swept through Baghdad's political class following pointed remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who described Iran's growing influence in Iraq as a "serious threat to American interests." Rubio's testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday is widely seen as a signal that the United States may be preparing to reassess its relationship with Iraq —potentially taking decisive measures if Baghdad fails to curb the influence of Iran-backed factions. The Secretary painted a stark picture of Iran's deepening reach into Iraq's political and security institutions. He cited the increasing entrenchment of pro-Iranian elements in key state structures and warned that their presence poses a rising threat to US personnel, facilities, and strategic objectives. Rubio specifically referenced armed groups that have previously targeted American assets in Iraq, suggesting that preparations for future attacks are underway. While Washington's concerns are not new, the tone and platform of Rubio's statement—delivered in a formal Congressional hearing—signal a heightened level of urgency, particularly in the context of the Biden administration's revived pressure strategy on Iran and its regional proxies. Observers argue that Rubio's remarks reflect more than rhetorical positioning; they highlight Washington's mounting frustration with Baghdad's perceived inability—or reluctance—to rein in the influence of factions aligned with Tehran. Iraqi Lawmakers: Misplaced Statements The response from Iraqi lawmakers was swift. MP Ali Nehme Al-Bandawi, a member of the parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, rejected Rubio's comments as inaccurate and politically motivated. Speaking to Shafaq News, Al-Bandawi emphasized that Iraq's government is constitutionally legitimate and representative, elected by the Iraqi people, and does not tolerate foreign interference. 'These statements are neither new nor reflective of reality,' Al-Bandawi said, stressing that Baghdad exercises full sovereignty and does not permit neighboring states—or any external actor—to influence its internal decisions. He also pointed to Iraq's growing diplomatic engagement with regional and international partners, asserting that the country is playing a constructive role in promoting peace and cooperation across the region. 'Baghdad has become a platform for dialogue, not conflict,' he added. Kurdish View: Familiar Demands from Washington Wafa Karim, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), noted that US demands to limit Iranian influence in Iraq are not new, but have persisted for years—particularly those concerning support for armed factions that Washington views as threats to its interests. Karim told Shafaq News that the Trump administration had previously pursued a policy aimed at removing Iranian influence and placing all weapons under state control—a policy that included disarming non-state forces. 'Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has made repeated pledges to integrate militias into state forces and dissolve their military structures,' Karim said. 'But these promises remain largely unfulfilled, leaving Iraq vulnerable to external pressure and internal instability.' Karim also linked the renewed US warnings to ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran. 'Washington is signaling that Iraq must begin to detach itself from Tehran and its regional affiliates. Given the shifting geopolitical landscape and the declining cohesion of the so-called Shiite Crescent, Iraq may soon have little choice but to adapt.' He warned that the US may impose consequences if Baghdad fails to act—particularly if militias remain intact and cross-border smuggling of oil and currency to Iran continues. Strategic Calculations Behind the US Position Ihsan Al-Shammari, professor of strategic and international studies and head of the Political Thinking Center, sees Rubio's remarks as part of a broader American reassessment of Iraq's strategic role. Speaking to Shafaq News, Al-Shammari explained that Washington increasingly views Iraq through the lens of its Iran containment strategy. He pointed to the recent National Security Presidential Memorandum reinstating maximum pressure on Iran, which also listed Iraq as a key theater of concern. 'The Al-Sudani government has not met US benchmarks on curbing Iranian influence,' Al-Shammari noted. 'There's been no dismantling of Tehran's networks inside Iraqi institutions, and the government has failed to disarm or neutralize the role of militias aligned with Iran.' He added that Tehran's continued sway over Iraqi politics is also undermining Washington's efforts to strengthen Baghdad–Erbil relations. 'Iran-backed actors are actively obstructing energy agreements signed between the Kurdistan Regional Government and US firms—agreements central to American interests in the region,' he said. 'These tensions could redefine how Washington engages with Baghdad in the near future.' Oil Contracts and Kurdish Autonomy: A Flashpoint Rubio also stressed the need to respect the autonomy of the Kurdistan Region and to honor agreements involving US companies operating there. His comments coincided with a new dispute between Baghdad and Erbil over energy contracts. Earlier this week, Iraq's Oil Ministry objected to energy agreements signed in Washington between the KRG and two US-based firms—HKN and WesternZagros—arguing that such deals were unauthorized. In response, the KRG's Ministry of Natural Resources clarified that the contracts were not new and had already been approved by Iraqi courts. The ministry stated that the agreements were legally valid and unchallenged. The disagreement highlights the growing tension between the federal and regional governments and may reflect deeper political divides that could trigger further US engagement—particularly if economic interests are jeopardized. A Pivotal Crossroads Whether Rubio's remarks translate into policy action remains to be seen, the United States appears increasingly unwilling to tolerate what it perceives as Iraq's failure to curb Iran's footprint. With Prime Minister al-Sudani caught between competing internal forces and external expectations, his government faces narrowing room for maneuver. As Al-Shammari noted, Washington may soon shift from issuing warnings to redefining its approach—whether through diplomatic pressure, conditional aid, or adjusted security policies.
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Is Trump initiating a reset in West Asia?
Written by Feisal Amin al-Istrabadi It seemed like the rerun of a film first released eight years ago. Less than four months into his first term, Donald J Trump made his first major international visit to Riyadh. There were, however, substantive differences. In 2017, the trip was a precursor to what became a US-supported quarantine of Qatar, an attempt by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to punish Qatar for its cordial relations with Iran and for supporting Ahmed al-Sharaa's Nusra Front jihadists in Syria. This time, he visited Qatar and the UAE, after meeting with Sharaa, the new Syrian president, in Riyadh. What a difference eight years make. And eight years ago, Trump travelled to Israel. Not this time. The three states Trump visited play a vital role in sustaining global energy markets at stable prices. In return, Trump gave them his silence on their record of human rights abuses. That will remain so long as they purchase US arms and invest in America, though the trillions Trump touts will remain elusive. Similar astronomical pledges made in 2017 never materialised. What matters to Trump, however, is not how much they actually invest but what he can claim. Iran was on Trump's mind — that has not changed. In his first term, however, Trump denounced Barack Obama's nuclear agreement for its failure to curtail Iran's malign activities across the region. But now, as his administration began negotiating with Iran officially through Qatar, he has reduced his demand to one: That Iran should not produce a nuclear bomb. This is a tectonic shift that may well yield results. Of course, Iran's regional strategic posture today is very different from 2017. Two of its allies, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, are still fighting, but Israel has substantially degraded them. Their respective leaderships lie decimated. In addition, Iran sustained its most severe blow in the loss of Syria. Its long-term ally, Bashar al-Assad, fled to Moscow as his forces underwent a Blitzkrieg-like collapse, allowing Sharaa to capture Damascus. Moreover, armed attacks between Iran and Israel — the first time they have fired on each other directly — demonstrated Iran's vulnerabilities. This was the region Trump inherited. Recently, in response to provocations in the Red Sea, Trump ordered strikes on another of Iran's regional allies, the Houthis in Yemen. That led to a ceasefire between the two sides, one that has held. Trump has also been pressuring Iraq to dissolve the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq. While it remains to be seen whether the Iraqis have the strength to do so, the militias remain Iran's last line of diminished defence outside Iran itself. Iran is thus reeling from a series of defeats and is now at its weakest point since the ceasefire ending the Iran–Iraq war in 1988. From an American perspective, the time seems ideal for negotiations. Most intelligence services believe that Iran has mastered the nuclear cycle and is already a nuclear threshold state, but there is no real evidence that it is actually building a nuclear bomb. It may realise that there is very little benefit that the possession of an actual bomb adds. If that is true, Iran may well be willing to freeze its nuclear programme in its current state. For Trump's part, the return of Iranian oil to global markets would constitute a measurable downward pressure on oil prices — a congenial consideration for Trump and the US economy. This time, Trump may well succeed in entering into an improved nuclear agreement with Iran, something that was elusive once he withdrew from the previous one in 2018. Unlike in 2017, Israel was not on the itinerary in 2025 — surprising for a US president. There is talk of Trump's frustration with Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been relentless in deliberately targeting Palestinian civilians in Gaza and blocking humanitarian relief. All this has proven embarrassing to Israel's partners in the Arab world, even freezing Saudi Arabia's normalisation with Israel. He may well think Saudi–Israeli normalisation will achieve this dream. It is unlikely he will do it, but he could secure a unique legacy by reversing Joe Biden's veto of Palestinian statehood and admission into the United Nations. Trump will not be facing an American electorate again and has nothing to lose by taking this dramatic step. And he could thereby give cover to Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, who earlier this year stated the Kingdom will not normalise relations until Palestinians achieve statehood. The new Syrian leadership, as well as other Arab states, might well then join in the normalisation process. That would allow Trump to secure a lasting legacy in the region and on the world stage. The writer is the Michael A and Laurie Burns McRobbie Professor in Global Strategic Studies and is Professor of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University, where he is the Founding Director of the Centre for the Study of the Middle East. He was Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations from 2004–2010
