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Washington Says Taking Attack on Troops at Iraq Base 'Extremely Seriously'

US soldiers line up on a plane leaving Al-Asad Air Base west of the capital, Baghdad - November 2011 (AFP)
US soldiers line up on a plane leaving Al-Asad Air Base west of the capital, Baghdad - November 2011 (AFP)
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Washington Says Taking Attack on Troops at Iraq Base 'Extremely Seriously'

US soldiers line up on a plane leaving Al-Asad Air Base west of the capital, Baghdad - November 2011 (AFP)
US soldiers line up on a plane leaving Al-Asad Air Base west of the capital, Baghdad - November 2011 (AFP)

The US is taking "extremely seriously" a weekend attack by Iran-backed militants on a base that hosts US forces in Iraq.

The US ambassador to Baghdad, Alina Romanowski, met on Sunday with officials from the Coordination Framework and former prime ministers Haider al-Abadi and Nouri al-Maliki.

Abadi, who also chairs the al-Nasr Coalition, received the US ambassador in Baghdad and reviewed the latest developments in Iraq and the region.

On his Facebook page, Abadi explained that the meeting also discussed the importance of ongoing efforts and supporting the government's efforts in a way that maintains the rights of the people and the country.

Abadi pointed out that the meeting discussed enhancing cooperation between the two countries, the shape of the future relationship, the situation in Gaza, and the necessity of working to end the suffering of the Palestinian people.

For his part, the media office of the head of the State of Law coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, stated that the meeting with the US diplomat reviewed the future of bilateral relations and the escalating tensions in both countries and the region.

During the meeting, Maliki reiterated the importance of boosting relations and developing ties to serve the interests of the two people.

Maliki called for quick action to reduce tension and end the attacks that may lead to the expansion of the war.

According to the statement, Romanovsky renewed her country's support for Iraq's stability and continued dialogues between the two countries to enhance partnership in various critical and vital sectors.

The US embassy did not comment on this meeting. Romanowski regularly meets with Iraqi leaders and politicians.

- Ballistic attack

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said US personnel suffered minor injuries and a member of Iraq's security forces was wounded in an attack on Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base on Saturday.

The US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement that the base was hit by several ballistic missiles and rockets launched by Iranian-backed factions inside Iraq.

The statement did not confirm the extent of any US injuries but said personnel were being evaluated for traumatic brain injury.

According to Reuters, the US military's assessment was more severe than initial accounts from security sources in Iraq, who, along with an Iraqi government source, had only reported rocket fire against the base.

US Central Command said that most of the missiles were intercepted, though others hit the base, adding that "Damage assessments are ongoing "and "at least one Iraqi service member was injured."

Later, White House Deputy National Security Advisor Jonathan Finer said: "It was a very serious attack, using a capability of ballistic missiles that posed a genuine threat."

During an interview with ABC's "This Week," Finer asserted that the US will respond to establish deterrence in these situations and hold these groups that continue to attack accountable.

"You can be assured that we are taking this extremely seriously," Finer said.

Since the war between Israel and Hamas began in October, the US military has been attacked at least 58 times in Iraq and 83 times in Syria by Iran's allies.

The US has 900 soldiers in Syria and 2,500 soldiers in Iraq on a mission to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent ISIS reemergence, which in 2014 took control of large areas in both countries before its defeat.

After Saturday's attack, Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades military spokesman Abu Ali al-Askari announced in a statement that the "Islamic resistance factions will continue to target the enemies until they achieve the announced goals," stressing the necessity of escalating the attack.

On Saturday, the Special Representative of the UN Sec-Gen for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, warned against drawing Iraq into the conflict in the Middle East

- Battlefield

Iraq is deeply concerned about becoming an arena for the US and Israel to fight with Iran.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani announced the start of procedures to remove US forces from the country after a drone strike in Baghdad.

The Department of Defense said that the raid killed a militia leader it blames for recent attacks on US personnel.


The Pentagon added that it had not been officially notified of any plans to end the presence of US forces in the country and says that its troops are deployed in Iraq at the invitation of the government in Baghdad.

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Arab World

Lebanon Seeks UNIFIL Mandate Extension amid Lack of Agreement on Alternative

Jordan’s King Abdullah II, French President Emmanuel Macron and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun pose for a photo before an Aqaba Process meeting in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces at Les Invalides in Paris. (AFP)
Jordan’s King Abdullah II, French President Emmanuel Macron and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun pose for a photo before an Aqaba Process meeting in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces at Les Invalides in Paris. (AFP)
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Lebanon Seeks UNIFIL Mandate Extension amid Lack of Agreement on Alternative

Jordan’s King Abdullah II, French President Emmanuel Macron and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun pose for a photo before an Aqaba Process meeting in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces at Les Invalides in Paris. (AFP)
Jordan’s King Abdullah II, French President Emmanuel Macron and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun pose for a photo before an Aqaba Process meeting in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces at Les Invalides in Paris. (AFP)

Lebanon is intensifying international and Arab diplomatic efforts to avert a security vacuum in the south when the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), tasked by the UN Security Council with implementing Resolution 1701, expires at the end of the year.

President Joseph Aoun raised the issue at a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and Jordan’s King Abdullah II on the sidelines of a preparatory conference in Paris to support the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces.

The matter is also expected to top Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s agenda during his meetings in New York, where he is leading Lebanon’s delegation to the 81st UN General Assembly, and later in Washington, where he is due to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Lebanon is placing importance on peace talks in New York and on a meeting with Rubio to prevent a security vacuum in the south if UNIFIL withdraws, amid a lack of agreement on an international body to replace it.

UNIFIL commander Major General Diodato Abagnara warned of the issue, questioning which authority would take over from the mission, saying that “more than half of our positions in southern Lebanon are under Israeli control.”

A ministerial source said Aoun raised concerns about a potential vacuum during his talks with Macron and King Abdullah.

The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that both leaders shared those concerns and promised to contact US President Donald Trump to seek his approval, at Aoun’s request, for extending UNIFIL’s mandate by six months to a year.

Such an extension, the source added, could help activate the “framework agreement” and expand “pilot zones” where the Lebanese Army could deploy with UNIFIL support.

Macron and King Abdullah are also counting on Trump’s commitment to help Lebanon implement the agreement under UNIFIL supervision or that of any UN force that might replace it, according to the source.

European Union countries understand Lebanon’s concerns and are working to formulate a proposal before the end of October that would preserve an international presence in the south to accompany a phased Israeli withdrawal if efforts to persuade Trump to extend UNIFIL’s mandate fail.

The source stressed that any replacement should operate under UN auspices rather than leave the international presence limited to the US-dominated “Mechanism” committee, from which Washington has excluded France.

A European official was quoted as saying that Lebanon should not be left alone in calling for an international force to replace UNIFIL and that European countries would support efforts to prevent a vacuum, including during meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Lebanon is also insisting that Israel evacuate the Ali al-Taher hills and hand them over to the Lebanese Army, alongside the establishment of a monitoring post there with a predominantly US presence.

Israel has refused to hand the area to the army and wants the Lebanese request placed on the agenda of an eighth round of negotiations, which Rome would host for a third time. No date has yet been set.

The ministerial source said Washington, as sponsor of the framework agreement, is responsible for setting up the date. The United States is currently pressing Israel to agree to expand the “pilot zones,” he added.

But US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee’s statement that Israeli forces would remain in the south until the Lebanese Army becomes strong offered little grounds for optimism, the source said. Israel has continued targeting areas retaken in the south, preventing the Lebanese Army from deploying there, and has yet to agree to a verification mechanism to ensure areas are free of Hezbollah weapons and fighters.

A Western diplomat said Lebanon’s friends, particularly several European countries, have begun questioning why Trump has not followed through on commitments he made to Aoun during their Washington summit.

Concerns over a possible UN vacuum in the south are expected to feature prominently in Arab and European discussions with Trump and senior US officials.

The diplomat said Lebanon’s allies had little choice but to support Aoun and Salam’s government in strengthening the state’s position vis-à-vis Hezbollah, questioning what the seventh round of negotiations had achieved.

He argued that Lebanon could not afford to postpone implementation of the framework agreement until after Israel’s Knesset elections.

The ministerial source accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of continuing to bulldoze towns and systematically destroy homes on the pretext of eliminating remaining Hezbollah military infrastructure. He said Netanyahu was primarily seeking to push Lebanon into abandoning the negotiations and boycotting the eighth round unless Israeli attacks ceased.

Aoun, however, remains committed to negotiations and will not be drawn into what the source described as Netanyahu’s strategy. In the source’s view, Netanyahu accepted the framework agreement under US pressure but has avoided implementing it ahead of the Israeli elections.

The source also pointed to parliament’s third renewal of confidence in Salam’s government as evidence that a majority of lawmakers remained committed to the framework agreement and to the principle that weapons should be held exclusively by the state.

He nevertheless warned that Lebanon’s worsening cost-of-living crisis could put the government at odds with much of the population unless it finds ways to ease pressure on low-income households — something that would require financial assistance from Arab and international partners.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, continues to insist on retaining its weapons and rejects the framework agreement. The group was surprised by the renewed confidence vote in Salam’s government, particularly after Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Gebran Bassil unexpectedly proposed it at the end of parliament’s questioning of the government.

Hezbollah left the chamber before voting began.

The group has also rejected local and Arab mediation efforts urging it to hand over an initial batch of offensive weapons as long as it stays committed not to respond to Israeli attacks.

The source underlined that such a move would open the way for Hezbollah to join the state project rather than remain isolated, particularly as it bets on an Iranian-US memorandum of understanding whose implementation reached an impasse, compounded by Washington’s refusal to link Lebanon to the Iranian track.

Arab World

Iraq Court Delays Ruling on Dissolving Kurdistan Parliament, Government

Barzani announces the start of the new school year (Kurdistan Regional Government)
Barzani announces the start of the new school year (Kurdistan Regional Government)
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Iraq Court Delays Ruling on Dissolving Kurdistan Parliament, Government

Barzani announces the start of the new school year (Kurdistan Regional Government)
Barzani announces the start of the new school year (Kurdistan Regional Government)

Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on Sunday postponed consideration of two lawsuits challenging the continued legitimacy of the Kurdistan Region’s parliament and government, setting Oct. 26 as a new date for a ruling.

The cases seek the dissolution of the regional parliament and an end to the government’s full powers following nearly two years of political deadlock that has prevented the legislature elected in October 2024 from functioning normally.

Meanwhile, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, speaking at a ceremony marking the start of the 2026-2027 school year in Erbil on Sunday, called for the rule of law to prevail throughout Iraq.

“All weapons outside the authority of the state, the government and legitimate institutions must be disarmed,” Barzani said.

Armed factions have made their own disarmament conditional on the decision also applying to the Kurdish Peshmerga and on the force being placed under the orders of Iraq’s commander-in-chief rather than the regional government.

Kurdish authorities reject that demand, citing Article 121(5) of Iraq’s constitution, which grants the regional government responsibility for establishing and organizing internal security forces, including police, security services and regional guards.

Barzani also urged members of the Kurdistan Parliament to “end their boycott of sessions and fulfill their national and oversight duties,” stressing that reactivating parliament was the “first and essential step” toward forming a new regional government.

Political deadlock

The Kurdistan Region has been mired in political paralysis since its October 2024 parliamentary elections. The new legislature has met only once, in January 2025, and has failed to elect a permanent speaker or pave the way for the formation of a new government.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), led by Masoud Barzani, won 39 of the 100 seats, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), headed by Bafel Talabani, secured 23. The New Generation Movement came third with 15 seats.

Deep disagreements between the KDP and PUK over the composition of the government and distribution of senior posts have stalled the process.

Former regional lawmaker Ali Hama Salih filed the two lawsuits with the Federal Supreme Court.

The first challenges the constitutionality of allowing the current parliament to continue after it failed to perform its legislative duties following its inaugural January 2025 session.

The second seeks to strip the Kurdistan Regional Government of its full governing mandate and reduce it to caretaker status, barring it from making strategic decisions or entering into long-term contracts and legal commitments.

Court weighs cases

Commenting on the postponement, Kurdish writer and adviser Kifah Mahmoud said the Federal Supreme Court appeared to want more time to examine the situation and consult the parties to the cases.

Mahmoud told Asharq Al-Awsat that governments normally assume caretaker status once a parliament’s term ends, but argued that Kurdistan’s circumstances were different because the current government had continued implementing strategic road, water and electricity projects despite financial difficulties.

He attributed part of the political impasse to one party seeking greater gains than its parliamentary representation warranted, an apparent reference to the PUK.

Mahmoud nevertheless described negotiations between the KDP and PUK as “positive,” saying they could lead to a coalition government.

KDP spokesman Mahmoud Mohammed separately confirmed that his party was holding “serious and intensive” talks with political forces to resolve outstanding issues.

He said meetings between the KDP and PUK would continue away from media spotlight in an effort to reactivate parliament and move ahead with forming a new Kurdistan Regional Government.

The resumption of parliamentary activity, he added, would depend on the outcome of those talks.

Arab World

Yemeni Army Repels Houthi Attempts to Advance West of Taiz

A member of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, including National Army and Taiz Axis forces, mans a turret mounted on the back of a pickup truck at a checkpoint along the Kadha frontline west of Taiz in western Yemen on September 13, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
A member of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, including National Army and Taiz Axis forces, mans a turret mounted on the back of a pickup truck at a checkpoint along the Kadha frontline west of Taiz in western Yemen on September 13, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
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Yemeni Army Repels Houthi Attempts to Advance West of Taiz

A member of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, including National Army and Taiz Axis forces, mans a turret mounted on the back of a pickup truck at a checkpoint along the Kadha frontline west of Taiz in western Yemen on September 13, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
A member of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, including National Army and Taiz Axis forces, mans a turret mounted on the back of a pickup truck at a checkpoint along the Kadha frontline west of Taiz in western Yemen on September 13, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

Yemeni government forces recaptured the strategic Mount Numan in western Taiz province early Sunday as fierce fighting continued with the Iran-aligned Houthis along a chain of highlands southwest of the province.

Government forces are seeking to prevent further Houthi advances toward mountains overlooking Bab al-Mandeb and the only remaining overland route linking Taiz city to Al-Turbah, then Lahj and Aden.

Military and local sources reported that forces from the Taiz Axis Forces secured Mount Numan, west of Jabal Habashi, in the early hours of Sunday after clashes with the Houthis. Retaking the position reconnects the Bani Bakari and al-Kadha fronts and secures the Bani Bakari-Al-Ashruh-Al-Bireen road, they added.

Control of the mountain leaves remaining Houthi positions in Al-Sharajah exposed to fire and gives government forces high ground in an area connected to routes leading toward the western coast.

The advance comes as the Houthis seek to consolidate gains from their latest offensive along the western coast. The group seized Hays, al-Khokha and Mokha about 10 days ago before advancing to Bab al-Mandeb, Mayyun Island and several other Yemeni islands in the southern Red Sea, according to field reports from the area.

Fighting in western and southwestern Taiz is concentrated on highlands controlling routes between the interior and the coast, particularly Rasn, Numan, Jardad, al-Kadha and Al-Wazi’iyah. The Houthis are seeking higher ground to protect recently captured coastal areas, secure supply lines and facilitate the southward movement of their forces.

The front is particularly important for Taiz city. Field sources reported that the group is seeking to move closer to the road that still provides the city with an overland connection to Al-Turbah, Lahj and Aden, potentially allowing it to pressure the route and threaten one of the most important remaining lines of movement and supply for government forces and residents.

In southwestern Taiz, government forces and allied tribesmen repelled heavy Houthi attacks in Al-Damdam, Sharirah and Al-Wazi’iyah, while other attempts to advance toward Mount Rasn failed, according to the sources.

They noted that control lines around Mount Jardad in Bani Omar have remained unchanged since the failure of an initial Houthi assault. The group later sent reinforcements and launched an attack toward Rasn, but government forces and local fighters repelled it after hours of clashes.

Houthis Seek to Secure Gains

The battles are part of broader Houthi efforts to secure their newly established control over the western coast and Bab al-Mandeb by advancing from coastal areas toward the eastern highlands overlooking them.

AFP reported Saturday, citing two Houthi military sources, that experts from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had visited the Bab al-Mandeb area, Mokha port and airport, and the Jabal al-Nar camp east of the city.

The sources reported that the experts oversaw tunnel excavation in hills overlooking Mokha and Bab al-Mandeb and discussed installing radars near Mokha and on Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea.

They arrived from Hodeidah and made separate visits Thursday and Friday, while Yemeni government sources told AFP that fighting had intensified around the Kahbub mountains overlooking Bab al-Mandeb.

Mounting Casualties

Military sources told AFP Saturday that at least 48 people were killed in 24 hours of fighting between government forces and the Houthis along the Taiz-Lahj border, including 17 government troops and 31 Houthi fighters, according to accounts from the two sides.

The government-aligned Tur al-Bahah Military Axis also announced that 13 of its soldiers had been killed over the previous two days on fronts between Lahj and Taiz.

The Houthis, meanwhile, held funerals Saturday for about 75 members, including around 25 who held senior military ranks, from 10 Yemeni provinces.

Fighting also continued on other fronts. Giants Brigades forces targeted Houthi gatherings and vehicles on the Al-Bayda front, while government artillery struck Houthi positions and vehicles on the western front of Marib province.

In Marib, air and ground strikes continued against Houthi concentrations at the Umm Rish camp and Aqabat Mala’a. Government forces reported foiling three infiltration attempts and repelling a Houthi attack, while military media reported that 12 members of the group were killed.