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Mikati: Lebanon in State of War, Resistance, Government Doing Their Duty

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati visits students sitting for official exams in the city of Tyre. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati visits students sitting for official exams in the city of Tyre. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Mikati: Lebanon in State of War, Resistance, Government Doing Their Duty

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati visits students sitting for official exams in the city of Tyre. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati visits students sitting for official exams in the city of Tyre. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Lebanon is in a state of war, stressing that the resistance and the government are “doing their duty” against Israel.

Mikati visited on Saturday the southern city of Tyre, where he inspected the Lebanese Army operations center. He also stopped at exam centers in the city, on the first day of the school official exams, accompanied by Education Minister Abbas Halabi

In remarks to reporters, the premier stressed that the resistance is doing its “duties”, and so is the Lebanese government.

“We are always advocates of peace, and our choice is the choice of peace and the implementation of UN Resolution 1701. It is incumbent upon Israel to cease its repeated attacks on Lebanon and halt the war in Gaza, with everyone adhering to UN Resolution 2735,” Mikati stated.

He continued: “The resistance is doing its duty, and the Lebanese government is doing its duty, and our goal is to protect the country in every sense of the word.”

He also praised the army for being the “backbone and shield of the nation.”

“We are in a state of war, and there have been a large number of martyrs among civilians and non-civilians, and many villages have been destroyed due to Israeli aggression,” he stated.

Halabi, for his part, spoke about the difficulties faced by students in the southern border towns given the conflict with Israel.

He had previously announced that buses were secured by the ministry to safely transport students from unstable areas to exam centers, guarded by Lebanese forces and UN peacekeepers.

Many of the students who were assigned centers in areas considered “safe” spoke of the difficulties they faced while preparing for exams, as many of them did not have access to the Internet in the shelter centers or homes to which they were displaced as a result of the Israeli bombing of their towns and villages.

The minister promised to take this issue into consideration, saying: “We will seek the opinion of educators on this matter, especially the Educational Center for Research and Development.”

The South Governorate boasts 29 official exam centers. The number of students who took their exams reached 5,470 out of 5,624.

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Arab World

Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)

A senior government official said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has warned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the “risks to Iraq” from the growing conflict between Israel and Iran.

The official added that Iran is using “deception” when asked to distance its allied militias from the war.

Political and government figures are increasingly worried that Iraq could be hit, after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a drone strike on the Golan Heights early Friday.

Speaking anonymously to Asharq Al-Awsat, the official said al-Sudani is taking steps to keep Iraq out of the conflict.

These efforts include ramping up “political mediation” to persuade militias not to involve Iraq. The prime minister “informed Coordination Framework leaders of the risks” and urged them to “act quickly.”

The official also warned that an attack is still possible, saying intelligence shows the Iraqi militias launched the strike from outside Iraq, using weapons that came from Iraqi territory.

Al-Sudani’s Mediation Efforts

The Iraqi premier has chosen mediators, approved by Iran, to negotiate with militias about the conflict and conditions for de-escalation. These three individuals have previously acted as mediators in past crises.

Last week, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that al-Sudani asked three key Shiite figures to intervene and prevent militias from getting involved in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, after reports surfaced that Israel had identified 35 Iraqi targets.

Sources confirmed that Ammar al-Hakim is among the mediators, along with two other influential Shiite leaders whose names haven’t been disclosed.

However, two Iraqi militias—likely the al-Nujaba Movement led by Akram al-Kaabi and Kataib Hezbollah led by Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi—have refused to cooperate and continue launching rocket attacks on Israel.

The Iraqi official admitted that some militias are “stubborn,” but stressed that al-Sudani knows Iraq is “at the center of the storm.”

He reportedly told leaders of the Coordination Framework, “Iraq cannot avoid a military strike if it happens, so we must stay out of the war to protect the country.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a Friday sermon, stated that “Iran’s allies in the region won’t back down,” increasing concerns that Iraqi militias tied to Iran will continue attacking Israel.

Iraqi sources also reported that the Coordination Framework has reviewed an “intelligence report” on dozens of Iraqi targets that Israel might strike or assassinate.

Government Efforts to Prevent Escalation

Al-Sudani has blocked the flow of Iraqi funds into conflict zones, unlike previous leaders, according to the official.

He has worked closely with the US and its Treasury Department to strictly monitor financial movements, often insisting that Iran uses official channels to claim its dues from Iraq.

The official also said global auditing firms are now helping Iraq’s central bank oversee financial transactions, shutting down all previous routes for illicit money flows.

Since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, the US told Iraq it pressured Israel not to strike Iraq, as long as Iraq stays out of the conflict, the official added.

The US doesn’t oppose Iraq’s stance of condemning Israel, supporting Lebanon and Palestine, and sending aid.

But it “won’t accept any financial or military support to militias.”

Regarding Iran’s role, the official said Tehran claims militias act independently, dodging responsibility for reining them in.