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Arab World

Iraqi Government Seeks to Keep Country Out of Iran War Fallout

Al-Sudani chairs a meeting of the National Security Council (Prime Minister’s Office Media).
Al-Sudani chairs a meeting of the National Security Council (Prime Minister’s Office Media).
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Iraqi Government Seeks to Keep Country Out of Iran War Fallout

Al-Sudani chairs a meeting of the National Security Council (Prime Minister’s Office Media).
Al-Sudani chairs a meeting of the National Security Council (Prime Minister’s Office Media).

The government of outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani is working to distance Iraq from the escalating US-Israel war on Iran.

Tehran has responded to the military operation launched by the US and Israel with missile strikes on Gulf states and other locations, including Iraq, saying it is targeting American bases and interests.

Although Iraq has not been directly drawn into the conflict - unlike during the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), the 1990–1991 Gulf War, or the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein - fear is mounting as the country risks being caught between Iran and its local allies and the broader confrontation involving Washington and Tel Aviv.

There are also concerns that any disruption to Gulf shipping lanes could significantly curtail Iraq’s oil revenues.

Al-Sudani, who also serves as commander in chief of the armed forces, chaired on Monday an emergency meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security, according to a statement from his office.

The premier instructed security agencies to prevent any actions that could undermine stability and to ensure that Iraq is not dragged into the conflict. Still, some observers say the government has been unable to stop missile attacks on Iraqi territory.

The government reiterated its commitment to protecting diplomatic missions and critical infrastructure, while affirming that freedom of expression and peaceful assembly remain constitutionally protected rights.

The statement stressed that security forces will continue safeguarding citizens, diplomatic facilities and public and private property, in line with national laws and international obligations.

The remarks appeared to reference attempts Sunday evening by groups linked to Iran-aligned armed factions to approach the US Embassy in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone. Security forces stopped them from reaching the compound.

The council added that Iraq remains committed to preventing escalation and ensuring its territory is not used for external or internal conflicts, underscoring that decisions on national security and military action lie solely with the state and its constitutional institutions.

The council also reviewed the potential economic fallout of a prolonged and expanding conflict, particularly the risks associated with a possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The bulk of Iraq’s oil exports pass through the Gulf en route to the strategic waterway.

Given the country’s heavy dependence on oil income, any sustained disruption to maritime traffic would pose a serious threat to Iraq’s already fragile economy.

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Arab World

Dual Saudi Support Measures Bolster Yemen’s Stability and Protect Civilians

Officials sign a previous Saudi agreement to supply fuel for Yemen’s power stations (X). 
Officials sign a previous Saudi agreement to supply fuel for Yemen’s power stations (X). 
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Dual Saudi Support Measures Bolster Yemen’s Stability and Protect Civilians

Officials sign a previous Saudi agreement to supply fuel for Yemen’s power stations (X). 
Officials sign a previous Saudi agreement to supply fuel for Yemen’s power stations (X). 

Saudi Arabia’s latest support measures for Yemen have been welcomed by the country’s leadership after Riyadh announced a new budget support payment and extended the Masam Project for landmine clearance for another year. The parallel initiatives aim to ease Yemen’s economic and humanitarian challenges.

Rashad Al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the council, the government, and the Yemeni people to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for directing the release of a new tranche of financial assistance for the state’s general budget.

The announcement was made by Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al Jaber, who also serves as general supervisor of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen.

He said the Saudi leadership had approved a new payment of more than SAR 224 million ($60 million) to help finance the Yemeni government’s budget deficit and cover public-sector salaries.

Al Jaber said the funding would support government cash flows, provide foreign-currency liquidity, help stabilize the Yemeni rial, and strengthen the government’s ability to maintain essential services and improve living conditions.

Yemeni officials say Saudi budget support has played a critical role in recent years by helping the government meet key financial obligations, particularly public-sector wages and basic services, at a time of declining state revenues and the continuing impact of war.

The assistance is also viewed as an important tool for easing pressure on the national currency and enabling state institutions to continue operating in government-controlled areas despite persistent economic challenges.

Alongside the financial announcement, Al-Alimi welcomed Saudi Arabia’s decision to extend the Masam Project for clearing mines from Yemeni territory for an additional year.

He described the initiative as one of the most significant humanitarian programs protecting civilians from mines planted by the Houthi movement across large areas of the country.

Al-Alimi praised the project’s achievements since its launch, saying landmines remain among the most devastating legacies of Yemen’s conflict because of the deaths, injuries, and permanent disabilities they have caused among civilians.

He said the extension reflects Saudi Arabia’s continued humanitarian commitment to Yemen and represents a long-term investment in protecting Yemeni lives and securing war-affected communities.

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) announced it had extended the Masam Project for another year at a cost of more than $52.5 million, continuing efforts to remove landmines and unexploded ordnance from Yemen.

 

The project is implemented through Saudi personnel and international expertise in cooperation with trained Yemeni teams. Activities include mine-clearance operations, public-awareness campaigns, and capacity-building programs designed to strengthen national expertise in the sector.

According to project figures, Masam has cleared more than 567,000 landmines, unexploded ordnance items, and other explosive remnants of war since its launch in mid-2018. The items recovered include anti-personnel and anti-tank mines planted in residential areas, farmland, roads, and civilian facilities.

Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, adviser at the Saudi Royal Court and supervisor general of KSrelief, said the extension reflects Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian responsibility toward the Yemeni people and its commitment to eliminating threats posed by landmines.

He noted that indiscriminately planted mines, often concealed through various methods, have caused thousands of civilian casualties, left many victims permanently disabled, spread fear among local communities, and disrupted agriculture and development activities across wide areas.

Al Rabeeah said Masam has become a leading humanitarian model for addressing the dangers of landmines and war remnants by combining field-clearance operations with training and rehabilitation programs that will help Yemenis confront such threats in the future.

He also praised the Saudi leadership for its humanitarian and relief efforts in Yemen and elsewhere, stressing that the Kingdom’s support for the Yemeni people will continue through a range of development, relief, and humanitarian programs.

 

 

 

Arab World

Israel Says It 'Eliminated' Two Hamas and Islamic Jihad Operatives Tied to Major Funding Network

TOPSHOT - A man sits atop a hill near destroyed and heavily-damaged buildings at the Nuseirat camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on June 19, 2026. (Photo by Eyad Baba / AFP)
TOPSHOT - A man sits atop a hill near destroyed and heavily-damaged buildings at the Nuseirat camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on June 19, 2026. (Photo by Eyad Baba / AFP)
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Israel Says It 'Eliminated' Two Hamas and Islamic Jihad Operatives Tied to Major Funding Network

TOPSHOT - A man sits atop a hill near destroyed and heavily-damaged buildings at the Nuseirat camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on June 19, 2026. (Photo by Eyad Baba / AFP)
TOPSHOT - A man sits atop a hill near destroyed and heavily-damaged buildings at the Nuseirat camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on June 19, 2026. (Photo by Eyad Baba / AFP)

The Israeli military said on Sunday that they "eliminated" Hussein Qadra and ‌Mohammed ‌Farra, operatives in ‌the ⁠military wings of ⁠Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Reuters said.

Qadra, who headed ⁠the ‌network with ‌Farra, acted ‌under ‌Hamas leadership and facilitated the transfer ‌of more than half a billion ⁠shekels ⁠to Hamas, according to an Israeli military X post.

Arab World

Reports: Senior Al-Qaeda Ideologue Sami Al-Uraydi Killed in Syria

Sami Al-Uraydi. (Shaam Network)
Sami Al-Uraydi. (Shaam Network)
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Reports: Senior Al-Qaeda Ideologue Sami Al-Uraydi Killed in Syria

Sami Al-Uraydi. (Shaam Network)
Sami Al-Uraydi. (Shaam Network)

The issue of extremist groups in Syria has returned to the spotlight following reports that Sami Al-Uraydi, one of the most prominent religious ideologues associated with Al-Qaeda’s network in Syria, was killed in a strike by the US-led international coalition overnight Friday into Saturday.

Syrian state television reported that a drone struck a motorcycle near Mashhad Rouhin in the northern Idlib province, killing an unidentified individual, without providing further details.

Local sources in Idlib said four explosions were heard in quick succession.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the target was later identified as Al-Uraydi, also known as Abu Mahmoud Al-Shami, a senior figure in the now-defunct Hurras Al-Din group.

According to the sources, the man had been living in hiding in recent months to evade arrest.

The sources said he and other leaders of Al-Qaeda-linked factions remained targets of coalition operations. They noted intensified drone activity over the Idlib countryside in recent days. Coalition aircraft routinely patrol the region, including areas along the Turkish border.

While neither coalition forces nor the Syrian government have officially confirmed the target’s identity, several local media outlets reported that Al-Uraydi was killed.

A Jordanian national, Sami Mahmoud Mohammad Al-Uraydi was born in Amman in 1973 and held a doctorate in Islamic law. He authored numerous works on hadith and Islamic doctrine and became known in Salafi circles as a close associate of Abu Mohammad Al-Maqdisi, one of the movement’s leading ideologues.

After the outbreak of the Syrian uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad in 2011, Al-Uraydi moved to Syria, where he served as chief religious authority of Jabhat Al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, from 2014 to 2016. He emerged as one of the group’s most influential religious theorists and spokesmen on ideological and organizational matters.

When Jabhat Al-Nusra severed ties with Al-Qaeda in 2016 and rebranded itself as Jabhat Fatah Al-Sham, Al-Uraydi opposed the move. The resulting disputes led to his detention in 2017 alongside several other senior figures.

After his release, he helped establish Hurras Al-Din in 2018 under the leadership of Farouq Al-Suri, serving as the group’s chief religious official and a member of its Shura Council.

Al-Uraydi continued to criticize the policies of Jabhat Fatah Al-Sham, which later evolved into Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham.

In 2022, the European Union designated Hurras Al-Din a terrorist organization and imposed sanctions on both Al-Suri and Al-Uraydi.

The US State Department designated Al-Uraydi a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2023. Washington had previously placed him on its terrorism list in 2019 and offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his identification or location.

Although Hurras Al-Din formally dissolved itself in 2025 under mounting pressure, its leaders remained targets of coalition operations. Al-Uraydi reportedly continued to live in hiding under the protection of allied factions.

The presence of such groups remains one of Syria’s most complex security challenges. Although Damascus has joined the international coalition against terrorism, several organizations, including ISIS and remnants of dissolved extremist factions, continue to oppose the Syrian government.