Lebanon Postpones Ex-central Bank Governor's Hearing
Lebanon's Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh gives an interview with AFP at his office in the capital Beirut on December 20, 2021. (AFP)
Lebanon's judiciary postponed a hearing scheduled Wednesday for former central bank governor Riad Salameh, accused of embezzling more than $300 million, a judicial official told AFP.
Salameh, who headed the central bank for three decades and was arrested in 2024, has faced numerous accusations including embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion in separate probes in Lebanon and abroad.
He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
The judicial official said that the hearing concerned the transfer of $330 million from the central bank to Forry Associates Ltd, a British Virgin Islands-registered company, and was postponed due to a lawsuit Salameh filed against the presiding judge.
The former governor and his brother Raja are also the subject of criminal proceedings in Europe, where funds embezzled from the central bank were allegedly laundered.
In May 2023, a French judge issued an international arrest warrant for Salameh, who also holds French citizenship.
The judicial official said a separate hearing is scheduled on July 30 regarding a complaint filed against Salameh by current central bank governor Karim Souaid.
The central bank had filed a lawsuit against Salameh, without naming him, and another former banking official this year on charges related to the misappropriation of central bank funds, illicit enrichment and suspected money laundering.
The investigation into ill-gotten Lebanese assets took on a new dimension with the indictment in May in Paris of the Swiss subsidiary of the British bank HSBC, suspected of having helped Salameh embezzle funds.
Iraq Braces for Possible US-Iran War with Emergency Military, Civilian Planshttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5338393-iraq-braces-possible-us-iran-war-emergency-military-civilian-plans
Iraq Braces for Possible US-Iran War with Emergency Military, Civilian Plans
A rocket is launched by an Iraqi faction. (Popular Mobilization Forces)
Iraq has drawn up sweeping contingency plans for a possible military conflict between Washington and Tehran, deploying troops to border cities and giving commanders authority to respond to armed violations without seeking approval from the commander-in-chief, officials said on Friday.
The preparations also include possible shifts to remote learning and measures to accommodate people fleeing conflict zones.
Signs of imminent US strikes on Iran have mounted this week, fueling fears in Baghdad that Shiite armed factions could join the fighting on Tehran's side after updating their list of potential targets.
Borders under watch
A senior security official told Asharq Al-Awsat that Iraq had tightened surveillance of border cities on orders from the commander-in-chief, stepping up field monitoring and round-the-clock assessments of unusual movements.
The measures cover the Iranian border from Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan in the north to Basra in the south, near Kuwait and Iran, as well as army deployments along the Syrian border, said the official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
Military commanders are paying particular attention to Basra amid fears that armed factions could operate in strategically sensitive locations with regional significance, the official said.
Another official, who attended a high-level meeting on the potential fallout from war last week, said Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had granted army commanders exceptional powers to confront armed violations by outlaw groups immediately, without referring decisions to him.
The commanders now have "exceptional powers to deter armed groups," the official said.
A military patrol in Kirkuk city on Friday. (Iraqi police)
Remote learning
Beyond military precautions, Iraq's Ministerial Council for National Security has discussed emergency measures that could see schools switch to remote learning, sensitive public-sector records moved and digitally preserved, and preparations made for an influx of people fleeing the fighting, a civilian official familiar with the discussions said.
The council, chaired by al-Zaidi as commander-in-chief, includes the national security adviser and the ministers of interior, defense, foreign affairs, finance and planning.
A government source, however, told Asharq Al-Awsat it was too early to decide on changes to schooling or government working arrangements.
The government first drew up emergency plans in March, when the war erupted following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and has updated them regularly as circumstances changed, the source said.
Revolutionary Guards update target lists
But political officials speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat this week described an "unprecedented" level of alarm over reports that armed factions had updated their lists of targets on orders from Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps.
On Wednesday, Iran's Tasnim news agency quoted Esmail Qaani, commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, as saying resistance leaders had received a message from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei urging them to "confront the enemy without limits."
They had begun turning that message into action by issuing a written declaration of full allegiance, Qaani said.
One Iraqi official warned that al-Zaidi "could find himself heading the government of a country hostile to the United States if the factions enter the war this time."
US presidential envoy to Iraq Tom Barrack, in a statement after meeting al-Zaidi on Thursday evening, said the prime minister faced the toughest task of all: containing crises before they escalated.
Al-Zaidi, meanwhile, reaffirmed after a phone call with US President Donald Trump the same day that Iraq would not allow its territory to be used to attack neighboring countries.
Kurdish sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Barrack was expected to brief officials in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah on Friday evening on the latest developments in the Iran crisis and the prospect of renewed military confrontation.
Head of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council Judge Faiq Zidan meets with US envoy Tom Brack in Baghdad on Thursday. (Government media)
Ruling alliance fears fallout
Al-Zaidi has also briefed Iraq's ruling alliance on his preparations for possible US strikes.
A political source familiar with the discussions said the prime minister warned the Coordination Framework, which includes the country's leading Shiite political forces, that a US military operation against Iran could be imminent.
He also raised concerns that Iran-aligned factions with ties to parties in the alliance could launch deterrent operations on Tehran's orders.
Al-Zaidi hopes the ruling parties can restrain those groups, the source said, although some within the alliance fear an Iranian defeat could threaten their own political survival.
Kataib Hezbollah faces scrutiny over business interests
The war preparations come amid a stream of reports about the business activities of armed factions, as Baghdad faces mounting pressure to stop the groups from attacking neighboring countries.
Activists known to be close to the factions have circulated details of business networks and companies run by, or linked to, faction leaders and their relatives.
The reports, which are difficult to verify and focus particularly on Kataib Hezbollah, have stirred debate over whether influential actors are trying to undermine the factions' legitimacy by exposing their financial ambitions.
The scrutiny comes as the factions, which have long presented themselves as champions of resistance in Iraq, appear poised to join a military confrontation alongside Iran.
Houthi Ballistic Missile Attack Leaves Civilian Casualties in Taizhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5338385-houthi-ballistic-missile-attack-leaves-civilian-casualties-taiz
Yemeni fighters sit on a pick-up truck mounted with a heavy machine-gun as they hold a position during clashes with Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen's northwestern Al-Jawf province on November 2, 2026. (AFP)
Houthi Ballistic Missile Attack Leaves Civilian Casualties in Taiz
Yemeni fighters sit on a pick-up truck mounted with a heavy machine-gun as they hold a position during clashes with Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen's northwestern Al-Jawf province on November 2, 2026. (AFP)
Operation Dawn of Yemen has entered its second month, backed by presidential assurances that offensives will persist until state institutions are fully restored.
Meanwhile, a Houthi ballistic missile strike caused multiple deaths and injuries in Taiz, drawing immediate condemnation from the Yemeni government, which labeled the attack a "war crime."
The broader military confrontation has shifted into a volatile new phase of escalation as heavy fighting expands between government forces and the Houthis across the Taiz, Lahj, Marib, and Al-Jawf governorates. The widening conflict has heightened international concern for civilian safety and the security of vital shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
Chairman of Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi stressed in a council statement on Thursday that military operations will continue until their declared objectives are achieved, chief among them ending the Houthi coup, restoring state institutions, and extending state authority over the entirety of Yemeni territory.
The council said that since October 5, the armed forces have conducted more than 40,000 military targeting operations across various fronts. According to its tally, these operations resulted in neutralizing around 20,000 of the Houthi leaders and members, as well as destroying and disabling more than 5,000 military vehicles and pieces of equipment.
These figures reflect the vast scale of military operations conducted during the first month, while fighting continues across multiple axes, it added.
Several battles
On the ground, government forces recaptured key military positions in the Al-Sarari area and the Sanamat area of Al-Misrakh district in southwest Taiz governorate.
The field advances were achieved during offensive operations launched with the support of the Popular Resistance. The ground maneuvers coincided with a series of airstrikes and drone strikes targeting Houthi positions, troop gatherings, and combat vehicles.
Local sources said warplanes carried out a wave of airstrikes at dawn on Friday, hitting Houthi concentrations, fortifications, and hardware across the Hayfan district and the vicinity of Al-Turbah city. An official casualty and equipment damage toll from the aerial strikes has not yet been disclosed.
Numerous areas across Lahj governorate witnessed fierce fighting, which were concentrated on the frontlines of the Al-Zuraiqah region.
Military sources revealed that the Houthis executed a flanking attack targeting five positions, before defending forces, supported by the resistance, managed to recapture two of them.
Meanwhile, fighting continued in the Al-Madaribah district and the Kahboub mountains overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The fighting in Al-Zuraiqah resulted in the killing of 11 personnel from the joint forces and the injury of 23 others, according to an initial field toll. Casualty figures among the Houthis remained unknown, while fighting continued along with the arrival of military reinforcements from both sides.
The escalation expanded to the Marib and Al-Jawf governorates, where government forces announced advances across the Al-Dahidha heights and the Huwayshan mountains in eastern Al-Jawf.
Troops seized control of several positions, fortifications, and weapons during operations aimed at clearing the route toward the city of Al-Hazm.
Another massacre in Al-Waziyah
On the west coast, the Yemeni government's announcement that the Houthis used a United Nations building in the Al-Mokha district as a military operations center and a missile launchpad has triggered fresh concerns regarding the safety of humanitarian facilities and UN personnel.
The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation warned that the group is exploiting the legal immunity of UN headquarters to cover its military activities, demanding that the UN investigate these accusations and work to evacuate gunmen and weapons from the building. The allegations could not be independently verified.
In another development, several people were killed and injured following an attack targeting the Al-Hadara popular market in the Al-Waziyah district in western Taiz, on Friday.
The health ministry of the unrecognized Houthi administration reported that at least 20 people were killed and 15 others wounded, while local authorities in Taiz blamed the militia for the attack.
Officials denied the incident was the result of coalition airstrikes, citing operations room reports confirming no military flights took place in the Al-Waziyah district that day.
Yemeni military spokesperson Majid Al-Nuzaili said the Houthis targeted the market with a ballistic missile, resulting in dozens of casualties.
He described the assault as a war crime reflecting the militia’s targeting of civilians following field losses or failed missile launches.
Al-Zaidi Targets 'Intermediary Companies' in Defense Industry Contractshttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5338381-al-zaidi-targets-intermediary-companies-defense-industry-contracts
Al-Zaidi Targets 'Intermediary Companies' in Defense Industry Contracts
PM Ali Al-Zaidi during his visit to the Defense Industries Commission. (INA)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has ordered the Defense Industries Commission to bypass intermediary firms and contract directly with manufacturing companies, aiming to curb funding channels linked to armed factions.
The directive seeks to tighten oversight on government procurement by eliminating middlemen networks, which informed sources state serve as vital economic pipelines for various armed groups.
The policy shift arrives amid mounting tension between the government and certain factions, driven by Al-Zaidi’s broader push to restructure the relationship between state institutions and armed formations, including their commercial ventures. Sources familiar with the matter noted that the restriction has sparked significant concern among stakeholders who rely on intermediary networks tied to lucrative state contracts.
During a visit to the Defense Industries Commission on Thursday, Al-Zaidi stressed the "necessity of dealing directly with parent manufacturing companies, and absolutely not dealing with intermediary companies."
According to a statement from his media office, the directive is designed to ensure contract transparency while eliminating intermediary loops and vulnerabilities to corruption.
Al-Zaidi affirmed that Iraq possesses the capability to manufacture its weapons and equipment needs through national expertise, stating that building an advanced defense industry represents a fundamental pillar of national sovereignty. He stressed the importance of research and development, as well as keeping pace with technological advancements in military industries.
The Defense Industries Commission, which replaced the Military Industrialization Commission established by the former regime during the Iran-Iraq War, is one of the state institutions responsible for producing and developing military equipment.
Shadow companies
The government directive has renewed focus on the network of intermediary companies active in state contracting. Sources said that these firms are linked to the economic interests of factions and exploit political and administrative influence to expand their operations inside state institutions.
Some of these companies operate within a network linked to Al-Muhandis Company - one of the formations of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) - or its front companies. Sources said that these entities are used to secure government contracts and provide financial resources to armed groups.
An informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that these companies serve as "part of a financing mechanism for armed factions operating through two tracks: first, generating revenue from contracting and state procurement, and second, laundering funds to legitimize income derived from illicit activities, including oil and drug smuggling."
The source added that the operations of these firms are not confined to a specific authority or ministry. Instead, they extend across various state institutions, leveraging political and administrative clout to secure government contracts that provide their commercial transactions with official cover.
In the political context, disputes have begun to escalate between certain armed factions and parties within the Coordination Framework. Amid these tensions, factions are accusing political and government forces of cooperating with Al-Zaidi to reduce their economic and security influence in response to external pressures.
A recent wave of reports has emerged highlighting the commercial activities of figures and leaders within armed factions, including Kataib Hezbollah, though the accuracy of these accounts could not be independently verified.
Public debate is intensifying over the shifting role of these factions from their self-proclaimed status as "resistance forces" to entities managing economic interests and commercial influence networks.
This evolution raises questions regarding the exact nature of these commercial ventures, their relationship to the groups' weapons, and the strategic cost Iraq might ultimately incur should these factions decide to drag the country into a broader regional conflict.
Hussein Allawi, an expert in political affairs, said Al-Zaidi's visit to the Defense Industries Commission carried a message regarding the need to protect public funds and developing Iraqi defense capabilities through direct engagement with international companies.
Allawi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the PM is seeking to "strengthen the defense industry file," describing it as one of the sensitive areas that demand transparency and governance to ensure the quality of weapons and equipment used in Iraq.
He added that adopting direct contracts with international corporations, in accordance with applicable commercial laws and regulations, would curb the additional costs borne by the state due to multiple intermediary loops.
Security affairs researcher Mukhlad Hazem said Al-Zaidi's decision is a major step in confronting corporate networks that exploit the influence of political or armed factions to secure government contracts.
Hazem told Asharq Al-Awsat that these networks are not a new phenomenon, but rather have extended their activities over several years.
He revealed that certain groups monopolize massive state contracts to finance their economic entities, without necessarily delivering a corresponding return in terms of product quality or adherence to execution terms.
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