Arab World News

Iraq’s Nujaba Movement Warns against ‘US Plot’ to Integrate PMF in New Security Ministry

Arab World Slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei (R) and Nujaba Movement leader Akram al-Kaabi in Tehran in December 2018. (Supreme leader’s website)

Iraq’s Nujaba Movement Warns against ‘US Plot’ to Integrate PMF in New Security Ministry

The Iran-aligned Nujaba Movement in Iraq warned on Saturday against an “American plot” to merge the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in state…

Fadhel al-Nashmi (Baghdad)
Arab World Syrian Kurds demonstrate to mark Kurdish Language Day, demanding constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language by the Syrian government, in Qamishli, Syria, May 14, 2026. (Reuters)

10,000 Kurds Apply for Syrian Citizenship

Damascus announced on Saturday that it has received over 10,000 applications for Syrian citizenship from Kurds in wake of a recent decree that preserves their…

Asharq Al Awsat (Damascus)
Arab World Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tibnit on May 21, 2026. (Photo by Abbas FAKIH / AFP)

Lebanon Civil Defense Says Israeli Strike Destroys its Nabatieh Facility

Lebanon's civil defense agency said early on Sunday its regional facility in the southern city of Nabatieh had been destroyed by an Israeli strike. The…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Syrian Ministry of Interior in Damascus (Official Website)

Former Syrian Regime Officer Arrested

Syria's Interior Ministry announced on Saturday the arrest of a former officer in Bashar al-Assad's regime holding the rank of major general and accused of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Damascus )
Arab World Displaced residents wave Hezbollah flags, including one bearing a picture of its leader, Naim Qassem, as they pass rubble of destroyed buildings in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Hezbollah Says Message from Iran Shows it 'Will Not Give up' on Group

Hezbollah said Saturday that a message from Tehran showed that Iran would not abandon the Lebanese militant group and that the Islamic republic's latest…

Asharq Al Awsat

Arab World  Palestinians carry the body of Naseem al-Kalazani, who was killed in an Israeli strike, during his funeral at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP)

Israeli Airstrike Kills Colonel in Hamas-Led Gaza Police Force, Medics Say

An Israeli ‌airstrike killed a senior officer in the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip, health officials and Hamas sources said on Wednesday. …

Arab World This photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun shows smoke as it rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the village of Arnoun on May 6, 2026. (AFP)

Israeli Strikes on Lebanon Kill 4 Despite Ceasefire

An Israeli strike in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa valley killed four people on Wednesday, while the Israeli army said it struck Hezbollah targets in the south,…

Arab World Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli strike in the south of Lebanon, as seen from the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, 06 May 2026, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. (EPA)

Lebanese PM Says Premature to Talk of Any High-Level Meeting with Israel

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said it is premature to talk of any high-level meeting between Lebanon and Israel, comments underlining the dim chances of…

Arab World The Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya (foreground) and the Israeli settlement of Shilo (background), north of Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, are pictured on May 6, 2026. (Photo by Zain JAAFAR / AFP)

EU Urged to 'Act Now' on West Bank Settlement Project

More than 400 former diplomats, ministers, and senior officials on Wednesday urged the European Union to "act now" against Israel's "illegal" settlements in…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World An Israeli soldier gestures next to a tank, on the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon, May 3, 2026. REUTERS/Shir Torem

Israel Army Says Striking Hezbollah Targets across Lebanon

Israel's army said Wednesday it had begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure in several areas of Lebanon, despite a truce with the neighboring country intended…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Members of Iraq's pro-Iran paramilitary group Kataeb Hezbollah mourn a comrade who was killed in a strike in Basra, during the funeral in Baghdad on April 8, 2026. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP/File

US Wants 'Concrete Actions' on Iran from Next Iraqi PM

The United States is looking for "concrete actions" by Iraq's next prime minister to distance the state from pro-Iran armed groups before resuming financial…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Protest by families of SDF detainees held by the Syrian government outside the Democratic Union Party building in Qamishli (Ronahi)

Syria: Pending Issues, Including Arrests Delay SDF Integration

The exchange of prisoners and detainees between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has stalled since mid-April after becoming tied to…

Souad Jarous (Damascus)
Arab World Mourners attend the funeral of members of the Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah who were killed in an airstrike that targeted a PMF headquarters near the western al‑Qaim district on the Syrian border, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 2, 2026. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Suda

Factions Tighten Grip on Iraq Gov’t Formation Talks

Despite the favorable conditions surrounding Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi’s efforts to form a new government, including backing from local and…

Fadhel al-Nashmi (Baghdad)
Arab World Damage to buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs (Reuters)

Lebanon Tests ‘Arms Monopoly’ in Beirut Suburbs Crackdown

Lebanese security forces are intensifying a crackdown on gunfire during funerals held by Hezbollah for its members, in a move that signals an official push to…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (R) and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar shake hands as they attend a news conference after their talks in Berlin, Germany, 05 May 2026. (EPA)

Germany’s Wadephul Says Aid to Gaza Must Be Improved

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Tuesday aid deliveries to Gaza had to be improved and he repeated Berlin's ‌position that ‌any de …

Arab World  First responders inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a police station in Gaza City on May 5, 2026. (AFP)

Gaza Factions Prepare Defensive Plans as Fears of War Rise

Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip have raised their level of alert among fighters as Israeli threats grow over a possible return to war. Field sources…

Asharq Al Awsat (Gaza)
Arab World  Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike that targeted a police post, in Gaza City, May 5, 2026. (Reuters)

Israeli Strikes Kill Three Palestinians, Including a Child, in Gaza, Medics Say

Israeli strikes killed at least three Palestinians, including a child, and wounded several others in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, health officials said. Medics…

Arab World  Brazil's activist Thiago Avila is escorted into court in the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon on May 5, 2026. (AFP)

Israeli Court Extends Detention of Two Gaza Flotilla Activists Until May 10

An Israeli court has extended by another six days the detention of two activists arrested aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla that was intercepted by Israeli forces…

Arab World  Palestinian carpenter Mohammed Wafi builds furniture from recycled wooden pallets in his workshop amid shortages of materials in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 2, 2026. (Reuters)

With Wood Scarce, Gaza Carpenters Make Simple Beds from Pallets

As Israeli restrictions continue to curb the entry of goods into Gaza, local carpenters are turning to scrap wood and shipping pallets to make much-needed…

Arab World Smoke rises, following a drone attack in Khartoum airport, in Khartoum, Sudan, in this screengrab taken from social media video released on May 4, 2026. (Social media/Reuters TV via Reuters)

Sudan Recalls Ambassador to Ethiopia Over Drone Attack on Khartoum Airport

The Sudanese government accused Ethiopia of being behind recent drone attacks on sites including Khartoum airport and recalled its ambassador on Tuesday. In…

Arab World FILED - 17 February 2019, Munich: Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit attends the 55th Munich Security Conference. Photo: Tobias Hase/dpa

Arab League Secretary-General Condemns Iranian Attacks on UAE

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit condemned the drone and missile attacks targeting the United Arab Emirates, describing them as a blatant…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World The announcement of the Syrian government in March 2025 (Presidency) 

Anticipated Syrian Cabinet Reshuffle Considers SDF Integration

Sources close to the Syrian government told Asharq Al-Awsat that a cabinet reshuffle is expected in the coming days, alongside a restructuring of several…

Asharq Al Awsat (Damascus)
Arab World A poster depicting the portrait of Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun that reads "The decision-maker, the protector of Lebanon, Lebanon first...The State always. We are with you" hangs at the entrance of a tunnel on a street in eastern Beirut's Ashrafieh neighborhood on April 28, 2026. (AFP)

US Ambassador to Beirut Stresses Importance of Aoun-Trump Meeting

US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa reiterated on Monday the importance of President Joseph Aoun visiting the United States, saying it should not be viewed as…

Caroline Akoum (Beirut)
Arab World President of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq Nechirvan Barzani and PM-designate Ali al-Zaidi meet in Erbil last week. (Barzani on X)

Intense Negotiations Underway to Form New Iraqi Govt

Iraqi parties are holding intense negotiations with Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi over the formation of a new government to ensure that they reap their…

Fadhel al-Nashmi (Baghdad)
Arab World Israeli troops maneuver on the Lebanese side of the border, as seen from the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, 04 May 2026, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. (EPA)

Lebanese President Says Security Deal with Israel Must Come Before Netanyahu Meeting

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday said a security deal and an end to Israeli attacks were needed before any meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin…

Arab World Smoke rises from inside Khartoum Airport during previous clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army (file photo – Reuters)

Drone Attacks Target Khartoum Airport

Khartoum Airport came under drone attack on Monday, with Sudanese army air defenses intercepting the aircraft, a military source told AFP The incident…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World FILE PHOTO: Mourners carry coffins during the funeral of four Hezbollah fighters and two civilians, amid a temporary ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, in the village of Maaroub, southern Lebanon, April 26, 2026. REUTERS/Marko Djurica/File Photo

‘Freshly Dug Graves’ as Hezbollah Pays Steep Price in Battle to Reverse its Fortunes

Hezbollah has paid a heavy price for going to war with Israel on March 2: Israel has occupied a chunk of southern Lebanon, displaced hundreds of thousands of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World This handout photograph released by the Iraqi Presidency Press Office on April 27, 2026 shows Iraq's President Nizar Amedi (4th L) shaking hands with newly Iraq's Prime Minister designated Ali al-Zaidi (4th R), surrounded by Iraqi political leaders, in Bagdad. (Iraqi Presidency / AFP)

Scramble for Ministries Threatens 'Honeymoon' between Al-Zaidi, Iraq's Political Blocs

Iraq’s Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi is facing an early test in forming a government as disputes over cabinet posts risk straining ties with political…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World A handout picture released by Egypt's Foreign Ministry on May 3, 2026 shows Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, meeting with his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani (L), in the new administrative capital of Cairo. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry / AFP)

Syrian FM’s Visit to Egypt Aims to Revive Relations

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani was in Egypt on Monday, the first by a Syrian FM since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024. …

Mohamed Mahmoud (Cairo)