Informed Source to Asharq Al-Awsat: Prospects for Baghdad-Erbil Deal

File photo, Kurdistan referendum/AFP
File photo, Kurdistan referendum/AFP
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Informed Source to Asharq Al-Awsat: Prospects for Baghdad-Erbil Deal

File photo, Kurdistan referendum/AFP
File photo, Kurdistan referendum/AFP

There have been signs of a possible agreement between Baghdad and Erbil to overcome the repercussions of a referendum on independence held by the Kurdistan Region last September.

An informed source from the parliamentary Shi’ite National Alliance bloc told Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday that a possible agreement might be reached “in the near future” to solve the pending issues between the two sides.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said: “The two sides are about to form a seven-member committee, including five members from Baghdad and two others from Kurdistan, with a mission to review all controversial issues between the two sides.”

The source added that the committee would be tasked with delicately discussing the political and economic files and the issues of borders and airports. “We expect its mission to produce fruitful results soon to solve the crisis between Baghdad and Erbil,” he said.

The comments came amid conflicting reports concerning Erbil’s approval to hand over the management of the borders, airports and custom to Baghdad.

While a close aid to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that Erbil had accepted to hand over such management to Baghdad, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesperson Safeen Dizayee denied the reports.

However, he said, “The KRG is ready to hold dialogue with the Iraqi government over managing the border crossings and the airports in accordance with the mechanism set by the Iraqi Constitution.”

Dizayee said on Tuesday that his government welcomes any positive steps to launch dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad.

“[The KRG] welcomes any positive steps for a dialogue toward resolving the issues between the Kurdistan Region and the Federal Government of Iraq on the basis of the Iraqi Constitution,” Dizayee said.

The spokesperson also highlighted signs that Baghdad had "good intentions," notably through an Iraqi government delegation’s planned visit to Kurdistan and the forming of joint committees for talks on borders, airports, and dams in the Kurdistan Region.



Hezbollah Orders Members to Stay Away from South Lebanon Amid Renewed Israeli Strikes

Hezbollah supporters take part in Ashura commemorations in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week (AP)
Hezbollah supporters take part in Ashura commemorations in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week (AP)
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Hezbollah Orders Members to Stay Away from South Lebanon Amid Renewed Israeli Strikes

Hezbollah supporters take part in Ashura commemorations in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week (AP)
Hezbollah supporters take part in Ashura commemorations in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week (AP)

In the wake of renewed Israeli strikes in south Lebanon, Hezbollah has reportedly instructed its members and affiliates to avoid traveling to their hometowns in the south, including areas north and south of the Litani River.

The internal directive, aimed at minimizing Israeli targeting, prohibits movement to the region even for family visits or personal reasons, according to local sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat.

The move comes as Israel resumed its targeted operations against Hezbollah after a week-long pause. The renewed strikes coincide with growing Lebanese calls to reactivate the ceasefire monitoring committee, following escalating tensions and violations.

On Thursday, two individuals were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes in south Lebanon, despite the ceasefire agreement brokered last November. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health confirmed the fatalities.

According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, an Israeli drone strike hit a vehicle on the Toul-Kfour highway in the Nabatieh district, killing one person and injuring two others. A second airstrike targeted a truck in the southern coastal town of Naqoura, leaving one person dead.

Israeli authorities have reiterated that they will continue to act against Hezbollah to “eliminate any threat” and prevent the group from reestablishing its military infrastructure. They have warned that strikes will continue unless Hezbollah is disarmed by the Lebanese state.

The latest attacks follow a series of five assassinations carried out last week, which Israel claimed targeted operatives involved in restoring Hezbollah’s combat and artillery capabilities in the south.

Since the November ceasefire, Israel has reportedly carried out nearly 3,600 violations, by land, sea, and air, resulting in 253 deaths and 559 injuries, according to official Lebanese data.

Ongoing Israeli operations have severely limited Hezbollah’s activity in both southern Lebanon and north of the Litani River. Local sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah issued a directive months ago prohibiting members, including fighters, from visiting southern areas, even for personal or family reasons, to avoid Israeli surveillance and targeting.