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Assad Disbands Makhlouf Militias, Renames 'Tiger Forces'

Syrian regime force (AFP)
Syrian regime force (AFP)
    Damascus, New York, London - Asharq Al-Awsat
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Assad Disbands Makhlouf Militias, Renames 'Tiger Forces'

Syrian regime force (AFP)
Syrian regime force (AFP)

Various sources confirmed on Thursday that the latest series of measures taken by head of the Syrian regime, Bashar Assad, against companies owned by his cousin, Rami Makhlouf, in Syria, involved Al-Bustan Association and its linked armed organizations.

This week, reports said that Assad took measures against Makhlouf’s shares in the state-owned Syrian Telecom Company (Syriatel), the country’s biggest mobile phone company. Makhlouf, Assad’s first cousin and the son of Mohammed Makhlouf, is considered a top businessman in Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights quoted sources as saying that Assad decided to end and disband the military wing of “Al-Bustan” after Russia gave its orders to limit the expansion of continuous recruitment by the association in return for attractive financial salaries, particularly in the Syrian South.

The Observatory said the association would continue its work in the charitable side, maintaining its cadres and management under the supervision of the Syrian “Presidency” and the Social Affairs Ministry.

In late 2018, the SOHR said it found that Al-Bustan Association worked on recruiting youths and men with attractive financial salaries of up to $350 per month.

Meanwhile, members of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party were informed about the lessening of some of their privileges due to Makhlouf’s known support of the SSNP ideology.

Makhlouf founded several companies, including Cham Holding. He was later linked to financing pro-regime forces and their linked militias, mainly through Al-Bustan Association.

Separately, in Damascus the Tiger Forces have been renamed and placed under the command of the army’s central command.

The Tiger Forces have been renamed Division 25 Special Mission Forces and will remain under the command of Major General Suheil Al-Hassan.

The Tiger Forces surfaced in the Syrian war during the Hama, Aleppo and eastern Homs battles.

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Arab World

Abdelatty: Egypt Working with Pakistan on Lasting US-Iran Peace Plan

This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Foreign Ministry on April 17, 2026, shows Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (2nd R), Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud (R), Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty (L) and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (2nd L) poses family photo during the 5th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2026) in Antalya. (Photo by Turkish Foreign Ministery Press Service / TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY / AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Foreign Ministry on April 17, 2026, shows Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (2nd R), Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud (R), Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty (L) and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (2nd L) poses family photo during the 5th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2026) in Antalya. (Photo by Turkish Foreign Ministery Press Service / TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY / AFP)
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Abdelatty: Egypt Working with Pakistan on Lasting US-Iran Peace Plan

This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Foreign Ministry on April 17, 2026, shows Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (2nd R), Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud (R), Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty (L) and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (2nd L) poses family photo during the 5th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2026) in Antalya. (Photo by Turkish Foreign Ministery Press Service / TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY / AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Foreign Ministry on April 17, 2026, shows Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (2nd R), Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud (R), Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty (L) and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (2nd L) poses family photo during the 5th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2026) in Antalya. (Photo by Turkish Foreign Ministery Press Service / TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY / AFP)

Egypt is working closely with Pakistan on a framework aimed at securing a lasting peace between the US and Iran, ⁠Foreign Minister Badr ⁠Abdelatty said on Saturday.

He said Egypt, Türkiye, Pakistan and ⁠Saudi Arabia were coordinating a broader regional effort focused on preventing renewed escalation and laying the groundwork for a post-war security arrangement, stressing ⁠the ⁠importance of protecting Gulf states and stabilizing energy markets, supply chains and food security.

Abdelatty’s statement came as Iran has swiftly reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, reimposing restrictions on the critical waterway on Saturday after US President Donald Trump said that even after Tehran announced the strait's reopening on Friday, the American blockade “will remain in full force” until the country reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear program.

The conflict over the chokepoint threatened to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy after oil prices began to fall again on Friday on hopes the US and Iran were drawing closer to an agreement.

Arab World

Yemen: Houthi Infighting Exposes Deepening Fractures

A gathering of Yemen’s Qaifa tribes rejecting Houthi death sentences against 11 of their members (X)
A gathering of Yemen’s Qaifa tribes rejecting Houthi death sentences against 11 of their members (X)
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Yemen: Houthi Infighting Exposes Deepening Fractures

A gathering of Yemen’s Qaifa tribes rejecting Houthi death sentences against 11 of their members (X)
A gathering of Yemen’s Qaifa tribes rejecting Houthi death sentences against 11 of their members (X)

Rising violence within Yemen’s Houthi movement is highlighting deep internal divisions, as competition over influence and resources intensifies amid growing isolation and public discontent, analysts and local sources say.

Recent incidents point to a weakness in managing internal disputes, with clashes increasingly erupting among the group’s own commanders. The absence of stable mechanisms to regulate rivalries, alongside declining trust in Houthi-run institutions, has fueled tensions.

One of the most serious episodes occurred last week in Jabal Ras district, south of Hodeidah province, where a local security headquarters turned into a battleground. Local sources said a dispute between Mohammed Abbas al-Qahif, the Houthi-appointed security chief, and field commander Abu Bashar Habib Mutlaq escalated into a gunfight inside the compound. Machine guns were used in a densely populated area, wounding fighters on both sides and critically injuring a civilian as the clashes spread outside.

The incident is part of a broader pattern. In recent weeks, several Houthi security and field leaders have been killed in the provinces of al-Jawf, al-Mahwit, Sanaa and al-Bayda.

Yemeni political researcher Salah Ali Salah said such conflicts “have become more frequent and visible,” reflecting the accumulation of competing power networks formed during years of war. These networks have reshaped internal hierarchies and weakened tribal and social actors that once supported or benefited from the group.

He added that tensions are increasingly shifting from the periphery into the core of the movement, with disputes among supervisors and commanders driven by competition over authority, resources and influence. These conflicts, he said, often require direct intervention from senior leadership to contain them.

Violence linked to personal disputes and widespread weapon ownership has also surged. In one case in Sanaa, tribal figure Abdulrazzaq al-Athri was killed by his brother Mohammed, described as a Houthi-affiliated gunman, following a land dispute in Arhab district.

In al-Bayda’s Radaa district, another tribal leader, Mohammed al-Rubaie, was killed in an ambush by unidentified gunmen, while an elderly man from Ibb province was shot dead in a separate incident. The district has become a hotspot for both lawlessness and confrontations between residents and Houthi forces.

Tensions have further escalated after a Houthi court sentenced 11 members of the Qaifa tribe to death over a previous tribal dispute with Sanhan tribes. Qaifa leaders say the ruling was issued without due legal process and accuse Houthi figure Yahya al-Razami of bias.

Analyst Bassem Mansour linked the growing chaos to the group’s isolation and leadership constraints. Senior figures, he said, are preoccupied with military and regional developments and often operate in secrecy for fear of Israeli targeting, leaving field commanders to act impulsively in the face of public resentment.

Residents report worsening living conditions and deteriorating services, fueling frustration that increasingly manifests in violent personal disputes. A Sanaa-based researcher, speaking anonymously for safety reasons, said public anger at Houthi policies is rising daily.

Security institutions, once tools of control, are now seen as arenas for settling scores, while judicial bodies have lost credibility due to perceived corruption and inefficiency. The proliferation of weapons have further undermined order.

As the situation persists, civilians remain the most vulnerable, caught between internal Houthi rivalries and unchecked violence, with little prospect of restored stability.

Arab World

Barzani Denounces ‘Suspicious Deals’ over Kirkuk Governorship

Peshmerga fighters are positioned beneath a portrait of Masoud Barzani in Kirkuk (file photo – EPA)
Peshmerga fighters are positioned beneath a portrait of Masoud Barzani in Kirkuk (file photo – EPA)
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Barzani Denounces ‘Suspicious Deals’ over Kirkuk Governorship

Peshmerga fighters are positioned beneath a portrait of Masoud Barzani in Kirkuk (file photo – EPA)
Peshmerga fighters are positioned beneath a portrait of Masoud Barzani in Kirkuk (file photo – EPA)

Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani on Friday rejected a recent political agreement in Iraq’s northern Kirkuk province that led to the appointment of a new governor, describing the process as the result of “suspicious deals”.

Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said the move amounted to “manipulation of the will of Kirkuk voters” and arrangements conducted outside official frameworks.

The provincial council elected Mohammed Samaan Agha as governor in a session boycotted by the KDP, following the acceptance of the resignation of his predecessor Rebwar Taha.

The post has now gone to a Turkmen figure for the first time in decades. Turkmen residents celebrated in Kirkuk’s city center and streets on Thursday night following the vote.

Turkmen are Iraq’s third-largest ethnic group after Arabs and Kurds, and are spread across several provinces including Nineveh, Kirkuk, Salah al-Din, Irbil, Diyala, Baghdad and Sulaymaniyah.

Unofficial estimates put their population at more than three million.

Barzani pointed to earlier political meetings in Baghdad, including at the Rashid Hotel, that resulted in arrangements to share control of the province among rival parties and ethnic groups.

In Baghdad, Shakhawan Abdullah, head of the KDP parliamentary bloc, described the election process as “illegitimate” and reiterated his party’s rejection of what he called the “Rashid Hotel deals”, stressing the need to respect the constitution and voters’ will.

The dispute comes amid rising political tensions in Kirkuk, where the KDP has lost ground to its Kurdish rival, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led by Bafel Talabani, which has strengthened its position in the provincial council through alliances with other Iraqi factions.

Shiite leader Qais al-Khazali said the appointment of the new governor was the “result” of prior political understandings aimed at ensuring balance and partnership in running the province, adding that the agreement envisages a rotation of posts, including for Arab representatives.

Samaan Agha, for his part, stressed that his administration would represent all components of Kirkuk — Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen — and pledged to address fuel shortages, improve electricity supply and enhance public services.

He added that power-sharing would be central to local governance. PUK spokesman Karwan Kaznay said the rotation of the governorship stemmed from an agreement reached two years ago, describing the practice as a “natural democratic process”.

Oil-rich Kirkuk has long been a flashpoint between Baghdad and the Kurdistan region, with its mixed population making political balances fragile despite relative improvements in security in recent years.