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JIAT: No Evidence that Coalition Forces Attacked Yakhtal Market in Taiz

Spokesman for the Incident Assessment Team Mansour al-Mansour
Spokesman for the Incident Assessment Team Mansour al-Mansour
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JIAT: No Evidence that Coalition Forces Attacked Yakhtal Market in Taiz

Spokesman for the Incident Assessment Team Mansour al-Mansour
Spokesman for the Incident Assessment Team Mansour al-Mansour

The Joint Incident Assessment Team in Yemen on Wednesday said it found no evidence to back allegations on the Arab Coalition striking six civilian targets in Yemen.

One of the targets allegedly struck was a market in Taiz and a civilian fishing boat.

JIAT spokesman Mansour Al-Mansour, in a presser in Riyadh, said that the Team investigated all six cases. This included rules of engagement, the daily task count table, post-mission reports, satellite imagery, video recordings, and evidence evaluations.

Regarding the allegation that Coalition forces bombed the “Yakhtal” market in Taiz, Mansour said: “It became clear to JIAT, by looking at the daily mission record, that air operations carried out by the Arab Coalition forces took place a day before the alleged bombing and that they struck a military target approximately 15 km away from the city.”

JIAT concluded that the Coalition forces did not target the market mentioned in the claim.

JIAT also said it found no evidence to support a report published by the New York Times in Dec. 2018 that claimed Coalition forces attacked a civilian fishing boat, killing 11 of the 14 crew members.

Mansour said that a reporter from the newspaper contacted the Coalition about an alleged attack on the boat Afaq on Aug. 11. When the story was published, the stated date of the attack was Aug. 14.

Mansour said that given the discrepancy regarding the date of the attack in the reporter’s message and the published story, JIAT investigators looked at both dates. They examined the official record of events and operations carried out by naval forces, event logs from naval units and daily intelligence reports.

They also interviewed specialists in the Western Fleet and reviewed the rules of engagement for Coalition forces and their adherence to the principles and provisions of international humanitarian law and customary norms.

The investigation found that Saudi naval ship Makkah and the Egyptian naval ship Alexandria were in the vicinity of the reported attack on Aug. 11 and 14, but did not engage with any surface targets.

Mansour said that an unarmed helicopter from the Makkah took off at 7:50 am on one of the days to carry out a medical evacuation from the Alexandria. It returned to the Makkah at 10:11 am.

The Saudi ship Al-Farouq was docked at Jazan Port and left set sail at 6:04 pm on one of the days. However, there were no aircraft on board.

The investigation team therefore concluded that Coalition forces did not attack a civilian fishing boat in the Red Sea on either of the dates.

Mansour said that JIAT has examined 182 incidents since the launch of Operation Decisive Storm. The team's role is to establish whether the incidents happened, whether Coalition forces were involved, and whether their actions were correct and complied with international humanitarian law and the rules of engagement, he added. If mistakes or inappropriate action are discovered, he continued, the responsible individuals are held accountable and the findings revealed with full transparency.

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Arab World

Jordan Says Security Officer Killed in Amman in Stabbing Attack

Jordan's capital, Amman (AFP)
Jordan's capital, Amman (AFP)
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Jordan Says Security Officer Killed in Amman in Stabbing Attack

Jordan's capital, Amman (AFP)
Jordan's capital, Amman (AFP)

Jordanian authorities said a security officer was stabbed to death in the country's capital Amman on Thursday, calling it a "terrorist attack".

"The Public Security Directorate mourned the martyrdom of Corporal Jawad Ali Khalaf Al-Salaytah, who was killed in a cowardly terrorist attack," the directorate said in a statement.

Another officer was injured in the incident, it added.

Authorities said the attack took place in front of the Sri Lankan embassy, where the victim was stabbed with a "sharp object".

The officer was rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries, the directorate said.

A nearby police patrol responded immediately and arrested the attacker, it added.

The second officer wounded in the incident sustained injuries to their face as he tried to intervene and is in a stable condition.

Security agencies were investigating, the directorate said.

Arab World

Egypt, US Sign Strategic Objective Agreement to Expand Cooperation

Egypt and the US seek greater cooperation across multiple sectors (Egyptian Foreign Ministry). 
Egypt and the US seek greater cooperation across multiple sectors (Egyptian Foreign Ministry). 
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Egypt, US Sign Strategic Objective Agreement to Expand Cooperation

Egypt and the US seek greater cooperation across multiple sectors (Egyptian Foreign Ministry). 
Egypt and the US seek greater cooperation across multiple sectors (Egyptian Foreign Ministry). 

Egypt and the United States signed a Strategic Objective Framework Agreement on Enhancing Mutual Prosperity on Wednesday, aimed at expanding cooperation across several sectors, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty attended the signing ceremony alongside the ministers of finance, supply and internal trade, and higher education and scientific research.

The agreement was signed by Egypt’s Deputy Foreign Minister for International Cooperation, Dr. Samar El-Ahdal, and US Chargé d’Affaires in Cairo Robert Silverman.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ambassador Nader Zaki said the framework agreement aims to strengthen cooperation with the United States to achieve tangible economic growth in Egypt.

He explained that its objectives include expanding cooperation in key sectors and adopting US institutional and technological innovations to improve the efficiency of Egypt’s water, energy and infrastructure systems.

The agreement also seeks to modernize education, healthcare and governance, develop the skills of Egyptian professionals and create more jobs, particularly in areas of shared strategic interest such as water management, artificial intelligence and energy.

Another objective is to strengthen Egypt’s food security through science-based agriculture.

The signing comes amid repeated statements by both sides emphasizing the strategic nature of relations between Cairo and Washington and their longstanding ties.

Former US Ambassador David Satterfield identified three main reasons behind Washington’s strategic view of Egypt: preserving the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, ensuring access to and transit through the Suez Canal, and maintaining stability within Egypt itself.

Satterfield told Asharq Al-Awsat that the peace treaty “remains, even in light of the Abraham Accords, the cornerstone and fundamental pillar of stability and peace in the broader Middle East.”

He explained that the United States considers its engagement with and support for Egypt vital to preserving the treaty.

“Egypt’s geographical location gives it particular importance to the United States because of the Suez Canal,” he added.

A Congressional Research Service report updated on February 25, 2026, supports this assessment, linking Egypt’s importance to US national security to its geographical position, population and diplomatic influence.

The report notes that facilitating the passage of US naval vessels through the Suez Canal provides Washington with a significant advantage when it needs to deploy forces rapidly to the Gulf and Indian Ocean.

US interests, however, extend beyond the canal and the peace treaty.

Satterfield warned that instability in Egypt, whether driven by economic or political factors or both, “would threaten not only US interests but those of the broader Middle East.”

In his assessment, Egypt’s stability is therefore a strategic interest in its own right, rather than merely a desired outcome of bilateral cooperation.

Ben Fishman, a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former director for North Africa at the US National Security Council, agreed.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the United States maintains a longstanding strategic relationship and strong military partnership with Egypt, while the peace agreement with Israel “remains a pillar of regional stability.”

The two countries’ interests also converge in Gaza. Washington needs a regional partner to help negotiate and implement security arrangements, while Cairo requires US cooperation to support a resolution to a crisis affecting its borders and security.

The Congressional Research Service notes that Egypt played a key role, alongside other partners, in mediating the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire and hosted the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in support of the agreement.

Despite the importance of their relationship, Cairo and Washington do not agree on every issue.

Fishman explained that US and Egyptian interests converge in some conflicts and diverge in others, which is natural in a relationship based on mutual interests.

Satterfield echoed that assessment, stressing that such differences do not undermine the strategic nature of bilateral ties.

“Disagreements also exist between the United States and NATO countries, but they do not diminish the fact that both sides view the relationship as strategic,” he said. “That is the nature of international relations.”

In a related development, Abdelatty discussed the latest regional developments with Massad Boulos, senior adviser to the US president for Arab and African affairs, during a telephone call on Wednesday.

According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman, the discussion addressed intensive efforts to promote de-escalation.

Abdelatty stressed “the importance of all parties showing the necessary flexibility to reduce tensions and allow a return to the political track, rather than moving toward a resumption of military operations, whose grave dangers to the region and the world President Sisi has warned against.”

The call also covered “the need to maintain full support for efforts to unify the Libyan government in a way that achieves the security and stability sought by the Libyan people.”

The two officials also discussed the situation in Sudan, emphasizing the importance of ending the ongoing war and launching a Sudanese-owned political process.

Arab World

Lebanon: Four Former Army Generals Questioned as Defendants in Beirut Port Blast Probe

Families of victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion and ambassadors from several countries commemorate the sixth anniversary of the blast (File photo: AFP). 
Families of victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion and ambassadors from several countries commemorate the sixth anniversary of the blast (File photo: AFP). 
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Lebanon: Four Former Army Generals Questioned as Defendants in Beirut Port Blast Probe

Families of victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion and ambassadors from several countries commemorate the sixth anniversary of the blast (File photo: AFP). 
Families of victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion and ambassadors from several countries commemorate the sixth anniversary of the blast (File photo: AFP). 

The investigation into the Beirut port explosion took a new turn on Wednesday as judicial investigator Judge Tarek Bitar questioned four former Lebanese Army generals as defendants, expanding the scope of legal proceedings ahead of an indictment expected before the end of the year.

The hearing also marked the first attendance of a representative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Cassation, Judge Mohammad Saab.

Those questioned during the lengthy session were former Lebanese Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Walid Salman, former Deputy Chief of Staff for Equipment Brig. Gen. Manuel Karjian, former head of the Ammunition Department Brig. Gen. Georges Moussa, and former director of the Equipment Directorate Brig. Gen. Munir Abou Zeid.

Their defense lawyers, lawyers representing the civil claimants and Cassation Advocate General Judge Mohammad Saab attended the hearing.

A judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the officers had been summoned based on a substantive submission prepared by Saab, in which he brought allegations against them over suspicions that they had prior knowledge of the presence of ammonium nitrate at Beirut port.

The source explained that the questioning focused on “the suspicions outlined in the submission, in preparation for further investigation and a determination of the judicial position regarding each defendant, without the allegations necessarily establishing responsibility.”

Judicial Cooperation

Saab’s attendance marked the first time a representative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Cassation had participated in an investigative hearing before Bitar in the case.

It also signaled cooperation between the judicial investigator and the prosecutor’s office, which had previously boycotted Bitar and suspended cooperation with him when Judge Ghassan Oueidat headed the office.

The questioning ended without any decision on whether the four officers would be detained or released, leaving their legal status unresolved.

“Bitar did not issue an arrest warrant against any of them, nor did he decide to release them or require them to sign a residence undertaking, leaving the matter unresolved,” the judicial source explained.

The source did not disclose the content of the officers’ statements or their responses to the allegations.

Previously Questioned Defendants to Be Summoned Again

Bitar’s next steps will extend beyond the four former officers.

According to the same judicial source, the investigator is preparing to summon all those he previously questioned without issuing decisions concerning their cases.

They include former Prime Minister Hassan Diab, former Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk, former General Security Director-General Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim and former State Security Director-General Maj. Gen. Tony Saliba, as well as judges and senior officials.

The move will bring previously deferred decisions back before Bitar as he continues investigating the allegations against the four officers.

The upcoming summonses will involve individuals whose procedural status remains unresolved, making the next round a crucial step in determining the measures to be taken before the indictment is finalized.

Those facing allegations will remain in a state of uncertainty over the judicial measures that await them.

Indictment Expected Before Year-End

Meanwhile, the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Cassation will prepare a supplementary substantive submission concerning the four officers and forward it to Bitar as soon as possible, according to the judicial source.

The supplementary submission will be added to the case file Bitar is reviewing as he prepares his indictment, taking into account the latest questioning sessions and the statements obtained.

The source stressed that Bitar “is committed to issuing the indictment before the end of this year,” adding that he would soon devote his attention to reviewing the case file and drafting the indictment.