Ghannouchi Congratulates Libya’s Sarraj on Recapture of Watiya Airbase

Speaker Rached Ghannouchi speaks during an interview with Reuters journalists in Tunis, Tunisia, April 25, 2018. Reuters file photo
Speaker Rached Ghannouchi speaks during an interview with Reuters journalists in Tunis, Tunisia, April 25, 2018. Reuters file photo
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Ghannouchi Congratulates Libya’s Sarraj on Recapture of Watiya Airbase

Speaker Rached Ghannouchi speaks during an interview with Reuters journalists in Tunis, Tunisia, April 25, 2018. Reuters file photo
Speaker Rached Ghannouchi speaks during an interview with Reuters journalists in Tunis, Tunisia, April 25, 2018. Reuters file photo

Leader of Tunisia’s Islamist Ennahda movement Rached Ghannouchi has congratulated Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of Libya’s Government of National Accord, on GNA’s recapture of al-Watiya airbase from the Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar.

Ghannouchi, who is the speaker of Tunisia’s parliament, extended his congratulations to Sarraj in a phone call on Tuesday evening.

His move has raised doubts about Tunisia’s allegedly neutral stance on developments in Libya.

Libyan sources said that Ghannouchi breathed a sigh of relief as the LNA withdrew from the strategic al-Watiya airbase near the Tunisian border last Monday. The Tunisian politician also asserted that there is no military answer to the raging conflict in Libya and that it is important to return to the political course.

Sarraj, for his part, voiced his gratitude for the feelings of brotherhood expressed by Ghannouchi and praised the deep relations shared with Tunisia.

According to a press release, Sarraj praised Tunisia’s keenness on the security and stability of Libya, saying he is looking forward to boost cooperation between the two countries.

Observers believe that Ghannouchi’s move to congratulate the GNA would fuel ideological conflicts between a number of Tunisian parties. The move follows reassurances given by Tunisian authorities, on more than one occasion, that the country will remain impartial to the conflict in Libya.

Tunisian President Kais Saied had previously acknowledged his support for the GNA, which means that the Tunisian position is clearly in favor of Sarraj.

Tunisia’s opposition political parties called for transparency in political affairs, demanding that Ghannouchi announces his diplomatic and political initiatives to the public.

The speaker’s phone call to Sarraj was not made public, prompting opposition parties to doubt whether hiding the information from the public was intentional.



Suspected US Airstrikes in Yemen Kill at Least 4 People Near Hodeidah

A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
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Suspected US Airstrikes in Yemen Kill at Least 4 People Near Hodeidah

A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Suspected US airstrikes battered Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into Wednesday, with the militias saying that one strike killed at least four people near the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

The intense campaign of airstrikes in Yemen under US President Donald Trump, targeting the militias over their attacks on shipping in Mideast waters stemming from the Israel-Hamas war, has killed at least 65 people, according to casualty figures released by the Houthis.

The campaign appears to show no signs of stopping as the Trump administration again linked their airstrikes on the Iranian-backed Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. While so far giving no specifics about the campaign and its targets, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt put the overall number of strikes on Tuesday at more than 200.

“Iran is incredibly weakened as a result of these attacks, and we have seen they have taken out Houthi leaders,” Leavitt said. “They’ve taken out critical members who were launching strikes on naval ships and on commercial vessels and this operation will not stop until the freedom of navigation in this region is restored.”

Overnight, a likely US airstrike targeted what the Houthis described as a “water project” in Hodeidah governorate's Mansuriyah District, killing four people and wounding others. Other strikes into Wednesday targeted Hajjah, Saada and Sanaa governorates, the militias said.