عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Iran Mobilizes Forces on Iraqi-Kurdish Border

Khosrawi border crossing between Iraq and Iran (File photo: AFP)
Khosrawi border crossing between Iraq and Iran (File photo: AFP)
TT
TT

Iran Mobilizes Forces on Iraqi-Kurdish Border

Khosrawi border crossing between Iraq and Iran (File photo: AFP)
Khosrawi border crossing between Iraq and Iran (File photo: AFP)

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) mobilized a large force on the border with the Iraqi-Kurdistan region, threatening to attack bases of Kurdish opposition groups if they continue to pose a threat to Iran.

The Kurdish media network Rudaw reported that during a meeting at the Mariwan border region, IRGC’s Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said his troops were targeting sites of hostile forces within Iraqi territories and the Kurdistan region, adding that they will continue to do so in the future.

“We would strike any location where terrorists are present, organized, and stationed… We will vigorously continue to cleanse the region of terrorists,” stressed Pakpour.

The Brigadier General indicated that the Kurdistan region and Iraq should enhance their monitoring of the borders, asking residents to stay away from the areas near the sites targeted by Iran.

Rudaw reported that a few days ago, IRGC began transporting heavily armed forces to the border areas between Iran’s Mariwan and Iraq’s Penjwen. It also warned the residents against approaching these areas until the end of this week.

On Tuesday, IRGC announced it was conducting major maneuvers in the Mariwan region, with the participation of ground and air forces, drones, and special task forces.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Eastern Kurdistan Protection Units, the military wing of Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), announced that Iran mobilized large forces on the border villages of Mariwan and established large military bases.

The Units issued a statement saying the Iranian forces ordered shepherds to leave those areas, adding that drones flew over the area and artillery units shelled border areas for two hours Tuesday morning.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party announced that the Revolutionary Guard started to establish military bases in the villages on the border of Sardasht, adding that the Corps is also pushing residents towards fighting among its ranks.

Meanwhile, Turkey continues its “Claw-Tiger” operation to neutralize Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), in northern Iraq.

Last week, Baghdad summoned the ambassadors of Turkey and Iran protesting their ongoing military actions and violations of Iraqi sovereignty.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Israel Says Man's Capture Sabotaged Secret Hezbollah Naval Unit

Amhaz's ID card at the Maritime Sciences and Technology Institute. (Telegram)
Amhaz's ID card at the Maritime Sciences and Technology Institute. (Telegram)
TT
TT

Israel Says Man's Capture Sabotaged Secret Hezbollah Naval Unit

Amhaz's ID card at the Maritime Sciences and Technology Institute. (Telegram)
Amhaz's ID card at the Maritime Sciences and Technology Institute. (Telegram)

Israel's military said Friday a man seized last year in Lebanon was a Hezbollah operative who played a key role in planning a covert maritime force for the militant group.

The military said special unit troops apprehended Imad Amhaz in November 2024 from the north Lebanese city of Batroun, and transferred him to Israel, reported AFP.

"During his questioning, Amhaz stated that he held a central role in the 'covert maritime portfolio'," which the military called "one of Hezbollah's most classified and sensitive projects".

It said the portfolio's "core objective is the establishment of organized maritime terrorist infrastructure, under civilian cover, in the maritime domain against Israeli and international targets".

The military added that it had disrupted the portfolio's advancement by dismantling its chain of command and through its questioning of Amhaz.

In November 2024, a Lebanese judicial official told AFP that a preliminary probe found that Israeli commandos used a speedboat equipped with radar-jamming devices to abduct Amhaz.

The official called his capture "a war crime that violated national sovereignty" because it involved the kidnapping of a Lebanese citizen in an area far from the fighting.

Amhaz was studying to become a sea captain at the Maritime Sciences and Technology Institute (MARSATI) in Batroun, Lebanon's primary training college for the shipping industry.

Israel says Amhaz was an "invisible" Hezbollah operative who joined the Lebanese armed group in 2004 and was trained in Iran in 2007.

Hezbollah has not claimed Amhaz as a member of the group.

Despite a November 2024 ceasefire supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon and has also maintained troops in five areas of south Lebanon it deems strategic.

Israel says the strikes target Hezbollah members and infrastructure, and aim to stop the group from rearming.

Arab World

Hamas Official Says Miami Talks Must End Israel's Gaza Truce 'Violations'

12 February 2025, Palestinian Territories, Khan Younis: Palestinians shop in a market in the middle of the destruction in Khan Younis, after the Israeli Forces withdrew as part of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
12 February 2025, Palestinian Territories, Khan Younis: Palestinians shop in a market in the middle of the destruction in Khan Younis, after the Israeli Forces withdrew as part of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
TT
TT

Hamas Official Says Miami Talks Must End Israel's Gaza Truce 'Violations'

12 February 2025, Palestinian Territories, Khan Younis: Palestinians shop in a market in the middle of the destruction in Khan Younis, after the Israeli Forces withdrew as part of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
12 February 2025, Palestinian Territories, Khan Younis: Palestinians shop in a market in the middle of the destruction in Khan Younis, after the Israeli Forces withdrew as part of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

A top Hamas official said that talks in Miami on Friday to advance the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire must aim to end Israeli truce "violations" in the Palestinian territory.

"Our people expect these talks to result in an agreement to put an end to ongoing Israeli lawlessness, halt all violations and compel the occupation to abide by the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement," Hamas political bureau member, Bassem Naim, told AFP.

The United States is hosting the discussions, with President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, expected to meet senior officials from mediator countries Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye in Florida to push for the second stage of the ceasefire deal.

Arab World

Egypt Signals Possible Activation of Joint Defense Pact to Safeguard Sudan’s Unity

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the reception of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Cairo on Thursday (Egyptian Presidency)
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the reception of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Cairo on Thursday (Egyptian Presidency)
TT
TT

Egypt Signals Possible Activation of Joint Defense Pact to Safeguard Sudan’s Unity

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the reception of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Cairo on Thursday (Egyptian Presidency)
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the reception of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Cairo on Thursday (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt has drawn explicit “red lines” regarding the conflict in Sudan, warning that any attempt to cross them would directly threaten Egyptian national security.

Cairo signaled it is prepared to take all measures permitted under the Joint Defense Agreement between the two countries, a position analysts describe as Cairo’s most forceful since the outbreak of war in Sudan in 2023.

The statement coincided with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi receiving on Thursday Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council.

El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s “full support for the Sudanese people in overcoming the current critical phase,” stressing Cairo’s unwavering commitment to Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, security, and stability, according to presidential spokesman Mohamed El-Shennawy.

During the visit, Egypt also renewed its support for US President Donald Trump’s vision for achieving peace and stability in Sudan, aligning with Washington’s broader approach to de-escalation and conflict resolution.

For the first time since the conflict began, Cairo publicly articulated non-negotiable red lines, stressing that Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity are inseparable from Egypt’s own national security. These red lines include preventing the partition of Sudan, protecting the country’s resources, and preserving its state institutions.

The Egyptian presidency underscored that safeguarding Sudan’s institutions is highly important and affirmed Egypt’s “full right to take all necessary measures under international law,” including the possible activation of the Joint Defense Agreement to prevent any violations.

Egypt and Sudan signed a military cooperation agreement in March 2021 covering training, border security, and countering shared threats, building on a Joint Defense Agreement concluded in 1976 to confront external dangers.

Maj. Gen. Yahya Kadwani, a member of Egypt’s parliamentary Committee on Defense and National Security, warned that efforts to divide Sudan necessitate firm red lines to protect Sudanese state assets and Egypt’s own security.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that invoking the joint defense pact signals strong coordination within international legitimacy and existing bilateral agreements.

The presidency said Egypt is deeply concerned by ongoing escalation in Sudan and the resulting “horrific massacres and flagrant violations of basic human rights,” particularly in El Fasher.

Cairo categorically rejected the creation or recognition of any parallel political or military entities, warning that such moves would undermine Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity.

Ambassador Salah Halima, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, said Egyptian-Sudanese coordination aims to protect Egyptian, Sudanese, and Arab national security, noting that both countries are members of the Council of Red Sea Coastal States, which plays a strategic role in defense and development.

He added that Egypt’s stance aligns with the International Quartet initiative and a proposal advanced by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to the United States.

The roadmap calls for a three-month humanitarian truce, integration of the Rapid Support Forces into the Sudanese Armed Forces, and preservation of military cohesion.

The Quartet, which includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, proposed last August a plan for a three-month humanitarian ceasefire, followed by a permanent cessation of hostilities and a political process leading to an independent civilian government within nine months.

Al-Burhan’s visit to Cairo followed talks in Saudi Arabia, where he affirmed Sudan’s readiness to work with Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US envoy Massad Boulos to end the war.

Amani Al-Tawil, Director of the Africa Program at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said Egypt’s position represents its strongest stance yet and aligns with Saudi and US calls to preserve Sudan’s unity, halt the war, reject parallel entities, and protect state institutions.