US Administration Proposes Demilitarized Zone in Libya’s Sirte, Jufra

Pro-GNA forces during drills in Abu Grein area between Misrata and Sirte (EPA)
Pro-GNA forces during drills in Abu Grein area between Misrata and Sirte (EPA)
TT
20

US Administration Proposes Demilitarized Zone in Libya’s Sirte, Jufra

Pro-GNA forces during drills in Abu Grein area between Misrata and Sirte (EPA)
Pro-GNA forces during drills in Abu Grein area between Misrata and Sirte (EPA)

The United States has proposed a “demilitarized” solution in the Libyan cities of Sirte and Jufra and the immediate resumption of oil production, which has been suspended for about eight months.

US President Donald Trump’s administration has announced a solution to the Libyan crisis, including the Libyan National Army (LNA) forces’ evacuation of their current locations in Sirte and Jufra and the neutralization of the oil issue from the country’s political and military conflict.

US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien called on all parties – both those responsible for the current escalation and those working to end it – to enable the National Oil Corporation to resume its vital work, with full transparency, and to implement a demilitarized solution for both cities, respect the UN arms embargo and finalize a ceasefire under the UN-led 5+5 military talks.

In a statement published by the White House late on Tuesday, O’Brien said the US is deeply troubled by the escalating conflict in Libya.

“We strongly oppose foreign military involvement, including the use of mercenaries and private military contractors, by all sides,” he stressed.

“The ongoing efforts of foreign powers to exploit the conflict – for example, by establishing an enduring military presence or exerting control over resources that belong to the Libyan people – pose grave threats to regional stability and global commerce,” the statement read.

It added that these efforts undermine the collective security interests of the US and its allies and partners in the Mediterranean region.

“Escalation will only deepen and prolong the conflict,” he noted.

O’Brien pointed out that Trump has spoken over the past few weeks with several world leaders about Libya, and it is clear there is no “winning” side.

Libyans can win only if they come together to reclaim their sovereignty and rebuild a unified country, the official stated.

As an active, but neutral, actor, O’Brien explained, the US is pursuing a 360 degree diplomatic engagement with Libyan and external stakeholders across the conflict to find a solution that supports Libyan sovereignty and protects the shared interests of the US, its allies, and partners.

Trump discussed the need to de-escalate the situation in Libya in recent weeks with French President Emmanuel Macron, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, and UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.

Meanwhile, Libyan sources have recently told Asharq Al-Awsat about a possible deal on official resumption of oil production in Libya, in return for Turkey’s exit from the military scene and avoidance of an imminent war in the Mediterranean region.



Tom Barrack: There Is One Syria

Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack at the People's Palace in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack at the People's Palace in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
TT
20

Tom Barrack: There Is One Syria

Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack at the People's Palace in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack at the People's Palace in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack described on Saturday the lifting of US sanctions on Syria as a “strategic fresh start” for the war-ravaged nation and said that the US was not intending to pursue “nation-building or federalism.”

The Syrian state news agency, SANA, quoted Barrack as telling the Arab News website, that the Trump administration’s removal of sanctions on May 13 was aimed at offering the Syrian people “a new slice of hope” following over a decade of civil war.

He described the Middle East as a “difficult zip code at an amazingly historic time.”

“President (Trump)’s message is peace and prosperity,” Barrack said, adding that “sanctions gave the people hope. That’s really all that happened at that moment.”

He noted that the US policy shift is intended to give the emerging Syrian regime a chance to rebuild.

The envoy clarified that the original US involvement in Syria was driven by counter-ISIS operations, and not aimed at regime change or humanitarian intervention.

He reaffirmed Washington’s position against a federal model for Syria, saying the country must remain unified with a single army and government.

“There’s not going to be six countries. There’s going to be one Syria,” he said, ruling out the possibility of separate autonomous regions.

Barrack added: “The US is not dictating terms but would not support a separatist outcome: We’re not going to be there forever as the babysitter.”

Last Wednesday, the Syrian government welcomed any path with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that would enhance the unity and territorial integrity of the country, reiterating its unwavering commitment to the principle of “One Syria, One Army, One Government,” and its categorical rejection of any form of partition or federalism.

Barrack confirmed that the US is closely monitoring the announcement that the first group of PKK fighters had destroyed their weapons in northern Iraq.

“This could be the first step towards long-term resolution of the Kurdish issue in Türkiye,” he said, but cautioned that questions remain about the SDF’s ongoing ties to the PKK leadership. “They (the SDF) have to decide: Are they Syrians? Are they Kurds first? That’s their issue.”

The envoy stressed that the current US strategy offers a narrow but real chance at stability.