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Bassil, Lavrov Discuss Russian Role in Lebanon

The FPM leader met Thursday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow
The FPM leader met Thursday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow
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Bassil, Lavrov Discuss Russian Role in Lebanon

The FPM leader met Thursday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow
The FPM leader met Thursday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow

Head of the Free Patriotic Movement Gebran Bassil discussed on Thursday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his deputy Mikhail Bogdanov the situation in Lebanon.

Bassil praised the Russian role in Lebanon and the broader region, stressing that Moscow does not interfere in Lebanese internal affairs, but instead pushes for the implementation of much-needed reforms.

"Russia has assumed many roles that are advantageous to us … such as the repatriation of displaced Syrians," he said during a press conference after meeting Lavrov in Moscow.

Bassil underlined the dire need for Lebanon to make radical reforms and to form a government of experts backed by the key political and parliamentary groups.

He stated that he asked Lavrov to hold a conference to encourage the return of the displaced Syrians.

“We also encouraged Russia to engage in the process of Lebanon’s development by contributing to several investment projects," he said.

The FPM hopes that Bassil’s trip to Moscow could dispel rumors that Russia has put blame on him for the delay in the formation of a new government in Lebanon.

Presidential Advisor for Russian Affairs Abu Zeid told Asharq Al-Awsat that during his meetings with Russian officials, Bassil stressed the need to swiftly form a government by asking Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to work with President Michel Aoun on agreeing on a line-up.

Hariri has not been able to form a cabinet six months after he was chosen for the post amid deep disagreements between him and Aoun.

One of the main points of difference includes Aoun’s rejection of Hariri’s plan to choose some Christian members of the new government.

Bassil is Aoun's son-in-law.

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Arab World

Wife of Iraqi Official Accused of Corruption Allegedly Burns Millions of Dollars in Clay Oven

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. (AP) 
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. (AP) 
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Wife of Iraqi Official Accused of Corruption Allegedly Burns Millions of Dollars in Clay Oven

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. (AP) 
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. (AP) 

As the Iraqi government intensifies its anti-corruption campaign, the arrests of senior officials across several ministries have been accompanied by allegations that read almost like fiction.

Two senior officials from the Oil and Electricity Ministries have reportedly confessed to embezzling millions of US dollars and billions of Iraqi dinars, as well as participating in what authorities describe as one of the country’s largest money-laundering operations.

The officials and their alleged backers—widely known in Iraq as the “whales of corruption”—are now at the center of a widening investigation.

At the same time, social media platforms and local news outlets have been awash with stories about how illicit wealth was concealed, whether in fortified homes or on private estates.

One of the most widely circulated claims alleges that the wife and sister of former Oil Ministry official Adnan al-Jumaili burned more than $5 million and billions of Iraqi dinars in a traditional clay oven at a family farm in Salahuddin province before security forces arrived to conduct a search.

An Iraqi source told Asharq Al-Awsat that teams from the Integrity Commission, headed by Mohammed Ali al-Lami and operating under directives from Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, have not officially confirmed whether large sums of money were actually destroyed or whether additional cash was found at specific homes and orchards.

According to the source, recovered funds have been deposited in the state treasury pending further investigations into whether the confessed crimes were carried out independently or on behalf of a broader network.

“The scale of these funds and the manner in which they were obtained leave no doubt that those responsible, enjoyed protection from powerful figures,” the source said. “They may have been little more than front men.”

Iraq’s judiciary has issued arrest warrants for the wife and sister of detained former Oil Ministry undersecretary Adnan Mohammed Mahmoud al-Jumaili, accusing them of burning billions of dinars and more than $5 million before security forces reached the property.

According to a statement from the Supreme Judicial Council, headed by Faiq Zaidan, investigators seized assets linked to al-Jumaili valued at roughly $10 million, in addition to real estate, gold and weapons. Al-Jumaili served as undersecretary for refining affairs at the Oil Ministry.

The statement said preliminary investigations uncovered nearly 40 properties in Baghdad, Salahuddin and Erbil, along with approximately $10 million in cash and 3 billion Iraqi dinars.

Authorities also confiscated about 1.5 kilograms of gold jewelry and large quantities of light and medium weapons. Investigations remain ongoing to identify all individuals and entities connected to the case.

From “Most Honest Employee” to Corruption Suspect

Days after al-Jumaili’s arrest, authorities detained Alaa Samir al-Jubouri, director general of the Middle Electricity Distribution Company and the recipient of Iraq’s 2023 “Most Honest Employee” award. Interior Ministry reports said he was caught in possession of tens of billions of Iraqi dinars.

Following al-Jumaili’s arrest, Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad accused him on Facebook of acting as a conduit for political-party corruption and the sale of government posts within the Oil Ministry.

Commenting on the broader anti-corruption drive, Ghaleb al-Daami, a media professor at Mustansiriyah University, said the campaign reflects an unprecedented level of coordination among the government, judiciary and Integrity Commission.

“This is the first time since 2003 that state institutions have worked together in this way,” al-Daami told Asharq Al-Awsat. “In the past, conflicts between executive and judicial authorities often undermined accountability. Today, the process appears markedly different.”

 

 

Arab World

Lebanese President Discusses Israel Truce with Senior US, Qatari Officials

Israeli military vehicles maneuver on the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border, as seen from the Upper Galilee, in northern Israel, 21 June 2026. (EPA)
Israeli military vehicles maneuver on the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border, as seen from the Upper Galilee, in northern Israel, 21 June 2026. (EPA)
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Lebanese President Discusses Israel Truce with Senior US, Qatari Officials

Israeli military vehicles maneuver on the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border, as seen from the Upper Galilee, in northern Israel, 21 June 2026. (EPA)
Israeli military vehicles maneuver on the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border, as seen from the Upper Galilee, in northern Israel, 21 June 2026. (EPA)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US Vice President JD Vance discussed a de-confliction mechanism for Lebanon on Monday, Aoun's office said, as Vance said the move aimed to prevent spiraling Israel-Hezbollah violence. 

After a first round of US-Iran talks in Switzerland on ending the Middle East war, mediators Pakistan and Qatar said on Monday that Tehran and Washington had agreed to set up a "de-confliction cell" with Lebanon "to ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations" there. 

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel in support of its backer Iran, has repeatedly threatened to derail regional peace efforts. 

Aoun received a telephone call from Vance, US senior adviser Jared Kushner and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a statement from the Lebanese presidency said. 

They discussed "the issue of consolidating the ceasefire in Lebanon, stopping the Israeli military escalation and steps that should be taken in this regard, including the possibility of forming a cell for this purpose," the statement added. 

Vance later told a press conference in Switzerland that the "de-confliction mechanism" was being set up to ensure "that when things happen, they don't spiral into a broader escalation". 

"We do believe... that we can get to a place where Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty is protected, Israel's security is protected," he said. 

"That's going to require some coordination with the Lebanese armed forces, and also it's going to require the Iranians to rein in Hezbollah," Vance added. 

- 'We negotiate for ourselves' - 

After the talks in Switzerland, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X: "1st real test: Lebanon de-confliction cell." 

The negotiations came after Washington and Tehran last week signed a memorandum of understanding to end the broader Middle East war that includes Lebanon. 

Israeli strikes and clashes with Hezbollah late last week threatened to derail the deal, but fighting in Lebanon has been paused since Saturday evening, after Iran said it had closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz again in response to Israel's attacks. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon "as long as necessary", while Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem rejected any Israeli "security zone" inside Lebanon. 

Israel nonetheless said all war-related restrictions in its northern border areas were lifted from Monday morning. 

Under US pressure, Lebanese officials began direct talks with Israel in April in Washington, and a fifth round of negotiations is scheduled to begin on Tuesday. 

Lebanese authorities are seeking the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the country and to separate the negotiations from the US-Iran deal. 

"We negotiate for ourselves, and we do not accept any other party doing so for us," Aoun said later Monday. 

"We welcome any assistance that comes from any country to end the war, particularly as the situation in the region is interconnected," he added. 

"But there is a big difference between trying to help us and interfering in our internal affairs," he said, alluding to Iran, which through Hezbollah has long wielded significant political influence in Lebanon. 

Arab World

Palestinian Media Says Israel Holding Bodies of Two Teens Killed in West Bank

A Palestinian woman walks at a market near the Ibrahimi Mosque in the old city of Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 17, 2026. (Reuters)
A Palestinian woman walks at a market near the Ibrahimi Mosque in the old city of Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 17, 2026. (Reuters)
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Palestinian Media Says Israel Holding Bodies of Two Teens Killed in West Bank

A Palestinian woman walks at a market near the Ibrahimi Mosque in the old city of Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 17, 2026. (Reuters)
A Palestinian woman walks at a market near the Ibrahimi Mosque in the old city of Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 17, 2026. (Reuters)

Israeli authorities are holding the bodies of two Palestinian teenagers shot dead near a West Bank settlement, Palestinian media reported Monday, while the military said the pair were killed after throwing Molotov cocktails.

Official Palestinian news agency Wafa identified the two as Reda Sami Awad, 15, and Arafat Ismail Awad, 19.

"Israeli forces are holding their bodies," Wafa said.

According to Israel's military, soldiers opened fire late Sunday on a group of people burning tires and hurling petrol bombs towards the settlement.

Two were killed and a third was "neutralized", the military said.

It said the incident occurred during a "counter-terrorism operation" in the area.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the territory, excluding east Jerusalem, among some three million Palestinians.

The United Nations recently warned that settler violence against Palestinians has reached record levels, with an average of six attacks daily causing casualties or damage.

Violence has escalated in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, which was triggered by an unprecedented attack on Israel by the Palestinian movement Hamas on October 7, 2023.

Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,082 Palestinians since then, including both gunmen and civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data.

Official Israeli figures show at least 46 Israelis, both civilians and soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the same period.