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Iraqi President Calls for Int’l Action to Face Regional Challenges

Iraqi President Barham Salih meets with Spanish Ambassador to Iraq Juan Jose Escobar in Baghdad on Wednesday (INA)
Iraqi President Barham Salih meets with Spanish Ambassador to Iraq Juan Jose Escobar in Baghdad on Wednesday (INA)
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Iraqi President Calls for Int’l Action to Face Regional Challenges

Iraqi President Barham Salih meets with Spanish Ambassador to Iraq Juan Jose Escobar in Baghdad on Wednesday (INA)
Iraqi President Barham Salih meets with Spanish Ambassador to Iraq Juan Jose Escobar in Baghdad on Wednesday (INA)

Iraqi President Barham Salih called on Wednesday for joint international action to confront challenges and ease tensions in the region.

During a meeting in Baghdad with the Spanish Ambassador to Iraq, Juan Jose Escobar, on the occasion of the end of his mission, the President stressed the need for international cooperation in facing the common challenges of combating terrorism, in addition to the importance of solidarity, supporting the stability of the region and easing the tensions surrounding it.

A presidential statement said Salih also appreciated Spain’s supportive stances for Iraq in combating terrorism within the international coalition as well as supporting stability.

The Iraqi President’s invitation for joint international actions on regional challenges came as Baghdad prepares to host the first conference of regional neighbors at the end of August, with the aim of discussing the political and security challenges facing the region.

The conference is scheduled to be held at the summit level during the last ten days of August and would not be limited to Arab or Islamic countries neighboring Iraq but would extend to other states in the regional neighborhood.

Meanwhile, head of the National Power of the State Coalition Ammar Al-Hakim stressed the importance of developing relations between the US and Iraq to serve the interests of both countries.

Hakim held talks Wednesday with US Ambassador Matthew Tueller on the political developments in Iraq and the region, as well as the outcomes of the strategic dialogue between Iraq and US.

“The importance of these relations is to serve the interests of two countries, and the need to proceed with the adoption of dialogue as a way to resolve differences and spare the region the repercussions of tensions and conflicts between its countries," said Hakim.

Also on Wednesday, the European Union Delegation to Iraq warned against fraud in the coming parliamentary elections, expected to be held in Iraq next October.

Martin Huth, the European Union ambassador to Iraq, said there are concerns about the security and human rights environment in which the elections will take place.

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Arab World

Reports: US to Withdraw All Troops from Syria

A US Army patrol in the Syrian city of Qamishli (Reuters file photo)
A US Army patrol in the Syrian city of Qamishli (Reuters file photo)
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Reports: US to Withdraw All Troops from Syria

A US Army patrol in the Syrian city of Qamishli (Reuters file photo)
A US Army patrol in the Syrian city of Qamishli (Reuters file photo)

The United States is planning to withdraw all of its 1,000 troops from Syria over the next two months, according to US media reports.

Washington will end its presence in the country after the Syrian government extended its control over the country and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces once key to fighting ISIS pledged to integrate into the state, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Television network CBS also reported on the plan, citing unnamed US officials.

The decision comes after US forces recently withdrew from some bases
in Syria including Al-Tanf and Al-Shadadi, which were used in the US-led international coalition's fight against ISIS, AFP reported.

The US is building up its military capabilities near Iran, where officials have vowed to respond to any attack by laying siege to American military outposts in the region.

US media reported Wednesday that Washington will be ready to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, though Trump has reportedly not made a final decision yet.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Arab World

Canada Eases Sanctions on Syria

13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, arrives at the Bavarian Hof for the 62nd Munich Security Conference. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa
13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, arrives at the Bavarian Hof for the 62nd Munich Security Conference. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa
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Canada Eases Sanctions on Syria

13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, arrives at the Bavarian Hof for the 62nd Munich Security Conference. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa
13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, arrives at the Bavarian Hof for the 62nd Munich Security Conference. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand said on Wednesday that Canada had amended its economic sanctions on Syria ‌to ease ‌restrictions related ‌to the ⁠import and export ⁠of goods, investment activities and the provision of financial and other ⁠services, according to Reuters.

"The amendments also ‌remove ‌24 entities and ‌one individual from ‌the Syria Regulations to reduce barriers to economic activity and ‌to enable transactions with state-affiliated entities ⁠in ⁠key sectors critical to Syria’s recovery," Anand said in a statement.

Arab World

Tetteh: Despite UN Engagement, No Progress in Libya Roadmap

Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh Getty)
Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh Getty)
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Tetteh: Despite UN Engagement, No Progress in Libya Roadmap

Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh Getty)
Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh Getty)

The UN’s top envoy for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, has informed the Security Council that despite active United Nations engagement, the Libyan House of Representatives and the High Council of State have failed to make progress on the first steps of the agreed political roadmap, including establishing a mechanism to select the board of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) and advancing electoral legislation.

Briefing the Council in New York on Wednesday, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General said: “Their inability to use their agreed mechanism and follow-on unilateral actions has further eroded their credibility."

Tetteh added that Libyan public perceptions reflect a growing belief that the bodies are “unable or unwilling” to deliver.

She told Council members that she has begun consultations with key actors on an alternative two-step approach aimed at restoring momentum. Should a smaller group of Libyan representatives fail to agree on the roadmap’s milestones, she warned, a broader convening would be required. “We cannot wait indefinitely,” she emphasized.

The UN envoy also issued a stark warning about escalating tensions within Libya’s judicial system.

She said “contradictory, parallel judicial decisions put into jeopardy the unity of the legal and judicial systems,” cautioning that the situation “is a red line that if crossed can undermine the unity of the state.”

She urged Libyan leaders to refrain from further escalatory steps and called on the Council to hold accountable those taking actions that threaten to fracture the judiciary.

Tetteh also warned that transnational criminal networks continue to expand, turning Libya into a major transit hub for drug trafficking and sustaining illicit economies linked to corruption and armed groups.