Lebanese Central Bank Can No Longer Subsidize Fuel
A worker fills up a car with fuel at a gas station in Beirut, Lebanon June 24, 2021. (Reuters)
Lebanese central bank governor Riad Salameh said on Wednesday he could no longer open lines of credit for fuel imports or subsidize its purchase, a ministerial source and al-Jadeed TV said.
Reuters could not immediately reach Salameh for comment on his remarks during a meeting of the Supreme Defense Council.
Lebanon is suffering crippling fuel shortages as a result of a financial crisis that has sunk the Lebanese pound by more than 90% against the dollar in less than two years.
Since the onset of the crisis, the central bank has been using its dollar reserves to finance fuel imports at official exchange rates that have been well below the price at which dollars have been changing hands on the parallel market.
The government raised fuel prices in June after the central bank began extending credit lines for fuel at a rate of 3,900 pounds per dollar, more than the official rate of 1,500 pounds but still well below the parallel market rate.
Dollars were changing hands at around 20,000 pounds on the parallel market on Wednesday.
An Israeli military vehicle covered with netting to protect against FPV drones patrols on the Lebanese side of the border, as seen from an undisclosed location along the border, 13 July 2026. (EPA)
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New Round of Lebanon-Israel Talks to Begin on Tuesday
An Israeli military vehicle covered with netting to protect against FPV drones patrols on the Lebanese side of the border, as seen from an undisclosed location along the border, 13 July 2026. (EPA)
The sixth round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel are to begin on Tuesday in Rome, a Lebanese official told AFP on Monday.
The two-day talks will begin at 10.00am (0800 GMT), the official said, requesting anonymity.
An Italian foreign ministry spokesperson had earlier said the talks would be held on July 15 and 16, and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar had confirmed on July 7 that the negotiations would resume "next week".
The two countries, which have no formal relations, began direct talks in April after Tehran-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war by attacking Israel in support of Iran the month prior.
They recently reached a framework agreement that calls for Hezbollah's disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory while Lebanon's army deploys into "pilot zones".
But the agreement -- rejected by Hezbollah -- does not set a timetable for Israel's withdrawal, and Israeli officials have also vowed that their forces will remain in a "security zone" 10 kilometers (six miles) deep along the frontier for as long as Hezbollah remains armed.
A US military delegation met with Lebanon's army in Beirut last week to discuss the implementation of Israel's withdrawal from a first pilot zone.
Yemen Signals Military Action and Diplomatic Move Against Iranhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5295491-yemen-signals-military-action-and-diplomatic-move-against-iran
Yemen Signals Military Action and Diplomatic Move Against Iran
A widely circulated image of an Iranian aircraft at Sanaa Airport (X)
The Yemeni government has escalated its confrontation with Iran over the operation of a flight to Sanaa International Airport, which is under Houthi control. For the first time, it has signaled military options in response to any future violations of Yemeni airspace, while President of the Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al-Alimi is leading a diplomatic effort with the permanent members of the UN Security Council ahead of the emergency session requested by the government to discuss what it describes as a violation of Yemen's sovereignty.
Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Taher Al-Aqili announced that the armed forces would respond to any aircraft he described as "hostile" that violates Yemeni airspace "using all available means." He said the government had exhausted legal and diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran and the Houthi group not to operate flights outside the approved framework, but that the latest flight represented what he called "a challenge to international legitimacy."
In a statement addressed to the armed forces and the Yemeni people, Al-Aqili said the government, in cooperation with the regional and international communities, had made every legal and diplomatic effort to deter Tehran and the Houthi group from violating Yemeni airspace. He argued that the latest incident differs from previous ones because it constitutes a direct challenge to international legitimacy.
He added that "patience has run out" and that the armed forces "will deliver an appropriate response to this brutal act and confront hostile aircraft violating Yemeni airspace and sovereignty using all available means until we teach the enemy a lesson." He held the Iranian regime legally and morally responsible for any escalation that may occur in the coming period.
This military escalation comes alongside intensified political efforts led by Presidential Leadership Council President Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, who on Sunday held separate meetings with Zhao Zheng, chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Yemen, and Yevgeny Kudrov, Russia's ambassador to Yemen, as part of the government's consultations with the permanent members of the UN Security Council ahead of the emergency session scheduled for Monday.
Al-Alimi meeting with Russia's ambassador to Yemen (Saba)
Diplomatic Effort
According to the Yemeni presidency, Al-Alimi's discussions with the Chinese and Russian officials focused on bilateral relations as well as developments related to the Iranian flight to Sanaa Airport and what the Yemeni government considers a violation of its sovereign authority.
Al-Alimi stressed that the Yemeni government alone is the legally authorized body to grant permits for operating international flights to Yemeni territory. He emphasized that no armed group, regardless of the territory it controls, has the right to exercise sovereign powers or establish foreign relations on behalf of the state.
Al-Alimi also reaffirmed Yemen's firm commitment to the "One China" principle and its rejection of any actions that undermine China's territorial integrity or sovereignty. He expressed his government's appreciation for China's continued support for Yemen's unity and territorial integrity.
In his meeting with the Russian ambassador, Al-Alimi praised the historic ties between the two countries and Russia's role in helping build Yemen's state institutions. He stressed the importance of continuing to strengthen the partnership between the two sides.
A Houthi delegation arrives in Tehran aboard an aircraft that violated Yemeni airspace (X)
A National Alternative for Flights
Al-Alimi explained to the Russian officials that the government does not oppose the operation of Sanaa Airport for civilian purposes, but rejects its use for activities that violate legal frameworks or for military purposes.
He noted that the government had proposed an initiative to continue flights through Yemenia Airways to any destination agreed upon, while providing the necessary guarantees to ensure the safety of the flights and air crews. The proposal also includes the option of chartering an aircraft to transport members of the Houthi group from Tehran in accordance with legal procedures.
He argued that the rejection of this initiative showed that the issue was not humanitarian in nature, as the Houthi group claims, but rather an attempt to replace the national carrier with Iranian flights, which, he said, no responsible government could accept.
Al-Alimi emphasized that managing Yemen's airspace and approving international flights are exclusive sovereign responsibilities of the Yemeni state. He warned that any violation of this principle would not affect Yemen alone, but would set a precedent that armed groups in other parts of the world could exploit to exercise sovereign functions and establish international relations outside the framework of internationally recognized states.
Al-Alimi concluded his meetings by reaffirming his country's commitment to maintaining balanced relations with all countries. He expressed hope for an international position consistent with the principles of the United Nations that protects state sovereignty and prevents any attempts to undermine legitimate state institutions.
Yemen Leader Says Will Not Expand Confrontation after Airport Attackhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5295482-yemen-leader-says-will-not-expand-confrontation-after-airport-attack
Yemen Leader Says Will Not Expand Confrontation after Airport Attack
Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, during the meeting (Saba)
The leader of Yemen's internationally recognised governing council said on Monday that he would not expand his confrontation with the Houthis after his forces hit Sanaa airport to prevent an Iranian plane carrying Houthi delegation from landing.
"I have also ordered that the scope of the confrontation not be expanded in a manner that would achieve Iran's objective of dragging Yemen and its people into wars," said Rashad al-Alimi, who heads the eight-member Presidential Leadership Council.
Al-Alimi also said he had called an emergency meeting of the PLC following the flare-up.
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