عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

EU to Impose Sanctions on Russian Military Contractor Wagner Group, Official Says

Russian soldiers on guard in Syria's eastern city of Deir Ezzor. (AFP)
Russian soldiers on guard in Syria's eastern city of Deir Ezzor. (AFP)
TT
TT

EU to Impose Sanctions on Russian Military Contractor Wagner Group, Official Says

Russian soldiers on guard in Syria's eastern city of Deir Ezzor. (AFP)
Russian soldiers on guard in Syria's eastern city of Deir Ezzor. (AFP)

The European Union will impose sanctions on Russian private military contractor Wagner Group on Monday, as well as on three entities and seven or eight individuals, a senior EU official said, after France pressed for punitive measures citing human rights abuses.

Over a dozen people with ties to the Wagner Group have previously told Reuters it has carried out clandestine combat missions on the Kremlin's behalf in Ukraine, Libya and Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in December 2018 that Russian private military contractors had the right to work and pursue their interests anywhere in the world as long as they did not break Russian law. In January 2020, Putin said the Wagner Group, whose members are mostly ex-service personnel, neither represented the Russia state nor were paid by the Russian state.

Moscow has repeatedly told the EU that sanctions on its citizens were akin to meddling in Russia's domestic affairs and would face retaliation.

"Wagner is active in Syria, Libya, in Ukraine and the individual (sanctions) are related to gross violations of human rights in different countries," the EU senior official said.

Two diplomats said the sanctions would be approved by EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday and published in the bloc's official journal.

Since the Wagner Group has no direct links with the EU, the addition of the three other entities and individuals aims to have an impact by hitting companies working with the mercenaries, diplomats said.

Reuters reported in September that Mali's military junta was in discussions about deploying the Wagner Group in Mali, which France says is not acceptable because it has its own troops in the region.

French officials say the junta is turning to Wagner as part of efforts to cling to power beyond a transition period due to end after the Feb. 27 presidential and legislative elections.

Two diplomats said Mali also faces EU sanctions and that a legal framework for such measures would be agreed on Monday, although no names would be decided by then.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Iraq’s Governing Coalition Sidesteps Arms Issue, Warns of Fallout from Iran Sanctions

The State Administration Coalition meets on Saturday. (INA)
The State Administration Coalition meets on Saturday. (INA)
TT
TT

Iraq’s Governing Coalition Sidesteps Arms Issue, Warns of Fallout from Iran Sanctions

The State Administration Coalition meets on Saturday. (INA)
The State Administration Coalition meets on Saturday. (INA)

Iraq’s State Administration Coalition, which brings together Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish forces, sidestepped the issue of bringing weapons under state control while warning of the potential repercussions for Iraq from US sanctions on Iran.

The State Administration Coalition, the political umbrella formed in 2022, met late Saturday at the request of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

It called for filling vacant cabinet positions and advancing the oil and gas bill, while stressing the need to shield Iraq from the effects of US sanctions on “some countries,” an apparent reference to Iran, amid difficult financial conditions.

The statement said the country was going through circumstances that “cannot tolerate risk.”

The government remains incomplete, with nine ministerial posts still vacant, notably the defense and interior portfolios, because of disputes within the Sunni and Shiite camps.

The coalition said gatherers agreed to begin talks next week with the blocs entitled to the remaining portfolios, while maintaining coordination among coalition members and supporting state institutions in confronting current challenges.

They also discussed the draft oil and gas law ahead of its referral to parliament, as well as support for the private sector as a partner in development.

Al-Zaidi under pressure

Observers in Baghdad noted that while al-Zaidi is working to implement a government program endorsed by the coalition, political forces now appear chiefly concerned with completing the cabinet without giving sufficient attention to bringing weapons under state control or combating financial and administrative corruption.

An informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the omission of the weapons issue reflected the depth of political divisions within the State Administration Coalition, particularly among forces in the Shiite Coordination Framework, which holds a majority in parliament and within the coalition itself.

The source, who is close to Sunni political forces, said Kurdish and Sunni parties support measures taken by al-Zaidi, but their positions run up against the Shiite majority whenever issues are put to a vote inside the coalition.

It added that Coordination Framework forces publicly support the prime minister but are divided over several issues concerning the Shiite bloc itself, including bringing weapons under state control, deputy prime minister posts and the leadership of the Popular Mobilization Forces.

Fayyad dispute

While some Kurdish and Sunni forces have settled on their ministerial nominees through consensus, majority votes or political trade-offs, the main disputes among Shiite factions center on two issues.

The first is the position of Popular Mobilization Forces chief Faleh al-Fayyad, who is also a leading member of the Coordination Framework.

The second concerns deputy prime minister posts, with Asaib Ahl al-Haq, led by Qais al-Khazali, insisting on obtaining the Shiite share of the position.

The group argues that it has the right to the post because it is the second-largest Shiite parliamentary bloc after former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition and Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq now openly opposes al-Fayyad remaining as PMF chief. Disputes within the Shiite camp have shifted to whether he should retire because of his age or be compensated with another position. Meanwhile, the PMF leadership would go to another figure, from Asaib Ahl al-Haq or elsewhere, provided that person is not from al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition, which supports al-Fayyad remaining in the post.

Arab World

Israeli ‘Gray Line’ Plan Would See Withdrawal from Most Occupied Lebanese Territory

An excavator digs as rescuers search for survivors amidst the rubble following an overnight Israeli airstrike on the village of Kfar Rumman in southern Lebanon on September 7, 2026. (AFP)
An excavator digs as rescuers search for survivors amidst the rubble following an overnight Israeli airstrike on the village of Kfar Rumman in southern Lebanon on September 7, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Israeli ‘Gray Line’ Plan Would See Withdrawal from Most Occupied Lebanese Territory

An excavator digs as rescuers search for survivors amidst the rubble following an overnight Israeli airstrike on the village of Kfar Rumman in southern Lebanon on September 7, 2026. (AFP)
An excavator digs as rescuers search for survivors amidst the rubble following an overnight Israeli airstrike on the village of Kfar Rumman in southern Lebanon on September 7, 2026. (AFP)

An Israeli plan has emerged for a withdrawal from most occupied Lebanese territory, with troops remaining two to four kilometers inside Lebanon along what has been dubbed the “gray line,” replacing the currently occupied “yellow line.”

The plan comes after the Israeli military announced it had established operational control over the Ali al-Taher ridge in South Lebanon and begun destroying an underground tunnel complex built by Hezbollah.

Israeli officials are now speaking of “sensitive days” ahead on the northern front that could send the region down one of two sharply different paths: Hezbollah, and possibly Iran, could retaliate and reignite the war, or they could absorb the blow, allowing the Israeli military to withdraw from the ridge and the “yellow line” and establish a new security belt along the “gray line.”

Under that scenario, Israel would retain control of Lebanese territory extending two to four kilometers from the international border.

Israeli military sources cited by public broadcaster Kan 11 said that after establishing “operational control” and clearing tunnels and other underground infrastructure on the Ali al-Taher ridge, the military was preparing to reduce and redeploy its forces, pulling back to a new “security belt” closer to the Israeli-Lebanese border.

‘Gray line’

According to Kan 11, Israeli security officials have held discussions in recent days on establishing a new security zone closer to the border from which the military would protect Israeli border communities.

Under the proposal, Israeli forces would withdraw from the current “yellow line,” which encompasses a broader security zone and in some areas extends north of the Litani River, including Beaufort Castle and the Ali al-Taher ridge. Troops would instead deploy closer to the border.

Israeli military positions would remain inside Lebanese territory and could serve as staging points for operations deeper into Lebanon if Hezbollah activity were detected.

The military is expected to ask the Israeli government to capitalize on the new situation by reaching a political agreement with Beirut that would establish understandings on Hezbollah’s disarmament.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has said the group would hand its weapons only to the Lebanese state as part of practical steps demonstrating an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, insisting there could be no disarmament without a withdrawal.

Israel is setting specific conditions, including that the Lebanese Army take control of evacuated areas and commit to preventing Hezbollah from returning to its positions in the south. Israel also wants an agreed mechanism allowing it to monitor the process and intervene militarily to prevent Hezbollah’s return if the Lebanese Army fails to do so.

Kan 11 reported that the plan remains incomplete and has not yet been approved by Israel’s political leadership. Questions remain, particularly over transferring control to the Lebanese Army and negotiations between the two countries, but the plan envisages a substantial reduction in Israeli forces inside Lebanon.

Arab World

Yemen Army Pursues Houthis Southeast of Hodeidah

Houthi drones downed by government forces. (Saba)
Houthi drones downed by government forces. (Saba)
TT
TT

Yemen Army Pursues Houthis Southeast of Hodeidah

Houthi drones downed by government forces. (Saba)
Houthi drones downed by government forces. (Saba)

The escalation by the Houthi group on Yemen’s west coast and Taiz entered its fourth day on Sunday, as government forces shifted from containing the attack to pursuing the group’s operatives in southeastern Hodeidah, following the complete liberation of the Hays district.

Meanwhile, battles continued in western Taiz and amid attempts to reclaim positions where the Houthis have made advances.

Field sources said the Yemeni armed forces have captured dozens of Houthis during the fighting. Many are underage. The forces also continued to advance north of Hays towards the al-Garrahi district.

The military is also assessing its positions on the fronts in western Taiz, especially al-Kadha where the Houthi advance is threatening to cut the main supply route between Taiz and al-Mokha cities.

On Saturday, government and joint forces announced the complete liberation of the Hays district. The achievement follows the reclamation of rural areas that had remained under Houthi control for years, despite the initial liberation of the district's center back in 2018. The complete liberation of Hays followed a counteroffensive launched by government forces.

Al-Garrahi

The government advance on al-Garrahi is significant because capturing the district will pave the way for the forces to move on Houthi-held Hodeidah and cut the route connecting the province with Ibb and the Tihamah regions.

The Houthis have been regrouping to counter the government advance from Hays towards southeastern Hodeidah, said the field sources.

In western Taiz, fighting continued on the Jabal Habashi front, particularly in the al-Kadha area where the Houthis managed to achieve a field breakthrough during the offensive, a development that now threatens the main road connecting Taiz city and the coastal city of Mokha.

Government forces are working to reassess the situation in preparation of pursuing the Houthis and reclaiming the positions they captured, while also stabilizing defensive lines and preventing the group from expanding the scope of its advance.

The forces had made advances in the Haifan front in southeastern Taiz on Saturday. The area overlooks Houthi supply routes leading to northwestern Lahj and southern Taiz.

On Sunday, the Houthi fired three ballistic missiles on civilian facilities. No casualties were reported, said local sources.

The militants also continued their sniper attacks in residential areas in western Taiz, wounding a woman and three children in the al-Kadha and Rahba areas.