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Arab World

'Happy Yemen' Brigades Encircle Harad City

Part of the deployment of the Happy Yemen Brigades in Haradh District, Hajjah Governorate (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Part of the deployment of the Happy Yemen Brigades in Haradh District, Hajjah Governorate (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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'Happy Yemen' Brigades Encircle Harad City

Part of the deployment of the Happy Yemen Brigades in Haradh District, Hajjah Governorate (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Part of the deployment of the Happy Yemen Brigades in Haradh District, Hajjah Governorate (Asharq Al-Awsat)

In an operation backed by the Arab Coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen, the Yemeni army fifth military zone’s Happy Yemen Brigades were able to surround the border city of Harad in the northwestern governorate of Hajjah.

This paves the way to clear Harad from mines and militia pockets in the coming hours, according to a Friday report published by Yemen’s official military media.

While liberating Harad opens the door to freeing other districts in Hajjah Governorate, whose population is close to three million, field sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the military operation in the border city resulted in the killing and wounding of hundreds of Houthi militia fighters.

Nevertheless, dozens of Houthi militiamen are still stuck in Harad after supply lines from the eastern and southern sides were cut off.

In the past years, Yemeni army forces had recaptured large parts of Harad district. Before advancing towards Harad, pro-government forces, backed by the Arab Coalition, took control of passages through the neighboring districts of Midi and Hiran.

Moreover, sources confirmed the liberation of the border guard camp “Al-Muhssam” in Harad. Army forces also took control of the “Al-Husnain” mountains and secured the international line linking the governorates of Hodeidah and Hajjah with a length of 70 kilometers.

Military observers expect that the Yemeni army forces will continue their activities in the fifth zone after clearing the city of Harad in the south. They will continue freeing districts from Houthi hold and move forward along the coast of the Red Sea.

This sudden progress in Harad coincides with other advancements in battels raging in Marib, Taiz and other areas west of Saada, the stronghold of the Houthi militia, where the military media reported the killing and wounding of hundreds of Houthis.

The Arab Coalition, which backs the internationally recognized government in Yemen, on Friday announced its full support for the operations of the Happy Yemen Brigade in all combat axes against the Houthi militias, stressing that it supports the progress of the Happy Yemen Brigades in all axes and the operations achieve their interim goals.

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Arab World

Lebanon Rejects Iran Negotiating on Its Behalf

People gather at the scene of an Israeli airstrike in the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon 08 April 2026. (EPA)
People gather at the scene of an Israeli airstrike in the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon 08 April 2026. (EPA)
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Lebanon Rejects Iran Negotiating on Its Behalf

People gather at the scene of an Israeli airstrike in the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon 08 April 2026. (EPA)
People gather at the scene of an Israeli airstrike in the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon 08 April 2026. (EPA)

Lebanon was left outside contacts that produced a US-Iran ceasefire deal, despite reports it would be included and moves by Iran and Hezbollah suggesting otherwise.

Hezbollah halted its military operations before the deal was announced early on Wednesday, while Lebanese officials scrambled to contact countries involved in the issue to clarify the situation.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Asharq Al-Awsat that Lebanon would not accept anyone negotiating on its behalf.

President Joseph Aoun welcomed the US-Iran announcement of a 15-day ceasefire and praised efforts by all parties that helped secure the agreement, particularly Pakistan, Egypt, and Türkiye.

He said he hoped it would mark a first step toward a final, comprehensive deal that addresses the drivers of conflict in the region, safeguarding the sovereignty of all states.

Aoun said violence was not an effective means to resolve disputes and that governments should work to ensure a free and dignified life for their people, not push them toward futile and needless death.

He added that the Lebanese state would continue efforts to ensure any regional calm extends to Lebanon on a firm and lasting basis.

Aoun affirmed that the efforts are in line with principles agreed upon by the Lebanese: full sovereignty over all territory, liberation from any occupation, and the exclusive right to wage war, maintain peace, and use legitimate force, resting with constitutional institutions alone.

Responsibility for any negotiations to secure Lebanon’s national interest lies solely with the Lebanese state, he said.

Berri: Lebanon included

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat that Lebanon was covered by the ceasefire agreement with Iran, but said Israel had not complied with it across Lebanon so far, in breach of the deal.

Berri said the agreement clearly included Lebanon and that this was what should be implemented. He said he had contacted the Pakistani side to inform it of Tel Aviv’s failure to abide by the ceasefire and asked it to engage the United States to pressure Israel.

He said he remained in contact with several parties involved and had received assurances that Lebanon was part of the agreement, though he did not rule out that Israel could seek to “undermine this agreement as the party most harmed by it.”

Salam: The state alone negotiates

In his first comment on the ceasefire and the debate over whether Lebanon was included, Salam said: “No one negotiates over Lebanon except the Lebanese state.”

He declined to elaborate on ongoing contacts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon, saying only that the state was carrying out its duties and mobilizing all its capabilities to pull the country out of a crisis imposed on it.

“With the announcement of an agreement between the US and Iran, through appreciated Pakistani efforts, we are intensifying our contacts and our political and diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon,” said Salam.

“I also stress that no one negotiates in the name of Lebanon except the Lebanese state, through its constitutional institutions, in a way that safeguards its sovereignty and the interests of its people,” he added.

Foreign Ministry: One voice

For its part, Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the announcement of the two-week ceasefire between Iran and the US as a step toward de-escalation and regional stability, but stressed that no party has the right to negotiate on the country’s behalf.

“Lebanon unequivocally affirms that it speaks with one voice — its own — and that no party has the right to negotiate on its behalf except the Lebanese state,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Any such action constitutes a direct violation of its sovereignty and national decision-making,” it added, noting that Lebanon has previously announced its readiness for direct negotiations with Israel, with civilian participation and under international auspices.

The ministry reiterated that Lebanon’s sovereignty is indivisible and not negotiable, and that its national choices, security, and political future are determined exclusively by its constitutional institutions, free from any external interference.

Arab World

Iran Guards Threaten Response if Israel Does Not Cease Lebanon ‘Aggression’

First responders work at the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck an apartment building in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP)
First responders work at the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck an apartment building in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP)
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Iran Guards Threaten Response if Israel Does Not Cease Lebanon ‘Aggression’

First responders work at the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck an apartment building in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP)
First responders work at the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck an apartment building in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP)

Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned on Wednesday they would respond if Israel did not cease attacks on Lebanon as deadly strikes killed hundreds of people a day after a ceasefire was agreed between the United States and Iran.

"We issue a firm warning to the United States, which violates treaties, and to its Zionist ally, its executioner: if the aggression against beloved Lebanon does not cease immediately, we will fulfil our duty and deliver a response," the Guards said in a statement carried on state TV, using a reference to Israel.

Israel says the US-Iran truce does not include Lebanon, which was drawn into the war after Iran-backed group Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel.

Israeli strikes hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut without warning on Wednesday afternoon, hours after the ceasefire was announced. Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 250 people were killed and 700 were wounded.

US President Donald Trump told PBS News Hour that Lebanon was not included in the deal because of Hezbollah. When asked about Israel’s latest strikes, he said, "That’s a separate skirmish."

Arab World

Hezbollah Says Has Right to Respond After Deadly Israeli Strikes on Lebanon

Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026. (AFP)
Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026. (AFP)
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Hezbollah Says Has Right to Respond After Deadly Israeli Strikes on Lebanon

Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026. (AFP)
Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026. (AFP)

Hezbollah said Wednesday it has a "right" to respond to Israel's deadly wave of strikes across Lebanon, which authorities said left at least 250 people dead and more than 720 wounded.

"We affirm that the blood of the martyrs and the wounded will not be shed in vain, and that today's massacres, like all acts of aggression and savage crimes, confirm our natural and legal right to resist the occupation and respond to its aggression," the Iran-backed movement said in a statement.

Israeli strikes hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut without warning on Wednesday afternoon, hours after a ceasefire was announced in the US-Israeli war with Iran.

US President Donald Trump told PBS News Hour that Lebanon was not included in the deal because of Hezbollah. When asked about Israel’s latest strikes, he said, "That’s a separate skirmish."

Israel had said the agreement does not extend to its war with Hezbollah, although mediator Pakistan said it does.