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Talbani's Shiite Allies Advise Him to Reach Understanding with Barzani over Iraq Presidency

Zebari after the Supreme Court's ruling on Sunday to bar him from running in the presidential elections. (Reuters)
Zebari after the Supreme Court's ruling on Sunday to bar him from running in the presidential elections. (Reuters)
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Talbani's Shiite Allies Advise Him to Reach Understanding with Barzani over Iraq Presidency

Zebari after the Supreme Court's ruling on Sunday to bar him from running in the presidential elections. (Reuters)
Zebari after the Supreme Court's ruling on Sunday to bar him from running in the presidential elections. (Reuters)

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has submitted a new candidate to run in Iraq's presidential election.

The Federal Supreme Court had barred the KDP's preferred candidate, former minister Hoshyar Zebari, from running over corruption allegations.

Kurdish media that is close to the party identified the new candidate as Reber Ahmed Barzani, the interior minister of the Kurdistan Region government. Barzani, 55, served in important security posts, including the Kurdish intelligence agency.

He is not related to head of the KDP, Masoud Barzani.

Kurdish sources said Reber Ahmed was the sole survivor from his family from an attack, known as the al-Anfal operations, carried out by Iraqi forces in the 1980s

Ahead of declaring his nomination, senior KDP sources condemned the Supreme Court's ruling to bar Zebari from running for president, dismissing the move as "purely political".

The decision will persuade the KDP to further cling on to the position of president against its rival, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), they added.

By political convention, the president of Iraq is a Kurdish figure.

Meanwhile, head of the PUK, Bafel Talbani was in Baghdad for talks with the Shiite Coordination Framework, a grouping of pro-Iran factions that were the major losers in the October parliamentary elections.

The meeting was attended by top leaders of the Framework, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, head of the Fatah alliance Hadi al-Ameri and head of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Qais Khazali.

In a joint statement, they stressed the need to continue dialogue with all political parties to form a "government of consensus."

A source from the Framework told Asharq Al-Awsat that the leaders of the grouping urged Talbani to agree on a "settlement candidate" with Reber Ahmad because the ongoing dispute over the presidency is impeding political dialogue.

The source said Talbani had proposed a new Kurdish figure as a consensus candidate. The figure enjoys the support of the Framework and is close to the KDP and PUK.

Iraq has been struggling to form a new government after the parliamentary elections results were ratified in December. The election of a president has also proven to be another hurdle after Zebari's candidacy was dismissed and parties scramble to name nominees.

Elsewhere, head of the Sadrist movement, cleric Moqtada al-Sadr held a closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Najaf city.

A source from Sadr's office said the meeting tackled efforts to form a new government and the latest political developments. It did not elaborate.

Kadhimi is seen as favorite to retain his post.

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Arab World

Lebanon at Risk as Iran Uses Its Airspace, Israel Responds

Passengers stranded in the departure hall of Rafik Hariri International Airport following flight delays (DPA)
Passengers stranded in the departure hall of Rafik Hariri International Airport following flight delays (DPA)
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Lebanon at Risk as Iran Uses Its Airspace, Israel Responds

Passengers stranded in the departure hall of Rafik Hariri International Airport following flight delays (DPA)
Passengers stranded in the departure hall of Rafik Hariri International Airport following flight delays (DPA)

Lebanon found itself entangled in the latest flare-up between Israel and Iran, as its skies became a battleground for Iranian missiles and drones, and Israeli interceptor rockets throughout Friday night and into Saturday morning.

Residents across several towns and cities endured a tense and sleepless night, fearing the fallout of missiles potentially crashing into populated areas.

The country’s airspace, which was shut down Friday evening as a security precaution, was reopened at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Minister of Public Works and Transport, Fayez Rasamny, speaking from Beirut’s international airport during an inspection visit, said the facility would remain open “unless an emergency beyond our control arises”.

The Ministry of Public Works said in a statement that the airspace closure and accompanying emergency measures were taken “strictly for security reasons,” stressing that “the safety of passengers and airport facilities remains a top priority.”

Middle East Airlines (MEA), Lebanon’s national carrier, rescheduled several flights to and from Beirut after passengers were left stranded overnight at the airport due to cancellations and delays.

Lebanon’s skies have become a corridor for conflict in the intensifying Israeli-Iranian standoff, sparking growing fears among Lebanese officials and analysts who warn the country is losing control over its own airspace - and may be paying the price.

Beirut lacks the leverage to deter Iran from using its airspace to launch attacks on Israel, nor can it stop Israeli forces from intercepting drones and missiles mid-flight over Lebanese territory.

With Iranian projectiles and Israeli countermeasures crossing through the same skies, experts warn Lebanon faces mounting military and civilian risks as long as it remains entangled in the regional confrontation.

“The passage of Iranian missiles and drones through Lebanese airspace toward Israel presents serious military and security threats on multiple levels,” retired Brigadier General Saeed Al-Qazaz told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He warned that turning Lebanon into a de facto battleground increases the risk of missiles falling into populated areas -- as seen in the Bekaa Valley during the overnight bombardment between Friday and Saturday.

“Israeli attempts to intercept these threats over Lebanon could result in casualties on the ground, whether due to guidance malfunctions or fuel depletion. The fragmentation of these weapons is just as dangerous as a direct hit,” explained Al-Qazaz.

One missile reportedly landed late Friday in the outskirts of Beit Shama, west of Baalbek, sending shockwaves through the valley and stoking fears of further fallout.

Airspace Safety and Legal Concerns

Al-Qazaz also voiced grave concern over aviation safety, saying Lebanon’s crowded airspace could become a deadly zone for civilian aircraft.

“There is an immediate threat to air navigation, and the risk of a commercial aircraft being struck is real. That justifies the need to close the airspace entirely in such circumstances,” he said.

Using the airspace of a sovereign nation without consent, he added, constitutes “a flagrant violation of international law,” citing the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, which affirms a state’s sovereignty over its own skies.

He stressed that the Lebanese government bears responsibility and “must not allow missiles and drones to pass through its airspace without taking action”. International legal liability could arise if any damage is caused to third countries by these aerial operations.

At the same time, Al-Qazaz pointed out a double standard: “While Israel uses the airspace of Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq without consequence, these countries fail to respond or prevent such actions. Jordan, however, has recently intercepted projectiles to avoid international accountability”.

Calls for International Action

Despite Lebanon’s limited capacity to influence either side in the conflict, Al-Qazaz said the government could still lodge a formal complaint with the UN Security Council over repeated airspace violations.

“Lebanon can protest to the international community over the use of its skies by both Israel and Iran, even if no concrete outcome is expected,” he said.

“But remaining silent while missiles continue to pass overhead exposes Lebanon to greater danger, undermines its sovereignty, and drags it further into a military confrontation it did not choose”.

As tensions simmer and skies remain contested, Lebanon finds itself navigating a high-stakes crisis with few tools to shield its people, or its sovereignty.