عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Iranian Delegation Pressures Baghdad to Recognize Soleimani as State Guest

A member of Iraq’s PMF stands guard in front of a banner depicting slain Iraqi deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani (AFP)
A member of Iraq’s PMF stands guard in front of a banner depicting slain Iraqi deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani (AFP)
TT
TT

Iranian Delegation Pressures Baghdad to Recognize Soleimani as State Guest

A member of Iraq’s PMF stands guard in front of a banner depicting slain Iraqi deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani (AFP)
A member of Iraq’s PMF stands guard in front of a banner depicting slain Iraqi deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani (AFP)

An Iranian delegation arrived in Baghdad last week to pressure the Iraqi government to recognize that General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in 2020, was an official guest of Iraq, Iraqi sources reported.

According to the sources, the delegation included diplomats and jurists from Tehran, all of whom were commissioned by Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

They exerted great pressure on the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani to issue an official document recognizing that Soleimani was an official guest of Iraq when he was assassinated at dawn on January 3, 2020, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The Iraqi government asked its experts to study the request and figure out a way to issue the document without angering Washington.

Shiite parties backing al-Sudani’s government fear that Soleimani’s case will affect Baghdad’s relationship with the US, which they see as “necessary for the stability of the prime minister’s position.”

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, two days after Soleimani’s assassination, affirmed that he was slated to meet the slain Iranian general. He said Soleimani was meant to deliver an Iranian response to a letter from Saudi Arabia regarding truce negotiations in the region.

Sources close to the government offices claimed that al-Sudani wants to please the US and Iran at the same time, and this pushes him to search for a compromise regarding Soleimani’s file.

Moreover, sources pointed to Iraqi officials’ shock at “the Iranian rush regarding the recognition, especially its political timing.”

Pro-Iranian Shiite parties are not enthusiastic about Tehran’s demand. Even the leader of the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq movement does not now want a confrontation with Washington, sources affirmed.

An Iraqi legal expert, who requested anonymity, said that the request indicates Iranian intent to draft a judicial file based on violating Iraq’s sovereignty in accordance with international law. Tehran wants to accuse Washington of assassinating a figure who was labeled an official guest.

This will lead Iraq, according to the expert, to be a binding party in bringing any lawsuit before the international courts against the US.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Israel’s Eisenkot Vows Unity as Netanyahu Paints Him as Soft on Iran

Leader of the Yashar party and former Israeli military chief, Gadi Eisenkot delivers a speech during the party's final countdown campaign rally in Tel Aviv, Israel, 25 October 2026. (EPA)
Leader of the Yashar party and former Israeli military chief, Gadi Eisenkot delivers a speech during the party's final countdown campaign rally in Tel Aviv, Israel, 25 October 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Israel’s Eisenkot Vows Unity as Netanyahu Paints Him as Soft on Iran

Leader of the Yashar party and former Israeli military chief, Gadi Eisenkot delivers a speech during the party's final countdown campaign rally in Tel Aviv, Israel, 25 October 2026. (EPA)
Leader of the Yashar party and former Israeli military chief, Gadi Eisenkot delivers a speech during the party's final countdown campaign rally in Tel Aviv, Israel, 25 October 2026. (EPA)

Israeli election contender Gadi Eisenkot on Sunday vowed to unite the country as he held his final major rally before the vote, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received fresh backing from US President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu has campaigned heavily on his security credentials, but Eisenkot has cast him as unfit to lead and pledged a state commission of inquiry into the failings that led to Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack under the incumbent's watch.

Polls had shown Netanyahu and Eisenkot running neck and neck before a ban on new polling took effect in the three days before Tuesday's vote.

On Sunday, Trump urged Israelis to vote for Netanyahu, citing the US-Israel war against Iran as an example of "winning together".

"When you go to the Polls please remember that Bibi has been an outstanding Warrior Prime Minister," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, using Netanyahu's nickname.

At his event, Eisenkot pledged to heal divisions inside Israeli society after Netanyahu's divisive tenure, and voiced "a commitment to security and the economy".

"Our goal is not for one side to defeat the other. That is not our way," he said on Sunday to an audience of hundreds.

"We will work to bring all Israelis together again -- those who voted for us and those who did not."

A relative newcomer to politics -- in contrast with Netanyahu and his 30 years on the scene -- Eisenkot's pledge to unite Israelis has resonated with some voters, and for many the ex-army chief's plain-spokenness is part of his appeal.

In his speech, Eisenkot said he would "always look you in the eye and tell the truth", and pledged to "take responsibility for both successes and failures".

He also appealed directly to wavering supporters of Netanyahu's Likud party, urging them to change course.

"Deep down, you too know that Israel cannot go on like this," he said. "Israel needs change."

Netanyahu's critics accuse him of putting his political survival above the greater good, and he is currently facing trial on corruption charges, which he denies.

Rally attendee Chen Sharon, an army reservist, said she wanted "people that I can count on" in office.

"We need someone that we can actually believe his values and what he represents to us," she said.

- 'A catastrophe for Israel' -

Over the course of the campaign Netanyahu has played to Israeli voters' opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state, and posters have been splashed across the country with the slogan "Either the Right or Palestine".

Netanyahu also touted the still-unresolved war that he launched against Iran alongside Trump, seeking to tar his main rival as being soft on Tehran.

Appearing after Eisenkot's rally on Channel 14, Netanyahu again suggested the ex-general and his allies "want to create a Palestinian state, a catastrophe for Israel".

"They will not destroy Iran's nuclear program," he told a boisterous studio audience. "We've done 90 percent of the work, 10 percent remains. Who is going to do it? Eisenkot and the Muslim Brotherhood? No. Only I can do it."

Eisenkot has said he is opposed to a Palestinian state, but has vowed to crack down on extremist West Bank settlers who have attacked Palestinians with impunity.

Netanyahu on Sunday posted an AI-generated image of a mushroom cloud engulfing Tel Aviv, alongside text attributed to a right-wing political commentator calling Iran an existential threat and arguing that all the other issues discussed this election season were trivial in comparison.

In a post on X addressing Netanyahu on Saturday, Eisenkot accused the premier of playing up the Iran threat when it suited him politically.

"You have once again failed spectacularly and blatantly to achieve the war objectives you yourself set," he added.

Longtime opposition leader Yair Lapid, who has promised to join a coalition with Eisenkot, said Netanyahu had "lost his grip".

"Yesterday, Netanyahu announced that US security aid was over and that sanctions would crush our economy. This morning, he posted a video in which an atomic bomb lands on Tel Aviv," he said on X.

"This man has lost his grip. We absolutely must send him home."

World

Washington Affirms Strait of Hormuz Free of Iranian Sea Mines

Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper (AFP) 
Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper (AFP) 
TT
TT

Washington Affirms Strait of Hormuz Free of Iranian Sea Mines

Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper (AFP) 
Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper (AFP) 

The military standoff between the United States and Iran continues to escalate as the Central Command confirmed the Strait of Hormuz remains free and clear of Iranian sea mines, while the Iranian army announced it shot down an American drone over the strategic southern port city of Bandar Abbas.

Amid the military developments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed his warnings over Iran’s nuclear program, while Iranian leaders called for a campaign to cut gas consumption by at least 10 percent, with officials anticipating shortages as winter approaches.

Cooper Flies Over Strait of Hormuz

On Sunday, Admiral Brad Cooper, who heads US Central Command, flew over the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring Washington’s strong commitment to continued freedom of navigation through this strategic waterway.

Cooper observed CENTCOM’s deployment in the strait from a US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter, according to a statement from the American military.

He also met with American soldiers who took part in the mine-clearing operations.

“Today, primary transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz remain free and clear of Iranian sea mines thanks to incredible efforts by our people,” Cooper says in remarks published by CENTCOM, adding that his forces “remain intensely focused on keeping commercial traffic flowing as we work with our teammates in the US interagency, Gulf Cooperation Council, and shipping industry.”

CENTCOM says that over 3,000 commercial vessels have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz with its support over the last six months, exporting more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil, amid an ongoing US blockade against Iran. Iran has attempted to obstruct the strait since the beginning of the war nearly eight months ago.

According to CENTCOM, over 95% of ships navigating the strait “have sailed through safely despite the IRGC’s unwarranted aggression, clearly demonstrating that the United States and regional partners control the international waterway.”

Tehran: We Shot Down a US Drone

In return, Iran’s air defense systems shot ‌down ‌a US ‌LUCAS ⁠drone over the ⁠southern port ⁠city ‌of ‌Bandar Abbas, the ‌Iranian army ‌said on ‌Sunday, according to ⁠the semi-official Tasnim ⁠news agency.

“A US LUCAS drone was hit by air defense systems over Bandar Abbas and destroyed,” the military’s public relations department said.

The report provided no further details on the circumstances surrounding the drone’s downing or the nature of its mission. It also missed US comments confirming the Iranian account.

On the Israeli front, Netanyahu warned that Iran was reviving its nuclear program and intends to destroy Israel, describing the final days before Tuesday's election as “a fateful week” in a new campaign video.

Netanyahu declared that “the very existence of the State of Israel and the prevention of its destruction are at stake,” Bloomberg reported on Sunday.

His remarks reflect Israel’s continued concerns over the Iranian nuclear activities at a time when the standoff between Tehran and its regional and international adversaries cast a shadow over regional security, amid fears of renewed military operations.

 

 

 

 

World

Netanyahu Warns Iran May Try to Disrupt Election, Says ‘Don’t Test Us’

Rappelling workers hang a large-scale Likud Party election billboard reading "We have one chance to win!" and featuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) with US President Donald Trump and fighter jets, in Tel Aviv, Israel, 25 October 2026. (EPA)
Rappelling workers hang a large-scale Likud Party election billboard reading "We have one chance to win!" and featuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) with US President Donald Trump and fighter jets, in Tel Aviv, Israel, 25 October 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Netanyahu Warns Iran May Try to Disrupt Election, Says ‘Don’t Test Us’

Rappelling workers hang a large-scale Likud Party election billboard reading "We have one chance to win!" and featuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) with US President Donald Trump and fighter jets, in Tel Aviv, Israel, 25 October 2026. (EPA)
Rappelling workers hang a large-scale Likud Party election billboard reading "We have one chance to win!" and featuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) with US President Donald Trump and fighter jets, in Tel Aviv, Israel, 25 October 2026. (EPA)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran and its allies might try to disrupt Tuesday's Israeli elections, warning the Islamic republic against any hostile acts.

The premier has campaigned heavily on his security credentials, touting the war he launched against Iran in February alongside the United States and suggesting that he alone can see it through.

"We have intelligence signs that our enemies, Iran and its proxies, could challenge us with attacks in order to disrupt the elections," Netanyahu said in a video released by his office on Sunday.

"Don't test us. You will suffer disproportionate blows," he added, noting the military was ready for both defensive and offensive operations.

Earlier in the day, the premier posted an AI-generated image of a mushroom cloud engulfing Tel Aviv, alongside text attributed to a right-wing political commentator calling Iran an existential threat and arguing that all the other issues discussed this election season were trivial in comparison.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, has focused heavily on hawkish national security statements in the final days of the campaign.

On Wednesday, he said he had sent a directive to Israel's security forces to topple Iran's clerical state. A day earlier, he posted a video of himself in front of a fighter jet speaking to US President Donald Trump by phone saying they would "finish the job" together.