Latest World News: Interviews

Healey to Asharq Al-Awsat: UK Has More Jets Flying in the Region Than at Any Time in the Last 15 Years

Interviews British Secretary of State for Defense John Healey arrives for a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, 24 March 2026.  EPA/ANDY RAIN

Healey to Asharq Al-Awsat: UK Has More Jets Flying in the Region Than at Any Time in the Last 15 Years

British Defense Secretary John Healey revealed Wednesday that UK pilots and aircrew have flown over 1,200 hours on defensive missions across the Middle East…

Najlaa Habriri (London)
Interviews Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares. Photo: Foreign Ministry

Spain’s FM Backs Saudi Arabia, Tells Asharq Al-Awsat that Iranian Attacks Are ‘Unjustified’

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has expressed Madrid’s support to Saudi Arabia, describing Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and other countries in…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews Governor of Hadramout, Salim Al-Khanbashi delivers a press conference in the city of Mukalla in Yemen's coastal southern Hadramout province on January 19, 2026. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)

Al-Khanbashi to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Warn Against Incitement, Hadramout Has Room for All

Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) member and Governor of Yemen's eastern Hadramout province Salem al-Khanbashi says he believes that “Hadramout triumphed…

Badr Al-Qahtani (Riyadh)
Interviews Iraqi Justice Minister Khaled Shwani

Iraqi Justice Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: ISIS Prisoners Held at a Fortified Site, Escape Impossible

Iraqi Justice Minister Khaled Shwani told Asharq Al-Awsat that Iraq will not repatriate foreign prisoners affiliated with ISIS to their home countries if their…

Ali Saray (Baghdad)
Interviews Ukrainian soldiers at an undisclosed location in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region on January 30, 2026 (AFP)

Ukrainian Official to Asharq Al-Awsat: Russia’s Demands to Annex Territory are a Red Line

A senior Ukrainian official said Kyiv is concentrating its negotiating efforts with Russia on achieving an unconditional ceasefire, while stressing the need…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)

Interviews Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani (Italian Foreign Ministry)

Italian FM to Asharq Al-Awsat: Rome, Riyadh Share Goal of Middle East Peace

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said his country and Saudi Arabia share a common goal of building a stable, peaceful and prosperous Middle East, a…

Ghazi al-Harthi (Riyadh)
Interviews Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (Photo Credit: Ali Khamaj)

Iran FM to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Do Not Intervene in Lebanon, Oppose Syria Split

Iran is prepared to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States if Washington provides assurances against aggression, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Jeddah)
Interviews Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam arrives to attend a cabinet meeting to discuss efforts to bring all weapons in the country under the control of the state, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon August 5, 2025. REUTERS/Emilie Madi

Lebanon PM to Asharq Al-Awsat: No Lebanese Wants Return to Civil War

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Friday rejected warnings from Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem that disarming the group could plunge the country back into…

Ghassan Charbel (Beirut)
Interviews Saleh with Hosni Mubarak in 2003 (AFP) 

Abubakr Al-Qirbi to Asharq Al-Awsat: Ali Abdullah Saleh Anticipated His Fate at the Hands of the Houthis

Former Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr. Abubakr Al-Qirbi reflected on the unraveling of Yemen’s political landscape following 2004, the year that marked the…

Ghassan Charbel (London)
Interviews Saddam Receives Yemen’s then-Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi in Baghdad in 2001 (AFP)

Al-Qirbi to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saddam Told Me Iraq Fight Was for Arab Dignity

When al-Qaeda’s planes tore through New York’s skyline on September 11, 2001, Yemen’s then-Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi cut short a visit to Berlin and…

Ghassan Charbel (London)
Interviews Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani during the interview with Asharq Al-Awsat's editor-in-chief

Sudani to Asharq Al-Awsat: Iran Is Serious About a Deal with America

In an exclusive interview, Iraq’s prime minister reveals behind-the-scenes mediation efforts, warns of regional instability, and insists that no foreign power controls Baghdad’s decisions.

Ghassan Charbel (Baghdad)
Interviews AFP file photo of Amos Hochstein speaking to reporters at the Grand Serail in Beirut, Lebanon

Hochstein to Asharq Al-Awsat: Land Border Demarcation between Lebanon, Israel ‘is Within Reach’

The former US special envoy, Amos Hochstein, said the maritime border agreement struck between Lebanon and Israel in 2022 and the ceasefire deal reached…

Ali Barada (Washington )
Interviews Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Nidal Al-Shaar standing in line outside Al-Razi Bakery in Aleppo Province, listening to citizens’ concerns (Facebook page). 

Syrian Minister of Economy: Sanctions Relief Tied to Reforms

Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Nidal Al-Shaar stated that while the serious lifting of US sanctions on Syria could gradually yield positive results…

Muwafaq Mohammed (Damascus)
Interviews Charles Hallab, Chairman of the Saudi-US Business Council (Asharq Al-Awsat) 

Saudi-US Business Council: Trump’s Visit Marks New Chapter in Partnership

US President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE is being seen as a milestone, with its primary focus on economics, investment,…

Heba El Koudsy (Washington)
Interviews Amr Moussa speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat Editor-in-Chief Ghassan Charbel (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Amr Moussa: I Lost Faith in Nasser on June 5, 1967

Some politicians fade into isolation after losing the blessing of powerbrokers and surrendering their office keys. A rare few retain their presence and shine,…

Ghassan Charbel (Cairo)
Interviews The United Nations’ special envoy to Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra (UN Photo) 

UN Envoy to Sudan: Foreign Arms Fuel Military Illusions, Prolong War

The United Nations’ special envoy to Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, has issued a stark warning about the continued flow of weapons into the war-torn country, saying…

Badr Al-Qahtani (London)
Interviews This handout photo released by the US Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) shows a US F/A-18 Super Hornet attack fighter jet taking off from the US Navy's Nimitz-class USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier at sea on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Hunter DAY / DVIDS / AFP)

Yemeni Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Houthis Have Lost Nearly 30% of their Military Capabilities

The Iran-backed Houthis are in disarray over escalating American strikes targeting military and security sites, as well as weapons depots belonging to them,…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Riyadh)
Interviews Alexander Ionov, a member of Russia’s Human Rights Council under President Vladimir Putin (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Russian Official to Asharq Al-Awsat: Mining Concessions Dependent on Ukraine Talks Progress

Amid statements made by US President Donald Trump regarding the future of agreements brokered by Riyadh over the Russia-Ukraine crisis, a Russian official has…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen Mohammed al-Daeri (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Yemen’s Defense Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Military Will Respond Firmly to Any Houthi Escalation

Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen Mohammed al-Daeri said the country’s armed forces and all military formations are at a high state of readiness to…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Riyadh)
Interviews Al-Hadi Idris, former member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council (Asharq Al-Awsat).

Al-Hadi Idris to Asharq Al-Awsat: The Parallel Government Aims to Prevent Sudan’s Fragmentation

As Sudan grapples with ongoing turmoil following the outbreak of war in April 2023, the establishment of a “parallel government” in areas controlled by the…

Aidroos Abdulaziz (London)
Interviews Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the interview with Asharq Al-Awsat's editor-in-chief Ghassan Charbel. Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat

Lebanon’s President to Asharq Al-Awsat: Decision of War and Peace Lies Solely with the State

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says he wants to build a state that has the decision of war and peace and stressed he is committed to implementing Security…

Ghassan Charbel (Beirut)
Interviews Senior Advisor to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Commander, Ezzedine Al-Safi (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Hemedti’s Advisor to Asharq Al-Awsat: Our Government’s Priority Is Neutralizing the Army’s Air Power

Senior Advisor to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Commander, Ezzedine Al-Safi, stated that Sudan’s upcoming “Government of Peace and Unity” aims to protect…

Mohammed Amin Yassin (Nairobi)
Interviews UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology visits King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (KFSHRC)

UK Seeks to Strengthen Cooperation with Saudi Arabia in Innovation, Technology, and Clean Energy

A senior UK official has revealed London’s plan to deepen its partnership with Riyadh in the fields of innovation and technology, as well as clean energy and…

Fatehelrahman Yousif
Interviews UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula (Asharq Al-Awsat)

UN Coordinator in Syria: Optimistic About Reconstruction if Transition Succeeds

Since 2012, the United Nations Resident Coordinator's developmental role in Syria has been put on hold by the UN. However, the fall of former president Bashar…

Asharq Al Awsat (Damascus)
Interviews Smoke billows from al-Jaili oil refinery north of Omdurman, the Sudanese capital's twin city, during battles between the Sudanese military forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), on January 15, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Red Cross Spokesperson: War in Sudan Caused Catastrophic Humanitarian Conditions

The spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sudan, Adnan Hazam, has described the situation in Sudan as catastrophic, stating…

Asharq Al Awsat (Port Sudan)
Interviews Part of the annual International Ministerial Meeting on Mining in Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat

UK, Saudi Arabia to Work Together on Critical Minerals, Clean Energy

The UK Minister of State for Industry, Sarah Jones, revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat a plan to enhance cooperation with Saudi Arabia in clean energy industries and…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews Mashhadani during a parliamentary session (Iraqi Parliament website)

Mashhadani to Asharq Al-Awsat: Regional Coordination Needed to Prevent Syria’s Division

Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani has called for high-level coordination among key regional players—including Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and other…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Interviews Ahmed Al-Sharaa in the interview with Bissane El-Cheikh in Damascus on Thursday

Al-Sharaa to Asharq Al-Awsat: Revolution Ended with Regime’s Fall, Will Not Be Exported

Ahmed Al-Sharaa, the head of the new Syrian administration, told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the Syrian revolution ended with the regime's fall, and we will not…

Bissane El-Cheikh (Damascus)
Interviews Nigerian Minister of State and Saudi Deputy Defense Minister in Riyadh (SPA)

Nigeria Nears Military Agreements with Saudi Arabia to Boost Security, Combat Terrorism

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defense, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, told Asharq Al-Awsat that his country is close to signing military agreements with Saudi…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)