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 The spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry in the Middle East and North Africa, Dennis Kumetat. (German Information Center)

German Foreign Ministry Spokesperson: We Care About the Path of Reform in Saudi Arabia, Ready to Support it

The spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry in the Middle East and North Africa, Dennis Kumetat, stressed that Germany and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia share…

Fathiya al-Dakhakhni (Cairo)
Interviews A general view shows a damaged mosque in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in opposition-held al-Maland village, in Idlib province, Syria February 24, 2023. (Reuters)

Ilham Ahmed to Asharq Al-Awsat: Giving Legitimacy to Syrian Regime Will Not Yield Political Solution

Head of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) Ilham Ahmed said cooperating with the Damascus regime “unconditionally” will only grant it some form of legitimacy…

Kamal Sheikho (Qamishli)
Interviews Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani sits down for an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat in Baghdad.

Iraqi PM to Asharq Al-Awsat: Our Country Won’t Be Arena for Settling Scores

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced that Iraq and Saudi Arabia are capable of forming a regional axis that can act as a foundation for…

Interviews French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna (EPA)

French FM to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Are Working with Saudi Arabia to Support Regional Stability

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday that strengthening France’s relations with both Saudi Arabia and the…

Michel Abou Najm (Paris)
Interviews Lebanese MPs speak prior to the start of the ninth parliamentary session to elect a new president of Lebanon, at the Parliament building in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 December 2022. (EPA)

Hamadeh to Asharq Al-Awsat: Presidential Vacuum in Lebanon Will Last Months

It appears that the vacuum in the presidency in Lebanon will last several months given the lack of prospects for a local solution or a breakthrough in…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Interviews French ambassador to Yemen Jean-Marie Safa (Photo: Omar Hogail)

French Ambassador to Yemen Sounds Alarm Over Houthi Recruitment of Children

French ambassador to Yemen Jean-Marie Safa said that his embassy was in contact with the Houthis, but accused the group of communicating with the world through…

Badr Al-Qahtani (London)
Interviews Head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea. (Lebanese Forces)

Geagea: Dialogue with Hezbollah, its Allies Is a Waste of Time

Head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea usually prefers to remain optimistic, in contrast to the dreariness in Lebanon that is grappling with an unprecedented…

Thaer Abbas (Beirut)
Interviews UK Ambassador to Yemen Richard Oppenheim

Oppenheim to Asharq Al-Awsat: Our Problem Isn’t Houthis, It’s Their Destructive Behavior

The UK ambassador to Yemen, Richard Oppenheim, acknowledged that he has direct communication channels with the Houthis and confirmed that he had dined with the…

Badr Al-Qahtani (London)
Interviews AstraZeneca’s Chief Executive Officer, Sir Pascal Soriot

AstraZeneca’s CEO on Covid: ‘We Just Have to Adjust to it’

AstraZeneca’s Chief Executive Officer, Sir Pascal Soriot, told Asharq Al-Awsat in an interview that Covid-19 is not over “and we just have to adjust to it like…

Ibrahim Hamidi (London)
Interviews  Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak (PHOTO CREDIT: Nawaf al-Mutairi)

Yemeni FM: Houthi Officials Involved in Crimes Blacklisted...Peace Is Their Enemy

The Yemeni government is preparing to blacklist several Houthi leaders and entities in implementation of its decision to classify the Iran-backed militia as a…

Badr Al-Qahtani (London)
Interviews UNHCR Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Mohammed Abdi Affey speaks with Asharq Al-Awsat in the interview (Saad al-Anzi)

UN Envoy Warns Against Return of War in Ethiopia

UNHCR Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Mohammed Abdi Affey has warned the Ethiopian parties against a return to fighting between the government and the…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews ENGIE CEO Catherine MacGregor (Asharq Al-Awsat)

ENGIE: We Are Working with Saudi Arabia to Transition to Carbon-Neutral Economy

ENGIE CEO Catherine MacGregor affirmed that her company’s work in Saudi Arabia aligns with the Kingdom’s national transformation plan, Vision 2030, and its…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Riyadh)
Interviews Simon Penney, the British Trade Commissioner (HTMC) for the Middle East and Pakistan.

British Trade Commissioner: Saudi Arabia is the Largest Destination of UK Exports in the Region

Simon Penney, the British Trade Commissioner (HTMC) for the Middle East and Pakistan, said Saudi-British efforts were underway to increase and maximize…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews  Spanish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Jorge Hevia Sierra (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Riyadh, Madrid to Develop Economic Cooperation, Military Industries

Spanish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Jorge Hevia Sierra said that his country was seeking to strengthen its strategic partnership with Riyadh, noting that a…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews The president of the Lebanese American University in Beirut (LAU), Dr. Michel Mawad.

Michel Mawad: Lebanon’s Education Sector to Witness Five Lean Years

The president of the Lebanese American University in Beirut (LAU), Dr. Michel Mawad, said that the education sector in the country would witness five lean…

Thaer Abbas (Beirut)
Interviews South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Salva Kiir to Asharq Al-Awsat: Juba Agreement Did Not Fail, But It Lacks Funding

The Juba Agreement for Peace in Sudan, also known as the Juba Agreement, has succeeded in stopping the war, stressed South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews Democratic Union Party Co-Chairman Salih Muslim (REUTERS)

Salih Muslim: Divorce Is Inevitable Between the Syrian Regime, Türkiye

Salih Muslim, the co-chairman of the Democratic Union Party, the main party of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, has rejected the PYD…

Kamal Sheikho (Qamishli)
Interviews US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea (L) presents a letter to Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (R) during their meeting at Berri's house in Beirut, Lebanon, 01 October 2022. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: US Draft Proposal on Maritime Deal is ‘Positive’

US mediator Amos Hochstein has presented a written proposal for maritime boundary demarcation between Lebanon and Israel that establishes a qualitative…

Thaer Abbas (Beirut)
Interviews Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein during his interview. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Iraqi FM to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Are Mediating Between Washington, Tehran

The Iraqi government is playing a role in “bringing opposites together and creating a situation that promotes dialogue” among neighboring countries, especially…

Interviews Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party politburo official Ahmed Sulaiman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Kurdish Progressive Party to Asharq Al-Awsat: Damascus’ Opting for Military Solution Led to Foreign Meddling

The Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party, one of Syria’s oldest Kurdish parties, believes that efforts to normalize relations between the Damascus regime and…

Kamal Sheikho (Qamishli)
Interviews Member of the Central Council of Sudan’s Alliance for Freedom and Change, Yasir Arman (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Yasir Arman to Asharq Al-Awsat: The Sudanese Brotherhood is Close to Regaining Power

Member of the Central Council of Sudan’s Alliance for Freedom and Change, Yasir Arman, warned against the return of the Sudanese Brotherhood to power. Arman…

Ahmed Younes (Khartoum)
Interviews Gemayel speaks during an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat.

Sami Gemayel: We Refuse to Be Held Hostage by Hezbollah

The head of the Lebanese Kataeb Party, Sami Gemayel, warned against some opposition parties resorting to a settlement with Hezbollah in the upcoming…

Thaer Abbas (Beirut)
Interviews  Foreign Minister of Singapore Vivian Balakrishnan

Singapore’s Foreign Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Russian-Ukrainian Crisis Threatens World Order

Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said that the Russian attack on Ukraine was a “great threat to the world order,” warning at the same time…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews Williams Calls for ‘Historic Compromises’ in Libya

Williams Calls for ‘Historic Compromises’ in Libya

The UN Secretary-General's former Special Advisor on Libya, Stephanie Williams, has urged Libya’s High Council of State and the House of Representatives to…

Ibrahim Hamidi (London)