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Sisi Assigns Head of His Office to Run General Intelligence Service

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi/AFP
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi/AFP
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Sisi Assigns Head of His Office to Run General Intelligence Service

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi/AFP
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi/AFP

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi appointed on Thursday head of his office Abbas Kamel as the new acting chief of the country’s General Intelligence Service (GIS), until a new chief is named to replace Khaled Fawzi.

A presidential decree issued on Thursday did not detail the reasons behind sacking Fawzi, who led the office of GIS chief since 2014. However, local news outlets predicted that Fawzi had health problems and was currently under medical treatment.

Fawzi’s sacking came few days after a report was published by the New York Times, alleging that it obtained recordings of phone calls where an alleged Egyptian intelligence officer is heard instructing talk show hosts to convince their audience to accept Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

Egypt later denied the report.

Other unidentified reports spoke on Thursday about the intersection of roles and conflicts between state security apparatus, particularly in the department of public information.

The decision to sack Fawzi is considered the second highest shake up that lately touched a sensitive position in Egypt.

Last October, Sisi named a new armed forces chief of staff and announced changes in key security positions.

Kamel is Sisi's chief of staff. He also was the president’s assistant when Sisi was head of the military intelligence in Egypt.

In a separate development, the Egyptian president held talks in Cairo Thursday with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn over the expansion of cooperation at the economic level between the two countries.
Following their meeting, Sisi announced “establishing an Egyptian industrial zone in Ethiopia,” in addition to cooperation at the level of agricultural investments.

Sisi expressed concern over the lack of progress in negotiations of the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

“Based on our recognition of the importance of the continuity of the technical studies of GERD, Egypt is suggesting the participation of the World Bank at the tripartite discussions on GERD as a neutral [actor],” Sisi said.

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Arab World

Jordan's Army Says Shot Down 10 Iranian Missiles

This screen grab made on July 18, 2026 from handout video footage released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on July 17, 2026 shows what the US military says is the latest wave of precision strikes on strategic Iranian military sites. (Photo by US Central Command (CENTCOM) / AFP)
This screen grab made on July 18, 2026 from handout video footage released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on July 17, 2026 shows what the US military says is the latest wave of precision strikes on strategic Iranian military sites. (Photo by US Central Command (CENTCOM) / AFP)
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Jordan's Army Says Shot Down 10 Iranian Missiles

This screen grab made on July 18, 2026 from handout video footage released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on July 17, 2026 shows what the US military says is the latest wave of precision strikes on strategic Iranian military sites. (Photo by US Central Command (CENTCOM) / AFP)
This screen grab made on July 18, 2026 from handout video footage released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on July 17, 2026 shows what the US military says is the latest wave of precision strikes on strategic Iranian military sites. (Photo by US Central Command (CENTCOM) / AFP)

Jordan's army said on Saturday it had shot down 10 Iranian missiles with no casualties or damage, as Tehran retaliated against American strikes by pressing attacks on other countries.

"Air defense systems... intercepted 10 Iranian missiles that had entered Jordanian airspace and were targeting the Kingdom's territory (which) were intercepted and shot down," the army said in a statement, adding that there were no casualties or material damage.

The United States and Iran exchanged strikes aimed at infrastructure and military targets on Saturday as their battle over the Strait of Hormuz intensified.

The region has endured days of back-and-forth attacks in a conflict increasingly focused on control of the strait. The collapse of an interim ceasefire leaves no clear end in sight for the war that the US and Israel began more than four months ago.

Arab World

Lebanon: Aoun Departs for Washington to Meet Trump

FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
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Lebanon: Aoun Departs for Washington to Meet Trump

FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday left Beirut for Washington, where he is expected to meet Donald Trump, the Lebanese presidency said, after talks between Lebanon and Israel wrapped up in Italy.

Aoun will hold discussions "with several American officials on the situation in Lebanon and ways to strengthen the ceasefire,” particularly in Lebanon's south, as well as on "the withdrawal of Israel from the Lebanese regions it occupies,” the presidency said.

Meanwhile, the United States has postponed a virtual meeting between Lebanese, Israeli and US military delegations that had been expected on Friday to discuss the first phase of the “pilot zones” plan.

The delay puts the practical rollout of the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel on hold, particularly the pilot zone arrangements, and renews questions over an implementation process that still has no clear timetable.

The technical meeting was agreed during the latest round of negotiations in Rome. It was intended to finalize the first phase mechanism: Israeli forces would withdraw from several pilot zones, allowing the Lebanese army to deploy there under the supervision of the monitoring committee. The plan would then expand in later stages.

Sources familiar with the negotiations told Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington requested the postponement, saying more time was needed to complete technical files, operational plans and implementation procedures.

Arab World

Transport Costs: A Daily Burden Weighing on Khartoum Residents

A general view of a public transport terminal in Khartoum (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A general view of a public transport terminal in Khartoum (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Transport Costs: A Daily Burden Weighing on Khartoum Residents

A general view of a public transport terminal in Khartoum (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A general view of a public transport terminal in Khartoum (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Getting to work, hospital or university in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, has become a test of survival in a city battered by war.

As transport fares rise, incomes fall and unemployment spreads, thousands of families are being forced to choose between commuting and paying for food, medicine and education.

The crisis has deepened as displaced people return to Khartoum and its three cities while services remain limited and the number of operating vehicles falls far short of demand. Higher fuel, spare parts and operating costs have pushed fares up further.

Passengers face long waits, frequent fare changes and shortages of vehicles on several routes. Damaged infrastructure and road closures have altered routes, lengthened journeys and forced many commuters to use more than one vehicle, sharply increasing daily costs.

Official figures reflect the wider economic strain. Gold export revenues reached about $370 million in the first quarter of this year, while fuel imports exceeded $697 million over the same period, highlighting the gap between export earnings and the cost of essential imports as large parts of the economy remain shut by the war.

For bus driver Abdullah Ali, 50, the transport crisis mirrors his personal losses. His bus was stolen when fighting began, and he was wounded by shrapnel in his right hand before fleeing to Gezira state, then Atbara and Shendi.

After returning to Khartoum about six months ago, he began working as a hired driver on a bus he does not own.

Ali told Asharq Al-Awsat that his income barely covered his daily needs and was not enough to renew his driver’s license. Many drivers were also unable to pay licensing and maintenance fees as fuel, oil, tire and spare-parts prices continued to rise, he said.

Moussa al-Safi, a laborer supporting four children, said transport consumed much of his daily income.

“The war has not only raised prices, but also reduced job opportunities,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. “A worker pays to travel there and back without any guarantee of finding work or earning money by the end of the day.”

Private-sector employee Sami Abdel Qayoum said he often used more than one vehicle to reach work, taking up a large part of his monthly salary. To save money, he gets off before his destination and walks long distances.

University student Shehab Othman said some students arrived late or missed lectures because they could not afford transport, while others walked long distances to cut daily expenses.

Ezzedine Jaber, a member of the bus union, said short-route fares were about 2,000 Sudanese pounds, while some longer routes cost up to 6,000 pounds. Lower fuel prices were the main way to reduce operating costs and ease the burden on passengers, he said.

The impact extends beyond passenger transport.

“The price of a gallon of diesel has exceeded 40,000 pounds, raising the cost of transporting goods from Port Sudan and production areas to markets and export ports,” economist Mohamed al-Nayer told Asharq Al-Awsat. “That is ultimately reflected in the prices of goods and services.”

In Khartoum, where displaced people and refugees continue to return, transport fares have become part of the cost of survival.

Each increase can mean one less meal for a family, delayed medicine for a patient, a missed lecture for a student or kilometers of walking for a worker trying to protect what remains of their income.