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Libya: Haftar Forces Take Control of Sabha Citadel

Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRCG) Ghassan Salame with Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (UNSMIL)
Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRCG) Ghassan Salame with Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (UNSMIL)
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Libya: Haftar Forces Take Control of Sabha Citadel

Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRCG) Ghassan Salame with Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (UNSMIL)
Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRCG) Ghassan Salame with Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (UNSMIL)

The Libyan armed forces have tightened their grip on several strategic targets that fall under the control of “criminal groups,” notably Sabha International Airport, the city's historic citadel and the Mountain Hotel.

This comes as part of the offensive that the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has launched to liberate the southern cities from terrorist groups.

Military battalions announced that the Tariq bin Ziad battalion, 106th brigade and Buhliqa’s 128th and 21st battalions, as well as several military units, captured various locations south of Sabha.

Flights at Sabha International Airport were suspended in January 2014 due to repeated clashes in the vicinity of the 6th Brigade based in the Citadel.

The southern operations command announced on Thursday that it had entered the airport after pursuing criminal gangs. It handed the airport’s control to Tariq bin Ziad battalion, which was confirmed by Colonel Mohammed Abdul Salam al-Misnaie.

In addition, the LNA’s 119th Infantry Division announced Friday that, after capturing the airport and fortress, the military units moved south to seize the rest of the camps, which the Chadian opposition has taken as a safe haven.

LNA spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed al-Mismari announced that army units advanced in “several areas in the south” from an airbase 650 kilometers from the capital, Tripoli, pointing out that the main target is “to ensure security of residents in the southwest and protect them from terrorists,” whether ISIS, al-Qaeda or criminal gangs.

In the meantime, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRCG) Ghassan Salame continued his efforts to hold a unifying national Libyan conference, the date for which has not been set yet.

On Thursday, Salame met with Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in Rome for an in-depth discussion on the situation in Libya. The Italian official expressed strong support for the UN-facilitated political process, announced the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL)

The SRCG believes the national convention is very crucial, saying: “It is vital that the National Conference is held under the right conditions, with the right people, and that it is capable of concluding with an outcome that is agreeable to the broad majority.”

“We are working night and day to pull together these various elements to ensure the most productive event," Salame told the United Nations Security Council.

While the UNSMIL did not give further details on the Salame and Conte meeting, former Italian Interior Minister Marco Minetti said Libya was “not a safe harbor” for immigrants.

Minetti told AKI News Agency that Libya's instability is due to its failure to sign the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Palermo's mayor Loluca Orlando also criticized Tripoli’s efforts in dealing with immigrants, and described Libya as an “open-air detention camp” for migrants.

Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) and Humanitarian Coordinator in Libya Maria Ribeiro discussed with Local Government Minister Milad Taher cooperation to provide humanitarian and development support to Libyans in the east, west and south, including the launch of the Humanitarian Response Plan 2019.

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Arab World

Aoun Rejects Any Settlement at Lebanon’s Expense as Salam Rallies Int’l Support

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during an interview with AFP at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on September 15, 2026. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during an interview with AFP at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on September 15, 2026. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)
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Aoun Rejects Any Settlement at Lebanon’s Expense as Salam Rallies Int’l Support

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during an interview with AFP at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on September 15, 2026. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during an interview with AFP at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on September 15, 2026. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has stressed the need to strengthen national unity in the face of the challenges confronting Lebanon, saying any political settlement must not come at the expense of the country and its national interests.

Aoun warned on Tuesday against “seeking support from abroad against one another at home in ways that serve Lebanon’s enemies.”

“Let us instead draw strength from one another in dealing with the outside world,” he said.

Aoun stressed that Lebanon cannot be built by a single group, sect, or political party, calling for efforts to overcome divisions and enhance dialogue and communication among Lebanese citizens as the gateway to building trust and ensuring stability.

He said Lebanon can recover whenever its people place the national interest above all other considerations, urging greater engagement between generations and a move away from grudges and divisions.

Salam Mobilizes Support in New York

In New York, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held a series of meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, stressing Lebanon’s priorities in discussions with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, and US Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

During these meetings, Salam stressed the need for Israel to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory and cease its attacks, strengthen the capabilities of the Lebanese Army, and ensure a continued international presence in southern Lebanon following the end of UNIFIL’s mandate.
He also emphasized extending state authority across the country and ensuring that weapons remain solely under state control.

Salam sought support for Lebanon’s recovery, reconstruction, and rehabilitation efforts, as well as for the continuation of government reforms and the expansion of cooperation and investment, particularly in energy, transportation, and regional connectivity.

Meeting with the UN Secretary-General

In his meeting with Guterres, Salam stressed the importance of maintaining a UN-backed international presence in southern Lebanon after the conclusion of UNIFIL’s mission, arguing that such a presence would support stability and help extend state authority.

He also discussed the humanitarian situation, noting that approximately 329,000 people remain displaced, and highlighted the need to shift from emergency response measures toward supporting returns, recovery efforts, and the restoration of essential services.

Regional Consultations

With King Abdullah II of Jordan, discussions focused on supporting Lebanon and its institutions, particularly the Lebanese Army, continuing coordination to reduce tensions, and mobilizing international support for arrangements that would prevent a security vacuum in the south.

In talks with Erdogan, Salam discussed strengthening Lebanese-Turkish relations and expanding cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and infrastructure, in addition to electricity and railway connectivity projects and support for recovery and reconstruction in southern Lebanon.

Salam to the Lebanese Diaspora: Difficult Decisions and Reforms

Addressing members of the Lebanese community in New York, Salam said that despite the difficult circumstances, the government had not abandoned its course. Instead, it had taken “difficult decisions” and launched a serious reform agenda aimed at changing the country's trajectory and building a state in which Lebanese citizens can regain confidence.

On the issue of weapons, Salam stressed that the government remains committed to implementing its decisions so that the state alone exercises authority across Lebanon, holds exclusive control over decisions of war and peace, and entrusts responsibility for citizens’ security to the Lebanese Army and legitimate security institutions.

He linked these efforts to achieving an Israeli withdrawal, securing the return of residents to southern Lebanon, and launching a broader recovery and reconstruction process, emphasizing that stability is an essential prerequisite for economic revival and investment.

Arab World

Iraqi-American Understanding on ‘Disarmament’ by Mid-2027

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during his meeting on Monday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York (government media)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during his meeting on Monday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York (government media)
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Iraqi-American Understanding on ‘Disarmament’ by Mid-2027

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during his meeting on Monday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York (government media)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during his meeting on Monday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York (government media)

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi renewed his government's commitment to restricting the possession of weapons to state institutions, a policy that has become known as the "disarmament of armed factions.”

The statement came during al-Zaidi's meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on Monday, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

According to a statement from the Iraqi Prime Minister's Office, al-Zaidi told Rubio that his government is working to strengthen Iraqi-American relations and elevate the level of strategic partnership between the two countries through constructive economic cooperation that expands areas of joint work and enhances mutual interests.

Al-Zaidi also reaffirmed the government's determination to complete its sovereign obligations and move forward with measures to ensure that arms remain exclusively in the hands of the state, in accordance with constitutional and legal principles.

The government statement quoted Rubio as expressing US support for Iraq in consolidating and sustaining internal stability, meeting the aspirations of Iraqis for economic development and greater engagement with the world, and supporting government measures aimed at strengthening state institutions and promoting stability and economic growth.

Following the meeting between al-Zaidi and Rubio, Tom Barrack, the US Presidential Special Envoy for Iraq, told reporters on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached to place all weapons under the control of the Iraqi state and to fully resolve the issue by the end of June 2027. This partially aligns with remarks al-Zaidi made to The New York Times.

Al-Zaidi outlined his government's plan to disarm armed factions and integrate their members, beginning with a 90-day preliminary phase during which the factions would halt their attacks in exchange for not being targeted by US strikes.

This may indicate that al-Zaidi succeeded in persuading Washington to grant additional time to settle the issue of disarming armed factions.

Previously, his government had adhered to a September 30 deadline, which coincides with the withdrawal of the US-led international coalition forces from Iraq.

Barrack has been quoted by the media as saying that the weapons of all armed groups in Iraq would be brought under control by 2027, with the state becoming the country’s sole armed authority.

Arab World

Türkiye’s Erdogan Urges World to ‘Immediately’ Start Rebuilding Gaza

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. (Reuters)
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. (Reuters)
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Türkiye’s Erdogan Urges World to ‘Immediately’ Start Rebuilding Gaza

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. (Reuters)
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. (Reuters)

The world must immediately start the reconstruction of the devastated Gaza Strip, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

"We must begin the reconstruction of Gaza immediately," he told the United Nations General Assembly, urging world leaders to "exert greater pressure on Israel."

Since Hamas fighters launched their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, triggering a massive response, the tiny Palestinian territory has been devastated by countless Israeli airstrikes, which by October 2025 had left 84 percent of all structures damaged or destroyed, UN figures show.

Despite a US-brokered ceasefire in October 2025, Israel has continued its airstrikes and restricted entry of equipment that international NGOs say is needed for the territory's reconstruction, which has yet to begin.

According to a joint assessment published by the United Nations, the World Bank and the European Union in April, Gaza will require $71.4 billion in recovery and reconstruction spending over the next decade.

Erdogan also urged all nations that have yet to recognize Palestine as an independent state to "reconsider," with his words prompting the Israeli delegation to walk out of the hall.

"I would like to call upon all those countries who have yet not recognized the state of Palestine to reconsider their decisions," he said.

A year ago, France led a special UN summit to recognize a Palestinian state at which 10 countries formally made the move, among them Britain, Canada and Australia, bringing the number of UN member states to do so to around 157, more than four-fifths of the UN membership.

The move has been roundly rejected by Israel.