عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

US Intervenes to Break Deadlock in GERD Talks, Avert Military Escalation

A handout satellite image shows a closeup view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia July 12, 2020. (Handout via Reuters)
A handout satellite image shows a closeup view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia July 12, 2020. (Handout via Reuters)
TT
TT

US Intervenes to Break Deadlock in GERD Talks, Avert Military Escalation

A handout satellite image shows a closeup view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia July 12, 2020. (Handout via Reuters)
A handout satellite image shows a closeup view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia July 12, 2020. (Handout via Reuters)

Washington called on Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia to resume stalled talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) “urgently,” pledging to provide political and technical support to facilitate a successful outcome.

US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman had carried out an African tour, which included Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan, from May 4 to 13 in a bid to reach a breakthrough in the crisis.

He sought to break the deadlock and prevent escalation, in light of Addis Ababa’s insistence to move forward with the second filling of the dam reservoir in the upcoming rainy season before reaching a legally binding agreement with the two downstream countries.

The last round of failed talks between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan was held in April in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Feltman discussed with leaders in Addis Ababa, Cairo, and Khartoum, Egypt and Sudan’s concerns over water security and the safety,” a statement by the US State Department read.

“The operation of the dam can be reconciled with Ethiopia’s development needs through substantive and results-oriented negotiations among the parties under the leadership of the African Union, which must resume urgently,” it added.

It identified the 2015 Declaration of Principles signed by the parties and the July 2020 statement by the AU Bureau as important foundations for these negotiations.

“The United States is committed to addressing the interlinked regional crises and to supporting a prosperous and stable Horn of Africa in which its citizens have a voice in their governance and governments are accountable to their citizens,” added the State Department.

It revealed that Feltman will return to the region soon to continue his intense diplomatic effort on behalf of President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

According to observers, the US involvement is seen as a “major shift” in Washington’s stance towards the region.

The Biden administration is seeking to avert a “a looming military confrontation as the situation worsens, which could threaten its interests in the region,” expert on African affairs, Dr. Hany Raslan, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

In July 2020, Addis Ababa completed the first phase of filling the dam reservoir, in preparation for its operation, achieving its target of 4.9 billion cubic meters. This year, it targets filling an additional 13.5 billion cubic meters.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Lebanon Rejects Iran Negotiating on Its Behalf

People gather at the scene of an Israeli airstrike in the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon 08 April 2026. (EPA)
People gather at the scene of an Israeli airstrike in the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon 08 April 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Lebanon Rejects Iran Negotiating on Its Behalf

People gather at the scene of an Israeli airstrike in the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon 08 April 2026. (EPA)
People gather at the scene of an Israeli airstrike in the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon 08 April 2026. (EPA)

Lebanon was left outside contacts that produced a US-Iran ceasefire deal, despite reports it would be included and moves by Iran and Hezbollah suggesting otherwise.

Hezbollah halted its military operations before the deal was announced early on Wednesday, while Lebanese officials scrambled to contact countries involved in the issue to clarify the situation.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Asharq Al-Awsat that Lebanon would not accept anyone negotiating on its behalf.

President Joseph Aoun welcomed the US-Iran announcement of a 15-day ceasefire and praised efforts by all parties that helped secure the agreement, particularly Pakistan, Egypt, and Türkiye.

He said he hoped it would mark a first step toward a final, comprehensive deal that addresses the drivers of conflict in the region, safeguarding the sovereignty of all states.

Aoun said violence was not an effective means to resolve disputes and that governments should work to ensure a free and dignified life for their people, not push them toward futile and needless death.

He added that the Lebanese state would continue efforts to ensure any regional calm extends to Lebanon on a firm and lasting basis.

Aoun affirmed that the efforts are in line with principles agreed upon by the Lebanese: full sovereignty over all territory, liberation from any occupation, and the exclusive right to wage war, maintain peace, and use legitimate force, resting with constitutional institutions alone.

Responsibility for any negotiations to secure Lebanon’s national interest lies solely with the Lebanese state, he said.

Berri: Lebanon included

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat that Lebanon was covered by the ceasefire agreement with Iran, but said Israel had not complied with it across Lebanon so far, in breach of the deal.

Berri said the agreement clearly included Lebanon and that this was what should be implemented. He said he had contacted the Pakistani side to inform it of Tel Aviv’s failure to abide by the ceasefire and asked it to engage the United States to pressure Israel.

He said he remained in contact with several parties involved and had received assurances that Lebanon was part of the agreement, though he did not rule out that Israel could seek to “undermine this agreement as the party most harmed by it.”

Salam: The state alone negotiates

In his first comment on the ceasefire and the debate over whether Lebanon was included, Salam said: “No one negotiates over Lebanon except the Lebanese state.”

He declined to elaborate on ongoing contacts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon, saying only that the state was carrying out its duties and mobilizing all its capabilities to pull the country out of a crisis imposed on it.

“With the announcement of an agreement between the US and Iran, through appreciated Pakistani efforts, we are intensifying our contacts and our political and diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon,” said Salam.

“I also stress that no one negotiates in the name of Lebanon except the Lebanese state, through its constitutional institutions, in a way that safeguards its sovereignty and the interests of its people,” he added.

Foreign Ministry: One voice

For its part, Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the announcement of the two-week ceasefire between Iran and the US as a step toward de-escalation and regional stability, but stressed that no party has the right to negotiate on the country’s behalf.

“Lebanon unequivocally affirms that it speaks with one voice — its own — and that no party has the right to negotiate on its behalf except the Lebanese state,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Any such action constitutes a direct violation of its sovereignty and national decision-making,” it added, noting that Lebanon has previously announced its readiness for direct negotiations with Israel, with civilian participation and under international auspices.

The ministry reiterated that Lebanon’s sovereignty is indivisible and not negotiable, and that its national choices, security, and political future are determined exclusively by its constitutional institutions, free from any external interference.

Arab World

Iran Guards Threaten Response if Israel Does Not Cease Lebanon ‘Aggression’

First responders work at the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck an apartment building in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP)
First responders work at the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck an apartment building in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP)
TT
TT

Iran Guards Threaten Response if Israel Does Not Cease Lebanon ‘Aggression’

First responders work at the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck an apartment building in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP)
First responders work at the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck an apartment building in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP)

Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned on Wednesday they would respond if Israel did not cease attacks on Lebanon as deadly strikes killed hundreds of people a day after a ceasefire was agreed between the United States and Iran.

"We issue a firm warning to the United States, which violates treaties, and to its Zionist ally, its executioner: if the aggression against beloved Lebanon does not cease immediately, we will fulfil our duty and deliver a response," the Guards said in a statement carried on state TV, using a reference to Israel.

Israel says the US-Iran truce does not include Lebanon, which was drawn into the war after Iran-backed group Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel.

Israeli strikes hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut without warning on Wednesday afternoon, hours after the ceasefire was announced. Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 250 people were killed and 700 were wounded.

US President Donald Trump told PBS News Hour that Lebanon was not included in the deal because of Hezbollah. When asked about Israel’s latest strikes, he said, "That’s a separate skirmish."

Arab World

Hezbollah Says Has Right to Respond After Deadly Israeli Strikes on Lebanon

Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026. (AFP)
Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Hezbollah Says Has Right to Respond After Deadly Israeli Strikes on Lebanon

Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026. (AFP)
Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighborhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026. (AFP)

Hezbollah said Wednesday it has a "right" to respond to Israel's deadly wave of strikes across Lebanon, which authorities said left at least 250 people dead and more than 720 wounded.

"We affirm that the blood of the martyrs and the wounded will not be shed in vain, and that today's massacres, like all acts of aggression and savage crimes, confirm our natural and legal right to resist the occupation and respond to its aggression," the Iran-backed movement said in a statement.

Israeli strikes hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut without warning on Wednesday afternoon, hours after a ceasefire was announced in the US-Israeli war with Iran.

US President Donald Trump told PBS News Hour that Lebanon was not included in the deal because of Hezbollah. When asked about Israel’s latest strikes, he said, "That’s a separate skirmish."

Israel had said the agreement does not extend to its war with Hezbollah, although mediator Pakistan said it does.