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Talbani's Shiite Allies Advise Him to Reach Understanding with Barzani over Iraq Presidency

Zebari after the Supreme Court's ruling on Sunday to bar him from running in the presidential elections. (Reuters)
Zebari after the Supreme Court's ruling on Sunday to bar him from running in the presidential elections. (Reuters)
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Talbani's Shiite Allies Advise Him to Reach Understanding with Barzani over Iraq Presidency

Zebari after the Supreme Court's ruling on Sunday to bar him from running in the presidential elections. (Reuters)
Zebari after the Supreme Court's ruling on Sunday to bar him from running in the presidential elections. (Reuters)

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has submitted a new candidate to run in Iraq's presidential election.

The Federal Supreme Court had barred the KDP's preferred candidate, former minister Hoshyar Zebari, from running over corruption allegations.

Kurdish media that is close to the party identified the new candidate as Reber Ahmed Barzani, the interior minister of the Kurdistan Region government. Barzani, 55, served in important security posts, including the Kurdish intelligence agency.

He is not related to head of the KDP, Masoud Barzani.

Kurdish sources said Reber Ahmed was the sole survivor from his family from an attack, known as the al-Anfal operations, carried out by Iraqi forces in the 1980s

Ahead of declaring his nomination, senior KDP sources condemned the Supreme Court's ruling to bar Zebari from running for president, dismissing the move as "purely political".

The decision will persuade the KDP to further cling on to the position of president against its rival, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), they added.

By political convention, the president of Iraq is a Kurdish figure.

Meanwhile, head of the PUK, Bafel Talbani was in Baghdad for talks with the Shiite Coordination Framework, a grouping of pro-Iran factions that were the major losers in the October parliamentary elections.

The meeting was attended by top leaders of the Framework, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, head of the Fatah alliance Hadi al-Ameri and head of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Qais Khazali.

In a joint statement, they stressed the need to continue dialogue with all political parties to form a "government of consensus."

A source from the Framework told Asharq Al-Awsat that the leaders of the grouping urged Talbani to agree on a "settlement candidate" with Reber Ahmad because the ongoing dispute over the presidency is impeding political dialogue.

The source said Talbani had proposed a new Kurdish figure as a consensus candidate. The figure enjoys the support of the Framework and is close to the KDP and PUK.

Iraq has been struggling to form a new government after the parliamentary elections results were ratified in December. The election of a president has also proven to be another hurdle after Zebari's candidacy was dismissed and parties scramble to name nominees.

Elsewhere, head of the Sadrist movement, cleric Moqtada al-Sadr held a closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Najaf city.

A source from Sadr's office said the meeting tackled efforts to form a new government and the latest political developments. It did not elaborate.

Kadhimi is seen as favorite to retain his post.

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Arab World

Egypt Moves to Step Up Fuel Supply Ahead of Rise in Power Demand This Summer

Egyptian youths play football in an open area beside a mountain near Cairo, Egypt, June 29, 2026, as the country follows the FIFA World Cup. (Reuters)
Egyptian youths play football in an open area beside a mountain near Cairo, Egypt, June 29, 2026, as the country follows the FIFA World Cup. (Reuters)
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Egypt Moves to Step Up Fuel Supply Ahead of Rise in Power Demand This Summer

Egyptian youths play football in an open area beside a mountain near Cairo, Egypt, June 29, 2026, as the country follows the FIFA World Cup. (Reuters)
Egyptian youths play football in an open area beside a mountain near Cairo, Egypt, June 29, 2026, as the country follows the FIFA World Cup. (Reuters)

Egypt's ‌electricity and petroleum ministers met on Tuesday to coordinate fuel supply and grid management ahead of a summer in which power demand is expected to rise 8% over last year's record peak of 40,000 megawatts, according to a joint ministry statement.

Electricity Minister Mahmoud Esmat and ‌Petroleum Minister Karim ‌Badawi said the two ‌ministries ⁠were working as "one ⁠team" to secure fuel supplies for power stations and stabilize the national grid during peak hours.

Esmat said the electricity sector planned to add 2,200 MW of renewable ⁠energy capacity and 1,300 MW ‌of battery ‌storage to the grid this year, and ‌had already cut fuel consumption ‌per kilowatt to below 170 grams.

Badawi said that LNG regasification vessels were operating at high efficiency to supplement gas ‌production, while the Damietta LNG export terminal was being used ⁠to ⁠store LNG cargoes to be used when needed.

Egypt suffered severe rolling blackouts in 2023 and had to rely on foreign funding to stabilize its grid in 2024.

Egypt's gas production stood at 3,214 million cubic meters in April, while imports were 2,190 million cubic meters, according to the Joint Organizations Data Initiative (JODI).

Arab World

Arab League Secretary-General Condemns Israeli Attacks on Syria

A man holds an unexploded artillery shell that fell during reported overnight Israeli bombardment that hit the village of Abidin in Syria's southwestern Daraa province, close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on June 29, 2026. (AFP)
A man holds an unexploded artillery shell that fell during reported overnight Israeli bombardment that hit the village of Abidin in Syria's southwestern Daraa province, close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on June 29, 2026. (AFP)
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Arab League Secretary-General Condemns Israeli Attacks on Syria

A man holds an unexploded artillery shell that fell during reported overnight Israeli bombardment that hit the village of Abidin in Syria's southwestern Daraa province, close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on June 29, 2026. (AFP)
A man holds an unexploded artillery shell that fell during reported overnight Israeli bombardment that hit the village of Abidin in Syria's southwestern Daraa province, close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on June 29, 2026. (AFP)

Outgoing Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit strongly condemned on Tuesday the Israeli attacks and repeated incursions into Syrian territory, most recently the artillery shelling that targeted the governorates of Quneitra and Daraa.

He described these actions as a “blatant violation” of Syria's sovereignty and a “flagrant breach” of international law.

In a statement, Aboul Gheit warned that “the continued violations by the Israeli forces threaten to widen the scope of the conflict and undermine efforts to restore security and stability.”

He called on the United Nations Security Council “to fulfill its responsibilities by taking action to end these aggressive actions and ensure Israel's compliance with the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.”

Arab World

Lebanon’s Shiite Alliance United Against Israel Framework Deal, Divided Over Protests

Hezbollah supporters block the old airport road in Beirut’s southern suburbs with burning tires on Saturday to protest the 2026 trilateral agreement signed by the United States, Israel, and Lebanon (AFP)
Hezbollah supporters block the old airport road in Beirut’s southern suburbs with burning tires on Saturday to protest the 2026 trilateral agreement signed by the United States, Israel, and Lebanon (AFP)
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Lebanon’s Shiite Alliance United Against Israel Framework Deal, Divided Over Protests

Hezbollah supporters block the old airport road in Beirut’s southern suburbs with burning tires on Saturday to protest the 2026 trilateral agreement signed by the United States, Israel, and Lebanon (AFP)
Hezbollah supporters block the old airport road in Beirut’s southern suburbs with burning tires on Saturday to protest the 2026 trilateral agreement signed by the United States, Israel, and Lebanon (AFP)

Calls by Hezbollah supporters to take to the streets in protest against the US-sponsored framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel has drawn only a few dozen demonstrators in downtown Beirut.

Also, dozens of motorcyclists blocked the airport road before the Lebanese army reopened it, underscoring the limited scale of the protests.

Observers attributed this to the absence of supporters from the Amal Movement, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, highlighting one of the main obstacles to any attempt to mobilize the street.

The Israel-Lebanon deal calls for Hezbollah to be disarmed before Israel will withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon. Israel agreed to withdraw initially from a couple of “pilot zones” where the Lebanese army would then deploy, but no details have been shared about how that will work in practice.

While Hezbollah and Amal - the two pillars of Lebanon’s Shiite alliance - remain united in rejecting the agreement, sources familiar with Amal’s position told Asharq Al-Awsat that the priority is to challenge it through constitutional institutions while keeping all options open as events unfold.

Opponents of the alliance, however, argue that there’s a growing discord between the two parties on how to navigate the next phase.

Unified rejection

Mohammad Khawaja, a member of the parliamentary Development and Liberation bloc, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the bloc categorically rejects the agreement, describing it as “a bad and completely unacceptable deal.”

Khawaja dismissed reports of differences between Amal and Hezbollah, insisting that “all talk of divisions within the Shiite duo is unfounded."

He added that the agreement was unacceptable in its current form and expressed hope that those behind it would reconsider it.

No decision on street protests

Sources within the Shiite duo told Asharq Al-Awsat that it is “premature” to offer assurances about whether street protests will or will not be held.

The sources said the current stage requires patience and that the alliance’s response will depend on political and constitutional developments surrounding the agreement. All options, they added, remain on the table.

That position broadly aligns with recent statements by Hezbollah officials, who have argued that the agreement “will not survive.”

At the same time, the party has sought to distance itself from recent street protests, saying they reflect public distrust of the authorities. While Hezbollah rejects both the agreement and the direct negotiations that produced it, it denies organizing or mobilizing the demonstrations.

Opponents of the Shiite alliance argue that differences are becoming increasingly apparent, particularly on how the agreement could reshape Lebanon’s domestic political landscape.

While both Hezbollah and Amal continue to emphasize their united rejection of the deal and favor constitutional and political channels for now, critics believe the coming months will reveal whether that cohesion endures or evolves into a more visible political divide.

Independent MP Ibrahim Mneimneh told Asharq Al-Awsat that Berri appears fully aware of the responsibility he bears and may seek to give state-building a genuine opportunity, while Hezbollah continues to rely on a highly polarizing political discourse.