Egypt Says Committed to Supporting Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council

A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency's official Facebook page on June 11, 2022 shows Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) posing for a picture with Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, ahead of their meeting in the capital Cairo. (Egyptian Presidency/AFP)
A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency's official Facebook page on June 11, 2022 shows Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) posing for a picture with Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, ahead of their meeting in the capital Cairo. (Egyptian Presidency/AFP)
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Egypt Says Committed to Supporting Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council

A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency's official Facebook page on June 11, 2022 shows Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) posing for a picture with Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, ahead of their meeting in the capital Cairo. (Egyptian Presidency/AFP)
A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency's official Facebook page on June 11, 2022 shows Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) posing for a picture with Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, ahead of their meeting in the capital Cairo. (Egyptian Presidency/AFP)

Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Dr. Rashad al-Alimi held talks in Cairo on Saturday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Egypt is the third stop of his tour of the region.

Talks with Sisi covered security in the southern Red Sea region, with the president underscoring his country's commitment to supporting the PLC on all levels.

Yemeni politicians stressed the strategic importance of the visit given the joint security files between Egypt and Yemen, the historic relations between them and Cairo's political weight in the region and world.

Alimi noted that Egypt is a member of the Arab coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen.

Egypt is home to hundreds of thousands of Yemenis who fled their country in wake of the barbaric crackdown on the opposition by the Iran-backed Houthi militias, he added.

Addressing a joint press conference with Sisi, he said the militias want to take Yemen back to the time preceding that of the establishment of the national state. They want to take it back to a time when there was no equality, justice or the rule of law.

He added that talks with Sisi covered the latest efforts made by the PLC to improve living conditions in liberated Yemeni regions.

Discussions stressed that they will positively approach all United Nations peace efforts, in coordination with the Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Talks covered bolstering cooperation between Egypt and Yemen and taking advantage of Cairo's expertise in the services sector, including education, health and construction.

He revealed that memoranda of understanding will be signed between their countries in the near future.

For his part, Sisi said he supports the PLC in reaching a fair and sustainable political solution to the crisis that secures Yemen's peace and stability.

He underlined Egypt's backing of Yemen that stems back to the historic relations the countries share.

Egypt is committed to the establishment of a united and independent Yemeni state that will in turn ensure stability in the region and entire Arab world, he remarked.

It supports all efforts aimed at achieving peace in Yemen in line with the national dialogue outcomes, Gulf initiative, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and recent consultations that were held in Riyadh, Sisi went on to say.

He welcomed the extension of the nationwide UN-sponsored truce for another two months, praising the legitimate government for respecting its commitments in line with the ceasefire agreement.

He called on all parties to fully commit to the truce so that talks over comprehensive political solution can be kicked off in Yemen.

Moreover, he said talks stressed the need to intensify joint efforts to protect security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, Mandeb Strait and Arabian Gulf.

Yemenis welcomed Alimi's visit to Egypt.

Media aide at the Yemeni embassy in Egypt, Baligh al-Makhlafi told Asharq Al-Awsat the visit paves the way for a new phase of cooperation between Egypt and Yemen.

The two countries enjoy strong relations and "we are looking forward for them to be strengthened in the coming phase," he added.

He reveled that several issues are on the table and they will be tackled when the joint higher committee convenes soon.

The committee meetings will have a major impact on boosting relations, especially in regards to Yemenis living in Egypt, whose number increased after the Houthi coup, he continued.

Political analyst Mahmoud al-Taher said the timing of Alimi's visit is significant because it will garner support for the PLC.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he predicted that Egypt will play a greater role in Yemen whether in times of peace or war.



Lebanon to Request One-month Truce Extension in Israel Meeting

Diggers remove the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes as they look for survivors buried underneath in the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre on April 21, 2026. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)
Diggers remove the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes as they look for survivors buried underneath in the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre on April 21, 2026. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)
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Lebanon to Request One-month Truce Extension in Israel Meeting

Diggers remove the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes as they look for survivors buried underneath in the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre on April 21, 2026. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)
Diggers remove the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes as they look for survivors buried underneath in the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre on April 21, 2026. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)

Lebanon will request a one-month extension of the ceasefire during its meeting with Israel in Washington on Thursday, a Lebanese official told AFP.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of the topic, said "Lebanon will request an extension of the truce for one month, an end of Israel's bombing and destruction in the areas where it is present, and a commitment to the ceasefire".

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that "contacts are underway to extend the ceasefire period", which began last week and is set to expire Sunday.

Israel to Lebanon: Cooperation Required on Your Side

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, speaking to diplomats during an event marking the 78th anniversary of Israel’s “independence” on Wednesday, called on Lebanon to cooperate and make joint efforts to confront Hezbollah.

Saar said: “Tomorrow, direct talks between Israel and Lebanon will resume in Washington. I call on the Lebanese government to cooperate with us against the state of terrorism that Hezbollah has built on your territory.”

He added: “This cooperation is required more from your side than from ours. It requires moral clarity and the courage to take risks. But there is no real alternative to ensuring a future of peace for you and for us.”

Lebanon and Israel have been formally at war since 1948. Israel took control of additional areas in southern Lebanon after the Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israel in support of Tehran on March 2.

The war between Hezbollah and Israel has resulted in the deaths of more than 2,400 people and the displacement of around one million on the Lebanese side.

Despite a ceasefire being in effect, Israeli forces still occupy areas in southern Lebanon and continue to operate there.

Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that his country would use its “full force” in Lebanon if its soldiers were threatened.

Under the terms of the truce, Israel says it retains the right to act against “planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.”

The Israeli army announced last week the establishment of a “yellow line” separating areas in southern Lebanon, similar to the line that separates its forces from areas controlled by Hamas in Gaza.


Report Says US Blocked $500M Cash Shipment to Iraq Over Pro-Iran Attacks

An Iraqi man walks past shops in the Jamila food market in Sadr City, east Baghdad on April 13, 2026. (AFP)
An Iraqi man walks past shops in the Jamila food market in Sadr City, east Baghdad on April 13, 2026. (AFP)
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Report Says US Blocked $500M Cash Shipment to Iraq Over Pro-Iran Attacks

An Iraqi man walks past shops in the Jamila food market in Sadr City, east Baghdad on April 13, 2026. (AFP)
An Iraqi man walks past shops in the Jamila food market in Sadr City, east Baghdad on April 13, 2026. (AFP)

The United States blocked a plane carrying nearly $500 million in banknotes from delivering the cash to Iraq, US media reported on Tuesday, piling pressure on Baghdad to fight Iran-backed armed factions. 

The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington has suspended cash shipments to Iraq and frozen funding for security programs following attacks on US interests in the country by groups showing solidarity with Iran. 

Iraq has long walked a tightrope between the competing influences of its allies, neighboring Iran and the United States. 

However, Iraqi leaders have struggled to maintain that delicate balance as war engulfs the Middle East. 

The US State Department said this month it had summoned Iraq's ambassador to Washington to express "strong condemnation" of attacks by pro-Iran groups on US interests, "including the April 8 ambush of US diplomats in Baghdad". 

The Wall Street Journal reported that the US Treasury Department blocked a shipment of nearly $500 million in cash from Iraqi oil sales, quoting US and Iraqi officials. 

AFP has contacted the Treasury Department for comment. 

The United States has leverage over Iraq because the country's oil export revenue is largely held at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York, under an arrangement reached after the 2003 US invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. 

The Wall Street Journal quoted unidentified US officials as saying that the suspension on cash shipments was temporary. 

The Central Bank of Iraq has not commented specifically about the reports. 

However, it said on Tuesday it was not lacking US dollars and that it had "fulfilled all requests from banks and exchange companies for US dollars, which are intended for pilgrims, travelers and foreign transfers." 

The funding freeze to security programs includes training for Iraq's army and counterterror efforts against the ISIS group, The New York Times reported. 


Israeli Strike on Lebanon's Bekaa Kills One Despite Truce

A young boy walks amid the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Sir on April 21, 2026. (Photo by Anwar AMRO / AFP)
A young boy walks amid the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Sir on April 21, 2026. (Photo by Anwar AMRO / AFP)
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Israeli Strike on Lebanon's Bekaa Kills One Despite Truce

A young boy walks amid the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Sir on April 21, 2026. (Photo by Anwar AMRO / AFP)
A young boy walks amid the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Sir on April 21, 2026. (Photo by Anwar AMRO / AFP)

An Israeli drone strike on Lebanon's Bekaa region killed one person and injured two others on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, despite an ongoing truce between Israel Hezbollah.

"One person was killed and two others were wounded as a result of an attack carried out by an enemy drone at dawn on the outskirts of Al-Jabur in West Bekaa," the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

However, the Israeli military said it was unaware of the ‌strike.

Hezbollah on Tuesday said it had launched rockets and attack drones at a site in northern Israel in response to "blatant" Israeli ceasefire violations, which it said included "attacks on civilians and the destruction of their homes and villages.”

The Israeli military said that day that Hezbollah "launched several rockets" towards soldiers stationed in south Lebanon and that the military struck the launcher in response.

NNA on Wednesday reported Israeli artillery shelling and demolitions in southern towns Israel continues to occupy.

Israel conducted huge strikes across Lebanon and invaded the south after Hezbollah entered the Middle East war in support of its backer Iran on March 2.

Despite the truce which began on Friday, Israeli soldiers are still active in south Lebanon, with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying on Sunday that they would use "full force" if threatened.

Under the truce terms, Israel says it reserves the right to act against "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks.”

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 2,454 people since the start of the war, a Lebanese government body said in its latest toll.