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US, France Continue to Support Iraq's Efforts in Combating Terrorism

French President Emmanuel Macron addressing French ambassadors in Paris (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron addressing French ambassadors in Paris (AFP)
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US, France Continue to Support Iraq's Efforts in Combating Terrorism

French President Emmanuel Macron addressing French ambassadors in Paris (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron addressing French ambassadors in Paris (AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron held a telephone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani during which Macron reaffirmed France's support to Iraq in its war against terrorism, the prime minister's media office said on Wednesday.

Macron telephoned Sudani after a member of the French Special Forces was killed early this week during a clash with ISIS terrorists in the Saladin Governorate, north of Iraq.

He affirmed France's commitment to continue combating ISIS, asserting that Paris will continue to work within the framework of the international coalition alongside the Iraqi government, the Iraqi Kurdistan government, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Sudani extended his condolences to Macron over the loss during the call, reiterating the importance of cooperation with the international coalition to eliminate the terrorist organization.

Meanwhile, Iraqi political experts wondered about the contradicting statements of top officials who emphasized that there was no need for foreign combat forces in Iraq.

They said that the presence of French and Spanish soldiers within the international coalition in Iraq seemed as if there was something Baghdad was not declaring about foreign troops.

Political observers noted that the parties rejecting the US presence in Iraq, namely armed factions loyal to Iran, did not announce a new position regarding the presence of foreign troops, even after the death of the French soldier.

They noted a remarkable transformation in the new relationship between Baghdad and Washington after the formation of Sudani’s government.

In January 2020, representatives of the Coordination Framework voted in parliament to remove the US forces from the country. However, this was not brought up again, which granted Sudani’s government an opportunity to work freely and arrange the relationship with the international coalition or the US.

Baghdad and Washington had signed in 2008 the Strategic Framework Agreement which represents the strong military to military relationship between the United States and Iraq.

Political science Professor at al-Mustansiriya University, Issam Faili, believes the recent US military movements are the most dangerous as they are the largest in Iraq since their withdrawal in 2010.

Faili told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US administration wants to redeploy its forces in Iraq for two main reasons: limiting the Iranian influence that extends from Baghdad through Damascus to Lebanon and the axis of the US-Russian conflict in the region.

He stressed that the United States would conduct maneuvers inside Iraq on the outskirts of Mosul and Kurdistan, which means that it will return with greater power this time because it wants to continue curbing Iranian influences, which will impact the internal situation in Syria.

- The US Ambassador remarks

The US Ambassador to Iraq, Alina Romanowski, said on X social media platform, previously known as Twitter, that “it was great to meet the Minister of Defense again after the Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue that convened earlier this month in Washington.”

Romanowski said the meeting strengthened the US-Iraqi partnership: "We are creating solutions to a better future for all Iraqis."

She did not disclose the nature of the promised solutions.

Most Iraqi officials who meet the Ambassador do not issue statements expressing their vision of the future relationship with Washington, and thus, Romanowski's remarks remain the only source for news agencies regarding her almost daily meetings with senior Iraqi officials.

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Arab World

Yemeni Forces Repel Fierce Houthi Attacks on Taiz Fronts

Yemeni government forces repel intensified Houthi attacks on the Taiz fronts (Military Media)
Yemeni government forces repel intensified Houthi attacks on the Taiz fronts (Military Media)
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Yemeni Forces Repel Fierce Houthi Attacks on Taiz Fronts

Yemeni government forces repel intensified Houthi attacks on the Taiz fronts (Military Media)
Yemeni government forces repel intensified Houthi attacks on the Taiz fronts (Military Media)

Yemeni government forces and Popular Resistance fighters battled intensified Houthi attacks across Taiz province on Tuesday as Operation Dawn of Yemen entered its ninth day, with airstrikes targeting the group’s positions and reinforcements.

Fighting also extended to Marib and Al-Jawf, while the Southern Giants Brigades deployed reinforcements to the Al-Mudaraba front in Lahj province to counter Houthi movements threatening Al-Subaiha tribal areas.

The deployment came amid concerns that the Houthis were attempting to open an alternative route toward the western coast and break the encirclement of their fighters near the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait.

Yemen’s armed forces announced 1,879 military targeting operations in recent hours, claiming that preliminary assessments showed around 950 Houthi fighters had been neutralized and 380 military vehicles and pieces of equipment destroyed or disabled.

Armed forces spokesman Col. Majed al-Nuzaili said the operations involved warplanes, drones, artillery, rocket launchers and sniper units.

Targets included fortifications, defensive positions, command-and-control centers, artillery and rocket-launcher emplacements, observation posts, troop concentrations, weapons depots and supply vehicles.

Nuzaili added that airstrikes in Taiz had hit Houthi reinforcements and convoys, dispersing fighters and disrupting efforts to reinforce positions and regroup.

Fierce fighting around Taiz

Clashes were concentrated on the Al-Dhabab front west of Taiz city and the al-Aqroudh and al-Shaqab fronts in the province’s south.

Government forces reported repelling Houthi attacks in Al-Dhabab and al-Aqroudh, forcing the attackers to retreat after suffering casualties and losing military vehicles.

Warplanes also struck Houthi positions and concentrations across the province, including Al-Dhabab and al-Misrakh.

The Taiz Military Axis Command reported additional strikes on positions in Milat, Tabbat al-Khalwa, al-Tabba al-Sawda and Tabbat al-Karba, west of the city. Government military statements said the strikes damaged vehicles and weapons, including a tank and artillery pieces, and killed or wounded Houthi fighters.

Clashes continued in Al-Dhabab, where government troops carried out ambushes targeting Houthi fighters, vehicles and military equipment.

The simultaneous attacks on the western and southern fronts underscored mounting pressure on government forces, which, backed by Popular Resistance fighters and air support, sought to prevent Houthi breakthroughs and the establishment of new positions.

Reinforcements sent to Al-Subaiha

On the western coastal front, the Southern Giants Brigades reinforced their deployment in Al-Mudaraba district of Lahj province, which borders al-Wazi’iyah district in western Taiz.

The reinforcements were intended to counter possible Houthi advances toward Al-Subaiha tribal areas.

Airstrikes targeted Houthi positions, troop concentrations and vehicles in al-Wazi’iyah and Al-Mudaraba as fighting intensified following a Houthi attack on government positions Monday evening, according to military sources. The front is strategically important because it connects Lahj with areas along the western coast.

Houthi movements there are viewed as a possible attempt to establish an alternative route toward the coast and relieve pressure on fighters surrounded near Bab al-Mandab. Government reinforcements aim to block advances through Al-Subaiha territory and secure routes linking the coastal fronts.

Operations expand to Marib and Al-Jawf

In Marib, government forces targeted Houthi positions and troop concentrations with artillery and drones, while airstrikes hit reinforcements and fortifications on several fronts.

Military statements said troops from the Third Military Region attacked Houthi positions on the southern fronts, inflicting casualties.

Fighting also continued in areas under the Seventh Military Region’s command in northern Marib.

Warplanes struck Houthi reinforcements and defensive positions on Marib’s southern and northwestern fronts.

Further airstrikes targeted Houthi positions and troop concentrations east of Al-Hazm district in Al-Jawf province, extending the campaign across multiple fronts.

Alongside the fighting, the armed forces said military engineering units were continuing to clear recaptured positions and areas of landmines and explosive devices to secure them for troops and prepare for the return of civilians.

Arab World

Australia, Canada, France and United Kingdom Regret Postponement of Palestinian Elections

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Reuters)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Reuters)
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Australia, Canada, France and United Kingdom Regret Postponement of Palestinian Elections

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Reuters)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Reuters)

The foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom on Tuesday expressed deep “regret” over the Palestinian President's decision to postpone the Palestinian Legislative Council elections and the Presidential elections to September 2027.

“Nearly two decades have passed since the last Palestinian Legislative Council elections and five years since the planned 2021 elections were postponed,” the ministers said in a joint statement.

“An entire generation of Palestinians has reached adulthood without the opportunity to choose their elected representatives,” they said, adding that this delay will be deeply disappointing and once again deprive Palestinians of the opportunity to vote and will further erode public confidence in democratic institutions.

“We acknowledge that significant challenges and impediments have affected the ability to conduct elections in a manner fully consistent with international standards and with the participation of all eligible Palestinians,” the ministers said.

They commended the important work of the Central Elections Commission in advancing practical preparations to address these challenges and facilitate voter participation.

The votes were set to happen next month. On Saturday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree calling for simultaneous presidential and legislative elections on Sept. 11, 2027, canceling a legislative vote scheduled for Nov. 28, 2026, after his Fatah movement and other Palestinian factions agreed to postpone it.

The widely anticipated decision sets a new date for Palestinians to elect both their president and lawmakers amid concerns over Israeli restrictions and the security situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

In their statement, the foreign ministers said credible elections are an important element of the commitment that Abbas and the Palestinian Authority made to reform, including democratic renewal and accountable governance, and are in line with the July 2025 New York Declaration.

They also noted that strengthening Palestinian governance is essential to continue building the institutional foundations of a viable two-state solution, which is the only path to lasting peace and security for both Israel and Palestine.

The ministers then called on the Palestinian Authority to reconsider the decision to postpone elections and to take the necessary steps to hold legislative and presidential elections, without further delay.

“We will continue to support efforts to deliver on these elections. We reiterate our call on Israel to refrain from actions that could impede the conduct of elections, including the practical arrangements necessary for all Palestinians to participate,” they said.

The four ministers also reiterated their longstanding position that Hamas can have no role in the future governance of Palestine.

Arab World

Watchdog Chief Says Urgent to Find Remaining Assad-Era Chemical Weapons

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (R) and OPCW Director General Dallafior (L) attend a joint press conference at the Tishreen Palace in Damascus, Syria, 13 October 2026. (EPA)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (R) and OPCW Director General Dallafior (L) attend a joint press conference at the Tishreen Palace in Damascus, Syria, 13 October 2026. (EPA)
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Watchdog Chief Says Urgent to Find Remaining Assad-Era Chemical Weapons

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (R) and OPCW Director General Dallafior (L) attend a joint press conference at the Tishreen Palace in Damascus, Syria, 13 October 2026. (EPA)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (R) and OPCW Director General Dallafior (L) attend a joint press conference at the Tishreen Palace in Damascus, Syria, 13 October 2026. (EPA)

The head of the world's chemical weapons watchdog on a visit Tuesday to Syrian capital Damascus said the remaining chemical weapons from the era of ousted president Bashar al-Assad must be urgently identified and destroyed.

Assad was repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons during Syria's 13-year civil war, and there has been widespread concern about the fate of Syria's stocks since his 2024 ousting.

Sabrina Dallafior, the head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), hailed cooperation with the new authorities over chemical weapons which Assad allegedly used in mass attacks against his own citizens during the war.

"The most urgent priority now is to assess those sites of most concern from a proliferation perspective," Dallafior said during a joint press conference with Syria's foreign minister.

"That means identifying and securing any remnants of the Assad-era chemical weapons program," she said.

She said that "the OPCW verified the destruction by Syria of 42 chemical aerial bombs for the first time. Verified destruction in cooperation with the new government. This is a milestone."

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani meanwhile said that eliminating chemical weapons was "a responsibility towards the victims and a commitment to ensuring that future generations never experience such atrocities again".

He said he had discussed with Dallafior "a roadmap to build on the progress made and move towards the final closure of the file".

The top diplomat said Syria had handed over more than 100,000 official documents to the OPCW and granted the watchdog access to records and witnesses.

Izumi Nakamitsu, head of the UN disarmament office, said an OPCW team in August "verified the irreversible destruction of 42 aerial bombs" by Syrian authorities.

"This significant development means that, for the first time since 2014, the OPCW has verified the destruction of chemical munitions from the Syrian Arab Republic," she said.

The OPCW reinstated Syria in July, following an unprecedented move in 2021 of stripping Syria of its voting rights after finding its air force had used nerve agent sarin and chlorine gas on its own people.

In 2013, Syria agreed to join the OPCW and disclose and hand over its toxic stockpile under Russian and US pressure, and to avert the threat of air strikes by Washington and its allies.

This came after a suspected chemical attack on the Eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus that killed more than 1,000 people, according to US intelligence, and was attributed to the Syrian government, which denied involvement and blamed opposition forces.