Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah Says It Suspends Attacks on US Forces https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/4824046-iraq%E2%80%99s-kataib-hezbollah-says-it-suspends-attacks-us-forces%C2%A0
Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah Says It Suspends Attacks on US Forces
Kataib Hezbollah fighters are seen at the site of an American strike in Hillah, Iraq in December 2023. (Reuters)
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Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah Says It Suspends Attacks on US Forces
Kataib Hezbollah fighters are seen at the site of an American strike in Hillah, Iraq in December 2023. (Reuters)
Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah announced on Tuesday the suspension of all its military operations against US troops in the region, in a decision aimed at preventing "embarrassment" of the Iraqi government, the group said.
"As we announce the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces - in order to prevent embarrassment of the Iraqi government - we will continue to defend our people in Gaza in other ways," Kataib Hezbollah Secretary-General Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi said in a statement.
Three US troops were killed in a drone attack near the Jordan-Syria border on Sunday that the Pentagon said bore the "footprints" of Kataib Hezbollah, though a final assessment had not yet been made.
A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on the group's statement, adding: "Actions speak louder than words."
The US has vowed to respond to the attack.
Iran-aligned groups, known collectively as the "Axis of Resistance", have been waging attacks against Israeli and US targets from Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, since their Palestinian ally Hamas and Israel went to war on Oct. 7.
Kataib Hezbollah is the most powerful faction in the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq”, an umbrella group of hardline Shiite armed factions that have claimed more than 150 attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since the Gaza war began.
The US has responded with deadly strikes in a cycle of escalating violence that Iraqi officials said threatened to undo progress towards stabilizing the country after decades of conflict.
Kataib Hezbollah's decision followed days of intensive efforts by Iraq's prime minister to prevent a new escalation after the Jordan attack, his foreign affairs adviser Farhad Alaadin said.
"Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has been hard at work in the past few days, engaging with all relevant parties inside and outside Iraq," Alaadin said in an interview.
"All sides need to support the efforts of the Prime Minister to prevent any possible escalation," he added.
In its statement, Kataib Hezbollah also said there were disagreements with allies over its attacks, singling out Iran.
It said counterparts in the Axis of Resistance "often object to the pressure and escalation against the American occupation forces in Iraq and Syria," the statement said.
Iran has denied involvement in attacks by Iraqi groups.
Founded in the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah is one of the elite Iraqi armed factions closest to Iran.
Iraq's government is backed by parties and armed groups close to Iran, though not directly by the hardline groups that have been firing on US forces, Western and Iraqi officials say.
Baghdad has condemned the attacks while also saying regional escalation would continue as long as the Gaza war went on.
The logo of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is seen during a special session in the Hague, Netherlands June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
Chemical Weapons Watchdog Reinstates Syria’s Voting Rights
The logo of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is seen during a special session in the Hague, Netherlands June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
The global chemical weapons watchdog on Thursday reinstated Syria's voting rights at the body, rewarding Damascus for “constructive engagement” with the organization and a willingness to destroy previously hidden stockpiles of toxic munitions.
The decision by the executive council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons underscores a new era of cooperation since the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in 2024, and comes five years after Syria’s voting rights were suspended as a punishment for the repeated use of toxic gas by Damascus. It was the first time a member state had been hit with such a sanction, The AP news reported.
The new openness has already produced results. In May, the OPCW announced that dozens of chemical bombs and rockets left over from Assad's rule had been found in the country as previously undeclared weapons sites were opened to inspectors.
The OPCW’s executive council also approved plans for destroying some of that recently declared stockpile at a site in Al Qutayfah, 37 kilometers (23 miles) north of the capital, including materials used to make a nerve agent.
The decisions “reflect the tangible progress achieved through continued cooperation and constructive engagement between the Technical Secretariat and the Syrian Arab Republic,” supported by other member states, OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias said in a statement.
The move comes a day after US authorities announced that Washington will remove Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former insurgent who led the offensive that unseated Assad, seeks to rebuild Syria and restore its long-shattered ties with the West. He also has pledged to destroy any remaining chemical weapons from the Assad era.
When Syria joined the OPCW in 2013, under pressure from the West over alleged poison gas attacks, Assad's administration claimed chemical weapons were present at 26 locations in the country, but the watchdog has said it has reason to believe Syria had an additional 100 sites.
Lebanon Says US Delegation will Oversee Israeli Withdrawal from 'Pilot Zones'https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5294106-lebanon-says-us-delegation-will-oversee-israeli-withdrawal-pilot-zones
Members of United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) drive through the southern Lebanese area of Al-Mansouri on July 2, 2026. (Photo by Kawnat HAJU / AFP)
Lebanon Says US Delegation will Oversee Israeli Withdrawal from 'Pilot Zones'
Members of United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) drive through the southern Lebanese area of Al-Mansouri on July 2, 2026. (Photo by Kawnat HAJU / AFP)
A US delegation was expected to arrive in Lebanon soon to oversee the implementation of Israel's withdrawal from "pilot zones" in the south, the Lebanese presidency reported on Thursday, citing the American ambassador.
Lebanon is demanding that Israel withdraw from these zones before taking part in a new round of negotiations scheduled for July 15 and 16 in Rome, a diplomatic source familiar with the talks told AFP on Wednesday.
The two countries reached a framework agreement on June 26 that calls for Hezbollah's disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory while Lebanon's army deploys into "pilot zones".
The US ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, told President Joseph Aoun that "an American military delegation will arrive in Beirut in the coming days to... determine the mechanism for implementation on the ground," according to the Lebanese presidency.
The agreement -- rejected by Hezbollah -- does not set a timetable for Israel's withdrawal, and Israeli officials have also vowed that their forces will remain in a "security zone" 10 kilometres (six miles) deep as long as Hezbollah remains armed.
"It is essential to avoid any vacuum when Israeli forces withdraw from the designated area," Issa added, according to a statement from the presidency.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, for his part, once again called on the United States to "exert pressure on Israel to halt military operations and comply with the provisions of the framework".
Aoun is expected to visit Washington later this month at the invitation of his American counterpart Donald Trump.
Lebanon's President to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Chose Negotiation to Limit the Occupation and the Suffering of Southernershttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5294039-lebanons-president-asharq-al-awsat-we-chose-negotiation-limit-occupation-and
Lebanon's President to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Chose Negotiation to Limit the Occupation and the Suffering of Southerners
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (AP)
With increasing military tension between the US and Iran in and around the Strait of Hormuz, Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun is trying to hold onto hope of emerging from the catastrophe that has afflicted his country.
Using the word "catastrophe" is not an exaggeration. The Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon has expanded, bringing with it destruction, exacerbating the suffering of displaced persons, and intensifying division over responsibility for the war and ways out of it.
Facing the Israeli military occupation of the South, Lebanon has no choice but to rely on American assistance, which it hopes will materialize further after the scheduled meeting at the White House on July 21 between the US and Lebanese presidents.
Aoun's Priorities for the Meeting with Trump
At Baabda Palace, Asharq Al-Awsat asked Aoun what Lebanon seeks from the White House meeting.
He replied: "First, we want Lebanon to remain on the American agenda ... There is no need to reiterate the importance of having a good relationship with the US and benefiting from President Donald Trump's expressed desire to help us; his role is vital, and we are counting on it."
"We face an extremely difficult and complex situation. We know well that the US is the only party capable of exerting pressure on the Israeli government to prevent it from targeting the southern suburbs (of Beirut), infrastructure, or expanding occupied areas in southern Lebanon. No other party can fulfill this role."
"We want the US administration to help us restore our entire land. We will not relinquish a single inch or a single citizen. The issue of our sovereignty is not subject to concession or interpretation. It is at the forefront of the national principles that we are keen to adhere to. We want the land to be returned and to be under the sole authority of the Lebanese army, meaning under the authority of legitimate Lebanese institutions," Aoun added.
He stressed that Lebanon is asking for its natural right to extend the authority of its legitimate institutions over all Lebanese territories. "We cannot leave southern Lebanon captive to regional developments, with its people paying heavy prices in lives and property."
"Lebanon's fate cannot be separated from the fate of its south, neither in security, nor in economy, nor in stability," Aoun added.
Relatives of missing victims weep, as they gather at the site of destroyed buildings that were hit in an Israeli airstrike in Qannarit village, southern Lebanon, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
"We want President Trump to support our legitimate demands for the restoration of our entire land, and he is expected to succeed in persuading Israel to withdraw from Lebanon. I want to inform him of the reality in southern Lebanon and the dangers of maintaining the current situation or returning to escalation," Aoun told Asharq-Awsat.
He also hoped for American support for the Lebanese army, which is tasked with difficult missions, and for the reconstruction of what the war has destroyed and assistance to stimulate the Lebanese economy after the significant losses it has suffered.
Calculations of Direct Negotiation with Israel
Regarding the division over the method of direct negotiations with Israel, Aoun said: "We were not in a situation that allowed for ideal choices. The war threatened to expand, along with Israel threatening to occupy more territory. The scenes of displacement were harsh, as were the scenes of destruction."
"There was a risk of widespread destruction to Beirut and its infrastructure. We were effectively faced with a single option, especially given the significant imbalance of power. We had no choice but to seek assistance from the US. Direct negotiations were the only available option for us to make a serious attempt to shorten the period of occupation of our land, alleviate the suffering of the displaced, open the door for their return to their villages, and strive to rebuild what was destroyed."
President Joseph Aoun meeting with the Lebanese negotiating delegation before heading to Washington (Lebanese Presidency)
Aoun pointed out that "the state is responsible for the fate of every inch and every citizen. There is no distinction between one inch and another, or one citizen and another. We made difficult decisions based on our national responsibilities. We cannot continue to pay prices for any other party."
"Lebanon's decisions must be made within its legitimate institutions. Lebanon must defend its interests, sovereignty, and stability, which is why we said we would not accept anyone else negotiating on our behalf or in our name, nor becoming a bargaining chip in others' calculations," he stated.
Regarding the uproar caused by Trump's suggestion of a meeting between him and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Aoun stated that "the idea of this meeting is fundamentally ruled out, but social media and others sometimes indulge in baseless scenarios."
Attempts to Overthrow the Government
Regarding the possibility of opponents of the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel resorting to overthrowing the government, he said: "Changing the government is guided by constitutional frameworks. However, using the street to overthrow the cabinet is rejected. Furthermore, institutions play their role, always within the limits of available capabilities."
He stressed that "the government's performance is excellent, and the ministers are productive."
Hezbollah supporters block the old airport road in the southern suburbs of Beirut, with burning tires to protest against the trilateral agreement that was signed between the US, Israel and Lebanon on June 27, 2026. (Photo by Ibrahim AMRO / AFP)
Regarding his ties with Hezbollah, Aoun said: "We did not choose to sever ties with anyone. Our offices are open to everyone without exception."
"There is an objection to a choice made by the state to shorten the period of occupation and the suffering of the people. Whoever has another option to achieve this goal should present it, and we will discuss it. The option of continued war is not an option," he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
On the inclusion of a ceasefire in Lebanon in the first clause of the American-Iranian Memorandum of Understanding and its impact on the framework agreement, he said: "We welcome any assistance that aligns with Lebanon's interests. America is the only one capable of exerting pressure on Israel or persuading it. And Iran is the only one capable of influencing Hezbollah and its decisions. Of course, while affirming that Lebanon is the one negotiating on all matters related to it."
Regarding Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's opposition to the framework agreement with Israel, Aoun said: "Speaker Berri is a statesman, and we share what are considered red lines, which are not compromising civil peace, the reputation and role of the army, and not resorting to street protests."
He also noted that his relationship with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is excellent.
Relationship Between Aoun and the Army Commander
Asked about the army's cohesion given Lebanon's circumstances and about rumors of renewed tensions between him and Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal, the Lebanese president replied that "the army is cohesive and has not faltered. It is already implementing government decisions, naturally within the available capabilities."
"The army and all security institutions are doing everything they can. My relationship with General Haykal is excellent. There is no truth to the claims circulated by some media outlets."
President Joseph Aoun meeting with Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal (Lebanese Presidency)
Aoun also expressed his satisfaction with Arab support for Lebanon. He said: "Saudi Arabia, as always, has not hesitated to provide any assistance we request to support our efforts in restoring our rights and sovereignty."
"I would like to thank the Saudi leadership, especially Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for the decision to resume Lebanese exports. I also want to thank the Qatari government for assisting Lebanon, and the same applies to the United Arab Emirates, which allowed its citizens to visit Lebanon."
When asked if he was concerned about his safety, Aoun replied with a smile: "God is the guardian. No one dies before their time comes."
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