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Lebanese PM's Office Denies US Asked Lebanon to Declare Unilateral Ceasefire with Israel

27 March 2023, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during a press conference following a meeting of cabinet. (Dalati & Nohra)
27 March 2023, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during a press conference following a meeting of cabinet. (Dalati & Nohra)
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Lebanese PM's Office Denies US Asked Lebanon to Declare Unilateral Ceasefire with Israel

27 March 2023, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during a press conference following a meeting of cabinet. (Dalati & Nohra)
27 March 2023, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during a press conference following a meeting of cabinet. (Dalati & Nohra)

The office of Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati on Friday denied that the US had asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire, after two sources told Reuters that a US envoy had made the request to inject momentum into stalled talks on a deal to end hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.
In a statement to Reuters, Mikati's office said the government's stance was clear on seeking a ceasefire from both sides and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the last round of conflict between the two foes in 2006.

Earlier, a senior Lebanese political source and a senior diplomat said the US had asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire with Israel to revive stalled talks to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
They said the effort was communicated by US envoy Amos Hochstein to Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati this week, as the US stepped up diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
The US embassy in Beirut did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The sources said the US sought to persuade Beirut to take back some initiative in the talks, particularly given the perception that Israel will likely continue military operations that have already killed most of Hezbollah's leadership and destroyed much of the country's south.
Lebanon's armed forces are not involved in the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which began firing rockets at Israeli military sites a year ago in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas in Gaza.
Any effort to reach a ceasefire would need a green light from Hezbollah, which has ministers in Lebanon's cabinet and whose members and allies hold a significant number of seats in Lebanon's parliament.
Diplomats mediate with Hezbollah through the group's ally, Lebanese speaker of parliament Nabih Berri. Hezbollah has said it backs efforts by Berri to reach a ceasefire but says it must meet certain parameters, without providing details.
But a unilateral declaration was seen as a non-starter in Lebanon, the sources said, where it would likely be equated with a surrender.
DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVE
Another diplomat told Reuters that Hochstein had made a similar proposal months ago to Mikati and Berri.
Hochstein told them that if Hezbollah unilaterally declared a ceasefire, he "could have something to present" to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a diplomatic initiative.
"His exact words were, 'help me, help you," the diplomat said, adding that then-Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah rejected the idea. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air attack on Sept. 27 on Beirut's southern suburbs.
Despite its losses, Hezbollah has maintained that the Iran-backed group's chain of command is intact and its fighters have kept Israeli forces making ground incursions into Lebanon at bay.
The US has been pushing for a 60-day ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel as a prelude to a fuller implementation of 1701, sources told Reuters this week.
Hochstein was in Israel on Thursday with White House envoy Brett McGurk, but they did not continue on to Lebanon.
Speaking about Lebanon on Thursday, Netanyahu said that "agreements, documents, proposals....are not the main point."
"The main point is our ability and determination to enforce security, thwart attacks against us, and act against the arming of our enemies, as necessary and despite any pressure and constraints. This is the main point," he said.
 

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Arab World

Iraqi Factions Threaten to ‘Bring Down Government’ Over Iran Flight Ban

An Iraqi man walks past a sign posted along a street in Baghdad on Sept. 29, 2026, as the international coalition’s mission against ISIS comes to an end. (AFP) 
An Iraqi man walks past a sign posted along a street in Baghdad on Sept. 29, 2026, as the international coalition’s mission against ISIS comes to an end. (AFP) 
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Iraqi Factions Threaten to ‘Bring Down Government’ Over Iran Flight Ban

An Iraqi man walks past a sign posted along a street in Baghdad on Sept. 29, 2026, as the international coalition’s mission against ISIS comes to an end. (AFP) 
An Iraqi man walks past a sign posted along a street in Baghdad on Sept. 29, 2026, as the international coalition’s mission against ISIS comes to an end. (AFP) 

Baghdad has so far maintained its position of barring Iranian airlines from landing at Iraqi airports in compliance with US Treasury sanctions, but Tehran-allied groups are pushing to bring down the government and close Iraq’s land crossings with neighboring countries.

The Iraqi government has also revived the issue of Tehran’s refusal to grant Iraq an exemption allowing its oil exports to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, seeking to counter escalating campaigns and threats by Iran-aligned militias against Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi and their continued pressure to allow Iranian aircraft to land at Iraqi airports, according to sources.

US authorities have issued limited exemptions for Iraqi Airways flights between Iran and Najaf airport only, while the Transport Ministry announced that flights would operate from the Iraqi side.

Ban and International Companies

Although the government has attributed the ban on Iranian flights to international regulations and systems, a former Transport Ministry official told Asharq Al-Awsat that the government could adapt those regulations to allow Iranian aircraft to land because Iraq has sovereignty over its airspace.

“The government is relying on international aviation regulations to put forward its position of complying with the US sanctions decision,” the official said.

Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi stressed that “the government did not decide to ban Iranian aviation,” noting that airports operate within an international system similar to the oil sector and are bound by global requirements.

He explained that the international system includes companies providing services such as ground handling, monitoring and insurance, as well as ensuring the safety of airspace and passengers.

Companies operating at Baghdad and Basra airports have a presence at no fewer than 200 airports worldwide, maintain financial accounts and conduct transactions in dollars, prompting them to stop providing services to Iranian companies to avoid US sanctions, al-Aboudi added.

Kataib Hezbollah Threats

Despite the official explanations, armed factions have continued threatening the government since Iranian flights to Iraqi airports were suspended.

Hundreds of faction supporters demonstrated outside Najaf airport on Monday, denouncing the ban and demanding that it be lifted.

Kataib Hezbollah has emerged as one of the most hard-line factions on the issue. Its security official, Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, threatened to bring down Zaidi’s government unless the restrictions on Iranian flights were lifted.

“Zaidi and those behind him should know that a government that does not work in the interests of the people will be brought down by all means,” al-Assaf said in a statement.

He warned that if the air restrictions on Iran remained in place after Oct. 1, Iraqis could take a position “that may extend to closing the border crossings of countries participating in the blockade of the Iranian people.”

Firas Elias, a political science professor at the University of Mosul, said the pressure was “not only about aviation and restricting weapons to state control, but about preserving Tehran’s influence and its Iraqi cards at a sensitive moment in negotiations with Washington.”

US Treasury Exemption

Amid escalating Iranian pressure on Baghdad, the US Treasury Department on Tuesday issued a special license allowing Iraqi Airways to conduct transactions normally required to operate passenger services between Iraq and Iran through Najaf airport, subject to specific conditions and restrictions.

The license expires upon completion of the authorized transactions or on Oct. 28, 2026, while the Treasury Department retains the right to revoke or modify it at any time.

Its scope is narrow: flights must depart exclusively from Najaf International Airport and return there, and may carry only Iranian passengers traveling for religious tourism.

It also prohibits bulk cash transfers, shipments intended for Iranian intelligence, military or law enforcement agencies, and sanctioned individuals, including Iranian government officials and members of Iran-aligned militias.

Government-linked sources had previously indicated that Zaidi’s government asked Washington for an exemption to resume some flights between Iraq and Iran, particularly those carrying patients, students and religious pilgrims.

Following the US exemption, Iraq’s Transport Ministry announced that Iraqi Airways had secured authorization to operate flights to Iran, paving the way for their resumption in October. Flights will operate from the Iraqi side and through Najaf only, while the ban on Iranian airlines remains in place.

 

 

 

Arab World

Gen-Gvir Threatens to Burn Sinwar’s Body, Blames Netanyahu for Oct. 7 Attack

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attend a Sukkot gathering and political rally held outside Kibbutz Nir Am, near the separation fence with the Gaza Strip (AFP) 
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attend a Sukkot gathering and political rally held outside Kibbutz Nir Am, near the separation fence with the Gaza Strip (AFP) 
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Gen-Gvir Threatens to Burn Sinwar’s Body, Blames Netanyahu for Oct. 7 Attack

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attend a Sukkot gathering and political rally held outside Kibbutz Nir Am, near the separation fence with the Gaza Strip (AFP) 
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attend a Sukkot gathering and political rally held outside Kibbutz Nir Am, near the separation fence with the Gaza Strip (AFP) 

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Tuesday blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the failure of the October 7, 2023 attack, also accusing former Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar of misleading the PM and failing to provide him with sufficient intelligence regarding Hamas’ intentions.

In an interview with Israel’s public radio, Ben-Gvir reiterated his demand to receive the defense portfolio following Israel’s upcoming election.

“After I get the defense portfolio, I will make sure to burn Sinwar’s body and the bodies of the October 7th terrorists. As Defense Minister, I will lead a significant change in approach,” he said.

Ben-Gvir said of Netanyahu: “I also have criticisms of him, which is why I am in the Jewish Power party and not Likud.”

He said, “Before October, I presented a different vision for Gaza, but it was met with contempt by senior officials. They belittled me as national security minister, while Netanyahu also dismissed me, saying that security professionals believed nothing would happen from Gaza. That was just one week before October 7.”

Ben-Gvir also responded to accusations that Netanyahu had facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars to the Gaza Strip, saying the decision had not been made within the government or the security cabinet.

Had he been in office at the time, he said, he would have “turned the table” and rejected such a decision.

The minister noted that he previously resigned from the government after objecting to some of its decisions. “In the end, it turned out I was right about everything I said. No one believed me, and no one listened to me.”

On September 22, Ben-Gvir said he will seek the post of defense minister in the next government, as the country prepares for next month's elections.

“The reason I am putting myself forward is that the time has come to change the mindset within the army,” Ben Gvir said, at a press conference in Jerusalem.

The minister put forward a “security plan” that includes the “encouragement of voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

On Tuesday, Ben-Gvir threatened to make sure the body of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in October 2024, would be burned.

Sinwar, who headed Hamas in Gaza during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack and later became chairman of the group’s political bureau, was killed by Israeli forces in Rafah in October 2024.

 

 

Arab World

Yemen: Houthi Losses Near 3,000 in Four Days

Fierce Houthi attacks on the Taiz and Lahj fronts are countered by Yemeni government forces (Military Media) 
Fierce Houthi attacks on the Taiz and Lahj fronts are countered by Yemeni government forces (Military Media) 
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Yemen: Houthi Losses Near 3,000 in Four Days

Fierce Houthi attacks on the Taiz and Lahj fronts are countered by Yemeni government forces (Military Media) 
Fierce Houthi attacks on the Taiz and Lahj fronts are countered by Yemeni government forces (Military Media) 

Losses inflicted on the Iran-aligned Houthis have risen to nearly 3,000 killed and wounded over four days, according to figures announced by Yemen’s armed forces, as fighting continues on several fronts and attacks, infiltration attempts and flanking maneuvers intensify, particularly in Taiz, Lahj and Bab al-Mandab.

The latest toll came after the Yemeni armed forces announced 356 strikes over 24 hours, which they estimated had killed or wounded 476 Houthi fighters and destroyed command-and-control centers, weapons and artillery depots and dozens of military vehicles.

Armed forces spokesman Col. Majed Al-Nuzaili said Sunday evening that 2,316 Houthis had been killed or wounded over 72 hours in 756 strikes on fronts in Kitaf, Al-Buqa, the Alab axis, Al-Jawf, Marib, Al-Bayda, Lahj and Taiz.

The figures brought the announced four-day toll to more than 2,792 killed and wounded, before accounting for additional losses reported by other field sources during the same period.

Much of the latest fighting was concentrated in western Taiz and areas linking the province with Lahj and Bab al-Mandab. Government forces battled Houthis in Al-Wazi’iyah, thwarted an infiltration attempt north of Taiz with artillery fire and repelled a flanking maneuver on the Kahbub front.

In Jabal Habashi, government forces said they repelled a Houthi attack on the Bani Bakari front, while clashes and exchanges of fire were reported on the Rasin and Al-Alaqma fronts south of Taiz.

Military sources said government forces carried out air and artillery strikes on Houthi positions and reinforcements in Al-Rubaie, Al-Ja’sha, Al-Zaybiyah and Al-Bahabah, while a Houthi drone was downed over Al-Kadahah.

The Taiz Military Axis Media Center reported 12 Houthis killed and 13 wounded across the axis’s fronts, as well as an armored vehicle and a military vehicle set ablaze in Al-Kadahah and a tank destroyed in Al-Rubaie.

Warplanes also targeted a ballistic missile launch platform on Jabal Oman east of Taiz, while government forces said they eliminated a Houthi group attempting to infiltrate the Air Defense front northwest of the city. Airstrikes also hit the Jalilah camp near Taiz airport in Al-Hawban.

Fighting extended to the Al-Subaiha fronts in Lahj, where Houthis launched simultaneous attacks on the Al-Muhawala and Al-Aghbarah fronts. Field sources said government forces, backed by tribesmen, repelled the advances and captured two Houthi fighters.

The Houthis continued sending reinforcements toward the front lines, particularly around Mawiyah Junction, Rasin and Al-Alaqma, from Sanaa, Amran, Dhamar and Ibb.

Government forces, meanwhile, intensified air and artillery strikes on supply lines and assembly points in an effort to contain Houthi attacks and prevent limited breaches from being consolidated into fixed positions.