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Iranian Militias Barred from Entering 'Seven Villages' Area in Syria's Deir Ezzor

Russian officers with the people of Deir Ezzor for the distribution of aid (X)
Russian officers with the people of Deir Ezzor for the distribution of aid (X)
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Iranian Militias Barred from Entering 'Seven Villages' Area in Syria's Deir Ezzor

Russian officers with the people of Deir Ezzor for the distribution of aid (X)
Russian officers with the people of Deir Ezzor for the distribution of aid (X)

Russian forces in Syria are working to prevent the situation from escalating, which could draw Syria into the ongoing conflict in Palestine and Lebanon. According to Russian National Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, who recently toured the region, “the situation in the Middle East remains highly complex and tense, and it is essential to continue reintegrating Syria into the regional environment.”
As part of these efforts, Russian forces have set up a military checkpoint on the bridge connecting the so-called “seven villages” with areas west of the Euphrates, allowing the access of Syrian government and Russian forces, while barring Iranian militias and other armed groups from entering.
In 2022, Iran built this bridge to link areas it controls west of the Euphrates with the seven villages its allied militias control east of the river. The bridge, connecting Al-Husayniyah (east of the Euphrates) and Al-Huwayqa (west of the Euphrates), facilitates the transfer of weapons and military supplies across both sides of the river for these militias.
According to sources from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), this Russian measure follows repeated clashes between the US-led International Coalition and Iranian-backed militias affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the area.
The seven villages in the Deir Ezzor countryside—Al-Salihiyah, Hatlah, Khasham, Marat, Tabiyah, Mazlum, and Al-Husayniyah—are under Syrian government control and include local elements connected to Iranian militias. The bridge serves as a strategic link between the city and these villages. Russia’s move aims to assert military control over these villages by restricting entry and exit solely to Russian and government forces, in an effort to de-escalate military tensions in the area.
On Wednesday, two members of local Iranian-aligned militias died from injuries sustained a few days earlier in a US strike near Deir Ezzor Military Airport on Oct. 31, which also injured several others.
In recent days, US forces have conducted daily heavy artillery shelling in the seven villages and areas west of the Euphrates, citing the presence of Iran-backed fighters who are targeting nearby US bases.
Russia had previously requested that the IRGC withdraw Iran-affiliated militias from locations near Deir Ezzor Military Airport and other sites in the city. This request was made during a meeting on Oct. 18 between a Russian military representative in Syria and an IRGC representative in Deir Ezzor, held at a government security facility, according to local media sources.
Russian media indicate that Shoigu’s recent actions have focused on preventing the situation from escalating into a major confrontation, which could significantly harm Russian interests in the region.
Deir Ezzor province and its surroundings have been experiencing increased security instability, which has worsened as Iran and its militias shift their focus toward the conflict in Lebanon and the Israeli attacks on Hezbollah and Iranian forces.

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Arab World

Saudi Reopening to Lebanese Exports Boosts Economic and Agricultural Hopes

A photo of the Lebanese and Saudi flags. (National News Agency)
A photo of the Lebanese and Saudi flags. (National News Agency)
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Saudi Reopening to Lebanese Exports Boosts Economic and Agricultural Hopes

A photo of the Lebanese and Saudi flags. (National News Agency)
A photo of the Lebanese and Saudi flags. (National News Agency)

Saudi Arabia’s decision to resume receiving Lebanese exports has revived hopes among Lebanese business and farming circles for the return of one of the country’s most important foreign markets after five years of disruption that left deep scars on Lebanon’s production and export sectors.

The move is seen in Lebanon as carrying significance beyond trade. It marks a new stage in restoring confidence in the Lebanese state under President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, while offering a potential lifeline to sectors that have long suffered from shrinking export markets, difficulties marketing their output, and Lebanon’s prolonged economic and financial crisis.

Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry said the decision was not merely a commercial measure, but an economic and development step of national importance.

It said the move would help Lebanese farmers remain resilient, restart the agricultural production cycle and revive sorting, packaging, marketing and export chains, directly benefiting thousands of families that depend on farming as a main source of income.

A positive shock for Lebanon’s economy

Economists say the Saudi decision will quickly feed through to Lebanon’s productive sectors, especially industry and agriculture, while helping draw more foreign currency into the country.

“The impact of this step is very good economically and politically,” economist Walid Abu Suleiman told Asharq Al-Awsat. “Economically, it is very important because Saudi Arabia was a key destination for Lebanese exports.”

He said Saudi Arabia ranked third among Lebanon's importers, with Lebanese exports to the kingdom totaling about $240 million in 2020.

Abu Suleiman described the reopening of the Saudi market as “a positive shock for the Lebanese economy,” noting that its importance extended beyond reviving exports to supporting monetary stability in a country facing a severe shortage of foreign currency.

“This step is also very important for the monetary situation, because the more exports increase, the more foreign currency enters Lebanon,” he said. “We know the extent of Lebanon’s suffering today in preserving what remains of its dollars and hard currencies.”

He said the Saudi market’s importance stemmed not only from its size, but also from its central place in the Arab economic system.

“We must not forget that the Saudi market represents about 85% of Gulf markets,” he said. “If we improve our products and succeed in offering quality goods at competitive prices, we can obtain a larger share of this market and increase our exports.”

Abu Suleiman said Lebanese products still had significant room for growth.

“It is possible for exports to rise from about $240 million to much larger figures, because the Saudi market is very large,” he said. “The opportunities for Lebanese products remain significant if this opening is properly used.”

He said the main beneficiaries would be the industrial and agricultural sectors, especially food processing and beverage industries.

“We hope this step will be followed by practical measures, and that matters will move in the right direction, given the positive impact this would have on the Lebanese economy and on production and export sectors,” he said.

Lebanese agriculture prepares to return

In the agricultural sector, the decision was warmly welcomed because of the heavy losses farmers have suffered since the Saudi market was closed in 2021.

Ibrahim Tarshishi, head of the National Federation of Lebanese Farmers, called the decision “a historic day in the life of the Lebanese economy.”

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s decision to remove obstacles to Lebanese agricultural exports has restored economic vitality to Lebanon and reopened the channels of normal trade and communication with the kingdom and Gulf markets after years of disruption,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Tarshishi said agricultural trade ties between the two countries go back more than half a century. For decades, he said, the kingdom was the top destination for Lebanese agricultural exports, accounting for about 50% of total Lebanese agricultural exports to Arab countries.

In a sign of preparations to restart exports, Tarshishi said the Agriculture Ministry would hold a coordination meeting bringing together customs, IDAL, chambers of commerce, monitoring companies, exporters, refrigerated truck owners and agricultural unions to set the mechanisms for resuming exports and organizing land and sea freight, as well as transit procedures into Gulf markets.

Two thousand tonnes a day used to head to the Gulf

Recalling trade before the Saudi market was closed, Tarshishi said Lebanon used to export more than 30 trucks a day loaded with vegetables and fruit to the kingdom, or nearly 1,000 tonnes a day, in addition to about another 1,000 tonnes that crossed Saudi territory in transit to other Gulf countries.

He said Lebanese products in strong demand in the Saudi market included grapes, pears, peaches, plums and other seasonal fruits for which Lebanon is known. The kingdom, he said, had been the main outlet for these products during production seasons.

Losses exceeded $1 billion

Tarshishi said the damage suffered by the agricultural sector in recent years was substantial.

Lebanon used to export agricultural products worth nearly $200 million annually, he said, meaning the sector incurred losses exceeding $1 billion over the past five years because of the closure of the Saudi market and markets linked to it.

Tarshishi said the impact of resumed exports would not stop with farmers, but would extend across a long chain of economic activities tied to agriculture.

He said the decision would help keep farmers on their land, restart sorting and packaging centers, cardboard, wood and plastic factories and the transport sector, improve prices for agricultural products and curb the oversupply that in recent years forced many farmers to sell crops below production cost.

Arab World

Zaidi Urges Sharaa to Boost Baghdad-Damascus Coordination

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office)
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Zaidi Urges Sharaa to Boost Baghdad-Damascus Coordination

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office)

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has sent a message to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa calling for stronger ties and closer security and economic coordination.

The move reflects Baghdad’s push to rebuild regional relations while, at home, working to bring weapons under state control and prepare for a planned visit to the United States.

The message was delivered by Hamid al-Shatri, head of Iraq’s National Intelligence Service.

The Iraqi prime minister’s media office said late Wednesday that Zaidi’s message stressed the need to develop relations between Baghdad and Damascus and step up coordination to confront regional challenges and crises, particularly in security and economic affairs, in line with the two countries’ shared interests.

The statement said Sharaa thanked Zaidi and the Iraqi government, and affirmed Syria’s commitment to working with Iraq to address common challenges arising from recent regional developments.

He also stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation, especially on security and the economy.

The message comes as Iraq seeks to repair ties with its Arab neighbors under a broader approach built around three tracks: asserting state authority by “confining weapons to the hands of the state,” expanding regional outreach, and diversifying the economy by drawing foreign investment.

Zaidi to Washington

Baghdad has yet to set a date for Zaidi’s visit to the United States, which follows an invitation from US President Donald Trump. Iraqi officials say the visit is tied to a set of files the government has begun pursuing under fixed timelines, led by the effort to bring weapons under state control.

Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi told a news conference that the deadline for carrying out the weapons-control plan expires next September, coinciding with the scheduled withdrawal of international coalition forces from Iraq.

The timing is significant. It would complete arrangements agreed by the previous government, including ending the mission of the coalition formed to fight ISIS, moving Baghdad’s relationship with Washington into a bilateral framework based on the 2009 Strategic Framework Agreement, and ending the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, known as UNAMI.

The Iraqi government hopes to make tangible progress on the weapons file before the Washington visit. But positions taken by some Iran-backed armed factions have added pressure.

Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba, two of Iraq’s most prominent armed factions, have issued statements that raised questions over the future of the government’s weapons-control measures.

The Shiite Coordination Framework had granted the prime minister a mandate over the mechanisms and procedures for confining weapons to the state. The move was seen as a withdrawal of the political cover long enjoyed by some armed factions, potentially putting them on a direct collision course with the government.

At the same time, influential forces within the Coordination Framework, which holds about 80 parliamentary seats, are seeking to expand their presence in government and secure ministerial posts after earlier US reservations about their participation eased.

The government says its handling of these files is based on a “national vision” backed by parliament. Aboudi said the government remains fully committed to confining weapons to the state according to the timelines set in its program.

Gas flares burn at the Rumaila oil field during an armed patrol by Iraqi Energy Police in Basra, Iraq, June 8, 2026. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani

Regional outreach for development

On the economic front, Baghdad is betting on major investment projects to reinforce long-term stability.

Aboudi said the “Development Fund” is an investment vehicle separate from the state budget, funded by international contributions from friendly countries, with guarantees ranging from $100 billion to $150 billion, to support development and sustainable stability.

Observers say the three files, security, regional outreach, and economic development, form the broad framework for Iraq’s current domestic and foreign moves.

Political science professor Talib Mohammed Karim told Asharq Al-Awsat that Zaidi’s expected visit to Washington cannot be separated from the changes underway in Iraq and the wider region.

He said Baghdad is working on three parallel tracks: strengthening state authority by confining weapons to the state, opening up regionally, including through improved ties with Syria, and diversifying the economy by reducing dependence on oil and attracting investment.

Karim said the visit matters because of its timing, as the balance of power in the Middle East is being reshaped after years of conflict. Iraq, he said, has a chance to move from being shaped by regional developments to helping shape stability, drawing on its geography and balanced relations with different sides.

Relations with Washington

Former prime minister Adil Abdul Mahdi also called for stronger Iraqi-US ties while preserving the agreements signed between the two countries.

Abdul Mahdi said he hoped Zaidi would succeed in his mission, adding that it was too early to judge the current government, which remains at the start of its four-year term.

He said Iraq needs friendly relations with the US and other countries while honoring existing agreements between Baghdad and Washington. He said the end of next September would mark a decisive point with the completion of the international coalition’s withdrawal from Iraqi territory.

Abdul Mahdi said stronger political and economic ties between Iraq and the US would serve mutual interests, citing the importance of Washington’s international role and Baghdad’s regional standing, as well as the shared benefits that closer relations could bring.

Arab World

Israel Releases Hamas Co-founder After 2 Years of Detention

This picture taken from a position on the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, shows the sun setting behind destroyed buildings in the besieged Palestinian territory on June 10, 2026. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP)
This picture taken from a position on the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, shows the sun setting behind destroyed buildings in the besieged Palestinian territory on June 10, 2026. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP)
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Israel Releases Hamas Co-founder After 2 Years of Detention

This picture taken from a position on the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, shows the sun setting behind destroyed buildings in the besieged Palestinian territory on June 10, 2026. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP)
This picture taken from a position on the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, shows the sun setting behind destroyed buildings in the besieged Palestinian territory on June 10, 2026. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP)

The son of a Hamas co-founder said that Israeli authorities released his father in the occupied West Bank on Thursday after holding him without trial for more than two years.

Hassan Yousef, 71, was "freed near the southern West Bank city of Hebron" and taken to a hospital in Ramallah where he resides, his son Owais Yousef said.

Yousef is a senior leader of Hamas in the West Bank, having co-founded the group in the 1980s along with Sheikh Ahmad Yassine and other Palestinian members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Israeli police did not immediately respond to an AFP request for confirmation.

Yousef had been held in Israeli administrative detention since October 2023, shortly after the Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.

Israel has increased its use of administrative detention against Palestinians since the war. The system allows it to detain individuals for renewable six-month periods without charge.

Israel says the procedure allows authorities to hold suspects and prevent attacks while continuing to gather evidence, but critics and rights groups say the system is abused.

Israel has arrested Yousef several times over the years. He was last released in July 2020 from 16 months of administrative detention.

A member of the now-defunct Palestinian parliament, Yousef is estranged from his eldest son Mosab Hassan Yousef, who for 10 years spied against his father's movement.

From 1997 to 2007, Mosab Hassan Yousef worked for Israel's internal security agency Shin Bet, before relocating to the United States, where he lives under a new identity and wrote the book "Son of Hamas".