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Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Committee Assigned to Request Renewal of UNIFIL Mandate in Lebanon

13 October 2022, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri speaks at the beginning of a parliamentary session. (dpa)
13 October 2022, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri speaks at the beginning of a parliamentary session. (dpa)
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Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Committee Assigned to Request Renewal of UNIFIL Mandate in Lebanon

13 October 2022, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri speaks at the beginning of a parliamentary session. (dpa)
13 October 2022, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri speaks at the beginning of a parliamentary session. (dpa)

Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that a committee has been formed to request the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the renewal was the focus of talks between President Joseph Aoun and Berri.

The speaker said the committee will be tasked with preparing the request that will be submitted to the UN Security Council.

The renewal will be requested without an amendment to UNIFIL’s duties, he revealed.

Berri said Aoun informed him that Lebanon is not aware of any efforts to amend the mission’s duties or that there were attempts to reduce the number of its troops.

At the moment, Lebanon is awaiting a visit by the United States’ Deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Oratgus to determine what Washington’s position is towards the renewal and UNIFIL’s future.

Washington has said it wants to reduce its financial contributions to the UN budget, which will impact its role in supporting the Lebanese army’s efforts in implementing UN Security Council resolution 1701.

The US is reportedly also seeking to amend UNIFIL’s duties and possibly even meeting Tel Aviv’s demand that the international force be removed entirely from southern Lebanon.

Berri said Lebanon wants to keep UNIFIL and its mandate. It will also reiterate to Ortagus its demand that Israel withdraw its forces from Lebanon so that resolution 1701 can be implemented in full.

He noted that France already supports the renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate, while the US has not made any announcement related to the issue.

Moreover, he stressed that Lebanon has met all of its commitments towards the US-sponsored ceasefire with Israel.

Berri added that his ally Hezbollah is committed to the ceasefire and cooperating with the military in deploying south of the Litani River with UNIFIL’s support.

Hezbollah continues to respect the ceasefire as demonstrated in its refraining from retaliating to Israeli violations and attacks. It has not fired a single shot since the ceasefire was declared in November. Israel, meanwhile, continues to violate the agreement, added Berri.

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US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
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US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on what it said was a Houthi-linked petroleum smuggling and sanctions evasion network across Yemen and the United Arab Emirates in fresh action targeting the Iran-backed militant group.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said the two individuals and five entities sanctioned on Tuesday were among the most significant importers of petroleum products and money launderers that benefit the Houthis.

"The Houthis collaborate with opportunistic businessmen to reap enormous profits from the importation of petroleum products and to enable the group’s access to the international financial system," said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.

"These networks of shady businesses underpin the Houthis’ terrorist machine, and Treasury will use all tools at its disposal to disrupt these schemes."

Among those targeted on Tuesday was Muhammad Al-Sunaydar, who the Treasury said manages a network of petroleum companies between Yemen and the United Arab Emirates and was one of the most prominent petroleum importers in Yemen.

Three companies in his network were also designated, with the Treasury saying they coordinated the delivery of approximately $12 million dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum products with a US-designated company to the Houthis.

Since Israel's war in Gaza against the Palestinian group Hamas began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea in what they say are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

In January, Trump re-designated the Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization, aiming to impose harsher economic penalties in response to its attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and against US warships defending the critical maritime area.

In May, the United States announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.

The Israeli military attacked Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday in its latest assault on the militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it.