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Beirut Port Blast Investigation Nears Conclusion

 A scene of the massive destruction at the Port of Beirut following the explosion (Archive – AFP). 
 A scene of the massive destruction at the Port of Beirut following the explosion (Archive – AFP). 
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Beirut Port Blast Investigation Nears Conclusion

 A scene of the massive destruction at the Port of Beirut following the explosion (Archive – AFP). 
 A scene of the massive destruction at the Port of Beirut following the explosion (Archive – AFP). 

As Lebanon marks the fifth anniversary of the devastating Beirut Port explosion, there is a significant shift in the national mood. Unlike previous commemorations, this year coincides with the nearing conclusion of the judicial investigation, led by Judge Tarek Bitar, after years of legal deadlock and political obstruction.

While families of the victims had hoped the indictment would be issued before August 4 - the day that 232 people were killed, thousands injured, and half the capital destroyed - the progress brings cautious optimism. Despite facing sustained political pressure, threats, and over 40 lawsuits aimed at removing him from the case, Judge Bitar has persevered. For the families, this is a sign that truth and justice may yet prevail.

A judicial source closely following the investigation told Asharq Al-Awsat that Bitar is on the verge of concluding the probe. Over the past four months, he has conducted dozens of sessions, questioning top political leaders, military and security officials, judges, and senior port administrators.

“He’s waiting for responses to legal requests sent last month to six Arab and European countries,” the source said, noting that these requests concern specific matters, though they do not include satellite imagery. Once these replies are received, Bitar will either proceed with drafting the indictment before year’s end or delay until Lebanon’s top courts rule on the many lawsuits filed against him.

The investigation has faced repeated interruptions since Dec. 2022 due to legal challenges filed by politicians and security officials. Former Minister of Public Works Ghazi Zeaiter alone filed multiple complaints, adding to a total of 43.

In response, Bitar issued a legal opinion in January 2023 asserting that he could not be removed from the case and resumed his work. He then issued new charges against several senior officials, including former Public Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat, who retaliated by accusing Bitar of “usurping judicial authority,” issuing a travel ban against him, and releasing 17 detainees previously held in connection with the case.

These legal challenges remain unresolved, and Bitar is reportedly waiting for formal rulings before finalizing his indictment, to prevent future appeals from derailing the case.

Bitar has questioned numerous high-profile figures, including former Prime Minister Hassan Diab, former Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk, and ex-Army Commander General Jean Kahwaji. Others, such as MPs Ali Hassan Khalil and Youssef Fenianos, failed to appear and are subject to arrest warrants.

Significantly, this renewed momentum comes amid strong political backing from newly elected President Joseph Aoun, who pledged to remove the barriers blocking the probe. One tangible result has been the return of cooperation between the judiciary and the investigating judge, as confirmed by current Public Prosecutor Jamal Hajar.

No action has yet been taken against those recently questioned, but sources expect Bitar to summon them again once the indictment is prepared. Decisions could range from release under supervision to formal detention.

As for the 17 individuals released by Oueidat, their re-arrest is unlikely due to the lengthy time already served in pre-trial detention.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar has vowed to support the investigation, emphasizing that the 2020 blast was both a crime and a national tragedy.

“The state is obligated to provide a judiciary that answers questions and ensures accountability,” Nassar stated during a press conference. While he refrained from discussing the specifics of the investigation, he affirmed his commitment to aiding Judge Bitar, including through diplomatic channels to expedite international responses.

“The Lebanese people - especially the victims’ families - deserve to know the truth and see justice done,” Nassar concluded.

 

 

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Arab World

Southern Transitional Council Dissolution Paves Way for Calm South Yemen Talks

A member of Yemeni government forces mans a machine gun on a pick-up truck while on patrol outside the headquarters of the Central Bank of Yemen in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 08 January 2026. (EPA)
A member of Yemeni government forces mans a machine gun on a pick-up truck while on patrol outside the headquarters of the Central Bank of Yemen in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 08 January 2026. (EPA)
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Southern Transitional Council Dissolution Paves Way for Calm South Yemen Talks

A member of Yemeni government forces mans a machine gun on a pick-up truck while on patrol outside the headquarters of the Central Bank of Yemen in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 08 January 2026. (EPA)
A member of Yemeni government forces mans a machine gun on a pick-up truck while on patrol outside the headquarters of the Central Bank of Yemen in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 08 January 2026. (EPA)

As Yemen’s government, led by the Presidential Leadership Council, moves to consolidate military and security authority in the south under the defense and interior ministries, it is seeking to contain the fallout from recent turmoil, prevent a return to rebellion, and avert a slide back into violence.

At the same time, political and social forces across the south face mounting pressure to revive a stalled political process capable of delivering practical and equitable solutions to crises, foremost among them the southern issue.

Recent developments, foremost among them the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council itself, which occurred days after its head, Aidrous al-Zubaidi, fled Yemen have brought about a shift in the political and security power balances.

They have opened the way for a phase marked by the absence of major divisions, allowing space for calm arrangements and dialogue, with focus on the southern issue, amid fears of renewed unrest.

While Zubaidi’s exit and the folding of the Southern Transitional Council mark the end of a project that lasted more than eight years before sliding into chaos and violence in recent weeks, the legitimate government and the Saudi-led Arab coalition have shown significant flexibility toward its leaders.

Atiq Bahuqayba, a leader in the Socialist Party in Hadhramaut, has called for the implementation of what Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, stated during his visit to Hadhramaut in mid-2023, when he promised that the province would manage its own affairs fully.

Flexible governance

No southern settlement can pass without Hadhramaut playing an active role and having the most prominent voice in shaping it, especially in light of the events and developments it has witnessed, which explains the intensified political and security activity there in recent weeks.

Bahuqayba told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Hadhramaut Tribes Alliance remains committed to self-rule for the province, describing it as one of the core demands of its residents and its various political and social forces.

He said recent events involving forces from outside the province nearly dragged it into security and military chaos, were it not for the firmness of presidential decisions and Saudi intervention.

He added that the southern dialogue conference called for by Riyadh carries major importance for Hadhramaut and the south at this sensitive juncture, requiring all Hadhrami forces to participate effectively, while aligning with the local authority led by Governor Salem al-Khanbashi and the commander of the Nation Shield Forces in the province.

Once again, following the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council, the southern issue has been returned to the fore. It opens the door to tangible gains on the ground, provided there is southern leadership capable of managing reality rather than retreating into violent rhetoric.

Developments over the years in Yemen have shown that engaging seriously with southern demands is more effective than ignoring or confronting them. Flexible governance enables stability and prevents the opening of new fronts, without undermining calls for justice and fairness.

Ali al-Khawlani, a Yemeni academic and political researcher, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the opportunity is now available for political action away from unilateral actions, after recent events demonstrated that there would be no tolerance for attempts to divide Yemen or for practices that harm the national security of neighboring countries, particularly those resembling the behavior of the Houthi group, which required a forceful response.

Al-Khawlani, who heads the Independent Yemeni Center for Strategic Studies, said that the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council, following its leaders' agreement to participate in a south-to-south dialogue, places all southern forces under the responsibility of participating in decision-making.

He warned against any adventurism that could harm regional security or involve cooperation with forces seeking to sow chaos and instability.

Promoting a model

Political and social forces in Hadhramaut have pushed toward formulating solutions that are more sustainable, rejecting both the dismantling of the Yemeni state and a full return to pre-war centralization.

This has been prompted by calls for self-administration in southern provinces, led by the country’s largest province.

Hadhramaut plays a pivotal role in the country’s future, both generally and in the south in particular, as the province that has seen more stability than others during the war, despite complex circumstances. It is also the most attractive to governance models that move away from rigid centralization.

Ahlam Jaber, a political activist in the city of Mukalla, expects the upcoming dialogue conference in Riyadh to lead to a reordering of the southern political landscape on fair foundations that recognize realities on the ground, with Hadhramaut playing an effective role.

Jaber told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hadhramaut represents a model that could extend to other provinces, not only in the south, but across Yemen.

This, she said, would help untangle long-standing challenges and adjust approaches to managing crises. She pointed to the presence of a local authority that represents the province, a tribal alliance with significant social and security influence, as well as social, economic, academic, and administrative figures capable of shaping visions and setting strategies.

The post-Southern Transitional Council phase does not represent a political vacuum, but a repositioning. Backed by the firmness of the legitimate authority and support from the Saudi-led coalition, the south is moving toward a phase of stability that awaits a political resolution and a comprehensive settlement without renewed security tensions.

Arab World

Syria Urges Kurdish Fighters to Surrender after Ramping Up Aleppo Operation

TOPSHOT - Residents of Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsud area evacuate their neighborhood after warnings from the Syrian army that called on civilians to get out of harms way, following the refusal of Kurdish fighter forces to leave Aleppo, on January 9, 2026. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
TOPSHOT - Residents of Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsud area evacuate their neighborhood after warnings from the Syrian army that called on civilians to get out of harms way, following the refusal of Kurdish fighter forces to leave Aleppo, on January 9, 2026. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
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Syria Urges Kurdish Fighters to Surrender after Ramping Up Aleppo Operation

TOPSHOT - Residents of Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsud area evacuate their neighborhood after warnings from the Syrian army that called on civilians to get out of harms way, following the refusal of Kurdish fighter forces to leave Aleppo, on January 9, 2026. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
TOPSHOT - Residents of Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsud area evacuate their neighborhood after warnings from the Syrian army that called on civilians to get out of harms way, following the refusal of Kurdish fighter forces to leave Aleppo, on January 9, 2026. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)

Syria's army said its operation in a Kurdish neighborhood of Aleppo was nearing completion early Saturday and urged fighters from the minority to surrender themselves and their weapons.

Government forces began striking the Sheikh Maqsud district overnight after the Kurdish fighters defied a deadline to withdraw during a temporary ceasefire.

A military source told the official SANA news agency that the combing operation in Sheikh Maqsud was "more than 90 percent" complete, and that "a number of SDF members" had been arrested.

In a statement posted by the Ministry of Defense, Syria's army said "the only remaining option for the armed elements in the Sheikh Maqsud area of Aleppo is to surrender themselves and their weapons immediately".

The violence in Syria's second city erupted after efforts to integrate the Kurds' de facto autonomous administration and military into the country's new government stalled.

Since the start of the fighting on Tuesday, at least 21 civilians have been killed, according to figures from both sides, and tens of thousands have fled Aleppo.

The clashes, some of the most intense since Syria's new authorities took power, present yet another challenge as the country struggles to reunify after ousting longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Both sides blame the other for starting the violence.

Early Friday, Syrian authorities announced a six-hour window for the Kurdish fighters to leave, but they instead refused to "surrender" and vowed to defend their districts.

In response, Syria's army warned it would renew strikes on military targets in Sheikh Maqsud and urged civilians to get out ahead of the district's takeover by security forces.

An AFP correspondent saw residents laden with belongings fleeing before the two-hour humanitarian corridor closed.

Kurdish forces reported coming under artillery and drone attacks and claimed in a post on social media to be mounting a "fierce and ongoing resistance".

The army said three soldiers had been killed by Kurdish forces, while state television accused them of launching drones on residential areas of Aleppo.

A flight suspension at Aleppo airport was extended until late Saturday.

The SDF controls swathes of Syria's oil-rich north and northeast, and was key to the defeat of the ISIS group in 2019.

But Ankara views its main component as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which agreed last year to end its four-decade armed struggle against Türkiye.

Elham Ahmad, a senior official in the Kurdish administration in Syria's northeast, accused Syria's authorities of "choosing the path of war" by attacking Kurdish districts and of "seeking to put an end to the agreements that have been reached".

"We are committed to them and we are seeking to implement them," she told AFP.

The March integration agreement was meant to be implemented last year, but differences, including Kurdish demands for decentralized rule, have stymied progress.

Ahmad said that "the United States is playing a mediating role... we hope they will apply pressure to reach an agreement".

A diplomatic source told AFP that US envoy Tom Barrack was headed to Damascus.

Türkiye, which shares a 900-kilometer (550-mile) border with Syria, has launched successive offensives to push Kurdish forces from the frontier.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa discussed the situation in a call with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and said he was determined to "end the illegal armed presence" in the city, a Syrian presidency statement said.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric expressed alarm over the impact of the fighting on civilians and called on all parties "to swiftly return to negotiations to ensure the full implementation of the 10 March agreement".

Nanar Hawach, senior Syria analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the renewed clashes cast doubt on the government's ability to gain the trust of minority factions and sow the country back together after 14 years of civil war.

"If the fighting escalates, international actors will wonder about Damascus's capacity to govern Syria's heterogeneous society," he added.

Syria's authorities have committed to protecting minorities, but sectarian bloodshed rocked the Alawite and Druze communities last year.

Arab World

Lebanon FM Urges Iran to Find ‘New Approach’ on Hezbollah Arms

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (L) shakes hands with Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Youssef Raggi (R) at the Foreign Ministry in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, 09 January 2026. (EPA)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (L) shakes hands with Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Youssef Raggi (R) at the Foreign Ministry in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, 09 January 2026. (EPA)
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Lebanon FM Urges Iran to Find ‘New Approach’ on Hezbollah Arms

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (L) shakes hands with Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Youssef Raggi (R) at the Foreign Ministry in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, 09 January 2026. (EPA)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (L) shakes hands with Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Youssef Raggi (R) at the Foreign Ministry in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, 09 January 2026. (EPA)

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi on Friday urged his visiting Iranian counterpart to find a "new approach" to the thorny issue of disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

Lebanon is under heavy US pressure to disarm Hezbollah, which was heavily weakened in more than a year of hostilities with Israel that largely ended with a November 2024 ceasefire, but Iran and the group have expressed opposition to the move.

Iran has long wielded substantial influence in Lebanon by funding and arming Hezbollah, but as the balance of power shifted since the recent conflict, officials have been more critical towards Tehran.

"The defense of Lebanon is the sole responsibility of the Lebanese state", which must have a monopoly on weapons, Raggi told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a Lebanese foreign ministry statement said.

Raggi called on Iran to engage in talks with Lebanon to find "a new approach to the issue of Hezbollah's weapons, drawing on Iran's relationship with the party, so that these weapons do not become a pretext for weakening Lebanon".

He asked Araghchi "whether Tehran would accept the presence of an illegal armed organization on its own territory".

Last month, Raggi declined an invitation to visit Iran and proposed meeting in a neutral third country.

Lebanon's army said Thursday that it had completed the first phase of disarming Hezbollah, doing so in the south Lebanon area near the border with Israel, which called the efforts "far from sufficient".

Araghchi also met President Joseph Aoun on Friday and was set to hold talks with several other senior officials.

After arriving on Thursday, he visited the mausoleum of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in a massive Israeli air strike on south Beirut in September 2024.

Last August, Lebanese leaders firmly rejected any efforts at foreign interference during a visit by Iran's security chief Ali Larijani, with the prime minister saying Beirut would "tolerate neither tutelage nor diktat" after Tehran voiced opposition to plans to disarm Hezbollah.