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Arab World

Sisi, Macron Hold Strategic Talks amid Escalating Regional Crises

Sisi welcomed Macron and the two discussed regional developments. (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi welcomed Macron and the two discussed regional developments. (Egyptian Presidency)
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Sisi, Macron Hold Strategic Talks amid Escalating Regional Crises

Sisi welcomed Macron and the two discussed regional developments. (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi welcomed Macron and the two discussed regional developments. (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and French President Emmanuel Macron held wide-range talks in Alexandria on Saturday focused on bilateral ties and mounting regional crises, as the two leaders inaugurated the new headquarters of Senghor University.

Macron arrived in the Mediterranean city after landing at Borg El Arab airport to open the campus of the francophone institution, which specializes in African development and leadership training.

The Egyptian presidency said the discussions covered strategic relations between Cairo and Paris as well as regional developments, describing Macron’s visit as a reflection of the “distinguished friendship” between the two countries.

Sisi praised what he called significant progress in bilateral ties, particularly after relations were elevated to a strategic partnership during Macron’s visit to Egypt in April 2025.

According to presidential spokesman Mohamed al-Shennawy, Sisi stressed the need to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, education, industry and transport in ways that serve the interests of both peoples and deepen ties between Egypt and the European Union.

The talks also focused on regional tensions. Sisi reviewed Egyptian efforts aimed at containing current crises and warned against further escalation and instability, citing their impact on regional and global security as well as supply chains, trade and transport.

He reiterated Egypt’s support for the security and stability of Arab states and rejected any infringement on their sovereignty. Macron, for his part, said he hoped the current regional crisis would be resolved quickly to restore peace and stability to the Middle East.

The leaders also discussed the Palestinian issue, with Sisi outlining Egyptian efforts to preserve the Gaza ceasefire agreement and implement the second phase of the truce. He called for unrestricted humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip and for the launch of early recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Sisi also expressed Egypt’s “deep concern” over escalating violations in the occupied West Bank and reiterated support for a Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with international legitimacy and the two-state solution.

The discussions further touched on developments in Lebanon, with both sides emphasizing the importance of preserving peace and stability and enhancing Mediterranean cooperation to promote shared prosperity.

French foreign ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux said Macron’s visit underscored the depth of the strategic partnership between Paris and Cairo and reflected French confidence in Egypt’s regional role.

In remarks to Egypt’s state news agency MENA, he said bilateral relations had gained momentum since the launch of strategic dialogue talks in April 2025, alongside stronger cooperation in priority sectors including the economy, energy and transport, supported by the French Development Agency.

The inauguration ceremony for Senghor University was attended by Burundi Prime Minister Nestor Ntahontuye, Organization internationale de la Francophonie Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo, Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane Niang and African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Mohammed Belhocine.

In his address, Sisi described the opening of the university’s new headquarters as coming at a critical moment marked by growing development challenges and a rising need for effective international partnerships, particularly among Global South countries.

Founded in 1990 on the initiative of the Organization internationale de la Francophonie, Senghor University focuses on African development issues and the training of future leaders across the continent.

Macron described the institution as a center for academic, scientific and cultural cooperation among francophone countries and said the Egypt-France alliance stood for “peace, stability and generosity”.

The French president is due to continue his African tour in Kenya for a France-Africa summit before heading to Ethiopia for talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

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Arab World

Israeli Forces Shoot Dead Palestinian Man in West Bank Raid

Palestinians inspect a family home destroyed by the Israel army following a military operation after a Palestinian man barricaded himself inside the house in the Israel-occupied West Bank village of Aqraba, south of the city of Nablus on September 8, 2026. (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP)
Palestinians inspect a family home destroyed by the Israel army following a military operation after a Palestinian man barricaded himself inside the house in the Israel-occupied West Bank village of Aqraba, south of the city of Nablus on September 8, 2026. (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP)
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Israeli Forces Shoot Dead Palestinian Man in West Bank Raid

Palestinians inspect a family home destroyed by the Israel army following a military operation after a Palestinian man barricaded himself inside the house in the Israel-occupied West Bank village of Aqraba, south of the city of Nablus on September 8, 2026. (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP)
Palestinians inspect a family home destroyed by the Israel army following a military operation after a Palestinian man barricaded himself inside the house in the Israel-occupied West Bank village of Aqraba, south of the city of Nablus on September 8, 2026. (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP)

Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the Palestinian health ministry said, while the military said it killed a suspect who had attempted to attack troops.

The Palestinian health ministry announced the death of 28-year-old Abdul Karim Muhammad Khader Suleiman, who it said was "shot and killed by the occupation forces on Tuesday morning in the town of Aqraba.”

It said his body was being withheld by Israeli authorities.

The Israeli military said soldiers arrived in Aqraba, in the north of the West Bank, "in order to question a terrorist," who then threw a Molotov cocktail and an improvised explosive device towards them, causing no injuries.

It said soldiers surrounded and then entered the building, where they encountered him holding a knife "which he intended to use to attack the soldiers" and killed him.

Israeli soliders gather during a military operation in the Israel-occupied West Bank village of Aqraba, south of the city of Nablus on September 8, 2026. (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP)

AFP footage from the scene showed the exterior wall of the targeted house with gaping holes in the side, while young Palestinian boys stood among the pile of rubble strewn below.

An eyewitness and Aqraba's mayor said Israeli forces had fired projectiles at the house and brought in military bulldozers.

The mayor, Salah al-Din Jaber, said between 300 and 400 soldiers raided the town overnight, declared it a closed military zone, and surrounded the house.

Suleiman's wife and mother left the house first, and he stayed inside, Jaber told AFP by telephone. "After that, they arrested him and executed him in front of the house, and they seized his body."

"This was a show of force, nothing more and nothing less," he added.

Jaber said the slain man had been unarmed and there had been no exchange of fire.

Arab World

Iraqi Judiciary Backs Government Efforts to Bring Weapons Under State Control

The head of the Supreme Judicial Council met with the US chargé d'affaires in Iraq (The Judiciary’s Media Office)
The head of the Supreme Judicial Council met with the US chargé d'affaires in Iraq (The Judiciary’s Media Office)
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Iraqi Judiciary Backs Government Efforts to Bring Weapons Under State Control

The head of the Supreme Judicial Council met with the US chargé d'affaires in Iraq (The Judiciary’s Media Office)
The head of the Supreme Judicial Council met with the US chargé d'affaires in Iraq (The Judiciary’s Media Office)

Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan has stressed the judiciary’s support for government efforts to bring weapons under state control based on a plan adopted by the Coordination Framework.

Zidan made the remarks during a meeting Monday with the new US chargé d’affaires in Iraq, Steven Fagin. A statement from the Supreme Judicial Council said the two discussed the judiciary’s role in supporting the government’s program to restrict weapons to the state.

The process will proceed under “a well-studied plan” adopted by the Coordination Framework, with a committee established by the alliance tasked with preparing it and announcing it once completed and at the appropriate time. The plan is intended to uphold Iraq’s positive relations with the international community and ensure compliance with the constitution and the law.

Legal and political sources have previously indicated that the Iraqi judiciary is determined to designate militias as terrorist organizations if they refuse to disarm by the deadline for the withdrawal of international coalition forces.

Coordination Framework leaders were also expected to hold their weekly meeting Monday to discuss several issues, foremost among them bringing weapons under state control, completing the government lineup and proposed amendments to the Popular Mobilization Forces law.

Coalition withdrawal

With the Sept. 30 deadline for the withdrawal of US-led international coalition forces approaching, uncertainty continues to surround key political and security issues, particularly efforts to disarm Iran-aligned factions.

Washington has repeatedly pressed Baghdad in recent months to resolve the issue, warning that failure to do so could expose Iraq to economic and political sanctions at a time when the country is already facing financial strains.

A source close to the Coordination Framework told Asharq Al-Awsat that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government had softened its previously firm rhetoric on disarming the factions, while armed groups had become increasingly vocal in rejecting the demand.

The source attributed the shift to tense discussions within the Coordination Framework and between its leaders and al-Zaidi. The prime minister has repeatedly warned of the risks of failing to disarm and pointed to US demands, while some Framework leaders believe there is room to maneuver with Washington.

Conflicting statements by Framework leaders are also part of an effort to buy time, the source added, as the alliance faces pressure from two sides: Washington, which wants the issue resolved, and Tehran, which opposes disarmament.

State of Law Coalition leader Nouri al-Maliki recently raised the possibility of distinguishing between heavy, medium and light weapons, questioning whether restrictions should cover all arms or only weapons capable of striking domestic or foreign targets.

His comments were widely interpreted as a shift toward opposing comprehensive disarmament, prompting his office director, Hisham al-Rikabi, to say they had been “misunderstood.”

Factions resist disarmament

Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada are among the most prominent Iran-aligned factions strongly resisting disarmament. Their demands have included the withdrawal of Turkish forces from northern Iraq and placing Kurdish Peshmerga forces under the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Firas Elias, a political science professor at the University of Mosul, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Sept. 30 was unlikely to mark a comprehensive handover of weapons.

Instead, he expects the deadline to begin a lengthy process involving the coalition’s withdrawal, a transitional period, the classification of factions and weapons, and the integration or redistribution of some fighters, alongside efforts to place heavy weapons, drones and missiles under state supervision.

The factions’ stringent conditions may indicate a shift from rejecting disarmament outright to negotiating the price of surrendering their weapons autonomy, Elias said.

The equation, he added, is moving from “weapons versus the state” to “weapons versus guarantees,” with factions setting demands Baghdad cannot fully meet so they can later concede some conditions while retaining part of their power and influence.

Arab World

New Battlefronts in Yemen Leave Houthis in Disarray

Armed forces celebrate their advances in al-Jawf. (X)
Armed forces celebrate their advances in al-Jawf. (X)
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New Battlefronts in Yemen Leave Houthis in Disarray

Armed forces celebrate their advances in al-Jawf. (X)
Armed forces celebrate their advances in al-Jawf. (X)

The Yemeni army and the National Resistance made progress on the ground on Monday across fronts in the Taiz, al-Bayda, and al-Jawf governorates, amid successive collapses and retreats among the Houthis. Al-Jawf is witnessing tribal mobilization in support of government forces following their field advances.

Yemeni army media announced that government forces secured a tactical breakthrough on the al-Bayda front, successfully liberating the Hayd al-Khazzan and al-Falhan areas up to the al-Nasifa region. The development allows the forces an advantage to sever Houthi supply lines between the central and southern governorates.

The advance coincided with the establishment of control over all hills and plateaus overlooking the al-Zaher district.

The director of media for the al-Bayda governorate, Aref Al-Amari, confirmed that the armed forces have tightened their control over the strategic highlands overlooking al-Zaher.

He noted that forces are currently combing al-Nasifa in preparation for an advance toward the Dhi Naem area, a development that strengthens the position of government forces in the governorate.

Spokesman for the Yemeni armed forces Colonel Maeen al-Nuzaili said the forces are achieving progress and victories on the al-Jawf and al-Bayda fronts as part of operations "aimed at restoring state institutions and ending the Houthi coup."

He called on the group's operatives to abandon their positions with their light weapons to save their lives.

On the western front, the Joint Forces managed to secure a vital artery in al-Kadha connecting Taiz city to the western coast, following the defeat of Houthis stationed in the controlling highlands.

Government forces targeted massive Houthi military reinforcements west of Taiz city, leaving heavy losses in lives and equipment.

Comprising more than 21 military vehicles, they were heading to support the al-Barh and Maqbanah fronts.

Meanwhile, tribes were mobilizing in al-Jawf to support the armed forces against the Houthis. According to local sources, the tribes moved toward the al-Yatma district.