Arab World News

Packed Bags Kept Ready as Beirut's Southern Suburb Residents Fear Renewed War

Arab World People walk past the rubble of buildings damaged in Israeli strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs, following a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, in Beirut, Lebanon, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Packed Bags Kept Ready as Beirut's Southern Suburb Residents Fear Renewed War

Fatima Meshik has been unable to treat her return to her home in Beirut's southern suburb as the end of her family's displacement. The suitcases the family…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World File photo: Sudanese army personnel after taking control of one of the areas. (Reuters)

Sudan Clears Gold Mining Areas of Armed Presence

Sudan's Security and Defense Council has issued sweeping decisions banning the presence of army personnel and members of the country's security and regular…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World File photo of an oil field in Iraq, April 6, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty

Iraq's Baiji Refinery Output Unaffected by Fire

Iraqi civil defense extinguished a fire at a refinery at the Baiji oil complex 180 km (111.85 miles) north of Baghdad, the Iraqi state news agency reported on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani at the People's Palace in Damascus, accompanied by members of both delegations. (Presidency account)

Iraqi Kurdish Leader in Damascus for Talks on Syria Kurds' Deal

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa met Monday with Nechirvan Barzani, leader of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, as official sources told AFP the talks aimed…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Lebanese army soldiers stand while behind a helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020. (AFP)

Lebanon President Urges Judiciary to Issue Beirut Port Blast Indictment

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday urged the judiciary to issue a long-awaited indictment over the 2020 Beirut port blast, on the eve of the catastrophe…


Arab World The sun sets over Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, August 2, 2026. (Reuters)

Israel Conveys ‘Concerns’ to US on Gaza Plan

Israel has conveyed concerns to the United States on a Gaza plan hailed by President Donald Trump after Hamas said it had agreed on disarmament, Prime Minister…

Arab World The headquarters of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Basra. (Reuters)

Al-Zaidi Warns Against Renewed Attacks on Neighboring Countries from Iraqi Territory

Iraq’s Ministerial Council for National Security, chaired by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, announced “strict measures” to prevent any attacks from being…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World A voluntary return convoy departs from camps in northern Syria in Idlib, heading to the northern Hama countryside. (Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management)

106 Families Return to Hama Countryside Under Syria’s ‘No Camps’ Initiative

A new voluntary return convoy departed from displacement camps in northwestern Syria on Sunday, carrying about 106 families bound for the town of Kafr Zita in…

Asharq Al Awsat (Damascus)
Arab World Japan’s Ambassador to Yemen Yoichi Nakashima speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat. (Saad Al-Enezi)

Japanese Ambassador to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Asked Iran to Press Houthis to Avoid Red Sea Escalation

Japan’s Ambassador to Yemen Yoichi Nakashima affirmed that Tokyo stands with Saudi Arabia in confronting threats to Red Sea security, freedom of navigation,…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Riyadh)
Arab World 31 July 2026, Lebanon, Shoukin: A photo shows the UNESCO-listed Beaufort in the southern Lebanese village of Arnoun and al-Shaqif, after Israeli forces carried out a series of detonations. (dpa)

Five Lebanese Soldiers Injured in Explosion of ‘Suspicious Object’ in South

Five Lebanese soldiers were slightly injured on Sunday from the explosion of a “suspicious object” in southern Lebanon. The troops were escorting residents…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World Houthi supporters hold up weapons during a protest in Sanaa, Yemen, 31 July 2026. (EPA)

Houthis on Alert for Possible Attack by Govt Forces on Multiple Fronts

The latest movements of the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen revealed a state of unprecedented disarray in their ranks as they have sent major…

Mohammed Nasser (Aden)
Arab World Smoke rises over buildings during clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum (Archive - Reuters)

Sudan Army Drone Attack on Darfur Court Kills 35

The Sudanese army on Sunday struck a traditional court in western Darfur with drones, killing 35 people and wounding others, a rights group said. The…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.39 in Cairo (Reuters)

Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake Strikes near Egypt's Suez

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake shook eastern Egypt early Monday, prompting authorities to activate response plans although there were no immediate requests for…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World  02 August 2026, Palestinian Territories, Gaza: Tents sheltering displaced Palestinians crowd along the Gaza seaport in Gaza City, amid high summer temperatures. (dpa)

Israel Says It Has Serious Concerns with Hamas Disarmament Deal

Israel has shared “serious security concerns” with the White House regarding the proposed disarmament deal with Hamas, an Israeli official told The Associated…

Arab World  Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a vehicle, according to medics, in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, August 2, 2026. (Reuters)

Israeli Strikes Kill 15 in Gaza, Minister Says No Deal to Halt Attacks

Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza for a second straight day on Sunday, killing at least 15 Palestinians, medics said, despite US President Donald Trump's…

Arab World Restrictions on immunization programs have deprived nearly 5 million children of routine vaccinations. (Local media)

Yemen Urges International Action to Protect Children in Houthi-Controlled Areas

Yemen’s legitimate government has warned of an impending public health crisis that could threaten millions of children in Houthi-controlled areas, urging the…

Mohammed Nasser (Aden)
Arab World US President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up as he walks to board Marine One following his arrival aboard Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, US, July 31, 2026. (Reuters)

Morocco Names Highway in Western Sahara After Trump

Morocco has named a highway connecting the south of the country to the Moroccan Sahara after US President Donald Trump, the official Moroccan news agency (MAP)…

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Arab World A helicopter flies near Harir base in Erbil. (Rudaw archive)

US Begins ‘Pre-Planned’ Withdrawal from Iraq’s Kurdistan Region

An adviser in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region said Saturday that reports of a US withdrawal of troops and Patriot air defense systems from the Erbil area involved “a…

Fadhel al-Nashmi (Baghdad)
Arab World Palestinians inspect the scene of an Israeli airstrike near al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli Strikes Kill Eight in Gaza Overnight

Overnight Israeli strikes on Gaza hit multiple residential buildings and killed at least eight people, authorities said Sunday, despite Hamas saying it agreed…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Lebanon's Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh gives an interview with AFP at his office in the capital Beirut on December 20, 2021. (AFP)

Lebanon Ex-central Banker Transferred to Jail after Hospital

Former Lebanese central bank governor Riad Salameh was transferred to prison on Saturday after being placed under police guard in a hospital, a judicial…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World This photograph taken from the southern area of Marjayoun on July 31, 2026 shows silica dust covering the hills of the areas of Arnoun and Al Shaqif near the Beaufort castle, after Israeli forces carried out a series of detonations in the area. (Photo by AFP)

UN Says Israeli Demolitions in Lebanon 'Deeply Concerning'

The United Nations on Saturday expressed concern over Israel's ongoing demolitions in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire in its war with Iran-backed…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World An Israeli tank stationed in Zawtar al-Charkieh, as seen from Zawtar al-Gharbiyah, Nabatieh Governorate, southern Lebanon, 31 July 2026, following a US-brokered security agreement between Lebanon and Israel. EPA/STRINGER

Israel Says Killed Several Hezbollah Fighters in South Lebanon

The Israeli military said on Saturday that it killed several Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon and that an Israeli soldier was injured there despite a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World 31 July 2026, Lebanon, Zawtar Al-Gharbieh: A Lebanese family sit in the shadow of their bullet riddled and shell-pocked building in the southern Lebanese village of Zawatar al-Gharbieh. Photo: Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

US Embassies Urge Citizens to 'Consider Departing' Middle East

US embassies in several Middle Eastern capitals warned American citizens to beware an "unforeseen escalation" in the regional conflict and urged them to be…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World The cause of the blaze, which began in an asphalt tank, was not yet known, Iraqi civil defense said. Safin HAMID / AFP

Production Resumes at Iraq Refinery after Fire

Production gradually resumed on Saturday at the Shamak refinery in Shamamik, southwest of Erbil in Iraq, after a fire at a fuel depot earlier in the day was…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Palestinians inspect destroyed buildings at the scene of an Israeli airstrike, at al-Maghazi refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli Strikes Kill Two in Gaza, Destroy Medicine Storage Warehouses

Israel's military on Saturday killed two Palestinians in Gaza and destroyed two warehouses near a hospital that were said to be storing medicine in separate…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Two Lebanese Army soldiers oversee rubble clearance in the streets of Zawtar al-Gharbiya in southern Lebanon (Asharq Al-Awsat).

Southern Lebanon's First Pilot Zone: The Army Is Back, Hezbollah Is Not

Abu Fadl Ezzeddine lifts an empty food carton bearing Hebrew writing that blocks the entrance to his home in the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya…

Nazir Rida (Beirut)
Arab World Ali al-Zaidi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Iraqi Prime Minister (INA)

Iraq’s Government Admits Difficulty Paying Salaries on Time

Iraq’s financial crisis has entered a more critical phase, with government officials acknowledging that the state is struggling to pay employees on time and…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Palestinians rush to take cover as smoke and fire billow after an Israeli raid targeted Al-Muttaqin Mosque in Gaza City (AFP)

Sources to Asharq Al-Awsat: Gaza Understandings Likely to Overcome Israeli, Islamic Jihad Objections

Two informed Palestinian sources said objections from Israel and the Iran-aligned Islamic Jihad could complicate efforts to implement the second phase of the…

Mohamed Mahmoud (Cairo)
Arab World Smoke rises after explosions were heard and air defences activated near the airport in Erbil, on July 24, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

Iraq to Strengthen Readiness at Military Bases

Iraq has increased alertness and readiness to the maximum across all military camps and bases, calling for accelerating plans to equip modern radar and early…

Asharq Al Awsat (Baghdad)