Egypt tells Iran recent events jeopardize regional stability

Update Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani (L) Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. (Supplied)
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Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani (L) Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. (Supplied)
Update Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. (Twitter @MfaEgypt)
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Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. (Twitter @MfaEgypt)
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Updated 04 August 2024
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Egypt tells Iran recent events jeopardize regional stability

Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani (L) Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. (Supplied)
  • On July 31, Palestinian militant group Hamas’ top leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran, an act both Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of carrying out and have pledged to retaliate against

CAIRO: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has stressed in a phone call with Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s acting foreign minister, that recent developments in the region are “unprecedented, very dangerous” and threatening stability.

Abdelatty also expressed Egypt’s support for and solidarity with Lebanon in facing surrounding threats, in a separate phone call to Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.

Abdelatty highlighted Egypt’s intensive communications with all relevant and active parties to contain the ongoing escalation of conflict in the region and protect the interests of the Lebanese people.

Speaking to Bou Habib, Abdelatty expressed profound concern over the dangerously escalating tensions and their potential impact on Lebanon’s security and stability.

He called for a concerted effort to prevent a deterioration of the situation and avoid an expansion of confrontations which could lead to severe repercussions for the security and stability of the region.

The Lebanese minister expressed his gratitude for Abdelatty’s initiative to communicate, and for Egypt’s support of Lebanon’s security, stability, and the well-being of its people. 

He also underscored his commitment to ongoing coordination with Egypt concerning Lebanon’s sensitive situation.

The Lebanese minister noted the complete trust of all Lebanese parties in Egypt’s role and the earnest efforts being made by Cairo to safeguard Lebanon.

Separately, Abdelatty conducted a phone call with Iran’s acting foreign minister.

The Egyptian minister said that the call was part of Cairo’s efforts to engage with all relevant parties to help to contain the ongoing escalation and reduce regional tensions.

Abdelatty emphasized that the recent developments in the region were unprecedented and highly dangerous, and threatened to widen the conflict and endanger countries’ stability.

He stressed the need for all parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.

Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s position by calling for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, which he identified as the primary cause of increased tensions and confrontations in the region.

He stressed Egypt’s rejection of Israel’s policy of escalation, assassinations, and the violation of state sovereignty.

He pointed out that such policies would not serve the interests of any party and would only fuel the conflict in a way that made it difficult to contain the crisis.

Kani took the opportunity to thank Abdelatty for participating in the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s new president, which reflected Egypt’s interest in supporting Iran’s government and people in the significant event at a high ministerial level.


Libya’s factions progress in central bank crisis talks, says UN Libya mission

Libya’s factions progress in central bank crisis talks, says UN Libya mission
Updated 9 sec ago
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Libya’s factions progress in central bank crisis talks, says UN Libya mission

Libya’s factions progress in central bank crisis talks, says UN Libya mission

CAIRO: Libya’s rival factions made progress on talks over the central bank crisis and will continue discussions on Thursday to reach a final agreement, the UN Libya mission said on Wednesday, in a bid to defuse a crisis that has slashed oil output and exports.
“The participants of the two (legislative) chambers made progress in agreeing on the general principles governing the interim period leading to the appointment of a new governor and board of directors for the Central Bank,” the United Nations Libya mission (UNSMIL) said in a statement.
The meeting hosted by UNSMIL featured representatives from the Benghazi-based House of Representatives, the High Council of State and the Presidential Council, which are both based in Tripoli.
The standoff began last month when western Libyan factions moved to oust a veteran central bank governor, prompting eastern factions to declare a shutdown to all oil output.
Although Libya’s two legislative bodies said last week they agreed to jointly appoint a central bank governor within 30 days, the situation remains fluid and uncertain.
Libyan oil exports fell around 81 percent
last week, Kpler data showed on Wednesday, as the National Oil Corporation canceled cargoes amid a crisis over control of Libya’s central bank and oil revenue.


Turkish-American activist’s family awaits body for burial

Turkish-American activist’s family awaits body for burial
Updated 36 min 10 sec ago
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Turkish-American activist’s family awaits body for burial

Turkish-American activist’s family awaits body for burial
  • Her family is still waiting for Eygi’s body to arrive and is hoping to bury her in the southwestern town of Didim on Friday

DIDIM, Turkiye: The family of a Turkish-American activist killed during a protest in the occupied West Bank is expecting to bury her in Turkiye, her uncle told AFP on Wednesday.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was shot dead last week while demonstrating against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank town of Beita.
The United Nations rights office has accused Israeli forces of having shot Eygi, 26, in the head.
The Israeli army has acknowledged opening fire in the area and said it was looking into the case.
Her family is still waiting for Eygi’s body to arrive and is hoping to bury her in the southwestern town of Didim on Friday.
“It’s sad but it’s also a source of pride for Didim,” Eygi’s uncle Ali Tikkim, 67, told AFP.
“It’s important that a young girl, martyred and sensitive to the world is buried here.”
Eygi was a frequent visitor to the Aegean seaside resort.
“It’s likely that the funeral will take place on Friday but nothing is certain,” said Tikkim, who said he believed her body was still in Israel.
“Israel asked for an autopsy” but Eygi’s parents refused and have “hired a lawyer” to inform Israeli authorities, Tikkim said.
The US embassy in Turkiye’s capital Ankara said it was “following the case” but refused to comment.
Tikkim said that Eygi’s mother, who lives in Seattle on the US west coast, arrived in Didim on Wednesday and that her father was on his way.
The family wanted Eygi to be buried in Didim, where her grandfather lives and her grandmother has been laid to rest, said Tikkim.
“Aysenur was here about two weeks ago. She came here twice a year when she could, to swim and visit her family,” he said.
“Then she told us she was going to Jordan. She went to Palestine for humanitarian reasons.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to ensure “that Aysenur Ezgi’s death does not go unpunished.”
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for Israel to provide “full accountability” for Eygi’s death.


Hamas meets with mediators in Doha over Gaza truce

Hamas meets with mediators in Doha over Gaza truce
Updated 11 September 2024
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Hamas meets with mediators in Doha over Gaza truce

Hamas meets with mediators in Doha over Gaza truce
  • The Palestinian group said they had discussed “developments concerning the Palestinian cause and the aggression on the Gaza Strip“
  • Months of behind-the-scenes negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have failed to secure a halt to the fighting

DOHA: A Hamas delegation met Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Doha on Wednesday to discuss a truce in Gaza and a potential hostage and prisoner exchange, the militant group said in a statement.
Hamas said its lead negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and Egypt’s intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.
The Palestinian group said they had discussed “developments concerning the Palestinian cause and the aggression on the Gaza Strip” without indicating that talks had resulted in a breakthrough.
Months of behind-the-scenes negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have failed to secure a halt to the fighting between Hamas and Israel, with the exception of a one-week truce beginning in late November.
During the sole pause in the now 11-month war, 105 hostages were released to Israel in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners under the deal struck by mediators.
Recent rounds of mediation held in Doha and Cairo have been based on a framework laid out in May by US President Joe Biden and a “bridging proposal” presented to the parties in August.
The Hamas statement reiterated its “readiness for the immediate implementation of the ceasefire agreement based on President Biden’s declaration.”
Pressure for a deal has intensified after Israeli authorities announced the deaths of six hostages at the start of September when their bodies were recovered from a Gaza tunnel.
But in the face of the external calls for an agreement, both Israel and Hamas have publicly signalled deeper entrenchment in their negotiating positions.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has doubled down in his calls for Israeli control of the so-called Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border — a key sticking point in negotiations — saying it was necessary to stop Hamas from rearming
Last week, Egypt and then Qatar rejected the charge that the border was being used to arm Hamas, accusing Netanyahu of trying to distract Israeli public opinion and obstruct a ceasefire deal.
In the statement on Wednesday, Hamas also restated its demand for Israel’s withdrawal from “all Gaza territories.”
The militant group also claimed it had not placed any further demands on negotiators and at the same time was “rejecting any new conditions to this agreement from any party.”


Iran’s president slams the West over Gaza war

Iran’s president slams the West over Gaza war
Updated 11 September 2024
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Iran’s president slams the West over Gaza war

Iran’s president slams the West over Gaza war

BAGHDAD: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has slammed the West, saying that Israel is “committing massacres” in the war in Gaza and using European and American weapons to do so.

Pezeshkian, who spoke in Baghdad at the start of his first visit abroad since taking office, hopes to cement Tehran’s ties to Baghdad.

“The Israeli entity is committing massacres against women, children, young men, and the elderly. They bomb hospitals and schools,” Pezeshkian said.

“All these crimes are being committed by using European and American ammunition and bombs,” he added.

Ahead of Pezeshkian’s arrival, an explosion struck a site near Baghdad International Airport used by the US military on Tuesday night. There were no reported casualties, and the circumstances of the explosion were unclear.

The US Embassy later described it as an “attack” on the Baghdad Diplomatic Services Compound, an American diplomatic facility, and that it was “assessing the damage” and the cause of the explosion. It did not provide further details.


US sanctions Lebanese network over alleged oil, LPG smuggling for Hezbollah

US sanctions Lebanese network over alleged oil, LPG smuggling for Hezbollah
Updated 11 September 2024
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US sanctions Lebanese network over alleged oil, LPG smuggling for Hezbollah

US sanctions Lebanese network over alleged oil, LPG smuggling for Hezbollah
  • The sanctions target three people, five companies and two vessels that the US Treasury Department said were overseen by a senior leader of Hezbollah’s finance team

WASHINGTON: The Biden administration on Wednesday issued sanctions on a Lebanese network it accused of smuggling oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to help fund the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
The sanctions target three people, five companies and two vessels that the US Treasury Department said were overseen by a senior leader of Hezbollah’s finance team and used profits from illicit LPG shipments to Syria to aid generate revenue for the group.
Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith, in a statement, said Hezbollah “continues to launch rockets into Israel and fuel regional instability, choosing to prioritize funding violence over taking care of the people it claims to care about, including the tens of thousands displaced in southern Lebanon.”