Region

MUSCAT — Sultan Qaboos, the longest-reigning leader of the modern Arab world, has died at the age of 79.

"With great sorrow and deep sadness... the royal court mourns His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, who passed away on Friday," the royal court said in a statement, as discussions on a successor commenced.

Qaboos, who has ruled since 1970, had been ill for some time and had been believed to be suffering from colon cancer. He was unmarried and had no children or brothers.

Sultan Qaboos was laid to rest at the royal cemetery on Saturday after his coffin, draped in the Omani flag, was driven through the streets of the capital Muscat.

Thousands of people, including members of the royal family and state officials, were present for prayers at the main mosque which is named after the sultan.

The royal court announced a mourning period that will see businesses and government offices close for three days.

Sultan Qaboos was born on November 18, 1940, into the centuries-old Al Said dynasty in the southern provincial capital of Salalah, in an isolated country on the margins of the modern world.

Older Omanis recall the capital Muscat had no electricity or running water and the gates of the medieaval city were locked at dusk.

The young Qaboos was sent abroad for his education to Britain, attending the elite Sandhurst Royal Military Academy from where he graduated in 1962. 

He went on to join a British infantry battalion in Germany, returning home to bide his time under the close watch of his father, Sultan Said bin Taymur.

Guardian of the Strait 

Oman is strategically located on the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow seaway through which much of the world's oil supply passes — and between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Sultan Qaboos maintained good ties with both nations, a balancing act that made his capital a must-stop for Western and Arab diplomats as well as military chiefs alike.

The sultan's first foreign trip was to Iran, whose shah — along with the British — helped him quell the Marxist insurgency he inherited from his father in the restive Dhofar region.

Muscat would serve as the back channel for talks between the United States and Iran in the lead-up to a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Qaboos also worked to preserve ties with Saudi Arabia and the rest of the wealthy six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to which Oman belongs, but stuck to his principle of non-interference. 

Muscat also maintained close military and economic ties with Britain and the US.

Qaboos assumed power as an unknown and spent his first years cultivating the respect of his countrymen, from the mountainous interior to the coast. 

Qaboos channelled revenues from fledgling oil exports into infrastructure, taking the country from having just a handful of primary schools and some 8 kilometres of paved roads to a modern state with well over 1,000 schools and a massive highway network.

The sultan also commissioned an opera house for Muscat, its packed calendar a testament to his support for the arts.

New ruler

Oman’s new royal ruler pledged Saturday to follow the non-interference policy that made the kingdom a vital regional mediator under his late cousin Sultan Qaboos who reigned for half a century.

Haitham Bin Tariq, the culture minister, was sworn in shortly after modern Oman’s founding father was laid to rest after his death on Friday at the age of 79.

“We will follow the path of the late sultan,” Haitham, 65, said in his first public speech which was aired live on state television.

He expressed support for “our country’s foreign policy of peaceful living among nations and peoples... and not interfering in the internal affairs of others, respecting nations’ sovereignty and international cooperation.”

BEIRUT — Hundreds protested across Lebanon on Saturday to denounce a crippling economic crisis and the political deadlock that has left the country without a government for over two months.

Chanting anti-government slogans in the capital Beirut, the northern city of Tripoli and the southern city of Nabatieh, they also denounced a class of political leaders they deem incompetent and corrupt.

In Beirut, hundreds of protesters marched to parliament, making stops at the state-run electricity company and the headquarters of the Association of Banks. 

"All the reasons that made us take to the streets on October 17 still stand," said protester Riad Issa, referring to the date Lebanon's anti-government protest movement started.

"Nothing has changed and the political establishment is closing its ears... and shutting its eyes."

Although protests have declined in size, demonstrations have been ongoing since October, increasingly targeting banks and state institutions blamed for driving the country towards collapse.

The movement has been fuelled by a crippling economic crisis, the worst since Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.

The World Bank has warned of an impeding recession that may see the proportion of people living in poverty climb from a third to half the population. 

To make matters worse, a liquidity crunch has pushed Lebanese banks to limit dollar withdrawals and transfers since September.

This has forced depositors to deal in the plummeting Lebanese pound, which has lost nearly two thirds of its black market value against the greenback for the first time since it was pegged at 1,500 to the dollar in 1997.

“The country is collapsing. We want a government of independents and a rescue plan,” read a banner carried by demonstrators in Beirut. 

Lebanon has been without a government since former prime minister Saad Hariri resigned on October 29, bowing to popular pressure. 

His successor, Hassan Diab, was designated on December 19 but is yet to form a government in a delay donors say debt-saddled Lebanon can ill afford.

In a statement on Friday, he said he still stands by his pledge to form a government of independent experts to rescue the country from the brink of collapse, a key demand of protesters. 

But he said his efforts were being challenged.

“The pressures, no matter how large, will not change my conviction,” he said on Twitter.

“I will not bow to intimidation.”

The delay in forming a government has drawn the ire of demonstrators.

“We are tired of this skirting of responsibility,” said Rolan Younan, a demonstrator.

“We need to reshape the political class.”

TUNIS — Tunisia's parliament on Friday rejected the government proposed by Prime Minister-designate Habib Jemli after months of negotiations between political parties to fill positions.

Jemli, an independent, was nominated by the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha Party after it came out top in legislative polls in October but failed to win enough seats to form a majority in the 217-seat chamber.

Deputies voted 134 to 72 against Jemli's proposed government of independent figures due to "frictions" between the parties over political appointments.

President Kais Saied now has 10 days to choose a new prime minister-designate who will attempt to put together a government acceptable to the assembly.

An agricultural engineer by training, Jemli served as secretary of state at the agriculture ministry from 2011 to 2014 under Ennahdha prime ministers Hamadi Jebali and Ali Larayedh.

Ennahdha said its choice was "based on a person known for his competence, integrity and experience in administration".

The vote is a big setback for Ennahdha, which has been directly or indirectly in power for a good part of the last nine years and it risks delaying reforms needed to revive the stuttering economy.

Illustrating the difficulties for the divided political class to form a strong and consensual government, Ennahdha had admitted Thursday to having "reservations" over the team presented by its own candidate.

Elected anti-Islamist Abir Moussi said: "We will not give our confidence to a government of Ennahdha and the Muslim Brotherhood."

Other lawmakers questioned the competence of certain ministers.

Qalb Tounes, the party of television boss and defeated presidential candidate Nabil Karoui and the second biggest in parliament with 38 seats, deplored the lack of independence and the programme of the proposed cabinet.

Observers and members of civil society had castigated the appointment of magistrates regarded as pro-Ennahdha to head key ministries such as justice and the interior.

The constitution stipulates that if the prime minister-designate fails to receive parliamentary assent for his government, the president will launch talks with political parties and parliamentary blocs to mandate someone else to form an administration.

President Saied, who was also elected in October, has no natural allies in the chamber and there is little sign of possible alliances to form a new government coalition.

If Saied's candidate also fails to form a government, the next step would be dissolution of the assembly, risking further delays to measures needed to curb inflation and unemployment.

In 2016 the International Monetary Fund approved a four-year, $3 billion loan for Tunisia in return for major reforms, some of which are disputed.

Due to delays, the country has only received about $1.6 billion so far, while the facility ends in April and the first repayments are due in November.

Since the 2011 revolution that toppled long-ruling president Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia has been trying to revive a struggling economy but unemployment continues to affect the population, especially the young, and inflation is eroding an already low purchasing power.

BEIRUT — Crisis-hit Lebanon on Saturday said it "regrets" being among seven countries stripped by the United Nations of voting privileges in the General Assembly for failing to pay their dues.

The UN decision could "harm Lebanon's interests, its prestige and reputation", the foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run National News Agency.

he ministry which "regrets" the move called for a solution to be found "as quickly as possible", saying the situation "could be corrected".

The finance ministry later said Lebanon's arrears would be paid on Monday. It was not immediately clear how much Beirut owed the United Nations.

On Friday the United Nations said seven countries — Lebanon, Yemen, Venezuela, Central African Republic, Gambia, Lesotho and Tonga — have fallen behind in their financial contributions and would not be able to attend the 74th session of the General Assembly.

Under Article 19 of the Charter of the United Nations, member states that are behind on the payment of dues in an amount that equals or exceeds the contributions due for two preceding years can lose their vote in the General Assembly.

Member states that can show that inability to pay is due to conditions beyond their control are allowed an exception.

The Lebanese foreign ministry argued that it had "performed all of its duties and completed all transactions within the deadline", but did not explain who is to blame or why the funds were not transferred to the UN.

The finance ministry hit back saying it did not receive any request to make the payment.

Lebanon is facing its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.

The World Bank estimates that Lebanon is in recession, and has warned that the number living in poverty could increase from a third to half the population.

The economic downturn coincides with an anti-government protest movement that has remained mobilised since October 17.

Protesters are demanding the removal of a political class they deem incompetent and corrupt.

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia condemned Thursday "Iranian violations of Iraqi sovereignty" after Iran fired missiles at Iraq bases where US troops are deployed in retaliation for the killing of a top commander.

"The kingdom denounces and condemns the Iranian violations of Iraqi sovereignty," said a statement carried by the official SPA news agency following Wednesday's retaliatory strikes by Riyadh's arch-foe Iran.

The Saudi condemnation was the first by an Arab neighbour of Iraq. 

The Iranian missiles targeted two Iraqi bases, including the sprawling Ain Al Asad, which houses American and other foreign troops deployed in a US-led coalition fighting the remnants of the Daesh group.

The attack has been denounced by the Iraqi prime minister, the foreign ministry and Iraqi President Barham Saleh as a violation of the country's sovereignty.

Saleh also said he rejected attempts to turn Iraq into a "battlefield for warring sides".

In a letter to the UN following the missile attack, Iran said it fully respects the sovereignty of its neighbour Iraq.

On Thursday Saudi Arabia called anew on all parties to observe restraint and avoid an escalation "in order to preserve the stability of Iraq and the region".

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Monday warned of a "very dangerous" escalation following last week's killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad.

BAGHDAD — Arch-foes Tehran and Washington may be temporarily calling it even after Iranian missiles targeted US forces in Iraq, but analysts predict violent instability will keep blighting Baghdad.

"Iraq will remain a zone of conflict," said Randa Slim of the Washington based Middle East Institute.

Early Wednesday, Iran launched 22 ballistic missiles at bases in Iraq hosting American and other foreign troops, in a calibrated response to the killing of a top Iranian general in a US air strike last week.

Iran warned Iraq about the raids shortly before and in their immediate aftermath, foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran had concluded its "proportionate" retaliation.

US President Donald Trump, too, said Iran "appears to be standing down". 

The US president even suggested Tehran and Washington could work towards a nuclear deal while cooperating against extremists.

That hinted at a common desire to contain the fallout, but analysts say it would not be enough to spare Iraq.

“Both sides are so mobilised in Iraq, which has become such symbolic terrain for hitting out at the other,” said Erica Gaston of the New America Foundation.

Indeed, US troops and even the embassy in Baghdad had been hit by more than a dozen rocket attacks in recent months, which have killed one Iraqi soldier and an American contractor.

The attacks went unclaimed but the US blamed hardline elements of the Hashed Al Shaabi, an Iraqi military network incorporated into the state but linked to Tehran.

The strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani outside Baghdad international airport on Friday also killed his top Iraqi aid and Hashed deputy chief Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis.

‘Who is the mediator?’ 

Just because the US and Iran have struck each other directly does not mean the Hashed would now sit on the sidelines, said Gaston.

“The Hashed is closer to the tip of the spear,” she said.

“There isn’t perfect command-and-control in the Hashed, which includes a lot of angry militiamen willing to take revenge on the US,” she added.

Bolstered by Iran’s attack, the Hashed said on Wednesday it would take its own steps avenge Muhandis’s death.

“That is a promise,” vowed leading member Qais Al Khazali.

Hours later, two rockets slammed into the Iraqi capital’s Green Zone, the high-security enclave where the US embassy, other foreign missions and some foreign troops are based.

Hashed factions decided in recent days to unite under a “resistance” coalition to oust US troops from Iraq.

The spectre of bloodshed was especially worrisome as there is no evident mediator between the parties, said Slim.

In Lebanon, Iran’s ally Hizbollah has repeatedly clashed with its sworn enemy Israel but the United Nations’ peacekeeping force in the south has usually intervened before the conflict could spin out of control.

But “who is the mutually liked mediator?” on Iraqi soil, Slim asked.

Baghdad has long warned that tensions between Tehran and Washington, which began deteriorating significantly in 2018, would bring devastating conflict to the entire region.

Iraq’s government had tried to strike a balance between the two countries, both of which have close political and military ties to various elements of Iraq’s elite.

Balance now ‘impossible’

But the stunning developments of the last week — from the killing of Soleimani to Wednesday’s pre-dawn strikes — also hugely exacerbated Iraq’s political crisis.

“It has made a balance impossible and pushed Baghdad squarely into Iran’s camp,” said Toby Dodge, a professor at the London School of Economics.

Figures like Iraq’s President Barham Saleh, who was seen as one of the most senior officials with close ties to Washington, would likely see their influence dwindle.

“If last night was the theatre of retaliation, what today brings is political consolidation and domination of the pro-Iran factions,” Toby said.

The Hashed’s political arm, the Fateh bloc, has already seized on anti-US sentiment over the last week to push for a total ouster of foreign troops from Iraqi territory.

Some 5,200 American troops and hundreds more British, French, Canadian and other forces are based in Iraq to help local forces defeat extremist sleeper cells.

On Wednesday, Iraqis’ reactions to Iran’s strikes were much tamer than the anger expressed at the US last week.

“Baghdad condemns the US publicly, but not Iran,” said Ramzy Mardini, a researcher and Iraq expert.

While appearing to be pro-Washington in the current climate carries a political cost, some political figures may be busy behind the scenes trying to salvage Iraq’s relationship with the US and restore some stability, however fragile.

But, Mardini warned, “if the crisis escalates, Baghdad’s space for manoeuvering will shrink. They’ll be forced to pick a side — and it won’t be the US”.