The US Treasury on Friday issued new sanctions against Iran-backed militia groups operating in Iraq amid a surge in attacks on American and coalition forces in the region.
The sanctions name seven people and include groups such as Kataib Hezbollah, a major Iran-aligned Iraqi militia groups that has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by the US.
The designations come during a near-daily surge in attacks on US troops and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, with Washington pointing the finger at Iran-backed militias for many attempted strikes.
US and coalition troops have been attacked 62 times since October 17, with 29 in Iraq and 33 in Syria, a defence official confirmed to The National.
These have included a “one-way drone attack” this week at a mission support site in Euphrates, Syria; three separate attacks in Bashur, Iraq; and several attacks at Al Asad Airbase in Iraq and Tall Baydar, Syria.
The attacks have injured 59 personnel, though all have returned to duty. Strikes have mainly hit unoccupied facilities, including weaponry storage sites.
On the recent strike at Tall Baydar this week, the defence official said one US servicemember had sustained “minor injuries” and added that the US was “still awaiting further details on soldier's injuries”.
Explained: The US-Iran rivalry in eastern Syria
Washington has engaged in counterstrikes in Syria, with US officials this week saying they believe the latest air strikes on Sunday against Iran-linked militia in the country killed up to seven people, according to Reuters, which cited an unnamed administration official.
The attacks began 10 days after Israel started its bombardment of the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack on southern Israel.
The US has repeatedly warned proxy groups and Iran that it will not tolerate attempts to broaden the war into a regional conflict.
The Biden administration on Friday also responded to criticism over its decision to renew a sanctions waiver on Iranian electricity sales to Iraq.
Republican congressmen Blaine Luetkemeyer, chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, and Bill Huizenga, chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, called the waiver extension “naive and ill-timed”.
“The decision rewards and emboldens Iran at a time when its hostile government continues to financially support terrorist groups including Hamas,” the congressmen said in a statement.
But White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson pointed out that this was the 21st time Washington had approved the waiver, “continuing a practice that began under the [former president Donald] Trump administration”.
She added that the move “does not represent any changes in our policy regarding Iran or Iraq”.
“This waiver ensures the Iraqi people will not suddenly lose access to electricity or face an unnecessary spike in electricity prices. Iraq is making significant progress towards energy independence with our encouragement. But that takes time,” Ms Watson said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
MATCH INFO
Burnley 0
Man City 3
Raheem Sterling 35', 49'
Ferran Torres 65'
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Canada
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The biog
Name: Greg Heinricks
From: Alberta, western Canada
Record fish: 56kg sailfish
Member of: International Game Fish Association
Company: Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
