International

UN Security Council holds emergency session on Syria at Russia’s request

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting this Monday afternoon, requested by Russia, to address the situation in Syria after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad last weekend.

The session will take place behind closed doors and is scheduled to begin at 15:00 local time in New York (20:00 GMT).
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, already spoke this Sunday about the future of the country, assuring that its future must be decided by “the Syrian people.”

“After 14 years of brutal war and the fall of the dictatorial regime, today the people of Syria can take advantage of a historic opportunity to build a stable and peaceful future,” Guterres noted after the Levant Liberation Agency group took Damascus and al-Assad fled the country.

UN Security Council meets to discuss situation in Syria

And he added that for this new stage in Syria “the international community is needed to ensure that any political transition is inclusive and broad, and that it meets the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria in all their diversity.”

The Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Secretary-General of the United Nations already today discussed solutions about the transition period in Syria and the possible measures to rebuild the country, according to the Turkish foreign portfolio itself.

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During today, the insurgents commissioned Mohamed al Bashir, the president of the Salvation Government – the de facto administration in the northern Syrian province of Idlib controlled by the Levante Liberation Agency – to form a government for the transition in Syria, said the Syrian television now directed by the opposition.

New government

“The president of the Salvation Government, Mohamed al Bashir, will be in charge of forming a new Syrian government to manage the transition phase,” said the Syrian channel.

The Salvation Government is a kind of political and civil branch of the Levant Liberation Agency (Hayat Tahrir al Sham or HTS, in Arabic) that was created in Idlib, a province in northwestern Syria and a bastion of the opposition.

16 million Syrians need help

The United Nations estimates that 16 million Syrians are currently in need of humanitarian aid and urges the international community to increase funding for cooperation in order to “open new facilities for refuge, sanitation and food.”

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said on Monday at a press conference that “our colleagues (on the ground) tell us that more than 16 million people already need humanitarian aid in Syria, which represents a huge proportion of the population, and is increasing as the situation continues to develop.”

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The Islamist coalition Liberation Agency of the Levant (HTS, in Arabic), heir to the Al-Nusra Front – a former affiliate of Al Qaeda in Syria – took control of the main Syrian cities and on Sunday declared Damascus free after an offensive of just twelve days.

Possibility of accepting the Levant Liberation Agency

The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, left open the possibility of recognizing the legitimacy of a hypothetical HTS government, which led the overthrow of Bashar al-Asad.

“I think we are all anxious to know what the future holds for us, but I think we have to take things little by little; seeing how they advance day by day and maintaining certain objectives,” Dujarric said at his daily press conference.

In addition, the General Secretariat stressed that “Syria, regardless of the changes that have been made, remains, obviously, a member state” of the organization.

“Very often, when there is a change of government, there is a communication that comes from a permanent mission (…) Everything is hypothetical for now, we will see how it progresses,” said Dujarric.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”