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Libya

October 22, 2026

Tripoli 1:56 pm

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Analysis

What's at stake as Libya's eastern parliament approves Turkey maritime deal

Libya's eastern-based parliament's approval of a long-disputed maritime deal with Turkey marks a strategic win for Ankara as Saddam Hifter seeks Turkish backing for his presidential ambitions, according to analysts.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

US Department of State's senior advisor to the President for Arab and African Affairs Massad Fares Boulos attends a conference for the support of peace and prosperity in the Great Lakes region, in Paris, on October 30, 2025. The international community gathered in Paris on October 30, 2025 to raise awareness about the dire humanitarian situation in the Great Lakes region, aiming to raise hundreds of millions of euros despite a drastic decrease in international aid, particularly from the United States. (Phot

Interview

Trump's Africa adviser denies Libya plan would entrench rival families

The reported unification plan for Libya has been met with pushback in a country torn apart by rival factions and foreign interference.

A commercial vessel is anchored off Yemen's coast at Bab al-Mandeb, in the straits connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean on Sept. 12, 2026.

Explainer

Saudi Yanbu halt deepens oil strain as Europe scrambles for crude

European crude importers are racing to secure new oil shipments as markets brace for the loss of up to 4% of global supplies into October following attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure.

Saddam Hifter meets with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin

Russia’s Putin hosts Saddam Hifter amid instability in Libya: What to know

Moscow has built a strong relationship with Libya’s eastern camp, as Washington and Ankara pursue efforts to reunify the country’s political and military institutions.

Latest News

Analysis

Libya’s oil revival faces new test as violence returns amid US peace push

Libyan firefighting teams attempt to extinguish a fire at the Zawiya refinery, the second-largest oil refinery in Libya, with a refining capacity of 120,000 barrels per day, after a tank belonging to the state-owned Libyan Brega Oil Company was attacked by unknown perpetrators, in Zawiya, Libya, on Aug. 11, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Turkey’s Fidan heads to Libya as US-backed unification push gathers pace

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan met with Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity of Libya, in Tripoli on Aug. 11, 2026.

Jonathan Fenton-Harvey

In London, reporting on North Africa and Gulf politics

Mohamed Eljarh

Is the West about to repeat its mistakes in Libya?

During a recent meeting in Vienna, world powers supported the newly created Presidential Guard of Libya, not taking into account who this force is made up of — mainly militias that have committed crimes after the Libyan revolution.

How Libyans are reviving their heritage, one building at a time

In the absence of a strong central government, Libya’s historical religious and cultural sites are being destroyed and looted by militias and Salafists alike.

Will Russian arms soon start flowing to Libya?

Moscow reports that it's ready with military aid for Libya's unity government as soon as the arms embargo is lifted, but Tripoli must include Gen. Khalifa Hifter and the Libyan National Army in the political process for that to happen.

Then-General Khalifa Haftar speaks during a news conference at a sports club in Abyar, east of Benghazi May 21, 2014. Growing frustration over the reality of life in eastern Libya, which contrasts with the promises of politicians, is feeding support for Haftar, who has set himself up as a warrior against Islamist militancy and who some also see as their saviour. Picture taken May 21, 2014. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori (LIBYA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS MILITARY) - RTR4QLUB

Libya's Hifter bets on Tripoli-based government to fight IS first

The Government of National Accord's newly created Presidential Guard and Khalifa Hifter’s forces are playing a waiting game when it comes to fighting the Islamic State, which further broadens the divide between the two.

Libyans lose possessions post-Gadhafi

Following the revolution in Libya and death of former President Moammar Gadhafi, rebels spread chaos in the country, confiscating the properties of those considered supporters of the former regime.

Libyan military vehicles are pictured at a checkpoint in Wadi Bey, west of the Islamic State-held city of Sirte, February 23, 2016. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny - RTX28G1V

Arms sales to Libya draw congressional skepticism

The United Nations is ready to lift the arms embargo on Libya. Congress, not so much.

A worker pours olives out of a bucket during the olive harvest in Sidi Tabet, near Tunis November 13, 2012. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi (TUNISIA - Tags: AGRICULTURE FOOD) - RTR3AD0P

Can agriculture save Tunisia's economy amid tourism crisis?

While terrorist attacks in Tunisia have led to a massive decline in tourism, some believe that agriculture can save the tiny North African country.

The story behind the general who will likely shape Libya's future

Gen. Khalifa Hifter's speculative role in Libya's future is as captivating as his intriguing past.

Tunisian-born Holocaust survivor Susana Peretz, 79, sits in her home in the southern city of Beersheba April 4, 2013. Some 192,000 Holocaust survivors live in Israel and about a third have sought aid from the Foundation for the Benefit of the Holocaust Victims in Israel. According to surveys by the foundation, 19 percent of the survivors have admitted to going without adequate amounts of food and 14 percent had to forego medical treatment at least once a year due to financial hardship. The report said that

Israel's Arab Jews officially recognized as victims of Holocaust

Roughly 1,000 of Israel's North African and Iraqi Jews have requested to receive a one-time compensation grant that recognizes the suffering of those communities under the Nazi regime.

Why young Sahrawis are joining military movement against Morocco

Sahrawi youth have grown tired of waiting for the United Nations to break the stalemate between Western Sahara and Morocco.

United Nations envoy to Libya Martin Kobler (2nd L) waits to meet Aguila Saleh, head of the internationally-recognised Libyan parliament, in Tobruk, Libya, April 18, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer - RTX2AKQX

Libyan government, parliament enter into standoff

Libya's Government of National Accord is yet to get a vote of confidence by the House of Representatives.

Riot policemen travel in their vehicles as they release tear gas during clashes with protesters along a road leading to the U.S. embassy, near Tahrir Square in Cairo November 28, 2012. Hundreds of demonstrators were in Cairo's Tahrir Square for a sixth day on Wednesday to demand that President Mohamed Mursi rescind a decree they say gives him dictatorial powers, and two of Egypt's top courts stopped work in protest. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3AZL8

US aid caught up in Middle East crackdown on civil society

An analysis of the State Department budget request shows a drop in support for democracy and human rights.