Isa Abdul-Qayum: Haftar’s visit to Egypt comes amid three key regional shifts
Libya — Libyan political writer and media commentator Isa Abdul-Qayum says Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s trip to Egypt coincides with three significant developments reshaping the region.
1. Aftermath of the Israel-Iran war
Abdul-Qayum notes that the first shift is “the end of the war between Israel and Iran” and the ensuing effort “to absorb its results within a broader reordering of the entire region.”
2. Unprecedented security imbalance in western Libya
The second factor, he told Asharq al-Awsat, is an “unprecedented security imbalance in western Libya,” warning that “an expanded militia war is possible,” he warned. He calls for serious dialogue with states linked to the Libyan conflict to clarify the situation and pre-empt potential scenarios.
3. Escalating eastern Mediterranean maritime dispute
The third shift, Abdul-Qayum adds, involves the “escalating eastern Mediterranean maritime dispute” amid Turkish-Greek tensions. He points out that Libya’s recent statements rejecting a Greek move belong to a wider regional escalation, while Egypt remains cautious.
Libya reiterates opposition to Greek exploration
Libya reiterates its rejection of Greece’s plan to explore for oil south of Crete, insisting on its “sovereign rights over its resources in the eastern Mediterranean as they fall within Libyan borders.”
