Libya’s divided leaders unite over attacks on Arab states

Libya’s divided political leadership has struck a rare note of consensus, jointly rejecting the accelerating military escalation across the region and issuing strong condemnation of attacks on several Arab states.

On March 1 Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah held a phone call with Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to voice his solidarity with Qatar amid ongoing escalating tensions in the Gulf and across the Middle East, as reported by Libya Al-Ahrar.

In separate but closely aligned statements, both the Government of National Unity and the government appointed by Libya’s House of Representatives strongly condemned what they described as a serious assault on the sovereignty of several Arab states.

Libya’s Presidential Council chairman Mohamed Menfi also reaffirmed the country’s full solidarity with Qatar and condemned violations of Arab sovereignty during a call with the Qatari Emir, as reported by The Libya Observer on March 2.

The two administrations denounced attacks affecting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, describing the developments as a dangerous violation of national sovereignty and regional stability. The Qatari emir welcomed Libya’s stance, stressing the importance of sustained Arab coordination and consultation during what he described as a particularly sensitive phase for the region.

Since the US-Israeli attack on February 28, Iran has retaliated by targeting US military bases and assets across the region. As a result, the Middle East has collectively and unwillingly been pulled into a regional war by US-Israeli aggression, causing many leaders from across the globe, such as Dbeibah, to call for deescalation and diplomacy as fears of all-out regional warfare and rising energy prices continue to mount.

Just as Libya benefitted from Europe’s energy crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country could stand to reap the rewards of rising global oil prices following the US-Israel attacks. Iran’s retaliatory strikes on key energy infrastructure across the Gulf alongside its enforced closure of the worlds most critical oil trade route, the strait of Hormuz, are sending global oil prices on the rise.

Alternative oil producing nations will stand to gain, with Libya’s light crude, compared to Venezuela’s heavy crude oil, likely to be the preferred option for Europe and the rest of the world’s glutinous energy demands.

Libya Al-Ahrar, The Libya Observer, The Middle East Observer, The Guardian, Maghrebi.org