Libya’s East Med time bomb goes off
Libya’s East Med time bomb goes off newspress_en Fri, 10/30/2026 - 03:34 Politics Over the past few weeks, a political chain reaction has gone off in Libya, and its shockwaves will reverberate across the region. That is the ratification of the Turkish-Libyan maritime deal by Libya’s eastern-based rump parliament, the House of Representatives (HoR). The ratification provides the legal groundwork…
Libya's eastern region is facing a potential conflict over a maritime deal signed with Türkiye. The House of Representatives (HoR) in eastern Libya has ratified the agreement, which could lead to seismic surveys in disputed offshore waters affecting Egypt. This decision comes after a power struggle within the HoR, with the new Speaker of the House, Abdulnabi al-Obeidi, replacing the long-serving speaker, Aguila Saleh.
Saleh, who had a close relationship with Egypt, had previously opposed ratifying the deal, which could impact Egypt's interests and regional balance. Türkiye's ratification gives it more leverage in interpreting economic zones in the Mediterranean, potentially leading to another military standoff. The situation also has the potential to involve the US, as Greece has contracted Chevron to prospect in overlapping waters off southern Crete.
The ratification process has been influenced by various actors, including the US, EU, UAE, Russia, and France, but Libyans in the west are still opposed to the ruling of their de facto leader, Saddam Haftar.
Written by urgent.news from Al Majalla English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
