Libya - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Libya cover image

Libya

March 9, 2026

Tripoli 7:37 am

15°C

A general view taken on April 4, 2014, shows oil tanker Morning Glory, during the unloading of oil in the Libyan seaport of Zawiya.

Turkey backs Libya in legal challenge to Greece-Chevron offshore deal

Ankara is engaging Libyan authorities in challenging the Greece-Chevron deal, a Turkish official said.

Masoud Suleman, acting chairman of Libya's National Oil Corporation, and other corporate representatives pose for a photo during a conference announcing the first new grants of oil exploration and production licenses in 17 years, in Libya's capital, Tripoli, on Feb. 11, 2026.

Analysis

Libya’s oil revival powers on despite shaky investment thesis

Libya’s National Oil Corporation announced winners for the country's first oil and gas licensing round in 17 years — a milestone for an OPEC member that has lurched from civil war to uneasy truce since 2011.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, son of Libyan leader Moamer Gadhafi, speaks during an interview with AFP in Tripoli on Feb. 26, 2011.

Saif Islam Gadhafi, son of late Libyan ruler, killed in gunfight: What to know

Gadhafi was a key figure in his father Moammar Gadhafi's regime, and faced legal prosecution for his alleged roles in crimes against Libyans.

Loading docks at the port of Libya's northwestern city of Misrata during a ceremony marking the completion of the first phase of the Misrata Free Zone project, on June 25, 2022.

Qatari, Swiss firms to invest $2.7B in Libya's Misrata port: What to know

Libya is seeking to increase its non-oil shipping capacity amid rising oil production and signs of both economic progress and turmoil.

Latest News

From Egypt to Lebanon: What’s at stake for regional states on Trump’s visa ban list?

Jet carrying Libyan army chief crashes after departing Ankara

In this photograph taken on Oct. 2, 2018, Gen. Mohammad Ali al-Haddad is pictured in the Libyan capital Tripoli. (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey seeks two-year extension of Libya troop mandate

Libyan military graduates loyal to the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) take part in a parade marking their graduation, a result of a military training agreement with Turkey, at the Omar Mukhtar camp in the city of Tajoura, southeast of the capital Tripoli on November 21, 2020. (Photo by Mahmud TURKIA / AFP) (Photo by MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey seeks to bolster Eastern Med foothold in new Libya energy talks

A picture taken on Sept. 24, 2020, shows a partial view of the Brega oil port some 270 kilometers west of Libya's eastern city of Benghazi.

Jonathan Fenton-Harvey

In London, reporting on North Africa and Gulf politics

Mohamed Eljarh

Algeria's Sonatrach latest foreign oil major to resume Libya drilling

Libya has Africa’s largest proven oil reserves, with approximately 48.4 billion barrels, but political instability had led international energy firms to avoid it for more than a decade.

MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP via Getty Images

After decade in jail, Gadhafi’s son granted $11B bail in disappeared imam case

The lengthy detainment of Hannibal Gadhafi, the son of late Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi, over the 1978 disappearance of Shiite cleric Musa al-Sadr has long been a source of controversy in Lebanon.

Picture of a Libyan dinar banknote bearing a portrait of former leader Moammar Gadhafi is pictured in Tripoli, on Sept. 8, 2011.

Libyans rush banks amid cash crunch, government to print $11B in dinars to ease crisis

The Libyan Central Bank has been printing more money in response to cash shortages in the country, as falling oil prices and corruption take their toll.

A picture taken from a station of Dubai's Palm Monorail, shows traffic on a road in Palm Jumeirah on August 28, 2025.

World Bank ups Middle East 2025 economic outlook as oil, tourism rebound

The lender expects gross domestic product growth in the region to average 2.8% this year, up from its April forecast of 2.6%.

Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan arrives during a visit at the Villa Doria Pamphili in Rome on April 29, 2025.

Turkey's FM heads to Italy amid rising tensions with Greece over EastMed, Libya

The top Turkish diplomat is set to meet with his Italian counterpart, as Ankara seeks deeper cooperation with Rome amid a rivalry with Greece and ongoing Libya diplomacy.

A Syrian rebel fighter looks on as he stands at an inspection checkpoint for incoming vehicles at the entrance of the Russian-leased Syrian military base of Hmeimim in Latakia province in western Syria on Dec. 29, 2024.

Analysis

After setbacks in Syria and Turkish gains in Libya, Russia scrambles to retain Mediterranean sway

Moscow faces growing challenges coordinating in Libya and sustaining its regional presence after losing its key Syrian ally and confronting Ankara’s expanding influence.

Anton Mardasov

By Anton Mardasov

A Turkish Airlines plane prepares to take off from the Miami International Airport in Miami, on June 16, 2021.

Turkey resumes flights to Libya's Misrata as Ankara courts Tripoli, Hifter

The first direct flight from Istanbul to Misrata since 2015 underscores Turkey’s efforts to maintain good relations with the Tripoli government as well as its eastern-based rival.

Libya

Analysis

Turkey’s power play in Libya tests Greece’s red lines

A naval visit, back-channel diplomacy and a budding Italy-Libya track reveal Ankara’s push to lock in its 2019 maritime deal.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Libyan soldiers take part in a military parade marking the 82nd anniversary of the Libyan army, in the capital Tripoli on Aug. 9, 2022.

Libya: Tripoli’s fragile peace shaken by renewed fighting, military buildup

Recent weeks have seen multiple clashes and security incidents in the Libyan capital, raising concerns from both the United States and the United Nations.

hifter

Turkey’s spy chief meets Libya's Hifter in surprise visit to Benghazi

The surprise visit comes amid Ankara’s swiftly deepening thaw with eastern authorities after years of rivalry.

Turkish corvette TCG Kinaliada is seen in this undated image.

Turkish warship in Tripoli as Ankara courts Libya’s rival administration

The port call follows Ankara’s new military cooperation agreement with Tripoli as Turkey reaches out to rival factions in eastern Libya.

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler met with Saddam Hifter, commander of the Libyan National Army’s ground forces, on the sidelines of IDEF25 defense fair in Ankara, on July 23, 2025.

Libya’s Khalifa Hifter names son Saddam second-in-command: What to know

Saddam Hifter’s appointment as deputy general commander of the Libyan National Army positions him as a key power player in eastern Libya amid ongoing political division.