Oil, Elites, and Empty Promises: Inside the US-Backed Coup Against the UN in Libya

Following the conclusion of the United Nations-facilitated Structured Dialogue, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNSMIL, Hanna Tetteh, briefed the UN Security Council on the fragile state of play in Libya. Her briefing shed light on the UN’s latest efforts to revive a stalled political process, but it also highlighted an emerging geopolitical friction point: a competing, US-backed counter-push led by Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Massad Boulos. This American initiative is increasingly seen as a direct challenge—and direct competition—to UNSMIL’s long-term election roadmap. According to the final report of the Structured Dialogue—which concluded on June 7, 2026, after six months of deliberations—the group of approximately 120 Libyans representing civil society and various interest groups produced nearly […]