English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 28/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 20/01-10/:”Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 27-28/2025
Text and Video: The Anniversary of the Syrian Army's Withdrawal from Lebanon Is Marked by Defeat and Disappointment/Elias Bejjani/April 26/2025
Israel issues evacuation warning for residents of Hadath in Beirut's southern suburbs
Building in Beirut Southern Suburbs Struck After Israeli Warning
Israel says it struck Hezbollah missiles in southern Beirut
Israeli jets strike Beirut's southern suburbs for the third time since a ceasefire began
Netanyahu says Dahiyeh not safe haven for Hezbollah after strike on 'precision missiles'
Israeli airstrike rocks southern Beirut after military issues evacuation warning
Lebanese President condemns repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon
One Killed in Israeli Drone Strike in South Lebanon
New banknotes as part of currency reform: Lebanon to introduce LBP 500,000 and LBP
Samy Gemayel: 'The Decentralization Law Is Almost Complete, Only Political Will Is Missing'

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 27-28/2025
Death toll from Iran port blast hits 40 as fire blazes
Putin offers Iran Russian help after blast at Iranian port of Bandar Abbas
Sultan of Oman, UK foreign secretary discuss Gaza, US-Iran negotiations
Iran's President Visits Those Injured in Port Explosion that Killed at Least 28 People
Russia to Send Several Planes to Iran to Help Extinguish Port Fire
Israel's Netanyahu calls for 'dismantling' Iran's nuclear infrastructure
US, Iran say progress in 'positive' nuclear talks
Jordanian government spokesperson says country remains firmly supportive of Palestine
Qatari emir, Turkish FM discuss Syria, Gaza in Doha
Houthis say 2 killed in US strikes Sanaa
Israel intercepts missile fired by Yemen's Houthis
Syria rejects Kurds’ call for decentralization
Saudi Arabia, Qatar to settle Syria’s World Bank debt
Gaza ceasefire talks make some progress, Qatari PM says
Gaza Health Ministry reports 51 deaths from Israeli strikes, bringing war toll to over 52,000
Israel PM calls security chief ‘liar’, in court filing
Iraq’s judiciary acquits powerful former speaker of forgery
No place for racism and hate in France, says Macron after Muslim killed in mosque
Zelenskyy says Ukraine still fighting in Russia’s Kursk
Russia will continue to target sites used by Ukraine’s military, Lavrov says
Trump says US ships should be allowed to travel through the Panama and Suez canals for free

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sourceson on April 27-28/2025
China Just 'Folded' in the Trade War/Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute./April 27, 2025
Prince Khalid’s Iran visit creates a positive atmosphere/Hassan Al-Mustafa/Arab News/April 27, 2025
Will the Lebanese people ever get their money back?/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/April 27, 2025
AI can preserve and grow the Arabic language/Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab News/April 27, 2025
Syria might join the Abraham Accords — that should make Iran very nervous/Adam Scott Bellos|/Ynetnews/27 April/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 27-28/2025
Text and Video: The Anniversary of the Syrian Army's Withdrawal from Lebanon Is Marked by Defeat and Disappointment
Elias Bejjani/April 26/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/04/129186/
April 26, 2005, is not merely a date to remember—it marks the end of a long and painful chapter that began in 1976, when the Syrian army entered Lebanon and began suppressing the free will of the Lebanese people.
Today, the Lebanese commemorate the withdrawal of the Assad regime’s brutal army from their homeland—a retreat marked by humiliation, defeat, and disgrace. This historic exit was the result of persistent, peaceful, and honorable pressure by the Lebanese people of the Cedar Revolution, backed by international and regional support. However, the vacuum left by the Syrian occupation was swiftly filled by the Iranian army’s proxy—Hezbollah, a terrorist, sectarian militia that now occupies Lebanon, strips it of its sovereignty, and suppresses its free citizens and their independent leaders.
The key difference between these two brutal occupations lies in their form: the Syrian Ba’athist occupation was carried out by a foreign force supported by traitorous Lebanese factions. That regime has now collapsed, its atrocities—including those against its own people—fully exposed. In contrast, the Iranian occupation continues through Hezbollah—an armed gang composed of our own people from the Shiites community, who have been misled and manipulated. Their decisions, allegiance, funding, arms, culture, and ideological direction are entirely dictated by Iran’s clerical regime. Since 1982, this regime has worked tirelessly to dismantle the Lebanese state and replace it with a theocracy governed by the concept of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist).
Despite countless international, Arab, and regional resolutions—and despite almost daily, devastating Israeli strikes—Hezbollah remains in a state of arrogant denial. It refuses to acknowledge the defeat reflected in the ceasefire agreement and continues its threats and provocations. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s new leadership—its president and cabinet—remain hesitant and submissive, appeasing Hezbollah instead of taking a firm stand to set a clear timeline for disarmament or to impose it by force. Hezbollah’s weapons are not pointed at Israel—they are aimed at the Lebanese people.
Therefore, the Iranian occupation, executed through the treacherous, criminal, jihadist, and Persian-backed Hezbollah, is far more dangerous than the previous Syrian Assad occupation. Hezbollah was crushed in its confrontation with Israel, and the myth of its so-called resistance has been shattered. For this reason, every patriotic Lebanese citizen who believes in a Lebanon of peace, coexistence, and sovereign purpose must rise against this occupation. They must reject and expose every official, politician, or religious leader who enables its survival.
Ultimately, evil can never triumph over good. Lebanon represents goodness, while the Iranian jihadist occupation embodies evil. And because of that truth, Lebanon will prevail—no matter how long the struggle takes. All occupying forces will eventually suffer defeat, disgrace, and destruction.
Yet even more dangerous to Lebanon's identity, culture, and future than foreign occupations are the shameful, narcissistic behaviors of many current and former Lebanese politicians, clerics, and officials. Their hatred and envy resemble that of Lucifer—the fallen angel cast out of heaven for defying the greatness of God. These figures have similarly fallen, betraying Lebanon for personal gain and power.
Yes, the Syrian army withdrew on April 26, 2005. But its domestic mercenaries remain—especially Hezbollah, along with the toxic remnants of radical leftist groups, Arab nationalists tainted by Nasserism, and frauds who continue to deceive the public with empty slogans of resistance and liberation. These forces, blinded by primitive instincts, hatred, and ignorance, are the true enemies of Lebanon. They cloak themselves in hypocrisy and lies, peddling slogans about “resistance,” “defiance,” and “throwing Jews into the sea,” all while functioning as Trojan horses undermining Lebanon from within. With malice, corruption, and violence, they actively sabotage efforts to restore sovereignty and freedom—resorting to assassinations, invasions, terrorism, and mafia-like intimidation.
Lebanon, with its divine message, ancient civilization, and sacred identity, has endured for over 7,000 years. It is a flame that burns the hands of those who try to destroy it. And in time, it will always rise up to crush those who insult its dignity, freedom, and people.
On this solemn and truly national day, let us bow our heads in prayer for the souls of our martyrs, for the return of our heroic, honorable refugees living in exile in Israel, and for those still forcibly disappeared in the Assad regime’s criminal prisons.
In the end, sacred Lebanon will endure—despite hardship and suffering—because angels guard it, and because the Virgin Mother intercedes lovingly on its behalf. Just as the Syrian occupation fell, so too will the Iranian one—whether sooner or later, by God’s will.

Israel issues evacuation warning for residents of Hadath in Beirut's southern suburbs
LBCI/27 April ,2025
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an urgent evacuation warning on Sunday to residents of Beirut's southern suburbs, specifically in the Hadath neighborhood. According to the statement, those in a building marked in red on an issued map, as well as nearby structures, were warned that they are in proximity to 'Hezbollah facilities.' "For your safety and the safety of your families, you must evacuate these buildings immediately and move at least 300 meters away, as indicated on the map," the warning stated.

Building in Beirut Southern Suburbs Struck After Israeli Warning
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/27 April ,2025
A building in Beirut’s southern suburbs known as Dahieh was struck on Sunday almost an hour after the Israeli army issued an evacuation order to residents of the area. The Israeli army's spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, earlier said on X that residents should evacuate several buildings in the Hadath neighborhood and move "at least 300 meters away.”Residents reported hearing gunfire across the area, which they said they believed was intended to warn people to leave, as well as seeing a massive traffic jam on roads leading from the area. "To everyone located in the building marked in red on the attached map, and the surrounding buildings: you are near facilities belonging to Hezbollah," Adraee wrote in a post that included a map of the potential targets. The Israeli army said the building was being used to store precision missiles belonging to Hezbollah. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that Hezbollah's precision missiles "posed a significant threat to the State of Israel." Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the United States and France, as guarantors of the ceasefire agreement struck in November, to compel Israel to stop its attacks. "Israel's continued actions in undermining stability will exacerbate tensions and place the region at real risk, threatening its security and stability," he said in a statement. Earlier this month an Israeli airstrike killed four people, including a Hezbollah official, in Beirut's southern suburbs -the second Israeli strike on a Hezbollah-controlled area of the Lebanese capital in five days.

Israel says it struck Hezbollah missiles in southern Beirut
Reuters/27 April ,2025
The Israeli army said on Sunday it struck a southern Beirut building being used to store precision missiles belonging to Hezbollah. The attack was a further test of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group. A huge plume of smoke billowed from the building, Reuters live footage showed, almost an hour after the Israeli army issued an evacuation order to residents of the Hadath neighborhood. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that Hezbollah’s precision missiles “posed a significant threat to the State of Israel.” There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah. The latest strike adds to strains on the US-brokered ceasefire that ended last year’s devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. “Today’s strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut generated panic and fear of renewed violence among those desperate for a return to normalcy,” Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, said on X. “We urge all sides to halt any actions that could further undermine the cessation of hostilities understanding and the implementation of SCR 1701,” she added, referring to the United Nations Security Council resolution that ended the month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the United States and France, as guarantors of the ceasefire agreement struck in November, to compel Israel to stop its attacks. “Israel’s continued actions in undermining stability will exacerbate tensions and place the region at real risk, threatening its security and stability,” he said in a statement. Earlier this month an Israeli airstrike killed four people, including a Hezbollah official, in Beirut’s southern suburbs – the second Israeli strike on a Hezbollah-controlled area of the Lebanese capital in five days. The attacks on southern Beirut have resumed at a time of broader escalation in hostilities in the region, with Israel having restarted Gaza strikes after a two-month truce and the United States hitting the Iranian-backed Houthis of Yemen in a bid to get them to stop attacking Red Sea shipping. Israel has dealt severe blows to Hezbollah in the war, killing thousands of its fighters, destroying much of its arsenal and eliminating its top leadership, including Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah has denied any role in recent rocket attacks from Lebanon towards Israel.

Israeli jets strike Beirut's southern suburbs for the third time since a ceasefire began
Sally Abou Aljoud/AP/April 27, 2025
BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli jets struck Beirut’s southern suburbs Sunday after issuing a warning about an hour earlier, marking the third Israeli strike on the area since a ceasefire took effect in late November. In a statement following the strike, the Israeli military said it targeted a precision-guided missile storage facility for the militant Hezbollah group. It added that storing such equipment is a violation of the agreement reached to end the Israel-Hezbollah war. A huge plume of smoke billowed over the area after the strike, which hit what looked like a metal tent situated between two buildings with three bombs, according to an Associated Press photographer on the ground and footage circulating on social media. The photographer saw two burned and destroyed trucks inside the hangar. There were no immediate reports of casualties. In the warning, the Israeli military said it was targeting Hezbollah facilities in the Hadath area and urged residents to move at least 300 meters from the site before the strike. Two warning strikes followed. Fighter jets were heard over parts of the Lebanese capital before the strike near the Al-Jamous neighborhood, where gunfire was shot into the air to warn residents and urge them to evacuate, as families fled in panic. During the last Israel-Hezbollah war, Israeli drones and fighter jets regularly pounded the southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has wide influence and support. Israel views the area, where it has assassinated several of Hezbollah’s top leaders, including chief Hassan Nasrallah, as a militant stronghold and accuses the group of storing weapons there. President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, calling on the United States and France, as guarantors of the ceasefire, to “assume their responsibilities” and pressure Israel to halt its attacks. He warned that Israel’s continued actions “undermine stability” and risk exposing the region to serious security threats.
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis posted on X that the latest Israeli strike “generated panic and fear of renewed violence among those desperate for a return to normalcy.” She urged all sides to halt any actions that could further undermine the ceasefire understanding and the implementation of the U.N. resolution that ended the war.
Sunday’s strike follows two earlier attacks on the capital’s southern suburbs, the first taking place on March 28, when Israel also issued a warning, and the second on April 1, when an unannounced strike killed four people, including a Hezbollah official. The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, Sheikh Naim Kassem, has recently warned that if Israel’s attacks on Lebanon continued and if Lebanon’s government doesn't act to stop them, the group would eventually resort to other alternatives. Kassem also said that Hezbollah’s fighters won't disarm as long as Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon and the Israeli air force regularly violates Lebanese airspace. Under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from all Lebanese territory by late January, while Hezbollah had to end its armed presence south of the Litani River along the border with Israel. Earlier on Sunday, a drone strike killed a man in the southern Lebanese village of Halta, according to the Health Ministry. In a post on X that included footage of the strike, the Israeli military said that it had targeted a Hezbollah member, “where he was working to rebuild Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities in the area.” Last week, the Lebanese government said 190 people have been killed and 485 wounded in Lebanon by Israeli strikes since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect. Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah officials and infrastructure. The Lebanese military has gradually deployed in the country’s southern region, and Beirut has urged the international community to pressure Israel to stop attacks and withdraw its forces still present on five hilltops in Lebanese territory.

Netanyahu says Dahiyeh not safe haven for Hezbollah after strike on 'precision missiles'
Agence France Presse/April 27, 2025
Israel said it targeted a Hezbollah store of "precision-guided missiles" in a southern Beirut suburbs air strike on Sunday that prompted President Joseph Aoun to call for French and U.S. intervention. "Under the instruction of Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, the (military) has strongly attacked infrastructure in Beirut where Hezbollah's precision-guided missiles were stored," a statement from Netanyahu's office said. In a separate statement, the Israeli military said it hit the site in Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah. "The storage of missiles in this infrastructure site constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon, and poses a threat to the State of Israel and its civilians," the military said. Netanyahu's office said Israel "will not allow Hezbollah to grow stronger and create any threat against it -- anywhere in Lebanon.""The Dahiyeh neighborhood in Beirut will not serve as a safe haven for the terrorist organization Hezbollah," the office added. "The Lebanese government bears direct responsibility for preventing these threats," it said. The Lebanese president condemned the strike and called on France and the United States to assume their responsibilities as guarantors of the fragile November 27 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to compel Israel to "halt its attacks immediately."

Israeli airstrike rocks southern Beirut after military issues evacuation warning
Oren Liebermann, Charbel Mallo, Michael Rios, Eyad Kourdi and Dana Karni, CNN/April 27, 2025
An Israeli airstrike rocked southern Beirut on Sunday soon after the military issued an evacuation warning for the Lebanese capital. Footage from Reuters showed a huge plume of smoke rising from the area shortly after 6:00 p.m. (11 a.m. ET). It is unclear if the attack caused damage or casualties. The target of the strike was a Hezbollah facility in Beirut which stored precision missiles, according to a joint statement from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. The attack came after Israel Defense Forces spokesman Avichay Adraee advised civilians to evacuate from the Hadath neighborhood. Adraee said Hezbollah was using facilities in the area and said civilians should move 300 meters away. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Israel for attacking the area and urged the US and France to “compel Israel to immediately halt its aggressions.”Since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect in November, the IDF has carried out a number of strikes, regularly targeting southern Lebanon. The IDF says these strikes have targeted Hezbollah militants and facilities. Strikes in the capital of Beirut have been rare however. On April 1, the IDF struck a target in the Dahieh area in Beirut. Only days before, the Israeli military had conducted another attack in Beirut.

Lebanese President condemns repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon
LBCI/April 27, 2025
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed that the United States and France, as guarantors of the agreement to halt hostilities, must assume their responsibilities and pressure Israel to cease its aggressions immediately. Aoun warned that Israel's ongoing violations threaten to escalate tensions and place the region at serious risk, endangering both its security and stability. He also condemned the repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon's sovereignty and the integrity of its territory.

One Killed in Israeli Drone Strike in South Lebanon
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/April 27, 2025
An Israeli drone strike on a Lebanese border town on Sunday killed one person, Lebanon's health ministry said. The ministry reported in a statement "one martyr" from "the drone strike launched by the Israeli enemy on the town of Halta,” in southern Lebanon.
Local media said the man was killed while working on his chicken farm. Israel has continued to carry out regular strikes in Lebanon despite the November truce that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, including two months of all-out war.
A pair of Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed a leader of Jamaa Islamiya in Baawerta, on the coast south of Beirut, and one person who Israel said was a local Hezbollah commander in south Lebanon's Tyre district.

New banknotes as part of currency reform: Lebanon to introduce LBP 500,000 and LBP
LBCI/April 27, 2025
Lebanon is preparing to release higher denominations of its national currency, including LBP 500,000 and LBP one million, to address some of the practical challenges caused by the collapse of the lira. The move comes following Parliament's approval of a law during its latest session. So far, no decision has been made regarding the total amount of new currency to be printed or the final design of the new banknotes.  According to sources at the Banque du Liban (BDL), the printing process will begin once the law is signed by the president and published in the Official Gazette. The production and introduction of the new bills are expected to take about a year. The introduction of larger denominations has raised concerns about the possibility of injecting more lira into the market, which could further erode its value. However, officials emphasized that the new notes will be issued gradually, and the currency supply will be carefully managed to maintain the current liquidity level, estimated at around LBP 82 trillion. Smaller denominations will continue to circulate alongside the new notes. Questions have also emerged about why authorities are not opting for a currency redenomination—for instance, removing zeros so that a 100,000-lira bill would become a 100-lira note, roughly equivalent to $1.1. Banking sources explained that redenomination would be significantly more expensive, requiring the complete reprinting of all denominations. The idea of printing larger bills had been discussed previously but is being implemented now because conditions are seen as more favorable. The lira's exchange rate has remained relatively stable for nearly two years, while early signs of political stability and the start of financial reforms are offering a cautious sense of hope. These reforms are seen as crucial to restoring confidence in the national currency and the banking sector. Still, Lebanon remains far behind global financial trends, where many countries have moved toward smart and digital currencies.

Samy Gemayel: 'The Decentralization Law Is Almost Complete, Only Political Will Is Missing'
This is Beirut/April 27, 2025
After 76 sessions and nearly 200 hours of work, Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel announced that the draft law on decentralization is practically finalized and now only awaits political will for its adoption. Speaking at the third Tajaddod Lel Watan participatory conference, titled “Decentralization: The Time Has Come,” Gemayel urged Parliament to assume its responsibility and push the reform forward. He stressed that decentralization would allow each Lebanese region to develop its own plans independently of the central government, shifting sectarian competition for power toward local competition focused on improving citizens' lives. Gemayel recalled that all political parties had participated in drafting the text, which is now almost complete, and insisted that Parliament must act. He stated, “We have a historic opportunity to deliver real reform. Let's not leave it as just a conference topic.”Highlighting the need for three levels of governance (municipality, region and central government), he explained the proposed mechanism: directly elected local councils, administrative and financial autonomy and fair redistribution of resources to achieve balanced development across all regions.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 27-28/2025
Death toll from Iran port blast hits 40 as fire blazes
AFP/April 27, 2025
TEHRAN: Iran’s president visited the scene of a massive port blast that killed at least 40 people and injured more than 1,000, as a fire still blazed on Sunday more than 24 hours after the explosion. The blast occurred on Saturday at Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran, near the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil output passes. With choking smoke and air pollution spreading throughout the area, all schools and offices in Bandar Abbas, the nearby capital of Hormozgan province, were ordered closed to allow authorities to focus on the emergency effort, state television said. The health ministry urged residents to avoid going outside “until further notice” and to use protective masks. Arriving in Bandar Abbas, President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed his appreciation to first responders, adding “we have come to see first-hand if there is anything or any issue that the government can follow up on.”“We will try to take care of the families who lost their loved ones, and we will definitely take care of the dear people who got injured,” he said. A photo released by Pezeshkian’s office later showed him at the bedside of a man hurt in the blast. Pezeshkian earlier ordered an investigation into the cause of the explosion. The Russian embassy said Moscow was sending multiple “aircraft carrying specialists” to help fight the blaze. According to Russia’s ministry of emergency situations, one of the aircraft is a dedicated firefighting plane. The New York Times quoted a person with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters, as saying that what exploded was sodium perchlorate — a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles. Defense ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik later told state TV that “there has been no imported or exported cargo for military fuel or military use in the area.”The port’s customs office said in a statement carried by state television that the explosion probably resulted from a fire that broke out at the hazardous and chemical materials storage depot.
A regional emergency official said several containers had exploded. “For the moment, 40 people have lost their lives as a result of injuries caused by the explosion,” Hormozgan provincial official Mohammad Ashouri told state television. The ISNA news agency, citing the provincial judiciary, gave the number of injured as 1,242. Red Crescent chief Pirhossein Koolivand said some of the injured were airlifted for treatment in the capital Tehran. Aerial photos released by the Iranian presidency showed black smoke rising from the disaster zone on Sunday and drifting toward the sea. “The fire is under control but still not out,” a state TV correspondent reported.
Also at the scene on Sunday, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said “the situation has stabilized in the main areas” of the facility, Iran’s largest commercial port, and workers had resumed loading containers and customs clearance. Another official on site, Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh, said only one zone of the port was impacted. An image from Iran’s Tasnim news agency on Sunday showed a helicopter dropping water on the disaster zone. Others showed firefighters working among toppled and blackened cargo containers, and carrying out the body of a victim. The authorities have closed off roads leading to the site, and footage from the area has been limited to Iranian media outlets. Beijing’s foreign ministry said in a statement to AFP on Sunday that three injured Chinese nationals were in a “stable” condition. The United Arab Emirates expressed “solidarity with Iran” over the explosion and Saudi Arabia sent condolences, as did Pakistan, India, Turkiye and the United Nations as well as Russia. The Tehran-backed Lebanese movement Hezbollah also offered condolences, saying Iran, with its “faith and solid will, can overcome this tragic accident.” In the first reaction from a major European country, the German embassy in Tehran said on Instagram: “Bandar Abbas, we grieve with you.” Authorities declared a day of national mourning on Monday, and three days of mourning in Hormozgan province from Sunday. The blast occurred as Iranian and US delegations were meeting in Oman for high-level talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, with both sides reporting progress. While Iranian authorities so far appear to be treating the blast as an accident, it also comes against the backdrop of years of shadow war with regional foe Israel. According to the Washington Post, Israel launched a cyberattack targeting the Shahid Rajaee Port in 2020.

Putin offers Iran Russian help after blast at Iranian port of Bandar Abbas
Reuters/April 27, 2025
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin has offered Iran Russian help in dealing with the aftermath of a blast that rocked the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and expressed his condolences over the loss of life, the state RIA news agency reported on Sunday. Iranian state media reported that a huge blast probably caused by the explosion of chemical materials killed at least 18 people and injured more than 700 on Saturday at Bandar Abbas, Iran’s biggest port.

Sultan of Oman, UK foreign secretary discuss Gaza, US-Iran negotiations
Arab News/April 27, 2025
LONDON: Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq discussed regional and international issues with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Al-Barakah Palace in Muscat on Sunday. The sultan praised cooperation between the two countries, and Lammy reaffirmed the British government’s commitment to strengthening cooperation, the Oman News Agency reported. They discussed Gaza ceasefire efforts, and US-Iranian negotiations mediated by Oman to reach an agreement regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, ONA reported. Also in attendance were Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al-Busaidi; Sir Oliver Robbins, permanent undersecretary at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; and British Ambassador Liane Saunders.

Iran's President Visits Those Injured in Port Explosion that Killed at Least 28 People
Asharq Al Awsat/April 27, 2025
Iran's president visited those injured Sunday in a huge explosion that rocked one of the Islamic Republic's main ports, a facility purportedly linked to an earlier delivery of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant. The visit by President Masoud Pezeshkian came as the toll from Saturday's blast at the Shahid Rajaei port outside of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran's Hormozgan province rose to 28 killed and about 1,000 others injured. Iranian state television described the fire as being under control, saying emergency workers hoped that it would be fully extinguished later Sunday. Overnight, helicopters and heavy cargo aircraft flew repeated sorties over the burning port, dumping seawater on the site, The AP news reported. Pir Hossein Kolivand, head of Iran’s Red Crescent society offered the death toll and number of injured in a statement carried by an Iranian government website, saying that only 190 of the injured remained hospitalized on Sunday. The provincial governor declared three days of mourning. Private security firm Ambrey says the port received missile fuel chemical in March. It was part of a shipment of ammonium perchlorate from China by two vessels to Iran, first reported in January by the Financial Times. The chemical used to make solid propellant for rockets was going to be used to replenish Iran’s missile stocks, which had been depleted by its direct attacks on Israel during the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Ship-tracking data analyzed by The AP put one of the vessels believed to be carrying the chemical in the vicinity in March, as Ambrey said. “The fire was reportedly the result of improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles,” Ambrey said. In a first reaction on Sunday, Iranian Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Reza Talaeinik denied that missile fuel had been imported through the port. “No sort of imported and exporting consignment for fuel or military application was (or) is in the site of the port,” he told state television by telephone. He called foreign reports on the missile fuel baseless — but offered no explanation for what material detonated with such incredible force at the site. Talaeinik promised authorities would offer more information later. It’s unclear why Iran wouldn’t have moved the chemicals from the port, particularly after the Beirut port blast in 2020. That explosion, caused by the ignition of hundreds of tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, killed more than 200 people and injured more than 6,000 others. However, Israel did target Iranian missile sites where Tehran uses industrial mixers to create solid fuel — meaning potentially that it had no place to process the chemical. Social media footage of the explosion on Saturday at Shahid Rajaei saw reddish-hued smoke rising from the fire just before the detonation. That suggests a chemical compound being involved in the blast, like in the Beirut explosion. Meanwhile on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin deployed several emergency aircraft to Bandar Abbas to provide assistance, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Russia to Send Several Planes to Iran to Help Extinguish Port Fire
Asharq Al Awsat/April 27, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered several emergency planes to be sent to Iran to help extinguish a fire in the port of Bandar Abbas, Russian state-run news agency TASS reported on Sunday. Putin had conveyed his "words of sincere sympathy and support to the families of the victims, as well as his wishes for a recovery to all those injured," a copy of a message published on the Kremlin website showed. Iranian state media have reported that a huge blast probably caused by the explosion of chemical materials killed at least 25 people and injured more than 700 on Saturday at Bandar Abbas, Iran's biggest port.

Israel's Netanyahu calls for 'dismantling' Iran's nuclear infrastructure
LBCI/AFP/April 27, 2025
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Sunday for the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear program, insisting that any deal with Tehran must also address its ballistic missiles capabilities. "You have to dismantle their nuclear infrastructure and that means ... they will not have the capacity to enrich uranium," he said in a speech in Jerusalem, adding that any deal should also "bring in the prevention of ballistic missiles."

US, Iran say progress in 'positive' nuclear talks
Agence France Presse/April 27, 2025
The United States and Iran reported progress in their latest round of nuclear talks on Saturday and agreed to meet again next week as they pursue a deal that could help ease soaring Middle East tensions. A U.S. official called the talks "positive and productive", and Iran's top diplomat said the two sides will study how to narrow their differences on a range of subjects before next week's fourth round. The highest-level contact in years between the long-time foes is targeting a new deal that would stop Iran developing nuclear weapons -- an objective Tehran denies pursuing -- in return for relief from sanctions."There is still much to do, but further progress was made on getting to a deal," the senior US official said on condition of anonymity, adding that the next talks would be in Europe. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Saturday's talks, which included technical-level teams for the first time, "serious and businesslike"."There are differences both in the major issues and in the details," he told Iranian state TV."Until the next meeting, further studies are to be conducted in the capitals on how to reduce the differences."Araghchi added: "I think our progress has been good so far. I am satisfied with the process of the negotiation and its speed. I think it is proceeding well and satisfactorily."U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of an earlier, multilateral agreement during his first term. The United States and Israel have repeatedly threatened Iran with military strikes.
'Minute details'
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff again led the American delegation while Michael Anton, the State Department's head of policy planning, headed the U.S. expert-level negotiators. Deputy foreign ministers Kazem Gharibabadi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi led Tehran's technical team, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency. The delegations were in separate rooms and communicated in writing via the hosts, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei and Araghchi said. "The expert and technical talks... reached the stage of minute details about mutual demands and expectations," an Iranian state TV reporter said. Iran's defense and missile capabilities were not discussed, Baqaei told state TV, while an Iranian negotiator said the talks were "uniquely about sanctions and nuclear questions", according to Tasnim. Araghchi had earlier expressed "cautious optimism", saying this week: "If the sole demand by the US is for Iran to not possess nuclear weapons, this demand is achievable". The talks coincided with a major blast at Iran's Shahid Rajaee port that injured hundreds of people and killed at least four, state media reported.
The port's customs office said it probably resulted from a fire in a storage depot. Before the talks, Trump, in an interview published Friday by Time magazine, reiterated his threat of military action if a deal fell through. But he added that he "would much prefer a deal than bombs being dropped". The talks began in Muscat a fortnight ago and continued in Rome last Saturday.
Trump's 'maximum pressure'
They are the most senior engagement between the traditional enemies since 2018, when Trump withdrew from the landmark 2015 accord that gave Iran sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear program. Since returning to office, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" policy of sanctions against Tehran. In March, he wrote to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing talks, but also warning of potential military action if diplomacy failed. On Tuesday, Washington announced new sanctions targeting Iran's oil network -- a move Tehran described as "hostile" ahead of Saturday's talks. On Wednesday, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi called on Iran to explain tunnels built near its Natanz nuclear site, seen in satellite imagery released by the Institute for Science and International Security. Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67 percent limit imposed by the 2015 deal but still below the 90 percent threshold required for weapons-grade material. Araghchi has previously called Iran's right to enrich uranium "non-negotiable". Tehran last year revived engagement with Britain, France and Germany -- also signatories to the 2015 deal -- holding several rounds of nuclear talks ahead of the U.S. meetings. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged the three European states to decide whether to trigger the "snapback" mechanism under the 2015 agreement, which would automatically reinstate UN sanctions on Iran over its non-compliance. The option to use the mechanism expires in October.Iran has warned it could withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the snapback is triggered.

Jordanian government spokesperson says country remains firmly supportive of Palestine
Arab News/April 27, 2025
LONDON: Minister of Communication Mohammad Momani has said that Jordan’s commitment to “defending” Palestinian rights in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza “remains firm.”Momani, who is also the spokesperson for the Jordanian government, said that the country supported the right of Palestinians to self-determination, and the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. His remarks were made on Saturday during a seminar commemorating the 105th anniversary of the martyrdom of Kaid Al-Mefleh Obeidat. He is remembered as a national hero after being the first Jordanian to lose his life in resisting Zionist groups during the British mandate in Palestine in 1920. Momani said: “Supporting the Palestinian cause should not come at the expense of Jordan’s national stability but should be expressed through unity behind the Hashemite leadership, the Arab army, and the security agencies.”He added that “Obeidat’s martyrdom … highlights Jordan’s long-standing sacrifices for Arab unity and freedom,” the Jordan News Agency reported. Momani said that Jordan’s support resulted from its religious, moral, and humanitarian obligations and that a Palestinian state was vital to Jordan’s national interests, according to Petra. He said that King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein continued “to champion the Palestinian cause, maintaining Jordan as a bastion of steadfastness amid regional upheavals.”

Qatari emir, Turkish FM discuss Syria, Gaza in Doha
Arab News/April 27, 2025
LONDON: Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan at Lusail Palace in Doha on Sunday.During the meeting, the two leaders discussed significant regional and international developments, especially those concerning Gaza, the Palestinian territories, and Syria. Sheikh Tamim and Fidan reviewed strategic relations between Doha and Ankara, as well as ways to strengthen and develop ties, the Qatar News Agency reported.

Houthis say 2 killed in US strikes Sanaa
AFP/April 27, 2025
SANAA: Houthi media said on Sunday that strikes on Yemen’s capital Sanaa attributed to the US had killed two people and wounded several others. “Two people were killed and another injured after the Americans targeted a house” in a neighborhood in south Sanaa, the Houthis’ official Saba news agency said. “Nine others were injured, including two women and three children, in the attack on a residential area in the west of Al-Rawda,” another district of the Yemeni capital, according to the same source. On Saturday evening, the AFP correspondent in Sanaa reported hearing explosions. The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, also reported strikes in other parts of the country, including their stronghold of Saada in the north. They said the fuel port of Ras Issa in the western Hodeida region — where they reported 80 people killed in strikes just over a week ago — had also been hit. The Houthis portray themselves as defenders of Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war. They have regularly launched missiles and drones at Israel and cargo vessels plying the key Red Sea trade route. The US military has, since January 2024, been attacking their positions, saying it is trying to stop their attacks. Those attacks have intensified recently, with strikes carried out almost daily for the past month. On Sunday, the Houthis claimed to have launched, for the second time in two days, a missile toward Israel. The Israeli army reported intercepting a missile from Yemen before it crossed into the country’s territory. On Saturday, CENTCOM, the US military command in the region, posted footage from the US aircraft carriers Harry S. Truman and Carl Vinson conducting strikes against the Houthis.

Israel intercepts missile fired by Yemen's Houthis
Agence France Presse/April 27, 2025
The Israeli military said Sunday it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, where the Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the launch, saying it targeted an air base in southern Israel. "The missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted... prior to crossing into Israeli territory," a military statement said. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they had launched a "hypersonic missile" at the Nevatim air base in Israel's Negev desert.The Houthis, part of Iran's "axis of resistance" against Israel and the United States, portray themselves as defenders of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. They have regularly launched missiles and drones at Israel and at vessels plying the key Red Sea trade route, prompting waves of attacks by Israel and the United States on Houthi targets. Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, those attacks have intensified, with almost daily strikes for the past month.According to Israel's army radio, the Houthis have fired more than 20 missiles at Israel since they resumed their attacks when Israel renewed its Gaza offensive on March 18 after a two-month ceasefire.

Syria rejects Kurds’ call for decentralization
AFP/April 27, 2025
DAMASCUS: The Syrian presidency rejected on Sunday a Kurdish call for a decentralized state, warning against attempts at separatism or federalism by the minority group. “We reject clearly any attempt to impose a separatist reality or to create separate entities under the cover of federalism... without a national consensus,” the presidency said in a statement in which it also condemned “the recent activities and declarations” of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that “call for federalism.”“The unity of Syria, of its territories and its people is a red line,” the statement said. The declaration came a day after a conference of Syrian Kurdish parties adopted a joint vision of a “decentralized democratic state.”The new authorities in Syria, who replaced the overthrown Bashar Assad in December, have repeatedly rejected the idea of Kurdish autonomy. The US-backed Kurds control large areas of northeastern Syria, much of which they took over in the process of defeating jihadists of the Daesh group between 2015 and 2019. They have enjoyed de facto autonomy since early in the civil war which broke out in 2011, but the new authorities have insisted on a unitary state. In March, Syria’s interim president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, and the SDF chief Mazloum Abdi, signed an agreement to integrate Kurdish institutions into the Syrian state. Abdi told the conference on Saturday that “my message to all Syrian constituents and the Damascus government is that the conference does not aim, as some say, at division.”Instead it aimed “for the unity of Syria,” he insisted. “We support all Syrian components receiving their rights in the constitution to be able to build a decentralized democratic Syria that embraces everyone,” Abdi said.Most of Syria’s oil and gas fields are in areas administered by the Kurdish authorities. These may prove a crucial resource for Syria’s new authorities as they seek to rebuild the war-devastated country.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar to settle Syria’s World Bank debt
Al Arabiya English/With AFP/27 April ,2025
Saudi Arabia and Qatar announced on Sunday that they would settle Syria’s debt to the World Bank totaling roughly $15 million, according to a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency. Both Gulf states have played a key role in the diplomatic outreach to Syria’s new rulers since the ouster of longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad in December. “The ministries of finance in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the state of Qatar jointly announce their commitment to settle Syria’s outstanding arrears to the World Bank Group, totaling around $15 million,” the statement said. The statement came just days after Syria’s central bank governor and finance minister attended the IMF and World Bank spring meetings for the first time in more than 20 years. Much of Syria’s infrastructure has been destroyed by 14 years of war, which began with a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests. Al-Assad was ousted in a lightning offensive by opposition forces in December, and Syria’s new government has sought to rebuild the country’s diplomatic ties, including with international financial institutions. The World Bank suspended operations in Syria when the war began. The settlement of its arrears will enable it to resume accessing the bank’s financial support and technical advice. “This commitment will pave the way for the World Bank Group to resume support and operations in Syria after a suspension of more than 14 years,” the statement said. “It will also unlock Syria’s access to financial support in the near term for the development of critical sectors.” The Syrian authorities are counting on Arab allies to play a pivotal role in financing the reconstruction of their war-ravaged nation and revive its economy.

Gaza ceasefire talks make some progress, Qatari PM says
Reuters/27 April ,2025
Qatar’s prime minister said on Sunday that efforts to reach a new ceasefire in Gaza have made some progress but an agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the war remains elusive. “We have seen on Thursday a bit of progress compared to other meetings yet we need to find an answer for the ultimate question: how to end this war. That’s the key point of the entire negotiations,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister. Mossad Director David Barnea traveled to Doha on Thursday to meet Sheikh Mohammed amid efforts to reach a new ceasefire in Gaza, Axios reported last week. Sheikh Mohammed didn’t say which elements of the ceasefire talks had progressed in recent days, but said Hamas and Israel remained at odds over the ultimate goal of negotiations. He said the militant group is willing to return all remaining Israeli hostages if Israel ends the war in Gaza. But Israel wants Hamas to release the remaining hostages without offering a clear vision on ending the war, he said. “When you don’t have a common objective, a common goal between the parties, I believe the opportunities (to end the war) become very thin,” Sheikh Mohammed said at a press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Fidan said talks Turkish officials have held with Hamas had shown the group would be more open to an agreement that goes beyond a ceasefire in Gaza and aims for a lasting solution to the crisis with Israel, including a two-state solution. Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a January ceasefire collapsed, saying it would keep up pressure on Hamas until it frees the remaining hostages still held in the enclave. Up to 24 of them are believed to still be alive.The Gaza war started after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel’s offensive on the enclave killed more than 51,400, according to local health officials.

Gaza Health Ministry reports 51 deaths from Israeli strikes, bringing war toll to over 52,000
AP/April 27, 2025
DEIR AL-BALAH: Hospitals in the Gaza Strip received the remains of 51 Palestinians over the past 24 hours who were killed in Israeli strikes, the local Health Ministry said Sunday, bringing the Palestinian death toll from the 18-month-old Israel-Hamas war to 52,243. The overall toll includes nearly 700 bodies for which the documentation process was recently completed, the ministry said in its latest update. The daily toll includes bodies retrieved from the rubble after earlier strikes.Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas by launching a surprise bombardment on March 18, and has been carrying out daily waves of strikes since then. Ground forces have expanded a buffer zone and encircled the southern city of Rafah, and now control around 50 percent of the territory. Israel has also sealed off the territory’s 2 million Palestinians from all imports, including food and medicine, for nearly 60 days. Aid groups say supplies will soon run out and that thousands of children are malnourished. Israeli authorities say the renewed offensive and tightened blockade are aimed at pressuring Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed, and all the hostages are returned. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining 59 hostages — 24 of whom are believed to be alive — in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as called for in the now-defunct ceasefire reached in January. Gaza’s Health Ministry says women and children make up most of the Palestinian deaths, but does not say how many were militants or civilians. It says another 117,600 people have been wounded in the war.
The overall tally includes 2,151 dead and 5,598 wounded since Israel resumed the war last month.Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence. The military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and it blames Hamas for their deaths because the militants operate in densely populated areas. Israel’s offensive has destroyed vast parts of Gaza and displaced around 90 percent of its population, leaving hundreds of thousands of people sheltering in squalid tent camps or bombed-out buildings.

Israel PM calls security chief ‘liar’, in court filing
AFP/April 27, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an affidavit before the Supreme Court on Sunday, described as a “liar” the country’s internal security chief, whom the government is trying to fire. Netanyahu’s response came almost a week after Shin Bet head Ronen Bar himself made a sworn statement to the court. It accused the prime minister of demanding personal loyalty and ordering him to spy on anti-government protesters. Bar’s dismissal, announced by the government last month but frozen by the country’s top court, triggered mass protests. The unprecedented move to fire the head of the Shin Bet security agency has been contested by the attorney general and the opposition, which appealed Bar’s firing to the Supreme Court. “The accusation according to which I allegedly demanded action against innocent civilians, or against a non-violent and legitimate protest during the protests of 2023, is an absolute lie,” Netanyahu said in his court statement. In his own affidavit, Bar had said “it was clear” that in the event of a potential constitutional crisis, Netanyahu would expect Bar to obey the prime minister and not the courts.Netanyahu countered: “There is no proof supporting these remarks.”Bar had also denied accusations by Netanyahu and his associates that the Shin Bet had failed to warn in time about Hamas’s unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. “Nothing was hidden” on that night from the security apparatus or the prime minister, Bar said. Netanyahu countered before the court that Bar “did not accomplish his mission” that night.“He did not wake up the prime minister. He did not wake up the minister of defense. He did not wake up the soldiers of the army,” or others before the attack, Netanyahu alleged. The prime minister’s 23-page document said Bar “failed in his role as chief of Shin Bet and lost the confidence of the entire Israeli government as far as his ability to continue to manage the organization.”Netanyahu’s office had already made similar public comments immediately after Bar filed his affidavit. An April 8 Supreme Court hearing on the government’s plans to fire Bar ruled that he “will continue to perform his duties until a later decision.”

Iraq’s judiciary acquits powerful former speaker of forgery
AFP/April 27, 2025
BAGHDAD: Iraq’s judiciary has acquitted the influential former parliament speaker, Mohammed Al-Halbussi, after dismissing him in 2023 over accusations of forging a document, his office announced Sunday. Halbussi had been the highest-ranking Sunni official since he first became speaker of parliament in 2018 with the support of Iraq’s powerful pro-Iran parties, and then in 2022 following early elections. But in November 2023, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court dismissed Halbussi after a lawmaker accused him of forging a resignation letter and said the former speaker had changed the date on an older document to force him out of parliament. Halbussi’s media office said on Sunday that “the Iraqi judiciary acquitted” the former head of parliament “of the charges previously brought against him.”It added that the courts “dismissed the complaints” and closed the investigation. Halbussi, who heads the Taqadom party, is known for his rapid ascent in Iraqi politics and as a key interlocutor for many Western and Arab dignitaries. Iraq’s 329-member parliament is dominated by a coalition of pro-Iran Shiite parties. Under a power-sharing system adopted in Iraq in the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion, political positions are divided between Iraq’s ethnic and confessional communities. In the top positions, the role of prime minister, currently held by Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, always goes to a Shiite Muslim, that of speaker of parliament to a Sunni Muslim and the presidency to a Kurd.

No place for racism and hate in France, says Macron after Muslim killed in mosque
AFP/27 April ,2025
There can never be a place for racism and hate in France, President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday after the brutal stabbing to death of a Muslim in a mosque in the south of the country. “Racism and hatred based on religion can have no place in France. Freedom of worship cannot be violated,” Macron wrote on X in his first comments on Friday’s killing, extending his support to “our fellow Muslim citizens.”The attacker, who is on the run, stabbed the worshipper dozens of times and then filmed him with a mobile phone while shouting insults at Islam in Friday’s attack in the village of La Grand-Combe in the Gard region. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou had already denounced what he described an “Islamophobic atrocity.”The alleged perpetrator sent the video he had filmed with his phone – showing the victim writhing in agony – to another person, who then shared it on a social media platform before deleting it.A source close to the case, who asked not to be named, said the suspected perpetrator, while not apprehended, has been identified as a French citizen of Bosnian origin who is not a Muslim. The victim, a young Malian man in his 20s, and the attacker were alone inside the mosque at the time of the incident. After initially praying alongside the man, the attacker then stabbed the victim up to 50 times before fleeing the scene. The body of the victim was only discovered later in the morning when other worshippers arrived at the mosque for Friday prayers. A protest “against Islamophobia” was due to take place Sunday evening in Paris in the wake of the killing. The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) said it was “horrified” by the “anti-Muslim terrorist attack” and urged Muslims in France to be “extremely vigilant.” “The murder of a worshipper in a mosque is a despicable crime that must revolt the hearts of all French people,” added the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF). The attacker – who has been named only as Olivier, born in France in 2004 and unemployed without a criminal record – is “potentially extremely dangerous” and it is “essential” to arrest him before he claims more victims, according to regional prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini.

Zelenskyy says Ukraine still fighting in Russia’s Kursk
Agencies/27 April ,2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said Ukraine’s army was still fighting in Russia’s Kursk a day after Moscow claimed the “full liberation” of its western region. “Our military continues to actively defend the designated areas of the Kursk and Belgorod regions,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram, adding that the situation remained difficult in many areas including Kursk. Russia said on Saturday it had captured Gornal, the last settlement that was under Ukrainian control in its border Kursk region, where Kyiv launched a shock offensive in August 2024. Yet hours later Ukraine’s army denied its forces had been forced out, branding Russia’s claim as “propaganda tricks.”“The situation on the front lines and the actual activities of the Russian army prove that the current pressure on Russia to end this war is not enough,” Zelenskyy said, calling to increase pressure on Russia to create more opportunities for “real diplomacy.”Later on Sunday, Russian news agencies quoted the Kremlin as saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin telephoned top commanders in Russia's western Kursk region to congratulate them on the end of the operation to expel Ukrainian forces.“Putin congratulated them on the victory and thanked them for their heroic work,” the agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying. Zelenskyy’s comments come a day after he met US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican to discuss a potential ceasefire.After their brief talk in St Peter’s Basilica, Trump cast doubt over whether Putin wanted the more than three-year-long war to end. Zelenskyy later described the exchange as a “very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic.” Kyiv had hoped it could use land in the Kursk region as a bargaining chip in future peace talks with Russia, which has seized parts of eastern and southern Ukraine since launching its offensive in February 2022. Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov especially praised the “heroism” of the North Korean soldiers who fought in the Kursk campaign, admitting their participation in the conflict for the first time. Several Russian military bloggers who closely monitor the conflict said fighting was still ongoing around the forests on the border between Russia and Ukraine. A local Russian army commander in Kursk also said the army was still conducting operations in the region, according to a state TV broadcast aired on Sunday.

Russia will continue to target sites used by Ukraine’s military, Lavrov says
Reuters/27 April ,2025
Russia will continue to target sites used by Ukraine’s military, Russia’s foreign minister said in an interview broadcast on Sunday, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia had already conducted 70 attacks. Moscow’s top diplomat, Sergei Lavrov, said a deadly Russian missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv last week was not on an “absolutely civilian” target. “We will continue to target the sites used by the military of Ukraine, by some mercenaries from foreign countries and by instructors whom the Europeans officially sent to help target Russian civilian sites,” Lavrov said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” in an interview that was taped on Thursday after the attack. The strike, which killed at least 12 people, drew a rare rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin from US President Donald Trump on Friday on social media: “Vladimir, STOP!”Zelenskyy, who met with Trump in Rome on Saturday before Pope Francis’ funeral, wrote on Telegram that his top military commander had reported that Russia had already conducted nearly 70 attacks on Sunday. He said the situation remained difficult. “The situation at the front and the real activity of the Russian army prove that there is currently insufficient pressure on Russia from the world to end this war,” he wrote on Sunday. Lavrov also said that Russia never received an offer to help operate Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. He also said Russia would be willing to store Iran’s enriched nuclear material if both United States and Iran believe that would be useful.

Trump says US ships should be allowed to travel through the Panama and Suez canals for free
AFP/April 27, 2025
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged free transit for American commercial and military ships through the Panama and Suez canals, tasking his secretary of state with making progress “immediately.”Trump has for months been calling for the United States to take control of the Panama Canal but his social media post also shifted focus onto the vital Suez route. “American Ships, both Military and Commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. He claimed both routes would “not exist” without the United States and said he had asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “immediately take care of” the situation. Egypt’s Suez Canal, a key waterway linking Europe and Asia, accounted for about 10 percent of global maritime trade before attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Iran-backed rebels began targeting vessels after the start of the Gaza war, claiming solidarity with Palestinians, forcing ships to take a long and costly detour around the southern tip of Africa. Egypt said last year its canal revenues had plunged 60 percent, a loss of $7 billion. The US military has been attacking Houthi positions since January 2024, but those assaults have intensified under Trump, with almost daily strikes in the past month. Trump has vowed that military action would continue until the Houthis are no longer a threat to shipping.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on April 27-28/2025
China Just 'Folded' in the Trade War
Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute./April 27, 2025
Xi Jinping's regime simply cannot admit it is not able to stand up to Washington.
[O]n April 24 about a dozen Chinese officials, including a "high-ranking official from the Chinese Ministry of Finance," were seen entering the U.S. Treasury's main building in Washington at 7:00 in the morning as Chinese security officials attempted to prevent photographers from recording the entry.
"In fact, the tariff waivers underscore that not only does Beijing need access to the American market far more than Americans need the China market but also that the United States makes vital products that simply aren't Made in China, and won't be for years at best." — Alan Tonelson, trade expert at RealityChek, to Gatestone, April 25, 2025.
When Trump has to raise the temperature, Beijing has just shown him which U.S. products China believes it cannot do without.
Beijing has ordered its airlines not to take delivery of Boeing aircraft, and the plane maker has now flown back, from China to the U.S., three 737 Max aircraft that were about to be delivered. Due to the long order backlogs at both Boeing and Airbus, this punishment imposes, as a practical matter, almost no cost on Boeing. Yet if Trump were to order Boeing not to deliver parts or provide services to Chinese airlines, China would soon have to ground a large number of its airliners.
China is making significant trade concessions without saying it is making concessions. Xi Jinping's regime simply cannot admit it is not able to stand up to Washington. When Trump has to raise the temperature, Beijing has just shown him which U.S. products China believes it cannot do without.
China, according to Reuters and Financial Times reporting on April 25, is not uniformly imposing its new 125% across-the-board tariff on American goods. In short, certain imports from the U.S. are in fact coming in tariff-free. Beijing's new policy has not been announced and is not official. "Companies in sectors including aviation and industrial chemicals said that some of their products had already been granted a reprieve, while local media reported that some semiconductors had been spared tariffs," the Financial Times noted. American Chamber of Commerce in China President Michael Hart told Reuters that some pharmaceutical company members of his organization had said they were now able to import products tariff-free.
China is also exempting aircraft engines, nacelles, landing gear, and parts.
"A Ministry of Commerce taskforce is collecting lists of items that could be exempted from tariffs and is asking companies to submit their own requests, according to a person with knowledge of that outreach," Reuters stated. The wire service also noted this: "A list of 131 categories of products said to be under consideration for tariff exemptions was circulating on Chinese social media platforms and among some businesses and trade groups on Friday."Hart does not think the tariff exemptions were the result of a "specific policy." As he told the FT, "I think right now it's more of a one-off."
Hart is undoubtedly correct about the unofficial nature of the tariff collections: China's Customs officials and the Ministry of Commerce personnel have not been responding to requests for comments. "China has not yet communicated publicly on any exemptions," Reuters stated. Huatai Securities estimated that Beijing is not collecting tariffs on items that accounted for $45 billion of imports to China last year.
The exemptions suggest a trend. "Recent reports on China secretly waiving tariffs on U.S. imports including certain semiconductors, industrial chemicals, and medical devices add up to a clear Chinese cave-in in its trade conflict with Trump," trade expert Alan Tonelson told Gatestone. The move is significant, but why is Beijing making such important trade concessions without admitting it is making concessions?
Xi Jinping's regime simply cannot admit that it is not able to stand up to Washington.
Xi has configured the Chinese political system so that only the most hostile policies are considered acceptable. Worse, he has staked the Communist Party's legitimacy on his claim that China has already surpassed America. Therefore, it is hard for him to do anything suggesting that he is dependent on trade with America or is reacting to American pressure.
Xi, consequently, has severely restricted Chinese flexibility, a constraint evident in Beijing's counterproductive posturing. President Donald Trump last week stated that his administration and China had been engaged in tariff talks. In response to the conciliatory comments, the Chinese regime issued a series of statements denying the existence of any such discussions.
Beijing's denials, however, are not credible, given the constant dialogue and continuous interactions between American and Chinese officials over various other matters.
In fact, on April 24, about a dozen Chinese officials, including a "high-ranking official from the Chinese Ministry of Finance," were seen entering the U.S. Treasury's main building in Washington at 7:00 in the morning as Chinese security officials attempted to prevent photographers from recording the entry.
Unfortunately for Xi, he must make concessions. His economy is far smaller than America's, and he is the one running large trade surpluses — China's merchandise surplus last year against the U.S. was $295.4 billion, up 5.8% over 2023.
Worse, China's economy is probably contracting, something evident from price indicators. The country is in a deflationary spiral: In March, the Consumer Price Index was down for the second-straight month and the Producer Price Index was down for the 30th consecutive month.
Meanwhile, China is in the middle of a slow-moving debt crisis, and Xi, having rejected consumption as the fundamental basis of the Chinese economy, must as a result export more to rescue the increasingly grim situation at home.
China's Commerce Ministry on the April 24 indicated Beijing would not talk about trade until Trump removes "unilateral tariff measures." Because of Xi's need to maintain the façade of intransigence, Trump will undoubtedly have to turn up the heat again.
When Trump has to raise the temperature, Beijing has just shown him which U.S. products China believes it cannot do without.
"In fact, the tariff waivers underscore that not only does Beijing need access to the American market far more than Americans need the China market but also that the United States makes vital products that simply aren't Made in China, and won't be for years at best," Tonelson, who comments on the intersection of trade and geopolitics at RealityChek, pointed out.
Take aircraft parts. Beijing has ordered its airlines not to take delivery of Boeing aircraft, and the plane maker has now flown back, from China to the U.S., three 737-Max aircraft that were about to be delivered. Due to the long order backlogs at both Boeing and Airbus, this punishment imposes, as a practical matter, almost no cost on Boeing. Yet if Trump were to order Boeing not to deliver parts or provide services to Chinese airlines, China would soon have to ground a large number of its airliners.
China, in reality, is in no position to fight a prolonged trade war with a determined Trump. That is one of the Chinese vulnerabilities that became evident when Beijing began making concessions in the dark.
China is making significant trade concessions without saying it is making concessions. Xi is, to borrow the term of the day, "folding."
Gordon G. Chang is the author of Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America, a Gatestone Institute distinguished senior fellow, and a member of its Advisory Board. Follow him on X @GordonGChang.
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Prince Khalid’s Iran visit creates a positive atmosphere
Hassan Al-Mustafa/Arab News/April 27, 2025
The visit of Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman to the Iranian capital, Tehran, this month and his meeting with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei carried several political implications, particularly as he delivered a written message from King Salman. This indicates there has been communication between the highest authorities in Saudi Arabia and Iran, highlighting the significance and confidentiality of the message’s content. What does it mean for a letter to be handwritten? This approach to messaging involves assigning a person to write the message by hand, dictated by the king, who then signs it himself. The message is placed in a special envelope, within an elegant leather folder adorned with the emblem of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A written message typically conveys respect, while it also signifies the importance of the content, necessitating a high level of seriousness in its consideration.
The written message was conveyed by Prince Khalid, the son of the king and brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He possesses both military and political expertise, having served as Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Washington. He also participated in the initial stages of Operation Decisive Storm in 2015 and has been responsible for various political and security matters assigned to him by the crown prince, particularly regarding the Yemen conflict. This background explains the presence of Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al-Jaber during Prince Khalid’s visit to Iran.
Al-Jaber’s presence in the discussions between the Saudi delegation led by Prince Khalid and the Iranian delegation headed by Maj. Gen. Mohammed Bagheri indicates that the Yemeni issue was a significant topic of conversation. This is particularly relevant given the strong ties between Iran and the Houthis, led by Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, which has conducted terrorist operations against the Kingdom in recent years. However, Riyadh has reached an understanding with the Houthis to cease hostilities, paving the way for a lasting peace in Yemen that includes all parties and the formation of a national unity government in which the Houthis will participate. In September 2023, Prince Khalid met with the “Sanaa delegation,” when “it was reaffirmed that the Kingdom will continue to support Yemen and its brotherly people, and its constant keenness to encourage the Yemeni parties to sit at the dialogue table to reach a comprehensive and lasting political solution in Yemen under the supervision of the United Nations,” according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Saudi Arabia aims to ensure stability in Yemen by promoting internal reconciliation, fostering a genuine and serious political process, and facilitating an open dialogue that includes all parties, ultimately leading to the resolution of the existing division and political stagnation. At the same time, there are risks threatening the security of maritime routes, particularly in the Red Sea and the Bab El-Mandab Strait, due to the involvement of the Houthis in supporting Hamas and launching missile strikes against Israeli targets. This has also endangered maritime navigation by targeting a number of commercial vessels under the pretext that they are Israeli or American or carrying goods for Israel, prompting many shipping vessels to alter their routes. Riyadh seeks to ease tensions and push for comprehensive regional reconciliations that will reduce the likelihood of war.
This prompted the administration of US President Donald Trump to decide to intensify military strikes against Houthi leaders in Yemen, as well as their training centers and weapons depots, until the Houthis cease their military operations.
These events collectively heighten the level of tension in the Middle East and the Red Sea, a tension that Saudi Arabia does not wish to persist as it jeopardizes its national and regional security. Hence, the ceasefire file in Yemen is a critically important issue. Riyadh hopes that Tehran will exert genuine pressure and persuade the Houthis, its ally, to cease their military operations.
It is true that there is a continuous Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, along with daily violations of the sovereignty of Lebanon and Syria and a systematic displacement of Palestinians from their lands. However, despite the extreme brutality of these Israeli crimes, they will not be halted by the missiles or drones of the Houthis. Therefore, it is essential to consider alternative solutions that are more effective and lead to a just peace, ultimately resulting in a two-state solution.
There are also files concerning the armed factions in Iraq, Hezbollah and its weaponry in Lebanon, and the relationship with the new regime in Syria. All these files will be monitored for changes in the upcoming phase, particularly regarding the performance of Iran’s allies in these countries.
Through these foreign issues, where the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran intersects, Riyadh seeks to ease tensions and push for comprehensive regional reconciliations that will reduce the likelihood of war. This is because Saudi Arabia is concerned with consolidating peace and security so that its massive development and economic plans, outlined in Saudi Vision 2030, can succeed. On the other hand, there are ongoing Iranian-American negotiations, facilitated by Oman, regarding Iran’s nuclear program. To date, three rounds of these discussions have taken place, with Saudi Arabia expressing its support for them. Saudi Arabia’s support for a serious dialogue between Tehran and Washington has not been merely verbal; Saudi diplomacy actively engaged in its relations to avert any potential US military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. While Riyadh opposes any efforts that would allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, the Kingdom simultaneously recognizes that war poses a significant threat to all Gulf Cooperation Council countries and thus has advocated for its prevention.
Another matter is that Saudi Arabia expects Iran to adhere to the terms outlined in the security agreement the two countries signed in 2001, which is commonly referred to as the Naif-Rouhani agreement. This deal provides a regulatory framework from which current and future security cooperation can be initiated, while also preventing any violations or interference in the internal affairs of either nation. A significantly positive atmosphere has been generated by Prince Khalid’s visit to Iran and his meeting with Khamenei. The next steps will depend on actions, bilateral cooperation and the initiation of measures to strengthen the region and close any gaps that extremists in Israel or terrorists might exploit to undermine the fragile security in the Middle East.
**Hassan Al-Mustafa is a Saudi writer and researcher interested in Islamic movements, the development of religious discourse and the relationship between the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Iran. X: @Halmustafa

Will the Lebanese people ever get their money back?
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/April 27, 2025
A parliamentary committee in Lebanon last week issued a draft law for restructuring the country’s financial sector. The Lebanese people surely breathed a sigh of relief, but does this mean they will finally regain access to their bank deposits, which they have been unable to withdraw for several years? That remains uncertain. The committee found that 84 percent of depositors have less than $100,000 in their accounts. So, they came up with a formula: amounts up to $100,000 will remain in their accounts. Anything over $100,000 will be converted into some obscure form of government-linked debt instrument.
Some relief for depositors, then — but it does not mean that they will simply be able to withdraw up to $100,000 of their money. Article 37 of the draft law states that its implementation will be suspended until another law, the financial gap law, is passed.
In other words, the financial restructuring law does not mean a bank is under any obligation to make up to $100,000 readily available for depositors to withdraw. It simply means this is the maximum amount the bank can owe a customer.
The bank can then write off any money over this $100,000 threshold, converting it into long-term, government-linked debt instruments, which can be uncertain investments and difficult to convert into cash at a fair market price.
The long-running financial crisis in Lebanon is not the fault of the depositors but of greedy bankers and corrupt government officials, yet once again it is the depositors who are paying the price. No one is being held accountable, either among the political elite or the banking sector.
It is important to note that the banks have been acting unlawfully since 2019. Article 140 of the 1963 Code of Money and Credit law states that if a bank “declares itself in a state of suspension of payments,” it should be delisted. However, banks in Lebanon have continued to operate, despite their inability to pay depositors. Also unlawful is the fact that banks have selectively allowed some depositors to withdraw money. Several politicians transferred huge amounts of money — billions of dollars — to banks outside the country when the crisis began. Meanwhile, small depositors could not withdraw even a few hundred dollars to meet their daily expenses. There has been no real investigation into this.
Lebanon’s financial crash of 2019 can be compared to the crisis that hit Iceland in 2008. In both cases, the signs were the same: a banking sector that was bloated in comparison to gross domestic product. In both countries, the banks were driven by greed. The difference is the ways in which the two states handled the crisis.
Iceland’s parliament immediately — it did not wait six years — put in place an emergency law that placed control of the banks in the hands of the Financial Supervisory Authority, which launched an investigation to uncover any evidence of fraud. About 30 bankers were prosecuted, convicted and jailed. The financial crisis in Lebanon is not the fault of the depositors but of greedy bankers and corrupt government officials.
In Lebanon, no bankers have been prosecuted, as those at the top have been able rely on political cover. Icelandic banks were put into receivership or faced liquidation. Their shareholders incurred most of the losses. Banks’ assets were distributed among depositors, with priority given to domestic customers. In other words, the depositors were the top priority. This is not the case in Lebanon, where the depositors have been the ones bailing out the banks. Yet, despite the very accommodating nature of the new law, the banks in Lebanon are fighting it, using the media as a tool with which to trash the legislation. They do not want to accept any responsibility for the crisis. The banks enjoy the protection of a corrupt political class. The corruption of the government was financed by the banking sector. Banks used customers’ deposits to finance the government; they lured depositors with the promise of high interest rates and then put their money into bonds at the central bank, a very profitable strategy with very little risk to the banks. The central bank in turn provided the government with loans that were squandered through corruption.
The banks are responsible for all this, for failing to make the interests of depositors their main priority and instead providing loans to the government because this allowed them to make quick and easy money. The banks have tried to deflect the blame on to others. They have pointed fingers at Kulluna Irada, a civil society organization and pressure group that has lobbied for financial reforms. They claim the group spread rumors that instigated a run on the banks and left them unable to repay depositors. The media, which has close links to the banking sector, has smeared the organization.
They even propagated a conspiracy theory suggesting that Kulluna Irada was financed by the “global left” and the American billionaire George Soros. This is inconceivable. After all their shady and twisted operations, which were so obvious to most observers, the banks dared to blame it all on an international left-wing conspiracy, Soros and his Open Society Foundations. This is an insult to the intelligence of the Lebanese people.
The status quo is very convenient for the political class and the banks. However, they can no longer ignore the financial crisis and the wiped-out deposits or act like it is business as usual. The International Monetary Fund has requested significant financial reforms to clean up Lebanon’s banking sector before billions of dollars of financial aid can be unlocked. As long as the political class protects the banking class, however, there will be no real reform.
The new restructuring law — suspended until a financial gap law is passed — is not a solution. It is a legal illusion. Without a financial gap law, it allows failed banks to write off savings, remain open while insolvent and avoid accountability.
It offers no guarantees, no timeline and no restitution. The depositors will continue to bail out the banks and the chances are that they will see very little of the money they worked so hard to save.
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.

AI can preserve and grow the Arabic language
Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab News/April 27, 2025
Arabic is one of the oldest and most culturally rich languages in the world. Today, it is spoken by more than 300 million people across 24 countries. Its history is intertwined with the history of Islam and of various tribes, communities and even empires spanning from Africa to the Middle East. Outside its birthplace, Arabic is a popular choice as a foreign language, with students in the US and the UK showing particular interest in learning Arabic, alongside hundreds of millions of Muslims who recite it every day.
Despite its rich history and growing international prominence, Arabic is facing an existential crisis within the Arab world itself. The significant decline in daily usage of the language among Arab youth is one of the biggest contemporary sociocultural challenges in the region. More than half of young people (54 percent) in the Middle East and North Africa report using English more than Arabic in everyday life, stating that foreign languages are perceived as more practical for education and employment.
A major factor contributing to this decline is the increasing number of Arab youths studying at international universities. The presence of American and British institutions has expanded significantly across the region and many students now complete their entire education in foreign languages such as English or French. Egypt represents one of the most mature international school markets, with close to 2 million students enrolled. More than 35,000 of these students follow the British curriculum. Inevitably, this has pushed Arabic to the backburner and the language is either seldom spoken in the daily lives of young people or has transitioned into a hybrid form with a mix of Western languages.
The Gulf region, particularly the UAE, hosts the highest concentration of international schools in the Middle East. Dubai alone has some 245 international schools, with about 60 percent of its Emirati students enrolled in American-curriculum schools. In Abu Dhabi, 144 international schools operate, with British curriculum schools being the most popular. Qatar follows closely behind, with more than 140 international schools. This is in addition to the significant number of MENA students moving abroad for education, where the usage of Arabic in day-to-day life is even less common.
This trend is largely driven by local preferences for Western-style education. Parents who studied abroad now aspire to offer the same global exposure to their children. However, this has reduced the usage of Arabic in both academic settings and daily interactions, as the medium of instruction in such schools is usually English. This transition poses a challenge to the preservation of the Arabic language and the cultural identity associated with it. The dominance of English in the job market is another factor. As the global language of business, English is widely spoken in the workplace. In Gulf countries, the workforce is diverse and cosmopolitan. This multilingual environment often leads to English becoming the primary language in both professional and social life.
Migration flows also play a prominent role in Arabic’s decline. Arabs are among the populations with the highest emigration rates. In fact, about half of all Arab migrants now live outside the Arab world, mainly in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Since the 1950s, Arab migrants have settled across Europe. First-generation immigrants often preserved their linguistic heritage, but with each subsequent generation born and raised outside the Arab world, the usage of Arabic reduces. As such, cultural identity becomes diluted and Arabic proficiency declines across generations. There is a wave of innovation emerging in the form of Arabic-focused artificial intelligence technologies.
Amid these growing challenges to Arabic, there is a wave of innovation emerging in the form of Arabic-focused artificial intelligence technologies and large language models. These developments can play a significant role in reviving the regular use of the language and reconnecting the Arab youth with their linguistic heritage. AI may well be the answer to Arabic’s existential crisis. From chatbots and voice assistants to translation engines, many tools are now being designed with Modern Standard Arabic and regional dialects as references. Even Western AI assistant models offer Arabic as an option.
One notable initiative is Noor, developed by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. It is the first large-scale Arabic language transformer model, trained on diverse data including news, social media and academic texts. Noor supports text generation, classification and translation in Arabic. Another innovative project is Tarjama, an AI-powered language service provider that supports translation, subtitling, transcription and content creation.
Recognizing the richness and diversity of Arabic dialects, the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language has also launched an Arabic Intelligence Center to develop models that understand regional linguistic variations. In a similar vein, the Arabic Large Language Model — developed by the Saudi Data and AI Authority — is trained on more than 500 billion Arabic linguistic units to advance an Arabic generative AI model globally. These innovative AI models represent far more than just technological progress. They also preserve culture, reinforce identities and serve as powerful tools of soft power. By making Arabic more accessible through AI, these platforms offer renewed opportunities to engage with the language.
Today’s young people rely heavily on AI-driven tools for learning and communication. Therefore, Arabic AI models can help bring the language into their digital lives, making it part of their search habits and everyday conversations.
And because many of these tools are designed to support a wide range of dialects, they do not just promote comprehension and education, they also spark a renewed sense of pride and belonging. This will encourage young users to reconnect with their Arabic identity and heritage.
At a time when the world is assessing the opportunities and challenges presented by AI in the education sphere, for the Arabic language this is certainly good news. Arabic-focused language models and AI technologies are allowing Arabic to find its voice again through platforms that young people are using regularly. Not only is this growth sparking the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in the region, the digitalization of Arabic is also serving as the crucial cultural bridge needed to bring the Arab youth back to its roots. There is thus hope for reviving the language, protecting its richness and encouraging future generations to speak, learn and live in Arabic once again.
**Zaid M. Belbagi is a political commentator and an adviser to private clients between London and the Gulf Cooperation Council. X: @Moulay_Zaid

Syria might join the Abraham Accords — that should make Iran very nervous
Opinion: Should Damascus agree to peace with Israel, it won’t just be another diplomatic deal, but a geopolitical earthquake that could redraw the entire regional map
Adam Scott Bellos|/Ynetnews/27 April/2025
According to credible reports, Damascus is exploring what once seemed unimaginable: joining the Abraham Accords. If it happens, this won’t just be another diplomatic deal. It will be a geopolitical earthquake that could redraw the entire regional map.
Let’s not sugarcoat it. Syria has long been one of Israel’s most bitter enemies. It invaded in 1948. It shelled northern towns from the Golan Heights. It allied with Hezbollah and took orders from Tehran. For decades, the mere mention of peace with Israel was enough to spark protests in Damascus and outrage across the Arab world. Now? Everything has changed. The Abraham Accords, signed in 2020 by the UAE and Bahrain, followed by Morocco and Sudan, shattered the old myth that peace in the Middle East had to wait for Palestinian approval. Instead, Arab nations began to realize what Israel already knew: peace with Israel means access to innovation, security cooperation, and economic growth. Syria may be next. And if it is, it will send a clear message to every extremist regime and terror group in the region: the era of using Israel as a scapegoat is over. But don’t expect this transformation to come without resistance. There are two major dominoes left standing — Turkey and Iran.
Turkey, under Erdogan, still dreams of leading a Sunni Islamist revival, backing the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas while playing both sides of the geopolitical chessboard. Iran, meanwhile, remains the most dangerous player of all—arming terrorists, spreading chaos, and bankrolling violence in Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq and, yes, Syria.If Syria flips, Iran loses its corridor to Hezbollah. It loses leverage. It loses relevance. That’s why they’ll do everything to stop it.So will others.
And that’s the final truth Americans need to hear: you’ll know who the enemies of peace are by watching who tries to kill this deal. Whether it’s a terror group launching rockets or a Twitter activist crying “apartheid” from the safety of Brooklyn, the playbook is the same: sow outrage, block progress, and preserve the past. But the past is over. A new Middle East is emerging—one built on trade, tech, tolerance and peace. The next likely signatory? Saudi Arabia. And after that? Who knows.
Because if Syria, the poster child for anti-Israel hostility, is willing to come to the table… then no one has an excuse anymore.And that’s exactly what Iran fears.
Adam Scott Bellos is the founder and CEO of The Israel Innovation Fund (TIIF), an organization dedicated to strengthening Israeli culture, identity, wine, Zionism and the connection between the Diaspora and Israel. He blends activism, scholarship, and entrepreneurship to create bold, grassroots initiatives with the power to reshape Jewish life. Based in Tel Aviv, Adam is also the author of "Never Again Is Not Enough: Why Hebraization Is the Only Way to Save the Diaspora."