English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  August 09/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2025/english.August09.25.htm

News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006 

Click On The Below Link To Join Elias Bejjaninews whatsapp group
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FPF0N7lE5S484LNaSm0MjW
اضغط على الرابط في أعلى للإنضمام لكروب Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group

Elias Bejjani/Click on the below link to subscribe to my youtube channel
الياس بجاني/اضغط على الرابط في أسفل للإشتراك في موقعي ع اليوتيوب
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOOSioLh1GE3C1hp63Camw

Bible Quotations For today
Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11/25-30/:"‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’""

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 08-09/2025
Saint Dominic Founding the Dominican Order & Patron of Astronomers/Elias Bejjani/August 08/2025
In Memory of the Assyrian Martyrs: A Token of Loyalty to the Struggling, Faithful, and Deeply Rooted Assyrian People/Elias Bejjani/07 August/2025
Elias Bejjani/Text and Video: Naim Qassem Invents a New Taif and Hides Behind Iran's Sectarian "National Pact" While Boasting of Victories That Are, in Reality, Crushing Defeats/Elias Bejjani/August 06/2025
Former Minister Youssef Salameh:: Your Excellency President Joseph Aoun, all the opportunities are now in your hands — save Lebanon and enter history through its widest gate.
Link video To a Commentary by Dr. Saleh Al-Mashnouk exposing, and disparaging Naim Qassem's delusional and hallucinatory speech
The Lebanese “democratic consensus” does not work one way/Roger Bejjani/Face Book/August 08/2025
Israeli airstrike kills Palestinian official and bodyguard in east Lebanon
Report: Shiite Duo won't withdraw from govt. or resort to street action
Hezbollah MP: Beware of playing with fire with us
Report: Berri convinced Hezbollah to take part in cabinet session
Barrack's visit to Lebanon postponed to Aug. 18-19
Hezbollah MP: Door of dialogue still open with Salam's govt.
Israeli strike that killed 6 near al-Masnaa targeted senior PFLP official
What did Lebanese government approve on Thursday?
Journalist killed in Israeli strike on Zahrani road
GCC welcomes Lebanon 'important' decision to disarm Hezbollah
Bassil says govt. approval of 'American' paper shameful
Hundreds of supporters protest government decision to disarm Hezbollah
Lebanon’s Death by a Thousand Hezbollah Cuts/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/This Is Beirut/August 08/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 08-09/2025
Iran shouldn’t count on China to boost its air force
Iran transfers inmates to Evin prison, which Israel targeted in June
Iraq divided over future of pro-Iran armed alliance
Egypt and Qatar draw up new framework to end Gaza war and release hostages
UN asks Israel to immediately halt plan to control Gaza
Starmer faces call to ‘sit this one out’ on Gaza amid US-UK ‘disagreement’
Germany halts military exports to Israel for use in Gaza amid outcry over Netanyahu plan
Israel fires back at Germany over arms embargo
Foreign ministers of five countries condemn Israeli plan to seize Gaza City
Turkish foreign minister to discuss Israel’s Gaza City plan in Egypt visit, source says
Jordanian official says Arabs will only support what Palestinians agree and decide on
Hamas Continues Paying Government Salaries Through Exploiting Aid and Price Gouging
Trump says he will meet with Putin ‘very shortly’ to discuss the war in Ukraine
Turkiye hails US-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan deal

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on August 08-09/2025
Urgent: Designate the Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization - Now/Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/August 08/2025
Question: “What are the keys to resisting temptation?”/GotQuestions.org/August 08/2025
Is Popular Regime Change in Iran a Myth?/Nima Gholam Ali Pour/ Gatestone Institute/August 08/2025
South Africa Remains a Risky Jurisdiction for Terror Finance/David May/FDD/August 08/2025
Trump Administration Fails to Halt Iran’s Oil Exports/Saeed Ghasseminejad/FDD/August 08/2025
Trump should not let Putin keep ‘tapping us along/John Hardie and Peter Doran/FDD/August 08/2025
Houthis continue to attack education in Yemen/Bridget Toomey/FDD's Long War Journal/August 08/2025
Turkey’s new precision weapons stoke regional tensions/Sinan Ciddi/FDD's Long War Journal/August 08/2025
Selected tweets for 08 August/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 08-09/2025
Saint Dominic Founding the Dominican Order & Patron of Astronomers
Elias Bejjani/August 08/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146015/
Full Name: Dominic de Guzmán
Born: circa 1170, Caleruega, Castile (modern-day Spain)
Died: August 6, 1221, Bologna, Italy
Canonized: July 13, 1234, by Pope Gregory IX
Feast Day: August 8 (formerly August 4 in some calendars)
Patron of: Astronomers, the Dominican Republic, scientists, and educators
Early Life and Education
Saint Dominic was born into a noble family. His father, Félix de Guzmán, was a respected nobleman, and his mother, Blessed Joan of Aza, was renowned for her piety and charity. According to tradition, she had a prophetic dream before his birth of a dog leaping from her womb holding a torch in its mouth, which would “set the world on fire” — a symbol later interpreted as Dominic’s preaching mission.
Dominic received a classical education in Palencia, one of the oldest universities in Spain. He studied liberal arts and theology, and distinguished himself for both academic brilliance and deep spirituality. During a time of great famine in Spain, he sold his precious books to feed the poor, saying, “Would you have me study from these dead skins while people are dying of hunger?”
Priesthood and Early Ministry
In 1196, Dominic joined the cathedral chapter of Osma and was ordained a priest. He accompanied Bishop Diego de Acebo on diplomatic and missionary journeys, including a critical trip through southern France in 1206. There, they encountered the growing heretical movement of the Albigensians (also called Cathars), who rejected Catholic sacraments, the physical world, and Church authority.
Dominic was profoundly moved by the spiritual ignorance and error he saw. Rather than using force to convert heretics — as was becoming common — Dominic believed in conversion through persuasion, preaching, and personal example. He adopted a lifestyle of radical poverty and simplicity, mirroring the Apostles, to better reach the common people.
Founding the Dominican Order
In 1215, while in Toulouse, Dominic gathered a group of men committed to preaching and living simply in imitation of Christ. He traveled to Rome in 1216 to seek papal approval for his community. On December 22, 1216, Pope Honorius III officially approved the Order of Preachers (Ordo Praedicatorum), now commonly known as the Dominicans.
Key Features of the Dominican Order:
Purpose: Combat heresy through sound preaching and theology.
Lifestyle: A blend of monastic discipline, academic study, and active preaching.
Vows: Poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Motto: Veritas (Latin for “Truth”).
Dominic emphasized education. Dominicans were trained in philosophy and theology at major universities like Paris and Bologna. This academic focus enabled the order to counter heretical teachings intellectually and spiritually.
Mission and Legacy
Dominic spent the remainder of his life organizing the new order, founding convents and sending missionaries across Europe. He tirelessly preached in France, Spain, and Italy. He was known for:
His compassion and humility.
A deep devotion to prayer, often spending nights in contemplation.
Miracles, including healings and prophecies (documented by early hagiographers).
Spreading devotion to the Rosary — tradition holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary gave Dominic the Rosary as a spiritual weapon against heresy. While the historical roots are complex, this tradition had a lasting impact.
He died on August 6, 1221, in Bologna, Italy, worn out from travel and work, surrounded by his brothers. He was canonized only 13 years later, a testament to his sanctity and widespread veneration.
Influence and the Dominican Legacy
Saint Dominic’s foundation left a profound and lasting mark on the Church. Among the most notable Dominicans:
Saint Thomas Aquinas – a towering figure in Catholic theology.
Saint Catherine of Siena – mystic, reformer, and Doctor of the Church.
Bartolomé de las Casas – advocate for Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Dominican friars played crucial roles in:
The medieval university system
The Inquisition (though this came later and is a complex part of their history)
Global missionary work
The intellectual defense of the faith through the centuries
Today, Dominicans serve worldwide in preaching, education, and pastoral ministry.
Spiritual Legacy
Saint Dominic remains a model of:
Evangelical zeal
Intellectual integrity
Apostolic poverty
Devotion to truth and to Mary
His motto, “Speak only to God or about God,” reflects his singular focus on the salvation of souls and the glory of God.

In Memory of the Assyrian Martyrs: A Token of Loyalty to the Struggling, Faithful, and Deeply Rooted Assyrian People
Elias Bejjani/07 August/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146030/
The Commemoration of Assyrian Martyrs
On August 7th of every year, the Assyrian people commemorate the Assyrian Martyrs Day, a solemn occasion that honors the memory of tens of thousands of innocent Assyrians who were massacred throughout history, especially during the early 20th century. These massacres include the Simele Massacre of 1933 in Iraq, during which the Iraqi army, under the command of Bakr Sidqi and with British silence, brutally killed over 3,000 Assyrian civilians in the town of Simele and its surrounding villages. This event marked one of the earliest genocides in the modern Middle East.
In addition to Simele, Assyrians were subjected to horrific atrocities during World War I, particularly between 1915 and 1918, in a genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire and its Kurdish allies. Known in Assyrian as “Sayfo” (meaning “the sword”), this genocide led to the murder of over 250,000 Assyrians, alongside Armenian and Greek victims. Entire villages were wiped out, churches and monasteries destroyed, and cultural heritage lost. These massacres were not random acts of violence, but rather part of a systematic plan to eradicate the indigenous Christian presence in the region. The victims—men, women, children, and elderly—were killed solely for their faith, ethnicity, and their refusal to convert or abandon their national identity.
The memory of these martyrs lives on in the hearts of Assyrians across the world, and the 7th of August remains a day of mourning, prayer, and renewed commitment to preserve the Assyrian identity and defend human rights and religious freedom.
Who Are The Assyrians
The Assyrians are among the oldest Semitic peoples who settled in Mesopotamia, playing a pivotal role in shaping ancient human civilization. Their influence stretched from Nineveh and Assur in the north to Babylon and the Euphrates in the south, forming the greatest empire in the ancient Middle East during the first millennium BCE.
Yet, after the fall of their kingdom in the 7th century BCE, this ancient people did not vanish. Their cultural, religious, and linguistic presence continued, even though their political state was lost. The Assyrians remained torchbearers of civilization and of the Syriac language (derived from Aramaic), playing a central role in spreading culture and knowledge, especially after embracing Christianity in its early days.
Today: Where Do the Assyrians Live?
Though Assyria is no longer a political entity, the Assyrian people remain very much alive, residing in several countries:
Iraq: Especially in the Nineveh Plain, Duhok, and Erbil.
Syria: In the Khabour region and al-Hasakah.
Turkey: In Tur Abdin and Diyarbakir, despite declining numbers.
Iran: Particularly in the Urmia region.
Lebanon: Mainly in Beirut, the Beqaa Valley, and Zahle.
Diaspora:
United States: Detroit, Chicago, California.
Australia: Sydney, Melbourne.
Europe: Sweden, Germany, Canada, and others.
Prominent Assyrian Figures Throughout History
Despite the historical injustices they’ve endured, the Assyrians have produced many influential figures in the fields of war, science, politics, and religion:
In Ancient History:
Ashurbanipal: The last of the great kings, known for his massive library in Nineveh, which preserved thousands of Sumerian and Babylonian texts.
Tiglath-Pileser III: A brilliant military leader who established a strong centralized state and expanded the empire.
Sargon II: Built the city of Dur-Sharrukin and led successful campaigns against uprisings.
In Modern History:
Mar Shimun Benyamin: An Assyrian patriarch who led a heroic resistance against the Ottomans during World War I.
General Agha Petros: A courageous Assyrian military leader who fought against the Ottoman army to defend his people.
George Malek: Political activist and academic, a key advocate for minority rights in Iraq.
In Science and Culture
Naum Faiq: A visionary Assyrian writer and thinker, a pioneer of modern Assyrian cultural renaissance in the diaspora.
Ibrahim Malek: Philosopher and academic, contributed to the development of Assyrian studies and the Syriac language.
Mar Paulus II Cheikho: One of the leading theologians of the Chaldean Church (of Assyrian origin).
The Role of Assyrians in Defending Lebanon
Although their number in Lebanon is relatively small, Assyrians have had a deep national and spiritual role—especially after the 1933 Simele massacre in Iraq, which forced many to flee to Lebanon and Syria.
During the Lebanese Civil War Many Assyrians joined the Christian Lebanese resistance, defending Christian presence and the Lebanese state against the Palestinian occupation first, and later the Syrian and Iranian regimes. They formed local defense units in areas like Sad al-Bouchrieh, Zahle, and the Beqaa Valley, and many integrated into the Lebanese Forces. Assyrians gave martyrs for the cause of a free, pluralistic Lebanon.
In National and Political Life
The Assyrians in Lebanon have preserved their Eastern Christian identity, resisting political sectarianism and advocating for their national and religious presence.
They supported calls for Lebanon’s neutrality and opposed the monopolization of arms by any faction—especially Hezbollah. They have also played a role in interfaith and intercultural dialogue, opening their churches and centers to serve all, Christians and Muslims alike.
The Assyrian Message: A Legacy of Witness and Resilience
The Assyrians are a people of continuity and endurance. From Babylon and Nineveh to Beirut and Zahle, from Khabour to Sydney and Detroit, they carry their language, their faith, and their heritage like an unbroken banner. In defending Lebanon, they stand for values of freedom, diversity, and dignity—believing that this homeland, even when small, remains a haven for every free person and a refuge for all who resist oppression.
Prayer for the Assyrian Martyrs
O Lord of life and truth, We lift up to You the martyrs of the Assyrian nation, Who shed their blood for their faith in You, And clung to the Cross despite sword and fire. Bless their memory in our hearts,
And let their witness shine as a light in times of persecution. Grant them eternal rest in Your Paradise, Protect their people from all evil, And let their blood be the seed of resurrection and renewal.
Amen.

Elias Bejjani/Text and Video: Naim Qassem Invents a New Taif and Hides Behind Iran's Sectarian "National Pact" While Boasting of Victories That Are, in Reality, Crushing Defeats
Elias Bejjani/August 06/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/145979/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17awvWmIC5Y&t=66s
Once again, Sheikh Naim Qassem, Secretary-General of the terrorist group Hezbollah, delivered a speech that exemplifies deception and blatant distortion. With no sense of shame, he invoked slogans of patriotism, the Taif Agreement, sovereignty, the National Pact, and resistance—all in the service of a sectarian militia project subservient to the Iranian regime. This project has nothing to do with Lebanon or the interests of its people.
Anyone who followed his speech on August 5, 2025, would immediately see that Qassem speaks not for Lebanon or its citizens, but solely for Iran’s Supreme Leader. Hezbollah is the military and security arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and since 2005, it has been occupying Lebanon. Hezbollah refuses to cede this occupation to the Lebanese state, constitution, or sovereignty. Instead, through violence and intimidation, it seeks to crush the state, enslave the people, and empty the Lebanese entity to serve the Iranian project of Wilayat al-Faqih (Rule of the Jurisprudent).
1. A Speech of Lies and Delusions
Not a single word in Qassem’s speech reflects truth, reality, or the decaying state of Hezbollah’s capabilities. He transitioned from one falsehood to another with astonishing audacity, insulting the intelligence of the Lebanese people. He falsely claimed that the Taif Agreement legitimized Hezbollah’s weapons and that its arsenal is a “constitutional right” that cannot be touched without full national consensus. Astonishingly, he equated Hezbollah’s weapons with the National Pact that guarantees Christian-Muslim coexistence—despite Christians being a numerical minority.
2. A Flagrant Falsification of the Taif Agreement and the Constitution
Let us remind Qassem and those parroting these lies that the Taif Agreement never mentioned Hezbollah or any so-called "resistance." On the contrary, it explicitly stated:
“All Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias shall be disbanded. Their weapons shall be collected and delivered to the Lebanese state within a specified timeframe.”
(Paragraph E, Section A – Political Reforms – Taif Agreement)
“The Lebanese state shall extend its authority over all Lebanese territories through its own forces, with no partner or rival.”
(Paragraph G, Section A – Taif Agreement)
Thus, the continued existence of Hezbollah’s arsenal is a direct violation of the constitution, the National Pact, the will of the people, and international resolutions—from 1559 to 1701 and beyond.
The National Pact does not grant legitimacy to illegal weapons or sectarian militias taking orders from Tehran. It mandates that vital national decisions be made within legitimate state institutions, under the rule of law and the constitution.
3. The Myth of Weapons as Sectarian “Guarantees”
In a dangerous and divisive move, Qassem attempted to frighten Christians by invoking Lebanon’s demographic imbalance—a narrative that is entirely rejected. Lebanon is not protected by militias. It is protected by its constitution, state institutions, army, and judiciary.
Christians, Shiites, and all Lebanese do not need sectarian militias for protection. They need a strong, sovereign, and just state. Hezbollah does not protect the Shiite community; it holds it hostage and sends its youth to die in Iran’s proxy wars inside and outside Lebanon—wars that serve Tehran, not Lebanon.
4. The Lie of “Victory” – A Defeat Too Massive to Conceal
Qassem proudly claimed that Hezbollah “prevented Israel from reaching Beirut.” In reality, Israel has not only reached Beirut—it has repeatedly bombed Hezbollah’s stronghold in Dahiyeh, assassinated top commanders, and destroyed weapons depots, command centers, and infrastructure across Lebanon. The cost? Thousands dead, tens of thousands displaced, an economy in ruins, and total infrastructure collapse.
Israeli jets now fly over Lebanon with impunity, striking Hezbollah operatives at will. Yet Qassem shamelessly calls this a “victory.”
5. The Crime of the Beirut Port
Qassem cynically mentioned the anniversary of the Beirut port explosion—as if Hezbollah were blameless. In truth, Hezbollah has obstructed the investigation, eliminated key witnesses, and shielded those responsible.
According to both international and local investigations, Hezbollah used the port as a weapons depot and a smuggling hub for the Assad regime. This is not a conspiracy—it is documented, undeniable evidence. No empty rhetoric can erase this crime.
6. Hezbollah Killed in Syria—Not Resisted
Hezbollah dispatched thousands of fighters to Syria to prop up Bashar al-Assad’s murderous regime. In doing so, it played a direct role in destroying cities, displacing millions, and massacring civilians—under the banner of the so-called “Axis of Resistance.” What resistance kills other peoples to defend a dictator?
7. Refusal to Disarm = Declaration of War on the State
Hezbollah’s insistence on retaining weapons outside state control is a declaration of war on the Lebanese people, on the state, and on sovereignty. Its alleged willingness to “discuss a defense strategy” is a ruse—this so-called strategy is nothing more than a scheme to retain its weapons indefinitely under Iranian command.
Let it be clear:
There is no legitimacy for any weapon outside the Lebanese Army.
There is no compromise on murder.
There can be no partnership in smuggling, kidnapping, and assassination.
It is either one state with one army—or no state at all.
8. Hezbollah Is Defeated… and Iran Is Crumbling
Despite the propaganda, Hezbollah has suffered major defeats both in Lebanon and abroad. Israel has shattered its deterrence and exposed its vulnerabilities. The Iranian project it serves has collapsed under domestic uprisings and foreign strikes in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
The false slogans of “resistance” and “liberation” have been debunked. The “Jerusalem cause” has been used, abused, and ultimately exposed as a front for a sectarian imperial project. Iran's expansionist dreams are crumbling.
9. Final Message: Lebanon Cannot Be Saved Until Hezbollah Is Disarmed
Lebanon will never rise as long as Hezbollah holds the reins of power, controls war and peace, and dominates the ports, airport, politics, and economy.
The state must act. If it does not, the international community—or even Israel—will not tolerate the continued existence of this terrorist entity.
The coming stage will be unforgiving. The choice is clear:
Either implement international resolutions and disarm Hezbollah—or face the alternative: Israeli intervention, the collapse of southern Lebanon into a buffer zone, and possible mass displacement.
Conclusion:
Hezbollah’s era must end.
Its weapons must go.
Only then can Lebanon breathe, rebuild, and reclaim its sovereignty.

Former Minister Youssef Salameh:: Your Excellency President Joseph Aoun, all the opportunities are now in your hands — save Lebanon and enter history through its widest gate.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146065/
Facebook/August 08/2025
(Free translation from Arabic by Elias Bejjani)
In response to certain positions expressed by some ministers — in particular Minister Tamara Al-Zein, whom we respect and appreciate — former Minister Youssef Salameh stated: We remind the Lebanese that in 1982, Israel entered Lebanon and reached Beirut, at a time when Lebanon was suffering from the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s usurpation of its sovereignty and influence over its political and national decision-making. The declared objective of the occupation was to expel the PLO from Lebanon, which was the direct and greatest loser.
Back then, under the direct sponsorship of the United States, the Lebanese negotiating team headed by Ambassador Antoine Fattal was able to secure the May 17 Agreement, which granted Lebanon far more than what it has been forced to accept in the past decade. However, President Amine Gemayel yielded to the forces allied with the Assad regime and refused to sign it.
Today, the party that has been defeated is a Lebanese faction called Hezbollah. Therefore, we must acknowledge that Lebanon itself has been defeated, and it will not be able to obtain the same terms it secured in the May 17 Agreement. Only the surrender of Hezbollah’s weapons and the dismantling of its military-security structure can restore Lebanon’s ability to negotiate as a fully sovereign state and limit the repercussions of the national defeat. In this context, we hope that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam will not be forced to pay the same price once paid by Statesmen Kamel Al-Asaad, Shafiq Al-Wazzan, and Saeb Salam, when President Gemayel surrendered to the forces of fait accompli and refused to sign.
Your Excellency President Joseph Aoun, all the opportunities are now in your hands — save Lebanon and enter history through its widest gate.
Apologies, Madam Minister, but credibility and political realism require speaking the truth, no matter how painful it may be.

Link video To a Commentary by Dr. Saleh Al-Mashnouk exposing, and disparaging Naim Qassem's delusional and hallucinatory speech
August 08/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146058/
Dr. Saleh Al-Machnouk exposes, dismantles, and ridicules the delusional and hallucinated speech of Naim Qassem, demanding that the terrorist Hezbollah pack up and lift its grip off Lebanon and the Lebanese people.
A scathing commentary on Sheikh Naim Qassem’s speech, which contained nothing but illusions, hallucinations, daydreams, lies, and submission to Iran’s mullahs and their destructive, inhumane project — a project hostile to humanity, to stability, and to every value and principle.

The Lebanese “democratic consensus” does not work one way.
Roger Bejjani/Face Book/August 08/2025
If a single sect or component refuses to build a State, this consensus does not apply, since the sine qua non condition for this consensus is to have a State, and the definition of a State is the elected entity that holds the monopoly and legitimacy of violence. This was breached since 1969.
Moreover, the other 16 components want to have a State. If 1 component out of 17, refuses, will the consensus continue to make sense? 16/1. Budging to the pressure of the 1 against the 16 would turn this consensus into a dictatorship, especially that the 1 used to have an illegal Army and an assassination outfit.
However, the concept of the consensual democracy that was adopted by Becharra el Khoury and Riad el Solh, was meant between 2 large groups: Christians and Muslims. And not amongst the 17 or 18 sects if we include the handful Lebanese Jews. Conceptually, if the Shi’a have the right to refuse a decision, the Alaouites or the Catholics or the Jews could as well. The Sunnis (the largest Lebanese community ahead of the Shi’a) and the Druze (both representing the majority of Muslims in Lebanon) have predominantly adhered to (At last. A stand they should have taken in 1969), restricting violence in the hands of a government emanating from an elected parliament. The smashing majority of Christians as well. We can safely conclude that the decision of having a serious State holding the monopoly and legitimacy of violence is secured from a consensual perspective. If the majority of Muslims have vetoed it, we would not have a consensus. Since the majority of Muslims and Christians have adhered to it, the consensus is safe. The defection of a sect out of 18 does not put the national consensus into jeopardy.

Israeli airstrike kills Palestinian official and bodyguard in east Lebanon
AP/August 08, 2025
BEIRUT: An Israeli airstrike on eastern Lebanon killed a number of people, including a senior member of a Palestinian group and his bodyguard as they were on their way to Syria, news reports and his group said Friday. The airstrike near the Lebanese border crossing of Masnaa on Thursday afternoon killed Mohammed Wishah, a member of the central committee of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, or PFLP, the group said in a statement.The Israeli army confirmed the airstrike, saying that Wishah was responsible for coordinating with other militant groups in the region and strengthening ties between the PFLP and Iran’s so-called axis of resistance. The military said that Wishah was advancing attacks against Israel and took his job as the PFLP’s top security official in Syria after his predecessor was killed in an airstrike in Beirut in September. In a post on social media, senior PFLP official Marwan Abdel-Al mourned the death of Wishah and his bodyguard, Mufid Hussein.“We have lost two of the most loyal comrades who gave their precious souls to freedom,” Abdel-Al wrote.Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, or NNA, said that the airstrike on east Lebanon killed six people and wounded 10 others, without identifying the victims. Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, Israel has targeted Palestinian officials in Lebanon, including PFLP members. Three FPLP members were killed in an airstrike on a Beirut apartment in September. A FPLP official said that Wishah had been in Lebanon to meet with other officials with the group and was on his way back to Syria when the airstrike happened. The official, who wasn’t authorized to speak with the media, spoke on condition of anonymity.The PFLP statement said Wishah was born in the Gaza Strip in 1954 and spent five years in Israeli jails shortly after he joined the Palestinian group in 1973. For many years, the leftist and secular PFLP has been the No. 2 member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah group.On Friday morning, an Israeli drone strike hit a car in a coastal highway in south Lebanon, killing citizen journalist Mohammed Shehadeh, NNA reported. Hezbollah later said that Shehadeh was one of its members.Since the 14-month war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group ended, Israel has carried out scores of airstrikes on Lebanon, mainly targeting Hezbollah members.

Report: Shiite Duo won't withdraw from govt. or resort to street action
Naharnet/August 08/2025
The Shiite Duo’s rejection of the government’s decisions on arms monopolization “will remain limited to political action and state institutions,” the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying. The Shiite Duo “has informed those concerned that its MPs and ministers will remain in the parliament and government and that it will not use the street as a detonator or to create internal strife,” the sources added. A prominent Hezbollah source also confirmed to al-Joumhouria newspaper that the Shiite Duo will not resign from the government, adding that Hezbollah "will not hand over the weapons and will not spark clashes on the street or with the army.""We can agree on a format for army monopoly as mentioned in the Ministerial Statement without giving timetables and we support any agreement that begins with compelling Israel to withdraw, halt the violations and attacks and hand over the captives," the source added. "Weapons need a thorough discussion in which we should address Lebanon's interest first, and this would happen with the Lebanese Army by agreeing on a national strategy," the source said. The government on Tuesday took a historic decision to monopolize arms in the hands of the state before the year’s end and on Thursday it approved the objectives of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s paper, which focuses on the disarmament of Hezbollah and other armed groups in the country.The ministers of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement walked out of both sessions in protest.

Hezbollah MP: Beware of playing with fire with us
Naharnet/August 08/2025
MP Ali al-Meqdad of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc said “Lebanon should be protected by all its components and segments and by its resistance and army, which they want to put today in the face of the resistance.”“We want this army to keep standing with the resistance and with its people to protect Lebanon,” Meqdad added, during the funeral of a Hezbollah member Alaa Haidar, who was killed in an Israeli drone strike in Kfardan near Baalbek. "At the moment of your martyrdom, the government meeting at the presidential palace was approving your blood spilling, your targeting and your killing. Unfortunately, during the session, they did not hear that a great martyr and leader had been martyred in the Bekaa Valley. They only listened to American and Israeli dictates,” Meqdad charged. He added that the government’s decision on Hezbollah’s disarmament “will remain ink on paper.”“I assure you that what happened yesterday in the Council of Ministers is not worth the ink with which it was written," he said. Meqdad added” "Yesterday, the mother of three martyrs called me and asked me, 'What's going on? Are you selling the blood of the martyrs?' I accept the surrender of the weapons on the condition that you return to me my three martyred sons and the most sacred martyr, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. She wanted to use her impossible condition to tell this government that abandoning the resistance's weapons is impossible, and we stand behind this pure and noble mother.”He continued, "Don't play with fire with us. We are the first to demand protection and stability for this country.”“Let what happened remain within its theoretical framework. The families of the martyrs will not allow the resistance to sell the blood of the martyrs, let alone the millions who all support the resistance! Every honorable person who refuses humiliation and degradation in Lebanon is a resistance fighter," Meqdad added. The government had on Tuesday taken a historic decision to monopolize arms in the hands of the state before the year’s end and on Thursday it approved the objectives of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s paper, which focuses on the disarmament of Hezbollah and other armed groups in the country. The ministers of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement walked out of both sessions in protest.

Report: Berri convinced Hezbollah to take part in cabinet session
Naharnet/August 08/2025
Hezbollah was not in favor of participation in Thursday’s cabinet session that approved the “objectives” of the U.S. paper, but Speaker Nabih Berri insisted that Hezbollah and the Amal Movement take part in the meeting, pro-Hezbollah newspaper al-Akhbar reported on Friday. Berri argued that “the current period is very sensitive and we should deal positively and give full time for discussions and negotiation,” the daily said. Al-Akhbar also quoted ministerial sources as saying that the Shiite Duo’s ministers said during Thursday’s session that “the paper requires thorough examination and discussion.”
“The government already took a very major and dangerous decision without knowing its repercussions and risks for the country, so how are you asking us today to also blindly support something without looking into it very well?” the ministers added, according to the sources. The government on Tuesday took a historic decision to monopolize arms in the hands of the state before the year’s end and on Thursday it approved the objectives of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s paper, which focuses on the disarmament of Hezbollah and other armed groups in the country. The ministers of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement walked out of both sessions in protest.

Barrack's visit to Lebanon postponed to Aug. 18-19
Naharnet/August 08/2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack's visit to Lebanon has been postponed to Aug. 18-19, local Al-Jadeed TV network said Friday. The channel said that Lebanese authorities have been informed of the postponement of Barrack's visit to Lebanon by 10 days and that it will now take place on Aug. 18-19. Barrack on Thursday hailed a "historic" decision by the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah. In a post on X, Barrack congratulated Lebanese leaders "for making the historic, bold, and correct decision this week to begin fully implementing" a November ceasefire which ended more than a year of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, and stipulated that weapons in Lebanon be restricted to government agencies only. "This week's Cabinet resolutions finally put into motion the 'One Nation, One Army' solution for Lebanon. We stand behind the Lebanese people," Barrack said. On Thursday the government approved the objectives of a U.S. paper of demands carried by Barrack to Lebanon. The ministers of Hezbollah and Amal walked out of the session in protest.

Hezbollah MP: Door of dialogue still open with Salam's govt.
Naharnet/August 08/2025
MP Amin Sherri of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc said his party “will deal with what the government does according to the step by step principle,” adding that Hezbollah “objected to the U.S. paper because it reflects Israel’s goals.”“What the government is doing are rushed steps that do not immunize sovereignty and do not liberate the land. We want a serious discussion about the defense strategy and using the elements of strength,” Sherri added, in an interview on Al-Jazeera television. “The government must immunize Lebanon’s sovereignty and the door of dialogue is still open with PM Nawaf Salam’s government,” Sherri said. He added: “Our main battle is with the Israeli enemy, not with any other party, and the U.S. paper is surrender and submission to U.S. and Israeli dictations.”The government had on Tuesday taken a historic decision to monopolize arms in the hands of the state before the year’s end and on Thursday it approved the objectives of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s paper, which focuses on the disarmament of Hezbollah and other armed groups in the country. The ministers of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement walked out of both sessions in protest.

Israeli strike that killed 6 near al-Masnaa targeted senior PFLP official
Associated Press/August 08/2025
An Israeli airstrike on eastern Lebanon killed six people, including a senior member of a Palestinian group and his bodyguard as they were on their way to Syria, news reports and his group said Friday.The Thursday afternoon airstrike near the Lebanese border crossing of Masnaa killed Mohammed Wishah, a member of the central committee of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the group said in a statement. An Israeli army statement described Wishah as “the head of the PFLP in Syria,” saying he was responsible for “establishing cooperation with other Palestinian … organizations, working to strengthen cooperation with the Shiite axis, and most recently, carrying out military activities against Israeli targets.”Senior PFLP official Marwan Abdel-Al mourned in a post on social media the death of Wishah and his bodyguard, Mufid Hussein. "We have lost two of the most loyal comrades who gave their precious souls to freedom," Abdel-Al wrote.Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the airstrike on east Lebanon killed six people and wounded 10, without identifying the victims. Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, Israel has targeted Palestinian officials in Lebanon, including PFLP members. Three PFLP members were killed in an airstrike on a Beirut apartment last September.A PFLP official said Wishah had been in Lebanon to meet with other officials with the group and was on his way back to Syria when the airstrike happened. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to not being authorized to speak to the media.The PFLP statement said Wishah was born in the Gaza Strip in 1954 and spent five years in Israeli jails shortly after he joined the Palestinian group in 1973. For many years, the leftist and secular PFLP has been the second-largest member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah group. On Friday morning, an Israeli drone strike hit a car in a coastal highway in south Lebanon killing citizen journalist Mohammed Shehadeh, NNA said. Hezbollah later said Shehadeh was one of its members. Since the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war ended, Israel has carried out scores of airstrikes on Lebanon mainly targeting Hezbollah members.

What did Lebanese government approve on Thursday?
Naharnet/August 08/2025
The Lebanese government on Thursday endorsed the “objectives” of the U.S. paper presented by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, despite a walkout by the ministers of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement. The implementation timetable will depend on a Lebanese Army plan that is supposed to be submitted to Cabinet before the end of this month.
Below are the objectives as announced by the Presidency and the Premiership:
- Lebanon's implementation of the National Accord Document, known as the Taif Agreement, the Lebanese Constitution, and Security Council resolutions, most notably Resolution 1701, and taking the necessary steps to fully extend its sovereignty over all its territory, with the aim of strengthening the role of legitimate institutions, establishing the state's exclusive authority to make decisions of war and peace, and ensuring that the possession of weapons is restricted to the state alone throughout Lebanon.
- Ensuring the cessation of hostilities, including all land, air and sea violations, through systematic steps leading to a permanent, comprehensive and guaranteed solution.
- The gradual end of the armed presence of all non-state actors, including Hezbollah, throughout Lebanese territory, south and north of the Litani River, while providing support to the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces.
- The deployment of the Lebanese Army in the border areas and key internal locations, with appropriate support for the Lebanese Army and the security forces.
- Israel's withdrawal from the "Five Points" and the settlement of border and prisoner issues by diplomatic means through indirect negotiations.
- An economic conference will be held with the participation of the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other friends of Lebanon to support the Lebanese economy and rebuild it so that it can return to being a prosperous and viable country, as called for by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Journalist killed in Israeli strike on Zahrani road
Naharnet/August 08/2025
An Israeli drone strike targeted Friday a car on the Ansarieh highway in the southern region of al-Zahrani, killing a journalist. The journalist, Mohammad Shehadeh, is a photographer and correspondent of a local news portal. His colleagues said he was killed while performing his professional duties.Hezbollah later said Shehadeh was one of its members. On Thursday, Israel carried out several strikes on eastern Lebanon, killing at least seven people.

GCC welcomes Lebanon 'important' decision to disarm Hezbollah
Naharnet/August 08/2025
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi, welcomed Friday a decision by the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, describing it as an important step towards sovereignty and stability. Budaiwi said the decision will significantly contribute to enhancing the trust of the international community and multilateral partners, paving the way for a more attractive environment for investment, including in the private sector. In his statement, Budaiwi called for the implementation of all U.N. Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 1701 and the Taif Agreement. "This would meet the aspirations of the Lebanese people for a more secure, prosperous, and stable future," he said. The cabinet met on Thursday for the second time in days to discuss disarming Hezbollah. The meeting considered a U.S. proposal that includes a timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament, with Washington pressing Beirut to take action.Information Minister Paul Morcos said the cabinet endorsed the introduction of the U.S. text without discussing specific timelines. The introduction lists 11 "objectives" including "ensuring the sustainability" of a November ceasefire with Israel, and "the gradual end of the armed presence of all non-governmental entities, including Hezbollah, in all Lebanese territory". It also calls for the the deployment of Lebanese troops in border areas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the five places in the south they have occupied since last year's war with Hezbollah.

Bassil says govt. approval of 'American' paper shameful
Naharnet/August 08/2025
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has criticized the government’s approval of the objectives of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s paper, saying Cabinet should have approved a “Lebanese” paper instead.“Let them at least preserve the form! And let them adopt a Lebanese paper, not an American, Syrian, Iranian or any other country's paper! What a shame!” Bassil said in a post on X. “We were born from the heart of legitimacy and the womb of the Lebanese Army and we’re the ones who want arms monopoly and to have the decisions inside state institutions, but we cannot but cry when we see this subservience to foreign forces,” the FPM chief added. Cabinet’s decision on Thursday prompted the ministers of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement to withdraw from the session. They had also walked out of a cabinet session on Tuesday when the government decided to task the army with presenting a plan to monopolize arms in the country before the month’s end.

Hundreds of supporters protest government decision to disarm Hezbollah
Agence France Presse/August 08/2025
Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters took to the streets of Beirut's southern suburbs to protest a government decision to disarm the group. Lebanese media shared footage of similar rallies late Thursday, in other areas of the country where Hezbollah holds sway, while troops deployed to maintain order. The cabinet met on Thursday for the second time in days to discuss disarming Hezbollah. The meeting considered a U.S. proposal that includes a timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament, with Washington pressing Beirut to take action. Information Minister Paul Morcos said the cabinet endorsed the introduction of the U.S. text without discussing specific timelines. The introduction lists 11 "objectives" including "ensuring the sustainability" of a November ceasefire with Israel, and "the gradual end of the armed presence of all non-governmental entities, including Hezbollah, in all Lebanese territory". It also calls for the the deployment of Lebanese troops in border areas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the five places in the south they have occupied since last year's war with Hezbollah. The November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah stipulated that weapons in Lebanon be restricted to six military and security agencies.The government said on Tuesday that disarmament should happen by the end of this year. Following the cabinet decision on Tuesday, Morcos said the Lebanese government was waiting to review an "executive plan" on Hezbollah's disarmament. The army was tasked with presenting a plan to restrict the possession of weapons to government forces by the end of August. Only then would the government review the full provisions of the U.S. proposal, whose implementation "is dependent on the approval of each of the concerned countries", the information minister said. Four Shiite Muslim ministers, including three directly affiliated with Hezbollah or its ally the Amal movement, walked out of Thursday's meeting in protest at the government's disarmament push. Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc called on the government on Thursday to "correct the situation it has put itself and Lebanon in by slipping into accepting American demands that inevitably serve the interests of the Zionist enemy".The group said on Wednesday that it would treat the government's decision to disarm it "as if it did not exist", accusing the cabinet of committing a "grave sin".Israel -- which routinely carries out air strikes in Lebanon despite the November ceasefire -- has already signaled it could launch military operations if Beirut failed to disarm the group.

Lebanon’s Death by a Thousand Hezbollah Cuts
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/This Is Beirut/August 08/2025
It took Lebanon’s cabinet six months to even begin discussing the fate of Hezbollah’s arsenal. Whatever decision emerges will go to the Higher Defense Council for further deliberation and planning, then to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to devise an implementation strategy. If each step takes as long as the first, disarming Hezbollah could be delayed beyond the May 2026 parliamentary election. By then, the cabinet will be an interim one, and Lebanon will likely descend into protracted negotiations to appoint a new prime minister and form a government.
Speaker Nabih Berri, a master of delay, thrives on crises and feels no urgency to resolve them. Hezbollah leverages Berri’s expertise to postpone any serious disarmament decisions. This is facilitated by Lebanon’s fractured polity, where politicians often behave like small-town mayors rather than national leaders.
The Lebanese state and Hezbollah are fundamentally incompatible – one must perish for the other to survive. No arrangement allows Hezbollah to “complement” the state or support its army. Hezbollah exists to undermine the state and keep the LAF weak. If the militia desired a strong state, it could have donated its arsenal to the LAF long ago.
Instead, Hezbollah not only refuses to disband but also threatens Lebanon with civil war if the LAF attempts to disarm it or assert exclusive authority over the use of force. The LAF, theoretically the sole and legitimate enforcer of state power, has never threatened the Hezbollah militia.
Historically, the LAF has avoided confronting Hezbollah, largely because every Lebanese president since 1998 has been a former army commander. General Rudolph Haykal succeeded Joseph Aoun as LAF commander after Aoun’s election as president. From his first day in office, Haykal likely began positioning himself for the presidency.
Lebanon’s founders, like America’s, feared populist mobs electing unqualified leaders. While the US established the Electoral College, Lebanon entrusted parliament with electing the president. This system incentivizes LAF commanders like Haykal to court lawmakers rather than the public.
With 26 Shia lawmakers loyal to the Berri-Hezbollah bloc, Haykal knows crossing them risks his presidential ambitions. The bloc demonstrated its influence during Aoun’s election, letting him fail in the first round before securing his victory in the second.
Haykal has likely internalized this lesson: defying the Berri-Hezbollah duo, let alone disarming Hezbollah, is a nonstarter. If the state orders the LAF to act, Haykal may stall, citing excuses.
Those who have talked to Haykal quote him as doubting the loyalty of Shia troops and officers, fearing they would defect to Hezbollah if ordered to disarm it. He has also warned of “civil war” – a threat Hezbollah itself uses to deter state action.
With the political maneuvering skills that Berri has accumulated since he first became speaker in 1992, Hezbollah has exploited Lebanon’s vulnerabilities with precision. The militia will continue to bide its time, refusing to disarm, banking on a stronger hand after the 2026 election. Retaining its weapons allows Hezbollah to intimidate potential Shia rivals, consolidating its domestic power and securing an electoral victory.
By November 2026, a Republican loss in the US House could weaken President Trump’s domestic influence, potentially limiting his ability to counter Islamist Iran and its proxies like Hezbollah.
If Haykal is banking on the Shia bloc to secure his presidential ambitions, President Aoun faces no such constraint. His non-renewable six-year term frees him to act decisively and leave a legacy unmatched by any post-civil war predecessor: restoring state sovereignty by disarming all non-state actors, including Hezbollah. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, though widely regarded as a disappointment, also has little to lose. If Hezbollah strengthens its grip in the 2026 election – which is likely if it retains its arsenal – Salam will likely be ousted, replaced by a prime minister more amenable to ignoring Hezbollah’s weapons.
With less than a year left, Aoun and Salam can ignore Berri’s delays and push forward. They can either succeed in disarming Hezbollah or fade into historical obscurity, as their trajectory currently suggests.
**Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a research fellow at The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD).

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 08-09/2025
Iran shouldn’t count on China to boost its air force
Ahmad Hashemi, opinion contributor/The Hill/August 08/2025
The 12-day Israeli air campaign in June was a test of technological dominance. It was a quick and massive victory for Israel and for the U.S. The war severely crippled Iran’s military, exposing critical weaknesses in its air defenses and aging air force.
Iran’s fleet of Cold War-era jets was no match for Israeli stealth fighters, allowing Israel to quickly achieve air superiority. This dominance enabled Jerusalem to decimate Iran’s military leadership and destroy key nuclear and military sites. In response to these vulnerabilities, Tehran is now planning to acquire Chinese J-10C fighter jets to modernize its air force and reassert control over its airspace. The Iran-Israel war also tested the limits of Iran’s alliance with Russia, which offered little more than diplomatic support to Tehran during the conflict. Despite a recently signed strategic partnership agreement and years of close cooperation, Russia’s support for Iran during this crisis has proven largely rhetorical. Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the U.S. attacks, describing them as “unjustified.” Putin called for dialogue without offering any military aid, claiming that Israel is almost a Russian-speaking country, much to the dismay of Iran. Russia’s failure to deliver on a 2023 agreement for Su-35 jets and its wavering commitment to help Iran during the Iran-Israel war have led Iran to openly question Russia’s reliability as an ally.
Consequently, Tehran is now turning to China for advanced military hardware that Russia failed to provide. Iran’s weapons procurement talks with Beijing, therefore, mark a subtle but profound shift away from Moscow’s aerospace orbit, signaling a significant shift in Iran’s strategic partnerships and potentially impacting the fragile strategic balance in the region. Iran is in high-level discussions with China to acquire up to 40 Chengdu J-10C multirole fighter jets, along with advanced air defense systems.
The J-10C — sometimes called the “Rafale Killer” after its successful engagement against French-made Indian Rafale jets in a 2025 India-Pakistan conflict — could significantly alter the regional balance of power in Iran’s favor to the detriment of Israel and Arab Gulf states. This acquisition would be a major step in modernizing Iran’s air force, bridging the technological gap with its rivals, and potentially deterring future Israeli strikes. Such a deal would also solidify China’s growing influence as a defense supplier in the Middle East and deepen its strategic partnership with Iran. Acquiring the J-10C jets could trigger a regional arms race, with other countries seeking to modernize their air forces to counter Iran’s new capabilities.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab Gulf neighbors are concerned about the potential transfer of Chinese jets to Iran, but Israel is worried the most. Israel is closely watching these developments and is concerned that Iran’s acquisition of these advanced jets could deter future Israeli strikes and bolster Iran’s ability to defend its airspace. Israel seeks to halt the fighter jet deal between China and Iran. A successful deal would also cement China’s position as a major arms provider to Iran, further strengthening their strategic partnership.
Iran views the Chinese J-10C jets as a key to modernizing its almost nonexistent air force and countering Israel’s air superiority. If Iran succeeds in striking a deal, this will mark a clear strategic pivot toward China for military hardware. Currently, China appears to be the only nation willing to supply Iran with advanced weaponry. However, Beijing is proceeding cautiously due to several factors. Past attempts by Iran to acquire J-10Cs in 2015 were thwarted by a United Nations arms embargo and China’s demand for cash payments over Iran’s proposed oil-and-gas barter.
In addition, China’s reluctance to fully commit to large-scale arms exports to Iran is rooted in its desire to avoid Western backlash and its complex relations with Iran’s regional rivals, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. These Gulf states are crucial energy suppliers and trading partners for China. Furthermore, China prioritizes stabilizing its relationship with Washington to focus on its own technological and economic self-sufficiency, which is a more critical goal than the potential profits from selling advanced weapons to Iran. Despite this hesitancy regarding advanced weapons sales, China is and will remain a vital ally for Iran through continued oil purchases in violation of international sanctions. More than 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports go to China, providing a crucial financial lifeline to the sanctions-stricken nation. The arms deal is far from certain. For China, maintaining access to the Gulf’s energy resources and ensuring regional stability outweigh the benefits of supplying Iran with advanced weaponry. If unable to acquire Chinese fighter jets, Iran would be susceptible to recurring Israeli air strikes, hindering its ability to enhance its ballistic, drone, and nuclear capabilities. The stakes are high for inaction. Washington possesses several leverages against Beijing. The U.S. is a major export market for China and contributes significantly to its GDP growth. America must use this leverage to prevent China’s potential weapons sale to Iran.

Iran transfers inmates to Evin prison, which Israel targeted in June
The Associated Press/August 08/2025
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian state media reported that authorities on Friday returned a group of inmates to Evin prison, which Israel targeted during an airstrike in June. A report by the official IRNA news agency said that authorities returned the first group of prisoners to Evin from another correction facility in Tehran, suggesting that further transfers will continue in the coming days. The report didn't say how many prisoners were transferred or how many others are expected to be transferred to the jail. It said that new facilities were constructed at the site of prison to accommodate the inmates, adding that five prisoners resisted wearing handcuffs required by police to transfer them. The report said they were eventually transferred “without any conflict and in peace.” It didn't elaborate. But Fakhrolsadat Mohtashamipour — the wife of prominent activist Mostafa Tajzadeh — said on social media that law enforcement officers beat her husband and six other prisoners to force them to wear handcuffs. The Israeli airstrikes were part of 12-day bombardment of the Islamic Republic that killed about 1,100 people. while 28 were left dead in Israel in Iranian retaliatory strikes. Iranian officials said that the Israeli strike that hit Evin killed 71 people, but local media reported earlier in July that 80 were left dead at the time, including prison staff, soldiers, inmates and visiting family members. Authorities also said that five inmates died. It’s unclear why Israel targeted the prison. The Israeli Defense Ministry had said that 50 aircraft dropped 100 munitions on military targets “based on high-quality and accurate intelligence from the Intelligence Branch.”The New York-based Center for Human Rights had criticized Israel for striking the prison, seen as a symbol of repression of any opposition, saying it violated the principle of distinction between civilian and military targets.Last week, authorities said that 75 prisoners had escaped following the strike, of which 48 were either recaptured or voluntarily returned.

Iraq divided over future of pro-Iran armed alliance
AFP/August 08, 2025
BAGHDAD: A bill in Iraq that would further formalize the role — and perhaps, the autonomy — of a powerful coalition of pro-Iran former paramilitaries has sparked a heated debate, fanned in part by US pressure. Few details of the bill that could decide the future of the Hashed Al-Shaabi alliance have been made public.Formed in 2014 when Iraqis were urged to take up arms against the jihadists of the Daesh group, the Hashed is a powerful force with major military and political clout. The bill aims at regulating and restructuring the alliance of a myriad of armed groups, which together have more than 200,000 fighters and employees. Not mincing words, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the proposed legislation “would institutionalize Iranian influence and armed terrorist groups undermining Iraq’s sovereignty.”
An Iraqi government official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said opponents of the bill say it “seems to establish something similar to the Revolutionary Guards” in Iran — a powerful military force imbued with the Islamic republic’s ideology.
The aim, according to political scientist Renad Mansour, is to integrate the Hashed “even more into the state.”
“Some argue that this is an important first step, because it’s better to have them in this system than outside the system, where they could be spoilers,” said Mansour, a senior research fellow at Chatham House think tank. But others, he added, “argue that this is a further way for the Hashed to consolidate its power,” giving the alliance “access to greater funds, greater intelligence, and other kind of equipment and technology.”The debate around the bill comes at a time of heightened regional tensions and upheavals, as the Gaza war reverberates across the Middle East. Iranian allies and proxies have been weakened in wars with Israel, which has Washington’s backing. In Lebanon, Tehran-backed group Hezbollah faces a government push to disarm it by the end of the year. In recent years, the Iraqi armed factions have seen their clout grow, with some gaining seats in parliament and in government, even as several group leaders — including the Hashed’s top commander — have been subjected to US sanctions. In 2022 the coalition was granted a public works enterprise, Al-Muhandis, with capital worth tens of millions of dollars.
Responding to Washington’s concerns, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has defended the proposed bill as “part of the government’s broader security reform agenda.”The Hashed “is an official Iraqi military institution operating under the authority of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces,” Sudani said.
A 2016 law already affords the Hashed the status of a public body. But some factions face accusations of collecting government salaries for their fighters on the one hand, but acting entirely independently of the state on the other.
Some of the factions within the Hashed are aligned with Baghdad, while others pledge their allegiance first and foremost to the Tehran-led “Axis of Resistance.”The latter have in the past launched rockets and explosive-laden drones at US troops stationed in Iraq as part of an anti-jihadist coalition.Mansour said the Hashed was unlikely to morph into something that resembles Iran’s Guards.It “isn’t a coherent institution,” he said.
“It has many different groups, many different factions, many different leaders, and they’re still fighting with each other.”
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source close to the armed factions told AFP that Shiite Muslim political parties seek a “special law” that would guarantee the Hashed remains “an independent military institution, on the same level as the interior or defense ministry.”Sunni Muslim and Kurdish politicians oppose any such move, and even among the Shiites there is no consensus, said the government official.
Deputy parliament speaker Mohsen Al-Mandalawi said the proposed legislation “contributes to enhancing the combat capabilities” of the Hashed and to “creating new formations concerned with developing this security institution,” according to the official Iraq News Agency. If approved, it would pave the way for the creation of a special military academy and secure the Hashed’s “financial independence,” according to a parliament report published by state media. According to the report, the Iraqi state council noted the “bloating” of administrative structures, and opposed the creation of such an academy for the Hashed instead of using existing defense ministry facilities. But with legislative elections coming up in November, the former paramilitaries may seek to seize on the chance to gain institutional recognition. The Hashed “needs something to reinvigorate its base,” said Mansour. b “The more the Hashed is institutionalized, the more access it has to Iraq’s wealthy state coffers,” he added. “This could become another mechanism for patronage.”

Egypt and Qatar draw up new framework to end Gaza war and release hostages
Associated Press/August 08, 2025
Mediators from Egypt and Qatar are working on a new framework which will include the release of all hostages — dead and alive — in one go in return for an end of the war in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the strip, according to two Arab officials who spoke to The Associated Press anonymously due to the sensitivity of the discussions. One is involved directly in the deliberations and the second was briefed on the efforts. The efforts have the backing of major Arab Gulf monarchies, the officials said, as they are concerned about further regional destabilization if Israel’s government proceeds with a full reoccupation of Gaza, two decades after Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from the strip. The yet-to-be finalized framework aims to address the contentious issue of what to do with Hamas’ weapons, with Israel seeking full disarmament and Hamas refusing. The official directly involved in the efforts said discussions are underway about “freezing arms,” which may involve Hamas retaining but not using its weapons. It also calls for the group to relinquish power in the strip. A Palestinian-Arab committee would run Gaza and oversee the reconstruction efforts until the establishment of a Palestinian administration with a new police force, trained by two U.S. allies in the Middle East, to take over the strip, he said. It is unclear what role the Western-backed Palestinian Authority would play.
The second official said that a powerful Gulf country is supporting the Egyptian-Qatari efforts. A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to brief the media, said the group’s leadership has been aware of the Arab mediators’ efforts to revive the ceasefire talks, but has yet to receive details. AP reached out to the governments in Qatar, Egypt and Israel for comment. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff told hostage families during his recent visit that Israel was shifting its approach to pursue a comprehensive “all-or-nothing” deal aimed at ending the war and securing the release of hostages, a person who attended the meeting told the AP, speaking on the condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to speak about the private meeting.

UN asks Israel to immediately halt plan to control Gaza
Agencies/August 08, 2025
SYDNEY/GENEVA: UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Friday said that “the Israeli Government’s plan for a complete military takeover of the occupied Gaza Strip must be immediately halted.”“It runs contrary to the ruling of the International Court of Justice that Israel must bring its occupation to an end as soon as possible, to the realization of the agreed two-State solution and to the right of Palestinians to self-determination,” he said in a statement. Jordan on Friday also condemned, “in the strongest terms”, Israel’s plans “to entrench its occupation of the Gaza Strip and expand full military control over.”
Ambassador Sufian Al-Qudah, in a statement “affirmed the Kingdom’s rejection and strong condemnation of this plan, which represents an extension of the extremist Israeli government’s policy that uses starvation and siege as weapons against the Palestinian people.”“Full military control over the Gaza Strip undermines international efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement and ending the humanitarian suffering in the sector, stressing the necessity for Israel … to immediately halt its aggression on Gaza” a portion of the statement said. King Abdullah II has assured Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Jordan’s continued support and solidarity, and as he reiterated Amman’s rejection and condemnation of Israel’s plan to consolidate the occupation of Gaza and expand military control over it. The King also affirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting them in obtaining their just and legitimate rights and establishing their independent state, on the basis of the two-state solution, state news agency Petra reported, during a call between the two leaders. The Turkish foreign ministry also strongly condemned Israel’s decision to take control of Gaza City, saying every step taken by the “fundamentalist Netanyahu government” to continue its genocide and expand its occupation dealt a heavy blow to global peace and security. Australia earlier urged Israel “not to go down this path,” after Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel intended to take military control of Gaza. “Australia calls on Israel to not go down this path, which will only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on Friday. Wong said permanent forced displacement was a violation of international law and repeated calls for a ceasefire, aid to flow unimpeded and for militant group Hamas to return the hostages taken in October 2023. “A two-state solution is the only pathway to secure an enduring peace – a Palestinian state and the State of Israel, living side-by-side in peace and security within internationally-recognized borders,” she added. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday also said Israel’s decision to take control of Gaza City was wrong and urged the government in Jerusalem to reconsider. “The Israeli Government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately,” he said in a statement. “This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed.”Australia has not yet joined Western allies such as the UK, Canada and France in announcing it would recognize Palestinian statehood but has said it would make a decision “at an appropriate time,” while escalating its criticism of Israel’s actions. Wong’s comments come in response to Netanyahu saying Israel intended to take military control of all of Gaza during an interview with Fox News. He said Israel wanted to hand over the territory to Arab forces that would govern it, without elaborating on the governance arrangements or which Arab countries could be involved.
After a security cabinet meeting on Friday, Netanyahu’s office confirmed a plan to take over Gaza City had been approved. A statement said the Israeli Defense Forces would prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones. Israel’s decision to intensify its military operation in Gaza is wrong and should immediately be reversed, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told Denmark’s TV2 on Friday.Israel’s political-security cabinet approved a plan early on Friday to take control of Gaza City, a move expanding military operations despite intensifying criticism at home and abroad. China also expressed “serious concerns” over Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City, urging it to “immediately cease its dangerous actions”.“Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a message. “The correct way to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to secure the release of hostages is an immediate ceasefire,” they added. “A complete resolution to the Gaza conflict hinges on a ceasefire; only then can a path to de-escalation be paved and regional security ensured,” the spokesperson said.

Starmer faces call to ‘sit this one out’ on Gaza amid US-UK ‘disagreement’
Will Durrant and Christopher McKeon, PA Political Staff/August 08/2025
Sir Keir Starmer has faced a call to “sit this one out” on Gaza, after the Prime Minister warned the Israeli government against pursuing its plan to take control of Gaza City. Washington’s ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also suggested that Sir Keir would have lost Britain the Second World War, had he been in No 10 at the time.Earlier on Friday, US vice president JD Vance described a “disagreement” about how the US and UK could achieve their “common objectives” in the Middle East, and said Donald Trump’s administration had “no plans to recognise a Palestinian state”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has unveiled new principles for military action which include “the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip”, “Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip” and “the establishment of an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority”. The Israel Defence Forces “will prepare for taking control of Gaza City while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the combat zones”. After Sir Keir described the decision as being “wrong” and called for a “surge in humanitarian aid”, Mr Huckabee wrote: “So Israel is expected to surrender to Hamas and feed them even though Israeli hostages are being starved? In a statement, Sir Keir had said: “The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately. “This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed. “Every day the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and hostages taken by Hamas are being held in appalling and inhuman conditions. “What we need is a ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages by Hamas and a negotiated solution. “Hamas can play no part in the future of Gaza and must leave as well as disarm. “Together with our allies, we are working on a long-term plan to secure peace in the region as part of a two-state solution, and ultimately achieve a brighter future for Palestinians and Israelis. “But without both sides engaging in good faith negotiations, that prospect is vanishing before our eyes.”Sir Keir has pledged to recognise a Palestinian state in September unless the Israeli government meets a series of conditions towards ending the war in Gaza. These include taking “substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza”, “agreeing to a ceasefire, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank”.At Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s grace-and-favour retreat in Kent, Mr Vance said the UK “is going to make its decision” on Palestinian recognition. “We have no plans to recognise a Palestinian state,” he said. “I don’t know what it would mean to really recognise a Palestinian state given the lack of functional government there.”Mr Vance added: “There’s a lot of common objectives here. There is some, I think, disagreement about how exactly to accomplish those common objectives, but look, it’s a tough situation.”

Germany halts military exports to Israel for use in Gaza amid outcry over Netanyahu plan
FANNY BRODERSEN and SAM McNEIL/AP/August 08/2025
BERLIN (AP) — Germany won't authorize any exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza “until further notice,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday, in a strikingly quick response by one of Israel's strongest international backers to a decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet to take over Gaza City. The move by Germany, which has previously stopped short of tougher lines against Israel's government taken by some of its European Union allies, appeared likely to further isolate Israel in the wake of the military takeover plan that has been decried by the United Nations, aid and human rights groups, and supporters of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, among others. Germany, along with the United States and Italy, is among the top foreign suppliers of equipment used by Israel's military. The pause adds to action taken by European countries — including economic, military and diplomatic measures — against Israel in recent months out of concern over its government's conduct in the nearly two-year war in Gaza. Merz said in a statement that Israel “has the right to defend itself against Hamas’ terror” and that the release of Israeli hostages and purposeful negotiations toward a ceasefire are “our top priority.” He said that Hamas mustn't have a role in the future of Gaza. “The even harsher military action by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, approved by the Israeli Cabinet last night, makes it increasingly difficult for the German government to see how these goals will be achieved,” he said. “Under these circumstances, the German government will not authorize any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice.”
Netanyahu spoke with Merz Friday and expressed disappointment with the arms decision, according to an Israeli government statement. Germany is rewarding Hamas and failing to support Israel's “just war” against the group, the statement said.
It wasn't immediately clear which military equipment from Germany would be affected. Asked by The Associated Press for details, the German government declined to comment. Germany has led efforts among the EU’s 27 member nations to block collective criticism of or efforts to stop Israel’s blockade of Gaza and military campaign in the coastal enclave. Alongside Hungary and the Czech Republic, Germany has argued against calls from Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands to scrap a bilateral agreement with Israel, sanction settlers, and enact an arms embargo.
The German government remains deeply concerned about the suffering of civilians in Gaza, Merz said. “With the planned offensive, the Israeli government bears even greater responsibility than before for providing for their needs," he said.
Merz called on Israel to allow comprehensive access for aid deliveries — including for U.N. organizations and other nongovernmental organizations — and said that Israel “must continue to comprehensively and sustainably address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.”The move has particular weight because Germany has been seen as one of Israel’s strongest supporters — arguably surpassed only by the United States. Germany has maintained a strongly pro-Israel stance for decades largely because of its historical responsibility for the Holocaust, which has shaped its postwar foreign policy around ensuring Israel’s security and combating antisemitism.
Merz’s government didn't join announcements by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that their governments plan to formally recognize a Palestinian state in September. The reluctance so far of Germany, the EU’s biggest economic power, to take a tougher line on the actions of Netanyahu’s government clouded the prospects that international pressure might have an impact on Israel’s decisions. Israel’s air and ground war has already killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza, displaced most of the population, destroyed vast areas and pushed the territory toward famine. The campaign was triggered when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 people. Merz also called on Israel’s government “not to take any further steps toward annexing the West Bank.”
A ‘big deal’ but not decisive
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, or SIPRI, last year, Germany was the No. 2 supplier of arms to Israel after the United States.German companies provide 30% of Israel’s defense imports, mostly naval armaments, according to data analyzed by Zain Hussain, an arms transfers researcher at SIPRI. He suggested the German pullback would be temporary. “This is going to be a limited measure,” Hussain said. “Germany has been committed to providing Israel with arms, especially with ships. Germany, which has stood firmly with Israel, "is openly admitting that it is uncomfortable with Israel’s actions and limiting some arms transfers, and for Germany this is a huge deal," he said. “However, I don’t think this alone will stop Israel’s operations in Gaza, and Israel still has the USA as a committed arms supplier.”German-made engines can be fitted in Israeli Merkava tanks and Namer armored personnel carriers, which are actively deployed in Gaza. Sa’ar corvettes — small warships festooned with sophisticated radar equipment and cannons — from Germany have been used to shell targets in Gaza during the war, Hussain said. The German news agency DPA, citing figures from the Germany Economy Ministry, in early June reported that the government had approved 485 million euros (about $565 million) worth of arms exports to Israel between Oct. 7, 2023 and May 13 this year.
Other European officials express concern
In a post on X, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Israel’s extension of military operations in Gaza “must be reconsidered,” in her strongest criticism yet during the war. She called again for Israel to let in more aid. The foreign ministers of the Netherlands and Denmark called Israel's decision to intensify the operation “wrong” and expressed concerns for civilians and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský told the CTK news agency his country considers Israel's plan “a risky step.”Last week, even before the Gaza City takeover plan, Slovenia announced that it would ban the import, export and transit of all weapons to and from Israel in response to the country’s actions in Gaza — saying it was the first EU member country to do so. Last month, two dozen mostly European countries condemned Israel’s restrictions on aid shipments into Gaza and the killings of hundreds of Palestinians trying to reach food.
Last year, the U.K. suspended exports of some weapons to Israel over concerns they could be used to break international law, but it was a move with limited military impact. The decision related to about 30 of 350 existing export licenses for equipment that could be used in Gaza, including parts for military planes, helicopters and drones. Outrage over Israel’s actions in Gaza has grown in Europe as images of suffering Palestinians have driven protests in London, Berlin, Brussels and other capitals. More recently, almost-daily killings of Palestinians while seeking aid have tested the EU’s friendly relationship with Israel like never before. The Israeli decision, taken after a late-night meeting of top officials, came despite mounting international calls to end the war and protests by many in Israel who fear for the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Tens of thousands of Palestinians are bracing to once again be forced from their homes, while families of the hostages fear their loved ones won’t return. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals but 50 remain inside Gaza. Israel believes around 20 of them to be alive. The timing of another major Israeli ground operation remains unclear since it will likely hinge on mobilizing thousands of troops and forcibly evacuating civilians, almost certainly exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe.
**Sam McNeil reported from Brussels. Karel Janicek in Prague and Jamey Keaten in Lyon, France, contributed to this report.

Israel fires back at Germany over arms embargo
Ashleigh Fields/The Hill/ August 08/2025
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Germany Chancellor Friedrich Merz and directly “expressed his disappointment.”“Instead of supporting Israel’s just war against Hamas, which carried out the most horrific attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Germany is rewarding Hamas terrorism by embargoing arms to Israel,” the official prime minister of Israel’s account wrote in a post on the social platform X. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel’s goal is not to take over Gaza, but to free Gaza from Hamas and enable a peaceful government to be established there,” the statement added. Amid reports of starvation and Israel’s decision to ramp up its operations in Gaza, Merz said it was time for his government to take a stand. “From the German government’s point of view, the even tougher military action of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, which was decided by the Israeli security cabinet last night, makes it increasingly difficult to see how these goals are to be achieved,” the German leader said in a Friday statement. “Under these circumstances, the German government is not approving any exports of armaments that can be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice.”Merz maintained that Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas, while adding that determined negotiations on a ceasefire are Germany’s “top priority.”“The German Government remains deeply concerned about the continuing suffering of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip,” Merz said. “With the planned offensive, the Israeli government bears even greater responsibility than before for their supply. It must provide comprehensive access for aid deliveries, including for UN organisations and other non-governmental institutions,” he added. In late July, Israeli leaders said they would resume airdrops for aid but denied reports of a humanitarian crisis, as alleged by advocacy groups and journalists on the ground. In response, France, Canada and the United Kingdom have said they will recognize Palestine as a sovereign state.

Foreign ministers of five countries condemn Israeli plan to seize Gaza City
Reuters/August 09, 2025
GAZA: The foreign ministers of Australia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom on Friday strongly condemned the Israeli Security Cabinet’s decision to launch a new large-scale military operation in Gaza. “The plans that the Government of Israel has announced risk violating international humanitarian law,” the ministers said in a joint statement. Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan to seize control of Gaza City, escalating military operations in the devastated Palestinian territory. The move drew renewed criticism at home and abroad on Friday, as concerns mounted over the nearly two-year-old war.

Turkish foreign minister to discuss Israel’s Gaza City plan in Egypt visit, source says
Reuters/August 08, 2025
ANKARA: Turkiye’s foreign minister will travel to Egypt on Saturday for talks with senior officials on Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City and on the humanitarian situation there, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said on Friday. Israel’s political-security cabinet approved a plan early on Friday to take control of Gaza City, as it expands its military operations despite growing domestic and international criticism over the devastating almost two-year-old war. NATO member Turkiye, which has said Israel’s assault on Gaza amounts to a genocide and halted all trade with it, condemned the plan of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “fundamentalist government,” and urged world powers and the United Nations Security Council to act to prevent its implementation. During his visit to Cairo, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and other officials to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues, including the Gaza ceasefire negotiations — mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States — as well as Israel’s takeover plan, the source said. Fidan will “evaluate joint efforts to end the genocide in Gaza and allow the unhindered access of humanitarian aid into Gaza, emphasize that the occupying Israel’s actions targeting a two-state solution and its latest steps toward the annexation of Gaza are the biggest obstacle to regional peace and stability,” the source said. Ankara has praised Egypt, Qatar and the United States for their mediation efforts between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose attack in 2023 prompted Israel’s war on Gaza. It has rejected any Gaza takeover plans or attempts to displace Palestinians. Fidan will also discuss developments in Africa, including in Libya, Sudan and Somalia, the person added.

Jordanian official says Arabs will only support what Palestinians agree and decide on
Reuters/August 08/2025
AMMAN (Reuters) -A Jordanian official told Reuters on Thursday that Arabs "will only support what Palestinians agree and decide on" after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel wanted to hand over Gaza to Arab forces that would govern it. "Security in Gaza must be done through legitimate Palestinian institutions," the source said. Netanyahu did not elaborate on the governance arrangements or which Arab countries could be involved. The Israeli leader made the comments to Fox News shortly before a meeting he was due to have on Thursday with a small group of senior ministers to discuss plans for the military to take control of more territory in Gaza "Arabs will not be agreeing to Netanyahu's policies nor clean his mess," the Jordanian official said in the first reaction by a main Arab neighbour to Netanyahu's comments.

Hamas Continues Paying Government Salaries Through Exploiting Aid and Price Gouging
FDD/August 08/2025
Hamas Paying Government Salaries: Despite being severely weakened by nearly two years of war, the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group continues to pay the salaries of tens of thousands of civil servants in the Gaza Strip. According to an August 7 BBC report, the group has maintained a secret cash-based payment system that distributes over $7 million in salaries to some 30,000 civil servants. Israel has targeted Hamas salary distributors throughout the war in Gaza in an attempt to decentralize the terrorist group’s financial system, leading salary distributors to set up secret meetings through encrypted messages at which payments are made to employees.
Gouging Prices for Salaries: Sources in Gaza told the BBC that Hamas has been able to continue the payment in wartime by levying taxes on traders, inflating the cost of some goods up to 100 times their original price. Hamas has also been distributing stolen aid to the families of its members and supporters, excluding the wider population. “When the hunger worsened, my children were crying not only from pain but also from watching our Hamas-affiliated neighbors receive food parcels and sacks of flour,” Nisreen Khaled, a widow caring for three children, told the BBC. Other sources of funding include more than $700 million in cash stockpiled by the terrorist group in advance of its October 7, 2023, atrocities in Israel.
IDF Uncovers Missile Launcher Hidden in Cemetery: The IDF announced on August 7 that troops from the 401st Brigade were operating in the Daraj Tuffah district in northern Gaza. The soldiers uncovered missile launchers, pistols, and ammunition in the area, along with a missile launcher and launch canister hidden in a cemetery. Additionally, in coordination with the Yahalom special forces combat engineering unit, the troops dismantled an underground terror tunnel approximately one kilometer long, eliminating dozens of terrorists during the operation.
FDD Expert Response
“One of the reasons Hamas continues to operate in Gaza is its ability to maintain a steady revenue stream. Whether it is through taxes, donations, or exploitation of humanitarian aid, Hamas will have the resources it needs to continue functioning as an organization. This underscores a mistake by Israel: disrupting Hamas’s financial infrastructure should have been a top priority from the very beginning of the war. While steps have been taken to target Hamas’s funding channels and those connected to it, they don’t compare to the more effective financial warfare Israel waged against Hezbollah last year.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal
“Perhaps the BBC’s exposé will force the United Nations to reckon with the fact that its aid delivery system is failing and that goods from the trucks that it dispatches to Gaza are being selectively handed out to Hamas members and supporters to increase the survivability of the terrorist group.” — ­­­Aaron Goren, Research Analyst and Editor
“It’s no surprise that Hamas is inflating prices to fund salaries and provide aid to its employees. This terrorist organization has never prioritized the well-being of ordinary Gazans. Instead, it has exploited their suffering to manipulate international opinion and media coverage. Hamas has plunged the coastal enclave into a destructive and devastating war and is now capitalizing on the chaos to ensure its own personal survival.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst

Trump says he will meet with Putin ‘very shortly’ to discuss the war in Ukraine
AP/August 08, 2025
DNIPROPETROVSK REGION, Ukraine: US President Donald Trump said Friday that he will meet “very shortly” with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the war in Ukraine and that he will announce the location soon. “We’re going to be announcing later, and we’re going to have a meeting with Russia,” Trump told reporters at the White House. Those comments came as Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield expressed little hope for a diplomatic solution to the war and Trump’s deadline arrived Friday for the Kremlin to make peace. Exasperated that Putin did not heed his calls to stop bombing Ukrainian cities, Trump almost two weeks ago moved up his ultimatum to impose additional sanctions on Russia and introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil if the Kremlin did not move toward a settlement. Trump’s efforts to pressure Putin into stopping the fighting have so far delivered no progress. Russia’s bigger army is slowly advancing deeper into Ukraine at great cost in troops and armor while it relentlessly bombards Ukrainian cities. Russia and Ukraine are far apart on their terms for peace.
Ukrainian troops say they are ready to keep fighting
Ukrainian forces are locked in intense battles along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line that snakes from northeast to southeast Ukraine. The Pokrovsk area of the eastern Donetsk region is taking the brunt of punishment as Russia seeks to break out into the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region. Ukraine has significant manpower shortages. Intense fighting is also taking place in Ukraine’s northern Sumy border region, where Ukrainian forces are engaging Russian soldiers to prevent reinforcements being sent from there to Donetsk. In the Pokrovsk area of Donetsk, a commander said he believes Moscow isn’t interested in peace. “It is impossible to negotiate with them. The only option is to defeat them,” Buda, a commander of a drone unit in the Spartan Brigade, told The Associated Press. He used only his call sign, in keeping with the rules of the Ukrainian military. “I would like them to agree and for all this to stop, but Russia will not agree to that. It does not want to negotiate. So the only option is to defeat them,” he said. In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, a howitzer commander using the call sign Warsaw, said troops are determined to thwart Russia’s invasion. “We are on our land, we have no way out,” he said. “So we stand our ground, we have no choice.”
Putin makes a flurry of phone calls
The Kremlin said Friday that Putin had a phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, during which the Russian leader informed Xi about the results of his meeting earlier this week with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff. Kremlin officials said Xi “expressed support for the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis on a long-term basis.” Putin is due to visit China next month. China, along with North Korea and Iran, have provided military support for Russia’s war effort, the US says. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X that he also had a call with Putin to speak about the latest Ukraine developments. Trump signed an executive order Wednesday to place an additional 25 percent tariff on India for its purchases of Russian oil, which the American president says is helping to finance Russia’s war. Putin’s calls followed his phone conversations with the leaders of South Africa, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, the Kremlin said.The calls suggested to at least one analyst that Putin perhaps wanted to brief Russia’s most important allies about a potential settlement that could be reached at a summit with Trump.
“It means that some sort of real peace agreement has been reached for the first time,” said Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin Moscow-based analyst. Analysts say Putin is aiming to outlast the West. Trump said Thursday that he would meet with Putin even if the Russian leader will not meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. That stoked fears in Europe that Ukraine could be sidelined in efforts to stop the continent’s biggest conflict since World War II. Trump’s comments followed a statement from Putin that he hoped to meet with Trump as early as next week, possibly in the United Arab Emirates. The White House said it was still working through the details of any potential meetings. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said in an assessment Thursday that “Putin remains uninterested in ending his war and is attempting to extract bilateral concessions from the United States without meaningfully engaging in a peace process.” “Putin continues to believe that time is on Russia’s side and that Russia can outlast Ukraine and the West,” it said.

Turkiye hails US-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan deal
AFP/August 09, 2025
ISTANBUL: Turkiye hailed an agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan as progress toward a “lasting peace” on Friday after US President Donald Trump declared the foes had committed to permanently end hostilities. “We welcome the progress achieved toward establishing a lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the commitment recorded in Washington today in this regard,” Turkiye’s foreign ministry said, in a statement. “At a time when international conflicts and crises are intensifying, this step constitutes a highly significant development for the promotion of regional peace and stability. We commend the contributions of the US administration in this process.”

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on August 08-09/2025
Urgent: Designate the Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization - Now
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/August 08/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146050/
A bill, H.R.3883 (Muslim Brotherhood Is a Terrorist Organization Act of 2025), was put forward on June 10, 2025 by US Senator Ted Cruz, "[to] require the Secretary of State to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization." This designation is crucial for both US and international security. Even then, if the US government makes the FTO designation, this alone is not enough to slow down the aggression that the Muslim Brotherhood is still generating throughout the world.
"Qatar is at the top of funding terrorism worldwide, even more than Iran." — Udi Levy, former senior official of Israel's Mossad spy agency, who dealt with economic warfare against terrorist organizations, Ynet, April 18, 2024.
Currently, President Donald Trump is selling the Qataris the weapons with which they and their terrorist protegees hope to destroy the US!
In 1991, the Muslim Brotherhood listed 29 organizations that it envisioned working toward a "grand jihad" to undermine Western civilization. Several of the organizations mentioned in the document still operate within the United States, working actively towards America's demise, while new ones have been formed based on the original ones: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and its various subgroups, the Muslim Students Association, American Muslims for Palestine and Students for Justice in Palestine, all of which were formed in the 1990s.
As the US, Canada and the entire West remain vulnerable, the Muslim Brotherhood doubtless could not be happier. Qatar's rulers probably cannot believe how easily its influence was bought -- and how agreeably the West sold its soul for petrodollars.
The Muslim Brotherhood (MB), mainly through Qatar, has spread extremism, instability and terrorism from the Middle East to the rest of the world. Qatar's state television, Al-Jazeera, now a massive media empire, is the leading MB propaganda outlet.
Designating the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in the United States is a basic first step in countering the organization's corrosive influence. The MB has spread extremism, instability and terrorism from the Middle East to the rest of the world, not least in the US and Europe, with affiliates of the organization spread across at least 70 other countries.
A bill, H.R.3883 (Muslim Brotherhood Is a Terrorist Organization Act of 2025), was put forward on June 10, 2025 by US Senator Ted Cruz, "[to] require the Secretary of State to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization." This designation is crucial for both US and international security. Even then, if the US government makes the FTO designation, this alone is not enough to slow down the aggression that the Muslim Brotherhood is still generating throughout the world.
Sadly, the Trump administration, large parts of Congress, US academia and many think tanks have been roped in by Qatar's lavish influence-peddling to such a degree that it will take much more than adding the MB to the US government's FTO list to undo the damage, lower the temperature of Islamist extremism and reduce the risk of international terrorism. It will require the United States to disentangle itself from its unsavory alliance with Qatar – one which includes selling advanced military technology to the world's greatest state sponsor of terrorist organizations, no less – and finally to face the degree to which the Muslim Brotherhood, mainly through Qatar, has infiltrated the US and the West.
According to Udi Levy, a former senior official of Israel's Mossad spy agency, who dealt with economic warfare against terrorist organizations, "Qatar is at the top of funding terrorism worldwide, even more than Iran."
Qatar financially and ideologically supports virtually every Islamic terrorist organization, including Hamas (itself an arm of the Muslim Brotherhood), Hezbollah, ISIS, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Qatar also runs one of the biggest lobby campaigns in the world for the Muslim Brotherhood: it started with the launch, in 1996, of Qatar's state television, better known as Al-Jazeera, now a massive media empire and the leading MB propaganda outlet.
Al-Jazeera is regarded by several Middle Eastern leaders as an instrument wielded on behalf of Hamas and other terrorist organizations. In 2017, Al-Jazeera was banned in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt. Recently, Israel and the Palestinian Authority banned it, as well.
So far, the Muslim Brotherhood itself has also been banned or listed as a terrorist organization in Russia, Syria, Austria and, as of this April, Jordan.
Just 30 years after the late Yusuf al-Qaradawi, spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, first debuted his visceral sermons of hate on the then completely unknown Al-Jazeera channel, Qatar has managed with its petrodollars to buy and influence-peddle its way straight into the heart of the political, media, academic and even entertainment establishments in the US, Europe and throughout the Middle East and South Asia.
Western governments, including the Trump administration, need to understand that the Muslim Brotherhood's jihadist ideology is dedicated to the West's demise, in the same way as, in the communist Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin is attributed with saying that "[t]he Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them."Currently, President Donald Trump is selling the Qataris the weapons with which they and their terrorist protegees hope to destroy the US!
Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood ceaselessly broadcasts toxic messaging on Al-Jazeera in Arabic, indoctrinating another generation of young people, both in the West and in the Middle East. The network has never experienced any serious pushback in the West for its corrosive influence, except by Israel, which was subsequently pilloried for having "no respect for freedom of the press."It will be difficult to destroy the deep inroads that Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood have made in the US and beyond, but it is important to realize that such an effort will only begin if the MB is finally designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization -- a label long overdue -- and a necessary first step to start unraveling the long infiltration of the MB into the US.
In 1991, the Muslim Brotherhood listed 29 organizations that it envisioned working toward a "grand jihad" to undermine Western civilization. Several of the organizations mentioned in the document still operate within the United States, working actively towards America's demise, while new ones have been formed based on the original ones: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and its various subgroups, the Muslim Students Association, American Muslims for Palestine and Students for Justice in Palestine, all of which were formed in the 1990s.
Canada appears to have been thoroughly infiltrated, according to the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy:
"An alarming report released today [June 26, 2025] by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), uncovers the deep-rooted presence and growing influence of Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organizations across Canada's civil, academic, political, and financial spheres. This has escalated into a significant national security concern that demands urgent and decisive attention – including formally designating the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. Without urgent action, Canada remains vulnerable to a potential terror attack."
As the US, Canada and the entire West remain vulnerable, the Muslim Brotherhood doubtless could not be happier. Qatar's rulers probably cannot believe how easily its influence was bought -- and how agreeably the West sold its soul for petrodollars.
*Robert Williams is based in the United States.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21819/muslim-brotherhood-foreign-terrorist-organization
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Question: “What are the keys to resisting temptation?”
GotQuestions.org/August 08/2025
Answer: Nelson’s Bible Dictionary defines temptation as “an enticement or invitation to sin, with the implied promise of greater good to be derived from following the way of disobedience.” Resisting temptation begins with knowing that Satan is the supreme “tempter” (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5) who has been tempting mankind since our Creator placed His first two children in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3; 1 John 3:8). Ultimately, however, we know that Satan’s power over Christians has been effectively destroyed as the war has already been won through our Savior’s death and resurrection which conquered the power of sin and death forever. Nonetheless, Satan still prowls the earth looking to drive a wedge between God and His children, and his temptations are unfortunately a daily part of our lives (1 Peter 5:8). Yet with the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of God’s Word to help us, we will find ourselves effectively resisting temptations.
The apostle Paul encourages us with these words: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Indeed, every one of us faces temptations of some kind; even Jesus was not immune as He was “tempted in every way, just as we are” (Hebrews 4:15). Although Satan may be the dark force ultimately behind the tempting, it is our fallen and corrupted human nature that allows these temptations to take root and causes us to act on them, thereby “giving birth to sin” (James 1:15). But it is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to free ourselves from the sin and temptations we struggle with in our daily lives. Thus, if we have the Spirit of Christ residing in our hearts, we already have what it takes to resist the flaming arrows the devil sends our way. As Paul told the Galatians, “live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (Galatians 5:16).
The Word of God has always been our best defense against Satan’s temptations, and the better we know His Word, the easier it will be to claim victory over our daily struggles. The psalmist tells us, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). When Christ was tempted by Satan in the desert, the first thing He did was to quote Scripture (Matthew 4:4–10), which eventually caused the devil to leave Him. Indeed, Christians need to be diligent in studying God’s Word. “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies” (Psalm 119:97–98).
In addition to God’s Word, prayer can help us to resist temptation. The night He was betrayed, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He told Peter to pray “so that you will not fall into temptation” (Mark 14:38). Also, in the “Lord’s Prayer,” Jesus taught us to pray that we would not be led into temptation (Matthew 6:13; Luke 11:4). Yet, when we do fall into temptation, we know that “God is faithful; He will not let us be tempted beyond what [we] can bear,” and that He will provide us with a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). This is a promise from God, and like Abraham, Christians should be “fully persuaded” that God has the power to do what He has promised (Romans 4:21). Another way to help us resist temptation is to remember what Jesus Christ did for us. Even though He never committed a sin, He willingly endured the torture of the cross for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). Every sin we’ve ever committed, or will commit, played a part in nailing our Savior to the cross. How we respond to Satan’s worldly allurements is a great indicator as to just how much the love of Jesus Christ occupies our hearts.
Now, even though Christians already have the tools necessary for victory, we need to use our common sense and not place ourselves in situations that prey upon, or stimulate, our weaknesses. We are already bombarded every day with images and messages that tantalize our sinful lusts. We don’t need to make it more difficult than it already is. Even though Christ’s Spirit resides in our hearts, our flesh can be very weak at times (Matthew 26:41). When we know something is or can be sinful, Paul warns us to “flee from it.” Remember, the “tempter” is also the master of rationalization, and there is no limit to the arguments the devil can offer us to justify our sinful behavior. Armed with God’s Spirit and the truth of His Word, we are well equipped to overcome Satan’s assaults (Ephesians 6). No matter what trials and temptations come our way, God’s Word and Spirit are infinitely more powerful than any of Satan’s schemes. When we walk with the Spirit we can look at temptations as opportunities for us to show God that He is indeed the Master of our lives.

Is Popular Regime Change in Iran a Myth?
Nima Gholam Ali Pour/ Gatestone Institute/August 08/2025
A successful popular uprising without external support is not possible in Iran: The mullahs have repeatedly shown that they are willing to kill as many people as necessary to stay in power.
During the Twelve-Day War, when Iran's regime was forced to confront an armed adversary, the enforcers who usually beat and abuse unarmed Iranians went into hiding. Their commanders went into hiding. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei went into hiding. This is what the beginning of regime change looks like.
The one scenario that is completely unrealistic, and has never happened, is that unarmed Iranian civilians, without any military support, could overthrow a regime that can even bring in militias from Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen to crush an uprising. When unarmed people confront armed forces, the armed forces win.... There is nothing wrong with overthrowing tyranny with the help of external support, especially when a tyrannical regime is spreading war and chaos throughout the region.
During the Twelve-Day War, Iran's regime came closer to collapse than ever before. What was missing was an active agent to carry out the regime change. Iran's ruling mullahs will never become pro-Western or peaceful.... Countries such as the United States and Israel have a crucial role to play in planning for a successful regime change and mobilizing countries that support such a goal....
A successful popular uprising without external support is not possible in Iran: The mullahs have repeatedly shown that they are willing to kill as many people as necessary to stay in power. Pictured: Iranian policemen chase anti-regime protestors and beat them with batons in Tehran, on September 19, 2022. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
The Twelve-Day War between Iran and Israel is a wake-up call for everyone who has finally had enough of the Iranian regime.
Until now, the Iranian opposition-in-exile and all those hoping for regime change have been waiting for some form of popular uprising from the Iranian people. Such waves of protests have taken place in past years, but each time, the mullahs' regime has become more adept at crushing these revolts, regardless of how much support they received from the international community.
There will be no regime change in Iran without direct external pressure, and the Israeli-American attack on the Iranian regime's structure demonstrated, perhaps for the first time, that this regime can fall.
The idea that unarmed Iranians should go up against the armed Basij militia or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was hopeless from the start. Those who imagine a repeat of Iran's 1979 revolution should remember that the monarchy was overthrown by popular protests because Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was unwilling to order a massacre to stay in power. While the Shah's armed forces were used only against the population in extreme circumstances, the mullahs who rule the Islamic Republic of Iran have made it the norm to deploy various armed forces against their own people.
Unarmed Iranians can never overcome the regime's armed enforcers. This regime will not step down voluntarily. They have no respect for human life. A successful popular uprising without external support is not possible in Iran: The mullahs have repeatedly shown that they are willing to kill as many people as necessary to stay in power.
During the Twelve-Day War, when Iran's regime was forced to confront an armed adversary, the enforcers who usually beat and abuse unarmed Iranians went into hiding. Their commanders went into hiding. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei went into hiding. This is what the beginning of regime change looks like. There are also several other reasons why regime change did not occur in Iran. There were no ground forces to finish the job, either from the US, Israel, the Iranian opposition, or from separatist groups. Had the war continued longer and the regime's vulnerability been further exposed, there was a small possibility that parts of the regular Iranian army might have rebelled. Some parts of the Iranian opposition believe that one path to regime change is for segments of the regime's security apparatus, outside the IRGC and Basij, to lose confidence in the mullahs and turn against the regime.
Historically speaking, "assisted regime change" is more realistic than expecting a popular uprising to overthrow the regime. Even the 1979 revolution in Iran is considered to have succeeded only after the Iranian army declared itself neutral in the political conflict between the Shah's last government and the government appointed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
A revolt from parts of the Iranian military would not come as a surprise. Despite Iran's vast resources and the regime's heavy investment in the military, the Twelve-Day War was a total disaster for Iran. The only institution within the armed forces that benefits financially from this regime is the IRGC. Iran's regular armed forces have been deprioritized in every possible way. In a chaotic situation where it is unclear who is actually running the country or whether the political leadership is even capable of defending it, regime change with the support of the regular armed forces becomes a serious alternative.
The one scenario that is completely unrealistic, and has never happened, is that unarmed Iranian civilians, without any military support, could overthrow a regime that can even bring in militias from Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen to crush an uprising. When unarmed people confront armed forces, the armed forces win. In the Revolutionary War, Americans had support from the French military to throw off the yoke of the British king. There is nothing wrong with overthrowing tyranny with the help of external support, especially when a tyrannical regime is spreading war and chaos throughout the region.
Iran's regime is weak. The time to act for regime change is now. Regime change can happen if all the necessary conditions are in place. This means Middle East-based exiled Iranian opposition groups that wish to remain relevant must be prepared to move into Iran when armed intervention is needed to aid in regime change. It also means that the countries in the region that want regime change in Iran must facilitate the movement of Iranian opposition groups within and across their borders, and enable them to be armed and trained for such a mission.
The next time Iran is in a war like the recent conflict, Iranian opposition groups must be on the ground, armed and ready to support regime change and exploit the vulnerabilities that emerge in the wake of airstrikes.
It is unlikely that the US, Israel or any other country would deploy ground forces in Iran to fight such a war on behalf of the Iranian people. First, it would be cost dearly in blood and treasure. Second, it is now clear that the MAGA movement and a large part of the American public are unwilling to support politicians who want to send boots-on-the-ground to liberate other countries. This political dynamic has already begun to shape U.S. foreign policy. Third, Iran's mullahs would not be able to rally the country behind them if it is their own people who fighting for regime change on the ground, even if this happens with American or Israeli support.
During the Twelve-Day War, Iran's regime came closer to collapse than ever before. What was missing was an active agent to carry out the regime change. Iran's ruling mullahs will never become pro-Western or peaceful. More wars will come, and with each one, the regime will grow weaker until it finally falls. Countries such as the United States and Israel have a crucial role to play in planning for a successful regime change and mobilizing countries that support such a goal, as well as parts of the Iranian opposition-in-exile that are truly prepared to fight for democracy and freedom in Iran.
*Nima Gholam Ali Pour is a Member of the Swedish Parliament.
*Follow Nima Gholam Ali Pour on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

South Africa Remains a Risky Jurisdiction for Terror Finance
David May/FDD/August 08/2025
South Africa would like to get out of a very particular doghouse — the one where countries that fail to counter money laundering live. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the world’s leading intergovernmental agency tasked with fighting such scourges, conducted a country visit on July 29 and July 30. Pretoria hopes the summer tour will lead to the removal of its negative rating at FATF’s October meeting.
South African Terror Finance Issues
FATF, which also assesses efforts to counter terrorism finance, places countries of concern on a grey list. Jurisdictions with serious deficiencies and no plans for reform find themselves on a black list. The reputational damage discourages investment, leading to serious financial consequences. Pretoria, grey listed since February 2023, says it has addressed 22 action items FATF requested to reduce its money laundering and terrorism finance risk.
While South Africa has worked to address FATF’s concerns, Pretoria needs a paradigm shift in its counterterrorism approach. South Africa follows the UN Security Council’s lax terrorism list, which omits Hezbollah and Hamas, rather than maintaining its own, allowing the Iranian proxies to operate freely on South African soil.
Hamas in South Africa
The Union of Good, sanctioned by the United States in 2008 for funding Hamas, listed 17 South African organizations — including the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) and Gift of the Givers — as members. The union named South African cleric Ebrahim Gabriels as a board member, and Gabriels was reportedly Hamas’s gateway to South Africa’s Muslim community. Gabriels held leadership roles in MJC and the South African branches of the Al-Quds International Foundation and the Al-Aqsa Foundation. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned the Al-Aqsa Foundation and its South African branch in 2003 and the Al-Quds Foundation in 2012. The MJC, the South African branch of the Al-Quds Foundation, and South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party hosted Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in 2015.
South African leaders have hosted several Hamas delegations over the years, often creating a false firewall by doing so as ANC officials and not in their governmental capacity. The ANC even hosted three senior Hamas officials two months after Hamas committed its October 7, 2023, atrocities in Israel.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Gift of the Givers founder and director Imtiaz Sooliman to the National Dialogue, a select group of leaders tasked with arriving at solutions to South Africa’s challenges, despite Sooliman’s organization’s alleged ties to Hamas and Sooliman’s plunge into overt antisemitism. Sooliman declared in October 2024, “Zionists … run the world with fear. They control the world with money.”
Hezbollah and ISIS in South Africa
In April 2023, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Hezbollah financier Nazem Said Ahmad and his South Africa-tied network, two months after FATF placed the country on its grey list. Ahmad and his family operate several companies in South Africa as part of their illicit finance scheme and were responsible for more than $400 million worth of financial transactions, according to the U.S. government. The South African government does not appear to have penalized the Ahmad network.
South Africa has also failed to act against U.S.-designated ISIS leader Farhad Hoomer. South African police arrested Hoomer in 2018 and 2021 but released him both times out of incompetence or sabotage.
Deficiencies in the Hoomer case were hardly an aberration. Pretoria sacked its police minister — who remains a member of parliament — in July over credible allegations that he was in cahoots with a gangster involved in murder and millions of dollars’ worth of contract fraud.
South Africa Must Recognize Hamas and Hezbollah as Terrorist Groups
The United States should pressure FATF to keep South Africa on the grey list while encouraging Pretoria to formally designate Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations. Doing so could create a credible pathway for improving strained ties between the two countries.
*David May is a research manager and senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from the author and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow David on X @DavidSamuelMay. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

Trump Administration Fails to Halt Iran’s Oil Exports
Saeed Ghasseminejad/FDD/August 08/2025
The Trump administration came into power promising to reduce Iran’s oil exports to 100,000 barrels per day. It has so far failed to deliver on that promise. Early data by TankerTrackers indicate that during the second Trump administration, Iran’s oil exports, the government’s largest source of hard currency, have not diverged significantly from the same period in the last year of the Biden administration.
The data show that Tehran managed to export 1.65 mbpd of crude, condensate, and fuel oil in July 2025 — almost identical to the July 2024 exports number. In total, between February and July 2025, Iran exported an average of 1.8 mbpd of crude, condensate, and fuel oil. For the same period in 2024, under the Biden administration, Iran exported an average of 1.85 mbpd.
Iran’s Oil Exports Benefit Primarily China
Ninety-five percent of the exports in July 2025 went to China, according to TankerTrackers. The other 5 percent went to the United Arab Emirates. Ports such as Ningbo in China and Fujairah and Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates were on the receiving end of the Iranian crude, condensate, and fuel oil. Forty-four percent of the total volume was transferred through 15 vessels with Iranian flags. Vessels from 11 other countries, such as Guyana and Brazil, have been involved in transferring the rest of the oil.
Iran’s Oil Exports in 2024 Reached a New High
According to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Tehran’s oil export income in 2024 reached its highest level since 2019. In 2024, Tehran exported $46.7 billion worth of crude oil, $5.6 billion more than in 2023. The number is in line with, but slightly higher than, our estimate at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, $41 billion to 45.5 billion, which considers the discount that Tehran has been reportedly offering to its main customer, China, to incentivize Beijing to buy its sanctioned oil. We estimate that so far in 2025, Tehran has exported up to $27 billion of oil.
Congressional Efforts to Enforce Sanctions
The Biden administration’s inability or unwillingness to enforce U.S. sanctions against Tehran’s oil export operation was a source of tensions between the White House and the U.S. Congress. In an attempt to force Biden’s hand, the House in 2023 passed the Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum Act (SHIP) Act, which would both expand the administration’s punitive tools to enforce sanctions and introduce mandatory reporting to increase Congress’s visibility into the administration’s enforcement efforts. However, the Senate failed to pass the bill.
Washington Should Sharpen Its Sanctions
Iran uses the money it gains from oil exports to fund repression at home and aggression abroad. If the exports continue, Iran will have the money it needs to rebuild and expand its nuclear program, missile arsenal, and proxy groups.
To effectively cripple Iran’s illicit oil trade, the United States must change its approach. The current sanctions are too timid, avoiding major banks and ports in places like China and the United Arab Emirates, which are known hubs for this activity. A tougher stance is needed, starting with sanctioning not just the companies involved but also the people who run them, from the C-suite to the board of directors. At the same time, the United States should move beyond sanctions alone and use its military and intelligence capabilities more forcefully. This means increasing the U.S. Navy’s interception of Iranian oil tankers and running clandestine operations against top offenders to send a clear message: The cost of helping Iran has skyrocketed.
**Saeed Ghasseminejad is a senior Iran and financial economics advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from the authors and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Saeed on X @SGhasseminejad. Follow FDD on X @FDD and @FDD_Iran. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security.

Trump should not let Putin keep ‘tapping us along’
John Hardie and Peter Doran/FDD/August 08/2025
Ahead of the August 8 deadline President Donald Trump gave Russia to accept a ceasefire or face economic punishment, the administration has sent mixed signals on whether he will follow through. For too long, Vladimir Putin has been allowed to use empty diplomatic games to forestall U.S. action. This time must be different. Trump has previously accused Putin of “tapping us along,” and he’s right. Putin has no interest in genuine peace. Rather, he is cynically attempting to use diplomacy to redirect U.S. pressure away from Moscow and onto Kyiv even as Russian forces continue their assault on Ukraine.
Trump started strong this week. On Wednesday, he hiked tariffs on India for importing Kremlin crude, warning Russia’s other customers they may be next. The announcement came hours after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff finished his fifth meeting with Putin since January, which Moscow is trying to parlay into an invitation for a prized sit-down with Trump. Trump then declared that Witkoff made “[g]reat progress,” without offering details. The president reportedly informed European leaders he intends to meet with Putin as early as next week, then organize a trilateral summit with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Kremlin is resisting the trilateral summit, and it is unclear whether the White House will insist on the trilateral as a condition for the Trump-Putin meeting. The surprise announcement has injected uncertainty into Trump’s plans to hit Russia with additional economic penalties on the Friday deadline. One White House official told reporters those measures “are still expected to be implemented on Friday.” Later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump would make that decision based on progress “over the next couple of days.”
Witkoff’s meeting shows that Putin is keen to keep Trump on a diplomatic merry-go-round. The White House must get off the ride.
Since January, Trump has repeatedly warned the Kremlin to accept a speedy peace or face economic punishment — only to kick the can down the road after Moscow engages in performative talks that lead nowhere.
Putin has made clear he has no interest in peace unless it means Ukrainian capitulation. Moscow insists that Kyiv accept permanent neutrality, demilitarize, codify legal protections for Russian cultural influence in Ukraine, and withdraw from large swathes of territory claimed by Russia. The Kremlin likely hopes to use a potential leader-level summit to enlist Trump’s help in forcing Kyiv to swallow these terms. Overconfident that his military now enjoys the upper hand on the battlefield, Putin has doubled down on his maximalist demands. He appears determined to continue the war, believing he can eventually grind down Ukrainian forces and outlast Western support will while enduring whatever economic punches Trump might throw.
Until Putin’s calculus changes, talk at the expense of action will only prolong the war. Trump should pursue a dual-pronged approach to bolster his leverage, maximizing his chances of securing a favorable negotiated outcome.
First, Trump should use the ample tools at his disposal to turn the screws on Russia’s economy. While it may not deal Russia a knock-out blow, exacerbating Moscow’s current economic woes could intensify pressure on Putin to end the war sooner rather than later.
Secondary tariffs against Russia’s other oil customers, particularly China, could be a useful part of this strategy. But tariffs should complement, not replace, the use of secondary sanctions targeting Russia’s energy and financial sectors. Tariffs are a blunter, less flexible tool.
The United States could join Europe in lowering the price cap on Russian crude exports, then use sanctions to compel compliance. This could include comprehensive sanctions against Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, plus secondary sanctions penalizing anyone that circumvents the cap mechanism. Alternatively, Washington could take a page from its Iran playbook and use secondary sanctions to reduce Russian oil export volumes outright — a simpler but more disruptive strategy.
In parallel, Washington and its allies should ramp up support for Ukrainian forces. The goal should be to help Ukraine exhaust the Russian military’s offensive potential, defend against Moscow’s missile and drone barrages, and raise the costs on the Kremlin for its brutal war.
The new aid initiative Trump announced last month, in which NATO allies finance the supply of American arms to Kyiv, is a positive step. Continued direct assistance will be necessary, too. In addition to bolstering Ukraine’s air defenses, Washington should supply Ukraine with longer-range missiles that can strike military-industrial plants deep within Russia.Taking these steps would not preclude diplomacy. But it would ensure that time that could be spent bolstering U.S. leverage isn’t wasted on more fruitless talks.
*John Hardie is deputy director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where Peter Doran is an adjunct senior fellow. Fore more from the authors and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow the authors on X @JohnH105 and @PeterBDoran. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focused on national security and foreign policy.

Houthis continue to attack education in Yemen
Bridget Toomey/FDD's Long War Journal/August 08/2025
The Houthis are targeting education in northern Yemen, using schools to force their extremist ideology on young, impressionable Yemenis. Teachers and principals who refuse to comply with the Iran-backed terrorist group’s initiatives face arrest.
To ensure ideological conformity in teaching, the Houthis force schools to teach notebooks from the group’s founder, Hussein al Houthi. In addition to learning from sectarian textbooks, students are now required to recite Houthi slogans each day. They include the infamous scream, “God is the greatest, death to America, death to Israel, a curse upon the Jews, victory to Islam.” For example, in Taiz Governorate, the Houthi education office issued a document mandating that the scream be recited in a morning assembly and documented. Schools submit video evidence to Houthi authorities of students reciting the slogan.
Beyond forcing ideology into the classroom, the Houthis have also pulled students out of school and compel them to participate in the group’s marches. Middle and elementary school students have been required to attend these marches during a weekday, in some cases multiple times within a week. The Houthis have threatened teachers and students when children haven’t participated.
Unfortunately for vulnerable students, teachers and administrators routinely face serious repercussions if they fail to comply with Houthi directives. According to the Yemeni news site Yemen Shabab, in the week of July 27 alone, 13 “teachers, mosque imams, and other respected figures” were detained in Taiz Governorate. The week prior, another campaign targeted at least seven teachers and other influential individuals, most of whom were involved in education. Additional regions in Yemen have also reported arbitrary detentions targeting educators. The Houthis have no legal justification for these “arrests,” and individuals are held without trial or charges. The Iran-backed terrorist group has a long history of arbitrarily detaining civilians.
The Houthis have also targeted the higher education sector. Fares al Hemyari, a journalist specializing in Yemen, reported that university academics and administrators have been required to attend both ideological and combat training sessions. The combat courses include weapons training, and the participants are required to pledge loyalty to the Houthis.These recent efforts aren’t the first instances of the Houthis using the education system to expand their ideological reach since taking power in northern Yemen. For example, the group previously placed family members of Hussein al Houthi in leadership positions within the Ministry of Education. Throughout the years, the Houthis have also made numerous decisions that undermine the independence of the education systems in the territory they control. At the end of April 2025, the group decided to terminate English courses for students before fourth grade, opting instead to use that time for Quranic lessons and Arabic instruction.The group has also attempted to reach students through annual summer camps. These camps provide another avenue for the Houthis to indoctrinate Yemeni youth, beginning at age six. Young boys also receive military training, and the group is known to recruit child soldiers, with some human rights groups reporting recruits “as young as 13.”
**Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focusing on Iranian proxies, specifically Iraqi militias and the Houthis.

Turkey’s new precision weapons stoke regional tensions
Sinan Ciddi/FDD's Long War Journal/August 08/2025
In late July, Turkish defense contractors used the 2025 International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) to showcase the latest additions to the country’s arsenal. Headlining the event were two striking developments: the “Tayfun Block-4” hypersonic ballistic missile and the “Gazap” bunker-busting, non-nuclear thermobaric bomb. Both weapons, now within the Turkish military’s reach, are capable of striking targets well inside the territories of Israel, Greece, and Cyprus—neighbors that already view Ankara’s ambitions with deep suspicion.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cast the debut of these systems as a national milestone. Speaking at IDEF’s opening ceremony, he declared, “Today, we are not only witnessing the development of the Turkish defense industry, but also the march of a nation toward independence; we are seeing the story of a country rising under its own sky, on its own wings.” Erdogan’s framing is deliberate. The rollout of the Tayfun 4 and Gazap is not an isolated event, but the latest phase in a broader transformation. Under his leadership, Turkey’s defense sector has expanded into one of the world’s largest, supplying an estimated 80 percent of the country’s military needs. The industry now comprises more than 3,500 companies, employs over 100,000 people, and generates an annual turnover exceeding $20 billion.
Turkey’s push for a self-reliant defense industry dates back to the 1970s, when the United States imposed a years‑long arms embargo on Turkey following the latter country’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus. The freeze cut off spare parts and key systems for Turkey’s air and armored units, spurring Ankara to launch policies aimed at domestic production. For decades, progress remained modest and largely confined to state-run initiatives under the Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE).
The situation changed after Erdogan came to power in 2003. His government made defense innovation, research, and development a national priority, fostering public-private partnerships and moving aggressively into high-end systems. The results have been tangible: the development of homegrown tanks, submarines, combat ships, helicopters, and Ankara’s fifth-generation stealth fighter, the “Kaan,” currently in testing.
The Tayfun 4 and Gazap represent a further leap. Turkish officials describe the Tayfun (Typhoon) as a “block four” missile that “reaches hypersonic speeds,” measuring 10 meters (33 feet) in length and weighing 7,200 kilograms (15,873 pounds). The Gazap—meaning “wrath” in Turkish—is the country’s most powerful non-nuclear weapon, a precision thermobaric bomb that “isn’t built to just cause damage—[but] to overwhelm… [deploying] destruction with surgical precision.” Both systems expand Turkey’s offensive reach, reinforcing Ankara’s ability to project power across the eastern Mediterranean and deep into the Middle East.
For Greece and Cyprus, the new weapons validate longstanding concerns. Both EU members point to Turkey’s “Blue Homeland” naval doctrine, which seeks to revise the maritime boundaries in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean Seas in ways that would dramatically shrink their territorial waters. With advanced missile capabilities, Ankara can now deploy strike assets along its coastline or in areas of Northern Cyprus under Turkish occupation—placing much of Greece’s island chain and Cyprus itself within range.
Israel’s apprehensions run along parallel lines. Since the October 7 Hamas attacks, Ankara has openly aligned with the Palestinian group, offering political and material support aimed at undermining Israeli security. Turkish activity in Syria has also increased, including efforts to counter Israeli operations assisting the Druze minority. Analysts note that Turkey’s overseas basing agreements—such as a military presence in Somalia—and its existing forces in Northern Cyprus position it to threaten Israel from multiple axes. The addition of hypersonic and deep-strike weapons sharpens that perceived encirclement.
For Erdogan, the message at IDEF was one of self-reliance and technological achievement. For Israel, Greece, and Cyprus, the subtext was a warning: Turkey is arming itself not just for defense, but for strategic dominance in a region already thick with fault lines.
**Sinan Ciddi is a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), an associate professor of national security studies at Marine Corps University, and an expert on Turkish domestic politics and foreign policy.

Selected tweets for 08 August/2025
Dany A. Khalek
Security forces and the Syrian army loyal to interim Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa, known as al-Joulani, cold-bloodedly killed a civilian inside the living room of his home. His body was left at the scene until it was discovered today by Red Crescent teams.
The forces of the interim president bear the ISIS insignia on their shoulders.
Meanwhile, the Western world is seeking to engage with the #ISIS organization in #Syria.

Dany A. Khalek
This is what the Syrian security militias loyal to Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa did in the villages of #Sweida. They killed a man after he hosted them and placed a bunch of grapes on the table to welcome them. Another elderly man welcomed them at his doorstep, and they killed him, his walking stick lying beside him as a witness. https://x.com/maherauth/stat/maherauth/status/1953827177188770080

John Bolton
https://x.com/i/status/1953822159081451587
Of course Putin wants a summit to happen. Putin hasn't met with an American president since before he invaded Ukraine. He's been pounded with sanctions. In his eyes, a meeting between him and Trump would legitimize him with the West.

Marc Zell
With all due respect Special Envoy Thomas Barrack is openly inciting real genocide by supporting the current regime. Syria needs to be kept intact but its minorities need to be safeguarded and the government decentralized along geographic lines.

Marc Zell
Here are some thoughts about how a viable peace arrangement might be constructed in Syria (thanks to someone far more knowledgeable than I about Syria and the current crisis. I am now in DC to discuss these and other ideas.
1.⁠ ⁠The unfolding atrocities in Swaida pose a significant political liability for Mr. Trump and the GOP. Current U.S. policy in Syria is increasingly associated with:
*A growing and lethal ISIS presence within Syrian forces,
*Coordinated attacks on Christian communities, and
*Rising anti-Israel sentiment weaponized to mobilize the masses—particularly against the Druze.
Refining Syria's strategy is essential to avoiding a U.S. electoral price for the outcomes above mentioned.
2.⁠ ⁠Given the collapse of centralized governance and the unacceptability of ethnic-sectarian federalism, small-unit geographic decentralization emerges as the only viable model that aligns with U.S. strategic objectives.
3.⁠ ⁠Institutionalizing such decentralization requires U.S.-backed Syrian neutrality—particularly in relation to the Turkish-Israeli conflict—to avoid external entanglements that could derail local governance models.

charles chartouni
Thanks to Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, the game is over

Youssef Raggi
I received a phone call this evening from Spanish Foreign Minister
@jmalbares , who congratulated the Government of Lebanon on its decision to place all weapons under the control of the legitimate state institutions and to extend its authority across the entire country. He reaffirmed Spain’s political and diplomatic support for Lebanon and expressed his country’s readiness to provide the Lebanese Armed Forces with the support they need.

Ibrahim_Issa
I was shocked to discover that the global platform YouTube had taken down a video from my channel in which I criticized the Hamas movement, accused it of terrorism, and stated that the Palestinian people’s lives, destruction, annihilation, and hunger do not matter to Hamas as much as holding on to twenty Israeli hostages does. I was appalled that the video was removed, accompanied by a warning and an accusation that it promotes terrorist groups.
This platform dared to accuse a writer and thinker who has spent his entire life fighting terrorism and extremism — including Hamas itself. I have presented hundreds of television episodes against terrorism and extremism, written hundreds of articles, and authored numerous books challenging extremist religious discourse, political Islam, and the Muslim Brotherhood. I have been on assassination threat lists by these extremist groups since 1992, and after June 30, 2013, Al-Qaeda even issued two statements calling on its lone wolves to kill me.
And yet, YouTube now sides with these extremists.
It seems YouTube relies so heavily on artificial intelligence that it has lost all human and natural intelligence.
Nevertheless, I will persist in my message against Salafism, extremism, the Brotherhood, and terrorism — whether on YouTube or elsewhere. My channel on YouTube will continue — unless it gets blocked by YouTube’s artificial intelligence, which can’t distinguish between someone who fights terrorism and someone who supports it — to promote the values of enlightenment and freedom.

Secretary Marco Rubio
Under @POTUS's leadership, the U.S. brought the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia together to reach a peace deal that will end decades of conflict. This historic deal will make the region stronger and open new doors for American trade and investment. We congratulate both countries on a new era of peace.