Bible Quotations For today When

English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For August 23/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? ‘And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12/49-59/:”I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, “It is going to rain”; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, “There will be scorching heat”; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? ‘And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? Thus, when you go with your accuser before a magistrate, on the way make an effort to settle the case, or you may be dragged before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 22-23/2025
A Series of Heresies, Blasphemies, and Betrayals by the Inciter—Mufti Ahmad Qabalan/Elias Bejjani/Augst 20/2025
Two bold steps: Lebanon's bid for financial rehabilitation gains momentum with new decisions
Lebanon begins disarmament of Palestinian factions with Fatah in Burj al-Barajneh
Palestinian arms handover begins in Lebanon: Borj el-Brajneh marks first step
Israel’s Netanyahu keeps Lebanon strategy uncertain, sparking debate over ‘what is to come’
Report: Safa visited Baabda on eve of Rahal's visit to Ain el-Tineh
Reports: Israeli's release part of Barrack-sponsored arrangements
One killed in Israeli strike on Aita al-Shaab
US envoy praises steps to disarm Palestinian camps in Lebanon
Report: Israel to respond regarding Lebanon's demands on Saturday
Aoun adviser meets with Raad in Dahieh
US asks Israel to limit strikes, start withdrawing in return for Hezbollah disarmament
Aoun says atmosphere 'encouraging' regarding current files
Iran’s Larijani says Hezbollah remains a strategic asset, pledges continued support
Israel claims Lebanese officer helped Hezbollah cover up UNIFIL killing
Geagea visits Salam, urges all to abide by govt. decision on arms
Lebanese singer Elissa’s funds frozen, stolen as fugitive escapes security net — the details
A Dangerous Charade/The Play of Palestinian Arms Surrender: Contradictory Stances from Lebanese and Palestinian Officials/Former Minister Youssef Salameh/August 22, 2025
Morgan Ortagus returns: a game-changer for US policy in Lebanon/Yassin K. FawazThe Arab Weekly/August 22/2025/

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 22-23/2025
Iran seeks to rebuild military image after big losses in 12-day war, launches Indian Ocean drills
Iran, European powers to hold talks amid ‘snapback’ threat, new sanctions
Israel's defense minister says Gaza City could be destroyed
Israel threatens to destroy Gaza City if Hamas does not disarm, free ‘all hostages’
Israel's defense minister says Gaza City could be destroyed
Netanyahu calls UN-backed Gaza famine report 'outright lie'
Hamas demands opening of Gaza crossings after UN famine declaration
UN officially declares famine in Gaza, the first ever in the Middle East
Exclusive-Syria to revalue currency, dropping two zeros in bid for stability, sources say
UN Libya mission reports attempted rocket attack on HQ
Three police killed, 19 wounded in arrest of Iraqi Kurdistan opposition figure
Trump says 'not happy' that Russia hit US factory in Ukraine

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on August 22-23/2025
Video link to an EXCLUSIVE interview with Israeli PM: Benjamin Netanyahu sits down with Sharri Markson in must-watch interview/Sky News Australia
Question: “Is the priesthood of all believers biblical?”/GotQuestions.org/20 August /2025
Blow after blow, losing ground: How Iran’s regional influence is unravelling/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya English/20 August /2025
Iran’s web of terror and propaganda: The case of Al Mustafa University/Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi/FDD's Long War Journal/August 22/2025
The US Government Signs the Death Warrant for Eco-Catastrophism/Drieu Godefridi/Gatestone Institute/August 22, 2025
The Trump card that could break Iraq/Sam Butler/The Arab Weekly/August 22/2025
Selected tweets for 22 August/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 22-23/2025
A Series of Heresies, Blasphemies, and Betrayals by the Inciter—Mufti Ahmad Qabalan
Elias Bejjani/Augst 20/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146478/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N99kYdAmdxA
It is no longer a secret to anyone that Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan, the “Supreme Jaafari Mufti,” does not represent his religious denomination or his country. He is merely a paid mouthpiece and instigator for Iran and its armed terrorist group,blasphemously named “Hezbollah.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, he responded to Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi’s interview with AlArabiya TV using provocative and inflammatory language. He declared: “The weapons of Hezbollah and Amal are the weapons of God, and no one can take them away.”
What kind of moral and religious decline is this? How can a religious leader who receives his salary from the Lebanese state declare rebellion against it, its constitution, and its decisions, turning the weapons of a foreign, Jihadi, and terrorist militia into the "weapons of God"? Shouldn't he be a voice of unity and peace, instead of a cheap instrument for Iran’s clerics?
A Comparison Between Patriarch Al-Rahi and the Instigator Mufti Qabalan
Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi clearly and unambiguously defined the national position:
“The government’s decision is clear: all illegal weapons must be in the hands of the state.”
“There is a decisive Lebanese consensus on implementing the decision to disarm Hezbollah.”
“The members of the Shiite community are tired of war and want to live in peace.”
“The army protects all Lebanese without discrimination.”
“Resistance is not about submitting to Iran’s dictates.”
“There is no objection to peace with Israel in the future when conditions are appropriate.”
Meanwhile, the instigator Qabalan, instead of speaking with a language of religion and unity, responded with arrogant superiority and a disgusting fanaticism:
“Hezbollah’s weapon is God’s weapon.”
“Whoever wants Israel should go to live there.”
“There will be no peace with the killers of prophets.”
Who speaks for Lebanon? The Patriarch, who is guided by the constitution and legitimacy, or the instigator who deifies the arsenal of Iran and its party?
Let's remind Mufti Qabalan: if peace with Israel is a crime, then why did Iran itself negotiate with the "Great Satan," America? And why did "Hezbollah," through Nabih Berri, negotiate with American envoys and sign ceasefire agreements with Israel—agreements that Hezbollah itself accepted after losing the war and surrendering? Furthermore, why did Nabih Berri recognize Israel in the agreement that he and Hezbollah brokered in 2022, the "Agreement on the Delimitation of the Maritime Border between Lebanon and Israel," surrendering Lebanese land and maritime waters?
Legitimacy Invalidates the Heresies of the Instigator Qabalan
The instigator Qabalan conveniently forgets that his claims are nullified by several key agreements:
The Taif Agreement (1989): This called for the dissolution of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias.
UN Resolution 1559 (2004): This explicitly called for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon.
UN Resolution 1701 (2006): This mandated an end to armed presence south of the Litani River and restricted weapons to the state.
The Latest Ceasefire Agreement (2025): This clearly stipulated that all weapons must be limited to the legitimate Lebanese forces—from the army to the smallest municipal guard—and that any militia, particularly Hezbollah, must be disarmed.
By what right does Qabalan defy the constitution, government, and international resolutions to grant a fake religious legitimacy to an illegal Iranian firearm?
A Reply to His False Slogan
Qabalan said defiantly: “Whoever wants peace with Israel should go to live there.”
And we say to him: You, O instigator of Iran, should go to Tehran and take its weapons with you.
Lebanon is a land of peace, not a land of perpetual war. Lebanon is a land of coexistence, not a battlefield for proxy conflicts. Lebanon belongs to its legitimate army, not to sectarian militias.
The Mask Falls Off
Ahmad Qabalan has never been a true mufti; he is an instigator who plants the seeds of division between Christians and Muslims and among the Lebanese themselves. With his culture, rhetoric, and actions, he is more Iranian than the Iranians, raising Khamenei's flag above Lebanon's and legitimizing Hezbollah’s occupation of the state’s decisions.
In contrast, the voice of Patriarch Al-Rahi is the true voice of Lebanon: for sovereignty, the constitution, the Taif Agreement, international resolutions, peace, and neutrality. Whoever desires otherwise should look for another homeland besides Lebanon.
The fact remains that the Iranian terrorist and Jihadi "Hezbollah" has never protected Lebanon. Instead, it has plunged it into futile wars that have destroyed villages, killed young men, displaced families, and placed the Lebanese, particularly the Shiite community, in a state of hostility with their Arab surroundings and the international community. The weapon he claims is “divine” is, in reality, a tool of Iranian occupation that uses the Lebanese as fuel for battles that are none of their concern.
A Direct Call to the Esteemed Shiite Community
Dear brothers and sisters in the Shiite community: you are not hostages, and you are not mere numbers in the project of "Wilayat al-Faqih." "Hezbollah" has kidnapped you from your state, confiscated your decision-making, killed your sons in wars that do not concern you, destroyed your regions, and involved you in animosity with the entire world. The time has come for you to say: enough. Free yourselves from this great prison that has been imposed on you in the name of religion and false resistance. Your future and the future of your children are contingent upon your return to the Lebanese state, to normal life, and to a genuine partnership with all components of the nation.
Lebanon cannot be built with illegal weapons or Iranian ideological illusions, but with peace, the constitution, and the sovereignty of a single, unified state.

Two bold steps: Lebanon's bid for financial rehabilitation gains momentum with new decisions
LBCI/August 22/2025
Lebanon's Banque du Liban (BDL) has taken two major steps aimed at restructuring the country's troubled financial sector and regaining international trust, according to financial analysts following the matter. The first move came with Circular 170, which bars local banks from directly or indirectly dealing with unlicensed entities or those under international sanctions, most notably the Hezbollah-linked Qard al-Hassan Association. The measure was welcomed by the U.S. Treasury Department, France's finance ministry, and several Gulf states. While some in Lebanon dismissed the decision as a gesture to appease Washington, the issue gained traction after a Washington-based think tank, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, pointed to possible links between Bank of the Middle East and Africa and Qard al-Hassan. Syria to revalue currency, dropping two zeros in bid for stability: Sources tell Reuters. Reports indicated that funds moving through the Lebanese bank had been routed to a correspondent bank in the United States, which flagged the transactions to the U.S. Treasury. Analysts said this episode underscored the rationale behind Circular 170.
The second step was a contract signed with K2 Integrity, a leading global firm specializing in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing. The company has previously helped the United Arab Emirates exit the Financial Action Task Force's "gray list" and is currently working with Iraq to reform its cash sector and transfer liquidity to the Federal Reserve in New York. Observers noted that the BDL was not obligated to disclose the agreement but did so to signal its commitment to tackling the informal cash economy, illicit finance, and corruption. Together, the two measures represent a cornerstone of Lebanon's effort to reintegrate into the global financial system, exit the FATF gray list, and advance broader economic reforms, analysts said.

Lebanon begins disarmament of Palestinian factions with Fatah in Burj al-Barajneh
The Arab Weekly/August 22/2025/
Lebanon said on Thursday it was launching the planned disarmament of Palestinian factions in refugee camps, part of a wider effort to establish a state monopoly on arms. The planned disarmament was starting with the handover of weapons on Thursday from the Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut to the Lebanese army, the Lebanese prime minister’s office said. “Today marks the beginning of the first phase of the process of handing over weapons from inside the Palestinian camps,” said Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee chairman Ramez Dimashkieh in a statement. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the move, saying that the “process will be completed with the handover of additional batches in the coming weeks from Burj al-Barajneh and other camps”, according to a statement from his office.US envoy Tom Barrack on Thursday also hailed the steps to begin disarming groups operating in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. He congratulated the government and the Palestinian Fatah movement on their “agreement on voluntary disarmament in Beirut camps, a great accomplishment as a result of the bold action recently taken by the Lebanese Council of Ministers. A historic step toward unity and stability, showing true commitment to peace and cooperation.”A Palestinian security official had said that “Fatah will begin handing over its weapons in Burj al-Barajneh camp in coordination with the Lebanese army”.Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, who heads the Fatah movement, visited Beirut in May and reached an agreement with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that all arms in Palestinian camps would be surrendered to the state. A Palestinian security source at Burj al-Barajneh camp said “Fatah’s initiative in beginning to hand over weapons is symbolic, and came as a result of an agreement between Aoun and the Palestinian president’s son, Yasser Abbas, who is currently visiting Beirut”. It aims to “encourage the remaining (Palestinian armed) factions to take the same step”, the source said, noting that the other influential factions in the camp “have not yet decided to hand over their weapons”.The Palestinian Authority does not exercise power over the other factions in the camps, most notably Hamas. The move is meant to mark the start of a broader disarmament effort, with additional deliveries expected in the coming weeks from Burj al-Barajneh and other camps across the country, the office said in a statement. An official from Fatah told Reuters that the only weapons being handed over so far were illegal arms that entered the camp 24 hours ago. TV footage showed army vehicles entering the camp ahead of a handover. As part of a truce with Israel struck in November and backed by the United States, Lebanon committed to restricting arms to six specific state security forces, in a challenge to Iran-backed Shia Muslim group Hezbollah. The cabinet has tasked the army with drawing up a plan to establish a state monopoly on arms by the end of the year. The initiative to disarm Palestinian factions is part of an agreement reached during a May 21 summit between Aoun and Mahmoud Abbas, which affirmed Lebanon’s sovereignty and the principle that only the state should bear arms, the statement from the prime minister’s office said.
Two days later, Lebanese and Palestinian officials agreed on a timeline and mechanism for disarmament, the statement said. Palestinian factions have long operated with relative autonomy in several of Lebanon’s 12 refugee camps, which fall largely outside the jurisdiction of the Lebanese state. The latest handover represents the most serious bid in years to address weapons held inside the camps. Lebanon hosts about 222,000 Palestinian refugees, according to the United Nations agency UNRWA, with many living in overcrowded camps outside of the state’s control. The Ain al-Hilweh camp near the southern city of Sidon, for instance, is the largest in the country and houses individuals wanted by the Lebanese authorities. The handover of weapons had been expected to begin in mid-June, but in an interview with Saudi-owned broadcaster Al Arabiya last week, Aoun attributed the delay to the Iran-Israel war that broke out that month, as well as to “internal considerations within the Palestinian Authority”. The weapons held by Palestinian security personnel in the refugee camps, however, were not included in the handover, he added.

Palestinian arms handover begins in Lebanon: Borj el-Brajneh marks first step
LBCI/August 22, 2025
Has the disarmament of Palestinian factions in Lebanese camps officially begun, or was the recent operation in Borj el-Brajneh only a partial step? On Thursday, the Lebanese army received a shipment of Palestinian weapons from the Borj el-Brajneh camp, prompting debate between critics who denounced the move and others who described it as the start of implementing the weapons handover agreement in Lebanon’s Palestinian camps. Yasser Abbas, son of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was reportedly in Lebanon to oversee the implementation of the arms handover agreement concluded in May.
This followed key internal Palestinian leadership changes, including the replacement of Ambassador Ashraf Dabbour, who had obstructed the agreement’s execution along with others. The changes also included replacing Shadi Al-Far, the Palestinian embassy security official aligned with Dabbour, who had controlled weapons in Borj el-Brajneh and refused to hand them over.

Israel’s Netanyahu keeps Lebanon strategy uncertain, sparking debate over ‘what is to come’
LBCI/August 22, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintained ambiguity over Israel’s intentions toward Lebanon after saying Thursday evening that the return of prisoner Saleh Abu Hussein was “just the beginning of what is to come.” Close associates of Netanyahu interpreted “what is to come” as referring to steps that Lebanon is expected to take, under pressure from U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, to disarm Hezbollah. In exchange, Barrack seeks to secure an Israeli withdrawal from occupied positions, halt Israeli army attacks, and release Lebanese detainees captured during the war. While some Israelis viewed Abu Hussein’s release as a confidence-building measure between Tel Aviv and Beirut, debate continues in Israel over how successful efforts to disarm Hezbollah might be. Ongoing Israeli operations in Lebanon involve the use of large quantities of explosives that shake northern towns near the border, keeping the region in a constant state of tension. The situation is compounded by Hezbollah’s insistence on retaining its arms. From ground incursions to media narratives: Israel’s dual approach in Lebanon—the details. Netanyahu’s vague message about “what is to come” toward Lebanon contrasts with his statements regarding Gaza and the prisoner exchange, as the war has entered a more severe and dangerous phase. Between Lebanon and Gaza, Israelis view recent Iranian military maneuvers as a signal to prepare for a potential near-term conflict.

Report: Safa visited Baabda on eve of Rahal's visit to Ain el-Tineh
Naharnet/August 22, 2025
On the eve of the visit to Speaker Nabih Berri by President Joseph Aoun’s adviser Andre Rahal, the head of Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit Wafiq Safa visited the Baabda Palace along with Hezbollah official Ahmad Mhanna, ad-Diyar newspaper reported on Friday. Mhanna, who is the security aide of Hezbollah’s foreign relations officer, had taken part in the meeting that was held at Aoun’s residence prior to his election as president, the daily noted. It added that Aoun, Safa and Mhanna held a two-hour meeting this week that tackled “the issue of the government’s decisions on arms monopolization, with the parties stressing that there is no desire to witness any clash or harm against civil peace.”

Reports: Israeli's release part of Barrack-sponsored arrangements
Naharnet/August 22, 2025
The release of Arab Israeli citizen Salah Abu Hussein by Lebanon on Thursday, after he spent around a year in Lebanese prisons, is part of “a course that will unfold in the coming days,” prominent sources told al-Akhbar newspaper in remarks published Friday.
The move is linked to “promises presented by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack about a step that the Israeli government will make in return for the (Lebanese) government’s decision to disarm the resistance (Hezbollah),” the sources said. “Barrack noted that there is a possibility that Israel might release some Lebanese captives and withdraw from points that it had recently occupied,” the sources added. Asharq al-Awsat newspaper meanwhile quoted Israeli political sources as saying that "the team of U.S. envoy to Syria and Lebanon Ambassador Thomas Barrack is behind this step.""Barrack is seeking to secure the release of Israeli-held Hezbollah captives as part of the Israeli-Lebanese agreement that is materializing," the sources said. Israel said that Thursday that Abu Hussein was released “following negotiations held in recent months, with the assistance of the Red Cross.”An Israeli police spokesman had announced in February the disappearance of Abu Hussein, who hails from the village of al-Rummana in northern Israel. Israeli media reports said Thursday that the man is "mentally unstable." Lebanese media reports meanwhile said that he crossed into Lebanon to find a job and because he no longer wanted to live in Israel. He later asked to be deported to a third country and not to Israel, the reports said. Abu Hussein's Lebanese lawyer, Fadia Chedid, said Thursday that her client had no legal or security case in the Lebanese judicial system. Chedid told LBCI television that Abu Hussein had been detained for more than 13 months after crossing the border “by mistake.” She said he told her he had become lost and attempted to "swim back," but lost his way again. “His case was with the public prosecutor’s office, and I coordinated with the International Committee of the Red Cross to secure his release,” Chedid said, noting that General Security had no objection to her representing him. Israel had in March released five Lebanese citizens, saying it was a goodwill gesture to President Joseph Aoun who had been newly elected at the time. The move also followed U.S. pressure. Fifteen more citizens are believed to be still held in Israel, including at least seven Hezbollah fighters who were captured during Israel’s incursion into south Lebanon during last year’s 66-day war. Eight of the Lebanese citizens were abducted from south Lebanon after the November ceasefire.

One killed in Israeli strike on Aita al-Shaab
Naharnet/August 22, 2025
One person was killed Friday in an Israeli drone strike on the southern border town of Aita al-Shaab, the Health Ministry said. Despite a ceasefire reached in late November, Israel has kept carrying out almost daily strikes on Lebanon, especially on its south. The strikes continue despite a decision by the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah following its latest war with Israel. Lebanon demands in return a halt of attacks and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from five hills they are still occupying in south Lebanon.

US envoy praises steps to disarm Palestinian camps in Lebanon
Agence France Presse/August 22, 2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has hailed steps to begin disarming groups operating in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. Barrack congratulated Thursday the government and the Palestinian Fatah movement on their "agreement on voluntary disarmament in Beirut camps, a great accomplishment as a result of the bold action recently taken by the Lebanese Council of Ministers. A historic step toward unity and stability, showing true commitment to peace and cooperation." The removal of weapons from the camps was announced in May during a visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Lebanon, during which he and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced that arms would be consolidated under the authority of the Lebanese government. But not all Palestinian factions have agreed to abide by the decision.
Representatives of Hamas and the allied Palestinian Islamic Jihad did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Hamas sent a statement signed by “the Palestinian Factions in Lebanon” that called Thursday’s handover of weapons “an internal organizational matter within the Fatah movement” that “has no connection, near or far, to the issue of Palestinian weapons in the camps.”It added, “Our weapons have always been and will always be linked to the right of return and the just Palestinian cause and will remain so as long as the occupation remains on Palestinian soil.”The 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon aren’t under the control of Lebanese authorities, and rival groups have clashed inside the camps in recent years, inflicting casualties and affecting nearby areas. Palestinian groups have also periodically launched rockets across the border into Israel. The step of removing weapons from the camps was seen as a precursor to the much more difficult step of disarming the Lebanese Hezbollah, which last year fought a bruising war with Israel . The group has been under domestic and international pressure since then to give up its remaining arsenal, which it has so far refused to do. Implementation of the plan for the Palestinian camps was delayed amid disagreements among and within the various Palestinian factions operating in Lebanon, which include Abbas’ Fatah movement, the rival Hamas group and a range of other Islamist and leftist groups, over the mechanism for handing over the weapons.
Ramez Dimashkieh, head of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, a government body that serves as an interlocutor between Palestinian refugees and officials, said in a statement that the handover of weapons Thursday at the Burj al-Barajneh camp south of Beirut “will be the first step, with further batches to be delivered in the coming weeks from Burj al-Barajneh camp and the rest of the camps,” the statement said. Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesperson for Abbas, said in a statement that weapons were also handed over Thursday at al-Bass camp in southern Lebanon and would continue in other camps in implementation of the agreement between Abbas and the Lebanese government. However, the extent to which the decision would actually be implemented remained unclear. Some officials with the Palestinian factions said only “illegal” weapons would be handed over, not those belonging to organized factions. They also said personal light weapons would not be included. Badih al-Habet, a spokesperson for Fatah in Beirut, told reporters that Aoun had acknowledged that “personal weapons are part of Arab and national culture."There are nearly 500,000 Palestinians registered with UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, in Lebanon. However, the actual number in the country is believed to be around 200,000, as many have emigrated but remain on the organiztion's roster. They are prohibited from working in many professions, have few legal protections and can’t own property.

Report: Israel to respond regarding Lebanon's demands on Saturday
Naharnet/August 22, 2025
After their visit to Beirut, U.S. envoys Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus met in Paris with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and the talks were not positive, seeing as Dermer categorically rejected adding Lebanon’s eight remarks to the U.S. paper, informed sources said. The U.S. delegation then suggested that Israel make a goodwill gesture through releasing a number of Lebanese captives and withdrawing from one of the occupied points, but Dermer strongly rejected that and stressed that Israel wants “serious actions” from Lebanon and that it will carry on with its plans for the northern front, the sources told ad-Diyar newspaper in remarks published Friday. “In the face of this intransigent stance, Barrack suggested that the Israeli government issue an official statement in which it declares its readiness to gradually withdraw as the Lebanese government begins to implement its pledges, a proposal that was discussed with the Lebanese side,” the sources added. “Dermer then asked to adjourn the meeting in order to discuss the matter with the relevant officials in Israel, adding that the U.S. side would be informed of the final response on Saturday,” the sources said. The sources added that Ortagus is expected to visit Beirut on Monday along with a U.S. congressional delegation, carrying Israel’s response. “Israel will maneuver, seeing as it does not intend to offer any concessions at the current time, especially amid the regional situations and the developments in Gaza and Syria,” the sources said.

Aoun adviser meets with Raad in Dahieh
Naharnet/August 22, 2025
President Joseph Aoun’s adviser Brig. Gen. Andre Rahal met Friday in Beirut’s southern suburbs with MP Mohammad Raad, the head of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc. According to the National News Agency, talks tackled “the current political situations, the course of matters and the stances of the various parties regarding them.”Rahal had met Thursday with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh. Another presidential adviser, Mohammad Obeid, had met with Raad in recent days to discuss Hezbollah's disarmament, ad-Diyar newspaper reported Wednesday. According to the daily, Obeid assured Raad that if Israel does not abide by the U.S. paper -- by withdrawing from south Lebanon and halting its daily attacks -- the Cabinet's decision to disarm Hezbollah will not be implemented. Ad-Diyar said further meetings would be held between Baabda and Hezbollah. U.S. special envoy to Lebanon Tom Barrack said Monday as he visited Lebanon that the Lebanese government had done their part and "now what we need is for Israel to comply with that equal handshake."The Lebanese government had endorsed last week a U.S.-backed plan for Hezbollah to disarm and tasked the army with developing a plan for the group's disarmament by year end. The decision angered Hezbollah and its allies, who believe Israel's military should first withdraw from the five hilltops it has occupied in southern Lebanon since the end of its 14-month war with Hezbollah last November and stop launching almost daily airstrikes in the country. Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's secretary-general, has vowed to fight efforts to disarm the group amid ongoing Israeli attacks and occupation, sowing fears of civil unrest in the country.

US asks Israel to limit strikes, start withdrawing in return for Hezbollah disarmament
Naharnet/August 22, 2025
The U.S. has asked Israel to reduce its military action in Lebanon after the Lebanese government decided last week to disarm Hezbollah by the year end, Axios said. The American news portal reported that the Trump administration thinks reciprocal steps by Israel would encourage Lebanon to follow through. It said the U.S. has asked Israel to consider withdrawing from one of five hills its troops are occupying in south Lebanon and to significantly reduce "non-urgent" air strikes for a few weeks to show willingness to cooperate with the Lebanese effort. Despite a ceasefire reached in late November, Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes on Lebanon and is still occupying five hills in south Lebanon that it deems "strategic". Hezbollah said it will not hand over its arms under Israeli attacks and occupation. President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam who vowed to disarm Hezbollah are also demanding Israel halt its attacks and withdraw from the country. U.S. special envoy to Lebanon Tom Barrack visited Lebanon this week to discuss the long-term cessation of hostilities with Israel. According to Axios, he proposed a step-by-step withdrawal from the five posts in response to practical steps by the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah. A temporary pause of "non-urgent" strikes could be extended if Lebanon takes more action to prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing itself in south Lebanon, Axios said. The U.S. plan includes a "Trump economic zone" in parts of south Lebanon on the border with Israel, the report said. Saudi Arabia and Qatar would invest in the reconstruction of these areas and the economic zone would protect Israel as it would make it harder for Hezbollah to reestablish itself there. Barrack and U.S. diplomat Morgan Ortagus had met Wednesday in Paris with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. "The Israelis didn't say no and they are willing to give it a chance. They understand that what the Lebanese cabinet did was historic and that they need to give something back," a source told Axios.

Aoun says atmosphere 'encouraging' regarding current files
Naharnet/August 22, 2025
President Joseph Aoun reassured Friday that the situation on the Lebanese-Syrian border is under control and that the Lebanese Army maintains “full readiness” there. The army is “performing its missions competently and keenly, in order to spread calm and serenity among the people,” Aoun added, in a meeting with ex-MP Emile Rahme. The president also said that the atmosphere is “encouraging” regarding the efforts that are being exerted to “pull Lebanon out of its crises.”

Iran’s Larijani says Hezbollah remains a strategic asset, pledges continued support
LBCI/August 22, 2025
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran will continue to support Hezbollah as it has in the past, describing the group as “a strategic asset for Lebanon.”Larijani added that the resistance movement in the region represents a “strategic advantage,” stressing that Iran needs Hezbollah’s support just as the group needs Iran’s.Addressing Lebanon’s political situation, Larijani said the country’s internal issues should be resolved through dialogue. He emphasized that Iran does not impose decisions on Hezbollah, which he described as “mature and capable of making its own choices.”

Israel claims Lebanese officer helped Hezbollah cover up UNIFIL killing
LBCI/August 22, 2025
The Israeli army has accused a senior Lebanese army officer of collaborating with Hezbollah to cover up the killing of a UNIFIL soldier, according to Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee. Adraee claimed in a post on X that Irish peacekeeper Private Seán Rooney was killed in southern Lebanon in December 2022. “Last July, six Hezbollah members were convicted of involvement in Rooney’s killing, including Mohammad Eid, who was sentenced to death for committing the murder.”He added: “The Israeli army revealed that Suhail Bahij Harb, head of the Lebanese army’s southern intelligence division, continuously contacted Hezbollah members to conceal the incident. Harb, previously reported in the media as collaborating with Hezbollah, interfered with the internal investigation conducted by the Lebanese army and prevented Hezbollah members involved in the killing from being brought to justice.”

Geagea visits Salam, urges all to abide by govt. decision on arms
Naharnet/August 22, 2025
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea made a solidarity visit to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Grand Serail on Friday, in the wake of the campaign launched against the premier over the government’s latest decisions on the disarmament of all armed groups in the country.
“We have started to witness the rise of an actual state in Lebanon, and those who don’t want this course will be the losers, seeing as history cannot go backwards,” Geagea said after the meeting. “Everyone must abide by the Lebanese government’s decision on arms monopolization, which is not partial but is being implemented in a gradual way,” the LF leader added.

Lebanese singer Elissa’s funds frozen, stolen as fugitive escapes security net — the details
LBCI/August 22, 2025
Administrative oversight or security collusion? The question arises in the case of fugitive Ali Qassem Hammoud, who is wanted under an official search and investigation notice. His escape led to the loss of Lebanese singer Elissa’s funds. Like many Lebanese, Elissa had $2.7 million frozen in the bank and turned to Hammoud, who claimed he could convert it into “fresh dollars,” promising to return $600,000 in cash. However, Hammoud disappeared along with the checks and cash, prompting her to turn to the judiciary. Following Hammoud’s disappearance, Public Prosecutor at the Court of Appeal in Beirut, Judge Raja Hamoush, issued three consecutive search and investigation notices against him, each renewed before their ten-day validity expired. Up to this point, the legal process proceeded normally. Suddenly, Hammoud managed to travel through Beirut airport to the United Kingdom, raising questions about the security lapse. Israel weighs multiple Lebanon escalation scenarios as it seeks regional control — the details. Search and investigation notices are delivered in paper form by the Internal Security Forces to the Lebanese General Security, which records them electronically. Investigations revealed that Hammoud’s name had not been entered into the electronic system. The inquiry is focusing on identifying the source of the error: did a General Security officer fail to register the notice electronically, did the Internal Security Forces fail to submit it, or was there collusion involved? The General Directorate of General Security immediately suspended all officers involved. Investigations are being conducted by the intelligence division under the supervision of the Government Commissioner at the military court, Judge Claude Ghanem. Regarding Elissa’s case, Judge Hamoush issued a new notice against Ali Hammoud. His investigation is expected to conclude soon, and Hammoud will face the investigating judge on charges of fraud.

A Dangerous Charade/The Play of Palestinian Arms Surrender: Contradictory Stances from Lebanese and Palestinian Officials
Former Minister Youssef Salameh/August 22, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146542/
(Free translation from Arabic by Elias Bejjani)
The unfolding scene of the beginning of the Palestinian arms surrender, and the contradictory stances from Lebanese and Palestinian officials regarding the true nature of the event, will give Israel a pretext not to trust the intentions of the government in Lebanon and its ability to seriously commit to implementing the decision regarding the exclusivity of arms in the hands of the Lebanese state. The disturbing question is that we are beginning to witness the end of the play, and we don’t have a grace period to distract ourselves, especially as the Levant is in the midst of a new birth. I fear that the conclusion will not be in the interest of Lebanon, the message. The reason for my anxiety stems from the public statements made by leaders in the party expressing their lack of confidence in the national army’s ability to protect Lebanon. Their spiritual authorities and their community’s audience have attacked national and sectarian symbols, accusing them and anyone who calls for imposing state sovereignty and law of national treason and collaboration. They seem to forget that recent events and the outcome of the support war confirmed that they are the source of all treason and collaboration, which makes me wonder if they are working, like other active forces, for a single employer who invests in their instincts, whether they realize it or not. In this context, I also wonder if the party will be given a complementary role in Lebanon to what has been given to others in neighboring countries, to be a sword hanging over the unity of the nation.
My questioning stems from my fear for Lebanon’s unity and the perpetuity of its message, and from the convergence of interests of those who seek to change the features of the Sykes-Picot Agreement to align with Israel’s interest and its perpetuity, with the interests of the insignificant people who do not know what they are doing. However, the rapid pace of events and the conviction of the majority of the Arab Muslim world in the culture of peace, which is inevitable, gives me hope and increases my determination to struggle for the fortification of Lebanon, the message, because it will be a need and a necessity to deepen the meaning of human peace and normalize the relationship between the peoples of the region if it knows how to play its role with confidence and leadership.Gentlemen, the play is about to end, and Lebanon needs a bold, visionary, mature, and capable authority that can keep pace with the event.
Do not play with fire, because this time, the fire will burn you before it harms others.Tomorrow is another day.

Morgan Ortagus returns: a game-changer for US policy in Lebanon
Yassin K. FawazThe Arab Weekly/August 22/2025/
When US envoy Tom Barrack stepped out of Baabda Palace on August 18, his message was characteristically upbeat. “The Lebanese government has done their part. Now we need Israel to comply,” he told reporters, casting the country’s recent steps to disarm Hezbollah as a milestone in a long and fragile process. He spoke of “prosperity and peace” and a “roadway to dialogue,” framing the moment as a pivot towards stability.
But alongside Barrack stood someone whose presence was more consequential than his optimism revealed: Morgan Ortagus, the Deputy US Envoy for the Middle East, who has quietly rejoined the US diplomatic team for Lebanon under President Donald Trump’s directive. The most important line from Tom Barrack’s visit to Baabda Palace was probably not about Israel’s five remaining border points or the roadmap for reconstruction. It was his confirmation that Morgan Ortagus had rejoined the US diplomatic team “under President Donald Trump’s directive,” which he described as “a major opportunity to reshape the region’s future.” In a capital where symbolism carries weight, that sentence resonated more than the rest of the hour-long speeches.
Two months ago, Lebanon’s entrenched political elite had welcomed her departure with open relief. Nabih Berri, parliament speaker since 1992 and the arbiter of Shia politics, called it “pleasing to the heart.”Hezbollah, rattled by her bluntness, staged demonstrations against her remarks in February, when she declared that the group had been defeated militarily and that its role in government was no longer tolerable.
Many in Beirut concluded she had been sidelined, replaced by Barrack’s more measured style. On June 17, when Barrack arrived in Lebanon, her absence was conspicuous. By June 23, her name had already become shorthand for a missed opportunity, the hawk who had pressed too hard, too fast. Now, in mid-August, she is back, by presidential order. That detail alone matters. Her re-entry is not an afterthought or a convenience, but a deliberate directive from Donald Trump himself. It signals that Washington has not abandoned the line of pressure and accountability she embodied, but is rebalancing it, pairing Barrack’s optimism with her credibility. In the meetings with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Berri, Ortagus did not dominate the room. She sat quietly through most of the formal sessions, letting Barrack take the lead in public. But her silence was not misread. For Lebanon’s political class, it was a reminder that she already knows the playbook. She has studied the system, understands the “political theatre” that governs decision-making in Beirut, and has already seen how elites manipulate time and process to stall change.
That knowledge is precisely why her return matters. Lebanese leaders thrive on ambiguity, on exhausting new envoys with a maze of committees, statements and staged “dialogue.” Ortagus is not new to this. She has already rattled the system once, and her reappearance signals she is ready to do so again, this time with Barrack as the public face and herself as the watchful enforcer. Barrack’s explicit reference to Trump’s directive also resets the balance of power. This was not a casual invitation or a mid-level appointment. It was a presidential order. That detail, underscored in the Lebanese press and repeated in the US readouts, makes her return an extension of Trump’s personal foreign policy style: strength, accountability and clarity.
For Lebanon’s elites, that means her presence is not optional. It reflects the White House’s view that she is essential to this phase of diplomacy. For the Lebanese public, it shows Washington is still serious about reform and disarmament, not simply offering rhetorical cover and new excuses for delays.
Contrast with Barrack
By comparison, Barrack’s recent entry into diplomacy reflects his background as a businessman-turned-envoy. His style is that of deal-making and incremental engagement, the “step-by-step” approach he emphasised again in Beirut. Ortagus, however, built her reputation on a sharper edge: tying US aid to reforms, calling out Hezbollah directly and pressing Lebanese leaders with deadlines and accountability.
This is not a matter of style alone. To those who watched her earlier tenure on Lebanon, Ortagus proved that pressure, not platitudes, was what rattled the political class.
Since his arrival, Barrack has projected pragmatism, stressing “prosperity,” “commerce,” and the promise of a “better life.” He has pushed Israel as well as Lebanon, demanding compliance with ceasefire terms and withdrawal from remaining Lebanese territory. His tone is conciliatory, intended to reassure Lebanese factions that America is even-handed.
But soft optimism alone risks being swallowed by Lebanon’s entrenched inertia, as my previous Tom Barrack is shaming Donald Trump piece noted, Tom’s approach risks “shaming” Trump’s ethos of strength. That is why Ortagus’ return is so important. She restores the edge to US diplomacy, making clear that beneath the talk of prosperity lies a hard line: aid and engagement remain conditional on real steps. Together, the two envoys present a balanced front, Barrack offering reassurance, Ortagus ensuring credibility.
Lebanon’s political class remembers February. Ortagus stood at Baabda Palace and declared Hezbollah defeated, demanding deadlines, reforms and disarmament. She tied US aid to measurable benchmarks and threatened to suspend assistance if progress was not made. For a system long used to rhetorical ambiguity, her clarity was a shock. The backlash was immediate. Hezbollah staged protests. President Aoun’s office distanced itself. Berri publicly mocked her. But privately, politicians were rattled. For the first time in years, US engagement came with real costs attached. Her departure in June was celebrated precisely because it seemed to restore familiar rhythms, vague promises, endless committees, no accountability. Her return now reopens that discomfort. Even in silence, she represents the possibility that Washington will not be fooled twice.
High stakes
Lebanon stands at a rare juncture. The cabinet has endorsed a US text committing to disarmament, border demarcation and reconstruction. The army has been tasked with drafting an implementation plan by year’s end. For the first time since the civil war, Hezbollah’s unique military role is openly challenged by the state. Israel’s strikes, its hold over border points, and its insistence on Hezbollah’s complete disarmament complicate the picture, but the framework is in place. Hezbollah, weakened militarily but still defiant politically, has warned of civil war if pressed. On August 15, Naim Qassem declared that Lebanon would “have no life” if the group were targeted. The government, for its part, insists no armed faction can remain outside the state. Between these positions lies the fragile possibility of progress, or collapse.
It is into this moment that Ortagus has returned. Her presence signals that the United States is not only managing the process but shaping its terms. By framing disarmament as “for the Shia,” as Barrack told reporters, Washington is trying to strip Hezbollah of its communal shield and present reform as inclusion, not exclusion. Ortagus, with her sharp memory of how Lebanon’s elites stall and spin, is best positioned to enforce that framing.
In Lebanon, appearances often substitute for substance. The return of a figure many thought gone is itself a message. It tells the Lebanese establishment that Washington is serious, that Trump’s ethos of strength remains intact, and that the “political theatre” will not suffice.
For allies of reform, it is a rare reason for optimism. For Hezbollah and its backers, it is a warning that the old tactics of delay and ambiguity may not work this time. And for the Lebanese people, weary of cycles of hope and collapse, it is at least a signal that the United States remembers who has paid the highest price for their leaders’ dysfunction.
The timing of her comeback is deliberate. Lebanon’s cabinet has, for the first time, tasked the army with developing a plan to disarm Hezbollah. Washington has put forward an 11-point proposal, including border demarcation with Israel and the phasing out of all non-state arms. These are historic steps, but ones fraught with political resistance.
That is precisely where Ortagus’ presence matters. She may have kept a low profile during the latest meetings, letting Barrack take the podium, but insiders note that she is fully briefed on Lebanon’s well-worn tactics of delay and diversion. Her experience allows her to anticipate the political manoeuvres ahead, ensuring Washington’s pressure is not lost in the fog of vague assurances.
Barrack brings optimism; Ortagus brings leverage. For all his talk of “better lives” and “dialogue,” it is her quiet return that signals the White House intends to sustain real pressure on Lebanon’s leaders and not simply hope their promises hold.
Amid this fog, Morgan Ortagus’ re-emergence is less about photo ops and more about credibility. She has done the homework, built the networks and learned firsthand the language of Lebanon’s power brokers. For the Trump administration, her return to the Lebanon file is a reminder that diplomacy is not just about words spoken to cameras, it is about who, quietly, understands the game well enough to change it.
Lebanon’s political system is designed to resist change. Foreign envoys come and go, often leaving behind little more than photographs and platitudes. What makes Morgan Ortagus different is that she has already broken through once, and now, by presidential directive, she is back to do so again.
In June, her absence was read as a retreat, a softening. In August, her return is the reminder that Washington has not abandoned strength for platitudes. Quiet in the meetings, but ever aware, she remains the one figure in the room who knows exactly how the Lebanese elite play the game. And this time, they know she is watching.
**Yassin K Fawaz is an American business executive, publisher and security and terrorism expert.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 22-23/2025
Iran seeks to rebuild military image after big losses in 12-day war, launches Indian Ocean drills
The Arab Weekly/August 22/2025
Iran on Thursday launched its first solo military exercises since its June war with Israel, state media reported, seeking to reassert an image of strength after suffering heavy losses during war the US and Israel last June. Navy units of Iran’s regular armed forces fired missiles and drones at open water targets in the Indian Ocean under the “Sustainable Power 1404” drill, state television reported. “These drills take place around a month after the Iran-Russia drill under the name Casarex 2025 which took place in Iran’s northern waters (Caspian Sea). The Sustainable Power drills … are in Iran’s southern waters,” state TV said.Much of Iran’s clerical regime’s legitimacy rides on the ability of its armed forces and Revolutionary Guards to project armed force. This asset has tremendously frayed since Israel attacked Iran in a 12-day air war which the United States briefly joined, pounding key nuclear installations and killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists. Israel largely destroyed Iran’s air defences during the war and much of its stockpile of ballistic weapons is believed to have been damaged by Israeli strikes.
Since then, the Islamic Republic has said it is ready to counter any future attacks. “Any new adventure by the enemy will be faced with a strong slap,” the defence ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Iran also said Wednesday it was prepared for any new Israeli attack, announcing it has developed missiles with greater capabilities than those used during the recent 12-day war. “The missiles used in the 12-day war were manufactured … a few years ago,” Defence Minister Aziz Nassirzadeh said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency. “Today, we have manufactured and possess missiles with far greater capabilities than previous missiles, and if the Zionist enemy embarks on the adventure again, we will undoubtedly use them.”US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran again if it revives nuclear facilities including uranium enrichment plants. Tehran suspended negotiations with Washington aimed at curbing the country’s nuclear ambitions after the Israeli and US air strikes. Iran believes the moment for “effective” nuclear talks with the US has not yet arrived, its top diplomat said on Wednesday.

Iran, European powers to hold talks amid ‘snapback’ threat, new sanctions
The Arab Weekly/August 22/2025
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will hold telephone discussions with his French, British and German counterparts on Friday, to discuss nuclear talks and sanctions, state news agency IRNA reported. The three European powers have threatened to activate United Nations sanctions on Iran under a “snapback” mechanism if Iran does not return to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme. The countries, along with the United States, contend Iran is using the nuclear programme to potentially develop weapons, which Iran denies. Tehran suspended negotiations with the US, which were aimed at curbing the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions, after the US and Israel struck its nuclear sites in June. Since then, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have been unable to access Iran’s nuclear installations, despite IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stating that inspections remain essential. Araghchi had said on Wednesday that European powers had no right to trigger snapback sanctions under the moribund 2015 nuclear deal nor extend the October deadline to trigger them. His remarks came after Iranian diplomats had meetings in July with counterparts from Germany, France and Britain, the first such talks since Israel’s attack on Iran the previous month. The 12-day war between the two regional foes derailed Tehran’s nuclear negotiations with the United States and prompted Iran to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. The European trio had threatened to trigger the so-called “snapback mechanism” by the end of August, a move that would reimpose sweeping UN sanctions lifted under the 2015 accord, unless Tehran agreed to curb uranium enrichment and restore cooperation with inspectors. According to the Financial Times, the European parties to the deal also offered to extend the October snapback deadline if Iran resumed nuclear talks with Washington and re-engaged with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The paper added in its report last week that the offer “remained unanswered by Iran”.But on Wednesday, Araghchi dismissed the European parties’ right to offer an extension. “When we believe that they do not have the right to implement snapback, it is natural that they do not have the right to extend its deadline either,” he told the state news agency IRNA.
“We have not yet reached a basis for negotiations with the Europeans,” he added. Iran has repeatedly called reimposing sanctions “illegal” and warned of consequences should the European powers opt to activate the mechanism. Araghchi also said Iran “cannot completely cut cooperation” with the UN nuclear watchdog, but added that the return of its inspectors was up to the country’s top security body, the Supreme National Security Council.In July, Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA in the wake of its war with Israel, citing the agency’s failure to condemn Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities. The agency’s inspectors have since left Iran, and Tehran later said cooperation with the IAEA would take “a new form”.Earlier this month the agency’s deputy head visited Tehran for talks. At the time, deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran and the agency had agreed to “continue consultations”. Israel’s unprecedented attack on Iran in mid-June saw it targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, as well as residential areas, killing over 1,000 people, including senior commanders and nuclear scientists.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks that killed dozens in Israel. The United States briefly joined the conflict, striking Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24.
The war took place two days before a sixth round of talks between Tehran and Washington aimed at reaching a nuclear deal to replace the one abandoned by President Donald Trump in 2018 during his first term. On the possibility of the resumption of talks with the US, Araghchi said they had not yet reached the point where negotiations could take place. In the meanwhile, the Trump administration on Thursday issued more Iran-related sanctions, targeting 13 entities based in Hong Kong, China and the Marshall Islands, as well as eight vessels, the US Treasury Department said. Also, Britain added five new designations under its Iran sanctions regime, a government update showed on Thursday.

Israel's defense minister says Gaza City could be destroyed
Associated Press/August 22/2025
Israel's defense minister warned on Friday that Gaza City could be destroyed unless Hamas accepts Israel's terms, as the country prepares for an expanded offensive in the area. A day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would authorize the military to mount a major operation to seize Gaza City, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that the enclave's largest city could "turn into Rafah and Beit Hanoun," areas reduced to rubble earlier in the war. "The gates of hell will soon open on the heads of Hamas' murderers and rapists in Gaza — until they agree to Israel's conditions for ending the war," Katz wrote in a post on X. He restated Israel's cease-fire demands: the release of all hostages and Hamas' complete disarmament. Hamas has said it would release captives in exchange for ending the war, but rejects disarmament without the creation of a Palestinian state. The wide-scale operation in Gaza City could start within days. Gaza City is Hamas' military and governing stronghold, atop of what Israel believes is an extensive tunnel network. It is also sheltering hundreds of thousands of civilians and still houses some of the strip's critical infrastructure and health facilities. Hamas said earlier this week that it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, which — if accepted by Israel — could forestall the offensive. The parties do not negotiate directly and similar announcements have been made in the past that did not lead to ceasefires. The proposal outlines a phased deal involving hostage and prisoner exchanges and a pullback of Israeli troops, while talks continue on a longer-term cease-fire. Israeli leaders have resisted such terms since abandoning a similar agreement earlier this year amid divisions within Netanyahu's coalition and strong opposition from his right. Many Israelis fear an assault could doom the roughly 20 hostages still alive after Hamas-led militants' Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Aid groups and international leaders warn it would worsen Gaza's humanitarian crisis.
The logistics of evacuating civilians are expected to be daunting. Many residents say repeated displacement is pointless since nowhere in Gaza is safe, while medical groups warn Israel's calls to move patients south is unworkable, with no facilities to receive them.
But Netanyahu has argued the offensive is the surest way to free captives and crush Hamas. "These two things — defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages — go hand in hand," Netanyahu said on Thursday while touring a command center near in southern Israel.

Israel threatens to destroy Gaza City if Hamas does not disarm, free ‘all hostages’
The Arab Weekly/August 22/2025
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed on Friday to destroy Gaza City if Hamas did not agree to disarm, release all remaining hostages in the territory and end the war on Israel’s terms. “Soon, the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas’ murderers and rapists in Gaza, until they agree to Israel’s conditions for ending the war, primarily the release of all hostages and their disarmament,” the minister posted on social media. “If they do not agree, Gaza, the capital of Hamas, will become Rafah and Beit Hanoun,” he added, referring to two cities in Gaza largely razed during previous Israeli operations.The statement came after Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said late on Thursday that he had ordered immediate negotiations aimed at freeing all the remaining hostages in Gaza. Netanyahu added that the push to release the hostages would accompany the operation to take control of Gaza City and destroy the Hamas stronghold. Earlier this week, the defence ministry authorised the call-up of roughly 60,000 reservists to help seize Gaza City. “These two matters, defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages, go hand in hand,” Netanyahu said in a video statement, without providing details about what the next stage of talks would entail. Mediators have been waiting for days for an official Israeli response to their latest ceasefire proposal, which Hamas accepted earlier this week.
Palestinian sources have said the new deal involves staggered hostage releases, while Israel has insisted that any deal see all the captives freed at once. Israel’s plans to expand the fighting and seize Gaza City have sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition. The October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel’s offensive has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the United Nations considers reliable.

Netanyahu calls UN-backed Gaza famine report 'outright lie'
Agence France Presse/August 22/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday slammed a U.N.-backed declaration that famine was present in parts of Gaza, calling the report "an outright lie". "The IPC report is an outright lie," Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office, referring to the Rome-based Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative. He added that "Israel does not have a policy of starvation", citing the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip during the war.

Hamas demands opening of Gaza crossings after UN famine declaration
Agence France Presse/August 22/2025
Hamas called on Friday for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the lifting of the Israeli siege on the territory after the U.N. declared a famine in parts of Gaza. In a statement published online, the group called for "immediate action by the U.N. and the security council to stop the war and lift the siege" and demanded that crossings be opened "without restrictions to allow the urgent and continuous entry of food, medicine, water and fuel". The group went on to say that the declaration by the United Nations confirmed the "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza and accused Israel of using starvation as a "tool of war". "We in the Hamas movement emphasize the importance of this UN declaration, even though it comes far too late — after long months of warnings and suffering endured by our people under systematic siege and starvation," the group said. "The international community and all its institutions bear an urgent legal and moral responsibility to stop the crimes against humanity and save more than two million people facing genocide, starvation and systematic destruction of all aspects of life."Hamas's October 2023 attack that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed at least 62,192 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the United Nations considers reliable.

UN officially declares famine in Gaza, the first ever in the Middle East
The Arab Weekly/August 22/2025
The United Nations on Friday officially declared a famine in Gaza, the first time it has done so in the Middle East, with experts warning 500,000 people face “catastrophic” hunger.“It is a famine: the Gaza famine,” said Tom Fletcher, the UN’s emergency relief coordinator.
He blamed Israel, accusing it of “systematic obstruction” of aid deliveries to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. The assessment of famine was made by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC), a coalition of monitors tasked by the UN to warn of impending crises.It defines famine as occurring when 20 percent of households have an extreme lack of food, 30 percent of children under five are acutely malnourished and at least two in every 10,000 people die daily from outright starvation or from malnutrition and disease. UN agencies have for months been warning of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has worsened as Israel steps up its offensive against Hamas. The Rome-based IPC said that “as of 15 August 2025, famine (IPC Phase 5), with reasonable evidence, is confirmed in Gaza governorate”, the area that encompasses Gaza City and its surroundings. The UN estimates that nearly one million people currently live in the Gaza governorate. “After 22 months of relentless conflict, over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death,” the IPC report said. It projected that famine would spread to the Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis governorates by the end of September, encompassing more than three-quarters of the total Gaza population, or nearly 641,000 people. The IPC said it was “the first time a famine has been officially confirmed in the Middle East region”. A famine was projected in Yemen in 2018 but never officially materialised, despite the humanitarian crisis in the country, said a spokesman. The IPC said the famine in Gaza was “entirely man-made”, driven by a sharp escalation of the conflict in July, massive displacement of people since mid-March and restricted access to food. Israel’s foreign ministry said the declaration that famine is now present in and around Gaza City was “based on Hamas lies laundered through organisations with vested interests”.
“There is no famine in Gaza,” it insisted. In early March, Israel completely banned aid supplies from Gaza, before allowing very limited quantities to enter at the end of May, leading to severe shortages of food, medicine and fuel. Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Fletcher said the famine should “haunt us all”. “It is a famine that we could have prevented if we had been allowed. Yet food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel,” he said. UN rights chief Volker Turk said “it is a war crime to use starvation as a method of warfare”. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire in the war, the release of all hostages taken by Hamas from Israel, and full humanitarian access to Gaza. “We cannot allow this situation to continue with impunity,” he said.
The International Red Cross described the declaration of famine as “devastating and entirely foreseeable”. “Under international humanitarian law, Israel, as the occupying power, must ensure that the basic needs of the civilian population in Gaza are met,” it said in a statement.
Children are particularly hard hit by the lack of food. In July alone, more than 12,000 children were identified as acutely malnourished, a six-fold increase since January, according to UN agencies. “The signs were unmistakable: children with wasted bodies, too weak to cry or eat, babies dying from hunger and preventable disease,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. The local food system has collapsed, with an estimated 98 percent of cropland in the Gaza Strip either damaged, inaccessible or both, the IPC said. Livestock is decimated and fishing is banned. The severe deterioration of the health system and the lack of safe drinking water and adequate hygiene compound the crisis. Gathering information is extremely difficult in Gaza. The IPC said conditions in the North Gaza Governorate, north of Gaza City, may well be worse, but said it did not have enough data. Israel’s foreign ministry rejected the IPC’s assessment as “political” and asserted that a “massive influx of aid” had entered the Gaza Strip in recent weeks. The Israeli defence ministry body which oversees civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, COGAT, accused the authors of relying on “partial data” and ignoring information provided to them.

Exclusive-Syria to revalue currency, dropping two zeros in bid for stability, sources say
Reuters/August 22, 2025
DAMASCUS (Reuters) -Syria will issue new banknotes, removing two zeros from its currency in an attempt to restore public confidence in the severely devalued pound, according to seven sources familiar with the matter and documents reviewed by Reuters. The step is intended to strengthen the Syrian pound after its purchasing power collapsed to record lows following a 14-year conflict that ended with President Bashar al-Assad's ouster in December. The Syrian pound has lost more than 99% of its value since war erupted in 2011, with the exchange rate now at around 10,000 pounds to the U.S. dollar, compared to 50 before the war. The sharp depreciation has made daily transactions and money transfers increasingly difficult. Families usually pay for weekly grocery runs from black plastic bags holding at least half a kilogram of 5,000-pound notes, currently the highest denomination. In an attempt to ease transactions and improve monetary stability, Syria's central bank informed private banks in mid-August that it intended to issue new currency by "removing zeros", according to a document seen by Reuters.
Reuters spoke to five commercial bankers, one central bank source and one Syrian economic official who said the central bank later informed them that two zeros would be removed. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision that has not yet been made public. Meetings on the currency overhaul have been chaired by Central Bank Deputy Governor Mukhlis al-Nazer, according to the commercial bankers who attended the meetings. Nazer did not reply to a request for comment. Amal al-Masri, the head of the central bank's Banking Supervision Department, declined to comment saying the matter was strictly confidential. The Syrian finance ministry also did not respond to a request for comment. It was not immediately clear whether the revaluation of the pound would need legislative approval. Syria is set to hold its first elections to set up a new legislative assembly in September. Two of the bankers and another Syrian source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Syria had agreed with Russian state-owned money printing firm Goznak to produce the new notes.
They said the deal was finalised when a senior Syrian delegation visited Moscow in late July. Goznak, which also printed Syria's currency during the Assad era, did not respond to requests for comment. Under Assad, the use of foreign currencies was outlawed, but Syria's new leaders pledged to create a free-market economy and lifted restrictions to ease cash flow. While the economy has swiftly dollarised, with U.S. dollar prices everywhere from store fronts to fuel pumps, there are concerns about a Syrian pound liquidity crunch in a country with limited infrastructure for digital payments. Three of the Syrian bankers said one driving force behind the planned currency overhaul was concern over an estimated 40 trillion pounds circulating outside Syria's formal financial system. Issuing new notes would grant the government better oversight over the cash in circulation. It also carries symbolic weight, signalling a clear break from more than five decades of Assad rule. Bashar al-Assad's face appears on the 2,000-pound purple note, while his father, Hafez, features on the green 1,000-pound one. Officials plan an information campaign in the coming weeks before the formal launch of the new notes on December 8, the one-year anniversary of Assad's ouster. Two commercial bank directors told Reuters that Syria's central bank has instructed lenders to be ready for the roll out by mid-October.
Central bank circulars seen by Reuters asked banks to produce detailed reports on their infrastructure, including the number of cameras, cash counters, and storage capacity, and run tests to ensure automated systems could handle the new currency. All five commercial bankers said they were told that a 12-month "coexistence period" will allow both old and new notes to circulate until December 8, 2026. Karam Shaar, a leading Syrian economist and consultant to the United Nations, said replacing banknotes featuring Assad's image was a necessary political shift.
But he warned that the revaluation could confuse consumers, especially the elderly, and there was a lack of a clear regulatory framework or plan for full national implementation, given the gaps in the state's territorial control. "Alternatively, Syria could issue higher denominations of the same currency, say 20,000 or 50,000-pound notes, which would achieve similar goals in terms of easing cash handling and storage, while avoiding the substantial cost of a full currency overhaul, which could run into hundreds of millions of dollars," Shaar told Reuters.
(Reporting by Feras Dalatey in Damascus; Editing by Maya Gebeily, Kirsten Donovan)

UN Libya mission reports attempted rocket attack on HQ
Agence France Presse/August 22, 2025
The U.N. Support Mission in Libya said Friday that its Tripoli headquarters had come under rocket attack without causing any casualties or damage. The Libyan interior ministry said it foiled "an attempted attack" with an anti-tank missile on the compound housing UNSMIL headquarters. The rocket hit a house in Janzour in the outskirts of the capital, the ministry added, without specifying how far that was from UNSMIL headquarters. Authorities said they seized a pickup truck "carrying two more missiles and a launch platform" but gave no indication of who might have carried out the attack. Libya is split between the U.N.-recognized government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east. The North African country has remained divided since a NATO-backed revolt toppled and killed longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.In May, the capital was rocked by days of deadly fighting between rival armed groups that left at least eight people dead, according to UNSMIL. The fighting broke out after authorities said they were dismantling armed groups that had long controlled significant parts of the capital, describing them as having "become stronger than the state". The latest attack took place as UNSMIL chief Hanna Tetteh was briefing the Security Council in New York, the mission said. "The mission's premises were not impacted," it said, commending "the vigilance of the Libyan authorities and their swift measures to thoroughly investigate this incident and ensure continued security of U.N. facilities".The Tripoli-based government condemned what it called a "failed attempt" and a "serious act aimed at undermining security and stability, and damaging Libya's relations with the international community". The government also said it was committed to building "professional and unified security forces" and ending the proliferation of "illegal armed groups".

Three police killed, 19 wounded in arrest of Iraqi Kurdistan opposition figure
Agence France Presse/August 22, 2025
Three members of the security forces were killed and 19 wounded during the arrest of an opposition figure in Iraqi Kurdistan, two security officials told AFP on Friday. "Three law enforcement agents were killed, including one belonging to the Assayish (special operations) branch, one from the anti-terrorist services and another from the 'Commandoes'" in the region's second city of Sulaimaniyah, where armed clashes accompanied the arrest of Lahur Sheikh Jangi, a member of the powerful Talabani family.

Trump says 'not happy' that Russia hit US factory in Ukraine
AFP/August 22, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he is "not happy" with Russia's latest attacks in Ukraine and again threatened Moscow with major economic retaliation.
"I'm not happy about it, and I'm not happy about anything having to do with that war," Trump said when asked about an attack Thursday that hit a U.S.-owned factory in Ukraine.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on August 22-23/2025
Video link to an EXCLUSIVE interview with Israeli PM: Benjamin Netanyahu sits down with Sharri Markson in must-watch interview
Sky News Australia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrz-uy81R0k
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sat down with Sky News host Sharri Markson to discuss Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s “sign of weakness” for recognising Palestine. “His record is forever tarnished by the weakness that he showed in the face of these Hamas terrorist monsters,” Mr Netanyahu told Sky News host Sharri Markson.
“When the worst terrorist organisation on earth … when these people congratulate the prime minister of Australia, you know something is wrong, and in fact it is wrong.”

Question: “Is the priesthood of all believers biblical?”
GotQuestions.org/20 August /2025
Answer: The Bible teaches that all believers in Christ are members of a holy and royal priesthood: “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. . . . But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:5–9, ESV).
Old Testament priests were chosen by God, not self-appointed, and they were chosen for a purpose: to serve God with their lives by offering up sacrifices. The priesthood served as a picture or “type” of the coming ministry of Jesus Christ—a picture that was no longer needed once His sacrifice on the cross was completed. When God tore in two the temple veil that covered the doorway to the Holy of Holies at the time of Christ’s death (Matthew 27:51), He indicated that the Old Testament priesthood was no longer necessary. Now people could come directly to God through the great High Priest, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14–16). There are now no earthly mediators between God and man as existed in the Old Testament priesthood (1 Timothy 2:5).
Christ our High Priest has made one sacrifice for sin for all time (Hebrews 10:12), and there is no more sacrifice for sin that can be made (Hebrews 10:26). But as priests once offered other kinds of sacrifices in the temple, so it is clear from 1 Peter 2:5, 9 that God has chosen Christians “to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (verse 5, NKJV).
First Peter 2:5–9 leads us to understand at least two things about the priesthood of believers. The first is that believers are privileged. To be chosen by God to be a priest was a privilege. All believers have been chosen by God: a “chosen people . . . God’s special possession” (verse 9). In the Old Testament tabernacle and temple, there were places where only the priests could go. Into the Holy of Holies, behind a thick veil, only the high priest could go, and that only once a year on the Day of Atonement when he made a sin offering on behalf of all the people. What a privilege we have now: direct access to the very throne of God! We who were once “not a people” and “had not received mercy” (1 Peter 2:10) are the people of God who serve as holy priests because of the mercy of God. The second thing to know about the priesthood of believers is that we are chosen for a purpose: to offer up spiritual sacrifices (cf. Hebrews 13:15–16) and to “declare the praises of him who called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:10). Thus, both by life (1 Peter 2:5; Titus 2:11–14; Ephesians 2:10) and by word (1 Peter 2:9; 3:15), our purpose is to serve God. As the believer’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), so God has called us to serve Him. We offer our lives as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1–2). One day we will be serving God in eternity (Revelation 22:3–4), but not in any temple, for “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Revelation 21:22). As the Old Testament priesthood was to be free of defilement, so has Christ made us holy positionally before the Father. He calls on us to live holy lives that we might also be a “holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5). In summary, believers are called “a royal priesthood” as a reflection of their privileged status as heirs to the kingdom of the Almighty God and of the Lamb. In Christ, our High Priest, we have a closeness to God, and no earthly mediator is necessary. As priests in God’s kingdom, we recognize that salvation is not merely “fire insurance” but an opportunity to serve God in offering spiritual sacrifices. The royal priesthood is comprised of people “eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14). As priests of the living God, we give praise to the One who sacrificed Himself on our behalf, and we share the wonderful news of this grace with others.

Blow after blow, losing ground: How Iran’s regional influence is unravelling
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya English/20 August /2025
The geopolitical and strategic tide seems to have significantly turned against Iran’s government – and things don’t seem to get better. In the span of just over twelve months, Tehran has endured an unrelenting sequence of blows – external military defeats, internal structural losses, and mounting domestic crises – all of which together are reshaping the power dynamics in the Middle East and beyond.
Less than a year ago: The collapse of the Assad regime
Just eight months ago, in December 2024, the long-standing Assad’s regime in Syria – Tehran’s most reliable Levantine ally – collapsed under the sustained pressure of insurgent forces. For more than a decade, Syria had served as the central artery for Iran’s regional ambitions: it was the overland conduit through which Iran transported ballistic missiles, military advisors, arms, and ideological influence directly to the Israeli-bordering frontier. With Assad’s fall, this critical route was severed. Tehran’s smuggling routes became longer, riskier, and more exposed. Iran’s ability to sustain logistical synergy among Hezbollah, its other proxies, and its own Revolutionary Guards was drastically weakened. Beyond the logistical nightmare, Assad’s demise was symbolic – a blow to the illusion of permanence that Iran sought to project.
Israel’s campaign: Undermining Hezbollah
Hezbollah also felt the brunt of Israel’s intensified military pressure in Lebanon from 2024 into 2025. Hezbollah has been Tehran’s most potent instrument of deterrence and influence all the way to Israel’s northern border. But Israel’s campaign partially changed the equation: Targeted airstrikes demolished missile depots, rocket launch sites, weapon caches, and troop barracks. Hezbollah’s command-and-control structure was hit hard; senior officers were killed or forced into hiding; its ability to target Israeli cities with massed rocket salvos was severely curtailed.
Politically, the campaign generated palpable momentum toward disarmament. Under heavy domestic dissent and mounting international pressure, Lebanon’s parliament began seriously considering measures to channel all armed groups under official state control by years’ end. Hezbollah publicly rejected the proposals, yet the very fact that such a plan is on the legislative table – once unthinkable – signals a substantive erosion in its political authority. For Iran, this is another strategic loss. Without Hezbollah’s full strength and credibility, the deterrent posture that had shielded Iran’s proxies and fueled its regional influence is now compromised. Israel’s militarized ceilings limit Tehran’s room to counter flank. Moreover, the prospect of an increasingly disarmed or politically contested Hezbollah undercuts Tehran’s ability to project credible asymmetric responses to Israeli threats, shifting the deterrence balance westward – and away from Iran’s advantage.
The 12-day war: A Pervasive strategic setback
Then came June 2025’s dramatic and devastating “12-Day War” between Israel and Iran – unmistakably a watershed event. Over the course of less than two weeks, starting June 13, Israel’s air and intelligence campaign seized the initiative, striking hundreds of targets across Iran. Nuclear research centers, military bases, arsenals, and suspected weapons factories were hit with precision. Estimates now suggest more than 30 high-ranking Iranian security officials and at least 11 nuclear scientists were killed – a whittling loss of both command capacity and technical expertise.
Strategically, the strikes exposed profound and multifold weaknesses. Iran’s air-defense apparatus proved insufficient – early waves of airstrikes penetrated deep with little resistance, visibly shaking the perception of invulnerability on which Tehran relied around the region. The concentration of physical damage, coupled with the attrition of senior figures, struck a blow not just to military capacity, but to institutional continuity and morale. Regionally and internationally, the message reverberated. Iran’s domestic propaganda– long centered on resilience and inescapable resolve – was undermined by images of smoking military installations, gutted bunkers, and evacuated compounds. Even if operational planning and scientists regroup, the symbolic adage remains: If your skies are not defensible, your deterrence posture is not credible.
Water crisis: A domestic disaster unfolding
On the domestic front, Iran is grappling with a cascading water crisis that might prove as politically destabilizing as any external blow. Years of over-extraction from aquifers, entrenched mismanagement of irrigation systems, denial of escalating drought, and inadequate infrastructure investment have resulted in reservoirs and rivers that are plummeting to historically dangerous lows. Officials in Tehran have floated rationing plans targeting “heavy consumers” such as industry, agriculture, and affluent areas – signaling that water scarcity is no longer abstract, but imminent. The concept of “Day Zero” – when taps could literally run dry in urban centers – is being floated in serious internal debates, even if pragmatic officials insist it remains a planning scenario. For the Iranian government, which must balance maintaining government legitimacy with economic stability, a multifront crisis has turned into a nightmare.
When powers start to weaken
Sovereignty, influence, and power are easier to dismantle than they are to forge. History offers many lessons: once a great power loses its symbolic anchors, regional leverage, and home-front legitimacy, its decline becomes self-accelerating. For Iran, the sequence of events over the past year – Assad’s collapse, Hezbollah’s attrition, the 12-Day War’s bruising, and the domestic hydrological emergency – form not disparate crises, but a single frame of decline, each blow compounding the previous. Syria is no longer an assured transit route. Lebanon and Hezbollah’s cohesion are fraying. Iran’s strategic domain and credibility have been punctured. And socially, the prospect of water scarcity threatens to ignite protests in cities – hardwired to consume but fueled by grievance. This emerging alignment of external defeat and internal stress tests whether Iran’s elite can still hold its strategic doctrine together – or whether fractures will translate into real political fragmentation.
Blow after blow – What lies ahead
In conclusion, Iran’s government has faced a relentless succession of shocks over the past year – with each one eroding a pillar of its power. Assad’s fall dismantled regional logistics; Hezbollah’s weakening reshaped deterrence; the 12-Day War exposed vulnerabilities in command, nuclear capability, and air defense; and the advancing water crisis threatens the social compact at home. The cumulative pattern is unmistakable: The axis appears structurally fraying. Absent dramatic reversals – like a resurgent proxy bottom line, breakthrough alliances, or transformative internal reform – what we’re witnessing may be the beginning of a thaw that Washington and Jerusalem have long aspired toward. Strategic unravelling is rarely linear, but the signs are unmistakable: Iran’s strategic foundations are shifting beneath it. Whether that leads to recalibration or further decline, or something else depends on the resiliency of the government, the coherence of its elite, and the speed at which a new reality is recognized – not denied.

Iran’s web of terror and propaganda: The case of Al Mustafa University
Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi/FDD's Long War Journal/August 22/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146558/
Last July, Israel’s ambassador to Argentina gave an interview to Latin America’s leading news platform, Infobae, where he named Edgardo Ruben (aka Suhail) Assad, Abdallah Cerrilla, and Abdul Karim Paz, three Argentinian-born and Iran-trained Shi’a clerics, as part of an Iran terror network. The network has links to Sheikh Mohsen Rabbani, one of the masterminds of the 1992 bombing of Israel’s embassy in Buenos Aires and the 1994 bombing of the AMIA, the Buenos Aires Jewish cultural center. The accusation that Iranian-trained Argentinian clerics have links to terrorism may seem unusual. However, in fact, it is consistent with Iran’s efforts to export its revolutionary message abroad. Iran is both a clerical regime and the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism. The clergy takes the lead in giving religious endorsements, moral justifications, guidance, and leadership when it comes to terrorism.
One of the places where faith meets terror is Al Mustafa International University, a religious school based in the Iranian city of Qom—the home of Shiite religious seminars—which focuses on training non-Persian speakers, including a large cohort of converts to Shiite Islam from all over the world. Its extensions, including those in Europe, which have recently come under the attention of German investigators, may be a likely target of closer scrutiny by law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Both the US Department of the Treasury and Canada’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have sanctioned Al Mustafa University in 2020 and 2022, respectively. Treasury noted that Al Mustafa “maintains dozens of international branches that facilitate [Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force] operations through the recruitment of international students, including Americans,” while Canada’s designation stated that Al Mustafa is “an entity that spreads the regime’s ideology abroad through its global branches.”
Sheikh Mohsen Rabbani, a mentor to all three Argentinian clerics named by Israel’s ambassador in Buenos Aires, was not just a key figure in the 1992 and 1994 bombings. Since his return to Iran in 1997, he has headed Islam Oriente, the Al Mustafa department in charge of indoctrinating and training aspiring Shiite clergy from Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries. His disciples now run Shiite Islamic centers in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, among other places.
Alongside Islam Oriente, Al Mustafa runs programs in dozens of foreign languages on its main campus in Qom, Iran, while managing foreign campuses in far-flung places both within and outside the Middle East, including Berlin, Beirut, Johannesburg, and London. Graduates, in turn, have established mosques and cultural centers across the globe, where they propagate the teachings of their alma mater, promote regime propaganda, and recruit converts to its cause. Such centers exist and thrive across Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and North America.
The confluence of militant clergy and terror activities is a result of the indoctrination imparted by Al Mustafa teachers and has reverberated across the globe well beyond the mayhem Iran and its proxies unleashed in Argentina in 1992 and 1994. According to Washington Institute scholar Hamdi Malik, the Iraqi branch of Al Mustafa, for example, is closely tied to the US-sanctioned terror organization Kataib Hezbollah (KH), with two leaders of KH also serving as officials there.
A Tajik graduate of Al Mustafa, Mohamad Ali Burhanov, was implicated in terror plots against Israelis in Central Asia. Another member of the Al Mustafa network, a Brazilian convert and anti-Israel activist, was in close contact with members of the Hezbollah terror cell implicated in Brazil’s Trapiche investigation—which, in November 2023, uncovered a Hezbollah plot to recruit Brazilian nationals to carry out attacks against Jewish targets in Brazil’s capital, Brasilia. The Jamestown Foundation recently revealed the role of a Thai professor at Al Mustafa in mediating Hamas’ release of Thai hostages held in Gaza through his ties with the Iranian regime.
While the US and Canada have sanctioned Al Mustafa, and plots and terror links keep emerging, the organization’s branches continue to operate abroad. Just recently, Al Mustafa’s chancellor undertook an official visit to Brazil, a home to many of its graduates and a key center of Iranian and Hezbollah operations in Latin America. Last year, the German news outlet Bild revealed that over 700 affiliates of the Berlin branch of Al Mustafa were under close watch from Germany’s security services. So far, the Iranian-affiliated school remains active, although pressure is mounting—its PayPal account was reportedly deactivated in November 2024. German authorities have also closed mosques and Islamic centers linked to Iran and Hezbollah, including the Bremen Al Mustafa community center in 2022 and the Iran regime-linked Hamburg Shi’a Mosque in July 2024. The former chairman of the Bremen center, whom German authorities arrested in 2022, was reportedly a former member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan military unit.
Despite these enforcement actions, Berlin’s Al Mustafa remains open, and so do other Islamic centers which, while not institutionally tied to Al Mustafa, are run by its graduates. That is the case of the Hannover Shiite Payame Nour Mosque, whose sheikh is Radwan Harb, a graduate of Al Mustafa University, according to his Facebook page. Sheikh Radwan, a Lebanese national, has close family links to Hezbollah. His late brother Ali is a Hezbollah martyr—the sheikh visited his grave and posted a photo of the occasion on his Facebook page. Radwan has also frequently memorialized other fallen fighters of the group. He posted a martyr’s eulogy for Ali Hussein Khalil in 2022, on the anniversary of his death, and on November 28, 2024, he eulogized multiple Hezbollah martyrs from his hometown of Al Mansouri who were killed during the recent war with Israel. “Few are those who ascend the heights of immortality, sublimity and greatness, who give a soul and take souls,” Radwan commented in the latter post. Radwan’s posts leave little doubt about his sympathies for the Iranian regime and its proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas. His contacts also attest to his closeness to both the world of Iran’s overseas networks and Hezbollah expatriates. One of them is Fadel Raad, whom German authorities arrested on December 3, 2024, on suspicion of being a Hezbollah member. Raad and Radwan are mutual social media friends and have 144 contacts in common.The sheikh also has connections with the now closed Iranian center in Hamburg, both through social media friendships with the mosque’s leadership and in person—he was their guest, representing the Hannover Mosque, at the opening of a new center in 2017. Beyond Germany’s borders, Radwan is friends with an Iranian center in Ghana and with the former Iranian cultural attaché to Algeria, Ali Moussawi, who was expelled from Algeria for seeking to spread Shiite Islam in the country. Radwan is but one example of Al Mustafa’s graduates around the world, whose daily work and contact networks faithfully reflect the worldview of the Iranian regime and the institution that trained them. Given the track record that Al Mustafa has—sanctioned for indoctrinating its recruits, counting terrorists among its graduates, and being dedicated to spreading the Islamic Republic’s hateful ideology beyond its borders—it is remarkable that few countries so far have followed the US and Canada in issuing sanctions and continue to let the organization operate unhindered.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/08/analysis-irans-web-of-terror-and-propaganda-the-case-of-al-mustafa-university.php
**Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi is an independent analyst focusing on Iran’s and Hezbollah’s overseas illicit finance and influence networks.

The US Government Signs the Death Warrant for Eco-Catastrophism
Drieu Godefridi/Gatestone Institute/August 22, 2025
[T]he report concludes that the damage caused by global warming is far less devastating than that wrought by misguided climate policies, especially the European Union's totalitarian ambition of a "zero-carbon society."
The report deems the direct impact of U.S. emission cuts on the global climate as "undetectable," with any measurable effects emerging only after long delays — casting serious doubt on the wisdom of ambitious unilateral measures.
If this is true for the U.S. with its 14% share of global emissions, what should be said of Europe, which accounts for barely 6%?
[N]atural factors — such as solar flares or volcanic events — may be more influential in certain climate patterns.
The report disputes the dominant alarmist discourse by pointing out that media coverage exaggerates negative effects while ignoring positives such as CO₂ fertilization.
If Europe takes science seriously, it really needs to restore energy freedom -- the right of each member state to use the energy sources that suit it, without authoritarian and arbitrary interference from "Brussels."
In an official report dated July 2025, "A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate," the U.S. Department of Energy acknowledged a warming trend since the onset of the industrial era. The government conceded that human activity may have contributed to greenhouse gas pollution, yet stresses that, given the scale of natural variations, such attribution remains difficult. The report concluded that the only rational response is adaptation — an approach that presupposes technological progress and the creation of wealth.
Crucially, the report explains that, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) itself, the economic damage from global warming is secondary, even negligible, compared to other factors. Moreover, it concludes that the damage caused by global warming is far less devastating than that wrought by misguided climate policies, especially the European Union's totalitarian ambition of a "zero-carbon society."
Moderate in tone, rigorously reasoned, and impeccably structured, the report sounds the death knell for "climate change ideology," a cult which, under the pretext of "saving the climate," seeks to sacrifice humanity— particularly in the West.
1. Global Warming Causes Only Negligible Impact on the Economy
The report finds that carbon dioxide–induced global warming has a far smaller economic impact than generally assumed. This was acknowledged by the IPCC in its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), Chapter 10, p. 662:
"For most economic sectors, the impact of climate change will be small relative to the impacts of other drivers.... Changes in population, age, income, technology, relative prices... and many other aspects of socioeconomic development will have an impact on the supply and demand of economic goods and services that is large relative to the impact of climate change."
Aggressive mitigation strategies, the report notes, are more harmful than beneficial, as their exorbitant costs far outweigh their modest impact on global climate. The destruction of the industrial base that is supposed to fund the "energy transition" — as in Europe — is presented as practically and economically counterproductive.
2. Negligible Effects of U.S. CO₂ emissions
While the United States is a major emitter of greenhouse gases, it accounts for only about 14% of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. Thus, even a drastic domestic reduction would have only a marginal effect on global atmospheric concentrations.
Reaching net-zero emissions in the U.S., for instance, would barely affect global temperatures, especially as major emitters like China and India continue to increase their output. The report deems the direct impact of U.S. emission cuts on the global climate as "undetectable," with any measurable effects emerging only after long delays — casting serious doubt on the wisdom of ambitious unilateral measures.
If this is true for the U.S. with its 14% share of global emissions, what should be said of Europe, which accounts for barely 6%?
3. There Is No Trend of Weather Events Becoming More Extreme
Historical U.S. data reveal no statistically significant increase in the frequency or intensity of extreme weather events—hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or droughts. This objective finding challenges alarmist narratives such as those promoted by media outlets such as The New York Times and CNN, which routinely claim a causal link between human activity, climate change and weather disasters.
4. Beneficial Effects of CO₂
Higher CO₂ concentrations stimulate plant growth, drive global "greening" and enhance agricultural productivity. The report notes that atmospheric CO₂ enrichment boosts photosynthesis, with satellite studies such as NASA's showing expanded vegetation cover — particularly in semi-arid regions including the Sahel, India, and parts of Asia.
Global plant and crop vegetation has increased by roughly 15-20% since the start of the industrial era, largely due to CO₂ fertilization. This greening has slightly reduced ocean alkalinity, with mixed impacts on coral reefs — notably, the recent rebound of the Great Barrier Reef.
5. Limitations of Climate Models
Global climate models apparently overestimate future warming due to extreme emission scenarios and exaggerated predictions of climate sensitivity. Estimates vary widely (from 1.8 °C to 5.7 °C for a doubling of CO₂). Models also tend to produce projections that are too "hot" compared to recent observations. The report criticizes the excessive use of the high-emissions "RCP8.5" global warming scenario, which lead to misleading projections, particularly regarding a rise in sea levels and its regional impact, and write that:
"RCP8.5 scenario is a misleading and implausible high-end storyline, it is not a 'base case' or business-as-usual projection."
The authors add that its use has led to a literature "imbalanced in an apocalyptic direction."
"[Pielke Jr. and Ritchie] found that some 16,800 scientific papers published between 2010 and 2020 used the RCP8.5 scenario, with about 4,500 of the articles linking RCP8.5 to the concept of 'business-as-usual.'"
6. Scientific Uncertainties
Attributing climate change and extreme weather to human CO₂ emissions remains overflowing with uncertainty, due to:
Natural climate variability.
Limitations in available data.
Gaps in climate modelling.
For instance, lower stratospheric temperatures have shown no significant trend since 2000, contrary to model predictions of CO₂-driven cooling (source: AR6 WG1 Ch 2 pp. 327-9). This suggests that natural factors — such as solar flares or volcanic events — may be more influential in certain climate patterns.
Conclusion
The report disputes the dominant alarmist discourse by pointing out that media coverage exaggerates negative effects while ignoring positives such as CO₂ fertilization.
Authored for the US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright by five independent scientists — Prof. John Christy, Prof. Judith Curry, Prof. Steven Koonin, Prof. Ross McKitrick, and Roy Spencer — it draws on robust scientific literature and data.
When Prof. Samuel Furfari and I had the honor of hosting Koonin in Brussels in March 2023, the mainstream media conspicuously avoided the event. Instead, in keeping with their ideological playbook, they branded Koonin—who served as Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy under President Barack Obama—a "climate skeptic" and "denier".
Today, the climate alarmists finally seem to be in retreat, while Kooning and his colleagues are liberating science.
If Europe takes science seriously, it really needs to restore energy freedom -- the right of each member state to use the energy sources that suit it, without authoritarian and arbitrary interference from "Brussels."
**Drieu Godefridi is a jurist (University Saint-Louis, University of Louvain), philosopher (University Saint-Louis, University of Louvain) and PhD in legal theory (Paris IV-Sorbonne). He is an entrepreneur, CEO of a European private education group and director of PAN Medias Group. He is the author of The Green Reich (2020).
© 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.

The Trump card that could break Iraq
Sam Butler/The Arab Weekly/August 22/2025
President Donald Trump holds a powerful card in Iraq’s fate and Baghdad would be wise not to test it. In the volatile chessboard of Middle Eastern geopolitics, Iraq stands at a crucial crossroads. Recent moves by Baghdad particularly the push to institutionalise Iran-backed militias through legislation, risk provoking a forceful response from Washington. With Donald Trump in the White House, Iraq should be cautious: testing Trump now would be reckless, costly and could plunge the country into deeper turmoil.
With tensions rising over this controversial militia law in Baghdad, senior US officials say President Trump is closely watching the outcome and prepared to act if necessary.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, a senior US official, speaking off the record, warned: while no formal threats have been made, restricting Iraq’s access to its oil revenues remains very much “on the table” should Baghdad proceed with formalising the PMF.
“President Trump isn’t afraid to use this financial weapon if provoked. Washington’s control over Iraq’s oil revenues is a powerful lever perhaps the most effective in its arsenal. Other sanctions could follow, but freezing oil funds would devastate Iraq’s economy within days.”
The official went on to say: “This isn’t a theoretical threat, it’s an option already on the table. Iraq’s future depends on avoiding a confrontation that could trigger economic collapse and political chaos. If Baghdad chooses defiance, it won’t just provoke Washington it will bring the entire system crashing down. Playing this card isn’t resistance; it’s self-destruction.”At the heart of US influence over Iraq lies an often overlooked but decisive lever: control over Iraq’s oil revenues. Since the US-led invasion in 2003, Iraq’s oil income,accounting for more than 90 percent of its state budget, has been funnelled through a single account held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. This account, established under a United Nations mandate, serves as the Iraqi government’s financial lifeline, providing the dollars it needs to pay salaries, fund public services and maintain its fragile economy.
To many in Baghdad, the US military presence and political interference may feel intrusive, unwelcome and increasingly threatening. Yet few fully grasp just how much more powerful Washington’s control over Iraq’s oil revenues is than troops or diplomatic rhetoric. This financial leverage, not boots on the ground nor sanctions is America’s real “Trump card.”Today, Iraq’s parliament is preparing to vote on whether to formalise the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF),a coalition of mostly Shia militias, many closely tied to Iran, into the country’s official security forces. In doing so, Baghdad may be testing the limits of American patience once again. And it may do so at great peril. Although Washington has not yet openly threatened economic retaliation, US officials have made their displeasure known. Should the PMF bill pass, the US could quietly move to restrict or delay access to Iraq’s oil funds, a step that would immediately destabilise the Iraqi economy and throw the government into crisis.
Iraq’s crucial moment
The Iraqi parliament is poised to vote on a contentious bill that would cement the PMF’s role as a permanent, institutionalised pillar of the Iraqi government. Created during the 2014 fight against ISIS, the PMF evolved from volunteer militias into a sprawling force with approximately 240,000 fighters, extensive political clout and economic influence. Supporters of the law argue it formalises an existing reality and strengthens Iraq’s fight against extremism. Critics both domestic and international see it as a dangerous entrenchment of Iran-backed militias, undermining Iraqi sovereignty and threatening the nation’s stability.
While Washington has so far stopped short of openly threatening to freeze Iraq’s oil money, US officials have made clear their deep displeasure over Baghdad’s political direction, especially regarding the PMF law. Iraq is walking a dangerous line. With Donald Trump now back in the White House, the country must avoid provoking a US response that could have severe consequences. A freeze or restriction of Iraqi funds in that single account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York would cause a cascade of economic failures: salary payments to hundreds of thousands of civil servants and security personnel would halt, public services would collapse, inflation would spiral and the Iraqi dinar would plummet. Such an economic crisis would ignite widespread unrest and political instability, potentially destabilizing an already fragile state. This financial choke-hold is Washington’s most potent financial weapon, a weapon far more devastating than military threats or political condemnations.
Washington’s red line
The Popular Mobilisation Forces law would enshrine the PMF as a permanent part of Iraq’s security architecture, granting its commander ministerial status and establishing a parallel military command. It grants the PMF unprecedented autonomy, sidelining the ministry of defence and integrating Iran-aligned militias into the state apparatus.For the United States, this is a red line. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials have warned that ratifying the law would “institutionalise Iranian influence and armed terrorist groups,” undermining Iraqi sovereignty and jeopardising US interests in the region.
The US fears the law would transform the PMF from a wartime coalition into a quasi-state army, beholden more to Tehran than Baghdad. Iraqi leaders are caught between competing pressures. Pro-Iran factions pushing the PMF law see it as securing their political and military power, while Washington warns of consequences for formalising militias linked to Tehran.The key question: will Iraq test Washington’s resolve by ratifying the law, risking a potential freeze or cutback of its vital oil revenues? The US does not need to issue explicit threats. The control it wields over Iraq’s oil dollars is a silent but devastating lever. Even the prospect of financial sanctions can be enough to compel caution in Baghdad. The Biden administration floated options including accelerating US troop withdrawals, scaling back economic cooperation and delaying high-profile diplomatic visits. Under President Trump, those tools remain on the table along with potentially more forceful financial measures. But more immediately, the power to restrict Iraq’s oil revenue flows remains the most potent threat. For Washington, this is a delicate balancing act. Too heavy a hand risks alienating Baghdad, pushing it closer to Iran, and destabilising the country further. Too little pressure risks losing influence over Iraq’s security and political direction.Still, the message is unmistakable: Iraq’s future depends on it managing its internal divisions without provoking a US economic backlash.
Broader Implications
The PMF’s institutionalisation threatens to transform Iraq’s security landscape. With deep Iranian ties, the PMF’s rise risks making Iraq a de facto satellite state, undermining regional stability and complicating Iraq’s relationships with neighboring Gulf states and the Kurdish Regional Government. The law also threatens to weaken state sovereignty by embedding militias that have often operated with impunity ignoring court orders, targeting opponents, and controlling economic sectors. The US fears this could usher in a “Lebanonisation” of Iraq, where militias become kingmakers and the state loses its monopoly on force.
Iraq stands at a crossroads. The PMF law debate is about more than military organisation; it is about whether Iraq remains a sovereign state or fragments under competing armed groups.
While there is pressure to formalise and integrate the militias that fought ISIS into the state security apparatus, Baghdad must carefully consider the serious risks involved. Embedding these armed groups, many with strong ties to Iran, into official structures could undermine Iraq’s sovereignty and provoke severe economic and political consequences. As David Schenker, former US assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, warns, “Permanently enshrining Iran-backed terrorist groups inside the Iraqi state would be a massive blow to US interests, demanding a clear, proportionate, and coordinated response from Washington and its regional partners.”US officials have made it clear: Washington is not bluffing. Freezing Iraq’s oil revenues, the quickest and most devastating tool in its arsenal is not just possible, it is likely if Baghdad pushes forward.
Baghdad must choose dialogue, restraint and meaningful reform over confrontation with Washington. This is not just a power struggle,it is a test of whether Iraq can preserve its sovereignty without inviting economic ruin. By addressing Washington’s concerns about the PMF’s autonomy and avoiding provocation, Iraq can steer clear of a crisis and chart a course that protects its stability rather than dismantles it. President Trump’s “trump card” is very real, held tightly in Washington’s hands and Iraq should not be foolish enough to test it.
**Sam Butler is an American national security and law enforcement expert. He has led investigations into complex networks of organised crime, illicit money, terrorism financing and corruption. He can be reached at sambutlerlib@icloud.com

Selected tweets for 22 August/2025
John Bolton
Russia has not changed its goal: drag Ukraine into a new Russian Empire. Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede territory it already holds and the remainder of Donetsk, which it has been unable to conquer. Zelensky will never do so. Meanwhile, meetings will continue because Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize, but I don't see these talks making any progress.
https://npr.org/2025/08/20/nx-s1-5507029/john-bolton-discusses-what-security-guarantees-for-ukraine-might-look-like

John Bolton
https://x.com/i/status/1958632953262534986
Putin's KGB training and flattery campaign is working Trump over, as seen by Trump's statement recently about how Ukraine shouldn't have taken the war on. It's important to remember: Ukraine didn't take anything on, they were invaded.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський
https://x.com/i/status/1958603266134024247
In Mukachevo, the Russians practically burned down an American company producing electronics—home appliances, nothing military. The Russians knew exactly where they lobbed the missiles. We believe this was a deliberate attack against American property and investments in Ukraine.

Mike Pompeo
Last night, Russia launched one of its biggest attacks of the past year on Ukraine.
Never forget - it’s Vladimir Putin who started this war, and who is the obstacle to peace.

U.S. Central Command
@CENTCOM
CENTCOM Forces Kill Senior ISIS Official in Atimah, Syria
U.S. Central Command forces conducted a successful raid in northern Syria on August 19, killing a senior ISIS member and key financier who planned attacks in Syria and Iraq. He had relationships throughout the ISIS network in the region, posing a direct threat to U.S. and Coalition forces and the new Syrian Government.
“We will continue to pursue ISIS terrorists with unwavering determination, throughout the region” said ADM Brad Cooper, Commander, CENTCOM. “Together with our partners and allies, CENTCOM remains steadfast in our commitment of ensuring the lasting defeat of ISIS and the protection of the U.S. homeland.”