English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  December 31/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Joseph went and lived in a town called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 02/19-23/But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 30-31/2025
Dear Family members & Friends...Merry Christmas/Elias Bejjani/December 25/2025
Fear of Saying “Merry Christmas” is a Shame Upon the Peoples, Institutions, and Nations of the Secular West/Elias Bejjani/December 24/2025
Video-Link for an important po;itical Interview: Said Ghattas, Former SLA Officer and Head of "Under the Cedar Tree
Video link for a Christmas message from Father Toni Khadra, President of the Ora and Labora Union, titled: “What if the Child Jesus rose from the manger and stood before us as a Judge, not a Savior?!”
DWS News/Video-Link/FULL REMARKS: Trump & Netanyahu Address Iran Threat, Abraham Accords & Chinese Drills | AC1Z
Trump: Hezbollah has been behaving badly, we'll see what happens
Report: Arabs and Europeans agree with US on Lebanon-Israel solution
Report: Israeli escalation possible but all-out war ruled out
Report: Lebanon wants positive Israeli step in order to begin North Litani disarmament
PLO hands over fifth batch of heavy weapons at Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp
Lebanon signs deal to purchase natural gas from Egypt
Trump Awaits Disarmament; Israel’s Alma Publishes Hezbollah’s Organizational Structure
Trump’s Ambiguity: A Grace Period for the Lebanese Government or a Looming Surprise for Hezbollah?
Lebanon on the Roadmap in the Trump-Netanyahu Meeting
Le Drian to Visit Lebanon Soon to Follow Up on Reforms and French Mechanism
Netanyahu and Trump Agree to Grant Hamas a Two-Month Deadline to Disarm
Israeli Artillery Shells Multiple Areas in Southern Lebanon
Military Plan to Deter Hezbollah Ready; Escalation Could Be "Devastating"
Alma: Hezbollah and Amal Prepare Early for Elections to Protect Their Influence
Raids in Arsal in Search of Weapons and Fugitives
Neutralization of Lebanon and Arms Exclusivity Top Political Activity at Year-End
Pirates, not Sailors: How Hezbollah navigates Lebanon/Makram Rabahi/Arabiya-English/December 30/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 30-31/2025
Trump shows customary disdain for protocol as poker-faced Netanyahu looks on
Trump Warns of Further Strikes on Iran if Nuclear Rebuilding Continues
Israel says it will halt operations of several humanitarian organizations in Gaza starting in 2026
Tensions between Saudis and Emiratis over future of Yemen reach boiling point
Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen port city over weapons shipment from UAE for separatists
UAE says it will withdraw its remaining forces in Yemen after Saudi Arabia struck port city
Iranian president urges government to listen to protesting shopkeepers' demands
Iran brands Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist group in act of 'reciprocity'
Iran’s ailing supreme leader resorts to his only playbook as crises mount and protests erupt
Nearly 25 Islamic State fighters killed or captured in Syria, US military says
Why Israel's recognition of Somaliland as an independent state is controversial

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 30-31/2025
Arise... for those who sought the child’s life are dead/Johannes Tauler (c. 1300 – 1361), Dominican Friar in Strasbourg
Iranian Influence Operation Targeting Israeli Arabs Exposed/Ari Ben Am & Bridget Toomey/FDD/December 30/2025
U.S. Tech Companies Are Helping Terrorists to Weaponize AI Part I/Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/December 30, 2025
How 2026 will shape the Middle East for the next decade/Riad Kahwaji/Arabiya-English/December 30/2025
Selected Face Book & X tweets for /December 30/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 30-31/2025
Dear Family members & Friends...Merry Christmas
Elias Bejjani/December 25/2025
I extend to you my warmest Christmas greetings, wishing you happy and blessed days with the birth and incarnation of the Lord. I join you in prayer for our beloved Lebanon to reclaim its freedom and independence, and for the peoples of the world to return to the roots of faith so that peace may prevail throughout the earth. Merry Christmas to you all!”

Fear of Saying “Merry Christmas” is a Shame Upon the Peoples, Institutions, and Nations of the Secular West
Elias Bejjani/December 24/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/150449/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_ISc0vPkZw
Remaining silent about saying “Merry Christmas” on the anniversary of the Nativity of the Incarnate Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and replacing it with “Season’s Greetings,” is no longer a mere social courtesy. Instead, it has become a malicious, undeclared policy, cultural submission, and a public concession by many Western nations and institutions that claim secularism and courage. In reality, fueled by cowardice, ignorance, and a lack of faith, they practice a form of “Dhimmitude” and deception under the guise of “neutrality.”
What is happening today in secular Western countries is not spontaneous. It is a political decision disguised to empty public opinion of the Name of Christ, to domesticate Christianity, and to turn it into a silent heritage that is forbidden from speaking Christ’s Name or naming Christian feasts openly and without complexes.
What we witness with anger and sorrow is the majority of Western nations disowning their roots—the values, civilization, progress, peace, and coexistence that grew from and with Christianity. They intentionally blind themselves to this history, erasing the mention of Christ Himself. In a cowardly duality, they desire the Christmas holiday while denying the Feast itself; they want the decorations but disown His Name; they want the traditions and the joy, yet they falsify the truth.
This duality regarding Christmas is absolute political hypocrisy and a deep-seated hostility toward Christian values, teachings, and symbols. Certainly, Christian teachings stand against the “fearful state.” What these practitioners of dhimmitude fail to realize is that the Holy Gospel does not know the language of “general greetings,” nor does it recognize the gray, lukewarm, and evasive discourse imposed by governments, corporations, and educational institutions.
In this clear, courageous, and direct context, we highlight the following Gospel verses:
“Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37)
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
“For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory.” (Luke 9:26)
What we say and believe regarding the absence of the phrase “Merry Christmas” is not just an opinion, but a direct condemnation. The shame Christians feel toward Christ in the public sphere is not “smart policy”; it is spiritual betrayal, ignorance, and a lack of faith. Christianity is not a timid minority, nor is it a guest in the West; it is the force that built its language, civilization, laws, calendar, and ethics.
Treating Christianity as a potential threat is not progress, but civilizational suicide. Therefore, saying “Merry Christmas” is not just a greeting; it is an act of faith, a testimony to the Truth and history, and a moral and political resistance against evil, the misguided, and those institutions that fear the Truth. It is a stand against a distorted discourse that wants a Christianity without Christ.
We call upon Christians, rulers, and institutions in the West to name Christian feasts by their proper names without shame. They should do so just as they interact with all other religions that name their feasts with pride and without restriction:
The Muslim says: “Ramadan Mubarak” “Adha Mubarak.”etc
The Jew says: “Happy Hanukkah” and names all his feasts.
The Hindu says: “Happy Diwali” and names all his feasts.
This is the case for all other faiths, and no one in the West asks them to change their names or apologize for them.
In summary, The fear of saying “Merry Christmas” is a disgrace to a West wrapped in a secularism that is supposed to respect religions. It is shameful that this phrase has become a source of fear in countries that claim freedom and pluralism. Ultimately, these are two simple words that carry no weapons or threats, yet they are avoided and replaced by meaningless phrases like “Season’s Greetings.” This cowardly concealment is not respect for others; it is fear and a lack of faith.
In conclusion, our duty is to reject humiliation and compromise, and to say with absolute freedom: Merry Christmas.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com

Video-Link for an important po;itical Interview: Said Ghattas, Former SLA Officer and Head of "Under the Cedar Tree
Ghattas reveals Untold Secrets of the South Lebanon Army and Lebanon’s Future.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/150627/
Description: In a deep-dive interview with Maariv Online, Said Ghattas—a former high-ranking officer in the South Lebanon Army (SLA)—unveils critical historical details regarding the SLA era and its complex relationships with Lebanese leadership. Ghattas provides a self-reflective and analytical reading of Lebanon's current and future reality, the internal composition of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), and exposes high-stakes secrets revealed for the first time.
מעריב אונליין Maariv Online
Said Ghattas claims in a rare and surprising interview with the “Mizrachan” podcast that secret deals were signed between Israel and Syria behind the withdrawal from Lebanon, and reveals surprising ties with the Amal movement – ​​including Israeli funding.
In a rare and surprising interview with Eddie Cohen on the "Mizrachi" podcast, Said Ghattas, a former officer in the South Lebanon Army and founder of the "Under the Cedar Tree" peace organization, spoke about the heavy price the Lebanese people have paid as a result of political maneuvering. He founded "Under the Cedar Tree" to ensure that historical truth guides leaders toward lasting peace in the region, with the participation of people who believe in peace, not those who harbor ill-will.
معاريف أونلاين (Maariv Online)

Video link for a Christmas message from Father Toni Khadra, President of the Ora and Labora Union, titled: “What if the Child Jesus rose from the manger and stood before us as a Judge, not a Savior?!”
December 29/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/150621/
Source: Father Khadra’s official Facebook page December 29, 2025
Father Khadra reminds us that two thousand years ago, Jesus shattered the “den of thieves” and drove them out of the Temple. He affirms that Jesus is returning to break down the dens and hideouts of thieves once again. With pain, heartbreak, and a loud, crying voice, he asks: What do we, the Christians of Lebanon, say if Christ returns today?
What do we tell Him about our corruption, our lack of faith, our aimlessness, and our abandonment of our duties as guardians of the Church and its institutions? And what do we tell Him about the politicians and rulers?

رابط فيديو وقائع المؤتمر الصحفي الذي عقده ترامب ونيتنياهو يوم أمس الإثنين 30 كانون الأول/2025 في البيت الأبيض
DWS News/Video-Link/FULL REMARKS: Trump & Netanyahu Address Iran Threat, Abraham Accords & Chinese Drills | AC1Z
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVBsLxEw2MM&t=218s
Dec 30, 2025 #Trump #Iran #AbrahamAccords
Watch U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a live media availability at Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach. Get urgent updates on Hamas, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, and key developments in the Middle East. Stay informed with real-time insights and global security updates.
U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, addressed multiple international issues, including Iran, the Abraham Accords, Hezbollah, and recent Chinese naval drills near Taiwan.
Trump warned that Iran would face “very powerful” consequences if it rebuilds its military capabilities and expressed openness to bilateral talks with Tehran. He downplayed concerns over Chinese drills and highlighted his strong relationship with President Xi.
On the Middle East, Trump said Hezbollah had been “behaving badly” and mentioned plans to expand the Abraham Accords, with Saudi Arabia expected to eventually normalize relations with Israel. Netanyahu praised Trump’s clear conditions for reforms in the Palestinian Authority.
Watch the full press conference for Trump and Netanyahu’s remarks on Iran, China, the Abraham Accords, and regional security.
#Trump #Iran #AbrahamAccords #China #Taiwan #Netanyahu #MiddleEast #Hezbollah #USPolitics #BreakingNews #MarALago #Geopolitics
Trump Iran warning, Trump Abraham Accords, Trump Netanyahu press conference, Trump China drills, Iran military threat, Middle East news, Hezbollah news, US Israel relations, Trump foreign policy, China Taiwan news, Netanyahu Israel news, Trump Mar-a-Lago briefing
#TrumpNetanyahu #MarALago #MiddleEastCrisis #Hamas #Iran #Russia #Ukraine #USIsraelRelations #BreakingNews #LivePressConference #GlobalSecurity #Diplomacy#TrumpNetanyahu #MarALago #MiddleEastUpdates #BreakingNews #USIsraelRelations #GlobalSecurity #LivePressConference #Diplomacy
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Trump: Hezbollah has been behaving badly, we'll see what happens
Naharnet/December 30/2025
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Hezbollah "has been behaving badly," following talks in Florida with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"We're gonna see about that. We'll see about it. The Lebanese government is a little bit of disadvantage if you think about it with Hezbollah, but Hezbollah has been behaving badly, so we'll see what happens," said Trump in response to a reporter's question on whether Israel "should strike Hezbollah again."

Report: Arabs and Europeans agree with US on Lebanon-Israel solution
Naharnet/December 30/2025
The days leading up to the Trump-Netanyahu summit witnessed intensive contacts between several Arab and European countries on one side and Washington on the other, resulting in an agreement on broad outlines, which received the support of some members of the White House team, Lebanese-American sources said. “These outlines were discussed with the Israeli side, which did not express enthusiasm for them, while the final decision was left to the meeting” between Trump and Netanyahu, the sources told ad-Diyar newspaper. According to the sources, the proposed framework offers Lebanon an additional opportunity to fulfill its international obligations.The most notable points include an official Lebanese declaration, coinciding with a statement from Hezbollah, affirming that the area south of the Litani River is free of any weapons or armed presence. This declaration would be confirmed by a special investigation committee, with the Lebanese government bearing the consequences of any subsequent violations. In return, Israel would cease its military operations over Lebanese territory. The Lebanese cabinet would then announce the transition to the second phase of the "weapons monopolization" plan, extending between the Litani and Awali rivers, the sources said. “This phase requires a relatively long period to implement. Simultaneously, the government would issue an official statement affirming its readiness for peace,” the sources added.

Report: Israeli escalation possible but all-out war ruled out
Naharnet/December 30/2025
Political sources have ruled out the possibility of Israel launching a large-scale war on Lebanon in the foreseeable future, citing the absence of regional and international conditions, the lack of necessary capabilities and resources, the uncertainty of militarily eliminating Hezbollah, and the risk of jeopardizing the gains Israel achieved during the two-year war, al-Binaa newspaper reported on Tuesday. “A negotiations climate will prevail over the war climate and international and regional contacts, negotiations and initiatives will restrain Israel and grant Lebanon an additional two-month grace period to address the issue of weapons north of the Litani River,” the sources said. The sources, however, did not rule out sudden Israeli escalation through “a series of painful blows to Hezbollah in the South, the Bekaa and Beirut’s southern suburbs which might target residential areas that the (Israeli) occupation claims they contain arms and missiles.”The sources added that Israel “might target Lebanese state interests to pressure the government to offer further concessions.” Al-Binaa meanwhile reported that intensive Egyptian, Saudi and Qatari meetings and contacts have been taking place for the past two weeks in an attempt to contain the Israeli escalation and reach solutions.“The Saudi-Qatari meeting in Saudi Arabia comes within this context and followed a visit by a Hezbollah delegation to Qatar,” the newspaper added. A Lebanese official also revealed to the al-Anbaa the presence of intensive Saudi efforts with international decision-making circles to pressure Israel to halt its attacks on Lebanon, commit to negotiations and implement international resolutions.The official said that international and Arab discussions are focused on the Lebanese government and army ensuring the complete demilitarization of the area south of the Litani River and extending state control over it. The discussions also aim to guarantee that Hezbollah will not launch attacks on Israel from the South, and for the government to announce the transition to the second phase of confining weapons in the area north of the Litani, or at least containing and preventing their use.
“This would be reciprocated by a complete cessation of Israeli attacks, negotiations on the withdrawal from occupied territories, the settlement of disputed areas, border demarcation, the release of prisoners, the return of displaced persons, and the commencement of reconstruction,” the official added.
However, according to al-Binaa's sources, none of the international envoys, including the Americans, have been able to obtain any promises from the Israeli government on reciprocating the steps taken by Lebanon.

Report: Lebanon wants positive Israeli step in order to begin North Litani disarmament
Naharnet/December 30/2025
Despite Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s announcement about the readiness to begin arms monopolization north of the Litani River, the Lebanese state has not taken such a decision in the current period, a media report said. “Not moving to cleaning out North Litani does not stem from a negative stance from Lebanon, but the Lebanese state wants Israel to withdraw from the occupied points, hand over the captives, and take positive steps so that the Lebanese state manages to make a step forward regarding Hezbollah’s arms,” the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper added.
“The state does not fear a renewal of the war if it does not carry on with the arms monopolization plan, because it has received U.S. guarantees that the war will not expand, and accordingly the file of arms will witness a freeze north of the Litani, where the state will not take any step in this regard before Israel makes acceptable steps,” the daily said.

PLO hands over fifth batch of heavy weapons at Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp
Naharnet/December 30/2025
The handover of Palestinian weapons resumed Tuesday as the Palestine Liberation Organization surrendered a fifth batch of heavy weapons at the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in the southeastern outskirts of the port city of Sidon. During a visit to Beirut in May, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun agreed that weapons in Lebanon's Palestinian camps would be handed over to the Lebanese authorities. The implementation of the deal began in August, after the Lebanese government announced a plan to consolidate all weapons in the hands of the state by the end of the year. Heavy weapons belonging to the factions of the PLO in Burj al-Barajneh south of Beirut, and in the Rashidieh, Al-Bass and Burj al-Shemali camps in south Lebanon were handed over to the Lebanese army.
Lebanon hosts about 222,000 Palestinian refugees, according to the United Nations agency UNRWA. The move to collect the Palestinian factions' weapons comes as the Lebanese government, under heavy U.S. pressure and amid fears of expanded Israeli military action, has tasked the army with drawing up a plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year. During a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that largely ended with a November ceasefire, Palestinian groups including Hamas claimed rocket fire towards Israel.

Lebanon signs deal to purchase natural gas from Egypt
Agence France Presse/December 30/2025
Lebanon plans to purchase natural gas from Egypt, seeking to reduce its reliance on fuel oil for its ageing power plants in a country hamstrung by regular electricity cuts. The electricity sector has cost Lebanon more than $40 billion since the end of its 1975-1990 civil war, and successive governments have failed to reduce losses, repair crumbling infrastructure or even guarantee regular power bill collections. Residents rely on expensive private generators and solar panels to supplement the unreliable state supply. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's office said Monday in a statement that the memorandum of understanding between Lebanon and Egypt sought "to meet Lebanon's needs for natural gas allocated for electricity generation". It was signed by Lebanese Energy Minister Joe Saddi and Egyptian Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi. "Lebanon's strategy is first to transition to the use of natural gas, and second, to diversify gas sources," Saddi said, adding that "the process will take time because pipelines need rehabilitation". Lebanon will "contact donor agencies to see how they can help finance the rehabilitation" of the Lebanese section of the gas pipelines, he said, adding that repair work would take several months.
President Joseph Aoun said the memorandum of understanding was "a practical and essential step that will enable Lebanon to increase its electricity production". A statement from Cairo's petroleum and mineral resources ministry said that "Egypt is fulfilling its role in supplying Lebanon with natural gas, with the aim of supporting energy security for Arab countries".In 2022, Lebanon signed a deal to import natural gas from Egypt and Jordan via Syria to boost power supply, but the contracts were never implemented due to financing issues and U.S. sanctions on Syria.
Washington recently lifted it Syria measures following the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad last year. In April, Lebanon signed a $250 million agreement with the World Bank to modernize its electricity sector.

Trump Awaits Disarmament; Israel’s Alma Publishes Hezbollah’s Organizational Structure
Al-Modon/December 30, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
"Hezbollah is behaving badly, and we will see what Lebanon's efforts to disarm it will yield." With these words, U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the file of Hezbollah's weaponry during statements made on the sidelines of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida. Trump reportedly added that the Lebanese government is in an "uncomfortable position" in the face of the party's influence. In parallel, the Alma Research and Education Center, an Israeli institution monitoring northern border issues, published a map it claimed identifies the "most prominent figures in Hezbollah’s political, governmental, and military leadership." Titled "Hezbollah Leadership, Key Figures, November 2025," the map was released just one day after the targeting of Haytham Ali Tabatabai in the Southern Suburbs of Beirut. The map features a red "X" over Tabatabai’s photo, identifying him as Hezbollah’s "Chief of Staff" and noting he was "eliminated" on November 23, 2025. According to the graphic:
Secretary-General Naim Qassem sits at the top of the organizational pyramid.
Political Pillars: Names include Mohammad Raad (Head of the Parliamentary Bloc), Ali Damoush (Head of the Executive Council), Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed (Head of the Political Council), Mohammad Yazbek (Head of the Judicial Council), and Wafiq Safa (Head of the Liaison and Coordination Unit).
Military and Security: The list includes Mohammad Haidar, Talal Husni Hamiyah (Commander of Unit 910), Hajj Khalil Harb, and Khader Youssef Nader (Head of the Security Unit). On the day of the strike, Israeli media quoted IDF Chief of Staff General Eyal Zamir stating from a fortified command center that the army had "struck the most prominent commander" in the Hezbollah organization. He emphasized that the operation aimed to "prevent the organization from building its strength" and target "anyone who tries to attack the State of Israel," affirming continued efforts to "remove any threat." This media and military escalation coincides with increasing political pressure on the Lebanese state regarding the disarmament file south of the Litani River. The Lebanese government stated it is "close" to completing disarmament procedures in that region as part of truce arrangements, while Israeli airstrikes continue across areas in the South.

Trump’s Ambiguity: A Grace Period for the Lebanese Government or a Looming Surprise for Hezbollah?
Lara Yazbeck /Al-Markazia/ December 30, 2025  (Translated from Arabic)
As anticipated, the issue of Hezbollah's weaponry was a central topic at the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday in Florida. Following the meeting, when asked if Israel should attack Hezbollah following failures in the cessation of hostilities agreement, Trump replied: "We’ll see about that. The Lebanese government is at a little bit of a disadvantage, and Hezbollah is behaving badly. We’ll see what happens."Trump’s response confirms that the weapons file was a subject of deep discussion. It suggests that Netanyahu provided an extensive explanation of the Lebanese reality to his host, leaving Trump with the impression that the "government is at a disadvantage"—a notable shift in Trump’s tone and perspective toward Lebanese authorities. Until recently, notably during an address to the Israeli Knesset, Trump had praised President Joseph Aoun, his performance, and the performance of the Lebanese government. However, according to monitoring political sources, a positive takeaway could be his phrase "we’ll see what happens" regarding Hezbollah "behaving badly." By remaining non-committal, Trump has kept the door open to all options, including the diplomatic track. The sources note that he could have taken a definitive stance—demanding the group hand over its weapons "or else," as he did with Hamas—but his ambiguity suggests he may want to grant the Lebanese state an additional grace period. If the state moves swiftly toward the second phase of the disarmament plan—without procrastination, special considerations for the party, or preconditions—and commits to a logical timeframe for consolidating all arms under state authority, Trump may take it upon himself to restrain Netanyahu. Conversely, if the government fails to move in this direction, it would be a different story. Nevertheless, sources do not rule out that Trump’s vague and broad response might be intended to avoid spoiling a "surprise" that he and Netanyahu may have agreed to "deliver" to Hezbollah in the coming days.

Lebanon on the Roadmap in the Trump-Netanyahu Meeting
Al-Markazia/December 30, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
American diplomatic sources revealed to "Al-Jadeed" that the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focused on several vital regional files, most notably the Iranian file, the situation in Gaza, the Syrian situation, and relations with Turkey. The sources explained that the Lebanon file, despite its complexities, received clear attention during the meeting, where a specific roadmap was established to implement related solutions. The sources indicated that Lebanon has placed "the ball in Israel's court," implying that Israel is the party that must take the necessary steps. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s goal regarding this file was to reach a "decisive conclusion" by any means necessary, whether through negotiation, military action, or both tracks simultaneously.

Le Drian to Visit Lebanon Soon to Follow Up on Reforms and French Mechanism
Al-Markazia/ December 30, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Information obtained by "Al-Jadeed" indicates that the French envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, will visit Lebanon early next year. The visit aims to continue French efforts in monitoring the progress of reforms and overseeing the implementation of the French mechanism.

Netanyahu and Trump Agree to Grant Hamas a Two-Month Deadline to Disarm
Al-Markazia/December 30, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Israel Hayom has revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump have agreed to grant Hamas a two-month deadline to disarm, noting that clear criteria will be established for the actual dismantling of Hamas's weaponry. Additionally, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that an agreement was reached to begin reconstruction in Rafah—which is currently under the control of the Israeli army—prior to the completion of Hamas's disarmament.

Israeli Artillery Shells Multiple Areas in Southern Lebanon
Al-Markazia/December 30, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Israeli artillery fire targeted the area between the towns of Rmeish and Ayta al-Shab, accompanied by the flight of reconnaissance drones overhead. Simultaneously, Israeli artillery fired two shells at the Dis al-Khraiba area on the outskirts of Rashaya al-Fakhar in the South. The outskirts of the town of Yaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district, also came under intermittent Israeli artillery fire. This evening, the Israeli army announced the detection of "suspicious movement" near the town of Arab al-Aramshe on the Lebanese border, noting that it is currently conducting combing operations in the area.

Military Plan to Deter Hezbollah Ready; Escalation Could Be "Devastating"
Al-Markazia/December 30, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
American sources told mtv that the military plan to deter Hezbollah is in place and ready, indicating that the Israeli escalation against the group could become devastating within weeks as part of broader plans aimed at reshaping the "New Middle East."The sources clarified that coordination between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu is absolute and clear, on both political and military levels. This coordination is intentional and publicly displayed even in stylistic details; for instance, their appearance in matching suits was not a coincidence, but a calculated diplomatic message reflecting a unified stance.

Alma: Hezbollah and Amal Prepare Early for Elections to Protect Their Influence
Al-Modon/ December 30, 2025   (Translated from Arabic)
The Israeli Alma Research and Education Center published an analytical article by researcher Zoe Levornik, addressing the intensified preparations by Hezbollah and the Amal Movement for the Lebanese parliamentary elections tentatively scheduled for May 2026. This move reflects an early awareness of the sensitive nature of the upcoming vote and its potential impact on the internal balance of power in Lebanon. According to the article, "the upcoming elections are not seen merely as a periodic event, but as a pivotal milestone that will determine whether Lebanon is heading toward substantive political change—including state and economic reforms—or toward a reproduction of the same system with continued Hezbollah dominance over the political representation of the Shiite community."
Key Highlights of the Analysis:
Continued Influence: The article notes that the current government formation reflects the persistent influence of the "Shiite Duo," with the appointment of two ministers aligned with Hezbollah (Health and Labor) and three from the Amal Movement (Finance, Administrative Development, and Environment).
The "Independent" Threat: A primary reason for this early mobilization is Hezbollah's concern over attempts by political rivals, particularly the Lebanese Forces, to back independent Shiite candidates capable of seizing parliamentary seats and siphoning votes away from the "Duo."The Electoral Law Battle: The dispute over the electoral law is a major flashpoint. Hezbollah and Amal oppose any amendments that would allow the Lebanese diaspora to vote for all 128 parliamentary seats rather than a limited quota of six seats. This proposal is led by Christian parties, namely the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb, who hope the diaspora vote will weaken Hezbollah electorally. "The Green Challenge": The article highlights that the Amal Movement has launched the "Green Challenge" campaign to polish its political image and present itself as a modern, organized force. This includes a dedicated electoral mechanism and the recruitment of over 15,000 delegates and observers.
Strategic Alliance: Levornik emphasizes that Amal’s campaign does not signal a rift with Hezbollah; rather, it is managed within their existing strategic alliance to prevent any breach of Shiite representation.
Challenges and Objectives:
The analysis concludes that Hezbollah's goals extend beyond maintaining its number of seats. It aims to:
Increase Voter Turnout: To prove the resilience of its popular base despite the toll of the war. Secure the "Blocking Third": To ensure it and its allies maintain enough seats to exercise a veto (the "blocking third") over major cabinet decisions and senior appointments. Counter Financial Strain: The group is facing challenges in funding its campaign and a decline in popular mobilization following recent conflicts.
Ultimately, the Alma report views the 2026 elections as an "existential battle" for the Shiite Duo to re-establish their political and popular standing in the face of mounting domestic and international pressures.

Raids in Arsal in Search of Weapons and Fugitives
Al-Modon/December 30, 2025  (Translated from Arabic)
Units from the Lebanese Army and Intelligence conducted a series of extensive raids today across several neighborhoods in the town of Arsal. The operations were part of an effort to pursue a number of fugitives and search for weapons, according to reports obtained by Al-Modon. The operation comes amid a rise in local rumors regarding weapons smuggling activities across the eastern border, prompting the army to intensify its presence and implement strict precautionary measures. Military personnel were stationed around the targeted areas, setting up temporary checkpoints and conducting thorough house-to-house searches. Despite the swift and surprise nature of the operations, the results—including the number of fugitives apprehended—remain unknown at this hour. Residents are currently awaiting an official statement to clarify the details and motives behind the security operation, amid growing fears over the expansion of arms smuggling, which impacts local stability and threatens people's livelihoods.

Neutralization of Lebanon and Arms Exclusivity Top Political Activity at Year-End
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 30, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
As 2025 draws to a close, political activity in Lebanon is primarily centered on neutralizing the country from a new round of war and finalizing the "Arms Exclusivity" plan. The Lebanese Army is expected to launch the second phase of this plan early next year. This coincides with progress on the Financial Regularity Law, which was recently approved by the government and referred to Parliament for a vote, despite criticisms from several parliamentary blocs, banks, and depositors. The "Financial Gap" bill was a focal point in political meetings held by President Joseph Aoun at the Baabda Palace, as well as a meeting between Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Key Diplomatic and Political Engagements:
Meeting with Lebanese Forces Representative: President Aoun received MP Melhem Riachy, an envoy from Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, to discuss general conditions and pending political files.Restoring Sovereignty: MP Michel Moawad, head of the Independence Movement, met with the President and emphasized the need to "complete the restoration of state sovereignty and its monopoly over weapons." He called for Hezbollah to hand over its arms, starting with Phase Two north of the Litani River. Moawad stated: "The demand for the state to hold a monopoly on arms is a long-standing Lebanese demand... Hezbollah must meet the President halfway and reconcile with Lebanon and its people."The Financial Gap & Deposits: Regarding the financial law, Moawad called for cooperation between authorities to reach a fair law that returns funds to depositors. MP Sajie Attieh also relayed the President's view that Parliament has the right to amend the bill to ensure it aligns with the protection of depositors' hard-earned savings. Upcoming Elections: President Aoun affirmed that the parliamentary elections will be held on schedule. While he acknowledged potential technical delays due to the difficult situation in the South, he stressed his commitment to the right of both residents and the diaspora to vote for their representatives from their places of residence. Military Cooperation: The "Arms Exclusivity" process and the Army's deployment in the South were the focus of a meeting between Defense Minister Michel Manssa and U.S. Ambassador Michael Issa. Ambassador Issa reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to supporting the Lebanese state and its military institutions. In turn, Manssa highlighted the importance of the cessation of hostilities monitoring committee in supporting stability and coordination.

Pirates, not Sailors: How Hezbollah navigates Lebanon
Makram Rabahi/Arabiya-English/December 30/2025
Naim Qassem appeared this Sunday in his familiar, grating manner – stern, sermonizing, and entirely predictable. The tone was defiant, the vocabulary recycled, the certainties absolute. Yet for all its length and theatrical confidence, the speech was as hollow as Hezbollah’s long-claimed commitment to “protecting Lebanon.” What was presented as reassurance sounded instead like repetition without substance, conviction without credibility, and certainty divorced from reality.
The timing could not be worse – or more revealing. With Netanyahu meeting Trump in Washington amid debates over Gaza’s next phase and the Lebanese front, Qassem’s sermon provides Israel with ready-made justification for escalation.
He is effectively telling the world that Lebanon is not a state with a national defense policy, but an arena governed by a parallel military structure. That is precisely the narrative Israeli officials use to argue that any strike in Lebanon is “self-defense” against Iran’s regional axis – and Qassem, knowingly or not, is reinforcing it. Qassem likes to invoke the image of Lebanon as “one ship” – a single vessel facing a single storm, where everyone must row in unison or drown together. It is a seductive metaphor, borrowing the language of unity at a moment when Lebanon is exhausted, frightened, and desperate for something resembling safety.
But Qassem’s ship is not a ship. It is a hostage craft.
If Lebanon truly were “one ship,” then the first principle of survival would be shared rules: one captain, one navigation chart, one chain of command, one set of responsibilities and consequences. A real ship does not tolerate a parallel bridge, an independent weapons cache, and a crew that can launch “failed” adventures at sea without informing the rest of the passengers. A ship escapes storms through discipline, not improvisation. Through law, not slogans. Through accountability, not sacralized immunity.
Hezbollah has never behaved like a sailor invested in bringing Lebanon safely to shore. It has behaved like a pirate fleet – boarding the state when useful, ignoring it when inconvenient, and punishing anyone who questions the terms of captivity. In Qassem’s telling, the weapons remain a national necessity because America and Israel allegedly plot endlessly to dominate Lebanon. Yet the closer one listens, the clearer it becomes that the primary function of this narrative is not confronting Israel, but managing Lebanon – keeping the country permanently inside a state of exception where institutions are distrusted, sovereignty is postponed, and paralysis is sold as patriotism. Qassem frames Lebanon’s predicament as a forced choice: either accept US-Israeli “guardianship” through disarmament, or cling to “resistance” as the only guarantee of dignity and deterrence. This binary is designed to corner the Lebanese public. It collapses every debate into a loyalty test, where any demand for a normal state becomes collaboration, and any insistence on monopoly of force becomes betrayal.
The problem is not only that the argument is politically coercive. It is logically hollow.
The real question facing Lebanon is not whether it should defend itself against Israel – Lebanon has a clear interest in protecting its territory and civilians – but who gets to decide the terms of war, the limits of escalation, and the price paid by society. Resistance, in any meaningful sense, must be a national strategy governed by the state, not a private franchise licensed by ideology and shielded from accountability.
Here lies the central contradiction of Qassem’s speech: he speaks the language of sovereignty while denying its basic requirements. Sovereignty is not an emotion or a chant. It is an institutional order. It means the state holds authority over arms, borders, and decisions of war and peace. It means the army is empowered, not treated as a convenient prop. It means citizens are not asked to subsidize an armed “exception” while their economy collapses, their judiciary is obstructed, and their political life is frozen.
In Qassem’s narrative, the Lebanese state is either too weak or too compromised to protect Lebanon – therefore Hezbollah must retain its weapons. But the state is weak precisely because Hezbollah has spent decades preventing it from becoming strong. This is the circular logic of the militia: weaken the state, then cite its weakness as justification for remaining above it.
Notice, too, how the conflict itself is handled. Israel remains the rhetorical horizon – the ever-present villain that sanctifies Hezbollah’s posture. Yet the conflict is repeatedly relocated inward: toward Lebanese institutions, toward critics demanding accountability, toward citizens insisting on sovereignty. The “resistance” increasingly operates not at the border, but inside the political system. This is why the label has lost its meaning. Hezbollah may call itself whatever it wishes – resistance, deterrence, dignity – but language cannot erase lived reality. When a movement claims to defend a country while insisting that the country cannot govern itself, it is not defending sovereignty. It is suspending it.
The pirate analogy is not rhetorical flourish; it is descriptive.
Pirates do not build ports; they extract tribute from them. They do not repair ships; they commandeer them. They do not obey navigation laws; they exploit storms as cover. And they do not share risk equally – they impose danger while reserving for themselves the right to decide when others must pay the price.
Lebanon has seen this pattern long enough to recognize it. Across the region – in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen – the Iranian axis does not behave like a coalition invested in stable states capable of weathering storms. It thrives on permanent turbulence, because turbulence creates dependency, and dependency creates control. “Resistance” becomes a business model, not a defense doctrine: an endless justification for arms, an endless mechanism for mobilization, and an endless escape from responsibility. Qassem insists Lebanon is one ship. But what Hezbollah has offered is not a ship with a destination – it is a raft tied to regional battles, dragged by currents the Lebanese people did not choose. A country does not survive storms by declaring itself holy. It survives by governing itself.
Sailors want to reach shore. Pirates need the sea lawless. And Lebanon cannot be saved by those who require the storm to stay in power.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 30-31/2025
Trump shows customary disdain for protocol as poker-faced Netanyahu looks on
Robert Tait in Washington/The Guardian/December 30, 2025
Hosting Benjamin Netanyahu for the fifth time since returning to the White House 11 months ago, Donald Trump gave a performance on Monday that provided a microcosm of his now customary disdain for foreign policy protocol.
In an impromptu 15 minute news conference on the steps of Mar-a-Lago, Trump first offered an offhand, and vaguely dismissive, acknowledgement of the unusual frequency of the Israeli prime minister’s visits by asking journalists: “Do you recognize this guy?”He then proceeded to trample diplomatic convention in characteristically cavalier style by declaring that he would back Netanyahu “immediately” if he ordered another attack on Iran’s nuclear installations, while confirming that he had personally asked Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, to pardon the prime minister in a bribery and corruption trial – apparently heedless of the appearance of interfering in the affairs of a sovereign state. More startlingly still, he appeared to accept Russia’s claim that Ukraine had attacked Vladimir Putin’s residence overnight while acknowledging that he had no independent US intelligence confirmation – preferring to accept the Russian president’s word, even as Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian leader who Trump hosted the previous day, denounced the story as a “lie”. Almost in passing, Trump crowed about his relationship with another strongman leader, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who long derided Netanyahu and likened him to Hitler. The Israeli leader is fiercely opposed to Turkish forces playing any future role in the fragile peace settlement and rebuilding of Gaza.
If Netanyahu was perturbed by that, his poker-faced visage did not display it. He said Trump was the best friend among any US presidents Israel had ever had. “We’ve never had a friend like president Trump in the White House,” Netanyahu said. “You can judge that by the not merely by the frequency of our meetings, but by the content and the intensity. I think Israel is very blessed to have president Trump leading the United States.”Later, at a lunch between the two, Netanyahu reinforced the comity by indulging Trump’s weakness for flattery, telling him that he was to be the first non-Israeli to be awarded the Israel prize, the Jewish state’s highest cultural honour. That testimonial was, if anything, outmatched by an even more hyperbolic encomium from Trump, who suggested that Israel would no longer exist if it had been led in recent years by any other prime minister.
“There could be other wartime prime ministers but they would lose,” he said at a formal news conference after the lunch. “He won. If you had a weak person, a stupid person – and there are plenty of both – you might not have Israel.” In truth, the meeting came at a time of significant friction between the pair – and the words of praise disguised likely feelings of mutual irritation. The White House is trying to press Netanyahu into entering into the second phase of Trump’s highly-prized 20-point Gaza peace plan – even as Netanyahu expresses reluctance go along on the grounds that Hamas has not been properly disarmed.
Trump acknowledged his guest’s concerns, saying “there has to be a disarming of Hamas.” But he was less solicitous when asked if reconstruction of the shattered coastal territory would begin before Hamas had been disarmed.
“I think it’s going to begin pretty soon,” he said, before adding: “He’s looking forward to it and so am I. What a mess.” How to make sense of Trump’s utterances on Iran, whose uranium enrichment facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz he ordered bombed last June? The US strikes came after Israel had initially launched attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, as well as broader, assaults that drew Iranian retaliation. Trump has repeatedly insisted that the US action “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Yet here was Netanyahu back to argue the case for a renewed offensive amid reports that Tehran’s theocratic rulers are upgrading the country’s ballistic missile capabilities and trying to rebuild its damaged nuclear facilities. In response, Trump acknowledged that “Iran may be behaving badly” but added the caveat that “it hasn’t been confirmed”. He hoped Tehran would negotiate a deal.
But would he support Israeli strikes if no deal was forthcoming? “If they continue with [ballistic] missiles, yes; the nuclear [program]? Fast,” he replied, before suggesting that the US would launch its own attack in the case of a resumed nuclear program. “One will be yes, absolutely. The other will be, we’ll do it immediately.” Yet he drew the line at regime change, something Israel seemed to be aiming at last summer when it expanded attacks beyond military installations to target several Revolutionary Guard commanders, as well as bombing Tehran’s Evin prison, whose inmates include political prisoners and which has long been seen as a symbol of repression. “I’m not going to talk about an overthrow of a regime,” Trump said. “They’ve got a lot of problems. They have tremendous inflation, their economy is bust and I know that the people aren’t so happy. But don’t forget, every time they have a riot or somebody forms a group, little or big, they start shooting people.”
It may have been intended as a note of caution to Netanyahu.
Clearer still was Trump’s message on Syria and its president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who was recently hosted at the White House despite his past as a commander in rebel groups that formed part of the Islamic State and explicit hostility from Israel, which has branded his regime as “jihadist Islamist terrorists”. “I hope he’s going to get along with Syria,” Trump said of Netanyahu. “Because the new president of Syria is working very hard to do a good job. He’s a tough cookie. [But] you’re not going to get a choir boy to lead Syria.”Asked later if he and Netanyahu had reached an accord on the subject, Trump replied: “We do have an understanding regarding Syria.”He then passed the baton to Netanyahu, who sounded less than thrilled. “Yeah, well. Our interest is to have a peaceful border with Syria. We want to make sure that the border area right next to our border is safe – that we don’t have terrorists.” As understandings go, it sounded distinctly open to interpretation.

Trump Warns of Further Strikes on Iran if Nuclear Rebuilding Continues
FDD/December 30/2025
Latest Developments
Trump Promises ‘Hell’ if Hamas Doesn’t Disarm: President Donald Trump warned Hamas would be given a “very short period of time to disarm” as he prepares to launch the second phase of his peace plan for Gaza. “If they don’t disarm as they agreed to do … then there’ll be hell to pay for them,” Trump declared in a joint appearance with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Earlier, Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida vowed that the Iran-backed terrorist group would not disarm.
Israel ‘Has Lived Up To’ Ceasefire Commitments: Trump also praised Israel for “having lived up to the plan” so far. “They’re strong, they’re solid,” he stated. Netanyahu also met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Both “emphasized the importance of continued cooperation to promote peace and stability in the Middle East, in line with the vision of President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan,” according to a State Department readout. The pair also discussed “regional security, economic cooperation, and the fight against antisemitism.”
‘Knock the Hell Out of Them’: Trump and Netanyahu concurred that Israel and the United States may need to respond forcefully if Iran continues to rebuild its nuclear weapons program following the extensive Israeli and U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities in June. “Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again. And if they are, we have to knock them down,” Trump said. “We’ll knock the hell out of them, but hopefully that’s not happening. I heard Iran wants to make a deal.”
FDD Expert Response
“With the kinetic conflict with Gaza mostly over, Netanyahu must work with Trump to deliver diplomatic outcomes aligned with the interests of both Washington and Jerusalem. In light of Israel’s military victories across the region, the leaders will be looking to align on a policy that will deliver sustained calm in Gaza, continued pressure on the Lebanese state to disarm Hezbollah, and a united front against the Iranian threat.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network
“Trump’s affirmation of his support for Israeli actions against the Iranian nuclear program demonstrates the shared understanding between Israel and the United States on regional security threats. Continued alignment will be paramount as the U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on security is set to expire by 2028, and discussions are needed for a new framework that ensures Israel’s ability to purchase or produce the weapons it requires to defend itself.” — Justin Leopold-Cohen, CMPP Senior Research Analyst
“Hamas is down but not out, and both Trump and Netanyahu know this. As Trump said, the ceasefire will only progress if the Iran-backed terrorists in Gaza fully disarm, something that looks increasingly unlikely.” — Aaron Goren, Research Analyst and Editor '

Israel says it will halt operations of several humanitarian organizations in Gaza starting in 2026
Melanie Lidman And Sam Mednick/AP/December 30, 2025
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel on Tuesday said it had suspended more than two dozen humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and CARE, from operating in the Gaza Strip for failing to comply with new registration rules.
Israel says the rules are aimed at preventing Hamas and other militant groups from infiltrating the aid organizations. But the organizations say the rules are arbitrary and warned that the new ban would harm a civilian population desperately in need of humanitarian aid.
Israel has claimed throughout the war that Hamas was siphoning off aid supplies, a charge the U.N. and aid groups have denied. The new rules, announced by Israel early this year, require aid organizations to register the names of their workers and provide details about funding and operations in order to continue working in Gaza. The new regulations included ideological requirements — including disqualifying organizations that have called for boycotts against Israel, denied the Oct. 7 attack or expressed support for any of the international court cases against Israeli soldiers or leaders. Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said more than 30 groups — about 15% of the organizations operating in Gaza — had failed to comply and that their operations would be suspended. It also said that Doctors Without Borders, one of the biggest and best-known groups in Gaza, had failed to respond to Israeli claims that some of its workers were affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad. “The message is clear: humanitarian assistance is welcome — the exploitation of humanitarian frameworks for terrorism is not,” Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said. Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, said Israel's decision would have a catastrophic impact on their work in Gaza, where they support around 20% of the hospital beds and a third of births. The organization also denied Israel's accusations about their staff.
“MSF would never knowingly employ people engaging in military activity,” it said.
‘Exhausted local staff’
While Israel claimed the decision would have limited impact on the ground. the affected organizations said the timing — less than three months into a fragile ceasefire — was devastating. “Despite the ceasefire, the needs in Gaza are enormous and yet we and dozens of other organizations are and will continue to be blocked from bringing in essential life-saving assistance,” said Shaina Low, communications adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council, which has also been suspended. “Not being able to send staff into Gaza means all of the workload falls on our exhausted local staff,” Low said. Some aid groups say they didn’t submit the list of Palestinian staff, as Israel demanded, for fear they’d be targeted by Israel, and because of data protection laws in Europe. “It comes from a legal and safety perspective. In Gaza, we saw hundreds of aid workers get killed,” Low explained. The decision not to renew aid groups’ licenses means offices in Israel and East Jerusalem will close, and organizations won’t be able to send international staff or aid into Gaza.
Israel says militants exploiting aid groups
According to the ministry, the decision means the aid groups will have their license revoked on Jan. 1, and if they are located in Israel, they will need to leave by March 1. They can appeal the decision.  The Israeli defense body that oversees humanitarian aid to Gaza, COGAT, said that the organizations on the list contribute less than 1% of the total aid going into the Gaza Strip, and that aid will continue to enter from more than 20 organizations that did receive permits to continue operating. “The registration process is intended to prevent the exploitation of aid by Hamas, which in the past operated under the cover of certain international aid organizations, knowingly or unknowingly,” COGAT said in a statement. This isn't the first time Israel has tried to crack down on international humanitarian organizations. Throughout the war, Israel accused the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, of being infiltrated by Hamas, using its facilities and taking aid. The United Nations has denied it. UNRWA, the top U.N. agency working with Palestinians, has denied knowingly aiding armed groups and says it acts quickly to purge any suspected militants..After months of criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies, Israel banned UNRWA from operating on its territory in January. The U.S., formerly the largest donor to UNRWA, halted funding to the agency in early 2024.
NGOs say Israel vague over data use
Israel failed to confirm that the data collected from the new regulations wouldn't be used for military or intelligence purposes, raising serious security concerns, said Athena Rayburn, the executive director of AIDA, an umbrella organization representing over 100 organizations that operate in the Palestinian territories. She noted that more than 500 aid workers have been killed in Gaza during the war. “Agreeing for a party to the conflict to vet our staff, especially under the conditions of occupation, is a violation of humanitarian principles, specifically neutrality and independence,” she said. Rayburn said organizations expressed their concerns and offered alternatives to submitting staff lists, such as third-party vetting, but that Israel refused to engage in any dialogue.
Palestinian girl killed in Gaza
A 10-year-old girl was killed and another person was wounded by Israeli fire in Gaza City near the Yellow Line that delineates areas under Israeli control, the territory's Shifa Hospital said Tuesday. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident but have said troops operating near the Yellow Line will target anyone who approaches or threatens soldiers. The Gaza Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, said on Monday that 71,266 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, not including the girl. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. The United Nations and independent experts consider the Health Ministry the most reliable source on war casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.

Tensions between Saudis and Emiratis over future of Yemen reach boiling point
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor/The Guardian/December 30, 2025
Tensions between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia over the future of Yemen and the imminent possibility of the declaration of an independent southern state have reached boiling point with Saudi Arabia in effect accusing the UAE of threatening its future security. The dispute has the potential to create a civil war within the south of Yemen and also spill over into other disputes including in Sudan and the Horn of Africa where the two countries often find themselves backing opposite sides. Yemen could yet become only one theatre in which the two vastly wealthy Gulf states vie for political influence, control of shipping lanes and commercial access. The UAE has been dabbling in Yemen for years due to its support for the separatist Southern Transitional Council. Many observers, including diplomats in Riyadh, had assumed that the UAE – often thought of as the junior if more ideological partner – would back down and tell the STC to delay or jettison its plan to declare independence and instead settle for negotiations on greater autonomy or more seats in Yemen’s coalition government body, the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). Saudi Arabia had always seen Yemen as its preserve, first trying to defeat the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the north with a much-criticised bombing campaign in 2015 and then under international pressure reverting to diplomacy to try to reconcile the Houthis with the UN-recognised government in Aden. But in the past month, the UAE has kicked over many assumed red lines in Yemen, leading to the Saudi bombing of vehicles docking at the Yemen port of Mukalla. Riyadh pointedly said the vehicles had been sent for STC use and had come from an Emirati port. Saudi Arabia said: “The kingdom stresses that any threat to its national security is a red line, and the kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to confront and neutralise any such threat.”But the UAE has been quietly considering commercial opportunities in Yemen for years. Tapping into the genuine, popular desire to restore the independence the south enjoyed before unification with the north in 1990, the UAE chose the STC as its vehicle. It was a shrewd bet. The STC was finally recognised as a genuine player in 2019 when it was given seats on the PLC.
After years being sidelined in UN peace efforts, the STC leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, slowly gained western recognition and was allowed to attend events such as the UN general assembly. But the STC, feeding off longstanding cultural and economic grievances with the north, was never content with federalist solutions, and felt anyway it had been sidelined in the PLC. This month, the STC grabbed its opportunity, sending its forces into Hadramaut, the largest governorate in the south. With its sudden eastward expansion, the STC controlled nearly all of the territory of the former South Yemen state, including its most productive oilfields. After seizing Hadramaut, it was relatively easy to take al-Mahra, the most easterly governorate. It was a severe shock to Saudi Arabia, which has since been applying diplomatic pressure on Abu Dhabi to demand the STC’s withdrawal.
In a ferocious diplomatic battle, Riyadh tried to isolate the UAE and the STC, making it clear that even if the STC stood its ground, southern Yemen would never progress beyond a micro-state lacking international recognition. So far, the UAE is not buckling. The withdrawal of the few remaining UAE counter-terror forces in Yemen announced on Tuesday is of no significance since UAE support for the STC remains. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, an Emirati political scientist, is portraying the UAE defence of the STC almost as a litmus test of the UAE’s character. He wrote on X: “The UAE does not let down nor abandon its allies. It supports them with generosity and political and military abundance. It does not leave them midway on the road to face their fate without support. It is clear in its policies and steps. It does not flee nor evade confrontation. It has a clear vision of its national and humanitarian responsibility and fulfils it with utmost care.”Equally patriotic statements are emerging from Riyadh. Farea al-Muslimi, a Yemen and wider Gulf research fellow at the Chatham House thinktank, is in little doubt about the enormity of what may be at stake. “After years of indirect competition through local proxies, the dispute now appears to be moving toward a more direct confrontation, with Saudi Arabia publicly accusing the UAE of actions that threaten its national security along its southern border,” he said. “The conflict reflects fundamental disagreements between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi over the future political structure of Yemen and the balance of influence within it. Notably, the UAE – despite its greater geographic distance – has pursued a more interventionist and experimental approach on the ground. “Tensions between the two countries have been building for years. These actions suggest that the situation is entering a particularly dangerous phase. This development also evokes troubling parallels with the 2017 Gulf crisis involving Qatar, when Saudi Arabia and the UAE coordinated a major diplomatic rupture that destabilised regional relations for years.”Muslimi added that the Houthis were “likely to view the growing rift between two of their principal adversaries with considerable advantage, observing as former coalition partners – who jointly fought and failed to defeat them – now turn against one another”. Western governments, taking their lead from Washington, have shown in Sudan little desire to criticise the UAE in public, and in Yemen their sympathies will be with Saudi Arabia and the retention of a unitary state.

Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen port city over weapons shipment from UAE for separatists
Jon Gambrell/The Associated Press/December 30, 2025
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen's port city of Mukalla on Tuesday after a weapons shipment from the United Arab Emirates arrived for separatist forces in the war-torn country, and warned that it viewed Emirati actions as “extremely dangerous.”The bombing followed tensions over the advance of Emirates-backed separatist forces known as the Southern Transitional Council. The council and its allies issued a statement supporting the UAE's presence, even as others allied with Saudi Arabia demanded that Emirati forces withdraw from Yemen in 24 hours' time. The UAE called for “restraint and wisdom” and disputed Riyadh’s allegations. But shortly after that, it said it would withdraw its remaining troops in Yemen. It remained unclear whether the separatists it backs will give up the territory they recently took. The confrontation threatened to open a new front in Yemen's decade-long war, with forces allied against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels possibly turning their sights on each other in the Arab world's poorest nation. It also further strained ties between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, neighbors on the Arabian Peninsula that increasingly have competed over economic issues and regional politics, particularly in the Red Sea area. Tuesday’s airstrikes and ultimatum appeared to be their most serious confrontation in decades. “I expect a calibrated escalation from both sides. The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council is likely to respond by consolidating control,” said Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen expert and founder of the Basha Report, a risk advisory firm. “At the same time, the flow of weapons from the UAE to the STC is set to be curtailed following the port attack, particularly as Saudi Arabia controls the airspace.” Airstrike hits Mukalla A military statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency announced the strikes on Mukalla, which it said came after ships arrived there from Fujairah in the UAE. “The ships’ crew had disabled tracking devices aboard the vessels, and unloaded a large amount of weapons and combat vehicles in support of the Southern Transitional Council’s forces,” the statement said. “Considering that the aforementioned weapons constitute an imminent threat, and an escalation that threatens peace and stability, the Coalition Air Force has conducted this morning a limited airstrike that targeted weapons and military vehicles offloaded from the two vessels in Mukalla,” it added. It wasn't clear if there were any casualties. The Emirati Foreign Ministry hours later denied it shipped weapons but acknowledged it sent the vehicles “for use by the UAE forces operating in Yemen.” It also claimed Saudi Arabia knew about the shipment ahead of time. The ministry called for “the highest levels of coordination, restraint and wisdom, taking into account the existing security challenges and threats.”The Emirati Defense Ministry later said it would withdraw its remaining troops from Yemen over “recent developments and their potential repercussions on the safety and effectiveness of counter-terrorism operations.” It gave no timeline for the withdrawal. The UAE broadly withdrew its forces from Yemen years earlier. Yemen’s anti-Houthi forces not aligned with the separatists declared a state of emergency Tuesday and ended their cooperation with the UAE. They issued a 72-hour ban on border crossings in territory they hold, as well as entries to airports and seaports, except those allowed by Saudi Arabia. It remained unclear whether that coalition, governed under the umbrella of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, would remain intact.The Southern Transitional Council’s AIC satellite news channel aired footage of the strike's aftermath but avoided showing damage to the armored vehicles. “This unjustified escalation against ports and civilian infrastructure will only strengthen popular demands for decisive action and the declaration of a South Arabian state,” the channel said. The attack likely targeted a ship identified as the Greenland, a vessel flagged out of St. Kitts. Tracking data analyzed by the AP showed the vessel had been in Fujairah on Dec. 22 and arrived in Mukalla on Sunday. The second vessel could not be immediately identified. Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office, urged combatants to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, like the port, saying any disruption to its operations “risks affecting the already dire humanitarian situation and humanitarian supply chains.”
Strike comes as separatists advance
Mukalla is in Yemen's Hadramout governorate, which the council seized in recent days. The port city is some 480 kilometers (300 miles) northeast of Aden, which has been the seat of power for anti-Houthi forces after the rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. Yemen, on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula off East Africa, borders the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The war there has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. The Houthis, meanwhile, have launched attacks on hundreds of ships in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, disrupting regional shipping. The U.S., which earlier praised Saudi-Emirati efforts to end the crisis over the separatists, has launched airstrikes against the rebels under both Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called his Emirati and Saudi counterparts over the crisis. Tuesday's strike in Mukalla comes after Saudi Arabia targeted the council in airstrikes Friday that analysts described as a warning for the separatists to halt their advance and leave the governorates of Hadramout and Mahra. The council had pushed out forces there affiliated with the Saudi-backed National Shield Forces, another group in the anti-Houthi coalition. Those aligned with the council have increasingly flown the flag of South Yemen, which was a separate country from 1967-1990. Demonstrators have been rallying to support political forces calling for South Yemen to secede again. A statement Tuesday from Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry directly linked the council's advance to the Emiratis for the first time. “The kingdom notes that the steps taken by the sisterly United Arab Emirates are extremely dangerous,” it said. Allies of the council later issued a statement in which they showed no sign of backing down.
**Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.

UAE says it will withdraw its remaining forces in Yemen after Saudi Arabia struck port city
Mostafa Salem, CNN/December 30, 2025
The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday that it was pulling out its remaining forces in Yemen, after Saudi Arabia bombed the war-torn country’s port city of Mukalla following accusations that two ships from the UAE had delivered weapons and combat vehicles to separatist forces.
Saudi Arabia accused the UAE, its close ally, of “highly dangerous” actions in Yemen that threatened its national security. It said it had launched “limited” airstrikes on Mukalla on Tuesday morning and backed a call for UAE forces to leave Yemen within 24 hours. The UAE initially rejected the accusations and expressed surprise at the strikes, but the country’s defense ministry later announced that, “in view of recent developments,” it would voluntarily withdraw the remaining “counterterrorism” units it had in Yemen. Saudi authorities did not immediately comment on the UAE’s decision, but the episode marks a significant flare-up between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, as relationship between the region’s tightest partners grows increasingly strained. The Saudi statement announcing its military action was issued moments after a speech by the head of Yemen’s Presidential Council Rashad Al Olimi, a body backed by Saudi Arabia, who accused the UAE of “directing” forces to “rebel against the state authority” and “escalating militarily” in the country. “The Kingdom stresses that any threat to its national security is a red line, and the Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to confront and neutralize any such threat,” the statement by the Saudi Foreign Ministry said. A video released by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen shows a single strike hitting dozens of vehicles lined up at a base within the port. The video, shared by the coalition’s spokesperson, said the strike targeted vehicles and weapons from earlier unauthorized shipments by the UAE Saudi Arabia said the UAE was “pressuring” the Southern Transitional Council, a military force backed by the Emiratis, to conduct operations on the border of the kingdom, an allegation that Abu Dhabi “condemns.”Earlier this month, UAE-backed STC launched an offensive taking control of key provinces in Yemen – a move that infuriated the Saudi-backed government, who say the military action fragmented a battle with the Iran-backed Houthi forces in the north. Groups allied to the STC had pushed into the oil-rich province of Hadramout, claiming a total of eight governorates and renewing calls for southern Yemen to secede as an independent state. Earlier, Saudi-backed groups in Yemen called on all Emirati forces to leave Yemeni territory within 24 hours and ended a defense pact with the UAE. By Tuesday evening, the UAE announced that it would withdraw its remaining troops in Yemen “of its own volition, in a manner that ensures the safety of its personnel.”
Saudi Arabia and the UAE – both neighboring oil giants – are two close allies and are key United States partners controlling trillions in global assets. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on Tuesday with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, “about the ongoing tensions in Yemen and discussed issues impacting regional security and stability,” the US State Department said in a statement. Before the escalation, Rubio last week called for diplomacy and restraint. “The United States is concerned by recent events in southeastern Yemen. We urge restraint and continued diplomacy, with a view to reaching a lasting solution. We are grateful for the diplomatic leadership of our partners, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and remain supportive of all efforts to advance our shared security interests,” he said on X. The two countries were united, along with Bahrain and Egypt, in imposing blockade on fellow Gulf nation Qatar that lasted over three years, marking the most severe recent crisis within the Arab bloc. The UAE had also supported Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen, before withdrawing in 2019.
More than a decade of war in Yemen has turned the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The years of fighting have compounded the country’s economic crisis and shattered social services.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim, Eyad Kourdi and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

Iranian president urges government to listen to protesting shopkeepers' demands
FRANCE 24/December 30, 2025
Iran's president urged his government to listen to the "legitimate demands" of protesters, state media reported Tuesday, after several days of demonstrations by shopkeepers in Tehran over economic hardships. Shopkeepers in the capital had shut their stores for the second day in a row on Monday, after Iran's embattled currency hit new lows on the unofficial market. They were joined on Tuesday by students protesters joining demonstrations in universities in the capital Tehran and the central city of Isfahan, decrying declining living standards, local media reported.
"Demonstrations took place in Tehran at the universities of Beheshti, Khajeh Nasir, Sharif, Amir Kabir, Science and Culture, and Science and Technology, as well as the Isfahan University of Technology," reported Ilna, a news agency affiliated with the labour movement. The US dollar was trading at around 1.42 million rials on Sunday – compared to 820,000 rials a year ago – and the euro nearing 1.7 million rials, according to price monitoring websites. "I have asked the Interior Minister to listen to the legitimate demands of the protesters by engaging in dialogue with their representatives so that the government can do everything in its power to resolve the problems and act responsibly," President Masoud Pezeshkian said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Protesters "are demanding immediate government intervention to rein in exchange-rate fluctuations and set out a clear economic strategy", the pro-labour news agency ILNA reported Monday. Price fluctuations are paralysing the sales of some imported goods, with both sellers and buyers preferring to postpone transactions until the outlook becomes clearer, AFP correspondents noted. "Continuing to do business under these conditions has become impossible," ILNA quoted protesters as saying. The conservative-aligned Fars news agency released images showing a crowd of demonstrators occupying a major thoroughfare in central Tehran, known for its many shops. Another photograph appeared to show tear gas being used to disperse protesters. "Minor physical clashes were reported ... between some protesters and the security forces," Fars said, warning that such gatherings could lead to instability.
Battered economy
Iranian Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei called for "the swift punishment of those responsible for currency fluctuations", the justice ministry's Mizan agency reported Monday. The government has also announced the replacement of the central bank governor. "By decision of the president, Abdolnasser Hemmati will be appointed governor of the Central Bank," presidency communications official Mehdi Tabatabaei posted on X. Hemmati is a former economy and finance minister who was dismissed by parliament in March because of the sharp depreciation of the rial. Pezeshkian delivered on Sunday the budget for the next Persian year to parliament, vowing to fight inflation and the high cost of living. In December, inflation stood at 52 percent year-on-year, according to official statistics. But this figure still falls far short of many price increases, especially for basic necessities. The country's economy, already battered by decades of Western sanctions, was further strained after the United Nations in late September reinstated international sanctions linked to the country's nuclear programme that were lifted 10 years ago. Western powers and Israel accuse Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Iran brands Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist group in act of 'reciprocity'
Kenn Oliver/National Post/December 30, 2025
More than 18 months after Canada labelled Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization, the Middle East nation has done the same to the Royal Canadian Navy. Iran’s foreign ministry said its decision was made “within the framework of reciprocity” as it relates to Ottawa’s 2024 decision to classify the IRGC as a terrorist entity, a move it said in a statement is “contrary to the fundamental principles of international law.” It cited a piece of Iranian legislation enacted in 2019 that allows the country to apply the designation to “all countries that in any way comply with or support the decision of the United States of America to declare the (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.” Formed after the 1979 Iranian revolution and now considered a “pillar” of the nation’s armed forces, the IRGC is a militia that controls vast business empires and operates armed and intelligence forces with little to no civilian oversight. Its more than 150,000 members oversee Iran’s missile program and nuclear efforts. The U.S. first listed the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization in April 2019, during President Donald Trump’s first term. Canada, advancing its own efforts to rebuke the Iranian regime’s “unlawful actions and its support of terrorism,” followed suit last June. “The Government of Canada has concluded after a deliberative process based on very, very strong and compelling evidence that the cabinet received that now is the time to list the IRGC as a criminal organization,” the Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc told reporters in Ottawa. Canada had already designated Quds Force, a branch of the IRGC, as a terrorist entity in 2012, because it provides weapons, money and training to groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Taliban, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC). According to the U.S. Counter Terrorism Guide, Quds Force “is one of the Iranian regime’s primary organizations responsible for conducting covert lethal activities outside Iran, including asymmetric and terrorist operations.”
While not specifically stated by Ottawa, one of the key factors in offering the 2024 designation was Iran’s downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752, which led to the deaths of all 176 passengers and crew, 85 Canadian citizens and permanent residents. The Guard admitted it was responsible, but said the aircraft was mistaken for a hostile target. Despite calls from within and outside Canada to apply the terrorist label to the parent IRGC, the Liberals resisted for several years, citing potential unintended consequences on Iranians who were forced into mandatory service or sent money home from Canada. Then Justice Minister Arif Virani said an individual’s willingness and intent must be considered under the Criminal Code. “If an individual was conscripted at one point in time and no longer serves with the IRGC, that would affect the analysis and inform the analysis,” Virani said last year. “If the person who is sending the money does not know what it is going to be used for and is, in fact, kept in the dark about that information, that would also affect the analysis.”In addition to the U.S. and Canada, Sweden, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia also list IRGC as a terrorist group. Late last month, Australia also listed the Guard as “a state sponsor of terrorism.” Iran’s foreign ministry did not detail the practical consequences of the designation on Canada’s Navy. National Post has contacted Iran’s ministry and Global Affairs Canada for comment and more information. 'Canada is the most infiltrated country': Iranian Canadians fear the regime's borderless terror

Iran’s ailing supreme leader resorts to his only playbook as crises mount and protests erupt
Mostafa Salem/CNN/December 30, 2025
Hundreds of women lined up for a marathon on Iran’s resort island of Kish in early December wearing matching shirts and leggings with hair tied loosely behind their backs. In a country where ignoring dress codes could land you hefty fines and prison sentences, the runners turned their focus on the course ahead, ignoring government directives and the complimentary headscarf placed by the race organizers in the marathon starter pack, in anticipation of violations.
In October, a band played the “Seven Nation Army” riff to a headbanging crowd on the streets of the Iranian capital Tehran in a viral moment on social media reposted by the American guitarist behind the White Stripes hit, Jack White. This week, shopkeepers and bazaar merchants took to the streets in several Iranian cities, chanting anti-regime slogans over their inability to pay rent after the currency hit record lows. The protests were the largest since a 2022 nationwide uprising sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody after she was arrested for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly.
Despite being so far limited, the protests mark the latest chapter in growing discontent in Iran while a population quietly reclaims public spaces and personal freedoms through uncoordinated acts of defiance. The Islamic theocratic regime – long opposed to Western cultural influence – appears to be overlooking the growing civil disobedience to focus on its own survival. At the helm is Iran’s ailing 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who spent decades trying to fortify his regime from domestic and foreign threats, but must now contend with a failing strategy. Domestically, a frustrated youth are showing unprecedented defiance of Islamic norms, the national currency has plummeted to record lows, Iranian cities are running dry and protests are beginning to emerge. Outside its borders, its arch-enemy Israel continues lobbying the United States over further military action against the Islamic Republic.
With limited options, Khamenei is now adopting a cautious waiting game, avoiding major decisions and drastic strategies despite the mounting domestic challenges. “Many observers relay a sense of no one being at home; no one making any big decisions, or rather that Khamenei is not permitting any real decisions,” Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor of Amwaj.media, a London-based news site focusing on Iran, Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula countries, told CNN. “Right now, whatever decision Khamenei may make will likely feature a significant downside, so it seems as if he’s sitting out any major decision,” he said.
The Supreme Leader, or “Vali-ye Faqih” – a significant title granting its holder ultimate authority over all state and religious affairs – was reportedly incommunicado and confined to a secure underground bunker for his own safety during a 12-day war with Israel in June, a conflict that caught Tehran off guard despite decades of preparation.Khamenei emerged after the conflict with a weakened military, a heavily damaged nuclear program, and a population rapidly losing faith in the 36-year-old policies of the once-revolutionary leader. In the months that followed, Iran’s struggling population watched their nation grow increasingly dysfunctional with mounting crises. Persistent electricity blackouts, record inflation and soaring unemployment have left citizens disillusioned by their powerless leadership. Smog fills Iran’s skies after the government, desperate to keep power on this winter, switched to cheaper, lower-quality fuel, that’s dirtier than natural gas. Twenty provinces across Iran suffered this year through the country’s worst drought in more than 40 years. A mismanaged water crisis that has become so dire that President Masoud Pezeshkian has openly proposed the idea of residents evacuating Tehran to ease the massive strain on the capital’s dwindling supplies.Economically, the country suffers as inflation soars. The rial hit historic lows this month triggering protests by shopkeepers as basic necessities spiral out of reach. Years of heavy money printing has devalued the currency so dramatically that the government’s latest budget ran into the quadrillions of rials. Iran’s once cunning and innovative foreign policy has ground to a halt, with no diplomatic breakthrough in sight as Western powers tighten the screws through relentless sanctions. The Revolutionary Guard’s network of militant proxies, long a cornerstone of Iran’s regional influence and deterrence, is badly weakened amid near-daily targeting from Israel, and a key territorial advantage was lost when Syrian rebels overthrew the Iran-aligned Assad dynasty last year.
Weathering the pressure
The Islamic Republic of Iran has long been accustomed to crises and relentless pressure. Soon after the 1979 revolution the country became locked into an eight-year brutal war with Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, but it endured that conflict with fierce determination and ultimately survived.
Inheriting a nation that was wrecked and regionally isolated by war, a younger Khamenei faced the daunting task of resurrecting his fractured economy and society. He had to manage internal dissent and rivalries within Iran’s complex clerical circles, confront unyielding international economic pressures, all while preserving the revolutionary ideals of sovereignty and independence. “Everybody in Iran wants change. The hardliners want a return to the past, the reformists a shift to the future and many moderates want any change. Nobody is happy with the status quo,” said Shabani, of Amwaj.media.
Khamenei had spent decades loyally consolidating the Islamic Revolution across all levels of Iranian society such that his inevitable end, whether by death or overthrow, will mark a monumental moment, one that could profoundly alter Iran’s trajectory, depending on who comes after him.
“Undoubtedly his departure from the scene would be the most pivotal moment in the history of the Islamic Republic … and there would be an opportunity in changing Iran’s geostrategic direction, but it depends on who and what comes after Khamenei,” Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, said. It remains unclear whether the establishment is set on a successor to the Supreme Leader. Analysts cite potential candidates like Mojtaba Khamenei, his son and a cleric with influence, or Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the 1979 Revolution’s founder. “The outside world has very little influence on who would come next, and it really depends on the internal dynamics and the balance of power between internal forces,” Vaez said. “Equally important is whether the West will provide the new leadership in Iran with a way out…if the West is to be prepared to capitalize on that moment of change in Iran it needs to start thinking about that as of now,” Vaez said. ‘Job unfinished’Amid protests, civil disobedience and the simultaneous convergence of disasters, Khamenei now faces another external threat with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who flew to the US this week to press President Donald Trump on taking more aggressive action, sounding the alarm on Iran’s ballistic missile program.Trump had repeatedly declared Iran’s nuclear program destroyed, politically closing the nuclear file and removing Israel’s most powerful historical justification for US support for war with Iran, Sina Toossi, a senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International policy said. “Netanyahu’s pivot to missiles should therefore be read not as the discovery of a new threat, but as an effort to manufacture a replacement casus belli after the nuclear argument collapsed” Toossi said.
“I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down,” Trump said after meeting Netanyahu, adding, “We’ll knock the hell out of them.”

Nearly 25 Islamic State fighters killed or captured in Syria, US military says
BEN FINLEY and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN/Associated Press/December 30/2025
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military said Tuesday that nearly 25 operatives of the Islamic State group were killed or captured in Syria this month following an ambush that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter. U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said in a statement on X that 11 missions were carried out over the past 10 days and followed initial strikes against IS weapons sites and infrastructure on Dec. 19, which hit 70 targets across central Syria. In the operations since, the U.S. military and other forces from the region, including Syria, killed at least seven IS members, captured others and eliminated four weapons caches, U.S. Central Command said. “We will not relent,” Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads the command, said in the statement. “We are steadfast in commitment to working with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat posed to U.S. and regional security.”Targets ranged from senior IS members who were being closely monitored by military officials to lower-level foot soldiers, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations. The official said a growing collaboration between the United States and Syria's relatively new government meant that U.S. forces were able to attack IS in areas of the country where they previously did not operate. Syrian forces were the driving force behind some of the missions against the militant group this year, the official added. The official compared the growing cooperation to that between the U.S. and Iraq in fighting IS a decade ago and said the goal, like in Iraq, is to ultimately hand over the effort fully to the Syrians. The latest operations followed a Dec. 13 ambush that occurred near the ancient city of Palmyra while American and Syrian security officials had gathered for a meeting over lunch. Two members of the Iowa National Guard and a civilian interpreter from Michigan were killed, while three other U.S. troops and members of Syria’s security forces were wounded. The gunman, who was killed, had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard and recently had been reassigned because of suspicions he might be affiliated with IS, Syrian officials said. The initial retaliatory strike on IS targets in Syria, which included fighter jets from Jordan, was a major test for the warming ties between the U.S. and Syria since last year's ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad. President Donald Trump said Syria's new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack."

Why Israel's recognition of Somaliland as an independent state is controversial
Wedaeli Chibelushi; Ameyu Etana - BBC Afaan Oromoo; Farah Lamane /BBC Somali/December 30, 2025
'Israel has taken the controversial decision to recognise the breakaway state of Somaliland as an independent nation, sparking condemnation from many other countries. Israel became the first in the world to do so on Friday, more than 30 years after the region declared independence from Somalia. Somaliland's president called the development "a historic moment", but Somalia furiously rejected Israel's move as an attack on its sovereignty. Since then, dozens of countries and organisations including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the African Union have criticised the surprise declaration. China added to the chorus of dissent most recently, with its foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian telling reporters: "No country should encourage or support other countries' internal separatist forces for its own selfish interests." The US, however, defended Israel's decision at an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss the issue, saying the response contrasted with the decision taken by a number of UN member countries to recognise a Palestinian state earlier in the year - a move the US strongly opposed. "Earlier this year, several countries, including members of this council, made the unilateral decision to recognise a non-existent Palestinian state, and yet no emergency meeting was called to express this Council's outrage," the US deputy ambassador to the UN, Tammy Bruce, said. Israel's deputy ambassador to the UN, Jonathan Miller, told the council that Israel's move was not a "hostile step toward Somalia, nor does it preclude future dialogue between the parties". "Recognition is not an act of defiance. It is an opportunity," he added.
Why does Somaliland want independence?
A breakaway, semi-desert territory on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, Somaliland declared independence after the overthrow of Somali military dictator Siad Barre in 1991. The move followed a secessionist struggle during which Siad Barre's forces pursued rebel guerrillas in the territory. Tens of thousands of people were killed and towns were flattened. Though not internationally recognised, Somaliland has a working political system, government institutions, a police force, and its own currency. Its history as a distinct region of Somalia dates back to nineteenth century colonial rule. It was a British protectorate - known as British Somaliland - until it merged with Italian Somaliland in 1960 to form the Somali Republic. Those in favour of Somaliland's independence argue that the region is predominantly populated by those from the Isaaq clan - an ethnic difference from the rest of Somalia. Also, Somaliland, home to roughly six million people, enjoys relative peace and stability. Its proponents argue that it should not be shackled to Somalia, which has long been wracked by Islamist militant attacks. However, Somalia considers Somaliland to be an integral part of its territory. The government in Somalia's capital city, Mogadishu, has repeatedly said that any recognition of Somaliland's independence would contravene Somalia's sovereignty. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has also characterised Israel's declaration as an "existential threat" to his country's unity. Why did Israel recognise Somaliland as an independent state? In a phone call with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country was acknowledging Somaliland's "right of self-determination". He also said official recognition would be "a great opportunity for expanding" the countries' partnership.
Israel has pledged to cooperate with Somaliland in agriculture, health, technology and the economy. However analysts say there are strategic reasons for Israel's declaration. "Israel requires allies in the Red Sea region for many strategic reasons, among them the possibility of a future campaign against the Houthis," Israeli think tank the Institute for National Security Studies said, referring to Yemen's Iran-backed rebels, in a paper last month. "Somaliland is an ideal candidate for such cooperation as it could offer Israel potential access to an operational area close to the conflict zone." Israel repeatedly struck targets in Yemen after the Gaza war broke out in October 2023, in response to Houthi attacks on Israel that the rebels said were in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In response to Israel recognising Somaliland, the Houthis warned that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be considered a "military target" for their forces.
A few months ago, a number of news outlets reported that Israel had contacted Somaliland over the potential resettlement of Palestinians forcibly removed from Gaza. Israel did not comment on the reports, but at the time, Somaliland said that any move by Israel to recognise its independence would not have anything to do with the Palestinian issue. Both Somalia and the Palestinian Authority have suggested Israel's recognition of Somaliland could be linked to a plan to displace Palestinians. "Somalia will never accept the people of Palestine to be forcibly evicted from their rightful land to a faraway place," Somalia's president told his parliament on Sunday. Offering his perspective, US-based Africa analyst Cameron Hudson told the BBC that Israel has recognised Somaliland primarily because it is trying to counter Iran's influence in the Red Sea region. "The Red Sea is also a conduit for weapons and fighters to flow up the Red Sea into the Eastern Mediterranean. It has traditionally been a source of support and supply to fighters in Gaza. And so having a presence, having a security presence, having an intelligence presence at the mouth of the Red Sea only serves Israel's national security interests," he said.
Map of Somalia showing the Semi-autonomous state of Puntland and its capital Garowe as well as Somaliland, self-declared independent, its capital Hargeisa and the Port of Berbera. The map also shows the disputed territory between Somaliland and Puntland, and the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu.
Why has Israel's move been condemned so widely? Israel has been criticised by the likes of Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the African Union, Yemen, Sudan, Nigeria, Libya, Iran, Iraq and Qatar. In their condemnations, many of these countries have referred to Somalia's "territorial integrity". The African Union has long been concerned that recognising Somaliland could set off a chain reaction, where separatists could demand recognition for the territories they claim. "Regions could attempt to establish external alliances without the consent of central governments, creating a dangerous precedent that risks widespread instability," Abdurahman Sayed, a UK-based analyst for the Horn of Africa, told the BBC.
Could more countries support Somaliland's independence?
Countries considered to be allies of Somaliland, or sympathetic to its campaign for recognition, have largely remained quiet. For instance, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which operates a military port in Somaliland, has not released a statement. Mr Hudson told the BBC that the UAE is "very much aligned with the Israelis on this question of Somaliland"."I think even now today you're going to see an alignment of Israeli and Emirati interests across the entire Red Sea region," he added. Ethiopia's government has also refrained from commenting. Last year Somaliland agreed to lease part of its coastline to landlocked Ethiopia - a move that angered Somalia. Mr Abdurahman said Turkey stepped in to mediate between Somalia and Ethiopia. It led Ethiopia to sign an agreement with Somalia's government, committing to respect its territorial integrity. "As a result, although Israel's unilateral recognition of Somaliland may be quietly welcomed by Ethiopia, Addis Ababa appears to have adopted a cautious 'wait-and-see' approach," the analyst added. Somalilanders had hoped the US would recognise it as an independent state following signals given before Donald Trump began his second term as president.
But in response to Israel's declaration, Trump suggested to the New York Post that he would not swiftly follow Netanyahu's lead. "Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?," he reportedly said. The European Union and the UK have also refused to recognise Somaliland's independence, saying they support Somalia's territorial integrity.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 30-31/2025
"Arise... for those who sought the child’s life are dead"
Johannes Tauler (c. 1300 – 1361), Dominican Friar in Strasbourg
When Joseph was fleeing with the Child and His mother, he learned from the angel in a dream that Herod was dead. However, when he heard that Herod's son, Archelaus, was ruling the land, he remained deeply anxious that he might kill the Child. Herod, who pursued the Child and wished to kill Him, represents the World—which, without any doubt, kills the Child; the world that must be fled from if we wish to save the Child.
But as soon as we flee the world externally... Archelaus rises and takes command: there is still an entire world inside of you, a world you cannot overcome without God’s providence and help.
There are three powerful and relentless enemies within you that must be conquered, and success is difficult.
The Pride of the Soul: It wants to be seen, appreciated, and listened to by everyone.
Your Own Body: It attacks you through physical and spiritual impurity.
The Evil Inspiration: It attacks with bitter thoughts, doubts, hateful judgments, malice, and desires for revenge.
Do you wish to become dearer and dearer to the heart of God? You must completely abandon this path because all of this represents the wicked Archelaus. Be cautious and stay alert; in truth, he seeks to destroy the Child.
The angel warned Joseph and called him to the land of Israel. Israel means "the land of vision." Egypt means "darkness." In the time of sleep—in total and true surrender—you will receive the call to emerge from the darkness, just as Joseph did. Then, you can go to Galilee, which means "passage."
Behold, we have passed over everything and reached Nazareth, which means "true flowering"—the land where the roses of eternal life bloom. Here, we are certain to taste the flavor of eternal life; here is complete security, peace beyond words, joy, and rest.
Only the surrendered reach this place—those who submit to God so that He may liberate them, and who do not attempt to liberate themselves through their own violent efforts. These are the ones who attain this peace and flowering in Nazareth, and who find therein the fulfillment of their eternal happiness.
May this be the goal for us all, and may our most lovable God help us in this!

Iranian Influence Operation Targeting Israeli Arabs Exposed
Ari Ben Am & Bridget Toomey/FDD/December 30/2025
Iran’s probing of Israeli society for vulnerabilities is expanding beyond the Jewish population. Israeli NGO “FakeReporter” uncovered a multipronged influence operation targeting Israel’s Arab population on December 19. The suspected Iranian operation, which operated in Arabic, shared politically contentious content intended to stoke tensions in Israel’s Arab community. Through a range of false organizations and accounts, this influence network convinced legitimate political, media, and civil society actors to amplify its message without knowing who was truly behind it.
This operation is only the latest in Iran’s unending — and perpetually creative — malign cyber campaigns. Despite an end to military strikes between Iran and Israel, the ongoing “shadow war” between the two presents the perfect arena for Tehran to exploit cyber vulnerabilities.
Iranian Actors Impersonate Arab Israelis
The operation consisted of three central fake organizations created to cover the spectrum of Israeli-Arab politics and discourse: a joint Arab-Jewish NGO, a Palestinian nationalist outlet, and a culturally focused outlet. Each of them highlighted topics critical to Israel’s Arab population, such as the war in Gaza, civil rights, and unprosecuted crime in the community. The operation also featured inauthentic domains and networks of fake accounts and entities on Telegram, Instagram, and X amplifying the fake organizations. After their exposure, multiple network entities were taken down.
The operation reached established actors to expand its influence. In at least one case, the operation persuaded an Israeli political party to upload joint posts and organize a shared protest. It also convinced one of the most established Arab media outlets in Israel, Radio al-Shams, to publish articles from fake accounts affiliated with these organizations.
Similar Modus Operandi to Past Iranian Operations
The Islamic Republic has conducted a range of operations intended to sow discord and demoralize the Israeli public. While this is the first large-scale influence operation dedicated to Israeli Arabs, it exhibited similar characteristics to past Iranian operations, such as exploiting controversial political topics, organizing protests, and exploiting prominent media outlets for amplification.
Not only does Tehran want to influence Israeli society, but the Islamic Republic also hopes to exploit existing discontent. The regime has aggressively attempted to recruit spies from across Israeli society, leading to a 30 percent increase in arrests and investigations of espionage activity connected to Tehran in 2025. In October, an Israeli Arab was charged with providing information to an Iranian agent.
Israel Doesn’t Pay Enough Attention to the Threat of Foreign Influence
Iran is developing and deploying a range of cyber and influence operations intended to subvert and harm Western countries and U.S. partners. Israel is ill-prepared to respond due to the absence of a sufficient regulatory or legal framework to counter foreign interference. The Israel Security Agency (ISA), or Shin Bet, is responsible for countering foreign influence and interference, but its activity is largely classified and limited by the “General Security Service Law,” which lays out its powers. Israel must update its laws and regulations to clarify areas of responsibility and increase transparency in the fight against foreign malign influence and interference.
This case also has specific lessons. Israel should grow its limited counterinfluence and counter-interference efforts in the country’s Arab population. At the same time, improved efforts by the Israeli government to address issues within the country’s Arab communities may increase connection to the state and limit the window of access for Iran’s malign influence. The vulnerability of Israel’s Arab community should be a word of caution to all democracies which would be well served by bolstering multilingual and multicultural counter-interference efforts. By engaging minority groups to maintain community ties and lines of communication, governments can prevent and mitigate foreign interference efforts via advanced warning, updates on current threats, and debunking.
**Ari Ben Am is an adjunct fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ (FDD’s) Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI), focusing on emerging threats, influence and information operations, cyber operations, and hybrid warfare. Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Bridget and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Bridget on X @BridgetKToomey. Follow FDD on X @FDD, @FDD_CCTI, and @FDD_Iran. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

U.S. Tech Companies Are Helping Terrorists to Weaponize AI Part I
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/December 30, 2025
"ChatGPT Advises Users On How To Attack A Sports Venue, Buy Nuclear Material On Dark Web, Weaponize Anthrax, Build Spyware, Bombs..." — Middle East Media and Research Institute (MEMRI), November 20, 2025.
Meanwhile, Google is helping Qatar's terror-promoting Al Jazeera television network to be even more effective at terrorist propaganda: On December 21, Al Jazeera announced that it was expanding its collaboration with Google Cloud on the network's new initiative, "The Core," that will integrate AI into its news operations. Perhaps a start would be for the US government to "look into" what world-leading companies working with AI, such as Google, are doing to aid supporters and promoters of terrorism such as Al-Jazeera?
Terrorist networks, not surprisingly, are focusing their efforts on weaponizing artificial intelligence (AI). A recent study by MEMRI discloses the use of artificial intelligence by Hamas, Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State (ISIS), the Houthis and Hezbollah, among others:
"ChatGPT Advises Users On How To Attack A Sports Venue, Buy Nuclear Material On Dark Web, Weaponize Anthrax, Build Spyware, Bombs...."
The Associated Press reported on December 15:
"Such groups spread fake images two years ago of the Israel-Hamas war depicting bloodied, abandoned babies in bombed-out buildings. The images spurred outrage and polarization while obscuring the war's actual horrors. Violent groups in the Middle East used the photos to recruit new members, as did antisemitic hate groups in the U.S. and elsewhere."
MEMRI noted:
"[T]errorists have begun to use generative AI chatbots to more easily, broadly, anonymously, and persuasively convey their message to those vulnerable to radicalization – even children – with attractive video and images that claim attacks, glorify terrorist fighters and leaders, and depict past and imagined future victories...."As supporters of terrorist organizations like ISIS and Al-Qaeda follow the development of AI, they are increasingly discussing and brainstorming how they might leverage that technology in the future, and the full consequences of terrorist organizations' adoption of this sophisticated technology are difficult to foresee. Its biggest benefit to jihadi groups may come not in supercharging their propaganda, outreach, and recruiting efforts – though that may be significant – but in AI's potential ability to expose and find ways to take advantage of as-yet-unknown vulnerabilities in the complex security, infrastructure, and other systems essential to modern life – thus maximizing future attacks' destruction and carnage."
Israeli Professor of Criminology Shai Farber recently wrote in the Journal of Strategic Security:
"AI enables terrorist groups to analyze vast quantities of data effectively, identify tactical weaknesses, and refine their targeting strategies with increasing precision....
"Technical sophistication in terrorist use of AI continues to advance rapidly. Generative adversarial networks now enable terrorist groups to simulate and evaluate potential attack scenarios in virtual environments, allowing for comprehensive outcome assessment before execution. The emergence of advanced AI language models has further transformed terrorist capabilities, enabling the automated production of convincing, personalized propaganda material for radicalization and recruitment."
AI helps terrorists both in their mass propaganda and psychological campaigns, and to recruit individuals, according to Farber:
"[T]errorist groups deploy AI-powered chatbots and social media bots to engage with potential recruits at scale, adapting their messaging based on target audiences... machine learning algorithms enable the micro-targeting of individuals with personalized propaganda, analyzing vast datasets to identify patterns and predict which messages will resonate with specific demographic groups... this technological capability allows terrorist organizations to automate the production and distribution of misinformation on a massive scale....
"AI is shifting the nature of terrorist influence operations from traditional propaganda to highly personalized psychological manipulation. Recent incidents, such as the use of AI-generated videos in the aftermath of terrorist attacks to sow panic and misinformation (NCTC, 2024), exemplify this trend... terrorist groups are increasingly deploying AI-powered chatbots and generative models to create false narratives, simulate credible sources, and erode trust in state institutions. This aligns with the hypothesis that future conflicts will extend beyond the kinetic realm into cognitive and informational domains, where AI will play a key role in shaping public perception and decision-making processes.""For any adversary, AI really makes it much easier to do things," cautioned John Laliberte, a former vulnerability researcher at the National Security Agency who is now CEO of cybersecurity firm ClearVector. "With AI, even a small group that doesn't have a lot of money is still able to make an impact." Meanwhile, Google is helping Qatar's terror-promoting Al Jazeera television network to be even more effective at terrorist propaganda: On December 21, Al Jazeera announced that it was expanding its collaboration with Google Cloud on the network's new initiative, "The Core," that will integrate AI into its news operations. "This transformational program leverages our advanced AI tools to reshape how journalists report and create news, and how audiences consume it. Together, Google Cloud and Al Jazeera are setting a new future direction for digital journalism," Alex Rutter, AI managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Google Cloud said, praising Al Jazeera's decision to build "The Core" platform as a "pivotal step in developing the next generation of intelligent media".
Already in 2017, Google and Al Jazeera announced, "a global partnership... to help cement Al Jazeera's position as a digital-first broadcaster and accelerate its growth through use of Google technology." Google appears to be playing a leading role in making Al Jazeera's terrorist propaganda mainstream.
There is a need, MEMRI has warned, "to consider and plan now for AI's possible centrality in the next mass terror attack – just as the 9/11 attackers took advantage of the inadequate aviation security of that time."
Google's former CEO Eric Schmidt says he is concerned about just such a scenario:
"The fears I have are not ones that most people talk about AI – I talk about extreme risk... This technology [for instance, biological weapons] is fast enough for them to adopt so that they could misuse it and do real harm. I'm always worried about the 'Osama Bin Laden' scenario, where you have some truly evil person who takes over some aspect of our modern life and uses it to harm innocent people."
Perhaps a start would be for the US government to "look into" what world-leading companies working with AI, such as Google, are doing to aid supporters and promoters of terrorism such as Al-Jazeera?
*Robert Williams is based in the United States.
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How 2026 will shape the Middle East for the next decade
Riad Kahwaji/Arabiya-English/December 30/2025
Several anticipated developments in the coming year will make 2026 a decisive year, one that will witness events and shifts shaping the region for the next decade. Multiple arenas across the region are experiencing challenges and tensions that affect one another in one way or another, given the role of key players involved, namely Iran and Israel. The conflict between them shifted in 2025 from a proxy war to a direct confrontation, a trend likely to continue despite Tehran’s intense efforts to rebuild the capabilities of its proxies, who have suffered heavy blows since October 7, 2023. In recent months, Iran has been working to consolidate its allies in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen to keep the conflict with Israel confined to those arenas and away from its own territory. However, international pressure on these groups, particularly in Lebanon and Iraq, to disarm will persist, placing executive authorities in both countries before difficult tests.
Israel is set to hold legislative elections next October that will determine the political fate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. This will place Netanyahu under significant pressure to buy more time in order to achieve accomplishments that bolster his standing with Israeli voters and ensure his survival in power. That, in turn, will require the continuation of wars on some, if not all, of the seven fronts Israel says it has been fighting on over the past two years.
Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House was aimed at identifying which fronts will be activated and the objectives to be achieved on each. Naturally, no specifics of the meeting were made public, despite leaks and extensive analysis. However, based on reporting and analysis in Hebrew and Western media, the Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen fronts are expected to see escalation in the coming period.
As for Iran, Israel appears determined to destroy its missile program alongside its nuclear program. Iran’s missile capabilities have clearly taken Israel by surprise and are now classified as a strategic threat. They also deeply concern Europe and the United States due to the increased range of Iran’s ballistic missiles and the advancement of their warheads. For this reason, the West may be open to supporting Israeli military action to neutralize the Iranian missile threat in addition to the nuclear one. Tel Aviv is seeking direct US involvement in a broad attack on Iran, although Washington is more likely to limit its role to defensive, logistical, and intelligence support. Some observers fear Israel could exploit US backing for a new war against Iran to launch operations aimed at toppling the regime, a goal that Israeli figures openly discussed during the most recent conflict with Iran. Israel may also wait until the end of the academic year before opening the Iran front, in order to reduce the risk posed to its population by ballistic missile barrages.
In Lebanon, the process of removing Hezbollah’s weapons north of the Litani River by the Lebanese army will face significant complications and stagnation due to the group’s rejection of the move. According to warnings from several international actors, this could lead to the resumption of war against Hezbollah targets, particularly in the Bekaa Valley, where ballistic missile stockpiles, long-range missiles, and drones are believed to be stored. Moreover, the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in southern Lebanon expires at the end of 2026, making it necessary to determine the future of border areas with Israel and how they will be managed in the absence of a buffer force, especially if
Hezbollah’s weapons remain unchanged. Any future war would strengthen the role of the existing mechanism, pushing negotiations between Lebanon and Israel to a more advanced stage, with higher demands from both sides. If Israel intends to launch ground operations toward the Bekaa, it would likely wait until spring to avoid snow conditions.
The fate of the Iraq front is tied to the composition of the Iraqi government and the future of weapons held by the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Units. If Iranian influence grows within the next Iraqi government, the likelihood of Israeli strikes against PMU missile and drone depots will increase significantly. Washington is exerting strong pressure to prevent the formation of a pro-Iranian Iraqi government and to push authorities to disarm PMF militias. Any operations against
Iraq could coincide with the anticipated Israeli war against Iran, given the geographic link between the two countries.
The region witnessed a dramatic development in recent days linked to the situation in Yemen, namely Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state. Many analysts believe Israel’s objective is to establish a military base in the Bab el-Mandeb area, the southern gateway to the Red Sea, which lies opposite Yemen’s coast. This would significantly enhance Israeli military operations against the Houthis in Yemen and allow closer monitoring of Iranian movements in the Red Sea. Israel’s expansion toward Yemen also carries long-term implications tied to strengthening its influence in the Horn of Africa and encircling Egypt from the south. Despite the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt, Israeli officials continue to cite the growing military capabilities of Egypt as a source of concern.
The Gaza and Syria fronts cannot be ignored. Gaza is now linked to a peace plan bearing the name and signature of President Trump, meaning US pressure is weighing heavily on Netanyahu and his intentions toward the territory. Hamas’s threat to Israel has diminished significantly, and the diplomatic track is moving toward implementation of its second phase in the coming weeks, though military action to disarm Hamas cannot be ruled out. On the Syrian front, improving US-Syrian relations at security, political, and economic levels, along with the lifting of Caesar Act sanctions, complicates Netanyahu’s clear efforts to use the Druze and Kurdish communities to pressure the Syrian government into accepting Israeli conditions under a new security arrangement. Washington’s support for a Turkish-Saudi role in Syria that safeguards US interests there has also irritated Netanyahu. The rapid pace of developments in Syria is likely to push matters toward escalation and decisive military outcomes in the coming months, leading to a new security agreement between Israel and Syria and the consolidation of the new administration in Damascus.

Selected Face Book & X tweets for /December 30/2025
Maha Aoun
President Trump:"Hezbollah is behaving badly. So we w'll see what will happens"
This statement from President Trump seems like a typical mix of warning and ambiguity. Breaking it down:
“Hezbollah is behaving badly” → He is publicly criticizing Hezbollah’s actions, likely implying a threat of consequences.“So we’ll see what will happen” → This is deliberately vague; it doesn’t specify military action, sanctions, or diplomatic measures. It leaves options open and signals uncertainty to Hezbollah and international observers. In short, it’s a warning without committing to a specific response—classic political rhetoric meant to put pressure without immediate escalation.

Michel Hajji Georgiou
Undoubtedly, the most galvanized concept in Lebanon, freedom, is neither a luxury nor a slogan: it is our condition of possibility; this discreet breath that allowed this unlikely country to stand between sea and mountains, between languages, rituals, memories and wounds. Without her, there's only a fractured territory of armed tribes. With her, it becomes a space - fragile, conflicting, but alive - where we still try to coexist worlds that, elsewhere, turn their backs on us.
Now that freedom is in jeopardy. Everywhere (... ).
My last article of the year for levanttime.com
Here's the link to the French version:
https://levanttime.com/.../4c0cff76-d0d6-44f1-a239...