English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For July 26/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’"
Luke 10/38-42: "Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me. ’But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’"

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 25-26/2025
In Syria, the Ruler Changed but the Regime Remained... Turkey Replaced Iran/Elias Bejjani/July 24/2025
War time notice...The Terrorist George Abdallah/Charles Elias Chartouni/July 25/2025
Israel strike kills one in south Lebanon
Lebanese PM Makes Brief Visit to Paris, Secures French Support
Israeli military says senior Hezbollah official killed in southern Lebanon strike
Lebanon and Turkey discuss military cooperation in Istanbul meeting
Lebanese army helicopters join firefighting efforts in Cyprus
Israel strikes car in Baraashit, flies drones over Beirut and Dahieh
Report: Lebanon proposes August for start of 'step-for-step' with Israel
Barrack says US goal in Lebanon is 'strong state that can disarm Hezbollah'
US envoy to reportedly discuss Lebanese proposals with Israeli officials in Paris
Lebanon launches crackdown on fake and smuggled medicines with new tracking app
Hezbollah's Qmati calls for unity amid pressure for disarmament
Salam says reassured by Macron's 'commitment to assisting Lebanon'
Lebanon: George Abdallah Released after 40 Years in French Jail
Lebanese Georges Abdallah lands in Beirut after 40 years in French jail
Georges Abdallah says resistance must continue as Israel faces ‘final chapter’
Lebanese Lessons from Suwayda’s Massacre/Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/July 25/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 25-26/2025
‘Firm and Supportive Stance’: Saudi Arabia to Invest $6.4 Billion in Syria
Iran will increase the speed of its military, scientific tracks: Khamenei
US-led Forces Kill Senior ISIS Leader in Syria
Syria, US and France agree to engage in efforts to support Syria’s transition
Syria, US and France hold ‘frank’ talks, urge success of Syria’s transition
Israel says intercepted missile fired from Yemen
Israel and US considering alternative options to bring hostages home: Netanyahu
UK, French and German leaders press Israel over Gaza aid after Macron backs Palestinian state
Trump agrees to Palestinian statehood, says Bishara Bahbah
US faces $2 bln, year-long effort to replenish missile interceptors used to defend Israel
Hamas accuses US mediators of reneging on Gaza talks positions
UK’s Starmer says recognizing Palestinian statehood must be part of wider peace plan
Trump travels to Scotland for golf, bilateral ties amid Epstein controversy
Oil prices dip to settle at 3-week low on US and China economic concerns

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on July 25-26/2025
The Risks of Israel’s Druze Policy...Picking and choosing between Druze leaders will prove counterproductive./Ahmad Sharawi/Foreign Policy/July 25/2025
Erdogan and Shara’s “Sunnification” Project/Sinan Ciddi/The National Interest/July 25/2025
Turkey’s Kurds and the Making of Erdoğan’s Autocracy/Sinan Ciddi/National Security Journal/July 25/2025
FAQ: Time Is Short to Trigger the Iran Nuclear Deal’s Snapback Mechanism/Andrea Stricker/FDD/July 25/2025
Question: “What happens at the final judgment?”/Got Questions/July 25/2025
Will St. James ‘the Muslim-Slayer’ Ever Ride Again?/Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/July 25/202
Putting Syria back on track/Zaid AlKami/Al Arabiya English/25 July/2025
The US is Unlikely to Withdraw Its Troops from the Region/Huda al-Husseini/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 25/2025
The Post-Gaza Tragedy/Sawsan al-Abtah/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 25/2025
Selected Tweets for 25 July/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 25-26/2025
In Syria, the Ruler Changed but the Regime Remained... Turkey Replaced Iran
Elias Bejjani/July 24/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145618/
Introduction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKu6wjcGKjM&t=217s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gole3iFLI2U&t=7s
The head changed, but the body remained the same. This summarizes what happened in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s barrel-bomb and chemical regime. The dictatorship was not broken—it merely changed face. The mafia that ruled the country did not disappear; it was replaced by a more extremist one, led by the terrorist Ahmad al-Sharaa, known as "al-Jolani", leader of "Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham" (formerly al-Nusra Front). With Assad’s fall, the authoritarian structure and security apparatus remained—only the patron changed, from Iran's mullahs to Erdogan’s Turkey, from Assad's “resistance axis” to Erdogan’s cross-border Islamist Brotherhood project.
Al-Jolani’s Dictatorship: A New Face of Repression in the Name of Religion
Al-Jolani, who led jihadists in Idlib, quickly rebranded himself as “President” of the new Syria, under Turkish regional backing and international complicity, particularly from the West, Israel, and some Gulf states who seem to have traded the real Syrian revolution for an illusion of "stability."
This illusory "stability" is based on the culture of political Islam, jihadism, and Salafism, aimed at eliminating opponents, suppressing minorities, and re-producing dictatorship with a sectarian face. Al-Jolani is forcefully imposing Sharia law in its Muslim Brotherhood form on Christian areas, threatening Christians with conversion or violence. The Church of Mar Elias in Damascus was bombed by one of al-Jolani’s followers, killing dozens. He also committed mass atrocities against Alawites in Latakia, killing over ten thousand in a clearly sectarian campaign.
The Kurds, who initially cooperated with al-Jolani, were also betrayed. He demanded they disarm without guarantees or political participation, repeating the Brotherhood’s infamous pattern of treachery under Erdogan.
Sweida: An Open Wound
What is happening in Sweida with the Druze continues unabated. Al-Jolani’s bloody, hateful, and ideologically driven regime did not stop with earlier massacres around Damascus. He now continues a policy of terror and assassinations in southern Syria through jihadist death squads and armed Bedouin militias that he funds and hides behind—with Turkish support—under the pretext of “rebellion” or “collaboration with Israel.”
Economic Restructuring... Legalized Theft
A shocking investigative report by Reuters on July 24, 2025, revealed how the president’s brother, Hazem al-Sharaa, is secretly leading a restructuring of Syria’s economy with the help of an Australian-Lebanese terrorist financier named Ibrahim Skaria (Abu Maryam), listed under terrorism sanctions.
Together, this shadowy duo is looting billions under the guise of “economic reforms,” redistributing wealth to corrupt businessmen from the Assad era in exchange for immunity. The result: institutionalized corruption, legalized expropriation, and continued security-state dominance under new Islamist branding.
Over $1.6 billion has been seized from three Assad-era figures, while Hazem al-Sharaa and his partners now control Syria’s top telecom, oil, and aviation companies. “Sham Wings” became “Fly Sham” in a suspicious deal, and a new sovereign fund was created under the presidency, managed exclusively by Hazem—without any public oversight.
From al-Nusra to the Presidential Palace: The New Caliphate?
Once known as "Abu Mohammad al-Jolani", he is now called “President Ahmad al-Sharaa”, with his militias embedded in the state under names like “economic committees.” There is no constitution, no elections, no pluralism. No place for dissent, minorities, or human rights. Just clerical rule—an Islamic state in civilian disguise—managed by Erdogan with a green light from the international community.
Erdogan’s Role in Fueling Conflict and Blocking Arab-Israeli Peace
In Syria’s tangled scene, one cannot ignore Erdogan’s destructive role. Like Iran, he uses similar tools: stirring wars, weakening states, and obstructing peace. By activating his jihadist proxies in Idlib and northern Syria, Erdogan stokes conflict among Syrians and between them and minority groups—Druze, Alawites, Christians, and Kurds—as seen today in Sweida, and previously in Homs, Afrin, and Ras al-Ayn. This is a deliberate strategy to fragment societies and make Syria a battleground for his expansionist ambitions. Worse still, these conflicts serve a broader regional goal: to block normalization between Israel and Arab states—especially Saudi Arabia’s accession to the Abraham Accords. Erdogan is replicating Iran’s tactics—just like Hamas did with “Al-Aqsa Flood”—by using HTS and similar militias to keep the region in permanent unrest, sabotaging peace. Erdogan’s deep hatred for Arabs is clear. His neo-Ottoman project aims to deny them the right to decide their future or make peace without Turkish interference. Like Iran, he exploits the Palestinian issue for political gain—hypocrisy disguised as solidarity—to expand his power at the expense of Arab sovereignty and stability.
Erdogan Controls al-Jolani and Threatens the Arab World
It is now obvious—even to the blind and ignorant—that Erdogan, the neo-Ottoman Islamist, sponsors and controls the jihadist al-Jolani. He is the godfather of the Muslim Brotherhood and their protector. In short, all the massacres committed in Syria—against Christians, Druze, Alawites, Kurds, and freedom-loving free Muslims—are engineered by Erdogan to pave the way for his Islamist-Turkish domination of the region.
Assad Is Gone... But the Regime Remains
Let it be said plainly: Assad is gone, but the regime remains. It has only been rebranded—with more extremist Islamism. Repression remains. Sectarianism remains. The politicized economy remains—but with new faces and new flags. The revolution did not win—it was aborted. Syria was not liberated—it was re-occupied. Not by Iran this time, but by Turkey. The only difference is that al-Jolani speaks in the name of “Islamic moderation” instead of “resistance.”
Conclusion: Syria Caught Between Two Jaws – The Countdown Begins
Syria is no longer a state. It is a farm run by a former jihadist under the name of al-Sharaa. The greatest danger is that this regime—which combines Assad’s corruption, al-Qaeda’s extremism, and the Muslim Brotherhood’s cunning—could spark an even greater explosion.
Druze are bleeding, Christians are threatened, Alawites are slaughtered, Kurds are targeted, and the world watches under the banner of “reconstruction opportunity.”
This is the farce of the century—and Syria is its first victim.

War time notice...The Terrorist George Abdallah
Charles Elias Chartouni/July 25/2025
In response to Jean-Michel Druart who calls the terrorist Georges Ibrahim Abdallah a combatant-activist. What a hypocritical understatement to talk about a terrorist who piloted and murdered a quarantine of French women and men. It turns out that I have first-hand knowledge of the file since one of my former students, Joséphine Abdo Sarkis (she wanted to trick me by preparing a master's thesis under my guidance) was part of the group and had murdered the American military attaché Charles Ray. And as coincidentally, I knew a lot of his family (By the way, a notorious clinical case).
Otherwise, in the aftermath of one of the terrorist attacks, I had problems with the border police that faded acknowledging me after contact with Alsace-Lorraine counter-espying (arriving at Kehl's post, while I was on my way to the funeral of my great friend Lieutenant Colonel Christian Gouttière, French military attaché assassinated by Hezbollah on September 18, 1986). Following this I had a meeting at the Beauvau Hotel with the Director General of the Ministry of the Interior and with the head of counter-espionage of Alsace-Lorraine of the time at the headquarters of Strasbourg. I also return to my interviews with Colonel Christian Gouttière (General in posthumous position) with whom I discussed the issue of the Abdallah terrorist clan and its mafia complications.

Israel strike kills one in south Lebanon
AFP/July 25, 2025
BEIRUT: An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon on Friday killed one person, authorities said, with the Israeli military identifying the slain man as an official with militant group Hezbollah. Israel has repeatedly struck Lebanon despite a November ceasefire that sought to end over a year of hostilities with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The Lebanese health ministry said Friday that “an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the village of Baraachit resulted in one dead.”The Israeli military said it had “eliminated the personnel officer for Hezbollah’s Bint Jbeil sector,” near the Israeli border. The man “was involved in efforts to rehabilitate the terrorist organization in the Bint Jbeil area of southern Lebanon and operated to recruit terrorists during the war,” a military statement said. On Thursday, Israel said it had struck Hezbollah weapons depots and a rocket launcher, and “eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist” in Lebanon’s south.
Under the November truce, Hezbollah was to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, leaving Lebanon’s army and United Nations peacekeepers as the only armed parties in the region. Israel was to withdraw its troops from Lebanon but has kept them in five areas it deems strategic.

Lebanese PM Makes Brief Visit to Paris, Secures French Support
Paris: Michel Abou Najm/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 25/2025
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam concluded a short but significant visit to Paris this week, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron for a working lunch focused on Lebanon’s internal situation and regional developments.
Contrary to earlier reports suggesting that Macron had summoned Salam to the Elysee, diplomatic sources clarified that the visit had been scheduled last month, prior to a cancelled French-hosted summit initially planned for June 17–18. This was the PM's first visit to France since his appointment to his post earlier this year.The discussions touched on Lebanon’s political and economic challenges, as well as broader issues including Syria, the war in Gaza, and tensions with Iran. Speaking to a small group of journalists at the Lebanese Embassy in Paris, Salam emphasized that Lebanon remains insulated from regional instability, referencing recent unrest in Syria’s Sweida province.He credited local mediation efforts by political and religious figures, notably Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, with helping maintain internal calm. On the future of the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, Salam dismissed fears of its withdrawal amid reports of US and Israeli pressure. While acknowledging concerns over potential US funding cuts to the peacekeeping operations, he said these are unlikely to threaten UNIFIL’s presence. Salam affirmed Lebanon’s continued need for the force until the Lebanese Army is sufficiently supported, and highlighted France’s historical leadership role in shaping UNIFIL’s mandate. He also addressed criticism of the armistice monitoring committee - of which France is a member - noting that while its performance may fall short of Lebanese expectations, it remains active as part of a broader Franco-American coordination. Turning to the issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Salam offered an optimistic outlook. He stated that his government had achieved tangible progress in cooperation with the UNHCR and Syrian authorities, aiming for the safe and dignified return of displaced Syrians. According to Salam, over 120,000 refugees have returned since the beginning of the year, and many have been removed from both Lebanese and UNHCR records. He downplayed recent reports of a new influx from Syria, estimating the numbers at no more than 60,000. Salam also revealed that Macron expressed support for Lebanon’s reform efforts, including financial reforms. However, he noted that France has not yet set a date for a proposed economic aid conference, pending concrete reform steps. Upon returning to Beirut, Salam thanked France for its continued support for Lebanon’s security, sovereignty, and prosperity, and reaffirmed Macron’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties across security, economic, and cultural sectors.

Israeli military says senior Hezbollah official killed in southern Lebanon strike
LBCI/July 25/2025
The Israeli army said it carried out a strike in southern Lebanon earlier Friday, killing Ali Mohammad Hassan Kassan, the Hezbollah official in charge of manpower for the Bint Jbeil sector. Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed Kassan had recently been working to rebuild Hezbollah’s presence in the area and recruit new members during the ongoing conflict. Adraee said his activities violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon, adding that the Israeli military would “continue operating to eliminate any threat to Israel.”

Lebanon and Turkey discuss military cooperation in Istanbul meeting
LBCI/July 25/2025
Lebanon's Defense Minister, General Michel Mnassa, visited Istanbul at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart, Yaşar Güler, where the two officials held a bilateral meeting focused on strengthening military cooperation between the two countries. According to a statement from the Lebanese Defense Ministry's media office, the talks emphasized the importance of exchanging expertise and advancing defense ties in line with shared interests. The visit was described as a key step in Lebanon's efforts to engage with international military experiences and enhance the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces. The ministry added that this initiative reflects the Defense Ministry's commitment to staying informed on global developments in the defense sector, especially amid ongoing regional security challenges.

Lebanese army helicopters join firefighting efforts in Cyprus
LBCI/July 25/2025
Two Lebanese army helicopters took off from Beirut Air Base on Friday morning to assist in firefighting operations in Cyprus. The mission, part of a Lebanese government initiative, is being carried out in coordination with Cypriot authorities.

Israel strikes car in Baraashit, flies drones over Beirut and Dahieh
Naharnet/July 25/2025
An Israeli drone strike on Friday targeted a Renault Rapid vehicle in the southern town of Baraashit, killing one person and wounding another, the Health Ministry said. The Israeli army identified the slain man as Ali Mohammad Hassan Qassan, claiming that he was "the head of Hezbollah's manpower for the Bint Jbeil sector.""Qassan had lately worked on attempts to rebuild Hezbollah's force in the Bint Jbeil area and we worked on recruiting members during the war," the Israeli armed added. Israeli drones were meanwhile overflew Beirut and its southern suburbs. The developments come after violent evening strikes that targeted the Iqlim al-Tuffah heights and the area between Ansar and al-Zrariyeh in south Lebanon, with the Israeli army claiming those strikes hit "Hezbollah military sites, including arms depots and a rocket launchpad."The escalation follows U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s latest visit to Lebanon, where he discussed the thorny issue of Hezbollah's disarmament amid Israel's continued occupation of five hills in south Lebanon and its daily assassinations against suspected Hezbollah operatives. Earlier on Thursday, one person was killed in an Israeli drone strike on a pickup truck in the border town of Aita al-Shaab.An Israeli drone also fired two missiles on a forest area in the outskirts of the southern town of Beit Leef, sparking a blaze.

Report: Lebanon proposes August for start of 'step-for-step' with Israel
Naharnet/July 25/2025
Lebanon demanded in its response to the U.S. paper that Israel “actually commit to the ceasefire and withdraw from the areas it is still occupying, in return for the start of discussions with Hezbollah on the issue of monopolizing arms in the hands of the state,” sources concerned with the negotiations said.Lebanon proposed that the steps be taken “according to a timetable that begins in August,” the sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published Friday.
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack “promised to discuss this proposal with Israel and return with an answer,” the sources added.

Barrack says US goal in Lebanon is 'strong state that can disarm Hezbollah'
Naharnet/July 25/2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has reminded that during his latest visit to Beirut, he stated that Hezbollah is “an issue that must be resolved by the Lebanese themselves,” reaffirming a “long-standing position of the United States -- that Hezbollah represents a challenge which only the Lebanese government can address.”“The United States remains ready to support Lebanon, should the government uphold and enforce the state’s monopoly on all arms, and that only the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has the constitutional authority to operate within its borders,” Barrack said in a statement posted on his X account. “As (U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio) has rightly emphasized, our goal in Lebanon is ‘a strong Lebanese state that can take on and disarm Hezbollah,’” Barrack added. zbollah’s political and military branches. We view the group in its entirety as what it is: a foreign terrorist organization,” he said.
“By contrast, the United States recognizes the LAF as the sole legitimate national military institution and a pillar of Lebanon’s sovereignty and the key to securing a stable and prosperous future. It is now incumbent upon Lebanon’s political leadership -- and the LAF -- to demonstrate the resolve and political will to, in the words of @POTUS (U.S. President Donald Trump) ‘seize a new chance for a future free from the grip of Hezbollah terrorists,’” Barrack added. “On that path, the United States will stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Lebanon,” he went on to say.

US envoy to reportedly discuss Lebanese proposals with Israeli officials in Paris
Naharnet/July 25/2025
U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack will reportedly discuss Lebanese proposals with Israeli officials in Paris where he is holding talks with Syrian and Israeli officials on de-escalating sectarian violence in Syria, Lebanese newspaper al-Binaa said. Barrack was visiting Lebanon before heading to Paris amid ongoing domestic and international pressure for Hezbollah to disarm after a bruising war with Israel. He met in Lebanon with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Speaker Nabih Berri and a host of political, religious and financial figures. Barrack lauded Berri as "one the most astute, thoughtful, considered, brilliant politicians" and both said their meeting was "excellent" and voiced optimism. According to al-Binaa, Berri proposed to Barrack a timeline for Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon in exchange for Lebanon's commitment to address Hezbollah disarmament through dialogue between the Lebanese state and Hezbollah. Barrack had some comments particularly concerning the synchronization between the deadlines and the implementation, the daily said, adding that these issues were discussed during a meeting at Ain al-Tineh on Wednesday evening between Barrack, a delegation from the U.S. embassy, and Berri's adviser Ali Hamdan.

Lebanon launches crackdown on fake and smuggled medicines with new tracking app
LBCI/July 25/2025
In Lebanon's shadowy pharmaceutical market, two major threats put patients' lives at risk: counterfeit drugs and smuggled medicines. While counterfeit medications are manipulated in their composition, smuggled drugs—whether authentic or not—often lack proper storage and transport conditions, making them equally dangerous. The Public Health Ministry is now taking steps to combat both phenomena, starting with the development of a mobile application that will allow patients to verify the safety of any medication before purchasing it.
How does it work? By scanning the barcode on the packaging, users can trace the medicine's journey from the manufacturer to the distributor and ultimately to the pharmacy. If the drug is found to be illegal or unsafe, it will become easier to hold those responsible accountable.
As part of its recent enforcement measures, the ministry has referred 18 pharmacies to the judiciary on suspicion of distributing counterfeit drugs. In parallel, the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon is taking disciplinary actions against violators. Currently, 25% of Lebanon's pharmaceutical market is made up of locally produced drugs. Officials are urging the public not to fall victim to manipulation or fear-mongering, emphasizing that generic alternatives to branded medicines are always available. To raise awareness, the government has launched a national campaign to combat the smuggling and counterfeiting of medicines. As part of the initiative, the Health Minister announced preliminary results from recent laboratory testing of dietary supplements, which had previously raised concerns over health safety standards. Information Minister Ziad Makary also warned against corporate blackmail and paid smear campaigns on media platforms, which ultimately affect citizens. According to both ministries, the ultimate solution lies in expediting the Cabinet's approval of the implementation decrees for the creation of the National Drug Authority. This long-awaited body would oversee, inspect, and regulate Lebanon's pharmaceutical market to ensure unified and transparent control over one of the country's most vital sectors.

Hezbollah's Qmati calls for unity amid pressure for disarmament
Naharnet/July 25/2025
Hezbollah political bureau member Mahmoud Qmati called Friday for unity in Lebanon amid ongoing domestic and international pressure for Hezbollah to disarm after a bruising war with Israel. "We are ready for dialogue about a defense strategy," Qmati said, adding that only national unity could help Lebanon and warning that divisions among the Lebanese people would only serve Israel. "Our call today is clear: We must unite for Lebanon. If we give up our strength and our weapons, that would be the end of Lebanon."Qmati said that Lebanon is in danger, "in the eye of the storm", and is facing existential threats from all directions - east, west, north, and south. He cited French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack's statements that Lebanon could become a part of Israel or Syria. "That is why we must all be united around the Lebanese army to defend the nation, its entity, dignity, sovereignty, and the unique Lebanese formula in this region."Qmati said that Hezbollah can fight alongside the Lebanese army and that the monopoly of arms is to protect Lebanon domestically against destructive weapons and mafias that do not defend or serve Lebanon and not against those "who are resisting an external enemy." "The resistance was created to protect the country," Qmati said, "and we will not accept describing it as Lebanon's problem."

Salam says reassured by Macron's 'commitment to assisting Lebanon'
Naharnet/July 25/2025
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held talks Thursday in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron after which he thanked France for "its continued support for Lebanon and its security, sovereignty and prosperity." "I return to Beirut reassured by French President Emmanuel Macron's commitment to assisting Lebanon, renewing UNIFIL's mandate, and strengthening our bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of security, economy, education and culture," Salam added, in a post on the X platform. This was Salam’s first official visit to Paris since assuming office. During the meeting, Salam outlined the challenges facing Lebanon, affirming "the government's commitment to continuing its hard work to implement the required reforms, restore local and international confidence, and extend state authority throughout Lebanese territory," his office said. For his part, the French president praised "the Lebanese government's determination to move forward with the reform process."He reiterated "France's steadfast support for Lebanon's sovereignty, stability and prosperity, and for the efforts of the Lebanese authorities to revive the economy and reform institutions." Macron also said that his country "is preparing to organize an international conference to support Lebanon in Paris, in parallel with reaching an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, following the approval of key reform laws, particularly in the banking and judicial sectors." In this context, the French president informed the Prime Minister that his country "will contribute €75 million to the World Bank's Lebanon Emergency Assistance Project (LEAP), to support the reconstruction of areas affected by the (Israeli) aggression."The two sides also stressed "the importance of renewing the mandate of UNIFIL and strengthening the ceasefire monitoring mechanism,” while jointly emphasizing the need for “Israel's complete withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the cessation of all violations, and for strengthening the capabilities of the Lebanese Army to enhance its exclusive role in possessing weapons and extending state authority."In the judicial field, the French side expressed its readiness "to provide technical and financial support for judicial reform, by dispatching an expert to the Lebanese Ministry of Justice and launching cooperation between the French National School of the Judiciary and the Institute for Judicial Studies in Lebanon." France also reaffirmed its readiness "to support Lebanese-Syrian cooperation to control the common border and provide the necessary technical support for its demarcation, capitalizing on its available historical archives."

Lebanon: George Abdallah Released after 40 Years in French Jail
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 25/2025
One of France's longest-held inmates, the pro-Palestinian Lebanese activist Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, will be released and deported on Friday, after more than 40 years behind bars for the killings of two diplomats. At around 3:40 am (01:30 GMT), a convoy of six vehicles left the Lannemezan penitentiary with lights flashing, AFP journalists saw, though they were unable to catch a glimpse of the 74-year-old grey-bearded prisoner. Abdallah was detained in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for his involvement in the murders of US military attache Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in Paris. The Paris Court of Appeal had ordered his release "effective July 25" on the condition that he leave French territory and never return. He had been eligible for release since 1999, but his previous requests were denied as the United States -- a civil party to the case -- consistently opposed him leaving prison. Inmates serving life sentences in France are typically freed after fewer than 30 years. Once out of prison, Abdallah is set to be transported to the Tarbes airport where a police plane will take him to Roissy for a flight to Beirut, according to a source close to the case. Abdallah's lawyer, Jean-Louis Chalanset, visited for a final time on Thursday. "He seemed very happy about his upcoming release, even though he knows he is returning to the Middle East in an extremely tough context for Lebanese and Palestinian populations," Chalanset told AFP. AFP visited Abdallah last week after the court's release decision, accompanying a lawmaker to the detention center.The founder of the Lebanese Revolutionary Armed Factions (FARL) -- a long-disbanded Marxist anti-Israel group -- said for more than four decades he had continued to be a "militant with a struggle". The appeals court in February noted that Abdallah "had not committed a violent action since 1984" and that Abdallah "today represented a past symbol of the Palestinian struggle".The appeals judges also found the length of his detention "disproportionate" to the crimes and given his age. Abdallah's family said they plan to meet him at Beirut airport's "honor lounge" before heading to their hometown of Kobayat in northern Lebanon where a reception is planned.

Lebanese Georges Abdallah lands in Beirut after 40 years in French jail
LBCI/July 25/2025
Pro-Palestinian Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah arrived back in Beirut on Friday after serving more than 40 years in jail in France for the killings of two diplomats.Abdallah, who was released on condition he never return to France, was welcomed by family members at the airport's VIP lounge. Dozens of supporters, some waving Palestinian or Lebanese Communist Party flags, gathered near the arrivals hall to give him a hero's reception, an AFP correspondent reported. AFP

Georges Abdallah says resistance must continue as Israel faces ‘final chapter’
LBCI/July 25/2025
Pro-Palestinian Lebanese activist Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, upon arriving in Beirut, said that a political prisoner’s strength “comes from comrades leading the fight,” adding that Israel “is living the final chapter of its existence.”In remarks shared after his release, Abdallah credited “collective action” for securing his freedom. He stressed that the resistance must press on, criticizing Arab silence over events in Gaza. “Some Arabs remain unmoved by what is happening,” he said, while saluting fallen resistance fighters: “The resistance is not weak — its leaders are martyrs, not traitors.”

Lebanese Lessons from Suwayda’s Massacre
Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/July 25/2025
The recent bloodshed in Suwayda—marked by clashes between the Druze of Jabal al-Arab, neighboring Bedouin tribes, and forces loyal to President Ahmad al-Sharaa—has exposed the hollow nature of statehood, not only in Syria but across the Arab Levant. These events serve as a stark reminder of the dangers of dismissing the foundational principles of modern statehood—chief among them, the citizen’s right to life, freedom, and dignity. The campaign to discipline and subjugate the Druze community of Suwayda goes far beyond the use of excessive force. It embodies the authoritarian impulse deeply ingrained in regional regimes, wherein legitimacy is forged not through consent, but by fire and blood. The Suwayda massacres also highlight the perils of militarization and the weaponization of historical memory—especially sectarian memory—for short-term, unjust political gain.
What Ahmad al-Sharaa’s regime is doing to the Druze echoes the Ottoman campaigns that targeted the community for more than a century and a half. My late mentor, historian Abdul Rahim Abu Husayn, captured these tragic cycles in his seminal work “Crafting the Myth and the Long Rebellion.” He exposed the many myths surrounding both the Druze and Maronite communities and illustrated how Ottoman military expeditions—originally political attempts to suppress rebellion and weaken Mamluk alliances—transformed into jihadist campaigns against alleged heresy and apostasy.
Like Ottoman commander Ibrahim Pasha, who razed Druze villages, paraded severed heads through Damascus, and looted religious texts to justify genocide, Sharaa’s forces have desecrated sacred Druze sites and used the excuse of non-Sunni identity to rationalize murder. The purpose of such comparisons is not to stoke sectarian tension, but to emphasize a truth that fragile states in our region refuse to acknowledge: Political dissent does not equal existential threat. Diversity—especially when expressed by minorities—is not an insult to the ruling class or to the majority. Rather, it is the key to a resilient political and social order.In recent days, international media have scrambled to explain who the Druze are, why they have clashed with the Bedouins, and what ancient tensions still shape the violence in Suwayda. But while the Druze are often treated as a minority and the brutality against them draws justifiable horror, violence in any form—against any Syrian group—must be condemned. Our moral compass demands we denounce the displacement and bloodshed faced by the Bedouin with the same intensity that we voice outrage over the targeting of the Druze.
To Sunni hardliners who champion Sharaa as a “strongman,” let this be a warning: today’s silence or complicity in violence against so-called heretics may one day come back to haunt you. Tomorrow, you may be next in line—targeted for simply objecting to the domination of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham or another armed faction seeking to control your fate. In the Lebanese context—perhaps even more crucial—the atrocities committed against Druze civilians in Suwayda, and the ensuing support from some Sunni circles for Sharaa’s campaign, have deeply shaken sectarian coexistence. This is hardly surprising in a country where the state is absent, and political elites have consistently failed to uphold a culture of law, accountability, or shared national purpose. While emotional solidarity across sectarian lines and borders is expected, translating it into transnational armed action is not. We saw this dangerous overreach when Hezbollah dispatched fighters to Syria to defend Bashar al-Assad and the “Tehran-Beirut axis.” Lebanese Druze, no matter how outraged, must not repeat that mistake, nor should their Sunni compatriots.
What exacerbates the crisis is the Lebanese state’s shameful silence. Not a single official statement of condolence or condemnation was issued after Lebanese civilians were killed in Suwayda. Their blood, it seems, is too cheap to warrant mention. Instead of acting as a moral and national compass, Lebanon’s ruling class busied itself with spin and spectacle during the visit of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack—desperately trying to project an image of sovereignty and stability. But the reality is one of denial, detachment, and contempt for the pain of its own people abroad.
Ultimately, betting on arms—whether wielded by minorities or majorities, in Lebanon or Syria—in the absence of a genuine national project is a suicidal impulse. It is a test of conscience and political maturity. Those who fail it risk not only defeat—but demise.
**This article originally appeared in Nidaa al-Watan
**Makram Rabah is the managing editor at Now Lebanon and an Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut, Department of History. His book Conflict on Mount Lebanon: The Druze, the Maronites and Collective Memory (Edinburgh University Press) covers collective identities and the Lebanese Civil War. He tweets at @makramrabah

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 24-25/2025
‘Firm and Supportive Stance’: Saudi Arabia to Invest $6.4 Billion in Syria
FDD/Flash Brief/July 25/2025
Billions From Riyadh: Saudi Arabia announced on July 24 new investments in Syria totaling $6.4 billion. The deal was confirmed at a conference in Damascus by Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Falih’s trip and Riyadh’s investments in the country “confirmation of the kingdom’s firm and supportive stance towards sisterly Syria.” Included in the Deal: The new investment projects in Syria involve $2.93 billion for real estate and infrastructure projects and an additional $1.07 billion for the telecommunications and information technology sectors, according to Al-Falih. He further stated that 47 separate agreements will be signed throughout the conference, in which over 100 companies are participating. The Saudi investments followed tumultuous sectarian violence that rocked southern Syria last week, involving Druze and Bedouin factions along with Syrian government forces.  Israel to Engage Syria in U.S.-Brokered Talks: Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer will reportedly meet with U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack and Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani in Paris on July 24 to discuss security matters in southern Syria. Dermer will reportedly also discuss upcoming Iranian nuclear negotiations between several European nations and Iran, which are scheduled for July 25.
FDD Expert Response
“The meeting between Dermer and Shaibani, if the reports are correct, will be the first publicized cabinet-level meeting between an Israeli and a Syrian since the fall of the Assad regime. Despite Israeli airstrikes on Damascus last week, it appears that the Syrian leadership is still open to meeting with Israeli officials to discuss security arrangements in southern Syria. It is likely that they’ll discuss how the Syrian government can provide Israel with assurances that they will protect the Druze so that Israel would not be compelled to intervene in Syria’s internal affairs.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst
“The reports of a $6.4 billion investment will help pave the way for other foreign investment in Syria, which is needed to help rebuild critical infrastructure and stabilize the country. Unfortunately, with the expedited lifting of sanctions and the delisting of terror groups in Syria, there is a risk that this funding could be siphoned off to support extremist groups in the country. Congress is already concerned with this outcome and is preparing new legislation that would hold the central government responsible for attacks on minorities in the country and reimpose sanctions if the security of these communities is not prioritized.” — Tyler Stapleton, Director of Government Relations at FDD Action

Iran will increase the speed of its military, scientific tracks: Khamenei
Al Arabiya English/25 July/2025
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Friday his country’s military and scientific tracks will proceed “at a faster tempo than before.” A ceasefire ended Iran’s 12-day war with Israel last month, but many Iranians remain uneasy, struggling with uncertainty as fears of another confrontation linger. The Israeli offensive targeted key nuclear facilities and military sites, killing top commanders, nuclear scientists, and hundreds of others, while also wreaking havoc in some residential areas. The attacks triggered the fiercest fighting in history between the two adversaries, ending with a ceasefire announced on June 24.
With agencies

US-led Forces Kill Senior ISIS Leader in Syria
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 25/2025
A raid by US-led forces in northwestern Syria on Friday killed a senior leader in the ISIS group, the US military said Friday.The US Central Command said in a statement that it had killed ISIS leader Dhiya Zawba Muslih al-Hardan and his two adult sons, who were also affiliated with the group, early Friday in a raid in the town of al-Bab, in Syria’s Aleppo province. It said the men “posed a threat to US and Coalition Forces, as well as the new Syrian Government,” adding that three women and three children at the site were not harmed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said the raid was carried out through an airdrop of forces, the first of its kind to be carried out by the US-led coalition against ISIS this year, and that ground forces from both the Syrian government’s General Security forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces participated.The observatory said the operation was “preceded by a tight security cordon around the targeted site, a heavy deployment of forces on the ground, and the presence of coalition helicopters in the airspace of the area.”There was no statement from either the government in Damascus or the SDF about the operation. Washington has developed increasingly close ties with the new Syrian government in Damascus since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in a lightning opposition offensive last year, and has been pushing for a merger of forces between the new Syrian army and the Kurdish-led SDF, which controls much of the country’s northeast. However, progress between the two sides in agreeing on the details of the merger has been slow and could be further complicated by the recent outbreak of sectarian violence in the southern province of Sweida, in which government forces joined Bedouin clans in fighting against armed factions from the Druze religious minority.

Syria, US and France agree to engage in efforts to support Syria’s transition
Reuters/July 25, 2025
PARIS: Syria’s foreign minister held frank and productive talks with the United States and France at which they said on Friday they underlined the importance of ensuring the success of Syria’s political transition, unity and territorial integrity. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani, French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barrot and US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack met in Paris, days after a ceasefire halted bloodshed in Syria’s southern province of Sweida. Hundreds of people were reported killed in the clashes between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and government forces, and Israel carried out airstrikes to prevent what it said was mass killing of Druze. In a joint statement, the Syrian, US and French officials said they had held “a very frank and productive meeting at a critical moment for Syria.”Underlining the importance of engaging quickly to ensure the success Syria’s political transition following the fall of President Bashar Assad, they said they had agreed on the need to ensure Syria’s neighbors do not pose a threat and that Syria does not pose a threat to its neighbors. They also agreed to support efforts to hold those responsible for violence accountable, the statement said. Last week’s clashes underlined the challenges interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa faces in stabilising Syria and maintaining centralized rule, despite warming ties with the US and his administration’s evolving security contacts with Israel.

Syria, US and France hold ‘frank’ talks, urge success of Syria’s transition
Reuters/25 July/2025
Syria’s foreign minister held frank and productive talks with the United States and France at which they said on Friday they underlined the importance of ensuring the success of Syria’s political transition, unity and territorial integrity. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barrot and US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack met in Paris, days after a ceasefire halted bloodshed in Syria’s southern province of Sweida. Hundreds of people were reported killed in the clashes between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and government forces, and Israel carried out airstrikes to prevent what it said was mass killing of Druze. In a joint statement, the Syrian, US and French officials said they had held “a very frank and productive meeting at a critical moment for Syria.”Underlining the importance of engaging quickly to ensure the success Syria’s political transition following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, they said they had agreed on the need to ensure Syria’s neighbors do not pose a threat and that Syria does not pose a threat to its neighbors. They also agreed to support efforts to hold those responsible for violence accountable, the statement said. Last week’s clashes underlined the challenges interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa faces in stabilizing Syria and maintaining centralized rule, despite warming ties with the U.S. and his administration’s evolving security contacts with Israel.

Israel says intercepted missile fired from Yemen
AFP/July 25, 2025
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it intercepted on Friday a missile launched from Yemen toward its territory, after reporting that sirens sounded in several areas. “Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted” by the air force, the military said in a statement.

Israel and US considering alternative options to bring hostages home: Netanyahu
Reuters/25 July/2025
Israel and its US allies are now considering “alternative” options to bring their hostages home from Gaza and end the rule of Hamas in the territory, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday, apparently calling an end to ceasefire talks. The remarks echoed statements made overnight by US envoy Steve Witkoff after Israel and the United States pulled their delegations out of the talks in Doha, mediated by Egypt and Qatar. Witkoff said Hamas was to blame for an impasse. Netanyahu said Witkoff had got it right, and that Hamas was the obstacle to a deal. Hamas, which had given its response to a US-backed ceasefire proposal on Thursday, has disputed Witkoff’s characterization of the talks and said the negotiators were making progress.The proposed ceasefire would have lasted 60 days during which additional aid would be allowed into Gaza, and some of the remaining 50 hostages held by militants there would be freed in return for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

UK, French and German leaders press Israel over Gaza aid after Macron backs Palestinian state
AP/July 25, 2025
LONDON: The leaders of Britain, France and Germany demanded Israel allow unrestricted aid into Gaza to end a “humanitarian catastrophe,” after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country will become the first major Western power to recognize a Palestinian state. The joint statement, issued after a call between Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, called for an immediate ceasefire and said that “withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable,” though it broke no new diplomatic ground. The leaders said they “stand ready to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political process that leads to lasting security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region,” but did not say what that action might be.
France’s move exposes European divisions
Macron’s surprise announcement exposed differences among the European allies, known as the E3, over how to ease the worsening humanitarian crisis and end the Israel-Hamas war. All three support a Palestinian state in principle, but Germany said it has no immediate plans to follow France’s step, which Macron plans to formalize at the United Nations General Assembly in September. Britain has not followed suit either, but Starmer is under mounting pressure to formally recognize Palestinian statehood, both from opposition lawmakers and from members of his own Labour Party government. Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Tuesday called for an announcement “while there’s still a state of Palestine left to recognize.”On Friday, 221 of the 650 lawmakers in the House of Commons signed a letter urging Starmer to recognize a Palestinian state. “Since 1980 we have backed a two-state solution. Such a recognition would give that position substance,” said the letter, signed by legislators from several government and opposition parties. After the E3 call on Friday, Starmer condemned “the continued captivity of hostages, the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups, and Israel’s disproportionate military escalation in Gaza.”He said that “recognition of a Palestinian state” must be one of the steps on a pathway to peace. “I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis,” he said. More than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state, including a dozen in Europe. But France is the first Group of Seven country and the largest European nation to take that step.Israel and the United States both denounced France’s decision. Britain has long supported the idea of an independent Palestinian state existing alongside Israel, but has said recognition should come as part of a negotiated two-state solution to the conflict. Any such solution appears far off. There had been no substantive Israel-Palestinian negotiations for years even before the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and sparked the current war.
Humanitarian crisis alarms Israel’s allies
The worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where hunger is spreading and children have starved to death, has caused alarm even among Israel’s closest allies. Germany has traditionally been a particularly staunch ally of Israel in Europe, with relations rooted in the history of the Holocaust. It says recognizing a Palestinian state should be “one of the concluding steps” in negotiating a two-state solution and it “does not plan to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term.”But Berlin, too, has sharpened its tone recently, describing the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza as unacceptable and pushing for greater humanitarian aid, but still appears to favor trying to influence Israeli officials by direct contact. The German government said in a statement on Friday that it is in a “constant exchange” with the Israeli government and other partners on issues that include a ceasefire in Gaza and the need to drastically improve humanitarian aid. It said it is “prepared to increase the pressure” if there is no progress, but didn’t elaborate on how. Britain has halted some arms sales to Israel, suspended free trade talks and sanctioned far-right government ministers and extremist settlers, but Starmer is under intense pressure to do more. Also weighing on Starmer is his desire to maintain good relations with the US administration, which has strongly criticized France’s decision. The British leader is due to meet President Donald Trump in the next few days while the president is in Scotland visiting two golf courses he owns there.Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at the international affairs think-tank Chatham House, said Macron’s decision to defer finalizing recognition until September “creates some space” for other countries to get on board. “We know that the UK is close, but not there,” he said. “This might encourage Starmer, who we know is not one to rush such a decision. … This might create some momentum, some dynamic, for the UK”

Trump agrees to Palestinian statehood, says Bishara Bahbah
Al Arabiya English/26 July/2025
A prominent Palestinian-American said Friday that US President Donald Trump had informed him he would accept the establishment of a Palestinian state. Bishara Bahbah, chairman of Arab Americans for Peace, formerly known as Arab-Americans for Trump, told Al Arabiya that one sticking point in current ceasefire talks was whether Israeli forces would remain present in parts of Gaza. He said a ceasefire deal was still possible and that he remained in contact with Hamas after the US withdrew from negotiations earlier this week. Bahbah also revealed that Arab countries had convinced Trump to disavow earlier plans to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza. “Trump informed me of his approval for the establishment of a Palestinian state,” Bahbah said. Some Israeli far-right leaders held a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss redeveloping the Gaza Strip into a tourist-friendly “riviera,” as Palestinians face a worsening humanitarian crisis in the devastated territory. The name of the event evokes a proposal floated by Trump in February to turn the war-ravaged territory into “the Riviera of the Middle East” after moving out its Palestinian residents and putting it under American control. The idea drew swift condemnation from across the Arab world, and from Palestinians themselves, for whom any effort to force them off their land would recall the “Nakba,” or catastrophe -- the mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel’s creation in 1948.With AFP

US faces $2 bln, year-long effort to replenish missile interceptors used to defend Israel
Al Arabiya English/25 July/2025
The US military will need more than a year to replenish the missile interceptors it deployed last month to help Israel defend against Iranian ballistic missile attacks, according to a new report. The cost to develop new interceptors for the two Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries could approach $2 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing US officials and defense analysts. US officials said over 150 missiles were launched in response to Iranian attacks. “That is nearly a quarter of the interceptors ever purchased by the Pentagon,” according to the Journal.
Other types of interceptors were also deployed to protect Israel, including 80 SM-3s. Over the past two years, the US military has also expended a substantial number of munitions countering Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.That campaign continued until the Trump administration launched an offensive operation targeting Houthi leadership and weapons infrastructure in Yemen. The effort consumed large quantities of US interceptor missiles, including SM-2, SM-3, and SM-6 variants. Estimates for each cost are as follows: $2.1 million for an SM-2, $3.9 million for an SM-6 and $9.7 million for each SM-3 Block IB or $28 million for SM-3 Block IIA. While Israel has its own multi-layered air defense system, supported in large part by the US, it was running low on interceptors, US officials told WSJ. And one US official reportedly said that if Iran had decided to continue lobbing missiles, drones and rockets at Israel, the latter could easily have burned through its Arrow 3 munitions. Israel uses the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 systems for intercepting medium- and long-range ballistic missiles, as well as David’s Sling and Iron Dome for short-range rockets and projectiles. Separately, the US successfully defeated the “largest single Patriot engagement in US military history” when Iran retaliated for the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites on the night of June 21 and lobbed a barrage of short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. In its strikes on Iran, the US dropped a total of 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs), which are 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs, and a US guided-missile submarine launched over two dozen Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles.

Hamas accuses US mediators of reneging on Gaza talks positions
AFP/25 July/2025
A Hamas official on Friday accused US envoy Steve Witkoff of reneging on Washington’s positions and distorting reality after he announced the United States’ withdrawal from Gaza truce talks and accused the group of blocking a deal. “The negative statements of the US envoy Witkoff run completely counter to the context in which the last negotiations were held, and he is perfectly aware of this, but they come to serve the Israeli position,” said Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim in an interview with AFP. “They are part of a logic of support for the Israeli position,” he added. Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire have reached an impasse, more than two weeks after they began. The United States joined Israel on Thursday in pulling its negotiators from the talks, with Witkoff blaming Hamas for the failure to reach a deal and saying Washington would “consider alternative options.”Mediators in Qatar had been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas delegations in a bid to secure a breakthrough in indirect talks for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages, nearly two years into the war. Witkoff on Thursday acknowledged the failure of the talks, held in Doha under Qatari, US and Egyptian mediation, announcing the recall of the US team for consultations and questioning Hamas’s good faith. Naim accused Witkoff of backtracking, saying the US envoy had considered the discussions “positive” only a few days ago. “The mediators welcomed Hamas’s response very positively, which they considered constructive and likely to lead to an agreement, especially since it is very close to the proposal submitted by the mediators to both parties,” he added. He said the latest discussions focused on details of an Israeli army withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Naim added that an “agreement in principle” had even been reached on a “formula” for the exchange of hostages taken in Israel on October 7, 2023, and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. He accused Israel of having no intention of reaching a truce and urged Witkoff to “put pressure” on the Israeli government.

UK’s Starmer says recognizing Palestinian statehood must be part of wider peace plan
Reuters/25 July/2025
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that recognizing Palestinian statehood should be part of a wider plan for lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis. After France said on Thursday it would recognize Palestine, Starmer said he was working with allies on the steps that were needed for peace in the conflict in Gaza. “Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis,” he said in a statement after speaking with the leaders of France and Germany. Over 220 members of parliament - about a third of lawmakers in the House of Commons and mostly Labour members - wrote to Starmer on Friday urging him to recognize a Palestinian state. Successive British governments have said they will formally recognize a Palestinian state when the time is right, without ever setting a timetable or specifying the necessary conditions.

Trump travels to Scotland for golf, bilateral ties amid Epstein controversy
Reuters/Edinburgh/London/25 July/2025
US President Donald Trump, dogged by questions about his ties to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, arrived in Scotland on Friday for some golf and bilateral talks that could yield a trade deal with the European Union. Trump told reporters before leaving the US that he will visit his two golf properties in Scotland and meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Scottish leader John Swinney. Trump said he and Starmer would discuss the US-British trade deal and perhaps even “improve” it, but gave no details. He said Washington was also working hard on a possible trade deal with the European Union, which he said was very keen to make a deal. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said later she would meet Trump in Scotland on Sunday. As part of the visit, he will open a second 18-hole course on the Aberdeen property named in honor of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to America. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt this week said the trip was intended as a “working visit that will include a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Starmer to refine the historic US-UK trade deal.”The overseas travel comes as Trump faces the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term in office. Allies and opponents alike have criticized his administration’s handling of investigative files related to Epstein’s criminal charges and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump’s most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump’s Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials, frustrated by the ongoing focus on the Epstein saga, are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, one person familiar with the matter said.
Deepen ties
The trip, initially billed as a private visit, gives Trump and Starmer a chance to deepen their already warm relationship, with key issues on the agenda to include ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, UK and US sources said. British officials have been heartened by what they see as a clear shift in Trump’s rhetoric on Ukraine and Russia in recent weeks, a UK source said. Since being elected last year, Starmer has prioritized good relations with Trump, stressing the importance of Britain’s defense and security alliance with the US and being careful to avoid openly criticizing Trump’s tariff policies.
That approach helped Britain seal the first tariff-reduction deal with the US in May, which reaffirmed quotas and tariff rates on British automobiles and eliminated tariffs on the UK aerospace sector, but left steel tariffs in place. Tariffs will likely come up, but sources close to the matter said it was unclear if any breakthrough could be achieved. Trump also is expected to meet with Scottish leader John Swinney, who publicly backed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election, but no details have been released by either side. Trump has described Scotland as a “very special place” and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his first run for the presidency, but he won’t necessarily receive a warm welcome. About 70 percent of Scots have an unfavorable opinion of Trump, while 18 percent have a favorable opinion of him, an Ipsos poll in March found.
Scottish police are girding for protests on Saturday in both Aberdeen and in Edinburgh, the country’s capital. Trump will return to Britain from September 17-19 for a state visit hosted by King Charles. It will make Trump the first world leader in modern times to undertake two state visits to Britain. The late Queen Elizabeth hosted him at Buckingham Palace for a three-day state visit in June 2019.

Oil prices dip to settle at 3-week low on US and China economic concerns
Reuters/25 July/2025
Oil prices eased on Friday and settled at a three-week low as traders worried about negative economic news from the US and China and signs of growing supply. Losses were limited by optimism US trade deals could boost global economic growth and oil demand in the future. Brent crude futures fell 74 cents, or 1.1 percent, to settle at $68.44, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 87 cents, or 1.3 percent, to settle at $65.16. Those were the lowest settlement levels for Brent since July 4 and WTI since June 30. For the week, Brent was down about 1 percent with WTI down about 3 percent. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet US President Donald Trump on Sunday in Scotland. European Union officials and diplomats said they expected to reach a framework trade deal this weekend. The euro zone economy has remained resilient to the pervasive uncertainty caused by a global trade war, a slew of data showed on Friday, even as European Central Bank policymakers appeared to temper market bets on no more rate cuts.In the US, new orders for US-manufactured capital goods unexpectedly fell in June while shipments of those products increased moderately, suggesting business spending on equipment slowed considerably in the second quarter. Trump said he had a good meeting with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and got the impression that the head of the US central bank might be ready to lower interest rates. Lower interest rates reduce consumer borrowing costs and can boost economic growth and demand for oil. In China, the world’s second-biggest economy, fiscal revenue dipped 0.3 percent in the first six months from a year earlier, the finance ministry said, maintaining the rate of decline seen between January and May.
Growing supplies?
The US is preparing to allow partners of Venezuela’s state-run PDVSA, starting with US oil major Chevron, to operate with limitations in the sanctioned nation, sources said on Thursday. That could boost Venezuelan oil exports by a little more than 200,000 barrels per day (bpd), news US refiners would welcome, as it would ease tightness in the heavier crude market, ING analysts wrote.Iran said it would continue nuclear talks with European powers after “serious, frank, and detailed” conversations on Friday, the first such face-to-face meeting since Israel and the US bombed Iran last month. Venezuela and Iran are members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Any deal that could increase the amount of oil either sanctioned country could export would boost the amount of crude available to global markets.
OPEC said the joint ministerial monitoring committee (JMMC) scheduled to convene on Monday does not hold decision-making authority over production levels. Four OPEC+ delegates said an OPEC+ panel is unlikely to alter existing plans to raise oil output when it meets, noting the producer group is keen to recover market share while summer demand is helping to absorb the extra barrels. OPEC+ includes OPEC and allies like Russia. In Russia, the world’s No. 2 crude producer behind the US, daily oil exports from its western ports are set to be around 1.77 million bpd in August, down from 1.93 million bpd in July’s plan, Reuters calculations based on data from two sources show. In the US, energy firms this week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for the 12th time in 13 weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on Friday.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on July 25-26/2025
The Risks of Israel’s Druze Policy...Picking and choosing between Druze leaders will prove counterproductive.
Ahmad Sharawi/Foreign Policy/July 25/2025
“We are working to save our Druze brothers,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on July 16 as Israel targeted the Syrian military’s headquarters in Damascus. Netanyahu’s comments came after Israel intervened in a complicated power struggle involving Sunni Arab Bedouin tribes, Druze militias, and Syrian government forces, during which hundreds of predominantly Druze civilians suffered horrific violence.
In explaining their actions, Israeli officials have presented the Syrian Druze as a single bloc that is unified in resisting government control and rejecting integration into the Syrian state. The reality, however, is more complex. The Druze community is certainly concerned about the rise of Ahmad al-Sharaa and the Islamist influence in his new government. But different Druze leaders have taken diverse approaches to Damascus: Some have signaled a conciliatory approach to Sharaa, while others have resisted state control completely.
Ultimately, a peaceful and lasting power-sharing arrangement will require compromise between Damascus and the Druze community. U.S. and Israeli pressure can help make this possible—but only if it is deployed constructively. This means supporting Druze leaders who see a future within Syria, rather than deepening divisions by weighing in on behalf of one particular faction.
The Druze in Syria number around 700,000, making up about 3 percent of the country’s population. The vast majority of them reside in Sweida governorate, located in southwestern Syria along the border with Israel, while smaller communities are also found in Idlib, Quneitra, and Rif Dimashq. Due to their relatively small number, the Druze have long strived to avoid persecution from Damascus.
Today, the Druze community is indeed worried about its future under Syria’s new leaders. Many fear that Sharaa will create a coercive new security regime that will operate according to Islamist principles, marginalize the Druze community, and deny them constitutional protections for their religious and cultural distinctiveness.
These concerns are certainly justified. After Sharaa’s rise to power, he integrated 18 militias into the new Sunni-dominated Syrian military. Simultaneously, his constitutional declaration that outlined Syria’s political future was exclusionary. It concentrated power in Sharaa’s hands, granting him the authority to appoint lawmakers, control the judicial system, and operate with no oversight. This process marginalized the Druze and other minority groups, whom Damascus neither consulted nor acknowledged.
The Druze endured a turbulent relationship with Islamist groups throughout the Syrian civil war, particularly with Sharaa’s former faction, the Nusra Front. The tensions turned deadly in 2015, when Nusra fighters opened fire on protesters in the village of Qalb Lawzah in Idlib, killing at least 20 Druze. In the aftermath, the Druze urged Nusra to hold the perpetrator accountable. But the militant group never prosecuted anyone, leaving the community with a lingering sense of fear. This lack of accountability only deepened the Druze’s distrust of the new government.
Still, degrees of trust in the new government vary significantly across Druze factions, shaping the extent of their collaboration with the state. While the Druze in Syria share a strong sense of identity, they lack an organized and formal leadership structure akin to Lebanon’s Druze community, which is represented by the Progressive Socialist Party and individuals such as Walid Jumblatt. Instead, their leadership is primarily spiritual, centered on three key religious figures in Sweida: Sheikhs Hammoud al-Hinnawi, Yousef Jarbou, and Hikmat al-Hijri. Collectively, these men hold the most influence over Syria’s Druze, guiding both their spiritual and political decisions.
The three leaders represent diverging agendas within the Druze community. The split between the three occurred in 2012, when Hijri led the Druze from his town of Qanawat, while both Hinnawi and Jarbou led the community from Ain al-Zaman.
The politics of the three sheikhs have also diverged significantly; Jarbou is pragmatic and open to negotiations with the new Syrian state and integration; Hinnawi shares a similar outlook, opposing internal divisions and focusing on putting all arms under the state’s control. However, Hijri is the most vocal and determined opponent of Sharaa’s rule. He was the first to firmly reject Syrian government control over Sweida. In April, he sharply condemned the new government, calling it a collection of “terrorist factions” and declaring its hold over Damascus to be “unacceptable both domestically and internationally.” Hijri has repeatedly described the government as an “extremist group wanted by international justice.” Hinnawi has affirmed Sharaa as Syria’s president, expressing his willingness to “cooperate with him for the sake of the nation.” Jarbou has echoed these sentiments, signaling a more conciliatory stance toward Sharaa’s government.
In addition to the new government in Damascus, Israel has also become a point of contention between the three leaders. Hijri has repeatedly called for “international intervention” to resolve the crisis in southern Syria, even explicitly advocating an Israeli intervention to preserve his local autonomy over Sweida. Such intervention would also thwart any attempt by the Syrian government to centralize its rule in the area. By contrast, the other two Druze leaders have consistently framed their issues with Damascus as domestic, rejecting foreign involvement.
Popular attitudes toward Israel also vary. In Sweida, for instance, residents took down and burned an Israeli flag after unknown individuals hoisted it in a public square. After Netanyahu pledged to defend Syria’s Druze back in February, a faction aligned with Hijri began pushing for closer ties with Israel, even as Hijri distanced himself from the effort. This faction, the Sweida Military Council, includes former officers of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Throughout the civil war, Hijri supported Assad and even formed a local militia in coordination with the regime’s military security apparatus. Hijri has also hosted and met with representatives from Iranian-backed militias in Iraq supported by the Assad regime, such as Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba. Despite this, Hijri began criticizing the Assad regime in the final years of the civil war after Assad’s military intelligence director in Sweida, Louay al-Ali, insulted him and the Druze community during a phone call in 2021.
While the Sweida Military Council initially claimed that Israel did not support it, the situation on the ground told a different story. When the Syrian army announced its plan to enter Sweida on July 15 after two days of clashes between Druze militias and Sunni Arab Bedouin tribes, both Jarbou and Hinnawi accepted the entry of government forces. Hijri, by contrast, rejected it. Almost immediately, Israel launched an intense air campaign against Syrian troops entering Sweida, implying close coordination between Hijri and Israel.
The disagreements between the Druze leaders did not end there. The Syrian government agreed to a cease-fire arrangement with Jarbou and Hinnawi on July 16. However, Hijri rejected it, vowing to continue the fight to expel Sharaa’s forces from Sweida. Jarbou emphasized that “the majority of the people of Sweida hope to restore stability,” stressing that “only integration under the state will bring security and stability.” By contrast, Hijri declared that “anyone who diverges from our position will be held accountable.”
The fighting between Sharaa’s forces and the militias affiliated with Hijri culminated in another cease-fire on July 16. Signed by the Sweida Military Council and the Syrian government, it dictated that government forces exit Sweida. However, the cease-fire faltered the next day. What followed was a campaign by the Hijri-affiliated militias against Bedouins in Sweida, whose homes were torched and many of whom were taken hostage. This in turn prompted Bedouin tribes across Syria to mobilize and commit violations against Druze in Sweida. Then, in response to this fighting, government forces returned to the governorate but refrained from entering Sweida city due to a demand by Hijri. The clashes ended with a deal on July 19 that allowed government forces to retrieve the Bedouins who were taken in exchange for Bedouin militants withdrawing from the governorate.
The situation in Sweida has been the greatest challenge confronting the new government in Damascus since taking control in December. Resolving it will require all sides to act more constructively than they have so far.
First, Sharaa’s government should engage those Druze leaders who have shown openness toward integration, such as Jarbou and Hinnawi, and work to address their concerns. In the short term, the government must establish institutions in Sweida to deliver essential services. Securing the highway connecting Damascus and Sweida, which has become a site for abductions and crime since the fall of the Assad regime, can build trust with the Druze community. The government should also acknowledge local sensitivities, especially concerns over Islamist elements within its security apparatus. One way to do this would be by developing a mechanism to integrate local Druze into the national police force.
In the long term, the Syrian government must hold accountable those responsible for violations against the Druze. On July 22, the committee investigating crimes committed against Alawites in March said it had provided the names of 298 alleged perpetrators, including members of the Syrian armed forces, to the courts for further investigation. The ball is now in Sharaa’s court, as the world watches to see if he’s willing to prosecute those within his own ranks. Beyond accountability, a cohesive political process is needed. This should allow all segments of Syrian society to participate in the country’s government with full respect for their cultural and religious identities.
Israel has shown the Syrian government that it’s willing to use military means to defend Syria’s Druze community. At the same time, Sharaa has made it clear that he does not seek an open confrontation with Israel, putting the interests of Syrians before “chaos and destruction.” This should lend itself to an outcome negotiated via the back channels and security talks that have been underway since May. If Sharaa can offer credible assurances that treatment of the Druze will improve, Netanyahu can claim success and end the airstrikes, thereby meeting Sharaa’s demand as well.
Israel insists it is working to protect the Druze minority. However, Israel must remain cautious with whom it chooses to ally. Hijri does not speak for the entire Druze population, and treating him as such will backfire. If Israel is sucked into a power struggle within the Syrian Druze community, it will ultimately be bad for the Druze, bad for Syria, and bad for Israel.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to stabilize Syria by removing sanctions. However, the United States must also pressure Sharaa to prove to Syria’s ethnoreligious groups that he is a leader they can trust—one who will protect their interests and guarantee their safety. A crucial step in earning trust is for Sharaa to hold accountable fighters responsible for crimes against both the Alawite and Druze communities. Washington must make it clear to Sharaa that any further sanctions relief hinges on his efforts to stop allowing his forces to act with impunity.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/07/24/the-risks-of-israels-druze-policy/
**Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, focusing on Middle East affairs and the Levant.

Erdogan and Shara’s “Sunnification” Project
Sinan Ciddi/The National Interest/July 25/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145656/
The recent sectarian violence shows that the Syrian governmnt and its Turkish backers share a dangerous vision of a Sunni-dominant state. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, Turkey has pursued a singular objective: the “Sunnification” of Syria. Behind his rhetoric, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has shown little interest in fostering a stable, inclusive Syria that values all of its diverse communities. Instead, the interim government in Damascus, led by former jihadist Ahmed al-Shara, reflects Erdogan’s vision of a future Syria rooted in a narrow, exclusionary interpretation of Sunni Islam.
This vision’s logical conclusion can be seen in the atrocities against Syria’s Druze minority in Suwayda. Sunni militias have escalated attacks against Druze militias and civilians, images of which have flooded mainstream media—men beaten in the streets, homes invaded, and individuals humiliated by being forcibly shaved to conform to Sunni norms. Druze militants have conducted violent reprisals of their own. The logic behind this brutality is chillingly simple: the perpetrators see their actions as a form of jihad. This conquest entitles them to seize property, land, and, if possible, the souls of those they deem non-believers.
This violent ideology does not solely target the Druze. Jihadist elements embedded within Syria’s new bureaucracy, military, and security services harbor similar intentions toward Kurds, Alawites, and Christians. In response to the attacks in Suwayda, the Shara government dispatched its so-called security forces to “restore order.” Yet these forces are not impartial arbiters of peace. They are militias staffed by jihadists, whose loyalty lies not with the Syrian people but with their sectarian cause.
freestar
This is not the first time Shara’s government has failed to protect minority populations. In February and April 2025, his security forces carried out mass killings of Alawite civilians, leaving hundreds dead. Analysts have repeatedly warned against trusting al-Shara, whose government neither controls the entirety of Syria nor reins in the jihadist factions that masquerade as official state forces. These groups are driven by an ideological commitment to purge minorities, not govern inclusively. The ongoing violence in Suwayda also explains why Syria’s Kurds refuse to integrate into Shara’s state project. They have no faith in his ability—or willingness—to build a Syria that respects diversity. In March 2025, Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which partnered with the United States to defeat ISIS, signed a controversial agreement to merge with the new Syrian military.
Yet by July, US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack publicly scolded the SDF for hesitating to fully integrate, remarking: “So there’s a big sentiment that because they were our partners [against ISIS], we owe them. The question is, what do we owe them? We don’t owe them the ability to have their own independent government within a government.” Barrack’s tactless statement underscored Washington’s decision to back Shara’s regime. For the SDF, full integration would be nothing short of existentially threatening. It would mean surrendering their weapons, abandoning Kurdish self-rule in northeastern Syria, and leaving their people vulnerable to the same jihadist violence that now terrorizes the Druze in Suwayda. Their skepticism was vindicated almost immediately: shortly after Abdi’s agreement, Shara unveiled a draft constitution proclaiming Syria as an “Arab” republic, signaling his refusal to recognize Kurdish identity or autonomy.
freestar
The brief pause in attacks against the Druze only came after Israel launched airstrikes on Syria’s Ministry of Defense in Damascus. Shara and Erdogan were quick to condemn the strikes, with Erdogan branding Israel a “lawless, unruly, unprincipled, spoiled, pampered and greedy terrorist state.” Turkey’s Defense Ministry followed with thinly veiled threats, declaring, “In the event Syrian authorities make the request, we will do what is necessary to assist them.” The question now is whether Israel, having demonstrated its willingness to act, will continue to shield the Druze from massacre—and if so, how Turkey might respond. Ankara has already warned the SDF not to “exploit the unrest in Syria,” recognizing the Kurds’ alignment with Israel’s stance. The façade of unity that Shara claims to uphold is crumbling. This was predictable from the outset. Expecting former jihadists to abandon their ideology of conquest and conversion was naïve. Even more reckless was the US decision to lift sanctions on the regime, remove Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from its terrorism list, and present Shara’s Syria as a success story. The fall of Assad at the hands of jihadist militias—many with ties to Al Qaeda and ISIS—was never going to herald a brighter future for Syria’s war-weary people. What Syria needed, and still needs, is an internationally supported transitional authority committed to building a pluralistic and stable state. The United States and Europe must urgently re-engage with international organizations and regional partners to construct a genuine framework for governance in Damascus—one that protects all of Syria’s communities, rather than sacrificing them on the altar of expedience.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/erdogan-and-sharas-sunnification-project
**Sinan Ciddi is a Senior Fellow on Turkey at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, DC.

Turkey’s Kurds and the Making of Erdoğan’s Autocracy
Sinan Ciddi/National Security Journal/July 25/2025
https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/turkeys-kurds-and-the-making-of-erdogans-autocracy/
Turkey’s Kurdish political movement is unexpectedly emerging as a crucial partner in President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ongoing drive to consolidate power and entrench autocratic rule. On June 12, Erdoğan announced that the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) had agreed to “walk together” with his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its far-right coalition partner, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
While the specific terms of the alliance have yet to be made public, the partnership is widely believed to center around DEM’s support for constitutional amendments that would expand Erdoğan’s already formidable presidential powers—changes that the AKP-MHP bloc cannot unilaterally enact due to insufficient parliamentary seats.
This development has sent shockwaves through Turkey’s opposition ranks, which are already reeling from Erdoğan’s systematic dismantling of democratic institutions. Since surviving a failed coup attempt in 2016, Erdoğan has used the ensuing state of emergency as a pretext to purge the judiciary, eviscerate media freedom, and erode the rule of law.
Erdoğan Exercising His Powers
Today, most state institutions operate as extensions of his personal authority. Independent media outlets have been sold off to pro-government entities, turning the press into a propaganda machine. What remains of Turkey’s democratic architecture is increasingly hollow.
Among those most affected by Erdoğan’s authoritarian turn are the country’s Kurds, who constitute roughly a quarter of the population. For decades, Kurdish citizens have faced systemic discrimination, including bans on political parties, the imprisonment of elected officials, and restrictions on using their mother tongue. The notion that the Kurdish political movement could now play a key role in furthering Erdoğan’s authoritarian ambitions is not just ironic—it is deeply troubling.
The repression of Kurdish political expression is long-standing, but it has intensified dramatically since 2015. In recent years, 58 democratically elected Kurdish mayors have been removed from office and replaced with government-appointed trustees under the pretext of alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey and its Western allies classify as a terrorist organization. Prominent Kurdish politicians have been arrested on dubious charges, including Selahattin Demirtaş, a former co-chair of the DEM’s predecessor party. Demirtaş was convicted in May 2024 and sentenced to more than 40 years in prison. In July, he received an additional two-and-a-half-year sentence.
Kurdish Resolve, or Consiliation?
Given this recent history of state persecution, DEM’s willingness to collaborate with Erdoğan appears baffling. What, precisely, is Erdoğan offering the Kurdish movement that would justify such a radical shift in allegiance? The answer likely lies in a mixture of political self-interest and transactional bargaining. According to reports, negotiations between DEM and the Erdogan-Bahçeli alliance began quietly in late 2024. For DEM, key objectives likely include the release of high-profile political prisoners, such as Demirtaş and even PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, as well as the constitutional recognition of Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights. They may also be seeking a general amnesty for individuals affiliated with the PKK and broader Kurdish political networks.
In return, Erdoğan is seeking the DEM’s parliamentary support to pass constitutional amendments that would grant him a fourth term—currently prohibited under the existing charter—and further broaden executive authority. The alliance is thus one of expediency: DEM sees a chance to achieve long-elusive political goals, while Erdoğan gains the votes he needs to codify autocracy.
But this Faustian bargain risks far more than it might deliver. By enabling Erdoğan’s constitutional ambitions, DEM could become complicit in the final destruction of Turkey’s democratic opposition. Erdoğan has already begun neutralizing his most formidable political adversaries following a stinging defeat in the March 2024 local elections, where the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) captured a majority of municipalities. Erdoğan interpreted the results not as a mandate for reform, but as a threat to his political survival in the 2028 presidential election—and he is acting accordingly.
On March 19, Istanbul’s CHP mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, widely considered Erdoğan’s most dangerous rival, was arrested on dubious corruption charges. A popular and charismatic figure, İmamoğlu has long been seen as the politician most capable of unseating Erdoğan. His imprisonment sent a chilling signal: the regime will preemptively sideline potential challengers through politically motivated prosecutions.
The crackdown did not stop there. In early July, CHP mayors from Adana, Adıyaman, and Antalya were also arrested on unsubstantiated allegations of corruption. On June 7, the AKP filed a petition in parliament to lift the immunity of 61 out of 135 CHP members, potentially exposing them to arrest and prosecution. These tactics are all too familiar to DEM, whose members have long faced similar methods of judicial harassment and political marginalization. The irony is that the same Kurdish party once targeted by Erdoğan’s authoritarian machinery now risks enabling its continued operation—against others.
Erdoğan’s strategy is clear: dismantle all political opposition and refashion the Turkish state in his image. By coaxing DEM into an alliance, he is not just undermining the most significant opposition bloc in the country but also co-opting the very minority group that has endured some of the harshest treatment under his rule.If DEM proceeds with this alliance, it will mark a tragic turning point. Turkey, long teetering between authoritarianism and democracy, would move decisively toward autocracy—with the help of the very community that has historically stood on the frontlines of democratic resistance. Whatever short-term gains DEM hopes to achieve will come at the cost of legitimizing a system in which democratic dissent is criminalized, and power is consolidated in the hands of one man.
Turkey stands at a dangerous crossroads. This is not a moment for narrow political calculations or opportunistic deals. It is a time for all democratic actors—especially those who have endured the brunt of repression—to unite in defense of what remains of Turkey’s democratic institutions. The future of the republic depends on it.
**Sinan Ciddi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he directs FDD’s Turkey Program within the Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP). Follow Sinan on X: @SinanCiddi.

FAQ: Time Is Short to Trigger the Iran Nuclear Deal’s Snapback Mechanism
Andrea Stricker/FDD/July 25/2025
https://www.fdd.org/in_the_news/faq/2025/07/24/faq-time-is-short-to-trigger-the-iran-nuclear-deals-snapback-mechanism/
It is long past time to reimpose the UN sanctions on Iran.
In 2015, the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Russia, and China reached a nuclear deal with Iran — formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — that suspended UN sanctions on Tehran. The deal and its associated UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2231 included a mechanism known as “snapback” for one JCPOA party to reimpose sanctions within roughly 30 days should Iran engage in “significant non-performance” with the agreement.
UN sanctions in Resolutions 1696 (2006), 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007), 1803 (2008), and 1929 (2010) remain in limbo despite Iran’s prolonged non-compliance with the JCPOA and Iran’s statement in 2020 that it would no longer observe the deal’s terms, compounded by the accord’s largely defunct status since Washington’s withdrawal in 2018. However, UNSCR 2231 remains in force, and time is short to act because the resolution, the UN sanctions, and their snapback mechanism all expire on October 18, 2025. This unique mechanism, which bypasses a Russian or Chinese veto, represents the last opportunity to maintain and restore global sanctions on Iran.
The United States, plus France, Germany, and the United Kingdom — collectively known as the E3 — reportedly agreed on July 14 that the E3, as remaining JCPOA parties, will trigger snapback by the end of August if Iran does not agree to new limits on its nuclear activities. France’s foreign minister underscored that the parties would be “justified in reapplying global embargoes on arms, banks, and nuclear equipment that were lifted 10 years ago” absent “a firm, tangible, and verifiable commitment from Iran.”
Q: Why is retaining the sanctions critical to nuclear nonproliferation in Iran?
UN sanctions on Iran impose multilateral trade restrictions and key prohibitions on Iran’s nuclear proliferation activities.
Despite U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran’s key nuclear facilities, which severely set back the regime’s atomic weapons option, Tehran will likely try to reconstitute its nuclear program by procuring equipment and materiel from abroad.
If UN sanctions sunset in October 2025, Iran will no longer face a global ban among 190+ countries on procuring nuclear and nuclear-related equipment.
The UN resolutions also require Iran to stop enriching uranium and reprocessing plutonium indefinitely, adhere to a strong nuclear inspection agreement called the Additional Protocol, and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency to assure its nuclear program is devoted to peaceful uses.
Such provisions lay the basis for any durable, future nuclear deal with Iran that prevents its development of nuclear weapons.
Snapback provides an opportunity for Washington to definitively bring European countries back in line with the original U.S. and European standard of no uranium enrichment in Iran.
Q: What missile and military restrictions would snapback reimpose?
Along with addressing nuclear trade, snapback would restore military and missile embargoes on Iran that lapsed under UNSCR 2231 in 2020 and 2023, respectively, as well as a prohibition on launching missiles.
The embargoes prohibited Iran’s provision of arms, drones, and missiles, for example, both to Russia and to terrorist proxies seeking to attack Israel, U.S. troops, and Gulf partners in the Middle East.
Prohibiting, for example, key exports of missile materiel from China to Iran can stymie Iran’s efforts to rebuild its missile arsenal for use against Israel.
Outlawing missile testing provides a legal basis for stopping Iran from advancing its program for intercontinental nuclear-capable ballistic missiles that will one day be able to hit the United States.
Q: How would snapback reimpose other UNSC sanctions passed between 2006 and 2010 containing key restrictions on Iran?
The resolutions authorized states to inspect Iranian cargoes suspected of containing prohibited items, laying the basis for international efforts to interdict and seize them.
The resolutions designated Iranian entities and officials engaged in proliferation activities and required countries to halt proliferation financing for Iran, implement travel bans against designated Iranian officials, and freeze the designated officials’ and entities’ assets.
The resolutions, in particular, restricted financial transactions with Iranian banks, including the Central Bank of Iran, if linked to proliferation activities. They urged states to prohibit new banking relationships with Iran and monitor Iranian financial institutions.
The resolutions called for global vigilance in providing loans or credits to Iran, except for humanitarian or development purposes.
The resolutions established a UN sanctions committee and panel of experts to monitor and report on Iran’s compliance with the restrictions.
Q: What was the Obama administration’s position on snapback when it finalized the JCPOA in 2015?
The Obama administration supported snapback if Iran failed to uphold the JCPOA. Senior administration officials frequently touted snapback’s unique design, which circumvents a Russian or Chinese veto in the Security Council.
Former President Obama said in July 2015, “If Iran violates the deal, all of these sanctions will snap back into place.” He continued, “In the agreement, we’ve set it up so we can override Iran’s objection. And we don’t need Russia or China in order for us to get that override.”
Former President and then Vice President Joe Biden said in April 2015, “If at any point Iran breaks any of the commitments made in the agreement … we’ll have more time to respond, by snapping back sanctions or taking other steps to enforce compliance.”
Former Secretary of State John Kerry said in July 2015, “If Iran fails in a material way to live up to these commitments, then the United States, the EU, and even the UN sanctions that initially brought Iran to the table can and will snap right back into place.”
Q: What is the timeline for imposing snapback?
By July 2025: Any party to the JCPOA (including the European Union) can trigger UNSCR 2231’s 35-day optional dispute resolution process to begin snapback:
A Joint Commission of the JCPOA parties would have 15 days to try to resolve the issue.
If the matter were not resolved, any party could refer it to the foreign ministers of the deal parties, who would have an additional 15 days to resolve it. The complaining party could also request that a three-member advisory board consider the matter and provide a non-binding opinion.
The Joint Commission could consider the advisory board’s opinion for an additional five days.
The E3 should avoid triggering the dispute resolution process, as it wastes time and offers Iran, Russia, and China an unnecessary platform to obfuscate and plead Tehran’s case.
If Russia or China started the dispute resolution process, they could not run out the clock on snapback since there is no provision that prevents the E3 from moving to start snapback simultaneously.
By September 1, 2025: Any party to the JCPOA can trigger snapback — with or without using the dispute resolution mechanism.
An E3 member can notify the UNSC president of Iran’s “significant non-performance” under the JCPOA.
Within 10 days, the UNSC president can then introduce a resolution for a vote on whether to continue the lifting of UN Iran sanctions. The parties have 30 days to vote from the date of the original notification of “significant non-performance.”
The president’s resolution must pass for sanctions to remain lifted. This requirement effectively inverts the Security Council veto process. Instead of any one Security Council member being able to block a snapback, this means that any one member can guarantee a snapback, which would take place within 30 days of the original notification.
Yet a UNSC resolution is not a requirement for snapback to occur. If the UNSC president fails to introduce a resolution, snapback happens automatically 30 days after the president receives notification of Iran’s “significant non-performance.”
Whichever country holds the UNSC presidency can create procedural hurdles. Panama holds the presidency in August, South Korea in September, and Russia in October. Thus, the E3 should not wait to finalize the snapback until Russia’s presidency in October.
October 18, 2025: UNSCR 2231, its snapback mechanism, and all UN Iran sanctions resolutions expire if the West fails to act.
Q: What can the United States do to expedite the snapback process?
Washington should continue coordinating with its European allies to ensure the E3 trigger snapback by August. During Trump’s first term, the E3 blocked U.S. efforts to initiate a snapback, viewing Washington as a party withdrawn from the JCPOA. The E3 can therefore provide international legitimacy to snapback.
One reported option under consideration is for the E3 to submit a resolution extending the snapback and Resolution 2231 if Iran negotiates restrictions on its nuclear program. Such a move would entail Russia and China agreeing to a new resolution for a temporary extension.
Under no circumstances should the United States and E3 let snapback lapse or extend the sunset provision, since the UN sanctions resolutions, in part, establish critical benchmarks for a new deal with Tehran that blocks all pathways to nuclear weapons and limits its malign missile, military, and other proliferation activities.
Congress should fully support snapback, building on a February 2025 Senate resolution “calling on the United Kingdom, France, and Germany to initiate the snapback” and a companion resolution introduced by the House. It should also support full dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear fuel production, weaponization, and missile delivery capabilities, an effort backed by 51 Senate Republicans and 177 members of the House in May 2025 letters to President Trump.
**Andrea Stricker is a research fellow and deputy director of the Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).

Question: “What happens at the final judgment?”
Got Questions/July 25/2025
Answer: The first thing to understand about the final judgment is that it cannot be avoided. Regardless of how we may choose to interpret prophecy on the end times, “people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). We all have a divine appointment with our Creator. The apostle John recorded some details of the final judgment:
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11–15).
This remarkable passage describes the final judgment—the end of history and the beginning of the eternal state. We can be sure of this: no mistakes will be made in our hearings, as judgment is meted out by the perfect and all-knowing God (Matthew 5:48; 1 John 1:5). God will be perfectly just and fair (Acts 10:34; Galatians 3:28). God cannot be deceived or misled (Galatians 6:7). God is incorruptible and cannot be swayed by any prejudices, excuses, or lies (Luke 14:16–24).
As God the Son, Jesus Christ will be the judge at the final judgment (John 5:22). All unbelievers will stand before Christ at the great white throne, and they will be punished according to the works they have done. The Bible says that unbelievers are currently storing up wrath against themselves (Romans 2:5) and that “God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done’” (Romans 2:6). (Believers will be judged separately at the judgment seat of Christ, a judgment of examination and reward.) At the great white throne, the fate of the unsaved will be in the hands of the omniscient God who will judge everyone according to his or her soul’s condition and the works done in the body.
For now, our fate is in our own hands. The end of our soul’s journey will either be in an eternal heaven or in an eternal hell (Matthew 25:46). We must choose our destination by either accepting or rejecting the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. Further, we must make that choice before our physical lives come to an end. After we die, we no longer have a choice.
Everyone who has ever lived will face God someday. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).
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Will St. James ‘the Muslim-Slayer’ Ever Ride Again?
Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/July 25/2025
Today, Spain commemorates its patron saint, James, son of Zebedee. Known primarily as the elder brother of John the Evangelist, for more than a thousand years he was far better known as Santiago Matamoros — St. James the Moor (that is, Muslim) slayer — and was the embodiment of Spain’s holy war against Islam. On this of all days, recalling his story seems not only appropriate but necessary.
No More Tribute
In the year 711, Muslims from North Africa poured into Christian Spain—a land many believe St. James himself evangelized in AD 1. I have already documented the atrocities Muslims committed during this invasion (see Chapters 3 and 6 of Sword and Scimitar), but for our present purpose, two facts are relevant. First, not all of the Spanish peninsula was conquered; a remnant of Christians who refused to bow to Muslim rule retreated into the mountainous region of Asturias in the northwest. Second, Muslim aggression continued against this fledgling Christian enclave until the late eighth century, when a fragile peace was struck on the humiliating condition that the Christian king of Asturias send 100 virgin girls each year to the emir of Córdoba. This vile arrangement persisted for decades, until King Ramiro I (r. 842–850) ascended the throne and ended it.Muslim retribution was swift and terrible. Ramiro’s defiance was viewed not simply as political rebellion but as a blasphemous insult to Islamic supremacy. In response, the emir of Córdoba dispatched a massive army northward to crush the impudent Christians once and for all.
Divine Visitation
According to the chronicles, the Muslim force numbered some 60,000 Arab and Berber warriors gathered from across al-Andalus. Ramiro could muster only 5,000 — a small force of Asturian and Galician warriors armed more with faith than with steel. The two armies met near the town of Clavijo in the rugged hills of La Rioja. The Christians steeled themselves for annihilation. As night fell, King Ramiro withdrew to his tent and prayed for divine aid.That aid came in the form of a vision. St. James the Greater — apostle of Christ and evangelist of Iberia — appeared to the king: radiant, sword drawn, mounted on a white horse. He promised to ride with the Christian army into battle and crush the enemies of Christ.Ramiro awoke transformed. “Saint James fights for us!” he was heard crying before sunrise, as his confused men slowly began to gather. “Let the enemies of Christ fall beneath his sword!”
Blaze of Glory
As the sun broke over the hills on May 23, 844, Christian soldiers reported seeing a dazzling figure on horseback descending from the mountains. It was Santiago, clad in shining armor and slashing through Muslim ranks like divine lightning. With the rallying cry “St. James, and strike for Spain!” the Christians charged, emboldened by the presence of their heavenly commander. What should have been a slaughter of Christians turned into a complete reversal. The Córdoban army was shattered and routed. Later accounts claimed that every last Muslim soldier was slain, their blood sanctifying the soil of Spain.
King Ramiro emerged victorious and swore eternal devotion to St. James. He vowed to raise churches in the apostle’s honor, to make a yearly pilgrimage to his tomb at Santiago de Compostela, and to revere him as the Patron and Protector of Spain. The tribute of 100 virgin Christian girls faded into memory.
Historical Hero
In time, Santiago Matamoros became the divine icon of Christian Spain, enshrined in countless works of art and sculpture: sword raised high, trampling Muslims beneath the hooves of his white charger. “With Santiago leading us, we shall trample the Crescent beneath the hooves of our horses,” a Castilian noble declared before charging into battle centuries later.At the pivotal battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, another chronicler exulted: “Santiago, destroyer of Moors, has descended from heaven with a burning sword! Praise be to God, who has shown us His champion!”
Muslim chroniclers, too, took note of this terrifying “apparition” and the fervent devotion it inspired among Christians. “The Franks call upon a dead apostle,” complained Ibn al-Khatib 500 years later, “and yet their banners advance while ours retreat.”
Today, of course, modern historians — beginning around 1968 — have concluded that the Battle of Clavijo never even occurred and is a pious fiction. Be that as it many, what is certain is that for over a thousand years, Christian Spain believed it happened. And that belief shaped its very soul. The Reconquista was cast in a divine light: James the Moor-Slayer as the avenging saint against the Muslim persecutors of Christendom. This was more than warfare — it was holy retribution.
The reader is left to ponder Dom Prosper Guéranger’s (1805–1875) liturgical entry for St. James the Moor-Slayer:
Nearly eight centuries, which to the heavenly citizens are but as a day, had passed over that tomb in the north of Spain, where two disciples had secretly laid the Apostle’s body. During that time the land of his inheritance, which he had so rapidly traversed, had been overrun … by the Crescent. One day lights were seen glimmering over the briars that covered the neglected monument; attention was drawn to the spot, which henceforth went by the name of Compostella — field of stars. But what are those sudden shouts coming down from the mountains, and echoing through the valleys? Who is this unknown chief rallying against an immense army the little worn-out troop whose heroic valor could not yesterday save it from defeat? Swift as lightning, and bearing in one hand a white standard with a red cross, he rushes with drawn sword upon the panic-stricken foe, and dyes the feet of his charger in the blood of 70,000 slain. Hail to the chief of the holy war! Saint James! Saint James! Forward, Spain! [the Battle of Clavijo] It is the reappearance of the Galilean fisherman, whom the Man-God once called from the bark where he was mending his nets; of the elder son of thunder, now free to hurl the thunderbolt upon these new Samaritans, who pretend to honor the unity of God by making Christ no more than a prophet. Henceforth Saint James shall be to Christian Spain the firebrand which the Prophet saw, devouring all the people round about, to the right hand and to the left, until Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place (Zach. 12:5).
That, once upon a time, is what July 25 used to commemorate in Spain.
Betraying Their Roots
Today, however, the nation’s “progressive” elites grovel before Islamic sensibilities, stripping away the very symbols that defined their civilization — foremost among them St. James the Moor Slayer, the fierce defender of the faith, who for centuries stood as the living embodiment of Christian resistance. In the name of “inclusion” and “diversity,” they are rewriting history and erasing the memory of Christian sacrifice. Make no mistake of it; this isn’t coexistence — it’s betrayal. It’s the sidelining of the saint who once inspired a nation to liberate itself from the Islamic yoke.
And in lockstep with the elites' erasure of the saint from Spain’s national memory, Muslim migrants are once again committing savage acts of anti-Christian violence—desecrating churches, smashing crosses, and targeting the once Christian communities whose history is being systematically erased.
*Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West and Sword and Scimitar, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

Putting Syria back on track
Zaid AlKami/Al Arabiya English/25 July/2025
In the spring of 1977, Lebanon stood on the brink of civil war following the assassination of the Druze leader Kamal Jumblatt in an ambush as he was heading to the town of Baakline in the Chouf region, coming from Beirut. At the time, tensions and unrest broke out between the Druze and the Maronites, and the mountain nearly ignited into a war no one could imagine how it would end – until the threads of the crime were later revealed, showing that the perpetrator was not Lebanese, but rather Hafez al-Assad, the former Syrian president, who decided to assassinate Jumblatt because he stood against Syria’s tutelage project. That image – with all its symbolism of sectarian explosion – has returned today to loom over southern Syria, with the escalation of events in Sweida province, the stronghold of the Druze there. What has been happening for weeks cannot be described as a local dispute, nor seen as a typical protest movement. Rather, it hints at a slowly forming sedition, emerging from under the ashes and now spreading under various slogans, as some parties seek to inflame it to push Syria to the brink of sectarian division.
Sweida is not a geographic margin, but a national pillar that has always represented a guarantee that the voice of reason is still possible in the heart of storms. The city, with its social and historical character, used to raise the word above the gun, and uphold dialogue over threats. But today’s reality seems different, as it is being lured – by those with narrow, externally-backed interests – into a chaotic, bloody conflict, where sectarian tensions are stirred, identities provoked, and an effort is underway to go beyond local disputes toward redefining Syrian coexistence itself. The aim is to build armed enclaves outside the authority of the state, escalate events to attract international media coverage and regional alliances, thereby undermining state sovereignty and threatening the national framework that unites all sects without exception. What is happening today in Syria goes beyond security matters to more complex dimensions tied to the future of the country’s demographic makeup, social fabric, and state identity. The demographic conflict in Sweida is not merely a local shift, but a dangerous card – one that, if played, will not serve the people of Syria, but will instead benefit only those regional powers seeking to dismantle the country and reshape it along sectarian, regional, and transnational loyalty lines.
Therefore, the declaration by 11 Arab and Muslim countries of their support for Syria’s security, unity, stability, and sovereignty – and their rejection of all foreign interference in its internal affairs – served as a message that there is no room for sedition in Syria, and that these countries support Damascus in asserting its sovereignty over all its territory. All this leads to the accountability of those responsible for violations against Syrian citizens in Sweida, and support for all efforts to extend security, state authority, and the rule of law across every inch of Syrian land, while rejecting violence, sectarianism, incitement, and hatred.
In this tense climate, the Syrian government is now more than ever required to reconsider how it handles internal issues with historical sensitivities – especially those that concern the country’s social components.
Reviewing performance does not signify weakness or concession – it reflects political courage. The initiative to absorb concerned voices and to open up to all components of society is no longer a political luxury; it is a pressing national necessity.
A state that seeks the future does not fear de-escalation and does not see dialogue as a weakness, but rather as a tool to rebuild trust. When minorities feel protected, and majorities feel responsible, the homeland returns to its rightful path, and the loud voices subside in favor of a unifying national project.
Today, Syria cannot endure new seditions – it needs a national project that transcends narrow identities and bets on uniting Syrians rather than dividing them. History does not forgive states that fail to learn from their lessons. A homeland that cannot accommodate its people... will become an empty, fragile, and marginal state.

The US is Unlikely to Withdraw Its Troops from the Region
Huda al-Husseini/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 25/2025
Amid the sweeping changes reshaping the Middle East, debates about the utility of keeping the roughly 40,000 US troops currently deployed across the region. With air and naval bases from Syria to the Gulf, their presence has come under renewed scrutiny following the recent US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which have heightened concerns about a potential Iranian response that could endanger these forces.
Nonetheless, influential voices within Washington’s military and intelligence establishment maintain that a rushed withdrawal would jeopardize core American interests and create power vacuums that would likely be filled by hostile states or terrorist groups.
The recent redeployment of the USS Carl Vinson away from regional waters (the USS Nimitz remains there) signals strategic recalibration rather than a desire to fully withdraw. According to Admiral Brad Cooper, who recently took command of US Central Command (CENTCOM), there are no current plans for a major reduction. He emphasized that the US is constantly reassessing its posture based on conditions on the ground. In his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Cooper stressed that their current approach is to adapt to changes in conditions, adding that he will continue reassessing troop levels and deployments in response to evolving circumstances. His remarks underscore the military’s view that its land, air, and naval assets in the region are critical to ensuring rapid response.
Recent history supports this perspective. Given their frequency, concerns regarding crises in the Middle East cannot be dismissed: we saw this from the clashes between Israel and Iran, to Houthi threats to Red Sea shipping lanes, to mounting tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the perpetual instability of Iraq and Syria. General Frank McKenzie, who led US forces in the region from 2019 to 2022, has argued that maintaining its military presence serves US interests and offers regional states an added layer of protection in the face of persistent threats. His comments reflect his observations on the job: hasty withdrawals erode US deterrence and undermine vital security cooperation networks with allies. It’s not just about defense. American forces in the region also carry out vital missions. They safeguard maritime navigation, especially through strategic chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, and ensure that energy flows are not disrupted. US forces play a central role in counterterrorism efforts as well, which is particularly significant amid signs that ISIS cells are reactivating in certain areas. General Frank McKenzie said so unequivocally: “The war on ISIS is not over.” While US forces are not directly engaged in combat, he noted, they provide essential support to the local partners who conduct field operations to prevent the group’s resurgence, and US forces serve as both a deterrent and a stabilizing force.
Senator Angus King of Maine, who recently returned from a visit to Iraq, offered another assessment based on his time there, highlighting the appreciation of local allies. According to King, Iraqi officials strongly insisted that American troops must remain stationed in the country, presenting them as a necessary component of counterbalancing the aggression of Iran-backed militias. With critical national elections approaching, the threat of aggravating instability has heightened. While some circles continue to call for a drawdown of US forces, citing the high cost (which some military sources estimate to be over $20 billion annually), many others argue that a security vacuum exploitable by hostile actors or terrorist groups would incur greater costs.
Several military sources confirm that countries such as Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain remain committed to their defense partnerships with Washington; they see the presence of US forces as a practical safeguard against potential aggression or sudden threats. While the idea of relying solely on its air force and naval capabilities (without fixed bases) might seem appealing in theory, it runs up against the operational realities of rapid response and effective joint action.
While some military leaders acknowledge that the number of bases can be reassessed and that troop deployments could potentially be adjusted, they caution against assuming that the region has outgrown its need for US troops. The broader geopolitical picture also looms large. According to well-informed sources, Washington understands that rebalancing its military focus to address emerging challenges in Asia does not imply that it must turn its back on the Middle East, which has long been a theater of great power competition. Withdrawal without carefully considered alternatives risks creating an opening for Russia, China, or Iran to exploit. As crises in this part of the world continue to erupt with increasing frequency and volatility, maintaining the presence of agile and effective US military forces seems more reasonable than heeding idealistic calls for a full withdrawal. Ultimately, the ongoing debate underscores a profound realization among senior American military and security officials: security cannot be achieved through absence. Measured, sustained presence is far better than hasty withdrawals that inevitably impose far higher costs down the line.

The Post-Gaza Tragedy
Sawsan al-Abtah/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 25/2025
No sane person can think that the horrors unfolding in Gaza can simply be swept under the rug and forgotten the moment the guns fall silent. This war is the kind of cataclysmic event that stretches across time and etches itself deep into the collective conscience.
The horror now goes beyond Gaza itself. Many are afraid of the prospect that it could become a model, the norm in future conflicts, which major powers (more than minor ones) are already preparing for. Two million civilians have been besieged, and they are being killed in broad daylight, live on air, amid deafening silence and disheartening indifference. Power cuts, hospitals bombed, schools flattened over children’s heads. Displaced people burned in their tents. Patients assassinated in their hospital beds. Civilians are being starved and then hunted down as they seek bread.
A very long list of unspeakable crimes has been committed, while the world and international institutions respond with nothing but a chorus of condemnation and outrage that borders on complicity, replacing real action with rhetorical warnings intended to save face.
The French war historian Jean-Pierre Filiu, who managed to enter Gaza - where he says the scenes he witnessed were worse than anything he had seen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Serbia, or even Somalia - offers a stark warning in his new book Historian in Gaza. “All of humanity should be alarmed. This is not just another Middle Eastern war, confined in space. It is a laboratory showing us what the world could look like in a few years-” a place of ethnic cleansing with no laws, ruled by the law of the jungle, where the strong devour the weak and humanitarian aid is controlled by private corporations. “The world I saw in Gaza is terrifying, for all of us. Because it tests our humanity and sketches out the future ahead.”
His words are chilling, but Filiu is not alone in his assessment. Still, his words carry particular weight because he is speaking from firsthand experience.
Psychologists, too, are warning of another threat: repeated exposure to violent images on social media and television, as is the case now, has the opposite of the intended effect. It numbs our emotional response. The viewer, who should be shaken to their core, finds themselves indifferent to these images as they become part of routine. A kind of “psychological anesthesia,” as the psychologist Paul Slovic calls it, takes hold. In other words, when exposure to violent scenes becomes too frequent, we retreat into apathy to protect ourselves. In a nutshell, it leads to the “death of conscience.”
There is perhaps no more powerful insight than that which Hannah Arendt offers us in her famous book “Eichmann in Jerusalem,” which goes over the trial of one of the Nazis involved in the Holocaust after his arrest in Argentina and transfer to Jerusalem. The Jewish philosopher notes that Eichmann was not the monster or demon she had imagined. Rather, she found him to be an ordinary man: an obedient man belligerently performing his role like any bureaucrat carrying out routine tasks.
This is what she called “the banality of evil.” Evil, she argues, does not necessarily arise from hatred or personal vengeance but from immersion in a system and passively swimming with the wave, mechanically and without reflection. It is this kind of evil that threatens our shared humanity, as it deprives us of our moral compass.
Filiu notes that no Israeli has visited Gaza since 2007. Soldiers enter fully armed inside armored vehicles, with the battle managed from behind screens and inside tanks. Everything is monitored and orchestrated remotely, and it is filmed by drones or satellites. This “banal evil” has thus become widespread, threatening to spread well beyond Israel’s borders. This “banal evil”, far from having been buried with Nazism, seems to be remerging, this time with global complicity. Media outlets, major powers, international organizations, NGOs, and multinational corporations are all playing a part. Humanity has lost its mind, slipping into what psychologist Albert Bandura called “moral disengagement”: people are resorting to sanitized, euphemistic language to characterize the massacres and absolve themselves of responsibility by looking the other way.
Arendt didn’t blame Eichmann alone for the crimes. She also blamed the society that allowed them to happen, the media that stayed silent, the judges who facilitated his actions, and the citizens who looked away. Evil requires more than criminals; it requires silence, justification, normalization, and blind obedience, she tells us. If there is no accountability for the crimes in Gaza, mass murder will become routine, starvation will become a common weapon, and evil will be tolerated as a fact of life.
No one seems to care about the displaced people being killed, premature babies being deprived of oxygen, or the murder of a mother and her child as they scrape for food. Footage of bombardment and starvation goes viral and racks up likes and shares, and then everyone returns to their daily lives.
And then Brigitte Bardot appears from her elegant countryside home, where she now lives after retiring, and furiously declares that all she wants from life, and from these savage humans, is for them to stop killing foxes, an animal she adores and cannot bear to see harmed. That is her final wish, the wisdom she acquired over the years in distilled form.

Selected Tweets for 25 July/2025
Toni Nissi
The reception Georges Abdallah received in Lebanon and the opening of a VIP lounge for him at Beirut International Airport is further evidence of the ruling class's failure to fulfill the Lebanese people's aspirations for liberation from the previous era represented by the terrorism of the so-called resistance movement.

Mazloum Abdî
We value the efforts of Maj. Gen. Kevin C. Leahy during his leadership of the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve @CJTFOIR
, and thank him for his active role in overcoming shared challenges and strengthening the partnership. We also welcome Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Lambert as he assumes this responsibility at a critical time that requires enhanced coordination and joint action. At the Syrian Democratic Forces, we reaffirm our steadfast commitment to partnership with the International Coalition in combating terrorism and promoting stability throughout Syria.

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
The two-state was a joke. It still is a joke. It will remain a joke. Stop wasting the time of Palestinians and give them an honest assessment about their options for a better life out of their misery.

Marc Zell
BREAKING NEWS:
A senior Druze official has just advised me that as a result of efforts by the Trump Administration, the Syrian Druze, the Syrian regime and its affiliated forces together with the backing of the United States have entered into an agreement to resolve the crisis in Southern Syria. Here are the principal terms of the Agreement:
· The Suweida matter will be turned over to the Americans, who will undertake to monitor the implementation of the Agreement
· The forces of all the Bedouin tribes and the security forces of the Syrian regime will withdraw to outside of the Druze villages. · Druze units will reconnoiter all of the Druze villages to verify that they are clear of all Bedouin and regime forces. · A local council of Suweida residents will be formed to take responsibility for providing services to the local civilians.· A committee will be established for the purpose of documenting all violations, which will reported to the American side.
· The cities of Quneitra and Dara’a which are located close to the Israeli border will be demilitarized and local security committees will be formed from local residents of these areas, provided that they will not be armed with heavy weapons.
· No organization identified with the Syrian government will be permitted to enter Suweida, while UN organizations will be authorized to do so.
My source says this Agreement is a major breakthrough, provided it is actually implemented. He points out that it is essential to open a corridor from the Israeli Golan to the Suweida region in order to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. Security of the humanitarian corridor will be the responsibility of Israel. If this Agreement is implemented and it holds, the Druze Mountain of southern Syrian could be blossom for the benefit of all the residents of southern Syria.
Me: First thanks to the Trump Administration for brokering this Agreement and to the Israeli government for all that it has done to protect the Druze and other minorities to date. I am honored to have played a small part in making this happen. Let's pray that the Agreement will materialize and the civilians of southern Syria will have a chance to have peace and prosperity.

wassim Godfrey
Leftie of Arafat Is always a leftie terrorist born with it living in the 60s maybe he doesn't know what happened last year in the middle east and Abraham accords Give him a phone and a newspaper paper

U.S. Central Command
CENTCOM Forces Kill Senior ISIS Leader in Al Bab, Syria
Early this morning in al Bab, Aleppo Governate, Syria, CENTCOM Forces conducted a raid resulting in the death of senior ISIS Leader, Dhiya’ Zawba Muslih al-Hardani, and his two adult ISIS-affiliated sons, Abdallah Dhiya al-Hardani and Abd al-Rahman Dhiya Zawba al-Hardani. These ISIS individuals posed a threat to US and Coalition Forces, as well as the new Syrian Government. Three women and three children were also on the target and were unharmed.
“We will continue to relentlessly pursue ISIS terrorists wherever they are. ISIS terrorists are not safe where they sleep, where they operate, and where they hide. Alongside our partners and allies, U.S. Central Command is committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS terrorists that threaten the region, our allies, and our homeland,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, U.S. Central Command Commander.

Lindsey Graham
The French government’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state is curious and disturbing on multiple levels. I am certain this will embolden Hamas and make a ceasefire more difficult.
In addition, here are some questions that come to mind. Who’s in charge? What are the borders and boundaries? What is the governance structure? Does Hamas stay involved politically or militarily? Is the West Bank and Gaza part of a single state? Are they allowed to have an army? Does the education system change?

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Macron wants Israel to give Palestinians a sovereign state but refuses to allow New Caledonia (twice the size of a would be Palestine) to become sovereign and independent of France.
Same applies to Spain and Catalonia. Really easy to be generous when asking others for concessions.

Secretary Marco Rubio
The United States strongly rejects @EmmanuelMacron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the @UN general assembly. This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.

Nikki Haley
Calling for a Palestinian state, without conditions being met by the PA, does nothing to end this war. Hamas is still holding hostages and Israel's borders are not secure. If France wants to do something productive they should help eliminate Hamas.

Emmanuel Macron
@EmmanuelMacron
Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine.
I will make this solemn announcement before the United Nations General Assembly this coming September.
The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and to bring relief to the civilian population.
Peace is possible.
We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. We must also ensure the demilitarization of Hamas, secure and rebuild Gaza. And finally, we must build the State of Palestine, guarantee its viability, and ensure that by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the region.
There is no alternative.
The French people want peace in the Middle East. It is our responsibility — as French citizens, alongside Israelis, Palestinians, and our European and international partners — to prove that peace is possible. In light of the commitments made to me by the President of the Palestinian Authority, I have written to him to express my determination to move forward.
Trust, clarity, and resolve.
We will achieve peace.

Ambassador Mike Huckabee
How clever! If Macron can just “declare” the existence of a state perhaps the UK can “declare” France a British colony!