English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 05/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2025/english.june05.25.htm

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

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

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

Bible Quotations For today
Jesus said to them, ‘The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going
John 12/31-36: “Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. The crowd answered him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains for ever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?’ Jesus said to them, ‘The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.’ After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 04-05/2025
The first Aoun led us to hell, and the second Aoun is working to keep us there./Elias Bejjani/June 05/2025
President Aoun’s appointment of former minister Ali Hamie—a Hezbollah loyalist in ideology, thought, and allegiance—as a presidential advisor is a disturbing and suspicious move that raises serious doubts/Elias Bejjani/May 03/2025
Aoun Follows Up on Palestinian Arms Agreement
Raad: Weapons Issue Will Be Addressed ‘in Due Time’
Raad meets Salam, says 'stability' and arms to be discussed with Aoun
Qassem tells Araghchi Hezbollah to seek stability and liberation
Report: US understands need for ongoing Aoun-Hezbollah talks
Israeli navy abducts Lebanese fisherman from his boat
Geagea accuses Hezbollah of obstructing Palestinian camps disarmament
Hassan Khalil's brother held in fake cancer drugs case
Overcrowded and overlooked: Lebanon's prisons at breaking point
Price concerns and mixed reactions: Will Lebanon's fuel tax lead to a new wave of inflation?
UN appoints Major General Diodato Abagnara as new UNIFIL commander in Lebanon
Jeita Grotto to reopen in coming weeks after six-month closure
Nabih Berri Denies Shielding Anyone in Fake Drugs Case
Inclusive plan: Former Minister Ali Hamie tapped to advise on Lebanon's reconstruction strategy
Explosion at Baabda Gas Station Leaves One Dead, Several Injured
EU rewards journalists from Palestine, Egypt and Syria in Samir Kassir Award
Kulluna “Hood”: Breaking the Rules, But Defending Whom?/Tara B. Moussallem/This is Beirut/June 04/2025
Expatriates reject six-seat voting cap, call for equality - Lebanon News/Naoum Abi-Rached/Face Book/May 04/2025
The Cairo Agreement/Fatima N Jomaa/Face Book/May 04/2025
Hamiyyeh's Appointment to Reconstruction Role and International Scrutiny/Cathryn Papadopoulo/Face Book/May 04/2025
Hezbollah: The Causes and Functions of Delirium/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
Why Did Israel Succeed in Lebanon but Not in Yemen?/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
Israeli Operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: May 26–June 1, 2025/David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/June 02/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 04-05/2025
Political Islam—as embodied by Hamas, the peddler of death, suicide, destruction, terrorism, ignorance, and chaos—is critically dissected by renowned journalist Ibrahim Eissa in a bold and revealing media exposé."
Egypt says the sovereignty of a famous monastery is assured
Israel Strikes Syria After Projectiles Fired, Holds Sharaa Responsible
Israel strikes weapons in southern Syria after projectiles fired into Golan
US confident in Syrian partners to prevent ISIS resurgence amid troop withdrawal
Trump says Iran ‘slowwalking’ as Khamenei opposes nuclear proposal
Iran's supreme leader criticises US proposal for nuclear agreement
Alarm in Tel Aviv After Removal of Pro-Israel Officials from Trump Administration
Pressure mounts on Netanyahu as opposition moves to dissolve parliament
UN Says ‘Deliberate’ Choices ‘Systematically’ Depriving Gazans
US-backed Gaza Aid Group to Halt Distribution on Wednesday, UN to Vote on Ceasefire Demand
Rescuers Say Israeli Strike Killed at Least 12 People in South Gaza
Amid Gaza War, Israel Defense Exports Jump 13% in 2024 to Record $15 bln
Russia Urges US, UK to Restrain Ukraine after Attacks on Bombers
Zelenskiy Suggests Truce Until Meeting with Putin Can be Arranged
Trump Says He Spoke to Putin About Ukraine, Iran

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on June 04-05/2025
Will Israel attack Iran’s nuclear sites?/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Alarabiya EnglishJune 04/2025
Qatar keeps purchasing political influence/Natalie Ecanow and Sinan Ciddi/| Washington Examiner/June 04/2025
Sudan Is the War No One Cares About/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/19fortyfive/June 04/2025
How Much Longer Will Israel Live in Fear? /Emile Ameen/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
Immigration Has Always Been Complex/Steve Inskeep/The New York Times/June 04/2025
Will a Strike Supersede the Nuclear Deal?/Nadim Koteich/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
How Greed Threatens Middle East Christians/Alberto M. Fernandez/National Catholic Register/June 04/2025
Why Hamas Rejected Witkoff's Ceasefire Plan/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/June 4, 2025
There Is A Way To Counter Iran, Not Through War/Yigal Carmon/MEMRI Daily Brief No. 782/June 04/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 04-05/2025
The first Aoun led us to hell, and the second Aoun is working to keep us there.
Elias Bejjani/June 05/2025
From the outside, where we see the true picture, we say with sadness and conviction that what is called the "New Era" is in reality neither new nor sorrowful; rather, it is a shameful continuation of previous eras of humiliation, dhimmitude, submission, brokering, and deals. The opportunity given to Lebanon was unfortunately lost. And he who said, "We are going to hell" (Michel Aoun), was followed by - whether out of ignorance or cowardice, it makes no difference - (Joseph Aoun) who is working to keep Lebanon in that "hell" to which his predecessor led us... a time of hardship, drought, and misery. In conclusion, our country is incapable of governing itself, and for its salvation - if there is a sincere, willing, and capable international and regional will towards it and its people - it must be placed under Chapter VII and declared a failed and rogue state.

President Aoun’s appointment of former minister Ali Hamie—a Hezbollah loyalist in ideology, thought, and allegiance—as a presidential advisor is a disturbing and suspicious move that raises serious doubts
Elias Bejjani/May 03/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/06/143891/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0ThpNmDOkM&t=11s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-21Pfj4ppDE&t=128s
In a move that can only be described as baffling, disgraceful, and deeply disappointing, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has today appointed former minister Ali Hamie as presidential advisor for reconstruction affairs. This decision flagrantly disregards all principles of sovereignty, politics, and constitutional integrity, while sending a dangerous signal about the direction of Aoun’s presidency and the nature of those surrounding him. It also reflects a gross misunderstanding—or willful ignorance—of the existential threat posed by Hezbollah, the Iranian-controlled terrorist group whose ideological foundation is rooted in the doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih.
Who is Ali Hamie? Simply put, he is a partisan figure wholly committed—intellectually, ideologically, and culturally—to Hezbollah's system and worldview. This means his loyalty lies not with Lebanon, but with an external power, as dictated by the concept of Wilayat al-Faqih, which rejects national allegiance in favor of religious obedience to the Iranian Supreme Leader. Within this framework, no Shiite adherent to such ideology can be truly independent in thought, honest in counsel, or patriotic in orientation, because his compass always points to Qom and Tehran—not to Beirut.
So by what logic, with what understanding, and in pursuit of what reform agenda, does the president appoint such a figure as an advisor on national reconstruction? What meaningful contributions can Ali Hamie make to Lebanon in this capacity? Will his counsel be sovereign and patriotic? Of course not. Even if he desired to serve Lebanon, his ideological chains bind him, preventing him from acting outside the parameters of the Iranian agenda.
Even more alarming is the nature of the post itself: “Reconstruction Affairs.” As if reconstruction were even remotely feasible in a country still under Hezbollah’s security and military occupation. Which international, regional, or Gulf donor would finance reconstruction while the Iranian militia-state remains intact? Who would fund rebuilding under the shadow of a group answerable to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, executing a sectarian expansionist agenda fundamentally at odds with Lebanon’s national identity and the very concept of a sovereign state?
This appointment doesn’t just raise questions—it sounds the alarm about the troubling direction of President Aoun’s tenure. Since the very day he was named president—imposed on Lebanon through international and regional arrangements over the heads of both the corrupt political class and Hezbollah’s own preferences—Aoun has consistently sought to appease Hezbollah, turning a blind eye to the central crisis: its weapons and parallel state.
Now, by naming Hamie as advisor, Aoun sends a clear message: he either does not understand—or chooses to ignore—the foundational tenets of Hezbollah’s ideology, which neither respects concessions, nor acknowledges goodwill, nor reciprocates leniency with anything but manipulation. Hezbollah does not make decisions—it merely executes them. And executioners do not return favors. They exploit, consume, and discard.
The timing of the appointment is also troubling: it coincides with the visit of Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Lebanon. This can only reinforce suspicions that this move is part of a broader orchestration—or at the very least, a calculated alignment with the preferences of the so-called "Axis of Resistance" inside Lebanon. At a time when the Lebanese president should be spearheading the implementation of international resolutions demanding the disarmament of all militias, this step instead legitimizes them by inviting them into the very heart of the presidency as "advisors" and "experts."
Social media erupted today with scathing criticism and widespread condemnation of the decision. The Lebanese sovereign public expressed deep disappointment and outrage—few imagined that Joseph Aoun’s presidency would begin with such a dangerous and misleading signal. Instead of appointing independent, competent, and ideologically neutral advisors, Aoun has opted for one of the worst—and most alarming—choices possible: a figure ideologically aligned with a supra-national sectarian project that has turned Lebanon into a battlefield for Iran’s regional ambitions.
What happened today is not merely a mistake—it is a full-fledged political transgression that signals this presidency is, from the very start, headed down a dangerous and declining path that could lead Lebanon into disaster. Unless this course is corrected immediately—unless the presidency breaks free from the urge to appease Hezbollah and restores the values of statehood, sovereignty, independent decision-making, and constitutional legitimacy—there is little hope for redemption.
In conclusion, many Lebanese were stunned, overcome with doubt, and deeply disappointed by the caliber of advisors President Joseph Aoun has chosen. If this is the path he intends to follow—one rooted in the same failed concepts and practices—then the momentum of his presidency has ended before it even began… unless he swiftly changes course and reclaims his authority before he is consumed by the serpents of hesitation, fear, submissiveness, and foreign dependency.

Aoun Follows Up on Palestinian Arms Agreement
This is Beirut/June 04/2025
President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday met with the Head of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, Ambassador Ramzi Dimashkieh, who updated him on ongoing discussions regarding the enforcement of a key security agreement related to Palestinian camps in Lebanon. The talks focused on the implementation of a decision to ensure sole control over weapons in the camps, an issue previously agreed upon during the Lebanese-Palestinian summit between Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Hale’s Visit
In a separate meeting, Aoun received former United States Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale. The two held a broad discussion on recent political developments in Lebanon and the evolving situation across the region.
Putin’s Invitation
Earlier in the day, Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov delivered a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin to President Aoun. The letter included a personal invitation for Aoun to attend the first Russia-Arab Summit, set to be held in Moscow on October 15.

Raad: Weapons Issue Will Be Addressed ‘in Due Time’
This is Beirut/June 04/2025
The Head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, claimed on Wednesday that the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons should be approached “objectively, with the goal of safeguarding Lebanon’s national interests and ensuring the country’s readiness to confront any potential Israeli aggression.”Speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Raad stressed that discussions on national defense and sovereignty are ongoing and being handled “gradually and objectively” with the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun.
Asked whether disarmament is a precondition for post-war reconstruction, Raad dismissed the notion, saying, “Nothing is in exchange for something else. All matters must be discussed in due course.” He emphasized that no external pressure would influence the decision-making process, adding, “No one is rushing us, and the interest of the country comes above all else. We pay no attention to social media incitement or blackmail, and we are thinking about the country’s interests.”While the weapons issue was not discussed in detail during the meeting, Raad noted that it was present in spirit. “Everyone is concerned with achieving stability,” he said, “and the first requirement for that is ending the occupation.”

Raad meets Salam, says 'stability' and arms to be discussed with Aoun
Naharnet/June 04/2025
A Hezbollah parliamentary delegation led by MP Mohammad Raad met with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Grand Serail on Wednesday, following recent tensions with the premier over the issue of arms, the relation with Iran and the Resistance and Liberation Day. “We are keen on permanent understanding and accord with him and with all components in the country,” Raad said after the meeting. “The priority during this period is ending Israeli occupation, halting the daily attacks, freeing the captives and beginning the reconstruction process,” the lawmaker added. The issue of Hezbollah’s arms “should be discussed in an objective manner that preserves the country’s interest and the choices of its sons in confronting any Israeli aggression that threatens its security,” Raad said. He added: “The issue of stability and the right of the Lebanese to resist occupation is to be discussed with the president in an objective and gradual manner and we are not in a hurry.”

Qassem tells Araghchi Hezbollah to seek stability and liberation
Naharnet/June 04/2025
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in the presence of Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani, Hezbollah said in a statement, without specifying where the meeting was held. Araghchi had started an official visit to Lebanon on Tuesday and met with President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Qassem and Araghchi “discussed the regional situations,” with the Iranian minister stressing “the importance of bilateral ties with Lebanon and Islamic Republic of Iran’s interest in helping Lebanon and standing by it in the economic, political and social fields on the basis of mutual respect and boosting cooperation between the two countries,” the statement said. Qassem for his part told the Iranian minister that Hezbollah “will vigorously work for Lebanon’s rise, stability and sovereignty and for expelling occupation from its land,” the Hezbollah statement added. A November ceasefire largely halted more than a year of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel including two months of all-out war that left the Iran-backed group heavily weakened. Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah fighters were to pull back beyond the Litani River in the country's south. Israel was to withdraw all forces from Lebanon but has kept troops in five areas that it deems strategic and still carries out regular strikes on the country. Lebanese authorities have vowed to implement a state monopoly on bearing arms amid international pressure including from Washington, though President Joseph Aoun has said disarming Hezbollah is a "delicate" matter that requires dialogue. A Lebanese official told AFP that Araghchi's visit opened "a new page" in ties based on "non-interference".

Report: US understands need for ongoing Aoun-Hezbollah talks
Naharnet/June 04/2025
A Lebanese MP who has close ties to U.S. officials has recently held meetings in Washington in coordination with President Joseph Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri, during which he “explained the risks from pressuring Lebanon to disarm the resistance and the domestic problems that may result from that,” a media report said. “The MP clarified to his U.S. interlocutors the importance of domestic dialogue to resolve this issue according to the president’s proposal, noting that this dialogue had recently started in meetings between the head of the Loyalty to Resistance bloc MP Mohammad Raad and former Information Ministry director general Mohammad Obeid, who is close to Aoun,” political sources told al-Akhbar newspaper. “There is U.S. leniency and a greater understanding in Washington of Baabda’s viewpoint and that might be behind the decision to remove U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus from her post,” the sources added.

Israeli navy abducts Lebanese fisherman from his boat
Naharnet/June 04/2025
An Israeli navy boat on Wednesday encircled a fishing boat carrying Lebanese citizen Ali Fneish off the Ras al-Naqoura border area before eventually abducting him, media reports said. “Fneish is 35 years old, married, has five children and is a fan of the sea, fishing and diving,” MTV reported. Al-Akhbar newspaper’s website meanwhile reported that Fneish was abducted into Israel while another fisherman who was aboard another boat was allowed to return to the Lebanese coast.

Geagea accuses Hezbollah of obstructing Palestinian camps disarmament
Naharnet/June 04/2025
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea accused Wednesday the Hezbollah-led camp of trying to delay Palestinian disarmament and called for a government timetable for removing all illegal Lebanese arms. "The Hezbollah-led camp is pressuring Lebanese officials to delay the disarmament of Palestinian camps and inciting some Palestinian factions to oppose the disarmament," Geagea said in a statement. A joint Lebanese-Palestinian committee had agreed last month that the disarmament of the first Palestinian camps in Lebanon will begin in mid-June in three Beirut camps, and other camps will follow. "Any procrastination would show that the government is not serious and would delay the creation of an actual Lebanese state, keeping Lebanon isolated, especially from its Arab friends and obstructing any aid for the reconstruction (of war-hit regions) or for reviving the Lebanese economy," Geagea said, urging the President and the government to start taking serious steps to build a state that has a monopoly on arms and has war and peace decisions "like any other normal state."Lebanon hosts about 222,000 Palestinian refugees, according to the United Nations agency UNRWA, many living in 12 overcrowded official camps.
Most are descendants of Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their land during the creation of Israel in 1948.

Hassan Khalil's brother held in fake cancer drugs case
Naharnet/June 04/2025
Mohammad Khalil, the brother of Speaker Nabih Berri’s aide MP Ali Hassan Khalil, has been arrested in the case of the fake cancer drugs that have entered the Lebanese market, media reports said. Al-Jadeed TV said Khalil was arrested along with an Internal Security Forces captain identified as Ali Sh. and two medicine dealers.“Khalil and the detainees were interrogated throughout the day (Tuesday) amid major pressures for their release, but the detention decision was made by acting Financial Prosecutor Judge Dora al-Khazen,” Al-Jadeed added. Media reports said Mohammad Khalil’s wife, Maria Fawaz, had fled to Georgia, describing her as the “main culprit” in the case. Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel meanwhile quoted sources as saying that Berri “has informed everyone that he will not provide cover to anyone in the fake drugs case,” adding that “a wave of anxiety has spread among the ranks of the Amal Movement due to the involvement of MP Ali Hassan Khalil’s brother and his wife in the medicine scandal.”MP Ali Hassan Khalil later distanced himself from the case in a post on the X platform. "As for the case that has been recently raised regarding my brother's divorcee and his relation with her, I would like to stress that the issue is judicial and related to them and that we have nothing to do whatsoever with what's being circulated," Khalil said. "I have no business ties with those aforementioned and I categorically reject the attempts to implicate my name in this case," Khalil added, calling for the judicial measures to "take their natural course in a strict manner, away from any interference or influence." "Any claims that we are pressuring the judiciary are unfounded and aimed at distortion and defamation for reasons that have become obvious to everyone," Khalil went on to say.

Overcrowded and overlooked: Lebanon's prisons at breaking point
LBCI/June 04/2025
Lebanon's prison system is reaching a breaking point, with overcrowding escalating into a full-blown crisis. Despite mounting pressure, state efforts to address the situation remain sluggish, even as conditions inside detention facilities deteriorate and the financial burden on the government grows. Roumieh Prison, the country's largest and most overcrowded facility, has resumed court hearings, with three exceptional criminal chambers now holding sessions weekly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. A major contributor to the prison congestion is the high number of incarcerated Syrians.
According to the latest figures from the Internal Security Forces (ISF), 1,698 Syrian nationals are currently detained in Lebanese prisons, including individuals accused of terrorism-related offenses. Of these, 1,076 have received final verdicts, while the remaining 622 are still awaiting trial. However, the exact number involved in major crimes remains unclear due to delays in completing a full classification of the detainees. A recent meeting between Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani yielded promises of cooperation, specifically regarding the potential repatriation of Syrian prisoners. Yet, so far, no tangible progress has been made. Key obstacles include the absence of a formal legal framework between Beirut and Damascus, which is necessary to initiate transfers and clarify exceptions for certain cases. Under discussion are potential legal exclusions for prisoners convicted of serious crimes, but those convicted of offenses such as theft or illegal entry are expected to be returned to Syria to serve the remainder of their sentences. This paralysis raises concerns about whether the delay is due to legitimate legal challenges or simply a reflection of the institutional inefficiency that frequently stalls progress in Lebanon. With Syrian detainees comprising roughly 28% of the entire prison population, the consequences of continued inaction are dire, and the strain on Lebanon's penal system shows no sign of easing anytime soon.

Price concerns and mixed reactions: Will Lebanon's fuel tax lead to a new wave of inflation?
LBCI/June 04/2025
After the Lebanese government decided to impose a new fuel tax to fund financial grants for active and retired military personnel, questions and confusion are mounting over the impact on consumer prices across the country. The Economy Ministry moved to reassure the public, announcing that supermarket prices would remain unchanged despite the tax increase. Industry leaders, syndicates, and business owners echoed the ministry's position, promising not to raise prices on consumer goods. However, while those pledges offer some relief, concerns remain. Fuel prices directly affect a wide range of sectors, from transportation to private generator electricity, raising the likelihood of indirect price hikes in essential services. Generator owners have already begun preparing for higher costs, while taxi and bus drivers have responded in an inconsistent manner. Some have increased fares, while others are holding steady, citing a lack of clarity on whether the new pricing structure will be permanent or adjusted. As the public debate intensifies, all eyes are now on the government's next session, where it will decide whether to reconsider the controversial fuel tax or proceed as planned.

UN appoints Major General Diodato Abagnara as new UNIFIL commander in Lebanon
LBCI/June 04/2025
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Major General Diodato Abagnara as the new head of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), according to a statement released by the mission. Abagnara will succeed Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz, who has held the post since 2022.

Jeita Grotto to reopen in coming weeks after six-month closure
LBCI/June 04/2025
Lebanon's Tourism Ministry announced the upcoming reopening of Jeita Grotto, one of the country's most iconic tourist landmarks and a nominee for the New 7 Wonders of the World, following a six-month closure. The ministry clarified that the extended shutdown was due to exceptional circumstances related to the death of the previous private operator. To expedite the reopening, the ministry's legal department drafted a temporary mutual agreement with the Municipality of Jeita based on Article 46, Clause 5 of the Public Procurement Law. The deal allows the municipality to manage and operate the site temporarily, paving the way for the Grotto to welcome visitors again in the coming weeks. The ministry emphasized that the reopening is proceeding in full compliance with all legal procedures. A specialized committee headed by the ministry's Director General has been formed to oversee the process. The team includes legal, administrative, and technical experts, as well as representatives from Dar Al-Handasah. The committee is currently drafting new terms of reference to ensure future operations of the site are awarded through a proper and transparent tendering process. Reaffirming its commitment to the public interest, the ministry emphasized that the Jeita Grotto file is being handled with legal integrity and complete transparency. It also underlined that reviving Lebanon's tourism sector and preserving national heritage remain top priorities.

Nabih Berri Denies Shielding Anyone in Fake Drugs Case
This is Beirut/June 04/2025
Speaker of Parliament distances himself from scandal as probe into fake medicine smuggling through Beirut Airport intensifies. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stated that he would not protect anyone involved in the case related to the illegal importation of medications into Lebanon, according to remarks reported on Wednesday by Al-Hadath TV. This statement comes as investigations continue into a large network smuggling counterfeit medications into the country through Beirut International Airport, bypassing official procedures. According to information relayed by the Al-Markazia agency, citing the daily An-Nahar, General Security recently questioned and detained an officer whose wife is suspected of playing a central role in the case. The suspect reportedly left Lebanese territory for Georgia before being questioned by investigators. The case highlights failures in control systems, as questions arise about the circumstances surrounding certain promotions within the security services.

Inclusive plan: Former Minister Ali Hamie tapped to advise on Lebanon's reconstruction strategy
LBCI/June 04/2025
Hezbollah has made post-war reconstruction a top priority following Israel's recent military campaign, pressing the Lebanese government to immediately form damage assessment committees and begin the process of evaluating properties and setting compensation for affected residents. According to Hezbollah, these administrative steps are essential prerequisites to launching a serious reconstruction effort, with a particular emphasis on rebuilding residential units, not just infrastructure. Senior Hezbollah official Hussein Khalil conveyed this position during his recent meeting with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and again during a session between the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc and President Joseph Aoun. The group says it received a positive response from President Aoun, who expressed willingness to pursue a special law to govern the reconstruction process, similar to legislation passed after the 2006 war. The president reportedly assured Hezbollah he would give the matter special attention and work to reassure the public. The reconstruction file was also at the center of talks between PM Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh. For the Amal–Hezbollah duo, the state's responsibility is to calm public fears and restore displaced residents to their homes. In that context, a national reconstruction committee has begun work, and President Aoun has appointed former Public Works Minister Ali Hamie as a reconstruction advisor to the presidency. Multiple political sources say Hamie's appointment is not connected to ongoing national dialogue about Hezbollah's weapons but is instead aimed at reassuring the group's base. This step aligns with the positive landscape Aoun seeks, which is consistent with his approach to the arms issue. The sources also confirmed Aoun's opposition to excluding any party from the country's rescue effort. Hamie is seen as someone deeply familiar with the Shiite community's concerns and brings relevant expertise, having overseen damage assessment efforts during his time in the Mikati government. He is also the son of a Lebanese Army martyr. The decision to tap Hamie was, therefore, not arbitrary and reflects a broader spirit of inclusion the presidency hopes to foster as Lebanon navigates a recovery phase. Could this move serve as a starting point for a wider national strategy? Will key international stakeholders—particularly the five-nation group that includes the U.S. and Saudi Arabia—be willing to support Lebanon with reconstruction loans?

Explosion at Baabda Gas Station Leaves One Dead, Several Injured
This is Beirut/June 04/2025
A fire followed by a powerful explosion rocked a gas station in the Hadath-Baabda area on Wednesday morning, killing one person, injuring several others and causing widespread panic. The incident occurred near a local supermarket and was heard throughout nearby neighborhoods. The blast, which was heard from several hundred meters away, triggered fear among residents as thick plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky, visible from multiple districts across Beirut. Civil Defense units rushed to the scene to bring the fire under control, while Internal Security Forces cordoned off the area to prevent further danger. One person was killed and several injured. The explosion came just as an Israeli drone was spotted flying at low altitude over Beirut’s southern suburb earlier in the morning. While no official connection has been made between the two events, their timing has sparked concern and speculation among local residents and authorities. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the explosion, and officials are urging the public to avoid the area until it is deemed safe.

EU rewards journalists from Palestine, Egypt and Syria in Samir Kassir Award
Naharnet/June 04/2025
The Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon and the Samir Kassir Foundation have announced the results of the 20th edition of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press, in a ceremony held at the Sursock Palace Gardens, in Beirut. This Award, established and funded by the European Union, is recognized internationally as a flagship prize for press freedom and the most prestigious journalism award in the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf region. Since 2006, the Award ceremony has been held annually to commemorate the anniversary of Lebanese journalist Samir Kassir’s assassination on 2 June 2005 in Beirut, and celebrate his life, his values, and his memory. The Samir Kassir Award is open to professional journalists from eighteen countries of North Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf. This year, a record 372 journalists participated in the competition, hailing from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. 125 candidates competed in the Opinion Piece category, 157 in the Investigative Article category, and 90 in the Audiovisual News Report category. The winner in each of the three categories is awarded a prize of €10,000. Each of the short-listed finalists per category receive a €1,000 prize.
The winners of the 2025 Samir Kassir Award are:
- Opinion Piece Category: Badar Salem, from Palestine, born in 1980, for her article titled “On the Normalisation of Sumud in Gaza,” published in Romman Magazine on 19 July 2024. In her piece, Badar critiques the glorification of sumud (steadfastness) in Gaza, arguing that idealizing resilience imposes unrealistic expectations on Palestinians and masks the profound trauma they endure. It calls for shifting from celebrating endurance to recognizing the right to vulnerability, care, and dignity in the face of ongoing violence.
- Investigative Reporting Category: Marina Milad, from Egypt, born in 1994, for her investigation titled “’I Have Become Shameful’: Syrian Women Leave Prison with a "Stigma"’, published in Masrawy on 25 February 2025. This report reveals that after enduring torture, rape, and dehumanization behind bars, many Syrian women emerge into a society that greets them with stigma, rejection, and renewed trauma, instead of empathy and genuine support.
- Audiovisual News Reporting Category: Khalil Alashavi, from Syria, born in 1983, for his report titled “Syria: Children in a Never-Ending War”, produced by Tiny Hands and launched on 15 March 2025. The report focuses on the continued plight of Syrian children in their war-torn country, and the years of stolen innocence, which a regime change alone cannot address.
Speaking at the ceremony Tuesday, the Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon, Sandra De Waele, said: “50 courageous journalists have received the Samir Kassir Award since 2006. Journalists who, despite the risks, have used their voice to hold the powerful accountable, to expose corruption, and to give a voice to the voiceless. Yet they persist, because, like Samir, they believe that the truth matters and the public has the right to know. And this is what the Samir Kassir Award stands for. More than a recognition of excellence, it has become a platform that brings powerful stories from the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf to the world, that sparks difficult but necessary conversations, and that creates a space where journalists can support one another in their mission.”
Malek Mrowa, Acting President of the Samir Kassir Foundation, said: “Over the past two decades our region has endured uprisings, revolutions, counter-revolutions, wars, and exoduses. The targets of oppression keep shifting: one year it is protesters in the street, the next it is women demanding bodily autonomy, the next it is reporters who dare to film a checkpoint. But the core struggle has never changed: the right to think freely, to speak openly, and for citizens to know what is done in their name. That struggle is embodied in every entry we receive for the Samir Kassir Award.”
An independent seven-member jury from the Arab League and European Union member states selected the winners. This year’s jury gathered Ali Amar (Morocco), editor-in-chief of Le Desk, Antoine Haddad (Lebanon), vice-president of the Saint George University of Beirut and the Samir Kassir Foundation’s representative in the jury, Mina Al-Oraibi (Iraq), editor-in-chief at The National, Jean-Pierre Perrin (France), political writer, Paul Radu (Romania), co-founder of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Natalia Sancha (Spain), journalist, photographer, and communication expert, and Lina Sinjab (Syria), Middle East Correspondent at BBC.

Kulluna “Hood”: Breaking the Rules, But Defending Whom?
Tara B. Moussallem/This is Beirut/June 04/2025
Once upon a time, there was a man named Robin Hood. A popular hero of English folklore, he stole from the rich to give to the poor… only to end up betrayed by his own.
Since then, many have dreamed of becoming justice warriors. But between legend and reality, the myth quickly crumbles. In Lebanon, amidst economic and social collapse, Kulluna Irada presents itself as an agent of change, a bearer of justice and reform. But behind the slogans and media appearances, contradictions pile up.
Declared Independence, Locked-in Funding
Founded in 2017, Kulluna Irada claims political and financial independence. Yet much of its funding comes from donors within the wealthy Lebanese diaspora and from controversial international networks — including foundations linked to George Soros, a central figure in the global financing of so-called progressive causes.
The paradox is glaring: how can an organization backed by elites claim to defend the oppressed? Especially when some of its benefactors profited from the economic crisis while the people sank deeper into poverty.
A Well-Oiled Influence Machine
Behind its citizen-driven rhetoric, Kulluna Irada executes a meticulous political strategy: discreet lobbying, direct ties with certain “Change” MPs, and public image management through think tanks and friendly media. Its parliamentary allies, elected in 2022, often act as agenda couriers, wrapping externally conceived projects in the language of citizen reform. The narrative is simple: an “enlightened people” versus “corrupt politicians”. But this binary framing conceals Lebanon’s complex social, sectarian, and historical realities.
Above all, it avoids any challenge to class structures.
Silencing Dissent, Controlling the Narrative
Kulluna Irada doesn’t just campaign — it funds several so-called “progressive” media outlets, consolidating its grip on public narrative. This dominant position not only amplifies its ideas but also targets any critical voices — including intellectuals and activists who dare to question its methods. Accusations of “populism” or “conspiracism” fly as soon as a dissenting voice emerges, creating a climate of disguised censorship.
A Telling Silence
While publicly opposing the powerful, Kulluna Irada remains oddly silent on Hezbollah — a central player in Lebanon’s political and military life. This strategic silence raises a key question: can we truly speak of structural reform when the core of power is carefully avoided? To some observers, the organization serves as a bridge between local elites and Western governance standards, offering a progressive veneer to an unchanged system.
Robin Hood… On Contract?
Behind the mask of the justice warrior, Kulluna Irada resembles less a popular revolution and more a project of clean, cosmetic management of the system. No wealth redistribution, no break from the established order — just a technocratic reorganization to suit international donors.The people are summoned as scenery but rarely involved.
Cosmopolitan Elites at the Helm
A quick glance at Kulluna Irada’s executive committee says it all. Its members are corporate lawyers, heads of international firms, academics, or high-level investors. This committee represents a globalized elite — economically powerful, culturally connected, but socially distant from everyday Lebanese realities.
Can we still call it a “popular movement” when those pulling the strings live between Beirut, Paris, New York, and Geneva? Beneath the costume of the modern Robin Hood, some see a Trojan horse for Lebanon’s new bourgeoisie — cosmopolitan, connected, and media-savvy. An elite that knows how to speak on behalf of others but shares neither their daily life… nor their struggle.

Expatriates reject six-seat voting cap, call for equality - Lebanon News
Naoum Abi-Rached/Face Book/May 04/2025
Lebanese expatriate groups confirmed it at their meeting today with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam his full respect for the right of non-resident Lebanese to vote in expatriate countries in their constituencies of origin, as well as residents, and his blatant refusal to limit this right to just six Seats from the 2026 elections, as stipulated in the electoral law no. 44 published in 2017.
The groups have called for accelerated adoption of a bill modifying relevant articles of the Electoral Act during the first session of the House of Representatives, ensuring the conservance of this constitutional right and the achievement of complete equality among Lebanese at home and abroad. She noted that the proposal had so far been supported by more than 60 MPs.
The proposal includes measures aimed at increasing expatriate participation in the electoral process, including:
Non-resident voter registration period extended to six months instead of one month and 20 days.
Reduce the minimum number of registered voters in each polling station, which would increase from 200 to 100.
Consider diplomatic missions, both resident and non-resident, as a single center for calculating the number required.
The groups have also called for concrete steps to facilitate the renewal of expatriate passports and ID cards to ensure their effective participation in the upcoming elections.
The delegation included representatives of 16 groups of active expatriate around the world:
Celibal - Latin American Center For Lebanese Studies
Change Lebanon
Collective Lebanese from France
Diaspora Libanaise Overseas - Lebanese Overseas Diaspora
Forum Libanais en Europe - Lebanese Forum in Europe
Kulluna Irada
Lebanese Executives Council
Lebanese Expatriate Movement
Lebanese National Alliance
Meghtebrin Mejtemiin - Expatriates united
Mouvement des Citoyens Libanais du Monde - Lebanese citizens around the world
Our New Lebanon
Sawti – صوتي
TeamHope
The Lebanese Diaspora Network
World Lebanese Cultural Union

The Cairo Agreement,
Fatima N Jomaa/Face Book/May 04/2025
The Cairo Agreement, signed in 1969 between the Lebanese government and the Palestinians, granted the terrorist “refugees” the right to bear arms and operate freely in refugee camps and to launch attacks on Israel from southern Lebanon.
Brokered by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, the deal was meant to ease tensions between the Palestinians and the Lebanese Army. In reality, it marked the erosion of Lebanese sovereignty, handing over control of parts of the country to a foreign presence. The Palestinians soon established a “state within a state,” laying the groundwork for Lebanon’s long descent into war and fragmentation.
But the truth is, Lebanon’s sovereignty had already begun to unravel in 1967, when Palestinians first flooded in. Since then, the country has been carved into zones of foreign influence: the South, once controlled by the Palestinians, is now in the hands of Hezbollah; the Beqaa Valley—then and now—serves as a corridor for Syrian, Palestinian, and Hezbollah dominance. Lebanon never recovered control. It was partitioned—quietly, violently—and the map has never been whole again.

Hamiyyeh's Appointment to Reconstruction Role and International Scrutiny
Cathryn Papadopoulo/Face Book/May 04/2025
Beirut, Lebanon – June 4, 2025. President Joseph Aoun's decision on Tuesday to appoint former Public Works Minister Ali Hamiyyeh as an advisor on reconstruction affairs for the nascent South Rebuilding Committee, has been met with immediate public outrage across Lebanon. This decision is poised to significantly deepen international skepticism regarding critical reconstruction funding for South Lebanon, and raise questions among international donor countries. The appointment, seen by many as symbolic, comes in the immediate aftermath of a swift visit by Iran's Foreign Minister, underscoring the complex web of political alignments, adding another layer to the complex political and financial challenges facing the nation.

Hezbollah: The Causes and Functions of Delirium
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
Doctors and analysts agree that delirium is a sudden change in the brain function that leads to disturbance and mental confusion. It often results from a transformation the body is subjected to; it could be surgery or withdrawal that follows long-term alcohol abuse.
One of the more acute symptoms of delirium is inattention and reduced awareness of one’s surroundings; the delirious can sometimes forget who he is, where he is, and what he is doing there. This can result in physiological disorientation, manifesting as either near-paralytic lethargy or an erratic.
The statements coming from Hezbollah since the seismic change resulting from the “support war” and its ramifications are strikingly delirious. One could probably say, albeit with some creative license, that an analogy could be drawn with both surgery and recovery from addiction. Indeed, one would think that the war, the operation, has reduced Hezbollah’s triumphalist intoxication and its domineering behavior, challenging the party to adapt to this new reality.
Yet, listening to Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem (and some of the party’s officials and spokesmen) set deadlines, speak of giving diplomacy and the government a chance, threaten to not extend these deadlines if they are not met, double down on the principle of “the army, the people and the resistance,” deny defeat, and adamantly refuse to relinquish their weapons, one unequivocally concludes that its utter failure to adapt has reinforced its delirium.
However, accuracy demands recognizing that this outcome is not without justification. Adaptation becomes exceedingly difficult when there has been something of a consensus, for over four decades, on idealizing the addiction. The binge that began in the early 1980s and ended only a few months ago had been presented as the epitome of sobriety, while those who refused to endorse this view were called on to treat their sick and scheming souls. The long-standing duality of arms, which allowed an illegitimate actor to make decisions of war and peace, was framed as the ultimate embodiment of prudence and the essence of truth. This extreme distortion had the upper hand in appointing presidents and ministers and shaping national policy and planning.
As for the fact the party, without an official mandate, had constituted a parallel society that had been above and outside the state, and had branded others traitors at a whim, this had also seemed like its indisputable right.
For years, Hezbollah was allowed to inform us that we were under threat as our senses and lived experiences were telling us the opposite, and it was allowed to warn us that we must resist, regardless of our desires, thoughts, or capabilities. Meanwhile, its subordinates were tasked with deciding which films must not be watched, and which books should not be translated or read, on our behalf.
This makes the transition difficult. From a phase in which addiction ruled and delirium was indulged, forcing others to adapt to it, we are now entering a phase in which delirium is constrained and called by its real and dangerous names, while its authors are the ones expected to adapt. In other words, we are transitioning from an era in which reality had been made to accommodate addiction, to one in which the addict is now called upon to accommodate reality. And, without a doubt, that is extremely difficult.
This delirium nonetheless remains functional. Iran will continue to find use for it so long as it is negotiating with Washington. Hezbollah’s weapons are to remain in its hands and not handed over to the state; just as the Houthis’ fireworks in Yemen, this bargaining chip must be maintained. Yet, everything seems smaller than it had once been: this applies just as much to the causes that are promoted as it does to material capacities and tools. The trajectory they have been on suggests that the war has led to decline and contraction, in parallel with Iran’s own transformation from a frightening force with serious leverage to a fearful one desperately hanging on to its damaged cards.
The contrast between the two phases could be summed up as follows: in the previous phase, a prime minister who went against the party and its patrons’ wishes would be assassinated in a grand theatrical attack, and the ensuing investigation would be obstructed. In the current phase, the prime minister is spitefully and obscenely slandered a “Zionist” for going against these wishes.
This is not to downplay the gravity of what is happening today, especially in light of the recent municipal election results that showed this delirious consciousness can, even in defeat, obtain (for reasons too complex to unpack here) another mass pledge of allegiance. This is the case despite the immense costs of maintaining the allegiance - for the security of the Lebanese people, for their economy, for the country’s reconstruction, and for the effort to ensure a national recovery. Those continuing to pledge allegiance may well ultimately end up hurting the most.
This state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue, and it must not be tolerated. If all Lebanese are called upon to make great efforts, coupled with a reduction of provocations, to integrate a third of the population into a unified national project, then those directly concerned are the first to be called on to break away from a delusional and defeated project that cannot lead anywhere safe.

Why Did Israel Succeed in Lebanon but Not in Yemen?
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
Israel’s crushing victory in its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon last year is considered one of its military triumphs, ranked alongside the Six-Day War victory in 1967. Meanwhile, its operations against the Houthis in Yemen, so far, have been more theatrical than effective, resembling its 2006 war in Lebanon.
This, despite the fact that the armed group has no air defense capabilities or a missile arsenal to strike back.Israel’s current goals in Yemen resemble its attacks on Lebanon during what became known as the July War. Most of the attacks destroyed civilian or semi-civilian facilities. This may be because Israel doesn’t have a strong target bank in Yemen, which is why it resorted to bombing ports, the airport, and roads to halt the reception and transport of weapons.
The difference between the two fronts is significant. Against Hezbollah, Israel showed overwhelming and terrifying superiority last year; its operations seemed like science fiction. It eliminated most of the top leadership, whether they were in their homes, cars, or hiding underground in ten-story bunkers, and destroyed or disabled most of Hezbollah’s offensive arsenal. If we recall what happened in 2006 during the 34-day war, Hezbollah wasn’t destroyed, but Israel paralyzed the Lebanese state. It bombed the airport, the port, power and water stations, highways, around a hundred bridges and crossings, and vast residential neighborhoods. Within two years, Hezbollah had fully restored its capabilities.
In contrast, during last year’s battles in Lebanon, which lasted 13 months, civilian life in most of the country remained nearly normal, and infrastructure wasn’t targeted. Civilian airplanes were taking off and landing at Rafik Hariri International Airport even as Israel bombed Hezbollah positions in the southern suburb of Beirut. The strikes were visible to airline passengers flying in and out of the nearby airport, which remained fully operational.
Photographers and journalists would wait for announcements of airstrikes and their targets, sitting across from the buildings awaiting the attack in order to film them up close.
Since January, Israel has struck Yemen six times, but not with the same effectiveness as in Lebanon. Few of these attacks actually targeted Houthi forces or leadership. Just last month, Israel bombed Sanaa International Airport and destroyed the last civilian aircraft there, which belonged to the legitimate Yemeni government, not the Houthis. This Yemeni militia resembles ISIS and al-Qaeda and shows little concern for civilian losses or infrastructure damage.
Israeli strikes have not deterred the Iran-backed group from launching drones and missiles. Their arsenal is modest compared to Hezbollah’s, which suffered massive destruction of its offensive capabilities. Houthi projectiles are limited and do not pose a major threat to Israel. Most have missed their targets, and those that did enter Israeli airspace briefly disrupted air traffic and forced residents into shelters for a short time.
This ideologically driven Yemeni group comes from a small minority, no more than 7 percent of the population, and relies on terrorizing civilians with its militias to maintain control in cities under its grip. In other areas, it holds sway through a network of allied tribal forces. These groups will abandon the Houthis once they sense a decline in the militia’s military strength.As for why Israel’s performance has been so lackluster, I believe there are two possible reasons: First, a lack of intelligence in Yemen, unlike in Lebanon, where it enjoys a vast network of informants and agents, even within Hezbollah itself. This network enabled Israel to gather detailed information and build a target bank over many years in preparation for the awaited day. The other possibility is that the Israeli government itself is unwilling to escalate the confrontation and is content with punitive strikes proportional to the limited damage caused by the Houthis. It is likely waiting for an agreement under which the Houthis would pledge to stop harassing Israel, similar to the arrangement they made with the United States ahead of President Donald Trump’s regional visit.
Still, in my view, the Houthis are like moths drawn to a flame. They appear advanced because they launch drones and missiles. But in reality, they’re no more than primitive cave fighters from the Middle Ages – or reckless mountain rams charging toward the fire.

Israeli Operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: May 26–June 1, 2025
David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/June 02/2025
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/06/israeli-operations-in-lebanon-against-hezbollah-may-26-june-1-2025.php
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted numerous operations throughout Lebanon against Hezbollah between May 26 and June 1, 2025. The IDF’s activities were some of the most intense since the onset of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire on November 27, 2024. They included several targeted assassinations and airstrikes on Hezbollah infrastructure throughout Lebanon.
The IDF conducted operations in 23 Lebanese locales during the week, some more than once. Israeli forces operated both north and south of the Litani River, reaching as far north as Shmistar and Brital, slightly south of Baalbek. Nineteen areas were hit by airstrikes, three by artillery, six experienced ground actions, and flares were fired over one area.
Israeli operations in northern Lebanon between May 26 and June 1, 2025. Lighter blue: Israeli airstrikes. Orange: Reference point. (Google Earth annotated by LWJ)
Israeli operations in southern Lebanon between May 26 and June 1, 2025. Green: Israeli outposts. Red: Israeli ground operations. Dark Gray: Israeli artillery attacks. Lighter Gray: Israeli smokescreens. Lighter blue: Israeli airstrikes. Purple: Israeli flares. Red: Israeli ground operations. Orange: Reference points. Darker blue: Partial course of the Litani River. (Google Earth annotated by LWJ)
Baalbek-Hermel Governorate
Baalbek District: Brital, and Shmistar
Nabatieh Governorate
Bint Jbeil District: Ayta Ash Shaab, Ayta Ash Shaab-Debl, Beit Lif, Ramyeh, Salhani, and Yater
Marjayoun District: Ain Arab Marjayoun, Blida, Marjayoun, Meiss Al Jabal, Kfar Kela, and Wazzani
Nabatieh: Arnoun, Deir Al Zahrani, Kfar Fila-Sarba-Ain Qana/Wadi Al Safa, and Nabatieh Al Fawqa
South Lebanon Governorate
Jezzine District: Jezzine, Kfar Houna, and Rihan
Saida District: Baysariyeh and Qaaqaaiyat Al Snoubar
Tyre District: Abbassiyeh
Casualties
Total casualties from Israeli operations in Lebanon included six people killed, five of them Hezbollah operatives and one Amal Movement operative, and five people wounded.
May 26, 2025: Two unidentified people were wounded.
May 27, 2025: One Hezbollah commander was killed.
May 28, 2025: One unidentified person was wounded.
May 29, 2025: One Hezbollah and one Amal operative were killed; one unidentified person was wounded.
May 30, 2025: No casualties were reported.
May 31, 2025: One Hezbollah operative was killed.
June 1, 2025: Two Hezbollah operatives were killed, and one Hezbollah operative was wounded.
Chronology of Israeli Operations against Hezbollah, May 26-June 1, 2025
May 26
NNA Lebanon reported that at around 2:00 am, an Israeli drone targeted a motorbike with two missiles in Beit Lif in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District and wounded its unidentified rider.
At 4:01 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli jets conducted three airstrikes on the Seraj area in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate’s Baalbek District.
At 8:34 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade in Ramyeh in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District, wounding one unidentified person.
At 10:16 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops, accompanied by two bulldozers, entered Kroum Al Mrah on the eastern outskirts of Meiss Al Jabal in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District. They conducted excavations to build an embankment that is dozens of meters long and two meters deep between Kroum Al Mrah and Khallet Al Maghara. The area is located just over the Blue Line and between the IDF’s Tel Al Aoueidah and Tel Al Aziyeh outposts in southern Lebanon. The excavation efforts lasted overnight, after which Lebanese media reported the LAF moved in to undo the IDF’s actions.
May 27
At 9:35 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike on a motorbike in Yater in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District killed one person. Hezbollah-affiliated social media later announced the death of Hezbollah operative Nabil Mohammad Balaghi, whose nom de guerre was Alaa, from Yater. The IDF subsequently acknowledged assassinating Balaghi, identifying him as “the commander of Hezbollah’s Yater complex,” who oversaw operations against Israel during the recent war and “launched attempts to rebuild the complex” after the November 27 ceasefire.
Death announcement of Nabil Mohammad Balaghi. (Balagh Media Telegram)
May 28
At 6:30 am, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops, likely positioned in the Tel Hamames outpost in south Lebanon, directed significant gunfire toward the valley of Marjayoun in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 12:12 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade in Kfar Kela in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 12:55 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle on the main road in Abbassiyeh in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District. The strike wounded one person.
At 10:38 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli ground troops, accompanied by a bulldozer, entered eastern Blida in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District, stopping approximately 200 meters from an LAF post.
May 29
At 12:06 am, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli forces fired flares over Wazzani in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 1:44 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted a motorbike in the Ali Al Taher Forest in Nabatieh Al Fawqa in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District. NNA Lebanon said the strike killed municipality worker Mahmoud Hussain Atwi as he was heading to the local well to turn on water for nearby houses. At 3:09 pm, the IDF released a statement claiming it had killed a Hezbollah terrorist “near the Beaufort Range in south Lebanon,” who it says was “acting to restore a Hezbollah site used to operate its fire and defense array.” The IDF said it had “targeted the site several times over the past weeks” and stressed that activity at the site “constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.” Hezbollah did not issue an official death announcement for Atwi or grant him an official funeral, but its affiliated Al Akhbar news described him as “combining jihad against the [Israeli] enemy with the struggle to earn his lawful daily bread. He was at the forefront of the nationalist resistance fighters who clashed with the Israeli enemy in Marjayoun, engaging them and following in the footsteps of his martyr brother Mustafa.”
Mahmoud Hussain Atwi.
At 4:36 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade in Beit Lif in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District, wounding one person.
At 5:31 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli artillery targeted Ain Arab Marjayoun and Wazzani in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 7:10 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops directed gunfire at Kfar Kela in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District, killing one person, later identified as local resident Khodor Redha Faqih. Faqih was identified as a medic and operative in the Amal Movement’s Resala Organization.
Death announcement of Khodor Redha Faqih (Left) and Faqih’s official Amal Movement funeral.
At 7:43 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli artillery fired three shells at Wadi Muzlem in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 8:44 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that three Israeli airstrikes targeted an area near Jezzine in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Jezzine District.
At 8:49 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted the area of Al Salhani on the outskirts of Ramyeh in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District. Another airstrike reportedly targeted Baysariyeh in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Saida District.
At 9:02 pm, NNA Lebanon reported an Israeli airstrike on Ras Mazeh in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District.
At 9:09 pm, NNA Lebanon reported an Israeli airstrike in Qaaqaaiyat Al Snoubar in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Saida District.
At 9:17 pm, NNA Lebanon reported an Israeli airstrike on Rihan and another on Jabbour in Kfar Houna in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Jezzine District.
At 11:25 pm, NNA Lebanon reported an Israeli airstrike on Bnaafoul in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Saida District.
At 11:43 pm, the IDF released a statement saying it had targeted several Hezbollah sites throughout south Lebanon, including “terrorist infrastructure containing weapons in the area of Sidon, where Hezbollah’s reestablishment attempts were identified,” while noting it had “struck the site in the past.” The IDF also said it hit “Hezbollah military sites containing rocket and missile launchers, where additional reestablishment attempts by Hezbollah were identified.”
May 30
NNA Lebanon reported that just past midnight, Israeli jets launched four consecutive airstrikes on Shmistar in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate’s Baalbek District. The IDF released a statement at 1:25 pm, saying it had “attacked terrorist infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah housing weapons” after “efforts by Hezbollah to rebuild the site had been recently detected,” noting that “the site had been attacked by the IDF in the past.”
At 7:20 pm, NNA Lebanon and other Lebanese media outlets reported that Israeli troops distributed flyers in Ayta Ash Shaab in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District, warning residents that a war-damaged building used for providing special education lessons to mentally handicapped individuals had been used by Hezbollah for military purposes. The message also warned residents against any future cooperation with the group. NNA Lebanon, which is Lebanon’s state-run official news agency, described these flyers as “inciting against the Resistance.”
At 8:19 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli ground troops, accompanied by a bulldozer, entered the eastern banks of the Wazzani River in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District, while Israeli soldiers positioned at the Tel Hamames outpost in south Lebanon directed gunfire north toward the valley of Marjayoun. At 9:04 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that the Israeli force withdrew after digging a trench in the area.
May 31
At 8:13 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in Deir Al Zahrani in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District, killing 33-year-old Mohammad Ali Jammoul. NNA’s reporting sought to portray Jammoul as an innocent civilian, saying he was killed while “heading from his house, as was his custom every dawn, to pray in the mosque of his hometown of Deir Al Zahrani.” However, at 10:26 am, the IDF released a statement saying it had targeted and killed Jammoul near Deir Al Zahrani and describing him as “the commander of Hezbollah’s rocket and missile array in the Shqif sector.” The IDF claimed that during the recent Hezbollah-Israel war, Jammoul had “advanced several attacks against the Israeli Homefront and IDF troops, and in the recent period” after the November 27, 2024 Israel-Lebanon ceasefire deal, “he was involved in attempts to rebuild Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the area.” The IDF’s statement concluded by describing Jammoul’s efforts as a “flagrant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.” Hezbollah-affiliated social media accounts later admitted Jammoul was a Hezbollah operative, whose nom de guerre was Al Sayyed Abu Saleh, describing him as a “mujahid martyr.” Hezbollah also gave Jammoul an official funeral.
Mohammad Ali Jammoul’s death announcement (Left) and funeral.
June 1
At 10:29 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone dropped a stun explosive in Ramyeh in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 11:17 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in Beit Lif in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District. The strike wounded one unidentified person. The target of the strike was Hezbollah operative Amine Zaghlout, who survived.
At 11:55 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a motorbike in Arnoun in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District. The strike killed one person. Hezbollah-affiliated social media later announced the death of Hezbollah operative Ahmad Mohammad Qatebi, whose nom de guerre was Abu Ali, from Arnoun. At 2:24 pm, the IDF released a statement claiming Qatebi’s assassination, describing him as a “terrorist in Hezbollah’s anti-tank array.”
At 6:45 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle on the road between Ayta Ash Shaab and Debl in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District. The strike killed one person. Hezbollah-affiliated social media later announced the death of Hezbollah operative Mohammad Ali Srour, whose nom de guerre was Kayan, from Ayta Ash Shaab. At 10:47 pm, the IDF released a statement claiming Srour’s assassination, describing him as “a terrorist in Hezbollah’s artillery array.”
Death announcements for Ahmad Mohammad Qatebi (left) and Mohammad Ali Sour. (Balagh Media on Telegram)
David Daoud is Senior Fellow at at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 04-05/2025
Political Islam—as embodied by Hamas, the peddler of death, suicide, destruction, terrorism, ignorance, and chaos—is critically dissected by renowned journalist Ibrahim Eissa in a bold and revealing media exposé."
03 June 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/06/143932/
A video link to an educational and awareness-raising episode of the program Hadith Al-Qahira (Cairo Talk), produced and presented by the distinguished historian, journalist, and writer Ibrahim Eissa. The episode offers a faith-based, social, and national reflection on the dangers of political Islam—its terrorism, heresies, distortion of Islam, promotion of suicidal death culture, and its role in corrupting societies and dragging nations into chaos, destruction, and poverty. The episode presents real-world examples, most notably the jihadist organization Hamas, which has brought ruin to Gaza, causing the death and displacement of thousands, exploiting their suffering, and humiliating them at humanitarian aid distribution centers. 

Egypt says the sovereignty of a famous monastery is assured
AP/June 04, 2025
CAIRO: Egypt says the sovereignty of a famous monastery is assured. Egypt’s foreign minister on Wednesday told his Greek counterpart that the spiritual and religious value of the Saint Catherine Monastery and surrounding archaeological sites will be preserved. That’s according to a statement. The Greek Orthodox Church had been concerned after an administrative court said the state owns the land but affirmed the monks’ right to use the site. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem last week expressed concern and said “it is our sacred obligation to ensure that Christian worship continues on this holy ground, as it has done for 17 centuries.” It acknowledged Egypt’s assurances there would be no infringement. Egypt’s presidency last week said the ruling consolidates the state’s commitment to preserve the monastery’s religious status

Israel Strikes Syria After Projectiles Fired, Holds Sharaa Responsible
Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
Israel has carried out its first airstrikes in Syria in nearly a month, saying it hit weapons belonging to the government in retaliation for the firing of two projectiles towards Israel and holding interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa responsible. Damascus said Israeli strikes caused "heavy human and material losses", reiterating that Syria does not pose a threat to any regional party and stressing the need to end the presence of armed groups and establish state control in the south. Israel had not struck Syria since early May - a month marked by US President Donald Trump's meeting with Sharaa, the lifting of US sanctions, and direct Syrian-Israeli contacts to calm tensions, as reported by Reuters last week. Israel has bombed Syria frequently this year. Israel has also moved troops into areas of the southwest, where it has said it won't allow the new government's security forces to deploy. The projectiles Israel reported fired from Syria were the first since longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad was toppled. The Israeli military said the two projectiles fell in open areas. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he held the Syrian president "directly responsible for any threat and fire toward the State of Israel". A Syrian Foreign Ministry statement said the accuracy of the reports of shelling towards Israel had not yet been verified. "We believe that there are many parties that may seek to destabilize the region to achieve their own interests," the Syrian Foreign Ministry added, as reported by the state news agency.  A Syrian official told Reuters such parties included "remnants of Assad-era militias linked to Iran, which have long been active in the Quneitra area" and have "a vested interest in provoking Israeli retaliation as a means of escalating tensions and undermining current stabilization efforts". Several Arab and Palestinian media outlets circulated a claim of responsibility from a little-known group named "Martyr Mohammed Deif Brigades," an apparent reference to Hamas' military leader who was killed in an Israeli strike in 2024.  Reuters could not independently verify the statement.
The Syrian state news agency and security sources reported Israeli strikes targeting sites in the Damascus countryside and Quneitra and Daraa provinces.  Local residents contacted by Reuters said Israeli shelling targeted agricultural areas in the Wadi Yarmouk region. They described increased tensions in recent weeks, including reported Israeli incursions into villages, where residents have reportedly been barred from sowing their crops. An Israeli strike also hit a former Syrian army base near the city of Izraa, a Syrian source said. Israel has said its goals in Syria include protecting the Druze, a religious minority with followers in both countries. Israel, which has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1967 Middle East war, bombed Syria frequently during the last decade of Assad's rule, targeting the sway of his Iranian allies.  The newly-appointed US envoy to Syria said last week he believed peace between Syria and Israel was achievable. Around the same time that Israel reported the projectiles from Syria, the Israeli military said it intercepted a missile from Yemen.  Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said they targeted Israel's Jaffa with a ballistic missile. The group says it has been launching attacks against Israel in support of Palestinians during the Israeli war in Gaza.

Israel strikes weapons in southern Syria after projectiles fired into Golan
James Chater - BBC News/June 4, 2025
The Israeli military says it launched strikes on weapons belonging to the Syrian government in southern Syria, hours after two projectiles were fired from Syria into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Israeli strikes caused "significant human and material losses" in Deraa province, Syria's foreign ministry said, accusing Israel of aggravating tensions in the region. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he held interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa responsible for the projectiles that landed in open areas in the southern Golan. A little-known group calling itself the Martyr Mohammed Deif Brigades - a reference to Hamas's late military chief - claimed it had fired two rockets.Israeli media reported that the projectiles were the first launched from Syria since rebels Sharaa overthrew Bashar al-Assad's regime last December, ending 13 years of civil war.
Israel says it struck near Syria palace over violence in Druze areas
Israeli strikes in Syria a challenge to Turkey
"Violent explosions shook southern Syria, notably the town of Quneitra and the Deraa region, following Israeli aerial strikes," said the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group. In a statement, Syria's foreign ministry said: "This escalation constitutes a blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty and aggravates tensions in the region."Syria has never been and will never be a threat to anyone in the region." It was unclear how many people were killed or injured in the Israeli strikes. Israel said the strikes came after two projectiles launched from Syria landed in open areas of the Golan Heights, causing no injuries.The Martyr Mohammed Deif Brigades released a night-time video on a Telegram channel that it said showed the moment the projectiles landed, although it was not immediately possible to verify the armed group's claim of responsibility. "We consider the president of Syria directly responsible for any threat and fire toward the State of Israel," Israel Katz said. "We will not allow a return to the reality of 7 October," he added, referring to Hamas's deadly attack on Israel in 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza.Syria's foreign ministry said reports of the launches from inside Syria had "not been verified yet" and noted that "several parties are seeking to destabilize the region to further their own interests". When the Assad regime was deposed in December, Israel launched a wave of attacks to degrade Syrian military infrastructure.
It also sent troops into the UN-monitored demilitarised buffer zone between the occupied Golan Heights and Syria, as well as several adjoining areas and the summit of Mount Hermon. Israel seized the Golan from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and later effectively annexed it, in a move not recognised internationally. Israeli leaders have also demanded the complete demilitarisation of three southern Syrian provinces, saying they consider Sharaa's Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - a former al-Qaeda affiliate - as a threat. Last month, Israel bombed an area near Syria's presidential palace in Damascus, a strike which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said was a "clear message" that it would "not allow the deployment of forces south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community". UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the bombing was a "violation of Syria's sovereignty".
Two weeks later, US President Donald Trump announced plans to lift decade-old sanctions on Syria, imposed in response to atrocities committed by forces loyal to Assad during the civil war. During that conflict, more than 600,000 people were killed and 12 million others were forced from their homes.

US confident in Syrian partners to prevent ISIS resurgence amid troop withdrawal
Joseph Haboush - Al Arabiya English/June 04/2025
A US defense official told Al Arabiya English on Wednesday that Washington’s vetted Syrian partners are well-trained, well-equipped, and prepared to prevent any resurgence of ISIS in Syria, even as American forces continue to withdraw from the country.
Earlier this week, US officials confirmed to Al Arabiya English that at least 500 American troops had been withdrawn from Syria in recent weeks, and several military bases were either shut down or handed over to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). US Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, noted that the US would maintain a presence at one of its eight long-standing bases in Syria.The defense official emphasized that the ongoing consolidation of forces is being carried out in a “safe, deliberate, and professional” manner. “This consolidation reflects the significant steps we have made toward degrading ISIS’s appeal and operational capability to carry out attacks both regionally and globally,” the official said, reaffirming Washington’s commitment to ensuring the group’s enduring defeat. The official also expressed cautious optimism about Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa. “So far, the Syrian government… is saying and doing the right things in going after ISIS,” the official said. “We will continue to vigilantly monitor the new government and their behavior.”“We also appreciate Syria’s efforts to cooperate with other regional partners who share our desire to extinguish ISIS.”Acknowledging the persistent threat posed by ISIS, the official underscored that US efforts to prevent a resurgence remain steadfast. “After nearly a decade of partnership with us, [our Syrian partners] are a strong and capable force that will keep ISIS suppressed. Their expertise and previous sacrifices in combatting ISIS are widely known, and they will continue to play a critical role in protecting Syria from ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the future,” the official said. The official also pointed to ISIS’s significantly weakened state as a justification for the drawdown. However, US forces will continue to conduct targeted operations against remaining ISIS elements and work closely with local partners to carry out essential counterterrorism missions, including the security of ISIS detention facilities and camps.

Trump says Iran ‘slowwalking’ as Khamenei opposes nuclear proposal
AFP/ 04 June ,2025
US President Donald Trump accused Tehran on Wednesday of “slowwalking” on a nuclear deal, after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said the latest proposal from Washington was against Iran’s national interest. The longtime foes have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new accord to replace the deal with major powers that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018, but sharp differences remain over whether Tehran can continue to enrich uranium. On Saturday, Iran said it had received “elements” of the US proposal through Omani mediators, the details of which have not been publicly disclosed. “The proposal presented by the Americans is 100 percent against” notions of independence and self-reliance, Khamenei said in a televised speech, invoking ideals of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. “Independence means not waiting for the green light from America and the likes of America.”Iran’s enrichment of uranium has emerged as a major point of contention. Trump said on Monday his administration would not allow “any” enrichment, despite Tehran’s insistence it is its right under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin who “suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran.”“It is my opinion that Iran has been slowwalking their decision on this very important matter, and we will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!” Trump said.
Low-level enrichment
Khamenei said enrichment is “key” to Iran’s nuclear program and that the United States “cannot have a say” on the issue. “If we have 100 nuclear power plants but don’t have enrichment, they will be of no use to us,” because “nuclear power plants need fuel” to operate, he said. The New York Times reported Tuesday that the US proposal includes “an arrangement that would allow Iran to continue enriching uranium at low levels” as the US and other countries “work out a more detailed plan intended to block Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon.”It said the proposal would see the United States facilitating “the building of nuclear power plants for Iran and negotiate the construction of enrichment facilities managed by a consortium of regional countries.”Iran has previously said it is open to temporary limits on its enrichment of uranium, and is willing to consider the establishment of a regional nuclear fuel consortium. But it has stressed that such a consortium is “in no way intended to replace Iran’s own uranium enrichment program”Iran’s chief negotiator, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, said in a Wednesday post on X: “No enrichment, no deal. No nuclear weapons, we have a deal.”Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal but still short of the 90 percent threshold needed for a nuclear warhead.
‘Less than satisfactory’
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in its latest quarterly report last week that Iran had further stepped up its production of highly enriched uranium. In a separate report, it also criticized “less than satisfactory” cooperation from Tehran, particularly in explaining past cases of nuclear material found at undeclared sites. The reports came ahead of a planned IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna later this month which will review Iran’s nuclear activities. Washington and other Western governments have continued to accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear weapons capability. Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes only. The 2015 deal provided Iran with relief from international sanctions in return for UN-monitored restrictions on its nuclear activities. Trump reimposed US sanctions when he quit the agreement in 2018 and has since tightened them with secondary sanctions against third parties who violate them. Britain, France and Germany, the three European countries who were party to the 2015 deal, are currently weighing whether to trigger the sanctions “snapback” mechanism in the accord. The mechanism would reinstate UN sanctions in response to Iranian non-compliance – an option that expires in October. Iran has criticized the IAEA report as unbalanced, saying it relied on “forged documents” provided by its arch foe Israel.

Iran's supreme leader criticises US proposal for nuclear agreement
David Gritten - BBC News/June 4, 2025
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has criticised the US proposal for a new nuclear agreement, insisting it will not stop enriching uranium. Iranian negotiators are set to respond in the coming days to the plan presented at talks last Saturday. It would reportedly see Iran halt production of enriched uranium - which can be used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear weapons - and instead rely on a regional consortium for supplies. In a speech on the anniversary of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's death, Khamenei said that was "100% against the idea of 'We can'" - a famous slogan of the Islamic Republic's founder. Later, the US president said Iran was "slow-walking" its decision on a deal. Donald Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that he had discussed with Russian President Vladimir Putin Iran and "the fact that time is running out on Iran's decision pertaining to nuclear weapons, which must be made quickly"."We will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!" Trump has warned Iran's leaders that it could face US and Israeli military action if the negotiations are not successful, and he is said to have given them a two-month deadline in a letter he sent in early March. He has also insisted Iran would have to halt all uranium enrichment under any deal. As supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei has final say on Iran's most important issues, including a potential nuclear agreement. "Uranium enrichment is the key to our nuclear programme and the enemies have focused on the enrichment," he declared in his speech on Wednesday. "The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear programme. Who are you to decide whether Iran should have enrichment?" Iran's chief negotiator, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, wrote on X: "Iran has paid dearly for these capabilities, and there is no scenario in which we will give up on the patriots who made our dream come true.""To reiterate: No enrichment, no deal. No nuclear weapons, we have a deal."Under a 2015 deal with six world powers, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. That included not enriching uranium above 3.67% purity, which can be used to produce fuel for commercial nuclear power plants. Trump abandoned the agreement during his first term in 2018, saying it did too little to stop a pathway to a bomb, and reinstated crippling economic sanctions to force Iran to renegotiate. Iran insists its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful and that it will never seek to develop or acquire nuclear weapons. However, it has increasingly breached restrictions of the existing nuclear deal in retaliation for the sanctions.
A report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last week that it had now stockpiled more than 408kg (900lb) of uranium enriched to 60% purity, near weapons grade, which would be enough to make nine nuclear bombs.
US sends nuclear deal proposal to Iran
Iran significantly growing uranium stockpile, warns UN nuclear agency
What is Iran's nuclear programme and what does the US want?
On Monday, Trump said his administration "will not allow any enrichment of uranium" by Iran. It came in response to US media reports that the proposal presented to Omani mediators by his special envoy Steve Witkoff would allow Iran to continue production of low-enriched uranium until a regional consortium had constructed facilities to enrich uranium for civilian reactor fuel under IAEA and US supervision.Once the facilities were operational, Iran would have to stop all enrichment in the country.
According to Axios, Iran would also not be allowed to build any new enrichment facilities, would have to dismantle infrastructure for uranium conversion and processing, and would have to halt new research and development on centrifuges used to enrich uranium. Sanctions relief would be granted once Iran "demonstrates real commitment". White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to comment on the reports, but said it was in Iran's "best interest to accept it". Araghchi said on Sunday that his Omani counterpart had presented "elements of a US proposal, which will be appropriately responded to in line with the principles, national interests and rights of the people of Iran". Last week, two Iranian officials told Reuters news agency that Iran could pause enrichment if the US released frozen Iranian funds and recognised its right to enrich uranium for civilian use under a "political deal" that could lead to a broader nuclear agreement.

Alarm in Tel Aviv After Removal of Pro-Israel Officials from Trump Administration
Ramallah: Kifah Zboun/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
The dismissal of pro-Israel officials in the White House sparked concerns in Tel Aviv as US President Donald Trump’s “America First” sidelines allies and reflects a broader effort to curb foreign influence across the administration. “Israeli officials are expressing growing concern over a series of unexpected personnel changes within the US administration, particularly involving individuals widely seen as strongly supportive of Israel,” sources told the Ynetnews website, which is affiliated to the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. The reshuffling comes amid rising tensions between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a potential strike on Iran and the ongoing war in Gaza.According to the Israeli report, two senior officials recently removed from their posts are Merav Ceren, a dual US-Israeli citizen who was only recently appointed as head of the Iran and Israel portfolio at the National Security Council, and Eric Trager, who oversees the Middle East and North Africa. Both had been appointed by former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, a staunch supporter of Israel, who was himself dismissed by Trump. Ynetnews wrote that their removal was reportedly carried out by Waltz’s successor, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Meanwhile, another high-profile figure expected to depart is Morgan Ortagus, deputy to special envoy Steve Witkoff and the official handling the Lebanon portfolio. Sources say her departure is not voluntary.
Ortagus, who converted to Judaism and wears a Star of David necklace, is considered one of the strongest supporters of Israel within the administration. According to the Israeli report, she played a key role in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Lebanon and in persuading the Lebanese government to take a firm stance against Hezbollah and disarm Palestinian refugee camps. “Her imminent departure has stunned officials in Jerusalem, where she is viewed as closely aligned with Israeli interests,” Ynetnews said. Officials following the issue do not rule out the possibility that more pro-Israel officials may be removed. In the Trump administration, they note, decisions often come abruptly. These removals are not occurring in a vacuum, but rather reflect a broader distancing between Jerusalem and the Trump administration, which appears to be pursuing its own strategic calculus. Israeli sources familiar with US-Israel relations told the Israeli website that the spate of removals is driven by Trump’s “America First” agenda. According to those sources, the shakeup is not specifically aimed at Israel but reflects a broader effort to curb foreign influence across the board. They stress that the dismissals were not a result of the officials' views on Israel, but rather part of Trump’s ongoing attempt to weaken the National Security Council and consolidate control of US foreign policy in his own hands. This, they said, explains why Trump has left the national security advisor post vacant, with Rubio assuming the responsibilities instead. Also, the sources noted that the push to remove pro-Israel figures is being led by Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, and Vice President JD Vance. Ynetnews said that Netanyahu has reportedly confided in closed-door discussions with his confidant, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, that he misjudged the direction the US was taking on Israel and the broader Middle East. Senior Israeli officials said Netanyahu did not hide his disappointment with Dermer. “Dermer misread the situation; he was convinced the US would never turn against us,” said one source. “He failed to anticipate the shift in US policy toward Israel. Even now, Dermer still believes the US will remain supportive and maintain coordination, but the truth is, he’s lost his bearings.”

Pressure mounts on Netanyahu as opposition moves to dissolve parliament
Alexander Cornwell/Reuters/June 4, 2025
TEL AVIV -A member of Israel's right-wing coalition threatened to quit the cabinet on Wednesday and support an opposition motion to dissolve parliament tabled for next week, piling pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Latest opinion polls suggest that Netanyahu's coalition would lose power if an election was held today, with many voters unhappy over the continued war in Gaza prompted by the attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel in October 2023. United Torah Judaism, one of two ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition, said it would withdraw from the government unless it secured last-minute concessions formalising an exemption for ultra-Orthodox men from military service. The opposition party Yesh Atid, led by former prime minister Yair Lapid, put forward a parliamentary vote for next week to topple the government, even as the Israeli army continues battling Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It would require the support of 61 out of the 120 members of the parliament to succeed. "This Knesset (parliament) is finished. It has nowhere to go," Lapid said. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, has remained silent on the looming crisis. A spokesperson for United Torah Judaism leader Yitzhak Goldknopf told Reuters the party would vote in favour of dissolving parliament unless exemption legislation was passed. With a week until the vote, Netanyahu and his allies still have time to negotiate over an issue that has dogged the coalition for months. A source close to the government said, on condition of anonymity, that negotiations within the coalition were continuing. Netanyahu's coalition of secular right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties holds an 8-seat majority in parliament. United Torah Judaism has 7 seats while its ally, Shas, the other ultra-Orthodox party, has 11.
BETTING ON A BLUFF
The coalition is sharply divided over whether young ultra-Orthodox men who are studying in religious seminaries should be exempt from mandatory military service. Failing to pass an exemption risks a walkout by ultra-Orthodox lawmakers, while approving it could trigger a protest exit by secular parties. Coalition member Ohad Tal of Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party criticized Goldknopf for threatening to trigger elections and called on the ultra-Orthodox lawmaker to resign. He urged others to negotiate a new arrangement but that a blanket exemption from military service could no longer stand. Former Knesset member Ofer Shelah said Netanyahu was likely betting the ultra-Orthodox lawmakers were bluffing, given the polls suggested they faced defeat in any early election. In March, ultra-Orthodox lawmakers threatened to bring down the government over the same issue, but time passed without any action. Resentment over the informal exemption given to religious seminary students is growing and lawmakers from the ruling coalition and opposition ranks say it is no longer tenable. Netanyahu won election in 2022 and does not have to return to the polls until 2026. Historically, few Israeli governments serve a full term.
He has faced widespread criticism for failing to prevent the surprise October 2023 Hamas attack that killed roughly 1,200 people, and is facing growing calls from protesters and families of hostages still held in Gaza to end the war to secure their release.
But some in his coalition say the war must continue until Hamas is eradicated. Political analysts say that the ultra-Orthodox lawmakers could simply quit the government to protest their failure to secure concessions, without toppling the ruling coalition.

UN Says ‘Deliberate’ Choices ‘Systematically’ Depriving Gazans
Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
The UN aid chief said Wednesday that recent "horrifying scenes" of Gazans being killed while seeking food aid were the result of "deliberate choices that have systematically deprived" them of essentials to survive. A US and Israeli-backed group operating aid sites in the Gaza Strip announced the temporary closure of its facilities on Wednesday, with the Israeli army warning that roads leading to distribution centers were "considered combat zones".The announcement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation follows a string of deadly incidents near the distribution sites it operates. On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in southern Gaza when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF aid site, with the military saying the incident was under investigation. "The world is watching, day after day, horrifying scenes of Palestinians being shot, wounded or killed in Gaza while simply trying to eat," UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said in a statement. "Emergency medical teams have confirmed treating hundreds of trauma cases. Yesterday alone, dozens were declared dead at hospitals after Israeli forces said they had opened fire. "This is the outcome of a series of deliberate choices that have systematically deprived two million people of the essentials they need to survive." He echoed the call by UN chief Antonio Guterres for immediate independent investigations, saying they were not isolated incidents, and the perpetrators must be held accountable. "No-one should have to risk their life to feed their children," said Fletcher. The GHF began operations a week ago, but the UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with it over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. Meanwhile the United Nations has described the amount of aid allowed into Gaza, after Israel partially lifted a more than two-month total blockade, as a trickle. "We must be allowed to do our jobs: we have the teams, the plan, the supplies and the experience," said Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator.
"Open the crossings -- all of them. Let in life-saving aid at scale, from all directions. Lift the restrictions on what and how much aid we can bring in. "Ensure our convoys aren't held up by delays and denials. Release the hostages. Implement the ceasefire."

US-backed Gaza Aid Group to Halt Distribution on Wednesday, UN to Vote on Ceasefire Demand
Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will not give out any aid on Wednesday as it presses Israel to boost civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its distribution sites, a day after dozens of Palestinians seeking aid were killed. The GHF said it has asked the Israeli military to "guide foot traffic in a way that minimizes confusion or escalation risks" near military perimeters; develop clearer guidance for civilians; and enhance training to support civilian safety."Our top priority remains ensuring the safety and dignity of civilians receiving aid," said a GHF spokesperson. An Israeli military spokesperson warned civilians against moving in areas leading to GHF sites on Wednesday, deeming them "combat zones". The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it opened fire on a group of people it viewed as a threat near a GHF food aid distribution site. The International Committee of the Red Cross said at least 27 people were killed and dozens injured. The GHF said the incident was "well beyond" its site. Palestinians who collected food GHF boxes on Tuesday described scenes of pandemonium, with no-one overseeing the handover of supplies or checking IDs, as crowds jostled for aid. The UN Security Council is also set to vote on Wednesday on a demand for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas and humanitarian access across Gaza, where aid has trickled amid chaos and bloodshed after Israel lifted an 11-week blockade on the enclave where famine looms. "It is unacceptable. Civilians are risking – and in several instances losing – their lives just trying to get food," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday, adding that the aid distribution model backed by the US and Israel was "all a recipe for disaster, which is exactly what is going on."That model is run by the newly created GHF, which started operations in the enclave a week ago and said on Tuesday that it has given out more than seven million meals from three so-called secure distribution sites. GHF Interim Executive Director John Acree urged humanitarians in Gaza: "Work with us and we will get your aid delivered to those who are depending on it."
US VETO?
The UN and other aid groups have refused to work with the GHF because they say it is not neutral and the distribution model militarizes aid. GHF uses private US security and logistics companies to get aid to the distribution sites. It is the latest in a string of efforts to get more aid into the enclave, where experts say the entire population of some 2.1 million people is at risk of famine. Jordan last year spearheaded humanitarian air drops, while the US briefly installed a floating aid pier, but it was beset by challenges. The UN has long-blamed Israel and lawlessness in the enclave for hindering the delivery of aid into Gaza and its distribution throughout the war zone. Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid, which the group denies. Israel said on Tuesday that three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in northern Gaza. Gaza health officials said at least 18 more Palestinians were killed in other military strikes in the territory on Tuesday. Reuters could not independently verify the reports in northern and southern Gaza. The 10 elected members of the UN Security Council have asked for the 15-member body to vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution that demands "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties."The draft text, seen by Reuters, also demands the release of all hostages held by Hamas and others, and the immediate lifting of all restrictions on the entry of aid and its safe and unhindered distribution, including by the UN, throughout Gaza.
"The time to act has already passed," Slovenia's UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar told Reuters. "It is our historical responsibility not to remain silent."As US President Donald Trump's administration tries to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, it was not immediately clear if Washington would veto the draft text. A spokesperson for the US mission to the UN said: "We cannot preview our actions currently under consideration." A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the permanent members - the United States, Russia, China, Britain or France - to pass. The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, which do not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants.

Rescuers Say Israeli Strike Killed at Least 12 People in South Gaza
Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
The civil defense agency in Gaza said an Israeli strike on a tent housing displaced Palestinians near the southern city of Khan Younis on Wednesday killed at least 12 people. "At least 12 people were killed, including several children and women, in a strike by an Israeli drone this morning on a tent for displaced persons" near Khan Younis, the agency's spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP, adding that four more people had been killed in other strikes. The Israeli army did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Since a truce collapsed in March, Israel has intensified its operations to destroy Hamas, the Palestinian group whose October 7, 2023 attack triggered the war in Gaza. Hamas's unprecedented attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 4,240 people have been killed in the territory since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,510, mostly civilians.

Amid Gaza War, Israel Defense Exports Jump 13% in 2024 to Record $15 bln
Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
Israel's defense exports rose 13% in 2024 to a record of nearly $15 billion, led by missiles, rockets and air-defense systems with over half the deliveries going to European militaries, the government said on Wednesday. Military exports, the Defense Ministry said in a statement, have more than doubled over the past five years, reaching nearly $15 billion in value in 2024. The ministry said that since the outbreak of the Gaza war on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel's defense industries have operated in emergency mode with round-the-clock arms production while also maintaining manufacturing for foreign clients.
"The new record in Israeli defense exports, achieved during a year of war, reflects more than anything else the growing global appreciation for Israeli technology’s proven capabilities," said Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram, Reuters reported. "Israeli systems have resonated throughout the Middle East this past year. More nations want to protect their citizens using Israeli defense equipment."The ministry said there was significant growth in contracts from Europe last year, where exports accounted for 54% of the total, up from 36% in 2023. Asia-Pacific was next at 23% with the United States at 9%. Missile, rocket and air defense systems comprised 48% of defence exports, followed by vehicles and armoured personnel carriers at 9%, and satellites and space systems, radar and electronic warfare, manned aircraft and avionics at 8% each. Some 57% of contracts amounted to more than $100 million.

Russia Urges US, UK to Restrain Ukraine after Attacks on Bombers
Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
Moscow said on Wednesday that military options were "on the table" for its response to Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia and accused the West of being involved in them, Reuters reported. Russia also urged the United States and Britain to restrain Kyiv after the attacks, which Ukrainian officials have lauded as showing Kyiv can still fight back after more than three years of war.British and US officials have said they had no prior knowledge of Ukraine's attacks on Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at military bases over the weekend. Ukraine also tried to blow up a rail and road link with Crimea on Tuesday, and Russia says Kyiv blew up a highway bridge over a passenger train late on Saturday. US President Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy said the risk of escalation from the war "going way up" after the attacks on the nuclear-capable bombers. A week earlier, Trump rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin over a fierce aerial attack on Ukraine. "We urge London and Washington to react in such a way as to stop further escalation," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who oversees relations with the US and arms control, was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.
"All options are on the table," Ryabkov said, when asked what Russia's response to Ukraine's attacks would be. "This is a question for our military."Russia and the US together hold about 88% of all nuclear weapons. Asked whether Russia thought the West was involved in the recent attacks, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the West supplied weapons, gave target coordinates, refused to condemn such attacks and actively incited them. "These are several areas that prove the fact of the involvement, both direct and indirect, and the guilt of the West for the terrorist attacks that are taking place against civilians and civilian infrastructure facilities by the Kyiv regime," Zakharova said. Kyiv has not commented on the bridge attacks. Each side has accused the other of carrying out acts of terrorism during the conflict and each blames the other for a lack of progress at peace talks. Trump was not informed in advance of Ukraine's drone attacks on Russia, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday. A British government official said the government was not informed ahead of time.

Zelenskiy Suggests Truce Until Meeting with Putin Can be Arranged
Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday proposed implementing a ceasefire until such time as a meeting can be arranged with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "My proposal, which I believe our partners can support, is that we propose to Russians a ceasefire until the leaders meet," Zelenskiy told a briefing in Kyiv, Reuters reported. June 2 peace talks with Russia in Istanbul made little progress toward ending the three-year-old war in Ukraine, apart from an exchange of proposals and a plan for a major swap of prisoners of war, which Zelenskiy said would take place this weekend.

Trump Says He Spoke to Putin About Ukraine, Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he discussed the recent drone attacks by Ukraine on Russia and developments concerning Iran in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the conversation, Putin told Trump that Russia will have to respond to the Ukrainian drone attacks, the US president said. "It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace," he said in a Truth Social Post. "I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe that we were in agreement."

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on June 04-05/2025
Will Israel attack Iran’s nuclear sites?
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Alarabiya EnglishJune 04/2025
https://english.alarabiya.net/views/2025/06/04/will-israel-attack-iran-s-nuclear-sites
Recent intelligence reports suggested that Israel has been actively preparing for potential military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. However, despite the mounting military preparedness, US President Donald Trump has reportedly advised Israel not to proceed with the strikes, calling such a move “inappropriate” at this time. Trump’s position may have created tension within Israeli leadership circles, as they weigh the urgency they see in neutralizing Iran’s nuclear threat against the strategic necessity of maintaining full American backing.
This situation raises a critical question: Will Israel proceed with unilateral strikes on Iran’s nuclear program without approval from the United States? The answer is complex and hinges on several intersecting factors, chief among them being the outcome of current negotiations between Iran and the US over the nuclear issue. These negotiations are taking place behind closed doors. Israeli officials are particularly concerned that the type of agreement reached – or not reached – between Washington and Tehran could either open the door to military intervention or close it off entirely, at least for the short term. The nature of the deal matters more than the existence of one. A robust, restrictive agreement that dismantles Iran’s nuclear infrastructure would ease Israeli concerns, but a weaker arrangement that leaves Iran’s enrichment capabilities intact could act as a trigger for military action.
From Israel’s perspective, time is not on their side. While diplomacy may offer a temporary solution, Israeli leadership – from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to military chiefs – has consistently expressed deep skepticism toward the Iranian government’s intentions. They do not believe Tehran will adhere to any long-term agreement, especially given Iran’s history of evasion and non-compliance. In Tel Aviv’s view, the only reliable way to ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon is to physically destroy its capability to do so. This could include enrichment facilities, research centers, and underground bunkers. Israeli officials fear that relying on diplomatic assurances will merely allow Iran to bide its time, rebuild its infrastructure, and break out toward a weapon at a moment of their choosing.
Adding to Israel’s sense of urgency is the shifting geopolitical landscape of the region. Over the past year, Iran has suffered a series of significant strategic losses. Perhaps most consequentially, the Assad regime in Syria – one of Iran’s most crucial allies – collapsed. With Assad gone, Iran’s ability to project power across the Levant has been severely compromised. Simultaneously, Iranian-backed proxies such as Hezbollah have come under relentless pressure, both militarily and politically. These setbacks have eroded Iran’s regional standing and weakened the deterrent shield it once relied on. Israel, recognizing the new regional dynamics, sees an opportunity to strike while Iran is relatively isolated and vulnerable.
Moreover, the political context within the United States also plays a key role. Even with a favorable regional and political environment, Israel remains acutely aware of the risks involved in launching unilateral military action. One of the biggest constraints is its relationship with the United States. Israel’s security and economic lifeline is intimately tied to American support, both diplomatically and militarily. A strike without US approval could rupture this alliance, inviting long-term consequences. Moreover, Iran has made it abundantly clear that any attack on its nuclear facilities will be met with severe retaliation. Tehran possesses an arsenal of ballistic missiles and asymmetric warfare capabilities that could inflict significant damage on Israeli territory and interests. In the face of such retaliation, Israel would almost certainly require US military and logistical assistance, especially if the conflict were to escalate into a protracted confrontation.
One possible scenario in which Israel decides not to strike Iran is if the United States and Iran reach a nuclear deal that resembles the so-called “Libyan model.” Under this model, Iran would be required to completely dismantle its nuclear infrastructure, ship out enriched uranium, halt all enrichment activities, and submit to intrusive international inspections. A deal of this nature would offer Israel concrete, verifiable assurances that Iran would not be able to develop a nuclear weapon in the foreseeable future. Israeli officials would likely view such an agreement as a satisfactory alternative to military action – at least temporarily – because it would remove the immediate threat and avoid the risks of war.
On the other hand, if the negotiations yield a deal similar to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Israeli response may be very different. Under the JCPOA, Iran was allowed to maintain significant elements of its nuclear infrastructure and retain the right to enrich uranium to low levels. Critics argue that the JCPOA merely postponed Iran’s nuclear ambitions rather than dismantling them. From Israel’s point of view, such a deal would not prevent Iran from eventually building a nuclear weapon – it would merely delay the timeline. In this case, Israeli leaders may choose to carry out limited and targeted strikes aimed at degrading Iran’s capabilities, buying more time and signaling to Tehran that Israel will not tolerate any path to nuclear arms.
Such limited strikes could involve precision air raids on key enrichment sites like Natanz and Fordow, cyber operations to disable nuclear-related systems, and even sabotage efforts inside Iran carried out by Israeli intelligence operatives. These actions would be designed to avoid triggering an all-out war while still achieving the strategic goal of slowing or halting Iran’s nuclear progress. However, even such limited actions come with high risks, especially in the form of Iranian retaliation through missile attacks or proxy strikes.
In conclusion, Israel is leaning heavily toward military action as the preferred method for addressing what it sees as an existential threat from Iran’s nuclear program. But it finds itself at a critical crossroads. While the Israeli government is confident in its military capability and senses a strategic window of opportunity, it must carefully weigh the consequences of acting without American approval. The ultimate decision will likely rest on the nature of the US-Iran nuclear deal currently under discussion. If the deal is robust and verifiable, Israel may be willing to wait. But if it appears weak or toothless – especially if it allows Iran to retain nuclear capabilities – Israel may decide that it has no choice but to strike. For Israeli leaders, this may be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to neutralize a threat that has loomed over the region for decades. Yet it is also a moment fraught with peril, and the path they choose could reshape the future of the Middle East.

Qatar keeps purchasing political influence
Natalie Ecanow and Sinan Ciddi/| Washington Examiner/June 04/2025
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/courage-strength-optimism/3428934/qatar-keeps-purchasing-political-influence-qatar-air-force-one/
Much ethical debate has occurred since Qatar floated the idea of gifting President Donald Trump a Boeing 747 to replace America’s aging fleet of presidential planes. The idea surfaced shortly before Trump’s recent Middle East visit, but it’s certainly not a novel idea hatched by Doha.
In 2018, after learning that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was looking to add to his fleet of presidential airplanes, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani gifted Erdogan his personal, custom-made Boeing 747-800 plane.
Originally acquired in 2015, the plane logged less than 500 hours of flight, and al-Thani was interested in putting it up for sale for around $400 million. Upon learning of Erdogan’s interest, al-Thani decided to gift him the jet, casting a critical light on the methods Qatar employs to influence international political actors and bend them to its will. The gifting of a 747 first to Erdogan and now to Trump represents the endpoint for Qatar in successfully influencing both Turkish and American politics.
Qatari political and financial investment in Turkey has been carefully shepherded by Erdogan and al-Thani over the course of a decade. It would be fair to say that when it comes to the Middle East, Qatar is Turkey’s one and only genuine ally. And it’s easy to understand why: Both Erdogan and al-Thani espouse and champion the Muslim Brotherhood’s vision for the region, as witnessed in both countries’ support for Hamas. While Qatar serves as the U.S.-designated terrorist entity’s main headquarters outside of Gaza, Turkey is home to Hamas’ main financial and logistical hubs.
Underwriting the ideological cooperation between Ankara and Doha is the Turkey-Qatar High Strategic Committee, a key bilateral agreement established in 2014 that governs trade, defense, transport, and media agreements between the two nations. This has been buttressed by military cooperation. In 2017, Turkey established a forward operating military base in Qatar to increase levels of military readiness. Finally, Doha is also a major source of financial support for Ankara. In November 2022, when Turkey was at the height of witnessing a shortage of central bank foreign currency reserves, Qatar stepped in to deposit billions of dollars in emergency funding.
In short, Doha has expended considerable resources, slowly cultivating a purposeful relationship with Ankara. A similar picture is beginning to emerge in the United States.
Over the last quarter-century, Qatar has sunk hundreds of billions of dollars into the United States, spread across the defense, energy, education, real estate, and entertainment industries. Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum on May 20, the chief executive of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund announced that Doha plans to invest an additional $500 billion in the U.S. over the next decade — a sum nearly equal to the fund’s $526 billion in assets.
Meanwhile, Qatar has been courting American politicians, Democratic and Republican, at all levels of government, for years. Perhaps the most well-known case is that of New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez, the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who fell from grace after a jury found him guilty of accepting bribes under the expectation that he would “use his influence and power” to “benefit the Government of Qatar.”Menendez is not the first American lawmaker to rub elbows with Qatar. Doha started to flex its lobbying muscle seriously in 2017 after the Gulf Cooperation Council severed ties with Qatar over its “adoption” of extremist groups. Since then, Qatar has devoted significant resources to building clout in both houses of Congress, cultivating relationships with individual lawmakers and employing lobbyists to influence the legislative process.
In 2017, for example, Qatar dispatched lobbyists to build opposition against the Palestinian International Terrorism Support and Prevention Act, which identified Qatar as a sponsor of Hamas. Materials distributed by Qatari agents warned that the bill “erroneously and unfairly” targeted Qatar and had the potential to “chill the robust economic relationship between the U.S. and Qatar.” Whether because of Qatar’s efforts or not, the legislation never passed.
Qatar’s efforts have continued amid the war in Gaza. Disclosures submitted to the U.S. Justice Department indicate that lobbyists on Qatar’s payroll engaged with offices in the House and Senate over 285 times between October 2023 and April 2024 on the issue of Qatar’s role in hostage negotiations. Doha’s efforts appear to be paying off. Qatar has maintained its role as mediator and continued to soak up praise from American officials even as it heaps lopsided blame on Israel for the war Hamas started.
Qatar’s decision to gift Trump a Boeing 747, despite reports that the Pentagon “offered to buy the plane,” is the pinnacle of political influence. As Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) has noted, “in the cruelest irony, Air Force One will have something in common with Hamas: paid for by Qatar.”
Facing backlash over the ethical implications of accepting a $400 million jet from a foreign government, Trump said it would be “stupid” to say “no, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.” Another senior administration official chimed in: “There are no strings attached either contractually or implicitly.” Setting aside the fact that converting the Qatari plane into Air Force One could cost American taxpayers up to $1 billion, the notion that the plane comes without strings is tenuous at best.
Since receiving his jumbo jet from Qatar, Erdogan has been wedded to Doha, relying on vital Qatari investments to stabilize the Turkish economy. The U.S. economy may not need Qatari cash, but it’s a mistake to assume that Qatar’s “great gesture” won’t similarly tie Washington’s hands. That might mean forsaking American values to do business with a regime that enabled Hamas and sponsored the Taliban. Or it could mean leaving Syria prey to Qatari and Turkish interests, with no safeguards in place to prevent the emergence of a jihadist state financed by Qatar and implicitly blessed by the president of the United States. The Pentagon just accepted the Boeing 747 from Qatar. Perhaps it should’ve read the fine print first.
**Natalie Ecanow is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where Sinan Ciddi is a non-resident senior fellow.

Sudan Is the War No One Cares About
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/19fortyfive/June 04/2025
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2025/06/sudan-is-the-war-no-one-cares-about/
Over 150,000 dead and 11 million displaced are the result of war in Sudan that started months before the Gaza War, in 2023, and shows no sign of abating. Yet despite Sudan’s tragedy, the world dispatches no peace emissaries while most regional capitals continue to recognize a military government that Washington sanctioned, 10 days ago, for using chemical weapons against its own people.
In Sudan, there is a lot of blame to go around. Almost all warring factions have been engaged in atrocities, rape, and summary executions. The biggest rival groups are Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and its once ally, now enemy, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Twenty years ago, the former Sudanese regime, under Islamist Omar al-Bashir, deployed both SAF and RSF against Christian rebels, in the south, and Muslim tribes, in Darfur, in the West. Christians eventually seceded from Khartoum and, in 2011, created their own state of South Sudan, with its capital Juba.
In December 2018, the Sudanese took to the streets en masse. Months later, the SAF and RSF ejected Bashir and formed a ruling council in his stead. Army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan led the transitional government while RSF militia leader Muhammad Dagalo, aka Hemedti, became Burhan’s deputy. When the two men were in power, they joined the Abraham Pace Accords with Israel.
In April 2023, Burhan and Hemedti had a fall out. Civil war broke out.
Since then, America’s opponents Russia and Iran have taken the side of Burhan and his SAF. Washington’s allies – Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait – have also sided with the Sudanese army and its commander. Iran and Turkey have both supplied Burhan with lethal explosive drones. According to experts, Iran, Russia and Turkey hope that their alliance with SAF would secure them naval bases and ports on the Red Sea, mining deals, and arms contracts.
Only the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seems to prefer the RSF, mainly for fear of the Islamism of Burhan, his SAF, and the militias allied with him. Some have accused the UAE of arming RSF. Abu Dhabi has denied these accusations.
Meanwhile, Israel says that it has been in touch with both warring factions, SAF and RSF, using its ties to bridge the gap and broker peace.
In February, over 20 factions and political groups, including RSF, signed a charter to form a “government of peace and unity.” Among the signatories were the most credible independent civilian coalition, Tagadum, then headed by former Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok. Burhan, however, refused to share power, and his backers opposed the “parallel government.” Instead, Burhan appointed loyalist Kamel Idriss as prime minister and invited militias allied with SAF, especially the Baraa Bin Malik Brigades and the Furqan, to join his cabinet.
Led by Almisbah Abotalha, these brigades are notorious for their brand of radical Islamism. Even though Burhan received then Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, in Khartoum in February 2023, Burhan’s ally Abotalha posted on X, this past February: “We declare our full solidarity with the Palestinians against the Zionist-American plan to displace the residents of Gaza.” The Islamist militiaman added: “We warn the Western and Arab countries that support the Zionist scheme that God’s soldiers and the guardians of Al-Aqsa are waiting for you.”
Ali Karti is another alarming Islamist ally of Burhan, a man who substituted his Western suit, that he wore between 2005 and 2015 as the country’s minister of foreign affairs, with the traditional Sudanese outfit, signaling his Islamization. After the downfall of the Bashir regime, in 2019, Khartoum’s new rulers went after Karti. But in 2021, Karti got himself elected as the chief of the Sudanese Islamic Movement and reconnected with Burhan. In September 2023, Washington slammed sanctions on Karti for his role in obstructing “ efforts to reach a ceasefire to end the current conflict between… and opposed Sudanese civilian efforts to resume Sudan’s stalled democratic transition.”When trying to understand Sudan, the easiest way is for an observer to call it “too complicated” and move on. It is also easy to think that there are no good sides to bet on, and therefore, no good outcomes.
Yet if the world continues to ignore Sudan, it risks allowing the rise of an extremely radical Islamist movement that will likely displace the current warlords, take over the country, and turn it into a hotbed of Islamists that export terrorism to the world, just like Afghanistan was before 2001.
It would be in America’s interest to strongarm Sudan’s warring factions, and their sponsors, to come to the table for peace talks. No one expects the Sudanese to produce a Jeffersonian democracy soon, but a political settlement that produces a power-sharing arrangement can stabilize the country and shrink the space where Islamist terrorists can grow and thrive. Such might be the best possible outcome.
**Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a research fellow at The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD).

How Much Longer Will Israel Live in Fear?
Emile Ameen/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
Day after day, Israel makes increasingly clear that it has no intention to make peace. It does not want a comprehensive and just peace, nor is it willing to take modest preliminary steps that could build the mutual trust necessary for more meaningful progress. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government seems intent on creating more walls and fences, rejecting the idea of building bridges in principle. It opposes the bridges that the late Yugoslav writer Ivo Andric tells us, in his remarkable novel “The Bridge on the Drina”, “were built by God with the wings of angels so that men can reach out to one another.” Bridges facilitate communication and open the door to peace, while walls reinforce isolation and sow the seeds of hatred, war, and division. Israel shut its doors to the Arab ministerial delegation formed after the Arab-Islamic summit. The delegation had planned to visit Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah a few days ago, but Israel saw the visit as an endorsement of the idea of establishing a Palestinian state, which the Israeli prime minister’s circle, especially Defense Minister Katz and the rest of the far-right bloc, believe will inevitably engender terrorism.
Per international law, Israel, as an occupying force, does not have the right to prevent the delegation. The move reflects the Israeli government's hubris and contempt for both divine principles and human laws. Israel has a knack for issuing statements that are detached from reality. One official, for example, said that “the meeting that the delegation had been scheduled to hold was provocative because its theme would have been the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel, which controls all access to the West Bank, will not cooperate with any such step that threatens its security.”
Indeed, in the minds of Netanyahu’s ministers, justice that could lead to peace is off the table. Was it not Katz himself who recently spoke of extending Israel’s sovereignty as a Jewish state in the West Bank? He said this just one day after announcing the legalization of 22 settlement outposts - a move that will radically change both the geography and demography of Palestinian territory.
Israel is determined to maintain this approach: steadily and deliberately suffocating the West Bank financially, carving up its territory, making things as difficult as possible for the Palestinians living there, and moving its plan for the Judaization of Jerusalem further as it strives to erase the city’s character and history.
Is Israel afraid of peace and precluding it through violence? Israel’s actions are showing that Tel Aviv is trapped in a ghetto - not in the abstract moral or spiritual sense; it is in a physical ghetto. The government has announced its intention to build a 425-kilometer wall between Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank. This project, which is expected to take three years, legally requires the approval of the Palestinian Authority, the governing body of these territories. Both settlement expansion and this separation wall point to Israel’s real desire: to isolate itself, not just from the Palestinians, but from the Arab world as a whole.
Astonishingly, Israel has yet to recognize that it is trying to turn the clock back 2,000 years, to a time when high walls encircled Jerusalem. Even then, however, these walls offered neither safety nor security under Roman rule.
Israel’s isolation is deepening. Indeed, the last fig leaves have fallen. The Arab world proposed the Arab Peace Initiative in 2002, and it has kept the offer on the table since. Israel’s failure to engage is a genuine missed opportunity. Although there have been efforts, since then, at achieving peace in the region supported by the US, Netanyahu’s government seems determined to shut them down and bury every dream of normalization with Arab nations. The Arab ministerial delegation came out as the winner, and Israel lost out. Day by day, it grows increasingly isolated diplomatically, especially as the suffering in Gaza becomes the modern world’s mark of shame: hunger, mass murder, and displacement. Against this backdrop, every effort to de-escalate the situation and ensure a ceasefire seems futile.
In the United States, Israel is undeniably losing the support of a large segment of the global public, which has woken up to its horrors and inhumanity. On the level of governance, it seems that the Trump administration now believes that partnership with the Arab states will be just as significant as its ties to Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, the European Union has announced that it would assess trade with Israel. The United Kingdom has frozen talks on expanding its bilateral free trade agreement with the Jewish state, and both Germany and France have threatened to take swift measures if the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues.
One could ask: Why does Tel Aviv ignore the world’s threats? Simply put, because all of this, for now, remains mere moral outrage; no tangible measures have been taken, but it seems they may not be far off. Israel does not understand peace and does not appear to be awaiting its arrival. How much longer will Israel live in fear?

Immigration Has Always Been Complex
Steve Inskeep/The New York Times/June 04/2025
The story of Chinese Americans really gets going with one of the great early episodes of globalization. The discovery of gold in California in 1848, brought tens of thousands of fortune seekers from around the world, including some from China. What happened next is the sort of history that many schools, states and the Trump administration have lately deemed dangerous and divisive. Chinese people and their descendants helped to build the country while also enduring generations of abuse. But you can’t paint a complete picture of America without this story, and the New Yorker journalist Michael Luo tells it persuasively in “Strangers in the Land,” a granular account of Chinese migration to the United States. In an evenhanded style that yields neither a woke polemic nor a sanitized past, he traces the lives of immigrants to a country that actively drew them in and then tried to push them out.
Luo, a former investigative reporter for The New York Times, relentlessly accumulates facts from old newspapers, court records and immigration cases. Parts of the story are hard to uncover, even though the outlines are well known. School children can tell you, for example, that in the 1860s the builders of the first transcontinental railroad recruited Chinese men to lay tracks through the snowy Sierra Nevadas. They outworked everyone else during this high point of America’s national development. But not even the finest scholars can figure out who most of these hammer-swinging people were. While railroad bosses took pride in them, they couldn’t tell the foreigners apart, and didn’t write most of their names on the payroll. Despite such obstacles, Luo finds an incredible number of characters. Although he describes the book as “the biography of a people,” it succeeds through its little biographies of individuals — a range of quirky and fascinating figures, both Chinese and white, who drive the narrative. We follow entrepreneurs like the “Chinese courtesan” Ah Toy, an immigrant to San Francisco who sold prospectors the chance to “gaze on her countenance” and saved enough gold dust to go into business as a madam.
On the other side of the country, we meet Yung Wing, the first Chinese student at Yale. By the time this enthusiast for America returned to China, he had almost forgotten his native language. Then the Chinese government, eager for Western knowledge and technology, sent Yung back in the 1870s with dozens more students in tow. Americans welcomed the scholars into their homes — until China cut short Yung’s mission, fearing the students had grown too comfortable with the local customs and religion.
I read this book while covering the early moves of the second Trump administration and also while reporting in China, and kept finding parallels to current events. In the 19th century, American capitalists welcomed Chinese laborers — the railroad magnate Collis P. Huntington said, “It would be all the better for us and the State if there should be a half million come over” — but many politicians described their arrival as an “invasion.”
Some constituents assumed that Chinese migration was a form of slavery. Chinese workers were stereotyped as “coolies,” controlled by the Chinese bosses who contracted out their work. Luo casts doubt on this idea, but reports that Chinese laborers were sometimes used against their white counterparts. When Massachusetts shoemakers went on strike in 1870, for instance, their boss sent an aide to California to round up Chinese replacements. Opponents of Chinese migration claimed to be taking a progressive stance for free labor.
Those opponents transformed the country’s concept of border security. In early American history there was no class of people called “illegal immigrants,” because few laws governed movement to the United States. That changed specifically for the Chinese. By the mid-1880s, only certain kinds of people — merchants, teachers and students — were allowed to disembark from the ships. Even they were barred from citizenship. As a junior at Yale, Yung had become a citizen in the 1850s, but in the harsher legal climate of 1898 the State Department decided his citizenship was invalid.
Critics said the flow of Chinese migrants abetted human trafficking. Enticed by promises of marriage, some women, especially in the 1860s and ’70s, were lured into signing contracts in China and brought to San Francisco for prostitution.
And some white citizens tried to help the victims: In 1870, Otis Gibson, a missionary, established a home to which entrapped young women could flee. Yet California authorities eventually decided to fight human trafficking by passing laws that made it hard for Asian women to come at all, threatening to send them back from the San Francisco docks after they’d traveled thousands of miles. If husbands didn’t come to pick them up, they were presumed to be prostitutes. A US Supreme Court justice ultimately intervened in favor of the women, ruling that a state could not legislate immigration.
Through it all, Chinese arrivals persisted in making a home in their adopted country. In 1885 white residents of Humboldt County, Calif., rioted to expel their entire Chinese community (“Wipe Out the Plague Spots,” the local newspaper urged). It’s one of many riots and murders that this book recounts in excruciating detail. After it was over, a local business directory proudly advertised Humboldt as “the only county in the state containing no Chinamen.” But it wasn’t true: Some Chinese people remained with the support of white residents; a jack-of-all-trades named Charley Moon, who survived the pogrom, was still living in Humboldt upon his death in 1943. The Chinese American population did not grow significantly until Congress passed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which overturned the old rules and made it possible for Chinese Americans to begin bringing over their relatives. But descendants of the earlier arrivals are among us today. Luo’s book recounts the family story of Connie Young Yu, a historian from California. Her ancestors include a railroad worker from the 1860s, a woman who was separated from her children by immigration authorities in 1924 and a veteran of World War II.
Although parts of Luo’s story have been told in other books, such as Mae Ngai’s “The Chinese Question,” Erika Lee’s “The Making of Asian America” and Gordon H. Chang’s “Ghosts of Gold Mountain,” this account introduces many fascinating details. If there’s any weakness to Luo’s work, it’s contained within that strength: He offers us so many characters that it can be hard to keep track, but readers who do are rewarded with a view on the full complexity of American immigration.

Will a Strike Supersede the Nuclear Deal?
Nadim Koteich/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 04/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/06/143880/
The recent spike in leaked intelligence assessments warning that the Israeli military could strike Iran’s nuclear facilities should the ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran fall through, is redrawing the red lines around what Israel considers an “existential threat” amid sweeping regional and international shifts.Talk of an “imminent strike” is not limited to speculation in the media any longer, and it is not another round of the war of words between the two sides. It has become the subject of intelligence reports, direct and indirect statements by Israeli and American officials, and discussions in think tanks across the globe. More significantly, military experts are closely following the drills of the Israeli air force, precision munition transfers, and strategic deployments that suggest Israel is potentially ready to launch an attack within seven hours of a final decision, leaving the US intervention with a narrow window to intervene.
So, are we truly approaching zero hour? Or is this still all part of a complex messaging game that Israel and the United States are playing to pressure Iran? Moving on to the broader context, especially with the shifting balance of power in the region, do recent developments make a strike seem more or less likely?
Although Iran continues to enrich uranium at rates that border on the level needed to make weapons-grade levels (60 percent), it has lost much of its strategic leverage following devastating blows suffered by its regional proxies, particularly Hezbollah and Hamas. Their capacity to deter and support has severely diminished.At the same time, the focused Israeli strikes on Iranian military and intelligence targets in October 2024, along with the mysterious blast at Shahid Rajaee Port in April that destroyed large stockpiles of solid fuel used in ballistic missiles, have clearly undercut Tehran’s ability to respond with asymmetric escalation. This erosion of Iran’s deterrence tools makes Israeli military action more plausible, especially since its government has adopted a policy of “preemptive defense” and typically prioritizes military considerations over political objectives.
The consensus in Israel has changed dramatically since the October 7 attack in 2023. The prevalent instinct is now that existential threats, like Iran’s nuclear program, can no longer be tolerated or entrusted to the slow pace of diplomacy.
Thus, Washington’s threat to end military and diplomatic coordination with Israel if the latter defies the timeline set by the US and undercut Washington’s ongoing talks with Tehran, seems both strategic and serious. It signals that some in the US establishment are increasingly apprehensive about the prospect of an Israeli strike.
Crucially, key Arab states share this view. Regional capitals have openly rejected escalation by Israel that would foil the effort to reach a diplomatic resolution. These governments have also sent direct messages to Tehran, urging Iran to engage constructively with de-escalation efforts and avoid sliding into a broader conflict that would be disastrous for all sides. Some are cautiously hoping that this emerging American-Arab umbrella could help reduce the risk of military escalation. For all the confidence he publicly demonstrates in Israel’s ability to act independently, Prime Minister Netanyahu understands that launching a major operation without US support, and in clear defiance of influential regional actors, could incur steep strategic costs.
Complicating this picture further, an Israeli strike is unlikely to be “surgical” in the traditional sense. Reports suggest it would be a prolonged campaign that spans several days and targets multiple sites deep within Iran. This makes uncontrolled escalation more likely and forces Israel to make complex security and defense calculations, despite Iran not having the capacity to inflict maximum punishment. Although Donald Trump has shown no objection to Israeli threats being leaked to the media, since they add pressure on Iran, this convergence of interests is temporary. The US and Israel are managing optics without agreeing on substance. Trump would clearly rather seal a “good” nuclear deal, sparing the US a regional fiasco and boosting his domestic political standing, furthering his personal ambitions, and bringing him closer to the Nobel Peace Prize.
Whether or not Israel ultimately conducts an attack, the current moment reflects fundamental shifts in the strategic calculus. Once able to rely on its proxies for deterrence, Iran now finds itself increasingly constrained. Israel, previously unable to proceed without an American green light, now has more room to maneuver. As for the United States, it had once been the uncontested architect of regional diplomacy and is now bound by the insular logic of “America First.”This is a moment of truth. It comes with great risks and carries rich implications. Either diplomacy succeeds in defusing the crisis through a real and durable solution, or we may be witnessing the opening chapter of a clash that could reshape the Middle East for generations.

How Greed Threatens Middle East Christians
An Analysis of the Background and Motives Behind the Egyptian Authorities’ Seizure of Saint Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Mount Sinai and Its Declaration as State Property
Alberto M. Fernandez/National Catholic Register/June 04/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/06/143915/
COMMENTARY: Power politics of the rich and numerous against the dwindling and powerless is very much at play.
Among the earliest remarks by Pope Leo XIV were expressions and concern for the Christians of the East. Less than a week after his election as Supreme Pontiff, he spoke at the Jubilee of the Oriental Churches of the “abyss of violence” that threatens Christian existence in those ancient regions of the faith, “from the Holy Land to Ukraine, from Lebanon to Syria, from the Middle East to Tigray and the Caucasus.”
Certainly, terrorism, religious hatred and violence are bitter realities for Eastern Christians, but other pressing threats may be more insidious.
The Pope spoke of the need for Middle East Christians to “persevere and remain in their homelands, resisting the temptation to abandon them.” This is not a hypothetical or future risk but a daily reality, for example, for Gaza’s beleaguered Catholics and Orthodox Christians — alive, battered and wounded — to try to remain in an urban landscape where most of what they see seems to be reduced to rubble.
Despite the rhetoric in the Gaza war, it is unlikely that Christians were ever targeted directly, and yet, like Muslims and Jews, they have borne a heavy price.
Persecution and martyrdom get the headlines, but while they are real, a more omnipresent, far more common threat appears, associated not so much with religious hatred as with greed — and with the power politics of the rich and numerous and against the dwindling and powerless.
From Egypt to Iraq, Christian property is under assault. It’s not personal; it’s just business.
On May 29, Greek newspapers blared that the Egyptian government had seized St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Monastery on Mount Sinai and declared it state property. While online commentators were quick to portray it as some sort of Muslim, anti-Christian action shutting the monastery, the reality was much more mundane. This was more about real estate than persecution, eminent domain rather than religious hatred, involving a 10-year legal case by local officials.
Egyptian authorities, eager for income, see St. Catherine’s as a potential money maker, promoting religious and cultural tourism, which would complement Sinai’s splendid beaches. The danger to the monks seems to be more that they will be “Disney-fied” and marketed rather than expelled. The monastery, founded by Emperor Justinian the Great and once the site of the famed Codex Sinaiticus, one of the oldest, most complete copies of the Bible, is to be part of a larger tourist attraction. The sacred mountain seems to be more at risk from developers rather than jihadists.
In the Old City of Jerusalem, the historic Armenian Quarter is threatened less by religious hatred than by a shady deal with what Armenians consider unscrupulous real estate developers, who claim to have a valid 98-year lease on 25% of the Armenian Quarter. As in the case of Sinai, the ultimate goal seems to be profit and greed rather than hatred. But Christians rightly feel hemmed in by forces more powerful than them seeking to exploit what little remains in their hands.
Christian populations are dwindling throughout the region, but one thing that they still have is land, often empty land, which, coupled with zero to no political clout, makes for an enticing target. Neither Egypt nor Israel are particularly anti-Christian states, but they have more than their share of cutthroat businessmen.
Much Christian real estate in the Middle East is waqf land, religious endowments generally protected from seizure. In Islamic law, which is where waqf comes from, this land cannot be sold or transferred. It is for the use of the religious community.
Such land used for commercial or rental purposes should generate income for the local church or mosque. But, of course, holding on to the land is only as good as the will of the lawyers, judges and the state to protect private property owned by religious minorities. In post-Assad Syria, at least some of the tensions in early 2025 between Christians and Muslims has been over property rights.
Not all of the Christian real-estate land-grab news has been bad over the past years. In Turkey’s historic Tur Abdin region, after many years of turmoil, litigation, village rivalries and high-level international attention, the fourth-century Syrian Orthodox Mor Gabriel Monastery recovered its land in a 2014 decision hailed as “the largest restitution of church property ever seen in Turkey.” The ruling was part of Turkey’s democratization process at the time overseen by the prime minister, now president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
While Turkey was a rare positive light, the land grab against Christian property in Iraq continues to be a concern. Christians being displaced or fleeing the country have found their land being taken by political parties, militias and connected individuals. Records are falsified and deeds doctored, and even waqf land has not been immune. It isn’t outright persecution per se but merely the strong preying on the weak.
A Justice Ministry official told the Al-Arabi al-Jadeed newspaper in February 2025 that “the file is still complicated, and the ministry is making every effort to return Christian property and provide protection for it through strict measures.”
Impoverished Middle East Christians, disinherited ones, Christians tied up in years of agonizing litigation against the powerful are, of course, far less like to stay in their ancient homelands, less likely to put down roots when the very land is taken away from them.
While we focus on the very real, often violent, persecution of Christians in the East, let us not forget the all-too-silent, gradual usurpation of their rights as full citizens, rights to be secure in their persons, their faith and their property.
**Alberto M. Fernandez Alberto M. Fernandez is a former U.S. diplomat and a contributor at EWTN News.
https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/how-greed-threatens-middle-east-christians

Why Hamas Rejected Witkoff's Ceasefire Plan
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/June 4, 2025
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21666/hamas-witkoff-ceasefire
The leaders of the Iran-backed Hamas terror group do not seem to be in a rush to end the war with Israel: after all, they and their family members are not living in the Gaza Strip...
Hamas's political leaders, billionaires funded by Iran's mullahs and the rulers of Qatar, live in several Arab and Islamic countries, including Qatar, Turkey, Algeria and Lebanon. They and their family members lead luxurious lives in these countries and do not have to worry about lack of food or medicine.
Hamas leaders are in no rush to accept any deal because, unlike most of the residents of the Gaza Strip, they do not have to stand in line and risk being shot by Hamas terrorists for trying to receive food from a humanitarian organization.
Moreover, the Hamas leadership will never accept any ceasefire without prior permission from the Iranian regime. The mullahs in Tehran also appear in no rush to end the war against Israel. They want the war to continue: it distracts attention from Iran's efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.
For [Hamas's leaders], the No. 1 priority is to make sure that Hamas remains in power the day after the war
For Hamas, "the end" (eliminating Israel) justifies "the means" (sacrificing Palestinians as "martyrs" in the jihad against Israel).
Hamas staying in power would be great news for the Iranian regime, jihadis, and Islamist terror groups who consider the US the "Great Satan," and are committed to killing Americans, Christians, Jews and all other "infidels."
The leaders of Hamas do not seem to be in a rush to end the war with Israel: after all, they and their family members are not living in the Gaza Strip. Hamas's political leaders, billionaires funded by Iran and Qatar, live luxurious lives in several Arab and Islamic countries, including Qatar, Turkey, Algeria and Lebanon. They and their family members do not have to worry about lack of food or medicine.
The leaders of the Iran-backed Hamas terror group do not seem to be in a rush to end the war with Israel: after all, they and their family members are not living in the Gaza Strip, which has been turned into a war zone over the past 20 months.
Hamas's political leaders, billionaires funded by Iran's mullahs and the rulers of Qatar, live in several Arab and Islamic countries, including Qatar, Turkey, Algeria and Lebanon. They and their family members lead luxurious lives in these countries and do not have to worry about lack of food or medicine.
Most of Hamas's military commanders in the Gaza Strip have been hiding in tunnels since the beginning of the war, triggered by the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led invasion of Israel. Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas's military commander, was recently killed in an Israeli airstrike, together with senior officials of the group, while he was hiding in a tunnel beneath a hospital in the city of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
The political and military heads of Hamas initiated a war without preparing Gaza's civilians for an Israeli response. If Hamas figures are to be believed, more than 54,000 Palestinians have died since the beginning of the war. The blood of these Palestinians is on the hands of Hamas, which chose to drag two million residents of the Gaza Strip into a violent and bloody adventure that has brought nothing but death and destruction on them. The blood of these Palestinians is also on the hands of Iran and Qatar, Hamas's largest sponsors and funders.
On October 7, Hamas leaders launched a carefully-planned invasion of Israel, using thousands of terrorists and "ordinary" Palestinians.
More than 1,200 Israelis (and foreign nationals) were murdered and thousands wounded, while another 251 were kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip. Fifty-eight hostages are still held captive by the terror group. Only 20 of them are believed to be alive.
Hamas's total disregard for the lives of its own people were clear from the words of Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior representative of the terror group, a few weeks after the beginning of the war.
In an interview with Russia Today TV, Abu Marzouk, who is based in Qatar, said that the underground tunnels built in the Gaza Strip are to protect Hamas "fighters", while the responsibility to protect Gaza's civilians is not theirs.
"We have built the tunnels because we have no other way of protecting ourselves from being targeted and killed. These tunnels are meant to protect us from the [Israeli] airplanes... and it is the responsibility of the United Nations to protect [Gazan civilians]."
Since the beginning of the war, Abu Marzouk and other Hamas officials have been whining and crying, from their sumptuous villas and five-star hotel suites, about the death of so many Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Hamas leaders, in addition, did not build bomb shelters for their people. Instead, Hamas invested tens of millions of dollars in building a vast network of tunnels to hide its men and weapons. After the war began, the tunnels were used to hide Israeli hostages. The tunnels have also served to shelter Hamas's military commanders and their families.
In late May, Hamas leaders rejected another ceasefire proposal presented by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff; it did not call for a permanent end to the war with a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Hamas leaders are in no rush to accept any deal because, unlike most of the residents of the Gaza Strip, they do not have to stand in line and risk being shot by Hamas terrorists for trying to receive food from a humanitarian organization (here, here, here and here).
Moreover, the Hamas leadership will never accept any ceasefire without prior permission from the Iranian regime. The mullahs in Tehran also appear in no rush to end the war against Israel. They want the war to continue: it distracts attention from Iran's efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. The mullahs also seem afraid that an end to the war would mean an end to Hamas – one of Iran's major proxies in the Middle East.
Many Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been speaking out against Hamas, especially after its leaders rejected Witkoff's latest proposal. In videos on social media, Palestinians are seen cursing Hamas and urging it to end the war.
"Our houses have been destroyed, we have lost everything, what are they [Hamas] waiting for?" said a man in Gaza. "We are civilians, we are hungry, and our children are getting killed. We have no place to go."
Such voices do not mean anything to Hamas leaders. For them, the No. 1 priority is to make sure that Hamas remains in power the day after the war – the main reason Hamas's leaders have made it clear that their group will not lay down its weapons. They know that whoever maintains a military-security presence in the Gaza Strip controls the entire coastal strip and will control any government that forms there after the war.
Hamas rejected Witkoff's proposal because it wants to continue its jihad (holy war) against Israel. As far as Hamas is concerned, October 7, 2023 was just another phase in its jihad to kill Jews and destroy Israel.
Hamas's leaders do not care if 50,000 or 100,000 Palestinians are killed as a result of their refusal to release the hostages, disarm, and relinquish control of the Gaza Strip. For Hamas, "the end" (eliminating Israel) justifies "the means" (sacrificing Palestinians as "martyrs" in the jihad against Israel).
That is why there is no alternative to a total defeat of Hamas and its removal not only from power, but also from the entire Palestinian arena.
If Hamas is allowed to stay in power after the war, it will be bad news not only for Israel, but also for Palestinians who oppose the terror group. However, Hamas staying in power would be great news for the Iranian regime, jihadis, and Islamist terror groups who consider the US the "Great Satan" and are committed to killing Americans, Christians, Jews and all other "infidels."
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
*Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

There Is A Way To Counter Iran, Not Through War
Yigal Carmon/MEMRI Daily Brief No. 782/June 04/2025
"So Much For Being Mr. Nice Guy" – President Trump Following China's "Total Violation Of Its Agreement With The U.S."
Sir Neville Chamberlain was a very nice guy who wanted to avoid war at any cost and bring about "peace for our time."
Appeasement never works.
The Problem With Iran Is Not Limited To Its Nuclear Weapons Ambitions
The problem with Iran is not limited to its nuclear weapons ambitions. The problem is the dictatorial regime of the Ayatollahs itself. It is their ideology ("Death to America"). It is their terrorist activities and proxies. It is their long-range missiles that can reach Europe and whose delivery systems, according to Austrian intelligence,[1] continue to advance. It is the repression of human rights and ethnic minorities and more.[2] It is their abhorrence for the values of the West, of America, and of President Trump in particular, on which MEMRI has reported extensively. In a January 7, 1980 interview with Time magazine, immediately following the revolution, Khomeini said: "We want to prove to the whole world that the superpowers can be defeated with the power of faith. We shall stand up against the U.S. Government with all our might. We fear no power."[3] Since that time, until these very days, the declared goal of supreme leaders Khomeini and Khamenei has changed very little. While President Trump talks about his wish to reach an agreement that will make Iran prosperous, the Iranians say that they are going to kill him[4] and add that his father was a brothel owner.[5]
President Trump is no Chamberlain. Domestically, he struggles for the values he stood for but when it comes to foreign policy, instead of fighting evil and jihad, he does not fight for values; only for deals with evil for as long as they can hold. After Pakistan-sponsored terrorists from Laskhar-e-Taiba slaughtered Christian and Hindu newlywed couples, in Kashmir, India fought in retaliation but were forced by the United States into a ceasefire, allowing a declaration of victory by Pakistan, whose chief of staff had just weeks prior told Pakistanis abroad "don't you ever forget that you belong to a superior ideology and a superior culture,"[6] like the Nazis told their own people. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's son Zach then went to Pakistan to open a cryptocurrency business.[7] Now, Pakistan is aligning with Turkey and Azerbaijan, probably for another victory in the near future.
Enemies Make Deals With The U.S. And The West To Use Them – Any Deal Has To Have A Supervision Mechanism With Firm Oversight, Since They Have Never Meant To Honor Their Own Signature – This Is The Story Of The Obama Agreement
President Trump has already been an extremely nice guy in limiting the negotiations to the nuclear issue – but it has not helped a bit. Iran has an ideology. They do "deals" only to use the tools of the despised and, in their view, stupid West against themselves to reach Iran's goals. They have no sense of obligation nor self-respect for their own signatures. Any deal with them has to come with a firm mechanism of inspection, since they have never meant to respect their own signature, as was proven with the Obama deal. They dare to blame Trump for leaving the agreement, after they had already violated their signatures many times and developed their nuclear enrichment capabilities in breach of the agreement, all the while maintaining the lie about a fatwa prohibiting the country's acquisition of nuclear weapons.[8] This story of a fatwa is a lie – it never existed, no one has ever seen it. The Iranians do not even negotiate directly with U.S. officials because the Iranians have principles and do not grant the enemy legitimacy by meeting him.
There is nothing at which Trump would stop to achieve the Western civilized goal of preventing a war. Let the Iranians go on with their non-sensical stuff and play their stupid games. President Trump is there for the serious matter of avoiding war. Alas, as history teaches us – appeasement will not work even for him.
The Horrific Results Of Netanyahu's Appeasement Policy
President Trump could ask Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is the greatest Chamberlain-type appeaser since World War II and who enabled Qatar, which is the foremost sponsor of Islamist terrorism in the world and whose sponsorship includes that of 9/11, which was masterminded by a former Qatari government employee. Netanyahu enabled Qatar to fund his enemy, Hamas, which armed itself with 500 kilometers of tunnels, thousands of rockets, and an army of 40,000 fighters/murderers of civilian babies, women, and the elderly. Netanyahu, too, like chamberlain, deluded himself for years, thinking that he is preventing war only to wake up on October 7 to the horrific consequences of his policy. Moreover, Netanyahu betrayed the Abraham Accords and the UAE, who had made peace with him, by aligning himself with Qatar, the UAE's bitter adversary.
President Trump could ask South Korea's leaders, who went as far as funding their enemy, North Korea, in what they called "The Sunshine Policy." MEMRI warned of Korea's pro-Western government's imminent collapse at the hands of the pro-Chinese camp. No one in the U.S. government paid attention. Yesterday, it happened. A major pillar of America's Pacific Rim security has fallen into the hands of the pro-Chinese camp. The consequences will be horrible. Beyond the domestic scene, the other pillars – Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines – will realize that there is no America to secure the Pacific Rim. They will gradually move to secure themselves vis-à-vis China. As for China, Kissinger tried to buy it, considering of no importance its 6,000 years of pride in their own identity and culture and, at that time, 23 years of communist ideology, by offering it all of capitalist benefits in the hope that they will cease to be hostile to America and Western civilization. He failed. Appeasement failed.
"Deals" With Dictatorships Erase The Moral Difference Between America And Its Enemies
The common denominator to these examples is the Western urge to avoid conflict. Western leaders pretend that their enemy lacks ideology and can be bought with money to accept Western values, as though all they want is a good life and all that is needed to solve conflicts with them is to give them the good life they supposedly also want. The problem is that such a policy, beyond being ignorant and racist, also accepts the inhumane nature of those regimes; it erases the difference between freedom and repression of human rights – between Western-inspired democracies and those extremist Islamist ideological expansionist dictatorships (as well as others such as North Korea and China). The outcome of this racist and ignorant approach will be not peace but a terrible war.
In his urge to bring peace for our time and avoid war at any cost, President Trump has already lost all the deterrence he had emanating from his strong rhetoric based on Western values and some actions, such as the killing of the Iranian arch-terrorist Qassem Soleimani. In fact, all of America's enemies believe that the U.S. has become a paper tiger. Had it not been for continuing to arm Israel, which fights for its life thanks to American weapons, the Trump administration would have lost its polar status. Russia, China, and Iran – the "Triad of Evil" – already see the world as multipolar and fight America's standing in the world.
The U.S. Should Align With Its True Allies – KSA, UAE, Jordan, Morocco, And Bahrain – Not With Qatar, Turkey, And The Jihadist-Ruled Syria
The worst element in the Chamberlain approach is the inability to distinguish a friend from a foe, which is a pre-condition to MAGA. Even when he drops the major value test of who is democratic and stands for freedom and who is repressive, and prioritizes other realpolitik criteria – such as who supports America and who does not – President Trump has to rethink his choice of friends. He needs to get knowledgeable about who is who in the Arab and Muslim world. His advisors should tell him – apparently, they do not.
Not knowing the basics of who is against whom in the inner battles of Islamists against Westernized pro-American states in the Middle East, he aligns with America's enemies – Turkey (who allowed all the foreign fighters from Europe to cross to the Islamic State through Turkey, despite being a NATO member) and Qatar (who is the world's foremost sponsor of Islamist terrorism, including 9/11 as evidenced in the 9/11 Commission) – and by calling Qatar and Turkey friends and considering them as such, one granted the status of non-NATO ally, the other in NATO, America's true allies in the Arab World – KSA, UAE, Jordan, Morocco, Bahrain, and others – are thrown under the bus.
Trump: "If It Wasn't For Us, [KSA, UAE, And Qatar] Probably Wouldn't Exist Right Now"
The case of Qatar is unique: The U.S. owes Qatar nothing. The terrorist dictatorial ruling family of Qatar owes the U.S. its very existence, as well as compensation for the 9/11 attacks, which should be huge. President Trump behaves like he owes them, despite the understanding he showed when he said on TV that, had it not been for the U.S., Qatar would not exist.[9]
Bringing A Wilder Monster – Turkey – To Deal With An Existing One – Iran – Will Only Bring War (And In No Time)
President Trump has now appointed a new ambassador to Turkey who, by his tweets (see below), seems to be more even Ottoman than Erdoğan. Mr. Tom Barrack wants to roll history back to the Ottoman Empire, making no mention whatsoever of America's Arab allies who will be undermined in the process. Erdoğan may have seduced President Trump into believing that this is a way to counter Iran, without America being dragged into a war – which is what President Trump wants to avoid at any cost.
This amounts to trying to solve a problem of one wild monster by bringing in an even wilder one and is the shortest way to an American forever war in the region and beyond. Why? Because in 2017, President Erdoğan said: "It is crystal clear: World War I is not over yet."[10] Addressing an informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and held in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, on May 20-21, 2025, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan admonished member-states, saying "we must also think beyond our borders."[11]
It is of this Turkey that Barrack tweeted on May 25, referring to the Sykes-Picot Agreement as a "mistake" and saying: "The era of Western interference is over. The future belongs to regional solutions, but partnerships, and a diplomacy grounded in respect. As President Trump emphasized in his May 13th address in Riyadh, 'Gone are the days when Western interventionalists would fly to the Middle East to give lectures on how to live, and how to govern your own affairs.' Syria’s tragedy was born in division. Its rebirth must come through dignity, unity, and investment in its people. That starts with truth, accountability – and working with the region, not around it. We are standing with Türkiye, the Gulf, and Europe – this time not with troops and lectures, or imaginary boundaries, but shoulder-to-shoulder with the Syrian people themselves."[12]
On May 30, he tweeted: "President Trump has courageously woven a new Damascene brocade from the strongest of supporting and differing threads – Syria, USA, Qatar and Turkiye – 3 weeks ago thought by the world impossible."[13] America knows how to deal with enemies but it has no clue how to deal with enemies who pretending to be friends and playing a double game, like arsonists pretending to be firefighters.
The Middle East On The Brink Of Regional War
The Iranians are moving ahead with their Iranian Bazaar policy of insisting on their positions, without changing one iota, and saying "no" to constantly receding demands[14] while insisting on continued negotiations. Khamenei just addressed the American position, saying "who are you to tell us whether we can have enrichment or not?" Still, in order to erode the American position even further, they will never stop the negotiations. And why not? They are there only to win. So, the question is: What will the United States do at this point? Continuing to give up on its demands will reach a point where it will no longer be possible for president Trump to continue. President Trump may either surrender altogether, or say "no more Mr. Nice Guy." At that point, everything will collapse like a house of cards.
The attempt to use the Turkish card against Iran will also bring heightened tension and violent clashes. Moreover, removing the American troops from Syria and granting the territory they controlled to the Kurdish SDF, which is happening nowadays, will enhance the possibility of a clash between Turkey and the Kurds. Iranian-sponsored groups are already shooting rockets at Israel from Syria. Al-Sharaa's argument "let me deal with them, ignore the rockets" will not work for Israel. The high-level American military delegation that is on its way to Syria is far more than what Al-Sharaa can handle at this point vis-à-vis ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and the Chechen and Uyghur terrorists that he has to appease.
There Is Another Way To Counter Iran's Nuclear Weapons, Intransigence, And The Rule Of The Ayatollahs
America should aim at a real change in the region, not by bringing Turkey to counter Iran, which would be pouring more gasoline on the fire, but rather by helping the Iranian ethnic minorities struggling for their freedom. Moreover, it could and should support the truckers' strike in Iran, as Reagan did, helping "solidarity" in Poland. This third way is a peaceful and humane one not involving the American army in any way. Demographically, Iran is made up of 52 percent Persians and 48 percent of several different ethnic minorities, the largest of which are the Baloch, Ahwazi, Kurds, and Azeris.
These ethnic minorities are struggling against the Ayatollah's repression and demand their rights and freedoms. They are not religious mujahideen, with whom the U.S. so mistakenly aligned in the 1980s against the Soviet Union; they seek the U.S.'s backing not with weapons but humanitarian and political support.
Why not try this approach, which, beyond being humane and well-deserved, has the best chances of dismantling from within the repressive anti-American anti-West Islamist regime of the Ayatollahs – with no American military intervention, no surrender to Iran's demands, and no appeasement.
And why not send aid to the truckers' demonstrations in Iran just as America, in the 1980s, helped in Poland the Independent Self-Governing Trade Union "Solidarity," a group credited with playing a central role in ending communist rule in that country. This policy was conducted under Ronald Reagan, whose policies Trump has followed in the past. When it was the appeasing approach of Presidents Obama and Biden – Donald J. Trump rightly objected to it.
* Yigal Carmon is Founder and President of MEMRI.
[1] Dsn.gv.at/501/files/VSB/205_2025_VSB_2024_V20250528_Web_BF.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawKpSqZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQ
ABHtRs945vBkrqVjoIbkDZuDPMzyVOODO0xuXCl8sFdYRNu-guCLc9T5_U5SUi_aem_yfVDeF28KjylT9GywYHYTw, 2025.
[2] See MEMRI Daily Brief No. 681, The U.S. Will Not Need To Be Involved In War If It Supports Secular Ethnic Groups Against The Iranian Ayatollah's Regime, November 27, 2024.
[3] Time.com/archive/6857734/man-of-the-year-an-interview-with-khomeini, January 7, 1980.
[4] See MEMRI Special Dispatches No. 11864, Iranian Regime Mouthpiece 'Kayhan' To Iranian President: 'Mr. Pezeshkian, Iran Has Planned, And Is Planning, To Assassinate Trump', March 4, 2025; No. 11956, Hossein Shariatmadari, 'Kayhan' Editor And Close Associate Of Supreme Leader Khamenei: 'The Day Is Not Far Off When A Few Bullets Will Be Fired Into Trump's Hollow Head To Avenge The Blood Of The Martyr [Qassem] Soleimani', May 1, 2025; No. 11789, Iranian International Affairs Expert Mostafa Khoshcheshm Refutes President Pezeshkian's Claim That Iran Never Plotted To Kill Trump: We Put A Price On His Head, I Remember Several Officials Talking About Killing Him, January 21, 2025.
[5] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11973, Iranian Regime Mouthpiece 'Kayhan' Chastises And Threatens The Life Of President Trump: 'His Father Was A German Immigrant Who Made His Living From A Brothel – So It Is No Surprise That Such A Father Should Produce Such A Son', May 13, 2025.
[6] See Special Dispatch No. 11967, Clash-Of-Civilizations Speech By Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir At Islamabad Convention Seven Days Before April 22 Terror Attack In Kashmir, May 7, 2025.
[7] Wsj.com/finance/currencies/trump-steve-zach-witkoff-crypto-6d8a96be, May 22, 2025.
[8] See MEMRI Special Dispatches No. 12001, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's Nonexistent Nuclear Fatwa Reemerges In Iranian Discourse With Trump Administration, May 29, 2025; and No. 11833, Iranian Regime Continues To Lie About The Alleged Fatwa Banning Nuclear Weapons, February 11, 2025.
[9] See MEMRI TV Clip No. 12020, U.S. President Donald Trump On Qatari Airforce One Offer: It Was A Very Nice Gesture Of Good Faith; “If It Wasn’t For Us, They Probably Wouldn’t Exist Right Now”, May 12, 2025.
[10] Medyanews.net/president-erdogan-it-is-crystal-clear-world-war-i-is-not-over-yet-2, May 25, 2023.
[11] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 12002, At Summit Of Organization Of Turkic States (OTS) In Budapest, Turkish President Erdoğan Urges Member-States: 'We Must Also Think Beyond Our Borders'; 'Stand Against Israel's Expansionism And Support The Territorial Integrity Of Lebanon And Syria', June 3, 2025.
[12] X.com/USAMBTurkiye/status/1926667533102301388, May 25, 2025.
[13] X.com/USAMBTurkiye/status/1928410247661601254?t=TWzIPIvqYU4HAc4CNvTDAg&s=08, May 30, 2025; Youtube.com/watch?v=aCLl8rcUxNw, May 29, 2025.
[14] Trump wrote on Truth Social on June 2 that the U.S. "will not allow any enrichment of uranium," while media had reported earlier on a U.S. proposal that allegedly would permit Iran to conduct low-level uranium enrichment.
Apnews.com/article/trump-witkoff-iran-nuclear-israel-881df1c858361798040913c043802c24, June 2, 2025.