English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 14/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the
world gives.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 14/27-31:"Peace I leave with
you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let
your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you,
"I am going away, and I am coming to you." If you loved me, you would rejoice
that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I
have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may
believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is
coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so
that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on June 13-14/2025
The Arab statements condemning the Israeli attack on Mullahs' Iran and
terrorism and criminality are bundles of deception and hypocrisy and
dissimulation, if not to say cowardice./Elias Bejjani.June 14/2025
The Statements by Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam, and Nabih Berri Condemning Israeli
Military Operations in Iran Are Nonsense, Foolishness, Detachment from Reality,
and Blindness to Middle East Changes/Elias Bejjani/June 13/ 2025
The “Government of the Advisors’ Battalion” at Baabda Palace Complements
Hezbollah’s Battalions of Civilians, Media, and Clans/Elias Bejjani/June 11/2025
Colonel Charbel Barakat Reflects on the Decisive Israeli Strike on the Mullahs’
Iran: “Finally, Mighty Oak, Someone Has Come To Know You.”/Colonel Charbel
Barakat/June 13/2025
Hezbollah Official Says Group Will Not 'Initiate' Attack on Israel after Israeli
Strikes on Iran
Israeli interception missile hits Lebanon amid efforts to shoot down Iranian
drones
Berri says Israel 'assassinating peace efforts' as Salam slams attack on Iran
Qassem says Hezbollah supports any Iranian response against Israel
Hezbollah warns Israel Iran strikes 'threaten to ignite the region'
Foreign Ministry says seeking to spare Lebanon repercussions from Israel-Iran
conflict
Lebanon reportedly warns Hezbollah against joining Iran-Israel confrontation
Emirates airline cancels Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Iran flights
Lebanese army warns of falling missile debris, urges public to stay away
PM Salam meets ministers and Army chief to assess fallout from Israeli strikes
on Iran
Pope Leo XIV receives Lebanese president and family at the Vatican
Clash Erupts Between Lebanese Army, Syrian Border Forces
Flight 'chaos' in the Middle East: Israel's strikes on Iran grounds thousands
amid growing uncertainty
LBCI sources: Lebanon closes its airspace until 6 a.m.
After the Strikes on Iran, Lebanon Holds Its Breath
Is Lebanon Irreformable?/Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 13/2025
Do You Support the State or Hezbollah?/Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 13/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on June 13-14/2025
Video Link/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Message To The
Iranian People
Netanyahu calls on Iranians to unite against ‘evil and oppressive regime’
Iran strikes back at Israel as flights across the region are cancelled
IRGC commander, 2 nuclear scientists killed in Israeli strikes: Iran state TV
Israel's Mossad mounted high-tech covert operation to strike targets deep inside
Iran, sources say
Saudi crown prince, President Trump discuss regional tensions in phone call
Trump says Iran has ‘second chance’ to come to nuclear deal after Israeli
strikes devastate Tehran
US helps Israel shoot down barrage of Iranian missiles
Iran launches hundreds of missiles towards Israel, Khamenei says Israel
initiated war
Middle East on edge: Inside the Israel-Iran strikes and regional fallout
Blasts heard as Israel launches fresh attacks on Iran
Israel strikes intended to ‘cripple’ Iran’s nuclear program, destabilize regime:
Experts
Israel says most of senior leadership in Iran Guards’ Air Force ‘neutralized’
Israel strikes nuclear, military sites in Iran; senior IRGC commanders killed
US shifts military resources in response to Israel strikes and possible Iran
attack
MBS, Trump discuss Iran-Israel strikes in phone call
Iran will ‘make enemy regret’ attack: President
Russia’s Putin condemns Israeli strikes on Iran, says ready to mediate
Hamas says Iran ‘paying the price’ for supporting Gaza militants
US shifts military resources in response to Israel strikes and possible Iran
attack
Macron says UN conference on Palestinian state postponed due to Middle East
tension
Greece, UK urge ships to avoid Red Sea after Israeli attacks on Iran
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources
on June 13-14/2025
Dark Clouds Over South Africa/Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute/June 13,
2025
Saudi Arabia’s rise as a global mediator and regional stabilizer/Dr. Majid
Rafizadeh/13 June/2025
Question: “What is Israel’s role in the end times?”/GotQuestions.org/June
14/2025
Trump: On the Way to Crucial Summits/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 13/2025
Angry at Sharaa!/Mamdouh al-Muhainy/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 13/2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June
13-14/2025
The Arab
statements condemning the Israeli attack on Mullahs' Iran and terrorism and
criminality are bundles of deception and hypocrisy and dissimulation, if not to
say cowardice.
Elias Bejjani.June 14/2025
It is known, and for 40 years, that Iran is a real existential threat to all
Arab countries a million times more than it is a threat to Israel. For this, all
Arab statements of condemnation for the Israeli attack on it are flawed and
shameful and bundles of hypocrisy and dissimulation, if not to say cowardice and
chameleon-like behavior."
The Statements by Joseph Aoun,
Nawaf Salam, and Nabih Berri Condemning Israeli Military Operations in Iran Are
Nonsense, Foolishness, Detachment from Reality, and Blindness to Middle East
Changes
Elias Bejjani/June 13/ 2025
To begin with, the statements issued by Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam, and Nabih
Berri condemning the Israeli military operations in Iran are mere empty
rhetoric, parroting, and a complete detachment from reality—an outright
blindness to the dramatic changes sweeping across the Middle East. These are
childish statements with no value or weight, revealing how this unfortunate trio
is submissive, hypocritical, and completely lacking in honesty and leadership.
These statements contradict Lebanon’s supposed sovereign role of neutrality and
non-intervention in others' affairs. In fact, they condemn their authors and
expose them as mere tools manipulated by the defeated Hezbollah—the illusion and
the lie—through its battalions of advisors who hold their tongues and necks in a
tight grip.
As for the Israeli Prime Minister and the historic role he is playing—Lebanese,
Arab, Iranian, and international—there is no doubt that he has made history. As
he promised, he is redrawing the maps of the Middle East and bringing down all
the rogue regimes ruled by political Islam in both its Sunni and Shiite forms,
which continue to exploit the falsehood of resistance and liberation.
From a Lebanese perspective, every sovereign, independent, and peace-loving
citizen must thank Netanyahu. He has achieved what all of Lebanon’s leaders,
rulers, so called political party lords, and even many clergymen have failed to
do—due to fear, dependency, corruption, servility, and narcissism.
Netanyahu has liberated Lebanon from the Iranian-Hezbollah occupation,
contributed to the downfall of the Assad barrel bomb regime, opened up to
moderate Arab states, and is now working to rid the Iranian people—and the
world—of the satanic, inhuman regime of terror and evil.
Yes, every free and sovereign Lebanese must thank Netanyahu—not foolishly and
blindly condemn him as did today’s trio of Aoun, Berri, and Salam. Thanking
Netanyahu is a duty for what he has accomplished in confronting the mullah
regime through unprecedentedly precise military and intelligence operations,
both in execution and outcome.
What remains clear is that the destructive, terrorist, and expansionist role of
the mullah regime has been struck hard, and all of its arms—foremost among them
Hezbollah—have been dismantled.
Now is the time for visionary leaders to assume power in Lebanon—leaders who
believe in peace and who are free from the material, mindset, cowardice, and
narcissism of those currently in power.
The “Government of the Advisors’ Battalion” at Baabda Palace
Complements Hezbollah’s Battalions of Civilians, Media, and Clans
Elias Bejjani/June 11/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/06/144128/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xut7DmwPhWQ&t=4s
Every Lebanese has the right to
ask: Has President Joseph Aoun decided to govern through a “government of
advisors” assembled at Baabda Palace, instead of relying on the constitutional
cabinet led by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam?
The president has turned the palace into a hub for advisors—most of whom are
either remnants of the previous regime or politically affiliated with
Hezbollah—as if we are reliving the era of Syrian occupation, when puppet
cabinets were overshadowed by real centers of power hidden in the shadows.
More troubling is Aoun’s comfort with appointing figures directly tied to
Hezbollah. Case in point: former Minister Ali Hamieh, a loyalist of Hezbollah
who served in Najib Mikati’s cabinet, now inexplicably named “advisor for
reconstruction.”
Has even the file of reconstruction become a Hezbollah domain? Are national
matters now run through the so-called “advisors’ battalion” in Baabda, under the
command of the Shiite duo?
Reviewing the names of many of these advisors, reveals a lineup either closely
tied to former President Michel Aoun, or directly aligned with the so-called
“Resistance Axis.” In this context, this is not a presidency; it is a Hezbollah
proxy. These “advisors” are not neutral technocrats—they are political
operatives embedded to advance the Hezbollah’s agenda.
Are we facing a new shadow government? Has the president surrendered his
constitutional responsibilities to a clique of unelected influencers? Has the
presidency become merely another Hezbollah tool after it failed to seize full
control through the Grand Serail?
Since assuming office, Joseph Aoun has demonstrated a staggering disconnect
between the solemn vows of his presidential oath, and the political choices he
has made. He pledged to protect the constitution and assert sovereignty, yet has
set no timetable for the disarmament of Hezbollah. He has completely ignored UN
Security Council Resolutions 1559, 1701, and 1680—all of which mandate the
disarmament of all militias and the exclusive control of arms by the state.
These resolutions do not speak of dialogue with armed groups. The state does not
negotiate over its sovereignty. It imposes it.
By proposing “dialogue” and “a national defense strategy,” Joseph Aoun is merely
playing for time. These are evasions—designed to accommodate Hezbollah, not
confront it. They strengthen its grip and prolong the occupation of state
institutions. This is not leadership. It is appeasement.
Let us be frank: Hezbollah’s battalions are no longer limited to media
propagandists, tribal militias, or civilians used as human shields in
attacks—such as those on UNIFIL forces in the South. Today, a new battalion has
joined the fray: the “advisors’ battalion” at Baabda Palace. Under Joseph Aoun,
the presidency has morphed into an outpost for Hezbollah, where decisions are
made not in service of the Lebanese constitution, but in loyalty to the
occupying power’s interests.
It is deeply disheartening that Joseph Aoun has, thus far, proven to be a
disappointment. He has relinquished even the appearance of independence,
becoming yet another decorative president in the mold of his post-Taif
predecessors: Elias Hrawi, Emile Lahoud, and Michel Aoun. They all wore the
presidential sash, but the real power was never theirs—and it certainly isn’t
now.
In conclusion: there can be no resurrection of Lebanon, no sovereignty, no
independence, and no reconstruction, so long as the country is governed by men
who are either incapable or unwilling to exercise their constitutional
mandate—presidents who lack the courage to stand up, and the clarity to lead.
Those who cannot say “no” to Hezbollah must step aside…. Lebanon will not be
saved by advisors, nor by battalions, but by leaders.
Colonel Charbel Barakat Reflects on the Decisive Israeli
Strike on the Mullahs’ Iran: “Finally, Mighty Oak, Someone Has Come To Know
You.”
Colonel Charbel Barakat/June 13/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/06/144190/
Earlier this morning, Israeli warplanes launched a series of intense, successive
strikes deep inside Iran. A large number of aircraft were used in this
operation, which succeeded in a single blow in eliminating the top leadership of
the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), key army commanders, leading
nuclear scientists, long-range missile and air defense platforms, facilities
developing nuclear warheads, and Iran’s main uranium enrichment sites.
This highly precise, surgical operation also relied on advanced intelligence and
internal Iranian sabotage. Reports suggest that within just ten minutes, Israel
decapitated the Iranian regime’s military leadership — a significant achievement
by any global military or intelligence standard.
In response, Iran launched 100 drones toward Israel. Yet even before they could
reach Israeli airspace, Israeli jets intercepted and downed them all. This
remarkably successful operation — carried out by Israel alone — is now
considered one of the most sophisticated and effective military missions in
modern history. It highlights the extraordinary technical and organizational
capabilities of the Israeli military machine.
The operation also exposed the Iranian regime’s glaring weakness in defending
its own territory. This is the same regime that, prior to Hamas’s “Al-Aqsa
Flood” operation, had boasted about its ability to wipe Israel off the map and
return its Jewish population to their countries of origin.
This fantasy was echoed by Hezbollah’s former leader — a puppet of the Iranian
regime — who repeatedly claimed that Israel was a fragile “spider’s web” that
would collapse in minutes. Yet it was this so-called spider that penetrated deep
beneath the earth — more than 80 meters underground — eliminating him, his
successor, and the myth of his powerful terrorsit armed Iranian proxy,
Hezbollah. Hezbollah has lost between rash decisions and fearful hesitation,
failed to protect its leaders, fighters, and weapons. It could neither defend
its people nor help them stay in their homes and villages. It lost the South. It
lost the southern suburbs of Beirut. It lost its dignity.
If not for the fear and hesitation of Lebanon’s so-called leaders — conditioned
by five decades of occupation and humiliation — Hezbollah might have already
surrendered its weapons to escape the looming shame and inevitable trials. No
one will rebuild what it has destroyed, and the once-prosperous villages it
ruined may never see their former glory again.
The mullah’s regime had expanded its reach across neighboring countries,
planting cells, militias, and armed proxies across the region — all as a prelude
to dominating the entire Middle East and reviving the ancient Persian empires of
Cyrus and Cambyses. But it brought only ruin to the nations it infiltrated:
Yemen lost its joy, Lebanon its prosperity, Iraq — despite its vast resources —
fell into the hands of armed gangs who drained its wealth to prop up a
collapsing regime.
Today, after this precision strike by the Israeli military — representing a
people determined to defend their existence in this region — we see a new
possibility emerging. Israel seeks no domination or revenge. It aims to be a
constructive force in a peaceful, stable Middle East. One that competes in
development and cooperation, not in hatred and destruction. Since the fall of
the Ottoman Empire, a toxic ideology of hatred has taken root — disguised as a
struggle between Arabs and their Jewish cousins. The Khomeinist regime fueled
this hatred instead of promoting trade, openness, and regional integration, as
the ancient Persians once did, connecting Central Asia to Arab lands and Europe.
Now, after this powerful blow, will the Iranian people finally replace their
oppressive leaders with visionaries who respect their neighbors and work toward
shared prosperity? Will they choose peace through the Abraham Accords — a new
path for cooperation — and help build a vibrant, interconnected Middle East that
tackles real challenges rather than feeding division?
As we await the Iranian regime’s decision — either to surrender its nuclear
ambitions under U.S. supervision or be overthrown by a war-weary, impoverished
population — we express deep gratitude to the State of Israel, its institutions,
army, and people. Their patience and wisdom have helped free the region from
tyrants. We especially thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — a man of
conscience and courage — for standing firm against terrorism and supporting
peace across the Middle East.
Until Almighty God grants us lasting peace and the region moves toward unity and
collaboration, we continue to pray that Lebanon’s leaders will have the courage
to join the peace caravan, end the state’s destruction, and put Hezbollah on
trial for its crimes against the Lebanese people.
Only then can we call upon our Lebanese brothers in Israel — those exiled by war
and embraced as citizens by the State of Israel — to return with dignity to the
homeland they once defended with pride, and teach their children once again the
value of loyalty and deep roots.
Hezbollah Official Says Group Will Not 'Initiate' Attack
on Israel after Israeli Strikes on Iran
Asharq Al Awsat/June 13/2025
A Hezbollah official said on Friday the Lebanese armed group backed by Iran
would not unilaterally launch its own attack on Israel in response to Israeli
strikes on Iran. "Hezbollah will not initiate its own attack on Israel in
retaliation for Israel’s strikes," the official told Reuters. A public statement
from Hezbollah condemned Israel’s strikes and expressed full solidarity with
Iran. A Hezbollah official said the strikes on Iran “threaten to ignite the
region”, according to AFP. Israel attacked Iran's capital early Friday in
strikes that targeted the country's nuclear program and killed at least two top
military officers, raising the potential for an all-out war between the two
bitter Middle East adversaries. The strikes came amid simmering tensions over
Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program and appeared certain to trigger a
reprisal. Multiple sites around the country were hit, including Iran's main
nuclear enrichment facility, where black smoke could be seen rising into the
air.
Israeli interception missile hits Lebanon amid efforts to
shoot down Iranian drones
Naharnet/June 13/2025
Lebanon’s National News Agency said Friday that an Israeli interception missile
exploded over the southern Lebanese town of Ibl al-Saqi, as Israel’s Channel 14
said two interception missiles were fired at Iranian drones over Syria and
Lebanon.
An Israeli interception missile later landed on the al-Hasbani River in south
Lebanon, NNA reported. Alert sirens later wailed in Israeli settlements near
Lebanon's border as two Iranian drones were shot down by the Iron Dome over
northern Israel.
Berri says Israel 'assassinating peace efforts' as Salam
slams attack on Iran
Naharnet/June 13/2025
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday condemned Israel’s massive attack on
Iran’s nuclear and missile facilities and top military leaders and nuclear
scientists, saying Israel’s hostile actions in the region “represent a
cross-border threat to independent countries and to international security and
stability.”
Berri also stressed “full solidarity” with Iran, offered condolences over the
slain Iranians and called on the international community to take a “serious and
frank stance before it’s too late,” accusing Israel of “assassinating any effort
for establishing the rules of fair and comprehensive peace in the world and in
the Middle East region.”Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for his part strongly
condemned the Israeli attack, calling it “a blatant violation of international
law and Iran’s sovereignty” and warning that “its repercussions threaten the
stability of the entire region and even international peace.”
Qassem says Hezbollah supports any Iranian response against
Israel
Naharnet/June 13/2025
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem warned Friday that Israel’s massive attack on
Iran “will have major repercussions on the region’s stability, seeing as it will
not pass without a response and punishment.”Extending condolences to Tehran over
the death of a host of its top military leaders, Qassem added: “We in Hezbollah
and our Islamic resistance and mujahid people are holding onto our approach and
resistance, and we support the Islamic Republic of Iran in its rights and
stance, and in any steps and measures it takes to defend itself and choices.”A
Hezbollah official had earlier told Reuters that the Iran-backed group will not
unilaterally launch an attack on Israel in support of Tehran. “Hezbollah will
not initiate its own attack on Israel in retaliation for Israel’s strikes,” the
official said.
Hezbollah warns Israel Iran strikes 'threaten to ignite the
region'
Agence France Presse/June 13/2025
Hezbollah warned Friday that Israel's strikes on its main foreign backer Iran
"threaten to ignite the region". The group, which fought a two-month war with
Israel last year, condemned the "brutal Israeli aggression" against Iranian
nuclear facilities and scientists and said Israel was "engaging in adventures
that threaten to ignite the entire region". The Lebanese foreign ministry said
it was in talks to "spare" the country from any repercussions following the
attack. A Hezbollah official had earlier told Reuters that the Iran-backed group
will not unilaterally launch an attack on Israel in support of Tehran.
“Hezbollah will not initiate its own attack on Israel in retaliation for
Israel’s strikes,” the official said.
Foreign Ministry says seeking to spare Lebanon
repercussions from Israel-Iran conflict
Naharnet/June 13/2025
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry on Friday condemned Israel’s massive attack on
Iran as a “flagrant violation of national sovereignty and international law and
a breach of the U.N. Charter.”The Ministry also warned of “the repercussions of
this dangerous escalation to regional and international security and peace,”
adding that it is “continuing its contacts to spare Lebanon any negative
repercussions from this aggression.”
Lebanon reportedly warns Hezbollah against joining
Iran-Israel confrontation
Naharnet/June 13/2025
The Lebanese Army has communicated with Hezbollah as part of “holding onto the
Lebanese principles and refusing that Lebanon be dragged into any
confrontation,” governmental sources told Al-Jadeed TV, after Israel launched a
massive attack on Iran. “The government stressed that the decision of war and
peace is exclusively in the hand of the Lebanese state,” the sources added.
Lebanese officials meanwhile told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel that “Hezbollah
has been informed that anyone who drags Lebanon into any confrontation that it
has nothing to do with will be held responsible.”“Lebanon told Hezbollah that
the era of bypassing the state in declaring war has ended,” the sources added.
“Lebanon informed Hezbollah of its condemnation of the Israeli attack but that
it will not allow that the country be entangled in any response,” the sources
said. A Hezbollah official later told Reuters that the Iran-backed group will
not unilaterally launch an attack on Israel in support of Tehran. “Hezbollah
will not initiate its own attack on Israel in retaliation for Israel’s strikes,”
the official said.
Emirates airline cancels Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Iran flights
Agence France Presse/June 13/2025
Emirates airline said flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran had
been cancelled, after Israel launched strikes on Iran on Friday, sparking
concerns of a wider escalation. Several flights scheduled for Friday and one
Tehran flight on Saturday were listed as cancelled on the airline's website,
with the Dubai international airport also reporting that "some flights at @DXB
and DWC - Al Maktoum International have been cancelled or delayed due to
airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, and Syria" in a statement on X.
Lebanese army warns of falling missile debris, urges public
to stay away
LBCI/June 13/2025
The Lebanese Army Command has issued a warning to citizens about the potential
danger of falling debris from intercepted missiles. It urged the public not to
approach any remnants for their own safety. Specialized army units are working
to remove the debris and handle the situation appropriately.
PM Salam meets ministers and Army chief to assess fallout from Israeli strikes
on Iran
LBCI/June 13/2025
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam followed up on the repercussions of the Israeli
strikes on Iran with Defense Minister Michel Menassa, Interior Minister Ahmad
Hajjar, Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, and Public Works and Transport Minister
Fayez Rasamny, in addition to Army Commander General Rodolph Haykal.Salam
stressed “the need to take all necessary measures to maintain stability,
especially amid the current regional tensions.” The meeting also included a
review of emergency plans prepared by the relevant security agencies and
ministries to deal with any direct or indirect impact on the domestic situation.
Pope Leo XIV receives Lebanese president and family at the Vatican
LBCI/June 13/2025
Pope Leo XIV welcomed Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, First Lady Nehmat Aoun,
and members of their family at the Vatican in a visit marked by diplomatic and
spiritual significance.
Clash Erupts Between Lebanese Army, Syrian Border Forces
This is Beirut/June 13/2025
A gunfight broke out on Friday between the Lebanese Army and armed members of
the newly formed Syrian General Security forces in the northern Bekaa border
area of Hosh al-Sayyed Ali, resulting in the injury of a Lebanese soldier.
According to An-Nahar, the incident occurred when a member of the Syrian General
Security attempted to cross from Syrian territory into Lebanon. Despite warnings
from the Lebanese Army to refrain from breaching the border, the individual
insisted on proceeding, escalating tensions that ultimately led to an exchange
of fire. The circumstances of the incident remain under investigation.
Flight 'chaos' in the Middle East: Israel's strikes on Iran grounds thousands
amid growing uncertainty
LBCI/June 13/2025
Young Iraqi tourists never imagined their two-week vacation in Lebanon would end
with indefinite hours of waiting at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport.
Airspace over Iraq and Jordan has been closed. Some Turkish Airlines flights
were canceled, leaving travelers stranded in Beirut. Israel's strikes on Iran
have plunged the region into uncertainty — along with the summer holiday plans
of young Lebanese women that had been weeks in the making. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi
Airport anticipated flight disruptions, and Emirates canceled flights to and
from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iran. Dubai Airports also announced the
cancellation or delay of some flights at both Dubai International and Dubai
World Central – Al Maktoum International. It may be a war between two countries,
but its fallout has rippled across the Middle East — fragmenting the region and
grounding planes across once-busy skies.
LBCI sources: Lebanon closes its airspace until 6 a.m.
LBCI/June 13/2025
Lebanon’s Civil Aviation Authority has decided to shut down the country’s
airspace until 6 a.m., LBCI has learned, amid heightened regional tensions and
evolving security concerns.
After the Strikes on Iran, Lebanon Holds Its Breath
This is Beirut/June 13/2025
Lebanon remains on quiet alert after Israel claimed responsibility early on
Friday for a series of large-scale strikes targeting Iranian military and
nuclear infrastructure. While the thunder of missiles rumbled in the distance,
the political, logistical and emotional aftershocks are already reverberating
across Lebanese society.
A Subtle Fear
In Nabatiyeh, South Lebanon, schools closed before students even arrived. A
flurry of messages from school administrations urged parents to keep their
children home, “as a precaution,” they said. In the southern suburbs of Beirut,
similar caution prevailed: many schools suspended classes without waiting for
official instructions. This morning, the streets around educational institutions
remained eerily calm, almost frozen in time. Residents fear that Lebanon, as in
every major regional flare-up, could be dragged into the vortex. According to
Israeli media, the Israeli army has already prepared an operational plan in case
of rocket fire from Lebanon. The threat is no longer abstract: on Friday
morning, an Israeli drone dropped a bomb near a fishing boat off the coast of
Ras Naqoura in southern Lebanon.
Silent Skies, Planes Grounded
At Beirut International Airport, the usual rhythm of announcements has slowed to
a murmur. Airlines such as Emirates (the largest carrier in the Middle East) and
Sundair have canceled flights to and from Lebanon, citing the closure of
multiple neighboring airspaces, including Jordan, Iraq and Iran.
Middle East Airlines (MEA) has also suspended certain routes and rerouted others
to avoid high-risk areas. While Lebanese authorities insist the airport remains
“fully operational,” several flights have been canceled, with “cancelled” signs
steadily taking over the departure screens. Offering calm yet cautious
reassurance, the Director General of Civil Aviation, Amine Jaber, told local
broadcaster MTV that no closure decision had been made – though more
cancellations could follow as the situation unfolds. In an interview with Huna
Lubnan, Mr. Jaber stated that on Friday morning, “the Emirates Airlines flight
to Beirut was canceled, as were the Fly Dubai and Cairo flights.” A flight
arriving from Turkey was also suspended, he added. Furthermore, “the Amman
airport was temporarily closed,” he noted.
In response to these disruptions, air traffic departing from Beirut
International Airport has been reorganized. “Flights are now heading westward,
particularly toward Cyprus, while eastern routes are being rerouted through
Cairo,” Mr. Jaber explained. To ensure passenger safety, the Civil Aviation
Authority says it has set up monitoring cells in the region. “Interstate
coordination is in place to guarantee flight safety. Under no circumstances will
we put passengers at risk. Decisions are made in real time based on how the
situation evolves,” he assured. He also emphasized that the Minister of Public
Works and Transport, Fayez Rasamny, has been at the airport since the morning,
closely monitoring developments in coordination with the government and the
presidency. He concluded by noting that any changes to flight schedules,
including delays or cancellations, will be officially announced on the Beirut
airport’s website.
A Heavy Silence of Uncertainty
In Beirut’s streets, one question dominates every conversation: “How far will
this go?” News channels run endless footage of missile strikes, smoke plumes and
Iranian targets reduced to rubble. In Lebanon, the most alarming thing is what
has not happened… yet. The public carries the memory of a country often caught
in the crossfire, placed time and again on the front line of Israeli-Iranian
tensions. Hezbollah, for now, remains silent – but its silence only adds to the
unpredictability.
Washington Warns Its Citizens in Lebanon
The US Embassy in Beirut issued a security alert on Friday morning to American
citizens, amid rising regional tensions following Israel’s strike on Iran and
the subsequent military retaliation. “Given the escalation of tensions in the
Middle East, the security situation remains fluid and complex. We urge US
citizens in Israel and across the region to exercise increased caution and to
stay informed of unfolding developments,” the statement said. The embassy
highlighted the risk of sudden hostilities: “US citizens should be aware of the
nearest shelter location in case of emergency.”The alert advised avoiding large
gatherings and areas with heavy police presence, monitoring local media and
contacting airlines for any potential flight disruptions. Thus, as regional
capitals tighten their air defenses and security protocols, Lebanon once again
finds itself watching history’s first tremors from a fragile perch.
Is Lebanon Irreformable?
Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 13/2025
In a normal country, political life is structured around a constitution that
outlines its system of governance. Recent developments, however, have shown that
Lebanon has not yet reached this stage. Disappointment has prevailed once again
after the inauguration of President Joseph Aoun raised citizens’ expectations.
The optimism heightened with Nawaf Salam’s appointment as the head of the first
government of Aoun’s term, as his previous role as a judge at the International
Court of Justice raised hopes for reform. It was only natural for the country to
be swept up in optimism, especially given Aoun’s inauguration speech and
cabinet’s ministerial statement, which echoed citizens’ deep-seated aspirations
for reform and transparency.
However, the contrast between the rhetoric and policy decisions being made is
stark, particularly at the highest levels. Key political appointments in this
country that had been deliberately looted and impoverished- and are now in a
foundational phase- have left the public disillusioned. The ruling class has not
taken a single step toward dismantling the sectarian-quota-based spoil-sharing
system. As a result, the country’s political trajectory has not changed, failing
to break with the disastrous practices of the past. Under the Aoun–Salam duo,
deviations from the paths set by the Constitution continue, with many of the
decisions and appointments blatantly violating constitutional principles.
When Michel Aoun was president, constitutional loopholes were a constant theme
of the public discourse. Disputes over each branch’s authority revolved around
the notion that the country’s top offices are sectarian in nature, with the
state and its constitutional institutions reduced to fiefdoms. It is worth
noting, that the constitution, which reserves the oath of office for the
president, does not stipulate the president represents the Maronite community,
nor does it say that the speaker represents the Shiite community or the prime
minister represents the Sunni community. The idea of a "troika" gained traction
under the Syrian occupation. It was used to undermine the constitutional
authority of the president as a neutral arbiter on the one hand; on the other,
it allowed the hegemon to tighten its grip on the country’s decisions and
resources.
Several parties have defended the supposed need to maintain sectarian balance at
the top. However, precedents show that their real objective is not to uphold the
balance created by the constitution but to ensure that individual sectarian
leaders maintain their privileges and tighten their grip on politics under the
pretext of representing their respective communities. The outcome of this
approach is obvious: it has been profoundly negative, preventing the
establishment of a state built on institutions and the rule of law.
Today, there is no shortage of figures eager to promote this approach through
manipulative rhetoric. With regard to the president, their argument is built on
that “strong mandate” that he enjoys given his broad international and regional
backing, as well as his near-unanimous domestic support for him to fill the
longstanding vacuum born of the political system’s dysfunction. Some have argued
that the president is entitled to implement his own interpretation of how to
expand his role, irrespective of constitutional boundaries.
Let us pause here and look over the 1991 constitutional amendments introduced
after the Taif Agreement. The executive authority that had been given to the
president was transferred to the Council of Ministers as a collective body.
However, the coup against the Taif Accord and the Republic prevented the
implementation of the constitution and enabled the former Syrian regime to seize
control of the executive branch. To paper over this breach, large shares of
power were granted to leaders (under the pretext that they represented their
sects) who owed their power to militias or wealth. Their power would broaden and
narrow depending on the interests of foreign powers, pushing Lebanon into a
transitional phase that came to be known as the “confederation of sects.”
After 1991, Lebanon nominal adopted a classic parliamentary political system. In
reality, however, actual power was seized by sectarian factions. The state was
undermined and oversight was ignored as a result. The subjugation of the
judiciary ultimately dragged the country into the abyss. Many hoped that the new
president would break with this dismal era. The inaugural speech and ministerial
statement drew a lot of attention, with some linking the moment to the Shihabist
era of reform.
Those in power failed, however, to meet the expectations of the people. The
president’s calls for citizens to report cases of corruption and misconduct
directly to the presidency has raised questions: Where about the government?
Concerns heightened when the president unilaterally took on the task of
resolving Hezbollah’s weapons. Many Lebanese were also alarmed by the
appointment of former minister Ali Hamieh (who represented Hezbollah in the
previous government) as a presidential advisor for reconstruction. It was
surprising to see Hamieh named to a “presidential committee tasked with drafting
a comprehensive plan for the reviving regions devastated by the war.” He had
represented a party held responsible for the very catastrophe that befell
Lebanon!
Lebanon is not inherently resistant to reform, change, or transparency. However,
Lebanon needs strong reformist elites with strong popular support that can seize
this historic opportunity to lift its people out of poverty and alleviate their
fears. It needs elites who can break with the logic of sectarian quota-sharing
and reject evasive tactics, to finally reach safe harbor.
Do You Support the State or Hezbollah?
Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 13/2025
In South Lebanon, the faces of the massacre’s survivors were terrifying and
harrowing. Amid the rubble of what used to be homes, the people are visibly
apprehensive, in pain, and broken. No one was celebrating Eid-Al-Adha, not even
the children. Both north and south of the Litani River, everyone in the South is
deeply apprehensive about the future. This anxious anticipation- before or after
defeat- has manifested itself in many forms, reflecting its causes and
implications in various ways. Everything in the south feels unsettling, as
though the ground were shaking.
On the second day of the holidays, my daughter Nadia returned to our home after
visiting our relatives in Nabatiyeh, and she told me about a conversation she
had had with one of her young cousins. No older than eleven, this cousin asked:
“Do you support the state or Hezbollah?” My daughter’s full account is not for
publication, but it was alarming. The joint efforts of physicians, sociologists,
and educators would be required to explain how a child could understand how to
distinguish between a state and a militia, prefer the latter, and try to
convince another child that “Nawaf Salam is a bad guy, while ‘The Sayyed’ (Nasrallah)
is a hero who died for us.”
Before I continue, I should point out that I have not chosen to share the
children's conversation because I believe that “Truth comes out from the
children's mouth,” and to expose the community’s secrets through their words. My
daughter defended Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, saying that he is a good man,
while the other child firmly affirmed that Nasrallah is the one true leader. In
an era of hyper-sectarianism, the words or behavior of children cannot be
understood with the social virus of their environment- children are always
innocent at heart. Sheikh Yasser Aoudeh was assaulted due to his enlightened
ideas and audacity. We all know who had been behind this crime which exposes
just how indoctrinated the community has been, as well as a state of
lawlessness.
This assault might not have come from the top, and Hezbollah’s apology to Sheikh
Aoudeh could be sincere. Still, it bears full ideological, social, and moral
responsibility for the assault, exactly the same way that it is to blame for the
child’s words.
Had it not been for years of indoctrination and incitement against difference-
if it were for the demonization of other political and cultural views as a
threat to the faith- this brazen attack against a religious figure in broad
daylight, in front of many witnesses, would never have happened.
The same applies to the assaults on the UNIFIL forces operating in the south.
They are not simply spontaneous reactions of locals, as Hezbollah always claims.
They were likely deliberate acts. Worse still, they may be the result of a power
struggle within Hezbollah, and they could be linked to regional escalation.
The important question is: how can we explain, from a sociological perspective,
Hezbollah’s success in pushing "locals" to carry out this assault and others
like it? How could its support base aggravate the distortion of South Lebanon's
relationship with the world? How could they fall into the trap of reinforcing
its image as a lawless community that is hostile to outsiders? How can it be so
vicious with anyone who criticizes or opposes the party?
To analyze the direct and indirect causes of the three events, we need to
deconstruct Hezbollah’s social and cultural discourse- not just to understand
its so-called ideological base but the Shiite community as a whole, both before
and after the massacre of the "support war." That is, we must compare and
contrast the two different phases in which displays of dominance, strength, and
chauvinism accumulated over more than three decades. How can Hezbollah come to
terms with the fact that its power had been an illusion? It suffered a crushing
defeat within a week, forcing a retreat to its rhetoric of victimhood and
existential fear to defend its weapons. Arms are now treated as part of the
doctrine, and whoever objects (be they from the sect, the state, or the
international community) is deemed an enemy of the faith.
Between the rise and fall of ideological groups- throughout the years in which
they strive to maintain their hegemony over sectarian their community- they have
consistently stubbornly insisted on clinging to the same rhetoric of the
massacre. They insist on shunning any effort to go over their mistakes and a
reckless escalation, eventually reaching a point where they lose control over
their reactions or emotions.
At one stage, Hezbollah may indeed have succeeded in undermining the concept of
statehood among Shiites, simultaneously consolidating a narrow and exclusive
identity. It justified its monopoly over power under the pretext of “empowering
the sect” and “protecting the faith,” tying both its arsenal. It then turned
those arms into a tool needed to maintain a powerful “parallel statelet” built
over the ruins of a weakened state. This is the narrative it pushes on the young
and the old, and it is now seeking to reimpose this narrative by force,
attacking anyone who dares try to repudiate it.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on June 13-14/2025
Video
Link/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Message To The Iranian People
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/06/144195/
To the proud people of Iran, We are
in the midst of one of the greatest military operations in history, Operation
Rising Lion. The Islamic regime, which has oppressed you for almost 50 years
threatens to destroy our country, the State of Israel. The objective of Israel’s
operation is to thwart the Islamic regime’s nuclear and ballistic missile threat
to us. As we achieve our objective we are also clearing the path for you to
achieve your freedom. In the past 24 hours, we have taken out top military
commanders, senior nuclear scientists, the Islamic regime’s most significant
enrichment facility and a large portion of its ballistic missile arsenal. More
is on the way. The regime does not know what hit them, or what will hit them.It
has never been weaker. This is your opportunity to stand up and let your voices
be heard.
Netanyahu calls on Iranians to unite against ‘evil
and oppressive regime’
AFP/13 June/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Iranians Friday to unite
against what he described as an “evil and oppressive regime,” telling them
Israel was engaged in “one of the greatest military operations in history.”“The
time has come for the Iranian people to unite around its flag and its historic
legacy, by standing up for your freedom from the evil and oppressive regime,”
Netanyahu said in a video statement after Israel struck over 200 military and
nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic.“We are in the midst of one of the
greatest military operations in history, Operation Rising Lion,” he added.
Iran strikes back at Israel as flights across the region
are cancelled
Arab News/June 13, 2025
JERUSALEM: Iran fired dozens of missiles at Israel on Friday night, lighting up
the skies above Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, in response to a large-scale attack on
Tehran's nuclear facilities and military leadership. The rumble of explosions
could be heard throughout Jerusalem, and Israeli TV stations showed plumes of
smoke rising in Tel Aviv after an apparent missile strike. The army said dozens
of missiles had been launched and said it had ordered residents across the
country to move into bomb shelters. The strikes came in retaliation for Israeli
attacks on Iran early Friday with a barrage of airstrikes that took out top
military officers and hit nuclear and missile sites, calling it just the
beginning and raising the potential for an all-out war between the two bitter
Middle East adversaries. It appeared to be the most significant attack Iran has
faced since its 1980s war with Iraq. Iran quickly retaliated, sending a swarm of
drones at Israel as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of “severe
punishment.” Iran had been censured by the UN’s atomic watchdog a day earlier
for not complying with obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear
weapon.
Iranian deaths
Iran’s UN ambassador said Friday that 78 people have been killed and over 320
injured in Israeli attacks. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told an emergency
meeting of the U.N. Security Council that Israel’s “barbaric and criminal
attack” and assassinations were against senior military officials and nuclear
scientists. But he said “the overwhelming majority” of victims were civilians,
women and children. For years, Israel had threatened such a strike and
successive American administrations had sought to prevent it, fearing it would
ignite a wider conflict across the Middle East and possibly be ineffective at
destroying Iran’s dispersed and hardened nuclear program. Countries in the
region condemned Israel’s attack, while leaders around the globe called for
immediate deescalation from both sides. Israel’s military said about 200
aircraft were involved in the initial attack on about 100 targets. Two security
officials said the country’s Mossad spy agency was also able to position
explosive drones inside Iran ahead of time and then activate them to target
missile launchers at an Iranian base near Tehran. They said Israel had also
smuggled precision weapons into central Iran as well as strike systems on
vehicles, which were activated as the attack began to hit Iranian air defenses.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the highly secretive
missions and it was not possible to independently confirm their claims. There
was no official comment. The Israeli attack hit several sites, including Iran’s
main nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz, where black smoke could be seen
rising into the air. Later in the morning, Israel said it had also destroyed
dozens of radar installations and surface-to-air missile launchers in western
Iran. Israel military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israel has
“significantly damaged” Natanz and that the operation was “still in the
beginning.” Among those killed were three of Iran’s top military leaders, one
who oversaw the entire armed forces, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, one who led the
paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, and another who ran the
Guard’s ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajjizadeh.
Iran confirmed all three deaths, which were a significant blow to Tehran’s
governing theocracy and will complicate efforts to retaliate against Israel.
Khamenei said other top military officials and scientists were also killed. In
its first response, Iran fired more than 100 drones at Israel. Israel said the
drones were being intercepted outside its airspace, and it was not immediately
clear whether any got through.King Salman on Friday ordered Saudi authorities to
ensure that Iranian Hajj pilgrims stranded in the Kingdom receive all necessary
support until it is safe for them to return home. The directive came shortly
after Israeli authorities launched early-morning airstrikes against Iran, which
they said targeted nuclear sites, nuclear scientists and military chiefs. Tehran
closed the country’s airspace in the aftermath. The plan to provide help to
stranded Iranian pilgrims was presented to the king by Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has been
tasked with ensuring they receive all necessary support. US President Donald
Trump urged Iran to reach a deal with Washington on its nuclear program, warning
on his Truth Social platform that Israel’s attacks “will only get worse.”Without
saying whether he was privy to specific Israeli plans, Trump said “there is
still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being
even more brutal, come to an end.”
“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once
known as the Iranian Empire,” he wrote. “No more death, no more destruction,
JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Iranians Friday to unite
against what he described as an “evil and oppressive regime,” telling them
Israel was engaged in “one of the greatest military operations in history.”
“The time has come for the Iranian people to unite around its flag and its
historic legacy, by standing up for your freedom from the evil and oppressive
regime,” Netanyahu said in a video statement after Israel struck over 200
military and nuclear sites in the Islamic republic.
Officials in Washington had cautioned Israel against an attack during continued
negotiations over Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. They stressed the US had
not been involved and warned against any retaliation targeting US interests or
personnel.
Israel told the Trump administration that large-scale attacks were coming, US
officials said on condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic
discussions. On Wednesday the US pulled some American diplomats from Iraq’s
capital and offered voluntary evacuations for the families of US troops in the
wider Middle East.
Israel calls attacks preemptive strikes on Iran’s nuclear program
Israeli leaders cast the attack as necessary to head off an imminent threat that
Iran would build nuclear bombs, though it remains unclear how close the country
is to achieving that or whether Iran had actually been planning a strike. Iran
maintains its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.
“This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival,” Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed as he vowed to pursue the attack for as long
as necessary to “remove this threat.”
Over the past year, Israel has been targeting Iran’s air defenses, hitting a
radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery in April 2024 and
surface-to-air missile sites and missile manufacturing facilities in October.
Nervous Israelis rushed to supermarkets in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and elsewhere to
buy bottled water and other supplies, and circulated messages on WhatsApp groups
advising each other to prepare their shelters for potential long-term use.
Iran claims Israel targeted residential areas
Khamenei said in a statement that Israel “opened its wicked and blood-stained
hand to a crime in our beloved country, revealing its malicious nature more than
ever by striking residential centers.” For Netanyahu, the operation distracts
attention from Israel’s ongoing and increasingly devastating war in Gaza, which
is now over 20 months old. There is a broad consensus in the Israeli public that
Iran is a major threat, and Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, a staunch
critic of Netanyahu, offered his “full support” for the mission against Iran.
But if Iranian reprisals cause heavy Israeli casualties or major disruptions to
daily life, public opinion could shift quickly. The Iran-backed Lebanese
militant group Hezbollah issued a statement that offered condolences and
condemned the attack, but did not threaten to join Iran in its retaliation.
Hezbollah’s latest war with Israel — which killed much of the group’s senior
leadership — ended with a US-brokered ceasefire in November.
Netanyahu expressed hope the attacks would trigger the downfall of Iran’s
theocracy, saying his message to the Iranian people was that the fight was not
with them, but with the “brutal dictatorship that has oppressed you for 46
years.”
“I believe that the day of your liberation is near,” he said.
In addition to targeting nuclear and military sites, Israel aimed its attacks at
officials leading Iran’s nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal. The
International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that an Israeli strike hit Iran’s
uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and said it was closely monitoring
radiation levels.
The strike on Iran pushed the Israeli military to its limits, requiring the use
of aging air-to-air refuelers to get its fighter jets close enough to attack. It
wasn’t immediately clear if Israeli jets entered Iranian airspace or just fired
so-called “standoff missiles” over another country. People in Iraq heard fighter
jets overhead at the time of the attack.
Tension had been growing for weeks ahead of attacks
The potential for an attack had been apparent for weeks as angst built over
Iran’s nuclear program. Once the attacks were underway, the US Embassy in
Jerusalem issued an alert telling American government workers and their families
to shelter in place until further notice. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said
Israel took “unilateral action against Iran” and that Israel advised the US that
it believed the strikes were necessary for its self-defense. “We are not
involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American
forces in the region,” Rubio said in a statement released by the White House.
Trump is scheduled to attend a meeting of his National Security Council on
Friday in the White House Situation Room. Israel has long been determined to
prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a concern laid bare on Thursday
when the Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency for the
first time in 20 years censured Iran over its refusal to work with its
inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment
site and install more advanced centrifuges. Even so, there are multiple
assessments on how many nuclear weapons Iran could conceivably build, should it
choose to do so. Iran would need months to assemble, test and field any weapon,
which it so far has said it has no desire to do. US intelligence agencies also
assess Iran does not have a weapons program at this time. In a sign of the
far-reaching implications of the emerging conflict, Israel’s main airport was
closed and benchmark Brent crude spiked on news of the attack, rising nearly 8
percent before retreating slightly.
IRGC commander, 2 nuclear scientists killed in Israeli
strikes: Iran state TV
Arab News/June 13, 2025
RIYADH: Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei confirmed on Friday that several military
commanders and scientists were “martyred” in Israeli strikes on Tehran. In a
statement carried on state television, Khamenei warned that Israel will not go
unpunished for its attacks. State television earlier said that Hossein Salami,
the chief of the Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was
among those killed, along with another top Guard official and two nuclear
scientists. An anchor read a statement saying: “The news of assassination and
martyrdom of Gen. Hossein Salami was confirmed.” The anchor did not
elaborate.“The martyrdom of... Major General Gholam Ali Rashid is confirmed,”
state television said. A major power center within Iran’s theocracy, with vast
business interests and oversees the nation’s ballistic missile arsenal, the IRGC
had been accused by Iran's neighbors of maintaining proxy militias such as the
Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Al-Hashd al-Shaabi of
Iraq.Iran’s Nournews also reported that Ali Shamkhani, a rear admiral who serves
as adviser to Khamenei, was “critically injured.”
State television and local media also reported the death of two scientists
working on Iran's nuclear program. They were identified as Fereydoun
Abbasi-Davani and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi. Several children were also
reportedly killed in a strike on a residential area in the capital. Iranian
media and witnesses reported explosions including at the country’s main uranium
enrichment facility at Natanz, while Israel declared a state of emergency in
anticipation of retaliatory missile and drone strikes. In a recorded video
message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel
targeted Iranian scientists working on a nuclear bomb, its ballistic missile
program and its Natanz uranium enrichment facility, in an operation that he said
would continue "for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”“We are at a
decisive moment in Israel’s history,” Netanyahu said, adding that the targeted
military operation was meant to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very
survival. An Israeli military official said Israel was striking “dozens” of
nuclear and military targets including the facility at Natanz in central Iran.
The official said Iran had enough material to make 15 nuclear bombs within days.
Alongside extensive air strikes, Israel’s Mossad spy agency led a series of
covert sabotage operations inside Iran, Axios reported, citing a senior Israeli
official. These operations were aimed at damaging Iran’s strategic missile sites
and its air defense capabilities. Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was closed until
further notice, and Israel’s air defense units stood at high alert for possible
retaliatory strikes from Iran.“Following the pre-emptive strike by the State of
Israel against Iran, a missile and UAV (drone) attack against the State of
Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate time frame,”
Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
Below is a list of the commanders and scientists killed:
HOSSEIN SALAMI
Salami was commander-in-chief of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards Corps, or
IRGC. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Salami, who was
born in 1960, as head of the IRGC in 2019.
MOHAMMAD BAGHERI
A former IRGC commander, Major General Bagheri was chief of staff of Iran's
armed forces from 2016. Born in 1960, Bagheri joined the Guards during the
Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s.
AMIR ALI HAJIZADEH
Hajizadeh was the head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Aerospace Force. Israel has
identified him as the central figure responsible for directing aerial attacks
against its territory. In 2020, Hajizadeh took responsibility for the downing of
a Ukrainian passenger plane, which occurred shortly after Iran launched missile
strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that
killed Qassem Soleimani.
GHOLAMALI RASHID
Major General Rashid was head of the IRGC's Khatam al Anbia headquarters. He
previously served as deputy chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, and
fought for Iran during the 1980s war with Iraq.
FEREYDOUN ABBASI-DAVANI
Abbasi, a nuclear scientist, served as head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization
from 2011 to 2013. A hardliner, Abbasi was a member of parliament from 2020 to
2024.
MOHAMMAD MEHDI TEHRANCHI
Tehranchi, a nuclear scientist, was head of Iran's Islamic Azad University in
Tehran.
Israel's Mossad mounted high-tech covert operation to
strike targets deep inside Iran, sources say
Eleonora Vasques/Euronews/June 13, 2025
The Israeli Mossad intelligence agency mounted a multi-pronged covert operation
deep inside Iran, using advanced systems and explosive drones to strike multiple
targets overnight on Friday, sources told Euronews. The Mossad managed to place
systems with “precision-guided weaponry" deep in Tehran's territory, a source
from the Israeli intelligence told Euronews on condition of anonymity. “They
were positioned in open areas near Iranian surface-to-air missile systems,” the
source added. The system was activated when the Israeli military offensive
began, at the time the precision-guided missiles were about to be launched,
Israeli intelligence confirmed. In a separate operation, the Mossad secretly
installed “strike systems and advanced technologies on vehicles” to “neutralise
Iranian air defence capabilities” that Israel said were posing a threat to its
fighter jets.
These systems were activated “at the onset of the surprise attack,” the Israeli
intelligence source said, “launching weapons that completely destroyed Iranian
air defence targets”. A third campaign was also launched, with the Mossad
operating well in advance of last night's operation. The secret services
established “a base for explosive drones” deep into Iran, the source
said.“During the Israeli strike, these drones were activated and launched toward
surface-to-surface missile launchers at the Esfajabad base near Tehran,” the
Israeli intelligence concluded. Information obtained by Euronews has since been
corroborated by similar reports from Israeli and international outlets. Israel
has launched strikes across Iran overnight on Friday targeting Tehran's nuclear
programme and killing Revolutionary Guard Commander Hossein Salami, Chief of
Staff Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, and Emergency Forces Commander Gholam Rashid, as
well as at least six top nuclear scientists.
Saudi crown prince, President Trump discuss regional
tensions in phone call
Arab News/June 13, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call with US
President Donald Trump to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East,
including the ongoing Israeli military operations against Iran, the Saudi Press
Agency reported. During the call on Friday, the two leaders stressed the
importance of restraint and de-escalation, and underlined the need to resolve
disputes through diplomatic means, SPA added. They also affirmed the importance
of continued joint efforts to promote security, peace, and stability across the
region.
Trump says Iran has ‘second chance’ to come to nuclear deal
after Israeli strikes devastate Tehran
AP/June 13, 2025
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Friday urged Iran to quickly reach an
agreement on curbing its nuclear program as Israel vowed to continue its
bombardment of the country. Trumped framed the volatile moment in the Middle
East as a possible “second chance” for Iran’s leadership to avoid further
destruction “before there is nothing left and save what was once known as the
Iranian Empire.”The Republican president pressed on Iran as he met his national
security team in the Situation Room to discuss the tricky path forward following
Israel’s devastating strikes, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to
keep up for “as many days as it takes” to decapitate Iran’s nuclear program. The
White House said it had no involvement in the strikes, but Trump highlighted
that Israel used its deep arsenal of weaponry provided by the US to target
Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz and the country’s ballistic missile
program, as well as top nuclear scientists and officials.Trump said on his Truth
Social platform that he had warned Iran’s leaders that “it would be much worse
than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes
the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and
that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come — And they know how to use
it.”Just hours before Israel launched its strikes on Iran early Friday, Trump
was still holding onto tattered threads of hope that the long-simmering dispute
could be resolved without military action. Now, he’ll be tested anew on his
ability to make good on a campaign promise to disentangle the US from foreign
conflicts.In the aftermath of the Israeli strikes, the US is shifting its
military resources, including ships, in the Middle East as it looks to guard
against possible retaliatory attacks by Tehran, according to two US officials
who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. The Navy
has directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner to begin sailing toward the Eastern
Mediterranean and has directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward, so it
can be available if requested by the White House.
As Israel stepped up planning for strikes in recent weeks, Iran had signaled the
United States would be held responsible in the event of an Israeli attack. The
warning was issued by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi even as he engaged
in talks with Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff over Tehran’s rapidly advancing
nuclear program.
Friday’s strikes came as Trump planned to dispatch Witkoff to Oman on Sunday for
the next round of talks with the Iranian foreign minister. Witkoff still plans
to go to Oman this weekend for talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, but it’s
unclear if the Iranians will participate, according to US officials who spoke on
the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic discussions.The
president made a series of phone calls Friday to US television news anchors to
renew his calls on Iran to curb its nuclear program.CNN’s Dana Bash said Trump
told her the Iranians “should now come to the table” and get a deal done. And
Trump told NBC News that Iranian officials are “calling me to speak” but didn’t
provide further detail. Trump also spoke Friday with British Prime Keir Starmer
and French President Emmanuel Macron about the evolving situation, as well as
Netanyahu. Meanwhile, oil prices leapt and stocks fell on worries that the
escalating violence could impact the flow of crude around the world, along with
the global economy.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, offered rare words of Democratic praise for the
Trump administration after the attack “for prioritizing diplomacy” and
“refraining from participating” in the military strikes. But he also expressed
deep concern about what the Israeli strikes could mean for US personnel in the
region.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who’s on Democrats’ shortlist for top 2028 White
House contenders, said if Israel can set back Iran’s nuclear program with the
strikes “it’s probably a good day for the world.”“But make no mistake: We do not
want an all-out war in the Middle East,” Shapiro said. “That’s not only bad for
the Middle East, it’s destabilizing for the globe, and it’s something that I
hope will not occur.”Iran late Friday launched hundreds of ballistic missiles
toward Israel after firing dozens of drones earlier in the day. The US military
assisted Israel intercept the missiles fired by Iran in the retaliatory attack.
Trump, in the hours before the Israeli attack on Iran, still appeared hopeful in
public comments that there would be more time for diplomacy. But it was clear to
the administration that Israel was edging toward taking military action against
Iran. The State Department and US military on Wednesday directed a voluntary
evacuation of nonessential personnel and their loved ones from some US
diplomatic outposts in the Middle East. Before Israel launched the strikes, some
of Trump’s strongest supporters were raising concerns about what another
expansive conflict in the Mideast could mean for the Republican president, who
ran on a promise to quickly end the brutal wars in Gaza and Ukraine.Trump has
struggled to find an endgame to either of those conflicts and to make good on
two of his biggest foreign policy campaign promises. And after criticizing
President Joe Biden during last year’s campaign for preventing Israel from
carrying out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Trump found himself making the
case to the Israelis to give diplomacy a chance. The push by the Trump
administration to persuade Tehran to give up its nuclear program came after the
US and other world powers in 2015 reached a long-term, comprehensive nuclear
agreement that limited Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the
lifting of economic sanctions.But Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the
Obama administration-brokered agreement in 2018, calling it the “worst deal
ever.”The way forward is even more clouded now.
“No issue currently divides the right as much as foreign policy,” Charlie Kirk,
the founder of Turning Point USA and an ally of the Trump White House, posted on
X on Thursday. “I’m very concerned based on (everything) I’ve seen in the
grassroots the last few months that this will cause a massive schism in MAGA and
potentially disrupt our momentum and our insanely successful Presidency.”
US helps Israel shoot down barrage of Iranian missiles
AP/June 14, 2025
WASHINGTON: American air defense systems and Navy assets in the Middle East
helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles Friday that Tehran launched
in response to Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and top military
leaders, US officials said. The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defense
systems and Terminal High Altitude Air Defense systems in the region capable of
intercepting ballistic missiles, which Iran fired in multiple barrages in
retaliation for Israel’s initial attack. Naval assets also were involved in
assisting Israel as Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv, one official said. It was
not immediately clear if ships fired interceptors or if their advanced missile
tracking systems helped Israel identify incoming targets. The United States also
is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response
to the strikes. The Navy has directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is
capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the
western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean and has directed a
second destroyer to begin moving forward so it can be available if requested by
the White House, US officials said. American fighter jets also are patrolling
the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, and air bases
in the region are taking additional security precautions, the officials said.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet
made public or to discuss ongoing operations. President Donald Trump met with
his National Security Council principals Friday to discuss options. The forces
in the region have been taking precautionary measures for days, including having
military dependents voluntarily depart regional bases, in anticipation of the
strikes and to protect personnel in case of a large-scale response from Tehran.
Typically around 30,000 troops are based in the Middle East, and about 40,000
troops are in the region now, according to a US official. That number surged as
high as 43,000 last October amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran as
well as continuous attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by
the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The Navy has additional assets that it
could surge to the Middle East if needed, particularly its aircraft carriers and
the warships that sail with them. The USS Carl Vinson is in the Arabian Sea —
the only aircraft carrier in the region. The carrier USS Nimitz is in the
Indo-Pacific and could be directed toward the Middle East if needed, and the USS
George Washington just left its port in Japan and could also be directed to the
region if so ordered, one of the officials said. Then-President Joe Biden
initially surged ships to protect Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by
Hamas that launched the war in Gaza. It was seen as a deterrent against
Hezbollah and Iran at the time. On Oct. 1, 2024, US Navy destroyers fired about
a dozen interceptors in defense of Israel as the country came under attack by
more than 200 missiles fired by Iran.
Iran launches hundreds of missiles towards Israel, Khamenei says Israel
initiated war
Al Arabiya English/13 June/2025
Hundreds of ballistic missiles were launched from Iran towards Israel, marking
the start of Tehran’s response to intensive Israeli strikes, Iranian media
reported. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a statement on Friday that
Israel initiated a war and said it will not be allowed to do “hit and run”
attacks without grave consequences. “The Zionist regime (Israel) will not remain
unscathed from the consequences of its crime. The Iranian nation must be
guaranteed that our response will not be half-measured,” Khamenei said in a
statement. “The armed forces of the Islamic Republic will inflict heavy blows
upon this malevolent enemy,” he said, adding that the consequences of the
Israeli attack “will bring it to ruin.”An Israeli military official said Iran
launched on Friday dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel, as sirens sounded and
AFP reported loud blasts heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. “Dozens of Iranian
ballistic missiles are en route to Israel. The people of Israel have been
instructed to remain in bomb shelters until further notice,” the official said
in a statement delivered to journalists on condition of anonymity. A thick plume
of smoke billowed over the coastal Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Friday after
Iranian missile fire, an AFP journalist reported. The smoke towered over the
city’s skyscrapers as blasts echoed across the city, the journalist said.
Israeli rescuers said that seven people were injured on Friday in the center of
the country, shortly after Iran fired a salvo of missiles at Israel. Speaking on
Israel’s Channel 12, Eli Bin, the spokesman for the Magen David Adom rescue
service, said that seven people were lightly injured in central Israel. Images
on Channel 12 showed what appeared to be a building hit by a missile. Israel’s
firefighting service said its teams were responding to several “major” incidents
resulting from an Iranian missile attack, including efforts to rescue people
trapped in a high-rise building. “Firefighting crews are handling several major
incidents, mainly in the Dan region” around Tel Aviv, a statement said, adding
that “firefighters are working in a high-rise building to rescue trapped
individuals and extinguish a fire, as well as responding to two additional
destruction sites.”Iranian state media said the country’s forces downed two
Israeli fighter jets on Friday, during a massive Israeli air raid. “At least two
Israeli fighter jets were shot down in Iranian skies,” the official IRNA news
agency reported, without elaborating. Israel launched renewed attacks on Iran as
evening fell on Friday, after its biggest ever attack against its longstanding
foe blasted Iran’s huge underground nuclear site and wiped out its entire top
echelon of military commanders.
Iran said that in retaliation “the gates of hell will open,” while Israel said
the strikes were only the start of “Operation Rising Lion.” US President Donald
Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the bombing campaign by
reaching a deal on its nuclear program. As evening fell on Friday, Iranian media
reported explosions on the northern and southern outskirts of Tehran and at
Fordow, near the holy city of Qom, a second major nuclear site which had been
spared in the first wave of attacks. Israel’s military said it was striking
Iranian missile and drone launching sites.
Air defenses were activated across Tehran and explosions could be heard in
Isfahan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli campaign was
aimed at defeating an existential threat from Iran, invoking the failure to halt
the Holocaust in World War Two. Israel’s operation “will continue for as many
days as it takes to remove this threat,” he said in a TV address. “Generations
from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and
secured our common future.”Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Israel had
“unleashed its wicked and bloody” hand, and would suffer “a bitter fate.”
In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said it was not clear if Iran’s nuclear
program had survived. He said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United
States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if
they would take place. “I tried to save Iran humiliation and death,” Trump said.
Earlier, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Iran must make a deal, before there is
nothing left.” Israel’s National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said military
action by itself would not destroy Iran’s nuclear program, but could “create the
conditions for a long-term deal, led by the United States” to get rid of it.
Decapitation
Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a
stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the
leadership of Lebanon’s once-feared Hezbollah militia last year. Iran also said
six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed.
Among the generals killed on Friday were the armed forces chief of staff, Major
General Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC), Hossein Salami. Major General Mohammad Pakpour, swiftly promoted to
replace Salami as chief commander of the IRGC, vowed retaliation in a letter to
the supreme leader read out on state television: “The gates of hell will open to
the child-killing regime.” Iranian media showed images of destroyed apartment
blocks, and said nearly 80 civilians were killed in attacks that targeted
nuclear scientists in their beds and wounded more than 300 people. Iran’s
ability to retaliate with weapons fired by its regional proxies has been
degraded over the past year, with the downfall of its ally Bashar al-Assad in
Syria and the decimation of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Air raid
sirens sounded in Jerusalem on Friday evening, and Israel said it had detected
the launch of a missile from Yemen, whose Houthi militia are one of the last
remaining Iranian-aligned groups still capable of firing at Israel.
‘Cowardly’
Israel said that Iran had launched around 100 drones towards Israeli territory
on Friday, but Iran denied this and there were no reports of drones reaching
Israeli targets. The United Nations Security Council was due to meet on Friday
at Tehran’s request. Iran said in a letter to the Council that it would respond
decisively and proportionally to Israel’s “unlawful” and “cowardly” acts. The
price of crude LCOc1 leapt on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across a major
oil-producing region, although there were no reports that oil production or
storage was damaged. OPEC said the escalation did not justify any immediate
changes to oil supply. An Israeli security source said Mossad commandos had been
operating deep inside the Islamic Republic before the attack, and the Israeli
spy agency and military had mounted a series of covert operations against Iran’s
strategic missile array. Israel also established an attack-drone base near
Tehran, the source added. The military said it had bombarded Iran’s air
defenses, destroying “dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile
launchers.”Israeli officials said it may be some time before the extent of
damage to the underground nuclear site at Natanz is clear, where Iran has
refined uranium to levels Western countries have long said are suitable for a
bomb rather than civilian use. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for
civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was
in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty.
Tehran had been engaged in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb
its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran had
rejected the last US offer.
Middle East on edge: Inside the Israel-Iran strikes and regional fallout
https://youtu.be/IhDbiYPsfWQ
In this episode of W News, presented by Leigh-Ann Gerrans, tensions across the
Middle East take center stage following Israel’s strikes on Iran. We start with
the latest developments and a sense of what’s unfolding on the ground. From
Baghdad, political analyst Ahmed Roshdy assesses the likelihood of an Iraqi
militia response and the surprising statement from Hezbollah distancing itself
from escalation. Former US State Department official Len Khodorkovsky weighs in
on Washington’s role and the human cost of the conflict. Eylon Levy joins from
Tel Aviv to defend Israel’s military operations amid rising civilian casualties,
while Mark Fitzpatrick in Basel analyzes nuclear concerns and questions of
international oversight. From Tehran, Dr. Emad Abshenass responds to accusations
against Iran, as fears grow over further regional destabilization.
Guests:
Riad Kahwaji – Security Analyst
Ahmed Roshdy – Political Analyst, Baghdad
Len Khodorkovsky – Former Senior Advisor to the US Envoy for Iran and Former
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
Eylon Levy – Former International Spokesperson for the Israeli Government, Tel
Aviv
Mark Fitzpatrick – Former Director at IISS-America & Head of Non-Proliferation
and Nuclear Policy, Basel, Switzerland
Dr. Emad Abshenass – Secretary General, Syndicate of Iranian Research and Study
Centers, Tehran
Donald Jensen – Former US Diplomat, Faculty at Johns Hopkins University,
Virginia, US
Blasts heard as Israel launches fresh attacks on Iran
AFP/13 June/2025
Israel launched a fresh attack on a key underground uranium enrichment facility
in central Iran on Friday, Iranian state media reported. “Minutes ago, the
Zionist regime targeted Natanz again,” state media said. A fresh round of
explosions was heard in northwestern Iran on Friday, state television reported,
after Israel carried out a wave of strikes on multiple cities. “A few minutes
ago, new explosions were heard in East Azerbaijan,” the broadcaster said, as the
Tasnim news agency said an earlier wave of strikes had hit 10 sites in the
province, killing at least three people.
Fire broke out at Tabriz airport in northwestern Iran on Friday after an Israeli
strike, Iranian media reported. Mehr news agency published a video showing fire
and smoke billowing from the airport in East Azerbaijan province with the
caption: “Tabriz airport now.”
Israel strikes intended to ‘cripple’ Iran’s nuclear program, destabilize regime:
Experts
Jennifer Bell, Al Arabiya English/13 June/2025
Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran on Friday, striking nuclear
facilities and killing senior military commanders in what experts describe as an
operation designed not just to disrupt Tehran’s nuclear program but to cripple
its military capabilities and potentially destabilize the regime fundamentally.
The strikes, involving some 200 Israeli fighter jets hitting more than 100
targets across Iran, marked a mass escalation in the long-simmering conflict
between the two regional powers. Among the confirmed casualties were Iran’s
Armed Forces General Staff Chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri and Islamic
Revolutionary Guards Corps Commander Major General Hossein Salami, along with
several nuclear scientists.“The breadth and scale of these strikes – against
senior Iranian officials and other military facilities in addition to nuclear
sites – suggest this operation is intended to not just dissuade Iran from
pursuing nuclear weapons but also cripple any potential military response and
even to destabilize the regime,” Matthew Savill, director of military sciences
at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told Al Arabiya English.
Unprecedented scale, scope
The Israeli military said it had been forced to act by new intelligence showing
Iran was “approaching the point of no return” in developing nuclear weapons. The
strikes hit the main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, along with multiple
targets across Tehran and other provinces, including Qom, Markazi, Kermanshah,
and Hamadan. “Details are still emerging but the reported targeting of the
commander of the IRGC, the head of the conventional military, and advisers to
Iran’s Supreme Leader, are all beyond that necessary for a purely ‘pre-emptive’
strike on the nuclear program,” Savill explained.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the operation would continue
“for as many days as it takes to remove the [Iranian] threat,” confirming that
Israel had targeted Iran’s nuclear enrichment, nuclear weaponization, and
ballistic missile programs as well as Iranian nuclear scientists.
The operation demonstrated Israel’s “considerable conventional military
superiority,” according to Savill, who noted that “the size of the force
allegedly assembled for this series of attacks represents the overwhelming bulk
of their longer-range strike aircraft.”
Also speaking to Al Arabiya English, Thomas Juneau, an associate professor at
the University of Ottawa in Canada and an associate fellow with the Middle East
and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, said Israel’s attack on Iran is
“significant, especially if you put this in context of Prime Minister (Benjamin)
Netanyahu’s quite clear statement that this is not a one off.”
“He did say that there would be days or weeks of attacks, and we have seen, not
only in the past few hours, but also in 2024 that Israel has a significant
military advantage over Iran.” He added: “Israel has the ability to penetrate
Iranian airspace. Israel has the ability to target Iranian air defenses,
suppressing them, and therefore allowing itself to continue operations in Iran.
We have also seen an extraordinarily level of intelligence penetration of Iran
by Israel. There are growing media reports that Mossad had drones inside Iran
that played a role in targeting Iranian military.”Juneau questioned Israel’s
claim on Friday that Iran might be “days away from producing 15 nuclear
bombs.”“There is no public indication that this is true. What is true is that
Iran is, was, or, is days or weeks away from being able to produce enough highly
enriched uranium that would be usable in eventual nuclear bombs.”“And there is a
big difference here that gets lost…because then Iran would have to weaponize
that uranium, put it on a delivery vehicle, test it, and so on. And according to
every reliable publicly available information, Iran was at least several months
away, possibly more than a year away from, being able to do that. And publicly,
I have seen, not seen, indication that this is not true.”Raphael S. Cohen,
senior political scientist and director of the Strategy & Doctrine Program at
RAND’s Project AIR FORCE, told Al Arabiya English it “will be a sometime before
we know how much these strikes have set back the Iranian nuclear program,” but
said, from reports, the targeting of senior Iranian military
leadership—including the Chief of Defense, the head of the IRGC and the IRGC Air
Force is “pretty stunning from an operational perspective.”“And this is just the
opening phases of what promises to be a much longer campaign and so there is
more to come,” he added. “It seems like the Israeli managed to pinpoint not just
the infrastructure but the Iranian senior leadership as well (which is a much
harder task than just hitting building). From a purely tactical perspective,
that's impressive.”
Strategic objectives beyond nuclear program
Experts suggest the strikes served multiple strategic objectives beyond simply
disrupting Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Sanam Vakil, Director of the Middle East
and North Africa Program, told Al Arabiya English that the Israeli government
had launched “a highly provocative and strategically timed strike against Iran,
aiming to achieve three primary objectives: to eliminate senior commanders and
disrupt Iran’s operational leadership, to inflict damage on its nuclear program,
and to weaken its defensive capabilities.”Vakil argued that Netanyahu also
sought “to sabotage any remaining diplomatic pathways toward a revived nuclear
agreement and perhaps to incite internal unrest within Iran.” She characterized
the strike as “far from being a preventive action” that “risks triggering a
broader regional escalation and may inadvertently bolster the Islamic Republic’s
domestic and international legitimacy.”Juneau said Israel's ability to
decapitate the Iranian military and the nuclear program the way that it did not
only weakens Iran, but sends a devastating psychological message, “which will
only reinforce an already strong state of paranoia inside Iran.”“We are talking
about a serious weakening of Iran’s air defenses, its missile program, being
targeted as well. But the psychological impact also matters.”The timing appeared
calculated to disrupt diplomatic efforts, with US and Iranian officials
scheduled to hold talks on Tehran’s uranium enrichment program in Oman on
Sunday. Iran subsequently cancelled these negotiations.
Trump response
US President Donald Trump suggested Iran had brought the attack on itself by
resisting American demands in nuclear negotiations. “I gave Iran chance after
chance to make a deal,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “There has
already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this
slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to
an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left…”Despite Trump’s
comments suggesting foreknowledge of additional planned attacks, Washington
insisted it had no part in the operation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said
the US had not been involved in the strikes and Israel had acted unilaterally in
self-defense. However, Iran’s armed forces spokesperson accused Washington of
providing support for the operation, while the Trump administration warned that
any attacks on US personnel or military installations would provoke a response.
Sophisticated intelligence operations
The strikes revealed the extent of Israeli intelligence penetration into Iran’s
security apparatus, according to Reuters, who quoted an Israeli security source
saying Mossad commandos had been operating deep inside Iran before the attack,
with the spy agency and military mounting “a series of covert operations against
Iran’s strategic missile array.”Israel had also established an attack-drone base
near Tehran, the source added. The military said it had carried out large-scale
strikes against Iran’s air defenses, destroying “dozens of radars and
surface-to-air missile launchers.” “Emerging reports about more unconventional
activity by Mossad are a reminder of Israel’s expertise in covert operations,
its penetration of the Iranian security establishment and its agility in
planning ahead with imaginative operations which can be executed at
short-notice,” Savill observed.
Iran’s response options
Iran’s ability to retaliate has been significantly weakened by Israel’s
systematic degradation of its regional proxy network over the past months. Since
the Gaza war erupted in October 2023, Israel has severely damaged Iran’s allies,
notably by assassinating top leaders of Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and
attacking the Houthi militia in Yemen. “Once again, Iran has been exposed, and
its response options are constrained by its desire to avoid a full-scale war,”
Vakil said. “Nonetheless, the regime must retaliate to reassert deterrence and
prevent further strikes.”Iran initially attempted to launch about 100 drones
toward Israeli territory in retaliation, but Israeli media reported that most or
all had been neutralized, with protective orders for civilians lifted by 8:00
a.m. GMT. Vakil predicted that “given the unprecedented scale and nature of the
Israeli attack including strikes across Iranian territory and the targeting of
civilians and senior officials, Tehran is likely to take further retaliatory
steps. These may include accelerating its nuclear program, suspending all
cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and potentially
withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).”Juneau said Iran will
perceive that it has to retaliate, because if it doesn’t, it will lose face to
its own population, but also to its enemies in Iran, in Israel and the US. “Iran
has already retaliated with about 100 drones. But the dilemma for Iran is that
its ability to hurt Israel through its retaliation is limited, because its
non-state partners think Hamas and Hezbollah are so weakened, and because
Israel’s air defenses are so advanced, the 100 drones that Iran sent were pretty
easily stopped in all, or most cases, before they even reached Israeli airspace.
And that shows the serious limits to Iran’s ability to retaliate.”“And Iran also
knows that, should it retaliate and should it succeed in inflicting just a bit
of material damage on Israel, Israel will respond with overwhelming force, and
Israel has the ability to do that.”Juneau said, in an escalation scenario,
“everyone will suffer”, “but Iran will, undoubtedly, in my mind, suffer far more
than than everybody else. And Iran knows that - and that seriously constrains
its margin of manoeuvre.”Cohen said he hopes the Iranians will “follow President
(Donald) Trump's advice, take the off ramp and return to the negotiating table,
but I think it's more likely that they will respond.”“That's what Khameni
signaled. And so, we saw drone attacks already, but I expect large scale missile
barrages here too. I think they will likely target Israeli military bases and
critical infrastructure. I would note that the Israelis are already anticipating
this to some extent and are moving civilian aircraft out of Ben Gurion.”
Regional proxy shifts
With Iran’s traditional proxies weakened, experts predict a shift in regional
dynamics. Farea al-Muslimi, Research Fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and
North Africa Programme, told Al Arabiya English that “the Houthis in Yemen are
poised to take a leading role in retaliating against Israel on Iran’s
behalf.”“With Iran currently weakened and humiliated, this marks the first time
the Houthis will be called upon to repay decades of Iranian investment and
support,” al-Muslimi said. “Following the killing of Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon
and the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis have effectively
become Iran’s first line of defense against Israel – an increasingly central
role.”
Al-Muslimi warned that “more than even Iran or the Israelis, the Houthis are
known for their recklessness. Their response is likely to go far beyond
continued attacks on Israel. Strikes in the Red Sea will likely resume, the
ceasefire with the United States may unravel.”The Israeli military demonstrated
its ability to conduct sustained operations across vast distances. Savill said
that Israel “certainly have the capacity to go again” but warned that “operating
for an extended duration over this considerable range will stretch even the
Israeli Air Force.”“They have the ability to conduct multiple such rounds of
strikes, but operating for an extended Israel launched large-scale strikes
against Iran on Friday,” Savill said, highlighting both Israel’s capabilities
and potential limitations. He predicted that “the Iranian response might be
delayed or split into multiple phases, but their main weapon will be ballistic
missiles, which have the best chance of inflicting damage on Israel, whereas
drone and cruise missile attacks will face more extensive Israeli
defenses.”Israeli operations therefore “targeted air defenses and ballistic
missile sites to forestall this. Offensive cyber capabilities and terrorist
attacks remain an option, but Iran’s proxies are much diminished in the region.”
Nuclear program implications
The International Atomic Energy Agency reported no increase in radiation levels
at the Natanz nuclear site, citing information from Iranian authorities.
However, Iranian media and witnesses reported explosions at the facility, with
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization confirming that Natanz had sustained damage
but reporting no casualties. The strikes came just days after the IAEA’s Board
of Governors declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for
the first time in almost 20 years. Iran responded by stating that Israel’s
“cowardly” attack demonstrated why Iran had to insist on enrichment, nuclear
technology and missile power. The strikes had immediate global economic
implications, with crude oil prices leaping around 9 percent on fears of wider
retaliatory attacks across the major oil-producing region. The global crude oil
benchmark Brent blend was up almost 9 percent at $75.37. Airlines quickly exited
airspace over Israel, Iran, Iraq and Jordan, with carriers diverting or
canceling flights. Israeli airlines El Al, Israir and Arkia moved their planes
out of Israel, and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was shuttered. Dubai-based
Emirates canceled flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran as Iran
closed its airspace. The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company
said oil refining and storage facilities had not been damaged and continued to
operate.
Regional, international reactions
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a statement that Israel had “unleashed its
wicked and bloody” hand in a crime against Iran and that it would receive “a
bitter fate for itself.”Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi joined global
calls for de-escalation and accused Israel of violating international law. “At
an extremely critical time when the US was negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran
that would save the whole region and the world, a new vicious escalation,” he
said. Iranian citizens reacted to the strikes with anger and fear, while some
opponents of the ruling clerics expressed hope that Israel’s attack might lead
to their downfall. However, one Tehran resident who was not a supporter of
clerical rule said Iran must retaliate: “We can’t afford not to respond. Either
we surrender and they take our missiles, or we fire them. There’s no other
option — and if we don’t, we’ll end up surrendering them anyway.”
Future escalation risks
Al-Muslimi predicted that “post attacking Iran, Israel will switch more directly
and targeted against the Houthis. That’s likely the next direct round of war in
the Middle East.”Vakil warned that while “Iran is unlikely to target Gulf
infrastructure or assets” for now, “should the situation continue to escalate,
it may resort to broader regional measures.”Savill cautioned that “if Iran
believes the US or others were involved, then regional targets include the US
Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, and air facilities in Qatar, though both would widen the
conflict to drag in others.”Juneau pointed out that “we are already in a broader
war in the region.”“We’ve been in a broader war since October (7) 2023 if not
before, but since October 2023 there’s been nonstop violence in Gaza. There’s
been on and off violence in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, even if it’s
been in a slower stage (more recently). There has been on and off rounds of
violence between Israel and the Houthis, and between Iran the US and the Houthis,
there has been limited but some involvement by Iran backed militias in Iraq, and
there has been rounds of confrontation between Iran and Israel that are
continuing now.”“So we are in a regional war, and we’re in a particularly hot
stage of that regional war now, and there will be de-escalation at some point,
and one of the main triggers of that de-escalation will be Iran’s
vulnerability.”
Israel response
In a statement shared with Al Arabiya English, Israeli Ambassador to the UN,
Danny Danon, said the attack – codenamed ‘Rising Lion’ - against Iran’s nuclear
and missile infrastructure, was aimed at “eliminating an existential and
immediate threat to the citizens of Israel and the entire world.”“The Iranian
regime is blatantly violating international agreements, advancing towards
nuclear weapons, and operating a regional terror network. When the world is
silent - Israel is acting.”“I call on the UN Secretary-General and the members
of the Security Council: *”This is a moment to make moral decisions. Stand by
Israel - or you will be partners in a dangerous silence.”“Unlike in the past -
today we have a state, we have an army, and we are not waiting for those who
want to destroy us to surprise us.”
Israel says most of senior leadership in Iran Guards’ Air Force ‘neutralized’
AFP/13 June/2025
Israel’s defense ministry said Friday that Israeli air strikes across Iran had
“neutralized” most of the senior leadership of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’
Air Force. “The defense minister was informed that most of the Revolutionary
Guard Air Force leadership was neutralized while convening at their underground
headquarters,” the ministry said in a statement. The Revolutionary Guards are
involved in overseeing Iran’s airspace and controlling the country’s ballistic
missile arsenal. Defense Minister Israel Katz earlier warned that Israel would
“eliminate” its foes after it carried out air strikes on Iran targeting military
and nuclear sites. “The precise targeting of senior commanders of the
Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian military, and nuclear scientists—all of whom
were involved in advancing the plan to destroy Israel—sends a strong and clear
message: those who work toward Israel’s destruction will be eliminated,” Katz
said in a statement. He further warned that Iran “will pay an increasingly heavy
price the longer it continues its aggressive actions” against Israel.
Israel strikes nuclear, military sites in Iran; senior IRGC
commanders killed
Al Arabiya English/13 June/2025
Israel launched widescale strikes against Iran on Friday, saying it targeted
nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders during
the start of a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic
weapon.
Israel’s attack on multiple areas of Iran. wounded at least 95 people, an
emergency services official told state TV. “So far, 95 people were injured and
taken to medical centers in 12 different provinces that were targeted,” national
emergency services spokesperson Mojtaba Khaledi told state TV.
Iran promised a harsh response and Israel said it was working to intercept about
100 drones launched towards Israeli territory in retaliation. But around 0800
GMT, Israeli media said an order to citizens to remain near protected areas had
been lifted, suggesting that most or all the drones had been neutralized. An
Israeli military official said Friday that Israel is prepared for its ongoing
operation against Iran to extend over several days, depending in part on how
Tehran chooses to respond. The comments come as Israel continues to assess the
results of its overnight strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure.
“We are prepared for this to keep going on for days — it partly depends on the
Iranian response,” the official said. “We’ve already achieved a lot; assessments
continue.”The military also confirmed that all Israeli pilots involved in the
strike have returned home safely. A senior adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei was wounded during Israel’s deadly attack, state media reported.
“Ali Shamkhani, an advisor to the supreme leader… was injured in today’s attack
by the Zionist regime,” according to state TV. The price of crude oil leapt on
fears of retaliatory attacks on a major oil producing region but then eased back
somewhat. An Israeli security source said Israeli Mossad commandos had operated
deep inside the Islamic Republic before the attack and the Israeli spy agency
and military had led a series of covert operations against Iran’s strategic
missile array.
Israel also established an attack-drone base near Tehran, the source added. The
military said it had carried out a large-scale strike against Iran’s air
defenses, destroying “dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile launchers”.
Iranian media and witnesses reported explosions including at the main uranium
enrichment facility at Natanz. Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards Corps said its
top commander, Hossein Salami, had been killed and state media reported the
unit’s headquarters in Tehran had been hit. Several children were killed in a
strike on a residential area in the capital, they said. “We are at a decisive
moment in Israel’s history,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a
recorded video message. “Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a
targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very
survival. This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove
this threat.”He warned Israelis that they might have to remain in shelter for
extended periods. At the same time, Israel has limited Iran’s ability to
retaliate by severely weakening its Middle East allies since the war in Gaza
erupted in October 2023, assassinating top leaders of the Palestinian militant
group Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Some 200 Israeli fighter jets took part in
the strikes, hitting more than 100 targets in Iran, military spokesman Brigadier
General Effie Defrin said. He told an online briefing Israel had been able to
confirm that the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, the commander of
the Revolutionary Guards and the commander of Iran’s Emergency Command had all
been killed in the strikes. Six Iranian nuclear scientists were killed, Iranian
state media reported. The International Atomic Energy Agency said there was no
increase in radiation levels at the Natanz nuclear site, citing information
provided by Iranian authorities. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a
statement that Israel had “unleashed its wicked and bloody” hand in a crime
against Iran and that it would receive “a bitter fate for itself”.
Regional airspace empties, flights cancelled
Airlines quit the airspace over Israel, Iran, Iraq and Jordan after the Israeli
strikes, Flightradar24 data showed, with carriers diverting or cancel flights.
Israeli airlines El Al, Israir and Arkia said they were moving their planes out
of Israel and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was shut.
Dubai-based Emirates cancelled flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and
Iran as Iran closed its airspace. The United States, which was due to hold the
latest round of talks with Iran on restricting its nuclear program on Sunday,
said it had had no part in the operation. The global crude oil benchmark Brent
blend was up more than 6 percent at $73.73 at 0821 GMT, but well down from peaks
around $78. The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company said oil
refining and storage facilities had not been damaged and continued to operate.
Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said tens of thousands of soldiers
had been called up and “prepared across all borders”. “We are amidst a historic
campaign unlike any other. This is a critical operation to prevent an
existential threat, by an enemy who is intent on destroying us,” he said. US
President Donald Trump said that Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and that the
United States was hoping to get back to the negotiating table, in an interview
with Fox News after the start of the Israeli air strikes on Iran. “We will see,”
Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin quoted Trump as saying in a post on X. US
officials have repeatedly said that any new nuclear deal with Iran - to replace
a 2015 accord between Tehran and six world powers from which Trump withdrew -
must include a commitment to scrap enrichment, a potential pathway to developing
nuclear bombs.
Nuclear talks with Iran due on Sunday
The Islamic Republic has repeatedly denied such intentions, saying it wants
nuclear energy only for civilian purposes, and has publicly rejected
Washington’s demand to scrap enrichment as an attack on its national
sovereignty. The IAEA’s Board of Governors on Thursday declared Iran in breach
of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years. Iran
said in a statement that Israel’s “cowardly” attack showed why Iran had to
insist on enrichment, nuclear technology and missile power. The Israeli military
said it had been forced to act by new intelligence information showing that Iran
was “approaching the point of no return” in the development of a nuclear weapon.
But a source familiar with US intelligence reports said there had been no recent
change in the US assessment that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and that
Khamenei had not authorized a resumption of the nuclear weapons program that was
shut in 2003. Trump was convening a meeting the National Security Council on
Friday morning, the White House said. He had said on Thursday that an Israeli
strike on Iran “could very well happen” but reiterated his hopes for a peaceful
resolution. Iran’s armed forces spokesperson said Israel and its chief ally the
United States would pay a “heavy price” for the attack, accusing Washington of
providing support for the operation. While the US tried to distance itself from
Israel’s attack, an Israeli official told public broadcaster Kan that Israel had
coordinated with Washington. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was not
involved in the strikes and Tel Aviv had acted unilaterally for self-defense. US
and Iranian officials are scheduled to hold a sixth round of talks on Tehran’s
escalating uranium enrichment program in Oman on Sunday. A US official said
those talks were still due to proceed. The attacks triggered sharp falls in
stock prices in Asian trade, led by a selloff in US futures. Israel’s shekel
slid nearly 2 percent.
With Reuters, AFP
US shifts military resources in response to Israel strikes
and possible Iran attack
The Associated Press/13 June/2025
The United States is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle
East in response to Israel’s strikes on Iran and a possible retaliatory attack
by Tehran, two US officials said Friday. The Navy has directed the destroyer USS
Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to
begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern
Mediterranean and has directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward so it
can be available if requested by the White House. President Donald Trump is
meeting with his National Security Council principals Friday to discuss the
situation. The US officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide
details not yet made public. The forces in the region have been taking
precautionary measures for days, including having military dependents
voluntarily depart regional bases, in anticipation of the strikes and to protect
those personnel in case of a large-scale response from Tehran. Typically around
30,000 troops are based in the Middle East, and about 40,000 troops are in the
region now, according to a third US official. That number surged as high as
43,000 last October amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran as well as
continuous attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by the
Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The Navy has additional assets that it could
surge to the Middle East if needed, particularly its aircraft carriers and the
warships that sail with them. The USS Carl Vinson is in the Arabian Sea — the
only aircraft carrier in the region. The carrier USS Nimitz is in the
Indo-Pacific and could be directed toward the Middle East if needed, and the USS
George Washington just left its port in Japan and could be directed to the
region if so ordered, one of the officials said. Then-President Joe Biden
initially surged ships to protect Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by
Hamas that launched the war in Gaza. It was seen as a deterrent against
Hezbollah and Iran at the time. On Oct. 1, 2024, US Navy destroyers fired about
a dozen interceptors in defense of Israel as the country came under attack by
more than 200 missiles fired by Iran.
MBS, Trump discuss Iran-Israel strikes in phone call
Al Arabiya English/13 June/2025
US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke on
Friday to discuss the recent developments in the Middle East, including Israeli
attacks against Iran. The two discussed the “importance of self-restraint,
deescalation, and the importance of resolving all disputes through diplomatic
means,” a readout of the call said. MBS and Trump also stressed the importance
of continuing to cooperate to achieve security, peace and stability in the
Middle East. Separately, the White House said Trump also spoke Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The UK said Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to
the US president as well. “Updating on his conversations with partners today,
the Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s grave concerns about Iran’s nuclear
programs,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said in a statement.
Iran will ‘make enemy regret’ attack: President
Reuters/13 June/2025
President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday that Iran will make Israel “regret” its
deadly attack which targeted multiple areas including nuclear sites. “The
Iranian nation and the country’s officials will not remain silent in the face of
this crime, and the legitimate and powerful response of the Islamic Republic of
Iran will make the enemy regret its foolish act,” Pezeshkian said in a video
statement aired on state TV.
Russia’s Putin condemns Israeli strikes on Iran, says ready to mediate
AFP/13 June/2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned Israel’s wave of strikes on Iran, the
Kremlin said Friday, following separate phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Russia and Iran have
deepened their military ties amid Moscow’s offensive on Ukraine, threatening its
efforts to maintain warm relations with all major players in the Middle East.
“Vladimir Putin stressed that Russia condemns Israel’s actions, which violate
the UN Charter and international law,” the Kremlin said in a statement Friday.
He also told Netanyahu of his “readiness to provide mediation services in order
to prevent further escalation of tensions.”The Kremlin added that Russia was
committed to “resolving the current situation, which is fraught with the most
disastrous consequences for the entire region.”Earlier Friday, Russia had
condemned Israeli strikes on Moscow’s ally Iran. “Unprovoked military strikes
against a sovereign UN member state, its citizens, peaceful cities and nuclear
energy infrastructure are categorically unacceptable,” said a Russian foreign
ministry statement, calling the strikes “atrocities.”Putin and other top Russian
officials have also condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, though has so far
managed to maintain working relations with Israel. The Kremlin earlier this week
defended Iran’s right to develop a “peaceful” nuclear energy program. It said
the overnight strikes were “especially cynical” amid ongoing negotiations
between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program. Moscow reiterated
that the Iranian nuclear issue could only be settled diplomatically and called
on both sides to show restraint.
Hamas says Iran ‘paying the price’ for supporting Gaza
militants
Reuters/13 June/2025
The Palestinian militant group Hamas said Iran, its strategic ally, was “paying
the price” for supporting militant groups in Gaza in their decades-long struggle
against Israel, after Israel launched large-scale attacks on Friday against
Iran. Hamas leaders have repeatedly thanked Iran for its military and financial
support to the group in its fight against Israel, including during the ongoing
war that erupted in October 2023. “Iran is today paying the price for its
steadfast positions in support of Palestine and its resistance, and its
adherence to its independent national decision,” Hamas said in a statement.
Tehran has vowed retaliation for Israel’s early morning attack on Iranian
military and nuclear facilities that killed several top commanders. Israel said
it was working to intercept 100 drones that were launched by Iran, but had not
reached Israel. Hamas armed wing spokesperson Abu Ubaida said in a post on
Telegram later on Friday that the group would stand by Iran in its conflict
against Israel. “The Zionist enemy is completely deluded if it thinks that these
treacherous strikes can undermine the fronts of resistance or stabilize the
pillars of this fragile entity in the region,” he said. “On the contrary, it
continues to make successive strategic mistakes that will bring it closer to its
inevitable demise, God willing.”
US shifts military resources in response to Israel strikes and possible Iran
attack
The Associated Press/13 June/2025
The United States is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle
East in response to Israel’s strikes on Iran and a possible retaliatory attack
by Tehran, two US officials said Friday. The Navy has directed the destroyer USS
Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to
begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern
Mediterranean and has directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward so it
can be available if requested by the White House. President Donald Trump is
meeting with his National Security Council principals Friday to discuss the
situation.
The US officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet
made public. The forces in the region have been taking precautionary measures
for days, including having military dependents voluntarily depart regional
bases, in anticipation of the strikes and to protect those personnel in case of
a large-scale response from Tehran. Typically around 30,000 troops are based in
the Middle East, and about 40,000 troops are in the region now, according to a
third US official. That number surged as high as 43,000 last October amid the
ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran as well as continuous attacks on
commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis in
Yemen. The Navy has additional assets that it could surge to the Middle East if
needed, particularly its aircraft carriers and the warships that sail with them.
The USS Carl Vinson is in the Arabian Sea — the only aircraft carrier in the
region. The carrier USS Nimitz is in the Indo-Pacific and could be directed
toward the Middle East if needed, and the USS George Washington just left its
port in Japan and could be directed to the region if so ordered, one of the
officials said. Then-President Joe Biden initially surged ships to protect
Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas that launched the war in
Gaza. It was seen as a deterrent against Hezbollah and Iran at the time. On Oct.
1, 2024, US Navy destroyers fired about a dozen interceptors in defense of
Israel as the country came under attack by more than 200 missiles fired by Iran.
Macron says UN conference on Palestinian state postponed due to Middle East
tension
The Associated Press/13 June/2025
A top-level UN conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the
Palestinians scheduled for next week has been postponed amid surging tensions in
the Middle East, French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday. France and Saudi
Arabia were due to co-chair the conference hosted by the UN General Assembly in
New York on June 17-20, and Macron had been among leaders scheduled to attend.
The Palestinian Authority hoped the conference would revive the long-defunct
peace process. Macron expressed his “determination to recognize the state of
Palestine” at some point, despite the postponement. France has pushed for a
broader movement toward recognizing a Palestinian state in parallel with
recognition of Israel and its right to defend itself. After Israel’s strikes on
Iran on Friday, Macron said that France’s military forces around the Middle East
are ready to help protect partners in the region, including Israel, but wouldn’t
take part in any attacks on Iran. Macron told reporters that the two-state
conference was postponed for logistical and security reasons, and because some
Palestinian representatives couldn’t come to the event. He insisted that it
would be held “as soon as possible” and that he was in discussion with Saudi
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about a new date. “The aim is a demilitarized
Palestinian state recognizing the existence and the security of Israel,” Macron
said. Any such state would exclude any Hamas leaders, he said. Macron said that
the Israel-Iran conflict, the war in Gaza and the situation for Palestinians
around the region are all “interlinked.”Macron spoke on Friday with 10 world
leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, about the Israeli strikes on Iran and consequences. One of the aims
at the UN conference was to increase the number of countries recognizing
Palestinian territories as an independent state. So far, more than 145 of the
193 UN member nations have done so. The Palestinians view their state as
encompassing Gaza and the West Bank with east Jerusalem as the capital.
Netanyahu has rejected the creation of a Palestinian state, and Israel refused
to participate in the conference.
Greece, UK urge ships to avoid Red Sea after Israeli attacks on Iran
Reuters, Athens /13 June/2025
Greece and Britain have advised their merchant shipping fleets to avoid sailing
through the Gulf of Aden and to log all voyages through the Strait of Hormuz
after Israel’s large-scale attacks on Iran on Friday, documents seen by Reuters
showed.
Iran has in the past threatened to close the critical Strait of Hormuz to
traffic in retaliation for Western pressure. Analysts have said that any closure
of the Strait could restrict trade and impact global oil prices. Greek ship
owners were urged to send details of their vessels sailing through the Strait of
Hormuz to Greece’s maritime ministry, according to one of the documents issued
by Greece’s shipping association, which was sent on Friday. “Due to developments
in the Middle East and the escalation of military actions in the wider region,
the (Greek) Ministry of Shipping ... urgently calls on shipping companies to
send ... the details of Greek-owned ships that are sailing in the maritime area
of the Strait of Hormuz,” the document said. All UK-flagged vessels, which
include the Gibraltar, Bermuda and Isle of Man ‘red ensign’ registries, were
advised to avoid sailing through the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a
separate document issued by the UK’s transport ministry said. If transiting
these areas, vessels must adhere to their highest level of security measures and
limit the number of crew on deck during transits, said the advisory, seen by
Reuters. “We have reports that more ship owners are now exercising extra caution
and are opting to stay away from the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf,” said Jakob
Larsen, chief safety & security officer with shipping association BIMCO. If the
United States is perceived to be involved in any attacks, “the risk of
escalation increases significantly”, Larsen said. “Such an escalation could
include missile attacks on ships or laying of sea mines in the Strait (of
Hormuz).” The European Union’s naval mission in the Red Sea, Aspides, is
continuing operations as normal but is monitoring developments in the region, an
Aspides official told Reuters.“... if needed we will shift our strategy
accordingly,” the official said.
In Friday’s attacks, Israel said it had targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic
missile factories and military commanders during the start of a prolonged
operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Iran denies having
any such plan.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on June 13-14/2025
Dark Clouds Over South Africa
Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute/June 13, 2025
The ANC's National Democratic Revolution strategy compels dominating the
Judiciary; it reads: "judicial independence to be undermined, in part by vesting
most appointments to the bench in an ANC-dominated Judicial Service Commission."
It was therefore not unexpected that the Constitutional Court might rule in
support of the slogan, "Kill the Boer". Sadly, what Ramaphosa actually intends,
despite his grand terminology, is that there will be a redistribution of wealth
and asset ownership in the form of either expropriation without compensation
and/or a mandatory transfer of equity in businesses held by minorities to the
black majority. NDR policies allow for this, and in fact the ANC Constitution
mandates such actions....
A partial solution might be, as suggested by the commentator Rob Hersov, is that
the US and other Western nations should bypass the ANC and instead support the
Democratic Alliance (DA) -- the official opposition at one stage (now part of
the coalition) and the 2nd largest political party.
The DA is a centralist-conservative entity which runs the Western Cape Province
– a state thriving in every way. Perhaps when it becomes known how successful
the Western Cape under the DA has become, particularly with US and other outside
investment, then demand for structural changes elsewhere might arise. In the
interim, ominous dark clouds hang over the future of beautiful South Africa and
its vibrant and amazing people. There was a moment with a glimmer of hope for
beleaguered South Africa. That moment appeared on May 21, 2025, with a meeting
at the White House between US President Donald J. Trump and his South African
counterpart, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The purpose of the meeting
was to 'reset' the relationship between them after violently racist and
anti-Western policies adopted by the largest political party in South Africa,
the African National Congress (ANC), which heads a coalition government, were
criticised by President Trump.
While Ramaphosa focused on trade at the meeting –- probably believing he could
get away with neo-Marxist policies by tempting Trump with trade opportunities,
such as availability of critical minerals -- Trump instead brooded on the deep
injustice against the country's white minorities. Many onlookers believe they
deserving what they are getting as a result of sometimes hundreds of years of
discrimination against the Blacks, or "Coloureds," by South Africa's White
European settlers.
The expectation of many South Africans was not related to trade as such but,
rather, hopes that the 142 racist laws against minority Whites would be repealed
due to pressure from Trump, and that the ANC would withdraw its fatuous changes
against Israel at the International Court of Justice. There were also hopes that
the slaughter of white farmers would be addressed; that horrendous rape and
murder rates against all ethnic groups would be dealt with; that private
property, especially farms, homes and other land, would escape official
expropriation without compensation, and many other iniquities, such as poverty
corruption and crime, which might be repaired with urgent outside intervention.
Although Trump and his well-informed advisors did their utmost to bring these
issues to public attention in the presence of President Ramaphosa and his team,
it was probably of little avail in swaying Ramaphosa and the ANC from their
path. This became evident soon after Ramaphosa's return to South Africa as a
sort of hero, praised for daring to stand up to Trump.
Much of the Western world should now be aware of television clips which Trump
shoe Ramaphosa, showing "footage of 100,000 EFF supporters in pseudo-military
garb and promising to 'kill the Boer, kill the farmer.'" At the meeting,
Ramaphosa was unable to coherently justify why such pointed hate-speech is
permitted in South Africa and why the leader of the EFF, Julius Malema, has not
been arrested. The reason is that the highest Court bizarrely ruled that the
slogan does not portend killing of white farmers at this time but relates to the
struggle for majority rule.
Specifically, "on 27 March 2025, the Constitutional Court ruled that the
Economic Freedom Fighter's (EFF's) chanting or singing of 'Kill the Boer' does
not qualify as hate speech, inciting violence or a call to genocide, and it's
totally okay and legal for them to do so."
The explanation for this astounding ruling is that the courts are stacked with
ANC-nominated candidates through the Judicial Services Commission, a committee
open to influence by the ANC – the leading political party. The ANC's National
Democratic Revolution strategy compels dominating the Judiciary; it reads:
"judicial independence to be undermined, in part by vesting most appointments to
the bench in an ANC-dominated Judicial Service Commission." It was therefore not
unexpected that the Constitutional Court might rule in support of the slogan,
"Kill the Boer".
A further reason for Ramaphosa's reluctance to fully engage with President Trump
at the meeting over the farm murders and chants of "Kill the farmer" other than
lamely to say, it was "not government policy," is that it was part of the ANC's
agenda to rid the country of whites. Sounds shocking, but here is proof:
"In the 1980s, the ANC's armed wing uMkhonto weSizwe had 'a declared policy' of
attacking and trying to kill farmers. 'In the early 1990s, it also covertly
trained its paramilitaries ... in how to attack farmsteads. Over 1,000 people
were killed and many more seriously injured, in thousands of attacks on farms
during the first decade of ANC rule.'"
Just because there was a policy stated 40 years ago, does not mean that it is
necessarily being enforced, but since then, as many now know from the meeting
with Trump, attacks have relentlessly continued.
Once Ramaphosa returned, it was reported that "Notwithstanding the video, Mr
Ramaphosa declared the visit a success for opening a path to consider a new
trade deal between the two countries." It quickly became clear he had paid not
slightest attention to the rampant murder of white farmers or the racists laws
against the white minority, as brought to his, and the world's, attention by
President Trump.
Despite Ramaphosa and the ANC's belief in the success of their mission,
apparently "the exchange delivered no economic deal, it exposed to the world
some of the grimmest aspects of life in this country, and it has exacerbated
tensions in the GNU (the government of national unity)." Evidently not quite a
success for the ANC.
After the White House episode, it was business as usual for the ANC, which,
through their compliant government mouthpiece, declared:
"President Cyril Ramaphosa has concluded a successful working visit to the
United States of America at the invitation of President Donald Trump".
Ramaphosa's performance at the Oval office garnered praise from the leftist
legacy media, including the BBC which reported:
"[T]he events this week, ostensibly meant to bully, ridicule and embarrass
Ramaphosa around the world, actually reminded many South Africans of what he
brings to the government and the country -- a constant, stable and predictable
centre."
So much for the BBC.
What it published about the meeting is typical of such propaganda. Ramaphosa and
his ideological predecessors in the ANC have a predetermined agenda to fulfil.
They present an amiable, innocent, front while they "slowly boil the frog" – an
analogy used by the ANC leader himself. The late Dr Oriani-Ambrosini reflected
on his meeting with Ramaphosa some years ago:
"In his brutal honesty, Ramaphosa told me of the ANC's 25-year strategy to deal
with the whites: it would be like boiling a frog alive, which is done by raising
the temperature very slowly. Being cold-blooded, the frog does not notice the
slow temperature increase, but if the temperature is raised suddenly, the frog
will jump out of the water. He meant that the black majority would pass laws
transferring wealth, land, and economic power from white to black slowly and
incrementally, until the whites lost all they had gained in South Africa, but
without taking too much from them at any given time to cause them to rebel or
fight."
That is what has transpired. In this way, fulfilment of the ANC's National
Democratic Revolution (NDR) strategy has been accelerating towards its
conclusion, fooling many in the process. The NDR is the ANC's plan for
transforming South Africa into their version of a Utopia. This policy is seldom
mentioned publicly but Ramaphosa's determination in upholding racist policies
against whites and the proposed expropriation of white-held land without
compensation, unfortunately appears to be an objective of the NDR.
Ramaphosa remains unrelenting on the racist economic "empowerment laws" (known
as BBBEE) and aimed at whites. Ramaphosa has stated, "I find it very worrying
that we continue to have this notion that broad-based Black economic
empowerment" is holding the economy back.
"It is the partial and exclusive ownership [by Whites] of the means of
production in our country that is keeping this economy from growing....What do
you want to see happening? Do you want to see black people continuing to play
the role of labourers, drawers of water, hewers of wood and consumers only?...
Black people must play a productive role as well" and should be able to become
rich."
The ANC thus doubles down on its agenda of redistribution of wealth through
forced means, despite abundance evidence that their BBBEE regulations are a
total failure. After 30 years of uninterrupted rule, the ANC has reputedly
become a corrupt organisation absolutely determined to impose its agenda on an
unwilling populace – and Ramaphosa himself has been credibly suspected of
corruption.
A heartbreaking failure at governing, the ANC has been unable, in general, to
economically empower South Africans. Consequently, unemployment runs about 35%
with higher rates for youths (those under 25) nearing 50%, while the economy is
"on the brink of collapse" and leading to a near-failed State.
"South Africa is undergoing a 'fundamental transformation' to accelerate
economic growth," Ramaphosa claimed at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland
in 2025.
"We have introduced bold economic reforms to overcome persistent challenges and
unlock the vast potential of our country and its people. As we confront the
challenges of the present, social partners have been working together, in
various forms and forums, to drive a programme of inclusive growth and
transformation."
Sadly, what Ramaphosa actually intends, despite his grand terminology, is that
there will be a redistribution of wealth and asset ownership in the form of
either expropriation without compensation and/or a mandatory transfer of equity
in businesses held by minorities to the black majority. NDR policies allow for
this, and in fact the ANC Constitution mandates such actions:
"The mineral wealth beneath the soil, the Banks and monopoly industry shall be
transferred to the ownership of the people as a whole; All other industry and
trade shall be controlled to assist the wellbeing of the people; Restrictions of
land ownership on a racial basis shall be ended, and all the land re-divided
amongst those who work it to banish famine and land hunger."
None of this, however, should be surprising when the foundational springs of
ANC's policies are examined. These include their Constitution, the National
Democratic Revolution document, their Freedom Charter, the papers of their 50th
National Conference: Strategies and Tactics, and other policy documents. Despite
their fine suits, fancy cars, and often pleasant demeanour (in the case of
Ramaphosa), ANC leaders remain unrepentant, unapologetic, and irredeemable.
The Institute of Race Relations, a respected NGO since 1929, summarised the
ANC's NDR plan as follows:
"The NDR is a Soviet-inspired strategy which seeks to provide 'the most direct
route to socialism', as the SACP puts it. Socialism, in turn, is 'a transitional
social system between capitalism...and the fully classless, communist society'
which is the final NDR objective.
"The democratic 'breakthrough' achieved in 1994 paved the way for the second
stage of the NDR. This, in keeping with Lenin's strategy for total emancipation,
aims to take South Africa from a predominantly capitalist economy to a socialist
and then communist one. Particularly vital to the NDR is the notion of
'colonialism of a special type' or CST. According to this concept, South
Africa's white minority is an illegitimate colonial oppressor while the black
majority is its exploited victim."
The obvious solution to South Africa's problems is regime change through a
democratic process. Even so, this is a complex scenario due to vociferous
pretenders such as the EFF and MK – political parties even more radically
leftist and Marxist than the ANC - waiting in the wings. Further, the ANC
probably control the Police and Military through their cadres, thereby creating
further complications in the hopes for a change of regime.
A partial solution might be, as suggested by the commentator Rob Hersov, is that
the US and other Western nations should bypass the ANC and instead support the
Democratic Alliance (DA) -- the official opposition at one stage (now part of
the coalition) and the 2nd largest political party.
The DA is a centralist-conservative entity which runs the Western Cape Province
– a state thriving in every way. Perhaps when it becomes known how successful
the Western Cape under the DA has become, particularly with US and other outside
investment, then demand for structural changes elsewhere might arise. In the
interim, ominous dark clouds hang over the future of beautiful South Africa and
its vibrant and amazing people.
Nils A. Haug is an author and columnist. A Lawyer by profession, he is member of
the International Bar Association, the National Association of Scholars, the
Academy of Philosophy and Letters. Dr. Haug holds a Ph.D. in Apologetical
Theology and is author of 'Politics, Law, and Disorder in the Garden of Eden –
the Quest for Identity'; and 'Enemies of the Innocent – Life, Truth, and Meaning
in a Dark Age.' His work has been published by First Things Journal, The
American Mind, Quadrant, Minding the Campus, Gatestone Institute, National
Association of Scholars, Jewish Journal, James Wilson Institute (Anchoring
Truths), Jewish News Syndicate, Tribune Juive, Document Danmark, and many
others.
© 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.
Saudi Arabia’s rise as a global mediator and regional
stabilizer
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/13 June/2025
Saudi Arabia has emerged not only as a powerful promoter of peace and diplomacy
in the Middle East, but also as a rising global mediator whose influence extends
far beyond its borders. Under the transformative leadership of Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the Kingdom has taken on an increasingly active and
strategic role in mediating conflicts, rebuilding war-torn countries, and
promoting regional and international stability. Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy
approach emphasizes dialogue, reconstruction, and pragmatic engagement with
actors across geopolitical divides. Now, more than ever, Saudi Arabia is
asserting itself as a global diplomatic force engaged in shaping the future of
peace, from the Middle East to Eastern Europe and beyond.
Perhaps the most striking example of Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic evolution is its
recent leadership in helping Syria return to the international stage and begin
the arduous process of reconstruction. After more than a decade of devastating
civil war, international isolation, and economic collapse, Syria’s reentry into
Arab and global politics was neither automatic nor inevitable. It was, in large
part, made possible through deliberate and sustained efforts by Saudi Arabia.
In January 2025, Riyadh hosted the Riyadh Meetings on Syria, a series of
multilateral discussions aimed at reimagining Syria’s future. The summit
included representatives from across the Arab world, the European Union, and the
United States, alongside members of Syria’s new transitional leadership. These
meetings laid the groundwork for a new Syrian political reality. Saudi Arabia’s
commitment did not end with diplomatic courtesies. In April 2025, the Kingdom
announced that it would pay off Syria’s $15 million debt to the World Bank,
thereby unlocking access to international reconstruction funds and giving Syria
a critical financial lifeline. The move sent a strong message to the global
community that Saudi Arabia was not only facilitating political dialogue, but
also taking concrete economic steps to stabilize the country.
The momentum culminated in a historic announcement in May 2025, when US
President Donald Trump, during a visit to Riyadh, declared that all US sanctions
on Syria would be lifted. Saudi Arabia ought to be credited for building the
diplomatic bridge that made the policy shift possible. The meeting between Trump
and interim President al-Sharaa in Riyadh was also emblematic of how Saudi
Arabia is now viewed as a central, trusted platform for high-level international
diplomacy.
The significance of a stable Syria extends well beyond the country’s borders.
For more than a decade, Syria has been the epicenter of instability that spilled
into Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey, and even Europe. The war fueled extremism, displaced
millions of people, and fragmented the region’s political landscape. The
reconstruction and reintegration of Syria, if managed wisely, can reverse many
of these consequences.
A stable Syria opens the door for the safe return of refugees from Lebanon,
Jordan, Turkey, and Europe – reducing social and economic pressures in those
countries. Trade routes through the Levant could be reestablished, helping to
boost regional economies and foster cross-border cooperation. It also undermines
the influence of militias and extremist groups who thrived in the vacuum created
by Syria’s collapse. By restoring a degree of normalcy to Syria, Saudi Arabia is
laying the foundation for broader regional security and interdependence.
Saudi Arabia’s mediation efforts are not limited to the Levant. The Kingdom has
played an increasingly visible and active role in Africa, Eastern Europe, and
global humanitarian diplomacy. For example, Saudi Arabia co-brokered the Jeddah
Declaration alongside the United States in an effort to halt the brutal civil
conflict in Sudan. The declaration, signed by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and
the Rapid Support Forces, committed the warring parties to safeguard civilians
and allow humanitarian access. While the conflict in Sudan remains complex and
volatile, the Jeddah talks established Saudi Arabia as a serious and trusted
broker for African peace initiatives. The Kingdom also mobilized substantial
humanitarian aid, supplying food, water, and medical assistance to thousands of
displaced Sudanese civilians.
In Europe, Saudi Arabia has played a surprisingly influential role in mediating
between Russia and Ukraine. Saudi efforts led to the release of ten foreign
prisoners of war held by Russian forces, including American, British, and
Moroccan nationals. This unexpected intervention highlighted Saudi Arabia’s
ability to serve as a neutral, effective intermediary even in conflicts outside
its immediate region.
That engagement has continued. In March 2025, Saudi Arabia hosted high-level
discussions in Jeddah between US, Ukrainian, and European officials aimed at
exploring avenues for ceasefires, prisoner swaps, and humanitarian corridors.
The talks, attended by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian
Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, signaled the Kingdom’s enduring
relevance as a venue for sensitive and strategic negotiations.
At the heart of this diplomatic awakening is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s
Vision 2030 – an ambitious initiative to diversify the Saudi economy, modernize
its society, and reshape its global image. While economic transformation –
through investment in tourism, technology, and clean energy – has been the
centerpiece of Vision 2030, foreign policy and diplomacy have become critical
pillars of the plan.
MBS recognizes that economic stability is closely tied to regional peace. A
Middle East plagued by war, terrorism, and political fragmentation is
incompatible with the global investments and partnerships Saudi Arabia seeks.
Thus, the Kingdom’s diplomatic surge is not a philanthropic endeavor, but also a
strategic choice: to become a force for peace.
Saudi diplomacy is also increasingly humanitarian in nature. From mediating
prisoner exchanges to financing reconstruction, the Kingdom is positioning
itself as a responsible global actor. These efforts burnish Saudi Arabia’s
international reputation and attract global partners who seek stability and
cooperation in an otherwise turbulent region.
A model for others and a blueprint for the region
Saudi Arabia’s new diplomatic identity offers a model for other nations in the
region. Some countries in the region which have traditionally played regional
roles, are now looking to Riyadh for cues on how to expand their influence
diplomatically. By demonstrating that economic reform and peace mediation can go
hand in hand, Saudi Arabia is encouraging its neighbors to invest in similar
strategies.
If more nations in the Middle East adopt this approach – prioritizing peace,
mediation, and regional cooperation – the entire region stands to benefit.
Reduced conflict means increased trade, shared infrastructure, and more
resilient economies. This could also reduce the likelihood of foreign military
interventions, allowing the region to solve its own problems on its own terms.
In conclusion, Saudi Arabia has emerged as a proactive global player in
peacebuilding and diplomacy. Its recent efforts in Syria, Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza,
and elsewhere mark a new era in Saudi foreign policy – one that embraces
negotiation over confrontation and investment over isolation. Through the vision
and leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and guided by the strategic
goals of Vision 2030, the Kingdom is taking bold steps to resolve conflicts,
stabilize regions, and mediate peace in some of the world’s most entrenched
crises. The Kingdom has indeed become a global diplomatic powerhouse and peace
mediator, setting an example for the Middle East and offering hope for a more
stable, prosperous, and cooperative world.
Question: “What is Israel’s role in the end times?”
GotQuestions.org/June 14/2025
Answer: Every time there is a conflict in or around Israel, many see it as a
sign of the quickly approaching end times. The problem with this is that we may
eventually tire of the conflict in Israel, so much so that we will not recognize
when true, prophetically significant events occur. Conflict in Israel is not
necessarily a sign of the end times.
Conflict in Israel has been a reality whenever Israel has existed as a nation.
Whether it was the Egyptians, Amalekites, Midianites, Moabites, Ammonites,
Amorites, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, or Romans, the nation
of Israel has always been persecuted by its neighbors. Why is this? According to
the Bible, it is because God has a special plan for the nation of Israel, and
Satan wants to defeat that plan. Satanically influenced hatred of Israel—and
especially Israel’s God—is the reason Israel’s neighbors have always wanted to
see Israel destroyed. Whether it is Sennacherib, king of Assyria; Haman,
official of Persia; Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany; or Rouhani, President of
Iran, attempts to completely destroy Israel will always fail. The persecutors of
Israel will come and go, but the persecution will remain until the second coming
of Christ. As a result, conflict in Israel is not a reliable indicator of the
soon arrival of the end times.
However, the Bible does say there will be terrible conflict in Israel during the
end times. That is why the time period is known as the Tribulation, the Great
Tribulation, and the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). Here is what the
Bible says about Israel in the end times:
There will be a mass return of Jews to the land of Israel (Deuteronomy 30:3;
Isaiah 43:6; Ezekiel 34:11-13; 36:24; 37:1-14).
The Antichrist will make a 7-year covenant of "peace" with Israel (Isaiah 28:18;
Daniel 9:27).
The temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2
Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 11:1).
The Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel, and worldwide persecution of
Israel will result (Daniel 9:27; 12:1, 11; Zechariah 11:16; Matthew 24:15, 21;
Revelation 12:13). Israel will be invaded (Ezekiel chapters 38-39).
Israel will finally recognize Jesus as their Messiah (Zechariah 12:10). Israel
will be regenerated, restored, and regathered (Jeremiah 33:8; Ezekiel 11:17;
Romans 11:26).
There is much turmoil in Israel today. Israel is persecuted, surrounded by
enemies—Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Hamas, Islamic Jihad,
Hezbollah, etc. But this hatred and persecution of Israel is only a hint of what
will happen in the end times (Matthew 24:15-21). The latest round of persecution
began when Israel was reconstituted as a nation in 1948. Many Bible prophecy
scholars believed the six-day Arab-Israeli war in 1967 was the "beginning of the
end." Could what is taking place in Israel today indicate that the end is near?
Yes. Does it necessarily mean the end is near? No. Jesus Himself said it best,
"Watch out that no one deceives you. . . . You will hear of wars and rumors of
wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the
end is still to come" (Matthew 24:4-6).
Trump: On the Way to Crucial Summits
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 13/2025
While President Donald Trump prepares for G-7 and NATO summits later this month
political circles and media in Europe are busy trying to cut him down to size
before the two events. “Trump will come empty-handed,” says one commentator.
“None of the things he announced with fanfare has been achieved.”
Other commentators use such phrases as “deflated balloon” and “bogged down in
the mess he created.” At first sight it looks certain that he has not scored big
on any of the dramatic goals he announced. His tariff campaign is stalled in a
maze of zigzags. His peace-making gambit in Ukraine has led to him humiliating
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and labelling Russian President Vladimir
Putin as “quite mad”. He has not secured the accord with Iran which he had
boasted would be done and dusted in an afternoon.
Worse still, scores of US judges have lined up to block some of his dramatic
measures including the crackdown on illegal immigration.
His purge of bureaucracy has also been stalled and the federal government is
desperately rehiring many of the staff that Elon Musk fired as “do-nothing
parasites.”
In another register, the Gaza tragedy continues and the ceasefire promised seems
as remote as ever. The cherry on the top of all that is the riot triggered by
illegal immigrants in Los-Angeles leading to the deployment of the National
Guard and the Marines, a rare move in American history.
Even on the personal side of things his success in securing business contracts
for Trump holdings plus a Jumbo Jet is counter-balanced by the acrimonious split
with his most ardent backer Elon Musk.
With such a tableau, Trump’s favorite words “amazing” and “wonderful” used to
describe his first 100 days in office sound hollow.
Well, what can one make of all that?
At the start of Trump’s second term I suggested that the sky hasn’t fallen and
advised those who saw the events as an end-of-time catastrophe to take a deep
breath and not judge Trump by what he says he might do but wait and see what he
does. At the time many Trump critics overestimated his power, indeed the power
of any president of the United States and assumed he could do what he likes by
fiat or ukase. This time they may be underestimating the United States as the
indispensable world power. That misunderstanding is due to the fact that the
American model doesn’t easily fit into concepts such as democracy and republic.
What became the United States was the fruit of a rebellion against a system in
which concentration of power contained the threat of tyranny.
For the Founding Fathers, therefore, the priority was to prevent any one person
or institution of state to monopolize power with a system of checks and balances
learned from Xenophon in his “Cyropaedia” and Montesquieu in “The Spirit of
Laws”. Thus the US couldn’t become a state modeled on Athenian democracy in
which the “people”, which in fact meant a small minority of free male citizens
could do whatever they liked with the power won through elections.
Nor could the US become a republic modeled on the Roman republic or the more
recent Venetian version where power was wielded by narrow patrician elites.
To complicate matters further the system the founding fathers designed included
elements both of democracy and republic.
It is a democracy because almost all public positions are filled through
elections. However, those elected face a series of constraints both in having
their election confirmed and when exercising the power delegated to them. Worse
still the art of winning an election isn’t the same as the craft of governing.
In other words a genius in winning elections may turn out to be a dunce in
governing.
In that system the Leviathan, Hobbes’ symbol of state power, is heavily chained
down. The aim of those who designed it was to make sure it did as little as
possible. In what could be a constitutional republic democracy is more of a
point of moral reference than a blank cheque to exercise power.
This is why President Barack Obama, a closet collectivist, was unable to
implement his agenda and inject a heavy dose of socialism into the American
economy and foreign policy.
George Shultz, one of the wisest American politicians of the last century, noted
that no political battle in the US is ever won or lost forever. The US is a
giant cruiser set on its course by mystical elements and couldn’t be suddenly
put on another course wished by the captain of the moment and his crew.
Politicians, therefore, are either swimming with the tide or as L.H Mencken
charged “brothers in pillage.”
According to Shultz, the American system doesn’t allow radical changes; in its
reform, could only be incremental. A passing revolutionary mood may help you win
an election. Soon, however, you shall find out that you are in office but not in
power to implement your promised revolutionary agenda.
The American system is designed to slow down decision making to avoid both
tyranny and anarchy. The ideal government in that model is one that doesn’t do
anything, thus allowing individuals who make up the society to shape their lives
in a framework of laws that guarantees freedom.
The key concept in the American system is consent which, if and when achieved,
could allow changes of course, innovations and what is branded as reform.
The political set-up against which Trump led his “revolution” was the fruit of a
consent that started with President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” reforms and
took almost half a century to shape the status quo that Trump challenged.
The Trump “revolution” was also the fruit of a new consent that took decades to
shape as a challenge the status quo created by the previous consent in its many
forms including positive discrimination, political correctness, globalism and
more recently wokism.
But, once the revolutionary mood ebbs reality strikes back with people who wish
to light the chimney without setting their home on fire. Though the fruit of a
rebellion dressed as a revolution American society has always been deeply
conservative in politics. In some cases political power comes with a heavy dose
of personal attributes.
Nero wasn’t satisfied with just being emperor and fancied himself as a great
musician and poet. Although he had a squeaking voice he was convinced he was the
best singer in the empire. Commodus believed he was a descendant of Hercules and
showed his strength by strangling savage beasts in the forum.
More recently, Obama saw himself as a magician to conjure a new American rabbit
out of his cylinder hat while reforming the Islamic world.
The Caesar may be able to tame the whole world but is unable to rule his own
inner self. That task is always performed by reality which obeys no Caesar.
Thus the best option is to wait until that golden rule of history is applied to
Trump who continues to represent a desire by many Americans, perhaps still a
majority, to put the giant cruiser on a new course. Reality will teach them that
the American system allows only incremental changes of course.
The Trump-Musk fall-off may not be a mere lovers’ tiff but is also unlikely to
be as final as it seems. Love cools, friends fall off, brothers divide belongs
to theatre. In politics a Cato cannot re-script his role as a Brutus.
The Trump-Musk duel may turn out to be a palatial version of catch wrestling
popular in the US in which adversaries seem to be killing each other with
incredibly violent attacks which turn out to be harmless show-off gestures.
These are known as kayfabe in wrestling circles and regarded as an art form.
Let us return to George Shultz.
He believed that a US president could regard himself as immensely successful if
he manages to implement 10 per cent of his agenda. Mencken, for his part, noted
that all US presidential terms end either with a scandal or a sense of
dissatisfaction. Well, who knows, maybe the system is so designed to produce
only such outcomes.
Angry at Sharaa!
Mamdouh al-Muhainy/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 13/2025
Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has a knack for politics. He owes his
political instincts to his layered character, his remarkable personal journey
that took him from the leader of the al-Nusra Front to President of Syria in a
few years, and a keen reader of the lessons of history.
Sharaa has not succumbed to popular pressure as previous leaders had, most
notably President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The latter paid a heavy price for going
along with the masses. Sharaa understands popular sentiment can sweep you and
turn you into a hostage, limiting your options at every pivotal juncture. Sharaa
has clearly learned from the experiences of President Anwar Sadat, who went
against the popular mood and even key figures in his regime but retrieved the
Sinai and averted new wars that would have destroyed Egypt.
What also distinguishes Sharaa is that he does not exploit obsolete cliches. We
are tired of this rigid ideological jargon. He speaks simply and frankly - no
equivocation or prevarication. Devastated and divided, Syria does not need an
orator seeking glory, but rather a realistic, rational leader who can
responsibly address its complex crises. The extremists who celebrated his
arrival in Damascus believed that he would resume the Brotherhood’s moment in
the "Arab Spring," turning Syria into a hub for jihadists. When their hopes were
dashed, they began attacking Sharaa instead of praising him.
But the question is: Would they have cursed him today if he had declared jihad?
Or waged a futile war with Israel? Or clashed with his Arab neighbors? Or made
inflammatory insults against the "Great Satan" and "colonial" powers? Certainly
not. They would have glorified him as the "jihadist leader." Meanwhile, the
Syrian people alone would have paid the price: another 50 years of poverty and
displacement.
Fortunately, Sharaa chose another path: rationality, state-building, and
restoring the Syrian economy. He avoids empty slogans and boisterous rhetoric,
preferring dry but effective technocratic discourse that furthers the national
interest and rejects blackmail. "Syria First" is the slogan, and it is the
gateway to rebuilding trust between Syria and the international community.
That's why Saudi Arabia threw its political and economic weight behind Syria and
contributed to the effort to ensure sanctions relief, removing one of the most
significant obstacles to Syria's recovery.
Syria needs patience and time, but the path has become clear. Indeed, we would
have reason to worry if the extremists and mendacious orators had praised him.