English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For April 02/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus Shares His Disciples
The Passover Meal: For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but
woe to that one by whom he is betrayed
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
22/01-23./:"The festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was
near. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to
death, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered into Judas called
Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief
priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them.
They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. So he consented and
began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was
present. Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had
to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and prepare the
Passover meal for us that we may eat it.’ They asked him, ‘Where do you want us
to make preparations for it?’ ‘Listen,’ he said to them, ‘when you have entered
the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house
he enters and say to the owner of the house, "The teacher asks you, ‘Where is
the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ " He will show
you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.’So
they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the
Passover meal. When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the
apostles with him. He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover
with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is
fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he
said, ‘Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on
I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ Then
he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it
to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in
remembrance of me.’ And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This
cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one
who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is
going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!’
Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do
this.
Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related
News & Editorials published on April 01-02/2026
Holy
Thursday – A Celebration of Love, Sacrifice, and Divine Mysteries/Elias Bejjani/April
02/2026
Exposing Hezbollah’s Lies and Mythical Victories: Neither Did It Liberate
the South in 2000, Nor Did It Win the 2006 /Elias Bejjani/October 16/2025
Israel, Lebanon's Rulers, the Army, Security Forces, and UNIFIL Bear
Responsibility for the Martyrdom of George and Elias Said, Sons of Debl/Elias
Bejjani/March 29/2026
Video Link: A comprehensive interview with writer and director Yousef Y. El
Khoury
Former Minister Youssef Salameh in a Message to President Joseph Aoun
Iran’s supreme leader vows to continue supporting Hezbollah
Lebanon says Israeli strikes on Beirut area kill seven
Israel says strike on Jnah killed top Hezbollah commander
Nine killed, 29 wounded in Israeli strikes on Khaldeh and Beirut's Jnah
Israel strikes south including Risala Scouts, killing at least 8
Lebanon denounces Israel's 'clear intention' for new occupation
Latest developments: Israeli strikes and Hezbollah attacks
Berri says Iran officially told him Lebanon to be part of any deal
Israeli strike on Beirut kills senior Hezbollah commander
Report: Paris warns Beirut of further escalation and deterioration
European Union and UK call for immediate deescalation in Lebanon
Why has Lebanese army withdrawn from border towns?
In Israel's north, war-weary residents feel abandoned by government
Lebanese displaced by war fill Beirut's streets, upending city life
39 cultural properties in Lebanon placed under enhanced protection
Lebanon’s Defense Minister signs mine action support agreement with UNDP and
donor countries
Luxembourg pledges support as PM Salam calls for pressure to end war in Lebanon
Arab Interior Ministers' Council: Support for Lebanon’s security, stability,
unity, and government’s decision to keep weapons under state control
President Aoun condemns attacks on Bahrain in call with King Hamad
IEA, IMF and World Bank to coordinate response to Middle East war's impact
Israel kills Al Manar employee Ali Shuaib, says he was a Hezbollah military
operative/David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/April 01/2026
The War on Hezbollah-The Iranian Terrorist Proxy Continues/LCCC website
links to several important news websites
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on April 01-02/2026
Iran
Guards say Hormuz strait 'will not be opened to enemies'/Agence France Presse/April
01/2025
Future of Strait of Hormuz rests with Iran and Oman, Araghchi says
UK’s Starmer pushes to reopen Strait of Hormuz, rules out UK role in Iran war
Trump says Iran has asked for ceasefire, US to consider it once Hormuz is open
Iranian president says in letter that Iran harbors no enmity towards ordinary
Americans
Macron says France not 'taking part' in Mideast war after Trump criticism
Tom Fletcher to LBCI: We warn of a full-scale humanitarian crisis in Lebanon
with 20% of the population displaced
Report: US and Iran discussing ceasefire for reopening strait
Trump Excoriates European Countries for Imposing Restrictions on U.S. Action
Against Iran
Vance spoke to intermediaries about Iran conflict as recently as Tuesday, source
says
Former Iran FM ‘seriously injured,’ wife killed in Tehran strike
UAE, US presidents discuss Iran attacks in phone call
Securing Iran's enriched uranium by force would be risky and complex, experts
say
Yemen’s Houthis claim joint attack with Iran and Hezbollah on Israel
Iran hits Kuwait airport, tanker off Qatar ahead of Trump speech
US torn between expanding Iran war and ceasefire push as Israel escalates
strikes—the details
Zelensky says had 'positive' call with US negotiators about peace process
Future of Strait of Hormuz rests with Iran and Oman, Araghchi says
The War on Hezbollah-The Iranian Terrorist Proxy Continues/LCCC website
links to several important news websites
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on April 01-02/2026
America can bankrupt Iran’s insiders — And it should/Max Meizlish and
Susan Soh/The Hill/April 01/2026
Renewed Threat From Houthis in Yemen As Iran War Reaches Decisive Stage/Edmund
Fitton-Brown and Bridget Toomey//FDD-Policy Brief/April 01/2026
Islamist Turkey: A Base for Muslim Brotherhood Jihadism/Sinan Ciddi and William
Doran/FDD/April 01/2026
The Latest English
LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 01-02/2026
Holy Thursday – A Celebration of Love,
Sacrifice, and Divine Mysteries
Elias Bejjani/April 02/2026
On the Thursday preceding Good Friday—the day when Jesus was crucified—Catholics
around the world, including our Maronite Eastern Church, commemorate Thursday of
the Holy Mysteries. This sacred day is also known as Washing Thursday, Covenant
Thursday, and Great and Holy Thursday. It marks the Last Supper of Jesus Christ
with His twelve Apostles, as described in the Gospels. It is the fifth day of
the Holy Week of Lent, followed by Good Friday, Saturday of the Light, and
Easter Sunday. At its core, Christianity is a faith of love, sacrifice,
honesty, transparency, devotion, hard work, and humility. During the Last
Supper, Jesus reaffirmed and embodied these divine values. In this solemn and
meaningful setting, He performed several key acts that laid the spiritual
foundation of our faith: He ordained His Apostles as priests, commanding them to
proclaim God's message: “You are the ones who have stood by me in my trials. And
I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you
may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:28–30)
He warned against betrayal and spiritual weakness, teaching that temptation and
evil can overcome those who detach themselves from God, lose faith, or worship
earthly treasures. Even Judas Iscariot, whom Jesus Himself had chosen, fell to
Satan’s temptation: “But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on
the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man
who betrays him!” (Luke 22:21)
He washed His Apostles’ feet, setting an eternal example of humility, love, and
service: “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call
me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your
Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s
feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
(John 13:12–15)
When the Apostles began arguing about who among them was the greatest, Jesus
responded with a powerful lesson in modesty: “The kings of the Gentiles lord it
over them... But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you
should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For
who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the
one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22:24–27)
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries is so named because during the Last Supper, Jesus
instituted two of the most sacred sacraments of the Church: the Eucharist and
the Priesthood.
“Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and said, ‘Take this and share it among
yourselves. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine
until the kingdom of God comes.’ And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it,
and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in
remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying,
‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’” (Luke
22:17–20)
On this Holy Day, the Maronite Church relives the spirit of the Last Supper
through reverent prayers, liturgies, and longstanding sacred traditions: The
Patriarch blesses the Holy Chrism (Myron), along with the oils used for baptism
and anointing, which are then distributed to all parishes. During the Holy Mass,
the priest washes the feet of twelve parishioners—often children—to symbolize
Jesus’ act and the humility of service.
The faithful visit seven churches, a ritual signifying the fullness of the seven
sacraments of the Church: Priesthood, Eucharist, Holy Oil, Baptism,
Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and Service. It also honors the seven
stations believed to be visited by the Virgin Mary as she searched for her Son
after His arrest: the place of detention, the Council of the Priests, Herod’s
palace (twice), Pilate’s headquarters (twice), and finally Calvary. This
tradition is believed by some scholars to have originated in Rome, where early
Christian pilgrims visited the Seven Pilgrim Churches as a form of penance:
Saint John Lateran, Saint Peter, Saint Mary Major, Saint Paul Outside the Walls,
Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls, Holy Cross in Jerusalem, and traditionally
Saint Sebastian Outside the Walls. For the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope John Paul II
substituted the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Divine Love for Saint Sebastian.
The Mass of the Lord’s Supper is marked by the ringing of bells, which then fall
silent until the Easter Vigil. Worshipers spend the evening in prayer and
contemplation before the exposed Blessed Sacrament, meditating on the Agony in
the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus spent His final night before His
crucifixion.
Following the homily and foot washing, the Eucharist is solemnly processed to
the Altar of Repose, where it remains throughout the night. The main altar is
then stripped bare—along with all others in the church—symbolizing Christ’s
humility and the anticipation of His Passion. Before celebrating the
Resurrection on Easter Sunday, Christians live the Paschal Mystery beginning
with Thursday of the Sacraments, continuing through Good Friday, and culminating
in Saturday of the Light. Because He loves us and desires our eternal salvation,
Jesus Christ willingly endured suffering, pain, humiliation, and death on the
Cross—for our sake. Let us pray on this Holy Day that we may always remember His
love and sacrifice, and strive to live lives of true faith, humility,
forgiveness, and service.
Exposing Hezbollah’s Lies and Mythical Victories: Neither Did It
Liberate the South in 2000, Nor Did It Win the 2006 War
Elias Bejjani/October 16/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/148263/
The terrorist Iranian armed proxy, Hezbollah’s leaders, members, officials, and
religious figures falsely claim to be the most honorable, intelligent, pure, and
devout people. Yet, they have never been ashamed of their absolute, public, and
brazen subservience to Iran’s rulers and the doctrine of the Supreme Leader
(Iranian Guardianship of the Jurist/Velayat-e faqih). In this doctrine, there is
no allegiance to Lebanon as a state, its constitution, or its borders—just as is
the case with the followers of this religious ideology in Syria, Iraq, and
Yemen. Their only and absolute loyalty is to Iran.
In reality, they live in a delusional state, feeding on fantasies,
hallucinations, and daydreams, completely detached from the reality of military
and scientific capabilities—whether their own or those possessed by Israel, the
United States, and the Western nations they label as “the Great Satan”
(America), “the Little Satan” (Israel), and “infidels” (any country not under
their control).
This hostile culture of betrayal, division, and slander has never ceased since
Iran and Hafez al-Assad’s regime established Hezbollah in 1982. During Syria’s
occupation of Lebanon, Hezbollah was handed control over Shiite-populated areas
through force and terror. One of the bloodiest milestones was the battle of
Iqlim al-Tuffah in March 1988, where Hezbollah eradicated the Amal Movement’s
military presence, killing more than 1,200 fighters, and leaving thousands
wounded and maimed, thus ending Amal’s military existence and subjugating it
entirely to Hezbollah’s Iranian agenda.
Hassan Nasrallah, Hashem Safieddine, Naim Qassem, Nabil Qaouq, Mohammad Raad,
Hussein Mousawi, and the rest of the leaders of this misguided faction—both the
living and the dead—deluded themselves into believing that their Persian empire
project was within reach. Yet, this illusion is collapsing under relentless
blows, their leaders are being eliminated, their strongholds are being
destroyed, and their so-called “supportive environment”—which is in fact a
hostage population—is turning against them.
Hezbollah, its members—whether civilian, military, or clerical—do not belong to
Lebanon, to Arab identity, or to any nation. They are entirely detached from
reality and from all that is humane. They have built castles of illusions,
locked themselves inside, hearing only their own voices and seeing only their
own reflections. To them, anyone different is nonexistent, and in their
extremist ideology, the blood of Lebanese, Syrians, and Arabs is permissible.
With every crime, explosion, assassination, and defeat, their arrogance and
impudence only increase. They are indifferent to the suffering of others, taking
sadistic pleasure in it, celebrating tragedies by distributing sweets. They have
taken their own sect hostage, turning its youth into cannon fodder for Iran’s
reckless wars in Syria, Yemen, and beyond.
They believe they can humiliate and subjugate the Lebanese people, forgetting
that Lebanon, a civilization over 7,000 years old, has crushed, expelled, and
humiliated all invaders and outlaws like them. The last of these was Assad’s
army, which was disgracefully expelled in 2005.
Hezbollah is practically finished at the hands of Israel, backed by Arab and
Western powers. It will not rise again. The unprecedented human and economic
losses it has inflicted on Lebanon’s Shiite community guarantee that, once the
Lebanese state regains its sovereignty, the people will turn against Hezbollah
and reject it.For this reason, all those involved in public affairs—especially
in the Lebanese Diaspora—must understand that any Lebanese, whether expatriate
or resident, who supports or collaborates with Hezbollah under any pretext is an
enemy of Lebanon, its sovereignty, identity, and independence.
The Myth of “Liberating” the South and “Victory” in the 2006 War
The terrorist-Jihadist Hezbollah that claims to be a resistance and liberation
movement has never been either of the two, but merely a military Iranian proxy.
The narrative of the “liberation of the south” in 2000 is nothing but a colossal
lie, as Israel withdrew from Lebanon by an internal decision, after its presence
became costly and futile, and Hezbollah did not play a decisive role in that. As
for the 2006 war, the results were catastrophic for Lebanon, where more than
1,200 Lebanese were killed, infrastructure was destroyed, and the Shiite
environment was completely devastated. Hezbollah did not achieve any victory,
but all of Lebanon emerged defeated and destroyed… and the, the catastrophic,
the disastrous, and the complete defeat of its foolish recent war against Israel
in support of Hamas in Gaza, has led to its end and to the entire world standing
behind the necessity of implementing international resolutions related to
Lebanon 1559, 1680, and 1701, which stipulate its disarmament, the dismantling
of its military institutions, and the extension of Lebanese state authority by
its own forces over all Lebanese territories, and confining the decision of war
and peace to the Lebanese state alone.
Based on well-documented Lebanese, Arab, Israeli, and international facts,
Hezbollah neither liberated the South nor won the 2006 war. It is certainly not
a resistance movement nor an opposition force. It is, in fact, Lebanon’s
foremost enemy, as well as that of all Arabs. It must be dealt with accordingly,
along with all its allies—politicians, parties, officials, and clerics. Any
other approach is sheer foolishness and self-deception.
In conclusion, Hezbollah has destroyed Lebanon, impoverished its people,
displaced them, and turned the country into an arms depot and a launch pad for
Iran’s futile wars.
Lebanon can only be saved by dismantling Hezbollah, disarming it, arresting its
leaders, and holding them accountable for the devastation they have inflicted on
the nation.
Israel, Lebanon's Rulers, the Army, Security Forces, and UNIFIL Bear
Responsibility for the Martyrdom of George and Elias Said, Sons of Debl
Elias Bejjani/March 29/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/153204/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DRar8yT9dU
With profound anger and sorrow, the Lebanese people and the conscience of the
free world mourn the two wronged martyrs, George Said and his son Elias, who
were killed by Israeli fire on the road linking their village, Debl, and the
town of Rmeish. This heinous crime is not merely a "military error," but a
direct targeting of peaceful, unarmed citizens who never bore arms nor belonged
to schemes of strife or to the terrorist "Hezbollah" axis that has brought ruin
and destruction upon Lebanon and the South.
The two martyrs were on a mission of survival, seeking sustenance and medicine
for their people in the besieged village of Debl, only to fall drenched in blood
on a "humanitarian corridor." Due to Hezbollah’s criminality and its futile
Iranian jihadist wars—and because of the Lebanese state's negligence (army and
security forces) and the indifference of the international UNIFIL forces—this
path has turned into a death trap lurking for the innocent.
What the village of Debl faced yesterday with the martyrdom of two of its sons,
preceded days ago by the fall of three martyrs in the town of Ain Ebel and the
targeting of the shepherd of Rmeish, is the dear blood tax paid by Christians in
Southern Lebanon as the price for clinging to their roots and history. They are
the children of this holy land trodden by the feet of Lord Christ and His Virgin
Mother, raised in faith on soil kneaded with the blood, sweat, and conviction of
their ancestors. They remain steadfast against all projects of uprooting and
displacement—whether Palestinian, leftist, pan-Arabist, Baathist, or Iranian.
Today, Southern Christians stand with pride and resilience, bare-chested before
the terrorism of the Iranian-backed jihadist Hezbollah. The group has turned
their towns and villages into missile platforms and open battlefields for the
account of the Tehran regime, completely disregarding the safety and security of
residents who refuse displacement and cling to the land they redeem today with
their lives.
Full and absolute responsibility for the dire situation in Southern Christian
villages and towns rests upon:
The Falsely Named "Lebanese State": Hijacked in its decision-making, rulers,
officials, and sovereignty by Hezbollah.
The Lebanese Army and Security Forces: Which abandoned their constitutional duty
to protect citizens, leaving Southern Christian border villages to face their
fate alone, caught between the hammer of occupation and the anvil of terrorism.
The International UNIFIL Forces: Who are called upon today to exercise their
actual role in protecting civilians and securing humanitarian corridors. There
is no use for "peacekeeping forces" content with the role of a spectator,
issuing reports while the innocent are slaughtered.
However, the greatest responsibility is borne by the terrorist Hezbollah, which
occupies South Lebanon and takes its residents hostage for regional adventures,
unconcerned by the destruction of villages or the displacement of their people.
The cry of Debl's parish priest, Father Fadi Falflé, along with the cries of
Christian residents and municipal and electoral figures, is the cry of a people
who reject humiliation. These are a people who refuse to leave their land and
will not be intimidated by the machine of death. The Christian presence in the
South will remain a solid rock upon which all projects foreign to Lebanon's
identity and history shatter.
Mercy to the martyrs George and Elias Said, and to the martyrs of Ain Ebel and
Rmeish. Shame to everyone who conspired or remained silent in the face of these
crimes.
Video Link: A comprehensive
interview with writer and director Yousef Y. El Khoury
The Interview was conducted by Journalist Danny Haddad
MTV/April 01/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/153334/
Video Link: A comprehensive interview with writer and director Yousef Y. El
Khoury. This deep, visionary discussion spans personal, political, historical,
and professional realms. El Khoury delivers a masterclass in “Lebanonist” and
sovereignist thought—calling things by their names as he provides a surgical
dissection of Hezbollah’s schemes, jihadist ideologies, and the Mullahs’
sinister project.
Former Minister Youssef Salameh in a
Message to President Joseph Aoun: The withdrawal of the army from the South
leads to one of two outcomes: either handing the area over to Israel without
political resistance, or exposing it to Hezbollah’s weapons and forcing the
displacement of its residents.
Agencies – April 1, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/153326
Following a telephone consultation,
the Political Council of the “Identity and Sovereignty Gathering” issued the
following appeal through its president, former minister Youssef Salameh:
Your Excellency President, Joseph Aoun: On behalf of the Identity and
Sovereignty Gathering, I address you in your capacity as Supreme Commander of
the Armed Forces and the foremost guardian of the safety of both citizens and
the nation.
I speak to you out of the pain and concern of our people in the South—those who
do not subscribe, in faith, to the doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih, nor are they
driven militarily by vengeance for the assassination of Sayyed Khamenei.
Accordingly, they are not party to the war initiated by Hezbollah against
Israel, nor to the ensuing escalation that has shifted from defense to offense.
I also address you in the name of the Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, the
Sheikh al-Aql of the Druze community, and the unified Eastern Church—figures who
have remained silent and have not inquired about their steadfast citizens on the
border. Instead, they have seemingly shifted their burden onto the Apostolic
Nuncio, whom we saw carrying relief boxes on his shoulders—demonstrating that he
alone embodies the true mission of representing Christ on earth.
Your Excellency, I ask: what is the rationale behind withdrawing state
institutions, security agencies, and the Lebanese Army from the region south of
the Litani—particularly from villages that are not involved in the war, yet
remain steadfast with their residents, raising the Lebanese flag along the
Israeli border—thereby leaving the fate of these resilient Lebanese citizens in
the hands of either Hezbollah or Israel?
The Lebanese Army is deployed in the South in implementation of UN Security
Council Resolution 1701, in coordination with UNIFIL and under the auspices of
the United Nations and the Security Council.
Has the government abandoned Resolution 1701, or is it applying it
selectively—just as it has selectively adhered to the principle of the state’s
monopoly on arms?
If the justification is the presence of the Israeli army south of the Litani, it
should be recalled that Israel had previously occupied the South, yet the
Lebanese state maintained its institutional presence there. Salaries and
logistical support continued to be delivered to army personnel loyal to state
legitimacy—not to the South Lebanon Army—numbering approximately two hundred
troops under the command of Lebanese Army officer Nicolas Mezher, who was later
promoted to the rank of General. He upheld and represented state legitimacy
despite the presence of the South Lebanon Army at the time.
Your Excellency, The withdrawal of the army from the South leads to one of two
outcomes: either handing the area over to Israel without political resistance,
or exposing it to Hezbollah’s weapons and forcing the displacement of its
residents. In both cases, this amounts to a complete forfeiture of both the land
and its people. Are you aware, Your Excellency, that such a stance places the
government under national suspicion? Maintaining state institutions along the
border strip fortifies the nation and safeguards Lebanon’s unity. Admitting and
correcting a mistake is a virtue. We urge you to heed our call before it is too
late.
NB: (Free translation from Arabic by: Elias Bejjani)
Iran’s supreme leader vows to
continue supporting Hezbollah
Associated Press/April 01/2025
Iran’s supreme leader vowed Wednesday his nation will continue to support
anti-Israeli forces in the Mideast. The message from Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei,
like others since he was named Iran’s new supreme leader, came in a statement
read on air by a state television anchor. "I firmly declare that the consistent
policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in continuing the path of the late Imam
and martyred leader, is based on continuing to support the resistance against
the Zionist-American enemy," Khamenei said in the comments from a letter to
Lebanon's Hezbollah. Khamenei has not been seen since the war began Feb. 28.
U.S. and Israeli officials believe he was wounded and remains in hiding.
Lebanon says Israeli strikes on Beirut area kill seven
Al Arabiya English/01 /2026
The Lebanese Ministry of Health said Wednesday that Israeli strikes on Beirut’s
southern suburbs and a nearby town killed at least seven people, as Israel’s
military claimed it had targeted senior Hezbollah members. Lebanon was drawn
into the Middle East war on March 2 when Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah
launched attacks on Israel to avenge the killing of Iran’s leader Ali Khamenei.
Israel has responded with broad strikes across Lebanon and a ground offensive.
The health ministry said an Israeli air raid on south Beirut’s Jnah area killed
at least five people and wounded 21 others. A Lebanese security source said four
parked cars were hit. Another strike that hit a vehicle in Khaldeh, just south
of the capital, killed two people and wounded three, the health ministry said in
a separate statement. Israel’s military claimed it had struck a “senior
Hezbollah commander” and another member of the group in two separate strikes “in
the Beirut area”, without naming the targets or giving detail on the exact
locations. Hezbollah has claimed dozens of attacks across the border and against
Israeli forces inside Lebanon.Around midnight (2100 GMT Tuesday) air raid sirens
sounded across northern Israel’s Galilee region, according to the military’s
Home Front Command. This came hours after what Israeli media said was a barrage
of more than 40 rockets fired by Hezbollah, which claimed multiple attacks on
northern Israel in successive statements late Tuesday. The militant group also
said its fighters were engaged in “fierce clashes” with Israeli troops near the
border early Wednesday and claimed rocket fire targeting a group of soldiers in
another area. Israel’s military has reported several casualties among its ranks
in recent days in south Lebanon, including four soldiers who were killed.
Lebanese authorities say the war has so far killed more than 1,200 people and
displaced more than one million. Israel has signaled it intends to occupy parts
of southern Lebanon, to create what officials have called a buffer zone seeking
to push Hezbollah away from border areas.Defense Minister Israel Katz said on
Tuesday that “all the houses in the villages adjacent to the border in Lebanon
will be demolished.”Katz’s Lebanese counterpart Michel Menassa decried plans for
“a new occupation of Lebanese territory”, while Canada’s Prime Minister Mark
Carney denounced Israel’s deployment as an “illegal invasion.”With AFP
Israel says strike on Jnah killed top Hezbollah commander
Agence France Presse/April 01/2025
An Israeli strike in the Jnah area of Beirut early on Wednesday killed
Hezbollah's top commander for Iraq military affairs, Youssef Hashem, a Lebanese
security source and a Hezbollah source both told AFP. The security source said
"a senior Hezbollah official, who is the military chief for the Iraq file, named
Youssef Hashem, was killed in the strike on the Jnah area in Beirut," adding
that "he was in a meeting inside a tent near several vehicles". A source close
to Hezbollah confirmed the information, while the health ministry announced a
final toll of seven people killed in the strike. The Israeli army said Hashem
was Hezbollah's commander for the south Lebanon front after he succeeded Ali
Karaki who was killed in September 2024. A source close to Hezbollah said Hashem
is "the highest-ranking official to be targeted since the start of the war".
Another Hezbollah member, Mohammad Baqir al-Naboulsi, was also killed in the
strike on Jnah, the group said.
Nine killed, 29 wounded in Israeli strikes on Khaldeh and Beirut's Jnah
Agence France Presse/April 01/2025
Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs and a nearby town killed at least
seven people, as Israel's military said it had targeted senior Hezbollah
members. The health ministry said an Israeli raid early Wednesday in the Jnah
area, which borders Hezbollah's stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut,
killed seven people and wounded 26 others. A Lebanese security source said four
cars parked on a street were targeted. An AFP correspondent at the scene shortly
after the attack saw the remains of a car and firefighters battling a blaze in
the dark of night. The sound of several large explosions had been heard across
the city, and a column of smoke was seen rising from the Jnah area, which is
home to apartment buildings, cafes and shops. In the morning, AFP correspondents
saw a blackened, debris-strewn street with passersby coming to look. Hassan
Jalwan, who lives near Jnah, told AFP he heard several "big explosions"
overnight. "Nobody knows what's happening," he said incredulously, adding that
"displaced people have been sleeping in the open" in the area. The National News
Agency said the strike originated from a warship. A separate strike that hit a
vehicle in Khaldeh, just south of the capital, late Tuesday killed two people
and wounded three, the health ministry said. An AFP correspondent there saw a
charred vehicle and paramedics taking a wounded person away on a stretcher.
Hezbollah 'commander' Israel's military said it had struck a "senior Hezbollah
commander" and another member of the group in two separate strikes "in the
Beirut area", without naming the targets or exact locations. The NNA also
reported a strike early Wednesday on the Hadath district in Beirut's southern
suburbs, which has largely emptied of residents following repeated Israeli
strikes and evacuation orders. The agency also said Israeli artillery and
airstrikes hit Lebanon's south and the adjacent West Bekaa area. Hezbollah early
Wednesday claimed cross-border attacks against Israel and said its fighters were
engaged in "fierce clashes" with soldiers in the Lebanese town of Shamaa, around
five kilometers from the border, and claimed rocket fire targeting a group of
Israeli soldiers in another area. Around midnight, air raid sirens had sounded
across northern Israel's Galilee region, hours after what Israeli media said was
a barrage of more than 40 rockets fired by Hezbollah, which also claimed
multiple attacks on northern Israel late Tuesday. Israel's military has reported
several casualties among its ranks in recent days in south Lebanon. Lebanese
authorities say the war has so far killed more than 1,200 people and displaced
more than one million. Israel has said it intends to occupy parts of southern
Lebanon to create what officials have called a buffer zone seeking to push
Hezbollah away from border areas. Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday
that "all the houses in the villages adjacent to the border in Lebanon will be
demolished". Katz's Lebanese counterpart Michel Menassa decried plans for "a new
occupation", while Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney denounced Israel's
deployment as an "illegal invasion".
Israel strikes south including Risala Scouts, killing at least 8
Agence France Presse/April 01/2025
Israeli strikes in south Lebanon killed at least eight people on Tuesday, one of
them a paramedic, according to the ministry of health. In separate statements,
the ministry said a strike in Tyre district killed three people and wounded 19
more, while another attack in Sidon district killed four. A third strike in Bint
Jbeil district hit a gathering point for the Risala Scouts -- a rescue
organization run by Hezbollah ally the Amal movement -- killing a paramedic and
wounding 13 other people. In the east of the country, four people were killed
and seven were wounded in a strike on Sohmor in West Bekaa.
Lebanon denounces Israel's 'clear intention' for new occupation
Agence France Presse/April 01/2025
Lebanon denounced what it called Israel's plans for "a new occupation of
Lebanese territory" on Tuesday, after Israel said it would establish a "security
zone" in the country. Defense Minister Major General Michel Menassa said the
remarks by his counterpart Israel Katz were "no longer mere threats", but
reflected "a clear intention to impose a new occupation of Lebanese territory,
forcibly displace hundreds of thousands of citizens, and systematically destroy
villages and towns in the south".Katz also said Israel would have "security
control" up to the Litani river, an idea which Menassa denounced as "a deepening
of the aggression against Lebanese land and national sovereignty".
Latest developments: Israeli strikes and Hezbollah attacks
Naharnet/April 01/2025
The Israeli army targeted Wednesday several towns and villages in south Lebanon
including Houmin al-Tahta, al-Mansouri, Khiam, Harees, Kawnin, Beit Yahoun,
Haddatha, al-Tiri, Hanine, al-Qawzah, Beit Leef, al-Ghandourieh, Kafra, al-Qlayleh,
al-Henniyyeh, Maaroub, Dweir, Marjaoun, Maroun al-Ras, Marwanieh, and Ramadieh.
At least six people were killed in the strikes, four of them from the same
family in Houmin. In Beirut, a strike targeted al-Hadath in the capital's
southern suburbs, after two strikes on Jnah and Khaldeh killed nine people. In
the east of the country, strikes targeted Sohmor in West Bekaa. Hezbollah for
its part claimed attacks on north Israel and on troops trying to advance in
south Lebanon. The group said it targeted with artillery shells, rocket salvos
and attack drones troops and tanks in al-Qantara, al-Taybeh, Naqoura, Deir al-Seryan,
and Odaisseh, amid fierce clashes in Shamaa. It also targeted with attack drones
and rockets Kiryat Shmona, Yir’on, the Ramot Naftali barracks, the Nimra base
west of Lake Tiberias, The Yodifat Military Industries company east of Haifa,
the Machanayim camp east of Safed, Ma'alot-Tarshiha, Shlomi, the Meron base,
Nahariya, the Zar'it barracks, the Ami'ad base, Misgav Am and the Ras al-Naqoura
naval base. Hezbollah also targeted overnight with a surface-to-air missile an
Israeli drone over south Lebanon and shot down a Hermes 450 - Zik drone over al-Aishiyeh,
Jabal al-Rihan.
Berri says Iran officially told him Lebanon to be part of
any deal
Naharnet/April 01/2025
Speaker Nabih Berri has revealed to his visitors that Iranian Foreign Minister
Abbas Araghchi had informed him, one day before the Lebanese Foreign Ministry’s
decision to expel Iran's ambassador, that Tehran insists any agreement to end
the war must also include Lebanon, affirming that “what applies to Tehran
applies to Beirut.”Domestically, the Speaker stressed that “the top priority
today is the displaced and preserving national unity.” In this context, he
expressed his satisfaction with “the Sunni-Shiite atmosphere in the country” and
with “the welcoming environment for the displaced in the Jabal area, which
confirms what I always say: that Walid Jumblat never loses his way.”He also
noted that he received the latest initiative presented to him by Free Patriotic
Movement leader Jebran Bassil “very positively.” However, he expressed concern
for civil peace, emphasizing that the security plan being implemented by the
security forces and the Lebanese Army is “in the interest of the country and our
displaced people.”The Speaker stressed that “the army is a red line, and any
harm to it is forbidden, from the lowest-ranking soldier to the commander,” and
described his relationship with General Rodolphe Haykal as “excellent.”The
Speaker of Parliament also emphasized: "We are Arabs first, Lebanese second, and
Shiites third. We are an Arab country, and we are very keen on Arab countries
and on maintaining the best relations with them.”However, he added: "We stand
with Iran when the choice is between it and Israel. Even if it were between
Israel and the devil himself, we are certainly against Israel,” noting that
Iran’s performance in the ongoing war has surprised many.
Israeli strike on Beirut kills senior Hezbollah commander
Al Arabiya English/01 April/2026
Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander on Wednesday, two sources told AFP, in a
Beirut strike that Lebanon’s health ministry said killed seven people. A
Lebanese security source and a Hezbollah source told AFP that the commander,
Youssef Hashem, had been responsible for the group’s military affairs in Iraq
and was in a meeting inside a tent when Israel struck. Israel’s military said
Hashem was Hezbollah’s commander for its south Lebanon front. Lebanon was drawn
into the Middle East war in early March when the Tehran-backed Hezbollah
launched rockets towards Israel to avenge a US-Israeli attack that killed Iran’s
supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Israel has responded with massive strikes across
Lebanon and a ground offensive. A source close to Hezbollah said Hashem is “the
highest-ranking official to be targeted since the start of the war.”Another
Hezbollah member, Mohammad Baqir al-Nabulsi, was also killed in the strike on
the Beirut area of Jnah, the group said. With AFP
Report: Paris warns Beirut of further escalation and deterioration
Naharnet/April 01/2025
Paris, through its diplomatic channels and its Minister of Defense, has conveyed
very serious warnings to Beirut about the deteriorating situation on the ground
and its tendency towards further escalation, sources told the Nidaa al-Watan
newspaper in remarks published Wednesday. The information indicated that
negotiations are currently at a standstill, given Washington's reluctance to
pressure Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu's lack of response to French initiatives.
"This comes amid Parisian fears that the ground invasion will expand in scope,
both temporally and geographically, without any defined limits," the sources
added.
European Union and UK call for immediate deescalation in Lebanon
Naharnet/April 01/2025
The Foreign Ministers of Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta,
the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, and the High Representative
of the European Union, expressed Wednesday their full support to the Government
and people of Lebanon, "who are once again suffering the dramatic consequences
of a war that is not theirs.""We express our condolences to the family of the
victims and our solidarity to the civilian population impacted by this war both
in Lebanon and Israel," the Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon said in
a statement, condemning Hezbollah for attacks in support of Iran against Israel.
The attacks "must cease immediately," the statement said. "The priority is to
avoid a further escalation of the regional conflict with Iran."The EU delegation
said it supports the "historic and courageous" decisions taken by the Lebanese
Government. "There is no other way to preserve Lebanon from foreign interference
than by strengthening its State, its institutions and sovereignty," the
delegation said, as it called for direct political negotiations between Lebanon
and Israel, "that can contribute to putting a durable end to this conflict and
set the conditions for peaceful regional coexistence."
"The Lebanese executive has our full support in its approach and we encourage it
to continue on this path through the implementation of concrete and irreversible
measures, at all levels, to restore its sovereignty over the whole Lebanese
territory, including the State’s monopoly on arms. "In this context, we are
committed to support the Lebanese Armed Forces and Lebanese Security Forces, by
participating actively in the international support conference to be held as
soon as conditions allow. With a view to enabling the Lebanese security forces
to become the sole independent guarantors of Lebanon’s sovereignty in the long
term, we also call on the Lebanese authorities to continue to adopt the
necessary financial and economic reforms, in line with IMF requirements."The EU
called on all parties to immediately deescalate, to revert to the cessation of
hostilities agreement and U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), and to
protect the civilian population, humanitarian personnel, peacekeepers, and
civilian infrastructure, including airport, ports and bridges across the
country, in line with international humanitarian law. "We reaffirm our concern
regarding the forced displacement of over 1m people in Lebanon. We call on
Israel to avoid a further widening of the conflict including through a ground
operation on Lebanese territory. We strongly reaffirm that the territorial
integrity of Lebanon must be respected."The European Union delegation to Lebanon
said it stands determined to continue to support the Lebanese government in
providing humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict including
the more than 1 million people displaced and to preserve Lebanon’s internal
cohesion, building on the emergency measures already taken by our respective
countries. It called on the entire international community to participate in
this vital humanitarian effort to ensure dignified living conditions for the
many victims of this conflict."Finally, we reaffirm our strong support for the
mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in South Lebanon
and call to ensure deconfliction channels remain open. We strongly condemn all
recent attacks on UNIFIL contingents, which provoked unacceptable casualties
among the peacekeepers in recent days. We urge all parties, under all
circumstances, to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and
premises, in accordance with international law. We commend its remarkable work
in these difficult conditions," the statement concluded.
Why has Lebanese army withdrawn from border towns?
Associated Press/Agence France Presse/April 01/2025
The Lebanese army said its forces have largely withdrawn from some border towns
as Israeli troops continue to push a ground invasion into the country.The
military said in a statement that troops had to reposition to prevent being
dispersed and cut off from support lines "as a result of the escalation of the
Israeli aggression".The military has gradually withdrawn from a handful of
border towns. Remaining residents in the Christian-majority communities Rmeich
and Ain Ebel have appealed to the Lebanese military and leadership to stay.The
military said it would maintain a group of soldiers in those towns.Israel has
said it intends to reoccupy a swathe of Lebanon to create what officials have
called a buffer zone to push back Hezbollah. Israel already occupied southern
Lebanon for around two decades until 2000. Defense Minister Israel Katz said
Tuesday that "all the houses in the villages adjacent to the border in Lebanon
will be demolished".Katz's Lebanese counterpart Michel Menassa decried those
plans, while Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney denounced what he called an
"illegal invasion". A Lebanese military source told AFP that the army had
withdrawn from some southern towns but remained in others. "Where there is an
Israeli incursion or advance, we evacuate," the source said. "Because... there
is a possibility of a direct targeting of the Lebanese army... and even if there
is no direct targeting, there is a risk the army could be encircled."The source
said the Israelis had advanced up to 10 kilometers in some places. Hezbollah
early Wednesday claimed cross-border attacks against Israel and said its
fighters were engaged in "fierce clashes" with soldiers in the Lebanese town of
Shamaa, around five kilometers from the border. It also said it was behind
rocket fire targeting a group of Israeli soldiers in south Lebanon. Late on
Tuesday night, air raid sirens sounded across northern Israel's Galilee region,
according to the Israeli military's Home Front Command, hours after what Israeli
media said was a barrage of more than 40 rockets fired by Hezbollah. Israel's
military has reported several casualties among its ranks in recent days in south
Lebanon. Lebanese authorities say the war has so far killed more than 1,200
people.
In Israel's north, war-weary residents feel abandoned by
government
Agence France Presse/April 01/2025
Whenever war rocks northern Israel, residents of Kiryat Shmona live their lives
to the rhythm of rocket sirens. Young people have left the city, and those who
remain feel neglected by the government. Some mere three kilometers from
Lebanon, this northern settlement is living through its second war in less than
three years, not counting Israel's 12-day war with Iran last June, or the war
with Hamas in Gaza. Residents say they trust the army will once and for all
"deal with Hezbollah," the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group targeting the north
with rockets and rocket-propelled grenades.
But they feel tired of living in fear of projectiles from the sky and want to be
heard by the government. A lower-income city mainly housing Jews of Moroccan
origin, Kiryat Shmona has almost always voted for Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party. But in a recent video that went viral on
social media, mayor Avichai Stern accused the government of neglecting his city
under attack."The government doesn't understand Kiryat Shmona. It doesn't
understand what our children are going through," Ayala Amar, a 56-year-old
educational assistant, told AFP. "There are no jobs here, there is nothing. We
live in a half-empty city. If we were in Tel Aviv or in Haifa, they would invest
funds," said the mother of quadruplets. Like all northern residents, Amar and
her family were evacuated during the last conflict with Hezbollah, which broke
out in the wake of Hamas' unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack which triggered
the Gaza war. They returned to Kiryat Shmona after a ceasefire took effect at
the end of 2024. "And now it's starting again. It never ends," she sighed, as
artillery fire towards Lebanon echoed outside. This time, however, the
government has decided not to evacuate residents of the north and sent ground
troops to try and clear south Lebanon of Hezbollah fighters.
Nights in shelter
Adva Cohen also returned after an initial evacuation in 2023. Today, the
38-year-old mother of four spends her life between her home and the few meters
separating it from the municipal shelter. She sleeps there every night, with her
neighbor and friend Olga, a mother of six. "In Kiryat Shmona there is simply no
life," Cohen said. Her nail salon has been closed since the fighting resumed on
March 2. "The government is doing its best, I suppose. But it needs to see us,
to listen to us -- the residents of the region on the front line," she said as
she laid out mattresses in the shelter for the night. "It's exhausting. We don't
have a place to breathe, to go have a coffee -- just the basics," said Cohen,
who longs to "find calm, silence again." Passover, the Jewish holiday beginning
Wednesday evening, and her twins' birthday next week will both be held in the
shelter.
Live like Tel Aviv
Of Kiryat Shmona's 25,000 pre-October 7 population, less than half remain. "Half
of the people are elderly, and the second half are babies," said Raz Malka, a
25-year-old who chose to move back to Kiryat Shmona after his studies "so as not
to let the city die." "The nation has to understand that... we want to live the
life here under the same terms as anyone living in Tel Aviv and in every part
(of the country)," he said. "People need development, they need infrastructure,
they need services," he added, accusing the government of having "abandoned"
Kiryat Shmona. According to Mayor Stern, who responded in writing to AFP's
questions, "of the roughly 10,000 residents who remained in the city, about one
in four depends on social services."One clinic operates in Kiryat Shmona, but
the nearest general hospital is in Safed, 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the south.
Most businesses have shut down and relocated their activity, like Margalit
Startup City, an ambitious FoodTech complex inaugurated in 2021 that was meant
to symbolize regional development. But with the war on the northern front --
which sprang up in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran launched on
February 28 -- security remains the "absolute priority" for the mayor of Kiryat
Shmona. He is calling for more shelters and for the evacuation of the most
vulnerable. "I am aware of your great hardship," Netanyahu said Sunday in a
statement addressed to northern residents. Assuring that he had instructed
officials to assist northern communities "very generously," he asked them for
their "continued patience."
Lebanese displaced by war fill Beirut's streets, upending
city life
Associated Press/April 01/2025
Beirut is bursting.
It's been a month since Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel after the
U.S.-Israeli attack on its patron, Iran, triggering Israeli bombardment of
Lebanon and a ground invasion. Since then, more than 1 million people from
southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs have fled. Many have
crammed into the ever-tighter spaces of the country's capital where the bombs
have not yet fallen. Israel's attacks and evacuation orders — unprecedented in
scope, covering what humanitarian agencies estimate to be 15% of this tiny
country — have emptied villages in south Lebanon and pushed almost the entire
population of the southern suburbs into Beirut, shifting the city's center of
gravity, reshaping its geography and stirring fears about its future. A huge
tent encampment has sprouted up in the grassy field between a yacht club and
nightlife venue, transforming the Beirut waterfront. Some families squat in
storefronts, live in mosques and sleep in the cars they drove here, double- and
triple-parking convoys on thoroughfares. Others huddle in tents pulled together
from sheets of tarp along the curving coastal corniche or around Horsh Beirut, a
park of pine trees on the outskirts of Dahieh. "It's horrid because we feel this
tension, that we're not wanted here," said Noor Hussein, who settled at the
waterfront in early March after fleeing the first Israeli airstrikes on Dahieh.
She watched a stream of well-to-do joggers navigate a maze of tents and soiled
mattresses, her three youngest children clambering onto her lap. "We don't want
to be here," she said. "We have nothing here and nowhere to go."
Experts say this displacement is unprecedented
Waves of displacement have upended this city before, most recently during the
2024 Israel-Hezbollah war. But experts struggle to recall such a dramatic exodus
— about 20% of the country's population, according to government statements —
hitting Beirut so fast. "The scale and intensity of this is just unprecedented,"
said Dalal Harb, the spokesperson for the United Nations refugee agency in
Lebanon. She said the figure of 1 million displaced is almost certainly an
undercount because it misses anyone who has not formally registered as displaced
with the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The government has converted hundreds of public schools into shelters and
pitched tents for displaced families beneath the bleachers of the city's main
sports stadium. Charities have scrambled to help, with one refashioning an
abandoned slaughterhouse destroyed in Beirut's 2020 port explosion into a
dormitory for almost 1,000 displaced people. But urban researchers note a
staggering number of people on the streets compared with past conflicts, making
it difficult for ordinary residents to block out the war and the misery it has
wrought.
"This is relatively new, that you have so many people spending time in these
open spaces, who are very vulnerable, living in very precarious conditions,"
said Mona Harb, a professor of urban studies at the American University of
Beirut. "You have to confront this visually when you're coming and going to
work, to school ... and there are strong, mixed feelings associated with this
presence that's unregulated."Families say they've struggled to find space at
government-run shelters in Beirut and would rather brave the elements than
travel north to cities where they might find better accommodations but where
they have no relatives or connections. "The further away we go, the more we'll
lose hope about finding our way back," said Hawraa Balha, 42, when asked why her
family of four was squeezing into the small car they drove from the devastated
southern border village of Dhayra rather than sleeping in an available shelter
further north. "We don't want to move again."
Residents of the suburbs of Dahieh have largely opted to remain in Beirut. That
way, every so often, they can retrieve belongings and check whether their homes
are still standing, albeit in furtive dashes under the threat of bombardment.
Hussein said her kids grew so desperate for a shower after nearly a month
without a bathroom that they rushed home to wash up last week despite the
incessant buzz of Israeli drones.
As more tents appear, Lebanon's sectarian balance is at risk
The prospect of hundreds of thousands of Shiites on the move has inflamed
Lebanese sensitivities about the country's fragile sectarian balance. Ever since
its bloody 15-year civil war, Lebanon has relied on a power-sharing agreement to
accommodate the interests of Christians, Shiite Muslims and Sunni Muslims, the
country's largest religious groups, which make up roughly equal shares of the
population. "It's generating anxieties in Beirut, where the bulk of the
displacement is, that this may cause a significant transformation in the
demographic balance within the country, or within certain spaces and cities,"
said Maha Yahya, director of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Center. Each
day that passes, more tents appear at the waterfront settlement. Children have
started to complain of skin rashes. Heavy rainfall recently flooded the grassy
lot and seeped into tents, leaving a trail of soggy clothes and sore throats. A
fight broke out last week as volunteers arrived to distribute donations. "We're
not used to living like this — we had a house, we had normal lives," said Lina
Shamis, 51, warming herself by a fire at the foot of a billboard advertising
luxury watches. She, her three adult daughters and their small children set up
camp here after heeding Israeli evacuation orders for Dahieh in a panic,
carrying almost nothing with them. "Now the kids are out of school and hungry,
and our neighborhood is gone," she said. "All I feel is despair."With Israel
thrusting deeper into Lebanon and threatening to seize Lebanese territory as far
as the Litani, 30 kilometers north of the Israeli border, the situation of
displaced people in Beirut "will be even worse than what we're seeing now,"
warned Harb, from the U.N. refugee agency. "The needs will continue to
increase," she said. "It's an imminent humanitarian catastrophe."
39 cultural properties in Lebanon placed under enhanced
protection
Naharnet/April 01/2025
UNESCO convened Wednesday an extraordinary meeting to strengthen the protection
of cultural heritage in Lebanon, following the country’s request. The meeting -
an extraordinary session of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural
Property in the Event of Armed Conflict – led to granting provisional enhanced
protection to 39 cultural properties as well as the provision of an
international financial assistance, totaling over 100,000 USD for emergency
operations on the ground.
"Cultural heritage must be protected. It is the backbone of people’s identity,
trust and hope, and it carries the promise of peace and recovery. When heritage
is destroyed anywhere, moral standards are undermined, social cohesion is
eroded, and trust and resilience are jeopardized. It is time to renew our
commitment to protect culture – for the past, the present and the future of all
peoples." said Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Assistant Director-General for Culture
a.i. These 39 cultural properties now benefit from the highest level of legal
protection against attack and use for military purposes. Non-compliance with
these clauses would constitute serious violations of the 1954 Hague Convention
and its 1999 Second Protocol and would constitute potential grounds for criminal
responsibility. The sites placed under enhanced protection will receive
technical and financial assistance from UNESCO to reinforce their legal
protection, improve risk anticipation and management measures, and provide
further training for cultural professionals and military personnel in this area.
Enhanced protection also helps send a signal to the entire international
community of the urgent need to protect these sites. This emergency initiative
complements the action already undertaken by UNESCO in recent weeks to protect
cultural heritage in impacted countries in the Middle East. Since the outbreak
of hostilities, UNESCO has been working closely with the Ministry of Culture and
the Directorate General of Antiquities in Lebanon to support the secure storage
of archeological collections and museums.
UNESCO is also carrying out satellite monitoring of historical and heritage
sites, in order to assess their state of conservation and any damage they have
incurred, in partnership with UNITAR/UNOSAT, the United Nations Satellite
Centre. So far, UNESCO has been able to confirm damages to the city of Tyre in
Lebanon, inscribed in the World Heritage Sites list in 1984, in addition to
other properties in neighboring countries.
List of the protected sites:
Hermel Pyramid
Beit Beirut Museum and Cultural Centre
Depot Tahwita
Lebanese National Library
Bakka Temple
Dakwe Archaeological Site
Deir El-Achayer Temple
Hammara Archaeological Site
Kamed El-Loz Archaeological Tell
Nebi Safa Archaeological Site
Niha Archaeological Site
Chhim Archaeological Site
Arqa Archaeological Site
Felicium Castle and Monastery of Our Lady of the Fortress
Maqam El-Rab Temple
Megalithic Tombs of Menjez
Hasbaya Shehabi Serail
Qabr Hiram Archaeological Monument
Qana Cave Archaeological Site
Shawakeer Archaeological Tell
The Historic Centre of Saida: Audi Soap Museum
The Historic Centre of Saida: Debbane Palace, Sacy Palace and Khan Sacy Cluster
The Historic Centre of Saida: El-Kikhia Mosque Cluster
The Historic Centre of Saida: El-Omari Great Mosque
The Historic Centre of Saida: Hammam El-Ward
The Historic Centre of Saida: Khan El-Franj and Terra Santa Convent Cluster
The Historic Centre of Saida: Khan El–Qeshleh
The Historic Centre of Saida: Saint Nicholas Church
Barsbay Tower
Tripoli: El-Burtassi Mosque
Tripoli: El-Mansouri Mosque Cluster
Tripoli: El-Tawba Mosque
Tripoli: The Mamluk Madrassas Cluster
Tripoli: Hammam El-Jadid Cluster
Tripoli: Hammam Ezzedine Cluster
Tripoli: Khan El-Askar Cluster
Tripoli: Khan El-Saboun Cluster
Tripoli: Souk Haraj
Tripoli: Taynal Mosque
Lebanon’s Defense Minister signs mine action support agreement with UNDP and
donor countries
LBCI/April 01/2025
Lebanon’s Defense Minister Michel Menassa met at his office in Yarzeh on with
the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program in
Lebanon, Blerta Aliko, in the presence of representatives from donor countries
and entities, including the European Union, the Netherlands, Norway, and
Japan.During the meeting, a support agreement was signed for the Lebanese Mine
Action Center covering the period from 2026 to 2030. The agreement aims to
strengthen the center’s institutional capacity, expand humanitarian demining and
unexploded ordnance clearance operations, reduce risks to civilians, support
awareness programs, and assist victims. It also aims to accelerate the
rehabilitation of affected land and promote stability and development in
impacted areas. The UNDP Resident Representative said Lebanon is facing growing
humanitarian and development challenges due to contamination from unexploded
ordnance, especially with the recent escalation of conflict, which is increasing
pressure on national institutions. She stressed the importance of partnership
with the Lebanese Mine Action Center to strengthen demining efforts and build
national capacity, describing the program as a long-term investment in stability
supported by international partners. For his part, the defense minister said the
project represents an important step in strengthening cooperation with UNDP and
donor countries and in supporting the implementation of the national mine action
strategy. He emphasized the need for continued international support to address
this ongoing issue and praised the contributions of friendly countries in
protecting civilians, enabling their safe return, and enabling the use of their
land and property.
Luxembourg pledges support as PM Salam calls for pressure
to end war in Lebanon
LBCI/April 01/2025
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam received a phone call from Luxembourg’s
Prime Minister Luc Frieden, who expressed “his country’s solidarity with
Lebanon,” emphasizing “the need to respect its sovereignty and territorial
integrity” and to uphold international law. For his part, Prime Minister Salam
stressed that “Lebanon relies on Luxembourg’s support in helping address the
humanitarian crisis caused by the displacement of around twenty percent of the
Lebanese population,” calling for “all possible pressure to be applied to stop
the war on Lebanon.”
Arab Interior Ministers' Council: Support for Lebanon’s
security, stability, unity, and government’s decision to keep weapons under
state control
LBCI/April 01/2025
At the conclusion of its 43rd session, the Arab Interior Ministers' Council (AIMC)
issued a statement condemning “in the strongest terms the heinous Iranian
attacks on Arab countries: the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab
Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of
Oman, the State of Qatar, and the State of Kuwait. These attacks constitute a
blatant violation of these countries’ sovereignty, a flagrant breach of
international law and the U.N. Charter, and a serious threat to international
peace and security. The council also condemned Iran’s deliberate aggression
against civilian targets and infrastructure, which resulted in civilian
casualties in clear violation of all rules of international law and principles
of good neighborliness, strongly denounced Iran’s repeated provocations against
Arab states, and firmly condemned Iran’s actions aimed at undermining security
and stability in many Arab countries and disrupting peaceful coexistence among
their communities.”France backs Lebanon army support conference, pushes reforms
and state control of weapons. The council affirmed “its full support for the
Arab countries under attack in confronting ongoing Iranian aggression and fully
backs the measures they take to safeguard their security and stability, protect
their territories and citizens, and secure their institutions and national
facilities, as well as their legitimate right to self-defense.”
It emphasized “its rejection and denunciation of Iran’s continued funding,
arming, and mobilization of militias in multiple Arab countries for its own
interests, constituting a serious threat to the security and stability of those
states and the region.”
The council also expressed “its admiration for the heroic performance of the
armed forces, security forces, and civil protection agencies (civil defense) in
Arab countries in dealing with these attacks, and its deep appreciation for
their sacrifices in maintaining security and stability and protecting lives and
property.”Additionally, the council condemned “Israel’s illegal occupation of
Palestinian and Arab territories in 1967, its expansionist policies in the
region, and its aggression against several countries, including Iraq, Lebanon,
and Syria.”Finally, the council affirmed “its support for the security,
stability, and unity of Lebanese territory, the reinforcement of Lebanese state
sovereignty over all its lands, and backing the Lebanese government’s decision
to keep weapons under state control.”
President Aoun condemns attacks on Bahrain in call with
King Hamad
LBCI/April 01/2025
President Joseph Aoun held a phone call with Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al
Khalifa, during which he condemned the attacks that targeted the Kingdom of
Bahrain and expressed the solidarity of the Lebanese people with the Bahraini
people.
He also condemned what he described as the involvement of partisan groups in a
sabotage plot that Bahrain said it had foiled. King Hamad thanked President Aoun
for his supportive stance toward Bahrain and its people, and called for an end
to Israeli attacks on Lebanon and for ending the suffering of the Lebanese
people.
IEA, IMF and World Bank to coordinate response to Middle
East war's impact
LBCI/April 01/2025
The heads of the International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund, and
World Bank on Wednesday said they will form a coordination group to maximize
their response to the significant economic and energy impacts of the war in the
Middle East.
In a joint statement, the three global bodies noted that the war had caused
major disruptions in the region and triggered one of the largest supply
shortages in global energy market history. "At these times of high uncertainty,
it is paramount that our institutions join forces to monitor developments, align
analysis, and coordinate support to policymakers to navigate this crisis," the
heads of the IMF, IEA, and World Bank said. The new coordination group will
assess the severity of impacts across countries, coordinate a response
mechanism, and mobilize stakeholders to deliver support to countries in need,
the international bodies said. The response mechanism could include targeted
policy advice, assessment of potential financing needs and related provision of
financial support, including through low or zero-percent financing, as well as
unspecified risk mitigation tools, they said. Iran army chief threatens response
to Trump and Netanyahu's 'threats' Reuters
Israel kills Al Manar employee Ali Shuaib, says he was a
Hezbollah military operative
David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/April 01/2026
On the morning of Saturday, March 28, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted a
press-marked vehicle on the Jezzine-Kfarhouna road in south Lebanon. The strike
killed Ali Shuaib, an employee of the Hezbollah TV station Al Manar, and the
siblings Fatima and Mohammad Ftouni, who worked for the pro-Hezbollah Al
Mayadeen satellite news channel. In a subsequent statement, the IDF acknowledged
killing Shuaib, alleging he was an intelligence unit operative in Hezbollah’s
Radwan Force commando unit operating under the guise of a journalist.
IDF Spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee claimed that Shuaib formally joined
Hezbollah’s military apparatus in 2020, but “had been cooperating with the
organization since 2013.” Adraee’s post included images of Shuaib in a military
uniform, alongside the deceased Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods
Force commander Qassem Soleimani, and with Radwan Force Nukhbaunit commander
Jaafar Adsheet. The IDF claimed Shuaib had “operated systematically to expose
the positions of IDF soldiers operating in south Lebanon and along the
frontier,” including during the current conflict. Adraee said Shuaib, “as part
of his duties in the intelligence unit would photograph and collect intelligence
information and transfer it to the Radwan Force under his journalistic guise,”
including exposing current IDF positions, “posing a real threat to the lives of
our soldiers in south Lebanon.”
The IDF also said Shuaib was linked to the broader network of Hezbollah’s
operatives, both within and beyond the Radwan Force, and incited against Israeli
troops and civilians while disseminating Hezbollah propaganda. The IDF’s X
account then uploaded an image of Shuaib, split between his press and military
uniforms. The image stirred controversy when the IDF acknowledged to Fox News
that the image showing him in uniform “was photoshopped.”
A digitally altered image of Shuaib released by the Israeli military.
Al Manar—Hezbollah’s official TV station
Al Manar is Hezbollah’s main and direct TV station, wholly owned and controlled
by the group, even though the control structure is layered. The legally visible
shell company is Lebanese Media Group (LMG), which remains identified as the
parent company by Al Manar’s site in its footer.
In 2006, the US Treasury Department designated Al Manar as a “media arm of the
Hizballah terrorist network,” saying it has “facilitated Hizballah’s activities”
and noting that at least “one al Manar employee engaged in pre-operational
surveillance for Hizballah operations under cover of employment by al Manar.”
The Treasury designation does not name this employee. However, he was most
likely Mohammad Hassan Dbouk, a former head of Hezbollah’s Canadian procurement
cell who, after returning to Lebanon, provided preoperational surveillance for
Hezbollah attack squads working under the cover of Al Manar. Dbouk’s footage was
used to plan attacks against Israeli forces and later produce propaganda videos.
Treasury’s designation also noted that Al Manar has raised funds for Hezbollah
through broadcast advertisements. The same designation targeted the Lebanese
Media Group (LMG), “the parent company of […] al Manar,” stating that “prominent
Hizballah members have been major shareholders of the Lebanese Media Group.”
Al Manar in the Hezbollah organizational hierarchy
Hezbollah’s ownership and control of Lebanese Media Group/Al Manar are not
disputed. Ultimately, the organizations are subordinate to the same ruling Shura
Council, Hezbollah’s high governing body headed by the group’s
secretary-general, as the Jihad Council that controls Hezbollah’s military arms.
However, there is ambiguity about the media organizations’ exact position in the
group’s hierarchy. Historically, the Lebanese Media Group and Al Manar were
controlled by the Executive Council’s Information and Media Unit. But a 2001
report in the now-defunct As Safir, a pro-Syrian newspaper aligned with
Hezbollah’s “resistance” worldview, said that Hezbollah’s sixth conclave decided
to place the Information and Media Unit under the Political Council,
“subordinating the TV [Al Manar] and radio station [Al Nour] and all other
institutions of a media nature to the oversight of a supervisory council headed
by the Secretary-General,” who was Hassan Nasrallah. This restructuring, the
report said, was made necessary “because the next phase [of Hezbollah’s
activities]” that followed Israel’s May 25, 2000, withdrawal from south Lebanon
“required extreme precision in terms of media confrontation, whether with the
Israeli enemy or dealing with domestic affairs.” This restructuring occurred, as
the report indicates, because Hezbollah does not consider Al Manar a media
outlet in the classical sense, but one of many tools to “confront the Israeli
enemy.” This status would have placed LMG/Al Manar under the control of
Hezbollah’s Political Council, with direct oversight from Nasrallah.
However, on December 15, 2025, Al Akhbar News, a pro-Hezbollah daily newspaper,
reported that “as part of the changes within Hezbollah’s organizational
structure after the recent war, the Shura Council — the highest authority in the
party — decided to form a new body to manage the party’s media portfolio.” The
new entity would be headed by Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Al Musawi and be comprised of
“membership [including] representatives of all Hezbollah’s media institutions,
including the TV stations [i.e., Al Manar], electronic media [presumably, this
includes Hezbollah’s Military Media) and the Media Relations Unit.” Al Akhbar
said that “based on available information, the new body belongs to/is controlled
by Hezbollah Sec. Gen. Naim Qassem, until a subsequent decision is made to
either maintain this hierarchy or transfer it to a new central council.” This
status would have given Hezbollah’s secretary-general even closer control over
Al Manar.
The concept of one Hezbollah in service of resistance
Hezbollah has long rejected the distinction between its military and political
“wings,” with Nasrallah once scoffingly dismissing the idea as an “English
innovation.” Current Secretary-General Naim Qassem, while still the group’s
deputy secretary-general, was even more explicit on Hezbollah’s unitary nature.
In 2012, he said, “In Lebanon, there is one party called Hezbollah. We have no
military or political wing. We don’t have a ‘Hezbollah’ and a Resistance Party.
Hezbollah is a party that practices politics, resistance, operates in the path
of God and to serve man—in short, Hezbollah.”
Qassem rebuffed the “divisions that some try to promote,” specifying that
“everything we have in Hezbollah, from leadership, cadres, and different
capabilities, is in service of the resistance, and to uphold the resistance. We
have no priority other than resistance, from the party’s leadership down to its
very last mujahid.’”
Qassem reiterated the point in 2015:
The Europeans behaved stupidly by placing Hezbollah’s military wing on their
list of terror groups but not the political wing. Don’t they know that we in
Hezbollah—all the way from his eminence the Secretary-General [Hassan Nasrallah]
(may God preserve him) to every mujahideen—we all work [together] in jihad,
political, fighting, and social, educational, and cultural work. We do not
section up or differentiate, but they did according to their whims. Media,
according to Hezbollah’s key figures, plays a critical role in promoting the
“resistance” in terms of military effect. Nasrallah, in 2003, described the
media as one of the most important weapons of conflict, battle, and resistance,”
even impacting battlefield outcomes. Qassem reiterated this sentiment in 2025,
saying that the media’s role was “very important” in shaping the battle’s image,
and praising the pro-resistance media’s real results by presenting a “bright
image” of Hezbollah’s fighting forces. Al Manar’s own English “About Us” page
likewise highlights its active role in “mold[ing] the Resistance ideology” and
mobilizing its audience.
As a result, Hezbollah’s leadership has acknowledged that Al Manar has, at
least, a quasi-combat support role. Al Manar began terrestrial broadcasts on
June 3, 1991. However, its initial Lebanese government broadcast license,
granted in 1996, described it as a “resistance channel,” meaning the license
would expire with the Israeli occupation. Al Manar was granted a full broadcast
license as a national television station in July 1997 under Law 382, Lebanon’s
1994 Audiovisual Media Law. But Hezbollah’s leadership continued to acknowledge
Al Manar’s role as one of the “resistance’s” many active tools long after this
point. On the occasion of Al Manar’s 30th anniversary on June 8, 2021, Nasrallah
said the outlet was founded to provide the resistance “image” support, and
likened its staff’s presence in various conflicts, including the 2006 war with
Israel, to “the presence of the mujahideen on the frontlines.” On February 2,
2024, then-Hezbollah Media Relations chairman Mohammad Afif quoted Nasrallah as
saying that “victory would be lost without Al Manar.”
Al Manar acknowledges this partisanship, with its then-director Nayyef Krayem
describing it as a “weapon” on May 8, 2000. Hassan Fadlallah, Al Manar’s
director at the time, highlighted Al Manar’s lack of neutrality to US journalist
Jeffrey Goldberg in 2007. “Neutrality like that of Al Jazeera is out of the
question for us,” he said. “We’re not looking to interview [former Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel] Sharon. We want to get close to him in order to kill him.”
Al Manar also acknowledges it has a partisan battlefield role as an active
participant. Its directors-general have, at different times, described the
outlet’s relationship with the “resistance’s” fighters as symbiotic. Ibrahim
Farhat, for example, has repeatedly emphasized this symbiosis and described Al
Manar as a “martyrdom-seeking” institution—including in spreading “the
resistance’s narrative,” which is crucial to recruitment, fundraising, and
retention of popular support. Al Manar runs advertisements for Hezbollah’s
military fundraisers, including its periodic “Equip a Mujahid” drive to purchase
all fighting equipment except for rifles.
Since its inception, Al Manar has also actively weaponized events to advance
Hezbollah’s military objectives. In the 1990s, it capitalized on the delay that
Israel’s military censor caused in the Israeli media relaying events from the
South Lebanon Security Zone to project its own version first into Israeli
households, seeking to impact the Israeli national psyche and shape Israel’s
military decisions. In a 2025 retrospective, Abdullah Kassir, deputy chairman of
the Executive Council for media affairs and a former Al Manar general manager,
described Al Manar’s direct role in operation-information warfare during the
2006 war. Kassir said that the station would turn Nasrallah’s speeches into
digestible messages supported by maps and coordinates, in cooperation with the
war media, including his threats to strike Haifa and beyond.
Al Manar has maintained this function during the current conflict with Israel.
It carries real-time battlefield claims from the “Islamic Resistance” and
provides advance notice of Hezbollah releasing battlefield and operational
footage.
Ali Shuaib’s verifiable role in Hezbollah
Ali Shuaib is not the first Al Manar employee to be killed during wartime.
Several such individuals died during the 2024 phase of the conflict with Israel.
Their official obituaries reflect Hezbollah’s perception of their media roles as
serving a military function. They were, therefore, eulogized in the same manner
as Hezbollah’s fighters killed in action against the Israelis as being “on the
road to Jerusalem.”
Shuaib, per his obituary, has been with Al Manar since before Israel’s May 2000
withdrawal from south Lebanon and has been present on several active fronts,
including Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. His social media channels and battlefield
accounts openly sought to aid Hezbollah’s military effort in the
information/psychological warfare sphere by promoting the group’s wartime
narratives.
Shuaib’s posts suggest he did not see his role as being that of a neutral
battlefield observer or journalist. Instead, he appears to have seen himself as
an active participant within his available means—media and information. Prior to
the October 8, 2023, Hezbollah attack on Israel, Shuaib was a fixture along the
Blue Line, the de factoborder between Israel and Lebanon, and routinely posted
“confrontations selfies” with IDF troops along the frontier.
Prior to the war, Shuaib routinely reported and photographed Israeli troop
movements and positions on both sides of the frontier line, sometimes at
point-blank range. Shuaib openly continued to do so during the current conflict.
The IDF claims that Shuaib exploited the relatively unimpeded proximity to
Israeli troops offered by his journalistic credentials to report IDF movements
and positions to Hezbollah’s command. After Shuaib’s death, Hezbollah’s media
ecosystem implicitly acknowledged his function in supporting the “resistance”
through media activity. Al Nour Radio, another LMG subsidiary, said that Shuaib
was “the first to know of the resistance fighters’ victories, his voice had the
impact of bullets in the battle. … He was no ordinary correspondent.”
Hezbollah’s official Al Ahed newspaper likewise said, “Resistance media martyr
Ali Shuaib did not merely report the news. He was also a partner in creating
victory.”
**David Daoud is Senior Fellow at at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2026/03/israel-kills-al-manar-employee-ali-shuaib-says-he-was-a-hezbollah-military-operative.php
Read in FDD's Long War Journal
The War on Hezbollah-The Iranian Terrorist Proxy Continues/LCCC website
The just war being waged by the United States and Israel against Iran and its
proxies—devils, terrorists, drug traffickers, and mafia networks—continues
relentlessly and will not stop before their complete defeat.
To follow the news, below are- links to several
important news websites:
National News Agency (Lebanon)
https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar
Nidaa Al Watan
https://www.nidaalwatan.com/
MTV Lebanon
https://www.mtv.com.lb/
Voice of Lebanon
https://www.vdl.me/
Asas Media
https://asasmedia.com/
Naharnet
https://www.naharnet.com/
Al Markazia News Agency
https://almarkazia.com/ar
LBCI (English)
https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/en
LBCI (Arabic)
https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/ar
Janoubia Website
https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/ar
Kataeb Party Official Website
https://www.kataeb.org
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published
on April 01-02/2026
Iran
Guards say Hormuz strait 'will not be opened to enemies'
Agence France Presse/April 01/2025
Iran's Revolutionary Guards insisted on Wednesday that the strategic strait of
Hormuz will remain closed to the country's "enemies" as U.S. President Donald
Trump said he would only consider a ceasefire if it was reopened. "The situation
in the Strait of Hormuz is also firmly and dominantly under the control of the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' naval forces," the Guards said in a statement
carried on state TV, adding that it "will not be opened to the enemies of this
nation."
Future of Strait of Hormuz rests with Iran and Oman,
Araghchi says
Al Arabiya English/01 April/2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the future of the Strait of Hormuz
should be decided by Iran and Oman, describing the waterway as lying within the
two countries’ waters. “What arrangements are made [regarding the Strait of
Hormuz] after the war is a matter for Iran and Oman,” Araghchi told a Qatari TV
channel on Tuesday. He added that the strait “can be a waterway of peace” for
safe passage, but said ensuring maritime security and environmental protection
would require a joint mechanism between the coastal states. While parts of the
strait fall within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, it is classified as
an international strait, granting ships and aircraft the right of transit
passage under international law. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global
shipping route that has been severely disrupted by the Middle East war. In
peacetime, roughly a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG)
flows through the waterway. The conflict began on February 28, when the United
States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate across
the region and restrict access to the strait. Araghchi said access is currently
limited to ships from countries not involved in the conflict. “It is natural
that in times of war we cannot allow our enemies to use our waters for
navigation,” he said, adding that many vessels have avoided the route due to
security concerns and rising insurance costs.He said some countries had held
talks with Iran, and that arrangements had been made – particularly for
“friendly” states – to allow safe passage.
UK’s Starmer pushes to reopen Strait of Hormuz, rules out
UK role in Iran war
Al Arabiya English/01 April/2026
Britain will this week host a meeting of about 35 countries to discuss how to
reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which has been crippled by the Middle
East war, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Wednesday. The meeting will
“assess all viable diplomatic and political measures that we can take to restore
freedom of navigation, guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers and
resume the movement of vital commodities,” Starmer told reporters. He stressed
that the UK would not be drawn into the ongoing conflict, saying, “This is not
our war. We will not be drawn into the conflict. That is not in our national
interest.”Starmer said reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy
route, was central to easing economic pressure at home, linking the disruption
to the cost of living in Britain. “The most effective way we can support the
cost of living in Britain is to push for de-escalation in the Middle East and a
reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,” he said. The Prime Minister added that
Britain’s approach would focus on diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and
stabilize shipping through the waterway, which is vital for the transport of
oil, gas, and other commodities. With AFP
Trump says Iran has asked for ceasefire, US to consider it once Hormuz is open
Agence France Presse/April 01/2025
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran has asked for a ceasefire
but that the United States would only consider this once the Strait of Hormuz is
clear for shipping. Iran's president "has just asked the United States of
America for a CEASEFIRE!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "We will
consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are
blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!"There was
no independent confirmation of Trump's claim to the ceasefire request.
Iranian president says in letter that Iran harbors no
enmity towards ordinary Americans
LBCI/April 01/2025
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a letter addressed to the American
people that his country harbors no enmity towards ordinary Americans, Press TV
reported on Wednesday.He said in his letter that portraying Iran as a threat
was "neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable
facts."Reuters
Macron says France not 'taking part' in Mideast war after Trump criticism
Agence France Presse/April 01/2025
President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday France had not been consulted and
wasn't taking part in the war against Iran, after U.S. leader Donald Trump
criticized the country's overflight ban on planes carrying military supplies for
the conflict.
"It is absolutely true that France, which has not been consulted and is not part
of this military offensive launched by the United States and Israel, is not
taking part in it," Macron said in an interview with Japanese broadcaster NHK
during his visit to Tokyo, adding that had been France's stance since "day one"
of the war.
Tom Fletcher to LBCI: We warn of a full-scale humanitarian
crisis in Lebanon with 20% of the population displaced
LBCI/April 01/2025
In an interview with LBCI, the U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian
Affairs, Tom Fletcher, said Lebanon is facing a full-scale humanitarian crisis,
highlighting mass displacement, funding shortages, and difficulties delivering
aid to several regions. Fletcher confirmed that Lebanon is facing a
comprehensive humanitarian crisis, with around 20% of the population displaced.
He noted that an urgent appeal has been launched to secure more than $300
million from the international community, with one-third secured so far. In this
context, Fletcher told LBCI that $100 million is on the way and that they are
working with the government to determine the best ways to spend it in order to
save as many lives as possible. Fletcher explained in an exclusive interview
with LBCI that UN agencies on the ground — from the World Food Program and the
U.N. Refugee Agency to UNICEF and the International Organization for Migration —
are working on the front lines under the supervision of the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to save lives. He praised the coordination
between U.N. officials and the Lebanese government in the coordination cell at
the Grand Serail, where data is being used effectively to focus on actionable
results on the ground rather than simply measuring the amount of money collected
and spent. He pointed out that access to several areas remains a major
challenge, especially south of the Litani River after the destruction of key
bridges, in addition to difficulties reaching the north and the Bekaa amid
political complications that require putting Lebanon’s interests first. He
stressed that the Lebanese state is very important and that the interests of
other countries should not come first, nor should any country be allowed to
divide or control Lebanon’s sects, noting that the situation has not changed
since the period when he served as the British ambassador to Lebanon.
Regarding the security of personnel in Lebanon, Fletcher stressed that targeting
or killing peacekeepers is unacceptable and that the U.N. Security Council has
strongly condemned these incidents, with fast and transparent investigations
underway to determine whether they were deliberate or accidental.
He added that the situation is very difficult for the United Nations despite all
security measures, and that peacekeeping and humanitarian workers face
significant risks, calling on Security Council member states to provide greater
protection and ensure accountability. He confirmed that there is direct U.N.
involvement to support the Lebanese state and people, with clear Security
Council decisions affirming Lebanon’s independence and the need for the state to
maintain a monopoly over the use of weapons. He also noted that the U.N.
Secretary-General is personally leading an initiative aimed at reopening the
Strait of Hormuz and finding a mechanism to allow the flow of goods, despite the
difficulty of delivering humanitarian supplies through the strait. Fletcher
added that humanitarian supplies are being brought in by land, expressing
concern about famine in East Africa and the southern Sahara, and said they are
working around the clock to transport food, fuel, and gas to prevent an increase
in poverty risks. He stressed that they are under constant financial and moral
pressure and that all their efforts are focused on saving lives and ending wars.
He said the crisis highlights the major need for the United Nations despite
ongoing attacks and neglect, stressing that the organization will continue to
demonstrate what it can do. He said he had just returned from a U.N. Security
Council meeting where they discussed support for Lebanon and ensuring the flow
of aid through the strait, warning that the crisis could lead to increased
famine in East Africa and the southern Sahara, with 45 million additional people
at risk of food insecurity. Fletcher concluded by saying he hopes for a return
to rationality, diplomacy, and dialogue, expressing concern about continued
escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.
He said the chances for trust and diplomacy are declining and eroding, and there
is a risk that other countries could slide into the conflict, calling for the
resumption of peace talks. He added that he still believes in the Lebanese
people and Lebanon’s future and is determined that the world will not turn its
back on these exceptional people who are tired of others fighting their wars
here and are longing to breathe oxygen.
Report: US and Iran discussing ceasefire for reopening
strait
Naharnet/April 01/2025
The U.S. and Iran are discussing a potential deal that would involve a ceasefire
in exchange for Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, three U.S. officials told
U.S. news portal Axios on Wednesday. The officials did not say whether those
discussions had taken place directly or only through mediators, and they
cautioned that it was unclear whether a deal could be reached. But the officials
said U.S. President Donald Trump was discussing the possibility with officials
inside and outside the administration. Trump raised the talks around a possible
ceasefire in a call on Wednesday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,
according to two sources with knowledge.U.S. Vice President JD Vance has been
talking to the mediators about the possible ceasefire as recently as Tuesday,
according to a source familiar. The source said Vance passed a message to Iran
via the mediators that the U.S. is open to a ceasefire if its demands are met,
including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.Vance also reiterated Trump's
threats to attack Iranian infrastructure if no deal is reached, the source said.
Trump claimed on Wednesday that Iran had asked the U.S. for a ceasefire, but
stressed he would only consider it if the strait was reopened.
China and Pakistan presented a peace initiative along those lines on Tuesday.
Iran's Foreign Ministry swiftly denied Trump's claim, and Tehran has
consistently denied holding any direct negotiations with Washington. Trump might
have been referring to a statement Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian made on
Tuesday during a call with European Council President António Costa. Pezeshkian
said Iran was willing to end the war but only if the U.S. stopped its attacks
and Iran received guarantees that the war would not resume. "Iran's New Regime
President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors,
has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE! We will consider
when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear," Trump wrote on Truth Social. He
stressed that in the meantime the U.S. will continue "blasting Iran into
oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!" A spokesperson for Iran's
Foreign Ministry called Trump's post "false and baseless." Trump has repeatedly
suggested the war will end soon, though he kept a potential ground operation on
the table. Israel and Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, are reportedly urging
Trump to push on. Meanwhile, some in the White House are on the lookout for
off-ramps. Trump will address the nation at 0100 GMT on Iran.
Trump Excoriates European
Countries for Imposing Restrictions on U.S. Action Against Iran
FDD/April 01/2026
Latest Developments
Trump Condemns France for Preventing Military Flights to Israel: U.S. President
Donald Trump said on March 31 that France “has been VERY UNHELPFUL” regarding
military operations in Iran, stating that Paris “wouldn’t let planes headed to
Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory.”
Separately, Trump urged the United Kingdom — which he asserted had “refused to
get involved in the decapitation of Iran” — to “go get your own oil!” from the
Strait of Hormuz. Spain Bans U.S. Military Aircraft From Airspace: A day
earlier, Spain closed its airspace to American aircraft involved in military
operations against Iran. Defense Minister Margarita Robles stated, “We will not
authorize the use of Morón and Rota [bases] for any acts related to the war in
Iran,” while Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed last week that “all flight
plans that involved actions related to the operation in Iran were
rejected.”American Planes Prevented From Landing at Sicily Air Base: After
reports emerged that Italy had refused U.S. military aircraft use of Sicily’s
Sigonella air base, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto denied that the
incident signaled a blanket ban, calling the reports “simply false.” A note from
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office clarified that “each [request to
use military bases] is carefully examined on a case-by-case basis” and that
“relations with the United States … are solid.”
FDD Expert Response
“Europe is right to want American support against Putin. At FDD, we agree. But
it’s a strategic mistake to undermine U.S. efforts against Iran — a regime that
sponsors terrorism on European soil, arms Russia against Ukraine, targets EU
capitals, and threatens Europe’s energy security.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO
“Anyone who is upset about paying higher energy prices in Europe should complain
to their leaders for trying to help the rump regime in Tehran hold their supply
hostage.” — Richard Goldberg, Senior Advisor
Vance spoke to intermediaries about Iran conflict as
recently as Tuesday, source says
Reuters/01 April ,2026
US Vice President JD Vance communicated with intermediaries from Pakistan about
the Iran conflict as recently as Tuesday, a person briefed on the matter told
Reuters, a sign of his expanding role in efforts to broker an end to the
conflict. At President Donald Trump’s direction, Vance signaled privately that
Trump was open to a ceasefire as long as certain US demands were met, the source
told Reuters on Wednesday. Vance also delivered what the source described as a
“stern message” that Trump was impatient, warning there would be growing
pressure on Iranian infrastructure unless Tehran agreed to a deal. Pakistan has
been acting as an intermediary between the United States and Iran, the source
said. Vance has taken a greater role in trying to negotiate an end to the war,
now in its fifth week. Widely viewed as a potential successor to Trump in the
2028 presidential election, Vance has taken a cautious approach on the conflict,
reflecting his long-held skepticism of prolonged US military involvement
overseas. The source said the team that Trump has said are involved in
negotiations – Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US envoys Steve
Witkoff and Jared Kushner – remain involved.
Trump has warned the US would attack Iranian infrastructure but has delayed
launching such attacks on Iran’s power grid until April 6 in hopes of reaching a
deal with Tehran.
Former Iran FM ‘seriously injured,’ wife killed in Tehran strike
Al Arabiya English/01 April/2026
Former Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharazi was “seriously injured” and
hospitalized after his home in Tehran was struck in US-Israeli attacks, the
state-affiliated Nournews outlet reported on Wednesday. The report added that
his wife was killed in the strike.
Kharazi served as Iran’s foreign minister from 1997 to 2005 and later acted as
an adviser to former supreme leader Ali Khamenei. He continued to serve as a
foreign policy adviser to the office of the supreme leader after Ali Khamenei
was killed on February 28 – the first day of the ongoing US-Israeli war with
Iran – and succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei.
UAE, US presidents discuss Iran attacks in phone call
Al Arabiya English/01 April/2026
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and US President Donald Trump discussed
Iran’s ongoing attacks in the region during a phone call on Wednesday, the
Emirati state news agency WAM reported. The two leaders “discussed the ongoing
Iranian terrorist aggression against the UAE and other countries in the region,
which targets civilians and civilian facilities and infrastructure,” WAM said.
They also discussed the latest regional developments and their implications for
regional and global security, including the impact on international maritime
routes and the global economy, the agency added. The call comes amid heightened
tensions linked to the US-Israeli war with Iran. Several Arab and Islamic
countries – including all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members – have faced
repeated Iranian attacks since the conflict began on February 28, despite saying
they are not involved.
Securing Iran's enriched uranium by force would be risky
and complex, experts say
Associated Press/April 01/2025
Should the U.S. decide to send in military forces to secure Iran's uranium
stockpile, it would be a complex, risky and lengthy operation, fraught with
radiation and chemical dangers, according to experts and former government
officials. U.S. President Donald Trump has offered shifting reasons for the war
in Iran but has consistently said a primary objective is ensuring the country
will "never have a nuclear weapon." Less clear is how far he is willing to go to
seize Iran's nuclear material. Given the risks of inserting as many as 1,000
specially trained forces into a war zone to remove the stockpile, another option
would be a negotiated settlement with Iran that would allow the material to be
surrendered and secured without using force. Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972
pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step
from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy
Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency. That stockpile could allow Iran to
build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program,
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told The Associated Press last year. He
added it doesn't mean Iran has such a weapon. Iran long has insisted its program
is peaceful, but the IAEA and Western nations say Tehran had an organized
nuclear weapons program up until 2003.
Nuclear material is probably stored in tunnels
IAEA inspectors have not been able to verify the near weapons-grade uranium
since June 2025, when Israeli and American strikes greatly weakened Iran's air
defenses, military leadership and nuclear program. The lack of inspections has
made it difficult to know exactly where it is located. Grossi has said that the
IAEA believes a stockpile of roughly 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds) of highly
enriched uranium is stored in tunnels at Iran's nuclear complex outside of
Isfahan. The site was mainly known for producing the uranium gas that is fed
into centrifuges to be spun and purified.
Additional quantities are believed to be at the Natanz nuclear site and lesser
amounts may be stored at a facility in Fordo, he has said.It's unclear whether
additional quantities could be elsewhere. U.S. Director of National Intelligence
Tulsi Gabbard told a House hearing March 19 that the U.S. intelligence community
has "high confidence" that it knows the location of Iran's highly enriched
uranium stockpiles.
Radiation and chemical risks
Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium fits into canisters each weighing
about 50 kilograms (110 pounds) when full. The material is in the form of
uranium hexafluoride gas. Estimates on the number of canisters range from 26 to
about twice that number, depending on how full each cylinder is. The canisters
carrying the highly enriched uranium are "pretty robust" and are designed for
storage and transport, said David Albright, a former nuclear weapons inspector
in Iraq and founder of the nonprofit Institute for Science and International
Security in Washington. But he warned that "safety issues become paramount"
should the canisters be damaged — for example, due to airstrikes — allowing
moisture to get inside. In such a scenario, there would be a hazard from
fluorine, a highly toxic chemical that is corrosive to skin, eyes and lungs.
Anyone entering the tunnels seeking to retrieve the canisters "would have to
wear hazmat suits," Albright said. It also would be necessary to maintain
distance between the various canisters in order to avoid a self-sustaining
critical nuclear reaction that would lead to "a large amount of radiation," he
said. To avoid such a radiological accident, the canisters would have to be
placed in containers that create space between them during transport, he said.
Albright said that the preferred option for dealing with the uranium would be to
remove it from Iran in special military planes and then "downblend" it — mix it
with lower-enriched materials to bring it to levels suitable for civilian use.
Downblending the material inside Iran probably is not feasible, given that the
infrastructure needed for the process may not be intact due to the war, he
added. Darya Dolzikova, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services
Institute, agreed. Downblending the material inside Iran is "probably not the
most likely option just because it's a very complicated and long process that
requires specialized equipment," she said.
Risks for ground forces
Securing Iran's nuclear material with ground troops would be a "very complex and
high risk military operation," said Christine E. Wormuth, who was secretary of
the Army under former U.S. President Joe Biden. That's because the material is
probably at multiple sites and the undertaking would "probably take casualties,"
added Wormuth, now president and CEO of the Washington-based Nuclear Threat
Initiative.
The scale and scope of an operation at Isfahan alone would easily require 1,000
military personnel, she said. Given that tunnel entrances are probably buried
under rubble, it would be necessary for helicopters to fly in heavy equipment,
such as excavators, and U.S. forces might even have to build an airstrip nearby
to land all the equipment and troops, Wormuth said. She said special forces,
including perhaps the 75th Ranger Regiment, would have to work "in tandem" with
nuclear experts who would look underground for the canisters, adding that the
special forces would likely set up a security perimeter in case of potential
attacks.
Wormuth said the Nuclear Disablement Teams under the 20th Chemical, Biological,
Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command would be one possible unit that could
be employed in such an operation. "The Iranians have thought this through, I'm
sure, and are going to try to make it as difficult as possible to do this in an
expeditious way," she said. "So I would imagine it will be a pretty painstaking
effort to go underground, get oriented, try to discern ... which ones are the
real canisters, which ones may be decoys, to try to avoid booby traps."
A negotiated solution
The best option would be "to have an agreement with the (Iranian) government to
remove all of that material," said Scott Roecker, former director of the Office
of Nuclear Material Removal at the National Nuclear Security Administration, a
semiautonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. A similar mission
occurred in 1994 when the U.S., in partnership with the government of
Kazakhstan, secretly transported 600 kilograms (about 1,322 pounds) of
weapons-grade uranium from the former Soviet republic in an operation dubbed
"Project Sapphire." The material was left over from the USSR's nuclear program.
Roecker, now vice president for the Nuclear Materials Security Program at the
Nuclear Threat Initiative, said the Department of Energy's Mobile Packaging Unit
was built from the experience in Kazakhstan. It has safely removed nuclear
material from several countries, including from Georgia in 1998 and from Iraq in
2004, 2007 and 2008. The unit consists of technical experts and specialized
equipment that can be deployed anywhere to safely remove nuclear material, and
Roecker said it would be ideally positioned to remove the uranium under a
negotiated deal with Iran. Tehran remains suspicious of Washington, which under
Trump withdrew from a nuclear agreement and has twice attacked during high-level
negotiations. Under a negotiated solution, IAEA inspectors also could be part of
a mission. "We are considering these options, of course," the IAEA's Grossi said
March 22 on CBS' "Face the Nation" when asked about such a scenario. Iran has "a
contractual obligation to allow inspectors in," he added. "Of course, there's
common sense. Nothing can happen while bombs are falling."
Yemen’s Houthis claim joint attack with Iran and Hezbollah
on Israel
Agence France Presse/Associated Press/April 01/2025
Yemen's Houthis on Wednesday claimed a missile attack targeting Israel that they
said was launched jointly with their backer Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah group
-- the third such attack by the Houthis since they entered the Middle East war.
The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen said Wednesday they fired a barrage of
ballistic missiles toward Israel. Military spokesman Yahya Yahya Saree, a
military spokesman for the Houthis, said in a prerecorded statement that they
fired at "sensitive targets" in southern Israel. The Houthis "carried out the
third military operation... targeting sensitive Israeli enemy targets... with a
barrage of ballistic missiles", Saree said in the video statement. "This
operation was conducted jointly with our mujahideen brothers in Iran and
Hezbollah in Lebanon," he added. Air raid sirens went off in southern Israel in
the early morning, from Beersheba to the Mediterranean coast following the
launch. There were no immediate reports of impacts. The attack is the third
since the Houthis joined the war on Friday when they fired their first missile
towards Israel since the U.S. and Israel launched massive airstrikes on Iran on
Feb. 28. Their entry has raised concerns that they could resume attacks on
vessels in the Red Sea further disrupting the global shipping industry and
sending oil prices much higher.
Iran hits Kuwait airport, tanker off Qatar ahead of Trump speech
Associated Press/April 01/2025
Iran hit an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar and Kuwait's airport on Wednesday
while airstrikes battered Tehran — an unrelenting tempo hours after U.S.
President Donald Trump said he was nearly ready to wind down the war. Trump, who
is scheduled to address the nation later in the day, said he could walk away
from the war in two to three weeks once he felt confident Iran would not be able
to build a nuclear weapon — even if Tehran does not agree to a ceasefire. That
raised the possibility that the U.S. could withdraw without any guarantee from
Iran that it would stop bombing its Gulf Arab neighbors or release its grip on
the crucial Strait of Hormuz. A fifth of the world's traded oil passes through
the strait in peacetime and Tehran's stranglehold, along with its strikes on
energy infrastructure in the region, has caused oil prices to skyrocket, with
far-reaching consequences for the global economy. Even if the strait were to
reopen quickly, some effects like higher food prices could persist for months or
longer. It's also not clear what Israel, which began bombing Iran alongside the
U.S. on Feb. 28, would do if the U.S. pulls out without a deal. It also leaves
open the question of what Iran might do with the highly enriched uranium still
in its stockpiles.
No signs of Iran relinquishing its grip on the Strait of Hormuz
Trump's comments offered another mixed signal from the American leader who has
offered shifting objectives for the war and repeatedly said it could be over
soon while also threatening to widen the conflict. Thousands of additional U.S.
troops are currently heading to the Middle East, and speculation abounds about
the purpose of their deployment. Just days ago, Trump warned that the U.S. would
attack Iran's power plants if Tehran did not reopen the strait by April 6. He
has also threatened to attack Iran's Kharg Island oil export hub and possibly
desalination plants. But on Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. "will not have anything
to do with" ensuring the security of ships passing through Hormuz.Speaking to Al
Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled Tehran's willingness
to keep fighting. "You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of
threats and deadlines," he said. "We do not set any deadline for defending
ourselves."Trump has been under growing pressure to end the war as oil prices
have skyrocketed, pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other goods. The
spot price of Brent crude, the international standard, was up more than 40%
since the start of the war, trading at more than $103 a barrel on Wednesday.
It's unclear where diplomatic efforts stand
The U.S. has presented Iran with a 15-point plan aimed at bringing about a
ceasefire, including a demand for the strait to be reopened and for is nuclear
program to be rolled back. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. Its own
five-point response includes retaining sovereignty over the strait. In the
interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi acknowledged receiving direct messages from
U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. He insisted, however, that there were no
direct negotiations and said Iran has no faith that talks with the U.S. could
yield any results, saying "the trust level is at zero."
He warned against any U.S. attempt to launch a ground offensive, saying "we are
waiting for them."Iran hits tanker off Qatar's coast and attacks other Gulf
states
A cruise missile slammed into an oil tanker off Qatar's coast Wednesday, the
Defense Ministry said. The 21-member crew of the tanker, contracted by
state-owned QatarEnergy, was evacuated and no casualties were reported.
A fully-loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker came under attack off Dubai the day before,
one of more than 20 ships attacked by Iran during the war. In the United Arab
Emirates, a person was killed when he was hit by debris from an intercepted
drone in Fujairah, one of the country's seven emirates. Bahrain sounded two
alerts for incoming missiles, while Kuwait's state-run KUNA news agency said a
drone hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a large fire.
Two drones were also intercepted in Saudi Arabia, and air raid sirens sounded in
Israel though there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. An
airstrike on Tehran, meanwhile, appeared to have hit the former U.S. Embassy
compound, which has been controlled by Iran's Revolutionary Guard since American
diplomats were held hostage there in 1979. Witnesses said buildings outside the
massive compound had their windows blown out and that it appears the strike
happened inside the walled facility. Israel also said it hit a plant in Iran
producing fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. Israel and the United States have
alleged in recent years that Iran was experimenting with using fentanyl in
chemical weapons. Iran acknowledged a strike Tuesday on Tofigh Daru factory, but
insisted it only supplied "hospital drugs." Hospitals use fentanyl to treat
severe pain but it can also be fatal.
US torn between expanding Iran war and ceasefire push as Israel escalates
strikes—the details
LBCI/April 01/2025
Between a potential U.S. decision to expand the war against Iran and another
tied to a possible ceasefire that could pave the way for negotiations, Israel
continues to intensify its attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure. Israel has
sent a message to Washington indicating that broad strikes on Iranian power
stations would accelerate the collapse of the regime and help bring the war to
an end. While statements regarding the Iranian front are being made publicly,
discussions over the Lebanese front are taking place behind closed doors.
Following an internal agreement to separate the course of the war with Iran from
that related to Lebanon, debate has intensified over the nature of military
operations there. Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, in a Passover message to
troops, said the army would deepen its operations in southern Lebanon, as well
as expand intelligence activity to ensure Israel’s security. At the same time,
recommendations are being discussed to ensure the swift completion of military
operations in Lebanon. These include establishing a strong defensive line in
areas under Israeli control and declaring the area south of the Litani River a
closed military zone. Despite threats of further incursions and possible
occupation in Lebanon, the Israeli military has redeployed its defensive
systems, particularly in the north. These rely primarily on the Iron Dome,
raising concerns over an increased risk of incoming rockets—especially ballistic
missiles—without sufficient capability to intercept them.
Zelensky says had 'positive' call with US negotiators about
peace process
LBCI/April 01/2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday he had hada "positive"
call with U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about efforts to end
Russia's invasion. "We discussed how to strengthen diplomacy, what steps are
possible, as well as security guarantees and engaging the Europeans. It was a
positive conversation," Zelensky said in his evening address. NATO chief Mark
Rutte and U.S. senator Lindsey Graham also took part in the call, Zelensky said.
AFP
Future of Strait of Hormuz rests with Iran and Oman, Araghchi says
Al Arabiya English/01 April ,2026
n Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the future of the Strait of Hormuz should
be decided by Iran and Oman, describing the waterway as lying within the two
countries’ waters. “What arrangements are made [regarding the Strait of Hormuz]
after the war is a matter for Iran and Oman,” Araghchi told a Qatari TV channel
on Tuesday. He added that the strait “can be a waterway of peace” for safe
passage, but said ensuring maritime security and environmental protection would
require a joint mechanism between the coastal states. While parts of the strait
fall within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, it is classified as an
international strait, granting ships and aircraft the right of transit passage
under international law. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global shipping
route that has been severely disrupted by the Middle East war. In peacetime,
roughly a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) flows
through the waterway. The conflict began on February 28, when the United States
and Israel launched strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate across the
region and restrict access to the strait.Araghchi said access is currently
limited to ships from countries not involved in the conflict.“It is natural that
in times of war we cannot allow our enemies to use our waters for navigation,”
he said, adding that many vessels have avoided the route due to security
concerns and rising insurance costs. He said some countries had held talks with
Iran, and that arrangements had been made – particularly for “friendly” states –
to allow safe passage.
News of
the ongoing war between Iran on one side and the US and Israel on the other. The
news is abundant, fragmented, and difficult to keep track of as it evolves
constantly. For those wishing to follow the course of the war, the following are
links to several television channels and newspapers:
Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper
https://aawsat.com/
National News Agency
https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar
Al Arabiya/Arabic
https://www.alarabiya.net/
Sky News
https://www.youtube.com/@SkyNewsArabia
Nidaa Al Watan
https://www.nidaalwatan.com/
Al Markazia
https://www.nidaalwatan.com/
Al Hadath
https://www.youtube.com/@AlHadath
Independent Arabia
https://www.independentarabia.com/
The Latest
LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on April 01-02/2026
America can bankrupt Iran’s insiders — And it should
Max Meizlish and Susan Soh/The
Hill/April 01/2026
Tens of billions of dollars have been siphoned out of the Iranian economy by the
Islamic Republic’s insiders over the past decade. If the U.S. wasn’t watching
then, it is now.“We now know where the Iranian leadership bank accounts are, and
those are being frozen,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday. His
message is the right one: America can bankrupt Iran’s elite, undermining their
loyalty to Mojtaba Khamenei and his cronies. But knowing where the money is
going is not the same as recovering it. Fortunately, the United States has dealt
with this problem before. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States
and its allies froze $300 billion in Russian Central Bank reserves and tens of
billions more in offshore oligarch wealth through the Russian Elites, Proxies,
and Oligarchs (REPO) taskforce, a multilateral group launched by the G7,
European Union, and Australia in 2022 to identify, freeze, and seize assets of
sanctioned Russians. The Department of Justice’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an
initiative to target Russian oligarchs’ assets and stymie sanctions evasion,
seized hundreds of millions more. The same could be done for Iran. And the
target set may already be in plain sight.During January’s crackdown on popular
protests, high-level regime figures reportedly transferred $1.5 billion to
accounts in Dubai in just 48 hours — much of it via cryptocurrency — with
Mojtaba Khamenei himself allegedly accounting for $328 million of that sum
before taking on the role of Iran’s supreme leader. Some estimates suggest the
Mojtaba’s assets may total several billion dollars. Iran’s Central Bank’s own
data show roughly $80 billion in capital flight between 2018 and 2024, much of
it flowing through channels linked to government insiders. A large proportion of
these funds have gone into Western banks. Data from the U.S. Treasury
Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network identified $9 billion in
potential Iranian shadow banking activity flowing through U.S. correspondent
accounts in 2024 alone, with $5 billion moving through shell companies and $4
billion through oil-related front companies based primarily in the UAE and
Singapore.
The United States sanctioned Mojtaba in 2019 for his ties to the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps. However, his key financial enabler, businessman Ali
Ansari, has only been sanctioned by the United Kingdom. Ansari met Mojtaba
during the Iran-Iraq war and later secured preferential contracts in sectors
including shipping, construction and petrochemicals. Ansari was also the
principal shareholder in Ayandeh Bank, which collapsed under $5 billion in
losses and helped fuel the protests in which as many as 30,000 people were
killed. On March 17, one of the world’s largest investigative journalism
organizations — the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project — revealed
that Ansari owns a luxury villa in Marbella, Spain, through a chain of U.K.- and
Spanish-registered shell companies. The report follows a year-long Bloomberg
investigation and a Financial Times report that together trace a property
portfolio spanning Europe valued at roughly $440 million — all linked to Ansari
and the Khamenei family.
An Iran equivalent to the Russia-focused REPO task force could bring together
the United States, United Kingdom, EU member states, and key financial centers
to go after these assets. But this will only work if Washington and its allies
close the sanctions gaps that have allowed the regime to accumulate wealth in
the open.If Treasury knows where the Iranian leadership’s bank accounts are, it
should start by designating the enablers, like Ansari, who manage them. It
should also push known financial secrecy havens like the United Arab Emirates,
which are weighing whether to freeze billions in regime-linked assets, to pull
the trigger. Simply put, this is a matter of political will and human
resourcing. Treasury should also work to close structural loopholes that limit
the effectiveness of sanctions. Ansari, who claims to be a Cypriot in documents,
is the registered beneficial owner of Birch Ventures Limited, the Isle of Man
company holding the London mansion portfolio. Yet development plans for those
properties do not appear to hurt by Ansari’s sanctions designation in the U.K.
This is because, under U.S. and U.K. sanctions law, sanctions on an individual
do not automatically apply to the companies under their control unless they own
a majority stake. That means a sanctioned person can still be the registered
beneficial owner of a company — by definition the person that ultimately
controls it — and profit from its assets without the company itself being
blocked. Lawmakers on both sides of the pond should close that gap.
In January, Bessent described Iranian regime insiders as “rats on a sinking
ship.” He was right. The question now is whether Washington will seize their
fortunes and hold them for the people of Iran when the Islamic Republic falls.
**Max Meizlish is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
(FDD). He previously served in the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign
Assets Control. Susan Soh is a research associate at FDD.
Renewed Threat From Houthis in Yemen As Iran War Reaches Decisive Stage
Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bridget Toomey//FDD-Policy Brief/April 01/2026
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/03/31/renewed-threat-from-houthis-in-yemen-as-iran-war-reaches-decisive-stage/
After a month on the sidelines, the Houthis have entered the war between the
Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States and Israel on the side of their
sponsors in Tehran. On March 28, the Yemeni terror group claimed “a barrage of
missiles” in support “of the Islamic Republic in Iran and the resistance fronts
in Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the
interception of one missile targeting the south of the country. The Houthis went
on to launch a second attack later in the day with a cruise missile and drones.
The IDF subsequently reported the following day that it had intercepted two
Houthi drones near Eilat. The absence of the Houthis during the opening stage of
the war was particularly notable given how eagerly they joined with Hamas in the
war in Gaza triggered by the October 7, 2023, atrocities. During two years of
war in the coastal enclave, the Houthis launched hundreds of drones and missiles
at Israel, along with commercial shipping and U.S. forces. They were also Iran’s
most active ally during the Israeli and U.S. airstrikes against the regime’s
nuclear and military installations in June 2025.
The Houthis have now chosen the lowest risk entrance into the present conflict.
By targeting Israel, they are unlikely to provoke a response from the United
States while simultaneously signaling to domestic constituencies, Iran and its
proxy network, and the global community that they are still a threat.
Attacks on Israel Are Measured Escalation. A ceasefire has been in place between
the United States and the Houthis since May 2025. Meanwhile, Houthi attacks
against Israel and commercial shipping continued until the ceasefire in Gaza the
following October. In response, Israel conducted attacks against the Houthi
political leadership, their military chief of staff, and infrastructure.
While Israel is conducting substantial air campaigns against Hezbollah in
Lebanon and key targets in Iran, a third front may not be prohibitive. During
the 12-day war, Israel conducted airstrikes against the Houthis while also
targeting Hezbollah and Iran. However, the operations against Hezbollah during
that period were more limited than Israel’s current campaign.
Houthis Can Still Target Vital Trade Routes
If the Houthis choose to expand the conflict, they could target international
shipping in the Red Sea or Gulf energy infrastructure. The Defense Intelligence
Agency reported that Houthi maritime terrorism resulted in a 90 percent drop in
container shipping through the Red Sea — which under normal conditions accounted
for up to 15 percent of international maritime trade — during the first months
of the war in Gaza. Prior to Houthi attacks in 2023, the Red Sea carried
approximately 12 percent of the global seaborne oil trade and 8 percent of the
global liquefied natural gas trade. This route has only become more important as
Saudi Arabia relies on its East-West Pipeline to export oil through the Red Sea
instead of the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Republic has already targeted Yanbu,
the Red Sea terminal for the cross-Saudi pipeline, which is also within range of
Houthi weapons.
U.S. Should Revive Anti-Houthi Coalition
As the Arab countries are learning the hard way, no amount of appeasement or
friendly relations can guarantee their protection from Iran and its proxies. The
Saudi crown prince is reported to be encouraging President Donald Trump to
finish the job in Iran. Egypt is also concerned given its reliance on Suez Canal
revenues and its tourism industry, both of which are vulnerable to conflict in
the Red Sea. The United States now has an opportunity, along with its Gulf
partners and Egypt, to reenergize the international coalition against the
Houthis. Washington should encourage Saudi Arabia to resume leadership of such
an effort, focused on a coordinated and expanded weapons interdiction effort and
the enforcement of financial sanctions to further isolate the group.
**Edmund Fitton-Brown is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD), where Bridget Toomey is a research analyst. For more analysis
from the authors, please subscribe HERE. Follow Edmund on X @EFittonBrown.
Follow Bridget on X @BridgetKToomey. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington,
DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and
foreign policy.
Islamist Turkey: A Base for Muslim Brotherhood Jihadism
Sinan Ciddi and William Doran/FDD/April 01/2026
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/04/01/islamist-turkey-a-base-for-muslim-brotherhood-jihadism/
“Erdogan is in a way the current caliph of Muslims, and Istanbul is undoubtedly
the capital of the Islamic caliphate.” — Yusuf al-Qaradawi, late Muslim
Brotherhood spiritual leader, 20141
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the Republic of Turkey in 1923 on the principles
of republicanism and secularism, setting it on a path apart from much of the
Middle East. For decades, Ankara pursued an earnest, though imperfect,
experiment in secular-liberal, pro-Western government. Since coming to power in
2003, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has moved to replace this experiment with a
sultanistic version of Islamism. Inextricable from this is his ideological
affinity for the Muslim Brotherhood and his extensive political and financial
support for the international Islamist movement’s most unsavory members.
Western governments hoped Erdogan wanted nothing more than to build a mild kind
of Islamist-inspired democratic system. Yet as Turkey’s prime
minister-turned-president, Erdogan has thrown support behind the Brotherhood as
a transnational force, hosting leaders expelled by other states, backing
Brotherhood governments and parties, and even funding terror networks. The
Muslim Brotherhood has no formal chapter in Turkey, but its ideological
counterpart, the Milli Gorus (National View) movement, played an integral role
in shaping Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkinma
Partisi, or AKP).2 Since its founding in the late 1960s, Milli Gorus has
endorsed the Brotherhood’s vision and later set the stage for the AKP’s
political and material support to affiliated groups, including Hamas.
Additionally, Ankara has supported various violent jihadist organizations,
notably al-Qaeda in Syria.3 Throughout his time in power, Erdogan has promoted a
gradual Islamization of Turkish society by eroding the separation of mosque and
state (Ataturk’s principle of laiklik, or laicism) domestically and championed
the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East during the Arab Spring.
Origins of Political Islam in Turkey
Milli Gorus — the progenitor of modern Turkish Islamism — emerged as a
significant political force in the late 1960s, founded by
physicist-turned-politician Erbakan.4 At its core, it has always been a
pan-Islamist movement whose end goal is the unification of the Muslim world
under Ankara’s leadership. Erbakan’s movement was saturated from the start with
strong distrust and disdain for the United States, the West at large, and all
other obstacles to Turkish Islamist government and supremacism.5 The manifesto
of the Milli Gorus movement speaks to this, arguing that “Muslims of different
sects must unite against the encroachment of the West” and painting Zionism as
“the power that controls the world by turning it into a prison.”6
Erbakan’s ideology also explicitly rejects the notion of empire by Islamic rule
and Ataturk’s conception of state patriotism, claiming an alternative
“nationalism” derived in large part from “the Seljuk-Ottoman heritage.”7 So too
does Erbakan’s movement decry moderate Islam for producing “a type of Muslim who
is enslaved, without the concept of jihad.” Thus, it is unsurprising that
Erbakan extolled the 1979 Islamic Revolution and regarded the Islamic Republic
warmly for decades. He even visited Iran in April 2009 to reaffirm his
solidarity with the Tehran regime and its struggle against “Western imperialism
and Zionism.”8
Under Erbakan’s leadership, Milli Gorus launched successive Islamist parties —
including the National Order Party, the National Salvation Party, and the
Welfare Party. Between 1961 and 1998, Turkish courts dissolved each of them,
citing their anti-secular stance and threat to democratic governance.
Nevertheless, the movement’s agenda remained constant: opposing NATO, EU
membership, and secularism while advocating for Sharia law and Ottoman
revivalism.9 It toned down its anti-American and anti-Western vitriol only in
the mid-1990s, finding a more subtle approach to gain political traction in a
post-Cold War Turkey.
Erbakan maintained a close and enduring relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood
throughout his political career. In July 1996, during his brief premiership,
Erbakan met and traded grievances with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, an
avowed nemesis of the Brotherhood. He chided Mubarak on his crackdown amid a
rash of terrorist attacks perpetrated by radicalized Brotherhood members in
Egypt. “They [the Brothers10] are our friends, treat them better,” Erbakan said.
His choice of a particular Turkish word for friends — dostlar — signaled a close
and special relationship with the Brotherhood, not simply ideological kinship.
The sincerity and timing of Erbakan’s statements boded ill for the Islamist
leader, resurfacing as evidence in a trial that resulted in his Welfare Party’s
dissolution.
Like major Brotherhood leaders and ideologues, Erbakan too became an inspiration
to the worst in jihadi terrorism. Notes recovered from Osama bin Laden’s journal
after the 2011 Abbottabad raid described a trip to Turkey the future al-Qaeda
founder made in 1976, seemingly on the Brotherhood’s dime.11 According to the
journal, bin Laden’s goal was to meet with Erbakan, whom he deemed a source of
inspiration.12
Erbakan also mentored Erdogan, who rose to prominence as Istanbul’s mayor
(1994-1998) under the Welfare Party. The young Erdogan was a true believer in
Milli Gorus, enthusiastic about its zealous calls for Islamist mobilization. In
1998, the up-and-coming mayor published a poem that landed him in prison for
inflammatory rhetoric, writing: “the mosques are our barracks, the domes our
helmets, the minarets our bayonets, and the faithful our soldiers.”13
Following a brief prison term, Erdogan broke from Erbakan and launched the AKP
in 2000, claiming to embrace secular democracy. After winning the 2002 election,
Erdogan — as prime minister from 2003 to 2014 — promoted EU accession and
democratic reforms. However, the start of the new decade — culminating in the
AKP’s sweeping 2011 electoral win — marked a turning point. With a secure grip
on political power, Erdogan began pushing an Islamist agenda.14 At home, this
marked the beginning of a lengthy campaign to erode secular education and civil
society in favor of an Islamist social ecosystem. Abroad, it meant more
aggressive backing for Islamist governments, militias, and even terrorist
groups, asserting his government as a vehicle to promote the international
Brotherhood.
The AKP: Turkish Islamism in Power
The AKP has ruled Turkey since 2002. From the start of his first premiership in
2003, Erdogan has radically altered Turkey’s governance. The AKP mirrors aspects
of the Brotherhood’s core ideology, rejecting institutional secularism and
promoting democratic norms only as far as they advance Islamic norms. The AKP’s
ideology sees no obligation to democratic ideals — they are expendable once they
outlive their use in cementing power or begin to conflict with Islamist aims.
Erdogan famously quipped in 1996 that “democracy is like a tram. You ride it
until you arrive at your destination, then you step off.”
Erdogan and his government have garnered much approval and pride from the Muslim
Brotherhood, particularly since 2013 — the year when his government pushed
further toward Islamist authoritarianism and began championing the Brotherhood
abroad. During protests in Cairo against the ouster of Egypt’s first Brotherhood
president, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013, pro-Brotherhood masses marched with posters
of Erdogan and thanked the Turkish president for his solidarity.15 Years later,
in 2017, when Erdogan defended the Brotherhood once again during a visit to
Saudi Arabia, Egyptian Brotherhood deputy leader Ibrahim Munir extolled the
Turkish president. Munir’s remarks echoed with a seeming pledge of loyalty: “the
Brotherhood will never disappoint Erdogan — or any other of the movement’s
defenders — no matter what the pressures are.”16
Erdogan has long understood the position secular republicanism has held in the
Turkish government, and over the course of his 23-year rule, he has sought to
gradually supplant it. In particular, he prioritized the development of a devout
and pious youth to replace Turkey’s historically secular ruling elite, so this
rising generation could become the vanguard of what he refers to as the “New
Turkey.”17 This zero-sum view of Turkish society is well-summarized in a tirade
Erdogan delivered while mayor of Istanbul, declaring that either Islamism or
secularism must go:
You cannot be both secular and a Muslim! You will either be a Muslim, or
secular! When both are together, they create reverse magnetism [repel one
another]. For them to exist together is not a possibility! Therefore, it is not
possible for a person who says ‘I am a Muslim’ to go on and say ‘I am secular,
too.’ And why is that? Because Allah, the creator of the Muslim, has absolute
power and rule!18
Much of Erdogan’s progress in dismantling secularism came with the help of a
separate Islamist movement under Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen. While Gulen was
no agent of the Muslim Brotherhood, his powerful network propelled Erdogan’s
Islamist, Brotherhood-aligned agenda into power and cemented his control over
Turkish society.19
Gulen sought to destroy Ataturk’s secular order and create a new Islamist one,
albeit one more loyal to him than to the Muslim Brotherhood. Erdogan and his
loyalists helped Gulenists secure coveted and powerful posts across law
enforcement, the military, the judiciary, and the foreign ministry, all while
persecuting and imprisoning secular leaders and bureaucrats in sham trials.20
The Erdogan-Gulen partnership frayed when Gulen began to take his power for
granted — most notably after trying to have Erdogan’s then intelligence chief
and avowed “secret-keeper” Fidan arrested in 2012.21 This brought on years of
infighting that accelerated the erosion of Turkish democracy and enabled
Erdogan’s consolidation of power, expanding his authority in pursuit of
eradicating the “Gulenist terror organization,” referred to in Turkey by the
acronym FETO.22 After a July 2016 coup attempt failed, Erdogan devoted vast
resources to purging the government and military of opposition — Gulenists and
secular liberals alike — and amending the Turkish constitution to guarantee his
continued rule.23
Re-Islamization of Education and Society
Erdogan aggressively sought to reshape Turkey’s secular educational system,
central to the Islamist worldview of making faith and state — referred to by the
Brotherhood as the tenet of din wa dawla — inextricable. This process began in
2010 when Ankara passed provisions allowing secular public high schools to
convert to Imam Hatip religious schools — state-run vocational institutions for
training clerics and preachers.24 By 2015, enrollment in Imam Hatip schools
surpassed 1 million students, which Erdogan later cast as a fulfillment of his
pledge to raise a “pious generation.”25 Tens of thousands of these students came
from families that had no choice but to enroll their children in Imam Hatip
schools, unable to afford secular private education in their school districts.26
When Erdogan’s school conversion act came into force in 2010, observers
worldwide hailed the Imam Hatip model as a healthy education model for
countering Islamic extremism.27 Yet over the years, this rose-colored view
turned more skeptical both in Turkey and abroad. In 2017, state-issued textbooks
introduced lessons on jihad (in Turkish, cihat) to Imam Hatip schools, with
their universal implementation in public high schools by 2019.28 While the term
jihad has various interpretations in Islam, many of which are explicitly
spiritual and nonviolent, the state Turkish Language Association defines it as
religious war.
Complementing this were thousands of students attending madrasas (religious
schools) affiliated with Naqshbandi Sufi (Islamic mystic) religious orders
adhering to sharia law and the Iran-backed Turkish Hezbollah, a Sunni militant
group.29 Court records reveal that some graduates later joined the Islamic State
(ISIS).30
In tandem with eroding secular public education, Erdogan also introduced
numerous changes that rolled back Turkish society’s secular-liberal character.
The most controversial of these was his successful push to reconvert the Hagia
Sophia — the renowned sixth-century Byzantine church — to a mosque in the summer
of 2020. Ataturk made the Hagia Sophia a public museum in 1934 as a gesture of
secularism and religious equality. Erdogan’s courts discarded the 1934 decree,
ruling that a nearly 600-year-old Ottoman mosque deed for the site was more
legally binding than modern Turkish law.
Erdogan’s move to re-Islamize the Hagia Sophia drew outrage from secular and
moderate Muslim Turks at home and from peoples of many faiths worldwide.31
Against the grain of international condemnation, the Muslim Brotherhood praised
Erdogan for his decision. Egyptian Brotherhood spokesman Talaat Fahmi called it
an “historic step” and celebrated what he deemed a vindication of past wrongs to
Muslims.32
International Support for the Muslim Brotherhood
Between 2009 and 2014, Erdogan and then Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
positioned Turkey as a leading patron of Muslim Brotherhood-linked regimes in
the wake of the Arab Spring. Erdogan and his cadre believed these political
upheavals presented an opportunity to supplant brittle secular Arab nationalist
military regimes with Islamist ones. When nascent Brotherhood governments
failed, Erdogan let many of their leaders take shelter in Turkey, which became a
new base for their financing and ideological missions. For Islamists who
remained on the ground in their home countries, Erdogan acted as a sponsor,
befitting his desire for Ankara to take charge of the international Islamist
movement.
After Mubarak’s fall from power, Turkish President Abdullah Gul — a close ally
of Erdogan and an AKP co-founder — became the first foreign leader to visit
Egypt’s President Morsi and backed his rise with $2 billion in aid.33 Morsi’s
Brotherhood government did not last long, however. Ankara subsequently became a
destination for Islamists fleeing the anti-Ikhwan crackdown by Cairo under
General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. In 2020, a Turkish opposition politician claimed
that Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood members and their relatives living in Turkey
numbered between 15,000 and 30,000.34 Erdogan rallied the AKP in solidarity with
the ousted Morsi, organizing demonstrations in Turkey to support the Muslim
Brotherhood in Egypt. Members of the most extreme Brotherhood contingents took
refuge under his auspices.35 Among these were al-Qaeda affiliates and senior
leaders of Gamaa Islamiya, an Egyptian terrorist network descended from the
worldview of the Egyptian Brotherhood and al-Qaeda.36
In March 2023, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood announced that it had elected
Salah Abdulhaq as its new acting leader, following the death in London of his
predecessor, Ibrahim Mounir, the previous November.37 Abdulhaq resided in
Istanbul at the time of his appointment, but his current whereabouts are not
known.
Erdogan also opened Turkey up as a haven for the organization’s Yemeni
leadership and elites in the mid-2010s, allowing them to manage financing
schemes and escape prosecution. Among the Brotherhood factions in Turkey,
Yemen’s al-Islah Party has established deep roots in Istanbul, comprising a
substantial proportion of the 25,000 Yemenis living in Turkey today. These
Brotherhood members have gained the enmity of Turkish citizens who resent their
state-funded privileges (including generous student scholarships) and wealthy
enclaves in Istanbul’s suburbs.38
Until his death in 2024, Islah leader al-Zindani — a U.S. Treasury-listed
Specially Designated Global Terrorist — resided in Turkey with state security
protection.39 Zindani, who ran the Sanaa-based al-Iman University as a pipeline
for Taliban and al-Qaeda recruitment, was a trusted ideologue for bin Laden.
Zindani’s sons still manage his business interests and finances in Turkey.40
Other Yemeni brothers in Turkey include tribal militant leader Hammoud al-Mekhlafi
and U.S.-sanctioned al-Qaeda front charity organizer al-Hasan Ali Abkar.41
In Libya, following Muammar Qaddafi’s demise in 2011, Turkey offered a $300
million credit line to the Transitional National Council and supported the
Brotherhood-aligned Justice and Construction Party.42 Even after Libya descended
into civil war, Turkey’s support for Islamist factions enabled their eventual
control of the capital, Tripoli. Following the start of Libya’s second civil war
in 2014, Turkey emerged as the primary sponsor and suzerain of Libya’s Tripoli
faction, with which it concluded a “maritime agreement” in 2019 that violated
Greek, Cypriot, and Egyptian exclusive economic rights.43 Through the end of
2025, Ankara had exerted significant influence on the Tripoli government,
extending Turkey’s mandate for military deployment in Libya to allow Turkish
operations there until early 2028.44 While Tripoli’s Islamist tilt has become
diluted amid attempts to form a unified government, it was the Libyan
government’s early involvement with the Brotherhood model that made Erdogan a
key power broker in Libya. Even now, Islamist undertones characterize Turkey’s
soft-power strategy in Libya. A 2025 initiative to open a satellite branch of
the Yunus Emre Institute, a Turkish government nonprofit that proselytizes pro-Erdogan
ideology, provides one such example.45
Turkey’s ideological influence extended beyond countries in which it played a
direct role. In Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring, Ennahda Party leader
Rachid Ghannouchi explicitly modeled his movement after Erdogan’s AKP.46 At that
time, Ennahda — which claimed early inspiration from the Muslim Brotherhood upon
its founding in 1981 — had not yet distanced itself from violent jihadi
groups.47 The AKP-inspired government sat by as a pro-terror mob attacked the
U.S. Embassy in Tunis on September 14, 2012, just days after Ansar al-Sharia
murdered U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens in Benghazi.48 Across the
region, Erdogan’s support for populist Islamists is now well known.
Support for Violent Movements
Turkey’s support for Hamas — a U.S.-designated terrorist group and the Muslim
Brotherhood’s primary Palestinian offshoot — is long-standing. Even before
Erdogan’s hard turn to open Islamism in 2011, the ruling AKP government was
quietly supportive of the terror group and welcomed its leaders to Ankara.
Erdogan took sharp criticism from Israel and the United States after letting in
a Hamas delegation led by then political chief Khaled Mashal in February 2006.
Gul, then Erdogan’s foreign minister, rationalized the decision by pointing to
Hamas’s victory in the 2006 Palestinian elections and declaring his expectation
for Hamas to “act in a democratic way.”49
Erdogan’s decision to stand by Hamas’s corrupt humanitarian aid network is also
instructive. Senior members of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA),
Ankara’s primary foreign aid bureau, have long aligned with Hamas. Israeli
intelligence found that TIKA’s Gaza chief, Muhammad Murtaja, began working for
Hamas in the fall of 2008 and spent nearly a decade funneling cash directly to
its coffers until Israel arrested him nearly a decade later.50 TIKA still
operates in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and its projects across the Palestinian
territories have functioned as logistical bases and tactical cover for Hamas
militants.51
After the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident — in which Israeli forces boarded an
unauthorized flotilla that was attempting to breach the Israeli naval blockade
of Gaza to distribute undisclosed materials — Erdogan shifted from an erratic
critic of Israel to a supporter of Hamas. The flotilla was organized by IHH
Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), a Turkish “government-organized”
nongovernmental organization (NGO) with a history of funneling cash to Hamas and
trafficking arms and recruits to violent jihadi networks in Europe and the
Middle East.52 IHH is institutionally rooted in the Muslim Brotherhood through
its founding leadership. Co-founder and chairman Fehmi Bulent Yildirim, who
organized the Mavi Marmara flotilla, led Milli Gorus’s National Youth Foundation
(MGV) university network before founding IHH during the Bosnian War in 1992.53
To aid jihadists in Europe and the Caucasus, Yildirim coordinated arms
trafficking and foreign fighter recruitment through IHH offices in Europe and
the Caucasus in the late 1990s.54 During the flotilla controversy, Erdogan took
the side of Hamas sympathizers, claiming the Israeli operation — which resulted
in violent clashes and the deaths of 10 flotilla members — was “an act of war”
and vowed that Israel “will not go unpunished.”55
Dispelling all doubt about Ankara’s tacit support for Hamas and its Turkish
facilitators is the fact that Erdogan, too, has provided the group with
political and financial support, including an alleged $300 million pledge in
2011.56 After the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap (Shalit was an Israeli soldier held
hostage by Hamas and returned to Israel in exchange for Israel releasing Hamas
prisoners), numerous Hamas operatives, including high-ranking leader Saleh al-Arouri,
resettled in Turkey.57 Erdogan publicly endorsed Hamas, declaring: “I don’t see
Hamas as a terror organization. Hamas is a political party.”58
The relocation of Hamas operatives and Muslim Brotherhood allies to Turkey has
provided the terror group with a base for raising funds beyond the reach of the
world’s counterterrorism forces. A 2023 New York Times investigation explored
the depth and breadth of Turkish cover Hamas enjoyed in preserving its financial
network, from leveraging outwardly clean Turkish fronts to exploiting Ankara’s
tax loopholes.59 Yemeni Brotherhood member Hamid Abdullah al-Ahmar stood up
Trend GYO, a $500 million Turkish construction firm, after arriving in Turkey in
2014 and continues to operate the al-Ahmar Group conglomerate.60 From his
residence in Turkey, al-Ahmar also chairs a Hamas front, the U.S.-designated Al-Quds
International Foundation.61 The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Trend GYO in 2022 for
funneling proceeds to Hamas.62 In 2024, Treasury designated Turkish firm Al Aman
Cargo and several exchange houses for moving funds and arms on behalf of Iran’s
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force and the Houthis.63
Erdogan’s support for Hamas deepened even after its massacre in Israel on
October 7, 2023. Instead of condemning the murder of 1,200 Israelis — most of
them civilians — Erdogan hosted Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul
just months before Haniyeh’s death in a 2024 Israeli strike.64 Reports suggest
the two discussed relocating Hamas’s political bureau from Qatar to Turkey.65 On
the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks in 2024, Erdogan offered no
denunciation of Hamas’s crimes, instead declaring that Turkey “will continue to
stand against the Israeli government no matter what the cost.”66
Jihadist Persons and Entities Inside Turkey With Ties to Hamas and Beyond
Following Hamas’s October 7 attack, U.S. Treasury officials made clear that
Washington is increasingly alarmed by the group’s continued financial activity
on Turkish soil. Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian
Nelson warned in November 2023 that Hamas retains the capacity to raise funds
and prepare for future attacks from within Turkey.67 In response, the United
States has issued successive rounds of sanctions targeting individuals,
nonprofits, and companies that enable Hamas’s presence and financing pipeline in
the country.
U.S. Treasury sanctions have shed new light on Hamas’s financial and political
footprint in Turkey. One figure is Jihad Yaghmour, a Jerusalem native arrested
by Israel in 1994 for his role in the kidnapping and murder of an Israeli
soldier.68 Released and deported to Turkey in the 2011 Shalit prisoner swap,
Yaghmour has since become instrumental in Hamas’s operations in the West Bank.
He has used an Istanbul- and Ankara-based NGO called KUTAD (Association of
Jerusalem and Our History) to host senior Hamas figures, such as Ismail Haniyeh
and Nesim Yassin, and to serve as a conduit to Turkish intelligence services.69
Zaher Albaik, who runs KUTAD’s Ankara office, has helped facilitate meetings
with Turkish officials.70 In December 2023, the United States and the United
Kingdom jointly sanctioned Yaghmour and seven others for advancing Hamas
interests internationally and managing its finances.71
Also among Hamas’s leadership in Turkey is Haroun Nasser al-Din, the head of
Hamas’s Jerusalem office and a close associate of Hamas finance chief Zaher
Jabarin and now deceased deputy political chief Saleh al-Arouri. A primary
facilitator of Hamas’s terrorism in the West Bank, Nasser al-Din launders funds
in Turkey for the terror group’s use in Hebron, a Hamas hub in the West Bank.
The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Nasser al-Din in December 2023.72
Another key operative is Kuwaiti-born Amer al-Shawa, who sits on the boards of
multiple Turkey-based firms providing financial support to Hamas. Treasury
designated him in October 2023, and months later, the State Department placed a
bounty of up to $10 million on several Hamas financial facilitators, including
al-Shawa.73
Additional sanctions have targeted figures such as Musa Daud Muhammad Akari, a
Hamas financier in Turkey since at least 2011.74 Akari was convicted for the
1992 kidnapping and murder of Israeli Border Police officer Nissim Toledano but
later freed in the Shalit exchange and deported to Turkey.75 Akari has been
photographed with Hamas political chief Khaled Meshal and deceased military
leader Ahmed Jabari. He is a key mover of funds from Turkey to Hamas in Gaza and
the West Bank.76 His close associate, Mahmoud Muhammad Ahmad Attoun, also
deported from Israel in 2011 for Toledano’s killing, remains active in Turkey
but has yet to be designated by the United States, unlike his brother Ahmad, who
was sanctioned in 2023.77
The network also extends into Turkish political circles. Hasan Turan, a senior
AKP figure who leads the Turkey-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Group, has
hosted multiple high-level Hamas delegations both before and after October 7.78
On October 12, 2023, Turan hosted Bassem Naim at the Turkish National
Assembly.79 Naim headed the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry that allowed Hamas to
run military operations out of hospitals across the Gaza Strip. Turan also plays
a leadership role in the League of Parliamentarians for al-Quds and Palestine,
an organization that has included sanctioned Hamas financiers in its ranks,
including now deceased senior political officer Ahmed Bahr, who in 2012 publicly
called on Gazans to kill all Jews and Americans in God’s name and maintained
close ties to Erdogan allies.80 Although Treasury sanctioned the league’s leader
in October 2024, Washington has not yet targeted the organization itself.
Several Turkish-based NGOs function as additional access points to Hamas. FIDDER,
the “Turkish Society for Solidarity with Palestine,” has a mission of expanding
Turkish-Palestinian ties but is known to host high-level Hamas visitors.81
Israeli authorities have recognized another NGO, the Istanbul-based Khir Ummah —
licensed in Turkey and active in Syria and Gaza — as a front charity with Hamas
operatives, including financiers Ibrahim al-Naji and Abdel Jaber Shalabi, among
its ranks.82 Khir Ummah has partnered with internationally sanctioned entities,
such as Hamas’s Union of Good financing network and the IHH, the Turkish
organization implicated in material support to Hamas.
In 2021, Khir Ummah received $110,000 from Igatha 48 Association (AID 48), the
fundraising arm of the Brotherhood-offshoot Islamic Movement in Israel.83
Israeli authorities highlighted Khir Ummah’s alleged ties to terror by filing an
indictment against Rami Habiballah, an Arab from northern Israel who sent money
to the group. The association also received the money via Shalabi, who manages
Khir Ummah in Turkey.
Turkey as a Forward Base for Brotherhood-Aligned Jihadism
Turkish state support for Syrian jihadist groups affiliated with the Muslim
Brotherhood is also a concern. In 2016, a U.S. drone strike killed senior
Egyptian Brotherhood member Rifai Ahmed Taha, hosted in Turkey since 2013,
during a cross-border trip into Syrian jihadist territory.84 Taha was a senior
leader in Gamaa Islamiya and masterminded the 1996 Luxor massacre that killed 58
tourists. At the time of his death, Taha was in Syria to provide counsel to
Turkey-backed Jabhat al-Nusra, which was then al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria.
Among the living, Taha’s counterpart, al-Islambouli, a longtime associate of bin
Laden and Gamaa Islamiya co-leader, has remained in Turkey since Morsi’s
ouster.85 Islambouli, whose brother Khalid assassinated Egyptian President Anwar
al-Sadat in 1981, handled operations for al-Qaeda’s Syria-based Khorasan Group —
a terror outlet established for attacks on Western targets — from his Istanbul
haven.86 Turkish authorities placed Islambouli under house arrest in 2016. This
prevented the internationally wanted terrorist from facing extradition and
trial, allowing him to live comfortably in Istanbul.87
Distinct from its support for the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, Turkey has also
backed jihadist groups in Syria, notably Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which
absorbed al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.88 Treasury concluded HTS was simply
a rebranded version of Nusra, with its leader Ahmad al-Sharaa (then known as Abu
Muhammad al-Jolani, and now the president of Syria) remaining at the helm. Thus,
Treasury’s designation of Nusra as a terrorist organization applied to HTS, as
well. In December 2024, HTS overthrew the Bashar al-Assad regime, ending Syria’s
civil war on terms favorable to Ankara. Sharaa then began pursuing warm ties
with the Trump administration, which has lifted sanctions on him, on HTS, and on
Syria.
How we arrived here is important. In 2012, Ankara, with Qatar and Saudi Arabia,
helped establish a covert operations center to coordinate jihadist attacks on
Assad.89 Turkish border policies were notoriously lax — militants, weapons, and
supplies flowed freely. In 2017, Turkey created the so-called Syrian National
Army (SNA) — a proxy rebel force distinct from HTS, bringing together armed
secular and jihadist opposition groups.90 While benefiting from Ankara’s
support, SNA fighters committed serious human rights abuses against Kurdish
communities in Turkish-occupied northern Syria.91 In August 2024, the U.S.
Treasury Department imposed sanctions on two prominent SNA militias, the
Suleiman Shah Brigade and the Hamza Brigade, for abduction, extortion, torture,
and sexual violence.92
The SNA and HTS were formally dissolved following Sharaa’s assumption of power,
but in March 2025, their members massacred some 1,500 members of Syria’s Alawite
minority group.93 HTS and SNA fighters now form the backbone of the new Syrian
army, which Ankara supports by providing training, assistance, and military
equipment.
Conclusion and Policy Recommendations
Erdogan’s embrace of the Muslim Brotherhood has damaged Turkey’s secular-liberal
democratic character and its willingness to address terrorism and related
security concerns. In shedding the AKP’s early moderation for hardline Islamist
domination, Ankara now extols anti-Western and anti-NATO policy just as its
Milli Gorus predecessors hoped for decades. So too has it made Turkey an
international hub for terrorist financing and shelter. From Turkey, violent
Brotherhood elements can export violence and sponsor terror across the Middle
East and sub-Saharan Africa. However, the United States can still compel
Turkey’s government to rein in the international Muslim Brotherhood and its most
violent contingents. First, Washington should pursue Global Magnitsky sanctions
against targets in Turkey involved in grand corruption and election
interference. In recent months, Erdogan and his ruling party have pursued
criminal charges against political activists and opposition figures, jailing
hundreds of them. To date, very little has been done by the international
community to respond to these anti-democratic measures. The Global Magnitsky Act
allows for sanctions on individuals who engage in significant corruption,
bribery, asset expropriation, or facilitation of corrupt proceeds. The United
States should actively pursue asset freezes and visa restrictions against
targets in Turkey engaged in these behaviors.
Second, the United States should utilize Global Magnitsky authorities to target
Turkish individuals responsible for human rights violations in Syria. Turkey has
taken an active role in supporting Syrian groups such as the SNA’s Suleiman Shah
Brigade and Hamza Brigade — and even HTS in the several years leading up to its
takeover. These groups engaged in terrorism and human rights violations,
particularly while receiving sponsorship and assistance from Turkey. They often
targeted civilians and attacked the critical infrastructure of vulnerable
populations, leading to food and water shortages, electricity lapses, and
physical harm to Kurds and other minority groups.94 While the United States
supports the new central authority in Syria, it should continue to monitor
extremist elements in Syria that Turkey has supported and directed. These groups
are also closely aligned with Muslim Brotherhood ideology and should be subject
to designation if sufficient evidence is gathered.
Third, the White House should fully apply the November 2025 executive order
aimed at designating branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist
organizations. The White House subsequently designated four branches — in
Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Sudan — for acts of terrorism or providing support
to Hamas.95 State and Treasury should similarly evaluate persons in Turkey —
including government officials — and agencies that may meet this criterion for
designation. Fourth, Treasury officials should consider the Turkish financial
sector a jurisdiction of money laundering concern. Turkey is actively hosting
and supporting Hamas. Hamas senior leadership is routinely welcomed in Istanbul
and Ankara and meets publicly with senior AKP party officials and the foreign
minister. Regional intelligence reports indicate funds have traversed the
Turkish banking sector en route to terror groups in Lebanon, Syria, the West
Bank, and Iraq. The United States should protect the international financial
sector by recommending added scrutiny and screening to transactions involving
Turkish financial institutions. Finally, Washington should coordinate with the
G7 to return Turkey to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey list” until
further improvements are seen in combating terrorism financing. In 2021, Turkey
was added to the list of countries with insufficient controls and weak
monitoring of its banking sector with regard to money laundering and terrorist
financing. Turkey continues to lack control over large swaths of its financial
sector, which is opaque and lacks transparency. Until Turkey implements
sufficient laws and regulations, it should be returned to the FATF grey list so
that financial institutions are warned about improper anti-money laundering and
counter-terrorist financing monitoring. Turkish support for the Muslim
Brotherhood is no longer confined to statements of kinship and shared Islamist
ideology. Under Erdogan, Turkey’s Brotherhood sponsorship is now a heavily
institutionalized network radiating out from Ankara. As this network threatens
to wreak further havoc in Syria, the Palestinian territories, Libya, and
elsewhere, Washington should not exempt Erdogan from the consequences of
harboring, funding, and defending terrorists.
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April 01/2026