English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For April 10/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Go into all the
world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 16/15-18:"‘Go into all the
world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and
is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.
And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will
cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in
their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they
will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.’
Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related
News & Editorials published
on April 09-10/2026
To President Joseph Aoun: Please Stop the Denunciations and Statements
Defending the Terrorist Hezbollah/Elias Bejjani/April 08/2026
Opportunism and baseness are born within the rulers, the Official, the
double-dealing partisan politicians so called political parties, and many of the
Iscariot-like clerics... they all suckle subservience with their mother's
milk./Elias Bejjani/April 06/2026
Netanyahu says instructed cabinet 'to begin direct negotiations' with Lebanon
Iran's speaker says Lebanon 'inseparable part' of ceasefire
Iran's speaker says Lebanon 'inseparable part' of ceasefire
Israel dismisses mounting calls to add Lebanon to US-Iran ceasefire
Israel, Lebanon talks to take place next week in Washington: AFP
Israel-Lebanon talks to take place next week in Washington
US says Trump will continue to discuss Lebanon with Netanyahu
Trump 'very optimistic' on Iran, says asked Israel to scale down Lebanon attacks
Pakistan hails ‘restraint,’ slams Israeli strikes on Lebanon ahead of US-Iran
talks
Islamabad locks down for US-Iran talks as Israeli attacks on Lebanon jeopardize
truce
Lebanon wants ceasefire before talks with Israel, official says
Lebanese govt. bans non-state weapons in capital Beirut
Israel army chief tells troops inside Lebanon that Hezbollah suffered 'heavy
blow'
Israel army chief tells troops inside Lebanon that Hezbollah suffered 'heavy
blow'
Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Wednesday killed more than 300
Hezbollah fires rockets at northern Israel
Israeli army says striking Hezbollah launch sites in Lebanon
Israel military says killed secretary to Hezbollah chief in Beirut
UK 'strongly' wants ceasefire extended to Lebanon
Iran's speaker says Lebanon 'inseparable part' of ceasefire
Rescuers search for survivors in Lebanese capital as new Israeli strikes hit
south
Hezbollah MP comments on issue of Lebanon-Israel talks
Macron tells Trump, Iran president ceasefire must include Lebanon
Lebanon’s opening: Peace talks expose Hezbollah’s biggest lie
The Bird That Did Not Know Its Size: History, Self-Deception, and the Lebanese
Crisis/Charles H. al-Hayek/Now Lebanon/April 09/2029
Lebanese Nationalism vs Trans-Nationalism, not Phoenician vs Arab/Hussain
Abdul-Hussain/NowLebanon/April 09/2026
Links to several important news websites
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on April 09-10/2026
Iran’s supreme leader says Tehran does not seek war in written message
Trump says deal collapse 'highly unlikely', vows renewed war if no agreement
Iran speaker says US ceasefire 'unreasonable' after 'repeated violations'
Iran's envoy deletes post on delegation arrival in Islamabad for US talks
Iran rules out restrictions on enrichment program: Nuclear chief
Strait of Hormuz is shut, must reopen without conditions, ADNOC CEO says
NATO willing to play role in possible Strait of Hormuz mission, Rutte says
Israel approves dozens of new settlements in West Bank, watchdog says
Merz warns against NATO split over Iran war, Israeli aggression in Lebanon
Saudi, Iranian FMs hold first call since start of war
Kuwait's military says air defenses are responding to drone attacks
Saudi Crown Prince MBS welcomes UK PM Starmer
Recent attacks on Saudi Arabia halted operation at several energy facilities:
Source
US summons Iraq envoy over Iran-backed attacks against Americans
Putin announces Orthodox Easter ceasefire with Ukraine
Greenland prime minister rebuffs Trump remarks as NATO tensions rise
Links to several important news websites
on April 09-10/2026
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News & Editorials published
on April 09-10/2026
To President Joseph
Aoun: Please Stop the Denunciations and Statements Defending the Terrorist
Hezbollah
Elias Bejjani/April 08/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/153549/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV-vqBg7Jdg
Free advice, Mr. President Joseph Aoun—advice
from an expatriate citizen whose only hope is to one day return and be buried in
his beloved homeland..the holy and blessed Lebanon.
Mr. President, they used to say advice is worth a fortune, but I am giving this
to you for free: Please stop issuing denunciations and empty statements
defending the terrorist Hezbollah, that practically change nothing. Always
remember that you are a President, a responsible official who took an oath on
the Constitution. You are not an ordinary, struggling citizen who has been
displaced, persecuted, and robbed of his savings like us.
We, the struggling citizens, are the ones who have the right to denounce, cry
out, and scream to vent our frustrations. You, from your position as President,
is constitutionally, morally, and even spiritually required to act, to find
solutions, and to take the decisions dictated by your office. Leave the
"denouncing" to us, the powerless citizens.
Another piece of free advice: you should sent your "landmine" advisors home
yesterday, not today. It becomes clearer every day that they are traps set
around you by Berri, Hezbollah, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, the
Arabists, and the failing leftist groups. They are a bunch of brokers and
hypocrites meant to paralyze you and make you fail in your presidential
duties—which, unfortunately, seems to be your current state.
On a related note, you said from Bkerke: "Anyone who criticizes the army has no
dignity," and you asked critics: "What have you given to the army?" Yet, you
didn't have the courage to call Hezbollah by its name, referring to this Iranian
terrorist organization only as "some."
As a citizen, I pay the salaries of the army. Therefore, the army is required to
protect me, fight terrorism, and uphold the law and independence—duties it is
currently not performing. You know very well that the criticism coming from many
people inside and outside Lebanon is not directed at the army itself, but at you
and your "relative," the Army Commander. Your words were unbalanced, emotional,
and irresponsible.
As for using the term "some," it is proof of your inability—for whatever
reason—to face the Iranian-backed terrorism of Hezbollah, implement
international resolutions, and restore Lebanon's independence and dignity.
Regarding "civil peace," here is more free advice: find a lawyer or a judge with
a conscience and a sovereign soul to explain to you what civil peace actually
means. Ask them who is destroying it, hijacking the state’s decisions, and tying
Lebanon to the Iranian Mullahs?.
In short, you swore an oath to protect the Constitution and the Lebanese state
and its citizens. If you are unable to do so for any reason, you should resign.
Leave the way open for those who are capable, willing, and free, who believe in
the sanctity of Lebanon—and there are many of them. Once again, I beg of you:
stop the statements and denunciations. Leave that as the only outlet for us, the
citizens.
Meanwhile, if you truly want to save Lebanon, pick up the phone and call Israeli
Prime Minister Netanyahu. Follow the path of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Do
what he did: free yourself and your country from the lie of "resistance" and
"liberation," make peace with the State of Israel, and enter history. In the
end, you are the one who decides how history will remember you.
Opportunism and baseness are born within the rulers, the Official, the
double-dealing partisan politicians so called political parties, and many of the
Iscariot-like clerics... they all suckle subservience with their mother's milk.
Elias Bejjani/April 06/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/8899/
A dog’s tail stays crooked even if you put it in a mold for a hundred years; a
pig, no matter how much it washes, returns to wallow in the mud; and a dog licks
up its own vomit. Such is the state of the politicians, the merchant-owners of
"so called political parties, and many of the "men of the cloth" and the lowly
ones—those degraded in their morals, their infidelity, and their Trojan-horse
nature. They cannot change because filth, decadence, the death of conscience,
the killing of the grace of shame within them, and opportunism are nested in
their blood—even though they have no "blood" (honor) in them.
In Lebanon, there is an evil political school for filth and meanness. It
graduates a miserable breed of politicians with no feeling and no shame; when
people spit on them, they say, "It’s raining." This breed of politicians and
political paties owners, merchants are the ones who delivered Lebanon into the
arms of Palestinian, Syrian, and Iranian occupations. They ruined the country,
stole the people’s money, displaced them, and filled the world with trash. These
ruffians preach virtue while they are drowning in obscenity, debauchery,
collaboration, humiliation, and dirt.
Shame on every citizen, politician, political party owner, official, ruler, and
cleric who has no dignity or honor—whose only concern is power, money, and
influence at the expense of their people and homeland. Money, power, and sex
expose the inner truth of every human, and these people are all cowering,
kneeling slaves to these three maladies.
Even worse than these "great" leaders are the herds, the cheerleaders, and the
henchmen among our own people who follow them... these idol-worshippers whose
necks are tied with the ropes of dependency and humiliation.
We cannot forget today, with the Resurrection of Christ, those who falsely and
deceitfully claim to be "sovereignists" against Hezbollah—its weapons,
occupation, and crimes. These very people, before the defeats of the terrorist
Hezbollah and the assassination of its leaders, used to boast that their
"martyrs" were like Hezbollah’s, that Hezbollah was a "Resistance" that
liberated the South, and that it is a "Lebanese demographic" whose problems
should be solved "locally/domestically." They never dared to mention UN
resolutions 1995. 1701, 1680. Today they play the hero, but their wretched
essence hasn't changed and never will.
In short, all these politicians, these "trashy political party" owners, all the
rulers, and many of the clerics are the children of the Devil. They suckled
filth and opportunism with their milk; they live and die this way, and no matter
how high they rise, they remain lowly.
In summary, Lebanon cannot rise with these people. For Lebanon to rise, The
Lebanese people must cast out these "Trojan" crews, confiscate their wealth and
property, and put them on trial.
Netanyahu says
instructed cabinet 'to begin direct negotiations' with Lebanon
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he ordered his cabinet
to open direct talks with Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and establish "peace
relations" between the two countries. "In light of Lebanon's repeated requests
to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed the cabinet yesterday to
begin direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible," his office wrote in
a statement. "Negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing
peace relations between Israel and Lebanon. Israel appreciates today's call by
the Prime Minister of Lebanon to demilitarize Beirut," the statement added. A
Lebanese government official with knowledge of the matter told AFP on Thursday
that the country could only enter negotiations after a ceasefire was announced.
Israeli media outlets reported that Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the
U.S., would represent the country in the talks, which would take place "under
fire," meaning without Israel halting its strikes in Lebanon. The statement came
a day after Israel launched its largest wave of strikes on Lebanon since the
start of its war with Hezbollah on March 2, leaving more than 300 people dead
according to authorities. Netanyahu's statement also followed calls on Wednesday
with U.S. President Donald Trump and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, according
to U.S. publication Axios. Senior U.S. officials said Witkoff asked Netanyahu to
"calm down" the strikes in Lebanon and open negotiations. The publication quoted
a senior Israeli official who said the direct negotiations will begin next week
in Washington. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun had renewed a call last month for
a truce and the opening of negotiations to stop the war between Israel and
Hezbollah.
Lebanon's cabinet on Thursday instructed security forces to restrict weapons in
Beirut exclusively to state institutions, in a warning to Hezbollah. "The army
and security forces are requested to immediately begin reinforcing the full
imposition of state authority over Beirut Governorate and to monopolize weapons
in the hands of legitimate authorities alone," Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said
at the end of a cabinet meeting. The Lebanese government banned Hezbollah's
military activities at the beginning of March, shortly after the start of war
with Israel, but the decision has not stopped the Iran-backed group from
conducting military operations. Beirut had also committed last year to disarming
the group, the only one to keep its weapons after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.
In December, Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first
direct talks in decades, part of a ceasefire monitoring mechanism. Before then,
Israel and Lebanon, which have no formal diplomatic relations, had insisted on
keeping military officers in the role.
Iran's speaker says Lebanon 'inseparable part' of ceasefire
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
Iran's parliament speaker on Thursday said Lebanon was a key part of the
two-week ceasefire with the United States, warning that violations would bring
severe consequences, following massive Israeli strikes on Lebanon. "Lebanon and
the entire Resistance Axis, as Iran's allies, form an inseparable part of the
ceasefire," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a post on X. "Ceasefire violations
carry explicit costs and STRONG responses," he added.
Israel dismisses mounting calls to add Lebanon to US-Iran
ceasefire
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
Israel vowed more strikes against Hezbollah on Thursday, dismissing mounting
international demands that the fragile truce between the United States and Iran
in the Gulf be expanded to cover the war in Lebanon. At least 203 people were
killed and 1,000 wounded in the latest strikes, the Lebanese health ministry
said, and Iran's parliamentary speaker warned Tehran sees Lebanon as an
"inseparable part of the ceasefire" and threatened "strong responses". President
Donald Trump has claimed victory in the Middle East war after agreeing a
two-week truce to allow talks between U.S. and Iranian negotiators to end a
conflict that has already killed thousands and plunged the global economy into
turmoil. But the future of the negotiations -- planned to begin this week in
Pakistan -- was already in danger on Thursday after Tehran denounced Israel's
raids on Lebanon and its nuclear energy agency ruled out any restrictions on the
country's enrichment of uranium, a key demand of Washington. "We are continuing
to strike Hezbollah with force, precision, and determination," Israel's Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, in a social media post. "Our message is clear:
anyone who acts against Israeli civilians, we will strike them. We will continue
to hit Hezbollah wherever necessary." In response, Iran's parliamentary speaker
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted: "Lebanon and the entire Resistance Axis, as
Iran's allies, form an inseparable part of the ceasefire. Ceasefire violations
carry explicit costs and STRONG responses."Tehran's ambassador to Pakistan,
meanwhile, deleted a social media post saying an Iranian delegation would arrive
on Thursday. An official at the Iranian embassy in Islamabad told AFP the post
was removed "because of some issues" and refused to say whether the delegation
was still expected.
'Running left and right' -
But, amid fears that the fragile truce could break down in the Gulf, there were
international calls for the ceasefire to encompass Lebanon. "Israeli actions are
putting the US-Iran ceasefire under severe strain. The Iran truce should extend
to Lebanon," the European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said. France's
foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot condemned the strikes as "unacceptable", while
his British counterpart Yvette Cooper called for the ceasefire to include
Lebanon. The Lebanese prime minister's office said Thursday would be "a national
day of mourning for the martyrs and wounded of the Israeli attacks that targeted
hundreds of innocent, defenceless civilians". Hezbollah said it had fired
rockets towards Israel in response to what it called a violation of the truce.
US Vice President JD Vance backed Israel in saying Lebanon was excluded from the
truce, days before he was due to lead talks with Tehran in Pakistan.
"If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart... over Lebanon, which has
nothing to do with them, and which the United States never once said was part of
the ceasefire, that's ultimately their choice," he said. But Ghalibaf had
already appeared to threaten the ceasefire, posting on X that the "workable
basis on which to negotiate" had already been violated, making further talks "unreasonable".Separately,
the head of Iran's nuclear energy agency Mohammad Eslami, declared: "The claims
and demands of our enemies to restrict Iran's enrichment program are merely
wishes that will be buried." U.N. rights chief Volker Turk called the scale of
killing in Lebanon "horrific", after strikes across the capital Beirut that came
without warning triggered horror and panic. "People started running left and
right, and smoke was billowing," said Ali Younes, who was waiting for his wife
near Corniche Al-Mazraa, one of the areas targeted.
High-stakes talks -
The bellicose rhetoric came ahead of high-stakes talks in Pakistan expected on
Friday or Saturday. A key point of contention remains the Strait of Hormuz,
through which a fifth of the world's oil as well as vast quantities of natural
gas and fertiliser pass in peacetime.
Iran announced alternative routes on Thursday for ships travelling through the
strait, citing the risk of sea mines. But it was unclear if Tehran was in
practice allowing vessels to pass through the strait, following reports on
Wednesday suggesting it was shut -- something the White House called "completely
unacceptable."
Israel, Lebanon talks to take place next week in
Washington: AFP
LBCI/April 09/2026
Israel and Lebanon will hold talks next week in Washington after Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu ordered direct talks, a source familiar with the situation
told AFP Thursday.The talks are expected to take place at the U.S. State
Department, the source said on condition of anonymity, after Israel said that a
U.S.-Iran ceasefire did not apply to Lebanon. AFP
Israel-Lebanon talks to take place next week in Washington
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
Israel and Lebanon will hold talks next week in Washington after Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered direct talks, a U.S. official said Thursday.
"We can confirm that the Department will host a meeting next week to discuss
ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Israel and Lebanon," a State Department
official said, confirming an earlier account from a source familiar with the
diplomatic efforts.The talks will come soon after as the United States and Iran
open talks in Pakistan. Israel has said that the Lebanon invasion, in which it
is targeting Iranian-backed Hezbollah, is not affected by a two-week ceasefire
between the United States and Iran.
US says Trump will continue to discuss Lebanon with
Netanyahu
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump will continue to discuss with Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu the idea of including Lebanon in an Iran war ceasefire deal,
his spokeswoman said Wednesday. "This will continue to be discussed, I am sure,
between the president and Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu, the United States
and Israel and all of the parties involved," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt
told reporters.
Trump 'very optimistic' on Iran, says asked Israel to scale
down Lebanon attacks
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump told NBC News on Thursday he was "very optimistic"
about a peace deal with Iran after their ceasefire, and that Israel was "scaling
back" strikes in Lebanon. Trump told the U.S. broadcaster in a telephone
interview that Iran's leaders were "much more reasonable" in private but added
that "if they don't make a deal, it's going to be very painful." U.S. Vice
President JD Vance is due to hold talks with Iran in Pakistan on
Saturday.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had meanwhile agreed in a
call with Trump on Wednesday to "low-key it" with Lebanon after devastating
strikes on Wednesday, the U.S. president said. "I spoke with Bibi (Netanyahu)
and he's going to low-key it. I just think we have to be sort of a little more
low-key," Trump said.
Pakistan hails ‘restraint,’ slams Israeli strikes on Lebanon ahead of US-Iran
talks
AFP/09 April/2026
Pakistan praised “restraint” in the Middle East war on Thursday, but condemned
ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon as Islamabad prepared to host expected talks
between Iran and the United States. Both Washington and Tehran have confirmed
their participation in peace talks brokered by Pakistan, although the schedule
is still to be confirmed. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Thursday
with the country’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who jointly
“appreciated the restraint demonstrated by all sides,” according to the
premier’s office. The pair “expressed satisfaction over the de-escalation
achieved so far,” the statement said. US President Donald Trump agreed a
two-week truce to allow talks between US and Iranian negotiators, but
Washington’s ally Israel has kept up its attacks on Lebanon. Iran has said
Lebanon was a key part of the ceasefire and argues Israeli attacks breach the
truce. Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said “Iran was on the
verge of responding to the ceasefire violation last night.”Such a move was
avoided because “Pakistan intervened,” Khatibzadeh told ITV News, according to
excerpts from Iran’s state-linked Tasnim news agency. Pakistan’s premier spoke
on Thursday to his Lebanese counterpart, Nawaf Salam, and “strongly condemned
Israel’s ongoing aggression against Lebanon,” the prime minister’s office said.
Pakistani officials announced a public holiday for the capital area on Thursday
and Friday, a step often taken ahead of high-profile diplomatic events.
Essential services, including police, hospitals, and power and gas utilities,
will remain operational, the deputy commissioner’s office said. The White House
has said Vice President JD Vance will lead US negotiations over the Middle East
war in Islamabad “this weekend.” Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan deleted a social
media post saying an Iranian delegation would arrive in Islamabad on Thursday
night, a move an embassy official later told AFP had been sent prematurely.
Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam said in a post on X on Thursday morning that an
Iranian delegation would arrive “tonight in Islamabad for serious talks based on
10 points proposed by Iran.” The post was deleted shortly after. An official at
the Iranian embassy in Islamabad told AFP the post was removed “because of some
issues,” declining to say whether the delegation was still expected on Thursday.
When asked further, the official said: “Timing – we were not supposed to send
it.”
Islamabad locks down for US-Iran talks as Israeli attacks on Lebanon jeopardize
truce
Al Arabiya English/09 April ,2026
Israel bombed more targets in Lebanon on Thursday, putting the US-Iran ceasefire
into further jeopardy after the biggest Israeli attacks on its neighbor of the
war killed more than 200 people and threatened to torpedo Donald Trump’s truce.
In Pakistan, authorities locked down the capital Islamabad in anticipation of
the war’s first peace talks, cutting off all access to a 3-km (2-mile) zone
around the five-star luxury Serena Hotel. Both the US and Iranian delegations
are expected to stay at the hotel, which told all guests to check out until
Sunday as it had been “requisitioned” for “an important event.” But there was no
sign Iran had lifted its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the
worst disruption to global energy supplies in history. Tehran said there would
be no deal as long as Israel was striking Lebanon. The spot price that European
and Asian refineries pay now for oil rose further to record levels near $150 a
barrel, with even higher prices for some products such as jet fuel. Israel,
which invaded Lebanon last month in parallel with the war on Iran to root out
the Iran-aligned armed group Hezbollah, says its actions there are not covered
by the ceasefire announced late on Tuesday by Trump.Washington has also said
Lebanon is not covered by the truce, but Iran and Pakistan, which acted as
mediator, say it was explicitly part of the deal. A host of countries, including
Britain and France, said the truce should extend to Lebanon. A Pakistani source
with knowledge of the discussions said Pakistan was working on a ceasefire for
Lebanon, as well as for Yemen, another country where Israel has hit Iran-aligned
forces: “It will be discussed during the (upcoming) talks and we will settle
it.”
Israel says it kills Hezbollah chief’s nephew
The Israeli military said on Thursday it had killed the nephew of Hezbollah’s
Secretary-General Naim Qassem, who had served as his personal secretary, and
struck river crossings in southern Lebanon overnight. Israel struck Beirut’s
southern suburbs just before midnight and at dawn, and hit towns across the
south on Thursday morning, Lebanese state media said. For its part, Hezbollah,
which had initially said it would pause attacks on Israel in line with the
ceasefire, said it was resuming them on Thursday morning and had fired once
across the border and twice at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon declared a day of national mourning and shut state offices, while
rescuers worked through the night to free the wounded and the dead from under
the rubble of buildings blasted apart by Israel without customary warnings to
residents to flee. Outside Beirut’s Rafik Hariri University Hospital, a steady
stream of ambulances kept arriving throughout Thursday afternoon, driving past
the emergency room entrance straight to the forensic department. “We’re picking
up body parts for the most part. It’s very rare that we find entire bodies
intact,” said a rescue worker on condition of anonymity because he was not
authorized to speak to the press. One woman, between tears, told Reuters she had
lost her entire family in one of the strikes. Iran’s deputy foreign minister
Saeed Khatibzadeh told BBC Radio that Israel’s strikes on Lebanon were a “grave
violation” of the ceasefire. “It was a catastrophe, could actually end in more
catastrophe, and this is the nature of this rogue behavior that we are seeing
from Israel in the whole Middle East.”
Physical oil prices spike
After six weeks of war, Trump has sought an off-ramp before the economic
consequences derail his presidency. The ceasefire has curbed a surge in energy
price benchmarks, which are based on contracts to deliver oil a month in the
future. But present-day spot prices paid by refineries around the world are
still rising. Though Europe and Asia have been worst hit so far, the US retail
price for diesel rose to $5.69 a gallon on Thursday, just 13 cents below the
all-time high. Trump, who announced the truce just before a deadline he had set
to destroy Iran’s “whole civilization” unless it unblocked the strait, said on
Wednesday he would resume attacks unless Iran complies: “The ‘Shootin’ Starts,’
bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before.”Iran,
however, is pressing for US concessions in a final deal, including the total
lifting of sanctions that have crippled its economy and acknowledgment of its
control over the strait, previously freely open to trade. Iranian officials say
they plan to impose rules on passage, including a potential fee similar to those
charged to access man-made canals. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
published a map with the strait’s main shipping channels marked as unsafe,
telling ships instead to sail around islands nearer the Iranian shore.With
Reuters
Lebanon wants ceasefire before talks with Israel, official
says
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
Lebanon wants a ceasefire before starting any negotiations with Israel, a
Lebanese government official told AFP on Thursday, after Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered his cabinet to begin direct talks with
Beirut. "Lebanon wants a ceasefire before starting negotiations," said the
official, who has knowledge of the talks and requested anonymity. A Lebanese
official meanwhile told Al-Jazeera that the negotiations will be direct and
sponsored and guaranteed by the United States. Diplomatic sources told Al-Jadeed
TV that "international pressures following the bombing of Beirut pushed Israel
to lower escalation in return for opening negotiations with Lebanon to reach an
agreement and disarm Hezbollah." An Israeli official, however, told Israel's
Channel 12 that "there are no big Israeli expectations regarding the success of
the negotiations with Lebanon." "The Lebanese side is insisting on the
initiative launched by President Aoun, which calls for a ceasefire before going
to negotiations," a Lebanese official told MTV. Al-Jadeed said the Lebanese
delegation to the negotiations will be comprised of Ambassador Simon Karam and
Paul Salem.
Lebanese govt. bans non-state weapons in capital Beirut
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
Lebanon's cabinet on Thursday instructed security forces to restrict weapons in
Beirut exclusively to state institutions, a day after Israeli strikes across the
country including in the heart of the capital. "The army and security forces are
requested to immediately begin reinforcing the full imposition of state
authority over Beirut Governorate and to monopolize weapons in the hands of
legitimate authorities alone," Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said at the end of a
cabinet meeting. Information Minister Paul Morcos said the decision prompted
objections from Hezbollah's two ministers in the cabinet. The Lebanese
government banned Hezbollah's military activities at the beginning of March,
shortly after the start of war with Israel, but the decision has not stopped the
Iran-backed armed group and political party -- represented in cabinet and
parliament -- from conducting military operations. On Wednesday, Israel carried
out its largest wave of strikes since the start of its war with Hezbollah on
March 2, leaving more than 200 people dead. The conflict has cost more than
1,700 lives in just over a month, according to Lebanon's health ministry. In the
wake of Wednesday's strikes across Lebanon, Salam said the government will
submit "an urgent complaint" to the U.N. Security Council, and he denounced the
"dangerous escalation in defiance of all regional and international efforts to
stop the war in the region". Morcos said the government is engaged in diplomatic
outreach to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon, after the U.S. and Israel said they
did not consider their truce with Iran to include the country. Iran on Thursday
called Lebanon an "inseparable" part of the ceasefire.
Israel army chief tells troops inside Lebanon that Hezbollah suffered 'heavy
blow'
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
Israel's army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited ground troops in southern
Lebanon on Thursday, telling them Hezbollah suffered a "heavy blow" from its
major bombardment targeting the Iran-backed group a day earlier. "While you are
operating and advancing at the front, yesterday we delivered a heavy and
powerful blow to Hezbollah. They left Dahiyeh and moved to other locations from
which they managed the fight," he told soldiers, referring to a Hezbollah
stronghold in Beirut. "The objective defined for you is the removal of the
direct threat to the residents of the north (of Israel), which you are carrying
out on the ground," he added.
Israel army chief tells troops inside Lebanon that Hezbollah suffered 'heavy
blow'
LBCI/April 09/2026
Israel's army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited ground troops in southern
Lebanon on Thursday, telling them Hezbollah suffered a "heavy blow" from its
major bombardment targeting the group a day earlier. "While you are operating
and advancing at the front, yesterday we delivered a heavy and powerful blow to
Hezbollah. They left Dahiyeh and moved to other locations from which they
managed the fight," he told soldiers. "The objective defined for you is the
removal of the direct threat to the residents of the north (of Israel), which
you are carrying out on the ground."AFP
Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Wednesday killed more than
300
Agence France Presse
Lebanon's health ministry said Thursday that Israeli strikes across the country
a day before killed more than 300 people and wounded at least 1,150. In a
statement, the ministry said "the Israeli enemy's airstrikes yesterday,
Wednesday, resulted in a preliminary toll of 303 martyrs and 1,150 wounded",
adding that the cumulative toll since the start of the war between Israel and
Iran-backed Hezbollah on March 2 rose to 1,888 dead and 6,092 wounded. The
ministry added that the Wednesday toll includes 71 women, 30 children and nine
elderly people.It warned the death toll could rise further as search efforts
were ongoing, as well as DNA testing of bodies transferred to hospitals. The
Lebanese military said four soldiers were killed in Israel's Wednesday strikes,
one of them on duty in Sidon in southern Lebanon, while the three others were
off duty in the northeast. The Lebanese army, which is not a party to the war,
has now lost 14 soldiers to Israeli attacks, two of them on duty. Lebanon's
General Security Directorate also announced the death of one of its personnel in
the attacks.
Hezbollah fires rockets at northern Israel
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
At least 14 rocket alerts sounded through Thursday morning in communities near
Israel's northern border with Lebanon as Israeli forces fight Hezbollah despite
the U.S.-Iran ceasefire. Footage from the border area showed long rocket trails
in the sky and plumes of smoke signalling interceptions. Calls have been
mounting for the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran -- agreed late on Tuesday
-- to be extended to Israel's war with Hezbollah, which Israel has said is not
included. Israel on Wednesday unleashed what it said was its "largest
coordinated strike" on Lebanon since the war began, killing more than 200 people
and wounding over 1,000, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Hours later,
Iran-backed Hezbollah said it had fired rockets towards Israel in response to
what it called a violation of the U.S.-Iran truce. Since midnight, at least 14
rounds of sirens warning of incoming rocket fire have sounded in northern
Israel. In the city of Kiryat Shmona alone, there have been at least six alerts.
For some residents, the continuation of fighting along Israel's northern front
is seen as the lesser of two evils. "Actually, we're quite pleased, even rather
relieved, that Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire agreement with Iran,
because it's a threat that weighs directly on us," said Florence, who lives in
the northern mixed Jewish-Arab town of Maalot-Tarshiha and declined to give her
last name. "In recent weeks, we've clearly seen that Hezbollah has grown
stronger since 2024 and that it continues to threaten the civilian population in
northern Israel," she told AFP by phone, saying she was speaking "on behalf of
many people". After Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel on March 2 in
retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli killing of Iran's supreme leader, Israel
invaded southern Lebanon and launched massive air raids in the area.
Israeli army says striking Hezbollah launch sites in
Lebanon
Naharnet/April 09/2026
The Israeli army said Thursday it was striking Hezbollah positions in Lebanon,
shortly after it had warned that the group could expand launches of projectiles
across Israel. "A short while ago, the IDF (army) began striking Hezbollah
launch sites in Lebanon," the military said in a statement.
Israel military says killed secretary to Hezbollah chief in Beirut
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
Israel's military said Thursday it had struck and killed a close adviser to
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem in Beirut a day earlier, when Israeli strikes
pummelled Lebanon. "Yesterday, the IDF (army) struck in the Beirut area and
eliminated Ali Yusuf Harshi, the personal secretary and nephew of Hezbollah
Secretary-General Naim Qassem," a military statement said. Harshi was "a close
associate and personal adviser to... Qassem and played a central role in
managing and securing his office", it added.
UK 'strongly' wants ceasefire extended to Lebanon
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
Britain's foreign minister said Thursday the UK "strongly" wants Lebanon
included in the Middle East ceasefire as Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in
the United Arab Emirates. "We do want to see the ceasefire extended to Lebanon.
I'm deeply troubled about the escalating attacks that we saw from Israel in
Lebanon yesterday," Yvette Cooper told Sky News. "We've seen the humanitarian
consequences, the huge mass displacement of people in Lebanon. So we do strongly
want to see the ceasefire extended to Lebanon," she said. Cooper's comments came
as Starmer arrived in the UAE on the second leg of a visit to the Gulf to meet
with regional leaders seeking to bolster the ceasefire in the Middle East war.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained extremely limited on Wednesday
despite the announcement of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
Cooper was later Thursday expected to underline the importance of ensuring
shipping through the strait was toll-free and unhindered. "We should start
immediately to get international shipping moving again by supporting the
International Maritime Organization's proposals to move the ships trapped in the
Strait, and the 20,000 stranded seafarers," she was due to tell business
leaders, according to the Foreign Office. "The full and unconditional re-opening
of the strait must be a central part not just of the current ceasefire but of
the long term future for the region." And she was to add that "the fundamental
freedoms of the seas must not be unilaterally withdrawn or sold off to
individual bidders. Nor can there be any place for tolls on an international
waterway". Iran on Thursday announced alternative routes for ships travelling
through the key waterway, citing the risk of sea mines. Starmer on Wednesday met
Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah. He
"set out how efforts must now be focused on upholding" the ceasefire "and
turning it into a lasting peace," a Downing Street spokesperson said in a
statement. He also "discussed the UK's ongoing efforts to convene partners to
agree and plan the practical steps required to give shipping the confidence to
transit the Strait," the spokesperson added. The visit follows a virtual meeting
Tuesday of military planners from over 30 countries hosted by Britain. The
strait has been largely closed since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran started
on February 28, impacting global supplies of oil, liquified natural gas, and
fertiliser.
Iran's speaker says Lebanon 'inseparable part' of ceasefire
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
Iran's parliament speaker on Thursday said Lebanon was a key part of the
two-week ceasefire with the United States, warning that violations would bring
severe consequences, following massive Israeli strikes on Lebanon. "Lebanon and
the entire Resistance Axis, as Iran's allies, form an inseparable part of the
ceasefire," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a post on X. "Ceasefire violations
carry explicit costs and STRONG responses," he added.
Rescuers search for survivors in Lebanese capital as new
Israeli strikes hit south
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
Rescuers searched for survivors under the rubble of destroyed buildings in
Beirut on Thursday as Lebanon observed a day of mourning after Israeli strikes
across the country killed more than 200. The Israeli military carried out
further strikes in southern Lebanon, killing at least five people in Abassiyeh,
a village near Tyre, according to the civil defense agency. Israel's
simultaneous strikes on Wednesday, carried out without warning and targeting the
heart of Beirut and several other regions of Lebanon, killed at least 203 people
and wounded around 1,000, according to the most recent toll from the health
ministry. Hezbollah, for its part, announced that it had fired rockets at
northern Israel overnight in response to what it called "the enemy's violation
of the ceasefire". "This response will continue until the Israeli-American
aggression against our country and our people stops," Hezbollah said. It was the
first action announced by the Iran-backed armed group since the announcement of
a ceasefire between Iran and the United States a day prior. In the Lebanese
capital, rescue workers were still combing the rubble of two buildings hit in
residential neighborhoods, according to AFP journalists. An Israeli strike early
Wednesday targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold from which
most residents have fled after more than a month of war. An AFP photographer saw
one building in the area completely blown apart and another half destroyed in
the Shiyyah neighborhood, on the outskirts of the southern suburbs.
In the south of Lebanon, Israel struck near a strategic bridge three times
between Wednesday and Thursday, partially blocking it, according to an AFP
photographer on the scene.The Lebanese Army had earlier closed the bridge after
an "Israeli threat to target it".
It is the last bridge linking the north and south sides of the Litani River in
the Tyre region, where thousands of families have remained despite evacuation
warnings issued by Israel. Diplomatic calls are multiplying to expand the
regional ceasefire to Lebanon, with Israel and the U.S. insisting that the
country is not covered by the truce. "The ongoing military activity in Lebanon
poses a grave risk to the ceasefire," said the spokesperson for U.N.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement. French President Emmanuel
Macron voiced concern over the strikes in Lebanon, telling his American and
Iranian counterparts that halting them is a "necessary condition for the
ceasefire to be credible and lasting." The International Committee of the Red
Cross said it was "outraged by the devastating death and destruction" caused on
Wednesday by the Israeli strikes.
Hezbollah MP comments on issue of Lebanon-Israel talks
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
A Hezbollah lawmaker on Thursday reiterated his group's rejection of any direct
negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said he had ordered his cabinet to begin talks with Beirut. "We
reiterate our rejection of any direct negotiations between Lebanon and the
Israeli enemy, and the necessity of upholding national principles, foremost
among them the Israeli withdrawal, the cessation of hostilities, and the return
of residents to their villages and towns," Ali Fayyad said in a statement shared
by the Iran-backed group's media channels. Fayyad added that the group called
"on the Lebanese government to adhere to the ceasefire as a precondition before
proceeding with any further steps". A Lebanese government official told AFP on
Thursday that Beirut wants a ceasefire before initiating talks with Israel.
Macron tells Trump, Iran president ceasefire must include Lebanon
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that he urged his U.S. and
Iranian counterparts, Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian, to include Lebanon in
the ceasefire reached with Iran. Israel announced Wednesday it did not consider
Lebanon covered by the Iran-U.S. truce announced overnight. Its strikes on
Lebanon Wednesday killed 182 people and wounded 890, according to an initial
government toll, with the capital Beirut hit by the most violent bombardment
since the start of the Israel-Hezbollah war last month, or even since the 1982
invasion. "I expressed my hope that the ceasefire will be fully respected by
each of the belligerents, across all areas of confrontation, including in
Lebanon," Macron wrote on X after speaking with both leaders. He said it was a
"necessary condition for the ceasefire to be credible and lasting". Macron is
the first Western leader to have spoken with the Iranian president since the
announcement of the ceasefire. He added it must pave the way for comprehensive
negotiations to ensure "security for all in the Middle East"."Any agreement will
have to address the concerns raised by Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile
programs, as well as its regional policy and its actions obstructing navigation
through the Strait of Hormuz." Macron said France would "play its full part, in
close coordination with its partners" in the region.
Lebanon’s opening: Peace talks expose Hezbollah’s
biggest lie
Now Lebanon/April 09/2026
https://nowlebanon.com/lebanons-opening-peace-talks-expose-hezbollahs-biggest-lie
Direct U.S.-mediated talks with Israel do not solve Lebanon’s crisis overnight.
But they do expose the central fiction that armed “resistance” protects the
country, when in reality it has only turned Lebanon into a permanent human
shield for Iran.
Why it matters:
For years, Hezbollah and its defenders have sold the Lebanese public a fantasy:
that the group’s weapons are the country’s last line of defense, that Iran’s
patronage is a strategic asset, and that permanent confrontation with Israel is
somehow safer than diplomacy. The opening of direct talks shatters that
illusion. It reveals something many Lebanese already know but too few officials
have dared to say clearly: Lebanon stands a better chance with negotiation,
international guarantees, and the authority of the state than it ever did as an
expendable front in Iran’s regional project.
What happened:
According to reports from Washington, direct negotiations between Lebanon and
Israel are expected to begin next week in the U.S. capital. The Israeli side is
reportedly to be represented by its ambassador in Washington, while Lebanon is
expected to be represented by its ambassador to the United States. On the
American side, Ambassador Michel Issa appears to be the central channel managing
the file, especially as other familiar figures who once handled Lebanon have
faded from view. At the same time, the message coming from Israel and Washington
is blunt: diplomacy may be opening, but Israel intends to preserve freedom of
military action as long as it believes Hezbollah remains a threat.
The big picture:
This is precisely why the talks matter. Not because they instantly end the war.
Not because they guarantee calm. And certainly not because Israel has suddenly
become benevolent. They matter because they expose the bankruptcy of Hezbollah’s
doctrine.
The party’s core argument has always been that its arms deter war. But Lebanon
today offers the exact opposite lesson. Hezbollah’s weapons have not protected
Beirut, the south, or the suburbs. They have not shielded civilians. They have
not created sovereignty. They have not imposed rules of engagement that spare
Lebanon from destruction. Instead, they have ensured that every Lebanese home,
neighborhood, and road remains hostage to a military calculus made outside the
state.
This is the central obscenity of the so-called resistance model. It does not
defend Lebanon. It uses Lebanon.
The IRGC does not see Lebanon as a republic with citizens, rights, and
institutions. It sees Lebanon as a platform: a storage site, a launchpad, a
pressure card, and a human shield. Hezbollah’s weapons are not a national
defense strategy. They are the mechanism through which the country has been
stripped of one.
What they’re really saying:
The opening of talks is also politically significant because it places the
Lebanese state, however weak, back at the table. That alone is a profound rebuke
to the entire mythology of parallel arms. If war and peace are discussed by
diplomats, ambassadors, and governments, then the claim that Lebanon needs a
party militia to “manage” its conflict collapses under its own weight. This is
what Hezbollah fears most: not an Israeli strike, but a Lebanese political
moment in which the state begins to reclaim the file from the militia.
Because once Lebanon starts operating like a state, the questions become
unavoidable. Who decides war? Who negotiates borders? Who guarantees security?
Who speaks for the country? And why should any armed group retain an arsenal
that has brought ruin, displacement, assassination, isolation, and economic
collapse while claiming to offer protection?
Between the lines:
The defenders of Hezbollah will insist that talks are surrender. They will say
diplomacy is normalization, that negotiations are betrayal, and that only arms
preserve dignity. But this argument has long expired.
What dignity is left in a country permanently exposed to devastation because an
Iranian-backed organization insists on monopolizing strategic decisions? What
sovereignty survives when the state cannot control its own territory, its own
diplomacy, or its own security doctrine? What exactly have these weapons
delivered except funerals, fear, and the constant possibility that Lebanon will
be incinerated for a conflict that is not truly its own? Peace is not
capitulation. In Lebanon’s case, peace is the first serious chance at national
self-defense.
The bottom line:
Lebanon does not have to love Israel to understand a basic truth: it has a
better fighting chance through diplomacy than through permanent service as
Iran’s frontline bunker.
That is the real significance of these talks. They are not just a diplomatic
development. They are an ideological test. Either Lebanon moves, however
imperfectly, toward statehood, negotiations, and sovereign decision-making — or
it remains what Hezbollah and the IRGC have made it: a country of hostages told
to call their captivity protection.
The Bird That Did Not Know Its Size: History, Self-Deception, and the Lebanese
Crisis
Charles H. al-Hayek/Now Lebanon/April 09/2029
https://nowlebanon.com/the-bird-that-did-not-know-its-size-history-self-deception-and-the-lebanese-crisis/
When Emir Bashir II was asked, during his exile, to describe the temperament of
the Lebanese, he reached for a parable, the story of the Abu Far bird, a figure
from the local cultural heritage that carries troubling resonances with the
present.
A painted portrait of Emir Bashir Shihab II, taken from an original drawing
published in Charles Henry Churchill’s book entitled: “Mount Lebanon. A ten
years residence, from 1842 to 1852”
In 1897, Rustum Baz (1819-1902), the last secretary of Emir Bashir Shihab II,
sat down to write his memoirs. He had accompanied the Emir into exile as a young
man and remained beside him for a decade, from 1840 to 1850, until the Emir’s
death, serving as his trusted chamberlain. The memoir he produced stands as a
significant source on the political and social life of the Mountain at the close
of the Shihabi emirate era. In 1955, the historian Fuad Ephrem al-Boustani, one
of the founders of the Lebanese University, published the text, giving it
scholarly circulation.
Emir Bashir Shihab II had ruled Mount Lebanon from 1789 to 1840 through decades
of turbulence. He was instrumental in the Egyptian interregnum under Ibrahim
Pasha, and his politics deepened sectarian strife between Maronites and Druze,
ultimately causing his own fall in the context of the Ottoman restoration and
the broader Oriental Crisis of 1840. Offered a choice of exile between Malta and
Istanbul, he spent eleven months on the island before relocating to the Ottoman
capital with his Circassian wife, Husn-Jahan, his three sons and two daughters,
and his secretary Rustum Baz.
It is in the chapter that Rustum dedicates to the governorship of Omar Pasha,
the Serbian-born convert Ottoman field marshal appointed to administer Mount
Lebanon following the dissolution of the Emirate in 1842, known in local
historiography as al-Namsawi, that the episode at the heart of this reflection
occurs. The Druze leadership of Mount Lebanon had submitted a petition to the
Sublime Porte alleging abuses under Omar Pasha’s administration. The Ottoman
authorities dispatched Khalil Pasha, an admiral holding the title of Damât by
virtue of his marriage to one of the sultan’s daughters, on an inspection
mission to Lebanon.
Before his departure, he visited the Emir at his residence in the Samatya
quarter of old Istanbul. Rustum records the exchange as follows:
“Before Khalil Pasha’s departure to Beirut, he came to visit Emir Bashir, who
was at Samatya. The Emir received him with great honour. After the sherbets,
sweets, and coffee were served, he said: ‘Your Highness the Emir, I am heading
to Lebanon to examine its affairs. I have been told that you have ruled Lebanon
for fifty-five years. Will you not tell me about its people, what are their
characters and temperaments, and what is the means by which you have been able
to govern for all this time?’
The Emir replied: ‘Effendim, it is true that I have ruled for all this time. Yet
every three or four years, or more, they would rise up against me, and not once
did they succeed. I would kill, hang, imprison, and beat without opposition
until they were humbled. As for their temperament, allow me to offer Your
Excellency’s government a fitting example. In Lebanon and elsewhere there is a
bird called Abu Far. It is larger than a falcon. It perches on a tall tree, and
when the sun rises, it looks at its shadow and finds it larger than it truly is,
and says: “Today I must hunt a camel.” As the sun climbs higher, the shadow
grows smaller, and it moves from a camel to something lesser, until the sun
reaches its zenith and bears down directly upon it. It then looks at its shadow
and finds it smaller than it truly is, and so it returns to hunting mice.’
When the Emir reached this point, Khalil Pasha was struck with admiration. He
said: ‘Your Highness the Emir, I have understood more than a lengthy explanation
could convey.’ When he rose to leave, the Emir accompanied him to the gate of
the house.”
The parable of the Abu Far bird, “Father of the Mice”, so named for his hunting
habits, and possibly identifiable as the Long-Legged Buzzard, concerns a small
bird of prey that mistakes the length of its shadow for the measure of its
strength. It is well established in Lebanese cultural wisdom.
Emir Bashir’s warning to Khalil Pasha was, perhaps unknowingly, a warning to
posterity. The bird that measures itself by its morning shadow and resolves to
hunt camels, only to be reduced by the clarity of noon to hunting mice, is more
than a parable, it is a diagnostic.
The Abu Far syndrome runs through Lebanese public life with remarkable
consistency: communities, movements, and media ecosystems alike have
demonstrated a recurring capacity to substitute a fictional reading of the past
and the present alike, generating visions of weight and capacity that the actual
balance of forces does not sustain.
None of its manifestations is more consequential than Hezbollah’s
instrumentalisation of history and violence. The movement’s ideological
alignment with the Islamic Republic has generated recurring patterns of
entanglement whose costs Lebanon continues to bear. The journalists and
self-styled analysts who orbit this universe only deepen the damage. By feeding
their audiences a steady diet of events packaged as surprise and achievement,
they help sustain an ecosystem in which self-deception continually reproduces
itself, intensifies the crisis, and offers nothing in return but meagre
consolation amid disaster.
The challenge before Lebanon is no longer about the past. It is about the
future: the country’s sense of purpose, the role of the republic, and at this
moment, even its continued existence. One hundred years after the establishment
of the Republic in 1926, the ethical imperative is to abandon the logic of Abu
Far altogether and reckon with what Lebanon definitively cannot be: a front in
the service of a foreign theocracy. The warning delivered in a quiet room in
Istanbul 186 years ago has lost none of its force. A bird that does not know its
size will not survive the midday sun.
*Charles al-Hayek is a Public Historian and the founder of Heritage and Roots.
Lebanese Nationalism vs Trans-Nationalism, not Phoenician
vs Arab
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/NowLebanon/April 09/2026
https://nowlebanon.com/lebanese-nationalism-vs-trans-nationalism-not-phoenician-vs-arab/
Charles Hayek’s Between History and Hallucinations, Franck Salameh’s response,
and Eli Khoury’s comment inspired me to share my thoughts. However, I must first
clarify a few things. Before I pursued a career in public policy, I was trained
in history and was actively pursuing an academic career. History remains my
passion. Over the years, I have gradually shifted my perspective from Charles’s
viewpoint to Franck and Eli’s.
My mentor, Kamal Salibi, was renowned for his book, The Bible Came from Arabia.
His hypothesis suggests that, before migrating to the southern Levant region,
the Israelites resided in the Hijaz. Salibi argued that most events recorded in
the Bible depict the history of this community in what is now Saudi Arabia,
rather than Israel. While Salibi was prepared to engage in debates and face
rebuttals from fellow historians, he faced significant criticism from
non-historians. They accused him of granting Israel a claim to the Western side
of the Arabian Peninsula. Interestingly, Palestinians embraced Salibi’s
hypothesis, using it as evidence to assert that Jews lacked a history in Israel.
However, Salibi did not dispute the geographic location of Jewish history, which
began with the Hasmoneans, approximately two millennia ago. Instead, he
challenged the earlier history of Abraham, Moses, David, and Solomon.
Shortly before his passing, Salibi was about to publish his final book and
requested that I write the introduction. He had a specific reason for this. He
sought a historian whose daily practice was rooted in policy. Both Salibi and I
believed that history should be written for the sake of history itself, not to
shape the present. When we begin writing history with present political
considerations in mind, we inadvertently compromise both history and policy.
This is precisely where Charles made his significant error. He argued that the
historian’s role was to present “the truth” as an exercise in clarity for the
present and future. This notion is fundamentally flawed.
History lacks absolute truth. It is a modern endeavor to present the most
plausible version of past events. Often, a historical narrative is reconstructed
from fragments of evidence that, on their own, offer little to no concrete
information. Historians, relying heavily on conjecture, examine contemporary
evidence and the unreliable literature passed down from previous generations to
form hypotheses. Some of these hypotheses gain mainstream acceptance and are
recognized as history. Others, which are not as widely accepted, are referred to
as alternative or revisionist history.
Therefore, there is no singular “truth” in history; instead, there are
suggestions. The reason we consider literature unreliable is that it is rarely
written by eyewitnesses reporting from the scene. Instead, it is often composed
by chroniclers from centuries later. These chroniclers are typically court
propagandists and hagiographers who manipulate the narrative to serve their
sponsors at the time of writing.
Returning to the debate, before the emergence of nation-states, kings
constructed their histories in a manner that they believed validated their
legitimacy as “the shadow of God on earth.” With the rise of nation-states, the
divine mandate for the sovereign was replaced by approval from the nation.
However, who defines the nation? Once again, history emerges as a tool to
distinguish one nation from another, often granting certain nations, similar to
ancient times, real estate and sovereignty rights over the territories they
occupied.
Salibi, who himself evolved and repositioned himself on the political spectrum
as he aged, was not a fan of nationalism. He used to say that nationalism is an
imagined history, created by a poet and a musician to compose a national anthem.
As the Ottoman provinces began to break away from Istanbul, the intellectuals of
the time engaged in a debate about their future. Some desired to remain within
the Muslim empire, even as the sultanate itself was shedding its Islamic
identity and adopting Turkification. Others aspired for an independent pan-Arab
nation. However, the outcome was determined by colonial interests centered
around the extraction of Iraqi oil to the Mediterranean coast. The competition
between the British and French empires also played a significant role.
The British allied themselves with the Sunni Arab majority and supported the
pan-Arab nation scheme. France, on the other hand, was left with the minorities
and had to adopt the idea of independent smaller nations. France was so generous
with the minorities that it divided the Levant into five states: one Christian,
one Alawite, one Druze, and two Sunni.
The Christian population in Lebanon was sufficient to make them a majority in
Greater Lebanon, but they would have been a minor faction in a pan-Arab or
pan-Muslim nation. Although pan-Arabism promised secularism, it could not
envision a founding legend independent of the rise of Islam and the Prophet
Muhammad. Consequently, the founders of secular pan-Arabism themselves converted
to Islam.
Each of the newly formed nations—Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt—began
constructing their own imagined national history. The Iraqis revived
Mesopotamia, while the Egyptians resurrected their Pharaohic past. This was
facilitated by colonialism, which had decades earlier unearthed a significant
amount of archaeology that retold histories suppressed by the mainstream Islamic
narrative for centuries.
Lebanon was no exception. Similar to Iraq and Egypt, Lebanon revived its
pre-Islamic history and portrayed its modern nation as a continuation of that
ancient Phoenician past. While this continuity was a stretch, the lingering
influence of this ancient civilization was undeniable.
For brevity, I will conclude with a brief word on history and the present and
future.
Phoenicians were not a nation-state but a civilization whose competing
city-states, and sometimes Thessalocracies, dominated the Mediterranean basin.
They emerged around 1200 BCE and began Arabizing (my own hypothesis) between 200
and 500 CE. Over 1400 years is a long period, almost equivalent to the age of
the Arab civilization today. We know that Phoenician, the closest Semitic
relative to Hebrew, evolved into Punic. Therefore, viewing Phoenician as a
nation-state with a single language or style contradicts our understanding of
their civilization, which originated in what is now Lebanon. What we do know is
that the Lebanese still share many Phoenician traits that distinguish them from
other Arabs today.
Lebanon, the oldest nation-state in the Arab League and Israel, has a rich
history. Mount Lebanon emerged in 1840 and gained more defined boundaries in
1860. This development wasn’t due to Lebanese self-identification as Phoenicians
but rather their status as non-Muslims, a division that persisted even after the
creation of Greater Lebanon and continues to this day.
However, history is history. Lebanon must adopt a modern approach, akin to
America, and build its nation on principles rather than national legends.
Concepts like liberty, equality, and freedom are foreign to most Lebanese. As
long as this remains the case, the defining characteristics of their nation will
remain the dispute over who is Phoenician and who is Arab, both imagined
identities.
Self-determination is the foundation of statehood. The fault line should lie
between those who desire Lebanon as a nation-state and those who insist on
transnational platforms that make Lebanon an extension of one foreign nation or
another.
If the rift between the Lebanese nation and the Lebanese transnationalists
cannot be resolved, federalism is not the solution; total partition is.
**Hussain Abdul-Hussain is the author of The Arab Case for Israel and a research
fellow at The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD)
The views in this story reflect those of the author alone and do not necessarily
reflect the beliefs of NOW.
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 09-10/2026
Iran’s supreme leader says Tehran does not seek war in written message
Al Arabiya English/10 April/2026
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in his latest written message said
that Tehran does not want war with the United States and Israel, but would
protect its rights as a nation, state television reported Thursday. “We did not
seek war and we do not want it,” he said in the message read out on state TV,
coinciding with 40 days since his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed on February
28, the first day of the war. “But we will not renounce our legitimate rights
under any circumstances, and in this respect, we consider the entire resistance
front as a whole,” he added, in an apparent reference to Lebanon where Israel is
fighting a war with Tehran’s ally Hezbollah. Iran this week agreed a fragile
two-week ceasefire with the United States that could lead to peace negotiations
after threats of annihilation from US President Donald Trump. Khamenei told
Iranians that they must “not imagine that taking to the streets is no longer
necessary” despite the announcement of the ceasefire. “Your voices in public
squares are undoubtedly influential in the outcome of the negotiations,” he
said, according to the message broadcast on state TV.
Khamenei also urged Iranians to avoid engaging with media outlets “supported by
the enemy.”With AFP
Trump says deal collapse 'highly unlikely', vows renewed
war if no agreement
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that U.S. forces deployed near
Iran would remain stationed in the area until a "real agreement" is reached, as
Washington enters a fragile two-week ceasefire with Tehran. The truce reached
Tuesday showed signs of unravelling, with Israel bombarding Lebanon and
Washington contradicting some of Iran's demands to end the war ahead of planned
talks. "All U.S. Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel, with additional
Ammunition, Weaponry, and anything else that is appropriate and necessary for
the lethal prosecution and destruction of an already substantially degraded
Enemy, will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL
AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with," Trump wrote on his Truth Social
platform. While he said a deal falling through was "highly unlikely," Trump
threatened to revert to "bigger, and better, and stronger" strikes if an
agreement was not reached. "In the meantime our great Military is Loading Up and
Resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest. AMERICA IS BACK!"
Trump wrote. Iran agreed to reopen the vital thoroughfare during the two-week
truce, but said it would maintain "dominion" over it. The Strait of Hormuz is a
key chokepoint through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes in peacetime.
In a Farsi-language release of demands circulated by Iranian state media, the
Islamic republic also insisted that Washington accept its uranium enrichment
programme. That was not included in Iran's demands released via the U.N., and
Trump has said the matter of enrichment would be "taken care of" in any deal.
Ahead of planned negotiations in Pakistan, Trump said Iran will have "no nuclear
weapons" and the "Strait of Hormuz WILL BE OPEN & SAFE."
Iran speaker says US ceasefire 'unreasonable' after 'repeated violations'
Naharnet/April 09/2026
Iran's parliament speaker said Wednesday that a ceasefire and talks with the
United States were "unreasonable" because of violations of Tehran's 10-point
truce plan, including continued attacks in Lebanon, a drone entering Iranian
airspace and a denial of the country's right to enrichment. "The deep historical
distrust we hold toward the United States stems from its repeated violations of
all forms of commitments -- a pattern that has regrettably been repeated once
again," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a statement posted on X, listing three
violations of the Iranian proposal. "Now, the very 'workable basis on which to
negotiate' has been openly and clearly violated, even before the negotiations
began. In such (a) situation, a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations is
unreasonable."
Iran's envoy deletes post on delegation arrival in
Islamabad for US talks
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
Iran's ambassador to Pakistan deleted a social media post saying an Iranian
delegation would arrive in Islamabad on Thursday night, a move an embassy
official later told AFP had been sent prematurely. Ambassador Reza Amiri
Moghadam said in a post on X on Thursday morning that an Iranian delegation
would arrive "tonight in Islamabad for serious talks based on 10 points proposed
by Iran". The post was deleted shortly after. An official at the Iranian embassy
in Islamabad told AFP the post was removed "because of some issues", declining
to say whether the delegation was still expected Thursday. When asked further,
the official said: "Timing -- we were not supposed to send it." The deletion
raises fresh uncertainty over the arrival schedule, although both the United
States and Iran have confirmed their participation in peace talks, brokered by
Pakistan in Islamabad. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited both
delegations "to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all
disputes".The White House has said Vice President JD Vance would lead U.S.
negotiations over the Middle East war in Islamabad "this weekend". Authorities
in the Pakistan capital declared local holidays on Wednesday for the next two
days. No official reason was given, but such restrictions are common ahead of
high-profile diplomatic events. Essential services, including police, hospitals,
and power and gas utilities will remain operational, the deputy commissioner's
office said.
Iran rules out restrictions on enrichment program: Nuclear chief
AFP/09 April/2026
The head of Iran’s nuclear energy agency on Thursday ruled out any restrictions
on the country’s enrichment of uranium, saying the demand by the United States
and Israel “will not come true.”“The claims and demands of our enemies to
restrict Iran’s enrichment program are merely wishes that will be buried,”
Mohammad Eslami was quoted as saying by Iran’s ISNA news agency. His remarks
came with talks set to take place at the end of the week between Iran and the
United States under Pakistani mediation.
Strait of Hormuz is shut, must reopen without conditions,
ADNOC CEO says
Al Arabiya English/09 April /2026
The Strait of Hormuz is shut and Iran must open it without conditions and be
held accountable for damages after attacks on facilities, United Arab Emirates
state oil giant ADNOC’s CEO said on Thursday. The narrow waterway that Iran has
effectively shuttered since the US-Israeli war began on February 28 is not open,
Sultan Al Jaber said in a LinkedIn post, adding access is being restricted,
conditioned and controlled. “Iran has made clear - through both its statements
and actions - that passage is subject to permission, conditions and political
leverage. That is not freedom of navigation. That is coercion,” Jaber, also UAE
minister of industry and advanced technology, wrote. “Energy producers must be
able to swiftly and safely restore production at scale. At ADNOC, we have loaded
cargoes and we will expand production within the constraints of the damage we
have suffered.”
Energy facilities have come under attack. “The UAE has reiterated its position
that following the substantial and illegal attacks on UAE civil and energy
infrastructure, Iran must be held accountable and fully liable for damages and
reparations,” Jaber said. “The Strait must be open - fully, unconditionally and
without restriction. Energy security and global economic stability depend on
it,” Jaber said, adding that every day that it remains shut compounds the
consequences, with supply delayed, markets tightening and prices rising. About
230 ships are loaded with oil, ready to sail, and should be free to do so along
with every vessel to come, he said. “That is how we slow the economic shockwave
already moving through the system.”With Reuters
NATO willing to play role in possible Strait of Hormuz mission, Rutte says
Reuters/09 April/2026
NATO would be willing to a play a role in a possible Strait of Hormuz mission if
it is able to do so, the military alliance’s chief Mark Rutte said on Thursday.
“If NATO can help, obviously then there is no reason not to be helpful,” Rutte
said during remarks in Washington.
Rutte has briefed some capitals that US President Donald Trump wants concrete
commitments within the next few days for help securing the Strait of Hormuz, two
European diplomats told Reuters on Thursday. Rutte met with Trump in Washington
on Wednesday, amid tensions within the alliance over the Iran war. “We note the
frustration in Washington, but they did not consult allies either before or
after starting this war,” said one of the diplomats. “NATO as such would not
play a role in the war against Iran, but allies want to be helpful in seeking
longer-term solutions for Hormuz. With negotiations ongoing with Iran, this
could be helpful,” the diplomat said. The US president has repeatedly called
NATO a “paper tiger” and threatened to withdraw from the 32-member transatlantic
alliance in recent weeks, arguing that Washington’s European allies have relied
on US security guarantees while providing inadequate support for the US-Israeli
bombing campaign in Iran. Although Trump said on Tuesday the attacks on Iran
would be paused under a two-week ceasefire, the fallout from the conflict has
continued to strain ties. Trump posted on Truth Social after the meeting in
capitalized letters that “NATO wasn’t there when we needed them, and they won’t
be there if we need them again.”Dutchman Rutte, known in Europe as a “Trump
whisperer” and who has faced criticism for frequently praising the US leader,
said in an interview with CNN after Wednesday’s meeting that Trump “is clearly
disappointed with many NATO allies, and I can see his point.”
Early planning underway, questions remain
Britain is leading a group of around 40 countries seeking to come up with a
military and diplomatic plan to reopen and safeguard Hormuz but there is little
indication it will yield any near-term breakthrough. French President Emmanuel
Macron said on Wednesday about 15 countries were planning to facilitate the
resumption of traffic through the strait. France’s foreign minister Jean-Noel
Barrot said on Thursday that Hormuz would be unable to fully reopen until there
was a lasting agreement between the US and Iran, while Italy and Britain said
Iran’s position that it could impose a toll to cross the strait was
unacceptable.
“We have an ongoing track on Hormuz, which is largely unrelated to what happened
in the White House yesterday,” said a third European diplomat. “We know the
urgency on the US side, and we know that Rutte is trying to position himself in
a way that he is helpful in that conversation. We are willing to make the right
noises and even the right actions down the line, but ultimately the problem is
not to please the US but to have the right conditions in place,” the diplomat
added.
Israel approves dozens of new settlements in West Bank,
watchdog says
Reuters/09 April ,2026
Israel has approved the establishment of dozens of new Jewish settlements in the
West Bank, an Israeli watchdog group said on Thursday, amid a rise in settler
attacks on Palestinians across the occupied territory. Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s government has not formally announced the establishment of the 34
new settlements, many of them outposts in far-flung areas of the mountainous
territory, the Peace Now watchdog group said in a statement. The decision, made
by the Israeli cabinet on April 1, was reported widely on Thursday by Israeli
media outlets, which said Israel’s military censor had approved it for
publication. The Palestinian Presidency’s office condemned the plan as a
“flagrant violation of international law.”Netanyahu’s office did not immediately
respond to a request for comment. The Yesha Council, a body that represents West
Bank settlers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Palestinian killed in settler attack on Wednesday
Israel’s settlements on occupied West Bank land are illegal under international
law and must be withdrawn as soon as possible, the United Nations top court said
last year. Some 500,000 settlers live in the West Bank, home to 3 million
Palestinians. Netanyahu’s government has overseen a historic settlement
construction push that his far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says is
aimed at burying the idea of Palestinian statehood in the West Bank. His tenure
has also seen a sharp rise in settler violence against Palestinians. On
Wednesday, a 28-year-old Palestinian was killed in a settler attack in the
village of Tayasir, near Tubas in the West Bank’s north. The Israeli military
said an off-duty soldier fired towards a Palestinian during a stone-throwing
incident near Tayasir. It did not immediately clarify whether the soldier was
also a settler involved in the attack. Settlers began attacking Tayasir
residents after establishing outposts near the village about a month ago,
residents say. “They don’t want to leave any place for us,” said Hussam Abdel
Latif Wahdan, 65, a farmer who said he was attacked by around 12 settlers late
on Wednesday. “If I had not managed to escape they would have killed me,” he
said. Wahdan has four children and depends on his farm for his livelihood, but
fears it has become the settlers’ next target. Settlers have killed at least six
Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of this year, with rights groups
marking a sharp rise in attacks since the outbreak of the Iran war on February
28. Attacks include arson, beatings and vandalism of Palestinian villages.
Israel has blamed settler attacks on a “fringe minority,” a view disputed by
most human rights observers and residents. It also argues that territories it
captured in the 1967 war are not occupied in legal terms because they are on
disputed lands, but most of the international community regards them as
occupied.
Settlers attacking ‘with impunity’
The United Nations says settler violence has led to the displacement of at least
700 Palestinians from the start of 2025 through February 2026. “Israeli settlers
are attacking Palestinians throughout the West Bank with impunity, and so
viciously that this has led to entire communities being displaced,” said Sarit
Michaeli of the Israeli rights group B’Tselem. B’Tselem says settlers have been
increasingly pushing to establish settlements in areas under civil management by
the Palestinian Authority, which has limited self-rule in parts of the West
Bank. Under 1990s peace accords, the West Bank was divided into Area A, under
full PA jurisdiction; Area B, under Palestinian civil but Israeli security
control; and Area C, under Israeli civil and security control. “Since October 7,
settlers have deliberately targeted Area B – and now even Area A,” said Dror
Etkes, of the Israeli rights group Kerem Navot, which tracks settlements.
Palestinian villages in Areas B and C tend to be isolated, far away from major
population centers, leaving residents more exposed to settler attacks. Peace Now
said the April 1 cabinet decision did not envisage the establishment of
settlements in Areas A or B.
Merz warns against NATO split over Iran war, Israeli
aggression in Lebanon
Agencies/09 April/2026
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday he did not want US-Iran war to
place any further strain on relations between the United States and its European
NATO partners. “We do not want – I do not want – NATO to split. NATO is a
guarantor of our security, including and above all in Europe,” he said, speaking
to journalists. Meanwhile, the continued Israeli military campaign in Lebanon
could jeopardize peace talks expected between the United States and Iran over
the war in the Middle East, Merz said. “We view the situation in southern
Lebanon with particular concern,” he said. “The severity with which Israel is
waging war there could cause the peace process as a whole to fail, and that must
not be allowed to happen.” He added he had encouraged US President Donald Trump
in a call to pursue negotiations with Iran with urgency. Germany was resuming
direct talks with Iranian leadership in Tehran, Merz said in Berlin.
Saudi, Iranian FMs hold first call since start of war
Agence France Presse/April 09/2026
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone conversation with
his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, the Saudi foreign ministry said
Thursday, in the first official contact between the countries since Tehran
launched strikes against its Gulf neighbors in retaliation for Israeli-American
attacks. "The call focused on reviewing developments in the situation and ways
to slow the pace of tensions so as to help restore security and stability in the
region," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement, which was issued the
day after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United
States.
Kuwait's military says air defenses are responding to drone attacks
LBCI/April 09/2026
Kuwait's army said its air defenses were working to intercept drones fired
towards its territory, the first reported in the Gulf on Thursday as the
ceasefire between Iran and the United States entered its second day. "The air
defenses of the Armed Forces are currently facing hostile drone attacks that
have penetrated the country's airspace, targeting several vital installations,"
the army posted on X, citing the defense ministry spokesperson. AFP
Saudi Crown Prince MBS welcomes UK PM Starmer
Al Arabiya English/09 April/2026
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed British Prime Minister Keir
Starmer to the Kingdom on Wednesday night. The pair met in Jeddah, according to
the Saudi Press Agency. Starmer has repeatedly condemned Iran’s attacks on Saudi
Arabia in recent months. London said Starmer would discuss diplomatic efforts to
“support and uphold the [US-Iran] ceasefire in order to bring about a lasting
resolution to the conflict and protect the UK and global economy from further
threats.”Starmer traveled to Saudi capital of Riyadh in December 2024, pledging
to increase ties between the two nations and to increase British engagement in
the Middle East.
Recent attacks on Saudi Arabia halted operation at several
energy facilities: Source
Al Arabiya English/09 April/2026
Processing facilities in Ju’aymah were also impacted, which impacted exports of
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas liquids. Attacks on Saudi Arabia
resulted in a total reduction in the Kingdom’s production capacity to
approximately 600,000 barrels per day, a source at the Saudi Ministry of Energy
said on Thursday. These attacks resulted in the death of one Saudi national from
the industrial security personnel of the Saudi energy company and wounded seven
other Saudi nationals from the company’s personnel. Attacks in recent weeks hit
one of the pumping stations on the East-West Pipeline, leading to a loss of
approximately 700,000 barrels per day in throughput, according to the official
source. “This pipeline is considered the main route for supplying global markets
during this period.”The Manifa production facility was also targeted, resulting
in a reduction of approximately 300,000 barrels per day from its production
capacity. The Khurais facility had previously been targeted, leading to a
reduction of 300,000 barrels per day from its production capacity as well. Other
attacks targeted major refining facilities, including SATORP in Jubail, Ras
Tanura refinery, SAMREF refinery in Yanbu, and Riyadh refinery, according to the
source. Processing facilities in Ju’aymah were also impacted, which impacted
exports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas liquids. “The
continuation of these attacks leads to reduced supply and slows recovery,
thereby affecting the security of supply for consuming countries and
contributing to increased volatility in oil markets,” the source added. “This
has already negatively impacted the global economy, particularly with the
depletion of a significant portion of operational and emergency inventories,
which has affected the availability of supplies and limited the ability to
respond to this supply shortfall.”
US summons Iraq envoy over Iran-backed attacks against
Americans
Al Arabiya English/10 April/2026
The US summoned Iraq’s ambassador to Washington on Thursday, slamming recent
Iran-backed attacks on American diplomats and facilities in Iraq. Deputy
Secretary of State Christopher Landau summoned Nizar Khirullah to express the US
government’s strong condemnation of what the State Department said were
egregious terrorist attacks by Iran-aligned militia groups launched from Iraqi
territory against US diplomatic personnel and facilities. This includes the
April 8 ambush of US diplomats in Baghdad, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy
Pigott said. “These attacks come after hundreds in recent weeks against US
citizens, diplomatic facilities, and commercial interests, as well as Iraq’s
neighbors and Iraqi institutions and civilians, including in the Iraqi Kurdistan
Region,” Pigott said. Acknowledging the efforts of Iraqi Security Forces, Landau
emphasized the Iraqi government’s failure to prevent these attacks, while some
elements associated with the Iraqi government “continue to actively provide
political, financial, and operational cover for the militias adversely impacts
the US-Iraq relationship.” “The Deputy Secretary stressed the United States will
not tolerate attacks on US interests and expects the Iraqi government to
immediately take all measures to dismantle the Iran-aligned militia groups in
Iraq,” Pigott added.
Putin announces Orthodox Easter ceasefire with Ukraine
AFP/10 April/2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ceasefire with Ukraine for the
duration of the Orthodox Easter holidays, the Kremlin said Thursday, after Kyiv
also proposed a pause in hostilities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
said earlier this week that he had passed a holiday truce proposal via the US,
as talks to end the four-year conflict were derailed by the Middle East war. “A
ceasefire is declared from 16:00 (13:00 GMT) on April 11 until the end of the
day on April 12, 2026” by Putin, “in connection with the approaching Orthodox
feast of Easter,” the Kremlin said in a statement. The General Staff “have been
instructed to cease combat operations in all directions for this period,” the
Kremlin said, adding that troops were ready to “counter any possible
provocations by the enemy.”“We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow the
example of the Russian Federation.”Several rounds of US-led talks have failed to
bring the warring sides closer to an agreement, further stalling as Washington’s
attention shifted to Iran.The negotiations also appeared to be deadlocked, with
Moscow demanding territorial and political concessions from Kyiv that Zelenskyy
has ruled out as tantamount to capitulation. The war has cost hundreds of
thousands of lives and displaced millions, making it the deadliest conflict in
Europe since World War II.
Greenland prime minister rebuffs Trump remarks as NATO tensions rise
Reuters/09 April/2026
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Thursday that he
represents a proud nation seeking to maintain global order, pushing back against
the latest comments about the Arctic island by US President Donald Trump. Trump
on Wednesday vented his frustration with NATO as relations reached a crisis
point over the Iran war, stating that the military alliance was not around when
needed, and that he still remembered Greenland, a “BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF
ICE.”“What is important for us is that we maintain the world community that we
have built after World War Two, where we have a defense alliance that we
respect, and where we have international law respected by all sides,” Nielsen
told Reuters. “Those things are being challenged now, and I think all allies
should stand together to try to maintain them. I hope that will happen,” he
said. NATO allies had already been scrambling earlier this year to find ways to
keep the alliance together after Trump revived his push to seize Greenland from
Denmark, a fellow NATO member. Nielsen on Thursday pushed back against Trump’s
characterization of his country. “We are not some piece of ice. We are a proud
population of 57,000 people, working every single day as good global citizens in
full respect for all our allies,” he said.
Links to several important news
websites
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 09-10/2026
Know thine enemy ...The “great, proud people of Iran” are
not among them
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/April 09/2026 |
During World War II, my father served in the South Pacific. Who did he think he
was fighting? I know from reviewing his letters back home that it wasn’t “the
Imperial Japanese government.” He was fighting “the Japs.”
And G.I.s deployed to Europe, I’m willing to bet, didn’t identify their enemy as
the Wehrmacht or even the Nazis. They were at war with the Germans. Or the
Jerries, or the Huns, or Fritz.
That instinct — to name the enemy as a whole people — is understandable in
wartime. It’s also often wrong. And if we get it wrong, it’s to our detriment.
Who are America’s enemies today? Not all the peoples ruled by Beijing, but Xi
Jinping and his Chinese Communist Party. Not all Russians, but those who support
Vladimir Putin’s neo-imperialist war in Ukraine. Not all Muslims, but those who
embrace Islamic supremacism and jihad. And certainly not the Iranian people —
most of whom, ample evidence suggests, despise the clerical ruling class that
has suppressed, imprisoned, tortured, and murdered them by the tens of
thousands.
In 1979, Ruhollah Khomeini led an Islamic Revolution – not an Iranian
Revolution. He despised America as the “Great Satan” and Israel as the “Little
Satan.” Ali Khamenei, his successor from 1989 until February 28 of this year,
was no less hostile toward the West and Judeo-Christian civilization.
Just months after the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Americans were
taken hostage by acolytes of Ayatollah Khomeini. Four years later, the regime
orchestrated the mass murder of Americans in Lebanon. Since then, it has killed
hundreds more Americans, established terrorist proxies in other countries, built
an enormous arsenal of missiles and drones, and advanced a nuclear weapons
program. Tehran is now also in an axis with the anti-American and nuclear-armed
dictators in Moscow, Beijing, and Pyongyang.
President Trump made the tough decision to task the U.S. armed forces with
degrading and, if possible, defeating this maturing threat. For more than five
weeks, American air power in partnership with Israel’s has targeted the regime’s
nuclear and missile assets along with its military-industrial base. The
alternative, the approach of his predecessors, was endless diplomatic talkfests
– mostly indirect because the regime’s envoys wouldn’t deign to sit at the same
table with American infidels – culminating in failed attempts at appeasement.
During those years, most of Washington’s foreign policy establishment held that
it was “too soon” to resort to military force. Too little thought was given to
how we would know when it became too late to use military force – and when it
would be impossible to prevent a “nuclear breakout.” Had there not been a
Twelve-Day War last year – the brief conflict to prevent Tehran from reaching a
nuclear weapons threshold — and had President Trump not initiated the current
operation, do you doubt those deadlines would have soon arrived? And are you not
astonished at how many missiles and drones the regime managed to stockpile since
last June?
It would be useful for President Trump to remind Americans how we got where we
are. But last week, justifiably angry at the regime’s attacks on commercial
shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, he threatened to bomb Iran “back to the stone
ages.”
Regime spokesmen immediately seized the opportunity to play the victim. One shot
back: “At a time when you were still in caves searching for fire, we were
inscribing human rights on the Cyrus Cylinder. … Iran is not just a country, it
is a civilization.”
The cynicism of that response deserves emphasis. Ayatollah Khomeini disdained
Iran’s pre-Islamic past as “Jahiliyyah,” or “age of ignorance.” He taught that
“patriotism is paganism,” denouncing love of one’s country as idolatry. The
mullahs who have wrapped themselves in Cyrus the Great – the Persian king who
allowed captive Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple – have
spent decades spitting on his memory.
Still, President Trump’s rhetorical imprecision handed the regime a propaganda
gift. And it muddied the moral clarity that underlies his campaign. The U.S.
military has been targeting the regime and its assets while, to the extent
possible, sparing civilians.
However, like their proxies, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran’s
rulers deliberately place military assets near or even in hospitals, schools,
and other civilian infrastructure. One example: The girls’ school in southern
Iran believed to have been hit during by U.S. bombs on Feb. 28 was adjacent to
an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval compound.
Over the days ahead, if the regime refuses to back down, President Trump is
likely to target power plants, oil infrastructure, bridges, and other economic
assets under IRGC control. His aim: to cripple the regime’s ability to sustain
the conflict.
Iranian non-combatants will suffer at least as much as the IRGC elite. Many
Iranians, perhaps most, are willing to endure such pain if, in the end, they see
a chance to lift the mullahs’ boots from their necks. But that willingness could
erode if Americans are not differentiating between Iran’s oppressed and Iran’s
oppressors.
A victory in this conflict would be transformative. The replacement of the
theocrats with decent leaders would benefit not only the Iranian people but also
America’s security partners in the region. The people of Lebanon, Iraq, and
Yemen might be able to break Tehran’s Islamist/colonialist yoke. The
Beijing-Moscow-Pyongyang axis would lose its Middle Eastern member.
Historians would record, however grudgingly, that President Trump had helped
liberate what he has rightly called “the great, proud people of Iran.”To achieve
that outcome will require precision in strategy and tactics, but also in
language. President Trump – and all Americans – must stay clear-eyed about who
our enemies are.
And who they are not.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/7/know-thine-enemy-america-fights-irans-rulers-not-people/
*Clifford D. May is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD), a columnist for the Washington Times, and host of the
“Foreign Podicy” podcast.
The illusion of deterrence and the crisis of American
reliability
Abdullah F. Alrebh//Al Arabiya English/09 April ,2026
Recent events in the Middle East have severely tested the credibility of
American warnings. As regional tensions escalate, the fundamental question is
whether threats from Washington carry real deterrent value or merely amount to
rhetorical pressure. For adversaries and allies alike, strategic behavior
changes only when warnings are believed and backed by a predictable, coherent
strategy. For the Arabian Gulf, the core concern is no longer simply whether
Washington adopts a tough stance toward Tehran, but whether American policy is
consistent, consultative, and aligned with the long-term security interests of
the GCC.
The recent shift toward a sudden ceasefire presents a serious trust test for
Saudi Arabia and the broader GCC. Regional capitals must now assess whether
American pledges remain reliable foundations of stability or have become
secondary to domestic political convenience.
Washington appears increasingly willing to prioritize a narrow, immediate
de-escalation deal over the long-term security of its allies. When tactical
pauses are negotiated without addressing the roots of regional instability, Gulf
states are left to conclude that their core security interests are being
sidelined in favor of short-term political gains in Washington. Measured against
historical US commitments to Gulf security, the current approach falls short in
3 essential areas: deterrence, consultation, and regional stability. The
traditional American role as a security guarantor has required a steady hand and
transparent coordination with partners. Instead, sudden diplomatic reversals now
leave historic allies bearing the brunt of regional instability alone.
Fulfilling long-standing obligations demands more than the projection of
military force; it requires a predictable diplomatic framework in which regional
partners are not blindsided by unilateral American concessions that shift the
balance of power.A historical comparison illuminates the severity of this shift.
When the Obama administration negotiated diplomatic agreements with Tehran a
decade ago, the move sparked deep regional anxiety. Yet that administration
actively sought to reassure GCC states through institutionalized partnership
frameworks and high-level summits, working to codify ongoing security
commitments. In contrast, the diplomatic approach of recent months is marked by
extreme volatility. Sudden reversals and uncoordinated strategic shifts project
an unpredictability that makes alliance management exceedingly difficult for
regional partners who depend on long-term strategic planning. While the
diplomatic initiatives of the previous decade were viewed as strategically
disappointing for failing to curb regional proxy expansions, the current
paradigm may be fundamentally more damaging. Disappointment in a specific policy
is a manageable diplomatic hurdle; a structural loss of faith in American crisis
discipline is something entirely different. If the United States is perceived as
an unreliable actor that treats regional security as a disposable bargaining
chip, it will deepen doubts about American trustworthiness across the Gulf. The
Middle East demands strategic clarity, not erratic brinkmanship. True deterrence
rests on reliability, consistent messaging, and mutual trust. If Washington
expects to maintain its strategic influence and secure its economic and
political interests in the region, it must recognize that performative toughness
cannot substitute for consistent alliance management. Unless the traditional
security umbrella can demonstrate that it still offers predictable, consultative
protection, the future of Gulf security will increasingly depend on localized
deterrence and diversified global partnerships.
Iran at a turning point after war and ceasefire
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya English/09 April ,2026
Has Iran, as of the day before yesterday, become something different from what
it was before?
My judgment may be premature, given that negotiations have not yet begun, US
aircraft carriers have not returned to their bases, and the truce is only for
two weeks. Still, Iran has most likely changed, for two main reasons: War and
peace.
The truce announced by Donald Trump at dawn yesterday is the result of a shift
in Iran’s leadership, and it will likely be followed by changes in state policy.
Before that, the war itself accelerated events, pushing Tehran toward the change
Trump has repeatedly spoken about. He may not have been wrong in saying a new
system could emerge in Iran, as the country’s leadership has already been
reshaped by assassinations that removed a long line of generals, institutional
leaders, and at the very top, slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
In just 38 days, Iran faced what it had not faced in 38 years, since the end of
its war with Iraq.
This battle, which has now paused, was fundamentally different for Iran. It was
not a struggle over balance or influence in Syria or Lebanon, but an existential
war. The regime was fighting for survival and, like a drowning man, clung even
to slim possibilities, such as forcing Gulf states to intervene to stop the war
or pushing Hezbollah into a suicidal operation.
The phase of change began after the killing of strategic planner and commander
of Iran’s external forces, Qassem Soleimani, during Trump’s first presidency.
That was the first shot, followed by a series of events and wars that
destabilized the system.
The war has stopped but not ended, pending a document that both sides are
expected to sign, along with the announcement of its terms. That moment would
mark the end of Iran’s military project and the close of a half-century
conflict.
The truce crowned backchannel contacts said to have been authorized by Trump and
entrusted to his vice president JD Vance, while allowing continued strikes on
targets inside Iran. It aimed at more than just halting the war. Iran’s
leadership, in the absence of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, sought guarantees
to preserve the regime during a strategic shift Trump announced at the start of
the war, namely changing the regime’s policies, if not the regime itself through
a coup or popular uprising.
Half of the ten negotiating demands presented by Tehran focus on one issue:
protecting the regime. First, it explicitly calls for guarantees that no war
will be launched against it again, a full end to the war rather than a pause,
the lifting of all sanctions, and an end to fighting against its allies. Tehran,
perhaps not without reason, believes there is an ongoing effort to change the
regime and is seeking comprehensive guarantees to prevent what may come next.
Setting aside propaganda and the crafting of a victory narrative, Tehran has
been targeted by two direct wars in less than a year. Washington’s objective is
a military and political victory that would conclude fifty years of what it
calls the “axis of evil,” by changing the regime’s behavior if changing the
regime itself is not possible. The temporary agreement came after intense
contacts in a race against time, culminating in Pakistani mediation just before
Trump’s deadline for a major attack. He spoke of a major transformation and said
the United States would play a central role inside Iran through reconstruction,
a prelude to broader agreements the Iranians had offered to stop the war, and a
reflection of the new direction in Tehran.
There is still enough ammunition for a few more weeks if fighting resumes, but
the balance of power was decided early. This may not be reflected in Tehran’s
“victory” statements, given the sensitivity of rhetoric for the domestic
situation, as Iranians have not yet buried their late leader, nor have they seen
or heard from the new one. If he does not appear publicly, it will reinforce
doubts about his authority.
The Iranians have exhausted all available options. Before the war, a delegation
led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi entered negotiations in Geneva with three
bargaining chips: its nuclear program, its ballistic capabilities, and its
regional proxies.
When talks failed and war began quickly, it lost all three and replaced them
with two new bargaining tools. It halted roughly 20 percent of global oil flows
by closing the Strait of Hormuz and targeted Gulf Arab states.
About a month and a half passed after the strait’s closure and the attacks on
Gulf countries, yet strikes on Iran did not stop.
Tehran’s final card is negotiation, and it is little more than a fig leaf. Talks
serve to declare a propaganda victory that masks surrender. The core sticking
point will remain guarantees, countered by the longstanding demand that Iran
must change.
Tehran’s need for a guarantor will remain central due to its lack of trust in
Trump’s administration, and its belief that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu intends to resume fighting until internal conditions in Iran change.
Iranian officials have previously argued that Hamas was deceived in ceasefire
negotiations, handing over all hostages based on promises from Trump, after
which Israel took two-thirds of the territory.
This is a task for major powers, and China could act as a guarantor. It, too,
has an interest in engaging in any strategic shift, to prevent Iran from
evolving from a center of instability and confrontation with the United States
into a base for confronting Beijing in the future.
Is Iran becoming a new Venezuela? To some extent, yes. There is a growing
consensus around the need for change.
Who really won the Iran war?
Zaid AlKami/Al Arabiya English/09 April ,2026
US President Donald Trump announced a temporary two-week ceasefire with Iran
after the region endured 39 days of war. It was a conflict that weighed heavily
on both the region and the world. The United States emerged declaring it had
destroyed Iran’s military power and missile capabilities, while Israel said it
had neutralized a threat it had feared for years. Iran, meanwhile, signaled that
it had withstood the pressure and the war.
What happened yesterday was a political moment that encapsulated the entire
course of the confrontation. Wars are not always decided by the final strike,
but by the outcomes they produce. Still, one question arises after the ceasefire
announcement: Who actually won the war? To answer it, we must revisit what
happened and weigh the gains and losses on the ground. While it is still too
early to fully assess them, at least we can examine what has been publicly
revealed.
In Iranian discourse, the ceasefire was presented as an achievement. Victory
signs were raised, and terms like “resilience” and “breaking American will” were
repeated. This narrative was echoed by Tehran’s allies, most notably Hezbollah,
in an effort to construct a parallel version of events. But there is a wide gap
between rhetoric and reality, and that gap reveals what truly happened: Iran did
not win, it lost, even if it seeks to delay acknowledging that fact.
This defeat is not reflected only in accepting a conditional ceasefire that
includes sensitive concessions such as reopening the Strait of Hormuz. It runs
much deeper. A state that once portrayed itself as a regional power capable of
imposing deterrence suddenly found itself facing two costly options: either open
confrontation with the United States, or accepting a de-escalation imposed on
its terms. Choosing the latter was not a victory, but an implicit admission that
the cost of confrontation had become unbearable.
The most significant loss, however, was not political but structural. The
targeting of the top of the system, Ali Khamenei, along with senior leadership
figures, points to an unprecedented breach deep inside Iran. This was not a
routine military strike, but a signal that the center of decision-making is no
longer secure, and that the security equation the regime long prided itself on
has eroded.
The impact of striking the leadership is not only immediate. It raises difficult
questions: Who is managing this phase? How will internal balances be reshaped?
Can cohesion be maintained amid such a vacuum? These questions alone reflect the
scale of the loss, shifting Iran from a position of action to one of reaction.
By contrast, Israel appears to be the primary beneficiary of this round. Despite
significant losses that may not have been fully disclosed, it is clear that Tel
Aviv has changed since October 7, 2023, and is now capable of absorbing costs
that would previously have been intolerable, both material and human. At the
very least, it has achieved a key objective it has long pursued: weakening Iran
internally, eroding its deterrence, and pushing it onto the defensive. Israel
today does not need to declare victory. It sees it unfolding on the ground, in a
retreating adversary, a leadership under strain, and a region recalibrating its
priorities.At the regional level, the confrontation once again exposed the
contrast between two opposing paths. On one side are countries like Saudi Arabia
and other Gulf states, which faced unprecedented attacks from Iran despite not
being parties to the war. These states have chosen a path of stability,
development, economic growth, and reduced reliance on conflict. On the other
side is a model based on exporting crises, investing in instability, and
entering open-ended confrontations without a clear calculation of costs.
In this sense, what unfolded was not just a military round, but a test between
two models: one focused on building the future, and another consumed by ongoing
conflict. With each crisis, it becomes clearer which is more capable of
achieving genuine resilience.
In the end, Iran may succeed in raising slogans of victory and mobilizing its
audience with rhetoric of defiance, but facts cannot be obscured for long.
Defeat does not always mean total collapse. It can also mean losing the ability
to set terms, and being forced to accept rules defined by others. In this war,
the real question was not who endured more, but who emerged holding the
initiative.
Hormuz at the brink: Why a fragile ceasefire won’t hold without a deal
Cornelia Meyer/Al Arabiya English/09 April ,2026
Tuesday night into the early morning hours of Wednesday, Iran and the US
announced a two-week ceasefire, just hours short of what could have been a
brutal bombing campaign on civilian and military infrastructure. Markets reacted
buoyantly. Both Brent and WTI lost more than 15 percent and stock markets
reacted exuberantly. Markets overreacted: the major oil indices are up again,
and stock markets are down.
Why should we be cautious? Pakistan, who brokered the deal, did a good job
trying to bridge the divide between the warring parties. However, there is
misalignment between the Iranian 10-point plan and the US and Israeli positions.
The contentious points are:
1) Does and should the ceasefire include Lebanon? Israel and the US say no,
Pakistan and Iran say yes. Despite the truce, Israel stepped up its bombing
campaign on Lebanon.
2) The opening of the Strait of Hormuz was a cornerstone of the agreement and a
clear condition of the cease fire. The problem here is that the US/Israel demand
free passage. For Iran, free passage means that ships must be preapproved and a
toll would be charged – a fee that would be shared between Iran and Oman. The
revenue is supposed to go toward the rebuilding of Iranian infrastructure
destroyed in the war.
3) There is also the question of what will happen to Iran’s ability in terms of
nuclear enrichment and the existing nuclear material.
It is nothing new that warring parties are on different pages before entering
into negotiations. The question is whether positions are close enough to bridge
the rift. At this point this looks very difficult. The three points above all
matter – especially for the lives and limbs of the Lebanese people. What is most
crucial to the global economy is a resolution of the Hormuz dispute.
Up until the Iran war the Strait of Hormuz was treated as an international
maritime waterway which is regulated by the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea
and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is a United Nations
Agency responsible for regulating international shipping, ensuring maritime
safety, security, and environmental protection. Sadly, the UN is woefully
underfunded – partially courtesy of the Trump administration. The IMO also lacks
the teeth to police and implement its lofty goals. Where does this leave us?
As a result of the war Iran assumed de facto control of the strait only allowing
a trickle of ships from “friendly nations” to pass, hence holding the global
economy ransom. Twenty percent of oil and oil products, 20 percent of LNG, 30
percent of fertilizer and industrial inputs such as plastics, helium and
hydrogen, etc. all have to pass through Hormuz to reach global markets.
At this point Asia is particularly hard hit because it depends on the Strait for
more than 80 percent of oil, products and LNG. However, give it some time and
Europe will see shortages of jet fuel, diesel etc. which is in part refined on
the other side of Hormuz and in Asia before reaching Europe.
Therefore, a workable solution on Hormuz is a vital linchpin for the
negotiations in Islamabad because it is of the utmost importance to the
functioning of the global economy.
Under current circumstances, we don’t yet know the amounts or denominations nor
the collection methods for ships passing through the Hormuz strait. This works
neither for shippers nor insurers – and what cannot be insured will not get
shipped.
The Strait must again become an international maritime waterway. The Hormuz
issue is particularly hard on GCC nations who did not ask for the hostilities
nor were they consulted. They have to live with the fallout which is not
workable in this current state. In the near term, GCC nations and Iran will
probably come to an agreement.
When the Ukraine-Russia war threatened the supply of grain and fertilizer to the
world and developing countries, the Black Sea Initiative enabled exports.
However, that agreement was negotiated by Turkey, underpinned by a UN framework.
It also had the consent of both parties in the conflict. Laudable as this model
may be, it would need consent of all parties and it would need to be policed,
which is not easy in the light of conflict.
Whichever way we look at the upcoming negotiation and however much we want to
see the bloodshed stop, we can’t look past finding a workable solution for the
Strait of Hormuz. It must revert to being an international waterway open for all
or there could be devastating impacts on the global economy and especially
developing economies, which cannot cope with the inflationary pressures. In
other words, the upcoming negotiations will be fraught with pitfalls looking
only at Hormuz and we have not even started dealing with the issue of nuclear
enrichment.
X Platform & Facebook Selected twittes
on April 09/2026
Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער
I applaud President @RodrigoChavesR and the Costa Rican government for their
principled leadership in declaring the IRGC, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Ansar Allah (Houthis)
as terrorist organizations. This decisive action strengthens the international
coalition against Iranian-backed terror and is a vital contribution to security
across the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere.