English LCCC Newsbulletin For Le

English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 16/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Matthew 28/16-20: “The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 15-16/2026
Patriarch Rai's Statement Attacking President Trump is a Mistake and a Sin, Reflecting Ignorance, Stupidity, Lack of Vision, and Blatant Sycophancy/Elias Bejjani/April 15, 2026
Link to a video interview with writer and director Youssef Y. Khoury from the "Trend Beirut" Youtube Platform/Trump wants to overthrow the Iranian regime, and this is his plan.
Lebanon-Israel ceasefire may be declared tonight
Netanyahu says 'dismantling Hezbollah' first goal of Lebanon talks
Israeli army issues new evacuation call to south Zahrani residents
Israel says detained 3 Hezbollah militants during Bint Jbeil clashes
Hezbollah targets north Israel and troops in south with rockets and attack drones
Israel strikes south Lebanon, Saadiyat, and Jiyeh despite Washington talks
Lebanon complains to UN over Israel's 'Black Wednesday' attacks
3 paramedics killed in south Lebanon, Israel says 200 Hezbollah targets hit
Report: Aoun satisfied with Tuesday talks with Israel, no date set for 2nd round
Fadlallah says Beirut's 'incompetent' authority now has blood on its hands
Mixed feelings in Lebanon over talks with Israel
Israel hails Lebanon talks as 'historic opportunity' to end 'Hezbollah stranglehold'
Rare precedents for Lebanon-Israel peace talks
Lebanon-Israel peace talks not linked to US-Iran negotiations: Senior US official
Israel army chief orders 'Hezbollah kill zone' south of Lebanon's Litani River
Netanyahu says Israel continues to strike Hezbollah amid Lebanon peace talks
Israeli security cabinet to discuss possible Lebanon ceasefire, senior official says
Lebanon’s president hails Saudi Arabia’s MBS for regional stability efforts
UNIFIL says convoy halted by Israeli troops near Naqoura
Foreign media group slams Israel military over AI image of Manar reporter Shoeib
UNHCR chief calls for 'urgent' support to Lebanon during war
In Dearborn, a large Lebanese American population lives in constant worry
Mohammad Raad: Direct Negotiation is a Massive Downfall for the Government
MP Hassan Fadlallah: The Government is Giving in to the Enemy
Grand Jaafari Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan: We Will Not Allow US Oversight to Harm Lebanon
Diplomatic push to secure Israel-Lebanon ceasefire intensifies after Washington talks
Hezbollah will never choose Lebanon over Iran/Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/April 15, 2026
Why displaced Lebanese fear they may never return as war uproots lives and destroys villages
Links to several important news websites

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 15-16/2026
White House expresses optimism over Iran deal, says Pakistan is the only mediator
Iran’s Araghchi welcomes Pakistani delegation led by army chief Munir
Pakistan’s PM arrives in Jeddah for meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince
No ships made it past US forces during first 48 hours of Iran blockade: CENTCOM
Iran military threatens to block Red Sea if US naval blockade continues
UAE summons Iraqi charge d’affaires over attacks launched from Iraqi territory
Trump says Iran war 'very close to being over'
Trump says China agrees not to arm Iran
Iran foreign ministry insists on right to enrich uranium, says level negotiable
Senior UAE, Iran officials discuss de-escalation in rare call
Flotilla carrying activists and aid for Palestinians in Gaza sets sail from Spain
Canada/Conservative MPs publicly back Poilievre as leader even after recent stumbles
Links to several important news websites

on April 15-16/2026

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 15-16/2026
Patriarch Rai's Statement Attacking President Trump is a Mistake and a Sin, Reflecting Ignorance, Stupidity, Lack of Vision, and Blatant Sycophancy
Elias Bejjani/April 15, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/153648/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JJgrnAhAn8
The statement issued yesterday by Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, in which he attacked U.S. President Donald Trump under the guise of defending the sanctity of Pope Leo, is both a mistake and a sin. It is misplaced politically and contextually; rather, it once again reveals a deep crisis in credibility and vision.
The most dangerous aspect of this statement is not just its content, but the motive behind it. According to reports circulating in well-informed Lebanese circles, it appears to be an attempt at flattery and a plea for favor from the Vatican and the Pope. This comes amid increasing talk of dissatisfaction within high ecclesiastical circles regarding Rai's performance, and even reports that he was asked to resign and the banning of secretary, lawyer Walid Ghayyad from any public appearance during the Pope’s recent visit to Lebanon. This places the statement within a personal and sycophantic framework that has nothing to do with faith, principles, or ethics.
Regarding his track record, since his election in 2011, Rai has not provided a model of a clear sovereignist patriarch. In his first week, he visited Sheikh Mohammad Yazbek in Baalbek, the then-representative of the Iranian Supreme Leader in Lebanon. From there, he attacked the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) investigating the assassination of PM, Rafik Hariri, in a move that constituted flagrant political bias.
Later, he visited the criminal head of the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad, without achieving any tangible results, particularly regarding the file of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons. Driven by jealousy and envy of the achievements of the late Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Sfeir, he then attempted to create a political framework similar to "Qornet Shehwan" by gathering political and religious figures affiliated with the Syrian regime and Hezbollah; failure was inevitable. Additionally, in his early days as Patriarch, he dispatched Father Abdo Abou Kasam to participate on his behalf in "Quds Day" in Iran.
During his European, American, and Canadian tours, he did not hesitate to shamelessly and foolishly promote Bashar al-Assad's regime under the slogan of "protecting Christians," ignoring the bloody facts known to everyone.
Internally, his performance has been no better. Serious suspicions have been raised regarding the management of church properties, specifically the allocation of church lands. A prominent example is the circulating reports that he granted a piece of church land near Bkerke to his secretary, Walid Ghayyad, who built a palace on it in clear violation of ecclesiastical laws, sparking widespread resentment within church circles and the community.
Politically, his positions have been characterized by appeasement from the start, especially toward Hezbollah. Clear sovereignist stances have been absent, replaced by a "gray" rhetoric that does not align with the historical role of Bkerke.
In light of all this, his latest statement merely reinforces the same approach: biased, flowery rhetoric that oversteps the spiritual role for the sake of political posturing, attacking an elected president while ignoring the priorities of Lebanon and its people.
This statement adds nothing to the value of defending the Pope. On the contrary, it harms the cause because the person issuing it suffers from a clear crisis of trust, and his positions are surrounded by much doubt.
Conclusion: Patriarch Rai's statement is nothing more than a weak political stance driven by personal calculations and attempts at flattery. It lacks credibility and vision and, therefore, holds no actual value on a national or moral level.

Link to a video interview with writer and director Youssef Y. Khoury from the "Trend Beirut" Youtube Platform/Trump wants to overthrow the Iranian regime, and this is his plan.
April 15/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/153655/
A summary of the main topics and themes discussed by writer and director Youssef Y. Khoury in his interview with "Trend Beirut" on April 15, 2026, in both Arabic and English. Transcribed, summarized, and translated by Elias Bejjani with complete freedom.
Key Highlights
Trump’s Plan for Iran: El Khoury believes Trump is determined to topple the Iranian regime to secure a historic legacy. He claims Trump is working within a 60-day window supported by Congress to conclude the conflict and achieve regime change.
Peace Agreement with Israel: El Khpoury argues that the ultimate goal for Israel is a formal peace treaty. He suggests that Israel will not withdraw from South Lebanese territories without securing "Peace," a strategic plan he traces back to 1958.
The Future of Hezbollah: He envisions a scenario similar to the PLO's 1982 exit from Beirut, where Hezbollah’s ideological core might be forced to relocate to Iraq or Yemen, especially as border villages are being cleared.
The Lebanese Army's Role: El Khoury emphasizes that the Lebanese Army must act decisively to disarm Hezbollah and all other terrorist thugs. He warns that if the army remains neutral or sidelined, it risks fragmentation and could lead to civil war.
Severing Ties with Iran: He calls for a bold stance from the Lebanese government, suggesting the expulsion of the Iranian diplomatic mission to end Tehran's influence over Lebanese decision-making.

Lebanon-Israel ceasefire may be declared tonight
Naharnet/April 15, 2026
Diplomatic efforts to halt hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reached a fever pitch on Wednesday, with reports suggesting a potential ceasefire could be announced as early as tonight. Information Minister Paul Morcos told Al-Arabiya's Al-Hadath channel that the collaborative efforts of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have "started to materialize."Lebanese official sources told Al-Hadath that the United States is actively pressing Israel to agree to a cessation of hostilities and to formalize a date for subsequent negotiation rounds. The U.S. initiative is reportedly aimed at strengthening the Lebanese central government. "Washington wants a ceasefire with Lebanon in order to strengthen the Lebanese government," an Israeli official told Israel's Channel 13. "The U.S. has asked Israel to consider a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon as a goodwill gesture towards the Lebanese government," the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation said. In Jerusalem, the Israeli security cabinet is scheduled to meet this evening to discuss the U.S. proposal. While some Israeli sources maintained a firm public stance -- stating that fire would not cease as long as Hezbollah's attacks continue -- Israeli reports said that the army is preparing for the possibility of a one-week ceasefire beginning as early as tomorrow. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile met with opposition leader Yair Lapid for a security briefing, a move often preceding significant military or diplomatic shifts.
A senior Iranian security and political source meanwhile told Al-Mayadeen television that a ceasefire would be declared tonight following "Iranian diplomatic pressure."
Hezbollah MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi also confirmed that "Iranian and regional" efforts might soon lead to a ceasefire.

Netanyahu says 'dismantling Hezbollah' first goal of Lebanon talks
Agence France Presse/April 15, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said Israel's top priority was to secure the "dismantling" of Hezbollah in its first direct talks with Lebanon in decades. "In the negotiations with Lebanon, there are two central objectives: first, the dismantling of Hezbollah; second, a sustainable peace... achieved through strength," he said. On Iran he said that Israel and the U.S. are fully aligned in their objective to contain Iran. "Our American friends keep us constantly updated on their contacts with Iran. The objectives of the United States and our own are identical," he said in a televised speech.
"We want to see enriched material removed from Iran; we want to see the elimination of enrichment capability within Iran; and, of course, we want to see the (Hormuz) strait reopened," he added.

Israeli army issues new evacuation call to south Zahrani residents
Agence France Presse/April 15, 2026
Israel's military on Wednesday issued a fresh evacuation order for residents of south Lebanon despite talks held Tuesday in Washington. "The airstrikes are ongoing as the Israel Defense Forces operate with significant force in the area. Therefore... we reiterate our urgent appeal for you to evacuate your homes immediately and head north of the Zahrani River," it said in a statement. The Israeli army later targeted Blat, Bint Jbeil, Yater, Kafra, Mayfadoun, Brayqee, Haris, Qlayleh, al-Hinniyeh, Seer al-Gharbiyeh, Hallousiyeh-Zrarieh, Shaqra, Kfardounin, Barashit, Beit Yahoun and other villages and towns in south Lebanon. In Mayfadoun, a strike targeted paramedics, killing four. The Israeli military said Wednesday it had struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in the past 24 hours, even as Israel and Lebanon agreed to pursue direct negotiations. "In the past 24 hours, the IDF struck over 200 Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon, including launchers and terrorists," the military said. It is the first evacuation order by the military since direct talks were held on Tuesday in Washington between Lebanon and Israel's ambassadors to the United States. In Beirut's southern suburbs, a restive calm prevailed. Israel has not targeted the Lebanese capital and its suburbs since a series of attacks across the country on April 8 that killed more than 350 people.

Israel says detained 3 Hezbollah militants during Bint Jbeil clashes
Agence France Presse/April 15, 2026
The Israeli military has said that three Hezbollah militants were brought to Israel for questioning after surrendering during close-quarters combat in southern Lebanon. "Yesterday, IDF soldiers engaged in close-range combat with a Hezbollah terrorist cell in Bint Jbeil," the military said. "At the end of the combat, three terrorists laid down their weapons and surrendered to the soldiers. Later the terrorists were transferred for questioning by the IDF," it added, confirming to AFP that they had been brought to Israel. According to the military, Israeli troops have now fully surrounded the town of Bint Jbeil, a notable advance in their ongoing ground offensive in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah targets north Israel and troops in south with rockets and attack drones
Agence France Presse/April 15, 2026
Israel's army said Hezbollah militants fired around 30 rockets into northern Israel early on Wednesday, just hours after Washington hosted the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades. The military detected "approximately 30 launches" towards Israel since the early hours, a spokesman told AFP. The group said it also targeted troops in the southern towns of Bint Jbeil, al-Bayada and Khiam, and Nahariya, Kiryat Shmona, Matat, Metula, Kfar Giladi, Dovev, Shlomi, Matzuva, Ya'ara, Avdon, Kfar Vradim, Shavei, Tzion and Misgav Am in north Israel. The attacks were carried out with swarms of attack drones and salvos of rockets, Hezbollah said. Israeli forces and Hezbollah are currently engaged in close-quarters fighting in southern Lebanon, notably in the strategically significant town of Bint Jbeil, which Israeli forces said they have encircled. It was from the stadium in Bint Jbeil in 2000 that the group's former chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered his "Liberation" speech following Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon after 22 years of occupation. On Tuesday, Hezbollah targeted 13 northern Israeli towns with rockets shortly after the start of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington. In a statement, the group said it targeted Kiryat Shmona, Metula and 11 other towns "with simultaneous rocket salvos" at 6:15 pm (1515 GMT). The Israeli military had warned it expected a rise in Hezbollah attacks as Washington hosted Israeli and Lebanese officials for their first direct talks in decades.

Israel strikes south Lebanon, Saadiyat, and Jiyeh despite Washington talks
Agence France Presse/April 15, 2026
Two Israeli strikes on Wednesday hit vehicles south of Beirut, state media reported, while Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, hours after Lebanon and Israel agreed to hold direct negotiations. Israel is continuing its strikes on southern Lebanon, but has not targeted the Lebanese capital since a series of attacks across the country on April 8 that killed more than 350 people. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported two separate Israeli strikes on two vehicles, one in the seafront town of Saadiyat and another on a coastal highway in neighboring Jiyeh, around 20 kilometers south of Beirut and outside Hezbollah's traditional strongholds. One of the cars was transporting humanitarian aid, video footage showed. NNA also reported several other strikes across southern Lebanon, including on Baraashit, Sawwaneh, Siddiqine, Qlayleh, Jbaa, Nsarieh, Tayr Debba, Mahmoudieh. Israel also targeted vehicles in Bablieh and on the Habboush-Arab Salim road. The Israeli military meanwhile said it had detected "approximately 30 launches" by Hezbollah militants towards Israel since the early hours, a spokesman told AFP. Hezbollah said it launched rockets at 10 northern Israeli areas and targeted troops in Bint Jbeil in south Lebanon. The attacks come a day after Lebanon and Israel's ambassadors to the United States held their first direct talks in decades in Washington and agreed to hold further direct negotiations, with the Lebanese envoy calling for a ceasefire. Hezbollah strongly rejected the talks. Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than a million since March 2, according to Lebanese authorities.

Lebanon complains to UN over Israel's 'Black Wednesday' attacks
Associated Press/April 15, 2026
Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry has filed an official complaint with the U.N. Security Council over Israel’s intense barrage on the country last week that it says killed over 300 people and wounded 1,150 others. In less than 10 minutes last Wednesday, Israel struck 100 targets across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon without warning during rush hour, marking one of the deadliest single bombing campaigns in the country’s history. The ministry said in its letter on Wednesday that the majority of casualties were unarmed civilians. Israel claims it targeted Hezbollah militants and infrastructure, but has offered few details on what was hit. The foreign ministry also condemned Israeli attacks on Lebanese medical facilities as violations of international law. It said Israel has launched 17 attacks on hospitals and 101 attacks on emergency response teams in its latest war against Hezbollah.

3 paramedics killed in south Lebanon, Israel says 200 Hezbollah targets hit
Agence France Presse/April 15, 2026
Lebanese authorities said Israeli strikes on the country's south killed at least three paramedics on Wednesday, as the Israeli army announced it had attacked 200 Hezbollah targets over 24 hours. Hezbollah meanwhile claimed attacks on northern Israel and on invading Israeli troops, a day after Lebanese and Israeli officials agreed to hold direct negotiations. Israel has not targeted the Lebanese capital since a series of attacks across the country on April 8 that killed more than 350 people, but has kept up deadly strikes on southern Lebanon as troops push a ground invasion. "I have ordered that all of the area of south Lebanon up to the Litani (River) line be turned into a Hezbollah terrorist kill zone," Israeli army chief of staff Eyal Zamir said Wednesday during a visit to frontline troops. Lebanon's health ministry said Israel targeted paramedics working in the southern town of Mayfadoun "three consecutive times", killing at least three of them and injuring six others, while one paramedic remains missing.The ministry said three paramedic teams were attacked, one after another, while trying to rescue people wounded in an initial Israeli strike. It decried the "flagrant crime, which reflects the Israeli enemy's determination to prevent paramedics from performing their life-saving work by any means." Since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2, Israel has killed 91 healthcare workers in Lebanon, the ministry said. The violence has killed more than 2,100 people overall in Lebanon, according to government figures. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported separate Israeli strikes Wednesday on two vehicles, both on the coastal highway around 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Beirut and outside Hezbollah's traditional strongholds. An AFP photographer saw a burned-out van with firefighters working to extinguish the blaze. Rescue workers were recovering human remains from the wreckage of the vehicle and its surroundings, and the army had established a security perimeter, causing a massive traffic jam on this major thoroughfare, the photographer added. NNA also reported several other strikes across southern Lebanon. The Lebanese foreign ministry announced Wednesday that it had asked its representative to the U.N. "to submit an urgent complaint to the Security Council and the Secretary-General" over the April 8 strike wave. A diplomatic source told AFP last week that there was European and Arab pressure on Israel to refrain from striking Beirut. The Israeli military, meanwhile, had detected "approximately 30 launches" by Hezbollah towards Israel since the early hours of Wednesday, a spokesman told AFP. Hezbollah said it launched rockets at northern Israel. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah on Wednesday said the group's fighters "are preventing enemy soldiers from seizing control" of the key southern town of Bint Jbeil, five kilometers north of Israel. The Israeli army had said on Tuesday that 10 soldiers were wounded in the town, which it says it encircled. Wednesday's attacks come a day after Lebanon and Israel's ambassadors to the United States held their first direct talks in decades in Washington and agreed to hold further direct negotiations. The Lebanese envoy called for a ceasefire, but no truce was announced and an Israeli government spokesperson said Wednesday there was "no ceasefire discussion" with Hezbollah. Hezbollah has strongly rejected the talks.

Report: Aoun satisfied with Tuesday talks with Israel, no date set for 2nd round
Naharnet/April 15, 2026
President Joseph Aoun is satisfied with the Israeli-Lebanese meeting that was held Tuesday in Washington, sources said. "He is following on the details of the negotiations and continuing his contacts to achieve the primary objective: a ceasefire," the sources told Al-Arabiya's Al-Hadath channel. The sources also said that Aoun is "unconcerned by the dissonant voices that criticized the Washington meeting with Israel." LBCI television meanwhile reported that, as of Wednesday afternoon, no date or location had been set for a sec9nd round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.It however added that Israel is refusing to participate in talks outside the United States.

Fadlallah says Beirut's 'incompetent' authority now has blood on its hands
Naharnet/April 15, 2026
Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah called Wednesday for a referendum, claiming that more than half of the Lebanese people are against the direct Lebanese-Israeli talks that took place Tuesday in Washington. Fadlallah lashed out at Lebanese authorities who "are giving free concessions" to Israel, saying they now "have blood on their hands". He accused the Lebanese authorities of complicity in the deadly Wednesday's strikes that killed more than 300 people, noting that Lebanon was excluded from the Iran ceasefire at the request of both Israel and the Lebanese government, placing the weight of the subsequent bloodshed squarely on the shoulders of the Beirut administration. Fadlallah argued that Lebanon's current trajectory is deepening internal rifts and fails to reflect the true identity or aspirations of the Lebanese people. He criticized the authorities in Beirut for their "incompetence," asserting that their decisions are driven by sectarian interests and personal gain rather than the national interest. Israeli strikes targeted south Lebanon during and after the talks, while Hezbollah attacked north Israel and clashed with troops in south Lebanon. Fadlallah said the Israelis were trying to compensate for their losses on the battlefield in south Lebanon with the talks in Washington. He said the southern town of Bint Jbeil, which Israeli forces said they have encircled, is still resisting and standing firm and that Israeli soldiers who pose for photos in southern villages, including in Bint Jbeil, are ultimately forced to withdraw due to Hezbollah’s resistance.

Mixed feelings in Lebanon over talks with Israel
Associated Press/April 15, 2026
Lebanese were divided on Wednesday over their government’s decision to pursue rare, direct negotiations with Israel in hopes of ending the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. Some forced to flee their homes and communities in southern Lebanon say they believe Israel’s ground invasion can only be stopped through military force, not diplomacy. “We stand with the young men, the fighters, and those stationed on the border, and with whatever decision they make,” said Mustafa Alaeddine, now living in Beirut after being displaced from a southern border village. “These negotiations do not represent us … it’s as if they never existed.”Others said they support any initiative that promises to hasten the end of the war. “The negotiations are more in our interest than in Israel’s interest, because we are the ones whose country is being destroyed, we are the ones suffering losses,” said Mohamed Saad, a resident of Beirut, the Lebanese capital. “We are the ones out in the streets.”

Israel hails Lebanon talks as 'historic opportunity' to end 'Hezbollah stranglehold'
Agence France Presse/April 15, 2026
Israel hailed on Wednesday the opening of direct talks with Beirut as a "historic opportunity" that could end Hezbollah's "stranglehold" on Lebanon. "This is indeed a genuine historic opportunity to end decades of Hezbollah stranglehold over Lebanon," Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told a press briefing, while insisting there was "no ceasefire discussion" with the Iran-backed group.

Rare precedents for Lebanon-Israel peace talks
Agence France Presse/April 15, 2026
There are few precedents for the direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials that began in Washington on Tuesday.
1949, Fragile armistice -
The first Arab-Israeli war began on May 15, 1948, the day after the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel. Five countries -- Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq -- had rejected a U.N. plan adopted in November 1947 to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states and went to war against the new state. In 1949, Israel and neighboring countries signed armistice agreements, but they collapsed with the start of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.
1983, Unimplemented agreement -
Israel invaded Lebanon on June 6, 1982, in an operation it dubbed "Peace for Galilee" that was initially aimed at expelling Palestinian fighters, but which resulted in a nearly 18-year Israeli occupation. On May 17, 1983, Lebanon and Israel signed an agreement on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon after four-and-a-half months of direct talks with U.S. participation. The deal was scrapped less than a year later, in March 1984, under pressure from Syria and its allies in Lebanon.
1991-93, Washington talks -
A series of bilateral negotiations between Israel and Syria, Lebanon, and a joint Jordanian-Palestinian delegation was launched in late 1991, following the Madrid conference on Middle East peace.Ten rounds of bilateral talks were held in Washington over 20 months until 1993, but failed to produce results.
2022, Maritime border deal -
After years of U.S. mediation, Lebanon and Israel reached an agreement on October 27, 2022, which demarcated their maritime border and set the terms for sharing offshore gas resources in the eastern Mediterranean. There was no direct contact between the two sides, with the deal formalized through separate exchanges of letters with the United States.
2024, Fragile ceasefire -
A November 2024 ceasefire sought to end more than a year of fresh hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, but Israeli forces kept up strikes in Lebanon, saying they aimed to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its capabilities. In December 2025, civilian officials for the first time joined Lebanese and Israeli military representatives in ceasefire-monitoring meetings in southern Lebanon, led by the US and also involving France and the United Nations peacekeeping force. The talks marked the first direct discussions between the two sides in decades.

Lebanon-Israel peace talks not linked to US-Iran negotiations: Senior US official
Al Arabiya English/16 April/2026
Ongoing peace talks between Lebanon and Israel are not linked to the negotiations between the US and Iran, a senior Trump administration official said on Wednesday. “The United States wants to see a durable peace but did not demand an immediate ceasefire,” the official said. Reports have surfaced that the US, in recent days, pressed Israel to ease its current bombardment of Lebanon, which the Netanyahu government says is against Hezbollah targets. Iran also said it would participate in peace talks with the United States unless there was a ceasefire in Lebanon. Iran ultimately took part in the negotiations with Trump administration officials last week and is preparing to engage in a second round soon. The senior Trump administration official said that the US did not ask for a ceasefire but that President Donald Trump would welcome the end of hostilities in Lebanon as part of a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon. A senior Hezbollah official told a local Lebanese television channel on Wednesday that the group had agreed to a ceasefire, but would not accept a return to the 2024 agreement brokered under the Biden administration, which brought an end to the previous Hezbollah-Israel war. That conflict began when Hezbollah entered the Gaza war, which it said was in support of Hamas, drawing Lebanon into the fighting. The country has again been pulled into conflict this year after Hezbollah entered the US-Israeli war against Iran after the Iranian supreme leader was killed.
Secretary of State Rubio led the beginning of historic talks between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington this week at the State Department. “The United States' focus is on building trust between the two governments so that we can create space for a peace deal, and so that any future understandings can be durable,” the senior official said. “Both sides need to build political momentum.”

Israel army chief orders 'Hezbollah kill zone' south of Lebanon's Litani River
Agence France Presse/April 15, 2026
Israel's military chief of staff on Wednesday said he had ordered areas south of Lebanon's Litani River to be turned into a Hezbollah "kill zone" as troops pressed a major offensive there. "I have ordered that all of the area of south Lebanon up to the Litani (River) line be turned into a Hezbollah terrorist kill zone," chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said on a visit to troops operating in the area. "We are advancing and striking Hezbollah and they are retreating," Zamir added. He said troops had killed "more than 1,700" militants since the operation began on March 2, describing Hezbollah as "weakened and isolated in Lebanon".

Netanyahu says Israel continues to strike Hezbollah amid Lebanon peace talks
Reuters/15 April/2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday the Israeli military continued to strike at Hezbollah and was about to overcome what he described as the militia’s stronghold of Bint Jbeil, as pressure mounted for a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. In a video statement, Netanyahu said he has instructed the military to continue reinforcing the security zone in southern Lebanon while at the same time negotiating a peace deal with Beirut. “These negotiations have not taken place for over 40 years. They are happening now because we are very strong, and countries are coming to us – not only Lebanon,” he said. He said that in talks with Lebanon, Israel has two main objectives – dismantling of Hezbollah and a sustainable peace that is “achieved through strength.” Conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon reignited after US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered a wider conflict in the Middle East. Netanyahu said Israeli forces were focused on Bint Jbeil, which he called the capital of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. “We are, in effect, about to eliminate this great stronghold of Hezbollah,” he said. On Iran, Netanyahu said the US keeps Israel updated and the two countries are aligned on their goals to see enriched nuclear material removed from Iran, the cancellation of enrichment capabilities within Iran, and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. “It is too early to say how this matter will end, or even how it will progress,” he said. Should fighting resume, “we are prepared for any scenario.”

Israeli security cabinet to discuss possible Lebanon ceasefire, senior official says
Reuters/15 April/2026
Israel’s security cabinet will convene on Wednesday to discuss a possible Lebanon ceasefire, a senior Israeli official said, more than five weeks into a war with Hezbollah that spiraled out of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet will meet at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT), the official said. Senior Hezbollah official Ibrahim al-Moussawi told Reuters that diplomatic efforts by Iran and other regional states could produce a ceasefire soon, saying Tehran had used its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as leverage. Two other senior Lebanese officials said they had been briefed that efforts were underway for a ceasefire. One of them said the US had been pressuring Israel to work toward a ceasefire in Lebanon, including during rare talks between Israeli and Lebanese government envoys in Washington on Tuesday. Israel’s offensive in Lebanon began on March 2 after the Iran-backed Hezbollah opened fire at Israel in support of Tehran. It has killed more than 2,000 people and forced 1.2 million from their homes, according to Lebanese authorities. US President Donald Trump earlier said the war with Iran could end soon, telling the world to watch out for an “amazing two days,” while US forces imposing a blockade turned back vessels leaving Iranian ports. On Tuesday, the United States hosted the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades. Israel had ruled out discussion of a ceasefire with Lebanon during those talks. Trump has urged Israel to scale back attacks in Lebanon, apparently to avoid undermining the ceasefire with Iran. Iran has said Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon must be included in any agreement to end the wider war in the Middle East. Washington has pushed back, saying there is no link between the two sets of talks. The two Lebanese officials did not have details on when any ceasefire would begin or how long it would last. They said the duration would likely be linked to how long a truce between the United States and Iran holds.

Lebanon’s president hails Saudi Arabia’s MBS for regional stability efforts
Al Arabiya English/15 April/2026
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday commended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his “wise and balanced efforts” to promote stability across the region. In a statement posted on X, Aoun said the Crown Prince’s initiatives were a source of “appreciation and pride” for Lebanon. “We hope that Lebanon will be an integral part of this effort, as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, sponsor of the Taif Agreement, is a source of trust for the Lebanese people, the countries of the region, and the world,” he said. Aoun chose Saudi Arabia for his first official trip last year after his election, underscoring the historic ties between Lebanon and the Kingdom.

UNIFIL says convoy halted by Israeli troops near Naqoura
Naharnet/April 15, 2026
A routine convoy transporting military and civilian peacekeepers, along with essential contractors, from Beirut to UNIFIL headquarters was halted by Israeli troops a few kilometers from its destination in Naqoura. U.N.-marked vehicles were eventually allowed to proceed; however, local contractors were required to return to Beirut under security arrangements, despite the convoy having been fully deconflicted in advance, including their presence, UNIFIL said in a statement. "This is not an isolated incident. Similar restrictions, through physical roadblocks or the reversal of prior clearances, have affected both peacekeepers and the essential personnel who support them. These actions raise concerns regarding the timely delivery of critical supplies, including food, fuel, and water, to UNIFIL positions, particularly along the Blue Line," the statement said. UNIFIL added that while such challenges have been managed thus far, continued limitations on movement risk undermining the sustainment of operations, including the ability of peacekeepers to carry out their mandated reporting on violations of resolution 1701. "We reiterate our call on the IDF to honor agreed arrangements and to uphold its obligations to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers, as well as the freedom of movement of all UNIFIL patrols and logistical convoys."

Foreign media group slams Israel military over AI image of Manar reporter Shoeib
Agence France Presse/April 15, 2026
An international media association on Wednesday accused the Israeli military of discrediting a Lebanese journalist it killed last month by circulating an AI‑generated image of him in Hezbollah fatigues. Three Lebanese journalists, including Ali Shoeib -- a prominent correspondent for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar channel -- were killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon on March 28. The Israeli military claimed responsibility for Shoeib's killing, saying he "operated within the Hezbollah terrorist organization under the guise of a journalist".
It provided no evidence to support the allegation, but posted an image on X of Shoeib wearing a press vest which is partially overlayed with a photoshopped version of the same picture in which he is wearing a Hezbollah uniform. It captioned the image: "Turns out the 'press vest' was just a cover for terror."A day later, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani posted another grainy image on X purporting to show Shoeib in fatigues standing by a tank, writing: "We post this unedited photo this morning of the terrorist Ali Shoeib wearing Hezbollah uniform." He also acknowledged the image released the previous day had been "edited". The Foreign Press Association (FPA), representing hundreds of journalists in Israel and the Palestinian territories, said the military had circulated a "fake" image on March 28 to "discredit the journalist"."While the army put out a clarification about the photo, it never should have been distributed," it said in a statement on Wednesday."During the recent wars, it has been common practice by the Israeli military to discredit journalists and sow doubt by releasing inaccurate information and raising allegations without providing clear evidence."Shoeib was a veteran correspondent for Al Manar TV, who had covered conflicts and politics in Lebanon for decades. More than 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed since October 2023 by Israeli fire, the FPA said. "Israel has claimed some of them were militants, but in numerous cases it provided little or no evidence to support these claims," the association said, criticizing what it described as the "inappropriate use of artificial intelligence" in Shoeib's case. In response to a request for comment on the FPA statement, the military pointed AFP to Shoshani's X post on March 29. Since the start of a previous round of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in 2023, the Committee to Protect Journalists has documented the deaths of at least 11 journalists and press workers who were killed by Israel in Lebanon. Lebanon was pulled into the current Middle East war when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2 in revenge for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in the opening salvo of the U.S.-Israeli war against the Islamic republic. Israel responded with large-scale airstrikes across Lebanon and an invasion in the south.

UNHCR chief calls for 'urgent' support to Lebanon during war
Agence France Presse/April 15, 2026
United Nations refugee chief Barham Salih on Wednesday called on the international community to provide urgent support to Lebanon, with a fifth of the country's population displaced by the Israel-Hezbollah war. "I call upon the international community to provide urgent support and relief to Lebanon," he said after meeting Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. "The humanitarian consequences of this war are immense, and I emphasize the need to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure from the ravages of attack. Lebanon does not deserve to be trapped in a recurring cycle of violence; it deserves support and stability."He added that UNHCR has received "a portion" of the $61 million it had appealed for during the war to support Lebanon in its "unprecedented" displacement crisis, as more than a million people, or a fifth of the Lebanese population, are displaced by the conflict. Of them, more than 140,000 are in government shelters.The $61 million is part of the Lebanon Flash Appeal, launched by UN chief Antonio Guterres last month to gather $308 million to help the country. War-ravaged Lebanon has been dealing with an unprecedented financial crisis since 2019 and was still reeling from the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war when the Iran-backed group drew it into the Middle East conflict last month.

In Dearborn, a large Lebanese American population lives in constant worry
Associated Press/April 15, 2026
Eighteen months after the nation's largest Arab American community helped propel Donald Trump to a second term as president, the prayers have not stopped. In Dearborn, just outside of Detroit, families wait restlessly for word from relatives abroad, hoping they are safe, and mourning those already lost. What began as anguish over the war in Gaza has widened. In a city with a large Lebanese American population, the expanding conflict in Lebanon has made the crisis even more personal. That anxiety is colliding with pressures at home, including heightened immigration enforcement, a strained economy and rising tensions after a recent attack on a synagogue. "The community now sees that it could have got worse — and it did get worse," said Nabih Ayad, founder of the Arab American Civil Rights League. "But the community was just so desperate." The national spotlight that once fixed on Dearborn during the 2024 election has faded. The mass protests have quieted. But inside mosques, at vigils and around family tables, conversations reveal a city still reeling, and one beginning to reckon with what comes next.
A community reckoning
Last week, Ayad joined other Arab American leaders for a meeting with The Associated Press. Many of them had been deeply involved in conversations with both Democrat Kamala Harris' and Trump's campaigns as each courted their vote during the last presidential race.
"We get this all the time by media, okay? It's basically, 'How'd that decision go? How'd that work out for you?'" Ayad said. Among the nearly dozen leaders — ranging from county commissioner to state lawmakers to business owners — there was wide agreement that life had not improved since Trump was sworn into office. But there was little regret. Many said Democrats did not offer a viable alternative because Harris, the vice president at the time, did not distance herself enough from President Joe Biden's support for Israel's war in Gaza.
Few of them plan to support Trump or Republicans in the future."I think November 3rd couldn't come soon enough," said Wayne County Commissioner Sam Baydoun, referring to the midterm elections.
War with Iran engulfs Lebanon
After the United States joined with Israel to attack Iran, the conflict widened to include Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based. A fragile, two-week ceasefire announced last week did not extend to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, meaning the violence continues there. The war has displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon and killed more than 2,000, including more than 500 women, children and medical workers. Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington. Michigan is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the country, and nearly a quarter are of Lebanese descent. In Wayne County, which includes Detroit and Dearborn, about a third of the roughly 140,000 residents identified as Middle Eastern or North African in the 2020 Census are Lebanese. For many, that means constant worry. "I have family in Lebanon. I have an uncle with his wife and his kids and his grandkids. And to be honest with you, I'm just waiting for the call from overseas saying that he's perished," said Assad Turfe, a Wayne County official who was among the few Arab Americans to endorse Harris in 2024. "This is the kind of environment that this community is living with every day," he added. "That story is in the minds and the hearts of almost everyone that lives in this community."
Inside mosques and outside vigils
On a Friday in Dearborn Heights, over a hundred worshippers packed into a mosque from the afternoon's prayer. An imam opened by talking about the conflict in the Middle East and deriding Trump's comments that a "whole civilization will die" if Iran did not agree to his terms."Political leaders are supposed to build the bridges, not promote scorched earth policies," the imam said. It was a reminder of how deeply the conflict has seeped into daily life, and how places of worship have become spaces not just for prayer. That night, Peace Park in Dearborn filled with Lebanese flags as a vigil took over the main square.Children sat on steps draped in American flags, holding photos of children killed in the war. Nearby, speakers took turns describing a conflict that has stretched across presidencies with little sign of easing. "What we have witnessed is not just another headline. It is not distant. It is not abstract," Suhaila Amen, a Lebanese American, said at the vigil. "We are a community in mourning," she said, "and we have been mourning for a long, long time."

Mohammad Raad: Direct Negotiation is a Massive Downfall for the Government
Al-Markazia/April 15/2026 (translated from Arabic)
Mohammad Raad, head of the "Loyalty to the Resistance" bloc, commented on the Washington negotiations: "This 'photo-op' session between Lebanese officials, the Zionist enemy, and the US shows how little Lebanon matters in the American agenda. This contradicts the claims of those begging for approval from the US, which supports the criminal Zionist enemy." He added: "The statement from this shameful session proves the government lied about requiring a ceasefire before negotiating. It destroys their claims of protecting sovereignty and shows total submission to the enemy and its sponsor. Their goal isn't to end the occupation, but to disarm the honorable and legitimate Resistance that Lebanese people rely on to face the Zionist occupation." He concluded: "Direct negotiation with the enemy is a massive downfall for the government. May God protect Lebanon from those who disrespect its sovereignty."

MP Hassan Fadlallah: The Government is Giving in to the Enemy
Al-Markazia/April 15/2026 (translated from Arabic)
During a press conference at Parliament, MP Hassan Fadlallah discussed the situation in Bint Jbeil and Washington. He stated: "The Israeli occupation army is taking revenge on Bint Jbeil. They are trying to destroy the city—its historic mosque, markets, and landmarks—because they cannot forget their defeats there in 2000 and 2006. But they cannot break its spirit."Fadlallah emphasized: "Bint Jbeil represents the entire nation's dignity. Despite the heavy fire, young men are bravely defending the city from within, preventing the enemy from taking control. Our fighters do not know surrender. Even if the enemy enters some neighborhoods using 'scorched earth' tactics and drones, they face fierce resistance."He criticized the government, saying: "While our heroes fight for victory or martyrdom, the government in Beirut has failed to use this strength. Instead, they turned against the Resistance by trying to criminalize it. The government has abandoned its duty, withdrawing the army and leaving the South vulnerable. By extending a hand to the enemy in Washington on a day of bloody massacres in Beirut, they gave the enemy a 'victory photo' they couldn't get on the battlefield. This move does not represent the Lebanese people."
He concluded: "The government should reconsider its path. They claim they separated Lebanon's track from the Islamabad negotiations for a ceasefire, but this was an Israeli demand. Iran was ready to help secure a ceasefire with international support, but the Lebanese government refused. To the people in the South and the families of martyrs: you are the true face of Lebanon."

Grand Jaafari Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan: We Will Not Allow US Oversight to Harm Lebanon
Al-Markazia/April 15/ 2026 (translated from Arabic)
Mufti Ahmad Qabalan stated: "The US-backed authority in Lebanon is bankrupt and has no national legitimacy. By negotiating with the Zionist enemy, it has committed a great national sin. They act as agents for a failing mandate and have no right to make sovereign choices for Lebanon. We will not give them any chance to harm our high interests." He added: "Any surrender that goes against Lebanon's sovereignty and its national pact is worthless. Only Lebanon, its Resistance, its Army, and its national partnership truly exist. We will not forgive this sin. The idea of a 'security belt' exists only in Netanyahu’s dreams. Today, 100,000 Zionist soldiers and elite brigades are being broken along the front lines, especially in Bint Jbeil." He concluded: "Washington is facing its worst international defeat. The Zionist army it built has suffered strategic losses. Lebanon’s strength lies in the partnership between Muslims and Christians based on moral interests. History teaches us that in the end, Lebanon, its people, and its land always win."

Diplomatic push to secure Israel-Lebanon ceasefire intensifies after Washington talks
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/April 15, 2026
BEIRUT: Diplomatic efforts to put pressure on Israel to agree a ceasefire in Lebanon as a necessary step toward formal peace negotiations are intensifying, following the unprecedented direct talks between the countries in Washington this week, Lebanese officials told Arab News on Wednesday. A senior official said intensive contacts are underway with international and regional actors to secure a halt to the hostilities, with a ceasefire a non-negotiable condition for moving forward. “Lebanon is insisting on a full ceasefire before entering any formal negotiations,” the source said, adding that the government “will not relinquish a single inch of Lebanese territory.”The push comes after a rare meeting on Tuesday between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors at the US State Department in Washington, an encounter that marked a significant diplomatic shift.
According to the official, the meeting “broke a longstanding taboo” by bringing the two sides face to face, a step previously considered politically unthinkable in Lebanon.
However, the official stressed that the real test lies ahead, as Lebanon enters what he described as a phase of assessing the outcome of the initial talks while preparing for a second, more substantive round of negotiations conditioned on a ceasefire.
The US, which hosted the meeting, described the talks as “productive” and confirmed that both sides had agreed to pursue further direct negotiations at a time and place yet to be determined. The Lebanese official said Washington’s stance during and after the meeting was “positive,” and Beirut was also working to rally Arab support, particularly from Saudi Arabia, to reinforce efforts aimed at deescalation.Despite initial concerns, the talks have not triggered any significant political backlash in Lebanon. They were welcomed in some political circles as a “bold and courageous” step, while opposition from Hezbollah and its allies has so far remained contained. Days earlier, Hezbollah supporters had protested against any engagement with Israel, holding demonstrations outside Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s office that denounced him as a “Zionist.”But the official said the tensions appeared to ease following a joint statement by Hezbollah and its ally the Amal Movement calling for the preservation of civil peace. They emphasized their commitment to “stability” and the protection of civil peace, and warned against being drawn into divisions that, they said, Israel was seeking to provoke. They called on their supporters “not to demonstrate at this sensitive stage the country is going through.”
Hezbollah continued to launch rockets into northern Israel hours after the meeting in Washington, while Israel maintained it would not consider a ceasefire agreement until the group was dismantled.
Mehiedine Chehimi, a professor of international law, said the decision by Lebanese authorities to engage in talks with Israel reflected commitments outlined in President Joseph Aoun’s inaugural address and a government ministerial statement.
“There is a clear effort to position the Lebanese state as the sole authority responsible for negotiations, and that no other party should speak on its behalf,” he told Arab News. “It sends a critical message that Lebanon should not be treated as subordinate to external actors.”Recent government measures — including a declaration that Hezbollah’s military wing is illegitimate, efforts to confiscate weapons, and the arrest of armed individuals — have helped restore confidence in state institutions, even if implementation efforts remain gradual, Chehimi added.
Such steps require time to implement given Hezbollah’s entrenched presence within the state, he said, but the state nonetheless appears determined to reassert its authority.
Following a meeting with Prime Minister Salam, MP Adib Abdel Massih said that the government was now operating as a unified executive authority after years in which state institutions were overshadowed and fragmented, and was working simultaneously to restore Lebanese sovereignty and end the war.
He also revealed that the prime minister’s office was preparing legal documents to submit to the International Criminal Court seeking an investigation into violations, by all foreign actors, that have taken place in Lebanese territory, and to pursue accountability and compensation for the destruction and loss of life they have caused. Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah sharply criticized the diplomatic initiative in Washington. During remarks in parliament on Wednesday, he accused Lebanon’s political leadership of “failing the public” and pursuing negotiations that serve Israel’s interests.
He told reporters the meeting over the weekend between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors “does not reflect Lebanon’s identity or the choices of its people,” and added that most Lebanese remain opposed to Israel.
Fadlallah also dismissed the government’s assertion that the Lebanese negotiations were separate from broader US-Iran talks, describing them as “an Israeli demand being carried out by Lebanese proxies.”
He insisted that withdrawal was “not in the resistance’s vocabulary,” and said Hezbollah’s fighters continue to carry out operations against Israeli forces, particularly in areas around Bint Jbeil. Israeli forces have yet to establish control over front-line villages, he added, despite intensified military operations and what he described as attacks on civilians. Avichai Adraee, a spokesperson for the Israeli military, said on Wednesday that the air force struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon over the past 24 hours, including launch sites, personnel and military infrastructure.
Israeli media also reported that army commanders were pushing to expand ground operations deeper into southern Lebanon as fighting intensified around border towns, including Bint Jbeil. The Israeli army has announced an expansion of its ground campaign and reinforced troop deployments along the border. Commenting on the broader trajectory, Chehimi, the professor of international law, described the negotiations as likely to be “a long and dangerous process.”He said the Lebanese state, through its diplomatic efforts, appeared increasingly resilient compared with Hezbollah, and added that efforts to establish state legitimacy were gradually gaining ground despite the militant group’s continuing ability to escalate tensions. Chehimi also warned of wider regional risks, noting in particular concerns that instability in Iran could lead to more decentralized and unpredictable forms of violence, with potential spillover effects in Lebanon.

Hezbollah will never choose Lebanon over Iran
Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/April 15, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/153670/
If anything, April 13, 2026, ironically looked no different to the days of civil tension in the prelude to the breakdown of law and order among the Lebanese in 1975, between those who wanted to peel Lebanon away from regional discord and foreign agendas and those who wanted to see the country and its people used as cannon fodder. Half a century has passed but the similarities are striking. Lebanon is again facing its demons and the curse of division, as the majority of its people want Hezbollah disarmed, while those who support the militia insist on fighting Israel in the name of protecting Gaza and, since Feb. 28, defending Iran. They want to help Tehran in its war of resistance against Israel and help protect Iran’s revolutionary doctrine and regime, which is being battered by the US and Israel. It is feared the storm of civil strife is gathering again, as the government has taken the daring and historic step of negotiating directly with Israel. It seeks to end the conflict through a peace deal that preserves the country’s unity and territorial integrity, preventing Israel creating a security buffer zone in the south. But the Lebanese who support Hezbollah oppose these talks.Lebanon’s fragile democracy has been struggling for more than three decades to find the means to disarm Hezbollah — a militia that has outgrown the state and its institutions with direct help from Iran and formerly from Syria. It is not an exaggeration to say that the country and its people often find themselves at the mercy of a game involving bigger powers.
For Hezbollah, an Iranian-created, funded, armed and led militia, choosing Lebanon over Iran is a tall order. The party and its supporters remain true to its original manifesto, which established the group’s presence in the country in the early 1980s and calls for the spread of Iran’s religious doctrine and revolution in the Arab and Muslim worlds, even if the group has repeatedly denied it.
Lebanon’s fragile democracy has been struggling for more than three decades to find the means to disarm Hezbollah.
The French president’s special envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, a veteran statesman and diplomat, ought to know better than to say — as he did in an interview with Arab News last week — “Hezbollah must choose: either Lebanon or Iran. There is no alternative.” He is not the first and will not be the last to do so. But Hezbollah cannot change, as leopards never change their spots. Hezbollah’s mission, like its various leaders have often reminded those wanting to disarm them, is that the militia is part of the Wilayat Al-Faqih regime. Since 1969, Lebanon has been a secondary theater in a regional confrontation that is beyond its control. Previously, it was used by the Arabs as a staging point for Palestinian resistance against Israel. And, under the tutelage of the Assad regime in Syria, it was for years a pawn in Damascus’ protracted confrontation with Israel and the West. Now, it is an extension of Iran’s revolution and a bridgehead for its confrontation with Arab countries and with Israel. Le Drian explained in his interview that the continued fighting risks trapping the country in an external confrontation that could jeopardize fundamental aspects of the Lebanese state. “What is at stake today is Lebanon’s integrity and sovereignty,” he said.And that is the story of modern Lebanon: always in the eye of the storm in a turbulent Middle East, often by choice by the choice of one segment of its society or another. Denouncing the Israeli attacks against Hezbollah, Le Drian clearly identified the role of the Iran-allied militia in stoking the crisis. He also agreed that the “disproportionate strikes” by Israel create a potential paradox, warning that rather than weakening Hezbollah, they might actually strengthen the group’s influence.Like Le Drian, many in Lebanon believe that, despite the intensity of the current hostilities, the country today has a unique opportunity to forge a path to peace. They hope that the historic direct talks with Israeli authorities could bear fruit, as the many years of conflict have failed to bring peace to Israel or stability and prosperity to the region, including Lebanon.
The challenge is how to encourage the splintered Lebanese loyalties to favor the welfare of their country.
The challenge is how to encourage the splintered Lebanese loyalties to favor the welfare of their country and its current government, which is, for once, free from Syrian, Iranian or any other foreign patronage.People have for years been calling on the Lebanese who support Hezbollah to choose the state over the militia and Lebanon over Iran, but to no avail. Though weakened by Israel’s 60-day war on it in 2024, the militia has, with the help of Iran, rearmed and reorganized after the decapitation of its leadership. The recent fighting in the south demonstrates that Hezbollah is still a potent force, despite suffering the loss of its supply lines through Iraq and Syria, which could undermine its ability to put up a long and protracted fight.The Israeli ground incursion and creation of a security buffer zone could cost Lebanon 10 percent or more of its territory. But above all, it will cause the community that supports Hezbollah to harden its stance and call for further resistance, even if that means driving the country’s civil peace to the brink. The costs imposed by Hezbollah’s war are too large for this small country and its sovereign government to stomach. Time and again, history has demonstrated that Hezbollah cannot metamorphose into a Lebanese political force only. It is far too integrated into Iran’s regional extensions, religious doctrine and proxy designs. Those who call on the Lebanese militia group to choose Lebanon over Iran are in for a long wait. And those who ask the Lebanese government to disarm the militia by force clearly fail to grasp the precarious fabric of communities in the country and the constant threat a decision like this would have on its unity. It is still possible the US-Israeli strikes will persuade Tehran to abandon its perpetual revolution. It is also possible Lebanon and Israel could strike a deal that can be called “peace.” Only then can Hezbollah’s raison d’etre maybe cease to exist and the nation can broker a deal to dismantle the militant group for good.
• Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with more than 25 years of experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy.

Why displaced Lebanese fear they may never return as war uproots lives and destroys villages
NAJIA HOUSSARI & ANAN TELLO/Arab News/April 15, 2026
BEIRUT/LONDON: Mahmoud Sarhan has been displaced five times since the Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2. Now sheltering in the Beirut neighborhood of Tariq El-Jdideh, the 67-year-old hopes one day to return to his hometown of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon. Kfar Kila is just 150 meters from the Blue Line, the UN-drawn boundary demarcating Lebanon’s southern border with Israel. Sarhan first fled to another part of the south before Israeli military evacuation orders pushed him north to the capital.
“There is nowhere else to go,” he told Arab News. “But I haven’t yet lost hope of returning.”
Israel’s military campaign in southern Lebanon was launched after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel on March 2 in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on Iran. In the weeks since then, more than 1.1 million people have been displaced, according to UN figures.
Israel said it was creating a buffer zone to allow residents displaced from northern Israel by Hezbollah rockets to return safely. But for the Lebanese families displaced from this planned buffer zone, the pull of home runs deep.Sarhan studied civil engineering in the US but chose to return to Kfar Kila to work in agriculture, underscoring his deep-rooted commitment to his community and identity, spanning generations.
“My grandfather was taken by the Ottoman army at the beginning of last century to Yemen, but he walked back to Kfar Kila,” Sarhan said. “We are like the roots of an oak tree, we do not wither. There is nothing left for us to lose.”This latest displacement, however, may be different. The Lebanese government is preparing for the possibility that it could become permanent. “Long-term displacement is something we are concerned about, of course,” Haneen Sayed, Lebanon’s social affairs minister, told Reuters on March 31. “We hope it does not happen, but as a government, we have to prepare and think about it.”
She said the government was considering its options, including cash-for-rent programs and “physical places where people might go,” but was not planning to construct camps at this stage. “It all depends on how much of a land grab the Israelis will insist on and of course it’s totally unacceptable for us,” she said. “This is a huge violation of our sovereignty and we will do everything we can to ensure that this doesn’t happen, whatever we have in our means.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that all homes in Lebanese villages near the border “will be destroyed, in accordance with the Rafah and Beit Hanoun model in Gaza,” in order “to remove, once and for all, the threats near the border.”
The Israeli military “will establish a security zone inside Lebanon … and will maintain security control over the entire area up to the Litani River,” The Times of Israel quoted him as saying.
Katz said also that Israel would bar the return of “more than 600,000 residents of southern Lebanon” to areas south of the Litani, “until the safety and security of northern Israeli residents is ensured.”On April 8, Hezbollah urged displaced families not to return to “targeted villages, towns and areas in the south, the Bekaa and the southern suburbs of Beirut before the official and final ceasefire declaration is issued.”But the prospects for peace remain distant. Although direct Lebanon-Israel talks began in Washington on Tuesday — the first of their kind since 1993 — Israel said it would not discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, urged the Lebanese government to withdraw from the talks, which its chief Naim Qassem described as futile. Since the US and Iran announced a truce on April 8, Israel has intensified its attacks on Lebanon, killing at least 2,100 people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Aid agencies are also concerned about prolonged displacement in Lebanon. Amy Pope, head of the International Organization for Migration, said the prospects for extended mass displacement were “very alarming.”
“There are parts of the south that are being completely flattened,” she told news agency Agence France-Presse on April 2. “Even if the war ends tomorrow, that destruction remains and there needs to be a rebuilding.”Reconstruction would require funding, resources and peace, she said. “Unless we start to see those things come into place … people will be displaced now for who knows how long.”Lebanese authorities said that more than 136,000 people were living in collective shelters, including schools and stadiums, while others were staying with relatives or sleeping in the open air. More than 200,000 people, mostly Syrians, have crossed into the Syrian Arab Republic.
“A cycle of coercive displacement is unfolding,” warned Tom Fletcher, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator.
Pope said the current displacement crisis was “far more severe” than during the previous Israel-Hezbollah war, which ended with a fragile ceasefire in November 2024.
The scale of destruction makes the question of return not just political, but existential.
Tarek Mazraani, head of the Association of Residents from Southern Border Towns and a native of the border village of Houla, believes that even those who insist on staying in their homes will eventually be forced out. “Some southerners who have clung to staying in their villages, particularly Christian and Druze villages, despite the warnings may be forced to flee as well,” he told Arab News. “There are no medicines, no hospitals, no food supplies and bridges have been destroyed, movement is blocked by fire and even paramedics are being targeted.” Yet Mazraani and others from the south have said that people would return once the fighting stops, even to scorched land. Once safety seemed possible, he said, “they will return, even if they pitch a tent next to their destroyed home.”
But that optimism has limits.
“Villages need decades to be rebuilt, assuming sustainable peaceful solutions are reached,” Mazraani said. “Emotionally, yes, we want to return but practically, that enthusiasm has faded. How can I return when I see Israel actively seeking expansion and the UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) forces set to depart soon? “What guarantees do I have to go back and rebuild what was destroyed? Does the Lebanese army have the capacity to protect me?”
Those questions carry added weight given the scale of destruction left behind, with entire villages demolished.
Dr. Ali Faour, head of the Center for Population and Development and a member of Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research, has pushed back on Israel’s assumption that southerners will not return. “They operate under the banner of emptying the south and this has been going on since 1978. Yet every time the war stops, southerners return to their villages,” he told Arab News. “The reason is people’s deep bond with the land.”
Hassan El-Rashidi, president of the Sidon-based Education Planet Association, shares that conviction. Once a ceasefire was declared, “many families will go back to their villages, even if it means living in tents amid ruin, simply to stand again on their own land,” he told Arab News. “Their ties to the land are unbreakable. These are the people of the south — farmers, families and workers whose lives have always revolved around the soil beneath them.
“Throughout history, wars have swept through the southern region, displacing its people time and again, yet never before has the devastation been so vast,” he said.
“However, the connection between southerners and their land runs deep. Even those who build their lives in Beirut often return to their villages every weekend, cherishing every chance to be close to home.” That attachment resonates among those who have been displaced. Jawad, who has been repeatedly uprooted from his village, described the experience as “the most painful thing.”“It’s never easy, but as always, we’ve learned to hold on to even the tiniest fragment of hope,” he told Arab News.
“This time, the hope may be fainter but it’s still there. Justice doesn’t vanish. One day, it finds its way to us. And when there are people still demanding that right, it won’t die.”
Still, he conceded that this latest displacement felt different. “Things have become too unpredictable: the aggression, the enemy’s attacks, the way everything unfolds,” he said.
Social worker Salah Eddine Agha drew a sharp contrast between recent events and the previous conflict. Unlike in 2024, he said, the displaced were unlikely to return immediately after a ceasefire “given the scorched-earth tactics and indiscriminate shelling carried out by Israel.”“I remember in 2024, once the ceasefire was announced at 4-5 a.m. people were already on their way back to their homes, villages and lands out of love for their place and a deep desire to rebuild their houses,” he told Arab News.
Today, the picture is starkly different. “Some of the main roads leading to Sidon and the southern villages have been bombed and others connecting towns have also been hit,” Agha said. “We’ll have to wait for the Lebanese state, or international or Gulf support, to help repair those roads and make them safe for people to return. “Those who lost their homes near the border or in southern towns won’t be able to return until prepared shelters and rebuilt houses are available so they can live again with dignity, under a roof, with daily access to food and water.”Israeli airstrikes in March destroyed two bridges over the Litani linking southern Lebanon with the rest of the country. Rights groups fear Israel is trying to isolate the region. Faour said the prolonged displacement would have lasting demographic consequences.
“Villages subjected to continuous forced displacement suffer human losses, the majority of whom are young people and heads of households,” he said. “There is a significant increase in the number of widows, which means a drop in birth rates, a decline in the labor force and the compulsion to emigrate. “This is precisely what Israel intends: reducing the demographic fabric and creating fractures in Lebanon’s population structure while accelerating aging.”
He warned that in the absence of comprehensive policies, “the continuation of these dynamics could deepen social divisions and structural fragility,” and that “managing displacement in Lebanon is a decisive test of the state and society’s capacity to contain a complex crisis before chaos sets in.”Addressing displacement could not remain merely within the framework of emergency response, he said. “It requires transitioning to the management of a long-term structural crisis, including developing flexible temporary housing policies, equitable geographic distribution, providing full support for host communities and early planning for housing solutions before camps become permanent entities.”But as officials sound alarms, Lebanon and Israel hold talks and the bombardment continues, more than a million people remain in limbo, displaced, uncertain and deprived of the ability to imagine a better future.

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 15-16/2026
White House expresses optimism over Iran deal, says Pakistan is the only mediator
Al Arabiya English/15 April/2026
The White House said Wednesday that the US did not request an extension of the Iran ceasefire, but added that the Trump administration “felt good” about the prospects for a deal.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said discussions were ongoing about a second meeting, and, if confirmed, would be held in Pakistan. “They [Pakistan] are the only mediator in this negotiation,” she told reporters during a briefing at the White House.
“While there have been many countries around the world who want to offer their help, the President [Donald Trump] feels it’s important to continue to streamline this communication through the Pakistanis,” Leavitt added.

Iran’s Araghchi welcomes Pakistani delegation led by army chief Munir
AFP/15 April/2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi welcomed on Wednesday a Pakistani delegation led by army chief Asim Munir, days after failed US-Iran talks in Islamabad to end the Middle East war. Araghchi’s Telegram channel posted several photos of him welcoming the Pakistani official, saying: “Munir arrives in Tehran.”The Pakistan military’s media wing also confirmed his arrival in Iran, adding that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was also there “as part of the ongoing mediation efforts.”Iranian state TV had reported earlier that the high-ranking Pakistani delegation would bring a new message from Washington and was due to discuss a second round of talks. Iran had confirmed on Wednesday that the sides had kept talking via Pakistan after a first round of talks in the Pakistani capital fell flat over the weekend. “Since Sunday, when the Iranian delegation returned to Tehran, several messages have been exchanged through Pakistan,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in a weekly press briefing. “Today, we are very likely to receive a Pakistani delegation as a continuation of the discussions in Islamabad,” he added.The US-Iran negotiations in the Pakistani capital at the weekend took place against the backdrop of a fragile two-week ceasefire announced days earlier. The talks, which lasted around 21 hours, saw the US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance and the Iranian side headed by Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The main sticking points were not officially disclosed at the time, but US President Donald Trump later castigated Iran for not opening the Strait of Hormuz, which has been all but closed since the outbreak of war on February 28. Trump also said Iran had refused to concede on the issue of its nuclear program. News reports have since said Washington sought a 20-year suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment and that Iran, in turn, proposed suspending its nuclear activity for five years – an offer US officials rejected. On Wednesday, Baghaei said some of the US demands during the talks were “unreasonable and unrealistic,” without elaborating. He insisted on Iran’s right to peaceful use of nuclear energy, saying it could not be “taken away under pressure or through war.”The level of enrichment, he said, remains “negotiable” and “Iran should be able to continue enrichment in accordance with its needs.”Baghaei criticized a US naval blockade on Iranian ports in place since Monday, saying it “will not succeed.” He said Iran “will not enter into any negotiations just to accept the American conditions.”

Pakistan’s PM arrives in Jeddah for meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince
AFP/15 April/2026
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday at the start of a four-day tour before a possible second round of US-Iran peace talks, his office said in a statement. Sharif will also visit Qatar and Turkey on his trip, which comes after Washington and Tehran held their highest-level talks in decades in Islamabad last weekend. The Pakistani leader will discuss the “regional situation” with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his office said. The visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar will be conducted “in the bilateral context,” while Sharif will participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum while in Turkey, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said earlier. Sharif will also hold bilateral meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other leaders on the sidelines of the Antalya forum, it said. The Islamabad talks marked a step forward in efforts to end the war that began when the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.Iran targeted Gulf countries in retaliation and blocked energy exports from the region, sending oil prices soaring. The talks concluded without an agreement to end the conflict, but US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that negotiations could resume this week in the Pakistani capital. A fragile ceasefire due to expire next week remains in place, despite the United States ordering a naval blockade of Iran. Sharif is being accompanied by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar - one of the mediators during the US-Iran talks - and other senior officials on his visits, his office said. Separately, a Pakistani delegation led by army chief Asim Munir arrived in Iran, where it was welcomed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Iranian state TV said earlier that the delegation would bring a new message from Washington and was due to discuss a second round of talks.

No ships made it past US forces during first 48 hours of Iran blockade: CENTCOM
Al Arabiya English/15 April/2026
No ships made it past US forces during the first 48 hours of the American blockade on Iranian ports, according to the US military. “During the first 48 hours of the US blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports, no vessels have made it past US forces,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said. “Additionally, 9 vessels have complied with direction from US forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or coastal area,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X. On Tuesday night, CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper said the blockade ordered by President Donald Trump had been “fully implemented.”Cooper said US forces had completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea, which he said fueled 90 percent of Iran’s economy. Trump ordered the blockade to go into effect on Monday morning following failed talks to reach a deal with Iran over the weekend. The talks were held in Pakistan, but US negotiators said Tehran refused to commit to not developing a nuclear weapon. Iran accused the US team of shifting its goals and demands throughout. Talks are ongoing to schedule another round of talks on a deal.

Iran military threatens to block Red Sea if US naval blockade continues
AFP/15 April/2026
Iran’s military warned on Wednesday it would block trade through the Red Sea, along with the Gulf and Sea of Oman, if the US naval blockade on Iranian ports continues. In a statement carried by Iranian state television, the head of the military’s central command center said if the US continues with its blockade and “creates insecurity for Iran’s commercial vessels and oil tankers,” it will also constitute “a prelude” to violating the ceasefire.“The powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic will not allow any exports or imports to continue in the [Arabian] Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea,” said Ali Abdollahi.
He added that Iran will “act decisively to defend its national sovereignty and its interests.”The United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports since Monday after US-Iran talks over the weekend in Pakistan failed to produce a deal to end the war. But maritime tracking data on Tuesday indicated that several ships sailing from Iranian ports had crossed the Strait of Hormuz despite the blockade. On Wednesday, Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoted unnamed informed sources as saying that shipping from Iran’s southern ports had continued. It added that Iranian “commercial vessels have set sail for various destinations around the world” during the past 24 hours.

UAE summons Iraqi charge d’affaires over attacks launched from Iraqi territory
Agencies/15 April/2026
The United Arab Emirates summoned the Iraqi charge d’affaires and handed him a formal protest note over what it described as attacks launched from Iraqi territory, a statement said on Wednesday. On Monday, Bahrain also summoned Iraq’s chargé d’affaires in Manama to protest against what it called ongoing drone attacks launched from Iraqi territory against Bahrain and other Gulf Cooperation Council states. Saudi Arabia had also on Sunday summoned Iraq’s ambassador to Riyadh over what it described as continued attacks and threats targeting the Kingdom and other Gulf states via drones launched from Iraqi territory.A similar complaint has been issued by the United States. Iraq was dragged into the war between the US, Israel and Iran, with strikes repeatedly targeting both US interests – especially the embassy in Baghdad – and pro-Iranian militias in the country. During the fighting, pro-Iranian militias in Iraq claimed launching daily attacks on “enemy bases” in the country and the wider region, but said on Wednesday they were suspending their actions after the announcement of a temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran. Last month several Gulf countries and Jordan demanded in a joint statement that Baghdad act immediately to stop attacks from its territory by pro-Iran militia. The statement was signed by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump says Iran war 'very close to being over'
Agence France Presse/15 April/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated peace talks with Tehran could resume this week, as the United States turned the screws Wednesday with a naval blockade it said had cut off maritime trade with Iran. Trump's hint came as Israel and Lebanon agreed to open direct negotiations after a rare face-to-face meeting in Washington, with Israel's war with Hezbollah ongoing despite the ceasefire with Tehran. Stocks rose and crude dropped on hopes for a deal to get oil flowing again through the Strait of Hormuz -- choked by Iranian forces since the U.S.-Israeli offensive began in late February, and now the focus of a U.S. blockade. But the twin diplomatic push remained fragile, with Lebanese state media reporting fresh Israeli strikes south of Beirut, while Iran-backed Hezbollah -- hostile to any negotiations -- fired dozens of rockets at Israel. Trump told the New York Post on Tuesday that a new round of talks with Iran could take place in Pakistan "over the next two days," after a marathon first negotiating session ended without a breakthrough. In a FOX Business interview due to be aired on Wednesday, the U.S. leader declared the war "very close to being over". Senior Pakistani sources told AFP that Islamabad was working to bring the sides together for a second round of talks, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif kicked off a four-day diplomatic blitz to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. In the meantime Washington has been pressing hard for an end to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, fearing it could jeopardise its two-week ceasefire with Iran and a broader settlement of the conflict. Lebanon was drawn into the war when Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Iran, triggering an Israeli ground invasion and deadly campaign of strikes. The countries' ambassadors met in Washington on Tuesday in their first direct, high-level talks since 1993, mediated by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Israel's envoy Yechiel Leiter hailed "a wonderful exchange" between parties "united in liberating Lebanon" from Hezbollah -- although his Lebanese counterpart Nada Hamadeh Moawad was less effusive, calling the talks "constructive" but saying she had pressed for a ceasefire. The State Department said "all sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue."Israel is occupying parts of southern Lebanon and has resisted any pause in fighting that leaves Hezbollah intact, arguing that the group remains the central obstacle to peace.
Pressure on Tehran
While diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran have been stop-start, Washington has sought to turn up the pressure on Tehran by blockading its ports. U.S. Central Command said on social media overnight that its blockade had been "fully implemented" and that American forces "have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea." The picture based on maritime tracking data Tuesday was less clear-cut -- indicating that several ships sailing from Iranian ports had crossed the Hormuz Strait despite the blockade. Analysts say Trump is aiming not only to choke off Iranian revenue but also to pressure China, the biggest buyer of Iran's oil, to push Tehran to reopen the strait. Chinese President Xi Jinping was hosting Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday, with both countries pledging to work together towards de-escalation in the Middle East.
'Grand bargain' -
The decades-old dispute over Tehran's nuclear program lies at the heart of the U.S.-Iran talks process -- with Vice President JD Vance saying Tuesday the Islamic republic was being offered a "grand bargain". Trump has insisted any deal must permanently bar Iran from becoming nuclear-armed. He launched the war arguing that Tehran was rushing towards the completion of an atomic bomb, an assertion not backed by the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Tehran has always insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes. Reports said the United States sought a 20-year suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment programme during the Islamabad talks, and that Iran, in turn, proposed suspending its nuclear activity for five years -- an offer U.S. officials rejected. At an event in the U.S. state of Georgia on Tuesday, Vance said Trump had pledged to "make Iran thrive" if it committed to "not having a nuclear weapon". "That's the kind of Trumpian grand bargain that the president has put on the table," Vance said, adding: "Man, we're going to keep on negotiating and try to make it happen."

Trump says China agrees not to arm Iran
Agence France Presse/15 April/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that China has agreed not to send weapons to its close partner Iran and that he has received personal assurances from leader Xi Jinping. "They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks," Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to his planned May 14-15 summit with Xi in Beijing. Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo in a separate interview aired Wednesday that Xi had "essentially" promised not to deliver weapons. "I had heard that China's giving weapons to, I mean -- you're seeing it all over the place -- to Iran," Trump said. "And I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that essentially he's not doing that."The conflict in the Middle East has added tension to the already complicated relationship between the world's top economic powers. The Trump-Xi summit had originally been scheduled for March but was delayed due to Trump's decision to launch the war. China accused the United States on Tuesday of "dangerous and irresponsible" behavior over its blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, with Xi vowing Beijing would play a "constructive role" in promoting peace in the Middle East. In his Truth Social post, Trump insisted that "China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also - And the World." China is Iran's biggest trading partner and a major client for the country's oil. Trump was asked in the Fox interview about reports that China had recently conducted a major cyber attack against the FBI. He did not directly confirm the report, but said: "We do it to them. They do it to us.""China's China," he said. "They're never easy, but we're doing great with China." Trump said he was "the toughest person" on China.

Iran foreign ministry insists on right to enrich uranium, says level negotiable
Agence France Presse/15 April/2026
Iran's foreign ministry said Wednesday that Tehran's right to enrich uranium was "indisputable" although the level of enrichment is "negotiable".In a weekly press briefing, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy could not be "taken away under pressure or through war". "Regarding the level and type of enrichment, we have always stated that this issue is negotiable. We have emphasized that Iran should be able to continue enrichment in accordance with its needs," he added.

Senior UAE, Iran officials discuss de-escalation in rare call
Agence France Presse/15 April/2026
Senior UAE and Iranian officials held a call to discuss de-escalation on Wednesday, UAE state media reported, the first high-level call since ties deteriorated over the U.S.-Iran war. UAE Vice President and Deputy Premier Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan "held a phone call with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran, during which they discussed regional developments and ways to de-escalate tensions in the region", according to a statement released by the WAM news agency. Since the start of the Middle East war, the UAE has taken a hawkish tone towards Iran, recalling its ambassador and closing its embassy after Tehran began its campaign targeting the Emirates and other Gulf countries.

Flotilla carrying activists and aid for Palestinians in Gaza sets sail from Spain
Associated Press/15 April/2026
Dozens of boats carrying activists and aid for Palestinians in Gaza set sail from the northeastern Spanish city of Barcelona on Wednesday. Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla say that more than 70 boats and 1,000 people from around the world will participate, with campaigners saying it's the biggest civilian-led mobilization of its kind against Israel's actions in the Palestinian territory. Nearly 40 boats were leaving Barcelona while the rest will join the fleet from other ports along the Mediterranean as they sail eastward, according to Thiago Ávila, one of the flotilla's leaders who spoke at a news conference in Barcelona on Sunday during a symbolic send-off event. Bad weather had forced organizers to delay their departure, which was originally planned for April 12. As attention has turned to the Iran war, activists hope that their latest mission will revive attention to the plight of Palestinians living in Gaza."We sail because governments have failed," said Saif Abukeshek, a Palestinian activist and member of the flotilla's global steering committee. "They want a society that feels helpless, that cannot act, that cannot mobilize," Abukeshek said on Sunday. "We refuse to be that society." Last week, Gaza marked six months since a ceasefire made the most intense fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas-led militants stop. Yet Israeli attacks have killed more than 700 people in the six months since the ceasefire, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Much of the ceasefire work remains to be done, from disarming Hamas and ending its rule to deploying an international stabilization force and beginning vast reconstruction. Around 2 million Gaza residents are still living in ruins with shortages of food and medicine, and only limited aid entering through a single, Israeli-controlled border post.
Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza's Palestinian population. The Global Sumud Flotilla's latest efforts come less than a year after another attempt was foiled by Israeli authorities. Last fall, dozens of boats sailed close to Gaza, with one even crossing the 12-nautical-mile line (22-kilometer line) marking the divide from international waters to territorial waters off Gaza. But they were all ultimately intercepted and seized or turned away. Those sailing last year, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were arrested, imprisoned and deported by Israel. They claimed Israeli authorities abused them while in detention, accusations that Israeli authorities denied. Their interception at sea had been broadcast live by onboard cameras, sparking worldwide protests at the time. But attention on Gaza has since waned, with eyes focused now on the latest Iran war upending the Middle East and roiling global markets. Organizers hope this mission will bring back attention to the conditions of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, which was ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war. More than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war in Gaza began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Greenpeace Spain and migrant rescue group Open Arms, which have committed their two large vessels to sail alongside the smaller flotilla boats, are among those supporting the flotilla. "We sail because the people of Gaza have a right to exist and to breathe and to thrive on their land," said Eva Saldaña, head of Greenpeace Spain.

Canada/Conservative MPs publicly back Poilievre as leader even after recent stumbles
CBC/Wed, April 15, 2026
Conservative MPs lined up Wednesday to endorse Pierre Poilievre's continued leadership despite recent stumbles that have left the party on the back foot and facing three more years on the Opposition benches.
Privately, there are serious doubts about his viability. Poilievre has faced a series of setbacks in the months since the last federal election, continuing what former leader Erin O'Toole has called an "annus horribilis," or a horrible year.
After blowing a 20-point lead and falling to the Liberals at the last vote, Poilievre has lost four MPs to defections, effectively setting up Prime Minister Mark Carney for a majority government. In Monday's byelections, which actually clinched that Liberal majority, the Conservative vote share collapsed in the three ridings up for grabs.The Conservative candidate in the Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne, for example, captured roughly three per cent of the vote — a 15 percentage point drop. The Conservative candidates in the two Toronto seats did not fare much better.
Speaking to CBC News on background following the party's poor performance in those byelections, some Conservative MPs said caucus morale is at a low point. These MPs also said there have been conversations about whether Poilievre should stay or go.
Conservative sources said there has been some talk about triggering Reform Act provisions to give caucus the power to try and oust Poilievre as leader, as they did with O'Toole.
However, those conversations are not very advanced. Sources also said it's unclear if such an effort, should it even materialize, would succeed given Poilievre's continued popularity with some MPs and among the party base. There are also doubts about whether there is anyone of Poilievre's stature who can take over as leader and hold the party and its divergent factions — the social conservatives, populists and Red Tories, among others — together as he has done reasonably well to this point, one MP said. Regardless, another MP said Poilievre likely cannot survive until 2029 — when the next general election is scheduled to take place — without a meaningful improvement in the party's poll numbers, which have drifted lower as more voters back Carney's vision for the country at this juncture. CBC News agreed not to name the MPs so that they would speak freely about internal party matters. When asked Wednesday what the party can do to boost its popularity, MP Stephanie Kusie said, "I have no idea. I think it's better to pose that question to Mr. Poilievre."Poilievre, for his part, said Tuesday he's not going anywhere.
While Carney may have cobbled together a majority government through floor-crossings and byelection wins, Poilievre said disaffected Canadians "should not give up" and he will be their voice in Parliament. He vowed to stay laser-focused on cost of living concerns and crime.
"I will continue to lead that fight in this House and across this country and in the next election when we, as Conservatives, will work to restore the country that we all know and love," he said. Speaking to reporters on their way into a post-byelection caucus meeting on Parliament Hill, some MPs publicly insisted Poilievre is still the right man to lead the movement. "Pierre Poilievre is doing a tremendous job, we saw the membership of the party give him a resounding endorsement at the last convention," said MP Andrew Lawton, referencing Poilievre's landslide win at his leadership review in January. "I think we need to continue doing what we're doing — talking about affordability," he said.
While things may look grim now, Lawton said the party is playing "a long game."MP Andrew Scheer, a close Poilievre confidant and the party's House leader, insisted the caucus is united even though there are rumblings that other MPs are preparing to make the leap to the ascendant Liberals. "Pierre has grown our movement to historic highs so we're going to stay focused and do what we promised voters we'd do in the last election: put forward ideas to lower the cost of living so Canadians can get ahead," Scheer said. MP Adam Chambers said at least the party's policy proposals are resonating with an unlikely constituency: the Prime Minister's Office. Carney announced Tuesday he will temporarily drop the federal excise tax on gas and diesel, something Poilievre had been calling for in the weeks since the war in Iran rattled energy markets. This follows Carney's past decision to axe the consumer carbon tax and cut the GST on some new homes, measures also pitched by Poilievre. "We will continue to inspire the government with ideas," Chamber said, with a smile.
The mood on the other side of Parliament Hill at the Liberal caucus meeting was starkly different. Carney paraded the Liberal candidates who triumphed in the byelections — Doly Begum, Danielle Martin, Tatiana Auguste — before the cameras and into a crowd of jubilant MPs who welcomed the new recruits with huge applause and hugs. At the front of that welcoming committee was ex-Conservative Marilyn Gladu, who warmly embraced the three women who will soon sit with her in the governing caucus.
"We're just getting started. We have a great deal of work to do and we approach that with humility and determination," Carney 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 15-16/2026
Is Washington About to Replace One Iranian Tyranny with Another?
Pierre Rehov/Gatestone Institute/April 15/2026
The issue is no longer whether the regime in Tehran is under strain — it clearly is — but whether Washington is preparing, consciously or not, to replace a brutal clerical dictatorship with a brutal military one. The idea that a military structure could serve as a "moderate" transitional governing authority in Iran seems to rest on the fragile assumption that professionalism leads to moderation. Regional history says otherwise. From Egypt to Pakistan, militaries that stepped in to "restore order" entrenched their own authoritarian rule. Iran offers no reason to believe it would be different. What makes the current moment so dangerous is that, if no credible alternative to the mullahs takes power -- one that is rooted in popular legitimacy -- the vacuum will not remain empty. It will be filled by the most organized, armed actors available — the IRGC and security apparatus -- the same forces that slaughtered more than 30,000 of their own citizens on the streets in just two days.
The faces change, but the repression, torture and hangings stay the same.
The former Shah's army, the Artesh, relegated to patrolling Iran's borders, may lack the theological zeal of the IRGC, but it has shown no commitment to dismantling the structures of repression. Any kind of real, long-term peace requires the total end of Iran's regime, not its adaptation. The Islamic Republic unfortunately cannot be reformed, any more than could the Afghan Taliban. The regime's legitimacy is rooted in a doctrine built on confrontation — both with the West and with its own population. Preserving any part of this ruling structure, whether through the IRGC or segments of the military, risks perpetuating the same destabilizing brutality. Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, while essential, addresses only one dimension of the threat. A non-nuclear authoritarian Iran remains capable of repression at home and destabilization abroad. Removing the threat of nuclear bombs does not create peace; it merely limits the scale of the potential catastrophe.
For Trump to declare victory based on a ceasefire, partial concessions, or the emergence of supposedly "pragmatic" actors would be catastrophically naïve.
Whatever happened to Trump's "Help is on its way"?
To say that economic collapse will make it easier for the Iranians to change their government if they wish might sound good, but it is fantasyland. They have no weapons.
The Iranian people are not asking for a redistribution of brutality. They are asking for a new system entirely.
Will Washington recognize this distinction, or will Trump's legacy, instead of peace, be -- in Syria as well -- that he simply exchanged one tyranny for another?
The issue is no longer whether the regime in Tehran is under strain — it clearly is — but whether Washington is preparing, consciously or not, to replace a brutal clerical dictatorship with a brutal military one.
A recurring illusion in American foreign policy is that removing the most visible layer of oppression in a brutal regime, as in Haiti, Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq, is enough to claim victory. It is politically convenient and media-friendly, but in the instance of the Islamic Republic of Iran, looks to be strategically disastrous.
Today, as pressure mounts on Iran and US President Donald J. Trump signals a willingness to seize a perceived opening — most recently through a 15-day ceasefire — the same illusion is once again taking shape. The issue is no longer whether the regime in Tehran is under strain — it clearly is — but whether Washington is preparing, consciously or not, to replace a brutal clerical dictatorship with a brutal military one.
Iran has two armies. One is the "Artesh," the regular national army that pre-dates the 1979 founding of the Islamic Republic. It presents itself as a standard professional military, and not as an ideological organization. The Artesh operates under strict government oversight, with embedded supervision that limits its autonomy. It is disciplined and not independent.
Iran's second army is the country's true center of power: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a parallel military created after the 1979 Islamic Revolution as a counterweight to the Artesh, which had previously been commanded by the Shah. The IRGC's purpose is to defend the revolution itself. It also controls a vast business empire that accounts for a large part of Iran's economy. It is structured with its own ground, naval and aerospace forces, and promotions depend as much on loyalty as competence.
The Basij, an auxiliary force of the IRGC, is a vast volunteer paramilitary network embedded throughout society, capable of suppressing civil dissent or protest at scale. The Basij exists to crush protests, hunt dissidents, and ensure the regime's survival through fear and repression.
The divide is clear: the IRGC and Basij form the fanatical core, while the Artesh represents a more professional but tightly controlled layer. Neither has shown the slightest interest in any kind of liberalizing transformation.
The idea that a military structure could serve as a "moderate" transitional governing authority in Iran seems to rest on the fragile assumption that professionalism leads to moderation. Regional history says otherwise. From Egypt to Pakistan, militaries that stepped in to "restore order" entrenched their own authoritarian rule. Iran offers no reason to believe it would be different.
The former Shah's army, the Artesh, relegated to patrolling Iran's borders, may lack the theological zeal of the IRGC, but it has shown no commitment to dismantling the structures of repression.
Trump, for all his instinctive grasp of power dynamics, appears tempted by a shortcut — a rapid strategic win framed as geopolitical success. The reasoning is simple: weaken Iran's regime, fracture its internal balance, and allow a more pragmatic governing authority to emerge. The plan fits a transactional worldview, but the Iranian leadership, even at levels that might seem less ideological, is nevertheless shaped by the autocracy of the past 47 years.
The Iranian people, by contrast -- from the Green Movement in 2009 to the uprisings of 2017 and 2019, the protests after the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, and even more powerfully in January 2026 -- have demonstrated not just a desire for reform, but a rejection of the Islamist regime itself. Women defying compulsory veiling, students confronting armed security forces, workers striking across sectors -- this is not a population asking for adjustments but a society demanding a complete break.
Any kind of real, long-term peace requires the total end of Iran's regime, not its adaptation. The Islamic Republic unfortunately cannot be reformed, any more than could the Afghan Taliban. The regime's legitimacy is rooted in a doctrine built on confrontation — both with the West and with its own population. Preserving any part of this ruling structure, whether through the IRGC or segments of the military, risks perpetuating the same destabilizing brutality.
Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, while essential, addresses only one dimension of the threat. A non-nuclear authoritarian Iran remains capable of repression at home and destabilization abroad. Removing the threat of nuclear bombs does not create peace; it merely limits the scale of the potential catastrophe.
What makes the current moment so dangerous is that, if no credible alternative to the mullahs takes power -- one that is rooted in popular legitimacy -- the vacuum will not remain empty. It will be filled by the most organized, armed actors available — the IRGC and security apparatus -- the same forces that slaughtered more than 30,000 of their own citizens on the streets in just two days.
The pattern is not new. Remove the ideological leadership in Iran, and the military leadership takes over – leading most likely to an even more unsparing grip on the unarmed Iranian people – and even more difficult to combat. The faces change, but the repression, torture and hangings stay the same.
We have seen this devastation before – in Haiti, Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq – not to mention Iran itself starting in 1979. The Iranian regime's militaries are just as determined and deeply anchored. They are not interested in being reshaped. For Trump to declare victory based on a ceasefire, partial concessions, or the emergence of supposedly "pragmatic" actors would be catastrophically naïve.
The real danger for Washington is not failure, but the illusion of success. A deal signed, a regime weakened, a new brutal authority emerging — presented as a "solution." It is no different from British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's hapless 1938 declaration of "peace for our time." Then, the realization that, fundamentally, nothing has changed. Trump is right to confront Iran's regime, but the urgency to bring an end to the conflict appears to be heading toward an Iranian regime just as repressive as, or worse than, the current one.
Whatever happened to Trump's "Help is on its way"?
To say that economic collapse will make it easier for the Iranians to change their government if they wish might sound good, but it is fantasyland. They have no weapons.
The Iranian people are not asking for a redistribution of brutality. They are asking for a new system entirely.
Will Washington recognize this distinction, or will Trump's legacy, instead of peace, be -- in Syria as well -- that he simply exchanged one tyranny for another?
**Pierre Rehov, who holds a law degree from Paris-Assas, is a French reporter, novelist and documentary filmmaker. He is the author of six novels, including "Beyond Red Lines", "The Third Testament" and "Red Eden", translated from French. His latest essay on the aftermath of the October 7 massacre " 7 octobre - La riposte " became a bestseller in France. As a filmmaker, he has produced and directed 17 documentaries, many photographed at high risk in Middle Eastern war zones, and focusing on terrorism, media bias, and the persecution of Christians. His latest documentary, "Pogrom(s)" highlights the context of ancient Jew hatred within Muslim civilization as the main force behind the October 7 massacre.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22443/replace-iranian-tyranny
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US confident in Iran war plan, Pentagon chief vows surge in attacks ...“If you think you’ve seen something, just wait,” Hegseth says
Joseph Haboush/06 March/2026
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — The US military is confident in its operational plan against Iran, the top US commander for the Middle East said Thursday, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to “dramatically” increase attacks on the Iranian regime.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Adm. Brad Cooper said American forces anticipated Iran’s capabilities and built their strategy accordingly. “We’re very familiar with Iran’s capabilities, and as you might imagine, we plan for it right from the outset,” Cooper told Al Arabiya English. “And I feel good about what the plan was.”Cooper added that US forces continue to adapt as the battlefield evolves. “Like any good organization, we adjust as necessary to meet the environment, and we’ve made those appropriate adjustments,” he said. The comments came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Washington had asked Kyiv for assistance in countering Iranian one-way attack drones. Al Arabiya English asked Cooper and Hegseth what specifically the United States had requested and whether Iran had demonstrated any unexpected capabilities since the war began six days ago. Another reporter asked Cooper whether the US was seeking additional interceptor systems from partners. The CENTCOM chief said new capabilities had already been deployed, though he declined to elaborate.
US defenses against drones have long drawn criticism because expensive missiles are often used to shoot down relatively inexpensive drones deployed by Iran and its proxies.
However, Cooper said the US had “kind of gotten on the other side” of that cost imbalance.
“I remember we used to always hear we’re shooting down a $50,000 drone with a $2 million missile,” he said. “These days, we’re spending a lot of time shooting down $100,000 drones with $10,000.”The US also deployed a new kamikaze drone unit for the first time during the Iran operation. The drones were developed after years of the US capturing and reverse-engineering Iranian models. “We captured it, pulled the guts out, sent it back to America, put a little Made in America on it, brought it back here, and we’re shooting it at good targets,” Cooper quipped. Part of the broader campaign, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, aims to dismantle Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and naval forces, officials have said.
“We are seeking to… level Iran’s ballistic missile industrial base,” Cooper told reporters during a briefing at CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa, Florida. “As we transition to the next phase of this operation, we will systemically dismantle Iran’s missile production capability for the future.”Cooper said the US bomber force had struck nearly 200 targets deep inside Iran over the past 72 hours, including sites around Tehran.
He also revealed that just an hour before the briefing, B-2 stealth bombers dropped dozens of 2,000-pound penetrating bombs on deeply buried ballistic missile launchers.
Cooper said US forces had also targeted Iran’s equivalent of Space Command.
According to Cooper, Iranian attacks have significantly decreased since the start of the war. Ballistic missile strikes have fallen by 90 percent since the first day of fighting, while drone attacks are down 83 percent.
The US military has also struck 30 Iranian naval vessels.
“And in just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship, roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier. And as we speak, it’s on fire,” Cooper said.
Hegseth vows increased firepower
Standing alongside Cooper, Hegseth said the level of US firepower directed at Iran, including over Tehran, “is about to surge dramatically.”He pointed to additional partner nations, including the United Kingdom, now allowing US forces to use their bases abroad to support the campaign. Hegseth added that Iran appeared to be betting the United States would not be able to sustain the pace of operations, which he said was “a really bad miscalculation for the IRGC in Iran.”The defense secretary insisted the US had ample supplies of both offensive and defensive munitions and could sustain the campaign indefinitely.
As Iranian capabilities degrade, he said, US military pressure will only intensify. “We have only just begun to fight,” Hegseth said. “If you think you’ve seen something, just wait. The amount of combat power that’s still flowing, that’s still coming, that we’ll be able to project over Iran, is multiples of what it currently is right now.”

A historic meeting without breakthroughs, what comes next?
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/14/April ,2026
readFor the first time in decades, senior officials from both sides met directly, face-to-face, in Islamabad. This alone represented a major shift in diplomatic engagement, breaking a long-standing pattern of indirect talks conducted through intermediaries. Yet despite the historic nature of the meeting, the outcome was ultimately one of disappointment. After more than 20 hours of intensive negotiations, both sides walked away without an agreement. US officials confirmed that the talks ended without resolution, particularly on the central issue of Iran’s nuclear program. Still, the significance of this meeting should not be underestimated. Even without a deal, it has opened the door to potential future direct diplomacy. The psychological and political barrier of direct engagement has now been broken.
Deep structural gap between Washington and Tehran
The failure of the talks can largely be traced to a fundamental and seemingly irreconcilable difference: the nature of Iran’s nuclear program. The United States has insisted on a complete halt to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, seeking full dismantlement or at least a permanent prohibition on enrichment capabilities. From Washington’s perspective, anything short of this leaves open the possibility of weaponization.Iran, however, has firmly rejected this demand. Tehran continues to assert its right to pursue nuclear technology and views US demands as excessive and rooted in distrust. This core disagreement proved to be the decisive obstacle in negotiations. At the same time, disagreements emerged over control and access to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy shipments. These layered disputes made compromise even more difficult.
Trump’s naval blockade
Following the collapse of negotiations, Donald Trump announced a US naval blockade of Iran. A naval blockade, in practical terms, means that the US Navy will attempt to control or restrict maritime traffic in and out of the Strait of Hormuz. This includes intercepting vessels, clearing mines, and potentially preventing ships that comply with Iranian demands – such as paying transit tolls – from passing through. The implications for Iran are profound. Politically, it challenges Tehran’s claim to control the Strait and undermines its regional influence. Economically, the impact could be devastating. Iran’s already fragile economy – strained by sanctions, war damage, and inflation – relies heavily on oil exports. A blockade threatens to choke off this lifeline, further isolating the country from global markets.
Economic pressure and global consequences
Iran’s economy was already under severe stress before the blockade announcement, weakened currency, reduced government revenues, and increased domestic discontent. The blockade intensifies these pressures by targeting the country’s most critical economic sector: energy exports. But the consequences are not limited to Iran. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important chokepoints in the global economy, with roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil passing through it. Any disruption – whether from Iranian actions or US enforcement – immediately affects global oil prices and economic stability.
Scenario one: Escalation and renewed war
One possible path forward is escalation. If Iran chooses to respond militarily – by targeting US naval vessels, launching missiles, or deploying drones against shipping – the fragile ceasefire could collapse rapidly. Such actions would likely trigger a strong US response.
Iran retains some asymmetric capabilities, including fast attack boats, mines, and drones, many of which have already been used in the conflict. The risk of miscalculation is high, especially in a congested and militarized environment like the Strait.
Scenario two: Managed de-escalation and open transit
Another scenario is more cautiously optimistic. Iran could choose to allow ships to pass freely through the Strait, reducing tensions and avoiding direct confrontation.
Such a framework would effectively restore freedom of navigation while postponing deeper disagreements. It would not resolve the nuclear issue or broader geopolitical tensions, but it could stabilize the immediate crisis and prevent further escalation.
This scenario would also provide both sides with a face-saving off-ramp. The US could claim success in ensuring open shipping lanes, while Iran could maintain its position without formally conceding to US demands. However, this outcome would likely be temporary, as underlying issues remain unresolved.
Another critical question moving forward is sustainability. How long can the United States maintain a naval blockade without facing significant economic and political costs? The longer the blockade continues, the greater the impact on global oil markets, inflation, and economic stability. Tehran may believe that the United States, under pressure from global markets and domestic economic concerns, will eventually ease its position. By avoiding direct confrontation and allowing time to pass, Iran could hope to outlast the blockade. At the same time, prolonged uncertainty increases volatility, and raises the risk of escalation.
An unresolved crisis with persistent risks
Ultimately, the situation remains unresolved. Two central issues continue to drive tensions: control over the Strait of Hormuz and the future of Iran’s nuclear program. Neither of these has been settled, and both are deeply tied to national security on each side. This means that the current standoff is not a conclusion, but a phase in an ongoing conflict. Even if immediate tensions ease, the underlying disputes will continue to shape US-Iran relations.
Perhaps most concerning is the ever-present risk of miscalculation. In a highly militarized environment, a single incident – a drone strike, a naval clash, or a misinterpreted signal – could again reignite the war involving the United States, Iran, and Israel.

What Hungary’s election means for the world of politics
Dr. Diana Galeeva/Arab News/April 15/2026
After 16 years in power, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s rule is coming to an end following his party’s defeat in a parliamentary election on Sunday. Peter Magyar, the leader of the center-right opposition Respect and Freedom Party, will succeed him. This party was founded in 2020 and has been led by Magyar since 2024. The key focus of the party is to tackle government corruption and improve living standards and public services. Internationally, it will take a pro-European and unifying stance.
The Respect and Freedom Party is set to secure more than two-thirds of the seats in parliament (136 of 199). This election was eagerly awaited, as the result will have implications for Europe and the world.
Many analysts coined the outcome as the end of an “illiberal democracy.” European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen posted on X: “Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight.” She added: “Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said: “Let’s join forces for a strong, secure and, above all, united Europe.” Emmanuel Macron also sent his congratulations, saying that “France welcomes the victory of democratic participation, the Hungarian people’s commitment to European Union values, and Hungary’s European engagement.” Similarly, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote that these elections were a “historic moment, not only for Hungary, but for European democracy.”
What does it mean in practical terms? For Hungary, it means a potential return to a more democratic method of governance and operation of the state. The key point is that Hungary is now poised to return to a course of closer relations with the EU, as Magyar promised the crowd in Budapest.
The key point is that Hungary is now poised to return to a course of closer relations with the EU, as Magyar promised
Magyar’s victory will be considered a relief for Brussels given the EU’s difficult history of relations with Orban due to his stances on many issues. Under Orban’s leadership, Hungary used its veto to tackle the European response to many crucial strategic issues, including the Ukraine war. Orban has repeatedly blocked an aid package to Ukraine and resisted EU sanctions on Russia since 2022. In February, Hungary blocked a planned €90 billion ($106 billion) EU loan to Ukraine until the flow of Russian oil through the damaged Druzhba pipeline resumed.
The elections in Hungary might have an impact on the continued future support of Kyiv from the EU side, but there are many obstacles. Currently, Europeans are facing an energy crisis that has direct links to their own security and necessities. At the same time, Hungary itself struggles with its economy and, if Magyar repairs relations with the EU, the bloc might consider increasing its funding for the country. Hungary has faced many economic challenges, such as stagnation and soaring living costs. In other words, the economic factor is a challenge for both Hungary and the EU. This adds uncertainty to the future of the Ukraine conflict.
Paradoxically, these elections will have a less clear impact on relations with the rest of the world, as the country will now follow the course of the EU.
Modern politics is strange, with some analyses billing these elections as a “historical milestone.” This is indeed a milestone for bilateral relations between Hungary and the EU, but what it will mean for the rest of the world, which has its own uncertainties to deal with, is unclear at this stage.
What it will mean for the rest of the world, which has its own uncertainties to deal with, is unclear at this stage
Nonetheless, Magyar’s victory means that the EU as a bloc will become more united despite all the challenges of the past. From an international relations standpoint, it means that the formation of alliances has proven to be an effective model. This example can be useful for others to consider, including the Gulf Cooperation Council states, as together they can tackle their own challenges and uncertainties.
This also means the competition of the great powers will continue in the short run, meaning the world will face struggles over and over again. If this game of “big politics” continues, the world will not be safe for all. The wise alternative would be for leaders who represent different views and stances to accept the reality that all are different. The world of politics would win if the diverse array of stances around the globe were welcomed everywhere.
Consequently, Hungary’s elections could allow for the opening of a new era of relations between countries, in which the EU can focus on its own problems and uncertainties with neutrality, providing an example for others through daily efforts to bring peace and stability.
This also links to the ongoing discourse about the battle of democracy versus autocracy. The acceptance of a diversity of views across the globe is the only winning strategy. In the end, world leaders who have a responsibility to secure their own interests are also responsible for peace in the world.
• Dr. Diana Galeeva is an academic visitor to the Center of Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge.

Why Iran cannot win by closing the Strait of Hormuz
Hani Hazaimeh/Arab News/April 15, 2026
In the escalating rhetoric surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, one narrative continues to surface with alarming persistence: that Iran holds a decisive card via its ability to take the region — and, by extension, the world — hostage by closing this critical waterway. It is a narrative built on geography, amplified by politics and sustained by fear. But it is also fundamentally flawed. The Strait of Hormuz is indeed one of the most strategic chokepoints in the global system. Nearly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade flows through this narrow passage, making it indispensable to global energy markets. Yet the assumption that its closure translates into an Iranian strategic victory misunderstands a far more important reality: in any sustained disruption, Iran itself would be the first and most consequential loser. Iran’s economy is deeply dependent on the very waterway it threatens to disrupt. Between 70 percent and 80 percent of its exports — and as much as 95 percent of its oil shipments — pass through the strait. In other words, closing it is not an act of leverage, it is an act of self-strangulation. Unlike global markets, which can adapt, reroute and absorb shocks over time, Iran’s economic system lacks the flexibility and reserves to withstand prolonged isolation. Estimates suggest that a sustained closure could wipe out tens of billions of dollars in Iranian revenue within months, triggering severe contraction, inflation and internal instability. Even recent developments reinforce this imbalance. As tensions have escalated, efforts to restrict maritime flows have already translated into direct economic losses for Iran, with analysts estimating hundreds of millions of dollars in daily export disruptions. The message is clear: the weaponization of the Strait of Hormuz does not create asymmetry in Iran’s favor — it exposes its vulnerabilities.
This is where the Iranian strategic calculus appears dangerously misguided. The assumption that the Gulf can be held hostage ignores two critical dynamics: Arab adaptability and global redundancy.
First, the Arab Gulf is not without options. While the Strait of Hormuz remains central, it is not the sole gateway. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have already developed alternative export routes that bypass the strait, including pipelines to the Red Sea and the port of Fujairah. These routes are not sufficient to replace the strait entirely, but they are strategically significant. They represent a foundational shift: the recognition that dependence must be mitigated, not managed.
The weaponization of the Strait of Hormuz does not create asymmetry in Iran’s favor — it exposes its vulnerabilities.
More importantly, these alternatives are not static. In times of crisis, they can be expanded, reinforced and supplemented through regional coordination. This is where the concept of a “northern gateway” becomes strategically relevant. Through integrated infrastructure linking the Gulf to Jordan and onward to Mediterranean ports, Arab states possess the geographic and logistical potential to reorient part of their energy exports toward Europe and beyond. Such a shift would not be immediate but it is entirely feasible — and increasingly necessary.Second, the global system itself is not as fragile as it appears in moments of crisis. Yes, disruption in the Strait of Hormuz can trigger price shocks, supply chain stress and economic turbulence. But global markets are adaptive systems. Strategic reserves can be released. Alternative suppliers can increase output. Shipping routes can be recalibrated. The initial shock may be severe but it would not be permanent. Iran, by contrast, does not operate within such a flexible framework. Its economy is constrained by sanctions, has limited access to foreign reserves and contains structural inefficiencies. It cannot simply wait out a crisis of its own making. Every day of disruption compounds internal pressure, erodes state capacity and narrows strategic options.There is also a deeper geopolitical miscalculation at play. Closing the Strait of Hormuz does not occur in a vacuum. It invites a response — not just from the US but from a coalition of global and regional powers whose interests are directly threatened. The notion that Iran could control the escalation ladder is, at best, optimistic and, at worst, dangerously naive. Recent events underscore this reality. Moves to disrupt the strait have already triggered direct countermeasures aimed specifically at Iranian exports and maritime activity. The objective is not merely to reopen the waterway but to ensure that Iran pays a disproportionate price for its disruption. In such a scenario, escalation does not enhance Iran’s leverage — it accelerates its isolation. Moves to disrupt the strait have already triggered direct countermeasures aimed specifically at Iranian exports.
But perhaps the most overlooked factor in this equation is the Arab dimension. For too long, the region has been framed as a passive space — reacting to external pressures rather than shaping its own strategic environment. The Strait of Hormuz crisis challenges this perception.
If there is a lesson to be drawn, it is this: fragmentation is vulnerability, while coordination is power. An Arab strategy built on integration — economic, logistical and defensive — would fundamentally alter the equation. By linking Gulf energy infrastructure to broader regional networks, by investing in alternative export corridors and by coordinating maritime security, Arab states can transform the Strait of Hormuz from a point of weakness into one element within a diversified system. Such a strategy would not eliminate risk. But it would ensure that no single actor — regional or otherwise — can hold the entire system hostage.This is precisely why the idea of Iranian dominance through the strait is ultimately an illusion. Power in today’s world is not derived from the ability to disrupt but from the ability to sustain. Disruption is temporary. Sustainability is strategic.
Iran can threaten to close the strait. It can disrupt, harass and escalate. But it cannot endure the consequences of its own actions in a prolonged scenario. The economic, political and strategic costs would accumulate far faster in Tehran than in any Gulf capital or global market.
• Hani Hazaimeh is a senior editor based in Amman.
X: @hanihazaimeh

Selected Face Book & X tweets for April 15/2026