English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For April 22/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
I am the bread of
life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will
never be thirsty.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint John 06/34-40: “They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread
always.’Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will
never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to
you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.Everything that the Father
gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away;
for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who
sent me.And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of
all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.This is indeed the
will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal
life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’
Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related
News & Editorials published on April 21-22/2026
A Reading of “President” Joseph Aoun’s Speech: Cloning Failure in
Military Garb, Fear of Naming Things, and Words Without Action/Elias Bejjani/April
18/2026
Video-Link from CNN/US War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine addressed the media at the Pentagon, providing an
update on the ongoing Iran war and US military operations.
Second Aoun-Trump call may take place within 48 hours
Top US senators call to halt aid to Lebanon army over failed Hezbollah
disarmament
Israel, Lebanon to hold second round of talks in Washington on Thursday
Saudi crown prince discusses developments in Lebanon with president
What will upcoming Lebanon-Israel meeting discuss?
Aoun says diplomacy is 'a war without bloodshed'
Macron tells Israel that Hezbollah must be disarmed 'by the Lebanese themselves'
Macron to press Lebanon ceasefire and sovereignty in Paris talks
Salam from Luxembourg: Lebanon today needs European partners more than ever
Hezbollah says attacked Israeli post in response to 'over 200 violations'
Israel will face resistance if troops stay in Lebanon, speaker Berri says
Berri says if Israel insists on occupation, it will be met with resistance
Jumblat says he and Berri call for return to 1949 Armistice Agreement, with
modifications
15 bridges hit in Lebanon since war started
Ottawa has asked Israel to investigate Canadian's killing in Lebanon: Anand
IDF soldier jailed for smashing Jesus statue with an axe in Lebanon
Is Iran losing Hezbollah or playing it more carefully?/Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab
News/April 21, 2026
Links to several important news websites
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on April 21-22/2026
Trump extends ceasefire, Iran says it won’t go to Pakistan talks
Trump extends ceasefire deadline with Iran in latest example of ‘TACO’ Tuesday
Pakistan PM welcomes US-Iran ceasefire extension
Iran Negotiations On Ice After Tehran Backs Away From Negotiating Table
Vance delays expected Iran talks departure
Iran threatens to end Gulf countries' oil production if attacked from their
territory
Iran knows how to 'resist bullying' says Araghchi
US forces board a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon says
Iran war means more orders for US defense giants
Syrian president arrives in Jeddah, meets with crown prince
German police launch raids against Syrian trafficking ring
Israeli settlers attack Palestinian school, kill two individuals
Links to several important news websites
on April 21-22/2026
Iran: Complete Regime Change for Permanent Peace/Con Coughlin/Gatestone
Institute/April 21, 2026
Turkey-Israel tensions deepen amid Erdogan’s confrontational policy/Sinan Ciddi/Jerusalem
Post/April 21/2026
‘Blood only brings more blood’: Israelis and Palestinians share grief under veil
of secrecy/Tal Shalev/CNN/April 21/2026
Attacks by pro-Iran militias strain Iraq’s sovereignty, fray ties with Gulf Arab
neighbors/Jonathan Gornall/Arab News/April 21, 2026
Israel’s doctrine of perpetual expansion/Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/April 21,
2026
Sabotaging the US-Gulf relationship/Mamdouh AlMuhaini/AlArabiya English/21 April
,2026
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on April 21-22/2026
A Reading of “President” Joseph Aoun’s
Speech: Cloning Failure in Military Garb, Fear of Naming Things, and Words
Without Action
Elias Bejjani/April 18/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/153736/
I. Lost Credibility: Faith Without
Works (A Dead Faith)
Yesterday, Friday, April 17, 2026, President Joseph Aoun appeared before us with
a quintessentially “wooden” speech, repeating the same old symphony of promises
from which the Lebanese have seen nothing since he took office. The “Inaugural
Address” he delivered on his election day has remained mere ink on paper, and
today he returns with rhetorical fluff devoid of any tangible executive plan.
Here, we remind him of the words from the Epistle of James: “Faith without works
is dead.” The trust of the Lebanese is not built on resonant speeches but on the
actions that Aoun completely lacks. He “talks much and does nothing,” constantly
attempting to mask his impotence behind terms like “steadfastness” and
“sacrifice,” while attacking those who oppose the terrorist Hezbollah and the
Iranian-Jihadi occupation that occupies Lebanon and sows destruction,
corruption, displacement, and impoverishment.
II. Malice, Narrow-Mindedness, and the Betrayal of Those Opposing Hezbollah’s
Occupation
The speech reveals a mindset that rejects criticism and grows weary of political
opposition. Instead of holding the party responsible for the ruin and
devastation—namely Hezbollah—accountable, Joseph Aoun poured his wrath upon the
sovereignist voices that criticized the presidency’s “cover” for the Hezbollah
mini-state. This is evident in the following phrases from his speech:
“We endured accusations… insults… slander, and misinformation”: Here, he
classifies political criticism as “insult and slander,” a military language that
brooks no debate.
“Do not allow skeptical and treacherous voices to sow division among you”: In a
bizarre irony, he labels opponents as “traitors” simply because they questioned
the utility of his choices.
“Overcome the instincts of the misleaders”: He dismisses the opposing opinion as
mere “instinct” and “misleading,” as if he holds the absolute truth.
“Do not be dragged behind those who exploit your emotions to build their glory
at the expense of your stability”: A direct accusation of opportunism and
trading on people’s pain.
This fierce attack on Hezbollah’s opponents (exclusively) proves that the man
does not write his own speeches. Instead, the task is left to a team of
“entrusted” advisors (groups tied to Berri, Hezbollah, the Syrian Social
Nationalist Party, opportunists, scribes, and Pharisees). Through this language,
they aim to silence any voice demanding the reclamation of the state from its
kidnappers—the Iranian-Shia Duo. His statements are issued in a vengeful tone
toward “Sovereignists,” while remaining “cowardly” and appeasing toward the Shia
Duo and their masters, the Mullahs of Iran. This confirms he is fully tied to
the interests of the Duo’s system and the opportunistic advisors who surround
him—with his consent—shielding him from the reality of the situation.
III. Cowardice in Naming the “Internal Enemy”
In a predictable sovereignist failure, Joseph Aoun did not dare mention the name
“Hezbollah” a single time in his lengthy speech. He utilized vague, generalizing
language, avoiding the naming of the party that has violated Lebanon’s
sovereignty and its decisions on war and peace. Although the party—by
international, legal, and local (Cabinet) decisions—represents an entity outside
the state’s legitimacy, Aoun preferred to flee forward. This confirms he remains
a silent (or coerced) partner in an alliance that places the party’s interests
above those of the nation, stripping him of the title of “Sovereign President.”
IV. Linguistic Acrobatics and Fleeing the Obligation of Peace
Aoun used an “acrobatic” expression when he said: “I am ready to go anywhere to
liberate my land and protect my people.” This is a pathetic attempt to emulate
historical leaders (like Sadat) without possessing their courage. Had Aoun been
serious about “saving his country,” he would have had the courage to say
explicitly: “I will go to the White House and meet Netanyahu, and I will go to
Israel if necessary to end the cycle of death and conclude a permanent peace.”
But, true to form, he prefers the gray zone to appease Nabih Berri, Hezbollah,
and Iran, confirming he remains in their political trench and has never stepped
out from under their cloak.
V. The “Let Us Congratulate” Groups: Okazis of a Wretched Time
One cannot read the echoes of President Joseph Aoun’s speech without pausing at
the choir of “clappers” from the political class, “party corporations,” and the
rabble of media mouthpieces and cymbals who rushed to issue statements of praise
and support. These represent the “Qumwa Ta Nehni” (Arise, let us congratulate)
mentality—a quintessentially opportunistic Lebanese mindset where everyone
rushes to praise whoever sits on the throne without any self-respect or
objective analysis. We are witnessing an “Okazi” scene (referring to the
historic Souk Okaz), but a low-end political version of it. In the past, poets
sold praise and blame for dinars; today, we see these politicians like the
“repliers” in Lebanese Zajal troupes, improvising praise for Aoun’s speech to
guarantee their place in the paradise of power or to satisfy the “entrusted”
advisors. Their “Zajal-like” statements lack any credibility; they are merely
opportunistic rituals that do not seriously address the issues, but settle for
echoing the “President” and those behind him from the de facto powers (Berri and
Hezbollah).
Final Conclusion
The scene is now complete: a President drowned in rhetoric, advisors passing the
agendas of external axes, an opposition being betrayed rather than heard, and a
“Zajal” troupe applauding the void. The speech of April 17, 2026, was not
“salvation”; it was a confirmation that power in Lebanon remains a prisoner of a
gray-zone mentality and disguised dependency, and that the true “man of the
hour” has yet to emerge.
Video-Link from CNN/US War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine addressed the media at the Pentagon, providing an
update on the ongoing Iran war and US military operations.
Pentagon LIVE | Hegseth Threatens Iran with Massive Bombardment | US-Iran
Ceasefire | Hormuz | N18G
US War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan
Caine addressed the media at the Pentagon, providing an update on the ongoing
Iran war and US military operations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86VyznmxmuQ
Summary of the Press Conference:
Military Status: A temporary ceasefire has paused major combat operations, but
US forces remain "locked and loaded" and ready to resume operations immediately
if necessary [10:22].
The Blockade: A comprehensive blockade is being enforced on Iran's ports and
coastline. It was clarified that this is not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz
but targets vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports, including the "dark
fleet" carrying oil [11:06].
Message to Iran: Secretary Hegseth emphasized that the US has superior
intelligence and military power, noting that Iran's defense industry is severely
degraded and cannot easily rebuild its capabilities [01:50].
Regional Allies: Admiral Cooper highlighted strong partnerships with regional
allies (Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, and Israel), noting
that their cooperation has created a massive air defense umbrella [26:35].
Recruitment and Morale: Hegseth reported record recruitment numbers for the Air
Force and Space Force, attributing it to a "new spirit" in the ranks [08:17].
Second
Aoun-Trump call may take place within 48 hours
Naharnet/April 21, 2026
The second phone call between President Joseph Aoun and U.S. President Donald
Trump will take place within the next 48 hours, an official Lebanese source
said. "It will be a continuation of the first call, with a clear focus on the
crucial American role in preventing a prolonged negotiation between Lebanon and
Israel and pushing for swift results, given the expectation that Washington
understands the Lebanese position," the source told the Nidaa al-Watan
newspaper. The source added that "this call may include discussions on setting a
date for President Aoun's visit to the White House, especially after the
cancellation of a planned trilateral meeting that would have brought him
together with Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."Regarding the
possibility of Lebanon and Israel's contacts being upgraded to a summit level,
the source noted that "it is premature to talk about any high-level Lebanese
meeting or contact with the Israeli side."The source also pointed out that even
the leaders of Arab countries that have normalized relations with Israel have
not met with Netanyahu in recent years and that "this has been met with U.S.
understanding of the sensitivity of the Lebanese situation."
Top US
senators call to halt aid to Lebanon army over failed Hezbollah disarmament
Al Arabiya English/21 April ,2026
The chairmen of two powerful Senate committees are calling for Congress to halt
US aid to the Lebanese army over its failure to disarm Hezbollah, a
long-standing demand that has proven politically and militarily difficult inside
Lebanon. Senator Roger Wicker, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services
Committee, issued a public call to halt US support to the Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF) unless they act to “completely” and “immediately” disarm Hezbollah. Wicker
made the statement on X after a French servicemember was killed in southern
Lebanon. France has accused Hezbollah of killing the French peacekeeper. On
Tuesday, Senator Jim Risch, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
made a similar call. In a post of his own on X, Risch said he agreed with Wicker
and said it was “well past time for the LAF to take “tangible action to fully
disarm Hezbollah & for the Lebanese government to follow through on
long-promised economic reform.”Risch said the era of “complacency &
unconditional bailouts must come to an end.” The LAF, widely as one of the
country’s few functioning state institutions, has received billions of dollars
in US assistance over the past two decades. Washington has backed the LAF as a
counterweight to Hezbollah, but the army operates under significant political
constraints within Lebanon’s sectarian system. Hezbollah, meanwhile, is both a
powerful armed group and a major political party with representation in
parliament and deep influence across the state. It has maintained its weapons
arsenal since the end of the Lebanese civil war, arguing that its arms are
necessary to deter Israel. Efforts to disarm the group, both domestic and
international, have repeatedly stalled due to corruption, Hezbollah’s military
strength and its backing from Iran.The LAF has historically avoided direct
confrontation with Hezbollah, raising questions about whether it has either the
capacity or the political mandate to forcibly disarm the group without risking
internal conflict. The renewed calls from US lawmakers highlight growing
frustration in Washington over Lebanon’s failure to implement reforms and curb
Hezbollah’s influence.
Israel, Lebanon to hold second round of talks in Washington
on Thursday
Reuters/April 21/2026
Israeli and Lebanese representatives will hold talks in Washington on Thursday,
a U.S. State Department spokesperson and an Israeli source speaking on the
condition of anonymity told Reuters on Monday. The U.S. will host the second
round of ambassador-level talks between the two countries at the Department of
State, the State Department spokesperson said. U.S. Secretary of State Marco
Rubio hosted the first round of talks between Israeli ambassador to the United
States Yechiel Leiter and Lebanon's ambassador to Washington Nada Moawad -
the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades - on April 14. "We
will continue to facilitate direct, good-faith discussions between the two
governments," the spokesperson said. The second round of talks will mark the
first talks between the two countries since a 10-day ceasefire took effect on
Thursday. (Reporting by Hatem Maher and Ahmed Elimam in Cairo, Alexander
Cornwell in Jerusalem and Simon Lewis in Washington; Editing by Hugh Lawson
and Chizu Nomiyama )
Saudi crown prince discusses developments in Lebanon with
president
Arab News/April 21, 2026
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a telephone call from
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
During the call, they discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the
region, as well as efforts being made to achieve security and stability.
Aoun expressed his appreciation to the crown prince for Saudi support for
Lebanon and the Kingdom’s continued assistance in all circumstances. The crown
prince affirmed the Kingdom’s support for Lebanon in upholding its sovereignty
and its efforts to preserve its resources, territorial integrity, and unity. A
10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah mediated by Washington came into
effect last Thursday, but Israeli forces remain deployed in a belt of Lebanese
land 5 to 10 km deep along the entire border. New talks between Lebanon’s and
Israel’s US ambassadors will take place Thursday in Washington, according to a
US State Department official, after the first direct talks between the two
countries in decades were held on April 14.
What
will upcoming Lebanon-Israel meeting discuss?
Naharnet/April 21, 2026
The upcoming Lebanese-Israeli-American meeting on Thursday will discuss
extending the current 10-day cceasefire, a Lebanese official source told Al-Araby
TV. "We informed those concerned that Beirut refuses to negotiate on restricting
weapons because that is an internal matter," the source said, adding that
Lebanon "will call at a later time for a national dialogue on monopolizing
weapons."LBCI television meanwhile reported that the meeting "will revolve
around two points: extending the ceasefire and specifying a date and place for
negotiations." LBCI added that contacts with the U.S. side regarding the
extension of the ceasefire "have shown positive signs, with U.S. pressure
towards an extension to allow for direct negotiations.""An additional period of
between 20 and 40 days is being proposed, but the matter has not yet been
decided," LBCI added.
Aoun
says diplomacy is 'a war without bloodshed'
Naharnet/April 21, 2026
President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday stressed "the necessity of concerted efforts
between the army, security forces, municipalities and residents to consolidate
security and stability and eliminate the risky concept of autonomous security,
at a time when the state is working to establish security and end the war."
As for the talks with Israel, Aoun said "diplomacy is a war without bloodshed,
while war is bloodshed, destruction and devastation.""Therefore, the decision
was made to engage in negotiations between adversaries, while emphasizing the
preservation of rights, and most importantly, the cessation of hostilities, the
Israeli withdrawal, and the return of captives, in order to pursue peace after
decades of war, death and destruction," the president added. He reiterated that
negotiations do not mean "concessions or surrender," hitting back at remarks by
Hezbollah officials and MPs. "They are rather for resolving problems. It is
crucial that the Lebanese people stand by their state in this particular
situation, as they are weary of these wars," Aoun said. "My duty and
responsibility is to do everything necessary to achieve security and peace for
Lebanon," he added.
Macron tells Israel that Hezbollah must be disarmed 'by the
Lebanese themselves'
Agence France Presse/April 21, 2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Tuesday the country needed 500 million euros to
address the war's humanitarian fallout, as a fragile 10-day ceasefire holds
between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. The appeal came after a meeting in
Paris between French President Emmanuel Macron and the Lebanese prime minister
to discuss the ceasefire in Lebanon and France's support for the country's
"territorial integrity.""Lebanon needs 500 million euros to tackle the
humanitarian crisis over the next six months," Salam said during a joint press
conference with Macron. Lebanon on Tuesday raised the toll from six weeks of war
to 2,454 dead and 7,658 wounded since the conflict began on March 2, days after
the broader Middle East war erupted. For his part, Macron urged Israel to
"renounce its territorial ambitions" in Lebanon, adding that Hezbollah must
"cease" firing into Israeli territory and be disarmed "by the Lebanese
themselves".
He further called for an agreement between Israel and Lebanon that guarantees
"the security of both countries, Lebanon's territorial integrity, and lays the
groundwork for the normalization of their relations."New talks between Lebanon's
and Israel's U.S. ambassadors will take place Thursday in Washington, according
to a U.S. State Department official, after the first direct talks between the
two countries in decades were held on April 14. Lebanon is demanding the
"complete withdrawal" of Israeli forces from its territory and the return of
Lebanese prisoners and displaced persons, as part of the negotiations with
Israel, Salam said on Tuesday ahead of the talks.The Paris meeting followed an
ambush on U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon that left one French soldier dead and
three others wounded, in an attack France blamed on Hezbollah. Macron said
France was "ready to maintain its commitment on the ground" in Lebanon even
after the U.N. peacekeeping mission ends at the end of the year, winding down a
decades-long mandate serving as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel. Hezbollah
-- which strongly opposes the planned Lebanon-Israel talks -- denied involvement
in the attack that killed the French peacekeeper.
Macron
to press Lebanon ceasefire and sovereignty in Paris talks
Associated Press/April 21, 2026
French President Emmanuel Macron is to reaffirm France's full commitment to the
ceasefire in Lebanon and support for the country's territorial integrity at a
meeting Tuesday in Paris with Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Macron's
office said. Pakistan is preparing for a new round of talks between the U.S. and
Iran as the ceasefire is set to expire Wednesday, while Lebanon and Israel are
set to hold a new meeting in Washington later this week. Macron and Salam "will
also address humanitarian support for displaced populations and the continuation
of the economic and financial reforms essential to strengthening Lebanon's
sovereignty, its reconstruction and the restoration of its prosperity," Macron's
office said. The meeting at the Elysee presidential palace comes after the U.N.
peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, came under attack from
small arms fire Saturday, leaving one French peacekeeper dead and three others
wounded, two of them seriously. Both Macron and the UNIFIL force blamed
Hezbollah, but the Lebanese militant group denied involvement. Macron has called
on Lebanese authorities to "shed full light on the incident" and to "identify
and prosecute those responsible without delay." UNIFIL soldiers "must under no
circumstances be targeted," Macron's office said. Earlier Tuesday, Salam made a
stop in Luxembourg for a meeting of EU foreign ministers that was to address the
situation in the Middle East. On March 2, two days after the U.S. and Israel
launched their war on Iran, Hezbollah entered the fray by firing missiles across
the border. Israel responded with an intense bombing campaign and ground
invasion. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun offered direct negotiations with Israel
— the first in decades — in exchange for a cessation of hostilities, an offer
that was initially rebuffed. That changed after the announcement of a truce
between Iran and the United States and talks between the two brokered by
Pakistan. Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades
last week in Washington following more than a month of war between Israel and
the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. Meanwhile, Iran continued to insist
that its own ceasefire agreement must extend to Lebanon and said it would not
reopen the Strait of Hormuz otherwise. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah
in Lebanon was announced by the U.S. on Thursday. The U.S. portrayed the deal as
the result of the Israel-Lebanon talks. Hezbollah, which was opposed to Lebanon
holding direct talks with Israel and was not part of those negotiations,
insisted that the ceasefire was a result of Iranian pressure and not of the
Israel-Lebanon meeting.
Salam
from Luxembourg: Lebanon today needs European partners more than ever
Associated Press/April 21, 2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam spoke at a meeting in Luxembourg about the fragile
ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, disarming the Hezbollah militant group,
and the need for EU assistance for the war-torn nation. “Lebanon today needs its
European partners more than ever,” Salam posted on X on Tuesday. The 27-nations
were divided over the European Union's policy toward Israel — and how to
pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as security deteriorates in the
Palestinian territories of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, as well as in
Lebanon. Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said the expansion of Israeli
settlements in the West Bank, Israel's recent adoption of the death penalty for
some Palestinians, and ongoing fighting in Lebanon should push EU nations to
ramp up pressure on Israel. “We need to act. We need to make sure that our
fundamental values are protected. And we need to make sure that any agreement
that we have with any other country that country is fulfilling and upholding
their obligations,” McEntee said.
Hezbollah says attacked Israeli post in response to 'over
200 violations'
Agence France Presse/April 21, 2026
Hezbollah on Tuesday launched several rockets towards Israeli forces operating
in the southern Lebanese town of Robb Tlatin, which is inside the
Israeli-occupied buffer zone in south Lebanon, the Israeli army said. "Within a
few minutes, the IDF (Israeli army) closed the circle and attacked the launchpad
from which the missiles were fired," it added. It also said that alert sirens
were activated in Kfar Yuval and Maayan Baruch in north Israel as a result of
"the interception of a drone launched from Lebanon before it penetrated Israeli
airspace.""These are blatant violations of the ceasefire agreement," the Israeli
army said. Hezbollah later announced in a statement that it attacked a north
Israel settlement -- not Israeli troops in south Lebanon -- "in defense of
Lebanon and its people, and in response to the blatant and documented violations
by the Israeli enemy, which have exceeded 200 violations since the ceasefire
came into effect."Hezbollah said Israel's violations "included attacks on
civilians and the destruction of their homes and villages in southern Lebanon,"
saying it acted "based on the right to resist and repel the occupation."The
group said it targeted "at 18:50 on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the artillery
positions of the Israeli enemy army in the settlement of Kfar Giladi -- the
source of the recent (Tuesday) artillery shelling towards the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif
-- with a salvo of rockets and a swarm of attack drones." Israel has conducted
airstrikes across Lebanon and invaded the country's south after Hezbollah
entered the Middle East war in support of its backer Iran on March 2. Despite
the truce, Israeli troops are still present and actively fighting Hezbollah
militants in Lebanon's south. Israel and Lebanon are still engaged in talks
under U.S. mediation to prolong the current truce. The two-week ceasefire
between the U S. and Iran looms in the background of talks, with the truce set
to expire overnight with no new deal yet struck.
Israel
will face resistance if troops stay in Lebanon, speaker Berri says
Al Arabiya English/21 April/2026
Lebanon’s parliament speaker warned on Tuesday that Israeli forces occupying
parts of the country’s south would face resistance if they fail to withdraw,
signaling a risk of renewed confrontation ahead of US-mediated talks this week.
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah mediated by Washington
came into effect on Thursday, but Israeli forces remain deployed in a belt of
Lebanese land 5-10 km deep along the entire border. Israel has said it aims to
create a buffer zone to shield northern Israel from attacks by Hezbollah. On
Thursday the US will host ambassador-level talks between Israel and Lebanon,
which was dragged into war on March 2 when Hezbollah opened fire in support of
Tehran in the regional conflict. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Lebanon’s most
senior statesman, told Lebanese newspaper al-Joumhouria that Lebanon could not
tolerate losing a meter of land. If Israel “maintains its occupation, whether of
areas, positions, or by drawing yellow lines, it will smell the scent of
resistance every day,” said Berri, leader of the Amal Movement. The Israeli
military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both referred to Israel’s
deployment line in Lebanon as the “Yellow Line” last week - the same term used
by Israel for its deployment line in Gaza. Israeli officials have since
refrained from describing it in those terms, instead calling it a “forward
defense line” that was marked in red in a military map published on Sunday that
included a “naval forward defense area” extending from Lebanon’s coast into the
sea. The Israeli military has been carrying out demolitions in southern villages
since the ceasefire, saying it is acting against infrastructure embedded by
Hezbollah in civilian areas. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) on
Tuesday reported new Israeli detonations in at least eight villages. NNA also
reported Israeli artillery shelling in several areas. Buffer zone unnecessary
with lastin peace, French source says. “If they insist on remaining, they will
face resistance, and our history bears witness to that,” Berri said. Israel
withdrew troops from southern Lebanon in 2000 after a 22-year occupation, during
which Hezbollah, Amal and other groups carried out attacks against Israeli
forces. A French presidency source said a lasting solution must be reached and
that this could not include the establishment of a permanent buffer zone in
southern Lebanon. The zone would no longer be necessary for Israel’s security in
the event of a lasting peace between Lebanon and Israel, the source said. Israel
responded to Hezbollah’s attack with an offensive that Lebanese authorities say
has killed nearly 2,300 people. The Lebanon conflict has complicated Pakistan’s
efforts to mediate between the US and Iran, with Tehran having demanded that
Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah be included in any deal on the wider war.
President Donald Trump announced the Lebanon ceasefire on April 16 after holding
separate phone calls with Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. Iran
said at the time the ceasefire was part of an understanding reached with the US
and mediated by Pakistan.
Washington has said there is no link between the two sets of talks. The US
hosted talks between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington on April
14, the highest level contacts between the states in decades, despite strong
objections from Hezbollah.
No need for direct talks with Israel, Berri says
Berri, in his comments to al-Joumhouria, reiterated his view that there was no
need for direct talks with Israel, noting that he had been a party to several
rounds of indirect negotiations with Israel over the years. Aoun has listed
Israeli withdrawal among the goals of Lebanon’s face-to-face talks with Israel.
His administration has sought Hezbollah’s peaceful disarmament for a year.Israel
has said it wants Hezbollah dismantled. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on
Tuesday said that the ultimate goal of the campaign against Hezbollah was to see
the group disarmed, by both military and diplomatic means. “If the Lebanese
government continues not to keep its commitment (to disarm Hezbollah), the IDF
(Israel Defense Forces) will do so by continuing its military activity,” Katz
said during a ceremony in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu struck a softer tone on Friday,
saying that disarming Hezbollah “will not be achieved tomorrow. It requires
sustained effort, patience, and endurance, and it requires wise navigation of
the diplomatic field,” he said.With Reuters
Berri says if Israel insists on
occupation, it will be met with resistance
Naharnet/April 21, 2026
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said the Israeli occupation of Lebanese border
villages will be ended and if the Israelis insist on staying there, they will be
met with resistance. Israel said it has established a "Yellow Line" in south
Lebanon near the border, where its forces are operating despite a 10-day
ceasefire. Its army warned displaced residents against returning to their
villages."We do not care about any lines," Berri told al-Joumhouria newspaper,
in remarks published Tuesday, "whether they're yellow, red or green." "We do not
care and we will not accept (these colors and lines)," he said, insisting that
Israelis must withdraw. "If they remain in the areas they have occupied, they
will be faced, every single day, with the Resistance." "Since the very
beginning, we have not fought for no reason. Their occupation and aggression
forced us to resist in order to liberate our land and preserve our country’s
sovereignty. Nothing has changed for us; we remain steadfast in our position
until the occupation is ended and driven out of our land."Berri said that he
does not oppose negotiations per se, and that he himself had conducted indirect
negotiations in the maritime border demarcation deal. "We support indirect
negotiations," he explained. The Speaker called on the displaced to be patient
before returning home because he believes that Israel can never be trusted.
Jumblat
says he and Berri call for return to 1949 Armistice Agreement, with
modifications
Naharnet/April 21, 2026
Druze leader Walid Jumblat stressed Tuesday "the necessity of finding
appropriate means to solidify the ceasefire" with Israel. After meeting with
Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh, Jumblat added: "We support
negotiations through one of the available means, based on a clear agenda, which
is withdrawal and the return of the land." "For me and Speaker Berri, the most
we can offer as Lebanon is a return to the (1949) Armistice Agreement with some
modifications; a new formula is necessary," Jumblat added. He also emphasized
the need for "the continued presence of UNIFIL forces," considering the decision
to withdraw them "a mistake."
15 bridges hit in Lebanon since war started
Associated Press/April 21, 2026
Lebanon’s public works and transport minister said Tuesday that 15 bridges have
been damaged or destroyed during the latest war. Fayez Rasamny told the local
LBC TV channel that the government still doesn't have a final estimate for the
damage caused by the almost seven-week Israel-Hezbollah war. The latest
Israel-Hezbollah war was halted by a 10-day ceasefire that went into effect last
week. Rasamny said that he believes that the losses could be worth between $7
billion and $8 billion. He said that the government was waiting until there is a
permanent ceasefire before reaching out to donors.
Ottawa has asked Israel to investigate Canadian's killing
in Lebanon: Anand
CBC/April 21, 2026
Canadian officials summoned Israeli Ambassador Iddo Moed last week to request an
investigation into the killing of Mohammad Hassan Haidar, a Canadian citizen in
southern Lebanon, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Tuesday. "We did
speak with the Israeli ambassador and we requested that Israel undertake a full
and transparent investigation," Anand told CBC News on her way into a weekly
cabinet meeting. A spokesperson for Anand's office, Myah Tomasi, also said to
CBC News that Canada's Ambassador to Israel, Leslie Scanlon, met with Israel's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well.
Tomasi said the ministry has agreed to conduct a probe. "We were very adamant
that this investigation is extremely important," Anand said. Haidar's family
said in an emotional news conference in Windsor, Ont., last week that he was
killed in a drone attack on April 10, in the southern Lebanon community of Qana
while trying to assist someone who was injured right outside his home. Family
and friends of Mohammad Hassan Haidar held an emotional media availability in
front of Windsor City Hall last Monday, April 13th.CBC News has reached out to
the embassy about Haidar's death, and Moed's meeting with Canadian officials,
but has received no response. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the
incident.
3rd summons in less than a year
It is the third time Anand has summoned Moed for a démarche, a diplomatic tool
sometimes used to lodge a complaint with another country, since last spring. In
May 2025, Anand issued a summons over the Israeli military firing shots near a
diplomatic delegation that included Canadians. At the time, the military said
the delegation had "deviated" from an approved route.In December, Anand summoned
Moed again after a delegation of Canadian MPs was blocked from entering the West
Bank and Jerusalem. The Israeli government at the time said the MPs were
sponsored by a group it considers a terrorist organization, though different
parliamentarians undertaking much the same route earlier in the year, sponsored
by the same organization, had been allowed entry. It is also not the first time
the Canadian government has asked Israel to probe its military's actions. In
August 2024, then-International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen said he had
requested an investigation into a demolished Canadian water treatment plant in
Gaza. Earlier that year, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said he wanted
some "very clear answers" on how a Canadian aid worker, Jacob Flickinger, was
killed during a strike in Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces published a statement on that strike, saying it was a
mistake and expressing its regret. Global Affairs has also told CBC News it
received an update from Israel on the matter of the water plant in September
2024, but declined to share the results.
IDF
soldier jailed for smashing Jesus statue with an axe in Lebanon
Brittney Donovan/The Independent/April 21/2026
The Israeli military has sentenced two soldiers to 30 days in jail after one of
them destroyed a statue of Jesus in Lebanon by smashing it with an axe. “The
inquiry found that during IDF activity in the area of the Christian village of
Debel in southern Lebanon, an IDF soldier damaged a Christian religious symbol
while another soldier photographed the act. Six additional soldiers were present
at the scene and did not act to stop the incident or report it,” the IDF wrote
in an update on Tuesday. “The inquiry determined that the soldiers’ conduct
completely deviated from IDF orders and values,” the force continued.
“The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident and emphasizes that its
operations in Lebanon are directed solely against the Hezbollah terrorist
organization and other terrorist groups, and not against Lebanese civilians.
“From the moment the report of the incident was received, the IDF has been
working to assist the local community in replacing the statue. “Accordingly, it
was decided that the soldier who damaged the Christian symbol and the soldier
who photographed the act will be removed from combat duty and will receive 30
days of military detention. The remaining troops who stood by have been summoned
for clarification discussions that will be held later on, after which further
command-level measures will be determined.“Procedures regarding conduct with
religious institutions and symbols were reinforced to the troops prior to their
entry into the relevant areas, and will be reinforced again for all troops in
the area following the incident.”The force added that the Chief of the General
Staff condemned the incident, saying it constitutes unacceptable conduct and a
moral failure, far exceeding any acceptable standard and contradicting IDF
values and the expected conduct of its troops.Israel’s foreign minister and
military previously condemned the desecration of the crucifix, an incident
captured in a widely circulated photograph. The image, which emerged online over
the weekend, shows a soldier wielding the blunt side of an axe against a fallen
sculpture of Jesus on the cross.The photograph was posted by Younis Tirawi, a
Palestinian reporter who has previously shared images alleging misconduct by
Israeli soldiers in Gaza. Reuters verified the location of the incident as Debel,
one of the few villages in southern Lebanon where residents have remained amid
an Israeli military campaign against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia. This
campaign began on 2 March, following Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israel in
support of Iran.
Is Iran
losing Hezbollah or playing it more carefully?
Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/April 21, 2026
In the evolving landscape of the Middle East, where the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict intersects with broader regional rivalries, the question of whether
Iran is losing the “Hezbollah card” or merely repositioning it has become
central to understanding the current strategic moment. The answer, as recent
developments suggest, lies not in loss but in transformation under pressure.
To begin with, Hezbollah has historically been the most effective instrument of
Iranian influence beyond its borders. Since the 1980s, it has functioned as both
a deterrent against Israel and a projection of Iranian power across the Levant.
Yet, today, that role is under unprecedented strain.
Sustained Israeli military pressure, including continued strikes even during
ceasefire negotiations, has significantly degraded Hezbollah’s operational
environment. At the same time, the group’s exclusion, at least formally, from
recent ceasefire arrangements highlights a shifting diplomatic reality:
negotiations are increasingly conducted over Hezbollah, rather than with it.
This alone does not indicate that Iran is losing the card. Rather, it signals
that the card is being moved from the battlefield to the negotiating table.
The deeper shift lies in the structural weakening of Hezbollah itself. The
organization has faced a convergence of pressures: leadership losses, financial
constraints and growing domestic criticism within Lebanon. Its increasing
dependence on Iranian funding and strategic direction has reduced its autonomy
and flexibility. This dependency paradoxically strengthens Iran’s control, while
diminishing Hezbollah’s independent deterrent value. In other words, Hezbollah
is becoming less of a self-sustaining actor and more of a tightly held asset
within Iran’s broader regional calculus.
Its increasing dependence on Iranian funding and strategic direction has reduced
its autonomy and flexibility
Simultaneously, the regional context has changed in ways that constrain Iran’s
ability to deploy Hezbollah as it once did. The current crisis is no longer
confined to Lebanon or even to Israel’s northern border. It has expanded into a
multilayered confrontation involving maritime security, nuclear negotiations and
global energy flows. Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz, alternating between
partial openness and renewed restrictions, demonstrate that Tehran is now
relying on different levers of power, particularly those with global economic
impact. This shift is crucial. Where Hezbollah once served as Iran’s primary
deterrent against Israel, the Strait of Hormuz now functions as a strategic
pressure point against the international system as a whole. The implication is
clear: Iran is diversifying its toolkit. Hezbollah remains important but it is
no longer the sole or even the dominant card.
At the same time, internal dynamics within Iran appear to be influencing how
this repositioning is unfolding. Conflicting signals regarding negotiations,
maritime policy and escalation suggest tensions, or at least differing
priorities, between diplomatic and military institutions, particularly the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This does not necessarily imply fragmentation
but it does indicate a complex decision-making environment in which multiple
actors are shaping strategy. In such a context, Hezbollah’s role becomes even
more calibrated: not a blunt instrument of escalation but a variable within a
broader strategic equation.
The Lebanese dimension further complicates the picture. For the first time in
decades, the Lebanese state is attempting to assert a more independent role in
negotiations with Israel, with discussions aimed at a longer-term arrangement
that could include the disarmament or containment of Hezbollah. This reflects
both internal pressures and external incentives.
As one analysis suggests, Beirut’s desire to reduce Iranian influence may
paradoxically expose it to increased Israeli leverage. In this emerging
framework, Hezbollah is no longer just a tool of Iranian policy, it is also a
liability that must be managed within any sustainable settlement.
This is precisely where the idea of “repositioning” becomes most evident. Iran
appears to be shifting Hezbollah from an offensive or deterrent role to a
bargaining chip in negotiations that extend far beyond Lebanon. Evidence of this
can be seen in reports that Hezbollah itself has credited Iranian pressure for
facilitating the recent ceasefire, underscoring Tehran’s ability to modulate the
group’s actions in line with its diplomatic objectives.
In parallel, the US is working to curtail Hezbollah’s capabilities as part of a
broader strategy to reshape the regional balance. Reports indicate that
Washington is prepared to support Lebanese efforts to disarm or weaken the
group, integrating this objective into its wider negotiations with Iran. This
places Hezbollah at the center of a high-stakes negotiation in which its future
may be directly tied to concessions in other domains, such as Iran’s nuclear
program or maritime behavior.
Against this backdrop, the Israeli calculus also deserves attention. Israel’s
continued military operations in southern Lebanon, alongside its push to
establish a reinforced security buffer zone, suggest a strategy aimed at
altering the facts on the ground before any political settlement is finalized.
This approach effectively reduces Hezbollah’s operational space and increases
the cost for Iran of maintaining it as a front-line asset. In doing so, Israel
is not only targeting Hezbollah militarily but also reshaping its strategic
value.
The US is working to curtail Hezbollah’s capabilities as part of a broader
strategy to reshape the regional balance
Yet, despite all these pressures, it would be premature to conclude that Iran is
losing the Hezbollah card altogether. Hezbollah still retains significant
capabilities, a deeply embedded presence within Lebanese society and a symbolic
role within the so-called axis of resistance. More importantly, it continues to
serve as a latent threat, one that can be activated or restrained depending on
Iran’s strategic needs.
What has changed is not the existence of the card but its function. Hezbollah is
no longer primarily a tool for immediate escalation, it is increasingly a
reserve asset, held back and deployed selectively. This reflects a broader shift
in Iranian strategy from direct confrontation to controlled tension, maintaining
enough pressure to influence negotiations, while avoiding actions that could
trigger a full-scale war. The implications for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
and the broader prospects for peace are significant. If Hezbollah is being
repositioned rather than lost, then any sustainable settlement will have to
account for its role, not just as a military actor but as a political variable
within a larger regional equation. Ignoring this reality risks producing
agreements that are fragile and easily reversible.
Ultimately, the current moment can be understood as a transition from a phase of
confrontation to a phase of bargaining. Iran is not retreating; it is
recalibrating. Hezbollah, in this context, is no longer the spearhead of Iranian
strategy, but neither is it expendable. It is a card being held closer to the
chest and reserved for moments when it can yield maximum strategic return.
The question, then, is not whether Iran is losing the Hezbollah card. It is
whether the new game being played in the region will allow that card to retain
its value or whether the cumulative pressures of military attrition, diplomatic
isolation and internal constraints will gradually diminish its relevance.
For now, the answer remains unclear. But one thing is certain: Hezbollah is no
longer what it was. And that, in itself, is a strategic shift with far-reaching
consequences.
**Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy has covered conflicts worldwide. He is the author of
“The Copts: An Investigation into the Rift between Muslims and Copts in Egypt.”
X: @ALMenawy
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 21-22/2026
Trump extends ceasefire, Iran says
it won’t go to Pakistan talks
Al Arabiya English/21 April ,2026
US President Donald Trump indefinitely extended the ceasefire with Iran on
Tuesday, hours before it was set to expire, to allow the two countries to
continue peace talks. In a statement on social media, Trump said he had agreed
to a request by Pakistan, which has mediated peace talks, “to hold our Attack on
the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can
come up with a unified proposal.”It was the latest instance of Trump backing
down from his repeated threats to bomb power plants and other civilian
infrastructure in Iran, which experts have warned could constitute war crimes.
Trump, who with Israel launched the war on Iran on February 28, said he decided
to extend the ceasefire because “the Government of Iran is seriously fractured,
not unexpectedly so,” a reference to US-Israeli assassinations of some of the
country’s leaders, including the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has been
succeeded by his son. The ceasefire extension is a “ploy to buy time” for a
surprise strike, an advisor to Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said. Qalibaf’s advisor said in a post on X that the
continuation of the US blockade on Iranian ports was “no different from
bombardment and must be met with a military response.” Thousands of people have
been killed since the war began in countries across the Middle East, and the
global economy has been shaken by the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a
vital conduit for oil and gas. Trump said he would continue the US Navy’s
blockade of Iran’s ports and shore, which Iran’s leaders have said is an act of
war, and became a sticking point as the two countries wavered this week on
whether to send negotiators to a second round of peace talks in Islamabad, the
Pakistani capital. There appeared to be no immediate comment on Trump’s
announcement, which came on Tuesday mid-afternoon Washington time, from Iran,
Israel or Pakistan. Earlier on Tuesday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency
said Iran had informed Pakistan that it will not send a delegation to talks with
the US.“Despite all the media hype and speculation by US officials, the Iranian
negotiating team has, for various reasons, informed the American side, via
Pakistan, that it will not attend talks on Wednesday in Islamabad,” Tasnim
reported. “For now, there is no prospect for participating in the talks,” the
report said.
Trump extends
ceasefire deadline with Iran in latest example of ‘TACO’ Tuesday
Andrew Feinberg/The Independent/April 21, 2026
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. would extend its ceasefire with
Iran that was due to expire tomorrow, at the request of Pakistani authorities,
despite having threatened hours earlier that, 'I expect to bombing' when asked
if he'd agree to such an extension. Writing on Truth Social, Trump said
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir had asked
him to put a hold on his bombing plans while further attributing the decision to
“the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured.”“We have been
asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders
and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump said. He added
that the American naval blockade on Iran’s ports would remain in place while the
ceasefire continues “until such time as their proposal is submitted, and
discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”
The president’s latest walk-back of his threats to resume the U.S. air campaign
against Tehran comes hours after he told CNBC he was not inclined to agree to
any extension of the ceasefire. After he was asked by anchor Joe Kernen if he’d
consider an extension during a telephone interview on the cable news program
Squawk Box, Trump replied: “I don't want to do that. We don't have that much
time.”“I expect to be bombing because I think that's a better attitude to go in
with. But we're ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go,” he said.
Trump had also told Bloomberg News it was “highly unlikely” that he’d agree to
extend the ceasefire after its Wednesday expiration without a full agreement to
end the nearly two-month-old war he started on February 28. Although
negotiations between the parties had been set to commence in Islamabad,
Pakistan’s capital, the U.S. team that was slated to be led by Vice President JD
Vance never left the U.S., and Vance remained at the White House all day on
Tuesday in what officials described as a series of policy meetings. For their
part, Tehran’s negotiators had refused to participate in the sessions unless
Trump had lifted the blockade of Iran’s ports.
In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called the blockade an
“act of war” and therefore a violation of the ceasefire. "Iran knows how to
neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist
bullying," he said. Tuesday’s announcement is just the most recent in a series
of reversals, which critics have come to give the derisive acronym TACO (”Trump
Always Chickens Out”) that have characterized Trump’s second bite at the apple
of presidential power. The pattern was established last April after his
shambolic “liberation day” tariff rollout — he makes an outrageous threat on
trade or another policy matter that is likely to cause the market to tumble
before he inevitably walks back on that policy, leading to a market rebound.For
example, his so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs caused the markets to hit
historic lows before he ordered a 90-day pause one week later, leading to record
highs. Traders even started using the TACO acronym to describe the rapid policy
shifts, borrowing the term first coined by Financial Times columnist Robert
Armstrong last year.The ceasefire extension echoes his decision to announce the
ceasefire agreement on April 7, hours ahead of a self-imposed deadline before he
ordered U.S. forces to bomb Iranian civilian infrastructure.Days earlier, he’d
declared the day “Power Plant Day” and “Bridge Day” for U.S. armed forces unless
Iran would “Open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy b*****ds,” lest they be “living
in Hell.”
He later threatened that Iran’s “entire civilization” would “die tonight, never
to be brought back again,” implying that the U.S. would commit genocide against
the Iranian people unless their government capitulated to his terms.
Pakistan PM welcomes US-Iran ceasefire extension
Reuters/April 22, 2026
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday thanked US President
Donald Trump for accepting the country’s request to extend the ceasefire in the
US-Israeli war on Iran to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their
course.“I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire
and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal’ during the second round of
talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict,” Sharif said
in post on X. Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire to give negotiations
more time, until Iran submits a proposal.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Iran of having repeatedly violated
a temporary truce due to expire soon, with new peace talks mired in doubt after
Tehran said it had not yet sent a delegation. The US leader also touted
Washington’s strong negotiating position, even as uncertainty grew over a push
to stop open conflict from resuming, with the two-week ceasefire set to end by
Wednesday. “Iran has Violated the Cease Fire numerous times!” Trump said in a
post on his Truth Social platform, without elaborating. A US delegation led by
Vice President JD Vance was expected to leave soon for Islamabad, which earlier
this month hosted a first round of talks that ended without a deal. Since those
marathon talks Trump has announced a blockade of Iranian ports, while Tehran has
closed the Strait of Hormuz again, refusing to send officials for a new round of
negotiations that were initially expected on Monday. “So far, no delegation from
Iran has departed for Islamabad, Pakistan,” Iranian state TV said on Tuesday,
dismissing reports suggesting otherwise. Both sides have accused the other of
ceasefire breaches, with the US leader saying Iran fired on ships in the crucial
trade route it has choked, and Tehran calling the US blockade and its seizure of
a ship violations as well. Despite Tehran so far shunning new talks, Trump
expressed confidence he could secure an agreement that favored Washington.
“We’re going to end up with a great deal. I think they have no choice… We’re in
a very, very strong negotiating position,” Trump told broadcaster CNBC on
Tuesday. “Iran can get themselves on a very good footing if they make a
deal.”Pakistan, meanwhile, continued its down-to-the wire mediation efforts to
get both sides to its capital. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged the warring
parties “to consider extending the ceasefire and to give dialogue and diplomacy
a chance,” according to a Pakistani foreign ministry statement. Iranian
officials, however, say they feel the Trump administration has not acted in good
faith in negotiations and has refused to back down from what they called
excessive demands. Its parliament speaker said the country would not accept
talks “under the shadow of threats” from the US leader, and would “show new
cards on the battlefield” if the conflict resumed.
‘Bombs start’
Residents in the Iranian capital who spoke to Paris-based AFP journalists say
life has only got worse despite the truce, squeezed by the government and the
war’s impact. “This cursed ceasefire has broken us. There is no light at the end
of the tunnel,” said Saghar, 39. “The situation is terrible. I don’t know anyone
around me who is doing well.” The truce theoretically ends overnight Tuesday,
though in comments to Bloomberg, Trump said the end was a day later, on
Wednesday evening Washington time, and that it was “highly unlikely” he would
extend it. Trump told PBS News that Iran was “supposed to be there” at the talks
in Pakistan. He warned that if the ceasefire expired “then lots of bombs start
going off.”He also said the US blockade of Iran’s ports would not end until
there was a deal. The US Defense Department said Tuesday that its forces
intercepted and boarded a “stateless sanctioned” vessel as part of Washington’s
efforts against networks that provide support to Iran. AFP has identified the
vessel as one affiliated with Iranian activity. Experts said Iran’s noncommittal
public stance was part of a bid to put pressure on Washington. “The current
standoff between the United States and Iran is no longer a clash of capabilities
but rather a struggle of political endurance and bargaining leverage,” Daniel
Byman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote in a
commentary.Despite the ongoing uncertainty, oil prices fell on Tuesday while
stocks rose on lingering hopes for a deal to end the conflict.
Tight security
In Islamabad, heavily armed police and soldiers on Tuesday secured the city’s
government quarter, which was virtually shut down.That included the Serena
hotel, which hosted the last round of negotiations and where guests had been
asked to vacate the premises in recent days.The rest of the city also saw a
beefed-up police presence, with offices, businesses and schools braced for
shutdown orders. In another arena in the war, Israel and Lebanon, which have no
diplomatic relations, will hold fresh talks in Washington on Thursday, a State
Department official told AFP. A separate 10-day ceasefire was agreed between the
two nations on Friday and included Hezbollah, whose rocket fire in support of
Iran drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East conflict. Sporadic violence has
continued and Israel’s military warned civilians against returning to dozens of
villages in southern Lebanon, claiming Hezbollah’s activities were violating the
truce. Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 2,387 people since the
start of the war, a Lebanese government body said in its latest toll.
Iran Negotiations On Ice After Tehran Backs Away From
Negotiating Table
Ryan Grenoble/HuffPost/April 21/2026
Vice President JD Vance was scheduled to leave for Pakistan Tuesday morning in a
bid to revive negotiations with Iran, but as the departure time came and went,
Air Force Two remained on the ground. A U.S. official with direct knowledge of
the situation told the New York Times that Tehran didn’t respond to the U.S.
positions, therefore diplomatic efforts have been paused. A two-week ceasefire
is set to expire in less than a day. According to Axios, Iranian leadership is
unsure about joining the table while the U.S. is blockading its ports. Iran's
foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Iranian state TV that the
blockade amounts to “piracy at sea and state terrorism.”President Donald Trump’s
negotiating team includes Vance, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared
Kushner for some reason, even though Kushner owes Saudi Arabia upwards of $2
billion. A U.S. government jet slated to ferry Kushner and Witkoff from Miami to
Pakistan via Europe instead headed to Washington Tuesday.
Vance delays expected Iran talks departure
Agence France Presse/April 21/2026
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, expected to lead a U.S. delegation at upcoming
negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, was still in Washington midday Tuesday to
participate in meetings, the White House said."Additional policy meetings are
taking place at the White House in which the vice president will participate,"
an official said in a brief statement sent to AFP shortly after 1700 GMT.The
official did not provide further details. But Vance's departure -- which has
been the subject of contradictory announcements -- was scheduled for Tuesday
morning, according to recent reports. U.S. news portal Axios said the trip "has
been put on hold as Iran's leadership remained divided over whether to
participate in a new round of peace talks."An informed U.S. official meanwhile
told the New York Times that the trip is on hold "because Tehran failed to
respond to American negotiating positions," while noting that "it could be back
on at a moment's notice."
Iran threatens to end Gulf countries' oil production if
attacked from their territory
Agence France Presse/April 21/2026
Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday threatened to end oil production in the
Middle East if the Islamic republic faced attacks launched from its Gulf
neighbors' territory. "The southern neighbors should know that if their
geography and facilities are used in the service of the enemies to attack the
Iranian nation, they should bid farewell to oil production in the Middle East,"
the commander of Guards' aerospace force, Majid Mousavi, was quoted by Fars news
agency as saying.
Iran knows how to 'resist bullying' says Araghchi
Agence France Presse/April 21/2026
Iran's foreign minister said on Tuesday the Islamic republic knew how to "resist
bullying", as a ceasefire was due to expire and Tehran had yet to formally
respond to an invite to talks with the U.S. in Islamabad. "Iran knows how to
neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist
bullying," Abbas Araghchi said on X, denouncing a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports
as "an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire."
US forces board a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian
Ocean, the Pentagon says
AP/April 21, 2026
WASHINGTON: US forces have boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for
smuggling Iranian crude oil in Asia, the Pentagon said Tuesday, as it puts into
place a global warning to track down vessels tied to Tehran. US forces
“conducted a right-of-visit maritime interdiction” and boarded the M/T Tifani
“without incident,” the Pentagon said on social media. The Tifani was captured
in the Bay of Bengal — between India and Southeast Asia — and was carrying
Iranian oil, according to a US defense official who spoke on condition of
anonymity to discuss an ongoing military operation. The US military will decide
in the next four days what to do with the vessel, such as tow it back to the US
or turn it over to another country, the official said. It’s the latest move in
the US war on Iran to stop any ship tied to Tehran or those suspected of
carrying supplies that could help its government, from weapons and oil to metals
and electronics. The announcement comes ahead of the expiration of an already
tenuous ceasefire between the US and Iran, and as Pakistan attempts to broker
talks between Washington and Tehran. It is the second vessel linked to Iran that
has been interdicted by the US military. The US Navy attacked and seized an
Iranian-flagged cargo ship Sunday that it said had tried to evade its blockade
of Iranian ports, with President Donald Trump saying an American destroyer blew
a hole in the ship’s engine room.
Targeting Iran-linked ships in international waters
The Pentagon on social media described the Tifani as “stateless” despite it
being a Botswana-flagged vessel. “As we have made clear, we will pursue global
maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict
sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran — anywhere they operate,”
the Pentagon announcement said, echoing previous statements from Trump
administration officials. “International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned
vessels.” Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week
that the enforcement actions would extend beyond Iranian waters and the area
under control of US Central Command. US forces in other areas of responsibility,
he told reporters at the Pentagon, “will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged
vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran.” He
specifically pointed to operations in the Pacific and said the US would target
vessels that left before the blockade began outside the Strait of Hormuz, a
crucial waterway for energy and other shipments. The military also detailed an
expansive list of goods that it considers contraband, declaring that it will
board, search and seize them from merchant vessels “regardless of location.” A
notice published Thursday says any “goods that are destined for an enemy and
that may be susceptible to use in armed conflict” are “subject to capture at any
place beyond neutral territory.”
Blockades can be lawful in wartime, expert says
The US military’s actions against Iranian-linked vessels, namely the attack over
the weekend on the cargo ship named the Touska, have raised questions about the
two-week ceasefire. The US and Iran are operating in “an awkward space where the
law doesn’t give you a clean yes-or-no answer” on whether the ceasefire was
violated, said Jason Chuah, a law professor at the City University of London and
the Maritime Institute of Malaysia. “The United States seems to take the line
that the conflict never fully switched off — that is there is still a state of
armed conflict,” Chuah said. “By saying that, it can keep doing things like
enforcing a blockade and even using limited force at sea.”But Iran is treating
the ceasefire as a pause on all hostile acts, Chuah said. Iran’s joint military
command has called the armed boarding an act of piracy and a violation of the
ceasefire. The US earlier had instituted a blockade against sanctioned oil
tankers linked to Venezuela but had never fired on those vessels. Blockades and
even limited attacks on vessels can be lawful in wartime, with merchant vessels
becoming legitimate targets if they contribute to military actions, carry
contraband or are incorporated into enemy logistics, Chuah said. It’s harder to
prove that a ship such as the Touska is realistically contributing to military
action against the US, Chuah said. “The whole dispute really turns on a
deceptively simple question: Did the ceasefire actually suspend the right to use
force?” Chuah said. “If it did, then firing on vessels or seizing them is very
hard to square with the United Nations Charter.”Mark Cancian, a retired Marine
colonel and a senior defense adviser with the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, said a violation is up for interpretation because there
were no defined terms. “Trump announced it. The Iranians agreed. But there’s no
formal agreement,” Cancian said. “So whether it broke the ceasefire or not
depends on your perspective. ... Nothing was written down.”Michael O’Hanlon, a
defense and foreign policy analyst at the Brookings Institution, said the US did
not violate the ceasefire because it was limited to bombing Iran, not the
blockade.
“We agreed to stop dropping bombs on them, and that’s the basic thing they
wanted,” O’Hanlon said, adding that the US still had to enforce the blockade “if
you’re going to make it mean anything.”
Iran war means more orders for US defense giants
AFP/April 21, 2026
vernments are ordering military equipment amid rising geopolitical strife
RTX unit Raytheon previously announced five “landmark” Pentagon agreements that
Calio described as “vitally important for national security”NEW YORK: US defense
companies are reporting a surge in demand for military equipment, as the war in
the Middle East prompts fresh orders from governments around the world. Earnings
Tuesday signaled that 2026 will be another strong year after a robust 2025 in
the wake of continuing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, Russian incursions into
European airspace, Chinese maneuverings toward Taiwan and Red Sea tensions. More
governments are ordering military equipment amid rising geopolitical strife. For
those who are already in conflict, there is a need to spend more to replenish
stocks or maintain machinery. US defense companies RTX, Northrop Grumman and GE
Aerospace all reported increased orders in the first quarter. While hoping for a
“sustained resolution” to the Middle East conflict, RTX CEO Chris Calio told a
Wall Street analyst call the company was working with the Pentagon “to
accelerate munitions production.”US officials have announced new agreements in
recent months to increase production of the Tomahawk, Patriot and GEM-T
missiles, among other weapons systems. RTX unit Raytheon previously announced
five “landmark” Pentagon agreements that Calio described as “vitally important
for national security.” The company has already invested nearly $900 million to
expand capacity. “The current landscape clearly underscores the need for
munitions, depth, integrated air and missile defense technology and more
advanced capabilities to counter evolving threats,” Calio said. “We’re seeing
really, really strong demand, both domestically and internationally,” he added
as the company raised several full-year financial projections. Similarly, GE
Aerospace described its first quarter as “strong,” with revenues jumping 25
percent in light of what Chief Executive Larry Culp described as a “dynamic
geopolitical landscape.”Culp said on a conference call the company expects the
Middle East war and its effects to persist through the summer. In its defense
programs, GE Aerospace continues “to execute with speed against high-priority
military needs in support of US and allied warfighters,” Culp added. But the
company, which builds engines for Boeing and Airbus, also suffered some
ill-effects from the war. Cutbacks in travel in the Middle East hit the
company’s maintenance business.
NEW FACILITIES
At Northrop Grumman, the objective is also to deliver as quickly as possible on
orders for weapons systems.The company has added 20 new manufacturing facilities
in the United States over the last two years, according to CEO Kathy Warden.
“Clearly the conflict with Iran has created a heightened sense of urgency,” she
said. Calio of RTX said the recent contracts with the Pentagon “will give the
kind of long-term visibility that the supply chain will need to invest, which is
critically important.”US undersecretary of defense Jules Hurst said President
Donald Trump’s fiscal 2027 budget requested $1.5 trillion, describing the demand
as a “generational investment in the United States military, the arsenal of
freedom,” he said at a Pentagon briefing. “This 42 percent increase will
supercharge our defense industrial base by expanding production of major weapon
systems while strengthening supply chains and supporting tens of thousands of
small- and medium-sized businesses,” Hurst said. Boeing, which also has a
defense business, will report earnings Wednesday, while Lockheed Martin is set
to release results on Thursday.
Syrian president arrives in Jeddah, meets with crown prince
SPA/April 21, 2026
RIYADH: Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman on Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. During their talks, they
reviewed aspects of Saudi-Syrian relations and topics of mutual interest, SPA
added. Al-Sharaa had arrived in Jeddah earlier on Tuesday, where was received at
King Abdulaziz International Airport by the Deputy Governor of Makkah Region
Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz and other officials.
German police launch raids against Syrian trafficking ring
AFP/April 22, 2026
BERLIN: German police launched mass raids Tuesday targeting a trafficking ring
accused of fraudulently using Syrian refugees’ residency documents to enable
compatriots to come to Germany. Around 1,000 officers were deployed to search
more than 50 residential and business premises in and around the eastern city of
Leipzig, said the federal police office in Halle an der Saale. Police believe
the ring operated by using genuine residency documents issued to Syrian refugees
in Germany, which were sent to people in Syria with a similar appearance. Most
of those targeted in the raids were suspected of allowing their documents to be
used in the scheme, with a smaller number suspected of allowing “unauthorized
entry” to Germany. Police said they seized evidence including mobile phones,
residency documents, records of flight bookings, and at least 93,000 euros
($109,000) in cash. In addition, “violations of narcotics and explosives laws”
were identified and police said there were indications that some of the suspects
had connections to organized crime. Forty-four suspects underwent formal
identification measures. Many of the suspected cases of fraud were identified by
“document and visa advisers” from the German police working at various airports
in the Middle East. Seventy-one such advisers have been deployed by the German
federal police outside the EU since 2024 to help the visa sections at German
embassies and consulates, as well as airlines at major international airports.
Israeli settlers attack Palestinian school, kill two individuals
Arab News/April 21, 2026
LONDON: Israeli settlers’ gunfire killed two Palestinians, including a school
student, and left several others injured in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday
afternoon. The Ministry of Health confirmed the deaths of student Aws Al-Naasan,
14, and Marzouq Abu Naim, 32, while live bullets injured three others during an
attack by settlers on Al-Mughayyir Boys School, in a town east of Ramallah. A
settler also killed a third Palestinian on Tuesday morning in the West Bank.
According to the Wafa news agency, the victim was identified as 16-year-old
Muhammad Al-Jaabari. He was struck and killed by an Israeli settler who ran over
him by a vehicle near Hebron. Meanwhile the Ministry of Health announced that
49-year-old Raja Bitawi died on Tuesday from wounds inflicted by Israeli army
gunfire in Jenin nearly two years earlier. Last month, the UK and EU both
condemned the rise in settler violence and urged the Israeli government to halt
further attacks and “to protect the Palestinian population in the occupied
territory.” At least 497 attacks have been perpetrated by Israeli settlers in
the West Bank in March, according to the Wall and Settlement Resistance
Commission. The majority of these attacks took place in Hebron, Nablus,
Ramallah, and Jerusalem. All settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal
under international law. Excluding East Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel
in 1967, about 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, alongside about 3
million Palestinians.
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 21-22/2026
Iran: Complete Regime Change for Permanent Peace
Con Coughlin/Gatestone
Institute/April 21, 2026
The enduring barbarity of the clerical regime's attempts to subjugate the
Iranian people to its will demonstrates why the Trump administration's decision
to launch fresh military action was justified.
It also exposes the moral bankruptcy of the opponents -- both left and right
wing -- of Trump's military intervention who fail to grasp how ordinary Iranians
are suffering at the hands of Iran's brutal clerical dictatorship.
Operation Epic Fury has certainly dealt the ayatollahs a devastating blow, one
that might still enable the oppressed Iranian people to achieve their ultimate
objective of regime change in Tehran, but only if the US administration does not
foolishly exchange a ruthless religious tyranny for a ruthless military one.
If both Iran's ruthless Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the former
Shah's army -- now strictly supervised by the IRGC and downgraded to border
control -- have guns while the citizens of Iran, held hostage by their own
government, do not, the regime's ferocity and disregard for due process will
undoubtedly continue.
Trump's promise to the Iranian people that "Help is on its way" will appear,
instead, as a betrayal -– and no doubt be extensively used to harm the chances
of Republicans in America's upcoming midterm election this November.
Similarly, it is difficult to see how impoverishing the present government in
Iran -- through the naval blockade, sanctions and secondary sanctions -- will
somehow automatically cause its "collapse." A change of regime, where the
government have weapons and the citizenry do not, could "take years."
The self-defeating tendency of the US -- failing successfully to resolve the
final stretch of conflicts, from North Korea to Iraq to Afghanistan -- has
repeatedly caused the US to "pull defeat from the jaws of victory." Wars were
won, often brilliantly, but quickly lost just after.
It is understandable that the Iranian people, much as they loathe their regime,
are reluctant to submit themselves to another such mass slaughter again.
The time has come for the US administration to work with the Iranian public--
not just its intolerable leadership -- to find a better alternative, even if
other countries along the Gulf might prefer a "weak Iran" to a "strong
democracy" to protect their own hold on power.
The enduring barbarity of the clerical regime's attempts to subjugate the
Iranian people to its will demonstrates why the Trump administration's decision
to launch fresh military action was justified. Pictured: A public execution in
Mashhad, Iran on December 12, 2022. (Photo by Mizan News/AFP via Getty Images)
While the world's attention has been focused on diplomatic efforts to end the
Iran war, the Iranian regime -- whatever is left of it, that is -- has been busy
doing what it does best: brutalising its own people.
At the same time that the Trump administration has been repeatedly offering
Tehran the possibility of a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, the Islamic
hardliners still running the country are seeking to reassert their stranglehold
over the Iranian people by embarking on a fresh round of executions.
Despite giving US President Donald Trump assurances in January that Tehran would
not carry out the planned executions of around 800 protesters detained during
the wave of anti-government protests that erupted at the start of the year, the
Islamic regime has now resumed its barbaric execution programme, with most of
the accused first being subjected to torture before being led to the gallows.
At least 14 Iranians are reported to have been executed since Trump launched
Operation Epic Fury at the end of February, including an 18-year-old protester
who took part in the anti-government protests in January, which resulted in the
deaths of an estimated 30,000 Iranian civilians.
In one of the more controversial demonstrations of the regime's determination to
crush anti-government activity, Iran executed Kouroush Keyvani, a dual
Iranian-Swedish national, on charges of spying for Israel.
The execution took place despite official protests from the Swedish government,
which claimed that Keyvani, who had been arrested during the 12-day war between
Iran and Israel last year for allegedly photographing sensitive areas, had not
received a fair trial and proper legal representation.
"It is clear to us," said Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard,
"that the legal process that led to the Swedish citizen being executed has not
been fair."
Other Iranians executed during the past month include several people who were
hanged on charges of rebellion over membership in the People's Mujahedin of Iran
(MEK), a banned opposition group, as well as the country's 19-year-old wrestling
champion, Saleh Mohammadi, with two others. The regime has announced that it
will also carry out this year's first execution of a female demonstrator, Bita
Hammati, accused of having thrown concrete blocks at the Basij.
Additionally, the deliberate targeting of opposition groups such as the MEK,
which is said to have close ties with the West, is being seen as an attempt by
the regime to persuade ordinary Iranians that the country is facing a
Western-inspired plot to effect regime change in Iran.
Other executions have involved three young men accused of involvement in mass
protests in January, the first hangings Iran carried out directly related to the
nationwide demonstrations that ended in a bloody clampdown. Among those executed
was 18-year-old Amirhossein Hatami, detained during the nationwide unrest in
January.
Iranian security forces have still not returned Hatami's body, in what may be an
unwillingness to disclose signs of torture, or what informed sources described
as further pressure on relatives already reeling from his death.
Human rights experts believe that only seven percent of executions in Iran are
officially announced, with the real number likely much higher. Some opposition
groups claim that more than 300 people have been executed in Iran so far this
year.
Charges such as "waging war against God", "armed rebellion", "corruption on
Earth", espionage and "acting against national security" are frequently brought
without sufficient evidence in courts that lack transparency and fair trial
standards.
There are now fears that Iran's executioners will be kept busy implementing the
regime's brutal tactics of repression after Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Iran's
judiciary chief, called for the current rate of executions in Iran to be
expedited.
Sentences involving "confiscation of property and execution" for those linked to
enemy groups should be carried out more quickly, Ejei said in a recent
statement. "A full-scale war is under way against us".
The Iranian regime's decision to resume executions represents a complete
reversal of its pledge to the Trump administration back in January to halt the
planned execution of an estimated 800 protesters accused of participating in
some of the biggest anti-government protests in the history of the Islamic
Republic.
The upsurge in executions, together with other tactics such as rounding up those
accused of opposing the Islamic Republic, is part of the regime's desperate bid
to cling to power after the devastating losses it has suffered at the hands of
the US and Israel.
The enduring barbarity of the clerical regime's attempts to subjugate the
Iranian people to its will demonstrates why the Trump administration's decision
to launch fresh military action was justified.
It also exposes the moral bankruptcy of the opponents -- both left and right
wing -- of Trump's military intervention who fail to grasp how ordinary Iranians
are suffering at the hands of Iran's brutal clerical dictatorship.
Operation Epic Fury has certainly dealt the ayatollahs a devastating blow, one
that might still enable the oppressed Iranian people to achieve their ultimate
objective of regime change in Tehran, but only if the US administration does not
foolishly exchange a ruthless religious tyranny for a ruthless military one.
If both Iran's ruthless Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the former
Shah's army -- now strictly supervised by the IRGC and downgraded to border
control -- have guns while the citizens of Iran, held hostage by their own
government, do not, the regime's ferocity and disregard for due process will
undoubtedly continue.
Trump's promise to the Iranian people that "Help is on its way" will appear,
instead, as a betrayal -– and no doubt be extensively used to harm the chances
of Republicans in America's upcoming midterm election this November.
Similarly, it is difficult to see how impoverishing the present government in
Iran -- through the naval blockade, sanctions and secondary sanctions -- will
somehow automatically cause its "collapse." A change of regime, where the
government have weapons and the citizenry do not, could "take years."
The self-defeating tendency of the US -- failing successfully to resolve the
final stretch of conflicts, from North Korea to Iraq to Afghanistan -- has
repeatedly caused the US to "pull defeat from the jaws of victory." Wars were
won, often brilliantly, but quickly lost just after.
In an attempt to prevent any further outbreaks of anti-government protests,
members of Iran's Basij militia, the paramilitary group responsible for
safeguarding the regime, have been patrolling the streets at night, putting up
checkpoints across cities in what is widely seen as a way to deter citizens from
gathering in a repeat of the unrest in January, when thousands of people took to
the streets and more than 35,600 unarmed civilians were slaughtered.
It is understandable that the Iranian people, much as they loathe their regime,
are reluctant to submit themselves to another such mass slaughter again.
The time has come for the US administration to work with the Iranian public--
not just its intolerable leadership -- to find a better alternative, even if
other countries along the Gulf might prefer a "weak Iran" to a "strong
democracy" to protect their own hold on power.
It is for this reason that the Israelis, in particular, have been deliberately
targeting Basij bases, as well as other institutions, such as the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps, whose primary function is to ensure the survival of
Iran's Islamic autocracy at any cost.
**Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a
Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Turkey-Israel tensions deepen amid Erdogan’s
confrontational policy
Sinan Ciddi/Jerusalem Post/April 21/2026
Ankara has crossed yet another line in its steadily escalating confrontation
with Israel. An indictment by an Istanbul court to indict Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and 34 other Israeli officials for a period of up to 4596
years is not a legal maneuver grounded in sanity – it is a political stunt.
The charges include “genocide” and “crimes against humanity.” They fit squarely
within a broader pattern: Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is
heightening tensions with Israel in ways that risk the potential for armed
conflict.
However, Erdogan’s escalatory posture towards Israel is intentional and
calculated, and it predates the current Iran war.
The roots of Ankara’s hostility towards Israel go back to 2008, when Erdogan
began systematically dismantling Turkey’s once strong partnership with Israel.
What had been a fruitful and trust-based relationship, anchored in intelligence
sharing, military cooperation, tourism, and trade, gave way to a campaign of
vilification and hostility.
At the 2009 Davos summit, Erdogan personally insulted Israeli President Shimon
Peres by referring to Israel as a country that killed children. This was
followed by Ankara’s eager willingness to permit Hamas to establish a permanent
organizational presence inside Turkey, where the US-designated terrorist entity
has since used as a base to plan terror attacks inside Israel, recruit
militants, and fundraise.
Erdogan’s support of Islamist causes began with Hamas. Ankara’s patronage of
jihadist entities during the Syrian civil war, as a means to topple the Bashar
al-Assad regime, is well-documented, as is Turkey’s willingness to advocate for
and support the Muslim Brotherhood movement.
In the case of Hamas, Erdogan’s defenders are quick to point out that it is
necessary and beneficial for Turkey to be on speaking terms with Hamas. They
argue that Turkey can play a vital role as a mediator between Hamas and Israel.
But Ankara doesn’t maintain a dialogue with Hamas because it is interested in
fostering peace between Israelis and Palestinians. It has a relationship with it
so that it can help weaponize the entity against Israel.
Turkey hardens position against Israel since the October 7 massacre
Since the October 7 attacks, one can see that Turkey’s position towards Israel
has hardened into outright hostility. The Erdogan regime is not interested in
fostering peace. Through its media surrogates, it is openly advocating for the
elimination of Israel. According to influential columnist Ibrahim Karagul of
Yeni Safak newspaper, Jews have “corrupted human genetics,” and measures should
be taken to dismantle Israel’s existence as a state.
Ankara’s rhetoric has intensified to an unprecedented degree. In an official
statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry recently compared Netanyahu to Hitler –
a grotesque and inflammatory accusation that serves no diplomatic purpose other
than escalation. Such language does not merely reflect anger; it is designed to
mobilize domestic and regional audiences while isolating Israel internationally.
Turkey’s alignment with entities such as Hamas places it at odds not only with
Israel, but with the broader Western security architecture to which it
ostensibly belongs. It also helps explain Ankara’s strategic preferences
elsewhere in the region. Despite its rivalry with Iran, Turkey has consistently
signaled that it prefers the survival of the Iranian regime to its collapse. A
weakened or fragmented Iran could create instability, but it could also
eliminate a counterweight to Israel.
Erdogan’s words suggest that Turkey’s approach is moving beyond rhetorical and
political confrontation and toward the implicit threat of military action. In
2024, Erdogan hinted that Turkey could take steps against Israel, similarly to
its interventions in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh – two cases where Ankara
deployed military assets, advisers, and proxy forces to shape outcomes on the
ground. These are not idle comparisons; they are signals.
The risk, then, is not simply diplomatic deterioration, but miscalculation.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has suggested that Israel may soon
designate Turkey as its primary adversary, particularly in a post-Iran scenario
where Tehran no longer occupies that role.
This framing is revealing. It assumes that Israel requires a singular enemy and
that Turkey is prepared to step into that position.
The Turkish court’s decision to imprison Israeli officials can be understood not
as an isolated provocation, but as part of a broader strategy. Erdogan’s
government is leveraging every available instrument – legal, rhetorical,
diplomatic, and potentially military – to challenge Israel’s position in the
region.
This is not the behavior of a cautious mediator. It is the posture of a state
seeking confrontation while maintaining plausible deniability.
For the United States and its allies, the implications are serious.
Turkey remains a NATO member, yet its actions increasingly diverge from alliance
interests. By deepening its ties to Hamas, tolerating – or even encouraging –
anti-Israel incitement, and signaling a willingness to escalate militarily,
Ankara is testing the limits of statecraft.
If left unchecked, this trajectory will not only further destabilize
Turkish-Israeli relations but also complicate US efforts to manage an already
volatile Middle East.
*Sinan Ciddi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
‘Blood only brings more
blood’: Israelis and Palestinians share grief under veil of secrecy
Tal Shalev/CNN/April 21/2026
The location of the ceremony was kept secret until the last moment. Additional
screening sites were disclosed only to registered participants, for fear of
violence and harassment. It was, organizers said, the only way to hold the event
at all.
In a region riven by decades of conflict and more than two years of war, a group
of Israelis and Palestinians came together Monday evening – physically and
virtually – to do something increasingly rare: mourn together and recognize each
other’s grief and loss. Held on the eve of Israel’s Memorial Day, the annual
Israeli-Palestinian joint memorial ceremony, now in its 21st year, connects
bereaved families from both sides of a conflict that shows no signs of ending.
“Pain does not belong to one mother or one people,” said Khuloud Hoshieh from
the Palestinian city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank. Hoshieh says one of her
sons was killed by Israeli military gunfire in January 2023, while a second is
held in Israeli administrative detention.“We have chosen the path of peace,
despite all the losses… because blood only brings more blood,” she said in a
video message.
The event is organized by two grassroots Israeli-Palestinian organizations
focused on dialogue and reconciliation, the Parents Circle Families Forum and
Combatants for Peace. Organizers say around 1,000 Jewish and Palestinian
Israelis attended the main gathering in Tel Aviv alongside a parallel ceremony
in the West Bank city of Jericho, while screenings in Israel and across the
globe reached tens of thousands more. “Today I am here because this is where
hope is,” said Liora Eilon, 73, a survivor of the Kfar Aza massacre whose son
Tal was killed in the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. “This is a place
that gives me the strength to believe that one day we will speak – and it will
end.”The ceremony was conducted in Hebrew and Arabic, with bilingual songs,
readings from Israeli poet Haim Nahman Bialik and Palestinian poet Mahmoud
Darwish, and personal testimonies. Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza,
barred from entering Israel and attending in person, sent prerecorded video
messages.
“We Palestinians are human beings like everyone else,” Nahil Hanouna from Gaza,
who lost multiple family members in the war, said in one such message. “We want
to live in peace and freedom, to raise our children without fear.”
That hope is a powerful statement of defiance in the face of the realities of
war and the broader sentiment in Israeli and Palestinian public opinion. The
October 7 attacks killed more than 1,200 Israelis, while Israel’s subsequent war
in Gaza killed more than 72,000 Palestinians. In recent months, settler violence
has also surged in the West Bank.
A March survey by Tel Aviv University found that just 26% of Jewish Israelis
support negotiations with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and only
13% believe talks could lead to peace in the coming years. A 2025 Gallup survey
in the West Bank and East Jerusalem found that only 23% of respondents said
permanent peace with Israel would ever be achieved.
Against that backdrop, the annual event has increasingly become a political
flashpoint. Organizers now hold the Israeli gathering at undisclosed venues and
under tight security, broadcasting to multiple sites for those who wish to
participate remotely. Some of these locations have faced threats and violence.
This year, right-wing activists linked to key figures in Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s government located a screening site in south Tel Aviv, blasting loud
music and chanting “Death to leftists.”
Likud lawmakers, meanwhile, demanded that the public broadcaster pull a
promotional advertisement for the ceremony, calling it “a provocation disguised
as reconciliation.”
Last year, right-wing protesters broke into a reform synagogue in the city of
Raanana hosting a screening, shouting “Death to Arabs” and “May your village
burn.” Police intervened, but prosecutors never filed indictments. But
participants this year remained undeterred, steadfast in their belief in
dialogue, reconciliation, and – one day – peace.
Ayala Metzger, whose relatives were abducted to Gaza on October 7 and whose
father-in-law, Yoram Metzger, was later killed in Hamas captivity, said she
chose to act so that “his death will not be in vain.”
Attending the ceremony for the first time, Metzger told CNN she came to “amplify
the voice of reason,” even as she acknowledged her view is right now one of a
tiny minority.“We cannot go on living here only by dying all the time,” she
said. “Returning to anger, hatred and revenge keeps us in the same cycle. It
doesn’t solve anything. What we need is a coalition of human beings – people who
want to live here, not hate one another.”
Attacks
by pro-Iran militias strain Iraq’s sovereignty, fray ties with Gulf Arab
neighbors
Jonathan Gornall/Arab News/April 21, 2026
LONDON: On March 26, representatives of the US and Iraqi governments gathered in
Irbil for the first meeting of the new US-Iraq High Joint Coordination
Committee, set up at Washington’s urging in a bid to keep Iraq out of the
current conflict in the region. The following day, the US Embassy in Baghdad put
out a statement declaring that the two sides had “decided to intensify
cooperation to prevent terrorist attacks and ensure that Iraqi territory is not
used as a launching point for any aggression,” against the Iraqi people, Iraqi
security forces, US personnel “or neighboring and regional states.”
For those familiar with the complexities of Iraq’s security landscape and its
many political alliances and loyalties, the statement sounded overly optimistic.
The reality was better framed by two events that unfolded within a couple of
hours on March 14. The first was an airstrike on a house in Baghdad’s Karrada
District, presumed, but not confirmed, to have been carried out by the US, in a
failed attempt to kill Ahmad Al-Hamidawi, the leader of Kataib Hizballah, a
prominent Iran-backed Iraqi militia.There is a $10 million bounty on Al-Hamidawi’s
head, issued by the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice Scheme. His group,
it says, has for years “repeatedly targeted US personnel and facilities in Iraq
with IEDs, rockets, and unmanned aircraft systems, kidnapped US citizens, and
killed innocent Iraqi civilians.”Shortly after the airstrike, which killed three
members of Kataib Hizballah, the US Embassy in Baghdad was hit by a drone for
the second time since the Iran war began in an apparent act of retaliation.
The embassy issued an alert urging US citizens to leave Iraq and not to come to
the embassy or the consulate in Irbil.
The complexity of Iraqi politics is typified by the prolonged maneuvering over
who will be the country’s next prime minister, a post that is supposed to be
filled by the end of this week. The Coordination Framework, the largest bloc of
Shiite parties, which controls over half of the seats in parliament, is still
yet to agree on who should be its candidate.
Whoever leads Iraq will be faced with the same difficult task of balancing
relations with Washington and Tehran that has dogged every Iraqi government
since December 2005, when Iraqis voted for their country’s first full-term
government and parliament since the US invasion in 2003.
But now, as outrage grows among Gulf Cooperation Council states, which have been
on the receiving end of missile and drone attacks by pro-Iran militias in Iraq,
the government in Baghdad is facing increasing pressure from its Arab neighbors
to get its house in order.
Since the US-Israel war with Iran began on Feb. 28, the world has largely
focused on the unprovoked rocket and drone attacks launched against the Gulf
states by Iran. What has often been overlooked beyond the region is the large
number of attacks that have been launched against the Gulf states by pro-Iran
groups within Iraq — a country with which the GCC states are fast losing
patience.On April 12, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry summoned Iraq’s ambassador
to protest the drone attacks on the Kingdom and other Gulf states emanating from
Iraqi territory, and to urge Baghdad to get a grip on the situation. If it did
not, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati warned, Saudi Arabia
“will take all necessary measures to defend its security and protect its
territory.”The following day, that message was repeated by Bahrain’s foreign
ministry. Protesting the “continued malicious drone attacks” suffered by Bahrain
and other Gulf states, it told Iraq’s charge d’affaires that it also reserved
the right to take “all necessary measures” to protect itself.
Two days later, on April 15, the UAE followed suit, handing Iraq’s charge
d’affaires a “strongly worded note of protest,” condemning “the continuous
unprovoked terrorist attacks launched from Iraqi territory, carried out by
factions, militias, and armed terrorist groups affiliated with the Islamic
Republic of Iran.”The attacks posed “serious challenges to ... the fraternal
ties between Iraq and GCC countries,” the note added, stressing “the importance
of Iraq fulfilling its role in strengthening security and stability in the
region.”
However, Iraqi politics is riddled with multiple parties and blocs that are
allied to, or at best aligned with, pro-Iran militias, whose primary allegiance
is with Tehran, not Baghdad. Following Iraq’s parliamentary elections in
November, the pro-Iran Coordination Framework emerged as the largest bloc in
parliament. Overall, Shiite parties now hold 187 of the parliament’s 329 seats,
with Sunnis trailing with just 77. Members of Harakat Hezbollah Al-Nujaba in
Baghdad, Iraq. (Reuters/File)
The reality of Iraq’s perilous situation was spelled out in an analysis
published by the Atlantic Council on April 2. Iran-backed militias, wrote
Victoria J. Taylor, director of the Atlantic Council’s Iraq Initiative, “are
destroying Iraq.”The strength of the militias, she added, “is in part the fault
of successive Iraqi governments, which have allowed them to penetrate the
security, political, and economic institutions of the state.”Taylor, a former
deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran under the Biden and second
Trump administrations, concluded that “the continued existence of the militias
presents the greatest risk to Iraq itself.”“Although Iraq’s recent prime
ministers have made strides in repairing relations with Gulf and regional
partners, the militia attacks on the Gulf and Jordan risk making Iraq a pariah
state once again.”
The task before the Iraqi government was, she conceded, “perilous.”
“Confronting the militias is akin to confronting an organization like the
Sicilian mafia — groups so violent and with such deep penetration across
multiple layers of society that Iraq’s legitimate security services, the
judiciary, and even top leaders fear for their lives.”Nevertheless, she added,
“there is simply no other choice ... It’s time for Iraq to take back control of
its country and its future.”Increasingly, said David Schenker, a senior fellow
at the Washington Institute and a former US Assistant Secretary of State for
Near Eastern Affairs, “Iraq resembles Lebanon” and is in danger of becoming a
failed state.
In Iraq, “there is a huge amount of interference, money laundering, criminality
and plain old influence by Iran,” he said. “They’ve got a situation where the
Hashd (the Popular Mobilization Forces, created to counter Daesh) is now
institutionalized as part of the Iraqi Armed Forces.“The real problem are the
six or seven factions within the Hashd that are terrorist organizations that are
on the government payroll, control the Hashd, are not answerable to the
government and in fact are independent actors, oftentimes in the service of
Iran. “This is a third column and the central government claims to condemn their
activities while at the same time it underwrites their salaries.”It is, he says,
“obviously a challenging situation for Iraq. As Adil Abdul-Mahdi, the former
prime minister of Iraq, used to say, ‘the United States is our friend, but Iran
is our neighbor.’”But the Gulf states are also Iraq’s neighbors — and they are
running out of patience. “In recent years, the Gulf states have worked very hard
to embrace Iraq, to emphasize Iraq’s Arabism and to try to drag it back into the
Arab system,” Schenker said. “Potentially, Iraq stands to benefit greatly from
this, with direct investment and other economic dividends.“But because Baghdad
is funding these organizations, which are part of the ruling coalition and sit
in government, I think the frustration of the Gulf states now is going to be
reflected in their policies, which will not seek to help Iraq to help
itself.”What Iraq needs now, he added, is “somebody who is an Iraqi nationalist,
who seeks a prosperous, sovereign country. But that is something that can never
happen while you have militias dominating
Israel’s
doctrine of perpetual expansion
Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/April 21, 2026
As Israel and Lebanon prepare to hold a second round of direct negotiations in
Washington on Thursday, President Joseph Aoun has said he has chosen to
negotiate to save Lebanon, adding that the objective of the talks would be to
end hostilities and remove the Israeli presence from southern Lebanon. He has
avoided committing to signing a peace treaty with Israel, a controversial and
divisive issue for the Lebanese, which, according to Israeli Prime Minister
Netanyahu and the Americans, is the endgame of the negotiations.
An Israeli condition for reaching that goal depends on the ability of the
Lebanese government to fully disarm the pro-Iran militia, Hezbollah. Israel has
already declared Lebanon’s efforts in that regard a failure. After almost 40
days of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, now suspended through a
US-mediated ceasefire, Israeli forces have created a 10-km so-called buffer zone
inside southern Lebanon that includes more than 55 villages, which Israel has
systematically destroyed and declared off-limits, rendering tens of thousands of
inhabitants displaced and homeless.
Borrowing from its Gaza experience, Israel has created a “Yellow Line” that
demarcates the territory under its control. The Israeli military released a map
showing the buffer zone forming a continuous belt from Lebanon’s Mediterranean
territorial waters all the way to the Mount Hermon area near the Syrian border.
As Netanyahu himself put it: “This is a security strip 10 km deep, which is much
stronger, more intense, more continuous and more solid than what we had
previously. That is where we are and we are not leaving.”
Together, in Lebanon and Syria, Israel seeks to maintain permanent control of
some 14,000 sq. km of land under the “buffer zone” banner. It also has full
territorial control of the West Bank (about 5,640 sq. km), across the so-called
Green Line, with effective annexation of about 60 percent of that territory. And
it occupies another 60 percent of the Gaza Strip behind what Israel calls the
“Yellow Line” (about 219 sq. km). This means Israel is now illegally occupying
about 19,850 sq. km of territory beyond its recognized borders.
This means Israel is now illegally occupying about 19,850 sq. km of territory
beyond its recognized borders
Instead of using the word occupation, Israel has come up with alternative terms,
such as “security strip,” “buffer zone” or what the Israeli army now calls areas
under its control in southern Lebanon: “forward defense area.” These
terminological tools are euphemisms for occupation. Israel is applying a colored
lines doctrine to obscure its real intentions.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been explicit about the broader
agenda. He this month publicly announced border expansion plans covering Gaza,
the West Bank, Lebanon up to the Litani River and Syria’s Mount Hermon area —
framing it as the “final leg” of a “greater Israel” project.
The call for direct negotiations with Lebanon is largely a tactical maneuver.
Israel knows the complexity of Lebanon’s internal political environment. Without
Lebanese consensus, which includes Hezbollah’s engagement and acceptance, the
disarmament of the militia will not happen overnight. For the time being,
Israel’s occupation of areas up to the Yellow Line will not end anytime soon.
It is also worrying that the Israeli army’s map extends to Lebanon’s maritime
areas, which the two countries demarcated in October 2022, when they finally
signed a US-brokered agreement establishing maritime boundaries and bringing
clarity to their respective economic zones in the Mediterranean Sea.
The current Yellow Line in Lebanon abrogates the UN-designated Blue Line,
adopted in June 2000, which stretches 120 km along Lebanon’s southern frontier.
It was not meant to be a border but a “line of withdrawal” for the practical
purpose of confirming Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and is
explicitly described as temporary.
While the Green Line of the 1949 armistice was meant to define ceasefire
demarcation — and as a temporary rather than permanent international border —
Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in 1967 rendered this line irrelevant, as
it moved quickly to annex East Jerusalem and authorize the building of illegal
settlements in the newly conquered territory.
Each time Israel establishes a new line, the absence of meaningful protest
emboldens it to draw the next one
Under the current far-right Israeli government, the pace of colonizing West Bank
lands has accelerated, with Israeli law imposed on hundreds of illegal
settlements and creeping annexation actively facilitated. Jewish settlers are
waging a campaign of terror on Palestinians, tolerated and encouraged by the
government, to drive the natives from their lands.
As for Gaza, the Yellow Line carves off more than 60 percent of the narrow
Strip. Israel is digging trenches across the line to physically separate areas
it occupies from the rest of Gaza. It has carried out ethnic cleansing in that
area and is showing no signs of pulling out from that so-called buffer zone.
The systematic destruction of Lebanese villages in the areas that Israel now
occupies is proof that it has no intention of ever allowing their inhabitants to
return. Regardless of the outcome of the negotiations, Israel will claim to hold
that territory as a guarantee that southern Lebanon will never pose a threat to
its northern border. If the fighting erupts again — which is a strong
possibility — Israel will seek to extend that zone even further. Even now, it is
issuing warnings to Lebanese not to cross the Litani River and return to
villages it has severely damaged but not occupied.
Israel is applying the same approach in Syria. Its forces carved out a buffer
zone beyond the Golan Heights following the fall of President Bashar Assad — and
the international community has largely looked away. The silence is telling:
each time Israel establishes a new line, the absence of meaningful protest
emboldens it to draw the next one. Each line follows the same logic: a ceasefire
or withdrawal creates a boundary, Israel militarizes beyond it and ambiguity
hardens into permanence.
Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have affirmed permanent Israeli control
over the Golan Heights and expanded the Syrian buffer zone, citing security
needs following the collapse of the Assad regime. He initially called the
occupation a “temporary defensive position,” but later stated Israel would hold
it “until another arrangement is found that ensures Israel's security,” with
plans to settle and develop the area.
Whether under the pretext of security or some alleged biblical right, Israel’s
colored lines serve one purpose only — land grabs through the use of brute
force, mass destruction of villages and farmland, ethnic cleansing, economic
strangulation, and terror. Real and equitable peace is never on the agenda.
*Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. X:
@plato010
Sabotaging the US-Gulf relationship
Mamdouh AlMuhaini/AlArabiya English/21 April ,2026
Iranians are calling on Gulf countries to cut ties with the United States.
Extremist groups are demanding the same. Various factions of leftists and Arab
nationalists have also been repeating these calls for decades. All of this is
understandable and not new, and each group has its own reasons. But when such
demands come from within the Gulf itself, that becomes a grave mistake. These
calls are harmful and ultimately serve the interests of the Gulf’s adversaries.
These three groups – the Iranian regime and its supporters, extremists, and
leftists – converge on a single objective: dismantling the Gulf-US alliance.
They have not limited themselves to rhetoric; they have backed their words with
actions. First, the Iranian regime has sought to break this alliance through
terrorist operations targeting the American presence in the Gulf. In 1996, Iran
was behind the bombing of the Khobar Towers in eastern Saudi Arabia, which
killed 19 Americans and injured hundreds. The goal was to force the US to
withdraw, thereby weakening the strong relationship between Riyadh and
Washington. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf capitals uncovered multiple planted
cells pursuing the same objective. Despite these efforts, the attempts failed
and the relationship endured. What Iran has long sought is regional dominance,
and it has used every tool to push the United States out of the region, as that
would clear the path for its ambitions. It succeeded in Lebanon with the 1983
bombings, and in Iraq in 2011, but has so far failed in the Gulf. Part of the
recent war against Gulf states is aimed at undermining and sabotaging this
strategic partnership. The propaganda we hear today is part of that broader
effort. Second, extremist groups have pursued the same objective. Osama bin
Laden selected 15 Saudis to carry out the September 11 attacks in an effort to
damage the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States. Leaders of
al-Qaeda understood that attacking the Twin Towers would not destroy America,
but it would create a deep rift between Riyadh and Washington. Their
calculations were not entirely wrong, as the relationship did go through a
period of strain before recovering. They also anticipated that the attacks would
ignite a cultural clash between East and West, fueling mutual hostility.
Subsequent terrorist attacks followed, some involving overlapping interests
between al-Qaeda and Iran, as seen in the 2003 Riyadh bombings at the al-Hamra
residential compound.
Al-Qaeda leader Saif al-Adel issued the bombing orders while based in Iran.
Despite deep ideological differences, shared interests brought the two sides
together – and in this case, that shared interest was to undermine the
relationship between Saudi Arabia, the broader Gulf, and the United States.
Leftists, the third group, also call for the Gulf to sever ties with Washington.
They remain rooted in the past, repeating outdated slogans about colonialism,
conspiracies, and “reactionary” regimes – recycling an old ideological lexicon
to portray Gulf states as Western proxies. They continue to echo Nasserist
propaganda that led Egypt into the disaster of the 1967 war, before Anwar Sadat
shifted course, aligned with the West, regained occupied Egyptian territory,
signed a peace agreement, and shielded Egypt from further devastating wars. It
is worth recalling that Gamal Abdel Nasser attempted similar efforts through
propaganda but ultimately failed and retreated. The same pattern was seen with
Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi, who attacked and conspired against the Gulf
under the pretext of opposing “reactionism” and Western alignment, yet their
efforts also failed.
The relationship between the Gulf and the United States is important and
strategic – not only militarily and politically, but also economically,
educationally, and culturally. Gulf investments in artificial intelligence are
among the largest in the world. Many of the world’s leading universities
attended by international students are American and Western institutions. On a
cultural level, engagement between the two sides remains essential. Nations
progress through interaction and by learning from successful societies, not
struggling ones.
The question is: Where are those who once bet on sabotaging the Gulf-US
relationship?
Osama bin Laden is dead. Qassem Soleimani is dead. Hassan Nasrallah is dead.
Saddam Hussein is dead. Ali Larijani is dead. Muammar Gaddafi is dead.
As for the relationship between the Gulf and the United States, it remains
strong, enduring, and continues to expand.
Selected Face
Book & X tweets for April 21/2026
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
The Lebanese State is unable to conduct foreign policy. Hezbollah runs Lebanese
foreign and defense policy while the state pretends it is relevant. All foreign
policy speeches by Prez Aoun and PM Salam are in fact pitches to Hezbollah.
Lebanon is wasting our time.