English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News &
Editorials
For August 02/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2026/english.August
02.26.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
Chief tax-collector, Zacchaeus receives Jesus in His House,
Repents and offers the Penances
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 19/01-10/:"He
entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he
was a chief tax-collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but
on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran
ahead and climbed a sycomore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that
way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus,
hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’So he hurried down and
was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone
to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the
Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I
have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’Then
Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a
son of Abraham.For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’""
Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related
News & Editorials published on August 01-02/2026
The 81st Lebanese Army Day: A Shackled Leadership, a Cowardly Authority,
and a Homeland Held Hostage by Hezbollah’s Occupation/Elias Bejjani/August
01/2026
Erdogan the Muslim Brother is no friend of independent Lebanon.. Joseph Aoun
remains a captive of the Shiite Duo and continues to squander
opportunities/Elias Bejjani/July 31/2026
Antoine Sehnaoui Breaks the Taboo by Hosting Netanyahu: Courage Lacking in
Joseph Aoun/Elias Bejjani/July 29/2026
Israeli military says killed several Hezbollah fighters in south Lebanon
Israeli soldier injured in 'close-quarters encounter' with Hezbollah in Lebanon:
Israeli army
U.S. Embassy Beirut/Lebanon's Army Day
Lebanese military delegation to take part in Rome talks with Israel
Acting UN coordinator for Lebanon says army has 'trust of the int'l community'
Aoun says Israeli blasts near castle 'direct threat' to recent deal
From hidden arsenals to reopened roads: Lebanese army engineers navigate south
Lebanon’s valleys
Army chief Haykal vows continued support for southern Lebanon residents during
Tyre visit
UN says Israeli demolitions in Lebanon ‘deeply concerning’
On World Lung Cancer Day, Lebanon’s Health Ministry and AstraZeneca launch lung
cancer awareness campaign
Salameh hospitalized under police guard, considered 'in custody'
In Lebanon, One Form of Domination Replaces Another/Youssef
Mouawad/levanttime.com/August 01/2026
Éloge funèbre pour George Rizkallah Barakat/Colonel Charbel Barakat/August
01/2026
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on August 01-02/2026
Iran’s Ghalibaf reveals details from the first hours after Khamenei’s
killing
Reports: US, Israel planning heavy strikes on Iran energy targets
Iran military accuses US of 'escalating tensions' in region
US embassies urge citizens to ‘consider departing’ Middle East
Kuwait air defenses intercept Iranian drones, material damage recorded
UKMTO reports explosions targeting two tankers near Oman
Trump says Israel ‘very happy’ with Gaza disarmament agreement
Israeli strikes kill two in Gaza, destroy medicine storage warehouses
EU grapples with migrant crisis in Spain's N. Africa enclave
Explosion near Moscow cafe kills three: Police
EU ministers to hold video meeting over Ceuta on Tuesday: Official
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published
on August 01-02/2026
The UN and EU's Horrific Appeasement of the Iranian Regime's Tyranny,
Betrayal of the Iranian People/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/August
01/2026
Middle Israel: No one needs a tyrannical Turkey with F-35 fighter jets/Jerusalem
Post/August 01/026
Battle to dismantle Iran’s IRGC geography: From Yemen to the Levant/Raghida
Dergham/Al ASrabiya English/02 August/2026
Saudi Arabia’s maritime alliance could reshape Red Sea security/Ammar Awad/Al
ASrabiya English/02 August/2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on August 01/2026
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News & Editorials published on August 01-02/2026
The 81st Lebanese Army Day: A Shackled Leadership, a Cowardly Authority,
and a Homeland Held Hostage by Hezbollah’s Occupation
Elias Bejjani/August 01/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156378/
On the 81st anniversary of the Lebanese Army, a heartfelt salute goes out to the
military institution—its ranks and personnel—and a thousand mercies upon the
souls of its righteous martyrs who offered their blood as pure sacrifices on the
altar of the Land of Cedars.
However, on this national day, no free and sovereign Lebanese can stand idly by
without raising their voice high, ringing out like the voice of John the Baptist
in the wilderness, to strongly condemn the inaction and cowardice of the
political and military leadership that paralyzes the army’s role and prevents it
from performing its supreme duty to liberate Lebanon from the Iranian occupation
represented by Hezbollah.
From this perspective, today’s congratulations are exclusively for the personnel
and soldiers, while it is a scathing indictment—free of complacency,
subservience, or blindness—directed at the military leadership, the President of
the Republic, and the Council of Ministers.
The Lebanese Army possesses competence, capabilities, and courage, but its role
is sidelined and restricted because its political and military leadership
remains subservient to the hegemony of the Iranian occupation and its local
tools (the Amal-Hezbollah Shiites dualism). This enemy not only targets Lebanon
as a whole, but also takes the esteemed Shiites community hostage, abducting it
to serve the absurd, hallucinated, and suicidal project of Iran’s mullahs.
Accordingly, all free people in Lebanon and the diaspora are called upon today
to:
*Raise their voices in condemnation, using all available local, regional, and
international means, against the inaction of both the political and military
leadership.
*Demand immediate action from the leadership to either fully perform their
constitutional duties to liberate the land, or resign immediately.
As for the poetic, parrot-like glorification of the army, and turning a blind
eye to the tutelage and occupation system that shackles it and prevents it from
implementing international resolutions and extending state sovereignty over the
entirety of the national territory—this is a disgrace, a crime, and an
unforgivable sin.
The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website:
https://eliasbejjaninews.com
Erdogan the Muslim Brother is no friend of independent Lebanon.. Joseph
Aoun remains a captive of the Shiite Duo and continues to squander opportunities
Elias Bejjani/July 31/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/07/156335/
President Joseph Aoun's visit to Turkey today was ill-fated, neither in its
suspicious timing nor in its superficial approaches to the Lebanese and regional
situation. In short, this visit constitutes a deliberate blindness to the
priority of liberating Lebanon from the odious Iranian occupation and the
hegemony of the Shiite Duo (Hezbollah and Amal).
As for his speech before Recep Tayyip Erdogan—known for his adoption of Muslim
Brotherhood and jihadist ideologies and his entrenched hostility toward true
peace—it completely ignored the reality of the terrorist Hezbollah and the
disguised Iranian occupation, while parroting the worn-out, monotonous record
chewed on around the clock by Nabih Berri, which sings of:
*An Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territories.
*The return of our displaced people to their villages, alongside their return to
the embrace of their state and homeland.
*Reconstruction, economic recovery, and the restoration of fragile confidence in
the state.
Securing the exclusive sovereignty of our legitimate armed forces alone, to
protect every inch of our land and *all our people within the framework of a
single state, a single army, and a single sovereign decision.
What is truly strange and deplorable is that Aoun did not dare utter the name of
"Hezbollah," completely ignoring Iran's destructive and cancerous role in the
Lebanese entity.
What is truly saddening is Joseph Aoun's sovereign and independent reality;
since his very first day at the Baabda Palace, he chose—perhaps within the
framework of grey arrangements and compromises as promoted by Hezbollah—to
surrender his neck as a hostage, remaining captive and bound to the directives,
policies, and edicts of a team of "deposit" advisers who are foreign and
alienated from everything connected to the culture of independence, freedom, and
absolute sovereignty.
Aoun apparently chose to appease the executioner at the expense of the victim,
turning a blind eye to the reality that Hezbollah and Nabih Berri hold the
levers of actual decision-making, thus remaining incapable of pulling the
republic out of the depths of collapse.
In short, it has become certain that under Joseph Aoun's presidency and the
government of advisors, the harvest of his term will be darnel, not wheat, and
the Lebanese will not experience with him any glimmer of salvation from Nabih
Berri's mini-state, nor from Hezbollah's occupation and violation of the
country... And the more things change, the more they stay the same.
The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website:
https://eliasbejjaninews.com
Antoine Sehnaoui Breaks the Taboo by Hosting
Netanyahu: Courage Lacking in Joseph Aoun
Elias Bejjani/July 29/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/07/156317/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp5pithqgrk
Bravo, and a thousand bravos to Antoine Sehnaoui, who shattered one of the
heretical and terrorist taboos imposed on the Lebanese by the merchants of the
"resistance" lie, ignorant pan-Arabists, demonic nationalists, and criminal,
jihadi political Islam.
Sehnaoui broke the taboo of meeting Israeli leaders openly and before the eyes
of the entire world by hosting Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at his table in
the presence of dozens of political and media figures.
This courageous act was required of president Joseph Aoun; instead, Aoun
continues to polish the history and image of the terrorist-jihadist Hezbollah,
still justifying its existence under the pretext of the "Israeli occupation,"
despite his absolute knowledge—and that of his advisory deposits—that Hezbollah
is an Iranian military corps affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps, having no connection whatsoever, near or far, to Palestine, Jerusalem, or
any other matter concerning Arabs, liberation, or resistance.
A genuine pursuit of peace and openness to realistic solutions within a changing
regional and global environment is the only way out to save Lebanon from
collapse. This stands in total contrast to the ideologies of absurd wars that
undermine the concept of national sovereignty whenever an armed faction
monopolizes the decision of war and peace.
The scum of the Party of Satan, Hezbollah utilizing lawyers such as Wassef
Harakeh, filed a lawsuit against Sehnaoui, driven by malice, hatred, stupidity,
and blind allegiance to their masters, the mullahs of Iran.
To this day, the judiciary of the Land of Cedars remains hostage to Iranian
agents and their militia intimidation, rendering worthless any ruling issued by
it—especially by the Military Tribunal, which serves as a tool in the hands of
successive occupying forces (from the Palestinian to the Syrian to the Iranian).
The free people of Lebanon are called upon to congratulate Antoine Sehnaoui on
his courage and distinguished initiative, for he defied demonic taboos and took
a bold step toward breaking the deadlock.
As for real accountability, it must target all those who cling to stupid,
backward taboos that serve neither Lebanon, nor peace, nor any principle of
freedom and openness.
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website:
https://eliasbejjaninews.com
Israeli military says killed several Hezbollah fighters
in south Lebanon
LBCI/August 01/2026
The Israeli military said Saturday that it killed three Hezbollah fighters in
southern Lebanon, despite an ongoing ceasefire."The soldiers struck the members
and eliminated them in order to remove the threat," the military said in a
statement.AFP
Israeli soldier injured in 'close-quarters encounter' with
Hezbollah in Lebanon: Israeli army
LBCI/August 01/2026
The Israeli military said one of its soldiers was moderately injured during a
"close-quarters encounter" with Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon overnight
on Saturday, despite a ceasefire. "Overnight (Saturday), an officer was
moderately injured during operational activity in southern Lebanon," the
military said in a statement, specifying to AFP that the soldier was "injured
during a close-quarters encounter" with militants in the area. AFP
U.S. Embassy Beirut/Lebanon's
Army Day
August 01/2026
On LAF Day, the United States recognizes for its dedication to Lebanon's
sovereignty and security. As Secretary Rubio stated: “That is our hope, that the
Lebanese Armed Forces and the legitimate, sovereign Lebanese Government will
continue to be able to control and secure more and more of their own territory.”
Lebanese military delegation to take part in Rome talks
with Israel
Naharnet/August 01/2026
The Lebanese delegation to the upcoming Rome talks with Israel will include
members of the military delegation that had participated in one of the
Washington meetings prior to the signing of the framework agreement, al-Akhbar
newspaper reported on Friday. “The military delegation is expected to carry with
it the necessary documents to enable the official delegation to effectively
engage with the enemy delegation and the American mediator, in order to secure a
practical commitment to an actual withdrawal from the occupied territories,” the
daily said.
“Given the Washington experience, the military delegation is proceeding with
extreme caution and Lebanese authorities find themselves compelled to rely on
the role of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to obtain additional support for
the idea of expanding and expediting the pilot zones, especially since the
enemy had spoken of implementation conditions that would require one to two
months for each village, thus perpetuating the occupation for at least five
years,” the newspaper added. Leaks from the meetings of Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington meanwhile revealed that he did not receive a
direct U.S. request to expedite the withdrawal from Lebanon, al-Akhbar said.
Acting UN coordinator for Lebanon says army has 'trust of
the int'l community'
Naharnet/August 01/2026
Jean Arnault, Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the United Nations Special
Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), has congratulated the Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF) and its Commander, servicemen and servicewomen on the occasion of the
eighty-first Army Day, stressing that the army has "earned the pride of the
nation and the trust of the international community.""As Lebanon strives to
fulfill its national and international obligations, very high expectations fall
on the Lebanese army, not least in advancing security and stability across the
country, ensuring Lebanese territorial integrity and driving the implementation
of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 forward," Arnault said. “It
is truly remarkable how the Lebanese army has succeeded in gaining the trust of
the Lebanese people across communities and performing its daunting tasks in
spite of a challenging operational environment and socio-economic difficulties,”
Arnault stated. He added that both the achievements and challenges were
showcased during a visit that he carried out to the Lebanese Army’s third land
border regiment in eastern Lebanon, where he met with LAF personnel and toured a
border post and watchtower. He reiterated the U.N. commitment to the
mobilization of international support for the LAF. Reflecting on "the positive
perception of the LAF shared by the most diverse communities, including during
his recent field visits across Lebanon," Arnault added: "Leadership, empathy and
transparency are what people see in their army, and it is an inspiration for
efforts to extend state authority throughout the country.”
Aoun says Israeli blasts near castle 'direct threat' to recent deal
Agence France Presse/August 01/2026
President Joseph Aoun has warned that Israeli detonations near a UNESCO-listed
castle threatened a recent deal with Israel, which in turn said it had razed
Hezbollah tunnels there. Lebanon's National News
Agency (NNA) reported that "Israeli forces triggered very powerful explosions"
overnight, specifically "in the area of the Beaufort fortress", a Crusader-era
castle located near the southern border occupied by Israel. Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the army had
destroyed "terror tunnels in the Beaufort area" using approximately 700 tons of
explosives. Aoun labelled it "an extremely dangerous escalation" and "a direct
threat to the process which was launched as part of the framework agreement"
reached with Israel during U.S.-sponsored talks last month, his office said.
Under the Israel-Lebanon deal, Lebanon's army is to disarm Hezbollah and the
Israeli military is to withdraw from "pilot zones" where Lebanese forces will
subsequently deploy. The timing of the blasts ahead of
another round of talks with Israel in Rome next week "sends negative messages
and undermines international efforts aimed at consolidating stability," Aoun
added. The NNA said huge blasts resounded over a large area, shattering glass in
nearby villages, while an AFP correspondent heard large explosions and saw dust
covering a swathe of forest area. Citing Lebanon's National Center for
Geophysics, Aoun's statement said the detonations "created ground waves
equivalent to a 3.8 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale."Prime Minister
Nawaf Salam condemned "the ongoing Israeli aggressions in the south", including
"the damage to archaeological sites... that constitute a precious part of the
history of our homeland."
'Under occupation' -
Beaufort castle was added last week to UNESCO's List of World Heritage in
Danger. Lebanon's culture ministry said the explosions
struck "the area opposite the fortress", warning that "the vibrations from the
explosions may have caused damage" in the castle's vicinity.
It said technical teams were unable to conduct an on-the-ground
assessment because "the site is under occupation".The Israeli army said that
"the tunnel network served as a central command center" for Hezbollah and
consisted of "several underground levels that were built over the course of two
decades".Netanyahu and Katz said the explosions followed a "blatant violation of
the ceasefire agreement" by Hezbollah, which Israel's army accused on Wednesday
of launching an explosive drone at a military vehicle. Parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri, a Hezbollah ally, condemned the detonations, while the Iran-backed group
urged Lebanese authorities to act "at all political and diplomatic levels to
stop the destructive crimes being carried out by the enemy." Hezbollah has not
claimed any attacks since a ceasefire with Israel came into force on June 20
after a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding on ending the broader Middle East
war. While violence has declined since then, Lebanon continues to report Israeli
strikes and artillery shelling on the south, as well as detonations of buildings
in southern villages. The NNA reported three "violent" explosions on Friday
evening on the outskirts of Taybeh. Iran-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the
Middle East war on March 2 with attacks on Israel. Israel retaliated with a
massive bombing campaign and a ground offensive that Lebanese authorities say
have killed more than 4,300 people. Israel's army continues to occupy areas of
southern Lebanon extending about 10 kilometers (six miles) into Lebanese
territory along the border.
From hidden arsenals to reopened roads: Lebanese army
engineers navigate south Lebanon’s valleys
LBCI/August 01/2026
Everything remains theoretical until it is seen firsthand. LBCI’s camera
accompanied the Lebanese army during operations in a valley in the Tyre
district, located along a riverbed. There, the army’s
Engineering Regiment worked for weeks without coordinates or maps. Using field
expertise and experience, troops surveyed the terrain and cleared weapons and
ammunition as part of the plan to restrict weapons possession south of the
Litani River. Dozens of similar valleys were awaiting
the Engineering Regiment before fighting resumed on March 2. The mission may
sound simple in description, but carrying it out required moving meter by meter
through rocks and dense vegetation in search of hidden weapons caches,
unidentified weapons, and underground infrastructure and ammunition.
The process begins with surveying, followed by repeated checks and
confirmation. Only then does excavation begin, as any mistake could be
fatal.Under difficult geographical conditions and amid the threat of aircraft
and drones, the Engineering Regiment carried out its mission as part of the
weapons restriction plan. The unit seized thousands of
weapons and rounds of ammunition. Some were destroyed where they were found,
while others were transferred to army-designated locations. Some were
confiscated for the Lebanese army. Soldiers climbed mountains and followed
trails as they searched for hidden sites. What began in these valleys ended with
the seizure of thousands of weapons, ammunition, shells, grenades and rockets,
adding to those already seized by the army since the 2024 ceasefire.All of them
were found in locations similar to these. The
operation was not merely a military mission. The Engineering Regiment was not
only searching for weapons, but also removing the remnants of war both
underground and above ground, as the latest conflict disrupted people’s lives
and isolated some areas of southern Lebanon. In a single step, one can move from
south of the Litani River to the north. This is why Israel sought to cut these
links in an effort to disrupt Hezbollah’s supply routes, according to its
claims. However, the Lebanese army insisted on ensuring the safe movement of
residents from these villages and created alternative routes.Near the damaged
Tayr Felsay bridge, the Engineering Regiment opened a dirt road that had been
flooded and built a crossing allowing residents to move between the two banks of
the river. The mission was purely humanitarian.
From among the rocks and valleys came thousands of weapons, and from the rubble,
roads returned to residents. The mission continues despite the high cost in
casualties, injuries, exhaustion and criticism, as the Lebanese army’s priority
remains Lebanon and the Lebanese people.
Army chief Haykal vows continued support for southern
Lebanon residents during Tyre visit
LBCI/August 01/2026
Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolph Haykal inspected army units in the Tyre
area of southern Lebanon, where he reviewed operational conditions and the
missions being carried out within their areas of responsibility. The army chief
met with officers and soldiers and congratulated them on Army Day, expressing
his appreciation for their efforts and dedication. He said their sacrifices,
driven by their belief in their mission, are invaluable. Emphasizing the
importance of maintaining strong determination, Haykal said Lebanon draws its
strength from the army and that the success of the military institution depends
on the combined efforts of all its units and personnel. “We believe that every
inch of our land is our right, and we reject the continued Israeli occupation of
any part of our territory,” Haykal said. “The sacrifices of our martyrs and
wounded will not be in vain. We will continue to stand by our people and support
their return despite all challenges.”He added: “We believe in one united and
indivisible nation, defended by one army that protects its borders and ensures
its stability.”
UN says Israeli demolitions in Lebanon ‘deeply concerning’
AFP/01 August ,2026
The United Nations on Saturday expressed concern over Israel’s ongoing
demolitions in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire in its war with Iran-backed
Hezbollah.“The scale of the detonations and demolitions taking place in south
Lebanon is deeply concerning, with a devastating impact on civilian
infrastructure, cultural heritage, and the collective memory of communities,”
the UN said in a statement. The statement comes a day
after the Israeli military carried out large overnight detonations near a
UNESCO-listed castle in Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the army destroyed “terror tunnels in the
Beaufort area” using approximately 700 tons of explosives. Beaufort castle was
added last week to UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger. Lebanese President
Joseph Aoun on Friday labelled the detonation “an extremely dangerous
escalation” and “a direct threat to the process which was launched as part of
the framework agreement” reached with Israel during US-sponsored talks last
month. Under the Israel-Lebanon deal, Lebanon’s army is to disarm Hezbollah and
the Israeli military is to withdraw from “pilot zones” where Lebanese forces
will subsequently deploy. The timing of the blasts ahead of another round of
talks with Israel in Rome next week “sends negative messages and undermines
international efforts aimed at consolidating stability,” Aoun added. Lebanon’s
state-run National News Agency reported several detonations in other parts of
the south since. It also reported at least one Israeli strike on the south on
Saturday, saying it wounded two people. The UN said, “this escalating pattern of
destruction must stop as diplomatic channels exist to resolve any outstanding
issues.” Iran-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2
with attacks on Israel. Israel retaliated with a massive bombing campaign and a
ground offensive that Lebanese authorities say have killed more than 4,300
people.
On World Lung Cancer Day, Lebanon’s Health Ministry and
AstraZeneca launch lung cancer awareness campaign
LBCI/August 01/2026
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, in partnership with AstraZeneca, launched a
national campaign on World Lung Cancer Day to promote lung cancer prevention and
early detection. The campaign, held under the slogan
“Quit Smoking, Choose Safety, Detect Early Before It’s Too Late,” aims to raise
awareness of lung cancer risk factors and encourage prevention and early
diagnosis across Lebanon. The initiative is part of a strategic partnership
between the ministry and AstraZeneca under a memorandum of understanding focused
on lung cancer prevention, awareness and early detection. It also supports the
objectives of Lebanon’s National Cancer Control Plan for 2023-2028.AstraZeneca
Lebanon General Manager Agnar Abou Jaoude said the initiative reflects the
company’s commitment to supporting national health priorities and reducing the
burden of lung cancer through prevention and early detection.The campaign launch
included a 3D projection onto the Ministry of Public Health building, depicting
the progression of the lungs from healthy conditions to the harmful effects of
smoking. Health Minister Rakan Nassereldine said lung
cancer remains one of the most common and deadly cancers worldwide, stressing
that prevention is the most effective way to combat the disease. He called for
reducing smoking in all its forms, increasing public awareness and encouraging
people at higher risk to undergo appropriate medical examinations.Nassereldine
also reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to expanding public awareness efforts
and access to early detection services in cooperation with public and
private-sector partners.The ministry said smoking — including conventional
cigarettes, e-cigarettes and hookah — remains the leading cause of lung cancer,
while secondhand smoke also poses significant health risks. It urged people to
quit smoking, adopt healthier lifestyles and seek medical examinations when
appropriate, stressing that early detection can improve treatment outcomes and
survival rates.
Salameh hospitalized under police guard, considered 'in
custody'
Agence France Presse/August 01/2026
Former central bank governor Riad Salameh was placed under police guard in
hospital on Friday, a day after missing a hearing in an alleged embezzlement
case, a judicial official told AFP. Salameh had been due to appear in court on
Thursday in connection with a complaint filed by new central bank governor Karim
Soueid accusing him of embezzlement, illicit enrichment and money laundering.
When he failed to appear, a judge directed authorities to escort him to court.
Instead Salameh decided to go voluntarily but fell ill en route, and the
judiciary postponed the hearing, according to the official, who spoke on
condition of anonymity. However, later on Thursday, when Salameh was not found
at the hospital emergency department or at addresses registered for him, the
judge issued another order for security forces to find him and bring him in for
questioning. After he was located at a hospital outside Beirut, the judge on
Friday ordered the security forces "to reinforce measures in the wing where
Salameh is staying" and at the facility's entrances, and for the former bank
chief to be considered "in custody," the official added. Last month, an initial
hearing was held at Salameh's home due to his deteriorating health, with a judge
presiding over his questioning. The central bank
previously told AFP it was the "victim of the embezzlement of funds amounting to
several hundred million euros, committed at its expense by its former governor,
Mr. Riad Salameh, with the assistance of several individuals in his circle."
Salameh, who headed the central bank from 1993 to July 2023, is accused of
having amassed a fortune during his time in the job and has faced numerous
accusations including embezzlement and tax evasion in probes in Lebanon and
abroad. The 76-year-old has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has insisted
he is being made a "scapegoat" for the country's economic collapse, which began
in 2019.
In Lebanon, One Form of Domination Replaces Another
Youssef Mouawad/levanttime.com/August 01/2026
One could almost believe that Lebanon has lived only according to the rhythm of
foreign capitals: there was the Egyptian era under Nasser, the Palestinian era
under the PLO, the Syrian era under the republican dynasty of the Assads, and,
of course, the Iranian era, when Hezbollah took control through intermediaries.
What makes the Lebanese experience particularly distinctive is that whenever the
influence of one Arab or foreign regime began to fade or disappear, another
quickly stepped in to replace it. As though it were only natural, since nature
abhors a vacuum and our politicians have never wished to renounce servitude.
A Fate and a Curse
From one period to the next, the degree of constraint varied, for there is
naturally a difference—not merely in degree but in nature—between military
occupation or political subjugation on the one hand and simple diplomatic
coordination on the other. The balance can tilt upward or downward depending on
circumstances, unforeseen events and the unpredictable. Yet beyond these
changing situations, one fact remains undeniable: our small country has had—and
will unfortunately continue—to adapt to uncomfortable realities and bend to the
wishes of states larger and more powerful than itself. "Finlandized" by the
combined weight of history and geography, could Lebanon realistically aspire to
anything more ambitious than the status of a client state or a satellite state?
That being said, let us imagine that time were to stand still and grant us, if
only briefly, a respite from this far-from-fraternal foreign entanglement.
Suppose Abdel Halim Khaddam had lost interest in our fate and allowed us a
moment's breathing space. What would have become of us, poor souls, and what
would we have done?
Our political elites would almost certainly have rushed, by sheer atavistic
reflex, to another Arab or Western capital to beg for immediate intervention,
financial assistance or even military support. They would have accepted every
form of subordination that might enable them to settle scores with their
local—or even municipal—rivals. In this game, no one was innocent: neither the
party that sought assistance nor the one that provided it; neither the
benefactor nor the beneficiary.
A country's sovereignty can be measured by its willingness to expel an
ambassador. On July 21, 1958, The New York Times reported that Abdel Hamid
Ghaleb, ambassador of the United Arab Republic accredited to Beirut, had been
declared persona non grata and ordered to leave Lebanon. He was accused of
fomenting rebellion and supplying arms to the opposition against President
Camille Chamoun's government.(1)
Indeed, Ghaleb had encouraged insurrection and civil disobedience throughout
various parts of the country. Order was restored only after the landing of U.S.
Marines and the election of General Fouad Chehab on July 31. The controversial
ambassador did not resume his duties until early November of that same year,(2)
after the new authorities embarked on a policy of genuine cooperation with the
all-powerful Nasser.
Abdel Hamid Ghaleb normalized relations between Beirut and Cairo and
strengthened Egypt's influence over Lebanese political life, prompting renewed
accusations of direct interference in Lebanon's internal affairs. While
remaining firmly within the Western orbit, Beirut nonetheless accommodated
Nasser's regional interests.
Following Nasser's defeat in 1967 and his disappearance from the political scene
in 1970, Lebanon moved from bad to worse. The years that followed became years
of sorrow and suffering, during which the armed Palestinian resistance, the
Syrian occupation and later Iranian domination each, in turn, violated Lebanon's
sovereignty on a daily basis.
Thus, in absolute terms and for a very long time, Lebanon has been neither free,
nor independent, nor sovereign, even if life in Beirut remained preferable to
life in Damascus or Baghdad, where the Baath Party ruled in all its splendor, or
in Tehran and Isfahan, where the mullahs could comfortably bask under the
umbrella of Wilayat al-Faqih.
Will the Syrian Replace the Iranian?
It is generally accepted that a country is sovereign only if it is capable of
slamming the door in the face of a foreign ambassador. In that respect, one
could argue that the Aoun–Salam leadership asserted itself by "throwing out the
window" the envoy of the Islamic Republic—that is, by withdrawing the
accreditation of Mohammad Reza Shibani, the head of Iran's diplomatic mission.
But has anyone ever asked who is supposed to replace him?
Distancing Lebanon from the Islamic Republic is certainly commendable, but who
is expected to fill the vacuum it leaves behind?
The welcome extended to the Syrian foreign minister in the city of Tripoli
leaves room for doubt. Has Lebanon's Sunni community, after years of wandering,
finally found a patron worthy of its expectations? Some believe so.
The problem is that Ahmad al-Sharaa has other priorities, foremost among them
consolidating his authority in Damascus and across his fragmented country. It
would be unwise for him to succumb to the temptation of opening a new Lebanese
front. Even with Ankara's backing, he simply lacks the means to pursue an
ambitious regional policy.
Let us find another solution!
(1) Sam Pope, "Envoy from Cairo Ousted by Beirut; Lebanese Say He Had Been
Plotting with Rebels," The New York Times, July 21, 1958.
(2) Le Monde, "The UAR Ambassador to Lebanon Resumes His Duties," November 6,
1958.
فيديو مراسيم دفن المغفور له جورج بركات في فرنسا ونص كلمة
الرثاء التي ألقاها أخيه الكولنيل شربل بركات/Video: Messe funéraire de Georges
Barakat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBV2pUDH7ZA&t=250s
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156368/
Éloge funèbre pour George Rizkallah Barakat
Colonel Charbel Barakat/August 01/2026
Chers parents, chers amis, chers habitants d’Ain Ebel, de Sainte Cana, du Liban
et de toute la diaspora,
We are gathered today to pay our final respects to a truly exceptional man: a
pioneer, a builder, a visionary — but above all, a beloved brother, a devoted
husband, and a loving father: George Rizkallah Barakat.
جورج… “شيخ الشباب”… بالفعل مش بالحكي…
Ô toi, le voyageur au cœur noble, toujours prêt à tracer de nouvelles voies…
Brave aventurier que rien ne faisait reculer, tu as été guidé toute ta vie par
la passion de l’action, la rigueur de l’esprit, le sens du devoir et cette soif
insatiable de donner et de bâtir.
Depuis ton plus jeune âge à Ain Ebel, sur ces collines de la Galilée des Nations
bénies par le Seigneur, tu révélais déjà ton âme de leader en fondant «l’Union
Unie » الاتحاد المتحد ” ” avec tes camarades. Ton ambition t’a ensuite mené très
tôt vers la France, première école de ton indépendance, de ton savoir et de ton
esprit d’aventure.
De retour au Liban, tu as poursuivi tes études à Antoura, puis au Collège
Patriarcal, avant d’obtenir ta licence en droit à l’Université Saint-Joseph. Tu
as enseigné en Libye, puis, devançant constamment ton époque, tu es parti en
Suisse dompter l’informatique dès les premiers balbutiements de cette
technologie.
Rien ne pouvait freiner ton élan. Quand la guerre s’est abattue sur le Liban et
t’a contraint à quitter l’usine que tu dirigeais, tu refusas la résignation. Tu
t’es envolé vers le Golfe et les Émirats arabes unis pour ouvrir de nouveaux
horizons.
كان جورج دائماً الأول… أول من أدخل الفيديو إلى الإمارات اضافة إلى مشاريع أخرى،
وأول من فكر بوضع رؤية اقتصادية وزراعية متطورة للنهوض بقرى الجنوب وعين إبل، تُسهم
في رفع مستوى المزارعين ودعمهم.
A peerless visionary, he was among the very first to understand the crucial role
of UNIFIL in the region. Committed to working alongside UN forces from the very
beginning, he held key responsibilities within the organization before extending
this strategic collaboration through his own enterprises.
He was a man ahead of his time, transforming every obstacle into an opportunity
and leaving an indelible mark of excellence wherever he went.
Pourtant, malgré le succès, les affaires et les distances, ton cœur n’a jamais
quitté ta terre. Le Liban est demeuré cette blessure sacrée… Et Ain Ebel, le
berceau de toutes tes nostalgies. Tu n’as jamais détourné le regard de ton
village, veillant toujours sur ses oliviers et la pureté de son huile.
Dès mon plus jeune âge, tu m’as transmis la confiance en moi et le courage
d’oser. Tu m’as enseigné que la vie exige de la persévérance, que les chutes
comptent peu tant qu’on trouve la force de se relever. C’est toi qui as cru en
moi, s’investissant corps et âme pour publier mon tout premier livre, Madamik,
puis cet ouvrage précieux, Our Heritage, magnifiquement sublimé par les
illustrations de Maroulla.
C’est aussi grâce à ta vision audacieuse et ton amour filial pour la Vierge
Marie — un amour empreint d’une profonde modestie — qu’a germé l’idée d’un
sanctuaire d’envergure internationale pour notre village, donnant naissance à la
grâce d’Um el-Nour.
Face aux tempêtes récentes — comme la tragédie de l’explosion du port de
Beyrouth qui a si cruellement touché ton épouse — ou face à l’épreuve de la
maladie, tu as déployé une résilience héroïque. Tu as lutté jusqu’au dernier
souffle avec une immense dignité, continuant d’administrer tes projets avec
cette même précision exemplaire.
À toi, chère Nazek, la compagne de toute une vie : tu as traversé à ses côtés
toutes les saisons, demeurant son pilier et son refuge indéfectible. Ne laisse
pas la tristesse éteindre la lumière : son esprit reste gravé en toi, et le
Seigneur veille sur tes pas.
To Maya, Maroulla, and Nader: you are the proudest achievement of George and
Nazek’s journey. Carry high the legacy they built. We know you will honor his
memory with the same strength, dignity, and grace — especially dear Maroulla,
who, with the loving support of Philippe and the affection of Matheo, stood by
his side with absolute devotion until the very end.
À nos frères et sœurs, à nos cousins et cousines, à toute la famille Barakat et
Diab, ainsi qu’à toute la communauté d’Ain Ebel, nous adressons nos condoléances
les plus sincères.
George, quiconque a croisé ton chemin garde de toi le souvenir d’un homme
d’exception. Les deux tableaux que tu m’as transmis par l’intermédiaire de Rita
lors de sa dernière visite resteront des témoignages précieux de ta mémoire et
de ton affection.
Tu as toujours vécu et œuvré avec modestie, sans jamais rechercher le paraître
ni les honneurs. Tu as lutté sans relâche pour accomplir la mission confiée par
le Maître de la moisson. En ce jour saint où tu rejoins Saint Charbel et Saint
Élie, tu te tiens debout devant le Seigneur, revêtu de la dignité des justes.
سوف يستقبلك رب الحصاد بفرح عظيم، فأنت تحمل معك الكثير من الوزنات المضاعفة، بروحك
الطيبة ومحبتك وعطائك. صلاتنا إلى الله أن يدخلك فرح سيدك.
May your soul rest in eternal peace.
وداعاً يا شيخ الشباب… وليكن ذكرك مؤبداً
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on August 01-02/2026
Iran’s Ghalibaf reveals details from the first hours
after Khamenei’s killing
Al Arabiya English/01 August ,2026
Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has told
his accounts of the immediate events behind the scenes following the death of
Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28, Al Arabiya reported.
According to him, those in charge of the country knew about the strike on
Khamenei’s residence an hour after it had taken place.
“Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death was confirmed an hour after the bombing,”
Ghalibaf said during a meeting with the Coordination Council of the Iranian
Shura Council.
“We decided to coordinate the announcement of the news at dawn and the call to
the masses to take to the streets with Ali Larijani,” he said according to the
official Iranian news agency IRNA.Ghalibaf added that by the time the heads of
all three authorities in question and Larijani arrived, it was already 8pm, so
they decided to announce Khamenei’s death the next morning and “quickly
dispersed.” However, as “foreign media” had already reported Khamenei’s death,
he contacted Larijani late at night to coordinate his efforts with him. “We
realized that proceeding with the previous plan was no longer possible, so Ali
Larijani and I made the decision to announce the news at dawn and call on the
people to take to the streets,” he said adding that had they not made that
decision “the situation on the street would have taken a different path.” Israel
and the US began launching strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Ali Khamenei was killed
in one of those strikes the very same day, followed by many other high-ranking
leaders and commanders in Iran who also died in strikes. He was succeeded by his
son Mojtaba Khamenei who, until now, has remained hidden from the public eye and
whose statements to the public have been read out on TV by presenters on his
behalf.
Reports: US, Israel planning heavy strikes on Iran energy
targets
Agence France Presse/August 01/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to hit Iran "very hard," as U.S.
media reported he was considering renewed heavy attacks as soon as this weekend,
including against energy infrastructure targets. After more than five months of
war, which began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched
strikes on Iran, there is seemingly no end to the conflict, with resumed
tit-for-tat attacks. "We'll be hitting him very hard and, you know, at some
point they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore'," Trump said Friday
as he hosted a cabinet meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in
Maryland. The Wall Street Journal later reported that Trump had ordered a fresh
attack aimed at convincing Tehran to surrender, which could begin as soon as
this weekend, citing unnamed U.S. officials. CBS News meanwhile reported that
the United States and Israel were planning joint strikes on energy-related
targets, possibly throughout the weekend. Such targets would likely be oil
refineries and power plants.Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran's
vital infrastructure throughout the war, vowing last week to destroy a bridge or
power plant plant every time ships in the vital Strait of Hormuz are attacked.
The president had not yet given the green light for the campaign, but Israel and
the US were coordinating, CBS said, citing multiple unnamed sources. The report
comes just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited
Washington and met with Trump and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Some White
House aides voiced strong objections to the plan at the cabinet meeting, the CBS
report said. If the plan went forward, it would mark the first time that Israel
has joined in attacks on Iran since the initial phase of the war.
Iran military accuses US of 'escalating tensions' in region
Agence France Presse/August 01/2026
Iran's military accused the United States of "escalating tensions" in the Middle
East on Saturday and warned countries in the region against cooperating with
Washington during the ongoing conflict. "The United States is rapidly moving
down the path of escalating tensions in the region," said Ali Abdollahi, head of
Iran's military central command. "Any country serving as defensive shield for
criminal and aggressive America will be engulfed by the flames of war," he said
in a statement read on state television. The remarks came after U.S. President
Donald Trump reiterated threats to hit Iran "very hard".U.S. media reported he
was considering renewed heavy attacks as soon as this weekend, including against
energy infrastructure targets. This week, Iran and the
U.S. resumed overnight exchanges of fire after a days-long lull in fighting
although there were no reported strikes overnight Friday to Saturday.
The Middle East war broke out on February 28 when the United States and Israel
launched strikes on Iran, which has retaliated with missile and drone strikes
across the region.
US embassies urge citizens to ‘consider departing’ Middle
East
AFP/01 August ,2026
US embassies in several Middle Eastern capitals warned American citizens to
beware an “unforeseen escalation” in the regional conflict and urged them to be
ready to leave. “Americans in the region should
consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation,” said a
security alert, versions of which were posted on social media by the US missions
in Amman, Jerusalem, Muscat, Baghdad and Beirut. The
messages urged citizens to check flight details and to follow safety advice from
local authorities. “Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise
caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight
cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions,” it
said. Americans in Jordan were told not to visit US military bases there, which
have recently come under Iranian missile attack, and in Israel they were urged
to seek the location of the nearest bomb shelter. “The Iranian regime is
unpredictable, as seen by its recent decisions to attack areas in the region
without warning or provocations as well as to expand attacks to areas not
previously targeted (such as Egypt),” said a post on the US Embassy Jerusalem
site. The US embassy in Beirut said that the mission remained on “ordered
departure status,” meaning that non-emergency US government personnel were still
relocated outside of Lebanon. On Wednesday a drone struck a US-owned gas vessel
moored in an Egyptian port, causing a fire. Egypt is investigating but has not
yet accused any group of launching the attack. Iran’s military, meanwhile, has
accused Washington of “escalating tensions” in the region, and warned: “Any
country serving as defensive shield for criminal and aggressive America will be
engulfed by the flames of war.”This week, Iran and the US resumed overnight
exchanges of fire after a days-long lull in fighting although there were no
reported strikes overnight Friday to Saturday. The Middle East war broke out on
February 28 when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, which
has retaliated with missile and drone strikes across the region.
Kuwait air defenses intercept Iranian drones, material
damage recorded
Al Arabiya English/01 August ,2026
The Kuwaiti Amry says it destroyed drones from Iran since dawn on Saturday,
resulting in explosions from the interceptions. The Kuwaiti Amry says that the
latest Iran attack targeted vital facilities including a government facility in
the north, and civilian vehicles on Bubiyan Island resulting in material damage
due to falling shrapnel.
UKMTO reports explosions targeting two tankers near Oman
Reuters/01 August ,2026
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Saturday it
received a report of an incident 21 nautical miles northeast of Oman’s Khasab,
where the master of a tanker saw a large splash and an explosion in close
proximity to the vessel.
No damage to the vessel had been reported, UKMTO said. It follows an earlier
“unknown projectile” that struck another tanker off the coast of Oman, according
to the UKMTO. The vessel reported it was “struck by an
unknown projectile which has caused damage to the engine room.”No injuries were
reported in the incident, which occurred 12.5 miles off the coast of Lima, Oman,
according to the agency.Iran has effectively maintained control over navigation
through Hormuz since the outbreak of the war on February 28, requiring vessels
to obtain permission and pay transit fees before using the waterway. Iran’s IRGC
have attacked and stopped a number of vessels attempting to transit Hormuz,
insisting in recent days Iran has “full control” of the waterway.Maritime trade
tracking firm Kpler said on Friday that traffic through Hormuz has dropped
“sharply.” “With US and Iranian public positions still at odds, operators are
closely monitoring traffic volumes, routing behavior and any diplomatic
developments that could reshape risk across regional shipping lanes in the days
ahead,” the firm said on X.
Trump says Israel ‘very happy’ with Gaza disarmament agreement
Reuters/01 August ,2026
President Donald Trump said Friday that Israel was “very happy” with an
agreement reached by the Board of Peace for the complete disarmament of Hamas
and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza. “We do have an understanding with
Israel. Israel is very happy about it. Israel helped us, and they’ve been very
good,” Trump said.“Will it go through its ups and downs? It’s a very complex
situation over there.”Trump called the agreement a major breakthrough, saying
nobody had thought it would be possible to disarm Hamas. “It’s a big step for
the Middle East, and people are really impressed by it, and they’re surprised by
it.”On Thursday, Trump called the deal a “major milestone in the implementation
of the Trump 20-Point Plan” to end Israel’s war in Gaza.The president also said
the deal would be carried out in phases, with Israeli forces withdrawing as
disarmament proceeds and an International Stabilization Force working with a new
Palestinian police force to secure the enclave.
Israeli strikes kill two in Gaza, destroy medicine storage
warehouses
Reuters/01 August ,2026
Israel’s military on Saturday killed two Palestinians in Gaza and destroyed two
warehouses near a hospital that stored medicine in separate strikes, amid
uncertainty over whether Israel has accepted a deal reached with Hamas over the
group’s disarmament. Palestinian health officials said
two Palestinians were killed in the Sheikh Radwan area of Gaza City in central
Gaza in an Israeli air strike. The military said those targeted were Hamas
militants but declined to provide further details.In an earlier incident, an
Israeli air strike destroyed two warehouses that were used to store medicine by
the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in southern Gaza, the Palestinian
health ministry in Gaza said in a statement. Several
hours after the strike, the Israeli military said it had struck a Hamas hideout
near the hospital which the group used to store weapons. Other sites in Gaza
that it said were used by Hamas to store arms were also struck, a military
statement said. The military said the strikes were
directed by the Shin Bet intelligence agency. It did not disclose any evidence
to support the claim that Hamas was storing weapons at any of the sites.Reuters
footage of the Deir al-Balah strike showed a crater several metres wide marking
the site of the explosion, with debris strewn across the area, including what
appeared to be medical supplies, close to a densely packed tent encampment.Two
other warehouses storing medicine and the hospital’s outpatient clinic were
damaged in the strike. There were no immediate reports of any injuries. The
hospital said the warehouses had stored essential medical supplies used to treat
kidney failure patients undergoing dialysis, along with other materials like
gauze used in wound care and routine treatment. “The
Israeli occupation has committed a heinous crime,” Khalil al-Daqran, a doctor at
the hospital, said of the strike. “In the middle of the night, (the military)
targeted a warehouse containing medical supplies for the hospital, and the
occupation completely destroyed it,” he told Reuters.
Witnesses said the military had issued an evacuation warning for the area before
carrying out the strike.Hospitals and other civilian sites are protected under
international humanitarian law, although that protection can be lost if they are
used for military purposes. Israel’s military says Hamas and other armed groups
operate from within civilian areas and facilities.Fatima Sharab, a displaced
Palestinian sheltering in a camp near the warehouses, said many people requiring
medical care had been sheltering in the area to be close to the hospital.
“The strike hit, then we went back to the camp — there was no camp,” she
said. Israel has continued to carry out strikes on
Gaza since agreeing last October to a US-mediated ceasefire, killing 1,222
Palestinians in the past nine months. Palestinian health officials say most of
those killed have been civilians, including women and children. Hamas rarely
announces its casualties. US President Donald Trump on Thursday appeared to
announce a breakthrough in his plan to end the war, which both Israel and Hamas
agreed to last year and which started with the ceasefire. Trump said that Hamas,
which ruled Gaza for nearly two decades before carrying out the October 7, 2023,
attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, had agreed to lay down its
weapons. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is yet to comment publicly,
while his National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called the agreement
unacceptable and said that Israel must continue to carry out its policy of
assassinating Hamas leaders.Trump’s Board of Peace, appointed to implement his
plan for ending the Gaza war, released a roadmap on Thursday outlining the final
steps for carrying out the initiative. The document states that Israel will
cease military operations as part of its commitment to Trump’s 20-point plan,
which it signed last year.
EU grapples with migrant crisis in Spain's N. Africa enclave
Agence France Presse/August 01/2026
France and Italy bolstered border controls on Saturday after about 60,000 people
crossed into Spain's enclave in North Africa, sparking one of the largest
migrant crises for the European Union in recent years. The migrants entered
Ceuta from Morocco, the enclave's regional president Juan Jesus Vivas told
reporters, but by Friday evening officials said more than 48,000 had returned.
To cross into Ceuta, many swam around a small border barrier that juts out into
the Mediterranean. At least 34 people died in the attempt. The sudden influx
sparked an international crisis. France tightened checks on its border with
Spain and said it would increase its police presence there fivefold to 334
officers and gendarmes by Saturday. Italy announced it
had suspended its Schengen agreement with Spain allowing for visa-free movement
between borders. Italian officials said the suspension would take effect on
Saturday and last for one month. Several European countries suggested Spain's
membership in the Schengen free movement zone should be suspended, though
Spain's foreign minister said integrity of the zone was "guaranteed". Across the
Atlantic, U.S. President Donald Trump led far-right efforts to seize on the
crossing to advance hardline immigration policies.
'Trafficking mafias' -
Madrid rushed troops, more police, drones, divers and boats to the outpost that
it has run for centuries as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his interior
minister visited on Friday. Overnight into Saturday,
AFP journalists observed groups of young people wandering the beaches and
streets of Ceuta. Dozens of men slept on the sand. There was a massive police
and military presence in the area, and some young people were seen turning back,
saying "adios" or "goodbye" to officers before crossing over the border to
Morocco. Inside the city, shops were closed and annual
fiestas were cancelled. "It's catastrophic," said Mohammed, a local taxi driver
and Ceuta resident. "Sure, we sympathise with them -- they're having a terrible
time in their own country, and all that -- but this isn't the way to enter a
place, nor is it a way to live."Previous migrant surges have occurred during
tensions between Spain and Morocco. Sanchez visited Algiers on July 20 -- the
first such visit by a Spanish head of government in four years -- marking a thaw
in relations with Morocco's rival Algeria. But it was
not clear if there was any connection between that visit and this latest influx.
In Ceuta, Sanchez blamed the surge on people-traffickers spreading rumors
about a Spanish Supreme Court ruling this month that irregular migrants arriving
by sea could not be immediately returned. "What has emerged from our talks with
Moroccan authorities is that trafficking mafias took a self-serving
interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling," he said.
Diplomatic fallout
Fears of the crowds entering EU member states sparked diplomatic fallout.EU
chief Ursula von der Leyen called the scenes at Ceuta "unacceptable"."We cannot
allow anyone to come to our (European) Union without abiding by our rules," she
said on social media.Finland and Denmark on Friday backed Italy's moves, while
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz demanded Morocco "take back illegal migrants
immediately". France and Britain said they stood ready to help Spain with the
sudden surge, even as France tightened border checks.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said he was considering reinforcing
border checks but saw no need to suspend Spain from the Schengen zone. Trump,
meanwhile, warned: "It looks like an invasion of a country by hundreds of
thousands of people, and that same thing's going to happen to us if the
Republicans don't get elected, except worse, much bigger."
Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares tried to allay fears, saying it was
"not possible to travel from Ceuta and Melilla to the Peninsula without
identifying oneself at a police checkpoint," referring to Spain's two North
African enclaves."Enough of this deliberate confusion".
Successive crises
Ceuta, a territory of 18.5 square kilometers (seven square miles), and the
nearby enclave of Melilla are Europe's only two land borders with
Africa.Morocco's authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the
flow of migrants. During a similar surge in 2021, more than 10,000 migrants
reached Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco over the course of two days during a
diplomatic spat between the two countries. The row erupted after Spain decided
to host for medical treatment a leader of the Polisario Front, whose guerillas
fought a long war with Rabat over the independence of the Western Sahara region.
The crisis ended in 2022 when Madrid reversed its long-standing policy of
neutrality and backed Morocco's plan for Western Sahara -- a move that had
caused a diplomatic rift between Madrid and Algiers.
Explosion near Moscow cafe kills three: Police
LBCI/August 01/2026
An explosion Saturday near a Moscow cafe killed at least three people and
wounded another 15, police said, without saying what caused the blast. "From the
information we have, an explosion happened today at around 8:10 p.m. (1710 GMT)
near a summer cafe, causing three deaths and 15 injuries, of varying degrees of
seriousness," Moscow police told state news agency Ria Novosti.AFP
EU ministers to hold video meeting over Ceuta on Tuesday: Official
LBCI/August 01/2026
EU ministers will hold video talks to discuss the Ceuta migrant surge on
Tuesday, officials said on Saturday. "As Presidency holders, Ireland will
convene a meeting on Tuesday of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council... to
discuss developments in Ceuta," Micheal Martin, Prime Minister of Ireland, which
currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said in a post on X.
AFP
The Latest LCCC analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published
on August 01-02/2026
The UN and EU's Horrific Appeasement of the Iranian Regime's Tyranny,
Betrayal of the Iranian People
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/August 01/2026
The regime is murdering its youth, including two young men who were only
offering help to fleeing protesters. At least 26 people linked to those protests
have been hanged after trials marked by torture and forced confessions, while
dozens more – in a terror state determined to instill fear – remain at urgent
risk.
The only countries taking meaningful action, or even expressing disapproval of
this regime and its atrocities, are the United States and Israel. The United
Nations and the European Union, which endlessly lecture the world about human
rights and vilify Israel for defending not only itself but them, have offered
effectively no objections.
The "No to Execution Tuesdays" campaign has spread to nearly 60 prisons across
Iran, marking over 130 consecutive weeks of protest. The prisoners know the
risks of protesting — further isolation, denial of medical care, or accelerated
hangings — nonetheless they refuse to stay silent.
Contrast this to the swift, fierce international outcry whenever Israel defends
itself and Western civilization against barbarities. You will find an unfailing
avalanche of pompous statements, condemnations and resolutions. When Iran
executes protesters in public squares, tortures prisoners, and arms Russia's war
machine, the response consists of muted expressions of "grave concern." The UN
issues calls for moratoriums, which Iran, of course, ignores.
Iranian embassies and consulates remain open across Europe; European diplomats
continue operating in Tehran. Diplomatic relations proceed as if the regime were
a normal partner rather than an outsized human rights abuser and massive state
sponsor of terrorism.
Concrete action requires, first, expelling all Iranian diplomats and closing
down all Iranian embassies and consulates in Europe. These facilities, which
simply function as operational bases for the IRGC and intelligence networks,
must be shut down.
Second, European countries should simultaneously close their own embassies in
Iran and impose a complete halt to trade with Iran. A civilized country does not
do business with a tyranny that publicly hangs protesters, runs show trials, and
tortures prisoners.
Third, provide full support — particularly military and economic where needed —
to the United States and Israel in confronting Iran's regime. This is not merely
a regional dispute; Iran is dedicated to bringing down democracy, freedom, and
international peace. Iran's regime exports nothing but a theocratic
dictatorship, terror and death.
The regime is murdering its youth, including two young men who were only
offering help to fleeing protesters. At least 26 people linked to those protests
have been hanged after trials marked by torture and forced confessions, while
dozens more – in a terror state determined to instill fear – remain at urgent
risk.
The number of executions in Iran has surged dramatically in 2026, accompanied by
widespread human rights violations: torture, sham trials, and the systematic
repression of dissent.
Iranian authorities have carried out hundreds of executions so far, and it is
only August. There were more than 100 in June, with the total climbing past 420
by late July, according to Iran Human Rights and other monitors. Recently a
gallows was erected in Isfahan's public square. Many of these executions appear
to be politically motivated, targeting participants in the January 2026 protests
that challenged the regime.
The regime is murdering its youth, including two young men who were only
offering help to fleeing protesters. At least 26 people linked to those protests
have been hanged after trials marked by torture and forced confessions, while
dozens more – in a terror state determined to instill fear – remain at urgent
risk.
The only countries taking meaningful action, or even expressing disapproval of
this regime and its atrocities, are the United States and Israel. The United
Nations and the European Union, which endlessly lecture the world about human
rights and vilify Israel for defending not only itself but them, have offered
effectively no objections.
Their inaction, of course, assures Iran's regime that mass killings of its own
people and support for global terrorism carry no real cost.
On July 28, authorities publicly hanged Amir Hossein Safari and Abolfazl Sepahi
in Esfahan's Alikhani Square. Amnesty International described the proceedings as
grossly unfair, with allegations of torture and no proper access to defense. Two
others from the same case had already been executed on July 19. In one of the
first significant public displays of defiance in months, crowds gathered near
the site and chanted "shameless" and "without honor" before security forces
forcibly dispersed them.
Inside Iranian prisons, courageous resistance continues. At Ghezel Hesar, Iran's
largest prison, roughly 1,500 death-row inmates have been on hunger strike for
weeks against the rising executions. Some, holding placards reading "No to
Executions," have sewn their lips shut.
The "No to Execution Tuesdays" campaign has spread to nearly 60 prisons across
Iran, marking over 130 consecutive weeks of protest. The prisoners know the
risks of protesting — further isolation, denial of medical care, or accelerated
hangings — nonetheless they refuse to stay silent.
Beyond its domestic brutality, Iran's regime is still actively fueling wars
abroad. It supplies Russia with drones, missiles, and related technology to use
against Ukraine. Iran has long provided Shahed drones and ballistic missiles to
inflict crushing destruction on Ukrainian cities and civilians. This is the same
Iranian regime that the EU and UN treat with diplomatic obsequiousness.
Contrast this to the swift, fierce international outcry whenever Israel defends
itself and Western civilization against barbarities. You will find an unfailing
avalanche of pompous statements, condemnations and resolutions. When Iran
executes protesters in public squares, tortures prisoners, and arms Russia's war
machine, the response consists of muted expressions of "grave concern." The UN
issues calls for moratoriums, which Iran, of course, ignores.
In 2025, EU-Iran goods trade totaled approximately €3.7 billion, with EU exports
around €3 billion and imports €750 million. Germany led with over €1.1 billion
in bilateral trade, followed by Italy and the Netherlands. Even as Iran has
supported aggression against Ukraine, mass-murdered protesters in January and
then accelerated executions, robust trade with the EU persisted.
Iranian embassies and consulates remain open across Europe; European diplomats
continue operating in Tehran. Diplomatic relations proceed as if the regime were
a normal partner rather than an outsized human rights abuser and massive state
sponsor of terrorism.
Iran, as European leaders well knows, has a documented history of terror attacks
and assassination plots in Europe. These terrorist acts target dissidents,
journalists, Jewish communities, as well as senior officials. Plots involving
diplomats and proxies have been foiled, such as the 2018 plot to bomb the Free
Iran rally, organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, near Paris.
The gathering drew tens of thousands of people, including high-profile attendees
such as former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former US House Speaker Newt
Gingrich, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and countless European
parliamentarians and officials.
An Iranian diplomat, Assadollah Assadi, was later convicted in Belgium of
masterminding the plot. He had smuggled explosives into Europe and handed them
to operatives to detonate in the crowd. The plot was thwarted thanks to
intelligence cooperation, including from Israel's Mossad, but it revealed once
again how Iran uses its diplomatic presence for terrorism. Iranian embassies
have long served as platforms to enable Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC) and intelligence services.
The United States and Israel have confronted Iran's nuclear ambitions, regional
aggression, and support for terror groups. The EU has largely stood aside. This
will be remembered as one of the EU's most shameful periods from among shameful
periods that have become too numerous to count. Institutions that once could
claim the moral high ground on human rights have refused to act against a regime
that executes, tortures, and destabilizes the West. Appeasement, as they well
know from the 1930s, only emboldens aggressors.
Concrete action requires, first, expelling all Iranian diplomats and closing
down all Iranian embassies and consulates in Europe. These facilities, which
simply function as operational bases for the IRGC and intelligence networks,
must be shut down.
Second, European countries should simultaneously close their own embassies in
Iran and impose a complete halt to trade with Iran. A civilized country does not
do business with a tyranny that publicly hangs protesters, runs show trials, and
tortures prisoners.
Third, provide full support — particularly military and economic where needed —
to the United States and Israel in confronting Iran's regime. This is not merely
a regional dispute; Iran is dedicated to bringing down democracy, freedom, and
international peace. Iran's regime exports nothing but a theocratic
dictatorship, terror and death.
The Iranian people have shown extraordinary courage in the streets and in the
prisons. They deserve more than empty statements. The UN and EU, so quick to
lecture and to criticize those who actually confront Iran's regime, must stop
empowering it through inaction and continued ties. Unless Europe finally severs
diplomatic and trade relations, supports those who are fighting the regime, and
treats the Iranian regime as the terrorist entity it is, this chapter will stand
as a lasting stain. The people of Iran will remember.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22761/eu-iran-appeasementhttps://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22761/eu-iran-appeasement
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and
board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on
the US foreign policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
*Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Middle Israel: No one needs a tyrannical Turkey with F-35 fighter jets
Jerusalem Post/August 01/026
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-904175
No one needs a tyrannical Turkey: not the Arabs, not the Jews,
not the Europeans, not the Americans, and not the rest of the world.
‘The bomber will always get through,” said British statesman Stanley Baldwin in
autumn 1932, when many thought the fighter plane obviated the need for large
ground forces. Future wars refuted that thinking, but the quality of a country’s
air force remains a vehicle of its military power and political sway.
That is why Turkey’s quest to obtain the world’s best fighter jet, the
American-made F-35, is a major international issue involving not only Ankara and
Washington, but also Athens, Jerusalem, the Arab world, and every Western
country. All these have a variety of reasons to view this deal as a threat, but
one reason should trump the rest.
The Turkish army is one of the world’s largest and finest, with more than 2,200
battle tanks, some 250 fighter jets, roughly 100 combat vessels, and nearly 1
million well-trained troops. A successor to the military that conquered the
Ottoman Empire’s tri-continental realms, this army underpinned the modern
republic that vowed to bury its Ottoman prehistory.
Turkey was thus a natural cofounder of NATO. It bordered the Soviet Union, the
successor to Turkey’s historic enemy, Russia, and it shared the West’s fear of
communism’s advance. And that is where the first reason to resist the F-35 deal
comes in.
Yes, communism is gone, but Russia is alive and kicking. Occupying a swathe of
Ukraine, Moscow treats the West as a rival and casts a shadow over its European
heartland. That’s not how today’s Turkey sees things.
Set aside its refusal to join Washington’s anti-Russian trade sanctions; in
2017, Ankara signed a $2.5 billion deal to buy Russia’s S-400 air-defense
system. That’s not what you do if you want to be America’s ally. Owning these
missiles while flying Uncle Sam’s best fighter jet can help the Russians improve
their anti-aircraft weapons’ response to its American challenges.
What would the consequences of giving Turjey F-35s be?
Still, the F-35 deal’s American consequences dwarf its meaning for Turkey’s
neighbors, first of all the Greeks.
“Greece will not be pleased if the United States decides to sell the F-35
fighter jets to Turkey,” Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said this month in
Athens. That’s an understatement. Turkey is Greece’s historic enemy, the one
that in 1974 molested predominantly Greek Cyprus, and still occupies its north.
There is constant military tension between Ankara and Athens, traditionally
tempered by NATO, to which they both belong. But that was before Donald Trump.
Having repeatedly called into question NATO’s right to life, Trump doubtfully
understands what countries like Turkey and Greece mean to each other, or indeed
for the US. As he sees things, what matters is that Turkish President Erdogan
“is a close friend of mine” and that “Turkey is a very strong country.”
One wonders what that “close” friendship actually is. Erdogan doesn’t play golf,
drink, or womanize. How, then, did he become Trump’s buddy? Late-night
sign-language conversations between a man who speaks only Turkish and another
who speaks only English? Who knows?
What we do know is that a bolstered Turkish air force is a problem not only for
Greece and Washington, but also for Turkey’s bigger neighbor, the Arab world.
It is now 23 years since Turkey pivoted from Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s European
orientation to Erdogan’s Middle Eastern alternative. It began with a
much-heralded offer of a Turkish-Arab free-trade zone. It was a seemingly
harmless idea, but its main addressees – the rich Gulf states and populous Egypt
– smelled a neo-Ottoman imperialism and said, “No thanks.”
Arab governments, then, also don’t want to see a reinforced Turkish military
brandishing a fleet of F-35s. Israel’s problem is in the same vein, except its
fear is not about the traumas from the Ottoman past. It’s about here and now, as
Turkey openly hosts, aids, and justifies Israel’s most brazen enemy, Hamas,
ignoring its open demand that Israel cease to exist, and its leaders’ vows to
repeat the kind of massacre they carried out on October 7, 2023.
Turkey's encroaching threat to Israel
Having turned Syria into its proxy, Turkey now effectively borders Israel while
wielding a vast army and spewing antisemitic vitriol day in and day out. Even
so, the main reason to stem Ankara’s military growth is not its regional
bullyism, but its religious zeal.
Under its current leadership, the country that was once a paragon of secular
governance has since strayed to religious reaction.
On the anecdotal side, this counterrevolution meant, among other things, lifting
Ataturk’s ban on wearing headscarves in public institutions, and fighting
alcohol consumption by imposing heavy sales taxes on its consumers.
On the substantive side, this transition meant funding a network of more than
4,000 Islamist junior high schools, while more than one-tenth of Turkish
teenagers were tracked to Islamist high schools that received more than twice
the budgets of regular schools. This is how the Islamist supremacism that
threatens Western civilization and international harmony is incubated.
“The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets / The minarets our bayonets
and the faithful our soldiers,” wrote Erdogan before he rose to power. Such was
the Islamist zeal of the man who would later call the Jewish state
“bloodsucking,” while multiplying Turkey’s jailed population from 50,000 in 2002
to more than 400,000 today, most of them political prisoners, including
opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu.
No one needs such a tyrannical Turkey: not the Arabs, not the Jews, not the
Europeans, not the Americans and not the rest of mankind, not to mention the
Turks themselves, even without the world’s best fighter jets, let alone with
them.
www.MiddleIsrael.net
*The writer, a Hartman Institute fellow, is the author of the bestseller, The
Jewish March of Folly (Yedioth Books 2026), now available in English on Amazon.
Battle to dismantle Iran’s IRGC geography: From Yemen to
the Levant
Raghida Dergham/Al ASrabiya English/02 August/2026
The question today is no longer whether Donald Trump will choose war or
negotiations with Iran. That door remains ajar, opened and closed according to
his political calculations and mercurial instincts. The world has grown weary of
this dangerous cycle. The real contest unfolding alongside the wait for a
presidential decision is not the overthrow of the regime in Tehran but the
dismantling of the geopolitical architecture the IRGC has built over four
decades. The measure of success will not be military strikes or another round of
negotiations. It will be determined in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon, where
the new American strategy is being tested and where Iran’s ability to preserve
its regional influence will ultimately be decided. The IRGC remains the true
center of power in Iran’s regional project. It commands the proxies, directs the
militias, and defines the priorities of confrontation. Washington’s Departments
of State, Defense, and Treasury increasingly treat these arenas not as separate
files but as one interconnected strategic theater. That is the approach of
Donald Trump’s national security team, in contrast to the Witkoff-Kushner camp,
which continues to press the president to focus narrowly on a Hormuz agreement
while postponing every other issue, from Iran’s nuclear ambitions and missile
program to its regional proxies.Iraq has become the pivotal arena in this shift.
Its importance extends beyond geography. It is the bridge linking the Gulf to
Syria and Lebanon, making every effort to reintegrate Iraq into its Arab
environment a direct challenge to the foundations of Iranian influence.
Saudi-Iraqi relations have therefore entered a decisive phase. The issue
is no longer limited to investment or economic cooperation but has become part
of the effort to construct a new regional balance. Tehran understands that
losing Iraq politically would represent a strategic defeat for its broader
regional project, which explains why IRGC-linked factions have sought to
obstruct Iraq’s opening toward Saudi Arabia. Last
week’s reported joint American-Saudi military operations against Iraqi factions
affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard marked an important strategic
development. Saudi Arabia has moved beyond containing escalation toward
participating in collective deterrence designed to protect regional security and
maritime routes. It reflects a broader reassessment of the assumption that
avoiding confrontation would prevent Iranian retaliation. Experience has
demonstrated otherwise.Yemen has become the most urgent test. The Houthis are no
longer merely an Iranian proxy operating inside Yemen. They have evolved into a
strategic instrument capable of threatening international navigation through the
Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Tehran seeks to compensate for any loss of leverage in the
Strait of Hormuz by creating an equivalent pressure point in the Red Sea.
The international effort to protect maritime navigation therefore extends well
beyond safeguarding commercial shipping. Its strategic objective is to prevent
the Revolutionary Guard from reproducing the Hormuz model in Bab al-Mandeb
through its Houthi proxy.
Syria represents the decisive link in Iran’s land corridor to the Mediterranean.
The issue is no longer the interception of individual weapons shipments but
preventing the reconstruction of the logistical network that connected Iran to
Hezbollah through Syrian territory for years.
Turkey has consequently become an indispensable partner in stabilizing Syria and
preventing the return of that corridor. As this reality becomes more firmly
established, Lebanon’s future grows increasingly tied to developments inside
Syria. President Joseph Aoun’s visit to Turkey should therefore be understood in
this broader strategic context, particularly regarding border security and
preventing Syrian territory from once again serving as the logistical lifeline
sustaining Hezbollah. Tehran is likely to compensate for the loss of the Syrian
corridor by activating its allied factions inside Iraq to destabilize Syria or
reopen older channels of influence. This represents one of Damascus’s most
serious challenges and one it is preparing to confront through coordination with
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United States.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s visit to Baghdad reflected more than economic
cooperation. It pointed toward a new relationship between two states confronting
the same challenge: consolidating state authority, establishing the state’s
monopoly over arms, strengthening Arab partnerships, and combating entrenched
corruption.
If the Revolutionary Guard succeeds in preserving its political, economic, and
military dominance over Iraq through allied factions and systemic corruption,
responsibility will rest not only with Tehran but also with Washington, whose
post-2003 policies dismantled Iraq’s institutions and opened the way for Iranian
penetration.Today Iraqi oil revenues continue to pass through New York before
reaching Baghdad. The corruption exposed in this process is a profound failure
for Iraqi officials, but it also raises difficult questions for American
authorities that were aware of how these financial mechanisms benefited the
Islamic Republic. Washington should seriously examine whether Iraqi oil revenues
can continue flowing unchanged if they are used to finance armed groups aligned
with the Revolutionary Guard. Iran retains significant instruments of influence,
and the Revolutionary Guard remains capable of activating its proxies across
multiple fronts. Yet the central issue is no longer confined to uranium
enrichment or another negotiating round. The contest now concerns the geography
through which Iranian influence has been projected across the region.
The Islamic Republic continues to regard its proxy network as strategically
inseparable from its nuclear program, missile arsenal, and drone capabilities.
Assuming that dismantling this regional structure will be easy would be a
serious misreading of the challenge, even if Iran’s Syrian architecture
collapsed with remarkable speed after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Hezbollah has become the weakest link, particularly after Hamas’s
military collapse in Gaza and its acceptance of disarmament. Hezbollah was once
Tehran’s principal strategic asset, extending Iranian influence to the
Mediterranean and beyond. That reality has been transformed by Iran’s strategic
losses in Syria and by the Gulf states’ increasingly explicit partnership with
the United States against IRGC-backed militias.
Israel’s sustained military pressure further constrains both Hezbollah and the
Revolutionary Guard, while Iran’s worsening financial crisis – driven by
economic pressure and restrictions on maritime trade – reduces its ability to
sustain proxy forces across the region.
The Houthis have consequently become Tehran’s most valuable remaining regional
asset. They have been equipped with missiles, drones, explosive boats, and
advanced weaponry capable not only of threatening international navigation but
also of drawing Saudi Arabia into direct confrontation.
US Central Command appears to be planning for precisely these contingencies. Its
strategy includes expanding operations against Iranian drone production and
launch facilities, recognizing drones as Tehran’s preferred low-cost weapon
against the Gulf states and Jordan. Washington is unlikely to lift maritime
pressure unless Iran retreats simultaneously on Hormuz, its nuclear program,
ballistic missiles, and regional proxies – a concession Tehran is unlikely to
make. Iran will therefore mobilize its remaining proxies, particularly the
Houthis and factions within Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units. The survival of
these proxies has become inseparable from the Revolutionary Guard’s own future.
For that reason, developments in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon will
shape the future of Iran’s regional project far more than any communiqué issued
after negotiations or any temporary ceasefire. The decisive battle now stretches
from sustained American military pressure on Revolutionary Guard command
structures inside Iran to the dismantling of the regional network Tehran
painstakingly constructed across the Arab world. It is
there – not at the negotiating table – that it will ultimately be decided
whether the Revolutionary Guard can preserve its regional architecture or
whether the Middle East has truly entered a new era in which the balance of
influence is being fundamentally redrawn.
Saudi Arabia’s maritime alliance could reshape Red Sea
security
Ammar Awad/Al ASrabiya English/02 August/2026
Saudi Arabia has taken a significant step toward establishing a new regional
maritime security framework after hosting the first meeting of the proposed
Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance, an initiative aimed at protecting
international shipping routes in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the
Gulf of Aden. The meeting, hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Defense, brought
together chiefs of staff and military representatives from regional and
international partners concerned with maritime security, freedom of navigation,
and the protection of global trade routes.
Among those attending was Sudanese Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yasser
al-Atta, alongside chiefs of staff and military representatives from
participating countries, including senior representatives from the armed forces
of the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as regional states with
strategic interests in Red Sea security.The meeting marked a significant step
toward transforming discussions on maritime security from political coordination
into an institutional framework based on cooperation among participating states.
Fourteen participating countries issued a joint statement expressing support for
the establishment of the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance and welcomed
the foundational arrangements discussed during the meeting.
The countries that announced their support included Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,
Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria,
Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia. Other participating countries also confirmed their
support for the initiative and are completing their internal procedures before
joining the joint statement. The initiative comes amid
growing international concern over threats targeting maritime security,
including attacks on commercial vessels, energy carriers, and maritime
infrastructure, which have raised risks for global supply chains and
international commerce.
Saudi Arabia has described the proposed alliance as an open defensive framework
designed to strengthen collective maritime security, protect freedom of
navigation, and enhance international cooperation against shared threats. From
maritime protection to Red Sea security architecture
The emergence of the alliance reflects a broader transformation in how the Red
Sea is viewed strategically. Once regarded primarily as a commercial corridor
linking Europe, Asia, and Africa, the Red Sea has increasingly become a central
arena where maritime security, regional stability, and geopolitical competition
intersect. The security challenges surrounding the Bab al-Mandeb Strait,
particularly following attacks on commercial shipping by the Houthi movement,
have reinforced the view that Red Sea security cannot be separated from the
wider security environment stretching from the Arabian Peninsula to the Horn of
Africa.
This development corresponds with the concept of the “Red Sea Security Arc,”
outlined in a strategic study titled:
“The Red Sea Security Arc: From Protecting Maritime Routes to Building a
Regional Stability Framework”The study argues that the future security of the
Red Sea requires a coordinated approach linking Gulf security, the Red Sea
coastline, and the Horn of Africa within a single strategic framework. It
emphasized that maritime security cannot be achieved through naval arrangements
alone, but requires the stability and participation of the coastal states
themselves, particularly Sudan, whose geographic position places it at the
intersection of the Arab world, Africa, and one of the world’s most important
maritime corridors.
Sudan’s strategic role in the emerging framework
Sudan’s participation in the meeting carries particular significance because of
its strategic location along the western Red Sea coast and its role as a bridge
between the Gulf region and the African continent. The presence of Sudanese
Chief of Staff alongside chiefs of staff and military representatives from
participating countries – including representatives from the armed forces of the
United States and the United Kingdom – represents a notable development in
Sudan’s international security engagement.
Yet Sudan’s participation is not unexpected.
As a Red Sea coastal state with one of the longest coastlines on the western
shore of the sea and a longstanding naval tradition within the Sudanese Armed
Forces, Sudan has historically been connected to maritime security concerns in
the region.
The Sudanese Armed Forces’ role in regional security has also extended beyond
its coastline. Sudan previously participated in the Saudi-led coalition
supporting the restoration of legitimate authority in Yemen, where the Houthi
movement has emerged as one of the most significant threats to maritime security
and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. The emerging
maritime security framework therefore provides Sudan with an opportunity to
reaffirm its role as a state directly connected to the stability of one of the
world’s most important maritime corridors.For Sudan, the strategic challenge is
not the restoration of state institutions, but the consolidation of their
authority and the protection of the state from competing armed structures.
Sudan’s ability to contribute effectively to Red Sea security will depend on
strengthening legitimate national institutions, securing sovereignty, and
preventing the emergence of parallel centers of power that undermine state
authority.
Broader regional approach to Red Sea stability
The emerging Red Sea security discussions are also taking place within a wider
diplomatic effort to promote regional stability. US Africa and Middle East
adviser Massad Boulos has emphasized that Washington is not seeking to build
alliances directed against specific countries, citing Ethiopia as an example,
and that the US approach is based on working with regional partners to support
stability and prevent conflict. Boulos has also participated in preliminary
regional discussions involving Eritrea and Somalia, hosted by Egypt, where
issues related to regional security, stability, and the protection of trade
routes in the Red Sea formed part of the broader agenda reflected in official
statements. This approach reflects a growing
recognition that Red Sea security cannot be achieved through exclusive blocs,
but through a network of cooperation involving coastal states and international
partners with shared interests in maritime stability.
New regional equation
The Saudi initiative suggests that the Red Sea is entering a new phase in which
maritime security is increasingly being treated as a collective international
responsibility.
The proposed alliance represents more than a military arrangement; it reflects
an attempt to build an institutional framework capable of addressing threats
affecting global commerce and regional stability.The ultimate objective of this
emerging framework is not confrontation, but stability. Peace is not merely the
outcome of security arrangements; it must be the guiding approach behind them.
Red Sea security cannot be built only by protecting ships and maritime routes,
but by creating a stable regional environment that prevents the emergence of
security vacuums exploited by armed groups and destabilizing networks.
For Sudan, the opportunity is clear: To move from being viewed only through the
lens of conflict to being recognized as a strategic coastal state capable of
contributing to the security of one of the world’s most important maritime
regions.
As the Red Sea enters a new strategic era, its geography may no longer be
defined only by competition and vulnerability, but by the possibility of
building a framework of cooperation, shared security, and sustainable peace.
Selected Face Book & X tweets
on August 01/2026
Zéna Mansour ܙܺܝܢܵܐ ܡܲܢܨܘܪ
Let’s be honest and stop hiding from reality: #Sehnaoui
represents the choice for the future. Lebanon cannot remain trapped in past
policies or keep paying the price on behalf of partisan ideologies - especially
now that it has become the last neighboring country that has not joined the
culture of peace already adopted by 11 nations in the region
Dr. Eli David
Breaking: Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu: “I call on the Spanish government to
show restraint and refrain from a disproportionate response. Only a two-state
solution can bring a long-lasting peace to Spain and to the Moroccan population
living in its occupied territories.”
Israel Army
BREAKING;
🇮🇷 Iran: "Our uranium centrifuges are buried 300 feet deep inside granite
mountains. Your air force will merely scratch the surface." 🇮🇱 Israel: "We
don't need to break the mountain. We'll simply cut off the air supply and turn
your deep fortress into a multi-million-dollar tomb."
Ambassador Mike Huckabee
This laughable new blood libel by another dim-witted actor who is as qualified
to talk about Israel as Charles Schumer is to offer tips on grilling burgers
actually blames Israel for the illegal immigrants flooding Spain. He's "Dumb &
Dumber" rolled into one person.
Jonathan Schanzer
If reports are true, Trump reached a breaking point. He’s inviting Israel to
re-join the war. The regime tried to keep the Israelis out. And for good reason.
The target bank Israel accumulated over the last several months will likely be
lethal. Top regime leaders included.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
I’ll let Israel explain its view, but judging by your most recent article in
Liberties, Ihab, you know and I know that Palestinians are too restless to be
left alone without alien policing.
When Palestinians are not killing Israelis, they’re killing each other, and
that’s not only by Hamas tyrannizing Gazans, but started as far back as 1936
when Mufti’s people assassinated his rival Nashashibi’s people, or when PLO
factions hunted down each other, or when Hamas massacred Fatah in Gaza. Even
when Israel withdrew from Gaza, it took Hamas only two years to take over and
transform the strip into the biggest security nightmare for Israel, costing it a
lot of blood and treasure to subdue and neutralize the danger.
Do you want me to go on?
Sarah Ettedgui
Nöam, a well-known Montréal kosher restaurant on Décarie Boulevard, was burned
to the ground overnight. Nearby surveillance footage shows a man pouring
accelerant and deliberately setting the restaurant on fire, according to reports
from The Suburban. The owners are Shomer
Mark Dubowitz
The war against the Jews continues in Canada while Mark Carney and his
government make common political cause with the Islamists and the radical left
who wage that war.