English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News &
Editorials
For August 04/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2026/english.August
04.26.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Click On The Below Link To Join Elias Bejjaninews whatsapp group
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FPF0N7lE5S484LNaSm0MjW
اضغط على الرابط في أعلى للإنضمام لكروب Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group
Elias Bejjani/Click on the below link to subscribe to my youtube channel
الياس بجاني/اضغط على الرابط في أسفل للإشتراك في موقعي ع اليوتيوب
https://www.youtube.com/@eliasbejjani8036
Bible Quotations For today
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will
wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
Luke 12/22-31: “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell
you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what
you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor
barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And
can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you
are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest?
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you,
even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so
clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into
the oven, how much more will he clothe you you of little faith! And do not keep
striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep
worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things,
and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and
these things will be given to you as well.”
Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related
News & Editorials published on August 03-04/2026
The Sixth Anniversary of the Beirut Port Explosion By The Terrorist
Hezbollah: The Crime of the Century and the Obstruction of Justice/Elias
Bejjani/August 04/2026
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
Ambassador Michel Issa
Ambassador Issa: Lebanon and Israel must agree on clear, workable process
Israel adds new conditions on Lebanon withdrawal ahead of Rome talks
US-backed Lebanon-Israel talks resume to expand pilot zones and implement
framework
This is Lebanon/Abu Arz/Facebook/August 3, 2026
A word in a time of noise… Riad Salameh… They wanted your head… I want your
tongue/Father Tony Bou Assaf/Facebook/August 3, 2026
Between Politics and the Military: Katz Challenges Zamir and Puts Central
Command in the Line of Fire
From an arms cache to a siege plan: What did the Ras al-Nabaa cell investigation
reveal?
On the eve of the seventh round of Rome negotiations... the south receives new
blows and Lebanon demands an end to the bulldozing
Israeli Drone Broadcasts Recordings Over Ali Taher: Calling for the Evacuation
of Tunnels by Hezbollah Fighters
Lebanon to send big delegation to Rome, Italian officer likely to head
verification panel
Israeli violations in Lebanon: Latest developments
Aoun urges judiciary to issue Beirut port blast indictment
Sunni MPs meet Berri over amnesty law
Salameh transferred to hospital after his health deteriorates
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on August 03-04/2026
Trump says Iran faces 'decapitation' if it doesn't strike deal
Trump says Gulf leaders persuaded him to hold off on Iran strikes
Iran foreign ministry says currently no negotiations with United States
US signs deal to boost output of parts for Patriot, THAAD interceptor systems
States sue over Trump policy of sharing benefits data with immigration
authorities
Democrats lead Republicans on economy as Trump approval falls, Reuters/Ipsos
poll finds
Erdogan reaffirms support for Saudi Arabia, condemns Houthi Red Sea attacks
Qatar, Egypt, Turkey condemn Israel over Gaza ‘violations’
Israel conveys ‘concerns’ to US on Gaza plan, keeps strikes on territory
Israel says it has serious concerns with Hamas disarmament deal
Federal Aviation Administration certifies Boeing 737 MAX 7
Group of 25 US states challenge Trump's latest tariffs
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published
on August 03-04/2026
Trump’s Board of Peace proposal has hit a roadblock amid reconstruction
of Gaza Strip/Mark Dubowitz and Ben Cohen/New York Post/August 03/2026
Amid war and persecution, Iranians remain hungry for change/Ben Cohen/Jewish
News Syndicate/August 03/2026
If the Saudis want a nuclear arsenal, Trump’s new deal might just give it to
them/Andrea Stricker and Tyler Stapleton/Washington Examiner/August 03/2026
La fin des illusions/Dr. Charles Chartouni/icibeyrouth/03 août 2026
The End of Illusions/Dr. Charles Chartouni/ici Beyrouth/August 03/2026
Superauthoritarian Governance': Abolish the European Union, the Sooner the
Better/Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/August 3, 2026
Saudi example: Restraint, dialogue, and coalition-building in region on edge/Dr.
Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya English/August 03/2026
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published on August 03-04/2026
The Sixth Anniversary of the Beirut Port Explosion By The
Terrorist Hezbollah: The Crime of the Century and the Obstruction of Justice
Elias Bejjani/August 04/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/132851/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2obIBOSX9gA
(Isaiah 33: 01) Woe to you, destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to
you, betrayer, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you
will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.
On the sixth anniversary of the Beirut Port explosion, we look back at August
04/2020—a dark day that witnessed one of the largest non-nuclear catastrophes in
modern history. This horrific blast resulted in the deaths of over 200 people,
thousands of severe injuries, the displacement of hundreds of thousands, and the
transformation of half of Lebanon’s capital into a crippled city overflowing
with destruction and ruins.
First: The Criminal Nature of the Cargo and Its Regional Uses
The Beirut port explosion was not a coincidence or mere administrative
negligence, but rather the inevitable result of storing about 2,750 tons of
ammonium nitrate for years without the bare minimum of safety standards or
regard for human life. Multiple international and local intelligence and
judicial reports have confirmed the following:
The Connection to the Syrian Regime and Hezbollah: Investigations showed that
the shipment arriving on suspicious vessels was largely intended for uses beyond
the local market. Parts of this ammonium nitrate—similar to materials imported
through convoluted methods by the Syrian regime with logistical support from
Hezbollah—were used to manufacture the barrel bombs that destroyed Syrian cities
and claimed the lives of thousands of innocent civilians.
International Networks and External Evidence: European investigations and
security agencies (particularly in Germany, Cyprus, and Britain) revealed that
Hezbollah cells were involved in storing similar explosive materials or linked
ammonium nitrate shipments in European countries to carry out terrorist
operations, reflecting the cross-border nature of the party’s logistical and
financial activities tied to Iran’s Quds Force.
Second: The Course of the Explosion and Evidence of Hezbollah’s Responsibility
Technical data and security testimonies consistently indicate that Hezbollah
exercised de facto security and administrative control over the port facilities
(specifically Warehouse 12 and its surroundings) through a network of loyal
officials, corruption, money laundering, and smuggling operations maintained for
years to serve its military and financial power.
When the disaster struck, the threads of truth gradually began to untangle
regarding who brought these materials in and who protected their storage,
prompting the party to use various methods of intimidation to prevent any
uncovering of the facts.
Third: Assassinations and Direct Intimidation to Conceal the Truth
Hezbollah and its security apparatus resorted to a series of direct
assassinations and systematic intimidation to silence anyone possessing
technical or security information regarding the port and its shipments, most
notably:
Assassination of Security and Technical Cadres: Such as the assassination of
retired port customs colonel Mounir Abu Rjeili, retired brigadier general Joe
Skaff, and photojournalist Joe Bejjani, who was assassinated in cold blood
outside his home in the town of Kahaleh after documenting sensitive data related
to the site.
Direct Threats to Investigators: Led by prominent Hezbollah security official
Wafiq Safa, who stormed the Palace of Justice and delivered clear, explicit
threats of terror and intimidation to former investigator Fadi Sawan and current
Judicial Investigator Judge Tarek Bitar, using the well-known phrase (“Qashtilina,”
meaning the removal of the judge by force and coercion).
Obstructing Justice through Force of Arms and Political Vacuum: The party
escalated its obstruction of the investigation by refusing to lift immunities,
launching political slander and intimidation campaigns, targeting the judiciary
continuously, and ultimately freezing the sessions of the judicial investigator
through obstructive lawsuits and political-security maneuvers. This completely
paralyzed the Lebanese judiciary and protected wanted ministers, deputies, and
former security officials affiliated with its axis.
Fourth: The Cry of the Victims’ Families and the National Stance
On this painful anniversary, the Committee of the Families of declarative Beirut
Port Explosion Victims holds continuous protests in front of the Emigrant statue
and judicial headquarters, raising pictures of loved ones who fell victim to
militia-backed crime, negligence, and corruption. These families embody
Lebanon’s living conscience, demanding an end to the dominance of weapons and
intimidation over the Lebanese judiciary, the completion of investigations with
absolute transparency, and the accountability of everyone involved—whether
through importation, storage, cover-up, or obstruction.
Conclusion
"Give glad tidings of killing to the killer, even if after a while, and give
glad tidings of poverty to the adulterer, even if after a while."
In short, the Beirut port explosion was not a mere accidental incident or
natural disaster, but rather a full-fledged terrorist crime resulting from the
dominance of an illegitimate weapons system over state capabilities and vital
ports. Lebanon cannot rise, nor can a secure and stable future be built, unless
the cycle of impunity is broken, the judiciary is freed from the grip of
intimidation, and the whole truth is revealed to the public so that every
criminal and negligent party receives a just punishment.
The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website:
https://eliasbejjaninews.com
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
Ambassador Michel Issa
U.S. Embassy Beirut/Xplatform//July 31/2026
“I am encouraged that talks in Rome remain ongoing, and I hope both governments
reach a successful outcome. A great deal of technical work remains to ensure
civilian safety on the ground. There is a meaningful difference between drafting
an agreement on paper and implementing it responsibly — moving too quickly risks
jeopardizing the very civilians this process is meant to protect. We believe it
is better to take the time needed to get this right the first time. Doing so
will allow subsequent pilot zones to move forward more efficiently. Above all,
both sides must agree on a clear, workable process before proceeding.” –
Ambassador Michel Issa
Ambassador Issa: Lebanon and Israel must agree on clear,
workable process
Naharnet/August 03/2026
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said Monday he is encouraged that
U.S.-sponsored talks between Lebanon and Israel remain ongoing in Rome, as he
hoped the talks would reach a successful outcome. "A great deal of technical
work remains to ensure civilian safety on the ground," Issa posted on the
embassy's X platform, adding that there is "a meaningful difference between
drafting an agreement on paper and implementing it responsibly.
He said moving too quickly risks jeopardizing the very civilians this
process is meant to protect and urged parties to take the time needed to get
this right the first time. "Doing so will allow subsequent pilot zones to move
forward more efficiently.""Both sides must agree on a clear, workable process
before proceeding," he concluded.
Israel adds new conditions on Lebanon withdrawal ahead of Rome talks
LBCI/August 03/2026
Amid a large-scale Israeli military exercise involving both naval and ground
forces, scheduled to continue through Tuesday, and with military operations
ongoing in Gaza and the West Bank, the Lebanese file appears to be growing
increasingly complicated. Israel, which rejects the principle of withdrawing
from Lebanon, has added a new condition, saying it will not discuss any solution
or settlement regarding the Ali al-Taher Heights until Hezbollah fighters
withdraw from the area and the group is disarmed. The position has dampened
optimism over the prospects for progress in the second round of Lebanon-Israel
talks in Rome, which are set to begin Tuesday. Meanwhile, security agencies are
linking developments on the Iranian front to the conflict in Lebanon. Following
their assessment of the situation, they placed the army on heightened alert,
including its various formations and air defense systems, amid expectations that
U.S. President Donald Trump could make unexpected decisions. Pending Trump's
final decision on potential military action against Iran, and ahead of the
Israeli delegation's arrival in Rome, Israel reiterated its rejection of
Lebanon's demand for a halt to the attacks. It also said that discussing its
withdrawal from Lebanon, including the expansion of the previously proposed
pilot zones, is premature.
US-backed Lebanon-Israel talks resume to expand pilot zones
and implement framework
Al Arabiya English/03 August ,2026
The US will be represented at the technical level during the next round of
direct talks between Lebanon and Israel in Rome, with senior delegations from
both countries taking part, officials and sources familiar with the preparations
told Al Arabiya English.
Scheduled for August 4 to 6, the talks are expected to mark the latest phase in
Washington’s effort to institutionalize dialogue between Beirut and Israel after
months of negotiations. Unlike previous rounds, the US
delegation will not include senior principals such as Counselor of the
Department of State Dan Holler, who led earlier negotiations. The absence of
high-level US officials should not be read as a sign that Washington considers
the talks any less significant, the sources said.Instead, the move reflects an
expectation that the negotiations are shifting into a more routine phase, with
regular meetings aimed at sustaining momentum rather than convening only during
periods of heightened tension. More than a dozen US officials are expected to
attend, providing technical and policy expertise, while senior representatives
from the Israeli and Lebanese governments lead their respective delegations,
according to the sources. Those officials will come from the White House, State
Department, Pentagon and US Central Command. A senior State Department official
said the administration is entering the Rome discussions with “significant
momentum,” citing the successful launch of the first pilot zone in southern
Lebanon and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s White House meeting with US
President Donald Trump last month. According to the official, technical working
groups in Rome will focus on advancing full implementation of the trilateral
framework agreement, including expanding the pilot-zone process, resolving
remaining border issues and working toward a comprehensive peace and security
agreement. “The first pilot zone is a concrete opportunity to deliver real
progress on the ground, restoring Lebanese state authority through the
verifiable disarmament of terrorist organizations and building the confidence
needed for next steps,” the official said. The experience gained from the
initial pilot zone will help refine the model before it is expanded in phases,
the official added.
The official also described the trilateral framework as “the only path to
lasting peace,” saying its full implementation serves the interests of both
Lebanon and Israel and that the Trump administration remains committed to its
success.
US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa likewise expressed optimism ahead of the
Rome meetings while stressing that the process must be implemented carefully. “I
am encouraged that talks in Rome remain ongoing, and I hope both governments
reach a successful outcome,” Issa said in a statement on Monday. “A great deal
of technical work remains to ensure civilian safety on the ground. There is a
meaningful difference between drafting an agreement on paper and implementing it
responsibly; moving too quickly risks jeopardizing the very civilians this
process is meant to protect,” he said, adding that Washington believes it is
better to take the time needed to “get this right the first time.”Issa said most
importantly, “both sides must agree on a clear, workable process before
proceeding.”His comments reinforce Washington’s message that while momentum has
built in recent weeks, the focus in Rome will be on methodically implementing
the framework rather than rushing toward headline-grabbing breakthroughs.The
format is intended to establish a consistent mechanism for engagement between
the two sides, replacing ad hoc meetings with a more structured process capable
of addressing outstanding issues over multiple rounds, according to sources
familiar with the preparations. While officials
caution that no major breakthrough should be expected from a single meeting, the
talks are viewed as another step toward implementing the US-brokered framework
and reducing the risk of renewed conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border.
This is Lebanon
Abu Arz/Facebook/August 3, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
Anyone who tampers with Lebanon's fate is committing a crime against humanity
and against a homeland sanctified by heaven and glorified by the pens of
philosophers, scientists, and poets.
The renowned French historian Ernest Renan, who lived in Lebanon, says in his
book "Mission in Phoenicia": "I am on sacred soil, and the most beautiful thing
about Lebanon is that it is unique in combining grandeur and beauty at their
highest levels."
This is Lebanon, deserving of leaders of the caliber of Fakhr al-Din and above…
The current ones are scoundrels. At your service, Lebanon
A word in a time of noise… Riad Salameh… They wanted your head… I want your
tongue…
Father Tony Bou Assaf/Facebook/August 3, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
People may disagree about Riad Salameh, and opinions may vary regarding his
career, but the truth remains that justice is not served by silence, and justice
is not built by taking a man's secrets to the grave. If there is corruption, let
it be fully exposed. If there is a system, let it be named. If there are
accomplices, one person should not be the end of the story. I don't want Riad
Salameh's head... I want his voice. I want him to speak. To say who benefited,
who made the decisions, who signed them, who pressured, who covered up, who
applauded, and who remained silent. Public funds are not plundered by one
individual alone, and major collapses are not caused by one person, but by
entire systems that share decision-making and responsibility. If he is guilty,
let him be held accountable. If he is a witness, let his testimony be heard. But
to close the case by silencing the man is not a victory for justice, but a loss
for the truth. Lebanon does not need a scapegoat... but a full disclosure of the
truth, no matter how prominent the names or how protected the positions.
Theology of Existence
Between Politics and the Military: Katz Challenges Zamir
and Puts Central Command in the Line of Fire
Janoubia/August 3, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
The dispute between the political and military leadership in Israel has
escalated after Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz launched an unprecedented
attack on Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Central Command chief Major General Avi
Balut, accusing them of taking steps that contradict his political directives.
During a television interview, Katz announced his intention to appoint Major
General Dado Bar as the new commander of the Central Command, a move that could
deepen the tension between the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff,
especially given the army's reluctance to make changes in leadership positions
at this time. Katz stated that the Central Command chief and the Military
Advocate General had appealed for the release of a far-right activist,
considering this move to be contrary to his position and instructions. He added,
"I spoke with the Chief of Staff about this issue. They acted against my
position, and this is a mistake. The commander must take my policy into
account." During his remarks, the Defense Minister emphasized his desire to
appoint a new commander for the Central Command, one capable, in his words, of
"achieving a decisive victory, striking the enemy, and protecting the settlers."
The position of Central Command chief is considered one of the most sensitive in
the Israeli army, given its responsibility for the West Bank and related
security matters. In response to Katz's statements, the Israeli army affirmed
that Major General Avi Balut enjoys the full confidence of Chief of Staff Eyal
Zamir and will continue in his role as head of the Central Command. An army
spokesperson stated that Zamir does not intend to make any changes to key
leadership positions at this time, indicating that any future adjustments will
be made according to established military procedures. This escalating
confrontation reflects the significant divergence between the political echelon
and the military leadership in Israel, at a time when the security establishment
is facing increasing challenges on multiple fronts.
From an arms cache to a siege plan: What did the Ras al-Nabaa cell investigation
reveal?
JanoubiaAugust 3, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
An incident that began as a family dispute in the Ras al-Nabaa area of Beirut
has escalated into one of the most prominent security cases in recent days,
after a raid conducted by the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces
uncovered a quantity of weapons, projectiles, detonators, maps, and electronic
devices inside a residential apartment. According to reports, the case began
with a fight between Hani Jawad and members of his wife's family, which
escalated into gunfire, resulting in his sister-in-law being wounded by a stray
bullet, prompting the intervention of security forces. During the raid, military
rifles, several RPG rounds, detonators, and detailed maps of the Ras al-Nabaa
area were seized. According to local media, the detainee confessed to belonging
to Hezbollah. The surprises didn't end there. The search led to a neighboring
shop after a suspicious electrical line connected it to the apartment. A large
number of mobile phones and surveillance camera recording devices were found
there, and investigations are ongoing to determine their intended use.
According to sources speaking to Eram News, the investigation uncovered more
than just an arms cache; it revealed a broader operational plan. The detainee
confessed that the weapons were not only for storage but also for use in
securing the surrounding area in the event of any security or military
developments. The sources added that the seized items included light and medium
weapons, ammunition, and equipment that could be used in precise security
operations, including planting explosives in cars or buildings. This prompted
the judicial authorities to treat the case as more than just the seizure of an
arms cache. The sources believe these findings suggest a field deployment plan
aimed at controlling key traffic points and entrances to the capital under
exceptional circumstances. The sources also point out that the case's
significance is linked to the location of Ras al-Nabaa, one of Beirut's most
sensitive areas, as it connects the city center to the Basta, Mazraa, and Tariq
al-Jdideh neighborhoods, as well as the entrances to the southern suburbs. She
explained that controlling these routes gives any armed group the ability to
control movement between large parts of Beirut, noting that the area was
previously linked to deployment routes during the events of May 7, 2008. The
incident has reignited the debate surrounding the issue of illegal weapons
within the capital, amid calls to strengthen the role of the Lebanese army and
security forces in pursuing any arms caches or cells that may be discovered in
the future. In this context, political analyst Ali Hamadeh stated in a press
interview that the Ras al-Nabaa incident reveals one aspect of the weapons
crisis in Lebanon, but it does not encompass the entirety of it. He pointed out
that the fundamental problem lies in the continued existence of a military
arsenal outside the authority of the state. He added that addressing the issue
is not limited to confiscating individual caches, but rather requires tackling
the root cause of the problem, which is illegal weapons. He considered that
making Beirut free of any weapons outside the framework of the state remains a
fundamental step towards restoring the sovereignty of official institutions. The
security services, under the supervision of the competent judiciary, are
continuing their investigations to uncover the cell's reach, determine the
source of the weapons and the nature of the maps and devices seized, and whether
they are linked to organized security activity, in a case that has reopened the
debate about the future of illegal weapons and the mechanisms for dealing with
them within the Lebanese capital.
On the eve of the seventh round of Rome negotiations... the
south receives new blows and Lebanon demands an end to the bulldozing
Janoubia/03 August/2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
The Israeli escalation continued in southern Lebanon, on the eve of the seventh
round of the expected Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Rome under American
sponsorship, as an Israeli drone targeted the town of Mansouri with a sound
bomb, which led to the burning of a “Rapid” car, according to preliminary
information. The town of Mays al-Jabal was also subjected to Israeli artillery
shelling, as part of continuing attacks on a number of border areas. On the
other hand, Lebanon is preparing to participate in the new round of negotiations
with an expanded political and military delegation, in a step described as the
largest since the start of the negotiating track. An informed source explained
that the Lebanese delegation will re-present its basic demands, most notably the
establishment of a ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities, in addition to
demanding that Israel stop the bulldozing and destruction operations in the
towns it still occupies, with an American guarantee. The source indicated that
the continuation of the Israeli bulldozing operations aims, according to
Lebanese estimates, to transform large areas south of the Litani River into
damaged and uninhabitable areas, pointing out that this file will be strongly
present on the discussion table with the American side. Regarding the next
stage, the Lebanese delegation will discuss the mechanisms of Israeli withdrawal
from the occupied territories, in addition to forming a military committee to
monitor the deployment of the Lebanese army in the “model areas.” The source
revealed a proposal to assign an Italian officer to head the committee, with the
aim of verifying the implementation of deployment arrangements and ensuring that
there are no armed groups within those areas. This coincides with the arrival of
the Lebanese delegation to Rome, at a time when field developments in the south
remain a pressing factor on the course of the negotiations, amid Beirut’s
insistence on stopping the attacks and the return of the people to their
villages.
Israeli Drone Broadcasts Recordings Over Ali Taher: Calling for the Evacuation
of Tunnels by Hezbollah Fighters
Al-Markazia, August 3, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
An Israeli drone flew over the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa and the Ali Taher hill
area, broadcasting recordings via loudspeakers calling on those inside the
tunnels to evacuate, saying: “We call on those in the tunnels to evacuate them.”
It is not yet clear whether these messages are part of psychological operations
or a prelude to movements or…Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out a
large-scale sweep this evening with heavy and medium machine guns inside the
town of Khiam, where heavy gunfire was heard in neighboring towns. It also
conducted mock raids in the skies over southern Lebanon. This afternoon, an
Israeli drone dropped explosive barrels over the Ali Taher forest, on the
outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa. Israeli artillery targeted the Mansouri-Majdal
Zoun area. A Rapid car was set on fire in the town of Mansouri this afternoon
after an Israeli helicopter threw a stun grenade at it.
Lebanon to send big delegation to Rome, Italian officer likely to head
verification panel
Naharnet/August 03/2026
The seventh round of Lebanese-Israeli talks, which will be held at the U.S.
Embassy in Rome, will witness a Lebanese participation with an unprecedentedly
large political and military delegation led by former ambassador Simon Karam, an
informed Lebanese source said.
The delegation will include Lebanon's Ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh
Moawad, and the Director of Operations at the Army Command, Brig. Gen. George
Rizkallah, leading a team of five specialized officers. Also included will be
the legal advisor to the Presidency, Dr. Antoine Sfeir, and Najib Masihi, an
expert in maritime affairs, the source told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. Masihi
was part of the Lebanese team that reached the agreement to demarcate the
maritime border between Lebanon and Israel through U.S. mediation under Michel
Aoun’s tenure. In this context, the source told the daily that Sfeir and Masihi
were added to the current Lebanese delegation as a “precaution,” in case the
Israeli delegation insists on raising legal and topographical issues, as had
occurred in the previous round of negotiations. The source told Asharq al-Awsat
that they might join the delegation immediately to be able to respond to any
points raised by the Israeli delegation in this regard.
The source also indicated that the delegation will reiterate, at the
start of the seventh round, the points agreed upon in previous sessions,
specifically regarding the consolidation of the ceasefire. This includes a
cessation of hostilities and an Israeli commitment, guaranteed by the United
States, to refrain from bulldozing the towns it occupies within the "yellow
line".The source added that the negotiating delegation will present the U.S.
delegation with evidence of Israel's transformation of southern Lebanon into a
scorched earth, to explore its willingness to pressure Israel to halt its
destructive project. “This will allow the delegation
to proceed accordingly, after consulting with President Aoun. Otherwise, what is
the point of continuing negotiations under the threat of fire against Lebanon,
especially since Lebanon has fulfilled all its obligations, particularly the
requirement that weapons be exclusively held by the state?” the source wondered.
The source warned that “inaction would strengthen Hezbollah's position,”
allowing it to claim that the framework agreement is being undermined in favor
of reviving the Iranian-American Memorandum of Understanding, even though the
latter is currently facing significant challenges after becoming hostage to the
exchange of heated messages between the two signatories.”The source pointed out
that Washington's insistence on not linking the Lebanese track to Iran now
requires providing Lebanon with exceptional support to counter Hezbollah's
pretexts. Maintaining the "pilot zones" without expanding them is insufficient
unless they include towns or cities occupied by Israel, the source said.
Regarding the formation of a military committee to verify the Lebanese Army's
deployment in the "pilot zones," which so far include the towns of Froun, Srifa,
Qalaway, Burj Qalaway, and Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh (formerly occupied by Israel),
the source revealed that the general trend within the negotiations leans heavily
towards appointing an Italian officer to head the committee to ensure that no
Hezbollah militants enter these areas. He said that assigning an Italian officer
to head it is not only because an Italian general is currently leading the
UNIFIL peacekeeping force, but also because there is American-Israeli objection
to naming a French officer.
Israeli violations in Lebanon: Latest developments
Naharnet/August 03/2026
A cargo van caught fire in the southern town of al-Mansouri on Monday after
being struck by a percussion bomb dropped by an Israeli quadcopter, the National
News Agency said. Israeli warplanes had after midnight
launched an airstrike on the Ali al-Taher hill on the outskirts of Nabatieh
al-Fawqa, firing two air-to-surface missiles at the area. Israeli forces also
fired incendiary phosphorus bombs overnight, causing fires in olive and pine
groves in the towns of Yaroun and Bint Jbeil.An Israeli quadcopter also dropped
a percussion bomb in the town of Byout al-Siyyad as Israeli forces opened fire
with heavy machine guns towards Wadi Hamoul, near Naqoura.
Aoun urges judiciary to issue Beirut port blast indictment
Agence France Presse/August 03/2026
President Joseph Aoun on Monday urged the judiciary to issue a long-awaited
indictment over the 2020 Beirut port blast, on the eve of the catastrophe's
sixth anniversary. "The issuing of the indictment by the investigating judge has
become a necessity that can no longer be delayed," Aoun said in a statement. The
massive Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020, killed more than 220 people,
injured more than 6,500 and damaged swathes of the capital.
Lebanese authorities have said the explosion was triggered by a fire in a
warehouse where tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer had been stored haphazardly
for years, despite repeated warnings to senior officials. Nobody has been held
accountable for the disaster, with victims and their families still demanding
justice in a country long plagued by official impunity.
Justice "means upholding rights, revealing the whole truth without any
omission, and holding accountable" all those who were negligent or caused the
catastrophe "whatever their position", Aoun said. "The Lebanese judiciary is
called today more than ever before to prove its independence and ability to
deliver justice to the victims. The indictment is not just a legal procedure,
but a right owed by the living to the martyrs and their families," he added.
In March, a judicial official told AFP that judge Tarek Bitar had
completed his probe involving some 70 defendants including politicians, security
and military officials and civil servants. He referred
the case to the public prosecutor who was to study it, present his opinion and
then refer it back to Bitar to issue the indictment. The case, which is still
with the public prosecutor, had been bogged down by political and legal
wrangling since 2023, after Iran-backed Hezbollah led a campaign demanding
Bitar's removal and dozens of lawsuits also sought to remove him from the case.
However, Bitar resumed his investigations last year as Lebanon's balance of
power shifted and Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam took office following a
2023-2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah, which weakened the group.Since then,
several legal impediments to Bitar's work have also been removed, including the
lifting of a travel ban against him. Salam said on X that "there can be no
settlement at the expense of justice, even if it is sometimes delayed". He vowed
"no cover for any official, no matter their position, whether in the Beirut port
explosion case or any other issue. Accountability will not spare anyone."
Sunni MPs meet Berri over amnesty law
Naharnet/August 03/2026
A delegation of 14 Sunni MPs on Monday met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri
and discussed with him the issue of the amnesty law. Following the meeting, MP
Bilal Abdallah stated: “The discussion focused on a single topic: the proposed
general amnesty law … We commended the Speaker for his significant national
stance, which was evident when he canceled the parliamentary session after
failing to reach a consensus on this matter.”“We also appreciate his continued
follow-up on all these details and his commitment to ensuring we reach a
resolution. While we are Sunni MPs, our approach to this issue is a national and
humanitarian one,” Abdallah added. MP Abdul Rahman al-Bizri for his affirmed
that “the expanded parliamentary meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri was positive
and characterized by an atmosphere of understanding and support.” He noted that
“Speaker Berri expressed a positive approach to the draft general amnesty law,
or what has become known as the law for reducing sentences.”MP Imad al-Hout
meanwhile wrote on X: “The Speaker affirmed his support for everything that
enjoys the consensus of the Sunni deputies, which enhances the chances of
reaching a national consensus that leads to the approval of the law away from
selectivity and narrow calculations. He also confirmed the inclusion of the two
draft laws on general amnesty and the abolition of the death penalty on the
agenda of the next legislative session ... taking into consideration the demands
of the expanded meeting of Sunni deputies.”
Salameh transferred to hospital after his health
deteriorates
Naharnet/August 03/2026
Former Central Bank governor Riad Salameh was transferred Monday to the Daher
al-Bashek Hospital, located just minutes from Roumieh Prison, after his health
deteriorated, a judicial source said. The source told the al-Modon news portal
that Salameh's health had rapidly worsened in recent hours, particularly his
blood pressure, which necessitated his transfer to Daher al-Bashek Hospital to
prevent any further health complications that could be life-threatening. State
Prosecutor Judge Ahmad Rami al-Hajj had earlier instructed the prison
administration to transfer Salameh from the prison to the hospital for “routine
medical examinations” and “not due to any health deterioration,” the National
News Agency said. Al-Hajj ordered that Salameh undergo
medical examinations and an electrocardiogram (ECG), in addition to a
respiratory test, noting that his blood pressure was stable and within normal
ranges.However, Salameh refused to undergo any medical procedure and completely
declined to have an ECG or a respiratory test. Consequently, Judge al-Hajj
tasked the Brummana detachment of the Internal Security Forces with going to
Roumieh and preparing an official report documenting Salameh's refusal to
undergo medical examinations and take medication, to be recorded with audio and
video.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on August 03-04/2026
Trump says Iran faces 'decapitation' if it doesn't
strike deal
LBCI/August 03/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said Iran faced "decapitation" if it did
not agree a pact to end the conflict between the two nations, saying Tehran had
one last chance to strike a deal. "I think we're going to maybe get something,
but I want to give them every last chance before decapitation," he said,
reiterating a threat to launch a major attack on Iran.
Earlier on Monday, after Iran said there were no talks under way, Trump slammed
what he called Iran's "unbelievably duplicitous" leadership. Trump, asked about
the status of the negotiations, told reporters "they are going on right now,"
adding that the two sides were speaking at the request of Iran, Saudi Arabia,
the United Arab Emirates and Qatar among others."This is a last chance for them
to sign a good document," he said, referring to Iran. Reuters
Trump says Gulf leaders persuaded him to hold off on Iran
strikes
Associated Press/August 03/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he decided to hold off on ordering
American forces to carry out new strikes against Iran at the urging of Gulf
allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Trump added that a plan
was in place for U.S. forces to carry out "the biggest attack since World War
II" on Sunday. But he decided to scrap the plan and give diplomacy more time to
play out after hearing from key Gulf leaders — including Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman — as well as at the request of unnamed Iranian officials.
"I said to the crown prince, 'What would you rather do? Would you rather us do
this or not?'" Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he flew back to
Washington after spending the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New
Jersey. "They said we would much prefer a deal as opposed to an attack, because
you don't know where these attacks lead."Trump and the crown prince spoke on
Saturday before the U.S. president announced in a social media post that Mideast
allies had reached the "perimeters" of a deal to end the 5-month-old war. It was
another turnabout for Trump, who a day earlier said he's "losing faith" in
negotiations with Iran and offered the ominous warning that the U.S. military
"will be hitting them very hard." Trump on Sunday reiterated that the emerging
deal would include a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway
where about a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas flowed before the start of
the war, and would resolve U.S. concerns about Iran's nuclear program. Iran has
repeatedly attacked vessels attempting to transit through the Strait of Hormuz
without its authorization as part of its conflict with the U.S. And Iran's
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Sunday that the Strait of
Hormuz "will in no way return to the status it was before February 28th," the
day the war started. On a call with Iranian state TV, he added that Iran is
discussing shipping through the strait with Oman, on the other side of Hormuz,
but that there's no current talk about reopening the crucial waterway.
Trump has announced halts to strikes on Iran on several occasions since the
United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, only for things to unravel
and fighting to resume again.
Iran's defense minister said on X that the country was "neither surprised nor
passive" following Trump's announcement and said the Islamic Republic remains
alert in the face of concrete threats from the U.S. While Iran's leaders appear
united in a war strategy signaling strength and endurance, a struggle for
control seems to be brewing within the theocracy's leadership between those who
oppose all negotiations with the U.S. and others who count on military pressure
to win at the negotiating table. The latest proposal would bring sides back to
negotiations. Trump on Sunday said he expected negotiations to resume "tomorrow
afternoon" but did not detail who would be involved in such talks. A regional
official said the proposal announced by Trump over the weekend calls for the
U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations and continue working out many of the
issues that have stymied prior progress on the deal.
The official, who is involved in the mediation efforts, said the proposal calls
for reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and halting attacks across the region,
including by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, on Arab Gulf countries and Jordan.
The U.S., in exchange, will end its naval blockade on Iran and allow Tehran to
export its oil as stated in the tentative ceasefire deal, he said.
No deal has been reached yet but mediation efforts are underway, said the
official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to
talk to the media.
Trump said that Israel is joining his commitment to end the war by implementing
the ceasefire deal reached in June. Israel did not publicly comment on the
announcement.
Saudis are concerned about Iran's retaliation
Prince Mohammed, the kingdom's de facto leader, raised concerns about the U.S.
potentially escalating the conflict when he spoke with Trump by phone on
Saturday. The call was "candid and constructive," according to a person briefed
on the call who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity.
The crown prince conveyed that an escalation in fighting could have a severe
impact on the global economy if Tehran responded to a new U.S. bombardment by
targeting some of the United States' Gulf allies. The call happened before
Trump's social media announcement, the person said. The crown prince sought
clarity from Trump on what potential new action he was weighing to take against
Iran. Saudi officials, the person added, have underscored in their engagements
with the Trump administration that the kingdom — as well as fellow Persian Gulf
energy titans the United Arab Emirates and Qatar — are in a good position to
defend against further potential Iranian attacks, but that Kuwait could be more
vulnerable to attacks by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. Trump suggested that
his conversation with the Saudi crown prince weighed heavily in his decision to
halt his plans to carry out strikes on Iran. "It would have been disastrous for
them. And they didn't want us to do it," Trump said. "And frankly, Saudi Arabia
didn't want it either. They thought that a deal is imminent."
Iran foreign ministry says currently no negotiations with
United States
Agence France Presse/August 03/2026
Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday there were currently no negotiations with
the United States but there were talks with Oman over the management of the
strategic Strait of Hormuz. "We are not currently
negotiating with the United States. Our negotiations are with Oman to secure
passage through the Strait of Hormuz," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil
Baqaei during a weekly press briefing. U.S. President Donald Trump had said that
new negotiations with Iran will begin Monday after he decided to hold off on
striking the Islamic republic.
US signs deal to boost output of parts for Patriot, THAAD
interceptor systems
Reuters/03 August ,2026/August 03/2026
The US Defense Department has signed a framework deal with Lockheed Martin and
Northrop Grumman to expand the production capacity of components for the Patriot
PAC-3 and THAAD missile interceptor systems, it said on Monday. Pentagon
negotiators have pressed contractors to move much faster with tentative
production agreements struck earlier this year to increase missile output as
conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine strain US weapons stockpiles. Ukraine
has run chronically low on supplies of Patriots, which remain the only weapon in
its arsenal capable of downing ballistic missiles. In its statement on Monday,
the department said the framework deal would allow production of Patriots to
triple and THAAD systems to quadruple. It did not give a value for the deal,
which it said would establish a second source for PAC-3 solid rocket motors and
ramp up output of ignition safety devices.
It follows a deal last week when the US Army awarded Lockheed Martin a contract
worth up to $58.6 billion to produce Patriot interceptor missiles.
States sue over Trump policy of sharing benefits data with
immigration authorities
Reuters/03 August ,2026
A coalition of Democratic-led US states sued the Trump administration on Monday
to block a new policy allowing federal immigration authorities to receive
information about low-income families with children enrolled in a
cash-assistance program. The lawsuit marked the latest in a series of legal
battles over efforts by the administration to give immigration officials access
to sensitive personal data on millions of people held by other government
agencies. “The Trump administration is exploiting a
program designed to ensure children do not go hungry and to help needy families
get back on their feet in order to fuel its mass surveillance effort,”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, said in a statement.
The lawsuit takes aim at a move announced in June by the Administration
for Children and Families, a division of the US Department of Health and Human
Services, to allow it to share with other agencies records on families receiving
benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. The federally
funded, state-administered program provides over $16 billion annually to states
to provide assistance to low-income families with children, including cash
payments. The states, in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, said
that the law enacting TANF specifically put states, and not the federal
government, in charge of verifying applicants’ eligibility for benefits. Yet the
states said the Administration for Children and Families is now claiming it has
broad authority to oversee their TANF programs and share benefit recipients’
data with other agencies including the US Department of Homeland Security and
check their immigration status, potentially deterring those legally qualified to
receive benefits from applying. The data-sharing policy is set to take effect
August 11. The agency did not immediately respond to a
request for comment, but it has said that the policy is necessary to assess
whether states are verifying TANF recipients’ citizenship or immigration status
before providing them benefits. The states argue that
the policy violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the US Constitution by
ignoring current data-sharing restrictions and by placing new, arbitrary
conditions on federal funding.“Instead of helping families struggling with the
rising cost of living, this administration is trying to turn antipoverty
programs against the people they’re supposed to serve,” New York Attorney
General Letitia James, a Democrat, said in a statement.
Democrats lead Republicans on economy as Trump approval
falls, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
Reuters/04 August ,2026
Americans picked Democrats over Republicans as better stewards of the economy
for the first time in nearly a decade in a Reuters/Ipsos poll, which also found
their approval of President Donald Trump’s performance falling to 35 percent.
The finding, in a poll conducted Wednesday through Monday, showed how Trump’s
handling of the economy, including rising energy prices resulting from the Iran
war, could weigh on his party’s chances in the November midterm elections that
will determine control of Congress for the next two years.
Trump’s presidential approval rating fell to 35 percent from 37 percent
in a prior Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last month, with the share of Americans
who give his presidency a thumbs up within just one percentage point of the
lowest level of his term. Some 37 percent of
registered voters responding to the poll said the Democratic Party has a better
approach to the US economy, compared with 36 percent who picked the Republican
Party. Another 27 percent said they were not sure or that a different party
would do a better job.Republicans had held the advantage on the economy through
most of Trump’s first term in office in 2017-2021, through all of Democratic
President Joe Biden’s four years in power and into Trump’s second term. A
Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded in May 2017 gave Democrats an edge, though the
question was asked differently, with no option for respondents to say they were
not sure or that a different party would do better.
Deteriorating Republican edge
The Republican edge on the economy has steadily deteriorated during Trump’s
current term, narrowing to zero in recent months as US household finances
suffered from soaring gasoline prices following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran
in February and the war that has been simmering ever since. Trump has said he
ordered the strikes and ensuing conflict to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program,
curb its ability to attack regional rivals and create conditions for Iranians to
overthrow their clerical rulers. But gasoline prices have surged by more than 25
percent since the war started, with Americans on average paying more than a
dollar extra per gallon at the pump. The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which was conducted
online and nationwide, found 42 percent of registered voters would vote for a
Democrat in congressional elections and 37 percent would vote Republican if the
contest were held now. Independents in the poll picked Democrats over
Republicans by 12 percentage points. Republicans will be defending narrow
congressional majorities in the November 3 elections.
While the poll presents a picture of the national political mood, the actual
elections for the US Congress are more complex. Of the 435 House of
Representatives seats, only about three dozen are expected to be competitive,
while about eight Senate seats are expected to be competitive. Trump has
repeatedly dismissed widespread polling showing Americans unhappy with his
leadership. On Monday morning, ahead of the release of the latest Reuters/Ipsos
poll, he posted to his Truth Social account: “My REAL Polling Numbers, not those
made up by the Fake News Media, are the best they have ever been.”The
Reuters/Ipsos poll gathered responses from 4,505 US adults and had a margin of
error of 2 percentage points.
Erdogan reaffirms support for Saudi Arabia, condemns Houthi
Red Sea attacks
Al Arabiya English/03 August ,2026
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday condemned Houthi attacks on
shipping in the Red Sea and expressed Turkey’s full support for Saudi Arabia
during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Erdogan also
welcomed the establishment of the Saudi-led multinational maritime defense
coalition and wished it success in achieving its objectives, the Saudi Press
Agency (SPA) reported. The two leaders also discussed regional developments,
bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation across a range of fields,
according to SPA.
Qatar, Egypt, Turkey condemn Israel over Gaza ‘violations’
AFP/04 August ,2026
Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, which are mediating the truce in Gaza, on Monday
criticized Israel after renewed strikes in the Palestinian territory reportedly
killed over 20 people. The trio said they strongly
condemned what they said were “ongoing Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip,
particularly the targeting of health facilities and infrastructure, and the
casualties among civilians, including women and children.”The situation was “a
flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law,”
they added in a joint statement.
Israel conveys ‘concerns’ to US on Gaza plan, keeps strikes
on territory
AFP/03 August ,2026
Israel said on Monday it had expressed concern to the United States about a plan
to end the Gaza war hailed by President Donald Trump, as it kept up strikes on
the Palestinian territory. It marks the latest sign of
disconnect between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who
faces a tough reelection fight in October and has heavily promoted his
relationship with the US leader, whom he met again last week. Netanyahu’s office
demanded more concrete disarmament by Hamas, which on Friday announced it would
give up weapons under the Trump plan to a nascent Palestinian governing
committee. “Israel has conveyed its comments and concerns on the proposed
framework to our American counterparts. The version that has been made public
does not reflect Israel’s positions,” Doron Spielman, spokesman for the prime
minister’s office, told AFP. He said that Israeli intelligence had found that
Hamas had been rearming and recruiting forces since a ceasefire announced by
Trump in October. The ceasefire has reduced the level of violence, but Israel
still controls more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip and since the truce more
than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza authorities. The
Israeli military says it has lost five soldiers in Gaza over the same period, as
well as one civilian contractor. Trump called the disarmament move a “major
milestone” in ending the devastating war that began when Hamas carried out the
deadliest attack ever against Israel on October 7, 2023. Trump told reporters
Friday that Israel was “very happy” with the development, but Netanyahu has not
spoken about it publicly.
Netanyahu’s spokesman said that Hamas’s actions since the ceasefire have shown
that it was preparing for “further October 7-style massacres” and noted that the
plan released by Trump’s “Board of Peace” called for Gaza to be “a deradicalized
terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.”“That vision
stands in direct contrast to the current reality and to Hamas’s stated
intentions. The indispensable first step toward any lasting arrangement is the
genuine, verifiable and irreversible demilitarization of Hamas,” he said.
“Anything short of full demilitarization will leave Hamas with the
capability to threaten Israel again.”A roadmap released by the Board of Peace
and dated Thursday called for Israel to complete “fully” and “without delay”
commitments to cease military operations in Gaza.
While calling for verification of commitments, the roadmap also called for a
“phased withdrawal” from Gaza by Israel, which has insisted on its presence
until Hamas disarmament.
No let-up in Gaza
A security official in Gaza said that since early Sunday, Israeli strikes have
killed 19 Palestinians, including women and children. Palestinian authorities
also said that an Israeli strike Saturday destroyed a large number of medical
supplies. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure
to conceal weapons and fighters and said it had destroyed arms depots across
Gaza. The Israeli military also identified two people it said it killed on
Saturday, charging that they were planning attacks on Israeli civilians and
troops. Mohammad Dahlan, a senior Palestinian
political figure who has played a key role in the Gaza plan, said after the
Board of Peace roadmap that he had spoken to Trump’s son-in-law and aide Jared
Kushner who told him that Israel would end strikes in Gaza effective Sunday.
Dahlan quickly revised his social media post, instead saying that Kushner
was “working with the Israeli side to halt the attacks” in Gaza. He later
accused Netanyahu of working “to obstruct the most promising opportunity to
begin ending this war.” Gaza is not the only point of divergence between Trump
and Netanyahu. Israel has also been skeptical of Trump’s pursuit of diplomacy to
end the war on Iran launched by the two countries in late February.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who holds a largely ceremonial role,
offered a more upbeat take on Trump’s Gaza efforts, saying they “bring a certain
vision of hope.”The latest development mark “a very positive step with the clear
caveat and undertaking that Hamas must be disarmed,” he said as he received
foreign ambassadors.
Israel says it has serious concerns with Hamas disarmament deal
Associated Press/August 03/2026
Israel has shared "serious security concerns" with the White House regarding the
proposed disarmament deal with Hamas, an Israeli official said as Israeli
strikes overnight and into Sunday evening killed at least 17 people, including
children, in Gaza. The remarks by Doron Spielman, spokesperson for Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, were some of the first public comments
since U.S. President Donald Trump announced the agreement.
Spielman told The Associated Press that Israel's intelligence assessment
is that Hamas remains committed to rebuilding its military rather than genuinely
demilitarizing. He said the Israeli military would not withdraw from Gaza —
where it controls more than 60% of the territory — before Hamas disarms. "Our
assessment is that if we redeploy before Hamas is truly disarmed, it will
quickly expand its presence throughout Gaza, rebuild its terrorist
infrastructure, once again threaten Israeli communities, and seek to carry out
another Oct. 7-style attack," he said, referring to the Hamas militant attack on
Israel in 2023 that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
"Disarming means physically giving up the weapons. Nothing less,"
Spielman said. His comments come days after Hamas said
that it would begin disarming as part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire signed nine
months ago to end the nearly three-year-long conflict. It marks a potential
breakthrough in ending the conflict, but many hurdles, conditions and long
timelines remain. Hamas says it's agreed to disarm but the process has obstacles
Trump's 20-point ceasefire plan calls on the militant group to surrender its
weapons and destroy its vast network of tunnels. It also envisions Israeli
forces withdrawing from Gaza, the arrival of a new technocratic Palestinian
government, deployment of an international security force and the rebuilding of
the battered Palestinian enclave.
Hamas disarming has been a sticking point and has deadlocked negotiations for
months. In announcing the deal on social media on Thursday, Trump said it would
be carried out in "carefully structured phases." A copy of the agreement
obtained and verified by the AP said that all weapons held by the Hamas-run
police will be transferred to the U.S.-backed Palestinian technocratic
committee, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, upon
its arrival in the enclave. It's not clear when that would happen since it is
contingent on other steps. A process to decommission and store heavy weapons and
to dismantle military production sites and tunnels will begin after the arrival
of the Palestinian committee and the deployment of international forces. The
process will be linked to a phased Israeli withdrawal, according to the
agreement. The areas Israel controls in Gaza have been mostly destroyed and
depopulated. Most of the territory's 2 million Palestinians are in the other
part, where hundreds of thousands live in squalid tent camps and destroyed
neighborhoods. Israel appears unlikely to pull back
significant forces or make other concessions ahead of its October elections.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a tough reelection battle, with his
far-right coalition partners urging him to keep up the pressure on Hamas and
leave forces in Gaza, and opponents accusing him of failing to prevent the Oct.
7, 2023, attack. Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli
communities then, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251
others hostage. Israel responded with a punishing military offensive that has
killed more than 73,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The ministry, which was part of the recently dissolved Hamas-run
government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N.
agencies and international organizations. It does not distinguish between
civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all
fatalities.
Israel warns that Hamas is rearming
While Spielman said Israel greatly appreciates Trump's commitment to its
security and to finding a durable resolution, the government's position on
disarmament is based on detailed intelligence saying that Hamas continues to
rearm, recruit fighters, and rebuild its military capabilities. The White House
did not provide additional comments on Sunday, when asked specifically about
Israel's assessment that Hamas remains committed to rebuilding its military.
U.S. officials, who briefed reporters on the disarmament agreement last
week, said that Israel had been consulted at every step of the negotiations and
was not being asked to do anything more than what it had committed to as part of
the ceasefire and hostage release agreement signed last October. It's unclear
what exactly Israel conveyed to the White House. Two people with knowledge of
the deal told the AP that Israel had communicated its issues with it to former
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who's part of the Trump-led Board of Peace.
One of them said that among the points Israel wanted was freedom to conduct
military operations in Gaza. They spoke anonymously because they were not
authorized to speak to the media. According to another
person familiar with the deal, the Israelis raised two other issues: that Qatar
and Turkey not be involved in verifying the stages of the agreement, and that
Hamas' weapons be destroyed after confiscation. The person spoke on condition of
anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Israel continues to strike Gaza
Since the ceasefire was signed last October, Israel has continued striking Gaza,
saying it's targeting Hamas and its infrastructure. Local Gaza hospitals said at
least 17 were killed in the latest Israeli strikes, including children. A strike
on a residential apartment in southern Gaza killed three family members,
including their 4-year-old child, according to Nasser hospital, where the bodies
arrived. The Israeli military said the strikes had targeted militant operatives.
Federal Aviation Administration certifies Boeing 737 MAX 7
LBCI/August 03/2026
The Federal Aviation Administration gave long-awaited approval on Monday for
the Boeing 737 MAX 7, a milestone for the planemaker that has waited years to
sell the smallest version of its best-selling airplane.Reuters
Group of 25 US states challenge Trump's latest tariffs
LBCI/August 03/2026
A group of 25 Democratic-led U.S. states sued President Donald Trump's
administration on Monday, the New York attorney general said, arguing that the
president's latest round of tariffs on goods from 60 trading partners
exceeded his legal authority to tax imports. Reuters
The Latest LCCC analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published
on August 03-04/2026
Trump’s Board of Peace proposal has hit a roadblock amid reconstruction of Gaza
Strip
Mark Dubowitz and Ben Cohen/New York Post/August
03/2026
President Trump is sounding bullish about the future of Gaza.
After the Board of Peace, created by the US administration to manage the postwar
reconstruction of the coastal enclave, issued its plan on Friday to disarm Hamas
and allied terrorist groups, Trump hailed it as a “monumental step” for both
Palestinians and Israelis.
Encouragingly, a capable international team is leading the initiative: At the
helm is Nickolay Mladenov, an experienced Bulgarian diplomat intimately familiar
with the pitfalls of peacemaking in the Middle East. Mladenov is under no
illusions about the mammoth task ahead. As he put it in his announcement of the
disarmament proposal, “Implementation and verification have to be real.” The
disarmament of Hamas is the central plank of a broader 15-point Roadmap issued
by the Board of Peace. Both Israel and Hamas would have to meet key milestones
within an agreed timeframe. That includes the phased withdrawal of the Israel
Defense Forces from Gaza.
‘Terror-free zone’
It would also replace Hamas’ brutal regime with a technocratic government — the
National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), headed by Dr. Ali
Shaath, a Gaza-born engineer and former Palestinian Authority official. And it
would result in the deployment of an International Stabilization Force charged
with monitoring compliance, ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid, and
training Palestinian law-enforcement authorities. The final goal, as the Roadmap
puts it, is to govern Gaza according to the principle of “One Authority, One
Law, One Weapon.”That, in turn, will prepare the ground for Gaza to become, in
the words of Trump’s October peace plan, “a deradicalized terror-free zone that
does not pose a threat to its neighbors.”Danny Danon, Israel’s Ambassador to the
UN, said Israel was “looking forward to implementing” the plan — but cautioned:
“We have to verify what they [Hamas] are doing, not what they are saying.”
Hamas’ response, however, is worrying.
Calling the Roadmap “difficult and painful,” the terror group’s senior
negotiator Ghazi Hamad is already trying to rewrite its provisions. He is
demanding the immediate withdrawal of the IDF to the positions it controlled
prior to the October cease-fire — giving Hamas breathing space to continue its
rearmament and recruitment. And he is insisting that any weapons Hamas
surrenders be placed under the control of the Palestinian Authority, rather than
an international body that could put them permanently beyond use. Hamad and
other senior Hamas leaders know that without its weapons, the group is a paper
tiger.
Deradicalization
That’s why disarmament is such a frightening proposition for them. But the US
and its international allies are standing firm. Absent Hamas disarming, the
chances for stability — and the rebuilding it would bring — are near zero. Yet
disarmament on paper is not enough: Any agreement is only as credible as its
enforcement mechanism. And the only meaningful enforcement mechanism is the IDF.
Only Israeli soldiers will risk their lives to protect their families from
another Oct. 7. International forces may monitor compliance, deliver
humanitarian assistance and train Palestinian security forces. But we should
harbor no illusions that they will confront Hamas if it refuses to disarm or
begins to rearm. Any roadmap that restricts Israel’s ability to act decisively
against a reconstituting Hamas risks undermining the very security it is
supposed to create. Nor can disarmament alone solve the deeper problem: Any
serious plan for Gaza must include a comprehensive strategy for deradicalization.
Decades of anti-Israel and antisemitic poison have infected Palestinian
education and society. Schools, religious institutions, media and other
institutions must stop glorifying terrorism and teaching hatred of Jews and
Israel. Without sustained deradicalization, Hamas can simply bide its time,
rebuild its networks and wait to mobilize a new generation of Palestinian
terrorists. Trump’s original peace plan recognized this when it emphasized the
imperative of deradicalizing Gaza.
That cannot remain an aspiration. It must be a central pillar of implementation.
This week’s plan should not be mistaken for a peace agreement between Israel and
Hamas. Hamas remains sworn to the goal of eliminating Israel, a stance that
remains the root cause of this conflict. What the plan can do is effectively
separate the two sides while preserving Israel’s security and giving
Palestinians in Gaza a real stake in their own future. But success ultimately
depends on two things: ensuring that Israel retains the freedom to enforce
Hamas’ disarmament, and uprooting the ideology that has sustained Hamas for
generations. Without both, Hamas will simply wait for another opportunity. And
the alternative will be a return to bloodshed. Mark Dubowitz is chief executive
of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the presenter of “The Iran
Breakdown” podcast. Ben Cohen is a research fellow at FDD.
Amid war and persecution, Iranians remain hungry for change
Ben Cohen/Jewish News Syndicate/August 03/2026
What is unmistakable is the depth of loathing for the Islamic Republic among its
long-suffering citizens: At 71%, “dissatisfaction with the Islamic Republic” was
the top reason for joining
The vast majority of Iranians despise the Islamic regime that has ruled over
them with an iron fist since 1979.
A clear majority of Iranians oppose the regime’s drive to obtain a nuclear
weapon.
A significant number express approval for U.S. President Donald Trump (44%) and
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (51%), while Russian President
Vladimir Putin is viewed positively by only 15%.
Most Iranians detest regime slogans like “Death to Israel”—rejected by 62% of
them—while upwards of 70% endorse the chants of the civil-society protest
movement, among them “Women, Life, Freedom” and “Death to the Dictator.”
These are just some of the eye-catching revelations of the latest survey of
opinion among Iranians inside Iran, published last week by the Group for
Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran (GAMAAN), a Netherlands-based research
project.
It’s understandable that many readers might question the reliability of this
data, given that Iran’s rulers run a brutal theocracy that incarcerates,
tortures and executes those with dissenting views. That is why GAMAAN is careful
to explain its methodology, as well as honest enough to acknowledge that the
difficulties of working inside Iran may result in a greater margin of error
without compromising the data’s fundamental credibility.
The answers of more than 31,000 respondents were weighted to conform to the
demographic characteristics of the “literate” population aged 15 and above (one
reason why it’s worth remembering that Iran is a country where more than 40% of
the population is below the age of 30, while around 73% were born after the
Islamic Revolution in 1979). Their answers were solicited and received in online
interactions carried out through three VPN tools—Psiphon, Lantern and MahsaNet—that
assist Iranians in circumventing the regime’s efforts to censor the internet.
Using these tools generates data that is far more reliable than answers received
through phone calls, which would cause many, if not most, respondents to censor
themselves for fear of reprisal. In that regard, one of the most striking
statistics in the survey concerns participation in the January demonstrations
against the regime—six weeks before the United States and Israel mounted their
combined military attack on Iran on Feb. 28—during which more than 40,000
protesters were slaughtered and well over 50,000 arrested.
According to the survey, 25% of the population, equivalent to about 14 million
people, joined the protests in January. Another 50% said they didn’t
participate, while 25% preferred not to answer the question. Among those latter
two groups, one can reasonably assume that there were a fair few who did, in
fact, protest, but understandably didn’t want to risk giving themselves away
even when using a VPN.
What is unmistakable is the depth of loathing for the Islamic Republic among its
long-suffering citizens. At 71%, “dissatisfaction with the Islamic Republic” was
the top reason for joining the protests. Other reasons cited included anger
against the corruption and high prices that mark the regime’s management of the
economy, heeding the call of the exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi to join the
protests, and even Trump’s own encouragement, early on, for the protests to
continue.In the same vein, when asked about the current war, 52% said that they
were not saddened to learn that the regime’s “Supreme Leader,” Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, was eliminated on the opening day of hostilities, with a further 24%
judiciously offering no opinion on his removal from the scene. When it came to
nuclear ambitions, 59% said they were opposed to Iran developing nuclear
weapons.
What this picture suggests is that Iranians understand their regime with much
greater clarity than Western governments that continue to appease it, along with
broad swaths of Western public opinion that are either indifferent or even
sympathetic to the regime, out of some misguided, inchoate sense of
“anti-colonialism.”
As the war against Iran’s regime stutters along, locked in a pattern in which
punishing U.S. strikes are followed by days of inaction, the GAMAAN survey is a
timely reminder that the current war erupted against the background of a new
wave of anti-regime protests.
This realization once again begs the question of whether and how regime change
can be achieved. Notably, the GAMAAN survey does not point to an obvious path to
overthrow and replace the Islamic Republic. Among respondents, 47% said they
supported wholesale regime change, while only 13% expressed support for its
survival. But within that huge mass of opposition are some important divides.
Although support for Pahlavi has picked up in recent months, the claimant to the
Peacock Throne does not command universal support, with 48% of respondents
expressing positive views of him and 35% negative. Iranians are additionally
divided on the type of political system that would replace the Islamic Republic,
with 34% supporting some form of monarchy and 28% opting for a republic. They
are also divided on the means of getting to either of these outcomes; a
plurality of 44% believes that the domestic protest movement is the key, while
14% back armed resistance to the regime and 30% are sympathetic to foreign
military intervention.
Such divides are to be expected, and certainly should not be interpreted as a
reason—or more precisely, an excuse—to keep the regime in power. Perhaps the
most palpable sign of Iranian hunger for meaningful change lies in one of the
underreported findings of the survey: Despite all the misery wrought by the
regime, 46% of respondents said they had no plans to migrate from Iran,
demonstrating a real commitment among a near-majority to owning the process of
change and reaping the benefits it will hopefully bring. For the United States,
unquestionably the global leader in confronting Iran’s rulers, there is reason
enough here to factor the Iranian population into its calculations for the
future conduct of the war, including the likelihood that protests will reignite.
The final demolition of the regime will almost certainly bring an end to the
regime’s nuclear and ballistic-missile programs, as well as its support for
terrorist proxies across the region. The other side of the coin concerns the
creation of lasting, accountable institutions in Iran geared toward increasing
the liberty and prosperity of the Iranian people—arguably a much trickier goal,
yet one Iranians themselves clearly want to achieve.
**Ben Cohen is a senior analyst with the Foundation for the Defense of
Democracies (FDD) and director of FDD’s rapid response outreach, specializing in
global antisemitism, anti-Zionism and Middle East/European Union relations.
If the Saudis want a nuclear arsenal, Trump’s new deal might just give it to
them
Andrea Stricker and Tyler Stapleton/Washington Examiner/August 03/2026
President Donald Trump made waves the day after his administration announced a
bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia. He conditioned the
deal on Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords and normalizing relations with
Israel, while insisting there would be no uranium enrichment on Saudi soil — a
stance also reiterated by his U.N. ambassador, Michael Waltz.But confusion
persists in light of the deal’s provision that Washington could allow a
U.S.-built uranium enrichment plant in Saudi Arabia in the future. Enrichment
and plutonium reprocessing are the key dual-use pathways for fueling both
peaceful nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. For decades, Washington has
worked to prevent the proliferation of enrichment and reprocessing technology.
Congress, which has 30 days of consultation and 60 more to review the bilateral
agreement once submitted, must get clear answers from the administration.
Republicans should avoid a midterm fight by privately pressing the president to
renegotiate the deal before submission, bringing it in line with long-standing
U.S. nonproliferation objectives.
Under the reported terms of the “123” agreement, which specifies legal terms for
nuclear cooperation between the United States and foreign countries under
Section 123 of the 1954 Atomic Energy Act, the U.S. would gain an edge in
securing contracts to build Saudi Arabia’s nuclear sector, including reactors.
However, that commercial opportunity appears linked to eventual American
authorization of uranium enrichment in the kingdom. Washington and Riyadh would
spend two years studying whether an American-built uranium enrichment plant on
Saudi soil is economically viable.
Yet what sounds like due diligence is really a door left ajar: If the study
concludes that enrichment is economically desirable, the restriction would lapse
and centrifuges could operate on Saudi territory. Little would stop Riyadh from
later nationalizing the enrichment plant, as it did with the American-owned
Arabian-American Oil Company in 1980 — forcing a future American president to
consider military action to stop the Saudis from using the plant as a source of
nuclear weapons fuel.
Absent a strict “black-box” restriction preventing Saudi scientists from working
at the facility, Riyadh could also acquire the knowledge needed to build a
covert enrichment plant of its own, exactly as A.Q. Khan did while working at
the Dutch Urenco facility — part of a European enrichment consortium — in the
1970s. Khan learned centrifuge technology, stole blueprints, and enabled
Pakistan’s uranium pathway to nuclear weapons, along with those of Libya, Iran,
and North Korea.
Worse, the reported 123 agreement would not bind Riyadh to the International
Atomic Energy Agency’s enhanced inspections agreement known as the Additional
Protocol, denying U.N. inspectors the short-notice access to undeclared sites
required to detect covert activity. The administration claims a bilateral
inspection agreement can close this gap, yet it is doubtful such an arrangement
would grant American access to every site of concern. Once Saudi Arabia
possesses the means to produce nuclear weapons fuel via uranium enrichment,
Riyadh could more easily conceal subsequent steps toward weaponizing it. Thus,
any deal without the Additional Protocol amounts to tacit U.S. acceptance that
Riyadh prefers the world to be blind to its activities.
This is not an isolated policy. Last year, Washington authorized future
enrichment and reprocessing for South Korea, abandoning decades of bipartisan
resistance to spreading fuel-cycle technology. By contrast, the United Arab
Emirates accepted a binding “gold standard” ban on enrichment and reprocessing
in its 2009 nuclear agreement with Washington and has built a peaceful program.
That is the precedent to reinforce, especially given Riyadh’s past statements
that it will acquire nuclear weapons if Iran does, and Washington’s elimination
of Iranian enrichment and simultaneous demand that Tehran abandon the activity
for good.
With a Saudi precedent set, Turkey, Egypt, and possibly Qatar, Oman, and even
the UAE would likely press similar requests for U.S.-built enrichment plants on
their soil. If refused, they may pursue enrichment or reprocessing
independently.
Saudi officials warn that if Washington refuses enrichment, Riyadh will turn to
China, Russia, or even Pakistan. That threat is no reason to acquiesce.
Washington should remind Riyadh of the advanced U.S. defense systems, military
assistance, and security partnership against Iran — benefits keenly demonstrated
over the past year during the conflict with the Islamic Republic — that the
Saudis would put at risk. At the same time, the U.S. can offer competitive
reactor deals and non-enrichment fuel-cycle assistance while insisting that
enrichment and reactor fuel fabrication remain on U.S. soil.
If Saudi Arabia is determined to acquire proliferation-relevant capabilities,
the wiser course is to constrain that ambition — not hand over the technology
that enables a weapon.
Accordingly, Republican leaders should insist the president renegotiate the deal
to secure the Additional Protocol and an unconditional ban on enrichment and
reprocessing. Should the administration refuse, Congress should use its 30-day
consultation period to advance a joint resolution of disapproval and, if
necessary, override a presidential veto during the remaining 60 days. A
veto-proof two-thirds majority in both chambers would be required — difficult to
achieve if the president remains committed to the current terms. Some Republican
senators have voiced consternation with the agreement, but it’s unlikely a
sizable portion of Republicans in the House and Senate would oppose the
president. Democrats have also introduced legislation demanding sound terms, but
those bills would face the same veto hurdle. In the end, Trump will have the
final say. He is well acquainted with the dangers of enrichment in Iran. And
notwithstanding the terms of the Riyadh deal, his rhetoric suggests he is
against Saudi enrichment. It is time he convey that judgment clearly and insist
on a better deal.
**Andrea Stricker is deputy director of the nonproliferation program and a
research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Tyler Stapleton is
senior director of government relations at FDD Action.
La fin des illusions
Dr. Charles Chartouni/icibeyrouth/03 août 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156430/
La politique de la fuite en avant prédomine tant en Iran qu’au Liban alors que
toutes les démarches diplomatiques s’épuisent soit dans le marasme, soit dans la
gesticulation vide. Les négociations entre l’Iran et les États-Unis butent sur
des désaccords patents sur le contenu et la finalité des négociations, et celles
entre le Liban et Israël sur des objectifs rejetés par la communauté chiite dans
son ensemble. La dictature islamiste en Iran n’a d’autre souci que sa survie, et
la communauté chiite au Liban demeure solidaire de la politique impériale
iranienne.
La volonté de la majorité du peuple iranien est délibérément ignorée, alors que
le Hezbollah et ses alliés continuent de dicter la politique communautaire en
dépit et malgré l’opposition croissante en milieux chiites. Les chances d’un
règlement négocié sur la trajectoire americano-iranienne sont de plus en plus
invraisemblables, alors que le théâtre libanais se mue en annexe de la politique
de subversion iranienne en voie de restructuration.
Les thématiques de la négociation entre les États-Unis et l’Iran n’ont pas dévié
au moment même où le verrouillage idéologique tend à bloquer la diplomatie
empirique. Le conglomérat iranien n’est pas dans une quête de solutions à des
enjeux réels qui mettent en péril la paix, empêchent la normalisation et
enrayent la dynamique des enchaînements conflictuels. Son but unique est
d’assurer sa survie à n’importe quel prix, de déjouer sa chute inévitable et de
maintenir en place ses contrôles hermétiques sur une société civile et nationale
réfractaire et en état de rébellion ouverte.
Le régime opère dans un état de psychose institutionnalisée où toute référence
au peuple réel est occultée au profit d’hypostases idéologiques qui lui servent
de défense contre une réalité qui lui échappe entièrement. La paix, le bien-être
du peuple iranien, l’institutionnalisation de l’état de guerre, l’effondrement
généralisé sont loin de faire partie de ses priorités. L’Iran, selon la
dictature islamiste, équivaut aux intérêts d’un régime aux abois qui n’a plus
d’autre issue que la guerre, la répression sans merci et la coupure avec le
reste du monde. La seule ouverture qu’il s’autorise est celle de s’allier aux
États voyous de la planète, de se rattacher aux cordons sécuritaires défaillants
de l’axe néototalitaire et de pérenniser l’état d’exception (Ausnahmezustand)
comme ultimes garants.
Tous les objets assignés de négociation sont renvoyés à des blocages dirimants
qui interdisent toutes évolutions dans l’échange et la recherche de solutions
négociées. Les questions concernant le détroit d’Ormuz, les régimes de
nucléarisation, la militarisation exponentielle des conflits, l’usage trivialisé
des armements balistiques, ainsi que la levée inconditionnelle des sanctions
économiques, se posent. Cela intervient alors que la politique discrétionnaire
de subversion régionale se poursuit, que le droit international des voies
maritimes est entièrement bafoué et que la répression sauvage continue sans
entraves. Nous ne sommes pas dans la recherche de solutions, nous sommes dans
une logique de guerre différée, de gain de temps, d’intermèdes terroristes, et
de pari sur les pronostics électoraux aux États-Unis et de sabotage idéologique.
Le Liban, pour sa part, a réussi la gageure de la séparation des dossiers
diplomatiques en signant l’accord-cadre entre les États libanais et israélien et
en faisant échec à la tentative de récupération du dossier dans le cadre des
négociations entre les États-Unis et l’Iran. La démarche du département d’État
américain a brillamment réussi la disjonction à un moment où le Liban risquait
de se faire disqualifier et de perdre sa qualité de négociateur autonome. Le
forcing de l’administration américaine s’est poursuivi avec l’invitation du
président libanais au bureau ovale de la Maison Blanche.
La présidence et le gouvernement libanais étaient supposés relayer l’élan offert
par les États-Unis en mettant en application les stipulations de l’accord-cadre
négocié et arbitré par l’administration américaine. Il s’agit principalement de
procéder à une démarche symétrique de désarmement du Hezbollah, de prise de
contrôle de l’armée libanaise et de mise à terme des extraterritorialités
militaires et politiques qui ont détruit le pays tout au long des sept dernières
décennies. Le pouvoir exécutif demeure jusque-là otage du schéma posé par le
Hezbollah, celui du redéploiement unilatéral d’Israël et des équivoques bien
entretenues à l’endroit du désarmement et du maintien des extraterritorialités.
Les ambiguïtés de l’exécutif tiennent à de multiples considérations, nommément
celles des fractures politiques de plus en plus béantes d’une scène politique
éclatée : les contrôles multiples imposés par la politique de domination chiite
à l’État libanais, l'effilochement de la coalition transcommunautaire contre le
Hezbollah et consorts, l’absence de cohésion au sein d'un gouvernement
hypothéqué par la composante chiite, les affinités idéologiques largement
manipulées par les ministres cooptés par Nawaf Salam, et le positionnement
équivoque des ministres qui se réclament de la neutralité technocratique.
Autrement, la présidence de la République essaie de naviguer les eaux troubles
soit par la recherche d’entente temporaire, de paris hasardeux sur des
changements régionaux, des alliances bâclées, et des engagements tactiques sans
trop de convictions. La visite du président libanais a déjà fait long feu, car
aucun des engagements pris n’a trouvé chemin vers l’exécution. Ces constats
reflètent des difficultés structurelles de nature compromettante qui la
discréditent.
Les deux théâtres mettent en relief des crises en état de recoupement dans un
ordre régional éclaté. On ne voit pas de dénouement au sein de ce désordre
institutionnalisé où les effondrements systémiques, la fragilité des États en
lice, et l’absence des États de droit, de la culture et des instances
d’arbitrage démocratique redoublent le malaise. Les mutations géostratégiques et
géopolitiques et le changement des rapports de force peuvent-ils induire des
changements de paradigmes et suggérer des trajectoires alternatives ?
The End of Illusions
Dr. Charles Chartouni/ici Beyrouth/August 03/2026
(translation from French)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156430/
The politics of avoidance and reckless drifting predominate in both Iran and
Lebanon, as all diplomatic efforts exhaust themselves either in stagnation or in
empty posturing. Negotiations between Iran and the United States collide over
glaring disagreements regarding the content and purpose of the talks, while
those between Lebanon and Israel stumble over objectives rejected by the Shiite
community as a whole. The Islamist dictatorship in Iran cares for nothing other
than its own survival, and the Shiite community in Lebanon remains wedded to
Iran's imperial policy.
The will of the majority of the Iranian people is deliberately ignored, while
Hezbollah and its allies continue to dictate communal politics despite and in
defiance of growing opposition within Shiite circles. The chances of a
negotiated settlement along the US-Iranian trajectory are increasingly
implausible, even as the Lebanese theater transforms into an appendage of Iran's
restructuring subversion policy.
The themes of negotiation between the United States and Iran have not deviated
at the very moment when ideological lock-in tends to block empirical diplomacy.
The Iranian conglomerate is not in search of solutions to real issues that
jeopardize peace, prevent normalization, and halt the dynamics of cascading
conflicts. Its sole aim is to ensure its survival at any cost, to fend off its
inevitable downfall, and to maintain its airtight controls over a recalcitrant
civil and national society that is in a state of open rebellion.
The regime operates in a state of institutionalized psychosis where any
reference to the real people is eclipsed in favor of ideological hypostases that
serve as its defense against a reality that entirely escapes it. Peace, the
well-being of the Iranian people, the institutionalization of a state of war,
and generalized collapse are far from being among its priorities. Iran,
according to the Islamist dictatorship, equates to the interests of a regime in
distress that has no other recourse left than war, merciless repression, and
severance from the rest of the world. The only opening it permits itself is to
ally with the rogue states of the planet, to attach itself to the failing
security lifelines of the neo-totalitarian axis, and to perpetuate the state of
exception (Ausnahmezustand) as ultimate guarantors.
All assigned negotiation topics are deferred to insurmountable deadlocks that
prohibit any evolution in exchange and the search for negotiated solutions.
Questions concerning the Strait of Hormuz, nuclearization regimes, the
exponential militarization of conflicts, the trivialized use of ballistic
weapons, and the unconditional lifting of economic sanctions arise. This occurs
while the discretionary policy of regional subversion continues, international
maritime law is entirely flouted, and savage repression proceeds without
hindrance. We are not in search of solutions; we are caught in a logic of
delayed war, buying time, terrorist interludes, gambling on electoral outcomes
in the United States, and ideological sabotage.
Lebanon, for its part, pulled off the feat of separating the diplomatic dossiers
by signing the framework agreement between the Lebanese and Israeli states and
thwarting the attempt to absorb this dossier into the negotiations between the
United States and Iran. The U.S. State Department’s approach brilliantly
succeeded in achieving this disjunction at a time when Lebanon risked being
disqualified and losing its status as an autonomous negotiator. The U.S.
administration's heavy push continued with the invitation of the Lebanese
president to the Oval Office of the White House.
The Lebanese presidency and government were supposed to relay the momentum
offered by the United States by implementing the provisions of the framework
agreement negotiated and arbitrated by the U.S. administration. This primarily
involves undertaking a symmetrical process of disarming Hezbollah, securing
control by the Lebanese army, and putting an end to the military and political
extraterritorialities that have destroyed the country over the past seven
decades. The executive branch remains to this day a hostage to the framework
laid down by Hezbollah—that of Israel's unilateral redeployment and the
well-maintained ambiguities regarding disarmament and the preservation of
extraterritorialities.
The ambiguities of the executive branch stem from multiple considerations,
namely the increasingly gaping political fractures of a fragmented political
scene: the multiple controls imposed on the Lebanese state by the policy of
Shiite domination, the fraying of the cross-communal coalition against Hezbollah
and its cohorts, the lack of cohesion within a government mortgaged by its
Shiite component, the ideological affinities heavily manipulated by ministers
co-opted by Nawaf Salam, and the equivocal positioning of ministers claiming
technocratic neutrality.
Otherwise, the presidency of the Republic attempts to navigate troubled waters
either through the search for temporary understandings, hazardous gambles on
regional changes, botched alliances, and tactical commitments devoid of true
conviction. The Lebanese president's visit has already fizzled out, as none of
the commitments made have found their way to execution. These observations
reflect structural, compromising difficulties that discredit it.
Both theaters highlight overlapping crises within a fragmented regional order.
No resolution is in sight within this institutionalized disorder where systemic
collapses, the fragility of the competing states, and the absence of the rule of
law, culture, and democratic arbitration mechanisms only compound the malaise.
Can geostrategic and geopolitical shifts, along with changing balances of power,
induce paradigm shifts and suggest alternative trajectories?
'Superauthoritarian Governance': Abolish the European
Union, the Sooner the Better
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/August 3, 2026
Even former high-ranking officials from the institutions of the European Union
are beginning to speak out against the undemocratic regime of the unelected,
untransparent, unaccountable European Commission -- especially under its senior
bureaucrat, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The European Commission was never meant to have any power beyond what its EU
member states granted it.
"My concept of the mission was to establish a law enforcement authority to help
nation state authorities protect their borders, not to be an NGO or a
humanitarian agency." — Fabrice Leggeri, former Executive Director of Frontex,
the EU's Border and Coast Guard Agency, The European Conservative, May 27, 2024.
Currently, [the EU unanimity rules] ensure that in sensitive policy areas...
every EU member state has a veto right. Von der Leyen wants to change that to
just a majority decision.
"In a normal parliamentary system, part of the MPs support the government and
part support the opposition. In the European Parliament, this arrangement has
been missing... Here, only one single alternative is being promoted, and those
who dare think about a different option are labelled as enemies of European
integration.... with no opposition, there is no freedom. That is why political
alternatives must exist." — Václav Klaus, former President and Prime Minister of
the Czech Republic, February 19, 2009.
"Today, the Commission is trying to take control. That's not in line with the
[EU] treaty," said Charles Michel, former president of the European Council and
Belgium's former prime minister, in a recent interview. "There is a
super-authoritarian governance," he added.
The European Commission was never meant to have any power beyond what its EU
member states granted it. Michel, however, noted that the EU, by using the
COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and other crises, has expanded its
authority into areas that were always intended to remain in the hands of member
states.
Fabrice Leggeri, who from 2015 to 2022 served as executive director of Frontex,
the EU Border and Coast Guard Agency, has also become extremely critical of the
EU, and the European Commission in particular. According to Leggeri, however,
Sweden's Ylva Johanssen, who served as European Commissioner for Home Affairs
from 2019 to 2024, undermined the agency's ability to fight illegal migration:
"The first time I met her [Johanssen] in October 2019, Frontex was preparing to
equip itself with small arms and uniforms mandated by European lawmakers. When I
explained to her that we needed more time to achieve our goal because of the
legal problems regarding weapons and uniforms, she interrupted me and said,
'Don't worry. You don't need guns and uniforms because migrants come in search
of love. Europe is an ageing continent, so whether you like it or not, it is
your job to welcome migrants.'"
Leggeri, after facing continued pushback from the Commission for doing the job
that he was hired to do, resigned in 2022.
"I realised that... there was a huge political gap between me and the
Commission. My concept of the mission was to establish a law enforcement
authority to help nation state authorities protect their borders, not to be an
NGO or a humanitarian agency."
Today, Leggeri is a Member of the European Parliament for France's Rassemblement
Nationale party (RN), headed by Jordan Bardella. When Leggeri informed Bardella
and former party leader Marine Le Pen about what really goes on inside the
European Commission,
"Le Pen and Bardella told me that what I had told them was so serious and so bad
that they could not even have imagined it. When you are outside... the system,
you cannot even imagine what is going on inside."
Von der Leyen -- still under investigation for alleged wrongdoing in the
acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines in the European Union, "Pfizergate" -- would
reportedly like even more power. She has been pushing to abolish EU unanimity
rules. Currently, they ensure that in sensitive policy areas -- such as
questions of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, finances and taxation,
EU membership eligibility and negotiations with potential member states, issues
pertaining to justice and home affairs, citizenship and more -- every EU member
state has a veto right. Von der Leyen wants to change that to just a majority
decision, and declared in her 2025 "state of the union" speech:
"It is time to break free from the shackles of unanimity. I believe we should
move to qualified majority voting in certain areas, for example, in foreign
policy."
After the election defeat of Hungary's Viktor Orbán in April, von der Leyen
again pushed her agenda: "I think moving to qualified majority voting in foreign
policy is an important way to avoid systemic blockages as we've seen in the
past," she said, referring to Orbán's frequent use of Hungary's veto when he was
prime minister. "And we should use the momentum now really to move forward on
that topic."
The Middle East Forum's Jose Lev Alvarez described how Orbán, one of Israel's
staunchest supporters in the EU, leveraged his country's veto:
"Budapest used its veto power—enabled by the unanimity requirement in European
Union foreign policy—to block joint statements condemning Israeli operations in
Gaza, sanctions packages aimed at harming communities in the West Bank, and
calls for unilateral ceasefires. Diplomatic records show Orbán's government
successfully intervened on at least six major Israel-related initiatives between
late 2023 and early 2025."
Former President and Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Václav Klaus -- who
suffered through decades of Soviet-imposed communism in Czechoslovakia and knows
better than anyone what the dangers of totalitarianism are -- warned in a 2009
address to the European Parliament about what others are discovering only now:
"The present decision-making system of the European Union is different from a
classic parliamentary democracy, tested and proven by history. In a normal
parliamentary system, part of the MPs support the government and part support
the opposition. In the European Parliament, this arrangement has been missing...
Here, only one single alternative is being promoted, and those who dare think
about a different option are labelled as enemies of European integration. Not so
long ago, in our part of Europe we lived in a political system that permitted no
alternatives and therefore also no parliamentary opposition. It was through this
experience that we learned the bitter lesson that with no opposition, there is
no freedom. That is why political alternatives must exist."
At the time, the Atlantic Council trashed Klaus's sharp-eyed comparison of the
EU to the Soviet Union as "truly bizarre."
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22591/eu-authoritarian-governance
**Robert Williams is based in the United States.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Saudi example: Restraint, dialogue, and
coalition-building in region on edge
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya English/August 03/2026
Saudi Arabia is an excellent example of how a nation can refrain from being
dragged into wider war, avoid reflexive reactivity, and instead chart a steady
course amid the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran.
In the current Middle East conflict, marked by proxy fighting, missile
exchanges, and the risk of broader conflagration, Riyadh has repeatedly chosen
calibrated restraint, dialogue, and collective security over unilateral hard
power. Recent developments underscore this approach with unusual clarity.
Halting the brink: Saudi intervention on Iran strikes
According to the latest reports, Saudi Arabia played a decisive role in
preventing a major escalation; President Donald Trump had prepared to launch
joint US-Israeli strikes targeting Iranian energy infrastructure and other key
sites. Such attacks risked triggering Iranian retaliation against Gulf energy
facilities and further destabilizing the region. Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman reportedly telephoned Trump on Saturday and urged de-escalation,
stressing the need to prioritize dialogue and diplomatic solutions to preserve
regional security and prevent a wider conflict.
Trump subsequently announced he was canceling the planned assault, citing
requests from Iran and other Middle Eastern countries and claiming the
parameters of a deal – including reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing
Iran’s nuclear program – had been agreed. Saudi state media confirmed the Crown
Prince’s emphasis on calm and diplomacy. Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia,
have already absorbed significant missile and drone attacks during the
months-long US-Israel confrontation with Iran; another round focused on energy
targets could have invited reciprocal strikes on their own critical
infrastructure.
This episode was not an isolated intervention. Throughout the conflict, even
when Saudi facilities came under attack and the Kingdom later conducted limited
joint strikes with the United States against Iran-backed militias in Iraq that
had targeted Saudi oil infrastructure, Riyadh continued to press for a return to
negotiations. It has consistently framed military responses as defensive and
limited rather than as entry into a full-scale regional war.
Prioritizing dialogue and de-escalation
Saudi Arabia has prioritized dialogue and de-escalation across the broader
conflict. Despite the clear temptation – and at times the political pressure –
to align more fully with kinetic campaigns, the Kingdom has treated restraint as
a strategic asset. Open communication channels with Tehran have been maintained
even as tensions flared. Officials have repeatedly signaled that a wider war
serves no one’s long-term interests, particularly those of energy-exporting
states whose economies and Vision 2030 diversification plans depend on stability
and predictable shipping routes.
This posture has not meant passivity. When red lines were crossed, Saudi Arabia
responded, but within bounds that sought to restore deterrence without fueling
uncontrolled escalation. The approach reflects a pragmatic calculation: the
costs of being pulled into a multi-front war outweigh any short-term gains from
maximalist military engagement.
Building a coalition against Houthi threats
Another clear illustration of this method is Saudi Arabia’s response to the
Houthis. Although the Kingdom is not a formal party to the wider US-Israel-Iran
war, it has faced repeated attacks from the Iran-aligned group in Yemen. These
attacks, including strikes on Saudi soil and a declared maritime blockade
targeting Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea, constitute violations of
international law and freedom of navigation. The Houthis’ actions have disrupted
a vital alternative route for Saudi oil exports after the Strait of Hormuz
became contested.
Rather than reacting with immediate, large-scale unilateral military force that
could have opened a new front and drawn the Kingdom deeper into conflict, Saudi
Arabia pursued a different path. In late July 2026 it convened an international
meeting and launched a multinational maritime defense coalition focused on the
Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden. Roughly 43 countries and the
European Union participated in discussions; 14 nations, including Turkey, Egypt,
Pakistan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, Bangladesh,
Nigeria, and others, issued a joint statement of support.
Saudi Arabia serves as the founding and leading state and hosts the
headquarters. The coalition is explicitly defensive, aimed at protecting freedom
of navigation, securing trade and energy routes, sharing intelligence, and
conducting joint operations and exercises.
This initiative brings countries together rather than dividing them. It
multiplies the diplomatic and operational weight behind the defense of
international waterways and sends a clear message to the Houthis: They are not
confronting Saudi Arabia alone, but a broader coalition responding to violations
of international norms. What could easily have become another theater of
bilateral escalation was instead transformed into a collective security effort.
A warning to the Houthis and a call for focus
The Houthis should exercise extreme caution. Continued attacks risk confronting
not an isolated adversary but a growing maritime partnership. Opening another
front is not in their interest. The fates of Hamas and Hezbollah illustrate the
limits of sustained confrontation when external support proves insufficient.
Iran, itself engaged in a costly conflict with Israel and the United States, has
been unable to deliver decisive relief to its proxies; similar constraints would
apply to any expectation of robust Iranian rescue for the Houthis.
Rather than prolonging confrontation, the group would better serve the Yemeni
people by shifting focus to improving livelihoods, ending the humanitarian
suffering that has defined Yemen for years, and pursuing political arrangements
that prioritize stability over perpetual conflict.
An instructive model
Saudi Arabia’s record in this period offers a notable case study. It has helped
avert escalations that threatened to spiral – most recently the planned strikes
on Iranian energy targets – and, when attacked by the Houthis, responded by
assembling a coalition that expands cooperation instead of deepening isolation
or unilateral retaliation. The pattern is consistent: Defend core interests,
limit the scope of force, keep diplomatic channels open, and build multilateral
frameworks where possible. In a region where reactive cycles of violence have
often proved self-defeating, Riyadh’s combination of pragmatism, restraint, and
coalition-building stands out as a deliberate alternative. Whether this approach
continues to contain risks remains to be tested by events, but the recent record
provides a clear illustration of how one major regional power has sought to
navigate the storms without being consumed by them.
Selected Face Book & X tweets
on August 03-04/2026
John Bolton
https://x.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/2084378773760160125/video/1
The different factions in Iran — from the civilian leadership to the IRGC — make
negotiations extremely complicated and futile. There’s been no new cohesion in
the Iranian government, so there’s no reason to believe the latest promise from
Iran is any better than the promises before.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Instead of focusing on disarming Hezbollah, global Left-funded Lebanese media
sites pick fights with banker Antoun Sehnaoui, likely seeking attention. He’s
way too strong for them anyway. This silly waste of time, however, sheds light
on a troubling perspective among many Lebanese: They consider wealth and
influence de facto evil.
Mazloum Abdî مظلوم عبدي
Serdana Serokê Herêma Kurdistanê, Nêçîrvan Barzanî ya dîrokî ji Sûriyê re, cihê
kêfxweşiyeke mezin e. Kak Nêçîrvan @IKRPresident herdem roleke girîng di
piştgiriya doza Kurd li Sûriyê û Kurdistanê bi gîştî de, lîstiye. Em bawer in ku
ev serdan wê bandoreke erênî li aramiya Sûriyê û çareserkirina doza Kurd li
herêmê bike.
Israel-Alma
The Council for the South is a Lebanese government body responsible for the
reconstruction of southern Lebanon. However, for decades it has been associated
with the Amal Movement and operates in an environment where the Amal–Hezbollah
alliance exercises extensive political and municipal influence. This creates a
system in which state funds and international assistance address genuine needs
but may also strengthen Amal’s patronage networks, deepen residents’ dependence
on Hezbollah, and help restore its civilian foothold and even its military
capabilities. The reconstruction of southern Lebanon is therefore not merely
about rebuilding homes and infrastructure, it is also a struggle over
sovereignty, influence, and legitimacy. The main interest is not to prevent
reconstruction, but to ensure that it is conducted transparently and under
supervision, strengthens the Lebanese state, and does not lay the groundwork for
Hezbollah’s renewed entrenchment and the next conflict.
Hen Mazzig
BREAKING: The Hamas terrorist who held Rom Braslavski hostage has been
eliminated.
Mahmoud Fatair, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander, also appeared at handover
ceremonies for several hostages. He was killed in Deir al-Balah after allegedly
planning more attacks. Rom has previously alleged that his captors joyfully
tortured and whipped him repeatedly during captivity.
Ambassador Ron Prosor
Mazal Tov and heartfelt congratulations, Ambassador Lambsdorff! I am overjoyed
from the bottom of my heart to join you in further deepening and expanding the
special relations between our peoples as well as the unique strategic
partnership between Israel and Germany.
Welcome to Israel – I wish you every success in your important mission!
Board of Peace
As part of the process of decommissioning weapons in Gaza and enabling the
transition to civilian governance, and creating a safer future in the region for
both Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza, a meeting was held earlier today
(Monday) between High Representative Nickolay Mladenov, together with the Board
of Peace team, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team. The
meeting was constructive and detailed. Israel and the Board of Peace share a
common understanding of the ultimate objectives.
The goal is clear and is not in question: the complete decommissioning of
weapons in the Strip and the transition away from rule by the gun to civilian
governance. Reaching it will be a process. And that process will be set out in
the next phase of the work.
Contrary to inaccurate reports, we note that the withdrawal of the IDF beyond
the Yellow Line will take place only once decommissioning is complete, as Hamas
committed to the mediators. This applies to light weapons, heavy weapons, and
the tunnels alike.
Implementation will be overseen by the International Stabilisation Force and by
the Implementation Verification Committee, on which both the United States and
the Board of Peace sit. Continued progress towards implementation in full
depends on each side fulfilling its obligations under the agreed framework.
Mike Pence
https://x.com/Mike_Pence/status/2084311140255850987/video/1
The time has come for the President to unleash the Armed Forces of the United
States, strike the remaining military facilities in Iran, take down and degrade
their ability to project force, not only in the Strait but across the region and
finish the job 🇺🇸
Mossad Commentary
https://x.com/MOSSADil/status/2084354043225203129/video/1
NETANYAHU: GAZANS ARE BEING DENIED THE FREEDOM TO LEAVE
“There are only two places in the world people cannot leave: North Korea and
Gaza.
Countries refuse to accept Gazans because they say it would help Israel. But
what about helping the Gazans? Why are they denied the same basic right billions
of people around the world have—the freedom to move?”
גיא עזריאל Guy Azriel
BREAKING: Israeli cabinet ministers are demanding PM Netanyahu immediately halt
the entry of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) into Gaza, claiming the
cabinet approved the plan based on "false information." In a letter to
Netanyahu, the ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Orit Strock argue the published
"Roadmap" by the Peace Council differs significantly from what ministers were
shown, warning it undermines Hamas' disarmament, allows an IDF withdrawal before
full demilitarization, and could restrict Israel's military freedom of action.
They are calling for an emergency cabinet meeting and for Israel to reject the
plan in its current form.
Israel Army
"Tel Aviv is merely a thin strip of glass buildings along the coast. A massive
wave of heavy warheads, and your entire country will be rendered uninhabitable
reduced to a desolate wasteland." 🇮🇱 Israel: "Do not test us. Tel Aviv may be
a global tech hub, but we can turn Tehran into 19th-century ruins before the sun
even rises."