English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News &
Editorials
For August 06/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2026/english.August
06.26.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
Transfiguration Day/Then a cloud overshadowed them, and
from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark
09/01-07/:”And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there are some standing here
who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with
power.’Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led
them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before
them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could
bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with
Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us
make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ He did
not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them,
and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to
him!’”
Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related
News & Editorials published on August 05-06/2026
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
Lebanon-Israel talks 'more positive' on second day
US says fully committed to supporting Lebanon and Israel after seventh round of
talks
Israel orders al-Mansouri evacuation after troops killed in blast blamed on
Hezbollah
1 killed, 11 wounded in strike on Tebnine as Israel accuses Hezbollah of
'violating ceasefire'
Lebanon Committed to Ceasefire, Expanding ‘Pilot Zones’ in Latest Round of Rome
Talks with Israel/August 05/2026
Defense and public works ministers inspect southern towns
More Than 800,000 Displaced Lebanese Returning Home After War, Says UN
Italian FM tells Araghchi Iran's role 'crucial to halting Hezbollah military
actions'
Salam says greatest help to Israel was provided by Hezbollah
Applications for the UK Government’s Chevening Scholarships now open
Six years after Beirut port blast, victims' families still hope for justice
Netanyahu and Katz Discuss Response to Hezbollah
Maronite Bishops: We Support US-Sponsored Negotiations Between Lebanon and
Israel
Hajj Hassan: Adopting Options that Preserve National Interests and Prevent
Further Concessions to the Enemy
Grand Jaafari Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan: Ambassador Michel Issa thwarted the
results of the Rome round
On August 4, Naim Qassem Should Have Remained Silent/Makram Rabah/Now
Lebanon/August 05/2026
A Little Realism and Historical Perspective/Rami al-Rayes/Asharq Al-Awsat/August
05/2026
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on August 05-06/2026
Iranian and Omani negotiators have finalized the draft of a deal,
officials say
Trump says deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz could come as early as Wednesday
Trump Warns Iran to Open Hormuz or Get ‘Hit Very Hard’
UN Rights Chief Says Iran Executed at Least 56 People Since March
Pezeshkian Denies He Intends to Step Down amid Mounting Internal Disputes in
Iran
Netanyahu Says No Israeli Withdrawal from Gaza Until Hamas Has Been Completely
Disarmed
Egypt, Jordan and Iraq Move to Revitalize Trilateral Mechanism Amid Regional
Tensions
Sources Reveal Details of Messages Exchanged Between Hamas and Mladenov
Israeli Army Backs Netanyahu, Sets 3 Red Lines over Gaza Agreement
Kurds Optimistic After Latest Meetings between Sharaa, SDF in Damascus
4 People Have Been Stabbed in London's Covent Garden Area and a Woman Arrested
Russian Barrage on Kyiv Kills 17 as Ukraine Fails to Down Single Missile
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published
on August 05-06/2026
The Axis of Aggressors vs. America ...During the Cold War, the U.S. had
only one major enemy – now we have four/Clifford D. May/The Washington
Times/August 5, 2026
Saudis gravitate toward Middle East basket cases when it should join US’ fight
against Iran/Jonathan Schanzer/New York Post/August 05/2026
What the Gaza Roadmap Actually Says/Pierre Rehov/Gatestone Institute/August
05/2026
War Once Again/Dr. Abdel Monem Said/Asharq Al-Awsat/August 05/2026
Why the Settlement Will Fail, and Why War Will Break Out Again/Dr. Abdulghani
Al-Kindi/Asharq Al-Awsat/August 05/2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on August 05-05/2026
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published on August 05-06/2026
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
Lebanon-Israel talks 'more positive' on second day
Naharnet/August 05/2026
The atmosphere on the second day of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Rome was
more positive than on the first, Baabda Palace sources told Al-Jadeed TV. "The
second day of negotiations saw three parallel and separate meetings at the
political, military, and border levels. The Lebanese delegation presented a
comprehensive proposal on the border issue, supported by documents covering the
period from the Armistice Line to the Blue Line and the current situation. This
proposal received American praise as well-structured," the sources said.
The sources stated that "discussions on the military track focused on the
operational mechanism in the two pilot zones and the possibility of expanding
them, in addition to scheduling new pilot zones.” “The towns of Khiam and Bint
Jbeil were seriously considered, and the Israeli side did not announce any
position regarding them,” the sources added. They continued: "The political
track centered on the issue of the third party responsible for the verification
process, with discussions continuing regarding the mechanism and several
countries expressing their readiness to undertake this task."
US says fully committed to supporting Lebanon and Israel
after seventh round of talks
Agence France Presse/August 05/2026
The United States said it remains "fully committed" to support both Lebanon as
Israel as they held a fresh round of U.S.-sponsored talks in Rome on Tuesday.
"The United States remains fully committed to supporting both governments as
they carry this process forward in a manner that delivers lasting security for
both countries, eliminates security threats to Israel, and restores Lebanese
state authority throughout the south," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott
said on X. At negotiations in Washington in June, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a
framework deal that involves the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal
of Israeli forces from Lebanon's south and the deployment of the Lebanese army
to the region, starting in test areas known as "pilot zones". A U.S. State
Department official had told AFP that this seventh round of talks would "include
expanding the pilot zone process, resolving all outstanding border issues, and
working on a comprehensive peace and security agreement".
Israel orders al-Mansouri evacuation after troops killed in blast blamed on
Hezbollah
Naharnet/August 05/2026
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven others wounded in a bomb explosion
inside a booby-trapped building in Majdalzoun in south Lebanon, Israeli media
reported Wednesday. The Israeli army accused Hezbollah of "violating the
ceasefire agreement" and ordered the residents of al-Mansouri to evacuate ahead
of strikes, the first such warning in several weeks. "In light of Hezbollah's
violations of the ceasefire agreement, the Israel Defense Forces are compelled
to act... For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move
north," Arabic-language spokeswoman Ella Waweya posted on X, addressing the
residents of al-Mansouri. The warning came after Lebanon and Israel held
US-sponsored talks in Rome, with Beirut seeking Israel's phased withdrawal from
the south. Earlier in the day, Israeli warplanes launched two airstrikes on al-Mansouri
while artillery shelled the outskirts of Majdalzoun. Warplanes also conducted
mock raids and dropped flares over several areas in southern Lebanon. Israeli
forces were detonating houses overnight into Wednesday in the border towns of
Kfartebnit, al-Mansouri and Haddatha, and burning forests and fruit-bearing
trees in Houla, with flames spreading to houses in the occupied border town.
Meanwhile, in the Nabatieh district, the Israeli military dropped flare bombs
over the heights of Kfar Remman.
1 killed, 11 wounded in strike on Tebnine as Israel accuses
Hezbollah of 'violating ceasefire'
Agence France Presse/August 05/2026
The Israeli military said it began striking targets in southern Lebanon on
Wednesday in response to a "blatant violation of the ceasefire" by Iran-backed
Hezbollah, just as Israel and Lebanon held talks in Rome. "In response to a
blatant violation of the ceasefire by the Hezbollah terrorist organization, the
IDF has begun conducting precise strikes in southern Lebanon," the military said
in a statement, shortly after telling residents to evacuate a village in the
area. Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven others wounded in a bomb
explosion inside a booby-trapped building in Majdalzoun in south Lebanon,
Israeli media reported Wednesday. The Israeli army accused Hezbollah of
"violating the ceasefire agreement" and ordered the residents of al-Mansouri to
evacuate ahead of strikes, the first such warning in several weeks. An Israeli
drone strike targeted Tebnine, a town outside the Israeli-designated yellow
zone, for the first time since a ceasefire was reached in June. The strike
"targeted the roof of a prayer area" in the cemetery of Tebnine, killing one
person and wounding 11 others, the National News Agency said. Violence in
Lebanon had decreased since Israel and Lebanon agreed to a framework deal that
involves the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces
from Lebanon's south and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region.
Lebanon continued to report intermittent Israeli strikes, shelling and heavy
demolitions in southern villages and towns, but only in areas occupied by Israel
in the yellow zone.
Lebanon Committed to Ceasefire, Expanding ‘Pilot Zones’ in
Latest Round of Rome Talks with Israel/August 05/2026
Beirut: Caroline Akoum Washington: Asharq Al Awsat/August 05/2026
The seventh round of US-sponsored indirect negotiations between Lebanon and
Israel kicked off in Rome on Tuesday with Beirut seeking more Israeli
withdrawals from southern Lebanon that would pave the way for the deployment of
the army and return of the displaced in line with the "pilot zones" program that
is part of the June 26 "framework agreement." Beirut is also aiming for Israel
to end its demolitions in southern villages it is occupying. Lebanese President
Joseph Aoun is following up on the "Rome 2" negotiations that will take place
over three days. Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal is following up directly with
the Lebanese military delegation at the talks. Informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat
that the delegation kicked off the talks by stressing the need for Israel to
cease its ongoing violations. Lebanon’s primary demand is for Israel to
consolidate the ceasefire and end its demolitions. The US mediator expressed
understanding of the demand, while Israel has yet to respond, said the sources.
The first part of the discussions on Tuesday was dedicated to assessing the
first pilot zone that was implemented in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in July and the
technical mechanism to expand the zones. They discussed which party should be
tasked with ensuring that Israel had withdrawn from the South and the Lebanese
army had deployed. The US will not be that party, added the sources.The latest
Rome talks are expected to end with an agreement to move to a new pilot zone.
The Lebanese delegation proposed that it should be the cities of Bint Jbeil and
Khiam given their national significance and geographic locations and the fact
that several of their residents remain displaced, said the sources. Alternative
proposals are ready should this one be turned down. All the proposed regions
fall within Israel’s "yellow line" that it is occupying. The sources stressed
that the Lebanese army is ready to deploy in new pilot zones should the Rome
talks end with a new agreement, citing its successful deployment in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh
after the Israeli pullout. Moreover, the sources revealed that – in a first –
Israel backed down from its refusal to discuss the land border with Lebanon. The
issue will be discussed, and the presence of a legal expert among the Lebanese
delegation was evidence of this. The previous round of talks in Rome had led to
an agreement over the first pilot zone in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh.On Monday, Italian
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani urged Lebanon and Israel to "continue in a
constructive spirit, identifying shared solutions that will allow for the full
implementation of the framework agreement", his ministry said. He made his
statement after holding talks with the heads of the Lebanese and Israeli
delegations. A US State Department official had told AFP that this week's
discussions would "include expanding the pilot zone process, resolving all
outstanding border issues, and working on a comprehensive peace and security
agreement". On Monday, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa warned that "moving
too quickly risks jeopardizing the very civilians this process is meant to
protect"."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,"
Issa said. "Both sides must agree on a clear, workable process before
proceeding."In Washington, a State Department source told Asharq Al-Awsat that
the US is keen on maintaining the "diplomatic momentum" to reach the common goal
of the full implementation of the framework agreement so that southern Lebanon
would be free of "terrorist infrastructure" and for Hezbollah to be disarmed.
This would allow the Lebanese state to impose its authority in the region and
achieve permanent security, it added.
Defense and public works ministers inspect southern towns
Naharnet/August 05/2026
Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny and Defense Minister Michel
Menassa on Wednesday made a field visit to southern Lebanon, including the towns
of Qaqaaiyet al-Jisr and Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, to assess the extent of damage
inflicted by Israel’s attacks on infrastructure, roads and bridges, and to
follow up on the implementation steps aimed at repairing them to enable
residents to return. The tour included several neighborhoods in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh
where the Israeli army destroyed most of the houses and severely damaged the
infrastructure, particularly the road network. The two ministers met with
residents who had returned to the town, which has become under the protection of
army units deployed in its neighborhoods to establish security and remove
suspicious objects left behind by the Israeli army. They also observed from a
distance the towns and sites occupied by the Israeli army, located within what
it calls the "yellow zone."Following the tour, Rasamny spoke to reporters,
stating that the South "paid a heavy price in defense of the homeland, but the
will of its people has not been broken, and the state will remain by their side
until the reconstruction of what was destroyed is complete."
Rasamny noted that "during the period of aggression, the Cabinet approved an
emergency and comprehensive action plan to rehabilitate, open, and maintain
damaged roads and rebuild destroyed bridges." He explained that "the Ministry
assumed responsibility for reopening main and secondary roads, reconnecting
villages, and securing temporary crossings in place of destroyed bridges,
ensuring that no town is isolated and that the movement of citizens, ambulances,
civil defense, and security forces continues."He affirmed that "every road we
reopen is a return to life, every bridge we rebuild is a bridge between the
people and the state, and every wall we repair is protection for the
livelihoods, security, and future of citizens," reiterating "the Ministry's
commitment to continuing to fulfill its duties until the region fully recovers
its infrastructure."For his part, Menassa said: "Our visit today embodies the
state's commitment to extending its authority over all Lebanese territory. This
makes us even more determined to prove to the world that the state returns not
only through security but also through the concerted efforts of all ministries
concerned with providing essential services for the return of citizens to their
land.”“This sacred land, which we will never abandon, is returning to the state
to provide all the services and requirements that will expedite the return of
residents to their towns and villages," Menassa added. He added: "The army is
always ready to reclaim the land. This land is ours and no one else's. Our goal
is one: to reclaim our land. How we will do that is our business, and for that
reason, I have left the outcome to the ongoing negotiations. But rest assured
that the land of the South will return to its people as long as the army
continues its advance in the towns."“This means that legitimacy exists, and
legitimacy, as I said, is not complete except through the combined efforts of
all ministries, with the army at the forefront. Zawtar is returning today, and
every grain of sand in the south will return to its people. It may take time,
but it will return, and no intruder will be allowed there. Hence, it is our duty
to reclaim the land and hand it over to its people, who are the most deserving
of it to live on, and who, at the same time, demand that the state provide
services and assistance,” Menassa said.
More Than 800,000 Displaced Lebanese Returning Home After
War, Says UN
Asharq Al-Awsat/August 05/2026
More than 800,000 people displaced by war in Lebanon have begun returning to
their hometowns following a lull in violence amid the Israel-Hezbollah war, the
United Nations said. The announcement late on Tuesday came as Lebanon and Israel
began a new round of US-sponsored talks in Rome aimed at ending the fighting,
which are scheduled to run until Thursday. UN humanitarian agency the OCHA said
"821,077 people had begun the return to their areas of origin as of 30 July",
but added that more than 360,000 remained displaced, around 26,000 of them in
government shelters. Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East war in
March by firing rockets at Israel in support of its backer Iran.Israel responded
with heavy airstrikes and a ground invasion that Lebanon says have killed more
than 4,300 people and displaced more than a million at the peak. Violence has
decreased since the signing in June of a preliminary US-Iran agreement on the
wider regional conflict, which includes a ceasefire in Lebanon, and following a
US-sponsored deal between Israel and Lebanon. But Lebanon continues to report
intermittent Israeli strikes and shelling, as well as detonations of explosives
and demolitions in southern villages, with Israeli troops occupying a swathe of
the area. The OCHA said damage to water and electricity infrastructure from the
war has severely affected access to water for more than 700,000 people in south
Lebanon, home for most of those displaced by the war. During negotiations in
Washington in June, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a framework deal that involves
the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from
Lebanon's south and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region, starting
in test areas known as "pilot zones". But Hezbollah has rejected the agreement
and refuses to disarm, with leader Naim Qassem saying the direct negotiations
will bring "nothing but shame, humiliation, and successive compromises" for
Lebanon.
Italian FM tells Araghchi Iran's role 'crucial to halting
Hezbollah military actions'
Naharnet/August 05/2026
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Wednesday that he held phone talks
on the Iranian and Lebanese files with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.
“I hope that the ongoing negotiations (between Lebanon and Israel) in Rome will
yield concrete results to consolidate the ceasefire and reach a general
agreement,” Tajani said in a post on X. “I reiterated to him that Iran's role is
crucial to halting Hezbollah's military actions,” the Italian minister added,
noting that Italy “will continue to play its part to promote dialogue, security,
and peace in the Middle East.”
Salam says greatest help to Israel was provided by Hezbollah
Agence France Presse/August 05/2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the greatest help to Israel was provided by
Hezbollah after Sheikh Naim Qassem accused authorities of helping Israel. Qassem
had said on Tuesday in a televised address that direct talks between Lebanon and
Israel would bring only "humiliation" for Lebanon, accusing Lebanese authorities
of having "helped Israel instead of helping Lebanon's sovereignty" by continuing
with negotiations that handed Israel "political gains". At negotiations in
Washington in June, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a framework deal that involves
the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from
Lebanon's south and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region. Hezbollah
has repeatedly rejected the direct talks and refuses to surrender its weapons.
Violence in Lebanon has decreased since the Lebanon-Israel deal, but Lebanon
continues to report intermittent Israeli strikes, shelling and heavy demolitions
in southern villages and towns. "Shouldn't the systematic destruction of
southern villages and towns... be reason for the political authorities to say,
'We don't want dialogue with the Israeli entity'?" Qassem said. Salam hit back
on X, saying "the greatest help to Israel was provided by those who unilaterally
drew Lebanon into the adventures of futile wars... and granted it pretexts to
attack our country". "Those who unilaterally take the decision of war and try to
continue to seize the state's decision-making, and to tie Lebanon to foreign
calculations and axes, ignoring the interests of their community and the
Lebanese in general, are not fit to lecture on patriotism, not to mention on
sovereignty," Salam added. The Prime Minister reaffirmed the state's commitment
to end "the Israeli occupation... and secure the conditions for the dignified
and safe return of people to their towns and villages", and to rebuild.
Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar criticized Salam for taking a sharp tone against
Hezbollah while remaining quiet as Israel "violates our sovereignty, destroys
villages, and razes homes, farmland, and infrastructure." Ammar argued that the
Prime Minister no longer distinguishes "between those who violate sovereignty
and occupy the land and those who defend it".
Applications for the UK Government’s Chevening Scholarships now open
Naharnet/August 05/2026
The British Embassy Beirut has announced that applications for the UK
Government’s flagship Chevening Scholarships program to study in the UK are now
open. Prospective candidates should submit their applications via chevening.org/apply
by 6 October 2026. Lebanese citizens (and Palestinians residing in Lebanon) are
eligible to apply under the Lebanon scheme in any subject area. The program
offers fully funded master’s degrees at UK universities to individuals ready to
join a global network of future leaders, equipped with world-class knowledge, UK
connections, and shared values, to address global challenges and drive
sustainable development in their communities and beyond. Lebanon is also
recipient of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) Chevening Fellowship.
It offers mid-career academics and professionals the opportunity to undertake
five months of independent research at the University of Oxford, focusing on
Islam, Muslim societies, and their role in a global context. Applications open
on 11 August until 6 October 2026. The Scholarship scheme for Lebanon has two
local partnerships: For the sixth year, The Chevening-Siren Associates
Scholarship will offer one scholarship to a Lebanese national (or Palestinian
national who would be normally resident in Lebanon) to pursue a master’s in:
Governance, International Development, Human Rights or Public Financial
Management/Administration at one of the UK’s top 20 universities.For the third
year, The Chevening-Raffy Manoukian Scholarship will offer up to three
scholarships to a Lebanese (or Palestinian national residing in Lebanon)
individual to pursue a master’s in: Information Systems, Artificial
Intelligence, Computer Science, STEM and similar topics at one of the UK’s top
10 universities. In addition to The Chevening-Rebecca Dykes Scholarship which
has been offered by the British Embassy in Beirut since 2017, offering one
scholarship to a woman pursuing a master’s in areas related to Gender Studies,
Peace and Conflict Studies, Development and Human Rights and Refugee and
Migration Studies or similar fields. The candidate is chosen by the British
Embassy when awarded the Chevening scholarship.For over 40 years, Chevening has
supported outstanding individuals with leadership potential to study in the UK.
Through access to world-class education, professional networks, and
international experiences, the program equips future leaders with the skills,
knowledge, and connections needed to tackle global challenges and drive positive
change.
Six years after Beirut port blast, victims' families still
hope for justice
Agence France Presse/August 05/2026
For Cecile Roukoz, a lawyer whose brother died in the Beirut port explosion six
years ago, accountability remains a priority. Families of victims of the port
blast gathered Tuesday on the sixth anniversary of the catastrophe, demanding
answers and accountability in a country long plagued by official impunity. "No
matter how bad the painful circumstances in Lebanon become... the crime of
August 4 is not behind us," Roukoz said. "Knowing the truth and holding the
criminals to account remains the priority," she told the crowd gathered near the
port. Some held images of their loved ones or Lebanese flags, while the names of
those killed were projected on a large screen. The massive explosion on August
4, 2020 killed more than 220 people, injured more than 6,500 and laid waste to
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 yet been held accountable. Roukoz urged the judiciary to
take action, "because delayed justice is a continuation of injustice".The case
is still with the public prosecutor, and nobody is in custody in Lebanon over
it. Justice Minister Adel Nassar told AFP that a decision from the prosecutor
was expected "within a period of 60 to 90 days".
'Hope for justice' -
Hanaa Karam, whose brother and two other relatives were among the firefighters
sent to their deaths when the blaze erupted at the warehouse, told AFP: "We live
in the hope for justice.""We have lost so much," she said, adding that their
home was filled "with sorrow and tears".
'Great crime'
On Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said an indictment was "a necessity
that can no longer be delayed", while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam vowed "no cover
for any official". The case had been bogged down by political and legal
wrangling after Iran-backed Hezbollah pushed for Judge Tarek Bitar's removal.
Dozens of lawsuits also sought to remove him.But Bitar resumed his
investigations last year as Lebanon's balance of power shifted after fighting
between Israel and Hezbollah weakened the group. Bitar has completed his probe
involving some 70 defendants, including current and former 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. Families of the victims of the port blast have
not given up on their demand for justice. William Noun, 32, said his brother Joe
was among the firefighters killed in "the great crime" six years ago. "I spent
10 days here, it was hell, until we found something of my brother's remains," he
told AFP. "We're now at the end of the investigation... and are awaiting the
indictment" to know the truth, he added.
Netanyahu and Katz Discuss Response to Hezbollah
Al-Markazia/August 5, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
Israeli media outlets reported that the political and security leadership is
preparing to hold urgent security consultations in light of the escalation on
the Lebanese front, amid conflicting reports regarding the anticipated decision
on the Israeli response. The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (Kan) quoted
Israeli sources as saying that the response to what Israel describes as
"Hezbollah violations" in southern Lebanon is not yet finalized, noting that the
security establishment is considering additional, "sensitive" options before
presenting them to the political level for approval. In this context, Channel 14
reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Minister of Defense will
hold a security consultation session at 9:00 PM to discuss what it described as
the "serious incident" in Lebanon, amid expectations that the meeting will
address options for a broad Israeli response. The Israeli Broadcasting
Corporation, citing sources, indicated that additional options for responding to
Hezbollah are being considered and will be presented to the political level for
approval. Conversely, Israeli news outlets reported conflicting accounts,
stating that Netanyahu postponed approving a response against Hezbollah for fear
of pressure or criticism. Yedioth Ahronoth, citing sources, reported that the
Israeli army had requested a large-scale attack in southern Lebanon in
retaliation against Hezbollah, but that the political leadership halted the
offensive. No official statement has yet been issued by the Israeli Prime
Minister's office or the Ministry of Defense confirming either version of
events, and the outcome of security consultations is expected to become clear in
the coming hours. Meanwhile, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (Kan) quoted
Israeli sources as saying that Lebanon is attempting to exploit the Rome talks
to pressure the Israeli delegation into reducing the scale of the Israeli army's
response to what Israel describes as Hezbollah's "violations" in southern
Lebanon.
Maronite Bishops: We Support US-Sponsored Negotiations Between Lebanon and
Israel
Central News Agency/August 5, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
The Maronite bishops held their monthly meeting at the patriarchal summer
residence in Diman, chaired by Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros
al-Rahi, with the participation of the superiors general of the Maronite
religious orders. They discussed ecclesiastical and national affairs. At the
conclusion of the meeting, Bishop Antoine Awkar read the following statement:
The members of the council express their great joy, along with their sons and
daughters, at the beatification of Patriarch Elias Hoyek and his elevation to
the altars of our churches. They see in this event a tribute to the life of a
man who left a profound national, educational, and spiritual mark, and who set
before us an example of love for God and country, and sacrifice for his land and
all its people. He added: On the sixth anniversary of the Beirut port explosion,
the members of the Council reiterate their condolences to the victims and their
prayers for the recovery of the injured, offering their sympathies to the
families and loved ones. They demand the swift issuance of the indictment, the
uncovering of the facts of this crime that struck the entire nation, and the
imposition of penalties on its perpetrators, instigators, and those behind them.
He continued: The members of the Council support the course of the
American-Lebanese-Israeli talks, provided that those overseeing and working
towards their success carefully arrange the steps leading to a complete Israeli
withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the return of the residents, and the
commencement of the reconstruction of the devastated cities, towns, and
villages, free from attempts to link these steps to external agendas. He
concluded: The members of the Council strongly condemn Israel's continued
deliberate harm to the border region through the bulldozing of homes and
institutions, the destruction of infrastructure, the alteration of
transportation and residential areas, and the burning, uprooting, and
confiscation of forests and fruit trees. They hope that putting an end to this
will be a priority in the trilateral talks. He concluded: “The members of the
council thank all those who worked diligently and persistently to save the
common lands of Mount Lebanon from attempts to seize them for private gain. They
hope this rescue will be secured, as it is a major step towards strengthening
the attachment of the Lebanese people to their identity and land, and towards
consolidating the unity of communities with their geography and history, and
their growing sense of belonging to the nation and the foundations of its
survival and resilience. The members of the council pray with the Lebanese
people on the eve of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, and implore
Him, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary on the upcoming Feast of the
Assumption, to have mercy on the small nation and its people, asking the Lord
God for His mercy and boundless love to deliver them from this ongoing ordeal.”
Hajj Hassan: Adopting Options that Preserve National
Interests and Prevent Further Concessions to the Enemy
Al-Markazia/August 5, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
MP Hussein Hajj Hassan, head of the Baalbek-Hermel Bloc, called for "halting
direct negotiations with the Israeli enemy and completely correcting the course,
as this path has only produced more gratuitous concessions, while the enemy
continues its aggression by targeting civilians and army personnel, destroying
homes, and bulldozing land in the occupied territories." During a memorial
service held by Hezbollah in the town of Al-Zaarir, west of Baalbek,
commemorating the week of mourning for martyr Abbas Abdullah Msheik, he stated
that "the ongoing Israeli attacks prove the continuation of the occupation
approach," emphasizing "the necessity of reconsidering the current course in a
way that preserves Lebanon's rights and sovereignty." He affirmed that "the
relationship between Hezbollah and the Amal Movement is a firm and unwavering
one, based on cooperation, integration, and a unified stance in confronting the
challenges facing Lebanon and the region." Hajj Hassan Hajj Hassan concluded by
noting that "the steadfastness of the Lebanese and their adherence to their
rights form the basis for confronting Israeli aggression," and calling for
"adopting options that preserve the national interest and prevent further
concessions to the enemy."
Grand Jaafari Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan: Ambassador Michel Issa thwarted the
results of the Rome round
Al-Markazia/August 5, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
Grand Jaafari Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan issued a statement saying: "Because the
issue concerns us as Lebanese, and because the logic of foreign powers thrives
on swallowing up countries, their resources, and their sovereignty amidst a
region experiencing the most dangerous phases of regional and international
transformations, I say to the current authority: no matter how much we disagree,
no capital in the world will be more concerned about Lebanon than its own people
and the interests of its various components. This necessitates reaffirming our
national unity according to the consensual formula for Lebanon." He added: "The
history of this country is clear: whoever acts unilaterally commits suicide. A
political authority that aligns itself with foreign powers at the expense of its
people and the interests of its sovereignty will not be able to govern. This is
a historical constant based on the reality of this country and the nature of its
fundamental balances. The idea of surrendering Lebanon to foreign powers is a
devastating blow, like a nuclear bomb, leaving nothing behind. It is a
historical and current necessity that the state, as a formula of national
accord, cannot be effective without cooperation, solidarity, and close alignment
among national institutions. The presence of Speaker Nabih Berri is a greater
historical opportunity than Lebanon and the region, and President Aoun and
Salam, are required to coordinate and reach full national consensus with Speaker
Nabih Berri. Without Speaker Berri, there is no Lebanon, no stability, and no
national solutions. People like Speaker Nabih Berri are rare in the entire
region, and this is an irreplaceable national opportunity. He continued:
“Whoever burns this card burns Lebanon. The moment is for saving Lebanon’s
paths, and there is no salvation without cooperation and solidarity that
addresses the major priorities and the way in which major disputes are managed.
Time and risks do not allow for a game of experimentation, endorsement, and dark
retreats, especially since Washington and Tel Aviv are dealing with Lebanon like
a poisoned pipe and see in it only what serves their security and political
interests, to the point that Ambassador Michel Issa thwarted the results of the
Rome round before it even took place, in a manner that was humiliating to the
current authority.” Mufti Qabalan pointed out that "the path to an internal
solution lies in political salvation. Without this option, the state's function
as a national authority and representative project will cease. Lebanon has
national constants that do not accept collateral commitments. The national
doctrine is the foundation of these constants, and the Lebanese army has a role,
function, and national defense. Undermining the national role of the Lebanese
army undermines Lebanon and strikes at the very core of the country's founding
formula." He added, "National necessity, in all its circumstances, dictates
securing the capabilities for sovereign solidarity and what is required within
the scope of national capacity, because the dangers threatening Lebanon are
existential, protracted, and immense, and have been for decades. This places the
resistance, the army, and sovereign national ideas at the heart of a purely
theoretical project that redesigns the keys to a national security and defense
strategy that transcends sectarianism, given the immense regional and
international risks. This matter is the paramount national necessity, and
leaving it to Washington and the current charade of negotiations is like pouring
deadly poison into Lebanon's veins. Because Lebanon's political structure is
extremely complex, the authorities are required to adopt a policy of national
unity that serves Lebanon's interests, especially those of southern Lebanon,
which has been paying the price for defending Lebanon's sovereignty since 1948.
Without this, the current authorities will not be able to fulfill their
commitments." "It contradicts national interests." Mufti Qabalan concluded,
addressing the current authority: "Without South Lebanon and its people, the
authority will remain weak, fragile, without weight or representation, and will
have no national credibility, as evidenced by the fact that the current
authority is negotiating today while Israel is bombing amidst deliberate
humiliation that targets Lebanon's political structure and its negotiating
power. The solution lies in a national unity table, sovereign priorities, and a
constitutional formula for the operation of the state and its institutions.
Without that, there is no authority, no national representation, and no ability
to save Lebanon."
On August 4, Naim Qassem Should Have Remained Silent
Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/August 05/2026
There are days on which political decency requires silence. August 4 is one of
them.
Yet on the sixth anniversary of the Beirut port explosion, Naim Qassem chose not
to remain silent. Instead, Hezbollah’s secretary-general appeared before the
Lebanese people to lecture them about sovereignty, reconstruction, national
unity, the strength of the Lebanese Army and, most obscenely, the importance of
investigation and justice. Qassem instructed the Lebanese authorities to “care
about sovereignty,” strengthen the army, prioritize reconstruction and pursue
investigations so that the people might receive justice. He even spoke
sympathetically about those who had lost their homes, children and families,
presenting Hezbollah as their compassionate protector.
It was not merely hypocritical. It was grotesque.
For Naim Qassem to speak about justice on August 4 is like an arsonist lecturing
firefighters about fire safety. It is an attempt to erase history while its
victims are still standing before the ruins. The Beirut port explosion killed
more than 200 people, injured thousands and devastated entire neighborhoods of
the capital. Six years later, families are still waiting for an indictment, a
trial and a definitive account of who imported the ammonium nitrate, who
benefited from it, who allowed it to remain at the port and why so much of the
original shipment apparently disappeared before the explosion. Judge Tarek Bitar
only submitted his report to the public prosecutor in March 2026, after years in
which the investigation was repeatedly paralyzed by political interference and
legal obstruction. Those years were not an unfortunate bureaucratic accident.
They were the product of a political system determined to prevent the truth from
reaching a courtroom. And no party worked more openly to intimidate that
courtroom than Hezbollah. A senior Hezbollah official reportedly delivered a
warning to Judge Bitar that the party would “remove” him from the investigation.
Hezbollah led the campaign demanding his dismissal, accused him of politicizing
the case and mobilized alongside its allies against the investigation. Its
supporters demonstrated outside the Justice Palace, while accused officials and
political figures buried the inquiry beneath lawsuits, recusals and procedural
challenges.
This is why Qassem’s sudden concern for “investigation” is so insulting.
Which investigation does he mean? The investigation his party threatened? The
judge it sought to remove? The judiciary it intimidated whenever its questions
approached politically protected figures? There remain serious allegations and
unanswered questions concerning Hezbollah’s possible relationship to the
ammonium nitrate, the port’s security networks and the missing portion of the
shipment. Hezbollah has not been judicially convicted of importing or storing
the nitrate. But that is hardly an exoneration when the same party helped
prevent the judicial process from reaching its conclusion.
The accusation that Hezbollah participated in storing, diverting or protecting
the nitrate must ultimately be tested in court. Yet the most firmly established
political fact is that Hezbollah fought the mechanism capable of proving or
disproving that accusation.
In other words, the absence of a verdict is not proof of Hezbollah’s innocence.
It is evidence of Lebanon’s enforced impunity. In other words, the absence of a
verdict is not proof of Hezbollah’s innocence. It is evidence of Lebanon’s
enforced impunity.
The unanswered questions surrounding the explosion also extend beyond Hangar 12.
Human Rights Watch documented the killings of individuals believed to possess
information connected to the port, including retired customs officer Mounir Abou
Rjeily and photographer Joseph Bejjani. No court has conclusively established
that their deaths were connected to the explosion, but the pattern deepened
public fear that information about the port could carry a death sentence.
Then there is my friend Lokman Slim.
Weeks before he was assassinated, Lokman publicly raised allegations concerning
Hezbollah, the Syrian regime and the ultimate destination of the ammonium
nitrate. He had already endured threats and intimidation because of his
opposition to Hezbollah. On February 4, 2021, he was found murdered in southern
Lebanon, shot repeatedly in the head and back. More than five years later, his
killers have not been identified or prosecuted. No responsible writer can
establish a direct connection between Lokman’s assassination and the port
explosion, at least for now. But no honest Lebanese can ignore the political
environment surrounding both crimes: witnesses silenced, critics threatened,
judges intimidated and investigations permitted to die slowly beneath the weight
of fear. Qassem also has no standing to lecture Lebanon about reconstruction or
the suffering of the South.
His organization made the unilateral decision to fire rockets at Israel on March
2 in support of Iran, without consulting the Lebanese government, parliament,
army or the residents whose villages would become the battlefield. The resulting
war displaced more than 1.2 million people, damaged tens of thousands of homes
and left large areas of southern Lebanon devastated. Israel is responsible for
the bombs it dropped, the civilians it killed and the destruction its military
inflicted. But Hezbollah is responsible for confiscating Lebanon’s decision of
war and peace and gambling with other people’s homes in the service of Iran.
He turned their villages into military geography, their houses into potential
targets, their displacement into propaganda and their suffering into evidence of
Hezbollah’s supposed heroism. Having helped produce the catastrophe, he now
promises to pressure the Lebanese state to pay for reconstruction.
This is Hezbollah’s preferred economic model: Iran chooses the war, Hezbollah
opens the front, Israel destroys Lebanon, Lebanese citizens lose their homes and
then the Lebanese state is ordered to pay the bill. A leader whose militia
helped displace more than a million people has no right to speak about
protecting the displaced. A party that obstructed the port investigation has no
right to demand investigations. An armed organization that has spent decades
weakening the army has no right to lecture the government about strengthening
it. And a movement whose weapons exist outside the authority of the state has no
right to define sovereignty for anyone.
On August 4, Qassem should not have delivered a sermon. He should have answered
questions.
He should have told the families of the port victims why Hezbollah threatened
the investigating judge. He should have explained why his party feared an
independent investigation. He should have demanded the surrender of every
official, minister, security officer or party member summoned by Judge Bitar. He
should have called for the prosecution of Lokman Slim’s assassins and the
reopening of every politically sensitive murder file buried by Lebanon’s
machinery of impunity. He did none of this.
Instead, he offered the Lebanese another performance in which Hezbollah is
simultaneously the armed authority above the state, the victim of every
conspiracy and the innocent observer of every disaster.
And Lebanon needs to reclaim its judiciary, its army and its right to decide its
own future from the militia that has obstructed all three.
**Makram Rabah is the managing editor at Now Lebanon and an Assistant Professor
at the American University of Beirut, Department of History. His book Conflict
on Mount Lebanon: The Druze, the Maronites and Collective Memory (Edinburgh
University Press) covers collective identities and the Lebanese Civil War. He
tweets at @makramrabah
A Little Realism and Historical Perspective
Rami al-Rayes/Asharq Al-Awsat/August 05/2026
Interpretations of the “framework agreement” reached between Lebanon and Israel
on June 26 differ by political camp. Each side reads it through its own
understanding of Lebanon's supreme national interest. Yet a national consensus
is beginning to form, above the usual divisions and alignments, in support of
confining weapons to the state and granting it sole authority over decisions of
war and peace. This climate should surprise no one. A basic function of any
state is to hold a monopoly over weapons and to defend its territory. In
Lebanon's case, it would also mean the delayed implementation of the Taif
Agreement. All Lebanese militias surrendered their weapons in the early 1990s.
The exception was Hezbollah, which was expected to disarm once the liberation of
Lebanese territory from Israeli occupation was completed in 2000. The old
tripartite formula - the army, the people, and the resistance - was celebrated
and upheld for years. It collapsed together with the "balance of deterrence,"
beginning with the 2024 war. The balance of power changed entirely, and the
Lebanese state must now put another formula in its place.
Lebanese officials may be convinced that a military confrontation with Israel is
impossible and genuinely unequal -and it is, given the balance of power -and
that negotiation is the best route out of the present situation and toward
stability. That conviction does not absolve the state of its responsibility. It
must marshal every resource to build a national security strategy, and from it a
defense strategy, especially now that parts of southern Lebanon are again under
occupation. There is no alternative to rebuilding domestic unity would
strengthen the state's negotiating hand, not weaken it. An inclusive national
dialogue to steer the country through this period is a necessity, all the more
so as the difficulties mount to an unprecedented degree. That dialogue cannot
rest on superficial reconciliation or verbal understandings. It must equip the
state to perform its proper role.There is also an urgent need to steady the pace
of hasty political positions. Not by curbing free expression, of course, but by
bringing the national mood into line with events. That means resisting a rush
toward normalization - whether dressed in religious labels, such as visits or
pilgrimages never once invoked in the 70 years since the Nakba, or in slogans
more trivial still.
Those racing toward peace forget that the occupation has not paused its bombing,
killing, and destruction. It benefits from an atmosphere of internal division,
feeds it, and works to deepen it. All the more reason to put the Lebanese house
in order before it fractures further.
Some also forget that Israel gave no weight to the Arab Peace Initiative adopted
at the 2002 Beirut Summit and acted as though it had never existed. Can Lebanon
afford a separate path to peace? If Israel ignored a collective Arab position,
will it heed Lebanon's alone?
Securing an Israeli withdrawal and ending the war is one thing. A peace
agreement and normalization are another. Lebanon must avoid that path. It must
equally avoid the opposite temptation: attaching itself to Tehran's axis, which
has built a network of cross-border armed movements that hollow out central
states, and has fed them an ideology whose consequences are not easily
undone.The Israeli occupation needs no pretext to unleash its long hostility
toward Lebanon. Even so, the insistence on dragging Lebanon into futile wars
beyond its capacity to endure was a reckless decision, and it serves no Lebanese
interest.
In the end, Lebanon, with its plural composition, can withstand neither course.
It should rebuild its Arab relations, which remain its natural strategic depth
whatever the circumstances, and it should not stray from the broader Arab
framework. Lebanon is not Egypt, with its political weight and influence. Nor is
it Jordan, with its political system, its social composition, and its place on
the map. A little realism and historical perspective can help, from time to
time.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on August 05-06/2026
Iranian and Omani negotiators have finalized the draft
of a deal, officials say
Associated Press/August 05/2026
Iranian and Omani negotiators have finalized the draft deal to reopen the Strait
of Hormuz and are awaiting a final approval from Iran's supreme leader, two
regional officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The officials, who
were briefed on the negotiations, portrayed the potential deal as a temporary
solution to the U.S.-Iranian dispute over vessels' transit through the Strait of
Hormuz. They said it is tied to the agreement reached between the U.S. and Iran
in June that aimed at ending the fighting and reopening the Strait of Hormuz,
but which ultimately collapsed. The officials, who spoke on condition of
anonymity to discuss the matter, said the potential deal will pave the way for
the U.S. and Iran to resume negotiations to reach a final deal on Tehran's
nuclear program. Earlier, they had said the possible agreement between Iran and
Oman calls for ships to enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled
route and exit through a route controlled by Oman. Service fees would be charged
for providing security and preserving the maritime environment, the officials
said.
Oman and Iran have not officially commented. The Trump administration has
previously ruled out any deal that would give Iran control over the strait,
which was an open international waterway before the war, but has seen traffic
reduced to a trickle. Trump has reiterated his public opposition to tolls being
charged. "I'm not going to let them charge," Trump said on Monday. "Anybody's
going to charge, we'll charge."
Trump says deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz could come as early as Wednesday
Associated Press/August 05/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal on the Strait of Hormuz could come as
early as Wednesday or Thursday, while Iran and Oman inched toward an agreement
to reopen the critical waterway and potentially help bring an end to the war.
Trump was asked by reporters traveling with him in California about a report on
the Axios news site that an announcement on the Strait of Hormuz could be made
on Wednesday. "It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day," he said, speaking on
Tuesday evening California time, which was already Wednesday morning in the
Middle East. "A lot of progress has been made." Oil prices eased on hopes of
progress for a deal that would allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf
again and deliver crude around the world. Brent crude, the international
standard, slipped by 1.2% to $78.43 per barrel early Wednesday. The agreement
would see routes controlled by Iran and Oman, regional officials tell AP. The
possible agreement emerging from talks between Iran and Oman calls for ships to
enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through a
route controlled by Oman, two regional officials told The Associated Press.
Service fees would be charged for providing security and preserving the maritime
environment, the officials said.The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to
discuss the sensitive negotiations. The Trump administration has previously
ruled out any deal that would give Iran control over the strait, which was an
open international waterway before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28.
About one fifth of the world's oil and natural gas passed through the strait,
but shipping through the waterway has been reduced to a trickle at best by
Iran's attacks since the start of the war. In an exchange with reporters on
Monday, the U.S. president reiterated his public opposition to tolls being
charged in the strait. "I'm not going to let them charge," Trump said.
"Anybody's going to charge, we'll charge."The regional officials said
negotiations are still underway and that the final agreement could take a
different form, with any deal linked to lifting the U.S. blockade on Iran's
ports.
US and Iranian officials say progress is being made
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tuesday that Tehran's
talks with Oman were focused on "establishing safe inbound and outbound shipping
lanes," routes that "uphold sovereign rights while also addressing the national
security considerations of both Iran and Oman.""The final results of these
negotiations will be announced once concluded," he added, according to Iran's
state-run IRNA news agency. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed
progress had been made in those talks, "but not finality yet."Rubio has
previously ruled out any deal that would give Iran control over the strait,
saying last month that would create a "very dangerous precedent" for other parts
of the world. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that "there is a
chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the strait and move towards
a more normalized position in this conflict."
Arab countries seek to broker an end to the war
Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said he also spoke to Trump by
phone on Tuesday as the Arab country tries to broker a resolution to the war. Al
Thani's office said the two discussed ways to bridge the divide "in a way that
enhances the prospects of reaching a sustainable diplomatic settlement to the
crisis."rump is under mounting pressure to end an unpopular war that has driven
up gas prices ahead of midterm elections and drawn down U.S. supplies of some
munitions. In recent days, he has again alternately threatened massive strikes
and voiced support for diplomatic efforts. Trump said Monday that the U.S. was
in talks with Iran, saying it was Tehran's "last chance" to reach a deal and
avoid another U.S. military escalation. "The first phase is the opening of the
straits. The second phase will be the denuclearization," Trump said. "And that
will take a little while."Iran has denied it is negotiating with the U.S.,
saying the talks are only with Oman. Ships attacked in Strait of Hormuz and in
Red Sea. An Indian-flagged commercial ship sank Tuesday in the Red Sea off Yemen
after being struck by an explosive-laden boat, Yemeni and Indian authorities
said. Yemen's coast guard rescued the crew, which included 13 Indians and a
Yemeni. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Yemen's Iran-backed
Houthi militants have repeatedly struck ships traversing the Red Sea near Yemen.
Last month, the Houthis announced they were closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait
that leads to the Red Sea for Saudi-linked shipping in retaliation for the
kingdom's blockade on Yemen and an attack on the international airport in
Yemen's rebel-held capital, Sanaa. Earlier Tuesday, a cargo ship reported being
"hit by an unknown projectile" while traversing the Strait of Hormuz, according
to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center. The center said the
reported strike damaged the vessel at around 2 a.m. local time while it was
about 37 kilometers (23 miles) northeast of Al Khasab, a port city in Oman. The
British maritime security firm Ambrey said the ship sustained damage.
Trump Warns Iran to Open Hormuz or Get ‘Hit Very Hard’
Asharq Al-Awsat/August 05/2026
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran would be "hit very hard" unless
the strategic Strait of Hormuz is reopened "very soon," in an interview with Fox
News. Trump said that talks were ongoing, as Axios reported that the US, Iran
and Oman were nearing an interim deal to reopen the strait, which Washington was
hoping to announce Wednesday. "The strait is going to be open very soon, or
they're going to get hit very hard -- and then the strait's going to be open,"
Trump said during a visit to California. The Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for
global oil and gas supplies, has been the spark for repeated returns to
fighting. "We're having very good discussions," he said, insisting that Iran was
keen to find a way to bring an end to a conflict that began on February 28 when
the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran. "The only thing that matters is
action. And they want to make a deal. We'll see what happens.""I have plenty of
time," he added. Later, as he was about to board Air Force One for a flight from
California to Las Vegas, Trump said he believed a deal could happen "tomorrow or
the next day." Axios, citing unnamed regional officials and a US official, said
the deal on the table would be a 60-day arrangement for safe passage in the
strait between Iran and Oman. That deal, which would not involve the payment of
tolls, could then be extended, the report said. All traffic heading into the
Gulf would take a northern shipping lane, and outbound traffic would use a
southern lane through Oman's territorial waters.
UN Rights Chief Says Iran Executed at Least 56 People Since March
Asharq Al-Awsat/August 05/2026
At least 56 people have been executed in Iran on national security-related
charges since March 19, including 27 in cases linked to protests at the start
of the year, United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk said on
Wednesday. "I am alarmed by the rise in executions and death sentences issued
in Iran since March, and that capital punishment continues to be used to instill
fear among the population and suppress dissent," Turk said in a statement.
Iranian authorities killed thousands of people during anti-government protests
in January, Iran's worst domestic unrest in decades. Rights groups say the
government has continued to crack down on opponents during the war – sparked by
US-Israeli strikes on Iran since the end of February. Turk said more than 100
people face the risk of execution on similar security-related charges, while
executions for drug-related offences were also continuing at an "alarming
rate."
He urged Tehran to halt all executions, move towards abolishing the death
penalty and raised concerns about what he described as failures to uphold fair
trial and due process. Iran's diplomatic mission in Geneva did not immediately
respond to a request for comment. Iranian officials have defended the country's
judicial processes and the use of capital punishment as consistent with domestic
law and necessary for public security.
Pezeshkian Denies He Intends to Step Down amid Mounting Internal Disputes in
Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat/August 05/2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied on Tuesday that he was intending to
step down amid mounting disputes within the country’s leadership over the
negotiations with the US and sharing power between state institutions, and
military and security agencies as Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s absence
continues. Marking the beginning of his third year in office, Pezeshkian made
his remarks in response to a campaign aimed at weakening his government and
portraying it as at odds with other state institutions. “If I wanted to resign,
I would say so openly. I will not quit, but I will go on,” he declared. Certain
parties have sought to claim that divisions exist between the president and
Khamenei, to which Pezeshkian replied: “They want to create a dispute. The
leadership says one thing, and they say another. However, what is in the open
does not need an explanation.”Moreover, he asserted that his government was
operating in “complete coordination” with the armed forces, dismissing claims of
disputes with them. Pezeshkian said that a resignation would go against the
supreme leader’s wishes and would “wrong” the military personnel who work with
him. “If I threatened to step down in spite of the leadership, won’t they turn
against me? I would be wronging them.”
The president made his statements in wake of a recording of Mohammad-Baqer
Kharrazi, Secretary-General of “Hezbollah of Iran” and an in-law of Khamenei,
claiming that the president had threatened to quit his position 28 times since
he came to office in 2024.
“If Mr. Pezeshkian wanted to resign one more time, then I would agree to it,” he
was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency that is affiliated with the Iranian
Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Kharrazi said Khamenei has “firmly” become
involved in decision-making in Iran. “You don’t know Mojtaba. His father, the
martyred leader, used to humor and flatter a bit, but Mojtaba does not at
all.”He also claimed that the supreme leader wanted to introduce changes in the
Supreme National Security Council, including the dismissal of its Secretary
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr to appoint Mohsen Rezaee, an adviser to Khamenei, in
his place.Zolghadr and Rezaee are both prominent members of the IRGC whose
influence grew during the war with the US and Israel after the killing of
several heads of security and military agencies.
Netanyahu Says No Israeli Withdrawal from Gaza Until Hamas Has Been Completely
Disarmed
Asharq Al-Awsat/August 05/2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel will not withdraw
from its current lines in Gaza until Hamas has completely disarmed and pushed
back on a recent deal announced by US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu's
remarks cast more doubt on the deal to disarm Hamas, which was seen as a
potential breakthrough for ending the war. It also marked a rare public display
of friction with the Trump administration. The agreement called for Hamas to
begin disarming and for Israel to halt its strikes and begin withdrawing from
the roughly 60% of Gaza it currently controls. It was based on an October
ceasefire agreement that ended major military operations and brought about the
release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza but has stalled on other fronts.
Netanyahu, who faces a tough battle for reelection in October, reiterated his
stance that disarmament should come first. He said Israeli forces would continue
to “do whatever is necessary to protect themselves, our territory, and our
citizens.”The Trump administration “sent us a draft. We did not agree. It is not
our draft. We sent our comments. ... This is our position,” Netanyahu said in a
video posted on social media. At least 1,252 people have been killed in Gaza
since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.
The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty
records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent
experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants but says women
and children make up most of the dead. Israel says its strikes are against
fighters who endanger its soldiers, took part in the Oct. 7 attack or carry out
other violations. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire.
The US-backed ceasefire agreement last October called for Hamas to be disarmed
and for Israel to withdraw. An International Stabilization Force was to be
deployed, and an independent Palestinian administration was to oversee
governance and reconstruction. Israel says everything hinges on Hamas giving up
its weapons, while Hamas says Israel must end its strikes and begin withdrawing
from the territory. Each side accuses the other of violating the truce. Gaza
remains largely shattered. Most of its 2 million Palestinians are displaced,
many living in tent camps where poor conditions and overcrowding have led to
rodent infestations and outbreaks of infectious diseases such as chickenpox.
Egypt, Jordan and Iraq Move to Revitalize Trilateral
Mechanism Amid Regional Tensions
Cairo: Ahmad Jamal/Asharq Al-Awsat/August 05/2026
Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan reaffirmed the importance of activating their trilateral
cooperation mechanism through its specialized technical committees and
strengthening coordination in the economic, investment, industrial, and energy
sectors as regional tensions continue to mount.
The three countries held talks Wednesday on the sidelines of the Ministerial
Meeting on Jerusalem in the Jordanian capital, Amman. The meeting brought
together Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Jordanian Deputy Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq launched their trilateral
coordination and cooperation mechanism in Cairo in 2019, and the leaders of the
three countries have since held several summits under its framework. Foreign
ministers have also met regularly on the sidelines of various political
gatherings. During the meeting, Abdelatty stressed the importance of the
trilateral cooperation mechanism as a key framework for advancing regional
integration and strengthening joint Arab action. He said it offers opportunities
to leverage the capabilities and resources of the three countries in ways that
serve the interests of their peoples.He also stressed the need to translate the
political will of the three countries' leaders into practical projects in
infrastructure, trade, industry, energy, electricity interconnection,
agriculture, and transportation, while emphasizing implementation of the
recommendations issued by the mechanism's technical committees to strengthen
economic and development partnerships. The ministers also discussed a number of
regional issues of shared concern, foremost among them developments in the
Palestinian issue. They stressed the need to intensify Arab and international
efforts to support the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including
the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967
lines with East Jerusalem as its capital. Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt's
commitment to supporting the trilateral cooperation mechanism as a means of
strengthening cooperation among Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq while promoting regional
security, stability, and development. Ashraf Harbi, a member of the Egyptian
Council for Foreign Affairs, said the trilateral cooperation mechanism is not
limited to regularly scheduled meetings. Instead, meetings are convened whenever
political, economic, or security developments in the region require
consultation, allowing the three countries to coordinate on regional and
international developments and adopt appropriate positions and measures. Harbi
told Asharq Al-Awsat that the mechanism serves as a permanent framework for
strategic consultation among Cairo, Baghdad, and Amman, covering political,
economic, development, and social issues, in addition to promoting bilateral and
trilateral cooperation in energy, transportation, investment, and
infrastructure, as well as the exchange of expertise, studies, and research.
He said the mechanism has become increasingly important amid successive regional
crises because it facilitates the exchange of views and information and enables
the three countries to coordinate their positions on issues including the war in
the Gaza Strip, maritime security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait,
developments related to the Strait of Hormuz, and other security or economic
events that could affect regional stability. According to a statement issued by
Iraq's Foreign Ministry and carried Wednesday by the Iraqi News Agency (INA),
the three ministers agreed to hold regular meetings at various levels to monitor
implementation of joint projects, particularly in the economic, investment,
industrial, and energy sectors. The ministers also discussed prospects for
cooperation in the energy sector, including oil projects, electricity
interconnection, and ways to expand joint cooperation in support of economic
integration and energy security among the three countries, the ministry said.
Harbi said recent developments in the Gaza Strip, particularly what he described
as Israel's intransigence following understandings on implementing the peace
plan, underscore the need for continued consultation among the three countries,
as well as a shared vision and coordinated plan to address the consequences of
the ongoing regional escalation and its future implications in order to preserve
regional stability and protect Arab interests. He added that the mechanism is
flexible and broad in scope, extending beyond any single issue to encompass all
matters affecting the interests of the three countries. Its primary objectives,
he said, are to strengthen political and strategic consultation, coordinate
positions on regional and international issues, and advance economic and
development cooperation through joint projects while expanding collaboration
across multiple sectors.
Sources Reveal Details of Messages Exchanged Between Hamas and Mladenov
Gaza: Asharq Al Awsat/August 05/2026
Sources from Hamas and other Palestinian factions revealed on Wednesday details
of messages exchanged Tuesday evening between the negotiating delegation and
Nikolay Mladenov, the senior representative for Gaza on the Peace Council,
regarding the council's latest statement following his meeting with Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In its statement, the council linked an
Israeli withdrawal from Gaza to the complete disarmament of the territory, a
position that some Palestinian factions viewed as a reversal of the agreement
reached with mediators early last Friday. Two Hamas sources and a third source
from a Palestinian faction participating in the Cairo negotiations told Asharq
Al-Awsat that the negotiating delegation's message described the council's
statement as a reversal of the agreement, saying it focused solely on the issue
of weapons in a way the delegation considered misguided while failing to address
the other core issues. The three sources, speaking separately, said the message
argued that the Peace Council's statement was intended to appease the Israeli
government, creating a dangerous impression about how the agreement would be
implemented and handled once execution begins under an agreed timetable.
The sources said Mladenov replied by stressing that no changes had been made to
the agreement reached in Cairo on the 15-point roadmap. He said the purpose of
his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to halt Israeli
attacks and create conditions that would allow the agreement to move forward.
Mladenov said the intensive Israeli attacks on Sunday had been serious and
risked hardening positions, making immediate direct intervention necessary to
stop the operations before they derailed everything that had been achieved. He
stressed the importance of finding solutions to all challenges that could
confront the agreement despite the difficult circumstances. On Wednesday
morning, Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas' political bureau and its negotiating
delegation, said the movement was still awaiting an official response from
Mladenov regarding implementation of the second phase of the Cairo agreement on
the roadmap, which had been agreed with him and the mediators. In a post on X,
Naim said Hamas and the Palestinian factions had demonstrated a high degree of
responsibility in responding to the proposals presented to them. He also
welcomed the mediators' statement holding Israel responsible for the escalation
and the deliberate obstruction of the agreement. The mediating countries in the
Gaza ceasefire negotiations on Monday condemned Israel's continued violations in
the Gaza Strip after a series of airstrikes on Sunday killed more than 20
Palestinians. On the ground, no unusual incidents were reported on Tuesday or
Wednesday apart from several injuries, the latest occurring Wednesday morning
when Israeli military vehicles opened fire toward tents housing displaced people
in areas south of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli forces have
intensified surveillance and armed drone flights across the Gaza Strip amid
fears of surprise strikes similar to those carried out repeatedly in the past.
Asharq Al-Awsat has obtained a circular distributed to members of the armed
wings of Palestinian factions in Gaza instructing them to continue observing
necessary security precautions and not lower their guard despite Israeli media
reports that a 14-day truce is set to begin. Under the roadmap agreement, if all
parties approve the plan, Israel will suspend its attacks for 14 days. During
that period, negotiations will begin on a timetable covering all provisions of
the second phase, while Israel will also be required to implement the first
phase, including withdrawing to the original Yellow Line, which it significantly
expanded deeper into Gaza over recent weeks and months. Israel has linked any
withdrawal to the complete disarmament of Hamas and the Palestinian factions,
while the roadmap states that the process will proceed step by step to ensure
implementation of the agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said
on Tuesday that Israeli forces would not withdraw from their current positions
in Gaza before Hamas was fully disarmed, adding that disagreements remained with
the administration of US President Donald Trump over the issue. The US
administration played a major role in securing the recent Cairo agreement
between Hamas and the mediators after assuring the parties that it would
guarantee implementation of the deal. Hamas has said the agreement was difficult
for the movement to accept but that it agreed to it in order to save Palestinian
lives.
Israeli Army Backs Netanyahu, Sets 3 Red Lines over Gaza
Agreement
Asharq Al Awsat/August 05/2026
The Israeli army backed on Tuesday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stance on
the latest Gaza agreement, placing three red lines to the 15-point deal that was
announced by the Board of Peace last week about ending the war in the
Palestinian enclave. Israel’s Kan radio said senior military officials refuse to
have restrictions imposed on the army in Gaza, demanding complete freedom of
movement to eliminate “threats”. The army also wants to oversee Hamas’
disarmament, refusing to task this mission to the technocratic government that
is expected to rule Gaza. The army also strongly objected to a partial or
gradual pullout from the enclave before Hamas is fully disarmed. These issues
are set to be discussed at a cabinet meeting dedicated to tackling Gaza on
Thursday. The military position effectively backs Netanyahu’s stances. The PM
had persuaded Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's high representative for
Gaza, to change his position after meeting in Jerusalem on Monday. The Board
announced that Israel will not beginning withdrawing behind the “yellow line” in
Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed. “Israel and the Board of Peace share a
common understanding of the ultimate objectives,” it added in a post on the X
platform. Israeli sources described the meeting between Netanyahu and Mladenov
as “difficult,” reported Israel’s Channel 12. Mladenov demanded from Netanyahu
that Israel cease attacks on Gaza and commit to the US plan, but the PM refused.
Netanyahu said that Israel will not cease fire and not withdraw behind the
yellow line given the “ongoing threat from Hamas.”Israel also expressed
reservations about the disarmament plan, saying it was not party to the related
negotiations that were held in Cairo. After the meeting, Netanyahu declared that
Israel will not withdraw behind the yellow line and will continue to thwart any
threat to its citizens and soldiers. The Board of Peace soon after issued a
statement that was more in line with the Israeli position. The Times of Israel
noted that the changes took place after its senior members met with the PM. A
previous version of the Board statement said that a “full” Israeli withdrawal
would happen before Hamas is disarmed, but the word was removed in the latest
statement issued on Monday. The Times of Israel noted that the statements go
against what Mladenov said last week in that the withdrawal and disarmament go
hand in hand. An informed Israeli official also said that Tel Aviv opposed the
Board’s plan to include representatives from Qatar and Türkiye in the
international committee tasked with the implementing Hamas’ disarmament plan. It
also objected to the proposal that the arms be stored rather than destroyed. The
Board of Peace’s latest position was welcomed in Israel and opposed by Hamas,
which said it was awaiting an official response from the body and mediators
about implementing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire. Meanwhile, in
Istanbul, the movement’s new politburo chief Khalil al-Hayya and an accompanying
delegation met with Turkish head of intelligence Ibrahim Kalin. Hayya said the
latest round of negotiations were “decisive and important,” and that they demand
“real efforts” to make Israel meet its ceasefire commitments. The Times of
Israel said it was unlikely that the army would pull out a significant number of
forces from Gaza or make more concessions before Israel’s October 27 elections.
Kurds Optimistic After Latest Meetings between Sharaa, SDF
in Damascus
Asharq Al Awsat/August 05/2026
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and head of the Kurdish Syrian Democratic
Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi held talks on Tuesday on merging the SDF with the
Syrian armed forces and returning displaced Kurds back to their homes. The
meeting in Damascus was attended by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and head
of foreign relations for the “Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria”
Ilham Ahmed. It took place a day after Iraqi Kurdistan Region President
Nechirvan Barzani met with Sharaa in Damascus. Kurdish sources close to the SDF
expressed to Asharq Al-Awsat their optimism over the latest talks, hoping they
will bridge divides over the remaining challenges related to the merger of
Kurdish forces in line with the January 2026 agreement between the Syrian
government and SDF. Tuesday’s discussion focused on the hurdles impeding the
political and military merger, said Abdel-Karim Omar, the Kurdish authorities’
representative in Damascus.“Negotiations are underway to reach a national
framework that secures Syria’s unity and stability and preserves the rights of
all Syrians,” he told local media. The Kurdish sources said that Barzani’s visit
to Damascus created a positive environment ahead of Tuesday’s talks, hoping that
it will help overcome the remaining hurdles.In a post on the X platform after
his visit, Barzani said: “I underscored our support for a stable and united
Syria where the rights of all ethnic and religious groups are protected.”Abdi
had described Barzani’s visit as “historic”, saying on X that he “trusted that
it will positively impact stability in Syria and a solution to the Kurdish issue
in the region.” Despite the progress in merging the Kurdish forces with Syria’s
armed forces, hurdles remain over the Women's Protection Units. Spokesperson for
the units Roken Jamal said proposals include joining the units as an independent
counter-terrorism force in the Syrian Interior Ministry. More talks will be held
in Damascus to further discuss the issue, reported Kurdish media. Other pending
files include teaching in the Kurdish language in Kurdish regions and the return
of the displaced, as well as services, administrative and humanitarian issues.
4 People Have Been Stabbed in London's Covent Garden Area
and a Woman Arrested
Asharq Al Awsat/August 05/2026
London police said Wednesday that a woman has been arrested after four people
were stabbed in Covent Garden, a busy central area popular with visitors. The
Metropolitan Police said four men, aged 34, 39, 42, and 52 were found with stab
wounds and that a 47-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of
an offensive weapon and assault, The AP news reported. The injured were taken to
a major trauma center following the incident Wednesday afternoon in Endell
Street. No further update has been given on the extent of their injuries. A
London Ambulance Service spokesperson said the service treated four patients at
the scene and took them all to a major trauma center by road. Police previously
said that three people had been stabbed in the incident, but in a statement they
later confirmed four people were found with stab wounds.
Russian Barrage on Kyiv Kills 17 as Ukraine Fails to Down Single Missile
Asharq Al Awsat/August 05/2026
Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least 17 people and wounded dozens
more in Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight, authorities said Wednesday.
Kyiv was unable to shoot down any of the missiles launched by Russia, whose
intensifying attacks have prompted Kyiv to plead for more US-made Patriot
interceptors. Russia has significantly upped its attacks on the Ukrainian
capital in recent months, typically firing salvos of hard-to-intercept ballistic
missiles in short blitzes that rock buildings and send booms echoing across the
city. "Ballistic interceptors are what could have saved the lives of those
killed today," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, announcing 17 people
had been killed. A cloud of smoke hovered over the capital at sunrise, AFP
journalists saw, after the attacks sparked fires in several locations in the
region. Over 40 people were wounded in the capital and its surrounding areas,
local authorities said. AFP journalists heard explosions in Kyiv after midnight
(2100 GMT Tuesday), following Ukrainian air force warnings of incoming ballistic
missiles. One journalist reported seeing dark smoke and the acrid smell of
burning lingering in the air hours later. "The night was so terrifying, so
hard," Kyiv resident Natalia Reutska told AFP in the morning after the attack.
"We've gotten used to waking up thinking, 'we were lucky today,' and that's very
scary," she added. Ukraine shot down 98 of the 115 drones fired by Russia
overnight, the air force said. But it was unable to shoot down any of the
missiles, preliminary statistics from the air force showed. Kyiv can intercept
the vast majority of drones, but still relies on supplies from allies to counter
missiles.Zelensky has warned that Ukraine faces critical shortages of air
defenses needed to counter missile attacks, particularly Russia's increasing use
of ballistic missiles. Moscow fired a record number of missiles at Ukraine in
July, an AFP analysis of Ukrainian air force data published Saturday showed.
Warehouses hit
The Russian attacks overnight mainly targeted warehouses, Kyiv said, with some
strikes on infrastructure and a railway station.Eight people were killed in a
strike on a train station on the eastern edge of Kyiv, a local official said.
Logistics centers of the general merchandise chain Epicentr were struck, burning
one hub completely to the ground and killing an employee, the company said.
Three people working at a postal sorting center were also killed. Moscow said it
hit "transportation, logistics, and distribution centers in the city of Kyiv and
the Kyiv region that were involved in the storage, delivering various weapons
and military cargo, as well as in the production and distribution of unmanned
aerial vehicles."Its own network of online retailer, Wildberries, has been hit
around a dozen times since mid-July by Ukrainian forces.The series of strikes
killed at least eight people and have knocked out a large chunk of the company's
storage capacity. Kyiv accuses the e-commerce giant -- which employs tens of
thousands of people and is sometimes referred to as "Russia's Amazon" -- of
storing drone parts and helping the Russian army.
The Latest LCCC analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published
on August 05-06/2026
The Axis of Aggressors vs. America ...During the Cold War, the U.S. had only one
major enemy – now we have four
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/August 5, 2026
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/08/05/the-axis-of-aggressors-vs-america/
North Korean troops and munitions beef up Russia’s war against Ukraine. In
return, Russia provides North Korea with sophisticated technology for its
missiles, drones, satellites, and submarines. Tehran has sent Moscow drones.
Repaying that favor, Moscow reportedly provides intelligence to help the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) target American bases in the Middle East.
Beijing is believed to give Moscow microelectronics for ballistic, cruise, and
hypersonic missiles. There are credible reports that Beijing now plans to send
Tehran hundreds of portable shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles capable of
shooting down American aircraft. Discounted Iranian oil keeps Chinese refineries
running.
Do you see a pattern?
Several years ago, Prof. Waller Newell – perhaps the world’s leading scholar on
tyrants throughout history – observed the increasing alignment among America’s
four principal adversaries. On March 14, 2023, he and I co-authored a column for
The Washington Times arguing that four of the world’s most tyrannical rulers
appeared to have formed an “axis” with the goal of establishing a new
international order – one in which they, not the U.S., would call the shots.
Before long, experts at my think tank, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
(FDD), began putting meat on these theoretical bones. Years of research by FDD’s
Bradley L. Bowman, Elaine K. Dezenski and retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery
have culminated in a new book: “Axis of Aggressors: Countering the Cooperation
of China, Russia, Iran & North Korea.”Its comprehensive analysis includes more
than 600 instances of security cooperation among the four regimes between 2019
and 2025, including arms transfers, joint exercises, intelligence sharing,
weapons development, and military exchanges. At the axis’ core is the
“no-limits” partnership established between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping on
February 4, 2022 – just 20 days before Mr. Putin launched his full-scale
invasion of Ukraine.
Since then, Chinese dual-use technology has helped sustain Russia’s
defense-industrial base, raising the cost of supporting Kyiv. Moscow
shares battlefield lessons from Ukraine with Beijing — operational knowledge
that could alleviate one of the biggest weaknesses of the People’s Liberation
Army (PLA): its lack of recent combat experience ahead of any future military
moves against Taiwan. Mr. Putin and Kim Jong Un, the North Korean dictator,
concluded a mutual defense pact in 2024. That was 30 years after President
Clinton announced the U.S.-North Korea Agreed Framework – ballyhooed as a great
diplomatic success that would prevent the dynastic regime from acquiring nuclear
weapons. Today, analysts believe Mr. Kim has more than 60 nukes, plus enough
highly enriched uranium and plutonium to make dozens more. North Korean
engineers reportedly enabled the construction of subterranean “missile cities”
in Iran, as well as elaborate tunnel networks for Hamas, the Tehran proxy in
Gaza, and Hezbollah, the Tehran proxy in Lebanon. A few days ago, the Houthi
rebels in Yemen – another Tehran proxy – declared a blockade on Saudi oil
tankers attempting to transit the Bab el-Mandeb strait to exit the Red Sea.
Tehran supplies the Houthis with missiles and drones. The Houthis allow Chinese
vessels to pass freely. The members of the Axis flout international law with
virtual impunity. Mr. Putin has subjugated Chechnya and other Muslim territories
within Russia’s borders. Mr. Xi’s policies toward the Uyghurs of East Turkistan
(aka Xinjiang) are deemed genocidal by the U.S. and several European nations.
His campaign to erase Tibetan identity, language, and religion has been no less
savagely methodical — and, I’d argue, deserves the same name. According to
American and other officials, in January of this year Iran’s rulers slaughtered
tens of thousands of their own subjects in what may be the largest single
massacre in the Middle East in more than a century. What’s been the response of
the UN, most media, and what people like to call the “international community”?
Shrugs.
The authors of “Axis of Aggressors” are honest enough to note where cooperation
among the four regimes is thin and where interests diverge. Overall, however,
their cooperation is concrete, mutually reinforcing, and still growing.
Treating these four countries as isolated — a China problem, a Russia problem,
an Iran problem, a North Korea problem— both misunderstands and underestimates
the threat.
The U.S. military no longer has the luxury to plan, size, and budget for one war
at a time. If Beijing attempts to seize Taiwan while North Korea attacks South
Korea, Japan and/or Guam, American leaders will face a simultaneous-conflict
scenario – an eventuality our military isn’t currently constructed to handle.
The book’s recommendations run from overhauling foreign military sales to
reshoring critical supply chains to standing up a dedicated Cyber Force to
hunting for fractures within the adversarial entente. One example of those: the
distinct possibility Mr. Xi covets the resources in Russia’s sparsely populated
far-eastern territories.During the Cold War, the U.S. had only one major enemy
and, though the men in the Kremlin were evil, they were rational and deterrable.
The People’s Republic of China is more economically and technologically powerful
than the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ever was. Mr. Putin is obsessively
determined to restore the Russian empire. Iran’s rulers believe they have a
religious duty to wage jihad against “the Great Satan.” We can only guess what
goes on in the mind of North Korea’s third-generation dictator. The book’s
authors note that on Dec. 29, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt warned that
the German-Italian “axis” proclaimed by Benito Mussolini in 1936 posed an
unprecedented “danger” to “our American civilization.” He acknowledged that some
Americans preferred to turn a blind eye but asserted that most want “to hear the
plain truth about the gravity of the situation.” One year later, Imperial Japan
bombed Pearl Harbor. Four days after that, Germany and Italy declared war on the
U.S.
**Clifford D. May is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD), a columnist for the Washington Times, and host of the
“Foreign Podicy” podcast.
Saudis gravitate toward Middle East basket cases when it
should join US’ fight against Iran
Jonathan Schanzer/New York Post/August 05/2026
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly called President
Trump on Saturday and implored him to hold off on striking the Islamic Republic
of Iran. Trump acquiesced and punted on a massive American bombing raid that
could have potentially turned the tide of the war.
Admittedly, Saudi Arabia is in a tough spot: The Iranian regime continues to
hammer the kingdom with drones and missiles, threatening its oil and water
resources. But the Saudis have not gone unprotected. American warfighters and
even Greek air defense teams have ensured the safety of the Saudi state
throughout this conflict.Yet rather than aligning more closely with us, the
Saudis have started to gravitate toward an alliance of basket cases in the
Middle East.
Time to step up
The alliance is now referred to as “STEP”: Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and
Pakistan. These are all theoretically American allies. But they are not exactly
working for American interests right now. They view the weakening of the Shiite
regime in Iran as an opportunity to reassert Sunni state dominance in the Muslim
world.At the same time, they are not eager to see the widening of the war
because it would wreak more havoc, which is why they keep calling for diplomatic
agreements.By now, however, it should be clear that the Iranian leadership is
not interested in a diplomatic agreement. Every time one is brokered, the regime
carries out aggressive actions in the Strait of Hormuz or it attacks our Persian
Gulf Arab allies. And that’s not likely to change. So when the Saudis ask
America for restraint, they need to offer clear alternatives, not platitudes.
Better yet, the Saudis should join the fight.
Admittedly, the Saudis last month launched one strike against Iran-backed
militias in Iraq. And according to recent reports, the Saudis may be preparing
for military action against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, particularly if
the group tries to shut down Saudi shipping in the Red Sea. The Saudis have a
history of conflict with the Houthis; Riyadh launched a war against the group in
2015. That war garnered a huge amount of criticism from US lawmakers, primarily
due to errant strikes that led to high civilian casualties. But that was then
and this is now. A wider war has erupted across the Middle East. Iran and its
proxy network are fighting America and its allies on multiple fronts, and
America should not be expected to fight on its own. The Israelis have stepped up
when asked. They’ve put skin in the game.
It’s time to ask the Saudis to do the same. The kingdom boasts a vast arsenal of
American-made planes, helicopters, tanks and other weapons.
Saudis must decide
Its forces are clearly equipped to fight, even if questions linger about the
readiness of Saudi fighters, who have not seen much action on the battlefield.
In the end, however, it boils down to will. Now, whenever the war heats up, the
Saudis seem to want to cool it down — a significant shift from the beginning of
the conflict, when Saudi officials quietly backed Trump’s effort. With the war
at an impasse, and the Iranian regime looking increasingly emboldened by that,
Saudi Arabia must be put to a choice.
There’s no time for fence-sitting.
The president should send our allies in Riyadh a clear message: It’s time to
either join the fight, foot the bill, or get out of the way.
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/08/03/saudis-gravitate-toward-middle-east-basket-cases-when-it-should-join-us-fight-against-iran/
**Jonathan Schanzer is executive director at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, DC.
What the Gaza Roadmap Actually Says
Pierre Rehov/Gatestone Institute/August 05/2026
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22769/gaza-roadmap-contents
Everything then turns on a question the announcement left unanswered: Has Hamas
agreed to surrender the power and weaponry that have defined it for decades, or
only to change the label on them?
[T]he same clause in the roadmap names the custodian: the new Palestinian NCAG
[National Committee for the Administration of Gaza], and "no weapons shall be
transferred or handed to Israel or non-Palestinian parties." What could possibly
go wrong?
When the sequence ends, NCAG alone – the Palestinian one – will be permitted to
hold and control arms in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas has spent nearly four decades converting truces into arsenals.
Israel withdrew every soldier and expelled every Jewish resident from the Gaza
Strip in 2005, and what grew there since is an Iranian-sponsored war machine:
rockets, a vast terrorist tunnel network, weapons factories wedged into crowded
neighborhoods, and a school system that teaches children that terrorism is a
career. Billions of dollars of international aid arrived, earmarked for housing,
clinics and employment. Instead, the funds were used to produce weaponry and
build an underground military comprising at least 350 miles of terror tunnels
with 5,700 entry shafts, and command centers in and under hospitals.
[W]hat Hamas has done just during this ceasefire: Israeli military intelligence
estimates that Hamas has rehabilitated its forces to roughly 27,000 men under
arms, while the movement continues paying monthly salaries to some 49,000
officials, running 13 municipalities and the ministries of economy, education,
health and welfare, collecting taxes on commerce, and skimming the international
aid funds. It still rules about 40 percent of the Gaza Strip, the part where
most of the population lives.
The clans that fought against Hamas are excluded. Hamas itself is merely
processed, "vetted," reassigned and kept on salary.
Verification rests on institutions that scarcely function.... Certifying the
demilitarization of a territory holding 27,000 trained and heavily armed Hamas
terrorists is not a mission for a company-sized pilot project.
Above that force sits a Gaza Executive Board on which Turkey and Qatar hold
seats, two governments whose usefulness to Washington derives precisely from
their access to Hamas. Qatar, Hamas's patron, has been invited to certify the
disarmament of its client.
"Qatar is at the top of funding terrorism worldwide.... Even more than Iran,"
according to Udi Levy, a former senior official of Israel's Mossad spy agency
who dealt with economic warfare against terrorist organizations.
Qatar most likely sees its sole mission in Gaza as making sure that Hamas
remains armed and in power to further the agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood, of
which, largely thanks to funding from Qatar, Hamas is the Palestinian branch.
Qatar, of course, through its Al Jazeera media empire, is the Muslim
Brotherhood's chief megaphone throughout the Middle East and South Asia.
The motto of the Muslim Brotherhood is: "Allah is our objective; the Prophet is
our leader; the Quran is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is
our highest hope."
Under Trump's September 2025 peace plan, the Israeli army pulled back to a line
leaving it in control of roughly 53 percent of Gaza, and has since pushed to
about 60 percent. That presence is the reason Hamas signed anything. Trading it
for a schedule of "certifications" would repeat the oldest error in Middle
Eastern diplomacy: an irreversible Israeli concession bought with a reversible
Palestinian promise.
Tunnels must be photographed and destroyed or rendered unusable, weapons
production facilities destroyed, not sealed off, and all rockets removed from
Gaza. Command structures must be dissolved, Hamas and Islamic Jihad barred from
every armed institution, including the police -- and each stage confirmed by
Israeli and American intelligence rather than by a committee sitting in Cairo.
That is what compliance would look like.
Until then, the Israeli soldiers holding the line remain the only verification
mechanism Israel actually has. They should stay where they are.
On July 30, US President Donald J. Trump announced that his Board of Peace had
obtained an agreement for the disarmament of Hamas and of every other armed
group in Gaza. Everything turns, however, on a question the announcement left
unanswered: Has Hamas agreed to surrender the power and weaponry that have
defined it for decades, or only to change the label on them?
On July 30, US President Donald J. Trump announced that his Board of Peace had
obtained an agreement for the disarmament of Hamas and of every other armed
group in Gaza. The 15-point roadmap published the following morning promised the
transfer of government to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza
(NCAG), an International Stabilization Force (ISF), an International
Verification Committee, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza tied to
certified progress.
The roadmap's governing formula could hardly be more categorical: "One
Authority, One Law, One Weapon." Gaza would stop being a territory where
ministries, terrorist battalions, clan networks and foreign patrons compete
beneath the fiction of Palestinian government.
Everything then turns on a question the announcement left unanswered: Has Hamas
agreed to surrender the power and weaponry that have defined it for decades, or
only to change the label on them?
The text rewards a slow reading. Its central security clause commits the parties
to a "process to decommission and store heavy weapons, military production
sites, depots of weapons, and tunnels." Storage is not destruction, however, and
the same clause in the roadmap names the custodian: the new Palestinian NCAG,
and "no weapons shall be transferred or handed to Israel or non-Palestinian
parties." What could possibly go wrong?
When the sequence ends, NCAG alone – the Palestinian one – will be permitted to
hold and control arms in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has always demanded demilitarization, meaning all weapons taken out of
Gaza. What this roadmap prescribes is a change of custody within Gaza, certified
by a body that does not yet exist and enforced by an ISF that has barely
arrived.
The roadmap also writes into its first article the aim to "facilitate launching
a credible political path that achieves self-determination and Statehood" – the
reward for terrorism that Hamas has demanded for a generation.
The quarrel over sequence follows directly. Senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad –
who has vowed that the terrorist group will repeat the October 7 attack time and
again until Israel is annihilated -- made the storage of weapons conditional on
Israeli withdrawal, the entry of NCAG, and the dismantling of the clan militias
Israel has armed.
Jerusalem reverses the order. The Prime Minister's Office rejected the proposal
as falling short of full demilitarization, and Israeli officials repeated their
opposition to any pullback from the "Yellow Line" security demarcation before
disarmament is completed and verified.
The Board of Peace, for its part, has already declined to enforce Israel's
obligations for a ceasefire while Hamas withholds its signature.
Hamas has spent nearly four decades converting truces into arsenals.
Israel withdrew every soldier and expelled every Jewish resident from the Gaza
Strip in 2005, and what grew there since is an Iranian-sponsored war machine:
rockets, a vast terrorist tunnel network, weapons factories wedged into crowded
neighborhoods, and a school system that teaches children that terrorism is a
career. Billions of dollars of international aid arrived, earmarked for housing,
clinics and employment. Instead, the funds were used to produce weaponry and
build an underground military comprising at least 350 miles of terror tunnels
with 5,700 entry shafts, and command centers in and under hospitals. October 7,
2023 was the return on that investment. A terrorist organization that diverted
concrete for tunnels, international aid funds for a military buildup, and uses
ceasefires for rearmament has not earned the presumption of good faith. This
roadmap extends it anyway, and adds an offer of amnesty for those who hand over
their weapons. That presumption is harder still to defend given what Hamas has
done just during this ceasefire. Israeli military intelligence estimates that
Hamas has rehabilitated its forces to roughly 27,000 men under arms, while the
movement continues paying monthly salaries to some 49,000 officials, running 13
municipalities and the ministries of economy, education, health and welfare,
collecting taxes on commerce, and skimming the international aid funds. It still
rules about 40 percent of the Gaza Strip, the part where most of the population
lives.
The "Security" clause of the roadmap shows how the machinery is likely to fail:
"Newly-trained police personnel shall be incorporated into existing police
structures. All police personnel shall undergo a comprehensive vetting. Those
who do not meet the required standards of vetting shall be offered alternative
civilian roles consistent with their earlier experience or retire in accordance
with the Palestinian law. None of those shall be deprived of their financial
rights, particularly due to political affiliation."
American officials briefing reporters confirmed that serving Hamas "policemen"
will be eligible for the new force. The article governing the Israeli-supported
clan militias that oppose Hamas is drafted with an entirely different hand: "
Members of those militias shall not be integrated in the security and police
services." The clans that fought against Hamas are excluded. Hamas itself is
merely processed, "vetted," reassigned and kept on salary. Verification rests on
institutions that scarcely function. The International Verification Committee is
to be assembled from the guarantor states, the Board of Peace and the ISF.
Israel's cabinet approved an initial entry of 200 soldiers drawn from Morocco,
Kosovo, Albania and Kazakhstan, against pledges of 5,000, of which only a
handful have reached the region. Certifying the demilitarization of a territory
holding 27,000 trained and heavily armed Hamas terrorists is not a mission for a
company-sized pilot project. Above that force sits a Gaza Executive Board on
which Turkey and Qatar hold seats, two governments whose usefulness to
Washington derives precisely from their access to Hamas. Qatar, Hamas's patron,
has been invited to certify the disarmament of its client.
"Qatar is at the top of funding terrorism worldwide.... Even more than Iran,"
according to Udi Levy, a former senior official of Israel's Mossad spy agency
who dealt with economic warfare against terrorist organizations.
Qatar most likely sees its sole mission in Gaza as making sure that Hamas
remains armed and in power to further the agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood, of
which, largely thanks to funding from Qatar, Hamas is the Palestinian branch.
Qatar, of course, through its Al Jazeera media empire, is the Muslim
Brotherhood's chief megaphone throughout the Middle East and South Asia.
The motto of the Muslim Brotherhood is:
"Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Quran is our law; Jihad
is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope."
Against this architecture, Israel holds the one instrument that has produced any
movement at all. Under Trump's September 2025 peace plan, the Israeli army
pulled back to a line leaving it in control of roughly 53 percent of Gaza, and
has since pushed to about 60 percent. That presence is the reason Hamas signed
anything. Trading it for a schedule of "certifications" would repeat the oldest
error in Middle Eastern diplomacy: an irreversible Israeli concession bought
with a reversible Palestinian promise.
Inspections can be postponed, inventories disputed, tunnels concealed, and
crises manufactured around aid convoys. By the time the deception becomes
undeniable, Israeli soldiers would be fighting their way back onto ground they
have already taken twice.
Parts of the roadmap need to be upheld. Mediators in Cairo insisted that the
framework allows no exceptions for particular weapons or particular people, and
that it rests on reciprocity rather than trust. Tunnels must be photographed and
destroyed or rendered unusable, weapons production facilities destroyed, not
sealed off, and all rockets removed from Gaza. Command structures must be
dissolved, Hamas and Islamic Jihad barred from every armed institution,
including the police -- and each stage confirmed by Israeli and American
intelligence rather than by a committee sitting in Cairo. That is what
compliance would look like.
Until then, the Israeli soldiers holding the line remain the only verification
mechanism Israel actually has. They should stay where they are.
**Pierre Rehov, who holds a law degree from Paris-Assas, is a French reporter,
novelist and documentary filmmaker. He is the author of six novels, including
"Beyond Red Lines", "The Third Testament" and "Red Eden", translated from
French. His latest essay on the aftermath of the October 7 massacre " 7 octobre
- La riposte " became a bestseller in France. As a filmmaker, he has produced
and directed 17 documentaries, many photographed at high risk in Middle Eastern
war zones, and focusing on terrorism, media bias, and the persecution of
Christians. His latest documentary, "Pogrom(s)" highlights the context of
ancient Jew hatred within Muslim civilization as the main force behind the
October 7 massacre.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
War Once Again
Dr. Abdel Monem Said/Asharq Al-Awsat/August 05/2026
The events sweeping the Middle East these past days have run along two paths: a
return to war, or a turn to negotiation - an effort, within the terms of a
violated truce, to find a way out of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz that
Iran has chosen to seize. Iran's claim runs not only along the waters off its
own coast, but along the Omani shore as well, where nothing may pass or operate
without the approval of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The "Fourth Gulf War" widened amid the negotiating maneuvers and, in short,
became a regional war. It reached the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula, where
the Houthis fired missiles at Saudi targets. This was nothing new; the Houthi
militias had done the same before.
What was new was the response of Yemen's internationally recognized government,
which struck Houthi targets. More important still, the legitimate Yemeni
government and the Coalition to Support Legitimacy had, at the time of writing,
kept the Houthis from closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait, deploying a courageous
naval force to do so. Iran did not achieve its aim of controlling two straits at
once, Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. The first carries 20 percent of global oil
exports; the second, 15 percent of world trade.
The war has become regional. It touches the Arab countries set between the Gulf
in the east and the Red Sea in the west, the Mediterranean in the north and the
Indian Ocean in the south.
What began as a spark on October 7, 2023, on the Gaza-Israel border has gone on
spreading, driven by Iran and its "arms" and by the radical ideologies it has
pressed on the Middle East. These forces have gone by more than one name-at
times the "resistance and steadfastness front," at times the "support front."
The purpose of both is the same: to destroy the Arab nation-state and block its
path to progress and advancement.
So Iraqi militia forces added their own drones and missiles against the Kingdom,
while imposing a broader equation inside Iraq: refuse to surrender your weapons,
or face civil war.
The disarmament of other factions did not settle the matter. The militias
pressed on with the brinkmanship they favor, as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas
in Gaza threatened civil war-and, with it, the authorities themselves.
Breaking that equation began with the courageous Saudi and Yemeni response-in
Iraq, in the waters at the mouth of the Red Sea, and against the attacks that
Iran and its "arms" had launched, before and since, on the states of the Arabian
Peninsula.
Iran cannot be allowed to seize control of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. Doing so
would choke global trade routes and cut off access to international markets
through the SUMED pipeline or the Suez Canal.
This regional confrontation demands an Arab, Middle Eastern, and international
solution - one that thwarts Iran's plans and the militias that threaten the
integrity of the Arab nation-state in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen, and now head
toward Syria.
In brief, the first requirement is to block Iran and its militias from achieving
their aim of bringing down the nation-state. Second, full support must go to the
legitimate governments that have stated plainly that weapons, political
authority, and decisions of war and peace belong solely to the legitimate
national authority. Third, the current alliance of evil must be stripped of
legitimacy by appealing directly to its own political and social base that once
held a distinguished record of national contribution since independence.Fourth,
the war does not threaten direct Arab interests on the front line alone. It is
an open threat to international peace and security. If that is so, then the
countries harmed by the region's war owe it their support.
Why the Settlement Will Fail, and Why War Will Break Out Again
Dr. Abdulghani Al-Kindi/Asharq Al-Awsat/August 05/2026
War is not always waged for destruction alone. At times it is a means of forcing
out information that negotiation could not uncover. Each side hides its true
strength, its capacity to endure, and the losses it can absorb. A military
strike puts those claims to the test. War then reveals whether a threat is real
or a bluff. It shows whether the weapons work, whether the alliances hold, and
whether a political system can keep fighting. The idea begins with a question
posed by Stanford political scientist James Fearon in his 1995 study
"Rationalist Explanations for War." If war is costly and its participants are
rational, why do they not reach a bargain both would prefer to war? Fearon's
answer rests on three mechanisms: private information that each side has an
incentive to misrepresent, the commitment problem, and issues that appear
indivisible. To these he adds the effect of audience costs, which leave a leader
little room to retreat once public threats have been made. Begin with private
information. A state knows its own capabilities and resolve better than its
adversary does, and it has no incentive to disclose them honestly. To show
weakness is to invite greater demands; to exaggerate strength may be to win
concessions. Negotiation thus becomes an exchange of signals whose credibility
neither side can gauge.
When threats and offers fail to persuade, war becomes the costly method of
discovering what the adversary has concealed - its real capabilities, its
tolerance for loss, the seriousness of its threats. Yet information alone solves
nothing, because it must also be believed. Each side offers data and guarantees;
each suspects the other of hiding part of the truth, or of presenting
information designed to mislead. The problem is no longer a lack of information.
It is the lack of confidence in that information, and the absence of any
reliable means of verifying it.
Consider the reverse case. Both sides hold accurate information, and the
settlement still fails. This is the commitment problem. An agreement may be
acceptable today, but one party may fear the other will break it once the
balance of power shifts in its favor. The weaker side may then conclude that
fighting now would cost less than waiting until its adversary grows stronger and
imposes harsher terms.
The difficulty runs further still. Even credible guarantees may not resolve it
if the dispute concerns an issue both sides regard as indivisible - sovereignty
over a territory, or the exclusive possession of a strategic capability.
Fearon himself is skeptical of this explanation. Most such issues can be divided
through bargains and compensation. The central obstacle, in most cases, remains
the absence of trust that an agreement will be honored.
To this must be added the effect of audience costs. When a leader raises the
pitch of his threats in public, before his own people and his allies, retreat
becomes politically costly, since it can be read as weakness or a loss of
credibility. The room for compromise narrows, and the threats begin to carry
themselves out. Applied to the American-Israeli war on Iran, the framework fits
closely. The failure to reach a settlement was bound up with private
information, weak commitments, a dispute over what appeared indivisible, and
audience costs. Before the confrontation, Washington and Tel Aviv lacked
sufficient information about the progress of Iran's nuclear program, its ability
to shield its facilities, its capacity to withstand attack, and its willingness
and ability to retaliate.
Tehran, in turn, lacked information about its adversaries' aims. Did they want a
stricter agreement, the destruction of Iran's capabilities, or the fall of the
regime itself?
So, each side buried what it knew, and war became the means of forcing it out.
The fighting answered part of the question. Iranian defenses proved effective;
missiles and drones could retaliate; the US and Israel would press on; Iran
could endure. But the information gap did not fully close. Trust had worn so
thin that each side went on suspecting the other's statements of being a
deception. The commitment problem surfaced as well. The US and Israel feared
that Iran would use any agreement to ease the pressure and rebuild its nuclear
capabilities. Tehran feared making nuclear concessions without a guarantee that
sanctions would be lifted or the attacks halted. Enrichment was not technically
indivisible. Its levels could be specified and tied to inspections and the
phased lifting of sanctions, as the Obama-era agreement showed. Yet the absence
of trust made any repetition of such arrangements unconvincing.
Finally, the audience costs came into play. Every side escalated its threats in
public and staked its credibility on carrying them out. Retreat became
politically costly, and the middle ground narrowed. The Gulf states did not
decide to begin the war. But their geography, infrastructure, airspace, and
shipping lanes placed them at the center of its consequences. The conflict
exposed the region's blind spots: no clear knowledge of the parties' aims or
Iran's true reach, little confidence in Tehran's assurances, and no credible
guarantee against Iran's widening the fight. Missiles reached Gulf cities.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted. The threat to energy
security and trade grew. Neutrality, it became clear, was no shield. Any durable
settlement will require monitoring mechanisms, phased implementation, and
explicit guarantees for Gulf security so that war does not remain the costliest
means of discovering what an adversary can do and intends to do. In sum, this
war arose not from the absence of a possible settlement, but from the parties'
inability to trust the information and the commitments they offered one another.
The Gulf states paid the price, though they did not choose the confrontation.
War will not recur if its causes are met directly, within Fearon's framework:
information that can be verified, commitments that can be believed, settlements
that allow for flexibility, and a lower political cost for retreating from a
threat. Until then, the region's security will continue to rest on building the
arrangements that keep war from becoming, once again, the costliest means of
discovering an adversary's intentions and capabilities.
Selected Face Book & X tweets
on August 05-05/2026
Barak Ravid
State Department official: Today’s round of Israel-Lebanon talks mediated by the
U.S. concluded at 15:30 Rome time. Talks ended early due to events on the
ground, but will reconvene tomorrow morning. Discussions focused on a range of
political and military issues and were extremely productive. The technical teams
made progress on determining key details on implementation of the Trilateral
Framework"
Barak Ravid
Ron Ben-Yishai writes: The IDF, the police, and the Shin Bet are failing to
enforce the law in the West Bank. A small group of Jewish extremists are doing
whatever they please, and the IDF not only fails to stop it, but also provides
them with security and effectively serves the politics of the coalition
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
So Saudi Arabia begs Prez Trump to spare Islamic Iran a devastating strike and
Tehran rewards the Saudis with ballistic missiles attacks on Saudi tankers?
When will Saudi give up on Iran and join the coalition to bring it down?
Mark Dubowitz
Wake up, America. The Islamists and Communists are working to undermine the
values that have made our country strong. We’ve seen the consequences in the UK,
parts of Europe, Canada, and across the Middle East. Let’s not take for granted
that America will be the exception.
Prime Minister of Israel
arks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the reinterment ceremony for the
remains of Shimon and Rivka Herzl, grandfather and grandmother of Binyamin Ze'ev
Herzl.
Remarks by PM Netanyahu at the reinterment ceremony for the remains of Shimon
and Rivka Herzlز Remarks by Prime Minister Netanyahu at the reinterment ceremony
for the remains of Shimon and Rivka Herzl, grandfather and grandmother of
Binyamin Ze'ev Herzl:
"Distinguished President of the State,...
Mike Pompeo
Here's a sentence you would never have thought you'd read ten years ago: A Hamas
supporter may well be the Democrats' nominee to represent Michigan in the
Senate.
The Democratic Party is headed down a truly dark road - and all Americans need
to wake up to this threat.
John Bolton
The White House’s main strategic focus should be prioritizing US
national-security interests and capabilities. This does not mean always waging
all-out war on all fronts. The White House must prioritize in ways we have been
unwilling to do since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
Shadi khalloul שאדי ח'לול
One time Iran, another time is Saudi Arabia, one time Egypt with the aarab
league and one time syria. Who is next, Turkey?
This is how Lebanese Christians are terrorized by Islamic and Arab regimes.
Now Saudi Arabia put conditions on Lebanon. They request not going so far with
negotiations between the countries without solving the Palestinian issue. Egypt,
Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Marroco, as Sunni states are allowed to have peace with
Israel but Lebanon is not. Why? Because they don't want stable Lebanon.
Stability in Lebanon will bring back the indigenous Christian population to be a
majority which is against the Islamization Arabization process of Arab League
lead by Saudis and others.
Shadi khalloul שאדי ח'לול
Israel must not withdraw from South Lebanon in such environment. Israel has full
rights and responsibility to protect us as citizens from these Jihadists.
If the Christians in Lebanon want to survive, they know what they must do now
before too too late.
Israel Foreign Ministry
The declaration endorsed by the Foreign Ministers of the Arab Ministerial
Committee, convened by Jordan, is built on false accusations, historical
distortions, and a complete disregard for the facts. It is particularly cynical
to accuse Israel of violating freedom of worship while declaring that the entire
Temple Mount is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, ignoring the Jewish
people’s historic connection to Jerusalem and its holiest sites.
Under Israeli sovereignty, Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the State of
Israel, has never been more open and accessible to worshippers of all faiths.
Israel remains committed to preserving freedom of worship, maintaining the
status quo on the Temple Mount, and taking all necessary measures to ensure
public order and the safety of all visitors.
Senator Ted Cruz
The Muslim Brotherhood and its branches encourage, facilitate, and provide
resources for conducting jihadist terrorism across the world. They are committed
to overthrowing the United States and the governments of our allies. I have been
leading the fight in Congress to secure designations for my entire tenure in the
Senate. Unsurprisingly, Democrats are boycotting today’s hearing.
Guy Azriel
BREAKING: Netanyahu: Israel Will Act Against Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions Regardless
of Any Agreement
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu: “President Trump is our
greatest friend, the greatest friend we’ve ever had in the White House. The
United States is our greatest ally, and we deeply appreciate our joint efforts
against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.But let me be clear: Israel’s existence is not
negotiable. With or without an agreement, I am determined, and we are all
determined to do whatever is necessary to ensure our security and our future.
Today we heard the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards explicitly declare
Iran’s intention to continue developing nuclear weapons. ‘Continue,’ he said.
Well, as Israel’s prime minister, I am equally determined to continue preventing
Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.”
Nadim Koteich
The on-again, off-again threats of massive strikes on Iran reveal a real
dilemma: this is a lose-lose war, not a bargain waiting to be made. The question
is what the US and the Middle East’s powers are prepared to lose so Iran loses
too. So far, they either reject the price or doubt Washington has a credible
path to victory.