English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News &
Editorials
For August 25/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2026/english.August
25.26.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you
have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man
Colossians03/01-17/:" 1 If then you were raised together with
Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right
hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that
are on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in
glory. Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual
immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which
is idolatry. For these things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the children of
disobedience. You also once walked in those, when you lived in them; but now
you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking
out of your mouth. Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the
old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in
knowledge after the image of his Creator, where there can’t be Greek and Jew,
circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, or free
person; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones,
holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and
perseverance; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man
has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do. Above
all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the
peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and
be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching
and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing
with grace in your heart to the Lord. Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do
all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.
Titles For The English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published on August 24-25/2026
On the Anniversary of Bashir’s Election as President of the
Republic/Elias Bejjani/August 23, 2026
Erdogan, detached from reality, is hallucinating about an Ottoman empire buried
in the dustbin of history/Elias Bejjani/August 21 August/2026
Israel will expose and dismantle Erdogan's Ottoman illusions and ambitions, just
as it exposed and defeated the hallucinations of the Iranian axis of evil./Elias
Bejjani/August 20/2026
Israeli Military Operations Paving Way for Battle in South Lebanon
US Sanctions on Hezbollah: What Are Their Repercussions for Lebanon?
Settlement for the Iranian Ambassador: Six-Month Residency as a Former Diplomat
Ali al-Taher Heights Faces Two Options: The Lebanese Army or Israel
Saudi-French Statement: Commitment to Supporting the Lebanese Army, Full
Implementation of Resolution 1701, and Completion of Disarmament
Massive Explosions, Phosphorus Bombs, Houses Burned, and Bulldozing and Sweeping
Operations in the South
Iran Intensifies Arms Smuggling to Hezbollah… and Israel Threatens Strikes in
Syria
Hezbollah is watching the state suffer without offering assistance, yet
extending a hand to Washington to avoid the "Ali Taher" scenario?
The Errors, Sins, Bundles of Cowardice, Injustice, and Subservience Committed by
Those Who Approved the Deformed Amnesty Law Concerning the Heroic South Lebanese
Army SLA and Our Free and Sovereign people Who Took Refuge in Israel/Colonel
Charbel Barakat/August 24, 2026
L’impossibilité d’État/Dr. Charles Chartouni/©Ici Beyrouth/Août 24/2026
The Impossibility of the State/Dr. Charles Chartouni/© Ici Beyrouth/August 24,
2026
Lebanon’s Shadow Passports: Forgery, Proxy Networks, and the Collapse of
Oversight/Now Lebanon
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on August 24-25/2026
Video link in English from FIDE platform/ Israeli historian Mordechai Kedar,
explaining the delusions and dreams of the spiteful Muslim Brotherhood Erdogan
regarding reviving the Ottoman Empire, the Sunni alliance between Saudi Arabia,
Afghanistan, and Turkey, and the West's failure to understand the complexities
of the Middle East
Trump Says Iran 'Collapsing' Ahead of Sanctions Announcement
US Launches ‘Economic Onslaught’ Against Iran’s Financial Connections
IRGC Says it Prepared Scenarios to Avoid US Sanctions
Iran’s Currency Hits New Record Low as US Prepares to Announce More Sanctions
Oman FM to Visit Iran to Discuss Hormuz Strait
Iran Says France's Move to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats 'Illegal'
Iraq Pushes Back Deadline for Factions to Disarm
Report: Pakistan’s Munir Spoke to Trump Ahead of Tehran Visit
Greece Moves Patriot System over Reported Iran Threats to US Bases
Washington Removes Syria from List of State Sponsors of Terrorism
Syria, Israel Hold US-Mediated Talks to Ease Tensions
Syria Sentences Assad-Era Top Muslim Cleric to Life Imprisonment
Uganda and Burundi Military Officials Visit Israel to Discuss Gaza Troop
Deployment
China, Jordan Call for Maintaining US-Iran Ceasefire
US Cancels Joint Marine Drills with SKorea over Iran War
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published
on August 24-25/2026
Halting Trade With Iran Won’t Help UAE Combat Sanctions Evasion/Max
Meizlish/FDD-Policy Brief/August 24/2026
Albany woman charged with plotting to attack New York Capitol in support of
Islamic State/Will Selber/FDD's Long War Journal/August 24/202
Did Barak's statements on the Golan Heights push Israel to negotiate with
Damascus?/Mohammed Al-Sheikh/Al-Modon/August 25, 2026
Repurposed Jihadists: Palestinian Terrorist Organizations Reborn as Political
Parties/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./August 24, 2026
Israel and its War in the West Bank/Dr. Nassif Hitti/Asharq Al Awsat/August
24/2026
Saudi Arabia and France… A Sustainable Strategic Partnership/Emile Ameen/Asharq
Al Awsat/August 24/2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on August 24/2026
Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on August 24-25/2026
On the Anniversary of Bashir’s Election as
President of the Republic
Elias Bejjani/August 23, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/121512/
Today, as we proudly and resolutely commemorate the election of Sheikh Bashir
Gemayel as President of the Lebanese Republic on August 23, 1982, we reaffirm,
on the basis of a firm and steadfast faith, that Bashir’s dream is alive and
will not die. It remains powerfully embodied in the determination of Lebanon’s
sovereign and honorable youth, who have taken upon themselves the responsibility
of carrying the torch of freedom, dignity, liberation, sovereignty, and
independence through a peaceful and civilized approach that, God willing, will
culminate in saving the Cedar Nation from the claws of the Iranian occupation,
as well as from all Trojan horses, agents, traitors, and dhimmis, and in
restoring its independence and freedom.
On August 22, 1982, Bashir Gemayel was elected President of the Lebanese
Republic. President Reagan described him as “the young president who brought the
light of hope to Lebanon.” The president who was characterized as “a strategic
planner” and “a man whose positions crossed red lines” loved his country to such
an extent that Lebanese people of all backgrounds and affiliations dreamed of
and believed in his vision for the republic, in living with dignity and in
peace. He infused the people with courage, boldness, and strength of will to
demand and strive for the building of a “state of citizenship,” while preserving
Lebanon as a “space of freedom” and a homeland worthy of sacrifice.
On this day in 1982, Bashir’s love for his country ignited the spirit of
national belonging among all Lebanese and planted an eternal dream in the heart
of every free Lebanese, both in the homeland and across the corners of the
world. On the anniversary of Bashir’s election, every free and sovereign
Lebanese is reminded that Bashir—the cause, which is Lebanon’s cause—will never
die, for he whose supporter is God cannot be overcome.
It is true that the forces of evil and darkness succeeded in assassinating
Bashir the man, but they failed to kill Bashir the cause, who continues to live
in the hearts, conscience, and spirit of every free Lebanese. Bashir the cause,
Bashir the dream, Bashir of coexistence, Bashir of commitment to the state, the
law, the constitution, freedoms, democracy, and coexistence—this Bashir lives in
the minds and culture of every sovereign and free Lebanese. This Bashir will not
die.
Bashir, whose body was killed in 1982, remains alive through his memory and
through his example and model of patriotism and integrity, living in hearts,
conscience, culture, dreams, and hope. Meanwhile, the majority of today’s
leaders and politicians, though physically alive, are in practice and in terms
of respect and trust, dead in their faith, minds, greed, and Judas-like
betrayal. Their presence is an absence, and their absence is a relief and a
blessing.
Returning to the memory of the assassination on the Feast of the Holy Cross, on
September 13, 1982, the hand of hateful treachery reached out and killed Bashir
the man. Yet it failed to kill Bashir the cause, ambition, patriotism, vision,
thought, and the spirit of resistance.
Erdogan, detached from reality, is
hallucinating about an Ottoman empire buried in the dustbin of history.
Elias Bejjani/August 21 August/2026
Erdogan is a despicable Muslim Brotherhood sick
creature, obsessed with delusions and hallucinations of a bygone Ottoman Empire,
which history has buried in its dustbin. A monstrous creature, more dangerous
than Satan himself.
Israel will expose and dismantle Erdogan's
Ottoman illusions and ambitions, just as it exposed and defeated the
hallucinations of the Iranian axis of evil.
Elias Bejjani/August 20/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156826/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqIzZHNWY4I
The state of Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has proven its
exceptional ability to completely alter the face of the region, thereby exposing
the ugly reality of jihadist political Islam and the Iranian axis of evil, which
was long built upon illusions, hallucinations, populist daydreams, and wishful
thinking. By delivering precise intelligence and military strikes, Israel
succeeded in eliminating the core of the mullahs' axis of evil. The
assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and all Hezbollah leaders from the first,
second, and third tiers proved beyond a doubt that Israeli intelligence knows
the inner workings of this Iranian terrorist organization better than its own
leaders, masters, and patrons among the mullahs of Iran. The exact same firm
policy was applied to the jihadist Hamas, culminating in forcing it to accept in
principle to surrender power in Gaza and lay down its arms, regardless of its
ongoing attempts to hide behind taqiyya (dissimulation) or temporary political
maneuvering.
This visionary and leading Israeli approach did not stop at shattering the myth
of the mullahs' regime and dismantling its false slogans through the
assassination of its political, military, and nuclear scientific leaders—carried
out in cooperation with the United States under President Trump. Rather, it
dragged the jihadist mullahs' regime in Iran into a state of absolute strategic
weakness. This weakness will inevitably open the door soon for the oppressed and
persecuted Iranian people to overthrow the criminal mullahs' regime, which is
obsolete, rooted in the darkness of eras of raids and ignorance, and utterly
disconnected from the demands of the modern age.
In the same context, Israel is firmly moving today to expose and dismantle the
dreams, schemes, incursions, and illusions of Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, who seeks to revive Ottoman ambitions and acts as the prominent patron
of Islamist jihadists. Just as the Iranian illusion collapsed, the failure of
Erdogan's Turkish gambits will come as a shock to several regional
capitals—foremost among them Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Pakistan—that were
fooled by the deception that Erdogan is a strong, effective leader capable of
ending Israel's regional role or casting it into the sea.
As part of containing these expansive, delusional, deceitful, and populist
Ottoman plots, Israeli warplanes carried out precise strikes deep inside Syrian
territory on August 18, targeting the "Abu Duhur airbase" in the Idlib
governorate, roughly 70 kilometers south of the Turkish border. Eight strikes
hit the base's runway and storage facilities.
This decisive military action came after intelligence and satellite surveillance
detected the entry of a high-level, highly experienced Turkish military and
intelligence delegation into the "Abu Duhur airbase" in Syria's Idlib
governorate, in preparation for the Turkish military to seize control of it and
threaten the freedom of Israeli aerial navigation. The Israeli forces waited
until the Turkish delegation departed before striking the base, thereby drawing
a definitive red line against Erdogan and his evil ambitions. While the Israeli
Prime Minister's Office indicated that a previous security understanding existed
with Damascus to prevent breaches of the status quo by allowing Turkish forces
to deploy, Syrian jihadist officials rushed—to save face regionally, nationally,
and islamically—to deny the existence of any such understanding, condemning the
strikes as a violation of sovereignty. Meanwhile the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey,
Thomas Barrack—who is a personal supporter of Erdogan's project and entirely
ignorant of the region's history—expressed his concern over this escalation.
Israel, which has always been clear regarding its red lines, has maintained a
secure buffer zone inside Syria since the collapse of "Bashar al-Assad's regime"
in December 2024, and has executed preemptive strikes against bases slated for
Turkish occupation, such as the T4 airbase in February 2025.
There is no doubt that the current Syrian leadership, led by al-Golani (Ahmed
al-Sharaa), falls under direct Turkish hegemony and control; Ankara occupies a
third of Syrian territory via 12 military bases, and its overt objective is to
reach the Israeli border through terrorist jihadist organizations, mirroring the
role played by the Jihadist-Iranian terrorist Hezbollah along the
Lebanese-Israeli border.
In conclusion, Erdogan—with his jihadist, Islamist, and expansionist Ottoman
illusions and schemes—represents the real and operational threat looming over
the Middle East. This rancorous Islamist, dreaming of reviving an empire buried
in the depths of time, poses a grave strategic threat that dwarfs the danger of
Iran's mullahs and their criminal regime. He openly flaunts his blatant
hostility toward the state of Israel while exploiting regional alliances to
advance his agenda. His expansionist, Ottoman-minded Muslim Brotherhood project
threatens Arab nations collectively, not just Israel, especially given that
Israel's objective is to forge peace and cooperative agreements with regional
states through the civilized, peaceful, and economic Abraham Accords, rather
than threatening them, occupying their lands, and spreading jihadist
organizations as Erdogan and the Iranian mullahs' regime do.
Consequently, a strong, visionary Israel dedicated to peace, stability,
openness, freedom, and a dignified life will unquestionably not allow Erdogan to
execute his expansionist and radical Islamist project. It will not hesitate to
apply the exact same rigorous military rules used to subdue the mullahs' regime
and its evil proxies—Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis—to shatter Erdogan's
illusions and expose the reality of his power and capabilities.
Israeli Military Operations Paving Way for Battle in
South Lebanon
Beirut: Nazeer Rida/Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
Israeli incursions and raids on southern Lebanon are paving the way for a
military battle as the army has been striking heights overlooking villages and
towns it is occupying. Israel has also been targeting roads and routes that run
deeper into Lebanese territory, notably around Bint Jbeil city, security sources
told Asharq Al-Awsat. The operations and raids are focusing on the Ali al-Taher
heights in the eastern sector that Israel has been trying to capture for ten
weeks. In the central sector, it has been focusing on routes leading to Bint
Jbeil and, closer to the coast, it has been carrying out similar incursions and
detonations in the towns of Majdal Zoun and al-Mansouri.The security sources
said the operations appear to be paving the way for a military battle. The
attacks are targeting all the hills surrounding Ali al-Taher, especially the al-Dabsha
and al-Tahra that were occupied by Israel before it withdrew from the South in
2000.
The sources explained that focusing attacks on the hills and destroying houses
around Ali al-Taher means that the troops are trying to isolate the entire
strategic area from its surroundings.
For the past week, Israeli raids struck under-constructions houses and villas in
the Dawhet Kfar Rumman and Nabatieh al-Fawqa areas, located north and southwest
of Ali al-Taher respectively. It also continued to blow up houses in Kfar
Tebnint that is located directly west of Ali al-Taher.
Israel has also struck Ali al-Taher itself with artillery and phosphorous
bombs.Lebanese media on Sunday said Israel used artillery to hit Mayfadoun and
airstrikes hit Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Dawhet Kfar Rumman.In the central sector,
Israeli troops carried out incursions into four unoccupied towns: Beit Yahoun,
Baraachit, Hadatha and Aita al-Jabal, all of which lead to Bint Jbeil, which is
occupied by Israel. The sources said a potential military battle in the future
will not be limited to Ali al-Taher, but encompass the central sector. The
incursions are covering an area stretching some five kilometers from Baraachit
to Hadatha in an attempt to create a buffer zone close to Ali al-Taher and
capture areas that overlooking nearby valleys.
US Sanctions on Hezbollah: What Are Their Repercussions
for Lebanon?
Al-Markazia/August 24, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
Professor Amin Labess, a professor of international relations, pointed out that
"the US redesignation of Hezbollah as an agent of the Quds Force has a
significant impact on how sanctions are implemented, but this designation does
not change the party's legal status in Lebanon, nor does it transform it into an
Iranian institution." He added that "the US objective is to broaden the scope of
sanctions, link the party to the Iranian network, and target companies and banks
with ties to Tehran and Hezbollah." Regarding the repercussions of US sanctions
on Lebanon, Labbes explained in an interview with "Voice of All Lebanon" that
"these sanctions put pressure on the banking sector, make financial transfers
difficult, and increase the risks of cooperating with entities linked to
Hezbollah, which could push Lebanese institutions to take measures to avoid US
sanctions." Labbes believes that "the United States is trying to influence the
behavior of individuals and companies outside its territory, and this is where
the legal dispute lies regarding the legitimacy of its sanctions on Iran and
Hezbollah." He clarified that "sanctions issued by the UN Security Council,
which, under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, has the authority to impose binding
measures on states, differ from unilateral US sanctions." He emphasized that
"countries have the right to reject these sanctions, but the problem remains the
economic cost and the need to maintain the US financial system." Labbes affirmed
that "any attempt to prevent Iranian ships from navigating the Strait of Hormuz
exacerbates the issue, based on the Law of the Sea and the UN Charter, and that
Iran's exposure to sanctions does not permit it to use force against any country
or ship."
Settlement for the Iranian Ambassador: Six-Month Residency as a Former Diplomat
Al-Markazia/August 24, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
Former Iranian Ambassador to Beirut, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, submitted a
residency visa application to the General Directorate of General Security, based
on his valid Iranian passport. After the application was submitted according to
legal procedures, the Director General of General Security, Major General Hassan
Shqeir, granted Mr. Mohammad Reza Sheibani a six-month residency permit, based
on Legislative Decree No. 10188, dated July 18, 1962, specifically Article 21.
This permit does not confer any diplomatic status upon him.
Shibani's story revolves around a diplomatic crisis that culminated in August
2026, after the Lebanese government deemed him persona non grata and refused to
officially recognize his credentials by withdrawing its approval of his
appointment as successor to former Iranian ambassador Mojtaba Amani. Tensions
between Lebanon and Iran escalated due to Iranian positions on Lebanese state
decisions regarding the issue of the state's monopoly on weapons, in addition to
official Iranian statements (such as those of Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher
Ghalibaf) that Lebanon considered an infringement on its sovereignty.
Ali al-Taher Heights Faces Two Options: The Lebanese Army or Israel
Al-Markazia/August 24, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
A Lebanese security source told Sky News Arabia that the Ali al-Taher Heights
face two scenarios: either the Lebanese army will take control from Hezbollah,
or Israel will launch a military operation to seize it. The source added that
"the battle for the Ali al-Taher Heights has been defined within the regional
context." He continued that there are no illegal armed groups within what is
known as the "experimental zone," which includes Zawtar al-Gharbiya, Frun, and
Srifa in southern Lebanon. He stated that the Lebanese military is carrying out
its duties in the south in accordance with state decisions and in compliance
with international resolutions. The Ali al-Taher hill has emerged as one of the
most contentious points in both the field and negotiation arenas in southern
Lebanon. Earlier, political writer Radwan Aqil confirmed to Sky News Arabia that
the Ali al-Taher hill has special military importance, explaining that it is a
single hill, not a group of hills, and that its area is equivalent to that of a
medium-sized town, representing a strategic location in the south. He revealed
that the American delegation raised the possibility of handing the hill over to
the Lebanese army during the Rome talks, but the proposal faced a problem
related to Hezbollah's rejection, fearing that handing it over to the army would
lead to its subsequent occupation and the party's expulsion from it. He
explained that Israeli control of the hill could militarily sever the South from
Jezzine, Mount Lebanon, the Chouf district, and the Western Bekaa, which would
mean the collapse of Hezbollah's second line of defense.
Saudi-French Statement: Commitment to Supporting the Lebanese Army, Full
Implementation of Resolution 1701, and Completion of Disarmament
Al-Markazia/August 24, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
A joint Saudi-French statement indicated "an agreement to intensify efforts to
reach a final solution to the conflict in Lebanon, which requires strengthening
the Lebanese state and its institutions and preserving Lebanon's sovereignty and
territorial integrity." It praised "the steps taken by President Joseph Aoun and
the government headed by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to rebuild state
institutions and extend state authority." The statement affirmed "the commitment
to supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces and security forces to enable them to
fully carry out their national responsibilities." He stressed the importance of
"the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the need to
complete the disarmament of all armed groups, and the complete withdrawal of
Israel from all Lebanese territory."
Massive Explosions, Phosphorus Bombs, Houses Burned, and Bulldozing and Sweeping
Operations in the South
Al-Markaziya/August 24, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
The Israeli army carried out a new explosion this evening in the town of Houla,
near Mays al-Jabal, and also carried out a massive explosion in the town of Mays
al-Jabal itself. The Zibqin Valley was subjected to Israeli artillery shelling.
An enemy drone threw a stun grenade at an ambulance belonging to the Al-Risala
Health and Relief Association while its paramedics were conducting a survey in
the Doha Kafr Rumman area following a previous drone strike, in an attempt to
intimidate them and force them away from the area. Israeli artillery shelling
with phosphorus bombs was reported on the town of Al-Mansouri in the Tyre
district. The Israeli army carried out a large explosion in the town of Zawtar
al-Sharqiya. Israeli artillery also targeted the outskirts of the towns of
Ainatha and Haddatha in the Bint Jbeil district, while an enemy drone exploded
while flying over an excavator that was working to remove the rubble of a
destroyed building. Earlier, an area near an inhabited house between the towns
of Haris and Haddatha was also targeted. Israeli warplanes launched two raids on
the towns of Bayt al-Sayyad-al-Mansouri and al-Haniya, south of Tyre. A massive
explosion was reported this afternoon in the town of Kfar Tebnit, the sound of
which was strongly felt throughout the southern regions. The Israeli army also
carried out a large explosion in the town of Yahmar al-Shaqif, the sound of
which was also strongly felt throughout the southern regions. Israeli forces
conducted bulldozing and destruction operations on the western outskirts of Mays
al-Jabal, in the Doubieh area, where their military bulldozers deliberately
demolished the temporary school complex in the town, which had been built and
opened by the Mays al-Jabal municipality after the last war in cooperation with
the Council of the South and the Union of Municipalities of Jabal Amel.
Simultaneously, these forces brought in a truck loaded with explosives and began
booby-trapping a number of houses in the area in preparation for their
demolition. An airstrike targeted the outskirts of Majdal Zoun in the Tyre
district. Israeli forces also detonated infrastructure and a number of houses in
the town of Majdal Zoun in the Tyre district. An airstrike targeted the town of
Houla. An Israeli army armored force advanced towards the pass connecting the
towns of Haddatha and Haris, where two D9 bulldozers carried out engineering and
clearing work. In the morning, Israeli forces stationed in the town of Khiam
carried out a demolition operation on a number of houses in the western part of
the town, near the Al-Mabarrat schools, amidst the sound of successive
explosions and the rising smoke in the surrounding area.
Bulldozing operations were carried out in the town of Houla.
The Israeli army, stationed between Beaufort Castle and Kfar Tebnit, passing
through the towns of Arnoun and Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, conducted a large-scale
sweep using heavy and medium machine guns, coinciding with the sound of several
explosions. Israeli forces stationed in the town of Khiam also set fire to
several agricultural fields and properties, while simultaneously carrying out
demolition operations on a number of houses in the western part of the town,
near the Al-Mabarrat schools. These operations were accompanied by the sound of
successive explosions and thick plumes of smoke rising from the surrounding
area, while fires spread to several locations within the town. These
developments come amidst continued hostile military movements in the region,
creating an atmosphere of tension, anticipation, and caution among the
residents. Israeli artillery shelling also targeted the outskirts of Mayfadoun
this morning. At dawn, Israeli airstrikes targeted the vicinity of Deir
Siryan-al-Qusayr and Doha Kfar Rumman. This escalation comes after a night that
witnessed a series of airstrikes targeting the Ali al-Taher hill, Doha Kafrman,
and Nabatieh al-Fouqa, coinciding with intermittent artillery shelling that
affected the area.
Iran Intensifies Arms Smuggling to Hezbollah… and Israel
Threatens Strikes in Syria
South Lebanon/August 24, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
Israeli security agencies have detected an increase in attempts to smuggle
weapons from Syria into Lebanon, amid estimates that several shipments
successfully cross the border. Tel Aviv accuses Iran of working to rearm
Hezbollah and bolster its capabilities, keeping Syrian territory under threat of
renewed Israeli strikes.In this context, Israeli assessments indicate that
shipments have successfully crossed the border from Syria into Lebanon, amid
talk of a role for the Quds Force in financing and managing the operations. Tel
Aviv believes that the discovery of a significant shipment could justify a new
strike inside Syrian territory. Israeli security agencies have observed an
increase in attempts to smuggle weapons from Syria into Lebanon, amid estimates
that a number of shipments successfully cross the border undetected, as part of
what Israel describes as Iranian efforts to rearm Hezbollah and strengthen its
capabilities. According to a report by Israel's Channel 12, Israel accuses Iran
of being behind the smuggling operations, claiming that the Quds Force of the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is funding and managing them on the
ground to deliver weapons to Hezbollah. The report quoted an Israeli security
source as saying that Hezbollah is exploiting the ceasefire to bolster its
capabilities, noting an increase in smuggling attempts across Syrian territory
and suggesting that some of these operations may succeed undetected. These
movements, according to Israeli assessments, are part of efforts to rebuild the
party's military capabilities. Despite the seizure of weapons and equipment
shipments in recent months, Israeli officials believe that other quantities may
have successfully reached Syria and then crossed into Lebanon undetected. In
this context, Israel considers the issue of arms smuggling to be one of the
justifications for maintaining its freedom of military action inside Syria, amid
assessments that the discovery of a large or significant shipment could prompt
it to launch an attack inside Syrian territory to prevent it from reaching
Hezbollah. The report noted that attempts to smuggle Iranian weapons are not
new, pointing to the Israeli army and Shin Bet's announcement in October 2025
that they had thwarted an attempt to smuggle advanced weapons from Iran, which
they said were destined for militants in the West Bank. Amidst escalating
discussions about Hezbollah's rearmament and intensified smuggling operations,
Israel links its continued military operations in Syria to preventing the
transfer of sophisticated weapons to Lebanon, thus keeping the Syrian arena in a
state of tension and potential escalation.
Hezbollah is watching the state suffer without offering
assistance, yet extending a hand to Washington to avoid the "Ali Taher"
scenario?
Lara Yazbek/Al-Markazia/August 24, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
Al-Markazia – In a notable political statement, Mahmoud Qamati, Deputy Head of
Hezbollah's Political Council, affirmed that the party has decided to give the
political process a chance to achieve an Israeli withdrawal. He emphasized that
any new Israeli military advance would be met with a firm response. Qamati
stated that the party is considering all options regarding the Ali Taher hill
issue, indicating that this matter remains under close scrutiny given the
ongoing field and political developments in the south. While asserting that
there are no Iranian fighters within Hezbollah's ranks in southern Lebanon, and
denying the presence of any Iranian elements within the party's formations in
the region, he declared, regarding relations with the United States, that the
party is not definitively closing the door to the possibility of direct
communication with America, considering the current issues and the rapidly
evolving political landscape. After months of attacks on the Lebanese state's
decision to negotiate directly with Israel, it seems Hezbollah will move to a
truce with the government, giving it a chance to achieve liberation through
diplomacy.
Some might think this stance will alter the negative equation in the south and
the volatile Lebanese status quo. It would be if Hezbollah coupled this shift
with positive cooperation with the Lebanese state's options, starting with
handing over Ali Taher to the Lebanese army and ultimately surrendering all its
weapons, according to sovereign political sources speaking to Al-Markazia.
However, Hezbollah will not do this. Instead, it will remain passively observing
the Lebanese state, with its hands tied, only to pounce on it in the future and
accuse it of failure.
This waiting game is intended to prevent people from questioning its continued
participation in a government it accuses of treason. Secondly, it is a tactic to
buy time and see if negotiations can halt the Israeli attack on Ali Taher, which
Hezbollah now feels is imminent. Thirdly, it is also a way to buy time until the
situation between Washington and Tehran becomes clearer. While the sources place
the party’s positive stance towards Washington in the category of strengthening
its efforts to spare the party the fate of Ali Taher, in particular, and
disarmament in general, the sources say that this appeasement puts all the
criticisms of the southern suburbs regarding the state’s negotiating options and
its reliance on the Americans into the past, since it is not permissible for the
party, after this talk, to accuse of treason anyone who joins hands with the
Americans, as long as it does not object to doing so, the sources conclude.
The Errors, Sins, Bundles of Cowardice, Injustice, and
Subservience Committed by Those Who Approved the Deformed Amnesty Law Concerning
the Heroic South Lebanese Army SLA and Our Free and Sovereign people Who Took
Refuge in Israel
Colonel Charbel Barakat/August 24, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156927/
These are the facts that were deliberately ignored—out of fear, betrayal,
ignorance, or on the basis of subservient and self-serving motives—by everyone
who endorsed or participated in the issuance of the deformed amnesty law
concerning the heroic South Lebanese Army SLA and our free and
sovereignty-minded people who have been refugees in the State of Israel since
the year 2000.
· The state, which still languishes under Iranian rule and includes MPs and
ministers who openly proclaim their allegiance to its party, has no right to
enact laws concerning the South Lebanese Army (SLA).
· The South Lebanon Army and its members are free Lebanese who defended "Free
Lebanon," not the Lebanon ruled by Arafat, Assad, Iran's party, or other
neighboring states.
· When the state abandoned them and fled out of fear from the remnants of
Arafat, the offshoots of Qaddafi and Assad, and the so-called Qahtan Army, they
were not afraid. Instead, they took a brave stand, defended the land and its
people, and preserved their Lebanese identity and affiliation. They raised no
flag other than the Lebanese flag, and they hold the honor of maintaining the
Armistice Agreement between Lebanon and its southern neighbor, the State of
Israel, in the absence of a state capable of fulfilling its responsibilities.
· The interests of Israel and America aligned with Barak’s electoral interests
in 2000, so he withdrew without care, nor did the state ask about its citizens;
instead, it left Iran’s agents to boast of their threats. When they attempted to
enter by force via the Al-Hamra Bridge on the night of May 17–18, 2000, the SLA
gave them a taste of their own weapons, leaving 15 dead on the road for five
days, along with many wounded. However, in the absence of the state, they
preferred to withdraw rather than destroy what they had spent years of sacrifice
defending.
· Today, Iran’s party completes the destruction of what the South Lebanese Army
built and what the State of Lebanon paid for in reconstruction at least three
times over, all for the sake of the Supreme Leader. No one dares to question
it—despite government decisions declaring it outside the law. Meanwhile, those
claiming to represent the Lebanese, who fear giving even a minor reprimand to
Iran's agents, boast about drafting a law to grant them amnesty under conditions
they rejected in 2000. How could they accept them today?
· We reassure the Lebanese that the South Lebanese Army is the one that will try
the remnants of the Syrian regime and the offshoots of the Revolutionary Guard
who destroyed everything built in Lebanon—starting with stability and security,
and ending with the economy, trust, displacement battles, fratricidal wars, and
other disasters and crimes. All those sitting in decision-making seats since
1983, when the May 17 Agreement was annulled, will be put on trial for all of
this. We tell them: fear the future and secure your escape routes, for the
gallows will be set up, and the oppressed will not forgive the agents,
oppressors, brokers, drug traffickers, or those who dug tunnels beneath the
homes of the poor, causing their destruction and altering Lebanon's geography
and erasing its history above and below ground.
· The Lebanese state must apologize to these people for insulting them and
branding them as traitors. In fact, it must pay compensation for everything they
lost and for the period of disorientation some endured. It must pin medals of
honor on the chests of their leaders who maintained security and order
throughout the state's absence. It must honor those who passed away or were
martyred while defending the homeland and the land, and do justice to the living
among them.
Lebanese in Israel
Some hypocritically claim that members of the South Lebanese Army who hold
Israeli citizenship must renounce it if they wish to return to Lebanon. To them,
we say:
Israeli citizenship is a badge of honor for every Lebanese living in Israel, and
proof that they belong to a society and a state that respects itself and treats
its citizens equally. Members of this Lebanese community living in the State of
Israel take pride in enjoying equal rights and duties alongside Israelis. Like
other Lebanese expatriate communities around the world, they are not ones to
drink from a well and throw a stone into it; they have distinguished themselves
as Lebanese who remain deeply attached to Lebanon, as everyone knows.
The Israeli people respect these Lebanese as a distinguished community and have
built strong relations with them. When a real state rises in Lebanon that seeks
peace with Israel, it will find in them the best cooperative community that
takes pride in its Lebanese identity. They have raised a new generation that
understands the Israeli mindset and resonates with it without complex barriers.
This generation will be the best support for Lebanon in its future relations
with Israel.
We assert that Lebanon must reinstate citizenship to those who deserve it among
Israelis of Lebanese origin—whether Arabic speakers (Christians, Druze, or
Muslims from the 1948 population) or Jews who emigrated to Israel out of fear of
persecution, especially during recent events. These people deserve to regain the
citizenship unjustly stripped from them far more than those naturalized by the
Syrian occupation for electoral purposes.
The future belongs to peace between Lebanon and Israel. Let us strive to be
builders of normal relations defined by mutual respect, rather than being ruled
by a handful of agents and mercenaries whose only care is lining their pockets
by robbing the people instead of working for their welfare.
L’impossibilité d’État
Dr. Charles Chartouni/©Ici Beyrouth/Août 24/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156919/
À regarder de près les évolutions politiques au Liban, on finit par s’interroger
sur l’aptitude de notre pays à pouvoir rétablir sa souveraineté et à passer
outre les limitations qui lui sont imposées par des agendas extérieurs. On
s'interroge aussi sur sa capacité à définir les enjeux de la vie politique
indépendamment du jeu pervers des simulations souverainistes et de la mainmise
de fait de la politique de domination chiite. Il est significatif que ce pays
n’arrive pas à fixer des échéances et des seuils de tolérance sans lesquels
l’État libanais se transformerait en fiction juridique. Les notions de
souveraineté limitée, discrétionnaire et carrément neutralisée sont des éléments
clés dans la crise politique actuelle.
De report en report, de promesses vides en promesses vides, de diplomatie sans
lendemain en diplomatie sans lendemain, les Libanais ont fini par désespérer
devant le spectacle de leur pays en train de se désagréger. Rien ne fonctionne.
Une constitutionnalité sans incidence sur le cours de la vie politique. Une
souveraineté entièrement verrouillée. Des politiques impériales qui annulent de
fait la prégnance de l’État territorial et le renvoient à son statut de relais
opérationnel dont ils se servent au gré des changements de circonstances ou des
mutations de rapports de force.
L’implémentation de l’accord-cadre signé conjointement par les États du Liban et
d’Israël trébuche depuis deux mois en raison du rejet formel du Hezbollah, ainsi
que de la mise au rancart de l’État libanais, qui se transforme, dans le
meilleur des cas, en caisse de résonance pour des intérêts et des conflits
difficiles à relier à un enjeu national ou à une quelconque démarche souveraine.
L'État libanais s’est mué en point de convergence de toutes les politiques de
décomposition qui se sont emparées de ce pays. On croit normaliser un état de
fait qui ne peut sous aucun rapport se réclamer d'une légitimité de droit ou de
facto.
Le Liban étant nulle part dans les dynamiques politiques qui ont développé un
ectoplasme qui les met à l’abri des impératifs de la souveraineté, de l’État de
droit et de ses injonctions sur le plan politique. La politique de domination
chiite n’a pas de gêne à se définir à partir d’un diktat délibérément adopté par
une communauté qui n’a plus d’autre rapport avec l’État libanais que celui de
son instrumentalisation. L’occupation intérimaire du sud-Liban et l’effondrement
de la matrice étatique confortent la politique de domination chiite. Elles
sanctionnent par la même occasion la désintégration de l’État de droit au
bénéfice d’une politique chiite de subversion décomplexée et prête à tous les
marchandages, quels qu’en soient les acteurs. Somme toute, ils essaient de
s'imposer en négociateurs obligés et alternatifs.
Nous sommes véritablement devant des dilemmes insurmontables. L’accord-cadre
patauge parce que l’État a renoncé à ses prérogatives constitutionnelles au
profit d’accommodements politiques hasardeux, élaborés au gré des circonstances
et sans aucun engagement de principe fondé sur les stipulations de l’accord-cadre.
Alors que le pouvoir en place se réfugie dans le déni des réalités,
l’irresponsabilité, le refus d’agir et l’externalisation des responsabilités. La
perpétuation du statut de l’État-lige remet en cause la paix civile, la
possibilité de faire État et l’unique opportunité de faire aboutir les
négociations. L'exécutif libanais agit comme si les extraterritorialités
juridiques et politiques n'existaient pas et compose avec les réalités d'un
contre-État chiite dont il s'approprie la rhétorique. Les intrications du
désarmement du Hezbollah ne sont que le revers d'une politique de
dessaisissement volontaire à l’avantage d'un coup d'État chiite en acte. Tous
les euphémismes ne peuvent en aucun cas dissimuler la réalité de la situation.
Le Hezbollah et la communauté chiite dans son ensemble ne sont pas enclins à
l’idée d’un processus de paix qui mette fin à un conflit aux variantes multiples
qui a détruit la paix civile aussi bien que la paix régionale. La dérive
militante et mafieuse qui s’est emparée de la communauté chiite peine à opérer
le virage nécessaire qui lui permettrait de renouer avec le narratif national et
civique libanais. Celui-ci est un narratif dont elle conteste la légitimité, ou
dont elle s’approprie les éléments de manière sélective et résolument
opportuniste.
Les difficultés de la négociation en cours se ressourcent dans une volonté de
rupture. Le coup d’État chiite poursuit son cours moyennant une politique de
mainmise ouverte et sans vergogne et vise en particulier la composante
chrétienne perçue comme obstacle majeur à la politique de domination. Quelles
que soient les intentions du pouvoir de transition, il demeure prisonnier des
hypothèques posées par la politique de domination chiite. La diplomatie est
interdite et ligotée, la crise financière est renvoyée aux calendes grecques, et
les paralogismes de la loi sur l'amnistie nous ramènent communément aux crises
de légitimité d'un État agonisant.
Les verrouillages sont multiples tant au niveau institutionnel, constitutionnel,
politique ou diplomatique. Le veto chiite et les stratégies de court-circuitage
vont dans tous les sens, alors que le pouvoir exécutif peine à pouvoir
s’extirper des blocages institués. Nous ne sommes pas dans l’accidentel, nous
sommes dans une stratégie de subversion cadencée. L’hypothèse d’un changement
est invraisemblable tant que le régime iranien survit et la politique des champs
opérationnels intégrés poursuit son cours. L’idéologique se nourrit des blocages
stratégiques alors que le récit national et civique se rétrécit en faveur d’une
guerre civile affichée.
https://icibeyrouth.com/articles/1341415/liban-sud-puissante-explosion-a-kfartebnit-frappes-et-dynamitages-se-poursuivent
The Impossibility of the State
Dr. Charles Chartouni/© Ici Beyrouth/August 24, 2026
(Google translation from French)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156919/
Upon taking a close look at political developments in Lebanon, one ends up
questioning our country's ability to restore its sovereignty and to overcome the
limitations imposed on it by external agendas. One also questions its capacity
to define the stakes of political life independently of the perverse game of
sovereigntist simulations and the de facto grip of the policy of Shiite
domination. It is significant that this country is unable to set deadlines and
thresholds of tolerance without which the Lebanese state would be transformed
into a legal fiction. The notions of limited, discretionary, and outright
neutralized sovereignty are key elements in the current political crisis.
From postponement to postponement, from empty promises to empty promises, from
diplomacy without a future to diplomacy without a future, the Lebanese have
ended up despairing before the spectacle of their country disintegrating.
Nothing works. A constitutional order without any impact on the course of
political life. A sovereignty entirely locked down. Imperial policies that
effectively nullify the relevance of the territorial state and reduce it to the
status of an operational relay used according to changing circumstances or
shifts in the balance of power.
The implementation of the framework agreement jointly signed by the states of
Lebanon and Israel has been stumbling for two months because of Hezbollah’s
formal rejection, as well as the sidelining of the Lebanese state, which has
become, at best, a sounding board for interests and conflicts difficult to
relate to a national issue or to any sovereign approach. The Lebanese state has
turned into a point of convergence for all the policies of decomposition that
have taken hold of this country. There is an attempt to normalize a state of
affairs that, under no circumstances, can claim either legal or de facto
legitimacy.
Lebanon is nowhere to be found in the political dynamics that have developed an
ectoplasm placing itself beyond the imperatives of sovereignty, the rule of law,
and their political injunctions. The policy of Shiite domination has no
hesitation in defining itself on the basis of a diktat deliberately adopted by a
community that no longer has any relationship with the Lebanese state other than
that of its instrumentalization. The interim occupation of South Lebanon and the
collapse of the state matrix reinforce the policy of Shiite domination. At the
same time, they sanction the disintegration of the rule of law for the benefit
of a Shiite policy of subversion that is uninhibited and ready for all forms of
bargaining, regardless of the actors involved. In sum, they seek to impose
themselves as mandatory and alternative negotiators.
We are truly facing insurmountable dilemmas. The framework agreement is bogged
down because the state has renounced its constitutional prerogatives in favor of
hazardous political accommodations, devised according to circumstances and
without any principled commitment based on the provisions of the framework
agreement. Meanwhile, the ruling authority takes refuge in the denial of
realities, irresponsibility, refusal to act, and the externalization of
responsibilities. The perpetuation of the status of a vassal state calls into
question civil peace, the possibility of statehood, and the sole opportunity to
bring negotiations to a successful conclusion. The Lebanese executive acts as
though legal and political extraterritorialities do not exist and adapts itself
to the realities of a Shiite counter-state whose rhetoric it appropriates. The
complications surrounding Hezbollah’s disarmament are merely the reverse side of
a policy of voluntary dispossession in favor of an ongoing Shiite coup. No
amount of euphemism can in any way conceal the reality of the situation.
Hezbollah and the Shiite community as a whole are not inclined toward the idea
of a peace process that would put an end to a conflict with multiple variants
that has destroyed both civil peace and regional peace. The militant and
mafia-like drift that has taken hold of the Shiite community struggles to carry
out the necessary turn that would enable it to reconnect with the Lebanese
national and civic narrative. This is a narrative whose legitimacy it contests,
or whose elements it appropriates selectively and resolutely opportunistically.
The difficulties of the ongoing negotiations are rooted in a will for rupture.
The Shiite coup continues its course through a policy of open and shameless
domination and particularly targets the Christian component, perceived as the
major obstacle to the policy of domination. Whatever the intentions of the
transitional authority may be, it remains a prisoner of the constraints imposed
by the policy of Shiite domination. Diplomacy is forbidden and shackled, the
financial crisis is postponed indefinitely, and the fallacies of the amnesty law
repeatedly bring us back to the crises of legitimacy of a dying state.
The blockages are multiple at the institutional, constitutional, political, and
diplomatic levels. The Shiite veto and the strategies of circumvention move in
all directions, while the executive authority struggles to free itself from the
established obstacles. We are not dealing with something accidental; we are
dealing with a strategy of methodical subversion. The prospect of change is
implausible as long as the Iranian regime survives and the policy of integrated
operational arenas continues. Ideology feeds on strategic deadlocks, while the
national and civic narrative shrinks in favor of an openly declared civil war.
Lebanon’s Shadow Passports: Forgery, Proxy Networks, and
the Collapse of Oversight
Now Lebanon/August 24/2026
In a country exhausted by crisis, war, and institutional decay,
even identity itself became vulnerable. Behind Lebanon’s passport shortages and
collapsing bureaucracy emerged allegations of forged documents, recycled
identities, and covert travel networks operating across borders.
Drawing on regional reporting, interviews, court documents, and insider
accounts, this report traces how forged and fraudulently obtained identities,
allegedly linked to Hezbollah, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and
wider transnational networks, stretched from Beirut to Syria, Egypt, and Latin
America, turning passports into instruments of concealment, covert movement, and
geopolitical survival. How Lebanon’s passport crisis opened the door to covert
networks. In recent years, Lebanon has increasingly found itself at the
intersection of regional conflict, intelligence operations, and illicit
cross-border networks. Beyond the visible political and military confrontations
dominating headlines, another quieter and more dangerous battlefield has
emerged: the manipulation of identity itself through forged passports, recycled
records, and alternative identities. Reports of forged passports, false
identities, unregulated hotel registrations, and covert travel routes have
resurfaced repeatedly amid the recent wars between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanese media investigations, intelligence assessments, court rulings, and
international research institutions have all pointed to the growing use of
forged or fraudulently obtained documents by organized criminal networks,
smugglers, and individuals allegedly linked to armed groups and regional actors.
The issue gained renewed attention following Israeli strikes targeting figures
reportedly tied to the IRGC and its Quds Force inside Lebanon. Questions quickly
emerged over how foreign-linked operatives were allegedly able to move across
borders, register in hotels, rent apartments, and operate discreetly inside a
country already struggling with institutional collapse and weakened oversight.
At the same time, investigations into the escape routes of former Syrian regime
figures following the fall of Bashar al-Assad have further highlighted Lebanon’s
role as a transit corridor for covert movement and forged identities. The issue
extends far beyond Lebanon itself, touching networks that reportedly stretch
into Syria, Iraq, Europe, West Africa, and Latin America.
While many allegations remain politically contested and difficult to verify
independently, the broader pattern reflects a dangerous convergence of regional
conflict, corruption, organized crime, and fragile state institutions. In modern
conflict zones, passports are no longer simply documents of citizenship. They
have become operational tools.
The forgotten old passports
One of the most troubling questions surrounding Lebanon’s passport crisis does
not begin with forged documents, but with real ones. At the center of growing
scrutiny are hundreds of older Lebanese passport booklets, specifically the
pre-biometric 2003 model, which reportedly remained in storage for years instead
of being destroyed after the transition to biometric systems.
According to investigative sources and journalists who examined the issue during
Lebanon’s passport crisis between 2022 and 2023, roughly 300,000 unused passport
booklets allegedly remained archived inside state storage facilities long after
they were meant to be withdrawn from circulation. The crisis coincided with a
period of severe state collapse. Long queues formed outside General Security
offices as Lebanese citizens struggled to renew passports amid shortages,
delays, and widespread allegations of corruption. During this period, multiple
reports pointed to the continued use of the older 2003 passports despite their
planned phase-out in favor of biometric alternatives. According to Randa Jebai,
an investigative correspondent at Alhurra television, the existence of the
stored passports was reportedly rediscovered almost by accident.
“Why were they never destroyed?” she asked during her interview with NOW. “Who
knew they existed? And why did they remain stored during such a sensitive
period?”Jebai described the overlap between the passport crisis, the post-2019
institutional collapse, and mounting regional conflict as “a massive
vulnerability inside the Lebanese security system.”She also pointed to the ease
with which older passports could allegedly be obtained during the height of the
crisis. While biometric passports involve stricter procedures and fingerprint
registration, the older 2003 model, she argued, remained far easier to exploit
through influence, corruption, or administrative shortcuts.
According to Jebai, even former officials privately acknowledged confusion
surrounding the stored documents and how they resurfaced during the crisis
years. The issue, she argued, was no longer simply one of administrative
negligence, but of a broader failure of oversight at a time when Lebanon’s
institutions were already collapsing under political and economic pressure. The
distinction between forged documents and authentic documents obtained through
manipulation is central to understanding the issue. Investigators stress that
many networks do not necessarily rely on completely fake passports. In some
cases, genuine passports may allegedly be issued through fraudulent civil
records, bribery, manipulated identity files, or the exploitation of weak
administrative systems. This distinction matters because genuine state-issued
documents are far more difficult for international authorities to detect than
entirely fabricated forgeries. The controversy surrounding the dormant passports
also exposed deeper questions about transparency inside Lebanon’s institutions.
Investigative journalists repeatedly asked why the passports remained stored
years after they were meant to be destroyed, who maintained knowledge of their
existence, and whether authorities fully tracked their circulation during the
crisis years. To date, few public answers have been provided.
These questions also point back to the period in which the passport crisis took
shape, under the leadership of former General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim.
Institutions such as General Security, State Security, the Lebanese Army, and
the Internal Security Forces have historically been presented as organs of the
state rather than openly partisan instruments, with their leadership expected,
at least formally, to remain above direct political alignment and sectarian
competition. That image, however, has become much harder to sustain. Ibrahim was
long regarded as a key intermediary with Hezbollah and other regional actors,
and Hezbollah itself pushed to keep him in office, facts that have only
sharpened retrospective doubts about how neutral the institution truly remained
during his tenure. The point is not that one can prove, in a direct or
definitive way, that General Security itself was transformed into a partisan
arm. It is that the combination of opacity, political proximity, and the
extraordinary vulnerabilities exposed by the passport crisis makes such
questions unavoidable. Nor does the unease stop with General Security alone.
Recent developments have widened the circle of concern to other security bodies
that were also historically treated as non-partisan pillars of the state. The
latest U.S. Treasury sanctions marked a qualitative escalation by explicitly
targeting officials from within Lebanon’s security apparatus, among them General
Khattar Nasser Eldin of General Security, accusing him, alongside other
designated individuals, of having “materially assisted, sponsored, or provided
financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in
support of, Hizballah.” The implication was difficult to ignore: the concern is
no longer confined to isolated individuals on the margins, but to whether
elements within the security apparatus itself have become entangled, directly or
indirectly, with Hezbollah and Amal’s wider political and operational agenda.
Domestic controversies have only deepened that impression. In the Saqiet el-Janzir
incident, State Security officer Mohammad Shreim became associated in the public
debate with an operation widely criticized for relying on coercive field action
rather than normal judicial procedure, reinforcing the broader perception that
some officers act with a degree of impunity and political cover that sits
uneasily with the traditional image of these institutions as neutral extensions
of the state. None of this proves total institutional capture. But it does make
the absence of answers far more troubling, because it raises broader questions
about whether the boundaries separating state administration, security
oversight, and partisan networks have become far more blurred than officials are
willing to admit.
That backdrop gives added weight to a decision announced in the summer of 2026.
On June 25, the General Directorate of General Security declared that 2003-model
non-biometric passports, those whose serial numbers begin with “RL,” would no
longer be valid for entry into Lebanese territory. The directorate framed the
measure in strictly technical terms, citing the global adoption of biometric
travel documents and the refusal of many countries to accept the older booklets
under standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. It called
on all holders of the 2003 model to apply at its regional offices for biometric
replacements, and set October 1, 2026 as the date after which the old passports
would be discontinued for use inside the country and could no longer be used to
leave it. Read against everything that precedes it, the decision is more than
bureaucratic housekeeping. The 2003 booklet is the same document investigators
describe as the softer target: the model without fingerprints or biometric
anchoring that could allegedly be obtained through influence, run through the
biometric bypass, or attached to identities the system could never afterward
verify. To retire it, and to push the entire passport-holding population onto a
biometric standard, is to close, at least on paper, the very loophole through
which the shadow system is said to have operated. In that sense the move can be
read as an effort by the state to reclaim a core attribute of sovereignty: the
exclusive power to say who a person is. It arrives at a moment when the state is
under sustained pressure to reassert its monopoly over the instruments of
sovereignty, from weapons to border crossings, and when President Joseph Aoun
has insisted that security must fall under the authority of the state alone.
Against the backdrop of Hezbollah’s parallel structures, a decision about
passport booklets becomes, however quietly, a decision about who controls
Lebanese identity.
Yet reclaiming the document is not the same as reclaiming the function. The
decision speaks to the future of the booklet, not to the past that produced the
crisis. It does not say what became of the roughly 300,000 dormant 2003
passports, whether they were destroyed, counted, or quietly absorbed. It does
not explain how the biometric exception was used, or by whom, or reveal whether
any of it was ever investigated. A biometric passport is only as trustworthy as
the procedure that issues it, and the allegations at the heart of this account
concern precisely the manipulation of procedure, not the technology of the
booklet. The state can change the document overnight. Whether it can change the
system that issues it, and wrest identity back from the networks said to have
colonized it, is the harder question, and the one on which this story ultimately
turns. Inside the machinery: how official procedures allegedly became tools of
concealment
The concern over General Security does not rest only on unanswered questions
about old passport booklets, expedited documents, or the political proximity of
senior officials. It also rests on a more sensitive allegation: that some of the
most serious abuses may not have occurred outside the system, but through the
system itself. According to an insider account reviewed for this report, the
publicly exposed cases of passport fraud inside General Security represent only
the visible layer of a much deeper structure. Those cases, involving ordinary
employees, drug traffickers, or lower-level administrative corruption, may have
drawn public attention. But they do not, according to the account, capture the
most dangerous dimension of the scandal.
The deeper issue, the source claimed, was the alleged use of General Security’s
own procedures to facilitate the movement, legalization, and protection of
individuals linked to Hezbollah and, in some cases, to the IRGC. This
distinction is essential. In ordinary forgery, the document is fake. In the
system described by the testimony, the document could be real. The fraud
allegedly lay not in the passport booklet itself, but in the pathway through
which it was issued. That is what made the mechanism so difficult to detect. A
false passport can be exposed. A genuine passport issued through manipulated
procedures carries the seal of the Lebanese state, even if the identity behind
it was improperly vetted, politically protected, or deliberately shielded from
biometric scrutiny.
The account describes two principal tracks. The first allegedly involved
passports issued to senior figures or advanced-level operatives linked to
Hezbollah and the IRGC. The second involved residency permits granted to
lower-ranking foreign elements, especially Iraqis and Yemenis, under the cover
of student status.se tracks suggest that Lebanon’s identity system may not only
have been exploited from the outside. It may have been repurposed from within.
The biometric loophole
At the center of the first track was an administrative exception known as
“bypassing the biometric requirement.” Under normal procedure, passport
applicants are expected to submit biometric data, including fingerprints and
other identifying markers. These requirements are designed to prevent identity
substitution, duplicate identities, and the use of fraudulent records. In a
country where civil registries are vulnerable and political interference is
common, biometric safeguards are among the few tools capable of anchoring a
passport to a verifiable person. But General Security also maintains exceptions.
In legitimate cases, the biometric requirement can be bypassed for people who
cannot physically provide fingerprints, such as those with amputated fingers, as
well as for urgent medical cases or exceptional files involving senior political
figures. Such exemptions are supposed to be narrow, documented, and rare.
According to the insider account, this mechanism was allegedly transformed into
a channel of concealment. Files linked to Hezbollah- or IRGC-connected
individuals were allegedly processed through the biometric bypass, allowing
passports to be issued without ordinary biometric safeguards. The result was not
a visibly forged document, but a Lebanese passport produced by the system
itself. This is the core vulnerability. When the exception becomes routine, the
safeguard collapses. When the state allows a person to bypass biometric
registration without legitimate grounds, it creates an identity that cannot be
properly traced, compared, or challenged later. In such cases, the passport does
not merely help someone travel. It erases the trail that should prove who that
person is.
The sealed files
The insider account also described a protected administrative channel inside
General Security. According to the testimony, sensitive files were allegedly
divided into special categories known internally as “Director General One” and
“Director General Two.” “Director General One,” the account claimed, was
associated with Hezbollah. “Director General Two” was associated with the Amal
Movement. The focus of the testimony was the first file. According to the
account, files marked under this channel were sealed, protected from ordinary
scrutiny, and delivered directly to the office of the director general. They
allegedly contained the documents needed to issue passports: identity papers,
civil registry extracts, photographs, and other supporting material. The files
were not treated like ordinary applications. They allegedly moved through a
privileged route, carried by hand through internal channels and delivered to the
upper level of General Security’s hierarchy. The testimony specifically named a
lieutenant colonel, then head of the Special Branch and responsible for
sensitive correspondence, as the officer who allegedly handled such files and
carried them to the seventh floor, where the director general’s office was
located. Once there, the account claimed, the files would receive approval
through the director general’s office. They would then be sent to the passport
department and processed under the biometric bypass exception.
The significance of this allegation lies in its bureaucratic logic. The process,
as described, did not require dismantling the state. It required using the state
exactly as it existed: its files, its stamps, its exceptions, its hierarchy, its
discretion, and its culture of opacity.This is how a shadow system survives
inside an official institution. It does not always need to forge the state’s
documents. It only needs access to the state’s authority to issue them.
The student residency channel
The second track described by the insider account involved residency permits
rather than passports.
According to the testimony, lower-ranking foreign elements were allegedly
brought into Lebanon and legalized through student residencies. The main
institutional channel identified in the account was a university previously
implicated in a scandal involving the forgery of thousands of degrees for Iraqi
students. The university allegedly submitted regular files to General Security
containing the names of individuals presented as enrolled students. The lists
reportedly included Iraqi and Yemeni nationals and were submitted with formal
university correspondence through an official representative. In some cases, the
account claimed, these lists included between 30 and 40 names per week.
The process allegedly allowed residency permits to be issued under student
status by direct administrative decision, without the ordinary security
investigations usually required for foreign students. In normal circumstances,
foreign student residency files are supposed to undergo background checks and
verification. These procedures can be lengthy, intrusive, and bureaucratically
difficult. In the cases described by the testimony, they were allegedly
bypassed.
The importance of this mechanism is that it provides not only entry, but legal
presence. A foreign national entering Lebanon under suspicious circumstances
might attract attention. A foreign national holding a student residency issued
by General Security appears, on paper, to be ordinary.
The account further claimed that many Iraqi and Yemeni elements later killed in
Lebanon had held student residencies issued through this pathway. If
substantiated, this would suggest that the cover of education was allegedly used
to absorb foreign-linked operatives into Lebanon’s legal residency system. Here
again, the issue is not only forgery. It is legalization. The system did not
merely hide people. It allegedly gave them paperwork.
The difference between corruption and collusion
The insider account repeatedly drew a distinction between ordinary corruption
and systematic collusion. Lebanon is no stranger to bribery, influence, and
administrative manipulation. Passports can be expedited. Files can be delayed or
accelerated. Employees can be bought. Political references can interfere. In a
collapsing state, bureaucratic corruption becomes almost routine.
But the account described something more serious. Ordinary corruption serves
private gain. The mechanism described in the testimony allegedly served an armed
political-security network. It did not merely exploit weak institutions. It
allegedly used those institutions as instruments of operational cover. This
distinction matters because it changes the nature of the scandal. If junior
employees forged passports for money, the issue is corruption. If protected
files linked to Hezbollah were routed through the director general’s office,
approved through exceptional procedures, and shielded from biometric scrutiny,
the issue becomes something far more severe: the capture of state function.
The testimony does not suggest that every official inside General Security was
involved. Nor does it prove that the institution as a whole was formally
transformed into a partisan arm. But it does raise a more troubling possibility:
that specific channels inside the institution may have been accessible to
Hezbollah in ways unavailable to ordinary citizens, foreign residents, or even
other political actors. That is precisely where the line between state
administration and parallel power begins to disappear.
Hezbollah intermediaries and parallel access
The testimony also described alleged intermediaries who operated between
Hezbollah and General Security. One figure named in the account was Hajj H.,
described as a Hezbollah-linked representative who allegedly entered General
Security carrying files and requests on behalf of the party. These requests
reportedly included facilitating the movement of individuals, circulating names,
or easing passage through border points such as Masnaa. Another figure mentioned
was Hajj A.K., allegedly responsible for files connected to Saraya al-Muqawama,
Hezbollah’s auxiliary network of Sunni factions operating within its wider
support structures. The importance of these names is not simply personal. They
point to the existence of multiple access channels. One channel allegedly
handled passports for senior figures. Another handled student residencies
through the university. A third handled security requests. A fourth was
allegedly related to Saraya al-Muqawama. Together, they suggest a bureaucratic
ecosystem, not an isolated favor. In that ecosystem, Hezbollah did not need to
stand outside the state and pressure it from afar. It allegedly had pathways
into the state: people who knew where to go, which files to carry, which
references to invoke, and which exceptions to activate. Beyond passports:
detention files and the Military Court
The testimony also raised a separate but related allegation involving
Hezbollah’s detention and interrogation apparatus. According to the account, a
Hezbollah figure responsible for prisons allegedly had a son working inside
General Security. Files related to individuals detained, abducted, or
interrogated by Hezbollah were allegedly delivered by hand to this person inside
the institution. The files, according to the testimony, could then move toward
the Military Court, with investigators allegedly pressured to record military
identification numbers on documents rather than the individuals’ names. This
allegation requires further verification. But its significance is clear. If
accurate, it would suggest that the problem extended beyond travel documents and
residency permits. It would mean that material originating in a non-state
security apparatus may have been routed through official institutions and given
the appearance of state procedure. That would represent a deeper form of
institutional contamination: not only the manipulation of identity, but the
laundering of coercive power through state structures.
The lower-level fraud
The insider account also described more conventional forms of passport fraud. In
some cases, vulnerable people were allegedly exploited: poor individuals,
medically impaired people, or citizens who had never issued biometric passports
and were unlikely to travel. Their names, civil records, or identity files could
be used while another person’s photograph was inserted into the application.
This form of fraud resembles the more familiar pattern of identity substitution.
It depends on poverty, weak oversight, local complicity, and gaps in the civil
registry. But the testimony distinguished these cases from the higher-level
track. Senior Hezbollah-linked or IRGC-linked figures, the account claimed, were
not processed through crude substitution schemes. They allegedly moved through
protected files, official decisions, and biometric exemptions. This distinction
reveals the layered nature of the alleged system. At the bottom were ordinary
fraud and corruption. At the top were protected political-security files. Both
exploited the same institutional weakness, but not with the same level of access
or protection.
Why the biometric audit matters
The most important investigative path, according to the logic of the testimony,
is the biometric bypass. Every file processed through this exception should be
auditable. Every applicant who bypassed biometric registration should have a
documented reason. Every medical exemption should be supported by evidence.
Every political or exceptional case should be identifiable. Every passport
issued without biometrics should be explainable. If the legitimate cases are
stripped out, namely amputees, medical emergencies, and genuinely exceptional
official files, what remains may reveal the scale of the abuse. This is why the
biometric bypass matters more than the public understands. It may be the
administrative fingerprint of the shadow passport system. It is also why the
scandal has been so difficult to expose. The documents may not look forged. The
signatures may be real. The stamps may be valid. The procedures may have been
followed on paper. The illegality lies in the deliberate misuse of the
exception. In such a system, the state itself becomes the mask.Behind the
Raouche strike: false identities and the machinery of covert movement. The
investigation into forged Lebanese identities escalated dramatically following
the Israeli strike on Raouche that reportedly targeted officers linked to the
IRGC. According to Lebanese security sources cited in regional investigations,
passports and Lebanese identity documents bearing false names were allegedly
discovered in connection with individuals targeted in the strike. “The issue
stopped being about a few forged passports,” Jebai explained. “It became a
question of how foreign operatives were moving, residing, and operating under
false Lebanese identities during wartime conditions.”
According to her reporting, the investigation expanded after hotel booking
records connected to the targeted individuals emerged. Bookings linked to rooms
at the Mövenpick Hotel Beirut had allegedly been made through a company
identified as “Power,” rather than directly by the individuals involved. The
detail raised additional questions about intermediary logistical networks and
operational concealment. Security concerns intensified because Lebanese
authorities routinely require hotels to submit guest identities to General
Security and military intelligence, particularly during periods of heightened
conflict. Investigators therefore began questioning how individuals allegedly
connected to sensitive regional operations were able to register and move using
false Lebanese identities without detection. Jebai argued that the broader
regional context added another layer to the story. Following the weakening of
Hezbollah’s operational command structure during the 2024 war, members of the
IRGC allegedly became more directly involved in logistical and operational
management on the ground inside Lebanon. “The Revolutionary Guard always had
influence,” she said. “But after 2024 their involvement became much more direct
operationally because Hezbollah’s command structure had been severely
weakened.”She also suggested that the forged documents may not have been used
solely inside Lebanon. “I believe these passports were used internationally as
well,” she said. “Their problem is not only in Lebanon. They have operational
issues in Yemen, Iraq, and Europe, across multiple fronts.”Many aspects of the
case remain politically sensitive and difficult to verify independently. What
remains undeniable, however, is that the Raouche strike exposed the existence of
a hidden operational infrastructure functioning beneath Lebanon’s already
fragile security landscape.
The walking dead
Among the most disturbing claims emerging from investigations into forged
Lebanese identities is the reported reuse of identities belonging to Hezbollah
members killed in Syria but never officially registered as deceased. According
to investigators and regional reporting, the mechanism allegedly relied on gaps
within Lebanon’s civil registration and passport systems. Fighters killed during
the Syrian war reportedly remained active within official records, allowing
their identities to continue existing administratively despite their deaths. The
Syrian war created conditions in which such ambiguities became increasingly
possible. Hezbollah suffered significant casualties throughout the conflict, yet
the handling of death registrations often remained opaque and politically
sensitive.
Jebai noted that many fighters killed in Syria may never have possessed
passports or biometric travel records during their lifetimes. This allegedly
created vulnerabilities, because identities without fingerprints, travel
history, or prior passport issuance were easier to exploit for new
documentation. “If someone had never issued a passport before, there would be
fewer biometric records and fewer traces inside the system,” she explained. The
allegations also brought renewed attention to the role of local registration
systems and mukhtars, the village-level officials who often serve as informal
guarantors of identity and residency documentation. “In every village, the
mukhtar usually knows the families and residents personally,” Jebai said. “So
investigators began asking how unfamiliar individuals were able to obtain
documentation without basic questions being raised.”
She added that the issue pointed to possible institutional complicity or, at
minimum, severe negligence within parts of the administrative system. The issue
extends beyond simple forgery. It reveals how wartime secrecy, weak civil
oversight, and parallel political structures can gradually distort the integrity
of identity systems themselves.
Venezuela and the globalization of cover identity
The forged and fraudulent identity issue extends far beyond Lebanon’s borders.
For years, intelligence reports, investigative journalists, and Western research
institutions have examined alleged links between Hezbollah and wider
transnational facilitation networks operating across Latin America, particularly
in Venezuela and the Tri-Border Area connecting Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay.
In many of these accounts, Hezbollah is not described as operating in isolation,
but within a broader ecosystem of cooperation involving Iranian-linked
structures and, in some assessments, facilitation channels associated with the
IRGC, particularly in logistics, movement, and identity support systems. Unlike
traditional passport forgery operations, Venezuela-related allegations often
center on something more difficult to detect: genuine state-issued passports and
identity documents allegedly obtained through corrupt, politicized, or
intermediary-controlled administrative channels. Investigations and court
records cited in international reporting have described how such documents were
reportedly used to enable travel and financial mobility for individuals linked,
in various assessments, to Hezbollah-associated networks, sometimes operating
under entirely legal Latin American identities. U.S. and regional intelligence
analyses have further alleged that these identity systems overlapped with
broader Iran-Venezuela cooperation frameworks, where state institutions,
diplomatic cover, and diaspora structures created an environment in which IRGC-linked
operatives and Hezbollah facilitators could allegedly access documentation,
banking, and travel routes with reduced scrutiny. A 2016 Baabda criminal court
ruling offers a rare judicial example illustrating how these systems allegedly
functioned in practice. The case involved a Lebanese national convicted of using
a Venezuelan passport issued under a different identity after traveling across
multiple countries, including Nigeria and Brazil. According to court documents,
he later obtained Venezuelan identity papers through connections allegedly tied
to officials within Venezuela’s Interior Ministry. While the defendant claimed
an administrative error, the court concluded that he knowingly continued using
the alternative identity for repeated international travel, convicting him under
Lebanese forgery laws. Although the ruling does not explicitly mention
Hezbollah, it closely mirrors patterns identified in broader international
investigations into Venezuelan passport issuance systems, which have repeatedly
been linked in reporting to Hezbollah-linked mobility networks and Iran-aligned
facilitation structures.
These findings align with multiple investigative reports, including CNN’s 2017
“Passports in the Shadows,” which examined allegations that Venezuelan officials
issued passports and identity documents to Middle Eastern nationals, including
individuals allegedly connected to Hezbollah. Other U.S. and regional security
assessments have similarly raised concerns that Venezuela’s documentation system
became a tool for sanctions evasion, illicit finance, and cross-border movement
between Latin America and the Middle East, often intersecting with Iran-aligned
networks and Hezbollah’s external operational infrastructure.
Regional infiltration networks linked to Hezbollah
Although the case dates back several years, Egyptian court documents and
investigative reporting have regained relevance amid renewed scrutiny over
forged Lebanese passports and broader identity fraud systems. The proceedings
described an alleged Hezbollah-linked cell operating in Egypt, with defendants
reportedly admitting to using forged identities and false travel documents to
enter and operate within the country. Key suspects, including Sami Shihab, also
known as Mohammad Youssef Mansour, were said to have relied on assumed
identities to bypass border controls and embed within civilian settings. Beyond
the operational allegations, the case highlights how identity manipulation
functioned as a core mechanism of mobility and concealment. The network was
reportedly involved in surveillance of strategic areas in Sinai, Nuweiba, Taba,
and the Suez Canal, alongside logistical preparations and encrypted
communications.
A state losing control of identity
Ultimately, the issue confronting Lebanon extends far beyond forged and
fraudulent passports and identification documents alone. The deeper concern is
not merely that forged documents exist. Nearly every country confronts some form
of identity fraud. The greater danger lies in the emergence of parallel systems
capable of bypassing official institutions altogether. Investigators say the
lack of transparency only deepens public suspicion. Questions remain unanswered
regarding how many passports were issued during Lebanon’s crisis years, how many
were expedited under exceptional circumstances, and why few official
investigations publicly progressed despite repeated revelations.
Jebai repeatedly pointed to the absence of accountability as one of the most
alarming aspects of the entire affair. “The danger is not only the forgery
itself,” she warned. “It is the absence of accountability afterward.”She also
questioned why authorities had not publicly disclosed key data, including how
many expedited passports were issued during the crisis years, how many passport
holders never traveled, and whether investigations were launched into suspicious
irregularities. “Why were no serious investigations announced?” she asked. “Why
are basic numbers still unavailable?”
According to Jebai, Lebanon’s deeper crisis is not only institutional weakness,
but also the absence of transparency itself. Despite laws theoretically
guaranteeing access to public information, investigators and journalists
continue to face enormous difficulty obtaining official records, company
registrations, administrative data, or security statistics. “There is no real
access to information,” she said. “Even when the laws exist, implementation does
not.”In the end, this is not just about forged passports or false identities. It
is about what happens when people lose faith in the systems meant to verify who
is who, at a moment when war, corruption, secrecy, and geopolitical conflict
have blurred the line between the official state and the hidden systems
operating beneath it.
https://nowlebanon.com/lebanons-shadow-passports-forgery-proxy-networks-and-the-collapse-of-oversight/
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on August 24-25/2026
Video link in English from FIDE platform/
Israeli historian Mordechai Kedar, explaining the delusions and dreams of the
spiteful Muslim Brotherhood Erdogan regarding reviving the Ottoman Empire, the
Sunni alliance between Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Turkey, and the West's
failure to understand the complexities of the Middle East
August 23/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156912/
Lara Krinsky opens the briefing by introducing Dr. Mordechai Kedar as a veteran
Israeli military intelligence expert whose focus is understanding the cultures,
ideologies, rivalries, and psychology behind Middle Eastern actors, not just
their surface-level statements. Kedar begins with Turkey, arguing that Israel’s
strike on the Abou El Zohour airbase in northern Syria was a direct warning to
Erdogan after Israeli intelligence saw preparations for a deeper Turkish
military move into Syria, closer to Damascus and therefore closer to Israel. He
frames Erdogan’s worldview as neo-Ottoman and Muslim Brotherhood-influenced,
saying Turkey sees former Ottoman lands—including Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq,
and Israel—as part of its historical sphere, while also supporting Hamas and
presenting a growing strategic challenge to Israel. Kedar says Israel’s
post–October 7 doctrine is to deal with threats while they are still “small,”
explaining that Israel’s actions against Turkey, Hezbollah, Iran, and Hamas are
part of a broader message that Israeli security now comes before every other
consideration. He also argues that new regional alignments—especially between
Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia—reflect fear that the U.S. may eventually
pull back before Iran is defeated, leaving Sunni states exposed to Iranian
revenge and destabilization. The conversation closes with Kedar warning that
Western leaders often misread the Middle East because they apply Western
assumptions to a region shaped by religion, tribalism, deception, and jihadist
ideology, while Lara ends by reminding viewers that Israel’s soldiers must be
ready for whatever comes next and urging support for their humanitarian and
well-being needs.
Trump Says Iran 'Collapsing' Ahead of Sanctions
Announcement
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran is "collapsing" hours before the US
government was set to announce details of what it says will be crushing
sanctions against Tehran.
"IRAN IS COMPLETELY COLLAPSING!!!" Trump posted in his trademark all-caps style
on his social media platform Truth Social. “President Trump decimated Iran’s
economy to a point where the rial has never been weaker and inflation has rarely
been higher,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote Sunday in an opinion
piece in the Financial Times. “The regime’s final refuge now lies in the
self-deception of fearful nations that still believe accommodating aggression
can secure a durable peace.”
US Launches ‘Economic Onslaught’ Against Iran’s Financial Connections
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled Monday what he described as an
"economic D-Day" that aims to give a final warning to countries to sever their
business ties with Iran or risk having key companies and entities cut off from
the dollar-based financial system. "We are launching an economic onslaught
against Iran’s financial connections around the globe. Our objective is to
sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran
stands alone," Bessent said. He added that it’s “no longer acceptable to operate
in the gray spaces” of the conflict. He did not name what countries could face
potential secondary sanctions from the United States.“Let there be no ambiguity
as to the position of the United States,” Bessent told a news conference. “An
economic engagement of any kind with this murderous regime will expose those
responsible to the full reach of American power.”The US Treasury Department has
mapped the networks, facilitators, and financial channels that Iran uses to
smuggle oil and evade sanctions and said that Washington would be working with
US partners to target any source of Iran's "illicit revenue."
The department said it has issued determinations against five sectors -- digital
assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping -- that the Iranian government
is using to prop up its economy. The Treasury has also imposed sanctions on
nearly 60 entities, individuals and vessels.
US President Donald Trump's war with Iran, which has pushed energy prices higher
worldwide, is about to hit its six-month mark. While heavy fighting has
subsided, diplomatic efforts to end the war have stalled and oil and raw
material shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, keeping energy
prices elevated.
IRGC Says it Prepared Scenarios to Avoid US Sanctions
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
Tehran has prepared economic scenarios, including expanding trade networks with
regional allies to bypass tightening US sanctions, Hossein Mohebi, the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman said on Sunday, adding that the
results of the new measures would become evident in the near future.His comments
came shortly before US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent announced
imposing new sanctions on Iran at dawn Monday, described as “the toughest in
history.”Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Mohebi said: “We have
scenarios to counter the adverse effects of the enemy’s war and can easily
establish economic relations with countries.”Cited by Tasnim, the IRGC spokesman
said Iran is maintaining economic interactions “right under America’s nose” and
bypassing US pressure, and that the results would become evident in the near
future. Mohebi, however, offered no specifics regarding nations, firms, or
financial conduits used to bypass US restrictions, asserting only that Iran
maintains broad alternative economic plans. Last week, US President Donald Trump
threatened “tremendous economic consequences” on any nation that does business
with Iran, without offering details. Mohebi said the economic warfare is nothing
new, noting that the US has imposed sanctions on Iran’s economic sectors for 47
years. The current US campaign, he added, is primarily aimed at shaping public
perceptions and creating the belief that Washington is prevailing. He described
Trump’s announcement of a new economic campaign against Iran as an “implicit
admission” that Washington had failed militarily. Mohebi attributed a large part
of his press conference to the nature of the ongoing war, saying the US-Iran war
is multifaceted and not limited to military operations, but includes the
economic and media sectors. Touching on previous military confrontations with
the US, Mohebi said that before the last war, Iranian forces had targeted
“between 30 and 40 US warships” inside the Arabian Gulf. He did not provide
details of the names of the ships, the timing of the attacks or the extent of
the damage. There is no independent evidence to prove his statements are
correct. The IRGC spokesperson said the US has no warships left in the Arabian
Gulf, affirming a major retreat of American forces following the recent regional
clashes. “US troops are now deployed 400 kilometers away from the Gulf waters,”
he noted. Addressing Washington, Mohebi said: “You mobilized all your military
capabilities to close the Strait of Hormuz, but you couldn't.”He warned that if
Iran faces another threat, it could target energy pipelines, power plants and
internet-connected systems. Mohebi’s comments came as the Strait of Hormuz
remains a focal point of the US-Iran conflict following the collapse of a
sixty-day ceasefire negotiated in mid-June 2026.
Iran’s Currency Hits New Record Low as US Prepares to Announce More Sanctions
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
Iran’s currency hit a new record low Monday as Washington prepared to announce
new sanctions it said would be an “economic D-Day” and would add further
pressure on an economy already battered by previous sanctions and a US naval
blockade. The rial dropped to 2.02 million to the US dollar as trading opened on
informal currency markets. Iran’s official Central Bank rate stood at around 1.5
million rial to the dollar, but the informal rate is what most Iranians pay. The
currency had already been under pressure before the US and Israel attacked Iran
on Feb. 28, with double-digit inflation and negative growth, but has been
hitting new record lows as nearly six months of war have taken an even greater
toll. Still, US President Donald Trump has been unable to win concessions from
Iran, which continues to keep a firm grip on shipping through the Strait of
Hormuz, the key waterway through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil
transited freely before the war began. Iranian attacks and threats have severely
hampered that traffic during the war.
Oman FM to Visit Iran to Discuss Hormuz Strait
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi will visit Tehran on Tuesday to
continue talks between Iran and Oman on the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday. Al-Busaidi will
hold the "ongoing political consultations between the two sides, as two littoral
states of the Strait of Hormuz, to help strengthen peace and security in the
region," Baqaei added in a statement. "The visit is aimed at strengthening
Iran-Oman bilateral cooperation and al-Busaidi will meet with Iran's Foreign
Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss bilateral and regional issues," he went on to
say. Iran has exerted control over Hormuz, a key waterway for oil and gas
shipping, since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East on February 28. It
requires vessels to obtain permission and pay transit fees before using the
waterway.The United States wants the strait to return to its pre-war system of
free navigation, while US President Donald Trump claims Washington "has total
control" over Hormuz, through which around one fifth of the world's oil and LNG
exports passed before the war.Iran and Oman have been in talks to establish a
new route through the strait, the only entrance to the Gulf and which separates
their two countries, but a deal has not yet been finalized.Tehran, however, says
even if the talks bear fruit, that would not on its own open the waterway unless
the US meets Iran's broader demands including the lifting of its blockade on
Iranian ports.
Iran Says France's Move to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats 'Illegal'
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday that France's decision to expel two
Iranian diplomats in response to Tehran's ban on two French diplomats was
"illegal"."The action that France took is an illegal action in response to
Iran's legal action, and is in no way helpful to bilateral relations," ministry
spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a weekly press conference. Last week, Baqaei
said two French diplomats who were briefly arrested in Iran in July over
"interference" in Iran's internal affairs "would not be permitted to
return".French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot responded by saying that two
Iranian diplomats in France would be expelled "in the coming days". Barrot said
the French move was a consequence of "intolerable" treatment of the French
diplomats, who were briefly detained last month in Tehran. He said the pair had
been targeted by Iranian officials "in flagrant violation of diplomatic
immunity".
They had also suffered "an extremely serious act of intimidation" at the hands
of Iran's security service, he added. Baqaei had previously said Paris should
apologize for the actions of the French diplomats, which he said had violated
the Vienna Convention.
Iraq Pushes Back Deadline for Factions to Disarm
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
A senior Iraqi official pushed back a September 30 deadline for pro-Iran
factions to hand over their weapons, without offering an explanation for the
move or providing a new date. Iraq has come under pressure from the United
States to rein in armed factions, particularly those close to Iran. The US and
Iran have been at war since February 28, drawing in other countries in the
region as well as non-state groups backed by the Islamic republic. For several
months, Iraq's government has stood by its deadline, but on Sunday, the security
adviser to the prime minister, Qasim al-Araji, told state media the process
would only begin at the end of next month. "September 30 is the date for the
international coalition to depart, not the deadline to hand over weapons," Araji
told the Al Iraqiya broadcaster, referring to the coalition of US-led
forces.Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi had made a similar announcement to
local media on Friday, despite announcing in June that factions had until the
end of September to disarm.September 30, he said, was "the date for the
international coalition to end its presence, not the deadline for armed
factions... Perhaps people are confusing the two."Since taking office in May,
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has pledged to ensure the armed factions that
emerged in the years that followed the US-led invasion hand over their weapons
to the state. While some factions have in recent weeks said they would join
state institutions, others, in particular those closer to Iran, are refusing.
"The situation is extremely complicated," a government official told AFP,
requesting anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter. "The
government is insisting on closing the weapons file; but faction leaders are
determined to hold onto their weapons because they believe disarming would serve
Israel and the United States."
The most powerful armed factions in Iraq include Kataib Hezbollah, a part of
Iran's so-called "Axis of Resistance" against the US and Israel. Another Iraqi
source told AFP that Iran views its proxies in the region, "especially in Iraq,
as a source of strength it refuses to give up".
Report: Pakistan’s Munir Spoke to Trump Ahead of Tehran
Visit
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir spoke with US President Donald Trump last week,
according to three Pakistani sources, days before Munir was expected to hold
talks in the Iranian capital Tehran on Monday. The call, which has not been
previously reported, came as the US threatened to roll out major economic
sanctions targeting Iran and its trade partners. The White House Office of the
Press Secretary did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was
unclear what Munir and Trump discussed. Pakistan's military confirmed the
visit on Monday, saying it was "part of Pakistan’s efforts to promote
regional peace and stability." Iranian officials had confirmed the visit on
Sunday, saying it was focused on security and peace. Trump last week warned of
economic consequences against any country that provided "any type of lifeline to
Iran" as he seeks to isolate the country. Iran in turn vowed to shut down all
oil exports from the Gulf. Pakistan, which has played a key mediating role
between the US and Iran this year, has remained a trading partner of Iran
throughout the recent fighting. Munir was expected to meet with people close to
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Monday, one Pakistani source said.
Pakistan's earlier mediation efforts between the US and Iran resulted in an
interim peace agreement signed in June. But the Islamabad Memorandum quickly
faltered, amid new fighting between Iran and the US that has threatened to
spiral into a wider regional conflict in recent weeks. "There is a trust deficit
on both sides," a third Pakistani source said about the US and Iran, adding that
Munir's aim was to mitigate the lack of mutual trust on Monday.
Greece Moves Patriot System over Reported Iran Threats to US Bases
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
The Greek military on Monday moved one of its Patriot missile interceptor
systems to the island of Crete in response to Iranian threats to hit US military
bases in Europe, media reports said. The battery was moved from the eastern
island of Karpathos to Crete, where there is a major US base at Souda, the
reports said. Media images showed the Patriot system on a truck waiting to be
loaded on a barge, said AFP.The Financial Times reported last week, quoting
Iranian sources, that Iran would fire missiles at US targets in Europe if
President Donald Trump steps up military pressure over the Strait of Hormuz. The
Greek defense ministry did not comment on the reported transfer of the missile
system.
Washington Removes Syria from List of State Sponsors of
Terrorism
Riyadh - Al Arabiya.net/August 24, 2026
The United States removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism on
Monday, ending a 47-year-old designation that had been a major obstacle to
investment. The US State Department also removed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from
its list of designated global terrorist organizations. The US Treasury
Department announced in a statement that it had removed HTS from its sanctions
list targeting several individuals and entities.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bisent said in a statement that this action, which
comes nearly two years after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad's
regime in December 2024, "will help encourage further investment in Syria,
thereby promoting political and economic stability." As Bessent emphasized, "The
Treasury Department is committed to President Trump's promise to provide the
Syrian people with an opportunity for great things." However, the department
stressed that removing restrictions on Syria "does not change the Treasury's
position regarding combating global terrorism and its commitment to holding bad
actors in Syria accountable." For its part, Syria welcomed the United States'
removal of its decades-long designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. In a
televised address, President Ahmed al-Sharaa affirmed that Syria is now "shaving
off a dark burden and tearing out a page from its painful past to embark on a
path of development, reconstruction, and rebuilding." He also expressed his
gratitude to Trump and "all the friendly and supportive countries that stood by
Syria." Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Sheibani stated that this step is "the
fruit of the transformation brought about by the Syrian people and an embodiment
of the new Syrian state's commitment to international peace and security, as
well as to cooperation and partnership with the United States and the rest of
the world." Al-Shaibani added in a post on the X platform: "We will continue
working to remove the effects of isolation and create an environment based on
transparency, mutual interests, and respect." Similarly, the Governor of the
Central Bank of Syria, Safwat Raslan, wrote in a post on X: "Ending Syria's
designation as a state sponsor of terrorism is a historic step that restores it
to its rightful place in the global economic system." Raslan affirmed that the
Central Bank is working "to build a modern and reliable financial system,
capable of keeping pace with and capitalizing on all opportunities." For his
part, Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh considered the move "a major and
historic success for Syrian diplomacy," according to the official news agency
SANA. Barnieh added that removing Syria from the list of state sponsors of
terrorism "opens a major and final door to strengthening Syria's integration
into the global economic and financial system, attracting investments and modern
technologies, and supporting development opportunities." He also believed that
this presents Damascus with "the challenge of proceeding confidently and
resolutely on the path of recovery and economic and financial reform, and
completing the building of institutions." Meanwhile, the US envoy to Syria, Tom
Barrack, said that this step constitutes "a historic milestone" and "a decisive
step" in "Syria's remarkable journey from isolation to partnership, and from a
source of terrorism to a committed partner in global efforts to combat it."
Barrack considered the removal of the designation "another cornerstone in a new
relationship between the United States and Syria, based on shared interests,
mutual security, and shared prosperity." It is worth noting that the United
States designated Syria a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979 under Hafez
al-Assad. However, since the fall of the previous regime in late 2004, US-Syrian
relations have improved significantly, and the United States has begun gradually
lifting sanctions on the country. In July, the United States announced the start
of procedures to remove Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, in a
new show of support from Washington for the transitional phase led by al-Sharaa.
Syria, Israel Hold US-Mediated Talks to Ease Tensions
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
Syria and Israel held high-level, US-mediated talks in Jordan on Sunday aimed at
easing tensions following recent Israeli strikes on Syrian territory, Syria's
state news agency SANA reported, citing a diplomatic source at the foreign
ministry.The talks focused on practical mechanisms to halt Israeli strikes,
arrests and targeted operations, and on reviving negotiations towards a security
agreement that could lay the groundwork for a broader future accord, SANA
said. The two sides also discussed efforts to ease tensions between Israel
and Türkiye and to prevent their rivalry from spilling onto Syrian territory.
A diplomatic source and a Syrian government source told AFP that Foreign
Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency
Roman Gofman. Shaibani told Reuters on Saturday that Damascus expected security
negotiations with Israel to resume soon, although he added that there was a lack
of trust between them. Talks had been suspended since the start of the Iran war,
while Syria cut off contact entirely after Israeli strikes on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur
airbase last week, according to Shaibani. Washington has for more than a year
sought to broker a security agreement between Israel and the government of
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Shaibani said the two sides had agreed on
paper to “almost everything” around the beginning of the year, including
arrangements for security zones in southern Syria and a buffer zone where only
United Nations forces would be present, but Damascus doubted Israel's
willingness to implement the agreement. The Israeli prime minister's office did
not reply to a request for comment on Shaibani's remarks. At Sunday’s meeting,
SANA said, Syria indicated that its immediate priorities remained an Israeli
withdrawal to positions held before Bashar al-Assad's overthrow on December 8,
2024, and the full restoration of a 1974 disengagement agreement. Damascus
also told the Israeli delegation it would not accept arrangements restricting
its right to rebuild and develop its armed forces or determine its alliances and
partnerships, SANA said.
Syria reiterated that the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights were Syrian territory
but said discussions over the region's final status were premature, according to
the SANA report. Israel has carried out repeated strikes on Syrian military
sites since Assad's fall, saying its actions were necessary to protect its
security. Syria has denied posing a threat to Israel and has demanded an end to
Israeli strikes and incursions. Syria and Israel have technically been at war
since 1948. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War
and later annexed it, a move recognized by the United States but not by most of
the international community.
Security agreement
In his interview with Reuters on Saturday, Shaibani said Syria respected
Israel's security concerns, but that Israel must respect those of Syria,
including Israel's use of its airspace, Israeli raids and arrests in the south.
He said that around the beginning of the year, the sides had "agreed on paper
to almost everything" regarding a security deal that would require Israel to
stop attacking Syria and was tied to its withdrawal from territory seized after
Assad fell. The deal would include several security zones in Syrian territory
near the Israeli border, including a buffer zone where only the United Nations
would be present, and others where Syrian forces would deploy in varying degrees
of force. But he said Israel had sought to evade implementation, adding: "We did
not see they had the real will to reach an agreement." The priority now is to
"stop Israeli aggression even before reaching a security agreement", Shaibani
said. "Then perhaps we can open the topics of peace and the Golan."US special
envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said on Tuesday that Washington was working to
establish a mechanism to prevent conflict among Syria, Türkiye and Israel.
Shaibani said there was no agreement yet on the mechanism, which he said must
stop attacks and pave the way for the security deal rather than "entrenching ...
Israeli occupation."Shaibani said negotiations over the security agreement had
been frozen since the start of the Iran war, but he expected them to restart.
Contact between Syria and Israel was cut after the airbase strike, he said. "We
believe there should be contact, especially with a party that constantly
threatens the security of Syria. But if this contact doesn’t bring results, then
we don’t need it," Shaibani said. "We do not trust Israel currently." "Israel
has tried to maintain its security through brute force and it hasn’t succeeded"
anywhere, Shaibani said. "I believe negotiations will resume soon."
No date has been set.
"The US is trying continuously to put pressure on Israel to return to the
dialogue table," he added. Asked how optimistic he was, Shaibani said: "It’s
very hard to bet on Israel." But Syria had "very great hope" of building stable
relationships with its neighbors. "Syria is extending its hand for
understandings, for peace, for diplomacy" and regional stability.
Syria Sentences Assad-Era Top Muslim Cleric to Life
Imprisonment
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
A Syrian court on Monday handed a life sentence to Ahmed Hassoun, the country's
former grand mufti under ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, convicting him of crimes
including inciting sectarian strife and exploiting his position. Hassoun, the
10th Assad-era figure to be sentenced under the new authorities, was Syria's top
Muslim cleric for 16 years. He was known for his close ties to the former
president and frequent appearances alongside him on religious occasions. Judge
Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said Hassoun, 77, was guilty of a raft of charges
including "inciting civil war and sectarian strife", for which he was jailed for
life. The cleric was also convicted of "incitement to intentional homicide",
"principal complicity in intentional homicide", and "inciting sectarian and
racial strife", for which he was handed additional terms ranging from three to
20 years. The court also decided to confiscate Hassoun's assets and hand them to
the public treasury. His sentencing is the first against a religious figure
since Syrian authorities began trying Assad-era officials in April. On August
11, Syria sentenced Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher and five other security
officials to death in absentia for atrocities committed during Syria's civil
war, the first such ruling under the new authorities. The former president fled
Syria as his government fell in December 2024 and is believed to be in Russia.
Authorities have also handed death sentences to Atif Najib and Wassim al-Assad,
cousins of the former ruler who were tried in person. Hassoun, a native of
Aleppo whose late father was also an important religious figure, was arrested at
Damascus airport in March last year as he tried to flee the country. Though he
held the post of grand mufti for more than a decade, Hassoun lost the title in
2021 when Syria abolished the position. Syria began legal proceedings in April
against Bashar al-Assad and other officials accused of atrocities during the
civil war, which erupted in 2011 with brutal repression of pro-democracy
protesters. More than half a million people were killed and millions displaced
during the conflict, while tens of thousands disappeared.
Uganda and Burundi Military Officials Visit Israel to
Discuss Gaza Troop Deployment
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
Military officials from Uganda and Burundi visited Israel last week to discuss
deploying troops to Gaza as part of an international security force envisioned
by US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace for the fragile ceasefire,
according to officials. A Board of Peace official told The Associated Press that
Ugandan officials joined a Burundian military delegation, and that Uganda is
finalizing details of its participation after its parliament approved the troop
contribution this month, The Associated Press said. Nothing has been finalized
with Burundi, but the official said they look forward to starting the process.
“We shared significant knowledge with one another, and the Burundi
representatives expressed interest in our mission,” the official said, speaking
on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss talks with
potential troop-contributing countries ahead of any agreement. A Burundian
military official told the AP that three other senior military officers led the
delegation to Israel and that Burundi appeared intent on joining. The official
spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the
media. It was not clear what Uganda or Burundi might be offering or what they
might receive in return. Spokespersons for their militaries did not respond to
requests for comment. Progress on the international force has been slow
If Burundi moves ahead, the African nations would be the latest to join the
international force for Gaza after Morocco, Kosovo, Kazakhstan and Albania made
commitments. Uganda has committed around 1,200 personnel, and Morocco has
committed up to 500. Kosovo, Kazakhstan and Albania in total have committed
around 80. Indonesia earlier said it was preparing to send 8,000 troops — by far
the largest commitment — but put that on hold after the US and Israel attacked
Iran.The 20,000-strong force would be led by US Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers. Troops
committed remain far short of that goal. Last month, Trump announced a deal for
Hamas to disarm and for Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza. According to
the deal, the International Stabilization Force would be deployed to areas of
the Palestinian territory administered by an incoming technocratic committee,
and Israeli forces would withdraw. The force would help monitor the ceasefire,
train Palestinian police and secure the delivery of aid, among other tasks. The
ceasefire that took effect in Gaza last October has stalled due to disagreements
regarding Israel’s withdrawal from the strip and Hamas’ disarmament. A US
delegation met for hours earlier this month with the Hamas leader and then with
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to press them forward. Hamas has
agreed to the new US deal. Netanyahu has rejected it, saying Israel will not
withdraw from any of the roughly 60% of the territory it controls in Gaza until
Hamas has been completely disarmed. Even after Netanyahu's meeting with the US
team, which included negotiator Jared Kushner, officials offered no concrete
commitment by Israel. Uganda and Burundi have peacekeeping experience from
Somalia Paul D. Williams, director of the security policy studies program at The
George Washington University, said Uganda and Burundi have gained considerable
peacekeeping experience through long-term deployments in Somalia as part of an
African Union force resisting the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group.
Their countries' leaderships have “shown they are willing to tolerate high
numbers of casualties without withdrawing,” he said. Williams added that, with
the mission in Somalia winding down, both countries will be searching for ways
to accrue financial and material support for their militaries: “Deploying to
Gaza with US support is one way to do that." A Ugandan military officer with
knowledge of the upcoming deployment said troops were being selected to go to
Gaza. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t
authorized to speak to the press.
China, Jordan Call for Maintaining US-Iran Ceasefire
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
China and Jordan on Monday said the ceasefire between the US and Iran should be
maintained, and that the normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz should be
restored, the two countries said in a jointed statement, according to China's
Xinhua news agency. Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Jordan's King
Abdullah in Beijing on Monday. China and Jordan said "a comprehensive solution
capable of eliminating the root causes" of regional tensions should be reached
through dialogue and negotiations. The two also expressed "deep concern over
Israel's dangerous escalatory actions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem."Xi
told King Abdullah that China values Jordan's "unique and important role in the
region,” which was thrown into crisis after the United States and Israel
launched strikes against Iran on February 28. "China has always advocated for a
comprehensive ceasefire (and) resolving disputes through political and
diplomatic means," Xi said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.
"(China) believes the sovereignty and security of regional countries including
Jordan should be respected," Xi said. The Chinese president also urged on Monday
a "comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue,” the
foreign ministry statement said. China supports "promoting the resumption of
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks anchored on the correct direction of the
'two-state solution'," Xi said. The two sides also signed several agreements on
diplomacy, trade and supply chains, China's foreign ministry said.
US Cancels Joint Marine Drills with SKorea over Iran War
Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
The United States cancelled a joint amphibious landing drill scheduled for next
month with South Korea, Seoul's Marine Corps said on Monday, after Washington
cited constraints on the availability of US forces due to the war in Iran. The
US Marine Corps formally notified its South Korean counterpart in June that
force availability would be constrained for the division-level exercise, known
as Ssangyong, a South Korean Marine Corps spokesperson told a press briefing.
The allies remain in close consultations on resuming the drills, Reuters quoted
the spokesperson as saying. He did not specify what measures might be taken to
prevent future cancellations or to make up for lost training opportunities. US
Forces Korea did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The
cancellation follows US President Donald Trump's surprise order to scale back a
separate annual joint military exercise that ended last Friday, citing the cost
and Seoul's refusal to take part in the Iran war. Trump also wrote on his Truth
Social platform that the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills sent "a signal that was
totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump
has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful." Despite the
reduction of the exercises, Pyongyang fired 10 short-range ballistic missiles
last week and issued a statement denouncing the exercises. North Korea has long
condemned such joint exercises as rehearsals for invasion.
The Latest LCCC analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published
on August 24-25/2026
Halting Trade With Iran Won’t Help
UAE Combat Sanctions Evasion
Max Meizlish/FDD-Policy Brief/August 24/2026
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is moving to constrain Iran economically — but it
is leaving a major source of regime revenue untouched. On August 18, following a
series of high-level discussions with the United States, a UAE Ministry of
Foreign Affairs official announced the Emirates has halted “all trade,
commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran.”For Iran’s
second-largest trade partner, moving to sever direct commercial and financial
ties is a significant step towards constraining the Tehran regime’s ability to
support its flailing economy. But the UAE’s importance to Iran extends beyond
direct dealings. Dubai has long served as a hub for opaque shell companies,
trading houses, and other intermediaries that help Tehran obscure sanctioned
trade and move tens of billions of dollars through the global financial system
every year — all without any direct Iranian touchpoints. Unless the UAE pairs
its new restrictions with greater scrutiny of these indirect networks, the
policy may curb ordinary commerce while leaving a major channel for Iranian
sanctions evasion intact.
UAE Action Follows U.S. Promise of Unprecedented Economic Isolation Aimed at
Iran
The UAE announced its policy hours after calls on August 18 between President
Donald Trump and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and between Secretary of
State Marco Rubio and UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed.
Days earlier, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promised the United States would
“apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation
on a country.”The August 18 action is not the UAE’s first attempt to constrain
Iran. Days after the war began, the UAE temporarily suspended direct shipping to
the Islamic Republic. It also reportedly considered freezing billions of dollars
in Iran-linked funds, though it remains unclear whether any funds were frozen or
subsequently released as part of, or alongside, implementation of the U.S.-Iran
memorandum of understanding signed in June 2026.
UAE Will Likely Continue as Jurisdiction of Significant Illicit Finance Risk
Following the announcement, The Wall Street Journal reported the UAE “is
expected to move step by step, beginning with new restrictions on cargo and
potentially expanding to a broader crackdown on Iranian-linked entities if the
Revolutionary Guard continues its strikes.” In April, Treasury warned the UAE of
potential secondary sanctions against financial institutions enabling Iranian
sanctions evasion. China, Hong Kong, and Oman received similar letters.Recent
Treasury actions — including the sanctioning of multiple UAE-based trading
companies, exchange houses, and ship management firms — highlight the UAE’s role
as a hub for Iranian sanctions evasion. Treasury also identified the UAE in a
2025 report as “the most commonly occurring jurisdiction” within a dataset of
Iran-related suspicious activity reports from the year prior, including billions
of dollars in opaque transactions tied to UAE- and Hong Kong-based shell
companies. UAE Must Implement Systematic Changes, Not Half-Measures, To Combat
Illicit Finance. Many features that make the UAE a destination for global
finance also create a permissive environment for sanctions evasion and money
laundering. Treasury’s 2025 report notes that UAE free trade zones “appear to
present opportunities for Iranian actors to exploit due to perceived lack of
regulation or oversight.” It also noted that shell companies, which obscure
their ownership and ties to Iran, “play the largest role in Iranian shadow
banking networks.” Unless the UAE calls on its banks to identify the beneficial
owners and underlying purpose of ostensibly domestic or third-country
transactions, much of this activity may fall outside the UAE’s newly announced
restrictions on direct trade and financial dealings with Iran. The United States
should therefore engage UAE regulators, especially in Dubai, to demand that
Emirati banks identify and block transactions showing signs of indirect Iranian
sanctions evasion. If the UAE does not address this threat on its own, the
United States should utilize Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act to require that
U.S. correspondent banks more heavily scrutinize such transactions and
ultimately block indirect dealings with Iranian regime-linked entities.*Max
Meizlish is a research fellow for the Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP)
at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Max
and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow FDD on X @FDD and @FDD_CEFP. Follow Max
on X @maxmeizlish. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute
focusing on national security and foreign policy.
Albany woman charged with plotting to attack New York Capitol in support of
Islamic State
Will Selber/FDD's Long War Journal/August 24/2026
On August 19, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Jessica Bowie, 35,
of Albany, New York, after she allegedly took possession of what she believed
was an explosive device that she intended to use in an attack on the New York
State Capitol, according to the US Department of Justice. The following day,
Bowie was charged with “attempting to provide material support to a designated
foreign terrorist organization,” the Islamic State.
“The FBI detected and stopped an alleged plot to attack the New York State
Capitol and kill elected officials,” said Matt Fodor, operations director of the
FBI’s National Security Branch. “The defendant in this case swore allegiance to
ISIS [the Islamic State] and wanted to follow up with additional horrific acts
of terrorism.”
According to the criminal complaint, Bowie informed multiple people on social
media in May 2026 that she had completed bayah, the traditional Islamic oath of
allegiance, to the Islamic State. From July 16 through August 19, Bowie
allegedly communicated with several FBI sources posing as Islamic State members
and met with them in person on multiple occasions.
Bowie allegedly converted to Islam approximately five years ago and later became
radicalized online, adopting the kunya, or nom de guerre, “Aisha Saif.”
Investigators reportedly learned that Bowie planned to flee to Syria and join
the Islamic State after attacking the New York State Capitol. According to the
complaint, however, she also said she would return to the United States to
conduct additional attacks if the bombing succeeded.
Bowie lived approximately two miles from the Capitol. The complaint states that
investigators observed her visiting the building five times and taking
photographs, apparently as part of her preparations for the attack.
In July, she reportedly sent an audio recording to an FBI source in which she
pledged allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Hafs al Hashimi al Qurashi. On
August 5, Bowie allegedly met with several FBI sources and said she wanted to
bomb the Capitol “on a day when the most amount of senators are there.”
On August 19, Bowie met with the FBI sources and purchased a firearm, a
magazine, and ammunition, the complaint states. She was then allegedly shown an
inert explosive device purportedly constructed using the same type of material
she had recently purchased from Home Depot. After the sources reportedly
explained how to detonate the device, Bowie took possession of it and was
arrested.
Bowie’s arrest marks the fifth Islamic State-linked terrorism case or incident
in the United States this year.
On June 5, the FBI arrested three American citizens in Kansas City, San Diego,
and Sacramento for allegedly conspiring to provide material support to the
jihadist organization. The three men allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic
State, discussed attacks through phone calls, Discord chats, and other messaging
platforms, and collectively provided more than $2,000 to someone they believed
was a member of the group. According to the Justice Department, the money was
intended to help purchase rocket-propelled grenades and drones for attacks
against American military personnel overseas.
On June 8, Mohamed Sagha, 22, of Wayne, New Jersey, was charged with attempting
to provide material support to the Islamic State. Sagha allegedly told an FBI
source that he had pledged allegiance to the organization and was considering
attacking either a National Guard facility or a Jewish place of worship. He was
charged after purchasing a virtual private network and providing it to someone
he believed was an Islamic State fighter in Syria.
On March 7, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi were arrested after allegedly
attempting to detonate two explosive devices outside Gracie Mansion, the
official residence of the New York City mayor. The attack occurred during
competing demonstrations, including one called “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New
York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer.” After their arrests, both
men reportedly told authorities that they supported or were affiliated with the
Islamic State.
On March 12, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Army National Guard member who had
been released from prison after being convicted of attempting to provide
material support to the Islamic State, attacked an Army Reserve Officers’
Training Corps class at Old Dominion University. Jalloh reportedly entered the
classroom, asked whether those present were affiliated with the US Army, yelled
“Allahu Akbar,” and opened fire. He killed the ROTC instructor and wounded two
cadets before students subdued and killed him.
The cases underscore the Islamic State’s persistent ability to radicalize
individuals, including Americans, online and threaten the US with terrorist
attacks.
*Will Selber is a retired US CENTCOM foreign area officer with over 4 years in
Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the owner of Grumpy Combat Veteran on Substack.
Did Barak's statements on the Golan Heights push Israel to negotiate with
Damascus?
Mohammed Al-Sheikh/Al-Modon/August 25, 2026
The statements made by the US Special Presidential Envoy to Syria and Iraq, Tom
Barak, regarding the "occupied Syrian Golan Heights," and his subsequent swift
retraction, cannot be separated from the return of Tel Aviv and Damascus to the
negotiating table, especially after the dangerous escalation caused by the
Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur military airport in the Idlib countryside,
which nearly pushed the region toward the first direct military confrontation
between Israel and Turkey.
Political Confusion
Barak stirred political confusion last Saturday when he affirmed that "the Golan
Heights are Syrian land occupied by Israel in violation of UN resolutions and
the international order." These statements clashed with US President Donald
Trump's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied plateau, which had
previously contravened international law and Security Council resolutions since
1967. He also revealed that Damascus had requested Washington's mediation,
resulting in five official sessions and several informal meetings, which he
described as "very fruitful." The US envoy returned after about 24 hours,
backtracking and explaining that his remarks were merely "a recounting of
well-known history" and an explanation of why Israel's annexation of Lebanese
territory was not expected. He emphasized the consistency of Trump's policy
since 2019, which appeared to be a retreat from his previous statements.
Barak Delivered the Message
However, the retreat seemed purely cosmetic. Barak apparently delivered the
required message, later announcing a negotiating meeting in the Jordanian
capital, Amman. This meeting brought together Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani
and the heads of the intelligence services with the head of the Israeli Mossad,
Roman Gofman, and Barak himself. The Syrian ambassador to the United States,
Bassam Barbandi, confirmed to Al-Modon that Barak did not actually back down,
but rather delivered a firm message to the Israelis to compel them to return to
dialogue with Damascus, which is what actually happened in Amman. Barbandi
believes that Barak's statements reflected explicit American anger at Israel's
hostile behavior and its encroachment on Syrian territory and Turkish interests.
He points out that Barak's real breakthrough lay in sponsoring unprecedented
contacts between Damascus and Tel Aviv to discuss security and technical details
that went beyond the traditional "peace process." Despite Damascus offering
gestures of goodwill at the behest of the US to appease Trump and push Netanyahu
toward a new disengagement agreement, the Israeli side continued to raise its
demands and escalate its actions on the ground after each meeting. According to
the Syrian ambassador, the Israeli forces bombed Abu al-Duhur airport after
direct talks between al-Shaibani and the head of Mossad. Barbandi concludes by
stating that "the American action regarding the Golan Heights is perfectly
aligned with Israel's outright disregard for all American efforts."Barak is
annoyed with the Israelis
For his part, Mohammad Alaa Ghanem, a leader in the Syrian community in America,
sheds light on the other side of the picture, explaining that Barak's recent
statements embody the accumulated frustration and annoyance within the
Washington administration regarding the intransigence of Netanyahu's government
and its refusal to respond to de-escalation efforts since he assumed his post.
Ghanem explains to Al-Modon that Netanyahu's government is still betting on the
military option and escalating the conflict, in stark contrast to Washington's
vision and Trump's policy, which aims to give Syria a chance for stability and
support its sovereignty. He points out that Barak's words do not change the
reality of American recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights,
especially since it came from President Trump. Following Barak's statements,
hundreds of Israeli accounts launched scathing attacks on the American envoy,
demanding that Trump dismiss him from his position. Meanwhile, Netanyahu's
Defense Minister, Yisrael Katz, responded by saying that Barak's positions
contradict the American president's stance on the Golan Heights, and that
Barak's statements regarding the Israeli raid on Abu al-Duhur military airport
are "full of fallacies." Ghanem points out that Israeli unease with the American
envoy is not a recent development, but rather stems from his rejection of
aggressive agendas calling for the partition of Syria, and his participation in
efforts aimed at lifting sanctions against it.
Repurposed Jihadists: Palestinian Terrorist Organizations Reborn as Political
Parties
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./August 24, 2026
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22812/palestinian-terrorist-political-parties
Why should Egypt be searching for a formula that would facilitate Hamas's return
to Palestinian politics? Should Egypt and the rest of the international
community not instead be demanding that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad
surrender their weapons, dismantle their military structures, and disappear from
Palestinian political life? This new Palestinian "unity" alliance being planned
would mean that instead of producing new and moderate Palestinian leaders, the
election could result in a parliament in which Hamas, PIJ, and other
rejectionist groups become major political power brokers and representatives of
the Palestinians. Is this really what Washington and its Western allies want?
Are Western governments once again entertaining the fantasy that Islamist
terrorist organizations can be transformed into legitimate political parties?
Hamas members can remove their military uniforms and put on suits. PIJ
operatives can replace their rifles with election posters. They can talk about
democracy, elections, and political partnership. None of that necessarily
changes what they plan. A "Western-driven disaster" could be developing in which
accountability for Hamas is replaced by efforts to rescue the organization
politically. "Hamas must never again be trusted with Palestinian politics. It
should face the kind of post-defeat reckoning that Nazi Germany faced after
World War Two or that the Baathist regimes of Iraq and Syria faced after their
collapse. Why would a defeated terror organization that inflicted immense damage
on its own people, its neighbors, and the entire region be offered an exit
strategy or a political off-ramp? What possible campaign promise could Hamas
present that makes it worthy of consideration in Palestinian elections? More war
and jihad (holy war)? More governance failures? More corruption and theft of
aid? Hamas is a spent force, a used and discarded object, a wrecked entity that
cannot be repaired or repurposed." — Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a
Palestinian-American analyst from Gaza, X. August 21, 2026.
"Western governments, elites, and observers continue to display remarkable
naivete about the Middle East, Arab political culture, and ideologically driven
movements. Democracy is not simply voting at a booth. It is the creation of a
democratic tradition, a free society, an open media environment, and a civic
ethos that is not driven by ideology, religion, or extremism. The United States,
under a Republican administration twenty years ago, made a grave mistake by
insisting on elections that included Hamas. Will the Trump administration repeat
the same error once again?" — Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, X, August 21, 2026. The
problem with the Western approach then was the assumption that participation in
elections would moderate Hamas. Instead, Hamas used elections to gain legitimacy
and power while retaining its weapons, ideology, and terrorist infrastructure.
There is no reason to believe that things would be different now. Hamas and PIJ
might even accept cleverly-worded conditions to enable them to participate. They
might go as far as saying they accept a Palestinian state alongside Israel. They
will say whatever is necessary to get through the political door. The real
questions should be simpler: Will Hamas, PIJ and other Palestinian terrorist
organizations recognize Israel's right to exist? Will they renounce terrorism?
Will they surrender all their weapons? Will they dismantle their military wings?
Will they abandon jihad as a means of eliminating Israel? Unless the answer to
all these questions is unequivocally yes, terrorists should have no role in
elections, government, or Palestinian decision-making.
After October 7, 2023, the international community should be discussing how to
remove Hamas and PIJ from Palestinian political and military life – not how to
help them have seats in parliament.
Why should Egypt be searching for a formula that would facilitate Hamas's return
to Palestinian politics? Should Egypt and the rest of the international
community not instead be demanding that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad
surrender their weapons, dismantle their military structures, and disappear from
Palestinian political life? Pictured: Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad
terrorists congratulate each other on their murderous atrocities, in Rafah, in
the southern Gaza Strip, on November 28, 2023. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
A new Palestinian political alliance now taking shape should serve as a warning
to the United States, Europe, and anyone hoping to see a moderate and peaceful
Palestinian leadership emerge after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led massacre in
Israel.
Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Mohammed Dahlan's "Reformist Current" in
Fatah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Democratic
Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), and other Palestinian factions
have been discussing the formation of a broad joint list to contest the
elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council of the Palestinian Authority
(PA), scheduled for November 28, 2026.
This new list is being marketed as Palestinian "national unity." It would be
more accurate to describe it as an attempt to bring terrorist organizations back
into Palestinian political life through the ballot box. The factions
participating in the discussions say they support a "broad national alliance"
that would participate in the elections. They claim that the elections represent
an opportunity to achieve "national unity," end Palestinian divisions, and
reorganize PA institutions on the basis of partnership and consensus.
Unity with whom?
Hamas and PIJ are Islamist terrorist organizations that reject Israel's right to
exist. Hamas was responsible, together with other Palestinians, for the October
7 atrocities. PIJ, an Iran-backed terrorist organization, has participated in
countless terrorist attacks against Israel. These organizations are now
apparently being invited to reinvent themselves as political parties.
The most striking development is PIJ's reported decision, in principle, to
participate in the alliance. PIJ has never before participated in PA
parliamentary elections. It has nevertheless been preparing for the possibility
of instructing its cadres and members to register or update their electoral
records.
Has Palestinian Islamic Jihad suddenly transformed itself into a peaceful
political organization? Hardly. A senior PIJ source explicitly emphasized that
the organization has not even abandoned its opposition to the Oslo Accords
signed between Israel and the PLO in 1993 and 1995. PIJ therefore appears
interested in participating in elections without changing the ideology that has
defined it since its founding 45 years ago. The surprise, however, is not that
Hamas and PIJ are seeking political legitimacy. Terrorist organizations have
long understood that elections and political institutions can be used as
instruments for achieving objectives they have failed to attain through
terrorism.
The bigger surprise is Mohammed Dahlan.
Dahlan, a former Palestinian Authority security commander and senior Fatah
official who is based in Abu Dhabi, has for years been portrayed by some
Westerners and Arabs as a "pragmatic" and "moderate" Palestinian figure. His
name has repeatedly surfaced as a possible successor to PA President Mahmoud
Abbas and, more recently, in discussions about who might play a role in the
future administration of the Gaza Strip. Now Dahlan's faction is discussing
running in an electoral alliance with Hamas and PIJ. There is an old saying:
Show me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are. Those who are
promoting Dahlan as a moderate alternative to Abbas might want to ask why a
supposedly pragmatic Palestinian figure would be prepared to form an electoral
partnership with Islamist terrorist organizations. They might also want to ask
whether this is the person they envision helping administer the Gaza Strip.
There is another troubling aspect to the story: Egypt's role. The discussions
have been taking place in Cairo under Egyptian auspices as part of efforts to
promote Palestinian "national unity." Egyptian sources have said that Cairo is
also seeking to arrange discussions between Abbas's Fatah faction and Hamas to
reach a "consensus formula" concerning the elections, including a new formula
regarding Hamas's participation. Why should Egypt be searching for a formula
that would facilitate Hamas's return to Palestinian politics? Should Egypt and
the rest of the international community not instead be demanding that Hamas and
Palestinian Islamic Jihad surrender their weapons, dismantle their military
structures, and disappear from Palestinian political life?
If this is what Palestinian "national unity" looks like, Palestinians would be
better off without it.
There should be no political role for those responsible for the October 7
massacre. There should be no political reward for organizations that have
brought death and destruction on both Israelis and Palestinians. There should be
no parliamentary power or rehabilitation for Iran-backed terrorist groups. The
danger is that the proposed alliance could perform well enough in the upcoming
elections to become a dominant force in the next Palestinian Legislative
Council.
Palestinian political analyst Hilal Nassar, writing about the emerging alliance,
pointed out that it could develop into something far larger than a temporary
electoral arrangement. He described a potential bloc incorporating Islamist,
leftist, nationalist and independent forces that could change the existing
Palestinian political establishment and perhaps eventually present itself as an
alternative to the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO):
"The alliance is considered a single political bloc that includes all
Palestinians with all their colors, spectrums, and beliefs under a common name,
and may be an alternative to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the
Palestinian Authority, which have failed to unify the Palestinian ranks for many
years. "It is possible, and indeed certain, that the alliance aims to
restructure the political landscape and participate in shaping the political
vision and national decision. The alliance could lead to a historic
transformation in the Palestinian system." This new Palestinian "unity" alliance
being planned would mean that instead of producing new and moderate Palestinian
leaders, the election could result in a parliament in which Hamas, PIJ, and
other rejectionist groups become major political power brokers and
representatives of the Palestinians. Is this really what Washington and its
Western allies want? Are Western governments once again entertaining the fantasy
that Islamist terrorist organizations can be transformed into legitimate
political parties?
Hamas members can remove their military uniforms and put on suits. PIJ
operatives can replace their rifles with election posters. They can talk about
democracy, elections, and political partnership. None of that necessarily
changes what they plan. Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a respected Palestinian-American
analyst from Gaza and outspoken opponent of Hamas, has warned of precisely such
a political rehabilitation. "Is Hamas already getting a political makeover?" he
asked, warning that a "Western-driven disaster" could be developing in which
accountability for Hamas is replaced by efforts to rescue the organization
politically. "Hamas must never again be trusted with Palestinian politics,"
Alkhatib wrote.
"It should face the kind of post-defeat reckoning that Nazi Germany faced after
World War Two or that the Baathist regimes of Iraq and Syria faced after their
collapse. Why would a defeated terror organization that inflicted immense damage
on its own people, its neighbors, and the entire region be offered an exit
strategy or a political off-ramp? What possible campaign promise could Hamas
present that makes it worthy of consideration in Palestinian elections? More war
and jihad (holy war)? More governance failures? More corruption and theft of
aid? Hamas is a spent force, a used and discarded object, a wrecked entity that
cannot be repaired or repurposed."
Alkhatib argued that Palestinian politics need "deradicalization and a new
framework that learns from past failures," rather than empowering factions
responsible for repeated catastrophes.
He added: "Western governments, elites, and observers continue to display
remarkable naivete about the Middle East, Arab political culture, and
ideologically driven movements. Democracy is not simply voting at a booth. It is
the creation of a democratic tradition, a free society, an open media
environment, and a civic ethos that is not driven by ideology, religion, or
extremism. The United States, under a Republican administration twenty years
ago, made a grave mistake by insisting on elections that included Hamas. Will
the Trump administration repeat the same error once again?"
The United States should know better.In 2006, Hamas was allowed to participate
unconditionally in the Palestinian Legislative Council election and won 74 of
the 132 seats. A year later, Hamas violently seized control of the Gaza Strip
from the Palestinian Authority.
The mistake of 2006 must not be repeated. The problem with the Western approach
then was the assumption that participation in elections would moderate Hamas.
Instead, Hamas used elections to gain legitimacy and power while retaining its
weapons, ideology, and terrorist infrastructure.
There is no reason to believe that things would be different now. Hamas and PIJ
might even accept cleverly-worded conditions to enable them to participate. They
might go as far as saying they accept a Palestinian state alongside Israel. They
will say whatever is necessary to get through the political door. The real
questions should be simpler: Will Hamas, PIJ and other Palestinian terrorist
organizations recognize Israel's right to exist? Will they renounce terrorism?
Will they surrender all their weapons? Will they dismantle their military wings?
Will they abandon jihad as a means of eliminating Israel? Unless the answer to
all these questions is unequivocally yes, terrorists should have no role in
elections, government, or Palestinian decision-making.
After October 7, 2023, the international community should be discussing how to
remove Hamas and PIJ from Palestinian political and military life – not how to
help them have seats in parliament.
**Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
**Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Israel and its War in the West Bank
Dr. Nassif Hitti/Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
Israel is waging three wars, in differing forms and degrees of military and
security operations and with differing formulations of a justificatory political
discourse, particularly given the total dominance of the logic of the hardline
religious and strategic right in Israeli political life, in government and
outside it.
In Gaza, Israeli conditions continue to obstruct efforts to consolidate the calm
and to move in practice to implementing the road map overseen by the Board of
Peace formed for that purpose. The obstructing Israeli veto carries the heading
of the complete disarmament of Hamas before entering upon that track.
In Lebanon, military operations continue, however geographically circumscribed
they remain for now, under a heading whose substance is negotiating on the
ground in order to secure Israeli conditions or more precisely, Israeli
priorities in negotiating around the table.
In the West Bank, the course of Judaization has been launched with force, and
particularly since this past July: The Judaization of geography and demography
through seizing land, building roads and physical barriers, and cutting off
water in order to strangle the Palestinian economy and intensify the conditions
that press upon Palestinians and drive them from their land. This is Judaization
by violent and, of course, unlawful means, falling entirely within doctrinal and
strategic aims under the heading of establishing a Greater Israel. It is a
policy of expanding settlement by establishing new outposts or enlarging
existing ones and empowering settlers by arming them, on various pretexts, so as
to tighten their control over new areas - and all of it under an official
governmental discourse and measures on the ground that justify, indeed
encourage, the settlers in completing their "sacred" mission.
The statements of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir come as further
confirmation of the large and open shift toward accelerating the annexation of
the West Bank. We have seen before, and see today, what Israel is doing in the
same vein in East Jerusalem.
It is worth recalling that the population of the West Bank, according to data
from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics for 2024, is around 5.3
million, of whom roughly half a million are settlers.A clear and active Israeli
policy is met by international positions that, where they exist at all, are
muted or limited and in any case few. It is also a policy aimed at killing off
the possibility of reaching a comprehensive, permanent, and just settlement
founded on the two-state solution.
It is worth noting that despite the immense Israeli difficulties and obstacles
placed before this solution, as we have indicated, it remains the only
legitimate, lawful, and realistic basis for the settlement that is sought and
required. The relevant international resolutions and the growing international
recognition of the two-state solution both affirm this. What is needed today
rather than tomorrow is effective Arab and international movement to halt this
Israeli policy, which is growing more active on the eve of the coming
parliamentary elections as a central card in the game of competition among the
principal Israeli political parties, all of which agree on the same objective.
It goes without saying that the influential international parties and powers
concerned with stability in the region are able, should they wish, to use the
many effective instruments of pressure they possess — among them their various
relationships with Israel, from security to politics to the economy — resting
also on the relevant international resolutions, as noted above, in order to
impose a complete halt to the policy of Judaizing the West Bank and expelling
its people as part of completing the establishment of a Greater Israel.
Confining themselves to a bashful condemnation or appeal and remaining in the
position of spectator will indirectly help Israel to create the new situation it
is aiming at, one to be deployed in the strategy of a Greater Israel.
That situation will have grave repercussions and reverberations for neighboring
states, for the whole region, and for the interests of the international powers
concerned - as noted - even if their priorities differ as to how they benefit
from the regional stability that is required, at a stage in which the Middle
Eastern region is undergoing transformations that carry great challenges.
In sum, continuing to stand by as a spectator will undoubtedly contribute to
escalating tensions in the region due to the interconnectedness of ongoing
crises and the direct and indirect ways in which they are leveraged against one
another.
This serves extremism and the absence of stability, and reinforces the emergence
of a chaotic regional order whose price everyone will pay, at different times
and in different forms.
There is an international responsibility, first of all, and with it, beyond
doubt, an Arab responsibility, to work to halt this march toward what is unknown
and yet fully known.
Saudi Arabia and France… A Sustainable Strategic Partnership
Emile Ameen/Asharq Al Awsat/August 24/2026
At the invitation of the French president, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is
visiting the French Republic on a state visit that comes at a historic moment
impossible to miss — whether in terms of the fast-moving events regionally and
internationally, or in terms of Saudi-French relations themselves.The present
year, 2026, marks the centenary of the beginning of diplomatic relations between
Riyadh and Paris in 1926, before a French consulate came into existence in
Jeddah in 1932. Later, King Faisal bin Abdulaziz's visit to France in 1967 and
his meeting with President Charles de Gaulle formed one of the pivotal stations
that pushed the relationship toward a wide political and strategic compass.
This visit reflects the dynamism of French-Saudi relations and their capacity to
meet rapid change on every front, particularly given the broad understandings
and shared objectives between the two states. To speak of Saudi Arabia at the
present moment is to point to a dynamic political power that plays a rational
role in approaches to security and stability in a turbulent region, and that
seeks to foster stability at the global level as one of the most important
states of the Group of 20.It has become clear that Europeans, and the French
foremost among them, grasp the realities of political geography without either
understating or overstating them — first among them the proposition that Saudi
Arabia is not a state of surpassing importance merely by virtue of its oil
wealth, but that its location and its position on the world map, its economic
capacity, and its religious standing together make of it an exceptional
strategic value.
As for France, it remains the true Western point of connection between the
humanist heritage of the Enlightenment and the modernity of Western
civilization. France is the capital of light not for its lamps but for its
ideas, for the heritage of its philosophers, thinkers, writers, and poets, for
its political figures and its beacon of learning.
At the same time, France still represents the conscious political mind of the
European continent, and its beating heart, seeking a wide margin of independence
in decision-making, away from the pressures of any great pole, whether eastern
or western. Nor is it any secret that France strives to maintain an independent
presence in the Middle East, free of the reverberations of divergent
international policies. What brings the two countries together, in truth, is
their shared pursuit of regional stability through diplomacy, respect for
international law, and the search for political solutions.
On the other side lies the maximizing of opportunities for cooperation at every
level. Saudi-French interests, as Prince Mohammed bin Salman noted at the press
conference he held with President Emmanuel Macron, are multiple: political,
military, intelligence and security, economic, and technological.
It is surely certain that the situation in the Arabian Gulf region in particular
appears among the most important points binding Paris and Riyadh, especially in
light of current events. France and President Macron understand that the
question of security in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf is a source of
acute concern for them, since the region is witnessing continuous conflicts,
particularly in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine, all of which is
reflected in Europe. At the same time, the statements issued by the Élysée in
the hours before this important visit displayed a deep appreciation of Saudi
Arabia's role as a force for stability in a turbulent region, and a point of
anchorage on shifting sands.
From here it can be affirmed that Saudi-French consultation at this moment
grants the two large states a wider margin in international movement,
particularly given the recent tensions obstructing navigation in one of the most
important waterways in the world, the Strait of Hormuz, and the consequences of
that for energy prices and the reverberations for a global economy troubled by
anxiety by day and sleeplessness by night.
Saudi Arabia's investment in exceptional relations with the French Republic
reflects diplomatic intelligence and a high political prudence, and means that
Paris becomes a genuine partner and an effective actor in peace and in war. It
goes without saying that the descendants of the Gauls possess a state with a
global geopolitical presence: France is not merely a European capital but a
nuclear power, a permanent member of the Security Council, with a military and
political presence in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf, and it can serve as
a safety valve in times of calamity.
Between the targets of Vision 2030 and the France 2030 program, the Saudi-French
partnership remains a space for sustainable strategic cooperation.
Selected Face Book & X tweets
on August 24/2026
Eli Khoury
Speaking Out of One’s Derrière
Tom Barrack is retracting almost every gem he puked, explaining that he was
merely speaking his mind, not US policy. Good. At least we now know whom to
credit for what little Lebanon-illiteracy remains.
Soran Hamarash
Whose Ambassador Is Tom Barrack?
Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Türkiye and special envoy for Syria, is
openly contradicting U.S. policy on the Golan Heights. Barrack said Israel
“still occupies the Golan” and that it is Syrian, in accordance with UN
resolutions. Yet in 2019, President Trump explicitly recognised Israel’s
sovereign right over the Golan Heights, stating that any future peace agreement
must account for Israel’s security needs.This is particularly striking given
Barrack’s history: in 2021, he was charged by the U.S. Justice Department with
acting as an unregistered agent of the UAE in an effort to influence U.S.
foreign policy. He was acquitted in 2022.
Given that history and his current positions, a serious question must be asked:
is Tom Barrack representing the foreign policy of the United States—or
advocating the interests of the regional powers with whom he has built close
relationships? A U.S. ambassador who repeatedly appears to speak against his own
government’s stated policy raises a fundamental question: whose interests is he
really representing?
Bradshaw
Mark Carney wants Canadians to accept that he walked away from this trade deal
because it was bad. Carney wants us to accept the jobs loses,the added cost of
everything,businesses closing,Canadians and their businesses moving to The US
all without showing Canadians the receipts. This isn’t Leadership,this is a
Coverup..
RC
#BREAKING: Corrupt Mark Carney ended the trade talks with the US to avoid
upsetting the CCP and ending the Chinese export scam. China has been stealing
more than $60 billion in tariff revenue by laundering its exports through other
countries.
The biggest offender is Mark Carney.
William Makis
Canada is a national security threat to the United States.
Prime Minster Mark Carney and more than half of all Canadian politicians are
compromised by the Chinese Communist Party, it's really as simple as that.
We have Police stations in Canada that are operated by and only answer to the
Chinese Community Party. Canada has the largest fentanyl drug labs (superlabs)
in North America, it has the largest child sex trafficking networks in North
America, it has some of the largest money laundering operations.
Canada should have begged for a deal with the USA and been thankful that USA was
even willing to offer a deal of any kind. I see a lot of Canadians here bashing
USA and pretending like they are standing up for Canada - and none of these
fools understand just how much trouble Canada is in and how much illegal stuff
goes on in Canada.