English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For February 03/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2026/english.february03.26.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since
2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Click On
The Below Link To Join Elias Bejjaninews whatsapp group
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FPF0N7lE5S484LNaSm0MjW
اضغط
على الرابط في
أعلى للإنضمام
لكروب
Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group
Elias Bejjani/Click on
the below link to subscribe to my youtube channel
الياس
بجاني/اضغط
على الرابط في
أسفل للإشتراك في
موقعي ع اليوتيوب
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOOSioLh1GE3C1hp63Camw
Bible Quotations For today
Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord
Prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel came, and began to praise God and to speak
about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 02/36-40/:”There was also a
prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great
age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a
widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there
with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to
praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the
redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law
of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child
grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on February
02-03/2026
Inside Every Human Being There Is a Beast ...The true struggle within every
human being is between the image of God within them and the distortion of that
image/Elias Bejjani/February 02/2026
Israel Issues Evacuation Warnings for Buildings in South Lebanon ahead of
Strikes
Israel strikes buildings in Kfar Tibnit and Ain Qana after evacuation warnings
At least one killed, 8 wounded as Israel targets cars in south Lebanon
Israeli army drops leaflets threatening hospital in Bint Jbeil
Report: Israel threatens 2024-like war if Hezbollah backs Iran militarily
Aoun seeks Spain support for EU pressure on Israel to halt attacks
Top Lebanese military officials meet US counterparts, discuss Hezbollah
disarmament
Report: Arab, foreign capitals discussing solution for Hezbollah arms
February starts with flurry of diplomacy as Israel escalates
UNIFIL condemns Israel for dropping chemical substances over Lebanon
Lebanon must focus on achievable goals/Chris Doyle/Arab News/February 02, 2026
Lebanon: 'Living Within a Lie'/Sam Menassa/Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
When leaving becomes a duty/Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor/Arab News/February 02, 2026
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on February
02-03/2026
Report: Iran Fears US Strike May Reignite Protests, Imperil Rule
Witkoff, Araghchi to meet on Friday to discuss possible nuclear deal, US
official says
US Envoy Witkoff to Visit Israel, Meet Netanyahu, Israeli Officials Say
US defense firms boost spending after Trump calls for expedited arms deliveries
Iran state-linked agency removes report saying president ordered talks with US
Iran President Orders Talks with US as Trump Hopeful of Deal
UK Sanctions Iran Interior Minister Over Protester Crackdown
Iran Summons EU Ambassadors to Protest Revolutionary Guard Being Listed as
Terror Group
Iran Arrests Four Foreigners for 'Participation in Riots'
Slow Movement at Gaza Border After Israel Reopens Rafah Crossing
Palestinian President Abbas calls first-ever PLO parliament elections
Halt to MSF Work Will Be ‘Catastrophic’ for People of Gaza, Warns MSF Chief
WHO Chief Says Turmoil Creates Chance for Reset
Syrian Security Forces Enter Hasakeh City under Deal with Kurds
Iraq starts investigations into ISIS detainees moved from Syria
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on February
02-03/2026
From
Endless War to Strategic Reinforcement: Why U.S.-UAE AI Cooperation Could Open a
Path to Peace in Ukraine/Robert William/Gatestone Institute/February 2, 2026
An Assassination Completed Before It Occurred/Nadim Koteich/February 02/2026
Trump, The Supreme Leader, and The Shrine/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/February
02/2026
Rubio and the future of American diplomacy/Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/February 02,
2026
Carney and the selective death of the rules-based order/Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab
News/February 02, 2026
Selected X tweets for February 02/2026
The Latest
English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on February
02-03/2026
Inside Every Human Being There Is a Beast ...The true struggle within
every human being is between the image of God within them and the distortion of
that image
Elias Bejjani/February 02/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/02/151757/
Christian faith teaches us a fundamental truth: the human being was created in
the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26) and was called to live in communion
with Him, in love and holiness. Yet, because of the Fall, every person carries
within himself a wounded nature. In this wounded nature lies what can be
described, in spiritual terms, as an inner “beast”—a force of uncontrolled
instincts and desires that emerges when the human person separates himself from
God’s grace.
This beast is not an independent power. It is not stronger than the human person
by nature. It remains dormant as long as the person lives in humility,
generosity, and love, and remains faithful to the gifts and responsibilities
entrusted to him by his Heavenly Father.
The beast sleeps when the human being lives according to love, because love is
not merely a moral value; love is God Himself:
“God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him”
(1 John 4:16).
As long as a person is conscious of his holiness, of his identity as a child of
God by grace, and remains faithful to God’s commandments, the inner beast
remains restrained. The awareness of standing one day before God’s judgment is
essential to Christian life, for Scripture tells us:
“For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10).
On the last day, when God reclaims from the human being the gift of life, the
soul will stand alone before Him. At that moment, wealth, power, and earthly
achievements lose all value. They remain behind, because:
“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing
out” (1 Timothy 6:7).
The only thing a person carries with him is his spiritual provision—his faith
expressed through works of love. As Christ says:
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one
according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).
According to what this spiritual provision contains, the Lord will either say:
“Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew
25:21),
or the soul will face separation from God if it is empty of love, mercy, and
good works, and filled only with greed, pride, and unrepented sin, where:
“Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48).
The inner beast awakens when faith weakens, hope fades, and the human being
falls into temptation. At that point, the person returns to the “old self” and
abandons the new life given through baptism by water and the Holy Spirit,
forgetting the words of Scripture:
“Put off the old man… and put on the new man, which was created according to
God” (Ephesians 4:22–24).
When a person distances himself from God, disobeys His commandments, and lives
as if God does not exist, the beast within rises and dominates. Sin then becomes
not an isolated act, but a way of life, because:
“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
In this light, Jesus presents to us the parable of the rich fool (Luke
12:16–21). This man was not condemned for being rich, but for believing that his
life depended on his possessions. He spoke only to himself and not to God. He
trusted his barns, not his Creator. Therefore God said to him:
“Fool! This night your soul will be required of you.”
This parable reveals a deep spiritual truth: the true beast within the human
person is the illusion of self-sufficiency and independence from God. When God
is removed from the center of life, the human being becomes a slave to money,
power, and pleasure. As Jesus teaches:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
This truth applies not only to individuals, but also to societies and political
systems. The crisis of our world—and of Lebanon in particular—is not only
political or economic, but spiritual. It is the crisis of humanity that has
forgotten God. Therefore Christ’s warning remains timeless:
“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”
(Mark 8:36).
In conclusion, the true struggle within every human being is between the image
of God and its distortion. Salvation does not come by suppressing the beast
through human effort alone, but by returning to God through repentance, grace,
and a life rooted in faith and love. For in God alone there is true life:
“But now having been set free from sin… you have your fruit to holiness, and the
end, everlasting life” (Romans 6:22).
Israel Issues Evacuation Warnings for Buildings in South Lebanon
ahead of Strikes
Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
Israel's military warned on Monday it would soon strike Hezbollah targets in
southern Lebanon, issuing evacuation warnings for buildings in two villages. The
army "will, in the near future, strike military infrastructure belonging to the
Hezbollah terrorist organization, in response to its prohibited attempts to
rebuild its activities in the area," its Arabic-language spokesman Avichay
Adraee wrote on X, telling residents of certain buildings in Kfar Tibnit and Ain
Qana "to evacuate them immediately".
Israel strikes buildings in
Kfar Tibnit and Ain Qana after evacuation warnings
Agence France Presse/February 02/2026
Israeli airstrikes targeted two buildings Monday in the southern towns of Kfar
Tibnit and Ain Qana after the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings. The
Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said the buildings
contained "military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah."
In an X post, he told residents of certain buildings in Kfar Tibnit and Ain Qana
"to evacuate them immediately." Lebanon said one person was killed and several
others wounded in Israeli strikes in the country's south on Sunday, while Israel
said it hit Hezbollah targets. In a statement on Monday, the Israeli military
said it had killed Ali al-Hadi Mustafa al-Haqqani, a senior Hezbollah air
defense officer, in a strike on southern Lebanon a day earlier. In a strike on
southern Lebanon on Monday, the military said it killed an operative who "was
involved in attempts to rehabilitate Hezbollah military infrastructure."It said
the operatives' activities "constitute a violation of the ceasefire
understandings between Israel and Lebanon." Lebanon has repeatedly protested
Israeli strikes on Lebanon as violations of the ceasefire. In January, Lebanon's
army said it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah,
covering the area south of the Litani river, around 30 kilometers (20 miles)
from the Israeli border. Israel, which accuses Hezbollah of rearming, has
criticized the army's progress as insufficient, while Hezbollah has rejected
calls to surrender its weapons.More than 360 people have been killed by Israeli
fire in Lebanon since the ceasefire, according to an AFP tally of health
ministry reports.
At least one killed, 8 wounded as Israel targets cars in
south Lebanon
Naharnet/February 02/2026
One person was killed Monday in an Israeli drone strike on his vehicle on the
Zahrani highway between Ansarieh and Sarafand, as Israel intensified its strikes
on south Lebanon, despite a ceasefire and the army's deployment in the region.
Hours later, another drone strike targeted a car near al-Qlaileh in the Tyre
district. The health ministry said one person was killed and four wounded in
Ansarieh and four people were wounded in al-Qlaileh. On Sunday, at least one
person was killed and 12 were wounded on separate strikes on Ebba-Dweir and
Harouf. The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah members in strikes on
south Lebanon. The Lebanese army announced last month the completion of the
first phase of Hezbollah's disarmament plan, south of the Litani river. The
government said the army will now move to the area north of the Litani. The
ceasefire reached in November 2024 says only the Lebanese army should deploy
south of the Litani, but despite the army's efforts, Israel has kept up its
attacks and claims that Lebanon's efforts are not sufficient. It is also still
occupying five hills it deems "strategic" in south Lebanon. Earlier on Monday,
the Israeli army combed the outskirts of the southern border town of Aitaroun
with machine gun fire. Forces also entered the Lebanese border town of Aita al-Shaab
and detonated a house there after firing stun grenades. More than 360 people
have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon since the ceasefire, according to an
AFP tally of health ministry reports.
Israeli army drops leaflets threatening hospital in Bint Jbeil
Agence France Presse/February 02/2026
The Israeli military dropped Sunday flyers aiming to intimidate residents in
south Lebanon's Bint Jbeil near the border. The National News Agency published a
photograph of one of the alleged leaflets, which bore a warning to residents
that Hezbollah operatives were using a hospital in the town. The health ministry
in a statement condemned "in the strongest terms the threats against southern
hospitals, and considers them a serious attack and a flagrant violation of
international laws and conventions". Bint Jbeil's Salah Ghandour hospital, which
is run by the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee, said in a statement
that the leaflets contained "a clear threat to the hospital on flimsy pretexts
with no basis in truth", and rejected what it said were attempts to tarnish the
facility's image. The Salah Ghandour hospital's grounds and its vicinity were
struck in the
Report: Israel threatens 2024-like war if Hezbollah backs
Iran militarily
Naharnet/February 02/2026
Israel has informed Washington that any Hezbollah strike on Israel will be met
with a response resembling the 2024 war against the Iran-backed group, U.S.
sources said. “The U.S. ambassador to Beirut has requested a grace period for
Hezbollah’s arms, but it is not open-ended,” the sources told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath
channel. “Hezbollah is carrying out smuggling operations through the ports and
beaches of south Lebanon,” the sources said. “Hezbollah has 250 land border
crossings with Syria that it uses for smuggling,” the sources added, citing
official U.S. reports. The sources also said that “the list of Israeli targets
in Lebanon does not include the state’s infrastructure.”
Aoun seeks Spain support for EU pressure on Israel to halt
attacks
Naharnet/February 02/2026
President Joseph Aoun met Monday with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at La
Moncloa Palace in Madrid, as he arrived in Spain to sign several bilateral
agreements, amid intensified Israeli strikes on south Lebanon. Aoun urged Spain,
after his meeting with Sánchez, to pressure Israel within the European Union to
commit to the implementation of a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024.
The agreements between Lebanon and Spain will include cooperation in the health,
cultural, agricultural, and scientific fields. Aoun will also meet with King
Felipe VI in Spain. On Monday, Israel targeted two cars in south Lebanon,
killing at least one person, before issuing evacuation orders warning that it
will bomb two buildings in the southern towns of Kfar Tebnit and Ain Qana. On
Sunday, at least one person was killed and 12 were wounded in strikes that also
targeted cars in Ebba and Harouf.
Top Lebanese military officials meet US counterparts,
discuss Hezbollah disarmament
Al Arabiya English/03 February/2026
Top Lebanese military officials have been meeting their US counterparts in
recent days as Beirut looks to shore up international support for the country’s
military and state institutions. Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) commander, Gen.
Rodolphe Haykal, visited the United States Central Command headquarters in
Tampa, Florida, on Monday. The LAF has been at the forefront of the Lebanese
state’s efforts, under President Joseph Aoun, to disarm Hezbollah and all other
non-state groups in the country. This plan was devised at the request of Aoun
and his cabinet following the election of a new government last year. It also
came after Hezbollah was severely weakened during an Israeli campaign that took
out the group’s top leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah. “The LAF’s ongoing work
to disarm non-state actors and reinforce national sovereignty as Lebanon’s
security guarantor is more important than ever,” the US Embassy in Beirut said
in a post on X with pictures of Haykal being welcomed to CENTCOM. Haykal will
head back to Washington this week for meetings with Trump administration
officials. Among others, he will meet the Pentagon’s Assistant Secretary for
International Security Affairs, Daniel Zimmerman. Haykal will also meet with US
lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Ahead of his visit to the United States, senior LAF
officials traveled to Tampa last week to discuss progress on the Lebanese army’s
plan to disarm Hezbollah, US Marine Corps Forces, Central Command (MARCENT) said
in a statement. The two-day bilateral security summit allowed LAF leaders to
brief US military leadership on regional security matters, “including
operational updates and progress toward the army’s disarmament plan.”Lt. Gen.
Joseph Clearfield, MARCENT commander and chairman of the Lebanon-Israel
ceasefire mechanism, led discussions focused on military cooperation and the
importance of the mechanism. “As MARCENT continues to play a central role in the
Mechanism, these discussions with our partners will remain a critical part of
our efforts,” Clearfield said. “We are committed to durable peace and stability
in the region,” he added. Read more: Lebanese army chief’s visit to US axed amid
increasing calls to disarm Hezbollah
Report: Arab, foreign capitals discussing solution for
Hezbollah arms
Naharnet/February 02/2026
Arab and international capitals are discussing a seven-point settlement for the
issue of Hezbollah’s weapons, senior diplomatic sources said. Below are the
seven points according to al-Liwaa newspaper:
1. Ending Hezbollah's military role, granting it international guarantees
against prosecution, removing its name from terrorism lists, and integrating its
members into the Lebanese Army.
2. Placing Hezbollah's missiles and heavy weapons under international
supervision or transferring them to any Arab country within a period not
exceeding four months.
3. Arab-European funding for reconstruction, housing allowances, and
compensation for destroyed units.
4. Establishing a stable status for the Shiite community within the Lebanese
political system.
5. Israel's withdrawal from all occupied territories, the return of prisoners,
and a resolution to the Shebaa Farms issue.
6. Signing a "conflict resolution" agreement between Lebanon and Israel under
the auspices of the United Nations and the countries sponsoring the agreement,
including Iran.
7. Forming a joint Arab-European-American force to monitor and implement the
agreement on the Lebanese-Israeli border, similar to the existing force on the
Lebanese-Syrian border.
February starts with flurry of diplomacy as Israel
escalates
Naharnet/February 02/2026
The first week of February started with high-level diplomatic missions as Israel
intensified its strikes on Lebanon, wounding at least 20 people and killing at
least two over the weekend and into Monday. As President Joseph Aoun kicked off
a two-day visit to Spain, with Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, Prime Minister
Nawaf Salam was heading to the United Arab Emirates to attend the World
Government Summit, and Army Chief Rodolphe Haykal was set to discuss in
Washington the army's plan to disarm Hezbollah. A previous visit was cancelled
amid claims from the U.S. that the army's efforts to disarm Hezbollah were not
sufficient. Local media reports said Monday that Haykal might also visit France,
Germany and Saudi Arabia, and that he will present a comprehensive dossier in
Washington on Hezbollah's disarmament. The dossier will include maps, photos and
details of the first and second phase of Hezbollah's disarmament plan,
pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper reported Monday. Aoun arrived Sunday in Spain
where he met with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to sign several agreements. Aoun
said he urged Spain to pressure Israel within the European Union to commit to
the implementation of a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024. On Monday,
Israel targeted two cars in south Lebanon, killing at least one person, before
issuing evacuation orders warning that it will bomb two buildings in the
southern towns of Kfar Tebnit and Ain Qana. On Sunday, at least one person was
killed and 12 were wounded in strikes that also targeted cars in Ebba and Harouf.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot is also expected in Beirut this week.
UNIFIL condemns Israel for dropping chemical substances over Lebanon
Naharnet/February 02/2026
UNIFIL called Monday on Israel to stop violating resolution 1701 after the
Israeli army dropped Sunday unknown chemical substances from airplanes over
Lebanon. On Sunday morning, the Israeli army informed UNIFIL that they would be
carrying out an aerial activity dropping what they said was a non-toxic chemical
substance over areas near the Blue Line. The Israeli army told the peacekeepers
to stay away and remain under cover, forcing them to cancel over a dozen
activities. "Peacekeepers could not perform normal operations near the Blue Line
along about a third of its length and were only able to resume normal activities
after over nine hours," UNIFIL said in a statement, adding that it supported the
Lebanese Army in collecting samples to be tested for toxicity. "This activity
was unacceptable and contrary to resolution 1701. The IDF’s deliberate and
planned actions not only limited peacekeepers’ ability to undertake their
mandated activities, but also potentially put their health and that of civilians
at risk. It also raised concerns about the effects of this unknown chemical on
local agricultural lands, and how this might impact the return of civilians to
their homes and livelihoods in the long-term," UNIFIL said.
"This is not the first time that the IDF has dropped unknown chemical substances
from airplanes over Lebanon. We continue to remind the IDF that flights by their
aircraft into Lebanon are violations of resolution 1701, and any activity that
puts peacekeepers and civilians at risk are of serious concern. We again call on
the IDF to stop all such activities and work with peacekeepers to support the
stability we are all working to achieve."
Lebanon must focus on
achievable goals
Chris Doyle/Arab News/February 02, 2026
Looking for avenues for optimism in the regional miasma, one wonders whether
Lebanon might offer up some hope. This is a country and a people who have
undergone such suffering thanks to the Syrian war and consequent refugee crisis,
the economic collapse and the Beirut port explosion, as well as Israel’s 2024
war on the country. The Lebanese could do with a decent break. So, why the hint
of optimism? For various reasons, there may soon be a pivotal moment where a
hitherto weak and fragile state can assert its sovereign control and decouple
itself from the aggressive ambitions of external powers, not least Israel and
Iran. Firstly, in President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who have
been at the helm for about a year, Lebanon has a ruling duo with widespread
local, regional and international credibility. This may not last, so the two
need backing not just economically but politically.
To profit from this narrow window, major international actors must pressure
Israel to honor its ceasefire obligations. Secondly, in the quest to assert the
role of the state, nonstate actors have to cede ground and respect this. The
weakness of Hezbollah presents just such an opportunity. The loss of its
charismatic long-term leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and many of his lieutenants has
damaged its standing. Its military capabilities have been clearly degraded in
the war with Israel and it has lost a patron in the Assad regime. Hezbollah can
no longer deter Israel. In fact, Hezbollah has become a magnet for Israeli
attacks.
Thirdly, Iran is no longer the power it was owing to the US sanctions regime and
the June war of last year. It cannot offer its allies, including Hezbollah, the
weapons, training and finance that it once could. Iran still retains arguably
even greater influence over the Lebanese Shiite group, but it has greater things
to worry about on the home front. Yet, to build on this, local and external
actors must contribute. The Israeli leadership, like it does with Gaza, has
difficulty in understanding what a ceasefire entails. According to the UN
Interim Force in Lebanon, Israel has violated the November 2024 ceasefire more
than 10,000 times and has frequently targeted the UN agency itself. These
violations have been escalating in the last few months, leading some to wonder
if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans another massive hit on Lebanon in an
Israeli election year. What will encourage the Israeli PM is the minimal
pushback these violations receive from international actors. The US did make
some moves along this path, but not with the full weight that this Trump
administration can bring to bear.
Normalization should not be rushed. The Lebanese public is not yet ready for
this, not least because of anger over Gaza
Far from calling out the attacks on UNIFIL, the UN Security Council has
stipulated that its mandate will expire at the end of 2026, largely at the US’
insistence. This is foolhardy. When one considers the history of this border and
the wars and clashes that have transpired in this small area, the need for a
multinational presence is crystal clear. To profit from this narrow window,
major international actors must pressure Israel to honor its obligations under
the ceasefire agreement, including UNSC Resolution 1701. This means a full
withdrawal from the five hilltops in South Lebanon that Israel is occupying.
This should be carried out immediately but, if not, there should be a proper
timetable for withdrawal as a bare minimum. The US has led the charge to bring
about the disarming of Hezbollah. This makes sense. The Lebanese state must have
a monopoly over the use of force. For too long, Hezbollah has undermined
that.But the Lebanese government is on the horns of a dilemma. It is one thing
to clear weapons from south of the Litani River but quite another to disarm
Hezbollah in its entirety without a political agreement. All parties should be
wary of getting the Lebanese army into a military confrontation with Hezbollah,
as it is unlikely to be able to win. It is crucial that the army has the
credibility of a national institution that protects all communities. There has
to be some form of political offer to Hezbollah as to how its fighters might get
incorporated into the country’s armed forces. Shiite communities will want
reassurance that they will not lose out politically and economically. The
Israeli government and the US are pressing Lebanon to agree to normalization.
Israeli figures tried to push for interministerial meetings and not the
ceasefire mechanism as a means to get closer to full ties. The US has even had
to calm fears by confirming that this mechanism will still be
meeting.Normalization should not be rushed. Lebanon is a front-line state,
invaded multiple times by Israel and its territory occupied for protracted
periods of time. The Lebanese public is not yet ready for this, not least
because of anger over Gaza. This is something that is not, at this stage,
realistic for the Aoun-Salam government. Its position is that the parties should
implement the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, meaning normalization would be
contingent on the end of the occupation of Palestine. But a security agreement
with Israel might be feasible. Finalizing the border should also be possible. It
is better to focus on what is achievable rather than engage in fantasies.
**Chris Doyle is director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding in
London. X: @Doylech
Lebanon: 'Living Within a Lie'
Sam Menassa/Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
At a moment of profound regional and international upheaval, as the rules that
once governed the international system are being dismantled and redefined,
Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, emerges with a statement that leaves
no room for interpretation: “At your service, Khamenei.” With this, he once
again declares that his primary allegiance lies with Iran, and that his party is
prepared to do whatever is required - even to engage in a second “support war” -
to defend it against any threat. This is both a political position and an
explicit declaration of alignment, one that shifts Lebanon from the category of
a state seeking to reclaim its sovereignty to that of an open arena in a
regional conflict over which it has no say.
It is not clear how Qassem’s words should be approached. Do they genuinely
reflect the position of the “party” and its Iranian ally, or has this man been
reduced to a propagandist tasked with keeping his base together? It is difficult
to take his words seriously at this time, especially after the resounding losses
suffered by his party and its axis and amid unprecedented US–EU tensions as US
President Donald Trump seeks to redefine sovereignty and alliances. Moreover,
Gaza has entered a grey zone between war and a peace settlement, Syria has been
rid of the regime without yet reaching the threshold of stability, and Iran is
being squeezed both domestically and globally.
As Lebanon desperately struggles, against this backdrop, to convince the world
that it has returned to the logic of the state and turned the page on the
militia, Qassem’s statement removes the final layers of ambiguity that the
“party” had relied on for years before the war into which Lebanon was previously
was dragged into under the banner of “support and distraction,” first in defence
of Gaza and second in protection of Lebanon. Today, Palestine is not part of the
discourse, there is no attempt at using it as moral cover. The agenda is now
openly and explicitly to defend the Iranian regime, regardless of the cost to
Lebanon. In this sense, Hezbollah has gone from being a local actor with foreign
ties to an agent of another state.
This state of affairs reveals two truths. It confirms dialogue with the “party”
on any issue is futile and untenable, especially regarding the usefulness or
function of its weapons. Second, its weapons are no longer (even rhetorically) a
deterrent meant to protect Lebanon but instruments for use in a battle that
transcends its borders and the interests of its people.
The second is that it comes at an exceptional moment for Lebanon, perhaps unique
in the long history of its collapse. For the first time in years, the Lebanese
state (at least in words), through its presidency, government, and military
institutions, is attempting to assert sovereignty and rebuild severed ties with
the international community and the Arab world. It is keenly seeking to convince
global capitals that Lebanon is no longer hostage to actors outside its
authority. Accordingly, Qassem’s words cannot be read as an isolated partisan
position; they undermine this fragile trajectory, seek to preemptively undermine
trust, and deprive Lebanon of an opportunity- one that might never come again-
to reposition itself as a state rather than an arena. A potential war is not the
only threat. His statement also makes political and economic recovery less
likely. How can Lebanon convince the international community that it is moving
toward restoring its monopoly on armament as Hezbollah openly declares its
allegiance to another state?
How can the “party” allow itself to line up for a war that even the United
States, with all its might, hesitates to enter, not out of incapacity or fear of
Iran but because of the potential repercussions? The most likely answer is not
the “party’s” capabilities, however large its remaining arsenal may be, but its
determination to monopolize Shiite representation. What Qassem, his party, and
perhaps Iran seek is compensation through political gains reaped by the “party”
and its base at the expense of other sects.
Here, a long-suppressed question arises within the Shiite community itself: is
defending the Iranian regime in the interest of the Shiites of Lebanon, who have
paid heavy prices in past wars? Or are they once again being used as human
shields while living standards erode and what remains of their social and
economic security disappears? This community is threatened, once more, becoming
fodder for a regional conflict it has no control on direct interest in.
In the end, the issue is no longer a political or ideological disagreement; it
has become a question of who decides the fate of the Shiites and of Lebanon more
broadly. Is it the state and its institutions, or a party that openly declares
foreign allegiance. Strikingly, the Shiites in particular, and Lebanese in
general, are turning a blind eye to what is happening and continuing to bear the
burden of new adventures and actions that trivialise their lives and the future
of their children.
It is true that Lebanon has survived many wars and crises, but this is a
different moment, both internationally and regionally. There are no signs that
this will imminently change. How, then, can Lebanon, with all its sects, be
spared the risks of this moment in which states are assessed by their ability to
control their territory, in a world that Trump is reshaping through negotiations
driven by power and influence? The lesson for Lebanese, officials and citizens
alike (especially Shiites) is to abandon illusions and to give up “living with a
lie.” They must acknowledge the truth about Hezbollah’s “capabilities.” In this
context, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney words in Davos come to mind: “The
system's power comes not from its truth, but from everyone's willingness to
perform as if it were true, and its fragility comes from the same source.”
The choice between restoring the state and following foreign dictates can no
longer be postponed or circumvented.
When leaving becomes a duty
Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor/Arab News/February 02, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/02/151742/
I never imagined that I would write this article.
Nor did I expect to reach the moment when I would say: a final farewell,
Lebanon. Not because I no longer love this country, but because I loved it more
than it could withstand failure, more than denial would allow, and more than a
state that refuses to confront the causes of its own collapse can accept.
Lebanon was never, to me, a conventional investment. It was a relationship, a
commitment and a moral choice before it was ever an economic venture. I stayed
when many others left. I opened my hotels and launched my investments during
times of war and I kept them operating through the harshest conditions — not
because the numbers made sense but because I believed that people must not be
abandoned, that employees should not be sacrificed and that dignity does not
shut its doors at the first sign of crisis. My investments in Lebanon were not
limited to the hospitality sector, although it was the largest; they extended to
other sectors and activities, driven by my belief in integrated investment as a
means of supporting both the economy and society. Over many years, I invested
more than $1.7 billion of my own capital in Lebanon. I did not take a single
loan from any Lebanese bank. I never relied on the banking system, never
burdened the state with debt and never participated in financial engineering
schemes. I chose to invest my own money because I wanted to build, not borrow,
and because I believed in Lebanon more than Lebanon believed in itself.
It is therefore both ironic and regrettable that claims are now being circulated
suggesting that I benefited from the financial collapse or the banking crisis,
or that I repaid loans at the old exchange rate of 1,500 Lebanese pounds to the
dollar. The truth is simple and unequivocal: I never took a single loan from any
Lebanese bank. I derived no benefit from the banking system. Everything I
invested was my own capital and every loss was borne by me alone.
What followed, however, was not merely a financial crisis. It was the collapse
of the state. The collapse of the rule of law. The collapse of institutions. The
collapse of the judiciary. And the collapse of the most basic sense of
responsibility. The country became an open arena: no protection for investors,
no dignity for individuals and no meaningful standards of accountability.
Slander replaced truth. Defamation became a tool. Official indifference and
silence became policy. We reached a point where anyone attempting to persevere,
to help or even to defend themselves became the target of organized campaigns of
abuse and distortion; without evidence, without deterrence and without any
intervention from the state. At that moment, the question was no longer: Are we
losing money? It became: Are we willing to become accomplices in this collapse?
The decision to suspend our operations, close our hotels and lay off employees
was not a cold administrative move or a hasty reaction. It was the most painful
decision of my professional life. Yet keeping institutions open in a state that
neither protects nor holds offenders accountable and does not enforce the law
ceased to be an act of resilience. It became a gamble with people’s dignity and
their future. In this context, turning to local and international courts was not
an act of escalation or a desire for confrontation. It was the last remaining
refuge in a country where the judiciary is meant to be the final arbiter. After
years of patience, attempts at resolution and amicable settlement,
correspondence and both public and discreet appeals, it became unacceptable for
rights to remain unprotected, for abuse to be met with silence and for
falsehoods to be normalized.
A final farewell, Lebanon, is not an emotional impulse. It is the conclusion of
a long and painful experience.
Legal action was the result of a long accumulation of violations, defamation,
abuse and attacks on reputation and institutions, amid the absence of any
official response capable of stopping this unchecked deterioration. When the
state withdraws, the courts become the only remaining path to defend rights and
dignity. Resorting to international legal proceedings is not an escape from
Lebanon; it is a final attempt to hold on to what remains of the idea of a state
and a clear message that those who seek justice should never be condemned for
doing so.Against this backdrop, today’s official rhetoric about “the return of
investors,” “investment conferences” and “promising opportunities” is entirely
detached from reality and is fundamentally misleading. No investor returns to a
country that cannot protect itself. No capital enters a state that does not
apply or respect the law. No economy is built on illusion and disorder.
The problem is not the Lebanese people, whom I respect and hold in deep regard.
The problem lies with successive political systems that have exhausted the
country, then turned against those who remained, questioned their intentions and
incited against them, rather than asking the only question that matters: Why did
they leave? I say this fully aware that I have many friends in Lebanon whom I
consider family and loved ones, bound to me by deep human relationships that
cannot be measured by investment and cannot be erased by decisions. I did not
leave Lebanon with satisfaction or because I could not endure loss. I left
because I could no longer accept being a silent witness to the collapse of a
state or an indirect partner in a system that rejects reform and punishes those
who speak the truth. Yet even this painful decision was never a withdrawal from
the Lebanese people. I stood by Lebanon in its darkest moments, offered support
and assistance, and chose to remain when leaving would have been easier, because
standing with people is a moral obligation that transcends circumstances and
calculations.This article is not a declaration of hostility toward Lebanon. It
is a final testimony of love and loyalty. A testimony that says: I tried. I
endured. I stayed. But the state did not hold on to that loyalty.
A final farewell, Lebanon, is not an emotional impulse. It is the conclusion of
a long and painful experience. And the truth that must be stated clearly is
this: Lebanon is not failing because it lacks money. It is failing because it
lacks a state, because it lacks accountability and because it lacks the genuine
will to reverse this decline. I say this today as someone who loved this country
deeply: nations do not rise through speeches or slogans. Investments do not
return through empty declarations. They return through trust and trust is built
on the rule of law, or it is not built at all.
• Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor is a prominent UAE businessman and chairman of the Al-Habtoor
Group and Dubai National Insurance and Reinsurance Company. X: @KhalafAlHabtoor
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on February
02-03/2026
Report:
Iran Fears US Strike May Reignite Protests, Imperil Rule
Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
Iran’s leadership is increasingly worried a US strike could break its grip on
power by driving an already enraged public back onto the streets, following a
bloody crackdown on anti-government protests, according to six current and
former officials. In high-level meetings, officials told Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei that public anger over last month's crackdown -- the bloodiest since
the 1979 revolution-- has reached a point where fear is no longer a deterrent,
four current officials briefed on the discussions said. The officials said
Khamenei was told that many Iranians were prepared to confront security forces
again and that external pressure such as a limited US strike could embolden them
and inflict irreparable damage to the political establishment. One of the
officials told Reuters that Iran's enemies were seeking more protests so as to
bring the republic to an end, and "unfortunately" there would be more violence
if an uprising took place.
"An attack combined with demonstrations by angry people could lead to a collapse
(of the ruling system). That is the main concern among the top officials and
that is what our enemies want," said the official, who like the other officials
contacted for this story declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the
matter. The reported remarks are significant because they suggest private
misgivings inside the leadership at odds with Tehran’s defiant public stance
towards the protesters and the US.The sources declined to say how Khamenei
responded. Iran's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters
request for comment on this account of the meetings. Multiple sources told
Reuters last week that US President Donald Trump is weighing options against
Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces and leaders to inspire
protesters, even as Israeli and Arab officials said air power alone would not
topple the clerical rulers.
PEOPLE ARE EXTREMELY ANGRY, SAYS FORMER OFFICIAL
Any such uprising in the wake of a US strike would stand in contrast to
Iranians' response to Israeli and US bombing attacks on Iran's nuclear program
back in June, which was not followed by anti-government demonstrations. But a
former senior moderate official said the situation had changed since the
crackdown in early January. "People are extremely angry," he said, adding a US
attack could lead Iranians to rise up again. "The wall of fear has collapsed.
There is no fear left." Tensions between Tehran and Washington are running
high. The arrival of a US aircraft carrier and supporting warships in the Middle
East has expanded Trump's ability to take military action if he so wishes,
after repeatedly threatening intervention over Iran's bloody crackdown.
'THE GAME IS OVER,' SAYS FORMER PRIME MINISTER
Several opposition figures, who were part of the establishment before falling
out with it, have warned the leadership that "boiling public anger" could result
in a collapse of the ruling system. "The river of warm blood that was spilled on
the cold month of January will not stop boiling until it changes the course of
history," former prime minister Mirhossein Mousavi, who has been under house
arrest without trial since 2011, said in a statement published by the pro-reform
Kalameh website. "In what language should people say they do not want this
system and do not believe your lies? Enough is enough. The game is over,"
Mousavi added in the statement. During the early January protests, witnesses and
rights groups said, security forces crushed demonstrations with lethal force,
leaving thousands killed and many wounded. Tehran blamed the violence on "armed
terrorists" linked to Israel and the US. Trump stopped short of carrying out
threats to intervene, but he has since demanded Iran make nuclear concessions.
Both Tehran and Washington have signaled readiness to revive diplomacy over a
long-running nuclear dispute.
SIMMERING ANGER, 'DANGER OF BLOODSHED'
Analysts and insiders say that while the streets are quiet for now, deep-seated
grievances have not gone away. Public frustration has been simmering over
economic decline, political repression, a widening gulf between rich and poor,
and entrenched corruption that leaves many Iranians feeling trapped in a system
offering neither relief nor a path forward. "This may not be the end, but it is
no longer just the beginning," said Hossein Rassam, a London-based analyst. If
protests resume during mounting foreign pressure and security forces respond
with force, the six current and former officials said they fear demonstrators
would be bolder than in previous unrest, emboldened by experience and driven by
a sense that they have little left to lose. One of the officials told Reuters
that while people were angrier than before, the establishment would use harsher
methods against protesters if it was under US attack. He said the result would
be a bloodbath. Ordinary Iranians contacted by Reuters said they expected Iran's
rulers to crack down hard on any further protests. A Tehran resident whose
15-year-old son was killed in the protests on January 9 said the demonstrators
had merely sought a normal life and had been answered "with bullets.”"If America
attacks, I will go back to the streets to take revenge for my son and the
children this regime killed."
Witkoff, Araghchi to meet on Friday to discuss possible nuclear deal, US
official says
Al Arabiya English/02 February/2026
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign
Minister Abbas Araghchi plan to meet on Friday in Istanbul to discuss a possible
nuclear deal and other issues, a US official said on Monday. “The president’s
been calling for them to make a deal. The meeting is to hear what they have to
say,” the official said. A senior Iranian official also told Reuters that
Araghchi and Witkoff would meet in Istanbul on Friday. Several regional
countries are expected to attend the US-Iran meeting on Friday, Reuters
reported, citing a senior regional diplomat. Friday’s planned meeting was first
reported by Axios. Tensions are running high amid a military buildup by the US
Navy near Iran, following a violent crackdown against anti-government
demonstrations last month, the deadliest domestic unrest in Iran since its 1979
revolution.Trump, who stopped short of carrying out threats to intervene during
the crackdown, has since demanded Tehran make nuclear concessions and sent a
flotilla to its coast. He said last week Iran was “seriously talking,” while
Tehran’s top security official Ali Larijani said arrangements for negotiations
were under way. Iranian sources told Reuters last week that Trump had demanded
three preconditions for resumption of talks: Zero enrichment of uranium in Iran,
limits on Tehran’s ballistic missile program and ending its support for regional
proxies. Iran has long rejected all three demands as unacceptable infringements
of its sovereignty, but two Iranian officials told Reuters its clerical rulers
see the ballistic missile program, rather than uranium enrichment, as the bigger
obstacle. Witkoff is expected to visit Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and Israel’s military chief, two senior Israeli officials said
separately on Monday.With Reuters
US Envoy Witkoff to Visit Israel, Meet Netanyahu, Israeli Officials Say
Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
US President Donald Trump's senior envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit
Israel for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's military
chief, two senior Israeli officials said on Monday. The officials said Witkoff's
visit to the country was expected to begin on Tuesday. It comes amid
heightened regional tensions with Iran, and as the Trump administration presses
ahead with its plan to end the Gaza war. Iran is weighing terms for resuming
talks with the United States soon after both sides signaled readiness to
revive diplomacy over a long-running nuclear dispute and dispel fears of a new
regional war. A third Israeli official said Witkoff's meetings will be
preparatory ahead of the talks possibly resuming and would follow up on a
weekend meeting by Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir with his US counterpart
General Dan Caine in Washington. Tensions are running high amid a military
buildup by the US near Iran, following a violent crackdown against
anti-government demonstrations last month, the deadliest domestic unrest in
Iran since its 1979 revolution
US defense firms boost spending
after Trump calls for expedited arms deliveries
Reuters/02 February /2026
Major US defense contractors are significantly ramping up capital expenditure
this year in response to President Donald Trump’s threat to limit dividends and
share buybacks in his push to speed up weapons deliveries. Despite ballooning
demand for arms due to rising geopolitical conflicts, capital expenditure growth
at large defense firms has stayed sluggish since 2022. However, companies have
reversed course and now expect capital reinvestments to increase by more than a
third this year. On an aggregate basis, five major US defense companies are
projected to spend $10.08 billion in capex in 2026, up nearly 38 percent from
$7.31 billion in 2025, according to Melius Research. The Trump administration’s
carrot-and-stick approach seems to be working, said Scott Mikus, analyst at
Melius Research. Multi-year missile production deals provide the carrot, while
Trump’s order linking executive pay and shareholder returns serves as the stick,
pushing defense contractors to invest in capacity, he said. “Payout restrictions
can be a forcing function for reinvestment, supply-chain financing and execution
discipline,” said Meghan Welch, managing director at BGL Aerospace and Defense
Advisory. While nearly all major contractors are standing by quarterly
dividends, some appear to be wavering on share buybacks.
Northrop Grumman said it would pause buybacks beyond January, while L3Harris
said it expects its share count in 2026 to remain broadly in line with 2025,
signaling limited scope for repurchases. L3Harris also said it would step up
capital expenditure by more than 40 percent in 2026. Capital once allocated to
buybacks is likely to be redirected toward supply-chain resilience, workforce
expansion, domestic manufacturing and internal investment, Welch said. Lockheed
Martin, meanwhile, said it was still evaluating its strategy and declined to
comment. “While LMT did not make any direct comments on shareholder returns, we
believe there is a clear lean towards capex and research and development,” said
Ken Herbert, analyst at RBC Capital Markets. “Our model now assumes no buybacks
through 2028, but continued dividend payments,” he said.
Iran state-linked agency removes
report saying president ordered talks with US
Al Arabiya English/02 February /2026
Iran’s state-linked Fars news agency on Monday removed a report claiming that
President Masoud Pezeshkian had ordered the start of nuclear talks with the
United States.The report had come after US President Donald Trump said he was
hopeful of a deal to avert military action against the Islamic Republic.
Following the Iranian authorities’ deadly response to anti-government protests
that peaked last month, Trump has threatened military action and ordered the
dispatch of an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East. While piling pressure
on Iran, Trump has maintained he is hopeful of making a deal and Tehran has also
insisted it wants diplomacy while vowing an unbridled response to any
aggression. “President Pezeshkian has ordered the opening of talks with the
United States,” Fars reported on Monday, citing an unnamed government source.
“Iran and the United States will hold talks on the nuclear file,” Fars said,
without specifying a date. Later the same day, Fars removed the report without
explanation. Iran said earlier Monday it was working on a method and framework
for negotiations that would be ready in the coming days, with messages between
the two sides relayed through regional players.
“Several points have been addressed and we are examining and finalizing the
details of each stage in the diplomatic process, which we hope to conclude in
the coming days,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said, without
giving details on the content of any negotiations. Trump had warned “time is
running out” for Iran to reach a deal on its nuclear program, which the West
believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb. But Baghaei said Tehran “never
accepts ultimatums” and that he could not confirm any such message was received.
Regional players have pushed for diplomacy to defuse tensions. Iranian Foreign
Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Turkey last week and held further calls with his
Egyptian, Saudi and Turkish counterparts, he said on Telegram. “President Trump
said no nuclear weapons, and we fully agree. We fully agree with that. That
could be a very good deal,” Araghchi told CNN on Sunday. “Of course, in return,
we expect sanctions lifting. So, that deal is possible. Let’s do not talk about
impossible things.” Baghaei said the rallying of neighboring states around a
diplomatic solution demonstrated a fear any US attack would drag the region into
conflict, echoing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who warned on Sunday a US
attack would trigger a “regional war.”
Ambassadors summoned
The supreme leader also likened the recent protests to a “coup” attempt.
Thousands of Iranians are believed to have been killed in a crackdown on the
protests, which were sparked by economic strain and quickly evolved into calls
for regime change. Iran’s authorities blame foreign countries for fomenting the
violence, the worst domestic unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Tehran
has acknowledged thousands of deaths during the protests, and on Sunday the
presidency published the names of 2,986 people out of the 3,117 whom authorities
said were killed in the unrest. US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said
it has confirmed 6,842 deaths, mostly protesters killed by security forces, with
rights groups warning the figure is likely far higher. The crackdown prompted
the European Union to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a
terrorist organization, with Iranian lawmakers retaliating on Sunday by slapping
the same designation on European armies.Baghaei said Monday the foreign ministry
had summoned all the EU member state ambassadors in Tehran over the designation,
and that other responses were to come. Iranian state television also announced
four foreigners had been arrested in Tehran for “participation in riots,”
without specifying their nationalities. Authorities have continued to announce
arrests, with rights groups estimating at least 40,000 people have been detained
over the protests. With AFP
Iran President Orders Talks with US as Trump Hopeful of Deal
Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks
with the United States, local media said Monday, after US leader Donald Trump
said he was hopeful of a deal to avert military action against the country.
Following the Iranian authorities' deadly response to anti-government protests
that peaked last month, Trump has threatened military action and ordered the
dispatch of an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East. Trump has maintained
he is hopeful of making a deal and Tehran has also insisted it wants diplomacy,
while vowing an unbridled response to any aggression. "President Pezeshkian has
ordered the opening of talks with the United States" on Iran's nuclear program,
the Fars news agency reported on Monday, citing an unnamed government source.
The report was also carried by the government newspaper Iran and the reformist
daily Shargh. US news site Axios cited two unnamed sources saying Iranian
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was expected to meet with US envoy Steve Witkoff
on Friday in Istanbul to discuss a possible deal on the nuclear file. Trump had
warned "time is running out" for Iran to reach a deal on its nuclear program,
which the West believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb, a claim Tehran has
repeatedly denied. In an interview Sunday with CNN, Araghchi said, "President
Trump said no nuclear weapons, and we fully agree. We fully agree with that.
That could be a very good deal," adding that, "in return, we expect sanctions
lifting". Iran foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said earlier Monday
Tehran was working on a method and framework for negotiations that would be
ready in the coming days, with messages between the two sides relayed through
regional players.
'Police the world' -
Türkiye has led a diplomatic push to defuse tensions, with Araghchi visiting
Istanbul last week and speaking with other regional counterparts, including in
Egypt and Jordan. Jordan's top diplomat, Ayman Safadi, on Monday assured
Araghchi the kingdom would "not be a battleground in any regional conflict or a
launching pad for any military action against Iran". Iranian authorities,
including supreme leader Ali Khamenei, have warned any US attack would trigger a
"regional war". In Tehran, pensioner Ali Hamidi told AFP he was a veteran and
"not afraid of war", but that "America should mind its own business, why does it
want to police the world?" But, the 68-year-old added, "Iranian officials are
also at fault for not providing for the people. The economic troubles are
back-breaking... The officials should do something tangible, not just talk." The
protests were sparked in late December by economic strain and exploded in size
and intensity over several days in early January. Authorities have said the
protests were "riots" inflamed by its arch foes the United States and Israel,
with Khamenei likening them to a "coup" attempt.
- Ambassadors summoned -
Tehran has acknowledged thousands of deaths during the protests, and on Sunday
the presidency published the names of 2,986 people out of the 3,117 whom
authorities said were killed in the unrest. Authorities insist most were members
of the security forces and innocent bystanders, attributing the violence to
"terrorist acts". US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it has
confirmed 6,842 deaths, mostly protesters killed by security forces, with rights
groups warning the figure is likely far higher. Young Iranian Selina, who would
not give her full name, travelled to Iraqi Kurdistan seeking some relief from
"living in fear". "It's not safe for us" in Iran, the 25-year-old told AFP. "We
don't even dare to go out after 6:00 pm because soldiers are everywhere." The
crackdown prompted the European Union to list the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, with Iranian lawmakers retaliating on
Sunday by slapping the same designation on European armies. The EU also issued
fresh sanctions on Iranian officials, including the interior minister, a move
echoed on Monday by Britain, which announced sanctions on 10 individuals over
the "brutality against protesters". Baqaei said Monday the foreign ministry had
summoned all the EU member state ambassadors in Tehran over the designation, and
that other responses were to come. Iranian state television also announced four
foreigners had been arrested in Tehran for "participation in riots", without
specifying their nationalities. Authorities have continued to announce arrests,
with rights groups estimating at least 40,000 people have been detained over the
protests.
UK Sanctions Iran Interior
Minister Over Protester Crackdown
Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
The UK on Monday sanctioned 10 individuals, including Iran's interior minister
and police chiefs, for their roles in "recent brutality against protesters", the
British foreign ministry said. Those sanctioned include the Law Enforcement
Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FARAJA), interior minister Eskandar
Momeni, two Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) officers, an Iranian businessman
linked to the IRGC and two judges. "The Iranian people have shown extreme
courage in the face of brutality and repression over recent weeks simply for
exercising their right to peaceful protest," said UK foreign minister Yvette
Cooper."The reports and shocking scenes of violence that have been seen around
the world are horrific," Cooper said, adding that this package of sanctions
seeks to hold Iran's authorities "to account" for the crackdown. The measures
involve asset freezes and travel bans, the government said. Iran's authorities
have said the protests, which were sparked by economic strain and exploded in
size and intensity over several days in early January, were "riots" inflamed by
its arch foes the United States and Israel. Tehran has acknowledged thousands of
deaths during the protests, and on Sunday the presidency published the names of
2,986 people out of the 3,117 whom authorities said were killed in the unrest.
Authorities insist most were members of the security forces and innocent
bystanders, attributing the violence to "terrorist acts". The US-based Human
Rights Activists News Agency said it has confirmed 6,842 deaths, mostly
protesters killed by security forces, though rights groups warn that the figure
is likely far higher.
Iran Summons EU Ambassadors to Protest Revolutionary Guard
Being Listed as Terror Group
Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
Iran said Monday it had summoned all of the European Union ambassadors in the
country to protest the bloc’s listing of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as
a terror group. The EU listed the Guard as a terror group last week over its
part in the bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in January.
Other countries, including the US and Canada, have previously designated the
Guard as a terrorist organization. While the move is largely symbolic, it does
add to the economic pressure squeezing Iran, particularly has the Guard has a
major influence on the country's economy. Iran also faces the threat of US
military action in response to the killing of peaceful demonstrators and over
possible mass executions. The American military has moved the USS Abraham
Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers into the Mideast. It remains
unclear whether President Donald Trump will decide to use force. Iranian Foreign
Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told journalists that the ambassadors had been
summoned on Sunday. The Guard emerged from Iran’s 1979 Iranian Revolution as a
force meant to protect the Shiite cleric-overseen government and was later
enshrined in its constitution. Operating in parallel with the country’s regular
armed forces, it grew in prominence and power during a long and ruinous war with
Iraq in the 1980s. Though it faced possible disbandment after the war, Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei granted it powers to expand into private enterprise,
allowing it to thrive.The Guard’s Basij force likely was key in putting down the
demonstrations, starting in earnest from Jan. 8, when authorities cut off the
internet and international telephone calls for the nation of 85 million people.
Videos that have come out of Iran via Starlink satellite dishes and other means
show men likely belonging to its forces shooting and beating protesters.
Iran Arrests Four Foreigners for 'Participation in Riots'
Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
Iranian authorities have arrested four foreigners of undisclosed nationalities
for "participation in riots", state television said Monday. "These individuals
were apprehended during a raid on their hideout" in Tehran province, national
television said, without specifying the date of the arrests. "During a search of
one suspect's bag, four homemade stun grenades, used during the riots and unrest
in the area, were discovered," it added. Iranian authorities accuse Israel and
the United States of having had a hand in "riots". NGOs based abroad have
accused the security forces of intentionally targeting protesters in a movement
that rocked Iran in January. On January 24, the official IRNA news agency
reported that two foreigners had been arrested in western Iran.
Slow Movement at Gaza
Border After Israel Reopens Rafah Crossing
Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
Dozens of Palestinians were expected to leave or return to Gaza on Monday after
Israel reopened the sole pedestrian crossing to Egypt, a major step in the
ceasefire intended to end the war, though with strict limitations on access. The
Rafah crossing, in what was once a city of a quarter of a million people that
Israel has since completely demolished and depopulated, is the sole route in or
out for nearly all of Gaza's more than 2 million residents. It was largely shut
for most of the war, and reopening it to allow access to the outside world is
one of the last significant steps required under the initial phase of a
US-brokered ceasefire reached in October. An Israeli security official said
Rafah had opened around 9 a.m. "for both entry and exit". A Palestinian source
said that on the first day 50 Palestinians were expected to reenter the coastal
Gaza Strip. Egyptian and Palestinian sources said the 50 Palestinians returning
to Gaza were being processed at the Palestinian Israeli-controlled side of the
border, but it was unclear when they would enter the enclave, pending Israeli
security checks. Five patients seeking to leave Gaza for medical treatment, each
escorted by two relatives, were driven to the crossing compound from the Gaza
side in a vehicle escorted by World Health Organization personnel, health
officials said. Later on Monday, Palestinian and Egyptian sources said Gaza
patients had crossed into the Egyptian side of the passage and would be directed
towards Egyptian hospitals. Palestinian officials blamed delays on Israeli
security checks. Israel's military had no immediate comment. "The crossing is a
lifeline for Gaza, it is the lifeline for us, the patients," said Moustafa Abdel
Hadi, 32, who receives kidney dialysis at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central
Gaza and is one of 20,000 Gazans hoping to leave for treatment abroad. "We want
to be treated in order to return to live our normal life." Israel seized the
border crossing in May 2024, about seven months into the Gaza war. Since then,
it has largely been closed apart from a brief period during an earlier truce in
early 2025. Reopening the crossing was one of the requirements under the October
ceasefire that outlined the first phase of US President Donald Trump's plan to
stop fighting between Israel and Hamas. In January, Trump declared the start of
the second phase, meant to see the sides negotiate the shattered enclave's
future governance and reconstruction. Even as the crossing reopened, Israeli
strikes killed at least four Palestinians on Monday, including a three-year-old
boy, in separate incidents in the north and south of the Strip. The Israeli
military had no immediate comment on the incidents.
ISRAELI INSPECTION
In the war's early months before Israel shut the crossing, some 100,000
Palestinians exited to Egypt through Rafah. Though Egypt has repeatedly made
clear it will not allow a large-scale exodus, the route is seen as vital for
wounded and sick Palestinians to seek medical care. While it was closed, only a
few thousand were allowed out for medical treatment in third countries through
Israel. Palestinians seeking to cross at Rafah will require Israeli
security approval, three Egyptian sources said. Reinforced concrete walls,
topped with barbed wire, have been installed along the crossing area, the
sources said.
At the crossing they will have to pass through three separate gates including
one administered by the Palestinian Authority under supervision of a European
Union task force but controlled remotely by Israel.
FOREIGN JOURNALISTS BARRED FROM GAZA
Despite the reopening of Rafah, Israel is still refusing to allow the entry of
foreign journalists, banned from Gaza since the start of the war. Reporting from
inside Gaza for international media including Reuters is carried out solely by
journalists who live there, hundreds of whom have been killed.
Israel's Supreme Court is considering a petition by the Foreign Press
Association that demands foreign journalists be allowed to enter Gaza.
Government lawyers argue this could pose risks to Israeli soldiers. The FPA says
the public is being deprived of a vital source of independent information.
Under the first phase of the ceasefire, major combat was halted, hostages held
in Gaza were released in return for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by
Israel, and a surge in humanitarian aid was promised. Israeli forces hold more
than 53% of Gaza's territory, where they have ordered residents out and razed
many remaining buildings. Residents are now confined to a strip along the coast,
most living either in makeshift tents or damaged buildings. The next phase
of Trump's plan foresees Hamas giving up its weapons and relinquishing control
to an internationally backed administration that would oversee reconstruction,
including luxury residential buildings along the Mediterranean coast. Many
Israelis and Palestinians see this as unrealistic. Hamas has yet to agree to
give up its weapons and Israel says it is prepared to restart the war to disarm
the group by force.
Palestinian President Abbas
calls first-ever PLO parliament elections
AFP/03 February/2026
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said elections will be held on November 1
for the Palestinian National Council, the parliament of the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO), the official news agency Wafa reported Monday. This is the
first time members of the council will be elected by direct popular vote, while
in the past they were appointed or co-opted from within the movement. Abbas, who
is president both of the Palestinian Authority and of the PLO, issued a decree
saying that: “Elections will be held wherever possible, both inside and outside
Palestine, to ensure the broadest possible participation of the Palestinian
people wherever they reside.”The PNC has long served as the PLO’s parliament in
exile. It is dominated by Fatah, Abbas’ political movement, which was co-founded
by Yasser Arafat, the Palestinians’ historic leader who died in 2004.Hamas and
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which are not members of the PLO, are not represented
in the council. Read more: Abbas issues declaration for vice president to assume
leadership in case of vacancy
Halt to MSF Work Will Be ‘Catastrophic’ for People of Gaza,
Warns MSF Chief
Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
Israel's ban on Doctors Without Borders' humanitarian operation in Gaza
spells deeper catastrophe for the Palestinian territory's people, the head of
the medical charity told AFP on Monday. Israel announced on Sunday that it was
terminating all the activities in Gaza and the West Bank by the organization,
known by its French acronym MSF, after it failed to provide a list of its
Palestinian staff. MSF slammed the move, which takes effect on March 1, as a
"pretext" to obstruct aid. "This is a decision that was made by the Israeli
government to restrict humanitarian assistance into Gaza and the West Bank at
the most critical time for Palestinians," MSF secretary-general Christopher
Lockyear warned in an interview with AFP at the charity's Geneva
headquarters."We are at a moment where Palestinian people need more humanitarian
assistance, not less," he said. "Ceasing MSF activities is going to be
catastrophic for the people of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank".MSF has been a
key provider of medical and humanitarian aid in Gaza, particularly since war
broke out after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The charity says it
currently provides at least 20 percent of hospital beds in the territory and
operates around 20 health centers. In 2025 alone, it carried out more than
800,000 medical consultations, treated more than 100,000 trauma cases and
assisted more than 10,000 infant deliveries. It also provided more than 700
million liters of water, Lockyear pointed out.
'Impossible choice' -
Israel announced in December that it planned to prevent 37 aid organizations,
including MSF, from working in Gaza for failing to submit detailed information
about their Palestinian employees. The move drew widespread condemnation from
NGOs and the United Nations. It had alleged that two MSF employees had links
with Palestinian armed groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which the medical charity
vehemently denies. "If Israel has any evidence of such things, then they should
share that evidence," Lockyear said, insisting that "there's been no proof given
to us". He decried "an orchestrated campaign to delegitimize us", calling on
other countries to defend efforts to bring desperately-needed humanitarian aid
into Gaza. "They should be speaking to Israel, pressuring Israel to ensure that
there is a reverse of any banning of humanitarian organizations."Lockyear said
MSF, which counts around 1,100 staff inside Gaza, had been trying to engage with
Israeli authorities for nearly a year over the requested lists. But it had been
left with "an impossible choice", he said. "We've been forced to choose between
the safety and security of our staff and being able to reach patients."
'Can only get worse' -
The organization said it decided not to hand over staff names "because Israeli
authorities failed to provide the concrete assurances required to guarantee our
staff's safety, protect their personal data, and uphold the independence of our
medical operation". Lockyear insisted that was a "very rational" decision,
pointing out that 15 MSF staff had been killed in Gaza during the war, out of
more than 500 humanitarian workers and more than 1,700 medical workers killed in
the Strip. Lockyear highlighted that without independent humanitarian
organizations in Gaza, an already "catastrophic" situation "can only get worse".
"We need to increase massively the humanitarian assistance that's going into
Gaza," he said, "not restrict it, not block it."
WHO Chief Says Turmoil
Creates Chance for Reset
Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
The head of the World Health Organization said Monday that the dramatic cuts
of 2025 as the United States headed for the exit created the chance to build a
leaner, re-focused WHO.Washington, traditionally the UN health agency's biggest
donor, has slashed foreign aid spending under President Donald Trump, who on his
first day back in office in January 2025 handed the WHO his country's one-year
notice of withdrawal. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the agency's
annual executive board meeting that 2025 was "undeniably one of the most
difficult years in our organization's history", with many donors tightening
their belts. "Significant cuts to our funding left us with no choice but to
reduce the size of our workforce," he said.More than a thousand staff have
departed but Tedros said such a shock was something the WHO had seen coming,
having tried to pivot away from over-reliance on major donors. And its
reorientation was all but finalized, he said. "We have now largely completed the
prioritization and realignment. We have reached a position of stability and we
are moving forward," Tedros insisted. "Although we have faced a significant
crisis in the past year, we have also viewed it as an opportunity. It's an
opportunity for a leaner WHO to become more focused on its core mission." He
urged member states to keep gradually increasing their membership fees, to
reduce the WHO's reliance on voluntary contributions. The aim is for membership
fees to eventually cover 50 percent of the agency's budget, to secure its
"long-term stability, sustainability and independence". "I don't mean
independence from member states. Of course, WHO belongs to you and always will,"
he stressed. "I mean non-dependence on a handful of donors; I mean
non-dependence on inflexible, unpredictable funding; I mean a WHO that's no
longer a contractor to the biggest donors. "I mean an impartial, science-based
organization that's free to say what the evidence says, without fear or
favor."The executive board meeting, which opened Monday and runs until Saturday,
will discuss the withdrawal notifications of the United States and Argentina.
Unlike any other member state, the United States reserved the right to withdraw
when it joined the organization in 1948 -- on condition of one year's notice,
and meeting its financial obligations in full for that fiscal year. While the
notice is now up, Washington has not paid its 2024 or 2025 dues, owing around
$260 million.
Syrian Security Forces Enter Hasakeh City under Deal with Kurds
Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
Syrian government security personnel on Monday entered Hasakeh city, a
stronghold of Kurdish forces, under an integration deal agreed with the Kurds
last week, an AFP team reported. The two sides reached a comprehensive agreement
on Friday to gradually integrate the Kurds' military and civilian institutions
into the state, after Kurdish forces ceded territory to advancing government
troops in recent weeks following months of tensions and sporadic clashes. The
government's push to extend its authority across the entire country comes as a
blow to the Kurds, who had sought to preserve their de facto autonomy in parts
of the north and northeast that they seized while battling the ISIS group during
Syria's civil war. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is a
key backer of the Syrian government and has long been hostile to Kurdish forces
in Syria, warned on Monday that anyone who attempted to "sabotage" the deal
between Damascus and the Kurds would be "crushed". AFP correspondents saw
a convoy of government vehicles cross a Kurdish forces checkpoint on its way
into Hakaseh in the northeast, as armed Kurdish personnel stood at the roadside.
Some residents gathered along the road to welcome the government forces, waving
Syrian flags as women ululated. Marwan al-Ali, the government's recently
appointed head of internal security in Hasakeh province, urged the state forces
to carry out their tasks "according to the established plans and fully comply
with laws and regulations".
AFP correspondents saw Kurdish security forces deployed inside Hasakeh as
government forces entered the mixed Kurdish-Arab city, which was under a curfew
until 6:00 pm (1500 GMT). Mazloum Abdi, head of the Kurdish-led Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF), had previously said the deal would be implemented on
the ground from Monday, with both sides to pull forces back from frontline
positions in parts of the northeast, and from the town of Kobane in the north.
Later on Monday, state media reported that government security personnel entered
the countryside around Kobane, more than 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Hasakeh.
Hemmed in by the Turkish border and Syrian government forces, the town has long
been seen as a symbol of Kurdish fighters' victory against ISIS extremists.
Syrian state television said a United Nations aid convoy of 20 trucks had
reached Kobane on Monday.
Airport, oil fields -
Abdi also said a "limited internal security force" would enter parts of Hasakeh
and Qamishli, but that "no military forces will enter any Kurdish city or town".
A curfew is set to be put in place for the city of Qamishli on Tuesday. Friday's
deal "seeks to unify Syrian territory", including Kurdish areas, while also
maintaining an ongoing ceasefire and introducing the "gradual integration" of
Kurdish forces and administrative institutions, according to the text of the
agreement. It also appeared to include some Kurdish demands, such as
establishing brigades of fighters from the SDF. Erdogan on Monday said the
agreement marked "a new chapter" for Syria, adding that he hoped it would be
"sustained through peace, stability, development, and prosperity". "We hope that
the agreement will be implemented in a manner consistent with its spirit,
without resorting to cheap calculations such as obstruction, stalling, or
foot-dragging," he said, adding that whoever attempted to "sabotage" the deal
would be "crushed". The United States, which led a military coalition that
backed the Kurds' campaign against ISIS, has drawn close to Syria's new
authorities, recently saying the purpose of its alliance with the Kurdish forces
was largely over. Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mustafa has said the
integration deal also includes the handover of oil fields, the Qamishli airport
and border crossings to the government within 10 days.
Iraq starts investigations
into ISIS detainees moved from Syria
Al Arabiya English/02 February/2026
Iraq’s judiciary announced on Monday it has begun its investigations into more
than 1,300 ISIS detainees who were transferred from Syria as part of a US
operation. “Investigation proceedings have started with 1,387 members of the
[ISIS] terrorist organization who were recently transferred from the Syrian
territory,” the judiciary’s media office said in a statement. “Under the
supervision of the head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, several judges
specializing in counterterrorism started the investigation.”Those detainees are
among 7,000 ISIS suspects, previously held by Syrian Kurdish fighters, whom the
US military said it would transfer to Iraq after Syrian government forces
recaptured Kurdish-held territory. They include Syrians, Iraqis and Europeans,
among other nationalities, according to several Iraqi security sources. In 2014,
ISIS swept across Syria and Iraq, committing massacres and forcing women and
girls into sexual slavery. Backed by US-led forces, Iraq proclaimed the defeat
of ISIS in the country in 2017, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
ultimately beat back the group in Syria two years later. The SDF went on to jail
thousands of suspected extremists and detain tens of thousands of their
relatives in camps. Last month, the United States said the purpose of its
alliance with Kurdish forces in Syria had largely expired, as Damascus pressed
an offensive to take back territory long held by the SDF.In Iraq, where many
prisons are packed with ISIS suspects, courts have handed down hundreds of death
sentences and life terms to people convicted of terrorism offenses, including
many foreign fighters. Iraq’s judiciary said its investigation procedures “will
comply with national laws and international standards.”With AFP
The Latest English LCCC
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on February
02-03/2026
From Endless War to Strategic Reinforcement: Why U.S.-UAE AI Cooperation Could
Open a Path to Peace in Ukraine
Robert William/Gatestone
Institute/February 2, 2026
Unlike alliances that fluctuate with electoral cycles, the U.S.-UAE partnership
has proven durable because it is grounded in shared strategic instincts:
opposition to political Islam, preference for state stability over chaos, and a
pragmatic understanding of power. From counterterrorism cooperation to energy
security and regional normalization, Abu Dhabi has repeatedly aligned with U.S.
objectives when it mattered.
Under U.S. President Donald Trump, the UAE played a central role in the Abraham
Accords — one of the most consequential diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle
East in generations. The Accords succeeded because they were deal-oriented,
interest-based, and insulated from ideological illusion.
In Ukraine, the Western toolkit has been largely binary: sanctions or weapons.
AI introduces a third vector — structured information dominance — enabling
better forecasting of economic stress, battlefield dynamics, energy flows, and
negotiation windows. Abu Dhabi offers what fragile states do not: political
stability, centralized decision-making, and the ability to translate technology
into governance outcomes. This is not outsourcing American power — it is
multiplying it through a reliable strategic node.
One of the most underappreciated assets in modern diplomacy is trustworthiness
across adversarial lines. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has valued precisely this
asset. During the Trump administration, this approach proved effective in the
Middle East, where MBZ acted as a stabilizing force capable of translating
American objectives into regional outcomes. In the Ukraine context, such a
figure matters. The United States cannot credibly mediate without appearing
partisan, and Europe lacks both cohesion and leverage. Russia and Ukraine,
meanwhile, require off-ramps that do not resemble capitulation. A trusted
intermediary with credibility in Washington — and channels to Moscow and Kyiv —
becomes indispensable.
The UAE fits this profile better than any European actor. Importantly, this role
does not replace U.S. leadership; it extends it by enabling outcomes Washington
cannot directly engineer.
A U.S.-UAE-enabled AI architecture could support a structured quadrilateral
framework involving the United States, the UAE, Russia, and Ukraine — not for
symbolic summits, but for continuous, data-driven de-escalation. AI systems can
model ceasefire stability, monitor compliance using satellite imagery and
open-source intelligence, forecast humanitarian and energy impacts, and identify
negotiation windows based on battlefield and economic indicators. These tools
already exist, but remain fragmented and politically underutilized. What is
missing is a solidly dependable architecture and convener. The UAE, with U.S.
backing, can provide both.
AI-backed governance — applied carefully and under U.S. strategic oversight —
could help stabilize a post-conflict Ukraine by strengthening verification
mechanisms, transparency, and reconstruction oversight. For Washington, this
aligns directly with a Trump-era doctrine: achieve peace through cooperation,
not endless war. It avoids U.S. troop involvement, limits financial drain, and
reasserts American leadership through outcomes rather than ideology.
The choice facing U.S. policymakers is not between victory and surrender, but
between strategic innovation and strategic exhaustion. The Ukraine war has
exposed the limits of escalation without resolution. Artificial intelligence,
when embedded in loyal, committed alliances, offers a new instrument of American
statecraft — one that favors precision over destruction and trustworthiness over
attrition. The U.S.-UAE partnership is uniquely positioned to pioneer this
model. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has demonstrated that credible intermediaries
can deliver where traditional diplomacy fails. Under a results-oriented American
leadership, this partnership could help transform AI from a battlefield
advantage into a peace-building architecture.
The lesson of the Abraham Accords still applies: real peace is made by those
willing to deal, not posture. In an age of endless war, peace through AI —
backed by power, reliability and strategy —could well be the most productive
solution of all.
Unlike alliances that fluctuate with electoral cycles, the U.S.-UAE partnership
has proven durable because it is grounded in shared strategic instincts:
opposition to political Islam, preference for state stability over chaos, and a
pragmatic understanding of power. From counterterrorism cooperation to energy
security and regional normalization, Abu Dhabi has repeatedly aligned with U.S.
objectives when it mattered. Pictured: The President of the United Arab
Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, hosts the US-Russia-Ukraine
trilateral talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Russian
Military Intelligence Director Igor Kostyukov, Kyrylo Budanov, chief of staff to
the Ukrainian president, and other senior officials from Russia and Ukraine, on
January 24, 2026 in Abu Dhabi. (Photo by Emirates News)
For decades, American foreign policy has struggled with a recurring failure:
winning wars tactically while losing peace strategically. Ukraine risks becoming
the latest case. As the conflict grinds on, costs rise for U.S. taxpayers,
European economies weaken, global energy markets destabilize, and Washington's
strategic focus drifts away from the primary long-term challenge — China.
Against this backdrop, the United States needs partners that deliver not
rhetoric but results.
The U.S.-UAE relationship stands out as one of the few alliances that has
consistently transcended administrations, ideologies, and regional crises.
Today, this relationship — particularly in artificial intelligence and advanced
technology — offers Washington something rare: strategic leverage.
Under the leadership of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the UAE has demonstrated an
ability to maintain working trust with competing powers while remaining firmly
aligned with core U.S. interests. In an era defined by data, algorithms, and
information dominance, AI-enabled diplomacy may offer a path where brute force
has stalled.
Why the U.S.-UAE Relationship Works — and Endures
Unlike alliances that fluctuate with electoral cycles, the U.S.-UAE partnership
has proven durable because it is grounded in shared strategic instincts:
opposition to political Islam, preference for state stability over chaos, and a
pragmatic understanding of power. From counterterrorism cooperation to energy
security and regional normalization, Abu Dhabi has repeatedly aligned with U.S.
objectives when it mattered. This alignment survived moments of tension and
persisted across administrations. Under U.S. President
Donald Trump, the UAE played a central role in the Abraham Accords — one of the
most consequential diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East in generations.
The Accords succeeded because they were deal-oriented, interest-based, and
insulated from ideological illusion. That same logic
now applies to artificial intelligence. The UAE recognized early that AI is not
merely an economic tool, but a strategic one — shaping intelligence analysis,
logistics, predictive modeling, cyber defense, and diplomatic decision-making.
Washington has increasingly acknowledged that time-tested, reliable partners
must be integrated into the AI ecosystem to maintain Western technological
superiority. The result is a rare convergence: American innovation leadership
combined with Emirati execution, capital, and geopolitical flexibility.
Why AI Cooperation with the UAE Is Strategic for the United States
AI cooperation with the UAE serves three concrete U.S. strategic purposes.
First, it extends American technological influence without direct state
expansion. By integrating reliable partners into AI development, standards, and
deployment, Washington avoids ceding ground to China's state-exported digital
authoritarianism. Second, cooperation with the UAE strengthens intelligence and
decision-support systems across allied networks. AI excels at pattern
recognition, predictive risk assessment, and scenario modeling — precisely the
tools required in complex conflicts where escalation control is critical. Third,
it creates a constructive, non-military avenue towards successful solutions.
In Ukraine, the Western toolkit has been largely binary: sanctions or weapons.
AI introduces a third vector — structured information dominance — enabling
better forecasting of economic stress, battlefield dynamics, energy flows, and
negotiation windows. This cooperation is not
theoretical. In 2025, Microsoft announced a $1.5 billion strategic investment in
G42, the UAE's flagship artificial intelligence and advanced technology group.
This was not a symbolic venture bet, but a high-confidence decision by one of
America's most security-sensitive technology firms. The partnership focused on
cloud infrastructure, AI deployment, and alignment with U.S. governance and
security standards. Microsoft's move sent a clear signal: the UAE is viewed not
as a risk, but as a proven, reliable platform for sovereign AI development
aligned with Western interests. More broadly, the UAE has committed tens of
billions of dollars to AI infrastructure, including high-performance computing,
next-generation data centers, and sovereign AI models. U.S. technology firms and
chip ecosystem partners are deeply embedded because Abu Dhabi offers what
fragile states do not: political stability, centralized decision-making, and the
ability to translate technology into governance outcomes. This is not
outsourcing American power — it is multiplying it through a reliable strategic
node.
Mohamed bin Zayed and the Value of Trusted Intermediaries
One of the most underappreciated assets in modern diplomacy is trustworthiness
across adversarial lines. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has valued precisely this
asset. The UAE maintains working relationships with Washington, Moscow, Kyiv,
Beijing, and key European capitals — not out of ambiguity, but out of strategic
irreplaceability. This is not neutrality; it is constructive engagement. During
the Trump administration, this approach proved effective in the Middle East,
where MBZ acted as a stabilizing force capable of translating American
objectives into regional outcomes. In the Ukraine context, such a figure
matters. The United States cannot credibly mediate without appearing partisan,
and Europe lacks both cohesion and leverage. Russia and Ukraine, meanwhile,
require off-ramps that do not resemble capitulation. A reliable intermediary
with credibility in Washington — and channels to Moscow and Kyiv — becomes
indispensable.The UAE fits this profile better than any European actor.
Importantly, this role does not replace U.S. leadership; it extends it by
enabling outcomes Washington cannot directly engineer.
From War Management to Peace Engineering: The Role of AI
Artificial intelligence offers a framework to move from reactive war management
to proactive peace engineering. A U.S.-UAE-enabled AI architecture could support
a structured quadrilateral framework involving the United States, the UAE,
Russia, and Ukraine — not for symbolic summits, but for continuous, data-driven
de-escalation. AI systems can model ceasefire stability, monitor compliance
using satellite imagery and open-source intelligence, forecast humanitarian and
energy impacts, and identify negotiation windows based on battlefield and
economic indicators. These tools already exist, but remain fragmented and
politically underutilized. What is missing is a solidly dependable architecture
and convener. The UAE, with U.S. backing, can provide both.
The relevance of the UAE's domestic experience is critical. In Abu Dhabi,
AI has already enhanced governance capacity by improving logistics coordination,
crisis response, security integration, and administrative efficiency. Ukraine,
exhausted by prolonged war, faces not only military attrition but governance
overload: fragmented data, delayed decisions, and constant escalation risk.
AI-backed governance — applied carefully and under U.S. strategic oversight —
could help stabilize a post-conflict Ukraine by strengthening verification
mechanisms, transparency, and reconstruction oversight. For Washington, this
aligns directly with a Trump-era doctrine: achieve peace calmly, without endless
war. It avoids U.S. troop involvement, limits financial drain, and reasserts
American leadership through outcomes rather than ideology.
Peace Through Power — and Precision
The choice facing U.S. policymakers is not between victory and surrender, but
between strategic innovation and strategic exhaustion. The Ukraine war has
exposed the limits of escalation without resolution. Artificial intelligence,
when embedded in loyal, committed alliances, offers a new instrument of American
statecraft — one that favors precision over destruction and trustworthiness over
attrition.The U.S.-UAE partnership is uniquely positioned to pioneer this model.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has demonstrated that credible intermediaries can
deliver where traditional diplomacy fails. Under a results-oriented American
leadership, this partnership could help transform AI from a battlefield
advantage into a peace-building architecture. The lesson of the Abraham Accords
still applies: real peace is made by those willing to deal, not posture. In an
age of endless war, peace through AI — backed by power, reliability and strategy
— could well be the most productive solution of all.
Robert Williams is based in the United States.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
An Assassination Completed Before It Occurred
Nadim Koteich/February 02/2026
Language often serves as a precursor to events in the world of politics. What
begins as a hushed taboo eventually transforms into a working hypothesis before
finally settling into an undeniable reality. This shift represents more than
just a change in terminology. Instead, it marks the silent crumbling of the
symbolic immunity that once shielded totalitarian regimes.Ever since public
discourse turned toward the possibility of targeting the Supreme Leader of the
Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei, he has drifted away from the realm of
the untouchable. He has moved from a position of sacred status into a landscape
of technical probabilities weighed by analysts and adversaries alike.
We are witnessing a fundamental transformation in how the world perceives
the core of Iranian political power. The normalization of discussions regarding
the end of the Supreme Leader has effectively stripped away the myth that
sustained the system for decades. His authority has collapsed mentally long
before any physical fall, leaving him exposed to a language that no longer fears
him. This political reality is beginning to take shape regardless of his actual
physical presence. A man who once held absolute sovereignty is now treated as a
technical problem to be solved or a hurdle to be cleared.
Major global powers are no longer the only ones drawing up scenarios for a
future without Khamenei. This shift has reached the political movements within
Iran itself. Both opposition groups and loyalists are now making strategic
choices based on the emerging reality of a post-leader era.
For many years, the immunity of the Supreme Leader rested on two pillars. The
first was practical deterrence, which was the belief that the cost of targeting
the head of a revolutionary regime would be catastrophic. The second was a form
of symbolic holiness where he was viewed as a deputy to the Hidden Imam.
However, this political theology faced a harsh awakening after the
assassinations of high profile figures like Qasem Soleimani and Hassan Nasrallah.
These events shattered the logic of mutual terror and proved that icons
previously thought to be invincible could indeed be targeted without triggering
the end of the world.Furthermore, these assassinations reinforced the idea that
hiding in bunkers is not a sign of strength but rather an admission of symbolic
defeat. As the leader retreats into deeper fortifications, the public image of a
victorious commander is replaced by that of a trapped person awaiting his fate.
This transition from the public stage to underground shelters signifies a move
from making history to simply managing geography. Preserving the leader’s
physical life has become an end in itself, often at the expense of his political
relevance. The inner circle of the establishment
appears to be engaging in what could be called preemptive succession. Loyalty to
the current leader is becoming a mere tool to secure future interests and
positions. Behind closed doors, it would not be surprising if officials have
stopped asking how to protect him and started asking how to protect their own
share of his legacy.
When the elimination of a leader becomes a subject of cold technical debate, the
system falls into a trap of structural stagnation. Institutions like the
Revolutionary Guard and the judiciary may still function with mechanical
efficiency, but they lack the driving spirit that a sacred leader once provided.
This disconnect turns the state into a massive machine spinning in a vacuum,
waiting for the moment it finally hits reality.
Ironically, the normalization of this talk might actually grant the leader a
longer life. Since everyone has already prepared themselves psychologically for
his departure, the sense of urgency to remove him has faded. This might even
open doors for political settlements while nature is left to take its course
with a leader who has already functionally ended in many eyes in his country.
The political cost of this waiting period is heavy. It turns the Islamic
Republic into a lame duck that has mentally moved past its leader but remains
physically tied to him. Officials in Tehran and rivals abroad now treat the
current government as a caretaker administration for an era that has effectively
closed. In this state of limbo, strategic initiatives are frozen and loyalties
within various factions begin to dissolve.
This Iranian period of waiting closely mirrors the late Stalinist era of the
Soviet Union. During that time, the state was governed by the lingering prestige
of a man whose actual participation in daily affairs had faded. In his place
stood a nervous bureaucracy, more concerned with preparing for the inevitable
aftermath than with the leader's current commands.In these historical moments,
political decisions shrink. They stop being about progress and start being about
delaying a total collapse. The state essentially becomes a political museum. It
is inhabited by a population looking toward the outside world for hope while an
elite class sits inside, simply watching the clock and waiting for "Hour Zero"
to strike. Ultimately, the most pressing question is
no longer about when the leader will pass away. The real concern is how Iran
will govern itself now that the very idea of the Supreme Leader has been
dismantled in the collective consciousness. He has transformed from an
inescapable destiny into a temporary obstacle. The moment his presence and
absence became equal in the scales of strategic planning, the final chapter of
the revolution began to draw its curtain.
Trump, The Supreme Leader,
and The Shrine
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2026
The fleets have approached closer, and the generals have pored over maps. The
scent of war is in the air. The region holds its breath. Coexisting with Iran’s
approach is less costly than enduring the collapse of the Iranian regime.
Mediation has been set in motion. The region seems locked into a contest open to
all possibilities. It is unlikely for the fleets to return without extracting a
price that justifies the exorbitant cost of their journey. It is also difficult
to imagine the Iranian regime publicly bowing to the master of the fleets.
In this context, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei chose to address his people and the
world from the shrine of Khomeini. It is difficult to speculate about what went
through the Supreme Leader’s mind during this striking visit, both in its timing
and its symbolism. Did he seek to remind Iranians that the current approach is
precisely what the man lying in the shrine had called for? The man who had
sparked the revolution and shaped his country? Did he seek to reaffirm his
allegiance and commitment to the late leader’s unquestionable directives? Did he
wish to tell Iranians that he was not prepared to accept a settlement that would
offend the occupant of the shrine? Did he wish to remind them that he had been
entrusted with the shrine and safeguarding its occupant’s path, that he is
mandated to save the country and the people, along with the shrine and its
inhabitant? Did the Supreme Leader remunerate over his predecessor’s iron will?
Or did he recall his words about “drinking the poison chalice” when the balance
of power forced him to accept a ceasefire with the “infidel Baathist regime”?
And did it occur to him that persuading the destroyers to refrain from sparking
a fire would require drinking poison on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile
programs, as well as its network of proxies?
The most difficult contests are fought when both sides struggle to accept or
acknowledge defeat. Sometimes the injured party chooses defiance, aggravating
losses and risking everything. Donald Trump cannot accept looking weak, and
Khamenei cannot crown his life with submission.
Since assuming his position following Khomeini’s death in 1989, Khamenei has
shown reverence for the former’s legacy, furthering pursuits that had been
broadly outlined by the late leader. The journey has not been easy, especially
when storms intensified. It could be said that Khamenei dealt with major events
that shook the world and the Middle East with competence or skill. His grip on
domestic affairs was complete and absolute, and his apparatuses pounced on every
opportunity. The regime dealt with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Iraq’s
invasion of Kuwait, and the new century defined by 9/11. It was also agile and
shrewd in Iraq following the American invasion, which had provided for regional
expansion. Thus began the era of General Qassem Soleimani, who was close to the
Supreme Leader’s mind and heart. Iran entrenched its position within the new
Iraqi political system. The regime of Bashar al-Assad became its bridge to
Lebanon. Iran thereby established itself on the shores of the Mediterranean and,
through Hezbollah, on Israel’s borders. During those years of expansion, the
Houthis rose, and Ali Abdullah Saleh met the same fate as Rafik Hariri.
Khamenei, who can recall breakthroughs and achievements, also bears many wounds.
He cannot forget the day he was informed that Soleimani had become a charred
corpse near Baghdad airport. The missile that eliminated him carried Donald
Trump’s unmistakable signature. Nor can he forget how retaliation failed to live
up to the man’s stature and role. Trump dared to go where predecessors had not.
He killed Soleimani and shook Iran’s image. He challenged both the Supreme
Leader and the occupant of the shrine at once.
The era of successive breakthroughs and achievements has ended. He is now a man
with many wounds. The euphoria of the “Flood” dissipated swiftly. Fleets
arrived, and destroyers drew near to change the calculus. The wounds began to
accumulate. A brutal man named Netanyahu sent his brutal fighter jets and
severely punished the “Axis of Resistance.” The wounds kept coming: Ismail
Haniyeh, the Supreme Leader’s guest, was killed in the heart of Tehran. An
airstrike killed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut; like Soleimani, he had been dear to
the Supreme Leader’s mind and heart. There was also the blow to Sinwar and the
“Sinwar Flood,” and the blow of seeing Ahmad al-Sharaa close the corridor of
influence and missiles, sit on the Assads’ chair, and have the doors of the
White House and the Kremlin opened to him. All these wounds might have been
bearable were it not for the harshest of them all: the sight of Israeli aircraft
dominating Tehran’s skies and the bombers of Soleimani’s killer attacking
nuclear facilities. The season of retreat is excruciating when it follows a
season of conquest. Iran had been fighting on others’ maps, through proxies and
small armies that filled their maps with tunnels, missiles, and drones. It is
excruciating to hear that the reconstruction of Gaza is contingent on disarming
Hamas and that reconstruction in Lebanon is contingent on disarming Hezbollah.
The scenes are painful. Trump was not satisfied with clipping claws; he was
determined to chop off fingers and arms, and he attacked the mother factory
itself.
Trump’s term will continue for another three years. Three years separate the
Iranian Revolution from extinguishing its fiftieth candle. Neither individuals
nor states and revolutions can escape the signs of aging. Silencing protests
with excessive brutality deepens the tension between the revolution and those
born under it. Fanning the embers of the early days does not solve the problem.
Confronting foreign actors, an eye must be kept on the domestic scene. Foreign
powers have many arms: media that expose secrets, the dollar that continues to
crush the national currency and those who use it, and Europe’s designation of
the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps on the terrorism list.
Khamenei knows that Trump is placing the regime before bitter choices: either a
man makes change from within, or a man from without will break it. It is as
though Trump is demanding that the revolution retire beneath the cloak of the
state, heed the people and the language of the age, leave the discourse of
“exporting the revolution” to rest in peace, and allow the Iranian shrine to
retire as the Chinese shrine once did. The Supreme Leader cannot accept Trump’s
demands. Nor can he indefinitely persist in allowing Iran to be governed by a
shrine.
Rubio and the future of
American diplomacy
Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/February 02, 2026
For much of the past decade, American foreign policy has felt confused, cautious
and often reactive. Allies were unsure where the US stood. Adversaries tested
limits. Too often, decisions seemed driven by short-term political pressures
rather than a clear long-term strategy, creating a vacuum in global leadership.
In that space, rivals like China, Russia and Iran moved more aggressively to
expand their influence, while partners in Europe and the Middle East began
questioning whether Washington was still willing and able to lead. In this
context, a strong argument can be made that Marco Rubio is emerging as one of
the most effective secretaries of state in modern American history. Not because
of dramatic gestures or media attention but because he has brought back
something essential to US diplomacy: strategic seriousness. Rubio understands a
basic truth that many policymakers lost sight of: foreign policy is not about
being liked. It is about power, security and responsibility. The purpose of
American diplomacy is not to seek applause but to defend national interests,
stand with allies and stop threats before they turn into conflicts. The world
Rubio faces is more dangerous than at any time since the end of the Cold War.
China is expanding its economic and military reach across Asia, Africa and Latin
America. Russia continues to challenge the global order through aggression and
coercion. Iran fuels instability across the Middle East through proxy militias
and ideological warfare. At the same time, international institutions are
weaker, global trust is lower and conflicts spread faster than before.
It is about honesty. Rubio understands that diplomacy built on false assumptions
leads to failed policies
The Florida politician, who has spent more than half his life in public service,
does not rely on wishful thinking to confront global challenges. His approach is
grounded in realism: that power cannot be ignored, threats must be faced
directly and lasting peace is built through strength and clear-eyed judgment,
not comforting illusions. One of Rubio’s most notable qualities is clarity. He
speaks about authoritarian regimes without hiding behind vague diplomatic
language. He calls out Beijing’s strategic ambitions, not as competition but as
a long-term challenge to democratic systems. He treats Tehran not as a
misunderstood actor but as a revolutionary regime that uses violence, ideology
and intimidation to expand its influence. He recognizes that Moscow is not
simply reacting to Western policy but actively seeking to weaken the rules-based
international order. This clarity is not about confrontation for its own sake.
It is about honesty. Rubio understands that diplomacy built on false assumptions
leads to failed policies. You cannot negotiate effectively if you refuse to
admit what you are negotiating against. At the same time, the American official
has shown that strength does not mean recklessness. He does not seek endless
wars or military escalation. Instead, he focuses on prevention: making clear
that aggression will be costly, while keeping diplomatic channels open for
serious negotiation. This balance, firmness without chaos, is one of the most
difficult skills in foreign policy and one of the most valuable. Rubio also
restores moral clarity to American diplomacy. For years, the US hesitated to
speak firmly about its values. Human rights were applied unevenly and democracy
often sounded more like a talking point than a real commitment. Rubio brings the
focus back to a simple belief: that freedom, the rule of law and human dignity
are not special privileges for the West but fundamental rights people everywhere
want and deserve. This matters deeply for international audiences. When the US
speaks with moral uncertainty, authoritarian regimes fill the vacuum with their
own narratives. When America is clear about what it stands for, it gives courage
to reformers, dissidents, journalists and civil society actors across the world.
Rubio’s support for democratic allies is not symbolic. He understands that
alliances are not acts of charity; they are strategic assets. He treats partners
in Europe, Asia and the Middle East as force multipliers that strengthen global
stability. Whether in supporting NATO, strengthening ties with Indo-Pacific
democracies or reinforcing partnerships in the Middle East, he has made it clear
that the US does not lead alone, but it must still lead.
To understand Rubio’s place in history, it helps to compare him with some of the
most respected Republican secretaries of state. George Shultz, who served under
Ronald Reagan, believed that effective diplomacy must be built on strength. In
the Cold War, he pushed back firmly against the Soviet Union while still
maintaining open lines of communication. His calm and consistent leadership
helped shift the world from constant tension toward meaningful arms control and
stability. He treats partners in Europe, Asia and the Middle East as force
multipliers that strengthen global stability
James Baker, under President George H.W. Bush, managed the end of the Cold War
with rare skill. He built international coalitions, maintained alliances and
navigated the collapse of the Soviet system without triumphalism or chaos. His
diplomacy was pragmatic, disciplined and effective. Henry Kissinger, though
controversial, changed global diplomacy by accepting how power really works. He
believed that ideals mean little without a clear strategy and that American
interests must stay at the center of foreign policy choices.
What Rubio shares with these figures is not their personality or era but their
seriousness. Like them, he treats foreign policy as a discipline, not a
performance. However, Rubio’s main weakness, according to critics, is that his
strong moral view of global politics can limit the flexibility of diplomacy. In
many parts of the world, especially in the Middle East, Africa and parts of
Asia, Washington must often work with imperfect partners to prevent larger
crises. Rubio’s preference for firm language, sanctions and public pressure,
while powerful tools, can at times narrow diplomatic options and harden
positions. Critics argue that an overreliance on pressure risks pushing hostile
regimes closer to rivals like China and Russia and closing channels that could
be useful for de-escalation.In simple terms, Rubio is excellent at drawing clear
lines but real diplomacy often takes place in the gray areas, where patience,
compromise and discreet engagement are also necessary.The international
community does not need a perfect America but it does need a clear and steady
one. When US policy is uncertain, global instability grows. When it is grounded,
consistent and guided by principles, nations can plan ahead, work together and
manage conflicts with greater confidence. In a world marked by rising
authoritarianism, weak institutions and growing insecurity, these are not
luxuries. They are necessities.
**Dalia Al-Aqidi is executive director at the American Center for Counter
Extremism.
Carney and the selective death of
the rules-based order
Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/February 02, 2026
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney sounded more like a populist leader than a
former central banker during his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos
last month. Bemoaning the “fading” of the rules-based order, Carney delivered a
surprisingly blunt speech. “The old order is not coming back,” he declared. “We
are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.” In this new reality, he
warned, quoting Thucydides, “the strong can do what they can and the weak must
suffer what they must.”The “revolutionary” rhetoric did not stop there. Carney
called for “strategic autonomy” for middle powers, warning that “if we’re not at
the table, we're on the menu.” He insisted that the West could no longer rely
solely on “the strength of our values,” but must pivot to “the value of our
strength.”Yet, before mistaking Carney for a Thomas Sankara or a Patrice
Lumumba, one must recall his administration’s record on the slaughter in Gaza.
The irony is inescapable: Carney rails against a world where “might makes right”
when it involves American tariffs or threats to Greenland, yet he presides over
a policy that facilitates exactly that in the Middle East. The contrast between
Carney’s Davos persona and his policy on Gaza is best illustrated by a single
moment in Calgary on April 8, 2025. During a campaign rally, Carney was
interrupted by a shout: “Mr. Carney, there is a genocide in Palestine.” The
prime minister responded: “I’m aware. That’s why we have an arms
embargo.”Headlines tell the story of a West that is fiercely protective of its
own sovereignty but indifferent to that of others
For a few hours, it appeared the leader of a G7 nation had finally acknowledged
the legal reality unfolding in Gaza. But the following day, after an immediate
political backlash, Carney performed a semantic retreat. “I didn’t hear that
word,” he fumbled to reporters. “I heard ‘Gaza’ … I was stating a fact in terms
of the arms restrictions.” With that, the official Canadian line returned to its
former self: reducing the systematic extermination of the Palestinians to a mere
humanitarian concern. Carney is far from alone. French President Emmanuel
Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz
have all perfected this brand of strategic doublespeak. Headlines referencing
them tell the story of a West that is fiercely protective of its own sovereignty
but indifferent to that of others. On Jan. 8, Bloomberg reported: “Germany’s
Scholz: US must respect inviolability of borders,” as the German chancellor
reacted to American rhetoric regarding the “purchase” of Greenland. Macron
warned of a “world without rules” while appealing for European unity against US
economic coercion. In London, The Guardian ran a headline on Jan. 21: “Enough
appeasement: Britain needs its own ‘trade bazooka’ to take on Donald Trump.”
Respect for international law, it seems, is a “bazooka” to be used against trade
rivals, but a meritless nuisance when applied to Israel. Now, compare those
headlines to the typical Western output on Palestine: “Canada unequivocally …
reaffirms its support for Israel’s right to defend itself (Office of the Prime
Minister statement),” “Germany stands by Israel’s side in deep friendship (Bundesregierung),”
“UK’s Starmer defends Israel arms suspension as ‘legal decision’ (Courthouse
News).” The irony reaches its peak when the legal institutions that are the
crown jewels of Carney’s “rules-based order” become the targets of Western
attack. When the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for
Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant for war crimes, the self-appointed guardians
of the order did not uphold the law, they labored to misinterpret it. The West’s
concept of a ‘global order’ privileges its own interests while marginalizing the
rights of the Global South
In Canada, while Carney pays lip service to international courts, his government
in November filed a motion to dismiss a landmark court case seeking to hold
Ottawa accountable for its failure to prevent Israel’s genocide. The
government’s argument? That the court has no jurisdiction over the “political
questions” of foreign policy. In Europe, the fracture is even more visible.
France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs suggested Netanyahu might have
immunity because Israel is not a member of the court — a “sovereignty loophole”
never afforded to Vladimir Putin. In Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz attacked
the court’s legitimacy, calling the prospect of arresting an Israeli leader
“completely absurd.”The West’s concept of a “global order” has always been
structural, not accidental — privileging its own strategic interests while
marginalizing the rights of the Global South. This imbalance is not a bug in the
system, it is the modus operandi of the system itself. Canada and Europe are
only crying foul now because, for the first time in generations, they feel the
walls of the privileged club closing in on them. They scream for international
law to protect their trade routes and borders from Trump, yet they actively
dismantle those same laws to shield an ally in Gaza.However, the US-Israeli
attempt to reshape global politics presents Europe and Canada with a rare
opportunity to confront this legacy of selective legality. While it is difficult
to sympathize with their current grievances, that position could change if they
chose to reorient themselves morally. They could enforce international law
consistently, pursue war criminals without bias and end their roles as junior
partners in Washington’s unconditional support for a brutal occupation. Failing
to do so merely exposes the “rupture” Carney described as a self-inflicted
wound. Even Carney must realize that values held only when convenient are not
values at all — they are merely leverage. If the West continues to shout for the
rules only when its own interests are on the menu, it should not be surprised
when the rest of the world stops listening to the lecture. In fact, many of us
already have.
**Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the editor of The Palestine
Chronicle. His latest book, “Before the Flood,” will be published by Seven
Stories Press. His website is www.ramzybaroud.net. X: @RamzyBaroud
Selected X tweets
for
February
02/2026
We're
in a very interesting moment in the Middle Eas
Michael Young
We're in a very interesting moment in the Middle East. When the U.S. began
disengaging from the region under Obama, its elites sought to find a replacement
for American hegemony. Obama, as his Jeffrey Goldberg interview showed, believed
the way was to bring about a new balance of power in the region, led by Iran and
Saudi Arabia. The Israelis fought this idea, arguing that the nuclear deal Obama
signed with Iran was a way of giving the Iranians a greater regional role,
something that would challenge Israeli supremacy.
Trump reversed that idea, cancelling the nuclear deal, and replacing it with
another: U.S. hegemony would be replaced by U.S.-supported Israeli domination,
which would be anchored in the so-called Abraham Accords. October 7 derailed
that, but not the U.S. desire to reinforce Israeli hegemony, an objective shared
by Republicans and Democrats, Biden and Trump. What we've seen is a much greater
Israeli say in U.S. policy toward the region since 2023, as a consequence of
this, with the U.S. even ignoring its own laws in arming Israel during the
slaughter in Gaza, though the Americans knew that Israel was committing war
crimes and crimes against humanity. It didn't matter. However, the success of
Israeli efforts has proven to be a problem for Israel today, as we are seeing an
alignment of powers—Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar, as well as Pakistan,
but also a weekend Iran—emerging to counter-balance Israel. For these countries,
Israeli hegemony, backed by Washington, is the ultimate threat to their own
power. This alignment is now trying to avert a U.S. attack on Iran that would
only strengthen Israel. When Netanyahu went to Washington in late December,
alarm bells went off in regional capitals, seeing this as an Israeli effort to
push the U.S. into round two against Iran. For now, the Israelis cannot be happy
with the delay in an attack, but Trump is also a wild card who is not always
predictable. Much of what takes place from now on in the region must be
intepreted in this context.
U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black conducts a
routine maritime exercise with @IDF Israeli naval ship INS Eilat in the Red Sea
following a previously scheduled port call, Feb 1, 2026. The combined training
demonstrated the strong military partnership between U.S. 5th Fleet and the
Israeli Navy. @CENTCOM @USNavy
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Talking to my 23 first cousins and dozens of friends in Lebanon, I estimate that
one in every four Lebanese supports immediate and unconditional bilateral peace
and normalization with Israel. If Hezbollah stopped forcing the government to
incriminate and/or kill those who campaign for peace, the percentage could
easily double.
Diana Menhem
The Lebanese Forces were really lucky to have someone like
@OkaisGeorge in their bloc. A true patriot, sharp and reform-minded - values
very rare to find in this parliament. It was a pleasure to have worked with him
on certain files, particularly the work to advance diaspora voting rights.
Photo from one the press conferences on the issue.
U.S. Policy Toward Lebanon:
Obstacles to Dismantling Hezbollah’s Grip on Power
Washington Institute
Tue, 02/03/2026 -
Witnesses
The Honorable David Schenker
Taube Senior Fellow
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Ms. Hanin Ghaddar
Friedmann Senior Fellow
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Ms. Dana Stroul
Director of Research
Shelly and Michael Kassen Senior Fellow
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy