English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For February 14/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
You hypocrites! You know how to interpret
the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the
present time? ‘And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
Saint Luke 12/49-59/:”I came to bring fire to the earth,
and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be
baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I
have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From
now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against
three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother
against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her
daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’He also said to the
crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, “It is
going to rain”; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you
say, “There will be scorching heat”; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know
how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to
interpret the present time? ‘And why do you not judge for yourselves what is
right? Thus, when you go with your accuser before a magistrate, on the way make
an effort to settle the case, or you may be dragged before the judge, and the
judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you in prison. I tell
you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.’”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on February
13-14/2026
Elias Bejjani/Link to the video and text of my interview with the
Transparency YouTube platform: A Constitutional Exposure and Explanation of the
Heresies Imposed by Hezbollah on Lebanon;
Khamies El Sakra -“Drunkards Thursday”, Maronite Tradition/Elias Bejjani/
Elias Bejjani: A Solemn Denunciation of the Tragic Crime in Tumbler Ridge, and
an Urgent Call to Restore Family Values
Israeli strike on car in al-Tiri kills one
Lebanon's Berri says parliamentary election must be held on time
Syria clears roadblocks for some Lebanese trucks after ban
Hariri kicks off Beirut activity by meeting foreign envoys
Aoun renews commitment to state project in honor of late PM Hariri
Berri, Hajjar committed to timely elections, but confusion prevails
Issa discusses means to attract investments with IMF official
Report: Unlike Netanyahu, Israeli army and Mossad want withdrawal from Lebanon
Why did a Lebanese Forces delegation visit Damascus?
In Munich, Salam stresses Lebanon's stance on nuclear weapons
Lebanese Army Support Hinges on Disarmament Plan North of Litani
Lebanon, Syria Reach Temporary Solution for Freight Trucks Crisis
Lebanon Detains 41 Since War on Suspicion of Collaborating with Israel
Lebanon deposit crisis: IMF and BDL find common ground—The latest
From port to rail: Beirut explores sweeping transport overhaul
Saad Hariri holds talks with US, UN, and French envoys in Beirut
Saad Hariri to mark father's assassination anniversary: Supporters await signal
on political return
IMF urges swift banking and fiscal reforms after Beirut visit
U.S. Engagement With Lebanon Should Hinge on Dismantling of Hezbollah/David
Daoud/Policy Brief-FDD
Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: February 2–8, 2026/David Daoud/FDD's
Long War Journal
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on February
13-14/2026
Video-Link From Forbes News TV
to a pannel addressing the Iranian-USA current war status and war risks
Video- Link/WATCH: Iran Townhall at Munich Security Conference – Reza Pahlavi &
Nazanin Boniadi Speak
Trump says Iran government change ‘best thing that could happen’
There's no hiding the schism that now lies between Trump and Israel
Iran releases on bail two reformists arrested after protests: local media
As one‑month Iran deadline looms, Israel boosts military preparedness
Iran military degraded by 12-day war with Israel, but still has significant
capabilities
Second US aircraft carrier is being sent to the Middle East, as Iran tensions
high
Syrian Troops Take Over Key Syria Base After U.S. Withdrawal
SDF chief joins official Syrian delegation during meeting with top US diplomat
Rubio
US completes transfer of IS detainees from Syria to Iraq
Russia, Ukraine to hold talks in Geneva on February 17-18
Main donor US unclear on UNRWA future, jettisoning it would leave black hole:
Agency chief
Activist group Palestine Action wins legal challenge against UK ban
Palestinians look to salvage Gaza's history from ruins of Israeli war
Indonesia readies troops in first firm commitment to Gaza peacekeeping force
US sends more than six tons of medical supplies to Venezuela
Trump says will visit Venezuela, doesn't say when
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on February
13-14/2026
Negotiation, Trump style/Jason D. Greenblatt/Arab News
Is Saudi Arabia abandoning moderation?Salman Al-Ansari/Arab News
Why Middle East’s CEOs are backing their own markets/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News
Goodbye to Israeli-Saudi normalization/Mitchell Bard/JNS
Egypt Tests Trump’s Pledge to Defend Persecuted Christians/Mariam Wahba/Newsweek
Iran: Hanging on at Any Cost/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat
Iraq: The 2003 Regime Between Two Generations/Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al-Awsat
Recalling the Night the US Ambassador to Libya was Killed/Dr. Jebril El-Abidi/Asharq
Al-Awsat
Question: In what ways is the Christian life like the Olympics?/GotQuestions.org/
Diplomacy, Foreign Leaders, and Oil and Gas/Samuel Ben-Ur/National Interest/
Without Full Disarmament of Hamas, Gaza Ceasefire is at Risk/Aaron Goren/Policy
Brief-FDD
Turkish foreign minister warns of nuclear arms race if Iran gets the
bomb/William Doran & Sinan Ciddi/FDD's Long War Journal
X Platform Selected twittes for 13/2026
The Latest
English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on February
13-14/2026
Elias Bejjani/Link to the video and text of my interview with the
Transparency YouTube platform: A Constitutional Exposure and Explanation of the
Heresies Imposed by Hezbollah on Lebanon;
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/02/152078/
An Affirmation of the Heroism and
Patriotism of Our People Refuged in Israel, Demanding Their Return with Honor
and Dignity, Led by the Honorable, Clean-Handed Leader and Distinguished
Resistance Figure, Etienne Sakr (Abu Arz).
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/02/152078/
A constitutional explanation of the reality of the formation of the
Mullah-aligned, terrorist, and jihadist Hezbollah in Lebanon: An illegal
organization, a gang of villains, and a mercenary army that is ideologically,
financially, and culturally subordinate to the Mullah rulers of Iran—relying on
them for its decisions, authority, and lifestyle. This is accompanied by an
emphasis on the necessity of Lebanese negotiations with Iran, under Arab,
international, and American supervision, to withdraw this gang, its members, and
its weapons from Lebanon. It further calls for the dismantling of all its
military, media, and educational institutions to liberate the Shiite community
and, with it, all of Lebanon.
Elias Bejjani/Selected headlines from my interview from Transparency youtube
platform
February 12/2026
Literally, this is what Hassan Nasrallah said: “Our project, which we have no
choice but to adopt as ideological believers, is the project of an Islamic state
and Islamic rule, and for Lebanon not to be a single Islamic republic but rather
part of the greater Islamic Republic, ruled by the Imam of the Age and his
rightful deputy, the Supreme Jurist, Imam Khomeini.”
*Legally, Lebanon must negotiate with Iran, under Arab, international, and U.S.
supervision, regarding Hezbollah’s weapons, presence, and institutions that are
subordinate to and take orders from Tehran.
*The “Army, People, Resistance” formula is unconstitutional and was imposed in
ministerial statements by force. Legislation comes from Parliament, not from a
ministerial statement, which is merely a proposed action plan.
*Perpetual hostility is a sick sectarian ideology promoted by Sunni and Shiite
political Islam to justify their continued existence.
*Hezbollah’s decision-making lies in Iran, with religious authorization.
*The Shiite community has been kidnapped and held hostage since 1982.
*Hezbollah is an Iranian army composed of Lebanese mercenaries.
*Hezbollah has never been legitimate, Lebanese, or a resistance movement; it is
terrorist in its clerical ideological structure.
*The Lebanese Army is capable of disarming Hezbollah if mandated by the state.
*Israel has not attacked Lebanon even once; rather, it has always responded to
attacks launched against it from Lebanon by Syrian, Arab, Iranian, jihadist, and
leftist actors.
*There are no real parties in Lebanon, but rather party-companies, foreign
agencies, and fundamentalists from Sunni and Shiite political Islam.
*Christians are caught between a criminal leader, a corrupt one, and a
Pharisaic, Judas-like figure, alongside a political class incubated by
occupations.
*true measure of any leader’s credibility and patriotism appears when he gains
money and power.
*Those who abandoned expatriates were not Hezbollah or Berri, but the Lebanese
Forces and Michel Aoun’s movement in 2016 when they celebrated the current
hybrid electoral law tailored to Hezbollah, originally proposed under the Syrian
occupation.
*There can be no genuine political work under occupation. Anyone operating under
occupation has no choice but to become its tool and cover. The options under
occupation are: armed resistance, steadfast political opposition, civil
disobedience, or working through influential states to compel the occupier to
withdraw.
*The South Lebanon Army were heroes and should return with heads held high and
be apologized to, especially their distinguished leader Etienne Saqr (Abu Arz).
*Hezbollah did not liberate the South, is not part of the Lebanese fabric, and
does not represent the Shiites; it is a fully-fledged Iranian army composed of
Lebanese mercenaries.
*The Lebanese Constitution does not mention Israel as an enemy. Rather, it
contains provisions that define the concept of the enemy and others that apply
to those who collaborate with the enemy. These criteria do not apply to Israel,
but rather to the three occupations that have devastated Lebanon since the
imposition of the Cairo Agreement: the Baathist Syrian regime, Palestinian
terrorist organizations, and Iran’s terrorist army — namely, Hezbollah.
*Any elections held under occupation are null and illegitimate.
*Governance in Lebanon to this day remains hostage to Hezbollah.
*What is required today, not tomorrow, is to close Lebanon as an open arena —
since the Cairo Agreement — for those who trade in what they falsely call
“resistance” and “liberation of Palestine.”
*The only solution is full peace with the State of Israel; whoever wishes to
fight it should do so from his own country.
*The Lebanese Army is defensive, not offensive, and the majority of Lebanese do
not see Israel as an enemy but as a neighbor. There are no existing problems
between Lebanon and Israel, and Israel has no ambitions in Lebanon.
Khamies El Sakra -“Drunkards
Thursday”, Maronite Tradition
Elias Bejjani/February 12/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/02/115838/
Today, Thursday, February 12/2026,
the Catholic Maronites in Lebanon celebrate a tradition, and not a religious
event. A tradition they call “Drunkards Thursday,” which is the day that falls
before the beginning of the forty-day fasting ritual – the Lent, that begins on
the Ash Monday, February 16/2026
In past years, Maronite families, particularly in the mountainous areas, used to
gather on this day at the dinner table to pray, meditate, and thank God for His
blessings and gifts. They used to gather to thank the Lord for His gifts, and to
supplicate for His blessings and approval before they start the Lent fasting,
and before the start of austerity and prayers in preparation for the celebration
of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and his ascension to heaven.
The “Drunkards Thursday”, is neither a Maronite, nor a Christian holiday.
Rather, it is a tradition that many of our people no longer celebrate, even if
they remember it.
Historically, “drunkards Thursday” is an old tradition, and we do not know in
any era of time it existed, and who created it, but it was certainly practiced
in our mountains every year on the Thursday before the beginning of the
forty-days fasting ritual – The Lent. There is very little information written
about it in the books of Lebanese history and the Maronite church records (synaxarium).
Some historical records say that the Maronites used to drink wine and Arak (Ozo)
on this day, as a token of joy and partnership between parents and families
during their blessed gatherings around the dinner table, as a replicate, concept
and symbolism of the secret and last supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples,
in a religious bid to give thanks to God for His blessings and gifts that He
bestowed upon them.
Elias Bejjani: A Solemn Denunciation of the Tragic Crime in Tumbler Ridge, and
an Urgent Call to Restore Family Values
Elias Bejjani/February 11, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/02/152050/
My heart is consumed by a
bitter combination of anger and profound sorrow; my soul aches for the ten lives
stolen and the families shattered by this senseless massacre in Tumbler Ridge,
British Columbia. I am shaken to my core by the horrific news of the shootings
at a local home and at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. To see one of Canada’s
worst mass shootings unfold in such a small, tight-knit community—targeting
innocent students and residents—leaves me, and all of Canada, reeling in a state
of absolute pain and disbelief.
What happened today is a true tragedy and a painful human disaster that cannot
be justified or ignored. To target children in their place of learning and
families in their homes is a direct attack on the most sacred pillars of any
society: human life, the family, and community safety.
In these dark moments, I offer my deepest condolences to the families of the
victims. I express my unwavering solidarity with the people of Tumbler Ridge and
with all Canadians who have been traumatized by this terrible event.
Such crimes call us to reflect on the foundations upon which society is built.
The healthy family, founded on a man and a woman, is the cornerstone of a stable
and balanced community. When families fall apart, confusion and loss increase,
and many young people grow up without guidance, protection, or clear moral
direction. This often leads to the social struggles and instability we see
affecting many Canadians today.
Preserving and strengthening family unity must be a national priority. The
government must return to protecting the natural definition of the family and
stop redefining or reshaping it in ways that contradict the timeless moral and
human values upon which strong societies are built.
I also affirm that the vast majority of the Canadian people stand with family
values and believe in preserving the moral and cultural identity of their
society. No political movement—especially the ideological left—should impose its
belief-driven concepts on the broader population. Canada was built on pluralism
and respect for differing opinions, not on ideological imposition. Confronting
violence requires not only security measures, but also a return to values, to
strong families, to sound moral upbringing, and to shared ethical
responsibility.
Prayer for the Repose of the Souls of the Victims
O Lord God, Giver of Life and Shepherd of souls, We lift up to You our prayers
for those who have departed suddenly from this world in Tumbler Ridge. Grant
them, O Lord, rest in Your heavenly Kingdom. Receive them into the light of Your
presence, Where there is no pain, no sorrow, and no suffering, But everlasting
life.
Comfort their families and loved ones. Wipe away the tears of every broken
heart. Grant healing—both physical and emotional—to the dozens wounded in this
attack. Send Your peace upon this town and upon all of Canada. Lord of Peace,
protect the children of this nation. Strengthen families in love and unity.
Remove from us the spirit of violence and hatred, And fill us instead with
mercy, justice, and truth. For Yours is the glory forever. Amen. May God rest
the souls of the victims, heal the injured, and protect Canada from all harm.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is A Canadian Lebanese Human Rights activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com
Israeli strike on car in
al-Tiri kills one
Agence France Presse/February 13/2026
An Israeli strike on south Lebanon killed one person on Thursday, Lebanon's
health ministry reported, while the Israeli military said it killed a member of
Iran-backed Hezbollah. Despite a November 2024 truce that sought to end more
than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war between Israel
and Hezbollah, Israel has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon and has maintained
troops in five areas it deems "strategic".In a statement, the Lebanese health
ministry said that an "Israeli enemy strike" on al-Tiri, southern Lebanon,
killed one person. The Israeli military said it struck a "Hezbollah terrorist"
in the area. The man targeted in the strike, Mahdi Hassane Sheito, was a war
amputee. In posts mourning Sheito on social media, the man appears with a
prosthetic leg and a wide smile, while those who shared the posts said he was a
sports champion and that his leg was amputated in the Syrian war. 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
from the Israeli border. Lebanon's government is set to meet on Monday to
discuss updates on the army's disarmament plan. Israel, which accuses Hezbollah
of rearming, has criticized the Lebanese army's progress as insufficient, while
Hezbollah has rejected calls to surrender its weapons. Al-Tiri is located south
of the Litani river.
Lebanon's Berri says parliamentary election must
be held on time
Reuters/February 13/2026
BEIRUT, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on
Friday he was committed to holding a parliamentary election as scheduled on
May 10, despite calls from some politicians to postpone the vote. Several
politicians have called for a delay, citing security concerns in southern
Lebanon, where Israel has carried out air strikes targeting Hezbollah. Berri, a
Shi'ite leader allied with Hezbollah, said in a statement carried by the
state-run National News Agency that he had informed President Joseph Aoun and
the government of his position. "It is not permissible that, at the start of a
new era, we obstruct its launch by disrupting, postponing or extending the
most important constitutional entitlement, which is the foundation for forming
authorities and producing political life," Berri said. Berri has opened the
candidacy registry for the election and submitted the first nomination request
for the Tyre-Zahrani district in southern Lebanon.Lebanon last held a
parliamentary election in May 2022, a vote marked by low turnout and deep
public anger over a financial collapse. The election saw some gains by
reformist candidates emerging from the 2019 protest movement, while the
Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies lost their parliamentary majority.
Syria clears roadblocks for
some Lebanese trucks after ban
Agence France Presse/February 13/2026
Lebanon has secured temporary exemptions for freight vehicles hauling certain
goods after a recent ban by Damascus on foreign trucks. Damascus had issued a
decision on Saturday stipulating that "non-Syrian trucks will not be allowed to
enter" the country, and that goods being imported by road must be unloaded at
specific points at border crossings.The decision exempts trucks that are only
passing through Syria to other countries. Lebanese and Syrian will now unload
and reload goods at a joint zone along the border, Lebanon's state-run National
News Agency said, with a temporary mechanism put in place to regulate movement
over seven days. However, goods transported in tankers, hazardous materials,
cement, raw materials for cement production, as well as meat and pharmaceuticals
will be exempt from these border transfers. The deal will also allow the
one-time entry of trucks that have been stranded at the border since the ban
took effect, Ahmad Tamer, head of land and maritime transportation at the
Lebanese transport ministry told AFP. The two sides will meet again before the
end of the seven-day deadline to evaluate the situation. Lebanon sends around
500 trucks to Syria per day, according to Tamer. Syria is the only land route
Lebanon can use to export merchandise to wealthy Gulf markets. Jordan, which is
also affected by the ban, has yet to reach an agreement with Damascus, transport
ministry spokesperson Mohammed al-Dweiri told AFP.
Hariri kicks off Beirut activity by meeting foreign envoys
Naharnet/February 13/2026
Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri kicked off his political activity
in Lebanon by meeting U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa at the Center House. Hariri
had arrived Thursday in Lebanon and will on Saturday deliver a speech marking
the 21st anniversary of the assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri. The meeting
with Issa was attended by ex-MP Bahia Hariri and the former premier’s advisers
Ghattas Khoury and Hani Hammoud. According to Hariri’s press office, the talks
tackled the latest local and regional developments. Hariri also held similar
meetings with French Amabssador to Lebanon Herve Magro and U.N. Special
Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine-Hennis Plasschaert.
Aoun renews commitment to state project in honor of late PM
Hariri
Naharnet/February 13/2026
President Joseph Aoun said Friday, a day ahead of the anniversary of former PM
Rafik Hariri's assassination, that "a man who dedicated his life to the project
of the state" is missed, as Lebanon moves to disarm Hezbollah and extend the
state's authority to all territories. Aoun described Hariri as a man who
believed in the state and dedicated his life to rebuild Lebanon after a
devastating civil war, and to strengthen the country's ties with the Arab and
international worlds. After a war with Israel that only partially ended with a
ceasefire reached in November 2024, the international community, especially the
United States, pressured Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah. The move would lead to a
gradual rapprochement with the Gulf states and to the international community
and would unlock aid to the crisis and war-hit country. "Hariri believed in
Lebanon as a state of institutions and (believed) in coexistence. He believed
that true progress begins with investing in people, education, and the economy,"
Aoun said, adding that to honor his memory, he renews his commitment to building
"a strong, just state that rules by law, preserves national unity, and places
Lebanon's interests above all else."
Berri, Hajjar
committed to timely elections, but confusion prevails
Naharnet/February 13/2026
As Lebanon prepares for its parliamentary elections, it is still not clear if
and how the expatriates will participate. Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar said
that despite all the confusion, the elections will be held on time.In 2018 and
2022, expats voted for the 128 seats in Parliament. While the current law
stipulates that expats should vote for six new seats reserved for the diaspora,
that provision was frozen. Hezbollah, Amal, and the FPM want the expats to vote
for these 6 new seats instead of voting for all 128 MPs. Hezbollah and Amal
argue that they do not enjoy the same campaigning freedom that other parties
enjoy abroad. The Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb party and the Change MPs want the
law amended to allow expats to vote for all 128 MPs. Sixty-five MPs,
constituting a parliamentary majority, demanded to amend the law in order to
allow expats to vote for all 128 seats but Speaker Nabih Berri refused to
discuss the amendment in parliament. He insisted that elections should be held
according to the current 6 seats law. Hajjar said that in order to elect
according to the 6 seats law, known as the 16th District law, executive decrees
are needed, with the approval of a two-thirds Cabinet majority. These decrees
have not been issued, but Hajjar says he can't stand idly by and wait for the
legal texts. "There are deadlines that must be respected," he told al-Joumhouria
newspaper, in remarks published Friday. Expats would vote on May 1 and May 3,
but even the interior minister himself does not know if they can vote from
abroad, or if they should come to Lebanon to vote -- the option that Speaker
Berri insists on. Hajjar said "Give us a law or an amendment, and I am ready to
implement it," but added that he cannot wait and be held accountable for
obstructing the elections. "There are legal deadlines and the elections will be
held on time," he vowed. Lebanon is divided geographically into 15 electoral
districts. The expats law created a new virtual district for the Lebanese
diaspora, a 16th district. Speaker Berri said Friday he is committed to holding
the parliamentary elections on time. "It is not acceptable, at a start of a new
era, to obstruct or delay the most important constitutional juncture," he said.
Issa discusses means to
attract investments with IMF official
Naharnet/February 13/2026
Achieving a stable and prosperous future for Lebanon requires both comprehensive
financial restructuring and a foundation of peace and security that rebuilds
trust with the international community, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said on
Friday.
It said U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa discussed with IMF Middle East &
North Africa team lead Ernesto Ramirez Rigo means to “restore Lebanon's global
credibility and attract international investments.”“They reviewed recent
economic developments and Lebanon's progress on key financial reforms needed to
attract more U.S. businesses,” the Embassy added.
Report: Unlike Netanyahu, Israeli army and Mossad want
withdrawal from Lebanon
Naharnet/February 13/2026
The Israeli army and Mossad prefer that Israeli forces withdraw from Lebanon,
but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is rejecting this move due to “his
personal and electoral calculations,” a senior Lebanese official quoted a
Western official as saying. In remarks to al-Joumhouria newspaper, the Lebanese
official warned that Netanyahu is "crazy" and "we must protect Lebanon from his
madness," emphasizing that there is currently no option but the diplomatic
track."Hezbollah must help facilitate this track by strengthening the Lebanese
state's position so that it can convince the American side to pressure the
Israeli occupier to withdraw and stop the attacks," the official said. The same
official acknowledged that the diplomatic option is not guaranteed to succeed
but has a fifty percent chance of success. The official also affirmed that peace
or normalization with Israel is not on the table, noting that after withdrawal,
the return of prisoners, the cessation of attacks, and the demarcation of
borders, it would be possible to move towards the activation of the 1949
Armistice Agreement.
Why did a Lebanese Forces delegation visit Damascus?
Naharnet/February 13/2026
The latest visit by a Lebanese Forces delegation to Damascus carries political
implications given the historically strained relationship between the Lebanese
Forces and the former Syrian regime. Lebanese Forces sources told An-Nahar
newspaper that the visit was "normal," asking rhetorically: "Would it be
surprising to see a Lebanese Forces MP in Cairo or Riyadh? "They explained that
"Damascus has returned to being the capital of a state friendly to Lebanon, and
the relationship is now viewed as one between two states." They asserted that
"relations between the two countries are normal, and the problems of the past,
including the imprisonment of individuals and others, have ended.”The party
considers this a "natural occurrence from now on" and Syria "is no longer the
country we all knew sixty years ago," the sources said. "It has become a state
whose priority is the Syrian people, with no regional or expansionist ambitions,
and it is putting its own house in order, just as Lebanon is putting its own
house in order," the sources added.
In Munich, Salam stresses Lebanon's stance on nuclear
weapons
Naharnet/February 13/2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Friday on the sidelines of the Munich Security
Conference with Melissa Parke, Executive Director of the International Campaign
to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, a global civil society coalition that won the 2017
Nobel Peace Prize. He commended the organization's leading role in promoting
nuclear disarmament and strengthening global peace. Salam noted that “Lebanon's
steadfast position -- shared by all member state of the Arab League and calling
for the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of
mass destruction in the Middle East -- is more crucial than ever, given the
ongoing wars, the alarming rise in military spending, and the increase in the
number of nuclear warheads after a period of decline since the mid-1980s.”Salam
assured Parke that Lebanon, which was among the first countries to vote in the
2016 U.N. General Assembly in favor of adopting the Treaty on the Prohibition of
Nuclear Weapons, will continue to support all resolutions that encourage states
to join this treaty.
Lebanese Army Support
Hinges on Disarmament Plan North of Litani
Paris: Michel Abou Najm/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 13/2026
The Qatari capital is set to host a preparatory meeting on Sunday ahead of an
international conference in Paris aimed at supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces
and the Internal Security Forces. The Doha meeting will bring together the five
sponsoring countries - France, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt
- along with other states and international and regional organizations. Its
purpose is to understand LAF’s needs, while developing financial and military
support mechanisms to ensure the success of the main conference, scheduled for
March 5 in Paris. French officials expect around 50 countries and 10
organizations to take part. Given the central role of the LAF, its
responsibilities and its contribution to upholding Lebanese sovereignty, both
the Doha meeting and the Paris conference are expected to provide it with
substantial political backing.
According to French sources, the one-day conference will be co-hoted by French
President Emmanuel Macron and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Expectations from the Doha Meeting
Paris is playing a key role in organizing both meetings. Preparations were among
the main issues discussed during the two-day visit to Beirut last weekend of
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. His visit coincided with the Lebanese
army leadership’s preparations for the second phase of an operation to disarm
Hezbollah. This phase covers the area stretching from the Litani River to the
Awali River, north of the southern port city of Sidon. Paris identifies two main
challenges. The first is the need to continue the disarmament process launched
by the army in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The second is
enabling conference participants to accurately assess the army’s needs, allowing
international partners to coordinate their support through a dedicated
mechanism. France has deliberately avoided setting a specific figure for the
assistance expected to be announced at the conference, stressing that support
will be multi-dimensional and not limited to financial aid. It will also include
military capabilities, logistical support and training. Paris estimates the
LAF’s annual needs at more than $1 billion, but notes that these cannot be met
through foreign assistance alone and that part must be covered by the Lebanese
state budget. Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal reported receiving assurances
during talks in Washington that the United States remains committed to
supporting the LAF. Paris and the other four sponsors are counting on the Doha
meeting to allow the army command to present a detailed assessment of its needs.
Borders, Syria and the Economy
Paris has also expressed satisfaction with the results of Barrot’s talks in
Beirut regarding Lebanon’s relations with its neighbors, particularly Syria.
French officials believe that an agreement to transfer Syrian prisoners held in
Lebanon back to Syria could have a positive impact on the demarcation of the
land border between the two countries.France has offered its assistance, saying
it holds mandate-era maps. The prisoner transfer deal could also impact the
return of Syrian refugees, an issue of strategic importance for Lebanon. At the
same time, Paris is fully aware of the challenges Lebanon faces with Israel,
whether due to near-daily military operations or Israel’s refusal to withdraw
from five positions it occupies inside Lebanese territory. France nevertheless
welcomes the indirect talks held within the framework of the ceasefire mechanism
committee and supports maintaining it, even though its impact on the ground has
so far been limited.Barrot's talks also focused on financial and economic
issues, notably the so-called financial gap law approved by the cabinet and sent
to parliament for discussion. France has called for its approval before the
spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, arguing
that such a step would send a positive signal about the seriousness of Lebanese
authorities in addressing the country’s economic crisis. Paris believes
parliamentary approval would have a direct impact on prospects for a conference
to support the Lebanese economy, which France has reaffirmed its readiness to
host.
Lebanon, Syria Reach Temporary Solution for Freight Trucks
Crisis
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/February 13/2026
Lebanon has secured temporary exemptions for freight vehicles hauling certain
goods after a recent ban by Damascus on foreign trucks. Damascus had issued a
decision on Saturday stipulating that "non-Syrian trucks will not be allowed to
enter" the country, and that goods being imported by road must be unloaded at
specific points at border crossings. The decision exempts trucks that are only
passing through Syria to other countries.Lebanese and Syrian trucks will now
unload and reload goods at a joint zone along the border with a temporary
mechanism put in place to regulate movement over seven days.
However, goods transported in tankers, hazardous materials, cement, raw
materials for cement production, as well as meat and pharmaceuticals will be
exempt from these border transfers. The two sides will meet again on February 19
before the end of the seven-day deadline to evaluate the situation.
Lebanon Detains 41 Since War on Suspicion of Collaborating
with Israel
Beirut: Youssef Diab/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 13/2026
Lebanon’s State Security agency has arrested a Syrian national suspected of
communicating with Israelis for commercial purposes, just two days after
entering the country and traveling between the southern cities of Sidon and Bint
Jbeil. The arrest raises the number of people detained in Lebanon on suspicion
of collaborating with Israel since the October 2023 war to 41, a record for that
period. The General Directorate of State Security said suspect, identified by
his initials (I.A.), was arrested after “close surveillance and monitoring” as
part of efforts to combat networks dealing with the Israeli enemy. He is accused
of concluding commercial deals with Israel and was found to have entered Lebanon
illegally through unauthorized crossings.
Entered illegally, Moved without a Clear Destination
A security source told Asharq Al-Awsat the suspect, Ibrahim A., born in Aleppo
in 2007, slipped into Lebanon two days before his arrest. He was detained in the
Sharhabil area of Sidon after drawing suspicion by moving between Sidon and Bint
Jbeil without a clear purpose. He has no registered residence in Lebanon. A
search of his phone revealed communications with Israeli-linked sites and
numbers. Some appeared commercial in nature, while others were linked to
pornographic websites, the source said.
Collaboration cases
The arrest comes amid what officials describe as intensified preemptive security
measures, particularly after Israel’s latest war on Lebanon in 2024, during
which it benefited from human intelligence networks inside the country. A senior
judicial source said that alleged collaboration cases are now top of the agenda
of the Military Court due to their growing number and the gravity of the
charges. Military Public Prosecutor records show that 41 individuals have been
referred for investigation and trial on accusations of collaborating with Israel
and supplying security information that aided Israeli military operations. Seven
suspects were arrested during the war, while the rest were detained after the
November 27, 2024, ceasefire, the source said. Nineteen have been sentenced to
prison terms ranging from six months to seven years of hard labor. The remainder
are still on trial. The security allegations facing the broader group do not
apply to the Syrian detainee, the source said. There is no evidence at this
stage that he carried out security tasks for Israel, and his contacts appear
limited to commercial dealings. The source described him as withdrawn and
unresponsive during questioning, saying he did not clarify where he came from or
where he was headed. No one contacted him during his pretrial detention. The
source suggested he may have been subjected to a professional recruitment method
designed to shield associates in the event of arrest.Following preliminary
investigations, the suspect was referred to the Military Court.
Earlier Arrests
Last month, State Security announced the arrest of a Lebanese citizen on
suspicion of communicating with Israel, following what it described as sustained
monitoring of collaboration networks. Preliminary investigations showed that the
suspect had been contacting Israel since early 2024 via applications on his
mobile phone, offering services and work to the Mossad. Legal measures were
taken at the direction of the Military Public Prosecutor. In October, the State
Security also announced the arrest of a Palestinian man suspected of
communicating with Israel after following the official Mossad page on Facebook.
Lebanon deposit crisis: IMF and BDL find common ground—The latest
LBC/February 13/.2026
The Banque du Liban (BDL) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached
an understanding on three main points to advance a long-stalled plan to repay
bank deposits and address the country's financial crisis. According to officials
familiar with the talks, the discussions focused on resolving outstanding debts
between the Lebanese state and BDL, setting realistic conditions for any deposit
repayment plan, and agreeing on the hierarchy of responsibilities for covering
losses—a point that has long been one of the most contentious issues in
negotiations. Regarding state obligations, the IMF acknowledged that the
Lebanese government owes large sums to the BDL. However, BDL indicated it would
not seek full repayment to avoid imposing additional burdens on the state, the
sources said. Instead, the two sides agreed on a framework in which the
government would repay a limited and "reasonable" portion of the outstanding
debts, allowing BDL to continue carrying out its role and contribute to repaying
part of the depositors' funds. Regarding the deposit repayment plan itself, the
IMF stressed that any proposal must be realistic and implementable, require
sufficient liquidity within the banking sector, include safeguards to preserve
that liquidity, and include a clear timeline for execution.The sources said both
sides agreed that repayment commitments must be aligned with Lebanon's financial
capabilities and broader economic stability to ensure the plan is sustainable
and does not collapse after launch. The talks also addressed the hierarchy of
claims and responsibility for losses, an issue that has repeatedly stalled
negotiations between Lebanon and the IMF. BDL presented a data-driven study
prepared with its financial adviser, outlining an approach designed to revive a
significant part of the banking sector, protect its core functions, and support
economic recovery. In addition, BDL argued that dismantling the banking sector
entirely would not only obstruct deposit repayment but would also undermine
prospects for stability and growth.
From port to rail: Beirut explores sweeping transport
overhaul
LBC/February 13/.2026
Imagine a shipment arriving at the Port of Beirut and, instead of being
transported by truck, continuing its journey by train — a proposal that, along
with other projects, could become a reality. This proposal, along with other
projects, is under consideration following the Council for Development and
Reconstruction (CDR) and the Port of Beirut's Management and Investment signing
cooperation agreements to initiate feasibility studies. Among the proposed
projects is a railway line starting from the Port of Beirut, running along the
Beirut River toward the Matn region, then extending to the Bekaa Valley and
onward to Masnaa on the Lebanese-Syrian border. The line would then continue
toward Sham and Daraa in Syria. Because part of the cargo handled at the port is
destined for the Bekaa, there is also a proposal to establish a dry port in the
region — an inland freight hub that would serve as an extension of the Port of
Beirut, with goods transported directly there by rail. As the Port of Beirut is
considered a gateway to the Mediterranean, there are also plans to expand the
facility toward the Bourj Hammoud landfill site. Any expansion would include the
rehabilitation of the main entrances — gates 14, 9, and 3 — in addition to a
proposal to create a new gate, number 16. The vision for the Port of Beirut goes
beyond cargo operations, aiming to integrate it more closely into city life.
Similar to Barcelona, which redeveloped its port, opened its waterfront to the
public, and transformed part of it into a tourism and leisure destination rather
than limiting it to commercial activity, the proposed projects could reshape
transportation and trade in Lebanon and across the Mediterranean if implemented.
Saad Hariri holds talks with US, UN, and French envoys in Beirut
LBC/February 13/.2026
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri began a series of meetings on Friday
at Beit el-Wasatwith U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, in the presence of
Bahia Hariri, head of the Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development,
as well as advisers Ghattas Khoury and Hani Hammoud. The talks focused on the
latest local and regional developments. Hariri later met with U.N. Special
Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert to discuss recent
developments. He also received French Ambassador Hervé Magro, with discussions
covering the situation in Lebanon and bilateral relations between the two
countries.
Saad Hariri to mark father's assassination anniversary:
Supporters await signal on political return
LBC/February 13/.2026
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri is set to address supporters of the
Future Movement on Saturday during events marking the anniversary of the
assassination of his father, Rafic Hariri, as his base watches closely for any
indication that he may return to active politics. The crowd is expected to
listen for clues on whether Hariri will re-enter the political arena and contest
the next parliamentary elections. However, political indicators and available
information suggest he is unlikely to make such a decisive announcement.
According to the report, Hariri is expected to touch on the election file during
his speech at his father's grave, but without taking a clear stance on whether
he will participate or stay out. Instead, he is expected to keep his position
open, citing uncertainty about whether elections will be held as scheduled,
which would make any final decision premature.
Hariri's anticipated remarks are drawing attention beyond his own supporters,
with Lebanese political forces and regional and international actors closely
monitoring his next move. A group of ambassadors sought to gauge Hariri's
intentions on the first day of his return to Lebanon. He held meetings at his
Beirut residence with U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa and Russian Ambassador
Alexander Rudakov, who publicly said he discussed parliamentary elections with
Hariri and invited him to visit Moscow. Hariri also met with French Ambassador
Hervé Magro, Spanish Ambassador Jesús Santos Aguado, and U.N. Special
Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert. Sources close to Hariri said
the diplomatic outreach reflects his continued political weight, describing him
as representing a large segment of Lebanese society and a voice of moderation
among Muslims. They said Hariri stressed he remains committed to the moderate
political line established by his late father.
The Future Movement's general media coordinator, Abdel Salam Moussa, told LBCI
that popular momentum around the party has increased and that supporters are
eager for the return of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Moussa said Ahmad
Hariri continues carrying out his duties within the party, dismissing recent
rumors circulating about his role. He said the Future Movement shares a long
history with the Lebanese Forces and is focused on the future rather than
reopening old disputes, adding that the party is willing to meet politically
with any side that prioritizes Lebanon's interests and Arab identity. Moussa
also pointed to the movement's historical relationship with the Progressive
Socialist Party (PSP). On the Future Movement's past experience with the Free
Patriotic Movement (FPM), Moussa described it as "worse than bad," accusing the
party of overturning the presidential settlement. He said the Future Movement
would not "be bitten twice" and stressed the movement couldn't become an ally of
Hezbollah.
IMF urges swift banking and fiscal reforms after Beirut
visit
LBCI/February 13/2026
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Ernesto Ramirez Rigo visited
Beirut recently to assess progress on key economic and financial reforms and
held talks with Lebanese officials on banking restructuring and fiscal policy.
At the conclusion of the visit, Ramirez Rigo said in a statement: "The mission
had constructive discussions with the Lebanese authorities on legislation
underpinning their bank restructuring strategy and the emerging medium-term
fiscal framework.The draft Financial Stabilization and Depositor Recovery (FSDR)
law recently approved by Cabinet is a first step toward rehabilitating the
banking sector and giving depositors gradual access to their deposits. The
discussions focused on improvements needed to align this draft law with
international principles, including to ensure that the hierarchy of claims will
be respected and no losses would be allocated to depositors before they are
allocated to shareholders or junior creditors, and to reestablish a viable
banking system for current and future generations. In this regard, the bank
restructuring strategy needs to be consistent with available liquidity in the
system to provide the resources needed as bank deposits are gradually released
and ensure that the contributions required by the state do not undermine efforts
to restore public debt sustainability. Staff welcomed efforts underway to reduce
the cash economy, which would be greatly enhanced by the return of confidence in
the banking system once the bank restructuring has been undertaken. The
discussions also focused on amendments to the Bank Resolution Law (BRL) to
cement an independent, transparent, and effective bank resolution process in
line with international principles. We hope that Parliament can discuss and
approve these amendments in the coming months. The authorities are preparing a
medium-term fiscal framework, which is critically needed to support their bank
restructuring strategy, underpin a sovereign debt restructuring to restore debt
sustainability, and expand much needed social and capital spending, while
rebuilding institutional capacity. Staff underscored the importance of ensuring
that new expenditure commitments, including any further increases in public
sector salaries and pensions, are in line with this framework and are
accompanied by necessary revenue mobilization efforts to safeguard macroeconomic
stability. In this context, while ongoing efforts to strengthen tax collection
are welcome, tax policy measures will be essential to increase revenues over the
medium term. The approval of a more modern and effective income tax law would
present an important first step in this direction. The discussions on these
issues continue. The Fund is committed to supporting the Lebanese authorities in
their effort to design and implement a comprehensive economic and financial
reform agenda. The mission thanks the authorities for their cooperation and
constructive engagement."The visit comes as Lebanon continues to grapple with a
prolonged financial crisis and seeks to advance reforms aimed at restoring
confidence in the banking sector, restructuring public debt and stabilizing the
broader economy.
U.S. Engagement With
Lebanon Should Hinge on Dismantling of Hezbollah
David Daoud/Policy Brief-FDD/February 13/2026
Some senior U.S. officials believe showering the Lebanese government with praise
will hasten disarming Hezbollah.
In a statement issued on February 9, U.S. CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper
lauded the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) for “recently finding a massive
underground Hezbollah tunnel for the second time in the past two months.” The
tone of his comments recalled remarks made last August by Senator Lindsey Graham
(R-SC), who advocated for a mutual defense agreement with the United States. But
Graham’s endorsement of the LAF has now soured. Earlier this month, Graham
abruptly ended a direct meeting with LAF Commander Rodolphe Haykal after the
latter stated that Hezbollah was not a terrorist organization “in the context of
Lebanon.”Haykal was merely executing the instructions of the Lebanese Cabinet,
the executive power in Beirut. His statement, however, indicates strongly that
Lebanon remains wedded to its so-called “special circumstances” that have
underpinned its reluctance to restrain or disarm Hezbollah, thereby facilitating
the group’s growth.
Lebanese Leaders Refuse To Treat Hezbollah as a Terrorist Organization
Lebanon is a sectarian conglomerate. To maintain peace among the fractious
Lebanese, power-sharing agreements were created — some embedded in the
constitution, others in binding, unwritten agreements — to give each sect a
share of the figurative Lebanese pie. That share would devolve upon the
political figure or party with the highest support among that sect. In the
context of the Shiites — long presumed, in the absence of an accurate Lebanese
census in almost a century, to be the country’s largest sect — that support has
overwhelmingly gone to either the Amal Party or Hezbollah. Since the Shiites are
a legitimate, and sizable, part of the Lebanese political and social fabric, the
logic of Lebanese politics dictates that the government treat Hezbollah as
legitimate.
Sectarianism: Hezbollah’s Sword and Its Shield
The recent war with Israel significantly degraded Hezbollah’s military
capabilities. However, its support among Shiites — which in September of 2024
stood at 85 percent — has demonstrably remained intact. As a result, in the
months since the November 27, 2024, ceasefire deal reaffirmed Lebanon’s
obligation to disarm Hezbollah, Beirut and the LAF have nevertheless avoided
direct confrontation with the group. The Lebanese government’s fear that civil
war will be the result of clamping down upon Hezbollah persists, as Shiites will
perceive such a move as an attack on their sectarian prerogatives and domestic
standing. Hezbollah perfectly understands that this perception among Shiites
keeps disarmament at bay. Secretary-General Naim Qassem has repeatedly said that
disarmament poses an “existential threat” to Lebanese Shiites. In the meantime,
Hezbollah has been exploiting the resulting immunity to regenerate its military
and social welfare arms, to the point where the group already feels confident
enough to threaten intervention on Iran’s behalf if the United States attacks
the Tehran regime.
Washington Should Not Tolerate Beirut’s Deference to Hezbollah
U.S. national security and interests must not be beholden to domestic Lebanese
considerations – especially when the benefits of the U.S.-Lebanon relationship
overwhelmingly accrue to Beirut. As a matter of fixed ideology, Hezbollah has
declared the United States its primary enemy. This is not mere rhetoric;
Hezbollah has a history of directly killing Americans, including U.S. forces
deployed to Lebanon as peacekeepers, as well as assisting its Iraqi militia
allies to do the same following the U.S. invasion of Iraq. In recent years,
Hezbollah — lacking opportunities to directly attack Americans — has focused its
energies on harming U.S. interests and allies in the Middle East, seeking to
diminish American influence in a region that is critical for its trade routes
and natural resources. In such an environment, the LAF’s piecemeal and periodic
dismantlement of the group’s installations cannot offset the fertile ground
Beirut is providing for the group’s revival. Unless future engagement with
senior Lebanese officials — and aid to the LAF — is conditioned upon Beirut
proscribing Hezbollah and disarming the group, then Washington will be welcoming
the deceptively charming enablers of one of its worst and most committed
adversaries.
**David Daoud is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD),
where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs. For more analysis
from David and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow David on X @DavidADaoud.
Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research
institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: February
2–8, 2026
David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/February 13/2026
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted numerous operations against Hezbollah
throughout Lebanon between February 2 and February 8, 2026. Israeli activities
last week targeted Hezbollah assets and personnel both north and south of the
Litani River but were noticeably less intense than in preceding weeks.
The IDF conducted operations in 20 Lebanese locales, some of them more than
once. These activities included:
Airstrikes: 10
Artillery missions: Five
Detonations: Three
Drone strikes: Two
Ground activities: Three
Quadcopter activities: Six
Tank fire: One
Map instructions: Click the top-left icon or an icon on the map to open the Map
Key and adjust the map’s zoom as desired. Click the top-right icon to open a
larger version of the map.
Baalbek-Hermel Governorate
Baalbek District: Boudai and Falawa
Hermel District: Hermel
Nabatieh Governorate
Bint Jbeil District: Ayta Ash Shaab, Ramia-Salhani, and Yaroun
Hasbaya District: Dees al Khreibeh
Marjayoun District: Adaisseh, Blida, Kfar Kela, and Markaba-Rabb al Thalatheen
Nabatieh District: Ain Qana
South Lebanon Governorate
Jezzine District: Mahmoudiyeh, Mt. Rihan, Qatrani, and Sriri
Tyre District: Alma al Shaab, Dhayra, Kfar Tebnit, and Qlaileh
Casualties
Between February 2 and February 8, 2026, Israeli operations in Lebanon killed
one Hezbollah operative and wounded eight unidentified people.
February 2, 2026: One Hezbollah operative was killed, and eight unidentified
individuals were wounded.
February 3, 2026: No casualties were reported.
February 4, 2026: No casualties were reported.
February 5, 2026: No casualties were reported.
February 6, 2026: No casualties were reported.
February 7, 2026: No casualties were reported.
February 8, 2026: No casualties were reported.
Chronology of Israeli operations against Hezbollah, February 2–8, 2026
February 2
NNA Lebanon reported that at 8:30 am, an Israeli quadcopter dropped three stun
explosives in Ayta Ash Shaab in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 9:52 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli force entered Ayta Ash Shaab
and detonated a house.
At 10:32 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in
Ansariyeh, near Phoenicia University on the Tyre-Zahrani Highway, in the South
Lebanon Governorate’s Sidon District. The strike killed one person and wounded
four unidentified individuals. The IDF released a statement claiming that it had
“killed a terrorist involved in restoring Hezbollah’s military infrastructure
[…] in violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
Hezbollah-affiliated social media announced the death of Hezbollah operative
Abbas Ahmad Ghadboun, whose nom de guerre was Abul Fadl, from Qana.
Death announcement for Abbas Ahmad Ghadboun. (Balagh Media Telegram)
At 1:03 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle at the
traffic junction of Qlaileh in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.
The strike wounded four unidentified individuals.
At 1:33 pm, IDF Arabic language spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee issued warnings
to the residents of Ain Qana in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District and
Kfar Tebnit in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District to distance
themselves at least 300 meters from two designated structures he described as
“Hezbollah military infrastructure.” Adraee said that the IDF intended to target
the buildings “as part of confronting [Hezbollah’s] regeneration efforts in the
area.”
IDF warnings to residents of Ain Qana (Left) and Kfar Tebnit (Right). (Avichay
Adraee on Telegram)
At 2:49 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the
designated building in Kfar Tebnit with two missiles.
At 2:54 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the
designated building in Ain Qana.
At 2:55 pm, the IDF released a statement saying that its preceding strikes had
targeted “several Hezbollah weapons storage facilities to impede the
organization’s regeneration efforts,” which the statement stressed were “in
violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
At 3:23 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli artillery targeted the area
between Ramia and Salhani in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
February 3
At 9:39 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun
explosive in Kfar Kela in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 6:53 pm, NNA Lebanon reported Israeli forces conducted a detonation near Kfar
Kela.
February 4
At 8:45 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun
explosive in Dhayra in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.
At 1:11 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun
explosive in Adaisseh in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 4:30 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli artillery targeted the area of
Khreibeh between Al Mari and Rashaya Al Fukhar in the Nabatieh Governorate’s
Hasbaya District.
February 5
At 12:45 am, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli artillery targeted the outskirts
of Ramieh and Beit Lif in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 5:20 pm, the IDF released a statement saying that it was “striking Hezbollah
targets throughout several areas of Lebanon.”
At 5:21 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted Mahmoudiyeh in
the South Lebanon Governorate’s Jezzine District.
At 5:27 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted Waziyah,
near Khallat Khazen, on Mount Rihan in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Jezzine
District.
At 5:59 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the barrens
of Hermel in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate’s Hermel District.
At 7:00 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that another Israeli airstrike targeted the
outskirts of Hermel.
At 7:10 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the
outskirts of Sriri and Qatrani’s wadi Shbil in the South Lebanon Governorate’s
Jezzine District.
At 7:27 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the barrens
of Boudai and another airstrike targeted the barrens of Falawa, west of Baalbek,
in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate’s Baalbek District.
At 7:37 pm, the IDF released a statement on the preceding strikes, saying it had
targeted “tunnel shafts located in military sites belonging to Hezbollah used to
store weapons,” and noted “secondary explosions were seen after the strikes,
confirming the presence of weapons in the area.” The statement also noted that
“Hezbollah activity had been detected in the targeted structures in recent
months […] in violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
NNA Lebanon reported that at 10:20 pm, Israeli artillery intermittently targeted
the outskirts of Yaroun in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 11:31 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli forces conducted a detonation
between Markaba and Rabb al Thalatheen in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun
District.
February 6
At 11:59 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun
explosive on the outskirts of Yaroun in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil
District.
At 1:41 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun
explosive on the outskirts of Rmeish in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil
District.
At 5:01 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli forces directed machine-gun fire
toward the outskirts of Yaroun, followed by Israeli artillery firing a shell
toward the outskirts of Yaroun.
February 7
At 10:11 am, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli forces positioned inside Israel
directed machine-gun fire toward the outskirts of Alma al Shaab in the South
Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District and Ayta Ash Shaab in the Nabatieh
Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
February 8
At 6:46 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli Merkava tank positioned near
Blida in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District fired shells toward the
town’s eastern outskirts.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published
on February
13-14/2026
Video-Link From Forbes News TV to a pannel addressing the Iranian-USA current
war status and war risks/Paricipants: Senator Lindsey Graham ,UE Roberta Metsola,
Karim Sadjadpour and Prince Reza Pahlavi
Lindsey Graham Throws Support Behind Regime Change In Iran During Munich
Security Conference Panel
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/02/152116/
Panel Participants
Senator Lindsey Graham: U.S. Senator (R-SC).
Roberta Metsola: President of the European Parliament.
Karim Sadjadpour: Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace.
Reza Pahlavi: The exiled Crown Prince of Iran (who was present in the audience
and briefly addressed at the end).
Christian Amanpour (Moderator): Chief International Anchor for CNN (moderating
the Forbes-hosted panel).
Summary of Topics Addressed by Senator Lindsey Graham
Senator Graham took a hardline stance on the current U.S.-Iran relationship,
focusing on the necessity of regime change and the risks of diplomatic
"blinking."
1. Support for Regime Change
Explicit Endorsement: Graham explicitly stated his support for regime change in
Iran, arguing that the current religious theocracy is a "great disruptor" and
"religious Nazis" who cannot be negotiated with [01:31].
Backing the People: He emphasized that his support is for the Iranian people who
want to end oppression, rather than a purely external military imposition
[02:46].
2. Evaluation of the Regime's Weakness
"Zombie Regime": He characterized the Iranian government as the weakest it has
been since 1979, describing it as a "zombie regime" with a dying ideology and
economy [18:10].
The "Mother Ship" of Terrorism: Graham argued that taking down the Iranian
regime is the key to dismantling proxy groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the
Houthis, whom he called "the mother ship of terrorism" [04:24].
3. Trump Administration's Strategy
"Help is on the Way": He referenced President Trump’s promises to Iranian
protesters, insisting that the U.S. must follow through on these assurances to
avoid "generational damage" to American credibility [02:13].
Military vs. Diplomacy: While Graham acknowledged the preference for diplomacy,
he asserted that military force must remain a credible option and that any new
deal must be "blessed" by the Senate to ensure it isn't a "bad deal" [03:32].
4. Historical Parallels and Global Risks
Munich/Hitler Comparison: Graham frequently compared the Iranian leadership to
Hitler, suggesting that just as the West should have stopped Hitler in 1935,
they must stop the Ayatollah now before he acquires a nuclear weapon [23:14].
Consequences of Inaction: He warned that if the West "blinks" and the regime
survives this wave of protests, it will lead to the systematic destruction of
the protesters and a stronger Iranian foothold in the Middle East for
generations [10:28].
5. Regional Dynamics
Regional Pressure: He called on regional leaders (specifically mentioning Saudi
Arabia and the UAE) to "knock it off" with internal conflicts and focus on the
"big picture" of the Iranian threat [11:32].
Video- Link/WATCH: Iran
Townhall at Munich Security Conference – Reza Pahlavi & Nazanin Boniadi Speak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6-eRedfjgc
Feb 13, 2026
Watch LIVE as Reza Pahlavi, exiled Democratic Opposition Leader of Iran, and
Nazanin Boniadi, Amnesty International UK Ambassador and Boroumand Center Board
Member, lead a townhall session on Iran at the Munich Security Conference 2026.
Key topics include:
• Iran’s political future and prospects for reform
• Human rights conditions inside Iran
• International pressure, sanctions, and global diplomacy
• Role of the Iranian diaspora in shaping policy
• Regional and global security implications
Location: Munich, Germany
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International, Iran human rights debate, Munich Security Conference Iran panel,
Iranian opposition conference live, Iran political future discussion, MSC live
Iran sessionMunich Security Conference 2026, Iran townhall live, Reza Pahlavi
remarks, Nazanin Boniadi live, Iran human rights debate, Iranian political
opposition, Middle East security updates, MSC 2026 Iran session, global
diplomacy, international sanctions Iran, live townhall discussion, Iran
political future, human rights activism, Iranian diaspora influence
Trump says Iran government
change ‘best thing that could happen’
AFP/February 13, 2026
FORT BRAGG, United States: US President Donald Trump said a change of government
in Iran would be the “best thing that could happen,” as he ordered a second
aircraft carrier to head to the Middle East. “Seems like that would be the best
thing that could happen,” Trump told reporters at the Fort Bragg military base
in North Carolina when a journalist asked if he wanted “regime change” in Iran.
“For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime,
we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk,” he told reporters. Trump declined to
say who he would want to take over in Iran from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, but he added that “there are people.”He has previously backed off
full-throated calls for a change of government in Iran, warning that it could
cause chaos, although he has made threats toward Khamenei in the past. Speaking
earlier at the White House, Trump said that the USS Gerald R. Ford — the world’s
largest warship — would be “leaving very soon” for the Middle East to up the
pressure on Iran. “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” Trump said. The
giant vessel is currently in the Caribbean following the US overthrow of
Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro. Another carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, is one of
12 US ships already in the Middle East. When Iran began its crackdown on
protests last month — which rights groups say killed thousands — Trump initially
said that the United States was “locked and loaded” to help demonstrators. But
he has recently focused his military threats on Tehran’s nuclear program, which
US forces struck last July during Israel’s unprecedented 12-day war with Iran.
The protests have subsided for now but US-based Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s
last shah, urged international intervention to support the Iranian people. “We
are asking for a humanitarian intervention to prevent more innocent lives being
killed in the process,” he told the Munich Security Conference.
It followed a call by the opposition leader, who has not returned to his country
since before the revolution, for Iranians at home and abroad to continue
demonstrations this weekend. Iran and the United States, who have had no
diplomatic relations since shortly after the revolution, held talks on the
nuclear issue last week in Oman. No dates have been set for new talks yet. The
West fears the program is aimed at making a bomb, which Tehran denies. The head
of the UN nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, said Friday that reaching an accord
with Iran on inspections of its processing facilities was possible but “terribly
difficult.”Trump said after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
earlier this week that he wanted to continue talks with Iran, defying pressure
from his key ally for a tougher stance. The Israeli prime minister himself
expressed skepticism at the quality of any agreement if it didn’t also cover
Iran’s ballistic missiles and support for regional proxies. According to the
US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, 7,008 people, mostly protesters,
were killed in the recent crackdown, although rights groups warn the toll is
likely far higher. More than 53,000 people have also been arrested, it added.
The Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO said “hundreds” of people were
facing charges linked to the protests that could see them sentenced to death.
Figures working within the Iranian system have also been arrested, with three
politicians detained this week from the so-called reformist wing of Iranian
politics supportive of President Masoud Pezeshkian. The three — Azar Mansouri,
Javad Emam and Ebrahim Asgharzadeh — were released on bail Thursday and Friday,
their lawyer Hojjat Kermani told the ISNA news agency.
There's no hiding the
schism that now lies between Trump and Israel
Sky News/February 13, 2026
Benjamin Netanyahu had barely landed back in Tel Aviv when his friend in the
White House was launching a stinging attack upon the man at the top of Israeli
politics.
No, not Netanyahu, who Donald Trump continues to treat as a close friend.
No, the target of Trump's ire was Israel's president, Isaac Herzog.
The American leader said that Herzog should be "ashamed of himself" for failing
to pardon Netanyahu, who hasn't actually been convicted of anything. Netanyahu
certainly has been accused of crimes by the courts in Israel, namely bribery,
fraud and breach of trust. The criminal action against him has been rolling on
for nearly six years, interrupted constantly by delays and excuses. The Israeli
prime minister has regularly failed to turn up for court, citing the argument
that running his country takes up a lot of his time. He always maintained that
he wanted to prove his innocence in court, but then, at the end of last year, he
formally requested a pardon for the charges. He said the case had become a
distraction; his opponents insisted that "only the guilty ask for a pardon". By
this time, Trump had already laid the ground, making it clear that he thought a
pardon was deserved. As a president who has issued pardons to the best part of
2,000 people, charged or convicted, over the past year, he might think it's a
pretty straightforward job. The Israeli president seems to disagree. Herzog
issued a statement that made it clear that the legal process behind the decision
was long and unwieldy, and that he couldn't just make up his mind for himself.
He also said he "deeply appreciates President Trump", the man who had just told
Herzog he should be ashamed of himself. It's hard to imagine what level of
insult it would take for an Israeli politician to actually publicly condemn
Trump, but we're not there yet.
But there are tensions.
This was Netanyahu's sixth visit to Washington DC since Trump's return to
office, but it was the lowest profile. He arrived with no fanfare, and there was
no press conference after the meeting. The nuances were clear, though.
Netanyahu, along with colleagues in the Israeli cabinet, is worried that the
Americans will end up going soft on Iran, giving them a deal on nuclear
enrichment, easing sanctions and doing nothing to limit their arsenal of
ballistic missiles or their control of proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah in
Lebanon or the Houthis in Yemen. "I will not hide from you that I expressed
general scepticism about the nature of any agreement with Iran," said Netanyahu,
possibly the most critical comment he has ever made about Trump. Moments later,
as if to mollify the American, he described him as "a great friend of the State
of Israel, who was like no other". There is no hiding the schism that now lies
between these two countries, for so long, so allied. Israel is desperate for
action against Iran's growing stockpile of missiles, America is focused on
stopping nuclear enrichment. JD Vance has poured a lot of cold water on the US
taking military action, fearful of American casualties should Iran respond by
targeting the country's various bases in the Middle East. Which, almost
certainly, it would. Israel, behind the scenes, is making plans for what would
happen if it felt it had to take unilateral action, and that still needs the
buy-in of Trump's administration. Even if the Americans don't actually fire the
weapons, for instance, would they be prepared to restock the missiles that are
crucial to Israel's Iron Dome air defence system? You'd assume the answer is
yes, but do we know that for sure?
Iran releases on bail two
reformists arrested after protests: local media
AFP/February 13, 2026
TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have released on bail two senior reformist figures
who were arrested in recent days following anti-government protests in January,
local media reported. “Javad Emam and Ebrahim Asgharzadeh were released a few
minutes ago after posting bail,” their lawyer, Hojjat Kermani, said in an
interview with the ISNA news agency published on Thursday evening. Asgharzadeh
is a former member of parliament and Emam is the spokesman of the Reformist
Front, the main coalition of the reformist camp. They were accused of
“undermining national unity” and “coordinating with enemy propaganda,” the Fars
news agency reported at the time of their arrests. Reformists traditionally call
for more social freedoms and the establishment of a civil society and backed
current president Masoud Pezeshkian during his 2024 campaign. The lawyer
expressed hope that the release of Azar Mansouri, head of the Reform Front since
2023 could come “in the next few days when her arrest warrant is
revoked.”Mansouri, 60, an adviser to reformist former president Mohammad Khatami,
was arrested on Sunday alongside two other reformists. The arrests come weeks
after deadly protests erupted across the country, in which thousands of people
died and many more were more arrested. In 2009, Emam was one of the campaign
managers for Mir Hossein Mousavi, a leading figure in the Iranian opposition and
former prime minister, who has been under house arrest since 2011.
As one‑month Iran deadline
looms, Israel boosts military preparedness
LBCI/February 13, 2026
Following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump that there is roughly a
one-month deadline to reach an agreement with Iran, Israeli security
deliberations have intensified amid expectations that the U.S.-Iran negotiations
could fail. In a preliminary security assessment, Israeli officials view the
deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to the Middle East as an
indication that Washington is not certain the talks will succeed. This
assessment has prompted Israel to raise its level of readiness and prepare for
various potential scenarios, which were discussed between Israeli and U.S.
military leaders. The first scenario envisions a significant U.S. strike that
would prompt Iran to respond immediately against Israel and U.S. bases in the
region, including naval vessels. The second scenario assumes that an agreement
is reached, leading to a broader regional political shift. Under that scenario,
Washington would allow Tel Aviv to declare that it is not bound by the agreement
and retains freedom of action. In light of these scenarios, the Israeli military
said it conducted large-scale naval exercises involving navy squadrons, air
force units, and the communications and cyber defense directorate.
The drills were aimed at improving readiness to defend Israel’s economic waters
and strategic maritime sites, protect its borders, and prepare for a potential
multi-front conflict, amid concerns that a confrontation with Iran could expand
across multiple fronts.
Iran military degraded by 12-day
war with Israel, but still has significant capabilities
Naharnet/ February
13/2026
With one American carrier strike group already in the Middle East and another
apparently on its way as U.S. President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Iran
to give up its nuclear program, fears are rising of the outbreak of another war
that could spread into a regional conflict. The 12-day Israel-Iran war last year
appeared to cripple key elements of Iran's military, yet left its capabilities
far from neutralized — a distinction that looms large as tensions rise again. If
hostilities erupt again, the risk of a broader protracted conflict returns,
especially if Iran's leadership sees the fight as one for its existence.
Open skies
The June 13-24 war started when Israel launched strikes targeting Iran's nuclear
program and top military officials. The United States joined the conflict,
hitting three nuclear sites with massive "bunker-buster" bombs dropped from B-2
stealth bombers that flew their mission from their home base in Missouri. It was
a risky move for Trump, who has criticized his predecessors for involving the
U.S. in "stupid wars," but Iran responded weakly, with a limited missile attack
on an American military base in Qatar that it warned Washington of in advance,
and which caused no casualties. Tehran and Israel then both agreed to a
ceasefire. Israel was able to significantly degrade Iran's air defenses with
airstrikes and covert attacks from teams on the ground. Iran, presumably aware
that its older F-14 and MiG-29 fighters were no match for the fifth-generation
American F-35 stealth fighters and other aircraft flown by Israel, also never
sent its air force into action.
That left the skies clear for Israel to carry out waves of attacks, and for the
U.S. to hit Iran's nuclear facilities and get out of Iranian airspace without
the B-2 bombers ever being fired upon. If hostilities resume, that scenario is
likely to repeat, said Sascha Bruchmann, a defense analyst with the
International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain. "In practical terms,
in reductionist terms, the sky is open for American and Israeli planes," he
said. "The problem is how to defend the region from the retaliation." Bruchmann
said in the case of an expanded war, Iran would most likely hit back by
targeting U.S. bases in the region, but could also attack oil infrastructure and
mine the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman,
through which about a fifth of the world's oil is transported. They could also
attempt to hit the American aircraft carriers, though they're well defended by
the destroyers in their strike groups, Bruchmann said.
"If the regime itself believes its survival is at stake, which it did not
believe in June last year, I think the game is different," he said. "If you have
a ... regime that thinks it's about to go down, when why would you hold back
with retaliation?"
Iran's missile cupboard
Iran fired hundreds of missiles during the 12-day war and used more than 1,000
attack drones, killing nearly three dozen Israeli civilians and wounding
thousands. Danny Citrinowicz, a researcher at Israel's Institute for National
Security Studies and a former Iran specialist in Israel's military and
intelligence services, said that it remains unclear how much missile capacity
Iran has rebuilt. "You can see through satellite imagery, attempts to restart
manufacturing," he said, adding that government leaks in Israeli media suggest
that Israel assumes Iran still retains a substantial number of short-range
ballistic missiles. Israeli strikes last year focused on what officials saw as
the most immediate threats — Iran's medium- and long-range missiles — leaving
Tehran with a reduced but far from eliminated ability to threaten Israel. Its
ability to hit nearby U.S. bases with short range missiles, seems barely
diminished. "The short-range ballistic missiles did not suffer any significant
hit whatsoever in the 12-day war," Citrinowicz said. Iran's exact capabilities
aren't known, but it's thought to still have more than 1,000 long range missiles
that could hit Israel, and several thousand of the shorter-range missiles that
could be used to hit American bases or other targets nearby, Bruchmann said.
Missile stockpiles matter only if a country retains the systems to launch them.
Israel also took out many of Iran's launchers, but wasn't able to destroy them
completely, and it seems likely that Iran will have been working hard to rebuild
that capacity.
Very different stakes
Iran's military vastly outnumbers that of Israel, with about 600,000 regular
troops and 200,000 in the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, including the elite
Quds Force. In the past they have also relied on proxy forces. Those include
Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. But each has been so degraded
by recent fighting that it's an open question whether they would be able — or
willing — to come to Iran's assistance from Gaza, Lebanon or Yemen. A bigger
threat might come from Iran-linked militias in Iraq, which could threaten U.S.
forces on the ground there. Israel has around 170,000 members of active duty
forces and another 400,000 reserves. But even though their military is smaller,
many have been battle hardened by regional conflicts and they also have the
latest U.S. and European equipment as well as a robust domestic defense
industry. It also has the support of the U.S., both with its naval assets and
multiple bases in the Middle East, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which
hosts thousands of American troops and is the forward headquarters for U.S.
Central Command. But beyond comparing numbers and capabilities, Bruchmann said
that when thinking about a possible all-out conflict, one has to look at what
the sides are willing to risk. "My assumption is that Americans are trying to
plan for zero casualties," he said. "We're talking regime survival versus a zero
casualty intervention — so just phenomenally different stakes."
Second US
aircraft carrier is being sent to the Middle East, as Iran tensions high
Associated Press/February
13/2026
The United States will send the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Middle
East to back up another already there, a person familiar with the plans said
Friday, putting more American firepower behind President Donald Trump's efforts
to coerce Iran into a deal over its nuclear program. The USS Gerald R. Ford's
planned deployment to the Mideast comes after Trump only days earlier suggested
another round of talks with the Iranians was at hand. Those negotiations didn't
materialize as one of Tehran's top security officials visited Oman and Qatar
this week and exchanged messages with the U.S. intermediaries.
Already, Gulf Arab nations have warned any attack could spiral into another
regional conflict in a Mideast still reeling from the Israel-Hamas war in the
Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Iranians are beginning to hold 40-day mourning ceremonies
for the thousands killed in Tehran's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests
last month, adding to the internal pressure faced by the sanctions-battered
Islamic Republic.The Ford's deployment, first reported by The New York Times,
will put two carriers and their accompanying warships in the region. Already,
the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying guided-missile destroyers are in
the Arabian Sea.The person who spoke to The Associated Press on the deployment
did so on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements.
Ford had been part of Venezuela strike force
It marks a quick turnaround for the Ford, which Trump sent from the
Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean last October as the administration build up a
huge military presence in the lead-up to the surprise raid last month that
captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. It also appears to be at odds
with Trump's national security strategy, which put an emphasis on the Western
Hemisphere over other parts of the world. Trump on Thursday warned Iran that
failure to reach a deal with his administration would be "very traumatic." Iran
and the United States held indirect talks in Oman last week.
"I guess over the next month, something like that," Trump said in response to a
question about his timeline for striking a deal with Iran on its nuclear
program. "It should happen quickly. They should agree very quickly."Trump told
Axios earlier this week that he was considering sending a second carrier strike
group to the Middle East. Trump held lengthy talks with Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday and said he insisted to Israel's leader that
negotiations with Iran needed to continue. Netanyahu is urging the
administration to press Tehran to scale back its ballistic missile program and
end its support for militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah as part of any
deal. The USS Ford set out on deployment in late June 2025, which means the crew
will have been deployed for eight months in two weeks time. While it is unclear
how long the ship will remain in the Middle East, the move sets the crew up for
an usually long deployment. The White House didn't immediately respond to a
request for comment.
Ford's deployment comes as Iran mourns
Iran at home faces still-simmering anger over its wide-ranging suppression of
all dissent in the Islamic Republic. That rage may intensify in the coming days
as families of the dead begin marking the traditional 40-day mourning for the
loved ones. Already, online videos have shown mourners gathering in different
parts of the country, holding portraits of their dead. One video purported to
show mourners at a graveyard in Iran's Razavi Khorasan province, home to
Mashhad, on Thursday. There, with a large portable speaker, people sang the
patriotic song "Ey Iran," which dates to 1940s Iran under the rule of Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. While initially banned after the 1979 Islamic Revolution,
Iran's theocratic government has played it to drum up support. "Oh Iran, a land
of full of jewels, your soil is full of art," they sang. "May evil wishes be far
from you. May you live eternal. Oh enemy, if you are a piece of granite, I am
iron."
Syrian Troops Take Over Key
Syria Base After U.S. Withdrawal
FDD/February 13/2026
Latest Developments
Al-Tanf Withdrawal: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on February 12 that
U.S. forces had completed the “orderly withdrawal” from the al-Tanf base in
northeastern Syria. The confirmation came after Syria announced the U.S.
departure earlier in the day. CENTCOM said that the base, originally established
in 2014 during Combined Joint Task Force — Operation Inherent Resolve, “enabled
partner forces in the fight against ISIS.” CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper
emphasized that “U.S. forces remain poised to respond to any ISIS threats that
arise in the region as we support partner-led efforts to prevent the terrorist
network’s resurgence.”Syrian Troops Take Control: Syria said its troops had
taken control of the base in a coordinated move with the United States. Syrian
forces officially joined the coalition to combat ISIS after a November 2025
meeting at the White House between Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and
President Donald Trump. The move comes as part of what CENTCOM described as a
consolidation of the U.S. troop presence in Syria announced in April 2025.
Withdrawal After Integration Agreement: On January 30, the Kurdish-led Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF) — a U.S.-backed group that played a decisive role in
combating ISIS — agreed to a phased integration of its fighters with Syrian
government forces. The agreement ended weeks of bloody clashes between the SDF
and the Syrian army, in which pro-Damascus forces seized large parts of SDF-controlled
territory. Over the past weeks, the United States has transferred thousands of
ISIS prisoners held in northern Syria to Iraq in preparation for further
withdrawal.
FDD Expert Response
“The American presence in Syria has been crucial to the prevention of terrorism
and internecine violence. It has been crucial for the protection of minorities
in Syria. It has been essential in safeguarding American interests across the
Middle East. The withdrawal of American troops will be celebrated by some as a
reduction in American commitments abroad. This may be the case, but it will also
be celebrated by America’s adversaries and enemies as an opportunity to extend
power and fill a void.” — Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director
“This was a low-cost, high-value mission that the United States is ending even
though the threat persists. Even if the new Syrian leadership wants to fight
ISIS, its capacity is questionable at best. Moreover, the Syrian army has
incorporated thousands of ex-jihadists. The mission at al-Tanf also served as an
obstacle to the operations of Iran and its proxies, who ship weapons across
Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon. This is an own goal.” — David Adesnik, Vice
President of Research
“The situation in Syria has evolved significantly, but Congress should ask
serious questions to ensure this is not yet another example of a costly,
politically motivated withdrawal that ignores conditions on the ground and the
advice of commanders. The withdrawals from Iraq in 2011 and Afghanistan in 2021
underscore the need to bring the same level of scrutiny to military withdrawals
as we do to new military deployments.” — Bradley Bowman, Senior Director of
FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power
FDD Background and Analysis
“5,000 Islamic State detainees transferred to Iraq from Syria, will face
investigations,” by Seth J. Frantzman
“‘We Don’t Care What Others Say’: Turkey Won’t Withdraw Its Troops From Syria,”
by Ahmad Sharawi and Sinan Ciddi
“Russian troops begin evacuating from northern Syria,” by Dmitriy Shapiro and
Keti Korkiya
“The consequences of US weakness in Iraq and Syria,” by Bradley Bowman and
Cameron McMillan
SDF chief joins official
Syrian delegation during meeting with top US diplomat Rubio
Al Arabiya English/13 February/2026
Mazloum Abdi, head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has joined
the official Syrian delegation meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Abdi was pictured sitting alongside Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani in
the meeting with Rubio. US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack posted the
picture as well in a post on X, writing: “A picture is worth a thousand words —
a new beginning.”
US completes transfer of IS
detainees from Syria to Iraq
Agence France Presse/February 13/2026
The United States Central Command said on Friday it had completed the transfer
of detained Islamic State group suspects held in Syria to Iraq. CENTCOM said it
"completed a transfer mission following a nighttime flight from northeastern
Syria to Iraq on Feb 12 to help ensure ISIS detainees remain secure in detention
facilities.""The 23-day transfer mission began on Jan 21 and resulted in U.S.
forces successfully transporting more than 5,700 adult male ISIS fighters from
detention facilities in Syria to Iraqi custody," it added. The U.S. had
previously announced it would transfer around 7,000 detainees.
Russia,
Ukraine to hold talks in Geneva on February 17-18
Associated Press/February
13/2026
Another round of U.S.-brokered talks between envoys from Russia and Ukraine will
take place next week in Geneva, days ahead of the fourth anniversary of the
all-out Russian invasion of its neighbor, officials in Moscow and Kyiv said on
Friday. The meeting will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson
Dmitry Peskov said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies. Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky's communications adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, confirmed
the new round of negotiations.
The talks take place against a backdrop of continued fighting along the roughly
1,250-kilometer (750-mile) front line, relentless Russian bombardment of
civilian areas of Ukraine and the country's power grid, and Kyiv's almost daily
long-range drone attacks on war-related assets on Russian soil. Previous
U.S.-led efforts to find consensus on ending the war, most recently two rounds
of talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, have failed to
resolve difficult issues, such as the future of Ukraine's Donbas industrial
heartland that is largely occupied by Russian forces.
Zelensky said last week that the United States has given Ukraine and Russia a
June deadline to reach a deal. Previous deadlines given by U.S. President Donald
Trump have passed largely without consequence. Zelensky was in Munich, Germany,
on Friday and visited the first joint Ukrainian-German company for the
production of drones. Germany has been a major backer of Ukraine in the war. He
was also due to hold bilateral and multilateral meetings at the Munich Security
Conference, an annual gathering of top international security figures. The
negotiators heading to Geneva have the tough task of finding compromises that
are palatable to both Moscow and Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin's
adviser Vladimir Medinsky, who headed Moscow's team of negotiators in the first
direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in March 2022, is returning to lead
Moscow's delegation. The previous two rounds of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi
reportedly focused on military issues, such as a possible buffer zone and
ceasefire monitoring. The return of Medinsky, who has pushed Russian President
Vladimir Putin's maximalist conditions for peace, could mark a shift toward
political issues in the next round of talks.
Ukraine's delegation will again be led by Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's National
Security and Defense Council chief. The grim war of attrition is continuing
while the two sides negotiate. Overnight from Thursday to Friday, a Russian
strike killed three brothers between 8 and 19 years of age in eastern Ukraine,
authorities said. Their mother and grandmother survived but sustained multiple
injuries, the Donetsk regional prosecutor's office said. In Odesa, one person
was killed and six more injured in a Russian strike at the city's port and
energy infrastructure, officials said. The Russian Defense Ministry said on
Friday its air defenses shot down 58 Ukrainian drones over several Russian
regions and annexed Crimea during the night. Of those, 43 were brought down in
the Volgograd region of southwestern Russia, where three people, including a
12-year-old boy, were injured by drone debris, according to the local governor.
Ukraine has recently targeted the Volgograd oil refinery.
Main donor US unclear on
UNRWA future, jettisoning it would leave black hole: Agency chief
Reuters/13 February/2026
The US is still not clear about how it sees the future role of the UN
Palestinian refugee agency, its chief said on Friday, warning that jettisoning
it would create a black hole similar to Iraq after 2003. US President Donald
Trump’s administration has accused UNRWA staff of having links with Hamas,
allegations UNRWA has vigorously disputed. Washington was long UNRWA’s biggest
donor, but froze funding in January 2024 after Israel accused about a dozen
UNRWA staff of taking part in the deadly Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack that
triggered the war in Gaza. “There is no definitive answer, because the interest
of the US is also to be successful in this process and if you get rid of an
agency like ours before you have an alternative, you are also creating a huge
black hole,” UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini told Reuters on the sidelines of the
Munich Security Conference. “Remember what happened in Iraq in 2003 when the
entire administration had been dismantled (following the US-led invasion).
There was no alternative and people were left without any services,” he said in
an interview. UNRWA has functioned for decades as the main international agency
providing for the welfare of millions of Palestinian descendants of those who
fled or were driven from homes during the war around Israel’s 1948 founding.
Lazzarini, who leaves his post at the end of March, said UNRWA did not foresee
any more cuts in the immediate term and it continued to offer public health and
education services that no one else was really providing. He urged Gulf
countries to increase their support because their contribution did not match
their strong expression of solidarity with Palestinian refugees. Israel accuses
UNRWA of bias, and the Israeli parliament passed a law in October 2024 banning
the agency from operating in the country and prohibiting officials from having
contact with it.
Activist group Palestine
Action wins legal challenge against UK ban
Associated Press/February 13/2026
Britain's High Court ruled Friday that the government's decision to outlaw the
protest group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was unlawful, but it
kept the ban in place pending another hearing while the government prepares an
appeal. Judges Victoria Sharp, Jonathan Swift and Karen Steyn said "the nature
and scale of Palestine Action's activities" did not meet the "level, scale and
persistence" that would justify proscription. The judges said they were
"satisfied that the decision to proscribe Palestine Action was
disproportionate."The government banned Palestine Action after activists broke
into a Royal Air Force base in June to protest British military support for
Israel's military offensive against Hamas in Gaza, which killed tens of
thousands of Palestinians. The government declared the pro-Palestinian
direct-action group a terrorist organization alongside the likes of al-Qaida and
Hamas, making membership in or support for Palestine Action a crime punishable
by up to 14 years in prison. Since then, more than 2,700 people have been
arrested at protests for holding signs saying "I support Palestine Action." More
than 250 have been charged under the Terrorism Act. Supporters of Palestine
Action and civil liberties groups say the arrests for peaceful protest ride
roughshod over free speech and the right to protest. Palestine Action co-founder
Huda Ammori said the decision "is a monumental victory both for our fundamental
freedoms here in Britain and in the struggle for freedom for the Palestinian
people, striking down a decision that will forever be remembered as one of the
most extreme attacks on free speech in recent British history." Yasmine Ahmed,
U.K. director of Human Rights Watch, called the court ruling "a shot in the arm
for British democracy." She said the British government had used antiterror
legislation to stifle legitimate criticism of Israel. Home Secretary Shabana
Mahmood said she was "disappointed by the court's decision and disagree with the
notion that banning this terrorist organization is disproportionate.""The
proscription does not prevent peaceful protest in support of the Palestinian
cause, another point on which the court agrees," she said, adding: "I intend to
fight this judgment in the Court of Appeal." Palestine Action has carried out
direct action protests at military and industrial sites in the U.K. since it
formed in 2020, including breaking into facilities owned by Israeli weapons
manufacturer Elbit Systems UK. Officials say the group's actions have caused
millions of pounds in damage that affect national security. In their ruling, the
judges said that while "a very small number of its actions have amounted to
terrorist action ... regardless of proscription, the criminal law is available
to prosecute those concerned."The justices said they would not quash the ban
until a further hearing on whether it should stay in place "pending the
possibility of an appeal." They gave lawyers for the two sides until Feb. 20 to
prepare for that hearing. London's Metropolitan Police force said that in light
of the judgment, officers would not arrest people expressing support for
Palestine Action, but would continue to gather evidence of offenses "to provide
opportunities for enforcement at a later date."
Palestinians look to salvage Gaza's history from ruins of
Israeli war
Associated Press/February 13/2026
Muneer Elbaz remembers the joy of visiting the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza with
his family, praying at a site where people have worshipped over centuries as
empires came and went. "These were the best days," Elbaz said, as he recalled
promenading through the lively markets around the mosque before the Israel-Hamas
war. "This place transports us from one era to another."Today, much of the
mosque stands in ruins — like most of Gaza — after being hit by Israeli strikes
in the two-year war muffled by an uncertain ceasefire. The sight of the rubble
brings to mind "a tree that had been uprooted from the land," said Elbaz, a
Palestinian heritage consultant involved with recovery work at the site.
Israel's military offensive killed over 72,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's
Health Ministry, and erased entire extended families.Gone too is some of the
heritage of a land with a rich history going back to ancient times. The mosque
was built on a site where a Byzantine church had stood, and changed hands and
even religions as one invader followed another. With major military operations
halted, Palestinians are gaining a clearer picture of the destruction. Some
organizations are trying to save what they can at historical sites, even as
full-scale restoration — and the broader reconstruction of the territory — face
major obstacles.
Dozens of sites were damaged
Israel launched its offensive after Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200
people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostage in the Oct. 7, 2023,
attack. The military accuses Hamas of concealing military assets beneath or near
heritage sites, as well as other civilian structures. The U.N. cultural agency,
in an ongoing assessment based on satellite images, says it has verified damage
to at least 150 sites since the start of the war. They include 14 religious
sites, 115 buildings of historical or artistic interest, nine monuments and
eight archaeological sites. They are fragments of Gaza's soul, connecting
Palestinians to a place and a history that many fear is at risk of being erased.
"These sites were an important element that solidifies the presence of the
Palestinian people on this land and that represents the continuity of their
cultural identity," said Issam Juha, co-director of the Centre for Cultural
Heritage Preservation, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
"They want to erase the Palestinian identity and Palestinian heritage and ... to
remove any connection that keeps the Palestinian society clinging to this land,"
he said. The center is doing urgent rescue work at the badly damaged Pasha
Palace, which housed centuries-old artifacts, many of which appear to have been
looted, Juha said. Among the missing items are an Ottoman-era Quranic
manuscript, jewelry from the medieval Mamluk era and a Roman-era sarcophagus
from which only some fragments have been recovered, according to Hamouda al-Dohdar,
an expert working at the site. The Israeli military said it struck "a Hamas
military compound and an anti-tank missile array" at the site. It said its
forces struck a "terror tunnel" at the Omari mosque. It did not provide evidence
in either case. Amir Abu al-Omrain, an official with Gaza's endowments ministry,
part of the Hamas-run government, denied the allegation about the mosque. UNESCO
does not have a mandate to assign responsibility for the damage it assesses. An
independent commission established by the U.N.'s Human Rights Council said it
was not aware of any evidence of a tunnel shaft in the mosque. Noting the
Israeli allegations about the mosque, it said that even the presence of a
"legitimate military objective … would not have justified the resulting damage."
Israel has previously accused the commission of bias. The centuries-old Saint
Porphyrius Orthodox church complex, which had been sheltering displaced
Palestinians, was also hit in an Israeli attack early in the war, causing deaths
and injuries. The military said it had targeted a nearby Hamas command center.
UNESCO said the church complex was moderately damaged. Some of Gaza's heritage
sites appear to have been spared. UNESCO said it has found no evidence of damage
at the Saint Hilarion Monastery, dating to the 4th century. Under international
law, cultural property should not be targeted or used for military purposes. The
Israeli military says it takes the sensitivity of cultural and religious sites
into account, aims to minimize damage to civilian infrastructure and adheres to
international law.
A rich history
Artifacts and accounts stretching back thousands of years testify to Gaza's long
history of commerce and conflict. Egypt's pharaohs sent chariots through the
low-lying coastal strip in their wars with the Hittites in modern-day Turkey.
Traders in Gaza did brisk business with the ancient Greeks. The Omari mosque,
named for Islam's second caliph, was initially built in the seventh century.
Centuries later, the Crusaders converted it into a cathedral, and it went back
to being a mosque after they were expelled, said Stephennie Mulder, associate
professor of Islamic art at the University of Texas at Austin. The mosque was
damaged during World War I, when the British shelled Gaza in their campaign
against the Ottoman Turks, and was later rebuilt. "The building itself told the
story of Gaza's past as a crossroads of trade, armies, empires, and religious
traditions," said Mulder. "For many Gazans, the Omari mosque stood as a beloved
symbol of multiplicity, resilience and persistence."
More than stones
Mohammad Shareef, 62, remembers attending prayers at the mosque with his father
when he was a child, and studying for exams in its quiet confines. Years later,
he would bring his own children there. He wept when it was hit. "We were raised
in it and around it, and there's no stone here that we haven't stepped on," he
said. "For the people of Gaza, this is their history."The loss will feel
particularly acute during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins later
this month. Before the war, thousands converged on the mosque for Ramadan
prayers amid a festive atmosphere. This year, a large tented structure has been
erected. In recent days, workers have been filling wheelbarrows in the shadow of
a damaged minaret. Hosni Almazloum, an engineer working at the site, said the
mosque's prayer hall ceiling had collapsed and columns had crumbled. He said it
could be rebuilt, if construction supplies are allowed in. For now, teams have
been focused on recovery and preventing further damage, sifting through and
storing stones. The U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement, which halted most of the
fighting in October, gives no timeline for Gaza's reconstruction, which may
prove impossible if Israel maintains the blockade it imposed on the territory
when Hamas seized power in 2007, after the militant group won Palestinian
elections in 2006. Many historic sites suffered from neglect before the war. The
blockade and previous Israel-Hamas wars, along with a lack of resources and
urban sprawl, posed challenges. Hamas-run authorities have leveled parts of what
archaeologists believe was a Bronze Age settlement to make way for construction
projects. Elbaz says that before the ceasefire, grief was a luxury he couldn't
afford — his family was just trying to survive. "What would you begin to cry
over?" he asked. "The historic mosques or your home or your history or your
children's schools or the streets?" Now, as he processes the war's toll, he
sometimes weeps, away from the eyes of his children. "Gaza is our mother," he
said. "We have memories everywhere — in this tree, this flower, this garden and
this mosque. Yes, we cry over every part of Gaza."
Indonesia readies troops in
first firm commitment to Gaza peacekeeping force
Associated Press/February 13/2026
Indonesia has begun training a contingent of up to 8,000 soldiers it plans to
send as part of an international peacekeeping force to Gaza, the first firm
commitment to a critical element of U.S. President Donald Trump's postwar
reconstruction plan. Indonesia has experience in peacekeeping operations as one
of the top 10 contributors to United Nations missions, including in Lebanon, and
has been deeply involved in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, including
funding a hospital. But many Indonesians are skeptical of President Prabowo
Subianto 's plans to join Washington's proposed Board of Peace and participate
in the International Security Force with only vague details so far on how they
will operate, seeing it as simply kowtowing to Trump's agenda as the two
countries negotiate a trade deal. "We need to be careful to ensure that our
military personnel are not supporting the Israeli military forces," said
Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, a Middle East expert with Jakarta's Center of
Economic and Law Studies. "We need to be careful that our military forces are
not fighting against wrong actors."
The ISF's mandate remains unclear
U.N. peacekeeping forces all have clear and strict mandates, but since the Board
of Peace and ISF will operate outside the U.N., many wonder how the troops will
be used, and who will pay for them. Last year's ceasefire agreement broadly says
that the ISF will "provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza"
and will "work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas."Indonesia
currently is paid by the U.N. for the troops it sends to serve as peacekeepers,
but people fear it will have to pick up the tab for the troops sent to Gaza, as
well as a possible $1 billion payment for a permanent place on the Board of
Peace, as outlined in a draft charter. Indonesia is the world's most populous
Muslim country and firmly supports a two-state solution in the Mideast, and
officials have justified joining the Board of Peace by saying it was necessary
to defend Palestinian interests from within, since Israel is included on the
board but there is no Palestinian representation. "Indonesia sees the importance
of the involvement of the parties to the conflict as part of the process towards
peace," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said this week. She said
Indonesia would use its membership to "ensure that the entire process remains
oriented towards the interests of Palestine and respects the basic rights of the
Palestinian people, as well as encouraging the realization of a two-state
solution."The Jakarta Post slammed that kind of reasoning in an editorial,
however, saying that an "independent Palestinian state, if it emerges at all, is
likely decades away.""Indonesia will end up paying $1 billion long before any
meaningful outcome is achieved," Abdul Khalik wrote. "And if Indonesia
eventually withdraws in frustration, it will have already spent vast resources;
financial, diplomatic and political, for nothing."
Trump seen as overstepping the UN
The Board of Peace was initially envisioned as a small group of world leaders
overseeing Trump's plan for Gaza's future. But the U.S. president has since said
he sees the board as a mediator of worldwide conflicts, sidestepping the mandate
of the U.N. Prabowo, a former army general who has been keen to raise
Indonesia's profile on the world stage, quickly accepted Trump's offer for a
place on the Board of Peace and made an initial pledge of 20,000 Indonesian
troops as peacekeepers during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
An online petition started by a group of Muslim scholars and activists questions
joining a body that ostensibly promotes peace, but whose proposed chairman for
life will be Trump, citing his threats to take Greenland, the seizure of
then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and the American veto of a U.N.
Security Council resolution calling for a Gaza ceasefire last year. "In our
belief, peace will be difficult to achieve by a country or a leader of a country
who repeatedly uses his veto power to prevent the occurrence of peace itself,"
reads the petition, which calls for Indonesia to withdraw from the Board of
Peace and has gotten more than 9,000 signatures so far. "The BoP faces serious
legitimacy problems, both normatively, structurally and morally." Indonesia's
military readies troops despite lack of guidance. About 100 protesters against
Indonesia's involvement gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on Friday,
holding signs with slogans like "Bored of peace?" and "Free Gaza."Earlier this
week, Indonesian Army Chief of Staff Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak said that training
had begun for the peacekeepers, even though Indonesia has yet to receive any
guidance on what types of personnel were needed. He said Indonesia now envisions
sending between 5,000 to 8,000 troops. "We have started training personnel who
might later serve as peacekeepers," he said. "So that means engineering, medical
units - the types often deployed."Despite the skepticism at home, the idea of
Indonesians serving as peacekeepers in Gaza is seen in the region as a good one,
said Hassan Jouni, a Qatar-based analyst who was formerly a Lebanese army
general. Indonesia, he said, is viewed as an "honest and acceptable broker" by
both sides in the conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza.
"Indonesia is a Muslim country... and its religious identity gives it a large
distinction in its security participation as part of the peacekeeping forces in
the Arab region," he said. "At the same time, it does not pose a strategic
threat to Israel."While Indonesia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic ties
and Indonesia has been supportive of the rights of the Palestinians, it has not
taken a directly confrontational stance toward Israel similar to some other
Muslim-majority powers such as Turkey and Iran. "From this point of view, the
participation of Indonesian forces in southern Lebanon comes in a balanced and
effective manner," he said, and it may be expected to do the same in Gaza. Many
are looking for clarity toward the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace next
week in Washington, where other countries are expected to announce troop
commitments of their own. Prabowo plans to attend in person and is expected to
also sign the new trade deal while there, and the Center of Economic and Law
Studies' Rakhmat said he didn't think he would be swayed by public sentiment. "I
don't think the domestic opposition would significantly change the decision of
Indonesia in joining the BoP," he said.
US sends more than six tons
of medical supplies to Venezuela
LBCI/February 13, 2026
The United States said Friday it has sent more than six tons of medical supplies
to Venezuela to help stabilize the country, a month after the ouster of Nicolas
Maduro in a U.S. special forces raid. The shipment of 25 pallets -- more than
6,000 kilograms -- of priority medical supplies to the Venezuelan people is part
of a plan for the country's "stabilization, recovery and transition," the State
Department said in a statement. AFP
Trump says will visit
Venezuela, doesn't say when
LBCI/February 13, 2026
President Donald Trump said Friday that he would visit Venezuela -- whose leader
was toppled last month in a U.S. military raid -- but had not yet determined
when."I'm going to make a visit to Venezuela," he said when asked about a
potential trip by reporters at the White House, adding: "We haven't decided" on
a date. AFP
The Latest
LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on February
13-14/2026
Negotiation, Trump style
Jason D. Greenblatt/Arab News/February 13, 2026
I don’t know what is in President Donald Trump’s head. No one does — except him.
And that is by design. Revealing his strategy would forfeit leverage, eliminate
surprise and weaken negotiations before they even begin. Strategic ambiguity is
not confusion. It is strength. I spent more than 20 years working on many of
Trump’s largest business deals and three years serving as Middle East envoy in
the White House. I am often asked what I believe he is thinking about Iran. My
phone has been ringing off the hook since Wednesday’s meeting between Trump and
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Here is my assessment. Many predicted
he would strike quickly. I did not. Weeks ago, I wrote that he would first test
whether diplomacy could work — real diplomacy, aimed at real results.
Trump wants an agreement that eliminates Iran’s nuclear threat — one that is
verifiable, enforceable and immediate
Not another Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action-style agreement riddled with
loopholes and excuses. Not another paper promise that looks good in headlines
and collapses in practice. The last deal, among its many flaws, merely kicked
the nuclear threat down the road and gave the Iranian regime space to cheat. And
cheat they did.
Trump wants something different.
He wants an agreement that eliminates the nuclear threat — one that is
verifiable, enforceable and immediate. One where enforcement does not depend on
endless UN handwringing. One that addresses Iran’s growing missile capabilities
and regional aggression. This week, I attended the World Defense Show in Riyadh.
The weaponry on display from around the world was breathtaking — and terrifying.
More lethal. More precise. More sophisticated than ever.
It was a glimpse into the future of warfare.And it should sober anyone who cares
about what kind of world we are leaving to our children. Trump understands this
reality. He does not sugarcoat it. He does not hide behind pleasant speeches
that mean nothing. He tells hard truths — even when they are uncomfortable. He
also understands that the first victims of the Iranian regime are the Iranian
people themselves. They live under crushing sanctions imposed because of their
leaders’ warmongering, repression and extremism. They suffer for ambitions they
did not choose. They have paid the highest price for a regime that values
ideology over life.At the same time, the threat to Israel and to America’s Arab
allies remains real — and, if left unchecked, will only grow far more
dangerous.People often forget something fundamental about Trump. He seeks peace
and prosperity. That is what drives him. He is, at heart, a dealmaker. If anyone
has a chance to resolve something this complex, it is him. Why? Because of his
direct, unsentimental approach. Because leaders across the region — despite
differing tactics — share a clear-eyed understanding of Iran’s threat. Because
the Middle East is undergoing historic, positive change under pragmatic
leadership. Because people across the region are exhausted by endless war. I
heard this repeatedly during my visit this week. And because Trump has rebuilt
American strength and is unafraid to use it. He negotiates from power, not
apology. Let me be clear: I am deeply skeptical of Iran’s leadership. To my
core. I believe they seek to buy time, build capacity and survive long enough to
pursue their long-term goals: destroying Israel and dominating the region.
History gives us no reason to trust their intentions.
None. But I have also seen Trump accomplish what others said was impossible.
Over 23 years, I watched him close deals so-called experts dismissed as fantasy.
He does not accept conventional limits. He does not surrender to pessimism.
Above all, he has a duty to protect America — America’s soldiers, American
families, the American economy and America’s future. He also believes in the
future of the Middle East. A much better future. No one should fault him for
exhausting every peaceful option before choosing the hard path. Trying to
prevent war does not make him weak. It does not make him naive. It does not make
him indecisive.
It means he is doing his job.
War brings death, trauma, destruction and terrible consequences that last
generations. If there is a responsible way to avoid it, a president must pursue
it.
That does not mean Trump is being played.
He is no one’s fool. He recognizes deception. He senses bad faith. He does not
tolerate theater. If negotiations become a charade, he will know. Quickly.
We owe it to ourselves, to those who wear the American uniform and to our allies
in the Middle East to let this process unfold.
If he ultimately concludes that force is necessary — or that supporting Israel
in war is unavoidable — he will do so knowing he explored every alternative.
He has also placed people he trusts at the table: Jared Kushner. Steve Witkoff.
Marco Rubio. Trying to prevent war does not make him weak. It does not make him
naive. It does not make him indecisive
These are not career diplomats who hide behind vague language and endless
process. They understand leverage. They know how to close. They know when to
walk away. And they speak honestly to the president.
They understand the difficulty. They understand the odds. And they will give
Trump reality — not fantasy.
So, for now, let us restrain our reflexes.
Let’s hold our breath and our tongues.
Let’s see what Trump can do.
Let’s see what Trump will do.
If a strong, enforceable agreement is possible, he and his team may be the ones
to achieve it. If it is not, then the world will see what he decides next.
The Middle East is ready for a new era. People want stability. Opportunity.
Normal lives. Endless conflict has delivered none of that.
Trump may be the leader capable of breaking old patterns.
We should give him the space to try.
One way or another.
*Jason D. Greenblatt was the White House Middle East envoy in the first Trump
administration. He is the author of “In the Path of Abraham: How Donald Trump
Made Peace in the Middle East — and How to Stop Joe Biden From Unmaking It” and
the founder of Abraham Venture LLC. X: @GreenblattJD
Is Saudi Arabia abandoning moderation?
Salman Al-Ansari/Arab News/February 13, 2026
“We will not waste 30 years of our lives dealing with extremist ideas. We will
destroy them today.”
This is what Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said publicly in 2017 at the
Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, expressing with unmistakable clarity how
Saudi Arabia views extremism. He did not frame it as a gradual debate or a
distant ambition, but as an urgent national priority.
That statement alone undermines the orchestrated narrative portraying Saudi
Arabia as drifting away from moderation and toward the Muslim Brotherhood. This
claim is not only misleading but fundamentally naive. Saudi Arabia was the first
country in the Gulf Cooperation Council to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a
terrorist organization, doing so in March 2014. Other states followed later.
Riyadh has long regarded the Brotherhood as an existential threat, alongside all
rigid and ideologically driven movements that undermine state authority and
social cohesion.
This position was reaffirmed clearly in 2021 on the official Saudi TV channel,
when the crown prince stated: “Anyone who adopts extremist thinking is a
criminal and will be held accountable. We cannot advance with the presence of
extremist thought in the Kingdom.”
At the same time, Saudi Arabia does not allow others to exploit its
criminalization of the Muslim Brotherhood as a gateway to wreaking havoc across
the region. Riyadh does not and will not support non-state actors under the
false pretext of fighting extremism, nor does it accept reckless geopolitical
adventures justified by ideological slogans. For Saudi Arabia, counter-extremism
is not rhetorical posturing but a matter of state responsibility, governed by
law, institutions, and long-term stability.
This doctrine is not theoretical. Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Riyadh
has become a global hub for combating extremism through a comprehensive MMM
approach — men, mind and money.
“Men” refers to coordinated state capacity and multilateral cooperation. In this
context, the crown prince established the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism
Coalition, the world’s largest Islamic counterterrorism alliance. The coalition
brings together more than 40 member states, alongside observer countries, and
operates across military, security, ideological and media domains to confront
extremist movements.
“Mind” reflects Saudi Arabia’s focus on defeating extremism at its intellectual
roots. The crown prince launched Etidal, the Global Center for Combating
Extremist Ideology, now one of the world’s most advanced platforms for
monitoring and countering extremist content digitally and in real time across
multiple languages. He also established the Center for Safeguarding the
Intellect under the Ministry of Defense, recognizing that lasting security
requires protecting societies from radicalization before it turns violent.
“Money” targets the financial lifelines of extremism. Saudi Arabia has led
international efforts to disrupt terrorist financing, strengthen financial
oversight and shut down the channels through which extremist groups fund
recruitment, propaganda, and operations. This financial dimension is a
cornerstone of Riyadh’s counter-extremism doctrine and its international
cooperation.
This approach has also been reaffirmed at the defense level. Saudi Defense
Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman emphasized this responsibility during the
defense ministers’ meeting of the IMCTC on Feb. 3, 2024, stating: “The
aspirations of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition require
concerted efforts, integration, cooperation, and partnership between member
states, countries of the world, and international bodies to combat terrorism
intellectually and militarily, and to dry up its sources of funding.”
Beyond security institutions, the crown prince has empowered the Muslim World
League, the largest global Islamic organization, under the leadership of
Secretary-General Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa. The league
promotes moderation, interfaith dialogue and religious coexistence, encouraging
Muslim communities in both East and West to respect the laws of their countries
of residence and engage constructively with wider society. Under Al-Issa’s
leadership, it has become a leading international voice for harmony among the
Abrahamic faiths and across world religions.
Regional case studies further illustrate why Saudi Arabia rejects militia-based
approaches. In Sudan, the leader of the RSF militias, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo,
known as Hemedti, received his nickname from former Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir,
a hardcore Muslim Brotherhood figure. The name derives from Himayati, meaning
“my protector,” reflecting Hemedti’s role as a regime enforcer. Under Al-Bashir,
he and his militias were involved in the first wave of atrocities in Darfur,
including Al-Fasher, crimes that led to Bashir’s indictment by the International
Criminal Court. Hemedti has since overseen a second wave of mass killings in Al-Fasher
during the current conflict.
This continuity exposes the hollowness of claims that such actors are genuinely
fighting extremism. Too often, the banner of counter-ideology is used to justify
destructive ventures rather than principled opposition to radicalism.
The same pattern appears in Yemen. According to Associated Press reports from
2018, the now-outlawed Southern Transitional Council and figures linked to its
leadership were involved in arrangements that empowered Al-Qaeda–linked
elements, including deals allowing fighters connected to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula to operate or be integrated into local security structures.
A similar narrative is now emerging in the Horn of Africa. Somalia has long
worked with regional and international partners, including the United States, to
combat Al-Shabaab. Yet recycled claims are being used to justify fragmentation
under the pretext of counterterrorism. Supporting separatist projects risks
triggering a domino effect across Eastern Africa, producing long-term
instability.
Saudi Arabia rejects this logic entirely. Riyadh believes in statehood,
sovereignty and territorial integrity as the foundations of stability. It favors
economic empowerment, institutional development, and political reform over
militias, chaos, and fragmentation.
Riyadh’s position is clear. Extremism cannot be defeated by empowering militias
or separatism. It can only be defeated by strengthening legitimate states and
enabling them to overcome their challenges economically, in security and
socially.
**Salman Al-Ansari is a Saudi geopolitical researcher and frequent guest on CNN,
BBC and France 24, and was ranked the most influential political pundit in the
Middle East in 2021 by Arab News. X: @salansar1
Why Middle East’s CEOs are
backing their own markets
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/February 13, 2026
Across much of the Western world, economic narratives have become increasingly
cautious. Rising public debt and slowing productivity are eroding the chances of
medium-term growth in several advanced economies.
In Europe in particular, economic optimism has given way to domestic
introspection, with a growing recognition that sustained growth will remain
elusive without deep structural reforms and a reset of national economic
strategies. At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting last month, the
organization said Europe faces an “annual investment challenge” of €1.2 trillion
($1.4 trillion) to match its ambitions with economic reality. Business
confidence across the Middle East, meanwhile, is at a record high. Almost nine
in 10 regional CEOs expressed “exceptional confidence” in economic growth within
their own territories, according to PwC’s latest annual “Global CEO Survey,”
which was published last month. In the Gulf, CEOs are even more bullish, with 93
percent confident that growth would continue at pace over the near to medium
term.
Hani Ashkar, PwC’s Middle East senior partner, said that the survey’s findings
“reflect the underlying confidence” of the region’s business ecosystem, with
business leaders demonstrating a willingness to look beyond the “short-term
volatility” associated with regional geopolitics.
What sets the Middle East apart, particularly the Gulf countries, is the scale
of ambition of national economic strategies
The Middle East is no longer simply an attractive destination for global
capital, it is an increasingly important contributor to global growth. And the
contrast with many European economies is now hard to ignore.
What sets the Middle East apart, particularly the Gulf countries, is the scale
of ambition of national economic strategies and the speed with which they are
being executed relative to their peers. Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia rank among
the world’s top 10 destinations for international investment, according to PwC.
They are also both guided by state-led agendas focused on the development and
facilitation of the technologies that are expected to drive the next wave of
global economic transformation.
Artificial intelligence sits at the heart of these plans, with increased
investment in the development of AI infrastructure seen as critical.
The UAE’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 aims to secure 335
billion UAE dirhams ($91 billion) in AI growth and is embedding AI education
into schools. The Saudi equivalent, the National Strategy for Data and AI, is
looking to create an ecosystem of more than 300 native AI startups. Investment
in AI infrastructure, especially in large-scale data center projects, is
expected to generate between $5 billion and $7 billion in international
investment in the Gulf in 2026 alone.
Gulf states are playing to their strengths. Leveraging low-cost electricity
generation, as well as their vast expanses of available land, both the UAE and
Saudi Arabia are becoming global hubs of next-generation data center
development. State-led programs have accelerated large-scale investment,
creating infrastructure that is available to smaller and emerging businesses.
The deployment of AI is increasingly being adopted throughout the Gulf. PwC’s
CEO survey highlights the impact of embedding technology at the core of national
economic strategies. Eighty-two percent of respondents reported that their
organizations are actively pushing toward a culture of AI adoption within
everyday working practices, while 40 percent said AI has already been integrated
into support services. A separate PwC survey published in December showed that
the Middle East is seeing a higher rate of AI integration into business
practices than the global average. Seventy-five percent of the region’s
employees are using AI tools at work, compared to an average of 69 percent
worldwide. Ashkar said that Middle Eastern companies are both “advancing
responsible AI practices” and “strengthening digital infrastructure.”What this
has created across the Middle East is an ecosystem that retains capital and
compounds its own momentum. Ambition fuels ambition and regional economies are
beginning to benefit from that dynamic.
What this has created across the region is an ecosystem that retains capital and
compounds its own momentum
The effects on capital markets are becoming clearer, with technology and AI
driving increasing activity. Mergers and acquisitions activity in the Middle
East saw a rise of 19 percent in the first half of 2025 — a trend that is set to
continue, as 72 percent of Gulf CEOs say they are planning a major acquisition
in the next three years. Initial public offering markets have also strengthened.
Saudi Arabia raised $4.1 billion through listings in 2025, while the Muscat
Securities Market recorded a 28.1 percent year-on-year gain.The Gulf is also
emerging as a significant anchor for global venture capital flows. It is
competing more directly with the traditional hubs in the US and Europe. Venture
capital funding in the Middle East reached record levels in 2025, with $3.8
billion raised for the region’s expanding startup ecosystem.
Careem, Noon and fintech platforms like Tamara suggest the Gulf is not just home
to new companies but increasingly competitive ones. A top-down culture of
consistent regulation and business-friendly economic frameworks is attracting
companies and capital to the region. Fundamentally, capital follows consistent
execution.
While 57 percent of CEOs did express concern about the region’s geopolitical
situation, the prevailing narrative remains one of economic momentum tempered by
risk awareness. The contrast between the European and Middle Eastern narratives
is clear. Allianz Trade predicts that European growth will be “weak” and limited
to between 1 percent and 2 percent in 2026. The Gulf, by contrast, is expected
to expand its collective gross domestic product by an average of 4.5 percent.
PwC’s survey is also telling in this regard. Seventy-two percent of Middle
Eastern CEOs’ planned investments outside their home countries are set to stay
within the regional market, while only 6 percent of outbound investment will go
to Western Europe. What PwC’s survey reveals is that the Middle East’s economic
story has captured the attention of investors through a combination of ambition,
execution and policy clarity. That combination helps explain why the Middle East
is emerging as one of the world’s major economic hubs.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political
scientist. X: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Goodbye to Israeli-Saudi normalization?
Feigning interest in peace with Jerusalem has long been a tactic for extracting
concessions from Washington and diverting attention from Riyadh’s extremism.
Mitchell Bard/JNS/(Feb. 4, 2026 / JNS)
https://www.jns.org/goodbye-to-israeli-saudi-normalization/
The most important thing to know about Saudi Arabia is that its leaders’
principal motivation is self-preservation—to ensure their royal heads stay
connected to their royal shoulders. This context is essential for understanding
the discussion of normalization with Israel. While Riyadh could profit from ties
with Israel—as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have—the Saudi flirtation
with normalization was driven not by a desire for peace, but by the imperative
of regime survival. The Saudis have long feared Iran, which has shown it can
threaten Saudi oil. In 2019, the Iranian-backed Houthis fired drones that struck
oil facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia, causing significant damage and
disrupting exports. A direct Iranian attack could be worse. This covert
relationship with Israel is transactional: The Saudis sought Israeli
intelligence to counter Iran. To keep it one-sided, Riyadh only allowed
overflight rights and demanded progress toward a Palestinian state, knowing
Israel wouldn’t agree.What the media rarely confronts is Saudi Arabia’s deep,
persistent antisemitism, which dates back to the kingdom’s founder, Ibn Saud. In
1937, for example, he told a British official, “Our hatred for the Jews dates
from God’s condemnation of them for their persecution and rejection of Isa
[Jesus] and their subsequent rejecting of His chosen Prophet [Muhammad]. He
added, “that for a Muslim to kill a Jew, or for him to be killed by a Jew
ensures him an immediate entry into Heaven and into the august presence of God
Almighty.”
In the mid-1940s, Saud threatened to execute any Jew entering the kingdom. In
1943, he wrote to then-President Franklin Roosevelt: “Jews have no right to
Palestine.”He later wrote again, describing longstanding hostility between
Muslims and Jews since the beginning of Islam, which he claimed arose from “the
treacherous conduct of the Jews towards Islam and the Muslims and their
prophet.” Saud then sent his son to Washington to try to “liberate U.S. policy
from the influence of local Jewish elements and Zionist propaganda.”
In 1951, he urged U.S. diplomats to create and fund a pro-Arab lobby to counter
what is now AIPAC, and the CIA obliged.
For decades, America ignored Saudi Arabia’s practices, including discrimination
against U.S. citizens, to prioritize oil supplies and regional stability. The
catalyst for congressional anti-boycott legislation came only after it was
revealed that the Saudis had placed 1,500 American companies on a boycott list
for doing business with Israel.
Feigning interest in peace with Israel has long been a Saudi tactic for
extracting concessions from the United States and diverting attention from
Riyadh’s extremism. In 1981, King Fahd floated a “peace plan” to ease opposition
to the Reagan administration’s sale of AWACS radar planes. It worked. The sale
was approved, and almost immediately afterward, the Saudis hosted an Islamic
conference denouncing the Camp David Accords, rejecting U.N. Resolution 242 and
calling for jihad against Israel.
After the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil on Sept. 11, 2001, exposed Saudi
involvement in global jihadism, the kingdom dusted off the same playbook. The
crown prince invited New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman to dinner and fed
him a fantasy of Saudi moderation and normalization in exchange for demands
Israel could never accept. Friedman dutifully laundered the narrative, helping
deflect scrutiny from Saudi Arabia’s role in exporting radical Islam. Mohammad
bin Salman (MBS) has sold a modernized version of that same snake oil. He touts
social reforms while silencing clerics when convenient, though his true
character was exposed when he ordered the brutal murder of Saudi journalist
Jamal Khashoggi and imprisoned rivals. These were not aberrations, but part of a
long pattern of repression and human rights abuses that Washington has
repeatedly excused to preserve access to Saudi oil.
U.S. President Joe Biden briefly thought he could break that pattern by treating
MBS as a pariah, only to realize that Saudi control over the oil spigot could
harm the U.S. economy and, with it, his re-election chances. Biden subsequently
went to Riyadh and groveled.
Still, he convinced himself that he could succeed where Trump failed by offering
the Saudis a security guarantee, advanced weapons and civilian nuclear
technology—despite the obvious question (also asked of Iran) of why an oil
superpower needs atomic energy at all—in exchange for normalization with Israel.
What Biden failed to appreciate was the prince’s vindictiveness and
unwillingness to help a president who maligned him. The Hamas-led terrorist
attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, backed by Iran, provided Riyadh with
a convenient excuse: The Saudis would not normalize while Israel was fighting in
Gaza. Though the kingdom has always looked down on Palestinians and never
offered them refuge, MBS revived the Palestinian state demand to shield himself
from domestic unrest. Some analysts mistakenly believed that he would put Saudi
interests first and abandon the Palestinians, as the other Abraham Accord
signatories did.The ceasefire briefly reopened the door. U.S. President Donald
Trump thought he could force normalization and had ample leverage to do so.
Instead, he repeated the American error of treating Saudi Arabia as the
indispensable power. He gave Riyadh everything it wanted—without extracting a
single concession toward Israel—satisfied with promises of $1 trillion in U.S.
investment, alongside unspoken benefits to his family’s business interests.The
Saudis’ immediate strategic interests no longer require Israeli cooperation.
U.S. and Israeli actions have weakened Iran, and Saudi Arabia has obtained
assurances of its security, as well as additional proposed arms sales, including
the recent $9 billion offer of Patriot interceptors.
With its fears eased and demands met, the kingdom has reverted to its
antisemitic roots.
State-controlled media have resumed antisemitic attacks on Israel. Clerics have
been unleashed. One prominent imam recently prayed: “Oh, Allah, deal with the
Jews who have seized and occupied … send upon them your punishment and misery.”Will Trump confront his friend MBS? He has one trillion reasons not to. Israelis
already appear on a growing list of Trump betrayals, alongside Ukrainians,
Afghans, Kurds and other groups who once believed that American assurances
actually meant something.
Ultimately, Israeli-Saudi normalization was not a realistic breakthrough but a
strategic illusion. Riyadh used the prospect of normalization as a tool to
secure its interests, knowing that the arrangement would be disposable once its
aims—stability, security guarantees and weapons—were met.
**Mitchell Bard is a foreign-policy analyst and an authority on U.S.-Israel
relations. He has written and edited 22 books, including The Arab Lobby, Death
to the Infidels: Radical Islam’s War Against the Jews; After Anatevka: Tevye in
Palestine; and Forgotten Victims: The Abandonment of Americans in Hitler’s
Camps.
Egypt Tests Trump’s Pledge
to Defend Persecuted Christians
Mariam Wahba/Newsweek/February 13/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/02/152111/
Despite President Donald Trump’s pledge to hold accountable those who persecute
Christians around the world, American allies continue to test the
administration’s resolve.
On January 28, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
called on the Trump administration to place Egypt on its Special Watch List,
citing “systematic violations of freedom of religion or belief.” The warning
comes as Egypt—a major beneficiary of U.S. military aid—escalates prosecutions
and detentions of religious minorities under its blasphemy laws, which are among
the oldest and most potent tools for the repression and persecution of
Christians by the state.
Reports indicate that dozens of Christians and nonbelievers have been detained
in the past year under similar charges. Social media activity, personal
disagreements and even routine religious practice have triggered criminal cases,
signaling a sustained campaign against minority faiths.
An Egyptian court sentenced Coptic Christian researcher Augustinos Samaan to
five years of hard labor last month after he had already served months of
pretrial detention. His offense was neither violent, nor did he incite others to
violence. Instead, he was arrested for hosting a YouTube channel on which he
defended Christianity. Charged with “contempt of religion” and “misuse of social
media,” Samaan’s case illustrates how Egypt’s blasphemy laws operate. Egyptian
authorities claim these laws exist to protect social harmony. Instead, they are
a weapon wielded disproportionately against Egypt’s 10 to 15 million Coptic
Christians, the largest Christian minority in the Middle East.
Egypt’s blasphemy statute, Article 98(f) of the criminal code, criminalizes the
“contempt of Islam.” While the law is presented as religiously neutral, its
enforcement tells a different story. Charges are most often brought against
Christians, converts to Christianity and “nonbelievers.” While not formally
outlawed, conversion from Islam to Christianity in Egypt is effectively
criminalized through state non-recognition and severe legal and societal
penalties.
Once invoked, the law traps Christians in a legal vise. Pretrial detention is
used to hold individuals in isolation for months, often without charge. Judges
routinely uphold blasphemy cases, sending a clear signal that any religious
expression outside the state-approved script carries severe consequences.
Beyond Samaan’s case, USCIRF also highlighted the detention of Christian
converts such as Said Abdelrazeq, and nonbelievers including Maged Zakaria Abdel
Rahman and Sherif Gaber. Several detainees from the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and
Light, another religious minority, were reportedly summoned by state-backed
clerics and pressured to renounce their beliefs.
These cases expose a deeper problem in the U.S.-Egypt relationship.
Progress on religious freedom issues is not a rhetorical aspiration in U.S.
policy toward Egypt. It is an explicit expectation embedded in American law
governing foreign military assistance. Egypt is one of the largest recipients of
U.S. security aid, and successive administrations have justified that support in
part by pointing to Cairo’s assurances that it is improving protections for
religious minorities.
Those assurances ring hollow when blasphemy prosecutions continue and pretrial
detention is used to punish protected religious expression. Public statements or
symbolic gestures like selective prisoner releases do not offset a legal system
that still treats Christians as targets. If defending persecuted Christians is a
real priority, U.S. policy must reflect that commitment in practice.
The administration should implement USCIRF’s recommendation and place Egypt on
the Special Watch List. It should also demand repeal or meaningful reform of
Article 98(f) as a condition for continued engagement. Portions of security
assistance should be withheld until concrete, verifiable legal changes are
enacted, not merely promised.
This issue should not be a point of tension between Washington and Cairo. It
should be about reinforcing American interests by applying the leverage the
United States already holds. If blasphemy laws remain a routine instrument of
repression, and prosecutions carry no cost, Cairo has little incentive to change
course. America’s commitment to defending persecuted Christians will ultimately
be judged by whether allies are allowed to violate that principle without
consequence. Egypt’s blasphemy laws have turned belief into a crime. Washington
must decide whether to translate American policy into practice.
Mariam Wahba is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Follow her on X @themariamwahba.
https://www.newsweek.com/egypt-tests-trumps-pledge-to-defend-persecuted-christians-opinion-11506914
Read in Newsweek
Iran: Hanging on at Any
Cost
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 13/2026
After weeks of tergiversation caused by military threats from the US and Israel
and unprecedented nationwide protests, the Iranian Republic’s “Supreme Guide”
Ali Khamenei has returned center-stage to reaffirm his resolve to make
absolutely no concessions to domestic opponents or foreign foes.
The defiant message came last Wednesday as the regime organized marches to mark
the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. To be sure this year’s marches
lacked the density let alone the passion of previous years and in some cities
were too obviously contrived to appear genuine. In some cases, the official
media had used photos and clips from previous years to heighten the narrative.
The IRGC’s Tasnim news site used a single photo to illustrate what it reported
as demos in 21 out of 31 provinces.Nevertheless, there is little doubt that
Khamenei has absorbed the multiple shocks of recent events and intends to remain
on the course he set for Iran more than three decades ago. His main message
reaffirmed again last week is that there will be no major change in the Iranian
Republic’s policies and behavior either at home or on the international stage.
Khamenei’s renewed defiance is inspired by four conclusions he has drawn from
the latest events.The first is that neither the United States nor its regional
ally Israel would risk a new military confrontation with Iran if only because
the element of surprise they benefited from last June is no longer there.
The second conclusion is that almost all regional powers oppose regime change in
Iran at least for the time being making it more difficult for the US to
contemplate a line-ranger operation. The third conclusion is that regime
opponents, though manifestly stronger than ever in terms of their respective
popular bases, have detailed plans for what to do after toppling the regime but
no strategy for achieving power to implement their desiderata.
The fourth conclusion is that the most imminent threat to the system may come
from disparate groups of malcontents collectively labeled the “pro-Reform”
faction. This includes many former top officials, both political and military,
along with scores of academics, civil society figures, clerics, celebrities,
writers, and journalists. The concern felt in Khamenei’s circle is that the
“pro-Reform” faction may make a deal with the Trump administration in Washington
to arrange a Venezuela-style double-barrel change at the top while retaining the
trunk of the regime.
To forestall such a scheme, a campaign against “pro-Reform” figures was launched
a few days ago with the arrest of several activists in Tehran and the provinces.
The “Supreme Guide” no longer needs the” pro-Reform” narrative to give his
regime a veneer of plurality. The “pro-Reform” faction was useful as long as
there was no chance of it being upgraded from faux Catiline to a real threat.
More importantly, perhaps, an official Nomenclature list approved by the House
of the Leader “Beit-e-Rahbar” shows who is retained as real McCoy and who is
excluded. It was published by the official agency IRNA as list of personalities
who led the revolution anniversary marches. The list contains the names and
offices of 118 personalities that the Beit regards as the hardcore of loyalist
factions. Absent from the list are three former presidents of the Iranian
Republic, three former commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, two
former foreign ministers and half a dozen clerics in various key positions.
Perhaps inspired by the Leninist motto “better fewer but better” the "Supreme
Guide” seems determined to work with a more compact group of no-questions-asked
loyalists on a platform of revolutionary defiance moderated by cosmetic gestures
he calls “heroic flexibility”. A key example of that flexibility is his
readiness to authorize the resumption of indirect talks with the US the second
round of which is expected to be held before the Iranian New Year on 21 March in
a regional capital.
The hope in Tehran is that Trump will agree to limit the talks to levels of
uranium enrichment by Iran and the transfer of part of the already enriched
uranium stockpiles to Russia for safe keeping.
The talks could be prolonged for weeks if not months and end granting Trump
another “diplomatic victory” on the eve of mid-term elections in the US. Slowing
down uranium enrichment until Trump becomes a lame-duck or ends his term will
give the “Supreme Guide” enough time to reassert his authority and perhaps work
out his succession.
In the meantime, some sweets are distributed to attenuate the bitterness felt
throughout the country after the recent crushing of nationwide protests.
Government employees and members of military and security apparatuses are to
receive the largest New Year bonus ever granted since the revolution. Minimum
wages are to be increased by between 20 and 30 per cent.
Last Wednesday, over 2000 prisoners were released on Khamenei’s orders partly
because space was needed to keep new prisoners arrested during the January
uprising.
A new wave of retirements in the IRGC and other security apparatuses gives the
“Supreme Guide” an opportunity to promote a new generation of officers who have
risen from the ranks entirely under his leadership. Almost all the commanders
who had a revolutionary resume dating to the 1980s will be sent home by the
Iranian New Year. According to some reports, as yet hard to confirm, the
“Supreme Guide” has also ordered a reshuffling of the administration to allow
younger and more ambitious cadres to rise in a system dominated by mean whose
average age is 65 years in a country where two-thirds of the population were not
born when the revolution happened.The “Supreme Guide” has also re-started his
old “exporting revolution” project in a low key mode designed to keep the embers
burning without raising a fire alarm. His priority now is to propel one of
Iran’s tested allies into the premiership of Iraq while supplying enough aid to
the Houthis in Yemen to hold their own until better days return. Lebanon,
however, is given for lost for the time being although “committed allies” in all
sects remain on the payroll.
The message from Tehran this week is that news of the regime's demise was
exaggerated and that he is determined to hang on at any cost. Will the gambit
work? We shall see.
Iraq: The 2003 Regime Between Two Generations
Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 13/2026
The Coordination Framework’s nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
to head the government has exposed a major crisis of Shiite politics in Iraq.
This crisis cannot be reduced to a struggle for political power, influence, or
wealth. Rather, it reflects a deeper conflict that reflects tensions engendered
by a generational transition that will shape the nature and trajectory of Shiite
politics. It is clear that Maliki represents the most acceptable choice of the
founding generation of the 2003 regime, especially what could be called the
“traditional Shiite right”: the ideological elites with clear roots, foremost
among them the Dawa Party, the Badr Organization, and what remains of the
Supreme Islamic Council. Notably, Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani has also voiced
support for Maliki, reflecting a convergence of two traditionalist forces. Both
the Shiite and Kurdish right have had to reconfigure their priorities to adapt
to the major shifts that followed the attack of October 7, 2023. They have gone
from merely managing balance to recalibrating the center of decision-making and
safeguarding the stability of the political system.
For Shiite political elites, Maliki represents the peak of the right’s ascent.
Its cohesive ideology and stable hierarchy hold in moments of comprehensive
apprehension, and the efforts and ideas intersect with the Shiite community’s
social and spiritual centers of power. This brand of politics believes this
phase calls for returning to the formula that underpinned the 2003 regime, and
for preventing a new generation from occupying the center of political power.
As for the new generation, it includes traditional Shiite forces calling for the
reconfiguration of political power under the slogan of “generational
displacement.” That is, it represents the forces calling for the replacement of
the founding leaders without changing the foundations of the political system.
Advocates of generational displacement within Shiite politics wield tangible
influence. At times, this influence is disproportionate to their parliamentary
or governmental representation, as they owe much of their influence to familial
legacies and their spiritual and political weight. They also face competition
from new, non-traditional forces that have emerged from within the same system,
were formed inside it, and have begun to compete for the inheritance of the
founding generation or filling the vacuum it leaves behind.
These forces of the new generation openly reject Maliki and have presented
contradictory arguments in their campaign to sideline him: American opposition
to Iranian non-intervention, alarm about the Popular Mobilization Forces and
their role, inter-sectarian tensions, to the apprehensions of neighboring
states.
Meanwhile, Maliki is seeking to reformulate his discourse and take it in a more
conciliatory direction, sending serious messages affirming the need for a state
monopoly on arms and for solidifying state authority. Nonetheless, his opponents
have not forgotten his past: Operation Charge of the Knights against Mahdi Army
militants and leaks attributed to him in which he described some factions of the
PMF as a “nation of cowards.”
This generational rift is larger than a tug-of-war within the Coordination
Framework. It touches on the unity - ideological and militant - of the Shiite
political coalition, raising the specter of intra-Shiite conflict over the
nature of the system and legitimacy. What is at stake is a hybrid or composite
mix between those who rely on the legitimacy of representation, arms, and
identity, and those who call for a transition toward the legitimacy of the state
and its institutions.
Accordingly, some parties nominating Maliki and others rejecting him cannot be
understood as another round of the power struggle. It has become a clash of two
generations that can no longer be contained, as it comes at a moment of domestic
and external recalibration as the regional order is being reshaped. This state
of affairs will compel both generations to take a different approach to
reproducing the establishment.
Recalling the Night the US Ambassador to Libya was Killed
Dr. Jebril El-Abidi/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 13/2026
Nearly 14 years later, the the killing of US Ambassador Christopher Stevens in
Benghazi in 2012 has resurfaced, on the anniversary of the September 2001 events
(9/11), following a terrorist attack on the US consulate. The case has long been
a source of controversy between Republicans and Democrats in the United States,
to the extent that then-presidential candidate Donald Trump threatened legal
action during his campaign for his first term. On the night of 11 September
2012, armed assailants attacked the gate of the US consulate compound with
rifles, rocket launchers, and grenades, setting the buildings on fire. The
attack resulted in the deaths of four Americans, including the US Ambassador to
Libya at the time, Christopher Stevens. The embassy was only a few kilometers
away from a US military unit belonging to the Marine Corps in Benghazi, yet it
did not take part in repelling the attack or even in rescuing the ambassador.
After the attackers fled without verifying the deaths of the ambassador and the
others, he was taken to hospital by a Libyan neighbor.
The file was reopened after many years, despite the fact that the leader and
mastermind of the attack was captured in 2014 and is now serving a life
sentence. The case returned to the spotlight once again after US forces took
custody of one of the terrorists accused of participating in the attack on the
consulate building, placing the US State Department - responsible for securing
American diplomatic missions around the world - in an embarrassing position, and
exposing it to accusations of negligence for allowing the US ambassador to visit
the Benghazi consulate on the night of the 11 September anniversary without
adequate security, relying solely on local guards. At the time, Benghazi was
under the control of terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda. This led many to
accuse Hillary Clinton, then Secretary of State, of dereliction of duty, with
some going so far as to accuse her of complicity in the assassination of the
ambassador, as was repeatedly claimed by then-presidential candidate Donald
Trump, who threatened to arrest and prosecute her if he became president;
something he never did.
The newly detained suspect, al-Zubayr al-Bakoush, is now behind bars in the
United States. He has been described as a “black box,” implying that he holds
critical undisclosed information, after the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) announced that the individual suspected of involvement in the 2012 attack
on the US consulate in Benghazi had “fallen into US custody.” Photographs were
also published showing him armed and wearing a protective vest inside the US
consulate while it was engulfed in flames following the killing of the
ambassador and his companions.
What raises many questions is that al-Bakoush had been moving freely in Tripoli
and was living at a known address. He was arrested inside his home and was
neither in hiding nor in disguise. Why was he arrested only now, despite his
identity and whereabouts being known for years? He had been living a normal life
in an apartment building on Airport Road in the capital, Tripoli. Al-Bakoush was
formerly a resident of Benghazi, but he fled the city after the Libyan army
launched Operation Dignity to pursue terrorists.
It is worth noting that al-Bakoush belongs to the so-called Benghazi
Revolutionaries’ Shura Council, which is ideologically affiliated with al-Qaeda.
Ambassador Stevens was fluent in Arabic and French and had volunteered in North
Africa. He served as US ambassador to Libya from May 2012 until his death. He
was a supporter and friend of the Libyan people. His killing and the burning of
the consulate building in Benghazi are religiously forbidden under Islamic law,
as they fall under the prohibition against killing musta’man (those granted a
covenant of safety), by virtue of a diplomatic agreement that constitutes an ahd
aman, pledged by a Muslim country, Libya, represented by its Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. This constitutes a betrayal.
The ambassador worked in the interests of Libya and its people. He came as a
supporter of freedom, believing in the Libyans’ right to democracy and
liberation from personalist rule. He repeatedly sought to give Benghazi a
prominent place on the US policy agenda, working to expedite the opening of the
consulate, beginning with the cultural section, and promising that visas would
be issued from Benghazi. He once said, he considers myself fortunate to be
participating in "this remarkable period of change and hope in Libya.”
Meanwhile, the perpetrators were working to sabotage Libya, turn it into another
Afghanistan, push it into a dark tunnel of chaos, and transform it into a failed
state. The friendly ambassador was killed by a deviant faction that believes it
alone understands Islam and that all others are unbelievers. Those who killed
the ambassador may not have known that he spoke Arabic and had read the Holy
Quran. I do not believe there is any justification for killing him, whether by
gunfire or by suffocation from smoke, as some claim. Those responsible achieved
their objective: eliminating a man who loved Libya and stood as a friend to its
people during a difficult chapter of our history.
Reopening the file on the killing of Ambassador Stevens may be a form of
political instrumentalization and a reopening of old records to settle internal
scores in the United States. In the end, however, the arrest of the
perpetrators, under any pretext, achieves justice for the victims. Terrorists
and the architects of chaos and crime will not remain safe forever, and the hand
of justice will reach them, even if after a long time.
Diplomacy, Foreign Leaders, and Oil and Gas
Samuel Ben-Ur/National Interest/February 13/2026
While deeply flawed, Acting President Delcy Rodriguez is still the United
States’ best bet for Venezuela’s stabilization and transition to democracy.
“Enough,” interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez proclaimed. “Enough
already of Washington’s orders over politicians in Venezuela…This Republic has
paid a very high price for having to confront the consequences of fascism and
extremism in our country.”
Despite her denunciation and similar statements made following America’s capture
of indicted narco-terrorist and former Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro,
Rodriguez has so far acceded to many of Washington’s conditions.
Amid threats directly from President Donald Trump that an uncooperative
Rodriguez might face a fate “worse than Maduro’s,” Venezuela has signed a deal
todeliver 50 million barrels of oil to the United States and other countries,
passed a law allowing private oil companies access to its reserves, andreleased
hundreds of political prisoners.
According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the United States seeks to
stabilize Venezuela, reinvigorate its oil industry, and transition Caracas to
genuine democracy—in that order.
Rodriguez, however, is not in total lockstep with Washington. Besides
democratization, which Rubio admitted will “take some time,” Rodriguez has yet
to cooperate on one other key American priority: the removal of Washington’s
adversaries from Venezuelan soil.
While her willingness to court multinational investment and pragmatic economic
policies led the Trump administration to believe she would cooperate with US
priorities, her foreign policy record and a recent American intelligence
assessment suggest she will adamantly resist expelling the Russians, Iranians,
Chinese, and Cubans. As Venezuela’s foreign minister and later vice president
under Maduro, Rodriguez occupied a unique role in socialist, Chavista Venezuela:
that of the capitalist.
An ideological purist himself, Maduro had a habit of delegating un-Chavista, if
economically necessary, policies to Rodriguez. Her role solidified after
American sanctions escalated in 2019, when the regime was forced to choose
between adherence to Chavismo and an economic crisis, or pragmatic, non-Chavista
economic plans. She promoted the 2020 Anti-Blockade Law, a sanctions-evasion
framework that allows confidential contracts, flexible ownership structures, and
private participation in state sectors like oil, effectively enabling
privatization. Rodriguez also re-engaged Fedecamaras, Venezuela’s main business
federation—long vilified under Chavismo—institutionalizing dialogue with
domestic capital. She managed a de facto dollarized economy to stabilize prices
and championed special economic zones with tax breaks and export platforms.
Her role as the relative liberator of markets in Chavista Venezuela likely led
Washington to believe she would be more cooperative than Maduro’s other
lieutenants. The Trump administration was, however, only partially correct. As
Maduro’s emissary to other rogue regimes, she built relationships with other
corrupt anti-American dictatorships whose influence in Venezuela she is now
refusing to uproot.
Rodriguez’s 2019 Moscow meeting with Sergei Lavrov was followed by joint
asset-protection measures, including the relocation of Venezuelan oil firm
PDVSA’s European operations to Moscow. The two foreign ministers’ structured
reviews of the bilateral “map of cooperation” covering more than 335 agreements
in 2023 set the stage for the 2025 Russia-Venezuela strategic partnership
agreement. Rodriguez’s September 2023 Beijing meetings with Chinese foreign
minister Wang Yi and Vice President Han Zheng directly preceded Maduro’s state
visit, during which Beijing and Caracas elevated ties to an “all-weather”
strategic partnership. Her earlier oil-market coordination with Iran, dating
back to her tenure as foreign minister, built trust between two sanctioned
petro-states, which later culminated in a 20-year cooperation plan signed in
2022.
In March 2021, Rodriguez traveled to Havana to co-chair the 21st Cuba-Venezuela
Joint Intergovernmental Commission with Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas,
after which the two sides signed cooperation accords.
Where Delcy goes, deals follow. It is therefore unsurprising that Rodriguez
would risk the wrath of the Trump administration to protect the relationships
she was so instrumental in creating. In many ways, Venezuela’s partnerships with
America’s adversaries are her life’s work, and helped keep Caracas afloat amid
half a decade of intense American sanctions. Further complicating her calculus
is the uniquely perilous situation she finds herself in with Maduro gone. On the
one hand, Trump is cajoling American companies to aid Venezuela’s oil sector in
rebuilding the production capacity lost through years of mismanagement and
corruption. The result could be a gusher of wealth entering government coffers,
far beyond what China could provide.
In Caracas itself, however, Rodriguez must contend with Chavista hardliners such
as Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who might prefer a coup to perceived
subordination to America. Besides Cabello, the very foreign relationships she
worked so hard to grow have become a cage. Venezuela owes tens of billions of
dollars to China and Russia, which will pressure Rodriguez to repay her debts.
While Iran has its own problems and is effectively sidelined, Cuba represents
the most salient threat to Rodriguez. Havana relies heavily on subsidized
Venezuelan oil to meet roughly one-third of its total energy needs. Cuba is also
deeply integrated in Venezuela’s security forces—many of Maduro’s bodyguards
were Cuban. They could violently remove Rodriguez should she threaten Havana’s
fragile energy pipeline, which is already under immense strain with the Trump
administration blocking Venezuelan oil sales to Cuba. Maduro was reportedly
aware he could face such a fate before his capture.Rodriguez may try to balance
these cross-cutting pressures, but ultimately needs to choose a side. For the
Trump administration to achieve the goals Rubio outlined, it must maintain as
much stability as possible in Venezuela while reducing opposition forces in
Caracas. Though the Trump administration has explicitly stated that Rodriguez
will not be the long-term leader of Venezuela, it is possible that her
self-interest makes her the Maduro crony most likely to advance Washington’s
agenda.
Rodriguez has proved willing to cave to several American demands. If a hardliner
replaces her, or worse, starts a civil war, Washington’s fledgling effort to
remake Venezuela will collapse. Washington has several options at its disposal
to keep Rodriguez in line and in office while laying the groundwork for free and
fair elections in the not-too-distant future. As Washington seeks to shape
Rodriguez’s policy, it should recognize the roadblocks she faces and attempt to
remove them. The United States should work to reduce the influence of
ideological purists such as Cabello. Washington can achieve this by offering
further economic assistance and protection guarantees to Rodriguez if Caracas
disarms the paramilitary groups he leads. This will also work to deter Cuba. If
Havana believes Cabello would better serve its interests and becomes desperate,
it might act. Stripping Caracas of Havana-aligned alternatives to Rodriguez
would disincentivize Cuba from disrupting America’s current plan. Washington
should also prioritize reinvigorating Venezuela’s oil production to enable
Rodriguez to escape Russia and China’s debt-trap diplomacy.Washington is walking
a tightrope between remaking Venezuela and total chaos. Having to depend on
someone like Rodriguez, who was fully complicit in Maduro’s crimes and abuses,
is not a pleasant option. However, a brief partnership with her may be the most
likely option to restore Venezuelans’ right to choose their own leaders. If the
Trump administration can turn Rodriguez into a reliable rudder for navigating
this storm, the “Donroe Doctrine” will have passed its first major test.
**About the Author: Samuel Ben-Ur
Samuel Ben-Ur is a research analyst focusing on the Middle East at the
Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). Prior to joining FDD, he interned
at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), an Israeli
cybersecurity startup, and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He holds
dual BAs in political science and history from Tufts University, where he
founded the Tufts Tribune, a campus newspaper focused on free speech and
politically balanced reporting.
Question: In what ways is
the Christian life like the Olympics?
GotQuestions.org/February 13/2026
Answer: The Olympics represent the pinnacle of athleticism, training, and
competitiveness, going all the way back to ancient times. The apostle Paul used
illustrations from the world of athletics in several of his letters. In three
Epistles, he used the image of all-out racing to urge vigorous and lawful
pursuit of spiritual growth and service. Four times Paul spoke of his own growth
and service in terms of his own such race.
To the gifted but immature believers in Corinth, Paul wrote, “Do you not know
that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a
way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24). Here, Paul compares the
disciplined effort necessary for spiritual growth to an Olympic athlete’s effort
to win the prize that awaits only the winner of a race. Growing Christlikeness
does not just happen on its own. God certainly “works in you to will and to act
in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13), but the believer must
cooperate with God by exerting responsible and serious effort to follow what the
Holy Spirit teaches. “Anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the
victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5). For
the disciplined believer, the prize is the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus”
(Philippians 3:14, ESV). To what does God call the believer? It is to become
like Jesus Christ in heart and lifestyle (Romans 8:28–30).
The true believer demonstrates the reality of God’s work in his heart by
enduring all sorts of tests in the development of Christlikeness. The believer
is in training, much as an Olympic athlete must train for a race. No pain, no
gain. That is why the writer of Hebrews exhorted, “Let us throw off everything
that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer
and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow
weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1–3). Jesus is portrayed as the finest runner,
the One who set the pace, our model and hero in life’s race. Just as a runner in
the Olympics must dispense with anything that would hinder his running, we must
disentangle ourselves from sin. As a runner in the games must keep his eyes on
the finish line, so we must keep our eyes on Christ and His joyful reward.
Some believers in Galatia had lost faith in God’s grace and were returning to a
legalistic, performance-based religion. Paul wrote strong words to them: “You
were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?
That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you” (Galatians
5:7–8). The true Christian life can be lived only by faith—faith in the pure
Word of God and faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. To
follow Satan’s deceitful advice to try to earn God’s grace and free gift of
salvation is to stumble in our race. Trusting our own works only insults God and
does us no good.
Paul wrote with similar urgency to believers in Philippi, “Do everything without
grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of
God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then . . . I will be able
to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain” (Philippians
2:14–16). Paul encouraged the Philippians’ pure faith and likened his own labor
on their behalf to running a race. He had invested hard work and deep suffering
in teaching them God’s story, and he wanted his exertion to pay off—much like an
Olympic athlete deeply desires his sacrifices to result in victory.
Another passage in which Paul uses the metaphor of a race is Galatians 2:1–2.
There Paul tells how he had visited Christian leaders in Jerusalem in order to
check with them the gospel he preached to the Gentiles. What was his reason for
taking such care? “For fear that I was running or had run my race in vain”
(NAS). It was vital to Paul that he knew, believed, and taught God’s truth. This
was the way that he “ran his race.”
It was in peaceful confidence that Paul approached the end of his life.
Anticipating his impending martyrdom in Rome, he wrote to his young protégé,
Timothy, “The time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I
have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on
that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing”
(2 Timothy 4:6–8).
We don’t know if Paul had been an athlete in his younger years. In these
references to the Olympic races, he certainly showed deep interest in and
understanding of competitive running. He used that understanding of the Olympic
races to illustrate the basics of the Christian life.
A runner must train for his race, know the rules, and commit to winning. A
believer must endure hardship, exercise absolute and enduring faith in the Word
of God, and keep his eyes on the goal. In the power of the cross, the believer
grows more and more like the Savior. Despite obstacles, challenges, temptations,
and even the threat of death, the Christian continues to run the race Christ has
marked out for him.
Without Full Disarmament of Hamas, Gaza Ceasefire is at
Risk
Aaron Goren/Policy Brief-FDD/February 12/2026
The latest efforts by the U.S. to secure the ceasefire in Gaza may not only
permit Hamas to survive but also to retain some of its weapons.
According to reports on February 10, the terrorist organization could still be
armed under future phases of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire
plan. The U.S.-led Board of Peace overseeing the ceasefire’s implementation
would require Hamas to surrender “all weapons … capable of striking Israel,”
while allowing the group to keep its small arms. In its onslaught on Israel on
October 7, 2023, Hamas used AK-47-style rifles, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs),
drones, and other small arms while advancing on foot or in vehicles to seize IDF
positions and Israeli communities. Allowing Hamas to keep such weapons would
undermine the ceasefire’s progress, deter nations from contributing troops to
Trump’s proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF), and escalate tensions
with Israel.
U.S. Weighing Partial Surrender of Hamas Arms
The rationale behind requiring Hamas to surrender only heavy weapons is that
doing so would reduce its ability to attack Israel. These “heavy weapons” would
likely include its rocket arsenal. This thinking is flawed. Even without
rockets, Hamas would retain the capability to launch ground assaults. Israel
estimates that Hamas still retains some 60,000 AK-47-style rifles and 20,000
fighters within its ranks. Likewise, Hamas’s tunnel network remains largely
intact in the areas it still controls. These tunnels enable Hamas to move
operatives and store weapons. Israel considers Hamas’s tunnel infrastructure a
key aspect of the group’s ability to reconstitute.
Hamas Won’t Budge on Disarmament
Hamas has shown no willingness to relinquish its weapons at all, even partially.
On February 11, senior official Osama Hamdan stated that the group had “not
received from the mediators any draft or official proposals regarding [its]
weapons,” insisting that “maintaining [its] arms is a right as long as the
occupation remains.” Hamdan also said that Israel “needs to be eliminated,” and
that Hamas’s “weapons will not be laid down until their goal is achieved.” His
comments echoed those of Hamas politburo official Khaled Mashaal, who stated
last week that disarmament “is not something we should accept.”
Hamas retaining its weapons is not only unacceptable to Israel, but a threat to
the very foundation of the ceasefire. Reports in the immediate wake of the
October 2025 ceasefire indicated that countries approached by Washington to
contribute troops to the ISF were hesitant to deploy soldiers while Hamas
remained armed. Four months on, the hesitancy persists, with only Indonesia
having submitted a concrete offer of 8,000 troops. Hamas also continues to
attack IDF troops. Terrorists in Rafah opened fire on IDF troops on February 9,
before being eliminated in the ensuing battle. Since the ceasefire’s inception
in October 2025, the group has violated the truce dozens of times.
Israel Mulling New Gaza Operation
Israeli media reported on February 10 that the IDF was quietly preparing
contingency plans to resume military operations in Gaza should the situation
deteriorate further. In January, a senior IDF official warned that the chances
of the IDF resuming military operations to disarm Hamas were growing — a
campaign, the official added, that could take “many years.” In the meantime, the
IDF is fortifying the “Yellow Line,” which separates Hamas-held areas of the
enclave from IDF-controlled territory.
Washington Must Press for Total Disarmament
Compromise with Hamas on disarmament could deal a fatal blow to the ceasefire.
The next steps in Trump’s plan, including recruiting the ISF and installing a
Palestinian transitional government in Gaza, rely on the successful disarmament
of Hamas. Any proposal that leaves the group intact with its weapons, even its
small arms, will likely lead to the reconstitution of Hamas and cement its power
in Gaza. Washington should work unilaterally as well as through mediators Qatar,
Egypt, and Turkey to demand full disarmament. This would involve surrendering
both small arms and heavy weaponry, along with dismantling tunnel
infrastructure, within a strictly enforced timeline. Washington should make
clear that Hamas will bear responsibility for the inevitable collapse of the
ceasefire if it refuses to cooperate.
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/02/12/without-full-disarmament-of-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-is-at-risk/
**Aaron Goren is a research analyst and editor at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Aaron and FDD, please subscribe HERE.
Follow Aaron on X @RealAaronGoren. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington,
DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and
foreign policy.
Turkish foreign minister warns of nuclear arms race if Iran gets the bomb
William Doran & Sinan Ciddi/FDD's Long War Journal/February 13/.2026
On February 9, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan suggested that Turkey would
begin developing nuclear weapons should Iran obtain them. During a televised
interview with CNN Turk, Fidan warned that Iranian nuclearization would upset
the “balance of power” in the Middle East and likely initiate a regional nuclear
arms race, which Turkey may be compelled to join. The foreign minister declined
to comment when asked if he believed Turkey should possess nuclear weapons.
Fidan’s remarks surfaced during a broader discussion of Iran’s indirect
negotiations with the United States in Oman on February 6, as well as rumors of
an impending US military action. The foreign minister questioned the
international assessment that the Tehran regime intends to produce nuclear
weapons, claiming there is “no data that they want to build them.” He also cited
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s fatwa against nuclear weapons and asserted
that Iran has only pursued uranium enrichment, not weaponization. In light of
Iran-US talks, Fidan stated that issuing ultimatums on Iran’s nuclearization and
ballistic missile programs—which Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian deemed
“unreasonable”—would be unrealistic and obstruct a peaceful settlement.
The Turkish government has expressed opposition to US strikes against Iran since
hosting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul on January 30.
Regarding Khamenei’s government, Fidan said that “the problem is not the regime
itself [… it] is the decisions the regime makes.” Amid speculation over an
impending US military action against Tehran, he argued that an American air
campaign would be insufficient to collapse the Iranian regime and claimed that
the threat of war had diminished amid negotiations.
Turkey is a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
(NPT). However, Turkish leaders have long suggested that all countries maintain
a “right to enrich” uranium, even though such a right is not explicitly
delineated in the NPT. In 2019, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
criticized the notion that “countries like the United States, Russia, China,
France, and the United Kingdom could possess nuclear weapons while others,
including Turkey, could not.” Until now, Erdogan’s rhetoric has not been matched
by noteworthy actions to potentially procure such capabilities. Comprehensive
safeguards also cover sites like plants that convert or enrich uranium and
plutonium separation facilities, which Turkey does not possess but may acquire
in the future.
Ankara has also signed an enhanced IAEA inspection agreement known as the
Additional Protocol (AP), which gives the IAEA the authority to visit sites
where Turkey does not produce nuclear material but that could support a
clandestine nuclear weapons program. The AP also requires Turkey to provide
information about sensitive foreign nuclear procurements. In essence, by signing
the AP, Turkey better positioned the IAEA to detect activities that it might, in
the future, try to hide.
Independent of any desire develop nuclear weapons capability, Turkey maintains a
commercial relationship with Russia, which is in the process of completing the
construction of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant. The project, owned by
Russia’s Rosatom Corporation, is for the cradle-to-grave construction,
financing, and ownership of four nuclear power plants located in Akkuyu, a
suburb of Turkey’s Mersin province. The Akkuyu plants are expected to start
operating between 2026 and 2028.
South Korea or Russia may build four additional units in the Black Sea province
of Sinop, and China may build other reactors at Igneada, near Istanbul. The US
nuclear power plant manufacturer Westinghouse is also considering contending for
reactor projects in a bid to move Turkey away from Russian and Chinese
suppliers.
**William Doran is an intern at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Sinan
Ciddi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where he
contributes to its Turkey Program and Center on Economic and Financial Power.
You can follow Sinan on X @sinanciddi.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2026/02/turkish-foreign-minister-warns-of-nuclear-arms-race-if-iran-gets-the-bomb.php
Read in FDD's Long War Journal
X
Platform Selected twittes for 13/2026
This is Beirut
WATCH: Part 2. Israeli citizens send messages of #peace to their
Lebanese neighbors
https://x.com/i/status/2021995188176986223
WATCH: Part 2. Israeli citizens send messages of #peace to their Lebanese
neighbors
Independent Israeli journalist
@selenaryan_
reported for TIB.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Beirut-based media outlet This Is Beirut asked an Israeli journalist to
interview several Israelis who sent Batch II of messages for peace with Lebanon.
Carnegie's Michael Young, Hezbollah's Hassan Olleik, and the Arab nationalist
crowd (Raseef22) have all attacked This Is Beirut and the idea of peace
(imagine—peace, the horror!).
Congressman Josh Brecheen
@RepBrecheen
https://x.com/i/status/2021978325799862614
During Tuesday’s @HouseForeignGOP hearing, @nadinemaenza
informed Congress that Turkey’s President Erdoğan is seeking to restore the
Ottoman Empire all the way to Jerusalem and beyond. This is important because
President Erdoğan is closely connected to Syria's current leader, al-Sharaa. The
recent horrific treatment of religious minorities in Syria, including
Christians, Druze, Alawites, and Kurds, makes this witness testimony critical.
If Turkey continues cheering what is happening in Syria with the extermination
of those not in line with an Islamic (Jihad-minded) state, we are looking at a
powder keg waiting to explode. If this happens, Israel and the 750,000 U.S.
citizens living within its midst will be the next target. The extermination of
religious minorities in Syria must TRULY BE AT AN END, or Congress must act by
reimposing sanctions!!!
TurLevnon
@MarounTurLevnon
I am aghast and worried of the mindset of some Maronites who were born during
the iranian-syrian islamofacist occupation.They really need to be supported. May
Mar Charbel intercede for them so that they are out of the blackhole they were
sent in.
U.S. Mission to the UN
Two individuals are being scapegoated in Iran because of their
faith and face imminent execution. The U.S. Mission condemns Iran’s atrocious
behavior and violations of religious freedom. We call upon Iran to immediately
release Peyvand Naimi, Venus Hoseininejad, and all those unjustly detained.