English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For January 05/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
The Sunday Of Finding Jesus Christ The Boy
at the Temple
The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 03/01-06/:"In the
fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was
governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler
of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during
the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of
Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is
written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying
out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and
the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all
flesh shall see the salvation of God."
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on January
04-05/2026
Video and Text: “Astrologers Have Lied, Even If They Speak the
Truth”/Elias Bejjani/January 02/2026
Patriotic and Faithful Reflections for the New Year/Elias Bejjani/January
01/2026
Venezuela and Hezbollah Connection/Jason Kenny/Former Canadian minister of
Defense/January 04, 2026
Two dead in Israeli strike on south Lebanon
Will Lebanon remain trapped by its old fault lines in 2026?
Qassem says priority for halting aggression, calls for equipping army
Lebanese Army carries out security raids, arrests 44 across multiple regions
Lebanese diaspora in Venezuela remains safe amid uncertainty
Uncertainty over Lebanon: Potential Israeli strike awaits US green light
Security assessments: Netanyahu sidesteps Lebanon in first cabinet meeting after
Trump talks
Plasschaert in Israel to Discuss Strengthening Resolution 1701
Iran and Hezbollah at the Forefront... Rubio Defines Washington's Goals in
Venezuela
Israel "Not Optimistic": Disarming Hezbollah is an "Illusion"
Adraee Posts Video Mocking Ali Mortada: "Share the Good News"
A Decisive Week: UNIFIL Gradually Departs and Hezbollah Takes Precautions
Drills in Kiryat Shmona and Washington May Permit Military Action in Lebanon
Syria and Lebanon: Who Is Moving Forward in 2026?/Salam El Zaatari/This Is
Beirut/January 04/2026
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on January
04-05/2026
Venezuela’s Supreme Court orders Delcy Rodriguez become interim president
Venezuela’s Maduro now in New York jail
US to work with current Venezuela leaders if they make ‘right decision’: Rubio
New Venezuela leader to pay ‘big price’ if doesn’t ‘do what’s right’: Trump
Venezuela’s interim government says it is united behind Maduro after his US
capture
Venezuela military tells population to resume normal activities
Large part of Maduro’s security team killed in US action: Venezuela defense
minister
‘Many’ Cubans died in Venezuela attack, Trump says
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, Spain reject outside ‘control’ of
Venezuela
Saudi Crown Prince, Erdogan discuss latest regional, international developments
Yemen’s internationally recognized government announces retaking of Hadramout
Iran executed at least 1,500 people in 2025 in a 35-year record
Iranians to receive monthly payment amid economic woes, protests
Rights groups say at least 16 dead in Iran during week of protests
International aid groups grapple with what Israel’s ban will mean for their work
in Gaza
Saudi Arabia says it fully supports Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity
Saudi Arabia intensifies humanitarian aid routes to Gaza
Syria says talks on military integration of Kurds inconclusive
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on January
04-05/2026
Trump the global time manager: A warning to procrastinators/Raghida
Dergham/Al Arabiya English/04 January/2026
Excess of (Vene) Zella in Caracas, and the international order reduced to a
carcass/Lara Khoury Hafez/Face Book/04 January/2026
45th President of the United States: 2017 ‐ 2021/Charles Elias Chartouni/Face
Book/04 January/2026
For Hamas Actually to Disarm, Trump Must Forget About All of Its Supporters:
Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan, Iran – and the Palestinian Authority/Con Coughlin/Gatestone
Institute/January 4, 2026
Economic protests add pressure to an already weakened Iran/Con Coughlin/Arab
News/January 04, 2026
If Trump’s Court Summons You/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/January
04, 2026
Trump sets a devastating precedent in Venezuela/Michael Hirsh/Arab News/January
04, 2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets/ January 04/2026
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January
04-05/2026
Video and Text: “Astrologers Have Lied, Even If They
Speak the Truth”
Elias Bejjani/January 02/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/138623/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akG1nXqso_E&t=608s
Have those who practice astrology, prophecies, lies, and hypocrisy replaced
Almighty God?
Have they truly become capable of reading the future and knowing the unseen?
There is no doubt that in Lebanon, almost all the owners of media facilities (TV
stations, radio stations, YouTube channels, newspapers, and online websites)
neither fear Almighty God nor the hour of His last reckoning. They brazenly
promote infidelity, hoaxes, and lies through programs that epitomize spiritual
decadence. These programs—whose stars are alleged astrologers claiming to know
and predict the future—are mere swindlers and hypocrites. Some of them are even
linked to regional and local intelligence groups that use misinformation to
propagate various conspiracies.This heretical media status is deeply flawed,
sad, disgusting, and frightening. Many Lebanese media institutions have sunk
into a mire of faithlessness and immorality.
To those responsible for these outlets—who promote the lies and trivialities of
heretics practicing magic, astrology, and false prophecies—we ask: Do you fear
God?
Do you believe in the Holy Scriptures? Are you aware of the dire consequences
awaiting those who engage in such satanic practices, condemned by Christian,
Jewish, and Islamic teachings alike?
We also ask Lebanese religious authorities: Why do you not take a firm stand
against every media outlet that promotes infidelity and Satanism through
programs of predictions, prophecies, and claims of knowledge of the unseen?
These programs blatantly defy all heavenly laws. Similarly, we question the
inaction of MPs, ministers, and other state officials: Why have you not enacted
laws to prevent these heresies, which are sinful according to all monotheistic
religions?
For those who follow the heresies promoted by most Lebanese media during the New
Year—whether in the homeland or the diaspora—this situation evokes memories of
the sinful eras of Sodom, Gomorrah, Noah, and Nimrod’s arrogance. Have
astrologers, false prophets, and hypocrites replaced God Almighty, claiming to
read the future and uncover the unseen? Do clerics, politicians, media
professionals, and heretics not understand that only God knows the future? Even
the prophets and messengers were not granted this grace. The holy books of
monotheistic religions unequivocally condemn practices such as spirit
preparation, sorcery, divination, astrology, and the reading of horoscopes.
These are considered satanic acts, and believers are urged to reject and avoid
anyone who engages in them. Such practices divert believers from God, leading
them toward darkness and deception.
In Islam, astrology and all forms of fortune-telling are explicitly prohibited
and forbidden (haram). As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated in
Sahih Muslim: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about anything, his
prayers will not be accepted for forty nights.” If merely consulting a
fortune-teller results in such consequences, what fate awaits the
fortune-tellers themselves?
Christianity and Judaism similarly denounce these practices. The Bible teaches
that Satan often masquerades as good, using astrologers, magicians, and
fortune-tellers to deceive people and lead them astray. Those who fall into
these traps risk distancing themselves from God and embracing satanic deception.
Astrologers and fortune-tellers often become victims of their own delusions,
unknowingly serving as tools of Satan. As humans created in God’s image, we are
called to seek His will through prayer, faith, and adherence to His teachings,
not through sorcery or astrology.
Anyone who believes in the false claims of astrologers and fortune-tellers
commits a grave sin, as these acts defy the core tenets of all monotheistic
religions. It is no wonder our country faces tribulations, hardships, and divine
wrath. As our society mirrors the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, it should come as
no surprise that we endure God’s righteous judgment.
In conclusion, all who practice astrology, divination, and similar acts stand in
direct opposition to the teachings of heavenly religions. They defy God’s will,
becoming tools of Satan and slaves to sin, infidelity, and ingratitude. Those
who believe in or promote such practices are complicit in these acts and share
in their guilt. We end with a verse from Leviticus 20:27 (Old Testament): “A man
or a woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are
to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.”
NB: The Above Editorial & Video are from the 2023 Archive
**Scriptural Prohibitions: Biblical and Quranic Verses
Condemning Astrology and Divination
Isaiah 44:25
"I am the one who exposes the lies of the false prophets and reveals the folly
of fortune-tellers. I confuse the wise and turn their knowledge into
foolishness."
Leviticus 20:27
"Any man or woman who is a medium or a fortune-teller shall surely be put to
death; they shall be stoned with stones."
Deuteronomy 18:9–22 (Summary of context provided)
"When you enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not
learn to practice the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found
among you anyone who burns his son or daughter as a sacrifice in the fire, nor
one who practices divination, nor a soothsayer, nor an omen-reader, nor a
sorcerer, nor one who casts spells, nor one who consults a medium or a spiritist,
nor one who consults the dead. For all these things are an abomination to the
Lord your God. Be blameless before the Lord your God. For those nations whose
land you possess listen to soothsayers and fortune-tellers; but as for you, the
Lord your God has not permitted you to do so."
Leviticus 19:31
"Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them.
I am the Lord your God."
Leviticus 20:6
"And the soul that turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself after
them, I will set My face against that soul and cut him off from among his
people."
2 Kings 21:6
"And he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used omens,
and consulted mediums and spiritists; he did much evil in the sight of the Lord,
provoking Him to anger."
Isaiah 8:19
"And when they say to you, 'Seek out the mediums and the fortune-tellers who
chirp and mutter,' should not a people seek their God? Should they consult the
dead on behalf of the living?"
Revelation 21:8
"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral,
sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which
burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
1 Chronicles 10:13–14
"So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he committed against the Lord,
because of the word of the Lord which he did not keep; and also because he
consulted a medium for guidance, and did not seek the Lord. Therefore He killed
him and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse."
Exodus 22:18
"You shall not permit a sorceress to live."
Micah 5:12
"I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more
soothsayers."
Acts 16:16–19
"And it happened, as we were going to prayer, that a slave girl possessed with a
spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by
fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, 'These
men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of
salvation.' And she did this for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned
and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out
of her.' And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their
hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the
marketplace to the authorities."
Islamic Texts (Quran and Hadith)
Surah An-Naml
"Say: 'None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah...'"
Surah Luqman
"Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and
knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow,
and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and
Acquainted."
Prophetic Hadith (Sahih Muslim)
"Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayer will
not be accepted for forty nights."
Would you like me to find more historical context on how these practices were
viewed in ancient times, or perhaps compare how different translations handle
specific terms like "medium" and "spiritist"?
Patriotic and Faithful Reflections for the New Year
Elias Bejjani/January 01/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/81879/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udOAxwh6Au0&t=7s
How transformative and healing it would be if each and every one of us were
fully ready to welcome the new year with a clear conscience, a reconciled
spirit, and a renewed commitment to love and understanding. Imagine entering the
new year with a heart unburdened by the weight of past grievances, a mind freed
from the chains of hostility, hatred, and jealousy, and a soul glowing with
forgiveness and compassion.
Life, as fleeting as it is precious, unfolds in the blink of an eye. The gift of
life that Almighty God has granted us is a treasure that He may choose to
reclaim at any moment. These undeniable truths compel us to reflect deeply on
how we live our days and how we engage with those around us. Let us, therefore,
make a conscious decision to leave behind the pains, hardships, and
disappointments of the ending year, embracing the opportunity for a fresh start.
As we turn the page to the new year, let us commit to filling the blank slate of
this new year with acts of kindness, gestures of goodwill, and moments of
genuine connection. Let us strive to build bridges where walls once stood, to
sow seeds of hope where despair had taken root, and to light the path of love
where shadows of division lingered.
For our beloved Lebanon, a nation enduring the heavy yoke of occupation and
oppression, let this new year ignite a collective yearning for peace and
freedom. May it inspire all its people—the impoverished, the marginalized, and
the oppressed—to find strength in unity, courage in faith, and resolve in their
pursuit of justice and sovereignty. Let us pray that 2025 brings a renewed
spirit of hope and the dawn of a brighter, liberated future for our homeland.
To every faithful and wise individual, the call is clear: Begin this new year
with open hands, a forgiving heart, and unwavering faith. Extend love to those
who may have wronged you, embrace the gift of reconciliation, and walk forward
with self-confidence and hope.
Let us usher the new year with prayers for a year marked by peace, love, and the
fear of God. May it be a time of renewal and blessings for all. From the depths
of our hearts, we wish everyone a Happy New Year filled with forgiveness, faith,
hope, and enduring love.
May Lebanon’s suffering come to an end, and may its people rise with strength
and dignity to reclaim their freedom and future.
Venezuela and Hezbollah
Connection
Jason Kenny/Former Canadian minister of Defense/January 04, 2026
One of the most fascinating briefings I received as a federal Immigration
Minister was from a foreign intelligence agency about the connections between
Venezuela and the Iranian terror proxy Hizbollah. And they showed me the
receipts. I saw in detail how the Venezuelan regime imported raw cocaine from
the FARC Marxist terror group in Colombia, and worked with the Al Quds Force of
the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps to ship it in "dark" planes to Beirut,
where it was then processed in Hizbollah facilities in the Bekaa Valley. The
refined product was then shipped to Europe, and the proceeds used to finance
Hizbollah operations, including weapons procurement. When I asked how a
fundamentalist organization could do this given that narcotics are haram, I was
shown fatwas issued by Hizbollah imams indicating that as long as the drugs were
sold to kaffirs, and the proceeds used to finance "the struggle," that it was
religiously sanctioned. I was also shown details on how Hizbollah agents were
using Canada to launder illicit funds by buying stolen cars with cash from
criminals gangs, and then shipping them out of the Port of Montreal for resale
in West Africa.
All of this was possible because of extremely close coordination between the
Iranian and Venezuelan regimes. The agency was concerned that Canada was being
lax about permitting Iranian and Hizbollah agents to enter the country. Prompted
by this, I travelled to Damascus to spend time with our officials from various
agencies drilling down on how to improve radically security screening of visa
applicants from Lebanon and Iran. This was in 2008! All evidence suggests the
cooperation between these two abhorrent regimes has only grown since then, with
Iran providing Venezuela with arms, helping to sustain its dwindling oil
industry, and to market its sanctioned crude. In return, Venezuela has acted as
a kind of giant base of operations for Iran in the Western Hemisphere, including
the IGRC and Hizbollah's ongoing involvement in drug trafficking and money
laundering.
And, of course, both regimes have been in lockstep diplomatically, including
with their shared enthusiasm for their biggest ally: Putin's Russia.
Upshot: stable democratic governments in both Iran and Venezuela this year would
be a massive gain for global peace and security, including for Canada.
Two dead in Israeli strike
on south Lebanon
AFP/January 04, 2026
BEIRUT: Lebanon said a strike in the south killed two Sunday while Israel said
it had struck a Hezbollah operative, the latest raids as Beirut seeks to disarm
the Iran-backed group. Despite a year-old ceasefire between Israel and
Hezbollah, Israel carries out regular strikes on Lebanon, usually saying it is
targeting Hezbollah sites and operatives, and has maintained troops in five
areas it deems strategic. Lebanon’s health ministry said two people were killed
in an “Israeli enemy strike that targeted a vehicle” near the town of Jmaijmeh,
around 10 kilometers (six miles) from the border. An Israeli military statement
said that “in response to Hezbollah’s continued violations of the ceasefire
understandings,” it had struck an operative from the militant group in the area.
Under heavy US pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes, Beirut has
committed to disarming Hezbollah, which was badly weakened after more than a
year of hostilities with Israel including two months of open war that ended with
the November 2024 ceasefire. Lebanon’s army was expected to complete the
disarmament south of the Litani River — about 30 kilometers from the border with
Israel — by the end of 2025, before tackling the rest of the country.
Lebanon’s cabinet is to meet on Thursday to discuss the army’s progress, while
the ceasefire monitoring committee — comprising Lebanon, Israel, the United
States, France and UN peacekeepers — is also set to meet this week.
On Sunday, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar acknowledged on X that the
Lebanese government and army had made efforts to disarm Hezbollah but said “they
are far from sufficient,” citing “Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm and rebuild, with
Iranian support.”Israel has previously questioned the Lebanese military’s
effectiveness and has accused Hezbollah of rearming, while the group itself has
rejected calls to surrender its weapons. At least 350 people have been killed by
Israeli fire in Lebanon since the ceasefire, according to an AFP tally of
Lebanese health ministry reports.
Will Lebanon remain trapped by its old fault lines in 2026?
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/January 04, 2026
BEIRUT: As Lebanon enters 2026, the national mood is defined less by a sense of
recovery than by the daunting task of managing overlapping crises. While the
past year provided the first cautious stirrings of renewal, politicians and
analysts alike describe 2026 as the pivotal year that will determine if these
fragile foundations can support a permanent state.For former MP Fares Saeed, the
coming year is one where Lebanon must continue the deep soul-searching required
to enter a true recovery phase. “Lebanon and the region are going through a
transitional phase, which complicates internal solutions, and getting out of the
situation we are in requires listening to the project that Pope Leo XIV brought
to Lebanon to make peace. But Lebanon must first redefine its very raison d’etre
if it is to truly recover.”Khaldoun Al-Sharif, another prominent political
figure, views 2025 through the lens of regional upheaval — specifically the
power vacuum left by the fall of Bashar Assad in neighboring Syria and the
sustained Israeli pressure on Iranian proxies. He warns that the path to
stability this year depends on two unresolved issues. “Hezbollah’s disarmament
and genuine reform. We saw neither this year,” he told Arab News, setting a high
bar for the government’s performance in the months to follow. The optimism that
marked the start of the previous year remains the primary fuel for the current
administration. After years of paralysis, the 2025 agenda was driven by the
leadership of President Joseph Aoun and the government of veteran diplomat Nawaf
Salam. Their twin appointments ended the deadlock that had left Lebanon
leaderless during the 2024 war. Their administration is focused on the Aoun’s
inaugural pledge of “positive neutrality.”Aoun enters 2026 committed to the
state’s monopoly on the use of force. His mandate for the year ahead is clear:
“We will build a homeland and we will all be under the rule of law and the
judiciary with no immunity for criminals or corrupt individuals, and no mafia,
drug smuggling or money laundering.”
Despite the political transition, peace remains a delicate prospect. As 2026
begins, more than 70,000 residents of the south have yet to return home, haunted
by the threat of resumed hostilities. The central tension of the coming year
remains the enforcement of the ceasefire’s key condition: disarming Hezbollah
and relocating its fighters north of the Litani River. The government faces a
historic implementation phase. An American-drafted roadmap calls for the group’s
disarmament and the removal of all illegal weapons by the end of 2025 — a
deadline that has now arrived. While a compromise was reached to hand over
weapons south of the Litani, 2026 will see the much more contentious task of
addressing arms elsewhere. This standoff continues to strain ties with Tehran.
As Iranian officials criticize the policy, Beirut must continue to insist that
Iran respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and refrain from interference.
A significant diplomatic milestone will continue to unfold in 2026. Lebanese
civilian envoys are expected to continue meeting with Israeli representatives to
review ceasefire implementation. These talks, involving former ambassador Simon
Karam, Israeli official Yuri Resnick, and US envoy Morgan Ortagus, have
emboldened negotiators to push for broader reconciliation — an idea that will
remain a sensitive third rail in Lebanese politics throughout the year.
The pressure on the state is further intensified by a looming deadline: the UN
Security Council has extended the mandate of UNIFIL troops only until the end of
2026, with the intention to withdraw them permanently thereafter. This gives the
Lebanese Army exactly twelve months to prove it can secure the south
independently.The ripple effects of the collapse of the Assad regime will
continue to dominate the 2026 outlook. With regional supply routes severed,
Hezbollah’s isolation is expected to deepen. Simultaneously, the issue of Syrian
refugees remains a priority; following the return of over 378,000 people last
year, 2026 will see increased pressure to ease the refugee burden further. On
the domestic front, the state’s war on drugs is expected to intensify. Having
targeted major networks and traffickers like Noah Zaiter in 2025, security
forces must now prove they can dismantle production sites without triggering
renewed internal strife with the political patrons who once protected these
militias.The economic forecast for 2026 remains a point of contention. Economy
Minister Amer Bisat is projecting 5 percent growth, citing a rebound in tourism
and services. However, the World Bank maintains a more cautious stance, and
noted economist Louis Hobeika has warned that the improvement in some sectors
cannot yet be called recovery — Lebanon’s economy remains hostage to politics
and security. As 2026 begins, the bridges built over the last year remain
fragile. Lebanon has reawakened to the ideas of sovereignty and reform, but as
it looks ahead, it remains a nation haunted by its neighbors, its history, and
its internal ruptures.
Qassem says priority for halting aggression, calls for
equipping army
Naharnet/January 04/2026
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has said that his party wants Lebanon to be
"sovereign, free, independent and capable.""We want it to be sovereign in
extending its sovereignty across Lebanese territory, especially on the land of
the South," Qassem said in a speech commemorating slain Iranian commander Qassem
Soleimani. Calling for "strong army," Qassem urged "dialogue and consensus" as
well as "national unity in the face of enemies."He added that the priority
should be for "halting the aggression, Israel's withdrawal, returning the
captives, and reconstruction, after which we would discuss the national
(security) strategy.""We call for equipping the Lebanese Army to enable it to be
an army for the country that protects against enemies, in addition to the other
tasks it is doing in the face of drug and theft gangs, all spies and those who
tamper with the country's security," Qassem went on to say.
Lebanese Army carries out security raids, arrests 44 across multiple regions
LBCI/January 04/2026
Units of the Lebanese Army, backed by patrols from the military intelligence
directorate, carried out exceptional security measures across the country,
including raids, patrols, and checkpoints, the army said. The operations led to
the arrest of nine Lebanese citizens and 35 Syrians in the districts of Akkar,
Tripoli, Batroun, Baalbek, and Hermel. Those detained are suspected of
involvement in a range of offenses, including gunfire incidents, illegal
possession of weapons, drug use, human smuggling, and residing in the country
unlawfully. The army said it also seized quantities of weapons, ammunition,
drugs, and military equipment during the operations. All confiscated items were
handed over to the competent authorities, and investigations with the detainees
have begun under judicial supervision.
Lebanese diaspora in Venezuela remains safe amid uncertainty
LBCI/January 04/2026
The President of the World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU), Abraham Constantin,
reassured Lebanese Ambassador to Venezuela Nisrine Bou Karam about the
conditions of the Lebanese community in Caracas. During a phone call,
Constantine placed the union’s resources at the ambassador’s disposal whenever
needed, underscoring the organization’s readiness to support the diplomatic
mission and the Lebanese diaspora. In a separate call, Constantine was informed
by the union’s national council president, Armando Mourad, and the heads of the
university’s branches in Venezuela that members of the Lebanese community are
safe and in good condition. They noted, however, that the community remains on
alert as it closely monitors how the situation in the country may unfold.
Uncertainty over Lebanon: Potential Israeli strike awaits US green light
LBCI/January 04/2026
Israeli reports conflicted over a possible strike on Lebanon following Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s return from the U.S. after talks with President
Donald Trump. While some reports claimed a strike on Lebanon was inevitable and
that Netanyahu had received support to carry it out—without specifying a
timeline—security officials said Washington had not given Tel Aviv a final green
light. Trump reportedly asked Netanyahu to allow more time for dialogue with the
Lebanese government before making any decision. On Sunday, Netanyahu is set to
present the results of his talks to his cabinet on all issues. While details
regarding the Lebanese front remain unclear, a report suggested that Netanyahu
will present on Thursday the security agencies’ assessment of Lebanon and the
strike Israel wants, which would not be carried out without U.S. approval. The
conflicting reports on Lebanon caused confusion in Tel Aviv. While security and
military officials continued to promote reports claiming the Lebanese government
is completely incapable of implementing a Hezbollah disarmament plan, other
reports warned that leaving the current situation unresolved would allow the
group to strengthen its military capabilities, potentially preparing for attacks
on Israel and responding to anticipated Israeli strikes.
Security assessments: Netanyahu sidesteps Lebanon in first cabinet meeting after
Trump talks
LBCI/January 04/2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focused on Gaza, Iran, and Venezuela
during the first cabinet meeting he chaired after returning from talks with U.S.
President Donald Trump, notably avoiding any reference to Lebanon, despite
widespread Israeli attention on the issue ahead of his return. Security
officials say the omission was deliberate, intended to await developments
related to Trump's request to give diplomacy with the Lebanese government more
time. However, military officials believe Netanyahu is awaiting the position of
Israel's security apparatus, which is expected to be presented during a security
cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday. According to information disclosed by
officials, Israeli security agencies are not separating their strategic
recommendations on Iran from those concerning Hezbollah, viewing both fronts as
interconnected, particularly in light of recent internal unrest in Iran. While
Netanyahu addressed perceived threats related to Gaza and Iran during the
cabinet session, the northern town of Qiryat Shemona remained at the center of
Israeli public attention. The area witnessed military drills simulating
infiltration and takeover scenarios, including drone operations. During the
cabinet meeting, Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf called for a special discussion on
what he described as Hezbollah's growing influence in Qiryat Shemona, alleging
that Palestinians holding Israeli citizenship had purchased apartments in the
town, facilitating the group's presence.
As the security cabinet prepares to review plans drawn up by the security
agencies to confront Hezbollah, the Israeli army continues to carry out strikes
against targets in Lebanon. At the same time, it is reinforcing troop
deployments and expanding its presence along the northern border, citing
preparedness for any sudden security escalation.
Plasschaert in Israel to
Discuss Strengthening Resolution 1701
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 4, 2026 (Translated from Arabic)
The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, began a
visit to Israel today (Sunday) to consult with parties involved in implementing
UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Her office stated the visit includes
meetings with senior Israeli officials for talks aimed at strengthening the
resolution and the "Cessation of Hostilities" understanding that took effect in
November 2024. Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war, mandates the
disarmament of southern Lebanon—excluding state weapons—and the deployment of
15,000 Lebanese soldiers. While a truce was brokered by the U.S. last November
after over a year of cross-border fire, Israel maintains positions in southern
Lebanon and continues strikes in the east and south.
Iran and Hezbollah at the Forefront... Rubio Defines
Washington's Goals in Venezuela
Al-Markazia/January 4, 2026 (Translated from Arabic)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Sunday that the U.S. expects
change in Venezuela. He noted that American objectives include severing
Venezuela's ties with Iran and Hezbollah and combating drug trafficking. Rubio
clarified he is involved in managing the transition phase, while emphasizing
that no U.S. troops have been deployed on Venezuelan soil yet. Regarding a
potential occupation, he stated President Donald Trump keeps all options open.
He also announced that the Venezuelan oil export embargo will continue until
reforms are made to the country's oil industry.
Israel "Not Optimistic": Disarming Hezbollah is an
"Illusion"
Al-Markazia/January 4, 2026 (Translated from Arabic)
An I24 News report indicates Israel is monitoring southern Lebanon and assesses
that efforts to dismantle Hezbollah are insufficient. The Israeli military and
security establishment are awaiting political instructions regarding the group's
rearmament. While the Lebanese government may soon announce the disarmament of
the south, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told Hennis-Plasschaert that a
wide gap exists between expectations and reality. Security sources told I24 news
that Hezbollah is uninterested in real disarmament and views the "second phase"
of the agreement merely as a way to rehabilitate the organization. Consequently,
a planned meeting between Interior Minister Yossi Fuchs and Foreign Minister
Avichay Stern in Kiryat Shmona was canceled due to urgent security discussions.
Adraee Posts Video Mocking Ali Mortada: "Share the Good
News"
Janoubia/January 4, 2026 (Translated from Arabic)
IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted a video Sunday mocking Al-Mayadeen
journalist Ali Mortada. Adraee used rhyming verses to mock Mortada, who often
trades barbs with him on X (formerly Twitter) under the moniker "My Enemy." In
the video, Adraee sarcastically suggests Mortada should enjoy a "stroll" (kazdoura)
with his partner away from Katyushas and "incitement and hypocrisy in the name
of the Resistance." He added, "Pity the youth you helped send to 'Heaven-Hell'
after they followed your un-noteworthy words."
A Decisive Week: UNIFIL Gradually Departs and Hezbollah
Takes Precautions
Al-Markazia/January 4, 2026 (Translated from Arabic)
Lebanon faces a pivotal week regarding the "Mechanism Committee" meeting and a
crucial cabinet session on the Army's plan and "Phase Two." During the
Trump-Netanyahu summit last week, Trump was reportedly clear that he is waiting
for Lebanese government action, amid U.S.-Israeli insistence on the surrender of
all weapons, including ballistic missiles and drones. Diplomatic sources fear a
potential Israeli escalation. While UN Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre
Lacroix arrives Monday to oversee UNIFIL, the Turkish and Greek maritime
contingents have already left, and the Indonesian maritime unit departs Monday
as part of preparations to end UNIFIL's mission by the end of 2026.
Drills in Kiryat Shmona and Washington May Permit Military
Action in Lebanon
Al-Modon/January 4, 2026 (Translated from Arabic)
Reports from Ma’ariv suggest the U.S. may give Israel a "green light" for
military action in Lebanon. On Sunday, the IDF conducted drills in Kiryat Shmona
while missile tests were seen in Lebanese skies. Although the Trump
administration has asked Netanyahu to give dialogue with the Lebanese government
a chance, the military option remains on the table. Meanwhile, a report by the
Alma Research Center claims Hezbollah is focused on rebuilding its "Radwan
Force" offensive capabilities. Despite a relative drop in Israeli strikes in
December 2025 (40 airstrikes total), the report argues this does not indicate a
Hezbollah retreat. Instead, it suggests the group is adapting and rehabilitating
its infrastructure, particularly south of the Litani River, where 11 Hezbollah
members were reportedly killed in recent operations targeting weapon depots and
training complexes.
Syria and Lebanon: Who Is Moving Forward in 2026?
Salam El Zaatari/This Is Beirut/January 04/2026
Entering 2026, Syria and Lebanon stand at an inflection point along the region’s
active fault line. While both nations shook off paralysis at roughly the same
time a year ago, neither has become truly stable. What separates them is the
nature of the risks they face in the near and medium-term as the Middle East
undergoes uneasy post-war realignments. Syria’s transition was more historic
than Lebanon’s, with the fall of the regime in December 2024 ending decades of
the Assad family’s authoritarian rule and effectively ending a prolonged civil
war. Under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria’s new authorities moved
quickly to consolidate control through a transitional constitutional framework,
a multi-year political roadmap, diplomatic re-engagement, and public signals of
minority inclusion, steps followed by U.S. and EU sanctions relief. Refugee
returns and renewed regional ties have marked a visible break from Syria’s long
isolation. Yet Syria’s core challenge is whether it can achieve stability
without repeating the exclusionary practices of the Assad era. Power remains
concentrated, and institutions are still embryonic. Political legitimacy,
meanwhile, is uneven across the country’s regions and communities. The state’s
effective reach is challenged by localized reprisals and sectarian violence,
Israeli military actions, unresolved Kurdish autonomy, and the lingering threat
of extremist remnants. While these challenges and risks are not unusual for a
country in transition from authoritarianism, they are made more consequential by
Syria’s vast reconstruction needs. Investor confidence in the country is fragile
and institutional failures would have regional consequences. Lebanon’s
trajectory has been narrower, less dramatic, and deliberately incomplete. Joseph
Aoun’s election as president in January 2025 ended a prolonged constitutional
vacuum and restored basic executive function under a government led by Nawaf
Salam. The process was an institutional reboot rather than a systemic reset. It
reopened channels of decision-making, diplomacy, and conditional reform, but
left intact the political order that produced Lebanon's economic collapse and
paralysis. This distinction matters because while Lebanon’s institutions are
once again functioning, their credibility remains damaged. Public trust in the
financial system is still shattered, depositor losses remain unresolved, and
efforts for reforms face entrenched resistance. History offers no guarantee that
this moment will prove any less fleeting than previous Lebanese “resets.” What
makes Lebanon’s current trajectory different is an alignment of international
leverage, conditional aid, and internal security shifts that, for now, are
pointing in the same direction.
Lebanon holds its clearest advantage over Syria in terms of security, though
this issue is far from settled. Hezbollah entered 2025 weakened by war and
strategically constrained by the fall of Assad, which disrupted the
organization’s supply lines. The Lebanese state has not dismantled Hezbollah,
nor fully imposed a monopoly of arms, but it has begun treating sovereignty as
an operational policy rather than a rhetorical red line. All of this remains
reversible. Hezbollah retains social depth and adaptive capacity, while Israel’s
military pressure on Lebanon remains a destabilizing wildcard. Still, the
balance between state authority and non-state power has moved enough to change
international calculations about Lebanon’s viability. Economically, neither
country is close to recovery, but Lebanon’s path is more viable. The government
has taken politically costly steps toward banking restructuring and fiscal
transparency, aligning itself, however imperfectly, with IMF conditions and Gulf
expectations. Lebanon’s financial architecture is badly damaged, but it exists,
is internationally legible, and can absorb pressure and assistance if reforms
continue. Syria, by contrast, faces a reconstruction burden an order of
magnitude larger, even after sanctions relief, with weaker legal safeguards and
far higher security risks. Socially, Syria’s transition carries deeper
historical meaning. The end of Assad’s rule freed decades of suppressed
memories, trauma, and political speech. Refugee returns and public reckoning
reflect a genuine psychological break with the past. But this openness has also
exposed unresolved grievances, which are surfacing in the absence of strong
mediating institutions. Lebanon’s society, shaped by exhaustion, has prioritized
survival and basic stability over transformation, producing fewer moments of
catharsis, but also fewer internal shocks during the country’s transition. By
any sober assessment, neither country has “arrived.” Syria has achieved
transformative change without yet stabilizing its state. Lebanon has achieved
institutional restoration without yet transforming its system. In a region
edging toward uneasy peace deals and post-conflict realignments, stability—not
symbolism—determines which countries move ahead first.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on January
04-05/2026
Venezuela’s Supreme Court orders Delcy Rodriguez become interim
president
Reuters/04 January/2026
The Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered on Saturday
that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assume the role of acting president of the
country in the absence of Nicolás Maduro, who was detained early Saturday
morning in an operation by US forces. The court ruling said that Rodríguez would
assume “the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in
order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense
of the Nation.”
The ruling added that the court will debate the matter in order to “determine
the applicable legal framework to guarantee the continuity of the State, the
administration of government, and the defense of sovereignty in the face of the
forced absence of the President of the Republic.”
Venezuela’s Maduro now in New York jail
AFP/04 January/2026
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was in a New York jail Saturday, hours after
American special forces seized and flew him out of his country — which Donald
Trump said would come under effective US control. The US president’s
announcement followed a lightning pre-dawn attack in which commandos grabbed
Maduro and his wife while air strikes pounded sites in and around Caracas. A US
government plane carrying Maduro landed at a military base shortly after
nightfall, and he was transported by helicopter to New York City, where the
couple were to be arraigned on drug trafficking and weapons charges. The White
House posted video on X of Maduro, handcuffed and in sandals, escorted by
federal agents through a US Drug Enforcement Administration facility in New
York.“Good night, happy new year,” the 63-year-old leftist is heard saying in
English. Despite the success of the risky raid, what happens next is highly
uncertain. Trump said he was “designating people” from his cabinet to be in
charge in Venezuela but gave no further details. In another surprise, Trump
indicated US troops could be deployed, saying Washington is “not afraid of boots
on the ground.”But he appeared to reject the possibility of the country’s
opposition taking power and said he could work instead with Maduro’s vice
president, Delcy Rodriguez. One aspect that became clearer was Trump’s interest
in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. “We’re going to have our very large United
States oil companies... go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken
infrastructure,” he said.
“We’ll be selling large amounts of oil.”
Trump dismisses opposition leader
US-backed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who won last year’s Nobel
Peace Prize, posted on social media that “the hour of freedom has arrived.”She
called for the opposition’s 2024 election candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia,
to “immediately” assume the presidency. But Trump was surprisingly cold about
expectations that Machado could become Venezuela’s new leader, saying she
doesn’t have “support or respect” there. Instead, he touted Rodriguez, saying
“she’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela
great again.”Rodriguez poured cold water on that, demanding Maduro’s release and
vowing to “defend” the country. Late Saturday, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered
Rodriguez to assume presidential powers “in an acting capacity.”Reflecting the
confusion, Trump indicated US involvement is likely for the long haul. “We’re
going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place,” he said.
Venezuela ally China said it “strongly condemns” the US operation, while France
warned a solution cannot “be imposed from outside.”United Nations
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned that the rules
of international law have not been respected.”At Venezuela’s request, the UN
Security Council will meet Monday to discuss the crisis, the Somali presidency
of the Council told AFP.
Blackout and bombing
Venezuelans had been bracing for attacks as US forces spent months massing off
the coast. Caracas residents woke to explosions and the whir of military
helicopters around 2:00 am (0600 GMT). Air strikes hit a major military base and
an airbase, among other sites, for nearly an hour. The top US military officer,
General Dan Caine, said 150 aircraft took part in the operation, supporting
troops who choppered in to seize Maduro with the help of months of intelligence
into his daily habits -- down to “what he ate” and what pets he kept. Maduro and
his wife “gave up” without a struggle and there was “no loss of US life,” he
said. Venezuelan authorities have yet to release casualty figures. But Trump
told the New York Post that “many” Cubans in Maduro’s security detail were
killed. Within hours of the operation, Caracas had fallen eerily quiet, with
police stationed outside public buildings and the smell of smoke drifting
through the streets.
Shifting justifications
The US and numerous European governments did not recognize Maduro’s legitimacy,
saying he stole elections in 2018 and 2024. Maduro -- in power since 2013 after
taking over from leftist mentor Hugo Chavez -- long accused Trump of seeking
regime change in order to control Venezuela’s oil reserves. Trump has offered
several justifications for the aggressive policy toward Venezuela, at times
stressing illegal migration, narcotics trafficking and oil. But he had
previously avoided openly calling for regime change. Several members of Congress
quickly questioned the legality of the operation. But Trump’s key ally Mike
Johnson, top Republican in the House of Representatives, said it was
“justified.”
US to work with current Venezuela leaders if they make
‘right decision’: Rubio
AFP/04 January/2026
The United States is ready to work with Venezuela’s remaining leaders if they
make “the right decision,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday after a
shock US operation removed the oil-rich country’s president, Nicolas Maduro.
“We’re going to judge everything by what they do, and we’re going to see what
they do,” Rubio told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” program. “I do know this: that
if they don’t make the right decision, that the United States will retain
multiple levers of leverage.”Meanwhile, Rubio said that discussions of Venezuela
holding elections following Maduro’s ouster were “premature,” with Washington
focused on ensuring the remaining leadership in Caracas enacts policy changes.
Asked how soon Venezuelan elections would be following Maduro’s capture by US
forces on Saturday, Rubio told NBC’s “Meet the Press”: “All of that, I think, is
premature at this point.”“What we are focused on right now is all of the
problems we had when Maduro was there. We still have those problems in terms of
them needing to be addressed. We are going to give people an opportunity to
address those challenges and those problems,” he said.
New Venezuela leader to pay ‘big price’ if doesn’t ‘do
what’s right’: Trump
AFP/04 January/2026
President Donald Trump threatened Sunday that Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy
Rodriguez will pay a “very big price” if she doesn’t cooperate with the United
States, after US forces seized and jailed her former boss Nicolas Maduro. “If
she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably
bigger than Maduro,” Trump told The Atlantic in a brief telephone interview.
Venezuela’s military on Sunday recognized Rodriguez as the country’s acting
leader, after US forces extracted the former head of state to face trial. Amid
uncertainty following the leftist president’s dramatic capture, Defense Minister
Vladimir Padrino Lopez appeared to throw his weight behind Rodriguez, who Trump
had earlier indicated was a figure Washington could work with. Padrino read out
a statement on television endorsing a Supreme Court ruling that appointed
Rodriguez as acting president for 90 days. He also called on Venezuelans to get
back to their daily life, speaking less than two days after the US strikes shook
the capital Caracas and special forces seized Maduro and his wife. Padrino
denounced it as a “cowardly kidnapping” and said that some of Maduro’s
bodyguards were killed “in cold blood,” as well as military personnel and
civilians on the Venezuelan side. Venezuelan authorities have not yet given an
official toll for people hurt or killed in the US operations. The streets of
Caracas were deserted and quiet on Sunday, with many businesses closed and
moderate queues at some markets and pharmacies. “I call on the people of
Venezuela to resume their activities of all kinds, economic, work and education,
in the coming days,” Padrino said. “The homeland must follow its constitutional
course.”
Venezuela’s interim government says it is united behind
Maduro after his US capture
Reuters/January 04/2026
A top Venezuelan official declared on Sunday that the country’s government would
stay unified behind President Nicolas Maduro, whose capture by the United States
has sparked deep uncertainty about what is next for the oil-rich South American
nation.
Maduro is in a New York detention center awaiting a Monday court appearance on
drug charges, after US President Donald Trump ordered his removal from Venezuela
and said the US would take control of the country. But in Caracas, top officials
in Maduro’s government, who have called the detentions of Maduro and his wife
Cilia Flores a kidnapping, were still in charge. “Here, the unity of the
revolutionary force is more than guaranteed, and here there is only one
president, whose name is Nicolas Maduro Moros. Let no one fall for the enemy’s
provocations,” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said in an audio shared by the
ruling PSUV socialist party on Sunday as he urged calm. Images of the
63-year-old Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed on Saturday stunned Venezuelans.
The action is Washington’s most controversial intervention in Latin America
since the invasion of Panama 37 years ago. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez – who
also serves as oil minister – has taken over as interim leader with the blessing
of Venezuela’s top court, though she has said Maduro remains president.
Because of her connections with the private sector and deep knowledge of oil,
the country’s top source of revenue, Rodriguez has long been considered the most
pragmatic member of Maduro’s inner circle. But she has publicly contradicted
Trump’s claim she is willing to work with the United States. Trump said
Rodriguez may pay a bigger price than Maduro “if she doesn’t do what’s right,”
according to an interview with The Atlantic magazine on Sunday. The Venezuelan
government has said for months Trump’s pressure campaign is an effort to take
the country’s vast natural resources, especially its oil, and officials have
made much of his comment on Saturday that major US oil companies would move in.
“We are outraged because in the end everything was revealed – it was revealed
that they only want our oil,” added Cabello, who has close ties to the military.
Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA is asking some joint ventures to cut
back crude output by shutting down oilfields or groups of wells amid an export
paralysis, three sources close to the decision told Reuters. The OPEC country’s
oil exports halted after the US last month announced a blockade on sanctioned
tankers moving in and out of Venezuelan waters and seized two oil cargoes. Once
one of the most prosperous nations in Latin America, Venezuela’s economy
nosedived further under Maduro, sending about one in five Venezuelans abroad in
one of the world’s biggest exoduses. Maduro opponents in Venezuela have been
wary of celebrating his seizure, and the presence of security forces seemed, if
anything, lighter than usual on Sunday. Despite the nervous mood, some bakeries
and coffee shops were open and joggers and cyclists were out like a normal
Sunday morning. Some citizens were stocking up on essentials. “Yesterday I was
very afraid to go out, but today I had to. This situation caught me without food
and I need to figure things out. After all, Venezuelans are used to enduring
fear,” said a single mother in oil city Maracaibo, who said she bought rice,
vegetables and tuna. “If this is necessary for my son to grow up in a free
country, I’ll keep enduring the fear.”
The owner of a small supermarket in the same city said the business did not open
on Saturday after strikes on military installations in Caracas and elsewhere and
US Special Forces swooped in on helicopters to seize Maduro. “Today we’ll work
until noon since we’re close to many neighborhoods. People have nowhere to buy
food and we need to help them,” the shop owner said. To the disappointment of
Venezuela’s opposition, Trump has given short shrift to the idea of 58-year-old
opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado taking over,
saying she lacked support. Machado was banned from standing in the 2024 election
but has said her ally Edmundo Gonzalez, 76, who the opposition and some
international observers say overwhelmingly won that vote, has a democratic
mandate to take the presidency. It is unclear how Trump plans to oversee
Venezuela and he runs the risk of alienating some supporters who oppose foreign
interventions. While many Western nations oppose Maduro, there were many calls
for the US to respect international law and resolve the crisis diplomatically.
Questions also arose over the legality of seizing a foreign head of state.
Democrats said they were misled at recent Congress briefings and demanded a plan
for what is to follow. The UN Security Council planned to meet on Monday to
discuss the US attack, which Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as a
dangerous precedent. Russia and China, both major backers of Venezuela, have
criticized the US. Maduro was indicted in 2020 on US charges including narco-terrorism
conspiracy. He has always denied any criminal involvement.
Venezuela military tells population to resume normal
activities
AFP/04 January/2026
The head of Venezuela’s military on Sunday urged the country’s population to
resume their normal activities, after US forces bombed the country and seized
its leader Nicolas Maduro. “I call on the people of Venezuela to resume their
activities of all kinds, economic, work and education, in the coming days,”
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said in a televised address.
Large part of Maduro’s security team killed in US action:
Venezuela defense minister
Reuters/04 January/2026
A large part of erstwhile President Nicolas Maduro’s security team was killed
in the US raid that led to the leader’s Saturday capture, Venezuelan Defense
Minister General Vladimir Padrino said in a televised statement on Sunday
morning.
Padrino did not give an exact figure of causalities, but backed the
declaration of Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim president and said the
armed forces have been activated across the country to guarantee sovereignty.
‘Many’ Cubans died in Venezuela attack, Trump says
AFP/04 January ,2026
President Donald Trump said Saturday that many Cubans died as US forces attacked
Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro. The two Latin American
countries are close allies, sharing communist ideology and together weathering
US economic sanctions. For decades, Cuba was heavily dependent on Caracas for
economic support and fuel. In the run-up to the US attack early Saturday, as
Washington amassed forces in the Caribbean, the Venezuelan leader was described
in US media reports as heavily reliant on advisers and bodyguards from Cuba.
Neither Venezuela nor the United States has released a death toll from the
pre-dawn attack that nabbed Maduro, although Trump said no Americans were
killed. In an interview with The New York Post, granted after he gave a press
conference to talk about the attack, Trump said, “You know, many Cubans lost
their lives last night. Did you know that?”He added: “Many Cubans lost their
lives. They were protecting Maduro. That was not a good move.”Trump did not
elaborate on the number of people killed. “Cuba was always very reliant on
Venezuela. That’s where they got their money, and they protected Venezuela, but
that didn’t work out too well in this case,” Trump told the Post. At the press
conference with Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Havana. “If I
lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned at least a little
bit,” Rubio said. But Trump told the Post he was not considering military action
against Cuba, which has its own economic crisis. “No, Cuba is going to fall of
its own volition. Cuba is doing very poorly,” Trump said.
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, Spain reject
outside ‘control’ of Venezuela
AFP/04 January/2026
Five Latin American countries and Spain warned on Sunday against any outside bid
for “control” of Venezuela, after US President Donald Trump suggested Washington
would “run” the country and access its oil. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico,
Uruguay and Spain in a joint statement expressed their “rejection” of US forces’
ousting of Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela’s president and “concern about any
attempt at governmental control or administration or outside appropriation of
natural or strategic resources.”
Saudi Crown Prince, Erdogan discuss latest regional,
international developments
Al Arabiya English/04 January/2026
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call on Sunday from
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the official Saudi Press Agency
reported. During the call, the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations between
Saudi Arabia and Turkey and discussed the latest regional and international
developments, SPA said.They also addressed issues of mutual interest and efforts
aimed at enhancing security and stability, the agency added. According to the
Turkish presidency, the talks included the situation in Yemen, with Erdogan
telling the Crown Prince that Turkey “is ready to contribute to efforts aimed at
bringing parties together.”Erdogan also said Ankara was closely monitoring
developments in Yemen and Somalia, stressing that preserving the territorial
integrity of both countries is vital for regional stability, according to his
office. The phone call comes a day after Saudi Arabia called for Yemen’s
southern factions to attend a dialogue in Riyadh.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government announces
retaking of Hadramout
Al Arabiya English/04 January/2026
Yemen’s internationally recognized government announced on Sunday that it had
regained control of the governorate of Hadramout. Shortly after its recapture,
Hadramout Governor Salem al-Khanbashi announced the resumption of his duties
administering the province from the city of Seiyun. The head of Yemen’s
internationally recognized government, Rashad al-Alimi, ordered strict measures
to secure public and private property in Hadramout following its recapture by
government forces. Al-Alimi, who is the head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership
Council (PLC), expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Saudi-led coalition
to de-escalate tensions and restore security. He also thanked Saudi Arabia for
agreeing to sponsor a comprehensive dialogue on the southern issue. Earlier on
Sunday, al-Khanbashi said Yemen’s Homeland Shield forces entered Mukalla, the
capital of the Hadramout governorate, al-Rayyan airport and other coastal areas.
Al-Khanbashi added that Homeland Shield forces dealt with and eliminated
resistance pockets in the al-Rayyan airport axis. He had earlier on Sunday
called on Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) to leave al-Rayyan airport
in Mukalla. On Friday, al-Khanbashi announced that Homeland Shield forces have
launched a military operation dubbed “Taking Over the Camps” in Hadramout, aimed
at assuming control of military sites “peacefully and in an organized manner.”
Al-Alimi had issued a decree appointing al-Khanbashi to command the Homeland
Shield forces in Hadramout, granting him full military and security authority in
the governorate. Sources told Al Arabiya that the Homeland Shield forces have
completed securing the cities of Wadi Hadramout, including Seiyun and its vital
facilities, and have moved to pursue and eliminate the remaining pockets of
forces loyal to the Transitional Council in the Hadramout Plateau area and along
the road linking Seiyun and Mukalla. The forces had also forced STC leaders
Mohammed al-Zubaidi and Ali Al-Kathiri to surrender. Separately, the Homeland
Shield forces said on Sunday that STC forces in al-Mahra began to give up their
weapons and that a safe exit to Aden has been secured for them.
Iran executed at least 1,500 people in 2025 in a 35-year record
The Arab Weekly/January 04/2026
Executions rose from more than 500 in 2022 to more than 800 in 2023, then 975 in
2024 and at least 1,500 last year. Iran executed at least 1,500 people last
year, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group said on Thursday, in what it
called an “unprecedented” hike in the use of capital punishment. “It is very
alarming,” the group’s director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, said of the
provisional toll. “It is unprecedented in the last 35 years. As long as Iran
Human Rights has existed, we have never had such numbers.”In 2024, Iran executed
at least 975 people, according to IHR and French group Together Against the
Death Penalty (ECPM). While IHR has yet to release its final tally for 2025, it
said it had verified at least 1,500 people killed, of whom more than 700 were
executed for drug-related offences. Amiry-Moghaddam said the number of
executions had shot up ever since protests that erupted in September 2022,
sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman
arrested for an alleged breach of the country’s mandatory dress code. Executions
rose from more than 500 in 2022 to more than 800 in 2023, then 975 in 2024 and
at least 1,500 last year, he said. The new tally comes several days into new
protests in Iran, driven by dissatisfaction at the country’s economic
stagnation. Protesters and security forces clashed in southwestern Iran on
Thursday, with demonstrators throwing stones in the city of Lordegan and police
using tear gas to break them up, the Fars news agency reported. “Iranian
authorities use the death penalty as an instrument to create fear,”
Amiry-Moghaddam said. “The aim of these executions has been to prevent new
protests. But as you see, these days, they haven’t succeeded.”The latest
demonstrations have however not come close to the scale of the 2022 protests.
Iranians to receive monthly payment amid economic woes, protests
AFP/January 04, 2026
TEHRAN: Iranian authorities on Sunday announced they will give a monthly
allowance to every citizen in the country to alleviate economic pressure, after
a week of protests. “Individuals can receive an amount equivalent to one million
Tomans (approximately $7) per person per month, which is credited to their
accounts for four months,” government spokeswoman Fatemeh MoHajjerani told state
TV. She said the amount will be given to every Iranian for four months in the
form of credit that can be used to purchase certain goods and is intended to
“reduce the economic pressure on the people.”In Iran, which has a population of
more than 85 million people, the minimum wage is roughly $100 (85 euros) and
average monthly salaries are around $200. Iranians mostly use mobile phones and
debit cards for their daily purchases instead of cash. Iran’s economy has been
grappling with biting US and international sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear
program for years, and December saw a 52 percent year-on-year inflation rate.
The national currency has lost more than a third of its value against the US
dollar over the past year, causing a sharp decrease in people’s purchasing power
and broad discontent in the country.
Sunday marked the eighth day of sporadic protests in the Islamic republic over
economic uncertainty in the wake of the depreciation. The protests have touched,
to varying degrees, at least 40 different cities, mostly medium-sized and in the
country’s west, according to an AFP tally based on official announcements and
media reports. At least 12 people have been killed, including members of the
security forces, according to a toll based on official reports.
Rights groups say at least 16 dead in Iran during week of
protests
Al Arabiya English/04 January/2026
At least 16 people have been killed during a week of unrest in Iran, rights
groups said on Sunday, as protests sparked by soaring inflation spread across
the country, sparking violent clashes between demonstrators and security
forces.
Deaths and arrests have been reported through the week both by state media and
rights groups, though the figures differ. Reuters has not been able to
independently verify the numbers. The protests are the biggest in three years
and while smaller than some previous bouts of unrest to rattle the Islamic
Republic, they come at a moment of vulnerability with the economy in tatters and
international pressure building. US President Donald Trump has threatened to
come to the protesters’ aid if they face violence, saying on Friday “we are
locked and loaded and ready to go,” without specifying what actions he was
considering. That warning prompted threats of retaliation against US forces in
the region from senior Iranian officials. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Iran
“will not yield to the enemy.”Kurdish rights group Hengaw reported that at least
17 people had been killed since the start of the protests. HRANA, a network of
rights activists, said at least 16 people had been killed and 582 arrested.
Iran’s police chief Ahmad Reza Radan told state media that security forces had
been targeting protest leaders for arrest over the previous two days, saying “a
big number of leaders on the virtual space have been detained.”Police said 40
people had been arrested in the capital Tehran alone over what they called “fake
posts” on protests aimed at disturbing public opinion. The most intense clashes
have been reported in western parts of Iran but there have also been protests
and clashes between demonstrators and police in Tehran, in central areas, and
in the southern Baluchistan province. Late on Saturday, the governor of Qom,
the conservative center of Iran’s Shia Muslim clerical establishment, said two
people had been killed there in unrest, adding that one of them had died when an
explosive device he made blew up prematurely.HRANA and the state-affiliated
Tasnim news agency reported that authorities had detained the administrator of
online accounts urging protests. Protests began a week ago among bazaar traders
and shopkeepers before spreading to university students and then provincial
cities, where some protesters have been chanting against Iran’s clerical rulers.
Iran has faced inflation above 36 percent since the start of its year in March
and the rial currency has lost around half its value against the dollar, causing
hardship for many people. International sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program
have been reimposed, the government has struggled to provide water and
electricity across the country through the year, and global financial bodies
predict a recession in 2026.Authorities have attempted a dual approach to the
protests – acknowledging the economic crisis and offering dialogue with
demonstrators while meeting more forceful displays of dissent with violence.
Khamenei said on Saturday that although authorities would talk to protesters,
“rioters should be put in their place.”Speaking on Sunday, Vice President
Mohammadreza Aref said the government acknowledged the country faced
shortcomings while warning that some people were seeking to exploit the
protests.“We expect the youth not to fall into the trap of the enemies,” Aref
said in comments carried by state media.With Reuters
International aid groups grapple with what Israel’s ban
will mean for their work in Gaza
AP/January 04, 2026
TEL AVIV: Israel’s decision to revoke the licenses of more than three dozen
humanitarian organizations this week has aid groups scrambling to grapple with
what this means for their operations in Gaza and their ability to help tens of
thousands of struggling Palestinians. The 37 groups represent some of the most
prominent of the more than 100 independent nongovernmental organizations working
in Gaza, alongside United Nations agencies. Those banned include Doctors Without
Borders, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam and Medical Aid for Palestinians.
The groups do everything from providing tents and water to supporting clinics
and medical facilities. The overall impact, however, remains unclear. The most
immediate impact of the license revocation is that Israel will no longer allow
the groups to bring supplies into the Gaza Strip or send international staffers
into the territory. Israel says all suspended groups have to halt their
operations by March 1.Some groups have already been barred from bringing in aid.
The Norwegian Refugee Council, for example, said it has not been allowed to
bring in supplies in 10 months, leaving it distributing tents and aid brought in
by other groups.Israel says the banned groups make up only a small part of aid
operations in Gaza. But aid officials say they fulfill crucial specific
functions. In a joint statement Tuesday, the UN and leading NGOs said the
organizations that are still licensed by Israel “are nowhere near the number
required just to meet immediate and basic needs” in Gaza.
The ban further strains aid operations even as Gaza’s over 2 million
Palestinians still face a humanitarian crisis more than 12 weeks into a
ceasefire. The UN says that although famine has been staved off, more than a
quarter of families still eat only one meal a day and food prices remain out of
reach for many; more than 1 million people need better tents as winter storms
lash the territory.
Why were their licenses revoked?
Earlier this year, Israel introduced strict new registration requirements for
aid agencies working in Gaza. Most notably, it required groups to provide the
names and personal details of local and international staff and said it would
ban groups for a long list of criticisms of Israel. The registration process is
overseen by Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism,
led by a far-right member of the ruling Likud party. Israel says the rules aim
to prevent Hamas and other militants from infiltrating the groups, something it
has said was happening throughout the 2-year-old war. The UN, which leads the
massive aid program in Gaza, and independent groups deny the allegations and
Israeli claims of major diversion of aid supplies by Hamas. Aid organizations
say they did not comply, in part, because they feared that handing over staff
information could endanger them. More than 500 aid workers have been killed in
Gaza during the war, according to the United Nations.
Israel denies targeting aid workers. But the group say Israel has been vague
about how it would use the data. The groups also said Israel was vague about how
it would use the data.
“Demanding staff lists as a condition for access to territory is an outrageous
overreach,” Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, said
Friday. It said Israeli officials had refused its attempts to find alternatives.
A December report on MSF issued by an Israeli government team recommended
rejection of the group’s license. It pointed primarily to statements by the
group criticizing Israel, including referring to its campaign in Gaza as
genocide and calling its monthslong ban on food entering the territory earlier
this year as “a starvation tactic.” It said the statements violated neutrality
and constituted “delegitimization of Israel.”The report also repeated claims
that an MSF employee killed in by an Israeli airstrike in 2024 was an operative
with the Islamic Jihad militant group. That, it said, suggested MSF “maintains
connections with a terrorist group.”MSF on Friday denied the allegations, saying
it would “never knowingly employ anyone involved in military activities.” It
said that its statements cited by Israel simply described the destruction its
teams witnessed in Gaza. “The fault lies with those committing these atrocities,
not with those who speak of them,” it said. Aid groups have a week from Dec. 31
to appeal the process. Medical services could see biggest impact Independent
NGOs play a major role in propping up Gaza’s health sector, devastated by two
years of Israeli bombardment and restrictions on supplies. MSF said Israel’s
decision would have a catastrophic impact on its work in Gaza, where it provides
funding and international staff for six hospitals as well as running two field
hospitals and eight primary health centers, clinics and medical points. It also
runs two of Gaza’s five stabilization centers helping children with severe
malnutrition. Its teams treated 100,000 trauma cases, performed surgeries on
10,000 patients and handled a third of Gaza’s births, the group says. It has 60
international staffers in the West Bank and Gaza and more than 1,200 local staff
— most medical professionals. Since the ceasefire began in early October, MSF
has brought in about 7 percent of the 2,239 tons (2,032 metric tons) of medical
supplies that Israel has allowed into Gaza, according to a UN tracking
dashboard. That makes it the largest provider of medical supplies after UN
agencies and the Red Cross, according to the dashboard. Medecins du Monde,
another group whose license is being halted, runs another four primary health
clinics. Overburdened Palestinian staff
Aid groups say the most immediate impact will likely be the inability to send
international staff into Gaza. Foreign staff provide key technical expertise and
emotional support for their Palestinian colleagues. “Having international
presence in Gaza is a morale booster for our staff who are already feeling
isolated,” said Shaina Low, communications adviser for the Norwegian Refugee
Council, which is one of the main NGOs providing shelter supplies and fresh
water to displaced people. NRC has roughly 30 international staff who rotate in
and out of Gaza working alongside some 70 Palestinians. While any operations by
the 37 groups in the West Bank will likely remain open, those with offices in
east Jerusalem, which Israel considers its territory, might have to close.
Halt on supplies
Many of the 37 groups already had been blocked from bringing supplies into Gaza
since March, said Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam’s policy lead for Israel and the
occupied Palestinian territories. What changes with the formal license
revocation is “that these practices are now formalized, giving Israel full
impunity to restrict operations and shut out organizations it disagrees with,”
she said. Some of the groups have turned to buying supplies within Gaza rather
than bringing them in, but that is slower and more expensive, she said. Other
groups dug into reserve stocks, pared down distribution and had to work with
broken or heavily repaired equipment because they couldn’t bring in new ones.
Amed Khan, an American humanitarian philanthropist who has been privately
donating medicine and emergency nutrition for children to Gaza, said the impact
extends beyond the aid groups. He relies on NGOs to receive and distribute the
supplies, but the fewer groups that Israel approves, the harder it is to find
one.
“It’s death by bureaucracy,” he said.
Saudi Arabia says it fully supports Somalia’s sovereignty,
territorial integrity
Al Arabiya English/05 January/2026
Saudi Arabia fully supports Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and
rejects any actions that undermine the country’s security and stability, the
Kingdom’s top diplomat said on Sunday. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin
Farhan made the remarks during a meeting in Riyadh with his Somali counterpart,
Abdisalam Abdi Ali, according to the Saudi Press Agency. “At the outset of the
meeting, Prince Faisal reaffirmed the Kingdom’s full support for the sovereignty
of the Federal Republic of Somalia and the unity and territorial integrity of
its land, rejecting anything that undermines Somalia’s security and stability,”
SPA said. “The meeting also reviewed bilateral relations between the two
countries and ways to strengthen and develop them across various fields, in
addition to discussing the latest regional developments and a number of issues
of mutual interest,” the agency added. Last month, Somali President Hassan
Sheikh Mohamud said that Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of
Somaliland was a “threat” to security and stability in the Horn of Africa and
encourages secessionist groups. Israel announced last month it was officially
recognizing Somaliland, a first for the self-proclaimed republic that in 1991
declared it had unilaterally separated from Somalia.
Saudi Arabia intensifies humanitarian aid routes to Gaza
Al Arabiya English/04 January/2026
Saudi Arabia has moved to expand the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the
Gaza Strip after King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the
scaling up of air, sea and land routes to ensure faster and broader aid access
for Palestinian civilians. The move comes amid mounting humanitarian challenges
in Gaza and reflects the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of the
crisis on the civilian population. Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Rabiah, an
advisor at the Royal Court and the head of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and
Relief Center (KSrelief), said the directive highlights Saudi Arabia’s continued
engagement in relief operations and its commitment to humanitarian
responsibilities during emergencies. He said Saudi assistance to Gaza is being
carried out through an integrated aid network managed by KSrelief, with multiple
programs addressing critical needs such as food supplies, temporary housing,
healthcare, clean water and sanitation, alongside medical and logistical
support. According to al-Rabiah, Saudi relief efforts have included aid convoys,
shipments of food and medical supplies, shelter materials and airdrops, as well
as the implementation of humanitarian projects inside Gaza. These initiatives
are being conducted in coordination with international partners and United
Nations agencies. He added that the Kingdom remains focused on supporting
Palestinians during the ongoing crisis, stressing that humanitarian operations
will continue as part of Saudi Arabia’s longstanding approach to assisting those
affected by conflict.
Syria says talks on military integration of Kurds
inconclusive
AFP/04 January/2026
Syrian Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi held talks with officials in Damascus on
Sunday on integrating his forces into the central government, but state media
said no tangible results were achieved. Abdi signed a deal in March with Syrian
President Ahmed al-Sharaa to merge the civil and military institutions of the
Kurds’ semi-autonomous administration into the government by the end of 2025,
but differences have held up its implementation. The Kurdish-led SDF said in a
statement that a delegation from its leadership including force chief Abdi met
government officials in Damascus “as part of discussions related to the military
integration process.”In a later statement the SDF said the talks had concluded
and details would be published later. Damascus did not issue an official
statement about the meeting. But state television, citing a government source,
reported that it “did not produce tangible results on speeding up the
implementation of the agreement on the ground.” It said the sides agreed to hold
further meetings. The SDF controls large swathes of Syria’s oil-rich north and
northeast, and with the support of a US-led international coalition, was
integral to the territorial defeat of ISIS in Syria in 2019. Its integration
into the state has proven complicated since the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar
al-Assad a year ago, with both sides trading accusations of obstructing efforts
to implement the agreement. Abdi has repeated calls for decentralisation --
which Syria’s new authorities have rejected -- and tensions between the Kurds
and the government have occasionally erupted into clashes, most recently in
Aleppo city last month. In December, a Kurdish official told AFP on condition of
anonymity that Damascus had proposed splitting the Kurdish-led forces into three
divisions and a number of brigades, including one for women. The forces would be
deployed under SDF commanders in Kurdish-controlled areas, the official said.
Syria’s foreign minister later said the government was studying the Kurds’
response. That same month, Abdi said that “all efforts are being made to prevent
the collapse of this process” and that he considered failure unlikely. Turkey,
an important ally of Syria’s new leaders, sees the presence of Kurdish forces on
its border as a security threat, and has publicly called for them to be
integrated into the state. Last month, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
urged the SDF to not be an obstacle to Syria’s stability and warned that
patience with the SDF was running out. Turkey, which shares a 900-kilometre
(550-mile) border with Syria, has launched successive offensives to push Kurdish
forces from its frontier.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on January
04-05/2026
Trump
the global time manager: A warning to procrastinators
Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya English/04 January/2026
Most of the world’s capitals are preoccupied with managing crises, while
Washington, under Donald Trump, manages time. Time itself has become a central
element at the heart of policies and decision-making, and the US electoral
calendar may require delaying the resolution of major files, such as the war in
Ukraine, until the end of spring, so that Trump can reap their benefits for
Republican candidates in the midterm elections. In contrast, there are crises in
with fixed deadlines and warnings sent to alert those who play on buying time,
while in reality, they are exhausting it. Hezbollah and Hamas are masters in
this context, and the US president has set a timeframe for both.
Trump is a president who seeks resolution and conclusion as much as he is a
global time manager setting the pace to the finale. No new wars, no open-ended
promises. Instead, short time windows, calculated pressure, and clear messages
that opportunities are limited. Those who read this policy as hesitation
misjudge it, and those who see it as flexible understand it even less. What is
happening is a redefinition of American power based on this principle: He who
controls the clock, not he who fires the bullet.
Some players in the world, on the other hand, act as if time is neutral or
manipulable. Regional and international actors convince themselves that they
master the game of buying time, postponing obligations, betting on shifts in
Washington’s mood or on its preoccupation with another priority. But the Trump
administration, unlike what this world has been accustomed to, does not reward
procrastinators. It lets them continue deceiving themselves until they discover
that the time they thought was an opportunity has become a trap. This approach
cannot be understood through a single speech or an isolated decision, but
through a series of signals: A deadline granted to Hamas, an undisclosed ceiling
for support to Ukraine, increasing pressure on Europe to bear the cost of its
security, containment of Iran while letting internal erosion bleed its regime,
and support for Israel conditional on its policies not becoming a time burden on
Washington itself. In all these files, the message is one: Time is no longer
open ended, and those who do not understand this now will pay the price later.
What emerged from President Trump’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu earlier this week is evidence of a warning policy for Hamas,
Hezbollah, and Iran within a limited timeframe.
‘Strategic patience’
In Iran, what is called “strategic patience” has become a sword over Tehran’s
neck. The element of time Tehran had considered as its tool for manipulation has
run its course, and has turned into its own internal and external traps.
Increasing economic and social protests, erosion of trust in institutions, and
pressure on regional proxies all indicate that the grace period has ended, and
any further procrastination means the risk of an implosion. This could break the
backbone of the regime. Iran’s neighbors fear that chaos might not be confined
to Iran and could extend beyond its neighbors.
Betting on time is no longer viable. The regime cannot survive if it continues
refusing to reform its nuclear, missile, proxies doctrines. Each day that passes
in a policy of procrastination or reliance on Washington’s and regional patience
only increases the likelihood that Iran will become a state besieged internally
and externally.
Every internal or external move in the coming months will determine the
political survival of the Islamic Republic of Iran. There will be no room for
retreat if the regime continues to believe that time is on its side. Any
miscalculation of deadlines or misreading of popular and political pressures
will lead to massive internal chaos while eroding Iran’s regional proxies and
strategic influence.
‘Axix of Resistance’
Lebanon and Gaza are at the forefront of arenas that will pay the price for the
collapse of the illusion of Iranian “strategic patience.”Lebanon, along with
Hezbollah, is under close scrutiny, and any accumulation of arrogance,
assertiveness, or provocation will be met with a clear timeframe of American
firmness, not only with Hezbollah but also with the Lebanese state. US
deterrence for Israel is not open-ended, and beware of assuming otherwise. Hamas
was given a limited two-month deadline. Options are defined and limited, and any
procrastination or evasion will mean wasted opportunities for Gaza. It also will
lead to strategic embarrassment with the Trump Administration for the guarantor
states – Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. All talk about freezing, containing, or
transitional relocation of Hamas or Hezbollah’s arms is a dangerous and costly
gimmick, not only for Palestinians and Lebanese alike, but also for the Axis of
Resistance that is already fading. Meanwhile, Israel – a key player in all these
fronts – faces the danger of its strategic greed, which could be more damaging
than any direct external threat. This greed places Israel in a temporal trap as
it entrenches itself in a siege mentality. Israel will not be strategically safe
no matter how long time passes as long as it refuses to allow a Palestinian
state.
However, Israel will remain of strategic value to the United States as one of
its most important proxies, but it will remain a state alien to its environment,
secluded in isolation unless it corrects its Torah-based doctrine.
Global stage
On the global stage, time is ticking for the Ukraine-Russia war, China tensions
and Venezuela escalations. Ukraine represents a test of the balance of power
between Washington, Moscow, and Europe on a temporal rhythm nearing explosion
despite signs of breakthroughs. The Trump Administration has set a timeframe for
investment in major achievements that aligns with leveraging the momentum of
ending the war and the timing of US elections. Ending the war in Ukraine falls
into the category of major achievements. The overarching headline is that
America is not seeking to defeat Russia, but to reset the balance, while Europe
is required to bear a larger share of the cost of security guarantees for
Ukraine. Over the next four months, US-European-Ukrainian political negotiations
will continue while Russia continues the military race against time.
Russia knows time is not in its favor if the United States continues to control
the pace through time windows, yet Moscow masters the game of time and intends
to exploit it.
In Asia, China faces political and economic escalation, with trade restrictions
and technological difficulties, but without direct military confrontation.
China needs to buy time, and Trump has established a clear formula: China is a
strategic adversary, not a direct military enemy, yet manipulating time is not
cost-free. Trump will visit China in April, which sets the timeframe for the
race between the American and Chinese agendas. In Venezuela, where American
policy aims at precise interventions to redraw influence and to contain gains of
Russia and China, the temporal horizon for resolving matters with President
Nicolás Maduro is now closed. Trump is in a hurry and has resolved to take
control of Venezuela.
Trump’s clear message
This all results in a clear message from Trump to the world: Whoever believes
they are buying time while actually wasting it must understand that time windows
are short, opportunities limited. Those who misjudge will pay the price, and
those who understand the lessons can manage risks within a defined timeframe
before it is too late.
Excess of (Vene) Zella in
Caracas, and the international order reduced to a carcass..
Lara Khoury Hafez/Face Book/04
January/2026
What happened in Venezuela is truly Netflix-worthy: dark night over Caracas,
skies saturated with fighter jets, stealth helicopters, an operation under the
Hollywood name "Absolute Resolve" and, at the end of the sequence, a president
ripped from his palace and shipped handcuffed to the United States. Looks like
science fiction! It's the TV newspaper after all.
We know it well: Maduro is not an innocent victim, far from that!
His regime crushed the opposition, rigged elections, ruined a country sitting on
one of the world’s largest oil reserves, caused a humanitarian crisis and pushed
millions of Venezuelans into exile.
Let him fall, we don't really care about it. But the fall does not erase the
question that arises: who has the right to drop it, and how?
In the international order, the "police", is supposed to be the UN Security
Council, has become a puppet organization, without a doubt!
Because there, a single power decided to frame everyone, without a warrant,
explaining that it was an "arrest operation" justified by narco-terrorism
charges.
Certainly, there are precedents: Noriega in Panama, Saddam Hussein in Iraq. But
what is playing out in Venezuela has something even more brutal: a lightning
raid, the capture of an acting head of state, then the quiet announcement that
the United States will temporarily “run the Venezuela” and that their companies
will be “very heavily involved” in its oil.
We are no longer just in the fall of a dictator, we are in the assumed custody
of a country, with the label "black gold" clearly visible on the suitcase.
In terms of international law, the signals are red!
Is a criminal indictment enough to justify the use of force against a foreign
state; The operation was initiated without prior authorization of Congress even
which poses a problem with the U.S. Constitution, as I just heard on the news.
We have spent years, rightly so, denouncing the illegality of the Russian
invasion of Ukraine in the name of respecting the borders. And here comes
another great power, on another theater, allows a military raid, captures a
president in office and takes control of the country's political and oil future.
Washington's opponents will do no harm to see a great excuse box for their own
adventures.
What if this "Maduro method" became "legitimate"?
Today is Caracas.
Tomorrow, other powers will ask themselves: if they do it, why not us?
Putin will be able to shake the previous one, Xi too, each with his definition
of "dictator to neutralize" or "terrorism to eradicate".
The risk is sliding from a rule-based order, (at least in theory), to a law of
the jungle where those with superior power allow themselves to stop leaders who
disturb them within their sphere of influence.
In short, even if we are relieved to see an autocrat fall, we cannot mourn the
way he fell. Because this kind of operation risks becoming a ready-to-use
argument for all those who dream of settling accounts by force, where the law
should speak first.
45th President of the United
States: 2017 ‐ 2021
Charles Elias Chartouni/Face Book/04
January/2026
Executive Order 13818—Blocking the Property of Persons Involved in Serious Human
Rights Abuse or Corruption
December 20, 2017
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of
the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50
U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act
(Public Law 114-328) (the "Act"), section 212(f) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act of 1952 (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)) (INA), and section 301 of title 3,
United States Code,
I, Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, find that the
prevalence and severity of human rights abuse and corruption that have their
source, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States, such as
those committed or directed by persons listed in the Annex to this order, have
reached such scope and gravity that they threaten the stability of international
political and economic systems. Human rights abuse and corruption undermine the
values that form an essential foundation of stable, secure, and functioning
societies; have devastating impacts on individuals; weaken democratic
institutions; degrade the rule of law; perpetuate violent conflicts; facilitate
the activities of dangerous persons; and undermine economic markets. The United
States seeks to impose tangible and significant consequences on those who commit
serious human rights abuse or engage in corruption, as well as to protect the
financial system of the United States from abuse by these same persons.
I therefore determine that serious human rights abuse and corruption around the
world constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security,
foreign policy, and economy of the United States, and I hereby declare a
national emergency to deal with that threat.
I hereby determine and order:
Section 1. (a) All property and interests in property that are in the United
States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter
come within the possession or control of any United States person of the
following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported,
withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in:
(i) the persons listed in the Annex to this order;
(ii) any foreign person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in
consultation with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General:
(A) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have directly or indirectly
engaged in, serious human rights abuse;
(B) to be a current or former government official, or a person acting for or on
behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has
directly or indirectly engaged in:
(1) corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the
expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to
government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery; or (2)
the transfer or the facilitation of the transfer of the proceeds of corruption;
(C) to be or have been a leader or official of:
(1) an entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or whose
members have engaged in, any of the activities described in subsections (ii)(A),
(ii)(B)(1), or (ii)(B)(2) of this section relating to the leader's or official's
tenure; or
(2) an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to
this order as a result of activities related to the leader's or official's
tenure; or
(D) to have attempted to engage in any of the activities described in
subsections (ii)(A), (ii)(B)(1), or (ii)(B)(2) of this section; and
(iii) any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation
with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General:
(A) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or
technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of:
(1) any activity described in subsections (ii)(A), (ii)(B)(1), or (ii)(B)(2) of
this section that is conducted by a foreign person;
(2) any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to
this order; or
(3) any entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or whose
members have engaged in, any of the activities described in subsections (ii)(A),
(ii)(B)(1), or (ii)(B)(2) of this section, where the activity is conducted by a
foreign person.
For Hamas Actually to Disarm, Trump Must Forget About All of Its Supporters:
Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan, Iran – and the Palestinian Authority
Con Coughlin/Gatestone
Institute/January 4, 2026
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22173/hamas-disarm
Ever since Trump succeeded in implementing the first stage of his 20-point plan
for ending the Gaza conflict, Hamas has received widespread backing from its
supporters in Ankara, Doha, Islamabad and Tehran for ignoring demands to
surrender its weapons.
Hamas's recalcitrance on the disarmament issue, moreover, has been reinforced by
the support it has received from its backers in Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Iran
to ignore the Trump administration's disarmament demand.
Israeli officials believe that Turkey, and Qatar, which does not have diplomatic
relations with Israel, are instead working on alternative solutions that would
not require Hamas to disarm. The Turks and Qataris have proposed that Hamas
either transfer its weapons to the Palestinian Authority (PA), or to some kind
of "secure storage under oversight." Behind both proposals lies the aim of
preserving Hamas' influence in Gaza and ability to rearm. Israel insists,
however, that Hamas must be weapons‑free.
Instead, all of Hamas's backers -- as well as the Palestinian Authority waiting
in the wings to displace the group -- continue playing their dangerous double
game of trying to be allies of both the Trump administration and Hamas's
terrorist leadership at the same time.
In addition, Turkey, Qatar, Iran and Pakistan have never designated Hamas as a
terrorist organisation – and believe that it is entitled to continue its
"resistance" -- meaning terrorism –- against Israel.
It is commendable that the US president, rather than acting rashly, has
continually offered adversaries -- such as Russia, China and Iran -- time to
consider his requests. Hamas's allies, however, including the Palestinian
Authority in its current form, have little incentive ever actually to comply
with Trump's demands.
US President Donald Trump's demand that Hamas terrorists completely disarm will
only happen if the White House is prepared to pressure countries such as Turkey,
Qatar and Iran, which have historically backed the terror group, to force Hamas
militants to lay down their arms.
US President Donald Trump's demand that Hamas terrorists completely disarm will
only happen if the White House is prepared to pressure countries such as Turkey,
Qatar and Iran, which have historically backed the terror group, to force Hamas
militants to lay down their arms.
Ever since Trump succeeded in implementing the first stage of his 20-point plan
for ending the Gaza conflict, Hamas has received widespread backing from its
supporters in Ankara, Doha, Islamabad and Tehran for ignoring demands to
surrender its weapons.
Requiring Hamas to disarm and end its malevolent presence in Gaza was one of
Trump's key stipulations when drawing up his peace plan, with the disarmament
process expected to begin as soon as all the remaining Israeli hostages had been
released in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
While the initial phase of Trump's peace plan has proved to be a success, with
all but one of the fallen Israeli hostages being returned, Hamas has shown scant
interest in complying with the disarmament requirement.
Back in August, when the Trump administration was working hard to implement its
Gaza ceasefire plan, Hamas issued a statement rejecting the demand to disarm,
insisting that it would only consider doing so once an "independent, fully
sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital" was established.
The group has maintained this uncompromising position ever since, declaring in a
rare interview with The Times of Israel earlier this month that the group will
only agree to give up its weapons through negotiations that result in the
establishment of a Palestinian state.
"This cannot be done by force or ultimatums. Israel used all of its military
might for two years [to try and disarm Hamas], and it didn't work," the Hamas
source said in a rare engagement with an Israeli media outlet.
Hamas's recalcitrance on the disarmament issue, moreover, has been reinforced by
the support it has received from its backers in Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Iran
to ignore the Trump administration's disarmament demand.
Israeli officials believe that Turkey, and Qatar, which does not have diplomatic
relations with Israel, are instead working on alternative solutions that would
not require Hamas to disarm. The Turks and Qataris have proposed that Hamas
either transfer its weapons to the Palestinian Authority (PA), or to some kind
of "secure storage under oversight." Behind both proposals lies the aim of
preserving Hamas' influence in Gaza and ability to rearm. Israel insists,
however, that Hamas must be weapons‑free.
At the same time, Iran, which is quietly continuing to build its nuclear and
missile programmes after the devastating setback it suffered during last
summer's military confrontation with Israel and the US, is reportedly
maintaining its military and financial support for Hamas's terrorist
infrastructure.
Hamas's refusal to disarm, which has been strengthened by the support it has
received from its regional backers, certainly poses a significant obstacle for
Trump and his efforts to make sure his ceasefire plan for Gaza survives.
Israel has indicated its willingness to resume the war if the Palestinian terror
group does not give up its weapons, while Hamas's refusal to disarm has
discouraged a number of pro-Western Arab governments, such as Jordan, from
supporting Trump's plan to create an "international stabilization force" (ISF)
to keep the peace in Gaza while peace talks continue.
In August 2024, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia were approached about joining the
planned ISF in Gaza, but solidly rebuffed the idea.
Jordan's King Abdullah II has been particularly outspoken about contributing to
the force so long as Hamas retains its terrorist infrastructure. He warned in a
recent BBC interview that, "If we're running around Gaza on patrol with weapons,
that's not a situation that any country would like to get involved in."
In such circumstances, it is hardly surprising that Trump is losing patience
with the Hamas leadership, warning that there would be "hell to pay" if it does
not disarm within a "very short period".
Trump issued his warning following talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, insisting that Hamas
"will be given a very short period of time to disarm...If they don't disarm, as
they agreed to do... then there will be hell to pay for them."
If Trump is really serious about getting Hamas to disarm, then he needs to
forget about the terror group's key backers -- most notably Turkey, Qatar and
Iran, as well as Pakistan, who clearly will never actually force Hamas to fulfil
its disarmament commitments. Instead, all of Hamas's backers -- as well as the
Palestinian Authority waiting in the wings to displace the group -- continue
playing their dangerous double game of trying to be allies of both the Trump
administration and Hamas's terrorist leadership at the same time.
A good way to pressure Turkey to play a more constructive role in persuading
Hamas to disarm, instead of endlessly trying to devise ways for the terror group
to hold on to its weapons, would be for the White House to suspend its
controversial plan to sell F-35 stealth fighters to Ankara.
Unfortunately, that sale could easily incentivise Turkey to agree to a deal in
order to acquire the aircraft; then, when "stabilising" Gaza, simply look the
other way at Hamas violations, or even assist the terrorist group -- possibly
after the F-35s have been safely delivered to Ankara.
Similarly, Trump could increase the pressure on Qatar to play ball by
threatening to rescind the executive order he signed in September committing the
US to protect the Gulf state. Entitled "Assuring the Security of the State of
Qatar", the order recognizes the "enduring alliance" between the US and Qatar
and provides Qatar an explicit security guarantee in the event of "external
attack," stating that:
"[T]he United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures—including
diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military—to defend the interests of the
United States and the State of Qatar and to restore peace and stability."
However, after Qatar's exorbitant generosity to the US – pledged investments of
$1.2 trillion as well as a $400 million 747-jumbo jet -- the probability of
Trump's exerting any pressure on Qatar to do anything is likely close to zero.
Pakistan, teeming with jihadi organisations, has steadfastly refused even to
recognise Israel, unless there is a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its
capital and unless Israel withdraws to the indefensible 1949 armistice line.
As for Iran, both Trump and Netanyahu made it abundantly clear during their
Mar-a-Lago summit that they were fully prepared to undertake further military
action against the ayatollahs if they persisted with their nuclear activities as
well as other "weapons." If Iran wants to avoid further humiliation at the hands
of the US and Israel, it would be well-advised not to interfere in Trump's peace
efforts in Gaza.
In addition, Turkey, Qatar, Iran and Pakistan have never designated Hamas as a
terrorist organisation – and believe that it is entitled to continue its
"resistance" -- meaning terrorism –- against Israel.
As for the Palestinian Authority, it supports Phase II of Trump's 20-point plan,
most likely because Hamas has been its rival, even violently ousting the PA from
Gaza in 2007. However, not only are the PA's security forces evidently involved
in terror, but for decades, its senior officials and leading figures have openly
said that Israel has no right to exist (such as here, here, here and here). In
July, the Qatari government daily Al-Sharq was obliquely careful to quote a
Palestinian journalist as saying that by 2027, Israel will cease to exist.
Trump may think that threatening Hamas directly will help him to achieve his
goal of forcing the terror group to disarm. His efforts, however, are far more
likely to succeed if, as he stated on December 30, Hamas does not follow his
recommendation to disarm by a certain date. It is commendable that the US
president, rather than acting rashly, has continually offered adversaries --
such as Russia, China and Iran -- time to consider his requests. Hamas's allies,
however, including the Palestinian Authority in its current form, have little
incentive ever actually to comply with Trump's demands.
**Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a
Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Economic protests add
pressure to an already weakened Iran
Con Coughlin/Arab News/January 04, 2026
In the four or so decades since the creation of Iran’s Islamic Republic, the
ruling regime has faced numerous challenges from its restive population. The
“Green Revolution” in 2009, which many observers regarded as a precursor to the
so-called Arab Spring that followed two years later, is still regarded as the
most serious attempt to force the regime to undertake wholesale reform.
In what began as a series of mass protests against the outcome of the disputed
2009 presidential election, which resulted in the reelection of the country’s
hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the movement soon developed into a
nationwide call for democratic reform and social liberalization. It was only
after regime hard-liners launched a brutal crackdown against the demonstrators
that order was finally restored. The crackdown did not entirely succeed in
crushing dissent, with more recent protests taking place over the regime’s
restrictive policies toward women, which prompted further nationwide
demonstrations after a young Kurdish-Iranian woman died in police custody in
2022. But while the Iranian regime has previously proved to be highly effective
at crushing any hint of political opposition that has emerged since the 1979
revolution, the current round of protests has the potential to mount a far more
serious challenge to the regime’s authority, not least because it is focused on
one issue that the ayatollahs appear incapable of resolving — namely, the dire
state of the Iranian economy.
Maintaining a basic level of economic stability has always been a major
challenge for the ruling regime, as decades of economic sanctions and
international isolation have inflicted significant damage on the living
standards of ordinary Iranians.
Nor has the plight of the Iranian people been helped by the vast amounts
hard-liners within the regime have invested in expanding Iran’s military
presence throughout the Middle East, investing heavily in militias and allies in
Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen — to name but a few.
This lethal combination of hard-hitting sanctions and inept economic management
on the part of the ayatollahs has now resulted in the regime confronting one of
the biggest nationwide protest movements it has faced, with ordinary Iranians
taking to the streets to voice their anger at their country’s dire economic
predicament. The primary cause of the unrest, which began when protests and
strikes broke out in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar in the closing days of 2025, is the
collapse in the value of the rial, the Iranian currency, which, having already
seen its value decline significantly in recent years, has now fallen by a
further 40 percent since Iran’s war with Israel in June. As a result, it now
takes 1.42 million rials to buy $1. Last year, a dollar could be bought for
820,000 rials. The latest collapse in the currency’s value renders it all but
worthless. With inflation running at 50 percent, many Iranian traders,
businessmen and ordinary families now face the very real prospect of financial
ruin. The country’s dire economic situation, moreover, is made worse by the fact
that Iran is suffering from widespread youth unemployment, with the result that
students are joining forces with middle-class traders to demand reform of the
country’s economic policies.
The pressure on the regime is compounded by the impact of a nationwide drought
the country has suffered in recent months, which many Iranians believe has been
exacerbated by years of underfunding in key Iranian infrastructure.
The current round of protests has the potential to mount a far more serious
challenge to the regime’s authority.
With the protests spreading to other major Iranian cities, such as Isfahan, some
of the demonstrators have been calling for regime change, while others have
focused their criticism on the regime’s wasteful investment in overseas
conflict, with one popular chant declaring, “No to Gaza, no to Lebanon, I’d give
my life for Iran only.”The eruption of protests in Iran certainly comes at a
difficult time for the ruling regime. It was severely weakened by last summer’s
12-day war with Israel, which resulted in the deaths of many of its top
commanders. The regime’s weakness, moreover, can be seen in the fact that it has
been forced to adopt more liberal policies in recent months, granting ordinary
Iranians more freedom to articulate their concerns and easing the repressive
measures imposed against women.
In a bid to resolve the crisis, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said he
will meet representatives of the protesters. “I have asked the interior minister
to listen to the legitimate demands of the protesters by engaging in dialogue
with their representatives so that the government can do everything in its power
to resolve the problems and act responsibly,” Pezeshkian said, according to the
state-run IRNA news agency. Pezeshkian has also addressed the crisis in a speech
to the Majlis, the Iranian parliament, on the country’s proposed 2026 budget,
which revealed a steep decrease in oil revenue and an increase in taxes — the
result of the latest sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. As a
concession to the protesters, Pezeshkian accepted the resignation of the central
bank chief and appointed Abdolnaser Hemmati, the former economy minister, to
replace him.
Pezeshkian’s ability to address the protesters’ concerns, though, is limited, as
ultimate power lies with the country’s 86-year-old supreme leader, Ali Khamenei,
who, despite being in poor health, has the final say in the running of the
government.
Another issue the Iranian president must contend with is the prospect of further
military action being taken by Israel and the US, with both Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump warning Iran that it
would face consequences if it continued work on its controversial nuclear and
ballistic missile programs. Following their talks at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago base in
Florida last month, Netanyahu urged Trump to strike again at Iran and bring down
the regime. Trump indicated his main concern would be if Iran attempted to build
up its reserves of ballistic weapons and reestablish its nuclear program. “Now,
I hear that Iran is trying to build up again,” he said. “And if they are, we’re
going to have to knock them down. We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell
out of them. But hopefully that’s not happening.”In previous decades, the sheer
ruthlessness of the regime’s response to anti-government protests enabled it to
survive. This time, the scale of the economic crisis it faces means it may have
to take a very different approach if it wants to maintain the support of the
Iranian people.
*Con Coughlin is one of Britain’s leading journalists and an international
best-selling author. His previous posts include Executive Defense and Foreign
Affairs Editor with London’s Daily Telegraph. He is a leading expert on global
conflict, international security and the Middle East.
*This column first appeared in Al-Majalla.
If Trump’s Court Summons You
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/January 04, 2026
If “Trump’s court” summons you, then take the issue with the seriousness it
deserves. This applies whether you are a president accused of sponsoring
terrorism or of running a drug empire. It also applies if you are the leader of
a faction assigned to harass the “Great Satan,” its embassies, and its
interests.
Take it seriously. The era of balance is over. The Soviet Union lies in its
grave. Safe havens have evaporated. The hunted no longer enjoy such immunities.
Space itself is an American playground. An American aircraft know whether you
shaved your beard today or not. An American drone can pay you a visit wherever
you are hiding — be it a hotel, a cave, or an anonymous room in a crowded city.
The owner of the court does not need to dispatch Delta Force to finish you off
or drag you away in handcuffs. He can shackle your country with sanctions and
drive your national currency into the ground and irrelevance.
I assume you are wise enough not to bet on international law, the sanctity of
national sovereignty, and the United Nations secretary-general and his tears.
You should also understand that the current owner of the court is unlike his
predecessors. He is not Bill Clinton. He is not Barack Obama, who drew a red
line for Bashar al-Assad and then avoided imposing decisive punishment. And he
is certainly not Joe Biden, whose body has no room left for arrows in his back.
It would serve you well to pause over the new US national security strategy and
the updated Monroe Doctrine. The days are gone when Fidel Castro was allowed to
live for decades as a thorn in America’s side. Gone are the days when Iran was
permitted to assign “Abu Zaynab” to ram a truck bomb into the Marines’
headquarters in Beirut. Gone are the days when the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine could assassinate a US ambassador in Beirut, or when
another faction could kill the American ambassador in Khartoum. The world has
changed, and America has changed with it.
It never required artificial intelligence to know that exporting drugs from
Venezuela to the United States means importing trouble and retaliation. Nor do
you have the right, when gazing at your country’s map, to invite China into
America’s “backyard,” along with Russia, Iranian drones, and North Korean
missiles. You should have factored in the catastrophic collapse of the national
currency and the flight of millions from your rule, even though your country
sits atop the largest oil reserves in the world.
You should have learned the lesson. The US military command in Iraq knew that
General Qassem Soleimani was planning bombings and attacks, including by Sunni
groups, against its forces,. They knew he regularly traveled to Baghdad. Yet
Washington long believed that deciding to kill Soleimani was riskier than
deciding to kill Osama bin Laden. No American president dared order the killing
of the “number two” man in the Iranian system despite knowing he had mined
entire maps with tunnels and missiles.
On January 3, 2020, the Middle East shook. The man in the White House ordered
Soleimani killed near Baghdad airport. Donald Trump does not recognize the red
lines drawn by his enemies, nor those vaguely suggested by his advisers. It is
Iran’s misfortune that he returned to the White House to strike its nuclear
facilities. And it is Nicolas Maduro’s misfortune that Trump returned to order
his arrest and compel him to stand before an American court.
By dragging Maduro before a US court, Trump sent a message more brutal than the
massive bombs his aircraft dropped on Iran’s nuclear facilities. How devastating
it must be for Iran’s supreme leader to hear of Maduro’s abduction at the hands
of American forces.
True, the distance between Caracas and Tehran is vast, as is the difference
between the nature of the two regimes. But it is also true that Iran’s currency
has buckled under the weight of sanctions; that the voices of protesters resound
across the country; that Trump has threatened intervention if peaceful
demonstrators are killed; and that Netanyahu dreams of Trump’s support to
destroy the Revolutionary Guards’ missile arsenal. Added to this is the fact
that Venezuelan oil falling under the custody of the “big brother” strips Tehran
of its card of intimidating the West by threatening to close the Strait of
Hormuz.
In his American prison, Maduro will fall prey to memories. He was once nothing
more than a bus driver when revolutionary fervor swept him up — the Latin
American legacy of hatred for US interventions, the clenched fists of the
descendants of Simon Bolivar, Castro’s olive-green fatigues, his fiery and
endless speeches, and the iron resolve of his patron Chavez, who found no better
heir when cancer consumed his body. America may appear fearful, but it becomes
terrifying when the master of the Oval Office unleashes “the strongest army in
history.” Vladimir Putin most likely received the news with deep resentment. His
army has been fighting Zelensky for four years without killing or capturing him.
I was also reminded of what I heard from Moammar al-Gadhafi's companions about
the fear that seized him when American warplanes once struck his bedroom, and
how he instinctively touched his neck when he saw the noose tightening around
Saddam Hussein’s. The image of the rope also haunted the late president Ali
Abdullah Saleh.
This is the world. What is permitted to the strong is denied to others.
International law restrains only the weak. Arresting Maduro is more dangerous
than abducting Manuel Noriega. The world is a jungle. Does it ever occur to
Putin to kidnap Zelensky and bring him before a Russian court on charges of
corruption and the spilling of soldiers’ blood - soldiers who came to “reshape”
the map of his country? And why did the master of the Kremlin not think of
granting Maduro “humanitarian asylum” and an apartment in Moscow, as he did for
Bashar al-Assad?
Trump sets a devastating precedent in Venezuela
Michael Hirsh/Arab News/January 04, 2026
By attacking Venezuela, seizing its president and promising to “run” the country
indefinitely — all without any congressional or UN authorization — US President
Donald Trump may well have shredded what little is left of international norms
and opened the way to new acts of aggression from US rivals China and Russia on
the world stage, some experts say.
In return, Trump probably achieved little in the way of stopping narcotics flows
into the US, even as he asserts what he calls the “Trump corollary” to the
Monroe Doctrine in his new National Security Strategy, which aims “to restore
American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere.”
While it is true that much of the world and, by most accounts, a majority of
Venezuelans did not see President Nicolas Maduro as legitimate — and Maduro has
been indicted in the US on charges of being a drug trafficker — Trump has now
set a potentially devastating precedent, some critics and experts say. Beijing
and Moscow could decide to act in similar fashion against regional leaders whom
they deem to be threats — especially in Ukraine and Taiwan — all without
worrying about the legitimacy of such actions.
“If the United States asserts the right to use military force to invade and
capture foreign leaders it accuses of criminal conduct, what prevents China from
claiming the same authority over Taiwan’s leadership?” Democratic US Sen. Mark
Warner, the vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said
in a statement. “What stops Russian President Vladimir Putin from asserting a
similar justification to abduct Ukraine’s president? Once this line is crossed,
the rules that restrain global chaos begin to collapse, and authoritarian
regimes will be the first to exploit it.”
At a news conference on Saturday announcing what he called “one of the most
stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and
competence in American history,” Trump made clear that his goal was regime
change — and even long-term US occupation. This in spite of the administration’s
repeated denials that this was his goal; Trump ran for president in 2024 on a
platform of avoiding such interventions. “We’re going to run the country until
such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said. And
he did not deny suggestions from reporters that this could require years. In a
haunting echo of similar claims made more than two decades ago before the US
invasion of another oil-rich nation, Iraq, Trump said that any US costs would be
reimbursed by “money coming out of the ground” — in other words, Venezuelan oil.
“We’re going to be taking a tremendous amount of wealth out of the ground,”
Trump added.
“We can’t take a chance that somebody else takes over Venezuela,” the US
president said. He said that US oil companies would now be sent in to fix things
and restore “American property” that he contends was confiscated, as well as
“make the people of Venezuela rich, independent and safe.”
Asked if the occupation would involve US troops, Trump said, “we’re not afraid
of boots on the ground if we have to.” In other remarks Saturday, the president
also suggested that he could soon move militarily against Mexico and Colombia —
telling reporters that Colombian President Gustavo Petro has to “watch his ass.”
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said that despite his good relations with Mexican
President Claudia Sheinbaum, “she’s not running Mexico. The cartels are running
Mexico,” adding that “something’s gonna have to be done with Mexico.”
It is noteworthy that, more than two decades ago, President George W. Bush’s
invasion and occupation of Iraq was seen as a huge blow to the legitimacy of
international law; indeed, Putin has cited it as a justification for Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine. Yet even in that case, the Bush administration sought UN
Security Council authorization, while Trump and his team have not bothered to do
so.
Thus, combined with Trump’s military strike against Iran last summer — also done
without UN or congressional authorization — this latest action could be seen as
a Trumpian hammer blow to the frail husk of international law that remains.
“I think Trump is really serious about extending US dominion over the Western
Hemisphere,” said Ryan Berg, the head of the Americas program at the Center for
Strategic and International Studies. “Their argument is this regime has no
legitimacy and the only legitimization they need is the Southern District of New
York,” he said, referring to the district court where Maduro was indicted.
Trump’s action “weakens the already compromised US ability to credibly make
arguments about rules concerning use of force in international politics — which
is zero cost to this administration since it does not care about such things,”
said William Wohlforth, an international relations expert at Dartmouth
University.
The ostensible reason for the Maduro operation does not hold up very well
against the facts. “A lawless administration has reached a new low,” said Harold
Koh, an expert in international law at Yale and former legal adviser to the
State Department. “Trump has baldly violated the UN Charter, with no valid claim
of self-defense and engaged in an illegal extraterritorial arrest that will be
vigorously contested in a US court.”
In a statement, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the US operation
“contravenes the principle of non-use of force that underpins international
law.” Other responses from US allies were more muted: EU foreign policy chief
Kaja Kallas wrote on X that the EU views Maduro as “lacking legitimacy” and
called for “restraint,” while saying “the principles of international law and
the UN Charter must be respected.”
Shortly after Trump announced the attack in a post on Truth Social, US Attorney
General Pam Bondi wrote on X that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, would now
“face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts”
after being indicted in the Southern District of New York.
It is noteworthy that only hours before US special operations forces descended
on his home in Caracas “in the dead of night,” as Trump described it, Maduro met
with Qiu Xiaoqi, the Chinese government's special representative for Latin
American affairs, at the Miraflores presidential palace.
China fiercely condemned the attack, saying, “Such hegemonic behavior by the US
seriously violates international law,” according to a statement from Beijing’s
Foreign Ministry. “I’m told Chinese diplomats were still in Caracas when the
attack happened,” Berg said. What has Trump possibly gained in return? The
ostensible reason for the Maduro operation — that he is an indicted drug
trafficker responsible for pouring “gigantic amounts” of narcotics into the US
mainland, as Trump described it Saturday — does not hold up very well against
the facts.
“Most of those drugs come from a place called Venezuela,” Trump said. But based
on US drug enforcement data compiled by the Congressional Research Service,
Venezuela is responsible for only a tiny amount of the heroin, cocaine,
methamphetamine and fentanyl imported into the US. For example, more than 85
percent of heroin analyzed by US agencies originates from Mexico and only about
4 percent is from South America, while most of the cocaine still comes from
Colombia.
It is possible, of course, that a US-orchestrated transition in Venezuela could
benefit the country, especially if opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado, the
winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, and her designated candidate Edmundo
Gonzalez — who is believed to have soundly beaten Maduro in the 2024
presidential election — are able to take power.
Even so, on Saturday, Trump appeared to dampen expectations of such an outcome,
saying, “I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn’t
have the support within — or the respect within — the country.”
The closest precedent to Trump’s action may well have been former President
George H.W. Bush’s decision to send US troops in to capture dictator Manuel
Noriega in Panama in 1989, which later helped promote stability in that country,
though it did not really alter the stakes of the US’ drug crisis.
But history suggests more pitfalls than promising outcomes may ensue. Nearly
every US military intervention in Latin America, going back to at least the Bay
of Pigs in 1961, has ended in fiasco — with no real benefit to Washington. And
it has not really mattered whether the issue was Cold War communism or post-Cold
War narcotics. Indeed, the last clear, if ugly, US success in the region may
have been the Spanish-American War of the late 19th century.
In 1954, the CIA-backed overthrow of Guatemala’s elected government created
decades of civil war and instability. The Bay of Pigs disaster — President John
F. Kennedy’s failed coup against Cuban leader Fidel Castro — helped lead to the
Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1973, a US-supported coup against President Salvador
Allende in Chile opened the way to Augusto Pinochet’s brutal 17-year
dictatorship — and did permanent damage to the reputation of then-Secretary of
State Henry Kissinger. President Ronald Reagan’s 1980s intervention against the
Sandinistas in Nicaragua ended in the Iran-Contra scandal and another civil war.
Beyond that, repeated interventions in Haiti going back to President Woodrow
Wilson in 1915, then Presidents Bill Clinton in 1994 (“Operation Uphold
Democracy”) and George W. Bush 10 years later, have only produced more
instability, leading to such vicious gang violence that Haitians cannot hold
elections. And Washington spent billions on “Plan Colombia,” including a large
amount of military assistance, only to decertify Bogota in September for
“failed” and “ineffective counternarcotics policies.”
As for Venezuela itself, an allegedly US-supported coup backfired against
then-President Hugo Chavez in 2002. His hand-picked successor was Maduro.
*Michael Hirsh is a columnist for Foreign Policy.
*This column first appeared in Al-Majalla.
Selected Face Book & X tweets/ January 04/2026
Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו
Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump for your bold and
historic leadership on behalf of freedom and justice. I salute your decisive
resolve and the brilliant action of your brave soldiers.
Mark Carney
One of the first actions taken by Canada’s new government in March 2025 was to
impose additional sanctions on Nicolás Maduro’s brutally oppressive and criminal
regime — unequivocally condemning his grave breaches of international peace and
security, gross and systematic human rights violations, and corruption. Canada
has not recognised the illegitimate regime of Maduro since it stole the 2018
election. The Canadian government therefore welcomes the opportunity for
freedom, democracy, peace, and prosperity for the Venezuelan people.
Canada has long supported a peaceful, negotiated, and Venezuelan-led transition
process that respects the democratic will of the Venezuelan people. In keeping
with our long-standing commitment to upholding the rule of law, sovereignty, and
human rights, Canada calls on all parties to respect international law. We stand
by the Venezuelan people’s sovereign right to decide and build their own future
in a peaceful and democratic society.
Canada attaches great importance to resolution of crises through multilateral
engagement and is in close contact with international partners about ongoing
developments. We are first and foremost ready to assist Canadians through our
consular officials and our embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, and will continue to
support Venezuelan refugees.
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani
I was briefed this morning on the U.S. military capture of Venezuelan President
Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as well as their planned imprisonment in federal
custody here in New York City. Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an
act of war and a violation of federal and international law. This blatant
pursuit of regime change doesn’t just affect those abroad, it directly impacts
New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home.
My focus is their safety and the safety of every New Yorker, and my
administration will continue to monitor the situation and issue relevant
guidance.
Sen. Bernie Sanders
https://x.com/i/status/2007572736399327666
Trump campaigned on an “America First” platform. Now he wants to "run"
Venezuela? 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Health care is
collapsing. Housing is unaffordable. Trump should address these major crises at
home and end his illegal military adventurism abroad.
Maria Maalouf
https://x.com/i/status/2007648508250083641
With Venezuela neutralized, an axis built on dirty oil, cocaine, and militias
collapsed.
Russian–Chinese cover for Maduro unraveled, Iran’s drone-to-trafficking pipeline
was exposed. The use of some Druze networks across borders surfaced, and India’s
discounted oil purchases bought time—not legitimacy. Those who gambled on chaos
lost. With President Trump? No playing games.
יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog
Thank you, President
@realDonaldTrump
, for your decisive leadership in making the world a safer place. Thank you for
leading the crucial global battle against brutal, rogue, and destabilizing
regimes, and against the dangers of narco-trafficking.
Secretary Marco Rubio
https://x.com/i/status/2007528891288826023
I hope people now understand. The President of the United States is not a game
player. When he tells you he's going to do something and address a problem, he
means it.
Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט
I congratulate President Trump on the decisive action taken against an
international criminal who spreads evil. Your determination and courage
strengthen all free nations in the struggle against the axis of terror states.
Charles Elias Chartouni
“Free Maduro”
The late American left, like leftists in general, is a combination of malevolent
and doctrinaire self-hating traitors and clueless idiots and gullible naive
navigators in an ocean of sharks. After communism they are preyed upon by
Islamism and wokism and their derived pathologies.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
The exact same people who called Trump a global cowboy bully for killing
Soleimani (violating Iraqi sovereignty, risking war with Iran) are crying foul
over Trump arresting Maduro (also sovereignty and instability) but praised
Obama's killing of bin Laden even though Obama violated Pakistani sovereignty (a
nuclear nation). It's all pathetic politics that weakens the West's strategic
position vis-a-vis tyrant regimes like Russia, China, Iran and Turkey.