English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For January 18/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
You are Simon son of John. You are to be called
Cephas, the rock
John 01/35-42.: “The next day John again was standing with two of
his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the
Lamb of God! ’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking
for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you
staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was
staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the
afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew,
Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We
have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed).He brought Simon to
Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be
called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter). the rock”."
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January
17-18/2026
Spiritual & Historical Reflections on the Annual Feast of Saint Mar
Matanios – The Hermit Mor Mattai/Elias Bejjani/January 17/2026
Video Link Interview with Former Minister Yousef Salameh from "Beirut24
Podcast."youtube platform
Lebanon Probes Syrian Over Suspected Funds for Assad Loyalist Fighters
Israel Continues Targeting UN Peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon
Text Of Sheikh Naiem Qassem:'s speech: Trump and Netanyahu failed in Iran
The Iran factor: Why north Litani disarmament was postponed
Lebanese Forces Hold Qassem Responsible for Domestic Tension and Incitement
Via Negotiations, the Fall of the Mullahs, or an Israeli War: Farewell to
Weapons!
Between Legal Logic and the Wrath of Port Victims’ Families: Why Gracia al-Kazzi?
Franco-American Divergence Halts Resumption of "Mechanism" Meetings
Hezbollah Clarifies: Media Manipulated Qassem’s Statement on Weapons
Yazbek in Response to Qassem: Paving the Way for Physical Assassination
Lebanon: Geagea Call with Aoun Quells Reports of Rift
Perhaps Qassem Needs a Persian Version of the Ministerial Statement...
Sovereignty is Not for Bargaining: A Necessary Response to Qassem’s Statements
Qassem Rebels Against the Presidency and Government... Bin Farhan Focuses on
Limiting Arms
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on January
17-18/2026
Trump says it is time to look for new leadership in Iran
Iran’s Khamenei says Trump ‘guilty for the casualties’ in protests
Cautious Calm in Iran Amid Heightened Security Measures
Shah's son confident Iran rulers to fall as Trump holds off
Iraq takes full control of air base after US withdrawal, defense ministry says
US Names Rubio, Tony Blair, Kushner to Gaza Board under Trump's Plan
Islamic Jihad says Gaza board of peace members chosen to serve Israeli interests
Israel Says US Gaza Executive Board Composition Against its Policy
Gaza Administration Committee Meets in Cairo Amid Cautious Optimism
Trump invites Turkey’s Erdogan, Egypt’s al-Sisi to board of peace for Gaza
Sisi Says he Values Trump Offer to Mediate Egypt-Ethiopia Dispute on GERD
Trump offers to mediate Egypt-Ethiopia dispute on Nile River waters
Canada’s Carney plans to accept Trump invite to join Gaza board: Aide
Israel Continues Assassinations of Hamas, Islamic Jihad Leaders
Gaza death toll surges to 71,548 as Israeli aggression continues
Kurds Say Sharaa's Decree Falls Short, Syrian Government Forces Enter Deir Hafer
Trump: 8 EU Countries will be Charged 10% Tariff for Opposing US Control of
Greenland
Syrian troops poised to launch major attack on SDF amid conflicted US position
US urges Syrian troops to halt advance against Kurdish-held towns
US kills Al-Qaeda affiliate leader tied to December attack in Syria, Centcom
says
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on January
17-18/2026
Where
Are the So-Called Human Rights Defenders for the People of Iran? ...The
Nauseating Double Standards of the Human Rights Industry/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute/January 17/2026
Question: Who was Melchizedek?/GotQuestions.org/January 16/2026
Why Are Mosques Burning in Tehran? In the case of Iran, the answer is
complicated/Alberto M. Fernandez/National Catholic Register/Published on January
17/2026
On International Law and the Model/Hazem Saghieh/ Asharq Al Awsat/17 January
2026
UK leader looks to China as Asia-Pacific pivot intensifies/Andrew Hammond/Arab
News/January 17, 2026
Fate of the Tehran regime is in its own hands/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/January
17, 2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets/ January 17/2026
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January
17-18/2026
Spiritual & Historical
Reflections on the Annual Feast of Saint Mar Matanios – The Hermit Mor Mattai
Elias Bejjani/January 17/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151190/
Who Is Saint Mar Matanios?
Saint Mar Matanios, known in the Syriac tradition as Mar Matthew the Hermit (Mor
Mattai), is one of the pillars of Eastern monasticism in the fourth Christian
century and the founder of the renowned Monastery of Mar Mattai near Nineveh. He
is regarded as one of the great ascetics who contributed to strengthening the
faith and spreading monastic life in the Church of the East. The Syriac and
Maronite Churches commemorate his annual feast on January 17.
Historical Timeline and Biography
Year of birth: approximately the first quarter of the fourth century (c. 300–305
AD)
Place of birth: the city of Amida (Diyarbakir) in Mesopotamia
Social background: from a family of status and influence, in a non-Christian
environment
Conversion to Christianity: in his youth, following a profound spiritual
experience that led him to faith in Christ
Entrance into monastic life: around 330–335 AD
First place of ascetic life: the mountains and wilderness near Nineveh
(present-day Iraq)
Foundation of the monastery: the nucleus of the Monastery of Mar Mattai around
363 AD, which later became a major monastic and spiritual center
Year of death: approximately 410–420 AD
Place of death: in his monastery near Nineveh
Recognition of sainthood (canonization): not by a conciliar decree as in the
Latin concept, but by the consensus of the Church and living tradition since the
fifth century; his name was included in the Syriac and Maronite Synaxaria
His Ascetic and Monastic Life
Mar Matanios chose the path of total renunciation, living a strict ascetic life
of fasting and vigil, constant prayer, inner silence, obedience, and humility,
rejecting all worldly glory. Many disciples gathered around him, and his ascetic
experience developed into an organized monastic movement that became one of the
foundations of Eastern Syriac monasticism.
His Miracles According to Church Tradition
The Synaxaria and spiritual biographies affirm that God glorified His saint
through many miracles, most notably the healing of the sick from incurable
physical illnesses, the casting out of evil spirits through prayer and the sign
of the Cross, the protection of believers and monks during times of persecution
and turmoil, and numerous miracles through his intercession after his death,
especially for the sick and the weak. These miracles are understood as signs of
the saint’s union with God, not as ends in themselves.
His Impact on Church and Monastic Life
Monastic impact:
The establishment of the model of communal monasticism in the East
The formation of generations of monks and bishops
The transformation of the Monastery of Mar Mattai into a spiritual and
theological school
Ecclesial impact:
The strengthening of Christian faith in religiously diverse regions
The consolidation of Syriac spiritual and liturgical identity
The offering of a living witness of holiness that drew believers to the Church
What the Maronite Synaxarion Says About the Saint
The Maronite Synaxarion presents Saint Mar Matanios as a holy ascetic monk who
abandoned wealth and worldly glory, dwelt in the wilderness out of love for
Christ, founded a monastery that became a beacon of holiness, and became
renowned for his powerful prayer and miracles. The Church celebrates his feast
annually on January 17, highlighting his ascetic virtues and effective
intercession.
The Relationship of Saint Mar Matanios with Lebanon
Although the saint’s life unfolded in Mesopotamia, his veneration reached
Lebanon through the Syriac–Maronite tradition. This is manifested in churches
bearing his name according to local tradition, ancient churches and monasteries
dedicated to him in Mount Lebanon and the North, especially in areas influenced
by Syriac heritage, as well as altars or side altars dedicated to him in some
Maronite churches.
Monasteries:There is a spiritual bond between Maronite monasteries in Lebanon
and Syriac monasticism that originated from the School of Mar Mattai. His name
is mentioned in liturgical books and monastic biographies circulated in
monasteries. It is worth noting that the spread of his name in Lebanon is
primarily spiritual and liturgical rather than directly historical.
Asceticism, and love are the true path to the salvation of humanity and of
nations
While, Saint Mar Matanios remains a witness that holiness shapes history, and
that the ascetic monk can be a father to generations and nations. On his
glorious feast, the Church renews her faith that prayer, asceticism, and love
are the true path to the salvation of humanity and of nations.
A Prayer to Saint Mar Matanios for Lebanon
O Saint of God, Mar Matanios, you who knew the path of peace in the heart of the
desert, and who made prayer a wall and a protection, we ask you today for
wounded Lebanon: protect its people from wars and destruction, ward off every
occupation, domination, and terrorism, bring an end to violence, killing, and
corruption, and deliver it from all the forces of evil that have disfigured its
face and suffocated its freedom.
Intercede, O Saint of God, that peace may return to the Land of the Cedars, that
the state may rise in truth and justice, and that the Lebanese may live in
dignity and security. Amen.
Clarifying Note: This text refers to Saint Mar Matanios (Mar Matthew the
Hermit), founder of the Monastery of Mar Mattai near Nineveh in Mesopotamia, and
should not be confused with Saint Matanios the Desert Dweller who lived in the
Egyptian wilderness, as they are two distinct saints belonging to different
ecclesial traditions.
NB: The information in this study is cited from various documented
ecclesiastical, theological, research, and media references.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website:
https://eliasbejjaninews.com
Video Link Interview with
Former Minister Yousef Salameh from "Beirut24 Podcast."youtube platform
January 17/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151232/
Salameh discussed the conclusion of the role of state-sponsored terrorism and
the regional shift toward federalism as a precursor to resolving the Palestinian
cause. He emphasized that political Islam, in both its Sunni and Shia branches,
was originally created to justify the existence of Israel and that its job has
now ended. He asserted that 2026 will mark the end of wars and sorrows in the
region.
Lebanon Probes Syrian Over Suspected Funds for Assad
Loyalist Fighters
Asharq Al Awsat/17 January 2026
A senior Lebanese security source said Lebanese military intelligence is
questioning Syrian national Ahmad Dunya and examining the origins of funds
seized in his possession and their presumed destinations, stopping short of
saying they were intended to finance fighters as part of a plot to destabilize
Syria’s newly installed leadership. The source said Dunya is the only person
still in custody from a group detained on suspicion of illegal activities.
Investigators decided to keep him under questioning to determine how the funds
were being used. The amounts involved, the source said, are large enough to
raise suspicion but too small to suggest large-scale financing aimed at
threatening the new leadership in Syria. Rejecting what he described as rushing
to hasty conclusions, the source said the investigation is proceeding in the
right direction. He also denied that Lebanon had received from Syrian
authorities a list of 200 former regime officials allegedly involved in a
similar plot. He said tens of thousands of supporters of the former regime
entered Lebanon after the collapse of the government, but there was no
indication that senior former officials were among them. Reuters cited two
security sources and two of Dunya’s former partners as saying he was arrested
earlier this week in Lebanon. However, the Lebanese judiciary denied being
informed of such an arrest. Two judicial sources involved in detentions and in
coordination with Lebanese security agencies told Asharq Al-Awsat that the
security services had not informed them of an incident of this kind. Reuters
also quoted two Lebanese security sources and two of Dunya’s former partners as
confirming his detention. The security sources did not specify the charges
against him or whether he would be handed over to Syria. About a month ago,
Reuters published an investigation detailing separate plans by aides of former
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to finance potential Alawite armed groups in
Lebanon and along the Syrian coast through financial intermediaries. The Reuters
investigation said Dunya was one of those intermediaries and had transferred
funds from billionaire Rami Makhlouf, Assad’s cousin, who is now living in exile
in Moscow with the former Syrian ruler, to potential fighters in Lebanon and
Syria. A former partner of Dunya and a Syrian figure close to Makhlouf confirmed
that Dunya was a key financial intermediary and that he had been detained in
Lebanon. The sources said Dunya managed extensive financial records, including
payroll lists and receipts. They added that in recent months, he had been
skimming a portion of Makhlouf’s transfers for himself.
Israel Continues Targeting UN Peacekeepers in Southern
Lebanon
Asharq Al Awsat/17 January 2026
Attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have continued
in southern Lebanon, raising growing concern among Lebanese and diplomatic
circles. The latest incident occurred on Thursday in the border village of
Adaisseh, where an Israeli drone dropped a grenade near a UNIFIL patrol despite
prior coordination with the Israeli army. No injuries were reported. In a
statement, UNIFIL said that while its patrol was conducting routine operations,
peacekeepers “were warned by locals about a potential danger at a home and
discovered an explosive device connected to a detonating cord.”
“The peacekeepers set up a security cordon and prepared to check another house.
Soon after, a drone that had been hovering overhead dropped a grenade about 30
meters from the peacekeepers,” said the statement. Such Israeli activities on
Lebanese territory put local civilians at risk and are a violation of Security
Council Rresolution 1701, it added. It warned that any actions that put
peacekeepers at risk are serious violations of Resolution 1701, and undermine
stability. Lebanese sources familiar with UNIFIL’s operations said the incident
was not an isolated event but part of a pattern of repeated Israeli targeting of
UN peacekeeping patrols and positions over the past two years, including in
areas subject to clear international security arrangements. According to the
sources, Israeli actions have continued despite advance notification of UNIFIL
movements along the Blue Line. UNIFIL patrols routinely inform the Israeli army
of their routes, locations, and timing to avoid misunderstandings, weakening
claims of accidental or mistaken targeting. The sources said there is no
convincing military or political explanation for the repeated incidents other
than a deliberate effort to pressure or limit the presence of the international
force in southern Lebanon. Diplomatic sources warned that such attacks hinder
UNIFIL’s ability to carry out its mandate to maintain stability and monitor the
cessation of hostilities, despite repeated investigations that have yielded
inconclusive results.
Text Of Sheikh Naiem
Qassem:'s speech: Trump and Netanyahu failed in Iran
Al-Manar/17 January 2026
Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem declared that US President Donald
Trump “wants to interfere in all regions of the world to obstruct democratic
life, with the aim of seizing global resources.” Speaking at a ceremony
organized by the Holy Quran Association for Guidance and Instruction,
commemorating the advent of the Prophet’s Mission, Al-Mabaz Al-Nabawai, he added
that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “mobilized their agents
in Iran to overthrow the government and control the Iranian resistance.”
Regarding
Trump and Netanyahu’s failure in Iran
, Sheikh Qassem stated that Trump and Netanyahu “have failed in their latest
project in Iran, as millions of Iranians have taken to the streets.”
He noted that the marches in Iran “have shown the will and demands of the
people.” He then asked, “Can millions of people be compared to a few dozen
subversive agents?”Sheikh Qassem believes that the US “does not desire a free
system or a self-governing people, but rather seeks to control nations and their
decisions, and to support the Israeli occupation so that it can expand in the
region.” “The resistance of the Iranian people, under their enlightened
leadership, with their representatives, security forces, and the active
participation of the people, has thwarted the US objective of overthrowing the
system.”He emphasized that Hezbollah considers Iran “unbreakable and strong, and
that it will continue to be the bastion of jihad, resistance, independence,
freedom, and a source of inspiration for the oppressed,” stating that “they will
not be able to defeat the millions of people who have joined its leadership and
its decisions.”Regarding Venezuela, he stated that “the US committed a crime of
the century in Venezuela by kidnapping the president within the country,” and
called for “a global people’s movement to put an end to the unjustified
arrogance of the US, which only seeks domination and tyranny, in order to
preserve the rights of peoples.”
No National Sovereignty:
Regarding the situation in Lebanon, the Hezbollah leader emphasized that
Lebanese sovereignty and liberation are the foundations and pillars of
state-building and lamented the lack of concrete implementation of these
principles.
According to him, the continued Israeli aggression plunges Lebanon into a
situation of “no national sovereignty,” insisting on the need for the state to
develop effective programs to regain its sovereignty. He clarified that the
demand for an arms monopoly is an Israeli-American demand intended to contain
the resistance, and not a Lebanese problem, but rather a problem for the Israeli
entity, which seeks to usurp territories. Sheikh Qassem asserted that any
concessions to the Israeli entity or any other compromise would only further
weaken Lebanon, questioning why Lebanon is being asked to make concessions
without receiving anything in return. He emphasized that the weapons held by the
resistance serve for self-defense, the defense of the resistance, and the
defense of the Lebanese people.
Disarmament will bring massacres.
According to him, if the Lebanese do not possess weapons to defend themselves,
no one can guarantee that “Israel” will not violate every inch of Lebanese
territory, citing numerous examples. He warned that surrendering weapons would
lead to a resurgence of kidnappings and massacres throughout Lebanon.
He emphasized that disarmament is unacceptable, as it carries the risk of the
murder of Lebanese citizens and attacks on entire populations. He insisted that
the resistance will continue and that Lebanon will not be exempt from
resistance.
Sheikh Qassem declared, “They will never succeed in disarming us so they can
kill us and our people.”“ As long as they continue attacking, we will remain the
resistance, and Lebanon will not be exempt from resistance.” He added, “If we
have no weapons and do not defend ourselves, who can guarantee that Israel will
not violate every corner of Lebanon?”
Lebanon is in a state of instability
. On this subject, Sheikh Qassem stated that stability has not been achieved in
Lebanon since the war “due to the US-Israeli aggression and the ongoing
occupation, not to mention the poison spread by certain forces through lies and
media disinformation.”He added, “Whatever progress is made, without security
stability, there will be no political or economic stability.”He emphasized that
“in this new phase, after the initial difficulties, the Lebanese state has the
responsibility to protect Lebanon and its people after decades of neglect.” He
insisted that one of the conditions of this phase is “the implementation of the
agreement,” noting that “Lebanon has fulfilled all its obligations, but Israel
has not.”He clarified that “the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon is definitive,
with no possibility of extension or a second phase,” emphasizing that the
Lebanese state implemented it, while “the Israeli entity did nothing.”He added
that “the Israeli entity has nothing to do with Resolution 1701, which is a
purely Lebanese matter, as is the arms monopoly and the national security
strategy, which is based on an agreement between the political forces.”Sheikh
Qassem asserted that “the inability to build a state is due to US-Israeli
aggression, the cartel of financial and political corruption, and the group
subservient to US hegemony.”According to him, “this group, subservient to US
hegemony, encourages Israeli aggression with its stances.” It sows discord
between the army and the resistance, between the army and the people, and among
the various entities within the state, hoping that the enemy will grant it
influence on the political scene. Sheikh Qassem reacted to statements by
Foreign
Minister Youssef Rajji, asserting that “there is no Foreign Minister in the
country, and his absence paralyzes the diplomacy that defends Lebanon.” He added
that “Minister Rajji is acting against the policies of the government and the
presidency, and is siding with Israel by allowing the enemy to attack Lebanon,”
and asked, “What kind of patriot behaves like this?”
He warned that “Rajji is endangering civil peace by inciting sedition by calling
on the Lebanese army to take decisive action against the people,” noting that
“he wants to plunge Lebanon into civil war.”He stressed that the Lebanese
government "has the responsibility to resolve the problem of the Foreign
Minister, who is not acting in accordance with its directives," insisting that
the solution lies "in replacing him, silencing him, or forcing him to adhere to
the Lebanese position." He asserted that "one of the reasons for the
government's weakness is the absence of a Foreign Minister who expresses
Lebanon's national demands."
Without resistance, Lebanon would collapse.
Sheikh Qassem explained that "Lebanon faces aggression, corruption, and
subjugation," considering that "all these scourges are opposed to the current
administration, to state-building, to the people, to the army, and to the
resistance."
He warned that "the total collapse of all this will leave nothing standing, and
no one will be saved," emphasizing that "if this resistance, this environment,
and this people are not protected, and if we are not all united, no one will
survive."
He asserted that “attacking Lebanon’s stability and the resistance, an essential
component of it, will have repercussions for each and every one of us. Nothing
will remain, and no one will be safe, as long as the resistance, this
environment, and this people are not protected, and as long as we are not all
united.”
The Iran factor: Why north Litani disarmament was postponed
Naharnet/17 January 2026
The local and international consensus, which weeks ago resulted in postponing
the second phase of the disarmament plan for several weeks, was linked to the
latest developments in Iran, a media report said. "Arab intel reached Lebanese
officials suggesting that a strike on Iran would occur in mid-January. Such a
strike would have allegedly forced Hezbollah to lower its demands, accept
surrendering its weapons north of the Litani, hand all its cards over to the
state, and implement the second phase without internal tensions or clashes," ad-Diyar
newspaper reported on Saturday. "It was emphasized that this 'calm scenario'
would also encompass the third phase concerning Greater Beirut and the fourth
phase regarding the Bekaa. Contacts even reached their peak with Parliament
Speaker Nabih Berri, urging him to talkn to Hezbollah and persuade it not to
enter the war should the United States execute its attack on Tehran. Some
officials even conveyed direct and indirect messages to Hezbollah, asking them
to stay out of the conflict and warning against opening the southern front or
using ballistic missiles," the daily said. However, the Lebanese officials
"received no answer or word on the matter from Hezbollah; the messages were
ignored and left without comment," the newspaper added. According to sources
close to this file, this is the primary reason for postponing the second phase
of the disarmament process north of the Litani for a month or two.Reports
suggest that some Lebanese officials were surprised by the postponement of the
U.S. strike, as this development will "hinder the implementation of the second
phase," ad-Diyar said.
Lebanese Forces Hold Qassem
Responsible for Domestic Tension and Incitement
Charbel Makhlouf/Al-Markazia/January 17/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
Al-Markazia: Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem stated that Foreign
Minister Youssef Ragi is acting outside the state and the Presidency’s policies,
"manipulating civil peace and inciting sedition." Qassem claimed Ragi stands
against the Presidency, the government, the Lebanese people, and the Resistance,
calling on the Lebanese government to address this "flaw" by replacing the
minister, silencing him, or forcing him to adhere to Lebanon’s official policy.
In response, MP Ghiath Yazbek, a member of the "Strong Republic" bloc, told
Qassem: "Anyone who verbally or morally attacks Lebanese Forces ministers,
bypassing the proper ethical, critical, and supervisory frameworks recognized in
respected countries—regardless of their rank, whether civilian or cleric—is
paving the way for the physical assassination of these ministers." Yazbek added
that Qassem’s memory seems to be failing him, as he himself authorized Speaker
Nabih Berri to sign the ceasefire agreement on November 27, before Minister Ragi
was even in the government. Therefore, Ragi is simply doing his duty by
demanding adherence to the signed agreement, which was included in the
ministerial declaration approved by Hezbollah's own ministers. In this context,
Lebanese Forces official Maroun Maroun told Al-Markazia that "Sheikh Naim Qassem
and the entire Muman'a (Axis of Resistance) camp insist on keeping Lebanon in a
state of domestic political tension and dragging wars into the country." Maroun
noted that Qassem’s speech has two dimensions:
A message to Israel via Lebanon: By saying "it will be a long time before you
disarm us," Qassem is threatening the Lebanese state and sending a direct
message to Israel that "we still have our weapons." This implicitly invites
Netanyahu to deploy his jets and destroy more Lebanese areas, further collapsing
the country and incurring massive debts just to serve Iran’s interests in
upcoming negotiations with the U.S. Incitement against the Foreign Minister:
Maroun argued that those who "invaded Beirut on May 7, assassinated Martyr Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri, occupied downtown Beirut, carried out assassinations, and
blocked the Port blast investigation" are the ones truly responsible for
inciting sedition. Maroun concluded by stating that "illegal weapons have
kidnapped Lebanon," and that Qassem’s rhetoric is now rejected by the vast
majority of Lebanese. He called on the state to take action against these
statements that "threaten civil peace."
Via Negotiations, the Fall of the Mullahs, or an Israeli War: Farewell to
Weapons!
Lara Yazbek/Al-Markazia/January 17/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
Al-Markazia: Reports on Thursday morning indicated a decline in the likelihood
of imminent U.S. strikes on Iran. According to President Donald Trump, this is
due to several factors, primarily Iran’s cessation of executing protesters and
its readiness to negotiate. Following this, Tel Aviv resumed its language of
threats and "fire and iron" against Hezbollah. On Thursday afternoon, the
Israeli army launched six airstrikes targeting the outskirts of Hermel,
specifically the Ras al-Assi area and the hills of Brissa for the first time. It
also targeted buildings in Sahmar and Machghara in the Western Beqaa after the
Israeli military spokesperson issued "urgent warnings" for residents to
evacuate. Political sources told Al-Markazia that there is a clear link between
the situation in Iran and the status of Hezbollah. Tel Aviv reportedly delayed
expanding its military operations against Hezbollah to see what would happen in
Iran. If Washington strikes Iran, Israel would be free to counter any
retaliatory strikes from Tehran or its proxies. If the Iranian regime falls, the
need for an Israeli war against its arms—primarily Hezbollah—would vanish. The
sources added that the decision to end Hezbollah’s military wing is
"irreversible" in both Israel and the U.S. This will happen in one of three
ways: Negotiations: Tehran agrees to abandon Hezbollah’s military apparatus.
Regime Change: The automatic collapse of the wing following the fall of the
Iranian regime. Military Operation: A definitive Israeli military campaign,
unless the Lebanese state moves quickly to ensure all weapons are exclusively in
its hands. Regardless of the method, the sources conclude, all paths lead to one
result: the end of Hezbollah’s weapons.
Between Legal Logic and the Wrath of Port Victims’ Families: Why Gracia al-Kazzi?
Joana Farah/Al-Markazia/January 17/ 2026 (Translated from Arabic)
The families of the 230 victims of the Beirut Port explosion did not expect such
a moral blow. Just as they expected Judge Tarek Bitar to issue an indictment
following the dismissal of a lawsuit against him on January 8, the Cabinet
issued a decision yesterday appointing Gracia al-Kazzi as Director General of
Customs. Al-Kazzi’s name is on the list of individuals expected to bear
administrative and supervisory responsibility for the accumulation of ammonium
nitrate that led to the 2020 disaster. While some argue that "a person is
innocent until proven guilty" and that being summoned for questioning does not
equal a conviction, the controversy lies in the optics. Photos of al-Kazzi
celebrating her appointment with a "toast" on social media have deeply provoked
the victims' families. A judicial source told Al-Markazia that the appointment
is not legally "invalid" as no final court ruling has been issued against her.
She was previously a member of the Higher Council of Customs, meaning she was
already a functioning official despite the investigation. However, lawyer Bashir
Amin told Al-Markazia that while the legal "presumption of innocence" exists,
logical analysis places responsibility on her due to her position at the time.
He stated, "The decision to appoint her proves that the executive authority has
pre-judged the innocence of certain individuals or is concealing information
about the parties involved—and that is the ultimate scandal." In a video
message, activist William Noun called the appointment "insulting," stating that
her responsibility is equal to that of other high-ranking officials like Badri
Daher. He addressed al-Kazzi directly: "You were drinking a toast, but on your
neck is the blood of 230 victims." Protesters have taken to the streets with
photos of the victims, demanding the appointment be rescinded, warning that if
she is eventually indicted, it will permanently stain the current Presidential
term of Joseph Aoun.
Franco-American Divergence
Halts Resumption of "Mechanism" Meetings
Al-Markazia/January 17/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
Information obtained by Al-Jadeed TV indicates that "several factors have
obstructed the resumption of the 'Mechanism' meetings. Most prominent among
these are the Franco-American divergence regarding the civil role, the pending
Army report concerning the exclusivity of weapons north of the Litani River, and
disagreements over the meeting agenda."
Hezbollah Clarifies: Media Manipulated Qassem’s Statement
on Weapons
Al-Markazia/January 17/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
Hezbollah’s Media Relations office clarified that a truncated sentence from
Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem’s speech is being circulated in the media,
leading to a distortion of the original meaning. In a statement, Media Relations
said: "A partial sentence from the speech of Hezbollah Secretary-General His
Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem is being circulated, which is: ‘They think we are
nothing. The exclusivity of weapons cannot end from now until Lebanon ends.’"The
statement added: "We wish to clarify that the full sentence, as it appeared
literally in the speech and as recorded in the audio, is as follows: 'Do they
think we are nothing, or do they think we just arrived yesterday? What is wrong
with you people? You know that for Israel, the issue of the exclusivity of
weapons can never end until Lebanon ends, ceases to exist, and falls entirely
under the Israeli umbrella. This is because it is an open-ended matter for them;
they will keep telling you: "There are still weapons in this place," "There are
still weapons in that spot," and "There are still weapons in this location."'"
Yazbek in Response to Qassem: Paving the Way for Physical
Assassination
Al-Markazia/January 17/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
Following the remarks made by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem
regarding Foreign Minister Youssef Ragi, MP Ghiath Yazbek, a member of the
"Strong Republic" bloc, posted on X: "Anyone who verbally or morally attacks
Lebanese Forces ministers, bypassing the proper ethical, critical, and
supervisory frameworks customary in respected countries—regardless of their
rank, whether civilian or cleric and all specialties and roles in between—is
paving the way for the physical assassination of these ministers. Furthermore,
such an aggressor assassinates the reputation and institutions of the Lebanese
state and conspires with villains to harm its people and destroy the country,
because our ministers represent dignity, sovereignty, and the state, and they
work to protect these values."
Addressing the "aggressor," he concluded: "Use a bit of intelligence; those who
preceded you committed these acts and ended up in the dustbin of history. Have
you not learned?
Lebanon: Geagea Call with
Aoun Quells Reports of Rift
Beirut: Nazeer Rida/Asharq Al Awsat/17 January 2026
A phone call on Friday between Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and President
Joseph Aoun helped quell speculation of serious rifts between the two, after
weeks of reports suggesting relations had deteriorated into what some described
as a “shaky relationship.”
Geagea statement
The LF said on Friday that Geagea had spoken by phone with Aoun to congratulate
him on the first anniversary of his election, saying the year had marked “a real
launch for the process of restoring the state and putting it back on the right
track, toward a real and capable state.”Geagea praised positions voiced by Aoun
on the anniversary of his election, saying they were “a clear extension of the
oath speech,” particularly his emphasis on the exclusive right of the Lebanese
state to bear arms and on war and peace decisions being the sole prerogative of
the state, restoring respect for the constitution and the concept of national
sovereignty. According to the Lebanese Forces statement, the call also addressed
regional developments, with emphasis on the need to shield Lebanon from regional
conflicts to safeguard its stability, security, and the interests of its
people.The two sides also discussed a number of domestic issues, foremost
parliamentary elections and the need to hold them on time, and to enable
non-resident Lebanese to vote from their places of residence for all members of
parliament.
No rupture, no disputes
Media remarks by LF officials in recent weeks had reflected differences between
the two sides and pointed to an unstable relationship that began to surface
publicly during Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Beirut in early December, when party
leaders were not invited to the reception ceremony at the presidential palace in
Baabda.Lawmaker Strida Geagea described that at the time as “surprising,” while
Samir Geagea did not attend the mass held on Beirut’s waterfront for security
reasons. Subsequent statements by Lebanese Forces officials highlighted
political differences, fueling assessments of tensions and a rupture. However,
LF sources insisted there had been no rupture and no fundamental disputes, only
differences that are “a right in politics,” reiterating that there were “no
disagreements.” The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that “on the strategic track,
we agree with President Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, but there are files
on which we oppose them,” citing most recently differences with the PM over a
draft law on the financial gap.They stressed that these differences “do not turn
into a personal issue.”
Ongoing contacts
The sources said ties between Geagea and Aoun were maintained at four levels.
The first was direct personal contact between the two, which was not made
public, except for this call to congratulate Aoun on his election anniversary
and to follow up on his recent positions. The second channel was through envoys
sent by Geagea to the presidency. The third was through the two sides’ teams,
who remain in constant coordination. The fourth level of communication was
through Lebanese Forces ministers in the government. They said the LF fully
agree with Aoun’s strategic vision on exclusive state control of arms and
state-building, adding, “We share with him the major national goals and the
state project. We never questioned his positions, and he has maintained the same
stance since his election.”The sources said the differences lay in the pace and
method of implementing the strategic vision, acknowledging that this is the
president’s prerogative, while the Lebanese Forces believe that implementation
of the cabinet decisions taken on Aug. 5 and 7 on exclusive state control of
arms should be accelerated. They said some files need to be settled, such as
enforcing exclusive state control of arms, so the process does not drag on,
noting that the issue remains a key obstacle to state-building, even though both
sides share the same objective of reaching an effective state. Other differences
were described by the sources as “situational” and part of daily politics, such
as the LF’ call for the government to exert additional pressure on Speaker Nabih
Berri to place its draft amendment to the electoral law on the agenda, among
other day-to-day issues.
Qassem Rebels Against the
Presidency and Government... Bin Farhan Focuses on Limiting Arms
Nidaa Al-Watan/January 18/2027 (Translated from Arabic)
Once again, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem appeared to be
"singing outside the choir." He emerged with threats and warnings, disregarding
the efforts made by the Presidency and the Government to extend state authority
over all its territories, keep the specter of war away from the country, and
restore Lebanon’s relations with the Arab and international communities.
After renewing his party's support for the crumbling regime in Iran and the
Venezuelan regime—whose president, Nicolás Maduro, was ousted a week ago—Qassem
devoted significant space to internal affairs. He ignored Cabinet decisions and
the Army’s plan to restrict weapons, stating clearly that anyone thinking of
disarming the "Party" is chasing a pipe dream (literally: "it would be a long
shot for their neck").
He further escalated tensions by launching an incomprehensible attack on Foreign
Minister Youssef Rejji, labeling him with the harshest descriptions. He accused
him of working away from the policy of the Presidency and Government and
contrary to Lebanon’s interests, claiming that Rejji is "ineffective for the
government, has disabled the diplomacy that defends Lebanon... and wants to lead
Lebanon into civil war," suggesting that the solution is "either to change him
or silence him."
A monitoring source commented to Nidaa Al-Watan on Qassem’s escalatory stance,
saying: "The Party’s Secretary-General has rebelled once again against the
state, its decisions, and its measures, showing no regard for its prestige. He
implied that his party remains the ultimate decision-maker in Lebanon and that
his 'mini-state' still holds the final word."
The source considered that as the noose tightens on the "Mullah regime" in Iran,
the "Party" will become more defiant. This explains Qassem’s violent attack on
Minister Rejji and his sovereign positions, which the Party was not accustomed
to in some previous governments. The same source noted that the Foreign Minister
is implementing to the letter the content of the Inaugural Speech and the
Ministerial Statement that Qassem spoke of yesterday. Attacking a government
minister in this manner and demanding he be "changed or silenced" is a dangerous
statement that crosses red lines and must be met with a response from official
authorities.Away from Qassem’s threats, echoes of reactions to recent
appointments resonated in the Grand Serail. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam
commented, saying he understands the feelings of concern, particularly among the
families of the martyrs and victims of the Beirut Port explosion, reaffirming
his commitment to the full truth in this case.He added that the presumption of
innocence is a fundamental pillar of justice. This means that as long as no
judgment has been issued against any person, they have the right to exercise
their full rights, including appointment to public administrations.
Meanwhile, Saudi envoy Prince Yazid bin Farhan concluded his meetings in Beirut
with a lengthy session with the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran
Bassil. The meeting ended with an emphasis on the importance of safeguarding
Lebanon's stability, preserving its unity, and building a strong state based on
independence and sovereignty. They stressed the necessity for national
decision-making to remain exclusively in the hands of the state and its
legitimate institutions, foremost among them the Lebanese Army.
Bin Farhan, accompanied by Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari, also met with MP
Neemat Frem. Frem stated that he sensed the Saudi envoy's satisfaction with the
government’s movement and good performance, and the wise positions of President
Joseph Aoun. He explained that Bin Farhan showed great interest in the issue of
limiting arms to the state, emphasizing that "the difficulty of the file does
not mean laxity, but rather requires more effort and serious support to resolve
this issue."
Perhaps Qassem Needs a Persian Version of the Ministerial
Statement... Sovereignty is Not for Bargaining: A Necessary Response to Qassem’s
Statements
Nidaa Al-Watan/January 18/2027 (Translated from Arabic)
A political source monitoring the situation told Nidaa Al-Watan that "the recent
statements by Sheikh Naim Qassem against Foreign Minister Youssef Rejji require
a clear and principled response, as they touch upon the core of Lebanese
sovereignty and legitimate diplomatic work."
The source analyzed Qassem’s positions as follows:
First: Claiming that the Foreign Minister "implements Israel’s policy" is a
dangerous and unjustified accusation. The adopted Lebanese foreign policy serves
Lebanon’s interests first—protecting its people and restoring sovereignty over
all its lands. Diplomatic work to stop aggression and protect civilians is not
treason, but a national duty.Second: Calling to "silence" or "change" a minister
because he is exercising his constitutional duties constitutes a blatant assault
on the powers of the legitimate government. The Lebanese government is the one
that decides its policies, not any outside party, regardless of its political or
military weight. Third: Lebanon has paid a heavy price in blood and destruction
due to decisions in which the state and its institutions played no part. What is
required today is the strengthening of state sovereignty and institutions, not
their weakening or placement under guardianship.
Fourth (and quite frankly): The "language" used by Sheikh Qassem, accompanied by
self-aggrandizement and inflation of capabilities, no longer convinces anyone.
If Sheikh Qassem has "another solution" other than the diplomacy adopted by the
Foreign Minister and the Lebanese state, and if he is signaling a refusal to
place weapons under the state's umbrella, the obvious question arises: What will
he do with these weapons? Continuing to sell people "heroics" and illusions of a
"victory" that only appears in speeches is no longer resistance; it is a trade
in illusions at the expense of an exhausted country and a people paying the
price alone. The political source continued: "To Sheikh Naim Qassem we say:
Lebanon needs a foreign policy that protects it and serves its interests, not a
policy dictated to it by any party. Lebanese diplomacy will remain at the
service of the Lebanese people alone, not at the service of 'bidding wars' or
'podiums'.""Finally, it might be useful to send the Ministerial Statement and
the cessation of hostilities agreement to Sheikh Qassem in the language he
understands best (Persian), as long as the Lebanese text is no longer sufficient
to clarify the extent of the Foreign Minister's commitment to government policy.
Or perhaps the problem is not with the language at all, but rather that the
truth is too heavy to be told, and defeat is too difficult to be acknowledged."
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on January
17-18/2026
Trump
says it is time to look for new leadership in Iran
Al Arabiya English/17 January/2026
US President Donald Trump said it was time to look for new leadership in Iran
where protests sparked by anger over economic hardship seem to have waned. “It’s
time to look for new leadership in Iran,” Trump told POLITICO.
Trump’s comments came shortly after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei accused
the US president of being responsible for “casualties” during the recent
protests that erupted on December 28 over economic hardship and swelled into
widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule in the Islamic
Republic. Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene, including by threatening
“very strong action” if Iran executed protesters. But on Friday, in a social
media post, he thanked Tehran's leaders, saying they had called off mass
hangings. Iran said there was “no plan to hang people.”Trump also slammed
Khamenei describing him as a “sick man,” and said Iranian rulers rely on
repression to govern. “What he is guilty of, as the leader of a country, is the
complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen
before,” Trump said. “In order to keep the country functioning— even though that
function is a very low level— the leadership should focus on running his country
properly, like I do with the United States, and not killing people by the
thousands in order to keep control… Leadership is about respect, not fear and
death” “The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop
killing people,” Trump said.“His country is the worst place to live anywhere in
the world because of poor leadership.”with agencies
Iran’s Khamenei says Trump
‘guilty for the casualties’ in protests
AFP/17 January/2026
Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday accused US President Donald Trump
of being responsible for “casualties” during a protest wave in the country that
rights groups said was met with a deadly crackdown. “We hold the American
president guilty for the casualties, damages and accusations he has levelled
against the Iranian nation,” he told a crowd of supporters during an address
marking a religious holiday. “This was an American conspiracy,” he said, adding
that “America’s goal is to swallow Iran... the goal is to put Iran back under
military, political and economic domination.”Khamenei also called on authorities
to “break the back of the seditionists” after a crackdown on a protest wave
against the country’s clerical authorities. “We do not intend to lead the
country to war, but we will not spare domestic criminals... worse than domestic
criminals, international criminals, we will not spare them either,” he told
supporters during an address marking a religious holiday. “By God’s grace, the
Iranian nation must break the back of the seditionists just as it broke the back
of the sedition.” Iran was rocked by weeks of demonstrations sparked by anger
over economic hardship that exploded into the biggest protests against the
Islamic Republic in more than three years despite a deadly crackdown rights
groups say left thousands dead under an internet blackout. Iranian authorities
have blamed the United States for the mass demonstrations they have called
"riots" and "terrorist" operations.
Cautious Calm in Iran Amid
Heightened Security Measures
London: Asharq Al Awsat Tehran: Asharq Al Awsat/17 January 2026
Iran is facing a sweeping security crackdown after a wave of arrests and the
heavy deployment of forces in Tehran and other cities, as residents and a rights
group said protests have largely abated under the weight of the clampdown.
Accounts from residents in the capital described a cautious calm since Sunday,
with drones circling overhead and patrols stationed at major intersections and
squares, amid a sharp curtailment of information flows because of internet
outages and restricted communications. Videos circulating online pointed to what
were described as “maximum security” conditions in cities, including Mashhad,
where security personnel in dark uniforms and special vehicles were seen on the
streets, alongside a complete internet blackout that has lasted for eight days.
Despite the broader lull, videos showed a group of residents in Zahedan marching
through the city’s streets on Friday after weekly prayers, even as reports spoke
of tight security and extensive measures around the prayers. Independent rights
sources, including the Baloch Activists Campaign, said Zahedan had seen a heavy
security presence. Protests erupted on Dec. 28 after a surge in inflation and
worsening economic conditions in Iran, whose economy is weighed down by
sanctions, before escalating into one of the biggest challenges to the ruling
establishment since 1979. While residents said streets appeared calm, many asked
not to be named for safety reasons. A resident in a northern city on the Caspian
Sea said conditions there were also quiet, with security overshadowing daily
life. An elderly woman in a northwestern town that was an early flashpoint said
sporadic protests were still occurring but with less intensity, adding she had
never seen scenes like those that accompanied the earlier escalation in
violence. Iran’s education ministry said it would decide on Saturday whether
Tehran’s schools would return to in-person classes or continue remote learning,
as they did last week, a sign of broader disruption to public life. On the
ground, a woman in Tehran told Reuters by phone that her daughter was killed on
Friday after taking part in a protest near their home. She said the girl was 15
and rejected descriptions of her as a “terrorist” or “rioter,” adding that her
daughter was chased by Basij forces as she tried to return home. The Iranian
Kurdish rights group Hengaw, based in Norway, said no protest gatherings had
been recorded since Sunday, adding that “security conditions remain extremely
tight” with a dense military and security presence in several areas. Hengaw said
its independent sources confirmed a significant security and military deployment
in cities and towns that had seen earlier protests, as well as in places that
had not witnessed large demonstrations, reflecting the breadth of precautionary
measures. In Isfahan, Tasnim, which is affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary
Guard Corps, said “rioters” had set fire to a local education office in the
Falavarjan district. New videos from last week showed protests in the Piroozi
area in eastern Tehran, with sustained gunfire audible. A voice in one video is
heard telling people, “They are shooting at us. One of us has been killed.”
Official narrative
In an effort to reinforce the security agencies’ account, state-owned Press TV
quoted Iran’s police chief as saying calm had returned nationwide, while state
television aired footage of traffic flowing through major Tehran intersections.
Alongside that narrative, state television aired a report on disturbing images
from a forensic medicine center in southern Tehran, presenting them as evidence
of what authorities described as the “organized and violent nature” of the
unrest, insisting armed elements and “terrorist attacks” were involved. Videos
circulating in recent days showed scenes of panic inside the center, with dozens
of bodies lying on floors and stretchers, most in body bags and some uncovered.
A security expert interviewed on state television said forensic facilities had
been overwhelmed by the number of bodies, leading to overcrowding in halls,
which the report framed as a sign of a “non-spontaneous killing wave.”The expert
said forensic examinations showed the use of weapons and ammunition “not in
circulation in Iran,” alongside hunting rifles and bladed weapons. He pointed to
knives, sharp tools, and injuries he said were caused by “prepared” gunfire. He
described repeated strikes carried out by more than one attacker and killings he
called “brutal,” including broken necks, arguing that the nature of the injuries
pointed to “organized terrorist attacks” rather than spontaneous clashes,
according to Tasnim. State television also aired footage it said showed the
arrest of armed suspects in security operations linked to the unrest, while
official media broadcast videos of pursuits and weapons seizures. Tasnim
published clips it said showed confrontations between security forces and
“rioters,” including what it described as a surprise arrest of armed men by
police. Tasnim said “rioters” broke into a public parking garage and destroyed
all vehicles inside, part of an official narrative that blames opponents of the
state for organized sabotage.
Arrests and casualties
Casualty figures reported by the rights agency HRANA showed little change since
Wednesday, standing at 2,677 dead, including 2,478 protesters and 163 people
identified as government-affiliated, according to the group. An Iranian official
told Reuters this week that about 2,000 people had been killed in the unrest, a
lower figure than HRANA’s tally, which is based on a network of sources inside
the country. The differing numbers come amid the absence of comprehensive
official data. HRANA said more than 19,000 people had been arrested, while
Tasnim put the number at 3,000. Tasnim said many leaders of what it called
“riots” had been detained in Kermanshah in western Iran, adding that five
suspects were arrested over the vandalism of a fuel station and a Basij base in
the southeastern city of Kerman. In a parallel display of deterrence, state
television broadcast funerals for security personnel in Semnan in northern Iran
and Semirom in central Iran, highlighting state losses and framing them within a
narrative of “defending security.”
“Await severe retaliation”
Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, said, “If our young
men wanted to confront the instigators with weapons, they would have resolved
the matter and rounded them all up within two hours,” in a direct threat. He
said protesters had used “human shields,” while “our young men defended this
country and its people with their lives alone,” remarks that sought to justify
the use of force and underscore readiness to escalate. For his part, Ahmad
Khatami, Tehran’s Friday prayer imam, called for the execution of detained
protesters and for the arrest of anyone who supported the protests “in any
form.”He described protesters as “servants of Netanyahu” and “soldiers of
Trump.”Khatami said in his sermon that Netanyahu and Trump should “await severe
retaliation,” and that Americans and “Zionists” should not expect peace. He
cited figures he said showed damage to 350 mosques, 126 prayer halls, and 20
religious sites, as well as 80 homes of Friday prayer leaders.
International dimension
The internal developments came as fears of a US attack eased from Wednesday,
when President Donald Trump said he had received information indicating that
killings had declined. The White House said warnings of “severe consequences”
remained in place. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Trump and his
team had warned Tehran of consequences if killings continued, adding that Trump
was aware of a halt to 800 executions while keeping “all options” on the table.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US military was
expected to send additional defensive and offensive capabilities to the region,
without detailing their nature or timing. US Central Command declined to
comment. A source familiar with the matter said David Barnea, head of Israel’s
Mossad, was visiting the United States for talks on Iran and was expected to
meet US envoy Steve Witkoff, with no immediate comment from the office of
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In contrast, the Kremlin said
President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Iran in separate calls with
Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing Moscow’s readiness
to mediate and ease tensions.
Iranian state media said Pezeshkian told Putin that the United States and Israel
had played a direct role in the unrest.
“Key figures of the system”
At home, the office of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urged what it called the
system’s “key figures” to act publicly and break their silence, addressing
prominent political figures across factions, including former reformist
president Mohammad Khatami, his ally Hassan Rouhani, hardliner Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, and former parliament speaker Ali Akbar Nategh-Nuri. The weekly
magazine “Voice of Iran,” affiliated with the leader’s office, said
responsibility lay with elites to counter what it called “the enemies’ nonsense”
and stand with “the facts,” adding there was “no longer room for doubt or
silence” because the issue “concerns Iran itself.”In a swift response, Mohammad
Khatami described the protests as a “major, premeditated conspiracy,” saying he
did not doubt the role of Israel and the United States. He said the entry of
“naked violence” had quickly altered acceptance of the right to protest. Khatami
added that Israeli officials’ statements and US support left no doubt about the
“formation of a major conspiracy,” while also saying the protests stemmed from
“existing policies and structural imbalances,” as well as sanctions and external
pressure. He called the failure to draw lessons from past events regrettable,
but said the conduct of Pezeshkian’s government in the early days of the
protests had been “civil.”
Pahlavi calls for international help
In Washington, Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last shah, urged the international
community to intensify political, economic, and military pressure to help
protesters overthrow the ruling system. Speaking at a news conference, Pahlavi
said “large segments” of the army and security forces had pledged loyalty to him
“in secret,” and that the time had come for the international community to join
fully. Pahlavi has lived outside Iran since before 1979. “The Iranian people are
taking decisive action on the ground. Now is the time for the international
community to join them fully,” he said, according to Reuters. He said he was
uniquely positioned to ensure a stable transition, although the US president
expressed skepticism this week about Pahlavi’s ability to mobilize support
inside Iran. The opposition remains fragmented among competing groups and rival
ideological factions.
Shah's son confident Iran
rulers to fall as Trump holds off
Agence France Presse/17 January/2026
The son of Iran's late shah said Friday he was confident that mass protests
would topple the Islamic republic and urged international action, as U.S.
President Donald Trump holds off on intervening in the unrest. Reza Pahlavi, who
lives in exile in the Washington area, has presented himself as leader of the
opposition as the cleric-run state ruthlessly represses mass protests. "The
Islamic republic will fall -- not if, but when," Pahlavi told a news conference
in Washington. Since the demonstrations erupted in late December with a rallying
cry of solving Iran's severe economic woes, Pahlavi has pleaded for U.S.
intervention. Trump had repeatedly warned Iran that if it kills protesters, the
United States would intervene militarily. He also encouraged Iranians to take
over state institutions, saying "help is on the way." But two weeks after he
first suggested help, he has not acted. Security forces in the meantime have
killed at least 3,428 protesters, according to Norway-based group Iran Human
Rights, with other estimates putting the toll at more than 5,000 or possibly as
high as 20,000. Trump instead has highlighted what he said was an end to the
killing of protesters, as the size of demonstrations diminished in recent days.
Trump wrote Friday on his Truth Social platform that Iran had called off
executions of hundreds of protesters and said to the clerical state, "Thank
you!"Pahlavi also took to social media Friday, with posts on X and Instagram
calling for Iranians across the country to "raise your voices in anger and
protest with our national slogans" at 8:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.Pahlavi,
seeking to touch a nerve with Trump, called on him not to be like Democratic
predecessor Barack Obama who negotiated with Tehran. "I believe that President
Trump is a man of his word and ultimately he will stand with the Iranian people
as he has said," Pahlavi said when asked if Trump had given false hope. "Iranian
people are taking decisive actions on the ground. It is now time for the
international community to join them fully." Gulf Arab monarchies, despite
frequent friction with Iran, have urged Trump to show caution.
'Surgical' strikes -
Pahlavi called for targeting the command structure of the elite Revolutionary
Guards, as it is key to "instituting terror at home or terrorism abroad.""I'm
calling for a surgical strike," said Pahlavi, who controversially backed
Israel's military campaign on Iran in June. He also urged all countries to expel
diplomats from Iran and to help restore internet access, which has been severely
hampered. Many protesters have chanted the name of Pahlavi, whose pro-Western
father fled in 1979 in the Islamic revolution. While Iran's last Shah presented
a glamorous image of the oil-rich nation to the world -- replete with caviar,
glittering crown jewels and a jet-setter lifestyle -- domestically, repression
and the brutality of his secret police force as well as a lack of economic
mobility opened the door to political challenge. Asked about repression under
his father, Pahlavi told reporters, "I let historians write history. I'm here to
make history."Pahlavi, 65, said he wants to be a figurehead to lead a transition
to a secular democracy, with a popular referendum to choose the next system of
government. He also has plenty of detractors who suspect a desire by his
supporters to restore the monarchy and say changes should come from the
opposition within Iran. "I reaffirm my lifelong pledge to lead the movement that
will take back our country from the anti-Iranian hostile force that occupies it
and kills its children," Pahlavi said.
"I will return to Iran."
Pahlavi promised that a new Iran would have better relations with the
leadership's sworn enemies -- the United States and Israel -- and integrate into
the global economy. He said Iran would quickly normalize relations with Israel
in a "Cyrus Accord," a reference to Cyrus the Great, the celebrated Persian
emperor who freed Jews from Babylonian captivity. "Iran today should have been
the next South Korea of the Middle East," he said. "Today we have become North
Korea."
Iraq takes full control of
air base after US withdrawal, defense ministry says
Reuters/17 January/2026
US forces have withdrawn from Iraq's Ain al-asad Airbase, which housed US-led
forces in Western Iraq, and the Iraqi army has assumed full control, the Iraqi
defense ministry said on Saturday. In 2024, Washington and Baghdad reached
an understanding on plans for the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from
Iraq.
US Names Rubio, Tony Blair, Kushner to Gaza Board under
Trump's Plan
Asharq Al Awsat/17 January 2026
The White House on Friday announced some members of a so-called "Board of Peace"
that is to supervise the temporary governance of Gaza, which has been under a
fragile ceasefire since October. The names include US Secretary of State Marco
Rubio, President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British
Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Trump is the
chair of the board, according to a plan his White House unveiled in October.
Israel and Hamas signed off on Trump's plan, which says a Palestinian
technocratic body will be overseen by the international board, which will
supervise Gaza's governance for a transitional period. The White House did not
detail the responsibilities of each member of the "founding Executive board."
The names do not include any Palestinians. The White House said more members
will be announced over the coming weeks. The board will also include private
equity executive and billionaire Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and
Robert Gabriel, a Trump adviser, the White House said, adding that Nickolay
Mladenov, a former UN Middle East envoy, will be the high representative for
Gaza. Army Major General Jasper Jeffers, a US special operations commander, was
appointed commander of the International Stabilization Force, the White House
said. A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorized the
board and countries working with it to establish that force in Gaza. The White
House also named an 11-member "Gaza Executive Board" that will include Turkish
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East
peace process, Sigrid Kaag, the United Arab Emirates minister for international
cooperation, Reem Al-Hashimy, and Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakir Gabay, along
with some members of the executive board. This additional board will support
Mladenov's office and the Palestinian technocratic body, whose details were
announced this week, the White House said. Israel and Hamas have accused each
other of ceasefire violations in Gaza, where more than 450 Palestinians,
including over 100 children, and three Israeli soldiers have been reported
killed during the truce. Israel's assault on Gaza since October 2023 has killed
tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis and internally displaced Gaza's entire
population.
Islamic Jihad says Gaza
board of peace members chosen to serve Israeli interests
AFP/17 January/2026
The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad on Saturday criticized the
composition of the Board of Peace set to oversee governance in Gaza, saying it
served Israel’s interests. The board “came in accordance with Israeli criteria
and to serve the interests of the occupation, in a clear indicator of
preexisting bad intentions over the implementation of the terms of the
(ceasefire) agreement,” the group said in a statement.
Israel Says US Gaza Executive Board Composition Against its
Policy
Asharq Al Awsat/17 January 2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Saturday that this week's
Trump administration announcement on the composition of a Gaza executive board
was not coordinated with Israel and ran counter to government policy. It said
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar would raise the issue with US Secretary of State
Marco Rubio. The statement did not specify what part of the board's composition
contradicted Israeli policy. An Israeli government spokesperson declined to
comment. The board, unveiled by the White House on Friday, includes Turkish
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Israel has repeatedly opposed any Turkish role in
Gaza. Other members of the executive board include Sigrid Kaag, the UN special
coordinator for the Middle East peace process; an Israeli-Cypriot billionaire;
and a minister from the United Arab Emirates. Washington this week also
announced the start of the second phase of President Donald Trump's plan,
announced in September, to end the war in Gaza. This includes creating a
transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in the enclave.The first
members of the so-called Board of Peace - to be chaired by Trump and tasked with
supervising Gaza's temporary governance - were also named. Members include
Rubio, billionaire developer Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Gaza Administration Committee Meets in Cairo Amid Cautious
Optimism
Cairo: Mohamed Mahmoud/Asharq Al Awsat/17 January 2026
The Gaza ceasefire agreement entered a new phase on Friday with the first
meeting in Cairo of a technocrat committee tasked with administering the
enclave, following its formation by Palestinian consensus, a welcome from
Washington, and the absence of an official Israeli objection after earlier
reservations.
The inaugural meeting came hours after Israel killed eight Palestinians,
prompting Hamas to accuse it of “sabotaging the agreement,” leaving analysts
expressing cautious optimism about the ceasefire’s trajectory in light of these
developments and the continued Israeli strikes. They stressed the need for a
decisive US position to complete the requirements of the second phase, which
began with the formation of the Gaza administration committee and faces major
obstacles, including the entry of aid, an Israeli withdrawal, and the
disarmament of Hamas. Egyptian satellite channel Al-Qahera News reported on
Friday that the first meeting of the Palestinian National Committee for the
Administration of Gaza had begun in the Egyptian capital, with Palestinian Ali
Shaath in the chair. In his first media appearance, Shaath said the committee
had officially started its work from Cairo and consists of 15 professional
Palestinian national figures. He said the committee had received financial
support and had been allocated a two-year budget, which is the duration of its
mandate. He called for the establishment of a World Bank fund for the
reconstruction and relief of Gaza, noting that influential countries in the
region had promised substantial, tangible financial support. Shaath said the
relief plan is based on the Egyptian plan approved by the Arab League in March
2025, which spans five years and is estimated to cost about $53 billion, and has
been welcomed by the European Union. He added that the first step adopted by the
Gaza administration committee was to supply 200,000 prefabricated housing units
to the territory. Hamas said on Friday it was ready to hand over control of Gaza
to a technocratic administration. In a statement, it warned that “massacres”
committed by the Israeli army in Gaza, including the killing of nine
Palestinians, among them a woman and a child, in air strikes and gunfire
targeting displaced people’s tents, underscored Israel’s continued policy of
undermining the ceasefire agreement and obstructing declared efforts to entrench
calm in the enclave.
Hamas described the attacks as a “dangerous escalation” that coincided with
mediators announcing the formation of a technocratic government and the entry
into the second phase of the agreement, as stated on Wednesday, as well as US
President Donald Trump’s announcement on Thursday of the establishment of a
Board of Peace. It called on mediators and guarantor countries to shoulder their
responsibilities by pressuring Israel to halt its violations and comply with
what was agreed. On Thursday, Trump announced the creation of a Gaza-focused
Board of Peace, saying the parties had officially entered the second phase of
the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The Gaza government media office said in a
statement the same day that Israel had committed 1,244 violations of the
ceasefire during its first phase, resulting in the killing, injury, or arrest of
1,760 Palestinians since the deal took effect. Rakha Ahmed Hassan, a member of
the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and a former assistant foreign
minister, said the launch of the committee’s work was extremely important and
effectively removed one of Israel’s pretexts regarding the presence of Hamas,
particularly since the committee is technocratic and enjoys consensus. He said
that while this undermines those pretexts and marks the end of Hamas’s political
authority, developments must be handled cautiously and completed with the
deployment of stabilization forces and a Palestinian police presence, provided
no new Israeli obstacles emerge.
Palestinian political analyst Ayman al-Raqab also voiced cautious optimism,
telling Asharq Al-Awsat that the committee faces major challenges, notably
administering a territory that has been completely devastated, as well as
Israeli complications related to the weapons of the resistance and opposition to
full reconstruction and withdrawal. Mediator efforts are continuing. Egyptian
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty received a phone call from US Middle East envoy
Steve Witkoff regarding next steps and procedures following the transition to
the second phase of Trump’s plan. According to an Egyptian foreign ministry
statement on Friday, the call emphasized the need to move forward with
implementing the second phase’s obligations, including the start of work by the
Palestinian technocrats committee following its formation, the deployment of an
international stabilization force to monitor the ceasefire, the achievement of
an Israeli withdrawal from the Strip and the launch of early recovery and
reconstruction. Hassan said Egypt’s role remains crucial and focused on
completing the agreement without Israeli obstruction, particularly as the Rafah
crossing was not opened during the first phase, and delays persist in deploying
stabilization forces to oversee border crossings. He stressed that Washington
would seek to complete the agreement to preserve its credibility. Al-Raqab said
that any progress in the second phase and avoiding a repeat of the first phase’s
stagnation hinges on US support for fully implementing the deal, particularly
securing an Israeli withdrawal rather than just addressing disarmament.
Trump invites Turkey’s
Erdogan, Egypt’s al-Sisi to board of peace for Gaza
Al Arabiya English/17 January/2026
US President Donald Trump has sent a letter inviting Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan to become a member of a so-called “Board of Peace” that is to
supervise the temporary governance of Gaza, which has been under a fragile
ceasefire since October, the Turkish presidency said on Saturday. Egypt
meanwhile said it is reviewing an invitation by President Trump to Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to join the so-called “Board of Peace” for Gaza,
the foreign minister said in a press conference on Saturday. The White
House on Friday announced some members the Board of Peace, which Trump will
chair. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was announced as one of the
members of “Gaza Executive Board,” along with US Secretary of State Marco
Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony
Blair and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The board is set to supervise the
temporary governance of Gaza, which has been under a fragile ceasefire since
October. With Agencies
Sisi Says he Values Trump Offer to Mediate Egypt-Ethiopia
Dispute on GERD
Asharq Al Awsat/17 January 2026
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he valued an offer by US President
Donald Trump to mediate a dispute over Nile River waters between Egypt and
Ethiopia. In a post on X, Sisi said on Saturday that he addressed Trump's
letter by affirming Egypt's position and concerns about the country's water
security in regards to Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). "I am
ready to restart US mediation between Egypt and Ethiopia to responsibly resolve
the question of 'The Nile Water Sharing' once and for all," Trump wrote to Sisi
in the letter that was also posted on Trump’s Truth Social account. Addis
Ababa's September 9 inauguration of GERD has been a source of anger in Cairo,
which is downstream on the Nile. Ethiopia sees the $5 billion dam on a tributary
of the Nile as central to its economic ambitions. Egypt says the dam violates
international treaties and could cause both droughts and flooding. Sudan,
another downstream country, has expressed concern about the regulation and
safety of its own water supplies and dams. Sudan's army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
also welcomed Trump's mediation offer on Saturday.
Trump offers to mediate
Egypt-Ethiopia dispute on Nile River waters
Reuters/17 January/2026
US President Donald Trump offered on Friday to mediate a dispute over Nile
River waters between Egypt and Ethiopia. “I am ready to restart US mediation
between Egypt and Ethiopia to responsibly resolve the question of ‘The Nile
Water Sharing’ once and for all,” he wrote to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah
al-Sisi in a letter that also was posted on Trump’s Truth Social account. Addis
Ababa’s September 9 inauguration of its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been
a source of anger in Cairo, which is downstream on the Nile. Ethiopia, the
continent’s second-most populous nation with more than 120 million people,
sees the $5 billion dam on a tributary of the Nile as central to its economic
ambitions. Egypt says the dam violates international treaties and could cause
both droughts and flooding, a claim Ethiopia rejects. Trump has praised Sisi in
the past, including during an October trip to Egypt to sign a deal related to
the Gaza conflict. In public comments, Trump has echoed Cairo’s concerns about
the water issue.
Canada’s Carney plans to
accept Trump invite to join Gaza board: Aide
AFP, Montreal/17 January/2026
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has been invited by US President Donald
Trump to join a board to supervise post-war Gaza, an offer he intends to accept,
a senior aide told AFP on Saturday. Trump has declared himself the chair of a
Gaza “Board of Peace.” He has so far tapped former UK prime minister Tony Blair
and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to fill senior roles, and asked the
leaders of Egypt, Turkey and Argentina to take part. The senior Canadian
government official did not provide further details
Israel Continues Assassinations of Hamas, Islamic Jihad
Leaders
Gaza: Asharq Al Awsat/17 January 2026
Israel pressed ahead with targeted killings of senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad
figures in Gaza, citing recent attacks on its forces, even as a ceasefire
agreement entered its second phase, and plans were announced for a technocratic
body to administer the enclave. On Thursday, Israel killed two senior figures
from the military wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, along with other activists,
in a series of air strikes on homes in several areas of Gaza that killed 12
Palestinians. The first strike targeted Saeed al-Jarou, an activist in the Izz
al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, who worked in military
manufacturing, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. Another Palestinian was killed
alongside him when the courtyard of the Jarou family home in Deir al-Balah in
central Gaza was hit. The house had already been damaged in an earlier strike a
month ago that killed Saeed’s brother, who was also a Qassam activist. Less than
an hour later, another strike hit the home of Mohammed al-Houli, a senior
commander in the Qassam Brigades, killing him along with a young man and a
child. Al-Houli held several positions within Qassam, including deputy commander
of the Central Brigade and head of the intelligence apparatus.
He previously served as commander of the Field Control Forces, according to
sources. Hours later, Israeli aircraft struck the home of Ashraf al-Khatib, a
leader in the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, in the Nuseirat
refugee camp in central Gaza, killing him, his wife, and her brother. Sources
said al-Khatib was responsible for the rocket unit in the central Gaza area and
was among the first to fire rockets toward Tel Aviv during the 2012 war. He was
also an officer in the Palestinian Authority security services. Shortly
afterward, an Israeli strike targeted Amjad Shamlakh, a Hamas activist, as he
was passing through the Nabulsi area in the Sheikh Ajlin neighborhood south of
Gaza City. Shamlakh worked as a nurse at Al-Shifa Medical Complex. His brother,
a Qassam activist, was killed earlier in the war. The Israeli army said it,
together with the Shin Bet security agency, had attacked Hamas and Islamic Jihad
members following what it described as a violation of the ceasefire earlier this
week in western Rafah in southern Gaza. It said it views any breach of the
agreement with utmost seriousness and will continue to act against any attempt
to advance what it called terrorist plots. On Friday, Israeli forces killed an
elderly woman after what witnesses described as indiscriminate fire from Israeli
vehicles toward displacement tents south of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. A
child was also killed by fire from a drone in the town of Beit Lahia in northern
Gaza. The death toll in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, has risen to 71,457, including
465 killed since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.
Expansion of the “Yellow Line”
In related field developments, satellite images showed that over the past three
months, since the ceasefire was announced, the Israeli army has expanded the
so-called Yellow Line zone it occupies in Gaza, which now covers more than half
of the enclave. The army has advanced hundreds of meters into areas that were
officially meant, under a plan by US President Donald Trump, to remain under
Hamas control. Satellite imagery cited by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz showed
the army continuing to demolish buildings in Jabalia and the Shujaiya
neighborhood, both inside and outside the Yellow Line zone. According to the
London-based organization Forensic Architecture, Israeli forces have established
13 military sites in Gaza since the ceasefire was announced and until
mid-December, including two large military positions in the Jabalia area. These
elevated sites overlook vast distances. Buildings were destroyed, areas were
evacuated, and heavy engineering equipment was used to construct high earth
berms to monitor the entire northern Gaza area. The Israeli army deliberately
places unclear markers for the Yellow Line, setting yellow concrete blocks
hundreds of meters apart, making it impossible for Palestinians to determine
where the occupied zone begins as they attempt to reach their land and homes.
Israeli forces then open fire indiscriminately, killing hundreds, including more
than 100 children. The army frequently shifts the concrete blocks westward into
areas under Hamas control. Analysis of satellite imagery along the Yellow Line
shows discrepancies between the location of the concrete blocks and the official
Yellow Line as defined by Israeli military data. The yellow concrete blocks
appear to be positioned about 300 meters west of the official Yellow Line shown
on Israeli army maps. The destruction of buildings in recent months adds to the
erasure of entire cities in Gaza during the war. According to the latest report
by the United Nations satellite center, the Israeli army has destroyed or
irreparably damaged more than 80 percent of buildings in the enclave, triggering
a massive displacement crisis. Hundreds of thousands are now living in tents,
struggling to survive amid severe weather, strong winds, and seawater flooding
tent areas, destroying shelters and contributing to the spread of disease.
Gaza death toll surges to
71,548 as Israeli aggression continues
AP/January 17, 2026
GAZA: The death toll from Israeli attacks has risen to 71,548 Palestinians, with
171,353 reported wounded, since the beginning of the offensive on Oct. 7, 2023,
according to medical sources. One new fatality was reported at a Gaza hospital
in the past 24 hours, along with six new injuries, sources said.
Several victims remain trapped under rubble or lying in the streets, with
ambulance and civil defense crews unable to reach them due to the widespread
destruction and lack of supplies. Since the ceasefire came into effect on Oct.
11, the number of fatalities has increased to 464 along with 1,275 injuries,
while 712 bodies have been recovered from beneath the rubble. Earlier on
Saturday, a 27-day-old baby died because of severe cold, bringing the number of
child deaths caused by extreme winter conditions since the start of the season
to eight. The administration of President Donald Trump earlier in the week said
the US-drafted ceasefire plan for Gaza was now moving into its challenging
second phase, which includes the new Palestinian committee in Gaza, deployment
of an international security force, disarmament of Hamas, and reconstruction of
the war-battered territory. But Israel’s government is objecting to the White
House announcement of leaders who will play a role in overseeing the next steps
in Gaza. Israel says the Gaza executive committee “was not coordinated with
Israel and is contrary to its policy,” without details. Saturday’s statement
also said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the Foreign Ministry to
contact Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The White House-announced committee
announced on Friday includes no Israeli official but does include an Israeli
businessman. Other members announced so far include two of US President Donald
Trump’s closest confidants, a former British prime minister, an American
general, and a collection of top officials from Middle Eastern governments. The
White House has said the executive committee will carry out the vision of a
Trump-led “Board of Peace,” whose members have not yet been named. The White
House also announced the members of a new Palestinian committee to run Gaza’s
day-to-day affairs, with oversight from the executive committee. The committee’s
members include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff,
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair,
Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and
Trump’s deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel.
Kurds Say Sharaa's Decree Falls Short, Syrian Government
Forces Enter Deir Hafer
Asharq Al Awsat/17 January 2026
Syria's Kurds on Saturday said a presidential decree recognizing the minority's
rights and making Kurdish an official language fell short of their expectations
as Syrian government forces entered the outskirts of a northern town. In a
statement, the Kurdish administration in Syria's north and northeast said the
decree issued by President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday was "a first step, however
it does not satisfy the aspirations and hopes of the Syrian people". It added
that "rights are not protected by temporary decrees, but... through permanent
constitutions that express the will of the people and all components" of
society. Al-Sharaa’s decree affirmed that Syrian citizens of Kurdish origin are
an integral and original part of the Syrian people, and that their cultural and
linguistic identity is an inseparable component of Syria’s inclusive national
identity. The decree commits the state to protecting cultural and linguistic
diversity and guarantees Kurdish citizens the right to preserve their heritage,
arts, and mother tongue within the framework of national sovereignty. It
recognizes Kurdish as a national language and allows it to be taught in public
and private schools in areas where Kurds make up a significant proportion of the
population. It also grants Syrian nationality to all residents of Kurdish origin
living on Syrian territory, including those previously unregistered, while
ensuring full equality in rights and duties. The decree further designates
Nowruz, celebrated annually on March 21, as an official public holiday. Syrian
government forces entered the outskirts of the northern town of Deir Hafer
Saturday morning after the command of Kurdish-led fighters said it would
evacuate the area in an apparent move to avoid conflict. This came after deadly
clashes erupted earlier this month between government troops and the US-backed
and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest.
It ended with the evacuation of Kurdish fighters from three neighborhoods taken
over by government forces. An Associated Press reporter saw on Saturday
government tanks, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles, including
pickup trucks with heavy machine-guns mounted on top of them, rolling toward the
town of Deir Hafer from nearby Hamima after bulldozers removed barriers. There
was no SDF presence on the edge of the town. Meanwhile, the Syrian military said
Saturday morning its forces were in full control of Deir Hafer, captured the
Jarrah airbase east of the town, and were working on removing all mines and
explosives. It added that troops would also move toward the nearby town of
Maskana. On Friday night, after government forces started pounding SDF positions
in Deir Hafer, the Kurdish-led fighters’ top commander Mazloum Abdi posted on X
that his group would withdraw from contested areas in northern Syria. Abdi said
SDF fighters would relocate east of the Euphrates River starting 7 a.m. (0400
gmt) Saturday. The easing of tension came after US military officials visited
Deir Hafer on Friday and held talks with SDF officials in the area. The United
States has good relations with both sides and has urged calm.
Trump: 8 EU Countries will be Charged 10% Tariff for
Opposing US Control of Greenland
Asharq Al Awsat/17 January 2026
President Donald Trump said Saturday that he would charge a 10% import tax
starting in February on goods from eight European nations because of opposition
to US control of Greenland. He said in a social media post that Denmark, Norway,
Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would
face the tariff, which would be raised to 25% on June 1 if a deal is not in
place for “the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” by the United States.
Earlier Saturday, hundreds of people in Greenland's capital braved near-freezing
temperatures, rain and icy streets to march in a rally in support of their own
self-governance in the face of threats of an American takeover. The Greenlanders
waved their red-and-white national flags and listened to traditional songs as
they walked through Nuuk's small downtown. Some carried signs with messages like
“We shape our future,” “Greenland is not for sale” and “Greenland is already
GREAT.” They were joined by thousands of others in rallies across the Danish
kingdom. Meanwhile, Danish Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen, leader of the Joint Arctic
Command, told The Associated Press that Denmark doesn't expect the US military
to attack Greenland, or any other NATO ally, and that European troops were
recently deployed to Nuuk for Arctic defense training. “I will not go into the
political part, but I will say that I would never expect a NATO country to
attack another NATO country,” he told the AP on Saturday aboard a Danish
military vessel docked in Nuuk. “For us, for me, it’s not about signaling. It is
actually about training military units, working together with allies.”Trump has
insisted for months that the US should control Greenland, a semiautonomous
territory of NATO ally Denmark, and said earlier this week that anything less
than the Arctic island being in US hands would be “unacceptable.”During an
unrelated event at the White House about rural health care, he recounted Friday
how he had threatened European allies with tariffs on pharmaceuticals. “I may do
that for Greenland, too,” Trump said, before his announcement Saturday about his
targeted tariffs. “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with
Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security. So I may do that."He
had not previously mentioned using tariffs to try to force the issue.
Syrian troops poised to
launch major attack on SDF amid conflicted US position
The Arab Weekly/January 17/2026
Syrian troops are poised to attack towns in the north and east held by Kurdish
fighters to pressure autonomy-minded Kurds into making concessions in deadlocked
talks with the Damascus government. While the US is trying to avoid escalation
between two allies, the Turks have said Syrian military action is “an
option”.The threat of renewed military action highlights the deepening fault
lines between the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has vowed to
reunify the fractured country under one leadership after 14 years of civil war,
and regional Kurdish authorities wary of his Islamist-led administration. Syrian
Democratic Forces head Mazloum Abdi said on X on Friday that the group will
withdraw their forces from current contact lines east of Aleppo at 7 am local
time (0400 GMT) on Saturday and redeploy them to areas east of the Euphrates,
citing calls from friendly countries and mediators. Syria’s defence ministry
welcomed the SDF’s decision to withdraw, saying it would closely monitor full
implementation, including the removal of fighters and equipment, ahead of the
Syrian military’s deployment to the vacated areas to enforce state sovereignty.
Earlier, the Syrian military said its shelling had started against military
bases belonging to a militia affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK),
and against remnants of the former regime allied with SDF in Aleppo’s Deir Hafer
city. The United States, which seeks to anchor peace in Syria to shore up wider
Middle East stability and help prevent any resurgence of Islamic State
militants, has urged both sides to avoid a showdown and return to talks,
according to a Syrian official and a Syrian source familiar with diplomatic
channels. The two sides engaged in months of talks last year to integrate
Kurdish-run military and civilian bodies into Syrian state institutions by the
end of 2025, insisting repeatedly that they wanted to resolve disputes
diplomatically.
But after the deadline passed with little progress, clashes broke out last week
in the northern city of Aleppo and ended with a withdrawal of Kurdish fighters.
Now, a broader confrontation looms, according to Syrian officials, Kurdish
figures and foreign diplomats. As many as five Syrian army divisions could take
part in the offensive targeting Kurdish-held towns in the northern province of
Aleppo and the vast eastern desert province of Deir el-Zor, a senior military
official involved in the planning told Reuters. If the tactic fails to bring the
parties back to the negotiating table, Syria’s army is considering a full-scale
campaign that could see the Kurds lose the semi-autonomous zone they have
managed for more than a decade, the official said. Syrian army units deployed on
Wednesday and Thursday to the town of Deir Hafer and surrounding villages just
west of the Euphrates River held by the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main
Kurdish fighting force and a years-long recipient of US support as it battled
the ISIS extremist group. Syria’s military has ordered SDF fighters to withdraw
east of the river and opened a humanitarian corridor for civilians to flee to
government-held territory. Some residents who made it out told Reuters they had
to flee through farmland on foot as the main road had been shut. The SDF denied
that it had blocked civilians from leaving. Other Syrian troops were quietly
sent to another front line in remote Deir el-Zor province, where the Kurds run
key oil fields that Damascus says should be under central state control,
according to Syrian army commanders. The SDF has condemned the build-up. “We
clearly state that we are against any military confrontation, given its grave
risks,” Abdel Karim Omar, the Damascus-based representative of the Kurdish-led
administration, told Reuters. He said efforts were underway with the help of
foreign mediators to revive the negotiations.
US mediation
Washington had not explicitly opposed a limited operation by Syrian troops,
diplomats and an SDF official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told
Reuters. But the SDF official said the US was not doing enough to prevent a
clash. US envoy Tom Barrack said on Friday Washington was in “close contact with
all parties in Syria, working around the clock to lower the temperature, prevent
escalation, and return to integration talks between the Syrian government and
the SDF”. A US State Department spokesperson said both sides should avoid
“pushing the country back into a cycle of violence”.US media reports said
Washington has threatenend Damascus with re-imposition of sanctions if it
carried out a major onslaught against the Kurds. The conflicted messaging
underscores Washington’s effort to recalibrate its Syria policy by balancing
years of backing for the SDF against its new support for Sharaa, whose rebel
forces ousted Russian-backed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
Sharaa accused the SDF of obstructing US policy to nurture a reintegrated Syria
and taking orders from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a separatist group that
waged a long insurgency in Turkey before entering into a peace process with
Ankara. Sharaa, speaking on state TV, said the SDF had taken “no practical steps
forward” to implement last year’s integration pact, but hoped it could still be
carried out “calmly.”Ankara made no secret, however, of its support for Damascus
against SDF forces. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the SDF must show
good intentions by unilaterally leaving the Deir Hafer area, instead of being
expelled by a military offensive. “I hope it doesn’t come to that point …, but
when problems are not solved through dialogue, unfortunately, I see from here
that the use of force is also an option for the Syrian government,” Fidan said
on Thursday. If fighting spills into Deir el-Zor, it could draw in local Arab
tribes who complain of marginalisation and forced conscription of tribesmen into
the SDF, according to the Syrian military officials and two tribal leaders.
Shayesh al-Mulhem, a leader of the Jabbour tribe, said it was awaiting orders
from Sharaa to turn against the SDF. “The SDF is doomed to disappear. There
can’t be a state within a state, and there can’t be a faction on Syrian land
that is against the state,” he said.
New decree
In the meanwhile, Sharaa issued a decree on Friday declaring Kurdish a “national
language”, in an apparent gesture of good will towards the minority following
clashes in recent days. The decree is the first formal recognition of Kurdish
national rights since Syria’s independence in 1946. It stated Kurds were “an
essential and integral part” of Syria, where they have suffered decades of
marginalisation and oppression under former rulers. The decree makes Kurdish a
“national language” that can be taught in public schools in areas where the
minority community is heavily present.
Sharaa also made the Kurdish new year, Nowruz, which falls on March 21, an
official holiday and granted nationality to Kurds, as 20 percent of them had
been stripped of it under a controversial 1962 census. In a televised address
announcing the decree, Sharaa urged Kurds to “actively participate in building
this nation”, vowing to “guarantee” their rights. Senior Kurdish political
figure Salih Muslim said he viewed the decree as “an attempt to evade the rights
of the Kurdish people and to divide them”.
US urges Syrian troops to halt advance against Kurdish-held
towns
Reuters/17 January/2026
The United States on Saturday urged Syria’s army to halt its advance through
Kurdish-held territory in the country’s north, where Syrian troops clashed with
Kurdish forces over strategic posts and oilfields along the Euphrates River.
For days, Syrian troops had amassed around a cluster of villages that lie just
west of the winding Euphrates and had called on the Kurdish-led Syrian
Democratic Forces stationed there to redeploy their forces on the opposite bank
of the river. SDF fighters withdrew from the area early on Saturday as a gesture
of goodwill - but then accused Syrian troops of violating the agreement by
continuing to push further east into towns and oilfields not included in the
deal. Brad Cooper, who heads the US military’s Central Command, said in a
written statement posted on X that Syrian troops should “cease any offensive
actions in areas” between the city of Aleppo and the town of Tabqa,
approximately 160 kilometers (100 miles) further east.
Arab residents rejoice at troops’ arrival
The initial withdrawal deal included the main town of Deir Hafer and some
surrounding villages whose residents are predominantly Arab. The SDF withdrew on
Saturday and Syrian troops moved in relatively smoothly, with residents
celebrating their arrival. “It happened with the least amount of losses. There’s
been enough blood in this country, Syria. We have sacrificed and lost enough -
people are tired of it,” Hussein al-Khalaf, a resident of Deir Hafer, told
Reuters. The Syrian Petroleum Company said that the nearby oilfields of Rasafa
and Sufyan had been captured by Syrian troops and could now be brought back
online. SDF forces had withdrawn east, some on foot, towards the flashpoint town
of Tabqa - downstream but still on the western side of the river and near a
hydroelectric dam, a crucial source of power. But when Syria’s army announced
it aimed to capture Tabqa next, the SDF said that was not part of the original
deal and that it would fight to keep the town, as well as another oilfield in
its vicinity. Syria’s army said four of its troops had been killed in attacks
by Kurdish militants, and the SDF said some of its own fighters had been
killed, but did not give a number.
US kills Al-Qaeda affiliate
leader tied to December attack in Syria, Centcom says
Reuters/January 17, 2026
WASHINGTON: US military forces on Friday killed an Al-Qaeda affiliate leader
linked to a Daesh attack on Americans in Syria last month, US Central Command
said in a statement on Saturday. Bilal Hasan Al-Jasim had “direct ties” to a
Daesh gunman who killed and injured US and Syrian personnel on December 13 in
Palmyra, Syria, Central Command said. “The death of a terrorist operative linked
to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists
who attack our forces,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central
Command, in a statement. Since the December 13 attack, US forces have been
conducting strikes in Syria, with the US military saying it has hit more than
100 Daesh targets.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on January
17-18/2026
Where Are the So-Called Human Rights Defenders for the People of Iran?
...The Nauseating Double Standards of the Human Rights Industry
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute/January 17/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151223/
When it comes to Iran... where ordinary, unarmed people demanding freedom are
being beaten, tortured, imprisoned, and gunned down in the streets by their own
leaders, this high-minded moral chorus has all but disappeared.
The same institutions and voices that were so shrill and relentless when
condemning Israel in the name of Palestinian rights are, when courageous Iranian
lives are at stake, spectacularly non-existent. This double standard only
exposes the bottomless hypocrisy at the heart of much contemporary human rights
activism. The Iranian people, after weeks of being massacred in the streets, are
still waiting for that "locked and loaded" promise that Trump keeps making but
never delivers. To them, once again, as during the term of President Barack
Hussein Obama, it must look as if their deaths do not matter, and do not trigger
the same "moral reflex" as other conflicts.
Is Trump really going to thwart the efforts of these unimaginably courageous
people trying to rid themselves of a brutal despotism that has been attacking
them for 47 years? The silence tells them that the human rights of the global
liberal and leftist establishment are not truly universal at all -- but
conditional, applied extremely selectively based on being paid and transported
by professional organizers, as well as on often fabricated anti-American and
anti-Jewish geopolitical narratives. Instead, what we see is -- nothing. A few
indignant statements are released, carefully worded to be stripped of urgency.
There are no mobilizations, no sense that what is happening in Iran represents a
deadly emergency. This passivity contrasts with the manufactured energy poured
into other causes. The moment outrage is selective, it is no longer moral; it is
just political puffery. Women who resist are harassed, tortured, raped in
detention or even killed. In recent uprisings, women have openly defied the
regime. They have removed their headscarves and called for freedom while daring
to imagine a life without fear. Many are today paying with their lives for their
courage while the loud, fearless, sanctimonious "defenders of human rights" just
shop at the supermarket.These protests are not just about Iran. They are about
whether human rights are truly universal or just rhetorical twaddle deployed
when one has nothing better to do. The United Nations, prominent NGOs, liberal
politicians, and left-leaning activist networks seemingly love to frame
themselves as some kind of elevated moral conscience for the international
system. When it comes to Iran, however, where ordinary, unarmed people demanding
freedom are being beaten, tortured, imprisoned, and gunned down in the streets
by their own leaders, this high-minded moral chorus has all but disappeared.
The United Nations, prominent NGOs, liberal politicians, and left-leaning
activist networks seemingly love to frame themselves as some kind of elevated
moral conscience for the international system. They speak the language of
"justice," "dignity," and "universal human rights," and insist -- sometimes with
threats and violence -- that silence in the face of oppression is "complicity."
When it comes to Iran, however, where ordinary, unarmed people demanding freedom
are being beaten, tortured, imprisoned, and gunned down in the streets by their
own leaders, this high-minded moral chorus has all but disappeared. If the
slaughter has stopped, it is reportedly "only because residents are being held
hostage in their homes by machine gun-wielding security forces that have flooded
the streets."The same institutions and voices that were so shrill and relentless
when condemning Israel in the name of Palestinian rights are, when courageous
Iranian lives are at stake, spectacularly non-existent. This double standard
only exposes the bottomless hypocrisy at the heart of much contemporary human
rights activism. Across Iran, protests have erupted in a desperate struggle for
survival. People are not marching because they are paid, bored or seeking
attention. They are marching because they are being suffocated by an
authoritarian system that controls nearly every aspect of their lives. The
regime has responded in the only way it knows how: with unremitting brute force.
Security forces fire live ammunition into crowds, raid homes at night, arrest
protesters, beat detainees behind closed doors, and for all we know, hang them
in secret. Internet access has been deliberately cut to isolate the population,
both to prevent images of bloodied streets and grieving families from reaching
the outside world and to prevent demonstrators from communicating with one
another. Bless Elon Musk for his Starlink. We are witnessing repression in its
most classic and savage form. Where is the sustained outrage? Where are the mass
demonstrations in Western capitals? Where are the daily headlines, the emergency
UN sessions, the endless panel discussions, the moral urgency? The silence tells
Iranians that their suffering is negotiable, as the ayatollahs tried to convince
US President Donald J. Trump. He first sounded delighted but then, to his
unending credit, backtracked. The Iranian people, after weeks of being massacred
in the streets, are still waiting for that "locked and loaded" promise that
Trump keeps making but never delivers. To them, once again, as during the term
of President Barack Hussein Obama, it must look as if their deaths do not
matter, and do not trigger the same "moral reflex" as other conflicts.
Is Trump really going to thwart the efforts of these unimaginably courageous
people trying to rid themselves of a brutal despotism that has been attacking
them for 47 years? The silence tells them that the human rights of the global
liberal and leftist establishment are not truly universal at all -- but
conditional, applied extremely selectively based on being paid and transported
by professional organizers, as well as on often fabricated anti-American and
anti-Jewish geopolitical narratives. For people risking their lives -- risking
literally everything -- in the streets of Tehran, Mashhad, Shiraz, and countless
smaller cities, this silence means abandonment. For years now, Iranians have
been fighting for their most basic rights: to speak freely, to hear music, to
dance, to feel their hair blown by the wind, to choose their leaders freely, to
live without fear of arbitrary arrest, and to have a future that is not dictated
by a sadistic, sociopathic elite.
The uprisings have come in waves. Each time, the regime has responded with
intimidation, mass killings, torture, prison sentences, and countless
atrocities. Many thousands, over the years, have been killed unjustly, with
nothing even resembling due process. Thousands have disappeared into prisons
where torture is routine and confessions are extracted through pain,
humiliation, and ferocity.
Every uprising is followed by executions meant to instill terror and crush hope.
Even so, each time, the people return to the streets. This persistence alone
should command respect and solidarity from anyone who claims to stand for even
the tiniest human right.
Instead, what we see is -- nothing. A few indignant statements are released,
carefully worded to be stripped of urgency. There are no mobilizations, no sense
that what is happening in Iran represents a deadly emergency. This passivity
contrasts with the manufactured energy poured into other causes. The moment
outrage is selective, it is no longer moral; it is just political puffery.
For decades, women in Iran have lived under laws that regulate their bodies,
clothing, movement and behavior. Mandatory hijabs are not a cultural choice;
they are enforced through surveillance, intimidation and sometimes murder. Women
who resist are harassed, tortured, raped in detention or even killed. In recent
uprisings, women have openly defied the regime. They have removed their
headscarves and called for freedom while daring to imagine a life without fear.
Many are today paying with their lives for their courage while the loud,
fearless, sanctimonious "defenders of human rights" just shop at the
supermarket.
Where are the feminist organizations, the massive street protests, the celebrity
campaigns, the nonstop advocacy? The same groups that mobilize instantly for
women's issues such as "glass ceilings" have reduced Iranian women to footnotes,
if they mention them at all. The same holds true for all women doctrinally told
they are inferiors. The silence is insulting. Iranian women apparently do not
fit neatly into preferred narratives, or their struggle is inconvenient, or
condemning a theocratic tyranny conflicts with other ideological alignments.
The message this disdain sends to Iran's regime is that repression has no
international cost. When authoritarian rulers see that mass murder provokes only
muted pieties, how can they not feel emboldened? Silence is the green light that
allows viciousness to continue, normalized and unchecked.
What is striking is that some of the few voices speaking out forcefully have
come from unexpected places, such as Trump and leaders of Israel. Regardless of
one's views on their broader politics, their words on Iran have been unambiguous
and blunt. They have openly condemned the regime's violence and framed the
protests as a legitimate struggle for freedom. While many so-called human rights
defenders hedge their language on Iran and Jews, Trump and pro-Israel voices
have shown a willingness to call regimes what they are and to supply
consequences.
If the West truly wants to stand with the Iranian people, the continued presence
of Iranian embassies and diplomats in Western capitals sends a message of the
regime's legitimacy and acceptance. Closing these embassies and expelling regime
representatives would notify the Iranian people and everyone else that the world
will no longer recognize or tolerate governments that massacre their own people.
Restoring and protecting internet access to Iranians is also critical. When the
regime shuts down communications, it not only prevents coordination -- it is
hiding crimes. Providing Iranians with tools to stay connected, to share their
stories, and to document abuses would be a hugely effective form of support.
Amplifying Iranian voices in international media, giving protesters a platform
to speak for themselves, and refusing to let their struggle fade from public
attention are equally vital.
Finally, authoritarian regimes respond to pressure only when it is real and
credible. The possibility of intervention has already somewhat changed the
mullahs' calculations. Pressure consists of making clear that red lines exist,
and that crossing them will not be free of cost. Without credibility, no
bloodshed will ever stop. The Iranian people will remember who spoke up, who
acted, and who did not. If these so-called human rights defenders, liberals, and
leftists who claim to champion justice remain silent now, their credibility may
deservedly be gone.
It is time to speak up clearly and consistently and stand with the Iranian
people. These protests are not just about Iran. They are about whether human
rights are truly universal or just rhetorical twaddle deployed when one has
nothing better to do. Supporting the Iranians in their struggle for freedom is
supporting freedom itself.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and
board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on
the US foreign policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22203/human-rights-defenders
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Question: Who was Melchizedek?
GotQuestions.org/January 16/2026
Answer: Melchizedek, whose name means “king of righteousness,” was a king of
Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of the Most High God (Genesis 14:18–20; Psalm
110:4; Hebrews 5:6–11; 6:20—7:28). Melchizedek’s sudden appearance and
disappearance in the book of Genesis is somewhat mysterious. Melchizedek and
Abraham first met after Abraham’s defeat of Chedorlaomer and his three allies.
Melchizedek presented bread and wine to Abraham and his weary men, demonstrating
friendship. He bestowed a blessing on Abraham in the name of El Elyon (“God Most
High”) and praised God for giving Abraham a victory in battle (Genesis
14:18–20).
Abraham presented Melchizedek with a tithe (a tenth) of all the items he had
gathered. By this act Abraham indicated that he recognized Melchizedek as a
priest who ranked higher spiritually than he.
In Psalm 110, a messianic psalm written by David (Matthew 22:43), Melchizedek is
presented as a type of Christ. This theme is repeated in the book of Hebrews,
where both Melchizedek and Christ are considered kings of righteousness and
peace. By citing Melchizedek and his unique priesthood as a type, the writer
shows that Christ’s new priesthood is superior to the old levitical order and
the priesthood of Aaron (Hebrews 7:1–10).
Some propose that Melchizedek was actually a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus
Christ, or a Christophany. This is a possible theory, especially given that
Abraham received such a visit later, in Genesis 17—18, when Abraham saw and
spoke with the Lord (Yahweh) in the form of a man.
Hebrews 6:20 says, “[Jesus] has become a high priest forever, in the order of
Melchizedek.” This term order would ordinarily indicate a succession of priests
holding the office. None are ever mentioned, however, in the long interval from
Melchizedek to Christ, an anomaly that can be solved by assuming that
Melchizedek and Christ are really the same person. Thus the “order” is eternally
vested in Him and Him alone.
Hebrews 7:3 says that Melchizedek was “without father or mother, without
genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God,
he remains a priest forever.” The question is whether the author of Hebrews
means this actually or figuratively.
If the description in Hebrews is literal, then it is indeed difficult to see how
it could be properly applied to anyone but the Lord Jesus Christ. No mere
earthly king “remains a priest forever,” and no mere human is “without father or
mother.” If Genesis 14 describes a theophany, then God the Son came to give
Abraham His blessing (Genesis 14:17–19), appearing as the King of Righteousness
(Revelation 19:11,16), the King of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and the Mediator between
God and Man (1 Timothy 2:5).
If the description of Melchizedek is figurative, then the details of having no
genealogy, no beginning or ending, and a ceaseless ministry are simply
statements accentuating the mysterious nature of the person who met Abraham. In
this case, the silence in the Genesis account concerning these details is
purposeful and better serves to link Melchizedek with Christ.
Are Melchizedek and Jesus the same person, i.e., was Melchizedek a pre-incarnate
appearance of Jesus Christ? A case can be made either way. At the very least,
Melchizedek is a type of Christ, prefiguring the Lord’s ministry. But it is also
possible that Abraham, after his weary battle, met and gave honor to the Lord
Jesus Himself.
Why Are Mosques Burning in
Tehran? In the case of Iran, the answer is complicated.
Alberto M. Fernandez/National Catholic Register/Published on January 17/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151215/
Coming a few days after Christmas 2025, the protests erupting in Iran caught
much of the Western world by surprise. Of course, Iran has had major protests
before (2009-2010, 2011, 2019-2020, 2022-2023), which have often been brutally
suppressed by the Islamic Republic’s security forces.
This time, however, the protests appear to have been even larger, and the body
count of victims greater than ever before.
The Shah never killed so many people. The number of dead has been estimated at
between 2,000 and 12,000 so far, most of them killed by the regime’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Basij paramilitary, and the police. This
is likely the worst slaughter of civilians in the history of modern Iran.
Regime figures have responded that several hundred (200-300) security forces
were killed by the protesters, and that there were many cases of vandalism and
arson, including — according to the Tehran Fire Department — at least 34 mosques
set on fire in the Iranian capital. Pro-regime social media sources highlighted
the mosque burnings and also showed what supposedly was an oppositionist
throwing a Molotov cocktail inside a locked mosque in Isfahan.
Why are Iranians — an overwhelming number of whom are supposedly Muslims (98%
according to many accounts) — burning mosques?
Although extremism exists everywhere, targeting places of worship has often been
considered a taboo. It certainly should be, in the East or in the West. And yet,
in our time, we’ve seen more than 120 churches destroyed in Canada, mostly by
arson, as a result of a frenzy of anticlericalism triggered by false, misleading
or unproven claims of “mass graves” of children.
In the case of Iran, the answer is complicated. There is always the possibility
that mosques are being burned by “agents provocateurs” of the Iranian regime
itself — a regime with a long track record of lying and disinformation. There is
also, it must be admitted, a type of nihilistic personality that likes to
destroy things, a mindset immortalized in the 2008 Batman superhero movie The
Dark Knight: “Some men just want to watch the world burn” (a line that later
became a social media meme).
But there are a couple of additional, more Iran-specific factors that can shed
some light on these mosque burnings. Some analysts have noted the use of certain
mosques as recruitment and training centers for the Basij paramilitary forces.
The Basij is a feared regime militia founded by Ayatollah Khomeini himself in
1979 as a supplement or counterpart to the regular army, meant to protect the
Islamic Revolution.
The Basij were deployed as cannon fodder in human-wave attacks during the
Iran-Iraq War. Since then, they have been used as inexpensive volunteer
enforcers and agents of repression. They are drawn from “a slender minority” of
the country that still believes — young men and boys who are “armed,
ideologically brainwashed and easily mobilized.”
Another reason for targeting mosques goes to the heart of the regime and its
reason for existence: this is explicitly the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Everything the regime does — every excuse or explanation — is wrapped in the
cloak of religion. And religion with absolute political power can sometimes end
up discrediting religion itself.
I first visited Spain shortly after the death of Francisco Franco, the country’s
long-ruling dictator, who had strongly enforced Catholic morality. The period
immediately after Franco’s exit became known as el destape (the unveiling), and
it was, among other things, a time of great reaction against morals and
religion. Anything went; everything seemed to be permitted, as daring and as
shocking as possible.
An Iranian-American scholar told me years ago that “Iran was the first Islamic
Republic and it would be the first post-Islamic Republic,” meaning that the
rigidity of the regime, the corruption and errors of decades of near-absolute
rule, and the hypocrisy of its rulers and clerics would not only discredit the
regime but also the religion it weaponized to justify its rule. To be called a
hypocrite in Islam — a munafiq — is an incendiary charge. A munafiq can be
considered worse than an infidel because of deceit.
Over the years, I have sat with Iranians who delighted in telling scandalous
tales and jokes about the mullahs. Bitter corollaries to this are videos and
stories about the hypocritical children of the clerical elite — from low-cut
wedding dresses to drinking, partying and conspicuous consumption. The current
wave of protests was triggered by economic turmoil and inflation connected to a
banking crisis, in which corrupt banks subsidizing crooked “Islamic” ruling
elites became insolvent.
One final element that raises questions about the mosque burnings is that we
simply don’t know what percentage of Iran’s population remains religiously
devout or even practices or identifies with their religion. The familiar claim
that Iran is “98% Muslim” — most of them Twelver Shiite Muslims, followers of
the official state religion — is worth examining critically.
An intriguing August 2020 study from the Netherlands by scholars Ammar Maleki
and Pooyan Tamimi Arab concluded that only a third of Iranians still identify as
Shiite Muslims (32.2%). In second place were Iranian “nones” with 22.2%,
followed by atheists at 8.8%. Next were self-identified Zoroastrians, adherents
of the ancient pre-Islamic religion of Iran, at 7.7%. (The official figure for
Zoroastrians in Iran places them at less than 1%, smaller even than the
country’s Christian population.) Although not a focus of the study, it also
seems clear that Iran’s small Christian population — some of it underground in
“house churches” — is larger than official statistics suggest.
Perhaps those enraged vandals and arsonists targeting regime mosques are drawn
from what may now be the overwhelming majority of Iranians: those so scandalized
and utterly disaffected by nearly 50 years of corrupt and bloody Islamic rule
that they are willing to do almost anything to see it fall. And a hard fall it
may yet turn out to be.
https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/fernandez-why-are-mosques-burning-in-tehran
Publshed on January 15, 2026
On International Law and the Model
Hazem Saghieh/ Asharq Al Awsat/17
January 2026
Two voices have been rumbled globally since the Venezuelan event: one questions
the need for international law as such, with the negative answer implied in the
question, and the other loudly decries its absence with feigned innocence. The
law is a process of contention and a framework assessed along a spectrum, not a
fleeting event, however significant the event may be. Law will remain so long as
there are states, and states will certainly remain. However, not seeking ideals
and values that try to improve how states operate and to contain their wars is a
debased form of realism. It goes against every noble idea in history under the
pretext that these ideas are not realistic. That was the case for the principle
of monotheism, and then with gender equality and the abolition of slavery...This
human pursuit of betterment has manifested itself in states and international
relations since the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, which inaugurated an era that,
among other things, called for religious tolerance, which was intertwined with
states and their war and peace. Later on, Immanuel Kant came to be regarded as
an early founder of legalism and opposition to war. In 1795, he wrote his famous
essay “Perpetual Peace,” betting on treaties between sovereign states to achieve
it and making recommendations that he believed states should rush to adopt in
order to leave the “state of universal nature.” He thereby laid international
law as a framework by which every state could enjoy freedom, allowing its
inhabitants to lead their lives freely; accordingly, any state that dared to
violate this formula would be violating its own existence as a state. Kant
stressed that perpetual peace was inevitable. Like all inevitabilities, it was
always destined to disappoint. International law and its institutions are
strained by major shifts, state competition over land and resources, and
displays of raw power. With the League of Nations that was established in 1920,
however, another conceptual shift came when negotiation, rather than force, came
to be seen as the means for resolving conflict. However, the end of the First
World War that had given rise to the League of Nations also produced the Treaty
of Versailles, which, with its humiliation and impoverishment of Germany,
carried the seeds of the Second World War.
In this constant push and pull, we can only value the efforts that led to the
League of Nations and the United Nations, as well as those that called for
complementing economic globalization with political and legislative
globalization or that note how most of our world’s problems cannot be solved
within a national framework; this applies to terrorism, the environment, and
cybersecurity...And when one speaks of “international law,” one is also
referring to multilateral international treaties, institutions, organizations,
and political alliances, as well as free trade and an opposition to major
decisions being taken on whim- that is, the ABCs of modernity and progress. Yet,
many of the law’s defenders only defend it against the United States,
brandishing international law, together with “national sovereignty,” to shield
regimes and forces that do nothing but violate both. Calls for respecting the
law cannot be taken seriously when they come from a regime founded on the
seizure of an embassy it had dubbed a “den of spies” and whose ascendance was
associated with bombing embassies, as seen in Beirut, or if they come from
police states and non-state actors that have never questioned their equivalence
of peace and “surrender,” through which they grant themselves the right to kill,
smuggle weapons, manufacture drugs, and undermine the weakest nations’
sovereignty...
The question of the model branches out of the struggle over the law. Today,
there is a party openly stating that it does not seek to be anyone’s model and
that it is driven by the pursuit of absolute national security, which comes
“first.” We also know that America stands out in prioritizing national law over
international law. The nationalist tradition that combines selfishness, a lack
of empathy, and the naked pursuit of self-interest, found a “realist” founder in
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. He managed to push through a paradoxical state of
affairs by preventing his country, through nationalist and isolationist slogans,
from joining the League of Nations despite the fact that US President Woodrow
Wilson (who had once taught Kant at Princeton) was the League’s godfather. A
model, however, requires two parties: one that offers it and another that
receives it. Here, too, we hear melodramatic lamentations decrying the fact that
the US does not offer the world a model, by the very same people who, for
decades, had reduced the US and the West to colonialism and plunder. When John
Kennedy was urging the Shah of Iran to implement agrarian reform, the
forefathers of today’s mourners were pledging allegiance to a cleric in Qom who
had rejected agrarian reform. Our visceral militant intellectuals want to affirm
the illegality of Israeli actions (and they are indeed illegal) while continuing
to celebrate October 7 as a “glorious” day.” Since Western colonial behavior is
offered as a justification for rejecting its model, it is worth noting that the
argument did not change after Eisenhower stood against colonialism and supported
Nasser; rather, the latter and his followers chose to infuse their hostility
toward Britain with hostility to the US.These examples and many others speak to
the depth of our cultural rejection of the Western model in principle, because
our political culture has its own comprehensive self-sufficient model, one that
arose solely to confront the Western model. Even in less radical environments,
this sharp dichotomy resonates strongly, isolating that which is "suitable for
us” in the West, material and technological progress, and what “does not suit
us,” everything tied to cultural and social questions. Between one party that is
not offering a model and another that accepts no model, the world goes on
inflicting its violence upon itself.
UK leader looks to China as
Asia-Pacific pivot intensifies
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/January 17, 2026
A major UK pivot to the Asia-Pacific region has been underway now for several
years during the post-Brexit era. However, there has been a significant
intensification of this shift in recent months, with the country seeking to
seize what has been called the “Asia-Pacific moment.”
Later this month, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to visit Beijing —
his first trip to the nascent superpower since he assumed office. The agenda
will be shaped by the economic opportunity for the UK in the vast Chinese
market. This follows up on Starmer’s trip to India last fall, and his visit to
the Pacific island of Samoa in 2024 for the Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting. Building from these trips, just before Christmas, the UK reached a
trade deal with South Korea, the fourth such agreement in 2025 for London,
following UK agreements with the EU and India, plus a US tariff deal. The South
Korea accord is forecast by London to grow UK services exports by £400 million
(about $540 million). This includes improved access to a growing financial
market, building on £1.1 billion in financial and insurance exports in 2024.
The South Korea deal will secure continued, permanent UK tariff-free access
across 98 percent of tariff lines, the same terms the EU has with South Korea.
It will also update rules of origin that will simplify tariff-free access and
will open doors for greater diversification across supply chains for sectors
such as automotive and pharmaceuticals. Smaller businesses could be particular
winners by streamlining custom processes and reducing South Korean non-tariff
barriers. By 2030, a growing slice of the world’s population will live in the
vast Asia-Pacific region, which is helping to drive huge demand for goods and
services across sectors where the UK has long-established strengths. This
includes financial services, life sciences, defence and security, education,
advanced manufacturing, clean energy, creative industries, digital, healthcare,
green finance, luxury brands, and professional and business services. This
economic opportunity is especially compelling in a world of growing
protectionism where there is a growing need for London to diversify its trade
and investment markets toward the region. While the UK has recently reached
major trade deals with individual countries such as India, the biggest single
deal so far is perhaps the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific
Partnership, or CPTPP, which includes Australia, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, New
Zealand, Singapore, and Vietnam. Since leaving the EU, overall, the UK has made
significant diplomatic progress in the Asia-Pacific.
As Starmer’s upcoming trip indicates, engagement is also intensifying with China
after relations cooled significantly following the coronavirus pandemic
beginning in 2020. The UK government has said that while a stronger partnership
is desired with China, London will be a pragmatic, if sometimes critical, friend
in future.These and other opportunities highlight the upside opportunity to the
UK economy given the UK’s global competitiveness in areas ranging from life
sciences to fintech, and education to security. However, rising data
protectionism threatens to fragment the market, and there is now an urgent
mission for London to push for interoperability, including through CPTPP, and
wider multilateral rule-shaping. Another opportunity is driving the Asia-Pacific
region’s green transition, leveraging UK tech strengths and knowhow in this
area. Half of global greenhouse emissions emanate from this region, yet demand
for offshore wind, green hydrogen and carbon finance is growing fast in the push
to net-zero targets in the second half of the 21st century.
One other key strength is defense-industrial partnerships. In nations across the
region, from Japan to Australia, the UK is not only an economic partner but also
a longstanding security ally. Recent developments such as AUKUS showcase UK
expertise in sectors including aerospace, cyber, and manufacturing.
The latter, moreover, highlights the imperative of the UK engaging in the
Asia-Pacific for geopolitical reasons. This is not just the fact that relations
between the US and China are tense, but also reflects broader challenges,
including North Korean unpredictability.
In this dynamic, highly uncertain context, the UK’s longstanding reputation as a
relatively stable, predictable, and trusted partner has potential for a distinct
strategic advantage. Especially with a government in place in London with a
large majority that could be in power till 2029, this offers a multi-year
horizon for a trusted alternative for Asia-Pacific business and governments
seeking to hedge against political and regulatory uncertainty. If it is to seize
this huge opportunity, London needs a compelling grand strategy that combines
the best of UK hard and soft power, drawing on longstanding national economic
strengths and diplomacy. This should leverage the UK’s global soft power,
including higher education, research collaboration, the creative industries, and
cultural diplomacy to strengthen long-term influence. Moreover, sustained
senior-level business and political engagement is key too, embedding the UK more
fully within regional growth corridors through regular ministerial and
diplomatic presence on the ground, including permanent partnerships across the
Asia-Pacific. This political and commercial diplomacy should leverage CPTPP
accession, bilateral trade agreements and wider enhanced trade dialogues, plus
significant new market access. The goal is a long-term, targeted strategy
capable of addressing key obstacles through sustained government-to-government
engagement, backed by leading-edge corporate dialogue. Taken together, a
potentially significant intensification of the UK pivot to the Asia-Pacific is
underway that builds from the post-Brexit reorientation to the region.
Economics, not only politics, is at the heart of this, with UK businesses
seeking to secure greater traction in the region on the back of new bilateral
trade deals and the CPTPP.
• Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.
Fate of the Tehran regime is
in its own hands
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/January 17, 2026
Ending the nuclear program and stopping external activity could spare Iran
foreign intervention that enables internal change by exploiting widespread
domestic unrest. The Iranian regime is facing an existential crisis for the
first time since the founder of the Islamic Republic returned to Tehran. There
is only one actor capable of preventing the regime’s descent and possible
collapse, and it is not Washington, Israel or any of the Gulf states. The only
party capable of saving the Iranian regime from its fate is the regime itself.
This time, the threats against it have converged, and together they are capable
of bringing it down. Danger surrounds it both internally and externally. The
regime stubbornly adopted the nuclear project despite the clear impossibility of
being allowed to possess nuclear weapons. Today, it is paying the price and
finds itself standing at the finish line, stripped naked, without nuclear
deterrence. The Tehran leadership also persistently adopted projects of external
change and the export of chaos, declaring this official state policy from its
first day in power. These projects led to confrontations that harmed both Iran
and the region. We are now witnessing the collapse of most of the external
revolutionary project.
Danger surrounds it internally and externally
Very little time remains for the regime to take courageous decisions and execute
a complete reversal. This may be the final hour, and it still has the option of
withdrawing from its nuclear project, which everyone knows is a military effort
rather than one aimed at electricity generation. It can spare itself destruction
by retreating from its hostile policies toward countries in the region,
dismantling the military institutions that were built to create chaos and
threaten neighbors, and refraining from imposing its will on the peoples of the
region regarding their choices between peace and confrontation. Such decisions,
ending the nuclear program and external activity, can spare Iran foreign
intervention that would enable internal change by exploiting the widespread
unrest inside the country. What we are seeing now is Iran tactically
seeking to halt a US attack, bargaining over freezing the nuclear project while
promising to abandon its military dimension. This may satisfy the core
requirement of Washington and Israel, but it raises concern for countries in the
region. A wounded lion remains dangerous to most regional states once it
recovers, as long as it retains its conventional weapons and military
institutions directed toward external military activity.
A wounded lion remains dangerous
The narrative that we face two bitter options, that the regime’s survival is
preferable to chaos, is valid only in a peaceful environment and under a
rational, non-extremist ideological system. The regime can buy more time and
reach understandings that prevent it from being targeted by the US and Israel.
This does not necessarily halt the collapse, but merely delays it, unless the
regime adopts a series of internal and regional retreats. If it were to do so,
this would mean we are facing a system unlike the one we have known for almost
half a century. Predictions of the regime’s fall are old and have been
repeatedly made, yet the system has endured. Zbigniew Brzezinski, US President
Jimmy Carter’s right-hand man and the official responsible for the file at the
time, said after Ayatollah Khomeini came to power: “This is a temporary
mobilization regime.” Years later, Henry Kissinger agreed with him, saying: “The
regime is internally contradictory, a modern state and a revolutionary doctrine,
and cannot last long.” Yet it has endured for four decades and become a dominant
regional power. Those predictions were premature. Today, however, the trajectory
of the Islamic Republic appears to be toward change. The question is how. A
total collapse or a partial transformation? The region must prepare for such
potential changes, both negative and positive. And while extending support to
Tehran, we must remember that our issue with the regime lies solely in its
external interventions, which it continues to pursue in Lebanon, Iraq, and
Yemen, even as it is on its deathbed. So, is Tehran truly ready to change?
• Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is a Saudi journalist and intellectual. He is the former
general manager of Al-Arabiya news channel and former editor-in-chief of Asharq
Al-Awsat, where this article was originally published. X: @aalrashed
Selected Face Book & X tweets/
January 17/2026
Abdelfattah Elsisi
I appreciate the letter from His Excellency President Donald Trump @realDonaldTrump
and his valued efforts to consolidate the foundations of peace and stability at
the regional and international levels, as well as the appreciation it conveyed
for Egypt’s pivotal role in supporting security and stability in the region.
I also value President Trump’s attention to the central importance of the Nile
River issue for Egypt, as it represents the lifeline of the Egyptian people.
Egypt has affirmed its commitment to serious and constructive cooperation with
the Nile Basin countries, based on the principles of international law, in a
manner that achieves shared interests without causing harm to any party. These
are the constants upon which the Egyptian position is founded. In this context,
I have addressed a letter to President Trump conveying my thanks and
appreciation, reaffirming Egypt’s position and our related concerns regarding
Egyptian water security, underscoring Egypt’s support for his efforts, and
expressing my aspiration to continue working closely with him during the coming
phase.