English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For January 19/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man
John 01/47-51: “When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he
said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael
asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the
fig tree before Philip called you. ’Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son
of God! You are the King of Israel!’Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I
told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than
these.’And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January
18-19/2026
On Naim Qassem’s Speech: Insolence, Delusion, and Street-Level Vulgarity
in Open Rebellion Against Lebanon and the World/Elias Bejjani/January 19/ 2026
Spiritual & Historical Reflections on the Annual Feast of Saint Mar Matanios –
The Hermit Mor Mattai/Elias Bejjani/January 17/2026
The Damour massacre... Lebanon's long forgotten massacre./Edmond El-Chidiac/January
18/2026
Link to a video interview from the Transparency Youtube Platform with Dr. Charle
Chartouni
Hezbollah Continues to Defy Attempts to Disarm it, Slams FM
Video: Adraee to Hezbollah "Propagandists": We Need to Calm Down... and Stop the
Threats
No Meeting for the Mechanism Committee Before February 18: The Army Awaits
Political Cover
Israeli Army: Monitoring a Suspect Approaching the Border with Lebanon
Israeli Army Announces Completion of Military Mission in Southern Lebanon
Israel holds alert level, citing signs of impending US attack on Iran
Israeli army says multidimensional unit ends mission in South Lebanon
Appointment of Gracia Azzi revives criticism over Beirut Port blast
accountability—the details
Trust in Lebanese state begins by giving people’s money back/Nadim Shehadi/Arab
News/January 18, 2026
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on January
18-19/2026
Video-Link To An Interview from "Fox News" with USA Senator Ted Cruz
As US weighs its options with Tehran, the region awaits with anticipation
Iran President Says Any Attack on Supreme Leader Would Be Declaration of War
At least 5,000 killed in Iranian unrest, official says, as judiciary hints at
executions
Limited internet returns in Iran after protest blackout
US-based Activist Agency Says It Has Verified 3,766 Deaths from Iran Protests
Syrian Government, Kurdish Forces Agree Immediate Ceasefire
Türkiye’s Kurdish Leader Calls Syria Clashes 'Sabotage'
Saudi Crown Prince, Syria’s Sharaa Discuss Opportunities to Boost Bilateral Ties
Syrian forces seize major oil, gas fields in eastern Syria, security sources say
Iraq Announces Complete Withdrawal of US-Led Coalition from Federal Territory
Who has been invited to be on Trump’s Gaza boards?
Israel PM Holds Coalition Meeting After Objecting to Gaza Panel
Israel Issues Two-Month Ultimatum for Hamas to Disarm or Face Renewed War
Israeli Troops Kill Palestinians for Crossing a Vague Ceasefire Line that's
Sometimes Unmarked
Video Shows Fires in Palestinian Village in West Bank During Israeli Settler
Attack
Jordan Says King Abdullah Received Invitation to Join Gaza Peace Board
EU States Condemn Trump Tariff Threats, Consider Countermeasures
Riyadh hosts meeting for southern Yemeni officials
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on January
18-19/2026
Washington and Iran: Sustained Pressure and the Avoidance of War
Farhad Alaaldin,The Iraqi Prime Minister's Advisor for Foreign Affairs/Asharq
Al-Awsat/January 18/2026
Trump holds the world on a tightrope of suspense in Iran/Raghida Dergham/Al
Arabiya English/18 January/2026
Trump, Iran and Ukraine: When Promises Meet 'Caution,' the West's Deadly Trap
Pierre Rehov/Gatestone Institute/January 18/2026
Israel bringing chaos to King Hussein Bridge/Daoud Kuttab/Arab News/January 18,
2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets/ January 18/2026
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January
18-19/2026
On Naim
Qassem’s Speech: Insolence, Delusion, and Street-Level Vulgarity in Open
Rebellion Against Lebanon and the World
Elias Bejjani/January 19/ 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151257/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRlRrHRUmUg
Sheikh Naïm Qassem’s latest speech was not a mere slip of the tongue or a
momentary emotional outburst. It was a blatant declaration of total estrangement
from Lebanon as a state, and a brazen rebellion against the Lebanese
people—their institutions, their decisions, and their national dignity. It was a
speech drawn from the gutter language of the street, not from the position of a
political leader, deliberately confrontational, crude, and saturated with
arrogance and coercion.
When Qassem declares that Hezbollah’s weapons will remain “by force, over the
necks of the Lebanese,” he is not expressing a political stance; he is
effectively signing a document of internal occupation. That statement alone is
sufficient to strip away all the masks of “resistance,” “protection,” and
“defense of the homeland,” revealing the naked truth: we are facing an armed
organization that views the Lebanese as subjects, not citizens, and sees the
state as an obstacle to be smashed, not an authority to which it is accountable.
From Political Speech to Verbal Thuggery
What was labeled a “speech” was nothing more than a bundle of obscene,
street-level insults and a reckless flight forward. Qassem did not debate, did
not argue, did not reason. He insulted, threatened, and waved the specter of
civil war, as if Lebanon were a private estate and Lebanese blood merely a
bargaining chip.
He targeted the President of the Republic, attacked the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, and appointed himself guardian over the government, ordering it either
to submit, to silence itself, or to change course. This is not the language of
leadership; it is the language of a militia in distress. It is not a sign of
strength, but of weakness and fear. The tighter the noose grows around the
party’s regional patron in Tehran, the louder the shouting becomes in Beirut’s
southern suburbs, Hezbollah’s stronghold. And the closer Lebanon comes to a
serious reckoning over placing weapons exclusively under state authority, the
more Qassem emerges threatening that “not one stone will be left upon another.”
Weapons: From “Resistance” to Burden and Threat
The most dangerous aspect of Qassem’s speech is not merely its vulgarity or its
detachment from reality and actual capabilities, but its open contempt for
everything Lebanese—national sovereignty, civil peace, and its servile
submission to Iranian dictates.
He trivialized and leapt over international resolutions, trampled the Armistice
Agreement that binds Lebanon and prohibits any armed organization outside state
legitimacy, mocked Arab and international consensus, ignored Israel’s military
power, and insulted and derided the will of the vast majority of Lebanese who
want a normal state—without rogue weapons and without militias that know nothing
but stupidity, hatred, and the glorification and sanctification of suicidal
death.
When Qassem challenges the state and declares his weapons beyond any discussion,
he implicitly admits that these weapons no longer serve any national purpose.
They serve only one function: protecting the party’s apparatus and its
mini-state, even if that comes at the ruins of Lebanon itself.
Branding Sovereignty as Treason… to Cover Defeat
Qassem reverted to the easiest weapon of all: accusations of treason. Anyone who
demands state sovereignty is a “traitor.” Anyone who works through diplomacy is
a “tool.” Anyone who rejects his weapons is “inciting civil war.” But the truth
is far too clear to be concealed by insults: the party’s project has reached a
dead end. The illusions of “victory” can no longer feed a hungry people, rebuild
a destroyed city, or rescue a collapsed economy.
What Comes After This Defiance?
After this speech, silence is no longer an option, and evasiveness is no longer
acceptable. What Naïm Qassem said imposes firm and unequivocal steps on the
Lebanese government—not vague, grey statements:
The immediate expulsion of Hezbollah and Amal Movement ministers from the
government, because anyone who threatens the state cannot be a partner in
governing it.
A clear and official declaration of the end of the state of war with Israel, and
an end to its use as a pretext for retaining weapons.
The designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization at the national level,
consistent with its threatening and insurrectionary behavior.
The arrest of Hezbollah leaders involved in threatening civil peace and their
referral to the judiciary, rather than rewarding them with positions of power.
Conclusion
Naïm Qassem’s speech was not a defense of “resistance,” but a declaration of
open hostility toward Lebanon. It was not a show of strength, but a fit of
political panic. It was not directed at Israel or the outside world, but at the
Lebanese themselves—as if to tell them: “The state is finished, and we are the
alternative.”
Here lies the crux of the matter: Either a state, or Naïm Qassem. Either the
rule of law, or the logic of “by force, over your necks.”History does not
forgive the hesitant.
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
The
Damour massacre... Lebanon's long forgotten massacre.
Edmond El-Chidiac/January 18/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151268/
On January 20th in 1976, the horrific Damour Massacre occurred when the
Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) and its allies massacred hundreds of
Maronite Christians in the Lebanese town of Damour. To this day, despite the
fact that their militias were responsible and that they could have stopped it,
no Palestinian leader has felt the need to express regret over the atrocity,
never mind apologise.Palestinian militants aimed to and indeed were successful
in their endeavours to set up a PLO mini-state in southern Lebanon in which they
had free reign to launch “exceptionally bloody” attacks on northern Israel. Any
community such as Maronite Christians who might be likely to demur to such a
development had to be eliminated. Damour was a Maronite Christian town about
20km south of Beirut on the Lebanese coast on the highway running south. Hence,
for this reason it was of strategic importance and whoever held Damour had
control of the main artery going towards the Israeli border. It was overrun by
Palestinian militias and their Lebanese allies on January 20th 1976 and some
6-700 of its inhabitants were murdered, including many women and children. Women
were raped by the militias who also bombarded churches where civilians had
sought refuge.
Was it retaliation? Really?
The massacre took place in the context of a series of tit-for-tat sectarian
atrocities that had begun in April 1975 when Palestinian guerillas opened fire
on a congregation of Christians at a church in east Beirut, killing 4. As the
year progressed, the violence worsened and each retaliation from one side was
“answered” with another massacre from the other side. In the first two weeks of
January 1976, there had been attacks by Palestinians on Christian towns such as
Jiyyeh, Kab Elias, Deir Jennine and Hoche Barada, resulting in the deaths of
scores of people. Two days before the Damour Massacre, there had been an attack
on Muslims in the Karantina district of Beirut by Christian Phalangist forces
and you may find articles claiming that what happened in Damour was in
retaliation for what was done in Karantina. However, it needs to be pointed out
that 9 days prior to the Karantina massacre, the PLO had already surrounded
Damour and tried to murder one of the local priests. The slaughter in Damour
didn’t start on January 20th. Dozens were killed when PLO militants infiltrated
the town in the early hours of January 10th.
Arafat did nothing to stop the massacre
In the hours prior to that, as described in this article, the priest made
several desperate calls to a local Muslim cleric and to various local political
leaders but they could do nothing to help. The militias besieging the town were
Palestinian, controlled only by Yasser Arafat and only Arafat had the power to
stop them. The priest called Arafat’s headquarters and while he was fobbed off
with certain assurances, they turned out to be worthless in the end.
Scene from the massacre in Damour in January 1976 (Source: Medium.com)
The town remained in PLO hands for the following 6 years until it was freed by
Israeli forces following Israel’s invasion of south Lebanon in 1982 . They found
a town that had been completely emptied of its original inhabitants, and where
Christian places of worship had been willfully desecrated, one having been used
as a garage for repairing vehicles, another as a volleyball court. A Christian
cemetery was also desecrated. In the years that followed, small numbers of the
town’s original inhabitants have returned to live there.
World only cares about 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre
Don’t be surprised if you hadn’t heard of the Damour Massacre before. It has
been called Lebanon’s long-forgotten massacre. For obvious reasons, Palestinians
don’t want to talk about it and would presumably rather that the horrific
incident were consigned to the pages of history.
This study by Fred Maroun (a Canadian-Lebanese journalist) shows that the 1982
Sabra and Shatila massacre gets a hugely disproportionate level of coverage in
internet articles despite not being the worst of the massacres that occurred
during the Lebanese civil war. Indeed, the Syrian army perpetrated a worse
massacre in the same districts in 1985 but the world only seems to remember the
one carried out in 1982.
Palestinians never held to be responsible for anything
Hence, no-one has ever challenged Palestinian leaders on their militias’ role in
the slaughter at Damour and other such atrocities or asked them for an apology.
It’s nothing short of extraordinary that when Yasser Arafat passed away in 2004,
his role in the slaughter in Damour or at the very least, his failure to act to
prevent it was ignored. This is just one more way in which the world
continues to give Palestinian leaders a free pass with regard to what they have
done in the past and what they are doing today, holding them responsible for
nothing. It’s been 49 years since the Damour massacre and it’s long past time
for this to end. The world must acknowledge the role that the PLO played in the
Damour massacre and other atrocities against Maronite Christians and apologise
for ignoring and forgetting them.
Link to a video interview from
the Transparency Youtube Platform with Dr. Charle Chartouni
Transparency Youtube Platform/18 January 2026
Chartouni is the, the sovereign voice forcefully calling for the expulsion of
the occupation and the restoration of sovereignty, independence, and freedom./
He answers the question: Are we witnessing the final days of the Tehran regime?
And what is the truth behind the so-called “negotiations government” to be
announced with Israel?
Transparency Youtube Platform/18 January 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151246/
The
Distinguished Dr. Charles Chartouni
Elias Bejjani:I t is certain that Lebanon will return to its rightful people,
that freedoms will be liberated from their shackles, and that the flags will be
raised high as long as there are heroes like Dr. Charbel Chartouni. As always,
he is distinguished — a powerful, faith-driven, and resounding voice every
where, calling and heralding the return of Lebanon to its people, the expulsion
of the forces of occupation, and the exposure of most of the rotten political
and official class.
Link to a video interview from the Transparency Youtube Platform with Dr. Charle
Chartouni, the sovereign voice forcefully calling for the expulsion of the
occupation and the restoration of sovereignty, independence, and freedom./ He
answers the question: Are we witnessing the final days of the Tehran regime? And
what is the truth behind the so-called “negotiations government” to be announced
with Israel?
Transparency Youtube Platform/18 January 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151246/
Details:
In a fiery episode of the program “Politics and the People” with Patricia Samaha,
Dr. Charle Shartouni delivers a series of shocking positions from Washington.
Shartouni analyzes the internal collapse of Iran, likening it to the fall of the
Soviet Union, and reveals details about a planned “military strike” against
nuclear facilities.
The discussion also addresses the “Abu Omar scandal” that rocked the Lebanese
political class, the fate of the Syrian regime amid Kurdish and Turkish
movements, and culminates with his bold vision calling for normalization with
the State Of Israel in order to protect what remains of Lebanon.
Timestamps:
00:00 Military strikes against Iran: decided and awaiting execution.
02:15 A shocking comparison between Tehran’s collapse and the fall of the Soviet
Union.
04:01 “John Bolton dreamed of it” — the moment of toppling the Iranian regime.
05:43 A call to form a “national government for negotiations with Israel.”
07:01 The story of removing “Maduro” from around his neck and the fate of
political criminals.
09:15 The reality of sovereignty in Venezuela and Hezbollah’s relationship with
cartels.
13:17 Mexico and Colombia: how will Trump end the dominance of cartels?
15:06 The fate of Syria and Al-Sharaa: is the country heading toward partition?
19:20 A fierce attack on the “arrogance and criminality” of the Assad regime and
the Alawites.
21:00 The “Abu Omar” scandal: how Jarajist manipulated Lebanese politicians.
23:20 A final message to Lebanon’s free people and a sharp stance against the
security agencies.
Hezbollah Continues to Defy
Attempts to Disarm it, Slams FM
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/January 18/2026
Hezbollah reiterated on Saturday its rejection of attempts to disarm it days
after the government vowed to kick off the second phase of the plan to impose
state monopoly over arms. The first phase called for limiting weapons to the
state south of the Litani River and the second phase covers regions north of the
river. In a televised address, Hezbollah
Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem declared on Saturday that the new phase
demands that the ceasefire with Israel be implemented in full. “Lebanon carried
out its end of the deal and the resistance [Hezbollah] ensured that not a single
violation was committed by Lebanon,” he added. Lebanon and Israel agreed to a
ceasefire in November 2024 that ended a war between the Iran-backed party and
Israel. Moreover, Qassem said the ceasefire “is actually a single phase, and it
has no second phase.” The Lebanese state fulfilled its end of the deal, while
Israel has not met any of its commitments. “It is
unreasonable for us to give Israel any concessions without anything in return,”
he went on to say. Imposing state monopoly over arms is actually an Israeli and
American demand to weaken the resistance, he charged. “Offering more concessions
is a form of weakness,” he stressed. “Our weapons aim to defend ourselves,
resistance, people and nation,” Qassem declared. He also warned that “killings
and abductions may happen anywhere if the arms are surrendered.”Defying calls to
disarm, he said: “We will maintain the resistance. Lebanon cannot exist without
the resistance. It was liberated because of the resistance.”Qassem also slammed
Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi for saying last week that Israel has the right to
act militarily if Hezbollah did not disarm in full.
“In whose name does this foreign minister speak?” asked Qassem. “He is basing
his stance on the humiliating ceasefire that you signed after the ‘support
war’.” Hezbollah launched the support front in October
2023 to back Hamas in its conflict with Israel in Gaza. The border clashes
between Hezbollah and Israel turned into a full-blown war nearly a year later,
with Israel decimating the party’s leadership. The war ended with the November
2024 ceasefire. Qassem accused Raggi of violating the state’s policies,
undermining civil peace, and stoking strife. He also said the minister was
working against the president, government, Lebanese people and resistance. “The
government will be held responsible” for the FM’s stances, he warned, urging it
to “replace or silence him or obligate him to abide by Lebanon’s
policies.”Qassem’s statements were swiftly condemned by Lebanese Forces MP
Ghayath Yazbeck. In a post on the X platform, he slammed Qassem for “verbally”
and “morally” assaulting LF ministers, “in complete disregard of ethical
principles”. He warned that Qassem’s remarks may be a
prelude to the assassination of the ministers and “the assassination of the
Lebanese state.”“Our ministers represent dignity, sovereignty and the state,” he
stressed. Indirectly addressing Qassem, he said: “Act smart. Your predecessors
made these mistakes and ended up in history’s trash bin. Haven’t you learned
anything?”
Video: Adraee to Hezbollah
"Propagandists": We Need to Calm Down... and Stop the Threats
Al-Markazia/January 18/ 2026
The spokesperson for the Israeli army for Arab media, Avichay Adraee, published
a video today, Sunday, on his official platforms. He began by playing a segment
of Haifa Wehbe’s song "Badna Nrouq" (We Want to Calm Down), before transitioning
to a direct message characterized by a sarcastic and tense tone. Addressing
those he described as "Hezbollah’s mouthpieces and their followers," Adraee used
the Lebanese dialect, saying: "We need to calm down… we need to relax a bit and
stop the threats," considering that "your helplessness has been exposed" and
that attempts to "raise your voice" are no longer effective.
Adraee added in the video: "You try to raise your voice but it broke,
because we aren't trying to climb up; we are already at the top, and it is hard
to reach us." He concluded his message sharply: "So be quiet, perhaps you can
save what remains of a prestige that has been drained… for when capability
falls, nothing remains for fear but noise." This response comes less than 24
hours after a speech delivered by Hezbollah Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim
Qassem, on Saturday, marking the anniversary of the Prophet’s Mission (Mab’ath).
During a religious ceremony in the Southern Suburb of Beirut, Qassem stated that
the party "does not fear death or threats," confirming readiness "for the
furthest and the harshest." He also threatened that "not a stone will be left
standing" if Hezbollah's weapons are surrendered or if the resistance in Lebanon
ends.
No Meeting for the Mechanism Committee Before February 18:
The Army Awaits Political Cover
Al-Markazia/January 18/2026
Diplomatic sources confirmed via "Al-Jadeed" that the Mechanism Committee,
responsible for monitoring security developments in Lebanon, will not hold a
meeting before February 18, despite the return of General Joseph Clarfield from
the United States. The sources explained that the current situation does not
necessitate a meeting at this time, as there are no indicators calling for
one.Regarding the Lebanese Army, the same sources stated that the army is no
longer the sole party responsible for ending certain field activities in
Lebanese regions. Instead, the Lebanese government is now required to take a
decisive step by providing "solid political cover" to assist the army in
performing its duties, especially in areas north of the Litani River. This
confirmation reflects the urgent need for strong political support from the
government to ensure the continuity of the security work performed by the army,
particularly in light of current circumstances and increasing security
challenges.
Israeli Army: Monitoring a Suspect Approaching the Border
with Lebanon
Al-Modon/January 18, 2026
The Israeli army announced that it opened fire "toward a Lebanese suspect who
approached the border fence in southwestern Lebanon." The army spokesperson
said: "From the moment we spotted the suspect, we have continued to monitor him
constantly. Our forces headed to the area, and a tank and a helicopter opened
fire; operations are still ongoing."Captain Ella, head of the Arab Media Office
in the Israeli army and deputy commander of the Spokesperson’s Unit, wrote on
"X" that the "Multi-Dimensional Unit" forces operating under the 91st Division
completed their mission in southern Lebanon over the past two months. The goal
was to prevent Hezbollah from establishing a presence in the region. Ella
explained that the unit's activities included gathering intelligence, monitoring
hostile infrastructure, and directing fire, as well as providing assistance to
ground and air forces, which resulted in the destruction of Hezbollah
infrastructure and the neutralization of its members.
On the ground, an Israeli force blew up two houses in the border town of
Adaisseh overnight after infiltrating from the Misgav Am site. Another force
blew up a house after infiltrating from the Metula site, noting that several
houses and infrastructure in these two towns have been destroyed or damaged
during the Israeli war on Lebanon.
Israeli Army Announces Completion of Military Mission in
Southern Lebanon
Al-Markazia/ anuary 18, 2026
Captain Ella, head of the Arab Media Office in the Israeli army and deputy
commander of the Spokesperson’s Unit, wrote on "X" that the Multi-Dimensional
Unit forces, operating under the 91st Division, completed their mission in
southern Lebanon over the past two months. The objective was to prevent
Hezbollah from positioning itself in the area. She explained that the unit's
activity included intelligence gathering, monitoring hostile infrastructure, and
directing fire, in addition to providing support to ground and air forces,
resulting in the destruction of Hezbollah infrastructure and the neutralization
of its elements.
Israel holds alert level,
citing signs of impending US attack on Iran
LBCI/January 18, 2026
Israeli military and security leaders in Tel Aviv have rejected calls to lower
the heightened state of alert that Israel has maintained for more than a week,
citing assessments that a U.S. strike against Iran is inevitable but requires
further preparations. Sources familiar with the matter said recent talks between
Israeli and U.S. officials, including meetings held by Mossad chief David Barnea
in Miami, indicate that the attack is expected to take place soon. The issue is
on the agenda of a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, alongside the Gaza file. Reports say preparations for a strike on
Iran have reached a point of no return, as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham
Lincoln sails from the South China Sea toward the Middle East and U.S. bombers
land at the joint U.S.-British base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
Israel’s military leadership continues to oversee preparations by the air force
to respond to any potential Iranian retaliation against Israel. The focus
remains on securing all fronts, from Gaza to Lebanon, amid assessments that
escalation on the Iranian front would inevitably increase risks along these
borders.
Israeli army says multidimensional unit ends mission in
South Lebanon
LBCI/January 18, 2026
The Israeli army announced that forces from its multidimensional unit have
completed their mission in southern Lebanon after two months of operations in
the area. In a statement, the Israeli army said the unit operated under the
command of the 91st Division, adding that its mission focused on preventing
Hezbollah from establishing positions in southern Lebanon.
Appointment of Gracia Azzi revives criticism over Beirut
Port blast accountability—the details
LBCI/January 18, 2026
The appointment of Gracia Azzi as director general of Customs has triggered
strong and negative reactions toward the government and the presidency. Azzi
faces legal charges related to negligence in the Beirut Port explosion, as well
as a separate case involving money laundering, abuse of power, and illicit
enrichment. A review of reactions and comments on Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s
post reveals the scale of public anger sparked by the appointment. Salam sought
to justify the decision by citing the absence of a final judicial ruling against
Azzi and invoking the presumption of innocence. However, hundreds of responses
criticized the move as a blow to the reform process and a moral affront to the
Beirut port explosion case. Some questioned how the
appointment was approved without the Cabinet reviewing a report by the Special
Investigation Commission regarding Azzi’s bank accounts and overseas assets.
Others asked what standards allow the appointment or promotion of a person under
suspicion in two major cases. Several commentators argued that the presumption
of innocence does not justify promotion to senior posts, at least until court
rulings are issued. According to ministerial sources, the Cabinet’s appointment
mechanism generally involves announcing vacancies, receiving applications from
within and outside the civil service, conducting evaluations and interviews, and
shortlisting candidates. However, this mechanism does not apply to certain
military, judicial, or diplomatic posts, or to positions subject to specific
legal requirements. The post of Customs director general is among those
restricted to the customs corps, based on existing legal provisions, though a
differing legal opinion allows for appointments from outside the corps, citing
past precedents. Only one name, Gracia Azzi, was presented to ministers for the
post, despite the availability of several eligible candidates within the Customs
administration, according to ministerial sources. Some government sources said
Azzi’s nomination came from the presidency. Following her appointment, Azzi
publicly thanked the president for his confidence. MP Mark Daou addressed Prime
Minister Salam in a post, saying that those who insisted on Azzi’s appointment
should bear responsibility for it, adding that Salam was not required to
shoulder the decision alone. He called on those who pushed for the appointment
for personal interests rather than the public good to explain their insistence
to the public.Several ministers told LBCI they later recognized the gravity of
the decision after gauging the scale of public backlash.
The use of the presumption of innocence to justify the appointment also
became a target of public ridicule, with some sarcastically suggesting
appointing figures facing serious charges to senior government posts, reflecting
the depth of public discontent over the decision.
Trust in Lebanese state begins by
giving people’s money back
Nadim Shehadi/Arab
News/January 18, 2026
Lebanon has a rare opportunity of restarting from scratch. The starting point is
a failed state but with a strong society that is ready to rebuild after being
damaged and bankrupted. The real challenge is not just economic recovery but
also restoring confidence in the state itself. Every decision now is critical
and will have consequences for the country’s future.
That is why the proposed gap law is so important. This recently drafted
legislation aims to distribute the massive losses from Lebanon’s 2019 financial
collapse between the state, central bank, commercial banks, and depositors, and
allow depositors who have been frozen out of their savings to gradually recover
their money. Generations of savings were wiped out in the collapse, and it is
absurd to demand taxes from citizens whose savings the state has already
swallowed. If the state can, as the gap law proposes, defer repayment of its
debt over five to 10 years, it can also defer collecting taxes until it has
honored its obligations and regained trust. In any
case, data from a 2003 study shows that the top 20 percent of households pays 77
percent of salary and wage taxes, and these are the ones more likely to have
bank accounts and their savings trapped in them. That, combined with the
inefficiency and costs of collecting taxes from the rest of the population,
would make a good case for abolishing taxation altogether, at least for a
limited time. In addition, a competitive corporation tax rate, say of 5 percent,
would also attract many businesses back to the country.
Such a measure would be more than financial relief — it would be an admission of
responsibility, a signal that the state is reforming and determined to earn back
legitimacy. The impact of this gesture would outweigh the cost in lost revenue.
It would be the state saying: “I won’t take your money until you know I will use
it properly.”State responsibility is at the heart of the debate. The governor of
the central bank spelled this out clearly for the first time in a recent press
conference. He asked for accountability for government spending, which is widely
accepted as the main cause of the collapse. Central bank reserves were depleted
through waste and corruption in the electricity and energy sectors and on
subsidies for commodities that were smuggled out of the country. What is
commonly called the “mafia and militia” control of the country is a political
problem, not an economic one. The problem is also political in areas such as
revenue collection, with politicians dividing the spoils, and with militia
control of ports and airports.Until the state gets its act together people
should keep their money and spend it themselves, to rebuild their lives. No
amount of tax collection will resolve the political elements that led to the
financial crisis. Only after there is trust that taxes will be collected fairly
and spent efficiently will taxation be considered an asset.
There are many reasons for optimism.
Two hard questions follow. First: How do we pin down state responsibility and
separate it from the political class and the militia? Second: How can a bankrupt
state revive itself without the income from taxation? The state, after all,
relies on the taxes we pay and the power we give to politicians and bureaucrats,
while we trust them to spend it wisely to protect us and make our lives better.
This debate over taxes leads directly to the deeper question of what the state
is, and how it can finance itself. The answer to the
first question is that we cannot separate the state from the political process.
There is the dilemma between an idealized version of the state, one that people
aspire to, and the reality of a dysfunctional process that leads to the
catastrophic results we are living with. Simply put, the debate revolves around
building that ideal state as a priority and at the expense of sacrificing
depositors’ money. That would work if the problem was economic or financial.
However, the real state we are talking about here is not separate from the
political process and includes all its institutions, functions, and actors, good
or bad. Regaining trust would also make a bailout a possibility.
The second question is easier to explore. The Lebanese state can raise
significant income from other sources than taxation. The state is rich in assets
that can be efficiently managed to produce enough income. We are talking of a
government budget of less than $6 billion for what is now a relatively small
economy. Think of all the talented ministers in our present government; they
should be able to handle that. Lebanon is a state with the balance sheet of a
mid‑tier tech firm, but the governance of a failed regime.
There are various estimates of the state’s assets, and these are also
politically motivated. Some put state assets at $11 billion, while others go up
to $70-100 billion. The estimates vary according to how much of the country’s
gold reserves are to be used and how, and according to predictions of future oil
and gas revenues. Lebanon owns land, utilities, and infrastructure that could
finance the state. Instead, mismanagement turns these assets into drains on the
economy.
The state owns about 22 percent of the real estate in the country and none of it
is exploited. Almost half of this is prime land with substantial investment
opportunities. More state income can be raised by efficient management of
resources and services like electricity, water, telecom, real estate, the
airport and the ports, foreign economic relations and other measures that will
help the economy. If the government manages to take the country off the
Financial Action Task Force gray list for example, or make the judiciary and the
bureaucracy more efficient, it will be a huge boost to business and the economy.
Resolving the question of Hezbollah’s arms is also a major problem that can only
be resolved politically. No amount of aid or taxation can help with that; it is
a huge challenge and resolving it would also help take the country off the FATF
gray list and improve relations with economic partners in the region. That and
making the judiciary and bureaucracy more efficient would be a huge boost to
business. Now all these are a drain on the economy instead of being assets.
There are many reasons for optimism regarding the future of Lebanon and
the Lebanese economy — if the main political problem is resolved. While the rest
of the world is trying to cut down on government spending, all Lebanon has to do
is avoid rebuilding dependency on the state and, instead, rely on the vibrant
private sector and civil society institutions. Just acknowledge responsibility,
build trust, and give them their money back.
• Nadim Shehadi is an economist and political adviser. X: @Confusezeus
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on January
18-19/2026
Video-Link To An Interview from "Fox
News" with USA Senator Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz: This is a very REAL possibility
Fox News/January 18/2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYdTP6eakNQ&t=188s
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, weighs President Donald Trump’s Iran posture amid
protest crackdowns, his push to acquire Greenland and more on 'Sunday Morning
Futures.'
As US weighs its options with Tehran, the region awaits with anticipation
Arab News/January 18, 2026
RIYADH: The US is continuing to weigh its options toward Iran as the aircraft
carrier USS Abraham Lincoln heads toward the Middle East, amid heightened
tensions and widespread protests across the Islamic Republic.The deployment,
reported since late Friday, comes as Washington reiterates that all options
remain on the table in its approach to Tehran, which it considers a major
regional foe, with Iran’s handling of the protests as a key factor in their
ongoing deliberations. Saudi officials have rejected claims that Riyadh is
attempting to influence decision-making in Washington. A senior Saudi official
at the Kingdom’s embassy in the US said that reports suggesting Saudi Arabia had
advised the US against striking Iran “are not true.”Earlier this week, Saudi
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir was asked about the unrest
in Iran and the prospect of a US response during a major business conference in
Riyadh.
While stopping short of offering a direct view on potential military action, Al-Jubeir
said that “everybody is watching the situation very closely,” expressing hope
that tensions could be resolved in a way that would “minimize any kind of
damage.”Saudi commentator Ali Shihabi also denied that Riyadh was lobbying
either for or against a strike on Iran. Writing on X, he said: “Saudi Arabia did
not get involved in this discussion one way or the other.” In a separate
commentary published in the Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat, columnist Abdulrahman
Al-Rashed hinted that Iran itself now holds the key to avoiding further
escalation. “Ending the nuclear program and stopping external activity could
spare Iran foreign intervention that enables internal change by exploiting
widespread domestic unrest,” he argued. Al-Rashed described the current moment
as unprecedented for the Islamic Republic.“The Iranian regime is facing an
existential crisis for the first time since the founder of the Islamic Republic
returned to Tehran,” he said. “There is only one actor capable of preventing its
descent, and possibly its collapse, and it is neither Washington, nor Israel,
nor 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,” he concluded.
Iran President Says Any Attack on Supreme Leader Would Be
Declaration of War
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 18/2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on Sunday that any attack on the
country's supreme leader Ali Khamenei would mean a declaration of war.
"An attack on the great leader of our country is tantamount to a full-scale war
with the Iranian nation," Pezeshkian said in a post on X in an apparent response
to US President Donald Trump saying it was time to look for a new leader in
Iran.
At least 5,000 killed in Iranian unrest, official says, as
judiciary hints at executions
Reuters/18 January/21026
At least 5,000 people have been killed in protests in Iran, including about 500
security personnel, an Iranian official in the region said on Sunday, citing
verified figures and accusing “terrorists and armed rioters” of killing
“innocent Iranians.”The nationwide protests erupted on December 28 over economic
hardship and swelled over two weeks into widespread demonstrations calling for
the end of clerical rule - resulting in the deadliest unrest since the 1979
Islamic Revolution. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to
intervene if protesters continued to be killed on the streets or were executed.
In a social media post on Friday, he thanked Tehran’s leaders, saying they had
called off scheduled mass executions. On Saturday, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
said: “We will not drag the country into war, but we will not let domestic or
international criminals go unpunished,” state media reported. On Sunday, the
judiciary indicated that executions may go ahead. “A series of actions have been
identified as Mohareb, which is among the most severe Islamic punishments,”
Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir told a press conference. Mohareb,
an Islamic legal term meaning to wage war against God, is punishable by death
under Iranian law. In an interview with Politico on Saturday, Trump said “it’s
time to look for new leadership in Iran.”Khamenei, Iran’s utmost authority,
accused the country’s longtime enemies the US and Israel of organizing the
violence, acknowledging “several thousand deaths.”The US-based HRANA rights
group said on Saturday the death toll had reached 3,308, with another 4,382
cases under review. The group said it had confirmed more than 24,000 arrests.
The Iranian official in the region said the verified death toll was unlikely to
get much higher. “The final toll is not expected to increase sharply,” the
official said, adding that “Israel and armed groups abroad” had supported and
equipped those taking to the streets. The clerical establishment regularly
blames unrest on foreign enemies, including the United States and Israel - an
arch foe of the Islamic Republic which launched military strikes on Iran in
June.
Highest death toll in Kurdish areas. The Iranian official, who declined to be
named due to the sensitivity of the issue, also said some of the heaviest
clashes and highest number of deaths were in the Iranian Kurdish areas in the
country’s northwest. Kurdish separatists have been active in those areas and
flare-ups there have been among the most violent in past periods of unrest.
Three sources told Reuters on January 14 that armed Kurdish separatist groups
sought to cross the border into Iran from Iraq in a sign of foreign entities
potentially seeking to take advantage of instability after days of crackdown on
protests against Tehran. The Norway-based Iranian Kurdish rights group Hengaw
has said some of the heaviest clashes during protests that erupted in late
December were in Kurdish areas in the northwest. The violent crackdown appears
to have broadly quelled protests, according to residents and state media.
Getting information has been complicated by internet blackouts, which were
partly lifted for a few hours early on Saturday. But internet monitoring group
NetBlocks said the blackout seemed to have been reimposed late on Saturday.
Limited internet returns in Iran after protest blackout
AFP/18 January/2026
Limited internet access has returned in Iran, a monitor said Sunday, 10 days
after authorities imposed a communications blackout that rights groups have said
was aimed at masking a violent protest crackdown that killed thousands. Iran’s
president warned that an attack on the country’s supreme leader would be a
declaration of war - an apparent response to US counterpart Donald Trump saying
it was time to look for new leadership in Iran. Demonstrations sparked in late
December by anger over economic hardship exploded into protests widely seen as
the biggest challenge to the Iranian leadership in years. The rallies subsided
after the crackdown that rights groups have called a “massacre” carried out by
security forces under the cover of a communications blackout that started on
January 8 as the protests grew in size and intensity. Iranian officials have
said the demonstrations were peaceful before turning into “riots” and blamed
foreign influence from Iran’s arch-foes the United States and Israel. Trump, who
backed and joined Israel’s 12-day war against Iran in June, had repeatedly
threatened new military action against Tehran if protesters were killed. While
Washington appeared to have stepped back, Trump hit out at supreme leader Ali
Khamenei - in power for 37 years - in an interview with Politico on Saturday,
saying it was “time to look for new leadership in Iran.”“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.”Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on Sunday in an X post:
“An attack on the great leader of our country is tantamount to a full-scale war
with the Iranian nation.”As leaders in Washington and Tehran have exchanged
barbs, Iranian officials have said calm has been restored in the streets.
Security forces with armored vehicles and motorcycles were seen in central
Tehran, according to AFP correspondents. One new banner in central Tehran showed
a set of dominoes with images including the former shah of Iran, ousted Iraqi
ruler Saddam Hussein and Trump with the caption, “dominoes falling.”Schools
reopened on Sunday - Iran’s weekend falling on Thursday and Friday - after a
week of closure and authorities said “internet access would also be gradually
restored,” Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.
US-based Activist Agency Says It Has Verified 3,766 Deaths from Iran Protests
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 18/2026
A US-based activist agency said Sunday that it has verified at least 3,766
deaths during a wave of protests that swept Iran and led to a bloody crackdown
and fears the number could be significantly higher. The Human Rights Activists
News Agency posted the revised figure, increasing its previous toll of 3,308.
The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in
decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution. The agency has
been accurate throughout the years of demonstrations in Iran, relying on a
network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities.
The Associated Press has been unable to independently confirm the toll. Iranian
officials have not given a clear death toll, although on Saturday, the country’s
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said the protests had left “several thousand” people
dead and blamed the United States for the deaths. It was the first indication
from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualties from the wave of protests
that began Dec. 28 over Iran’s ailing economy. The Human Rights Activists News
Agency says 24,348 protesters have been arrested in the crackdown. Iranian
officials have repeatedly accused the United States and Israel of fomenting
unrest in the country. Tension with the United States has been high, with US
President Donald Trump repeatedly threatening Tehran with military action if his
administration found the country was using deadly force against anti-government
protesters. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a post Sunday on X, blamed
“longstanding enmity and inhumane sanctions” imposed by the US and its allies
for any hardships the Iranian people might be facing. “Any aggression against
the Supreme Leader of our country is tantamount to all-out war against the
Iranian nation,” he wrote. During the protests, Trump had told demonstrators
that “help is on the way” and that his administration would “act accordingly” if
the killing of demonstrators continued or if Iranian authorities executed
detained protesters. But he later struck a conciliatory tone, saying that
Iranian officials had “canceled the hanging of over 800 people” and that “I
greatly respect the fact that they canceled.” On Saturday, Khamenei branded
Trump a “criminal” for supporting the rallies and blamed the US for the
casualties, describing the protesters as “foot soldiers” of the United States.
Trump, in an interview with Politico Saturday, called for an end to Khamenei’s
nearly 40-year reign, calling him as “a sick man who should run his country
properly and stop killing people.” No protests have been reported for days in
Iran, where the streets have returned to an uneasy calm. Instead, some Iranians
chanted anti-Khamenei slogans from the windows of their homes on Saturday night,
the chants reverberating around neighborhoods in Tehran, Shiraz and Isfahan,
witnesses said. Authorities have also blocked access to the internet since Jan.
8. On Saturday, very limited internet services functioned again briefly. Access
to some online services such as Google began working again on Sunday, although
users said they could access only domestic websites, and email services
continued to be blocked.
Syrian Government, Kurdish Forces Agree Immediate Ceasefire
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 18/2026
The Syrian government and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed on
an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire on all fronts on Sunday after days of
fighting as the army advanced into Kurdish-held territories in the northeast.
The ceasefire will be in parallel with the withdrawal of all SDF-affiliated
forces to the east of the Euphrates River, according to a document published by
the Syrian Presidency on Sunday. The deal entails merging all SDF forces into
the defense and interior ministries after conducting required security checks,
the statement said. The government will also immediately and completely take
over the Kurdish-held provinces of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa militarily and
administratively. All border crossings, and gas and oil fields in the area, will
also be handed over to the Syrian government. The SDF will be committed to
evacuating all non-Syrian leaders and forces affiliated to the Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) outside of the country. The document, shared by the Syrian
presidency, showed the signatures of both Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and
SDF head Mazloum Abdi. "All lingering files with the SDF will be resolved,"
state media quoted Sharaa as saying. He said he was set to meet Abdi on Monday.
Türkiye’s Kurdish Leader Calls Syria Clashes 'Sabotage'
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 18/2026
Recent deadly clashes in Syria between government forces and Kurdish fighters
seek to "sabotage" the peace process between Türkiye and the Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK), the jailed leader of the Kurdish militant group said. Abdullah
Ocalan, who has led the unfolding Turkish peace process from prison, "sees this
situation (in Syria) as an attempt to sabotage the peace process" in Türkiye, a
delegation from the pro-Kurdish DEM party said after visiting him in jail on
Saturday. The PKK leader last year called for the group to lay down its weapons
and disband, after more than four decades of conflict that claimed at least
50,000 lives. The delegation that visited him at Imrali prison island near
Istanbul, where he has been held in solitary confinement since 1999, said he had
"reaffirmed his commitment to the process of peace and democratic society" and
called to "take the necessary steps to move forward". The PKK made a similar
warning earlier this month, saying the Syria clashes "call into question the
ceasefire between our movement and Türkiye ". The clashes in Syria erupted after
negotiations stalled on integrating the Kurds' de facto autonomous
administration and forces into the country's new government, which took over
after the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024. The Syrian army has
seized swathes of the country's north, dislodging Kurdish forces from territory
where they had held effective autonomy for more than a decade. Türkiye, which
views Kurdish fighters in Syria as a terror group affiliated with the PKK, has
praised Syria's operation as fighting "terrorist organizations".
Saudi Crown Prince, Syria’s Sharaa Discuss Opportunities to Boost Bilateral Ties
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 18/2026
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime
Minister, received on Sunday a telephone call from Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
They reviewed relations and opportunities to boost them in various fields.
They also discussed the latest regional developments and a number of issues of
mutual interest.
Syrian forces seize major oil, gas fields in eastern Syria,
security sources say
Al Arabiya English/18 January/2026
Syrian troops fighting Kurdish-led forces seized the Omar oil field, the
country’s largest, and the Conoco gas field in the eastern Deir Ezzor province
as allied Arab tribal forces advanced in the oil-rich area along the border with
Iraq, officials and security sources said on Sunday. The takeover of the oil
fields that lie east of the Euphrates River — a main source of revenue for the
Kurdish-led forces — was a major blow to the group, which officials said had
deprived the state of resources used by the militia. The Syrian army pressed
ahead into predominantly Arab-populated areas of northeast Syria controlled by
the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), despite US calls to halt its
advance. A government source said Kurdish-led forces were overcome after
advances led by the Arab tribal fighters, allowing the government and its
tribal allies to move into a stretch of territory of more than 150 km along the
eastern bank of the Euphrates stretching from Baghouz near the Iraqi border
towards key towns including al-Shuhail and Busayra. Late on Saturday, the army
also took control of the northern city of Tabqa and its adjacent dam, as well
as the major Freedom Dam, formerly known as the Baath Dam, west of Raqqa.
Syrian Kurdish authorities have not acknowledged the loss of those strategic
sites, and it remained unclear whether fighting was still ongoing.With Reuters
Iraq Announces Complete Withdrawal of US-Led Coalition from
Federal Territory
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 18/2026
Iraq said on Sunday US-led coalition forces had finished withdrawing from bases
within the country's federal territory, which excludes the autonomous northern
Kurdistan region. "We announce today... the completion of the evacuation of all
military bases and leadership headquarters in the official federal areas of Iraq
of advisers" of the US-led coalition, the military committee tasked with
overseeing the end of the coalition's mission said. With the withdrawal, "these
sites come under the full control of Iraqi security forces", it said in the
statement, adding that they would transition to "the stage of bilateral security
relations with the United States".The vast majority of coalition forces had
withdrawn from Iraqi bases under a 2024 deal between Baghdad and Washington
outlining the end of the mission in Iraq by the end of 2025 and by September
2026 in the Kurdistan region. US and allied troops had been deployed to Iraq and
Syria since 2014 to fight the ISIS group, which had seized large swathes of both
countries. The group was territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in
2019, but continues to operate sleeper cells. The vast majority of coalition
troops withdrew from Iraq over previous stages, with only advisers remaining in
the country. The military committee on Sunday said Iraqi forces were now "fully
capable of preventing the reappearance of ISIS in Iraq and its infiltration
across borders". "Coordination with the international coalition will continue
with regards to completely eliminating ISIS's presence in Syria," it added. It
pointed to "the coalition's role in Iraq offering cross-border logistical
support for operations in Syria, through their presence at an airbase in Erbil",
the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region. In December, two US soldiers and a
civilian interpreter were killed in Syria in an attack blamed on ISIS, sparking
fears of a resurgence in the country.The statement added that anti-ISIS
operations would be coordinated with the coalition through the Ain al-Assad base
in Anbar province in western Iraq. ISIS attacks in Iraq have massively declined
in recent years, but the group maintains a presence in the country's mountainous
areas. A UN Security Council report in August said: "In Iraq, the group has
focused on rebuilding networks along the Syrian border and restoring capacity in
the Badia region."
Who has been invited to be on Trump’s Gaza boards?
AFP/19 January/2026
US President Donald Trump’s administration has reached out to various figures
around the world to sit on a so-called “Board of Peace” and related entities
meant to oversee governance and reconstruction in postwar Gaza. The White House
said there would be a main board, chaired by Trump himself, a Palestinian
committee of technocrats meant to govern the war-wracked territory, and a second
“executive board” that appears designed to have a more advisory role.Here is the
list of people involved so far in the various entities:
Confirmed by the White House
Board of peace
The White House says this body will focus on issues such as “governance
capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction,
large-scale funding and capital mobilization.”
US President Donald Trump, chair
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special negotiator
Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law
Tony Blair, former UK prime minister
Marc Rowan, billionaire US financier
Ajay Banga, World Bank president
Robert Gabriel, loyal Trump aide on the National Security Council
National committee for the administration of Gaza
This body, made up of technocrats, will “oversee the restoration of core public
services, the rebuilding of civil institutions, and the stabilization of daily
life in Gaza.”
Ali Shaath, former Palestinian Authority deputy minister (head of committee)
Gaza executive board
This entity is meant to “support effective governance” and deliver services for
the people of Gaza.
Steve Witkoff
Jared Kushner
Tony Blair
Marc Rowan
Nickolay Mladenov, Bulgarian diplomat
Sigrid Kaag, UN humanitarian coordinator for Gaza
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
Ali Al-Thawadi, Qatari diplomat
General Hassan Rashad, director of Egypt’s intelligence agency
Reem Al-Hashimy, Emirati minister
Yakir Gabay, Israeli billionaire
Leaders who said they were invited to join
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama
Argentine President Javier Milei
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
Jordanian King Abdullah II
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
Paraguayan President Santiago Pena
Romanian President Nicusor Dan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Israel PM Holds Coalition Meeting After Objecting to Gaza Panel
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 18/2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of his ruling
coalition partners on Sunday after objecting to the composition of a Gaza
advisory panel formed by the White House, according to an official and media
reports. The White House announced this week the setting up of a "Gaza Executive
Board," which would operate under a broader "Board of Peace" to be chaired by US
President Donald Trump as part of his 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza. The
executive board, described as having an advisory role, includes Turkish Foreign
Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, alongside other
regional and international officials. Late on Saturday, Netanyahu's office
objected to the composition of the executive board. "The announcement regarding
the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, which is subordinate to the Board
of Peace, was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy," the
office of Netanyahu said. "The Prime Minister has instructed the Foreign Affairs
Minister to contact the US Secretary of State on this matter."It did not explain
the reason for its objection, but Israel has previously objected strongly to any
Turkish role in post-war Gaza, with relations between the two countries
deteriorating sharply since the war began in October 2023. In addition to naming
Türkiye's foreign minister to the executive board, Trump has also invited
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to join the overarching Board of Peace.
Media reports said that leaders of the country's ruling coalition were scheduled
to meet on Sunday to examine the composition of the executive board. "There is a
meeting scheduled of the coalition at 10:00 am (0800 GMT)," the spokesman of
Netanyahu's Likud Party told AFP, declining to provide further details.
Alongside Likud, the coalition includes the Religious Zionist Party led by
far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) led
by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The White House said
Trump's plan would include three bodies: the Board of Peace, chaired by Trump; a
Palestinian committee of technocrats tasked with governing Gaza; and the Gaza
Executive Board, which would play an advisory role.The Palestinian technocratic
committee held its first meeting in Cairo on Saturday. The diplomatic
developments came as the United States said this week that the Gaza truce plan
had entered a second phase, shifting from implementing a ceasefire to the
disarmament of Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the
Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Israel Issues Two-Month Ultimatum for Hamas to Disarm or
Face Renewed War
Ramallah: Kifah Zboun/Asharq Al-Awsat/January 18/2026
Israel has given Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, led by Hamas, a
two-month deadline to disarm, warning that failure to comply will trigger a new
war. Israeli sources said the ultimatum was issued in full coordination with the
United States, with an understanding that Israel alone will define what
constitutes disarmament and how compliance will be verified. According to
Israel’s Channel 12, the military is already preparing operational plans should
force be required. US President Donald Trump publicly reinforced Israel’s
stance, saying Hamas could comply the easy way or the hard way. Israeli
officials said the warning follows direct understandings between Trump and
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Under the plan, Hamas would be given
two months from the establishment of a “peace council” and a technocratic
administration in Gaza to surrender its weapons. If it fails to do so
voluntarily, the Israeli army will intervene.Israeli security assessments say
Hamas remains operational despite heavy losses during the war on Gaza and is far
from collapse. Intelligence estimates indicate the group still exercises
military and administrative control in parts of Gaza, continues to rearm,
rebuild underground infrastructure, and reorganize its combat forces. Officials
argue that the current transitional period benefits Hamas and allows it to
restore capabilities. As a result, Israeli sources stressed that extending the
current phase is not an option, and that a clear, limited timetable has been
set, at the end of which a decisive move will be made. Disarmament of Hamas,
they added, is not merely a declared goal but a binding condition for any
progress in Gaza. Israel has made clear it will not accept partial or symbolic
steps and will not retreat from its red line as long as Hamas retains military
capabilities. Until full disarmament is achieved, Israel’s cooperation with the
newly formed technocratic government in Gaza will remain limited, with Israeli
authorities reviewing its composition and personnel. While Hamas has announced
it is willing to hand over governance in Gaza to a technocratic administration,
it has not said it will relinquish its weapons. US officials previously told
Axios that Hamas had sent positive signals in secret contacts about accepting a
phased US plan for disarmament, tied to the second phase of the Gaza agreement.
The plan reportedly includes dismantling tunnels, destroying weapons factories,
removing rockets and heavy arms, and forming a single armed police force under
the technocratic government. Washington and Tel Aviv are also considering a
special amnesty for Hamas members willing to surrender personal weapons and
abandon armed activity.
Israeli Troops Kill Palestinians for Crossing a Vague
Ceasefire Line that's Sometimes Unmarked
Asharq Al Awsat/January 18//2026
A dividing line, at times invisible, can mean life or death for Palestinians in
Gaza.
Those sheltering near the territory's “yellow line” that the Israeli military
withdrew to as part of the October ceasefire say they live in fear as Israeli
soldiers direct near-daily fire at anyone who crosses or even lingers near it.
Of the 447 Palestinians killed between the ceasefire taking effect and Tuesday,
at least 77 were killed by Israeli gunfire near the line, including 62 who
crossed it, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Among them were teenagers and
young children, The Associated Press found. And although the military has placed
some yellow barrels and concrete barriers delineating the limits of the
Palestinian zone, the line is still unmarked in certain places and in others was
laid nearly half a kilometer (0.3 miles) deeper than what was agreed to in the
ceasefire deal, expanding the part of Gaza that Israel controls, according to
Palestinians and mapping experts. “We stay away from the barrels. No one dares
to get close” said Gaza City resident Ahmed Abu Jahal, noting that the markers
are less than 100 meters (110 yards) from his house — instead of the roughly 500
meters (546 yards) outlined in a map put out by the Israeli military. As of
Tuesday, the military had acknowledged killing 57 people around the yellow line,
saying most were militants. It said its troops are complying with the rules of
engagement in order to counter militant groups, and are informing Palestinians
of the line’s location and marking it on the ground to “reduce friction and
prevent misunderstandings.”
Easy to get lost
Under the ceasefire, Israel withdrew its troops to a buffer zone that is up to 7
kilometers (4 miles) deep and includes most of Gaza's arable land, its elevated
points and all of its border crossings. That hems more than 2 million
Palestinians into a strip along the coastline and central Gaza. People of all
ages, some already dead, have been showing up almost daily at the emergency room
of Gaza City's Al-Ahli hospital with bullet wounds from straying near the line,
said hospital director Fadel Naeem. Amid the vast destruction in Gaza, the
demarcation line often isn't easy to detect, Naeem said. He recounted picking
his way through undamaged paths during a recent visit to the southern city of
Khan Younis. He didn't notice he was almost across the line until locals shouted
at him to turn back, he said. The Israeli military said most of the people it
has killed crossing the line posed a threat to its troops. According to a
military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military
rules, troops issue audible warnings and then fire warning shots whenever
someone crosses the line. Many civilians retreat when warning shots are fired,
though some have been killed, the official acknowledged.
Killed while playing near the line
Zaher Shamia, 17, lived with his grandfather in a tent 300 meters (330 yards)
from the line in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya refugee camp. On Dec. 10, he was
playing with his cousin and some friends near the line, according to video he
took before his death. Suddenly, shots rang out and the video stopped. Soldiers
approaching the line with an armored bulldozer had fired on the teens, hitting
Zaher, said a witness. A neighbor eventually found Zaher’s body, which had been
crushed by the bulldozer, said Zaher's grandfather, Kamal al-Beih: “We only
recognized him from his head."Two doctors, Mohamed Abu Selmiya and Rami Mhanna,
confirmed that the teen had been killed by gunshots and then run over by a
bulldozer. The military official said he was aware that Shamia was a civilian
and that the military was looking into it. Maram Atta said that on Dec. 7, her
3-year-old daughter, Ahed al-Bayouk, was playing with siblings outside of their
tent, which was near the yellow line along Gaza's southern coast. Atta was
preparing lentils when she heard aircraft overhead, then shots. A stray
projectile whizzed close to her and struck Ahed, who was dead before they
reached the clinic. “I lost my daughter to what they keep calling a ‘ceasefire’”
said Atta, crying. “What ceasefire are they talking about?”
A military official denied the killing.
Deadly ambiguity
The line's exact location is ambiguous, differing on maps put out by the Israeli
military and the White House. Neither matches the line troops appear to be
marking on the ground, according to Palestinians and geolocation specialists.
Chris Osiek, an open source intelligence analyst and consultant, has geolocated
a number of yellow blocks based on social media videos. He found at least four
urban areas where troops set the blocks several hundred meters deeper into Gaza
than the military map-specified yellow line. “This is basically what you get
when you simply let Trump make an image and post it on Truth Social and let the
Israeli army make their own,” he said. “If it’s not a proper system, with
coordinates that make it easy for people to navigate where it is, then you leave
the ambiguity free for the Israeli army to interpret the yellow line how they
basically want.”The military official dismissed such criticism, saying any
deviations from the map amount to just a few meters. But to Palestinians hemmed
in by widespread destruction and displacement, every few meters lost is another
house that can't be sheltered in — another they doubt will ever be returned.
‘The line is getting very close’
Under the ceasefire, Israeli forces are only supposed to remain at the yellow
line until a fuller withdrawal, though the agreement doesn't give a timeline for
that. With the next steps in the deal lagging and troops digging into positions
on the Israeli side, though, Palestinians wonder if they are witnessing a
permanent land takeover. In December, Israel’s defense minister described the
yellow line as “a new border line — serving as a forward defensive line for our
communities and a line of operational activity.”The military has continued
leveling buildings inside the Israeli-held zone, turning already damaged
neighborhoods to moonscapes. Almost all of the city of Rafah, on Gaza's border
with Egypt, has been razed over the past year. The army says this is necessary
to destroy tunnels and prepare the area for reconstruction. In some places,
demolitions since the ceasefire have encroached beyond the official yellow line.
Since November, troops have leveled a swath of Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood
extending some 300 meters (330 yards) outside the Israeli-held zone, according
to Oct. 14 and Dec. 18 satellite photos provided by Planet Labs. Abu Jahal moved
back to his damaged house in Tuffah at the ceasefire's start. He said he
frequently saw new yellow barrels appear and the military forcing out anyone
living on its side of the markers. On Jan. 7, Israeli fire hit a house near him,
and the residents had to evacuate, he said. Abu Jahal said his family —
including his wife, their child, and seven other relatives — may also have to
leave soon. “The line is getting very close,” he said.
Video Shows Fires in Palestinian Village in West Bank During Israeli Settler
Attack
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 18/2026
Israeli settlers rampaged through a Palestinian village in the West Bank,
setting fire to a series of structures, according to security camera footage
obtained by The Associated Press on Sunday, in an overnight onslaught that has
become a common phenomenon in the occupied territory. In the video, time-stamped
at around 10 p.m. Saturday, several structures in the village go up in flames as
the sound of gunfire, screaming and barking echoes in the background. At one
point in the video, the fires grow so large that they illuminate the bands of
settlers, dressed in black, pacing freely through the village. Also Sunday, at
least four more countries said they had been invited to join US President Donald
Trump’s Board of Peace, the international body expected to oversee his Gaza
ceasefire plan and perhaps other conflict resolutions. Meanwhile, an Israeli
Cabinet minister said that he'd ordered officials to disconnect the water and
electricity for facilities of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian
Refugees, or UNRWA. It's the latest action in Israel’s long-running campaign to
shut down the agency. UNRWA fears the shutdown could hamper its work in east
Jerusalem.
Settler attack video
The footage obtained by the AP showed the moment dozens of settlers descended on
the small Bedouin hamlet of Khirbet al-Sidra, north of Jerusalem, attacking
Palestinians and international activists and burning cars and homes, according
to the Palestinian Authority's Jerusalem governate, which monitors Palestinian
affairs in the area. In a statement, it said that eight homes and at least two
cars were burned in the attack. Israel’s military said that soldiers dispatched
to the village found an Israeli vehicle with clubs inside. It said that
Palestinians, Israelis and foreign nationals were injured, and troops were
searching the area to make arrests. As of Sunday afternoon, no arrests had been
reported. It marked the latest assault in the tense territory as settler
violence spikes in recent months. Around 500,000 Israelis have settled in the
West Bank since Israel captured the territory, along with east Jerusalem and the
Gaza Strip, in the 1967 Mideast war. Their presence is viewed by most of the
international community as illegal and a major obstacle to peace. The
Palestinians seek all three areas for a future state. Israel has sought to play
down the violence as the work of a small, radical minority. But Israel's
far-right government, dominated by settlers and their supporters, has done
little to stop the attacks.
Board of Peace invites
Jordan, Greece, Cyprus and Pakistan on Sunday announced that they had received
invitations to Trump's Board of Peace. Albania, Egypt, Paraguay, Argentina and
Türkiye have already said they were invited. The board, made up of world
leaders, was initially seen as a mechanism focused on ending the Israel-Hamas
war in Gaza. It's now taking shape with ambitions to have a far broader mandate
to address other global crises, potentially rivaling the United Nations. The US
hasn't yet announced the official list of members. In letters sent Friday to
various world leaders inviting them to be “founding members” of the board, Trump
says the body would “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global
conflict.”
Israel moves against UNRWA
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said on X Sunday he'd issued formal notices to
disconnect water and electricity from facilities belonging to UNRWA. The UN
agency said on X that the shutdown could take effect within two weeks. It comes
after Israel's parliament in December passed a bill to cut the supply of
electricity and water to the facilities. The earlier ban already closed many of
UNRWA’s services in east Jerusalem, though it continues to operate a vocational
training center in east Jerusalem. The agency provides aid and services,
including health and education, to around 2.5 million Palestinian refugees in
Gaza and the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, as well as 3 million more in
Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Earlier last year, Israel banned the agency from
operating on its territory. The ban followed months of attacks on the agency by
Israel, which says it's deeply infiltrated by Hamas. UNRWA rejects that
accusation.
Jordan Says King Abdullah Received Invitation to Join Gaza Peace Board
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 18/2026
Jordan's foreign ministry said on Sunday that King Abdullah received an
invitation from US President Donald Trump to join the so-called "Board of
Peace" for Gaza. The foreign ministry said it was currently reviewing related
documents within the country's internal legal procedures. The board is set to
supervise the temporary governance of Gaza, which has been under a shaky
ceasefire since October. On Friday, the White House 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. 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.
EU States Condemn Trump Tariff Threats, Consider Countermeasures
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 18/2026
Major European Union states decried US President Donald Trump's tariff threats
against European allies over Greenland as blackmail on Sunday, as France
proposed responding with a range of previously untested economic
countermeasures. Trump vowed on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing
tariffs on EU members Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and
Finland, along with Britain and Norway, until the US is allowed to buy
Greenland. All eight countries, already subject to US tariffs of 10% and 15%,
have sent small numbers of military personnel to Greenland, as a row with the
United States over the future of Denmark's vast Arctic island escalates. "Tariff
threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,"
the eight-nations said in a joint statement published on Sunday. They said the
Danish exercise was designed to strengthen Arctic security and posed no threat
to anyone. They said they were ready to engage in dialogue, based on
principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Danish Prime Minister Mette
Frederiksen said in a written statement that she was pleased with the consistent
messages from the rest of the continent, adding: "Europe will not be
blackmailed", a view echoed by Germany's finance minister and Sweden's prime
minister. "It's blackmail what he's doing," Dutch Foreign Minister David van
Weel said on Dutch television of Trump's threat.
COORDINATED EUROPEAN RESPONSE
Cyprus, holder of the rotating six-month EU presidency, summoned ambassadors to
an emergency meeting in Brussels on Sunday, which diplomats said was due to
start at 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) as EU leaders stepped up contacts. A source close to
French President Emmanuel Macron said he was pushing for activation of the
"Anti-Coercion Instrument", which could limit access to public tenders,
investments or banking activity or restrict trade in services, in which the US
has a surplus with the bloc, including digital services. Bernd Lange, the
German Social Democrat who chairs the European Parliament's trade committee,
and Valerie Hayer, head of the centrist Renew Europe group, echoed Macron's
call, as did Germany's engineering association. Meanwhile, Irish Prime Minister
Micheal Martin said that while there should be no doubt that the EU would
retaliate, it was "a bit premature" to activate the anti-coercion instrument.
And Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is closer to the US President
than some other EU leaders, described the tariff threat on Sunday as "a
mistake", adding she had spoken to Trump a few hours earlier and told him what
she thought. "He seemed interested in listening," she told a briefing with
reporters during a trip to Korea, adding she planned to call other European
leaders later on Sunday. Italy has not sent troops to Greenland.
BRITAIN'S POSITION 'NON-NEGOTIABLE'
Asked how Britain would respond to new tariffs, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy
said allies needed to work with the United States to resolve the dispute. "Our
position on Greenland is non-negotiable ... It is in our collective interest to
work together and not to start a war of words," she told Sky News on Sunday. The
tariff threats do though call into question trade deals the US struck with
Britain in May and the EU in July.The limited agreements have already faced
criticism about their lopsided nature, with the US maintaining broad tariffs,
while their partners are required to remove import duties. The European
Parliament looks likely now to suspend its work on the EU-US trade deal. It had
been due to vote on removing many EU import duties on January 26-27, but Manfred
Weber, head of the European People's Party, the largest group in parliament,
said late on Saturday that approval was not possible for now. German Christian
Democrat lawmaker Juergen Hardt also mooted what he told Bild newspaper could be
a last resort "to bring President Trump to his senses on the Greenland issue",
a boycott of the soccer World Cup that the US is hosting this year.
Riyadh hosts meeting for southern Yemeni officials
Al Arabiya English/18 January/2026
Abdulrahman al-Mahrami (Abu Zaraa), member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership
Council, affirmed on Sunday that the southern dialogue to be sponsored by Saudi
Arabia represents a rare and historic opportunity that must not be squandered or
undermined. Al-Mahrami warned against any attempts to provoke internal southern
disputes or to antagonize Saudi Arabia, in ways that would serve forces hostile
to the southern cause. He stressed that there is no intention whatsoever to
exclude or marginalize any southern individual or party, noting that the path of
the southern dialogue is based on broad partnership and responsible
representation within the south. His remarks were made during a consultative
meeting launched in the Saudi capital, Riyadh that brought together leaders,
tribal sheikhs, and notable figures from southern Yemen. The meeting comes as
part of efforts aimed at shaping a comprehensive southern vision to address the
southern issue through a safe and comprehensive political process. The meeting’s
statement emphasized that it was explicitly affirmed that there is no intention
to exclude or marginalize any southern person or party, and that this path is
founded on broad partnership and responsible representation within the South. In
the final statement which was read by al-Mahrami, participants also affirmed
that the meeting reflected a comprehensive southern will represented by the
various leaders, segments, and southern governorates. It sought to reach a fair,
secure, and guaranteed solution to the southern issue, away from escalation
paths or attempts to create side conflicts that serve neither the South nor its
future.
Alignment of the Saudi position with southern demands
The statement explained that direct meetings with the Saudi leadership and
officials confirmed the alignment of the Saudi position with the just demands of
the southern people and the Kingdom’s support for their right to reach a
comprehensive political solution that guarantees their dignity, security,
stability, and future, without imposing prior conditions. It added that this
support includes guaranteeing the right of the southern people to determine
their political future and exercise self-determination, including the
restoration of a fully sovereign southern state through a responsible political
process.
Economic, livelihood, and security support The statement noted that
participants, since their arrival in Riyadh, sensed genuine welcome and clear
support for the southern cause. Their presence played a direct role in conveying
the needs of the southern people and forces, foremost among them the issue of
delayed salaries for four months, which received positive and responsible
engagement from the Kingdom—reflecting its keenness to alleviate citizens’
suffering. The statement also pointed to receiving direct assurances of
continued Saudi support for southern forces responsible for protecting the South
and its security and deployed on battlefronts, including the commitment to fully
disburse their entitlements, support them, and enhance their capabilities, in a
way that strengthens stability and protects national gains.
Strategic partnership and regional security
The participants affirmed that supporting the economy and development
constitutes one of the pillars of the future partnership between the south and
Saudi Arabia, and that what is took place on Sunday represented a true launch
toward a strategic future based on security, stability, and development. The
statement stressed that Saudi Arabia has been and remained the main supporter
and backer of the south in confronting threats, noting that the real danger lies
in the Houthi militias and their expansionist projects, in addition to terrorist
organizations such as ISIS and al-Qaeda.The statement categorically rejected
attempts to cast doubt on the Kingdom’s role or campaigns targeting southern
military and security forces, foremost among them the Giants Brigades, the
Homeland Shield Forces, land forces, Shabwa Defense Forces, Security Belt
Forces, and the Hadrami elite forces, considering them an integral part of the
system protecting the South and its security.
Call for support
The statement concluded by affirming mutual trust with Saudi Arabia and
stressing the commitment to carrying the cause of the southern people with
national responsibility and managing it with a state-minded approach, away from
political posturing and reactive responses. It also called on the southern
public to express their legitimate aspirations with awareness and
responsibility, and to support the southern dialogue sponsored by the Kingdom as
the safe and guaranteed path, emphasizing that the option of restoring the
southern state through this political process represents a primary priority and
goal. The participants further called on the international community to support
the southern choice of dialogue, respect their legitimate aspirations, and back
this Saudi-sponsored path as the most realistic framework for achieving peace
and stability in the South and the region, in line with the requirements of
regional and international security and stability.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on January
18-19/2026
Washington and Iran: Sustained Pressure
and the Avoidance of War
Farhad Alaaldin,The Iraqi Prime Minister's Advisor for Foreign Affairs/Asharq
Al-Awsat/January 18/2026
Washington’s current policy approach toward Iran seeks to apply maximum pressure
while avoiding open-ended military confrontation. Rather than rushing to resolve
the conflict, this American administration prefers to manage tensions within
carefully calibrated limits, keeping options for deterrence open without being
dragged into clashes. This approach cannot be understood in isolation from a
strategic assessment of costs, as well as Washington’s assessment of the
regional balance and risks to the relative stability of the region, which has
become an objective in itself.
President Donald Trump’s approach to Iran follows a clear pattern: managing
global conflicts through economic and diplomatic pressure underpinned by
military force as a means for compelling adversaries to adjust their behavior
without military confrontation. This policy does not stem from an assumption
that war is the ideal option nor traditional negotiation. Instead, it leverages
tensions as a political instrument.
Relations with Iran are managed, with the US escalating or de-escalating as the
White House sees fit; it is not a crisis to be resolved through a single
decisive move. Pressure is a tool to force Tehran to reassess its regional
calculations by raising costs but without threatening the integrity of the
political system. The objective is not regime change but narrowing Iran’s room
for maneuver in the region and altering the balance of deterrence.
This policy relies on keeping the option of escalation present and credible
without resorting to it immediately. The threat here is not mere rhetoric; it is
an active element in the deterrence equation. The core idea is that possessing
the capacity to escalate, while controlling its timing and limits, grants
Washington political and strategic leverage without bearing the cost of open
war. This explains the combination of harsh rhetoric and severe pressure
measures with a calculated restraint from engaging in direct military
confrontation.
Within this tension-management framework, limited military escalation aimed at
disrupting or temporarily disabling Iranian military capabilities, without
sparking a comprehensive war, cannot be ruled out. The scenarios under
discussion range from surgical military strikes to high-impact cyber operations
that are carefully timed and avoid breaking the controlled escalation ceiling.
Such options, if they are taken, would likely be accompanied by continued
economic and political pressure, alongside bets on domestic factors, including
protests, as part of a long-term strategy of attrition, not a substitute for
military options.
For its part, Iran sees this pressure policy as a battle of endurance rather
than a clash. Instead of open escalation, Tehran has sought to ensure economic
resilience, the development of deterrent capacities, and greater room for
maneuver in the region that allows it to absorb pressure without making
substantive concessions. This approach has not eliminated the impact of
sanctions, but it has created a bulwark against imposed strategic shifts in
Iran’s behavior, reinforcing Tehran’s conviction that managing tension, rather
than breaking it, is the least costly option.
On the other hand, Iran has managed to maintain cohesion within its political
system despite mounting pressures. This cohesion comes at the expense of Iran’s
economy and its technological and financial capacities, which have clearly been
eroding. As a result, the conflict has evolved into a long-term struggle managed
through sanctions, isolation, and indirect pressure rather than a swift military
battle.
The prospect of direct conflict remains open within this framework of mutual
deterrence. The United States retains the option of using force, and it has
shown a willingness to use force when necessary, while Iran has maintained
deterrent capabilities without resorting to direct clashes. A gray zone has
taken shape; neither war nor a settlement seems imminent: political and military
signals are being sent and red lines are being tested. At the heart of the
equation lies Iraq. It is among the arenas most vulnerable to the repercussions
of this approach. Baghdad is treated neither as a fully neutral actor nor an
open battlefield. Rather, it seeks to ensure balance, absorb the spillover of
US-Iranian tensions, and prevent direct confrontation. Iraq’s leadership
operates within narrow margins as it seeks to avoid overt alignment with either
side and to keep channels of communication open with both, seeking containment
rather than confrontation.
This approach reflects a keen understanding of the current phase; preserving
domestic stability is now a priority that overrides the articulation of
political positions. However, maintaining this containment policy is a constant
challenge for Iraq, as increasing friction between Washington and Tehran
directly spills over on its security, economy, and political decision-making.
This practical approach prioritizes Iraqi national interests and fortifies the
domestic front, reducing the cost of this conflict. Put briefly, Washington’s
policy is to manage the conflict rather than resolving it, and to apply
calibrated pressure and use deterrence to avoid war rather than to provoke
direct confrontations. While this approach could allow for tactical gains, the
regional repercussions remain difficult to ascertain, particularly for states
situated on the fault lines, foremost among them Iraq.
Trump holds the world on a tightrope of suspense in Iran
Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya English/18 January/2026
The first point that needs to be made regarding the future of the Iranian
regime, following President Donald Trump’s warnings and measures, is that the
Islamic Republic, established in 1979, is structurally shaken at its core, and
Iran is on a new trajectory under the shadow of all possible scenarios.
The pillars of the regime will not voluntarily reform their nuclear and missile
doctrines or the militias’ arms. They may be subjected to realities imposed by
military operations targeting militia headquarters, such as Hezbollah in
Lebanon, and other realities within Iran, forcing them to take cover and
temporarily adjust the regime’s behavior to buy time and remain in power. But
this will not bear fruit for them. Even if Trump temporarily refrains from
military operations against Iran, his decisive and overarching war will focus on
economic strangulation, an oil blockade, and enabling internal upheaval through
innovative new methods. Everything remains possible in the coming days, but
American objectives are not day-bound; they are part of a strategy to contain
Iran and encircle its allies, especially China, which may find itself without
oil.
A few weeks ago, Trump distanced China from Venezuela when its president,
Nicolás Maduro, was taken for trial in New York on drug trafficking charges,
cutting Beijing off from a key source of influence and oil. He then imposed
tariffs on any Iranian oil imports, aiming to restrict China’s evasion of
sanctions imposed on Iran. The cost of defiance has become high.
Neither China nor Russia appeared ready to defend the regime in Tehran beyond
verbal support and statements of condemnation. In fact, their positions revealed
the extent of Iran’s isolation.
It also became clear that strategic agreements between Iran and its Chinese and
Russian allies are merely ink on paper during the most critical moments for
Tehran. States have their own priorities, and confronting America for Iran is
not a Chinese or Russian priority, as Trump has highlighted the enormous costs.
Arab states have entered the hot line to persuade the American president to
exercise restraint, fearing the fallout of chaos within Iran and its impact on
neighboring countries, which would also lead to higher oil prices. This came to
help Tehran seize the opportunity to shift its approach toward serious
negotiations with the United States regarding the three pillars of Iran’s
doctrine: nuclear, missile, and proxies.
This time, what is at stake is not deals that exclude Iran’s regional behavior.
That occurred during the era of Barack Obama and his European partners, who
submitted to Iran’s dictate to exclude missiles and regional behavior from
nuclear negotiations in order to reach the JCPOA agreement. Donald Trump will
not repeat that mistake. Accordingly, enforcing amendments or reform of Iran’s
doctrinal status quo is now seriously on the table, both regarding missiles and
in preventing Tehran’s men – especially the Revolutionary Guard – from
undermining state sovereignty of countries in the region through irregular
forces loyal to Iran. The demand to hold serious talks that Trump made on Iran’s
Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is not intended as a means for delay and
procrastination or to avoid obligations. The countdown to military operations
targeting key regime nodes and infrastructure ran alongside a counter-countdown
of a devastating oil siege on Iran’s economy. Any political understandings
occurred strictly within this framework. Any postponement of military strikes
came independently of the economic and oil containment of Iran, which will
sooner or later lead to internal explosion against the regime.
In other words, any delay in fully supporting protests and opponents in Iran is
temporary, because the economic situation stalking Tehran’s regime will
inevitably trigger an implosion that could topple it. The judiciary in Iran’s
decision to halt the execution of 800 protesters, in exchange for Trump
postponing planned military operations, is another indicator of Tehran’s rulers’
fright of the consequences of military strikes.
Fear and anxiety over economic encirclement and oil blockade permeate the
regime’s pillars, yet the true panic arises from the existence of military
operations against key regime nodes. Trump leveraged the non-execution of the
sentences as a personal victory, while insisting on not revealing his full
plans. That’s because Donald Trump masters the art of suspense and
tactical-strategic ambiguity alike. It has been reported that Israel entered the
process to persuade Trump’s team to delay the strike, as did Russia, which
approached the US president’s chief advisor, his friend Steve Witkoff, to
influence Trump toward a postponement in exchange for pushing Iran toward
serious negotiations and concessions. As for why Israel wanted to delay the
direct US military strike against Iran, the answer remains unclear. Some speak
of Israel prioritizing a decisive strike against Iran’s ally in Lebanon,
Hezbollah, before joining the US in direct military operations against Iran.
There is also concern over Iranian retaliation or preemptive operations against
Israel. Additionally, there is talk of camouflage measures while completing full
military preparations, including the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln to the
region from the South China Sea within a week.Most importantly, disorienting
Iran has become an American and Israeli tactic in a strategy of nerve-burning,
keeping the regime on the edge of the abyss. Yet there are practical and
pragmatic indicators for the timing of postponed military operations. Israeli
military officials say that a one-week delay during negotiations gives Israel
room for additional military preparations. White House political officials
prefer to time military strikes in February, after President Donald Trump
participates in the World Economic Forum in Davos, from January 19 to 23.
Protesters inside Iran also need further tangible support as well as protection
from repression on the scale of executing 800 of them. Therefore, delaying
military strikes does not constitute betrayal or American abandonment; rather,
the delay provides a window to reorganize ranks and devise strategies to further
expose the regime’s vulnerabilities, both economic and structural. We do not
know who will win the timing race between militarization and negotiations. We do
not know whether military operations will be postponed for several days or weeks
in exchange for Iranian concessions previously unimaginable.
We do not know if the impossible will occur in the minds of the Islamic
Republic’s leaders, prompting them to seriously reform their doctrine as a means
to save the regime. Nor do we know who will assume power in Iran if the regime
collapses.
What we do know is that the Islamic Republic faces a critical dilemma, with no
alternative but either serious reform and abandoning its nuclear, missile, and
militia doctrines – which is nearly impossible – or clinging to power and
unleashing the Revolutionary Guard and Basij to fully suppress protesters and
demonstrations. This will inevitably lead to decisive US military strikes,
economic strangulation, and an oil blockade designed to exhaust and topple the
regime. Donald Trump enjoys holding the world on a taut string of suspense, yet
he carefully considers the consequences of any action he takes in Iran. Iran –
rather than Ukraine – is today’s central story. But from the outset, Trump’s
project has been a strategic cordoning of Iran and its proxies – as well as its
big protectors- through oil blockade and by cutting off its lifeline from
Venezuela to Lebanon.
Trump, Iran and
Ukraine: When Promises Meet 'Caution,' the West's Deadly Trap
Pierre Rehov/Gatestone
Institute/January 18/2026
"The ruthless slaughter of anti-government protesters in Iran appears to have
stopped — but only because residents are being held hostage in their homes by
machine gun-wielding security forces that have flooded the streets... 'There
were tanks out — there's tanks everywhere'... 'There are no protests anymore
because of massive killings. With 12,000 dead, people are terrified...'" — The
New York Post, January 15, 2026.
Iranians have learned through bitter experience that when executions are
"paused," this does not mean they are canceled: they are "postponed" or carried
out quietly, away from international scrutiny.
What this episode ultimately exposed was not simply a tactical decision by one
administration, but a structural failure in how the West approaches popular
uprisings against entrenched tyrannies. Western leaders are adept at virtue
signaling but conspicuously hesitant and fragmentary at follow-through.
Expressions of solidarity are issued quickly; commitments to protection are
hedged or left deliberately vague.
The Islamic Republic understands this pattern intimately. It knows that it can
absorb rhetorical condemnation, wait out media cycles, and then resume
repression once attention shifts elsewhere. Tehran's temporary retreat on
executions, whether genuine or tactical, fits neatly into this playbook. A
regime that has survived more than four decades through systematic violence does
not abandon its methods because of warnings. It adapts, recalibrates and seeks
to reduce the immediate risk of foreign intervention while preserving its core
mechanisms of control.
The danger for the protesters is that external encouragement, when not backed by
sustained pressure, can accelerate this cycle by convincing the regime that it
must act more efficiently, more quietly, and more ruthlessly.
[O]ppressed populations are encouraged [by the West] to rise, while those
encouraging them retain the option to disengage.... By speaking openly about
consequences and then stepping back once Tehran signaled a partial retreat,
[Trump] exposed the limits of American power in a way that previous
administrations often concealed behind bureaucratic language.
Iran's regime has revealed, once again, the deadly trap at the heart of Western
policy, seen in Ukraine as well as in the Middle East: a willingness to praise
bravery without guaranteeing protection. Trump's handling of these crises should
be read less as a simple failure or success than as a warning. Words can
inspire, but they can also expose countless people to monumental danger. In Iran
today, and Ukraine, the difference between success and disaster depends not on
declarations, but on whether those who speak the loudest are prepared actually
to follow through.
Tehran's temporary retreat on executions, whether genuine or tactical, fits
neatly into this playbook. A regime that has survived more than four decades
through systematic violence does not abandon its methods because of warnings. It
adapts, recalibrates and seeks to reduce the immediate risk of foreign
intervention while preserving its core mechanisms of control. Iran's latest
uprising began the way they always do: with humiliation in the marketplace, a
collapsing currency, families unable to buy basic necessities, and a generation
that has already lived through enough lies to recognize the smell of fear from
the regime. What followed was the most serious nationwide challenge to the
Islamic Republic since 1979: demonstrations spread across all 31 provinces,
cascading through major cities and smaller towns alike, and then the familiar
machinery of terror grinding into motion — live fire from police and regime
militias, mass arrests, forced confessions, rushed trials, and the deliberate
use of executions as a public "lesson."
Estimates of the dead vary: the regime wants darkness. Its week-long internet
shutdown turned large parts of the country into a black hole; yet by modern
standards, even the low estimates are catastrophic. A senior Iranian official
speaking to Reuters put the death toll at around 2,000, while the US-based Human
Rights Activists News Agency has reported a toll in the mid-2,500s with more
than 18,000 arrests, and Iran Human Rights has published a higher verified
figure exceeding 3,000 based on documentation it says it has cross-checked.
Amnesty International has described what amounts to a massacre dynamic,
particularly during the peak days of the repression. Bodies arrived faster than
families could identify them, and security forces acted with near-total
impunity. Names occasionally break through the fog — young protesters sentenced
within days, some presumably executed, others disappearing into the prison
system — but the movement remains deliberately leaderless, because the regime's
first instinct is always decapitation.
The word "revolution" in Iran reflects a population openly testing whether the
Islamic Republic can be broken from within and whether the world is prepared to
confront a regime that survives only through fear.
As the protests intensified and the death toll climbed, US President Donald J.
Trump moved into the frame. His statements were accompanied by a series of
visible military signals that were undoubtedly closely watched in Tehran,
Jerusalem, and across the Persian Gulf. US strategic bombers were prepositioned
to Diego Garcia, the remote Indian Ocean base long associated with contingency
planning for Iran. Additional aerial refueling assets were shifted toward Europe
to support extended-range operations, while naval deployments in the Gulf region
were quietly reinforced. In Kuwait, U.S. facilities increased readiness levels,
and regional commanders emphasized force protection measures across CENTCOM's
area of responsibility.
Israeli defense authorities placed the country on heightened alert, anticipating
that any American strike — however limited — would almost certainly trigger
Iranian retaliation on US allies via missiles, drones or proxy forces. In the
Middle East, such movements are read as signals, not exercises, and the message
was clear: Washington was preparing options. At the same time, Trump's public
language reinforced that impression. He warned Tehran that killing civilians
would not be tolerated and that if the regime continued firing on its own
people, it would face consequences.
For many Iranians, long accustomed to hearing Western leaders express concern
while avoiding commitment, the combination of rhetoric and military posture this
time felt different. It suggested that at last the United States might be
willing to go beyond statements.
The moment of maximum tension came when reports emerged that the regime was
preparing a massive wave of executions. Iranian state-linked media and judicial
sources spoke of hundreds of death sentences tied to the protests, with numbers
circulating that reached as high as 800 planned hangings. It was at this point
that Trump publicly escalated his language: "If they start killing people like
they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United
States."
In another remark, he warned that the United States was watching closely and
that Tehran would "pay a heavy price" if the executions went forward. These were
not offhand comments; they were delivered deliberately, in front of cameras, and
widely broadcast. Then, during a subsequent press conference, Trump announced
what he described as a complete reversal by the regime:
"We've been told that the killing in Iran is stopping – it's stopped – it's
stopping. And there's no plan for executions, or an execution, or execution – so
I've been told that on good authority."
The shift was presented as a result of pressure, and Trump showcased it as proof
that deterrence was working. Almost immediately, the sense of impending
confrontation receded, and the administration signaled a pause in further
escalation.
However, according to the New York Post:
"The ruthless slaughter of anti-government protesters in Iran appears to have
stopped — but only because residents are being held hostage in their homes by
machine gun-wielding security forces that have flooded the streets, sources told
The Post Thursday.... 'There were tanks out — there's tanks everywhere,' the
source told The Post after speaking to family in Tehran about the current
situation.... 'There are no protests anymore because of massive killings. With
12,000 dead, people are terrified,' the local said..."
The Iranian public absorbed this sequence not as a diplomatic success but as a
sudden vacuum. Protesters who had taken to the streets under the belief that the
regime was facing unprecedented external pressure now found themselves exposed
once again to the familiar reality of unchecked repression. Iranians have
learned through bitter experience that when executions are "paused," this does
not mean they are canceled: they are "postponed" or carried out quietly, away
from international scrutiny. Families of detainees understood that a delay might
simply mean time for interrogations, torture, forced confessions, and
closed-door trials. In that atmosphere, relief over the suspension of mass
hangings coexisted with a far darker concern: that the regime would exact its
revenge quietly once the spotlight dimmed.
From a strategic standpoint, the constraints facing the White House were severe.
A direct American strike on Iran would have to be a contained punitive action.
It could not be allowed to trigger a regional confrontation, drawing in forces
across the Middle East, as well as Iranian proxies from Lebanon to Yemen.
Iran possesses a vast missile and drone arsenal precisely intended to impose
strategic costs on adversaries, and the regime has repeatedly demonstrated its
willingness to strike energy infrastructure, shipping lanes, and civilian
targets. Israeli officials made no secret of the fact that their country could
face massive missile salvos in the event of a US-Iran clash. Gulf states, while
privately hostile to the Islamic Republic, feared becoming the battleground or
retaliation target for a war that could devastate oil markets and destabilize
their own societies. Meanwhile, the global economy remained sensitive to any
potential disruption in energy supplies, and the United States itself is still
emerging from years of inflationary pressure.
These realities do not absolve inaction, but they explain why escalation carried
risks far beyond Iran's borders. Trump, who has consistently framed himself as
opposed to open-ended wars, confronted the same dilemma that has paralyzed
Western policy toward Iran for decades: how to punish a regime that thrives on
escalation without triggering a conflict whose costs could be measured in
thousands of lives across multiple countries.
What this episode ultimately exposed was not simply a tactical decision by one
administration, but a structural failure in how the West approaches popular
uprisings against entrenched tyrannies. Western leaders are adept at virtue
signaling but conspicuously hesitant and fragmentary at follow-through.
Expressions of solidarity are issued quickly; commitments to protection are
hedged or left deliberately vague.
The Islamic Republic understands this pattern intimately. It knows that it can
absorb rhetorical condemnation, wait out media cycles, and then resume
repression once attention shifts elsewhere. Tehran's temporary retreat on
executions, whether genuine or tactical, fits neatly into this playbook. A
regime that has survived more than four decades through systematic violence does
not abandon its methods because of warnings. It adapts, recalibrates and seeks
to reduce the immediate risk of foreign intervention while preserving its core
mechanisms of control.
The danger for the protesters is that external encouragement, when not backed by
sustained pressure, can accelerate this cycle by convincing the regime that it
must act more efficiently, more quietly, and more ruthlessly.
The question, then, is not whether Trump experienced a moment of hesitation, but
whether the West as a whole is prepared to confront the consequences of its own
language. Supporting a people in revolt is not cost-free. It implies a
willingness to impose sustained penalties on the regime responsible for mass
murder and to accept that such penalties might provoke retaliation. Anything
less risks creating a cruel asymmetry: oppressed populations are encouraged to
rise, while those encouraging them retain the option to disengage. Trump did not
invent this asymmetry, but his unusually direct rhetoric made it impossible to
ignore. By speaking openly about consequences and then stepping back once Tehran
signaled a partial retreat, he exposed the limits of American power in a way
that previous administrations often concealed behind bureaucratic language. The
result is uncomfortable but clarifying. Either the free world decides that the
survival of regimes like Iran's is unacceptable and acts accordingly, or it must
stop treating revolts as moral spectacles.
If the Iranian uprising is ultimately crushed, the historical judgment will turn
on whether encouragement was matched by tangible help. The Iranian people have
demonstrated extraordinary courage in confronting a regime that answers dissent
with bullets and nooses.
Iran's regime has revealed, once again, the deadly trap at the heart of Western
policy, seen in Ukraine as well as in the Middle East: a willingness to praise
bravery without guaranteeing protection. Trump's handling of these crises should
be read less as a simple failure or success than as a warning. Words can
inspire, but they can also expose countless people to monumental danger. In Iran
today, and Ukraine, the difference between success and disaster depends not on
declarations, but on whether those who speak the loudest are prepared actually
to follow through.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22204/trump-iran-promises
**Pierre Rehov, who holds a law degree from Paris-Assas, is a French reporter,
novelist and documentary filmmaker. He is the author of six novels, including
"Beyond Red Lines", " The Third Testament" and "Red Eden", translated from
French. His latest essay on the aftermath of the October 7 massacre " 7 octobre
- La riposte " became a bestseller in France.As a filmmaker, he has produced and
directed 17 documentaries, many photographed at high risk in Middle Eastern war
zones, and focusing on terrorism, media bias, and the persecution of Christians.
His latest documentary, "Pogrom(s)" highlights the context of ancient Jew hatred
within Muslim civilization as the main force behind the October 7 massacre.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Israel bringing chaos to King Hussein Bridge
Daoud Kuttab/Arab News/January 18, 2026
The King Hussein Bridge stands as a stark symbol of the struggles faced by
Palestinians in their quest for freedom of movement and human dignity. As I
observed during my recent visit to Palestine, the frustrations surrounding this
crossing have escalated, revealing not only the logistical challenges but also
the deeper implications of Israeli policies that exacerbate these issues. In
recent weeks, the situation at the King Hussein Bridge has reached a boiling
point. As many Palestinians attempted to travel back to the West Bank from
Jordan for work and school, they faced long queues, overcrowded conditions and a
lack of transparency in respect of the order of who gets priority to cross.
While some criticisms of Jordan’s management of the crossing are valid, it is
crucial to understand that the root causes lie in the stringent Israeli controls
that create artificial delays, huge bottlenecks and chaos.
Efforts by the Biden administration to pressure Israel into keeping the bridge
open 24 hours a day were temporarily successful in April 2023 but have since
been rolled back. Even with the recent ceasefire in Gaza and the start of the
second phase of the peace plan, there appears to be no renewed commitment from
the US to ensure that this vital crossing remains open around the clock for the
3 million Palestinians in the West Bank. The claims of the international
community, including the US, to respect Palestinian rights and dignity ring
hollow in light of the reality at this crossing.
Last week, overcrowding at the bridge forced Palestinian travelers to set up
tents and sleep on the Jordanian side as they awaited their chance to cross into
Palestine. The online registration system, developed with the help of a local
bus company, does not guarantee timely passage, as the maximum number of
travelers permitted each day is dictated by Israeli authorities. Moreover, the
system’s lack of oversight has allowed for rampant abuse, further complicating
the plight of those seeking to traverse the bridge.
The emergence of porters and middlemen, who exploit these bottlenecks for
profit, paints a grim picture of the situation. Reports of bribes being
exchanged for preferential treatment illustrate a system rife with corruption
and inefficiency. Many travelers have shared experiences of being told they were
next in line, only to see those who paid bribes bypass them. This lack of
transparency breeds deep resentment among Palestinians who are simply trying to
exercise their right to movement. The root causes lie in the stringent Israeli
controls that create artificial delays, huge bottlenecks and chaos.
Beyond the issue of corruption, the conditions at the crossing are deplorable.
Travelers report inadequate restroom facilities, abuse of their luggage and
inconsistent taxi fares, which only add to their frustrations.
For Jerusalem residents, the situation is even more challenging. Outdated
Jordanian systems complicate their travel, often resulting in additional costs
and delays due to a refusal to recognize their residency documents. The
exorbitant costs associated with exit fees and Israeli permits mean that a
Jerusalem family can sometimes have to pay a staggering $1,000 in fees and
travel costs to cover the 70 km journey between Jerusalem and Amman.
It is imperative to recognize that the Israeli authorities bear significant
responsibility for the hardships faced by Palestinian travelers at the King
Hussein Bridge. Their policies create an environment ripe for exploitation,
where the most vulnerable are subjected to the whims of those willing to pay for
preferential treatment. These systemic barriers not only disrupt daily life but
also violate fundamental rights to freedom of movement and dignity.
As Amjad Al-Shala, secretary of the Palestinian Bar Association, aptly noted,
the suffering of Palestinians at the crossing constitutes a series of legal
crimes and blatant violations of their rights. The unjustified overcrowding and
congestion at the crossing contravene international law, which guarantees the
right to travel without obstacles. The continued imposition of such barriers
reflects poorly on Israel’s commitment to human rights and exposes the hypocrisy
of international norms that are meant to protect these rights.
The King Hussein Bridge should be a conduit for connection and commerce, yet it
has become synonymous with frustration, corruption and suffering. Both Jordan
and the international community must demand a reevaluation of the policies
governing movement at this crossing, ensuring that the rights and dignity of
Palestinian citizens are upheld. The voices of those enduring the arduous
journey across the King Hussein Bridge must be amplified. Their stories of
humiliation and indignity cannot be ignored. It is time for a concerted effort
to address the root causes of the issues at this crossing, starting with a
critical examination of Israeli policies that create unnecessary obstacles.
The situation at the King Hussein Bridge is a microcosm of the broader struggles
faced by Palestinians under occupation. It serves as a reminder that the fight
for dignity, justice and the right to move freely requires urgent attention. The
international community, especially the US, must ensure that it upholds its
claims of supporting dignity for Palestinians. It is time to work toward a
future where the King Hussein Bridge — and other crossing points — become
symbols of connection and dignity, rather than barriers to freedom and a source
of inhumanity and absence of simple dignity.
• Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian journalist and former Ferris
Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. He is the author of “State of
Palestine Now: Practical and Logical Arguments for the Best Way to Bring Peace
to the Middle East.” X: @daoudkuttab
Selected Face Book & X tweets/
January 18/2026
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
"I'm aware that my position on unconditional Arab peace with
Israel and other stances rub some Arabs and Muslims the wrong way, but our role
as Arab intellectuals is to proscribe the best policy and course of action, not
to tell people what they like to hear or play the role of regime propagandists,"
I told @BlinxNow in one of the interviews that I've enjoyed giving the most over
the past few weeks. Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhc7uGQ1nDM