English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For January 27/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never
enter the kingdom of heaven
Matthew 18/01-05: “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and
asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom
he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become
like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes
humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January
26-27/2026
The Necessity of Ending Lebanon’s “Battleground” Status and Recognizing
Israel/Elias Bejjani/January 25/2026
The World Post-Trump is Not the Same as the World Pre-Trump/
Alfred Mady/Facebook/January 26/2026
Video Link: An interview with Father Toni Khadra Targeting Christians to empty
them out of Lebanon and all Arab countries.
Two killed in Israel's attacks on south as strikes continue overnight
Israeli strike targets car on Tyre road, killing one person and wounding two
US embassies in Beirut and Israel say committed to seeking Lebanon-Israel peace
Karam says Hezbollah not helping army locate weapons and facilities
Lebanese PM seeks new international force after UNIFIL, Israel continues strikes
Aoun, Rajji discuss Israeli violations as Lebanon files UN complaint
Berri accuses Israel of trying to sabotage Mechanism despite 'bad performance'
Salam: Tripoli is not alone and my heart is with the south
Salam: Washington Did Not Request France’s Ouster from Mechanism Negotiations
Hezbollah chief says any attack on Iran also targets his group, ‘we are not
neutral’
Qatar to Invest Hundreds of Millions to Support Lebanon
Qatari minister meets Lebanese leaders, announces major aid package for Lebanon
Qatari minister reaffirms support for Lebanon, calls stability a regional
priority
IDF details role and methods of Hezbollah’s local liaison operatives/David Daoud/FDD's
Long War Journal/January 26/ 2026
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on January
26-27/2026
US
official says Washington is ‘open for business’ if Iran wishes to contact
America
US aircraft carrier arrives in Middle East amid Iran tensions
US Deploys Aircraft Carrier as Iran Warns Against Attack
Third batch of Iranians deported by US to return home, Iran media report
US Air Force to begin Middle East exercise amid Iran tensions
UAE says it will not allow attacks on Iran from its soil
Iran Urges Wounded Protesters to Seek Hospital Care as Arrest Reports Spark
Alarm
Maliki’s nomination for Iraqi premiership stirs US concern, divides Sunnis
Rubio warns Iraq on ties with Iran as al-Maliki sets return
Ties with UAE important for regional stability, Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat says
Israel agrees only to partial and conditional reopening of Rafah crossing
Gaza hospital says received nine Palestinian prisoners from Israel via Red Cross
Israeli forces recover the last hostage’s body from Gaza Strip
Israel retrieves last hostage body from Gaza in boost for Trump plan
Russia withdrawing troops from airport in northeast Syria, sources say
US envoy calls for ceasefire deal in northeastern Syria to be maintained
Damascus Acting with US Support to Control Sweida
Sudan army breaks RSF siege on southern city of Dilling
Russia says Ukraine talks held in ‘constructive spirit’
Trump does not want to see people killed on US streets, White House says
U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on January
26-27/2026
'Gaza's
Colonization Council': Hamas's Actual Position on Disarmament, Trump's Board of
Peace/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/January 26/2026
Don’t forget Iran!/Ben Cohen/Jewish News Syndicate/January 26/2026
Us…After the Davos Fog Lifts/Eyad Abu Shakra//Asharq Al Awsat/26 January/2026
The Affable Aide to Mr. President/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/26
January/2026
Trump’s Board of Peace and the politics of control/Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab
NewsJanuary 26, 2026
There is scope for Trump to strike a deal on Greenland/Andrew Hammond/Arab
News/January 26, 2026
Les tectoniques
en mouvement/Charles Elias Chartouni/This
Is Beirut/January 26/2026
Tectons in motion/Charles Elias Chartouni/This
Is Beirut/January 26/2026
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January
26-27/2026
The Necessity of Ending Lebanon’s “Battleground” Status and Recognizing
Israel
Elias Bejjani/January 25/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151479/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4GdPMkWXbs
As the saying goes, “Once the cause is
known, wonder ceases.” The true tragedy of Lebanon is not merely its security,
economic, or social collapse, but the suicidal persistence in remaining a
perpetual “battleground” and a regional “mailbox.” The core cause of this
national disintegration lies in the absence of faith among Lebanon’s ruling
class: political leaders, party bosses turned corporate oligarchs, hypocritical
Arabists, leftists, and self-proclaimed nationalists. They do not believe in the
concept of the state, nor in Lebanon as a sovereign entity with a distinct role
and mission. More dangerously, they lack the most basic standards of ethics and
genuine patriotism.
The so-called “Resistance” in Lebanon was never a Lebanese project. It was a
façade for cross-border agendas that transformed the country into a hostage.
This tragic farce began in the late 1960s, when criminal and terrorist
Palestinian organizations violated Lebanese sovereignty under the banner of
“liberation.” They were assisted by the so-called “National Movement”—a
coalition of leftists, Arabists, Baathists, and ideologues who harbored
hostility toward Lebanon as a state, a message, and a beacon of freedom—thereby
tearing apart the national fabric.
This was followed by the barbaric Syrian Baathist occupation, which imposed its
tutelage under the same slogans and ushered in one of the darkest eras in
Lebanon’s modern history. Since 2005, the Iranian-backed, sectarian, and
reckless Hezbollah militia has tightened its grip on the Lebanese people,
turning the South, the Suburbs, the Bekaa, and other regions into weapons
depots, tunnel networks, and missile platforms serving the agenda of Tehran’s
mullahs.
The insistence on keeping Lebanon in a permanent state of war with Israel—at a
time when Arab states are negotiating, reconciling, and prioritizing their
national interests—has produced devastating consequences:
The reduction of the state to mere “geography” used for settling the scores of
others, led by Iran, Syria, and the local, regional, and international merchants
of the “Resistance” illusion.
The impossibility of building a stable economy or attracting investment in a
country held hostage by a trigger finger controlled by foreign powers, capable
of igniting a war of total destruction at any moment.
Lebanon’s transformation into a “terrorist island” outside international
legitimacy and the rule of law, depriving it of peace, sovereignty,
independence, and development.
The entrenchment of a culture of death and war that drives Lebanon’s finest
youth into exile, leaving the country to militias, mobs, and political
opportunists.
Transitioning Lebanon into a “normal state” through mutual recognition between
Lebanon and Israel is not an act of treason. On the contrary, it represents the
highest form of patriotism and political realism. The benefits are clear and
tangible:
Finalizing borders and dismantling the fabricated pretexts of the Shebaa Farms
and Kfarchouba Hills, long exploited as an evil & fake tags “Shirt of Uthman” to
justify the persistence of illegal weapons.
Securing safe investment in offshore gas and oil resources and opening the door
to economic, commercial, and tourism cooperation in a region moving toward “zero
problems.”
Ending the so-called “state of war,” thereby stripping all militias of any
claimed legitimacy and restoring exclusive sovereign decision-making to the
Lebanese Army.
Most importantly, halting Lebanon’s role as a “factory of death” and restoring
its historic function as a cultural and civilizational bridge between East and
West.
In conclusion, Lebanon’s recovery of its identity and sovereignty begins with
full border control, strict adherence to international resolutions—including the
latest ceasefire agreement—and the rejection of the false narrative that
“Lebanon must always be the last to sign a peace accord with Israel.” Today,
Lebanese citizens are called upon to break free from political herd mentality
and the worship of “Iscariot” leaders who feast on national humiliation and
Lebanese blood.
Liberating Lebanon from the grip of “Temple Traders” and the culture of
appeasing the strong while shifting loyalties for personal gain requires the
courage to speak a simple truth: we want a homeland, not a battleground; a
state, not a private farm; and a just peace that ends nearly six decades of
deception, false heroism, and revolutionary delusions. The solution lies in
mutual recognition between Lebanon and the State of Israel, Under the auspices
of the United Nations and the international community, Lebanon will return to
being "a land of message, creativity, freedoms and stars," not "a land of
graves."
The World Post-Trump is Not the Same as the World Pre-Trump
Alfred Mady/Facebook/January 26/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151524/
The world after Trump is not like the world before Trump...
The world belongs to the strong, and the strong only...
They are the ones who must benefit first from the world's riches,
And they are the ones who run the world—not the United Nations, which he
considers to be failed and controlled by leftists.
He will not accept having its decisions imposed on the strong, especially on the
strongest power in the world... America!!!
Therefore, the role of the United Nations must end, and a new formula must be
sought where America (meaning Trump) is the foundation.
The world—and Lebanon in particular—must get used to this new formula...
Video Link: An interview with Father Toni Khadra Targeting Christians to empty
them out of Lebanon and all Arab countries.
Minister of Finance Ali Hassan Khalil appointed a Shiite director instead of the
Christian [one], in a bid to push out Christians from the state institutions.
The corrupt and sectarian Berri sees that the Christians lost the war, and for
this reason, they must not be in the state. The corrupt deep state exists and is
increasing in strength.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151534/
Interview Source: DNA Website/January 26, 2026
Elias Bejjani: The Shiite Duo (Amal Movement & Hezbollah) is criminal against
its own Shiites people before its criminality against the Christians and the
rest of the Lebanese... The Shiite Duo is Iranian, terrorist, and sectarian to
the bone, and there is a vast difference between this dictatorial Duo and the
majority of the Lebanese Shiite sect, who are taken as hostages and kidnapped in
service of the interest of the Persian Mullahs' project. This Duo does not have
in its orientations any national or Lebanese thought or culture. The Duo fired
the Christians from the state, and the corrupt Berri said to one of the bishops:
'You Christians lost the war, and for this reason, you do not have the right to
be in the state.'"
Two killed in Israel's attacks on south as strikes continue
overnight
Agence France Presse/January 26/2026
Israeli strikes on south Lebanon on Sunday have killed two people, the health
ministry reported, with Israel's military saying it struck Hezbollah targets.
Israel has kept up regular strikes in Lebanon despite a November 2024 truce that
sought to end more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, usually saying it
is targeting members of the Iran-backed group or its infrastructure. In a
statement, Lebanon's health ministry said "an Israeli enemy raid" near the town
of Khirbet Selm killed one person and wounded another five. It said a separate
strike in the village of Derdghaya killed one more person. The Israeli army said
it struck a "weapons manufacturing site" in the area of Khirbet Selm where it
had "identified the terrorist activity of Hezbollah operatives". It also
reported a strike in the Derdghaya area, saying that "in response to Hezbollah's
repeated violations of the ceasefire understandings", it carried out an attack
on a member of the group there.Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported
that one of the strikes in the south targeted a hangar, while the one in
Derdghaya targeted a car. The Israeli army said it struck "military
infrastructure sites belonging to Hezbollah" in the eastern Bekaa area as well.
The attacks in the east hit mountains near the town of Nabi Sheet and al-Jabbour
in west Bekaa, NNA said. Later on Sunday and overnight into Monday, Israeli
warplanes targeted with a series of airstrikes al-Rihan mountains, Jabal Safi,
and a region between al-Rihan and Loueizeh in the Jezzine district in south
Lebanon. More than 350 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon since
the ceasefire, according to an AFP tally of health ministry reports.
Israeli strike targets car on Tyre road, killing one person
and wounding two
Naharnet/January 26/2026
An Israeli drone targeted Monday a car on the Tyre-Hosh road, killing one person
and wounding two others, as Israel seemed to intensify its strikes on south and
east Lebanon. The Israeli army said it targeted a Hezbollah member in the region
of Tyre in south Lebanon.On Sunday, two people were killed in a series of
strikes on south and east Lebanon. The strikes targeted Khirbet Selm, Derdghaya,
West Bekaa, and Iqlim al-Tuffah.The strikes continued overnight into Monday.
Israel has kept up regular strikes in Lebanon despite a November 2024 truce that
sought to end more than a year of hostilities, usually saying it is targeting
members of Hezbollah or its infrastructure.More than 350 people have been killed
by Israeli fire in Lebanon since the ceasefire, according to an AFP tally of
health ministry reports.
US embassies in Beirut and Israel say committed to seeking
Lebanon-Israel peace
Naharnet/January 26/2026
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut and the U.S. embassy in Israel are “committed to
Lebanon and Israel moving towards a sustainable and effective peace through
diplomacy and dialogue,” the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said on X. “This weekend,
they were hosted by @USEmbassyJordan where they discussed steps needed for a
more peaceful and prosperous region,” the Embassy added. Lebanese and Israeli
civilian representatives had in December held their first direct talks in
decades, part of a year-old U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism. The United
States has pushed for direct talks between the two sides in a bid to stabilize
the region and further weaken Hezbollah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's office called it a first attempt to establish a basis for ties
between the two sides. Lebanon has declared itself ready for negotiations with
Israel. Netanyahu has repeatedly said Lebanon should join the Abraham Accords,
under which a handful of Arab and Muslim countries have normalized ties with
Israel. In 1983, after Israel's invasion of Lebanon, the two countries held
direct talks, resulting in the signing of an agreement that would have
established relations. It was never ratified. Netanyahu’s office also said that
the talks would discuss “economic cooperation.” Israel has repeatedly bombed
Lebanon despite the 2024 truce, saying it is targeting Hezbollah members and
infrastructure to stop the group from rebuilding its military capabilities.
Under a government-approved plan, the Lebanese Army said earlier this month that
it has dismantled Hezbollah's military infrastructure south of the Litani River.
Judging the Lebanese efforts insufficient, Israel has ramped up its strikes in
recent weeks. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced Friday that Lebanon “will not
back down” from the second phase of the disarmament plan, which is supposed to
take place between the Litani and Awali rivers.
Karam says Hezbollah not helping army locate weapons and
facilities
Naharnet/January 26/2026
The Lebanese Army is dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in south
Lebanon on its own, without help from Hezbollah, head of the Lebanese delegation
to the ceasefire monitoring committee Simon Karam told al-Hadath channel. Karam
said Monday that Hezbollah has not given any information about its weapons and
facilities to the Army and that the army is working alone in the south.
Lebanon's army said this month it had completed the first phase of its plan to
disarm Hezbollah, covering the area south of the Litani river, around 30
kilometers from the Israeli border, and is ready to move to the next phase,
north of the Litani. A Lebanese army official told al-Hadath that the army's
plan for the region north of the Litani is ready and that the implementation
awaits a decision from the government. Israel, which accuses Hezbollah of
rearming, has criticized the army's progress as insufficient, while Hezbollah
has rejected calls to surrender its weapons. Karam urged the ceasefire committee
to meet soon, adding that the priority to Lebanon in the negotiations is a safe
return of the southerners who were displaced by war to their villages. Despite
the ceasefire reached in November 2024, Israel has kept up its strikes on south
and east Lebanon and has been occupying five hills it deems "strategic" in south
Lebanon. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri accused Israel Monday of trying to
"sabotage" the ceasefire monitoring committee despite its performance that he
described as poor.He and Karam insisted on the importance of the committee,
although he said it has failed to fulfill its role.
Lebanese PM seeks new international force after UNIFIL,
Israel continues strikes
The Arab Weekly/January 26/2026
While Israel continues its air strikes against Hezbollah targets, Lebanon is
seeking an alternative international force after the withdrawal of the United
Nations’ UNIFIL mission scheduled for 2027. Some 10,800 UN peacekeepers have
manned a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon since March 1978, but they will
have one year to leave Lebanon starting on December 31, under a resolution
passed last August under pressure from the United States and Israel. “We will
always need an international presence in the south, and preferably a UN
presence, given the impartiality and neutrality that only the UN can provide,”
Lebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam said on Saturday, a day after a meeting with
French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. The force would need a mix of
observers and peacekeepers, largely because of a “history of hostility” with
Israel, he added. UN peacekeepers currently operate in southern Lebanon in
cooperation with the Lebanese army, part of a ceasefire between Israel and the
pro-Iranian Shia movement Hezbollah in place since November 2024. While Israel
was supposed to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, it has maintained
them in five areas it considers strategic.
It regularly conducts air strikes in the country on what it claims are Hezbollah
sites and members, whom it accuses of rearming. Questioned about Hezbollah’s
promised disarmament, Salam said Phase 2 of this process had begun “two weeks
ago”.
The Lebanese army says it has completed the first phase, which calls for
disarming Hezbollah south of the Litani River. The second phase will involve
disarmament between the Litani and the Awali River, an area further north that
has significant Hezbollah influence. “I can clearly see that Phase 2 has
different requirements than Phase 1,” said Salam, adding that Hezbollah’s
rhetoric had been “rather harsh”.“But let me be clear, we will not back down,”
he added. Israeli strikes on south Lebanon killed two people on Sunday, the
health ministry reported, with Israel’s military saying it struck “Hezbollah
targets”. Israel has kept up regular strikes in Lebanon despite a November 2024
truce that sought to end more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, usually
saying it is targeting members of the Iran-backed group or its infrastructure.
In a statement, Lebanon’s health ministry said “an Israeli enemy raid” near the
town of Khirbet Selm killed one person and wounded another five. It said a
separate strike in the village of Derdghaya killed one more person. The Israeli
army said it struck a “weapons manufacturing site” in the area of Khirbet Selm
where it had “identified the terrorist activity of Hezbollah operatives”. It
also reported a strike in the Derdghaya area, saying that “in response to
Hezbollah’s repeated violations of the ceasefire understandings”, it carried out
an attack on a member of the group there.It said it struck “military
infrastructure sites belonging to Hezbollah” in the eastern Bekaa area as well.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that one of the strikes in the
south targeted a hangar, while the one in Derdghaya targeted a car. The attack
in the east hit mountains near the town of Nabi Sheet, NNA said. On Wednesday,
Israel struck four crossings along the Syria-Lebanon border, alleging they were
used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons. Lebanon’s army said this month it had
completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, covering the area
south of the Litani river, around 30 kilometres from the Israeli border. Israel,
which accuses Hezbollah of rearming, has criticised the army’s progress as
insufficient, while Hezbollah has rejected calls to surrender its weapons. More
than 350 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon since the ceasefire,
according to a tally of health ministry reports.
Aoun, Rajji discuss Israeli violations as Lebanon files UN
complaint
Naharnet/26 January/2026
President Joseph Aoun on Monday met in Baabda with Foreign Minister Youssef
Rajji and discussed with him the developments in the South in light of the
ongoing Israeli attacks and the current diplomatic efforts to counter them. The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through Lebanon’s Permanent Mission to the United
Nations in New York, meanwhile sent a letter to the Security Council and the
U.N. Secretary-General, which included a complaint regarding the continued
Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty over the past months. The Ministry
requested that this complaint be issued as an official document of the Security
Council and the General Assembly and distributed to all U.N. member states. The
Ministry reaffirmed that these breaches constitute a violation of Lebanon's
sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a clear defiance of Israel's
obligations under Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) and the cessation of
hostilities declaration issued on November 26, 2024. Accordingly the Ministry
called on the Security Council to compel Israel to implement the provisions of
Resolution 1701 and the Cessation of Hostilities Declaration, withdraw its
forces from the five points it still occupies in Lebanon, end repeated
violations, release Lebanese prisoners, and stop threats to Lebanon's
territorial integrity and political independence. The Lebanese letter also
reaffirmed the Lebanese government's commitment to move forward with its pledges
regarding the implementation of Resolution 1701 and the Cessation of Hostilities
Declaration. The letter also reiterated the Lebanese government's readiness to
enter into negotiations with Israel to end the occupation and stop the attacks,
while simultaneously affirming its adherence to the Armistice Agreement of 1949
and the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002.
Berri accuses Israel of trying to sabotage Mechanism despite 'bad
performance'
Naharnet/26 January/2026
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has accused Israel of trying to sabotage the
ceasefire monitoring committee. In remarks, published Monday in al-Joumhouria
newspaper, Berri said Israel has tried to "blow up" the Mechanism "from day
one", despite its "lackluster performance" and its "failure to fulfill its
role.""Our position is well-known: we are committed to the cessation of
hostilities agreement and we want the ceasefire committee. It is in Lebanon’s
interest to have it as its mission is to implement the ceasefire and to prevent
violations and attacks," Berri said.
Salam: Tripoli is not alone and my heart is with the south
Naharnet/26 January/2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Monday that "Tripoli is not alone" as he
inspected a building that collapsed Saturday in Tripoli's al-Qobbeh, killing at
least two people, including a 66-year-old man and his daughter. Emergency crews
were still trying to rescue the last missing person who remains buried in
rubble, after they managed to pull a mother and her 14-year-old son out alive
during intense search operations. Local officials, including the Mayor of
Tripoli and several MPs, had warned that 105 buildings in the city are in danger
of immediate collapse and require urgent evacuation. 700 others are at high
risk.Salam visited the survivors, vowing to find a radical solution for
Tripoli's dilapidated buildings, which might include providing alternative
housing for the residents. The building in al-Qobbeh had been partially
evacuated before the collapse after large cracks appeared, but one family
returned because they had nowhere else to go, as the municipality in the
impoverished city of Tripoli does not provide a shelter to the residents of the
dilapidated buildings. From Tripoli, Salam said his "heart was also with the
south", as Israel intensified its strikes, killing Sunday at least two people
and wounding at least five others, in a series of violent strikes on south and
east Lebanon. "I will soon visit our people there to announce a package of
reconstruction projects that we will begin implementing as quickly as possible,"
Salam said. In August 2025, Lebanon signed a $250 million loan agreement with
the World Bank for the reconstruction of war-hit regions in south and east
Lebanon. The World Bank estimates the costs of reconstruction and recovery at
$11 billion. The initial loan is designed to support the urgent repair and
reconstruction of critical public infrastructure and lifeline services.
Salam: Washington Did Not Request France’s Ouster from Mechanism
Negotiations
Asharq Al Awsat/26 January/2026
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam assured on Monday that Lebanon does not want
any confrontation with the United States, pointing out that Washington has not
demanded France’s exit from the “Mechanism negotiations”. An-Nahar newspaper
quoted Salam as assuring that both Beirut and Paris have affirmed that a
conference in support of the country’s army will be held in France in March as
scheduled. Salam also said that Beirut expects the arrival of Qatari minister,
Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, on Tuesday ahead of a February preparatory meeting before
the Paris conference. The February meeting "could be held in a Gulf country,
probably Qatar", he told the daily. The PM ruled out the possibility that the
dispute between US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron
could impact the latter’s role in Lebanon.“There are more important problems
than the matter of Lebanon’s Mechanism. Honestly, the small country of Lebanon
is not the center of the world”, he said. Following his meeting with Macron on
Saturday, Salam said that the French President has affirmed adherence to the
committee overseeing the ceasefire agreement (Mechanism).Media reports in
Lebanon hinted at a US rejection of any French participation in the Mechanism
meetings. But Salam stressed that the US is a “strategic partner for Lebanon. We
are not in a confrontation because it is a key partner in the ceasefire
monitoring committee”.
Hezbollah chief says any attack on Iran also targets his
group, ‘we are not neutral’
Al Arabiya English/26 January/2026
The leader of Lebanon’s Tehran-backed Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, said Monday that
any attack on Iran would also target his group, and warned that any new war on
the Islamic Republic would ignite the region. Last week, President Donald Trump
said a US “armada” was heading toward the Gulf and that Washington was watching
Iran closely after a bloody crackdown on protesters. He had appeared to step
back from military intervention, but has since insisted it remains an option.
“Faced with aggression that does not distinguish between us... we are targeted
by any potential aggression and determined to defend ourselves,” Qassem said in
a televised address to supporters at a solidarity rally for Iran. “A war on Iran
this time will ignite the region,” he warned. “We will choose at that time how
to act... but we are not neutral,” he said, adding that “on how we act, these
are details that the battle determines, and we will decide according to the
interests at stake.”Iran is Hezbollah’s main supporter, providing it with
funding and weapons since its creation in the 1980s. Qassem said in the past two
months, his party had received via mediators “a clear and explicit question”
about whether Hezbollah would intervene if the United States and Israel went to
war with Iran. He said they sought a “pledge from the party that it would not
intervene.” More than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which
largely ended with a November 2024 ceasefire, badly weakened the group, and the
Lebanese government has begun implementing a plan to disarm the militants
starting in the country’s south. Hezbollah had called on supporters to gather on
Monday in its strongholds across Lebanon to express support for Iran “in the
face of American-Zionist sabotage and threats.”Some supporters in Beirut’s
southern suburbs held pictures of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as well as
Hezbollah and Iran flags, while also chanting “death to America.”Qassem also
warned at against any attempt to assassinate Khamenei. Trump last week
reiterated a warning that Iran would be wiped “off the face of this earth” if
Tehran ever succeeded in assassinating the US leader, while Tehran and
Washington both threatened broadscale wars if the leaders of either country were
assassinated.
Any killing of Khamenei would be an “assassination of stability in the region
and the world,” Qassem said, adding that Hezbollah considered such a threat
“directed at us as well, and we have full authority to do act as we see
appropriate.”Despite the ceasefire, Israel has kept up regular strikes on what
it says are Hezbollah targets and has maintained troops in five south Lebanon
locations it deems strategic. With AFP
Qatar to Invest Hundreds of Millions to Support Lebanon
Asharq Al Awsat/26 January/2026
Gas-rich Qatar on Monday announced investments in Lebanon worth hundreds of
millions of dollars to improve the crisis-hit nation’s crumbling electricity
sector and to continue support for the Lebanese armed forces and the return home
of Syrian refugees.
Qatar’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi,
announced the investments by the Qatar Fund For Development after meeting Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun in Beirut. For years, Qatar has
been seen as a friendly country to Lebanon and a mediator for domestic and
international political crises. Doha is also a key partner in the consortiums
for Lebanon’s offshore gas exploration blocks, The AP news reported. Lebanon
since late 2019 has been in a historic fiscal crisis after decades of corruption
and mismanagement by the country's ruling class. Al-Khulaifi said Qatar will
give a $40 million grant to the electricity sector and another $360 million for
projects in the sector that it said will benefit 1.5 million people. Qatar had
tried in the past to improve Lebanon’s electricity sector, without success. This
time, Lebanon's president who was elected last year and a newly named prime
minister have vowed to fight corruption. Lebanon’s state electricity company is
one of the country's biggest sources of debt, hemorrhaging about $40 billion
over the past decades with a bloated workforce and outdated infrastructure. The
company provides only a few hours of electricity each day, and the state until a
year ago had taken advances from the Central Bank when diesel fuel runs out.
Most homes and businesses in Lebanon rely on highly expensive private generators
that are a main cause of pollution in the Mediterranean nation. The Qatari
official also said his country will help with the return of Syrian refugees from
Lebanon, starting with the return of 100,000 people at an initial cost of $20
million. Al-Khulaifi said the refugees who will return will be guaranteed
suitable housing in addition to payments that cover their food and medicine for
three months. He added that the Syrian government, which has close relations
with Qatar, will facilitate the return. Lebanon’s minister of social affairs,
Haneen Sayed, said earlier this month that half a million Syrian refugees
returned home in 2025. Syria’s conflict displaced half of the country’s prewar
population of 23 million over 14 years. Lebanon hosted an estimated 1.5 million
refugees, who at one point made up roughly a quarter of its 6 million people,
with many having been smuggled across the border and unregistered with the UN.
Al-Khulaifi also said Qatar will continue it support to the Lebanese army,
adding that the decision comes from Doha’s belief “that this institution is the
basis for security and stability in the country.”
Qatari minister meets Lebanese leaders, announces major aid package for Lebanon
Associated Press/January 26, 2026
State Minister at the Qatari Foreign Ministry Mohammad al-Khulaifi held talks
Monday in Lebanon with President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Deputy PM
Tarek Mitri, after which he announced a major aid package for Lebanon. “We
announce an economic project to support the electricity sector worth $360
million,” Khulaifi said in a press conference at the Grand Serail. The Qatari
official also said his country will help with the return of Syrian refugees from
Lebanon, starting with the return of 100,000 people at an initial cost of $20
million. Al-Khulaifi said the refugees who will return will be guaranteed
suitable housing in addition to payments that cover their food and medicine for
three months.He added that the Syrian government, which has close relations with
Qatar, will facilitate the return. Lebanon's minister of social affairs, Haneen
Sayed, said earlier this month that half a million Syrian refugees returned home
in 2025. Syria's conflict displaced half of the country's prewar population of
23 million over 14 years. Lebanon hosted an estimated 1.5 million refugees, who
at one point made up roughly a quarter of its 6 million people, with many having
been smuggled across the border and unregistered with the U.N. Khulaifi also
announced aid for Lebanon in the military, health, education, economic and
social fields. Noting that Qatari support for Lebanon is not bound by any
restrictions, Khulaifi added that new initiatives will be announced. “Dialogue
with the American side is ongoing, and Lebanon is on the American-Qatari
agenda,” he said. “The time has come for Lebanon to recover,” he added.
“Lebanon's stability is a fundamental pillar for the stability of the region,
and we call for prioritizing direct dialogue to fulfill the aspirations of the
Lebanese people," Khulaifi said, as he stressed the need for all parties to
“adhere to the ceasefire agreement,” condemning “the continued Israeli attacks
on Lebanon and the violation of its sovereignty.”
Al-Akhbar newspaper reported Monday that al-Khulaifi would propose a
Lebanese-Syrian dialogue conference to be held in Doha to resolve outstanding
issues. He was also likely to discuss supplying Lebanon with gas for electricity
generation, following an official Lebanese request for assistance in importing
Qatari gas via Syria to increase electricity supply, in addition to discussing a
clean energy project in Akkar and southern Lebanon, the daily said. Lebanon has
been improving relations with oil-rich gulf countries following years of
tensions over the wide influence that Hezbollah had in the small nation.
Hezbollah was weakened by a 14-month war with Israel, and the Iran-backed group
recently called on Saudi Arabia to open a new era in relations. For years, Qatar
has been seen as a friendly country to Lebanon and a mediator for domestic and
international political crises. Doha is also a key partner in the consortiums
for Lebanon's offshore gas exploration blocks. Lebanon since late 2019 has been
in a historic fiscal crisis after decades of corruption and mismanagement by the
country's ruling class. Qatar had tried in the past to improve Lebanon's
electricity sector, without success. This time, Lebanon's president who was
elected last year and a newly named prime minister have vowed to fight
corruption. Lebanon's state electricity company is one of the country's biggest
sources of debt, hemorrhaging about $40 billion over the past decades with a
bloated workforce and outdated infrastructure. The company provides only a few
hours of electricity each day, and the state until a year ago had taken advances
from the Central Bank when diesel fuel runs out. Most homes and businesses in
Lebanon rely on highly expensive private generators that are a main cause of
pollution in the Mediterranean nation.
Qatari minister reaffirms support for Lebanon, calls stability a
regional priority
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/January 26, 2026
BEIRUT: Qatar’s Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi on Monday
reaffirmed Doha’s support for Lebanon during a meeting with President Joseph
Aoun. In a press conference he said that “Lebanon’s stability is a fundamental
pillar for the stability of the entire region” and announced a package of
economic, development and humanitarian measures. The Qatari minister’s visit to
Beirut coincided with Israeli military escalation in southern Lebanon, including
the assassination of Hezbollah members by drones, incursions into the border
area, and the demolition of more residences. While the date for the meeting of
the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (Mechanism) agreement has yet to be
confirmed, the US Embassy in Lebanon said in a press release on Monday that
Washingt’s ambassadors to Beirut and Israel met in Jordan to discuss peace
efforts through diplomacy and dialogue. The meeting, hosted by the US Embassy in
Amman last weekend, focused on the steps needed to achieve a more peaceful and
prosperous region. The visit by Qatar’s minister to Lebanon was made “upon the
instructions of Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani,” according to Aoun’s media
office. “It is crucial to involve Lebanon in regional discussions, and Qatar is
keen on this matter, as well as on following the situation in the country,
especially the internal developments, Israeli attacks, the work of the
committee, the dialogue, and efforts to find the necessary solutions,” Al-Khulaifi
said. Aoun expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Qatari minister for the
visit and initiatives.
He said that the Lebanese military is carrying out its duties south of the
Litani River in full, while Israeli attacks on southern villages and towns
continue, destroying residential areas and displacing residents, at times
extending to villages in the Bekaa Valley. “Israel has not responded to repeated
calls to abide by the agreement announced in November 2024 and implement
Resolution 1701. This Israeli stance prevents the return of security and safety
to the south, in addition to its repercussions on all levels,” he stated. Aoun
revealed that “contacts are ongoing before the meeting of the Mechanism
committee scheduled for next month to reach practical results that will expedite
the restoration of stability to the south, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the
return of prisoners, and enable the army to deploy to the internationally
recognized southern border.” He stressed that “pressuring Israel to facilitate
the work of the Mechanism committee is essential to achieving the full
implementation of Resolution 1701 in all its aspects.”Aoun also spoke about the
Lebanese military’s “need for equipment, vehicles, and supplies that would
enable it to carry out its required tasks not only in the south but throughout
all Lebanese territory.” Regarding relations with Syria, Aoun affirmed that the
situation on the Lebanese-Syrian border is better than before, and that
negotiations are ongoing between the two countries to address several issues,
particularly the return of Syrian refugees. He added that Lebanon welcomes any
Arab support in general, and Qatari support in particular, to help facilitate
this return. Al-Khulaifi also met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam, and in a joint press conference stressed “the necessity
for all parties to adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and respect the
full sovereignty of the Lebanese Republic over its territory. “We reiterate our
complete condemnation of the Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory, which
constitute an infringement on the sovereignty of our sister nation, Lebanon, and
we emphasize the need for the Security Council to assume its responsibilities to
stop these violations and to preserve Lebanon’s stability,” he said. The
minister announced a Qatar Fund for Development package — coordinated with
Lebanese authorities within legal frameworks — including a $40 million grant and
$360 million economic project to bolster Lebanon’s electricity sector,
benefiting 1.5 million people nationwide.
Other measures include 185 scholarships over three years for Lebanese youth, the
Sports for Development and Peace initiative to protect 4,400 children and young
people in conflict areas, and reconstruction of Beirut’s Karantina Hospital,
destroyed in the port explosion, with further health projects under review.
Qatar will also fund a $20 million first phase, in partnership with the
International Organization for Migration, to support the voluntary return of
100,000 Syrian refugees. It guarantees housing upon return, plus three months of
food and medicine to ensure stability and social reintegration. “We thank the
Syrian government for its constructive cooperation in facilitating the
implementation of this humanitarian and development project,” the minister said.
Elsewhere on Monday, the Syrian Internal Security Directorate said it thwarted
an attempt to smuggle missiles and ammunition through the Syrian town of Breij
into Lebanon, according to SANA. Breij, located east of Talkalakh on the border
with Lebanon’s Akkar region, is considered a smuggling hub, according to a
Lebanese security source.
IDF details role and methods of Hezbollah’s local liaison
operatives
David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/January 26/ 2026
On January 21, at 10:47 am, an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle on the
Bazouriyeh-Burj Shemali Road, east of the city of Tyre, in the South Lebanon
Governorate’s Tyre District. The location of the strike was approximately 7.25
kilometers south of the Litani River, and therefore in the South Litani Area.
The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) claimed to have established “operational
control” over this area on January 8, 2026, a term understood to mean it had
cleared it of Hezbollah’s arms and restrained the group’s activities. However,
the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that the strike’s one fatality was a
Hezbollah operative named Abu Ali Salami.
Hezbollah-affiliated social media accounts later confirmed Salami’s death,
giving his full name as Hajj Ahmad Hussain Salami. Salami, whose nom de guerre
was Abu Ali, was from the village of Yanouh. The IDF later clarified that he was
Hezbollah’s “liaison officer” in the village of Yanouh in south Lebanon,
overseeing the organization’s local activities “with the purpose of facilitating
Hezbollah’s activities within the civilian sector and private property in the
village, and to entrench terror infrastructure amidst the civilian population.”
Death announcement for Ahmad Hussain Salami. (Balagh Media Telegram)
Detailing the alleged role of Hezbollah operatives who act as village liaisons,
the IDF claimed that Salami and similarly-positioned operatives traded
assistance from the group—including aiding locals with charitable and other
donations, compensation for damaged property, and medical assistance—for favors
from the locals, creating a dependence upon Hezbollah and an obligation to
recompense its aid.
“Whomever receives aid knows the day will come that they will have to return the
favor—sometimes just a ‘small’ request: to store boxes, provide information on
what is happening in the village, or to allow [Hezbollah] to temporarily use a
piece of property—effectively making the civilian a part of the terror network,
and occasionally the one paying the price once their home becomes a designated
target,” the IDF said.
Salami, the IDF claimed, had recently leveraged his role in such a manner in
Yanouh. On December 13, 2025, the IDF said it forwarded a request to the
committee overseeing the implementation of the November 27, 2024, Israel-Lebanon
ceasefire to inspect a suspected Hezbollah weapons storage facility in Yanouh.
Acting in accordance with its function, the committee forwarded the IDF’s
complaint to the LAF. However, the LAF notified Salami in his role as the
village’s Hezbollah liaison officer. He then passed this notice on to additional
Hezbollah operatives under his command.
Rather than setting the stage for compliance regarding a suspected Hezbollah
weapons storage facility, as the ceasefire agreement requires, Salami and his
fellow Hezbollah operatives instead prevented LAF personnel, upon their arrival
in Yanouh, from entering and dismantling the structure. They organized a
demonstration of the village’s women outside the suspected Hezbollah
installation, deterring LAF soldiers from entering it.
The IDF claimed that Salami then convinced LAF personnel to leave the
installation, after which he and his subordinates removed several “suspicious
crates” from the structure. “At the end of the incident, the terrorist [Salami]
agreed with the Lebanese Army to document the structure as empty of weapons and
thus to claim that the structure was empty,” the IDF stated, noting, “The
actions of the terrorist Abu Ali Salami constitute a violation of the
understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
Hezbollah’s liaison officers
The IDF’s report claimed that with the onset of its Operation Northern Arrows in
October 2024, many local Hezbollah liaison officers abandoned the villages to
which they had been assigned, seeking safety by fleeing northward. However,
after the November 27 ceasefire went into effect, they returned to their
villages “to aid Hezbollah’s regeneration and restore its terror infrastructure
amidst the civilian population, while also seeking to rehabilitate the
organization’s image as a legitimate actor.” Now, the IDF claimed, these
officers are playing a central role in Hezbollah’s efforts to rebuild itself in
south Lebanon, particularly in the South Litani Area.
The Israeli military said that after grasping the link between these liaison
officers and the villages, the IDF’s 91st “Galilee” Division has been working
with Military Intelligence and the Israeli Air Force “to disrupt their
activities in south Lebanon.” As a result, the IDF claims to have “killed ten of
them” in recent months. However, a video accompanying the IDF’s post only listed
seven deceased liaison officers beyond Salami. A separate review of IDF
statements on recent targeted killings by FDD’s Long War Journal puts the total
number of Hezbollah operatives put the number of Hezbollah liaison officers
killed at nine.
These eliminations have included:
September 3, 2025: Israel assassinated Hezbollah operative Abdelmenem Mousa
Sweidan, who acted as the group’s liaison officer in Yater in the Nabatieh
Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
October 1, 2025: Israel assassinated Hezbollah operative Ali Mohammad Qaraawni,
who acted as the group’s liaison officer in Kafra in the Nabatieh Governorate’s
Bint Jbeil District.
October 7, 2025: Israel assassinated Hezbollah operative Mahmoud Ali Issa, who
acted as the group’s liaison officer in Kafra in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint
Jbeil District.
Left to right: Death announcements for Abdelmenem Mousa Sweidan, Ali Mohammad
Qaraawni, and Mahmoud Ali Issa. (Balagh Media on Telegram)
October 26, 2025: Israel assassinated Hezbollah operative Abed Mahmoud al Sayyed,
who acted as the group’s liaison officer in Bayyada in the South Lebanon
Governorate’s Tyre District.
November 4, 2025: Israel assassinated Hezbollah operative Hassan Mahmoud Sayyed,
who acted as the group’s liaison officer in Adaisseh in the Nabatieh
Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
November 16, 2025: Israel assassinated Hezbollah operative Mohammad Ali Shweikh,
who acted as the group’s liaison officer in Mansouri in the South Lebanon
Governorate’s Tyre District.
Left to right: Death announcements for Abed Mahmoud al Sayyed, Hassan Mahmoud
Sayyed, and Mohammad Ali Shweikh. (Balagh Media on Telegram)
November 22, 2024: Israel assassinated Hezbollah operative Hussain Yassin
Hussain, who acted as the group’s liaison officer in Houla in the Nabatieh
Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District. Hussain was also a municipal worker in Houla.
December 14, 2025: Israel assassinated Hezbollah operative Ihsan Fares
Zeineddine, who acted as the group’s liaison officer in and around Bint Jbeil in
the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
Left to right: Death announcements for Hussain Yassin Hussain and Ihsan Fares
Zeineddine. (Balagh Media on Telegram)
The IDF said that in villages where these liaison officers operate, “the line
blurs” between civilian and Hezbollah domains. These liaison officers, the
Israeli military claimed, operate as part of a larger Hezbollah mechanism
“designed to quietly control” Lebanese locales and “assimilate into the civilian
environment/routine.”
The IDF’s statement noted that this effort functions “through renting houses,
converting properties [for military use] and collecting intelligence—adding up
to create a singular picture in which Hezbollah is seeking to reestablish itself
not only through the efforts of its operatives—but with the help of anyone
enabling its activities on the ground.”
David Daoud is Senior Fellow at at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2026/01/idf-details-role-and-methods-of-hezbollahs-local-liaison-operatives.php
Read in FDD's Long War Journal
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on January
26-27/2026
US official says Washington is ‘open for business’
if Iran wishes to contact America
Al Arabiya English/27 January/2026
Washington is “open for business” if Iran wishes to contact the United States,
an American official said on Monday, adding that the two sides would have a
conversation as long as Tehran knows what the terms are.“I think they
know the terms,” the official said when asked about the terms for Iran.
“They’re aware of the terms.”The US military said Monday the USS Abraham Lincoln
carrier strike group had arrived in the Middle East, dramatically boosting
American firepower in the region. The carrier and its accompanying ships were
ordered to the region as Iran cracked down on mass protests. While President
Donald Trump has since backed away from military action against Tehran, he has
insisted all options remain on the table. The protests in Iran started in late
December, driven by economic grievances, but turned into a mass movement against
the Islamic Republic, with huge street demonstrations for several days from
January 8. Rights groups have accused authorities of launching an unprecedented
crackdown by shooting directly at the protesters under the cover of an internet
shutdown. Trump had repeatedly warned Iran that if it killed protesters, the
United States would intervene militarily, and also encouraged Iranians to take
over state institutions, saying “help is on the way.”But he pulled back from
ordering strikes earlier this month, saying Tehran had halted more than 800
executions under pressure from Washington. With agencies
US aircraft carrier arrives in Middle East amid Iran tensions
AFP/26 January/2026
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has arrived in the Middle East, the
US military said on Monday, dramatically boosting American firepower in the
region. The carrier and its accompanying ships were ordered to the region as
Iran cracked down on mass protests. While President Donald Trump has since
backed away from military action against Tehran, he has insisted all options
remain on the table. The strike group is “currently deployed to the Middle East
to promote regional security and stability,” US Central Command, which is
responsible for American forces in the region, said in a post on X. The protests
in Iran started in late December, driven by economic grievances, but turned into
a mass movement against the Islamic Republic, with huge street demonstrations
for several days from January 8. Rights groups have accused authorities of
launching an unprecedented crackdown by shooting directly at the protesters
under the cover of an internet shutdown. The clerical leadership who took power
after the 1979 Islamic Revolution remains in place despite the demonstrations,
with many opponents of the system looking to outside intervention as the most
likely driver of change. Trump had repeatedly warned Iran that if it killed
protesters, the United States would intervene militarily, and also encouraged
Iranians to take over state institutions, saying “help is on the way.”But he
pulled back from ordering strikes earlier this month, saying Tehran had halted
more than 800 executions under pressure from Washington. Iranian foreign
ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has warned against intervention and said the
country was “confident in its own capabilities.”In apparent reference to the
Lincoln, he added: “The arrival of such a battleship is not going to affect
Iran’s determination and seriousness to defend the Iranian nation.”
US Deploys Aircraft Carrier as Iran Warns Against Attack
Asharq Al Awsat/26 January/2026
A US naval strike group led by an aircraft carrier has deployed to Middle
Eastern waters, the United States said Monday, as Tehran warned it was ready to
hit back at any American attack launched in response to a crackdown on
anti-government protests. A US-based rights group said on Monday that it had
confirmed the deaths of nearly 6,000 people in the wave of protests suppressed
by Iran's security forces, but emphasized the actual toll could be several times
higher. The protests started in late December, driven by economic grievances,
but turned into a mass movement against Tehran, with huge street demonstrations
for several days from January 8. But rights groups have accused authorities of
quelling the movement with unprecedented violence, shooting into crowds of
protesters under the cover of an internet shutdown that has now lasted 18 days
-- the longest Iran has ever imposed. The clerical leadership who took power
after the 1979 revolution remains in place despite the protests, with many
opponents of the system looking to outside intervention as the most likely
driver of change. US President Donald Trump has previously threatened to step
in, saying last week that Washington was sending a "massive fleet" to the region
"just in case". The deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group
dramatically boosts American firepower in the region. The United States backed
and briefly joined Israel's 12-day war against Iran in June, and while Trump
last week appeared to step back from his threats of new military intervention,
he has never ruled the option out. The Lincoln's strike group has arrived in the
region, US Central Command said in a post on X, adding the ships were "currently
deployed to the Middle East to promote regional security and stability".
'Regret-inducing response' -
Iran's foreign ministry warned on Monday of a "comprehensive and regret-inducing
response to any aggression". Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran was
"confident in its own capabilities". In apparent reference to the Lincoln, he
added: "The arrival of such a battleship is not going to affect Iran's
determination and seriousness to defend the Iranian nation." Meanwhile, a new
anti-US billboard has appeared in the central Enghelab Square in Tehran that
appears to show an American aircraft carrier being destroyed. "If you sow the
wind, you will reap the whirlwind," its English-language caption reads. State
news agency IRNA quoted the commander of the Iranian navy Shahram Irani as
saying on Monday: "Iran's naval power is not merely defensive but also acts as
an anchor of stability in the region." In Lebanon, Iran-backed group Hezbollah,
whose capabilities and leadership were severely degraded in a war with Israel in
2024, organized a rally in support of Iran featuring an address by its leader
Sheikh Naim Qassem, who warned "a war on Iran this time will ignite the region".
Rising toll -
NGOs tracking the toll from the crackdown have said their task has been impeded
by the internet shutdown, warning that confirmed figures are likely to be far
lower than the actual number. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
said it had confirmed that 5,848 people had been killed, including 209 members
of the security forces. But the group added it was still investigating another
17,091 possible fatalities. At least 41,283 people have been arrested, it said.
Giving their first official toll from the protests, Iranian authorities last
week said 3,117 people were killed, the majority of whom it described as members
of the security forces or innocent bystanders killed by "rioters". Confirming
that the internet blackout remains in place, monitor Netblocks said the shutdown
was "obscuring the extent of a deadly crackdown on civilians". "Gaps in the
filternet are being tightened to limit circumvention while whitelisted regime
accounts promote the Islamic Republic's narrative," it added. Over the weekend,
Persian-language TV channel Iran International, which is based outside the
country, said more than 36,500 Iranians were killed by security forces from
January 8 to 9, citing reports, documents and sources. It was not immediately
possible to verify the report. Activists have said that the Revolutionary
Guards, a military force separate from the regular army with the mandate of
keeping the revolution alive, took a frontline position in putting down the
protests. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Monday urged the European
Union to list the Guards as a "terrorist organization", as Canada and the United
States have done, saying the "the losses suffered by the civilian population
during the protests demand a clear response".
Third batch of Iranians deported by US to return home, Iran
media report
Reuters/26 January/2026
A third group of Iranians deported from the United States is returning home,
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Monday, amid heightened
tension between Washington and Tehran following Iran’s crackdown on nationwide
protests.“These people, who have been under pressure to leave (the US) for two
months, made their return journey via Cairo and Kuwait,” Tasnim said. “Fourteen
people arrived at Imam Khomeini International Airport on a flight today, and the
rest will return in the coming weeks.” Tasnim did not clarify the group’s total
number. Facilitation of the transfers has required an unusual degree of
coordination between two adversaries. Last week, President Donald Trump
renewed warnings to Tehran over the killing of protesters and any move to
restart its nuclear program. In September, officials said the US had identified
about 400 Iranians to be deported, with a first flight carrying 120 people
returning to Tehran via Qatar’s capital. A second group of 55 returned to Iran
in December, with Iran’s foreign ministry accusing Washington of conducting
deportations on “political grounds and anti-migrant policies.”
US Air Force to begin Middle East exercise amid Iran tensions
Al Arabiya English/26 January/2026
The US Air Force said Sunday it was about to begin a multi-day readiness
exercise across the Middle East “to demonstrate the ability to deploy, disperse,
and sustain combat airpower” in the region, amid heightened tensions with Iran.
“This exercise reinforces peace through strength by fielding a credible,
combat-ready, and responsible presence designed to deter aggression, reduce the
risk of miscalculation and assure partners,” a statement released by US Air
Forces Central (AFCENT) said. Tension between the US and Iran has spiked in the
wake of a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests that saw thousands of people
killed and tens of thousands arrested. US President Donald Trump had threatened
military action if Iran continued to kill peaceful protesters or carried out
mass executions of those detained. This also comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln
aircraft carrier and accompanying warships move towards the region. Trump has
said the ships are being moved “just in case” he decides to take action. US
Central Command said on social media that its Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle now
has a presence in the Middle East, noting the fighter jet “enhances combat
readiness and promotes regional security and stability.” Similarly, the UK
Ministry of Defense said Thursday that it deployed its Typhoon fighter jets to
Qatar “in a defensive capacity.”
UAE says it will not allow attacks on Iran from its soil
AFP/26 January/2026
The United Arab Emirates will not allow attacks on Iran to be launched from its
territory, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday. Last week,
President Donald Trump said a US “armada” was heading toward the Gulf and that
Washington was watching Iran closely after a bloody crackdown on protesters. The
foreign ministry said in a statement it “has reaffirmed the United Arab
Emirates’ commitment to not allowing its airspace, territory or waters to be
used in any hostile military actions against Iran.”The UAE hosts thousands of US
personnel at al-Dhafra airbase near the capital Abu Dhabi, one of several
American military sites in the Gulf. The UAE also refuses to provide logistical
support for attacks, the statement said, adding that “dialogue, de-escalation,
adherence to international law, and respect for state sovereignty” were the best
way to address “current crises.”
Iran Urges Wounded Protesters to Seek Hospital Care as
Arrest Reports Spark Alarm
Asharq Al Awsat/26 January/2026
Iran's health ministry on Monday urged those injured in recent protests to go to
hospital, after rights groups reported that security forces have been detaining
demonstrators wounded in a violent crackdown. Protests broke out in late
December over economic grievances, but turned into a mass movement against the
country , with huge street demonstrations for several days from January 8.
Rights groups have accused authorities of killing thousands in an unprecedented
crackdown under the cover of an ongoing internet shutdown, while Iranian
authorities say the violence was caused by "rioters" spurred by the United
States and Israel. "Our advice to the public is that if they suffer any kind of
injury, they should not try to treat it at home, and they should not worry about
going to medical centers," the health ministry said in a statement carried by
state television. Rights groups have accused Iranian security forces of firing
rifles and shotguns loaded with metal pellets directly at protesters' heads and
torsos during the crackdown and then raiding medical centers and homes to
identify protesters from their wounds and arrest them. "Some wounded individuals
were detained before receiving medical treatment, others during treatment, and
some immediately after discharge, and were transferred to unknown locations,"
the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said in a Friday report.
Amnesty International last week reported a young man, Amirhossein Ghaderzadeh,
was arrested after security forces raided his home and stripped him and his
sisters -- one of them a minor -- naked to search for injuries related to the
protests. The 19-year-old was arrested after he was found to have pellet wounds,
according to sources speaking to Amnesty. The General Directorate of Prisons of
Tehran Province denied on Monday that injured "rioters" were being taken to
prison instead of medical centers, the judiciary's Mizan website said. Iranians
speaking to AFP outside the country said protesters who were injured were often
too afraid to go to hospital because police were there and that doctors had been
treating people at their homes. An image shared on social media but not
immediately verifiable by AFP shows three women in a home working with the help
of a cellphone flashlight to remove almost two dozen pellets from a prone
woman's back. On Sunday, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the ousted shah who had called
for people to take to the streets, echoed the reports of security personnel
"embedded" in hospitals to arrest protesters. He called on Iranians to "document
the names of those who obstruct the treatment of the wounded" so that "at the
appropriate time, their crimes and acts of betrayal may be addressed".
Maliki’s nomination for Iraqi premiership stirs US concern,
divides Sunnis
The Arab Weekly/January 26/2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iraq on Sunday against forming a
pro-Iranian government as the expected return of Nouri al-Maliki as prime
minister stirs Washington’s concern. Maliki, who left office in 2014 following
heated pressure from the United States and disavowal by the country’s supreme
Shia religious authority, has been chosen by Iraq’s largest Shia parliamentary
bloc. The 75-year-old Maliki, a shrewd politician, is set to return to power at
a time of seismic changes in the Middle East, as Tehran’s regional influence
wanes and tensions with Washington rise. Rubio, in a telephone call with
incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani, voiced hope the next
government will work to make Iraq “a force for stability, prosperity and
security in the Middle East.”“The secretary emphasised that a government
controlled by Iran cannot successfully put Iraq’s own interests first, keep Iraq
out of regional conflicts or advance the mutually beneficial partnership between
the United States and Iraq,” Rubio said, according to US State Department
spokesman Tommy Pigott. Rubio and Sudani also “discussed ongoing diplomatic
efforts to ensure countries rapidly repatriate their citizens in Iraq, bringing
them to justice,” the US State Department said in a statement. A pro-Iranian
government in Iraq would be a rare boon for Tehran’s clerical state after it
suffered major setbacks at home and in the region after US and Israeli military
attacks last year targets its military installations and atrophied the
capabilities of its regional proxies.
Since the October 7, 2023 attacks, Israel has hit Iran both with strikes inside
the country and heavy blows against Tehran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah, while Iran
lost its main Arab ally with the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. More
recently, the Islamic republic has faced worldwide condemnation after its
security forces killed thousands of Iranians since mass protests erupted in late
December. An Iraqi political source said that the United States had told Baghdad
that it “holds a negative view of previous governments led by former prime
minister Maliki.”US members of Congress said that while the selection of the
prime minister is an Iraqi decision, “the United States will make its own
sovereign decisions regarding the next government in line with American
interests.”Washington wields key leverage over Iraq as the country’s oil export
revenue is largely held at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York, in an
arrangement reached after the 2003 US invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.Chief
among US demands is that Iraq prevent a resurgence of Shia armed groups backed
by Iran. Sudani, who took office in 2022, has won US confidence through his
delicate efforts to curb violence by the groups. Maliki initially took office in
2006 with support of the United States as he strongly backed US military efforts
against al-Qaeda in Iraq. But the United States eventually soured on Maliki,
believing he pushed an excessively sectarian agenda that helped give rise to
ISIS extremists.
Sunni objections
The decision by the Coordination Framework to nominate Maliki for the position
of prime minister has also sparked divisions within the Iraqi political arena,
particularly among Sunni forces. The National Political Council, representing an
alliance of Sunni forces, sent a letter to the leaders of the Coordination
Framework, urging them to reconsider the nomination of “controversial figures,”
a clear reference to al-Maliki, who previously served two consecutive terms as
prime minister (2006-2014) during which the country faced bouts of political
security upheaval. In its letter to the Framework’s leaders, the National
Political Council said that there is “concern among segments of the people
following the mention of the names of certain controversial candidates,” who, it
said, “had deepened political, security and economic crises with still ongoing
effects in Iraq and led to the weakening of national partnerships.”
But other members of the Sunni alliance distanced themselves however from the
letter, with the exception of the Progress Party, led by former Speaker of
Parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi, who had previously expressed objections to
Maliki’s quest for power. Iraq’s parliament will meet on Tuesday to elect the
country’s new president, who will then appoint a prime minister expected to be
Nouri al-Maliki after he was endorsed by the largest Shia bloc.By convention, a
Shia Muslim holds the post of prime minister, the parliament speaker is Sunni
and the largely ceremonial presidency goes to a Kurd.
The president will then have 15 days to appoint a prime minister, who is usually
nominated by the largest Shia bloc formed through post-election alliances. On
Saturday, the Coordination Framework alliance, whose Shia factions have varying
links to Iran, endorsed former prime minister and power-broker Maliki as the
country’s next premier. The alliance, to which Maliki belongs, spoke of his
“political and administrative experience and his record in running the state”.
Although Maliki’s endorsement effectively guarantees him the post, forming a new
government remains a daunting challenge that could drag on for months and still
fail. The designated premier has one month to form a government and present it
to parliament for a vote of confidence. A close Iran ally, Maliki will be
expected to face Washington’s long-standing demand that Baghdad dismantle
Tehran-backed factions, many of which are designated terrorist groups by the US.
Last month, Iraqi officials and diplomats said Washington demanded the eventual
government exclude Iran-backed armed groups, even though most of them hold seats
in parliament, and have seen their political and financial clout increase. But
Iraq is struggling with weak economic growth and cannot risk punitive measures
by the US, which has already sanctioned several Iraqi entities, accusing them of
helping Tehran evade sanctions.
Rubio warns Iraq on ties with Iran as al-Maliki sets return
AFP, Washington /26 January/2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iraq on Sunday against a pro-Iranian
government as the expected return of Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister stirs
Washington’s concern. Maliki, who left power in 2014 following heated pressure
from the United States, has been chosen by Iraq’s largest Shia bloc, which would
put him in line to be nominated prime minister.Rubio, in a telephone call with
incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, voiced hope the next
government will work to make Iraq “a force for stability, prosperity and
security in the Middle East.”“The secretary emphasized that a government
controlled by Iran cannot successfully put Iraq’s own interests first, keep Iraq
out of regional conflicts or advance the mutually beneficial partnership between
the United States and Iraq,” Rubio said, according to State Department spokesman
Tommy Pigott. A pro-Iranian government in Iraq would be a rare boon for Tehran’s
clerical state after it suffered major setbacks at home and in the region. The
Islamic republic has killed thousands of Iranians since mass protests erupted in
late December. Since the October 7, 2023 attacks, Israel has hit Iran both with
strikes inside the country and heavy blows against Tehran’s Lebanese ally
Hezbollah, while Iran lost its main Arab ally with the fall of Bashar al-Assad
in Syria. An Iraqi political source told AFP that the United States had conveyed
that it “holds a negative view of previous governments led by former prime
minister Maliki.”In a letter, US representatives said that while the selection
of the prime minister is an Iraqi decision, “the United States will make its own
sovereign decisions regarding the next government in line with American
interests.”The United States wields key leverage over Iraq as the country’s oil
export revenue is largely held at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York, in an
arrangement reached after the 2003 US invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Chief among US demands is that Iraq prevent a resurgence of Shia armed groups
backed by Iran. Sudani, who took office in 2022, has won US confidence through
his delicate efforts to curb violence by the groups. Maliki initially took
office in 2006 with support of the United States as he strongly backed US
military efforts against al-Qaeda in Iraq and other Sunni militants. But the
United States eventually soured on Maliki, believing he pushed an excessively
sectarian agenda that helped give rise to the ISIS extremist movement. Iraq’s
parliament meets Tuesday to elect a new president, who holds a largely
ceremonial role but will appoint a prime minister.
Ties with UAE important for regional stability, Saudi
Arabia’s top diplomat says
Al Arabiya English/26 January/2026
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Monday that
strong ties with the UAE are vital for regional stability, while acknowledging
differences in their views on the situation in Yemen. “The relationship with the
UAE from our perspective is critically important. It is an important element of
regional stability and therefore the Kingdom is always keen on having a strong,
positive relationship with the UAE as [an] important partner within the GCC,”
Prince Faisal said. “Obviously, when it comes to Yemen there is a difference of
view. The UAE has now decided to leave Yemen, and I think if that indeed is the
case and the UAE has completely left the issue of Yemen, then the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia will take responsibility. I think that will be the building block
for making sure that the relationship with UAE continues strong and continues to
serve the interest not just of both countries but the region.”
The top Saudi diplomat was speaking in a joint news conference with his Polish
counterpart, Radoslaw Sikorski in Warsaw. During the news conference, Prince
Faisal announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish
a Saudi-Polish Coordination Council. The council would look at means of further
developing and broadening economic ties between Saudi Arabia and Poland in the
different sectors. Prince Faisal also said that he discussed with Sikorski
different regional and international matters including the situation in each of
Yemen, Sudan and Palestine, including the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire.
The meeting also touched on the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Prince Faisal renewing
the Kingdom’s support for peaceful solutions to the crisis.For his part,
Sikorski hailed the ties with Saudi Arabia, saying that the Kingdom was a
strategic partner in the Middle East. He also expressed his appreciation for the
Saudi efforts for Ukraine.
Israel agrees only to partial and conditional reopening of Rafah crossing
The Arab Weekly/January 26/2026
Israel said Monday it would allow a “limited reopening” of the Rafah border
crossing between Gaza and Egypt once it had recovered the remains of the last
hostage in the Palestinian territory amid Israeli media reports about
disagreements regarding Turkish and Qatari roles. Reopening Rafah, a vital entry
point for aid into Gaza, forms part of a truce framework announced by US
President Donald Trump in October, but the crossing has remained closed since
Israeli forces took control of it during the war in the Palestinian territory.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had urged Netanyahu to reopen Rafah
during their Jerusalem talks during the weekend. World leaders and aid agencies
have repeatedly pushed for more humanitarian convoys to be able to access Gaza,
which has been left devastated by more than two years of war and depends on the
inflow of essential medical equipment, food and other supplies. Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu’s office said on Monday that Israel had agreed to a reopening
“for pedestrian passage only, subject to a full Israeli inspection mechanism”.
The move would depend on “the return of all living hostages and a 100 percent
effort by Hamas to locate and return all deceased hostages”, it said on X. The
Israeli military said it was searching a cemetery in the Gaza Strip on Sunday
for the remains of the last hostage, Ran Gvili. Netanyahu’s office said: “Upon
completion of this operation, and in accordance with what has been agreed upon
with the US, Israel will open the Rafah Crossing.”The announcement came after
Gaza’s newly-appointed administrator, Ali Shaath, said the crossing would open
“in both directions” this week. “For Palestinians in Gaza, Rafah is more than a
gate, it is a lifeline and a symbol of opportunity,” Shaath said at the World
Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday. Israeli officials say they are under
pressure from the family of the last hostage whose remains are still in Gaza. A
spokesman for Hamas’ Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, said on Sunday
that the group had “provided mediators with all the details and information in
our possession regarding the location of the captive’s body”, referring to Gvili.
Obeida added that “the enemy (Israel) is currently searching one of the sites
based on information transmitted by the Al-Qassam Brigades”.Except for Gvili,
all of the 251 people taken hostage during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on
Israel have since been returned, whether living or dead.
A non-commissioned officer in the Israeli police’s elite Yassam unit, Gvili was
killed in action on the day of the attack and his body taken to Gaza. The first
phase of the US-backed ceasefire deal had stipulated that Hamas hand over all
the hostages in Gaza. In the meanwhile, Israeli news site Ynet reported, citing
an unnamed Israeli official, that while the meeting between Netanyahu, Witkoff
and Kushner was “positive”, Witkoff pressed Israel to reopen Rafah even before
Hamas returns the remains of the last Israeli hostage believed to be held in
Gaza. According to the Israeli official, Witkoff also raised the possibility of
Turkey playing a role in Gaza’s future. “Witkoff pushed to bring our greatest
rival, Turkey, to our border,” the official was quoted as saying. “The clock is
ticking toward a confrontation with Turkey, which would pose a real threat to
our security.”The official also accused Witkoff of acting on behalf of Doha,
saying he had “become a lobbyist for Qatari interests”, according to Ynet.
Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected any Turkish role in post-war Gaza, despite US
President Donald Trump having invited President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to join his
so-called “Board of Peace”.Relations between Israel and Turkey have deteriorated
since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023 following the Hamas attack on
Israel.Reopening Rafah forms part of a Gaza truce framework announced by Trump
in October, but the crossing has remained closed after Israeli forces took
control of it during the war. Despite Israeli pushback, Witkoff has tried to put
the best face on the talks. He said on Sunday, “The United States and Israel
maintain a strong and long-standing relationship built on close coordination and
shared priorities. The discussion was constructive and positive, with both sides
aligned on next steps and the importance of continued cooperation on all matters
critical to the region,” the US envoy said in an X post. The Gaza war was
sparked by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the
deaths of 1,221 people. The Israeli retaliation flattened much of Gaza, home to
about 2.2 million people, a territory that was already suffering severely from
previous rounds of fighting and from an Israeli blockade imposed since 2007.In
November, authorities in Gaza said more than 70,000 people had been killed
there.
Gaza hospital says received nine Palestinian prisoners from
Israel via Red Cross
AFP/26 January/2026
Central Gaza’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital said on Monday it had received nine
living Palestinian detainees released by Israel, shortly after the military said
it had recovered the body of the last hostage held in the Palestinian
territory.“Nine Palestinian detainees from Gaza arrived at the hospital a short
while ago via Red Cross teams, after the occupation released them today,” the
hospital said in a statement.
Israeli forces recover the
last hostage’s body from Gaza Strip
Reuters/January 26, 2026
JERUSALEM: Israel has recovered the remains of the last remaining hostage held
in Gaza, the military said on Monday, fulfilling a key condition of the initial
phase of the US plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory. The remains of
police officer Ran Gvili — held in Gaza for more than 840 days — have been
identified and will be returned for burial, the military said in a statement.
The recovery of the remains could pave the way for a limited reopening of the
Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt, the devastated enclave’s main gateway to
the outside world, in line with Israeli pledges.
BACKGROUND
The recovery of police officer Ran Gvili’s remains could pave the way for a
limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt, in line with
Israeli pledges. The Palestinian committee of technocrats backed by the US to
administer Gaza has said the border crossing would open this week. A government
spokesperson had no immediate comment when asked when the border crossing would
be reopened. Gvili’s remains had been held in Gaza since he was killed during
the attack on Oct. 7, 2023, triggering a two-year Israeli offensive. Israel’s
assault has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians, health authorities say.Gvili
was off duty on Oct. 7, recovering from an injury, when he was killed fighting
the militants.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking to reporters
at the Knesset, described the discovery of Gvili’s remains as an “unbelievable
achievement for the State of Israel.”“Rani is a hero of Israel, who went in
first and he emerged last,” he said. Gvili was one of the 251 hostages seized
and taken to Gaza by militants during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. At the time of
a ceasefire deal that Israel and Hamas agreed in October, 48 hostages remained
in Gaza, 28 of them believed dead, including Gvili.
Handing over all the remaining living and dead hostages was a core commitment of
the first phase of the deal, though other parts have not been fulfilled, and
there are huge splits over what comes next. In Israel, the return of Gvili’s
body has been anticipated as a moment of national healing. Even before Gvili’s
body had been found, the US administration announced that the US-led plan to end
the war would move on to its next phase, which is meant to include the
reconstruction of Gaza and the demilitarization of the territory. In a
statement, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the discovery of Gvili’s remains
confirms Hamas’ commitment to the plan. “We will continue to uphold all aspects
of the agreement, including facilitating the work of the national Gaza
administration and ensuring its success,” Qassem said, referring to the
committee of technocrats. Hamas said that the information it provided helped
locate Gvili’s body. Gaza’s border with Egypt was supposed to have opened during
the initial phase of the plan to end the war. However, Israeli officials had
repeatedly objected, saying that Hamas must first return the body of the last
remaining hostage. Reuters reported on Friday that Israel wanted to limit the
number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the border crossing to fewer than
those leaving, and to screen all Palestinians using the crossing at a nearby
Israeli military checkpoint.
Israel retrieves last hostage body from Gaza in boost for
Trump plan
Reuters/26 January/2026
Israel has retrieved the remains of the last remaining hostage held in Gaza, the
military said on Monday, fulfilling a key condition of the initial phase of US
President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war. The remains of police officer
Ran Gvili have been identified and will be returned for burial, the military
said in a statement. Gvili’s remains had been held in Gaza since he was killed
during Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian militant group led
an attack on southern Israeli communities, triggering a two-year Israeli
offensive. Israel has said it will reopen Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with
Egypt, the enclave’s main gateway to the world, once the search operation for
Gvili’s remains was completed. A government spokesperson had no immediate
comment when asked when the border crossing would be reopened. The Palestinian
committee of technocrats backed by the US to administer Gaza has said the border
would open this week.
Next phase of deal
Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire in October that was meant to see a
complete halt in fighting as well as the return of all living and deceased
hostages in exchange for the release of some Palestinians held in Israeli
detention. Gvili was one of the 251 hostages seized and taken to Gaza by
militants during the October 7, 2023 attack. At the time of the deal, 48
hostages remained in Gaza, 28 of them believed dead, including Gvili. Even
before Gvili’s body had been found, the Trump administration announced that the
deal would move on to its next phase, which is meant to include reconstruction
of Gaza and demilitarization of the territory. In a statement, Hamas
spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the discovery of Gvili’s remains confirms Hamas’
commitment to the US plan to end the war. “We will continue to uphold all
aspects of the agreement, including facilitating the work of the national Gaza
administration and ensuring its success,” Qassem said, referring to the
committee of technocrats.
Russia withdrawing troops from airport in northeast Syria,
sources say
Reuters/26 January/2026
Russia is withdrawing forces from an airport in northeastern Syria, moving to
end its military presence in a corner of the country where the Damascus
government is trying to seize control from Kurdish forces, five Syrian sources
said. Russia has stationed forces at Qamishli airport in the northeast since
2019, a relatively small deployment compared to its air base and a naval
facility on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, both of which it is expected to
maintain. Government forces under President Ahmed al-Sharaa have taken swathes
of northern and eastern Syria from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces this
month, as Damascus aims to assert its authority over the entire country. A
fragile ceasefire between the sides was extended on Saturday for 15 days. Two of
the sources said Russian forces had begun a gradual withdrawal from Qamishli
airport last week. Some of the forces were expected to move to Russia’s Hmeimim
air base in western Syria while others would return to Russia, one of the
sources said. Another Syrian security source on Syria’s western coast said
Russian military vehicles and heavy weaponry had been transported from Qamishli
to the Hmeimim military airport over the last two days. There was no immediate
comment from Russia’s defense ministry. Russian daily Kommersant reported last
week, citing an unnamed Syrian source, that the Syrian government might ask
Russian forces to leave the base once it had pushed the Kurds out because
“there’s nothing for them (the Russians) to do there.”A Reuters journalist saw
Russian flags still flying at Qamishli airport on Monday, where two planes
bearing Russian markings were parked on the runway. Russia, a close ally of
Syria’s ousted president Bashar al-Assad, has established ties with al-Sharaa
since he seized power some 14 months ago. Al-Sharaa told Russian President
Vladimir Putin last year he would honor all past deals struck between Damascus
and Moscow, a pledge suggesting Moscow’s two main military bases in Syria are
safe.
US envoy calls for
ceasefire deal in northeastern Syria to be maintained
Arab News/January 27, 2026
LONDON: Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy for Syria,
on Monday reiterated Washington’s desire to ensure the ceasefire agreement in
northeastern Syria between Syria’s government and the Syrian Democratic Forces
continues.
In a message posted on social media platform X, he wrote: “Productive phone call
this evening with his excellency Masoud Barzani to discuss the situation in
Syria and the importance of maintaining the ceasefire and ensuring humanitarian
assistance to those in need, especially in Kobani.”Barzani has been the leader
of the Kurdistan Democratic Party since 1979, and served as president of
Kurdistan region between 2005 and 2017. The current present, Nechirvan Barzani,
previously welcomed a recent decree by the Syrian president, Ahmad Al-Sharaa,
officially recognizing the Kurdish population as an integral part of the
country. Barrack reiterated Washington’s support for efforts to advance the Jan.
18 agreement between Syria’s government and the SDF to integrate the latter into
state institutions. The SDF is a Kurdish-led faction led by Mazloum Abdi that
operates in northeastern Syria and recently clashed with government forces. On
Saturday, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported that the Syrian Ministry of
Defense had announced a 15-day extension of the ceasefire deal.
Damascus Acting with US Support to Control Sweida
Tel Aviv: Asharq Al Awsat/26 January/2026
Damascus is acting in coordination with the United States to take control over
Jabal al-Arab, which houses the majority of the Druze population in southern
Syria, Israeli broadcaster KAN News said quoting a Syrian official. Although the
official said the American support is conditional on not harming Israel's
national security, Tel Aviv does not feel comfortable with it.According to the
Israeli TV report, the Syrian official, who is interested in military affairs,
said the Syrian government has been acting under the impression that the US
coordinates and supports Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s actions to take
control over the province.The official noted that Syria's government has yet to
decide on re-entering Sweida, explaining that “it will happen sooner or later,
hopefully through dialogue and understanding.”Late on Saturday, Kan 11 said that
during negotiations with Syria, Israel had made it clear that security
understandings must include a mechanism allowing Tel Aviv to open a humanitarian
corridor to Syria's southern province of Sweida. The American officials took
this request into consideration when they said Washington’s support is
conditional both on Sharaa’s actions not harming Israel's national security and
that there be no further massacres of the Druze currently living in the area,
such as in the case of Sweida in October 2025. Members of the community in
Sweida told The Jerusalem Post they are concerned about the re-entry of Syrian
army forces into the southern province, recalling that in October, 2,500 people
were murdered by state-backed factions.Kan 11 had quoted an Israeli security
source as saying that Israel is ready to expand its military strikes in Syria,
if attacks against the Druze community continue, stressing that “escalation will
be met with escalation.”The comment, diffused via KAN, came while the province
of Sweida has experienced, for several weeks, a state of relative calm. Last
July, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had committed to keeping
the southwest region of Syria as a demilitarized zone within Israel. “We will
not allow the creation of a second Lebanon [in southern] Syria,” he said.
Meanwhile, Syrian and Israeli officials are expected to meet soon under US
mediation, perhaps in Paris, to finalize a security agreement between Damascus
and Jerusalem, a source close to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told i24NEWS
on Saturday. According to the Syrian source, the talks will also focus on
various potential joint strategic and economic projects in the buffer zones
between the two countries. Previous rounds of US-mediated talks between Syrian
and Israeli officials have failed to produce a security agreement aimed at
stabilizing the border area, according to Reuters.
Sudan army breaks RSF siege on southern city of Dilling
AFP/26 January /2026
The Sudanese army said on Monday it had broken a long-running siege of Dilling,
a city in the country’s south, where paramilitary forces had choked off access
for more than a year and a half. Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a
conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that
has killed tens of thousands of people.The war has also left 11 million people
displaced and triggered what the UN describes as the world’s largest
displacement and hunger crises. In its statement, the army said its forces
“succeeded in opening the Dilling road after carrying out a successful military
operation,” claiming they had inflicted “heavy losses” on the RSF. If confirmed,
the advance would secure the army’s hold over both the northern and southern
approaches to Dilling, located in South Kordofan state. The city lies halfway
between Kadugli – the besieged state capital – and al-Obeid, the capital of
neighboring North Kordofan, which the RSF has sought to encircle. Videos shared
on social media showed army forces, said to be in Dilling, celebrating atop
pick-up trucks as people ululated and cheered alongside them. AFP could not
independently verify the army’s claim or the footage, and the RSF has not yet
commented.
Sweeping offensive
The push around Dilling comes as the army attempts to stem a sweeping
paramilitary advance across the wider Kordofan region. Since seizing the army’s
last stronghold in western Darfur last October, the RSF has shifted its focus
eastward, aided by its local allies, namely the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement-North faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu. Since then, the paramilitary
group has tightened its grip on West Kordofan, taken Heglig – home to Sudan’s
largest oil field – and intensified its siege of Kadugli. A UN-backed assessment
last year already confirmed famine in Kadugli, which has been under RSF siege
for more than a year and a half. The assessment said conditions in Dilling were
likely similar, but security issues and a lack of access have prevented a formal
declaration. The UN has repeatedly cautioned that atrocities similar to those
reported during the RSF offensive in al-Fashir – including mass killings, sexual
violence, abductions and widespread looting – could spread into Kordofan. More
than 65,000 people have fled the Kordofan region since October, according to the
latest UN figures. Those escaping, particularly from South Kordofan, face “long
and uncertain journeys” lasting up to 30 days and sleep “wherever they can,”
according to Mercy Corps, one of the few aid groups operating there.
Russia says Ukraine talks held in ‘constructive spirit’
AFP/27 January/2026
The Kremlin said Monday that US-brokered trilateral talks between Russian and
Ukrainian negotiators had been held in a “constructive spirit” but there was
still “significant work ahead.”“It would be a mistake to expect any significant
results from the initial contacts... But the very fact that these contacts have
begun in a constructive spirit can be viewed positively. However, there is
significant work ahead,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists. The
two-day meeting in the UAE on Friday and Saturday was the first time negotiators
from Moscow and Kyiv faced each other to talk about a plan being pushed by US
President Donald Trump to end the nearly four-year war.“I wouldn’t say there was
any friendliness there, it’s hardly possible at this stage,” Peskov said. “But
if you’re trying to achieve something through negotiations, you need to speak
constructively,” he added. The next round of trilateral talks is expected to
take place on February 1, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his
evening address on Monday. “It would be good if this meeting could be brought
forward,” he added.Russian drones and missiles have cut power and heating to
millions of Ukrainians in recent days of sub-zero temperatures, including during
the negotiating process. Zelenskyy said he expected “real results” from the next
round of talks, and that Russia should not use them as a delaying tactic to
avoid new Western sanctions.
Trump does not want to see people killed on US streets,
White House says
Reuters/26 January/2026
The White House said on Monday that President Donald Trump does not want to see
people getting hurt or killed on the streets of the United States but will not
back down from efforts to deport “violent criminal illegal aliens” from
Minnesota. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefed reporters after
the killing of 37-year-old nurse, Alex Pretti, on Saturday by federal officers
drew outrage from Americans. It was the second fatal shooting of a US citizen
in Minnesota this month. “Let’s be clear about the circumstances which led to
that moment on Saturday. This tragedy occurred as a result of a deliberate and
hostile resistance by Democrat leaders in Minnesota for weeks,” Leavitt said.
Video from the scene, verified by Reuters, contradicts the Trump
administration’s account that immigration agents fired in self-defense after
Pretti approached them with a handgun. Footage shows Pretti holding a phone –
not a gun – as agents wrestle him to the ground. It also shows officers
removing a firearm stored near his waistband after he was subdued, moments
before they fatally shot him. Pretti was a licensed gun owner. Leavitt said
Trump “will never back down from his promise to deport violent criminal illegal
aliens and make America safe again, and he welcomes all cooperation in that
effort.”Democratic leaders have fiercely opposed the Trump administration’s
surge of immigration agents to Minnesota, which they have characterized as a
lawless invasion that puts public safety at risk. Massive street protests have
also been held in below-freezing temperatures. Leavitt called on Minnesota
political leaders to turn over illegal immigrants in jails to federal
authorities, along with any illegal aliens with active warrants or known
criminal histories for immediate deportation. She said Trump wants Congress to
immediately pass legislation ending policies that some cities have in providing
sanctuary to undocumented border crossers.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva.
AFP/26 January/2026
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday asked US President Donald
Trump to limit his “Board of Peace” to Gaza, in a phone call in which the
leaders agreed to meet in Washington, according to the Brazilian presidency.
Lula, who was invited to join Trump’s controversial global conflict resolution
organization, proposed that it “be limited to the issue of Gaza and include a
seat for Palestine.”In a 50-minute call, “the two presidents agreed on a visit
by President Lula to Washington ... on a date to be set soon,” the Brazilian
presidency said in a statement.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on January
26-27/2026
'Gaza's Colonization Council': Hamas's Actual Position on Disarmament, Trump's
Board of Peace
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute/January 26/2026
Hamas is clearly unfazed by Trump's repeated threats that it must give up its
weapons. The terror organization maintains that Israel is the one that needs to
be disarmed. Hamas has become used to Trump's recurring threats over the past
year -- especially with Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Trump's new
Board of Peace to make sure that Hamas is left untouched. Hamas is apparently
convinced that Trump's threats are just a means of scaring the terror group.
Trump seems to regard the Gaza Strip as a real estate enterprise that can be
managed by earnest investors, politicians and technocrats, and not as a terror
hub for Hamas and other Islamist Jihadists committed to destroying Israel and
replacing it with an Islamist state.
These countries will undoubtedly serve as Hamas's representatives on the Board
of Peace and make sure that the terror group preserves its political and
military presence not only in the Gaza Strip, but in the Palestinian arena as
well. The assumption that Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia or other Arab
and Islamic countries would participate in any effort forcibly to disarm or
demote Hamas and the other Palestinian terror groups is nothing but a
starry-eyed make believe.
"The composition of the Gaza administration committee is also flawed, as all its
members are loyal to the Palestinian Authority, masquerading as technocrats and
professionals." — Yassin Ezzedine, Palestinian political analyst, felesteen.news,
January 18, 2026.
Palestinian poet and journalist Ali Jahiz described the Board of Peace as "a
major catastrophe... a peace board for the occupation of Gaza and the
disarmament of the resistance. It is headed by the criminal Trump, and consists
of bodies led by Zionists, with nominal participation from regional countries.
In short: A dangerous occupation with multiple fronts."
Another important fact that Trump and his advisors need to pay attention to:
Hamas is threatening to attack members of the proposed International
Stabilization Force in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas's refusal to disarm, its opposition to the Board of Peace, and threats to
kill members of the International Stabilization Force signal that the terror
group and its supporters have total contempt for Trump or anyone who seeks a
better life for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. For the Islamist terrorists,
the Jihad to destroy Israel takes precedence over reconstruction, economic
prosperity, everything.
Hamas is clearly unfazed by Trump's repeated threats that it must give up its
weapons.
What is the terror group Hamas's true position regarding demands to lay down its
weapons and the formation of the Board of Peace headed by US President Donald J.
Trump?
Hamas is clearly unfazed by Trump's repeated threats that it must give up its
weapons. The terror organization maintains that Israel is the one that needs to
be disarmed. Hamas has become used to Trump's recurring threats over the past
year -- especially with Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Trump's new
Board of Peace to make sure that Hamas is left untouched. Hamas is apparently
convinced that Trump's threats are just a means of scaring the terror group.
Hamas and many Palestinians, however, have significant reservations about
Trump's Board of Peace. They view it as a "new round of colonization" in the
Middle East by the US and other Western powers.
Trump seems to regard the Gaza Strip as a real estate enterprise that can be
managed by earnest investors, politicians and technocrats, and not as a terror
hub for Hamas and other Islamist Jihadists committed to destroying Israel and
replacing it with an Islamist state.
In response to Trump's latest call for Hamas to disarm, Hazem Qassem, a
spokesman for the terror group in the Gaza Strip, told Qatar's Al-Jazeera TV
network, the unofficial mouthpiece of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, "The
weapons of the resistance are a response to the [Israeli] occupation."
"The real weapons," he added, "that should be talked about are the Israeli
weapons."
When Hamas talks about the "occupation," it is referring to the non-negotiable
demand that Israel not be allowed to exist within any borders in the region. The
terror group, which does not, anyhow, recognize Israel's right to exist, will
lay down its weapons only when Israel ceases to exist as the only sovereign
homeland of the Jewish people. As Fatah official Jibril Rajoub stated on January
19, "[Mahmoud] Abbas supports "resistance in all its forms [terrorism] " until
there is a Palestinian state.
Hamas, which describes itself as "one of the wings of the Muslim Brotherhood in
Palestine," remains committed to the teachings of Hassan al-Banna, founder of
the Muslim Brotherhood, who is quoted in the terror group's 1988 charter as
saying: "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will
obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it."
It is possible that Hamas may put on a show by handing over some of its light
weapons to impress Trump and his Board of Peace. Hamas, however, will never
surrender all its weapons, especially the thousands of missiles and rockets it
manufactured and stockpiled over the past two decades. The terror group knows
that the moment it loses all its weapons, it will cease to exist both as a
political and military entity. It needs the weapons to maintain control over the
residents of the Gaza Strip and protect its future viability, its members and
leaders, especially against its political rivals in Gaza, such as Palestinian
Islamic Jihad, as well as the Palestinian Authority.
Hamas wants the Board of Peace to focus only on the reconstruction of the Gaza
Strip, not security-related issues, such as the "demilitarization" of the Gaza
Strip. According to Qassem, the Hamas spokesman, the Board of Peace should
compel Israel to reopen the border crossings of the Gaza Strip (with Israel and
Egypt) and lift restrictions imposed on the entry of humanitarian and medical
aid.
Qassem also stressed the need "to mobilize political, financial and economic
support to launch a genuine reconstruction that is appropriate to the reality of
Gaza, the culture of its inhabitants and their political goals, without
neglecting the basic political and national rights of the Palestinian people."
Hamas, meanwhile, understandably appears to be satisfied with Trump's decision
to allow Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to play a role in the future
management of the Gaza Strip. The participation of Arab and Islamic countries
"that have clear positions in support of the Palestinian cause can be viewed
positively," Qassem said.
Hamas has every reason to be gratified. Qatar and Turkey have long been the main
sponsors of Hamas. They have provided the terror organization with money and
diplomatic aid, and hosted many of its leaders and activists. These countries
will undoubtedly serve as Hamas's representatives on the Board of Peace and make
sure that the terror group preserves its political and military presence not
only in the Gaza Strip, but in the Palestinian arena as well. The assumption
that Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia or other Arab and Islamic countries
would participate in any effort forcibly to disarm or demote Hamas and the other
Palestinian terror groups is nothing but a starry-eyed make believe.
Another Hamas official, Taher a-Nunu, also rejected Trump's call on the terror
group to give up its weapons:
"The Palestinian people live under [Israeli] occupation, and according to
international law and humanitarian law, it is the right of peoples under
occupation to resist until they gain their freedom... If the occupation ends,
there is no need for resistance or weapons, but so long as the occupation
exists, the real problem is its existence, not the tools of resistance against
its weapons, but rather in the continuation of the Israeli occupation."
A-Nunu, like Qassem, is also making it unequivocal that so long as Israel
exists, Hamas will never give up its weapons.
"The essence of the crisis in Palestine," according to a-Nunu, "does not lie in
the resistance's weapons, but rather in the continuation of the Israeli
occupation."
Reminder: There was no Israeli "occupation" in the Gaza Strip ever since 2005,
when Israel forcibly removed all 8,000 Jews from the Gaza Strip to make room for
the exclusive use of the Palestinians – until October 7, 2023, when Hamas
carried out its invasion of Israel. That day, Hamas slaughtered more than 1,200
Israelis and foreign nationals and wounded thousands of others.
It is also worth noting that Hamas's October 7 massacre targeted towns and
cities inside the areas of Israel that had been agreed upon by the Palestinians
in the 1993 Oslo Accord, not settlements in the West Bank. The Jews who were
murdered, tortured, and kidnapped that day were not "settlers." They were
ordinary Israeli citizens living in Israel proper. Ironically, some of the
victims, such as Canadian-born Vivian Silver, 74, were passionate
pro-Palestinian activists.
Many Palestinians and Arabs share Hamas's views on the Board of Peace,
especially on not permitting disarmament. Writers, academics, journalists, and
political activists have been denouncing the Board of Peace as a new
"international trusteeship project aimed at re-engineering Gaza's political and
security administration and paving the way for the disarmament of the
resistance."
Palestinian activist Moaath Khalaf described the council as an extension of
colonial projects:
"The Gaza Board of Peace can be conventionally called the Gaza Colonization
Council, and the mission is difficult to complete."
Palestinian political analyst Yassin Ezzedine wrote that the nature of the board
reflects its true objectives:
"Trump announces the formation of the Board of Peace. Its composition is flawed,
which is to be expected. It is headed by [former UN envoy Nikolay] Mladenov, and
its members include [Steve] Witkoff, [Jared] Kushner, an Emirati minister, an
American rabbi, and a Cypriot-Israeli businessman. The composition of the Gaza
administration committee is also flawed, as all its members are loyal to the
Palestinian Authority, masquerading as technocrats and professionals."
Palestinian poet and journalist Ali Jahiz described the Board of Peace as
"[A] major catastrophe... a peace board for the occupation of Gaza and the
disarmament of the resistance. It is headed by the criminal Trump, and consists
of bodies led by Zionists, with nominal participation from regional countries.
In short: A dangerous occupation with multiple fronts."
Several Palestinian terror factions, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)
and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) also expressed
reservations about Trump's Board of Peace. The factions claimed that the
selection of the board members took into consideration only Israeli interests
and demands. PIJ spokesman Mohammed al-Hajj Musa said: "The names serve only the
interests of the [Israeli] occupation and the selection of members was based on
specific Israeli criteria."
Another important fact that Trump and his advisors need to pay attention to:
Hamas is threatening to attack members of the proposed International
Stabilization Force in the Gaza Strip. An unnamed Hamas leader was recently
quoted as saying that "any force that comes to carry out tasks on behalf of the
[Israeli] occupation will be treated as an occupying force."
Hamas's refusal to disarm, its opposition to the Board of Peace, and threats to
kill members of the International Stabilization Force signal that the terror
group and its supporters have total contempt for Trump or anyone who seeks a
better life for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. For the Islamist terrorists,
the Jihad to destroy Israel takes precedence over reconstruction, economic
prosperity, everything.
**Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
**Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22230/gaza-colonization-council-hamas
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Don’t forget Iran!
Ben Cohen/Jewish News Syndicate/January 26/2026
https://www.jns.org/dont-forget-iran/
There is truly a historic opportunity at work, based on the civilian protest
movement. The world should not squander it.
The pace and range of U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign-policy initiatives
is simply dizzying.
In keeping with Trump’s keen sense of drama, honed through his years spent in
television, observers of his decisions can pivot from elation to fear and from
the heights of hope to the depths of despair, all in a single 24-hour period.
From Venezuela to Greenland to Syria and beyond, the Trumpian juggernaut has, in
quick succession, ploughed through the norms and conventions that have governed
international security for the last 80 years. And it’s only January.
Yet none of the developments of the last few weeks, as vitally important as they
are, approach the historic significance of the protests in Iran. If it wasn’t
already clear from the protests of 2019 and 2022-23, as well as the previous
waves stretching back more than a decade, there is no room for doubt now on two
matters.
First, the large majority of Iranians want to overthrow the Islamic Republic,
not reform it. Second, the Islamic Republic will show no restraint in the
brutality of its response. The killings so far of thousands of protesters attest
to that. According to the London-based The Times, medical staff on the ground
say that “at least 16,500 protesters have died and 330,000 have been injured,
most of them in two days of utter slaughter in the most brutal crackdown by the
clerical regime in its 47-year existence.”
For more than a week, it appeared that the United States would follow through on
Trump’s pledge to aid the protests through a combination of kinetic attacks on
the regime’s repressive infrastructure, along with non-kinetic measures such as
cyberattacks, restoring access to the internet after the regime closed it down
and a new layer of sanctions.
But as is often the case when Trump issues threats, an exit strategy for the
Iranian regime was embedded in his tough talk. After he declared himself
satisfied that the ruling mullahs were not going to execute some of the detained
protesters, he abruptly pulled away from further intervention. The jury is still
out on whether Trump actually backed down or whether this was a temporary shift
in his tactics. As of this writing, the U.S. Navy’s Abraham Lincoln Carrier
Strike Group is wending its way toward the Middle East, suggesting that the dark
clouds hanging over the Iranian regime have not lifted.
That regime is weaker than at any point since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
The combined effects of heavy sanctions and the extensive Israeli airstrikes
last June, joined by the United States in their final days, have left the ruling
ayatollahs paranoid about internal security. As the value of the Iranian rial
cascades downward, with a congruent rise in the price of foodstuffs and other
basic goods, the regime is unquestionably teetering. But if the Islamic Republic
is to end up in the trash dustbin of history, it still needs one firm push over
the edge.
At the global level, the end of the regime would signal a welcome setback for
its backers in Russia and China, as well as its anti-Western allies around the
world from Colombia to South Africa.
At the regional level, the regime’s demise would be a further blow to its
terrorist proxies from which they might never recover.
And at the local level, the defeat of Iran’s apparatus of repression—rooted in
the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—would allow Iranians to inhale
the scent of freedom after nearly 50 years of theocratic dictatorship. The
desire for freedom has manifested across all 31 of Iran’s provinces, confirming
that this is truly a national movement for regime change.
As is invariably the case with sudden—in this case, revolutionary—change, it
would be naive to expect smooth, linear progress in the aftermath of the
regime’s demise. To begin with, there is no obvious, organized opposition
waiting to take the reins of power. The stock of Reza Pahlavi, son of the
deposed Shah, has risen against the background of the protests, with many of
those in the streets chanting his name and waving the pre-Islamic Republic
Iranian flag. But the return of the monarchy cannot be said, at this stage, to
be a consensus position among Iranians agitating against the regime.
Nor would the regime’s removal end the threat of radical Islamism in the Middle
East. As Iran’s power has plummeted, Turkey’s has soared. Turkish dictator Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan is arguably the main threat to Israel in the region, though his
current focus is nearer home, as he supports the brutal offensive led by Syrian
President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s forces into areas held by the Kurdish allies of the
United States. And, unlike Iran, Turkey is still regarded as a component of the
Western alliance, despite Erdoğan’s neo-Ottoman foreign policy.
Neither of these considerations is justification for the continued survival of
the ayatollahs. Were they to do so, their focus would be exclusively on
rebuilding their capabilities. If they are still in power a year from now, it is
reasonable to expect that a major effort to reconstitute the nuclear facilities
badly damaged in last June’s war would be underway, with precious little
oversight from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), frequently
denounced in Iranian official media as an agent of Israeli interests.
A similar effort would be mounted with regard to Iran’s ballistic-missile
arsenal, which last year proved its ability to strike inside Israel on more than
one occasion. That could lead to a situation, as was the case last June, in
which Israel is forced to again strike Iran, but at a time when an exhausted
protest movement is unable to mobilize in the way that it has done this past
month.
There is truly a historic opportunity here. If we give the regime yet another
chance—and if the United States is again entrapped in negotiations that serve
only to buy the ayatollahs more time—then we will squander it. Above all, we
will send a message to the Iranian people that their lives are mere bargaining
chips, despite all our noble rhetoric, and that they are on their own.
Ben Cohen is a senior analyst with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
(FDD) and director of FDD’s rapid response outreach, specializing in global
antisemitism, anti-Zionism and Middle East/European Union relations.
Read in Jewish News Syndicate
Us…After the Davos Fog Lifts
Eyad Abu Shakra//Asharq Al Awsat/26 January/2026
It is difficult for an analyst to come away with an accurate picture of the
deliberations of the World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland). With such
events, it is very useful to understand the atmosphere, body language, implicit
messages, and positional “test signals.”The stances expressed in speeches and
discussions are carefully calibrated; they reflect participants’ principles and
vested interests. However, this task requires prudence that makes them easier to
swallow and more readily accepted by the broader public.
In fact, participants know their audience well and are aware of what is expected
to be heard. Yet the more perceptive speakers understand that the message is
stronger and more effective when it transcends narrow interest and impacts the
wider sphere of interests. When a figure from the Forum’s elite, such as Larry
Fink, chairman of the trillion-dollar asset-management giant BlackRock, speaks
of challenges facing capitalism, he raises this issue out of concern for its
survival in a changing world that can seem ungoverned at times. In other words,
people like Fink feel that capitalism may sometimes need to be rescued from its
own excesses in a world where technology threatens to remove constraints, remove
the brakes, and universalize unknowns.
According to Fink, this trajectory threatens the “legitimacy” of the global
economic system. Here, the American news site Axios reported that Fink reminded
his audience that economic prosperity is not confined to cumulative growth (in
the sense of the size of GDP or the market capitalization of major corporations)
but to the breadth of the population that feels it, experiences it, and builds
its future upon it.
On another front, the influential global billionaire predictably addressed the
impact of artificial intelligence, explaining that it will negatively affect the
fate of office and clerical jobs to the same extent that globalization
negatively affected manual labor jobs. Accordingly, he stressed that this
challenge must be seriously and directly addressed. From this perspective, the
head of BlackRock called for greater engagement in intensive dialogue across the
world and its economic and social sectors: more listening and less lecturing.
Against this deep realism, there were of course predictable excesses expressed
in several economic and political quarters. As usual, the political spotlight
focused on the positions of the United States, which President Donald Trump
conveyed in word and deed. Trump arrived in Davos having just finished the
“raid” on Venezuela that led to the removal of President Nicolas Maduro, amid
his multi-pronged effort to capture the island of Greenland and remove it from
Europe’s “embrace,” and his project for the future of the Gaza Strip. In this
regard, it has become clear that the world is beginning to absorb the shock,
adapting to an unfamiliar American leadership and with “out-of-the-box” views
that, since the end of the Cold War at least, had seemed unthinkable in the
West.
The rise of the Soviet Union as a global power at the end of the Second World
War (on the ruins of Nazism, fascism, and Japanese militarism) allowed for the
emergence of “global economic shift” following the success of the Maoist
revolution in China.
Thus, the combined Soviet–Chinese effort, together with the emergence of a
non-aligned Third World force outside the two major blocs (the capitalist West
and the communist East), led to the growth of global “liberation” movements
across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. But the rules of the game changed with
the end of the Cold War, the collapse of European communism, and with it the
fall of the Berlin Wall. For a few decades, it seemed that a new world order had
emerged from the “end of history” that Francis Fukuyama had heralded, marked by
the West’s “victory,” laying the groundwork for the “clash of civilizations”
between the West and the Islamic world that Samuel Huntington anticipated.
Indeed, despite tremors here and there, the “new world order” appeared to be
steadily consolidating, but four developments altered the trajectory.
First, Russian President Vladimir Putin succeeded in preventing his country’s
collapse and launched a retaliatory counter-war against the West, beginning with
his embrace of far-right extremist forces. In truth, Putin exposed the fragility
of “democracy” and of the integration project of the “institutional state” in
Western Europe, and then in the United States itself. Second, China got back on
its feet, successfully (so far) distracting the world from its strategic
ambitions by appearing to focus on the economy, manufacturing, and scientific
research.Third, the exponential acceleration of the technological revolution,
from communications and information technologies to artificial intelligence,
could change various formulas worldwide. Fourth, building on the three
developments mentioned above, came the change in patterns of thinking and the
redefinition of priorities in the United States through the nationalist,
populist MAGA current (“Make America Great Again”), under the political
leadership of Donald Trump and the ideological vision of figures like Steve
Bannon. In MAGA, the priorities shifted. The traditional enemy was no longer an
enemy, and the traditional ally was no longer an ally. The language of diplomacy
was set aside, replaced by the language of imposition or threats. Long-term
calculations were replaced by quick deals. In Davos, Trump confirmed this shift.
Conversely, the world adapted to this state of affairs: world leaders avoided
confronting Trump or directly opposing his projects, while gradually disengaging
from commitments. The “rebellion” began with Canada, Spain, and France, and now
extends to Germany and Italy as well.
They decided that it was not in their interest to marginalize themselves and
sacrifice major international institutions, such as the United Nations and NATO,
for personal interests that ultimately serve the interests of the “man in the
White House,” as his rival, Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom,
reminded them from the heart of Davos.
The Affable Aide to Mr. President
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/26 January/2026
Don't say that you have a solution. You are not a decision-maker and have no
right to steal the spotlight or praise. Your fate is to remain in the shadows
and for others to take credit for your work. The solution comes from the source.
Your participation in devising it does not give you any right to it. Solutions
are part of the indisputable skills of Mr. President. No one else is party to
them.
Don't say that you have the winning saving idea. Salvation is not part of your
duties or even your rank. Salvation is the responsibility of the man in power -
the man whom the nation chose before the ballot boxes did. Men of landmark
moments are not born of ballot boxes. Fate chooses them for major duties; then
comes the role of the citizens in voting and applauding.
Don't say that the situation is difficult. Always say that it is under control
and that the fate of livelihoods and people are in safe hands. Always say that
the man in charge is skilled at knowing the dreams, feelings and needs of the
nation. Say that the people will be held responsible should any misunderstanding
arise because they failed to grasp Mr. President's pioneering ideas.
You are Mr. President's aide. You are the echo, not the voice. Don't even dare
to speak about concern over destiny or correcting course. Destiny is the
responsibility of the savior alone. The course itself is glittering, no matter
how much the enemies or critics say otherwise. Your primary task is to preserve
your position and safety and appease the man in charge of your fate. This means
making compliments and praise whenever necessary.
Don't say that Mr. President is following in his predecessor's footsteps. Mr.
President has his own unique path. His style is out of the ordinary and his own.
He doesn't imitate anyone and no one can imitate him. I once asked a man who
worked with Saddam Hussein if any member of the Baath Party's central command
had ever implied to Mr. President that the decision to invade Kuwait was
catastrophic, reckless or costly. The answer was no secret. Tariq Aziz said it
pained him to remain seated during the meeting in which it was announced that
Kuwait would be annexed and become an Iraqi province. He realized the dangers,
but when confronted with the ruthless people surrounding the president, he chose
to keep his thoughts to himself.
Saddam Hussein once met with Iranian Foreign Minister Sadegh Ghotbzadeh on the
sidelines of the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Havana. The minister
flattered the president. At the end of the meeting, Iraq's ambassador to the
United Nations Salah Omar al-Ali described the talks as positive and that more
can be built upon them. Mr. President was quick to reprimand him, saying: "Don't
ever say that again. I will break the Iranians and reclaim every inch of
territory they seized." Salah realized the difficulty of offering advice to the
"historic leader".
During a trip to Damascus, I met with President Bashar al-Assad and then Vice
President Abdul Halim Khaddam. I asked Khaddam about why Bashar was chosen to
succeed his father Hafez. Khaddam knew the walls had many ears, so he replied by
saying that he was the natural choice. Bashar was raised around his father and
grew up in his environment, so it was normal for the party leadership to name
him as successor.
Years later, I again met with Khaddam, who by then was living in Paris after
defecting from the regime. I asked him the same question and he replied that at
the time, he had been summoned by Assad and informed that the decision related
to Bashar had been taken. So, Khaddam had no role in Bashar's rise to power. He
said Bashar was not even fit to assume such a major post. The party's policy of
having sons inherit their father's position is wrong because it showed that
Hafez had no one but his son to whom he can entrust in running the country.
Libyan diplomat Ali Abdussalam Treki once told me that he hid face in
embarrassment when Moammar al-Gadhafi tore a copy of the UN Charter while he was
addressing the General Assembly. Treki admitted that he did not dare to call on
the leader to cut short his speech when he far exceeded his allotted time. Treki
most certainly did not criticize the leader after the scandalous incident.
Has the world returned to the time of the strongman who does not recognize any
borders or to whom no aide or advisor dares to confront with even a fraction of
the truth? We don't have the necessary information as to whether Vladimir Putin
consulted his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov before ordering the army to enter
Ukraine. We don't know the veteran Lavrov's opinion even if he were consulted.
It is difficult to imagine that an aide to Trump had warned him of the dangerous
precedent of kidnapping Maduro. It is difficult to believe that an aide had
urged him to tone down his statements about NATO. We don't know if an aide had
advised him to back off his demand to claim Canada or Greenland, regardless of
the criticism levelled against him by the French president. We don't know if
anyone in his entourage was blunt enough to inform Mr. President that running
the White House and maintaining America's position in the world were more
important than him winning the Nobel Peace Prize. A diplomat told me that
Trump's aides lavish him with praise as if they were members of a "central
command" running in Mr. President's orbit.
Xi Jinping completed years ago the collective leadership base that emerged in
the party after Mao Zedong's death. He has now assumed a similar position to Mao
and may even go down in history of having surpassed him. The current purge led
to the dismissal of his deputy in the Central Military Commission (CMC), which
has the final say in decision-making in the country. In all likelihood, no one
lifted a finger to object against the dismissal. A member of the commission is
expected to be docile and acquiescent and to be the affable aide to Mr.
President.
Trump’s Board of Peace and the politics of control
Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab NewsJanuary 26, 2026
The history of American power is, in many ways, the history of reinventing rules
— or designing new ones — to fit strategic US interests. This may sound harsh
but it is a necessary realization, particularly in light of US President Donald
Trump’s latest political invention: the “Board of Peace.”Some have hastily
concluded that Trump’s newest political gambit — unveiled last week at the World
Economic Forum in Davos — is a uniquely Trumpian endeavor, detached from earlier
US foreign policy doctrines. They are mistaken, misled largely by Trump’s
self-centered political style and his constant, though unfounded, claims that he
has ended wars, resolved global conflicts and made the world a safer place.At
the Davos launch, Trump reinforced this carefully crafted illusion, boasting of
America’s supposed historic leadership in bringing peace, praising alleged
unprecedented diplomatic breakthroughs and presenting the Board of Peace as a
neutral, benevolent mechanism capable of stabilizing the world’s most volatile
regions.
Trump’s political designs — whether in Gaza or beyond — are not an aberration
but part of a familiar pattern
Yet a less prejudiced reading of history allows us to see Trump’s political
designs — whether in Gaza or beyond — not as an aberration but as part of a
familiar pattern. US foreign policymakers repeatedly seek to reclaim ownership
of global affairs, sideline international consensus and impose political
frameworks that they alone define, manage and ultimately control. The Board of
Peace — an invitation-only political club controlled entirely by Trump — is
increasingly taking shape as a new geopolitical reality. Through this scheme,
the US is imposing itself as the self-appointed caretaker of global affairs,
beginning with genocide-devastated Gaza, and positioning itself as an
alternative to the UN. The irony is staggering. A body ostensibly meant to guide
Gaza through reconstruction after Israel’s devastating genocide does not include
Palestinians — let alone Gazans. Even more damning is the fact that the genocide
it claims to address was politically backed, militarily financed and
diplomatically shielded by successive US administrations, first under Joe Biden
and later Trump.
It requires no particular insight to conclude that Trump’s Board of Peace is not
concerned with peace, nor genuinely with Gaza. So what, then, is this initiative
really about?
It is not about reconstruction or justice but about exploiting Gaza’s suffering
to impose a new US-led world order, first in the Middle East and eventually
beyond.
Gaza — a besieged territory of just 365 sq. km — does not require a new
political structure populated by dozens of world leaders, each reportedly paying
a $1 billion membership fee. Gaza needs reconstruction, its people must be
granted their basic rights and Israel’s crimes must be met with accountability.
The mechanisms to achieve this already exist: the UN, international law,
long-standing humanitarian institutions and, above all, the Palestinians
themselves, whose agency, resilience and determination to survive Israel’s
onslaught have become legendary. The Board of Peace discards all of this in
favor of a hollow, improvised structure tailored to advance US-Israeli political
and geopolitical interests. In effect, it drags Palestine back a century, to an
era when Western powers unilaterally determined its fate, guided by racist
assumptions about Palestinians and the Middle East — assumptions that laid the
groundwork for the region’s enduring catastrophes. Yet the central question
remains: Is this truly a uniquely Trumpian initiative?
No, it is not. This is a familiar American tactic, particularly during moments
of profound crisis. This strategy is persuasively outlined in Naomi Klein’s 2007
book “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism,” which argues that
political and economic elites exploit collective trauma — wars, natural
disasters and social breakdown — to impose radical policies that would otherwise
face public resistance.
It requires no particular insight to conclude that the Board of Peace is not
concerned with peace, nor genuinely with Gaza
Trump’s Board of Peace fits squarely within this framework, using the
devastation of Gaza not as a call for justice or accountability but as an
opportunity to reshape political realities in ways that entrench US dominance
and sideline international norms.
This is hardly unprecedented. The pattern can be traced back to the
US-envisioned UN, established in 1945 as a replacement for the League of
Nations. Its principal architect, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was
determined that the new institution would secure the structural dominance of the
US, most notably through the Security Council and the veto system, ensuring
Washington’s decisive influence over global affairs.
When the UN later failed to fully acquiesce to US interests — most notably when
it refused to grant the George W. Bush administration legal authorization to
invade Iraq — the organization was labeled “irrelevant.” Bush then led his own
so-called coalition of the willing into a war of aggression that devastated Iraq
and destabilized the entire region, with consequences that persist to this day.
A similar maneuver unfolded in Palestine with the 2002 invention of the Quartet
on the Middle East, a US-dominated framework. From its inception, the Quartet
systematically sidelined Palestinian agency, insulated Israel from
accountability and relegated international law to a secondary — and often
expendable — consideration. The method remains consistent: when existing
international mechanisms fail to serve US political objectives, new structures
are invented, old ones are bypassed and power is reasserted under the guise of
peace, reform or stability.Judging by this historical record, it is reasonable
to conclude that the Board of Peace will eventually become yet another defunct
body. Before reaching that predictable end, however, it risks further derailing
the already-fragile prospects for a just peace in Palestine and obstructing any
meaningful effort to hold Israeli war criminals accountable.What is truly
extraordinary is that even in its phase of decline, the US continues to be
permitted to experiment with the futures of entire peoples and regions. But it
is never too late for those committed to restoring the centrality of
international law — not only in Palestine but globally — to challenge such
reckless and self-serving political engineering.
Palestine, the Middle East and the world deserve better.
**Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the editor of The Palestine
Chronicle. His latest book, “Before the Flood,” will be published by Seven
Stories Press. His website is www.ramzybaroud.net. X: @RamzyBaroud
There is scope for Trump to strike a deal on Greenland
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/January 26, 2026
US President Donald Trump has previously threatened both military action and
trade tariffs on much of Europe as he tries to acquire Greenland. The irony is
that there is significant scope for a deal to be done that secures US interests,
should America’s approach be based on skillful diplomacy that focuses on both
security and commerce.
The public debate tends to focus on two main options: that of US military action
or the potentially expensive purchase of Greenland. However, there are other
pathways, such as an agreement along the lines of the Compacts of Free
Association, which the US has with three Pacific island nations.
Denmark, an EU member state and NATO member, has controlled Greenland for about
300 years. In 1916, the US formally recognized Copenhagen’s interests in the
island in exchange for the Danish West Indies, which became the US Virgin
Islands. In recent decades, the autonomous territory that Greenland has become,
with a population of about 57,000, has gone from direct Danish rule to much
greater independence. Today, Denmark retains the powers of defense and foreign
policy, monetary policy and justice.
Washington could push forward with diplomacy in other ways to boost its
influence in and around the island. The leaders of all five political parties in
Greenland’s parliament this month said in a joint statement that “we do not want
to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders.” While
this may preclude any future US purchase of Greenland, Washington could push
forward with diplomacy in other ways to boost its influence in and around the
island. On the security front, the US first opened Thule Air Base (now known as
the Pituffik Space Base) to house military assets in the 1940s. During the
height of the Cold War, some 10,000 US troops were stationed on the island. The
US has options to increase its military presence again very significantly, as
long as it consults Denmark and Greenland. This could help to deliver key goals
of America’s new security strategy, released in November, which puts greater
emphasis on securing its interests in the Western Hemisphere.This is what NATO
Secretary-General Mark Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, emphasized to Trump
at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week. A growing number of European
leaders, including Rutte, recognize the need for a bigger collective effort to
work with the Trump team to try to make the Arctic (not only Greenland) safer
for Western interests. For instance, numerous European countries, including the
UK and Germany, are debating sending more military assets to Greenland and the
wider region, including ships and aircraft, as Denmark is doing. This is not
incompatible with allowing the US to also expand its military base there or
build new ones.
Like Europe is already doing, the US could deepen its commercial interests with
Greenland in relation to its natural resources
Beyond security and Trump’s cited concerns about China and Russia, what is often
missing from his recent professions of interest in Greenland is its resource
richness. As think tanks like the Center for Strategic and International Studies
in Washington have shown, a defining feature of Trump’s second presidency so far
has been significant US efforts to secure greater access to critical minerals
and other resources across the world.
Greenland, which is currently about 80 percent ice-capped, is about 2.1 million
sq. km in size. It boasts the world’s northernmost point of land — the closest
land to the North Pole — just off its coast. The growing economic focus on the
Arctic stems, in large part, from the region’s melting ice caps, which are
opening up new shipping lanes. These have significantly decreased maritime trade
transport times, allowing ships to bypass the Suez and Panama canals.
The melting ice caps are also exposing unclaimed lands. This has been described
as a modern-day gold rush, with states competing over resources including zinc,
copper, iron ore and rare earth elements.
Like Europe is already doing, the US could deepen its commercial interests with
Greenland in these areas. For instance, the UK last year secured a critical
minerals deal with Greenland. Europe tends to lack access to both mines and the
means to process raw materials, while it is also seeking to reduce its reliance
on China, which dominates the production of rare earths and other critical
minerals. In 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen opened the
EU’s first office in Greenland and signed a memorandum of understanding
establishing a strategic partnership to develop sustainable raw materials. More
than two-thirds (25 of 34) of the critical raw materials identified by the
European Commission as strategically important for the bloc’s green transition
are located in or around Greenland.
This twin track of diplomacy — covering both security and commerce — would be
the most productive pathway for the US to deepen its interests in Greenland.
Options could be developed as part of the new US-Greenland-Denmark working group
that was established this month.Taken together, the scope for a deal that
secures the US greater influence in Greenland, short of an outright purchase, is
significantly greater than sometimes estimated. Skillful diplomacy, not threats
of military action or tariffs, would be the best way to secure this.
**Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.
Les tectoniques en
mouvement
Charles Elias Chartouni/This Is Beirut/January 26/2026
Les tensions géopolitiques sur les différentes scènes internationales sont en
plein bouleversement et semblent loin de se stabiliser. Aucune des crises n’a
encore trouvé de solution durable, et elles peuvent, à tout moment, se raviver,
alors que la diplomatie hésite et n’a pas encore fixé de cap précis. Ce climat
d’incertitude stratégique et politique est intenable et ne peut perdurer face
aux enjeux en lice. Le dénouement de ces situations est essentiel, tant aux
niveaux national que régional et international.
Les conflits non résolus au Moyen-Orient (Liban, Syrie, Gaza, Irak), au
Venezuela et au Groenland illustrent des dynamiques chaotiques persistantes, qui
menacent la sécurité internationale dans un environnement global en état de
crise. Les mécanismes de régulation internationale se sont progressivement
affaiblis, en raison de la remise en question des consensus stratégiques
consécutive à l’émergence de nouvelles mouvances totalitaires et de leurs
équivalents sur la scène géopolitique.
La crise de l’alliance transatlantique met particulièrement en lumière les défis
stratégiques croissants : ceux de la culture politique dans les démocraties
occidentales, de l’exploitation des migrations massives par les islamismes de
tout acabit, ainsi que du retour des politiques de subversion bolcheviques et de
leurs variantes contemporaines. Il est urgent de redéfinir les repères
politiques et moraux sur des bases consensuelles afin de réduire les divergences
qui affectent les différents contextes géostratégiques.
La crise du Groenland a agi comme un révélateur et un précurseur des
négociations politiques nécessaires pour aborder les crises persistantes au sein
de l’OTAN, ainsi que les chocs civilisationnels et culturels qui secouent les
démocraties occidentales. Elle a également eu des répercussions sur les crises
affectant la Communauté européenne et les Nations unies. Les lignes de fracture
géopolitiques évoluent, tout comme leur impact sur les cultures et les
institutions politiques, tant au niveau national qu’international. Les crises en
cours ne peuvent être comprises sans établir un lien entre leur évolution, les
divergences normatives et intellectuelles, et leurs implications stratégiques.
La fin des grands récits de l’ordre bipolaire, ainsi que l’effondrement de l’ère
post-guerre froide, expliquent l’émergence de crises teintées de nihilisme
politique, de tendances totalitaires et des contradictions d’un ordre mondial de
plus en plus dysfonctionnel. L’émergence du populisme et le retour à « l’âge des
extrêmes » ne sont pas le fruit du hasard ; ils illustrent de manière aiguë la
déliquescence de l’ère post-guerre froide et l’apparition d’un environnement
chaotique où « nommer et délimiter » devient une tâche complexe. Le volontarisme
politique de Donald Trump reflète les vides accumulés d’un ordre mondial en
déclin et ses multiples conséquences.
Le Venezuela constitue un exemple frappant des conséquences de l’effritement de
l’ordre étatique, à la croisée du terrorisme, de la criminalité organisée et du
retour du totalitarisme. La dernière offensive contre le chavisme est un effort
tardif qui aurait dû être entrepris plus tôt afin de prévenir des tragédies à
travers les Amériques et d’anticiper le retour de scénarios propres à la guerre
froide. Les dynamiques de démocratisation ont pris du retard face aux nouvelles
réalités apparues après la chute du communisme et de ses narrations.
Se dégager d’un régime criminel est une entreprise complexe, qui exige d’éviter
les pièges de la guerre civile et les dangers d’un chaos latent. Négocier avec
un groupe criminel pose de sérieux problèmes, car sa principale préoccupation
demeure la survie au pouvoir. En dehors de cet agenda, toutes les autres
questions deviennent accessoires, voire inexistantes. Trouver des solutions à
ces dilemmes est une tâche ardue, ce qui explique les blocages prolongés.
La configuration du Moyen-Orient suit un schéma similaire, dans lequel les
enjeux liés à l’islamisme, les retournements stratégiques et les rivalités entre
puissances chiites et sunnites éclairent les évolutions politiques en cours. Le
Liban demeure un État otage, instrumentalisé par le régime islamique de Téhéran
et servant de base à une stratégie de déstabilisation poursuivie après
l’effondrement des « plateformes opérationnelles intégrées ».
Bien que difficile à cerner, cette stratégie vise à relancer des scénarios de
chaos généralisé, de guerre civile et d’instabilité endémique. Le gouvernement
libanais a démontré son incapacité à surmonter les obstacles d’une politique
dysfonctionnelle et à traiter les divergences idéologiques qui ont marqué son
histoire contemporaine. Les questions d’extraterritorialité politique et
militaire témoignent d’une crise persistante de la légitimité nationale.
La nouvelle équation géostratégique redéfinit les paramètres de résolution des
conflits et ajuste ses principes autour de la nécessité d’une paix négociée avec
Israël, d’une nouvelle ingénierie constitutionnelle et d’une réforme de la
gouvernance. Ces trois principes sont interdépendants si le Liban souhaite
restaurer sa souveraineté et retrouver son statut d’État fonctionnel. La
confusion entre légitimités concurrentes, extraterritorialités
institutionnalisées et affaiblissement de l’État constitue un obstacle majeur. À
défaut, la souveraineté libanaise sera difficilement protégeable sans un soutien
stratégique américain.
Le renversement du régime Assad par un mouvement djihadiste en voie de
restructuration représentait une initiative audacieuse, mais incertaine.
Toutefois, l’occupation de Damas n’a pas suffi à conférer une légitimité à ce
groupe rebelle, qui s’est rapproché du centre et a cherché à s’aligner sur les
mandats stratégiques des États-Unis. Bien que significatif, ce repositionnement
n’a pas répondu aux préoccupations des grandes minorités religieuses et
ethnonationales, n’a pas, à ce stade, permis de contrôler les groupes
terroristes réfractaires, de sanctuariser son autonomie politique et
opérationnelle face à la politique de puissance turque, ni d’engager Israël sur
la base de la nouvelle configuration géostratégique.
La situation dans le nord-est de la Syrie, marquée par le démantèlement de
l’État proto-kurde, demeure instable et pourrait raviver des sentiments
irrédentistes et relancer la guerre civile. Le contrôle militaire susceptible
d’étendre cette dynamique vers de nouveaux extrêmes comporte de nombreux risques
et menace inévitablement la paix civile ainsi que la reconstruction de l’État
syrien. La surveillance de cette situation est essentielle afin d’éviter des
projections démesurées.
La situation à Gaza est liée à la rupture entre le régime islamique de Téhéran
et le Hamas. Ce dernier constitue un obstacle à une transition pacifique et à
l’établissement d’un gouvernement fonctionnel sur un territoire contrôlé durant
deux décennies par une organisation terroriste. En l’absence d’une telle
transition, la guerre pourrait ressurgir. Les ambiguïtés du Qatar, de même que
l’agenda du gouvernement islamiste d’Ankara, ne contribuent guère à l’émergence
d’une nouvelle dynamique. Le nombre d’intervenants, porteurs de politiques de
puissance et d’agendas concurrents, complique également la situation. Aborder la
question de Gaza constitue une étape préalable à la résolution du conflit
israélo-palestinien dans son ensemble.
La défaite de l’Iran et la neutralisation de ses mandataires sont essentielles
pour réduire les dynamiques de sabotage que ce régime promeut. L’Irak représente
un axe incontournable dans la mise en œuvre d’une stratégie d’endiguement.
Historiquement, l’Irak a servi de vecteur à la stratégie impériale iranienne ;
il est désormais temps de l’aider à reconstruire son autonomie politique et à
consolider sa structure fédérale comme modèle à suivre.
Cet examen vise à éclairer les dynamiques opérationnelles, à comparer leurs
similarités et à analyser leurs différences. Si nous échouons à comprendre les
dynamiques sous-jacentes, ainsi que leurs références idéologiques et
stratégiques, les chances de résoudre ces crises et de favoriser la paix seront
compromises, rendant les perspectives de paix presque inconcevables.
Tectons in motion
Charles Elias Chartouni/This Is Beirut/January 26/2026
Geopolitical tensions on the various international stages are in full turmoil
and seem far from stabilizing. None of the crises have found a sustainable
solution yet, and they can, at any moment, revive, while diplomacy hesitates and
has not yet set a specific course. This climate of strategic and political
uncertainty is unstable and cannot endure in the face of the issues at hand. The
solution to these situations is essential, both at the national, regional and
international levels.
The unresolved conflicts in the Middle East (Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, Iraq),
Venezuela, and Greenland illustrate persistent chaotic dynamics that threaten
international security in a global crisis environment. International regulatory
mechanisms have gradually weakened, due to the questioning of strategic
consensus following the emergence of new totalitarian movements and their
counterparts on the geopolitical scene.
The crisis of the transatlantic alliance highlights in particular the growing
strategic challenges: those of political culture in Western democracies, the
exploitation of massive migrations by Islamisms of all-out, and the return of
Bolshevik subversion policies and their contemporary variants. It is urgent to
redefine political and moral benchmarks on a consensus basis in order to reduce
the differences that affect different geostrategic contexts.
The Greenland crisis has acted as an eye-opener and precursor to the political
negotiations necessary to address the ongoing crises in NATO, as well as the
civilization and cultural shocks that shake Western democracies. It has also had
an impact on the crises affecting the European Community and the United Nations.
Geopolitical fracture lines are evolving, as do their impact on cultures and
political institutions, both at the national and international levels. Ongoing
crises cannot be understood without linking their evolution, policy and
intellectual differences, and their strategic implications.
The end of the great narratives of the bipolar order, as well as the collapse of
the post-cold war era, explain the emergence of tinted crises of political
nihilism, totalitarian tendencies and contradictions of an increasingly
dysfunctional world order. The emergence of populism and the return to the "age
of extremes" are not the result of chance; they sharply illustrate the delicacy
of the post-cold war era and the emergence of a chaotic environment where
"naming and delimiting" becomes a complex task. Donald Trump's political
volunteerism reflects the accumulated emptiness of a declining world order and
its many consequences.
Venezuela is a striking example of the consequences of the friction of state
order, at the crossroads of terrorism, organized crime and the return of
totalitarianism. The latest offensive against Chavism is a late effort that
should have been undertaken earlier to prevent tragedies across America and
anticipate the return of Cold War scenarios. The dynamics of democratization
have lagged behind the new realities emerged after the fall of communism and its
narratives.
Getting rid of a criminal regime is a complex undertaking, which requires
avoiding the traps of civil war and the dangers of latent chaos. Negotiating
with a criminal group poses serious problems as their primary concern remains
survival in power. Outside this agenda, all other issues become accessories,
even non-existent. Finding solutions to these dilemmas is a daunting task, which
explains the extended blockages.
The configuration of the Middle East follows a similar pattern, in which the
issues related to Islamism, strategic reversals, and rivalries between Shia and
Sunni powers shed light on the ongoing political developments. Lebanon remains a
hostage state, instrumentalised by the Islamic regime of Tehran and serving as
the basis of a destabilization strategy following the collapse of the
"integrated operational platforms".
Although difficult to identify, this strategy aims to revive scenarios of
widespread chaos, civil war and endemic instability. The Lebanese government has
demonstrated its incapability to overcome the obstacles of dysfunctional
politics and to address the ideological differences that have marked its
contemporary history. Issues of political and military extraterritoriality
indicate a persistent crisis of national legitimacy.
The new geostrategic equation redefines the parameters for conflict resolution
and adjusts its principles around the need for a negotiated peace with Israel,
new constitutional engineering, and governance reform. These three principles
are interdependent if Lebanon wishes to restore its sovereignty and restore its
functional statehood. The confusion between competing legitimacy,
institutionalized extraterritorialities and weakening of the state constitutes a
major obstacle. By default, Lebanese sovereignty will be difficult to protect
without US strategic support.
The overthrowing of the Assad regime by a restructuring jihadist movement
represented a bold, yet uncertain initiative. However, the occupation of
Damascus was not enough to confer legitimacy to this rebel group, which moved
closer to the center and sought to align itself with US strategic mandates.
Although significant, this repositioning has not addressed the concerns of large
religious and ethnic minorities, has not, at this point, allowed to control
refractory terrorist groups, sanctify its political and operational autonomy
against the politics of Turkish power, nor engage Israel on the basis of the New
geostrategic configuration.
The situation in northeastern Syria, marked by the dismantling of the
proto-Kurdish state, remains volatile and could revive irredent sentiments and
reignite the civil war. Military control likely to extend this dynamic to new
extremes carries many risks and inevitably threatens civil peace and the
reconstruction of the Syrian state. Monitoring this situation is essential in
order to avoid excessive projections.
The situation in Gaza is linked to the breakup between the Islamic regime of
Tehran and Hamas. The latter is an obstacle to a peaceful transition and the
establishment of a functional government on a territory controlled by a
terrorist organization for two decades. In the absence of such a transition, war
could reborn. Qatar's ambiguity, as well as the agenda of the Islamic government
in Ankara, do little to the emergence of a new dynamic. The number of
stakeholders, power policies and competing agendas, also complicates the
situation. Addressing the Gaza issue is a step ahead of resolving the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a whole.
Defeating Iran and neutralizing its agents is key to reducing the sabotage
dynamics this regime promotes. Iraq is an essential focus in implementing a
mitigation strategy. Historically, Iraq has served as a vector for Iran’s
imperial strategy; now it is time to help it rebuild its political autonomy and
consolidate its federal structure as a role model.
This examination aims to shed light on operational dynamics, compare their
similarities and analyze their differences. If we fail to understand the
underlying dynamics, as well as their ideological and strategic references, the
chances of resolving these crises and promoting peace will be compromised,
making prospects for peace almost inconceivable.
Selected X tweets fror January 26/2026