English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For June 09/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
When the Spirit of truth
comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own,
but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are
to come.
John 16/12-15: “‘I still have many
things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth
comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own,
but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are
to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to
you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take
what is mine and declare it to you.”The word of God continued to spread; the
number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the
priests became obedient to the faith.
Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related
News & Editorials published on 08-09 June/2026
Yazed Bin Farhan's Remote control and the corrupted owners of all the
Lebanese political parties/
Elias Bejjani/June 08/2026
The terrorist group Hezbollah and its demented mullah masters understand only
the language of force/
Elias Bejjani/June 07/2026
Rudolf Heikal's visit to Pakistan: A huge bundle of questions and doubts/Elias
Bejjani/June 06/2026
Aoun's anti Hezbollah stances: it's all just talk/Elias Bejjani/June 05/2026
Elias Bejjani/My audio personal analysis with the Hebrew "Makan" radio station
addressed peace between Lebanon and Israel and Hezbollah's occupation/June
02/2026
Beware: Any retreat, hesitation, or submission to anticipated pressures will
lead to a renewed loss of Lebanese public trust in the current administration
and will be considered a crime against Lebanon and its people/Abu Arz - Etienne
Saqr/June 08/ 2026
Trump calls on Israel and Iran to "immediately stop shooting" as ceasefire
frays/Barak Ravid/AXIOS/June 08/2026
LIC Lauds President Aoun’s Recent Sovereignty Positions
Statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening
Israeli strike hits vehicle in Tyre south Lebanon’s Tyre
Iran is ‘destroying’ for the sake of its own interests, Lebanese president says
Lebanon Health Ministry: Death toll rises to 3,637 killed and 11,188 injured
since March 2
Lebanese Red Cross says 4 rescuers wounded in Israeli strike on Tyre
Issa tells Aoun US does not want Sunday escalation to expand further
US official urges Hezbollah to allow displaced's return, reconstruction instead
of 'pointless war'
Israel vows to intensify attacks across Lebanon amid Iran missile barrages
Israel strikes south Lebanon as it trades fire with Iran
Israeli army warns residents of Zaqouq al-Mafdi in southern Lebanon to evacuate
Israel vows to press military campaign in Lebanon despite Iran's warnings
29 Lebanese army members have been killed in Israeli strikes since March
Tyre heritage site damaged by Israeli bombardment
Israel army says vast tunnel network uncovered under Beaufort castle
Regional escalation unfolds across Israel, Iran and Lebanon amid reciprocal
strikes and diplomatic efforts
Qmati says Hezbollah had no direct contact with Trump
A Response to Mr. Walid Joumblatt: The Falsification of History Through
Omission/Zéna Mansour/X platform/June 08/2026
Lebanon on the Brink. Again/Alberto M. Fernandez/National Catholic Register/June
08/2026
How Can Lebanon Succeed in the New Middle East?/Sam Menassa/Asharq Al-Awsat/June
08/2026
Lebanon Finally Says It Out Loud: Lebanon Does Not Belong to Iran, Iran Is the
Problem/Khaled Abu Toameh/ Gatestone Institute/June 08/2026
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on 08-09 June/2026
Trump calls Netanyahu after Israel-Iran clashes
Trump tells Israeli Channel 12 he warned Netanyahu against turning escalation
into war with Iran
Trump warns Netanyahu: Be careful or you will be on your own
Trump Says Israel and Iran Must Immediately Stop 'Shooting'
US military helped defend against Iranian attack on Israel, officials say
Israel and Iran Trade Strikes, Threatening to Drag Region Back to Full-Scale War
Iran Says Return to Hostilities Will Affect Talks with US
Iran Halts Israel Operation after First Post-truce Clash
Israel Military Says Iran Fired Nearly 30 Missiles Since Sunday
US military shoots, disables unladen oil tanker headed to Iran
Iran top negotiator threatens to defeat US blockade on Iran
Dismissal of Operations Chief on Iran Leaves Shockwaves in Mossad
China Says Hopes Israel, Iran Maintain Ceasefire
Pentagon Sees Growing Espionage Threat from Israel
Poland Seizes Major Heroin Shipment from Iran
Pope Says Weapons Cannot Lead to ‘Lasting Peace’
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says new “resistance security belt” to stretch from
Gulf to Red Sea
Iran says it will turn US maritime pressure into “another defeat for the enemy”
Italy places Israeli minister Ben Gvir under investigation over Gaza flotilla
treatment
Armenian PM Pashinyan Claims Victory Following General Election
Titles For The Latest
English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on 08-09 June/2026
S'agit il d'une nouvelle étape?/Dr.
Charles Elias Chartouni/08 juin 2026
Is this a new step?/Dr. Charles Elias Chartouni/June 08/2026
From Putin to Saddam to Sinwar/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 08/2026
How Did Iran Pluck the Palestinian Fruit?!/Mishary Dhayidi/Asharq Al-Awsat/June
08/2026
Israel’s False Tales and the False Tales About It/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/June
08/2026
True strategic wisdom for Iran is restraint toward the Gulf states/Dr. Majid
Rafizadeh/AlArabya English/June 08/2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on 08 June/2026
on 08-09 June/2026
Yazed Bin Farhan's Remote
control and the corrupted owners of all the Lebanese political parties
Elias Bejjani/June 08/2026
The greatest service Saudi Arabia can offer Lebanon and the Lebanese is to stop
funding the corrupted owners of all the Christian, Druze, and Sunni political
parties, to let Lebanon make peace with Israel,end the heresy of the two-state
solution, and also to stop Berri's posturing and sto welcoming his thug's
mouthpiece, Ali Hassan Khalil, who is being sanctioned for corruption.
The terrorist group Hezbollah and its
demented mullah masters understand only the language of force.
Elias Bejjani/June 07/2026
The demented rulers of Iran understand only
Netanyahu's language: force, humiliation, and assassinations. Trump remains
ignorant of Iran's culture of delusions, fantasies, and empty bravado.
Rudolf Heikal's visit to Pakistan: A
huge bundle of questions and doubts
Elias Bejjani/June 06/2026
Rudolf Heikal's surprise visit to
Pakistan to appease Iran and its Hezbollah terrorist gang undermines Aoun's
statements with CNN and raises many doubts and questions.
Aoun's anti Hezbollah stances:
it's all just talk
Elias Bejjani/June 05/2026
Aoun's stances are excellent, but they haven't
translated into action yet. He needs to move from words to deeds, fire his
Hezbollah advisors, purge the army of agents, issue arrest warrants for
Hezbollah leaders, and dismiss the duo's ministers... otherwise, it's all just
talk.
Elias Bejjani/My audio personal analysis
with the Hebrew "Makan" radio station addressed peace between Lebanon and Israel
and Hezbollah's occupation
June 02/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/06/155042/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAyK3MmY45U
Elias Bejjani/My audio intervention
by phone on June 01 with the Hebrew "Makan" radio station, as part of the
"Morning Tour" program, addressed the latest military developments in southern
Lebanon following the Israeli army's liberation of the Beaufort Citadel (Castle
of the High Rocks) from the terrorist and Persian Hezbollah. It also covered my
stance regarding the State of Israel, the aspirations of the majority of
Lebanese for peace with it, ending the state of absurd conflict, closing the
Lebanese arena to the impostors, hypocrites, and merchants of the so-called
"resistance," and achieving salvation from the Iranian occupation.
Beware: Any retreat,
hesitation, or submission to anticipated pressures will lead to a renewed loss
of Lebanese public trust in the current administration and will be considered a
crime against Lebanon and its people.
Abu Arz - Etienne Saqr/June 08/ 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/06/155140/
A single, clear, and courageous stance against Iranian hegemony and its proxies
in Lebanon was enough to restore some of the prestige and national standing of
the presidency and to revive much of President Joseph Aoun's dwindling
popularity.
This stance also restored the confidence of the international community,
particularly the US administration, and put the country back on the right track
after years of deviation and subservience.
What is required is to continue this courageous and sovereign approach to the
end, until Lebanon regains its free decision-making power, security and peace
are restored throughout the nation, and a peace agreement is reached with Israel
that ends the artificial state of hostility between our two peoples.
Warning: Any retreat, hesitation, or submission to the anticipated pressures
will lead to a renewed loss of Lebanese public trust in the government. It will
be considered a crime against Lebanon and its people, and, God forbid, will
plunge the country back into a spiral of war, destruction, and collapse…
So beware.
Labbayk Lebanon
Abu Arz
Trump calls on Israel and Iran
to "immediately stop shooting" as ceasefire frays
Barak Ravid/AXIOS/June 08/2026
President Trump called on Israel and Iran to "immediately stop shooting" in a
post on Truth Social on Monday.
Why it matters: The war between Israel and Iran resumed on Sunday after Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defied Trump's request to stand down. Israel
struck Tehran and other cities after Iran launched missiles toward Israel. The
exchanges on Sunday night and Monday morning are the most significant escalation
since the April 8 ceasefire. They are threatening to unravel the negotiations
between the Trump administration and Iran and draw the U.S. back into the war.
The latest: Trump called Netanyahu again on Monday morning and asked him to stop
the strikes in Iran, an Israeli source said.
The source said Netanyahu told Trump he was ready to stop if Iran did not
conduct more attacks against Israel. But a second Israeli source said Israel
would continue striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Earlier on Monday, Iran's
armed forces had announced a suspension of its military operations but
threatened "more severe and crushing measures than before" if the "aggression"
continues, including Israel's operations in southern Lebanon. Catch up quick:
Iran launched a barrage of missiles toward Israel on Sunday in retaliation for
an Israeli attack in Lebanon, which it considered a violation of its ceasefire
with the U.S. and Israel.Trump told Axios he would ask Netanyahu not to
retaliate so as not to "blow up" the deal he's negotiating with Iran, and soon
after he called Netanyahu with that message. Several hours later Netanyahu
ordered strikes on several military targets in Iran, including in Tehran.
The Iranians then responded by launching more missiles, including toward Tel
Aviv. Screenshot of a social post from a flag-avatar profile: "Israel and Iran
must immediately stop shooting." Includes 520 ReTruths, 2.12k Likes, Jun 08,
2026, 5:36 AM; bottom icons.
Trump on Truth Social
An Israel Defense Forces official told reporters on Monday that Israel was
preparing for several days of fighting, though that was before Iran announced
its pause. Behind the scenes: A U.S. official said Sunday's Trump-Netanyahu call
was "polite," but that Netanyahu pushed back on Trump's request.
"Netanyahu was expressly told the cycle needs to end. The U.S. didn't agree or
support these strikes," the U.S. official said. While two U.S. officials said
the U.S. military was not involved in the Israeli strikes on Iran, an Israeli
official said the U.S. did help intercept Iranian attacks on Israel.
State of play: On Monday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said it attacked air
defense systems the Iranians rebuilt during the ceasefire. Israel later attacked
a big petrochemical facility in Iran, which the IDF claimed was used to produce
raw materials for weapons manufacturing. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps
warned it could retaliate by attacking infrastructure facilities in Israel and
in Gulf countries. The other side: The Iranian military fired more than 25
missiles at targets in Israel, including Tel Aviv. Most were intercepted. Prior
to the Israeli strikes, Iran had threatened to expand its attacks and target
U.S. bases in the region if Israel retaliated. The Houthi rebels in Yemen also
joined the fighting, launching two missiles at Israel and announcing they would
attack Israeli vessels in the Red Sea. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Esmail Baghaei said the U.S. was directly responsible for Israel's actions and
stressed the developments "will only worsen the chaotic situation of the
diplomatic process." What to watch: Trump claimed that despite the renewed
fighting, negotiations with Iran should move "quickly," unless "ignorance or
stupidity" get in the way. The other two parties to the war have expressed less
optimism about a deal. Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect
that the source said Israel would keep striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
(not in Iran).
LIC Lauds President Aoun’s
Recent Sovereignty Positions
June 6th, 2026
The Lebanese Information Center (LIC) strongly welcomes and supports the recent
positions articulated by President Joseph Aoun affirming Lebanon's sovereignty,
rejecting the continued use of Lebanon as a bargaining chip in Iran's
negotiations with the United States, and emphasizing the necessity of placing
all weapons exclusively under the authority of the Lebanese state.
The LIC further commends Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for his continued commitment
to constitutional governance, state authority, and the protection of Lebanon's
sovereignty and security. The alignment between the Lebanese presidency and
premiership on these fundamental national priorities represents an important and
long overdue step toward restoring the authority of the Lebanese state after
decades of paralysis, foreign interference, and armed domination outside
constitutional legitimacy.
President Aoun's recent statements, including his interview with CNN’s
Christiane Amanpour, make clear that Lebanon can no longer remain an arena for
regional conflicts or a platform for external agendas pursued at the expense of
the Lebanese people and the Lebanese state.
For decades, the Iranian regime has used Lebanon as a forward operating front
for its regional project through Hezbollah, which it indoctrinated, armed,
financed, trained, and directed outside the authority of the Lebanese state.
Hezbollah's continued maintenance of an independent military and security
apparatus has severely undermined Lebanese sovereignty, weakened state
institutions, damaged Lebanon's economy and international standing, and
repeatedly dragged Lebanon into destructive conflicts against the will and
interests of the Lebanese people.
The LIC supports the full implementation of Lebanese government decisions
affirming the state's exclusive monopoly over arms, calls for the dissolution of
Hezbollah's military and security apparatus and the surrender of all weapons to
the Lebanese state, urges continued support for the Lebanese Armed Forces and
Internal Security Forces as the sole legitimate defenders of Lebanon's
sovereignty and territorial integrity, and calls for an immediate end to Iranian
interference in Lebanese affairs.
President Aoun's position, together with the policies advanced by Prime Minister
Salam and the Lebanese government, represents a historic opportunity to restore
the authority of the Lebanese state and place Lebanon on a path toward
sovereignty, security, reform, and lasting peace.
Our mailing address is:
Lebanese Information Center
601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Suite 900
Washington, DC 20004
Statement by Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening
Prime Minister of Israel X platform/June 08/2026
https://x.com/IsraeliPM/status/2064031576519045372/video/1
"A year ago, we launched a historic preemptive strike against Iran’s intention
to destroy us with atomic bombs. We thwarted this immediate threat – and we also
eliminated the tyrant Khamenei. If we had not acted in time and with
overwhelming force – we would not be here today. And I pledge again: Iran will
not have nuclear weapons. With that same determination, we acted against
Hezbollah as well. Hezbollah planned to invade the Galilee with thousands of
terrorists, and at the same time, it planned to devastate Israel’s cities with
150,000 missiles and rockets. We thwarted this threat as well – and we
eliminated Nasrallah. And I would like to tell you: our heroic fighters are
tearing Hezbollah to pieces. We continue to destroy all of their terror
infrastructure in the security zone, including massive underground facilities in
the Beaufort Ridge. So massive that they are unlike anything I have ever seen.
Iran and Hezbollah are weaker than ever, and we are stronger than ever – but our
battle against them is still not finished. In the last 24 hours, Iran and
Hezbollah tried to impose a new equation upon us. And it is an equation I find
intolerable and unacceptable. They thought they would fire at Israel from
Lebanese territory and from Iran – and we would not act. That did not happen,
and it will not happen. Not on my watch! Just as I have done for decades, I
stand firmly on our right to act against our enemies. That is how we acted now
as well. After Hezbollah fired into Israeli territory, I ordered the IDF to
attack terror targets in Beirut, and to eliminate Hezbollah operatives there. We
did that. After Iran attacked Israel, I instructed the IDF to attack military
and economic targets throughout Iran. We did that, too. At the moment, we are
holding our fire, because after we struck the terror regime in Tehran, it ceased
attacking us. In the event that the terror regime in Iran makes the mistake of
resuming attacks on us – we will respond with overwhelming force. Israel has a
full right to self-defense, and we are exercising it to the extent necessary. I
say this to you, just as I say this, with appreciation and respect, in my good
conversations with my friend President Trump. With unity, determination and
wisdom – we will protect the State of Israel. Together, with God's help, we will
restore security to the north."
Israeli strike hits vehicle in
Tyre south Lebanon’s Tyre
Reuters/08 June ,2026
An Israeli strike hit a vehicle in the city of Tyre, south Lebanon on Monday,
Lebanese state media reported, as Israel attacked the country, despite an
Iranian threat against such acts.
“An enemy airstrike targeted a car with a missile in the city of Tyre, near the
Lebanese Red Cross building,” the state-run National News Agency said.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military intercepted three projectiles fired from Lebanon,
which were filmed by an AFP correspondent near the Israel-Lebanon border. The
journalist filmed three explosions in the sky caused by the interceptions after
warning sirens were activated in the area. The Israeli military said it had
identified three projectiles launched from Lebanon toward troops operating in
southern Lebanon. “Some of the projectiles were intercepted prior to crossing
into Israeli territory, and an additional projectile fell near IDF soldiers,”
the military said. “No injuries were reported,” the military added.
Iran is ‘destroying’ for the sake of its own interests,
Lebanese president says
Al Arabiya English/08 June ,2026
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun said Iran was not allowed to interfere in his
country’s internal affairs, accusing Tehran of “destroying the country for the
sake of your own interests.”“Other countries are trying to help us, but you are
not trying to help us. You are destroying the country for the sake of your own
interests,” Aoun said in an interview with CNN. The second part of the
interview, which took place last Friday, was aired on Monday. Aoun reiterated
that Beirut was seeking a good relationship with Iran based on mutual respect
and noninterference. “But remember, Lebanon is a sovereign state, and it has
sovereign government. You want to talk to us, you're most welcome, but you do
not interfere.”
Israel ceasefire
Aoun, the former Lebanese Armed Forces commander, said that Lebanon wanted an
end to hostilities with Israel “forever.”He said Beirut was ready, willing, and
committed to a diplomatic solution. “Are you? If you are, let's sit and talk,"
said Aoun, adding that a military solution "will never provide you with security
and safety.”Asked if he would be willing to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, Aoun said he would not do so before an agreement was reached to end
the war. The current deal being discussed is more akin to a “non-aggression”
pact, he said, rather than a full peace deal like those between Jordan and
Israel.
Lebanon Health Ministry: Death
toll rises to 3,637 killed and 11,188 injured since March 2
LBCI/June 08/2026
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said on Monday that the cumulative toll from
ongoing hostilities has reached 3,637 people killed and 11,188 injured since
March 2. In a statement issued by the ministry, the figures cover casualties
recorded through June 8.
Lebanese Red Cross says 4 rescuers wounded in Israeli
strike on Tyre
LBCI/June 08/2026
The Lebanese Red Cross said an Israeli strike wounded four rescuers near their
centre in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre. In a statement, the Red Cross said
"the targeting that occurred in front of the Lebanese Red Cross centre in Tyre"
wounded four paramedics. Lebanese state media had earlier reported an Israeli
strike on a vehicle in front of the centre. AFP
Issa tells Aoun US does not want Sunday escalation to
expand further
Naharnet/June 08/2026
U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa met Monday with President Joseph Aoun, as Israel and
Iran traded fire after Israel's bombing of Beirut's southern suburb. Issa said
the U.S. places great importance on Lebanon and has decided that Sunday's events
must not expand further. "What happened yesterday is a political message, and we
in the United States have decided that the confrontation must not expand any
further," Issa said after meeting Aoun. He said he discussed with the Lebanese
president the Lebanese-Israeli negotiations and praised Lebanon's negotiating
team, noting that it "displays a high level of professionalism." Issa said U.S.
President Donald Trump "always talks about Lebanon" and that negotiations are
scheduled to resume in Washington. Issa later met with Parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam who re-iterated in the meeting that "no one
can negotiate on behalf of Lebanon except the Lebanese state." After meeting
Berri, Issa informed journalists that the Speaker had "given him the response"
regarding Hezbollah's acceptance of a ceasefire. He said Israel will not target
Dahieh, if Hezbollah halts its attack on Israel, adding that Trump "almost got
into a fight with Netanyahu over Lebanon." Issa assured the reporters that there
will be a ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from south Lebanon
- including in the pilot zone - and a cessation of hostilities. He said the
prisoners will also be freed. "Residents will return. The army will deploy in
the pilot zone and Israel will halt its strikes. This point was previously
unclear, as it makes no sense for the army to deploy there without any
residents. Our priority is for the residents to return, for reconstruction to
begin, and for roads and electricity to be restored, making it a model," he
said.
US official urges Hezbollah to allow displaced's return,
reconstruction instead of 'pointless war'
Naharnet/June 08/2026
Iran, Hezbollah, and others have repeatedly dragged both Israel and Lebanon into
"pointless and destructive conflicts" and "Hezbollah has a simple choice: it can
continue fighting a pointless war, or it can finally allow the return of the
displaced and the reconstruction of Lebanon," a U.S. official said on Sunday. In
remark to U.S. news portal Axios, the official claimed "the terms on the table
are fair, have the consent of both sovereign governments, and provide a clear
path to end the fighting." He was referring to a ceasefire agreement reached
Tuesday in Washington which Hezbollah has rejected. "Hezbollah is exclusively to
blame for any continuation of hostilities," the official added, stressing that
"the U.S. supports Israel’s right to self-defense and stands with the legitimate
Government of Lebanon as it works to deliver a better future for its
citizens.""Hezbollah must stop firing immediately and allow these agreements to
take effect," the official urged. According to the U.S. official, Hezbollah
"continues to cynically use civilian infrastructure, particularly civilian
homes, to hide and store weapons.""This endangers the lives and property of
Lebanese civilians. All weapons must belong to the Government of Lebanon," the
official emphasized, noting that "the U.S. fully supports Lebanon’s sovereignty
and territorial integrity." "This process is intended to sustainably enable
Lebanon to be a sovereign state for the first time in decades, which will
benefit Israel’s security," the official added.
Israel vows to intensify attacks across Lebanon amid Iran
missile barrages
Agence France Presse/June 08/2026
The Israeli military has vowed to press ahead with its military campaign in
Lebanon and said it would step up operations against Hezbollah. "The (Iranian)
regime is attempting to establish a new equation through direct attacks on
Israeli territory in response to IDF operations in Dahieh," military spokesman
Brigadier General Effie Defrin said Sunday, in a televised statement. We struck
in Dahieh in response to Hezbollah’s relentless attacks on the communities of
northern Israel. The IDF will continue to operate throughout Lebanon and will
intensify its actions against the Hezbollah terrorist organization."
Iran's military central command had said Sunday that Israel's latest strike on
the southern Beirut suburbs had "crossed all red lines", demanding a halt to its
campaign in Lebanon. "The Israeli army must stop its attacks on southern Lebanon
and the suburbs, and if it expands its attacks to that region or responds to
Iran's action, it will face more devastating and regrettable blows," said
General Ali Abdollahi, the head of the Khatam al-Anbiya command, without
directly mentioning missile salvos that Israel said it was intercepting.
Israel strikes south Lebanon as it trades fire with Iran
Naharnet/June 08/2026
Israeli strikes targeted overnight into Monday Habboush, Srifa, Zefta, Yater,
Nabatieh, Safad al-Battikh, Sojod, Jabal Safi, al-Mansouri, Ainqana, Qalaway,
al-Sharqiyeh and al-Hallousieh, as Israel and Iran exchanged attacks over
Israel's bombing of Dahieh. Four people were killed in the strike on Zefta, the
national News Agency said, adding that several others were killed in Srifa.
Hezbollah, for its part, said it targeted Israeli troops and equipment on the
outskirts of the southern town of Beit Yahoun and around the Beaufort Castle,
where the Israeli military claimed to have uncovered a sprawling tunnel network.
Israel's military said it intercepted three projectiles targeting its forces in
south Lebanon. "Some of the projectiles were intercepted prior to crossing into
Israeli territory, and an additional projectile fell near IDF soldiers. No
injuries were reported," the military said.
Israeli army warns residents of Zaqouq al-Mafdi in southern
Lebanon to evacuate
LBCI/June 08/2026
Israel’s military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an urgent warning on Monday
calling on residents in the village of Zaqouq al-Mafdi in Lebanon to evacuate
immediately, according to a post on X. In the statement, Adraee said the warning
was issued “in light of Hezbollah’s violation of the ceasefire agreement,”
adding that Israeli forces were preparing to act against the group and “do not
intend to harm civilians.”He urged residents to leave their homes immediately
and move north of the Zahrani River “for their safety.”The warning also said
that anyone near Hezbollah members, facilities, or weapons would be putting
their lives at risk.
Israel vows to press military campaign in Lebanon despite
Iran's warnings
LBCI/June 08/2026
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed Monday to press Israel's military
campaign in Lebanon, despite a warning from Iran that any such action would
prompt the Islamic republic to take "severe" measures. "The Israeli army will
continue to operate in Lebanon against the terrorist organisation Hezbollah,"
Katz said in a statement, adding that Israel would strike Beirut's southern
suburbs in retaliation for every attack on northern Israel.Iran announced
earlier Monday it was halting its latest attacks against Israel, but added that
"should acts of aggression and hostility continue, including in southern
Lebanon, much more severe and crushing measures than before will follow."AFP
29 Lebanese army members have been killed in Israeli strikes since March
Associated Press/June 08/2026
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos said Monday that 29 Lebanese army
members have been killed in Israeli strikes since March, two days after an
Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon killed three members of the
Lebanese army, including a brigadier general and a captain. Morcos said that
since the Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2, three police, one member of the
General Security Directorate and 13 state security members have been killed in
Israeli attacks. Also killed was a member of the parliament’s security. A total
of 3,613 people have been killed, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The
Israeli military has said it operates against Hezbollah and not against the
Lebanese army.
Tyre heritage site damaged by Israeli bombardment
Agence France Presse/June 08/2026
Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame on Monday appealed for historic sites
to be spared as AFP correspondents saw damage to a World Heritage site in south
Lebanon's Tyre after Israeli bombardment. One of the oldest cities on the
Mediterranean coast, Tyre lies around 20 kilometers from the Israeli border, and
its UNESCO World Heritage-listed ruins are located in two main areas of the
city. Israel's military has heavily bombed Tyre since the latest war erupted
with Hezbollah. On Sunday it did so again after issuing a further evacuation
warning that covered districts including one of the archaeological areas, known
as the city site, which is home to Roman ruins. "I am launching an appeal to
avoid the targeting of archaeological sites in the country... in particular the
ruins in Tyre which are part of the heritage of humanity," Salame told AFP. AFP
correspondents on Monday saw dust and debris close to ancient columns after the
previous day's bombardment, as well as twisted metal and broken tree branches
near several stone artefacts. Concrete and metal debris also appeared to have
been strewn onto a stone stairway. Ali Badawi, the culture ministry's regional
director of archaeological sites for south Lebanon, said Sunday's bombardment
had had "the worst impact" on Tyre's ancient areas since the war began. "The
amount of debris and damage at the site is high," he said, noting both the
direct impact, with the site's administrative office struck, and the indirect
impact of debris strewn from nearby bombardment.
'Civilian site' -
"Some archaeological artefacts were damaged when rubble fell on them, as debris
fell over a large area, impacting a large number of elements at the site --
columns, capitals, column bases, mosaics," he said. "This is a civilian site, a
World Heritage site, it's not a military site at all, and there are no military
activities there," Badawi said. He said a preliminary damage assessment was
underway, noting that Tyre's other archaeological area, known as Al-Bass, had
been damaged earlier in the conflict. Minister Salame said that authorities
would evaluate Sunday's damage "once a ceasefire is in place and we can access
the ruins without putting our archaeologists in danger". Israel "does not
respect" the Hague convention on the protection of cultural property during
armed conflicts, nor the "blue shields" placed for symbolic protection near the
Tyre site and others by an organisation linked to UNESCO after the latest
conflict erupted, he said. Since a previous round of hostilities between Israel
and Hezbollah erupted in 2023, UNESCO has granted more than 70 heritage sites in
Lebanon, including Tyre, "provisional enhanced protection," the organization's
highest level of legal protection, which is intended for sites at risk from
conflict.
Israel army says vast tunnel network uncovered under
Beaufort castle
Agence France Presse/June 08/2026
The Israeli military said Sunday it uncovered a sprawling tunnel network beneath
the Beaufort castle in southern Lebanon, saying it was built to give Hezbollah a
fortified strike hub just kilometers from Israeli territory. Israeli soldiers
recaptured the crusader-era castle recently, giving the military a strategic
toehold it once occupied for nearly two decades. "The tunnel network was
constructed within a civilian area at a location that provides operational
control over the Galilee Panhandle region, only six kilometers from Metula (in
Israel), and served as a central Hezbollah terrorist organization hub in the
area," the military said. It said the tunnel network was funded by Iran and
engineered to shelter hundreds of fighters. "In one tunnel, approximately one
kilometer in length, troops located six underground shafts, a storage room used
for weapons, an anti-tank missile launcher, anti-tank missiles, grenades,
ammunition, combat equipment, advanced medical equipment, and several living
quarters, including shower facilities, restrooms, an operating room, and
kitchens," the military said. Footage released by the military showed one narrow
tunnel -- similar to those found beneath Gaza -- equipped with washrooms, trunks
full of clothes, beds, a folded wheelchair and other household items. Beaufort
castle's elevated position and location near the border with Israel has turned
it once again into a desirable position as Israel pursues its ground invasion in
Lebanon. Israel overran the fortress during its 1982 invasion of Lebanon, after
a prolonged battle with the Palestinian fighters hidden in the castle's maze of
historic underground tunnels. The castle was damaged by violent bombardment in
the process. Israel used it as one of its main observation posts until its
troops withdrew in 2000, particularly for electronic listening.
Regional escalation unfolds across Israel, Iran and Lebanon amid reciprocal
strikes and diplomatic efforts
LBCI/June 08/2026
A brief phase of military escalation involving Israel and Iran, with spillover
effects in Lebanon, unfolded over roughly 12 hours before both sides announced a
halt to operations, according to statements attributed to Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya
headquarters and Israeli officials.
The developments came amid reports of a phone call between U.S. President Donald
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which Trump said
both sides were seeking a ceasefire and that peace talks were progressing unless
obstructed by “ignorance or foolishness.”
Prior to the reported de-escalation, Israel carried out an airstrike on Beirut’s
southern suburbs without prior warning, which it said was in response to
continued Hezbollah rocket fire into northern Israel despite a ceasefire
arrangement. Hezbollah, however, has rejected such claims regarding the
agreement. The escalation follows a framework announced earlier this month that
reportedly included an informal understanding under which strikes on Beirut’s
southern suburbs would be avoided in exchange for a halt to attacks on northern
Israeli settlements. Hezbollah has dismissed the existence of such an agreement.
Iran, meanwhile, has maintained that its military response is guided by a
principle of reciprocity, stating that any strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs
would be met with attacks on northern Israel. Following Iranian missile strikes
on Israel, several areas in the country came under ballistic missile fire,
prompting further exchanges of fire between the two sides. Israel threatened to
respond, but U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly urged restraint, telling
Iranian officials to stop escalation and contacting Netanyahu to discourage
further retaliation. However, Israeli forces later carried out strikes on
Iranian air defense systems, military sites, and strategic infrastructure,
including petrochemical facilities and airbases. Iran responded with additional
missile launches targeting Israeli military positions, including air force
bases, in what became a sustained cycle of reciprocal attacks. Amid the
escalation, Lebanon was drawn into the wider confrontation, with both Washington
and Tehran seen as attempting to leverage the country’s internal dynamics within
the broader regional conflict. Iran later declared that it had fulfilled its
response, according to statements attributed to the Khatam al-Anbiya command.
Subsequent exchanges included Iranian missile fire toward Israel, which expanded
the scope of the confrontation and placed multiple Israeli areas within range of
ballistic strikes. Israeli operations reportedly extended to areas in southern
Lebanon, including strikes near Tyre and Nabatieh, while Hezbollah continued
drone and rocket attacks against Israeli positions in occupied areas. Against
this backdrop, state institutions were described as unable to enforce a
ceasefire or contain armed actors, while regional powers remained divided over
the conflict’s trajectory. U.S. officials have also been reported as considering
diplomatic involvement by neighboring states, including Syria, in efforts
related to disarmament issues in Lebanon. The overall escalation underscores the
fragility of current arrangements, as Israel continues to carry out strikes
while warning of further action, including against Beirut’s southern suburbs,
amid a widening regional confrontation in which Lebanese territory remains a key
flashpoint.
Qmati says Hezbollah had no direct contact with Trump
Agence France Presse/June 08/2026
A senior Hezbollah official told AFP on Monday that the Iran-backed group has
had "no direct contact" with President Donald Trump, despite recent statements
from the US leader suggesting otherwise. Washington considers Hezbollah a
"terrorist" group, including both its military and political wings, and recently
imposed sanctions on several of its lawmakers. Last Wednesday, referring to
efforts to halt the latest war in Lebanon, Trump had told reporters that "we
actually spoke with Hezbollah for the first time, ever." Two days earlier, after
Israel threatened to again bomb Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah
stronghold, Trump said that "through highly placed Representatives, I had a very
good call with Hezbollah." Senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qmati told AFP in
written remarks that "there has been no direct contact between President Trump
and Hezbollah officials."
He said Trump "perhaps" was referring to the fact that parliament speaker Nabih
Berri's adviser "communicates with the U.S. ambassador and passes on messages".
Berri, who heads the Shia Amal movement and acts as an intermediary for ally
Hezbollah, met U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa again on Monday. Trump's suggestion
of direct contact with Hezbollah "shows to what extent the U.S. administration
is ready to abandon the Lebanese authorities at the least indication of contact
with strong and influential parties in Lebanon," Qmati said. Hezbollah rejects
U.S.-sponsored direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, which began in
April under U.S. auspices and seek to halt the violence. The two countries have
no diplomatic relations. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reiterated on Monday that
"only the Lebanese state negotiates in the name of Lebanon". Iran insists a halt
to the broader Middle East conflict must include a ceasefire in Lebanon, and on
Sunday fired missiles at Israel in response to Israeli strikes on Beirut's
southern suburbs earlier in the day.
A Response to Mr. Walid
Joumblatt: The Falsification of History Through Omission
Zéna Mansour/X platform/June 08/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/06/155152/
Walid Joumblatt tells only a "half-truth" about history. When recalling a
massacre, he blames only the Druze founders, deliberately erasing the most
critical part of the historical narrative.
He carefully avoids acknowledging this reality:
"As the Ottoman arm of Kurdish roots and Muslim Brotherhood inclination in
Mount Lebanon, we incited the rational Druze (historical founders) and their
Maronite/Christian partners to fight each other. The goal? To divide this
resilient, single Canaanite people—where many Druze families historically
converted to Christianity due to the fascist Islamic colonialism that sought to
erase Druze autonomy. By destroying Lebanon's symbolism as a safe haven for the
East's persecuted, we aimed to weaken and subjugate both components to our
terms." This behavior stems from an expansionist, Islamist settler-colonial
ideology. It sought to drive Canaan’s indigenous peoples into the fold of
Ottoman-Islamic colonialism—either directly or through local proxies like
us—forcing them into a Sunni system that imposed four centuries of religious
fascism on the Levant's non-Islamic minorities: Druze, Maronites, Christians,
Jews, Yazidis, Syriacs, Chaldeans, and Assyrians.
Joumblatt’s Blatant Contradiction
This forgery manifests as a continuous political double standard: During
Reconciliation: (backed by the social and religious consent of rational Druze),
he adopts the persona of the regional Ottoman proxy, arrogantly stating: "I, the
Ottoman with Kurdish arms, am the one who reconciled and forgave." During
Bloodshed: He sheds his ruling cloak and blames Druze identity: "The Druze is
the one who killed." He deliberately ignores that his own ancestors—mercenaries
and Janjaweed for the Ottomans—fueled those original fires, and that he is
merely their loyal extension today.
Shifting Tools, Enduring Conspiracy
This distortion defies logic. "Mr. Walid," you rewrite the Druze-Maronite
conflict by ignoring the criminal, divisive role played by the Sultanate’s
pawns, who pitted indigenous peoples against each other to ease colonial control
in an era lacking media, books, or enlightenment.
Conclusion
The same game is being cloned today with new tools. After the plots of the 19th
century, the 20th century recycled these divisions under the slogans of "the
Left," "Arabism," and "the Palestinian Cause." These issues mean nothing to the
Druze; they brought them only weakness, destruction, and the erasure of their
identity and rights, serving as mere fuel for the Mountain War. In the 21st
century, these narratives are thoroughly exposed. They are no longer fit for
consumption, not even as ideological sedatives.
Lebanon on the Brink. Again.
Alberto M. Fernandez/National Catholic Register/June 08/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/06/155158/'
COMMENTARY: The Trump administration and Pope Leo want peace in the war-torn
country. Can their diplomacy deliver what they both, as well as the beleaguered
Lebanese people, seek?
Exactly three months from when Pope Leo XIV left Lebanon as a messenger of peace
on Dec. 2, the country was plunged into war.
But Lebanon’s entry into the U.S.-Israeli-Iran War didn’t just happen. In fact,
the terrorist group Hezbollah resisted for about 48 hours the call of its
Iranian masters to join in the conflict.
Hezbollah had already taken a pummeling during the 2023-2025 Hamas War. In the
2026 conflict, both the U.S. and Israel had sent messages through trusted
intermediaries encouraging the group to sit this war out. In the end, Hezbollah
couldn’t resist Iran’s pressure, although polls showed that most Lebanese didn’t
want Lebanon in another war.
Three months after the beginning of this latest conflict, Lebanon is still at
war, not because of a decision by Lebanon’s government but because of the
actions of a heavily armed, foreign-funded militia outside of Lebanese
government control.
The Hezbollah war with Israel has brought great suffering to the country. About
one-quarter of the population (1.4 million people) has been displaced. More than
3,500 have been killed — many of them Hezbollah fighters but also many
civilians.
Israel has declared 14% of Lebanon, particularly in the south where the two
countries share a border, “free-fire non-civilian zones,” which means that any
movement in those areas is extremely dangerous. About a dozen Lebanese Christian
civilians have been killed in the south under just such conditions. On June 1,
Dr. James Karam and his two children, Tony and Theodosia, were killed by an
Israeli drone strike as they returned from university exams in Beirut to their
village.
To its credit, the Trump administration has sought to save Lebanon, pushing the
Lebanese and Israeli governments to negotiate directly for the first time in 46
years. The negotiations are a hopeful sign. They seemed to have made some real
progress, as seen in the June 3 joint statement from the trilateral — U.S.,
Lebanon, Israel — meeting in Washington. As analyst Toni Nissi noted, the
statement finally “places sovereignty at the center of the diplomatic process.”
But in the short run, securing a ceasefire in Lebanon does not really depend on
the Lebanese state but rather on spoilers, Hezbollah and Iran.
One might say that Lebanon faces three tracks towards the future. The
Hezbollah/Iran track seeks above everything else to preserve Lebanon as a rocket
and drone launchpad against Israel, to keep the catastrophic status quo where
the country is plunged into war at any point because of calculations made in
Tehran. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun addressed this problem in a recent CNN
interview, where he said to Iran, “It’s not your country, it’s our country.” He
added that the Lebanese “are fed up, and we want to live in peace,” that “they
deserve not seeing their homes being destroyed every five to 10 years.”
Not quite as destructive as the “Hezbollah/Iran track” is the sly agenda being
pushed by Saudi Arabia and several other Sunni Arab and Muslim states, which
essentially seeks to “keep Lebanon in play” for some future grand arrangement by
blocking a long-term peace agreement. In a sense, it seeks to sacrifice Lebanon
today for some sort of comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian-Arab regime agreement
tomorrow.
The Saudis fear that if Lebanon makes a separate peace with Israel now, like
Egypt and Jordan did, that it will weaken the ability of Saudi Arabia, Qatar,
Turkey and others to pressure the Jewish state later. In this scenario, Lebanon
still pays the price now and a quite steep, ironic one given the role of the
Palestinian cause in triggering the Lebanese Civil War of 1975-1990.
Only the third track, the American-Israeli one, offers Lebanon a potentially
different perspective from the current grim reality, one that seeks to
strengthen the Lebanese state and restore its sovereignty now. Yes, Israel also
wins in this scenario, gaining calm along its northern border and peace with its
neighbor. But ideally, Lebanon in this case would win something truly elusive, a
break from the constant “war-destruction-pause-war-destruction-pause-war tool”
fashioned by Iran and Hezbollah.
But given the obvious Hezbollah recalcitrance and the state’s weakness,
something else will be needed to bring about a solution. As Nissi has
emphasized, “Lebanon alone may not possess the political, military, economic, or
diplomatic resources required” for such an agreement.
A May 2026 poll of Lebanese found that not only Christians, but Lebanon’s Druze
and Sunni Muslims favor the disarmament of Hezbollah and some sort of peace with
Israel. Not surprisingly, a large majority of Shiite Muslims, who are
Hezbollah’s main supporters and beneficiaries, do not.
Both the Maronite Catholic Patriarch and the Maronite Bishop’s Council in
Lebanon have endorsed negotiations. The council recently called for Lebanese
neutrality; peace talks with Israel “under Arab and international sponsorship”
and a return to the 1949 Armistice Agreement. “The priorities of the people are
not armed conflicts, but security, stability, and the restoration of
livelihoods,” the council affirmed.
A key part of such a peace would be the role of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF),
a dubiously led and shaky institution. Another weakness of this track is that
the U.S. and Israel are not completely aligned on Lebanon. Given the recent
public controversy and criticism between the Vatican and the White House on
Iran, it is often forgotten that, at least when it comes narrowly to Lebanon,
the Trump administration and Pope Leo XIV are not far apart.
In his farewell address to Beirut on Dec 2, the Pope said that “armed struggle
brings no benefit. While weapons are lethal, negotiation, mediation and dialogue
are constructive. Let us all choose peace as a way, and not just as a goal!”
Lebanon today is both on the edge of still more destruction and on the edge of a
path towards a radically different, and peaceful, future which has eluded it for
decades. Can Trump deliver what both he and the Pope want there?
**Alberto M. Fernandez Alberto M. Fernandez is a former U.S. diplomat and a
contributor at EWTN News.
How Can Lebanon Succeed in the
New Middle East?
Sam Menassa/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 08/2026
Between France’s warning that Lebanon is approaching the brink of collapse, the
domestic and foreign wars being waged against it, and its ongoing economic and
political crisis, the Lebanese debate has become confined to how to avoid
collapse or manage accumulated crises. Yet the more important question may not
concern only Lebanon’s ability to survive, but its place in a region whose
balances and priorities are being reshaped with unprecedented speed.
In a previous article, we addressed what the country needs internally to restore
the state, sovereignty, and institutions. Internal reform, however, goes hand in
hand with an understanding of the role Lebanon can play in the Middle East
taking shape around it, on foundations different from those it knew over past
decades.
For a long period of its modern history, Lebanon derived its importance from a
set of functions that made it a pioneer. It was a regional financial and banking
center, an Arab media and cultural platform, a hub for education, universities,
and publishing, and an arena for Arab-international balances.
It also formed a meeting ground for East and West, and of political and
intellectual pluralism in a region dominated by rigid military regimes.
Regardless of the success or failure of this experience, it gave Lebanon a
standing that exceeded its geographic and demographic size.
Most of these functions, however, have eroded in recent decades. The banking
sector, which formed a pillar of the Lebanese economy, has collapsed, and the
country’s ability to attract investment has declined. Many media, cultural, and
educational functions have moved to other Arab centers that enjoy greater
political stability and larger resources. Lebanon has also lost its monopoly as
a bridge between East and West in a world that has become more open,
interconnected, and less in need of traditional intermediaries.
In light of these transformations in Lebanon, the Middle East has entered a
different phase from that which had prevailed since the Cold War. After decades
of ideological conflict, proxy wars, and sharp polarization, the key powers of
the region, especially Gulf states seeking to consolidate their role as global
economic and investment centers, have adopted new priorities centered on
economic development, attracting investment, technology, energy, trade
connectivity, and building regional and international partnerships. At the same
time, the region has been marked by the change in Syria, with the fall of Bashar
al-Assad’s regime, Iran as it faces unprecedented pressures, and the
repercussions for its proxies, foremost among them Hezbollah.
Does the new Middle East still need Lebanon in the way it knew it over the past
century? Lebanon’s challenge today lies in defining its place within a new
regional system whose priorities and rules of operation have changed, and which
is not necessarily looking for the old roles Lebanon once played. What, then,
can Lebanon offer today to a Middle East moving toward economics, technology,
and stability?
Lebanon has not lost all elements of its strength. Its essential advantage was
never purely economic, but also lay in its ability to produce a space of
pluralism, openness, and cultural and intellectual interaction that remains
difficult to find elsewhere in the region, despite all the changes it has
witnessed.
In spite of everything, Lebanon still possesses a wealth of human capital, a
large global diaspora, a distinctive educational and cultural legacy, the
ability to interact with different environments and cultures, rare social and
linguistic pluralism, as well as a resilient private sector and accumulated
expertise in education, healthcare, services, and the knowledge economy. All of
these elements are the foundations of the role it can formulate to build its
standing in the region politically, economically, and culturally.
Alongside its human resources, Lebanon’s geopolitical location offers
opportunities to take part in regional economic and trade connectivity networks.
It can also play a diplomatic role grounded in its historical experience in
managing diversity, in a region still searching for more stable formulas for
coexistence and partnership among its different components. If Lebanon succeeds
in rebuilding its state, it may have the opportunity to reposition itself as a
center for talent and creative minds, a platform for openness and intellectual
and cultural exchange, and a space for dialogue and multicultural engagement.
States do not preserve their importance by yearning for past roles or by trying
to freeze history at a particular moment. This depends on their capacity to read
transformations, adapt to them, and create new functions. Perhaps the test
Lebanon faces today is not only the test of survival, or of returning to what it
once was, but the test of finding a new justification for its importance in the
region, offering value that others cannot offer, and discovering a new place
suited to the transformations underway.
But the deeper question may be this: does Lebanon need an exceptional new role
at all? The real challenge, perhaps for the first time since the entity’s
creation, may be to move from the logic of “Lebanon the message” and “exception”
to the mindset of a normal state: a stable and effective state, integrated into
its surroundings, and capable of turning the capacities of its people into added
value.
Lebanon Finally Says It Out
Loud: Lebanon Does Not Belong to Iran, Iran Is the Problem
Khaled Abu Toameh/ Gatestone Institute/June 08/2026
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22589/lebanon-does-not-belong-to-iran
"You are not trying to help us; the people of Lebanon are paying the price for
your own interests.... Our interests do not align with yours.... This is not
your country, it is our country." — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, directly
addressing Iran's regime; CNN, June 5, 2026
Aoun's remarks amount to a public admission that Hezbollah has effectively
created a state within a state, one that decides when Lebanon goes to war and
when it agrees to a ceasefire, regardless of the wishes of the elected
government of the Lebanese people.
"Spare our South, and cease treating it and its people as mere bargaining chips
to improve your negotiation terms.... this war is not ours, that it is not
fought for us, but on our soil and at the expense of our people." —Lebanese
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, June 5, 2026.
The Lebanese leaders are finally saying publicly what many observers have argued
for years: Hezbollah is not defending Lebanon. It is defending Iran's regional
interests.
The tragedy of Lebanon closely resembles the tragedy of the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinians in Gaza are paying the price for decisions made by Hamas,
another Islamist terrorist organization acting in accordance with Iran's broader
regional agenda.
All terrorist roads lead first to Tehran.
Without Iran's interference in Lebanese and Palestinian affairs, both peoples
would likely be focused on building their economies, strengthening their
institutions, and improving the lives of their citizens instead of enduring
endless cycles of war and destruction.
[Iran's] goal is always the same: expand Iranian influence while keeping the
region in a permanent state of confrontation.
The ceasefire agreements brokered by the Trump Administration were also supposed
to strengthen Lebanese sovereignty and curb Hezbollah's military power.
Why, then, is Hezbollah still armed? Why does it continue to decide matters of
war and peace? Why is the Lebanese government still unable, or unwilling, to
assert full authority over its territory?
The same questions apply to Hamas. Why is Hamas still in control of large parts
of the Gaza Strip? Why is the Trump Administration's "Board of Peace" still
talking about the disarmament of Hamas instead of insisting upon it? Why do
mediators continue to negotiate with terrorist organizations that openly reject
disarmament?
Washington needs to demand the immediate and unconditional disarmament of
Hezbollah and Hamas -- terrorist organizations that seek Israel's destruction.
The Trump Administration would greatly help its agenda if it insisted that the
Lebanese government alone exercise control over decisions of war and peace. It
would help to stress that no sovereign state can tolerate an armed militia
operating outside government authority.
So long as Hezbollah and Hamas remain armed and in power, and the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps remains ruling Iran, there will be no lasting peace or
stability in the Middle East. All three remain deeply committed to their jihad
(holy war) against Israel and are prepared to pursue it indefinitely.
Lebanon's leaders have finally identified the problem. The question is whether
they have the courage, and the whole-hearted, committed support of the United
States to back it up.
Perhaps for the first time in such direct and uncompromising language, Lebanon's
President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam are openly acknowledging
that Iran, through its proxy Hezbollah, has hijacked Lebanon's sovereignty,
transformed the country into a battlefield, and dragged its people into repeated
wars with Israel.
For years, many Lebanese politicians avoided publicly confronting the obvious
truth: Iran, through its proxy Hezbollah, has hijacked Lebanon's sovereignty,
transformed the country into a battlefield, and dragged its people into repeated
wars with Israel.
Now, perhaps for the first time in such direct and uncompromising language,
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam are openly
acknowledging what many Lebanese have known for decades. Their statements are
significant because they expose the central role played by the Iranian regime
and Hezbollah in destroying what was once one of the most prosperous and stable
countries in the Middle East.
Aoun accused Iran of using Lebanon as a "bargaining chip" in its conflict with
the United States and demanded that Tehran stop interfering in Lebanese affairs.
Addressing the Iranian regime directly, Aoun declared:
"You are not trying to help us; the people of Lebanon are paying the price for
your own interests.... Our interests do not align with yours.... This is not
your country, it is our country."
Aoun also rejected Hezbollah's claim to speak on behalf of Lebanon and said that
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem "does not represent the Lebanese
people."
The Lebanese president emphasized that his people are exhausted by the endless
conflict initiated by Hezbollah: "The Lebanese are fed up with the war between
Israel and Hezbollah."
He revealed that Lebanese from various religious communities, including Shiites,
had told him they were tired of Hezbollah's wars.
Aoun's remarks amount to a public admission that Hezbollah has effectively
created a state within a state, one that decides when Lebanon goes to war and
when it agrees to a ceasefire, regardless of the wishes of the elected
government of the Lebanese people.
Salam was equally blunt.
Speaking at the launch of a United Nations humanitarian appeal, Salam called on
Iran to stop exploiting Lebanon for its own regional ambitions:
"Spare our South, and cease treating it and its people as mere bargaining chips
to improve your negotiation terms. We are a nation that refuses to become a
mailbox for others' messages or an open arena for their wars. Lebanon is no
one's pawn on a table, and the South is no one's reserve front."
Perhaps most remarkably, Salam openly acknowledged that Iran's rejection of a
ceasefire agreement exposed the true nature of the conflict:
"[T]he Lebanese were stunned yesterday to find the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
as the first to reject it, before any other party. This is yet another
confirmation that this war is not ours, that it is not fought for us, but on our
soil and at the expense of our people."
Those words represent a devastating indictment of Hezbollah and its Iranian
sponsors.
For years, Hezbollah has justified its military activities by claiming to
"defend Lebanon." Yet Lebanon's own prime minister is now effectively saying
publicly that Hezbollah's war serves foreign interests, not Lebanese ones.
The Lebanese leaders are finally saying publicly what many observers have argued
for years: Hezbollah is not defending Lebanon. It is defending Iran's regional
interests.
The consequences have been catastrophic.
Once known as the "Switzerland of the Middle East," Lebanon has become a failed
state plagued by economic collapse, political paralysis, corruption, and
recurring warfare.
Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians have paid a heavy price for
Hezbollah's decisions. Entire communities have been displaced. Homes have been
destroyed. Businesses have collapsed. Families have lost loved ones.
"The Lebanese people," Aoun noted, "have placed on me the task of ending the
war, and they do not deserve to see their homes destroyed every five or ten
years."
The tragedy of Lebanon closely resembles the tragedy of the Gaza Strip.
Just as Hezbollah serves as Iran's proxy in Lebanon, Hamas serves as Iran's
proxy among the Palestinians. Like Hezbollah, Hamas receives funding, weapons,
training, and political backing from Tehran. Like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas
launched a war that brought devastation upon its own people in the Gaza Strip.
After Hamas's October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel, the Gaza Strip suffered
unimaginable destruction and humanitarian hardship. The Palestinians in Gaza are
paying the price for decisions made by Hamas, another Islamist terrorist
organization acting in accordance with Iran's broader regional agenda.
All terrorist roads lead first to Tehran.
Without Iran's interference in Lebanese and Palestinian affairs, both peoples
would likely be focused on building their economies, strengthening their
institutions, and improving the lives of their citizens instead of enduring
endless cycles of war and destruction.
The Iranian regime has consistently used its proxies to spread instability
throughout the Middle East: Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic
Jihad in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shiite militias in Iraq and
Syria.
The goal is always the same: expand Iranian influence while keeping the region
in a permanent state of confrontation.
The statements of Aoun and Salam, however, raise a serious question. If
Lebanon's leaders recognize that Iran and Hezbollah are responsible for much of
their country's suffering, why have they not acted decisively against Hezbollah?
United Nations Security Council resolutions have long called for the disarmament
of all militias in Lebanon.
The ceasefire agreements brokered by the Trump Administration were also supposed
to strengthen Lebanese sovereignty and curb Hezbollah's military power.
Why, then, is Hezbollah still armed? Why does it continue to decide matters of
war and peace? Why is the Lebanese government still unable, or unwilling, to
assert full authority over its territory?
The same questions apply to Hamas. Why is Hamas still in control of large parts
of the Gaza Strip? Why is the Trump Administration's "Board of Peace" still
talking about the disarmament of Hamas instead of insisting upon it? Why do
mediators continue to negotiate with terrorist organizations that openly reject
disarmament?
Complaining about Iranian interference alone will not restore Lebanon's
sovereignty or bring stability to the Gaza Strip.
The Trump Administration would do itself a great service if it could recognize
that the source of much of the region's instability remains the Iranian regime
and its proxies. Washington needs to demand the immediate and unconditional
disarmament of Hezbollah and Hamas -- terrorist organizations that seek Israel's
destruction. The Trump Administration would greatly help its agenda if it
insisted that the Lebanese government alone exercise control over decisions of
war and peace. It would help to stress that no sovereign state can tolerate an
armed militia operating outside government authority.
Aoun is right when he says that Lebanon does not belong to Iran. The challenge
now is to translate these words into action.
So long as Hezbollah and Hamas remain armed and in power, and the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps remains ruling Iran, there will be no lasting peace or
stability in the Middle East. All three remain deeply committed to their jihad
(holy war) against Israel and are prepared to pursue it indefinitely.
Lebanon's leaders have finally identified the problem. The question is whether
they have the courage and the whole-hearted, committed support of the United
States to back it up.
**Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
**Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
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The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on 08-09 June/2026
on 08-09 June/2026
on 08 June/2026
Nadim Koteich
Israel struck Hezbollah's assets in Beirut's southern suburbs. Iran
retaliated against Israel, to establish itself as Lebanon's strategic guardian,
despite Lebanon's president stating days earlier: we don't need Iran to
negotiate for us, we don't need Iran to defend us. x.com/barakravid/sta…
Israel struck Hezbollah's assets in Beirut's southern suburbs. Iran retaliated
against Israel, to establish itself as Lebanon's strategic guardian, despite
Lebanon's president stating days earlier: we don't need Iran to negotiate for
us, we don't need Iran to defend us.
Israel hit back hard. Iran de-escalated. That's the right outcome, even if
it is an acutely uncomfortable way for Lebanon to find liberation from a hegemon
it never chose, through a conflict it never wanted.
Yet, this moment may be the most strategically useful one Lebanon has had in
years.
Christiane Amanpour
https://x.com/amanpour/status/2064039461193765124/video/1
After over four decades in the army, Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun tells me,
“I’ve been in combat situations many times. I was wounded twice. I’ve seen the
hardship of war. That’s why I hate wars. That’s why I prefer negotiation… I
don’t want my children, I don’t want the people, to live the same hardship.”
Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו
https://x.com/netanyahu/status/2064006656128684130/video/1
Important update to you, citizens of Israel >>
Anita Anand
Canada is deeply concerned by the resumption of conflict between Iran and
Israel. We call on both parties to exercise maximum restraint, de-escalate
tensions, and ensure that civilians are protected. A return to dialogue to
advance a diplomatic solution is essential to resolving
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
If you're Lebanese and still don't understand that your national interests are
aligned with Israel and undermined by Iran, I don't know what to tell you. Now,
you probably think that you hate Israel because "Palestine." But remember,
Palestinians seek their own interests and so should you.
Lebanese and Palestinian interest can converge or diverge. This time it happens
that they diverge. No shame. No foul. Lebanon should seek its interests with the
Jewish state. Be realistic. Be smart. Think of your interests, and let
Palestinians (and Iranians) figure out their own.
Dennis Ross
Sitting in a Tel Aviv shelter, I see a new test of wills. Iran wants to show
that Israel cannot hit Hezbollah without Iran hitting Israel. Israel cannot
accept that it cannot respond to threats. Trump wants this to end, but Iran’s
feels no pressure from him. So he focuses on Bibi
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
https://x.com/hahussain/status/2064023004292501711/video/1
Mona Jahamy is a philosophy teacher, a Shia from the southern coastal city of
Tyre. She's been displaced for months, and she's speaking up against Hezbollah.
CNN: But Israel...
Hananya Naftali
If Iran laid down its weapons tomorrow, there would be peace.
If Israel laid down its weapons tomorrow, there would be no Israel.
That's the difference.