English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For March 02/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste.
Matthew 05/13-17: "‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt
has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for
anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. ‘You are the light of the
world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp
puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all
in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they
may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. ‘Do not think
that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish
but to fulfil:".
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 01-02/2026
The Sunday of the Hemorrhaging Woman and Our Spiritual Bleeding/Elias
Bejjani/March 01/202
Elias Bejjani/Link to my interview on Al-Hawiya Youtube Channel
The Commons (Communal Lands) of Historic Mount Lebanon Belong to the Villages’
Residents Since Ottoman Times… The Iranian-Backed and Terrorist Shiite Duo Is
Attempting to Seize Them/Elias Bejjani/February 26/2026
Lebanon, France Postpone Conference to Support Lebanese Army
Lebanon's Hezbollah Vows to 'Confront Aggression' of US, Israel
US Tells Lebanon: Israel Won’t Escalate if No Hostile Acts Come from Lebanese
Side
Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry sets up emergency cell, urges Lebanese abroad to stay
alert
Higher Defense Council urges Lebanese to uphold responsibility and national
unity
Hezbollah supporters mourn Khamenei in mass rally
Hezbollah calls on region to stand against attack on Iran
US informs Lebanon that Israel has 'no intention' to escalate
Hezbollah’s Qassem mourns Khamenei, blames US and Israel for ‘criminal
aggression’
Lebanese army suspends drone permits nationwide amid regional tensions
MEA cancels March 2 flights amid regional airspace closures
UN special coordinator urges all parties to prioritize Lebanon
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on March 01--02/2026
Iranian
Leaders Want to Talk, Says Trump
Iran vows revenge after the killing of its top leader and trades strikes with
Israel in widening war
Iran Insists ‘No Limit’ Its Right to Self-Defense, Says FM
Mediator Oman’s FM Urges Ceasefire on Call with Iran’s Araghchi
Germany, France Call on Iran to Cease Attacks on Gulf
Report: CIA Intel Guided Strikes That Killed Iran Supreme Leader
More Explosions Heard in Dubai, Doha and Manama
Iran Vows Revenge After Killing of Khamenei, Trades Strikes with Israel in
Widening War
UAE withdraws ambassador from Iran, closes embassy over attacks: Statement
Iran media outlets report strikes hit hospital in Tehran
Conflict closes Dubai, Abu Dhabi stock markets to Tuesday: Regulator
Cheers, music, anger: World reacts as Iran's Khamenei is killed
Nine killed, 28 hurt in Iran missile attack on Israeli city
CENTCOM: US B-2 bombers strike Iranian ballistic missile facilities
Protesters, police clash near US embassy in Baghdad: AFP
Saudi Arabia, GCC Slam Iranian Attack on Oman
Three US Military Members Killed in Iran Operation
Iranians Grieve, Celebrate, Worry After Khamenei’s Killing
Egypt’s Sisi, in Phone Call with Sultan of Oman, Warns of Chaos in the Middle
East
Saudi Crown Prince Discusses Regional Escalation with Turkish, Sudanese Leaders
Hackers Hit Iranian Apps, Websites After US-Israeli Strikes
Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei in Dates
Khamenei: Ruthless Revolutionary Atop Iran’s Regime
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on
March 01--02/2026
Slash
More UN Funding: Empowering Iranian Regime and Other Adversaries of Freedom,
Peace and Human Rights/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/March 01/2026
Who Is Upholding Western Civilization?/Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute/March 1,
2026
Canada gets it right on the fall of Iran/Postmedia News/March 01/2026
Five Years of War and No Peace in Sight/Jumah BouklebAsharq Al-Awsat/March
01/2026
X Platform Selected twittes for 27/2026
on March 01--02/2026
The
Sunday of the Hemorrhaging Woman and Our Spiritual Bleeding
Elias Bejjani/March 01/2026
"Jesus turned and saw her. 'Take heart, daughter,' he said, 'your faith has
healed you.' And the woman was healed at that moment." (Matthew 9:22)
Who among us is not bleeding in our values, our relationships, our deeds, and
our faith? Who among us is not losing the foundations of hope in this barren
season, where we have strayed far from the teachings of the Holy Gospel? Indeed,
we have strayed, deviated, and forsaken our principles. We have immersed
ourselves in a consumerist society that has mercilessly drowned us in the snares
of satanic selfishness. We are afflicted by the fatal malady of the "Ego," which
has become our compass and our sole desire. It is lamentable that we fashion our
lives according to the whims of this deceptive "I," coordinating our actions by
its guidance and tailoring our words and relationships to suit its lusts.
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will
of God." (Romans 12:2)
This lethal selfishness has dismantled the bonds of the family—the very
cornerstone of nations and societies. It has eclipsed love from our hearts and
consciences, allowing darkness to dwell within us. We have fallen into
temptation and wandered from the righteous path of salvation, which the Lord
Christ paved for us with His blood upon the Cross. We have lost everything
because we have lost ourselves, blinding our eyes to the Master’s word: "For
what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul?"
Verily, we have fallen into the traps of the adversary due to our lack of faith
and our blind pursuit of worldly possessions—wealth, influence, and power.
Therefore, we bleed without ceasing every time we commit sin, for the wages of
sin is death.We bleed when we fail to resist evil and sink deeper into greed and
lust. We bleed when we fail to love, forgive, and show mercy; when we cease to
do good, pray, and preach the Word of the Lord.
We bleed in our minds, consciences, and hearts when we distance ourselves from
faith and succumb to temptation.
We bleed when we allow the fleeting pleasures of this dust-bound world to entice
us.
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do
not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5:1)
We bleed when we abandon the essence of Love, which is God Himself—Love that is
most gloriously manifested in the sacrifice of oneself for the sake of others.
We bleed when we allow envy and avarice to govern our lives, and when we worship
the vanities of this passing world while forsaking the worship of the Living
God. We bleed when we dishonor the blood of the martyrs and disregard the
sacrifices of those who offered themselves as oblations upon the altar of our
homeland, bearing witness to the Truth without cowardice. We bleed because we
pledge allegiance to leaders and parties who traffic in our destiny, our daily
bread, and our nation. We bleed because we have accepted the status of bondmen
and sheep, content to dwell in the "pens" of submission. Should we then wonder
why our beloved Lebanon has become a battlefield for others, losing its
independence and sovereignty?
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)
There is no salvation for us, nor a halting of our bleeding, save through
repentance, prayer, fasting, and atonement. The Lord is gracious, merciful, and
loving; He desires to heal our wounds if we seek Him with piety, faith, and
hope, just as the hemorrhaging woman did. The Lord redeemed us through His only
begotten Son, liberating us from the yoke of original sin. He has set before us
the path to the "House" He built in His Kingdom—where there is no pain, sorrow,
or hatred. Yet He left us the choice: to walk that path or to perish in the ways
of evil that lead to outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of
teeth. On this Sunday, let us draw wisdom from the faith of the hemorrhaging
woman. Let us fortify our trust in God’s power and His gift of forgiveness
granted to the sincere and the repentant: "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
who healeth all thy diseases" (Psalm 103:3).
Let us pray for the salvation of our beloved Lebanon, for the cessation of the
bleeding within its institutions, and for the guidance of its leaders toward the
paths of faith, justice, and witnessing to the Truth.
Elias Bejjani/Link to my
interview on Al-Hawiya Youtube Channel
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/02/152507/
A scientific, factual, and historical exposé on the reality of the rogue
Hezbollah gang—composed of mercenaries, criminals, and traitors—and the
necessity of deporting its members, leaders, and weaponry to Iran. A
'striptease' exposure of The Lebanese political parties 'corporations,'
politicians, and media figures, as well as many of the clerics and figures
hatched in the incubators of foreign occupations. The interview proposes
solutions to liberate Lebanon from Iranian occupation and the rotten political
and partisan class, without exceptions; for whoever collaborated with the
occupier and accepted being a tool for the slaughter of our people must depart
alongside them.
February 28/2026
The Commons (Communal Lands) of Historic Mount Lebanon Belong to
the Villages’ Residents Since Ottoman Times… The Iranian-Backed and Terrorist
Shiite Duo Is Attempting to Seize Them
Elias Bejjani/February
26/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/02/152475/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns_SMzpIKBQ
In the context of a long series of theft, usurpation, corruption, moral
decay, and blatant disregard that has, for years, been associated with Nabih
Berri and Hezbollah—terroists groups aligned with Iran and acting in hostility
to all that is Lebanese, constitutional, and rooted in respect and coexistence—
Yesterday, Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, a member of the Amal Movement led by
Nabih Berri and his circle, issued a circular that complements a previous one
released in 2015 by then–Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil. That earlier
circular sought to seize the commons (Communal
Lands) of Mount Lebanon and register them as state property. It
must be emphasized that the commons of historic Mount Lebanon, stretching from
Bsharri in the north to Jezzine in the south, have belonged to the residents of
the villages and towns since Ottoman rule, and subsequently during the French
Mandate and throughout the First and Second Lebanese Republics. They were
therefore preserved and never confiscated, seized, or placed under state
control—unlike commons in other Lebanese regions that are owned by the state
outside historic Mount Lebanon.In
2015, backed by the force of the Iranian jihadist-terrorist Hezbollah’s weapons
and political dominance, Berri attempted to seize these commons. At that time,
Ali Hassan Khalil issued a circular aimed at confiscating the commons and
transferring their ownership to the state. The circular was not implemented due
to widespread opposition, most of it from Christian communities. Today, Berri is
attempting once again to pursue the same objective through a new circular issued
under the tenure of Minister Yassine Jaber.
The Vatican, first and foremost, the Maronite Church in particular, and all
genuine sovereignty advocates are called upon to reject this circular publicly
and to demand the prosecution of former Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, current
Minister Yassine Jaber, and their political master Nabih Berri on charges of
abuse of office and unlawful infringement upon Christian-owned lands.
The
Commons of Mount Lebanon: A Historic Ownership Confronting an Administrative
Circular
Amid the controversy stirred by the circular issued by Finance Minister Yassine
Jaber on February 25, 2026, concerning the registration of un-surveyed
properties and commons, the issue of the historic commons of Mount Lebanon has
resurfaced. The matter carries historical, legal, and existential dimensions
that strike at the heart of collective ownership by the residents of villages
and towns extending from Bsharri in the north to Jezzine in the south.
First:
Historical Background of the Commons’ Ownership
The commons of Mount Lebanon are not abandoned or ownerless lands; they are
collective properties belonging to village communities since the era of the
Mutasarrifate of Mount Lebanon under the Ottoman Empire. During that period,
local customs and land regulations recognized the distinct nature of communal
ownership in mountain villages. Under the French Mandate over Lebanon, these
commons were not confiscated. Instead, they continued to be recognized within
the framework of land demarcation and registration systems. This recognition
persisted after Lebanon’s independence in 1943, without transferring ownership
to the state—unlike practices applied in other Lebanese regions outside historic
Mount Lebanon.
For centuries, these commons have formed an economic and social backbone for
village residents, used for grazing, agriculture, and public benefit. They have
traditionally been administered in the name of the local community rather than
the central state.
Second:
The 2026 Circular and the Revival of the 2015 Attempt
The new circular issued by Minister Jaber requires that un-surveyed properties
and commons be registered first in the name of the state, with the possibility
of later transfer to municipalities if legal documentation is provided. This
measure is justified as compliance with Decision No. 26/186 concerning land
demarcation and registration, as well as Articles 236 and 256 of the Property
Law. However, this step recalls the 2015 circular issued by then–Finance
Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, which adopted a similar approach and triggered broad
political and popular opposition, preventing its effective implementation in
many areas.
Current
concerns revolve around two key points:
Registering initial ownership in the name of the state may open the door to
altering the historic legal status of these lands. Granting the Ministry of
Finance—acting as custodian of state property—the final authority over such
properties effectively places collective ownership under direct central control.
Third:
Between Law and Historic Rights
While the Property Law prohibits acquiring ownership of abandoned attached
properties and commons through prescription, the historical specificity of Mount
Lebanon lies in the fact that these commons were never state property to begin
with. They are historically established communal properties administered in the
name of local communities.
The
distinction is fundamental between:
Public state property, and
Commons historically belonging to village residents.
Any legal approach that disregards this distinction risks triggering a
constitutional dispute affecting the principle of protecting private and
collective property as enshrined in the Lebanese Constitution.
Fourth:
Rejection and Calls for Action
Political, ecclesiastical, and popular voices have rejected the circular,
considering it an infringement on established historical rights. They have
called for:
Freezing the circular and subjecting it to transparent public legal debate.
Legislative action by Mount Lebanon MPs to clarify and explicitly safeguard the
historic status of the commons.
A clear stance from religious authorities, particularly the Maronite Church, in
defense of the communities’ historic land ownership.
Recourse to the State Council (Shura Council) to challenge the circular should
it prove inconsistent with existing laws or constitutional property protections.
Conclusion
The issue of Mount Lebanon’s commons is not a minor administrative matter. It is
intrinsically linked to history, identity, and a distinct land system that
emerged in the mountains during the nineteenth century. What is required today
is a calm, lawful, and well-documented approach grounded in archival and
cadastral records—free from arbitrariness or political manipulation. For the
people of the mountain, land is not merely real estate; it is an element of
existence and continuity. Any alteration of its legal status necessitates a
transparent national debate balancing state authority with the historic rights
of local communities.
Text of
the Circular Under Discussion
A New Financial
Circular Restricting Land Registration Powers
Agencies/February
26/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
Finance Minister Yassine Jaber issued a new circular stressing the strict
obligation to adhere to legal procedures in the registration and transfer of
ownership of un-surveyed properties, abandoned attached properties, and commons,
amid increasing violations involving the registration of such properties
contrary to applicable laws.
In the circular addressed to real estate judges, surveyors, mukhtars, and land
registry officials, the minister required refraining from directly registering
un-surveyed properties and commons in the names of municipalities or individuals
during demarcation and registration processes. These properties must first be
registered in the name of the state, and may later be transferred to the
relevant municipalities if proper legal ownership documentation is available, in
accordance with Decision No. 26/186 on land demarcation and registration.
The circular further instructed mukhtars to limit themselves strictly to their
identificatory functions and not to exceed into ownership powers, pursuant to
the Law of Mukhtars and Local Councils dated November 27, 1947. It also warned
against issuing “knowledge and acknowledgment” certificates for abandoned
attached properties and commons, as such properties cannot be acquired through
prescription, seizure, or occupation under Articles 236 and 256 of the Property
Law.
The circular clarified that determining “possession over time” falls exclusively
within the jurisdiction of the real estate judge, not the mukhtar. It also
required land registry officials not to transfer ownership of abandoned attached
properties and commons into the private ownership of municipalities before
submitting the file to the General Directorate of Real Estate Affairs for a
final decision by the Minister of Finance, given that the Ministry acts as
custodian of state properties.
The circular follows a rise in the registration and transfer of un-surveyed or
abandoned attached properties and commons to municipalities or individuals
contrary to legal procedures, as well as confirmed cases of mukhtars issuing
improper certificates. It also forms part of a series of previous circulars
issued by the Ministries of Finance and Interior and Municipalities regulating
conditions for issuing such certificates and governing the transfer of ownership
of commons.
Lebanon, France Postpone Conference to Support Lebanese
Army
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
Lebanon and France postponed on Sunday an upcoming conference to support the
Lebanese army and security forces, a joint statement by both countries'
presidencies said, citing unfavorable conditions in the region. The statement
said Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron
"decided to postpone until April the conference... which was to be held on March
5 in Paris" after discussing "the latest developments affecting the security of
the entire region". "The conditions were not met to hold the meeting on the
scheduled date."The decision comes after the United States and Israel began
strikes against Iran on Saturday, sparking swift retaliation from Tehran.
Lebanon, which is still reeling from a 2024 war between Israel and the
Iran-backed Hezbollah, fears the group may intervene in the conflict. The
conference is meant to support the military, whose mission is to disarm
Hezbollah after Beirut committed to doing so last year.Aoun and Macron stressed
that "the gravity of the regional situation reinforces the need to preserve the
stability of Lebanon, to support its legitimate institutions and to guarantee
the full restoration of its sovereignty".
Lebanon's Hezbollah Vows to 'Confront Aggression' of US,
Israel
Asharq Al Awsat/March 01/2026
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah vowed Sunday to confront the United States and
Israel over their strikes on the group's key backer Iran. "We will undertake our
duty of confronting the aggression," Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said in a
statement, adding that his movement would not leave "the field of honor and
resistance".The Lebanese group has so far not taken action since the US and
Israel began striking Iran on Saturday. It is nonetheless organizing a gathering
on Sunday afternoon in its stronghold in Beirut's southern suburb in a show of
support for its ally Iran. Hezbollah also called on mosques to recite the Koran
and organize mourning ceremonies to mark the death of Iran's supreme leader Ali
Khamenei, both in the Beirut suburb and other areas of Lebanon where the group
wields influence. Khamenei was killed on Saturday as the United States and
Israel jointly launched a barrage of ongoing strikes on the Iranian republic.
Having emerged heavily battered from its own war with Israel, Hezbollah did not
intervene on behalf of Iran during its 12-day war with Israel last June. Qassem,
who succeeded Hassan Nasrallah as the group's chief following his death in an
Israeli strike in September 2024, on Sunday said the assassination of Khamenei
and other Iranian officials was "the height of crime".Lebanon's Prime Minister
Nawaf Salam on Saturday rejected the prospect of being dragged into war
following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
US Tells Lebanon: Israel Won’t Escalate if No Hostile Acts
Come from Lebanese Side
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
Lebanon's presidency said on Saturday it had been told by the US ambassador that
Israel would not escalate against Lebanon as long as there are no hostile acts
from the Lebanese side, following the launch of US-Israeli strikes on
Iran.Lebanon's armed group Hezbollah, long one of Tehran's principal allies in
the Middle East, expressed solidarity with Iran on Saturday but stopped short of
saying whether it would get involved. In its statement, Hezbollah said the
US-Israeli actions would "affect everyone without exception if left unchallenged"."We
are confident that the American and Israeli enemy will receive a major blow," it
said. Israel has warned Beirut that it would strike Lebanon hard, targeting
civilian infrastructure including the airport, if Hezbollah involved itself in
any US-Iran war. The US embassy in Lebanon did not immediately respond to a
request for comment on a statement from the office of President Joseph Aoun
about the message he had received from US Ambassador Michel Issa. The office
of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also did not comment.Hezbollah
has fought numerous conflicts with Israel since being established by Iran's
Revolutionary Guards in 1982, but was severely weakened by Israel in a war in
2024 when its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed.Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf
Salam said he would not accept anyone dragging Lebanon into "adventures that
threaten its security and unity", a veiled message to Hezbollah. In a statement
released after Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, Salam
noted the "serious developments" in the region and called on "all Lebanese to
act with wisdom and patriotism, placing Lebanon and the Lebanese people’s
interests above any other consideration".
Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry sets up emergency cell, urges
Lebanese abroad to stay alert
LBCI/March 01/2026
Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the formation of an emergency
cell to monitor fast-moving developments in several Arab countries and the wider
region, stressing that the safety of Lebanese citizens remains its top
priority.In a statement, the ministry said it is closely following the situation
with “deep concern” and urged Lebanese nationals residing or present in affected
areas to exercise maximum caution and fully comply with instructions issued by
official authorities in host countries. It also called on them to respect all
security measures adopted to safeguard public safety.The ministry asked citizens
to immediately contact Lebanese diplomatic missions in their countries of
residence in the event of any emergency, noting that embassies and consulates
are on full alert to receive calls and provide assistance. An emergency
coordination cell has been established between the ministry’s headquarters in
Beirut and Lebanese missions abroad to track developments and address citizens’
needs around the clock. The ministry reiterated that the safety and dignity of
Lebanese citizens anywhere in the world remain at the core of its
responsibilities, pledging to closely monitor unfolding events and provide any
possible support or assistance.It also released the hotline numbers for the
relevant Lebanese diplomatic missions.
Higher Defense Council urges Lebanese to uphold
responsibility and national unity
LBCI/March 01/2026
The secretary-general of the Higher Defense Council called on all Lebanese to
uphold a strong sense of responsibility and national duty to preserve security
and stability.
He praised the spirit of public discipline across the country and emphasized the
importance of living together in harmony.The council asked the Ministry of
Public Works to keep Lebanese airspace open while ensuring passenger safety, and
tasked the Foreign Ministry with staying in contact with diplomatic missions to
monitor the situation of Lebanese abroad.
Lebanon News
Lebanon
Higher Defense Council
Lebanon, France postpone conference to support Lebanese
Army
Agence France Presse/March 01/2026
Lebanon and France postponed on Sunday an upcoming conference to support the
Lebanese Army and security forces, a joint statement by both countries'
presidencies said, citing unfavorable conditions in the region. The statement
said President Joseph Aoun and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron "decided
to postpone until April the conference... which was to be held on March 5 in
Paris" after discussing "the latest developments affecting the security of the
entire region." "The conditions were not met to hold the meeting on the
scheduled date." The decision comes after the United States and Israel began
strikes against Iran on Saturday, sparking swift retaliation from the Islamic
republic.Lebanon, which is still reeling from a 2024 war between Israel and the
Iran-backed Hezbollah, fears the group may intervene in the conflict. The
conference is meant to support the military, whose mission is to disarm
Hezbollah after Lebanon committed to doing so last year.Aoun and Macron stressed
that "the gravity of the regional situation reinforces the need to preserve the
stability of Lebanon, to support its legitimate institutions and to guarantee
the full restoration of its sovereignty."
Hezbollah supporters mourn Khamenei in mass rally
Agence France Presse/March 01/2026
Thousands of Hezbollah supporters gathered in Beirut's southern suburbs to mourn
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday, chanting "death to
America, death to Israel" while crying over the killed figure. "God is one, and
Khamenei is the leader," they chanted in unison, wearing black and waving
Hezbollah and Iranian flags. Khamenei was killed when the United States and
Israel began launching waves of strikes against Iran on Saturday, sparking swift
retaliation by the Islamic republic. U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to
continue striking Iran "as long as necessary", while repeatedly urging Iranians
to rise up and overthrow their government. In a statement on Sunday, Iran-backed
Hezbollah's chief, Sheikh Naim Qassem, said the assassination of Khamenei and
other Iranian officials was "the height of crime"."We will undertake our duty of
confronting the aggression," Qassem said, adding that his movement would not
leave "the field of honor and resistance". In Beirut's southern suburbs, where
Hezbollah holds sway, mourners lifted up pictures of the killed Iranian leader.
"His death is very painful, it is a tragedy," said Zainab al-Moussawi, a
23-year-old teacher. "It felt just like the martyrdom of the Sayyed," she added,
referring to Israel's killing of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, then the leader of
Hezbollah, in 2024. Sitting in the front row, mourner Hassan Jaber said: "I ask
Sheikh Naim (Qassem) to go to war." Hezbollah has so far not taken action since
the U.S. and Israel began striking Iran on Saturday. It called on mosques to
recite the Quran and organize mourning ceremonies to mark the death of Khamenei,
both in the Beirut suburbs and other areas of Lebanon where the group wields
influence. However, in politically-divided Lebanon, Khamenei was not supported
by everyone. "He was always threatening... Arab countries, and had proxies
everywhere," said Hassan Harouq, a 44-year-old nurse in Beirut, who told AFP he
just wants the country to be "stable, and for it to make peace with the region".
"It is time for Lebanon to be on the right path again... and be the Switzerland
of the East. The Lebanese people are tired." Lebanese authorities fear that
Hezbollah might intervene to support Iran in this conflict.The country is still
struggling to recover from a year-long war between Hezbollah and Israel that
ended with a November 2024 ceasefire, although Israel continues to strike
targets it says are linked to Hezbollah. President Joseph Aoun, following an
emergency meeting of the country's Higher Defense Council, said on Sunday that
"the decision of war and peace rests solely with the Lebanese state". Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday rejected the prospect of Hezbollah "dragging"
the country into war.
Hezbollah calls on region to stand against attack on Iran
Agence France Presse/March 01/2026
Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah called on Saturday for the Middle East to stand
against Israel and the United States' attack on Iran. In a statement, the group
called upon "the countries and peoples of the region to stand against" the
attack, warning that "its dire consequences will affect everyone without
exception if left unchecked."Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem was scheduled
to make a televised speech on Saturday, but it was subsequently postponed.
US informs Lebanon that Israel has 'no intention' to
escalate
Agence France Presse/March 01/2026
The U.S. ambassador to Lebanon informed the country that Israel had no intention
of escalating hostilities as long as no attacks were launched from Lebanon, the
Lebanese presidency said in a statement.The message came as Lebanese authorities
fear Iran-backed Hezbollah could become embroiled in renewed conflict with
Israel after the U.S. and Israel bombed Iran on Saturday and Tehran responded
with missile attacks. "President Joseph Aoun received, through the U.S.
Ambassador to Beirut... a message from his administration confirming that the
Israeli side has no intention of escalating the situation against Lebanon, as
long as there are no hostile acts from the Lebanese side," the Lebanese
presidency said in a statement. Hezbollah on Saturday called upon "the countries
and peoples of the region to stand against" the U.S.-Israeli attack, warning
that "its dire consequences will affect everyone without exception if left
unchecked."It did not state whether it had decided to intervene. Earlier, Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam said that Lebanon refuses to be dragged into war. "I
reiterate that we will not accept anyone dragging the country into adventures
that threaten its security and unity," Salam said on X.
Later on Saturday, Salam said his government was making diplomatic contacts to
avoid any repercussions from the conflict. In response to the U.S. and Israeli
attacks, Iran fired missiles at Israel as well as several Gulf countries that
host U.S. forces. The Lebanese foreign ministry condemned the Iranian attacks on
Gulf countries. Many airlines, meanwhile, announced the cancellation of their
flights to airports in the Middle East, including Beirut. Salam however said
Beirut's "airport remains open" and that "the national carrier's flights are
continuing", though Middle East Airlines was forced to cancel flights to and
from Arab countries that closed their airspace.
'Sparing Lebanon' -
Just before the operation against Iran began, Israel announced it was carrying
out strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Lebanon's state-run
National News Agency said the Israeli strikes had targeted mountainous areas
where Hezbollah has a strong presence. Aoun stressed on Saturday that "sparing
Lebanon the disasters and horrors of external conflicts, and preserving its
sovereignty, security and stability, are an absolute priority". The U.S. urged
its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country while commercial options are
available and warned against travel to the country, according to a statement
from its embassy in Beirut. Hezbollah's leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, was expected
to deliver a speech on Saturday but it was postponed due to "recent
developments". A Hezbollah official told AFP on Wednesday that the Lebanese
movement would not intervene militarily in the event of "limited" U.S. strikes
on its backer Iran, but would consider any attack against supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a "red line". Qassem has previously said that his group
is in a "defensive position", but it would consider itself targeted by any U.S.
attack on Iran. Hezbollah did not intervene in the 12-day war between Israel and
Iran last June, which the U.S. briefly joined. The Lebanese group emerged
weakened from over a year of war with Israel which a November 2024 ceasefire
sought to halt.
Hezbollah’s Qassem mourns Khamenei, blames US and Israel
for ‘criminal aggression’
LBCI/March 01/2026
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem announced the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali
Khamenei, offering condolences and describing his killing as a “martyrdom.”
In a statement, Qassem mourned Khamenei as a religious and political leader who
“fell while leading the path of jihad and resistance,” and accused the United
States and Israel of carrying out a “criminal aggression” against Iran.He said
Hezbollah would remain committed to Khamenei’s approach, pledging to continue
what he described as the path of resistance and confrontation, and vowing not to
abandon the struggle despite sacrifices.
Lebanese army suspends drone permits nationwide amid
regional tensions
LBCI/March 01/2026
Amid regional developments, the Lebanese army has suspended all drone flight
permits issued by its command across the country, effective March 1, 2026, until
further notice.
The measure is part of the army’s ongoing efforts to monitor and maintain
security nationwide.
MEA cancels March 2 flights amid regional airspace closures
LBCI/March 01/2026
Lebanon’s national carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA), announced the
cancellation of several flights scheduled for March 2, 2026, citing ongoing
developments and the closure of airspace in most countries across the region.
Passengers can click here to view the updated schedule.
UN special coordinator urges all parties to prioritize
Lebanon
Agence France Presse/March 01/2026
In a post on X, United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine
Hennis-Plasschaert urged "all parties in Lebanon" to "prioritize, in words and
actions, the need to shield the country and its people from unfolding regional
developments".The remarks come after Israel and the United States launched
strikes against Iran.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published
on March 01--02/2026
Iranian
Leaders Want to Talk, Says Trump
News agencies/March 01/2026
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran's new leadership wants to
talk to him and that he has agreed, according to an interview with the Atlantic
magazine."They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to
them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very
practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long," Trump said in the
interview from his Florida residence.Trump did not specify who he would be
speaking with or say whether it would occur on Sunday or Monday. Iranian
President Masoud Pezeshkian said a leadership council composed of himself, the
judiciary head and a member of the powerful Guardians Council had temporarily
assumed the duties of supreme leader following the death of Ali Khamenei. Trump
said some of the people who were involved in recent talks with the US are no
longer alive. "Most of those people are gone. Some of the people we were dealing
with are gone, because that was a big - that was a big hit," he was quoted as
saying in the interview with Atlantic staff writer Michael Scherer."They should
have done it sooner, Michael. They could have made a deal. They should've done
it sooner. They played too cute."
Iran vows revenge after the killing of its top leader and trades strikes
with Israel in widening war
JON GAMBRELL, MELANIE LIDMAN, JOSH BOAK and ERIC
TUCKER/Associated Press/March 1, 2026
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran vowed revenge Sunday after the killing
of its supreme leader and traded strikes with Israel as part of a widening war
prompted by a surprise U.S. and Israeli bombardment. The U.S. military said
three service members have been killed, the first known American casualties from
the conflict.
Blasts in Tehran sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky in an area of
government buildings. Iranian authorities say more than 200 people have been
killed since the start of the U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei and other senior leaders. Iran fired missiles at targets in Israel and
Gulf Arab states in retaliation while Israel pledged "non-stop" strikes against
Iran's leaders and military.
In Israel, loud explosions caused by missile impacts or interceptions could be
heard in Tel Aviv. Israel’s rescue services said nine people were killed and 28
wounded in a strike that hit a synagogue in the central town of Beit Shemesh,
bringing the overall death toll in the country to 11. Eleven people were still
missing after the strike, police said, as rescue crews combed the rubble. The
U.S. military, meanwhile, said B-2 stealth bombers have struck Iran’s ballistic
missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs. Ballistic missiles have been one of
the concerns Trump had raised in the lead up to the attacks. U.S. President
Donald Trump said the military had also sunk nine Iranian warships.
The strikes and counterattacks underscored how the killing of Khamenei, and
Trump's calls for the overthrow of the decades-old Islamic Republic, carried the
potential for a prolonged conflict that could envelop the Middle East. It also
represents a startling show of military might for an American president who
swept into office on an “America First” platform and vowed to keep out of
“forever wars.”
Streets of Tehran are largely deserted
In Tehran, there was little sign that Iranians had heeded Trump's call for an
uprising against the government. The streets were largely deserted as people
sheltered during heavy airstrikes, witnesses told The Associated Press, speaking
anonymously for fear of retribution. The paramilitary Basij, which has played a
central role in crushing protests, has set up checkpoints across the city, they
said.
In southern Iran, at least 165 people were killed when a girls’ school was
struck, and dozens more were wounded, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in the area. The U.S.
military said it was looking into the reports.The U.S. military said three service members were killed and five others
seriously wounded, without providing further details. It said several others
suffered minor injuries and concussions. In the 12-day war last June, Israeli
and American strikes greatly weakened Iran’s air defenses, military leadership
and nuclear program. But the killing of Khamenei, who had ruled Iran for more
than three decades, creates a leadership vacuum, increasing the risk of regional
instability. The CIA had been tracking the movements of senior Iranian leaders,
including Khamenei, for months, according to a person familiar with the
operation who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of
anonymity. The intelligence was shared with Israeli officials, and the timing of
the strikes was adjusted in part because of that information, the person said.
The New York Times earlier reported about the CIA’s efforts ahead of the
Israeli-U.S. strikes.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a prerecorded message that a new
leadership council had begun its work. The country's foreign minister, Abbas
Araghchi, said a new supreme leader would be chosen in “one or two days.”
A senior White House official said Sunday that “new potential leadership” in
Iran has suggested they are open for talks with the United States. The official
spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration
deliberations.
Iran vows revenge for Khamenei killing
As word spread of Khamenei’s death, some in Tehran could be seen cheering from
rooftops, witnesses said. Others mourned as a black flag was raised over the
Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad. “You have crossed our red line and must pay the
price,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a
televised address. “We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves
will be driven to beg.”
Trump warned against retaliation.
“THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT,” he said in a social media post. “IF THEY DO, WE WILL
HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”
In a sign of how the attack could stoke regional unrest, hundreds of people
stormed the U.S. Consulate in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi. Police and
paramilitary forces used batons and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, and at
least nine people were killed in the clashes, authorities said.
Iran retaliates with missiles and drone attacks
As U.S. and Israeli strikes have pounded Iran, the Islamic Republic has
retaliated with missiles and drone attacks on Israel and nearby Arab Gulf
countries hosting U.S. forces.
The air war could rattle global markets, particularly if Iran makes the Strait
of Hormuz unsafe for commercial traffic. Around 20% of the world's traded oil
passes through the vital waterway. While Iran struck U.S. bases in Bahrain and
the United Arab Emirates, the attacks have also hit outside of military
installations, including a hotel in the Emirati city of Dubai, and Kuwait’s
international airport. At least four people have been killed in strikes on Gulf
countries. Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, blamed such strikes on the U.S.
and Israel for starting the war. He said he had spoken to his counterparts in
the Gulf countries and urged them to pressure the U.S. and Israel to end it.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that Israel will have “a
non-stop air train” of strikes against Iranian military and leadership targets.
The U.S. military said it had struck an Iranian warship at a port on the Gulf of
Oman that was now sinking.
Flights across the Middle East were disrupted, and air defense fire thudded over
Dubai. The United Arab Emirates’ commercial capital has long drawn business and
expatriates by billing itself as a safe haven in a volatile region.
Iran forms council to govern until a new supreme leader is chosen
As supreme leader, Khamenei had final say on all major policies since 1989. He
led Iran’s clerical establishment and the Revolutionary Guard, the two main
centers of power in the governing theocracy.
An Iranian medical professional in northern Iran said he and colleagues spent
the early hours of Sunday celebrating Khamenei's death indoors because armed
security forces are still heavily deployed in his city.
There were forces stopping and interrogating people celebrating in their cars
but there was no gunfire, said the doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity
for fear of reprisal.
“It was one of the best nights, if not the best night of our lives,” the doctor
said in a voice message from the city of Rasht. In fact, “it was actually my
first time ever smoking a cigarette. It was a very very nice time. We didn’t
sleep at all. And we don’t even feel tired.”
Strikes were planned for months and feared for weeks
Tensions have escalated in recent weeks as the Trump administration built up the
largest force of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades.
The president insisted he wanted a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program
while the country struggled with growing dissent following nationwide protests.
Democrats decried that Trump had taken action without congressional
authorization. The White House said it had briefed several Republican and
Democratic leaders in Congress in advance. Though Trump had pronounced the
Iranian nuclear program obliterated in strikes last year, the country was
rebuilding infrastructure that it had lost, according to a senior U.S. official
who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss Trump’s
decision-making process. The official said intelligence showed that Iran had
developed the capability to produce its own high-quality centrifuges, an
important step in developing the highly enriched uranium needed for weapons.
Iran has said it has not enriched since June, though it has maintained its right
to do so while saying its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. It has also
blocked international inspectors from visiting the sites the U.S. bombed.
Satellite photos analyzed by AP have shown new activity at two of those sites.
**Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel; Boak from West Palm Beach, Florida; and
Tucker from Washington. Associated Press writers Joe Federman in Jerusalem,
Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, Amir Radjy in Cairo, Aamer Madhani, Konstantin Toropin
and David Klepper in Washington, Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, Farnoush Amiri
in New York, David Rising in Bangkok and AP journalists around the world
contributed to this report.
Iran Insists ‘No Limit’ Its
Right to Self-Defense, Says FM
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
A top Iranian official on Sunday rejected President Donald Trump's warning not
to retaliate against massive US-Israel bombardments, saying there would be "no
limit" to the country's self-defense. "Nobody can tell us that you don't have
any right to defend yourselves. We are defending ourselves whatever it takes,
and we see no limit for ourselves to defend our people, to protect our people,"
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told ABC News. "What the United States is doing
is an act of aggression. What we are doing is the act of self-defense. There are
huge differences between these two," he said.
Mediator Oman’s FM Urges Ceasefire on Call with Iran’s
Araghchi
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
Oman's foreign minister, who had been mediating US-Iran talks, on Sunday urged a
ceasefire on a call with his Iranian counterpart, as Tehran launched a second
day of strikes in response to ongoing US-Israeli air raids. Badr Albusaidi
"affirmed the Sultanate of Oman's continued call for a ceasefire and a return to
dialogue... in a manner that achieves the legitimate demands of all parties,"
Oman's foreign ministry said in a readout of a call with Iran's foreign minister
Abbas Araghchi. On Sunday in Oman, which had been the only Gulf state spared
from attack during the first day of the Iranian campaign, the port of Duqm was
targeted by two Iranian drones, injuring one foreign worker, official state
media reported.
Germany, France Call on Iran to Cease Attacks on Gulf
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday called on Iran to "immediately stop"
its "indiscriminate attacks", while predicting that the country's rule by
clerics was coming to an end with the death of supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Germany shares Iranians' "relief" to see the "mullah regime come to an end",
Merz said, though he cautioned that the killing of Khamenei in US and Israeli
strikes on Tehran had set Iran on a path to an "uncertain future".France slammed
Iran's "massive and unjustifiable" attacks on the Gulf states and Jordan Sunday,
with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot saying they were being "drawn into a war
they did not choose"."I have expressed to each of them France's unequivocal
condemnation, full solidarity and complete support," he added in a post on X.
'Day after' in Iran -
Merz also called on US and European partners to start planning for the future of
Iran and the region, saying the people of Iran deserved a better future after US
and Israeli strikes killed its supreme leader. Merz said his government agreed
with US goals to end Tehran's nuclear armament and finish a "destructive
game" being played by Iran, but he warned of possible dangers ahead. "This is
not without risk. We do not know how far the region will be drawn into
escalation by Iran's harsh counterstrikes," Merz told reporters. Pointing to
some reservations over the US and Israeli actions, Merz said now was not the
time to lecture partners and allies, despite doubts. "We want to work with our
partners in the US, Israel, the region, and Europe to develop an agenda for the
day after," said Merz. His four aims were to ensure peace and stability in the
region, to get Iran to end its nuclear and ballistic missile program, to
contribute to a stable future for Iran and to help Iranians decide their own
fate. Merz also said Germany would not tolerate attacks on US or Israeli
institutions in the country.
Report: CIA Intel Guided Strikes That Killed Iran Supreme
Leader
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
CIA intelligence indicating Ali Khamenei would attend a meeting of top Iranian
officials helped guide strikes in a US and Israeli attack that killed Iran's
supreme leader, the New York Times reported Sunday. Khamenei was killed in the
strikes on capital Tehran, Iranian state media confirmed Sunday, after the US
and Israel vowed to seek regime change in the country.The American intelligence
agency had been tracking Khamenei for months, the Times reported, citing people
familiar with the operation, and learned that a meeting of top Iranian officials
was set for Saturday morning at a leadership compound in the heart of Tehran.
Washington and Tel Aviv originally planned to launch strikes on Iran at night,
but officials adjusted the plan based on the CIA intelligence, according to the
Times.The US gave the information to Israel, who planned to carry out the attack
on Iranian leadership, the newspaper reported. The operation began about 6:00 am
in Israel (0400 GMT), and long-range missiles struck the compound about 9:40 am,
the Times said. Senior Iranian national security officials were in one building
at the compound, and Khamenei was in a nearby building.In addition to Khamenei,
two top Iranian military leaders were killed in the bombing: the chief of the
Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Pakpour, and another top security
adviser, Ali Shamkhani, Iran's judiciary confirmed. Iran has since retaliated,
with reported strikes across the Gulf, including near regional US military
bases, as the threat of a larger regional conflict grows. US President Donald
Trump, meanwhile, has said the American military's bombing will continue "as
long as necessary."
More Explosions Heard in Dubai, Doha and Manama
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
Fresh blasts were heard across the Gulf cities of Dubai, Doha and Manama on
Sunday morning after a day of Iranian strikes in retaliation for US and Israeli
attacks. AFP reporters heard blasts in Dubai, Bahrain's capital Manama and Qatar
-- where AFP correspondents saw thick black smoke rising on the clear morning
horizon in the south of the city. The new explosions came after a day of deadly
Iranian strikes in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi, as well as hits on military
bases and civilian infrastructure across the Gulf -- except for mediator Oman.
Iran's attacks on the Gulf raised fears of a wider conflict and rattled a region
long seen as a haven of peace and security in the turbulent Middle East. On
Saturday, across the UAE, Iran fired 137 missiles and 209 drones at the
territory, the country's defense ministry said, with fires and smoke reaching
landmarks The Palm and Burj Al Arab.
At Abu Dhabi's airport, at least one person was killed and seven wounded during
what the facility's authority called an "incident". Dubai airport, the world's
busiest for international traffic and Kuwait's airport were also hit. In Qatar,
officials said Iran had launched 65 missiles and 12 drones towards the Gulf
state, most of which were intercepted, but eight people were injured in the
salvos, with one of them in critical condition. On the first day of the strikes,
smoke poured from US bases in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain's capital Manama, home of
the American navy's Fifth Fleet, witnesses saw, with bases also targeted in
Kuwait. In Manama, the Iranian attacks saw drones and shrapnel slam into
residential buildings, with video on social media showing smoke and fire from
high-rises. Saturday's unprecedented barrage also targeted Qatar's Al Udeid
base, the region's biggest US military base, as well as Riyadh and eastern Saudi
Arabia.
Iran Vows Revenge After Killing of Khamenei, Trades Strikes
with Israel in Widening War
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
Iran vowed revenge Sunday after the killing of its supreme leader and traded
strikes with Israel as part of a widening war prompted by a surprise US and
Israeli bombardment. The US military said three service members have been
killed, the first known American casualties from the conflict. Blasts in Tehran
sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky in an area of government buildings.
Iranian authorities say more than 200 people have been killed since the start of
the US and Israeli strikes that killed Ali Khamenei and other senior leaders.
Iran fired missiles at targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states in retaliation
while Israel pledged "non-stop" strikes against Iran's leaders and military. In
Israel, loud explosions caused by missile impacts or interceptions could be
heard in Tel Aviv. Israel’s rescue services said nine people were killed and 28
wounded in a strike that hit a synagogue in the central town of Beit Shemesh,
bringing the overall death toll in the country to 11. Eleven people were still
missing after the strike, police said, as rescue crews combed the rubble. The
strikes and counterattacks underscored how the killing of Khamenei, and US
President Donald Trump’s calls for the overthrow of the decades-old Islamic
Republic, carried the potential for a prolonged conflict that could envelop the
Middle East. It also represents a startling show of military might for an
American president who swept into office on an “America First” platform and
vowed to keep out of “forever wars.”
Streets of Tehran are largely deserted
In Tehran, there was little sign that Iranians had heeded Trump's call for an
uprising against the government. The streets were largely deserted as people
sheltered during heavy airstrikes, witnesses told The Associated Press, speaking
anonymously for fear of retribution. The paramilitary Basij, which has played a
central role in crushing protests, has set up checkpoints across the city, they
said. The US military said three service members were killed and five others
seriously wounded, without providing further details. It said several others
suffered minor injuries and concussions. In the 12-day war last June, Israeli
and American strikes greatly weakened Iran’s air defenses, military leadership
and nuclear program. But the killing of Khamenei, who had ruled Iran for more
than three decades, creates a leadership vacuum, increasing the risk of regional
instability. The CIA had been tracking the movements of senior Iranian leaders,
including Khamenei, for months, according to a person familiar with the
operation who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of
anonymity. The intelligence was shared with Israeli officials, and the timing of
the strikes was adjusted in part because of that information, the person said.
The New York Times earlier reported about the CIA’s efforts ahead of the
Israeli-US strikes. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a prerecorded
message that a new leadership council had begun its work. The country's foreign
minister, Abbas Araghchi, said a new supreme leader would be chosen in “one or
two days.”
Iran vows revenge for Khamenei killing
As word spread of Khamenei’s death, some in Tehran could be seen cheering from
rooftops, witnesses said. Others mourned as a black flag was raised over the
Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad. “You have crossed our red line and must pay the
price,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a
televised address. “We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves
will be driven to beg.”
Trump warned against retaliation.
“THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT,” he said in a social media post. “IF THEY DO, WE WILL
HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”
In a sign of how the attack could stoke regional unrest, hundreds of people
stormed the US Consulate in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi. Police and
paramilitary forces used batons and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, and at
least nine people were killed in the clashes, authorities said.
Iran retaliates with missiles and drone attacks
As US and Israeli strikes have pounded Iran, Tehran has retaliated with missiles
and drone attacks on Israel and nearby Arab Gulf countries hosting US forces.
The air war could rattle global markets, particularly if Iran makes the Strait
of Hormuz unsafe for commercial traffic. Around 20% of the world's traded oil
passes through the vital waterway. While Iran struck US bases in Bahrain and the
United Arab Emirates, the attacks have also hit outside of military
installations, including a hotel in the Emirati city of Dubai, and Kuwait’s
international airport. At least four people have been killed in strikes on Gulf
countries.
Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, blamed such strikes on the US and Israel for
starting the war. He said he had spoken to his counterparts in the Gulf
countries and urged them to pressure the US and Israel to end it. Israel’s
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that Israel will have “a non-stop air
train” of strikes against Iranian military and leadership targets. The US
military said it had struck an Iranian warship at a port on the Gulf of Oman
that was now sinking. Flights across the Middle East were disrupted, and air
defense fire thudded over Dubai. Iran forms council to govern until a new
supreme leader is chosen
As supreme leader, Khamenei had final say on all major policies since 1989. He
led Iran’s clerical establishment and the Revolutionary Guard, the two main
centers of power in the governing theocracy. An Iranian medical professional in
northern Iran said he and colleagues spent the early hours of Sunday celebrating
Khamenei's death indoors because armed security forces are still heavily
deployed in his city. There were forces stopping and interrogating people
celebrating in their cars but there was no gunfire, said the doctor, who spoke
on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
“It was one of the best nights, if not the best night of our lives,” the doctor
said in a voice message from the city of Rasht. In fact, “it was actually my
first time ever smoking a cigarette. It was a very very nice time. We didn’t
sleep at all. And we don’t even feel tired.”
In southern Iran, at least 115 people were reported killed when a girls’ school
was struck, and dozens more were wounded, the local governor told Iranian state
TV. The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in the area. The US
military said it was looking into the reports. Strikes were planned for months
and feared for weeks
Tensions have escalated in recent weeks as the Trump administration built up the
largest force of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades.
The president insisted he wanted a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program
while the country struggled with growing dissent following nationwide protests.
Democrats decried that Trump had taken action without congressional
authorization. The White House said it had briefed several Republican and
Democratic leaders in Congress in advance. Though Trump had pronounced the
Iranian nuclear program obliterated in strikes last year, the country was
rebuilding infrastructure that it had lost, according to a senior US official
who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss Trump’s
decision-making process. The official said intelligence showed that Iran had
developed the capability to produce its own high-quality centrifuges, an
important step in developing the highly enriched uranium needed for weapons.
Iran has said it has not enriched since June, though it has maintained its right
to do so while saying its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. It has also
blocked international inspectors from visiting the sites the US bombed.
Satellite photos analyzed by AP have shown new activity at two of those sites.
UAE withdraws ambassador
from Iran, closes embassy over attacks: Statement
LBCI/March 01/2026
The United Arab Emirates was shuttering its embassy in Iran and recalling its
ambassador, a statement from the foreign ministry said on Sunday, following a
barrage of Iranian attacks targeting the Emirates."The UAE announces closure of
its embassy in Tehran and withdrawal of its ambassador and all members of its
diplomatic mission, and condemns the Iranian missile attacks," read a statement
posted by the foreign ministry's director of strategic communications on X. The
decision was made in response to "the blatant Iranian missile attacks that
targeted the country's territories, which constitute aggressive assaults that
struck civilian sites, including residential areas, airports, ports, and service
facilities, and exposed defenceless civilians to danger".
Iran media outlets report strikes hit hospital in Tehran
LBCI/March 01/2026
Iranian news agency ISNA reported that Gandhi hospital in northern Tehran was
targeted on Sunday by strikes, on the second day of a U.S.-Israeli air campaign
against Iran.
"Tehran's Gandhi hospital was attacked by Zionist-American air strikes," ISNA
reported, while the Fars and Mizan agencies published a video, presented as
being from inside the facility, showing debris on the floor among wheelchairs.
Conflict closes Dubai, Abu Dhabi stock markets to Tuesday:
Regulator
LBCI/March 01/2026
Dubai's and Abu Dhabi's stock exchanges will be closed until Tuesday due to the
ongoing conflict in the region, the UAE's financial regulatory authority
announced Sunday.
The Emirates have been hit by Iranian strikes since Saturday in response to the
joint Israeli-U.S. attacks.
Cheers, music, anger: World
reacts as Iran's Khamenei is killed
Agence France Presse/March 01/2026
Cheers in Tehran. Retaliation and mourning by Iran. Protests in some parts of
the Muslim world, celebrations in others. The world greeted with jubilation,
anger or trepidation the news Sunday that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei had been killed in the U.S.-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic one
day earlier.
Music in Tehran -
Iranians took to the streets cheering with joy, setting off fireworks and
playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei's death, according to
witnesses and video footage verified by AFP. The celebrations in Tehran began
shortly after 11:00 pm (1930 GMT), according to multiple witnesses and audio
recordings. People were not, however, coming out en masse to celebrate,
according to social media.Many Iranians were fearful after the deadly crackdown
on mass anti-government protests in January.
Mourning in Tehran -
The thousands who did gather in the centre of Iran's capital were instead
mourning Khamenei's death, according to AFP journalists. The mourners, dressed
mostly in black and some crying, chanted "death to America" and "death to
Israel" in Enghelab (Revolution) Square, with many waving Iran's flags and
holding photos of Khamenei. Iranian state television announced a 40-day mourning
period and seven public holidays. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday
branded Khamenei's killing a "declaration of war against Muslims" by Israel and
the United States. Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards vowed earlier on Sunday
to punish Khamenei's "murderers".
'Serious violation '
China said Sunday the killing was "a serious violation of Iran's sovereignty and
security, a trampling on the aims and principles of the UN Charter and the basic
norms of international relations"."China firmly opposes and strongly condemns
this," Beijing's foreign ministry statement added in a statement, calling for
"immediate halting of military operations".
'Cynical violation' -
Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of Tehran, on Sunday slammed
Khamenei's killing as a "a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and
international law".
In a letter to Pezeshkian published by the Kremlin, Putin also expressed his
"deepest condolences for the assassination".
'Most evil' -
"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead," U.S. President
Donald Trump said, announcing the killing on his Truth Social network late
Saturday.
The killing "is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back
their country," Trump said.
'Cruel tyrant' -
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also called for Iranians to "overthrow
the regime" after Khamenei's killing. "For more than three and a half decades,
this cruel tyrant has spread terror across the world while oppressing his own
people, while working tirelessly and without pause on a plan to destroy Israel,"
he said in a televised statement.
'Irreparable chasm' -
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an end to the "spiral of violence".
"Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, I appeal to
the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of
violence before it becomes an irreparable chasm," the pope told a crowd in St
Peter's Square.
Deadly protests -
At least nine people were killed as hundreds of pro-Iranian protesters tried to
storm the United States consulate in the Pakistan megacity of Karachi on Sunday,
according to a hospital toll seen by AFP. Hundreds of Iraqis also attempted
Sunday to storm Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, where the U.S. embassy is
located, an AFP journalist reported.
Protests also took place in Srinagar, in Indian-administered Kashmir.
'Dustbin of history' -
The son of Iran's late shah on Saturday hailed the killing, saying the Islamic
republic that replaced his pro-Western father was finished. "With his death, the
Islamic Republic has effectively come to an end and will soon be consigned to
the dustbin of history," Reza Pahlavi wrote on X.
'Defining moment' -
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Sunday that the killing was a "defining
moment".
"What comes next is uncertain. But there is now an open path to a different
Iran, one that its people may have greater freedom to shape," Kallas wrote on X.
- 'Few' will mourn -
UK Defense Secretary John Healey said on Sunday that "few people will mourn"
Khamenei, echoing Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Khamenei "was responsible for the regime's ballistic missile and nuclear
programme, support for armed proxies and its brutal acts of violence and
intimidation against its own people", Albanese told reporters. French government
spokeswoman Maud Bregeon likewise said that France "could only be satisfied with
his demise", calling him a "bloodthirsty dictator".
'Free Iran' -
Jubilant Iranian-Americans on Saturday took to the streets from Boston to Los
Angeles to cheer Khamenei's death. In Los Angeles, home to a massive Iranian
diaspora, singing and ululating marchers carried flags of shah-era Iran and
posters bearing Trump's image, with some wearing "Free Iran" shirts.
'Gangster-like' -
North Korea condemned on Sunday the US-Israeli attack as an "illegal act of
aggression".Pyongyang said the military actions showed the "shameless and
gangster-like conduct" of the two allies, who it said had chosen to "abuse
military force to fulfil their selfish and hegemonic ambitions".
'Heinous' attack -
Iran's ally Hamas on Sunday mourned Khamenei. "The U.S. and the fascist
occupation government bear full responsibility for this blatant aggression and
heinous crime," the Palestinian Islamist group said. Fellow Iran proxy Hezbollah
likewise vowed to "undertake our duty of confronting the aggression" of Israel
and the U.S.
Nine killed, 28 hurt in
Iran missile attack on Israeli city
Agence France Presse/March 01/2026
The death toll from an Iranian missile attack Sunday in the Israeli city of Beit
Shemesh rose to at least nine people, first responders said, in the deadliest
strike in the country since the war began.The Magen David Adom emergency service
said: "In the Beit Shemesh area, MDA EMTs and paramedics have pronounced the
deaths of nine" people, as well as 28 others injured, with police saying it was
a direct hit on a building. Dozens of Israeli rescue personnel were deployed to
the site of the impact, and an AFP photographer saw teams removing a body from
the rubble of the building that bore the brunt of the missile strike. "They are
bringing all kinds of equipment to try to locate people," said another AFP
photographer at the scene of the attack. "Apparently, there are still people
underneath," he added, as rescue teams continued their search.
Photographs from the scene showed a house destroyed by the blast, its roof
reduced to mangled concrete and twisted iron bars. Rescue teams continued
searching for survivors beneath the debris. "When I arrived, I saw a terrible
scene," Yehuda Shlomo, an MDA paramedic, said in a statement. "I saw heavy
structural damage, smoke in the air, and a great deal of chaos, with dozens of
frightened casualties emerging from damaged buildings."
CENTCOM: US B-2 bombers strike Iranian ballistic missile
facilities
LBCI/March 01/2026
U.S. Central Command said that American B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran’s
hardened ballistic missile facilities overnight. According to the statement, the
aircraft were armed with 2,000-pound bombs and targeted fortified sites linked
to Iran’s missile program.
“No nation should ever doubt America’s resolve,” the statement said.
Protesters, police clash near US embassy in Baghdad: AFP
LBCI/March 01/2026
Angry Iraqi protesters clashed Saturday evening with security forces near the
U.S. embassy in Baghdad, AFP journalists said. Protesters tried to storm
Baghdad's Green Zone, where the U.S. embassy is located, but security forces
used tear gas to disperse them. It was their second attempt Saturday to enter
the area.The U.S. embassy had warned earlier that demonstrations near its
compound "may turn violent."AFP
Saudi Arabia, GCC Slam Iranian Attack on Oman
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
Saudi Arabia strongly condemned on Sunday the “flagrant” Iranian attack against
Oman, saying it was a blatant violation of its sovereignty.It stressed its full
solidarity with Oman and readiness to place all its capabilities at the
Sultanate's disposal in support of any measures it may take. It warned of the
serious consequences of Iran’s continued violations of the sovereignty of
nations, which undermine the security and stability of the region. Saudi Arabia
called on the international community to take firm positions and decisive
measures against Iranian violations. Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi also condemned the attack on Oman. "These assaults
constitute a flagrant violation of the Sultanate of Oman’s sovereignty and a
dangerous escalation that undermines regional security and stability, while
threatening the safety of maritime navigation and global energy supplies," he
stressed.
Albudaiwi said that “the treacherous military operations launched by Iran
against the council states reflect its intentions toward the GCC and the region
at large.”The GCC states had previously conveyed assurances to the Iranian
regime, through various meetings and occasions, that they would not permit the
use of their territories or airspace for any military operations against Iran,
he added. He stressed that Iran’s targeting of civilian facilities is a major
breach of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the principles of
good neighborliness.Albudaiwi underscored the GCC’s full solidarity with Oman in
all measures it takes to protect its sovereignty and safeguard its security and
stability, reiterating the council’s rejection of all forms of aggression
targeting the security of its member states.
Three US Military Members Killed in Iran Operation
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
The US military Sunday said three service members have been killed and five
seriously wounded in the operation against Iran -- the first casualties of any
kind announced on the US side. The United States launched massive bombardments
against Iran and killed its supreme leader Saturday, with attacks ongoing
Sunday. "Three US service members have been killed in action and five are
seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury. Several others sustained minor
shrapnel injuries and concussions -- and are in the process of being returned to
duty," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.
"Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing. The
situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold
additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until
24 hours after next of kin have been notified."
US air and naval forces, together with Israeli forces, are heavily bombarding
Iran and President Donald Trump has said the goal is to destroy the country's
military capacity.In response, Iran has fired missiles at targets in Israel and
at US military facilities around the region. Earlier Sunday, Iran's
Revolutionary Guards said they had successfully hit the aircraft carrier USS
Abraham Lincoln in the Gulf with four ballistic missiles. However, CENTCOM said
the aircraft carrier "was not hit.""The missiles launched didn't even come
close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM's
relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from
the Iranian regime," a statement said.
Iranians Grieve, Celebrate, Worry After Khamenei’s Killing
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
Iranians were experiencing a mix of shock, grief and joy after the death of
supreme leader Ali Khamenei as Israeli and US strikes extended into a second day
Sunday. The attacks unleashed on Saturday killed Khamenei and top military
leaders and prompted Iranian authorities to retaliate with strikes on Israel and
across the Gulf. At the first reports of Khamenei's death, many Iranians erupted
into cheers from apartment buildings in the capital Tehran while others blared
car horns and blasted music in the streets. In a reflection of the continued
sense of wariness from Iranians about speaking freely of their rulers, none of
the people AFP interviewed were willing to give their full name."We are on the
road and celebrating the news," said a woman in her 40s who had left the capital
and headed west as strikes continued to pound Tehran.
Others were stunned into silence.
"I am in shock. I cannot believe what happened," said a Tehran resident in his
30s.
Khamenei, who had final say on all state matters, had been Iran's supreme leader
for nearly four decades. Around 5:00 am on Sunday, Iranian state TV announced
Khamenei's death, saying he had "fulfilled his lifelong dream" of martyrdom.
Within hours, Iranian mourners dressed in black took to the streets in Tehran's
central Enghelab Square.
Some were angry while others wept.
The grieving crowds chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" and
demanded revenge as they carried portraits of their dead leader, religious
banners and the Iranian flag. Similar gatherings took place in the southern city
of Shiraz, Yazd and Isfahan in central Iran, Tabriz in the northwest and
elsewhere, according to images broadcast on state TV.
Weeks of mourning -
Iran announced a 40-day mourning period and seven days of public holidays.
As dawn broke, large areas of the usually busy capital were deserted and shops
remained shuttered. There were security checkpoints and police patrolled the
streets in numbers that appeared larger than during last year's 12-day war. An
AFP journalist at the northern Islam Qala border crossing saw the Iranian flag
completely lowered, and a black flag raised.The journalist said the crossing was
open and people and trucks were passing through normally. An Iranian cargo
driver said he could not see things turning out well and had been "really
worried" since he heard of Khamenei's death. "The situation right now in our
country is not good at all," the driver, who requested anonymity for security
reasons, told AFP. "I don't know what will happen in the future, but it's not a
good future for us Iranians," he said. "The Americans have destroyed everywhere
they've gone in the world," he said, accusing them of wanting to take over
Iran's energy and mineral resources.
'Names will change' -
US President Donald Trump threatened on Sunday to unleash "force that has never
been seen before" and urged Iran's people to rise up and seize power.
Iran's leadership has remained defiant.President Masoud Pezeshkian described
Khamenei's assassination as a "declaration of war" against Muslims, and
particularly against Shiites. Top security chief Ali Larijani announced
transition plans and warned Iran would hit Israel and the United States with a
force "they have never experienced before". Umut, a director of a mining
company, spoke to AFP after travelling overnight and passing through the
Razi-Kapikoy border crossing into northeastern Türkiye. The 45-year-old Iranian
had been in Tehran as news of Khamenei's death began filtering through. Although
video footage showed some residents of Tehran celebrating on their balconies and
at their windows, Umut said "there were no protests on the streets" -- only a
rush on fuel stations. Iranian security forces recently crushed mass protests.
Umut said he was only planning to go home when the situation had died down, "if
the streets are safe and there are no explosions at night".He did not expect
Khamenei's death to usher in a transformation. "Just the names will change, but
I think the regime will stay on," Umut said."I don't expect any regime change in
the short run."
Egypt’s Sisi, in Phone Call with Sultan of Oman, Warns of
Chaos in the Middle East
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned on Sunday that the Middle East
could slide into chaos as the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran entered
a second day. He called for “dialogue and peaceful means” to settle the region’s
crises, saying that the escalation has serious consequences that could push the
Middle East into chaos.His comments came in a phone call Sunday with Oman’s
Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, according to the Egyptian leader’s office. Sultan
Haitham also held telephone talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II.During the
calls, they d iscussed the developments of the military escalation currently
witnessed in the region following the Israeli and US strikes on Iran and its
repercussions on security and stability in the region and the world, said Oman’s
state news agency (ONA).The leaders stressed the need for an immediate cessation
of hostilities and a return to dialogue and diplomacy.
Saudi Crown Prince Discusses Regional Escalation with
Turkish, Sudanese Leaders
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime
Minister, received on Sunday a telephone call from Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the military escalation in the region and its
repercussions on regional and international security. Erdogan expressed his
country's condemnation of the Iranian attack against the Kingdom, stressing
Türkiye's firm rejection of any infringement on Saudi sovereignty and stability.
He underscored his country's support for all measures taken by the Kingdom to
protect its security and citizens.Crown Prince Mohammed also received a
telephone call from Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council General
Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan for talks on regional developments.Al-Burhan condemned
the blatant Iranian attack against the Kingdom's territory, underlining Sudan's
full solidarity with and support for the Kingdom.
Hackers Hit Iranian Apps, Websites After US-Israeli Strikes
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
A wave of cyber-enabled operations took place early Saturday morning alongside
the joint US-Israeli attack on targets across Iran, according to cybersecurity
experts and observers.
The operations included the hacking of multiple news websites to display various
messages and the hack of BadeSaba, a religious calendar app with more than 5
million downloads, which displayed messages telling users “It’s time for
reckoning” and urging armed forces to give up weapons and join the people.
Reuters could not establish contact with BadeSaba’s chief executive.A
spokesperson for US Cyber Command did not immediately respond to a request for
comment. Internet connectivity in Iran dropped precipitously at 0706 GMT, and
then again at 1147 GMT, with only minimal connectivity remaining, Doug Madory,
director of internet analysis at Kentik, said in a post on X. The cyberattack on
BadeSaba was a smart move because government supporters use it and they tend to
be more religious, said Hamid Kashfi, a security researcher and founder of
cybersecurity firm DarkCell.
Cyber operations also struck a variety of Iranian government services and
military targets to limit a coordinated Iranian response, the Jerusalem Post
reported on Saturday. Reuters has not been able to independently verify the
claims. “As Iran considers its options, the likelihood increases that proxy
groups and hacktivists may take action, including cyberattacks, against Israeli
and US-affiliated military, commercial, or civilian targets,” said Rafe Pilling,
the director of threat intelligence with cybersecurity firm Sophos. The attacks
could include the amplification of old data breaches presented as new,
unsophisticated attempts to compromise internet-exposed industrial systems, and
potentially direct offensive cyber operations, Pilling said. Activity in the
Middle East has increased, said Cynthia Kaiser, a former top FBI cyber official
and current senior vice president at anti-ransomware firm Halcyon.
Kaiser said the firm has also seen calls to action from known pro-Iranian cyber
personas who in the past have carried out hack-and-leak operations, ransomware
attacks and distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS), which flood internet
services rendering them inaccessible. The current cyber activity may precede
more aggressive operations, said Adam Meyers, senior vice president of counter
adversary operations with CrowdStrike. "CrowdStrike is already seeing activity
consistent with Iranian-aligned threat actors and hacktivist groups conducting
reconnaissance and initiating DDoS attacks," he said. Cybersecurity firm Anomali
said in an analysis shared with Reuters on Saturday that state-backed Iranian
hacking groups were already carrying out "wiper" attacks that erase data on
Israeli targets ahead of the strikes. Although Iran is often mentioned by US
cyber officials alongside Russia and China as a threat to American networks,
Tehran's previous responses to attacks on its soil have been muted. In June,
after the US struck Iranian nuclear targets, there was little sign of the
disruptive cyberattacks often invoked during discussions of Iran’s digital
capabilities beyond a short-lived interruption of services in Tirana, Albania's
capital, according to media reports.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei in Dates
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
Ali Khamenei had been Iran's hardline spiritual guide and top political
authority since 1989, when he succeeded Khomeini as supreme leader.
Here is a look at his life in key dates:
- July 17, 1939: Khamenei is born in the shrine city of Mashhad to parents from
Iran's Azeri minority.
- 1957: Meets Khomeini, who will emerge as a key influence.
- 1977: After several stays in prison due to his opposition to the shah, he is
exiled to Iranshahr, a remote desert city close to the Pakistan border. He
returns to Mashhad in 1979 for the revolution.
- 1979: His rapid ascent to power begins when he is named deputy defense
minister and subsequently head of the elite Revolutionary Guards by Khomeini.
- 1981: Becomes the first cleric to be elected president of the Islamic
republic. Re-elected in 1985.
- June 27, 1981: Survives a bomb attack by the outlawed People's Mujahedeen
group in a Tehran mosque, but his right hand is never the same. Learns to write
with his left.
- June 4, 1989: Upon the death of Khomeini, he is elected supreme leader just a
year after the end of the war with Iraq (1980-1988).
- January 2005: Confirms the "death sentence" fatwa handed down on writer Salman
Rushdie by Khomeini.
- September 8, 2014: Undergoes prostate surgery after two decades of speculation
about his health.
- July 14, 2015: Supports the Vienna accord with world powers on Iran's nuclear
program.
- January 17, 2020: Leads Friday prayers in Tehran for the first time since
2012. Uses the occasion to condemn anti-government protests.
- October 3, 2022: Blames the United States and Israel for fomenting the
widespread nationwide unrest sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini.
- June 13-24, 2025: Going into hiding during the 12-day war with Israel, which
the United States briefly joins, but emerges from the conflict unscathed.
- January 17, 2026: Says "Iran must break the back of the seditionists" as the
clerical authorities brutally repress the biggest protests against the regime in
more than three years.
- February 28, 2026: Killed in the wave of strikes launched by the United States
and Israel.
Khamenei: Ruthless Revolutionary Atop Iran’s Regime
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, whose death was confirmed by state media on
Sunday, was a pillar of the country's theocratic system since the revolution and
saw off multiple crises over the decades, remaining defiant to the very end. US
President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social site that "Khamenei, one of
the most evil people in history, is dead" after the United States and Israel
launched a massive wave of strikes targeting sites across Iran, including the
supreme leader's Tehran compound. Hours later, Iranian state television
announced Khamenei's death, without referring to the attacks on the compound.
Aged 86, Khamenei dominated Iran since taking on the post for life in 1989
following the death of revolutionary founder Khomeini. He remained in power
after overcoming 1999 student demonstrations, 2009 mass protests sparked by
disputed presidential elections and 2019 demonstrations that were brutally
suppressed. He also survived the 2022-2023 "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement
sparked by the death in custody of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who had
been arrested for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women. Khamenei
was forced to go into hiding during the 12-day war against Israel in June, which
exposed deep Israeli intelligence penetration of the country that led to the
killing of key security officials in air strikes. But he survived that war and,
after nationwide protests again shook Iran earlier this year, he emerged defiant
as ever.
Tight security -
Khamenei lived under the tightest security, and his relatively infrequent public
appearances were never announced in advance or broadcast live. As supreme
leader, he never set foot outside the country, a precedent set by his
predecessor Khomeini following his triumphant return to Tehran from France in
1979. Khamenei's last known foreign trip was an official visit to North Korea in
1989 as president, where he met Kim Il Sung. There had long been speculation
about his health given his age, but there was nothing in his most recent
appearance to fuel any new rumors. Khamenei's right arm was partially paralyzed
following an assassination attempt in 1981 that authorities have always blamed
on the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) group, one-time allies of the revolution
now outlawed in the country.
'I am opposed' -
Repeatedly arrested under the shah for his anti-imperial activism, Khamenei
shortly after the revolution became Friday prayer leader of Tehran and also
served on the front line during the Iran-Iraq war. He was elected president in
1981 following the assassination of Mohammad Ali Rajai, another attack blamed on
the MEK. During the 1980s, Khomeini's most likely successor was seen as the
senior cleric Hossein Ali Montazeri, but the revolutionary leader changed his
mind shortly before his death after Montazeri objected to the mass executions of
MEK members and other dissidents. When Khomeini died and the republic's top
clerical body -- the Assembly of Experts -- met, it was Khamenei they chose as
leader. Khamenei famously initially rejected the nomination, putting his head in
his hands in a show of despair and declaring, "I am opposed". But the clerics
stood in unison to seal his nomination and his grip on power never slackened.
Khamenei worked with six elected presidents, a far less powerful position than
supreme leader, including more moderate figures such as Mohammad Khatami who
were allowed to make stabs at cautious reform and rapprochement with the West.
But in the end, Khamenei always came down on the side of hardliners. He was
believed to have six children, although only one, Mojtaba, gained public
prominence. He was placed under US sanctions in 2019 and is one of the most
powerful backstage figures in Iran. A family dispute also caught attention: his
sister Badri fell out with her family in the 1980s and fled to Iraq in the war
to join her husband, a dissident cleric. Some of their children, including a
nephew who is now in France, became vehement critics.
The Latest
LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on March 01--02/2026
Slash More UN Funding: Empowering Iranian Regime and Other Adversaries of
Freedom, Peace and Human Rights
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/March 01/2026
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22313/un-empowering-iran-regime
In an unsurprising reversal of its own stated principles, the United Nations
elevated the Islamic Republic of Iran, the serial human-rights-abusing regime,
by appointing it vice-chair to a body charged with overseeing the UN Charter.
The European Union failed to block the appointment, despite having previously
acted to prevent Russia from holding certain international positions after it
invaded Ukraine. European governments possess diplomatic leverage and experience
in stopping controversial candidates, yet in this instance they chose silence.
The message this appointment sends to the Iranian people and other victims of
repressive and exploitative tyrannies, is that the mass murder, torture and
blinding of dissidents are secondary to diplomatic etiquette.
The result is that rulers of Iran, which has long been the leading state sponsor
of terrorism, are now in a position connected to overseeing the principles meant
to restrain state violence and uphold international law. The UN's abuses of
moral decency and taxpayer-funds have to be stopped – or at least financially
curtailed into the irrelevance the UN so painstakingly earned.Authoritarian
governments often value symbolic recognition as much as material power: it
signals to their populations that resistance is futile and that the world
accepts their rule.
In the end, this episode raises profound questions about the ongoing viability
of the UN and other questionable international institutions.... The organization
founded to protect humanity has irrevocably detached itself from the very people
it was meant to serve.
It is time to withdraw further support from the United Nations and many other
unaccountable and untransparent unelected institutions. They had the power to
stop these grotesque masquerades but chose not to act.
In an unsurprising reversal of its own stated principles, the United Nations
elevated the Islamic Republic of Iran, the serial human-rights-abusing regime,
by appointing it vice-chair to a body charged with overseeing the UN Charter.
This episode raises profound questions about the ongoing viability of the UN and
other questionable international institutions. Pictured: Iran's Ambassador and
Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Gholamhossein Darzi listens during a
UN Security Council meeting at UN headquarters in New York on January 15, 2026.
(Photo by Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
After the Iranian regime's recent brutal crackdown on protesters — marked by
mass murders, mass arrests, torture, and sweeping internet shutdowns designed to
hide the scale of the violence — one might reasonably have expected the
international community that piously lectures everyone about human rights and
protecting civilians to erupt in outrage and mobilize immediately.
Instead, in an unsurprising reversal of its own stated principles, the United
Nations elevated the Islamic Republic of Iran, the serial human-rights-abusing
regime, by appointing it vice-chair to a body charged with overseeing the UN
Charter.
UN Watch recently wrote:
"NO JOKE: The Islamic regime in Iran has just been elected as Vice-Chair of the
U.N. Commission for Social Development, whose priority theme will be promoting
democracy, gender equality, and ensuring tolerance and non-violence."
The European Union failed to block the appointment, despite having previously
acted to prevent Russia from holding certain international positions after it
invaded Ukraine. European governments possess diplomatic leverage and experience
in stopping controversial candidates, yet in this instance they chose silence.
At the same moment as the Iranian people, protesting in the streets, were
risking their lives for freedom, the world's most prominent international
organization handed their rulers a position of prestige and legitimacy.
The UN Charter -- a document born from the ashes of World War II that promises
to defend human rights, prevent atrocities and protect nations from aggression
-- was intended to enshrine the collective conscience of humanity. The UN,
however, has once again allowed a government widely accused of violent systemic
repression and large-scale extrajudicial executions to play a leadership role
related to the UN Charter.
The result is that rulers of Iran, which has long been the leading state sponsor
of terrorism, are now in a position connected to overseeing the principles meant
to restrain state violence and uphold international law. The UN's abuses of
moral decency and taxpayer-funds have to be stopped – or at least financially
curtailed into the irrelevance the UN so painstakingly earned. The message this
appointment sends to the Iranian people and other victims of repressive and
exploitative tyrannies, is that the mass murder, torture and blinding of
dissidents are secondary to diplomatic etiquette. This appointment signals that
the international system will normalize their oppressors while offering them
little more concern than what is, in reality, nothing more than vapid bromides –
and a vicious betrayal of the UN's purported ideals. Instead of invoking
doctrines such as the "responsibility to protect" when thousands of innocent
civilians were being deliberately gunned down in the streets, the UN rewarded
the authorities responsible.
The brutality of the Iranian regime's actions during recent protests has been
widely documented by dissidents and other witnesses. Security forces fired into
crowds, conducted mass arrests, used torture to extract confessions, shot
wounded protesters in the head in hospitals, and deliberately blinded civilians.
Entire cities experienced internet blackouts to prevent images of the crackdown
from reaching other cities and the outside world.
Women — many of whom previously led demonstrations against compulsory veiling
laws and broader gender discrimination — faced particularly harsh repression.
This is a regime with one of the world's worst human rights records regarding
women's freedoms, personal autonomy, and political dissent. The UN has promoted
it.
Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, condemned the decision:
"By electing Iran to help lead a commission devoted to democracy, women's rights
and non-violence, the U.N. makes itself into a mockery. This is a regime that
brutalizes women for not covering their hair, and that just massacred tens of
thousands of its own civilians in two days."
Neuer further argued that governments had the power to stop the appointment but
chose not to:
"The EU states know how to stop abusive regimes from winning these seats ....
but this time on Iran, they chose silence and complicity. By rewarding the
Mullahs right after their slaughter of innocents, the U.N. has now sent a very
dangerous message to Tehran."
The appointment is even more obscene when considering Iran's activities beyond
its borders. Tehran has long funded and armed Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis,
terrorist organizations involved in conflicts that have destabilized entire
regions and claimed countless civilian lives, including American victims. Blame
for the October 7, 2023 Hamas invasion of Israel should be directed right back
to the instigator and funder of the attack.
At the same time, Iran has been supplied attack drones and ballistic missiles
and technology to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine, while the US and
the Free World try to prevent more of Russian President Vladimir Putin's
signature scorched-earth slaughter, the same as he unhesitatingly used in
Chechnya, then Syria, Abkhazia, Georgia and Crimea before the wholesale
slaughter in Ukraine.
There is also the unacceptable pattern at the UN of double standards. When
Iran's regime violently suppresses its own citizens, the response from
international bodies is often muted, cautious, or delayed. When, however, a
democratic state such as Israel acts in self-defense against armed attacks,
condemnation from the UN is invariably swift and intense. The hopelessly
politicized UN applies its now sham principles selectively, depending on
geopolitical considerations.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz wrote in response to Iran's UN
appointment:
"Yet another reason why we are not a member of, nor do we participate in, this
ridiculous 'Commission for Social Development.'"
Authoritarian governments often value symbolic recognition as much as material
power: it signals to their populations that resistance is futile and that the
world accepts their rule. For the Iranian people — many of whom continue to
protest despite unimaginable risks — such a decision can only feel like
abandonment. The international community, instead of standing with those
demanding freedom, stands alongside the regime suppressing them.
In the end, this episode raises profound questions about the ongoing viability
of the UN and other questionable international institutions. If a government
that massacres protesters, represses women, funds terrorist groups, threatens
neighboring states, and fuels foreign wars can be elevated within the UN system,
the gap between rhetoric and reality has become impossible to ignore. The
organization founded to protect humanity has irrevocably detached itself from
the very people it was meant to serve.
Instead of defending the Iranian people, the United Nations has empowered those
who oppress them. Instead of upholding its charter, it has operated against it
in a display of gross institutional failure.
It is time to withdraw further support from the United Nations and many other
unaccountable and untransparent unelected institutions. They had the power to
stop these grotesque masquerades but chose not to act.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and
board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on
the US foreign policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
**Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Who Is Upholding Western Civilization?
Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute/March 1, 2026
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22302/upholding-western-civilization
How fitting that the US and Israel finally retaliated against 47 years of
aggression by the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the week of the
Biblical Purim festival.
The greatness of Western civilization was primarily founded on a composite of
Judeo-Christian religious values, Greek philosophy and political theory, and
Roman jurisprudence, all providing definitive moral guidance.
This is the noble civilization that, through its principles, has led much of the
world into prosperity, democracy, individual liberty, equal justice under the
law, freedom of expression and human rights.
Ironically, free speech is under self-imposed threat of termination in their
nations, including those located as far from Europe as Australia.
When Rubio delivered his inclusionary speech, which received a standing ovation,
the following day, the European Parliament, and associated personages, appeared
already to have made up their minds. They were happy with the current state of
affairs, thank you, and did not need America's cultural, political or scientific
input; only its guarantee for defense or support for ideological dreamscapes.
Their message was obvious: they would not commit to the US's idea of a common
Western cultural heritage, nor would they join the US in preventing
civilizational decline.
Those brave souls who do have the courage to speak up are ostracized, imprisoned
or overruled.
Apart from ruinous civil wars to remedy the situation, the last hope seems to
reside in a few dedicated personalities, mainly in the US -- that last bastion
of free speech -- who occasionally appear to view the status quo as in need of a
bit of a shake-up. These individuals evidently believe that the values of the
West are worth preserving.
Elsewhere, Western civilization endures in a few lonely places, such as Hungary
and Poland, as well as the tiny nation of Israel – a courageous country that has
spent nearly eight decades fighting – and winning – wars of self-defense, yet
continues to be unjustly vilified by almost everyone. These are just some of the
brave nations that exemplify, however imperfectly, the reservoir of
Judeo-Christian values, the fount of the West. Might anyone else please sign up?
Europe's decision-makers, meanwhile, blissfully carry on, condemning Israel,
rebuffing the US, and voting to send their countries into barbarism.
Only a few brave nations exemplify, however imperfectly, the reservoir of
Judeo-Christian values, the fount of the West. Might anyone else please sign up?
Pictured: A Roman statue of Atlas (circa 2nd-century CE) at the National
Archaeological Museum of Naples. (Photo by Lalupa/Wikimedia Commons)
How fitting that the US and Israel finally retaliated against 47 years of
aggression by the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the week of the
Biblical Purim Festival.
Then, roughly 2,300 years ago, Haman, viceroy to Persia's King Ahasuerus, threw
a lot ("pur", plural "purim") to determine the date by which he would kill all
the Jews in the empire. This plan's successor sits (or sat) in Tehran's
Palestine Square: a "doomsday clock" counting down the minutes until Israel is
supposed no longer to exist: 2040, to be exact.
Iran's current regime began its bellicosity in November 1979 with Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini's vows of "Death to America," then kidnapping and holding
hostage 53 US Embassy personnel in Tehran for 444 days, until the inauguration
of US President Ronald Reagan in 1981 appears to have frightened them off. The
hostages were immediately released.
Iran's regime then proceeded to target in earnest not only the US ("The Great
Satan"), but also Israel ("The Little Satan"), Latin America, Europe and its own
Sunni neighbors (such as here and here) in the Gulf.
This week, the United States under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump
and Israel under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, finally
took decisive action against an enemy of civilization while the rest of the
West, its supposed safekeepers, instead of supporting those countries fighting
on their behalf to preserve civilization, continue working to undermine them.
Civilization, authors James Hankins and Allen Guelzo contend, is not only an
environment, locale, or setting, but a social construct where "people may
breathe." There, they have space to thrive culturally, to truly live, to enjoy
the finer and more pleasant elements of life. There, they might find respite
from the daily grind of striving and surviving.
In essence, civilization creates space for people "to erect monuments of art,
literature, and thought alongside the everyday need to work, to produce, to
exchange." Such opportunity enables humans to mature as cultural, creative, and
social animals for "the human spirit cannot be captured simply by the way we
earn bread or avoid massacre; there is a natural yearning after order, after
beauty, after truth."
Oswald Spengler (1880-1936) clarified this ideal when he wrote, "A civilization
is judged not by its material wealth, but by its spiritual and cultural
achievements."
The greatness of Western civilization was primarily founded on a composite of
Judeo-Christian religious values, Greek philosophy and political theory, and
Roman jurisprudence, all providing definitive moral guidance. This is not to
overlook the deep influence of other events such as Europe's Reformation,
Renaissance and Enlightenment, together with various revolutions such as
Britain's 17th century "glorious revolution" and America's 18th century one.
This is the noble civilization that, through its principles, has led much of the
world into prosperity, democracy, individual liberty, equal justice under the
law, freedom of expression and human rights.
The geopolitical nations commonly accepted as exemplifying the Western world
include those of the Anglosphere and most nations of Western Europe that adhere
to a rules-based order. Increasingly, certain Central European nations such as
Hungary and Poland deserve to be included in any list of the West. This concept
is evolving, emphasizing common Judeo-Christian values and a politically open
society based on liberal democratic traditions and free market economies. The
list increases as more nations, previously regarded as part of Eastern or
Central Europe, align themselves on these grounds with major Western
powers.Consequently, in mid-February 2026, when US Secretary of State Marco
Rubio met with Western leaders at the Munich Security Conference, his address
was directed at a significant number of nations, not only the UK and those in
Western Europe -- hitherto presumed bastions of civilization -- and emphasized
the common legacy of all.
According to Srdja Trifkovic:
"Rubio said that after the end of the Cold War, the West had embarked upon a
'dangerous delusion,' thereby weakening its economic, cultural, and political
foundations...."Rubio was particularly outspoken on migration. Opposition to the
opening of Western borders to waves of mass migration is not a fringe issue, but
a transformative crisis that jeopardizes the survival of Western culture and the
future of our peoples. Under President Donald Trump, he said, the U.S. is
prepared, if necessary, to pursue renewal on its own. Washington wants to take
this path together with Europe, however, because we belong to a shared Western
civilization, bound by history, culture, and Christian heritage."As Vice
President J.D. Vance said at the same conference in 2025, and President Trump
before him (here, and here) had done before, Rubio encouraged Europe's leaders
to change direction dramatically to avoid civilizational collapse.
Trifkovic added:
"In closing, Rubio called on Europe to fundamentally change course. The West is,
once again, at a historic turning point. Our decline is not inevitable, but a
political choice. Rubio encouraged Western leaders to stimulate reform, and to
strive for revival. In other words, he asked them to together conserve and
revive those fine and noble principles that have made Western civilization
great. While his objective was to reassure Europe and Western nations of
America's cooperation and commitment to mutual civilizational goals, he
studiously avoided focusing on the core issue plaguing the West – that of
radical Islamists attempting to overturn core tenets of the existing culture.
The probable reason was most likely "political correctness." Responding to
Rubio's speech, officials such as the UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and,
especially, the European Union's Ursula von der Leyen, touched on the need for
Europe to become independent in areas of defense and, further, to maintain its
"digital sovereignty." Similarly, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other
Europeans, according to Australia's ABC News, "made it clear they would stand by
their values, including their approach to free speech, climate change and free
trade."
Ironically, free speech is under self-imposed threat of termination in their
nations, including those located as far from Europe as Australia.
Europe's leaders had already formulated their position on civilization issues
prior to Rubio's address. According to Trifkovic:
"Less than 24 hours before Rubio's speech, the European Parliament (EP) voted in
favor of a resolution calling for a feminist and transgender-oriented EU foreign
policy. MEPs approved a text urging the EU Council to defend the recognition of
self-perceived gender identity as an international priority... EP called on the
European Commission and the Council to pursue a 'feminist foreign, security, and
development policy' that includes a 'gender-transformative vision.' Women's
rights and gender equality are described as 'fundamental prerequisites for
democracy, social justice, and sustainable development...' A key passage demands
the 'full recognition of trans women as women.'"
No distinction was made between birth sex and subjectively claimed identity.
Thus were the XX and XY chromosomes, biological science's determinants of binary
sex distinction, summarily dismissed.
By so voting, the European Parliament discarded Western civilization's
Judeo-Christian mainstay of empirical knowledge (from the Latin scientia,
knowledge) while attempting to retain some semblance of its moral-ethical tenets
upon which their legal systems were founded. When Rubio delivered his
inclusionary speech, which received a standing ovation, the following day, the
European Parliament, and associated personages, appeared already to have made up
their minds. They were happy with the current state of affairs, thank you, and
did not need America's cultural, political or scientific input; only its
guarantee for defense or support for ideological dreamscapes. Their message was
obvious: they would not commit to the US's idea of a common Western cultural
heritage, nor would they join the US in preventing civilizational decline. It is
difficult to construct a more short-sighted and delusional attitude than that
exhibited by Europe's decision-makers. The threats Europe faces are real.
Europe's denial is stupefying. The US is, by far, their main supplier of
armaments and their sole guarantor against attack by Russia or other aggressive
nuclear nations. Secondly, their main export market and largest trading partner
is the US; third, the US is the world's leading military and nuclear power and
has tens of thousands of troops stationed in Europe as a deterrent. To dismiss
the entreaties of the deeply concerned Vance, Rubio, and Trump with disrespect
and disdain is almost beyond comprehension, and potentially devastating to the
millions of citizens under their watch.
Fixated ideologies, delusional thinking, pandering for votes and a lack of
courage are the intersecting reasons for such insanity. Nearly 50 years ago,
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn delivered a sharp speech, warning that Western leaders
exhibited a "decline in courage:"
"A decline in courage may be the most striking feature which an outside observer
notices in the West in our days. The Western world has lost its civil courage,
both as a whole and separately, in each country, each government, each political
party, and, of course, in the United Nations. Such a decline in courage is
particularly noticeable among the ruling groups and the intellectual elite,
causing an impression of loss of courage by the entire society. Of course, there
are many courageous individuals, but they have no determining influence on
public life.
"Political and intellectual bureaucrats show depression, passivity, and
perplexity in their actions and in their statements, and even more so in
theoretical reflections to explain how realistic, reasonable, as well as
intellectually and even morally worn it is to base state policies on weakness
and cowardice. And decline in courage is ironically emphasized by occasional
explosions of anger and inflexibility on the part of the same bureaucrats when
dealing with weak governments and with countries not supported by anyone, or
with currents which cannot offer any resistance. But they get tongue-tied and
paralyzed when they deal with powerful governments and threatening forces, with
aggressors and international terrorists.
"Should one point out that from ancient times declining courage has been
considered the beginning of the end?"
Since his speech, the state of affairs in the West has only deteriorated. The
current European leaders embody what Solzhenitsyn was talking about. Is it "the
beginning of the end" for Europe and Western civilization as we know it?
Concerningly, there seem to be few positive developments to indicate otherwise.
Those brave souls who do have the courage to speak up are ostracized, imprisoned
or overruled.
Apart from ruinous civil wars to remedy the situation, the last hope seems to
reside in a few dedicated personalities, mainly in the US -- that last bastion
of free speech -- who occasionally appear to view the status quo as in need of a
bit of a shake-up. These individuals evidently believe that the values of the
West are worth preserving.
Elsewhere, Western civilization endures in a few lonely places, such as Hungary
and Poland, as well as the tiny nation of Israel – a courageous country that has
spent nearly eight decades fighting – and winning – wars of self-defense, yet
continues to be unjustly vilified by almost everyone. These are just some of the
brave nations that exemplify, however imperfectly, the reservoir of
Judeo-Christian values, the fount of the West. Might anyone else please sign up?
Europe's decision-makers, meanwhile, blissfully carry on, condemning Israel,
rebuffing the US, and voting to send their countries into barbarism.
**Nils A. Haug is an author and columnist. A Lawyer by profession, he is member
of the International Bar Association, the National Association of Scholars, the
Academy of Philosophy and Letters. Dr. Haug holds a Ph.D. in Apologetical
Theology and is author of 'Politics, Law, and Disorder in the Garden of Eden –
the Quest for Identity'; and 'Enemies of the Innocent – Life, Truth, and Meaning
in a Dark Age.' His work has been published by First Things Journal, The
American Mind, Quadrant, Minding the Campus, Gatestone Institute, National
Association of Scholars, Jewish Journal, James Wilson Institute (Anchoring
Truths), Jewish News Syndicate, Tribune Juive, Document Danmark, Zwiedzaj Polske,
Schlaglicht Israel, and many others.
© 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.
Canada gets it right on the fall of Iran
Postmedia News/March 01/2026
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre have rightly
endorsed the joint attack by the U.S. and Israel on the barbaric regime of
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the initial
assault.
“Canada’s position remains clear,” Carney said on X. “The Islamic Republic of
Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle
East, has one of the world’s worst human rights records, and must never be
allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons …“Canada supports the United States
acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime
from further threatening international peace and security.”Poilievre said on X
that, “the death of Ayatollah Khamenei brings justice for the Iranian people
after decades of rule under this repressive, theocratic, tyrannical
dictatorship.”“This evil man murdered his own people, denied them their basic
freedoms, and fuelled terror and violence around the world,” he said. “Canada
will always stand with the people of Iran as they seek a future defined by
democracy, freedom, and peace.”
The case for toppling the Iranian regime was overwhelming. As U.S. President
Donald Trump said in announcing combat operations against the Islamist state:
“To the great proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom
is at hand … When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours
to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”
Indeed. Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, funding Hamas,
Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
and the IRGC’s Quds Force – all classified as terrorist organizations by Canada.
It has murdered, tortured and imprisoned tens of thousands of its own citizens
who were demanding basic human freedoms and a better life. The IRGC was
responsible for the deaths of 55 Canadians, 30 permanent residents and 138
civilians in all with ties to Canada, when it shot down Ukraine International
Airlines Flight 752 over Tehran on Jan. 8, 2020.
Canada’s foreign interference inquiry identified Iran as a security threat. It
is a perpetrator of transnational repression, threatened Canadian citizens and
tried to assassinate former Canadian justice minister Irwin Cotler. It was time
for Iran’s Islamist dictatorship to fall.
Five Years of War and No
Peace in Sight
Jumah BouklebAsharq Al-Awsat/March 01/2026
As the world anxiously held its breath amid threats and rising tensions between
Iran and the United States, the Russian-Ukrainian war entered its fifth year - a
war with no end in sight. The combined number of casualties on both sides,
according to recent reports by Western defense research centers, is approaching
two million. Over the past four years, the world has witnessed several wars, the
latest pitting Pakistan against Afghanistan a couple of days ago. The most
horrific and bloodiest war has been the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Last summer,
the “Twelve-Day War” between Iran on the one side, and Israel and the United
States on the other, rocked the region. kistan and India had fought a war before
that, with American mediation bringing it to an end. Another clash, between
Pakistan and Afghanistan, is now raging amid fighting in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo in Africa. In Venezuela, as the new year began, the world saw US
forces abduct a head of state and his wife from their bedroom.
Meanwhile the flames of the Russian-Ukrainian war continued to burn, with no
real signs - so far- that will end soon. Mediated by the United States,
negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have been stuck before a major obstacle
that has yet to be overcome, the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Russia
demands that Ukraine withdraw from the region and hand it over in exchange for
ending the war. Ukraine, backed by European states, refuses to do so and insists
that any peace agreement must include guarantees of lasting security to deter
future Russian aggression. So far, the American president’s mediation efforts
appear insufficient, if not they make a difference at all. That all leads to the
unsettling conclusion that the fifth year of the war may prove no different from
those that preceded it.
In a recent interview with a British media outlet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy said that Russia loses an average of 167 soldiers for every kilometer
of territory it has captured. Russia’s war in Ukraine has already gone on longer
than its war against Nazi Germany. The repercussions for the Russian economy,
particularly oil and gas exports, has begun to rise to the surface following
Western sanctions. In the past few days, Britain issued a new sanctions list
that added 300 Russian and non-Russian companies and institutions in the oil,
gas, and financial sectors.
There is cause for genuine concern, as the fifth year could lead the world into
a dark tunnel with no exit, especially given the tensions in various regions,
notably the possibility of new fronts igniting in Asia, particularly in the
South China Sea. This scenario would test the international order and present
challenges it has not faced since the end of World War II, especially after
Russian intelligence accused Britain and France of intending to supply Ukraine
with “dirty nuclear bombs” made from uranium toxic waste, which are considered
less destructive than nuclear weapons. Zelenskyy took to the media to explicitly
deny those reports.Media outlets are reporting that a new round of trilateral
negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the US mediator could be held next
month in the United Arab Emirates. Leaked reports suggest that a breakthrough
could be imminent, opening the door to Ukrainian concessions in exchange for
security guarantees from the United States and Europe. While optimism is
necessary and desirable, prudence and the lessons of the past call for caution.
Optimism must not go beyond realities and concrete developments on the ground,
which we hope will materialize.
X Platform Selected twittes for 27/2026
Michel Hajji Georgiou
Death has just snatched a great friend, Mohammad Hussein Chamseddine. With
exceptional humility, with his Gaulish face, disciple of Mohammad Mahdi
Chamseddine, Mohammed Hussein contributed, along with Samir Frangié, Hani Fahs,
Nassir el-Assaad, Fares Souhaid and many others, to create in the 1990s the
Permanent Congress for Lebanese Dialogue - which was in many respects the core
democratic, plurial, civil and sovereignist of the dynamics of the intifada of
independence between 2000 and 2005. Lebanon is losing with it and within it a
very valuable intellectual, as well as an avid defender of coexistence,
composite identity, humanism and Greater Lebanon. Infinite sadness.
Michel Hajji Georgiou
The irony is that the Iranian diplomacy chief, Abbas Araghji, bragged about
teaching the "strength of diplomacy" in the book market. His diplomatic "skills"
have served nothing in the face of the joint Israeli-US will to end the mullahs'
regime. Diplomacy has indeed never been the stronghold of Iranian regimes, for
which the term means, for ages, earthquakes and duplicity, while underhand, the
nuclear program continued despite endless chatter and other agreements. (... )
My new editorial:
https://www.levanttime.com/.../b09bf5b4-e6db-423d-9339...