English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For March 10/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Healing the Blind Man in Bethsaida: Jesus laid his hands on his eyes and he
looked intently and his sight was restored and he saw everything
Saint Mark 08/22-26: “They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought
a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. He took the blind man by the
hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and
laid his hands on him, he asked him, ‘Can you see anything?’And the man looked
up and said, ‘I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.’Then Jesus
laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was
restored, and he saw everything clearly. Then he sent him away to his home,
saying, ‘Do not even go into the village.’”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 09-10/2026
The War on Hezbollah-The Iranian Terrorist Proxy Continues/LCCC website
Links to selected News websites
Father Pierre Al-Rai: Another Martyr Defending the Southerners' Right to
Life/Colonel Charbel Barakat/ March 09/ 2026
Aoun accuses Hezbollah of working toward ‘collapse’ of Lebanese state for Iran’s
sake
US Only Guarantees Security of Beirut Airport, Road Leading to it
Israel Strikes Beirut's Southern Suburbs after Warning
Lebanese Army Faces Criticism over Delay in Enforcing Monopoly on Arms
Lebanon Postpones Parliamentary Elections by Two Years
Hezbollah Says Fighting Israeli Forces Who Landed in East Lebanon
At least twenty killed in Monday's Israeli strikes on south Lebanon and Dahieh
Aoun lashes out at Hezbollah, says open to negotiations with Israel
Israeli tank fire kills priest in south Lebanon's Qlayaa
Al-Sharaa announces support for Aoun to disarm Hezbollah
EU top diplomat urges ceasefire to save Lebanon from 'chaos'
Hezbollah says targeted Israeli base near Tel Aviv with missiles
3 Hezbollah members detained last week released on $20 bail each
Israel says killed head of Hezbollah unit in south Lebanon
Hezbollah pledges allegiance to new Iran supreme leader
Report: Lebanon asks US for direct peace talks with Israel to end fighting
Raad says Hezbollah has no choice but 'resistance', self-defense
Macron visits Cyprus, talks Lebanon with Netanyahu
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on March 09-10/2026
links to several television channels and
newspapers:
Trump says Iran war 'pretty much' over
Rubio urges Iraq to protect US embassy after Iran protests
Rubio says Iran ‘trying to hold world hostage’ with its attacks
One killed in central Israel by shrapnel from Iranian missiles
Israeli Air and Tank Strikes Kills Six Palestinians in Gaza, Medics Say
HRW Accuses Israel of 'Unlawfully' Using White Phosphorus in New Lebanon Attacks
MWL Condemns Iranian Attack on Residential Area in Al‑Kharj
Investigation further suggests US struck Iranian school, killing 165
Europe rallies around Cyprus as Macron visits to show support
More attacks on Shaybah oil field despite Saudi warnings to Iran
Ankara says second Iranian ballistic missile shot down by NATO in Turkish
airspace
Putin and Trump discuss Iran and Ukraine wars
Iran regime cannot be changed ‘through bombings alone,’ Macron says
Zelenskyy says 11 countries asked Ukraine for drone help against Iran
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on March 09-10/2026
The War to Change Features/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat
newspaper/March 09/2026
Understanding the latest developments among Kurds/SETH J. FRANTZMAN/The
Jerusalem Post/March 09/2026
A Dangerous Prelude to Trump's 'Board of Peace' in Gaza?/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute/March 9, 2026
Let’s not miss the huge opportunity for peace between Lebanon and Israel/Robert
Satloff/Los Angeles Times/March 09/2026
Tu me fais mal, ô vie… ma vie/par Akl Awit/Anahar/March 09/2026
To Defend the Abraham Accords, Trump Must First Defend the UAE/Robert Williams/Gatestone
Institute/March 9, 2026
Father to son: Mojtaba Khamenei, the ‘updated version’ of Ali Khamenei’s rule/Masoud
Alfak/Al Arabiya English/09 Marc/2026
X Platform Selected twittes for March 09/2026
on March 09-10/2026
The War on Hezbollah-The Iranian Terrorist Proxy Continues
LCCC website
The just war being waged by the United States and Israel against Iran and its
proxies—devils, terrorists, drug traffickers, and mafia networks—continues
relentlessly and will not stop before their complete defeat.
To follow the news, below are links to several news websites:
National News Agency (Lebanon)
https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar
Nidaa Al Watan
https://www.nidaalwatan.com/
MTV Lebanon
https://www.mtv.com.lb/
Voice of Lebanon
https://www.vdl.me/
Asas Media
https://asasmedia.com/
Naharnet
https://www.naharnet.com/
Al Markazia News Agency
https://almarkazia.com/ar
LBCI (English)
https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/en
LBCI (Arabic)
https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/ar
Janoubia Website
https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/ar
Kataeb Party Official Website
https://www.kataeb.org
Father Pierre Al-Rai: Another
Martyr Defending the Southerners' Right to Life
Colonel Charbel Barakat/ March 09/ 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/152634/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgqC056MfMo&t=45s
Today, in the Lebanese southern town of Rmeish (Al-Qalaia), Father Pierre
Al-Rai, the parish priest, fell victim to a brazen operation by Iranian-backed
terror groups. (Hezbollah) These militants infiltrated the town's residential
streets despite the locals' firm refusal to let them in—a refusal driven by the
fear of being dragged into a war that would force them to flee, much like other
Southerners.
Father Pierre was a familiar face to Lebanese viewers; in a previous interview
with MTV, he stated clearly that Christian villages refuse to be pawns in "other
people’s wars" or to allow militants to use their homes as launchpads for
strikes that invite inevitable retaliation.
The sequence of events, captured in footage released by the Israeli army, showed
a group of armed "evildoers"—those who have emptied the South of its
people—moving on motorcycles between safe houses on the eastern outskirts of
Al-Qalaia. They were subsequently targeted and killed. However, the strike
wounded a man and a woman in a neighboring house. As townspeople rushed to
provide aid, Father Pierre, who was accompanying the medics, was hit by a
subsequent Israeli strike. He later succumbed to his wounds in the hospital.
Father Pierre was a "Good Shepherd" in the truest sense; he knew his flock and
feared for them. He sacrificed his life to bolster the steadfastness of the
people of the South and preserve their dignity. These people are the pillars of
this nation, rooted in this land since the era of Fakhr al-Din. They have
defended it through every crisis, unswayed by foreign agendas, the lure of
"illegal" money, or ideologies designed to poison Lebanese society and dismantle
the state.
Inheriting the legacy of "Bouna Mansour," Father Pierre clung to the land and
sought God’s blessing to protect his people during this season of Lent.
Al-Qalaia and its sister villages have a history of true heroism and sacrifice.
In the 1970s, they rejected the transgressions of Palestinian organizations that
turned their neighbors into refugees. Today, despite the tragedies, they
continue to defy the remnants of the Iranian project that has devastated the
country.
By remaining on their land, the people of Al-Qalaia, Alma al-Shaab, and other
resilient villages have preserved the Lebanese identity of the South. They have
upheld dignity by defending the 1949 Armistice Agreement and fulfilling the
state's true role: protecting the land and maintaining peace with neighbors.
Yet, a failing state "sold them out" in 2000, handing them over to vengeful
Iranian-backed gangs. Today, the state once again abdicates its responsibility,
withdrawing its army and leaving the people to struggle alone. What does this
state want from them? Should they reopen the gates and coordinate their own
defense with a "wounded neighbor"? Or should they abandon their homes to
destruction and displacement, only for the state to later weep over the ruins
and beg the world for aid?
The martyrdom of Father Pierre and Sami must be a turning point. The government,
currently paralyzed by indecision, must either grant citizens the freedom to
decide their fate or force the "Party of the Devil" (Hezbollah) out of
residential areas with the help of UN forces and in coordination with Israel. If
the army leadership is too afraid of internal division to act, let them remain
in their barracks while the citizens hold their ground.
In 1976, Sheikh Bachir Gemayel told the elders of the border villages that the
liberation of Lebanon would begin from the South. He was right, but they killed
him and the dream along with him. Since then, the state has collapsed, and the
vacuum has been filled by Iranian proxies. Despite international efforts to
restore Lebanese sovereignty, the current political landscape is devoid of
leaders—only submissive employees without vision remain.
Will history repeat itself? Will the Southerners' steadfastness change the
equation once more? Or will a leader emerge in the halls of power with the
courage to make historic decisions? A leader who can purge the "Iranian party,"
restore the prestige of the state, collect illegal weapons, and openly demand
the peace that alone can prevent chaos and close the door on foreign
interference.
May Father Pierre Al-Rai and Sami Al-Ghafari rest in peace. May this heavy price
paid during Lent be the spark for an awakening that starts in the Christian
villages and unites the displaced Shiites, Druze, and Sunnis against the
remnants of the Mullah regime. Let the news of the Resurrection be the hope for
a new Lebanon—the end of the era of dependency and "wars for others."
Aoun accuses Hezbollah of
working toward ‘collapse’ of Lebanese state for Iran’s sake
Al Arabiya English/09 March/2026
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday accused Hezbollah of working toward the
“collapse” of the state for the sake of Iran’s interests, a week after the
Tehran-backed militia launched an attack on Israel, starting a new war in
Lebanon. “Whoever launched those missiles wanted to bring about the collapse of
the Lebanese state, plunging it into aggression and chaos... all for the sake of
the Iranian regime’s calculations,” Aoun told top European officials in an
online meeting. Aoun described Hezbollah as “an armed group outside the state,
which places no value on the interests of Lebanon or the lives of its people,”
calling for “direct negotiations under international auspices” with Israel to
stop the war. Earlier on Monday, Hezbollah welcomed the selection of Mojtaba
Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader, pledging allegiance after his predecessor
and father Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli attacks.
“We in Hezbollah extend our warmest congratulations and blessings on this
occasion. We renew our pledge of loyalty to this blessed approach and our
steadfastness on the path of allegiance,” the militia said in a statement.
Hezbollah entered the Middle East war a week ago by attacking Israel in response
to Ali Khamenei’s killing.With AFP
US Only Guarantees Security of Beirut Airport, Road Leading
to it
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/March 09/2026
An official Lebanese source revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the only guarantee
the United States has offered Lebanon in the latest war with Israel is the
safety of Rafik Hariri International Airport and the road leading to it. The
Americans “are not responding to Lebanese contacts because they have grown
convinced that the Lebanese authorities are incapable of meeting their pledges,”
it added. The source said Washington informed Lebanese officials that “lessons
are learned from implementing decisions, not taking them,” a reference to the
government’s decision last week to ban Hezbollah’s military and security
activities. Lebanon was dragged into conflict with Israel after Hezbollah fired
rockets at Israel last week in support of Iran, its main backer. Lebanon's
health minister Rakan Nassereddine said on Sunday that Israeli strikes on
Lebanon had killed 394 people over the past week, including 83 children and 42
women.
Israel Strikes Beirut's Southern Suburbs after Warning
Asharq Al Awsat/March 09/2026
Israel on Monday renewed its strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanese
state media reported, after Israel warned it would target branches of a
financial firm linked to Hezbollah. Footage on AFPTV's live broadcast showed
large plumes of smoke rising from the area, where the Iran-backed group holds
sway. Earlier on Monday, the Israeli military warned it would strike branches of
Al-Qard al-Hassan, a financial firm mainly operating in Hezbollah strongholds
across Lebanon's south, east and Beirut's southern suburbs. Israel launched at
least three strikes Monday on Beirut's south, according to the state-run
National News Agency and AFP correspondents. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle
East war last week when Iran-backed group Hezbollah attacked Israel in response
to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei during US-Israeli strikes.
Israel, which had kept up strikes targeting Hezbollah even before the war
despite a 2024 ceasefire, launched multiple attacks last week across Lebanon and
sent ground troops into border areas. Roads leading to one of Al-Qard
al-Hassan's branches in Beirut were closed on Monday, according to witnesses. In
Lebanon's southern city of Sidon, an area outside of Hezbollah's traditional
strongholds, an AFP correspondent saw ambulances and civil defense vehicles
gather around another branch. Israel also bombed the firm's branches during its
last war with Hezbollah in 2024, including the one in Sidon. The company is
under US sanctions.
Lebanese Army Faces Criticism over Delay in Enforcing
Monopoly on Arms
Asharq Al Awsat/March 09/2026
Several Lebanese MPs from the Change parliamentary bloc and independent
lawmakers launched a wave of criticism against Lebanese Army Commander General
Rodolphe Haikal, suggesting that the army has been lenient in implementing
government decisions regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah north of the Litani
River.The criticism prompted counter-reactions from other officials expressing
solidarity with the army and voicing support for its role.On Saturday, Haikal
said that “Israeli attacks targeting Lebanon and its citizens are hindering the
implementation of the army’s plan”.He stressed that the “command makes its
decisions in line with the complex circumstances on the ground, with the primary
goal of preserving Lebanon, safeguarding its unity, and maintaining the military
institution”. He added that the “army is operating under severe internal and
external pressure and with limited resources, while exerting every effort to
protect domestic stability and national unity”.
Independent MPs and lawmakers from the Change bloc criticized Haikal. MP Michel
Moawad said the army’s stance contradicts its constitutional role and could
undermine efforts by the government and the international community to move
Lebanon out of the war and reinforce a clear separation between the state and
Hezbollah. MP Mark Daou also expressed surprise at the stance of the Lebanese
army command, saying it should have clearly affirmed its commitment to
government decisions and explicitly stated that the military wing of Hezbollah
is now an outlaw under those decisions.
MP Waddah Sadek said the Lebanese army command is not a political body that
expresses opinions on developments or proposes solutions. Rather, he stressed,
it is responsible for an institution tasked with implementing the decisions of
the executive authority, including the recent government’s decision declaring
Hezbollah an outlaw. The army command is required to implement government
decisions immediately. It does not have the authority to assess them, according
to Sadek.
The criticism of the army also drew backlash from other MPs.
Former MP Fares Souaid said attacks on the military at this stage are
irresponsible, stressing that any mistakes should be addressed within state
institutions rather than through public criticism of a body that safeguards
civil peace. Meanwhile, Lebanon and France postponed an international conference
to support the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces that had been
scheduled in Paris on March 5, citing unsuitable conditions amid the ongoing
regional tensions linked to the Iranian–US–Israeli confrontation.
Lebanon Postpones Parliamentary Elections by Two Years
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/March 09/2026
Lebanon's parliament on Monday postponed legislative elections by two years,
according to a statement from the parliament speaker, due to the war between
Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East
war last week when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of
Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei during US-Israeli strikes. "Parliament
approved the extension of its term for two years," a statement from parliament
speaker and key Hezbollah ally Nabih Berri read, after the polls were initially
due to be held in May. MPs convened even as Israeli warplanes flew above the
nearby southern suburbs of Beirut. Several lawmakers of Hezbollah's 13-member
bloc were present, including its head Mohammed Raad, an AFP photographer saw.
Lebanon has postponed elections on several occasions in the past.
It did so twice between 2013 and 2014, citing political divisions in Lebanon
stemming from the war in neighboring Syria, and a third time in 2017 due to a
dispute over the electoral law. During the last election in 2022, Hezbollah and
its allies lost their parliamentary majority against traditional opponents and
independent candidates born out of Lebanon's 2019 protest movement. Parliament
remains heavily divided between the two camps. The move to delay the polls came
as the Lebanese government also committed to disarming Hezbollah. It was opposed
by the group as it sought to reassert its political presence after the major
losses it suffered against Israel.
Hezbollah Says Fighting Israeli Forces Who Landed in East Lebanon
Asharq Al Awsat/March 09/2026
Hezbollah said on Monday it was fighting Israeli forces who landed in eastern
Lebanon by helicopter across the Syrian border, the second such operation since
the outbreak of the latest conflict with Israel. Lebanon was drawn into the
Middle East war last week when Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked
Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei during
US-Israeli strikes. Israel, which has kept up strikes targeting Hezbollah
despite a 2024 ceasefire, launched multiple waves of strikes last week across
Lebanon and sent ground troops into border areas, said AFP. In a statement on
Monday, Hezbollah said it detected "the infiltration of approximately 15 Israeli
enemy helicopters" from the Syrian side of the border in eastern Lebanon, an
area where Hezbollah holds sway. The group said its fighters "engaged the
helicopters and the infiltrating force with appropriate weapons, and the
confrontation" was ongoing. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA)
earlier reported "fierce clashes... towards the outskirts of the town of Nabi
Sheet to repel Israeli forces that carried out a landing by helicopters" in the
area. Two Hezbollah officials in the Bekaa region, where Nabi Sheet is located,
told AFP that an Israeli helicopter was downed. The Israeli army did not
immediately comment on the incident. It is the second such attack after an
Israeli commando operation in Nabi Sheet and its surrounding areas overnight
Friday failed to find the remains of Ron Arad, an airman missing since 1986,
killing 41 people.
Beirut strikes -
In the Hezbollah stronghold of Beirut's southern suburbs, an AFP correspondent
said a loud explosion was heard on Monday, with smoke seen rising from the area.
A brief statement from the Israeli military said it had "struck infrastructure
belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Beirut".The area was
pounded by Israel over the past week but had not suffered any strikes since
Saturday. The military had told residents of the Beirut suburbs as well as
Lebanon's south -- both strongholds of Hezbollah -- to evacuate, warning of
attacks against the militant group. The NNA reported several strikes early
Monday, including one on the town of Tayr Debba near the southern city of Tyre,
which "resulted in an initial toll of three citizens martyred and 15 others
wounded". Closer to the Israeli border, Hezbollah said on Monday that it
targeted Israeli soldiers entering the towns of Odaisseh and Aitaroun with
artillery shells.It also said it clashed with Israeli soldiers in Odaisseh.
Lebanon's health minister Rakan Nassereddine said on Sunday that Israeli strikes
on Lebanon had killed 394 people over the past week, including 83 children and
42 women.
Israel's military said that two of its soldiers were killed in combat in
southern Lebanon, the first fatalities among its forces since the latest
offensive began on March 2.
At least twenty killed in
Monday's Israeli strikes on south Lebanon and Dahieh
Naharnet/March 09/2026
At least twenty people were killed in Israeli strikes on south Lebanon and
Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday. Sixteen people were killed and 40 wounded
in strikes on Tayrdebba and Jwayya in south Lebanon, the health ministry said,
while Israeli airstrikes on al-Qard al-Hassan branches in Dahieh killed one
person and wounded 12 others. The health ministry had
earlier said the strikes on sites belonging to the Hezbollah-linked Islamic
Health Committee in Tayrdebba and Jwayya killed two paramedics and wounded six,
accusing Israel of "systematic targeting of rescue teams". Two people were
killed in an Israeli strike on their car on the Bint Jbeil - Aitaroun road, and
a priest was killed in a strike on the predominantly Maronite Christian village
of Qlayaa in the Marjayoun District. The Israeli army
had said it targeted Hezbollah fighters in a Christian village in south Lebanon.
Aoun lashes out at Hezbollah, says open to negotiations
with Israel
Agence France Presse
President Joseph Aoun on Monday accused Hezbollah of working towards the
"collapse" of the state, after the pro-Iran group launched an attack on Israel,
expressing Beirut's readiness for "direct negotiations" with Israel. Begun after
Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel a week ago, Israel's bombing campaign
has killed at least 394 people and displaced more than half a million. "Whoever
launched those missiles wanted to bring about the collapse of the Lebanese
state, plunging it into aggression and chaos... all for the sake of the Iranian
regime's calculations and this is what we have thwarted so far and what we will
continue working to bring down and foil," Aoun told top European officials in an
online meeting. He added that the party's rocket
launches "were an almost transparent trap and ambush for Lebanon, the Lebanese
state, and the Lebanese people." To stop the war, the Lebanese president
proposed a four-point initiative and called on the international community to
help implement it. It included "establishing a full truce" with Israel,
"logistical support" for the army to disarm Hezbollah, and "direct negotiations
(with Israel) under international auspices."
Israeli tank fire kills priest in south Lebanon's Qlayaa
Agence France Presse/March 09/2026
A south Lebanon parish lost its priest on Monday when Father Pierre al-Rai of
al-Qlayaa died of wounds sustained from Israeli tank fire, according to state
media and a medical source. The border village had not previously been caught up
in the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The National News Agency (NNA)
reported that a house in the Christian town was "hit twice in succession by
artillery shelling from a hostile Merkava tank" on Monday. The first strike
wounded the homeowner and his wife, according to NNA. After several neighbors,
including Rai, and Red Cross paramedics rushed to the scene, the house was hit a
second time, wounding Rai and three others. The priest later died of his wounds,
a medical source told AFP. It was not clear why Israeli forces targeted the
house, which is located on the outskirts of the town. The mayor of Qlayaa, Hanna
Daher, called on the Lebanese Army and state to "prevent any armed
manifestations inside the town or in its vicinity, and to pursue anyone who
carries weapons outside the framework of legitimate institutions". The people of
Qlayaa "refuse to allow their town to be turned into an arena for any armed
activity that might endanger civilians," he said, in comments carried on the
NNA. On Friday, Rai had taken part in a gathering
organized by locals in the neighboring town of Marjayoun, where they said they
were determined to remain in their homes despite evacuation warnings issued by
the Israeli army to all residents south of the Litani river, about 30 kilometers
from the border. In a speech, Rai had said: "When we defend our land, we defend
it peacefully, and we carry only the weapons of peace, goodness, love and
prayer.""We are compelled to remain in danger because these are our homes and we
will not leave them." Residents of Christian towns along or near the border are
trying to stay out of the confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel.
Al-Sharaa announces support for Aoun to disarm Hezbollah
Agence France Presse/March 09/2026
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday declared his support for his Lebanese
counterpart Joseph Aoun in the latter's effort to disarm Hezbollah, state media
reported. The Middle East war expanded to Lebanon on
March 2, after Tehran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets towards Israel in response
to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei on the first day of
U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, prompting Israeli retaliation.
Since March 2, Israel has been conducting large-scale air raids on
Lebanon and incursions with ground troops, killing at least 486 people according
to the Lebanese health ministry. "We stand alongside
Lebanese president Joseph Aoun in disarming Hezbollah," Sharaa said during a
video conference with top European officials. The Syrian army has bolstered its
troop deployments on the country's borders with Lebanon and Iraq, a Syrian
government source told AFP on Wednesday. "We have reinforced our defensive
forces along the border as a precaution to prevent the repercussions of the
conflict from spilling over onto Syrian territory, and to combat cross-border
organizations and prevent them from using Syrian soil," Sharaa said. On Monday,
Aoun accused Hezbollah of seeking the "collapse" of the Lebanese state with its
decision to launch rockets towards Israel. Iran-backed Hezbollah was a prominent
ally of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, sending forces to help him in
the civil war. His brutal rule was brought to an end in December 2024 and he was
replaced by new Islamist authorities hostile to Hezbollah.
EU top diplomat urges ceasefire to save Lebanon from
'chaos'
Agence France Presse/March 09/2026
The EU's top diplomat called Monday for a 2024 ceasefire to be upheld to prevent
Lebanon from "sliding into chaos," saying Israel's "heavy-handed" response to
Hezbollah attacks was further destabilizing the region. "Israel should cease its
operations in Lebanon," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a statement
after crisis talks with a dozen Middle East leaders including Lebanese President
Joseph Aoun. She likewise called for Hezbollah to "disarm and cease all actions
against Israel," saying: "Diplomacy and a return to the ceasefire offer the best
chance of averting Lebanon from sliding into chaos."
Hezbollah says targeted Israeli base near Tel Aviv with
missiles
Agence France Presse/March 09/2026
Hezbollah said on Monday that it had targeted the Israeli Home Front Command
base in Ramla, near Tel Aviv, with "advanced missiles" as the war between the
pro-Iranian group and Israel hit the one-week mark. In a statement, the group
said it had targeted the base with a "salvo of advanced missiles" in response to
"the criminal Israeli aggression that has struck dozens of Lebanese cities and
towns and the southern suburbs of Beirut."
3 Hezbollah members detained last week released on $20 bail each
Associated Press/March 09/2026
The military court in Beirut ordered three Hezbollah members released on a $20
bail each, judicial officials said Monday. The Lebanese government last week
declared Hezbollah’s military activities illegal and ordered the country’s
security forces to detain those who were behind the strikes on Israel. The three
Hezbollah members were also detained last week while carrying weapons on their
way to south Lebanon and were questioned by judicial authorities. The officials
said the judge asked the three men what they were doing and they responded that
they were heading to south Lebanon to fight against Israeli forces. They spoke
in condition of anonymity as they are not allowed to speak to the media.
Israel says killed head of Hezbollah unit in south Lebanon
Agence France Presse/March 09/2026
Israel announced on Monday that its military had killed the head of Hezbollah's
Nasr unit operating in part of southern Lebanon during renewed fighting with the
Iran-backed group. Defense Mnister Israel Katz "was
briefed on the elimination of the commander of Hezbollah's Nasr Unit", Abu
Hussein Ragheb, during an overnight strike, a statement from the defense
ministry said. The Nasr unit operates in an eastern sector south of Lebanon's
Litani River and opened Hezbollah's cross-border attacks on Israel following
Hamas' attack in October 2023.
Hezbollah pledges allegiance to new Iran supreme leader
Agence France Presse/March 09/2026
Hezbollah on Monday welcomed the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's new
supreme leader, pledging allegiance after his predecessor and father Ali
Khamenei was killed in U.S.-Israeli attacks. "We in Hezbollah extend our warmest
congratulations and blessings on this occasion. We renew our pledge of loyalty
to this blessed approach and our steadfastness on the path of allegiance," the
group said in a statement. Hezbollah entered the Middle East war a week ago by
attacking Israel in response to Ali Khamenei's killing.
Report: Lebanon asks US for direct peace talks with Israel
to end fighting
Naharnet/March 09/2026
The Lebanese government proposed direct negotiations with Israel — through the
Trump administration — aimed at ending the war and reaching a peace agreement,
five sources with knowledge of the matter told U.S. news portal Axios.
Both the U.S. and Israeli responses were cool and deeply skeptical, the sources
said. Axios also revealed that "last week, the
Lebanese government approached Tom Barrack — the U.S. ambassador to Turkey — and
asked him to mediate with Israel," quoting a U.S. official, an Israeli official,
and three sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
The Israeli official said the Lebanese government also claimed some Hezbollah
members were open to a deal. In an unprecedented step, Lebanon proposed holding
immediate direct talks with Israel at the ministerial level in Cyprus, the
report said.
Barrack's response was blunt: "Stop with the b*llshit" on disarming Hezbollah,
or there's nothing to discuss. "If it's not real action about Hezbollah's
weapons, there's no point," a source said. Sources said the Israeli government
rejected the outreach outright, signaling it was too late. Its focus is now on
eliminating Hezbollah, Axios said. Axios added that
Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal has resisted the government's push,
refusing to deploy troops against Hezbollah while active fighting continues,
also quoting the sources. Haykal's stance has fueled tensions with Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam and drawn pressure from both Democrats and Republicans in
Washington on President Joseph Aoun to fire him, according to current and former
U.S. officials. "The Lebanese military remains
unwilling — some say unable — to enforce the government's decision outlawing
Hezbollah's military and security activities," said Firas Maksad, managing
director for Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group. "There is no
interest from the Trump administration to deal with Lebanon," one source with
knowledge of the issue told Axios. "Nobody in Washington is taking their calls,"
said a former U.S. official.
"The Lebanese government was warned and warned and warned this would happen if
they don't take action against Hezbollah," said a third source, also a former
U.S. official. Lebanon is launching a diplomatic
initiative to pursue direct senior-level negotiations with Israel, Maksad told
Axios — aimed at building a post-war order in which Hezbollah no longer
dominates the country. "The Lebanese state will not, perhaps cannot, create the
military conditions to get there. But it will meet Israel and the U.S. at the
table once the guns go silent."
Raad says Hezbollah has no choice but 'resistance',
self-defense
Agence France Presse/March 09/2026
The head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc Mohammad Raad vowed to continue
fighting Israel "whatever the cost," on Monday, in remarks broadcast by
Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV. Defending his party, and
blasting the Lebanese government, Raad said the group's goal is to "to drive the
enemy out of our occupied land... And quite plainly, we have no other option to
preserve honor, pride and dignity than the option of resistance." His address
came hours after President Joseph Aoun lashed out at the political party and
militant group, saying it "wanted to bring about the collapse of the Lebanese
state."
Macron visits Cyprus, talks Lebanon with Netanyahu
Agence France Presse
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Cyprus on Monday to discuss regional
security, while Paris deployed warships to the Mediterranean and the
U.S.-Israeli war on Iran stretched into a second week. Macron, who landed in
Paphos earlier on Monday, met Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for talks. European Union member Cyprus was
targeted last week by Iranian-made drones, leading Macron to order France's
Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean, as well as a frigate
and air defence units to the island nation. Macron was scheduled to visit the
Charles de Gaulle on Monday afternoon. France's flagship is currently stationed
off the coast of Crete, according to the Elysee. The Elysee has said the visit
aims to show "solidarity" and detail moves to "strengthen security around Cyprus
and in the eastern Mediterranean".
Macron said he had spoken to his U.S. and Iranian counterparts on Sunday ahead
of the trip. Macron also spoke on Monday morning to
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the situation in the Middle East
and Lebanon, the Elysee said. Media reports said Macron asked Netanyahu not to
expand the military operations in Lebanon. He had
already spoken with Netanyahu last week for the first time since the summer of
2025.During his visit to Cyprus, the French leader was also to discuss freedom
of navigation and maritime security in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
There have been numerous attacks targeting the key waterway in the Gulf since
the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran started on February 28.A government spokesman for
Cyprus, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, has said Macron's visit will allow the leaders
of Cyprus, Greece and France to assess the "high level of coordination" between
their nations.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published
on March 09-10/2026
News of
the ongoing war between Iran on one side and the US and Israel on the other. The
news is abundant, fragmented, and difficult to keep track of as it evolves
constantly. For those wishing to follow the course of the war, the following are
links to several television channels and newspapers:
Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper
https://aawsat.com/
National News Agency
https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar
Al Arabiya/Arabic
https://www.alarabiya.net/
Sky News
https://www.youtube.com/@SkyNewsArabia
Nidaa Al Watan
https://www.nidaalwatan.com/
Al Markazia
https://www.nidaalwatan.com/
Al Hadath
https://www.youtube.com/@AlHadath
Independent Arabia
https://www.independentarabia.com/
Trump says Iran war 'pretty much'
over
Agence France Presse/March
09/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday in an interview with CBS that the war
with Iran was "very complete" and that the United States was far ahead of his
initial timeline of around a month. U.S. stocks jumped higher and oil prices
sank in after-hours trading following Trump's comments, despite the fact that
there were no immediate signs of the conflict abating.
"I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no
communications, they've got no air force," Trump told CBS News by phone. "Their
missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the
place, including their manufacturing of drones," he added. "If you look, they
have nothing left. There's nothing left in a military sense." Trump told the
U.S. broadcaster that the United States was "very far" ahead of his initially
stated war time frame of four or five weeks. The U.S. leader has given similar
assessments in recent days of battle damage from the U.S.-Israeli strikes that
began on February 28, but had not gone as far in saying that the war was nearing
an end. Just last Friday, Trump issued a statement
that Iran's "unconditional surrender" was the only acceptable outcome for ending
the war. And his comments came about an hour after the Pentagon posted on social
media that the United States had "only just begun to fight."
CBS reported that when asked if he thought the war could wrap up soon,
Trump answered: "Wrapping up is all in my mind, nobody else's." Trump also
threatened Iran if it tried to close the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping lane
where oil tanker transit has already virtually halted, sending energy prices
soaring around the world. He said he was "thinking about taking it over" even as
he insisted that traffic was starting to move. The U.S. president however had
few words for Iran's new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was
elected to replace his slain father Ali Khamenei. "I have no message for him.
None, whatsoever," Trump said, adding that he had someone else in mind to lead
Iran. Trump earlier told the New York Post he was "not happy" with Mojtaba
Khamenei's appointment.
Trump says war against Iran is
‘very complete’
Reuters/09 Marc/2026
US President Donald Trump thinks the war against Iran “is very complete” and
that Washington was “very far ahead” of his initial four to five week estimated
time frame, according to a CBS News reporter on X, who cited an interview with
him. “I think the war is very complete, pretty much.
They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force,” Trump was
quoted as saying by CBS News’ White House correspondent Weijia Jiang.Trump also
said the US is “very far” ahead of his initial 4-5 week estimated time frame for
the war. On Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Trump told CBS News: “I
have no message for him.” Trump said he has someone in mind to replace Khamenei,
but did not elaborate.
Rubio urges Iraq to protect US embassy after Iran protests
AFP/10 March/2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday urged Iraq’s leadership to keep
protecting the US embassy after angry protests over the US-Israeli attack on
neighboring Iran.
In a call with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Rubio “reiterated the
importance of the Iraqi government taking all possible measures to safeguard US
diplomatic personnel and facilities,” State Department Spokesman Tommy Pigott
said. Last week authorities accused demonstrators of firing live rounds that
wounded security personnel after angry protesters tried to storm the fortified
Green Zone area, the site of multiple embassies and key government buildings.
Read more: Iraq’s Kata’ib Hezbollah says commander killed in strike
Rubio says Iran ‘trying to hold world hostage’ with its attacks
Al Arabiya English/09 Marc/2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran of taking the world hostage
through its retaliatory strikes and insisted that the United States was on track
with its war objectives. “I think we are all seeing
right now the threat this clerical regime poses to the region and to the world.
They are trying to hold the world hostage,” Rubio said at an event at the State
Department. “They are attacking neighboring countries, their energy
infrastructure, their civilian population,” he said. “The objective of this
mission is to destroy their ability to continue to do that, and we are well on
our way to achieving that.”The United States and Israel attacked Iran on
February 28 and promptly killed its longtime supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Since then, Iran has fired off a barrage of missiles and drones on Israel
and on Gulf countries.Rubio was speaking at an event to honor wrongfully
detained Americans and hostages. He was joined by family members of Robert
Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared in 2007 on the Iranian island of
Kish.The United States concluded in 2020 that the Iranian government was
involved in his presumed death. Levinson was said to be on a mission to
investigate cigarette counterfeiting, although The Washington Post reported in
2013 that he had been working with the CIA and had gone on a rogue mission to
gather intelligence. Levinson is “particularly a reminder of the nature of the
regime that we're dealing with in Tehran,” Rubio said.
“They were founded, unfortunately, on an assault on the brave men and women of
our foreign and civil service,” Rubio said, referring to the taking of hostages
at the US embassy in Tehran by supporters of then-Iranian leader Ruhollah
Khomeini after they toppled the US-aligned shah in 1979. With AFP
One killed in
central Israel by shrapnel from Iranian missiles
Agence France Presse/March 09/2026
Israel's first responders said one person was killed by shrapnel as several
blasts rocked central Israel Monday, shortly after the military reported
detecting new missiles launched from Iran. "After performing resuscitation
efforts, we had to pronounce the death of a man, approximately 40 years old,"
Magen David Adom said in a statement, adding that the death occurred at a
construction site in central Israel. It added that another man was seriously
injured and evacuated for treatment, with both casualties having sustained
"several shrapnel injuries to their bodies".
Israeli Air and Tank Strikes
Kills Six Palestinians in Gaza, Medics Say
An Israeli airstrike and tank shelling killed six Palestinians,
including two women and a girl, in separate attacks in Gaza City on Sunday, the
deadliest incidents in Gaza since the US-Israeli assault on Iran began a week
ago, health officials said. Mohamed Abu Selmia, the head of the Al Shifa
Hospital in Gaza City, said three men were killed in an airstrike near Al-Azhar
University in western Gaza City - a paramedic Mohammad Hamduna, and two others
named as Mohammad Abu Shedeq and Ahmed Lafi. The strike hit near crowded tent
camps where Gazans were sheltering, and wounded several other people, the medics
added.Such attacks have declined since the start of the US-Israeli campaign
against Iran, although Israeli forces have killed several Palestinians over the
past week. In a statement on Sunday, the Israeli military said the strike had
killed two Hamas members who had been preparing to attack Israeli soldiers,
without providing evidence.
No group has claimed any of the men as members.
The Israeli military declined to comment in response to Reuters' request for
evidence connecting the men to a potential attack. A little after midnight in
the central Gaza Strip, Israeli tank shelling killed at least three people, two
women, including a local journalist, and a girl, and wounded 10 other people,
some of them children, according to health officials at Al-Awda Hospital in
Nuseirat camp. Medics said the tank shells hit a tent encampment, housing
displaced families in the western Nuseirat area. Two years of war turned most
of the enclave into a wasteland, and uprooted most of the territory's
population of over two million.On Monday, an Israeli security official told
Reuters the military wasn't aware of any incident in which a child and a
journalist were killed by Israeli shelling.
BLANKETS STAINED WITH BLOOD
Reuters footage showed Palestinians sifting through the tent encampments,
checking damage to their shelters, and displaying blankets stained with blood,
as some women sat and wept next to a white-shrouded body. “We were sitting in
our tents, sitting, and suddenly we saw something striking like red fire once,
twice, and three times. We started running without knowing (where to go),"
said Nisreen Abu Shalouf, whose daughter-in-law was killed in the strike. "I
found my daughter-in-law in the tent, I found her with her brain exposed...She
was still a newlywed, I swear, she was a newlywed,” she told Reuters. Some of
her children were also wounded. Israel and Hamas agreed to a US-brokered Gaza
ceasefire deal that kicked off last October, but violence has continued on a
near-daily basis. Both sides have blamed the other for the violation of the
truce agreement. The Gaza health ministry said at least 640 Palestinians have
been killed by Israeli fire since October. Israel says four soldiers have been
killed by fighters in Gaza over the same period. Gaza has been devastated by
more than two years of an Israeli onslaught that killed over 72,000
Palestinians, according to local health authorities.The war was sparked by
Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, where the gunmen killed 1,200 people
and took more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
HRW Accuses Israel of 'Unlawfully' Using White Phosphorus
in New Lebanon Attacks
Asharq Al Awsat/March 09/2026
Human Rights Watch on Monday accused Israel of "unlawfully" using white
phosphorus over residential parts of a southern Lebanese town last week.
"The Israeli military unlawfully used artillery-fired white phosphorus munitions
over homes on March 3, 2026, in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor," the New
York-based rights group said in a report. HRW added that it "verified and
geolocated seven images showing airburst white phosphorus munitions being
deployed over a residential part of the town and civil defense workers
responding to fires in at least two homes and one car in that area".
White phosphorus, a substance that ignites on contact with oxygen, can be used
to create smokescreens and to illuminate battlefields, said AFP. But the
munition can also be used as an incendiary weapon and can cause fires, horrific
burns, respiratory damage, organ failure and death. Israel -- which kept up
strikes targeting Hezbollah despite a 2024 ceasefire -- launched multiple waves
of strikes across Lebanon since last week and sent ground troops into border
areas after the Iran-backed group attacked it.
The Israeli army has since repeatedly called on people living south of the
Litani River, around 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israeli border, to
leave.
At least 394 people have been killed in Israeli attacks, Lebanese authorities
said, registering more than half a million people as displaced.
"The Israeli military's unlawful use of white phosphorus over residential areas
is extremely alarming and will have dire consequences for civilians," Ramzi
Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at HRW, was quoted saying in the report.
"Israel should immediately halt this practice and states providing Israel with
weapons, including white phosphorus munitions, should immediately suspend
military assistance and arms sales and push Israel to stop firing such munitions
in residential areas," he added.
Lebanese authorities and HRW have over the past years accused Israel of using
controversial white phosphorus rounds, in attacks authorities say have harmed
civilians and the environment. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency on
Sunday said Israeli forces targeted the towns of Khiam and Tal Nahas, near the
border with Israel, "with artillery and phosphorus shelling". Last month,
Lebanon accused Israel of spraying the herbicide glyphosate on the Lebanese side
of their shared border, with President Joseph Aoun decrying it as a "crime
against the environment".
MWL Condemns Iranian Attack on Residential Area in Al‑Kharj
Asharq Al Awsat/March 09/2026
The Muslim World League (MWL) has strongly condemned the heinous Iranian attack
targeting a residential area in Al-Kharj Governorate, describing it as part of
Iran’s ongoing criminal aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and
several other nations.
In a statement, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim
Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa reiterated the condemnation of these
unlawful Iranian attacks, which violate all religious values, as well as
international and humanitarian laws and norms. He emphasized that such acts are
particularly egregious given the Kingdom’s transparent stance on the conflict
and its sincere, measured efforts toward peace. He reaffirmed full solidarity
with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in all measures it undertakes to safeguard its
security, sovereignty, and the safety of its citizens and residents. He prayed
to Allah Almighty to protect the Kingdom, its leadership, and its people from
all harm and evil. He also expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of
the deceased and extended sympathy to the Kingdom as a whole, wishing a swift
recovery to all those injured.
Investigation further
suggests US struck Iranian school, killing 165
Associated Press/March 09/2026
The investigative group Bellingcat says newly released video "appears to
contradict" U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that Iran was responsible for an
explosion at an Iranian school that killed over 165 people at the start of the
war raging in the Mideast. It comes as mounting evidence points to U.S.
culpability for the Feb. 28 strike, which hit a school adjacent to a
Revolutionary Guard base in Minab, Iran, in the country's southern Hormozgan
Province. Experts interviewed by The Associated Press, citing satellite image
analysis, say the school was likely struck amid a quick succession of bombs
dropped on the compound. The video shared by
Bellingcat is a three-second clip of a video taken the day the school was struck
and circulated Sunday by Iran's semiofficial Mehr news agency. The video shows a
munition falling on a building, sending a dark plume into the air that mingles
with smoke that likely came from earlier strikes on the compound. Trevor Ball, a
Bellingcat researcher, geolocated the video to a site near the school, something
also done by the AP. Ball identified the munition as a
Tomahawk cruise missile — which only the U.S. is known to possess in this war.
It's the first evidence of a munition used in the strike.
Complicating any assessment of the incident is the lack of images of bomb
fragments from the blast. No independent agency has reached the site during the
war to investigate. When asked by a reporter Saturday
whether the U.S. was responsible for the blast, which killed mostly children,
Trump responded, without providing evidence: "No, in my opinion, based on what
I've seen, that was done by Iran." Trump added that Iran is "very inaccurate"
with their munitions. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth quickly chimed in to say
the U.S. was investigating.
Several factors point to a U.S. strike.One is the launching of an assessment of
the incident by the U.S. military. According to the Pentagon's instructions on
processes for mitigating civilian harm, an assessment is launched after a group
of investigators make an initial determination that the U.S. military may bear
culpability. A U.S. official told the AP that the strike was likely U.S. The
official spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to comment publicly
on the sensitive matter. Another is the location of
the school — next to the Revolutionary Guard base and close to barracks for a
naval unit. The U.S. military has focused on naval targets and acknowledged
strikes in the province, including one in the vicinity of the school. Israel,
which has denied conducting the strike, has focused on areas of Iran closer to
Israel and hasn't reported any strikes south of Isfahan, 800 kilometers (500
miles) away. The U.S. is operating warships in the Arabian Sea, including the
USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, within range of the school. Neither the
U.S. military's Central Command nor the Israeli military immediately replied to
requests for comment Monday from the AP on Bellingcat's analysis.
Europe rallies around Cyprus as Macron visits to show
support
Associated Press/March 09/2026
French President Emmanuel Macron is traveling to Cyprus on Monday, days after
dispatching a warship to the east Mediterranean island nation, where a Shahed
drone struck a British air base on its southern coast last week during the Iran
war. Macron ordered the French frigate Languedoc to waters off Cyprus to bolster
the European Union member country's anti-drone and anti-missiles defenses. The
French president also decided to send ground-based anti-drone and anti-missile
defenses to the island, which sustained the first drone attack on European
territory. France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier is also expected to
arrive in the Eastern Mediterranean in the coming days.
Macron will meet with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek
Prime Kyriakos Mitsotakis at Cyprus' main air base on its southwestern edge
where four Greek air force F-16s have been deployed. "Together with our European
partners, the aim will be to strengthen security around Cyprus and in the
Eastern Mediterranean," a statement from Macron's office said. Macron has been
deeply involved in diplomatic talks in recent days to try to avoid further
escalation in the Middle East. On Sunday, he had talks with Iranian President
Massoud Pezechkian and urged him to stop strikes. Cyprus government spokesman
Constantinos Letymbiotis on Sunday said that the three leaders would assess
regional developments and the close coordination on preemptive measures that
have been taken. Letymbiotis repeated Cyprus' gratitude for the leaders' quick
response to the island's call for assistance. Last week, Macron ordered France's
nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to move from the Baltic Sea to the
Mediterranean to help protect allied assets, citing the drone strike on Cyprus.
He said that Cyprus was an EU member with which France has recently signed a
strategic partnership. Greece's state-of-the-art Kimon and Psara frigates are
already patrolling off Cyprus' southern coast. Warships from Italy, the
Netherlands and Spain are expected in the coming days, while U.K. destroyer
Dragon will arrive next week.
Despite the military buildup, the three leaders have urged against any expansion
of the conflict. Christodoulides repeatedly has underscored that Cyprus won't
take part in any military operation.The Shahed drone caused minor damage to a
hangar at the RAF Akrotiri air base minutes after midnight on March 2. No one
was injured. Another two drones were intercepted by British Typhoon and F-35
warplanes that were scrambled from the air base shortly after midday that day.
Cyprus officials confirmed last week that the Shahed drone originated from
Lebanon and speculation is that it was launched by the Hezbollah militant group,
Iran's proxy in the country. Hezbollah's arsenal notably includes exploding
drones, similar to the ones used by Iran.
More attacks on Shaybah oil
field despite Saudi warnings to Iran
Al Arabiya English/10 March./ 2026
Saudi Arabia on Monday announced more drone attacks on the Kingdom despite Iran
claiming it was only targeting US assets in the Middle East. The Ministry of
Defense said nine drones heading toward the Shaybah field were shot down in the
Empty Quarter. The latest attack came a day after the
Shaybah oil field was targeted with at least five drones, all of which were
intercepted. Another drone fell near Al-Jawf, and three ballistic missiles were
shot down targeting the Prince Sultan Air Base. An attack on a residential
compound in Al-Kharj killed two foreign workers and wounded 12 more from a
maintenance company. Late Sunday, Riyadh issued
another warning to Iran. It said its continued attacks may have a “significant
impact on bilateral relations now as well as the future,” cautioning Tehran that
it would be the biggest “loser” if these attacks continued. Read more: Saudi
Arabia thwarts attempt to attack Diplomatic Quarter area in Riyadh.
Ankara
says second Iranian ballistic missile shot down by NATO in Turkish airspace
AFP/09 March/2026
Ankara on Monday confirmed a second ballistic missile was shot down by NATO
defenses in Turkish airspace, as Washington urged all of its citizens to leave
southeast Turkey over security concerns. Since the US-Israeli attacks began on
February 28, Iran has retaliated with missile and drone strikes across the
Middle East in a bid to hit US assets. So far, Turkey appears to have been
spared, despite the fact that US troops are stationed at several of its bases,
one of which is the Incirlik airbase which lies just outside the southern city
of Adana. But on Monday, the US embassy in Turkey said it had closed its
consulate in Adana and advised non-essential staff to leave, with the State
Department urging all US citizens to leave the southeast. “On March 9, 2026, the
Department of State ordered non-emergency US government employees and US
government employee family members to leave Consulate General Adana due to the
safety risks,” the embassy said on X. It referenced a State Department travel
advisory saying: “Americans in southeast Turkey are strongly encouraged to
depart now.”Barely an hour later, Turkey’s defense ministry confirmed another
ballistic missile fired from Iran had been intercepted in Turkish airspace by
NATO defense systems in the second such incident in five days. “A ballistic
munition launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was neutralized by
NATO air and missile defense assets in the eastern Mediterranean,” it said in a
statement. Some fragments from the weaponry fell in open territory in the
Gaziantep area, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) east of Adana, causing no
injuries, the ministry added. Incirlik air base is an important NATO facility
that has been used by US troops for decades which is located just 10 kilometers
outside Adana. In a post on X, presidential communications chief Burhanettin
Duran said Turkey would not hesitate to protect its airspace and border
security. “We once again strongly reiterate our warning to all parties,
particularly Iran, to refrain from actions that could endanger regional security
and put civilians at risk,” he wrote. On March 4, NATO troops intercepted a
Turkey-bound ballistic missile launched from Iran, prompting the alliance to
strengthen its “ballistic missile defense posture” as Iran steps up its strikes
across the region. Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said the missile
was spotted by Spanish troops manning a Patriot missile battery, who are based
at Incirlik. They had “detected and reported the missile attack,” though they
were not the ones that shot it down, she said.
Putin and Trump discuss
Iran and Ukraine wars
Agence France Presse/March 09/2026
Russia's President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday
discussed the Iran war and Ukraine conflict during a "frank and constructive"
telephone call, the Kremlin said. Putin and Trump held a one-hour call in their
first talks since December and Washington sought the discussion, Putin's
diplomatic advisor Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.
"The accent was placed on the situation surrounding the conflict with Iran and
the bilateral negotiations underway with the representatives of the United
States on settling the Ukrainian question," Ushakov said. Ushakov said Putin
called for a "quick political and diplomatic settlement" to the U.S.-Israeli war
against Iran, which has been a key ally for Russia.
The Russian leader also gave Trump "a description of the current situation on
the line of contact where Russian troops are progressing with a lot of success",
he added, referring to the Ukraine war. Putin "positively evaluated the
mediation efforts undertaken" by Trump in the Ukraine conflict, the advisor
said. A series of talks have been held between Russian and US officials and
between Russian, U.S. and Ukrainian officials, but with no breakthrough in
efforts to reach a ceasefire. Ushakov said Washington had wanted to "discuss a
series of extremely important questions linked to the current international
situation". "The conversation was serious and constructive," he added. Trump and
Putin held a summit in Alaska in August last year.
Iran regime cannot be changed ‘through bombings alone,’
Macron says
Al Arabiya English/09 March/2026
France’s Emmanuel Macron said Monday that “profound” changes to Iranian
leadership could not occur “through American-Israeli bombings alone,” adding
that war in the Middle East could continue for “several weeks.”“I don’t think
you can achieve profound regime change or changes in the political system
through bombings alone,” Macron said aboard France’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft
carrier currently stationed in the Mediterranean. The
war triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, “in this intense phase,” could last
“several days, perhaps several weeks,” he said. France and its allies are
preparing a “defensive” mission to reopen the strategically vital Strait of
Hormuz, Macron said as the Middle East war entered its second week. The French
leader landed by helicopter on the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier,
dispatched to the Mediterranean after US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28
triggered a war that has sown chaos in the Middle East and threatens to spill
into other regions. Macron said during a visit to Cyprus earlier in the day that
the Hormuz mission would be aimed at escorting container ships and tankers in
order to gradually reopen the strait “after the end of the hottest phase of the
conflict.”“This is essential for international trade, but also for the flow of
gas and oil, which must be able to leave this region once again,” Macron said
during a visit to the island to discuss regional security.
The European Union on Monday said it was ready to “enhance” its
operations to protect maritime traffic in the Middle East. The EU has been
discussing reinforcing its naval mission in the Red Sea after the US-Israeli
attacks on Iran triggered a broader regional war.
Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a key Gulf waterway through which a
fifth of global crude passes, has all but halted since the war broke out on
February 28.
Macron visited Cyprus after the island nation and EU member was targeted by
Iranian-made drones in early March. The French leader said an attack on Cyprus
was an attack on all of Europe. “When Cyprus is attacked, it is Europe that is
attacked,” he said.
“We will not accept that the slightest piece of European territory, like Cyprus,
be exposed to danger,” added Mitsotakis. The drone attack in Cyprus led to
France’s deployment of the Charles de Gaulle carrier to the Mediterranean, as
well as a frigate and air defense units to the island.Paris has insisted its
stance in the region is “strictly defensive.” The
Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group is at the heart of a French naval
operation that will also mobilize eight frigates and two amphibious helicopter
carriers in a vast area including the eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the
Strait of Hormuz.
A French frigate was already taking part in the EU’s “Operation Aspides,” which
was launched in the Red Sea in 2024 to prevent attacks on trade vessels by the
Iran-backed Houthi militia. Macron said that France would contribute “in the
long term” with two frigates to Operation Aspides. “What we want to do is to
ensure freedom of navigation and maritime security,” he said. Separately, Macron
on Monday morning spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the
situation in the Middle East and Lebanon, the Elysee said.
With AFP
Zelenskyy says 11 countries
asked Ukraine for drone help against Iran
AFP/ 09 March/2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that 11 countries had tapped
Kyiv for help in how to counter Iranian drones, being launched by Tehran across
the Middle East as retaliation for US-Israeli strikes. Ukraine touts itself as
having world-class drone defence capabilities, built up through fending off
nightly barrages of Iran-style attack drones launched by Russia, an ally of
Tehran. "As of now, there are 11 requests from countries neighbouring Iran,
European states, and the US. There is clear interest in Ukraine's experience in
protecting lives, relevant interceptors, electronic warfare systems, and
training," Zelenskyy said. He did not specify which
countries. Some drone experts are already en route to the Middle East and are
due there this week, Zelenskyy said over the weekend.
The Ukrainian leader has proposed swapping Kyiv's drone interceptors -- drones
designed to intercept incoming attack craft mid-air -- for expensive air defence
missiles that Kyiv is in short supply of. According to Ukraine air force data,
the military has been consistently intercepting or shooting down more than 80
percent of all incoming Russian drones -- hundreds of which are fired every
night.Kyiv uses a mix of cheap drone interceptors, electronic jamming tools,
anti-aircraft guns, fighter jets and helicopters to defend its skies from the
Russian attacks.
The Latest
LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on March 09-10/2026
The War to Change Features
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/March 09/2026
Two past developments can help us understand the present. The first was when
Khomeini, after the victory of the revolution, ordered the removal of the
Israeli flag from its embassy in Tehran and ordered that it be replaced with a
Palestinian one. He changed the nature of his relations with the most
challenging issue in the Middle East. The second was when the world witnessed as
the Americans became hostages in the embassy of their country in Tehran. The
hostage crisis dragged one, irrevocably changing relations between Tehran and
Washington.
Iran has never made it a secret. Its own constitution speaks about exporting the
revolution and championing the weak. It chants about wiping Israel from
existence and expelling the “Great Satan” - America – from the region.
The victory of the Khomeini revolution was no ordinary development. The
revolution was born out of the realm of the world of two camps in a country that
boasts massive capabilities and lies at the crosspoint of straits, routes,
wealth and roads. Experience has shown that crushing victories against regimes
like those of the shah give the victorious an extraordinary dose of arrogance
and an insatiable ambition. This is what happened. The victorious fell into the
trap of aiming to change the features of the Middle East and even beyond.
Saddam Hussein grew alarmed. Khomeini never hid his ambition to oust the
“takfiri Baath regime” the same way he did with the Pahlavi regime. Saddam grew
anxious and chose not to wait for Iran’s allies to make their way to Baghdad,
instead opting to take the battle to Iran itself. The truth is that the
Iraq-Iran war only helped delay the regime change that would happen in Iraq in
the 21st century.
The war did not deter Khomeini. He forged ahead in his agenda to change the
features of the region, especially in countries whose sectarian makeup favored
his goals. With Iranian sponsorship and Syrian assistance, Hezbollah was born
out of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982.
A third development helps us understand the present. A suicide bomber, Abou
Zeinab, blew himself up at the US Marine headquarters in Beirut, leading
Washington to pull out its troops from the Multinational Force. Lebanon
consequently fell into the clutches of Assad’s Syria and Khomeini’s Iran.
Assad gave Hezbollah and Iran a golden gift when his agencies carried out or
facilitated assassinations against the Lebanese National Resistance Front that
effectively allowed Hezbollah to seize sole control of southern Lebanon.
Even as it clashed with Israel, Hezbollah cemented its presence in the Lebanese
equation, eventually managing to seize full control of decision-making. Iran,
meanwhile, grew its influence on this side of the Mediterranean, and
consolidated it after Syria came under the rule of Bashar al-Assad.
Lebanon's features changed further in the 21st century. Israel withdrew from
southern Lebanon empty-handed. The American army ousted Saddam Hussein’s regime.
Rafik al-Hariri's assassination only deepened the changes in Lebanon. The battle
to change the country’s features was won. The 2006 war against Israel meant to
tip the balance in Hezbollah’s favor. The party soon took control in the country
and had the final say in “appointing” presidents and prime ministers.
Iraq witnessed a major battle to change its features. Factions loyal to Iran
took over governments and ruling bodies. General Qassem Soleimani was in charge
of the operation of destabilizing the system that was put in place by Americans,
who were massively out of their depth. Soleimani ran the game of dismantling
alliances, overcoming obstacles and planting explosives that sped up the
collapse of the new system and doubled Iran’s influence. When ISIS reared its
head, Soleimani succeeded in turning Sistani’s fatwa into an excuse to form the
Popular Mobilization Forces and transform it into an official security agency.
Iraq’s features had changed and the best evidence of that are the Iraqi factions
that are involved in the current war.
Ali Khamenei’s time in power was that of changing the features of the region.
The supreme leader banked on two men who were close to his heart and mind:
Soleimani and Hassan Nasrallah. Under Khamenei, Yemen’s features changed, even
leading to the killing of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The Palestinian path
also changed after Tehran encouraged suicide operations after the signing of the
Oslo Accord. It also sent rockets and drones to its allied Palestinian factions.
Soleimani worked hard to eliminate American influence that he viewed as an
obstacle to Iran’s agenda to change the features of the region. The generals of
the Iranian Revolutionary Guards boasted about controlling four Arab capitals.
Soleimani dreamed of pouncing on Israel with a wave of rockets fired from
several maps. One can only understand what Yehya al-Sinwar did by returning to
Soleimani’s agenda. Donald Trump eventually caught on and ordered Soleimani’s
killing in Baghdad.
Was Tehran behind Sinwar’s Al-Aqsa Flood Operation? Did it underestimate Israel
and the United States’ might? Benjamin Netanyahu obviously sees in the Flood a
historic opportunity to make inroads with Arab countries. The Syrian link in the
Axis of Resistance was taken out. Israel began to implement its new military
creed: attack dangers before they strike and surround Israel with buffer zones.
Netanyahu concluded that changing the features in Israel’s direct vicinity will
remain under threat if features in Tehran itself are not changed. Netanyahu
tried tirelessly to convince Trump until the following conclusions were reached:
Iran must not have nuclear weapons, it must curb its ballistic missile program
and sever its ties with its proxies.
We have now entered the fiery chapter of the war to change features. Iran
changed the features of countries and the US, in partnership with Israel, is
trying to partially or fully change the features of the Iranian regime.
Understanding the latest developments among Kurds
SETH J. FRANTZMAN/The
Jerusalem Post/March
09/2026
The Kurds are in the spotlight amid the war in Iran. There are round eight
million Kurds in Iran. There are also Kurds in Iraq, Turkey and Syria. The
current conflict in Iran has mostly brought a spotlight on Kurds in Iran and
Iraq. Most of the Kurdish Iranian parties and groups have bases in the Kurdistan
Region of Iraq. Since the war with Iran began there has been increasing talk
that Kurds might join the conflict against Tehran. Iran has been attacking the
Kurdistan Region of Iran, launching drone and missile attacks on Kurdish groups,
killing some of their members and damaging areas where they live.
The Iranian threats have grown. They have also targeted a hotel overnight
between March 6 and 7. Iranian-backed militias in Iraq are also targeting the
Kurdistan Region, striking a its airport and US forces. As such, it is worth
reviewing the recent developments among Kurdish groups and in Kurdish politics
in Iraq and Iran.
Aziz Ahmad, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan
Region of Iraq, wrote on March 7 “Iraqi militias continue to rain rockets and
drones on civilian and energy infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region. Who are
these Iraqi militias? They are: 1. Part of the Iraqi government; 2. Paid by
the Iraqi government; 3. Armed by the Iraqi government. The KRG urges the
federal government to get a grip on these state-backed criminal and rogue actors
— to have the willpower to confront and arrest them and for once, keep them in
prison.”
Over the last week of the war there have been increasing numbers of articles
about the Kurds. Some articles suggested the US was open to arming the Kurds. In
addition, reports said the White House had reached out to Kurdish leaders in the
Kurdistan Regional Government. One report suggested the US had basically told
the Kurds that they are either “with the US” or with Iran. In addition, false
reports appeared that claimed Kurds had launched an offensive against the
Iranian regime. The Kurdish Iranian groups denied this and said they were still
waiting. It’s worth examine the interplay between the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,
which fears escalation, and also the Kurdish Iranian groups who are cautious in
what to do next.
Meanwhile, Bafel Talabani, the head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of
two large Kurdish parties in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, gave an interview to
Fox News on March 6. He said that he doesn’t think US President Donald Trump’s
talk of unconditional surrender in Iran will happen. He said that there might be
an armed ramp in Iran where they could take a deal. Talabani’s PUK party is
considered to have closer ties to Iran than the other Kurdish party, the KDP.
In another important interview, Babasheikh Hosseini, the Secretary-General of
the Khabat Organisation of Iranian Kurdistan, spoke to Al-Jazeera. Khabat is a
more religious Kurdish Iranian group. It is part of the six-group coalition
against the Iranian regime which was announced on February 22. Iran also
targeted a Khabat site in northern Iraq on March 6. Asked about whether the
Kurds will struggle against the regime. “We have been planning for a long time,
and now that conditions are more favorable, there is a strong probability of
action,” Hosseini told Al Jazeera. “We have yet to reach a decisive decision,
but it is highly likely we will move forward with a ground operation…The
Americans have contacted us through various channels but until now, we have not
met directly, but they contacted us.”
There also reports that the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) leader
Mustafa Hijri might be holding more talks with US President Donald Trump. This
comes days after reports that claimed Trump had spoken to the PDKI leader. Hijri
is seen as the most senior of the Kurdish Iranian leaders. The PDKI is the most
historic of their parties, dating from 1945. It once ran a short-lived Kurdish
republic in Iran in 1946. It is also seen as centrist and nationalist and more
palatable to the US, than some of the leftist Kurdish groups such as Komala and
PJAK.
According to a post on social media, PJAK Co-chair Peyman Viyan was quoted as
describing PJAK’s goals. “Our goal is the self-governance of the Kurdish people
in Kurdistan. We want to take what is rightfully ours. This decision will be
determined by the will and approval of our people in the provinces.” The
statement was not confirmed by other networks that follow Kurdish issues.
In addition, one Kurdish group that did not join the six-group coalition, has
also put out a statement about the ongoing war. Rojhelat Info, which covers
Kurdish issues in the Kurdish regions of Iran, noted that the Central Committee
of Komala (Kurdistan Organization of the Communist Party of Iran) had said that
the “US and Israel are trying to drag Kurdistan into war against Iran. This part
of Komala is more communist than the other two branches of Komala, which both
joined the coalition. The communist Komala branch “has warned against efforts by
the US and Israel to use Kurdish armed groups as ground forces in the war
against the Islamic Republic. Komala emphasized that such a plan could turn
Kurdistan into the main battleground and put innocent civilians at serious
risk,” Rojhelat Info noted. “The party stated that its struggle against the
Islamic Republic will continue, but it will not join any project or alliance
serving the military or political goals of global powers. Komala stressed that
only by relying on the people’s own strength can freedom, equality, and the
right to self-determination be achieved.”
A Dangerous Prelude to Trump's 'Board of Peace' in Gaza?
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/March 9, 2026
[T]he US has provided more than $230 million to support Lebanese security forces
in their effort to disarm Hezbollah and all armed groups and to confiscate
rockets and missiles.
Hezbollah, however, has since refused to disarm, rejecting Lebanese government
directives and international pressure, specifically from the US and Israel, to
relinquish its weapons.
The US and the rest of the international community were wrong to assume that
Hezbollah would honor the ceasefire agreement with Israel. They were also wrong
to assume that the terror organization would voluntarily give up its weapons or
that the Lebanese government would take any real action to reassert its security
control over Lebanon.
Over the past few months, US President Donald J. Trump has issued severe,
repeated threats demanding the disarmament of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and, to a
lesser extent, Hezbollah in Lebanon
It is time for the Trump administration and other international parties to
understand that ceasefire agreements or threats will never convince the
jihadists of Hezbollah and Hamas voluntarily to lay down their weapons.
Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS) did not surrender their weapons or abandon
their jihad against the West because of deals or threats. Both groups were
crushed through the only language that they understand: force.
Given that no Arab or Islamic country is prepared to disarm Hezbollah or Hamas,
the only two countries that have the will and ability to do so are, like it or
not, Israel and the United States.
On March 2, Lebanon's Hezbollah terror group formally joined the current
Israeli-US war with Iran by firing missiles and drones at various Israeli
military bases, oil infrastructure, and northern communities.
Hezbollah's decision to resume its attacks on Israel came in violation of the
November 2024 US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and the terror
organization. It also came in violation of calls for the "disarmament of all
armed groups in Lebanon," as required by United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1701.
In August 2025, the Lebanese government, under Prime Minister Nawaf Salem and
President Joseph Aoun, initiated a five-stage plan to establish a state monopoly
on weapons. In response, the US has provided more than $230 million to support
Lebanese security forces in their effort to disarm Hezbollah and other armed
groups, and to confiscate rockets and missiles.
Hezbollah, however, has since refused to disarm, rejecting Lebanese government
directives and international pressure, specifically from the US and Israel, to
relinquish its weapons. "The state is holding talks with Hezbollah to persuade
it to hand over its weapons, but it refuses," Lebanese Foreign Minister Yousef
Rajji stated in November 2025.
Hezbollah Chief Naim Qassem threatened open confrontation if Lebanon's
government proceeds with plans to disarm his organization:
"The [Hezbollah] party will fight a (historic) battle if necessary in the face
of this Israeli-US project, whatever the cost. There will be no life in Lebanon
if the government tries to confront the party."
Since the resumption of the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah this month,
the cost has been painfully high for hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians
who were forced to evacuate their homes. "We're sleeping here in the streets –
some in cars, some on the street, some on the beach," complained one man in
Beirut. "No one even brought a blanket."
Hezbollah's decision to enter the war was not spontaneous or impulsive. Rather,
it was a calculated decision to help its patrons in Tehran.
The leaders of Hezbollah undoubtedly knew that their entry into the war would
elicit a strong response from Israel. They were also aware that the decision
would bring destruction on Lebanon and cause suffering to hundreds of thousands
of civilians.
For Hezbollah, however, serving the interests of the Iranian regime has always
taken precedence over the well-being and safety of the Lebanese people.
The US and the rest of the international community were wrong to assume that
Hezbollah would honor the ceasefire agreement with Israel. They were also wrong
to assume that the terror organization would voluntarily give up its weapons or
that the Lebanese government would take any real action to reassert its security
control over Lebanon.
Westerners do not seem to understand that Iran's terror proxies, Hezbollah and
Hamas, are deeply rooted in jihadist ideology within the "Axis of Resistance."
While Hamas and Hezbollah originate from different branches of Islam (Hamas is
Sunni, Hezbollah is Shia), both employ the concept of jihad (holy struggle) to
justify armed conflict against Israel, a country they regard as a totally
unacceptable, illegitimate presence in the Middle East.
The 1988 Hamas charter defines the conflict with Israel as a religious struggle:
"Jihad is its path and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its
wishes." Both Hezbollah and Hamas view all of Palestine as sacred Islamic land.
Their primary goal is to destroy Israel and replace it with an Islamic state.
Hezbollah aims to eliminate Israel, which it views as an illegitimate entity,
and the organization supports the establishment of a regional Islamic order led
by Iran's mullahs.
Hezbollah's ideology centers on the concept of jihad against Israel and Western
influence in the Middle East, with its military wing explicitly called the
"Jihad Council."
Both groups reflexively use the "jihad of the sword" and martyrdom as central
pillars for political mobilization and violent, armed struggle.
Although the separate ceasefire agreements Israel reached with Hezbollah and
Hamas require both terrorist groups to disarm, the US administration has failed
to take a firm position on this issue. Over the past few months, US President
Donald J. Trump has issued severe, repeated threats demanding the disarmament of
Hamas in the Gaza Strip and, to a lesser extent, Hezbollah in Lebanon. He warned
Hamas that if it doesn't lay down its weapons, "there'll be hell to pay for
them." Addressing the need for Hezbollah to disarm, Trump acknowledged that the
terror group "has been behaving badly" and that the US expects them to adhere to
disarmament agreements.
Obviously, Hezbollah and Hamas are unfazed by Trump's threats. Both groups are
incontestably determined to pursue their jihad to destroy Israel. That is why
they will never agree to give up their weapons. They view their weapons not
merely as military tools, but as existential symbols of honor, pride, and
dignity. Recently, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal stated that "resistance and its
weapons are the honor and pride of our nation."
The late Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was once quoted as saying:
"They will take our souls before they take our weapons – not because we love the
weapons, but because weapons are a symbol of honor and pride."
It is time for the Trump administration and other international parties to
understand that ceasefire agreements or threats will never convince the
jihadists of Hezbollah and Hamas voluntarily to lay down their weapons.
Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS) did not surrender their weapons or abandon
their jihad against the West because of deals or threats. Both groups were
crushed through the only language that they understand: force.
It is incorrect to assume that there is a difference between one jihadi group
and another. They all share a fundamental hostility toward the West, in
particular the US and Israel. Given that no Arab or Islamic country is prepared
to disarm Hezbollah or Hamas, the only two countries that have the will and
ability to do so are, like it or not, Israel and the United States.
**Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
**Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22326/lebanon-gaza-board-of-peace
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Let’s not miss the huge opportunity for peace between
Lebanon and Israel
Robert Satloff/Los Angeles Times/March 09/2026
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2026-03-08/peace-between-lebanon-israel
Defeating Iran is the main goal of the current Middle East war, but Lebanon may
offer the best opportunity for a breakthrough toward peace — if only President
Trump would pay attention. The opportunity for progress between Beirut and
Jerusalem is real. Both countries — technically at war since 1949 — have no
territorial claims against each other. Both are led by governments firmly in the
pro-U.S. camp, with militaries that are close partners with the U.S. armed
forces. And both boast large, influential communities of supporters inside the
United States that can play a helpful role in promoting peace.
The key obstacle to peace is Hezbollah, the terrorist group guided, funded and
armed by Iran that took a drubbing in the 2024 war against Israel. For the first
time, both Lebanon and Israel say they are committed to the principle of fully
disarming this radical militia. Until the outbreak of the current war, the two
governments may have disagreed on the pace of disarmament, but they were working
together under U.S. auspices to share information on the location of Hezbollah
weapons to be confiscated.
Progress on disarming Hezbollah was slow but even that was enough to give the
Lebanese people the freedom to talk about the long-taboo topic of peace with
Israel. Talk shows on Lebanon’s freewheeling media regularly discussed the costs
and benefits of peace. Despite strict laws banning even innocent communication
between Lebanese and Israelis, some candidates in upcoming parliamentary
elections began running on brash “pro-peace” platforms. In the face of these
hopeful signs, the Trump administration has been oddly aloof. Lebanon’s
president, Joseph Aoun, a former army commander who looks straight out of
central casting, came to office a year ago promising to defang Hezbollah and
impose a monopoly on the use of force within the country. But so far, Trump’s
response has been to have absolutely no direct contact with Aoun — not a
meeting, not a phone call, not a letter. Contrast this with the administration’s
wooing of Syria’s president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former jihadi terrorist whom
Trump met with twice, including last November in the Oval Office. Trump’s
subordinates apparently got the message that Lebanon is not worth their time
either. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has had just one meeting with Aoun, in
September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. And there is
no evidence that either special envoy Steve Witkoff or presidential problem
solver Jared Kushner has met with Aoun since he became president.
Instead, the “Lebanon file,” as it is called, has been shuffled from one
lower-ranking official to another. Currently, it is in the hands of Michel Issa,
the highly regarded U.S. ambassador in Beirut whose status as a “friend of the
president” can’t overcome the geographic reality that he is almost 6,000 miles
from Washington. The result of this apparent indifference has been not just a
lost opportunity for U.S. interests but also a political bonanza for Hezbollah,
sapping enthusiasm from the drive for disarmament and leaving pro-peace Lebanese
out in the cold.
Now, Washington has a second chance to do the right thing. Out of allegiance to
Iran’s slain supreme leader, Hezbollah launched rockets against northern Israel,
thereby dragging a war-weary Lebanon into the fight. This reckless act was
swiftly condemned by the Lebanese government, which ordered its army to take
immediate action to prevent any further military activity by Hezbollah. At the
same time, the rocket attacks triggered massive Israeli retaliation against
Hezbollah strongholds in the Bekaa Valley, Beirut suburbs and southern Lebanon
in advance of a ground operation to clear border areas of potential infiltrators
and weapons depots. The political imagery is clear — the governments of Lebanon
and Israel today view Hezbollah as their common adversary. Indeed, the Lebanese
government declared its readiness, even during the current war, to reengage in
diplomatic talks with Israel on ways to cooperate on Hezbollah’s full
disarmament. Now is the time for America to take advantage of this confluence of
views to achieve diplomatic breakthrough.
Operationally, the next step is Trump’s. With one phone call to Aoun, the U.S.
president could affirm high-level interest in Lebanon, promise additional aid to
support the Lebanese army in disarming Hezbollah and threaten to withhold
assistance if the process moves too slowly. At the same time, Trump should
incentivize Aoun by promising an Oval Office meeting once U.S. generals certify
that Lebanon has finally cleared weapons depots and arms factories from
Hezbollah strongholds in the Bekaa Valley and Beirut’s southern suburbs. While
disarmament proceeds, U.S. officials should take up Beirut’s offer to organize
direct talks with Israel. The agenda for negotiations should begin with security
in southern Lebanon and border demarcation and extend to reciprocal steps that
will feed a peacemaking dynamic. These could include plans to open each
country’s airspace to the other’s civilian air traffic; to ship Israeli gas to
Lebanon, thereby easing its energy crisis; and to allow third-country tourists
to cross the border in both directions. Key to this process is eliciting from
Lebanon a commitment to suspend enforcement of its odious anti-normalization
laws, pending legislative action, so ordinary Lebanese do not fear imprisonment
just for talking with an Israeli. To manage this process, Trump should appoint
someone in Washington as his personal envoy. In this administration, power is
measured by closeness to Trump and foreign leaders will, rightly or wrongly, use
that metric to determine how serious the president really is on their issues.
To be sure, Lebanon is a tiny country, and as dangerous as Hezbollah rockets may
be, the threat that the once-mighty Iranian proxy poses to Israel has
dramatically receded. But that’s a reason to push for peace, not to lose focus.
If Trump gave the Lebanon-Israel front just a fraction of the attention now
directed toward Iran or a tiny percentage of the effort devoted to Gaza, he may
have the newest Arab member of the Abraham Accords — and a Nobel Peace Prize to
show for it.
**Robert Satloff is the executive director of the Washington Institute.
Tu me fais mal, ô vie… ma vie
par Akl Awit/Anahar/March 09/2026
The text below is neither a hobby nor a rhythm rehearsal game. That's all the
wounds, collected from bleeding.
Cemeteries are hurting me. The homes are hurting me Streets are giving me pain
Trees are hurting me. Stares hurt me. The facts are hurting me. Dreams are
hurting me . The villages are paining me. The cities are hurting me. The
mountains are hurting me. Rivers are hurting me. The nights are hurting me. The
days are hurting me. The silence hurts me. My voices are hurting. My souls are
hurting. Bodies are aching. The sky is hurting me. The earth is hurting me. I'm
hurting like hell. Memories are hurting me. books are making me hurt Words hurt
me. Classical music is killing me. Jazz is killing me. Paints are killing me.
Sculptures are killing me Theatre is hurting me. Computers are giving me pain.
Smartphones r giving me pain. Clouds are hurting me. Rain is killing me Dreams
are killing me . The beds are hurting me. Coffins are hurting me My hands are
hurting. My walking in the road is hurting me.
10,452 square miles hurt me.
Shakespearean hurts me. The absurdity hurts me. The Orwellian is hurting me.
Kafkaïn is hurting me. The Nietzscheen hurts me. The Schopenhauerian hurts me.
The Baudelairian hurts me. Rimbaldian is hurting me. Surrealism is killing me
The realism hurts me Romanticism is hurting me. Symbolism is hurting me
Expressionism is killing me. Novels are hurting me . Poems hurt me . Science is
hurting me. Arabic language is killing me French language is killing me.
Geopolitical maps are killing me. Planes are hurting me. Drones are killing me.
The cannons are killing me. Missiles are hurting me. Aircraft carriers are
giving me pain. Cruisers are giving me pain. Submarines are hurting me Haters
are hurting me. Personal pains are killing me The empty land is paining me.
Libraries make me sick. Orchids are hurting me. Cedars are hurting me. The
sources are hurting me. Herbs are killing me. Big states are hurting me small
states be hurting me People are hurting me. Screwed and spoiled rights hurt me.
The United Nations is hurting me The nuclear bomb is hurting me. The tunnels are
hurting me Labyrinths are hurting me The truth is hurting me. the lies make me
hurt philosophies are hurting me. Civilizations are hurting me . The nightmares
are killing me. The Middle East is hurting me. Phoenix shores are hurting me.
Horror movies make me sick hopes are hurting me . Social media makes me sick
Artificial intelligence institutions are hurting me. Dictatorship is hurting me.
Democracy is hurting me. Religions are hurting me. The fate of individuals hurts
me. The destinies of communities hurt me. Instincts are killing me. My minds are
hurting. Wisdom is hurting me Sacred books are hurting me. Unholy books hurt me.
Crowds are killing me Armenian hurts me. Semitic makes me sick. Antisemitism
makes me sick. The Canaanite is hurting me. Modernity hurts me. Reactive
thinking is killing me Contemporaryity hurts me. Social classes is hurting me
The coming days are hurting me. The old mainland is hurting me. TV screens are
hurting me The stars are hurting me The ideas are killing me Ideologies are
hurting me. Shores of the Mediterranean Sea hurts me. Space colonization
projects hurt me. This world and the hereafter pains me. Skyscrapers are hurting
me. Fleets are giving me pain. Snow is killing me. Spy movies and cowboy movies
make me sick Sirens are hurting me. Shelters are hurting me. The four poetic
manuscripts waiting to be published, one after the other and with respect, hurt
me. Promises of anthologies and completed works hurt me. The urge to give up my
art collections is hurting me. Desires, passions, ecstasies, and refusals — it
all hurts me. Massacres and genocide hurt me. The elucubrations on your land,
from the Euphrates to the Nile, hurt me. The shadows are hurting me. The
indifference hurts me. Impossible trip to Latin Quarter is hurting me.
Confessions hurt me. The possibilities are hurting me. Certainty is hurting me.
Fairouz is hurting me. The bread and olives table hurts me Lavish tables are
hurting me The scenes of those who sleep outside their homes hurt me. Human
monsters hurt me The caravans of wandering crowds, doomed to the ruin of reason
and the ramblings of "divine" murder, hurt me. The savagery and arrogance of
those who make their communities and people human shields in public
slaughterhouse hurts me. Golgotha trails are hurting me My piercing stare is
hurting My gift of intuition and insight hurts me. Poems hurt me . My ability to
write poetry daily is hurting me. The writing that does not save hurts me, and
the one that saves — or makes one believe in salvation — hurts me.
The pain is killing me
My daily suicides are hurting me. My courage to refuse to die is hurting me. The
apocalypse now hurts me my country is paining me.
You're hurting me, o life...my life.
To Defend the Abraham Accords, Trump Must First Defend the UAE
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/March 9, 2026
The Trump administration needs to pay close attention: The UAE is not merely
another Gulf monarchy, another energy partner. It is one of the clearest
examples in the Arab world of a country that deliberately chose modernization
over ideological stagnation and development over the old politics of
grievance.... This choice is precisely what makes it so important — and
precisely what makes it so threatening to the forces that thrive on disorder.
The UAE... demonstrated that sovereignty can be defended without fanaticism, and
that prosperity can be built through peace rather than perpetual war. This is
why attacks on the UAE are not merely attacks on a country. They are attacks on
a model for peace.
President Donald Trump no doubt sees this with clarity: his extraordinary
Abraham Accords remain one of the defining strategic achievements not only of
the century but of history.
Defending the UAE, therefore, is entirely consistent with a hard-headed American
strategy. America did not help broker the Abraham Accords only to watch their
boldest Arab partner become an exposed target. A serious policy... requires
seriousness: tighter intelligence coordination, stronger integrated air and
missile defense, firmer deterrence against Iranian aggression and proxy warfare,
and unmistakable public clarity that the United States forcefully stands by the
states that choose peace over terror and an alliance with the US over
revolutionary blackmail. That is not charity toward Abu Dhabi. It is a defense
of American interests, and a regional balance that works in America's favor.
The Trump administration needs to pay close attention: The UAE is not merely
another Gulf monarchy, another energy partner. It is one of the clearest
examples in the Arab world of a country that deliberately chose modernization
over ideological stagnation and development over the old politics of grievance.
When United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed visited the victims
of the recent attacks in hospital on March 6, he did more than offer sympathy.
He delivered a message to his people, to the region, and to the world. He told
the wounded and their families that those living in the Emirates are "among
their family in the UAE." In his first public comments after the strikes, he
also made clear that the country is "no easy prey." That was not simply
compassion. It was doctrine: that his country was going to align with openness
without apology. The price to his country for his outstanding leadership has
been enormously high. The Trump administration needs to pay close attention: The
UAE is not merely another Gulf monarchy, another energy partner. It is one of
the clearest examples in the Arab world of a country that deliberately chose
modernization over ideological stagnation and development over the old politics
of grievance. In a region too often scarred by militias and revolutionary
sectarianism, the Emirates chose statesmanship and progress. It chose to build
rather than burn. This choice is precisely what makes it so important — and
precisely what makes it so threatening to the forces that thrive on disorder.
That choice became unmistakable in 2020, when the UAE signed the Abraham Accords
with Israel. The agreement formally established peace, diplomatic relations, and
full normalization between the two states. Its significance went far beyond
diplomacy. The UAE made a strategic declaration that the future of the Middle
East did not have to be built on rejectionism and endless confrontation. It
could instead be built on cooperation, commerce, technological exchange, and a
new regional architecture. The UAE did not treat peace as symbolism. It treated
peace as a strategy for the modern world.
That break with the past is exactly why the UAE became a target. The Iranian
regime and its proxies understand perfectly well what the Emirates represent. A
confident Arab and Muslim-majority country that embraces modern governance,
welcomes investment, works closely with the United States, and makes peace with
Israel is a living refutation of their entire worldview. Tehran's ideological
project depends on persuading the region that dignity can only come through
militancy and permanent hostility. The UAE proves the opposite. It demonstrated
that sovereignty can be defended without fanaticism, and that prosperity can be
built through peace rather than perpetual war. This is why attacks on the UAE
are not merely attacks on a country. They are attacks on a model for peace.
The Trump administration urgently needs to understand that protecting the UAE is
not just a gesture of solidarity with an ally. It is imperative if the United
States intends to preserve any serious pro-American order in the Middle East. A
country that embraced peace with Israel, rejected extremism, invested in
stability, and aligned itself with Washington cannot be struck without a
meaningful response.
While confronting Iran is enormously appreciated, more needs to be done. Without
also protecting its allies in the region, every friend and foe there will draw
the same conclusion: American guarantees are provided only when convenient. This
view would not just endanger the UAE. It would weaken the credibility and the
future of the Abraham Accords themselves.
President Donald Trump no doubt sees this with clarity: his extraordinary
Abraham Accords remain one of the defining strategic achievements not only of
the century but of history. The White House said in May 2025 that Trump secured
more than $200 billion in new U.S.-UAE deals while accelerating a previously
committed 10-year, $1.4 trillion UAE investment framework in the United States.
Those commitments were tied to sectors that matter deeply to the world's future,
including AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy, manufacturing,
biotechnology, and quantum-related technologies. The UAE is a serious partner
investing in American strength, American industry, and American technological
primacy.
The trade figures reinforce the point. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade
Representative, U.S. goods trade with the UAE totaled $39 billion in 2025. U.S.
exports to the UAE reached $31.4 billion, while the U.S. goods trade surplus
with the Emirates stood at $23.8 billion. In plain language, the UAE is clearly
happy to help sustain American manufacturing, American exports, and American
economic leverage, but such a country should not have to wonder whether the
United States still regards the UAE as a valuable ally.
Defending the UAE, therefore, is entirely consistent with a hard-headed American
strategy. America did not help broker the Abraham Accords only to watch their
boldest Arab partner become an exposed target. A serious policy does not require
reckless escalation or sentimental rhetoric. It requires seriousness: tighter
intelligence coordination, stronger integrated air and missile defense, firmer
deterrence against Iranian aggression and proxy warfare, and unmistakable public
clarity that the United States forcefully stands by the states that choose peace
over terror and an alliance with the US over revolutionary blackmail. That is
not charity toward Abu Dhabi. It is a defense of American interests, and a
regional balance that works in America's favor.
The alternative is far more dangerous. If the Emirates are left vulnerable, the
message to the region will be devastating. It will tell every reformer, every
pragmatist, and every government considering closer alignment with Washington
that choosing peace brings prestige, but not necessarily protection. It will
tell Iran and its proxies that the boldest Arab partner in the Abraham Accords
can be bloodied, and it will tell the enemies of peace that America is willing
to celebrate a new Middle East in speeches but not defend it in a storm.
The UAE matters because it made the choice no one else at the time dared to
make. It rejected the politics of rage and the false romance of "resistance." It
rejected the old lie that the Arab world must choose between dictatorship,
theocracy, or collapse. Instead, it chose tolerance, development and peace with
Israel -- not out of naivety, but because peace is the only durable foundation
on which serious states can build prosperity and strength.
Trump should say -- and prove -- something very simple: America stands with the
states that build, not the regimes that burn; with the governments that make
peace, not the movements that glorify violence; with those who advance
modernity, not those who drag the region backward into fanaticism.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22334/defend-the-uae
To defend the Abraham Accords, Trump needs to defend the UAE.
*Robert Williams is based in the United States.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Father to son: Mojtaba Khamenei, the ‘updated version’ of Ali Khamenei’s rule
Masoud Alfak/Al Arabiya English/09 Marc/2026
As many had anticipated, presenting Mojtaba Khamenei as the successor to his
father, Ali Khamenei, effectively revives the tradition of hereditary rule in
Iran once again. This tradition has accompanied the country throughout its
history, from ancient monarchies to the Islamic Republic, albeit in different
forms. A system originally founded on the slogan of ending the monarchy now
appears to be moving toward a new model that resembles a form of religious
family rule, where power passes within the circle of the family and where
bloodline and religious inheritance together constitute the ultimate source of
legitimacy.
Inheritance and symbolic legitimacy
From the perspective of power structures, this choice appears to be the most
practical and least costly option for the regime. First, if the goal is to end
the war or pave the way for a ceasefire, who would be more capable of announcing
such a decision than the son of the former Supreme Leader himself? Within the
logic of power in the Iranian system, someone regarded as the “blood heir” of
the previous Supreme Leader is seen as possessing absolute symbolic legitimacy,
enabling him to close the chapter on the war or take any tactical step without
internal opposition. In this context, any objection would be interpreted as a
challenge to the legacy of the former Supreme Leader himself. If the highest
authority grants forgiveness or makes a decision, there is little room left for
others to object.
On the other hand, the regime’s official narrative presents Mojtaba Khamenei as
belonging to a “family of martyrs,” claiming that his father, mother, and wife
are all martyrs. Within this framework, the Supreme Leader is portrayed not
merely as a political figure but as the heir to a family that has offered
“martyrdom,” an attempt to attach immense emotional and religious capital to his
leadership and present it as the continuation of a sacred family path in the
eyes of the regime’s supporters.
Continuity of power within the regime’s hard core
If the regime decides to continue the war, the new Supreme Leader remains the
strongest option for preserving the cohesion of the regime’s hard core, given
his position as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. His longstanding
relationships with certain circles within the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and
the security apparatus help ensure that the system remains united behind him,
particularly during moments of tension or potential internal division. In this
sense, the transfer of power within the family is not merely inheritance but a
mechanism to guarantee the regime’s continuity without threatening its internal
cohesion.
The impact of the new leadership on the international arena
Reports indicate that the pace of attacks by the United States and Israel slowed
following the announcement of the new Supreme Leader, at least temporarily. It
is said that envoys linked to the team of Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff
and Jared Kushner, intend to visit Israel for talks with Benjamin Netanyahu.
This suggests the beginning of a new phase of regional negotiations, though the
current moment may represent a calculated calm before a storm.
Within this context, some observers might mock the United States and Israel if
they step back from the war, arguing that after all the costs involved, the
result has merely been an “updated Supreme Leader,” meaning the production of a
new version of the same system under a different face. If the previous version
of the regime was often accused of leaning excessively toward Russia, the new
version may attempt to show some flexibility or tactically improve its external
image toward the West. However, it is unlikely to introduce fundamental changes
to the regime’s strategic policies. Any potential shifts will remain dependent
on internal conditions and on regional and international pressures.
The end of the reformist vs. hardliner game
The deeper political consequence of this transition may be the approaching end
of the historical duality that has dominated Iranian politics for years: The
divide between “reformists” and “hardliners.” With the new leadership now
consolidated, this internal division appears to have lost much of its practical
significance, while the more hardline current within the regime’s core is
gradually emerging more openly on the political stage. Some analysts believe
that within these circles there are individuals who hold an apocalyptic vision
of regional conflicts, a worldview that sees major wars, sometimes described as
end-times battles, as part of a historical religious narrative rather than
simply political crises. If this outlook gains greater influence within
decision-making centers, it could have a direct impact on Iran’s future regional
and security policies.
Unprecedented internal and external challenges
The new Supreme Leader faces immense challenges.
Domestically: protests, civil liberties, the rights of non-Persian communities,
women’s rights, and social justice are all sensitive issues that require careful
management to maintain political stability. Externally: Iran continues to
confront the United States, Israel, and regional states, while on the global
stage it faces widespread opposition to its policies. Despite disagreements
among many countries on other matters, there is a broad consensus when it comes
to confronting Iran’s foreign policy. These challenges illustrate the scale of
pressure confronting the new Supreme Leader both internally and externally,
making his period of leadership likely to be marked by major and complex
confrontations. Despite all this, Iranian society remains the most difficult
variable to predict. Initial reactions suggest that a wide segment of the
population rejected Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership from the outset, viewing it as
a continuation of the same model of rule practiced by his father. From this
perspective, the question is not simply who the new Supreme Leader is. Rather,
it raises a deeper issue: why does power in Iran continue to be reproduced again
and again in the form of a single individual or a single family? And will Iran
ever be able to break this historical cycle, or will it continue to revolve
through updated versions of the same old model?
X Platform Selected twittes for
March 09/2026
Hanin Ghaddar
Not all #LAF
generals are the same.
Brigadier General Fadi Kfouri, who has been protecting Beirut international
airport from Hezbollah’s infiltration and challenging the Iranian regime
visitors, is a good guy.
He deserves applaud.
Shadi khalloul שאדי ח'לול
In an interview at Israeli TV Channel 13 I said clearly that this
will end with a major setup in Lebanon that will guarantee peace. Lebanon was
founded by Maronite Christians with a peace vision with Israel. If this doesn't
happen the Shia Muslims will not return to South Lebanon. Small Lebanon is
better for Christians in Lebanon. This is how I see it.
Toni Nissi
Unfortunately, Lebanon is still ruled by the boot of the official spokesperson
for the Supreme Leader, who has been purged, from the top of the pyramid down to
the lowest-ranking employee in a country that lacks a functioning state.
Ronnie Chatah
First it was America. Then it was Zionism. Then “resistance”. When Israel left
it turned against internal “agents”, Takfiris, imperialists & Crusaders. For
marginal voices defending them it morphed into neoliberalism. And for
hate-filled historians a struggle against colonialism. While all along it was
serving the Iranian regime’s thugs & terrorists.
Seth J. Frantzman
The Enemy Below with Robert Mitchum and Curd Jürgens (1957); what an excellent
poignant film that shows how even in war people must keep their humanity; made
in a different time, by a different generation, that didn't want to lose
humanity in war and didn't glory in it and didn't see being decent and modest
and open about the tragedy of war, as being less patriotic
Those were decent people.
Highly recommend watching it.
It's so interesting to see a different America, a time when Americans could see
the enemy as an equal, and see them as people, and not glory in war, but rather
discuss it in a mature manner; what an interesting time, when might say people
were great.
Michel Hajji Georgiou
(... ) Contrary to the received
ideas that have long poisoned the public debate, Grand Lebanon is neither a ball
inherited from French colonialism nor a dhimmi artifice. It was designed by its
founding fathers — of all faiths — as a refuge, a guarantee, a space of
pluralism in a Middle East that offered little. For the Christians, it is true.
But also for the druze, for the Shiites who were marginalized by geography and
history in Ottoman space, for the Sunnis who bet on liberal modernity against
the temptations of dissolving pan-arabism. Grand Lebanon was thus, in its
original vocation, a necessity for all.
Management errors, representation injustices, regional ambitions incompatible
with its size and nature, delusional ideologies imported from the outside or
manufactured from the inside, or grandiloquent personal fantasies have seriously
shaken the building. But a shaken building is not a doomed building — provided
we have the courage to fix it rather than argue over its debris.
The battle being played today, in the face of the collapsing Hezbollah’s
arrogance and the endless vatengu-warrism of the Israeli invader, exceeds the
question of a monopoly of legitimate violence or stopping a destructive military
offensive. These issues are real and urgent. But the first question is this: who
are we, together? What does Lebanon want to continue to be, for itself and for
its children?
Once again Hezbollah finishes poisoning Lebanon by self-destructing.
But Lebanon in general, and its Shiites in particular, deserve to survive this
nightmare that has only lasted too long. (... )
An excerpt from my heartfelt cry — and that’s all I have left — to the three
presidents: Save Greater Lebanon (link in comments)
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