English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For March 18/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Waking the Widow’s Only son from death:
Jesus touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I
say to you, rise!’The dead man sat up and began to speak
Luke 07/11-17: “Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of
the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only
son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the
Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’Then he
came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said,
‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’The dead man sat up and began to speak, and
Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God,
saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us! ’ and ‘God has looked favourably on
his people!’This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding
country.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 17-18/2026
For the Sake of the Church, the Maronites, and Lebanon: Patriarch AlRai Must
Resign... His Presence is an Absence, and His Absence Would Be a Blessing/Elias
Bejjan/March 17/2026
Elias Bejjani/From 2024 Archive)Text and Video: Why the Disgraceful Silence on
Hezbollah’s Prisons After the Horrors of Assad’s Human Slaughterhouses and Human
Presses?
The Healing Miracle of the Paralytic & The Power of Praying for Others/Elias
Bejjani/March 15/2025
BREAKING: Iran's 'de-facto' leader Ali Larijani KILLED in targeted airstrike
Dermer says 'making progress with Lebanon' on political agreement
Israeli strikes kill 3 Lebanese soldiers, wound 4 others in south Lebanon
Israel says it struck Hezbollah targets 'throughout Lebanon'
Israeli strikes continue in south Lebanon as Hezbollah fights incursion attempts
Report: Issa asks Berri who in Lebanon has capacity to fulfill commitments
US encourages Syrian action against Hezbollah, Damascus is hesitant, sources say
Early indications show Israel tank fire hit UN Lebanon base, source says
Qassem: Resistance to continue no matter the sacrifices
Lebanon has proposed direct talks with Israel but Hezbollah says talks 'big
mistake'
Aoun says Israeli attacks on army contradict with calls for it to extend state
authority
Lebanon transfers 137 Syrian prisoners under bilateral agreement
38 healthcare workers killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since war start
Judiciary expected to seek Qmati's arrest over coup remarks
Hezbollah denies any members in Kuwait after arrest of 16 alleged affiliates
South Lebanon's Christian towns insist they are not part of Israel-Hezbollah war
The War on Hezbollah-The Iranian Terrorist Proxy Continues/LCCC website
links to several important news websites
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on March 17-18/2026
US
carrier Ford, deployed in war with Iran, to go to port temporarily after fire
Israel vows to find and ‘neutralize’ Iran’s new supreme leader
Trump blasts ‘foolish’ NATO on Iran, says US needs no help
Iran confirm death of Basij paramilitary chief in US-Israeli strike
Iran confirms death of security chief Larijani
Netanyahu says Larijani killing gives Iranians chance to overthrow their rulers
US reaffirms commitment to UAE’s security amid continuing Iranian attacks
UAE could join international effort led by US to secure Strait of Hormuz, says
advisor
German FM says unrealistic to expect controlled regime change in Iran
Security source says US embassy struck as explosions heard in Baghdad
Direct US-Iran contact resumes, Tehran signals interest in ending war: Report
US troops take position as they patrol near an oil field in al-Qahtaniyah in
Syria's
US does 'not need' help from allies on Iran, Trump says
Israel threats of Gaza-level destruction in Lebanon 'unacceptable', UN says
News of the ongoing war between Iran on one side and the US and Israel on the
other.
links to several television channels and newspapers
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on March 17-18/2026
Why
Applying the 'Venezuela Method' to Iran Would Be a Terrible Mistake/Pierre Rehov/Gatestone
Institute./March 17, 2026
US confident in Iran war plan, Pentagon chief vows surge in attacks “If you
think you’ve seen something, just wait,” Hegseth says/Joseph Haboush/Al Arabiya
English/March 17/2026
Iran war and the alleged plot against China/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Ashaq-AlAwsat/March
17/2026
Trump and the misconceptions of the Iran war/Mamdouh AlMuhaini/Al Arabiya
English/17 March/2026
X Platform Selected twittes for March 17/2026
on March 17-18/2026
For the Sake of the Church, the Maronites, and Lebanon: Patriarch AlRai
Must Resign... His Presence is an Absence, and His Absence Would Be a Blessing
Elias Bejjan/March 17/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/152839/
In its long history, our Maronite Church has never known a Patriarch so detached
and estranged from it, from the Maronites, and from bearing witness to the
truth—nor one so lacking in leadership capabilities as is, unfortunately, the
case with Patriarch Bechara AlRai.
Since his election—which was shrouded in suspicion and sparked hundreds of
questions regarding its motives—he has exhibited a pattern of detachment and
ingratitude. This began with his international tours following his election,
during which he marketed Bashar al-Assad's regime as a "protector" of
Christians. It continued with his disgraceful visit to Syria Al Assad—a move his
distinguished predecessor, Patriarch Sfeir, had steadfastly refused to make—and
extended to the scandal surrounding Walid Ghayad’s palace. This is in addition
to his persistent sycophancy toward Hezbollah, his weak will and leadership, his
unfortunate choice of faithless advisors, and his overall state of confusion and
flimsy, fluctuating stances... the list goes on and on.
For these reasons and many others, His Beatitude is called upon to resign, if
indeed he still adheres to the vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity. The
truth is that his presence is effectively an absence, and his absence would
undoubtedly be a blessing.
Elias Bejjani/From 2024 Archive)Text and Video: Why the
Disgraceful Silence on Hezbollah’s Prisons After the Horrors of Assad’s Human
Slaughterhouses and Human Presses?
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/12/138103/
December 17, 2024
Despite all the disgraceful, inhumane, and unprecedented crimes in modern
history that were revealed regarding prisons and detention centers in Syria
after the fall of the tyrant Assad regime, and despite exposing the bloody
practices suffered by both the Lebanese and Syrian people for 61 years under
Baathist rule, 54 of which were under the reign of Assad’s father and son…
Despite these resounding scandals that shook the world and shocked the
consciences of decent human beings, silence still dominates regarding
Hezbollah’s Persian, Jihadist, terrorist, and criminal prisons in Lebanon.
These are terrifying and illegal detention centers and prisons that many
journalists and politicians have written about, covered by local, Arab, and
international media, with some of their secrets revealed by detainees who
managed to escape after enduring the most horrific types of torture (many such
reports are attached below).
Among those who bravely exposed the reality of Hezbollah’s prisons are Arab,
international, and local television stations, as well as many Lebanese sovereign
journalists and activists, most notably researcher Lokman Slim, whom Hezbollah
assassinated and continues to prevent investigations into his murder.
In previous articles, most dating back to 2015 (attached below), we focused on
the file of Hezbollah’s prisons and the testimonies of those lucky enough to
have escaped without being killed. It is worth noting that most of these
individuals were from the Shiite community, rejecting Hezbollah’s terrorism,
Persian influence, and the fundamentalist lifestyle it imposed on their areas
and families.
Hezbollah, the terrorist group that has assassinated hundreds of Lebanese
opposed to its occupation, continues to fraudulently market what it falsely
calls the “suffering of the detainees of Khiam Prison,” which, before 2000,
operated in the Southern border strip area under the supervision of the South
Lebanon Army (SLA) and Israeli security forces. This prison adhered to all
international prison standards; the International Red Cross regularly inspected
it, and detainees’ families visited them. Compared to Assad’s prisons, most
Lebanese prisons, and Hezbollah’s detention centers, it was practically a
paradise—a hotel with hundreds of stars. Nevertheless, Hezbollah attacked,
assassinated, and fabricated charges against many Lebanese, creating false
judicial files to persecute those who worked in that prison, among them, the
USA/Lebanese Victim, Amer Fakhoury
Today, after the fall of Assad’s regime and the exposure of the atrocities in
its prisons, and after Hezbollah’s terrorist group was defeated and caused its
reckless and senseless war on Israel, resulting in the deaths of more than 5,000
Lebanese, injuries and disabilities to over 30,000 others, and the destruction
of most towns and villages in the South, the Bekaa, and the southern suburbs of
Beirut—what is required, without fear or hesitation and in accordance with local
and international law, is to uncover Hezbollah’s prisons, do justice to those
imprisoned, and reveal the identities of those who killed and tortured them.
Furthermore, the international community and human rights organizations,
particularly the International Red Cross, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty
International, must act immediately to conduct transparent investigations,
uncover the locations of Hezbollah’s prisons, and document the crimes committed
within them. The Lebanese government also bears responsibility for launching a
serious investigation to reveal the full facts about these illegal and secret
detention centers and to hold those responsible accountable before justice.
Hezbollah, which has forcibly imposed itself as an Iranian occupying authority
in Lebanon since 2005 through its weapons, bears full responsibility for all the
criminal practices inside and outside its prisons in Lebanon, as well as in
Syria, where it fought alongside the Assad regime against the Syrian people.
In fairness and in accordance with the rule of law, the current media blackout
and prevailing fear surrounding the exposure of Hezbollah’s prisons and
detention centers must come to an end. Accordingly, anyone who overlooks or
justifies Hezbollah’s prisons, detention centers, or crimes under the pretexts
of “resistance” or “liberation” is complicit in cementing Iran’s occupation of
Lebanon and displacing its people.
History will not forgive the collaborators and cowards, and the time has come to
raise the voice of truth, expose the atrocities of this terrorist group,
prosecute its leaders, dissolve it, and prevent it from playing any role in
Lebanon under any name or justification.
The Healing Miracle of the Paralytic & The Power of Praying for Others
Elias Bejjani/March 15/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/73457/
On the fifth Sunday of Lent, Catholic Maronites reflect with great reverence on
the Gospel of Saint Mark (2:1-12), which recounts The Healing Miracle of the
Paralytic. This powerful miracle underscores the immense value of intercession,
affirming that prayers and supplications for others are faith-driven acts that
Almighty God attentively hears and graciously answers.
Notably, the paralytic man in this Gospel passage did not personally seek Jesus'
help, nor did he ask for healing, forgiveness, or mercy. Many theologians
believe that Jesus frequently preached in Capernaum’s synagogue, the very town
where this man lived, yet he remained distant—lacking faith, hope, and spiritual
awareness. He did not believe that the Lord could cure him.
What makes this miracle particularly remarkable is the unwavering faith of the
paralytic’s friends, relatives, or perhaps some of Jesus' disciples. They were
convinced that if Jesus merely touched him, the man who had been crippled for 38
years would be healed. Their deep faith and determination compelled four of them
to carry him on a mat to the house where Jesus was preaching. When they could
not break through the crowd, they climbed onto the roof, made an opening, and
lowered the paralytic before Jesus, pleading for his healing.
Moved by their faith, Jesus first forgave the man’s sins: "Son, your sins are
forgiven." Only afterward did He heal his body, commanding: "Arise, take up your
bed, and walk."
Like the scribes in the Gospel, many today question why Jesus prioritized the
forgiveness of sins over physical healing. His divine wisdom reveals that sin is
the true death, leading to eternal suffering in Hell. Sin cripples the soul,
destroys faith and hope, erodes morals and values, and numbs the conscience,
separating individuals from God. Jesus sought to restore the man’s soul before
curing his body, teaching an eternal truth: "For what does it profit a man to
gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36-37).
Our merciful God never turns away those who seek Him in faith and humility. He
listens with boundless love and responds in His divine wisdom, time, and
manner:" Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and
it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks
finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)
"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing
praises. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church,
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And
the prayer of faith will heal the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him
up." (James 5:15)
Within this divine context of mercy and intercession, prayers for others—whether
they are living or deceased, loved ones or enemies, relatives or strangers—are
acts of faith and compassion. God listens and responds because He never abandons
His children, provided they turn to Him with sincere repentance and trust.
Numerous biblical passages demonstrate God’s acceptance of prayers offered on
behalf of others:
Jesus healed the Centurion’s servant at the request of the Centurion, not the
servant himself. (Matthew 8:5-13)
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in response to the pleas of his sisters, Mary
and Martha. (John 11:1-44)
Praying for others—whether family, friends, strangers, or even nations—reflects
faith, love, and hope. Almighty God, as a loving and merciful Father, hears
these prayers and answers them according to His divine wisdom, which often
transcends human understanding:
"Whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21:22)
God is always waiting for us, His children, to seek His mercy—whether for
ourselves or for others. He never leaves us alone. Moreover, it is our duty of
faith to extend a helping hand to those who cannot pray for themselves—the lost,
the suffering, the unconscious, and the paralyzed. This spirit of intercession
is why we also pray to the Virgin Mary and the Saints—not as objects of worship,
but as intercessors who bring our pleas before the Lord.
O Lord, grant us the grace of faith, hope, wisdom, and patience.
Help us to be
loving, humble, and compassionate. Guide us on the path of righteousness May we
stand with the just on the Day of Judgment. God sees and hears us always—let us
live in reverence to Him in all we think, say, and do.
N.B: The above piece was first published in 2012/It Is Republished with minor
changes
رابط فيديو تقرير مهم من فوكس
نيوز/إسرائيل اغتالت علي لارجاني وعشرات من قادة البسيج
BREAKING: Iran's 'de-facto' leader Ali Larijani KILLED in targeted airstrike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc9WqXR6XbY&t=190s
Fox News' Trey Yingst reports the latest after an Israeli airstrike killed
Iran's Ali Larijani and the commander of the Basij as the war continues in the
Middle East.
Dermer says 'making progress
with Lebanon' on political agreement
Naharnet/March 17/2025
Former Israeli minister Ron Dermer has confirmed for the first time that he has
returned to work for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that he has been
appointed to lead negotiations with the Lebanese government. "He asked me to get
involved," said the former minister who retired from public life last November.
Among other things, Dermer said he has begun "making progress with Lebanon"
toward a political agreement. "It is possible to talk about a potential peace
agreement, but for a deal to be implemented, Hezbollah will need to be disarmed.
We will not sacrifice our security," Dermer added. "The disagreement over the
border between us and Lebanon is very small. There are 13 disputed points, seven
of which have already been resolved,” Dermer said. “I had negotiated this
previous ceasefire in Lebanon, which, by the way, was very unpopular at the time
in the Israeli public, because they wanted to just go in and finish the job,” he
said. “But you have to understand, Israel is managing many fronts
simultaneously.” “We still had the big battle in Gaza and also Iran. We still
had our hostages,” he said. “There were many reasons why it was the right thing
to do.”
He said any future agreement would not allow a return to the pre-Oct. 7
situation. “We’re not going back to what happened in Israel on Oct. 6,
beforehand. We’re not going to allow a threat to emerge on our border,” Dermer
said. Despite the conditions, Dermer expressed optimism that progress is
possible.“I actually think it’s possible to move ahead with Lebanon, because the
issues are not that complicated,” he said, adding that Israel has no territorial
ambitions there. “We don’t have a territorial claim on Lebanon.”
Israeli strikes kill 3 Lebanese soldiers, wound 4 others in south Lebanon
Associated Press/17 March/2026
Lebanon's military said on Tuesday that Israeli strikes on a car and two
motorcycles in southern Lebanon killed three of its soldiers and wounded four
others. In a statement, the Lebanese army said that "as a result of an Israeli
hostile raid" in the Qaaqaiyyet al-Jesser - Nabatiyeh region, a soldier was
injured and "died of his wounds" while four others were wounded. An official
from the military told AFP the soldiers had just finished their duty for the
day. Another strike later in the day on the Zebdine - Nabatieh road killed two
more soldiers. The Israeli military said in a statement that it was "aware of
the claim that several soldiers of the Lebanese Armed Forces were injured as a
result of an IDF strike". "The incident is under review," the army said, adding
that Israeli forces were operating "against the Hezbollah terrorist
organization, and not against the Lebanese Armed Forces or Lebanese civilians".
While Lebanon's army has tried to stay out of the war, three Lebanese soldiers
were killed by Israeli shelling earlier this month during a failed Israeli
commando operation in eastern Lebanon.
Israel says it struck Hezbollah targets 'throughout
Lebanon'
Agence France Presse/17 March/2026
Israel said late Tuesday it had struck sites "throughout Lebanon," targeting
what it called Hezbollah rocket launching infrastructure after a series of air
raid sirens in northern Israel. "As part of the effort to degrade the
organization and thwart rocket attacks against Israeli civilians, in the past
hour, the (military) struck launchers and Hezbollah terrorists throughout
Lebanon," a statement said. Earlier Tuesday, Israel said it had "detected
expanded preparations by Hezbollah" to launch rockets at Israel. The army added
that it hits Hezbollah launchers "prior to, or immediately following, a launch."
Israeli strikes continue in south Lebanon as Hezbollah fights incursion attempts
Naharnet/17 March/2026
Israeli strikes and shelling targeted on Tuesday afternoon several regions in
south Lebanon including al-Qsaybeh, Shhour, Jabshit-Harouf, Mayfadoun-Shawkin,
Dweir and Deir al-Zahrani, al-Kharayeb, al-Taybeh, Kfartebnit, Arnoun, Aita al-Shaab,
and Ramia. At least nine people were killed in strikes on the south Tuesday,
including three Lebanese army soldiers. Hezbollah for its part targeted Israeli
soldiers in the southern border town of Maroun al-Ras with an attack drone, a
gathering of soldiers in Mays al-Jabal and Merkava tanks in Markaba. Clashes
continued between Hezbollah and Israeli troops trying to enter Lebanese
territories from several southern border towns including al-Khiam, as Israeli
artillery shelled the village. Hezbollah later said it targeted Naharaya in
north Israel with rockets. On Monday, Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli troops
in the town of Khiam with a rocket salvo. The group published a video of several
attacks carried out earlier this month on Israel. Since March 2, Hezbollah has
repeatedly announced targeting Israeli forces and vehicles inside Khiam, the
first point into which Israeli forces advanced after the war began.
Israeli strikes target south, airport road, and Aramoun
Agence France Presse/17 March/2026
Israeli airstrikes rained down on three neighborhoods in Beirut's southern
suburbs early Tuesday, Lebanese state media reported, as Lebanon said more than
one million people had been displaced in two weeks of fighting. Lebanon was
drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 when Tehran-backed Hezbollah militants
attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes. Israel has responded with broad air raids
on its northern neighbor and troop incursions into border areas. "A series of
raids and artillery shelling targeted southern towns at dawn," Lebanon's
National News Agency said. "Israeli warplanes carried out two airstrikes
targeting the Kafaat and Haret Hreik areas" and another airstrike on a
residential apartment building in the Aramoun area, NNA added. Later in the day,
Israeli strikes targeted al-Laylaki, Burj al-Barajneh and al-Jamous in Beirut's
southern suburbs. "Israeli warplanes launched a raid, the third today on the
southern suburbs, targeting the old airport road near the Ansar Stadium in the
Burj al-Barajneh area," a short distance from Beirut International Airport,
state media reported. A person was killed in the strike and nine people were
wounded. The Lebanese civil aviation authority, in a statement to state media,
said the airport continued to operate normally and that the road leading to it
remained passable.Israel confirmed it had carried out the attacks, saying it was
targeting Hezbollah. Israel said earlier it had launched a "wide scale wave of
strikes" in the Iranian capital Tehran and was also targeting Hezbollah
infrastructure in Beirut. The strikes on the south targeted several towns and
villages including Zebqine, Aitit, Yohmor, Bint Jbeil, al-Taybeh, Burj Qalaway,
al-Khiam, al-Ghandouriyyeh, Qaaqaiyyet al-Jesser, Bnaafoul, Habboush, Kafra,
Arab al-Jal, al-Jmayjme, killing at least 5 people. Lebanon's army said five of
its soldiers were hurt after the morning airstrike on the village of Qaaqaiyyet
al-Jesser. Two of the five soldiers were seriously wounded, and one of them
later died of his wounds. The army said the troops were hurt while travelling in
a car and a motorcycle. They were all taken to hospital for treatment. Israeli
strikes have killed 886 people, including 67 women and 111 children, since the
start of the fresh fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah, Lebanon's health
ministry said Monday, adding that 2,141 others have been wounded. Lebanese
authorities said more than one million people have registered as displaced since
March 2, with more than 130,000 people staying in upwards of 600 collective
shelters. The Israeli military has issued sweeping evacuation warnings for
southern Lebanon, extending more than 40 kilometers from its border. Defense
Minister Israel Katz has warned that displaced Lebanese should not return home
"south of the Litani area until the safety of residents in the north (of Israel)
is guaranteed".
Report: Issa asks Berri who in Lebanon has capacity to
fulfill commitments
Naharnet/17 March/2026
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, who visited Speaker Nabih Berri on
Monday, carried a fundamental question: who in Lebanon actually has the capacity
to implement and fulfill commitments as to any possible agreement with Israel to
stop the current war, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported. "This question
reflects a deep crisis of confidence in Washington and the international
community regarding the Lebanese authorities' ability to provide genuine
guarantees for disarming Hezbollah or preventing it from undermining any future
agreement," the daily said. While U.S. sources rule out the possibility of the
Israeli side being ready for negotiations at the current moment, they confirm
that Washington will assume mediation as soon as the opportune moment arrives,
with President Donald Trump's advisor, Massad Boulos, leading these talks.
Furthermore, the source explained that "the political climate leans towards a
pragmatic approach based on giving negotiations a chance, given the clarity of
Lebanese demands and the possibility of involving various forces in the process,
while simultaneously striving to minimize human and economic losses and contain
waves of displacement and migration." The source noted that the success of this
approach remains contingent on regional and international developments and the
ability to combine consolidating stability on the ground with expanding
diplomatic efforts. In the context of the negotiations, a diplomatic source told
the newspaper that the atmosphere emanating from Tel Aviv reflects "a negative
Israeli response to the proposal for direct negotiations, with a clear
inclination towards a military solution."While official Lebanese contacts are
focused on exploring the boundaries of the anticipated Israeli invasion and the
depth of the "buffer zone," diplomatic sources agree on a military scenario
involving the imposition of a buffer zone extending to the Litani River, in
conjunction with "a large-scale aerial campaign to destroy Hezbollah's missile
and drone factories and capabilities, and to dismantle its military
infrastructure."
US encourages Syrian action against Hezbollah, Damascus is
hesitant, sources say
Reuters/17 March/2026
The United States has encouraged Syria to consider sending forces into eastern
Lebanon to help disarm Hezbollah, but Damascus is reluctant to embark on such a
mission for fear of being sucked into the war in the Middle East and inflaming
sectarian tensions, five people briefed on the matter said. The proposal to
Syria’s US-allied government reflects intensifying moves to disarm Iran-backed
Hezbollah, which opened fire at Israel in support of Tehran on March 2,
prompting an Israeli offensive in Lebanon. The idea was first discussed by US
and Syrian officials last year, said two of the sources - both Syrian officials
- and two others familiar with the discussions. All spoke on condition of
anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The idea was raised again by
US officials around the time the US and Israel began their war against Iran. The
two Syrian officials said a US request came shortly before the war began. A
Western intelligence source said it was just after it started. Reuters spoke to
10 sources for this article - six Syrian officials and government advisors, two
Western diplomats, a European official and a Western intelligence source. All
said Syria’s government had been cautiously considering a cross-border operation
but remained hesitant. US encouragement for a Syrian operation in eastern
Lebanon and Syria’s hesitation to carry one out have not previously been
reported. A US State Department spokesperson declined comment on “private
diplomatic communications,” and referred Reuters to the Syrian and Lebanese
governments for comments on their operations.
Damascus offers assurances to Lebanon
Despite historic enmity towards Hezbollah and Tehran - both fought alongside
Bashar al-Assad during Syria’s 2011-24 civil war - Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa
has moved cautiously since US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran began on February 28.
One source, a senior Syrian official, said Damascus and its Arab allies agreed
Syria should stay out of the war, and take only defensive measures. Damascus has
deployed rocket units and thousands of troops at the Lebanese frontier since
early February, calling these measures defensive. Syria’s ministries of foreign
affairs and information did not respond to requests for comment. Responding to
questions from Reuters, Lebanon’s presidency said it had not received any “hint
or notice from the US, the West, the Arab countries or Syria” about US-Syria
discussions on a potential cross-border operation. Lebanese President Joseph
Aoun had held a bilateral call with Sharaa, and a trilateral call also involving
France’s president, in which Sharaa said Syria respected Lebanon’s sovereignty
and had no intervention plans, the presidency said. It said Lebanon coordinates
with Syria on border arrangements but has never discussed Hezbollah with
Damascus. Lebanon’s military said channels of coordination with Syria remained
open “within the framework of addressing border issues and common security
challenges,” with the aim of preventing tensions or incidents and ensuring
stability in the border area. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Sharaa had told
him, “the reinforcement of the military presence along the Syrian-Lebanese
border aims solely to strengthen border control and maintain internal Syrian
security,” and that Sharaa underlined the importance of continued coordination.
Aoun has pursued a policy aimed at securing Hezbollah’s disarmament but Beirut
has moved cautiously, with Hezbollah wielding a potent arsenal and enjoying
significant support among Lebanese Shia Muslims. Sharaa has said he supports
Aoun’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah.
Damascus sees risk of Iranian attack, minority unrest
The senior Syrian official said Washington had given the green light for an
operation into eastern Lebanon to help Lebanon disarm Hezbollah - when the time
is right. But Damascus saw risks including possible Iranian missile attacks and
potential for unrest among minority Shias, threatening efforts to stabilize
Syria after sectarian violence last year. Two Western diplomats also said
Washington had approved the idea of a Syrian cross-border operation against
Hezbollah. The Western intelligence source and a European official said the US
had asked Syria’s army to play a more active role countering Hezbollah in
Lebanon, including via a possible incursion into the east. The Western
intelligence source and the European official said Syria’s leadership was wary
of entering Lebanon as this could inflame bilateral tensions. A Syrian military
official said there was no final decision yet on any possible operation inside
Lebanon, but the option of intervening in the event of a conflict between the
Lebanese state and Hezbollah remained on the table.
Syrian domination under the Assads
Syria long dominated Lebanon under the Assads, sending in forces in 1976 during
the 1975-90 civil war at the invitation of President Sleiman Frangieh and
controlling Lebanon’s post-war politics until its withdrawal in 2005. Any Syrian
intervention could fuel sectarian tensions in both Syria and Lebanon, home to a
mosaic of sects including Sunnis, Christians, Druze and Shias. In a March 13
interview with Lebanese broadcaster MTV, Syrian Defense Ministry spokesperson
Brigadier General Hassan Abdel Ghani said the build-up at the border was a
defensive measure. There was a high level of coordination with Lebanon’s army,
he said, and Sharaa supported the establishment of Lebanese state authority over
Lebanon. Last week, Syria’s army said Hezbollah artillery shells landed in a
border village. Hezbollah had said it had repelled an Israeli attempt to
infiltrate Lebanon from the same village. Israeli officials said they were
unaware of any such operation. The Syrian army said it was “considering
appropriate options to take the necessary actions” in response.
Early indications show Israel tank fire hit UN Lebanon
base, source says
Reuters/17 /2026
Initial findings by an internal UN inquiry suggest Israeli tank fire hit a UN
position in southern Lebanon on March 6, wounding Ghanaian peacekeepers,
according to a Western military source, underscoring the growing risks as
Israeli operations expand.
The UN peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL is stationed in southern Lebanon to
monitor hostilities along the demarcation line with Israel - an area that is at
the heart of clashes between Israeli troops and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.
The mission, which will be halted at the end of 2026, has been sporadically
caught in the crosshairs of both Israel and Hezbollah over the last couple of
years, but with Israel considering a broader ground operation, the risks could
be greater in the coming weeks. Lebanon was pulled into the war in the Middle
East when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel that ignited a new Israeli offensive
against the group.
Three shells fired from Israeli tank
According to the source, the preliminary conclusions led by UNIFIL’s Force
Commander Reserve with support from explosive ordnance disposal specialists
indicated that three strikes at the al-Qawzah base were direct hits from the
main gun of an Israeli battle tank. They were fired using 120-mm M339 HE-MP-T
shells, the source said. “Israeli involvement in the attack against UNIFIL is
undeniable, given that these munitions are manufactured by Israel Military
Industries (IMI),” the source said. The findings of UNIFIL’s probe have not been
previously reported. UNIFIL had said on March 6 that Ghanaian peacekeepers were
wounded amid heavy firing and called the incident “unacceptable,” but did not
say at the time who was responsible. “That investigation is not yet complete.
Once it is finalized, it will be shared with the parties, per usual practice,”
said UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel. “Nonetheless, we reiterate the
obligation of all actors to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers and
avoid harm to civilians. Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave
violation of international humanitarian law and a violation of resolution
1701.”Israel’s military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
IMI could not immediately be reached for comment. Elbit Systems, a major Israeli
defense contractor that owns IMI, also did not immediately respond to a request
for comment. The Lebanese prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to
a request for comment.
Highlighting the concerns surrounding UN peacekeepers, UNIFIL said on Sunday
that another group of peacekeepers were likely fired upon earlier that day on
three separate occasions in southern Lebanon, “likely by non-state armed
groups.” It said no peacekeepers were injured.
UNIFIL ability to carry out mission tested
The M339 HE-MP-T round can be used in anti-personnel, anti-helicopter,
anti-materiel, anti-armor and anti-structure roles. The shots were fired within
a five-minute window, indicating repeated fire rather than a single stray round,
the source said, adding that the base’s location and coordinates were well known
to all parties operating in the area, raising serious concerns over the safety
of UN personnel. Three Ghanaian soldiers were wounded, according to the Ghanaian
army. “This escalation, far from being isolated, is part of a worrying dynamic,
severely testing UNIFIL’s ability to carry out its peacekeeping mission,” the
source said. The Israeli military occupies five posts within Lebanon and despite
a ceasefire last year had frequently carried out airstrikes in the country’s
south that it says are targeting Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. UN
Security Council Resolution 1701, among other provisions, states that no armed
forces should be operating in southern Lebanon except the UN peacekeepers and
the Lebanese military. Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of trying to
rearm and the Lebanese armed forces of failing to disarm the group.
Qassem: Resistance to continue no matter the sacrifices
Naharnet/17 March/2026
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said Tuesday that Hezbollah is in a position
of "legitimate defense" in the battle against Israel, "defending the land,
rejecting surrender, and protecting the nation's existence and independence."
"The high level of preparation for the battle was characterized by the ambiguity
surrounding our capabilities, their limits, and their deployment, the lack of
need for fixed positions, and the flexibility for resistance fighters to move
from anywhere in Lebanon to the front lines to engage the enem," Qassem said in
a letter to Hezbollah's fighters.He said that Hezbollah achieved a "surprise" by
"thwarting the enemy's surprise attack, knowing their aggressive plan, and
preparing to counter it.""The only available solution is to stop the aggression,
withdraw from the occupied territories, release the prisoners, and allow the
residents of the villages and cities to return to their homes, along with the
commencement of reconstruction. We are capable of achieving this," Qassem
added."The resistance will continue on the field of honor, no matter the
sacrifices, and the battlefield will ultimately decide the outcome," he
stressed.
Lebanon has proposed direct talks with Israel but Hezbollah says talks 'big
mistake'
Naharnet/17 March/2026
With airstrikes rocking Beirut and Israeli troops trying to advance against
Hezbollah, Lebanon's government has broken a taboo by proposing the first direct
talks with Israel in decades. But Lebanese officials say they want the fighting
to end first — and it might be too late for that. Hezbollah's decision to enter
the wider Iran war by firing rockets at Israel has led to the heavy Israeli
bombardment of southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs, killing some 850
Lebanese and driving over a million people from their homes.The Iran-backed
Hezbollah views the latest war as an existential struggle, and Israel is
threatening a wider ground invasion, the seizure of territory and the
destruction of Lebanon's civilian infrastructure. The United States, which has
mediated during past flare-ups, has so shown no interest in doing so this time
around. Last week, President Joseph Aoun offered to hold direct negotiations
with Israel for the first time since the 1982 Israeli invasion during Lebanon's
civil war. Aoun also asked for a boost in funding for Lebanese troops and
reaffirmed his commitment to disarm Hezbollah, a longstanding Israeli and U.S.
demand.But Lebanon wants the fighting to end before any talks with Israel,
according to three Lebanese diplomatic and government officials familiar with
the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to
speak to the press. Israeli officials did not respond to requests for comment
about the offer of talks. But Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, during a
visit to an Israeli town hit by an Iranian missile, denied any talks were
planned.
A new approach to a weakened Hezbollah
The agreement that ended Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war called for the
disarmament of all armed groups, but Hezbollah alone kept its weapons to protect
Lebanon from Israel, which occupied the country's south until 2000. Successive
Lebanese governments, even those dominated by Hezbollah's political rivals,
refused to directly confront the group, which was widely seen as more powerful
than Lebanon's armed forces. There were fears that any attempt to disarm
Hezbollah by force could rekindle the civil war.
That calculus started to change in 2024, when Israel killed most of Hezbollah's
top leaders and pummeled its armed wing, potentially opening the door for
Lebanese authorities to exert greater control. Aoun, a former army commander,
and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who both took office in early 2025, pledged to
disarm Hezbollah, a position with wide support among Lebanon's war-weary
population. In the months leading up to the war, the government deployed troops
across large parts of southern Lebanon and said it dismantled over 500 Hezbollah
warehouses and military positions. But it did not confront the group directly.
When Hezbollah launched a volley of missiles at Israel days after the surprise
U.S.-Israeli bombing of Iran, the Lebanese government condemned the militant
group, outlawed its activities, and arrested several militants it accused of
illegal possession of weapons.
But by then the country had been plunged into yet another war.
Hezbollah remains defiant
Hezbollah, which has launched waves of missiles and drones into northern Israel
since that initial attack, still portrays itself as Lebanon's only viable
defense. It accuses Israel of violating a 2024 U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement
because it continued to launch regular airstrikes, which often killed civilians,
and refused to withdraw from five strategic points along the border. Hezbollah
also likely feels obligated to support Iran, its main sponsor, at a moment of
peril. Israel says Hezbollah is in violation of past agreements requiring it to
disarm and that the airstrikes were aimed at preventing attacks. It has long
accused Lebanese authorities of failing to disarm the group and warned that it
would do so itself, at potentially great cost to Lebanon. Last week, Israeli
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Lebanese government "will pay an
increasing price in infrastructure damage and territorial loss until the
commitment to disarm Hezbollah is fulfilled."Hezbollah officials have denounced
the offer of direct talks with Israel and blame the government for failing to
end the Israeli strikes or the occupation of the border areas. Mahmoud Qmati, a
senior official in Hezbollah's political bureau, said the offer of talks with
Israel was a "concession and a big mistake," in light of "the ongoing occupation
and aggression.""This move would be stabbing the resistance in the back. The
state cannot make any promises without the resistance's approval," he told the
Al Jazeera network.
Entreaties fall upon deaf ears in Washington -
During past blow-ups, Lebanon would often turn to the United States, which has
leverage over Israel and is a major donor to the Lebanese military. But
Washington appears to be preoccupied with the wider war and its impact on the
global economy.
"There is no senior official in the White House focusing on Lebanon," said Randa
Slim, director of the Middle East Program at the Washington-based Stimson
Center. Thomas Barrack, who serves as the White House envoy to Turkey, Syria and
Lebanon, dismissed Lebanon as a "failed state" last year.
Slim said the offer of talks was unlikely to gain traction or head off an
Israeli invasion. Israel and the U.S had expected more decisive action from
Lebanon's army after the last war, despite its limited capabilities and
financial struggles, and the risks of confronting Hezbollah directly. They may
not be inclined to give it another chance. "They had been very clear with the
Lebanese on how important it was to control Hezbollah from doing anything
offensively," said Ed Gabriel, president of the American Task Force on Lebanon,
a nonprofit that aims to build stronger U.S.-Lebanon ties. "Hezbollah's actions
have now set back for the time being any resolution of this war and created a
lack of confidence by U.S. officials that the (Lebanese armed forces) can
control and disarm Hezbollah," he said. Israeli troops are meanwhile trying to
advance deeper into southern Lebanon ahead of an expected wider ground invasion.
The Israeli military has struck and destroyed bridges and key roads, and issued
evacuation warnings for an area stretching dozens of kilometers north of the
border.The Lebanese government, in the grip of a severe, yearslong financial
crisis, is scrambling to provide shelter and aid for almost one million people
displaced. It is also calling on the international community to press Israel to
spare key infrastructure, like Beirut's airport and seaport, according to one of
the Lebanese officials. Aoun, once confident he could disarm Hezbollah with
minimal confrontation, continues with his flurry of diplomatic calls from the
hilltop presidential palace. Drones circle overhead, airstrikes echo in the
distance, and plumes of smoke rise to the south.
Aoun says Israeli attacks on army contradict with calls for it to extend state
authority
Naharnet/17 March/2026
President Joseph Aoun made two phone calls Tuesday to Minister of National
Defense Michel Menassa and Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal, offering his
condolences for the death of three soldiers in the South as a result of an
Israeli airstrike on the Zibdine-Nabatieh road. Aoun strongly condemned the
targeting of the soldiers, "coinciding with the ongoing attacks that have also
claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent women, men, and children," considering
these acts "a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law."Aoun
affirmed that targeting the military institution, which plays a "unifying
national role in protecting stability and preserving sovereignty," blatantly
contradicts "the calls from Lebanon and the international community to empower
the army to extend state authority over all Lebanese territory and to confine
weapons to the hands of the legitimate armed forces."Aoun also reiterated
Lebanon's commitment to this option, calling for an immediate halt to attacks on
villages, towns and their inhabitants, and for an end to attacks on the army,
which "remains the last resort for maintaining security and stability in the
country."
Lebanon transfers 137 Syrian prisoners under bilateral agreement
Agence France Presse/17 March/2026
Lebanon transferred more than 130 Syrian detainees to their home country on
Tuesday, a Lebanese judicial official told AFP, as part of an agreement the two
sides signed in February. Overcrowded Lebanese prisons host more than 2,200
Syrians held on various charges. Many of them are still awaiting trial, while
hundreds have been brought before military courts on charges of "terrorism" or
related offences, including attacks on Lebanese forces.Others are in custody for
alleged membership in jihadist or armed groups that were opposed to now ousted
Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who was supported by Lebanon's Hezbollah group
during the Syrian civil war. "One hundred and six convicted inmates were
released from Roumieh Prison (north of Beirut), in addition to 31 others from
Qobbeh Prison in Tripoli (north)," the official told AFP."The convoy headed to
the Masnaa crossing to hand them over to the Syrian side," the official added.
This is the first batch of prisoners to be transferred under an agreement signed
between the two countries in February, which will cover almost 300 convicts who
have served 10 years or more in Lebanese prisons. Under the agreement, they will
be required to complete the remainder of their sentences in Syria. The issue of
the detainees had been a sticking point in Beirut-Damascus relations following
the overthrow of the former Assad government in December 2024. Over the past
year, both sides have repeatedly expressed their determination to open a new
chapter in bilateral ties following the ouster of Assad.
38 healthcare workers killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon
since war start
Agence France Presse/17 March/2026
Youssef Assaf was in a Lebanese Red Cross ambulance when it was targeted by an
Israeli strike near Tyre, in southern Lebanon. The 35-year-old paramedic died of
his wounds two days later. "I was called around 10:30 pm and told that he was
wounded and in the hospital," his wife, Jeanne d'Arc Boutros, told AFP from
northern Lebanon, where she had fled to a relative's home. "I knew my husband is
strong and can endure. I didn't react at all -- I just kept praying and
repeating in my heart that nothing bad would happen to him," the 32-year-old
schoolteacher said. But Assaf died within two days. He was one of 38 Lebanese
healthcare workers killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the current war
on March 2, according to the health ministry. The ministry said he died from
wounds caused by an Israeli strike on their ambulance "as they were carrying out
a rescue mission" after a strike.
Boutros said that when she heard the news of his death "I don't know what
happened to me. I collapsed on the ground and was convulsing". "How can they
wound or kill paramedics who are saving people? They are neither armed nor
affiliated with any party," the mother of three children, including a
four-month-old girl, said. The head of the Lebanese Red Cross, Georges Kettaneh,
told AFP that their teams operate in southern Lebanon only after notifying the
Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers, and stressed the need to secure safe access
for their paramedics on the ground. He said the Red Cross had sent a letter to
the foreign ministry to contact the U.N. "regarding the protection of medical
teams" and securing safe access routes.
'They are not a target'
The repeated strikes on healthcare workers have become a source of fear and
anxiety for many of them, including Mona Abou Zeid, 59, who runs a hospital in
the Nabatieh area in southern Lebanon."The situation is very difficult… There is
continuous shelling," she said. "We are afraid for our paramedics who move
around to transport the wounded," she added. The fears of healthcare workers
intensified after 12 were killed on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike that
targeted a medical center in the town of Bourj Qalaway in southern Lebanon. The
center belonged to the Islamic Health Authority (IHA), a civil defense
organization affiliated with Hezbollah, the organization said. It is not
uncommon for Lebanese political parties and religious institutions to sponsor
ambulance and healthcare associations. Fatima Shoumar's husband, a nurse, was
among those killed. She said those killed were not "military people... these
people were doctors, nurses, they help children".The Israeli military has
accused Hezbollah of "extensively using ambulances for military purposes," an
accusation the Lebanese health ministry described as "a justification" for
crimes "against humanity".Ramzi Kaiss, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, said
the Israeli military had not provided evidence that healthcare facilities or
ambulances it attacked were being used for military purposes. Kaiss told AFP
that if the Israelis have evidence that ambulances are being misused, they "must
issue a warning to cease this misuse and only attack after this warning goes
unheeded".Since March 2, the health ministry has said, there have been 53
attacks on paramedics, 13 on medical centers and 30 on ambulances."The pattern
we're seeing today is eerily similar to what we saw unfold between October 2023
and November 2024," Kaiss said, "a period during which over 220 health workers
were killed".
'No more red lines' –
Nasser Ajram, a paramedic for a local NGO in Sidon, was gripped by anxiety
despite his determination to continue his humanitarian mission. "The day before
yesterday, they struck a center. They killed doctors and nurses… there are no
more red lines," he said. Ajram, 57, has barely seen his family and
grandchildren for two weeks. "It seems there is no protection."For Boutros, the
loss was irreparable, and her four-year-old son was asking still when his father
would come home. "I always dreamed about how we would grow old together. I would
tell him how he would become an old man and I would grow old too."He loved
basketball, skiing, hunting and the sea. He loved helping people... he did a lot
in his life, and then he left."
Judiciary expected to seek Qmati's arrest over coup remarks
Naharnet/17 March/2026
The Lebanese judiciary is expected to seek the arrest of Hezbollah official
Mahmoud Qmati, after he threatened that his group can overthrow the government
and take over the country, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Tuesday.In
an interview, Qmati has warned that his party is "capable of overthrowing the
country and the government," adding that Hezbollah's "patience" has "limits."Qmati
stated that "the Vichy government used to arrest and execute resistance
fighters, then it was overthrown and its traitors were executed," adding: "God
willing, we won't reach that point."He continued: "Based on the current
circumstances and positions, a direct confrontation with this political
authority seems inevitable after the war ends, regardless of the outcome." He
asserted that "the government in Lebanon is no longer fit to govern the
country."He also added that "this government's stances only serve the Israeli
enemy," emphasizing that "a confrontation is coming, and the traitors will pay
the price for their treachery."
Hezbollah denies any members in Kuwait after arrest of 16
alleged affiliates
Associated Press/17 March/2026
Hezbollah on Tuesday denied it had any members in Kuwait a day after the Gulf
country announced the arrest of 14 Kuwaitis and two Lebanese nationals allegedly
affiliated with the group over a "sabotage plot". "Hezbollah categorically
denies the allegations and accusations issued by the Kuwaiti interior ministry,"
the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group said in a statement, calling the
allegations "baseless" and adding: "There are no Hezbollah cells, members or
networks in Kuwait." Kuwaiti security forces had arrested 16 people suspected to
have links with Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group allied with Iran, the
state-run Kuwait News Agency reported. The interior ministry said in a statement
late Monday that the 14 Kuwaiti and two Lebanese suspects sought to “create
chaos, and disrupt public order” during the war, the agency reported. The
ministry did not identify the people arrested. It was not immediately clear if
they had lawyers. It said authorities found firearms, ammunition, weapons for
training and assassinations and encrypted communication devices and drones.The
ministry said the suspects aimed to recruit others to join Hezbollah. Kuwait has
for years experienced attacks that authorities linked to Iran.
South Lebanon's Christian towns insist they are not part of Israel-Hezbollah war
Agence France Presse/17 March/2026
In southern Lebanon's Ain Ebel, close to the border with Israel, Suad Jallad
holds a poster of her son, killed by Israel last week, saying she would rather
be buried next to him than leave. Ain Ebel, a village filled with red-riled
roofs and surrounded by olive groves, is one of few Christian villages in the
Bint Jbeil district whose residents refuse to evacuate, insisting they are not a
party to the war between Israel and Hezbollah. "We live in fear and terror," the
56-year-old said, indicating the positions from which she says Hezbollah and
Israel fire at one another, insisting that "despite this, we stayed in the
village". Shadi Ammar, Jallad's 22-year-old son, was killed with two other
residents by an Israeli drone strike last week, as they were trying to repair
the internet connection on a roof, according to Lebanon's state-run National
News Agency."He did not want to leave the town. He stayed, but is now in the
cemetery," she told AFP, sobbing in the church hall. Lebanon was drawn into the
Middle East war on March 2 when Tehran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in
response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in
U.S.-Israeli strikes. Israel, which never stopped bombing Lebanon despite a 2024
ceasefire, responded with air raids on its northern neighbor and troop
incursions into border areas. "I used to tell him to travel and get his life in
order... He'd say, 'I won't leave Ain Ebel,'" Jallad said. The town finds itself
surrounded by Israeli strikes respond to rocket fires from Hezbollah in nearby
areas. "We were living in poverty and scarcity, and we used to say, 'Thank
God,'" Jalad said. "But to betray our children like this and kill them? Why?
They had nothing to fight them with... It is a shame that their blood was shed
in vain."
'Bury me next to my son'
After participating in a prayer service attended by the Papal Nuncio to Lebanon,
Paolo Borgia, who is touring Christian towns near the border, Jallad wept for
her young son, holding a photograph of him. His death reminded her of her
mother's anguish when Jallad's brother was killed decades earlier. "I lived
through the same experience. I was 14 when my brother died," she said, adding
that "he was in the South Lebanon Army at the time... He died at the age of
21".The South Lebanon Army started operating during the 1980s in the border
region of southern Lebanon, under Israeli occupation until 2000. The
Christian-majority force consisted of defected Lebanese army officers and
soldiers, as well as recruits from the area, and was loyal to Israel. Israel has
fought three major wars with Hezbollah since its occupation ended. "We did not
choose this war, nor do we want it, but we chose to stay," Ain Ebel mayor Ayoub
Khreich said in front of a Papal delegation. Maroun Nassif, a municipal council
member in neighboring Debl, told AFP "we are paying the price for policies we
did not choose". "We are forced to sacrifice and risk our very existence in this
area so that we do not lose our land, our homes, our villages, and become
refugees with nowhere to go.""We are forced to stay in our villages so that we
can still have a village," he added, reflecting fears that their homes will be
used for Hezbollah's military operations, making them targets for Israeli raids.
In Rmeish, another town that overlooks Israel, women gathered around an aid
convoy from a Catholic organization. "Since I was little, the town has been
bombed... there has always been war," Elvira al-Amil, a mother of three, said.
"We grew up with war and said it would end... but now my children are still
living through war."Residents of the Christian border towns refuse to leave,
believing they will remain safe from Israeli fire. However, residents of Alma
al-Shaab, a town in the Tyre district, were forced to evacuate last week under
Israeli orders, the reason for which remains unclear. In Ain Ebel's cemetery,
Jallad caresses her son's tombstone, surrounded by women trying to comfort her.
"I won't leave... let them bury me next to my son," she said. "Why would we
leave? We are not fighting anyone. We are not fighting it (Israel) nor are we
fighting them (Hezbollah). They are the ones fighting us."
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
important 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
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published
on March 17-18/2026
US carrier Ford, deployed in war with Iran, to go to port
temporarily after fire
Reuters/18 March/2026
The US aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, deployed in operations against Iran, is
expected to temporarily pull into port after a fire on board, US officials said
on Tuesday, the 18th day of the war with Tehran.The carrier, America’s newest
and the world’s largest, is currently located in the Red Sea. It is expected to
temporarily go to Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete, the two officials
said. The warship has been deployed for nine months, including taking part in
operations against Venezuela in the Caribbean prior to arriving in the Middle
East. The length of the deployment has raised questions about morale of the
sailors on board and the readiness of the warship. The officials, who spoke on
the condition of anonymity, did not say how long the Ford was expected to remain
in Crete. One of the officials said nearly 200 sailors were treated for
smoke-related injuries when the fire broke out in the ship’s main laundry area.
The fire took hours to bring under control and had an impact on roughly 100
sleeping berths.One service member was flown off the ship for injuries, the
official said. The New York Times first reported the extent of the damage on
board the warship. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for
comment. After the fire initially broke out, the US military had said that there
was no damage to the ship’s propulsion plant and the aircraft carrier was fully
operational. The United States has carried out strikes against more than 7,000
targets since it started operations against Iran on February 28. The Ford, with
more than 5,000 sailors aboard, has more than 75 military aircraft, including
fighter aircraft like the F-18 Super Hornets. The Ford has sophisticated radar
that can help control air traffic and navigation. The supporting ships, such as
the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser Normandy, Arleigh Burke-class
guided missile destroyers Thomas Hudner, Ramage, Carney, and Roosevelt, include
surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
Israel vows to find and ‘neutralize’ Iran’s new supreme leader
Al Arabiya English/17 March/2026
Israel’s military on Tuesday vowed to hunt down and “neutralize” Iran’s new
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, after saying it had killed the country’s
powerful national security chief in an airstrike. If confirmed, the death of Ali
Larijani would represent a major blow to Iran, whose long-serving leader Ali
Khamenei was killed less than three weeks ago in US-Israeli strikes that ignited
a war in the Middle East.The reported assassination came as Iran’s parliament
speaker vowed that shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would not return to its
pre-war norm, and Donald Trump blasted allies for rebuffing his call to help
escort oil tankers through the blockaded waterway.
Tehran has not confirmed the death of Larijani, described as a key figure close
to the late supreme leader, but urged Iranians across the country to rally
Tuesday in a show of defiance against enemy “plots.”Israel’s military vowed it
would also eliminate Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the
late ayatollah who took power after his father’s death on February 28. “We don’t
know about Mojtaba Khamenei, we don’t hear him, we don’t see him, but I can tell
you one thing: we will track him down, find him, and neutralize him,” military
spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin told reporters.
While Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since he was appointed,
Larijani, 68, walked with crowds at a pro-government rally last week in Tehran.
Israel’s military said it was striking positions of Iran’s Basij paramilitary
force around Tehran on Tuesday, after announcing it had killed group’s top
commander, Gholamreza Soleimani.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed Soleimani’s death in a
statement Tuesday evening. Iran has retaliated by targeting its Gulf neighbors
and all but closing the Strait of Hormuz through which a fifth of global crude
passes, sending oil prices soaring. “The Strait of Hormuz situation won’t return
to its pre-war status,” Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf said
in an English-language social media post on Tuesday. Oil prices surged after
several countries pushed back on Trump’s demand they help secure the strait by
sending warships to escort tankers. Trump accused NATO of making a “foolish
mistake” by refusing to help and said the US no longer needed assistance in
reopening the strait. His comments came moments after President Emmanuel Macron
said France was ready to help once the situation was calmer but stressed his
country was “not a party to the conflict,” echoing other EU and NATO leaders. A
top US counterterrorism official resigned to protest the war, arguing that Iran
had posed no imminent threat to the United States. The war has also drawn in
Lebanon, after Tehran-backed Hezbollah militants struck Israel over Khamenei’s
killing. Israel has stepped up strikes and deployed ground troops to its
northern neighbor, and the Lebanese military says six of its soldiers have been
killed so far. More than a million people have been displaced across Lebanon,
while Israeli strikes have killed 886 people since March 2, Lebanon’s health
ministry says. With AFP
Trump blasts ‘foolish’ NATO on Iran, says US needs no help
AFP/17 March/2026
US President Donald Trump lashed out Tuesday at “foolish” NATO over Iran, saying
the United States needs no help after allies rebuffed his calls to join efforts
to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said most US allies had rejected his push
to escort ships through the crucial waterway, with French President Emmanuel
Macron saying his country would “never” do so until the situation was calmer. “I
think NATO is making a very foolish mistake,” Trump told reporters as he hosted
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in the Oval Office.
“I’ve long said that I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us. So
this was a great test.” But Trump insisted that Washington was ready to go it
alone against Iran, saying that even NATO allies had agreed that Tehran needed
to be confronted over its nuclear program. “We don’t need too much help. We
don’t need any help,” Trump said. Minutes before the meeting, Trump made a
lengthy post on his Truth Social platform saying US forces “no longer need”
military help in the Iran war. Trump said that “most” NATO allies had said they
did not want to get involved, along with Japan, Australia and South Korea,
describing the decades-old military alliance as a “one way street.”“Because of
the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire,
the NATO Countries’ assistance – WE NEVER DID!”The 79-year-old Republican has
long criticized NATO, and since returning to power in January 2025 he has pushed
its members into increasing their defense spending. Asked if he would reconsider
the US relationship with NATO as he has suggested in the past, Trump said it was
“certainly something that we should think about” but added: “I have nothing
currently in mind.”
‘Big mistake’
But he repeated his criticisms of foreign counterparts over the issue, saying
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer “hasn’t been supportive, and I think it’s a
big mistake.”
Of Macron, he merely said that “he’ll be out of office soon.”The US leader had
suggested on Monday that both Paris and London would be ready to help, and said
other countries he did not name were already on board. But Macron insisted
Tuesday that France would not participate in operations to open the strait in
the current context, but once the situation becomes “calmer” it could
participate in an “escort system” alongside other nations. Britain has also
waved off Washington’s request for assistance. Iran has targeted the energy
facilities of its crude-producing neighbors and attacked and threatened tankers
transiting the Strait of Hormuz, all but closing the vital waterway through
which one fifth of global crude oil passes. Trump meanwhile kept up his mixed
messaging about the length and goals of the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has
expanded dramatically across the Middle East and caused global oil prices to
surge. He said that Iran’s “actual top leader was killed yesterday,” in an
apparent reference to Israel’s claim that it had killed powerful national
security chief Ali Larijani. Iran was “just a military operation to me” and
“we’ll be leaving in pretty much the very near future,” Trump said, but he
remained vague about his political plan for the country after the war. “We’re
going to try to get people that are going to run it well,” he said. US-Israeli
strikes on February 28 killed Ali Khamenei, the country’s long-serving supreme
leader, and Iran has named his son Mojtaba Khamenei to replace him, despite
reports he is injured.
Iran confirm death of Basij paramilitary chief in
US-Israeli strike
Al Arabiya English/17 March/2026
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday confirmed the death
of the commander of the affiliated Basij paramilitary force in an US-Israeli
strike.
“Commander Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij Organization, has been
martyred,” the IRGC said on its Sepah News website, after Israel said it had
killed him in an airstrike.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israel’s military said it killed Soleimani “in a precise
strike in Tehran.”
The Basij, a volunteer force under the IRGC, “led the main repression
operations” by the authorities during recent mass protests in Iran, the Israeli
army said. Iran was rocked by unprecedented protests against the clerical
establishment that peaked in January.
They were met with a crackdown in which, according to rights groups, thousands
of people were killed and tens of thousands arrested. Israel also said on
Tuesday it killed Iran’s national security chief, Ali Larijani, with Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling him the leader of “the gang of gangsters”
that runs the country. Larijani’s death – which has not yet been confirmed by
Tehran – would be a massive blow to Iran just weeks after US-Israeli strikes on
February 28 killed Ali Khamenei, the country’s long-serving supreme leader,
throwing the Middle East into war and upending global markets.With AFP
Iran confirms death of security chief Larijani
AFP/18 March/2026
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on Tuesday confirmed the death of its
chief Ali Larijani, after Israel said it had killed him in an air strike. “The
pure souls of the martyrs embraced the purified soul of God’s righteous servant,
Martyr Dr. Ali Larijani,” the council said, adding that his son and his
bodyguards had died with him. “After a lifetime of struggle for the advancement
of Iran and of the Islamic Revolution, he ultimately attained his long-held
aspiration, answered the divine call, and honorably achieved the sweet grace of
martyrdom in the trench of service,” it added.
Netanyahu says Larijani killing gives Iranians chance to overthrow their rulers
Agencies/17 March/2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the killing of
Tehran’s national security chief Ali Larijani was part of efforts to give
Iranians a chance to remove their rulers. “This morning we eliminated Ali
Larijani, the boss of the Revolutionary Guards, which is the gang of gangsters
that actually runs Iran,” Netanyahu said in a televised statement. He said the
overthrow of the clerical authorities by Iranians “will not happen all at once,
it will not happen easily. But if we persist in this – we will give them a
chance to take their fate into their own hands.”Israel’s Defense Minister Israel
Katz said on Tuesday Israeli forces had killed Larijani, widely seen as one of
the most powerful figures in the country, as well as Gholamreza Soleimani who
led the volunteer Basij militia, which plays a major role in domestic security.
A statement from the prime minister’s office said Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered
“the elimination of senior officials of the Iranian regime.”There was no
immediate response from Tehran to Katz’s remarks. Iranian state media published
a handwritten note by Larijani commemorating Iranian sailors killed in a US
attack whose funeral was expected on Tuesday.Larijani would be the most senior
figure assassinated since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed on the first
day of Israeli-US airstrikes on February 28.
US reaffirms commitment to UAE’s security amid continuing
Iranian attacks
Al Arabiya English/18 March/2026
The top US diplomat on Tuesday reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the UAE’s
security after repeated Iranian attacks on the Gulf nation. The pledge came
during a phone call between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UAE Foreign
Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.“The Secretary expressed his condolences for
those killed in Iran’s indiscriminate attacks on the UAE, and reaffirmed the US
commitment to the security of the Emirates,” State Department Spokesman Tommy
Pigott said. Iranian drones and missiles have been launched at UAE civilian
infrastructure, including Dubai’s international airport, landmark hotels and its
financial hub.
UAE could join international effort led by US to secure
Strait of Hormuz, says advisor
Reuters/17 March/2026
The United Arab Emirates could take part in a US-led effort to safeguard
shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Emirati official said on
Tuesday, though he also said that no formal plan had been agreed and discussions
were ongoing. “We all have a responsibility to ensure the flow of trade, the
flow of energy,” Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the country’s
president, said at an online event hosted by the American think tank the Council
on Foreign Relations. Gargash also said that once the US-Israeli war with Iran
ends, an arrangement would be needed to ensure that Iran cannot use its nuclear,
missile or drone programs “to terrorize the region.”Concerns have mounted over
the security of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has
effectively blocked, and as President Donald Trump has sought to rally countries
to deploy warships to escort tankers through the strategic waterway.
German FM says unrealistic to expect controlled regime
change in Iran
Reuters/17 March/2026
Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Tuesday said it was not realistic
to expect controlled regime change in Iran and said the war could not have only
a military solution. “There will be no military solution. And to have a
controlled regime change, is, I would say, a hypothetical idea, which is not
realistic,” he said, speaking alongside his French counterpart in Berlin at an
event hosted by the ZEIT media group. “So chaos in Iran, as bad as the regime
is, is also not in our interest and not in the interest of the region and, of
course, in the interest of the people living in Iran.”
Security source says US embassy struck as explosions heard
in Baghdad
AFP/17 March/2026
Several loud explosions were heard Tuesday evening in Iraq’s capital Baghdad,
AFP journalists reported, with a security official reporting a drone and rocket
attack on the US embassy. In a restaurant in the city, where diners did not
react to the initial sounds of the blasts, a witness told AFP he saw detonations
caused by the embassy’s air defenses intercepting projectiles. Another witness
saw a fire on the edge of the embassy grounds from her balcony, with the blaze
also reported by the security official, who said it was caused by a drone. “The
embassy was the target of a drone and rocket attack,” the official said,
speaking on condition of anonymity. Iraq was drawn into the Middle East war
after having long been a proxy battleground between the United States and Iran.
Strikes have targeted Iran-backed groups, which in turn have claimed daily
attacks on US interests in Iraq and across the region. In recent days
pro-Iranian armed groups have carried out several attacks against the US
embassy, located in a heavily fortified area of central Baghdad, and against an
American diplomatic and logistics center at the city’s international airport.On
Monday evening into early Tuesday morning, attacks targeted the US diplomatic
mission, while a drone crashed into a luxury hotel popular with foreign
diplomats.
Direct US-Iran contact resumes, Tehran signals interest in
ending war: Report
Al Arabiya English/17 March/2026
A direct communications channel between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been reactivated in recent days, Axios
reported on Monday, citing a US official and a source with knowledge of the
matter. It is unclear how substantive the exchanges between Araghchi and Witkoff
have been, but they mark the first known direct communication between the two
sides since the war began more than two weeks ago, the report said. Araghchi
sent text messages to Witkoff focusing on ending the war, Axios reported, citing
the US official and the source. At the same time, the US official told Axios
that Washington “is not talking” to Tehran. US President Donald Trump said on
Monday that Iran wants to make a deal and that they are “talking to our
people.”Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the United States
does not know Iran’s new leadership. “All their leaders are dead. We don’t even
know who we are dealing with,” he said. Iranian officials have publicly claimed
in recent days that they are not engaged in any ceasefire negotiations with the
Trump administration. They say Iran is not interested in a temporary ceasefire
that would allow the United States and Israel to regroup and launch new attacks,
but instead wants guarantees that any peace deal would be permanent.
US troops take position as they patrol near an oil field in
al-Qahtaniyah in Syria's
Al Arabiya English/17 March/2026
The US military has vacated one of its last remaining bases in Syria, officials
told Al Arabiya English on Tuesday. American forces fully withdrew from the
Rumalyn Landing Zone (RLZ) as of Sunday, March 15, according to a US official.
The move reduces the American military presence in the country to fewer than 500
troops, the official added.The United States has now withdrawn from three of its
four main locations in Syria as part of an ongoing transition.RLZ had been a
strategic base in northeastern Syria for US troops, which also happened to be
the target of multiple drone attacks by Iran-backed militias.
US does 'not need' help
from allies on Iran, Trump says
Agence France Presse/17 March/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump, whose call for assistance from allies to reopen the
Strait of Hormuz to oil traffic has largely been rebuffed, said Tuesday that
U.S. forces "no longer need" military help in the Iran war. v"Because of the
fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the
NATO Countries' assistance -- WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South
Korea," Trump posted on his Truth Social network, adding: "WE DO NOT NEED THE
HELP OF ANYONE!"
Israel threats of
Gaza-level destruction in Lebanon 'unacceptable', UN says
Agence France Presse/17 March/2026
Threats from Israeli officials to unleash Gaza-level destruction on Lebanon are
"wholly unacceptable", the U.N. said Tuesday, and warned that "deliberately
attacking civilians or civilian objects amounts to a war crime".Israel has
stepped up strikes and deployed ground troops to its northern neighbor since
March 2, when Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war after Tehran ally
Hezbollah attacked Israel with rockets in retaliation for the killing of Iranian
supreme leader Ali Khamenei. More than a million people have been displaced
across Lebanon, while Israeli strikes have killed 886 people, including 67 women
and 111 children, since March 2, Lebanon's health ministry says. "Another tragic
chapter in Lebanon's history is being written," United Nations rights office
spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva. He said the situation was
already "catastrophic", voicing alarm at comments from Israeli officials
suggesting that parts of Lebanon would face devastation similar to Gaza.
Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned last week that the
southern Beirut suburb of Dahieh would "very soon ... resemble Khan Younis" -- a
southern Gaza city which has been heavily damaged by Israeli bombardments during
the two-and-a-half-year war with Hamas. "Statements by Israeli officials
threatening to impose the same level of destruction on Lebanon as inflicted in
Gaza are wholly unacceptable," Kheetan said. "Such rhetoric, coupled with the
Israeli military's announcement that it will deploy additional forces and expand
its ground incursion, intensify deep fear and anxiety among the Lebanese
population," he warned. Investigations needed - Already, he said, Israel's
attacks "raise serious concerns under international humanitarian law". He
pointed out a number of the Israeli airstrikes raining down on Lebanon "have
destroyed entire residential buildings in dense urban environments, with
multiple members of the same family, including women and children, often killed
together". "People displaced by the fighting and living in tents along Beirut's
seafront have also been hit. And in recent days, at least 16 medical staff have
been killed," he said. Kheetan stressed that international law "demands
distinction between military targets, and civilians and civilian objects".
"Deliberately attacking civilians or civilian objects amounts to a war crime."
There was a need, he said, for "proper investigations in each and every incident
where civilians are impacted in order to establish the responsibilities,
including the intent". Kheetan also decried Israel's "extensive warnings and
displacement orders across southern Lebanon", cautioning that "these orders may
amount to forced displacement, prohibited under international humanitarian law".
The U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, warned that
"civilians are paying a very, very high price and displacement is increasing
incredibly quickly right now".He pointed to numbers from the Norwegian Refugee
Council indicating that around 14 percent of Lebanese territory was now covered
by Israeli evacuation orders. Currently, "almost 20 percent" of the country's
5.8 million population is displaced, he said, adding that around 70 percent of
them were not in shelters.
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/
The Latest
LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on March 17-18/2026
Why Applying the 'Venezuela Method' to Iran Would Be a Terrible Mistake
Pierre Rehov/Gatestone Institute./March 17, 2026
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22353/iran-regime-venezuela-method
Unlike Venezuela's military elite, whose loyalty ultimately depends on financial
incentives, Iran's security apparatus has always viewed itself as the armed
guardian of a sacred Islamic revolutionary mission.
Iran, however, represents a fundamentally different political organism.
Confusing the two systems could produce disastrous strategic errors. The Islamic
Republic of Iran is not merely an authoritarian government cloaked in
ideological language; it is an ideological state whose institutional
architecture was deliberately constructed to preserve and expand a revolutionary
doctrine.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commands roughly 190,000 personnel
plus hundreds of thousands of reservists, controls vast business conglomerates
spanning construction, energy and telecommunications, and oversees the Basij
militia, a mass organization whose membership has been estimated in the millions
and whose purpose is to violently enforce ideological conformity and suppress
dissent.
This resilience is characteristic of ideological regimes whose institutional
design ensures survival beyond any single leader. The Islamic Republic itself
endured the death of founding Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in
1989, transitioning smoothly to a new leadership structure under Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei while preserving the same revolutionary framework.
Applying the Venezuelan model to Iran would not merely fail; it would risk
creating a dangerous illusion of success while leaving the underlying
ideological infrastructure untouched. Some Western analysts have suggested that
once sufficient military pressure weakens Tehran, negotiations could be opened
with supposedly pragmatic factions inside the regime, allowing elements of the
current political structure to remain in place in exchange for concessions on
nuclear weapons development and regional aggression.
Such thinking misunderstands the nature of ideological systems, which tend to
treat compromise not as a strategic transformation but as a temporary tactic
designed to preserve the revolution until circumstances change.
Leaving the ideological framework of the Islamic Republic intact would therefore
resemble leaving a malignant tumor inside the body after surgery: the symptoms
might temporarily subside, but the underlying disease would continue to grow
until it inevitably returns.
The Venezuelan model succeeded because the regime it confronted was
fundamentally pragmatic, corrupt and adaptable. Iran's regime is none of those
things. The Islamic Republic was designed to survive leadership crises, economic
hardship, and external pressure precisely because its institutions are bound
together by religious ideology rather than mere patronage. Any strategy that
focuses only on removing individual leaders while preserving the ideological
machinery that sustains them will ultimately fail.
It is naive, however, and self-defeating if the Trump Administration imagines
that unarmed civilians -- with no outside assistance -- can realistically
prevail against heavily armed, determined state security forces. The wish may be
understandable, but even more civilians than the 40,000 already slaughtered are
bound to meet the same fate. The Trump Administration needs to direct and help
them.
If there is eventually an end to the violent suppression from the IRGC and the
Basij, the international community should be prepared to support forces capable
of building a new political order that is neither Islamist nor communist.
Anything less would allow the same ideological machinery to regenerate under a
different name, ensuring that the crisis would return once again — and that we
will still be fighting essentially the same regime but with different ayatollahs
five or ten years from now.
Once Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro disappeared, the country's interim
leadership and military elite simply recalculated their interests and began
cooperating with Washington to preserve their positions. Unlike Venezuela's
military elite, whose loyalty ultimately depends on financial incentives, Iran's
security apparatus has always viewed itself as the armed guardian of a sacred
Islamic revolutionary mission. Applying the Venezuelan model to Iran would not
merely fail; it would risk creating a dangerous illusion of success while
leaving the underlying ideological infrastructure untouched.
The spectacular American military operation that removed Venezuelan President
Nicolás Maduro from power earlier this year has inevitably inspired comparisons
among strategists searching for solutions to the Iran crisis.
When Maduro was captured during a dramatic U.S. raid on January 3, 2026, it was
widely seen as a striking demonstration of American resolve under President
Donald J. Trump. Maduro's removal loosened the Venezuelan dictatorship's grip on
power and triggered a rapid political recalibration in Caracas. Washington
quickly secured commitments on oil production, financial transparency, and the
partial restructuring of Venezuela's state energy giant PDVSA. Oil production,
which had collapsed from roughly 3.2 million barrels per day in 1998 to around
800,000 by late 2025 after decades of corruption and mismanagement, began a
gradual recovery as U.S. energy companies moved to revive extraction in the
Orinoco Belt, home to some of the world's largest heavy-crude reserves.
In exchange for sanctions relief and reconstruction assistance, Venezuela's
interim leadership accepted a significant degree of American political and
economic oversight. Diplomatic contacts resumed, political prisoners were
released, and some segments of the Venezuelan elite showed a pragmatic
willingness to adapt to the new geopolitical reality.
This flexibility did not reflect a sudden ideological conversion but rather
revealed what the Venezuelan system had always been: not a disciplined
revolutionary state but a kleptocratic petro-regime where military officers,
regime brokers, and criminal networks competed for access to oil revenue and
patronage. Once Maduro disappeared, these actors simply recalculated their
interests and began cooperating with Washington to preserve their positions,
thereby exposing the "Bolivarian revolution" as little more than a rhetorical
veneer covering systemic corruption.
This pragmatic structure explains why the Venezuelan system absorbed the shock
so quickly. Although Maduro's predecessor, the late President Hugo Chávez, built
his legitimacy on the language of socialism and anti-imperialism, the system he
created gradually evolved into a hybrid order combining state control of
strategic industries with widespread criminal patronage.
U.S. prosecutors had long accused Maduro and several associates of running what
investigators called Cartel de los Soles ("Cartel of the Suns"), allegedly
facilitating cocaine trafficking from Colombia through Venezuelan territory
toward Central America and the United States. Inside the country, senior
officers in the armed forces controlled smuggling routes, manipulated subsidized
fuel markets, and profited from import licenses in a system where corruption
became the primary mechanism of governance.
Even the ruling United Socialist Party functioned less as an ideological
vanguard than as a patronage network distributing access to state resources.
When U.S. sanctions intensified in 2019, oil exports collapsed from more than
1.5 million barrels per day to under 400,000, yet the regime responded not by
defending socialist doctrine but by expanding illicit gold mining and deepening
ties with transnational criminal networks.
In such an environment, basically secular and prioritizing its economy, loyalty
can dissolve quickly when power shifts. After Maduro's removal, many elites
concluded that survival required accommodation with Washington rather than
resistance, and quickly produced a rapid political realignment that reinforced
American influence in the Western Hemisphere.
Iran, however, represents a fundamentally different political organism.
Confusing the two systems could produce disastrous strategic errors. The Islamic
Republic of Iran is not merely an authoritarian government cloaked in
ideological language; it is an ideological state whose institutional
architecture was deliberately constructed to preserve and expand a revolutionary
doctrine.
After the overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979, every major component
of the Islamic Republic — from the Office of the Supreme Leader to the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — was designed to defend the doctrine of
Velayat-e Faqih ("guardianship of the Islamic jurist"), which grants ultimate
political authority to the Supreme Leader. The IRGC commands roughly 190,000
personnel plus hundreds of thousands of reservists, controls vast business
conglomerates spanning construction, energy and telecommunications, and oversees
the Basij militia, a mass organization whose membership has been estimated in
the millions and whose purpose is to violently enforce ideological conformity
and suppress dissent.
Unlike Venezuela's military elite, whose loyalty ultimately depends on financial
incentives, Iran's security apparatus has always viewed itself as the armed
guardian of a sacred Islamic revolutionary mission. This ideological commitment
explains why Tehran has invested enormous resources in building a regional
network of proxy forces — including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shiite militias in
Iraq, armed groups in Syria, and the Houthi movement in Yemen — collectively
known as the "Axis of Resistance." These organizations are not simply
geopolitical instruments; they are extensions of the ideological narrative that
defines the Islamic Republic's identity.
Even during periods of severe economic crisis, when Iran's currency lost nearly
90% of its value between 2018 and 2023 under renewed sanctions, the regime
continued financing these proxies; abandoning them would mean renouncing the
revolutionary mission on which its legitimacy depends.
Recent Israeli airstrikes have reportedly targeted IRGC facilities, missile
depots, and security installations in cities such as Isfahan, a major hub for
Iran's missile and aerospace industries, while also hitting Basij checkpoints
established to control internal unrest in cities. Videos circulating online
appear to show several of these checkpoints burning after attacks by
unidentified actors, suggesting that the regime's security apparatus faces
growing internal pressure. Yet despite these losses, the ideological structure
of the Islamic Republic remains largely intact. This further illustrates the
profound difference between corruption-based regimes and ideological systems.
Clerical networks, IRGC command structures, and indoctrinated militias continue
to function as an integrated ecosystem capable of regenerating political
authority even when individual leaders are removed.
Unconfirmed reports after recent airstrikes suggest that senior Iranian
leadership figures may have been killed or incapacitated, yet the system rapidly
produced new decision-makers and has seemingly maintained continuity of command.
This resilience is characteristic of ideological regimes whose institutional
design ensures survival beyond any single leader. The Islamic Republic itself
endured the death of founding Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in
1989, transitioning smoothly to a new leadership structure under Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei while preserving the same revolutionary framework.
Applying the Venezuelan model to Iran would not merely fail; it would risk
creating a dangerous illusion of success while leaving the underlying
ideological infrastructure untouched. Some Western analysts have suggested that
once sufficient military pressure weakens Tehran, negotiations could be opened
with supposedly pragmatic factions inside the regime, allowing elements of the
current political structure to remain in place in exchange for concessions on
nuclear weapons development and regional aggression.
Such thinking misunderstands the nature of ideological systems, which tend to
treat compromise not as a strategic transformation but as a temporary tactic
designed to preserve the revolution until circumstances change.
Iran's behavior following the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
illustrates the same pattern. While publicly embracing diplomatic engagement,
Tehran continued its nuclear program, and the development and deployment of
ballistic missiles, as well as expanding the reach of its regional proxies.
Investigations by Western intelligence services also revealed repeated Iranian
assassination plots and intimidation campaigns targeting dissidents and
political figures abroad. In recent years, authorities in several European
countries — including Denmark, the Netherlands and France — have uncovered
networks linked to Iranian intelligence services that were planning attacks on
regime opponents.
Leaving the ideological framework of the Islamic Republic intact would therefore
resemble leaving a malignant tumor inside the body after surgery: the symptoms
might temporarily subside, but the underlying disease would continue to grow
until it inevitably returns.
The strategic lesson is therefore clear. The Venezuelan model succeeded because
the regime it confronted was fundamentally pragmatic, corrupt and adaptable.
Iran's regime is none of those things. The Islamic Republic was designed to
survive leadership crises, economic hardship, and external pressure precisely
because its institutions are bound together by religious ideology rather than
mere patronage. Any strategy that focuses only on removing individual leaders
while preserving the ideological machinery that sustains them will ultimately
fail.
Real stability in Iran will require the dismantling of the regime's ideological
infrastructure —the IRGC, the Basij, and the clerical monopoly over political
authority. Such a transformation cannot be imposed entirely from outside, but it
may emerge from within Iranian society itself.
It is naive, however, and self-defeating if the Trump Administration imagines
that unarmed civilians -- with no outside assistance -- can realistically
prevail against heavily armed, determined state security forces. The wish may be
understandable, but even more civilians than the 40,000 already slaughtered are
bound to meet the same fate. The Trump Administration needs to direct and help
them.
From the 1999 student protests to the 2009 Green Movement and the nationwide
demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, millions of Iranians
have repeatedly shown their desire for a political system free from theocratic
domination. If there is eventually an end to the violent suppression from the
IRGC and the Basij, the international community should be prepared to support
forces capable of building a new political order that is neither Islamist nor
communist. Anything less would allow the same ideological machinery to
regenerate under a different name, ensuring that the crisis would return once
again — and that we will still be fighting essentially the same regime but with
different ayatollahs five or ten years from now.
**Pierre Rehov, who holds a law degree from Paris-Assas, is a French reporter,
novelist and documentary filmmaker. He is the author of six novels, including
"Beyond Red Lines", "The Third Testament" and "Red Eden", translated from
French. His latest essay on the aftermath of the October 7 massacre " 7 octobre
- La riposte " became a bestseller in France. As a filmmaker, he has produced
and directed 17 documentaries, many photographed at high risk in Middle Eastern
war zones, and focusing on terrorism, media bias, and the persecution of
Christians. His latest documentary, "Pogrom(s)" highlights the context of
ancient Jew hatred within Muslim civilization as the main force behind the
October 7 massacre.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
US confident in Iran war
plan, Pentagon chief vows surge in attacks “If you think you’ve seen something,
just wait,” Hegseth says
Joseph Haboush/Al Arabiya English/March 17/2026
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — The US military is confident in its operational
plan against Iran, the top US commander for the Middle East said Thursday, as
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to “dramatically” increase attacks on the
Iranian regime.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Adm. Brad Cooper said American forces
anticipated Iran’s capabilities and built their strategy accordingly.“We’re very
familiar with Iran’s capabilities, and as you might imagine, we plan for it
right from the outset,” Cooper told Al Arabiya English. “And I feel good about
what the plan was.”
Cooper added that US forces continue to adapt as the battlefield evolves. “Like
any good organization, we adjust as necessary to meet the environment, and we’ve
made those appropriate adjustments,” he said. The comments came as Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Washington had asked Kyiv for assistance in
countering Iranian one-way attack drones. Al Arabiya English asked Cooper and
Hegseth what specifically the United States had requested and whether Iran had
demonstrated any unexpected capabilities since the war began six days ago.
Another reporter asked Cooper whether the US was seeking additional interceptor
systems from partners. The CENTCOM chief said new capabilities had already been
deployed, though he declined to elaborate. US defenses against drones have long
drawn criticism because expensive missiles are often used to shoot down
relatively inexpensive drones deployed by Iran and its proxies.
However, Cooper said the US had “kind of gotten on the other side” of that cost
imbalance.
“I remember we used to always hear we’re shooting down a $50,000 drone with a $2
million missile,” he said. “These days, we’re spending a lot of time shooting
down $100,000 drones with $10,000.”The US also deployed a new kamikaze drone
unit for the first time during the Iran operation. The drones were developed
after years of the US capturing and reverse-engineering Iranian models. “We
captured it, pulled the guts out, sent it back to America, put a little Made in
America on it, brought it back here, and we’re shooting it at good targets,”
Cooper quipped. Part of the broader campaign, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, aims
to dismantle Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and naval forces, officials
have said. “We are seeking to… level Iran’s ballistic missile industrial base,”
Cooper told reporters during a briefing at CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa,
Florida. “As we transition to the next phase of this operation, we will
systemically dismantle Iran’s missile production capability for the
future.”Cooper said the US bomber force had struck nearly 200 targets deep
inside Iran over the past 72 hours, including sites around Tehran. He also
revealed that just an hour before the briefing, B-2 stealth bombers dropped
dozens of 2,000-pound penetrating bombs on deeply buried ballistic missile
launchers.
Cooper said US forces had also targeted Iran’s equivalent of Space
Command.According to Cooper, Iranian attacks have significantly decreased since
the start of the war. Ballistic missile strikes have fallen by 90 percent since
the first day of fighting, while drone attacks are down 83 percent. The US
military has also struck 30 Iranian naval vessels.“And in just the last few
hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship, roughly the size of a World War II
aircraft carrier. And as we speak, it’s on fire,” Cooper said.
Hegseth vows increased firepower
Standing alongside Cooper, Hegseth said the level of US firepower directed at
Iran, including over Tehran, “is about to surge dramatically.”He pointed to
additional partner nations, including the United Kingdom, now allowing US forces
to use their bases abroad to support the campaign. Hegseth added that Iran
appeared to be betting the United States would not be able to sustain the pace
of operations, which he said was “a really bad miscalculation for the IRGC in
Iran.”The defense secretary insisted the US had ample supplies of both offensive
and defensive munitions and could sustain the campaign indefinitely.
As Iranian capabilities degrade, he said, US military pressure will only
intensify. “We have only just begun to fight,” Hegseth said. “If you think
you’ve seen something, just wait. The amount of combat power that’s still
flowing, that’s still coming, that we’ll be able to project over Iran, is
multiples of what it currently is right now.”
Iran war and the alleged plot
against China
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Ashaq-AlAwsat/March
17/2026
Merchants of rumors and conspiracy theorists, much like merchants of war, feed
off people’s fears and anxieties.
With the first shot fired in the conflict, a wave of theories emerged. The most
prominent being that the war is nothing more than a US strategic plan against
China, aimed at controlling Gulf oil and its maritime routes. Another suggests
that Trump dragged the region into a devastating war and will eventually walk
away, leaving Gulf states to face their fate. Others argue that Netanyahu pulled
Trump into the conflict and that both will ultimately flee the confrontation. A
third theory claims the war was launched to grant Israel a regional role and
eliminate the Palestinian cause.
All of these can be debated, and the truth is not definitive. But why not
consider that the reality may be simpler?The war against Iran is the result of
prolonged tensions and proxy conflicts. It is not surprising that matters
eventually escalated into direct war, whether to change the regime or to limit
its capabilities.
There are also many contradictory arguments among theorists. For decades, they
spoke of alleged “Israeli-Iranian coordination.” This is a naive claim that
today’s war disproves, as it has revealed the depth of hostility between the two
states. Israel is striking Iran more heavily than it has in all its Arab wars
combined. For years, scepticism or denial also raised the question: Why all this
hostility if the United States never attacks Iran? Today, Washington is doing
exactly that, so why the surprise?
One of the most widespread theories, especially among some intellectual circles,
is that this war is a chapter in the US-China rivalry, with Washington seeking
to control energy resources and maritime routes to deny Beijing dominance. This
theory stems from political science frameworks and does not contradict the
broader dynamics of great power competition. Its only flaw is that the United
States already controls these routes in the oceans and the Gulf, with military
bases on land and at sea. It also dominates the oil industry and its movement
across the supply chain, from companies to spare parts and insurance. Moreover,
it controls the currency used in oil transactions, most of which are conducted
in dollars, a more powerful tool than an aircraft carrier. China, by contrast,
has no comparable bases, fleets, or production and transport companies, and only
a small portion of oil is traded in yuan. US dominance in these regions and
vital sectors is already near total, so why would it wage a war to control what
it already controls? The war with Iran has multiple causes and one main
objective. The most important driver is the growing threat from Tehran – its
nuclear ambitions, missiles, and cross-border militias – which Washington
believes must be contained. The stated goal is to curb the threat posed by
Iran’s regime.
The regime’s threat to Israel is significant, but its threat to Gulf states and
the broader Arab East is even greater. Israel possesses deterrence capabilities
far exceeding those of Arab states, most notably a nuclear umbrella that could
threaten to erase Iran if the danger becomes existential. Israel also enjoys US
protection. What many overlook is that this makes Gulf countries the primary
beneficiaries of weakening Iran’s power, as they lack strategic deterrence and
do not have guaranteed US protection.Does Washington want to control energy
sources and maritime routes against its rival China? Yes, but not in a
simplistic sense. Competition is more like a chess game played across the global
map.It is better to interpret such statements within their proper context when
talk arises of plans to dominate energy sources and shipping lanes. US-China
competition is indeed strong in Asia and Africa, but that is separate from the
serious threats created by Iran’s regime in the region and globally – threats
that Washington believes have reached a point requiring containment and
deterrence.The rivalry between the two powers is intense over resources,
markets, and technology, but this does not necessarily mean entering into
semi-direct wars.
In fact, contrary to that notion, during the current oil shock Washington lifted
restrictions and facilitated China’s purchase of Iranian and Russian oil to
prevent global economic collapse. Trump also urged China to send forces to help
protect oil tankers, aiming to counter Tehran’s efforts to raise the global cost
of the war. Much of US competition with China is strategic hedging; the United
States remains the primary power securing global energy routes. Ironically,
China benefits from this protection while also being the most harmed by Iran’s
military activities, which have disrupted the flow of Gulf and Iraqi oil and gas
and targeted related infrastructure.The cost to China is high because it is the
world’s largest energy importer, while the United States is now the largest
producer of oil and gas.As for why the war is happening, Washington says it
seeks to strengthen its influence by eliminating the Iranian threat to its
interests and the security of its allies, not to deprive China of importing
Saudi oil today or Iranian oil in the future. The consequences of the current
war are also costly for Washington, particularly in terms of inflation and its
impact on domestic elections between the two parties.
The discussion of conspiracies will continue.
Trump and the misconceptions of the Iran war
Mamdouh AlMuhaini/Al Arabiya English/17 March/2026
Despite the anger of his MAGA base, US President Donald Trump does not always
adhere to everything this powerful base wants. Although it is often said that
Trump does nothing that displeases this constituency, he has shown in Gaza,
Venezuela, and now Iran that he is capable of going against some of its core
principles and still prevailing in the end. Why does President Trump do this?He
does not want to be merely the ruler of Washington; he seeks to play a role in
shaping the course of history, and he has already done so. He does not want to
be another version of Jimmy Carter or Barack Obama. History may remember them as
good leaders for America, but poor ones for the world. But the question remains:
does Trump truly contradict the principle of “America First” through his
interventionist foreign policy?
In reality, the opposite is true. It is in America’s interest to maintain
international stability, especially in vital regions such as the Gulf and the
broader Middle East. Historically, the United States ignored Nazism until it
declared war on it, ignored terrorism until its towers were struck, and ignored
the Iranian regime until it destabilized the region through militias and piracy
in maritime straits. American hesitation has often led to a more chaotic world.
This is the first misconception. The second claims that he is a man of war
rather than a man of peace. We should not forget that partisan politicians and
sections of the media that oppose him for their own reasons continue to repeat
and promote these accusations.
Trump operates on the principle that strength leads to peace, while weakness and
containment lead to more violence. He is now confronting Iran after years of
policies marked by containment and weakness, which at one point effectively
handed Tehran the keys to dominate the region – had Trump not torn up the
nuclear deal at the time. Trump argues, rightly, that previous presidents over
47 years failed to take meaningful action to stop the Iranian regime despite its
ongoing aggression. Eliminating rogue regimes by force may be the path to peace,
not the opposite. The evidence is before us: decades of Western and American
rapprochement with Tehran have only led to greater chaos.
Entering a war and using military force is a last resort and an undesirable
option, but leaders may be compelled to take it. European history teaches us
that defeating Nazi Germany through military force was the turning point that
ended a dangerous expansionist project and paved the way for a stable and
prosperous Europe, eventually leading to the formation of the European market
and later the European Union. Since then, major wars within Europe have ceased –
until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In Asia, Japan’s military defeat in World War II ended its expansionist phase
and opened the door to unprecedented economic growth across the region. Japan
later emerged as a major economic power, followed by the rise of the Asian
Tigers.
The same pattern is repeating today in the Middle East, which has for decades
been caught in a cycle of unrest and proxy wars driven by the Iranian regime’s
project. Diplomacy has been used, economic incentives offered, and channels of
dialogue opened in attempts to deter it from its destabilizing agenda, but these
efforts have not changed its behavior. As we speak, Iranian missiles and drones
are falling on Gulf capitals and cities, killing civilians and destroying
infrastructure, despite these countries’ continued efforts to avoid war. Tehran
is seeking to drag the region into a cycle of violence and disrupt its
development, but it has not succeeded. History teaches us that some expansionist
ideological projects do not stop through pledges or agreements, but only when
they are clearly defeated and stripped of their ability to destabilize their
surroundings. This is how Nazism ended in Europe, and how Japanese militarism
ended in Asia, followed by long periods of stability and prosperity.Today, the
Middle East stands at a similar historic moment: either the chaos-driven project
led by Tehran continues to consume the region, or it is brought to a halt, as
other expansionist projects in history have been. Only then can the region break
free from its cycle of chronic conflict and finally enter a long-awaited era of
stability and development that its people deserve.
X Platform Selected twittes for
March
17/2026
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Hezbollah Political Council Deputy Chief Mahmoud Qomati
threatened a coup in Lebanon and summary execution of Lebanese government
officials if they disband the pro-Iran militia. Qomati said: “We have the
ability to flip the country and overthrow the government, but we seek stability
for Lebanon. Still, our patience has limits and a deadline.
The Vichy government arrested and executed French Resistance fighters, only to
be toppled itself—after which the traitors were executed. Inshallah, we do not
come to that here.”
Nadim Koteich
More importantly, @SaraAssaf, this is a rare and extremely valuable stance
debunking the self-anointed leftist-liberal-anti-imperialists who only function
as useful idiots for the regime in Tehran and its regional militias. Very well
said Saleh Machnouk.
Saleh Machnouk
A Lebanese message to the world: This is NOT OUR WAR 🇱🇧
https://x.com/i/status/2033672025827377558
Ayman Mhanna
Today dozens of @mtvlebanon
staff are receiving threats, facing risks of doxxing, and personal data
exposure.
For years, @lebISF anti-cybercrime office got tools and training to detect
sources of such online threats. Metadata tracing technology has been repeatedly
approved & procured by successive Lebanese governments. Now is the time to put
an end to an era of impunity and take swift measures against those behind these
threats!
Nadim Koteich
I heard you’re preparing to release a message shortly. I truly hope this isn't
just a rerun of the speech promised after the Supreme Lunatic was eliminated,
one that obviously never happened, since ashes don’t give speeches.
I sincerely hope you’ve survived this and have the clarity now to pivot. For
your own sake and for Iran’s as well: the game is over. Just accept that and
move on
Michael Young
If I had to guess what the Israelis plan, it would go something
like this:
(1) They occupy up to the Litani River, possibly opening a route to the Beqaa,
through which they can connect to the occupied Golan; meanwhile, they grind down
Hezbollah within areas south of the Litani;
(2) This becomes an emptied buffer zone, north of which the Israelis would
tightly control the area as far as Sidon, recalling that in the 1976 "red lines"
agreement with Syria, the Israelis did not allow the Syrians to move south of
Sidon, seeing it as an advanced security barrier.
(3) The Israelis tell the Lebanese to disarm Hezbollah, or else they will risk
losing the areas Israel occupies—thereby pushing the Lebanese state into a
confrontation with the party and the Shiites. At worst, this creates chaos and
civil war, which suits Israel just fine, protected as it is by the southern
buffer zone.
(4) Or, if the Lebanese refuse to enter into a civil war on Israel's behalf, the
Israelis gradually integrate the south into their areas of control, as they did
the Golan. North of that is an area of instability that keeps Hezbollah
constantly occupied.
(5) Lebanese promises of peace with Israel would be largely meaningless, as
Israel is operating according to a security logic, and knows it is the Lebanese
who will sue for peace once the Israelis have secured all the conditions they
want. At that stage, the Israelis could impose peace, yet maintain control over
all the land they have taken, or large swathes of it. This is what they seek in
Syria and West Bank. Why not Lebanon?
(6) Among these Israeli conditions is a new delineation of the maritime borders
with Lebanon, giving Israel more hydrocarbon reserves than they already have
today. The Israeli plan is the Iron Wall, hegemony, and Lebanon will not be able
to do anything about it.
(7) Hezbollah may think this would help it revive the resistance option, but
would it? From where would it stage operations? From the Shouf, pushing it into
a confrontation with the Sunni, Druze, and Christian communities? From the
central and West Beqaa, where you have a signficant Sunni community? From the
area south of the Awali or Zahrani, which would be under constant Israel
surveillance and bombing? This would be a resistance with no strategic depth,
one provoking the hostility of all non-Shiite communities.
(8) In light of the above, what happens to the southern suburbs of Beirut? Do
the Israelis destroy them completely, thereby cutting the community's ties to
Beirut, eliminating a nexus of complex inter-Shiite communal relations, and
erasing the focal point of the Shiite presence in the capital? We'll have to
see.
(9) This geographical fragmentation of Lebanon would revive doubts about the
viability of a unified Lebanese entity. Caught between Israel on the one side
and Iran and Hezbollah on the other, what chance would such a state have to
survive? Lebanon can surprise, but ...
(10) This is one possible scenario, but I'm sure th