English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For March 22/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus Heals The Blind Beggar Bartimaeus the
Son of Timaeus
Mark/10/46-52/Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his
disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man,
Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging.
When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of
David, have mercy on me!"Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he
shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and said,
"Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's
calling you."Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said,
"Rabbi, I want to see.""Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you."
Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 21-22/2026
Audio and text: Blindness is blindness of the heart, not of the eyes...
Faith-based reflections on the miraculous healing of the blind beggar, Ibn
Bartima/Elias Bejjani/March 22/2026
Is Berri an Israeli Agent/Elias Bejjani/March 20/2026
St. Joseph’s Day Annual/Elias Bejjani/March 19/2026
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
Colonel Charbel Barakat: Hezbollah and the Future of the Shiites in
Lebanon/March 21/2026
Dr. Kamal al-Labwani: The transition of the Druze from Suwayda to the South to
replace the Lebanese Shiites after their transfer to Iraq, and the establishment
of a Druze state in the South that would be friendly to Israel
Israel bombs Beirut's southern suburbs and south Lebanon
Israel defense minister warns strikes on Iran to increase 'significantly'
Zamir says 'no more containment' in Lebanon, only 'initiative and attack
Hezbollah denies UAE accusations of having network in country
Hezbollah says clashing with Israeli troops in two south Lebanon border towns
Hezbollah says clashes underway with Israeli forces in Khiam
Hezbollah says targeted Israeli forces in six south Lebanon villages
Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs at dawn after evacuation
warning
Minister Rasamny tours Beirut Airport, praises staff and ongoing operations
U.S. Ambassador Welcomes Lebanon's Proposal for Talks with Israel
Lebanon-Israel talks stall amid ongoing fire: The details
Mental health support during war: Helping children cope with fear and loss
Essential Conditions for Any Negotiations Between Lebanon and Israel/Dr. Nassif
Hitti/ASharq Al Awsat/March 21/2026
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on March 21-22/2026
Trump on Robert Mueller’s Death: ‘Good, I’m Glad He’s Dead’
Iran targets British-US base and its main nuclear enrichment site is struck
again
Graham to Trump: Consider removing ‘US bases from countries who won’t let us fly
from them’
Iranian missile hits Israeli town with nuclear site, dozens injured
US, Israel attack Iran's Natanz nuclear facility
Trump says considering 'winding down' Iran war, US eases oil sanctions
Axios: Trump's team planning for potential Iran peace talks
Cyprus: UK says its bases will not be used in a war with Iran
UAE-Iran Ties Deteriorate as Tehran-Linked Hospital Ordered Shut in Dubai
Drone Attack Against Iraqi Intelligence Services Kills One in Baghdad
UK Warns Iran as U.S. Expands War Effort and Tehran Rejects Ceasefire Terms
MBS, al-Sisi warn Iranian attacks on Gulf threaten regional stability
Saudi Arabia declares several Iranian embassy staff persona non grata
Saudi Arabia Condemns Israeli 'Aggression' Against Syria
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 21-22/2026
A
Historic Moment: The Case for Ending Both the Iranian Regime and Hamas Once and
for All/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/March 21/2026
Empires Do Not Return, their Delusions Engender Quagmires/Mohammed al-Rumaihi/ASharq
Al Awsat/March 21/2026
The Riyadh Consultations and the Reality of ‘Fated Neighbors’/Emile Ameen/ASharq
Al Awsat/March 21/2026
After the caliphate, the system that held the Islamic State is gone/Yassin K.
Fawaz/The Arab Weekly/March 21/2026
X Platform Selected twittes for March 21/2026
on March 21-22/2026
Audio and text: Blindness is blindness of the heart, not of the eyes...
Faith-based reflections on the miraculous healing of the blind beggar, Ibn
Bartima
Elias Bejjani/March 22/2026
“For judgment I came into this
world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”
(John 9:39)
How many among us—individuals and communities—are, in truth, blind in insight,
weak in faith, and lacking in hope, even though their physical eyes are
perfectly sound? Their affliction is not blindness of sight, but blindness of
the heart. Though their eyes are healthy, they are veiled from love in mind,
soul, and heart, and thus live in deep darkness, far from God.
The blind beggar Bartimaeus, the subject of this reflection, is commemorated
today in our Maronite churches on the Sixth Sunday of Lent, known as the Sunday
of the Healing of the Blind.
Holy Scripture teaches us that Bartimaeus was born blind and did not know the
difference between light and darkness. Yet inwardly he was enlightened—in heart,
conscience, and faith. He was strong, persistent, and steadfast in hope. This
miracle is recorded in John 9:1–41, Mark 10:46–52, and Matthew 20:29–34.As recounted in Mark 10:46–52: They came to Jericho. And as Jesus was leaving
Jericho with His disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the
son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of
Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”Many rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he cried out all the more, “Son
of David, have mercy on me!”And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”And they
called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; rise, He is calling
you.”Throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to
him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
The blind man said, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” And Jesus said to
him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.”And immediately he received his
sight and followed Him on the way.
The Gospel of John (9:8–34) gives further details, revealing the persecution and
intimidation the man endured after his healing, as he was pressured to deny what
had happened. Yet he bore witness courageously, declaring: “I was blind, and now
I see.”
Although Bartimaeus lacked physical sight, through faith and trust in God he
perceived with his heart and mind that Christ had the power to heal him. When he
approached Jesus, he refused to be silenced by those who tried to restrain him.
He cried out boldly, proclaiming Christ as the Savior, confident in His power to
restore his sight—and his request was granted. He neither despaired nor accepted
the condition of helplessness. He recognized Christ’s divine authority, sought
His mercy, received grace, and then followed Him as a disciple. He rejected the
falsehoods of the scribes and Pharisees and, with steadfast courage, did not
alter a single word of his testimony regarding the miracle. Though accused and
threatened, he clung to the truth, unafraid of excommunication, rejection, or
persecution. He walked in the light, while others remained lost in blindness—of
both sight and insight—due to their lack of faith.
Even today, we see that little has changed. Believers in many parts of the world
endure persecution, oppression, and suffering, yet they persist with steadfast
faith in God—just as Bartimaeus did.
How greatly we, as Lebanese—both at home and abroad—need to follow the example
of this faithful blind man: to walk with strength, perseverance, faith, and
steadfastness on the path of salvation, and to ask God for the grace of
spiritual light to illuminate our minds and hearts. May He deliver us from
attachment to the fleeting things of this world and protect us from the snares
of evil and temptation.
It is sorrowful that the course of our homeland, Lebanon, is steered by leaders
who are blind in both vision and insight, who—through weak faith and failing
hope—have led it into chaos, unrest, and conflict, sowing division and a culture
of death among its people.
O Lord, enlighten our minds to know that You are Love.
Deliver us from the darkness of sin and save us from temptation.
Is Berri an Israeli Agent
Elias Bejjani/March 20/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/152891/
Berri’s refusal to appoint a Shiite representative to the negotiation committee
with Israel in a bid to put an end to the war and finish his main enemy
Hezbollah, save the shiites community and Lebanon, is a carte blanche for Israel
to kill Shiites, displace them, destroy their areas, and humiliate them. Is he
an agent, Especially since he recognized The State of Israel Israel in the
pro-Israeli maritime agreement.?
St.
Joseph’s Day Annual عيد ما يوسف البتول
Elias Bejjani (From 2011 Archives)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/73094/
The Feast of Saint Joseph the Virgin, celebrated annually on March 19, holds
deep spiritual and familial significance, particularly for our Bejjani family,
Youssef, a name we have proudly carried for generations. On this blessed
anniversary, we implore God and His angels to protect our beloved son Youssef
and our grandson Joseph, both of whom bear this holy name.
This sacred feast is an important occasion in the Maronite-Roman Catholic
tradition, honoring the life of Saint Joseph, the esteemed stepfather of Jesus
and the chaste spouse of the Virgin Mary. Among devout believers, particularly
the Lebanese Maronites, March 19 is not only a day of commemoration but is also
regarded as the birthday of Saint Joseph. His life, characterized by devotion,
obedience, humility, and unwavering faith, serves as a guiding light for
countless families who hold him in deep reverence.
In Lebanon, Saint Joseph is venerated as the patron saint of families, admired
for his exemplary role as a devoted husband and father. His life embodies faith,
honesty, generosity, and tireless dedication—virtues long cherished and
practiced by Lebanese families and deeply rooted within our own family values.
Saint Joseph’s divine mission was of the utmost importance; entrusted by God
with the care of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, he fulfilled his
responsibilities with deep love, dedication, and selflessness. As the earthly
guardian of the Holy Family, he exemplified loyalty and an unshakable commitment
to his divine calling, making him a timeless symbol of fatherhood, protection,
and faith.
As we honor Saint Joseph today, we reflect on the virtues he embodied—his
humility, strength, and steadfast devotion to carrying out God’s will. May his
legacy continue to inspire us to fulfill our paternal and pastoral roles within
our families and communities, striving to emulate his unwavering faith, love,
and selflessness. On this holy and blessed day, we
offer prayers of gratitude and supplication to the Lord for all His gifts and
blessings. We extend our heartfelt blessings to all who bear the name Joseph,
praying that they follow in the footsteps of our beloved saint and uphold his
virtuous example in their lives.
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.
Colonel Charbel Barakat:
Hezbollah and the Future of the Shiites in Lebanon/March 21/2026
Dr. Kamal al-Labwani: The transition of the Druze from Suwayda to the South to
replace the Lebanese Shiites after their transfer to Iraq, and the establishment
of a Druze state in the South that would be friendly to Israel
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/152934/
March 21/2026
In an interview conducted by the Transparency Youtube Platform with Dr. Kamal
al-Labwani—a prominent figure in the Syrian opposition, former political
prisoner, and an individual with extensive international diplomatic networks
forged through his activism—Dr. al-Labwani highlighted a proposed framework
intended to resolve the protracted Lebanese crisis definitively. This project
envisions a “transfer” of the remaining Lebanese Shiite population following the
current hostilities toward Iraq. Concurrently, it proposes the establishment of
a Druze state composed of the inhabitants of As-Suwayda, encompassing Hasbaya,
Rashaya, and the Chouf. This entity would maintain strategic alignment with
Israel and demonstrate adaptability to the emerging regional order. Dr. al-Labwani
asserts that the population of As-Suwayda would be relocated to Southern Lebanon
to replace the departing Shiite demographic, noting that such a development
would not be unprecedented. He cites that Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons have
already forcibly displaced two million Syrians into substandard camps in Lebanon
and compelled an additional twelve million to seek asylum globally, from
neighboring Turkey and Jordan to various European nations.
This discourse is specifically addressed to Mufti Sheikh Qabalan, who has
frequently asserted that Mount Lebanon constitutes the ancestral Shiite
heartland and that the Christian presence is a byproduct of the Crusades.
Through such rhetoric, he perhaps intends to justify the “reclamation” of
disputed territories.
Consequently, the “Armed Irania Terrorist proxy” (Hezbollah)—having prepared for
a campaign of demographic engineering and forced displacement—is attempting to
execute an Iranian strategic plan. This entails the establishment of a loyalist
military foothold on the Mediterranean coast, specifically within the Western
Lebanon Mountain Range. THezbollah has utilized its own sectarian base as a
pilot for population movement, subjecting them to iterative cycles of
displacement and fostering a culture of universal antagonism to serve the
interests of the Iranian clerical establishment. This ensures they remain
mobilized to occupy the residences of those who previously provided them refuge,
pending the resurgence of the Mullah regime.
Presently, Hezbollah insists on mobilizing the entire Shiite collective—led by
the “arrogant Nabih Berri”—into a campaign of territorial acquisition through
light weaponry and specialized motorcycle units. These units, acting as a modern
cavalry comprised of trained cadres and remnants of the Radwan Force, aim to
achieve tactical dominance over unarmed civilians. Their objective is the
displacement of the pacifist Sunni population of Beirut and the seizure of their
assets and properties, while simultaneously launching incursions into Christian
and Druze areas of the Mountain through Lebanese opportunists & traitors such as
the Gebran Bassil faction, the Resistance Brigades, and the Syrian Social
Nationalist Party (SSNP).
The Lebanese Armed Forces remain constrained from intervening to protect
civilians due to the specter of sectarian strife and civil war; meanwhile, the
Hezbollah reserves for itself the unilateral right to orchestrate internal
conflict. This raises the question of whether Walid Jumblatt’s perceived
concessions to Nabih Berri stem from a fear of this scenario, or if he is
anticipating an alternative geopolitical project.
Lebanon historically provided comprehensive institutional support to various
sects to ensure their long-term security. However, while generations of educated
youth have ascended to decision-making positions and achieved upward social
mobility, they have largely remained tethered to external loyalties and imported
ideologies. The most recent of these is the doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih,
bolstered by significant financial patronage. This ideology has permeated the
professional classes—from military officers and academics to historians,
sociologists, and media commentators. Consequently, public interests have been
subordinated to anachronistic theories that have infiltrated Shiite culture,
leading to a state of unregulated compliance where leaders are not held
accountable for their agendas. Has the state-sponsored animosity toward the
“Israeli neighbor” expanded to the point of total strategic blindness regarding
their immediate domestic environment?
We remain committed to a sovereign vision and refuse to capitulate to foreign
demographic schemes or internal vitriol.
Our aspiration is for the Lebanese Shiite community, supported by the broader
national collective, to produce authentic national leadership in the tradition
of Bashir Gemayel—leaders who envision Lebanon as a final, sovereign homeland
within a New Middle East characterized by cooperation and the transcendence of
historical grievances.
These leaders must initiate an internal conceptual reformation, declaring an
explicit rejection of Hezbollah, its arsenal, its ideologues, and its clerical
and secular frameworks. These elements—along with those who facilitated the
erosion of state institutions through financial corruption—must face judicial
accountability. This includes the “Grand Thief” and the leadership apparatus of
the Hezbollah “Satanic Party,” from parliamentary representatives to
high-ranking commanders and those officers who compromised the integrity of the
Army and Internal Security. Particular focus must be placed on the General
Security directorate, which, under the tenure of Jamil al-Sayyed and his
successor Abbas Ibrahim, was repurposed to serve Iranian interests through the
illicit distribution of passports and citizenships, thereby damaging the
international standing of the Lebanese state.
Your Excellency President Joseph Aoun, Are we to remain passive in the face of
this “transfer,” or will the state security apparatus move proactively to
protect the citizenry from the existential threat posed by these actors? These
factions seek to equalize the population in a shared state of tragedy. Lebanon
will persevere and once again demonstrate its capacity to dismantle subversive
networks. Its citizens will unite with confidence to confront these threats,
ensuring public trials for all responsible parties—from the assassins of PM,
Hariri to those responsible for the death of every soldier and the displacement
of every citizen. Furthermore, Lebanon shall demand war reparations from the
future governance of Iran and express gratitude to the state of Israel for its
role in dismantling this destabilizing faction.
We pledge to be a constructive neighbor, committed to regional productivity and
prosperity, echoing the historical cooperation between Solomon and Hiram.
Israel bombs Beirut's southern
suburbs and south Lebanon
Agence France Presse/March 21/2026
The Israeli military said it launched a wave of strikes on Beirut's southerb
suburbs, claiming to target Iran-backed Hezbollah early Saturday, while Lebanese
state media reported strikes in the country's south. In a brief statement on
Saturday, the Israeli military said its forces were "currently striking
Hezbollah terrorist organization targets in Beirut."A military spokesman earlier
issued a warning to residents of Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah
stronghold, to evacuate ahead of strikes. Lebanon's official National News
Agency (NNA) reported strikes on the Beirut southern suburbs of Ghobeiri and
Burj al-Barajneh. In southern Lebanon, close to the border, the NNA said an
Israeli airstrike hit a house in the town of Ghandouriyeh, killing at least one
person and wounding two others. The agency reported more strikes overnight and
in the early morning on several areas of southern Lebanon, as well as an
"extensive combing operation" carried out by Israeli troops in the area of Khiam
town. Hezbollah also said its fighters had targeted Israeli troops in six
villages in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese group said it had also launched
rockets across the border, where air raid sirens were activated, according to
the Israeli military's Home Front Command. Lebanon's health ministry says the
war has killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon and displaced more than one
million more. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon,
according to the military.
Israel defense minister warns strikes on Iran to increase
'significantly'
Agence France Presse/March 21/2026
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that the United States and Israel
would intensify their strikes on Iran in the coming week starting Sunday. "This
week, the intensity of the strikes to be carried out by the IDF (Israeli army)
and the U.S. military against the Iranian terror regime and the infrastructure
on which it relies will rise significantly," Katz said in a statement issued by
the defense ministry on Saturday.
Zamir says 'no more containment' in Lebanon, only
'initiative and attack'
Naharnet/March 21/2026
Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said Saturday that "the Northern Command has
approved plans to continue the fighting" against Hezbollah. "There will be no
more containment, only initiative and attack," Zamir said. "We won't return to
the policy of (fighting) rounds and limited escalation in Lebanon and we won't
stop until the threat is removed from the border," Zamir added.
Hezbollah denies UAE accusations of having network in
country
Agence France Presse/March 21/2026
Hezbollah denied that it has a presence inside the United Arab Emirates, after
Emirati authorities announced they had arrested at least five members of a
"terrorist network" linked to Hezbollah and its backer, Iran. Earlier this week
Hezbollah issued similar denials that it maintained a presence in Kuwait, after
Kuwaiti authorities announced the discovery of two alleged cells linked to the
group, arresting a combined 26 people. In a statement, the Lebanese militant
group said it "denies the fabricated accusations made against it by the security
authorities in the United Arab Emirates." "Hezbollah has no presence inside the
UAE or in any other country under any cover or commercial designation or
otherwise." According to Emirati authorities the alleged network had "sought to
infiltrate the national economy and carry out external schemes threatening the
country's financial stability" as part of "a pre-established strategic plan in
coordination with external parties linked to Hezbollah and Iran", the official
WAM news agency said, citing the UAE State Security Apparatus. Iran has been
targeting the Gulf countries, including the UAE, in retaliation for U.S. and
Israeli strikes since war began on February 28. President Joseph Aoun spoke on
Friday to his Emirati counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed in a phone call and
condemned "the attacks targeting the UAE", according to a Lebanese presidency
statement. He also condemned "the involvement of Hezbollah elements in sabotage
plots that the UAE said were thwarted today". In recent years, the Lebanese
government has had tensions with Gulf states, which have expressed concern about
Hezbollah projecting influence outside of Lebanon.
Hezbollah says clashing with Israeli troops in two south
Lebanon border towns
Al Arabiya English/21 March/2026
The Iran-backed Hezbollah group said its fighters clashed with Israeli forces in
two south Lebanon border towns on Saturday, in the third week of the latest war
between the foes. Lebanon was pulled into the broader Middle East war when
Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on March 2 to avenge the killing of
Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei in Israeli-US attacks. Israel has responded
with heavy strikes across Lebanon and ground incursions in the border area,
killing more than 1,000 people according to Lebanese authorities. Hezbollah in a
statement said that for four hours on Saturday, its fighters had been engaging
in “direct clashes with forces from the Israeli enemy army in the town of Khiam
with light and medium weapons” and rockets. The strategic town, located around
40 kilometers (25 miles) inland, overlooks swathes of southern Lebanon as well
as parts of northern Israel, and was the first point into which Israeli forces
advanced after the start of the latest war. In recent days, the movement has
repeatedly said it has targeted Israeli forces and vehicles in Khiam and nearby
or clashed with Israeli soldiers there. Hezbollah also said its fighters clashed
with Israeli forces in the coastal border town of Naqura, home to the
headquarters of peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
The Iran-backed group said Israeli soldiers “tried to penetrate... towards the
Naqura municipality building,” adding that its fighters fought them with light
and medium weapons. Israel kept forces in five south Lebanon areas it deemed
strategic despite a November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end the previous war
with Hezbollah. One of those positions was in Labbouneh, just around three
kilometers from Naqura. Also on Saturday, Hezbollah said its fighters had
targeted Israeli soldiers near the border and in other south Lebanon towns.
Israel’s army instead said it struck “a number of Hezbollah headquarters” in
Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight after issuing an evacuation warning for the
area, known as a Hezbollah stronghold. On Saturday morning, an AFP correspondent
in the area’s Haret Hreik neighborhood saw a multi-story building that had been
partly destroyed in one of the strikes. The Israeli army also said its troops
killed several Hezbollah operatives “during a targeted ground operation in
southern Lebanon” overnight.With AFP
Hezbollah says clashes underway with Israeli forces in
Khiam
LBCI/March 21/2026
Hezbollah said its fighters are engaged in clashes with Israeli forces in the
town of Khiam, using light and medium weapons as well as rocket-propelled
munitions
Hezbollah says targeted Israeli forces in six south Lebanon
villages
Agence France Presse/March 21/2026
Hezbollah said Friday it had targeted Israeli soldiers in six south Lebanon
villages, in a series of statements, as Israeli ground forces attempt to push
into southern Lebanon.
The pro-Iran armed group said it targeted a "gathering of Israeli enemy
soldiers" in each of the six border villages, and a Merkava tank, as its war
with Israel neared the three-week mark, having started on March 2 when the group
launched rockets towards Israel in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli attack on
Iran that killed Iran's supreme leader.
Lebanon Health Ministry reports 1,024 killed, 2,740 injured
in israeli attacks since March 2
LBCI/March 21/2026
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported that since March 2, Israeli attacks
have killed 1,024 people and injured 2,740.
Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs at dawn
after evacuation warning
LBCI/March 21/2026
The Israeli army launched a wave of airstrikes at dawn Saturday targeting
Hezbollah sites in Beirut, after earlier warning residents in several
neighborhoods of Beirut's southern suburbs to evacuate. In a brief statement,
the army said its forces were “striking targets belonging to Hezbollah in
Beirut.”
Minister Rasamny tours Beirut Airport, praises staff and
ongoing operations
LBCI/March 21/2026
Lebanon’s Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny toured Beirut–Rafic
Hariri International Airport, reviewing operations at one of the country’s most
vital facilities. Airport activity appeared normal and active, sending a clear
message that the strategic facility continues to operate despite the exceptional
circumstances in the region. Rasamny praised the staff’s efforts,
professionalism, and commitment, stressing that keeping the airport operational
is essential for the country’s resilience and its connection to the world.
U.S. Ambassador Welcomes Lebanon's Proposal for Talks with
Israel
This is Beirut/AFP/March 21/2026
The U.S. ambassador to Lebanon on Friday hailed the Lebanese president's
proposal to launch direct negotiations with Israel to put an end to the latest
war between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war
when Tehran-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on March 2, to
avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "We
appreciate the importance of the issue for the president and the importance of
his responsibility in finally deciding that he must meet with the Israelis,
because matters are not resolved without talking," Michel Issa told journalists
following a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai in Beirut. "Each
party has their point of view of how meetings start," he said, however adding
that he believed Israel "has decided not to stop" striking Lebanon yet. "That
means Lebanon has to decide whether it can meet the Israelis in this case," he
said. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun on March 9 proposed direct talks with
Israel, but Israel has since said there are no talks planned. French President
Emmanuel Macron, who spoke with Lebanese leaders last week, expressed hope on
Thursday that Israel would agree to direct talks with Beirut, and offered to
host talks in Paris. Lebanon's health ministry says the latest war has killed
more than 1,000 people in Lebanon and displaced more than one million more.
Lebanon-Israel talks stall amid ongoing fire: The details
LBCI/March 21/2026
Lebanon is negotiating with Israel to halt hostilities, but progress remains
stalled. U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa has weighed in on the situation,
but Lebanon’s position appears firm. Sources told LBCI that President Joseph
Aoun continues to insist that no negotiations take place before a cease-fire is
established, as outlined in the initiative he launched last week to reduce
escalation. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also maintains his opposition to
negotiating under fire. He has reiterated calls to return to the cease-fire
agreement and implement it, emphasizing that any negotiations should occur
within the framework of the mechanism committee, as before. Meanwhile, Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam has previously stated he is open to discussing any agenda,
format, or location for talks with Israel. Ultimately, negotiations between
Israel and Lebanon have reached a near deadlock. Current developments are
largely determined on the ground, and a ceasefire in Lebanon appears unlikely
until the situation involving Iran becomes clearer.
Mental health support during war: Helping children cope
with fear and loss
LBCI/March 21/2026
Attention to mental health is critical, especially under the current war
conditions. Guidance has been provided on how to support children in shelters
and what to tell those who are frightened by the sounds of sonic booms and
airstrikes. The loss of a family member — sometimes even both parents — is
another tragedy of war that must be addressed with children honestly and openly.
Adults and parents also need to take care of their own mental health. Fear is
not shameful, and admitting fear is not shameful either. In difficult
circumstances, people are not expected to apply all recommended steps, but
applying even one can help reduce the psychological impact of war. Mental health
is one of the least discussed topics during this period, for both children and
adults. Guidance emphasizes ways to maintain mental resilience and reduce
psychological risks for children.
Essential Conditions for Any Negotiations Between Lebanon and Israel
Dr. Nassif Hitti/ASharq Al Awsat/March 21/2026
Talk of potential negotiations between Lebanon and Israel continues to
fluctuate, appearing plausible at times and nearly nonexistent at others. This
comes amid a renewed Israeli war that is open-ended in both time and geography,
nearly two decades after the July 2006 war and the adoption of United Nations
Security Council Resolution 1701.
That resolution, which has yet to be fully implemented, calls in its third
clause for “the extension of the control of the Government of Lebanon over all
Lebanese territory,” and stipulates that no weapons should exist without the
consent of the Lebanese government and that no authority should exist other than
that of the state.For Lebanon to initiate negotiations, there must first be
genuine consensus within its leadership on the reference framework for the
talks, as well as a clear roadmap for implementing the resolution. In this
context, several key points should be highlighted:
First, negotiations should take place within an international and UN-backed
framework, comprising countries friendly to both parties, similar to the
ceasefire “mechanism” committee, even if the level and nature of representation
differ. The role of this framework would be to supervise, facilitate, accompany
the negotiations, and ensure respect for agreed reference points.
Second, in light of developments in Syria, Lebanese-Syrian negotiations should
be launched to demarcate the border between the two countries, particularly in
the south with regard to the Shebaa Farms area. This would remove a key pretext
previously used to block negotiations or to link the Lebanese track to the
Syrian one under the banner of the “unity of tracks,” as occurred following the
launch of peace talks at the Madrid Conference in 1991. At the time, the aim was
for the former Syrian regime to retain control of the “Lebanese card.”Third, a
prerequisite for launching negotiations - or at least an absolute priority to
ensure their credibility - must be Israel’s implementation of its obligations
under the ceasefire agreement of November 26, 2024, which entered into force the
following day. In practice, the agreement has been implemented unilaterally by
Lebanon, while Israel has failed to comply with it from the outset.
Fourth, it must be clear that the reference framework for negotiations lies in
the effective revival of the 1949 Armistice Agreement. Israel has consistently
rejected or ignored this agreement, which was later undermined by the 1969 Cairo
Agreement between Lebanon and the Palestine Liberation Organization, an accord
that effectively turned Lebanon into what was described as the “Hanoi of the
Palestinian revolution.”
The seriousness of any negotiations, if launched, would depend on Israel’s
commitment to that agreement as a negotiating reference. This would affirm
recognition of Lebanon’s internationally established borders, as endorsed by the
United Nations Security Council - an issue that must be emphasized in light of
Israeli expansionist policies, sometimes justified in the name of religion and
at other times in the name of “national security.”
The latest Israeli doctrine, termed “security sovereignty,” seeks to redefine
conflict management while disregarding the principle of national sovereignty and
the rights and rules that stem from it. Fifth, if there is discussion of
“strengthening” the armistice agreement due to developments that have overtaken
it, as suggested by some Israeli theories, then any such effort must be balanced
and reciprocal in terms of the measures and commitments required from both
parties, not solely from Lebanon.
Sixth, in parallel, a firm and practical approach is required to implement
decisions taken by Lebanon’s executive authority regarding the state’s monopoly
on arms, even if this is done gradually due to acknowledged challenges. This
begins with a clear affirmation that decisions of war and peace - as well as
deterrence and coercion in military and security terms - must rest entirely with
the Lebanese state.
There can be no sharing of such a fundamental sovereign responsibility between
the national authority and any other actors, regardless of who they are. Unity
of decision-making is a cornerstone of effective state sovereignty and of
safeguarding national unity, which ultimately serves everyone. Seventh, the
reference framework for any peace negotiations, after reaffirming the necessity
of reviving the armistice agreement, lies in Lebanon’s commitment to the 2002
Arab Peace Initiative, adopted at the Beirut Arab Summit. This initiative is
based on international resolutions and relevant legal norms and customs, and
thus provides a comprehensive and realistic foundation for the required
settlement.
Eighth, many obstacles and challenges remain. This necessitates proactive
Lebanese engagement at both the official and public diplomacy levels targeting
opinion-makers and influential actors in decision-making, to build support for
Lebanon’s position and help drive the necessary change in this direction. This
is not an easy task, but it remains essential to secure the support Lebanon
needs. Failure to act would leave the Lebanese once again on the sidelines,
waiting for solutions from others, after decades of enduring “others’ wars,”
conflicts in which they have participated and for which they have paid a heavy
price at the expense of their nation and state.
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 21-22/2026
Trump on Robert Mueller’s Death: ‘Good, I’m Glad He’s Dead’
Nikki McCann Ramirez and Ryan Bort/Rolling
Stone/March 21, 2026
Donald Trump celebrated the death of Robert Mueller on Saturday, writing that he
was “glad” the former FBI director and special counsel who investigated the
president’s 2016 campaign had died. “Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad
he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth
Social shortly after MS Now broke the news that the 81-year-old former FBI
Director had died. Mueller, who last year disclosed that he had been diagnosed
with Parkinson’s, was one of Trump’s longtime targets. While his investigation
did not conclude that the 2016 Trump campaign had actively sought out and
coordinated with Russian entities attempting to sway the election, the probe
cast a pall over much of Trump’s first term. It resulted in a series of
indictments, leading to eight guilty pleas and the convictions at trial of
prominent Trump allies, including political operative Roger Stone and former
campaign adviser George Papadopoulos.Trump regularly attacked Mueller over the
investigation, alleging the veteran and lifelong public servant was part of a
vast, illegal Democratic conspiracy to remove Trump from power. Trump has
leveled similar attacks against former Special Counsel Jack Smith, who oversaw
the Justice Department’s investigations into Trump’s efforts to overturn the
results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden, and Trump hoarding
classified material at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, after he
left office in 2021. Trump’s crowing about Mueller’s death is not the first time
the president has relished the death of his perceived enemies. When beloved
director and frequent Trump critic Rob Reiner was brutally killed in his home in
December, the president joked that he died because he had an “incurable” case of
“Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Iran targets British-US base and its main nuclear enrichment site is struck
again
Samy Magdy, Jill Lawless And Sam
Mednick/AP/March 21, 2026
CAIRO (AP) — Iran targeted a joint U.K.-U.S. military base in the Indian Ocean,
and Iran's main nuclear enrichment site was struck again, as the war in the
Middle East entered its fourth week. “The war is not close to ending,” said
Israel’s army chief, Gen. Eyal Zamir, while Iran said it targeted Israel’s
nuclear program, injuring several people. Iran's attack on the Diego Garcia base
— about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) away — suggested Tehran has missiles that
can go farther than previously acknowledged, or that it had used its space
program for an improvised launch. Residents said Iran’s capital saw heavy
airstrikes as they marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The U.S. and
Israel have offered shifting rationales for the war, from hoping to foment an
uprising that topples Iran’s leadership to eliminating its nuclear and missile
programs and its support for armed proxies. There have been no signs of an
uprising, while internet restrictions limit information from Iran.
The war’s effects are felt far beyond the Middle East, raising food and fuel
prices.
It is not clear how much damage Iran has sustained in the U.S. and Israeli
strikes that began Feb. 28 — or even who is truly in charge. Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since being named to the
role.
US can use Diego Garcia base to protect Strait of Hormuz
U.K. officials did not give details of the strike that targeted the Diego Garcia
base Friday, which was unsuccessful. Britain’s Ministry of Defense described
Iran as “lashing out across the region." It’s unclear how close the missiles
came to the island. Iran previously asserted that it has limited its missile
range to below 2,000 kilometers (over 1,200 miles).
But military experts said Iran may have used its space launch vehicle for an
improvised firing. “If you’ve got a space program, you’ve got a ballistic
missile program,” said Steve Prest, a retired Royal Navy commodore. Britain has
not participated in U.S.-Israeli attacks but has allowed U.S. bombers to use its
bases to attack Iran’s missile sites. On Friday, the U.K. government said
bombers could use Diego Garcia to attack sites used to target ships in the
Strait of Hormuz.
Israel denies responsibility for attack on Natanz
There was no leakage after the strike on the Natanz nuclear facility, nearly 220
kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, the Iranian judiciary’s official
news agency, Mizan, said.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog has said the bulk of Iran’s estimated 970 pounds (440
kilograms) of enriched uranium is elsewhere, beneath the rubble at its Isfahan
facility. The International Atomic Energy Agency said on X it was looking into
the strike. Israel’s military said it was “not aware” of a strike by it there.
The Pentagon declined to comment. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria
Zakharova said such strikes posed a “real risk of catastrophic disaster
throughout the Middle East.”Later Saturday, Iran said it was targeting Israel’s
nuclear program. Rescue services treated several people for shrapnel injuries in
Dimona, which houses Israel’s main nuclear research center. Israel is believed
to be the only Middle East nation with nuclear weapons, though its leaders
refuse to confirm or deny their existence. The IAEA said on X it had not
received reports of damage to the center or abnormal radiation levels. The
Natanz facility was also hit in the first week of the war and in the 12-day war
last June.
Global pressure increases to get shipping back on track
As Iran threatens shipping on the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates
joined 21 other countries including the U.K., Germany, France and Japan in
expressing "readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe
passage.”
The Trump administration announced it was temporarily lifting sanctions on
Iranian oil that was already loaded on ships as of Friday, but that does not
increase oil production, a central factor in surging prices. The oil ministry of
Iran, which has evaded sanctions for years, replied that it “essentially has no
crude oil left in floating storage.” The head of U.S. Central Command, Adm. Brad
Cooper, asserted that Iran’s ability to attack vessels on the strait had been
“degraded." He said 5,000-pound (2,270-kilogram) bombs were dropped earlier in
the week on an underground facility along Iran’s coast used to store anti-ship
cruise missiles and mobile missile launchers. The U.S. is deploying three more
amphibious assault ships and roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the Middle
East, an official told The Associated Press. Two other U.S. officials confirmed
that ships were deploying, without saying where they were headed. All three
spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the operations. Gulf countries
reported more attacks. A missile alert sounded Saturday night in Dubai. Saudi
Arabia said it downed 20 drones in its east, home to major oil installations.
More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran during the war. In Israel, 15
people have been killed by Iranian missiles and four others have died in the
occupied West Bank. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed, along
with well over a dozen civilians in Gulf nations.
Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants clash in Lebanon
Israel's military said it was conducting a “targeted ground operation” in
southern Lebanon and at least four militants were killed. Hezbollah said its
fighters clashed with troops in the southern village of Khiam. Israeli strikes
targeting Hezbollah have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1
million, according to the Lebanese government. Hezbollah's civilian assets also
have been targeted.
Graham to Trump: Consider removing ‘US bases from countries who won’t let us fly
from them’
Sophie Brams/The Hill/March 21, 2026
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Friday urged President Trump to consider
removing U.S. military bases from countries “who won’t let us fly from them,”
again lashing out at European allies over their refusal to assist the
U.S.-Israeli military operation in Iran. Graham reupped the suggestion after
Trump told reporters earlier on Friday that the senator was “right about asking
that.” “Mr. President, one of the things I like about you most is that, now, our
allies take America for granted at their own peril,” the South Carolina
Republican wrote in a post on social platform X. “As to my suggestion, I meant
it then and I’ll repeat it now: We should consider removing U.S. bases from
countries who won’t let us fly from them as we confront the world’s largest
state sponsor of terrorism who has been hellbent on developing a nuclear weapon
and was extremely close to achieving that goal,” the senator added. Trump and
Graham have slammed NATO allies in recent days for their reluctance to support
U.S. military operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint that
has been effectively closed to shipping traffic since the start of the conflict
on Feb. 28.
The continued Iranian blockade and escalating attacks on vessels and oil and gas
facilities have rattled the global economy, sending fuel prices sharply higher.
The president said last Sunday that he requested seven countries to send
warships to help secure the strait, but so far none have agreed to lend military
assets. The United Kingdom recently approved the use of U.K. military bases for
“defensive” strikes against Iranian missile sites that target ships in the
strait. Though Trump suggested the move was “a very late response.”Still, other
NATO countries like Spain, said early on the war that they would not do the
same. “The joint-use bases, but under Spanish sovereignty, will not be used for
anything not included within the treaty nor outside the U.N. Charter,” Spanish
Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said during a March 1 broadcast appearance,
according to a translation from RTVE. Graham on Friday called Spain’s refusal to
allow American aircraft stationed there to be used in the military operation “an
insult and an outrage” to the longstanding alliance, saying the president should
consider relocating. “Mr. President, I think America’s interests would be
well-served to move those aircraft from Spain to a country that we can actually
rely on in a time of great need,” he wrote. “I trust your judgement.” The
senator, a staunch war hawk, has long been one of the most vocal advocates on
Capitol Hill for expanded U.S. military intervention in Iran, frequently
pressing Trump to take a more aggressive approach to the conflict. He urged
Trump earlier this week to “take” Kharg Island, a key export terminal in the
Gulf, arguing it would cripple the weakened Iranian regime’s economy.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Iranian missile
hits Israeli town with nuclear site, dozens injured
AFP/March 21/2026
Israel’s military said an Iranian missile on Saturday struck the southern town
of Dimona, home to a nuclear facility, after medics reported 39 people injured
by shrapnel. The army told AFP there was a “direct missile hit on a building” in
the town in the Negev desert. Dimona hosts a facility just outside the main
town, widely believed to possess the Middle East’s sole, if undeclared, nuclear
arsenal. Magen David Adom first responders said their teams treated 39 people at
a number of impact sites, including a 10-year-old boy in serious condition who
was “fully conscious.” The organization, Israel’s equivalent of the Red Cross,
released a video of a residential building ablaze in the town. “There was
extensive damage and chaos at the scene,” paramedic Karmel Cohen said in a
statement. Israel has maintained a policy of ambiguity about its nuclear
program, and the Dimona plant officially focuses on research. Images shared by
Israeli media showed an object hurtling out of the sky at high speed before
crashing into the town. Israeli police released pictures of officers in a
building with a large hole blown in the wall. The casualties in Dimona came
after Iranian authorities said the nuclear facility at Natanz in Iran was struck
in the US-Israeli bombing campaign.
US, Israel attack Iran's Natanz nuclear facility
Agence France Presse/March 21/2026
The United States and Israel struck Iran's Natanz nuclear facility on Saturday,
the Islamic republic's atomic energy organization said. "Following the criminal
attacks by the United States and the usurping Zionist regime against our
country, the... Natanz enrichment complex was targeted this morning," the
organization said in a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency. It added
that there was "no leakage of radioactive materials reported" in the area in
central Iran.
Trump says considering 'winding down' Iran war, US eases
oil sanctions
Agence France Presse/March 21/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he was considering "winding down"
military operations against Iran, as the United States temporarily eased
sanctions on Iranian oil shipments to stem a global supply crisis. Iran launched
a new wave of drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and Israel meanwhile
after supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei claimed to have dealt a "dizzying blow" to
his country's enemies. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said the United States
was "getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down
our great Military efforts in the Middle East." His post was the strongest
indication yet that he may be prepared to soon end hostilities that began on
February 28. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, in a post on X
shortly after Trump's message, said "the President and the Pentagon predicted it
would take approximately 4-6 weeks to achieve this mission." "Tomorrow marks
week 3 -- and the U.S. Armed Forces are doing an exceptional job," Leavitt
continued. "Day by day, the Iranian Regime is being crippled, and their ability
to threaten the United States and our allies is being significantly weakened."
Amid growing concern over oil prices and global supply shortages, the U.S.
Treasury said it was temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil already loaded
onto vessels. The authorization allows for the delivery and sale of Iranian
crude oil and other petroleum products loaded onto ships before March 20 and
will last through April 19, it said. "By temporarily unlocking this existing
supply for the world, the United States will quickly bring approximately 140
million barrels of oil to global markets, expanding the amount of worldwide
energy and helping to relieve the temporary pressures on supply caused by Iran,"
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
'Dangerous escalation'
Iran's de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of
the world's oil and gas normally flows, and the numerous attacks on energy
infrastructure in the Middle East have sent crude oil prices soaring. A barrel
of North Sea Brent crude was up 3.26 percent on Friday to $112.19. On Wall
Street, stocks ended sharply lower after oil prices shot up on fears that
lengthy supply disruptions would lead to a global economic downturn.
Fresh blasts hit Tehran on Friday and Israel accused Iran of attacking holy
sites in Jerusalem after a strike left a crater in the Old City near the Al-Aqsa
Mosque, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Saudi Arabia said
it "intercepted and destroyed" more than 20 Iranian drones in the east of the
kingdom early Saturday, while Israel said a new wave of missiles had been fired
from Iran. Iranian attacks continued meanwhile on energy infrastructure in the
Gulf. On Friday, drone attacks hit Kuwait's giant Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery,
causing a fire that was later brought under control, a day after a direct hit on
Qatar's vital Ras Laffan natural gas facility. Turkey lashed out at Israel
meanwhile for striking Syrian army camps in southern Syria, calling it a
"dangerous escalation." Syria has so far avoided being dragged into the regional
war.
'We have won' -
Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday he was not looking for a truce
with the Islamic Republic. "I think we have won," he said. "I don't want to do a
ceasefire. You know you don't do a ceasefire when you're literally obliterating
the other side."
Trump, after slamming NATO allies as "cowards," said other nations would have to
take responsibility for securing the Strait of Hormuz. "The Hormuz Strait will
have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it -- The
United States does not!" he posted. "If asked, we will help these Countries in
their Hormuz efforts, but it shouldn't be necessary once Iran's threat is
eradicated."Trump said the United States wanted to talk to Iran but "there's
nobody to talk to" because of the killing of Iran's former supreme leader and
other top officials. Iran's new supreme leader has not appeared in public since
being named to succeed his father, Ali Khamenei. In a written statement to mark
Nowruz, the Persian New Year, Mojtaba Khamenei said Iranians have "dealt him
(the enemy) a dizzying blow so that he now starts uttering contradictory words
and nonsense."
"At the moment, due to the particular unity that has been created between you
our compatriots... the enemy has been defeated," Khamenei said.Trump has
repeatedly said he does not plan to send ground troops into combat with Iran,
but The Wall Street Journal reported that an additional 2,200 to 2,500 US
Marines were headed to the region. Trump would not confirm a report by the Axios
news outlet that he was considering an occupation or blockade of Iran's Kharg
Island oil hub to pressure Tehran to reopen the strait. U.S. forces hit Kharg
with strikes that Trump said had "totally obliterated" all military targets on
the island, but Washington has so far avoided hitting its oil infrastructure.
Axios: Trump's team planning for potential Iran peace talks
Naharnet/March 21/2026
After three weeks of war, the Trump administration has begun initial discussions
on the next phase and what peace talks with Iran might look like, a U.S.
official and a source with knowledge told U.S. news portal Axios. Trump said
Friday that he was considering "winding down" the war, though U.S. officials
said the expectation was there would still be two to three additional weeks of
fighting. In the meantime, Trump's advisers want to start laying groundwork for
diplomacy. Trump's envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are involved in the
discussions around potential diplomacy, the sources said. Any deal to end the
war would need to include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, address Iran's
stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and also establish a long-term agreement
on Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missiles and support for proxies in the
region. There has been no direct contact between the U.S. and Iran in recent
days, though Egypt, Qatar and the U.K. have all passed messages between the two,
a U.S. official and two additional sources with knowledge said. Egypt and Qatar
have informed the U.S. and Israel that Iran is interested in negotiating, but
with very tough terms. The Iranian demands include a ceasefire, guarantees that
the war will not resume in the future, and compensation. "Our view is we've
stunted Iran's growth," said one U.S. official who believes the Iranians will
come to the table. The official said the U.S. wants Iran to make six
commitments:
1. No missile program for five years.
2. Zero uranium enrichment.
3. Decommissioning of the reactors at the Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow nuclear
facilities that the U.S. and Israel bombed last year.
4. Strict outside observation protocols around the creation and use of
centrifuges and related machinery that could advance a nuclear weapons program.
5. Arms control treaties with regional countries that include a missile cap no
higher than 1,000.
6. No financing for proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen
or Hamas in Gaza.
Iran has repeatedly rejected several of those demands in the past, and leaders
in Tehran have noted the difficulty of negotiating with a president who has
engaged in talks in the past only to suddenly bomb them.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Indian counterpart on Saturday
that normalizing the situation in the Strait of Hormuz would require the U.S.
and Israel to stop attacking Iran and commit not to resume the attacks in
future, the Iranian foreign ministry said. As for Trump, he said Friday that he
does not oppose talks, but is not interested at the moment in meeting Iran's
demands for a ceasefire. Trump also sees the demand for reparations as a
"non-starter," a U.S. official said. A second official said there could be room
to negotiate over returning frozen assets to Iran. "They call it reparations.
Maybe we call it return of frozen money. There's many different ways that we can
wordsmith so that it solves politically what they need to solve, to develop
consensus in their system," the official said.
"That's wordsmithing. We have to first get to the place of having the
high-quality problem of wordsmithing."Trump's team is currently trying to answer
two key questions: Who in Iran is the best point of contact for negotiations,
and which country is best mediator?
Araghchi has been the primary intermediary in past talks, but Trump advisers see
him as a "fax machine" rather than someone who is empowered to actually deliver
a deal, U.S. officials say. They're trying to figure out who actually makes
decisions in Iran and how to get in touch with them, U.S. officials say. And
while Oman mediated the last round of nuclear talks, the U.S. is seeking a
different mediator, ideally Qatar, due to mutual distrust with the Omanis. U.S.
officials said the Qataris proved themselves to be effective and trusted
mediators in Gaza. The Qataris are willing the help behind the scenes, but don't
want to be the main official mediators, two sources said. The sources said
Trump's advisers want to be prepared if talks with Iran take shape in the near
future. Witkoff and Kushner's terms will be similar to the ones they presented
in Geneva two days before the war started, according to the sources.
Cyprus: UK says its bases will not be used in a war with
Iran
LBCI/March 21/2026
The Cypriot government said Saturday that the United Kingdom will not use its
bases in Cyprus for any offensive operations during the Iran crisis, following a
phone call between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Cypriot President Nikos
Christodoulides. A government spokesperson said in a written statement that
Starmer reaffirmed that the security of the Republic of Cyprus is a priority for
Britain and that measures are being strengthened to support existing preventive
protocols. He also confirmed that the two UK bases in Cyprus will not be used in
any offensive military operations. The statement comes after an Iranian-made
Shahd drone caused minor damage when it struck facilities at the British
Akrotiri airbase on March 2, and two other drones were later intercepted. No
other security incidents have been reported. Britain has maintained sovereignty
over the two bases on the island since Cyprus gained independence from its
former colonial power in 1960.
UAE-Iran Ties Deteriorate as Tehran-Linked Hospital Ordered Shut in Dubai
This is Beirut/AFP/March 21/2026
The United Arab Emirates has ordered the closure of an Iranian state-linked
hospital in Dubai, three employees at the facility told AFP, as ties between the
two neighbors deteriorate and Tehran continues its aerial campaign against Gulf
states.
Since the United States and Israel began striking Iran on February 28, Tehran
has launched waves of missiles and drones at Gulf states, with more than 2,000
attacks on the UAE alone. The strikes have strained ties between the countries,
prompting Abu Dhabi to recall its ambassador to Iran and close its diplomatic
mission. Iran-linked entities, including schools, have been shut despite
longstanding economic and community links. "The government asked all of us to
leave," an employee at the hospital told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss
sensitive matters. "The hospital management told us it was because of Iran's
attacks on the UAE," he added. The Iranian hospital, which employs more than 700
people, is run by the Iranian Red Crescent Society. It is one of the oldest
healthcare facilities in the UAE.A UAE official told AFP "certain institutions
directly linked to the Iranian regime and IRGC will be closed under targeted
measures" after being found to violate UAE laws. "These measures are
administrative in nature and will be implemented in an orderly manner to ensure
continuity of essential services," they added. At least three staff members said
they were informed of the decision last Saturday during a staff meeting and
asked to vacate in the coming days. "We never expected it to happen so quickly,"
one doctor told AFP. "There were officials and security personnel inside the
compound when I came to work on Tuesday." Patients have been transferred to
other facilities in Dubai, staff said, while the hospital's website has been
removed. At least four Iranian schools have also been shut in Dubai, according
to members of the Iranian community. Signage at the Towheed Iranian School in
Dubai has been removed, and a security guard at the site told AFP the school was
closed. The Iranian Club in Dubai, also linked to Tehran, said it suspended
activities in a statement on Instagram on Monday, citing "current
circumstances". On Friday, the UAE arrested at least five members of an Iran-
and Hezbollah-linked network that sought to "infiltrate the national economy"
and threaten UAE financial stability. Iran and the UAE share deep cultural and
historical ties as neighbouring countries across the Gulf, with centuries-old
links between coastal communities, trade routes and family networks. Some
Iranian hospital staff said they feared their lives were being upended as the
conflict pitted their homeland against their adopted home. "We came here to
escape the situation back home," said a doctor who has worked at the hospital
for more than a decade.
"It is heartbreaking that our lives are affected like this."
Broader Picture
On Wednesday, the Qatari Foreign Ministry declared the Iranian embassy’s
military and security attaches ‘persona non grata’ due to Iran’s repeated
attacks on the country.
Qatar also said that Iranian attacks on its main gas facility situated on its
north coast were a "direct threat to its national security."The Lebanese
government has also taken steps to distance themselves, removing the visa-free
status Iranians previously enjoyed in the country and launching a program to
index IRGC affiliates in the country with an eye towards eventual deportation.
Drone Attack Against Iraqi Intelligence Services Kills One
in Baghdad
This is Beirut/March 21/2026
An Iraqi officer was killed on Saturday in a drone attack targeting an Iraqi
intelligence services building in a residential Baghdad neighbourhood, the
agency said, as the Middle East war reverberates across the country. Iraq has
been unwillingly drawn into the Middle East conflict with strikes targeting
Iran-backed groups, which in turn have claimed near-daily attacks on US
interests, mostly in Iraq but also across the wider region. At around 10:00 am
local time (0700 GMT) the Iraqi National Intelligence Service was attacked in a
drone strike, said Saad Maan, head of the Iraqi government's security media
unit. "An officer was martyred," the Iraqi intelligence agency said in a
statement, condemning the strike as a "terrorist attack carried out by rogue
elements".
No group immediately claimed responsibility.
An officer was also wounded in the attack, according to a security official and
an emergency services source. The attack occurred in the affluent Mansour
neighbourhood, during celebrations marking Eid al-Fitr. Earlier, an Iraqi
security official told AFP the attack targeted a "telecommunications tower" used
by the National Intelligence Services, which cooperates with US advisors
deployed in Iraq as part of an international anti-jihadist coalition. He later
said the targeted building houses a unit responsible for monitoring and tracking
the recent strikes and rocket fire across the city. Another drone, filming the
operation, crashed into a private members sports club popular with the Iraqi
elite and foreign diplomats, according to the same source.
Drone attacks
Since the start of the war, pro-Iran armed groups have carried out several drone
strikes against the US embassy and a logistics centre at the international
airport. Overnight from Friday to Saturday, at least three drone attacks
targeted the logistics hub, according to two security officials. However, the US
embassy was not targeted for the third consecutive night, after the influential
Iran-backed group Kataeb Hezbollah pledged on Thursday to observe a five-day
pause on attacking the embassy, under certain conditions. The Iran-backed group,
designated by Washington as a "terrorist organisation", listed several
conditions, including Israel ceasing its bombardment of the southern suburbs of
Beirut. Separately, a fighter from the former paramilitary coalition Hashed al-Shaabi
was killed late Friday in a strike on a military airfield in northern Iraq. The
group blamed the attack on the US and Israel. On Thursday, the Pentagon
acknowledged for the first time that combat helicopters had carried out strikes
against pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq during the latest conflict.
UK Warns Iran as U.S. Expands War Effort and Tehran Rejects Ceasefire Terms
This is Beirut/March 21/2026
The war between Iran and the United States and Israel escalated further, as the
British Ministry of Defense warned on Saturday that Iran’s “reckless attacks”
and its control of the Strait of Hormuz pose a threat to British interests and
those of its allies. Previously on Friday, the UK warned Tehran against
targeting its bases and authorized U.S. use of its facilities, while Iran ruled
out a ceasefire under current conditions. In a phone call with Iranian Foreign
Minister Abbas Araghchi, British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper warned against any
“direct attack” on UK bases, territory, or interests, according to an official
statement. The warning came after Tehran signaled that any use of British bases
by U.S. forces would be considered direct participation in the war.
U.S. Operations Intensify as Timeline Remains Uncertain
The developments come as the United States continues its military campaign
launched on February 28 alongside Israel, targeting Iran’s missile capabilities
and strategic infrastructure.
The White House said earlier that President Donald Trump and the Pentagon
initially estimated the war would last between four and six weeks as part of an
effort to eliminate what Washington describes as Iran’s military threat. U.S.
officials also claimed that Iran’s capabilities are being progressively
weakened, despite ongoing attacks across the region.
Iran Rejects Ceasefire and Signals Continued Military Response
Iran has firmly rejected any ceasefire proposal that does not meet its
conditions. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would not accept
agreements that repeat previous scenarios, insisting on a comprehensive and
lasting solution backed by international guarantees. He added that Iran would
continue to act in what it described as self-defense, accusing Washington of
lacking genuine willingness to end the war. At the same time, Iran’s
Revolutionary Guards announced a new wave of attacks targeting U.S. bases across
the region, including in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Iraq.
Strait of Hormuz Remains a Central Flashpoint
Tensions continue to center around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for
global energy supplies. Iran denied closing the strategic waterway but confirmed
that restrictions are being imposed on countries involved in attacks against it,
while allowing passage for others.
Tehran also signaled readiness to facilitate oil shipments for countries not
participating in the conflict, in an apparent effort to manage international
pressure amid rising global energy concerns.
Allies Step In as Conflict Broadens
Britain’s warning reflects a broader trend of increasing international
involvement in the conflict. London has authorized the United States to use
British bases for operations targeting Iranian missile infrastructure linked to
attacks on maritime routes, while maintaining that its role remains defensive.
However, divisions remain among Western allies, with several NATO countries
reluctant to become directly involved due to fears of escalation.
With military operations intensifying, ceasefire positions hardening, and
international actors becoming more directly involved, the conflict is entering a
new phase, one defined not only by battlefield developments but also by
expanding regional and global stakes.
MBS, al-Sisi warn Iranian attacks on Gulf threaten regional stability
Al Arabiya English/21 March/2026
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
in Jeddah on Saturday, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The two leaders discussed regional developments, particularly the repercussions
of the ongoing military escalation in the Middle East, its impact on regional
and global security and stability, and the coordination of efforts in response,
SPA said. They also emphasized that the “repeated Iranian attacks on the Gulf
Cooperation Council countries and the targeting of their vital and civilian
infrastructure constitute a dangerous escalation that threatens the region’s
security and stability,” it added. Al-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s condemnation of
Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region, as well as
its “support and solidarity with the Kingdom against any threat to its
sovereignty and security,” according to the agency. The Egyptian president is
currently on a regional tour aimed at discussing developments in the conflict
and reaffirming Egypt’s solidarity with Gulf states.
Al-Sisi arrived in Saudi Arabia from Bahrain after a brief visit to Manama,
where he met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Over the past two days, he has
also visited the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as part of Egypt’s efforts to
support GCC countries amid ongoing regional tensions and to reaffirm its
rejection of attacks on fellow Arab states and attempts to undermine their
security and resources.
Saudi Arabia declares several Iranian embassy staff persona non grata
Yaghoub Fazeli - Al Arabiya English/22 March/2026
Saudi Arabia said on Saturday it had declared several members of Iran’s embassy
staff persona non grata, ordering them to leave the Kingdom within 24 hours, as
tensions escalate over Tehran’s ongoing attacks on Saudi Arabia and other Arab
and Islamic countries.
In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry said the military attaché at the
Iranian embassy in Riyadh, his assistant, and three other members of the
diplomatic mission had been notified to depart the country. The ministry
reiterated the Kingdom’s condemnation of Iran’s “blatant attacks” against Saudi
Arabia, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and a number of Arab and
Islamic states. It said Iran’s continued targeting of Saudi territory, civilian
infrastructure, economic interests, and diplomatic premises in the Kingdom
constitutes a “clear violation” of international law, principles of good
neighborliness, and respect for state sovereignty. The ministry said such
actions also violate the Beijing Agreement, a 2023 China-brokered deal in which
Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore relations, as well as UN Security
Council Resolution 2817 (2026), and contradict what it described as Iran’s
repeated claims of adherence to Islamic values and principles. Saudi Arabia had
warned earlier this month that continued Iranian attacks would lead to further
escalation and have serious consequences for bilateral relations, both in the
present and the future.
The ministry stressed that the Kingdom “will not hesitate” to take all necessary
measures to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, as
well as to protect its citizens, residents, and economic interests, in
accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, which affirms the right of states
to self-defense. The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on
February 28 that killed its supreme leader and triggered a war in the Middle
East. Tehran has since responded with drone and missile attacks across the
region, including strikes on neighboring Gulf countries that say they are
neither involved in the conflict nor have allowed their territory to be used to
launch attacks. According to an Al Arabiya tally, Iran has launched far more
missiles and drones at Gulf states than at Israel since the war began, with
about 85 percent of its attacks targeting Gulf countries compared with roughly
15 percent aimed at Israel.
Saudi Arabia Condemns Israeli 'Aggression' Against Syria
This is Beirut/AFP/March 21/2026
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry condemned on Saturday Israel's strikes on Syrian
army camps as "aggression", joining Turkey in calling on the international
community to intervene.
Israel's military said on Friday it had struck southern Syria in response to
what it called attacks against the Druze community in Sweida province. Israel
had bombed Syria during a deadly bout of sectarian violence last year, saying it
was acting to defend the minority group.
The Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement that the kingdom condemned "the
blatant Israeli aggression... in flagrant violation of international law and
Syrian sovereignty".
It urged the international community "to put an end to Israel's violations of
international laws and norms".The Turkish foreign ministry called the Israeli
attack "a dangerous escalation" that the international community must stop. The
Israeli strikes came as war roiled the Middle East after the US and Israel
attacked Iran on February 28, sparking a conflict that has engulfed much of the
region, although Syria has avoided being dragged into it. The Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Thursday that clashes with government forces
in Sweida province left at least four Druze fighters dead. Israeli shelling
later hit residential neighbourhoods in Sweida city, the Observatory said.
After the overthrow of Syria's longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024,
Israel moved its forces into the UN-patrolled demilitarised zone on the
Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, and has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria
as well as regular incursions.
The military said on Friday it "will not allow harm to come to Druze in Syria
and will continue to act for their protection".The Syrian foreign ministry
denounced an "outrageous assault on Syria's sovereignty and territorial
integrity" and called the Israeli justification "flimsy pretexts and fabricated
excuses".
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 21-22/2026
A Historic Moment: The Case for Ending Both the Iranian Regime and Hamas
Once and for All
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/March 21/2026
The critical question is whether we will stop at weakening the Iranian regime or
Hamas or move toward ensuring that they can never again recover as long-term
threats to their neighbors or global security. At this moment, leaving those
regimes in place – the ruling mullahs in Iran or Hamas in Gaza — is probably the
most dangerous option.
Authoritarian regimes such as Iran's, and terrorist groups such as Hamas,
Hezbollah, Islamic State and the Taliban, rarely respond to setbacks by
abandoning their ambitions. Instead, they pause, regroup, and rebuild.
Russia and China, each with its own anti-American calculations, could provide
political cover, technological assistance, and indirect support that would allow
Iran to resume its nuclear program. China has already been supplying Iran with
"almost everything but troops" during this war, and supplying Russia with
military materiel for its war against Ukraine.
If Iran's regime and Hamas are allowed to recover, their primary strategic
objective will likely become to rearm as quickly as possible, and we will be
right back at war again.
Stopping halfway through such efforts only allows threats to reemerge
dangerously in the future. History will judge whether these two opportunities
presented today were seized — or allowed to slip away.
If Iran's regime and Hamas are allowed to recover, their primary strategic
objective will likely become to rearm as quickly as possible, and we will be
right back at war again.
What has taken place in recent weeks is nothing short of historic. For decades,
the Iranian regime and its proxies, including Hamas, have operated with a sense
of impunity. For decades, Iran's rulers have expanded their regional influence,
armed their proxy militias, threatened their neighbors, and steadily advanced
their weapons or mass destruction programs. While various countries imposed
sanctions and Israel and the United States occasionally conducted limited
military responses, no large-scale effort was ever undertaken to fundamentally
weaken the political and military power deep inside Iran. That reality has now
changed dramatically.Now, for the first time, both the Iranian regime and Hamas have experienced
direct and sustained military campaigns at a scale they had long assumed would
never occur.
Strategic air strikes have damaged key Iranian facilities, command centers, and
military infrastructure. Defense networks, missile production facilities and
launchers and military bases have been targeted -- significantly limiting Iran's
ability to project power beyond its borders. Many elements of its naval
capabilities have also been struck, reducing its capacity to threaten
international shipping lanes and regional maritime security.
These developments already represent a remarkable shift in the strategic balance
of the Middle East. No American president or coalition of countries had ever
dared to seriously challenge the Iranian regime or any of its proxies. The
military infrastructures that both Iran and Hamas had spent decades building and
protecting, have now been significantly degraded. Their leadership structures
have been shaken, and their ability to coordinate attacks, disrupted. These
developments demonstrate that malign actors, long viewed as untouchable, are in
fact quite vulnerable when confronted with sustained and coordinated pressure.
Despite these achievements, however, the world now faces an extremely dangerous
turning point. The question is no longer whether the Iranian regime or Hamas can
be weakened — they clearly can. The critical question is whether we will stop at
weakening the Iranian regime or Hamas or move toward ensuring that they can
never again recover as long-term threats to their neighbors or global security.
At this moment, leaving those regimes in place – the ruling mullahs in Iran or
Hamas in Gaza — is probably the most dangerous option.
Authoritarian regimes such as Iran's, and terrorist groups such as Hamas,
Hezbollah, Islamic State and the Taliban, rarely respond to setbacks by
abandoning their ambitions. Instead, they pause, regroup, and rebuild. If the
Iranian regime is allowed to survive this moment and regain stability, it will
almost certainly dedicate its remaining resources to achieving what it has long
sought: nuclear weapons. Such weapons in Iran's hands would fundamentally change
the strategic landscape of the Middle East and provide the regime with a
powerful shield against future military pressure.
It would be naïve to assume that the Iranian regime and Hamas will abandon their
ambitions even after the destruction they have experienced. On the contrary, the
leaders in Tehran will most likely conclude that their greatest strategic
mistake was not obtaining nuclear weapons sooner. If they had possessed nuclear
deterrence before this conflict, they might believe that the United States and
Israel would never have dared to launch such a campaign against them. This
realization could accelerate their determination to acquire nuclear weapons at
any cost.
There are several potential pathways through which the regime could attempt to
achieve this objective. One path is that Iran still possesses hidden stockpiles
of enriched uranium or possibly undisclosed facilities capable of rapidly
producing nuclear material. Over the years, the regime has demonstrated
considerable skill in concealing aspects of its nuclear program. Even if many
facilities have been destroyed, the possibility that covert infrastructure
remains cannot be dismissed.
Another possibility involves rapid reconstruction of the nuclear program once
the conflict subsides. If the regime survives and external pressure weakens, it
could quietly rebuild its nuclear infrastructure in secret locations. Advances
in technology, as well as lessons learned from past international inspections,
could allow the regime to move faster and more discreetly than before.
There is also the possibility of external assistance. Countries that view the
United States and its allies as strategic rivals may see value in preserving the
Iranian regime as a geopolitical partner. Nations such as North Korea and
Pakistan already possess nuclear capabilities and have historically engaged in
military technology exchanges with other states. Russia and China, each with its
own anti-American calculations, could provide political cover, technological
assistance, and indirect support that would allow Iran to resume its nuclear
program. China has already been supplying Iran with "almost everything but
troops" during this war, and supplying Russia with military materiel for its war
against Ukraine.
If Iran's regime and Hamas are allowed to recover, their primary strategic
objective will likely become to rearm as quickly as possible, and we will be
right back at war again.
For Iran, a single nuclear weapon can destroy an entire city. In a region as
densely populated and strategically sensitive as the Middle East, the
consequences would be catastrophic not only to Israel but to its neighbors in
the Gulf. Even the possibility of nuclear weapons use would introduce a level of
instability and fear that would reshape global politics.
Finally, today, the strategic landscape has shifted. The regimes have been
weakened and their military infrastructures severely damaged. This situation
represents a historic turning point. What has already been accomplished by the
United States and Israel is breathtaking. Stopping halfway through such efforts
only allows threats to reemerge dangerously in the future. History will judge
whether these two opportunities presented today were seized — or allowed to slip
away.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and
board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on
the US foreign policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
**Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22360/end-iranian-regime-hamas
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Empires Do Not Return,
their Delusions Engender Quagmires
Mohammed al-Rumaihi/ASharq Al Awsat/March 21/2026
The entrenched crisis of the Iranian regime and the fierce wars raging across
the Middle East cannot be properly understood without looking into the deep
roots of the complex relationship between religion and politics in Iran. This is
not a recent phenomenon but one that stretches back centuries, taking various
forms while retaining its essence: an ongoing struggle for power between
religious legitimacy and the demands of modern statecraft and international law.
At the turn of the twentieth century, as the Qajar state weakened, what became
known as the Constitutional Revolution emerged as an early attempt to escape the
impasse by establishing a hybrid system that merged modern institutions and
religious authority. The clerics played a proactive role in this experiment, but
they could never settle the question of their place within it: were they
partners of the authorities or the guardians of the system?
This unresolved duality triggered infighting that ultimately undermined the
experiment. It collapsed swiftly, leaving a vacuum filled by a military man,
Reza Shah, who decided to settle the matter by force. He imposed a coercive
modernization program modeled on the authoritarian movements then ascendant in
Europe. This top-down modernization, however, was never anchored in
institutions, as it had in Türkiye. It remained disconnected from the country’s
social and cultural fabric, resting on the authority of a single man. With the
Second World War, Britain and Russia intervened, removing the fascist-leaning
Reza Shah and reconstituting political authority with his son, Mohammad Reza
Pahlavi, at the center. Here, the old question resurfaced: how does one
reconcile a modern state with a religious network deeply embedded in society.
In 1953, Mohammad Mosaddegh tried something different. He built his experiment
on national independence through the nationalization of oil, but it did not, as
the prevailing narrative holds, fail solely because of foreign intervention and
the effort to curtail outside influence. Internal forces also played a decisive
role, among them elements of the religious establishment, foremost Abol Qasem
Kashani, as they felt excluded from power. Mosaddegh rejected their tutelage,
and so the Shah returned from his exile in Rome, this time more convinced than
ever that he could tolerate no partners in his modernization effort.
In the 1970s, riding the oil boom, the Shah plunged into an ambitious
modernization project accompanied and marginalized the religious establishment
without the latter vanishing. It had been expanding in the shadows, drawing on
social and historical networks that go back to the Safavid era. When the
revolution erupted in 1979, it was not merely a popular uprising but a historic
rupture that carried the clergy from the margins of the state to the center. Yet
the new experiment embodied in “Velayat-e Faqih” was not so much a return to the
past as it was a complex system determined not to repeat historic mistakes.
Combining religious legitimacy with security apparatuses and political economy,
this political system succeeded in consolidating domestically through mechanisms
of control. However, it faced another dilemma around how to justify its
existence in the region.
Its answer was expansion, creating replicas of itself. It began establishing
active or dormant subordinate militias across the Arab neighborhood to serve its
objectives. As previous empires had done, Iran sought to extend its regional
influence by exploiting power vacuums in the Arab world, particularly in Iraq,
Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. Some of its officials spoke openly of this reach as a
natural extension of Iran's power.
Anyone who reads the literature of this regime and the texts of certain Iranian
officials can recognize that this expansion was not a tactical phase but part of
a broader vision that revived the concept of “Lebensraum” under ideological
pretexts.
But history teaches us that expansion undermines empires more often than it
empowers them. Japan, in the first half of the twentieth century, peaked through
expansion only to pay a devastating price when it collided with the
international order. The Soviet Union similarly collapsed in part because of its
overreach. With Iran, the expansionist project appears to have exceeded the
state's capacity to sustain it, especially under the weight of economic
pressure, international isolation, and the endurance of its neighbors.
The war underway today is not merely a military confrontation. It is a profound
test of the idea that has governed the system since its founding: the fusion of
doctrine and power, of the domestic and the foreign, within a single project.
This war appears, in one way or another, to be redefining Iran's place in the
world, from fantasies on an imperial project to a nation-state with clearly
defined borders and interests.
The real question is not whether the regime will change, but how it will adapt
to this shift. Iranian history is full of transformations, but it is equally
brimming with attempts to reconcile the irreconcilable. Today the regime stands
before a familiar function: either it redefines itself within the logic of the
modern state, or it continues to chase an imperial dream that has no place in a
world whose rules are changing fast.
The bottom line is this: the contemporary world has no room for empires.
The Riyadh Consultations and the Reality of ‘Fated
Neighbors’
Emile Ameen/ASharq Al Awsat/March 21/2026
It has been said — and the wisest words are those of the discerning — that
“geography is God’s shadow upon the earth, and history is humanity’s shadow upon
nature.”From geography, we turn to the consultative meeting held last Wednesday
night in Riyadh, bringing together the foreign ministers of a number of Arab and
Islamic states in an effort to address Iran’s unrestrained crisis across the
region. Saudi diplomacy has long been marked by decisiveness and resolve in
confronting volatile issues that threaten the security and stability of
brotherly nations and neighboring countries, especially in times of intensifying
crises. This was clearly reflected in the tone and substance of the statement
issued after the meeting.
What is both striking and alarming is that, on the very night of this
consultative gathering, Iran’s intentions seemed unmistakable. Missile strikes
targeted the Saudi capital and several Gulf states, as though conveying a
preemptive message: nothing will deter it from pressing ahead in its reckless
course, heedless of consequences. The fatigued Iranian leadership appears to be
escaping forward, exporting crises born of nearly five decades of political
recklessness. In doing so, Iran disregards the Westphalian understanding of
neighboring states as sovereign entities, states whose populations cannot be
terrorized, nor their territorial integrity threatened. The repercussions of
such actions, both for Iran itself and for the broader security of the Middle
East, will be grave and costly. They will also cast a long shadow over its
relations with the countries and peoples of the region, who will not remain
passive in the face of threats to their stability and resources.
How, then, should one characterize Iran’s current condition, now in the third
week of confrontations that have set it back significantly on multiple fronts:
military, civilian, and, perhaps most critically, moral?
Before answering, it is worth recalling that regional capitals — foremost among
them Riyadh, Doha, and Muscat — have spared no effort in seeking to shield Iran
first, and the region as a whole, from the ravages of war.
Today, Tehran appears like a drowning man intent on dragging others down with
him to the depths, a Samson-like vision of bringing the temple down upon himself
and his enemies alike. Yet the truth remains: hatred yields nothing, and
hostility does not build bridges for dialogue; it erects walls in hearts and
minds.
History records remind us that wars, no matter how fierce, must eventually come
to an end. Iran itself has lived this reality in modern times, enduring nearly
eight years of brutal war with Iraq. In the end, Khomeini “drank the poison
chalice” — meaning he accepted a ceasefire — after the country had suffered
devastating battles with Iraqi forces and even with the United States during
Operation Praying Mantis in 1988, when it lost more than half its naval fleet.
But what follows the end of war? Peoples endure. The memory of nations preserves
what has unfolded, and elders recount to younger generations the trials of the
past, whether marked by good or ill.Between geography and history, the human
story unfolds. Nations and societies emerge; civilizations rise; generations
follow one another. At times they cooperate, at times they clash; they
experience periods of harmony and others of discord, particularly among states
bound by inescapable geographic proximity — a condition that cannot be altered
or exchanged. In his seminal work “The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells
Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate”, American author Robert
D. Kaplan underscores the enduring power of geography: its capacity to foster
prosperity when border tensions recede and the threats posed by “fated
neighbors” diminish, or, conversely, to fuel instability when they intensify.
The danger in Iran’s recent conduct lies in deepening both regional and global
rejection of it. By persistently threatening international waterways, such as
the Strait of Hormuz, it strikes at the very heart of the global economy and
provokes major powers that will not hesitate to exert increasing force to compel
a change in its course. The consequences will reverberate negatively, for
decades, across its “fated neighbors.” This prompts a fundamental question: does
physical geography dictate human conflict, or can the will to live, coexist, and
pursue pathways to peace transcend the challenges of what might be called “fated
neighborhood”? Iran must move beyond the paradigm of inevitable confrontation
and embrace peaceful coexistence. Such is the measured message of the Riyadh
consultations.
After the caliphate, the system that held the Islamic State
is gone
Yassin K. Fawaz/The Arab Weekly/March 21/2026
ISIS no longer holds territory nor governs populations as it once did. But it
has not
The warning itself was familiar. On March 18th, Tulsi Gabbard told Congress that
al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS) extremist groups remain among the most
serious threats to American interests overseas. Such warnings have been a
constant of US national-security language since the September 11 attacks,
repeated often enough to lose their force. Yet the context in which they are now
delivered is no longer routine. ISIS no longer holds territory or governs
populations as it once did. But it has not disappeared. It has adapted, becoming
less visible, more dispersed and, in some respects, more resilient.
For several years, that adaptation was constrained by a fragile but functional
architecture in north-east Syria. Following the territorial defeat of the group
in 2019, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) assumed responsibility
for holding an estimated 9,000 to 10,000 fighters in detention facilities, while
more than 40,000 women and children affiliated with the organisation were
confined to camps such as al-Hol and Roj. This arrangement was never intended as
a permanent solution. It was under-resourced, politically unresolved and
dependent on continued American support. Yet it performed a critical function.
It imposed separation. It also concentrated responsibility in a single
structure, one that, for all its limitations, ensured that the containment of
the Islamic State remained a defined and continuous task rather than a dispersed
one. It kept ISIS in a state of suspension, for the first time since 2019: not
eliminated, but contained. Containment, however, has always been physical. It
separates people, not ideas. In camps such as al-Hol, where tens of thousands of
women and children remain, the Islamic State’s ideology has continued to
circulate, often in more entrenched forms. Informal networks, coercion and
internal enforcement have allowed the group’s worldview to persist even in
confinement. The result is that while fighters were held in place, the next
generation was not neutralised, only delayed.
That system has now been dismantled. The events of early 2026, culminating in
the advance of Syrian government forces into SDF-held territory and the
subsequent integration of Kurdish forces into state structures, did not merely
weaken the containment framework; they ended it in its previous form. What had
been a system, however imperfect, ceased to function as one. Its components
remained, but no longer in coordination. Control over detention facilities
shifted, often abruptly. Camp administration was disrupted. Security
arrangements that had depended on continuity and institutional familiarity were
absorbed into a broader system that lacks the same focus and experience. What
replaced the previous structure is not a new system but a transition,
fragmented, uneven and inherently unstable.
As the system has weakened, the problem it once contained has begun to move. In
early 2026, more than 5,700 ISIS detainees were transferred from Kurdish-run
facilities in north-east Syria to Iraqi custody, with total numbers expected to
approach 7,000. These include experienced fighters and senior figures drawn from
dozens of countries. Iraq has assumed responsibility for their detention and
prosecution, holding them in facilities such as al-Karkh and Nasiriyah while
urging foreign governments to repatriate their nationals.
Efforts to repatriate foreign fighters have made limited progress. Many
governments remain reluctant to take back their nationals, leaving Iraq to
manage a population that was never meant to be held indefinitely. The result is
a system under pressure not only from security constraints, but from political
reluctance elsewhere. Containment, in this sense, has been sustained less by
design than by default.
Yet Iraq is not a neutral container. Its security environment is shaped by
overlapping authorities, including state forces and powerful paramilitary
networks operating under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilisation Forces. While
these groups are formally integrated into Iraq’s security architecture, their
presence reflects a system in which command and accountability are not always
fully centralised. Detention, rehabilitation and monitoring require sustained
coordination and clear authority. Where these conditions are uneven, the risk is
not immediate collapse but gradual slippage, gaps through which networks can
reconstitute and individuals can re-enter circulation. In that sense, the
dismantling of containment does not eliminate the problem. It redistributes it
into a more complex and less predictable environment.
On the ground, the effects are already visible, though not yet dramatic.
Facilities that once operated under a clear chain of command now answer to
overlapping authorities. Personnel have been reassigned or replaced, sometimes
without the transfer of institutional knowledge that such environments require.
Prisons holding high-risk detainees depend not only on manpower but on
familiarity: an understanding of internal hierarchies, communication patterns
and the informal structures that govern behaviour inside. As that continuity
erodes, so too does the capacity to manage it. In the camps, where ideological
networks have long operated beneath the surface, the weakening of control has
allowed those structures to reassert themselves. None of this amounts to
immediate collapse. But it marks the end of stability as it previously existed.
The implications of this shift are best understood not through the lens of
resurgence, but of regeneration. Islamic State no longer requires a dramatic
return to territorial control to become relevant. Its evolution over the past
decade has shown that it can rebuild incrementally, through the slow
reconnection of networks and the reactivation of individuals. Detention systems
play a central role in interrupting that process. They isolate experienced
operatives, fragment communication and impose friction on the organisation’s
human infrastructure. When those systems weaken, that friction diminishes.
Individuals begin to move. Couriers re-establish lines of contact. Small cells
reform around pre-existing relationships. Financing networks, often informal and
diffuse, resume activity. The process is gradual and often invisible. It rarely
announces itself in intelligence assessments until it has already taken hold.
Time, in this context, is not neutral. It favours the actor that is able to
wait.
This dynamic has clear precedent. After the American invasion of Iraq in 2003,
detention facilities such as Camp Bucca became incubators for the networks that
would later underpin the rise of ISIS. Among those detained was Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi, who would go on to lead the organisation at its peak. The lesson
was not simply that detention can radicalise. It was that it can organise. As
the separation once imposed by detention erodes, the conditions for reconnection
re-emerge.
The dismantling of the containment system did not occur in isolation. It was
shaped by a shift in American policy, embodied in part by Tom Barrack, an
unconventional envoy whose influence reflects both his proximity to political
leadership and the structure of American engagement in the region. Barrack’s
background lies outside government. A businessman and long-time associate of
Donald Trump, he approaches policy with the instincts of a negotiator rather
than a career official. In an environment where the United States lacks a formal
diplomatic presence in Syria and operates through indirect channels, individuals
carry greater weight. His approach has emphasised consolidation over
fragmentation: resolving complex arrangements rather than managing them
indefinitely. In the months preceding the Syrian government’s advance, he
signalled that the SDF’s role had “largely expired,” framing reintegration into
state structures as both inevitable and desirable. American support would not
sustain the existing model. In doing so, a structure designed to manage the
remnants of ISIS was traded for one intended to resolve the political map,
without fully accounting for the tension between the two. The shift suggests a
broader recalibration in American strategy, from managing instability to
containing its consequences.
That shift also reflects a convergence of regional interests. Turkey has long
viewed the SDF as inseparable from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and has
consistently opposed the emergence of Kurdish autonomy along its southern
border. Under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ankara has sustained military and political
pressure on Kurdish-held areas, pushing for their dismantling or reintegration
into a centralised Syrian state. The government in Damascus, for its part, seeks
to reassert control over all territory and has little interest in preserving a
semi-autonomous region. These objectives are not identical, but they align
sufficiently to produce a shared outcome.
The broader regional context now amplifies these shifts. A widening conflict
involving Iran has drawn attention and resources toward state-level
confrontation, pulling Iraq into a more contested role. As priorities are
reordered, the systems responsible for managing lower-intensity threats come
under strain. The risk is not that the Islamic State returns despite this war,
but that it rebuilds beneath it.
The manner in which this transition was executed reflects a broader shift in how
American diplomacy is functioning across parts of the Middle East. In Syria,
there is no embassy. Elsewhere, several key missions are being led by chargés
d’affaires rather than US Senate-confirmed ambassadors. It is not that chargés
are not controlling embassies. It is that they are leading them without the same
authority, creating space others can fill. The result is not an absence of
diplomacy, but the emergence of a vacuum at the level where authority,
continuity and strategic direction are usually anchored. That layer matters. In
complex environments such as Syria and Iraq, policy is not simply executed, it
is coordinated across military, intelligence and political tracks, often
requiring sustained engagement with local actors and a clear mandate from
Washington. Without a confirmed ambassador in place, that function becomes
harder to anchor. Leadership is present, but more limited in scope, and less
able to impose coherence across competing priorities. No single actor, however
well-positioned, can replicate the function of a fully established diplomatic
structure operating on the ground with defined authority and continuity. What
emerges instead is a more fluid system, in which individuals operate across
portfolios, but without a single centre capable of holding the strategy
together. Strategy, in such environments, requires not just presence, but a
centre of gravity.
The risks are not abstract. ISIS has long treated prisons as strategic targets,
recognising that the release of even a small number of experienced operatives
can have disproportionate effects. The 2022 assault on al-Sina’a prison in
Hasakah demonstrated both the group’s intent and its capacity to organise such
operations under pressure. Today, the conditions are less stable. Facilities
have changed hands, chains of command are less established and attention is
increasingly divided by wider regional tensions. In such an environment, the
possibility of a breach, whether through attack, internal disorder or
administrative failure, becomes harder to dismiss. Islamic State does not need a
mass breakout. It needs access.
The risk, however, is not confined to dispersion. Iraq has seen this pattern
before. Between 2012 and 2014, the Islamic State evolved from a weakened
insurgency into a force capable of seizing and governing territory, exploiting
gaps in security, fragmented authority and shifting political priorities. The
conditions today are not identical. But some of the underlying features,
pressure on state institutions, competing chains of command and the movement of
experienced operatives, are beginning to reappear.
A return to territorial control is not imminent. But it is no longer
unthinkable. Not as a sudden conquest, but as a gradual process: first
influence, then presence, then control over space that is contested rather than
fully governed. In such environments, territory is not always taken. Sometimes,
it is simply left open.
What has changed, fundamentally, is the framework through which that threat was
managed. The system that once kept ISIS contained has already been dismantled.
What follows will not resemble its past rise. There will be no sudden
declaration, no territorial surge to mark its return. It will reconstitute in
motion, through the quiet reassembly of networks, the circulation of individuals
and the gradual erosion of the barriers that once held it in place. Each step
will be small, often invisible and easy to discount. Taken together, they become
something else entirely. By the time it is recognised, it will not be emerging.
It will already have returned. The question is no longer whether the system will
hold. It is whether what has replaced it can be contained at all.
**Yassin K Fawaz is an American business executive, publisher and security and
terrorism expert.
X Platform Selected twittes for
March 21/2026
Amine Bar-Julius Iskandar
The Quarantina project is nothing new. It's part of the ring
designed to isolate and take East Beirut. Exposed by President Frangié in 1974,
it led to the forced dismantling of Quarantina and Tell-Zaatar, in order to
break up the ring and save Achrafié.
Today they're trying again
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
While the world was busy with the Iran war, the Syrian Sharaa government tried
to overrun the Druze in the south and decreed a prohibition on the sale of
alcohol in Damascus, except for Christians, singling them out. In 2011, 10
percent of Damascus’s population was Christian. Now only three percent. Damascus
is where Saint Paul saw a revelation of Jesus and converted. Like Bethlehem,
where Christians shrank from 90 to 16 percent, Damascene Christians likely
suffer violence and coercion to convert to Islam, religious and legal
discrimination, desecration of holy sites, and social exclusion.
Ideas @USAMBTurkiye?
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Commander Rudolph Haykal refused to take orders from
the cabinet, which voted to instruct the army to disband Hezbollah. The cabinet
then threatened to fire the Maronite Christian Haykal, so where did he go? He
visited the head of the Maronite Church, a visit that made him immune to
accountability, because a Maronite is expected to stand with his own, rightly or
wrongly.This same tribal banding is what Hezbollah hides behind with the Shia.
Any non-Shia Lebanese who demands that Hezbollah surrender its arms causes the
Shia to rally around Hezbollah to protect their own.
If Maronites can defy the cabinet using this archaic tribal tradition, why can't
Hezbollah? The problem in Lebanon is structural (and
not much about lack of LAF resources). Israel has no other option but to take
care of Hezbollah with its own hands. Reliance on the State of Lebanon has
produced nothing since 2006.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
A bogus argument in Western media is that Hezbollah started in 1982 as a
reaction to that year's Israeli invasion of Lebanon. That's not true. Hezbollah
emerged as the Islamic Revolution's extension in Lebanon, aiming to create an
Islamic republic there. The slogan we chanted as kids was "No Eastern Beirut, no
Western Beirut, an Islamic republic."
Also, Hezbollah's first dozen attacks (save for one) all targeted Iraqi or
American interests across Lebanon (Iraqi Embassy, US Embassy, Marine barracks)
and in the region (US Embassy in Kuwait and the Kuwaiti Emir). Attacking Iran's
enemies in Kuwait is hardly a reaction to anything Israeli. Save for one or two
attacks, Hezbollah launched its organized campaign against Israel in Lebanon in
1989, mainly because the Iraq-Iran War had ended a year earlier. With the
Lebanese civil war concluding in 1991, Hezbollah needed its war with Israel to
justify its continued armament as a militia. Anyone expect all the American
experts on NYT and NPR to know this? Or at least make some effort to research
it? If they did, the blame wouldn't fall on the "White Man, colonialist,
Israel." US media has abandoned its investigative role and adopted an
indoctrinating one.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Sharaa’s decision to ban alcohol in Damascus today proves the impossibility of
multi-religious, multi-sectarian, multi-ethnic states in the Middle East, proves
that a Jewish state is a must, and so are a Christian state, a Druze one, and a
Kurdish one, until the Muslim majority understands what liberty means and the
difference between demographic majority and democracy (rule of the majority).The
Muslim majority has yet to understand that, in a democracy, a majority cannot
rewrite the constitution, remake the public space in its image, or trample
personal freedom—liberty—such as the sale and consumption of alcohol in public,
eating publicly during Ramadan, or talking to Israelis. No government whatsoever
can tell a citizen what to do or not do. The only legitimate restrictions are
incitement to violence (which limits free speech) and treason (strictly defined
as leaking state secrets or giving material aid to another state against one’s
own).
Dr Walid Phares
South Lebanon
Israel will not strike any community in southern Lebanon that is actively
resisting Hezbollah, particularly at this stage in the border-zone Christian and
Druze villages and towns. Other areas will need to free themselves from
Khomeinist militias and prevent any advance of jihadist groups seeking to
replace Hezbollah forces.
Nadim Koteich
In essence, we will be using the Iranian barrels against Tehran to keep the
price down as we continue Operation Epic Fury. This temporary, short-term
authorization is strictly limited to oil that is already in transit and does not
allow new purchases or production. Further, Iran will have difficulty accessing
any revenue generated and the United States will continue to maintain maximum
pressure on Iran and its ability to access the international financial system.
Tom Harb
I was delighted to meet with Her Excellency Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad at
the Embassy of Lebanon, accompanied by DCM Wesam Boutros.
Our discussion focused on the current challenges facing Lebanon and
explored meaningful ways in which the Lebanese-American community can support
her efforts to help the country restore its full sovereignty. A key priority we
addressed was ensuring the Lebanese Armed Forces exercise complete control over
Lebanese territory, free from the presence of any armed groups.
The Lebanese people have endured significant hardships for many years. It
is our shared hope that future generations will enjoy lasting peace, prosperity,
and positive relations both within Lebanon and with its neighbors.I remain
optimistic about the potential for constructive collaboration and progress
toward these important goals.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
https://x.com/i/status/2035252987786907723
Former “Lebanese intelligence” chief Abbas Ibrahim, now auditioning for the job
of future Speaker of the House to succeed Berri, brandishes his credentials as a
supporter of Hezbollah. Lebanese politicians still don’t see the Islamist
Iranian regime and Hezbollah coming to an end.
Ronnie Chatah
https://x.com/i/status/2035399328714354787
The biggest threat to Hezbollah was never Israeli bombardment. They thrive after
losing each round by turning their weapons, as they did before, against us.
Israel accepted Hezbollah’s expansion from 2006 - 2023 & the border stayed quiet
- including maritime border agreements. They will tolerate them once more when
the focus shifts away from the battlefield. We have to preemptively stop
Hezbollah from targeting our state & our more recently determined leadership.
That means an absolute ends to their weapons - even under Israeli fire -
requiring international support. No containment, adjustment or coordination with
the Iranian regime’s preferred proxy as we sit and wait for circumstance to
change, as this government did over the past 15 months. And no return to where
we left off in 2006, with a self-proclaimed divine victory that turned any sense
of normalcy into a hijacking of our institutions, endless assassinations,
political paralysis & permanent war.
Subject: Urgent Request for Laser TURP (Private or OHIP) – Ongoing Hematuria
Dear Doctor,
I am seeking an urgent consultation regarding ongoing hematuria and the
possibility of expedited surgical treatment.
I am a 79-year-old retired nurse in otherwise good health, with no significant
medical conditions and currently not taking any medications.
Approximately five years ago, I underwent two TURP procedures within a two-month
period. The initial conventional TURP was unsuccessful; however, a subsequent
laser TURP was effective.
Around 40 days ago, I developed severe prostatitis accompanied by significant
hematuria and clot formation. My urologist, Dr. Dagnone, performed a cystoscopy,
initiated antibiotic therapy, and inserted a urinary catheter. Despite these
measures, the bleeding persisted intermittently.
I was later admitted to Mississauga Hospital for five days, where I remained
catheterized and was treated with a different antibiotic based on urine culture
results. Unfortunately, there was no significant improvement, and the hematuria
has continued on an intermittent basis. at the same time I went to Mississauga
Hospital emery six times for the same symptoms
Due to significant discomfort, I requested removal of the catheter last week
through my family physician, assuming responsibility for this decision. Since
removal, I am able to void, but the intermittent hematuria persists.
I am currently scheduled for a laser TURP on April 28, 2026; however, given the
ongoing bleeding and lack of improvement, I am seeking an earlier intervention
if possible.
I would like to inquire whether your clinic offers:
Laser TURP (or equivalent advanced prostate procedures)
Expedited surgical timelines
Private (self-pay) options, if available
I am willing to proceed as a private patient if this would allow earlier
treatment.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration. I would greatly appreciate
any opportunity for an urgent consultation.
Sincerely,
Elias Youssef Bejjani
cell phone number 6478235261
email phoenicia@hotmail.com