English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For March 24/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its
works are evil
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John
07/01-13:”After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in
Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. Now the
Jewish festival of Booths was near. So his brothers said to him, ‘Leave here and
go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing; for no
one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show
yourself to the world.’(For not even his brothers believed in him.). Jesus said
to them, ‘My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world
cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are
evil. Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for my
time has not yet fully come.’After saying this, he remained in Galilee. But
after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but
as it were in secret. The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying,
‘Where is he?’ And there was considerable complaining about him among the
crowds. While some were saying, ‘He is a good man’, others were saying, ‘No, he
is deceiving the crowd.’Yet no one would speak openly about him for fear of the
Jews.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 23-24/2026
Elias Bejjani/Life of Saint Rafca, The Blind mystic of Lebanon, The Lily
of Himlaya/March 23/2026
Israel orders Christian villages in south Lebanon to push displaced out
Opposition to Beirut Displacement Center Rises over Security, Sectarian Concerns
Iran Pledges to its Allies in Lebanon to Include Them in Any Possible Deal to
End the War
Netanyahu discusses Iran talks with Trump, vows continued strikes against
Tehran, Hezbollah
Iran’s IRGC commanding Hezbollah operations in Lebanon, PM Salam tells Al
Arabiya
Israel strikes Dallafa bridge after warning
Israel strikes Tyre-Sidon bridge, destroys another on Litani river
Israeli strike hits Beirut’s southern suburbs after warning
Lebanon says one killed near Beirut, as Israel says struck IRGC member
Israeli minister calls for annexation of southern Lebanon
Hezbollah targets Israeli troops and bases in north Israel and south Lebanon
Israeli military says own artillery fire killed civilian near border with
Lebanon
Berri 'reassured' after discussing with Aoun bridge attacks, displacement crisis
UN force says HQ struck as Hezbollah claims attacks on Israeli troops in Naqoura
Why Israel is targeting bridges over Litani
Salam says Iran Guards commanding Hezbollah operations in Lebanon
2 Israeli soldiers killed as Hezbollah claims at least 60 attacks on troops and
bases
The War on Hezbollah-The Iranian Terrorist Proxy Continues/LCCC website
links to several important news websites
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on March 23-24/2026
US-Iran peace talks: Latest developments
Iranian media says no negotiations with US after Trump announcement
Trump says Iran ‘means business,’ gives talks five-day window
Trump says talking to Iran about 'total resolution of hostilities' in Mideast
Vance, Netanyahu speak about Iran negotiations: Israeli media
Trump approved Iran attacks after Netanyahu argued for joint killing of Khamenei
Iran’s foreign ministry denies talks with US, state news agency says
Iran says protest cases finalized as crackdown sentences enforced
USS Gerald Ford back at Crete naval base: Report
Israeli ambassador to US: ‘We need boots on the ground, but they have got to be
Iranian boots’
Iran threatens to deploy ‘naval mines’ if US, Israel attack its coasts, islands
Netanyahu says spoke with Trump, vows to protect Israel’s interests
Rockets launched from Iraq’s Mosul toward US base in Syria, say sources
UK working with defense sector to distribute missiles to Gulf partners
Explosions, sirens ring out in Bahrain
Saudi Arabia downs 24 drones in Eastern Province
Lufthansa extends some Middle East flight cuts into October
Russia delays change to fiscal fund after Iran war energy price surge
Treasury Lifts Sanctions on Turkish National Who Aided Russia’s Illegal War on
Ukraine
South African Government Continues Antagonizing U.S.
Air Canada regional jet collides with fire truck in New York's LaGuardia,
killing both pilots
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 23-24/2026
Begging Hamas to Disarm - The Misguided Approach of Trump's 'Board of
Peace'/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./March 23, 2026
Iran’s dangerous expansion of war across the Gulf/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/English
Arabiya/March 23/2026
Why some Arabs still justify Iran’s aggression?/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Asharq Al
Awsat/March 23/2026
The Iran War and the New Rules of Regional Politics/Sam Menassa/Asharq Al-Awsat/March
23/2026
on March 23-24/2026
Elias
Bejjani/Life of Saint Rafca, The Blind
mystic of Lebanon, The Lily of Himlaya/March 23/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/9167/
Saint Of The Day Face Book Page
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.
Israel orders Christian villages in south Lebanon to push
displaced out
Agence France Presse/23 March/2026
Mayors of several towns in southern Lebanon said the Israeli military had
ordered them to force out the displaced who had escaped their Shia-majority
towns, considered Hezbollah strongholds, during the war with Israel. Since
Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war following Iran-backed Hezbollah's
March 2 rocket fire on Israel, more than a million people have been displaced by
Israeli strikes.Most of the displaced have fled southern and eastern Lebanon and
Beirut's southern suburbs, all areas where Hezbollah is dominant. "I received a
phonecall on Sunday from the Israeli army demanding that my town be 'cleaned up
within 24 hours,'" Elie Abu Nakoul, mayor of Kawkaba in the Hasbaya district,
told AFP. "I have 21 displaced families and 200 local families, so who will I
protect?" he said, adding that he had "no other option but to protect the
displaced families from any Israeli targeting and to protect the people of my
town from danger". The displaced families were due to leave Kawkaba later on
Monday. Over the past week, Abu Nakoul said he had received repeated calls by
the Israeli army demanding he provide the names of displaced people sheltering
in his village. "I refused to provide the names, as this would violate Lebanese
law, and I emphasized that the displaced families are innocent civilians, in an
attempt to keep them here," he said. In nearby Abu Qamha, town notable Michel
Abu Rashed received a similar call from Israel, but he also refused to provide
names of the displaced. Lebanon is home to an array of religious communities,
and the Hasbaya district includes several Druze, Christian and Sunni Muslim
towns. It borders the Marjayoun district, which has seen Israeli army incursions
and clashes with Hezbollah fighters in several areas. The municipality of
Al-Mari in Hasbaya announced in a statement its "commitment to these forced
directives" expressing that it regrets forcing displaced people to leave as it
was "imposed" on it. Lebanese take pride in their country's diversity, but in
wartime, fissures along sectarian lines become more pronounced.
Opposition to Beirut
Displacement Center Rises over Security, Sectarian Concerns
Beirut: Soubhi Amhaz/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 23/2026
Security and sectarian concerns are fueling opposition in Lebanon to plans for a
displacement center in central Beirut, as ongoing conflict between Israel and
Hezbollah drives new waves of displaced people. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has
called for tighter security measures, amid growing political and public debate
over establishing shelters for those displaced, most recently in the Karantina
area near Beirut port. At a security meeting at the Grand Serail, Salam stressed
“the need to intensify security measures across Lebanon, particularly in Beirut,
to safeguard citizens and their property,” citing developments in the south and
the resulting displacement and security challenges. A government decision to set
up the displacement center in Karantina has triggered controversy, with several
lawmakers urging it be scrapped on security and political grounds. Although
about 70 percent of the facility had been completed shortly after work began,
informed sources said construction has been temporarily halted pending further
review, without ruling out cancelling the project altogether. Funding is
provided by international organizations and civil society groups. Sources said
the dispute reflects both political and sectarian sensitivities, while
acknowledging that some concerns are legitimate. They added that security forces
and the Lebanese Red Cross would oversee the center, with detailed registries of
residents to ensure control. The facility is intended to house around 800
people, particularly families unwilling to relocate to northern Lebanon or Mount
Lebanon, preferring to remain in Beirut near their homes. The suspension
followed criticism from several political figures. MP Nicolas Sehnaoui of the
Free Patriotic Movement described the project as “wrong in every sense,” calling
for alternative solutions. Lebanese Forces MP Razi Hage warned against turning
the Karantina-port area into “a security and social hotspot under the pretext of
a displacement center,” adding that temporary measures often become permanent.
For his part, Independent MP Waddah Sadek warned Beirut risked fragmenting into
“security zones” and areas lacking oversight, while MP Fouad Makhzoumi urged the
government to reconsider plans for large shelters in Karantina and Martyrs’
Square. “While we fully recognize the humanitarian dimension, we respectfully
urge reconsideration,” he said, warning of security and organizational
repercussions. The debate comes after Israeli strikes targeted areas previously
considered relatively safe. Israel said it had targeted members of Hezbollah and
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in Aramoun in Mount Lebanon and areas near central
Beirut. The strikes have heightened concerns among residents in host
communities, complicating efforts to respond to the growing displacement crisis.
Iran Pledges to its Allies in
Lebanon to Include Them in Any Possible Deal to End the War
Beirut: Thaer Abbas/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 23/2026
Widely informed Lebanese sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Iran has
“clearly pledged” to leaderships in Beirut to include Lebanon in any possible
deal that could end the war between it and the US and Israel. The sources said
Lebanese officials learned through non-diplomatic channels that Tehran informed
a number of its allies in Lebanon that any agreement to end the war will
“certainly include Lebanon.”Lebanon fears that should the war end, Israel will
shift all of its attention on the Lebanese front. The Israeli military’s recent
maneuvers indicate that it may be planning to launch broader operations.
President Joseph Aoun, meanwhile, received parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and army commander Rodolphe
Haykal in separate meetings at the Baabda presidential palace. In a telephone
call with Asharq Al-Awsat, Berri hoped that Iran and the US would reach a deal
soon and that it would also lead to an end to Israel’s war on Lebanon. Asked if
Aoun had brought up with him the issue of naming a Shiite representative to the
Lebanese delegation expected to hold negotiations with Israel, he replied: “I
focused on the issues of the displaced that should be addressed through the
utmost seriousness.”He expressed his concern that “Israel may exploit the
situation in order stir strife in Lebanon.”“Israel is bombing bridges in the
South and we must not lose internal bridges of communications. This is what
Israel is seeking,” he warned.
A statement from the presidency said Aoun and Berri discussed Israel’s targeting
of bridges with the aim to cut off the South from the rest of Lebanon. They
addressed the plight of the nearly 1 million displaced people. nThey praised the
Lebanese people for welcoming the displaced, underlining national unity and
solidarity during the crisis and the importance of maintaining civil peace and
avoiding rumors that aim to harm Lebanon. Aoun then met with PM Salam, who told
reporters at the presidential palace that he was in daily contact with the
president. “We are working with everyone to end the war as soon as possible,” he
added.After meeting with Aoun, Jumblatt condemned to reporters “accusations of
treason” that have been directed against the president and prime minister given
their willingness for Lebanon to hold negotiations with Israel. “Negotiations
are acceptable if they are held on declared foundations. The president's
swearing in speech committed to the truce agreement, Taif Accord and
international resolutions,” he went on to say.“Negotiations are among the
world’s legitimate means. We object to the rejection of the negotiations for the
sake of rejecting them and for keeping Lebanon an open battlefield,” he
stressed. Aoun and Haykal discussed the security situation in the country,
especially in the South amid the expected Israel escalation.The president urged
the army commander to bolster security measures throughout the country,
especially in Beirut and to closely watch over the safety of displacement
shelters.
Netanyahu discusses Iran talks
with Trump, vows continued strikes against Tehran, Hezbollah
Agence France Presse/23 March/2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he spoke with Donald
Trump, saying that the U.S. president believed U.S.-Israeli military gains in
Iran could be converted into a negotiated agreement that protects Israel's
interests. "President Trump believes there is a chance to leverage the
tremendous achievements of the IDF (Israeli army) and the U.S. military in order
to realize the war's objectives in an agreement -- an agreement that will
safeguard our vital interests," Netanyahu said in a video statement. "We will
protect our vital interests under any circumstances," he said, adding: "At the
same time, we continue to strike both in Iran and in Lebanon." Netanyahu
reiterated that the ongoing strikes were "crushing the missile program and the
nuclear program" of Iran and also "inflicting heavy damage on Hezbollah." "Just
a few days ago we eliminated two more (Iranian) nuclear scientists, and this is
not the end," he said. Netanyahu's comments came shortly after Trump announced
"very good" talks with an unnamed Iranian official. Trump's sudden turn to
diplomacy came just hours ahead of his now-postponed Monday night ultimatum for
Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane -- or else see the U.S.
military "obliterate" its power plants. The Axios news outlet, citing an unnamed
Israeli official, named Trump's interlocutor as Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's
speaker of parliament, who is one of the most prominent non-clerical figures in
Tehran. But Ghalibaf claimed "no negotiations" were underway in a post on X.
Iran’s IRGC commanding Hezbollah operations in Lebanon, PM Salam tells Al
Arabiya
Al Arabiya English/23 March/2026
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in an interview with Al Arabiya on
Sunday that members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are
directing Hezbollah’s operations in its ongoing war with Israel. Salam
criticized Hezbollah for dragging Lebanon into the conflict by launching rockets
at Israel. “It was declared that this war was in retaliation for the
assassination of Khamenei, so this means this war was imposed upon us,” he said.
Lebanon was drawn into the war after Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel
on March 2, saying it was acting in response to the killing of Iran’s supreme
leader, Ali Khamenei, in Israeli-US strikes on February 28. Referring to an
incident earlier this month in which an Iranian-made drone struck a British base
in Cyprus, Salam said the attack was carried out by the IRGC, “which is present
and, unfortunately, is managing the military operation in Lebanon.” “These
people have forged passports and entered the country illegally,” he added.Cyprus
has said the drone was likely launched by Tehran-backed Hezbollah from Lebanon,
rather than directly from Iran. Salam also pointed to the IRGC’s announcement of
joint operations with Hezbollah against Israel as evidence of its role in
directing the conflict in Lebanon. The Lebanese government this month decided to
ban any activity by the IRGC in the country and took the unprecedented step of
banning Hezbollah’s military operations, calling on the group to hand over its
weapons to the state. “We are committed to the decisions we have made and we are
working to implement them,” Salam said.
Israel strikes Dallafa bridge after warning
Agence France Presse/23 March/2026
The Israeli military on Monday struck a bridge linking southern Lebanon with the
eastern Bekaa region, state media reported, after warning it would hit the
crossing. The strike is part of a series of attacks on bridges over Lebanon's
Litani River, located around 30 kilometers north of Israel, including the key
Qasmiyeh bridge on Sunday.The Israeli army warned it would hit the bridge,
alleging it was used by Iran-backed Hezbollah as the war between the two sides
rages on."The Israeli army targeted the Dallafa bridge, which connects the
Hasbaya-Marjeyoun region with the Jezzine-Chouf and Western Bekaa regions,"
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported.
Israel strikes Tyre-Sidon bridge, destroys another on Litani river
Associated Press/23 March/2026
A strike on a bridge Monday in the southern village of Qaaqaaiyet al-Jisr cut a
main link between the southern city of Nabatiyeh and al-Hujair valley region
farther south. Israel also struck two bridges in Qasmiyeh and Matariyeh and
another in Burj Rahhal linking the city of Tyre to Sidon. Other strikes on south
Lebanon hit al-Qlayleh, al-Henniyeh, Jwaya, al-Tiri, Zrarieh, Hamoul, al-Bayyada,
Shehabiyeh, Tebnine, Majdal Selem, Shaqra, Ainata, al-Khiam, Maroun al-Rass, and
al-Rihan. Israeli artillery shelled al-Naqoura, al-Bayyada and Hamoul with white
phosphorus.
At least 4 people were killed and 7 others wounded. In the east, strikes
targeted Sarein, Sohmor and Zellaya, while a restive calm prevailed in the
capital and its southern suburbs. On Sunday, Israel struck the Qasmiyeh bridge
near the southern port city of Tyre. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called
Israel’s new targeting of bridges in the south "a prelude to a ground invasion."
Egypt denounced Monday Israel’s strikes on Lebanon’s infrastructure. "The
deliberate destruction of infrastructure in Lebanon represents a blatant Israeli
policy of collective punishment," the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a Monday
statement. It criticized Israel’s “systemic and deliberate” strikes, including
on bridges on the Litani River in south Lebanon.
Israeli strike hits Beirut’s southern suburbs after warning
AFP, Beirut/23 March/2026
An Israeli strike hit Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday, state media reported,
hours after the Israeli army issued a warning for residents of the area to
evacuate. AFPTV’s live broadcast showed a cloud of smoke over the southern
suburbs, which are considered a Hezbollah stronghold and have not been hit since
Friday night.
Lebanon says one killed near Beirut, as Israel says struck
IRGC member
AFP/23 March/2026
An Israeli strike on Hazmieh east of Beirut killed at least one person,
Lebanon’s health ministry said, the second strike on the residential Christian
area in the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah war. The Israeli military said around the
same time that it had “struck an IRGC Quds Force terrorist in Beirut,” referring
to the foreign operations arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Hazmieh, which is
near Lebanon’s presidential palace, hosts several foreign embassies.
Israeli minister calls for annexation of southern Lebanon
Reuters/23 March/2026
Israel should extend its border with Lebanon up to the Litani River deep inside
the country’s south, Israel’s finance minister said on Monday as Israeli troops
bombed bridges and destroyed homes in the area in an escalating military
assault. The comments by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich were the most
explicit yet by a senior Israeli official on seizing Lebanese territory in a
fight Israel says targets Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Lebanon was pulled
into the regional war on March 2 when Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel.
Since then, Israel has ordered all residents to leave the area south of the
Litani River as it pummels the area with air strikes, viewing it as a Hezbollah
stronghold. Lebanese authorities say the Israeli air and ground assault has
killed more than 1,000 people, and more than a million have been driven from
their homes with Israel having ordered residents to flee swathes of the country.
‘The new Israeli border must be the Litani’
Smotrich told an Israeli radio program that the military campaign in Lebanon
”needs to end with a different reality entirely, both with the Hezbollah
decision but also with the change of Israel’s borders.”“I say here
definitively...in every room and in every discussion, too: the new Israeli
border must be the Litani,” Smotrich said. Smotrich, leader of a small far-right
party in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, often makes comments that
go beyond official Israeli policy. Netanyahu’s office did not immediately
respond to a request for comment on the remarks. Defence Minister Israel Katz
hinted earlier this month at plans to capture land, saying Lebanon could face
“loss of territory” if it did not disarm Hezbollah. Smotrich’s remarks were
deeply resonant in Lebanon, which is trying to emerge from a decades-old cycle
of invasions and occupations by its neighbour. Israeli forces have launched
repeated assaults on Lebanon since 1978 and occupied the south from 1982-2000. A
Lebanese official told Reuters that Beirut was still counting on foreign powers
to put enough pressure on Israel to put an end to the war, through an offer from
President Joseph Aoun to hold direct talks. Smotrich also called for Israel to
annex territory it now controls in the Gaza Strip, up to an armistice line with
Hamas. A ceasefire signed in October left Israel in control of 53 percent of
Gaza, where it has ordered residents out and bulldozed buildings. The Israeli
military says its troops in Lebanon are carrying out ground manoeuvres and
targeted raids on Hezbollah militants and weapons stores, aimed at protecting
residents in northern Israel from Hezbollah fire.The Lebanese government has
outlawed Hezbollah military activity and said it wants to engage in direct talks
with Israel.
Routes to north being cut off
Over the weekend, Israel struck a main bridge linking south Lebanon with the
rest of the country after ordering its military to destroy all crossings over
the Litani River and to step up the demolition of homes near the southern
border. International law generally prohibits militaries from attacking civilian
infrastructure, and the United Nations human rights chief has criticised
Israel’s actions in Lebanon, particularly its use of widespread evacuation
orders. Israeli strikes hit two more crossings on the Litani River on Monday --
a road running near a main bridge hit on Sunday and another small bridge on
another section of the river.Hanna Amil, the mayor of Christian border town
Rmeish whose residents have refused to leave their homes, told Reuters that it
was getting increasingly difficult to move around. “Once or twice a week, a
convoy from the Lebanese army accompanies us as we try to get basic goods from
nearby areas,” he said. “Already, we have no state electricity, no water and we
have diesel shortages. If all the routes to the north get cut off, who knows
what the future could hold for us,” Amil said.
Hezbollah targets Israeli troops and bases in north Israel
and south Lebanon
Naharnet/23 March/2026
Hezbollah targeted Monday Israeli troops and bases in northern Israel and in
southern Lebanon with attack drones, rockets and advanced missiles. The group
said in separate statements that it targeted troops near Alma al Shaab, al-Taybeh,
Markaba, Dhayra, and Maroun al-Ras with attack drones, rockets and advanced
missiles. It also targeted several times al-Manara, Metula and the Zari'it
barracks in north Israel, and troops inside Lebanon near al-Naqoura's
municipality. On Sunday, Hezbollah had claimed responsibility for at least 60
attacks mainly against Israeli troops and bases in northern Israel and in
southern Lebanon, where Israeli soldiers have been carrying out ground
incursions. The group said it targeted troops in the coastal town of Naqoura,
near the western side of the border with Israel, as the NNA reported "Israeli
incursions" and heavy bombing of the area. The group also reported fighting in
the strategic border town of Khiam, where it has been clashing with soldiers for
days, as well as Maroun al-Ras, Marwahin and areas across the border in Israel.
Hezbollah said it targeted bases, troops, and artillery positions in Khiam,
Yaroun, Maroun al-Ras, al-Zaoura, Marwahin, Kiryat Shmona with a swarm of attack
drones, rocket salvos and artillery shells.
Israeli military says own artillery fire killed civilian near border with
Lebanon
AFP/23 March/2026
The Israeli military on Monday said its own artillery fire killed an Israeli
civilian a day earlier near the northern border with Lebanon. After opening an
investigation, the military said “the initial findings suggest that the Israeli
civilian was killed by IDF artillery fire conducted to support IDF soldiers
operating in southern Lebanon.”“Several severe issues and operational errors
took place during the incident, including both the planning and execution of the
fire,” it added. Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group said it attacked
soldiers in northern Israel’s Misgav Am on Sunday, where first responders said
rocket fire from Lebanon killed one person. Israel’s military later said it was
investigating whether its own fire had killed a civilian in the same area. On
Monday, it said the artillery fire that killed Ofer Moskovitz “was carried out
at an incorrect angle and did not follow required protocols.”“As a result, five
artillery shells were fired at the Misgav Am ridge instead of toward the enemy
target,” a military statement said, expressing regret over the incident and
extending “its deep condolences to the Moskovitz family and the Misgav Am
community at this difficult time.”
Lebanon was pulled into the 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 sent troops into Lebanon and carried
out extensive airstrikes in the country, while Hezbollah continues to fire
rocket barrages across the border.
Berri 'reassured' after discussing with Aoun bridge
attacks, displacement crisis
Naharnet/23 March/2026
President Joseph Aoun met Monday with Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister
Nawaf Salam. The talks stressed the importance of "national unity and
solidarity", as Berri said he is "reassured by the presence of the
president."Berri and Aoun discussed the recent targeting of bridges in south
Lebanon and the displaced crises. The death toll has risen to more than 1,000
people as the war displaced 1 million in Lebanon. Aoun had called Israel’s new
targeting of bridges in the south "a prelude to a ground invasion."Later in the
day Aoun met with PM Salam who said, after the meeting, hat he's "in daily
contact" with Aoun, and "we are all working to stop the war as soon as
possible."
UN force says HQ struck as Hezbollah claims attacks on
Israeli troops in Naqoura
Agence France Presse/23 March/2026
The U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced Monday that its
headquarters in Naqoura had been hit by a projectile, probably launched by a
"non-state actor", after Hezbollah declared it had targeted Israeli forces in
the same town. Since Saturday, the coastal town in Lebanon's far south on the
border with Israel, has been one of the flashpoints between Hezbollah and the
Israeli army. "Just before noon today, a projectile hit a building inside our
headquarters," UNIFIL said in a statement. "Peacekeepers with expertise in
explosive ordinance disposal are working to deal with it. We believe it was
fired by a non-state actor." UNIFIL's statement came after Hezbollah claimed at
least two attacks on Monday against Israeli forces in Naqoura. The first, at
11:00 am, targeted "a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the
Naqoura municipality building". and the second, at 1:00 pm, targeted a similar
gathering "near the Naqoura school". After a November 2024 ceasefire to end a
previous war with Hezbollah, Israel kept forces in five positions, including the
village of Labbouneh, just three kilometers away from Naqoura. On Saturday,
Hezbollah said its fighters had targeted Israeli soldiers along the border,
including in Naqoura. In its Monday statement, UNIFIL said it had observed over
the past 48 hours "intense gunfire and explosions" in and around Naqoura, close
to its headquarters. "Bullets, fragments, and shrapnel have hit buildings and
open areas inside our headquarters, putting peacekeepers at risk." The force
reminded "all actors of their responsibility to ensure the safety and security
of peacekeepers". "We reiterate that there is no military solution to this
conflict and urge the actors to put down their weapons and commit to working
toward a long-term solution, before more people get hurt."
Why Israel is targeting bridges over Litani
Agence France Presse/23 March/2026
As it engages in heated battles with Hezbollah in a number of Lebanese border
villages, Israel has bombed at least five of the six principal bridges across a
river dividing the country's south. Military experts agree the strikes are an
attempt to cut off the region south of the Litani river from the rest of
Lebanon, but are divided on whether the move will change the course of the
fighting. It is a familiar strategy: in an earlier 2006 war between Hezbollah
and Israel, Israel struck 97 bridges and overpasses across the country,
according to government data, including in areas far removed from the
battlefield.
Many of the bridges now being struck -- among them one on Lebanon's main highway
linking major cities across the country -- were rebuilt after that war using
donor funds. The bombing of the bridges, including another smaller one on
Monday, adds to widespread fears in Lebanon that Israel intends to permanently
depopulate the region south of the Litani.
'Significant impact' -
The Lebanese government and military have taken pains to stay out of the war,
but Israeli attacks on state infrastructure like bridges and an electrical
plant, and the killing of army troops, is causing strain. President Joseph Aoun
called the bridge attacks a "flagrant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty", and
"an attempt to sever the geographical link between the area south of the Litani
and the rest of Lebanon's territory". Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said
the army was ordered "to immediately destroy all the bridges over the Litani
River that are used for terrorist activity, in order to prevent Hezbollah
terrorists and weapons from moving south". The country's military chief later
announced the expansion of ground operations against Hezbollah in the south. "In
any military ground operation, first priority, or among the first priorities, is
to disrupt your enemy's transportation and ability to move freely, to get
supplies," military expert Riad Kahwaji told AFP. The Litani divides "large
chunks of south Lebanon" from the north, he added, "so it will have a
significant impact". "All those who are south of the Litani river are now
trapped unless they choose to take the longer routes, to go via Hasbaya" in the
east, near the southern edge of the Bekaa valley.
'Don't need to cross back' -
But retired Lebanese army general Hicham Jaber questioned the tactical
usefulness of taking out the bridges. Hezbollah's frontline forces south of the
river could keep fighting for months on their own, he said, and its missile and
drone teams north of the river can also continue launching towards Israeli
forces with no need to move closer."The fighters have all their equipment with
them... They don't need to cross back, except if they require specific
logistical support." The Lebanese army announced in January it had dismantled
Hezbollah's military facilities south of the Litani, but in the current war
Hezbollah's fighters are again battling Israel in the border region. "Hezbollah
is not going to move south of the Litani in order to use rockets. Whatever can
be moved without bridges will be moved, and whatever cannot be moved will be
dispensed with," Jaber said. The relatively shallow depth of the Litani makes it
feasible to cross on foot, Jaber said, further reducing the impact of the bridge
attacks. But Kahwaji said even shallow water is impassable for heavy weapons
requiring transport by vehicle.
Salam says Iran Guards commanding Hezbollah operations in
Lebanon
Agence France Presse/23 March/2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said that members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards
are commanding Hezbollah's operations in the group's ongoing war against Israel.
In an interview Sunday with the Al Hadath network, Salam once again lashed out
at Hezbollah for dragging Lebanon into the Middle East war by firing rockets on
Israel. "It was declared that this war was in retaliation for the assassination
of Khamenei, so this means this war was imposed upon us," he said. Referring to
the incident in which an Iran-made drone hit a British base in Cyprus earlier
this month, Salam said "that was the Revolutionary Guard, which is present and,
unfortunately, is managing the military operation in Lebanon". "These people
have forged passports and entered the country illegally," he added. An
Iranian-made drone hit a British base in Cyprus earlier this month, with Nicosia
saying the drone was probably fired by Tehran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, and
not from Iran itself. Salam referred to the IRGC announcing joint operations
with Hezbollah against Israel as proof of their commanding of the war in
Lebanon. The Lebanese government decided this month to ban any activity by the
Iranian Revolutionary Guards in the country. Beirut also took the unprecedented
step of imposing a ban on Hezbollah military activities and called on the group
to hand over its weapons to the state. "We are committed to the decisions we
have made and we are working to implement them," Salam said.
2 Israeli soldiers killed as Hezbollah claims at least 60
attacks on troops and bases
Agence France Presse/23 March/2026
The Israeli military has announced it was expanding its ground campaign against
Hezbollah in Lebanon, warning of a lengthy operation, after Beirut condemned
what it called Israel's flagrant violations of Lebanese sovereignty. Israeli
forces were ordered Sunday to destroy bridges they said were used by the
Hezbollah to cross the Litani River, and Lebanese official media reported
Israeli raids in the south. An AFP correspondent saw smoke billowing from a
bridge that was hit outside the city of Tyre. "The operation against the
Hezbollah terrorist organization has only begun... This is a prolonged
operation," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said in a statement. "We are now
preparing to advance the targeted ground operations and strikes according to an
organized plan," he added. In a separate statement Sunday, military spokesman
Brigadier General Effie Defrin said the expansion of the ground operation would
begin within the coming week."Citizens of Israel, we face more weeks of fighting
against Iran and Hezbollah," Defrin said in a televised briefing. "With each
passing day, we are further weakening the (Iranian) terror regime. We will not
allow it or its proxies to threaten the citizens of Israel or the existence of
the state of Israel."President Joseph Aoun had earlier warned the bridge attacks
"represent a dangerous escalation and flagrant violation of Lebanon's
sovereignty, and are considered a prelude to a ground invasion."
Israel's military said it "struck a crossing over the Litani River that was used
by Hezbollah terrorists to maneuver from north to south of the Litani River in
Lebanon".
According to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA), three strikes on
the bridge near Tyre "caused extensive damage, rendering it unusable". It later
reported a fourth strike occurred. The NNA said the strikes caused "damage to
the electricity networks, in addition to serious damage to shops, orchards and
parks adjacent to the bridge".Aoun said "targeting bridges over the Litani
River... is an attempt to sever the geographical link between the area south of
the Litani and the rest of Lebanon's territory". The NNA also reported that
Israeli forces were "blowing up a number of houses in the town of Taybeh" near
the border with Israel. Earlier Sunday, Israel said rocket fire from Lebanon
killed a civilian, but later announced it was investigating whether "the
incident involved fire originating from IDF soldiers".
Bridges
Two Israeli soldiers had previously been killed in southern Lebanon, according
to the military. Lebanon's health ministry said four people were killed on
Sunday in two strikes in the south, while authorities have reported 1,029 dead
in three weeks of conflict and more than one million displaced. Hezbollah
claimed responsibility for at least 60 attacks mainly against Israeli troops and
bases in northern Israel and in southern Lebanon, where Israeli soldiers have
been carrying out ground incursions. The group said it targeted troops in the
coastal town of Naqoura, near the western side of the border with Israel, as the
NNA reported "Israeli incursions" and heavy bombing of the area. The group also
reported fighting in the strategic border town of Khiam, where it has been
clashing with soldiers for days, as well as Maroun al-Ras, Marwahin and areas
across the border in Israel. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he and
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the military "to
immediately destroy all the bridges over the Litani River that are used for
terrorist activity, in order to prevent Hezbollah terrorists and weapons from
moving south". The Litani River runs around 30 kilometers north of the Israeli
border. Earlier this week, Israel attacked two bridges spanning the Litani, also
alleging they were being used by Hezbollah.
Commander' killed -
Katz said the military was also instructed to "accelerate the demolition of
Lebanese houses in the contact villages in order to thwart threats to Israeli
communities". Lebanon's state-run National News Agency also reported at least
one strike on the Bekaa Valley in the country's east. The Israeli military said
it killed a fighter on Saturday who was the "commander of the special forces in
Hezbollah's Radwan Force", referring to the group's elite unit. Israel has
warned residents of swathes of south Lebanon to evacuate and has said it wants
to create a buffer zone to protect residents of northern Israel.
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 22-23/2026
US-Iran peace talks: Latest developments
Agence France Presse/23
March/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that his envoys held talks
with a senior official in the Iranian leadership and claimed the parties are in
agreement on many points. Trump walked back his threat to strike Iran's power
plants on Monday, citing productive negotiations. Iran denied any such talks
have taken place and claimed Trump was just trying to calm the energy markets.
But an Israeli official told U.S. news portal Axios that U.S. envoys Steve
Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been speaking with the speaker of the Iranian
parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. But Ghalibaf said on X that "no
negotiations" were underway, insisting Trump was seeking "to manipulate the
financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the U.S. and Israel
are trapped." Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said messages
were received from "some friendly countries indicating a U.S. request for
negotiations aimed at ending the war," but denied any such talks had taken
place, Iran's official IRNA agency reported. Trump did not name the Iranian
interlocutor, saying he did not want to get him killed, but claimed the U.S. and
Iran were aligned on many of the key issues.
"We are dealing with a man that I believe is the most respected, not the supreme
leader, we have not heard from him," Trump said. Trump said the talks would
continue over the phone on Monday, with a possible in-person meeting later on.
The Israeli official said the mediating countries were trying to convene a
meeting in Islamabad — with Ghalibaf and other officials representing Tehran,
and Witkoff, Kushner and possibly Vice President Vance representing the U.S. —
possibly later this week.
The official also said that Israel had been aware of indirect communication
between the U.S. and Tehran but was surprised by Trump's comments on Monday. "We
did not know things were moving that fast." Trump gave Iran an ultimatum to
reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face massive attacks.
Iran threatened to strike power plants across Israel and the Gulf if Trump
followed through, and markets wobbled as dramatic escalation appeared imminent.
After Trump reversed course, U.S. stock futures surged and oil prices fell. The
Hormuz crisis has become a key issue driving a global energy crisis and
preventing Trump from ending the war.In an all caps post on Truth Social on
Monday morning Trump wrote that the U.S. and Iran have had "very good and
productive conversation" over the last two days that focused on ending
hostilities in the region.
"BASED ON THE TENOR AND TONE OF THESE IN DEPTH, DETAILED, AND CONSTRUCTIVE
CONVERSATIONS, WITCH WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, I HAVE INSTRUCTED THE
DEPARTMENT OF WAR TO POSTPONE ANY AND ALL MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN POWER
PLANTS AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A FIVE DAY PERIOD, SUBJECT TO THE SUCCESS
OF THE ONGOING MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS," Trump wrote.
Trump later made several claims — none of which have been confirmed by Tehran —
about points of agreement.
According to Trump:
Iran committed not to pursue nuclear weapons or to enrich uranium, and to hand
over its existing stockpiles.Iran agreed to be "low-key on the missiles."Iran
also agreed to reopen the strait of Hormuz. "If they carry through with that it
will end the conflict. They want to make a deal. We want to make a deal too. If
this happens it is a great start for Iran to build itself back," Trump said. He
said the U.S. had notified Israel on Monday about the talks with Iran. "Israel
will be very happy with what we have. Peace for Israel. Long-term peace.
Guaranteed peace."Iran's foreign ministry said there had been no talks between
Iran and the U.S., while acknowledging some countries in the region were working
to reduce tensions. Trump said the Iranian denial was the result of
miscommunication within the Iranian leadership. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
had previously been the Trump administration's primary interlocutor, though some
in Washington questioned whether he was empowered to deliver a deal. U.S.
officials say it's difficult to assess who is calling the shots in Tehran after
so many senior figures were killed by Israel, and with Supreme Leader Mojtaba
Khamenei remaining in the shadows. Trump stressed that he thinks the people the
U.S. is talking to inside Iran are representative of the regime. A U.S. source
said Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan have been passing messages between the U.S. and
Iran over the past two days. The foreign ministers of the three countries held
separate talks with Witkoff and Araghchi, the U.S. source said.
"The mediation is ongoing and making progress. The discussion is about ending
the war and resolving all outstanding issues. We hope to have answers soon," a
source familiar with the details said. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty
had called on Sunday with Witkoff, Araghchi and his counterparts from Pakistan,
Turkey and Qatar, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said, adding that Abdelatty
stressed the importance of "containing the broader effects of the conflict and
preventing it from expanding." Trump described the individual the U.S. is
talking to as "very reasonable," while warning that if the talks failed, "we'll
just keep bombing our little hearts out.""I welcome the talks reported between
the U.S. and Iran," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told a parliamentary
committee, adding the UK was "aware" discussions were happening.Trump said
unidentified Iranian officials reached out under pressure of his threat to
attack power stations. "They called, I didn't call," he said. "They want to make
a deal, and we are very willing to make a deal."Mojtaba Khamenei is the son of
the previous supreme leader, but he has not been seen in public since the war
began and U.S. officials say he may be badly injured. Trump suggested that he
was looking for an arrangement similar to Venezuela, where U.S. forces toppled
long-time strongman Nicolas Maduro in January. The country is now run by a
U.S.-backed figure. "Look at Venezuela, how well that's working out," Trump
said. "Maybe we find somebody like that in Iran."
'Going very well' -
Earlier, Trump told AFP in a brief phone interview that "things are going very
well."Trump has repeatedly said he does not know whom to negotiate with because
so many leaders have been killed.On Monday, he dismissed Khamenei, saying "I
don't consider him really the leader." "But we think we have people that are
very representative of the country and will do a good job," he said. Asked why
he wouldn't identify the people talking to the United States, Trump said
"because I don't want them to be killed."
Iranian media says no
negotiations with US after Trump announcement
Agence France Presse/23
March/2026
Iranian media said on Monday there were no negotiations between Tehran and
Washington after US President Donald Trump announced talks towards ending the
war. "There are no talks between Tehran and Washington," said Mehr news agency
citing Iran's foreign ministry, adding that Trump's statements were part of a
push "to reduce energy prices".Other media carried similar reports.
Trump
says Iran ‘means business,’ gives talks five-day window
Al Arabiya English/23 March/2026
US President Donald Trump struck an upbeat tone on Monday about ongoing talks
with Tehran, saying, “This time Iran means business.”Speaking during a
roundtable in Memphis, Tennessee, Trump said discussions were underway to
determine whether a broader agreement can be reached, adding that Iran “wants to
settle.”He said the United States had already eliminated “everything there is to
eliminate,” including Iranian leaders, and warned that Iran has “one more
opportunity to end threats to America.”“I think there is a very good chance
we’re going to end up with a deal,” Trump said. “It could be a very good deal
for everybody.”Trump added that he will give negotiations with Iran five days to
show progress.
Trump says talking to Iran
about 'total resolution of hostilities' in Mideast
Agence France Presse/23
March/2026
President Donald Trump has extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait
of Hormuz, saying the U.S. will hold off on power plant strikes for five days.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social site Monday, hours ahead of a
deadline later in the day. Writing in all capital letters, he said the U.S. and
Iran have had "very good and productive conversations" that could yield "a
complete and total resolution" in the war. Talks will continue "throughout the
week," Trump said.Trump did not elaborate on the diplomatic negotiations that
had taken place. Iran did not immediately acknowledge any talks between the
countries, but Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi did say he spoke by phone
with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan. Turkey has been an intermediary
before in negotiations between Tehran and Washington. Trump's announcement came
as the United Arab Emirates reported its air defense were attempting to
intercept new incoming Iranian fire Monday afternoon. Trump said that the
suspension of his threat to attack power plants was "subject to the success of
the ongoing meetings and discussions." Iran had warned Monday that it would
strike electricity plants across the Middle East and mine the Persian Gulf after
Trump threatened to bomb power stations in the Islamic Republic if it did not
reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. The war, now in
its fourth week, has already seen several dramatic turning points — the killing
of Iran's supreme leader, the bombing of a key Iranian gas field, and strikes
targeting oil and gas facilities and other civilian infrastructure in Gulf Arab
nations. The conflict has killed more than 2,000 people, shaken the global
economy, sent oil prices surging, and endangered some of the world's busiest air
corridors.
If carried out, the attacks could cut electricity to wide swaths of people in
Iran and around the Gulf and knock out desalination plants that provide many
desert nations with drinking water. There are also increasing concerns about the
consequences any of strikes on nuclear facilities. Even if the attacks are not
carried out, the fever pitch of the rhetoric shows how the war has spiraled to a
point unimaginable at the start of the conflict on Feb. 28, when the United
States and Israel began bombing Iran.
Trump had said the U.S. would "obliterate" Iran's power plants unless the
country releases its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours — a
deadline that expires late Monday Washington time. Iran has shut the strait,
through which a fifth of the world's oil is shipped along with other important
commodities, in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes. A trickle of ships has
gotten through, and Iran insists the crucial waterway remains open — just not to
the U.S., Israel or their allies. The chokehold has wreaked havoc on energy
markets, pushed up the prices on food and other goods well beyond the Middle
East and sent shock waves throughout the global economy. "No country will be
immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues to go in this direction,"
said Fatih Birol, the head of the Paris-based International Energy Agency.
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard promised retaliation if Trump made good
on his threat, saying Iran it would hit power plants in all areas that supply
electricity to American bases, "as well as the economic, industrial and energy
infrastructures in which Americans have shares."
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Iran would consider
vital infrastructure across the region to be legitimate targets, including
energy and desalination facilities critical for drinking water in Gulf nations.
Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guard,
published a list of such facilities, including the United Arab Emirates' nuclear
power plant. Over the weekend, Iran launched missiles targeting Dimona in
Israel, near a facility key to its long-suspected atomic weapons program. The
Israeli facility wasn't damaged. United States Central Command chief Adm. Brad
Cooper, meanwhile, claimed in an interview that Iran was launching missiles and
drones from populated areas, and suggested those areas would be targeted.
"You need to stay inside for right now," Cooper told Iranian civilians in the
interview with the Farsi-language satellite network Iran International that
aired early Monday.
In his first one-on-one interview since the war started, Cooper said the U.S.
and Israel were targeting infrastructure and manufacturing facilities to destroy
Iran's capabilities to rebuild its military. "It's not just about the threat
today," he said. "We're eliminating the threat of the future."Israel strikes
Tehran and Iran warns against any invasion
Israel launched new attacks Monday on the Iranian capital, saying it had "begun
a wide-scale wave of strikes" on infrastructure targets in Tehran without
immediately elaborating. Explosions were heard in multiple locations in the
afternoon. It wasn't immediately clear what had been hit. With the U.S.
deploying more amphibious assault ships and additional Marines to the Middle
East, Iran warned against any ground attack. "Any attempt by the enemy to target
Iran's coasts or islands will, naturally and in accordance with established
military practice, lead to the mining of all access routes ... in the Persian
Gulf and along the coasts," Iran's Defense Council warned said in a statement.
The widespread use of mines could imperil not only military vessels but scores
of commercial ships waiting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and a cleanup
would last long after the conflict ends. Trump has said he has no plans to send
ground forces into Iran but also has said that he retains all options. Israel
has suggested its ground forces could take part in the war. Israel has also
targeted the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon during the war,
while the group has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel. In recent days,
Israel has hit many apartment buildings in Beirut and bombed bridges over the
Litani river in the Lebanon's south. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the
targeting of bridges "a prelude to a ground invasion," while Egypt denounced the
strikes as the "collective punishment" of civilians for the actions of
Hezbollah. Authorities say Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,000 people in
Lebanon and displaced more than 1 million. Iran's death toll has surpassed
1,500, its Health Ministry has said. In Israel, 15 people have been killed by
Iranian strikes. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed, along with
more than a dozen civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gulf Arab states. Oil
prices are up more than 50% since start of the war. Oil prices remained
stubbornly high in early trading, with the price of Brent crude, the
international standard, at around $113 a barrel, up some 55% since the war
began.
Jorge Moreira da Silva, a senior United Nations official, said the world has
already seen a ripple effect, including "exponential price hikes in oil, fuel
and gas" that have had a far-reaching impact on millions, primarily in Asian and
African developing countries. "There is no military solution," he said.In
another sign of the far-reaching effects, South Korean chemical giant LG Chem
said Monday it had to shut down a major industrial plant because the war had
disrupted supplies of naphtha, a petroleum product used in plastic
manufacturing.
Vance, Netanyahu speak about Iran negotiations: Israeli
media
Al Arabiya English/23 March/2026
US Vice President JD Vance discussed efforts to open negotiations with Iran
during a phone call on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
Israeli media reported. Israeli reports also said the two discussed the
components of a possible agreement to end the US-Israeli war on Iran. Earlier in
the day, Israeli officials leaked the name of an Iranian official the US was
negotiating with, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. US President Donald
Trump would not say, adding that he did not want that official “to be
killed.”Qalibaf has denied these reports.With agencies
Trump approved Iran attacks after Netanyahu argued for
joint killing of Khamenei
Reuters/23 March/2026
Less than 48 hours before the US-Israeli strike on Iran began, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone to President Donald Trump about the reasons
for launching the kind of complex, far-off war the American leader once had
campaigned against.
Both Trump and Netanyahu knew from intelligence briefings earlier in the week
that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his key lieutenants would
soon meet at his compound in Tehran, making them vulnerable to a “decapitation
strike” – an attack against a country’s top leaders often used by Israelis but
traditionally less so by the United States. But new intelligence suggested that
the meeting had been moved forward to Saturday morning from Saturday night,
according to three people briefed on the call.
The call has not been previously reported. Netanyahu, determined to move forward
with an operation he had urged for decades, argued that there might never be a
better chance to kill Khamenei and to avenge previous Iranian efforts to
assassinate Trump, these people said. Those included a murder-for-hire plot
allegedly orchestrated by Iran in 2024, when Trump was a candidate. The Justice
Department has accused a Pakistani man of trying to recruit people in the United
States in the plan, meant as retaliation for Washington’s killing of the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps’ top commander, Qassem Soleimani.
By the time the call took place, Trump already had approved the idea of the
United States carrying out a military operation against Iran but had not yet
decided when or under what circumstances the United States would get involved,
said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive
internal deliberations.
The US military had for weeks built up a presence in the region, prompting many
within the administration to conclude it was just a matter of when the president
would decide to move forward. One possible date, just a few days earlier, had
been scuttled because of bad weather. Reuters was unable to determine how
Netanyahu’s argument affected Trump as he contemplated issuing orders to strike,
but the call amounted to the Israeli leader’s closing argument to his US
counterpart. The three sources briefed on the call said they believed it - along
with the intelligence showing a closing window to kill Iran’s leader - was a
catalyst for Trump’s final decision to order the military on February 27 to move
ahead with Operation Epic Fury. Trump could make history by helping eliminate an
Iranian leadership long reviled by the West and by many Iranians, Netanyahu
argued. Iranians might even take to the streets, he said, overthrowing a
theocratic system that had governed the country since 1979 and been a leading
source of global terrorism and instability ever since.
The first bombs struck on Saturday morning, February 28. Trump announced that
evening that Khamenei was dead. In response to a request for comment, White
House spokeswoman Anna Kelly did not directly address the call between Trump and
Netanyahu but told Reuters the military operation was designed to “destroy the
Iranian regime’s ballistic missile and production capacity, annihilate the
Iranian regime’s Navy, end their ability to arm proxies, and guarantee that Iran
can never obtain a nuclear weapon.”Neither Netanyahu’s office nor Iran’s UN
representative responded to comment requests. Netanyahu in a news conference on
Thursday dismissed as “fake news” claims that “Israel somehow dragged the US
into a conflict with Iran. Does anyone really think that someone can tell
President Trump what to do? Come on.”
Trump has said publicly that the decision to strike was his alone.
Reuters reporting, with officials and others close to both leaders speaking
mostly on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of internal
deliberations, does not suggest that Netanyahu forced Trump to go to war. But
the reporting shows that the Israeli leader was an effective advocate and that
his framing of the decision – including the opportunity to kill an Iranian
leader who allegedly had overseen efforts to kill Trump – was persuasive to the
president. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in early March suggested that revenge
was at least one motive for the operation, telling reporters, “Iran tried to
kill President Trump, and President Trump got the last laugh.”June attack
targeted nuclear, missile sites. Trump ran his campaign in 2024 based on his
first administration’s foreign policy of “America First” and said publicly that
he wanted to avoid war with Iran, preferring to deal with Tehran diplomatically.
But as discussions over Iran’s nuclear program failed to produce a deal last
spring, Trump began contemplating a strike, according to the three people
familiar with White House deliberations. A first attack came in June, when
Israel bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities and missile sites, and killed several
Iranian leaders. US forces later joined the attack, and when that joint
operation ended after 12 days, Trump publicly reveled in the success, saying the
US had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities. Yet months later, talks began
again between the US and Israel about a second aerial attack aimed at hitting
additional missile facilities and preventing Iran from gaining the ability to
build a nuclear weapon. The Israelis also wanted to kill Khamenei, a longtime,
bitter geopolitical foe who had repeatedly fired missiles into Israel and
supported heavily armed proxy forces encircling the nation. That included the
Hamas militant group that launched the surprise attack on October 7, 2023, from
Gaza, and Hezbollah, based in Lebanon. The Israelis began to plan their attack
on Iran under the assumption they would be acting alone, Defense Minister Israel
Katz told Israel’s N12 News on March 5. But during a December visit to Trump’s
Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Netanyahu told Trump that he was not fully
satisfied with the outcome of the joint operation in June, said two people
familiar with the relationship between the two leaders, speaking on condition of
anonymity.
Trump indicated he was open to another bombing campaign, the people added, but
he also wanted to try another round of diplomatic talks.
Two events pushed Trump toward attacking Iran again, according to several US and
Israeli officials and diplomats. The US operation on January 3 to capture
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas - which resulted in no American
deaths while removing from power a longstanding US foe - demonstrated the
possibility that ambitious military operations could have few collateral
consequences for US forces. Later that same month, massive anti-government
protests erupted in Iran, prompting a vicious response by the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps, killing thousands. Trump vowed to help the protesters
but did little immediately that was public. Privately, however, cooperation
intensified between the Israel Defense Forces and the US military’s Middle East
command, known as CENTCOM, with joint military planning conducted during secret
meetings, according to two Israeli officials, speaking on condition of
anonymity. Not long after, during a February visit by Netanyahu to Washington,
the Israeli leader briefed Trump on Iran’s growing ballistic missile program,
pointing out specific sites of concern. He also laid out the dangers of the
ballistic missile program, including the risk that Iran might eventually gain
the ability to strike the American homeland, said three people familiar with the
private conversations. The White House did not respond to questions about
Trump’s December and February meetings with Netanyahu.
Trump’s chance at history
By late February, many US officials and regional diplomats considered a US
attack on Iran very likely to proceed, though the details remained uncertain,
according to two other US officials, one Israeli official and two additional
officials familiar with the matter.
Trump was briefed by Pentagon and intelligence officials on the potential
advantages to be gained from a successful attack, including the decimation of
Iran’s missile program, according to two people familiar with those briefings.
Before the phone call between Netanyahu and Trump, Secretary of State Marco
Rubio told a small group of top Congressional leaders on February 24 that Israel
was likely to attack Iran, whether or not the US participated, and Iran would
then likely retaliate against US targets, according to three people briefed on
the meeting. Behind Rubio’s warning was an assessment by American intelligence
officials that such an attack would indeed provoke counterstrikes from Iran
against US diplomatic and military outposts and US Gulf allies, said three
sources familiar with US intelligence reports.
This prediction proved accurate. The strikes have led to Iranian counterattacks
on US military assets, the deaths of more than 2,300 Iranian civilians and at
least 13 US service members, attacks on US Gulf allies, the closure of one of
the world’s most vital shipping routes and a historic spike in oil prices that
is already being felt by consumers in the United States and beyond. Trump had
also been briefed that there was a chance, even if small, that the killing of
Iran’s top leaders could usher in a government in Tehran that was more willing
to negotiate with Washington, said two other people familiar with Rubio’s
briefing.
The possibility of regime change was one of Netanyahu’s arguments in the call
shortly before Trump gave final orders to attack Iran, said the people briefed
on it. That view was not held by the Central Intelligence Agency, which had
assessed in the weeks prior that Khamenei would likely be replaced by an
internal hardliner if he was killed, as Reuters previously reported. The CIA did
not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump repeatedly called for an
uprising after Khamenei was killed. With the war in its fourth week and the
region engulfed in conflict, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards still patrol the
nation’s streets. Millions of Iranians remain sheltered in their homes.
Khamenei’s son Mojtaba, considered even more harshly anti-American than his
father, has been named the new supreme leader of Iran.
Iran’s foreign ministry denies talks with US, state news agency says
Reuters/23 March/2026
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson denied on Monday holding any talks with the
US during the past 24 days, shortly after President Donald Trump said the two
sides had found “major points of agreement” in the past few days. In recent
days, friendly countries sent messages indicating that the US had requested
talks to end the war, but Iran had not responded, state news agency IRNA quoted
the ministry spokesperson as saying.
Iran says protest cases finalized as crackdown sentences
enforced
Reuters/23 March/2026
The cases of individuals arrested over Iran’s nationwide protests earlier this
year have been processed, first deputy Chief of the Judiciary Hamzeh Khalili
said on Monday, with cases given a final verdict now being implemented.
Nationwide anti-government protests rocked the country in January and were
repressed in the biggest crackdown in the history of the Islamic Republic. “The
cases of January terrorist elements and rioters have been processed. Some have
led to final verdicts being issued and are now being implemented. Some cases
have already been implemented in the past few days, which will be reported. No
leniency will be applied to the convicts in these cases,” Khalili was quoted as
saying by the judiciary’s news outlet Mizan. Last week, Iran executed three men
convicted of killing two police officers during unrest earlier this year,
raising concern among right groups such as Hengaw that Tehran is intensifying
executions against political detainees and protesters amid mounting military and
international pressures. Khalili added that the judiciary would have no leniency
toward what he said were “infiltrators, mercenaries, traitors who cooperate with
the enemy,” as hundreds have been arrested during March since the start of the
war with Israel and the US.
USS Gerald Ford back at Crete naval base: Report
AFP/23 March/2026
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier that has been part
of Middle East war operations, on Monday returned to a naval base in Crete, an
AFP photographer said. The vessel, which took on food, fuel and ammunition at
Souda Bay in February, reported a laundry fire on March 12 which injured two
crew members. The United States and Israel launched a massive air campaign
against Iran in late February following a major US military buildup in the
Middle East that included the Ford and another aircraft carrier, the Abraham
Lincoln. Both ships -- which have air wings made up of dozens of aircraft --
have played key roles in Iran operations, and the withdrawal of the Ford leaves
a gap for US forces in the region. “Taking the Ford off the board for any
significant length of time means less US support to war efforts,” said Daniel
Schneiderman, director of global policy programs at Penn Washington.“The Ford’s
role in the defense of Israel is significant,” he said, while noting that if
some of the ships accompanying it -- which have key air defense capabilities --
remain near Israel, then “the immediate term operational impact of its departure
is somewhat mitigated.”The Ford has been at sea for nearly nine months -- a
deployment that has already seen it take part in US operations in the Caribbean,
where Washington’s forces have carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling
boats, interdicted sanctioned tankers and seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas
Maduro.
A fire broke out in a laundry room aboard the carrier on March 12, injuring two
sailors and causing major damage to some 100 beds, according to the US military.
The carrier has also reportedly suffered significant problems with its toilet
system while at sea, with US media reporting clogs and long lines for restrooms
on the ship. Senator Mark Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence
Committee, has sharply criticized the extended deployment of the ship. “The Ford
and its crew have been pushed to the brink after nearly a year at sea, and they
have been paying the price for President Donald Trump’s reckless military
decisions,” he said.
Israeli ambassador to US: ‘We need boots on the ground, but
they have got to be Iranian boots’
Max Rego/The Hill/Sun, March 22, 2026
Michael Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said Sunday that the Iranian
people must mobilize to overthrow the Islamic Republic regime. “I think that we
need boots on the ground, but they have got to be Iranian boots, and I think
they’re coming,” Leiter told host Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union.” He
noted that the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran will only end when there is “not an
entity in Tehran that’s going to threaten the region.”“Now, if that’s going to
be brought about by this regime having a change of heart, hard to imagine, but
going on the assumption that that happens, then it’ll take place that way,”
Leiter said. However, he predicted such an outcome would likely only occur
through the Iranian people rising up against the regime. Leiter also noted
Iranian forces “brutally put down” protesters earlier this year. The Human
Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that in the first 50 days of
demonstrations against the regime this winter, government-backed forces killed
at least 6,488 protesters, at least 236 children and at least 76 civilians who
were not protesting. The military conflict, which is approaching the one-month
mark, escalated again Saturday as Israel attacked a nuclear enrichment site in
Natanz, Iran. Tehran retaliated by launching missiles at the Israeli cities of
Arad and Dimona, which are close to Israel’s main nuclear facility.The Israeli
Ministry of Health said Sunday that 180 people from both cities were admitted to
Soroka Medical Center, with eight in serious condition, 24 in moderate condition
and 148 in mild condition. Leiter vowed Israel’s response to that attack will be
“to continue with this campaign until we bring this regime to its knees.”“We
cannot live anymore with a country that is malign, that has intent on destroying
us, that declares it’s going to destroy us all the time and is now firing
ballistic missiles into all of its neighbors. This has to stop,” he added. Since
the U.S. and Israel first launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, at least
1,406 Iranian civilians, including at least 210 children, have been killed as of
Saturday, according to HRANA.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Iran threatens to deploy ‘naval mines’ if US, Israel attack its
coasts, islands
Agencies/23 March/2026
Iran on Monday threatened to deploy “naval mines” in the Gulf if the United
States and Israel were to attack any of its coasts or islands. “Any attempt by
the enemy to attack Iranian coasts or islands will naturally, and in accordance
with established military practice, lead to all access routes and communication
lines in the [Arabian] Gulf and coastal areas being mined with various types of
naval mines, including drifting mines deployable from the coasts,” said the
country's defense council in a statement carried by state media. The council
recalled that non-belligerent states can only pass through the Strait of Hormuz
by coordinating passage with Iran. The defense council -- which operates under
the Supreme National Security Council -- was formed after Iran's 12-day war with
Israel in June 2025.
Netanyahu says spoke with Trump, vows to protect Israel’s interests
AFP/23 March/2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he spoke with Donald Trump,
saying that the US president believed US-Israeli military gains in Iran could be
converted into a negotiated agreement that protects Israel’s interests.
“President Trump believes there is a chance to leverage the tremendous
achievements of the IDF and the US military in order to realise the war’s
objectives in an agreement - an agreement that will safeguard our vital
interests,” Netanyahu said in a video statement. “We will protect our vital
interests under any circumstances,” he said, adding: “At the same time, we
continue to strike both in Iran and in Lebanon.”Netanyahu reiterated that the
ongoing strikes were “crushing the missile programme and the nuclear program” of
Iran and also “inflicting heavy damage on Hezbollah.”“Just a few days ago we
eliminated two more (Iranian) nuclear scientists, and this is not the end,” he
said. Netanyahu’s comments came shortly after Trump announced “very good” talks
with an unnamed Iranian official.Trump’s sudden turn to diplomacy came just
hours ahead of his now-postponed Monday night ultimatum for Tehran to reopen the
Strait of Hormuz shipping lane - or else see the US military “obliterate” its
power plants. The Axios news outlet, citing an unnamed Israeli official, named
Trump’s interlocutor as Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s speaker of parliament,
who is one of the most prominent non-clerical figures in Tehran. But Ghalibaf
said “no negotiations” were underway in a post on X.
Rockets launched from Iraq’s Mosul toward US base in Syria,
say sources
Reuters/23 March/2026
At least seven rockets were launched from the Iraqi town of Rabi'a towards a US
military base in northeastern Syria on Monday, two Iraqi security sources said,
the first attack of its kind since the start of the US-Israeli military campaign
on Iran.
A rocket launcher platform, fixed on a top of a burnt truck, was seized in the
Rabi'a district, west of Mosul. It is believed that the launcher was used to
fire the seven rockets toward the Rmeilan base in Syria, the sources said. It
was the first cross-border attack targeting US troops in Syria since the start
of the US–Israel war with Iran, they added. The US-Israeli war with Iran has
already spilled beyond Iran's borders, as Tehran has responded by hitting Israel
and Gulf Arab states hosting US military installations, and Israel has launched
fresh attacks in Lebanon after the Iran-aligned militia Hezbollah fired across
the border.
UK working with defense sector to distribute missiles to
Gulf partners
Reuters/23 March/2026
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday the government was working
with the defense industry to distribute air defense missiles to Gulf partners
and was deploying short-range air defense systems to Bahrain rapidly. “We're
deploying short range air defense systems to Bahrain at speed,” Starmer told a
parliamentary committee. “This was an issue that came up as a matter of some
urgency over the course of this weekend. We're doing the same with Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia,” he added.His comments follow a March 18 announcement that Britain
had stepped up support for Gulf partners, including convening defense industry
leaders and confirming plans to buy more lightweight missiles for its own
military forces and regional allies.
Explosions, sirens ring out in Bahrain
AFP/23 March/2026
Several strong explosions and air alert sirens rang out on Monday in Bahrain,
according to an AFP journalist, the first to be heard in the Gulf since US
President Donald Trump said talks to end the war with Iran were underway.
“Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe
place,” Bahrain's interior ministry said on social media.
Saudi Arabia downs 24 drones in Eastern Province
Al Arabiya English/23 March/2026
The Saudi Ministry of Defense on Sunday announced the interception and
destruction of at least 24 drones in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province. The
ministry also said three ballistic missiles were launched toward Riyadh
Province. One was intercepted, while the other two fell in an uninhabited area,
it added. The incidents come amid escalating tensions with Iran. On Saturday,
Saudi Arabia declared several members of Iran’s embassy staff persona non grata,
ordering them to leave the Kingdom within 24 hours. 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.
Lufthansa extends some Middle East flight cuts into October
Reuters/23 March/2026
Deutsche Lufthansa is extending its suspension of flights to Iran and parts of
the Middle East for several more months as regional tensions rise, Bloomberg
News reported on Monday. Lufthansa flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv will remain on
hold until May 31, while services to other cities, including Abu Dhabi, Beirut
and Tehran, are suspended until October 24, the report said, citing the company.
For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the
app. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
Russia delays change to fiscal fund after Iran war energy
price surge
Reuters/23 March/2026
The oil price spike triggered by the Iran war has allowed the Russian government
to postpone a plan to boost long-term fiscal reserves, three sources familiar
with the discussion told Reuters, relieving the pressure on short-term finances.
The postponement reflects that the Russian economy, while struggling with the
cost of the military action in Ukraine and international sanctions, is one of
the few globally to benefit from the US-Israeli war on Iran. International oil
prices, which were trading around $70 a barrel before the war began at the end
of February, have risen to above $100 a barrel. Gas prices have also surged.
Russian budget oil and gas revenues are expected to grow by 70 percent in April
compared to March, reaching 0.9 trillion rubles, the highest monthly level since
October 2025, according to Reuters calculations based on a price of oil set at
$75 a barrel for taxation purposes.
Cut-off price determines how much revenue flows into fund
Before the war began in Iran, Russia was seeking to channel more oil revenues
into the reserve fund and said it planned to lower what is known as the cut-off
price of oil. It also said that cuts to budget spending were discussed. Any
revenues, above the cut-off price, which is currently $59, go into the fiscal
reserve National Wealth Fund. The sources who could not be named because they
were not authorised to speak publicly, said the government would now delay
changing the cut-off price. One of the sources said that since a legal amendment
was needed to the budget law to make the change, it was now more likely to
happen in 2027.
Changes had been expected very soon
The finance minister Anton Siluanov said on February 25, three days before the
war started, that the changes to allow a lower cut-off price would be announced
within two weeks. On Monday, however, President Vladimir Putin asked for a
balanced decision on how to use the revenues generated by higher oil prices.
Speaking after the meeting with Putin on Monday, Siluanov said the government
was considering measures to make the budget less vulnerable to the oil price
fluctuations in the medium term. The Russian budget is calculated on an average
annual oil price which is equal to the cut-off price. If the average monthly oil
price is below this, the resulting deficit is covered from the reserve fund. If
the average monthly price is above the cut-off price, the surplus goes into the
fund. Two other sources said they were briefed by senior government officials
that the cut-off price will remain the same this year and that the need for
spending cuts was also in question.
New set of macro forecasts
The government will publish a new set of macro forecasts in April, which will
include the expected average price of oil this year, which serves as guidance
for the budget. The reserve fund is held in foreign currency, now mostly yuan,
which means it has a major impact on Russia’s foreign exchange market. A
government’s decision to pause forex sales from the fund as it discussed the new
cut-off price led to a 6 percent slide in the ruble’s exchange rate against the
dollar in March. Russia’s Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, speaking
after a rate cut last week, said that it was too early to judge the impact of
higher oil prices on the Russian economy. During the press conference Nabiullina
and her first deputy Alexei Zabotkin said the budget rule was Russia’s best
protection against external shocks. One person with knowledge of ongoing
discussions said that even if the Iran crisis suddenly ends, most Russian
policymakers expect the oil price to retain a risk premium for some time.
Treasury Lifts Sanctions on Turkish National Who Aided
Russia’s Illegal War on Ukraine
Sinan Ciddi/FDD-Policy Brief/March 23/2026
A Turkish entrepreneur conducting extensive trade with Russia is the subject of
an unusual decision by the U.S. Treasury Department to lift sanctions against
him and three of his companies. Berk Turken and his firms were originally
designated for their combined role in “enabling Russian intelligence services to
procure technology for sanctioned Russian entities.” A businessman with no known
ties to the Turkish government, Turken and his sanctioned companies specialize
in digital technologies and artificial intelligence services utilized by
Russia’s defense industrial base. Turken is an example of the Turkish business
elites who have benefited from a permissive environment provided by a Turkish
government willing to overlook breaches of international sanctions against
Moscow. Treasury’s March 18 decision to lift sanctions on Turken and his
businesses offers a potential lifeline to strengthen Moscow’s procurement
capabilities in the digital technology arena, helping to facilitate Vladimir
Putin’s ongoing illegal war against Ukraine. No Explanation Provided by Treasury
for Lifting Sanctions on Turken and His Companies
Treasury officials offered no explanation for their decision to lift existing
sanctions on Turken and three Turkish entities of which he is the sole owner —
Turken Dijital Matbaa, BSB Grup Internet ve Yapay Zeka, and BSB Grup. BSB Grup
was linked to efforts supporting Russia’s sanctioned technology procurement
networks. Turken Digital facilitated transactions for Russian
intelligence-linked entities seeking restricted technology, including
coordinating payment and logistics arrangements designed to circumvent sanctions
and move goods from Turkey into Russia.
In particular, Turken Digital worked with the U.S.-designated Russian limited
liability company TBS and Russian businessman Andrey Vladimirovich Timoshin —
both sanctioned in May 2023 — to enable these transfers. TBS, a Moscow-based
technology company specializing in microelectronics testing systems, has been
used by Russian intelligence services to process payments and ship equipment for
domestic clients. Timoshin, acting in coordination with TBS and other entities,
procured semiconductor and nanotechnology production equipment on behalf of
sanctioned Russian end users, with his activities directed by Russian
intelligence.
Turkey’s Proven Track Record of Aiding Russia’s War Effort
Turkish entities have an established track record of providing material support
to Russia’s defense industrial base. The Biden administration engaged in a
systematic effort to sanction a number of Turkish entities identified as
supporters of Russia’s war against Ukraine. In September 2023, five Turkish
entities were sanctioned by Treasury and the U.S. State Department for
facilitating sanctions evasion by Russian companies supporting Russia’s military
or defense industrial base. Specifically, the companies were identified as
supplying Russian firms with high-priority components used in Russian drones,
missiles, and other weapons systems banned under a list maintained by the U.S.
Commerce Department. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February
2022, the United States and its Western partners tightened sanctions and export
controls aimed at degrading Moscow’s defense industrial capacity. Turkey chose
not to align with these measures, citing economic losses that would follow from
implementing sanctions against one of its biggest trading partners.
Consequently, the Biden administration’s Treasury Department, by sanctioning
Turkish entities and issuing formal warnings to Ankara, underscored Turkey’s
role as a key conduit through which Russia circumvents Western sanctions. Turkey
has therefore sustained Moscow’s war effort even as it continues to provide
military and political support to Ukraine. Washington has consistently pressed
Turkish authorities to curb these sanctions-evasion networks. While reports last
spring suggested Ankara began taking limited corrective steps, enforcement has
remained uneven.Treasury should publicly articulate transparent benchmarks for
delisting designated individuals and entities, including verifiable cessation of
illicit activity, cooperation with U.S. authorities, and a demonstrable break
from sanctioned networks. Absent this clarity, premature delisting risks
undermining deterrence and signaling permissiveness to other sanctions evaders.
Without stronger enforcement and clearer consequences, Turkey will continue to
function as a key node in Russia’s sanctions evasion architecture. U.S. policy
must shift from reactive designation toward systematic disruption of the
networks enabling Moscow’s war machine — including those operating within allied
jurisdictions.
**Sinan Ciddi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).
For more analysis from Sinan and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Sinan on X @SinanCiddi.
Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research
institute focused on national security and foreign policy.
South African Government Continues Antagonizing U.S.
David May/FDD-Policy Brief/March 23/2026
South Africa is defiant, refusing to distance itself from the Islamic Republic
despite U.S. Ambassador Brent Bozell stating that “an association with Iran is
an impediment to good relations with the United States.” Instead, Pretoria has
doubled down on its position within the anti-U.S. bloc.
South Africa Will Not ‘Cut Ties With Iran’
With the U.S.-Iran war raging, Zane Dangor, director-general of South Africa’s
foreign ministry, declared, “We have not any reason to cut ties with Iran.”The
African National Congress (ANC), South Africa’s ruling party, is a longtime
friend of the clerical regime in Tehran. The two countries view themselves as
part of an anti-Western, anti-imperialist order and are key members of the
Chinese-led BRICS bloc. Pretoria averted its gaze as Tehran massacred 30,000 of
its own people during anti-regime protests in January. South African President
Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his support for the “right to peaceful protest,
freedom of expression, and freedom of association” but failed to condemn Iran.
Ramaphosa meekly called for “restraint and dialogue” to resolve the situation,
while Pretoria abstained on a UN Human Rights Council resolution condemning
Iran. The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s second-largest party, criticized
the ANC’s silence, comparing Tehran’s repression to key massacres during the
struggle against apartheid. The close Tehran-Pretoria relationship caused
controversy in January when South Africa hosted an Iranian naval delegation at
the height of Iran’s crackdown on protesters. But this should not be a problem
in the foreseeable future — much of Iran’s navy lies at the bottom of the sea.
Not only has Pretoria not cut ties with Iran, but it has reiterated its support
for Iran’s dictatorial regime. Ramaphosa dispatched a letter to the regime to
express his condolences following the elimination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei, while the ANC sent an official delegation to the Iranian Embassy
to pay tribute. This stands in stark contrast to Pretoria recalling its
ambassador from Israel, its parliament voting to shutter the Israeli Embassy in
South Africa, and the government’s decision to expel Israel’s top diplomat in
South Africa in January 2026 for offering to assist rural South Africans with
water and agricultural development, allegedly without properly informing the
government in Pretoria.
Deteriorating Ties With Washington
Dangor’s statement of solidarity with Iran came amid deteriorating ties with the
United States. President Donald Trump began his second term with an executive
order canceling all aid to South Africa. He then declared South Africa’s
ambassador to the United States persona non grata and stonewalled his successor.
Bozell started his tenure in February with an attempt to reduce friction in the
relationship. However, his comments criticizing the South African government for
its treatment of its white minority and Pretoria’s close ties to Iran earned him
official censure. Bozell apologized, but tensions remain high.
South Africa Positions Itself in the Anti-American Axis
While scuffling with America politically, Pretoria has been growing closer to
American adversaries. In a veiled swipe at Washington, Brazilian President Lula
da Silva told Ramaphosa in March that Brazil and South Africa had to prepare
themselves for a possible invasion. Ramaphosa responded by saying, “We have a
lot to learn from each other.”Earlier in March, the South African Nuclear Energy
Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding with Rosatom, Russia’s state
atomic energy corporation. South Africa previously signed a deal with Rosatom in
2014, shortly after Russia illegally annexed Crimea. Rosatom-related companies
have helped develop weapons used against Ukraine, while Rosatom — whose senior
officials are sanctioned by the U.S. government — has helped expand China’s
nuclear weapons arsenal. China, meanwhile, signed a major economic partnership
agreement with South Africa in February. Starting on May 1, South Africa will
have duty-free access to the Chinese market. South Africa has rightly earned its
spot as an ally of America’s foes. Washington should not ease trade restrictions
on South Africa — whether through reduction of tariffs or allowing South Africa
to benefit from the African Growth and Opportunity Act — until it distances
itself from the enemies of the West. *David May is a research manager and senior
research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more
analysis from the author and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow David on X @DavidSamuelMay.
Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research
institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
Air Canada regional jet collides with fire truck in New
York's LaGuardia, killing both pilots
By Gursimran Mehar, Bing Guan, Shubham Kalia, Allison Lampert and David
Shepardson/Reuters/March 23, 2026
NEW YORK/MONTREAL March 23 (Reuters) - An Air Canada Express jet collided with a
fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia airport late on Sunday, killing
both pilots, injuring dozens and closing the facility, authorities said.
The Air Canada Express CRJ-900 plane, operated by its regional partner Jazz
Aviation, was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members and had departed
from Montreal, said Jazz, which is owned by Chorus Aviation. Jazz and the Port
Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that the pilot and first officer
were killed. The crash comes as U.S. aviation faces chronic shortages of air
traffic controllers and a separate shortfall of Transportation Security
Administration officers due to a partial government shutdown that has led to
delays, long security lines and heightened safety concerns across airports
nationwide."Today is an incredibly difficult day for our airline, our
employees, and most importantly, the families and loved ones of those affected
by the accident involving flight 8646," said Jazz President Doug Clarke. U.S.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at least two Port Authority
firefighters sustained serious injuries.
NINE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN HOSPITAL
Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority, said 32 of the 41
injured had been released, while nine remained in hospital with "serious
injuries."Aviation safety experts say investigators would look at air traffic
control staffing levels, the activities of the controller and truck crew that
night, along with the position of the truck. "The Air Canada jet was obviously
cleared to land and from the radio transmissions, it appears that the airport
rescue and firefighting vehicle was cleared. There are a lot of questions now
regarding the communications," said U.S. safety expert Anthony Brickhouse.
"Communication is going to be a major part of this investigation."U.S. airports
have for years struggled with shortages of air traffic controllers and are
wrestling with a separate shortfall of Transportation Security Administration
officers due to a partial government shutdown that has impacted passengers
across the country, further testing a strained system.
FIRE TRUCK WAS CLEARED TO CROSS RUNWAY
Garcia said the fire truck was responding to a separate United Airlines aircraft
that had "reported an issue with odor."Minutes earlier, air traffic control
audio from LiveATC.net indicated that a United Airlines flight had declared an
emergency due to an odor onboard. Controllers advised the crew that fire trucks
were already on site. A second transmission then shows a fire truck was cleared
to cross Runway 4, where the collision occurred, at taxiway 'Delta.' Moments
later, according to the ATC audio, a controller can be heard saying: "Stop,
stop, stop, truck 1 stop, truck 1, stop." The aircraft struck the fire vehicle
at a speed of about 24 miles per hour (39 kph), according to flight-tracking
website Flightradar24, which last recorded data at 11:37 p.m. ET (0337 GMT).
Photos taken by Reuters after the accident showed visible damage to the nose of
the plane, which was tilted upward. Two unnamed passengers told ABC affiliate
WABC of the shock of the accident on the late-night flight, with one describing
a friend with a broken nose and travelers hitting their heads against the seat
in front of them.Air Canada referred Reuters to Jazz's statement and said it was
aware of the incident. Jazz had earlier acknowledged the collision and said it
would provide further details when available. Global Aerospace leads the
airline's all-risks cover for the Air Canada regional aircraft that was damaged,
three senior aviation market sources said. Those three sources said Marsh is the
broker for the cover. One of those sources said the aircraft's insured hull
value was around $10 million.
FLIGHTS CANCELED, DELAYS EXPECTED
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was deploying a
team of experts to investigate the incident, while the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) said the airport was expected to remain shut until 2 p.m.
ET (1800 GMT) on Monday.
The closure of one of New York's busiest airports will add to travel disruption
caused by the weeks-long partial government shutdown. Absences among
transportation security workers have soared, leading to lengthy lines for
passengers at major U.S. airports. About 546 flights had been canceled at the
airport so far on Monday, according to tracking website FlightAware. LaGuardia
served more than 30 million annual passengers in 2025, according to the Port
Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a wide range of U.S. airlines
operate at the airport.
RECENT INCIDENTS ADD PRESSURE
According to the FAA, there have been 97 runway incursions in January this year,
compared to 133 incidents during the same period last year. A bipartisan group
of U.S. House lawmakers last month proposed legislation to address 50 aviation
safety recommendations issued after a year-long investigation into the January
2025 collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black
Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people. Last year also saw a UPS cargo plane
crash shortly after takeoff in Louisville, Kentucky, killing seven and injuring
11 on the ground. Canadian Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon said the country's
government was working closely with U.S. authorities "as they investigate this
incident, and we are following developments closely." (Reporting by Gursimran
Kaur, Shubham Kalia, Abu Sultan, Preetika Parashuraman and Ruchika Khanna in
Bengaluru, Bing Guan in New York, Allison Lampert in Montreal and David
Shepardson in Washington; Additional reporting by Joanna Plucinska and Susan
Heavey; Editing by Jamie Freed and Joe Bavier)
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 23-24/2026
Begging Hamas to Disarm - The Misguided Approach of Trump's 'Board of Peace'
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute./March 23, 2026
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22363/begging-hamas-to-disarm
Someone needs to inform Mladenov that Hamas has already made a choice: to reject
disarmament.
Hamas leaders have instead proposed long-term truces (5-10 years) rather than
total decommissioning of arms. Another thing the "Board of Peace" and Mladenov
do not seem to understand is that Hamas uses ceasefires with Israel to rebuild,
regroup, and restock its arsenal and tunnel networks.
To ask Hamas politely to disarm is fantasyland.
The notion that the "Board of Peace," no matter how well-intentioned, can
persuade Hamas to relinquish its arsenal through dialogue alone ignores decades
of evidence to the contrary.
The Trump administration seems to have forgotten that Hamas is a terrorist group
whose foundational principles and actions are centered on the use of violent
Jihad (holy war) and the destruction of Israel. Hamas is aware that it cannot
achieve its goal without holding onto its weapons.
The dangerous message now being sent is: hold on to your weapons long enough,
and the world will come to beg you.
Hamas will disarm only when it realizes that the cost of holding onto weapons
exceeds the benefits. Hamas will lay down its weapons only when it faces
sustained political, economic and, if necessary, military pressure.... For
Hamas, weapons are the foundation of its rule, its ideology, and its survival.
Asking Hamas to give up its weapons voluntarily is like asking the Republican or
Democrat party to vote itself out of existence.
Treating disarmament as a voluntary goodwill gesture rather than a
non-negotiable prerequisite is unfortunately a non-starter. Disarmament is not a
favor Hamas gives; it is a condition that must be enforced to prevent countless
more October 7-style massacres against Jews.
Someone needs to inform "Board of Peace" Director-General Nikolay Mladenov that
Hamas has already made a choice: to reject disarmament. Another thing the "Board
of Peace" and Mladenov do not seem to understand is that Hamas uses ceasefires
with Israel to rebuild, regroup, and restock its arsenal and tunnel networks.,
US President Donald J. Trump's "Board of Peace" has reportedly presented Hamas
with a written proposal on how it could lay down its weapons, according to a
recent report.
The proposal "was submitted to Hamas during meetings in Cairo over the past
week." The talks were attended by Nikolay Mladenov, the Trump-appointed "Board
of Peace" envoy to the Gaza Strip, and Aryeh Lightstone, a US aide to Trump's
special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Mladenov, in a message greeting Muslims on the Eid al-Fitr feast marking the end
of Ramadan, later wrote on X:
"As the blessed days of Eid are upon us, serious efforts persist to chart a
hopeful path for Gaza. A framework has been agreed by all mediators that can
unlock reconstruction, breathe life back into communities, and bring closer to
unity and a negotiated resolution of the Palestinian question. It is now on the
table. It requires one clear choice: full decommissioning by Hamas and every
armed group, with no exceptions and no carve-outs. In this season of hope, may
those responsible make the right choice for the Palestinian people."
Someone needs to inform Mladenov that Hamas has already made a choice: to reject
disarmament. Over the past few months, Hamas leaders have consistently dismissed
demands to disarm and characterized disarmament as a "red line." Hamas leaders
have instead proposed long-term truces (5-10 years) rather than total
decommissioning of arms. Another thing the "Board of Peace" and Mladenov do not
seem to understand is that Hamas uses ceasefires with Israel to rebuild,
regroup, and restock its arsenal and tunnel networks.
The tone of the latest US proposal to Hamas and Mladenov's holiday greetings
appears as if the Trump administration is pleading with Hamas to disarm. There
is something deeply misguided – if not outright dangerous – about the idea that
the US or other international parties should beg Hamas to lay down its weapons.
To ask Hamas politely to disarm is fantasyland.
The notion that the "Board of Peace," no matter how well-intentioned, can
persuade Hamas to relinquish its arsenal through dialogue alone ignores decades
of evidence to the contrary. The Trump administration seems to have forgotten
that Hamas is a terrorist group whose foundational principles and actions are
centered on the use of violent Jihad (holy war) and the destruction of Israel.
Hamas is aware that it cannot achieve its goal without holding onto its weapons.
Hamas's 1988 Charter explicitly states that "Israel will exist, and continue to
exist, until Islam will obliterate it," rejects any negotiated peace settlement,
and emphasizes that jihad is the "only solution."
More than four months after the ceasefire went into effect in the Gaza Strip,
Hamas has shown no sign that it intends to disarm. In fact, Hamas has exploited
the ceasefire to regroup, rearm, and tighten its grip on the Gaza Strip by
cracking down on dissent, imposing taxes on the population, deploying its police
forces in areas under its control, and appointing its own men to senior
positions in government institutions.
On the first day of Eid al-Fitr, masked members of Hamas's military wing, Izz
ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, reappeared on the streets of the Gaza Strip as part
of an effort to send a message to the Palestinians and the rest of the world
that the terrorist group is not going anywhere.
"Qassam resistance fighters are distributing sweets to children after Eid prayer
in Nuseirat camp in the Gaza Strip," a Hamas supporter commented on X.
"For more than two years, they have been trying to eliminate the resistance in
Gaza, but failure has been their ally and companion. And soon, God willing,
victory and liberation will come."
Also on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades released
a video featuring its terrorists inside tunnels, as well as footage documenting
clashes with the Israeli army.
The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, which spearheaded the October 7, 2023
invasion of Israel, pledged to continue the fight "until the complete liberation
of Palestine" – the elimination of Israel: "Every sacrifice brings Palestinians
one step closer to their goal of complete liberation."
If anything, these threats show that Hamas has no intention to end its jihad
against Israel or lay down its weapons. That is why the Trump administration is
making an enormous mistake by assuming that Hamas will agree to hand over its
weapons through diplomacy and negotiations. When the Trump administration
appears to plead with Hamas, it is inverting the basic logic of diplomacy.
Instead of applying pressure on the terror group, Trump's "Board of Peace" is
effectively legitimizing Hamas's tactics. The dangerous message now being sent
is: hold on to your weapons long enough, and the world will come to beg you.
Hamas will disarm only when it realizes that the cost of holding onto weapons
exceeds the benefits. Hamas will lay down its weapons only when it faces
sustained political, economic and, if necessary, military pressure. Hamas has
made it clear that its weapons are not bargaining chips. For Hamas, weapons are
the foundation of its rule, its ideology, and its survival. Asking Hamas to give
up its weapons voluntarily is like asking the Republican or Democrat party to
vote itself out of existence.
Treating disarmament as a voluntary goodwill gesture rather than a
non-negotiable prerequisite is unfortunately a non-starter. Disarmament is not a
favor Hamas gives; it is a condition that must be enforced to prevent countless
more October 7-style massacres against Jews.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
*Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Iran’s dangerous expansion of war across the Gulf
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/English Arabiya/March
23/2026
Iran made a deliberate decision to expand a conflict that was originally
confined to itself, Israel, and the United States into a broader regional
confrontation. This was not an accidental spillover or an unintended escalation
– it appears a calculated move. By extending its military actions beyond the
original scope of the war, Iran has chosen to involve countries that neither
attacked it nor participated in the conflict against it. These Gulf states had
maintained a position of neutrality. Yet, despite their restraint, Iran is
targeting them. This expansion fundamentally alters the nature of the conflict.
What was once a contained geopolitical and military confrontation now risks
becoming a full-scale regional war. When a state begins to strike beyond its
direct adversaries and into neutral territories, it signals a shift to strategic
escalation.
False justifications and shifting narratives
At the outset, the Iranian government attempted to frame its actions as targeted
strikes against U.S. military installations in the region. This narrative was
clearly designed to justify its operations as part of its confrontation with
Washington. However, the reality on the ground quickly exposed the weakness of
this justification. The pattern of attacks reveals that many of the targets are
not U.S. bases at all. Instead, they were critical infrastructure sites,
economic facilities, and areas with significant civilian impact. This
discrepancy between rhetoric and reality undermines Iran’s credibility and
raises serious questions about its true intentions.
Targeting civilian and economic infrastructure
One of the most alarming aspects of Iran’s escalation is its focus on economic
and civilian-linked infrastructure, particularly energy facilities. Oil
refineries, gas processing plants, and industrial complexes are not traditional
military targets. They are the backbone of national economies and essential
components of global energy supply. These attacks disrupt production, halt
operations, and create uncertainty in global markets. The damage extends far
beyond the physical destruction of facilities – it reverberates through supply
chains, financial markets, and international trade. Moreover, these types of
targets often employ large numbers of civilian workers and are located near
populated areas. This increases the risk of casualties and amplifies the
humanitarian impact of the attacks. Even when casualties are limited, the
psychological effect on populations is profound. People living near these
facilities are forced to confront the reality that their workplaces and
communities have become targets in a widening conflict.
Violating sovereignty and undermining neutrality
Perhaps the most significant implication of Iran’s actions is the violation of
the sovereignty of Gulf states. Sovereignty is a cornerstone of the
international system. It is the principle that allows states to coexist without
constant fear of external aggression. When this principle is violated, it
undermines the entire framework of international relations. By attacking these
countries, Iran is effectively punishing neutrality. Such actions force neutral
states to reconsider their positions. When sovereignty is violated, neutrality
becomes untenable. Countries that might have preferred to remain on the
sidelines are now compelled to respond, either to defend themselves or to deter
further aggression.
Warnings from Gulf leadership
Gulf leaders have rightfully begun to respond with increasing urgency and
clarity. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, speaking after an
emergency meeting in Riyadh, issued a direct warning to Iran. He emphasized that
Iran’s actions are based on a miscalculation and that the consequences could be
severe.
He said the Iranians must understand their actions have consequences. “This
pressure from Iran will backfire politically and morally, and certainly we
reserve the right to take military action if deemed necessary,” he said. This
statement reflects a growing consensus among Gulf states that restraint cannot
continue indefinitely. While these countries have shown patience, they are
signaling that there are limits to what they will tolerate. Prince Faisal
further underscored this point by noting that the Kingdom and its partners have
been patient but their patience is not unlimited. Iran must take these remarks
seriously as they are a warning that the situation is approaching a tipping
point. The combination of capability and diminishing patience creates a volatile
environment in which a single additional incident could trigger a broader
response.
A strategic miscalculation by Tehran
If Iran believes that its actions will pressure the Gulf states into submission
or deter them from aligning against it, it is making a serious strategic error.
By attacking neutral countries, it is pushing them toward greater cooperation
and potentially toward direct involvement in the conflict. This is a classic
case of overreach. This not only prolongs the conflict but also increases its
human and economic costs.
The urgent need for Iran to halt escalation
Iran must reconsider its current dangerous course. The expansion of the conflict
into neutral territories, the targeting of civilian infrastructure, and the
violation of sovereignty are actions that carry profound consequences.
Continuing down this path will not bring strategic advantage; it will bring
isolation, retaliation, and potentially catastrophic conflict. The war that Iran
is engaged in is with Israel and the United States. Extending it to include Gulf
states serves no constructive purpose and only deepens the crisis. Targeting
refineries, industrial zones, and civilian-linked infrastructure not only harms
those countries but also destabilizes the global economy and increases the risk
of widespread conflict.
Why some Arabs still justify Iran’s aggression?
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/March 23/2026
Published: 23 March ,2026
In theory, at least, the Arab majority is expected to take a clear stance
against Iran over its aggression toward eight Arab countries – six in the Gulf –
in addition to Iraq and Jordan. But reality is more complex and far less
cohesive. We see some voices and movements not merely remaining silent but
actively justifying or even supporting Tehran’s attacks. In truth, the countries
under attack do not need more than a moral and ethical position, especially
given that every other Arab state is already grappling with its own security,
political, and economic challenges, without taking on additional burdens.
The support shown by these groups for Iran’s targeting of Gulf states is not an
exception but rather an extension of a recurring pattern of justification. For
three decades, Lebanon has endured cycles of collapse and destruction under the
influence of Iran’s project and its instruments, foremost among them Hezbollah.
Yet segments of the Arab world have continued to view Lebanon not as a country
and a people, but as a camp, granting this reality cover under the banner of
“resistance.” What is happening in the Gulf today reproduces the same scene:
Iran’s targeting of Israel is used to justify its aggression against the Gulf.
This is not new in the Arab collective memory. Similar rhetoric was used to
justify Saddam Hussein’s occupation of Kuwait in 1990, reframing aggression
against Gulf states as a form of “balance” against an enemy. These narratives do
not disappear; they replicate across generations. The problem lies in a cultural
structure that reinterprets events through ready-made frameworks and conspiracy
theories about expansion, liquidation of causes, and other justifications for
aggression.
This simplification may seem comforting to a public that is conditioned to
reduce complex realities into easy narratives and theories, such as an “Israeli
expansionist project” or the imposition of a “new Middle East.” But there is a
fundamental difference between those sitting in the audience as spectators and
the victims who find themselves on the stage of events. In times of major
crises, conflict is not only military but also unfolds on parallel intellectual
and cultural fronts. Each current reinterprets the war through its pre-existing
worldview, long shaped by inflammatory rhetoric and perceptions. Over time,
these frameworks become a burden that obstructs understanding and adaptation.
Arabs who do not neighbor Iran do not feel its direct threat, nor do they see
its proxies – such as the Houthis and Hezbollah – as an issue. In their
thinking, the world is divided into black and white, reduced to Palestine and
Israel. This may not necessarily reflect a desire to harm the countries that are
victims of Iranian expansion, but rather the result of a political and cultural
discourse that justifies aggression.
Only those who border Iran truly feel its danger and understand its vast
military project, including missile capabilities, proxy networks, and ongoing
security threats. This is not theoretical; it is grounded in a long history of
attacks on these countries since the 1980s, unrelated to Palestine or the West.
Others neither feel nor prioritize this threat, and many even deny its
existence, simplifying the world into positions for or against Israel. This,
however, does not in any way negate the legitimacy of the Palestinian cause or
the suffering of its people. The same moral dilemma was evident during the
Syrian crisis, where Arab political and popular forces supported the al-Assad
regime simply because of its declared stance against Israel, framing the
uprising as an Israeli conspiracy. Half a million people were unjustly killed at
the hands of al-Assad’s forces and Qassem Soleimani, yet this did not prompt a
reassessment among these groups. The situation later shifted, with the new
Syrian leadership itself becoming a target of Israeli attacks, and President
Ahmed al-Sharaa also adopting rhetoric against Israel. Still, this did not
translate into any retrospective shift against Iran. Ironically, this confusion
is not limited to countries geographically distant from Iran’s missiles and
drones; it is also present within the Gulf states themselves. This is not
because some Gulf citizens are unaware, but because they are part of an audience
shaped by decades of media and cultural narratives portraying Iran as a victim
of the West and Hezbollah as a resistance movement. Even within the very heart
of the “frontline states against Iran,” these beliefs are circulated and
entrenched.There was a period that unsettled these narratives, particularly the
images from the Syrian uprising that exposed Iran’s role and the scale of
atrocities committed. Yet even then, these narratives reasserted themselves
through conspiracy theories that continue to justify Iran’s aggression. What we
are facing is not merely a disagreement over a current event, namely Iran’s
aggression. It is something deeper: a broad cultural crisis that few are willing
to confront.
The Iran War and the New
Rules of Regional Politics
Sam Menassa/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 23/2026
With the escalation of the American-Israeli war on Iran, the question is no
longer confined to the scale of the strikes and Iran’s retaliation. The
potential repercussions of the conflict and the way in which it will reshape the
regional order are now front and center. The assassinations of Supreme Leader
Ali Khamenei, Ali Larijani, and other senior figures, as well as the spillover
of the confrontation into the Gulf and Lebanon, indicate that the region is
being strategically reconfigured and that the implications go beyond the
military developments themselves.
The first repercussion is that we now have a weakened Iran, regardless of the
future of the clerical regime and whether it endures in its current form,
transforms, or collapses. The war has demonstrated the limits of Iran’s ability
to withstand concentrated strikes on its leadership and military infrastructure,
and it has also shown that the deterrence that had underpinned Tehran’s strategy
for decades has been broken. This military setback does not necessarily signal
that Iran’s regional role will collapse, but it does impose a profound
reassessment of strategies and instruments.
The second repercussion is that Iran’s regional web of proxies, the backbone of
Iranian influence, has been downgraded. The wars in Gaza and Lebanon have
exposed the limits of these groups’ ability to alter the balance of power, as
well as the heavy costs they generate for the societies in which they operate.
This development raises a central question about the future of these actors:
will they remain military proxies tied to a regional axis, or will they
gradually evolve into political actors integrated within their respective
nation-states? The answer to this question will largely determine the future of
what remains of Iran’s regional project.
The third repercussion is the decline of the war-by-proxy model that has shaped
the Middle East for decades. Regional powers have long managed their conflicts
in third countries, but the shift toward clashes between the main belligerents
suggests that this model is waning. As proxies become less effective for
containing escalation, the region may move toward a new pattern of limited,
direct confrontation between major players. The fourth repercussion is that the
space for what could be called “gray diplomacy” has shrunk: the informal,
undeclared channels through which tensions had been managed to avoid
fully-fledged conflicts. The current conflict has not made settlements
untenable, but has made them more difficult and introduced more stringent
conditions. Issues such as Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions, and Gulf security
may eventually return to the negotiating table, but power balances would have
changed and the parties involved would be more rigid. The “post-war phase” may
therefore not unfold rapidly, becoming a prolonged transitional period marked by
low-intensity tensions and interrupted by intermittent escalation and security
and cyber operations.
The fifth repercussion is the need to reconfigure the Gulf security system. The
attacks on the Gulf states have pushed them to accelerate their efforts to
develop joint defense frameworks and to deepen their security partnerships.
Energy security and maritime routes are no longer merely economic concerns; they
have become integral to the military equation. This may, in turn, open the door
to new regional security arrangements.
The sixth repercussion concerns the future of the Palestinian question. The war
has granted the Israeli government greater latitude to postpone political
progress under the pretext of security threats, thereby weakening the prospects
for a Palestinian state in the near term. At the same time, however, the
conflict could reinforce the conviction, among international and Arab actors,
that the absence of a political horizon for Palestine will generate recurring
cycles of violence, potentially bringing a settlement back into focus as part of
a broader reconfiguration of the regional order.
The seventh repercussion relates to US-European relations. Contrary to
expectations, the war does not appear to be fostering transatlantic convergence.
Instead, it has heightened divergences between Washington and several European
countries. Many have expressed clear reservations about involvement in the
confrontation; the positions of Spain and France stand out in this regard, as
Madrid and Paris have been critical of the military operations and not shown
much willingness to join the escalation. This divergence reflects a deeper
divergence in their respective approaches to regional security.
However, the most profound repercussions of the war remain less visible. The
conflict has brought back a fundamental question about the meaning of
sovereignty in the Middle East. A pattern of dual sovereignty had emerged:
states coexisting with armed actors that have the power to decide war and peace.
This model has weakened states and locked the region into recurring cycles of
instability. Today, however, direct strikes on Iran and the attacks on its
proxies suggest that the tide is turning, with the emphasis now on restoring the
centrality of the state as the primary enforcer of regional security.
In sum, the Middle East is entering a prolonged transitional phase in which
ideology will recede in favor of realism, with the value of a state capable of
protecting its borders and interests becoming ever more pronounced. This war may
not yield a swift peace, but it will reshape the rules of the regional game for
years to come.
The Iran War and the New Rules of Regional Politics
Sam Menassa/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 23/2026
With the escalation of the American-Israeli war on Iran, the question is no
longer confined to the scale of the strikes and Iran’s retaliation. The
potential repercussions of the conflict and the way in which it will reshape the
regional order are now front and center. The assassinations of Supreme Leader
Ali Khamenei, Ali Larijani, and other senior figures, as well as the spillover
of the confrontation into the Gulf and Lebanon, indicate that the region is
being strategically reconfigured and that the implications go beyond the
military developments themselves.
The first repercussion is that we now have a weakened Iran, regardless of the
future of the clerical regime and whether it endures in its current form,
transforms, or collapses. The war has demonstrated the limits of Iran’s ability
to withstand concentrated strikes on its leadership and military infrastructure,
and it has also shown that the deterrence that had underpinned Tehran’s strategy
for decades has been broken. This military setback does not necessarily signal
that Iran’s regional role will collapse, but it does impose a profound
reassessment of strategies and instruments.
The second repercussion is that Iran’s regional web of proxies, the backbone of
Iranian influence, has been downgraded. The wars in Gaza and Lebanon have
exposed the limits of these groups’ ability to alter the balance of power, as
well as the heavy costs they generate for the societies in which they operate.
This development raises a central question about the future of these actors:
will they remain military proxies tied to a regional axis, or will they
gradually evolve into political actors integrated within their respective
nation-states? The answer to this question will largely determine the future of
what remains of Iran’s regional project.
The third repercussion is the decline of the war-by-proxy model that has shaped
the Middle East for decades. Regional powers have long managed their conflicts
in third countries, but the shift toward clashes between the main belligerents
suggests that this model is waning. As proxies become less effective for
containing escalation, the region may move toward a new pattern of limited,
direct confrontation between major players.
The fourth repercussion is that the space for what could be called “gray
diplomacy” has shrunk: the informal, undeclared channels through which tensions
had been managed to avoid fully-fledged conflicts. The current conflict has not
made settlements untenable, but has made them more difficult and introduced more
stringent conditions. Issues such as Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions, and Gulf
security may eventually return to the negotiating table, but power balances
would have changed and the parties involved would be more rigid. The “post-war
phase” may therefore not unfold rapidly, becoming a prolonged transitional
period marked by low-intensity tensions and interrupted by intermittent
escalation and security and cyber operations.
The fifth repercussion is the need to reconfigure the Gulf security system. The
attacks on the Gulf states have pushed them to accelerate their efforts to
develop joint defense frameworks and to deepen their security partnerships.
Energy security and maritime routes are no longer merely economic concerns; they
have become integral to the military equation. This may, in turn, open the door
to new regional security arrangements.
The sixth repercussion concerns the future of the Palestinian question. The war
has granted the Israeli government greater latitude to postpone political
progress under the pretext of security threats, thereby weakening the prospects
for a Palestinian state in the near term. At the same time, however, the
conflict could reinforce the conviction, among international and Arab actors,
that the absence of a political horizon for Palestine will generate recurring
cycles of violence, potentially bringing a settlement back into focus as part of
a broader reconfiguration of the regional order.
The seventh repercussion relates to US-European relations. Contrary to
expectations, the war does not appear to be fostering transatlantic convergence.
Instead, it has heightened divergences between Washington and several European
countries. Many have expressed clear reservations about involvement in the
confrontation; the positions of Spain and France stand out in this regard, as
Madrid and Paris have been critical of the military operations and not shown
much willingness to join the escalation. This divergence reflects a deeper
divergence in their respective approaches to regional security.
However, the most profound repercussions of the war remain less visible. The
conflict has brought back a fundamental question about the meaning of
sovereignty in the Middle East. A pattern of dual sovereignty had emerged:
states coexisting with armed actors that have the power to decide war and peace.
This model has weakened states and locked the region into recurring cycles of
instability. Today, however, direct strikes on Iran and the attacks on its
proxies suggest that the tide is turning, with the emphasis now on restoring the
centrality of the state as the primary enforcer of regional security.
In sum, the Middle East is entering a prolonged transitional phase in which
ideology will recede in favor of realism, with the value of a state capable of
protecting its borders and interests becoming ever more pronounced. This war may
not yield a swift peace, but it will reshape the rules of the regional game for
years to come.
X Platform Selected twittes for March 22/2026