English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For March 25/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
The angel Gabriel Delivers the Godly Message
To Virgin Mary
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 01/26-38/:"In
the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called
Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings,
favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and
pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be
afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in
your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and
will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the
throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.’Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this
be, since I am a virgin?’The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon
you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to
be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative
Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month
for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’Then
Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to
your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 24-25/2026
The Weapon of Files: From the Hell of Epstein to Seizing Lebanese
Decision-Making by Castrated Leaders, Officials, Clerics, and Influential
Figures Implicated in Scandalous Files."/Elias Bejjani/March 25/2026
Elias Bejjani/Life of Saint Rafca, The Blind mystic of Lebanon, The Lily of
Himlaya/March 23/2026
Audio and text: Blindness is blindness of the heart, not of the eyes...
Faith-based reflections on the miraculous healing of the blind beggar, Ibn
Bartima/Elias Bejjani/March 22/2026
Iranian missile intercepted over Lebanese airspace, Lebanese sources say
Blasts from intercepted Iranian missile rattle Keserwan, causing panic
Israeli army says Iranian missile fell in Keserwan on Tuesday
Hezbollah calls on authorities to 'immediately reverse' Iran ambassador's
expulsion
Lebanon says expulsion of ambassador is not a break in ties with Tehran
Lebanon withdraws Iran envoy's accreditation, orders him to leave
Israeli army strikes bridges in Lebanon, signals broader security campaign
Israel's military to occupy swathe of southern Lebanon, Defense Minister says
Israeli army says plans in Iran, Lebanon unchanged regardless of talks
US expected to send thousands of additional soldiers to Middle East, sources say
Woman killed in northern Israel after rockets fired from Lebanon
France urges Israel 'to refrain' from seizing south Lebanon zone
Israeli army issues evacuation warning for Beirut southern suburbs residents
Iran Guards threaten 'heavy' missile fire on Israel in support of Lebanese,
Palestinians
Israel says will take 'control' of security zone in south Lebanon up to Litani
river
Clashes on border, strikes on south and east as Israel abducts man, kills teen
in Halta
Macron, alongside Lebanese minister, warns against 'occupation'
Ancient Tyre ruins threatened by Israeli bombs
Wafiq Safa vows anti-govt. action after war
Aoun says Lebanon cannot wage others' wars on its soil
Berri hopeful as Iran reportedly says any US-Israel deal will include Lebanon
Geagea says Iran must compensate Lebanon for war losses
Canada condemns Israeli plan to occupy southern Lebanon
The Ongoing War in Southern Lebanon/Colonel Charbel Barakat/March 24/2026
Lebanon and the End of Myths/Dr. Chales Chartouni/March 24/2026
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 24-25/2026
15-point US paper to end Iran war surfaces/Naharnet/March 24/2026
Trump says Iran gave US 'gift' linked to Strait of Hormuz
Trump extends Iran deadline, raising questions about military intentions—the
details
Trump insists talks happening ‘right now’ as Iran, Israel trade strikes
White House describes US-Iran talks situation as ‘fluid’
Report: US awaits Iran's response on peace summit as Israel watches warily
Iran's parliament speaker Qalibaf floated as possible US contact in talks
Iran, Israel trade strikes despite Trump talk of negotiations
Trump extends Iran deadline, raising questions about military intentions—the
details
At least 12 wounded in Israel following Iranian missile launch
Iran says US and Israel attacked vicinity of Bushehr nuclear plant
UN nuclear watchdog urges 'maximum restraint' after Iran says strike hit Bushehr
plant
France’s Macron urges Iran president to end attacks, engage in good faith
negotiations
Saudi official reiterates Kingdom’s rebuttal of claims it favors prolonging Iran
conflict
Pakistan offers to host peace talks to end US-Israeli war on Iran
Qatar: War on Iran ‘must end’ through diplomatic meansUnited States Of America
Iraq arrests four suspects behind rocket attack on Syrian base
Iraq to summon US charge d'affaires, Iran ambassador over strikes: Statement
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 24-25/2026
A creative strategy to help families deal with the stress of war/Daoud Kuttab/Arab
News/March 24, 2026
New deal for EU farmers is good news for food security/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab
News/March 24/2026
Solving the tuberculosis puzzle/Anafi Mataka and Sharonann Lynch/Arab News/March
24/2026
The killing of children must never be normalized/Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab
News/March 24/2026
China Is About
to Lose Its Cuban Military Bases/Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/March 24,
2026
on March 24-25/2026
The Weapon of Files: From the Hell of Epstein to Seizing Lebanese
Decision-Making by Castrated Leaders, Officials, Clerics, and Influential
Figures Implicated in Scandalous Files."
Elias Bejjani/March 25/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/153046/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE3vBxWCH2E&t=939s
1. The Doctrine of Political
Blackmail: A Global Lesson in "Epstein"
The Jeffrey Epstein case in the United States serves as a chilling blueprint for
how vice and scandal are converted into political assets. The ultimate goal of
compiling compromising files (Kompromat) on leaders and influencers—whether
sexual or financial—is not merely defamation; it is political enslavement. Once
a "handler" possesses incriminating evidence, the official’s free will is
extinguished. They cease to serve the public interest and become a mere
instrument, forced to execute the handler’s agenda to avoid exposure or
imprisonment.
2. The "KGB" Legacy and Its Levantine Iteration
This school of thought, pioneered by the Soviet KGB, was meticulously adopted by
regional intelligence apparatuses (namely the Syrian and Iranian regimes). The
strategy is simple yet lethal: "Fabricate or Entrap." Since the late 1970s, the
forces occupying Lebanon have ensured that no political, military, financial, or
even religious figure ascends to power without first being "secured" by a
scandalous file.
In Lebanon, this has evolved into a comprehensive system of "Social and
Political Engineering." The pervasive corruption from the bottom to the peak of
the state is not coincidental; it is systemic and protected. Any official who
fails to perform their constitutional or sovereign duties is likely shackled by
a file (sexual, financial, or treasonous) wielded by intelligence agencies at
every national crossroads.
3. The Lebanese Reality: A "Facade State" Controlled by the Deep State
The blatant failure to make sovereign decisions and the disintegration of
Lebanese institutions are rooted in a grim reality: the vast majority of
secular, spiritual, and financial leaders have lost the ability to say "No."
Field Control: Hezbollah, acting as the military and security arm of the Iranian
"Wilayat al-Faqih" and the remnants of the Syrian Ba'athist influence, holds the
keys to these files.
The Deep State: Hezbollah manages a "Deep State" that dominates
director-generals, judges, security commanders, and bankers through intimidation
and pre-packaged scandals.
Absolute Subordination: Lebanese officials have been reduced to executive
facades for an expansionist Iranian policy, executed by Hezbollah—a group
operating on a cross-border agenda that disregards Lebanese national identity.
4. The Path Forward: From "Rogue State" to International Guardianship
Given this paralysis, which has rendered Lebanon a "failed and rogue state"
managed by a designated terrorist organization, internal democratic mechanisms
are no longer viable. The only exit strategy involves:
International Guardianship: Placing Lebanon under international supervision to
rehabilitate its institutions away from the pressures of intelligence-based
blackmail.
Dismantling the Parallel Structure: A surgical operation to dismantle
Hezbollah’s military, financial, and intelligence wings, and the seizure of
assets built upon the ruins of the state.
Accountability and Deportation: Bringing the leaders who sold out national
sovereignty to justice, recovering looted funds, and purging the state of
political "mercenaries."
Conclusion: Lebanon does not merely suffer from "mismanagement"; it suffers from
"Occupation by Blackmail." The nation will not rise until those "black files"
are burned and those who used them to enslave a country are held accountable.
NB: Kompromat
Kompromat is a Russian term (short
for kompromitiruyushchiy material or "compromising material") that refers to
damaging information about a politician, public figure, or businessperson used
to create negative publicity, exert blackmail, or ensure loyalty. While the term
became internationally famous due to Russian intelligence tactics, the practice
itself is a universal tool of "dirty politics" and espionage. How Kompromat
Works. The goal of kompromat is rarely just to destroy someone's reputation; it
is more often used to control them. Once an agency or a rival has "the files,"
the target becomes a puppet who must follow orders to prevent the information
from going public. Collection: Information is gathered through surveillance,
wiretapping, financial audits, or "honey traps" (using romantic or sexual
entrapment). Verification: The material must be credible enough (photos, videos,
bank statements) to pose a real threat.The "Lever": The target is informed that
the material exists. They are then given a choice: total cooperation or total
ruin. Weaponization: If the target refuses to comply, the material is leaked to
the media or "anonymously" posted online to trigger a scandal.
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.
Iranian missile intercepted
over Lebanese airspace, Lebanese sources say
Reuters/24 March/2026
An Iranian missile was intercepted over Lebanese airspace for the first time on
Tuesday, three senior Lebanese security sources said, with two of them saying a
foreign naval vessel was responsible for the interception. The Lebanese news
agency reported that shrapnel from an interception had landed over a series of
towns north of Beirut and led to some light wounds.
Blasts from intercepted Iranian missile rattle Keserwan, causing panic
Agence France Presse/March 24/2026
Explosions rocked several areas north of Beirut that have so far been spared in
the ongoing Israeli war, according to residents and local media, with a military
official saying the blasts likely came from an intercepted Iranian missile.
Footage broadcast by the local LBCI channel in the coastal town of Sahel Alma
showed a building with shattered windows and shrapnel piercing one of its walls,
and a crack in a small wall beside it. A Lebanese military official told AFP
they suspected the culprit was "likely interceptor missiles" targeting "an
Iranian cluster missile, and the projectiles have spread to several areas".He
did not specify the missile's target or who intercepted it, but neighboring
Israel routinely shoots down incoming fire from Iran. Media reports said the
Iranian missile was likely targeting either the Hamat Air Base or the U.S.
embassy in Awkar, while a senior U.S. official told Israel's Channel 12 that the
Iranian missile was directed at another country, most likely Cyprus, but
disintegrated in the air over Lebanon.
Videos on social media showed smoke rising from several locations.
Local media and residents reported explosions causing panic and confusion, as
these regions have thus far remained untouched by the ongoing war. Israeli
strikes have mostly struck Lebanon's south and east, as well as areas in and
around Beirut. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency also attributed the
explosions to "interceptor missiles", reporting that one of them fell in the
mountainous town of Faitroun. "A number of citizens sustained minor injuries
from flying shrapnel," it added. Explosions were also heard in Baskanta, Kfar
Debian and Qlayaat.
Israeli army says Iranian missile fell in Keserwan on Tuesday
Agence France Presse/March 24/2026
The Israeli military said a ballistic missile launched from Iran fell in
Lebanese territory on Tuesday, as the Middle East war dragged into its fourth
week. "Following an assessment and based on the data available to the IDF
(Israeli army), alongside the launches carried out toward the State of Israel
earlier today, a ballistic missile fired by the Iranian terror regime fell in
Beirut," a military statement said, referring to the missile fragments that
landed in various areas of Keserwan and Metn earlier in the day. U.S. and
Lebanese security sources had said that the Iranian missile was intercepted over
Keserwan, with U.S. officials suggesting that the missile might have been headed
toward nearby Cyprus. Other reports said the missile was aimed at a U.S. target
in Lebanon, possibly the U.S. Embassy in Awkar. The missile fragments caused
material damage in several Keserwan areas.
Hezbollah calls on authorities to 'immediately reverse'
Iran ambassador's expulsion
Agence France Presse/March 24/2026
Hezbollah on Tuesday called the decision by Lebanon's foreign ministry to expel
the newly appointed Iranian ambassador a "sin", and demanded the authorities
"immediately reverse" the move. In the latest unprecedented step by Lebanese
authorities since a new war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's
foreign ministry declared the Iranian ambassador persona non grata, giving him
until Sunday to leave the country. "Hezbollah calls on the president of the
republic and the prime minister to demand that the foreign minister...
immediately reverse this decision because of its dangerous repercussions," the
Iran-backed group said in a statement, calling the move a "national and
strategic sin". A source from Hezbollah told AFP that "the foreign minister's
decision violates the most basic diplomatic norms and is an insult to the Shiite
community in Lebanon." "The foreign minister must retract it, and we will ask
the Iranian ambassador to remain in Beirut and consider the decision null and
void," the source added. The foreign ministry clarified in a separate statement
that its decision does not constitute a severing of diplomatic relations with
Iran, but rather "a measure against the ambassador for violating diplomatic
protocol and his obligations as an appointed ambassador to Lebanon." The
ministry accused him of making statements "interfering in Lebanon's internal
politics and evaluating the decisions taken by the government."Earlier this
month, Lebanon summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires for a meeting after the
Guards claimed responsibility for a coordinated missile attack with Hezbollah on
Israel. Beirut decided on March 5 to ban any activity by the Iranian
Revolutionary Guards in the country. The government also took the unprecedented
step of imposing a ban on Hezbollah's military activities and called on the
group to hand over its weapons to the state.
Lebanon says expulsion of ambassador is not a break in ties with Tehran
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/March 24,
2026
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s decision to withdraw accreditation from the Iranian Ambassador
Mohammad Reza Raouf Sheibani was a measure taken against him and does not amount
to a severing of diplomatic relations with Iran, a source from Lebanon’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Arab News on Tuesday. “The measure taken
against Sheibani does not require a Cabinet decision as it does not involve
severing diplomatic relations,” the source said. “The decision was made in
coordination with the president.” The ministry on Tuesday declared Sheibani
persona non grata and demanded his departure from Lebanon by Sunday in a move
that highlighted an escalating diplomatic crisis between Lebanon and Iran, amid
Tehran’s backing of Hezbollah’s recent attacks on Israel earlier this month.
Tehran must now assign a new ambassador. The ministry said it summoned Tawfiq
Samadi Khoshkho, Iran’s charge d’affaires in Beirut, and informed him of the
government’s decision. In a related development, the ministry also summoned the
Lebanese Ambassador to Iran Ahmad Sweidan for “consultations,” following what
the Lebanese state described as Tehran’s violation of diplomatic norms and
established practices between the two countries. Sheibani, 66, served as Iran’s
ambassador to Lebanon from 2005 to 2009, during which his tenure coincided with
the July 2006 war. He later served as his country’s ambassador to Syria from
2011 to 2016, during the early and most intense years of the war in Syria. Iran
had reappointed him to the post as replacement for Mojtaba Amani, who was
injured in the September 2024 pager explosions in Lebanon.
Sheibani was described as “one of the most prominent diplomats, deeply
knowledgeable about the details of political issues in Lebanon, Syria, and the
region.” During his time in Lebanon, Sheibani consistently emphasized his
support for “the resistance as an option in confronting Israel.”Early signs of
the Lebanese-Iranian diplomatic crisis emerged through statements by Iranian
officials that indicated interference in Lebanese affairs.The crisis began with
the well-known statement by Ali Velayati, the Iranian Supreme Leader’s
international affairs adviser, who said in April 2020 that “Iran controls four
Arab capitals, including Beirut.”Last August, following the Lebanese
government’s decision to disarm Hezbollah, Ali Larijani, who was then head of
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reaffirmed Tehran’s support to
Hezbollah on his arrival at Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport.
In talks with Larijani, Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun stressed that “it is
forbidden for anyone ... to bear arms and to use foreign backing as leverage,”
reaffirming the country’s rejection of foreign interference and its commitment
to sovereignty and state authority.
One of the most notable public interventions came in October 2024 when Iran’s
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi commented on Hezbollah’s military operations in
southern Lebanon, launched in support of Palestinians in Gaza. He said: “We do
not believe in halting the war in the face of aggression, and we support
Hezbollah’s full right to respond. Iran will not stand idly by in the event of a
comprehensive war in Lebanon.”
Samir Geagea, the head of the Lebanese Forces Party, described the measure taken
against the Iranian ambassador as “one that should have been implemented long
ago due to Iran’s interference in Lebanon.” He said recent events in Lebanon had
demonstrated “beyond a shadow of a doubt” that members of Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps were present in the country, numbering at least in the
hundreds and directly managing operations. Geagea added that all losses incurred
by Lebanon during the war must be submitted by the Lebanese government to Iran
for reimbursement.
The crisis has deepened as Lebanon has been dragged into the broader regional
conflict after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed in a televised address on Sunday
that the IRGC was present in Lebanon and was leading military operations, adding
that its members were behind drones launched from Lebanese territory toward
Cyprus.
Salam said: “The Revolutionary Guard are residing in Lebanon illegally using
forged passports. The government has begun implementing a decision to expel
them.”
He added: “Those who dragged Lebanon into the current war sought to avenge
Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. It is not Lebanon’s responsibility to
pursue such retaliation.”Aoun on Tuesday reiterated that Lebanon “cannot fight
other countries’ wars on its own soil,” and stressed that government decisions
on the state’s monopoly over arms and on war and peace are “irreversible” and
aligned with the constitution, the Taif Agreement, his oath of office, and
ministerial statement.
Hezbollah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan described the withdrawal of the ambassador’s
credentials as “a new misstep by the government, an inappropriate measure, and a
grave transgression.”Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Al-Moussawi said that the decision
“does not reflect the country’s true interests.”He described Iran as “an ally of
Lebanon (that) has stood by its side through numerous crises” and that current
developments “do not serve national unity.”
Arrest warrants were issued on Tuesday by Ghada Abu Alwan, the first military
investigative judge, against two Hezbollah members following their interrogation
about a case involving the possession of military weapons. The action followed
the seizure of 21 rockets at an army checkpoint in the Jezzine district of
southern Lebanon. George Mezher, also serving as a military investigative judge,
issued an arrest warrant against another Hezbollah member, who was charged with
possession of military weapons.
Lebanon withdraws Iran envoy's
accreditation, orders him to leave
Agence France Presse/March 24/2026
Lebanon's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had withdrawn its approval of the
Iranian ambassador's accreditation, giving him until Sunday to leave the
country. The ministry said in a statement that it had summoned the Iranian
charge d'affaires in Lebanon and informed him of "the Lebanese state's decision
to withdraw approval of the accreditation of the appointed Iranian ambassador,
Mohammad Reza Sheibani, and declare him persona non grata, demanding that he
leave Lebanese territory no later than next Sunday". The ministry said it had
also summoned Lebanon's ambassador to Iran "in light of what the Lebanese state
described as Tehran's violation of diplomatic norms and established practices
between the two countries", after Beirut accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards of
commanding Hezbollah's operations in its war against Israel. Israeli Foreign
Minister Gideon Saar welcomed on Tuesday Lebanon's decision to expel the Iranian
ambassador as a "justified and necessary step" and urged the government to take
steps against Iran-backed Hezbollah. "We call on the Lebanese government to take
practical and meaningful measures against Hezbollah, whose representatives still
serve as ministers within it," Saar said in a post on X. Lebanon's health
minister, Rakan Nassereddine, and labor minister, Mohammad Haidar, are
Hezbollah-affiliated.
Israeli army strikes bridges in Lebanon, signals broader
security campaign
LBCI/March 24/2026
While discussions continue over efforts to halt a potential U.S. war on Iran,
Israel has stepped up its operations and threats toward Lebanon after deciding
to separate the two fronts, according to Israeli officials. Israeli Defense
Minister Israel Katz emphasized that the army, during its recent operations,
destroyed five bridges used by Hezbollah, and confirmed it will continue efforts
to control the remaining bridges and the surrounding security zone. This policy
of imposing facts on the ground has placed Tel Aviv in a race against the
possibility of an agreement between the U.S. and Iran.
Israel is seeking not only to secure a broad security belt in Lebanon but is
also discussing ways to ensure the long-term safety of northern residents.
Officials indicated that the army’s operational zone extends up to five
kilometers, coordinated with the Lebanese government. Meanwhile, as the
situation in Lebanon intensifies and redraws the security belt previously
imposed by Israel during its first war in Lebanon, the Nahal Brigade continues
to train for various scenarios related to the Hezbollah front. At the same time,
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has intensified coordination with Washington,
sending his adviser and close confidant Ron Dermer to urge U.S. officials to
capitalize on what Israel views as major military achievements against Iran,
protecting the vital interests of both Tel Aviv and Washington.
Israel's military to occupy swathe of southern Lebanon,
Defense Minister says
LBCI/March 24/2026
Israel will occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, an area Defence
Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday described as a "security zone", spelling out for
the first time Israel's intent to seize territory amounting to nearly a tenth
of the country. At a meeting with the military chief of staff, Katz said Israeli
forces would "control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the
Litani," a river that meets the Mediterranean about 30 km (20 miles) north of
Israel's border.
Israeli army says plans in Iran, Lebanon unchanged
regardless of talks
Agence France Presse/March 24/2026
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it was operating "according to an
unchanged plan" in Iran and Lebanon, regardless of any talks aimed at reaching
an agreement to end the hostilities. "Regarding this or that agreement, we are
currently operating according to an unchanged plan," military spokesman
Brigadier General Effie Defrin said during a televised briefing when asked about
efforts to launch a diplomatic process that could put an end to the war. "We are
acting, and will continue to act... to deepen the damage and remove existential
threats," Defrin added. "We are striking both in Iran and in Lebanon."
US expected to send thousands of additional soldiers to
Middle East, sources say
Reuters/24 March/2026
The Pentagon is expected to send thousands of troops from the elite 82nd
Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with the matter told
Reuters on Tuesday, adding to the massive military buildup even as the Trump
administration seeks talks with Iran. The officials, speaking on the condition
of anonymity, did not specify where in the Middle East the troops would go and
when they would arrive in the region. The soldiers are stationed at Fort Bragg,
North Carolina. The US military referred questions to the White House, which did
not immediately respond to a request for comment.No decision had been made to
send troops into Iran itself, one of the sources told Reuters, but they will
build up capacity for potential future operations in the region. The soldiers’
deployment would be in addition to the deployment last week of thousands of
Marines and sailors aboard the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, along with
its Marine Expeditionary Unit and accompanying warships. The expected
deployments come just a day after President Donald Trump postponed threats to
bomb Iranian power plants, saying there had been “productive” talks with Iran.
But after Trump’s Truth Social comment on Monday, Iran denied that any talks had
been held.
Woman killed in northern Israel after rockets fired from
Lebanon
Agence France Presse/March 24/2026
Israeli emergency services said a woman was killed in the north of the country
on Tuesday following rocket fire from Lebanon, where Israeli forces are fighting
Iran-backed Hezbollah. "Following a launch toward northern Israel... teams are
reporting a woman of about 30 with no signs of life and severe multi-system
trauma, and have pronounced her dead at the scene," Israel's Magen David Adom
said in a statement, adding that teams were treating two other people in mild
condition with shrapnel injuries. The Israeli military told AFP that dozens of
rockets from Lebanon were fired at the area at the time the incident occurred.
France urges Israel 'to refrain' from seizing south Lebanon
zone
Agence France Presse/March 24/2026
Israel should "refrain" from sending in forces to take control of a zone in
south Lebanon, France's foreign minister told AFP on Tuesday, saying such a move
would have "major humanitarian consequences". "We urge the Israeli authorities
to refrain from such ground operations, which would have major humanitarian
consequences and would exacerbate the country's already dire situation,"
Jean-Noel Barrot said. Israel said earlier its military would take control of
south Lebanon up to the Litani River, around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the
border. Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war when the Tehran-backed
Hezbollah militant group began firing rockets into Israel on March 2 to avenge
the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Lebanon's
government has acted against Iranian interests and withdrew its approval of the
Iranian ambassador's accreditation on Tuesday, a decision Barrot hailed as
"courageous".
Iranian ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani was told to leave Lebanese territory
by Sunday. "I wish to commend the statements and actions of the Lebanese
government... which this morning took a courageous decision by expelling the
Iranian ambassador," Barrot said, accusing Hezbollah of dragging Lebanon into a
new conflict. Beirut has accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards of commanding
Hezbollah's operations in its war against Israel.
Israeli army issues evacuation warning for Beirut southern
suburbs residents
LBCI/March 24/2026
The Israeli army issued an evacuation warning to residents of Beirut's southern
suburbs, specifically those of Haret Hreik, Ghobeiry, Laylaki, Hadath, Borj el-Brajneh,
Tahouitet el-Ghadir, and Chiyah. In a post on X, Israeli military spokesperson,
Avichay Adraee, said it is continuing operations targeting what it described as
Hezbollah military infrastructure across the area, with intensified strikes. In
its statement, the army claimed it does not intend to harm civilians and urged
residents to evacuate the specified areas immediately for their safety.
Iran Guards threaten 'heavy' missile fire on Israel in support of Lebanese,
Palestinians
Agence France Presse/March 24/2026
Iran's Revolutionary Guards threatened on Tuesday to conduct "heavy" missile and
drone attacks on Israel in what it described as support for Lebanese and
Palestinian civilians.
"We warn the regime's criminal army that if its crimes against civilians in
Lebanon and Palestine persist," Israeli forces "will be the target of heavy
missile and drone strikes", the Guards said in a statement.
Israel says will take 'control' of security zone in south
Lebanon up to Litani river
Agence France Presse/March 24/2026
Israel said on Tuesday that its military would take control of south Lebanon up
to the Litani River, around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, as deadly
strikes pounded the country. In the latest unprecedented step by Lebanese
authorities since a new war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's
foreign ministry declared the Iranian ambassador persona non grata, giving him
until Sunday to leave the country. Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war
when the Tehran-backed Hezbollah militant group began firing rockets into Israel
on March 2 to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel has since launched strikes across Lebanon, killing at least 1,039 people
and displacing more than a million others in more than three weeks of fighting.
It has also sent ground troops into the country's south. Israel kept up strikes
across Lebanon on Tuesday, with the state-run National News Agency (NNA)
reporting attacks in the country's south and east, as well as near Beirut, after
a night of bombardment on the capital's southern suburbs. On Tuesday morning in
south Beirut, an AFP photographer saw vast destruction near the site of an
Israeli strike overnight, with rubble piled up and debris covering the street.
The Israeli army said that overnight its forces "struck Hezbollah terrorist
infrastructure in Beirut and in additional areas in Lebanon". Israeli Defense
Minister Israel Katz said the military "will control... the security zone up to
the Litani", adding that displaced Lebanese residents will not return south of
the river "until security is guaranteed for the residents of the north" of
Israel. The area south of the Litani has seen vast destruction since hostilities
erupted between Israel and Hezbollah in 2023 in the wake of the Gaza war, and
despite a November 2024 ceasefire. Many border villages were largely empty of
residents even before the Israeli army resumed heavy bombardment and incursions
into the area since the latest war erupted more than three weeks ago.
'Violation of diplomatic norms' -
Israel has repeatedly issued sweeping orders for residents to evacuate the area,
while Hezbollah has reporting regular attacks on Israeli troops there, including
in the strategic border town of Khiam in recent days, and in the village of
Qawzah on Tuesday.
Katz said Israel's military was "following the model of Rafah and Beit Hanoun",
two cities that were effectively razed during more than two years of war in
Gaza, and which remain under Israeli military control. Lebanon's foreign
ministry said it summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires in Lebanon over
"Tehran's violation of diplomatic norms" and said Beirut had withdrawn approval
"of the accreditation of the appointed Iranian ambassador". On Sunday, Lebanese
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards were
commanding Hezbollah's operations in the war against Israel, and authorities
this month banned the Guards' activities in the country. Israeli Foreign
Minister Gideon Saar welcomed Lebanon's decision to expel the envoy as a
"justified and necessary step" and urged the government to take steps against
Hezbollah. Israel has said it has struck Guards operatives in Lebanon in recent
weeks, including on Monday. Iran's Guards on Tuesday threatened "heavy" attacks
on Israel "if its crimes against civilians in Lebanon and Palestine persist".
Clashes on border, strikes on south and east as Israel
abducts man, kills teen in Halta
Naharnet/March 24/2026
The Israeli military issued on Tuesday evacuation warnings for the southern
towns of Tyre, Burj al-Shamali and al-Maashouq and ordered the residents of nine
southern towns to evacuate north of the Zahrani river. The Israeli army ordered
the residents of Ghandourieh, Bir Salases, Deir Ntar, Deirkifa, Burj Qalaway,
Kfardounin, Sultanieh, Shehabieh and Qantara to evacuate north of the Zahrani
river, after earlier strikes on villages in south and east Lebanon, including
Miye w Miye near Sidon, Khiam on the border, and Shemstar in the east. Hezbollah
had announced Monday more than 50 attacks targeting Israeli troops and bases in
northern Israel and southern Lebanon, particularly in the border coastal town of
Naqoura, where Israeli troops were advancing. The troops were also trying to
advance in al-Arqoub and al-Taybeh amid clashes with Hezbollah and artillery and
phosphorus shelling on Labbouneh, al-Henniyyeh and al-Naqoura. Hezbollah also
targeted forces overnight into Tuesday in Maroun al-Ras, Kfarkila, al-Qawzah and
near Alma al-Shaab. The group targeted in north Israel Kiryat Shmona,
Ma'alot-Tarshiha, Ein HaKovshim, Sa'sa', Akka, Haifa and Naharaya with rockets
and attack drones.
Israeli strikes meanwhile targeted Khiam, Miye w Miye, Majdalzoun, Aitit, Kafra,
Safad al-Batikh, Majdal Selm, Qabrikha, Sawwaneh, Selaa, Qana, Burj al-Shamali,
Qlayleh, Tayr Debba, Adloun, Dweir, Harouf, Ain Ebel and other villages and
towns in south Lebanon. Strikes also targeted several Amana service stations,
that Israel said are linked to Hezbollah, in Nabatieh, Dayr Ntar, Rashidiyeh,
Burghlieh, Deir Qanoun, and Shoukine. Israel has repeatedly struck Amana fuel
stations since the conflict with Hezbollah reignited on March 2, accusing them
of being part of the group’s "economic infrastructure" that can support its
military activities. The Israeli army targeted for the second time a bridge
connecting the Hasbaya-Marjeyoun region with the Jezzine-Chouf and Western Bekaa
regions, alleging it was used by Hezbollah. In Halta, a man was abducted and a
sixteen-year-old boy was killed as troops raided a home in the village. In the
east, strikes targeted Shmestar, al-Shaara, and Jouroud al-Hermel. Earlier in
the day, Israel pounded Beirut's southern suburbs saying that it was targeting
infrastructure used by Hezbollah. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at
least eight people died. A strike on a residential apartment southeast of the
Lebanese capital killed at least three, including a 3-year-old girl. Another two
people were killed in the village of Salaa and three in the village of Srifa.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since the war between Israel
and the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, an Iranian ally, resumed on March 2
and more than 1 million people have been displaced.
Macron, alongside Lebanese minister, warns against 'occupation'
Agence France Presse/March 24/2026
French President Emmanuel Macron, hosting an event attended by a Lebanese
minister, on Monday issued a warning that "occupation" does not bring security,
in a message seen as directed at Israel. "No occupation, no form of colonization
-- not here, not in the West Bank, nor anywhere else -- is able to ensure the
security of anybody," Macron said as he opened an exhibition at the state-funded
Institute of the Arab World in Paris. He was speaking alongside Lebanon's
culture minister, Ghassan Salame. The remark came as Israel waged an offensive
on Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah, which launched rockets and missiles at Israel
in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that, at its start, killed the
Islamic republic's supreme leader. Israel has been conducting airstrikes, and
sent ground troops into Lebanon's south in what its military has described as a
"limited" incursion. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 1,000 people,
according to Lebanese officials. In the occupied West Bank, meanwhile, at least
six Palestinians have been killed in attacks and buildings and cars have been
torched by Israeli settlers since the start of the Middle East war. Macron urged
respect for international law, saying that "at a time that certain people want
to have us believe that security can only be achieved by invading a scary
neighbor, Lebanon reminds us of just one thing: the force of universalism".The
Paris exhibition is dedicated to Byblos, a city in Lebanon inhabited since 6900
BC that is considered the oldest port in the world.
Ancient Tyre ruins threatened by Israeli bombs
Agence France Presse/March 24/2026
At an archaeological site in southern Lebanon's Tyre, small signs bearing a blue
and white emblem provide a symbolic shield, meant to protect the ancient ruins
from bombardment. One of the oldest cities on the Mediterranean coast, Tyre is
located around 20 kilometers from the Israeli border, and has been the target of
several strikes since Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war by Hezbollah's
March 2 rocket attack on Israel. The Al-Bass site is centered on a necropolis
that dates back three millennia to Tyre's time as a major Phoenician city and
was still in use until the Arab conquests of the 7h Century.
An organization linked to UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural heritage agency,
launched the signs initiative near the site, part of a push that covers more
than 30 locations across the country. It is a reminder that the 1954 Hague
Convention obliges warring parties to protect cultural property. On March 6, an
Israeli strike hit just a few meters away, killing eight people according to
Lebanon's health ministry. The target, a family home, is now a pile of rubble.
"They were our neighbors... They thought that being close to an archaeological
site protected them, that because this is a World Heritage site it would not be
struck," said Nader Saqlawi, director of archaeological excavations in the south
for Lebanon's culture ministry.
Human remains
The team from the ministry that came to inspect possible damage to the monuments
found human remains -- "a hand and pieces of flesh" -- on the roof of the site's
museum, which is still under construction, he said. The museum suffered damage,
its windows were blown out, but the explosion did not reach the necropolis nor
the Roman-era triumphal arch, aqueducts and hippodrome that are also part of the
site. In antiquity, the city of Tyre was at various times Phoenician, Persian,
Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine. While many of its inhabitants have fled the
latest war, others remain alongside the city's precious relics. Lebanese Culture
Minister Ghassan Salame condemned what he called Israel's aggression. "The
archaeological sites do not contain any military or security presence.
Therefore, this argument cannot be used to justify their bombing," he said.
There was no immediate comment in response to AFP's request from the Israeli
army, which usually says it is targeting Hezbollah sites or operatives with its
attacks. "Lebanon is full of archaeological riches... and the Beirut depots do
not have the capacity to accommodate all these threatened objects," said David
Sassine, an expert at the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage.
'No one cares' -
There is also no guarantee that the objects would be safer in the capital, which
is itself regularly bombed by Israel, and transporting the items from the south
of the country, even under military escort, "remains risky", Sassine said.
During the previous Israel-Hezbollah conflict in 2024, gold coins, millennia-old
amphorae and valuable sarcophagi were transferred to Beirut, where they have
remained. Tyre was heavily damaged by Israeli strikes during that war, while
much of the population evacuated at the time. Closer to the border, the citadel
in the village of Shamaa was also partly destroyed by the Israeli military.
Saqlawi of the culture ministry said he believed attacks on historic sites were
intentional. "The Israelis know everything. They know your shoe size... and they
know very well this is an archaeological site," he said. Mustapha Najdi, a guard
at the archaeological sites, was at the Al-Bass site when the March 6 strike
hit. "I heard a very violent impact. I fled and alerted the authorities," he
said. "No one cares about us", Najdi lamented, calling on "everyone who can to
exert pressure to stop this barbarity"."This civilization represents history,
represents us all, Lebanese and non-Lebanese."
Wafiq Safa vows anti-govt. action after war
Naharnet/arch 24/2026
Hezbollah political council member Wafiq Safa has said that his party will force
the Lebanese government to retract the decision to ban Hezbollah's military
activities “regardless of the method.” In an interview, he pointed out that the
party will not topple the government on the streets now, but he added that there
will a “different agenda” after the war that may include resorting to street
action.
Aoun says Lebanon cannot wage others' wars on its soil
Naharnet/March 24/2026
President Joseph Aoun reiterated Tuesday the government's commitment to
Hezbollah disarmament, saying that "Lebanon cannot wage the wars of others on
its soil".
"There is no turning back on the government's decisions," Aoun said, adding that
"war could have been avoided had Israel responded to calls for withdrawal from
occupied territories and committed to the 2024 Agreement." After a ceasefire
reached in November 2024, Israel kept up its strikes on south and east Lebanon,
and occupied five hills in the south, while Hezbollah ceased fire. 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 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
but also in response to 15 months of Israeli violations of the ceasefire deal.
Berri hopeful as Iran reportedly says any US-Israel deal will include Lebanon
Naharnet/March 24/2026
Iran has informed leaders in Beirut of a “clear pledge” to include Lebanon in
any deal that ends the ongoing war with the United States and Israel,
well-informed Lebanese sources revealed to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. The
sources said that Lebanese officials were told 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.”In a phone interview with Asharq al-Awsat,
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri expressed his hope that the leaked information
would be correct, saying that he hopes for “a comprehensive agreement that
includes an end to the Israeli war on Lebanon.”
Geagea says Iran must compensate Lebanon for war losses
Naharnet/March 24/2026
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Tuesday that Iran must compensate
Lebanon for all war losses. "It was not the Lebanese government that made the
decision for war, and we will not accept a single penny being paid from the
state treasury and the pocket of the Lebanese citizens to compensate for these
losses," Geagea told MTV.Geagea also welcomed the Lebanese Foreign Ministry's
decision to expel the Iranian ambassador, adding that it is now certain that
Iran's Revolutionary Guards are "directly managing operations from Lebanon."
Canada condemns Israeli plan
to occupy southern Lebanon
Reuters/March 25, 2026
OTTAWA: Canada’s foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned Israeli plans to
occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, adding that Lebanon’s
“sovereignty & territorial integrity must not be violated” in a post on X.
The Ongoing War in Southern Lebanon
Colonel Charbel Barakat/March 24/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/153030/
Lebanese citizens are witnessing a new escalation of events across several
regions, leading to a massive wave of displacement as reported by the Israeli
military. It is widely understood that these events would not have transpired
had Hezbollah not initiated missile attacks against Israel—acting on the
directives of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The Guard itself is currently
enduring significant strategic setbacks in its confrontation with the United
States and Israel, highlighted by the targeted eliminations of top regime
leadership.
Despite previously announcing a withdrawal south of the Litani River—which
allowed the Lebanese Army to ostensibly declare operational control over the
border region—Hezbollah chose to launch its recent offensive from that very
zone. These attacks, involving missiles, drones, and mortars, were designed to
distract the "enemy" and threaten its civilian population. This provocation
triggered the Israeli aerial campaign and the subsequent displacement crisis we
see today. While host communities bear the direct brunt of the conflict, the
rest of the Lebanese population suffers through crippling traffic, the strain of
providing for refugees, and a pervasive fear of total war in areas that have
sought to remain neutral.
The Looming "Clearing Operation"
The Israeli military has begun preparing for a "clearing operation" that they
intend to execute independently, citing a total loss of confidence in the
Lebanese government and its army. Based on military experience and the
geographical landscape of the region, we can envision a likely operational
scenario.
Military observers suggest the IDF’s strategy involves several distinct phases:
1. Isolation: Having already ordered the depopulation of the area south of the
Litani through targeted strikes and warnings, the IDF is now moving to isolate
the region by destroying key bridges. This traps remaining elements and severs
supply lines.
2. Attrition and Destruction: Aware that Hezbollah fighters remain embedded in
civilian attire among hidden ammunition depots, the IDF is advancing with
extreme caution. To mitigate ambush risks, they are systematically dismantling
infrastructure—leveling entire villages to ensure no cover remains for insurgent
activity. This scorched-earth approach suggests that inhabitants may not be able
to return for the foreseeable future.
To prevent this total displacement, stakeholders must act now to resolve the
"Hezbollah problem." This would require the group to either surrender
unconditionally or hand over its arsenal to the Lebanese Army under strict
American and international supervision.
Phases of Expansion
Following the clearing of the border-to-Litani zone, a second phase is expected
to push toward the Zahrani River. This would encompass a broad axis including
Nabatieh, Kfar Tibnit, and the hills of Nabi Taher, extending down to the coast
through villages like Jebchit, Zrarieh, and Adloun.
As the state stands by, it will eventually be called upon to prove its
competence by clearing areas currently occupied by displaced persons and armed
elements aligned with the "Party." This domestic "cleansing" would need to span
from Beirut through the western mountain ranges—covering Jezzine, Chouf, Metn,
and extending north through Batroun and Zgharta to the Great River (Nahr al-Kabir).
The Final Settlement
The final stage involves the Bekaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Once Hezbollah’s leadership—and potentially the Amal Movement—is exhausted, the
clearing of the Bekaa may fall to the Syrians, who are eager to settle old
scores. Alternatively, the Lebanese state could intervene, supported by the U.S.
and a non-aligned Shiite diaspora capable of managing the fate of those
remaining.
Those who do not wish to reside in supervised camps in the northeastern Bekaa
may be transported via organized convoys through Syria toward Iraq. Fighters not
facing trial for criminal acts could be evacuated by sea—reminiscent of the 1982
PLO departure—to Yemen.
Conclusion
While drastic, this scenario offers a definitive resolution to Lebanon’s
legislative paralysis and the friction of coexistence. I envisions a transition
to a Middle East defined by stability rather than proxy conflict. The question
remains: will the "wise" among us intervene to shorten this "purgatory phase,"
or will the remnants of an arrogant leadership continue to cling to outdated
illusions at an even higher cost to the nation?
Lebanon and the End of Myths
Dr. Chales Chartouni/March 24/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/153055/
The ongoing security deterioration has culminated in a war that undermines the
very foundations of the Lebanese state. Nothing remains of the attributes of
state sovereignty: no borders, no national army, no government, no institutions,
no economy. Everything has been swept away by the seismic upheaval. Should we
have expected such an epilogue, or are we facing an accidental mishap that could
have been avoided? The answer, however, is no: this descent into hell is duly
planned and central to the Hezbollah's and its sponsors' policy of subversion.
Following the pulverization of the operational platforms set up by Suleimani,
only scenarios of generalized chaos remained, along with the reactivation of
terror networks and the blitzkrieg strategy attempted by Iran in its
geostrategic periphery. This ultimate attempt to break the tightening noose
around the Iranian regime from all sides is in decline, regardless of the
ideological delusions and the false prophets of a deceitful pacifism.
In both interdependent contexts, we are facing an exhaustion of the narrative,
the circumvention strategies, and the resources that were supposed to fuel a war
machine in full decomposition. The dire scenarios of an endless war and a
resurgence of Islamist terrorism are no longer relevant at this stage. It is
solely about completing the work of annihilation on the military front by
proceeding with the targeted assassination of political and security leaders in
order to overcome the dynamic of subversion and put it on the path of
progressive extinction. This is an integrated strategy on both geostrategic and
geopolitical levels, aimed at changing the situation, the political and
strategic levers, and the dynamics of regional and international politics.
Lebanon's misfortune is that of a hostage country whose institutional pretenses
conceal the realities of a symmetrical power that holds real sway and toys with
political institutions as mere simulacra to cover up the policy of Shiite
domination. Institutional political life is nothing but a lure with multiple
setups used by Shiite politics at the crossroads of a dual subversion strategy.
The so-called Taif regime served as a guarantee for the policy of institutional
deadlock, the sealing of alternating suzerainties, and the transformation of
Lebanese territories into operational theaters manipulated by discretionary
policies of circumstance.
The mechanisms of alternation specific to democratic regimes have been rigged in
order to maintain control and perpetuate the dynamics of an insidious policy of
domination. The successive oligarchic coalitions were carefully co-opted and
managed by the discretionary power of the president of the National Assembly for
over three decades. It was from this unconstitutional power, which flouted the
principle of separation of powers and ratified the realities of a mafia-like
power, that a policy of domination developed, advancing under the guise of a
rule of law.
Iranian subversion policy found in the Lebanese state the ideal conditions to
succeed in its destabilization enterprise. Hezbollah joined the
pseudo-democratic game at the very moment it could play with institutional life
in an unrestrained and unconstrained manner. It was within this eviscerated
institutional breeding ground that Hezbollah played its game. The control of
electoral deadlines was carried out at all levels of institutional life jointly
with the alternating tutelary powers of Syria and Iran. The administration was
infiltrated at all levels, justice was instrumentalized, and the army was deeply
penetrated. Ultimately, this entire institutional architecture was in reality
only the transmission belt of a coup d'état that advanced insidiously.
The Israeli counteroffensive exposed the sad realities of a country in an
advanced state of decomposition, destroying the very fabric of the prolonged
policy of subversion. The structural incapacity of the Lebanese state is not a
matter of chance. It is the consequence of an evolutionary erosion that dates
back seven decades of legitimacy crises induced by successive power politics
throughout the tumultuous political life of a precarious republic. The
ideological delegitimization of Arab nationalism, Palestinianism, Islamo-leftism,
and the stakes of the Cold Wars created the prejudicial conditions for
structural and endemic instability. The Iranian episode is part of a multi-sedimented
genealogy and seals the end of the journey of an exhausted country.
The current government, confronted with ongoing upheavals, is entirely
discredited due to its structural inconsistency and the realities of an
unambiguous Shiite domination, as well as the ideological and operational
inconsistencies of a disparate government. This discredit also concerns the
degree of instrumentalization of a country serving as a relay for
cross-destabilization policies.
The magnitude of the strategic issues at stake raises questions about the
viability of Lebanese national geopolitics and the legitimacy of the government
in power. It also questions its inability to manage major strategic and
sovereignty challenges and its voluntary or involuntary complicity with the two
mafia and terrorist components of Shiite domination policy.
Having failed in its obligations under the November 14, 2024, truce agreement
with the empty gesturing and state lies that paved the way for the current
hostilities by allowing Hezbollah to rearm and finance its policy of subversion?
They bring us back to the zero gravity of a state that survives in a state of
total levitation. The government regains its composure 15 months later to demand
negotiations with the State of Israel, while it already disclaims any commitment
in principle in this regard.
These derogatory equivocations disqualify the current government and confront us
with choices impossible for such an incoherent political class to uphold. The
negotiation protocol suggested by the President of the Republic is similar to
the truce agreement that has already been violated. In the absence of a formal
commitment to a peace agreement between the states of Israel and Lebanon,
Lebanon once again takes the path of postponed wars that have destroyed it
throughout the last 70 years. A methodological and political skepticism is
necessary. It is based on the Lebanese state's inability to honor its
commitments, the risks of a civil war in gestation, and the necessity of
destroying Hezbollah. It also rests on the imperative of international
arbitration to help this country dedicate itself to the demanding tasks of an
arduous reconstruction.
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 24-25/2026
15-point US paper to end Iran war surfaces
Naharnet/March 24/2026
Israel's Channel 12 on Tuesday published a 15-point U.S. document that is being
reportedly developed to halt the war with Iran, amid Israeli concerns that the
agreement could lead to uncertain outcomes. Informed sources told the channel
that prominent figures, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, are working
on a mechanism that would entail a one-month ceasefire, during which
negotiations would resume to reach a framework agreement similar to the
understandings previously reached in Gaza and Lebanon. The American document
includes stringent conditions for Iran, most notably dismantling its nuclear
capabilities, halting uranium enrichment within its borders, handing over
enriched materials to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), closing key
nuclear sites such as Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan, and ceasing support for
regional militias. In return, Washington is offering to lift sanctions on Tehran
and support a civilian nuclear program, while also eliminating the "snapback"
mechanism for reimposing sanctions. However, this proposal is causing concern in
Israeli political and security circles, who fear it could lead to a "quick and
loose" agreement that allows Iran to halt hostilities without resolving core
issues or postponing sensitive matters to later stages. "It is estimated that
the chances of Iran accepting these conditions remain slim, while the scenario
of an incomplete framework agreement remains one of Israel's primary concerns at
this stage," Channel 12 said.
Trump says Iran gave US 'gift' linked to Strait of Hormuz
Agence France Presse/March 24/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran gave him a "very big present"
related to the Strait of Hormuz, boosting his confidence that he was talking to
the right people in Tehran to end the war. The cryptic announcement came a day
after Trump unexpectedly postponed threatened attacks on Iran's power plants and
said Washington was in negotiations with unspecified figures in Iran. Tehran has
denied being part of any talks to end the war, which is now in its fourth week
and has disrupted global oil supplies passing through the strategic Hormuz
Strait. "They did something yesterday that was amazing actually. They gave us a
present and the present arrived today. And it was a very big present worth a
tremendous amount of money," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "That
meant one thing to me -- we're dealing with the right people." Speaking at the
swearing-in ceremony for new U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin,
Trump said the "gift" was "very significant", adding that it was "oil and
gas-related." Asked if it was related to his demand that Iran reopen the Strait
of Hormuz to oil traffic, Trump replied: "Yeah, it was related to the flow and
to the strait."
The U.S. president added that the "present" was not related to Iran's nuclear
program, but repeated his claim that the Iranian side "agreed they will never
have a nuclear weapon."
'We negotiate with bombs' -
Trump has not yet revealed who the United States is negotiating with in Tehran,
saying only on Monday as he postponed a threat to attack Iran's energy sites by
five days that it is a "top person." "We're actually talking to the right
people, and they want to make a deal so badly," Trump said. Former Iranian
supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the joint Israeli-U.S.
air campaign, and successor Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public. But
Trump said that the killing of Khamenei senior and a host of other top Iranian
officials meant "we have really regime change. The leaders are all very
different with the ones that we started off with." U.S. Vice President JD Vance,
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, global envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's
son-in-law Jared Kushner were all involved in the Iranian talks, Trump said. But
he did not confirm reports that Witkoff and Kushner were headed to Pakistan for
talks with Iran, with Vance possibly to follow afterward if the negotiations
appeared serious. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered on Tuesday to
act as a mediator to end the conflict. He said he had spoken with Iranian
President Masoud Pezeshkian, promising Islamabad's help to bring peace to the
region. Trump meanwhile joked that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth "didn't
want it to be settled" because he wanted to keep striking Iranian targets. "We
see ourselves as part of this negotiation as well. We negotiate with bombs,"
Hegseth said when he was called to the podium by Trump.
Trump extends Iran deadline, raising questions about
military intentions—the details
LBCI/March 24/2026
In this conflict, intentions are measured not by what is said but by the
deadlines given before the unspoken occurs. A few days ago, U.S. President
Donald Trump gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,
threatening to destroy its energy facilities—starting with the largest—if it
refused. Iran’s response was swift: “Energy for energy.” Targeting Iranian
facilities, Tehran warned, would put Israeli and Gulf installations at risk.
Suddenly, just hours before the initial deadline expired, a shift occurred.
Trump went on Truth Social to announce that he had extended the deadline by an
additional five days, speaking of “very good and productive talks with Tehran
regarding a full and comprehensive solution.”This raises the key question: is
this deadline for negotiation—or for preparation? So far, there are no clear
indicators of a decision to deploy ground forces deep into Iran, but the option
remains on the table, particularly as additional U.S. military reinforcements
are en route to or have already arrived in the region. These reinforcements are
not limited to a single unit but include a package of naval, amphibious, and air
support. In recent days, Washington dispatched the amphibious assault ship USS
Boxer, accompanied by a Marine unit of roughly 2,500 personnel and supporting
ships. Marine units typically do not carry out missions to control a country as
large as Iran. Instead, they focus on targeted operations, such as securing
maritime passages, quickly seizing specific points, or striking coastal
objectives. The question now is whether the five-day extension will be
sufficient for the positioning of new U.S. forces on Iran’s borders to launch a
potential ground attack—or whether it is simply another pressure tactic by Trump
aimed at Tehran. The current five-day deadline is set to expire Friday. The more
concerning aspect of the current situation is that the pattern is repeated. In
June 2025, while negotiation channels were open, the United States and Israel
carried out strikes inside Iran targeting its nuclear program. In 2026, during
high-level indirect negotiations through Oman, Washington and Tel Aviv executed
a second attack on Iran. The question now is whether the pattern will repeat a
third time: deadline… negotiations… and military movements occurring in the
background. The gray zone between the deadline and potential strikes is the most
dangerous, as it is where decisions are made that remain unannounced—until after
they begin.
Trump insists talks happening ‘right now’ as Iran, Israel
trade strikes
AFP, Washington/24 March/2026
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that talks with Iran to end the Middle
East war were underway “right now,” even as the Islamic Republic and Israel
traded fresh strikes. Uncertainty, however, swirled around Trump’s claims, with
Tehran not confirming any negotiations and Israel insisting its military
campaign would go on “unchanged.”We’re in negotiations right now,” Trump told
reporters in the Oval Office, saying Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State
Marco Rubio, and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were involved. Trump
added that Iran gave him a “very big present” related to oil and gas, offering
no details but saying he had new faith in Tehran’s leaders. The war that started
on February 28 with US-Israeli attacks that killed Iran’s supreme leader has
since spread across the Middle East, sending energy prices soaring and roiling
the world economy. Speculation has mounted that Pakistan could emerge as a
mediator following an offer from its prime minister to host US-Iran talks, but
on the ground the hostilities went on unabated. Israel’s army said it had
conducted a “large wave” of airstrikes across several areas of Iran, while
Iranian attacks on Israel injured seven people including an infant. Though
Trump’s attention seemed turned toward diplomacy, Israeli military spokesman
Effie Defrin said his country’s war plan was “unchanged” and that it would
continue “to deepen the damage and remove existential threats.”Iran’s atomic
energy organization said a strike Tuesday evening hit inside the compound of its
Bushehr nuclear power plant, but caused no damage. At the same time, US media
reports said thousands of additional US troops were heading to the Middle East
to support operations against Iran.
‘Friendly countries’
The first hint of diplomacy came Monday when Trump unexpectedly announced that
his administration was speaking with an unidentified “top person” in Iran, as he
extended by five days an ultimatum for the Islamic Republic to reopen the Strait
of Hormuz oil route or see its power plants attacked. But Tehran’s parliamentary
speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said “no negotiations” were underway,
accusing Trump of seeking “to manipulate the financial and oil markets.” Iran’s
foreign ministry, however, acknowledged that messages had been relayed by
“friendly countries” indicating a “US request for negotiations.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that he had spoken with
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, promising Islamabad’s help to bring peace
to the region. Should the two sides agree, “Pakistan stands ready and honoured
to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive
settlement,” Sharif wrote on X. US media outlet Axios reported that Witkoff and
Kushner may meet an Iranian delegation for talks in Pakistan as soon as this
week, with Vice President JD Vance possibly joining.
“We’re actually talking to the right people, and they want to make a deal so
badly,” Trump told reporters.
White House describes US-Iran talks situation as ‘fluid’
Al Arabiya English/24 March/2026
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday described the situation
surrounding possible negotiations with Iran in Pakistan to resolve the conflict
as “fluid.”Leavitt was responding to a question from ABC News on potential talks
in Islamabad involving US Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s
son-in-law Jared Kushner along with Vice President JD Vance. “These are
sensitive diplomatic discussions, and the US will not negotiate through the
press. This is a fluid situation, and speculation about meetings should not be
deemed as final until they are formally announced by the White House,” the
spokesperson said. A Pakistani official had reportedly told ABC that there are
“several proposals” under consideration for potential negotiations, including a
direct meeting in Islamabad. The official added that US-Iran contacts are likely
to take place within five days, in line with President Donald Trump’s post on
Truth Social, but stressed that no final decision has been made. A Pakistani
official has said direct talks may be held in Islamabad this week, according to
Reuters. The news agency also said the Pakistani prime minister’s office and
foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iranian
media reported that Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistani Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed the impact of the war on regional and global
security.
Report: US awaits Iran's response on peace summit as Israel
watches warily
Naharnet/March 24/2026
The U.S. and a group of regional mediators are discussing the possibility of
holding high-level peace talks with Iran as soon as Thursday, but are still
waiting for a response from Tehran, two sources with knowledge of the
discussions told U.S. news portal Axios. U.S. President Donald Trump is
interested in winding down the war, but Iran's chokehold on the Gulf of Hormuz
complicates any potential exit strategy. The U.S. has shared with Israel its
15-point plan to end the war and claimed Iran had agreed to many of the key
points. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is concerned Trump might
strike a deal that falls well short of Israel's objectives, includes significant
concessions, and limits Israel's ability to conduct strikes against Iran, two
Israeli sources say. A third source said Israeli leaders were skeptical Iran had
actually offered the concessions the U.S. claimed. Trump told reporters in the
Oval Office on Tuesday that while many of Iran's leaders are gone, the U.S. "is
talking to the right people and they want to make a deal badly." At the moment,
Iranian officials are denying Trump's claim of behind-the-scenes negotiations,
though they've confirmed the U.S. has sent messages and proposals.
Pakistan, which has been passing messages between Tehran and Washington together
with Egypt and Turkey, has said it "stands ready and honored" to host peace
talks if both countries agree. Trump shared the Pakistani message on Truth
Social, in a sign of his interest in making such a summit happen. If the plans
for a summit firm up, U.S. Vice President Vance is likely to be involved. "But
its not clear if there is anything to be involved in. Everyone is trying to
figure out if it's real," one source with knowledge said. U.S. officials say the
Iranian government is in chaos and is having trouble communicating within
itself. The uncertain condition of the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei,
adds to confusion about who is empowered to make decisions. Some Iranian
officials, meanwhile, claim Trump is just trying to calm the markets and buy
time for his military plans with false claims of diplomatic progress.
The U.S. is also readying options for potential escalation. A U.S. official told
Axios the command element of the Army's 82nd Airborne division had been directed
to deploy to the Middle East with an infantry brigade consisting of several
thousand soldiers, as Fox News first reported. That would give the U.S. more
scope for potential ground operations. The U.S. gave Iran a 15-point proposal
for a possible deal to end the war. It includes many of the same demands the
U.S. made during the last round of nuclear talks in Geneva, U.S. and Israeli
sources said. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff has told Trump that the Iranians agreed
on several key points, including on giving up their stockpile of highly enriched
uranium, a U.S. source told Axios. That would be a major concession, but it's
unclear if anyone with authority in Tehran has actually offered it.
"Steve and Jared tried to establish a credible channel for negotiations with
Iran, but it is too early to say what's gonna happen and if they have a real,
viable channel," the source said. The U.S. also gave its 15-point plan to
Israel. While the document aligns with Israel's positions, Israel is highly
skeptical Iran will agree to Trump's full demands, an Israeli official said.
"There is concern that Trump will decide to cut a deal and stop the war even if
only some of his demands are met and postpose the rest for later without a clear
solution," a second Israeli source said. The U.S. told the Israelis that Iran
had agreed to give up its 450kg stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium, accept
enhanced U.N. inspections and monitoring of its nuclear sites, limit the range
of its ballistic missiles and cut back on support for proxies, the source said.
The document calls for zero uranium enrichment in Iran, an Israeli source said.
The U.S. side said Iran had agreed to suspend enrichment, but it's unclear for
how long. It's also unclear who purportedly made those commitments on behalf of
Iran. The regime has previously rejected many of those U.S. demands, and Israeli
intelligence believes there's still a big gap between the U.S. and Iranian
positions.
Even at the top levels of the Trump administration, very few people know what is
actually going on in terms of the outreach to Iran.
One source said Witkoff and Kushner were speaking directly to Trump, with few
others in the know. The Israelis gathered intelligence in recent days that
suggested "something was brewing" between the U.S. and Iran, but nothing more
specific than that, the two Israeli officials said. Vance updated Netanyahu in
more detail on Monday around the same time Trump started talking publicly about
outreach to Iran. An Israeli source and a second source familiar with the
diplomacy said the U.S. is waiting on a decision from the Iranians — possibly
Mojtaba Khamenei himself — on whether to hold talks this week.
It's unclear if the sides would be represented by Vance and Mohammad Bagher
Ghalibaf, the Iranian parliamentary speaker who is seen by the White House as
its highest-level potential intermediary, or by lower-level officials. One of
the mediating countries proposed a temporary ceasefire to allow for detailed
negotiations, but the Trump administration prefers negotiating under fire for
now to maintain its leverage, according to two Israeli officials. U.S. and
Israeli officials are planning for another two to three weeks of war regardless
of whether talks talk place, Axios said. White House Press Secretary Karoline
Leavitt said in a statement: "As President Trump and his negotiators explore
this newfound possibility of diplomacy, Operation Epic Fury continues unabated
to achieve the military objectives laid out by the Commander in Chief and the
Pentagon." A White House official described the situation as "fluid": Trump
wants to see if a deal can be struck, but "if not we will go back to bombing
them."Trump suspended planned strikes on Iranian power plants, but only until
Friday. The U.S. is building up options for military escalation, including
potential boots on the ground, while also testing the diplomatic waters, Axios
concluded.
Iran's parliament speaker Qalibaf floated as possible US contact in talks
Associated Press/March 24/2026
Long before he became Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf went on
a charm offensive for almost two decades, portraying himself as a hard-liner the
West could do business with in the Islamic Republic. "I would like the West to
change its attitude to Iran and trust Iran, and rest assured that there's an
attitude in Iran to advance issues through dialogue," he told The Times
newspaper of London in 2008. With the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran in its
fourth week, the 64-year-old pilot and former Revolutionary Guard commander has
denied there have been talks with the United States amid reports that he was
floated as Washington's negotiating partner in talks. Questions also remain as
to what power Qalibaf has within Iran's theocracy, shattered after the Feb. 28
Israeli airstrike that killed 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, now Iran's new supreme leader, has backed Qalibaf
through his repeated and failed presidential campaigns. Still, multiple centers
of power within Iran's theocracy now likely vie for control of the Islamic
Republic — and uncertainties remain over Mojtaba Khamenei's status as he has yet
to be seen after reportedly being wounded. Meanwhile, Qalibaf has been tied to
the crackdown against protesters calling for change within Iran's government and
has seen corruption allegations swirl around him during his time in office. U.S.
President Donald Trump may just be looking for an Iranian version of Venezuela's
acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who took over as the U.S. military seized
former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January. "Many Iranians despise
Ghalibaf; diplomats see him as pragmatic," wrote analyst Michael Rubin, using a
different transliteration for the politician's last name. "Those diplomats
confuse pragmatism with opportunism. Ghalibaf is a survivor. He sees in Trump
someone who can help him achieve what late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei denied
him: the presidency or some equivalent interim leadership role." Iran's
semiofficial Tasnim news agency, believed close to the Guard, on Tuesday
described reports in Western media as a "political bomb" meant to put the
country's leaders in disarray. "Qalibaf was introduced as a negotiating party in
order to present a contradictory and non-unified image of Iran," Tasnim said.
"The mention of Qalibaf's name was clearly intended to create internal divisions
within Iran and to provoke conflict among political forces."
Qalibaf's rise within Iran's theocracy
Qalibaf was born in the city of Torqabeh in Iran's northeastern Razavi Khorasan
province to a father who was a shopkeeper — not a member of the Shiite clergy
that seized power in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Like many young men of his
generation, he joined the paramilitary Guard during the country's bloody 1980s
war with Iraq, quickly rising through the ranks. After the conflict, he served
as the head of the Guard's construction arm, Khatam al-Anbia, for several years
leading efforts to rebuild. Trained as a pilot, he then served as the head of
the Guard's air force. In 1999, he co-signed a letter to reformist President
Mohammad Khatami amid student protests in Tehran over the government closing a
reformist newspaper and a subsequent security force crackdown. The letter warned
Khatami the Guard would take action unilaterally unless he agreed to putting
down the demonstrations. Violence around the protests, the first in a string of
widening demonstrations over the last decades, saw several people killed,
hundreds wounded and thousands arrested. Qalibaf then became the head of Iran's
police, modernizing the force and implementing the country's 110 emergency phone
number. However, a leaked recording of a later meeting between Qalibaf and
members of the Guard's volunteer Basij force, had him claiming that he ordered
gunfire be used against demonstrators in 2003 and praising the violence used in
Iran's 2009 Green Movement protests. Iran's then-President Hassan Rouhani hinted
at the the 2003 incident when the two sparred in a 2017 presidential election
debate. "There was an argument that you were saying that the students should
come then we can pincer attack to them and finish the job," Rouhani said at the
time.
Qalibaf offered himself as alternative to Ahmadinejad
As Tehran's mayor from 2005 to 2017, Qalibaf faced corruption allegations,
including over some $3.5 million being donated to a foundation run by his wife.
However, he also used his prominence to travel to the World Economic Forum and
even praised New York City in an interview with The Financial Times, undoubtedly
raising eyebrows among other hard-liners. His opponents claimed Qalibaf was like
Reza Pahlavi, a hard-charging soldier who became shah in 1925 and rapidly pushed
to Westernize Persia and rename it Iran before handing power to his son Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Qalibaf didn't outright reject the comparison. "If authoritarianism means when
collective sense reaches a plan and decision, I'm very determined and firm in
carrying it out," Qalibaf told The Financial Times in 2008, casting himself as
an alternative to the hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "When the
expediency of the society is in carrying a project, then I'm very firm and show
little flexibility and don't let that collective sense be marred or disarrayed."
Qalibaf ran in presidential elections in 2005, 2013, 2017 and 2024 but despite
the failures of those campaigns, U.S. diplomats suggested he enjoyed the support
of Mojtaba Khamenei, according to diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks. "Mojtaba
reportedly has long maintained a very close relationship with Tehran Mayor and
presidential hopeful Mohammad Baqr Qalibaf; Mojtaba was reportedly the
'backbone' of Qalibaf's past and continuing election campaigns," an August 2008
cable read. "Mojtaba is said to help Qalibaf as an advisor, financier, and
provider of senior-level political support. His support for and closeness to
Qalibaf reportedly remains undiminished."
With Khamenei now Iran's new supreme leader, Qalibaf's position may be
significantly boosted. Qalibaf's name floated as a possible negotiator
Trump pulled back from a 48-hour deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz,
media reports suggested Qalibaf may be a possible Iranian contact for the U.S.
government. Qalibaf himself has denied any talks are ongoing. "No negotiations
have been held with the US, and fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and
oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped," he
wrote Monday on X.Surprisingly, unlike many officials within Iran's government,
Qalibaf's name is not on any U.S. bounty. It remains unclear whether the
Israelis view Qalibaf as a target. As parliament speaker, Qalibaf praised the
Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, saying that it showed the "Zionist regime
will never have peace until the day it is annihilated." Trump as well apparently
appeared concerned Monday that his unnamed negotiating partner could jeopardize
the safety of any talks.
Asked why he wouldn't name the Iranian negotiator, Trump told journalists:
"Because I don't want them to be killed, OK? I don't want them to be killed."
Iran, Israel trade strikes despite Trump talk of
negotiations
Agence France Presse/March 24/2026
Iran and Israel traded strikes on Tuesday, as the Middle East war showed no sign
of de-escalation despite U.S. President Donald Trump signaling "very good talks"
to end the three-week conflict. The war, sparked by U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran
that killed its supreme leader, has upended global energy markets, roiled the
world economy, and spiraled throughout the region -- even dragging in safe-haven
Gulf nations. Israel's army said it had conducted a "large wave" of airstrikes
across several areas of Iran, which had earlier launched a "direct hit" on a
building in an upscale area of Tel Aviv.
AFP images showed rubble-strewn streets and the side of a three-story building
in Israel's commercial hub in ruins, as first responders scrambled to assist at
least four people lightly injured at four different locations. According to
several Israeli media outlets, police believe the damage was caused by a cluster
munition missile equipped with three to four warheads, each carrying around 100
kilograms of explosives. Earlier, Iranian media reported U.S.-Israeli warplanes
had struck two gas facilities and a pipeline, hours after Trump stepped back
from his threat to attack energy sites, citing negotiations to end the war.
Trump said his administration was speaking with an unidentified "top person",
warning if talks failed in the next five days "we'll just keep bombing our
little hearts out". But Tehran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf,
reportedly involved in talks, said "no negotiations" were underway, accusing
Trump of seeking "to manipulate the financial and oil markets." Stock markets
soared and oil prices saw brief respite after Trump's abrupt about-turn that
came ahead of a deadline he had set to reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane
or see the U.S. "obliterate" Iran's power plants. U.S. media outlet Axios
reported U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may meet an Iranian
delegation for talks in Pakistan as soon as this week, with Vice President JD
Vance possibly joining. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt did not deny
the reports, saying "speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final
until they are formally announced by the White House."Pakistan's Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif said Monday he spoke with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian,
promising Islamabad's help to bring peace to the region. "Pakistan is one of the
few countries with warm ties with both Tehran and Washington," said Michael
Kugelman from the Atlantic Council think tank. "It's been engaging heavily at
the highest levels with both capitals over the last year, going back to the
brief Iran conflict last summer," he noted. Traditional mediator Qatar said
Tuesday it "supports all diplomatic efforts" to end the war.
The war has killed at least 3,230 Iranians, including 1,406 civilians, according
to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. AFP cannot access strike
sites nor independently verify tolls in Iran. Underscoring the war's broad
impact, Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region accused Iran of killing six of its
fighters in the first deadly attack on the regional security forces since the
start of hostilities. And Qatar said the war had caused the "breakdown of the
security system in the Gulf region."
'Sudden pivots' -
Iran's neighbors had breathed a sigh of relief after Trump stepped back from an
earlier threat to target the country's power infrastructure. Tehran had vowed to
deploy naval mines and strike power and water infrastructure across the region
in retaliation, threatening to escalate an energy crisis of already historic
proportions. "Trump has been a master of sudden pivots and switches. So it's
sometimes hard to know if there is a strategy or if it's just always
improvisation," said Garret Martin, a professor of international relations at
American University in Washington. Since the war erupted, Tehran has retaliated
by throttling traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for one-fifth of
global crude, and by hitting Gulf energy sites and U.S. embassies as well as
targets in Israel. International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned if the
war is protracted, daily oil losses would pave the way for a crisis worse than
the combined impact of both 1970s oil shocks and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Oil prices, which had tumbled after Trump's comments, rebounded slightly in
Tuesday trade, with Brent back above $100 a barrel.
Trump extends Iran deadline, raising questions about military intentions—the
details
LBCI/March 24/2026
In this conflict, intentions are measured not by what is said but by the
deadlines given before the unspoken occurs. A few days ago, U.S. President
Donald Trump gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,
threatening to destroy its energy facilities—starting with the largest—if it
refused. Iran’s response was swift: “Energy for energy.” Targeting Iranian
facilities, Tehran warned, would put Israeli and Gulf installations at risk.
Suddenly, just hours before the initial deadline expired, a shift occurred.
Trump went on Truth Social to announce that he had extended the deadline by an
additional five days, speaking of “very good and productive talks with Tehran
regarding a full and comprehensive solution.”This raises the key question: is
this deadline for negotiation—or for preparation? So far, there are no clear
indicators of a decision to deploy ground forces deep into Iran, but the option
remains on the table, particularly as additional U.S. military reinforcements
are en route to or have already arrived in the region. These reinforcements are
not limited to a single unit but include a package of naval, amphibious, and air
support. In recent days, Washington dispatched the amphibious assault ship USS
Boxer, accompanied by a Marine unit of roughly 2,500 personnel and supporting
ships. Marine units typically do not carry out missions to control a country as
large as Iran. Instead, they focus on targeted operations, such as securing
maritime passages, quickly seizing specific points, or striking coastal
objectives.
The question now is whether the five-day extension will be sufficient for the
positioning of new U.S. forces on Iran’s borders to launch a potential ground
attack—or whether it is simply another pressure tactic by Trump aimed at Tehran.
The current five-day deadline is set to expire Friday. The more concerning
aspect of the current situation is that the pattern is repeated. In June 2025,
while negotiation channels were open, the United States and Israel carried out
strikes inside Iran targeting its nuclear program. In 2026, during high-level
indirect negotiations through Oman, Washington and Tel Aviv executed a second
attack on Iran. The question now is whether the pattern will repeat a third
time: deadline… negotiations… and military movements occurring in the
background. The gray zone between the deadline and potential strikes is the most
dangerous, as it is where decisions are made that remain unannounced—until after
they begin.
At least 12 wounded in
Israel following Iranian missile launch
AFP/25 March/2026
Israeli emergency services said at least 12 people were injured in the center of
the country on Tuesday evening following a missile launch from Iran. The Magen
David Adom (MDA) emergency services said it provided first aid to nine
casualties in the city of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, before taking them to
hospitals in the area. It said the wounded included a 23-year-old man in
moderate condition with shrapnel injuries to the abdomen and head and “eight in
mild condition, including six children.”Three people were also wounded in nearby
Givat Shmuel, the MDA said. AFPTV footage from Bnei Brak showed heavy damage to
buildings, including a balcony that collapsed onto a car, while images published
by MDA showed a building where a top-floor apartment had collapsed into the
floor below. The Israeli military has issued 12 alerts warning of incoming
Iranian missiles since midnight Tuesday.
Iran says US and Israel
attacked vicinity of Bushehr nuclear plant
Reuters/24 March/2026
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said that US and Israel attacked the vicinity
of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant on Tuesday evening, IRNA reported. It said
the attack caused no technical damage or human casualties based on initial
reports.
UN nuclear watchdog urges 'maximum restraint' after Iran says strike hit Bushehr
plant
LBCI/March 24/2026
The U.N. nuclear watchdog said Iran had informed it that "another projectile hit
the premises" of the Bushehr nuclear power plant on Tuesday, without causing
damage to the plant itself. "IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reiterates call
for maximum restraint to avoid nuclear safety risks during conflict," the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a post on X.
France’s Macron urges Iran
president to end attacks, engage in good faith negotiations
Reuters/25 March ,2026
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday he spoke to Iranian President
Masoud Pezeshkian and asked him to put an end to attacks against countries in
the region and called on the country to engage in good faith negotiations. “I
spoke again of the absolute necessity of putting a stop to these unacceptable
attacks on countries in the region, of preserving energy and civilian
infrastructure and of restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,”
Macron said in a post on X. “I called on Iran to engage in good faith in
negotiations in order to pave the way for de-escalation and provide a framework
which will meet the expectations of the international community in terms of
Iran’s nuclear and ballistic program and its activities of regional
destabilization,” Macron added.
Saudi official reiterates Kingdom’s rebuttal of claims it
favors prolonging Iran conflict
Al Arabiya English/24 March ,2026
A senior official at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that
the Kingdom had previously denied allegations that the Saudi leadership favors
prolonging the Iran conflict. Last week, following a ministerial meeting of Arab
and Islamic countries held in Riyadh, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal
bin Farhan affirmed that Iranian attacks must cease and that the Kingdom’s
patience has its limits. He also said that Saudi Arabia reserves the right to
respond and deter aggression through political and other measures.
Pakistan offers to host peace talks to end
US-Israeli war on Iran
Reuters/24 March/2026
Pakistan’s prime minister said on Tuesday he was willing to host talks between
the US and Iran on ending the war in the Gulf, a day after President Donald
Trump postponed threats to bomb Iranian power plants, saying there had been
“productive” talks. In a post on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan
welcomed and fully supported ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the war.
“Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honored to
be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive
settlement,” he said. The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28
after saying they had failed to make enough headway in talks aimed at ending
Iran’s nuclear program although mediator Oman said significant progress had been
made. Since then, Iran has attacked countries that host US bases, struck Gulf
energy infrastructure and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, conduit for a
fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, creating the worst energy
supply shock in history. A Pakistani government source said discussions on a
meeting were at an advanced stage and if it did happen, “a big ‘if’,” it would
take place within a week.
Iran denies talks have taken place
Trump said on Monday the US and Iran had held “very good and productive”
conversations about a “complete and total resolution of hostilities in the
Middle East.” He said talks had begun on Sunday and continued into Monday, with
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner involved.
But after Trump’s Truth Social comment on Monday, Iran denied that any talks had
been held. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf - the interlocutor
on the Iranian side, according to an Israeli official and two other sources
familiar with the matter - described reports of direct talks as “fake news.”
Iran’s foreign ministry did mention initiatives to reduce tensions. After he
suggested to reporters that he could control the Strait of Hormuz waterway
alongside Iran’s supreme leader, however, the Iranian embassy in South Africa
posted a wry image on X showing a child’s pink toy steering wheel placed on a
car dashboard in front of the passenger seat. Trump’s threat to bomb Iran’s
electricity plants had prompted Tehran to threaten retaliatory strikes on the
electricity infrastructure of US allies across the region, sending the price of
benchmark Brent crude oil soaring as high as $114.43 on Monday morning.
After declining on Trump’s step-back, prices were about 3 percent higher again
on Tuesday around $103 on concern over supply shortages. Three senior Israeli
officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump appeared determined to
make a deal, although they viewed it as unlikely that Iran would agree to US
demands.They said these were likely to include curbs on Iran’s nuclear program
and ballistic weapons development. Three senior sources in Tehran said Iran’s
negotiating stance had only hardened since the start of the war, under the
growing influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and that it would
demand significant concessions from the US. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, who spoke to Trump less than 48 hours before their countries began
the war, was expected to convene security officials for talks on Trump’s bid for
a deal with Iran, two senior Israeli officials said. On the ground, there were
no signs of conflict abating in the Gulf or Lebanon, where Israel is carrying
out a parallel operation against the militant group Hezbollah, which has fired
at Israel in support of its patron Iran. Defense Minister Israel Katz said
Israel now planned to occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River - about a
tenth of the country. He said there could be no homes or residents in areas
where there was “terror,” an apparent reference to Hezbollah.
Air sirens sound in Tel Aviv
Iranian missiles triggered air raid sirens in densely populated Tel Aviv,
Israel’s commercial hub, where there are also military sites. A missile carved a
massive crater in the road of one neighborhood, and the blast blew out the walls
of a multi-story apartment building, scattering debris across the street. It was
the latest in a series of Iranian attacks in recent days that have penetrated
Israel’s sophisticated air defenses. There were no reported deaths. Israel’s
military said its fighter jets had carried out a wave of strikes in central
Tehran on Monday, targeting command centers including facilities associated with
the IRGC’s intelligence arm and the intelligence ministry. It said it had hit
more than 50 other targets overnight, including ballistic missile storage and
launch sites. Air defense systems were activated across Tehran as explosions
were heard simultaneously in several areas of the capital, according to the
Iranian news agency Nournews. At least eight people were killed and 28 injured
in a strike on a residential area of Tabriz, a city of 1.7 million in Iran’s
northwest, the provincial director for crisis management told Tasnim news
agency. Elsewhere, the United Arab Emirates said it had intercepted five
ballistic missiles and 17 drones coming from Iran.
Qatar: War on Iran ‘must end’ through diplomatic meansUnited States Of America
Al Arabiya English/24 March/2026
Qatar said on Tuesday that the ongoing war on Iran by Israel and the US needed
to end through diplomatic means. “Qatar’s stance is that we must end this war
through diplomatic means,” foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said in
a media briefing, stressing that the Gulf country would support “all formal and
informal” diplomatic channels. He further stressed that Iran and Qatar are
neighbors and would “have to find a way to live next to each other,” adding that
a “total annihilation of Iran” was no option. Al-Ansari also said there is no
direct Qatari mediation between the United States and Iran. Meanwhile, the
spokesperson reaffirmed Qatar’s right to respond to any possible attack on its
infrastructure.Israel and the US have launched strikes on Iran since February
28. Iran has responded by attacks on Israel and US bases in the region in
addition to indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure in neighboring
countries. Qatar, which hosts the al-Udeid US Air Force base, has repeatedly
been targeted by Iran with missiles and drones. It also dismantled spy cells in
the country linked to Iran’s influential Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iraq arrests four suspects behind rocket attack on Syrian
base
Reuters/25 March/2026
Iraq on Tuesday arrested four suspects it said were behind Monday’s rocket
attack on a base in northeastern Syria, the Iraqi prime minister's office said.
Two Iraqi security sources told Reuters on Monday that at least seven rockets
were launched from the Iraqi town of Rabi’a toward a US military base in
northeastern Syria.
Iraq to summon US charge
d'affaires, Iran ambassador over strikes: Statement
LBCI/24 March ,2026
Iraq's foreign ministry will summon the United States charge d'affaires and the
Iranian ambassador following two deadly strikes targeting former paramilitaries
and Iraqi Kurdish fighters from the autonomous northern region, an official
statement said Tuesday. The ministry of foreign affairs will summon the
representatives to "deliver formal notes of protest regarding the attacks", the
Iraqi prime minister's office said in a statement following a meeting of the
National Security Council. AFP
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 24-25/2026
A creative strategy to help families deal with the stress of war
Daoud Kuttab/Arab News/March 24,
2026
In a region scarred by ongoing conflicts, where the news cycle never tires and
sirens echo through cities and villages alike, a creative animation project
offers a quiet, practical antidote to fear. In the Arab region, mental health
has long been met with silence, shaped by stigma, shame and structural neglect.
Regional conflicts and the 24-hour news cycle of violence and wars add to the
stress that affects Arab families, especially children. Nevertheless, mental
illness is often dismissed as weakness. For many, seeking help is still seen as
disloyalty, not survival. The ongoing war on Iran has widened the issue,
expanding to countries — especially in the Gulf region, which have been quiet
and peaceful for decades — the reality of having to deal with real dangers.
Sirens and the need to seek shelter from incoming projectiles have caused an
immediate uptick in stress and trauma for many families and communities not used
to such issues.
Nations like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are making strides in prioritizing mental
health care within their respective national visions. While this is being done
mainly in response to a post-pandemic spike in youth anxiety and depression, the
actual availability of care has yet to catch up.
Sirens and the need to seek shelter from incoming projectiles have caused an
immediate uptick in stress and trauma.In parts of the Gulf, the number of
specialists dedicated to children and teens is still low, dipping as far as 0.3
per 100,000 people. The situation is even more critical in the broader Middle
East and North Africa region, where one in six adolescents struggle with a
mental health disorder. Despite this, and according to UNICEF, specialized
support is virtually nonexistent at the primary care level, leaving more than 90
percent of children in conflict-affected zones without any access to
evidence-based treatment.
Digitales Media, a Jordanian digital content and animation company, has adopted
a real-time strategy to address the latest problem that families across the
region face. The creative team coupled a short, engaging film with downloadable
exercises and a broader digital toolkit offering evidence-based methods to cope
with stress and trauma.
Ever since hostilities escalated and missiles began to fly overhead, the team
has worked around the clock to provide relevant, easy-to-follow content for
families — helping children and adults alike who worry whenever a siren reminds
them that normal life may be under threat. The five-minute animated episode
“What to do when you are stressed,” which is part of the long-running series
“Our Family Life,” attempts to translate evidence-based coping techniques into
something families can use at home in moments of tension and after the sirens
fade. The training sequence demonstrates a path from awareness to action: a
family watches a brief story, practices a few calm-breathing steps and then
carries the practice into the evening routine, school or a neighborhood shelter.
“Our Family Life,” the YouTube program featuring the Abu Sanad family, is not
merely entertaining but a creative show that helps parents teach their children
how to engage with life’s challenges. The episode on dealing with stress aims to
help families regulate their nerves when war anxiety spills into daily life. The
wisdom comes from the mother, whose on-screen breathing exercises are not
gimmicks but a gateway to resilience that can be learned without prior therapy
and without leaving the living room. What makes this approach noteworthy is its
synthesis of accessibility and grounding in science. Breathing exercises,
psychoeducation and routines that cultivate a sense of safety are common
elements in clinical trauma care. Yet in many Arab countries — where access to
mental health services can be uneven, stigmatized or disrupted by displacement —
these tools risk remaining abstract unless they are rendered tangible and
culturally resonant.
The genius of the episode is that it provides real help to families already
trapped at home by external dangers. Based on professional guidance, the program
in general and this episode in particular offer a slice of evidence-based care
without requiring a doctor’s appointment or long-term therapy.
This war-related stress episode sits within a broader ecosystem that includes “Saleem,”
an award-winning feature-length animated film about a boy navigating loss and
change, and “Amal for Children,” a digital psychosocial tool that blends
animation, narrative and therapy modalities to reduce the symptoms of
post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety in children facing
trauma.
Beyond the mechanics of delivery, what matters is the emphasis on children and
families. In war zones and among displaced populations, children absorb fear
through observation and exposure, sometimes more keenly than adults recognize.
Programs that model simple, non-stigmatizing coping techniques — breathing,
grounding and predictable routines — help households reclaim a sense of agency.
They also acknowledge a crucial cultural truth: healing often unfolds in the
space between professional care and everyday life, inside mosques, schools,
homes and community centers, where trust is built and maintained.
The genius of the episode is that it provides real help to families already
trapped at home by external dangers. When content is crafted in local dialects
and framed within familiar family dynamics, it becomes less intimidating and
more credible. The Jordanian film’s setting in Amman, its emphasis on family
participation and its clear, actionable guidance exemplify how healing tools can
be culturally anchored and practically useful.
Not surprisingly, the company’s co-directors, Shadi and Cynthia Sharaiha, were
honored with the King Abdullah II Award of Excellence for the film “Saleem,”
while the show’s team was also visited by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah and
Princess Rajwa.
If we are serious about protecting the mental health of future generations in a
region shaped by conflict, we must nurture these cross-cutting efforts: media,
education, healthcare and civil society working in concert to make compassion
and competence more accessible than fear. To readers, policymakers, educators
and practitioners across the Arab world, the message is clear: invest in and
scale family-centered, culturally attuned, digitally enabled mental health
resources. Support the creators who turn storytelling into practical care, fund
evaluation to learn what truly helps and ensure that young people growing up in
war-torn environments have at least one resource they can trust, take home and
practice with their families.If the past decade has taught us anything, it is
that resilience thrives where communities are equipped with knowledge, practices
and a shared sense of safety. This creative initiative is a reminder that
healing can begin with a few minutes of calm — a breath taken together, a story
shared or a child supported — and that, in the long arc of recovery, small steps
taken at home can help build a more hopeful future for the region.
*Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian journalist and former Ferris
Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. He is the author of “State of
Palestine Now: Practical and Logical Arguments for the Best Way to Bring Peace
to the Middle East.” X: @daoudkuttab''
New deal for EU farmers is good news for food security
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/March 24/2026
The image of European farmers downing tools and taking a day — or several days —
off from their hard work in the fields, cowsheds, henhouses and sheep-filled
meadows to head in slow-moving tractor convoys to their national capitals or the
EU headquarters in Brussels is not uncommon. These demonstrations often slow
traffic, block roads and, for added impact, sometimes involve releasing
livestock into the streets or pelting eggs at official buildings. Farmers do
this to express their frustration, even anger, that, in the food production
chain, they are at the very bottom when it comes to being rewarded for their
hard work and the irreplaceable role they play in sustaining our existence.
There is ample evidence of the unfair treatment farmers face. Against this
backdrop, this month’s announcement that the European Parliament has adopted new
measures to protect farmers from unfair trading practices by buyers of
agricultural products must be seen as welcome news. The agreement introduces
measures designed to rectify these imbalances by strengthening the bargaining
power of farmers vis-a-vis processors, retailers and other market actors. One of
the key changes the new policy brings is a shift away from the concentration of
enforcement power in Brussels. Individual member states will be able to protect
their farmers by intervening to stop unfair cross-border trading practices,
without requiring farmers themselves to lodge formal complaints. For the first
time, stricter labeling rules for certain meat products and clearer advertising
standards will be introduced. Authorities will also be able to share information
more quickly through the Internal Market Information System, enabling faster,
better-coordinated responses to prevent and deter unfair practices across the
single market.
These measures strengthen the bargaining power of farmers vis-a-vis processors,
retailers and other actors. Over the centuries, as populations have moved from
rural to urban areas and the number of farmers has declined, fewer people are
familiar with what it takes to produce the food we consume, which we are
consuming in growing quantities, not to mention wastefully. There is limited
awareness of the labor involved or the financial hardship associated with
working in a sector dependent on unpredictable variables: climate change;
economic, domestic and international fluctuations; political instability; wars
and conflicts; and rapid technological change, as well as shifting consumer
preferences. While historically a large share of the workforce was engaged in
agriculture, today in Europe the sector accounts for about 9 million workers out
of more than 205 million employed overall. As rural populations continue to
dwindle, most people are increasingly disconnected from the agricultural
community and hardly interested in learning about it.
What we do expect, however, is that supermarket shelves remain stocked with an
ever-growing variety of fresh and processed food, of high quality and at
affordable prices. How that food is produced and whether those who toil day and
night, come rain or shine, to make sure these demands are met are fairly
rewarded rarely concerns us. Instead, we sometimes hear dismissive remarks about
farmers owning large swaths of land, as though this easily translates into
liquid wealth, which is rarely the case. For many farmers, it is more about
their connection to the land and continuing family traditions of many
generations.
The EU’s decision is long overdue, as the current situation puts at risk a
crucial sector that underpins food security for us all. The EU’s decision is
long overdue, as the current situation puts at risk a crucial sector that
underpins food security for us all. A recent Ipsos study found that about half
of European farmers are pessimistic about their current situation. What farmers
are asking for is neither excessive nor unusual: they seek a sustainable balance
between running a viable business and having a profession they can be proud of —
one that is respected by society and supported by policies that help them
navigate constant change and a volatile environment in more than one way. These
challenges are numerous and often difficult to reconcile. There is an inherent
tension between consumers’ demand for plentiful, diverse and high-quality food
and their expectation of low prices at a time when production costs are steadily
rising. Environmental regulations introduced by the EU, among them reducing
fertilizer use and promoting more sustainable alternatives, are no doubt
necessary and beneficial for both the planet and public health. However, they
also increase costs for farmers, who are not always adequately compensated.
While eco-friendly practices are essential to protect biodiversity and mitigate
climate change, they often come with significant compliance costs and
administrative burdens that reduce profitability.
At the same time, farmers face high fuel prices, initially driven by the war in
Ukraine and now exacerbated by wider geopolitical tensions. There are also
inherent structural contradictions within the sector itself.
For example, cattle are among the largest agricultural sources of greenhouse gas
emissions: a single cow can produce about 100 kg of methane — a harmful
greenhouse gas — every year. Yet, despite some reduction in red meat
consumption, demand remains high. Meanwhile, climate change, partly driven by
such emissions, feeds back into the system, increasing costs through the
damaging impact of droughts, floods, crop damage and livestock losses, often
without adequate insurance or financial protection. Moreover, the relentless
drive for cheaper food has led manufacturers and retailers to adopt questionable
practices, pressuring farmers to lower prices while increasingly relying on
cheaper imports. These imports are often enabled by trade agreements with
countries that do not adhere to the EU’s strict environmental and animal welfare
standards. It remains to be seen whether the EU policies that have just been
approved will dramatically change this. Smaller farms are particularly
vulnerable and many are being squeezed out of business, with about 50 percent of
agricultural land now owned by just 3 percent of farms, favoring large
agribusinesses.
Governments often prioritize consumers over producers, not least because
consumers represent a larger voting bloc and are directly affected by the cost
of living. While regulatory reform and the elimination of unfair practices in
the food supply chain are necessary, they are not sufficient. A broader cultural
shift is also needed, one that moves away from overconsumption and food waste
toward a greater appreciation of quality and sustainability and a willingness to
pay fairer prices, while also taking into account those with low incomes to also
ensure their food security.
This shift requires a better understanding of farmers’ lives and work, for
instance through encouraging farm visits, supporting local producers and
improving education about the food chain, all the way from field to plate. This
should help encourage greater appreciation among the public. In fostering such
an improved understanding, we may become more supportive of the people who
ensure that our food systems continue to function without interruption and with
the appreciation they deserve.
**Yossi Mekelberg is professor of international relations and an associate
fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House.
X: @YMekelberg
Solving the tuberculosis puzzle
Anafi Mataka and Sharonann Lynch/Arab News/March 24/2026
The bacteria that cause tuberculosis have been known since 1882 and an effective
treatment was developed decades ago. And yet TB remains the world’s deadliest
infectious disease. The implications of this stubborn public health puzzle are
dire. In 2024, an estimated 10.7 million people fell ill with TB, but only about
8.3 million were diagnosed. Many of those who go undiagnosed eventually die from
the disease. Many more unknowingly spread it. This diagnostic gap — the
difference between confirmed and estimated TB cases — is the greatest barrier to
an effective global response. Some see this as a technical constraint, but it is
not. The tools to detect TB rapidly and accurately now exist and, crucially, can
be deployed far closer to where people first seek care, allowing for same-day
treatment.
The tools to detect TB rapidly and accurately now exist and can be deployed far
closer to where people first seek care
Near-point-of-care molecular tests, which the World Health Organization recently
recommended for the first time, represent a new and important tool. They are
small, portable and use easy-to-collect tongue swabs, rather than the phlegm
samples that many people — particularly children and those with HIV — struggle
to produce. And they are more affordable than other types of molecular tests and
instruments. Equally important, near-point-of-care tests produce results in
about 30 minutes, unlike traditional lab tests, which require days or weeks to
turn around. This means they can be used for same-day diagnosis in primary care
facilities, such as the community healthcare centers that are typically closer
to where people live. The testing equipment is battery-powered, meaning patchy
national grids need not limit access to lifesaving care.
With the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria starting its next
funding cycle imminently, eligible countries have an opportunity to secure
substantial resources for rolling out and scaling up this new technology.
Governments that present detailed roadmaps — including a breakdown of costs,
strategies for integrating near-point-of-care tests into national TB plans and
measurable coverage targets — are far more likely to unlock support. Those that
fail to act will have to wait three years for the next funding cycle. In global
health, timing is often as important as evidence.
A slow rollout is indefensible, given the high human cost. Every day, TB spreads
quietly and persistently. Delayed diagnosis does not just postpone treatment, it
also causes suffering for millions of people by increasing transmission, raising
mortality and accelerating drug resistance. Each untreated case represents an
individual tragedy that augurs more untreated cases, adding to the public health
burden. Harnessing the potential of near-point-of-care testing requires
significant political support for a rapid rollout. Global health is full of
examples of innovations that took decades to reach scale. For example, even
though better-performing molecular TB tests were endorsed more than a decade
ago, microscopy testing, a century-old technique that misses a substantial share
of cases, remains widely used.
Harnessing the transformative potential of near-point-of-care testing requires
significant political support for a rapid rollout. That appears to exist on
paper. At the UN High-Level Meeting on the Fight Against Tuberculosis in 2023,
governments committed to achieving universal access to rapid molecular TB tests
by 2027. But in several regions with a high disease burden, only a minority of
countries are on track to meet that target.
Near-point-of-care technology could help close the gap between ambition and
reality by decentralizing TB testing. Primary healthcare facilities and
lower-tier testing centers that still rely on microscopy, especially in rural
areas, are obvious candidates for upgrading to near-point-of-care tests, as are
high-volume treatment units. Beyond accelerating the initial rollout of these
diagnostics, policymakers must provide training for clinicians, ensure their
integration into HIV and community health programs, and strengthen supportive
systems such as supply chains and data management. A rapid test is merely the
start of a care pathway; without system-wide preparedness, technological gains
could be squandered. Past rollouts have faltered not because the science was
weak but because health systems were not ready.
To translate rhetoric into reality, transparency and accountability will be
essential. National roadmaps must include measurable milestones, standardized
scorecards and meaningful reporting mechanisms. Civil society organizations,
often the most effective advocates for underserved patients, must be involved in
monitoring progress. Previous global health campaigns have made it clear that
technology can save lives only when it is matched by political ambition. This is
the other missing piece of the TB puzzle. To eliminate the scourge of TB once
and for all, developing country leaders must be willing to accelerate the uptake
of near-point-of-care tests.
*Anafi Mataka is Head of Division at the African Society for Laboratory
Medicine.
Sharonann Lynch is Co-Director of the Center for Global Health Policy and
Politics at Georgetown University. Copyright: Project Syndicate
The killing of children must never be normalized
Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/March 24/2026
Those who had the misfortune of growing up in a war zone require no explanation.
War is hell, it is true — but for children, it is something else entirely: a
confusing and disorienting fate that defies comprehension. There are children
who live only briefly, experiencing whatever life manages to offer them: the
love of parents, the camaraderie of siblings and the fragile joys and inevitable
hardships of existence. There are more than 20,000 children in this category,
having been killed in Gaza over the span of about two years, according to
figures released by the Gaza Health Ministry and repeatedly cited by UN
agencies. Some were born and killed within a very short timeframe. Others remain
buried beneath the rubble of the destroyed Strip. According to humanitarian and
forensic experts cited by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs, about 4,000 children are still missing under collapsed buildings, with
recovery efforts hindered by the scale of the destruction and a lack of
equipment. In some cases, extreme heat, fire and the use of heavy weaponry have
rendered identification nearly impossible, meaning that many of these children
may never be properly accounted for, let alone mourned at a grave. These
children will not have graves that can be visited. And if even they did, many
would have no parents left alive to pray for them
These children will not have graves that can be visited. And if even they did,
many would have no parents left alive to pray for them. But we always will. And
then, there are those who are wounded and maimed — tens of thousands of them.
Visiting Amro, the wounded son of a relative who perished along with most of his
family in Gaza, I witnessed one of the most heartbreaking sights one could
possibly endure: the maimed children of Gaza in a Turkish hospital. There were a
few teenagers, many without limbs. Hospital staff had adorned them with the
beloved Palestinian keffiyeh. Those who could flash the victory sign did so,
while those who had no arms raised what remained of their limbs, as if to tell
every wandering visitor that they stand for something deep and unyielding, that
their losses will not be in vain.
But then there were the little ones, who experienced trauma without fully
comprehending even the magnitude of their tragedy. They stared in confusion at
everyone — the unfamiliar faces, the incomprehensible languages spoken around
them and the empty walls.
My nephew kept speaking of his parents, who were meant to visit him any day.
They are both gone, along with his only brother.
I was in kindergarten in a refugee camp in Gaza when I witnessed my first
military raid. The target was our school. I still recall our teachers pushing
back against soldiers as they forced their way into the building. I remember
them being physically assaulted, screaming at us to run toward the orchard. We
began running while holding hands with one another. We were all wearing matching
red outfits with stickers on our faces — none of us had any understanding of who
these men were or why they were hurting the people who cared for us. If the
killing of children in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran and across the Middle East is
normalized, then it will become just another accepted feature of war. And since
“war is hell,” we will all move on, accepting that children — anywhere in the
world — now stand on the front lines of victimhood whenever it suits the
calculations of war.
The killing of children is not incidental. It is evidenced in Gaza, where the
scale alone defies any claim of accident. I have thought about this often in
recent years — during the devastation in Gaza, the wars across the region and
last month’s killing of students at a school in the Iranian city of Minab.
Minab is not just an Iranian tragedy; it is our collective loss. Evidence from
international investigations indicates that the strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh
school was not an accident but the result of deliberate targeting within a
broader military campaign. Amnesty International concluded that the school
building was directly struck with guided weapons. Investigations by major
outlets, alongside US military sources, suggest the site had been placed on a
target list despite being a functioning school. The result was devastating:
children killed, families shattered and yet another atrocity absorbed into the
relentless rhythm of war. The US administration may deny intent as often as it
wishes. But we know that the killing of children is not incidental. It is
evidenced in Gaza, where the scale alone defies any claim of accident. As
UNICEF’s James Elder stated: “Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of
children.” That reality alone should end any debate. I could pause here to tell
you that all children are precious, that all lives are sacred and that
international law is unequivocal on this matter. I could invoke the Fourth
Geneva Convention, which states that “protected persons … shall at all times be
humanely treated,” and that violence against civilians is strictly prohibited.
Yes, I could do all of that. But I fear it would make little difference.
Everything we have said and done has failed Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and much of our
region. International law, once seen as a shield, has become little more than a
point of departure for conversations about its ineffectiveness and hypocrisy.
Speaking to Palestinians about international law often generates not reassurance
but frustration and anger. So, I will spare you that, too. Instead, I want to
make a call to the world. A call on behalf of Amro, the many others from our
family who were killed and the thousands more who perished; a call on behalf of
the frightened children of the Flowers Kindergarten in my old refugee camp in
Gaza: please, do not allow them to normalize the killing of children. Do not
settle for indifference or mere concern or even moral outrage that is never
followed by action.
*Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the editor of The Palestine
Chronicle. His latest book, “Before the Flood,” was published by Seven Stories
Press. His website is www.ramzybaroud.net. X: @RamzyBaroud
China Is About to Lose Its
Cuban Military Bases
Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/March 24, 2026
Friends of Havana blame the U.S., but the Trump administration had to act before
China turned the island into a military bastion. Declassified intelligence
showed that Chinese signals-intelligence collection facilities had been
operating in Cuba since at least 2019.
"China and Cuba are negotiating to establish a new joint military training
facility on the island, sparking alarm in Washington that it could lead to the
stationing of Chinese troops and other security and intelligence operations just
100 miles off Florida's coast." — The Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2023.
President Donald Trump acted before the Chinese could base missiles in Cuba.
"China and Cuba are negotiating to establish a new joint military training
facility on the island," reported the Wall Street Journal in 2023. So, whatever
one thinks of the harsh consequences of the U.S. naval embargo, the Havana
regime, by allowing the Chinese to have the run of the island, does pose a
threat to the United States. Pictured: People wave the flags of Cuba and China
as several Chinese Navy vessels enter the port of Havana on November 10, 2015.
(Photo by Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images)
Cuban society, due to a U.S. naval embargo, is close to collapse.
Friends of Havana blame the U.S., but the Trump administration had to act before
China turned the island into a military bastion.
America took control of Venezuela's national oil company, PDVSA, after the
January 3 raid that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Then
the U.S. stopped the flow of Venezuelan oil to the Cuban regime.
At the same time, the Trump administration, by threatening tariffs on oil
suppliers, imposed a de facto oil embargo on Havana. The U.S. Navy has deterred
vessels from unloading cargo in Cuba. To get through the American picket line,
tankers have been employing deceptive tactics. For instance, the Hong
Kong-flagged Sea Horse, carrying gasoil, was falsely broadcasting that it was
"not under command" and drifting in the Sargasso Sea for almost three weeks. In
reality, the ship spoofed its location and probably unloaded 190,000 barrels in
Cuba in the early part of this month.
A delivery from the Sea Horse, according to the Windward site, would be "the
first confirmed arrival of a refined products cargo at the island since early
January."
As a result of the American actions, Cuba has almost run out of energy. The
Cuban grid has collapsed three times so far this month, throwing the island into
darkness.
"Why is the U.S. doing this?" asks Cambridge University's Jostein Hauge on X,
referring to the blockade on Cuba. "For no reason other than its dislike of the
Cuban regime. Cuba poses no threat to the U.S."
Really?
"China uses Cuba as a platform for many of its regional intelligence and
security operations," Joseph Humire, then executive director of the Center for a
Secure Free Society, told this author in 2021. There is, most prominently, the
Lourdes facility just west of Havana near Bejucal, once the Soviet Union's
largest listening station outside its borders. The Chinese are thought to have
taken over the facility shortly after the fall of the USSR.
China now has more than just Lourdes. A December 2024 Center for Strategic &
International Studies report identifies three more likely Chinese listening
posts in Cuba. There is the Soviet-era Calabazar, and a second, Wajay, appears
to have been built after the fall of the Soviet Union. There is also a new
station, El Salao.
The CSIS report notes that unconfirmed accounts of China's intelligence presence
on the island began with the visit of China's Defense Minister General Chi
Haotian in 1999.
The Chinese may have been operating listening posts in Cuba since 1993, R. Evan
Ellis of the U.S. Army War College told Gatestone at the beginning of last year.
China and Cuba, the Wall Street Journal reported in June 2023, agreed in
principle to establish a new listening site on Cuban soil. The Biden
administration denied the report, but two days later declassified intelligence
showing that Chinese signals-intelligence collection facilities had been
operating in Cuba since at least 2019. Cuba is an ideal location to surveil
America. "Sitting less than 100 miles south of Florida, Cuba is well-positioned
to keep watch on sensitive communications and activities, including those of the
U.S. military," the CSIS report states. "The southeastern seaboard of the United
States brims with military bases, combatant command headquarters, space launch
centers, and military testing sites."
Moreover, Cuba is an ideal location for a Chinese military base. "China and Cuba
are negotiating to establish a new joint military training facility on the
island, sparking alarm in Washington that it could lead to the stationing of
Chinese troops and other security and intelligence operations just 100 miles off
Florida's coast," reported the Wall Street Journal in 2023.China stated that the
Wall Street Journal report was "totally mendacious and unfounded," but it is
nonetheless evident that China wants an enhanced facility on Cuba, just as it
has established de facto military sites throughout Latin America.
Moreover, President Donald Trump acted before the Chinese could base missiles in
Cuba.
So, whatever one thinks of the harsh consequences of the U.S. naval embargo —
there is a worsening humanitarian crisis in Cuba now — the Havana regime, by
allowing the Chinese to have the run of the island, does pose a threat to the
United States.
*Gordon G. Chang is the author of Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America,
a Gatestone Institute distinguished senior fellow, and a member of its Advisory
Board.
*Follow Gordon G. Chang 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.
X Platform Selected twittes for
March 24/2026
Tom Harb
Sanction Nabih Berri !
This is the perfect time for the Trump administration to impose sanctions on
Nabih Berri and his family for actively shielding Iranian and Hezbollah
influence against Lebanon’s sovereign decision to expel the Iranian ambassador.
Michel Hajji Georgiou
In 1958, in the government led by Sami Solh, under the Chamoun mandate, Albert
Moukheiber, assuring the interim Ministry of Foreign Affairs in favor of a trip
to the UN of the current minister, Charles Malek, had ordered the expulsion of
Abdel Hamid Ghaleb, Ambassador of United Arab Republic.
The terrible Ghaleb, a working "high commissioner" in Lebanon, had executed
himself.
And the current Iran of the mullahs is not the Egypt of Nasser de nager.
Just saying.