English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For March 28/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet,
and wiped them with her hair.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John
11/55-57/12,01-11/:”Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from
the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were
looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, ‘What
do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?’Now the chief
priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was
should let them know, so that they might arrest him. Six days before the
Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the
dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of
those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure
nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled
with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the
one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three
hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ (He said this not because he
cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and
used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it
so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor
with you, but you do not always have me.’ When the great crowd of the Jews
learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see
Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put
Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews
were deserting and were believing in Jesus.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 27-28/2026
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
Link to a video interview with Dr. Saleh Al-Mashnouq on Piers Morgan's program;
an explanation, with facts, evidence, and dates, of Lebanon's tragedy at the
hands of groups of charlatans, hypocrites, criminals, and terrorists who exploit
the so-called "resistance and liberation."
Hezbollah says clashed with Israeli forces in two south Lebanon villages
Lebanon reports over 1,100 killed, more than 3,300 injured in Israeli strikes
Israel’s cabinet fails to settle strategy amid ongoing war
Lebanon reports over 1,100 killed, more than 3,300 injured in Israeli strikes
Israel’s cabinet fails to settle strategy amid ongoing war
Hezbollah says it intercepted fighter jet over Beirut with missile
Lebanon's army, security forces intensify operations as displacement pressures
mount
Israeli troops clash with Hezbollah as they advance toward Qussair in south
Lebanon
Lebanon’s south sees increased clashes as Israeli ground incursions push deeper
LBCI
Israel bombs Dahiyeh, warns of further strikes
From Beirut to San Francisco: Young Lebanese woman redefines modern technical
engineer
Berri stresses that Iranian ambassador expulsion is unacceptable
British Foreign Secretary announces additional £2m humanitarian funding to
Lebanon
Bassil warns against civil strife, calls for unity and awareness
British Foreign Secretary announces additional £2m humanitarian funding to
Lebanon
Lebanon at real risk of 'humanitarian catastrophe', UN says
How did Hezbollah 'reappear' south of Litani with its weapons?
Report: Egyptian security delegation meets with Hezbollah officials
Egypt reportedly warns Lebanon of long war
Authorities boost security measures in capital Beirut
Saudi Arabia urges citizens to leave Lebanon immediately
Mothers of Israeli soldiers call for stop to Lebanon war
Two killed in Israeli strike on Tahwitat al-Ghadir in Dahieh
Israel army says more troops needed on Lebanese front
LACC Calls for Immediate Enforcement of Lebanon’s Sovereignty.
Lebanon Will Keep Hezbollah’s Arms, Lose its South/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/This Is
Beirut/March 27/2026
Lebanon declares Iranian ambassador-designate ‘persona non grata’ before Iranian
missile explodes over Lebanese airspace/David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/March
27/2026
What Does the Future Hold?/Colonel Charbel Barakat/March 28/2026
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 27-28/2026
Iran’s
response to US peace proposal expected Friday, source says
US says more than 300 troops injured since start of Iran war
Trump says Iran has to reopen Strait of Hormuz, negotiations ongoing
Israel confirms it struck uranium processing facility, heavy water plant in Iran
Israel strikes Tehran, warns attacks 'will escalate and expand'
G7 meets on Iran war as Rubio tries to sell US strategy to skeptical allies
Iran Guards urge civilians to leave areas near US forces in region
Rubio tells allies Iran war will continue 2-4 more weeks
Iran starts to formalize chokehold on Hormuz Strait with 'toll booth' regime
US envoy Witkoff says Trump administration is hopeful for meetings with Iran
soon
Why Pakistan has emerged as a mediator between US and Iran
Houthis warn of direct military intervention if new alliances back US, Israel
against Iran
Musk joined Trump and Modi call on Iran, says New York TimesWorld News
Saudi Arabia, Ukraine sign defense procurement deal
Syrian president to visit Berlin on Monday for talks with Merz
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 27-28/2026
Arabs
Did Not Help the Gulf States: What Do they See as the Central Source of
Instability in the Middle East?/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/March
27/2026
What Drives a Citizen to Treason?/Ahmad al-Sarraf/Al-Qabas/March 27/2026
Iran's Fantasy of Strength: When Bazaar Tactics Collide with Reality/Pierre
Rehov/Gatestone Institute./March 27/2026
Question: What is Palm Sunday?/GotQuestions.org/March 27/2026
Trump’s Oil Waiver Gives Iran a Dangerous Financial Lifeline/Max Meizlish/The
Dispatch/March 27/2026
Trump’s 15-point Iran truce plan would let one terrifying threat slide/Mark
Dubowitz and Ben Cohen/New York Post/March 27/2026
X Platform & Facebook Selected twittes for March 27/2026
on March 27-28/2026
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.
Link to a video interview with
Dr. Saleh Al-Mashnouq on Piers Morgan's program; an explanation, with facts,
evidence, and dates, of Lebanon's tragedy at the hands of groups of charlatans,
hypocrites, criminals, and terrorists who exploit the so-called "resistance and
liberation."
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/153112/
Elias Bejjani/March 26/2026
Video link of Dr. Saleh El Machnouk’s interview with the Piers Morgan program; a
national, sovereign, scientific, and historical intervention that explains with
facts, evidence, and dates the tragedy of Lebanon and the Lebanese with groups
of imposture, hypocrisy, criminality, terrorism, and barbarism, and the ideology
of the fools, the ignorant, the terrorists, the frauds, and the traders of blood
and homelands who claim to carry the banners of resistance and liberation.
These, led by the Iranian Hezbollah and the delusional and hallucinating
jihadist, Lebanon and the Lebanese have reaped from them nothing but disasters,
death, destruction, ignorance, poverty, and migration, dragging Lebanon back to
pre-Stone Age eras.
Hezbollah says clashed with
Israeli forces in two south Lebanon villages
AFP/27 March/2026
Hezbollah said Friday its fighters had clashed directly with Israeli forces in
two south Lebanon villages, as Israeli airstrikes on several areas killed at
least six people, according to the health ministry. ebanon was pulled into the
Middle East war when Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah fired rockets
towards Israel on March 2 to avenge the US-Israeli killing of Iran’s supreme
leader Ali Khamenei.Israel has responded with large-scale airstrikes on Lebanon
and a ground offensive in the south. n a statement, Hezbollah said its fighters
had clashed with “Israeli enemy army forces in the villages of Bayada and Shamaa
at point-blank range with light and medium weapons,” while also claiming
responsibility for attacks on Israeli border towns and positions. he coastal
village of Bayada, adjacent to Shamaa, lies eight kilometers from the border
with Israel. sraeli forces are pushing into numerous towns in southern Lebanon,
with officials saying they aim to create a security zone reaching the Litani
River, some 30 kilometers from the border, to push Hezbollah back and protect
northern Israeli communities. n Friday, Israel launched a series of airstrikes
on several areas, particularly in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese state
media.
One of the strikes, on the town of Saksakiyeh in the Sidon district, killed
“four civilians and wounded eight others,” in an initial toll reported by the
health ministry. At dawn, Israel had targeted the Tahouitet al-Ghadir area in
Beirut’s southern suburbs without prior warning, killing two people, according
to the health ministry.Israeli army spokesperson Effie Defrin said Friday that
“Contrary to the declaration by the Lebanese government earlier this year –
Hezbollah is still operating and conducting attacks from southern Lebanon.”“If
the Lebanese government will not disarm Hezbollah, the IDF (army) will,” he
said. fter nearly four weeks of war between Hezbollah and Israel, Nicolas Von
Arx, regional director of the International Committee of the Red Cross, warned
Friday that “the humanitarian situation is worsening and civilians, as usual,
are paying the highest price” in Lebanon. fter meeting Lebanese President Joseph
Aoun, he said, “Civilians must be protected wherever they are, whether they
remain in their homes or are forced to flee”. ccording to the authorities, the
war has forced more than one million people to flee their homes, and more than a
thousand people have been killed since the conflict began.
Lebanon reports over 1,100 killed, more than 3,300 injured
in Israeli strikes
LBCI/March 26, 2026
Lebanon’s Public Health Emergency Operations Center reported that Israeli
attacks on the country since March 2 have left 1,142 people dead and 3,315
others injured.
Israel’s cabinet fails to settle strategy amid ongoing war
LBCI/March 26, 2026
Between a full-scale war on Lebanon and an advance toward the Litani River, the
Israeli cabinet concluded its discussions without reaching a decision on the
nature of the confrontation. The debates were fueled by Finance Minister Bezalel
Smotrich, who rejected even the idea of establishing a security zone inside
Lebanon, claiming that Hezbollah is the one running Israel.These internal
discussions coincided with warnings from Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir about the
risk of the Israeli reserve army failing under the pressures of war, while
security officials criticized the government’s approval to recruit 400,000
reserve soldiers. On the ground, the Israeli army, which has been reporting
daily casualties in battles with Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, continues to
intensify operations in southern Lebanon. The army is dividing its units to
operate in more than five areas and is deploying to accelerate its plan for
control, while uncovering a weapons cache in the town of Khiam. All of this
unfolds as towns inside Israel spend hours under fire from Hezbollah and Iran.
Hezbollah says it intercepted fighter jet over Beirut with
missile
LBCI/March 26, 2026
Hezbollah said on Friday it intercepted a fighter jet over Beirut with a
surface-to-air missile.
Lebanon's army, security forces intensify operations as displacement pressures
mount
LBCI/March 26, 2026
When Israel forced Lebanese citizens to flee from the south, Beirut’s southern
suburbs, and the Bekaa region, its objective was not purely military. Israel is
fully aware of Lebanon’s internal situation. It understands the political
divisions linked to Hezbollah and recognizes the country’s demographic makeup,
meaning it knows that such large-scale displacement could ignite a serious
crisis. It knows what it wants. But do Lebanon’s state institutions and citizens
know how to protect themselves from internal conflict? From the start of the
war, it was clear that security was a top priority for the Lebanese army. At the
time, however, the army lacked the capabilities to keep pace with the challenges
posed by mass displacement from the south to the north. As the war progressed, a
decision was made. The army deployed around 1,000 soldiers and officers from the
south, positioning them around shelters. In Beirut and some of its suburbs, the
army is carrying out security patrols and setting up temporary checkpoints, with
the aim of preventing any security breakdown. The army is not the only security
agency deployed across the capital, cities, and towns. Lebanon’s Internal
Security Forces and other agencies are also on the ground, tasked with
maintaining order inside shelters and at their immediate entrances. This raises
a key question: Is coordination between the different agencies sufficient to
keep the situation under control? The Interior Ministry says security measures
are in place and have been reinforced by both the Internal Security Forces and
the army, which intervene quickly when incidents or clashes occur. So far,
security stability remains under control. The main bet is not only on the
security agencies, but also on careful management of this issue to avoid any
repercussions that could threaten Lebanon’s internal stability, and that Israel
could exploit.
Israeli troops clash with Hezbollah as they advance toward
Qussair in south Lebanon
Naharnet/March 26, 2026
The Israeli army shelled Friday al-Naqoura, al-Bayyada and Shamaa in south
Lebanon with white phosphorus bombs after Hezbollah claimed attacks against
troops trying to advance there. The troops were advancing from Deir al-Seryan
toward Al-Qussair, media reports said, while Hezbollah claimed attacks on troops
and tanks in Naqoura, Qantara, Deir al-Seryan, al-Taybeh, Khiam, al-Bayyada, al-Qawzah,
Beit Leef and Debel. The group said its fighters fought fierce battles in the
villages of Shamaa and Bayada near the Mediterranean coast. Artillery-delivered
white phosphorus was used over a wide area, said Rich Weir, Senior Advisor at
Human Right Watch’s Crisis, Conflict and Arms Division. "While the legality of
its use here is difficult to ascertain without more information, it’s incendiary
effects can cause devastating injuries."Weir said the rights group has
documented Israel using the substance “repeatedly unlawfully” in populated areas
in Lebanon in other instances. Israel has maintained that it has used the
substance as a smokescreen or to light up areas in line with international law.
The Israeli army said Friday a soldier and a combat officer were severely
injured in south Lebanon and were evacuated to a hospital. On Thursday, two
soldiers were also killed in south Lebanon, while Israeli emergency services
said a rocket fired from Lebanon killed a man in northern Israel's Nahariya
area. Hezbollah also targeted overnight into Friday Kiryat Shmona, Nahariya,
Malkiya, Shtula, Eilon, Shomera, Mi'ilya, Metula, the Rosh Pinna industrial
area, Misgav Am, Kabri, and Safad in north Israel. In the occupied Golan
Heights, Hezbollah targeted Katzrin and Odem. Attacks were carried out with
rockets, suicide drones and roadside bombs. The Israeli army meanwhile struck
Qana, Siddiqine, Haddatha, Majdalzoun, Henniyyeh, al-Naqoura, al-Tiri, Kafra,
Yater, tayr Harfa, Zebqine, al-Ramadiyyeh, Bint Jbeil, Marjaoun, Ainata, al-Mansouri,
Kfar Remman, Hanine, Habboush, Sarafand, Zawtar al-Sharqiya and al-Qlayleh in
south Lebanon and called on residents of Sojod to evacuate to the north of the
Zahrani river, warning of an imminent attack.
The National News Agency said a strike targeted a car on the Qlayleh road. At
least eight were killed in south Lebanon, four of them in al-Saksakiyeh and two
in Zawtar, while a strike without warning on Tahwitat al-Ghadir in Beirut's
southern suburbs at dawn killed two people. At least sixteen other people were
wounded in the south. The Health Ministry said the airstrike destroyed a house
in the coastal village of Saksakiyeh and wounded eight people, as airstrikes
also targeted the southern city of Nabatiyeh and villages close to it as well as
other towns and villages in the coastal Tyre region. In the east of the country,
a strike targeted Bezzaliyeh in the Northern Bekaa.
Lebanon’s south sees increased clashes as Israeli ground
incursions push deeper LBCI
On the 25th day of the war, Israeli ground incursions have been expanding
southward at an accelerated pace in recent days, according to military
observers. Information indicates that advances along some axes have reached a
depth of six to eight kilometers, in some cases moving beyond towns classified
in military terms as part of the first line of defense. In the western sector,
Israeli forces moved past the town of Naqoura from the west and reached Biyyadah,
which is considered part of the second line of villages. They also advanced into
Aita al-Shaab, a border town, toward Qouzah and Beit Lif, as well as the
outskirts of Debel, all part of the second line, where clashes are most intense,
particularly near Birkat Debel. Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli soldiers,
military vehicles, and tanks there with drones and guided missiles, according to
one of its statements. In response, the Lebanese army stationed at the Kafra
checkpoint near Beit Lif is preparing to reposition. In the central sector,
Israeli forces remain positioned in first-line villages, notably Yaroun, Maroun
el-Ras, and Aitaroun, where heavy clashes are ongoing. So far, no advance has
been recorded toward second-line towns such as Ainata and Bint Jbeil.
In the eastern sector, Israeli forces seized Odaisseh in the early days of the
war and moved beyond Markaba and Taybeh, reaching Deir Seryan and Qantara,
second-line villages that lead down to the strategic Wadi al-Hujeir. Clashes
continue there, with Hezbollah announcing it targeted several tanks. Fighting is
also ongoing on the northern outskirts of Khiam, where advancing Israeli forces
remain engaged. Israeli troops are deployed in Kfarchouba, a high-ground area
overlooking eastern axes of advance in southern Lebanon, which the Israeli army
is using as a fire base to support its advancing units. Military sources expect
clashes to intensify after the second line is breached, particularly since
first-line villages did not allow Hezbollah to establish fixed defensive
positions. Instead, it relied on attrition tactics using anti-tank missiles, FPV
drones, and artillery. Observers also note a shift in tactics, with the
increasing use of improvised explosive devices, particularly in Deir Seryan and
Qantara. Such methods are typically employed along routes taken by advancing
forces to strike them as they move toward key strategic positions.
Israel bombs Dahiyeh, warns of further strikes
Agence France Presse/March 26, 2026
A strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday afternoon without warning from
the Israeli military, Lebanese state media said, as TV footage showed smoke
rising from the area. The state-run National News Agency said Israeli warplanes
"carried out a very heavy strike... on the Tahwitat al-Ghadir area", the same
district where Lebanese authorities said another raid earlier Friday killed two
people.The Israeli army later said it had started airstrikes on "Hezbollah
infrastructure" in Beirut's southern suburbs, "especially in Haret Hreik,
Ghobeiri, Laylaki, Hadath, Burj al-Barajneh, Tahwitat al-Ghadir and Shiyyah,"
calling on anyone there to evacuate immediately. Israeli warplanes meanwhile
flew at low altitudes over Beirut and its suburbs, releasing missile-deflecting
flares.
From Beirut to San Francisco: Young Lebanese woman
redefines modern technical engineer
Naharnet/March 26, 2026
Paola Fouad Noun, a 25-year-old born and raised in Beirut, moved to San
Francisco after completing her university studies in the United States, where
she established herself within a specialized team of engineers in Forward
Deployed Engineering at Ramp.
She played a foundational role in this field before its widespread expansion and
transformation into a primary driver of the industry. At Ramp, which is
currently valued at $32 billion, Noun holds a prominent position that has
allowed her to witness and adapt to the radical shifts in software development
methodologies. "I am a warrior," Paola Noun proudly says. She fought cancer
twice and recovered, which, she says, motivated her to develop resilience. "I
believe this experience reflected on my work style, my persistence in finishing
tasks, my focus on what is essential, and my refusal to waste time, seizing
every minute to improve my performance and deliver something new." Some of her
key achievements at Ramp include the bill pay card agent that helps customers
maximize their cashback as well as building for the most strategic enterprise
clients. These contributions enabled Ramp to sell its products to major American
corporations, contributing to the expansion of its business and the accumulation
of its profits. As an expatriate coming from Lebanon, having emerged from a
harsh ordeal that granted her a new life, Noun says she's proud of her
contribution to shaping a new engineering role "in one of the most ambitious
fintech companies."According to Noun, Artificial Intelligence is expanding the
circle of creators, giving them the ability to build and develop in
unprecedented ways. "With AI handling most repetitive and exhausting tasks, and
with the prowess of advanced (AI) models, there are no longer significant
barriers between the birth of an idea and its realization. Product management
specialists are increasingly encouraged to apply their own programming touches
(intuitive programming) to turn their visions into reality."With the technical
landscape shifting dramatically, the titles that once separated job roles are
beginning to fade. Noun says "this is where the importance of the forward
deployed engineer role emerges as a modern trend par excellence. It combines an
understanding of client needs, a developmental vision for the product, and speed
of execution. The entry of AI has made this combination an indispensable,
multiplied force."
Berri stresses that Iranian ambassador expulsion is
unacceptable
Naharnet/March 26, 2026
Speaker Nabih Berri has emphasized that the Foreign Ministry's decision to expel
the Iranian ambassador "cannot pass." Al-Joumhouria newspaper said Berri
confirmed to the parties concerned that what is required is "the cancellation of
the decision to expel the ambassador and nothing less than that.""No one should
talk to me, go and deal with the crisis, the solution is clear," the daily
quoted Berri as saying.
British Foreign Secretary announces additional £2m
humanitarian funding to Lebanon
Naharnet/March 26, 2026
At the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in France, the UK Foreign Secretary Yvette
Cooper announced an additional £2 million in UK humanitarian funding to Lebanon
bringing the British total contribution to £9.5 million since the beginning of
the conflict.
This funding will support U.N. OCHA’s Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF) to respond
to growing humanitarian needs. LHF provides food, water, health, shelter and
protection support to conflict-affected communities across the country. "This
funding underlines the UK’s continued commitment to supporting vulnerable
communities at a time of escalating humanitarian pressures," a British embassy
statement said. British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell said:“The UK remains
deeply concerned about the worsening humanitarian situation in Lebanon. The
Foreign Secretary announced additional humanitarian funding to support
vulnerable communities across the country. We will continue to coordinate with
the Government of Lebanon and humanitarian partners.”
Bassil warns against civil strife, calls for unity and
awareness
Naharnet/March 26, 2026
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil visited Friday President Joseph Aoun,
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Speaker Nabih Berri and Maronite Patriarch Beshara
al-Rahi, in a series of meetings aimed at averting civil strife. Bassil urged
all Lebanese to maintain a patriotic stance and spare their children the
bitterness of internal conflict. "One hundred days of foreign war are better
than a single day of civil war — though we want neither," he said, as he accused
certain domestic actors of seeking an internal conflict as a means to end the
Israeli aggression, a clear reference to the FPM’s long-standing rivals, the
Lebanese Forces. "National unity is the only path for Lebanon to emerge safely
from this war," he stated following his meeting with Berri. Earlier on Friday,
Bassil called for dialogue, urging that the language of reason, wisdom, and
awareness be prioritized over extremism, confrontation, and internal division.
"Even as an opposition party, we stand behind the State and its legitimacy. The
solution lies in the State and the Army maintaining a monopoly on arms and
decision-making, alongside a complete Israeli withdrawal," Bassil
said."Protecting Lebanon requires shielding it from regional conflicts through a
formal defense strategy and a just peace that restores Lebanon’s full rights,",
Bassil said."We reject internal strife, Israeli occupation, and Syrian
interference alike," he added.
British Foreign Secretary announces additional £2m
humanitarian funding to Lebanon
Naharnet/March 26, 2026
At the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in France, the UK Foreign Secretary Yvette
Cooper announced an additional £2 million in UK humanitarian funding to Lebanon
bringing the British total contribution to £9.5 million since the beginning of
the conflict.
This funding will support U.N. OCHA’s Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF) to respond
to growing humanitarian needs. LHF provides food, water, health, shelter and
protection support to conflict-affected communities across the country. "This
funding underlines the UK’s continued commitment to supporting vulnerable
communities at a time of escalating humanitarian pressures," a British embassy
statement said. British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell said: “The UK
remains deeply concerned about the worsening humanitarian situation in Lebanon.
The Foreign Secretary announced additional humanitarian funding to support
vulnerable communities across the country. We will continue to coordinate with
the Government of Lebanon and humanitarian partners.”
Lebanon at real risk of 'humanitarian catastrophe', UN says
Agence France Presse/March 26, 2026
Nearly a month into the Middle East war, Lebanon is facing a deepening
humanitarian crisis that now risks teetering over into a catastrophe, the U.N.
refugee agency warned Friday. Since March 2, more than a million people -- one
in five residents -- have been forced to flee their homes, said the UNHCR. "The
situation remains extremely worrying and the risk of a humanitarian
catastrophe... is real," Karolina Lindholm Billing, the agency's representative
in Lebanon, told reporters in Geneva, speaking from Beirut.
How did Hezbollah 'reappear' south of Litani with its
weapons?
Naharnet/March 26, 2026
The Hezbollah members fighting in the area south of the Litani River are the
sons of the area's villages and towns, supported by fighters from the Bekaa
Valley and other regions, including foreigners, a media report said. "These
fighters moved to the battle zones after the start of the war on Iran, and they
arrived without weapons," the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper quoted a Lebanese
official as saying. "This point is crucial: where did the weapons come from? How
could illegal Iranian weapons appear in an area that the army claimed to have
brought under its control? The state offers justifications, arguing that
Hezbollah did not cooperate with the Lebanese Army and did not hand over maps of
weapons deployment," the daily said. "Furthermore, the south is vast, and it
appears that this practice of storing weapons in homes has been going on for
over 40 years, with Lebanese security agencies lacking sufficient data. Since
the era of President Emile Lahoud and the Israeli withdrawal from the south in
May 2000, the state has been largely absent," the newspaper added. Hezbollah
didn't need to transport fighters with their weapons; they simply went to the
south and deployed to areas where weapons were already present, especially after
the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps had restructured them and the party had
rebuilt its infrastructure, the report explained. "Consequently, Hezbollah's
installations weren't limited to the tunnels that had been seized and
booby-trapped, but extended to homes and fields," it said.
Report: Egyptian security delegation meets with Hezbollah
officials
Naharnet/March 26, 2026
In the past hours an Egyptian security delegation arrived in Beirut following a
directive from the Egyptian leadership to initiate engagement with Lebanese
authorities aimed at reducing tensions on the Lebanese scene and finding
solutions, An-Nahar newspaper said. Their first meeting was with a delegation
from Hezbollah, arranged in advance, and lasted three and a half hours, with a
senior security official in attendance. Relevant figures within Hezbollah
declined to disclose the content of the meeting or the proposals the delegation
brought. However, sources close to the party's decision-making circles told An-Nahar
of the following: - The delegation did not bring anything new that differed from
the core of the previous Egyptian offer presented by the head of Egyptian
intelligence, Major General Hassan Rashad, during his visit to the Lebanese
capital approximately a year ago. This offer was based on the idea that
Hezbollah would announce its compliance with the government's decision to
confine its weapons to the state, with these weapons remaining in the depots
previously created by the party. These depots would be under the control and
supervision of the Lebanese Army, and Hezbollah would pledge two things:
1- To refrain from using these weapons without the approval of the state.2-
Refrain from adding any new weapons to these stockpiles. - The Hezbollah
delegation was a listener and recipient, and had no orders or instructions to
discuss the Egyptian proposals or respond to their contents.
- The only response the Egyptian delegation received from the Hezbollah
delegation was that they should discuss the political issues with Speaker of
Parliament Nabih Berri, as he is the one authorized to answer and discuss them.
The same sources noted that the Egyptian delegation's proposals were
insufficient, both in terms of content and timing, especially since this offer
"failed to take into account the dramatic developments that have unfolded since
March 2, both on the southern front and in the rapidly evolving regional
landscape."
Egypt reportedly warns Lebanon of long war
Naharnet/March 26, 2026
Lebanon received negative intelligence from Egypt indicating that the Israeli
war is likely to be protracted, given the absence of any decisive signs of an
imminent ceasefire, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported. This comes as Israel
deployed a new military division to southern Lebanon, confirming its intention
to escalate the conflict gradually. While Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr
Abdelatty, who met with officials in Beirut, announced that his country was
conducting intensive contacts, including conveying messages between Iran and the
U.S., in parallel with its communication with the Israeli side, with the aim of
reducing tensions and preventing the confrontation from expanding in the region,
sources familiar with Abdelatty's meetings in Beirut described the atmosphere as
"discouraging."The sources told Asharq al-Awsat that the political and military
indicators do not reflect a positive approach to the Lebanese situation,
particularly from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who refuses to
include the war on Lebanon in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran and is
hardening his stance on "eliminating Hezbollah," suggesting that the war on
Lebanon will be lengthy.
Authorities boost security measures in capital Beirut
Naharnet/March 26, 2026
Unprecedented security measures have started to be taken in the capital Beirut,
reinforced by the deployment of additional army and Internal Security Forces
units, and the deployment of military and plainclothes intelligence patrols,
media reports said.
"These measures, implemented by all security forces, aim to control the security
situation, thwart any attempts to disrupt it, and prevent any harm to Beirut
residents' efforts to accommodate and support displaced people," Asharq al-Awsat
newspaper said. "The goal is to maintain stability and civil peace, and these
measures are to be accompanied by similar actions in other areas hosting
displaced people, thus denying Israel the opportunity to exploit the influx of
further waves of displacement to incite sectarian strife," the daily added.
It learned from a high-ranking ministerial source that preparations for the
security plan, which has now been implemented, began in stages, with President
Joseph Aoun chairing an extraordinary meeting of the Higher Defense Council.
This was followed by a meeting with military and security leaders, culminating
in the finalization of the plan and the setting of a zero hour for its
implementation. The plan will initially focus on Beirut, given its role in
hosting the largest influx of displaced people. Similar measures will be
implemented in other areas hosting displaced persons to reassure them and
alleviate the concerns of their host communities regarding violations,
particularly the presence of armed individuals roaming among the centers
designated for the accommodation of displaced people. The source revealed that
Aoun's successive meetings with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam and Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal were aimed at
creating a favorable political climate for the swift implementation of the
security plan.
The source added that Berri's meeting with Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar was to
emphasize that tampering with security is a red line and that no one will be
allowed to threaten it. The source also stated that Berri supports the plan to
prevent clashes or problems between displaced persons and their host
communities, expressing his satisfaction with the way the displaced have been
welcomed and accommodated, as well as with the solidarity campaigns undertaken
in cooperation with political forces in the capital and elsewhere to secure
their essential needs. He emphasized that Berri did not hesitate to demand
strict measures to ensure the implementation of security procedures and measures
to maintain stability and prevent any security lapses that could plunge the
capital into sectarian strife. "He stressed the necessity of immediate
intervention to quell such conflicts by pursuing and holding accountable those
who disrupt security before the appropriate courts. This, he explained,
constitutes a safety net to thwart Israel's attempts to exploit the situation,
as Israel is betting that the influx of displaced people into Beirut will sooner
or later become a ticking time bomb, difficult to control, and ultimately
leading to sectarian conflicts," the source said. The source added that the
daily reports received by Aoun from the military and security agencies indicate
that 80 percent of the problems occur among the displaced themselves, while the
remaining 20 percent stem from individual disputes between displaced people and
their host communities, requiring immediate attention to prevent further damage
to their relationships with their hosts. The source pointed out that
coordination is underway between security leaders and those concerned with the
displacement file in the Amal Movement and Hezbollah, with the aim of
cooperating to avoid the unjustified violations that occur, most of which
involve the passage of vehicles through the streets of the capital with their
occupants insisting on broadcasting anthems and speeches, most of them by the
former Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was
assassinated by Israel in 2024.
Saudi Arabia urges citizens to leave Lebanon immediately
Associated Press/March 26, 2026
The Saudi Embassy in Beirut said in a statement Friday that the decision is
related to the “repercussions of the current events” taking place in Lebanon.
The embassy added that Saudi Arabia’s travel ban to Lebanon has been in place
for years. Israel has moved thousands of troops across the border into Lebanon,
and Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants have been fighting on the
ground for at least three weeks.
Mothers of Israeli soldiers call for stop to Lebanon war
Associated Press/March 26, 2026
In a letter Friday to the Israeli military’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir,
mothers of soldiers called for an end to the further ground offensive into
Lebanon. The group, Parents of Combat Soldiers, includes 600 military parents.
The letter said the military was receiving orders from politicians who are ready
to “sacrifice” its children, and urged Zamir to focus on a political solution.
“Four soldiers have already been killed in Lebanon, how many more will sacrifice
their lives in vain?!” said the letter. Israel has moved thousands of troops
across the border into Lebanon, where Israeli officials said they want to take
control of the entire area south of the Litani River — some 30 kilometers north
of the border. The Israeli army announced the death in combat on Thursday of a
soldier in south Lebanon, just hours after reporting another death from its
ranks, raising the death toll of soldiers in south Lebanon to 4. On Friday, an
Israeli soldier and a combat officer were evacuated to a hospital after being
severely injured during an "operational accident" in southern Lebanon. The
Israeli military said it requires additional troops for deployment in southern
Lebanon. Israel's main opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the government
Thursday of steering Israel toward a "security disaster" due to a shortage of
combat soldiers. "The IDF (army) is stretched to the limit and beyond. The
government is leaving the army wounded out on the battlefield," Lapid said in a
televised statement, echoing a warning delivered a day earlier by Zamir to the
security cabinet. "The government is sending the army into a multi-front war
without a strategy, without the necessary means, and with far too few soldiers,"
Lapid said.
Two killed in Israeli strike on Tahwitat al-Ghadir in
Dahieh
Agence France Presse/March 26, 2026
An Israeli strike hit Beirut’s southern suburbs early Friday, killing two
people, according to the health ministry. AFPTV footage showed smoke billowing
from the area after the raid.The National News Agency reported that "enemy
aircraft" carried out a raid on Tahwitat al-Ghadir in the southern suburbs at
dawn. The strike hit an apartment in a residential building. Israel has
previously issued sweeping evacuation warnings for the area, but provided no
specific warning in advance of Friday's strike. The usually densely populated
area has largely emptied of residents since the hostilities erupted.
Hours later, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee called on residents of
Sojod village in southern Lebanon to evacuate to the north of Zahrani river,
warning of an imminent attack against Hezbollah. Lebanon was drawn into the
Middle East war on March 2 when Tehran-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets
into Israel to avenge the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei. Israel has since been bombing Lebanon, mainly in areas where Hezbollah
has long held sway, and has sent in ground troops in a push to establish a
buffer zone in south Lebanon. Hezbollah said its fighters attacked Israeli
troops in south Lebanon early Friday. On Thursday, official Lebanese media
reported deadly Israeli raids in the country's south, and Hezbollah claimed more
than 90 attacks on Israeli targets inside Lebanon and across the border. Also
Thursday, Israel's military said two soldiers were killed in south Lebanon,
while Israeli emergency services said a rocket fired from Lebanon killed a man
in northern Israel's Nahariya area. Israeli strikes since March 2 have killed at
least 1,116 people including 121 children, according to Lebanese authorities,
while more than one million people have been displaced.
Israel army says more troops needed on Lebanese front
Agence France Presse/March 26, 2026
The Israeli military said on Thursday it requires additional troops for
deployment in southern Lebanon, where forces are engaged in fighting Hezbollah
as part of efforts to establish a buffer zone. "On the Lebanese front, the
forward defensive zone that we are creating requires additional IDF forces,"
military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a televised briefing,
noting that the military is operating simultaneously across multiple fronts,
including the West Bank, Gaza and Syria. "For that, more combat soldiers are
needed in the IDF." Israel's main opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the
government Thursday of steering Israel toward a "security disaster" due to a
shortage of combat soldiers. "The IDF (army) is stretched to the limit and
beyond. The government is leaving the army wounded out on the battlefield,"
Lapid said in a televised statement, echoing a warning delivered a day earlier
by military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir to the security cabinet,
according to Israeli media reports. "The government is sending the army into a
multi-front war without a strategy, without the necessary means, and with far
too few soldiers," Lapid said.
Another soldier killed
The Israeli army announced the death in combat on Thursday of a soldier in south
Lebanon, just hours after reporting another death from its ranks.
"Sergeant Aviaad Elchanan Volansky, 21, from Jerusalem, a soldier in the 77th
Battalion of the 7th Brigade, was killed in action in southern Lebanon," a
military statement said.
Four Israeli soldiers have now been killed in fighting in south Lebanon since
Hezbollah began launching rocket attacks against Israel on March 2 to avenge the
killing of Iran's supreme leader.
LACC Calls for Immediate
Enforcement of Lebanon’s Sovereignty.
March 26, 2026
The Lebanese American Coordinating Committee (LACC) expresses grave concern over
the latest escalation in Lebanon, triggered by Hezbollah’s decision in early
March 2026 to launch rockets from Lebanese territory against Israel, once again
dragging the country into a conflict outside the authority of the Lebanese
state.
Recent developments have removed any remaining ambiguity. Hezbollah’s continued
defiance and intimidation of Lebanese officials and citizens, combined with the
Lebanese government’s decision to declare Iran’s ambassador persona non grata -
a step we commend Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji for advancing -
underscore the extent to which Lebanese sovereignty is being undermined by
direct Iranian interference and by an armed actor operating beyond state
control. Hezbollah’s military operations are increasingly aligned with, and in
key respects directed by, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),
further eroding its claim to act within a Lebanese national framework.
This dynamic is not only driving conflict with Israel but also increasing the
risk of internal instability. Hezbollah’s sustained military posture and
intimidation across multiple regions are heightening tensions within Lebanese
society. Absent decisive state action, these conditions risk escalating into
internal clashes or broader civil unrest.
On March 2, 2026, the Lebanese government took a long-overdue and unprecedented
step by declaring all military and security activities outside the framework of
the state illegal and requiring that such capabilities be brought under state
authority.
This decision settled the question of principle. What remains is execution.
Failure to implement this decision will not preserve stability. It will entrench
instability, invite further conflict, and deepen Lebanon’s subordination to
external agendas. Continued inaction effectively grants a permanent veto over
Lebanese sovereignty to an armed actor operating outside the law.
For the United States and its partners, the stakes are immediate and strategic.
A Lebanon in which Hezbollah continues to operate as part of Iran’s regional
network will remain a recurring source of instability and a direct challenge to
regional security.
The LACC therefore calls for:
Immediate, sustained, and irreversible implementation of the March 2 government
decision, ensuring that all military and security activity is brought under the
exclusive authority of the Lebanese state.
A time-bound national implementation plan, with clearly defined
responsibilities, enforcement milestones, and public accountability.
Concrete enforcement by Lebanese state institutions, particularly the Lebanese
Armed Forces, to prevent attacks from Lebanese territory, dismantle weapons
networks, and extend state authority nationwide.
Legal and financial action to dismantle the infrastructure sustaining armed
activity outside the state, including illicit financing, smuggling networks, and
unauthorized facilities.
A coordinated international approach, led by the United States, that makes
political, military, and financial support to Lebanon, including support to the
Lebanese Armed Forces, contingent on measurable enforcement deliverables, not
declarations.
A firm and sustained rejection of Iranian interference in Lebanon’s sovereign
affairs, including diplomatic, political, and operational channels used to
influence Lebanese decision-making.
The choice is no longer between escalation and restraint. It is between the
restoration of state sovereignty and the risk of continued external conflict and
internal fragmentation.
The LACC urges U.S. policymakers, international partners, and Lebanese
authorities to act decisively to ensure that Lebanese sovereignty is enforced in
practice, not merely affirmed in principle.
Lebanon Will Keep Hezbollah’s Arms, Lose its South
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/This Is Beirut/March 27/2026
Lebanon has made its choice. Instead of enforcing UN Security Council Resolution
1701 and its own cabinet’s decision to disarm Hezbollah, Beirut will allow the
pro-Iran militia to keep its weapons but it will lose its territory south of the
Litani River.
While Lebanon will argue that Israel’s occupation would violate international
law, this time the law is on Jerusalem’s side. Until Lebanon enforces Resolution
1701 and asserts state authority over militias, Israel’s presence will be
justified. Meanwhile, any Lebanese “resistance” will be in violation of UN
resolutions and international law. Simple and naïve Lebanese see this scenario
as confirmation of their unfounded conspiracy that Israel is pursuing a “Nile to
Euphrates” scheme. In reality, southern Lebanon will likely become a depopulated
military zone under Israeli control. Jerusalem will give Beirut a clear choice:
If you want your land back, you must first disarm Hezbollah.
After the 2024 war, Israel put this plan on hold to give Lebanon a chance to
disarm the Iranian proxy. The Lebanese government issued decrees calling for
Hezbollah’s disarmament and even claimed that the area south of the Litani River
had been cleared of the group’s fighters and weapons.
Then, on March 2, 2026, Hezbollah opened a front from southern Lebanon in
support of Tehran, exposing just how hollow Lebanon’s disarmament claims had
been over the previous fifteen months.
Israel has now shifted to Plan B: dealing with Hezbollah on its own. The Jewish
state understands that it cannot make the pro‑Iran militia in Lebanon simply
vanish, just as the Gaza War did not end with Hamas’s disappearance. To uproot
these terrorist groups, the local population must turn against them, just as the
Germans turned against Nazism after World War II.
Jerusalem’s plan, therefore, is to suppress Hezbollah to the point that, even if
it continues to tyrannize Lebanon, it would no longer pose a serious threat to
Israel. This means that, as it did with Hamas in Gaza, Israel will need to
establish a buffer zone between its northern towns and Hezbollah-controlled
areas.
Israel will therefore depopulate and control Lebanese territory stretching from
its northern border to the Litani River, roughly 30 km from the frontier at its
farthest extent. If Lebanon ever disarms Hezbollah, it will get the land back.
If it does not, the status quo will persist.
Lebanon and Hezbollah believe Israel’s plan works in their favor, imagining a
repeat of the Jewish state’s last occupation of southern Lebanon. However,
Israel withdrew unilaterally in 2000, while the UN confirmed that Jerusalem had
fully complied with Security Council Resolution 425.
When Israel withdrew, it accepted Lebanon’s argument that ending the occupation
would end Hezbollah’s “resistance.” That, however, never happened. On the
contrary, Hezbollah’s raison d’être shifted from “the defense of Lebanon” to the
“unity of battlefields” with Iran and its proxies, with the ultimate goal of
annihilating Israel. Hezbollah has abandoned any pretense of being a “Lebanese
resistance” movement. Since March 2, all its war updates have described it as
the “Islamic resistance.”
Lebanese leaders have continued to think like pundits rather than act like
responsible rulers. Their cabinet votes remain mere ink on paper. They quickly
abandoned their short-lived orders for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to
confront Hezbollah and reverted to their usual stance of “avoiding civil war,”
code for refusing to disarm the militia.
Israel, therefore, will do what it must. The Jewish state is currently in the
process of slowly clearing the area south of the Litani River of Hezbollah
fighters and Lebanese civilians. The LAF has already withdrawn, while UNIFIL is
set to see its mandate end by the end of the year.
With the south emptied, Israel will turn it into a sterile buffer zone, an
arrangement drastically different from the Israeli occupation that ended in
2000. There will be no Lebanese population for the Israeli military to govern,
no friction with civilians, and no space for “resistance” forces to ambush
Israeli troops.
The new de facto border between Lebanon and Israel will be the Litani River.
Along its southern bank, Israel will build a security fence backed by a military
buffer zone extending to the international border. North of the river, Hezbollah
will continue to dominate Lebanon.
Israel will likely continue policing Hezbollah with targeted airstrikes, as it
did after the last war ended in November 2024. Hezbollah might still fire
missiles, but its ability to strike Israel will be drastically reduced, making
Israeli civilians far safer.
Tragically, instead of surrendering Hezbollah’s weapons, Lebanon will lose the
very territory that Hezbollah claimed its arms were meant to defend.
**Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a research fellow at The Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD) in Washington, DC.
Lebanon declares Iranian ambassador-designate ‘persona non
grata’ before Iranian missile explodes over Lebanese airspace
David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/March 27/2026
On March 24, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi announced that he had
instructed his ministry’s secretary-general “to summon the Iranian Charge
d’Affaires in Lebanon,” Tufiq Samadi Khoshkhou, and inform him that Lebanon had
withdrawn its tentative approval of Mohammad Reza Shibani’s status as “the
designated Iranian Ambassador.” Raggi said that Shibani would consequently be
“persona non grata” and set a deadline for him to leave Lebanese territory “no
later than” March 29.
The Lebanese official did not specify the reasons for expelling Shibani, but the
decision may relate to his possible involvement in claiming protected diplomatic
status for Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel operating in
Lebanon, the IRGC’s claims of joint operations with Hezbollah, and his
unapproved contacts with the organization.
On February 25, Tehran had tapped Shibani as its new ambassador to Lebanon. He
appears to have arrived in Beirut between February 26, per Lebanese reporting,
and February 28, according to Iranian media.
However, as of the time of Raggi’s statement, Shibani hadn’t fully assumed his
ambassadorial role in the formal diplomatic sense, as he had yet to schedule a
meeting with Raggi and present the Lebanese foreign minister with his
credentials. Raggi had hinted at this tentative status in his statement by
describing Shibani as “the designated Iranian ambassador” and noting Beirut’s
withdrawal of its formal approval for a foreign country’s proposed head of a
diplomatic mission. This procedure ensures that a diplomat is accepted by the
receiving state before their arrival but does not automatically allow the
incoming diplomat to assume their role.
Underscoring this status, Raggi’s communications with the Iranian Embassy
throughout the past month—including regarding Shibani’s expulsion—had been
conducted exclusively through Khoshkhou, the Iranian charge d’affaires. These
communications included an objection lodged with the Iranian diplomatic mission
on March 12 to “a series of incidents and statements” by Iranian officials “that
constitute a clear violation of [Lebanese] national sovereignty and a breach of
our government’s decisions.”
The Lebanese foreign ministry subsequently clarified that its decision was
specific to Shibani, “pursuant to Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on
Diplomatic Relations,” which allows a receiving state “at any time and without
having to explain its decision,” to declare any member of a diplomatic mission
persona non grata. The ministry indicated that Shibani’s expulsion would
otherwise have no impact on the Iranian Embassy’s operations or function in the
country.
The foreign ministry’s statement accused Shibani of “violating diplomatic norms
and obligations.” These violations, it said, included, through statements and
“meetings with unauthorized parties,” Article 41’s prohibition on interfering in
the domestic affairs of the receiving state. However, the ministry also stressed
that the action did “not constitute a severance of diplomatic ties with Iran,”
and that Beirut “remains keen on maintaining the friendliest of relations with
the Iranian Republic and other states.”
Hezbollah expressed displeasure at Shibani’s expulsion. In a formal statement,
the group described Raggi’s decision as an “irresponsible step and a strategic
error and national sin” that would shatter Lebanese domestic unity. It also said
the decision encroached on Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s prerogatives and
called on the foreign ministry to “immediately retract” it. However, Al Jadeed
has reported that the decision was coordinated between the ministry and the
presidency.
The AMAL Movement, Lebanon’s other major Shiite party and Hezbollah’s formal
political partner, issued a similar condemnation. AMAL said it would not
passively allow the decision to pass and reiterated its objection to President
Aoun’s and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s proposals for direct negotiations “with
the Israeli enemy.” AMAL Party chairman and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri
reportedly asked Aoun to retract the decision. Environment Minister Tamara Al
Zein, a member of AMAL, even suggested that her party and Hezbollah would
withdraw from the cabinet in response. Grand Jaafari Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan,
a significant Shiite religious figure in Lebanon, likewise condemned the foreign
ministry’s move.
Reports in Al Hadath suggested that Shibani would ask Hezbollah and Amal to
pressure the Lebanese government into reversing course, but Iran otherwise
intended to ignore the decision. Tehran has not issued a formal statement
regarding the matter.
However, at approximately 3:30 pm, residents of Jounieh and other parts of the
Keserwan District, north of Beirut, began reporting hearing muffled blasts.
Witnesses said that they saw six detonations from what was later identified by
the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) as an Iranian-made Qadr-110 medium-range
ballistic missile containing several smaller munitions. Debris from the missile
reportedly fell in the neighborhoods of Haret al Sakhr and Sahel Alma in Jounieh,
as well as Faitroun and Baskinta, more inland. The impact caused minor damage to
local buildings, but no casualties.
There was no immediate official comment from Lebanese authorities on the
incident. However, reports citing unnamed Lebanese sources suggested that, in an
event that is the first of its kind, the missile had been intercepted over
Lebanese airspace, most likely by a foreign naval vessel offshore.
Meanwhile, by 3:57 pm, the Lebanese newspaper Annahar, citing unnamed Israeli
media, claimed that the Iranian missile was headed toward an American target
inside Lebanon. The earliest identifiable Israeli media reports stating anything
similar to this claim, Israel Hayom at 4:42 pm and Channel 14 news at 4:58 pm,
cited a 4:33 pm alert in the Lebanese media outlet Nidaa al Watan that alleged
“the US Embassy in Beirut or Hamat Airbase” were the targets. Nidaa al Watan has
a decidedly activist, anti-Hezbollah editorial line, casting doubt on its
reliability. Nevertheless, Annahar also claimed that its own “information
revealed an initial security assessment that the Iranian missile was targeting
the US Embassy in Awkar [Beirut], or the Hamat Airbase.”
Hamat Airbase, located between Batroun and Tripoli, periodically hosts US
personnel who provide security assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces, but it
is neither owned nor operationally controlled by the United States.
Nevertheless, propaganda from the Iran-led Axis of Resistance routinely portrays
Hamat Airbase as an American asset, and Iran’s Arabic-language IRIB channel Al
Alam recently ran a short video of the base that was perceived as threatening an
imminent attack.
The timing and reports of the missile’s intended target soon touched off
speculation among certain Lebanon watchers that it was Iran’s response to
Raggi’s announcement, which had rattled Tehran. However, Barak Ravid, reporting
for Israeli Channel 12 News, cited an unnamed “U.S. official who said the U.S.
military believes the Iranian missile that fell in Lebanon was aimed at another
country—most likely Cyprus—but disintegrated in Lebanese airspace, with
fragments falling near Beirut.”
A statement issued by the Lebanese Armed Forces the next day appeared to confirm
Ravid’s version of events. The LAF said its inspection of the crash sites and
debris revealed that the Qadr-110 missile apparently exploded due to either a
technical issue or an interceptor, but “exploded [in Lebanese airspace] while
still at high altitude, which suggests its target was outside of Lebanese
territory.” The statement did not speculate on whether the intended target was
Cyprus.
In early March, drones launched from Lebanon—either by Hezbollah or Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel—struck the Royal Air Force base in Akrotiri,
Cyprus. On March 22, Beirut Time, a small, Lebanese news platform sympathetic to
Hezbollah and “resistance” framing, claimed to have learned that Cypriot
intelligence chief Tasos Tzionis conveyed reassurances to Iran, through
Hezbollah, that Akrotiri would not be used to launch attacks against the Islamic
Republic.
Beirut Time’s report could not be independently verified, but Reuters reported
on March 21 and March 25 that the United Kingdom agreed not to involve Akrotiri
in its defensive agreement with the United States to use UK bases. Reuters
further reported that Nicosia had initiated a discussion with London regarding
the future of British bases on the Mediterranean island.
**David Daoud is Senior Fellow at at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2026/03/lebanon-declares-iranian-ambassador-designate-persona-non-grata-before-iranian-missile-explodes-over-lebanese-airspace.php
Read in FDD's Long War Journal
What Does the Future Hold?
Colonel Charbel Barakat/March 28/2026
Over the course of 40 years, the Iranian jihadist terrorist Hezbollah created an
isolated environment clinging to the coattails of its butchers, who led it to
suicide, emigration, poverty, destruction, killing, and hostility toward all
others in the service of the mullahs’ regime and its demonic schemes.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/153143/
Current field developments suggest that Israel and the United States are
determined to dismantle the Iranian regime and its regional proxies—most notably
Hezbollah in Lebanon. This resolve is reflected in the daily, escalating
evacuation warnings issued by the Israeli military spokesperson to Lebanese
citizens, particularly in the South and the southern suburbs of Beirut. These
directives signal a clear intent to intensify the campaign against Hezbollah.
Military observers note that Hezbollah’s effectiveness on the front lines is
waning, hampered by a growing scarcity of personnel and ammunition. Perhaps more
significantly, the group appears to realize that the coming conflict will not be
confined to the traditional borders they prepared for. Historically, Hezbollah
has relied on the Lebanese government to leverage international pressure for a
ceasefire, seeking to maintain a facade of strength while Tehran negotiates to
preserve its assets. Iran, meanwhile, attempts to use Hezbollah as a bargaining
chip in broader crises, such as the struggle for freedom of navigation in the
Strait of Hormuz.
However, the Revolutionary Guard’s strategy is failing. Their influence on the
ground diminishes daily, forcing them into desperate measures—such as recruiting
children as young as twelve, a grim echo of the Hitler Youth in the waning days
of WWII. If the ten-day deadline recently suggested by President Trump
holds—concluding after Easter Monday or April 8th—we can expect an unabated
escalation. Preparations are likely underway to seize strategic islands and
enrichment sites, while persistent strikes target military industries and
“underground missile cities.” Only after the regime’s military teeth are pulled
will popular internal movements be empowered to rise and finally achieve regime
change.
The Looming Campaign in Lebanon
As internal unrest begins to distract Tehran, a significant portion of the
Israeli Air Force will be liberated to systematically eliminate what remains of
Hezbollah’s military and political leadership. Simultaneously, a ground force of
hundreds of thousands—bolstered by Israel’s call-up of 400,000 reservists—will
likely launch a multi-front invasion. This operation would span from the South
to the Bekaa Valley, potentially reaching the western mountain ranges and the
southern suburbs of Beirut, aiming to dismantle every remaining stronghold.
The American leadership and its allies appear committed to ending the Iranian
threat once and for all, envisioning a “New Middle East” purged of the Mullahs’
export of Islamic Revolution. This vision includes a global crackdown on
extremist movements. By mobilizing moderate Islamic states, the international
community seeks to marginalize fundamentalist organizations that have long
exploited the Palestinian cause as a veil for their own sinister agendas.
In this context, the war in Lebanon is seen as a pivotal step in eradicating
regional terrorism. Under Hezbollah’s shadow, Lebanon was transformed into a hub
for drug trafficking, money laundering, and the training of insurgents. While
the world initially looked to the Lebanese government to address this, its
perceived incapacity has led the international community to effectively entrust
the task to Israeli forces.
A Community at a Crossroads
The fate of the Hezbollah-aligned community will serve as a harsh lesson to
those who attempt to control destiny through murderous ideologies. For forty
years, the “Iranian Party” has utilized systematic brainwashing to create an
environment alienated from the aspirations of the broader Lebanese population.
This community has been led toward destruction by leaders who exhibit a
repulsive arrogance even in the face of defeat—men like Qassem, Raad, Kmati, and
Safa, who defy logic even as the weight of their choices crushes their
followers.
The international community, having witnessed the devastation in Gaza, seems to
have lost its patience for the tragedies born of these suicidal alliances. The
world is increasingly weary of a Tehran regime that shows no responsibility for
human life—whether it is the 30,000 Iranians killed internally or the neighbors
who are met with missiles when they attempt to offer a way out of the abyss.
As Lebanese, we grieve for the state of a major segment of our nation. We have
friends and comrades within that community who are silenced by fear, blinded by
Iranian funding, or cowed by the threat of assassination. They have used the
name of God to mask their transgressions, following “turbaned” leaders who
ignore the truth of the people’s suffering.
The Search for Light
Will these leaders take their Iranian wealth to the grave? Will mothers continue
to sacrifice their children for the “Supreme Leader”? Even after the death of
their icons, the followers of this cult of personality continue to cling to
hatred and defiance while the people of the South watch their homes disappear.
They claim to be “resisting,” but who commissioned them to bring this ruin upon
our people?
Amidst this inferno, a glimmer of light remains. It is carried by those who
understand that Lebanon’s only path to survival is through peace, the
abandonment of hatred, and the pursuit of justice against those who led the
nation into this abyss.
Will our voices find an echo in the hearts of the people? Or must we wait for a
long, dark era to pass before we are finally free of the “Mahdi schools” and the
toxic legacy of the Revolutionary Guard?
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 27-28/2026
Iran’s response to US peace proposal expected Friday, source says
Reuters/27 March/2026
Iran’s response to a US peace proposal aimed at ending the war in the Middle
East is expected later on Friday, according to a source briefed on the matter.
US President Donald Trump and top White House officials have been told via
interlocutors that Iran’s counter-proposal would likely arrive Friday, the
source said. The war, which began when the US and Israel attacked Iran on
February 28, has spread across the Middle East. Iran had been reviewing a 15
point proposal, sent via Pakistan, that included demands ranging from
dismantling Iran’s nuclear program to curbing its missile development and
effectively handing over control of the Strait of Hormuz, according to sources
and reports. An Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday that senior officials
had reviewed the proposal and felt it served only US and Israeli interests. But
the official said diplomacy had not ended.
US says more than 300 troops injured since start of Iran
war
Al Arabiya English/27 March/2026
More than 300 US troops have been wounded since the start of the Iran war on
February 28, US Central Command said on Friday. “Since the start of Operation
Epic Fury, approximately 303 US service members have been wounded. The vast
majority of these injuries have been minor, and 273 troops have returned to
duty,” US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins said. A US official who asked not to be
identified told AFP that 10 troops remain seriously wounded. A further 13 troops
have been killed in the war, according to the latest figures, with seven killed
in the Gulf and six in Iraq. In a separate development Friday, Iran’s military
said that hotels housing US soldiers in the region would be considered targets.
“When all the Americans (forces) go into a hotel, then from our perspective that
hotel becomes American,” armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi told state
television on Thursday.
Iran’s government has not released an updated casualty toll, but a US-based
activist group said on March 23 that some 1,167 Iranian troops had been killed
and 658 troops’ status is unknown. The war began on February 28 when the United
States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, killing its supreme leader Ali
Khamenei. Since then, the conflict has spread across the Middle East. US
President Donald Trump insisted on Thursday that talks to end the conflict were
“ongoing” and “going very well.”
With AFP
Trump says Iran has to reopen Strait of Hormuz,
negotiations ongoing
Al Arabiya English/28 March/2026
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that negotiations with Iran were
ongoing and said the Iranian regime needed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’re achieving each and every one of the military objectives I laid out less
than four weeks ago,” Trump said during a speech at the FII Summit in Miami,
Florida.Trump said Iran was being “decimated” as talks continue, adding that
Tehran wants a deal. He said 3,554 targets remained in Iran. The US president
also praised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as well as other Gulf
leaders from the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain. Calling MBS a close friend, Trump said
Saudi Arabia should be proud of the Saudi Crown Prince.
Israel confirms it struck uranium processing facility, heavy water plant in Iran
Al Arabiya English/27 March/2026
The Israeli military confirmed it struck a uranium processing site in Yazd,
central Iran, on Friday, after Iran’s atomic energy organization said US-Israeli
strikes hit the facility. “A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force... struck a
uranium extraction plant located in Yazd, central Iran,” the military said in a
statement, describing the site as a “unique facility in Iran used for the
production of raw materials required for the uranium enrichment process.”The
Israeli military also confirmed that it had struck a heavy water plant in Arak,
central Iran, after Iranian media said US-Israeli strikes hit the Khondab
complex.“A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force... struck the heavy water
plant in Arak, central Iran,” the military said in a statement, describing the
site as a “key plutonium production site for nuclear weapons.”Earlier on Friday,
Iranian state media reported that US-Israeli airstrikes on damaged two major
steel plants in Iran. “Minutes ago, the American-Zionist enemy targeted the
Khuzestan Steel (in southwest Iran) and Mobarakeh Steel factories in Isfahan
(central Iran) in two separate attacks,” Fars news agency said, with state
broadcaster IRIB also reporting the strikes. “Rescue forces have immediately
arrived at the scene of the incident,” Fars wrote.The news agency added that
initial information suggested an “electrical substation and an alloy steel
production line” were targeted at Mobarakeh Steel complex, while a warehouse was
hit at the Khuzestan Steel Factory. Steel is a strategically important material
essential for industrial and military production, including of missiles, drones
and ships.With AFP
Israel strikes Tehran, warns attacks 'will escalate and expand'
Associated Press/27 March/2026
Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Iran and threatened on Friday that its
attacks "will escalate and expand" after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed
talks on ending the war were going well and gave Tehran more time to open the
Strait of Hormuz, though there have been no signs of Iran backing down. With
stock markets reeling and economic fallout from the war extending far beyond the
Middle East, Trump is under growing pressure to end Iran's chokehold on the
strait, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil is usually
shipped. The United States has offered Iran a 15-point proposal for a ceasefire
that includes it relinquishing control of the strait, but at the same time has
ordered thousands more troops to the region — possibly in preparation for a
military attempt to wrest the waterway from Iran's tight grip. With time running
out on a deadline set by Trump for Iran to open the strait, after which he had
threatened to destroy Iran's energy plants, he pushed his self-imposed deadline
back to April 6 on Thursday, saying that talks on ending the conflict were going
"very well." Iran, however, maintains it is not engaged in any negotiations. Air
raid sirens sounded in Israel as the military said it was working to intercept
Iranian missiles in what has been a daily occurrence. Israel's Defense Minister
Israel Katz said Iran "will pay heavy, increasing prices for this war crime."
"Despite the warnings, the firing continues," Katz said. "And therefore attacks
in Iran will escalate and expand to additional targets and areas that assist the
regime in building and operating weapons against Israeli citizens." Israel's
military said its attack on Friday targeted sites "in the heart of Tehran" used
by Iran to produce ballistic missiles and other weapons. It also hit missile
launchers and storage sites in western Iran. Smoke rose over Beirut after a
pre-dawn strike, and Lebanon's Health Ministry later reported two people were
killed.
Iran, meantime, kept firing missiles and drones at its Gulf Arab neighbors, with
sirens warning of attacks in Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi
Arabia's Defense Ministry said it shot down both missiles and drones targeting
the capital, Riyadh. Kuwait said both its Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait City and the
Mubarak Al Kabeer Port to the north, which is under construction as part of
China's "Belt and Road" initiative, had sustained "material damage" in attacks.
It appeared to be one of the first times a Chinese-affiliated project in the
Gulf Arab states came under assault in the war. Throughout the conflict, China
has continued to purchase Iranian crude. After Wall Street's worst day since the
war began, Asian shares mostly fell Friday over growing doubts about the chances
of de-escalation. Oil prices rose again, the Brent crude, the international
standard, at $107 a barrel in morning trading, up more than 45% since Israel and
the U.S. attacked Iran on Feb. 28 to start the war. US pushing diplomatic
solution but sending more troops to the region. Iran's stranglehold on shipping
through the Strait of Hormuz, has caused growing concerns of a global energy
crisis, and appears part of a strategy to get the U.S. to back down by roiling
the world economy. A Gulf Arab bloc said Thursday that Iran is now exacting
tolls from ships to ensure their safe passage through the waterway.Trump's envoy
Steve Witkoff said Washington had delivered a 15-point "action list" to Iran for
a possible ceasefire, using Pakistan as an intermediary. The list includes
restrictions on Iran's nuclear program and re-opening the Strait of Hormuz.Iran
has rejected the U.S. offer and put forth its own five-point proposal, which
includes reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of
Hormuz.Diplomats from several countries have been trying to organize a direct
meeting between envoys from the U.S. and Iran, possibly in Pakistan.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday that the country's foreign
minster, Badr Abdelatty, held phone calls the day before with his Turkish and
Pakistani counterparts as part of their "intensive efforts" to organize the
talks.
Abdelatty said he hoped the tri-country effort would result in "gradual
de-escalation efforts that would ultimately lead to the end of the war."As the
diplomatic efforts went on, a group of U.S. ships drew closer to the region with
some 2,500 Marines. Also, at least 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne —
trained to land in hostile territory to secure key territory and airfields —
have been ordered to the Middle East. Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council is to
hold closed consultation on Iran on Friday, according to two U.N. diplomats who
spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting is not public. They added
that Russia had asked for the meeting on U.S.-Israeli attacks on civilian
infrastructure in the country, that the U.S., which holds the Security Council
presidency, had scheduled it. Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian
Refugee Council, said the humanitarian organization's teams in Iran have
reported that "countless homes, hospitals and schools have been damaged or
destroyed," and that nearly every neighborhood in Tehran has sustained damage.
"Civilians are paying the highest price for this war — it must end" he said in a
statement. The International Organization for Migration said Friday that 82,000
civilian buildings, including hospitals and the homes of 180,000 people have
been damaged in Iran so far. "If this war continues, we risk a far wider
humanitarian disaster," Egeland said. "Millions could be forced to flee across
borders, placing immense pressure on an already overstretched region."
G7 meets on Iran war as Rubio tries to sell US strategy to skeptical allies
Associated Press/27 March/2026
Group of Seven foreign ministers met on Friday in France to discuss the
Russia-Ukraine conflict, with deep divisions apparent over the U.S.-Israeli war
with Iran, following U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated complaints that
America's allies have ignored or rejected requests for help in the military
operation and in confronting Iran's retaliatory attacks, including the closure
of the Strait of Hormuz to most international shipping. U.S. Secretary of State
Marco Rubio joined his counterparts from the G7 just 24 hours after Trump's
latest round of insults lobbed at NATO and as instability in oil markets
persisted with the Iran war entering its fourth week along with uncertainty over
the status of potential negotiations to end the crisis. Most of America's
closest allies have greeted the Iran war with deep skepticism, sentiments that
were on display as the G7 foreign ministers met at a historic 12th-century abbey
in Vaux-de-Cernay, outside Paris, even as they urged a diplomatic solution to
resolve the situation. As the diplomats gathered, France's Minister of the Armed
Forces Catherine Vautrin said the war in the Middle East "is not ours," adding
that the French position is strictly defensive. "The aim is truly this
diplomatic approach, which is the only one that can guarantee a return to
peace," she said on Europe 1 and CNews. "Many countries are concerned, and it is
absolutely essential that we find a solution."
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, meanwhile, said Britain also favored a
diplomatic path, acknowledging differences with the United States. "We have
taken the approach of supporting defensive action, but also we've taken a
different approach on the offensive action that has taken place as part of this
conflict," she said. Rubio already faced difficulties in trying to sell the U.S.
strategy for the Iran conflict, but Trump's vitriolic comments about NATO
countries not stepping up to help the U.S. and Israel during a Cabinet meeting
on Thursday will likely make it an even tougher task.
Of the G7 nations — besides the U.S. — Britain, Canada, France, Germany and
Italy are members of the trans-Atlantic military alliance. Japan is the only one
that is not. "We are very disappointed with NATO because NATO has done
absolutely nothing," Trump said in comments echoed later by his top
diplomat."Frankly, I think countries around the world, even those that are out
there complaining about this a little bit, should actually be grateful that the
United States has a president that's willing to confront a threat like this,"
Rubio said Thursday.
Rubio, who chatted briefly with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, also
still has work to do to smooth things over with allies like those in Europe that
have faced criticism or outright threats from Trump and others in his Republican
administration. The Europeans are still smarting over Trump's earlier demands to
take over Greenland from NATO ally Denmark and are concerned about U.S. support
for Ukraine in its war with Russia. The conflict in the Middle East has added
another point of tension. Shortly before leaving Washington, however, Rubio told
reporters he was not concerned about G7 unhappiness with the Iran war. "I'm not
there to make them happy," he said. "I get along with all of them on a personal
level, and we work with those governments very carefully, but the people I'm
interested in making happy are the people of the United States. That's who I
work for. I don't work for France or Germany or Japan." Trump has complained
about lack of support from allies. Trump has complained that he has not been
able to rally support behind his war of choice in Iran and that NATO and most
other allies have rejected his calls to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, where
Iran's chokehold has disrupted oil shipments and pushed up energy prices. "We're
there to protect NATO, to protect them from Russia. But they're not there to
protect us," Trump said Thursday. He later added: "I never thought we needed
them. I was more doing a test."
Before the U.S. leader's comments, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte reiterated
the increase in defense spending by alliance members — which Trump has urged —
saying Europe and Canada had been "overreliant on U.S. military might" but a
"shift in mindset" has taken hold. Rutte said NATO has been clear that Iran
cannot have a nuclear weapon and has "long recognized the threat Iran's missile
program posed to allies and their interests. And what the United States is
currently doing is degrading those capabilities, both the nuclear and the
missile."
Iran has long insisted that its nuclear program is peaceful, and its ambassador
to the International Atomic Energy Agency has said that the United States and
Israel's "justification that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons is simply a
big lie." The ambassador, Reza Najafi, has accused the U.S. and Israel of
attacking "Iran's peaceful safeguarded nuclear facilities."
G7 host France has been skeptical of the Iran war
France is hosting the G7 meeting near Versailles and has been highly skeptical
of the war. Besides Vautrin's comments on Friday, the chief of the French
defense staff, Gen. Fabien Mandon, complained this week that U.S. allies had not
been informed about the start of hostilities. "They have just decided to
intervene in the Near and Middle East without notifying us," Mandon said,
lamenting that the U.S. "is less and less predictable and doesn't even bother to
inform us when it decides to engage in military operations."However, 35
countries joined military talks hosted by Mandon on how to reopen the Strait of
Hormuz "once the intensity of hostilities has sufficiently decreased," France's
Defense Ministry said. Rubio said that with Iran threatening global shipping,
countries that care about international law "should step up and deal with
it."Similar sentiments to Mandon's have been expressed by other allies that also
worry about the U.S. commitment to Ukraine as the Iran war closes in on four
weeks. "We must avoid further destabilization, secure our economic freedom and
develop perspectives for an end of and the time after the hostilities," German
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Thursday. "Our joint support for Ukraine
... must not crumble now. That would be a strategic mistake with a view to
Euro-Atlantic security."
Iran Guards urge civilians to leave areas near US forces in
region
Agence France Presse/27 March/2026
Iran's Revolutionary Guards urged civilians across the region on Friday to stay
away from areas near U.S. forces, nearly a month into the war with the United
States and Israel. "The cowardly American-Zionist forces... are attempting to
use civilian locations and innocent people as human shields," said the Guards in
a statement on their Sepah News website. "We recommend that you urgently leave
locations where American forces are stationed so that no harm comes to you."
Rubio tells allies Iran war will continue 2-4 more weeks
Naharnet/27 March/2026
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told G7 foreign ministers on Friday that the
war with Iran will continue for another two to four weeks, three sources with
direct knowledge told U.S. news portal Axios. This is the first time a senior
U.S. official suggested the war would continue beyond the four to six-week
timeframe U.S. President Donald Trump has discussed since the war started. Rubio
also claimed during Friday's meeting in France that the U.S. was close to
holding serious negotiations with Iran. At the same time, thousands more troops
are heading to the region and the administration is considering escalatory
options that would involve ground forces. Rubio stressed that the U.S. is
determined to achieve all of its objectives in the war. Rubio told his G7
counterparts that the U.S. is still communicating with Iran through mediators,
rather than directly, the three sources said. He said there is uncertainty about
who is actually making the decisions in Tehran at the moment. Rubio added that
there are two Iranian officials who want to hold negotiations with the U.S., but
they need approval from the top leadership.Rubio said it's hard for the
mediators to communicate with Iranian officials because they are staying away
from their phones out of fear they will be located and assassinated. That has
slowed the pace of communications, Rubio said, according to the sources. One of
the sources said Rubio stressed the U.S. doesn't need G7 countries to help
reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but wants its allies to join a maritime task force
to police the strait after the war is over. "Rubio said that the U.S. will need
us in the next phase to escort ships or just to have an international presence
in the Strait of Hormuz to show the Iranians they don't control the strait.
Everyone agreed," the source said. In a press gaggle after the G7 meeting, Rubio
said the U.S. expects the war to end within "weeks and not months." He also said
the U.S. is waiting for clarification on who would represent Iran in potential
peace talks. U.S. Vice President JD Vance is likely to lead the U.S. delegation
if talks take place, though Trump has said Rubio, Steve Witkoff and Jared
Kushner are all involved in the diplomatic efforts. Rubio also said one reason
allies need to step up and ensure freedom of navigation in the strait after the
war is that Iran wants to demand a toll from any ship that passes through.
Iran starts to formalize chokehold on Hormuz Strait with 'toll booth' regime
Associated Press/27 March/2026
Iran appears to be setting itself up as the gatekeeper for the Strait of Hormuz,
the world's most important artery for oil shipments. The move could cement
Tehran's de facto chokehold over the crucial waterway and formalize its ability
to keep its own oil flowing to China. Iranian communications to the United
Nations maritime authority and the experience of ships transiting the strait
suggest the creation of something akin to a "toll booth." Ships must enter
Iranian waters and be vetted by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. At
least two vessels have paid for passage.
Traffic through the strait has fallen by 90% since the start of the Iran war,
sending global oil prices skyrocketing and inflicting alarming shortages on the
Asian nations that get their oil from Persian Gulf countries via the strait.
Only about 150 vessels, including tankers and container ships, have transited
since March 1, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence shipping information firm.
That's a little more than one day's normal traffic before the war. Iran's Kharg
Island terminal loaded 1.6 million barrels in March — largely unchanged from
prewar monthly loading totals, according to data and analytic firm Kpler. Most
of the customers are small, private refineries in China that don't care about
U.S. sanctions.
A majority of the ships that have made it through in recent weeks headed east,
out of the Gulf; Iran-affiliated ships accounted for 24% of transits, Greece
18%, and China 10% counted by ownership or flag registration. Yet on closer
examination, vessels connected to Iran accounted for 60% of transits during the
first part of the war and in the last few days, some 90%. About half of the
vessels turn off radio identification systems that show their location before
going through, and reappear on the other side in the Gulf of Oman. There's a
reason for their reluctance and caution. At least 18 ships have been hit and at
least seven crew members have been killed, according to the U.N.'s International
Maritime Organization, which tracks maritime security. It did not specify which
nation attacked the vessels. Lloyd's List says tolls are paid in yuan, China's
currency
"Iran's IRGC has imposed a de facto 'toll booth' regime in the Strait of
Hormuz," says shipping information firm Lloyd's List Intelligence. Normally
ships use a two-lane shipping channel in the middle of the strait. But
increasingly, vessels are taking a different route, to the north around Larak
Island, placing them in Iran's territorial waters and closer to the Iranian
coastline. Entities that want their vessels to safely pass through must submit
their details to what Lloyd's List Intelligence refers to as "approved
intermediaries" of the Revolutionary Guard, including the cargo, owners,
destination and a complete crew list. Approved vessels receive a code and are
escorted by an IRGC vessel. Oil is prioritized and vessels are subject to
"geopolitical vetting," Lloyd's said. "While not all ships are paying a direct
toll, at least two vessels have and the payment is settled in yuan," Lloyd's
List said, referring to the Chinese currency. Some ships appear to have been
allowed through following diplomatic pressure. Two Indian vessels loaded with
liquid petroleum gas have been able to pass, according to Lloyd's.
Iran appears to be setting up a permanent system
On Tuesday, the IMO received a letter from the Iranian government saying it "had
implemented a set of precautionary measures aimed at preserving maritime safety
and security." The letter claimed Iran was acting within the principles of
international law.
Iran's parliament appears to be working on a bill to formalize fees for some
ships in the Strait of Hormuz, local media reported. The Fars and Tasnim news
agencies, both close to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, quoted lawmaker Mohammadreza
Rezaei Kouchi saying "parliament is pursuing a plan to formally codify Iran's
sovereignty, control and oversight over the Strait of Hormuz, while also
creating a source of revenue through the collection of fees."The IMO has
condemned the attacks on vessels and called for an internationally coordinated
approach to secure passage through the strait that respects freedom of
navigation. An Emirati oil executive calls Iran's chokehold 'economic terrorism'
The comment by Sultan al-Jaber, who leads the massive state-run Abu Dhabi
National Oil Co., signaled the hardening rhetoric of the United Arab Emirates as
the war nears its one-month mark. "Weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz is not an
act of aggression against one nation," al-Jaber said in a speech for an event
hosted by the Middle East Institute in Washington. "It is economic terrorism
against every consumer, every family that depends on affordable energy and food.
When Iran holds Hormuz hostage, every nation pays the ransom, at the gas pump,
at the grocery store and at the pharmacy," he said. "No country can be allowed
to destabilize the global economy in this way."
Iran's approach may violate international law
Article 19 of the U.N.'s Law of the Sea Treaty states that countries must allow
"innocent passage" of peaceful, law-abiding vessels in their territorial waters.
"There's no provision in international law anywhere to set up a toll booth and
shake down shipping. … This is Iran using the element that they have right now,
which is control of the Strait of Hormuz," said Sal Mercogliano, a maritime
historian at Campbell University in North Carolina.The secretary general of the
Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, said Iran's collection of
fees for passage is "an aggression and a violation of the United Nations
agreement on the law of the sea."Such payments likely run afoul of American and
European sanctions on the Guard, a key power center within Iran that controls
its ballistic missile arsenal and was key in suppressing nationwide protests in
January.
US envoy Witkoff says Trump administration is hopeful for
meetings with Iran soon
Al Arabiya English/28 March/2026
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Friday that the
United States was hopeful that there would be meetings with Iran this week.
“There are some people in Iran who deny that there are negotiations, but I think
everybody in this room knows we are negotiating. It’s clear,” Witkoff said at
the FII Summit in Miami, Florida. He alluded to “some ships” being able to
transit through the Strait of Hormuz, calling that a “very, very good
sign.”Witkoff, speaking shortly before US President Donald Trump’s scheduled
address at the FII summit, said his boss wants a peace deal. “But he also
believes in peace through strength. Without pressure, you’ll never get anybody
to the table.”The diplomat and close confidante of the US president listed
several red lines, including no enrichment for Iran and halting support of
non-state militias. "We have a 15-point plan on the table that the Iranians have
had for a bit of time. We expect the Iranians to respond, and it could solve it
all.”He added: “We think there will be meetings this week. We’re certainly
hopeful for it,”With Reuters
Why Pakistan has emerged as a mediator between US and Iran
Associated Press/27 March/2026
As fears of a wider regional conflict escalate following U.S. and Israeli
strikes on Iran that began in late February, Pakistan has emerged as an
unexpected mediator, offering to help bring Washington and Tehran to the
negotiating table. Islamabad isn't often called on to act as an intermediary in
high-stakes diplomacy, but it's stepped into the role this time for a number of
reasons, both because it has relatively good ties with both Washington and
Tehran and because it has a lot at stake in seeing the war resolved.
Pakistani government officials have said that their public peace effort follows
weeks of quiet diplomacy, though they have provided few details. They have also
said that Islamabad stands ready to host talks between representatives from the
U.S. and Iran.
Here's what to know about Pakistan's mediation effort:
Pakistan helped US deliver 15-point plan to Iran
Pakistan's role in Iran-U.S. negotiations surfaced only days ago following media
reports. Officials in Islamabad later acknowledged that a U.S. proposal had been
conveyed to Iran. It remains unclear who has served as Iran's point of contact
in the indirect talks. Iran has maintained it has not held such talks and
dismissed the U.S. proposal, but Tehran has acknowledged responding with its own
proposals.According to Pakistani officials, U.S. messages are being passed to
Iran and Iranian responses relayed to Washington, though they did not specify
how the process is being handled or who is directly communicating with whom.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said this week that Turkey and Egypt are
also working behind the scenes to bring the sides to the negotiating table.
Abdullah Khan, managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and
Security Studies, said that Pakistani's mediation efforts may be contributing to
relative restraint in the conflict. He noted that U.S. President Donald Trump
has delayed his threats of large-scale attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure
citing diplomatic progress, and Iranian responses toward U.S. interests in the
Gulf have been measured in what may be an effort to preserve space for
diplomacy.
Ties with both US and Iran set Pakistan up for new role
Previous US-Iran negotiations have been facilitated mainly by countries in the
Middle East, including Oman and Qatar, but as they come under Iranian fire
during the war Pakistan has stepped into the role. Analysts say Pakistan's
geographic proximity to Iran — it's one of its neighbors — coupled with its
longstanding ties with the U.S., gives it a unique position at a time when
direct communication between the two sides remains constrained. Islamabad has
good working relations with most of the key parties in the war, including both
the U.S. and Iran. It has close strategic ties with Gulf states including Saudi
Arabia, with which it signed a defense cooperation agreement last year. However,
Pakistan has no diplomatic relations with Israel because of the lingering issue
of Palestinian statehood. Relations between the United States and Pakistan have
improved since last year, with increased diplomatic engagement and expanding
economic ties. Pakistan also joined Trump's Board of Peace, which aims to ensure
peace in Gaza, despite opposition from Islamists at home. Over the weekend,
Trump spoke to the Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, whom the U.S.
president has publicly described as his "favorite Field Marshal." Analysts say
he's a player who enjoys good ties with both the Iranian and U.S. militaries.
Pakistan has a lot at stake in ceasefire talks
The conflict poses some of "the biggest economic and energy security challenges"
in Pakistan's history, said Islamabad-based security analyst Syed Mohammad Ali.
The country gets most of its oil and gas from the Middle East — and, he said,
the five million Pakistanis working in the Arab world send home remittances each
year roughly equal to the country's total export earnings. Rising tensions have
already contributed to higher global oil prices, forcing Pakistan to increase
fuel prices by about 20% and putting pressure on the government of Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The war is also adding to domestic turmoil, even as
Pakistan has been grappling for months with its own conflict with neighboring
Afghanistan. Islamabad has accused the country's Taliban government of
tolerating militant groups that are behind attacks in Pakistan. Earlier this
month, protests erupted across the country following U.S. strikes on Iran, with
demonstrators clashing with security forces in several cities. A day after the
United States and Israel attacked Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, clashes erupted in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi and in
parts of the north, leaving at least 22 people dead and more than 120 injured
nationwide. At least 12 people were killed in and around the U.S. Consulate in
Karachi after a mob breached the compound and attempted to set it on
fire.Khamenei was a central religious and political figure for Shiites
worldwide, including in Pakistan.
Pakistan has a record as a mediator
While Pakistan rarely serves as a mediator, its record does include playing a
role in some very high-profile talks. Pakistan's then-President Gen. Yahya Khan
facilitated backchannel contacts that led to U.S. President Richard Nixon's
historic 1972 visit to China. That paved the way for the establishment of
diplomatic ties between Washington and Beijing in 1979. Since then, Pakistan has
played a role in several other complex regional conflicts, most notably during
the 1988 Geneva Accords that paved the way for the Soviet withdrawal from
Afghanistan. Acting as a frontline state and key interlocutor, Islamabad
participated in U.N.-brokered negotiations while working closely with the United
States and other stakeholders and helped increase pressure on Moscow to pull out
its forces. More recently, Pakistan facilitated contacts between the Afghan
Taliban and Washington that led to talks in Doha that culminated in a 2020
agreement and set the stage for the withdrawal of U.S.-led NATO troops and the
Taliban's return to power in 2021.
Houthis warn of direct military intervention if new alliances back US, Israel
against Iran
LBCI/27 March/2026
Yemen’s Houthi group said it is prepared to carry out direct military
intervention if new alliances join the United States and Israel in actions
against Iran.
In a statement, the group warned it would respond if the Red Sea is used as a
launch point for U.S. and Israeli attacks targeting Iran.
Musk joined Trump and Modi call on Iran, says New York TimesWorld News
LBCI/27 March/2026
Elon Musk joined a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and India's
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday about the war in Iran, the New York
Times reported on Friday, citing two U.S. officials. It was unclear why Musk
was on the call or whether he spoke, the newspaper said. Reuters
Saudi Arabia, Ukraine sign defense procurement deal
Al Arabiya English/27 March/2026
Saudi Arabia and Ukraine signed a memorandum of understanding on defense
procurement in Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday.
The agreement was signed by Khalid bin Hussein al-Bayari, assistant minister of
defense for executive affairs, on behalf of Saudi Arabia, and Lieutenant General
Andriy Hinatov, chief of the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces, SPA said.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X that the
two countries had reached a defense cooperation agreement. Zelenskyy, who was
visiting Jeddah, said the deal was signed ahead of a meeting with Saudi Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “We are ready to share our expertise and systems
with Saudi Arabia and to work together to strengthen the protection of lives,”
Zelenskyy said.
Syrian president to visit Berlin on Monday for talks with
Merz
Al Arabiya English/27 March/2026
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will visit Germany on Monday for talks with
Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a government spokesman in Berlin said. “The
chancellor will receive the president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, at the
chancellery on Monday... for his inaugural visit,” spokesman Stefan Kornelius
said Friday. Al-Sharaa led opposition forces to overthrow longtime leader Bashar
al-Assad in December 2024. e has since made several overseas trips, including to
the United States and France.Al-Sharaa had initially been due to visit Germany
in January, but the trip was postponed at a time of clashes between Syrian
government troops and US-backed Kurdish fighters. l-Sharaa will also take part
in an economic forum where “high-ranking business and government
representatives” will discuss “prospects for economic recovery and the
reconstruction of Syria,” a foreign ministry spokesman said.“The long conflict
in Syria has had a devastating impact on the Syrian economy,” the German
spokesman said, noting “widespread poverty among the population and the high
financial requirements for reconstruction.”“With the lifting of numerous EU, UN
and other sanctions following the end of the Assad regime, the foundations for
(economic recovery) have been laid,” he said.With 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 27-28/2026
Arabs Did Not Help the Gulf States:
What Do they See as the Central Source of Instability in the Middle East?
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/March 27/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/153134/
While the Gulf states find themselves directly in the line of fire, their
frustration is not directed only at Tehran, but increasingly at fellow Arab
states whose response has been muted, symbolic, or absent altogether. As far as
the Gulf states are concerned, the Arab response is just background noise.
For decades, the Arab world has been organized around a single political
narrative: Israel is the central threat to regional stability. This narrative
has shaped diplomacy, media, education, and public discourse across the Arab
world. It has served Arab regimes as a tool of legitimacy and deflection – a way
to redirect internal frustrations toward an external enemy.
The Arabs' failure to help the Gulf states appears to stem from a desire to
continue depicting Israel, and not Iran, as the central political issue.
Arab inaction is driven mainly by fear, weakness, and division, but it is
reinforced by a lingering reluctance to fully abandon the old regional narrative
centered on Israel.
If Arab states were to fully mobilize in defense of the Gulf against Iran –
politically, militarily, and rhetorically – they would be forced to confront an
uncomfortable truth: that the primary threat to Arab security no longer aligns
with the anti-Israel narrative that has defined the region for generations.
For the people of the Gulf states, the conclusion is clear: When it matters
most, Arab solidarity is unreliable, and, contrary to the political discourse in
the Arab world, Israel is not the central threat to regional stability.
While the Gulf states find themselves directly in the line of fire, their
frustration is not directed only at Tehran, but increasingly at fellow Arab
states whose response has been muted, symbolic, or absent altogether. As far as
the Gulf states are concerned, the Arab response is just background noise.
Recent Iranian missile and drone attacks on Gulf states – including Saudi
Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Kuwait – have exposed a
deep and widening rift within the Arab world.
While the Gulf states find themselves directly in the line of fire, their
frustration is not directed only at Tehran, but increasingly at fellow Arab
states whose response has been muted, symbolic, or absent altogether. As far as
the Gulf states are concerned, the Arab response is just background noise.
For decades, the Arab world has been organized around a single political
narrative: Israel is the central threat to regional stability. This narrative
has shaped diplomacy, media, education, and public discourse across the Arab
world. It has served Arab regimes as a tool of legitimacy and deflection – a way
to redirect internal frustrations toward an external enemy.
The Arabs' failure to help the Gulf states appears to stem from a desire to
continue depicting Israel, and not Iran, as the central political issue.
If Iran becomes the universally acknowledged primary threat, that narrative
collapses. So, there is an underlying hesitation in some parts of the Arab world
publicly to shift the spotlight away from Israel and redefine Iran as the main
enemy. Acknowledging Iran as the primary threat carries political and
ideological costs in the Arab world. Arab inaction is driven mainly by fear,
weakness, and division, but it is reinforced by a lingering reluctance to fully
abandon the old regional narrative centered on Israel.
If Arab states were to fully mobilize in defense of the Gulf against Iran –
politically, militarily, and rhetorically – they would be forced to confront an
uncomfortable truth: that the primary threat to Arab security no longer aligns
with the anti-Israel narrative that has defined the region for generations.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, recently criticized what he described as the failure of joint Arab and
Islamic countries to respond effectively to escalating Iranian threats against
Gulf states.
In a post on X, Gargash wrote that Gulf countries are facing repeated attacks
from Iran, raising urgent questions about the effectiveness of institutions such
as the 22-member Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the
world's second-largest intergovernmental organization after the United Nations,
with 57 member states across four continents.
He emphasized that any criticism of Western or US presence in the Middle East
would be "unobjective" if Arab and Islamic countries themselves fail to act
meaningfully in the face of such threats.
"With this [Arab and Islamic] absence and inability, it would not be acceptable
later to talk about the decline of the Arab and Islamic role or to criticize the
American and Western presence."Gragash's remarks reflect growing frustration in
Gulf states with what are perceived as largely symbolic or rhetorical reactions
from Arabs and Muslims, which have often stopped short of implementing concrete
measures or strategies for deterrence.
Gargash's criticism signals that the Arabs of the Gulf states have begun
questioning the reliability of traditional Arab solidarity. That may well be why
some have already begun adjusting by moving closer to security cooperation with
non-Arab partners -- including the US and Israel -- considering more independent
military responses, and preparing for a scenario where they must act alone.
For Gulf leaders watching their skies light up with incoming projectiles, the
lack of a response from many Arab and Islamic countries to the Iranian attacks
does not constitute an act of solidarity; it is abandonment and betrayal.
Beyond standard condemnations, broader Arab backing has been extremely limited.
While Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have coordinated internally,
pan-Arab mobilization has been largely absent. Arab responses, meanwhile, have
largely consisted of statements condemning escalation, and calls for restraint
and de-escalation.
What is missing from the Gulf perspective: military coordination, air defense
integration beyond the GCC, and political alignment against the Iranian
aggression.
Not all Arab states, however, see Iran as the primary threat.
For Gulf countries, Iran is an immediate, kinetic threat targeting their
territory. Its actions threaten energy security and regime stability. Control
over the Strait of Hormuz is an existential concern for the Gulf countries.
Other Arabs and Muslims do not seem to share this concern. For them, the Iranian
regime is a secondary or manageable adversary.
For the Arabs and Muslims living outside the Gulf region, domestic priorities
and internal stability take precedence. Many Arab and Islamic leaders face
publics that oppose alignment with the US or Israeli military actions. They are
also most likely afraid of Iranian retaliation. These Arab and Muslim leaders
worried that entanglement in the conflict could expand into a full-scale
regional war that would pose a direct threat to their national security and
regimes. Muna Busamra, editor-in-chief of Al-Bayan, a Dubai-based
Arabic-language newspaper, agreed with Gargash's criticism of the muted reaction
of the Arabs and Muslims to Iran's attacks on the Gulf countries.
"Between silence and justification, Arab positions have redrawn the map of trust
and partnership in the region," Busamra remarked.
"In the Iranian terrorist aggression against the Gulf states, the surprise lay
not in the nature of the threat, but in the magnitude of the void exposed by the
moment of truth. Claims crumbled, rhetoric faltered, and entire systems that had
long spoken of 'solidarity' without demonstrating the ability to practice it
when it became an obligation were uncovered.
"In light of this escalation, the event was not merely military, but a revealing
moment for the reality of Arab and Islamic action. The question is no longer
theoretical: Where are the institutions that were supposedly established for
such situations? Where are the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation? And where are the countries that have long been at the forefront
with grand pronouncements about shared national security?..."What is more
dangerous is that some [Arab and Islamic] parties did not merely hesitate, but
silently bet on a different outcome. They bet that the [Iranian] strike would be
devastating, and that the Gulf states would enter a state of confusion that
would reshape the balance of power in the region. This gamble was not innocent;
rather, it reflects a profound misreading of reality, and perhaps an implicit
desire to see a different scenario, even at the expense of the region's
security....
The Gulf states, which have always been present in supporting their Arab
surroundings—politically, economically and humanely—were not expecting anything
in return, but they certainly did not expect that absence would turn into a
stance, or that historical support would be met with cold silence at a moment of
direct threat."This experience will reshape many assumptions. It will no longer
be possible to treat the concepts of "partnership" and "brotherhood"
superficially, and alliances will no longer be built on pleasantries, but rather
on clear positions and converging interests. The region is moving toward a more
frank phase... and one less tolerant of ambiguity...
"The Gulf states, which have proven their resilience and ability to manage
crises effectively, will base their future choices on one principle: who was
present when presence was required."Mauritanian journalist Ould Salek, writing
in the UAE's Al-Ain newspaper, also weighed in on the lack of Arab and Islamic
backing for the Gulf states.
"Since Arab national security becomes meaningless if it does not include Gulf
national security, citizens and residents of the Arab Gulf states have the right
to ask with genuine concern: Where are the institutions of joint Arab and
Islamic action, foremost among them the Arab League and the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation, while the Gulf states are exposed to direct threats and
repeated Iranian aggression?... Where are the major Arab and regional powers
when the situation has become critical, and Gulf security is in the eye of the
storm?...
"For decades, these [Gulf] countries opened their doors to millions of Arabs,
who settled there, worked, built homes, raised children, and whose interests and
lives became intertwined with the life of the Gulf itself. They were in a
welcoming Arab space where they found dignity, opportunity, and stability.
"The role of the Gulf states was not limited to hosting and providing
livelihoods; it extended to supporting their brethren in times of hardship.
Foremost among these was the Palestinian cause, which, were it not for Gulf
support, would have been lost. When Arab economies faltered, cities crumbled
under the weight of war, or peoples sought a lifeline, the Gulf states were
present, offering assistance, aid, relief, and economic and political
support....
"But the current regional landscape reveals a reality that cannot be ignored:
the Gulf states view Iran as the primary threat, due to geography, direct
experience, and Iran's activities across multiple Arab arenas. Conversely, other
Arab states consider Israel the most significant threat in their priorities....
"Ultimately, the most undeniable truth remains that Arab solidarity should not
be selective, nor should it be based on double standards. Palestine has the
right to receive support, but no one has the right to use it as a pretext to
attack the Gulf and then demand Arab silence. Just causes do not justify
injustice, grand slogans do not erase aggression, and those who attack the Gulf
do not become friends simply because they raise the Palestinian flag."
For the people of the Gulf states, the conclusion is clear: When it matters
most, Arab solidarity is unreliable, and, contrary to the political discourse in
the Arab world, Israel is not the central threat to regional stability.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22382/arabs-did-not-help-gulf-states
**Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
**Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute
What Drives a Citizen to
Treason?
Ahmad al-Sarraf/Al-Qabas/March 27/2026
(Free translation from Arabic by Elias Bejjani)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/153132/
Any success by security services in apprehending dangerous gangs or espionage
cells is an achievement that merits high praise. Such operations protect the
nation from significant evils and require immense effort, knowledge, and risk to
infiltrate these dens. Moving forward, it is not enough to simply arrest those
involved; we must understand their motives, strive to eliminate the environment
that fosters their crimes, and address the societal imbalances that led to their
deviation.
What drives a citizen—who presumably enjoys all the bounties of their
homeland—to commit the crime of treason and collaborate with enemies? There is
no single reason, but rather a mix of psychological, self-interested, and
ideological motives:
First: A Sense of Injustice. Feelings of exclusion or the belief that one’s
rights have been usurped can lead an individual to seek revenge against “the
State” by allying with its adversaries.
Second: Greed. The lure of significant financial gain or promises of privilege
and protection from those they collaborate with. This is often found in those
whose selfishness outweighs all other instincts.
Third: Ideological Conviction. Loyalty to a global belief system, such as
Communism, can lead individuals to justify collaboration as serving a “higher
cause”—much like the British “Cambridge Five” cell collaborated with the Soviet
Union.
Fourth: Personal Hatred or Vendetta. Negative personal experiences with state
apparatuses or family losses can generate a grudge, making a person willing to
ally with any hostile party against their opponent, even an external enemy.
Fifth: Exploitation and Blackmail. Enemy intelligence services may exploit
scandals, debts, or moral and legal lapses to recruit individuals through the
fear of exposure or punishment.
Sixth: Psychological Factors. A search for recognition or a sense of
insignificance can drive some to crave the status of being an “important source”
or a “secret agent.”
Seventh: Religious or Sectarian Loyalty. Some view these loyalties as more
important and more deserving of obedience than loyalty to the state and its
leadership.
Eighth: The “Femme Fatale.” As the French saying goes, Cherchez la femme (“look
for the woman”). We saw this during the Cold War between the superpowers,
notably in the “Profumo affair” involving the British Secretary of State for War
and Christine Keeler.
It is not easy for any state to fully protect itself from traitors and agents.
However, its institutions and laws can minimize these breaches through strict
legislation and sophisticated, well-trained security agencies.
Most importantly, there must be a vital, long-term, multi-level national
strategy with full government backing. Its role should be to solidify the
principles of equal rights and duties for all citizens and equality in dignity.
It must ensure that primary loyalty is to the state and its leadership, while
emphasizing respect for ethnic, religious, and sectarian diversity. This should
be enshrined in a “National Charter for Tolerance” that serves as a reference
for all.
Furthermore, national identity must be strengthened through educational
curricula, ensuring it rises above all other identities under the principle: One
nation, one leadership, one flag, and one loyalty. This requires dealing firmly
with those who incite against tribes, sects, or ethnicities, or those who call
for violence, while maintaining legal guarantees that protect freedom of
expression and objective criticism.
The success of our vigilant security services in arresting cells accused of
collaborating with the enemy does not mean the danger has vanished. Therefore,
these issues must be handled with both firmness and wisdom.
Iran's Fantasy of Strength: When Bazaar Tactics Collide
with Reality
Pierre Rehov/Gatestone Institute./March 27/2026
This is not containment. It is disarmament. It is the eradication of Iran's
nuclear ambitions as a strategic variable. And it is accompanied by equally
stringent regional and military demands: the cessation of financing, arming, and
directing the organizations of the proxy terrorist network that has defined
Iranian power projection for decades.... The United States is not seeking
behavioral change. It is demanding total transformation.
The regime in Tehran still stands, which is its all-encompassing objective.
Iran's territory is not occupied and its capacity to inflict damage — through
missiles and proxies — has not been fully neutralized. The costs Iran has
imposed on its neighbors and adversaries, both militarily and with political
pressure... are perceived as significant. From this perspective, the war might
not appear lost to them. In an ongoing war, one does not surrender. One
bargains.
Most importantly, Tehran is betting on time. After all, Trump just promised not
to bomb Iran's power plants for another ten days. Trump, in their reading, is a
dealmaker, not an occupier. He seeks outcomes, not endless wars. And in the echo
chambers of Western media, where narratives of American overreach and impending
quagmire are readily amplified, Tehran finds confirmation of its own illusions.
In the end, the outcome will not be determined by rhetoric or by the theatrical
posturing of preconditions. It will be determined by the hard realities of
power. It is overwhelmingly, decisively, and unmistakably tilted against Iran.
Those now in charge of Iran... may no longer recognize that.
The Iranian regime has not merely rejected US President Donald Trump's peace
plan; it has countered with a series of conditions so detached from reality that
they raise a fundamental question: is Tehran negotiating or hallucinating?
US President Donald J. Trump has reportedly laid out a 15-point peace plan to
Iran — with conditions that, taken together, amount to Tehran's near-total
strategic capitulation.
In response, the Iranian regime has not merely rejected them; it has countered
with a series of conditions so detached from reality that they raise a
fundamental question: is Tehran negotiating or hallucinating?
What is unfolding is not a classic diplomatic standoff between two adversaries
seeking a middle ground. It is a confrontation between a superpower-backed
coalition imposing terms from a position of overwhelming superiority, and a
regime that behaves as though it were dictating the outcome of a war it is, in
fact, losing. The substance of the American demands is not improvised but
instead reflects a coherent objective: the dismantlement of Iran's entire
nuclear infrastructure combined with a permanent ban on uranium enrichment on
Iranian soil, the transfer of enriched uranium stockpiles to the IAEA, and the
imposition of intrusive, unlimited inspections.
This goes far beyond anything envisioned in the 2015 Obama-era JCPOA "nuclear
deal". This is not containment. It is disarmament. It is the eradication of
Iran's nuclear ambitions as a strategic variable. And it is accompanied by
equally stringent regional and military demands: the cessation of financing,
arming, and directing the organizations of the proxy terrorist network that has
defined Iranian power projection for decades — Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis,
and Iraq's PMF. Add to this the requirement to maintain the Strait of Hormuz as
an open international waterway and the elimination of ballistic missile
capabilities, and the picture becomes unmistakable. The United States is not
seeking behavioral change. It is demanding total transformation.
Yet, in classic Trump's "art of the deal" fashion, the offer includes
sweeteners: lifting sanctions, support for a civilian nuclear program, and the
removal of the "snapback" mechanism. In other words, a pathway is offered to
survival, under new rules. The only inconsistency lies in Tehran's response.
What Iran is putting on the table so far is not a counterproposal. It is a
daydream built on an apparent misreading of reality. Tehran demands the
recognition of its sovereign right to enrich uranium, the preservation of its
nuclear infrastructure, and the limitation of IAEA inspections. It demands the
full and immediate lifting of all sanctions before talks even begin, along with
guarantees that no future US administration will reinstate them — an absurdity
under American constitutional constraints. It demands explicit assurances of
regime survival, and the end of covert operations and targeted strikes. It
refuses any reduction of its regional proxy footprint, insisting on maintaining
influence in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, and on preserving alliances with terrorist
organizations in those countries. It rejects meaningful constraints on its
ballistic missile program. And, in a final act of surreal audacity, it demands
financial compensation for damage inflicted by US and Israeli strikes—including,
in some formulations, "moral damages" for eliminated operatives.
How can such a gap exist between reality and Iran's perception of it? The answer
might lie in a combination of ideological rigidity, strategic miscalculation,
and possibly the intellectual degradation of the Iranian leadership itself. Over
the past year, and especially through targeted operations attributed to Israel,
many of the regime's most capable strategists, military planners, and scientific
minds have been eliminated. What remains is not the intellectual elite that once
shaped Iran's long-term strategy but a second-tier leadership —less
sophisticated, less disciplined, and perhaps more prone to operate according to
instinct rather than analysis. These may not be grand strategists but rather
functionaries steeped in a culture of transactional bargaining and accustomed to
the logic of the bazaar, where the first offer is deliberately absurd and the
negotiation is a theatrical performance of endurance.
Protecting the Free World, however, is not a bazaar, and Trump is clearly not a
carpet merchant.
The first shock, for any observer, is that Iran seems not to perceive itself as
being in a position of defeat. From a Western perspective, the United States and
Israel, since the first day of the war, have been dominating Iran militarily,
technologically, and operationally. Iran's military and nuclear assets have been
decimated, its networks disrupted, and its vulnerabilities exposed. All the
same, the regime in Tehran still stands, which is its all-encompassing
objective. Iran's territory is not occupied and its capacity to inflict damage —
through missiles and proxies — has not been fully neutralized. The costs Iran
has imposed on its neighbors and adversaries, both militarily and with political
pressure — particularly on a US president navigating domestic constraints — are
perceived as significant. From this perspective, the war might not appear lost
to them. In an ongoing war, one does not surrender. One bargains.
The second shock is applying bazaar tactics to high-stakes geopolitics. Extreme
demands are just the opening move. One starts at the maximum to negotiate down
to the acceptable. The objective is not to reflect reality, but to shape the
negotiation space. By presenting conditions that are, on their face,
unacceptable, Tehran is attempting to see if Trump desires a rapid resolution.
Tehran may believe that if Trump fears a prolonged conflict that could evolve
into a Vietnam-style quagmire — or, in more contemporary terms, a Ukraine-style
stalemate — then he will make concessions.
This calculation is reinforced by Iran's belief — whether genuine or feigned —
that it retains leverage. The Strait of Hormuz remains under its influence, a
maritime chokepoint through which a significant portion of the world's oil and
gas flows. From Lebanon, Hezbollah continues to bombard Israel with hundreds of
rockets, while the Houthis in Yemen have not yet escalated. Iran's economy,
battered but not collapsed, has adapted to decades of sanctions. Most
importantly, Tehran is betting on time. After all, Trump just promised not to
bomb Iran's power plants for another ten days. Trump, in their reading, is a
dealmaker, not an occupier. He seeks outcomes, not endless wars. And in the echo
chambers of Western media, where narratives of American overreach and impending
quagmire are readily amplified, Tehran finds confirmation of its own illusions.
Even within serious analytical circles, this perception is bolstered. The Wall
Street Journal has noted that Iran behaves as though it believes it is winning —
and therefore demands a steep price to end the conflict. In the ideological
framework of the Islamic Republic, the regime cannot afford to lose face. Its
legitimacy is built on resistance — against the "Great Satan" and the "Zionist
entity." For Iran's regime to accept negotiations under terms that reflect
defeat would be to undermine the very narrative, however illusory, that sustains
it. For the leadership, acknowledging strategic failure is not merely a
diplomatic setback; it is an existential risk. It signals weakness. It invites
internal dissent. It fractures the illusion of invincibility that authoritarian
systems require to survive. Therefore, the regime does what such systems always
do: it doubles down on rhetoric, inflates its demands, and projects strength
even where weakness is evident. On the US-Israel side, there is a structured,
coherent strategy backed by overwhelming force and clear objectives. On the
Iranian side, there is a negotiation posture shaped by ideological rigidity and
a cultural reflex toward exaggerated bargaining.
What we are witnessing, therefore, is not simply a diplomatic impasse. It is a
collision between two fundamentally different ways of understanding power. For
Washington and Jerusalem, power is measurable, operational, and cumulative. It
is expressed through capabilities, alliances and outcomes. For Tehran, in its
current degraded state, power is performative. It is asserted, declared,
dramatized — sustained through narrative rather than grounded in reality.
This premise is why Iran's position appears so irrational to Western observers.
It is not that the regime is unaware of its vulnerabilities. It is that
acknowledging them would be even more dangerous, internally, than ignoring them.
So it constructs a parallel reality in which it acts as if it is still calling
the shots — hoping to remain a regional power and a force to be reckoned with —
despite mounting evidence to the contrary.
There is, however, a limit to how long such a dissonance can be maintained.
Negotiation, by its very nature, is a process of convergence. At some point,
positions must align with reality or with one another. The question is not
whether Iran will eventually adjust its demands, but at what cost and under what
pressure. The current posture is not sustainable. It is a delaying tactic, a
psychological shield, a final attempt to negotiate from a position that no
longer exists.
And this is where the strategic asymmetry becomes decisive. Trump is negotiating
from a position of leverage, timing and control. Unlike the bazaar merchants of
Tehran, he does not need to start high to negotiate low. He can start high and
stay there.
In the end, the outcome will not be determined by rhetoric or by the theatrical
posturing of preconditions. It will be determined by the hard realities of
power. It is overwhelmingly, decisively, and unmistakably tilted against Iran.
Those now in charge of Iran — like Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, who was offered
so many off-ramps that he refused to take — may no longer recognize that.
**Pierre Rehov, who holds a law degree from Paris-Assas, is a French reporter,
novelist and documentary filmmaker. He is the author of six novels, including
"Beyond Red Lines", "The Third Testament" and "Red Eden", translated from
French. His latest essay on the aftermath of the October 7 massacre " 7 octobre
- La riposte " became a bestseller in France. As a filmmaker, he has produced
and directed 17 documentaries, many photographed at high risk in Middle Eastern
war zones, and focusing on terrorism, media bias, and the persecution of
Christians. His latest documentary, "Pogrom(s)" highlights the context of
ancient Jew hatred within Muslim civilization as the main force behind the
October 7 massacre.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Question: What is Palm Sunday?
GotQuestions.org/March 27/2026
Answer: Palm Sunday is the day we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into
Jerusalem, one week before His resurrection (Matthew 21:1–11). As Jesus entered
the holy city, He neared the culmination of a long journey toward Golgotha. He
had come to save the lost (Luke 19:10), and now was the time—this was the
place—to secure that salvation. Palm Sunday marked the start of what is often
called “Passion Week,” the final seven days of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Palm Sunday began with Jesus and His disciples traveling over the Mount of
Olives. The Lord sent two disciples ahead into the village of Bethphage to find
an animal to ride. They found the unbroken donkey and the colt, just as Jesus
had said they would (Luke 19:29–30). When they untied the donkey, the owners
began to question them. The disciples responded with the answer Jesus had
provided: “The Lord needs it” (Luke 19:31–34). Amazingly, the owners were
satisfied with that answer and let the disciples go. “They brought [the donkey]
to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it” (Luke 19:35)As
Jesus ascended toward Jerusalem, a large multitude gathered around Him. This
crowd understood that Jesus was the Messiah; what they did not understand was
that it wasn’t time to set up the kingdom yet—although Jesus had tried to tell
them so (Luke 19:11–12). The crowd’s actions along the road give rise to the
name “Palm Sunday”: “A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while
others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road” (Matthew 21:8).
In strewing their cloaks on the road, the people were giving Jesus the royal
treatment—King Jehu was given similar honor at his coronation (2 Kings 9:13).
John records the detail that the branches they cut were from palm trees (John
12:13).
On that first Palm Sunday, the people also honored Jesus verbally: “The crowds
that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of
David!’ / ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ / ‘Hosanna in the
highest heaven!’” (Matthew 21:9). In their praise of Jesus, the Jewish crowds
were quoting Psalm 118:25–26, an acknowledged prophecy of the Christ. The
allusion to a messianic psalm drew resentment from the religious leaders
present: “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke
your disciples!’” (Luke 19:39). However, Jesus saw no need to rebuke those who
told the truth. He replied, “I tell you . . . if they keep quiet, the stones
will cry out” (Luke 19:40).
Some 450 to 500 years prior to Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, the prophet
Zechariah had prophesied the event we now call Palm Sunday: “Rejoice greatly,
Daughter Zion! / Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! / See, your king comes to you, /
righteous and victorious, / lowly and riding on a donkey, / on a colt, the foal
of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). The prophecy was fulfilled in every particular,
and it was indeed a time of rejoicing, as Jerusalem welcomed their King.
Unfortunately, the celebration was not to last. The crowds looked for a Messiah
who would rescue them politically and free them nationally, but Jesus had come
to save them spiritually. First things first, and mankind’s primary need is
spiritual, not political, cultural, or national salvation.
Even as the coatless multitudes waved the palm branches and shouted for joy,
they missed the true reason for Jesus’ presence. They could neither see nor
understand the cross. That’s why, “as [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the
city, he wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day
what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will
come upon you when your enemies . . . will not leave one stone on another,
because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you” (Luke 19:41–44).
It is a tragic thing to see the Savior but not recognize Him for who He is.
There is coming a day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10–11). The worship will be real then. Also,
John records a scene in heaven that features the eternal celebration of the
risen Lord: “There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from
every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before
the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their
hands” (Revelation 7:9, emphasis added). These palm-bearing saints will shout,
“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (verse
10), and who can measure the sum of their joy?
Trump’s Oil Waiver Gives
Iran a Dangerous Financial Lifeline
Max Meizlish/The Dispatch/March 27/2026
https://thedispatch.com/article/iran-oil-sanctions-waiver-hormuz/
Allowing Tehran to sell crude will only strengthen its grip over global energy
flows.
World Events
A large oil tanker ship named Felice is docked at an industrial terminal in a
hazy harbor, with modern high-rise buildings visible across the misty water in
the background.
Allowing Tehran to sell crude will only strengthen its grip over global energy
flows.
World Events
The United States has a long history of trading with its enemies. During World
War I, Congress passed the Trading With the Enemy Act to regulate—not
prohibit—commercial transactions with wartime adversaries. The logic was
straightforward: Sometimes the national interest requires controlled economic
engagement even with nations the U.S. is actively fighting. The law remains on
the books today, and its underlying premise that wartime trade can serve
strategic purposes has informed American economic statecraft for more than a
century.
The Trump administration now believes we are in such a moment, where it makes
sense to allow the sale of sanctioned Iranian oil if it helps to stabilize
global oil markets. But the administration’s approach is misguided—and it fails
to prioritize measures that could not only keep money out of the regime’s
coffers but also promote transparency in the process. In short, its decision
will only help the regime in Iran.
After markets closed on March 20, the Trump administration authorized the
one-month sale of what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent estimates will be 140
million barrels of sanctioned Iranian crude currently held on tankers at sea,
which he said could help suppress prices for roughly 10 to 14 days—though that
estimate may only hold if accounting for the previously authorized sale of
sanctioned Russian crude as well. The general license goes so far as to allow
for the import of Iranian crude into the United States. More than anything else,
the authorization is meant to signal to global markets that Washington does not
seek to interfere with access to energy flows while the Strait of Hormuz remains
effectively closed. But the U.S. does not need Iranian oil, and facilitating its
sale in global markets will not stabilize prices or meaningfully add to supply.
It will, however, strengthen the regime that the U.S. and Israel are currently
fighting.
The bulk of Iran’s seaborne crude was already flowing to China through
sanctions-evading payment corridors that Tehran has spent years constructing.
These Chinese buyers were purchasing Iranian oil at steep discounts before the
sanctions relief, and they will continue buying it now. Instead of requiring
that Iranian supply go to oil-starved Western markets, the general license
effectively removes the legal risk that had at least partially constrained
Iran’s illicit oil sector.
What’s more, the authorization contains no escrow mechanism, no restrictions on
payment channels, and—unlike recent Venezuelan oil-related general licenses—no
reporting requirements on pricing, quantity, counterparties, or the financial
institutions facilitating payment. The only notable prohibition is on
transactions involving North Korea, Cuba, and Russian-occupied Ukraine. That
means the sale of Iranian crude could still involve Russia, which is reportedly
providing Iran with intelligence to target American troops.
All of this is happening as the Iranian parliament is working to establish a tax
and toll system for what Iran is calling “non-hostile” vessels seeking to sail
through the strait. Already, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is
running a transit corridor through its territorial waters, serving as a
shakedown at sea worth up to $2 million per voyage. As of March 23, as many as
20 ships had used what some are calling the “Tehran Toll Booth.” That represents
roughly 10 to 20 percent of all traffic through the waterway since the war
began. Ships bound for India and China have already passed through, while other
governments are reportedly seeking access. The IRGC appears to be policing the
system from Larak Island, about 20 miles off Iran’s southern coast, where it is
reportedly validating which ships may proceed. Iranian state media claims at
least one vessel has already been turned back for lacking approval.
Making matters worse, CNN reported this month that Iran may permit tankers to
transit only if their cargo is traded in Chinese yuan. In other words, the
administration is relaxing sanctions on Iranian oil just as Tehran may be
building a yuan-based transit regime at the world’s most important energy
chokepoint. And because the general license includes no reporting requirements,
Washington has no reliable way to know whether the transactions it is
authorizing are helping entrench that system.
The administration’s sense of urgency is understandable. And trading with the
enemy is sometimes necessary. But Congress passed the Trading With the Enemy
Act—and later the International Emergency Economic Powers Act—because it
recognized that wartime commerce with adversaries demands extraordinary
controls. This authorization imposes none. The administration should therefore
immediately amend the authorization to establish an escrow mechanism ensuring
revenue does not reach Tehran or yuan-denominated accounts in China, require
entities relying on the license to report transaction details to the Treasury
Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and strike the IRGC’s facilities
on Larak Island to ensure Iran does not establish a monopoly over access to the
strait.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that both the United States and Iran are
interested in making a deal. The start of negotiations makes restricting the
regime’s access to cash more urgent, not less. A more sensible policy would be
one that prioritizes allied coordination on energy and supply ahead of
foreseeably disruptive military strikes. But that is a lesson to be applied
ahead of the next conflict. For now, Washington appears left with few means of
assuaging market worries—that is, aside from gaining control over the Strait of
Hormuz and restoring the flow of global shipping itself.
**Max Meizlish is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies. He previously worked on sanctions enforcement and licensing at the
Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Trump’s 15-point Iran truce plan would let one terrifying
threat slide
Mark Dubowitz and Ben Cohen/New York Post/March 27/2026
https://nypost.com/2026/03/25/opinion/trumps-iran-truce-plan-lets-one-terrifying-threat-slide/
Four weeks after the United States and Israel launched their combined assault on
Iran’s clerical regime, the war has reached a tipping point.
Over the last few days, President Donald Trump has spoken frequently and
optimistically about the chances of a deal.
Many of the 15 points in the peace proposal Trump has reportedly sent the
Iranians — the dismantling of its nuclear program, ending support for regional
terror proxies, keeping the vital Strait of Hormuz trade route open — will be
anathema to the regime.
Indeed, Tehran has already reacted to Trump’s overtures with contempt.
Yet on one critical point, the regime will likely conclude it has room for
maneuver.
Trump’s plan would reportedly restrict Iran’s use of missiles to “self defense.”
Without a doubt, the regime will interpret that “self defense” phrasing as a
license to continue producing its deadly offensive missiles.
Before Operation Epic Fury, Iran controlled the largest ballistic-missile
arsenal in the Middle East.
It used these projectiles to deadly effect in 2024 and 2025 in its attacks on
Israel.
This month it has fired over 2,000 missiles at the Gulf nations.
It’s also launched more than 400 at Israel — which, despite achieving a 92%
interception rate, received a taste of the devastation these weapons can wreak
when one ballistic missile struck the southern town of Arad, wounding 88 people.
Just last week, Tehran directed two long-range missiles at the Indian Ocean
island of Diego Garcia, which serves as a forward base for British and US
military operations.
The island lies approximately 2,500 miles from Iran’s coast.
European capitals like Paris, Rome and Berlin lie within similar range.
If Iran’s missiles can reach Diego Garcia, they can just as easily reach the
Champs-Élysées.
Meanwhile, CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently told the Senate Intelligence
Committee that “if left unimpeded,” Iran’s regime would eventually “have the
ability to range missiles to the continental US.”
Any truce that leaves Iran’s missile program intact will leave Iran’s Arab
neighbors exposed to Tehran’s projectiles, place further strain on Israel’s air
defenses — and risk the American homeland itself.
And if Tehran succeeds in maintaining control over its stock of enriched
uranium, or successfully develops new underground enrichment facilities, the
regime — rooted now more than ever in its brutal Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps — will redouble its efforts to equip its missiles, even supposedly
“defensive” ones, with nuclear warheads.
Highly intrusive inspections will be required to make sure the regime has
abandoned its nuclear program.
When it comes to Iran’s missile program, equally strict monitoring will be
necessary — along with diplomatic and military measures to suffocate further
missile development.
That means all missiles and launching systems will need to be accounted for and
destroyed.
It means that US and European sanctions on missile entities — especially
Revolutionary Guard-linked aerospace firms, procurement networks and front
companies — will need to be expanded rather than traded away in negotiations.
The missile arsenals held by Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and Iraqi Shiite
militias, effectively an extension of Iran’s own missile force, must be subject
to the same stringent measures.
The Revolutionary Guard remains determined to deliver on its March 5 threat that
“Khorramshahr moments are on the horizon” — referring to the Khorramshahr-4
missile, which can travel up to 1,900 miles carrying a hefty 4,400-pound
payload.
If a truce with Tehran comes to fruition, it’s naïve to assume that the battered
regime will focus on rebuilding civilian infrastructure at the expense of its
missile program.
Holding such hope is to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of the IRGC.
The attack on Arad tells its leaders that breaking Israel’s air defenses and
pummeling the Gulf countries into submission with missile barrages is an
attainable goal.
If Trump wants this war to be the last one waged against the Guard-dominated
regime, there can be no more talk of permitting missiles in the name of
“self-defense.”
Iran has a powerful incentive to hunker down until Trump departs the White House
less than three years from now.
And not even the most pacific future administration in Washington, guided by
remorse over the current war, would be able to ignore the implications of an
Iran that has weaponized its enriched uranium and revived its missile-production
capabilities.
By then, however, it would be too late: Iran would have a
nuclear-warhead-carrying intercontinental ballistic missile that could strike
the American homeland.
That’s why Trump needs to continue military operations until Iran’s entire
missile infrastructure is destroyed.
*Mark Dubowitz is chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
and the presenter of “The Iran Breakdown” podcast. Ben Cohen is a research
fellow at FDD.
X Platform & Facebook Selected twittes for
March 27/2026
Tom Harb
Hezbollah’s tunnel and combat site discovered right next to a
church in Khiyam ( South Lebanon) proves once again: they cynically use Lebanese
churches and civilians as human shields for terror. This deliberate violation of
international law endangers innocent lives, including Lebanese Christians.
Disarming Hezbollah is a moral imperative and a gift to humanity.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
https://x.com/i/status/2037545282162815034
Syria’s jihadis hold a rally waving the jihadi Al-Qaeda flag and shouting that
they don’t want “secular freedom” they want “Islamic freedom.”I’ll leave this
here for @USAMBTurkiye Tom Barrack. Everything that happens in Syria is on him.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
While the world is busy somewhere else, Syria's Jolani/Sharaa Muslim Brotherhood
government is consolidating its autocracy:
1. It took away licenses of media outlets that opposes the government.
2. It restricted alcohol consumption in Damascus to a few licensed Christian
neighborhoods
3. It started instigating trouble against the Druze opposition in the
predominantly Druze southern province of Suweida.
Conclusion: As Islamist Iran fights for its survival, Islamist Turkey is
expanding.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
A Shia minister attended a Lebanese cabinet meeting against Hezbollah's wishes.
The militia made its partisans in his hometown issue a statement against him.
Other Shia from his hometown countered Hezbollah, saying the militia doesn’t
speak for all the village. Defiance starts with a drop.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
1. Islamist Iran regime and Hezbollah are delusional and do not understand the
real world. If they did, Khamenei and Nasrallah wouldn't have been dead today.
2. Hezbollah and its ally Speaker Berri demand "consensus" on every issue of
governance, whether expelling the Iranian ambassador or forming a delegation to
talk to Israel. Their only exception to consensus are the "tiny issues" of
Hezbollah's arms and waging war on Israel.
3. The only losers in these wars in Lebanon are the Shia. They are the only ones
currently living in tents while all the other Lebanese are sitting home and
watching events unfold. There is no good end to Hezbollah's endless wars, only
misery.
Youssef Raggi
I received a phone call from the Foreign Minister of Sweden
@MariaStenergard. We discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the
serious challenges the country is facing at this difficult juncture.
Minister Stenergard expressed her country’s strong support for Lebanon and
informed me that Sweden will send humanitarian aid in the coming days to support
Lebanon.
Barak Ravid
source with knowledge of the mediation efforts said despite public statement
rejecting the U.S. proposal, Iranian officials have made it clear they are
interested in negotiations
At the same time, the Iranians officials still haven't given a final response to
the proposal x.com/BarakRavid/sta…