English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For May 07/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
How could you
fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the
Pharisees and Sadducees!’
Matthew 16/11-20: “How could you fail to perceive that I was not
speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!’Then
they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but
of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Now when Jesus came into the
district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that
the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others
Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’He said to them, ‘But
who do you say that I am?’Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of
the living God.’And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah!
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I
tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates
of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of
heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you
loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’Then he sternly ordered the disciples
not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.”
Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published on
06-07 May/2026
May 07, 2008 Barbaric Invasion of Beirut & Mount Lebanon/Elias Bejjani/May
07/2026 (From the 2025 Archives)
May 6 Martyrs' Day: Assassinating Memory to Flatter the New Ottoman-Erdoganist
"Sublime Porte"/Elias Bejjani/May 06/ 2026
Text and Video, Arabic and English/The “Shoes” Culture Used by Hezbollah to
Attack Al-Rahi is the Language of All Political “Parties-Corporations,” and the
Conflict Between Al-Rahi and Hezbollah is an “Internal Friendly Dispute”/Elias
Bejjani/ May 02, 2026
From the Archive/Text and Video Link: Sayyid Fadlallah accurately describes
Hezbollah and its base, and the impact on the Shiites community.
Exhaustion and sadness in Beirut’s southern suburbs
Lebanon Tests ‘Arms Monopoly’ in Beirut Suburbs Crackdown
Israel Army Says Striking Hezbollah Targets across Lebanon
Israeli Strikes on Lebanon Kill 4 Despite Ceasefire
Zamir vows from S. Lebanon to seize every opportunity to dismantle Hezbollah
Rubio says peace 'achievable', problem 'not Israel or Lebanon' but Hezbollah
New round of Lebanon-Israel talks to be held over two days next week
Israeli strike on Dahieh kills Hezbollah's Radwan Force commander
Israel-Hezbollah clashes: Latest developments
New round of Lebanon-Israel talks to be held over two days next week
Syria says arrested Hezbollah-linked cell plotting assassinations
Pope comforts 13 priests from south Lebanon with surprise video call
Fadel Shaker, Ahmad al-Assir acquitted of attempted murder
Lebanese PM Says Premature to Talk of Any High-Level Meeting with Israel
Linking Negotiation Tracks Does Not Serve Lebanon's Interests/Rami al-Rayes/Asharq
Al Awsat/May 06/2026
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on
06-07 May/2026
Trump Issues Ultimatum for Iran to Accept Deal or Face More Bombing
Trump says Iran deal 'very possible' amid 'very good talks'
Iran Conflict May Have Motivated Trump Dinner Shooting Suspect, US Intelligence
Report Finds
Iran’s top negotiator says US aiming to force Tehran’s ‘surrender’
US military shoots, disables Iranian-flagged tanker in Gulf of Oman: CENTCOM
Israel’s Netanyahu says he will speak to Trump later on Wednesday
US aims for Fourth of July to deploy Qatar-gifted jet as Air Force One
Bahrain, UAE urge Security Council action over Iran’s ‘unlawful’ attacks
Trump signs new counter-terrorism strategy that focuses on hemispheric threats
French Aircraft Carrier Pre-Positions for Possible Hormuz Mission
Saudi FM, Iranian Counterpart Discuss Regional Developments
Iran Says It Wants a 'Comprehensive Agreement' with US
Israeli Court Rejects Flotilla Activists’ Appeal Challenging Detention
Israeli Airstrike Kills Colonel in Hamas-Led Gaza Police Force, Medics Say
Factions Tighten Grip on Iraq Gov’t Formation Talks
Syria: Pending Issues, Including Arrests Delay SDF Integration
US Wants 'Concrete Actions' on Iran from Next Iraqi PM
Titles For The Latest
English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on
06-07 May/2026
How Are Political Decisions Made in Iran?/Hassan Al Mustafa/Asharq Al
Awsat/May 06/2026
Islam's Turbocharged Takeover of Europe/Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute/May 6,
2026
GCC’s post-Strait of Hormuz crisis challenges/Hassan Al-Mustafa/Arab News/May
06, 2026
Why the Middle East must reclaim its agency/Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/May 06,
2026
Only a win-win formula can break US-Iran gridlock/Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/May
06, 2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets for May 06/2026
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published
on
06-07 May/2026
May 07, 2008 Barbaric Invasion of Beirut &
Mount Lebanon
Elias Bejjani/May 07/2026 (From the 2025 Archives)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/05/118016/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WOToQkmfMU&t=81s
May 7, 2008, is forever etched in
Lebanon’s collective memory as a criminal day of shame—when murderers, invaders,
and mercenary militias serving the Iranian regime launched a barbaric coup
against the Lebanese state, its people, and its sovereignty.
Hezbollah, in collaboration with Amal Movement, the Syrian Social Nationalist
Party (SSNP), and other armed groups loyal to the Syrian-Iranian axis of evil,
invaded the capital Beirut and parts of Mount Lebanon. In this coordinated and
premeditated assault, these militias violated the sanctity of the capital,
terrorized its peaceful civilians, displaced families, looted properties,
tortured innocents, and murdered the defenseless—all under the pretext of
resisting “government decisions” that challenged Hezbollah’s illegal military
communications network.
This day, now known infamously as the "Black 7th of May," marked a turning point
in Lebanon’s modern history—a moment when the mask of so-called "resistance"
fell and exposed the true face of Hezbollah: a terrorist militia acting on
behalf of Tehran to subdue Lebanon through force and intimidation.
Michel Aoun, the political Iscariot of modern Lebanon, opportunistically
justified and later benefited from this criminal invasion. His alliance with
Hezbollah paved his path to the presidency in 2016. During his tenure, Aoun
dismantled the state from within, surrendered its institutions to Hezbollah’s
authority, and contributed to Lebanon’s total collapse—politically,
economically, and morally.
The May 7 invasion was not just a military operation. It was an Iranian-led coup
attempt against the legitimate Lebanese state. It desecrated Beirut’s freedom,
targeted Sunni neighborhoods, occupied media outlets, and left dozens dead. Its
goal: to prove that no Lebanese authority—civil or military—could ever stand
against Hezbollah without paying a deadly price.
To this day, the invasion’s consequences remain: Hezbollah continues to act as
an armed state within a state. Palestinian and Syrian armed elements still
operate freely in their camps. The sovereignty of Lebanon remains hostage to
Tehran's regional ambitions.
Justice Delayed Is Not Justice Denied
This criminal and barbaric invasion must not be forgotten. The
perpetrators—local and foreign—must one day be brought to justice. The Lebanese
people, especially those in the diaspora, must continue to demand
accountability, justice, and full implementation of international resolutions
that uphold Lebanon’s independence and sovereignty.
As the Prophet Isaiah (33:1) warned:
“Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, O
traitor, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be
destroyed; when you cease betraying, you will be betrayed.”
What Must Be Done.
To ensure May 7 is never repeated, the following urgent measures must be taken:
Full disarmament of Hezbollah and all other Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian
militias operating illegally within Lebanon.
Reclaiming all territories currently run as militia-controlled “mini-states,”
including Hezbollah’s southern stronghold and armed Palestinian camps.
Immediate implementation of all relevant UN Security Council
resolutions—particularly:
Resolution 1559 (2004): Calls for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese
and non-Lebanese militias.
Resolution 1701 (2006): Demands the cessation of hostilities and prohibits the
presence of any armed forces in South Lebanon other than the Lebanese Army and
UNIFIL.
Resolution 1680 (2006): Urges Lebanon and Syria to delineate their border and
establish full diplomatic relations.
The 1949 Armistice Agreement with Israel: Must be revived and fully enforced to
restore border stability and end militia cross-border provocations.
Declare Lebanon a failed state under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, enabling
international intervention to restore state authority and protect civilians.
Empower UNIFIL with an expanded mandate to enforce disarmament and
administrative restoration across all Lebanese territories—not only the South.
A Call to Action
All free and patriotic Lebanese—at home and abroad—must unite to rescue their
homeland from occupation, collapse, and sectarian tyranny. We must raise our
voices at the United Nations, in international forums, and in the global media
to demand an end to Hezbollah’s armed rule and the restoration of Lebanese
sovereignty.
May Almighty God protect Lebanon and its people, and may justice prevail.
May 6 Martyrs' Day: Assassinating Memory
to Flatter the New Ottoman-Erdoganist "Sublime Porte"
Elias Bejjani/May 06/ 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/05/154243/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKvtNSaJ2c0&t=2s
On the day the gallows were erected
in Beirut’s Martyrs' Square (Place des Canons) and Damascus’s Marjeh Square,
over 120 writers, intellectuals, and free freedom fighters were executed in two
waves. They were the defiant voices against 400 years of Ottoman occupation. By
order of the butcher, Jamal Pasha, these executions in Beirut and Damascus were
synchronized to silence the spirit of resistance. In Lebanon, this commemoration
was abolished during the government of Prime Minister Siniora. Today, in Syria,
under the transitional president, it has also been scrapped. Erasing Lebanon’s
memory is an integral part of obliterating its identity, history, civilization,
and the rights of its diverse peoples. The same applies to the diverse social
fabric of Syria.
May 6: When Memory is Assassinated for Political Sycophancy
As May 6, 2026, passes—burdened by the 110-year-old wounds of the gallows set by
Jamal Pasha—we face a surreal scene that transcends physical execution to the
moral genocide of historical memory. What we are witnessing in Lebanon and Syria
today is not a mere "calendar adjustment," but a systematic forgery of history.
It aims to wipe away the blood of free martyrs with the rag of "political
flattery" toward rising Turkish influence and its Muslim Brotherhood tools.
The Lebanese Forgery: From "Martyrs' Day" to "Press Day"
The conspiracy against memory in Lebanon began under the Siniora government,
where the sanctity of this day was bypassed. It was downgraded from a "Day for
Martyrs" who confronted four centuries of loathsome Ottoman occupation to a mere
"Press Martyrs' Day." This distortion was no accident; it was a stab in the back
of Lebanese identity and blatant sycophancy toward the Turkish-Brotherhood and
Arafatist-Arabist axis. Limiting the commemoration to the press is an attempt to
belittle the struggle of an entire nation and a deliberate oversight of the fact
that those hanged were poets, thinkers, and national leaders whose only crime
was demanding dignity in the face of the "Sick Man of Europe."
Syria: Falling into the Trap of "Erdoganist Flattery"
The scene in Syria is no different. With Ahmed al-Sharaa’s rise to power, we see
a repetition of the Lebanese scenario through the abolition of the holiday. This
move confirms that the political decision in Damascus has become a hostage to
Turkish influence. The Syrian people are being forced to forget the atrocities
of Jamal Pasha so as not to disturb the relations with Ankara's new "Sultan,"
Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Pillars of the Historical Crime
The Erasure of Identity: Abolishing Martyrs' Day is part of a broader scheme to
erase the civilizational and pluralistic identity of Lebanon and Syria,
replacing it with a subservient identity revolving around a "Neo-Caliphate."
Falsification of Facts: In 1916, gallows were set for over 120 free activists.
Transforming this supreme sacrifice into a single professional category (the
press) is a forgery of history, which documents that their martyrdom was a
comprehensive cry for national independence.
Political Dependency: The abolition of this day in both countries proves that
successive governments prefer pleasing foreign powers over remaining loyal to
the blood of those who paved the way for independence.
A Cry for Historical Justice
Today, on the 110th anniversary (1916–2026), we demand:
Restoring May 6 as a comprehensive national holiday for all martyrs of freedom
executed by the Ottoman occupation, not a restricted "professional day."
Designating a separate day for Press Martyrs to honor their role without
compromising the greater national memory.
Rejecting all forms of flattery toward Turkish influence or Brotherhood
ideologies that attempt to whitewash the history of Ottoman crimes in our lands.
In summary, A nation that forgets its martyrs is a nation without a future.
Those who erase the memory of Martyrs' Square and Marjeh Square are merely
paving the way for new gallows of dependency and subjugation."
May 6, 2026: Our squares will remain witnesses, and "Jamal Pasha" will remain a
criminal in the records of history, no matter how hard the sycophants try to
bleach his record.
The Stages of the Crime: Abolishing Martyrs’ Day to Maliciously Alter Collective
Memory and Erase the Legacy of Resistance Against Ottoman Occupation
Martyrs' Day (May 6) has undergone several amendments in the official Lebanese
calendar, most notably during the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora:
Date of Abolition: Martyrs' Day was abolished as a public holiday and a unifying
national day in 2005, during the term of President Emile Lahoud and the first
government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
The Substitution: The official symbolism of this day was shifted from "Martyrs'
Day"—which commemorates the patriots executed by Jamal Pasha in 1916—to "Press
Martyrs' Day." Consequently, the observance became restricted to the Press and
Editors’ Syndicates, with work only halting in newspapers, rather than remaining
a comprehensive national holiday for the entire state.
Historical Background:
May 6 had been an official holiday since its inception but was first abolished
in 1977 during the Lebanese Civil War.
It was reinstated as an official national holiday in 1994.
The Siniora government’s 2005 decision revoked its "public holiday" status once
again, confining it to a professional syndicate framework under the title of
"Press Martyrs."
This calculated move aims to distort the collective memory associated with the
struggle against Ottoman occupation by narrowing its scope to a specific
professional group.
Text and Video,
Arabic and English/The “Shoes” Culture Used by Hezbollah to Attack Al-Rahi is
the Language of All Political “Parties-Corporations,” and the Conflict Between
Al-Rahi and Hezbollah is an “Internal Friendly Dispute”
Elias Bejjani/ May 02, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/05/154129/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRp5lwL9YjQ
There has never been a day when Patriarch Al-Rahi, his entourage,Waled Ghayad
and his subordinate Abu Kasm were not aligned with Assad, Iran, and
Hezbollah—remaining in a fatal estrangement from Lebanon, the rights of its
people, independence, and sovereignty. From his first day as Patriarch, Al-Rahi
supported Iran’s terrorist party in Lebanon, Hezbollah, glorified what is
falsely and blasphemously called “Resistance,” cheered for the criminal of
“human presses” Bashar al-Assad, and participated—via his henchman Father Abu
Kasm—in “Quds Day” in Tehran. He also toured the world marketing Assad, Iran,
and Hezbollah as the protectors of Christians in the Middle East.
Al-Rahi has always, whether indirectly or directly, been considered an ally of
Hezbollah. Therefore, Herzbollah’s attack on him is an “internal friendly
dispute” that does not warrant all this performative “Zajal” of condemnation.
Let them resolve the dispute among themselves.
As for the language and “culture of shoes” used by Hezbollah—which wretchedly
reflects its mindset and caliber—this is the language and culture of all owners
of the “political Parties-Corporations” in Lebanon, whether they are foreign
proxies or local family-run businesses.
Ultimately, the poetic statements of condemnation are mere words that change
nothing; they are devoid of credibility or effectiveness. In conclusion, the
best service His Eminence Al-Rahi can provide to the Church, the Maronites, and
Lebanon is to resign—to find peace and grant others peace.
From the Archive/Text and Video Link: Sayyid Fadlallah accurately
describes Hezbollah and its base, and the impact on the Shiites community.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/05/154271/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2m2A3BtARk&t=6s
(Free translation from Arabic by: Elias Bejjani)
In the attached archival video, Sayyid Fadlallah stated the following:
“We are afraid of people thinking—we, who consider ourselves, rightly or
wrongly, to be in positions of leadership and responsibility in religion,
politics, and society.
We fear people thinking; we have worked, and continue to work, toward creating a
public that merely applauds, cheers, and hypocritically flatters.
We taught the people hypocrisy because if they do not practice it with us, they
will lose many of the privileges we provide. If they do not flatter us, they may
lose a job, a position, or similar opportunities.
Because we fear the truth might challenge us or remove us from our positions, we
have become afraid of criticism. To us, criticism has become synonymous with
enmity.
It is forbidden to criticize. It is forbidden to analyze a political or social
path. It is forbidden to innovate or produce new thought.
Many of those who surround you in reality operate from a position of mental
backwardness; they brand one idea as heresy here, label another as misleading
there, accuse a person of treason here, and suppress a word there.
Suppression does not necessarily have to be the suppression of arms; rather, it
is the suppression of reality that prevents the thinker from moving forward with
freedom.”
Exhaustion and sadness in Beirut’s southern suburbs
AFP/07 May ,2026
In Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Israeli strikes reduced a building complex
to a metal shell, student Rana walked towards her home, though like many others
she fears the full-scale eruption of war again. The Israelis “are not reliable,
they can strike again at any moment,” said the young woman, refusing to give her
full name. As though to confirm her fears, Israel struck Beirut’s southern
suburbs again on Wednesday -- the first there since massive deadly strikes
across Lebanon on April 8. A source close to Hezbollah confirmed that one of the
group’s commanders was killed in the strike. “We just want to avoid being
displaced again,” said the 20-year-old. Despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah that
began on April 17, Israeli strikes have continued, mainly targeting southern
Lebanon, though Beirut and its southern suburbs -- where Hezbollah holds sway --
had been spared until now. But even so, many of the tens of thousands of
displaced avoided returning to their homes in the suburbs, fearing a sudden
resumption of the large-scale strikes that thrashed the area during the latest
war. Hezbollah, which has also continued to claim attacks on Israeli soldiers
and territory, has not given residents the green light to return home to the
suburbs, where Israeli drones continue to hover. “It’s a lot of exhaustion and
sadness,” Rana told AFP during a press tour organized by Hezbollah. She
described the fight between Hezbollah and Israel as “a battle between good and
evil.” A Hezbollah supporter requesting anonymity, meanwhile, admitted that
“people are still afraid.”At the start of the war, Israel called for the
evacuation of Beirut’s southern suburbs, which have between 600,000 and 800,000
residents. Some have decided to return nonetheless, including Hassan Moqdad, a
37-year-old mechanic, who said with a smile: “God is the protector.”Even during
the war, he had ventured out to his workshop -- one of the few remaining
edifices on a devastated road.“I went back home when the ceasefire started and
found light damage,” he said.
‘The suburb is beautiful’
Graffiti on the rubble of one of the destroyed buildings in the area read: “You
destroy buildings and we destroy brigades,” referring to Israeli border forces.
Nearby, a placard perched on the wreckage read: “I will make rockets from the
metal debris of my destroyed home.”
With his gaze fixed on a roof slumped over a pile of rubble, university lecturer
Ibrahim Shukr recalled a bookshop he used to frequent, tears glistening in his
eyes. Having lived in the suburb of Haret Hreik for 35 years, he returned to his
flat at the start of the truce and was happy to find it intact. “I am sad for my
neighbor and my friend’s homes,” which were destroyed, he said. Standing before
the rubble of his flattened building, Karim Zein, 19, said he was ready to make
any sacrifice for Hezbollah. “We do not mourn the stone, for it can be rebuilt,”
he said, having taken refuge with his sister in south Beirut. He had ignored
Israel’s first mass evacuation warning for the southern suburbs, and only left
when there was a specific warning for his building. He nonetheless said he
believed that “even in its destruction, the suburb is beautiful.”
Lebanon Tests ‘Arms Monopoly’ in Beirut Suburbs Crackdown
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat /May 06/2026
Lebanese security forces are intensifying a crackdown on gunfire during funerals
held by Hezbollah for its members, in a move that signals an official push to
curb lawlessness and halt scenes that are becoming increasingly frequent and
alarming. The Lebanese army said in a statement that military units raided the
homes of suspects involved in shooting during funerals in Beirut’s southern
suburbs and in Baalbek. Two people were arrested in the southern suburbs, along
with another suspect wanted on multiple warrants. The campaign extended beyond
Beirut. The army said it also detained a man identified as H.N. in the al-Sharawneh
neighborhood of Baalbek and another, S.A., in the town of Brital, over gunfire
during funeral ceremonies. It said weapons and ammunition were seized. The items
were handed over and investigations have begun under judicial supervision, while
efforts continue to arrest others involved.
Injuries in the southern suburbs
The crackdown comes as concern grows over the fallout from the practice, which
has coincided with a rise in shooting incidents across several areas. On Sunday,
people were wounded in the Kafaat area of Beirut’s southern suburbs after
gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades were fired into the air during a funeral,
underscoring the immediate risks. Ambulances rushed to evacuate the wounded,
highlighting how funerals are turning from moments of mourning into scenes of
danger. The phenomenon is not confined to one region. In the Bekaa Valley, the
army previously carried out wide raids in Brital, east of Baalbek, following
gunfire and the use of B7 rockets during the funeral of two Hezbollah members.
The operation aimed to pursue those involved and curb the use of weapons at
public events, in an effort to contain the situation before it escalated.
A gradual push to assert state authority
Hezbollah appears to be distancing itself from the gunfire. Political analyst
Ali al-Amine said “field indicators, including bullets landing in populated
areas and near schools, confirm the seriousness of what is happening and show
that this behavior cannot be justified under any pretext.”
He said the group is indirectly seeking to disassociate itself from such acts,
and even condemn them, in a bid to contain the fallout. He added that the army
is acting at a sensitive time, alongside negotiations and official meetings
aimed at strengthening the state’s authority.
“There is a clear effort by the authorities to show they can take executive
measures, even if gradually, toward imposing a monopoly on arms,” he said,
adding the steps are not a direct confrontation with Hezbollah but an attempt to
contain disorder.
“What is happening is a display or chaotic use of weapons.”
A costly confrontation
Al-Amine said Hezbollah understands that any confrontation with the state or the
army would be costly and yield no gains, pushing it toward rhetoric rather than
direct escalation. “Whenever the state shows seriousness, reactions are less
intense than initially portrayed,” he said, adding the real issue lies in the
state’s decision, not the scale of risks, which he said are often exaggerated to
obstruct reform. “If the state fails to show it can act, it risks its role and
existence,” he said. He described the developments as the start of a new path
toward consolidating state authority. “The government is seeking to assert its
sovereign role and show that the era of unchecked weapons is gradually giving
way to the rule of law,” he said.
Israel Army Says Striking Hezbollah Targets across Lebanon
Asharq Al Awsat/May 06/2026
Israel's army said Wednesday it had begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure in
several areas of Lebanon, despite a truce with the neighboring country intended
to halt fighting with the Iran-backed militant group. "The IDF has begun
striking Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites in several areas in Lebanon," a
military statement said. It came shortly after the army reported "several
incidents" during which drones exploded near Israeli soldiers operating in
Lebanon's south. Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli strike in Lebanon's
eastern Bekaa valley killed four people, with local media reporting the attack
took place before the Israeli army issued a warning to evacuate the area along
with 11 other towns. "An Israeli enemy raid on the town of Zellaya in West Bekaa
resulted in four martyrs, including two women and an elderly man," the ministry
said. Lebanese state media said the attack struck the house of the town's mayor,
killing him and three members of his family.
Israeli Strikes on Lebanon Kill 4 Despite Ceasefire
Asharq Al Awsat/May 06/2026
An Israeli strike in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa valley killed four people on
Wednesday, while the Israeli army said it struck Hezbollah targets in the south,
after warning residents of a dozen towns to evacuate. Israel and Hezbollah have
been trading accusations of violating the ceasefire agreement in force since
April 17. Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for several operations targeting
Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, as well as attacks on northern Israel. An
Israeli airstrike on the town of Zellaya, in the West Bekaa region, left at
least four people dead, including two women and an elderly man, the Lebanese
health ministry said. Lebanese state media said the attack struck the house of
the town's mayor, killing him and three members of his family. The town was hit
shortly before the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning that included
Zellaya, along with 11 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, most of them
north of the Litani River and outside the area occupied by Israeli soldiers. The
Israeli army later announced in a brief statement that it had "begun striking
Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites in several areas in Lebanon" and renewed
its evacuation warning. Israel carried out airstrikes and artillery bombardment
on a number of towns, including several whose residents had been warned to
evacuate. One of the strikes hit the town of Yohmor al-Shaqeef in the Nabatieh
district. AFP photos showed a cloud of smoke rising behind the town's historic
Beaufort Castle, which Israeli forces used as a base during their two-decade
occupation of southern Lebanon ending in 2000. State media reported a series of
airstrikes in the south, including a targeted strike on a car and "significant
damage" to homes and infrastructure. Hezbollah, for its part, announced in a
series of statements that it had targeted Israeli forces and vehicles in a
number of border towns in southern Lebanon. It said the attacks were in response
to "the Israeli enemy's violation of the ceasefire". Israeli strikes in Lebanon
have killed more than 2,700 people since March 2, including dozens since the
April 17 ceasefire brokered by Washington between Israeli and Lebanese
representatives. The Israeli military says it has also lost 17 soldiers and a
civilian contractor in the fighting.
Zamir vows from S. Lebanon to seize every opportunity to
dismantle Hezbollah
Agence France Presse/May 06/2026
Israel's army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir visited troops in southern
Lebanon on Wednesday, vowing to dismantle Hezbollah and saying the military was
prepared to launch a new offensive against Iran if needed. "We will seize every
opportunity to deepen the dismantling of Hezbollah and continue weakening it,"
Zamir told soldiers in the area of the Lebanese town of Khiam. He added that the
military was also "on high alert to return to a powerful and broad operation
that will enable us to deepen our achievements and further weaken the Iranian
regime."
Rubio says peace 'achievable', problem 'not Israel or Lebanon' but Hezbollah
Naharnet/May 06/2026
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that peace between Israel and
Lebanon is "achievable" and that "the problem is not Israel or Lebanon" but
Hezbollah. Rubio told reporters on Tuesday at the White House that he thinks "a
peace deal between Lebanon and Israel is imminently achievable and should
be"."What has to happen in Lebanon, what everybody wants to see, is that you
have a Lebanese government with the capability to go after Hezbollah and take
Hezbollah apart," Rubio said. "We're gonna do everything we can to make sure
that both sides continue to talk so that progress can be made at some sort of
permanent ceasefire that isn't constantly spoiled by Hezbollah and by
Hezbollah's violence," he added.
New round of Lebanon-Israel talks to be held over two days next week
Naharnet/May 06/2026
The third round of Lebanese-Israeli talks will be held next week at the U.S.
State Department over two consecutive days, either Wednesday and Thursday or
Thursday and Friday, LBCI television reported Wednesday. The report said the
talks will be attended by Ambassador Simon Karam, Lebanese Ambassador to
Washington Nada Hamadeh Moawad, Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul Wissam
Boutros, and representatives of the Lebanese Army. The report further explained
that the Lebanese ambassador to Washington has been in constant coordination
with the U.S. Secretary of State's team, holding two meetings last Monday and
Tuesday to discuss preparations for the third meeting. The ambassador also
presented a file detailing Israeli violations and emphasizing the necessity of a
ceasefire.
Israeli strike on Dahieh kills Hezbollah's Radwan Force
commander
Agence France Presse/May 06/2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military struck Beirut's
southern suburbs on Wednesday, targeting a top Hezbollah commander. "The Israeli
army has struck in Beirut to target the commander of Hezbollah's Radwan force,
in an attempt to neutralize him," a joint statement issued by Netanyahu and
Defense Minister Israel Katz said. "Radwan operatives, under his command, were
responsible for firing at Israeli communities and for attacks on Israeli
soldiers," the statement said, without naming the commander. A source close to
Hezbollah, however, told AFP that "Malek Ballout, the operations commander in
the Radwan force," was killed in the strike. Media reports had also identified
the commander as Malek Ballout. A Lebanese security source told AFP on condition
of anonymity that the strike hit an apartment in which Radwan leaders were
holding a meeting. The strike marks the first attack on the area since a truce
in the Israel-Hezbollah war went into force on April 17. An Israeli official
told the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation that the attack was coordinated
with the United States.An Israeli source meanwhile told Israel's Channel 14 that
Israel would strike anywhere in Lebanon should more assassination chances arise.
Israel-Hezbollah clashes: Latest developments
Agence France Presse/May 06/2026
An Israeli strike in Lebanon's West Bekaa killed four people on Wednesday, while
the Israeli army said it struck Hezbollah targets in the south, after warning
residents of a dozen towns to evacuate. Israel and Hezbollah have been trading
accusations of violating the ceasefire agreement in force since April 17.
Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for several operations targeting Israeli
forces in southern Lebanon, as well as attacks on northern Israel. An Israeli
airstrike on the town of Zellaya, in the West Bekaa region, left at least four
people dead, including two women and an elderly man, the Lebanese health
ministry said. Lebanese state media said the attack struck the house of the
town's mayor, killing him and three members of his family. The town was hit
shortly before the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning that included
Zellaya, along with 11 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, most of them
north of the Litani River and outside the area occupied by Israeli soldiers. The
Israeli army later announced in a brief statement that it had "begun striking
Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites in several areas in Lebanon" and renewed
its evacuation warning. Israel carried out airstrikes and artillery bombardment
on a number of towns, including several whose residents had been warned to
evacuate.One of the strikes hit the town of Yohmor al-Shaqeef in the Nabatieh
district. AFP photos showed a cloud of smoke rising behind the town's historic
Beaufort Castle, which Israeli forces used as a base during their two-decade
occupation of southern Lebanon ending in 2000. State media reported a series of
airstrikes in the south, including a targeted strike on a car and "significant
damage" to homes and infrastructure.Hezbollah, for its part, announced in a
series of statements that it had targeted Israeli forces and vehicles in a
number of border towns in southern Lebanon. It said the attacks were in response
to "the Israeli enemy's violation of the ceasefire". Israeli strikes in Lebanon
have killed more than 2,700 people since March 2, including dozens since the
April 17 ceasefire brokered by Washington between Israeli and Lebanese
representatives. The Israeli military says it has also lost 17 soldiers and a
civilian contractor in the fighting.
New round of Lebanon-Israel talks to be held over two days
next week
Naharnet/May 06/2026
The third round of Lebanese-Israeli talks will be held next week at the U.S.
State Department over two consecutive days, either Wednesday and Thursday or
Thursday and Friday, LBCI television reported Wednesday. The report said the
talks will be attended by Ambassador Simon Karam, Lebanese Ambassador to
Washington Nada Hamadeh Moawad, Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul Wissam
Boutros, and representatives of the Lebanese Army. The report further explained
that the Lebanese ambassador to Washington has been in constant coordination
with the U.S. Secretary of State's team, holding two meetings last Monday and
Tuesday to discuss preparations for the third meeting. The ambassador also
presented a file detailing Israeli violations and emphasizing the necessity of a
ceasefire.
Syria says arrested Hezbollah-linked cell plotting assassinations
Agence France Presse/May 06/2026
Syrian authorities announced on Tuesday they had arrested a Hezbollah-affiliated
cell plotting to assassinate government officials, while the Lebanese group
denied the "false accusations".The Syrian interior ministry said that it had
conducted a "series of simultaneous security operations" in the Damascus
countryside, Aleppo, Homs, Tartus and Latakia provinces. It said the operations
led to the "dismantling of an organized cell affiliated with the Hezbollah
militia, whose members infiltrated Syrian territory after receiving intensive
specialized training in Lebanon". Preliminary investigations revealed that the
cell was planning "targeted assassinations against high-level government
officials", the ministry statement said, adding that they seized military
equipment including explosive devices and RPG launchers, among other weapons. It
published the pictures of 11 suspects, without specifying their nationalities,
saying they included the official responsible for plotting and overseeing
assassinations. Hezbollah meanwhile issued a statement "categorically denying
the false accusations from the Syrian interior ministry". "The repetition of
these claims by Syrian security authorities despite our repeated declarations
that Hezbollah has no presence inside Syrian territory... raises major
questions," the Iran-backed group said. It added that it "suggests that there
are those who seek to ignite tensions and strife between the Syrian and Lebanese
peoples". Hezbollah was a key backer of longtime president Bashar al-Assad,
playing a vital role in tipping the civil war in his favor in the years before
he was ousted in December 2024. Prior to that, Syria was a key conduit for the
transfer of weapons from Iran to the Lebanese group. Since Assad was toppled,
Syria's new authorities have repeatedly announced the foiling of plots to
disrupt security that they have blamed on Hezbollah, which the group has denied.
Pope comforts 13 priests from south Lebanon with surprise
video call
Associated Press/May 06/2026
Pope Leo XIV surprised 13 priests from southern Lebanon, near the border with
Israel, by joining a video call from Rome on Wednesday, telling them they were
in his prayers and that he hoped peace would soon prevail along the tense
frontier. The Lebanese Catholic and Maronite priests were asked to attend an
online morning meeting with the Vatican's ambassador to Lebanon, Archbishop
Paolo Borgia. Once online, Borgia told them Leo was also present and would like
to speak with them. The 13 holy men, from southern villages and towns, including
Rmeich, Ain Ebel, Debel, and Marjayoun, were pleasantly surprised. "(The pope)
gave us peace and his blessings," said Father Najib al-Amil, the parish priest
of Rmeich, who attended the online meeting. "His words were reassuring,
particularly as we live in constant worry over here," Al-Amil told The
Associated Press. Christian villages along the border with Israel have been
mostly spared intense Israeli bombardment that has caused wide destruction in
other parts of predominantly Shiite southern Lebanon. However, the situation
remains tense in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire that went into effect on
April 17, as Israel and the militant Hezbollah group have continued their
attacks despite the truce. Al-Amil said the pope spoke in French with the
priests during the video call that lasted about a minute and urged them to stay
in their hometowns.
"Pray with me so that peace prevails. God willing, peace is near," al-Amil
quoted the pope as saying. The Vatican spokesman didn't immediately respond when
asked for details of the call. The Vatican did say that Leo had a meeting on the
agenda Wednesday with the Holy See's ambassador to Lebanon, though no details
are ever released of such audiences. When Pope Francis used to call the parish
priest in Gaza, as he was known to do every evening during Israel's attacks on
the Palestinian enclave, the Vatican always declined to provide details,
describing the initiative as a personal pastoral act by the pope. A few days
before Wednesday's call, the Israeli military demolished a Catholic convent in
the border village of Yaroun, according to officials. The military says it does
not intentionally target religious institutions. However, in a statement
Saturday, it stated it damaged a house without religious signs while destroying
Hezbollah infrastructure in Yaroun, without realizing it was a church building.
The Israeli military said the building in Yaroun was part of a compound that
Hezbollah militants had used in the past to fire rockets toward Israel, and it
released photographs of an intact building at the site. Two local officials from
Yaroun and a nun who spent time at the convent in recent years told the AP that
the photos posted in the Israel statement were of another building next to the
convent that housed a clinic and archbishopric, and that the Israeli military
had bulldozed the convent. Lebanon's state news agency also reported that the
convent was demolished. The convent demolition also came days after images of an
Israeli soldier wielding an ax against a fallen statue of Jesus on the cross in
the village of Debel sparked widespread condemnation. Christians make up around
a third of Lebanon's 5 million people, giving the small nation on the eastern
coast of the Mediterranean the largest percentage of Christians in the Middle
East.
In November, Leo flew to Lebanon from Turkey on his first trip abroad since
being elected in May last year. The pope has recently revealed that he carries a
photo of a young Lebanese Muslim boy who had held up a sign welcoming Leo to
Lebanon. The boy was killed during Israel's recent war with Hezbollah. Maronite
Catholics are the largest Christian group in Lebanon and the Lebanese president
is always a Maronite, according to the country's power-sharing agreement. The
latest war between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired
rockets into northern Israel, two days after the United States and Israel
launched a war on its main backer, Iran. Israel has since carried out hundreds
of airstrikes and launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, capturing
dozens of towns and villages along the border.
Fadel Shaker, Ahmad al-Assir acquitted of attempted murder
Agence France Presse/May 06/2026
A Lebanese court on Wednesday acquitted singer Fadel Shaker of the attempted
murder of an official from a Hezbollah-allied group, a judicial official told
AFP, after the star surrendered to police.The Lebanese-Palestinian entertainer
turned himself over to authorities in October after more than a decade in hiding
in a Palestinian refugee camp. Shaker was accused of taking part in 2013 clashes
in the south Lebanon city of Sidon between the military and supporters of
Salafist Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir, which left 18 soldiers dead. While Shaker was a
supporter of Assir, he denied involvement in the violence. He was also accused,
alongside Assir and four others, of the attempted murder of Hilal Hammoud, a
local official with the Hezbollah-allied Lebanese Resistance Brigades. They were
all acquitted on Wednesday due to "insufficient evidence", the judicial official
told AFP. Still in detention, Shaker is due to appear on May 26 before a
military court in four other cases, including participating in the formation of
an armed group.
During his years on the run, courts convicted him in absentia and imposed
sentences ranging from five to 15 years of hard labor. In the months leading up
to his surrender in October, Shaker released new songs, recorded in the refugee
camp, that topped charts in the Arab world.
Assir, arrested in 2015 while attempting to flee Lebanon, was sentenced to death
in 2017, then to 20 years of hard labor in 2021.
Lebanese PM Says Premature to Talk of Any High-Level
Meeting with Israel
Asharq Al Awsat/May 06/2026
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said it is premature to talk of any
high-level meeting between Lebanon and Israel, comments underlining the dim
chances of one being held soon as hoped for by US President Donald Trump. Salam,
in comments reported by Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) on Wednesday, said
shoring up a ceasefire would be the basis for any new round of negotiations that
might be held by Lebanese and Israeli government envoys in Washington.
Hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have continued to rage in
southern Lebanon despite a US-mediated ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel
announced on April 16. Since Hezbollah triggered the war by opening fire in
support of Iran on March 2, the Lebanese administration led by Salam and
President Joseph Aoun has initiated Beirut's highest-level contacts with Israel
in decades, reflecting deep divisions between the Shiite group and its Lebanese
opponents. Washington last month hosted two meetings between the Israeli and
Lebanese ambassadors to the United States. Hezbollah strongly objects to the
contacts.Announcing a three-week extension of the ceasefire on April 23, Trump
said he looked forward to hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
Aoun in the near future, and that he saw "a great chance" the countries would
reach a peace deal this year. Salam said Lebanon was not seeking "normalization
with Israel, but rather achieving peace".The current circumstances "are not
ripe to talk about high-level meetings," he added, according to NNA. "Our
minimum demand is a timetable for Israel’s withdrawal," he said, adding that
the government would develop its plan to restrict weapons to state control - an
effort aimed at securing Hezbollah's disarmament. Aoun said this week the timing
was not right for a meeting with Netanyahu. Lebanon "must first reach a security
agreement and a halt to the Israeli attacks, before we raise the issue of a
meeting between us," he said.
TRADING BLOWS
Israel has occupied a so-called security zone extending as deep as 10 km (6
miles) into southern Lebanon, saying it aims to protect northern Israel from
Hezbollah militants embedded in civilian areas.Hezbollah and Israel have
continued to trade blows.Lebanon's Health Ministry said on Wednesday an Israeli
airstrike killed four people including two women and an elderly man in the town
of Zelaya in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said Hezbollah had launched
explosive drones and rockets towards Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon,
injuring two Israeli soldiers.
It also said the Israeli air force intercepted a hostile aircraft before it
crossed into Israel, and announced strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in
several areas in Lebanon. More than 2,700 people have been killed in the war in
Lebanon since March 2, the Health Ministry says.
The Israeli military says Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets and drones at
Israel since March 2. Israel has announced 17 soldiers have been killed in
southern Lebanon, along with two civilians in northern Israel.
Linking Negotiation Tracks Does Not Serve Lebanon's Interests
Rami al-Rayes/Asharq Al Awsat/May 06/2026
The question of restricting armament to the hands of the Lebanese state has
become the central political issue of President Joseph Aoun's term far more
quickly than anyone anticipated. Aoun had been elected in early 2025 and in the
wake of the Israeli war on Lebanon, which severely weakened Hezbollah and killed
most of its leaders- Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah down through a large
segment of its mid-level military and security commanders, in addition to
cadres, most of whom were wounded in the walkie-talkie and pager explosions.
In his inaugural address before the Lebanese parliament, President Aoun pledged
to ensure that decisions of war and peace would be made exclusively by the
state. He also called for a dialogue around national security strategy for the
country's security forces and army.
This position aligns with the position consistently reiterated by Prime Minister
Nawaf Salam, who brings global political, academic, diplomatic, and judicial
experience at the highest level. Salam insists that restricting arms to the
state is first and foremost dictated by the Taif Agreement (approved by Lebanese
parliamentarians in Saudi Arabia in 1989 and incorporated into the Lebanese
constitution in 1990) and not a concession to Israeli disarmament demands.
The current problem has three sides: the negotiators are not the ones doing the
fighting, those fighters are not negotiating, and both are facing a ruthless
enemy that does not hesitate to violate every agreement it signs. Israel
continues to violate Lebanese sovereignty and relentlessly target civilians,
journalists, and medical, emergency, and nursing personnel, with no regard for
international law or basic norms.
Despite the ferocity of Israel's ongoing attacks, broad segments of Lebanese
society are becoming increasingly convinced that Hezbollah's second "support
war," which was launched only weeks ago, was a response to the assassination of
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Many now ask what it means for Lebanon to tie its
fate to Iran: a country that did not even retaliate to the assassination of
Hassan Nasrallah himself and only entered the war once it came under direct
American-Israeli bombardment.
If this question is legitimate in both form and substance, it begs the question
of what drives the vicious political and media campaign against the president
over his decision to pursue direct negotiations with Israel with the aim of
ending the war and opening a new phase whose central aim is to close the chapter
in which Lebanon pays the price for others' conflicts and move instead toward an
era of stability.
Some of those opposed to the negotiations go so far as to accuse the Lebanese
president of treachery- even as Iran itself is negotiating with the United
States, the very power that, in cooperation with Israel, subjected it to
unprecedented bombardment and assassinated its senior leaders. None of that
prevented Tehran from sitting at the negotiating table in search of a lasting
solution.
Lebanon has no interest in linking its negotiation track to Iran's. While
Tehran’s occasional statements suggesting it seeks a ceasefire in Lebanon in the
media statements assure Hezbollah's constituency, Lebanon has been living with
the consequences of "linked tracks" under Syrian tutelage for decades. Damascus
repeatedly used the Lebanese card to bolster its own negotiating position while
showing no real concern for Lebanon whenever talks over the Golan Heights moved
forward.
Lebanon cannot afford additional costs or manufactured wars that repeatedly hand
Israel pretexts to assault, destroy, and exact revenge on a country with a rich
experience of pluralism, fragile democracy, and diversity. Lebanon presents an
antithesis to Israel, which presents itself as the Middle East's only democracy,
claiming to respect all religions and guarantee freedom of worship. Recent
events in the churches of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, at Al-Aqsa Mosque and across
the West Bank, and the attacks on mosques, churches, and shrines in southern
Lebanon, flatly negate those claims. Finally, if negotiation is indeed Lebanon's
best option, then perhaps some of the voices rushing toward normalization and
promoting a peace agreement with Israel should temper their enthusiasm. They
should not look away from the daily assaults Lebanon endures and justify
Israel’s actions, absolving it entirely.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on
06-07 May/2026
Trump Issues Ultimatum for Iran to Accept Deal or
Face More Bombing
Asharq Al Awsat/May 06/2026
President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum Wednesday for Iran to accept a deal
to end the war or face intense renewed US bombing, the latest in a series of
abrupt policy shifts.
"Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is perhaps a big
assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end," Trump posted on
his Truth Social platform," using the US name for its military campaign against
Iran. "If they don't agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much
higher level and intensity than it was before."He later said in an interview
with PBS he was optimistic about reaching an agreement with Iran before his
scheduled trip to China next week. "I think it's got a very good chance of
ending, and if it doesn't end, we have to go back to bombing the hell out of
them," Trump told the broadcaster. He was also asked about reports that under a
proposed deal, Tehran would "export" its highly enriched uranium, possibly to
the United States. "No, not perhaps. It goes to the United States," Trump said
without explaining how this key point of contention would be resolved. Iran has
steadfastly refused to give up its enriched uranium, which it insists is not for
making a nuclear bomb. Trump's social media post came after US news outlet Axios
reported that Washington and Tehran were close to agreeing on a one-page
memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed
nuclear negotiations. A short time later, however, the president told the New
York Post it was "too far" and "too much" to think about face-to-face talks with
Iran in Pakistan, which has been mediating a peace deal between the two sides.
It remained difficult to discern Trump's stance on how to end the war. The
79-year-old Republican has repeatedly asserted he has "all the time in the
world" for the high-stakes conflict, but also recently signaled to Congress that
the war, launched on February 28, was already over. Trump and his administration
are seeking an exit from the conflict, which is deeply unpopular with the
American public and has driven up the price of gasoline, among other costs.
Trump late Tuesday announced a pause in a US military operation to guide
stranded commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz -- after only a day --
citing a chance to seal a deal to end the war. The US leader said Washington's
blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place as Tehran kept up its own
closure of the vital trade route, which has rocked markets and spiked fuel
prices. Trump wrote on social media that the surprise decision to halt his
so-called "Project Freedom" came after requests from "mediator Pakistan and
other countries", saying "Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and
Final Agreement" with Tehran. "We have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade
will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom... will be paused for a
short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and
signed," Trump wrote late Tuesday.
Trump says Iran deal 'very possible' amid 'very good talks'
Agence France Presse/May 06/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a deal with Iran to end the
Middle East war was "very possible" following "very good talks" over the past
day. "We've had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it's very possible
that we'll make a deal," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Iran Conflict May Have Motivated Trump Dinner Shooting
Suspect, US Intelligence Report Finds
Asharq Al Awsat/May 06/2026
The US Department of Homeland Security identified the US-Israeli war with Iran
as a potential motive for the man accused of attempting to assassinate President
Donald Trump and senior members of his administration at a White House
reporters' gala last month, according to an intelligence report sent to state
and local law enforcement nationwide and other federal agencies. The report, a
preliminary assessment by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of
Intelligence and Analysis dated April 27, assessed that the suspect Cole Allen
had "multiple social and political grievances."It concluded that the Iran
conflict "may have contributed to his decision to conduct the attack," citing
social media posts from Allen that criticized US actions in the war. The
assessment sheds new light on the US government's search for a motive in the
foiled attack on the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25. Its
conclusions, while preliminary, offer the most definitive evidence to date
that the Iran conflict, which has killed thousands in the Middle East and
rattled the global economy, could have been a trigger. The report, marked as a
"Critical Incident Note," was obtained through open records requests by the
transparency nonprofit Property of the People and shared with Reuters. A DHS
spokesperson declined to comment on the contents of the intelligence assessment.
"These reports notify our partners of the latest available information following
significant incidents that have impacts to homeland security," the spokesperson
said. The FBI declined to comment and the US Justice Department did not respond
to requests for comment. On Tuesday, the US Justice Department added a charge of
assault on a federal officer, accusing Allen of firing at a US Secret Service
agent at a security checkpoint, in addition to attempted assassination,
discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegal transportation
of a firearm and ammunition across state lines. He has not yet entered a plea.
FBI EXAMINES SOCIAL MEDIA
US officials have so far said little about Allen's alleged motivation, pointing
only to an email Allen sent to relatives on the night of the attack. The
message, which officials have called a manifesto, expressed anger at the
administration and referred to his desire to target the "traitor" giving a
speech, without mentioning Trump by name. In court documents, prosecutors have
alleged that Allen "disagreed" with Trump politically and "wanted to 'fight
back' against government policies and decisions that he found morally
objectionable."The FBI has been carrying out a detailed examination of Allen's
social media activity and digital footprint in searching for a motive for the
attack, a senior law enforcement official told Reuters, speaking on the
condition of anonymity. "It's being closely looked at," the official told
Reuters.The examination includes a review of posts on a Bluesky social media
account linked to Allen that posted and shared a range of anti-Trump messages in
the weeks leading up to the attack. The posts include criticism of the US
actions in Iran but also broadsides against the Trump administration on
immigration enforcement, Elon Musk, and Russia's war in Ukraine. The account
shared a post calling for Trump to be impeached over his April 7 threat to
destroy Iranian civilization, which came hours before Trump agreed to a
ceasefire. It also shared criticism of reporters who planned to attend the press
dinner. The focus on Allen's online activity is in part to stave off conspiracy
theories about the motive and online activity of the suspected shooter, the
official said, adding that speculation about the online activity of the man who
fired at Trump during a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, had sparked
widely spread conspiracy theories.
Iran’s top negotiator says US aiming to force Tehran’s
‘surrender’
AFP/06 May ,2026
Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Wednesday that Washington
was seeking Tehran’s surrender through various means, including a naval
blockade.“The enemy, in its new design, is seeking, through a naval blockade,
economic pressure and media manipulation, to destroy the country’s cohesion in
order to force us to surrender,” Ghalibaf said in a voice message published on
his official Telegram channel. The influential speaker of the Iranian parliament
did not elaborate on the prospects for a peace plan with the United States, as
Tehran continues to review elements of a US proposal. Foreign ministry spokesman
Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday that Tehran would convey its position to key
mediator Pakistan after “finalizing its views.”Earlier in the day, US President
Donald Trump had said he wanted the war to be “at an end,” while vowing more
intense attacks on Iran if it did not agree to conditions set by Washington.
US military shoots, disables Iranian-flagged tanker in Gulf
of Oman: CENTCOM
Al Arabiya English/06 May ,2026
The US military said its forces fired on and disabled an Iranian-flagged tanker
en route to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman early Wednesday after it ignored
warnings that it was violating the American naval blockade. A US Navy fighter
jet fired several rounds from a 20mm cannon, disabling the M/T Hasna. “After the
crew failed to comply with repeated warnings, US forces disabled the tanker’s
rudder by firing several rounds from the 20mm cannon of a US Navy F/A-18 Super
Hornet launched from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Hasna is no longer transiting
to Iran,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said. “The US blockade against ships
attempting to enter or depart Iranian ports remains in full effect.”CENTCOM said
its forces continue to act “deliberately and professionally to ensure
compliance.”Earlier in the day, CENTCOM said that the blockade had forced more
than 50 commercial vessels to turn around and return to port. Read more: CENTCOM
commander says US military destroyed six Iranian boats after attacks
Israel’s Netanyahu says he will speak to Trump later on
Wednesday
Agencies/06 May ,2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would speak to US President
Donald Trump later on Wednesday, adding that both leaders agree all enriched
uranium must be removed from Iran. “There is full coordination between us, there
are no surprises. We share common goals, and the most important goal is the
removal of the enriched material from Iran, all the enriched material, and the
dismantling of Iran’s enrichment capabilities,” Netanyahu said.He added that
Israel was “prepared for all scenarios” in dealing with Iran. “We are...
prepared for all scenarios, and those are the instructions I have given to the
army and our security services,” Netanyahu said. Earlier on Wednesday, Iran said
it was reviewing a new US proposal, after sources said Washington and Tehran
were closing in on a one-page memorandum to end their war while leaving tricky
issues such as Iran’s nuclear program for later.
US aims for Fourth of July to deploy Qatar-gifted jet as
Air Force One
Reuters/07 May ,2026
The US Air Force is targeting a Fourth of July delivery for a Boeing 747 gifted
by Qatar that would join the Air Force One fleet in time for the nation’s 250th
anniversary, a US official and a person familiar with the program said. The
White House accepted the luxury jet from Qatar in 2025 and asked the Air Force
to rapidly upgrade the aircraft to presidential standards, with L3Harris tapped
to carry out the overhaul. If the company meets its deadline, President Donald
Trump will have a new presidential aircraft in time for the national
celebrations. The person said there were efforts to possibly deliver the jet
three weeks earlier to align with Trump’s birthday on June 14, ahead of the July
4 deadline. The Qatari gift has drawn criticism from Democrats, who claimed it
was a conflict of interest that could influence presidential decisions. Trump
has dismissed complaints of accepting the 13-year-old airplane with a $400
million list price, saying it would be “stupid” to turn down the offer. There
are two modified 747-200B aircraft in the current specialized Air Force One
fleet. Any Air Force plane on which the US president travels is called Air Force
One. Retrofitting the luxury plane offered by Qatar’s royal family requires
security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent spies from listening
in and the ability to fend off incoming missiles, experts have said. An Air
Force spokesperson said, “The aircraft is on schedule to deliver this summer.”
The aircraft has completed modification and flight testing and is now being
painted, the Air Force said on Friday.
Official replacement jets delayed
The official Air Force One replacement program — Boeing’s effort to convert two
747-8 aircraft into next-generation presidential jets — is four years behind
schedule, with delivery not expected until mid-2028. That risks leaving Trump
without his prized new planes before his term ends in January 2029. Boeing is
locked in a fixed-price contract worth $3.9 billion in 2018, but costs have
since ballooned to over $5 billion, with the company posting $2.4 billion in
charges against earnings from the project. In a bid to steady the ship, Boeing
in 2025 hired Steve Sullivan, a former Northrop Grumman executive who worked on
the B-21 bomber program, to lead the effort. The Air Force recently unveiled a
new paint scheme in red, white, dark blue and gold for its executive airlift
fleet — reviving a color palette Trump had long pushed for. An earlier version
of that design was scrapped in 2022. The new livery will be applied to the
VC-25B — the military designation for the Boeing 747-8 — replacing the white and
two-tone blue scheme that has been in place since the Kennedy era. Four Boeing
757-200s used by the vice president, cabinet members and other senior officials
will also be repainted. In December, the Air Force purchased two former
Lufthansa 747-8i aircraft for $400 million — one to serve as a dedicated trainer
for aircrew and maintainers, and one to be used for spare parts as it prepares
to eventually retire the current fleet, which has been in service since 1990.
Bahrain, UAE urge Security Council action over Iran’s
‘unlawful’ attacks
Reuters/06 May ,2026
Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday condemned Iran’s recent
attacks on the UAE, calling for “credible, united and decisive response from the
international community and particularly from the Security Council.”Speaking to
reporters ahead of a Security Council closed consultation at the request of the
Bahrain today, Bahrain Ambassador Jamal Fares Alrowaiei reiterated “full
solidarity” with the UAE and condemned “Iran’s attacks against the UAE on May
4.”“The security of the region is indivisible, and such attacks must cease
immediately… they require credible, united and decisive response from the
international community and particularly from the Security Council,” Alrowaiei
said. Meanwhile, UAE Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab said on May 4, “Iran launched
12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four UAVs directly at the
United Arab Emirates.”“These attacks included drone strikes, which resulted in a
fire in the Fujairah oil Industry Zone, critical civilian energy infrastructure.
UAE air defenses successfully intercepted the majority of these threats,
limiting the damage. Nevertheless, three civilians were injured,” he added. He
reiterated that the UAE condemns these attacks “in the strongest possible
terms,” adding they violate Security Council Resolution 2817, “a resolution
co-sponsored by 136 Member States, the highest in the history of the
Council.”Ambassador Abushahab also said “the will of the international community
could not be clearer. Iran’s noncompliance could not be more brazen.”Abushahab
also said that commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz continue to be struck.
“What happens in the Strait of Hormuz does not stay in the Strait of Hormuz. It
affects energy markets, supply chains, food prices and economic stability across
the globe.”UN Security Council members began closed talks on Tuesday on a
resolution drafted by the US, with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar demanding Iran stop attacks and laying mines in the
Strait of Hormuz. If it were to pass, the resolution could lead to sanctions
against Iran and potentially authorize force, if Tehran fails to halt attacks
and threats to commercial shipping.
Trump signs new counter-terrorism strategy that focuses on
hemispheric threats
Reuters/06 May ,2026
President Donald Trump has signed a new national counterterrorism strategy that
focuses in part on the “neutralization” of hemispheric threats and
incapacitating cartel operations, top White House adviser Sebastian Gorka said
on Wednesday. Gorka, the White House counterterrorism director, told reporters
Trump signed the document on Tuesday “driven by the principle that America is
our homeland and must be protected.” The United States has destroyed dozens of
boats as part of what Washington has called a counternarcotics campaign linked
to an operation that included the ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro
this year. “Our new counterterrorism strategy first prioritizes the
neutralization of hemispheric terror threats by incapacitating cartel operations
until these groups are incapable of bringing their drugs, their members and
their trafficked victims into the United States,” Gorka said. Within the US,
Gorka said the strategy will also focus on identifying and neutralizing what he
called “violent, secular political groups whose ideology is anti-American,
radically pro gender or anarchist, such as Antifa.”“We will use all the tools
constitutionally available to us to map them at home, identify their membership,
map their ties to international organizations like Antifa, and use law
enforcement tools to cripple them operationally before they can maim or kill the
innocent,” he said. Gorka said US counterterrorism officials will meet with
international partners on Friday to ask how allies can increase efforts to
combat terrorist threats, especially from Iran and in the Strait of Hormuz.
After the assassination in September of conservative activist Charlie Kirk,
White House aides called for a coordinated effort against unnamed left-wing
groups accused of promoting violence. Gorka said the strategy would also focus
on right-wing groups that foment violence. He said the strategy also focuses on
maintaining pressure on what he called the global extremist movement, including
the “targeting and destruction” of groups like al-Qaeda.
French Aircraft Carrier Pre-Positions for Possible Hormuz Mission
Asharq Al Awsat/May 06/2026
France's aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle was on Wednesday heading towards
the southern Red Sea to pre-position for a possible mission to restore
navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the presidency and defense ministry said.
President Emmanuel Macron's office said the move was intended to send "a signal
that not only are we ready to secure the Strait of Hormuz but that we are also
capable of doing so".The flagship of the French Navy and its escorts was
transiting the Suez Canal en route to the southern Red Sea, the defense ministry
said. The decision was intended "to reduce the time needed to implement this
initiative as soon as circumstances allow," the ministry said. Macron and
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are leading a multinational mission to
ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while emphasizing the
force would be entirely defensive and only deployed once lasting peace in the
region was agreed. More than 40 countries have begun military planning in
London. "The movement of the carrier strike group is separate from the military
operations initiated in the region and complements the security posture," the
defense ministry said. Its presence near the Gulf will allow "an early
assessment of the regional operational environment ahead of the possible launch
of the initiative" and "offer additional crisis-exit options to strengthen the
security of the region," the ministry added.
The aircraft carrier around twenty Rafale fighter jets and is escorted by
several frigates. It set sail from the southeastern French port city of Toulon
in January for a deployment to the North Atlantic. But in early March, it was
redirected to the eastern Mediterranean to defend French interests and allied
countries struck by Iran's retaliation for Israeli-American attacks.
Saudi FM, Iranian Counterpart Discuss Regional Developments
Riyadh: Asharq Al Awsat/May 06/2026
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held a
phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, the Saudi Press Agency
(SPA) reported on Wednesday.
During the call, they discussed the latest regional developments and the efforts
to maintain the region's security and stability, SPA said.
Iran Says It Wants a 'Comprehensive Agreement' with US
Asharq Al Awsat/May 06/2026
Iran will only accept "a fair and comprehensive agreement" in its negotiations
with the US on ending the war in the Middle East, its foreign minister said on
Wednesday, as President Donald Trump cited "great progress" in the process. "We
will do our best to protect our legitimate rights and interests in the
negotiations," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in Beijing after a meeting
with China's top diplomat Wang Yi, Iranian media reported. "We only accept a
fair and comprehensive agreement." He did not directly address Trump's offer of
a pause in the US operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz,
offered earlier as an incentive to help reach an agreement between the two
sides. The strait has been virtually shut since the conflict began on February
28 with air attacks on Iran by the US and Israel, blocking about 20% of world
oil supplies and igniting a global energy crisis. "We have mutually agreed
that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom
... will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the
Agreement can be finalized and signed," Trump wrote on social media.
Following Trump's post, Brent crude oil futures fell 1.2%, to $108.60 a barrel,
after dropping 4% in the previous session. US West Texas Intermediate futures
eased 1.2% to $101.06 a barrel, after settling down 3.9% the day before. The
White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment on what progress
had been made, or how long the pause would last. US Secretary of State Marco
Rubio and other senior administration officials said earlier on Tuesday that
Iran could not be allowed to control traffic through the strait. Iran has
effectively sealed off the strait by threatening to deploy mines, drones,
missiles and fast-attack craft. The United States has countered by blockading
Iranian ports and mounting escorted transits for commercial vessels. The US
military said on Monday it had destroyed several small Iranian boats, as well as
cruise missiles and drones. However, a fragile ceasefire agreed four weeks ago
is holding.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN WANTS PEACE
The war has killed thousands as it has spread beyond Iran to Lebanon and the
Gulf, and roiled the global economy. The head of the International Monetary Fund
said on Tuesday that even if the conflict ended immediately, it would take
three to four months to deal with the consequences.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Iran's military had been reduced to
firing "peashooters" and Tehran wanted peace, despite public sabre-rattling.
"Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with
Representatives of Iran," he said on his Truth Social platform. The conflict is
also pressuring Trump's administration ahead of crucial midterm elections in
November, as rising gas prices hit voters' pockets. Trump has said the
US-Israeli attacks aimed to eliminate what he called imminent threats from Iran,
citing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and its support for the Hamas
and Hezbollah militias. Iran has called the attacks a violation of its
sovereignty and said that it has the right to develop nuclear technology for
peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a party to the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have yet to yield results. US and Iranian
officials have held one round of face-to-face peace talks, but attempts to set
up further meetings have failed.
Israeli Court Rejects Flotilla Activists’ Appeal
Challenging Detention
Asharq Al Awsat/May 06/2026
An Israeli court on Wednesday rejected an appeal contesting the detention of two
foreign activists seized by Israeli forces from a Gaza-bound flotilla, with the
rights group representing them denouncing the ruling as "unlawful."Saif Abu
Keshek, a Spanish national of Palestinian origin, and Brazilian Thiago Avila
were among dozens of activists aboard a flotilla intercepted in international
waters off the coast of Greece on Thursday. The two were seized by Israeli
forces and brought to Israel for questioning, while the others were taken to the
Greek island of Crete and released.
On Tuesday, an Israeli court extended their detention until Sunday to allow
police more time to interrogate them, according to their lawyers. The lawyers
then filed an appeal at the Beersheva district court against the detention, but
it was rejected. "Today, the district court of Beersheva denied our appeal and
basically accepted all of the arguments that the state or the police have
represented before the court and kept the previous decision," lawyer Hadeel Abu
Salih said. The two activists, who are on a hunger strike, had appeared in the
district court with their feet shackled, an AFP journalist saw. Abu Keshek
looked exhausted and sat with his hands clasped in his lap, while Avila appeared
calm. Abu Salih said her clients had been subjected to "an illegal arrest that
took place in international waters where the activists were kidnapped by the
Israeli navy without any authority".She went on to accuse the courts of "giving
a free hand for the Israeli forces... to do it again and again".
'Unlawful and unreasonable' -
Israeli rights group Adalah, which is representing the pair, called Wednesday's
court decision "unlawful and unreasonable". "This is especially egregious given
that the activists were abducted from an Italian-flagged vessel, placing them
under Italian jurisdiction," it said. Adalah has also accused the authorities of
subjecting the men to continuous abuse in detention, including keeping Avila in
a cold cell. Abu Salih said Abu Keshek reported giving up water, as well as
food, and that the two men said authorities "keep interrogating them for most of
the time, most of the day" about the flotilla, she added. Israeli authorities
have rejected the allegations of abuse but have filed no charges against the
men. Adalah said authorities have accused the pair of "assisting the enemy
during wartime" and "membership in and providing services to a terrorist
organization".
Israel says both men were affiliated with the Popular Conference for
Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), a group accused by Washington of "clandestinely
acting on behalf of" Palestinian militant group Hamas. Spain, Brazil and the
United Nations have called for their swift release.
"It is not a crime to show solidarity and attempt to bring humanitarian aid to
the Palestinian population in Gaza, who are in dire need of it," UN rights
office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said in a statement. The flotilla had set
sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking Israel's blockade of
Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Palestinian
territory.Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, which has been under an
Israeli blockade since 2007.
Israeli Airstrike Kills Colonel in Hamas-Led Gaza Police
Force, Medics Say
Asharq Al Awsat/May 06/2026
An Israeli airstrike killed a senior officer in the Hamas-run Interior Ministry
in the Gaza Strip, health officials and Hamas sources said on Wednesday. Medics
said an Israeli airstrike killed Naseem al-Kalazani, a colonel in the Hamas-run
police force, when it targeted his vehicle near the al-Mawasi area in western
Khan Younis, south of the enclave. The attack wounded at least 17 other
people, they added. Kalazani led the anti-narcotics force in Khan Younis, Hamas
sources said. Reuters has previously reported that Israel has intensified its
attacks on Gaza's Hamas-run police force, which the group has used to reinforce
its hold in the areas it controls in the strip. There was no immediate
Israeli comment on the incident. Violence in Gaza has persisted despite an
October 2025 ceasefire, with Israel conducting almost daily attacks on
Palestinians. Israel and Hamas have blamed each other for ceasefire violations.
At least 830 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire deal took
effect, according to local medics, while Israel says fighters have killed four
of its soldiers over the same period. Israel says its strikes are aimed at
thwarting attempts by Hamas and other Palestinian fighters to stage attacks
against its forces. More than 72,500 Palestinians have been killed since the
Gaza war started in October 2023, most of them civilians, according to Gaza
health authorities.
Factions Tighten Grip on Iraq Gov’t
Formation Talks
Baghdad: Fadhel al-Nashmi/Asharq Al
Awsat/May 06/2026
Despite the favorable conditions surrounding Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi’s
efforts to form a new government, including backing from local and regional
parties, observers say he still faces serious challenges, foremost among them US
pressure to bar representatives of armed factions from joining the cabinet. US
President Donald Trump, voicing support last week for al-Zaidi’s nomination,
said he wanted to see a new Iraqi government “free of terrorism.”His remarks
were widely interpreted as opposition to the inclusion of Iran-aligned armed
factions that Washington has designated as terrorist groups.
Asaib Ahl al-Haq stands firm
Alongside US pressure, al-Zaidi faces competing domestic demands, particularly
from groups seeking cabinet posts despite being under US sanctions. Chief among
them is Asaib Ahl al-Haq, led by Qais al-Khazali, placing the premier-designate
between two difficult constraints in his government formation efforts. Hussein
al-Shihani, a member of the political bureau of the Sadiqoun bloc, the political
wing of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, said in media remarks that the group is seeking one of
the deputy prime minister posts. He said the bloc is targeting underperforming
ministries “to prove its ability to reform them,” including the industry
ministry to revive the “Made in Iraq” label, and the education ministry, where
it claims to have a reform plan. Asaib Ahl al-Haq held key cabinet portfolios in
the previous two governments, including the culture and higher education
ministries, and currently occupies the position of first deputy speaker of
parliament. Shihani said the post of first deputy speaker was valued at nine or
10 “points,” with each point equivalent to a parliamentary seat, adding that
Sadiqoun aims to secure a deputy prime minister position based on its share. It
remains unclear how al-Zaidi will reconcile competing international and domestic
pressures. Some political and media circles warn that competition among
factions, including Asaib Ahl al-Haq, over key posts around the prime
minister-designate could shorten the lifespan of his prospective government.
Key hurdles
Political analyst Ihsan al-Shammari said al-Zaidi’s initial pledge to form an
inclusive government could conflict with US conditions that it be free of
militias designated as terrorist organizations. He said this presents a major
challenge, particularly as al-Zaidi is counting heavily on US support. Shammari
added that the issue could complicate negotiations with the political wings of
armed factions, which now hold significant representation in parliament, making
it difficult for al-Zaidi to bypass their influence. He said al-Zaidi may resort
to compromise, persuading factions to nominate figures who appear independent
but remain loyal to them, potentially easing US pressure.Failure to navigate
these challenges could have major consequences, Shammari said, potentially
leading to a repeat of the model seen under Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani,
where armed groups were represented in government, a scenario unlikely to be
accepted by Washington. If faction-linked figures are included in the cabinet,
it could reinforce domestic perceptions of their return to executive power,
potentially undermining the government’s chances of success, he added. Shammari
said al-Zaidi may ultimately seek a balance between factional pressures and US
demands, possibly by convincing Washington that such groups will not be directly
represented in government.
Navigating the faction dilemma
Firas Elias, a political science professor at the University of Mosul
specializing in Iranian studies, said it would be difficult for al-Zaidi to form
a government “free of terrorism” in the sense outlined by Trump. “The proposal
reflects a US political vision more than a reality that can be achieved within
Iraq’s current structure,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. He said excluding these
factions entirely from government is unrealistic, not only due to their
influence on the ground but also because they are part of the political balance
within the Coordination Framework, which is expected to serve as the main backer
of al-Zaidi’s government. Accordingly, he said, addressing the faction issue is
unlikely to come through direct confrontation, but rather by recalibrating their
role and limiting their influence in line with state requirements, without
triggering open conflict. The most likely scenario, Elias said, is not a
government free of factions, but a more disciplined administration that contains
these forces and redirects their role within the framework of the state.
Syria: Pending Issues, Including Arrests Delay SDF
Integration
Damascus: Souad Jarous/Asharq Al Awsat/May 06/2026
The exchange of prisoners and detainees between the Syrian government and the
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has stalled since mid-April after becoming tied
to political issues, hampering efforts to integrate the SDF and implement an
agreement reached last January.
Abdulkarim Omar, a senior official in the Kurdish Autonomous Administration,
told Asharq Al-Awsat that several issues still require “further discussion and
consensus.”He said the top priority remains the detainees file and the return of
displaced people, stressing that both the Autonomous Administration and the SDF
are fully committed to the agreement. The remarks came as families of SDF
detainees held by the Syrian government staged a protest demanding the release
of their sons, according to Kurdish media, amid reports of reciprocal arrest
campaigns in Hasakah and Raqqa provinces. Omar said the detainees and prisoners
file was still receiving “careful attention and follow-up” from the SDF and the
Autonomous Administration. “This reflects our commitment to fully implementing
the provisions of the Jan. 29 agreement, which represents an important framework
for cooperation and understanding between the Autonomous Administration and the
transitional government,” he said. He said the Autonomous Administration and the
SDF were committed to implementing all provisions of the agreement, including
the integration of military, security and administrative institutions, while
taking into account the particularity of Kurdish areas. He said there was “full
awareness that the integration process requires building trust and a genuine
will from all parties, in addition to overcoming any rhetoric that could
obstruct this path.”
According to the Kurdish news agency Hawar, families of SDF detainees held by
the Syrian government complained that they had been prevented from seeing their
sons in detention centers in Aleppo. Families of detainees also staged protests
in Hasakah city to demand their release. Video clips aired by Kurdish media
showed a group of families demonstrating outside the Hasakah governorate
building on Tuesday. “We are seeking urgent solutions that ensure the release of
all detainees in order to ease the suffering of their families,” Omar said. He
added that the return of displaced people to their original areas remained a top
priority. About 1,400 families have so far returned to Afrin, while around 7,000
families in Jazira and Kobani are still waiting to return to their hometowns.
Work is also continuing to allow other families displaced from Ras al-Ain, Tal
Abyad and other areas to return “with dignity and safety,” he said.
Outstanding Issues
Omar said several issues require further discussion and agreement. These include
integrating the Women’s Protection Units into the Syrian Defense Ministry and
developing mother-tongue education in Kurdish areas. He added that other issues
include accrediting certificates issued by Autonomous Administration
institutions on par with other areas, as well as matters related to courthouses
and other technical and administrative issues. “We are confident that through
shared will, continued and transparent dialogue and trust-building, tangible
progress can be achieved on these files in a way that serves the interests of
all Syrians and strengthens national stability,” he said. He said progress on
these files represented “a real opportunity to strengthen trust among all
parties,” adding that commitment to agreements was the best path toward “solid
national unity, lasting stability and a shared future marked by security and
dignity for all Syrians.”
The prisoner and detainee exchange file had made notable progress in March and
April under understandings aimed at “emptying prisons” and building confidence
as part of the implementation of the agreement. In the latest batch, around 400
SDF detainees were released in exchange for 91 detainees held by the Syrian
government. That followed earlier batches in March that saw 300 detainees
released in exchange for 300 others, and before that, 159 detainees were
released in exchange for 100. Sipan Hamo, also known as Samir Oso, assistant
defense minister in Syria’s interim government for eastern region affairs,
described linking the detainees issues to political pressure as “immoral.”In an
interview with Hawar, he said the mechanism used in recent exchanges was
“wrong,” adding that all prisoners should have been released on the day
integration was announced, without batches. Ahmed al-Hilali, spokesman for the
presidential team tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Jan. 29
agreement, said in press remarks that the delay in taking over courthouses,
especially in Qamishli, had negatively affected other files, most notably
detainees. He said the issue had shifted from an exchange approach to release
procedures after the Syrian government took over prisons in Hasakah, but that
the process was still facing delays.
Hilali said the integration track was linked to several overlapping issues,
including the detainees, whom he described as “non-negotiable.” But he said it
was still affected by progress in implementing the agreement, while expressing
optimism that a breakthrough could be achieved in the coming days.
Reciprocal arrests
In a parallel development, local media said SDF forces carried out an arrest
campaign on Monday in Hasakah city and its surroundings. The Hasakah Media
Center said the campaign took place in the city’s Salihiya neighborhood and in
the village of al-Fahd near Panorama roundabout, leading to the arrest of a
young man in Hasakah and several residents of the village. Syrian security
forces had earlier arrested a number of people affiliated with the SDF in Raqqa.
Asharq Al-Awsat sought details from government and Kurdish sources on the nature
of those arrests but received no response.
US Wants 'Concrete Actions' on Iran from Next Iraqi PM
Asharq Al Awsat/May 06/2026
The United States is looking for "concrete actions" by Iraq's next prime
minister to distance the state from pro-Iran armed groups before resuming
financial shipments and security aid, a senior official said Tuesday. Iraq's
ruling coalition has put forward Ali al-Zaidi as the next leader and he quickly
received a congratulatory call from President Donald Trump, who had threatened
to end all US support if former frontrunner Nouri al-Maliki took office.
But a senior US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity,
said Zaidi must address the "blurry line" between pro-Iran armed groups in the
Shia-majority country and the state, AFP said. Washington suspended cash
payments for oil revenue, which have been handled from the Federal Reserve Bank
of New York in an arrangement dating to the aftermath of the 2003 US invasion of
Iraq, as well as security assistance over a spate of attacks on US interests.
Resuming full support "would start with expelling terrorist militias from any
state institution, cutting off their support from the Iraqi budget (and) denying
salary payments to these militia fighters," the official said."Those are the
type of concrete actions that would give us confidence and say that there's a
new mindset."The official said US facilities in Iraq suffered more than 600
attacks after February 28, when the United States and Israel launched their war
on Iran.
The attacks have come to a standstill since a shaky April 8 ceasefire between
the United States and Iran, with the exception of Iranian strikes in Iraqi
Kurdistan. "I'm not underestimating the severity of the challenge or what it
would take to disentangle these relationships. It could start with a clear and
unambiguous statement of policy that the terrorist militias are not part of the
Iraqi state," the official said. "Certain elements of the Iraqi state have
continued to provide political, financial and operational cover for these very
terrorist militias," he added.
The United States piled pressure on Iraq after it appeared that Maliki would be
the next prime minister. During his previous stint in office, relations
deteriorated with Washington over accusations of being too close to Iran's Shia
clerical government and fanning sectarian flames.
Attacks by armed groups in Iraq have struck the US embassy in Baghdad, its
diplomatic and logistics facility at the capital's airport and oil fields
operated by foreign companies.
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LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
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06-07 May/2026
How Are Political Decisions Made in Iran?
Hassan Al Mustafa/Asharq Al Awsat/May
06/2026
When the revolution triumphed in Iran in 1979, it produced a hybrid system
combining "republicanism" and "Islamism." Sovereign decisions are ultimately
made with the blessing of the "Supreme Leader" in the “Wilayat al-Faqih” system
developed by Ruhollah Khomeini. This doctrine constituted an extension of most
of the powers of the "Hidden Imam," granting the Supreme Leader both religious
legitimacy and constitutional authority under Iran's new constitution.
Accordingly, the architects of this system designed institutions and mechanisms
to render Khomeini's vision into a constitutional framework; elected state
institutions would nonetheless be overseen by the Supreme Leader.
Several of these institutions were tasked with making the consequential
decisions, particularly those relating to war, peace, and foreign relations.
Iranian policy toward the Gulf states and the United States cannot be understood
through the Foreign Ministry alone, as it is only one component of a deeply
interlocking network of institutions involved in shaping and executing policy.
The Iranian constitution does not vest foreign policy in a single body, nor does
it grant the president absolute authority over sovereign affairs. Instead, it
has a hierarchical structure that culminates in the Supreme Leader, and it is
shaped by the Supreme National Security Council, military institutions, advisory
and legislative councils, before being expressed by the Foreign Ministry.
Article 110 is the cornerstone of the Iranian constitution. It grants the
Supreme Leader the authority to "determine the general policies of the system"
after consultation with the Expediency Discernment Council, and to "supervise
their proper implementation." He is also the commander of the armed forces,
granting him the authority to declare war, peace and the power to appoint the
commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and senior military
officials. That is, constitutionally speaking, the Supreme Leader is the center
of gravity of the entire state.
Under Article 113, the president is the country's highest ranking official,
second only to the Leader. He heads the executive branch, with one explicit
carve-out for "matters directly related to the leadership." The president
manages the government, coordinates ministers, and chairs the Supreme National
Security Council, giving Iranian policy a civilian face. Yet the major issues
(questions of war and peace, relations with Washington, the nuclear program,
regional deterrence) are the Supreme Leader's prerogative, in consultation with
the relevant institutions.
The Supreme National Security Council is tasked with translating the Leader's
broad directives into operational decisions.
Article 176 states that the Council exists to "secure national interests and
safeguard the Islamic Revolution, territorial integrity, and national
sovereignty." Its mandate includes building a defense and security policy with a
framework set by the Leader, coordinating political, intelligence, social,
cultural, and economic activities tied to defense and security, and mobilizing
state resources to meet threats.
The Council’s make-up is complicated. It includes the heads of the three
branches of government, the chief of the armed forces general staff, the
commander of the IRGC, the army commander, two representatives appointed by the
Leader, the ministers of foreign affairs, interior, intelligence, and defense,
and the Council's secretary-general.
Currently headed by Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, the Council plays a pivotal role
in shaping national security and defense policy. Its decisions, however, only
become executable once approved by the leadership authority, as the constitution
requires.
The Foreign Ministry operates on an altogether different playing field. It is
tasked with "implementing the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran,"
meaning it does not set political parameters but rather executes, coordinates,
and manages political relations along the lines set for it. A foreign minister
may advance an initiative or articulate a position, but the weight of that
position ultimately rests on its alignment with the decisions of the Supreme
National Security Council and the approval of the Supreme Leader.
What, then, of the Revolutionary Guard Corps that has been so prominently in the
recent war, embodying the regime's hard power?
Constitutionally, Article 150 assigns the Guard the mission of "protecting the
Revolution and its achievements." In foreign policy, however, the IRGC does not
function as a formal diplomatic institution. It plays a central role in
deterrence, proxy forces, long-range missiles, and maritime corridors, and this
has become starkly evident in the recent war between Iran and the combined force
of the United States and Israel.
Compounded by the ambiguity that followed the assassination of former Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei and the fact that his successor Mojtaba Khamenei has yet to
appear publicly, these overlapping responsibilities have made Iran's
decision-making process even more opaque, as the IRGC holds more weight than
before. Despite its growing influence, however, the IRGC has not become the sole
decision-maker. The Leader's Office remains at the apex. Decisions are made
through coordination and consultation among the Leader's Office, the IRGC, the
Supreme National Security Council, and the man recently thrust to international
prominence, Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Mojtaba Khamenei
blesses their conclusions and guides while the Foreign Ministry executes.
The trajectory Iran will take after the war depends on the balance among these
actors. If decision-making remains concentrated within a narrow security circle,
negotiations will likely become more rigid and political flexibility will
diminish. But if diplomacy regains meaningful space within the Supreme National
Security Council, ad-hoc deals could emerge. They would not change the
fundamental nature of the regime, merely reducing the costs of war and opening
the door to gradual progress on the most urgent issues: The Strait of Hormuz,
the nuclear program, ballistic missiles, armed militias, and Iran's hostile
actions toward its Arab neighbors.
Islam's Turbocharged Takeover of Europe
Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute/May
6, 2026
Discord between Western allies -- ostensibly due to contrasting views towards
Islam and Israel -- has recently escalated to a new height. Its core most likely
consists of a deep-seated envy that a handful of scruffy, hunted people managed
to transform a land of sand dunes, deserts and malarial swamps into a gleaming
superpower -- all while defending themselves against unrelenting neighboring
countries trying to snuff them out. Such an achievement must, of course, be
punished.
Meanwhile, Iran and its jihadist proxies appear innocent of the Western
"infidel" concepts of just wars, international laws, human rights or the Geneva
conventions. They are mainly directed, it seems, by medieval Sharia law.
"Leadership in times of crisis," it has been said, "is not measured by the
absence of risk, but by the willingness to accept it." In avoiding risk, the
cowardly leaders of Western Europe – those sell-outs to an increasingly
antagonistic extremist Muslim electorate upon whom they are increasingly
dependent for political office -- are a disgrace to their nations. They are also
a great disappointment to those who believe in the preservation of history's
finest civilization – one with freedom, democracy, human rights, and an embedded
Judeo-Christian moral foundation.
These leaders seemingly reject any obligation to oppose attempts to destroy
their nations' traditional way of life. In the tradition of British Prime
Minister Neville Chamberlain, who in 1938 imagined that he had a peace deal with
Hitler, they have taken on a greater risk: that of appeasement.
European nations, it appears, have succumbed to Islamization. Their rapidly
changing demographics reveal it; their failure to adequately protect their small
Jewish communities against vociferous hate reveal it; their compromise on basic
individual freedoms in their own countries reveal it, and their refusals to
support the US, their erstwhile protector, reveal it.
Islamic extremists must feel immensely emboldened in their imperialist endeavors
to colonize Europe. Welcome to the new Europe. Its antagonists are inside the
gate -- without firing a single shot. "Leadership in times of crisis," it has
been said, "is not measured by the absence of risk, but by the willingness to
accept it." In avoiding risk, the cowardly leaders of Western Europe – those
sell-outs to an increasingly antagonistic extremist Muslim electorate upon whom
they are increasingly dependent for political office -- are a disgrace to their
nations.
The battle lines for the preservation of Western civilization were drawn long
before the murder of the Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh in 2004. The
double-dealing actions of many European leaders have been endlessly on display
for all to see.
Now, both the US and Israel -- in their quest to stop the indefatigable enemies
of the West and maintain free trade, democracy, and military deterrence against
these predators -- may have found themselves thwarted. By whom? By their
"allies," no less: Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and
the United Kingdom.
These nations, along with Norway, Denmark, Slovenia and Canada, have imposed
sanctions, restrictions, and punitive measures of various sorts against Israel
during its efforts to defend itself -- and them! -- against enemies of
civilization and the West. The threat, with ballistic missiles, was to come from
Iran, about to achieve nuclear weapons capability in two weeks or less, as well
as from the regime's proxy jihadist forces, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
Similar measures, designed to frustrate the Israel-America coalition against an
openly predatory Iran, seem to have arisen from two main sources. The first has
been the anti-democratic influence of Islam in the domestic affairs of Western
Europe; the second, from a deep-seated anti-Semitic doctrine in Europe, now more
present than ever – and being strongly reinforced.
Jews have been unwelcome wherever they were since the time of the Pharaohs 4,000
years ago. Jews have been expelled by the Babylonians in 597 BCE, the Romans in
136 CE, the English in 1290, the French in 1306, and the Spanish in 1492.
Since the atrocities of the Holocaust in the 1940s, when Germany sent Jews to
camps to be tortured, starved and murdered, hatred of the Jews seemed to have
lain dormant.
Not for long.
Now, Jew-hate in the West -- thanks to a widespread alliance between
neo-Marxists, climate activists and Islamist propagandists – has once again
become unashamedly "normalized" and mainstreamed -- even, in some quarters,
quite popular.
Discord between Western allies -- ostensibly due to contrasting views towards
Islam and Israel -- has recently escalated to a new height. Its core most likely
consists of a deep-seated envy that a handful of scruffy, hunted people managed
to transform a land of sand dunes, deserts and malarial swamps into a gleaming
superpower -- all while defending themselves against unrelenting neighboring
countries trying to snuff them out. Such an achievement must, of course, be
punished. First, the Western alliance of 40 nations imposed sanctions on Israel
while it was defending not only its own existence but theirs as well. These were
immediately followed by revived demands to establish a belligerent Palestinian
state directly on Israel's border, despite Palestinians themselves having
rejected the offer of both a Palestinian state and a "two-state solution" six
times in favor of a one-state solution "from the [Jordan] river to the
[Mediterranean] sea": all of Israel.
The purpose of these nations was apparently to benefit an ostensible "people"
who not only admit to having been "invented, " but who for decades have been
unabashedly committed to annihilating Israel. As proposed by the US Ambassador
to Israel Mike Huckabee:
"If France is really so determined to see a Palestinian state, I have a
suggestion for them — carve out a piece of the French Riviera and create a
Palestinian state. They are welcome to do that, but they are not welcome to
impose that kind of pressure on a sovereign nation."
In March, US President Donald J. Trump, planning his joint effort with Israel to
terminate Iran's nuclear program, made a request of US allies. He did not ask
Europe for troops or even weapons. He merely asked if US airplanes could fly
over their airspace or for use of military bases, which the US has not only been
funding to protect – take a guess: Europe – but some of which, such as the base
on Diego Garcia it actually co-owns with the United Kingdom. After earlier
refusals by Europe and Canada to help with the war -- a move that would have
been in their own interests -- his requests were denied.
Iran, it turned out, indeed possesses ballistic missiles capable of reaching
deep into Europe, yet European nations remained unperturbed.
These European nations, endeavoring to claim the high moral ground by appealing
to "international law" and vaunted human rights, voiced their intention not to
become embroiled, either actively or passively, in America and Israel's
purportedly illegal operation, despite the US having become "embroiled" in their
threats from Russia. Trump then expressed his displeasure by pulling 5,000 US
troops out of Germany, and is weighing removing more troops from Italy and
Spain.
The detachment from reality of Europe's craven leaders also extends to ignoring
not only Iran's diabolical treatment of its own citizens, but also the murderous
attacks it has carried out against innocent Jews and others worldwide.
Meanwhile, Iran and its jihadist proxies appear innocent of the Western
"infidel" concepts of just wars, international laws, human rights or the Geneva
conventions. They are mainly directed, it seems, by medieval Sharia law.
Since World War II, the US has been the backbone of NATO, while Europe has
parasitically fed off America to jump to its defense. Instead of developing
military preparedness, Europeans have, for years, reduced their forces in favor
of funding, in addition to their own citizens, millions of newcomers who are not
shy about saying how much they loathe their new domiciles, and destroying their
economies by adopting "green energy," such as wind turbines, which they were
warned could never work. Without the burden of building functioning militaries,
at first their economies prospered enormously – at America's expense. They have
now been exposed as "paper tigers," while Russia is in the midst of trying to
seize Crimea and Ukraine.
Europe as a whole has an enormous economy -- $32 trillion, the same size as
America's. Together, they are the world's two largest economies. Their members
can afford significant military spending, and Trump has been requesting it.
In fairness, however, after Europe began two world wars in the last century,
there did not seem to be a great appetite for Europe -- read Germany -- to be
able to try that again.
In addition, NATO is constituted, presumably deliberately, as a defensive
alliance, not an offensive one. The reluctance of NATO members to participate in
the Iran campaign as part of a NATO team is therefore somewhat understandable.
Even so, there is no reason for them not to participate individually, outside
the NATO umbrella – as the US has been doing, especially in providing the use of
military bases and flyover rights.
Trump, again, did not withhold his thoughts:
"All of those countries that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz,
like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of
Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the US, we have plenty,
and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just take it.
You'll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won't be
there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us."
Without America, Europe is lost – as it was in both World Wars.
In the circumstances, due to the fast growth of Islamic power in Europe, it
might be wise for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his equally hapless – when
not harmful -- counterpart in France, President Emmanuel Macron, to relocate
their nuclear weapons to US territory.
Islam has begun dominating the continent with mosques, Sharia courts, Islamic
schools, halal food supply -- and electing radicals to influential political
positions at local or council levels as well as on national platforms.
"Leadership in times of crisis," it has been said, "is not measured by the
absence of risk, but by the willingness to accept it." In avoiding risk, the
cowardly leaders of Western Europe – those sell-outs to an increasingly
antagonistic extremist Muslim electorate upon whom they are increasingly
dependent for political office -- are a disgrace to their nations. They are also
a great disappointment to those who believe in the preservation of history's
finest civilization – one with freedom, democracy, human rights, and an embedded
Judeo-Christian moral foundation.
These leaders seemingly reject any obligation to oppose attempts to destroy
their nations' traditional way of life. In the tradition of British Prime
Minister Neville Chamberlain, who in 1938 imagined that he had a peace deal with
Hitler, they have taken on a greater risk: that of appeasement.
European nations, it appears, have succumbed to Islamization. Their rapidly
changing demographics reveal it; their failure to adequately protect their small
Jewish communities against vociferous hate reveal it; their compromise on basic
individual freedoms in their own countries reveal it, and their refusals to
support the US, their erstwhile protector, reveal it.
Islamic extremists must feel immensely emboldened in their imperialist endeavors
to colonize Europe.
The fecklessness of these weak leaders who turn their backs on efforts by the US
and Israel to save the West has been fully exposed. The ultimate intent of
Islamization, seemingly, is to dismantle Western civilization and impose a
worldwide Islamic caliphate under Sharia law -- as has been successfully
achieved in Turkey, formerly the great Christian Byzantine Empire, as well as
much of North Africa and central and south Asia.
In the UK, this process of Islamification has borne much fruit: Islam has become
a dominant culture. Examples abound: the failure adequately to deal with the
long-term mass sexual abuse of hundreds of thousands of English children, and
the increasing arrests of British citizens who, either online or in person,
criticize the UK's staggering cultural erosion.
Demographically, Britain is now a nation where the most popular name for baby
boys, for 16 years running, is Mohammed (in its various spellings). Britain is a
nation where Islamist extremists have been a primary criminal concern; where
social cohesion is fractured, and where the "old world" will shortly be replaced
by a culture not just free of Judeo-Christian values but that is adversarial to
them.
Welcome to the new Europe. Its antagonists are inside the gate -- without firing
a single shot.
**Nils A. Haug is an author and columnist. A Lawyer by profession, he is member
of the International Bar Association, the National Association of Scholars, the
Academy of Philosophy and Letters. Among degrees in Philosophy, English
Literature, and Law, Dr. Haug holds a M.A.in Jewish Studies (cum laude) and a
Ph.D. in Apologetical Theology. He is author of 'Politics, Law, and Disorder in
the Garden of Eden – the Quest for Identity'; and 'Enemies of the Innocent –
Life, Truth, and Meaning in a Dark Age.' His work has been published by First
Things Journal, The American Mind, Quadrant, Minding the Campus, Gatestone
Institute, National Association of Scholars, Jewish Journal, James Wilson
Institute (Anchoring Truths), Jewish News Syndicate, Tribune Juive, Document
Danmark, Zwiedzaj Polske, Schlaglicht Israel, and others.
© 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.
GCC’s post-Strait of Hormuz crisis challenges
Hassan Al-Mustafa/Arab News/May 06, 2026
The 19th consultative meeting of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council
countries was held in Jeddah on April 28, with the participation of Saudi Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The leaders issued a statement addressing Iranian
attacks on GCC states and Jordan, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the
disruption of maritime transport and supply chains, in addition to the need for
joint Gulf arrangements that go beyond immediate reactions and instead build a
long-term strategic vision. In light of all this, the core political message
emphasized the importance of finding “a diplomatic path to end the crisis” and
paving the way for “agreements and understandings that address the sources of
concern for GCC states.” This reflects a desire among the participating
countries to move toward a genuine and historic settlement that removes the
roots of the Iranian threat, which has persisted since the 1979 revolution, and
to link any de-escalation to verifiable security and political guarantees. The
summit sought to broaden the concept of “Gulf security” so that it is no longer
confined to border protection but also encompasses navigation, ports, airports,
railways, energy, water, strategic reserves and supply chains. This means that
any attack on or disruption of one of these vital sectors would affect the
others, resulting in a broader security imbalance, as these elements form an
interconnected system that cannot be viewed in isolation. There is a desire to
move toward a genuine and historic settlement that removes the roots of the
Iranian threat. The Iranian attacks targeting civilian and infrastructure
facilities were described in the summit’s statement as violations of
sovereignty, international law and the principles of good neighborliness. It
noted that these actions have led to a “sharp loss of trust by GCC states in
Iran,” making the restoration of trust an Iranian responsibility to be
demonstrated through actions, not verbal commitments. The closure of the Strait
of Hormuz was a key issue at the summit, with the statement rejecting “Iran’s
illegal measures to close the strait and obstruct navigation,” while deeming
“the imposition of fees under any circumstances or designation for the passage
of ships” to be unlawful. It called for conditions in the strait to return to
what they were prior to Feb. 28.
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is considered a necessary first step toward a
comprehensive end to the war. The strait is not a marginal negotiating issue
subject to Iranian bargaining or coercion, but rather a vital artery for energy,
trade and maritime transport. Any threat to its security implies that Iran could
continue to use the global economy as leverage in the future.
Riyadh was keen to give the consultative summit strong political momentum and to
position it as a foundation for the postcrisis phase, shaping future
arrangements and cooperation in ways that serve and protect the Gulf states from
potential attacks.
A Saudi figure I spoke with, who is closely following the issue, highlighted the
crown prince’s commitment to “consultation with GCC leaders,” strengthening
“Gulf integration and joint action,” and coordinating efforts to contain the
security and economic repercussions. He also noted that the summit was held “at
an extremely sensitive moment that has led to a major shift in the regional
security system,” requiring “the development of a comprehensive Gulf strategy to
enhance crisis management mechanisms.”Gulf states will need to deal with the
consequences of the war in ways that differ from the pre-war period.From this,
it can be concluded that the Gulf states will need to deal with the consequences
of the war across various sectors in ways that differ from the pre-war period.
This requires not only stopping Iranian attacks and lifting the blockade of the
Strait of Hormuz but also resetting the rules of regional conduct that have
allowed threats to Gulf sovereignty and vital interests.
The next step may involve transforming Gulf security into a joint defensive
structure. The statement affirmed that the security of GCC states is indivisible
and that any attack on one member state “is a direct attack on all.” It also
called for “intensifying military integration” and “accelerating the completion
of a ballistic missile early warning system.”
In practical terms, this means establishing an integrated Gulf missile defense
system, a unified early warning and detection center, and real-time intelligence
sharing through interconnected radar systems and joint operational protocols to
address missile, drone, maritime and cyber threats.
Gulf military deterrence will be incomplete without logistical depth. This can
be achieved through economic alignment and close logistical cooperation, as
demonstrated by the peoples of the Gulf during this war, with Saudi Arabia
opening its crossings, airports and ports to serve GCC states and their
citizens. The Kingdom’s Red Sea ports became an alternative to Gulf ports that
were under threat from Iranian fire. Land transport trucks, railways and
airports have also played an effective role in compensating for the disruption
caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Therefore, accelerating the Gulf
Railway project, linking ports, unifying transport standards, facilitating the
movement of goods and establishing strategic stockpile zones all become integral
to overall Gulf security, requiring urgent implementation. These tracks must
proceed in parallel: politically, militarily, economically and logistically.
While future visions must respect the sovereignty of each state, they must also
take into account their collective security and the threats surrounding the Gulf
in order to build effective, actionable joint policies that meet the aspirations
of GCC populations and protect them from future wars.
**Hassan Al-Mustafa is a Saudi writer and researcher specializing in Islamist
movements, the evolution of religious discourse, and relations between the Gulf
states and Iran. X: @Halmustafa
Why the Middle East must reclaim its agency
Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/May 06, 2026
Much of the current discourse on the Middle East remains fixated on the US
midterm congressional elections this coming November. This vote is being framed
as a pivotal turning point for everything from the survival of Gaza and Lebanon
to the future of Iran and beyond.
To a large extent, one can understand why the corporate US media is obsessed
with this date. American political power is divided between two ruling parties,
each deeply embedded in an intricate system of powerful political and economic
elites. For these groups, election results are decisive in shaping the overall
direction of the country. More specifically, they determine the fortunes and
misfortunes of a ruling class whose fate is tied to the corridors of power.
However, there is a distinct irony in this fixation. Rarely do ordinary
Americans feel the direct impact of these results — at least not immediately —
as the massive US economy seldom responds to sudden political stimuli. This is
why, historically, Americans do not vote in large numbers and why a vast
majority continue to distrust their government, whether it is led by Republicans
or Democrats.
The interest from Western commentators outside the US also makes a certain kind
of sense. A victorious Republican Party would strengthen President Donald Trump,
who would likely double down on his anti-NATO rhetoric and protectionist trade
policies. Trade between Europe and the US would likely be upended by an
empowered Trump, who would view a victory as a mandate to punish Europeans for
failing to back his “maximum pressure” military campaigns or for refusing to act
as obedient junior partners ready to rubber-stamp every American decision,
however reckless.
While the US midterms are not irrelevant, the emphasis placed on them as the
primary driver of Middle Eastern reality is greatly exaggerated
But what makes far less sense is the waiting game currently being played across
the Arab world. This posture erroneously suggests that the future of our region
— whether continued war or a path to peace — hinges entirely on the American
vote.
While these elections are not irrelevant, the emphasis placed on them as the
primary driver of Middle Eastern reality is greatly exaggerated. This obsession
reflects both a lack of historical knowledge and a failure to recognize the
agency of the peoples and leaderships of our region.
History shows us that, regardless of the party in power, the outcome of US
interventionism remains remarkably consistent. Consider the following record.
President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, ordered the bombing of the Al-Shifa
pharmaceutical factory in Sudan in August 1998 and of Iraq during Operation
Desert Fox in December of the same year. Despite being perceived as a
non-hawkish leader focused on the doctrine of “dual containment,” Clinton
frequently utilized military force in the Middle East to distract from his
personal scandals at home. George W. Bush initially sparked concern among
Washington’s pro-Israel lobby for his perceived lack of pro-Israel appointments.
Yet, he eventually waged catastrophic wars across the region in total alignment
with Israel’s strategic goals.
He was succeeded by Barack Obama, whose popularity among Arabs and Muslims
exceeded that of any president in US history. Yet, his “kill list” and “leading
from behind” strategy led to humanitarian disasters from Yemen to Libya.
Furthermore, his administration ensured Israel’s military dominance by signing
the 2016 memorandum of understanding that guaranteed $3.8 billion in military
aid annually for 10 years — the largest pledge in US history.
Trump’s first term was preceded by arguments that his personal wealth would
shield him from lobby manipulation. Instead, he sowed the seeds of the very
chaos that engulfs us today. From unilaterally disrupting the Iran nuclear
agreement in 2018 to giving Israel a green light to further violate
international law in Palestine, his tenure ensured the region remained in a
perpetual state of conflict. We simply cannot afford to wait for November — or
any other external date — in the hope of salvaged stability
True, US foreign policy factors heavily into our current reality, from the
ongoing genocide in Gaza to the wars and economic disruption of the whole
region. Yet, whether Trump remains the uncontested ruler of America come
November or becomes a “lame duck” president, the fundamental trajectory of US
policy toward the Middle East will not change as significantly as many would
like to believe. More accurately, the impact of the US elections will be as
significant as we in the region allow it to be. If we remain dependent on
American dictates and cues, we are merely subjects of an empire, discounting our
own sense of agency and our own internal dynamics.
The enduring truth is that the US is a nation structurally tilted toward
political control and economic domination. Neither this November’s midterms nor
any other election will change that reality until the geopolitical realities in
the Middle East change through our own initiative.
Instead of hoping for “change” in November and hedging our bets on the
Democrats, we must work to influence outcomes ourselves. The global balance of
power is shifting and our region is a primary candidate for the most significant
change. We simply cannot afford to wait for November — or any other external
date — in the hope of salvaged stability.
The focus must shift toward achieving true political independence, regional
unity and stability, irrespective of the political outlook of the White House.
The Middle East is brimming with opportunities, resources and human capital
that, if united, would allow us to be influential not only in our own affairs
but in shaping the world around us — making it more stable, more representative
of our peoples’ aspirations and, ultimately, more just.
**Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the editor of The Palestine
Chronicle. His latest book, “Before the Flood,” was published by Seven Stories
Press. His website is ramzybaroud.net. X: @RamzyBaroud
Only a win-win formula can break US-Iran gridlock
Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/May 06, 2026
The US-Iran standoff over the dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has become
the fulcrum of a global crisis unlike anything seen in modern times — at least
not since the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis is human-made, triggered by the
start of joint American-Israeli military strikes on Iran in late February. What
was intended to be a swift campaign with vague strategic objectives has since
hardened into geopolitical gridlock, with cascading consequences for regional
and global economies. The ceasefire that President Donald Trump announced on
April 7 has largely held. But Washington’s original aim — forcing Iran into
submission over its nuclear program — has given way to a more urgent objective:
reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran blocked the strait in a move to upset the
balance of power stacked against it and raise the stakes both regionally and
globally. Its asymmetric response prompted Trump to impose his own naval
blockade of the same waterway, creating a stranglehold that neither side has yet
found the political will to release.
The two sides have exchanged proposals and counterproposals since the ceasefire
took effect. Trump has rejected all Iranian overtures, dismissing them as
unacceptable. While the full details remain undisclosed, it is understood that
Tehran is using the Strait of Hormuz card as a bargaining chip for a
comprehensive settlement — one that ends the war, reopens the strait, resolves
the nuclear file, including enrichment rights, determines the fate of existing
highly enriched stockpiles, allows international inspections, provides
reparations, lifts sanctions, and unfreezes foreign assets.
It is understood that Tehran is using the Strait of Hormuz card as a bargaining
chip for a comprehensive settlement
Washington’s conditions, by contrast, remain as maximalist as they were on the
eve of the war: the denial of Iran’s enrichment rights, dismantlement of nuclear
facilities, surrender of approximately 450 kg of highly enriched uranium,
limitations on Iran’s ballistic missile program, and the severing of ties with
regional proxies. These are not American conditions alone — they are, in
substance, Benjamin Netanyahu’s conditions. The Israeli prime minister is the
only foreign leader who has been treated as a full and equal partner in this
war. And it is here that Washington is committing a grave strategic error.
America’s Gulf allies were neither consulted nor informed before the war on Iran
was launched. Yet they are the ones who have absorbed multibillion-dollar losses
to their energy and civilian infrastructure. Most have been unable to export oil
and gas since hostilities began. The Trump administration has shown little
regard for this damage, hastily dismissing the Iranian overtures.
Washington would do well to consult its Gulf partners before deciding its next
move. On Sunday, Trump announced an operation to “guide” stranded tankers
through the Strait of Hormuz — a plan that analysts in Washington quickly
dismissed as both dangerous and futile. Within hours of the so-called operation
commencing, multiple vessels in and around the strait were reported hit, damaged
or forced to turn back. According to The New York Times, Trump’s “Project
Freedom” has left shipping firms bewildered about what the initiative entails
and how it is supposed to work.
Time is running out. Both sides must accept that only a political settlement —
one acceptable to both parties and mindful of the broader Gulf region’s
interests — can break the current deadlock. Short of a return to full-scale
military confrontation, the two sides must come to terms with a simple reality:
only a formula in which both sides can claim a measure of victory will end this
crisis.
Time is running out. Both sides must accept that only a political settlement can
break the current deadlock
Iran’s latest 14-point proposal, delivered through Pakistan and made public by
Al Jazeera on Sunday, is instructive in this regard. It takes a far more
comprehensive approach than previous overtures, essentially trading an exclusive
nuclear deal for a broader regional security bundle. On the nuclear file, it
replicates the core parameters of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action —
capping enrichment at 3.67 percent and addressing stockpile levels — but
explicitly rules out dismantling any nuclear infrastructure or destroying any
facility. Iran is prepared to freeze activity and transfer or dilute enriched
material, but the physical capability remains entirely intact.
There are nuanced differences from 2015 on long-term oversight arrangements,
though these may well be issues left for negotiators to resolve in a final
phase. The new proposal also demands the lifting of the US naval blockade and
the release of frozen assets as part of a phased, timetabled process — going
considerably further than the JCPOA, under which nonnuclear sanctions remained
in force. One structural complication is worth noting: unlike the JCPOA, which
was negotiated by a multilateral front — the five permanent UN Security Council
members plus Germany — and endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231, any
new agreement would be bilateral, between Washington and Tehran alone. How it
would be enforced without broader international backing remains unclear, though
both sides could subsequently seek UN endorsement. What Iran’s proposal
ultimately signals is a geopolitical deal with nuclear provisions attached.
Tehran is offering roughly the same terms on the nuclear file as it agreed to in
2015, with certain omissions, while demanding considerably more in return:
regional military withdrawal, ceasefire guarantees, commitments on proxies, and
reparations.
Most significant for the region is the proposal’s third phase, which envisages
Iran entering a strategic dialogue with Arab and regional states to build a
pan-Gulf security architecture — one that guarantees the sovereign rights and
security of all countries sharing the Arabian Gulf basin. This element should
not be left to US-Iran bilateral bargaining. And it certainly should not be
subject to Israeli veto or influence. A framework that safeguards freedom of
navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and enshrines nonaggression among
littoral states is in the interest of every country bordering the Gulf. Trump
has said he remains unsatisfied with Iran’s latest proposal, while allowing that
Washington is engaged in “very positive discussions” with Tehran. Whether that
reflects Iran’s strengthened leverage or a weakened hand depends entirely on who
is doing the reading — in Washington and in Tel Aviv.
**Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. X:
@plato010
Selected Face
Book & X tweets for
May 06/2026
Bechara Gerges
Joseph Aoun should meet Netanyahu. Not to sign anything, yet. Not to normalize.
But to take Lebanon’s calendar back from the people who have been holding it
hostage for decades.
Here is what refusing the meeting actually buys: nothing. The strikes continue.
The displacement continues. Hezbollah’s veto over the Lebanese presidency stays
intact. The only thing refusal accomplishes is proving to Trump, and to every
reconstruction dollar waiting in escrow, that the Lebanese head of state cannot
show up to a room without a militia’s permission.
The asymmetry is the leverage. Netanyahu pays a real political price the moment
he sits across from a Lebanese president who has not disarmed Hezbollah. The
hardline factions in his coalition strain, and his governing majority absorbs
the shock on camera. Aoun loses one news cycle. Forcing that asymmetry into the
open is the win. Refusing forfeits it.
The meeting is leverage, not surrender. No treaty needs a signature. Sadat flew
to Jerusalem with nothing but his presence and walked out with the diplomatic
architecture of the next forty years. A meeting is not a peace agreement. It is
the precondition for one, and Lebanon is bleeding by the day for refusing the
precondition.
Israel will strike Hezbollah whether the meeting happens or not. The strikes
track Hezbollah’s posture, not the diplomatic temperature. Trump told Netanyahu
to keep them surgical, and surgical is what they will be, handshake or not. That
is the part the rejectionists will not say out loud. The choice is not between
war and peace. It is between strikes with a channel and strikes with no one on
the other end of the phone.
Every Israeli operation after a Trump-brokered handshake becomes a diplomatic
incident the White House has to absorb. Without the meeting, the strikes are
background noise. With it, every airstrike costs Israel something it currently
pays nothing for.
The downside is two news cycles of Mhammad Ra’ed Hassan Fadlallah, Bassil and
Frangieh performing outrage on television and Berri acting angry. And leftists
nagging. The upside is a Lebanese president who finally outranks the people
sabotaging him.
The state governs, or the militia decides who does. Pick.
Elizabeth Tsurkov
Several Lebanese sources tell al-Hurra: Lebanese General Security officials
serving Hezbollah & mukhtars (neighborhood/village local officials) in areas
under Hezbollah dominance have cooperated to create multiple real Lebanese
passports for Iranian IRGC and former Assad regime officials. Some of the
passports were issued under the name of Hezbollah killed fighting for Assad in
Syria whose death was not reported to Lebanese authorities
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
On their social media, the Lebanese are circulating a photo of their Ambassador
in Washington Nada Hamadeh Muawwad in support of direct talks and peace with
Israel.
Pro-peace momentum is building up in Lebanon.
Amjad Taha أمجد طه
Translated from Hebrew
Today, Israel's leadership condemned the Iranian aggression against the United
Arab Emirates. Today, Israel stood alongside the United Arab Emirates against
the terror of the Islamic regime in Iran. An attack on the Emirates is an attack
on stability, on civilization, and on peace. True allies do not disappear in
times of fire—they stand shoulder to shoulder.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Good news that Lebanon plans to build a second airport. If Beirut manages to
keep Hezbollah’s fingers away from the new airport (assuming Hezbollah is
disbanded by the time the airport is ready for service) and manages to guarantee
its security before Washington, the new airport can start flying direct flights
to North America, an enormous economic prize for the Lebanese.
Charles Malik vs. Edward Said
Martin Kramer/September 24, 2024
Israel is at war in Lebanon. In times like these, one wishes the voice of
Charles Malik could be heard once more. Malik, a philosopher and Lebanon’s first
ambassador to the United States and the United Nations, and later its foreign
minister, firmly believed that Lebanon should avoid the Palestine question to
preserve its freedom.
Malik was a Christian, but not a Christian Zionist. Yet he understood the
historical forces that led to the creation of Israel and saw Israel as a reality
that should be accepted. In a 1982 interview, he noted that in a state of peace,
“there will be a creative interaction between the Lebanese and the Israelis that
will stun the world on all levels of human endeavor.”
In a lecture for the Charles Malik Institute, I compare the views of Malik and
Edward Said (to whom he was related by marriage). Said is venerated on the
American left, while Malik is largely forgotten in the United States, even on
the conservative right. I explain why this is the case, highlight the
differences between the two thinkers, and also identify a common driving force.
They had one more thing in common: I met them both—Malik in Beirut in 1982 and
Said in New York in 1986. I recount those stories in the preface.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
A Shia in Lebanon shares a report about Hezbollah’s threats to its Shia
opponents. There are many many Shia Lebanese who are brave, raise their voice
against Iran and Hezbollah, while they still live in Lebanon
Martin Kramer
In a 1982 interview, Charles Malik noted that in a state of peace, “there will
be a creative interaction between the Lebanese and the Israelis that will stun
the world on all levels of human endeavor.”