English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  May 12/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
The Miracle Of Reviving Lazarus From the Grave/I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
John 11/17-27: “When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’”

Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on 11-12 May/2026
Elias Bejjani/ Video Link to my interview on Al-Hawiya Youtube platform
The victories of the mullahs and Hezbollah are defeats of destruction, suicide, calamities for their people, plague, ignorance, madness and morbid religious delusions/Elias Bejjani/May 09/2026
Lebanon Urges US to Put Pressure on Israel to Stop Attacks and Demolitions
Netanyahu says wants to 'work together' with Lebanon to 'get rid of Hezbollah'
Issa meets Aoun, Salam and Berri ahead of third round of Israel-Lebanon talks
Iran calls for immediate end to Lebanon war in latest proposal
Report: Israeli army prepares for possible expansion of Lebanon op
Salam: Lebanon open to peace once its demands get fulfilled
Lebanese army arrests Iraqi man for impersonating a security official
Israel says soldier killed near border with Lebanon, 3 wounded in south
Hezbollah targets troops in south Lebanon as Israel strikes south and east
Israel Sentences 2 Soldiers to Military Prison for Desecration of Christian Statue in Lebanon
The Wave of Treason Accusations, Escalating Rhetoric, and the Repercussions for Lebanon/Sam Menassa/Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on 11-12 May/2026
Trump weighs military action against Iran
Pakistan still trying to negotiate Iran-US deal
Trump vows 'complete victory' over Iran, says ceasefire on 'life support'
No end to war in sight as Iran and US reject talks terms
Pentagon reveals location of nuclear-armed submarine after Trump rejects Iran proposal
Trump says Iran ceasefire is on 'life support' and proposes gas tax pause as strait stays closed
Sudden ‘Veto’ from Iran Thwarts Govt Formation Efforts in Iraq
Baghdad Remains Silent about Makeshift Israeli Base that Operated against Iran from Iraq
Türkiye-Syria Border Gate to Reopen After 12-Year Closure
Syria Says Two Soldiers Killed in Attack in Northeast
Eyeing Migrant Returns, EU Pushes to Revive Syria Ties
Why Hantavirus Is Not the New Covid, According to Experts

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on 11-12 May/2026
Erdogan's Turkey: The NATO Member That Sponsors Terrorism/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/May 11, 2026
Have We Moved from Epic War to Local War?/Mamoun Fandy/Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026
The Russian Guide and the Beijing Summit/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on 11-12 May/2026
Elias Bejjani/ Video Link to my interview on Al-Hawiya Youtube platform
Exposing and ridiculing Lebanon’s puppet rulers and the owners of their Trojan horse political party companies, affirming that Israel is an ally of Lebanon, that peace will be imposed by force, and that the decision to eradicate the cancer of Hezbollah is irreversible/Explaining the reality of the Iranian advisory government’s authority in Lebanon
Title: Netanyahu at Baabda Palace Soon? Elias Bejjani Reveals the Scenario of Peace Imposed by Force!
In a high-stakes and explosive episode of “Power of ogic” hosted by Abdel Rahman Darnika, political activist Elias Bejjani shatters all political taboos, offering a radical and unprecedented analysis of the Lebanese crisis.
Is the era of diplomacy over? Bejjani presents shocking hypotheses regarding Lebanon’s future, arguing that the “Hezb Statelet” has completely hijacked national sovereignty, rendering official institutions mere facades operated by foreign “Remote Controls.”
Key highlights of this controversial interview include:
The Baabda Scenario: How could peace with Israel be imposed by force? And why does Bejjani foresee Netanyahu reaching the heart of Lebanese decision-making?
An Alliance of Necessity: Has Israel become the “ally” required to uproot Iranian influence from Lebanon?
Unmasking the Elite: A blistering critique of the political establishment, military leadership, and even religious figures; why does Bejjani believe they are all complicit in covering up the “Iranian Occupation”?
The Diaspora’s Roadmap: Bejjani’s vision for dismantling Hezb’s infrastructure and overturning politicized judicial rulings dating back to the Syrian hegemony era.
A conversation that defies expectations and confronts the viewer with existential questions about
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/05/154394/
May 11/2026

The victories of the mullahs and Hezbollah are defeats of destruction, suicide, calamities for their people, plague, ignorance, madness and morbid religious delusions
Elias Bejjani/May 09/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/05/144467/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjrmfwGPbgY
The arrogance of Iran's mullah regime and its disregard for its internal reality and actual military capabilities laid the foundation for the collapse of its expansionist project.
Instead of reassessing the balance of power and backing down from its suicidal nuclear ambitions, the regime doubled down on stubbornness and arrogance. It resorted to threats and loud rhetoric—mainly targeting the United States and Israel—convinced it possessed the power to deter and challenge the world.
But this hollow arrogance brought about a decisive response from President Donald Trump, who moved swiftly to dismantle Iran’s missile and nuclear infrastructure, isolate the regime diplomatically, and deal a fatal blow to its unrealistic nuclear dreams—dreams that never matched the true size or capacity of Iran’s resources.
As for the much-hyped Iranian threats to strike the U.S. and Israel, they are nothing more than empty soundbites—completely detached from reality. Iran, which hasn't won a direct military confrontation in over four decades, is incapable of confronting either the U.S. or Israeli power. All it can do is resort to media noise and hollow bluster that change nothing in the real balance of power.
Just like Hamas, Hezbollah, and other ideologically driven groups—whether Arab nationalists, leftists, or Sunni and Shiite political Islamists—Iran’s rulers have fallen into the trap of fatal miscalculation.
They have completely lost touch with reality, failing to assess their own true capabilities or those of the so-called “Great Satan” (America) and “Little Satan” (Israel). Instead, they remain trapped in delusional, pathological fantasies that they claim are “divinely inspired.”
They have misunderstood their true size and misjudged their enemies. This chronic mental and ideological dysfunction is what has brought them to the brink of total collapse—just like all others in history who have failed to understand their own limits and those of their opponents.
Why Do Ideologues Drag Their Nations into Lost Battles?
Following the political and military developments in the Middle East raises a simple and urgent question:
Why do ideologically driven leaders—whether religious or political—consistently drag their countries into doomed wars that only bring destruction, despair, and ruin?
The answer lies in the widespread disease of strategic miscalculation, one that afflicts, among many others, the rulers of Tehran and their militant proxies—particularly Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Add to them the larger landscape of political Islam in both its Sunni and Shiite forms, as well as their counterparts in the Arab and global leftist revolutionary camps.
The Illusion of Power and the Detachment from Reality
These groups suffer from a narcissistic overestimation of their own power, constantly fueled by closed ideological narratives that claim they possess absolute truth and divine or historical destiny.
They live inside echo chambers filled with self-affirming beliefs and dogma. They see themselves as eternally victorious and divinely favored—even as their reality is one of failure and humiliation. At the same time, they deny or downplay the strength of their adversaries, leading to decisions based on fantasy, wishful thinking, and delusion rather than truth and sober analysis.
Psychological Mechanisms Behind Strategic Stupidity
This behavior can be understood through several psychological mechanisms and cognitive distortions:
Confirmation Bias: Ideologues seek only the information that supports their beliefs and ignore all contradicting evidence.
Groupthink: These groups turn inward, suppressing dissent and rewarding blind conformity.
Collective Narcissism: They see themselves as morally and ideologically superior, incapable of error or defeat.
Identity Anchoring: Their ideology is so deeply tied to their group identity that admitting defeat would mean personal and collective collapse.
Illusion of Control: They believe they can control outcomes and destiny—despite reality proving otherwise.
When Defeat Is Rebranded as “Victory”
When these actors suffer catastrophic defeats, they don’t admit failure. Instead, they resort to pathological justification and redefine their losses as moral or symbolic victories.
This is precisely what Hamas does: it brought destruction, famine, and displacement to the people of Gaza, yet still claims it achieved “divine victory.”
Hezbollah is no different: its fighters are killed daily, its facilities bombed, its leaders targeted deep inside Beirut, and yet it still clings to its weapons and boasts about “steadfastness” and “resistance.”
Iran’s Mullahs: Arrogance on the Road to Collapse
The clearest and most dangerous example of strategic blindness caused by miscalculation is the Iranian regime. Israel, with support from the United States, has systematically destroyed the military infrastructure that the mullahs built over 40 years across Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen. One by one, their nuclear facilities and regional influence have been dismantled.
Yet the regime lives in a state of total denial.
It believes that its stubbornness and arrogance will somehow reverse the strategic tide. It has rejected every diplomatic offramp, believing it can defy America, Israel, and the international community.
The result? Its capabilities continue to erode. Its commanders are assassinated with precision, from Yemen to Damascus. Its economy is strangled by sanctions. And its people suffer from poverty, repression, and hopelessness. Still, the regime clings to the myth of “resistance” as if it were a viable strategy. In truth, it is a suicidal illusion.
Collapse Is Inevitable—and the Price Will Be High
What the mullahs and their allies fail to realize is that their ideological stubbornness will only lead to a devastating collapse—not only of their regimes, but of thousands of innocent lives that will be caught in the fallout. Hezbollah, now a burden on Lebanon and its own Shiite community, has no exit strategy. Its ideology leaves no room for retreat. Hamas, which betrayed Gaza, has no option but to continue destroying what remains of its people’s lives. As for the mullahs, they have passed the point of no return. Their regime is delegitimized, cornered, and running out of time.
Conclusion: When reason is replaced by delusion, hallucination, and the narcissism of miscalculation and distorted perception of reality. What unites these actors is that they have all replaced reason with ideology, analysis with slogans, and truth with delusion. They do not know when to win or when to surrender, because they are prisoners of ideological narcissism that makes retreat impossible. For them, miscalculation is not just a strategic flaw—it is a fatal condition. One that doesn’t merely topple regimes, but devastates nations and destroys entire peoples.

Lebanon Urges US to Put Pressure on Israel to Stop Attacks and Demolitions
Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026
Lebanon's president has urged the United States to put pressure on Israel to cease fire and stop home demolitions in south Lebanon, the presidency said on Monday, as the death toll from Israeli attacks rose. Lebanon's health ministry said 74 people had been killed by Israeli strikes in the last three days despite a truce announced last month in fighting between Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah and the Israeli military, a spokesperson said. Tehran said it had demanded security for Lebanon as part of a proposal for ending the wider war with the US and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran's proposal. The Hezbollah-Israel conflict reignited on ‌March 2 when ‌the group opened fire at Israel in support of Tehran.
Hostilities ‌have ⁠continued since Trump ⁠declared a ceasefire on April 16, mostly in south Lebanon, where Israel is occupying a self-declared security zone, saying it aims to guard against Hezbollah attacks. The Lebanese health ministry spokesperson said the victims since Saturday had been killed in various Israeli strikes, including one that killed at least seven people in the southern town of Saksakiyeh. It said 2,869 people had been killed since March 2, including 584 medics, women and minors. Its toll does not say how many combatants are among ⁠the dead.
WASHINGTON TO HOST THIRD ROUND OF TALKS
Lebanese President Joseph ‌Aoun, in a meeting with US Ambassador to Lebanon ‌Michel Issa, "stressed ... the necessity of pressure on Israel to halt fire and military operations and the destruction ‌and bulldozing of homes", the presidency said. Israel has been demolishing villages in the ‌south, saying it is acting against Hezbollah fighters embedded in civilian areas. Aoun and Issa also reviewed "developments related" to a third round of talks due in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli government representatives, the presidency said. Washington last month hosted two rounds of talks between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington, the highest-level ‌contacts between Israel and Lebanon in decades. The US will facilitate the third round on May 14 and 15, the State Department ⁠said. Lebanon's delegation will ⁠be headed by former ambassador to Washington Simon Karam. Aoun, who nominated Karam for the role, gave him his directives during a meeting on Saturday, the presidency said. Beirut's decision to hold face-to-face contacts with Israel reflects a deep divide in Lebanon over Hezbollah's arsenal and the group's decision to attack Israel. Critics accuse the group of unilaterally dragging Lebanon into war. Hezbollah has demanded the government cancel the talks. Israel last week carried out its first strike on Beirut's Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs since the ceasefire was declared. Israel says the strike killed the commander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan force. Hezbollah has not confirmed his death. Israel says Hezbollah has launched hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel since March 2. Some 1.2 million people have been driven from their homes in Lebanon, many of them fleeing from the south. Israel says 17 of its soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon, along with two civilians in northern Israel.

Netanyahu says wants to 'work together' with Lebanon to 'get rid of Hezbollah'
Naharnet/May 11/2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel has destroyed "more than 90%" of Hezbollah's rockets and ballistic missiles, but noted that that "still leaves them with thousands of rockets and some ballistic missiles.""And that's still a big issue. They still hold Lebanon hostage ... Hezbollah is basically a proxy of Iran. Iran holds Lebanon. We have no quarrel with Lebanon. We could make peace with Lebanon and want to make peace with them tomorrow, no, yesterday. But you have this foreign body, this-- this-- Ira-- Iranian-backed terrorist organization that hijacked the country," Netanyahu said in an interview with U.S. TV network CBS. Netanyahu added that the Lebanese also want to get rid of Hezbollah "because they want freedom.""Of course they want to be free. But they've not shown yet the capacity to fight them. What we're talking to them about is, 'How do we work together to militarily and politically, possibly splitting up the work, to get rid of Hezbollah?' It's not yet been done. It has to be done as well," Netanyahu added. He said that Iran wants Hezbollah to "stay there and continue to torture Lebanon, continue to hold its people hostage."He added that if the Iranian regime is "indeed weakened or possibly toppled, I think it's the end of Hezbollah, it's the end of Hamas, it's probably the end of the Houthis, because the whole scaffolding of the terrorist proxy network that Iran built collapses if the regime in Iran collapses.""Now, that's not guaranteed. But the weakening of that regime weakens the proxies as well. Still a long haul. You know, it's not something that's gonna be done tomorrow," Netanyahu went on to say.

Issa meets Aoun, Salam and Berri ahead of third round of Israel-Lebanon talks
Naharnet/May 11/2026
Lebanese leaders urged the U.S. ambassador to Beirut to pressure Israel to halt its attacks as it pounded the country on Monday despite a truce in the Israel-Hezbollah war. Lebanese authorities on Monday also raised the overall death toll from Israeli strikes since March 2 to 2,869 people. That toll includes dozens killed since the truce went into force on April 17. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met separately with ambassador Michel Issa in preparation for a third direct meeting between Lebanese and Israeli representatives set to take place in Washington on Thursday and Friday. Salam said he asked Issa to "exert pressure on Israel to stop the ongoing attacks and violations, in order to consolidate the ceasefire". The appeal followed a weekend of intense Israeli strikes that stretched beyond the country's south and reached as close as 20 kilometers from the capital Beirut. President Joseph Aoun urged Issa to pressure Israel to implement the ceasefire reached on April 17, halt attacks, and stop the demolition and bulldozing of homes in southern border villages. Israel has expanded its strikes on Lebanon in recent days, despite the ceasefire, and its troops are operating behind an Israeli-declared "yellow line" that runs around 10 kilometers north of Lebanon's border. Troops are bulldozing and demolishing homes there and Hezbollah is targeting them, mainly with attack drones. After meeting Aoun, Issa met with Parliament Speaker and Hezbollah ally Nabih Berri. The meeting discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the region. The Israeli military on Monday issued an evacuation warning for nine Lebanese towns, seven of them in the south and two in the West Bekaa region in the east. Israel's military said earlier on Monday that one of its soldiers had died in fighting near the border with Lebanon, bringing its losses to 18 personnel and a civilian contractor since the start of the war. In an interview with Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya channel on Sunday, Salam said the country is "facing the occupation of 68 Lebanese villages as a result of this war that was imposed on us".

Iran calls for immediate end to Lebanon war in latest proposal
Associated Press/May 11/2026
Trump quickly rejected a new Iranian proposal sent Sunday to him via Pakistan. In it, Iran demanded war reparations from the U.S., full Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to sanctions and the release of its seized assets abroad, Iranian state television reported.
Iran also called for an immediate end to the war, including the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah — which have repeatedly exchanged fire though technically in a ceasefire. That conflict has seen Israeli strikes in Lebanon, its occupation of Lebanese territory and deadly Hezbollah attacks, including one that killed another Israeli soldier, the Israeli military said Monday. “We did not demand any concessions — the only thing we demanded was Iran’s legitimate rights," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Monday. “The American side still insists on its one-sided views and unreasonable demands.”Iran did, however, offer to dilute part of its highly enriched uranium and transport the rest to a third country, and called for 30-day negotiations to finalize details, two regional officials involved in the negotiations told The Associated Press. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomacy taking place. Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to take the uranium from Iran. Russia runs Iran's sole nuclear power plant at Bushehr and also took some of Iran's uranium stockpile in Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which the U.S. later withdrew from under the first Trump administration. Asked Monday about Putin's comments, Baghaei said: “At the current stage, our focus is on ending the war."

Report: Israeli army prepares for possible expansion of Lebanon op
Naharnet/May 11/2026
The Israeli army is "preparing to expand the ground operation in Lebanon, in light of Hezbollah's ongoing violations," Israel's Channel 12 reported on Monday, three days before key Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington. "The preparatory actions on the ground are intended to enable the political echelon to make a decision," Channel 12 said. "We are waiting for instructions and preparing accordingly in the field," an Israeli army source told the channel. The third round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon will take place in Washington on Thursday and Friday. "Some of the operations are being carried out in areas where the IDF (Israeli army) is not permanently stationed, but are within the Yellow Line. As of this moment: 3 divisions are operating in Lebanon," Channel 12 said. An Israeli army source told the channel: "We are preparing for the possibility that the political echelon will give the green light to expand the operation in Lebanon, and are preparing accordingly on the ground."

Salam: Lebanon open to peace once its demands get fulfilled
Naharnet/May 11/2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said overnight that his visit to Damascus aimed to elevate the level of cooperation between Lebanon and Syria and strengthen relations based on mutual respect and non-interference in each other's affairs. He noted that the era of Syrian tutelage over Lebanon and Hezbollah's intervention in Syria had ended. In an interview with Al-Arabiya, Salam stated that significant progress had been made in economic cooperation in the areas of customs duties, transit, transportation, exports, and electricity interconnection, and that the results would be evident very soon. He also mentioned that an agreement had been reached to establish the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Business Council, which would hold its first meeting in June. Salam explained that "Bint Jbeil has become a replica of Gaza," and that Lebanon is "open to a peace agreement with Israel" after its demands get fulfilled. He added that Lebanon did not choose war, but rather was dragged into the confrontation between Iran and the United States. He pointed out that the Lebanese state is currently focused on halting hostilities and ending the war, and that it wants to return the displaced to their villages and towns. He stated that during the ongoing negotiations with Israel, Lebanon demanded a clear timetable for Israeli withdrawal. He also mentioned that "68 Lebanese villages are now under Israeli control" because Lebanon was dragged into the war.

Lebanese army arrests Iraqi man for impersonating a security official
Agence France Presse/May 11/2026
The Lebanese army said that it has arrested an Iraqi national for impersonating an Iraqi security official in Lebanon, the second alleged high-level imposter caught in recent months. A military source told AFP that the man had managed to network with Lebanese security and intelligence officials, telling them he worked at Iraq's Beirut embassy. The scandals have highlighted the fragility of Lebanon's institutions, which are built on a sect-based power-sharing system in a country rife with foreign interference, and where personal connections often play a key role in gaining influence, money and privilege. An army statement said the Iraqi man was arrested "for impersonating an Iraqi security official on Lebanese territory, as a result of a surveillance and security follow-up operation". Preliminary investigations indicate that the man was using "forged documents", the statement said, adding that the military uniform he had been using was seized. The military source told AFP on condition of anonymity that the man "is married to a Lebanese woman and managed to get close to an intelligence official in Beirut, presenting himself as an Iraqi officer in the counter-terrorism branch, and a security attaché at the Iraqi embassy".The Lebanese intelligence official allegedly helped the man "make contact with security and military officials and meet them", the source said. The suspect actually works at a popular cafe on the airport road in Beirut's southern suburbs, the source added, after he started out there doing valet parking. A judicial official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the suspect was undergoing questioning and had ties with officers in Lebanon's army intelligence branch and some security agencies. He had held meetings with security officers in restaurants, parks and other public locations, the official said, adding that he allegedly promised some of them to arrange Iraqi-government-funded religious tourism trips to Karbala, an Iraqi holy city and pilgrimage site for Shia Muslims. It is the second recent high-level impersonation case to rock Lebanon. For months, authorities have been investigating an imposter who posed as a Saudi prince, extorting several politicians with the help of a religious figure. A former prime minister and several other politicians, most of them Sunni Muslim, were caught up in the scandal that exposed the country's deep-rooted corruption. The military source said that in the latest case, preliminary investigations into the man and those who met him have not yet uncovered a motive, adding that during the meetings "he promised to provide financial assistance from Iraq".The case's seriousness owes to the man's ability to "convince intelligence officers of his fake identity", the source added.

Israel says soldier killed near border with Lebanon, 3 wounded in south
Agence France Presse/May 11/2026
Israel's military said Monday that one of its soldiers had died in fighting near the border with Lebanon and three were wounded in a drone attack in the south, bringing its losses to 18 personnel since the war with Hezbollah began in early March. Sergeant Major Alexander Glovanyov, 47, "fell during combat near the Israel-Lebanon border", the military said. He was killed on Sunday. Since the war began, one Israeli civilian contractor has also been killed in addition to the 18 soldiers. Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire in south Lebanon despite a ceasefire in place since April 17 between Israel and Lebanon that aimed to halt the fighting. Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East conflict on March 2 when it launched rockets at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in U.S.-Israeli strikes and 15 months of Israeli violations to a ceasefire reached in November 2024. Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion. Its troops are operating behind an Israeli-declared "yellow line" that runs around 10 kilometers north of Lebanon's border.

Hezbollah targets troops in south Lebanon as Israel strikes south and east
Agence France Presse/May 11/2026
Israel kept up strikes on south and east Lebanon on Monday despite a ceasefire, targeting Jmayjmeh, al-Qlayleh, Harees, Arnoun, Jarjou', Sojod, Toul, Yohmor Shqif, Kfartebnit, Kfardounine, Shoukine, Ebba, Kfarjoz, Zebdine, Zebqine, Yater, Nabatieh, Safad al-Battikh and Kfar Remman. Israeli artillery meanwhile shelled the southern towns of Yohmor, Arnoun, Kfartebnit, Nabatieh, Mayfadoun, Majdalzoun, Jebshit, Ali Taher and Qalaway. The strikes killed at least 8 people and wounded at least six others. Two paramedics from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee were targeted in a third strike on Toul, and a man was killed in Harees and two others in Ebba. On Sunday, two paramedics from the Islamic Health Committee were killed in Qalaway and Tebnine, as Israel struck more than 20 locations.Israel has expanded its strikes on Lebanon in recent days. The latest strikes come despite a ceasefire in place since April 17 that was supposed to halt the hostilities with Hezbollah, which has been carrying out its own attacks, mainly on Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon but also across the border. Hezbollah said its fighters targeted Monday Israeli troops in Taybeh and between Sarbine and Wadi al-Ouyoun, with rockets and attack drones. The group had targeted overnight troops in the southern border towns of al-Khiam and Deir al-Seryan with attack drones. The Israeli army meanwhile ordered the resident of 9 southern and eastern towns to evacuate ahead of imminent strikes. The warning included al-Rihan, Jarjou', Kfar Remman, Nmayrieh, Arab Salim, Jmaymeh, Mashghara, Qalya and Harouf. It later struck the southern towns and Qalya in West Bekaa.
Rising toll -
Lebanon's health ministry on Sunday raised the overall death toll from Israeli strikes since war erupted to 2,846 killed, including 108 health and emergency workers. Israeli raids have killed dozens of people in Lebanon since the ceasefire. Under the terms of the truce released by Washington, Israel reserves the right to act against "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks". Its troops are operating behind an Israeli-declared "yellow line" that runs around 10 kilometers north of Lebanon's border. Residents have been warned not to return to the area south of the line.
Lebanon and Israel are preparing to hold a third round of talks on Thursday and Friday in Washington, with veteran Lebanese diplomat Simon Karam recently appointed by President Joseph Aoun to lead his country's delegation. A first landmark meeting between the countries, which have no diplomatic relations, was held days before U.S. President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire, while the second round came as he announced a three-week truce extension. Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East conflict on March 2 when it launched rockets at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in U.S.-Israeli strikes and 15 months of Israeli violations to a ceasefire reached in November 2024.

Israel Sentences 2 Soldiers to Military Prison for Desecration of Christian Statue in Lebanon
Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026
Israel’s military said Monday that two soldiers will spend weeks in military prison for the desecration of a Christian statue in southern Lebanon. One soldier, who stuck a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary, was sentenced to 21 days and a soldier who filmed the incident was sentenced to 14 days, a military spokesperson said. “The army views the incident with great severity and respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and religious symbols of all religions and communities,” Lt. Col. Ariella Mazor wrote on X. The incident came days after images of an Israeli soldier wielding an ax against a fallen statue of Jesus on the cross in the southern village of Debel sparked widespread condemnation. Soldiers who participated in hacking down the crucifix also received time in military prison. Israeli forces occupied the area during the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on March 2 when the Iran-backed Lebanese group fired missiles over the border two days after the US and Israel launched their war with Iran. Israel then launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon and its forces have remained despite a weekslong truce. Israel's military says it only targets buildings that were used as outposts by the Iran-backed group. The scale of destruction has Lebanese officials and residents worried that large numbers of people displaced by the latest war will have nowhere to return if the fragile truce holds.

The Wave of Treason Accusations, Escalating Rhetoric, and the Repercussions for Lebanon
Sam Menassa/Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026
As Hezbollah escalates rhetorically and raises the stakes, there is a need to examine the wave of treason accusations and verbal escalation it has directed at the Lebanese presidency, the premiership, and the Maronite religious establishment. At first glance, this virulence seems a purely domestic matter. In fact, however, it is tied to sweeping regional swifts. Lebanon stands on a fault line between two paths: the path of sustainable peace and the path of resistance and endless cycles of war.
Why this escalation? It cannot be understood without taking a moment to consider a number of domestic factors. The first concerns the nature of Hezbollah’s political project itself. The idea of direct negotiations with Israel (or even of lasting peace) is not merely a political alternative; it undermines at the essence of the narrative that the "resistance" has been built for decades. The transition from the logic of "open-ended conflict" to that of a "stable settlement" would strip the resistance discourse and its proponents of legitimacy. Accordingly, its escalation is a response to an existential threat to its entire model, not a fleeting reaction. The second factor is the transformation of the state’s leadership. Since the era of Syrian hegemony and the years that followed, the party had grown accustomed to having the final say on questions around, leveraging domestic alliances that provided it with political cover, notably when Michel Aoun provided it with a large Christian umbrella. Today, with the Lebanese authorities seeking to restore institutional logic, its monopoly over decision-making can no longer be taken for granted. The escalation, therefore, reflects Hezbollah’s refusal to accept this new equation and its attempt to reestablish its influence. We should not overlook the circumstances surrounding Joseph Aoun's accession to the presidency following the regional earthquake triggered by the response to the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation and the subsequent regional shifts that have changed the balance of power and overturned the equation since, including the push to end clamp down on nonstate actors. The third factor is the struggle over the right of representation. When the state approaches a sovereign decision such as negotiations, the question remerges: who has the authority to define the national interest? Attacks on the presidency and the premiership seek to redraw the boundaries of legitimacy and institutional authority. The party does not appear ready to accept the authority of constitutional institutions without gains that would redistribute the balance of power within the Lebanese political system. As for the targeting of the Christian religious authority, this is intended to move the dispute from the technical-political field to that of identity, ensuring that the debate over Lebanon's choices becomes a debate over Lebanon's very definition.
This shift is no trivial matter. It opens a dangerous door and turns political disagreement into a combustible social crisis. Is the aim, then, to push the country toward implosion? It would be more accurate to say the opposite. Hezbollah is taking a calibrated approach to leave Lebanon on the brink with no actual intention to fall into the abyss. The goal is to deter the authorities from going too far in these negotiations and to test the other side's capacity to mobilize popular support. If limited frictions break out, they can be politically exploited; if they do not, the message would have been delivered at low cost. In this game of brinkmanship, tensions are leveraged as a tool rather than an end in themselves, and obstruction is always an option whenever outright dominance proves elusive.
In this context, the objective is not to break institutions but to domesticate them and prevent negotiations from evolving into an independent process that imposes changes that can no longer be controlled later on.
The regional dimension remains the most influential factor in containing things. Domestic escalation cannot be understood solely as a Lebanese conflict. It is a manifestation of ambiguity surrounding American-Iranian relations. Since Trump announced the end of military operations against Iran without an agreement, the region has been a gray zone: neither a decisive war nor a completed settlement. This leaves fragile arenas such as Lebanon exposed to open-ended competition. Hence Israel's assassination of the commander Ali Ballout in Beirut's southern suburbs despite the truce. Washington's position creates a vacuum of authority and pushes local actors to redraw their own red lines, turning escalation into a message to the domestic arena: any process that ignores existing balances of power will remain untenable. It also sends a message to external actors: no arrangement that disregards this calculus will ever be consolidated.
The United States’ ambiguity coincides with Israel’s drive to impose new facts on the ground in the south, placing Lebanon in a difficult position: mounting military pressure on one hand and an uncertain negotiating track on the other. Caught between the two, the domestic arena withers and becomes increasingly susceptible to home to efforts to apply pressure on rivals. This trajectory is not dangerous because it raises the specter of an implosion, but because it normalizes controlled tension. When a country is managed on the edge of the cliff, the exception becomes the rule, and the boundaries between politics and security (and between the state and its parallel bodies) begin to dissolve. Over time, the problem begins to move beyond periodic rounds of escalation and leaves the country permanently on the edge of sectarian strife, gradually waning.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on 11-12 May/2026
Trump weighs military action against Iran
Naharnet/May 11, 2026 
U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting with his national security team Monday to discuss the way forward in the Iran war, including possibly resuming military action, after negotiations with the country deadlocked on Sunday, three U.S. officials told U.S. news portal Axios. U.S. officials say Trump wants a deal to end the war, but Iran's rejection of many of his demands and refusal to make "meaningful concessions" on its nuclear program puts the military option back on the table, according to Axios. Trump rejected Iran's response on Sunday. "I don't like it. It is inappropriate," he told Axios. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, CIA director John Ratcliffe and other senior officials are expected to participate in the Iran meeting on Monday, U.S. officials say. "I have a plan. Iran can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Monday before the meeting. "The ceasefire with Iran is on massive life support," Trump added.
Trump said Iran had agreed to relinquish its stockpile of enriched uranium to the U.S. But he said the Iranians apparently reversed course because their response Sunday omitted any mention of the issue. Trump said the Iranian leadership is divided between "moderates and lunatics." Two U.S. officials told Axios that Trump is leaning toward taking some form of military action against Iran to increase pressure on the regime and force concessions on its nuclear program. "He will tune them up a bit," one U.S. official said. "I think we all know where this is going," a second U.S. official said. One option Trump is considering is resuming "Project Freedom," the U.S. operation to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which was suspended last week. Another option is to resume the bombing campaign and strike the 25% of targets the U.S. military identified but hasn't hit yet. The Israeli government wants Trump to order a special forces operation to secure Iran's enriched uranium stockpile. Israeli officials say Trump is hesitant to order such an operation because it is highly risky. One consideration for Trump as he weighs next steps in the war is his trip to China this week. The president is expected to leave Wednesday and return Friday. Two U.S. officials said they don't think Trump would order military action against Iran before he returns from China.U.S. officials say Trump is expected to discuss the Iran war with Chinese President Xi Jinping. China has been urging Iran to reach a deal with the U.S. on ending the war and curbing its nuclear program, so far with no success.

Pakistan still trying to negotiate Iran-US deal
Associated Press/May 11, 2026 
Two regional diplomats familiar with the ongoing talks said that Pakistan was continuing its efforts to broker a compromise. One of the diplomats said Pakistan was trying to arrange a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war and paving the way for a broader dialogue on issues where the two sides remain divided. Pakistan had hoped to help finalize the memorandum last week, but the effort did not materialize, and mediators are still working on various proposals, the diplomat said. The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the behind-the-scenes diplomacy, added that Islamabad is receiving support from other regional countries in its peace efforts.

Trump vows 'complete victory' over Iran, says ceasefire on 'life support'
Agence France Presse/May 11, 2026 
U.S. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire in the Middle East war was on "life support" Monday after rejecting Iran's latest counteroffer, which it said had included demands for the release of frozen assets and the end of a U.S. blockade. The president's angry reaction to Iran's position -- itself a response to a U.S. proposal -- sent oil prices soaring and dashed hopes that a deal could be quickly negotiated to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. After slamming the response as "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE", Trump insisted the U.S. would see a "complete victory" over Iran, adding that the truce which has largely halted fighting in the Gulf for over a month was on its last legs. "The ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, 'Sir, your loved one has approximately a one percent chance of living,'" he told reporters on Monday. The developments unnerved global energy markets already thrown into chaos by the war and the overlapping blockades imposed by Iran and the U.S. in the Strait of Hormuz -- a vital conduit for oil and gas shipments. "The energy supply shock that began in the first quarter is the largest the world has ever experienced," the CEO and president of Saudi oil giant Aramco, Amin Nasser, told investors. "If the Strait of Hormuz opens today, it will still take months for the market to rebalance, and if its opening is delayed by a few more weeks, then normalisation will last into 2027," he said.
Hunger and starvation -
Aside from energy, the world also faces a shortage of fertilizer, much of which comes from Gulf ports, and hence food for tens of millions of people. Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), told AFP there were just a few weeks left to avert a potentially "massive humanitarian crisis"."We may witness a crisis that will force 45 million more people into hunger and starvation." Trump did not say what had offended him in Iran's response, but Tehran's foreign ministry said it had called for an end to the U.S. naval blockade of its ports and to the war "across the region" -- implying a halt to Israel's strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon. Crucially, ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters, Iran demanded the "release of assets belonging to the Iranian people, which have for years been unjustly trapped in foreign banks". This would be not just a return to the status quo before the United States and Israel launched the war on February 28, but a victory in the Islamic republic's long-standing campaign against its economic isolation. "We did not demand any concessions. The only thing we demanded was Iran's legitimate rights," Baqaei said. An end to international sanctions would diminish Washington's leverage over Tehran as it tries to secure a lasting end to Iran's nuclear enrichment. The U.S., Israel and their allies have long accused Iran of seeking atomic weapons, an accusation Tehran has repeatedly denied.
'It's not over' -
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the conflict would not end until Iran's nuclear facilities were destroyed. "It's not over, because there's still nuclear material -- enriched uranium -- that has to be taken out of Iran," he told US broadcaster CBS's 60 Minutes. "There's still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled." The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said Iran's counter-proposal had included the possibility of diluting some of its highly enriched uranium, with the rest transferred to a third country. Iran had sought guarantees that the transferred uranium would be returned if negotiations failed or Washington abandoned the agreement, sources told the Journal.
'Restraint over' -
The lack of a path to a resolution has focused concern on the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran is restricting maritime traffic and setting up a payment mechanism to charge tolls for crossing ships.
US officials have stressed it would be "unacceptable" for Tehran to control the international waterway. Trump told Fox News that he was considering reviving a short-lived U.S. operation to escort oil and other commercial shipping through the Hormuz, but that he had not yet taken a final decision. Saudi sources previously told AFP that Saudi Arabia had prohibited the U.S. from using its airspace and bases for the operation the first time around over fears "it would just escalate the situation and would not work". The U.S. Navy is also blockading Iran's ports, at times firing on ships to disable them or boarding and diverting them. In a social media post on Sunday, the spokesman for the Iranian parliament's national security commission warned Washington: "Our restraint is over as of today.""Any attack on our vessels will trigger a strong and decisive Iranian response against American ships and bases," Ebrahim Rezaei said.

No end to war in sight as Iran and US reject talks terms
Agence France Presse/May 11, 2026
Iran said Monday it had demanded the release of its frozen assets and the end of a U.S. blockade of its ports, after President Donald Trump angrily rejected Tehran's terms for starting negotiations to halt the Middle East war. The sharp exchange of messages raised the specter of a return to open conflict in the Gulf, sent oil prices soaring and dashed hopes that a deal could be quickly negotiated to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. Trump reacted with fury after Iran responded to the latest U.S. proposal for peace talks with a counteroffer he deemed, in a brief social media post, "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE". The exchange unnerved global energy markets, with crude prices rising by more than four percent before dropping back slightly in afternoon London trading and a top executive warning the crisis could last for years.
"The energy supply shock that began in the first quarter is the largest the world has ever experienced," the CEO and president of Saudi oil giant Aramco, Amin Nasser, told investors.
"If the Strait of Hormuz opens today, it will still take months for the market to rebalance, and if its opening is delayed by a few more weeks, then normalisation will last into 2027," he said.
Hunger and starvation -
Aside from energy -- in peacetime a fifth of the world's oil and LNG exports pass through Hormuz -- the world also faces a shortage of fertiliser, much of which comes from Gulf ports, and hence food for tens of millions of people."We have a few weeks ahead of us to prevent what will likely be a massive humanitarian crisis," Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), told AFP. "We may witness a crisis that will force 45 million more people into hunger and starvation." Trump did not say what had offended him in Iran's response, but Tehran's foreign ministry said it had called for an end to the U.S. naval blockade and to the war "across the region" -- implying a halt to Israel's strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon. Crucially, ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters, Iran demanded the "release of assets belonging to the Iranian people, which have for years been unjustly trapped in foreign banks". This would be not just a return to the status quo before the United States and Israel launched the war on February 28 but a victory for the Islamic government's long-standing campaign against its economic isolation. "We did not demand any concessions. The only thing we demanded was Iran's legitimate rights," Baqaei said.
An end to international sanctions would also diminish Washington's leverage over Tehran as it tries to secure a lasting end to Iran's nuclear enrichment. The U.S., Israel and their allies have long accused Iran of seeking an atomic bomb, an accusation Tehran has repeatedly denied.
'It's not over' -
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the conflict would not end until Iran's nuclear facilities are destroyed. "It's not over, because there's still nuclear material -- enriched uranium -- that has to be taken out of Iran," he told U.S. broadcaster CBS' 60 Minutes.
"There's still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled," he said. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said Iran's counter-proposal had included the possibility of diluting some of its highly enriched uranium, with the rest transferred to a third country.
Iran had sought guarantees that the transferred uranium would be returned if negotiations failed or Washington abandoned the agreement, sources told the Journal. Trump is expected to press China's President Xi Jinping -- a major buyer of Iranian oil -- on the Iran issue when he visits Beijing on Thursday, according to a senior US official.
'Restraint over' -
The lack of a path to a resolution has focused concern on the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran is restricting maritime traffic and setting up a payment mechanism to charge tolls for crossing ships. U.S. officials have stressed it would be "unacceptable" for Tehran to control the international waterway. The U.S. Navy is also blockading Iran's ports, at times firing on ship to disable them or boarding and diverting them. In a social media post on Sunday, the spokesman for the Iranian parliament's national security commission warned Washington: "Our restraint is over as of today." "Any attack on our vessels will trigger a strong and decisive Iranian response against American ships and bases," Ebrahim Rezaei said.

Pentagon reveals location of nuclear-armed submarine after Trump rejects Iran proposal
Filip Timotija/The Hill/May 11, 2026
The Pentagon revealed the location of a U.S. Navy nuclear-armed submarine in a rare move a day after President Trump rejected the latest peace proposal from Iran. The Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine arrived in Gibraltar, a British territory on Spain’s south coast, on Sunday, the U.S. Sixth Fleet said on Monday. “The port visit demonstrates U.S. capability, flexibility and continuing commitment to its NATO allies,” the Sixth Fleet said in a press release. “Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines are undetectable launch platforms for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, providing the U.S. with its most survivable leg of the nuclear triad.”The Pentagon did not disclose the name of the submarine, one of the U.S. military’s most secretive weapons. In general, the locations of the U.S. nuclear-armed submarines are highly classified. Trump told reporters on Monday that the U.S. ceasefire with Iran is on “life support” and described it as being “unbelievably weak.”Iran laid out its demands in a counteroffer, which reportedly included war reparations, Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and an end to U.S. sanctions. The president called the counteroffer on Sunday “totally unacceptable.” The Ohio-class is made up of 14 ballistic missile and four guided missile submarines. The submarines are stealth, are able to carry Trident II ballistic missiles and can conduct extended deterrence patrols. The Ohio-class guided missile submarines can have over 150 Tomahawk missiles on board.

Trump says Iran ceasefire is on 'life support' and proposes gas tax pause as strait stays closed
JON GAMBRELL, SAMY MAGDY and SEUNG MIN KIM/AP/May 11, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said the Iran ceasefire is on “life support” after rejecting Tehran’s latest proposal, which officials said included some nuclear concessions. Trump also proposed suspending the federal gas tax to help with higher fuel prices caused by the war.
The stalled diplomacy and recent exchanges of fire could tip the Middle East back into open warfare and prolong the worldwide energy crisis sparked by the conflict. Iran still has a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil and gas shipments, and America is blockading Iranian ports.Asked at the White House if the ceasefire was still in effect, Trump said it’s on “life support.”“I would call it the weakest right now after reading that piece of garbage they sent us,” Trump added. “I didn’t even finish reading it.”Trump also said he supported a suspension of the federal tax on gasoline — just over 18 cents per gallon and 24 cents for diesel. Congress, which is controlled by Republicans, would have to approve. The tax brings in more than $23 billion each year. His pledge came after fuel prices surged past $4.50 a gallon last week. Trump predicted that the price of oil and gas would drop “like a rock” as soon as hostilities are over.
The two sides remain far apart
Trump has demanded a major rollback of Iran’s nuclear activities, while Iran is pushing for a more limited agreement that would reopen the strait and lift the blockade ahead of further negotiations. On Monday, Trump claimed that Iran had said it would allow the U.S. to come in and help extract its highly enriched uranium but went back on that in its latest ceasefire proposal. “They changed their mind because they didn’t put it in the paper,” he said. Iran has not publicly agreed to give up its uranium, saying it has a right to enrich and that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. Two regional officials told The Associated Press that Iran has offered to dilute part of its highly enriched uranium and transport the rest to a third country. Russia has previously offered to take it. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomacy. Trump is expected to use a trip this week to China to urge President Xi Jinping to pressure Iran. Beijing is the biggest buyer of Iran’s sanctioned crude oil, giving it leverage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who launched the war with Trump on Feb. 28, has also demanded that all of Iran's highly enriched uranium be removed from the country. He told CBS’ “60 Minutes” in an interview that aired Sunday that if that can't be accomplished with negotiations, Israel and the U.S. agree “we can reengage them militarily.”
Iran's proposal included far-reaching demands
Iran's proposal asked that the U.S. recognize its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, formalizing its control over the international waterway. Iran has effectively closed the strait since the start of the war, allowing only a small number of ships to pass and charging tolls.
But experts say such an arrangement would likely violate international law that provides for freedom of navigation. That proposal is also likely to be widely rejected by the international community. The strait was open to international traffic before the war.
Iran is also demanding war reparations from the U.S., the lifting of international sanctions, the unfreezing of Iranian assets held abroad and an end to the war between Israel and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to Iranian state TV. Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange blows, mainly in southern Lebanon, since a nominal ceasefire took hold last month. “We did not demand any concessions — the only thing we demanded was Iran’s legitimate rights,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Monday. “The American side still insists on its one-sided views and unreasonable demands.”
Pakistan still trying to negotiate a deal
Two regional diplomats familiar with the ongoing talks said that Pakistan was continuing its efforts to broker a compromise. One of the diplomats said Pakistan was trying to arrange a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war and paving the way for a broader dialogue on issues where the two sides remain divided. Pakistan had hoped to help finalize the memorandum last week, but the effort did not materialize, and mediators are still working on various proposals, the diplomat said. The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the behind-the-scenes diplomacy, added that Islamabad is receiving support from other regional countries in its peace efforts.
Iran keeps up its executions
Meanwhile, Iran executed another man it accused of spying for both the CIA and Israel's Mossad intelligence service. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said Erfan Shakourzadeh had worked on satellite communications and relayed classified information to those intelligence services.
Iran has carried out a string of executions since nationwide protests swept the country in January. Activist groups have long accused Iran of carrying out closed-door trials during which defendants are unable to fully defend themselves. Iran's judiciary chief has repeatedly said that Tehran would increase the speed with which it carried out hangings to fight back against its enemies at home and abroad.

Sudden ‘Veto’ from Iran Thwarts Govt Formation Efforts in Iraq
London: Ali Saray/Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026
Two Iraqi officials revealed on Sunday that a sudden “veto” from Iran has thwarted efforts to form a new Iraqi government. Iran has expressed its objection to keeping pro-Tehran armed factions out of the new government. Tehran has demanded that the ruling Shiite Coordination Framework refrain from voting in favor of a cabinet lineup that “harms the influence of its allies” in the Iraqi state, the officials told Asharq Al-Awsat. Amid these developments, reports said that Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Quds Force, the foreign arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), made a surprise visit to Baghdad as Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi had reportedly been making progress in the government formation process. Significant throughout these developments is the United States’ pressure on al-Zaidi to keep the armed factions out of the new government, reflecting mounting tensions with Tehran that are playing out on a larger scale in the region over Hormuz and the war on Iran. Sources said Qaani had arrived in Baghdad in recent hours with a message that “Tehran objects” to Iraq’s “complete subservience to Washington.”An official compared to Asharq Al-Awsat the tensions in Iraq over the government to the tensions between Washington and Tehran over Hormuz.
‘Purely American government’
The two officials said Iran wants to prevent Iraq from forming a “purely American government,” amid US pressure on Baghdad to curb the activity of the pro-Iran armed factions. Al-Zaidi was named PM-designate on April 27, receiving unprecedented American backing from President Donald Trump himself, who described his appointment as a victory for the Washington administration. A PM-designate has no more than 30 days to present a cabinet lineup to parliament for a vote of confidence. Time is of the essence with several MPs travelling to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, meaning the necessary quorum for the parliament session to be held may not be met. American officials are expected to arrive in Baghdad within days. Sources said Washington not only wants the armed factions out of the government, but it wants to ensure that they will not seek “alternate arrangements” that would get them in the cabinet. This prompted Iran to resort to its “veto” and throttle the government negotiations.The disagreements over the government in Iraq largely reflect the negotiations between the US and Iran in the region that have been ongoing for weeks without reaching a final settlement. One of the Iraqi officials quoted a prominent member of the Framework as describing as “unprecedented” the US involvement in the formation of the government. He warned that the differences could turn into an “open conflict” between Washington and Tehran, concerns that were heightened with Qaani’s arrival in Baghdad ahead of American officials who are expected there soon too. Should Iran resort to informing the Framework MPs to refrain from voting for al-Zaidi's cabinet, Washington may in turn increase pressure on Baghdad, such as imposing sanctions and cutting off support, to get its way, a senior advisor in an influential Shiite party told Asharq Al-Awsat. The ongoing dispute between Washington and Tehran may lead to al-Zaidi quitting as PM-designate, he warned.
The Iraqi officials, who are involved in the government formation efforts, revealed that al-Zaidi had received messages from several parties, including the US, over the need to from a cabinet that “does not have Iranian influence.”Negotiators have said that Washington “is now interfering in the tiniest detail” in the formation process and it has “accurate information about how the factions operate to try to outmaneuver” American conditions. The conditions are not only limited to the government, but also include restricting the factions’ economic and political connections with Tehran, especially issues related to water resources, oil, and independence of political decision-making, revealed political sources. Al-Zaidi has tried to keep sovereign portfolios out of the hands of the armed factions and granting them “lesser” ministries. The move has angered Iran, which was hoping that it would retain influence over powerful ministries. An informed source said noted the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq movement, which boasts 27 MPs in parliament and has been demanding that its political weight be reflected in cabinet. It has been demanding that it be granted the Oil Ministry, putting it at great odds with Washington.

Baghdad Remains Silent about Makeshift Israeli Base that Operated against Iran from Iraq
Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026
The revelations about a clandestine makeshift military base that Israel had set up in Iraq during the US-Israeli war on Iran has caused uproar in Iraq. With western media revealing details about the base, Iraqi authorities have yet to comment on the revelations. Israeli forces established a makeshift base using an old airstrip in Iraq's desert during the war against Iran, two security officials told AFP on Sunday, confirming a report by The Wall Street Journal. Early in the war, which was ignited by joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, the troops were detected in the Najaf desert in the country's southwest and clashed with Iraqi forces, killing one soldier and wounding two others. The security official said "Israeli forces established a base in an abandoned airstrip in the Najaf desert". "There are no longer forces there, but they may have left equipment," he said, adding that the Israeli operation "was in coordination with the US". It was unclear how long the forces were there or what their mission was. Iraq was drawn into the Middle East war from the outset, with strikes blamed on the US and Israel targeting Iran-backed armed groups, which in turn launched hundreds of attacks on US interests in Iraq and across the Gulf region. Reports of foreign troops in the Najaf desert emerged early in the war after a shepherd reported seeing military activity. On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported that "Israel set up a clandestine military outpost in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran", quoting people familiar with the matter including US officials. The report said that "Israel built the installation, which housed special forces and served as a logistical hub for the Israeli air force, just before the war started with the knowledge of the US". Israel’s Maariv said on Sunday that the "clandestine Israeli base in the Iraqi desert" boasted Israeli commandos. The Israeli military did not respond to an AFP request for comment. Following the WSJ report, an Iraqi security spokesperson referred journalists to a previous statement issued on March 5. At the time, Qais al-Mohamadawi, Iraq's deputy commander of joint operations, had told state media that Iraq protested to the US-led anti-ISIS coalition stationed in the country about an air raid in Najaf. He said that after receiving reports of "individuals or movement in the Najaf" desert, Iraq's military sent a force to investigate. The troops came under heavy aerial fire, leaving one soldier dead and two others wounded. Reinforcements later searched the area, but "did not find anything", Mohamadawi said. He added that at the site in Najaf, "one force was providing support to another that was conducting reconnaissance or setting up equipment".He said no foreign troops were authorized to be in that location. Another security official told AFP on Sunday that there were "indications that the operation involved an Israeli technical team under American military protection". "There are no longer military personnel there," though they left equipment behind, including a radar, probably used for jamming. The site was hidden in a valley, "a location chosen carefully to avoid Iranian missile strikes", the official said. The Najaf desert is vast and largely uninhabited, making it difficult for Iraqi forces to maintain tight security there.The WSJ's sources said that Israel "deployed search-and-rescue teams there so they could respond more quickly if needed for emergency rescue missions".
‘Grave’ security flaws
Iraqi authorities have come under strong criticism over the past two days. A source close to the government said the revelations about the Israeli base underscore the "grave flaws in the Iraqi security forces’ ability in protecting the country and securing its borders."The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that "Iraq boasts over 1.5 million security forces and over 6 billion dollars a year are spent on them, and yet, they failed in protecting the country."Security expert Mukhlid Hazem revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the Israeli force remained in Iraq around five to seven days before Iraqi security commanders made intense contacts with the Americans to make them leave. He said prominent military commanders in the Defense Ministry were aware of the foreign forces that were deployed there, but they did not know where they came from. They contacted the anti-ISIS coalition to inquire about them and were informed that they also were not aware of them. Hazem said the Israelis chose to deploy in that area to establish an advanced operations center that would secure the passage of their jets over the region and also provide telecommunications technology for the aircraft that were operating over Iran. The location was chosen because it lies in a remote desert area that is not protected by Iraqi forces, he explained. The authorities had also closed Iraq’s airspace and banned the use of drones, "which allowed the hostile forces to exploit the situation," he added. "The development is a dangerous violation of Iraqi sovereignty. We need an integrated security vision for the upcoming phase to handle similar situations," urged Hazem.

Türkiye-Syria Border Gate to Reopen After 12-Year Closure
Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026
One of the border crossings between Türkiye and Syria is to reopen on Tuesday, ending a 12-year closure, local officials said Monday. The reopening of the Akcakale crossing, which sits roughly in the middle of Türkiye's 900-kilometer (550-mile) border with Syria, is the latest step in Damascus's move towards normalization with its neighbors. The crossing, which lies just over the border from Tal Abyad in northern Syria, was closed by Türkiye in 2014 after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) took over the town following the defeat of the ISIS group.
Türkiye has long viewed the SDF as linked to the Kurdish militant PKK and a major threat along its southern border. It was partially reopened in 2019 for trade, funerals and the crossing of government officials after a Turkish military operation against ISIS and Kurdish fighters.
The decision will now mean the crossing is open to civilians. "In light of the normalization of life in the region... entry and exit procedures using passports to and from the Syrian Arab Republic via the Akcakale Land Border Crossing will start on Tuesday," the Sanliurfa governor's office said in a statement. The move will mean six of the 12 crossings between Türkiye and Syria will be open. Türkiye has forged close ties with Syria's new rulers, with President Ahmed al-Sharaa joining a diplomacy forum in Türkiye's southern Antalya resort in April.

Syria Says Two Soldiers Killed in Attack in Northeast
Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026
Syria said two soldiers were killed in an attack by unidentified assailants in the country's northeast on Monday, while a military source told AFP investigations were underway to identify the perpetrators. In recent months, Syria's new government has expanded its control to parts of the country's north and northeast that were previously held by Kurdish-led forces, including areas near the site of Monday's attack. The government has also formally joined the international coalition against the ISIS group, which has long launched attacks in those areas. The two soldiers were killed "and others wounded in a treacherous attack by unknown assailants" on a bus in Hasakeh province, state news agency SANA quoted the defense ministry as saying. A military source told AFP on condition of anonymity that a military bus "came under gunfire" along the highway between Ras al-Ain in Hasakeh province and Ain Issa in Raqqa province, adding that two soldiers were killed and two others wounded. Investigations were underway to determine who was behind the attack, the source added. Once in control of large swathes of Syria and Iraq, ISIS was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019 in a battle spearheaded by Kurdish-led forces with support from a US-led international coalition. The extremists however maintain a presence in Syria, mainly in the country's vast desert, and repeatedly attacked Kurdish-led forces while they controlled swathes of the northeast. In February, after government forces seized control of many of those areas, ISIS urged its members to fight Syria's new authorities. Days later, state media said four Syrian security personnel were killed in an ISIS attack in the northern city of Raqqa, which had been recently taken by Damascus's forces.

Eyeing Migrant Returns, EU Pushes to Revive Syria Ties
Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026
The European Union is to push Monday for a revival of ties with Syria as it looks to bolster the war-ravaged country -- with an eye on prospects for Syrian migrants in Europe to one day return home. The bloc's foreign ministers will meet in Brussels with Syrian top diplomat Asaad al-Shaibani to kick off a high-level "political dialogue" 18 months after the ouster of strongman Bashar al-Assad. An EU official said the aim was to back reconstruction of the country devastated by more than a decade of civil war that sent millions fleeing abroad, and where "the reality on the ground is still appalling". Some 13 million Syrians -- nearly half the population -- depend on food assistance, the official said. Needs are enormous, and the EU has already pledged 620 million euros ($730 million) in aid for the 2026-2027 period. But Syria's stability also interests many EU countries because its nationals have made up the lion's share of asylum-seekers in the bloc over a decade -- and there is a push for large numbers to eventually go back home. "We need the Syrian transitional government to succeed in bringing stability to the country, because that's in our interest," said one EU diplomat.
Several deals in cards
The 27-nation bloc launched a new chapter with Syria after Assad was swept from power in December 2024. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen promised after meeting President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus in January that Europe would "do everything it can" to support Syria's recovery. Last month, the commission proposed that EU states fully reactivate the bloc's cooperation agreement with Syria -- a step expected to be approved Monday. The deal -- abolishing duties on imports of most industrial products from Syria -- was partially suspended in 2011 when Assad ruthlessly cracked down on protests at the start of the civil war. Before, Syria-EU trade had peaked at more than seven billion euros ($9.1 billion at the 2010 exchange rate) in 2010. By 2023, EU imports from the country had dwindled to 103 million euros, while European exports to Syria stood at 265 million euros. Looking ahead, the EU wants a more ambitious association agreement, similar to those struck with other countries in the region such as Egypt, Israel and Lebanon -- though officials say that goal remains a way off. In the meantime, the EU wants to facilitate access to financing for Syrians -- crucial to revive the economy -- and to support farmers, for example with irrigation pumps. It is also on track to sign a deal to rehabilitate a major hospital in the western Homs region.
Voluntary returns -
On the sensitive matter of Syrian migrant returns, Germany -- home to the EU's largest Syrian diaspora at more than a million -- is on the front line. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has embraced tougher migration policies as he seeks to counter the far right -- and he triggered a backlash by declaring during a visit by Syria's president last month that he hoped 80 percent of Syrian refugees would return home within three years. He later clarified this was a figure put forward by Sharaa himself. Danish authorities have been outspoken in pushing for Syrians to go home.
But at the EU level there is no question of forcing Syrians to leave, a European official said. There is a consensus that the conditions are not ready for large-scale voluntary returns, said Julien Barnes-Dacey, Middle East and North Africa director at the European Council on Foreign Relations. "Most Europeans are cognisant of the reality that for the moment conditions on the ground are not improving fast enough, particularly in the economic sphere, to persuade Syrians to pack up their lives in Europe and head home," he said. An EU official said the focus was "working on stability, on Syria's economic recovery -- because that really is the path for people to be able to go home in sustainable conditions." But the commission also wants to establish a "straight and regular dialogue" on returns with Damascus, the official added, saying the matter "will obviously feature" in Monday's talks.

Why Hantavirus Is Not the New Covid, According to Experts
Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026
Israel's military said Monday that one of its soldiers had died in fighting near the border with Lebanon, bringing its losses to 18 personnel since the war with Hezbollah began in early March. Sergeant Major Alexander Glovanyov, 47, "fell during combat near the Israel-Lebanon border", the military said. He was killed on Sunday. Since the war began, one Israeli civilian contractor has also been killed in addition to the 18 soldiers.Israel and Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah have been trading fire in south Lebanon despite a ceasefire in place since April 17 between Israel and Lebanon that aimed to halt the fighting. Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East conflict on March 2 when it launched rockets at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion. Its troops are operating behind an Israeli-declared "yellow line" that runs around 10 kilometers (six miles) north of Lebanon's border.

The Latest LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on 11-12 May/2026
Erdogan's Turkey: The NATO Member That Sponsors Terrorism
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/May 11, 2026
New revelations emerging from Israeli security investigations have shattered any illusion that Turkey's relationship with Hamas is limited to "political support" or "diplomatic engagement." The evidence increasingly points to a situation far more alarming: Turkey has become a primary operational, logistical, and financial hub for Hamas's global terror infrastructure.
Countries that enable terrorism cannot at the same time be treated as indispensable partners in the fight against terrorism.
By allowing Hamas members to develop drone capabilities on Turkish soil, Ankara is deliberately grooming terrorists for future wars against Israel.
Turkey, rather than simply hosting Hamas officials, is willfully cultivating the next generation of Hamas terrorists and making sure that the geographical reach of Iran's jihadist axis continues to expand.
Turkey's pivotal financial role is especially significant because it provides Hamas with access to the international financial system through the territory of a NATO member state. That reality should deeply alarm both Washington and European capitals.
Ideologically -- as well as militarily and financially -- Erdogan has openly embraced Hamas leaders. He has repeatedly refused to designate the group as a terrorist organization... and characterized its members as "resistance fighters" and "liberation group" warriors fighting to protect Palestinian lands.
Erdogan's alignment with Hamas seems rooted in his broader ideological affinity with the Muslim Brotherhood movement and other Islamist groups. His government has consistently supported radical Islamist groups in Egypt, Libya, Syria, and other countries.
For years, Western governments have clung to the fiction that countries such as Turkey and Qatar can serve as neutral mediators between Hamas and Israel. That assumption has always been deeply flawed.
Qatar, meanwhile, continues to try to undermine the United States by donating, over decades, many billions of dollars to influence education from K-12 through graduate schools throughout America. Cornell University has received $10 billion over the years; Carnegie Mellon "just under $2 billion"; Texas A&M University "over $1 billion" (which gave Qatar full ownership of more than 500 research projects in fields such as nuclear science, artificial intelligence, biotech, robotics and weapons development); and Georgetown University $971 million. Why do Qatar and Turkey continue embracing Hamas while demanding the trust of the US and the West? Why does the West keep accepting this duplicity?
The Trump administration faces a crucial test. If Washington is genuinely serious about dismantling the infrastructure of Hamas and confronting the Iranian regime, it cannot continue overlooking Turkey's commitment to doing the exact opposite: safeguarding and supporting Hamas.
A NATO member state, Turkey, is facilitating the activities of an Iranian-backed terrorist group responsible for the mass murder of civilians, including many Americans.
Turkey, a NATO member state, has become a primary operational, logistical, and financial hub for Hamas's global terror infrastructure. Ideologically -- as well as militarily and financially -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has openly embraced Hamas leaders.
For years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been playing a sleazy double game: presenting himself to the West as a regional mediator and responsible NATO ally while simultaneously transforming Turkey into a sanctuary for Hamas terrorists outside the Gaza Strip.
New revelations emerging from Israeli security investigations have shattered any illusion that Turkey's relationship with Hamas is limited to "political support" or "diplomatic engagement." The evidence increasingly points to a situation far more alarming: Turkey has become a primary operational, logistical, and financial hub for Hamas's global terror infrastructure.
Countries that enable terrorism cannot at the same time be treated as indispensable partners in the fight against terrorism.
A recent report by Israel's public broadcaster KAN revealed that Hamas operatives have been openly participating in combat training exercises at shooting clubs across Turkey.
The Hamas members, according to the report, have been training in civilian clothing to avoid suspicion while learning firearms tactics and advanced combat techniques. More disturbing are reports that Hamas members have been enrolling in professional drone-pilot courses and receiving official Turkish licenses to fly drones.
The training, according to Israeli officials cited in the report, is intended to prepare the Hamas members for deployment to Lebanon, Jordan and the West Bank for possible future attacks on Israel.
This is not "symbolic" support for the Palestinian cause. It is military assistance, equivalent to the support the Iranian regime has been providing to Hamas for decades.
Drones are now among the most important tools used by the Iranian regime and its terror proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, in their jihad (holy war) against Israel. Hamas used drones extensively during its October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel, as well as in attacks on Israeli surveillance systems and military bases.
By allowing Hamas members to develop drone capabilities on Turkish soil, Ankara is deliberately grooming terrorists for future wars against Israel.
Turkey, rather than simply hosting Hamas officials, is willfully cultivating the next generation of Hamas terrorists and making sure that the geographical reach of Iran's jihadist axis continues to expand.
In addition, Turkey has emerged as a crucial financial artery for Hamas and its sponsors from Iran.
In December 2025, the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security agency exposed what they described as a major Iranian-directed money-laundering network operating inside Turkey. Internal Hamas documents revealed a sophisticated financial system managed largely by Hamas-linked Gazan expatriates who have relocated to Turkey.
The IDF and Shin Bet publicly identified at least three individuals involved with the financing network in Turkey. Tamar Hassan reportedly works directly under the leadership of Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya. Khalil Farwana and Farid Abu Dayir were also named as key facilitators working within the broader network of exchange companies.
"Hamas agents in Turkey channel funds for terrorist purposes," said IDF Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee, adding, "One wonders what a member of NATO is doing helping to facilitate terrorism."
Turkey's pivotal financial role is especially significant because it provides Hamas with access to the international financial system through the territory of a NATO member state. That reality should deeply alarm both Washington and European capitals.
Ideologically -- as well as militarily and financially -- Erdogan has openly embraced Hamas leaders. He has repeatedly refused to designate the group as a terrorist organization. Instead, he has strongly defended Hamas and characterized its members as "resistance fighters" and "liberation group" warriors fighting to protect Palestinian lands.
Senior Hamas officials, including Khaled Mashaal and the late Ismail Haniyeh, have always been welcomed in Turkey as honored guests. Some Hamas officials have reportedly received Turkish passports, residency permits, and freedom of movement.
Erdogan's alignment with Hamas seems rooted in his broader ideological affinity with the Muslim Brotherhood movement and other Islamist groups. His government has consistently supported radical Islamist groups in Egypt, Libya, Syria, and other countries.
It was predictable that Hamas, the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, became one of Ankara's closest ideological allies.
For years, Western governments have clung to the fiction that countries such as Turkey and Qatar can serve as neutral mediators between Hamas and Israel. That assumption has always been deeply flawed.
Qatar has long functioned as Hamas's principal financial patron, pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the Gaza Strip while hosting Hamas leaders in Doha. Turkey, meanwhile, has provided operational sanctuary, logistical training, and access to financial systems.
The continued Western reliance on Turkey and Qatar as intermediaries has simply strengthened Hamas and protracted the instability in the Middle East.
How can the West keep regarding Turkey and Qatar as credible allies while they insist on supporting terrorist groups committed to conquering not just Israel but also other UN member states, such as with Turkey's designs on Cyprus and Greece?
Qatar, meanwhile, continues to try to undermine the United States by donating, over decades, many billions of dollars to influence education from K-12 through graduate schools throughout America. Cornell University has received $10 billion over the years; Carnegie Mellon "just under $2 billion"; Texas A&M University "over $1 billion" (which gave Qatar full ownership of more than 500 research projects in fields such as nuclear science, artificial intelligence, biotech, robotics and weapons development); and Georgetown University $971 million. Why do Qatar and Turkey continue embracing Hamas while demanding the trust of the US and the West? Why does the West keep accepting this duplicity?
The Trump administration faces a crucial test. If Washington is genuinely serious about dismantling the infrastructure of Hamas and confronting the Iranian regime, it cannot continue overlooking Turkey's commitment to doing the exact opposite: safeguarding and supporting Hamas.
A NATO member state, Turkey, is facilitating the activities of an Iranian-backed terrorist group responsible for the mass murder of civilians, including many Americans.
By allowing Hamas and other terrorist groups to operate freely on its soil, Turkey is undermining the very security architecture that NATO was created to defend.
Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.

Have We Moved from Epic War to Local War?
Mamoun Fandy/Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026
In two important statements, US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio said that the battle of the Operation Epic Fury had ended and achieved its objectives. As for the developments that followed the ceasefire, President Donald Trump said that the Iranians “messed with us today and we crushed them." He said they “trifled” and that the whole thing is not worth dwelling on. Does this mean America has now achieved its mission and that we have entered the day after the epic war? Or was it merely a psychological withdrawal from the scene, with the weapons and military hardware still in place and an explosion possible at any moment? And why this position, at least at the rhetorical level? Is the aim to ensure a peaceful climate for the World Cup that the United States is hosting alongside Canada and Mexico? Or does it reflect fears of a shift in American public opinion that could cost the Republicans in the Midterms and deprive them of control over both the Senate and the House? Wars generally end either with a political settlement or the collapse of one of the parties. So what is happening exactly? What happens if the US leaves the Middle East mired in a war with no end in sight? Why is the US behaving this way? Is it the World Cup that begins in a month, the midterm elections in November, or both? Or is it simply down to President Trump's "transactional politics" and the politics of deals? It is perhaps a mix of all these factors. Trump administrations, as we have seen over two terms, do not pursue long-term strategic foreign policy projects, preferring a series of temporary deals because they believe that long term outcomes are an accumulation of short-term phases, each of which must produce a direct and rapid return.
With this mindset, the war becomes a tool to exert pressure rather than a project for reshaping the region. Here, Trump's vision diverges from Netanyahu's. The latter wants to change the face of the Middle East. Ending the war, therefore, becomes more important than a decisive victory. Total victory requires time, money, and a long-term commitment that Washington wants to avoid at this stage and that does not align with President Trump's governing approach. Trump is the real actor in this war; or, to be fair, Trump and the market are. This shift in rhetoric, from both the president and his secretary of state and national security adviser, show that Washington may no longer be bent on achieving a historic victory. It now seeks to avoid being bogged down in a new Middle Eastern quagmire like those of Iraq or Afghanistan. It seems to be saying: we carried out this punitive mission, and that is the end of it; managing the day after is the responsibility of the region.
The problem of the Strait of Hormuz remains. Contrary to what some believe, it actually boosts American oil and gas. Yes, closing the strait hurts the global market and the broader global economy, but its direct impact on the American treasury is decidedly positive and symbolically advantageous.
Nonetheless, the prestige of the great powers that shape the balance of power in the region and the world still matters. The problem is that the Middle East cannot tolerate a vacuum. If the major power withdraws before reaching a real political settlement, regional powers quickly find themselves managing open-ended conflicts waged through local proxies. That is precisely what makes "local war" so dangerous: it continues because the regional actors have their own reasons for perpetuating it and the major powers lack the will to bring it to an end.
Current indications suggest that this is a highly probable outcome. Israel does not appear prepared to return to the prewar status quo, Iran cannot behave as though nothing had happened, and the Gulf states could once again find themselves hostages to geography.
Here lies the real concern: the US may have ended its "great epic," but in doing so, it could leave behind a Middle East of small wars with no end in sight.

The Russian Guide and the Beijing Summit
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/May 11/2026
The pains of the day gather in the night. The keeper of the seals sits alone. With exhaustion. With the mirror. With history. “Victory Day,” celebrations of Nazism’s defeat, were underwhelming. The attendance of foreign signatures was not befitting of Russia. He did not feel the powerful’s exhilaration nor the awe of the celebrations. He struggled to hide his disappointment. How he longed to announce an overwhelming victory over Ukraine that day. It had betrayed Russia’s embrace and its Soviet past. How he longed to announce that the reckless president of that state would be arriving the next day to surrender and publicly repent for attempting to stab the motherland in the back. But that was not possible. Anger seeps through his veins. It is no small matter for Russia to scale down its "Victory Day" parade for fear of a former actor named Zelensky’s drone threats. The tsar needed the master of the White House to intervene and secure the parade by mediating a brief truce. During the parade he looked at his generals, at the clusters of medals hanging from their chests. The odor of his disappointment filled the air. What use are all these medals if an actor's drones keep Moscow awake at night? It was as though Russia’s splendor had come to an end. Its generals shine at lavish banquets, not the battlefield. Comrades from North Korea took part in the parade. He has not forgotten that Kim Jong Un rescued the Russian army during its harshest battles in Ukraine. The Russian army also relied on thousands of mercenaries from Colombia, Africa, and the Arab world, a bitter stain on the history of the "Red Army."
The past few months have been especially brutal. Donald Trump sent his bombers and Iranian nuclear facilities were pounded. Israeli fighter jets roamed Tehran's skies like they had been on an excursion. The year began painfully too. Trump dispatched elite units who seized "Comrade" Nicolas Maduro and brought him before an American court like Noriega or Escobar. His "strategic partnership" with Russia did not save him. Castro's country is shaking in the agony of economic failure according to reports, and it can not avoid publicly admitting defeat and surrendering to geographical destiny for much longer.
There are many painful scenes. Israeli aircraft decimated Iran’s leadership, foremost among them the Supreme Leader himself. American planes rained bombs on the barracks and the prestige of the IRGC. Iran set off the Strait of Hormuz detonator, but the fleets of the "Great Satan" have surrounded its ports and strangled its economy. Russia cannot risk confronting the American machine. Its strategic partnership with Iran will go no further than smuggling spare parts to allow Iran to replenish its drone arsenal. Besides, Russia needs the tweeting master of the White House to arrange the "Victory Day" truce and help find a way out of the Ukrainian swamp. He understands his advisers, assistants, and flatterers. They have no interest in unsettling the decision-maker or provoking him. Their fate hinges on his mood. They sugarcoat death and cover the thorns with velvet. But the tsar knows. Rising oil prices do not change the fact that his country's economy is not in great shape, nor that the war has dragged on and that its agon has entered many homes. Fortunately for him, the regime can keep the mothers of fallen soldiers from weeping on television screens. It criminalizes skepticism of the war or its objectives. True, he is not the president of America, forced to live in fear of newspaper headlines and the flames of social media. Russian media, like its security, is tightly controlled . But even that is not enough.
The war in Ukraine has dragged on and will soon outlast the Second World War. Every day coffins return from Ukraine wrapped in the Russian flag, as though the flag's only remaining function were to cover coffins.
The tsar knows. For the first time since his rise to power at the start of the century, his popularity is slipping in the polls, even if it remains far higher than Trump's. That is why he tried to offer a glimmer of hope, saying the war was nearing its end. Sometimes it occurs to him that he had entered the Kremlin to restore Russia's greatness just as Trump entered the White House to make America great again.
That week will not spare him from the painful scenes. The world's attention will turn to Xi Jinping and his guest Donald Trump. The talks will certainly not be easy. The global economy has been hit with the radiation of the Strait of Hormuz, and market fears have risen to unprecedented levels. Both presidents have many concerns and profound disagreements. On the table lie the troubled international economy, supply chains, tariffs, rare earth minerals, artificial intelligence, chips, and the feverish technological race, to say nothing about Taiwan. Fortunately for the world, the Chinese emperor has not dealt with "treacherous" Taiwan the way the Russian tsar has dealt with Ukraine. The question is whether Trump can satisfy Xi enough to use the Chinese key to unlock the Strait of Hormuz.
Vladimir the Great knows that the Chinese president now sits in the seat once reserved for Leonid Brezhnev. Newspapers will write of the global powers’ summit and how the fate of the world hangs in the balance, just as they had once written the same about Soviet-American summits. They will also write that the summit will merely manage their competition for first place and seek to prevent dangerous escalation. The contest for world leadership will remain between Washington and Beijing. Some will not hesitate to write that the best Trump can achieve is merely to delay the emergence of the "Chinese era."
Putin boasts of a "friendship without limits" that ties him to the man on Mao Zedong's throne. But the term "Chinese century" gives him pause when he reflects on his country’s geographic destiny. A technological and human flood. He thinks of something else.
Has the Russian Supreme Leader been wounded in the Ukrainian war? This question torments him. He looks in the mirror, trying to blame his age, smelling the autumn. But Xi was born only a year after him, and Trump was born six years before him. He has the sense that Russia itself has also been wounded. The wheel of time turns. From now on, Russian may have to content itself with playing in the second division.
 

Selected Face Book & X tweets for May 11/2026