English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  May 25/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
Pentecost Sunday: If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 14/15-26/:”‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. ‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.

Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on 24-25 May/2026
Video & Text: The “South Liberation Day” Is a Heresy and a Falsification of History; It Must Be Abolished and Erased from the Memory of Lebanon and the Lebaneseظ/Elias Youssef Bejjani / May 25, 2026
Deifying Politicians Corrupts Them and Turns Their Followers into Sheep and Slaves/Elias Bejjani/May 22/ 2026
Saint Rita of Cascia: The Saint of the Impossible, and a Beacon of Forgiveness and Endurance/Elias Bejjani/May 22/2026
Rubio accuses Hezbollah of trying to ‘drag Lebanon back into chaos’
Hezbollah Chief Says Hopes for Iran-US Deal and That It Includes Lebanon
Hezbollah’s asymmetric warfare hardens Israel’s resolve as Lebanon pays in blood and rubble
Will Iran-US deal stop Lebanon's war?
Israeli strike on southern town kills 11, including 6 women, child
Israeli strikes hit south, east Lebanon
Israel hits Lebanon as Hezbollah says Iran won't abandon group
Israeli Strikes Pound South, East Lebanon
Israel military issues evacuation warning for around dozen villages in Lebanon
Hezbollah Says Message from Iran Shows it 'Will Not Give up' on Group
Lebanon Civil Defense Says Israeli Strike Destroys its Nabatieh Facility
Nonprofit led by Kamala Harris ally is weighing in on U.S.-Lebanon policy, and Republicans are concerned/Matthew Foldi/Washington Reporter/May 24/2026

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on 24-25 May/2026
Trump Says No Rush for Iran Deal, US Blockade Stays
Trump told Netanyahu no final Iran deal without dismantling nuclear program: Official
Israel PM Says Trump Agreed Any Final Iran Deal Must End ‘Nuclear Threat Entirely’
Netanyahu says Trump agrees Iran deal must remove nuclear threat
Iran and US Closing in on Deal to End War
Rubio Says Announcement Possible Later Sunday on Iran War
Iran shoots down an Israeli surveillance drone, news agency says
Iran Hangs Man for Spying during War with US, Israel, Says Judiciary
Arab, Muslim top diplomats condemn Ben-Gvir over treatment of Gaza flotilla activists
Turkish Riot Police Force Ousted Opposition Leadership Out of Headquarters
Bahrain court jails nine for life for collaborating with Iran’s IRGC
10,000 Kurds Apply for Syrian Citizenship
Iraq’s Nujaba Movement Warns against ‘US Plot’ to Integrate PMF in New Security Ministry
Syria wraps up pivotal elections ahead of new parliament session
Israeli fire kills parents and their infant in Gaza, medics say
Cyprus Votes for New Parliament with Corruption and Living Costs in Focus
Russia confirms launching nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile in massive attack on Kyiv

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on 24-25 May/2026
Trump and Iran: Who is responsible for the mutilated war and the wrong calculations?/Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya English/24 May ,2026
AI’s shadow global governance/J.P. Singh/Arab News/May 24, 2026
To the Trump Administration: Recognize Somaliland, Solid Ally for the West/Pierre Rehov/Gatestone Institute/May 24, 2026
Our Region Awaits Decisions Whose Details Are Clearly Understood/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 24/2026
The Meeting of the Giants… And Regional Stability/Fuad Matar/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 24/2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets for May 24/2026

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on 24-25 May/2026
Video & Text: The “South Liberation Day” Is a Heresy and a Falsification of History; It Must Be Abolished and Erased from the Memory of Lebanon and the Lebanese
Elias Youssef Bejjani / May 25, 2026
“Woe to you, destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, betrayer, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.” (Isaiah 33:01)
May 25, 2000, was a pivotal moment in the history of South Lebanon—or so it seemed. The Israeli army withdrew, fulfilling a campaign promise made by then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. However, what followed was not a true liberation. Instead, it was a betrayal resulting from a secret deal between Israel, Iran, and Syria. This arrangement left the Lebanese residents of the southern border zone and their military, the South Lebanon Army (SLA), at the mercy of the Syrian Ba'athist occupation and the Iranian-backed jihadist proxy blasphemously named “Hezbollah.”
While Ehud Barak's electoral promise appeared noble on the surface, it was overshadowed by shady negotiations prior to the withdrawal. Conducted through intermediaries from Germany, Sweden, and Jordan, this secret deal with the dictatorial regimes in Syria and Iran effectively handed South Lebanon and its population over to Hezbollah. The agreement involved dismantling the SLA and locking the border gates with Israel, leaving the local population completely defenseless against Hezbollah's aggression.
Contrary to Hezbollah’s claims, the withdrawal was not a liberation. It was a calculated geopolitical move orchestrated through political hypocrisy and opportunism, rather than genuine emancipation. The official annual celebration of May 25 as “Liberation Day” by the Lebanese state and Hezbollah since the year 2000 is nothing but a charade built on lies, deception, and manipulation.
It is crucial not to overlook a vital historical fact: just days before the Israeli withdrawal, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah openly threatened the residents of South Lebanon through all media outlets. He instilled terror by warning of horrific acts—slaughtering people, slitting throats, ripping open bellies, and gouging out eyes in their own beds. This is exactly what he stated verbatim in the video attached below:
“By Allah, we will enter your homes and slaughter you in your beds. These criminals and traitors face three options: they either leave with the enemy, surrender to the Lebanese judiciary, or be killed after the enemy leaves. After the enemy departs, if you do not leave with them, we are coming to you—not with peace, but with rifles.”
These terrorist threats forced the majority of the border zone residents to flee and seek refuge in Israel. To this day, they remain unjustly branded as traitors and agents, denied their fundamental right to return to their homeland and homes. Furthermore, the role of the Syrian occupation during that era must be acknowledged. The so-called “Liberation Day” was not the result of heroic efforts by Hezbollah, but rather the product of foreign geopolitical deals. The Syrian occupation imposed this false liberation narrative without any concrete basis on the ground. As we reflect on May 25, 2000, we must strip away this facade and recognize the truth behind Hezbollah’s deceptive narrative.
The people of South Lebanon deserve justice, not manipulation and coercion. It is time to expose the dark realities obscured by political agendas and honor the resilience of those who were unjustly abandoned to terrorism. We firmly believe that this so-called “Liberation Day” must be officially abolished and completely erased from the memory of the Lebanese people.
In conclusion, Hezbollah is a criminal, terrorist, and jihadist military division completely subordinate to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—a treasonous Trojan Horse reality that Nasrallah and his mercenary gang frequently boasted about. Operating on Iranian orders, Hezbollah attacked Israel on October 8, 2023, completely bypassing the will and decision-making of the Lebanese state and its people. Consequently, Hezbollah bears full responsibility for the subsequent killing, destruction, and assassinations carried out by Israel.
Despite its resounding military defeat and the assassination of most of its top leadership, Hezbollah continues to hijack Lebanese state decisions. The group is neither truly Lebanese nor a liberator; it does not represent a legitimate Lebanese faction, nor does it legitimately represent the Shiite community in Parliament. Instead, it holds Lebanon and the Shiite community hostage, sacrifices their youth, destroys the South, displaces its residents, and has caused the devastation of dozens of southern towns and villages.
In reality, this Iranian-controlled proxy is a humanitarian, cultural, and national catastrophe that specializes in crime, smuggling, and global mafia operations. There is no salvation for Lebanon without completely dismantling Hezbollah's political, military, cultural, media, and occupational presence.
Therefore, General Joseph Aoun, the Lebanese government, political parties, and leaders across all factions are called upon to speak the truth. They must explicitly label Hezbollah by its criminal, Iranian, and jihadist reality, strip away its false “resistance” status, and actively support the enforcement of all international resolutions and ceasefire agreements. This is the only way to end its military occupation, free the Shiite community from being held hostage, and halt the destruction of their regions. Most importantly, Lebanon must end the state of war with Israel, recognize it, and normalize relations, just as Lebanon does with the rest of the world.
Furthermore, it is critical to bar any Hezbollah elements from integrating into the Lebanese Army or security forces, prosecute its remaining leaders, and ban them from political activity. The heresy of endless “dialogue” must stop. The group must be disarmed and its intelligence apparatus dismantled by all means necessary, including force if required. Ultimately, a draft resolution must be submitted to Parliament to officially abolish the lie of “Liberation Day.”

Deifying Politicians Corrupts Them and Turns Their Followers into Sheep and Slaves
Elias Bejjani/May 22/ 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/05/154670/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7YiqrDWGDs
One of the most dangerous, disastrous, and destructive misfortunes facing a large part of our "forgiving" Lebanese people—as the late Philemon Wehbe called them in a Rahbani play—is that some people sanctify politicians and clergymen. They treat them as followers, henchmen, slaves, and tools. This submissiveness does not serve the leaders; instead, it corrupts their minds, fills them with illusions of grandeur, and infects them with a pathological arrogance that detaches them from their community and their humanity.
As a result of this unhealthy, unfaithful, and deeply humiliating deification, these leaders turn into greedy, insatiable, and tyrannical creatures. In their actions, they surpass the cruelty of wild predators. Here, the Holy Bible’s warning against trusting humans and raising them to the status of gods rings true: "Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans perish." (Psalm 146:3-4).
An objective review of all Lebanese politicians and leaders—the owners of family and commercial "party corporations," both Muslim and Christian—reveals a clear fact to anyone who still has their sanity, critical thinking, and a living conscience. These leaders—and by that, I mean "all of them means all of them"—are eternal on their feudal thrones. They never think of leaving them unless they are forced to by death. Then their sons, daughters, or family members inherit the leadership of these shops that are falsely called political parties, without any exception.
Worst of all, most of these leaders, especially the Maronites among them, have been sanctified and deified in total violation of all Christian values and principles. In a supreme heresy, these corrupt individuals are portrayed as if they were righteous saints. Praise poems are sung for them, and foolish chants like "With our soul and blood, we sacrifice ourselves for you" are shouted. This empty talk perfectly summarizes this state of voluntary slavery. These people have forgotten the clear divine teaching: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord." (Jeremiah 17:5).
We boast—or rather, the majority boasts with disgusting arrogance and foolish pride—that we are among the smartest, most civilized, and cultured people in the world. We blindly repeat empty slogans like: "We gave the alphabet to the world, and Hannibal, Cadmus, and Gibran came from our blood." Meanwhile, in reality, we practice the exact opposite with a deadly selfishness and a shameful short-sightedness. In the twenty-first century, we accept living submissively among piles of garbage, unable even to clean our own country!
At the same time, we see large groups praising and glorifying the Iranian occupier that is devouring our country and stealing our sovereignty. They sanctify its invading weapons and mini-states, letting it destroy the entity and message of Lebanon over skulls that are empty of everything except hypocrisy, pretense, and submissiveness. Where do these people stand regarding the truth and freedom given to us by the Creator? Jesus Christ warned us clearly:"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) . How can anyone who accepts the slavery of men ever taste freedom or truth?.
Because he who stays silent about his illness will be killed by it, we ask: How can we correct the actions and alliances of any politician or clergyman if we have already raised them to the level of gods and accepted the roles of henchmen and sheep for ourselves?!
Indeed, our homeland, Lebanon, is in existential danger that threatens its entity, identity, and message. It is our sacred duty to resist and push back the wild beasts, whether they are local or foreign. But to be able to face them, we must first free ourselves from the disease of dependency and blind followership, and stop trying to be overly clever while hiding behind hypocrisy.
The most important thing today is to repent, make amends for the sin of sanctifying humans and deifying politicians and clergymen, and bring forward humble, faithful, and non-narcissistic leaders. True leadership in Christian thought is service and sacrifice, not arrogance and enslavement, in line with what Jesus Christ said:
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant." (Matthew 20:25-26).
Only then can the journey of a thousand miles toward salvation begin... Otherwise, it is a hopeless case.

Saint Rita of Cascia: The Saint of the Impossible, and a Beacon of Forgiveness and Endurance
Elias Bejjani/May 22/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/05/143579/
In the heart of the Catholic tradition, few saints have touched as many hearts or inspired as much devotion as Saint Rita of Cascia. Known as the Saint of the Impossible, her life was not marked by miracles of grandeur, but by a quiet, relentless perseverance through suffering, betrayal, loss, and spiritual trial. Her sanctity lies in her unwavering faith, her ability to forgive the unforgivable, and her profound commitment to peace and reconciliation.
A Life of Pain Transformed into Holiness
Born in 1381 in Roccaporena, a small village near Cascia in Italy, Rita was raised in a devout Christian family. From childhood, she longed to join a convent, but her parents arranged her marriage at the age of 12 to Paolo Mancini, a violent and abusive man. Despite the hardship, Rita remained faithful, praying for his conversion. Eventually, her patience bore fruit: Paolo changed, only to be murdered later in a political feud.
As a widow and mother of two sons, Rita then faced another trial—her sons wanted to avenge their father’s death. Fearing they would commit murder, Rita prayed that God would intervene. Both sons died shortly afterward of natural causes, and though heartbroken, Rita believed it was God’s way of saving their souls.
Having lost her husband and children, Rita sought to enter the Augustinian convent in Cascia. Initially rejected due to her background, she was eventually accepted after miraculous circumstances and acts of peacemaking between feuding families. There, she lived a life of deep prayer, penance, and charity.
Marked by Christ’s Wounds
In the last years of her life, Rita received a mystical wound on her forehead—believed to be a partial stigmata, symbolizing her union with Christ’s suffering. For fifteen years, she bore the painful wound as a mark of her love and sacrifice. She died on May 22, 1457, and her body remains incorrupt to this day in the Basilica of Cascia.
She was canonized in 1900 by Pope Leo XIII, who recognized her extraordinary sanctity and spiritual legacy.
Her Enduring Message: Peace, Forgiveness, and Hope
Saint Rita is revered not for political power or public preaching, but for her quiet heroism—as a wife, mother, widow, nun, and intercessor. Her legacy lives on in the hearts of those who suffer, especially women in difficult marriages, victims of violence, and people praying for reconciliation.
She embodies values that transcend time:
Forgiveness: She forgave her husband’s killers and even prayed for the salvation of her sons’ souls.
Endurance in Suffering: She did not escape pain—she transformed it into a path of holiness.
Peacebuilding: Rita reconciled enemy families and brought healing where vengeance once reigned.
Faith Against All Odds: Even when all seemed lost, she trusted in God’s plan.
Why We Still Need Saint Rita Today
In a world plagued by division, domestic strife, and despair, Saint Rita reminds us that even the most broken life can become a vessel of grace. Her title, Saint of the Impossible, is not a legend—it is a testimony to what faith, humility, and perseverance can achieve when united with love.
Conclusion
On this day, May 22, as the Church celebrates Saint Rita of Cascia, we are called to reflect on her life—not as distant history, but as a living witness of Christ’s redemptive love. Let us ask her intercession for peace in our families, healing in our hearts, and hope amid our most impossible trials. “Saint Rita, advocate of the impossible, teach us to forgive, to hope, and to never give up on the power of love.”

Rubio accuses Hezbollah of trying to ‘drag Lebanon back into chaos’
AFP/24 May ,2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Hezbollah in a statement Sunday of trying to plunge Lebanon “back into chaos.”Rubio denounced what he called Hezbollah’s “reckless call to overthrow Lebanon’s democratically elected government” and said the pro-Iran militia was “actively trying to drag Lebanon back into chaos and destruction.”Naim Qassem, the leader of Hezbollah, said earlier that “the people have the right to go down onto the streets and to bring down the government” in response to Israeli strikes and US sanctions on the al-Qard al-Hassan financial institution. Al-Qard al-Hassan is affiliated with Hezbollah and provides interest-free loans to mainly Shia Muslim communities who have faced financial difficulty amid Lebanon’s economic crises. “The aggression against al-Qard al-Hassan is an aggression against hundreds of thousands of poor people and those with limited income,” Qassem said. The Lebanese government has been under US pressure to take action against the firm, as Washington ratchets up pressure on Iran-backed Hezbollah. “Hezbollah’s threats of violence and overthrow will not be allowed to succeed,” Rubio said. “The era in which a terrorist group held an entire nation hostage is coming to an end.”The US is negotiating a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war, with a report in Axios suggesting that a draft memorandum of understanding between two sides contains language that “makes clear the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon would end.”Early on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X that Trump, in a phone call, “reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on every front, including Lebanon.”Qassem expressed hope for an agreement between Iran and the US and that Lebanon would be part of its terms. However, he again called on the Lebanese government to abandon direct negotiations with Israel. A fourth round of talks is scheduled for June 2 and 3 in Washington. Despite a ceasefire that came into effect on April 17 and was recently extended for several weeks, Israel continues to strike what it describes as pro-Iranian Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, while Hezbollah for its part continues its attacks on Israeli targets in the south of the country.

Hezbollah Chief Says Hopes for Iran-US Deal and That It Includes Lebanon
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 24/2026
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem expressed hope Sunday for an agreement between Iran and the United States and that Lebanon, where Israel and the Iran-backed group are at war, would be part of its terms. Hezbollah and Israel have clashed since the group drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 by firing rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. Iranian officials have said an understanding with Washington to halt the regional war will include Lebanon. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that US President Donald Trump had reaffirmed his support for Israel's right "to defend itself against threats on all fronts, including in Lebanon". "God willing, this agreement will be finalized and there are signs of its completion, and accordingly that we too will be among those included in this agreement -- an agreement of a full cessation of hostilities," Qassem said in a televised address broadcast on Hezbollah's Al-Manar television channel. The speech marked the anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000 after around two decades of occupation and following persistent pressure from Hezbollah. Qassem said that Iran, which has provided Hezbollah with funding and weapons for decades, "is on top" and would emerge from the regional war "with its head high". Expectations of a Middle East deal come as Lebanon prepares for a fourth round of direct talks with Israel in Washington on June 2 and 3, preceded by a meeting between military delegations at the Pentagon on May 29.
'Existential threat' -
Qassem again repeated his group's rejection of direct talks, charging that key Israel ally Washington "is not an honest broker". "Direct negotiations are completely unacceptable and are a pure gain for Israel," he said, addressing Lebanese authorities who last year committed to disarming Hezbollah and then banned its military activities after the latest war erupted.
"Abandon the direct negotiations and do not give to America so that it gives to Israel... Return to the national understanding," he added. "Don't be with them and stab us in the back. You won't gain anything, and it's better for you to stand with your country."Despite heavy losses in 2023-2024 hostilities with Israel and the current war, Hezbollah refuses to disarm, arguing that its weapons are an internal Lebanese matter and not up for discussion in Washington.
"Disarmament means stripping Lebanon of its defensive capability and the capability of the resistance (Hezbollah) and this people, paving the way for annihilation," he said.
"Disarmament is annihilation and we cannot accept it."A state monopoly on weapons demanded by Lebanese authorities "at this stage is aimed at targeting the resistance and is an Israeli project" whose objective is to "annihilate the resistance". "All the facts prove that we and our people face an existential threat," Qassem said. "We will not bow, even if the whole world turns against us."

Hezbollah’s asymmetric warfare hardens Israel’s resolve as Lebanon pays in blood and rubble
NAJIA AL-HOUSSARI/Arab News/May 24, 2026
BEIRUT: Israel and Hezbollah press on with their campaigns of military pressure across southern Lebanon, a land now stripped of both inhabitants and structures south of the Litani River. Israeli fire is creeping rapidly north of the river as well. The tactics on display are strikingly mismatched, yet they may be working.
The signs are in the details. A lone Hezbollah fighter slipped into the area around a church north of Qawzah — a town 2.5 km from the Israeli border that, according to Israeli media, has been under full Israeli control for over a month. He engaged soldiers of the 551st Brigade in the buffer zone, killed a major at point-blank range, and vanished. Days earlier, a Hezbollah drone targeted the commander of the 401st Armored Brigade in the town of Debel. Across the south, fighters in similar operations have managed to slip away along secured withdrawal routes despite overwhelming Israeli air coverage. Together, these episodes mark a clear departure from the kind of confrontation Hezbollah waged against the Israeli army in 2023. It is an approach that, in the words of the group and its supporters, is meant to “bleed the enemy and impose losses heavy enough to force a withdrawal from the areas it has pushed into in southern Lebanon — as happened before the liberation of the south in 2000.”
Throughout the latest war, Hezbollah has stayed silent on its own casualties, which are believed to number in the hundreds — a sharp break from past conflicts, when it published such figures. It now offers no details at all about how it fights.
What is observable is a steep drop in the guided missiles once used to push Israeli forces back, and in the arcing rockets that targeted northern settlements and deep inside Israel. The militant group, a Lebanese military source said, increasingly leans “on individuals or small teams able to reach the units dug in across the south, lay ambushes and turn Israeli soldiers into isolated targets — an adaptation to the terrain and to whatever weapons are at hand.” The old playbook has become impossible. In the last war, Hezbollah would bolt a short-range launcher onto an open pickup, hide it in a home’s covered garage, and — when the moment came — raise the door, roll the launcher out, empty it at its targets, and tuck it back inside within a minute, leaving no trace. That playbook is now obsolete. Israeli surveillance has grown too sophisticated. Satellites, thermal balloons carrying high-resolution long-range cameras and drones now pinpoint a launcher within minutes; the strike that follows levels the house and kills everyone inside. The question is whether the tactics of the 1990s can pry the south loose from Israel’s grip — when Israel holds a decisive edge in technology, air power and intelligence, and a scorched-earth policy capable of guaranteeing that Hezbollah simply ceases to exist along Israel’s northern frontier. A Lebanese military source put it to Arab News this way: The fiber-optic FPV (first-person-view) drones Hezbollah has recently fielded have shifted the war’s character, and as long as Israel has no answer for them, Hezbollah will keep draining the enemy. Israel, in turn, will grow wary of pushing in on the ground — and will reach instead for killing and destruction of every kind to wear down the group and the community around it. The outcome, the source said, is the ruin of southern Lebanon.
The region is entering a delicate phase. All eyes are on the talks underway in Islamabad between Iran and the US, and whether they yield a broad regional understanding or tip toward confrontation. Lebanon sits at the center of it all — witness to an escalating assault, and waiting on the security negotiations set for the end of this month, when Israeli and Lebanese officials are to meet directly at the Pentagon under American sponsorship, to be followed by a political track in early June. On the eve of these developments, the Israeli army issued further warnings to residents of dozens of villages north of the Litani River to evacuate before heavy bombardment, bringing the total number of civilian casualties to more than 3,120 and the number of wounded to over 9,500 since March 2. The Israeli newspaper Maariv published a report saying that “Hezbollah is facing difficulties in rebuilding its ranks, and there is growing pressure behind the scenes on the party to reach a ceasefire at almost any cost.”
According to the report, citing an Israeli source: “Entire areas in southern Lebanon look as though they have been struck by an earthquake. The scale of destruction in the Shiite villages is enormous, and the damage inflicted on infrastructure and homes is far deeper than Hezbollah is willing to acknowledge, raising the prospect of a threat to Hezbollah from within the Shiite community itself.”Retired Maj. Gen. Abdul Rahman Chehaitli, former representative of the Lebanese government to UNIFIL, said: “Israel’s military superiority is not matched by any corresponding superiority capable of establishing a balance, even within the Arab region.” He told Arab News: “The guerrilla tactics adopted by Hezbollah prevent the Israeli army from holding territory, keeping it on constant alert and making it unable to control the land easily. Hezbollah, for its part, will not stop regardless of its losses, because its fighters seek martyrdom. Consequently, the greatest loser in such confrontations, and the one that will pay the price, is the people through their property and lives, as well as the Lebanese state.”
He added: “Those currently paying the price are Hezbollah’s support base. The Israelis are persisting in killing these civilians in order to carry out their destructive objectives and obtain what they want. The solution will not be military for either side. Both parties are determined to continue pursuing their respective strategies, and as long as there is occupation, there will be resistance.”
Chehaitli said: “The solution lies with the Lebanese state and through negotiation.”
Israel rejects any formula that would allow Hezbollah to remain in the southern border region, even in a political capacity, while Beirut insists on a full ceasefire, an Israeli withdrawal from areas in southern Lebanon, the release of Lebanese prisoners, the return of displaced persons and the reconstruction of destroyed villages. Preliminary negotiations in Washington, during their third session, led to an extension of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon for an additional 45 days. However, neither side has adhered to the agreement, and the number of people killed after the truce came into effect exceeds 400.
Ali Abbas Hamieh, a researcher in strategic and military affairs, told Arab News: “Israel is resorting to intensifying attacks on civilians because it is unable to achieve anything on the battlefield. In response, Hezbollah has adopted new tactics and increased the frequency of its strikes.”He added: “Not responding means defeat, while responding means a loss for the Israelis. Hezbollah’s use of FPV drones does not mean that the party lacks sufficient weaponry; rather, every battle has its own weapons capable of disabling the enemy and striking targets with precision.”Regarding the outcome of this type of confrontation, Hamieh said: “Negotiation from a position of strength: The Israeli side uses American leverage, so why should the Lebanese state not use Hezbollah’s strength in negotiations? It is true that the Lebanese state does not agree to be dragged by Hezbollah into a war it does not want, and, indeed, the government is not an agent, but the Lebanese state should not fall in line with external demands. The Israelis used to say that the resistance had ended with the end of the previous war, yet it has proven that it still exists, that its capabilities are stronger, and that it is capable of changing the equation.”
Hezbollah is behaving as though matters remain under control, amid considerable exasperation among its political opponents, who believe that every additional day of fighting increases the heavy price being paid by Lebanon and the Lebanese people.
According to the Lebanese military source: “Among the military changes Hezbollah has adopted is reducing the size of its forward combat units. They have become small, highly mobile groups operating independently and in a decentralized manner, never remaining in a single position. The objective is not so much to defend any particular village as it is to inflict the greatest possible losses on the advancing Israeli forces, hinder their progress, and keep them occupied through scattered and repeated combat skirmishes by setting up ambushes.”
However, Hezbollah’s opponents believe that the Israeli army’s scorched-earth strategy will, over time, allow it to secure control over the entire security zone it seeks to establish, creating a de facto buffer zone. Retired Brig. Gen. Khalil Jamil, the former commander of the South Litani sector and the southern Lebanese region, told Arab News: “Hezbollah’s strategy is damaging to the Israeli army, but it will not lead to its withdrawal from the south.
“In previous confrontations, the Israelis always relied on short wars lasting only a few days or weeks. However, after the Gaza war, the Israelis now consider their war existential, and consequently, they have resorted to widespread destruction, even if it requires eliminating civilians,” he said. “Anything that moves has become a target. The destruction currently extends beyond the Litani River into the heart of the south, affecting more than 93 villages, and the danger is spreading to the Sidon area,” he added.
“Israel is pursuing a gradual, incremental strategy, and the losses it sustains have not deterred it, despite mounting internal pressure over the past two and a half years. In this context, Hezbollah’s assumption that inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy would force a withdrawal has proven ineffective,” he said.
Jamil added: “Hezbollah has suffered extremely severe blows affecting both its military structure and arsenal, while also finding itself increasingly besieged. Even its geographic link to Iran has been severed, and support for the Houthis and Hamas has effectively come to a halt.”
“The weapon that once posed a serious threat to Israel is no longer available, and the drones Hezbollah developed are unable to penetrate border areas. Finding a solution to the threat posed by FPV drones is only a matter of time. Moreover, this capability itself will eventually be exhausted, because Hezbollah is not Ukraine: it is besieged and unable to import weapons. It is fighting with the resources currently at its disposal until countermeasures are found,” he said. “The Israeli army has also sustained losses. It is grappling with a state of uncertainty that has prompted it to limit its operations, consolidate in defensive positions, reduce patrols in rugged terrain and restrict its presence to positions on elevated hills stretching from west to east.
“This has enabled Hezbollah fighters to infiltrate the Yellow Line, though such operations amount to suicidal incursions. The more Hezbollah succeeds in wearing down the Israeli army, the more aggressively the army retaliates against the Shiite community beyond the Yellow Line. Thus, voices of protest against Hezbollah are beginning to emerge,” he added. Jamil said: “Israel is fighting an ideology, therefore it cannot eliminate Hezbollah. This reality will only end through a diplomatic solution. Hezbollah will not become a political party unless it is convinced that what it is doing is ineffective and only leads to more human losses.”He added that “Hezbollah’s leverage can be used in negotiations with Israel, and it may be used indirectly.”Hezbollah believes that the US-Iranian confrontation will ultimately end in a deal that restores a regional security umbrella for the party and returns conditions to the status quo ante, first in Iran, then in Lebanon. A political observer says Hezbollah is betting that its asymmetric methods of warfare will be sufficient to alter conditions on the ground and push the Israeli military to urge political leaders to seek a negotiated exit from the fighting in southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, Lebanon continues to bear a heavy toll, including human and material losses, and broader damage to its stability. In a statement to Reuters, Lebanese Finance Minister Yassin Jaber said that losses from the Israeli war across various economic sectors, as well as damage to residences and properties, amount to about $20 billion. He added that international aid has been significantly lower than during the 2013–2014 war, when Lebanon received about $700 million in humanitarian assistance along with dozens of planeloads of supplies.

Will Iran-US deal stop Lebanon's war?
Naharnet/May 24/2026
A draft MOU reached between Iran and the U.S. also "makes clear that the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon would end," U.S. news portal Axios reported. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed concern about that condition during a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, an Israeli official told Axios. He also expressed concerns about other aspects of the deal, but made his case in a respectful and deferential way, a U.S. official said. The U.S. official said it would not be a "one-sided ceasefire" and if Hezbollah tried to rearm or instigate attacks, Israel would be allowed to take action to prevent it. "If Hezbollah behaves, Israel will behave." "Bibi has his domestic considerations, but Trump has the interests of the U.S. and the global economy to think about," the U.S. official told Axios, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. An Israeli political source later told Israeli media outlets that Netanyahu emphasized to Trump that Israel "will maintain freedom of action against threats in all arenas, including Lebanon," and that the U.S. president "reiterated this principle."

Israeli strike on southern town kills 11, including 6 women, child
Agence France Presset/May 24/2026
Lebanon's health ministry said Sunday that an Israeli strike the previous day in the country's south killed 11 people including six women and a child, despite a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war. "The Israeli enemy strike on the town of Sir al-Gharbiyeh in the Nabatieh district resulted in a massacre whose final toll is 11 dead including a child and six women, and nine wounded including four children and a woman," the ministry said in a statement.

Israeli strikes hit south, east Lebanon
AFP/May 24, 2026
BEIRUT: Israeli strikes hit Lebanon on Sunday, both before and after Israel’s military issued an evacuation warning for 10 villages in the south and east, state media reported. Israel’s military has continued to strike what it says are Hezbollah targets in Lebanon despite a ceasefire that began on April 17 and that was recently extended for several weeks. The Iran-backed group has also maintained attacks on Israeli targets in southern Lebanon and across the border, including firing rockets on Sunday at Israeli troops operating on Lebanese territory. Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported Israeli strikes on multiple locations in south and east Lebanon on Sunday, in some cases causing casualties. Some of the raids came before the Israeli military’s warning, which covered 10 villages in the south and the eastern Bekaa valley. An AFP correspondent saw large clouds of smoke rising after strikes on the south’s Nabatieh and Zawtar Al-Sharqiyah. Lebanon’s civil defense agency said early on Sunday that its regional facility in Nabatieh had been destroyed by an overnight Israeli strike. An AFP photographer saw civil defense personnel recovering equipment and using a stretcher to remove oxygen bottles from the rubble. The Israeli army did not immediately provide any comment in response to a request from AFP’s Jerusalem bureau on the strike. Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. Under the terms of the ceasefire published by Washington, Israel reserves the right to act against “planned, imminent or ongoing attacks.”Israeli troops who invaded Lebanon are also operating inside an Israeli-announced “yellow line” running around 10 kilometers (six miles) deep along Lebanon’s southern border. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah, who the US sanctioned this week, said Sunday that “major transformations are taking place in the region.”Iran “has made its agreement with the United States conditional on stopping the war in Lebanon,” he said, according to a statement. On Saturday, Hezbollah said its chief Naim Qassem had received a message from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, saying Iran’s latest proposal through Pakistani mediators aimed at ending the regional war emphasized “the demand to include Lebanon” in the broader ceasefire. Fadlallah said that “the war will not just stop in Iran, but across the whole region, particularly in Lebanon,” urging Lebanese authorities to “take advantage of this regional umbrella... which will have repercussions on us.”Lebanese authorities recently began landmark direct talks with Israel under US auspices, and have insisted the discussions must be independent from the Iran-US negotiations.

Israel hits Lebanon as Hezbollah says Iran won't abandon group
Agence France Presset/May 24/2026
Israel struck south Lebanon on Saturday despite a ceasefire as Hezbollah said its backer Tehran had pledged not to abandon the militant group. Hezbollah said its chief Naim Qassem had received a message from Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, saying the latest proposal through Pakistani mediators aimed at ending the regional war emphasized "the demand to include Lebanon" in the broader ceasefire. Lebanese authorities, however, have insisted the country's ongoing talks with Israel under U.S. auspices must be independent from the Iran-U.S. negotiations. Israel's military has been pounding Lebanon despite an April 17 ceasefire in the country announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, and which was recently extended for several weeks. Hezbollah has also kept up attacks on Israeli targets in south Lebanon and in northern Israel, including targeting Israeli air defense platforms across the border on Saturday. The group said Araghchi's message indicated Iran "will not give up its support" for Hezbollah. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli airstrikes on multiple south Lebanon locations, some after Israel issued evacuation warnings to around 15 villages. Lebanon's military said one strike targeted an army barracks in the city of Nabatieh, wounding a soldier. A statement from Israel's military said it "solely operates against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and not against the Lebanese Army", adding that the incident was under review.
Sanctions -
Lebanon's military stressed this week that its soldiers were loyal to the institution after Washington announced sanctions that included an officer accused of sharing information with Hezbollah. The sanctions came after the United States hosted three rounds of landmark direct talks between Lebanon and Israel aimed at ending the latest conflict. Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in U.S.-Israeli strikes. Security talks with Israel are scheduled at the Pentagon for May 29, while a fourth round of negotiations is planned for June. Hezbollah has vehemently rejected the direct talks. On Saturday, Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli attacks had killed 3,123 people since March 2, decrying an overnight strike that damaged a hospital in the southern city of Tyre as "further proof of the Israeli enemy's violation of humanitarian law". Israel had issued overnight Friday evacuation warnings for two sites in Tyre. An AFP correspondent saw shattered glass, ceiling panels blown out and damaged medical equipment at the Hiram hospital, near one of the locations. The hospital's CEO, Dr Salman Aydibi, told AFP that around 40 patients were in the facility when the warning came.
'Doomsday' -
"We took the patients to a safer location" elsewhere inside the hospital, he said, adding that no patients were harmed but some 30 staff sustained minor injuries. He said the hospital was still operational. Israel's army said it had targeted "Hezbollah infrastructure sites in Tyre", adding that "prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians". Another AFP correspondent saw heavy damage at the targeted sites in the city. "I don't know what happened, it felt like doomsday," said Wisam Baroud, who lives near one site. "We quickly got dressed, rushed outside and started running," she said. Israel's army also targeted a Hezbollah compound in east Lebanon. Lebanon's Hamas-aligned Islamist group Jamaa Islamiya and its armed wing the Al-Fajr Forces said one of its members was killed in a strike in the east. Under the terms of the ceasefire published by Washington, Israel reserves the right to act against "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks". Israeli troops who invaded Lebanon are also operating inside an Israeli-announced "yellow line" running around 10 kilometers (six miles) deep along Lebanon's southern border.

Israeli Strikes Pound South, East Lebanon
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 24/2026
Israeli strikes hit south and east Lebanon on Sunday, state media reported, a day after 11 people were killed in a single raid on the south despite a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war. Saturday's strike in Sir al-Gharbiyeh "resulted in a massacre whose final toll is 11 dead including a child and six women, and nine wounded including four children and a woman," Lebanon's health ministry said in a statement. Israel's military has continued to strike what it says are Hezbollah targets in Lebanon despite a ceasefire that began on April 17 and that was recently extended for several weeks. The Iran-backed group has also maintained attacks on Israeli targets in southern Lebanon and across the border, including firing rockets on Sunday at Israeli troops operating on Lebanese territory. Lebanon's official National News Agency reported Israeli strikes on multiple locations in south and east Lebanon on Sunday, in some cases causing casualties. Some of the raids came before the Israeli military issued two evacuation warnings covering more than a dozen villages in Lebanon's south and the eastern Bekaa valley. An AFP correspondent saw large clouds of smoke rising after strikes on the south's Nabatieh and Zawtar al-Sharqiyah. Lebanon's civil defense agency said early on Sunday that its regional facility in Nabatieh had been destroyed by an overnight Israeli strike. An AFP photographer saw civil defense personnel recovering equipment and using a stretcher to remove oxygen bottles from the rubble. The Israeli army did not immediately provide any comment on the strike in response to an inquiry from AFP's Jerusalem bureau.
Iran -
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah, whom the US sanctioned this week, said Sunday that "major transformations are taking place in the region", amid anticipation that a US-Iranian agreement to end the Middle East war was close. Iran "has made its agreement with the United States conditional on stopping the war in Lebanon", he said, according to a statement. On Saturday, Hezbollah said its chief Naim Qassem had received a message from Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, saying Iran's latest proposal through Pakistani mediators emphasized "the demand to include Lebanon" in the broader ceasefire. Fadlallah said that "the war will not just stop in Iran, but across the whole region, particularly in Lebanon", urging Lebanese authorities to "take advantage of this regional umbrella... which will have repercussions on us".
Lebanese authorities recently began landmark direct talks with Israel under US auspices, and have insisted the discussions must be independent from the Iran-US negotiations. Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. Under the terms of the ceasefire published by Washington, Israel reserves the right to act against "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks". Israeli troops who invaded Lebanon are also operating inside an Israeli-occupied "yellow line" running around 10 kilometers (six miles) deep along Lebanon's southern border.

Israel military issues evacuation warning for around dozen villages in Lebanon
AFP/24 May ,2026
Israel’s military on Sunday warned residents of around a dozen villages in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate their homes ahead of expected strikes against alleged Hezbollah targets. “For your safety, we urge you to immediately move at least 1,000 meters away from the areas mentioned,” the military’s Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said in a post on X, listing the names of the villages.

Hezbollah Says Message from Iran Shows it 'Will Not Give up' on Group
Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/2026
20Hezbollah said Saturday that a message from Tehran showed that Iran would not abandon the Lebanese militant group and that the Islamic republic's latest proposal to end the US-Iran war included a ceasefire in Lebanon. Iran-backed Hezbollah said in a statement that its chief Naim Qassem had received a message from Tehran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, which indicated that Iran "will not give up its support for movements demanding justice and freedom, foremost among them Hezbollah". In Iran's latest proposal through Pakistani mediators aimed at achieving "a permanent and stable end to the war, the demand to include Lebanon in the ceasefire was emphasised", the statement added.

Lebanon Civil Defense Says Israeli Strike Destroys its Nabatieh Facility
Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/2026
Lebanon's civil defense agency said early on Sunday its regional facility in the southern city of Nabatieh had been destroyed by an Israeli strike. The Directorate General of Civil Defense said the building had collapsed and a large number of vehicles and equipment had been damaged by a "direct hit in a hostile Israeli strike". It added there were no reports of casualties among its personnel, who had been moved to another location before the incident, said AFP. The civil defense agency condemned "this attack on a center dedicated to humanitarian and relief work", stressing that it was facing "growing risks and challenges" in carrying out its operations. Israeli strikes in Lebanon have continued despite a truce that came into effect on April 17, with Israel saying it is targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah. Lebanon's health ministry has recorded the deaths of 123 rescuers and health workers in Israeli strikes since the country was drawn into the wider regional war on March 2 when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in retaliation for the death of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.

Nonprofit led by Kamala Harris ally is weighing in on U.S.-Lebanon policy, and Republicans are concerned
Matthew Foldi/Washington Reporter/May 24/2026
https://washingtonreporter.news/exclusive-nonprofit-led-by-kamala-harris-ally-is-weighing-in-on-u-s-lebanon-policy-and-republicans-are-concerned/
As President Donald Trump works closely with America’s allies in the Middle East amidst the ongoing conflict with Iran, an advocacy group tied closely to Democratic donors is trying to steer Trump’s policy on Lebanon away from Israel.
Trumpworld sources told the Washington Reporter that the American Task Force on Lebanon’s (AFTL) leaders’ staunch support for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election make its requests “dead on arrival.”
ATFL’s president, Ed Gabriel, was a critical surrogate for Harris in 2024, lending her campaign efforts credibility at a time when her mixed messaging on foreign policy left many wondering what her policies would look like should she win.
On November 5, 2024, right before the election, Gabriel published an op-ed in The Hill endorsing Harris — the culmination of a series of pro-Harris moves by him and his organization. In the piece, Gabriel argued that “it has become evident that the president has no partner for peace in Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, thousands of innocent Palestinians have been killed and the hostages remain in captivity. Vice President Harris has exhibited strong leadership with our allies and partners in the Middle East to protect our interests and prevent the further suffering of more innocent victims.”
Gabriel also slammed Trump, writing that “the alternative is Donald Trump, who has said nothing of substance regarding Lebanon and his comment to the Israelis concerning the Israeli-Gaza war was, ‘finish the job!’”
While ATFL’s stated mission is to “educate policymakers and the public about the importance of a robust US-Lebanon bilateral relationship” its statements often conflict with the goals of the Trump administration as the administration has backed Israel’s defensive war against Hezbollah. Many of its statements condemn Israel without naming Hezbollah. A prominent Republican congressmen expressed concerns to the Reporter that a group led by a Harris ally would try to influence the Trump administration’s Middle East policies.
Even before his pro-Harris op-ed, Gabriel helped organize “prominent Lebanese Americans [to endorse] Democrat Kamala Harris for president, saying in a letter that the U.S. had been ‘unrelenting’ in its support for Lebanon under the Biden administration and they expect additional backing if Harris wins in November,” as Reuters reported at the time. “Gabriel is one of several Arab American and Muslim leaders who met with Harris when she visited Flint, Michigan, on Oct. 4.”
A Republican Senate source told the Reporter that “ATFL’s problem is that it is led by someone who argued that Kamala Harris would make a great president. They’re not going to be taken seriously by any Republicans. Anyone who thinks that Kamala Harris would be better for our interests in the Middle East has no business making policy recommendations to President Trump on Lebanon or anything else.”
Gabriel was also a key connector for the Biden-Harris administration. At one point, Gabriel and ATFL hosted Amos Hochstein — who ran point on the Biden administration’s Lebanon policy — in the key swing state of Michigan to “brief[] the local community on the Biden Administration’s efforts to restore calm in the region.”

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on 24-25 May/2026
Trump Says No Rush for Iran Deal, US Blockade Stays
Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/2026
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had told his representatives not to rush into any deal with Iran, appearing to dampen hopes of an imminent breakthrough in the three-month-old war that had been raised by both sides a day earlier. The US blockade on Iranian ships on the Strait of Hormuz would "remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed", Trump wrote on Truth Social. Negotiations were progressing and the US relationship with Iran had become more professional and productive, he said. But he added: "Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!" A day earlier, Trump said Washington and Iran had "largely negotiated" a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which before the conflict carried one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Trump has repeatedly played up the prospect of an agreement to end the war that the US and Israel started on February 28, so far without success. It was not clear whether the agreement he was ‌referring to on Sunday ‌was the initial memorandum of understanding that has been under discussion, or a much more challenging broad ‌peace settlement, ⁠likely to take ⁠much longer. The two sides remain at odds over numerous difficult issues, such as Iran's nuclear ambitions and Tehran's demands for the lifting of sanctions and the release of tens of billions of dollars of Iranian oil revenues frozen in foreign banks. Various media in the US and Iran had said the memorandum setting out a framework for ending months of fighting would, if concluded, lift a US blockade on Iranian shipping and reopen the waterway, which Iran has shut with threats to attack shipping.
HOPE FOR RELIEF IN GLOBAL ENERGY CRISIS
A senior Iranian source earlier told Reuters that if Iran's Supreme National Security Council approved the memorandum, it would be sent to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei for final approval. But Iran's Tasnim news agency said differences remained over one or two clauses. Tasnim cited ⁠a source as saying there would be no final understanding if the US continued to create obstacles. In another ‌potential stumbling block, a military adviser to Khamenei said Tehran had the legal right to manage ‌the Strait of Hormuz, though it was not clear if that meant continuing to decide which ships can go through. Any deal cementing the current fragile ceasefire ‌would bring relief to markets but not immediately quell a global energy crisis, which has driven up costs of fuel, fertilizer and food. Even if ‌the war ends now, full flows through the strait will not return before the first or second quarter of 2027, the head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said last week. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said 33 vessels had passed through the strait over the past 24 hours after getting permission from Tehran, still far short of the 140 on a typical day before the war. Trump, while offering various war aims during the conflict, has repeatedly said the US struck Iran to prevent ‌it from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran "must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb", he reiterated in his post on Sunday.
Iran has long denied it is pursuing such weapons and ⁠says it has a right to enrich ⁠uranium for civilian purposes, although the purity it has achieved far exceeds that needed for power generation.
'ISSUES STILL NEED TO BE DISCUSSED,' IRAN SAYS
Sources have told Reuters the proposed framework, when it emerges, will unfold in three stages: formally ending the war, resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and launching a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement, which can be extended. Trump, whose approval ratings have been hit by the war's impact on US energy prices, said on Friday he would not attend his son's wedding this weekend, citing Iran among the reasons for staying in Washington. He spoke on Saturday with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Türkiye and Pakistan, who encouraged Trump to agree to the emerging framework, Axios reported. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Saturday that "the trend this week has been towards a reduction in disputes, but there are still issues that need to be discussed through mediators". Baghaei said the issue of the US blockade on Iran's shipping was important, but that its priority was ending the threat of new US attacks and the parallel conflict in Lebanon. The US-Israeli bombing of Iran killed thousands of people in Iran before it was suspended in a ceasefire in early April. Israel has also killed thousands more and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes in Lebanon, which it invaded in pursuit of the Iran-backed Hezbollah. Iranian strikes on Israel and neighboring Gulf states have killed dozens of people.

Trump told Netanyahu no final Iran deal without dismantling nuclear program: Official
Agencies/24 May ,2026
US President Donald Trump has assured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he will hold firm on his demand for the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program as a condition in any final agreement with Tehran, a senior Israeli official told AFP. “President Trump made clear that he will remain steadfast in the negotiations regarding his longstanding demand for the dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program and the removal of all enriched uranium from Iranian territory, and that he will not sign a final agreement absent these conditions,” the official said, referring to a conversation between the two leaders on Saturday night. “The United States is updating Israel on the negotiations surrounding the memorandum of understanding for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and initiating talks toward a final agreement on the outstanding disputed issues,” the official added. Separately, an Israeli source said Netanyahu told Trump Israel would remain free to act against threats in Lebanon during the phone call about an emerging agreement between Washington and Tehran. Trump said Washington and Iran had “largely negotiated” a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping passage that has been effectively closed since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran in February. “In last night’s conversation with President Trump, the Prime Minister emphasized that Israel will maintain freedom of action against threats in all arenas, including Lebanon, and President Trump reiterated and supported this principle,” the Israeli political source told Reuters on Sunday, asking not to be named. Expectations rose that a breakthrough might be imminent in the three-month-old war after Trump said an emerging agreement being brokered by Pakistan would reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Fars news agency said the draft stipulates that the US and its allies will not attack Iran or its allies, and in return Iran pledges not to launch preemptive attacks on them.Prominent Israeli politician Benny Gantz said it would be a strategic mistake for Israel to accept a ceasefire in Lebanon, which its troops have entered to fight the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia, as part of a deal with Iran. According to the Israeli source, the US is updating Israel on the negotiations with Iran. “President Trump made it clear that he will stand firm in negotiations on his consistent demand for the dismantling of the Iranian nuclear program and the removal of all enriched uranium from its territory,” the source said, “and that he will not sign a final agreement without these conditions being met.”Trump wrote on Truth Social that a call with Netanyahu had gone “very well.”

Israel PM Says Trump Agreed Any Final Iran Deal Must End ‘Nuclear Threat Entirely’
Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he and US President Donald Trump had agreed that any final deal with Iran must fully end the Islamic republic's "nuclear threat". Netanyahu was referring to a conversation between the two leaders on Saturday night, which Trump had earlier said "went very well". "President Trump and I agreed that any final agreement with Iran must eliminate the nuclear threat entirely. This means dismantling Iran's uranium enrichment facilities and removing enriched nuclear material from its territory," Netanyahu said in a statement. "My policy, like that of President Trump, remains unchanged: Iran will not obtain nuclear weapons," he added. Netanyahu said the two also discussed the memorandum of understanding on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. "The partnership between our two nations has been proven on the battlefield, and it has never been stronger," the Israeli leader said, adding that Trump had reaffirmed his support for Israel's right to defend itself against threats on all fronts, "including in Lebanon".

Netanyahu says Trump agrees Iran deal must remove nuclear threat
Agencies/24 May ,2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he and US President Donald Trump agreed that any final agreement with Iran must remove the nuclear threat posed by Tehran. Posting on Telegram, Netanyahu said this would require dismantling Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities and removing enriched nuclear material from its territory. He said Trump had reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Earlier, a senior Israeli official told AFP that Trump assured Netanyahu that he would hold firm on his demand for the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program as a condition in any final agreement with Tehran. “President Trump made clear that he will remain steadfast in the negotiations regarding his longstanding demand for the dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program and the removal of all enriched uranium from Iranian territory, and that he will not sign a final agreement absent these conditions,” the official said, referring to a conversation between the two leaders on Saturday night. “The United States is updating Israel on the negotiations surrounding the memorandum of understanding for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and initiating talks toward a final agreement on the outstanding disputed issues,” the official said. During their talk, Netanyahu stressed that Israel “will preserve its freedom of action against threats on all fronts, including Lebanon,” the official added. “President Trump reiterated his support for this principle.”

Iran and US Closing in on Deal to End War
Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/2026
The United States and Iran could strike a deal to end the Middle East war as early as Sunday, Washington's top diplomat said, while Tehran insisted the agreement would do nothing to limit its nuclear program. Washington and Tehran have observed a ceasefire since April 8 while mediators push for a negotiated settlement, although Iran has imposed controls on shipping and the US has blockaded Iran's ports. On Sunday, during a visit to India, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters: "I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news."This came after US President Donald Trump posted on social media that the deal "has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries".
Rubio said the agreement would start a "process that can ultimately leave us where the president wants us to be, and that is a world that no longer has to fear or worry about an Iranian nuclear weapon".Trump's post stressed that the Strait of Hormuz would be re-opened, a development that would bring relief to energy markets after a long Iranian blockade of a crucial waterway that in peacetime carries a fifth of world oil exports. Iranian officials confirmed the existence of a draft agreement but stressed that -- contrary to earlier long-standing US demands -- talks on the issue of Iran's contested nuclear program have been deferred for 60 days after any deal.
'Lasting peace'
According to Iran's Fars news agency, Washington has agreed to release part of Tehran's funds frozen abroad under international economic sanctions and to end its naval blockade of ships travelling to and from Iranian ports. In exchange, "according to this draft, passage through the Strait of Hormuz would return to pre-war levels under Iranian management".And, Fars said, "sanctions on oil, gas, petrochemicals and their derivatives would be temporarily lifted during the negotiation period so that Iran can freely sell its products".
Leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, as well as representatives from Türkiye and Pakistan, joined a call with Trump to discuss the deal on Saturday. Pakistan, which mediated historic face-to-face negotiations between US and Iranian delegations in April, hopes to host another round of talks "very soon", Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said. He said Pakistan's powerful army chief Asim Munir, who visited Tehran on Friday and Saturday, also joined the call, which "provided a useful opportunity... to move the ongoing peace efforts forward to bring lasting peace in the region".
Lebanese front
Trump said a separate call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "went very well". US strikes on Iran have been carried out together with Israel since the war began on February 28. Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had warned earlier that Washington would face a tough response if it resumed hostilities, as Trump has often threatened. "Our armed forces have rebuilt themselves during the ceasefire period in such a way that if Trump commits another act of folly and restarts the war, it will certainly be more crushing and bitter for the United States than on the first day of the war," Ghalibaf said. On the war's other main front in Lebanon, state media reported that Israel struck the country's south on Saturday, where fighting has continued despite an April 17 ceasefire. Lebanon's military said a strike targeted an army barracks and wounded a soldier, while Israel said one of its soldiers was killed on Friday near the border. On Sunday, Lebanon's civil defense agency said its regional facility in the city of Nabatieh had been destroyed by an Israeli strike.

Rubio Says Announcement Possible Later Sunday on Iran War
Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said an announcement was possible later Sunday on a deal with Iran that could formally end the Middle East war, insisting goals had been met. "I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news," Rubio told reporters in New Delhi. Rubio, who is on his first visit to India, said the emerging deal would address US President Donald Trump's concerns on the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has largely blocked in response to the US-Israeli attack. The agreement would also start a "process that can ultimately leave us where the president wants us to be, and that is a world that no longer has to fear or worry about an Iranian nuclear weapon", he added. His remarks came after Trump said a proposal that included opening the Strait of Hormuz had been "largely negotiated". "An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, Iran, and the various other Countries," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday. The emerging agreement has quickly met criticism from usual supporters of Trump including Senator Ted Cruz and Mike Pompeo, Trump's secretary of state in his first term. Both are staunch supporters of Israel and voiced opposition to Iran soon receiving benefits such as the unimpeded ability to sell its oil. Cruz said the outcome could be a "disastrous mistake". Asked about the criticism, Rubio said "no one has been stronger" among US presidents against Iran by launching the war, codenamed Epic Fury. "When this conflict began with Iran, the goals were outlined, they were very simple, they were very clear -- we were going to destroy their navy, which was done," he said. Rubio said the United States also aimed to "significantly reduce" Iran's ability to fire ballistic missiles and to "do damage to the defense-industrial base" of the country. "Those were the objectives of Epic Fury. Those objectives were achieved," Rubio said.

Iran shoots down an Israeli surveillance drone, news agency says
Reuters/24 May ,2026
The Iranian army downed an Israeli spying and surveillance drone in the Hormozgan province, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on Sunday, as expectations rose that a memorandum of understanding regarding a peace deal between Iran and the US could be imminent.
The wreckage of a shattered Orbiter drone, an Israeli product, was discovered in cooperation with Iranian naval forces, the agency said.

Iran Hangs Man for Spying during War with US, Israel, Says Judiciary
Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/2026
Iran on Sunday hanged a man convicted of espionage, the judiciary said, the first known execution for a spying offence committed during the war with Israel and the United States. "Mojtaba Kian... who sent information related to the country's defense industry units to the enemy, was hanged early this morning," the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported. It said he shared information related to Iran's defense capabilities during the nearly 40-day war, reported AFP. The execution is the first directly linked to spying offences carried out during the war, which broke out on February 28 when US-Israeli strikes killed senior Iranian leaders, triggering retaliatory attacks by Tehran across the region. Since the start of the conflict, Iran has stepped up executions for spying or collaborating with Israel and the US, although prior to Sunday all those hanged were sentenced for offences carried out before the war. According to Mizan, Kian "sent multiple messages to hostile networks affiliated with the Zionist-American enemy, including coordinates and information on facilities producing parts related to the country's defense industries". Mizan said he sent information to satellite television networks. It did not identify those networks, but Iranian authorities have frequently accused Persian-language media outlets based abroad of cooperating with Israel. The Mizan report said one "targeted location" in Iran was struck during the war after Kian passed on information about its whereabouts. "The sentence was carried out early this morning after completion of legal formalities," Mizan said. The website said Kian's execution took place "less than 50 days" after his arrest, while his assets were also confiscated. On Thursday, the country executed two men convicted of armed rebellion and membership in what authorities described as "separatist terrorist groups", a phrase often used to refer to Iranian Kurdish groups based in neighboring Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Arab, Muslim top diplomats condemn Ben-Gvir over treatment of Gaza flotilla activists
Al Arabiya English/24 May ,2026
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey on Sunday strongly condemned the “horrific, degrading, and unacceptable” treatment of activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla while they were detained by Israel. The condemnation came after far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video last week showing detained activists with their hands tied and their foreheads pressed to the ground, sparking widespread backlash and diplomatic criticism. The ministers said the “deliberate public humiliation” of the detainees constituted “a shameful assault on human dignity” and a clear violation of Israel’s obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). They also strongly condemned the “illegal and extremist acts of incitement and violence” committed by Ben-Gvir and other Israeli officials against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories. The ministers warned that Ben-Gvir’s “provocative actions fuel hatred and extremism and undermine efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution.”They called for Ben-Gvir to be held accountable and urged concrete measures to halt his “provocations, incitement, and repeated violations,” prevent further threats, and ensure such actions are neither tolerated nor repeated. The ministers also stressed the importance of protecting human rights, safeguarding the dignity of detainees, ensuring humane treatment, and upholding international law in the occupied Palestinian territories. Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, the territory has suffered severe shortages of food, medicine and other essential supplies, with Israel at times halting aid deliveries entirely.

Turkish Riot Police Force Ousted Opposition Leadership Out of Headquarters
Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/2026
Turkish riot police fired tear gas and forced their way into the main opposition party's headquarters to evict its ousted leadership on Sunday, deepening a crisis at the heart of Türkiye's democracy. Clouds of tear gas billowed within the Republican People's Party (CHP) building while those inside shouted and threw objects at the entrance as police broke through a makeshift barricade. It was not immediately clear if anyone was hurt in the unrest. A Turkish court ousted CHP leader Ozgur Ozel on Thursday, annulling the results ‌of the CHP ‌congress where he was elected in 2023, citing irregularities. On ‌Sunday, ⁠Ankara's governor ordered the ⁠eviction of those inside the headquarters.
TEST OF TURKISH DEMOCRACY
The court reinstated in Ozel's place former CHP chair Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who lost to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a national election that year. Analysts have said they view the court ruling as a test of the balance between democracy and autocracy for NATO member Türkiye and that it could prolong Erdogan's 23-year rule. "We are under attack," Ozel said in a video message ⁠shared on X as the security forces entered, before emerging ‌from the building after the police intervention to ‌address the media as supporters cheered and clapped. "From now on, the Republican People's Party is ‌on the streets, in the squares, marching towards power," he told the crowd, before ‌leading hundreds of supporters towards the Turkish parliament, accompanied by large numbers of riot police. The CHP's ousted leadership called on its supporters to protest in three locations in Türkiye's largest city of Istanbul on Sunday evening.
OUSTED LEADERS DECRY 'JUDICIAL COUP'
The ousted CHP leadership under Ozel has ‌condemned the court ruling as a "judicial coup" and Ozel had promised to fight it through legal appeals and to remain "day ⁠and night" at ⁠the Ankara headquarters. Ozel called on Saturday for a new party congress to be held as soon as possible, while Kilicdaroglu has said a congress would be held at an "appropriate" time. CHP lawmakers on Saturday elected Ozel as leader of the party's parliamentary group. Türkiye's next national election is set for 2028 but would need to be brought forward if Erdogan, at age 72 and facing a term limit, wants to run again. The court ruling raises the chances of an early vote, analysts said. The government, meanwhile, denies criticism that it uses courts to target political rivals, saying the judiciary is independent. State media said on Saturday Turkish police had detained 13 people under an investigation into the 2023 congress. They face charges of violating the law on political parties, accepting bribes and laundering assets derived from crime.

Bahrain court jails nine for life for collaborating with Iran’s IRGC
Reuters/24 May ,2026:
A Bahraini court sentenced nine defendants to life in prison and two others to three years in jail for collaborating with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to carry out what it described as “hostile and terrorist acts” against Bahrain, the state news agency reported on Sunday.
The defendants were involved in gathering information on sensitive sites and facilitating related financial transfers, the statement said. Bahrain’s interior ministry said on May 9 that it had arrested 41 people it said were linked to the IRGC. The ministry said security authorities had uncovered a group tied to the IRGC. Iran launched attacks on targets in Bahrain and other Gulf Arab states hosting US military bases after the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28.

10,000 Kurds Apply for Syrian Citizenship
Damascus: Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/2026
Damascus announced on Saturday that it has received over 10,000 applications for Syrian citizenship from Kurds in wake of a recent decree that preserves their rights in the country. The Interior Ministry said it received applications for citizenship from 2,892 families and 10,516 individuals. The majority of the applications were filed in the northeastern Hasakeh region, followed by Aleppo, Raqqa, then Deir Ezzor. Authorities began receiving applications for citizenship from the Kurds on April 6. A May 7 deadline for receiving applications was extended to allow people more time to complete their official procedures ahead of applying. Receiving the application is the first step towards citizenship. It will be followed by interviews with applicants to verify their documents and eligibility. The final step culminates in receiving citizenship and a document that allows them to enjoy all of their civilian rights. The process covers all Kurds who do not have an identification document in Syria, as well as expatriates.

Iraq’s Nujaba Movement Warns against ‘US Plot’ to Integrate PMF in New Security Ministry
Baghdad: Fadhel al-Nashmi/Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/2026
The Iran-aligned Nujaba Movement in Iraq warned on Saturday against an “American plot” to merge the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in state institutions, presenting new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi with his first test in imposing state monopoly over arms. It made its warning in wake of a visit to Iraq earlier this week by former US Central Command Commander David Petraeus, who also previously led US forces stationed in Iraq. The new Iraqi government appears to be a taking a tougher stance against the Iran-aligned armed factions in the country in wake of attacks launched from Iraq against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have said the attacks were launched from Iraqi territory. Zaidi has slammed the attacks as “criminal acts”.Spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces Sabah al-Numan said the committee probing the attacks will cooperate with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to uncover the perpetrators. “The official statements are not up for debate: the security of our brothers is a read line and there can be no replacing the rule of law,” he said in statements carried by the official state news agency INA. Any party found responsible for the attacks will face judicial and military measures, he vowed, adding that the attacks were a “threat to Iraq’s national security and flagrant violation of its sovereignty”. On the state monopoly over arms, al-Numan said the decision “is not a mere political slogan, but a security strategy that must be implemented.” “The success of the government will be measured by how much it establishes itself as the sole party that holds power over weapons,” he stressed.
Prominent armed factions, such as the Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, have not made any statements over the recent developments. The Nujaba Movement, however, has openly defied the state’s decision to impose monopoly over weapons. The party, which is seen as the most hardline, has also rejected attempts to restructure the PMF. Deputy head of the movement’s executive council Hussein al-Saeedi said: “The resistance’s weapons are not open to compromise.”“Stripping the factions of their weapons will leave society exposed to the ongoing threats,” he declared from Basra. He also slammed as an “American plot” the alleged plan to merge the PMF with the federal police and other forces as part of a new “federal security ministry”. He said such efforts are “futile” and “impossible to execute”, warning that insisting on forging ahead with the plan will have “political and popular implications.”

Syria wraps up pivotal elections ahead of new parliament session
SANA/AFP/May 24, 2026
DAMASCUS: Predominantly Kurdish areas of northeastern Syria held a ballot on Sunday to choose representatives for the country’s transitional parliament, following an agreement this year on integration under central authorities. In a process that began last year and has been criticized as undemocratic, members of local committees across Syria have been casting ballots to elect members of the assembly, which will have a renewable 30-month mandate.
Syria’s President Ahmad Al-Sharaa is to appoint 70 representatives to the 210-member body.
FASTFACT
In October last year, Syria’s electoral commission announced the names of 119 members of the new assembly, out of the 140 members to be chosen through the ballot process. Local committees — appointed by the electoral commission, which was itself also appointed by Al-Sharaa — have been selecting the other two-thirds. State news agency SANA said Sunday’s ballot covered seven representatives for parts of Hasakah province, while another two seats in the region were appointed by acclamation after only two people stood.
A ballot was also being held for two seats in Kurdish-majority Kobane, also known as Ain Al-Arab, in Aleppo province. In January, Damascus and the Kurds agreed to integrate Kurdish civilian and military institutions into the state. Several Kurdish parties criticized Sunday’s ballot, saying in a statement that the mechanism for forming the legislature was “nothing but an appointment process” and does not reflect the “free Kurdish will.”They also criticized the fact that only four of the assembly’s 210 seats have been allocated for Kurds and called for this to increase to better reflect the Kurdish population. There are about 2 million Kurds in Syria, most of them in the northeast. In October last year, Syria’s electoral commission announced the names of 119 members of the new assembly, out of the 140 members to be chosen through the ballot process. At that time, seats remained vacant for parts of then Kurdish-held Raqqa and Hasakah provinces in the north and northeast, and the Druze-majority Sweida province in the south, for “security” reasons. After Sunday’s ballot, only Sweida — which is to have three seats — will remain outside the process. Syria’s Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections said the completion of voting in the districts of Hasakah, Qamishli, Al-Malikiyah and Ain Al-Arab paves the way for the first session of the new parliament. Nawar Najmeh, spokesperson for the committee, said that the People’s Assembly would convene after the president announces the names of members appointed to the remaining one-third of the chamber. Najmeh said voting in Hasakah province and the Ain Al-Arab district in Aleppo province concluded. He described the vote in Hasakah as a pivotal step in shaping the new Syria and said it reflected the desire among residents to become an active part of a unified national framework. Najmeh said the elections carried clear political and social dimensions, and represented a serious test of the willingness of all sides to ensure the success of the national project and the transitional phase. He added that voting took place in a positive atmosphere reflecting strong turnout by members of the electoral bodies in the first genuine electoral process since the victory of the revolution. Voter participation exceeded 95 percent across all areas by the time polling stations closed, Najmeh said. Earlier, the committee announced the closure of polling stations in Hasakah and Qamishli, as well as in the Ain Al-Arab district. It later announced the winners’ names and gave candidates 48 hours to file appeals.

Israeli fire kills parents and their infant in Gaza, medics say
Reuters/May 24, 2026
CAIRO/GAZA: An Israeli airstrike on an apartment in a refugee camp in central Gaza on Sunday left three ​people dead, including a six-month-old child, health officials said. Medics named the three who died in the Nuseirat refugee camp as Mohammad Abu Mallouh, the infant’s father, Alaa Zaqlan, the mother, and their child, Osama. Later on Sunday, Israeli gunfire killed a Palestinian man in the north of the enclave, near a UN-run medical clinic in Jabalia refugee camp, medics said. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on either of the incidents.
At ‌the morgue ‌in Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, relatives ​of ‌three ⁠dead ​family members ⁠arrived to bid farewell to their white-shrouded bodies. “A man sleeping along with his wife and their 6-month infant son in their bed. The rocket fell on his bed, and it took him, with his wife and son, leaving behind six young girls,” said the infant’s grandmother, Umm Hamza Abu Mallouh, with tears in her eyes. Israel has recently resumed issuing evacuation ⁠orders to residents of the enclave — a practice that ‌had largely subsided after an October ceasefire.
But, ‌Yehia Abu Mallouh, whose brother was killed ​in the strike, said they woke up ‌to the sound of an explosion, without any prior warning. “We discovered ‌that my brother’s house has been targeted while he was sleeping safely in his home. We found them (the family) cut into pieces without prior warning,” he told Reuters. “The point of the ceasefire is supposed to be peace, with ‌no strikes or anything, but the enemy surprised them at night,” he added. The October ceasefire, brokered by US ⁠President Donald Trump, has ⁠failed to halt Israeli attacks in Gaza, with Israel and Hamas deadlocked in indirect talks over the militant group’s disarmament. The ceasefire left Israel in control of more than half of Gaza, with Hamas controlling a sliver of territory along the coast. Some 880 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce came into effect, according to figures from Gaza health officials that do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed by militants during the same period, according to the Israeli military. Hamas does not disclose figures for casualties among ​its fighters. Israel says its post-ceasefire ​strikes are aimed at preventing attacks or stopping people from approaching its armistice line with Hamas.

Cyprus Votes for New Parliament with Corruption and Living Costs in Focus
Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/2026
Cypriots ‌went to the polls on Sunday in a parliamentary election expected to deliver gains for anti-corruption campaigners and the far right, while weakening centrist parties that back President Nikos Christodoulides. In a vote being closely watched for signs of public sentiment ahead of a 2028 presidential election, more than half a million registered voters will elect 56 lawmakers from a record field of 753 candidates, Reuters said.Cyprus has ‌a presidential ‌system of government, but Sunday's poll ‌is ⁠a gauge of ⁠support for Christodoulides, who does not have a party of his own so relies on the backing of others to pass legislation. Polls close at 1500 GMT, with conclusive voting results expected about two hours later.
NEWCOMERS SEEN GAINING GROUND
Three centrist parties - ⁠Diko, Dipa and EDEK - currently support ‌the president, but the ‌latest opinion polls show weaker voter backing for at ‌least two of them. The island's other traditional ‌political forces, including the right-wing DISY and Communist AKEL parties, have also been losing ground to newer challengers. Polls show gains for the far-right ELAM party, as ‌well as for political newcomers ALMA and Volt, which have campaigned on a platform ⁠of ⁠better accountability and rooting out corruption - an issue that is high on voters' list of priorities.
Sunday's vote might force Christodoulides to seek support elsewhere, political analysts say, with some suggesting that ELAM and DISY could be possible candidates. Neither Christodoulides nor the two parties have commented on possible post-election alliances. The vote took place against a backdrop of persistent cost-of-living pressures, housing affordability concerns and migration, issues that have dominated political debate in the European Union member state during recent months.

Russia confirms launching nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile in massive attack on Kyiv
Agencies/24 May ,2026
Russia confirmed on Sunday to have launched a nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile at Ukraine in massive overnight strikes. “In response to Ukraine’s terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure on Russian territory, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive strike using Oreshnik ballistic missiles, Iskander air-launched ballistic missiles, Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles and Tsirkon cruise missiles,” as well as drones, the ministry said in a statement. Russia struck Ukraine’s capital Kyiv with a massive wave of missiles and drones on Sunday, killing four people in the city and surrounding region and injuring dozens, officials said. Explosions reverberated through Kyiv just after 1 a.m. (2200 GMT Saturday), following a warning by Ukraine’s air force on its Telegram channel that Russia might launch a hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile. The air force did not respond to a request for comment on whether an Oreshnik struck any target during the attack. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that two people had been killed and 56 others injured in the attacks on the city, with 30 of those hospitalized. Some damage was reported in the city’s historic Independence Square. “It was a terrible night for Kyiv,” Klitschko said in a Telegram message from the site of one attack. “Right now, rescuers are putting out fires and clearing debris. Medics are providing assistance to the victims.”Many residents sought shelter overnight in the city’s metro stations. Nataliia Zvarych, 62, said she had rushed to her local station as explosions started rocking the city.“It was terrifying, scary,” she said. “We have been sitting here for more than three hours now, listening to the explosions up there.”The head of the city’s military administration said that more than 40 locations in the city had been damaged. Strikes were reported in other parts of Ukraine. A further two people were killed and nine others injured in attacks on the broader Kyiv region surrounding the capital, said regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk.
Sunrise reveals damage
As the sun rose, black smoke from several fires drifted across the skyline, leaving an acrid smell in parts of the city. Firefighters used hoses to douse the flames in damaged buildings while rescue workers evacuated the wounded. The front facade of one five-story residential building had collapsed, images showed. Officials reported damage to offices, shops, warehouses and the foyer of a metro station. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warned on Saturday that Russia was preparing a strike against Ukraine using the Oreshnik missile, citing intelligence from Ukraine, the US and Europe. Russia has already attacked Ukraine twice with the Oreshnik, a missile with a range of several thousand kilometers and capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Russian President Vladimir Putin has boasted that it is impossible to intercept because of its reported velocity of more than 10 times the speed of sound.Zelenskyy’s warning came after Putin ordered his military to prepare options for retaliation against Ukraine for a drone strike on a student dorm in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine on Friday.Ukraine’s military denied the accusations and said it had targeted a Russian drone command unit. Neighboring Poland activated its military aviation during the strikes on Sunday, but no violations of its airspace were detected, the Polish army said.

The Latest LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on 24-25 May/2026
Trump and Iran: Who is responsible for the mutilated war and the wrong calculations?
Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya English/24 May ,2026
The predicament facing US President Donald Trump in the confrontation with the Islamic Republic of Iran is no longer confined to the nuclear file, the postponed military strike, or the Strait of Hormuz. The larger predicament is that this war appears mutilated and strange. Washington entered it with incomplete intelligence and military calculations, only to discover that Iran does not intend to fight where the United States or Israel want, but in arenas it considers weaker, easier, and closer to reach: the Arab Gulf states.
Iran cannot take direct revenge against the United States, nor deliver a decisive blow to Israel without paying an existential price. Therefore, it decided that revenge would be in the Gulf. This is not a passing tactical matter, but part of the mentality that has governed Iranian doctrine for decades: One that wants the Arab Gulf states submissive, remains captive to the complex of the Iraq war, and despises the liberal vision of the Gulf states. Tehran sees the Gulf as a backyard that can be showered with drones and missiles at low cost, using proxies in Iraq and elsewhere whenever it cannot confront major adversaries directly.
For this reason, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, and others appealed to Trump not to rush the major strike. They know that broad American military operations against Iran may make them the first harmed by the Iranian response, not Washington or Tel Aviv. They asked for time, not out of naïve faith in Iranian flexibility, but to test whether Tehran can be persuaded to retreat from its suicidal course before regional war explodes. Some in Washington saw in the Gulf request an opportunity to absorb time before the major military operation. Some even suggested that Gulf states request postponement because this was what Trump wanted while he hesitated over resuming the war. But the Pentagon does not want an open-ended ceiling between postponement and threat. It has informed Trump that waiting is not a strategy. He must decide: Military action, or retreat through a clear exit that saves face. The American president now faces a delicate equation: Shuttle and elastic negotiations no longer benefit him; they harm him because time is chasing him. Iran will not surrender the basics on which Washington insists, especially in the nuclear dossier, unless it fully realizes what Trump has in his military arsenal. Among the options before him is what Washington calls the “seven keys”: An accumulated, complex operation designed to inflict a serious defeat on Iran, not merely a symbolic strike. Its targets include energy, communications, Hormuz installations, nuclear research sites, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command centers, and perhaps the leadership itself. The problem is that this war was not sufficiently studied in light of Iran’s explicit threats to turn it into a regional war. The responsibility falls on American and Israeli intelligence for failing to put Trump in the true picture, exactly as Vladimir Putin’s calculations were wrong when he entered Ukraine expecting a swift and limited war, only for it to become historic attrition.
Trump now faces a similar possibility: A major strike may achieve military objectives, but may open regional doors Washington was not prepared to contain. The error was not only in estimating Iranian military capabilities, but in reading the doctrine that governs Tehran’s men and the revenge they publicly vowed. Did the Trump administration rush into war without calculating that Iranian retaliation would not be limited to American bases in the Gulf, but may reach the deep structure of Gulf states allied with the United States?
Was this arbitrariness, a hidden agenda, or a grave failure inside the American intelligence and military institution? The question also reaches Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff: Did they misunderstand Tehran’s mentality and the IRGC’s doctrine, or were they absorbed in chasing financial benefits in the hoped-for deal, and therefore looked away? The consequential question is whether this debacle is due to Trump’s narcissistic personality and his personalization of America’s grand decisions, tainted by his appetite for money and deals, or to a deeper structural problem in the United States.
There is now an attempt to reach a document that could end or freeze the war. But any document limited to the nuclear file will be incomplete if it ignores Iranian missiles, drones, and proxies. The Gulf has a problem with Iran’s proxies as much as with the nuclear file, because the daily danger comes from these arms and the doctrine of revenge behind them. Trump needs an exit that justifies why he entered this war and why he may leave it. He wants to say he emerged almost victorious, while Iran wants to say it did not surrender. Saving face is essential for both parties. But it is not enough if Iran remains in control of the Strait of Hormuz, dictates its conditions in the nuclear file, and retains freedom to use its arms against Arab states. Words and semantics may allow Trump to postpone or cancel the strike, but they cannot cover a deficient document devoid of addressing Iran’s regional threats. China and Russia are present in this scene. Each has a strategic pact with Iran and deep interests with the Gulf states. China entered the negotiation line to help Pakistan and perhaps encourage Tehran toward flexibility that would allow Trump to retreat. It will not be an official guarantor of any American-Iranian agreement. It is closer to telling Iranian leaders to stop seeking hegemony over the Strait of Hormuz and avoid an open regional confrontation.
China is fluent in the language of interests. Its long-term interest in the strategic asset called Iran may force another course. Trump’s original idea was to dislodge both China and Russia from Iran, and he failed because he badly managed the war and because he hesitates. His indecision painted him into a corner.
Russia benefited from this war through renewed need for its oil and gas. Europe appears the biggest loser, forced to knock on Moscow’s doors before winter to buy Russian gas. China is the greatest strategic beneficiary, appearing as the calm great power receiving presidents and managing balances, while the United States appears volatile, tense, and unable to convert military power into a calculated political result. Iran’s main negotiator, IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, is proof of the difficulty of reaching a real agreement. He comes from a doctrine that does not want concession or surrender. Negotiating with him means negotiating with a ruling structure that considers flexibility weakness and revenge a political and military tool.
There is no logic in assuming that Iran is about to make real concessions unless it sees clearly that the American “seven keys” are not a verbal threat but a ready plan to strike its leadership, military, oil, nuclear, and communications capabilities.
We are before a transitional moment of extreme danger. Washington is trying to formulate a document that saves Trump’s face and does not make him appear to have bought time for Iran. China and Russia are revisiting their strategic investment in Iran. Tehran is proud it did not surrender, while preparing to punish the Gulf if it is struck. Time is no longer an opportunity but a cost, and the war is no longer a test for Iran alone, but for the United States. This predicament exposes the danger of Trump’s personalization of wars and financial markets. Equally alarming is an organic defect in the American intelligence and military institution. In both cases, the United States could pay the price of a strategic mishap opened by an arbitrary, incomplete war, possibly awaiting surprises with greater losses.

AI’s shadow global governance
J.P. Singh/Arab News/May 24, 2026
In “The Three-Arched Bridge,” the novelist Ismail Kadare tells the story of a bridge being built in medieval Arberia (modern-day Albania, Kadare’s homeland) just as the Byzantine Empire is giving way to the Ottomans. The bridge is exceedingly difficult to build and equally difficult to cross. With every week bringing new headlines about the fierce rivalry between American and Chinese artificial intelligence developers, Kadare’s bridge is an apt metaphor for today’s global AI governance. In the US, policymakers are obsessed with weaponizing their country’s AI advantages. Congress and the White House both aspire to leverage America’s “compute power” — advanced semiconductors and data centers — while holding the rest of the world at a negotiating disadvantage. The narrative in both the US and China is that we live in a dog-eat-dog world where no bridges can be built.
As someone who leads a large team of interdisciplinary researchers using computational methods to analyze global AI governance, I believe the issue is more complex than the great power rivalry narrative suggests. Our approach traces the many interconnections among national and multilateral AI strategies, revealing commonalities, distinctions and how states and organizations are learning from and influencing each other. Such influence need not always flow from the strong to the weak. AI systems used by pastoralists in Africa would almost certainly prove relevant elsewhere. That is already true of India Stack, India’s identity and payments portal, which is being widely emulated across the developing world. As technologies and power diffuse globally, the weak are learning from each other and finding ways not to end up at a disadvantage.
Since 2016, more than 70 countries have published national AI strategies, as have the EU and multilateral organizations such as the UN. Together, these documents offer a wealth of textual data for analysis and my team has painted a granular picture of the topics these documents contain. Our topic modeling presents the distributions of words in the documents alongside their probability distributions, much like a large language model. Among our findings, three notable results stand out.
First, several countries cluster together around particular topics or priorities. For example, EU countries cluster around an approach that seeks to balance economic competitiveness with ethical and social concerns, and Latin American countries cluster around one that builds on existing digital infrastructure. By contrast, China and the US do not cluster with any other states. Each has a unique strategy that is primarily concerned with global dominance, research and development, and scientific expertise.
As technologies diffuse globally, the weak are learning from each other and finding ways not to end up at a disadvantage. Second, beyond regional clusters, countries also share their approaches through international networks. Thus, Spain shows up as a player in both the Latin American and EU clusters. Sweden clusters with the EU in one topic but also with Finland in another (namely, one that pairs enhanced social, labor and welfare issues with a strategy favoring startups and economic reforms).
Equally notable, multilateral organizations do not seem to cluster with countries. The World Health Organization, for example, produces documents only in the health topic, so the appropriate unit of comparison would be national AI health strategies. The exceptions are the EU cluster and the World Bank, whose approach toward AI shares much with many developing countries. Of course, technologies always embody innovation and learning, which in turn inform subsequent rules and institutions. We should not be surprised that learning is taking place globally as AI diffuses and evolves. The surprise is in the headlines that focus solely on great power competition and the “left-behinds.” While those are valid concerns, they represent only part of the picture. They do not convey the complex learning mechanisms that make the World Bank show up centrally in developing country clusters or that show Spain’s AI thinking has much in common with how Latin American governments see the issue.
In Washington, it is almost anathema nowadays to speak of “global cooperation” on AI governance. But there is nothing fanciful about the empirical reality of global influence and emulation. That reality is evolving as quickly as AI infrastructure itself, suggesting that something like global cooperation is already taking place. Like Kadare’s bridge between civilizations, formal connections are still difficult to create and sustain, especially if they involve the two big AI powers. But the task is coming much easier to the rest of the world. Other countries and organizations have an opportunity to share what they know, to learn from each other and ultimately to create shared institutions and standards that they can all live with.
• J.P. Singh, University Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government and Director of the Center for AI Innovation and Economic Competitiveness at George Mason University, is Co-Editor-in-Chief of Global Perspectives.
©Project Syndicate

To the Trump Administration: Recognize Somaliland, Solid Ally for the West
Pierre Rehov/Gatestone Institute/May 24, 2026
While the international community says it champions democracy, stability, and self-determination, Somaliland ticks every box. Yet it stays unrecognized, largely because diplomats cling to the fiction of Somalia's territorial integrity — even though that unity exists only on paper. This is not principle at work. It is bureaucratic inertia. It has become a costly strategic error.
Denying recognition sends exactly the wrong signal: that building a functioning democracy in hard conditions earns you nothing.
The only question left is whether Washington and its allies possess the clarity, the courage, and the strategic vision to welcome it.
While the international community says it champions democracy, stability, and self-determination, Somaliland ticks every box. Yet it stays unrecognized, largely because diplomats cling to the fiction of Somalia's territorial integrity — even though that unity exists only on paper. Pictured: People gather to celebrate Israel's recognition of Somaliland's independence in downtown Hargeisa, on December 26, 2025. (Photo by Farhan Aleli/AFP via Getty Images)
Washington should take note. Somaliland has achieved what its neighbor, Somalia, could not: relative order, internal cohesion, and institutional resilience. Official recognition would not just fix a diplomatic anomaly. It would unlock a genuine strategic asset — economic development, infrastructure projects, intelligence sharing, and potentially a forward U.S.-Israeli military presence. Such a base on Somaliland's coast would help monitor shipping lanes, deter piracy, counter jihadists, and contain Iranian influence from Yemen. It would send a powerful message: stability brings rewards.
Somaliland has never aligned with Islamist movements or hostile powers. Instead, it has repeatedly sought pragmatic partnerships with the West, offering security cooperation and investment opportunities. It understands the threats — from piracy to jihadism to great-power competition — and has shown through deeds, not words, that it belongs in the camp that builds stable institutions rather than tears them down.
At this time, when the Free World faces authoritarian expansion, ideological extremism, and its own internal divisions, it cannot afford to overlook its natural allies. Somaliland is one of them. It is not perfect, and it faces real challenges, but it has consistently aligned itself with the principles Western leaders claim to defend.For decades the United States has poured military, financial, and political resources into neighboring Somalia with painfully limited results. Somalia remains trapped in the classic pattern of a failed state — fragmented authority, deep corruption, and persistent jihadist threats. Meanwhile, right next door, Somaliland has held multiple peaceful transfers of power, including the most recent presidential election on November 13, 2024. In that vote, opposition candidate Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (commonly known as Irro) of the Waddani party defeated incumbent Muse Bihi Abdi. The transition was orderly, observed by international monitors, and certified without violence.
Geographically, Somaliland is crucial. It sits astride the Gulf of Aden, right beside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints. Roughly a fifth of global petroleum trade passes through these waters, linking the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, and the Indian Ocean. Across the strait lies Yemen, where Iranian-backed Houthis have repeatedly disrupted shipping. To the northwest sits Djibouti, already packed with foreign military bases from the United States, China, France, and others. In this volatile corridor, a reliable partner is not optional. It is essential.
The strategic map of the 21st century is being redrawn right now — in the Red Sea, the Horn of Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula – all central arenas in the contest between open societies and authoritarian powers. Every alliance matters.
Somaliland already governs itself, secures its territory, and manages its own foreign relations. The real question is whether the international system can adapt to reality or will keep pretending otherwise while strategic rivals fill the vacuum.
There is a moral dimension here too. For more than 30 years, Somaliland's people have chosen democratic institutions over militias and ballots over bullets. In a region long defined by conflict, that choice was never guaranteed — it required hard work, political maturity, and a deliberate rejection of the path taken by Somalia, their neighbor to the south. Denying recognition sends exactly the wrong signal: that building a functioning democracy in hard conditions earns you nothing.
In Somalia, Mogadishu still struggles to project authority beyond a few besieged districts, constantly harassed by Al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda affiliate that controls large rural areas and stages deadly attacks on the capital. Somaliland, by contrast, maintains internal security, secures its borders, and has kept jihadist groups largely at bay. This stability did not come by accident. It is the direct result of deliberate governance, clan reconciliation, and open, democratic governance.
Somaliland is not begging for charity. It is offering a genuine partnership.
In December 2025, Israel became the first country in the world to formally recognize Somaliland. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Somaliland's President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro, signed a joint declaration establishing full diplomatic relations. This was a clear strategic signal that Jerusalem sees Somaliland as a serious partner in a region increasingly shaped by Iranian proxies, Turkish influence, and Chinese expansion.
While the international community says it champions democracy, stability, and self-determination, Somaliland ticks every box. Yet it stays unrecognized, largely because diplomats cling to the fiction of Somalia's territorial integrity — even though that unity exists only on paper. This is not principle at work. It is bureaucratic inertia. It has become a costly strategic error.
There will always be voices of opposition to everything. European capitals, bound by risk aversion and outdated legal doctrines, prefer theoretical borders to practical realities. Some regional players prefer chaos or ideological expansion. Somali political elites in Mogadishu fear that formal recognition would simply confirm what everyone already knows on the ground: the supposedly unified Somali state no longer exists in any meaningful sense.
Somaliland exists. This simple fact has stood unchallenged for more than three decades. Since May 18, 1991, when clan elders and leaders of the Somali National Movement gathered in Burao to declare independence after the fall of Siad Barre's regime, this breakaway territory has built a functioning state in one of the world's toughest neighborhoods. It has its own government, its own currency, its own security forces, and — most impressively — its own track record of democratic elections. Yet for much of the international community, Somaliland remains a geopolitical ghost: stable, democratic, and quietly successful, but still officially invisible.The only question left is whether Washington and its allies possess the clarity, the courage, and the strategic vision to welcome it.
Pierre Rehov, who holds a law degree from Paris-Assas, is a French reporter, novelist and documentary filmmaker. He is the author of six novels, including "Beyond Red Lines", "The Third Testament" and "Red Eden", translated from French. His latest essay on the aftermath of the October 7 massacre " 7 octobre - La riposte " became a bestseller in France. As a filmmaker, he has produced and directed 17 documentaries, many photographed at high risk in Middle Eastern war zones, and focusing on terrorism, media bias, and the persecution of Christians. His latest documentary, "Pogrom(s)" highlights the context of ancient Jew hatred within Muslim civilization as the main force behind the October 7 massacre.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.

Our Region Awaits Decisions Whose Details Are Clearly Understood
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 24/2026
As I followed the state of regional and international politics with sorrow, I was reminded of the saying attributed to Imam al-Shaabi. Speaking about the four “masterminds of the Arabs,” he said that “The masterminds of the Arabs are four: Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan for patience and deliberation; Amr ibn al-As for handling difficult matters, that is, wise conduct and solving every problem that stands in his way; Al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba for quick wit and prompt action; and Ziyad ibn Abihi for matters great and small, meaning planning, firmness, and decisiveness.”At one point in history, a rational minority with these qualities sharing a common goal helped establish the nucleus of an empire whose civilization stretched from China to Western Europe. Yet if we look at great powers, past and present alike, we find them troubled and unstable. Broad national consensus has collapsed before extremist nationalist or separatist ambitions. The “state of institutions,” which was built upon and strengthened by those consensuses, has been shaken. Individual calculations have overtaken the priority of the common good.
Here, to borrow a medical expression, domestic “blood purification” may have lost its efficacy, threatening a lethal condition of septicemia, blood poisoning. Today, this manifests itself in various forms, wherever we turn among influential international and regional blocs.
In Britain, for example, many no longer believe in an exceptional innate wisdom enabling them to overcome crises and avoid recklessness. The “fall” embodied by Brexit, which was built upon populist illusions and selfishness, showed that this great nation is not necessarily more rational than others. Today, we are witnessing the collapse of stability that had once been ensured for decades by the alternation of power between long-established institutional and interest-based parties, while fascist, populist, and idealistic movements have begun shaking the pillars of British democracy as we once knew it.
The situation in other European democracies, where we see fears for their internal social fabric and for the fate of Eastern Europe amid Russia’s rise, is not very different. Yet the most significant shift, in my opinion, is unfolding in the United States, especially when considering Washington’s importance in determining the fate of our Arab world, particularly the Levant.
Yesterday, many people were struck by President Donald Trump’s absence from the wedding of his son, Donald Trump Jr., in the Bahamas. Naturally, speculation immediately spread about the “grave development” behind it. But aside from such speculation, two notable resignations were recorded.
The first resignation is that of Julie Davis, chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Ukraine, who decided to leave the post to which she had been appointed less than a year ago, amid reports of disagreements with the administration over Ukraine. Davis is the second senior diplomat to resign from her position in Kyiv. Before her, Ambassador Bridget Brink had resigned in protest against what she saw as President Trump’s “appeasement” of Moscow and the European implications of this appeasement.
The second resignation was that of the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. Although Gabbard, a Polynesian Hindu and former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, explained her resignation by citing the deteriorating health of her ill husband, numerous rumors circulated regarding her standing within the Trump administration. Her departure, in fact, marked the fourth resignation of an official overseeing politically sensitive and important matters, following the resignations of Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
Experts and commentators attribute the “lack of stability” within the Trump team to deep disagreements - some personal, others strategic, and still others influenced by external motives and factors, such as ties with Israel and calculations involving Russia.
A superpower like the United States has a vast array of interests in every region of the world. To deal with each situation effectively, there must be a highly capable network of specialists on the one hand, and on the other, a coherent and harmonious “central team” skilled in coordination, integration, and crisis management.Our Arab region alone - far removed from Washington’s “preoccupations” with Cuba, Canada, and Greenland - raises enormous complexities that do not allow for “trial and error.” Nor can they tolerate assumptions built on misconceptions or interests inspired by a third party.
Years ago, the “neoconservatives” in the administration of George W. Bush mocked the “nation-building” policy of the “Clinton Doctrine” and subsequently worked to undermine it. Later, Republicans hardened this approach against the policies of Barack Obama during Trump’s presidencies. What is important to recognize here is that the world feels more at ease when it senses consistency in Washington’s approach. It is extremely important to have a “combat doctrine” to distinguish between your enemy and your friend, adversary and ally. For without a genuinely coherent strategy, international instability will only aggravate and problems will turn into catastrophes.

The Meeting of the Giants… And Regional Stability
Fuad Matar/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 24/2026
The mere fact that the two most powerful leaders of the world (US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping) held a meeting was enough to inspire some optimism. As for what they agreed on, and the extent to which the agreements were reached in good faith, that all might perhaps become clearer after the visit of the third figure of global leadership, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who met the Chinese president in Beijing on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 19–20, 2026. What stands out about the visits of Presidents Trump and Putin to the Chinese president, is that the former visited Beijing out of necessity, whereas the latter’s visits seek coordination and adjustments to the international map. It is worth noting that President Putin had already met President Xi forty times before, perhaps the most significant being Putin’s visit to China several months earlier, on August 31, 2025, when signs of a US–Iran confrontation were becoming increasingly dangerous.
One could say that both the Chinese and Russian presidents share President Trump’s desire to prevent further complications and that President Trump, in light of his discussions and coordination with his Chinese and Russian counterparts, has begun to see that global calm demands stabilizing the Middle East. Such stability, in turn, requires a profound reassessment of the Palestinian issue, whose settlement remains stalled between hollow promises that had never been meant to be fulfilled and, on the other hand, a firm commitment to a solution embodied in the Saudi position. This position has been consistently reaffirmed by the Saudi leadership, beginning with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and persistently upheld by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. They vehemently reiterate that regional stability can only be achieved through justice, by establishing a Palestinian state coexisting alongside Israel- an Israel led by men with different principles from those of the current cabinet, especially those “evil partners” in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Among them is “their Ben-Gvir,” who goes even further than Netanyahu himself, encouraging the torture of Palestinian political detainees, supporting settlers’ raids on Palestinian homes, the destruction of their fruitful trees and cultivated lands, persisting in aggressive wars, and ravaging olive groves and vineyards through uprooting, demolition, and confiscation.
Coincidentally, the ongoing violations and provocations witnessed in Palestinian towns and cities (including the raising of Israeli flags in front of mosques and Islamic and Christian holy sites) coincide with the seventy-ninth anniversary of the Nakba. Palestinians have nonetheless failed to close ranks, leading many to say that before political factions and organizations ask their Arab brethren and the nations of the world to deliver justice and restore their rights through the establishment of a Palestinian state. They must end their chronic disputes and divisions, presenting a united front to the Arab world and the international community, to confront this “minor Nakba” through unity, so that true justice may finally emerge and end the greater Nakba. God alone grants strength and assistance.

Selected Face Book & X tweets for May 24/2026
Yair Ravid
A reminder for those who have forgotten. Today marks 24 years since the shameful escape of the IDF from southern Lebanon, while disregarding our Christian allies Druze and also the Shiite minority who put their trust in the country of israel How did he say in those days the wisest of all people, hot-necked with "Secondly Joseph will not fall".

Lindsey Graham
If in fact as a result of these negotiations to end the Iranian conflict, our Arab and Muslim allies in the region agreed to join the Abraham Accords, it would make this agreement one of the most consequential in the history of the Middle East.

Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו
I spoke last night with President @realDonaldTrump about the memorandum of understanding to reopen the Straits of Hormuz and the upcoming negotiations toward a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. I expressed my deep appreciation to President Trump for his unwavering commitment to Israel’s security, including during Operation Roaring Lion and Epic Fury, when American and Israeli forces fought shoulder to shoulder against the Iranian threat. President Trump and I agreed that any final agreement with Iran must eliminate the nuclear danger. That means dismantling Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites and removing its enriched nuclear material from its territory. President Trump also reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on every front, including Lebanon. The partnership between us and our two countries has been proven on the battlefield and has never been stronger. My policy, like President Trump’s, remains unchanged: Iran will not have nuclear weapons.

Hiba Nasr
Rubio message comes after remarks by Hezbollah leader, in which he said the people have the right to take to the streets & bring down the gvt. Rubio: The US stands firmly with the legitimate Government of Lebanon & Hizballah's threats of violence & overthrow will not be allowed to succeed.

Barak Ravid
The leaders, especially those of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan who don't have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, were surprised by Trump's request. "There was silence on the line and Trump joked and asked if they are still there," one of the U.S. officials said
Barak Ravid
🇺🇸🇸🇦President Trump told leaders of Arab and Muslim countries during a Saturday conference call that if a deal to end the Iran war is achieved he wants their nations to join the Abraham Accords and sign peace agreements with Israel. My story on
@axios

Dr Walid Phares
My remarks on a panel on @NEWSMAX on Iran and Cuba. I suggested to subcontract the removal of the regime to the Iranian people. We support them and they deliver.
On Cuba I argued that youth on the island is increasingly opting for freedom. I suggested to finish the Iran dossier first and revert to Cuba.

Ted Cruz
I am deeply concerned about what we are hearing about an Iran “deal,” being pushed by some voices in the administration. President Trump’s decision to strike Iran was the most consequential decision of his second term. He was right to do so, and we achieved extraordinary military results—including destroying all of their missiles & drones and sinking their entire navy.
If the result of all that is to be an Iranian regime—still run by Islamists who chant “death to America”—now receiving billions of dollars, being able to enrich uranium & develop nuclear weapons, and having effective control over the Strait of Hormuz, then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake. The details are still coming out—and I pray the early reports are wrong—but the fact that Biden’s Rob Malley is praising the deal is not encouraging.
President Trump believes in peace through strength, and his strong leadership has already made America much safer. He should continue to hold the line, defend America & enforce the red lines he has repeatedly drawn.

Jonathan Elkhoury- جوناثان الخوري
Exactly 26 years ago, the gates opened and 7,000 of the South Lebanon Army personnel and their families crossed the fence from Lebanon to Israel. My father was one of them. My mother, my brother, and I stayed in Lebanon; at the time, it wasn't clear what would happen, whether an agreement would be reached between the Israeli government and Lebanon to bring everyone back. But the bitter truth was revealed very quickly. With Hezbollah's total conquest across the length and breadth of the security zone, they entered homes, beat women and children, and those who remained there endured severe torture, some of whom did not survive. With this realization—that the south had fallen again and that the Lebanese government wasn't even in the picture at all—my mother, my brother, and I made our way here.
But that same low point we went through, somewhere back 26 years ago, with the way the withdrawal happened and the treatment of the South Lebanon Army personnel by Ehud Barak, and the images from the fence of entire families joyfully waiting for the gates to open—these create a picture that, on the face of it, is a bit more complicated. But for me personally, and for some of my friends from South Lebanon Army families, this is the entire difference between a homeland and a home. One of my best friends, who is also a mentor to me, always says a phrase that's deeply etched in me: Lebanon is like the mother who gave birth to us and abandoned us right after. And Israel, despite the difficulties—Israel is the mom who adopted us, helped us, gave us shelter, and helped me develop when the sky's the limit. So when people ask me today if I'm ready to give up the adoptive mom because the "biological" mother suddenly remembered us 50 years later? The answer is pretty clear. I'm going to stay with the mom who was by my side all these years. The blood flowing in my veins is Lebanese, but the true belonging is to the mother who raised me.

Secretary Marco Rubio
The U.S. stands firmly with the legitimate Government of Lebanon as it works to restore its authority and build a better future for all its people. Hizballah's threats of violence and overthrow will not be allowed to succeed. The era in which a terrorist group held an entire nation hostage is coming to an end.

Tom Harb
Excellent and strong leadership . Sec. Rubio has been tough on Hezbollah for years, dealing with these critical files since his time in the Senate. He is determined to see a new birth of Lebanon , free from terrorism and Iranian influence. That’s why he has called for training dedicated divisions of the Lebanese Army, so the US can properly support them in disarming Hezbollah. His recent sanctions on Hezbollah deputies, collaborators in the army, and Amal movement are exactly the right pressure. The era of Hezbollah holding an entire nation hostage is ending.

Jonathan Elkhoury- جوناثان الخوري
https://x.com/i/status/2058138770361200917
A message of peace from Israel to Lebanon Live on Lebanese tv news station
@MTVLebanonNews
Exactly 26 years ago today, the Israeli army withdrew from South Lebanon. And along with them, because of threats from Hezbollah, we the families of the South Lebanon Army came to Israel. 26 years later, we, the children of the SLA, continue the path of our parents with hope for peace. And here from Israel, as Israelis Lebanese, we work to serve as a bridge between the two peoples. Because all of us deserve to live in peace.

Fouad Makhzoumi
Lebanon welcomes the support of its international partners for the protection of its sovereignty, stability, and democratic institutions. We appreciate Secretary Marco Rubio and the U.S. administration for their clear support for the Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions at this critical moment. The Lebanese people are exhausted by conflict and deserve a future built on reconstruction, peace, and the rule of law , not intimidation, parallel armies, or decisions imposed by force. Hizballa’s actions and military confrontations have contributed significantly to Lebanon’s destruction, deepening economic collapse, instability, and isolation from the international community. Lebanon’s future can only be secured through one state, one army, and one legitimate national authority