English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  May 26/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know
John 04/21-24: "Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him.God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’"

Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on 25-26 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
Deifying Politicians Corrupts Them and Turns Their Followers into Sheep and Slaves/Elias Bejjani/May 22/ 2026
On the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the Israeli army's withdrawal from South Lebanon in 2000, Mr. Said Ghattas (founder of Under the Cedar Tree, a Foundation for Peace) issued a text and video address via social media platforms. In it, he presented his reading of the historical facts of that era and the current Lebanese political situation.
The heroic leader Youssef Al-Tahhan has passed away./Colonel Charbel Barakat/May 25/2026
Israel will escalate strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Netanyahu says
Al Arabiya obtains final draft of preliminary US-Iran memorandum of understanding
Rubio slams Qassem's 'reckless call to overthrow govt.'
Rubio says Israel has 'every right' to respond to Hezbollah attacks
Zamir says 'Beirut' buildings must be hit in response to drones, Ben-Gvir urges war's return
Netanyahu says Trump agrees Israel has right to confront threats 'including in Lebanon'
Israeli far-right ministers urge escalation in Lebanon, Lapid says ceasefire a 'farce'
Israeli army says soldier killed in southern Lebanon
Israeli strikes on south Lebanon kill 2 including paramedic
Israeli army issues evacuation warning to 10 Lebanese towns, Tyre area buildings
Aoun says Israeli withdrawal a 'non-negotiable' demand
Israel Seeks to Exclude its Occupation of South Lebanon from US–Iran Agreement
Qassem: Disarmament is annihilation and we cannot accept it
The True "Humiliation"/Khairallah Khairallah/Levant Time/May 25/2026

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on 25-26 May/2026
Trump demands widespread sign-up to Abraham Accords as part of Iran peace deal
Trump demands multiple countries sign diplomatic deal with Israel as part of any Iran peace plan
Israeli opposition leader Lapid says Trump’s emerging deal with Iran is `bad for the region’
Rubio Says Iran Deal Still Possible Monday
Iran Warns Deal with US Not Yet Close, despite Some Progress
Iran’s Top Envoys Discussing Potential Peace Deal in Qatar
Iran Executes Man Over Links to Nationwide Protests
Iran’s president orders reopening of international internet access
Vessels Carrying Middle East Oil, LNG Exit Hormuz, Head for Pakistan, China
Iraqi Security Delegation to Visit Tehran to Address Attacks on Kurdistan
WHO Urges DR Congo's Neighbors to Act Immediately on Ebola Risk
Saudi position on Palestinian issue remains unchanged: Source

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on 25-26 May/2026
The Islamic Terrorist Conquest of West Africa/Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/May 25, 2026
The Fighters’ Disappointment and the Pakistani General/Ghassan Charbel/ Asharq Al Awsat/May 25/2026
Fatah’s Code, Before and After its Conference/Nabil Amr Asharq Al Awsat/May 25/2026
Consequences of a US-Iran deal/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al-Arabiya English/May 25/2026
Canada welcomes the world: The FIFA World Cup 2026/Jean-Philippe Linteau/Al-Arabiya English/May 25/2026

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on 25-26 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.

On the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the Israeli army's withdrawal from South Lebanon in 2000, Mr. Said Ghattas (founder of Under the Cedar Tree, a Foundation for Peace) issued a text and video address via social media platforms. In it, he presented his reading of the historical facts of that era and the current Lebanese political situation.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/05/154779/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBSQ4rAJlNU
May 25/2026
The following is a comprehensive summary of the main headings and the historical and political content included in the speech:
First: Main Headings of the Address
Introduction to "Under the Cedar Tree, a Foundation for Peace": Its objectives are based on confronting history with honesty and integrity to speak the truth and avoid repeating past mistakes.
The True Origin of the "Free Lebanon Army" (South Lebanon Army): Refuting the prevailing narratives regarding its defection from the Lebanese state.
Repercussions of UN Resolutions 425 and 426: The historical reasons that disrupted the deployment of international forces (UNIFIL) inside Lebanese territory.
The Secrets Behind the 2000 Withdrawal and Covert Negotiations: Clarifying that the Israeli withdrawal and the dissolution of the South Lebanon Army (SLA) were the results of political arrangements and negotiations in Germany, not military resistance pressure.
The Future of Lebanon and the Role of Expatriates: A call to the Lebanese people to stop waiting for foreign solutions and to join the foundation to build a sovereign nation and a strong army.
Second: Detailed Content and Historical Facts Mentioned
The Reality of the "Free Lebanon Army":
Said Ghattas stressed that the "Free Lebanon Army" did not defect from the state; rather, it was Lieutenant Ahmed Al-Khatib who defected and split the Lebanese Army at the time. He considered that the elements remaining in the South did so to preserve the mantle of the state and its official institutions under the Lebanese flag, the national anthem, and the military oath, and they continued to receive their salaries from the Lebanese state through legal decrees.
The Disruption of Resolutions 425 and 426
He pointed out that following the issuance of the two international resolutions after the Litani Operation in 1978, the international forces were supposed to deploy and open the coastal road from Sidon to Naqoura to begin their duties from within Lebanon. He accused Yasser Arafat and Hafez al-Assad of closing the road, forcing the UN peacekeeping forces to base themselves in "Nahariya" (inside Israel) and depriving Lebanon of directly benefiting from their presence. This forced the closure of the region and led to the establishment of the Free Lebanon Army to protect it.
The Secrets Behind the 2000 Withdrawal and the Political Deal
Ghattas explained that the Israeli withdrawal was not the result of military pressure or wars waged by the resistance. Instead, it was the outcome of an electoral campaign led by "Ehud Barak," who promised his voters a withdrawal, supported by the Israeli, American, and European left.
Secret Negotiations and Dissolving the SLA
He mentioned that by 1999, arrangements were underway to form a new leadership for the South Lebanon Army to replace General Antoine Lahad, with an orientation for them to remain in coordination with the then-Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh. On the other hand, Ghattas revealed parallel, secret negotiations that took place in Germany between Hafez al-Assad and Ehud Barak. Assad (who felt his death was near and wanted to secure the transition of power to his son, Bashar) requested the complete dismantling of the South Lebanon Army and securing the deployment of Hezbollah and the Syrian regime in the area, in exchange for providing data and security guarantees to Israel regarding the deployment of the Iranians and Hezbollah. Based on this deal, arrangements with the new leadership of the SLA were canceled, and the "Shin Bet" suddenly took over the dismantling of the army in 2000.
Criticism of Hezbollah and the Current Situation
Ghattas touched upon Hezbollah's rhetoric during that period, describing it as threatening. He argued that the absence of a strong opposition and the weak performance of the Lebanese state over the past 25 years allowed the current dominance to be imposed, weakening state institutions and the Lebanese Army.
Future Vision and Call for Peace
Ghattas criticized the reliance of various Lebanese factions on foreign powers (whether the US, Israel, Iran, Syria, or Saudi Arabia) and called on them to stop waiting for external interventions. He concluded his speech by inviting Lebanese citizens at home and abroad to visit the foundation's website and join "Under the Cedar Tree, a Foundation for Peace" to build a homeland that guarantees dignity and rights for all, where the Lebanese Army alone is responsible for protecting the country and making decisions on peace and war.

The heroic leader Youssef Al-Tahhan has passed away.
Colonel Charbel Barakat/May 25/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/05/154799/
We knew the heroic leader Youssef Al-Tahha when his name frightened enemies in many parts of Lebanon… when killers and hired men from the remnants of militias and regimes tried to attack the stronghold. At that time, Youssef Al-Tahhan, the son of Ras Baalbek and an officer in the Lebanese Army, stood against the Syrian policy of terrorizing people and forcing them to leave their homes as a step toward occupying Lebanon. He did not wait for orders or accept political games. Instead, he took initiative in many places and battles, helping people stay in their homes and preventing the invaders from violating the land. Thanks to men like him, many regions remained strong and events changed course. He fought alongside Ibrahim Tannous and other brave commanders and officers, restoring pride, dignity, and honor to the military institution and to the homeland. But the occupation grew stronger and tightened its grip on the country when some cowardly politicians betrayed their duty. They tried to turn heroism into “recklessness” and cowardice into “wisdom.” They killed Samir Al-Ashqar through a special combat unit to send a message that the age of heroism was over and the age of humiliation had begun. After that, Youssef Al-Tahhan lived through difficult times. He withdrew from public life, hiding his anger and silently carrying the pain, like many other heroes. May God have mercy on you and on your companions who passed before you. Even though times have changed, dignity and pride still grow among us like thorns in our gardens — strong and alive, even without care. Your memory will remain in the stories told to children around warm fireplaces in those small homes covered by snow during the harsh winter days, where the dream of a true homeland still grows in people’s hearts and is guarded with love and hope. Rest in peace. Men like you, even when silenced or pushed aside, never lose their light. Without doubt, they will be welcomed warmly in the heavenly homes. May God have mercy on you.

Israel will escalate strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Netanyahu says
Reuters/May 25/,2026
Israel will escalate strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, as a US official said the militia had ignored warnings to halt firing at Israel in a conflict that could threaten US-Iran negotiations. Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have continued to trade blows despite an April 16 truce aimed at halting the deadliest spillover of the US-Israeli joint war on Iran. Tehran has demanded a halt to Israeli attacks in Lebanon as a condition in talks with the US aimed at ending the broader war. As the US and Iran appeared to draw closer to a potential deal on Sunday, Netanyahu said he and President Donald Trump agreed in a phone call that Israel would retain the right to confront perceived threats on all fronts, including Lebanon. Netanyahu doubled down on that message on Monday night, saying in a video released on Telegram: “We are at war with Hezbollah, and we will intensify our strikes.”
He said Israel’s military was not taking its “foot off the gas. On the contrary, I said to step on the gas even more.”There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah or from Lebanese officials. Lebanese flee Beirut suburbs after Netanyahu video. Israel’s military has remained deployed in a broad swathe of southern Lebanon since the April 16 truce, with its air force striking what it describes as Hezbollah positions and its ground forces demolishing towns where it says the militia holds sway.Hezbollah has fired explosive drones at Israeli troops and toward towns in northern Israel, killing at least 11 soldiers since the truce, the military says. At least 608 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli attacks during the same period, according to the World Health Organization. Hezbollah has not released figures on its war dead. Fearing a renewed Israeli assault on Beirut, which suffered weeks of heavy bombardment before the April 16 truce, people began fleeing the city’s southern suburbs on Monday night after Netanyahu’s video message was released, Lebanese security sources said. Israel views the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs as a Hezbollah stronghold. Except for a strike targeting a Hezbollah commander in the area earlier this month, there have been no strikes on Beirut or its surroundings since the April 16 truce.Netanyahu did not say in his video message whether Israel planned to resume broader attacks in Beirut. After his video was released, the military said it was attacking Hezbollah sites in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, rarely hit since the truce. The truce helped enable negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, brokered by the US in Washington, where a May 15 round saw the two sides agree to a 45-day ceasefire extension. It was not immediately clear whether Netanyahu’s pledge to intensify strikes in Lebanon would impact those discussions. A US official said Hezbollah “has ignored repeated requests to stop firing at Israel, including a recent ultimatum.” The official accused the militia of trying to derail Israel-Lebanon talks by firing rockets and drones at Israel. “Israel will never be expected to passively absorb attacks on its forces and civilians,” the official said.
Netanyahu ministers call for strikes on Beirut
Netanyahu’s pledge comes as top Iranian officials arrived in Doha for talks on a potential deal with the US to end the three-month-old war in Iran, after Washington and Tehran played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough. The Israeli leader has been under pressure to address Hezbollah’s increased use of explosive drones to attack Israeli troops, one of whom was killed in such an attack on Sunday. Two of Netanyahu’s far-right ministers on Monday called on him to resume bombing Beirut in response to the kamikaze drones. “The explosive drones harming our fighters are not a decree of fate,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a statement. “For every explosive drone, 10 buildings should fall in Beirut.”Smotrich, leader of a small far-right party in Netanyahu’s cabinet, has frequently made comments that go beyond official Israeli policy, including that Israel must annex southern Lebanon and Gaza. Another ultranationalist minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said Israel must not normalize the reality of explosive drones. “It is time for the Prime Minister to bang on (President Donald) Trump’s desk and tell him that we are returning to war in Lebanon,” Ben-Gvir said. On Sunday evening, Hezbollah head Naim Qassem ramped up his rhetoric against the Lebanese state, saying that people had a right to take to the streets and overthrow the Lebanese government, although he stopped short of making a direct call for Hezbollah’s supporters to do so.

Al Arabiya obtains final draft of preliminary US-Iran memorandum of understanding
Al Arabiya English/25 May ,2026
Al Arabiya on Monday obtained a copy of the final draft of a preliminary memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran. The two parties have reached a preliminary framework of understanding that includes the following provisions:
Extension of the ceasefire for a period of sixty (60) days, renewable or amendable by mutual agreement Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international navigation, guaranteeing the free passage of commercial vessels and oil tankers without additional transit fees, with the Iranian side committing to take the necessary technical and security measures to ensure the safety of navigation, including the removal of mines and maritime obstacles according to agreed-upon arrangements. Enabling the Islamic Republic of Iran to resume the sale and export of oil within the framework of the interim understandings agreed upon by the two parties
Continuation of negotiations concerning the Iranian nuclear program during the period of de-escalation, with the aim of reaching long-term understandings regarding nuclear activities, monitoring mechanisms, and mutual commitments. In return, the United States commits to easing restrictions on Iranian ports and granting specific sanctions waivers to allow Iran to export oil and resume certain commercial and economic activities Consideration will be given to suspending or easing some sanctions related to the Iranian oil sector in phases, in accordance with the implementation of mutual understandings and commitments. The necessity of ending military operations and de-escalation on all regional fronts, including the Lebanese arena, will be emphasized, along with working towards establishing a comprehensive regional de-escalation. A period of thirty (30) days will be allocated for implementing the technical and logistical procedures related to restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the relevant maritime restrictions. A period of sixty (60) days will be established as the initial timeframe for negotiations concerning the Iranian nuclear program
A portion of frozen Iranian assets and funds will be released during the first phase of implementing this understanding, according to a financial mechanism to be agreed upon by both parties The two parties will continue negotiating the mechanism and timetable for releasing the remaining frozen Iranian assets during subsequent phases of negotiations
Work will be undertaken to restore maritime traffic and the number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to pre-escalation levels within a period not exceeding thirty (30) days. The Islamic Republic of Iran affirms its commitment to its sovereign rights regarding the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law, with the understanding that the relevant detailed arrangements will be discussed in subsequent technical negotiations (This point remains under discussion between the two parties).The parties will work to gradually lift the restrictions and measures related to the naval blockade within a period of thirty (30) days, in accordance with mutual commitments and agreed-upon verification mechanisms. The two parties continue to discuss security and military arrangements related to the US military presence in the vicinity of Iran within the framework of the ongoing negotiations (This point remains a point of contention between the two parties)

Rubio slams Qassem's 'reckless call to overthrow govt.'
Agence France Presse/May 25/2026
U.S. 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 armed group was "actively trying to drag Lebanon back into chaos and destruction." Sheikh 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 U.S. 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 U.S. pressure to take action against the firm, as Washington ratchets up pressure on Iran-backed Hezbollah. "Hizballah'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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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.

Rubio says Israel has 'every right' to respond to Hezbollah attacks
Agence France Presse/May 25/2026
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that a deal to end the war with Iran could materialize "today", adding that Israel had the right to defend itself against attack. "We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today, I wouldn't read too much into it," Rubio said in New Delhi, referring to the potential agreement. "We have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits, get the straits open," he told reporters as he departed the Indian capital, where he has been on an official visit. "It has a lot of support in the Gulf... every country that we've walked through it (with) understands it's not just very reasonable, but it's the right thing for the world to get done." Rubio also voiced confidence that Iran would "enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter".He addressed reporters ahead of the next leg of his India visit, which will see him travel to Agra, the northern city famous for the Taj Mahal. Rubio's remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump tempered expectations of a deal, saying on Sunday he had told his negotiators not to "rush". "He's not in a hurry, he's not going to make a bad deal, and the president's not going to make a bad agreement," Rubio said of Trump. The war erupted after the United States and Israel attacked the Islamic republic on February 28, and Iran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region. Washington and Tehran have observed a ceasefire since April 8. Rubio told reporters that "Israel always has a right to protect itself". "If Hezbollah is going to launch missiles or launches missiles at them, Israel has every right to respond to that, or to prevent that from happening," he said. "That's always been understood. It's being understood during the ceasefire."

Zamir says 'Beirut' buildings must be hit in response to drones, Ben-Gvir urges war's return
Naharnet/May 25/2026
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said in a limited security meeting on Sunday night that "buildings in Beirut should be attacked in response to Hezbollah's drone attacks," Israel's public broadcaster quoted informed sources as saying. The meeting was presided over by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and involved the top security establishment. Since the deadly April 8 Beirut attacks and under U.S. pressure, Israel has refrained from attacks in the Lebanese capital and its southern suburbs, with the exception of the assassination of the commander of the Radwan Force in Haret Hreik. Hard-right Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir meanwhile said that "it is time for the Prime Minister to slam his hand on (U.S. President Donald) Trump's table and tell him that Israel will return to war in Lebanon.""Electricity in Lebanon must be cut off, control of al-Zahrani (River) must be taken, and we must return to an all-out war," he urged.

Netanyahu says Trump agrees Israel has right to confront threats 'including in Lebanon'
Agence France Presse/May 25/2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he and U.S. 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".

Israeli far-right ministers urge escalation in Lebanon, Lapid says ceasefire a 'farce'
Agence France Presse/May 25/2026
Israel's two far-right ministers on Monday called for an escalation of military operations in Lebanon, with one advocating strikes on Beirut in response to Hezbollah's drone attacks. "It is time for the prime minister to take a firm stand with Donald Trump and tell him that Israel is returning to war in Lebanon," National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said on X. "Electricity to Lebanon must be cut off, the Zahrani must be seized, and intensive warfare resumed," he said, referring to a river in southern Lebanon which runs further north than current Israeli ground operations. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also from the far right, called for strikes on Beirut to counter Hezbollah's drone attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and across the border. "There is an urgent need to put an end to the threat posed by Hezbollah's explosive drones," Smotrich said on Telegram. "For every explosive drone, 10 buildings must fall in Beirut." Smotrich said he had approved a special budget of approximately two billion Israeli shekels ($692 million) to enable the defense establishment to develop countermeasures against the drones. The remarks by the two ministers -- both members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition -- came after the military reported the death of another soldier in southern Lebanon. A total of 24 Israelis have been killed since hostilities began: 23 soldiers and one civilian. The latest escalation between Israel and Hezbollah followed the Lebanese group's entry into the broader regional conflict on March 2, when it launched rockets into Israel after the killing of Iran's supreme leader in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with retaliatory attacks before launching a ground invasion into southern Lebanon. Troops are currently operating inside an Israeli-announced "yellow line" running around 10 kilometers (six miles) deep along Lebanon's southern border. Israel's military has also been conducting heavy strikes well beyond that area despite a ceasefire supposed to be in force since April 17. Lebanon's health ministry has put the overall toll in the war since March 2 at 3,123 killed. Israel's main opposition leader, Yair Lapid, said the ceasefire was a "farce". "It is unacceptable that Israeli soldiers and civilians in the north continue to come under fire when Israel's ability to respond is restricted," he told journalists on Monday. "Either there is a ceasefire or we respond with disproportionate force to every attack against us."
Lebanon and Israel began landmark U.S.-brokered talks last month and are preparing for a fourth round in early June. But Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has opposed the talks and also refused to disarm his group, as it keeps up attacks on Israeli targets in southern Lebanon and across the border.

Israeli army says soldier killed in southern Lebanon
Agence France Presse/May 25/2026
Israel said on Monday a soldier was killed in southern Lebanon, taking to 23 the number of its troops killed in the war with Hezbollah. A military statement named him as 19-year-old Sergeant Nehoray Leizer of the 601st Combat Engineering Battalion, who "fell in combat in southern Lebanon". During the incident in which Leizer was killed, "an additional soldier was severely injured", the Israeli military said separately on Telegram. A total of 24 Israelis have been killed in the conflict, 23 soldiers and one civilian contractor, since hostilities began on March 2.

Israeli strikes on south Lebanon kill 2 including paramedic
Agence France Presse/May 25/2026
Lebanon's health ministry said two people including a paramedic from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee were killed Sunday in Israeli strikes on the south that also wounded six other rescuers. "Successive Israeli enemy strikes on the town of Arab Salim in the Nabatieh district killed two people including a paramedic from the Health Committee and wounded 10, including two Committee paramedics and four others from the Risala association," a ministry statement said, condemning an "ongoing series of attacks on the health and emergency sector in south Lebanon". The Risala Scouts association rescuers are affiliated with the Hezbollah-allied Amal Movement.

Israeli army issues evacuation warning to 10 Lebanese towns, Tyre area buildings
Agence France Presse/May 25/2026
Israel's military warned residents of 10 villages, most of them in southern Lebanon, on Monday to evacuate their homes ahead of expected strikes against alleged Hezbollah targets. "In light of Hezbollah's violation of the ceasefire agreement, the Israel Defense Forces (army) are compelled to operate against it with force," the military's Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said in a social media post, listing the names of the villages. "For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move at least 1,000 meters away from these towns and villages to open areas."
Later on Monday, Adraee issued another evacuation warning directed at residents of a building in Rashidiyeh and two buildings in Burj al-Shamali, near the city of Tyre. "We urge residents of the building marked in red on the attached map, as well as nearby buildings: you are located near a facility used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization," he wrote on X. "For your safety, you must evacuate immediately and move at least 300 metres away."Israel has repeatedly targeted what it says are Hezbollah-linked sites in Tyre, causing extensive damage in several areas and prompting many residents to flee the city. Despite a ceasefire that came into effect on April 17, Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire on a near-daily basis. According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli strikes since early March have killed more than 3,100 people. The Israeli military also announced on Monday that a soldier had been killed the previous day in southern Lebanon. That brings the number of Israeli soldiers killed since the outbreak of hostilities with Hezbollah to 23. One civilian contractor has also been killed.

Aoun says Israeli withdrawal a 'non-negotiable' demand
Agence France Presse/May 25/2026
President Joseph Aoun on Monday said Israel's withdrawal from the country's south was a "non-negotiable" demand that authorities would pursue through negotiations, days ahead of a new round of talks in Washington. In a statement commemorating Israel's previous withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000 after some two decades of occupation, Aoun said that "this year, the anniversary of the liberation comes as Lebanon is weighed down by a painful reality.""Israeli attacks have not stopped and our dear southern villages are still suffering under a renewed occupation," he said. Israeli troops who invaded Lebanon during the latest war with Hezbollah began on March 2 are operating inside a self-declared "yellow line" running around 10 kilometers (six miles) deep inside Lebanese territory. Israel's military has also been conducting heavy strikes well beyond that area despite a ceasefire supposed to be in force since April 17.
"Lebanon will not accept this reality," Aoun said. "The path to a full Israeli withdrawal will remain an uncompromised, constant national demand that the Lebanese state works to achieve through the option of negotiations," he added. Lebanon and Israel began landmark U.S.-brokered talks last month and are preparing for a fourth round in early June, preceded by a meeting between military delegations at the Pentagon on May 29. Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem on Sunday reiterated his opposition to the direct talks with Israel and his group's refusal to disarm, as it keeps up attacks on Israeli targets in south Lebanon and across the border. "If this government is incapable of guaranteeing sovereignty, it should go," Qassem said, adding: "Where is the sovereignty if America runs the cogs of the Lebanese state?" Aoun said that negotiations were "neither a concession nor a surrender.""The liberation of the south is a duty borne by the state with the support of its people," the president added. Lebanese authorities have committed to disarming Hezbollah and they prohibited its military activities after it drew Lebanon into the Middle East war with rocket fire at Israel, in retaliation for strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader. On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned what he called Hezbollah's "reckless call to overthrow Lebanon's democratically elected government," accusing it of "actively trying to drag Lebanon back into chaos and destruction." Qassem had said that "the people have the right to go down onto the streets and to bring down the government" in response to any move to shut down the Hezbollah-linked Al-Qard Al-Hassan financial institution, which Washington wants Beirut to ban.

Israel Seeks to Exclude its Occupation of South Lebanon from US–Iran Agreement
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 25/2026
Israel reportedly is trying to separate its occupation of parts of southern Lebanon from the anticipated agreement between the United States and Iran. An Israeli source said on Sunday that the preliminary US-Iran agreement, which would also stipulate a ceasefire in Lebanon, grants Israel “the right to defend itself against attacks by Hezbollah.” To that end, the Israeli army would remain in the 600 square kilometers areas it occupied in southern Lebanon over the past year, extending 10 to 15 kilometers beyond the border between the two countries. According to Israel’s Kan11 broadcaster, PM Benjamin Netanyahu had expressed concern during talks with US President Donald Trump on Saturday over “linking a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon with the agreement in Iran”. But Trump had reportedly "appeased" Netanyahu saying the US is directly monitoring the direct talks between the Lebanese and Israeli governments, assuring his keenness on preserving Israeli interests. The channel quoted “a source familiar with the details” as saying that “Israel received a green light not only to remain on Lebanese territory, but also to retain 25 military positions until the negotiations are successfully concluded and the objective of disarming Hezbollah is achieved.”Israeli media outlets quoted a political official on Sunday as saying that Netanyahu had stressed during his talks with Trump that “Israel will preserve its freedom of action against threats on all fronts, including Lebanon,” claiming that Trump “reiterated his support for this principle.”
For his part, Trump had stressed that he would “stand firm” in the negotiations regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah and “Israel’s right to respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire in Lebanon”, according to the source. The official said Netanyahu will brief the cabinet and security chiefs on Israel’s position, stressing that Israel will remain in Lebanese territory and continue its operations against Hezbollah as long as negotiations are ongoing. He added that Israel is committed to the ceasefire and does not strike all Hezbollah-linked locations, such as Beirut, but, backed fully by the United States, it targets Hezbollah cells and drones preparing attacks through so-called “preemptive strikes”. Since October 2024, Israel continues its military operations and occupation of parts of south Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024. Hezbollah launched six drones toward the Galilee, which Israel used as a pretext to escalate its incursion and expand its occupation, destroying villages, displacing 1.2 million Lebanese, and killing over 3,000 people. Hezbollah’s operations displaced tens of thousands of Israelis in the north and killed 30, including 22 soldiers.

Qassem: Disarmament is annihilation and we cannot accept it
Agence France Presse/May 25/2026
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 militants 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 U.S.-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 U.S. 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."

The True "Humiliation"…
Khairallah Khairallah/Levant Time/May 25/2026
Lebanon is witnessing today a farce that has turned, in reality, into a tragedy. At the heart of this farce lies the insistence of a Lebanese faction organically linked to the "Islamic Republic" of Iran on presenting negotiation with Israel as "humiliation," while the real humiliation consists in doing everything possible to entrench Israeli occupation and serve it. All that the legitimate authority in Lebanon — represented by President of the Republic Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam — has sought to convey is that the "humiliation" of negotiations is in fact an act of honour and patriotism, whereas the "humiliation" of occupation is nothing more than a service rendered to Israel and to its enterprise of occupation.
Whoever denounces the "humiliation" of direct negotiation with Israel, as Hezbollah does, evades any question related to reality and to what a country is going through whose fate has been cast to the winds. Lebanon has indeed been cast to the winds since a time bomb installed itself within it: more than one million two hundred thousand displaced persons from the South, scattered across different regions of the country, of which Beirut constitutes the primary concentration.
Outside of negotiations, there is no path to defusing this time bomb, whose only antidote is the return of the displaced to their villages and towns, one way or another. This return to localities that are largely devastated remains the sole means of saving Lebanon from the fate of a failed state. No other way exists than direct negotiation to achieve this objective, rather than boasting of "resistance" and its weapons, which are precisely what brought occupation back.
It is important to distinguish between real humiliation, on the one hand, and the attempt to erase the "humiliation" of which Hezbollah speaks, on the other. For humiliation lies in serving the Israeli occupation, not in working to be rid of it. One must recall, every day if necessary, that the Israeli occupation of the border strip in southern Lebanon ended at this very time of year, in 2000. Israel had then decided to withdraw in implementation of Resolution 425, judging that such a withdrawal, confirmed by the Security Council, was not at odds with its interests.
Since that Israeli withdrawal to the Blue Line, the former Syrian regime, backed by Iran, sought to keep southern Lebanon as a convenient mailbox for the exchange of messages with Israel. The Hebrew state saw no obstacle in this, particularly since its permanent objective was to focus its efforts on the West Bank. Proof of this was Yasser Arafat's failure to replicate in that territory the experience of the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Abu Ammar paid dearly, at the time, for the "militarisation" of the Intifada. The historic leader of the Palestinian people did not understand that Israel was prepared to sacrifice hundreds of its soldiers in order to retain parts of the West Bank, while it had been willing to withdraw from southern Lebanon in exchange for security guarantees. Those guarantees were indeed secured, before Iran promptly violated them, intent on affirming that the Hezbollah card remained in play and that the return of the Lebanese army to southern Lebanon was not on the agenda.
Up until the war of "support for Gaza" that Hezbollah launched at Iran's request on 8 October 2023, there was no Israeli occupation. In the wake of that war, the occupation was limited to five points. It was the war of "support for Iran," begun in March of this year, that provided the pretext for an extension of the Israeli occupation, for further destruction and for new displacements.
Hezbollah defends its position by arguing that Israel would have attacked it regardless, independently of the firing of six rockets that followed by a few days the assassination of "Supreme Leader" Ali Khamenei in Tehran on 28 February 2026. These claims might carry some weight were they not a reflection of a profound ignorance of politics and the balance of forces at play, on the one hand, and were Hezbollah not harbouring the desire to retain its weapons as an instrument of intimidation over the Lebanese, on the other.
Confessional and militia weapons have never been anything other than a scourge for Lebanon and the Lebanese, and for Lebanon's Shia in particular, given that they have never been capable of playing any role whatsoever in the protection of the country. Their sole function has been to serve the occupation. When the Hebrew state, in the year 2000, judged that it was in its interest to withdraw from southern Lebanon, it did so — Germany having served as intermediary at the time. Hezbollah failed to grasp that Israel had changed in the wake of the "Al-Aqsa Flood," the attack launched by Hamas from Gaza, nor did it understand that its weapons, now in the service of occupation, could no longer be countenanced.
Weapons remain the origin of the problem and the source of every affliction in Lebanon. The simple fact is that Israel no longer needs them today, whereas it was formerly indifferent to the question of who controlled southern Lebanon — just as it was indifferent to who controlled Gaza, willing to allow Qatari funds to flow to Hamas as long as that movement was contributing to the entrenchment of Palestinian division.
A single formula now sums up the Lebanese situation. The weapons held by Hezbollah are the very expression of humiliation, in that they play the role assigned to them in legitimising Israel's extension of the occupation and the ongoing displacement of populations. These populations are the Shia citizens of the South, turned into that time bomb which threatens every attempt at Lebanon's recovery.
Weapons have failed to confront Israel, but they have succeeded in undermining Lebanon from within. Such has always been the function of Hezbollah's weapons since their inception — weapons to which falls the responsibility for all the wars Lebanon could have done without: beginning with the war of the summer of 2006 and up to the war of "support for Iran" and the catastrophe it left in its wake, at every level… a catastrophe that has now become a threat to Lebanon's very existence.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on 25-26 May/2026
Trump demands widespread sign-up to Abraham Accords as part of Iran peace deal
Al Arabiya English/25 May ,2026
US President Donald Trump on Monday urged Muslim-majority nations across the Middle East and beyond to normalize relations with Israel as part of the emerging Iran peace deal.
In a lengthy social media post, Trump listed countries whose leaders he spoke with on Saturday about efforts to end the war with Iran. “After all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords.”The Abraham Accords are a set of agreements brokered under Trump in 2020. The Accords govern the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and countries that have historically been hostile to it. “It may be possible that one or two (countries) have a reason for not doing so, and that will be accepted, but most should be ready, willing, and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would, otherwise, be,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post. In the same post, he said negotiations with Iran were “proceeding nicely!”Earlier, Trump said in a separate Truth Social post that the deal with Iran will either be a “great and meaningful” one or there will be no deal at all. “The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal,” Trump wrote. “It will be the exact opposite of the JCPOA disaster negotiated by the failed Obama Administration, which was a direct and open path to a Nuclear Weapon for Iran. No, I don’t do deals like that!”The US and Iran played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough in efforts to end their war on Monday, with the top US diplomat saying Washington will either get a good agreement or deal with Tehran in “another way.”

Trump demands multiple countries sign diplomatic deal with Israel as part of any Iran peace plan
Oisin Mcilroy/The Independent/Mon, May 25, 2026
President Donald Trump is demanding multiple Middle Eastern countries join the Abraham Accords as part of an effort to reach a deal with Iran. Trump said he spoke to leaders in the region about the possibility of them joining the accords, a set of diplomatic agreements aimed at normalizing relations with Israel. But while some commentators believe the president’s “mandatory request” is aimed at making the mooted peace agreement with Iran more tolerable to its skeptics, critics have accused Trump of “trading one fantasy for another”. In a lengthy post on Truth Social Monday, Trump said: “After all the work done by the United ‌States ⁠to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these countries, at a minimum, ​simultaneously, sign onto ​the ⁠Abraham Accords. “Those countries discussed are Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates (already a Member!), Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain (already a Member!). “If they don’t, they should not be part of this Deal in that it shows bad intention.”
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed during Trump's first term in 2020, breaking a longstanding taboo to become the first Arab states to recognise Israel in a quarter century. Morocco and Sudan followed suit. Trump claimed in his Truth Social post a number of these countries had experienced a “Financial, Economic, and Social BOOM” as a result. “The reason for this is that the Abraham Accords have been great for them, and will be even better for everybody, and bring true Power, Strength, and Peace to the Middle East for the first time in 5,000 years,” he added. The Abraham Accords were first signed between Bahrain, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates in 2020 with the aim of establishing diplomatic normalization between the countries.But Trump faces potential resistance from some of the nations on his list, even acknowledging in his post that “it may be possible that one or two have a reason” not to sign up. Pakistan has already rejected the idea, having previously said it will not recognise Israel until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. None of the other countries has so far publicly reacted to Trump's demand and a positive response was unlikely when the public mistrust of Israel in Muslim nations remains high over the scale of its military offensive in Gaza. Israel also has yet to comment.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Trump in November 2025 that the kingdom was open to joining the Abraham Accords, so long as there was "a clear path" toward a two-state solution for Palestine.
Egypt, Jordan and Turkey already have diplomatic relations with Israel, even as those ties have been strained since the start of the Gaza war. “Trump is trying to sell an Iran deal as an Abraham Accords sequel: good for Israel, good for the region, tough enough for Washington,” said Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group. “But he is trading one fantasy for another — from forcing Iran to surrender to pretending a fragile deal can anchor a new Middle East order.”After claiming two days ago that the peace deal with Iran was “largely negotiated”, Trump has since dialled back expectations by claiming the US was “in no rush”.
The president made the Accords announcement on Memorial Day, when the U.S. commemorates fallen military personnel, and as he faced fierce criticism from members of his own party who believe the peace deal will only embolden Iran further. It remains to be seen whether Trump’s Accords push will alleviate that domestic backlash, as he looks to extricate the US from a war that has proven to be very unpopular among American voters feeling its economic consequences. South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, who has long pushed for military action against Tehran, had said allowing Iran to “terrorize” the Strait of Hormuz and damage regional oil infrastructure would be a “major shift of the balance of power in the region and over time will be a nightmare for Israel.”However, in a second statement on Sunday, Graham hailed Trump’s suggestion that these countries join the Abraham Accords as a “brilliant proposal”.

Israeli opposition leader Lapid says Trump’s emerging deal with Iran is `bad for the region’
Melanie Lidman/The Associated Press/May 25, 2026
The deal being discussed between the U.S. and Iran fails to achieve any of Israel’s goals for the war, Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid said on Monday, as he accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to influence a better agreement. mLapid, who is part of an alliance attempting to unseat Netanyahu in elections this year, said details of the emerging deal are “disturbing.”“The deal is bad for Israel, bad for the region, bad for the citizens of Iran,” Lapid told reporters in Jerusalem. Israel and the U.S. launched the war on Feb. 28 vowing to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile program, end its support for proxy militant groups across the region and end Iran’s ability to pursue a nuclear bomb. Both Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump also said they hoped to create conditions to topple Iran’s government.
According to regional officials, under the current deal being discussed Iran would give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz in exchange for ending a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and the lifting of sanctions against Iran. Key details on Iran’s nuclear program would then be negotiated during a 60-day period. It is unclear if the deal will address Iran’s missiles or support for regional militant groups. Lapid expressed gratitude to Trump for launching the war with Israel, but criticized Netanyahu for allowing Washington to negotiate a potential deal with little coordination with Israel. “The Israeli government is at an all-time low in its ability to influence decisions in Washington,” he said, noting that Trump said last week: “Netanyahu will do whatever I want him to do.”
Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed to Trump that Israel maintains “freedom of action” against threats in any arena, according to an official familiar with Israel prime minister's conversations with Trump, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. “Israel is a sovereign state, we are not a vassal state and we are not a protectorate,” Lapid said. Lapid, head of the centrist “Yesh Atid” party, briefly served as prime minister in 2022 under a rotation agreement with Naftali Bennett, leader of a small conservative party. Their coalition government ended 12 years of Netanyahu’s rule. They have once again merged their parties into a single faction headed by Bennett as they attempt to unseat Netanyahu in elections that will be held by the end of October. Lapid has served as Israel’s opposition leader since Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022, while Bennett took a break from politics. Their alliance is aimed at uniting a fragmented opposition with a shared hostility toward Netanyahu. Lapid, one of a shrinking number of Israeli politicians who supports the idea of Palestinian independence, said the issue would not be on the next government’s agenda. He said the conditions are not right following the trauma of the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and wars that have followed. “There will be no two-state solution in the coming years, because Israelis now understand this will become just another failing terrorist state on our borders,” said Lapid, adding that the Palestinian Authority does not have the ability to effectively prevent attacks against Israel. But Lapid said he would oppose unilateral steps that would make a future Palestinian state impossible and had received assurances from Bennett, a former West Bank settlement leader, that Israel will not move toward annexing the occupied territory. Lapid also ruled out cooperation with Arab parties to build a coalition to unseat Netanyahu. Opinion polls indicate that Bennett and Lapid might not be able to form a governing majority coalition without the support of some Arab lawmakers, as they did in their previous government. They broke a longstanding taboo in 2021 when they invited Mansour Abbas, leader of a small Arab faction, into Israel’s governing coalition for the first and only time in Israel’s history. Lapid said his previous cooperation with Abbas was “the right government for the moment,” but that Israel is in a very different place after nearly three years of wars and that he and Bennett will not build a coalition with Abbas’ party in the next elections.

Rubio Says Iran Deal Still Possible Monday
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 25/2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that a deal to end the war with Iran could materialize "today", adding that Israel had the right to defend itself against attack. "We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today, I wouldn't read too much into it," Rubio said in New Delhi, referring to the potential agreement. "We have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits, get the straits open," he told reporters as he departed the Indian capital, where he has been on an official visit.
"It has a lot of support... every country that we've walked through it (with) understands it's not just very reasonable, but it's the right thing for the world to get done." Rubio also voiced confidence that Iran would "enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter". He addressed reporters ahead of the next leg of his India visit, which will see him travel to Agra, the northern city famous for the Taj Mahal. Rubio's remarks came after US President Donald Trump tempered expectations of a deal, saying on Sunday he had told his negotiators not to "rush". "He's not in a hurry, he's not going to make a bad deal, and the president's not going to make a bad agreement," Rubio said of Trump. The war erupted after the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, and Iran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region. Washington and Tehran have observed a ceasefire since April 8. Rubio told reporters that "Israel always has a right to protect itself". "If Hezbollah is going to launch missiles or launches missiles at them, Israel has every right to respond to that, or to prevent that from happening," he said. "That's always been understood. It's being understood during the ceasefire."

Iran Warns Deal with US Not Yet Close, despite Some Progress
Asharq Al Awsat/May 15/2026
Iran warned Monday that, while some progress had been made, it was not yet close to striking a deal with the United States to end the Middle East war, after a weekend of mixed messages from Washington and Tehran. World oil prices tumbled on renewed optimism about an agreement, after top US diplomat Marco Rubio suggested a deal could be reached within the day -- but Iran's foreign ministry spokesman responded: "No one can make such a claim."Meanwhile, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif -- whose government is spearheading efforts to mediate a negotiated agreement between the United States and Iran -- met China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing. US and Iranian forces have observed a ceasefire since April 8 while diplomats push for a negotiated settlement, although Iran has maintained controls on Gulf shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the US Navy has sought to blockade Iran's ports."We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today," US Secretary of State Rubio told reporters during a visit to New Delhi, referring to hopes for a deal. "We have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits, get the straits open," he said. "We're either going to have a good agreement or we're going to have to deal with it another way. We'd prefer to have a good agreement," he said. But in Tehran, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei poured cold water on hopes for a quick final settlement.
'Certain fees'
"It is correct to say that we have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the issues under discussion," he told a weekly news briefing. "But to say that this means the signing of an agreement is imminent -- no one can make such a claim." Baqaei stressed that Iran would continue to manage maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz by charging service fees -- arguing that this did not amount to Tehran "seeking to collect tolls"."The services that are provided -- navigational services in addition to the measures necessary to protect the environment of the Strait of Hormuz”, the Arabian Gulf “and the Sea of Oman -- require the collection of certain fees," he said. Earlier, President Donald Trump had said that he had told his negotiators "not to rush into a deal, in that time is on our side", and warned that the US naval blockade would remain in place until a deal was reached. A post on Trump's Truth Social read: "If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one," adding that: "It isn't even fully negotiated yet." Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he and Trump had agreed that "any final agreement with Iran must eliminate the nuclear threat entirely."
'Lasting peace' -
Iranian officials have stressed that, despite the long-standing US demand for an end to its uranium enrichment, talks on the issue of Iran's contested nuclear program have been deferred until after an initial agreement. The war, which erupted after the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 and saw Iran respond with missile and drone attacks across the region, drove energy prices higher. Crude oil remains expensive by recent standards, but prices have see-sawed and Monday's mood of relative optimism caused prices to plunge by almost five percent.
The price of North Sea Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate slipped to $99.00 and $92.10 a barrel respectively. On Saturday, 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. The focus of international efforts moved to Beijing on Monday, where Pakistan's Sharif and army chief Asim Munir, who visited Tehran on Saturday, met senior leaders including Xi and Premier Li Qiang. Speaking to Chinese leaders, Sharif said "the world is passing through a critical moment", Pakistan's state-run PTV channel showed. "Things are moving in the right direction. I would like to thank China's support to promote peace."

Iran’s Top Envoys Discussing Potential Peace Deal in Qatar
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 25/2026
Iran's top negotiator and its foreign minister were in Doha for talks with Qatar's prime minister on a potential deal with the US to end the three-month-old war, an official briefed on the visit said on Monday, after Washington and Tehran played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in New Delhi earlier that the US would give diplomacy every chance to succeed before considering whether to deal with Iran in "another way". There was a "pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the strait (of Hormuz), get the strait open, enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter, and hopefully we can pull it off," Rubio said. In a lengthy post on Truth Social on Monday, US President Donald Trump said talks with Iran were going "nicely", but warned of fresh attacks if they failed. It "will only be a Great Deal for all, or no Deal at all," he wrote. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said ‌in a briefing that conclusions ‌had been reached on many topics but that did not mean the sides were close to agreement. The ‌official briefed ⁠on the Iranians' ⁠Doha visit told Reuters the discussions focused primarily on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium while Iran's central bank governor attended to discuss the potential release of frozen Iranian funds as part of a final deal. Baghaei said earlier that nuclear issues would only be negotiated on if the framework accord is agreed first. Trump has said his key aim in the war is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon with its highly enriched uranium. Tehran has consistently denied it has plans to do that. The two sides remain at odds on several other issues, such as Israel's war in Lebanon with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah 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.
As efforts to reach a deal ⁠continued, Iran said it had downed a "hostile" stealth drone using a new air defense system, Iranian news agencies reported, ‌without saying where it had come from. "This is a sign from us that no more stealth ‌drones can penetrate the skies of the Gulf," Fars quoted unnamed officials as saying.
IRAN DEAL STICKING POINTS
Baghaei said the potential Iran deal contained no specific details on management of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied gas usually flows.Iran will not charge tolls for ships to pass through but there will be a cost for services offered such as navigation and steps to protect the environment, he said, under a protocol to be agreed with Oman, which lies on the opposite shore of the waterway. Since the US and Israel first launched strikes on Iran on February 28, only a handful of vessels have been passing through the Strait of Hormuz compared with 125 to 140 daily previously. Iran's state TV said on Monday that 32 vessels and five oil tankers passed through the strait in the past 24 hours with the authorization of Iran's Revolutionary Guards naval forces. The standoff has caused a spike in oil prices and driven up the costs of fuel, fertilizer and food. On Monday, oil prices fell more than 4% to two-week lows amid optimism that a deal might come soon. Trump, whose approval ratings have been hit by the impact on US energy prices, and who has faced congressional efforts to curb his war powers, has repeatedly played up the prospect of a deal to end the war. Separately, two sources said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told his confidants that Israel now has little ability to influence Trump's decision-making over the conflict.

Iran Executes Man Over Links to Nationwide Protests
Asharq Al Awsat/May 15/2026
Iran on Monday executed a man convicted of carrying out armed attacks during the nationwide anti-government protests that peaked in January, the judiciary said. Abbas Akbari's is the latest in a string of executions by the authorities after it ramped up hangings in security-related cases after the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States on February 28. "Abbas Akbari... was hanged this morning," the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported, describing him as "one of the armed leaders" during protests in the central province of Isfahan.
According to the report, Akbari "opened fire in the street at security forces" and "was one of the armed leaders of the riots in Nain town in Isfahan province" while carrying a handgun. He was also accused of attacking the governorate building, security establishments and health centers in Nain. The judiciary said Akbari had been sentenced to death on charges including "moharebeh" -- waging war against God -- as well as deliberate destruction of public property "with the intent of confronting the system, disrupting public order and security, and assembly and collusion against national security". The Supreme Court upheld the sentence following his appeal, and he was executed on Monday morning, Mizan said. On Sunday, Iran executed a man convicted of espionage in the first reported execution linked to spying accusations during the war.
Iran carries out the second-highest number of executions in the world after China, according to rights groups including Amnesty International.

Iran’s president orders reopening of international internet access
Reuters/ 25 May ,2026
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued an order to reopen international internet access, Iranian state media reported on Monday, citing an official after a near-90-day blackout in the wake of the war against US and Israel. The report cited the head of public relations at Iran’s communications ministry. The mechanism for how and when Iran would reconnect to the global web following the decision was unknown. Most Iranians have been unable to access the worldwide web for 87 days according to the internet observatory NetBlocks on Monday, with only a few citizens having access to expensive and advanced VPNs that circumvent the restrictions. Authorities initially imposed an internet blackout from January 8 in response to nationwide anti-government protests, with connections gradually getting back to normal in February, before a new blackout was initiated following the start of US and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28. In normal times, access to the global internet remains heavily restricted via censorship of many websites, while authorities are increasingly relying on an intranet to provide connected services without relying on the worldwide web, notably for schools which are currently following an online curriculum.

Vessels Carrying Middle East Oil, LNG Exit Hormuz, Head for Pakistan, China
Singapore: Asharq Al Awsat/May 25/2026
Two liquefied natural gas tankers are exiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, heading to ‌Pakistan and China, while a supertanker with Iraqi crude for China left the Gulf on Saturday after being stranded for nearly three months, shipping data showed.
The US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28 has severely curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world's supply of oil and LNG normally flows. The vessels are among a handful of supertankers exiting the Gulf this month via a transit route ⁠that Iran has ordered ships to use. Last week, three Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) made their way to China and South Korea with 6 million barrels of crude, according to Reuters. LNG tanker Fuwairit is crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and is expected to discharge its cargo in Pakistan on Tuesday, shipping data on LSEG and Kpler showed. The vessel, sailing under the Bahamas flag, loaded LNG at Qatar's Ras Laffan port around March 28. Separately, the VLCC Eagle Verona, which exited the strait on Saturday, is expected to reach Ningbo port in eastern China on June 12 to discharge its cargo, ⁠shipping data on LSEG and Kpler showed. The Singaporean-flagged vessel chartered by Unipec, the trading arm of Asia's largest refiner, Sinopec, loaded nearly 2 million barrels of Basrah crude around February 26, according to the data. The Eagle Verona was among seven ships Malaysia had sought ⁠permission from Iran to transit, two sources earlier told Reuters. Five of the ships have since exited the waterway, while two more remain in the Gulf. Before the war began, shipping traffic through the strait averaged 125 to 140 daily passages. Some 20,000 seafarers remain stranded inside the Gulf on board hundreds of ships.

Vessels Carrying Middle East Oil, LNG Exit Hormuz, Head for Pakistan, China
Singapore: Asharq Al Awsat/May 25/2026
Two liquefied natural gas tankers are exiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, heading to ‌Pakistan and China, while a supertanker with Iraqi crude for China left the Gulf on Saturday after being stranded for nearly three months, shipping data showed.
The US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28 has severely curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world's supply of oil and LNG normally flows. The vessels are among a handful of supertankers exiting the Gulf this month via a transit route ⁠that Iran has ordered ships to use. Last week, three Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) made their way to China and South Korea with 6 million barrels of crude, according to Reuters. LNG tanker Fuwairit is crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and is expected to discharge its cargo in Pakistan on Tuesday, shipping data on LSEG and Kpler showed. The vessel, sailing under the Bahamas flag, loaded LNG at Qatar's Ras Laffan port around March 28. Separately, the VLCC Eagle Verona, which exited the strait on Saturday, is expected to reach Ningbo port in eastern China on June 12 to discharge its cargo, ⁠shipping data on LSEG and Kpler showed. The Singaporean-flagged vessel chartered by Unipec, the trading arm of Asia's largest refiner, Sinopec, loaded nearly 2 million barrels of Basrah crude around February 26, according to the data. The Eagle Verona was among seven ships Malaysia had sought ⁠permission from Iran to transit, two sources earlier told Reuters. Five of the ships have since exited the waterway, while two more remain in the Gulf. Before the war began, shipping traffic through the strait averaged 125 to 140 daily passages. Some 20,000 seafarers remain stranded inside the Gulf on board hundreds of ships.

Iraqi Security Delegation to Visit Tehran to Address Attacks on Kurdistan
Baghdad: Hamza Mustafa/Asharq Al Awsat/May 25/2026
Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Masrour Barzani held talks in Baghdad on Sunday with new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on pending issues between Baghdad and Erbil. Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji said: “There is great understanding between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region on the need to resolve disputes and pending issues to ensure the interests of all Iraqi citizens.”Speaking at a joint press conference with Barzani, he revealed that a senior joint security delegation from Baghdad and Erbil will soon visit Tehran.
The delegation will represent Baghdad in the Iraqi-Iranian High Security Committee that was previously announced, he added. The committee will meet to address the attacks that have targeted Kurdistan and Iraq during the recent military conflict in the region, he went on to say. It will also tackle other issues of common interest. For his part, Barzani said that Araji stressed his rejection of the attacks on Kurdistan and the whole of Iraq. Araji did not disclose the date of the delegation’s visit. Iraqi observers in Baghdad said the development marks a shift in the new Iraqi government’s stance towards the attacks that were likely launched by pro-Iran Iraqi armed factions, which have targeted Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, or by Iran against Erbil and other Kurdish regions. Spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces Sabah al-Numan had recently revealed that al-Zaidi had formed a committee that includes security agencies to probe the attacks against Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The committee will visit Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to further investigate the attacks. An informed security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the official authorities and security agencies “are fully aware of the movements of the armed factions and the attacks they have carried out and their motivations for doing so.”“The countries that have been targeted continue to have positive stances and they strongly support the peace negotiations,” it added. It noted that the attacks “are an embarrassment to the new Iraqi government, which has nevertheless expressed a determination to resolve the issue” and cooperate with the concerned countries. This marks a shift in Baghdad’s stance towards the possession of weapons outside the authority of the state, explained the source.

WHO Urges DR Congo's Neighbors to Act Immediately on Ebola Risk
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 25/2026
States neighboring the Democratic Republic of Congo are at great danger from Ebola and should act immediately to counter the deadly virus, the head of the World Health Organization said on Monday. "Countries bordering DRC are at especially high risk and should take immediate action," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that he would travel on Tuesday to the DRC, the vast, central African country at the epicenter of the current outbreak. "The outbreak is spreading rapidly," Tedros told a virtual ministerial meeting on the viral hemorrhagic fever, which spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids. It can cause severe bleeding and organ failure. He said the current outbreak was "especially challenging". "First, the delay in detecting the outbreak means that we are now playing catch-up with a very fast-moving epidemic. We are urgently scaling up operations but at the moment, the epidemic is outpacing us," he said by video link from Geneva. Secondly, the eastern provinces of the DRC, where the outbreak was first detected in mid-May, "are highly insecure, with intensified fighting in recent months (and) there is also significant distrust of outside authorities among the local population". Thirdly, he pointed out, there were "no approved vaccines or therapeutics" for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola behind the current outbreak. The WHO has recorded 10 confirmed Ebola deaths and 220 suspected deaths in the DRC since mid-May, while also recording a further 900 suspected cases since Kinshasa declared the outbreak on May 15. The United Nations agency said the true spread of the virus -- which experts suspect was circulating under the radar for some time -- was probably much wider. One person is confirmed dead in neighboring Uganda with a further six confirmed infected after Monday saw the health ministry confirm two new cases. Ten other African countries are "at risk" of infection, the African Union's health agency, Africa CDC, warned on Saturday. These are Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.
Building trust -
Africa CDC head Jean Kaseya said "high mobility and insecurity" contributed to the regional spread of the outbreak, which the WHO has declared an international emergency. Insecurity is a huge obstacle in the eastern DRC, which has been plagued for three decades by conflict involving a litany of armed groups. State services in rural areas of Ituri province have been largely absent for decades. South Kivu province is controlled by the M23 armed group, which has never managed an epidemic like Ebola. Tedros said it was vital to address the trust deficit in Ebola-affected communities. Two hospitals in Ituri have been attacked by suspicious locals in the past five days -- one in Mongbwala, where the outbreak was initially detected, and the other in Rwampara, where tents used to isolate Ebola patients were torched. The violence in Rwampara erupted after a deceased man's family was prevented from taking his body away for burial because of contamination risks. "Loved ones are throwing themselves at the bodies, touching the corpses... while organizing mourning rituals bringing together loads of people," Jean Marie Ezadri, a civil society leader in Ituri, told AFP last week. Tedros said the WHO was pouring money, medical supplies and staff into the DRC to support the authorities and speeding up clinical trials on potential treatments. "It will get worse before it gets better," he said. "But we know this virus and we know how to stop it."

Saudi position on Palestinian issue remains unchanged: Source
Al Arabiya English/25 May ,2026
Saudi Arabia’s position on the Palestinian issue remains unchanged, a Saudi source told Al Arabiya English on Monday, adding that “there needs to be an irreversible pathway to a Palestinian state.” US President Donald Trump on Monday urged Muslim-majority nations across the Middle East and beyond to normalize relations with Israel as part of the emerging Iran peace deal. In a lengthy social media post, Trump listed countries whose leaders he spoke with on Saturday about efforts to end the war with Iran. “After all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote. The Abraham Accords are a set of agreements brokered under Trump in 2020. The Accords govern the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and countries that have historically been hostile to it. Saudi Arabia’s position has long been clear and the Kingdom has repeatedly stated that it would not normalize relation with Israel without a Palestinian state.

The Latest LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on 25-26 May/2026
The Islamic Terrorist Conquest of West Africa
Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/May 25, 2026
The steady advance of Islamic terrorist control over territory in the Sahel could soon threaten the sovereignty of West African states on the continent's Atlantic Coast -- just across the ocean from Latin America and the United States. It is past time for the US to take action to protect not only the vast natural resources in the area, but also to stop even more of Africa from being swallowed up by this expanding jihadist takeover. The steady advance of Islamic terrorist control over territory in the Sahel could soon threaten the sovereignty of West African states on the continent's Atlantic Coast -- just across the ocean from Latin America and the United States. Pictured: A gunman from the "Azawad Liberation Front" (FLA) stands next to a damaged Mi-24 helicopter at a base that formerly housed Russian "Africa Corps" mercenaries in Kidal on May 6, 2026. The FLA coordinates attacks with the Al Qaeda terrorist affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM). The widened scope and quickened pace of the Islamic State's military operations in the Sahel region -- just below North Africa, roughly from Senegal to Sudan -- threatens to alter the strategic orientation of the African continent. Efforts at countering terrorist operations in the Sahel, such as they were, have evidently failed. As all roads to Mali's capital of Bamoko are now blocked, that country might be the first state to "go under."
On April 25, during a coordinated attack on several Malian cities, Muslim terrorists killed the country's Minister of Defense. The terrorists then drove the Malian Army and its allied Russian mercenaries out of the country's north. The military juntas ruling Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have proven themselves as ineffective at combatting Islamic terrorist operations as the democracies that they overthrew. The increasing terrorist assaults across the Sahel and the jihadists's determined efforts to take over Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have eroded the sovereignty of these states. The combat successes of the jihadists in the Sahel in March 2022 precipitated their elevation to the status of "Islamic State Sahel Province" within the hierarchy of the IS, and several other factors have facilitated the growth of the jihadist advance in the Sahel. The cooling of the once global counterterrorist crusade — following an apparent shift in focus by the world's great power rivalries, as well as fewer resources directed against the terrorist problem — left a vacuum that was adroitly filled by jihadist groups, which has reduced the pressure on Islamic State and Al Qaeda regional affiliates.
Another situation that might have impacted negatively upon the Sahel's overall security is the monumental migratory flow of Africans from sub-Saharan countries who pass through the Sahel to the Mediterranean, and the consequent stress this puts on the Sahel economies.
A third force eroding state sovereignty of Sahel countries is warfare waged by Al Qaeda terrorist affiliates that are rivals of the Islamic State, such as the Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM). JNIM also coordinates attacks with the Malian anti-government militia known as the Azawad Liberation Front. Jihadist violence has become ubiquitous in the Sahel, and recently expanded to include fighting between Islamic State and Al Qaeda. On April 2, a notable clash between these two rival terrorist networks occurred in western Niger. The Sahel now appears to be the epicenter of global terrorist violence. Sahel's terrorist groups might also be acquiring confidence that they can achieve permanent and more ambitious goals in the near future. Islamic State units have also been exploiting the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel and in Nigeria's northeastern states, which are already governed under Islamic sharia law. Islamic State probably feels buoyed by its easy success in recent battles with the Nigerian Army. On April 25, Al Qaeda terrorists conducted simultaneous attacks against several Malian urban areas. Their success might well tempt jihadist fighters to move into major urban areas in northern Nigeria and elsewhere in the Sahel. An additional worrisome trend indicates that terrorist violence is moving westward to Africa's Atlantic coast. State control increasingly is being eroded in the Sahel region, despite multilateral efforts to sustain the sovereignty of several states in the Sahel, such as the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) consisting of Chad, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, and, until last year, Niger. The MNJTF had made significant strides in halting the advance of the Al Qaeda-affiliated Boko Haram terrorist group, particularly in Chad, but recently the overall scorecard is less conclusive.
The MNJTF is sustained mostly by the continent-wide Organization of the African Union (OAU). While the MNJTF originally planned to field a 10,000-member OAU army, insufficient air cover, poor communications, and logistical problems have reduced the organization's effectiveness.
Another multinational group — the "G5 Sahel" of Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger — proved ineffective after its 2014 launch. Beset by bureaucratic problems, military coups, and lack of adequate commitment by member states, it dissolved in December 2023. France, the former colonial "mother country" of several Sahel states, has also made a valiant effort to contain the region's Islamist threat. Acting on behalf of a Malian request for military support, France in 2013 dispatched troops to northern Mali in "Operation Serval."After substantial success, France, along with UN political support, launched "Operation Barkhane" in 2014 to combat Islamist terrorist activity in the Sahel region. The mission ended in 2022, however, when, following military coups, three Sahelian states asked the French to leave. Later, these same three states invited assistance from Russian mercenaries, which has not resulted in any permanent progress on the battlefield.
With the advance of Islamic terrorist control over ever wider swaths of the Sahel, in recent years, US Special Forces teams have been operating in Niger. On October 4, 2017, this deployment resulted in the killing of four US soldiers and a score of Nigerien soldiers in an ambush staged by "Islamic State in the Greater Sahara." More recently, US national security priorities elsewhere seem to have resulted in a diminution of American military involvement in the Sahel. The steady advance of Islamic terrorist control over territory in the Sahel could soon threaten the sovereignty of West African states on the continent's Atlantic Coast -- just across the ocean from Latin America and the United States. It is past time for the US to take action to protect not only the vast natural resources in the area, but also to stop even more of Africa from being swallowed up by this expanding jihadist takeover.
*Dr. Lawrence A. Franklin was the Iran Desk Officer for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. He also served on active duty with the U.S. Army and as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.

The Fighters’ Disappointment and the Pakistani General
Ghassan Charbel/ Asharq Al Awsat/May 25/2026
A memorandum of understanding is not a wedding invitation. It is neither a declaration of victory nor a surrender. Many devils will arise once the table expands to address the details. The negotiators will swallow doses of poison on behalf of those whom they represent, if they choose not to resume the conflict.
Donald Trump is not interested in a new round of fighting. It seems that Iran’s Supreme Leader has reached the same conclusion. This time, the winds turned against the sails of Benjamin Netanyahu, who believes that the war has not yet been completed in Iran or Lebanon, nor anywhere else, perhaps. The memorandum of understanding looks like a piece of cake, but it has been spiked with poison through concealed clauses. Disappointment surrounds its vague framing.
Trump will find a pretext to speak of victory, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps will “cook up” something similar. Netanyahu, meanwhile, will be portrayed as the big loser, as the driver asked him to get out of the car before reaching his destination.
Trump would have probably preferred a different ending to the war with Iran, a Hollywood ending that would fill television screens with images of him raising his fist or doing his signature dance. At one point, he might have dreamed of heeding the distress call coming from an exhausted Iran, allowing him to add it to his list of achievements and to add its oil wealth to his Venezuelan acquisitions. He may also have dreamed of some kind of rift within the Iranian regime, which he repeatedly insisted had been changed by decapitations during the opening stages of the offensive.
Dreams are one thing; reality is another. Iran suffered painful blows, but it did not seek a way out. Iran behaved as though it had always known that this difficult moment would arrive. It had prepared tunnels, missiles, and drones for it. It went even further: Iran held the global economy hostage and created a crisis called the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which became the central concern, overtaking the nuclear and missile files in the calculations of both nearby and distant states.
The Iranian leadership that emerged after the Israeli and American strikes also demonstrated that it has near-suicidal tendencies, especially when it threatened to target Gulf infrastructure in response to potential US strikes on Iranian energy facilities.
Trump had wished for a different ending, but the American people did not welcome a war that raised fuel prices. Their unease deepened, particularly after it had become clear that a swift war was neither realistic nor likely, raising indications that they could hold Trump and his party accountable in the approaching elections.
If the memorandum of understanding opens closed doors, reopens the Strait of Hormuz, and ends the blockade, then one may speak of a prominent victor in this difficult challenge: Field Marshal Asim Munir, who played the role of physician. It is a victory that reinforces his already strong standing at home and enhances the role of his nation that is situated among the Asian giants. The field marshal knows about war. He has experienced war and understands its costs and wounds that never heal. He succeeded in leveraging his country’s relations with Washington and Beijing, and Tehran and Riyadh. With a mixture of stringency and patience, he managed the maturation of positions. If the memorandum of understanding succeeds in opening closed doors, Asim Munir will enter history, with his name associated with an agreement rather than through the horrors of war.
What conclusions will Iran draw from the war? Will it conclude that the revolution had sent the country on a mission beyond its capabilities when it dreamed of expelling the “Great Satan” from the region? Will it feel that the task of removing the “cancerous tumor” is not as easy as it once portrayed it? Israel is a nuclear state, and its army may well be the most capable in the region, while the West will never tolerate any serious effort to shake its foundations.
Will Iran conclude that it has just finished the first round, and that it must prepare for the next, even if delayed? Will it decide, for example, that it needs aircraft to protect its skies and to avoid seeing Israeli fighter jets roaming free above Tehran? Will it conclude that the solution is to obtain air defense systems, compelling it to knock insistently on the doors of Moscow and Beijing?
Will Iran’s decision-makers conclude that it is time to reconcile with the world and move closer to international law? That Iran must coexist. It must stop violating their airspace or treating their territory, taking them hostage under the pretext of confronting American bases. Will a growing number of regime elites come to understand that addressing others through missiles, drones, and proxy militias only expands the circle of enemies and damages Iran and its image?
Will the generals of the Revolutionary Guard Corps feel that they burdened their country beyond its capacity? That the dreams of General Qasem Soleimani - “cutting the American thread” and placing Israel “on the road towards its demise” - are impossible to realize under the current balance of power?
Will some among them conclude that Iran must learn to live with its neighbors within the framework of international law and the principles of good neighborliness? Do any of them believe Iran should build a successful, attractive, and convincing model instead of an alarming, faltering, and frightening state?
It is clear that Netanyahu will face harsh questions from his many opponents. The Iranian regime did not fall, nor was the arsenal of Hezbollah eliminated. Nonetheless, he will find some consolation in saying that Iran was defeated in Gaza and Syria and has become weaker in Lebanon. He will say that he has retaliated to every attack bearing Iranian fingerprints, and that he went beyond killing generals to targeting the Supreme Leader himself. And he will certainly claim that he removed the specter of an Iranian bomb, or at least delayed it for years.
Generals are disappointed when war does not culminate in a decisive victory. Only one general can speak of victory without fighting: General Asim Munir.

Fatah’s Code, Before and After its Conference
Nabil Amr Asharq Al Awsat/May 25/2026
Fatah, or at least its official wing, has concluded its eighth conference, introducing new figures from within the same faction. As usual, tents of celebration were held to honor the victors, while mourning tents were reserved for the losers. The winners presented the conference as the pinnacle of democracy and a step that would shift the movement’s difficult current conditions and enable Fatah to confront the next stage successfully. The losers, meanwhile, threatened retaliation against those responsible for their defeat through the manipulation that ultimately ensured determined outcomes.
In moments of triumph and the pain of defeat, much that bears little relation to reality is often said. The winners and losers are cut from the same cloth, and the conference’s ability to move the movement from one reality to another fundamentally different one is far more of a rhetorical construct than it is a reflection of practical reality capable of producing actual change in internal or political equations. Political circumstances favored Fatah, allowing it to become the group that could claim Palestinian representation more than any other within a short period. It emerged, as its late Jordanian adversary Wasfi al-Tal once described it, as “the long-awaited child” of mass aspirations- a baby that had been eagerly anticipated and spoiled by the entire family.
After the defeat of June 1967 and Jamal Abdel Nasser’s endorsement of its historic slogan “It was born to remain,” Fatah spread across spaces far larger than its organizational capacity could absorb. Wherever there were Palestinians on the face of the earth, there was Fatah. It reinforced its presence through military and political achievements that justified these wagers. In two arenas adjacent to the homeland, Jordan and Lebanon, its influence nearly rose to that of a state within a state. It was eventually expelled from that precious territory of the Levant and redirected toward the broader political geography of the entire world. Its historic leadership, Yasser Arafat and his fellow founders, enjoyed the trust of the Palestinian public. Thanks to this trust, they succeeded in defeating all attempts at splintering, rebellion, or manufacturing alternatives. But when the historic transition occurred- from a revolution whose leadership lived in exile to a project of governance over part of the homeland- Fatah found itself facing the people it had once led from abroad. It confronted realities for which it had not adequately prepared for: governing a population living under vicious settler occupation that had endured for decades and profoundly shaped Palestinian individuals and society alike.
The occupation did not withdraw and hand the country over to a national leadership. Rather, it remained in two ways: through it the past, when it devastated, brutalized, and fragmented Palestinians; and in the present, when the Palestinian Authority’s areas resemble besieged islands, either through direct military-settler presence or through control over the entrances and exits of cities and villages. Under the weight of this exhausting state of affairs, faith in the promised peace receded. It was replaced by collective suffering endured, as though the occupation had remained exactly as it was or had become even worse.
Fatah confronted all this through the two principal institutions of Palestinian politics: the newly established Authority and entrenched Palestinian Liberation Organization. Undeniable successes were achieved in the early stages of the peace experiment, when Israel’s Labor Party was the partner in the process and the entire world supported the historic attempt in ways that had made failure seem impossible. What had seemed impossible, however, became the only possible outcome once those who opposed any settlement with the Palestinians came to power in Israel and acquired the ability to turn the entire experiment upside down. Since Likud at the time, the possibility of achieving a negotiated peace between Palestinians and Israelis under American and international sponsorship has effectively been neutralized. In its place came the fiercest war in the history of the Palestinian cause. It swept away, among many things, Yasser Arafat himself, with all his immense symbolic stature. It placed Fatah, which opened the peace process, at the center of an extraordinarily difficult and complex impasse. A rival emerged, and it had enormous capacities to harm both the movement and its project: political Islam. At the same time, Israel entrenched a policy aimed at dismantling whatever remained of Oslo’s advantages. Oslo was fundamentally Fatah’s project and one of the chief justifications for its leadership, and the movement thus found itself facing challenges it lacked the capacity to overcome.
Negative subjective and objective influences crept steadily into Fatah. In the absence of Arafat, whose renowned ability to unify both his movement and the broader Palestinian arena had been unmatched, Fatah found itself in a position unlike anything it had experienced throughout its long history.
In the past, its legitimacy rested on its ability to fulfill many of the hopes people had invested in it. At present, however, it is burdened with popular demands it cannot meet. Worse still, the solutions to all these crises are in the hands of the adversary: from the deteriorating economic conditions throughout the homeland, to the closed political horizon that once produced hope and helped people endure hardship, to the inability to achieve national unity after division had shaken it from its roots. What compounded the catastrophic impact of all this was the limited ability of friends, brothers, and the wider world to provide even a fraction of the support had been offered during the years of exile and the early gamble of peace. Fatah’s eighth conference resembles its previous conferences. The old and new leaders it produced will find themselves facing not only a test of administrative or political competence (important as that may be) but also insurmountable challenges over which they have little control. That, more than anything else, is undermining Fatah’s standing, the credibility of its leadership, and faith in its ability to succeed.

Consequences of a US-Iran deal
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al-Arabiya English/May 25/2026
A deal between Iran and the United States, based on the latest reports will have several domestic, regional, and global implications. The deal is centered on reopening the Strait of Hormuz – a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments that Iran had effectively restricted or mined during the 2026 conflict. This initial phase focuses on de-escalation, ending active hostilities, lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and allowing freer shipping transit.
Immediate impacts: Reopening the Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Arabian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and has historically carried about one-fifth of global oil and significant liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments. Its disruption since early 2026 contributed to volatility in energy markets, higher insurance costs for shipping, and supply concerns.
Reopening the strait without tolls or Iranian-imposed restrictions would rapidly increase available supply. This could exert downward pressure on crude oil prices, potentially easing the elevated costs seen during the conflict. Markets have already shown sensitivity to negotiation progress, with expectations of stabilization or declines if the deal holds. Lower oil prices would likely translate to reduced gasoline and energy costs worldwide, providing relief to households and industries. In the US, this could support economic stability and lower inflation pressures in the energy sector. Europe, still recovering from previous energy shocks, would benefit from more predictable supplies and potentially lower LNG prices.
China, a significant buyer of Iranian and Gulf
Oil would gain from more reliable and potentially cheaper imports, supporting its industrial and economic recovery. Europe would see diversified and stabilized energy flows, reducing vulnerability to future disruptions and aiding efforts to manage energy security.
The deal offers breathing room for an economy battered by sanctions, conflict damage, and restricted oil exports. Reopening shipping lanes and potential sanction waivers and relief could boost revenue, stabilize the rial, and ease shortages. However, Iran has faced internal challenges, including limited internet access and economic strain during the conflict, making relief urgent but politically sensitive. The first phase of the deal significantly lowers the immediate risk of renewed military confrontation. A ceasefire extension and mutual de-escalation steps provide a framework to prevent accidental escalation. This benefits regional stability, allowing focus on reconstruction and diplomacy rather than active combat.
The critical second phase: Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile
While the Strait of Hormuz agreement would represent tangible progress, the nuclear dimension remains the defining element for long-term success. Iran has accumulated a significant stockpile of highly enriched uranium (reports reference levels approaching or including around 400 kg or more of weapons-grade material at times). The US position, under President Trump, is firm: for the deal to represent a clear victory, Iran must surrender this stockpile. This next phase will likely involve detailed negotiations and timelines. For the US, failure to secure meaningful concessions here would invite sharp criticism that the deal merely paused the conflict without addressing the core threat. For Iran, retaining the stockpile risks renewed strikes or war, which its strained economy and infrastructure cannot sustainably endure. Logically, Iranian leaders may view giving up or diluting the material to a third party or under international oversight as the pragmatic choice to secure sanctions relief and avoid catastrophe.
Possible regional and domestic backlash?
Regionally, Israel views any deal with deep skepticism, particularly if it does not fully dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities or curb support for proxies like Hezbollah. Israeli officials have expressed concerns and may reserve the right to act independently. Other Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, UAE) have pushed for de-escalation but will watch closely for shifts in the regional power balance. Domestically in Iran, hardliners and elements of the regime’s base may strongly oppose concessions on the nuclear program, seeing enriched uranium. This could spark internal debates or protests.
In the United States: Critics, including some hawks, may argue that any sanctions relief or perceived leniency empowers Iran long-term without sufficient guarantees. Supporters of a deal highlight avoided war costs and economic benefits.
In conclusion, a deal between Iran and the US carries profound domestic, regional, and global implications. The initial steps toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reducing immediate conflict risks point in a positive direction for energy markets, global stability, and economic relief. Yet the largest and most consequential part remains: Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and enriched uranium stockpile. How this unfolds in the coming phases will determine whether the agreement delivers lasting gains or merely a temporary pause.
And very likely, developments will continue to be closely watched by markets, allies, and adversaries alike.

Canada welcomes the world: The FIFA World Cup 2026
Jean-Philippe Linteau/Al-Arabiya English/May 25/2026
World Football Day at the United Nations on May 25 underscores a compelling reality: the FIFA World Cup 2026™ stands as a powerful testament to what countries can achieve through sustained international cooperation. Canada, the United States, and Mexico will each host matches while jointly delivering the largest and most ambitious World Cup in history – an achievement that reflects not only regional coordination, but also the kind of partnership increasingly required to navigate a complex and interconnected world.
We congratulate Saudi Arabia on qualifying for FIFA World Cup 2026™ and wish the Falcons a very successful tournament in North America.
The 2026 tournament has already demonstrated that when countries align around a shared objective, meaningful progress follows. Cross-border cooperation has deepened, from enhanced security coordination to strengthened information-sharing and operational planning – all in pursuit of a safe and successful global event. Beyond sport, the World Cup offers a forward-looking model of collaboration: one rooted in openness, shared prosperity, and collective responsibility.
Canada approaches the FIFA World Cup 2026™ with a clear sense of purpose grounded in its values and international outlook. As one of only four countries to have hosted both the Women’s and Men’s FIFA World Cup, Canada brings experience, institutional strength, and a steadfast commitment to inclusive and responsible hosting. The tournament provides an opportunity to showcase Canada’s culture, the diversity of its communities, and its enduring respect for Indigenous Peoples, whose presence and partnership are central to hosting on this land. At its core, Canada’s approach is anchored in delivering a World Cup that is safe, welcoming, and grounded in mutual respect.
This effort also reflects Canada’s broader role on the global stage. Working closely with partners across borders, Canada contributes to strengthening systems that support security, economic resilience, and people-to-people ties. These are the foundations not only of a successful tournament, but of long-term stability and shared progress. Here in Saudi Arabia, this spirit of cooperation and global engagement through sports is highly visible. Under Vision 2030, the Kingdom has emerged as a hub for sport, entertainment and tourism, using major international events to foster economic diversification and people-to-people ties. As the Kingdom prepares to welcome the world in 2034, Canada looks forward to share its experience as a host nation. Canada and Saudi Arabia continue to strengthen partnerships around trade & investment, education, innovation and security. Sport is another facet of this relationship. From hockey and lacrosse development initiatives in the Kingdom to growing exchanges in women’s sport, esports, and high-performance athletics, Canadians and Saudis are building connections that extend beyond the field of play. Canada’s pragmatic, collaborative, and values-driven approach, on full display in the joint delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, underscores its role as a partner others can depend on, whether advancing global initiatives, strengthening economic ties, or addressing shared challenges. The lesson of this historic tournament is clear: when trust is established, cooperation deepens – and with it, the foundation for lasting, shared success.

Selected Face Book & X tweets on 25-26 May/2026