English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News &
Editorials
For October 13/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
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Bible Quotations For today
Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and
mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn
into joy
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John
16/20-24/:"Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will
rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is
in labour, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born,
she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human
being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your
hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. On that day you
will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the
Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for
anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be
complete."
Titles For The English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related
News & Editorials published on October 12-13/2026
Thanksgiving Day: Obligations, Prayers & Gratitude/Elias Bejjani/October
12, 2026
The Anniversary of the Canonization of Saint Charbel – Which Took Place on 9
October 1977 / Who is this Saint and What is His Biography/Elias Bejjani/09
October/2026
Etienne Saqr – Abou Arz: The Sleeping State
Retired Brigadier General Tony Abi Samra Unravels the Explosives Mystery… and
Reveals Their Real Destination!
Seizure of C-4 Explosives Rekindles Fears of Assassinations in Lebanon/Army
Thwarts Attempt to Smuggle 200 Kilograms of Explosives from Syria
Lebanese Army Seizes More Explosives as PM Vows Firm Response
New explosives shipment seized, this time on a 'donkey'
Report: Detainees in Hezbollah explosives case belong to Resistance Brigades
Report: Explosives case puts Lebanese authorities under int'l lens
Man killed by explosive remnant of war in Ain Ebel
Two killed during olive harvest in south Lebanon
Student killed, 24 people hurt by suspected leftover Hezbollah cluster bomb in
north Israel
From Iran to Lebanon: Israel braces for possible escalation on multiple fronts
From Baalbek to Beirut's southern suburbs: Lebanon probes explosives shipment
EU Establishes New Lebanon Support Mission
President Aoun welcomes EU decision to establish new security support mission in
Lebanon
Salam vows to punish those behind Dahr al-Baidar smuggled explosives
Berri says national unity key to resolving Lebanon's crises
Geagea says Hezbollah chain of command must be dismantled over explosives bust
Lebanese Judiciary Widens Probe into Hezbollah Explosives Shipment
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on October 12-13/2026
US and Allies Warn Iran of "Unacceptable" Behavior Following "Fairford"
Incident
Over 25 countries back London's accusation that Tehran was involved in the
airbase security breach
Burnham Deems Iranian Involvement in Fairford Likely... While the Guards Attack
a Tanker in Hormuz
Iran: IRGC Announces Attack on Vessel in Strait of Hormuz/Tehran stated that the
targeted ship attempted to cross "after disabling its identification and
tracking systems"
Iran Demands Britain Provide Evidence Supporting Fairford Accusations/Following
Burnham's remarks, the Iranian Ambassador in Tehran renewed denials of any
Tehran role in the incident
Saudi energy minister says attacks testing infrastructure, vows response
India Announces Two Sailors Missing Following Attack on Vessel off Oman Coast
Trump: Houthis Behaving Badly and Unacceptably/US President reiterates
condemnation of Houthi attack on Riyadh airport
The Giant Brigades praised the fighting spirit of the Al-Subeihi tribes in
defending their land
Yemeni Armed Forces Target Houthi Positions and Build-ups in Marib and Al-Jawf/Yemeni
warplanes targeted militia reinforcements and fortifications in Marib
Coalition: 3 Ballistic Missiles Launched by Houthis Toward Riyadh and Khamis
Mushait Intercepted
Scholars and Muftis from 70 Countries Condemn Houthi Terrorism and Call for
Decisive International Action/They affirmed that the security of the Two Holy
Mosques and the safety of pilgrims is a concern for Muslims worldwide
Pakistan Urges Afghanistan’s Taliban to Prevent Cross-Border Militant
Attacks/Pakistani Foreign Minister warns that these militant groups may
ultimately threaten the Taliban's own rule
UK Prime Minister: Failing to pursue stronger relations with the European Union
would amount to a "dereliction of duty"
European Union Expands Accession Talks with Ukraine and Moldova/The European
bloc has opened discussions with both countries regarding the single market and
inclusive growth
Merz and Zelenskyy Hold Russia Responsible for Agreeing to an "Energy Truce"/The
Ukrainian President stresses the need "not to give Russia any chance to break
Ukraine and Europe"
New European sanctions against Moscow aimed at mitigating Trump's momentum
UN: War and Drought Exacerbate Famine Risk in Sudan/Worsening situation in South
Darfur, particularly among displaced persons
From Australia to Dubai: The "My Centre" Thread Opens a New Chapter in the
FlyDubai First Officer Case!
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on October 12-13/2026
Riyadh Airport Attack: When a Strategy Backfires/Ghassan Charbel//Asharq
Al-Awsat/October 13, 2026
Where Is the Compass on the Security of the Waterways?/Sam Menassa/Asharq Al-Awsat/October
13, 2026
The Failure of 'Endings' Narratives/Abdulah bin Bijad Al Otaibi/Asharq Al-Awsat/October
12, 2026
Le Moyen-Orient et l’absence de repères?/Dr. Charles Chartouni/Ici Beyrouth/October
12/2026
The Middle East and the Absence of Bearings?/Dr. Charles Chartouni/Ici Beyrouth/October
12, 2026
Where Do the Houthis Get Their Supplies?/Meshari Al-Thaidy/Asharq Al-Awsat/October
12, 2026
Iran, Hezbollah, and Arab Peoples/Dr. Mustafa Rashed/Al-Masry Al-Youm/October
12, 2026
America Cannot Turn a Blind Eye to the Houthis/Ali Shihabi/Fox News/October 12,
2026
Deep Within French Anxiety/Antoine Douaihy/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13, 2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on October 12/2026
Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on October 12-13/2026
Thanksgiving Day: Obligations,
Prayers & Gratitude
Elias Bejjani/October 12, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/67920/
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ
Jesus.”(1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Every year, on the second Monday of October, Canada celebrates Thanksgiving Day
— a blessed and joyful occasion deeply rooted in faith, gratitude, and humility.
It is a day when families and friends gather to thank Almighty God for the
countless blessings He has poured upon them — the gift of life, the fruits of
the earth, and the comfort of home and community.
Thanksgiving in Canada dates back hundreds of years, when early settlers and
Indigenous peoples celebrated the harvest season by offering gratitude to the
Creator for the abundance of food and the safety of their communities. Through
time, this practice became a national celebration of thankfulness, generosity,
and hope.
Let us never forget that we have a holy obligation to continuously and joyfully
thank Almighty God for His love, His mercy, and His everlasting grace. Gratitude
is not a passing emotion; it is a spiritual discipline that purifies the soul
and draws us closer to God. A thankful heart is a humble heart, one that
recognizes every blessing as a divine gift, not a personal achievement.
On this day, while we celebrate with family and friends, let us look around and
remember the millions of people across the world who live in deprivation and
hardship — those who are hungry, displaced, persecuted, or alone. To truly
appreciate what we have, we must first recognize how many are without.
Let us therefore pray with sincerity and reverence, thanking God for His
generosity, and let us combine faith with good deeds, prayer with compassion,
and gratitude with action. A true believer’s weapons against adversity are
faith, honesty, righteousness, prayer, and trust in the Lord.
Let us pray for ongoing peace and prosperity in our beloved Canada — the land
that welcomed us with open arms and provided us a home when we most needed it.
Let us also pray for peace, freedom, and justice in our original homeland,
Lebanon — the Land of the Holy Cedars — and for its persecuted and impoverished
people who continue to suffer and hope.
Let us pray for the souls of Lebanon’s martyrs who sacrificed their lives
defending their country’s dignity and independence. May their memory remain
eternal.
Let us pray that Jesus Christ may bless Lebanon with faithful clergy and brave,
righteous political leaders who fear God and act in accordance with His will.
Let us pray that all families may reunite in love, heal their wounds, and honor
their parents with respect and gratitude.
As we lift our prayers today, let us trust that Almighty God always listens and
responds — not always as we expect, but always in ways that fulfill His divine
purpose.
May this Thanksgiving renew in each of us a spirit of humility, compassion, and
generosity.
For when we thank God with sincere hearts, His blessings are renewed,
multiplied, and everlasting.
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be
lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to
their parents, ungrateful, unholy.”(2 Timothy 3:1-2)
Those who live without gratitude fall into spiritual darkness, but those who
give thanks live in light. Gratitude keeps our hearts alive, our faith strong,
and our lives filled with peace.
Happy Thanksgiving Day to all!
May the Lord bless Canada and Lebanon, and may He fill every heart with
thankfulness, peace, and love.
Selected Biblical Verses on Gratitude
“As long as you live and have breath, give thanks to the Lord and praise His
mercy.” (Sirach 17:27)
“We give God great thanks for saving us from great dangers.” (2 Maccabees 1:11)
“If you and your children are well and everything you wish is as you desire, I
give great thanks to God; my hope is in Heaven.” (2 Maccabees 9:20)
“Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the
Lord.” (Psalm 118:19)
“Before the angels I will sing your praise; I will bow down toward your holy
temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your
faithfulness.” (Psalm 138:1–2)
“Be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)
“We thank God without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
“I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience.” (2
Timothy 1:3)
“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20)
“Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance
of His holy people in the kingdom of light.” (Colossians 1:12)
“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17)
“I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being
reported all over the world.” (Romans 1:8)
“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1
Corinthians 15:57)
“Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests
through us the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place.” (2 Corinthians
2:14)
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for
you.” (Colossians 1:3)
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2)
“We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.”
(1 Thessalonians 1:2)
“I thank my God every time I remember you.” (Philippians 1:3)
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ
Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so,
because your faith is growing more and more.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3)
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me
trustworthy, appointing me to His service.” (1 Timothy 1:12)
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that
we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy
2:1–2)
“Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be
to our God forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 7:12)
“We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, because You have
taken Your great power and have begun to reign.” (Revelation 11:17)
This Is What Many Canadians Do On Thanksgiving Day?
Many people have a day off work on the second Monday of October. They often use
the three-day Thanksgiving weekend to visit family or friends who live far away,
or to receive them in their own homes. Many people also prepare a special meal
to eat at some point during the long weekend. Traditionally, this included roast
turkey and seasonal produce, such as pumpkin, corn ears and pecan nuts. Now, the
meal may consist of other foods, particularly if the family is of non-European
descent.
The Thanksgiving weekend is also a popular time to take a short autumn vacation.
This may be the last chance in a while for some people to use cottages or
holiday homes before winter sets in. Other popular activities include outdoor
breaks to admire the spectacular colors of the Canadian autumn, hiking, and
fishing. Fans of the teams in the Canadian Football League may spend part of the
weekend watching the Thanksgiving Day Classic matches.
Background
The native peoples held ceremonies and festivals to celebrate the completion and
bounty of the harvest long before European explorers and settlers arrived in
what is now Canada. Early European thanksgivings were held to give thanks for
some special fortune. An early example is the ceremony the explorer Martin
Frobisher held in 1578 after he had survived the long journey in his quest to
find a northern passage from Europe to Asia. Many thanksgivings were held
following noteworthy events during the 18th century. Refugees fleeing the civil
war in the United States brought the custom of an annual thanksgiving festival
to Canada. From 1879, Thanksgiving Day was held every year but the date varied
and there was a special theme each year. The theme was the “Blessings of an
abundant harvest” for many years. However, Queen Victoria’s golden and diamond
jubilees and King Edward VII’s coronation formed the theme in later years.
From the end of the First World War until 1930, both Armistice Day and
Thanksgiving Day were celebrated on the Monday closest to November 11, the
anniversary of the official end of hostilities in World War I. In 1931,
Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day and Thanksgiving Day was moved to a
Monday in October. Since 1957, Thanksgiving Day has always been held on the
second Monday in October.
The Anniversary of the Canonization
of Saint Charbel – Which Took Place on 9 October 1977 / Who is this Saint and
What is His Biography
Elias Bejjani/09 October/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158184/
The Saint of Lebanon Who Made the Silence of the Hermitage a Pulpit for the
World
On the 9th of October 1977, Pope Saint Paul VI raised to the altars of the
Universal Church a son of Lebanon, a humble hermit from Bekaa Kafra, to be a
saint for the whole world. The canonization of Charbel was not merely a Vatican
event; it was a heavenly proclamation that holiness is still possible in our
time, and that Lebanon, the land of saints, offers to the Church a living model
of prayer, silence and labor.
Biography – From Bekaa Kafra to Heaven
Birth and Early Life
Youssef Antoun Makhlouf was born on 8 May 1828 in the village of Bekaa Kafra,
the highest inhabited village in Lebanon (in the district of Bcharre, on the
slopes of the Cedars). He was born into a poor yet pious farming family. His
father, Antoun Zaarour Makhlouf, died when Youssef was only three years old, and
he was raised by his mother Brigitta. From his childhood he was called “the
Saint” because of his love for prayer and solitude in a grotto near the village
which he called “the Grotto of the Saints.”
The Monastic Vocation
On a morning in the year 1851, at the age of 23, he left Bekaa Kafra without
bidding farewell to anyone, walking on foot to the Monastery of Our Lady of
Mayfouq to seek entry into the Lebanese Maronite Order. He was later transferred
to the Monastery of Saint Maron – Annaya for his novitiate.
Date of entry into monastic life: 1851 at Mayfouq
Transfer to Annaya: 1853
First monastic vows: 1 November 1853, taking the name Charbel, after the
second-century Antiochene Martyr, Saint Charbel
Theological Studies: At the Monastery of Saints Cyprian and Justina – Kfifan,
where he was discipled by Saint Nimatullah Kassab Al-Hardini, who was his
professor and spiritual director
Priestly Ordination: He was ordained a priest on 23 July 1859 in Bkerke by the
laying on of hands of Bishop Youssef Al-Mourad (El-Marid), the Patriarchal
Vicar, during the pontificate of Patriarch Paul Peter Massaad.
He spent 16 years as an exemplary monk in the Monastery of Annaya, a model of
obedience, humility and manual labor in the fields.
The Eremitic Life
His greatest longing was to revive the life of the ancient hermits. After long
insistence, he was permitted to withdraw to the Hermitage of Saints Peter and
Paul, belonging to the Monastery of Annaya, overlooking the Holy Valley.
Date of entry into the hermitage: 13 February 1875
Place: The Hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul – Annaya
Date of Death: 24 December 1898
There he spent 23 years, never leaving except by order of his superior, praying,
fasting, keeping silence, working in the field, and spending the night kneeling
before the Blessed Sacrament.
He died on Christmas Eve, 24 December 1898, while reciting the Christmas Mass.
His last words were: “O Father of Truth.” He was buried in the monastery
cemetery at the age of 70.
His Most Notable Miracles
The miracles began at the moment of his death. Eyewitnesses saw a dazzling light
emanating from his grave for several months, and his body continued to exude
blood, water and sweat after his death, remaining intact and supple for many
years without any embalming.
The Church cannot number the miracles, but we mention those adopted in the cause
for canonization:
A- During his lifetime
The Miracle of the Lamp: Once the servant asked him to fill the lamp with oil,
and out of holy obedience he filled it with water, and the lamp burned with
water.
He healed the sick and wounded by his prayers and the blessing of his hand, and
cast out evil spirits.
B- After his death – The miracles that opened the door to beatification and
canonization:
The healing of Sister Mary Abel Kamou of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts: She
had suffered from severe, incurable intestinal ulcers for 14 years. She visited
his grave and prayed, and was suddenly and completely cured in 1950. This is the
miracle adopted for his beatification.
The healing of Mr. Alexandre Obeid from Baabdat: He had lost sight in one eye as
a result of an accident. After praying to Saint Charbel and placing soil from
his grave upon his eye, he fully regained his sight in 1950. This is the second
miracle for beatification.
The healing of Mrs. Mariam Awad from Hammana: She was paralyzed and suffering
from cancer of the larynx. She was miraculously healed in 1952. This is the
miracle adopted for his canonization.
Thousands of miracles are documented today in the records of the Monastery of
Annaya from all over the world, from healings of cancer, paralysis and blindness
to countless other wonders. The faithful have called him “the Doctor of Heaven”
and “the Wonder-Worker.”
Beatification – Date and Place
Because of the abundance of graces and miracles, the cause for his beatification
was opened in 1925.
Date of Beatification: 5 December 1965
Place: The Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican
Pope of Beatification: Pope Saint Paul VI
Occasion: He concluded the Second Vatican Council with it. In his homily, Pope
Paul VI said: “A hermit from the mountain of Lebanon may teach us, in a
materialistic world, what poverty and humility mean… a Maronite monk may teach
us what silence and prayer mean.” This was the first beatification of a Maronite
in modern history.
Canonization – Full Details
Date of Canonization: Sunday, 9 October 1977
Place: Saint Peter’s Square – Vatican
Pope of Canonization: Pope Saint Paul VI, and this was the last saint he
canonized months before his death
Attendance: More than 30,000 Lebanese pilgrims came from Lebanon and the
diaspora, led by Maronite Patriarch Antonios Khreich and a delegation of the
Lebanese Maronite Order. Saint Peter’s Square resounded with Maronite and
Lebanese hymns.
Decree of Canonization: The Pope proclaimed Charbel a saint of the Universal
Church, and established his official feast on 24 July each year (in Lebanon it
is celebrated on the third Sunday of July according to the Maronite calendar).
The Historic Homily: Paul VI said: “Charbel Makhlouf is the saint of difficult
times. He made the hermitage a school of prayer. He calls you, O Christians of
Lebanon and the East, to be faithful to your faith, and martyrs of love in a
divided world.”
Immediately after the canonization, his relics spread to all continents, and the
shrine of Annaya became the second most important Christian pilgrimage site in
the Middle East after Jerusalem.
Conclusion – What Does Saint Charbel Say to Us Today?
1-The Holiness of Silence: In an age of noise and social media, Charbel teaches
us that silence is not emptiness, but fullness with God. Lebanon today needs not
only political solutions, but a return to the silence of the heart.
2. The Holiness of Belonging: Charbel never left Lebanon; he did not seek glory
in Rome or Paris. His holiness sprouted from the soil of Bekaa Kafra and the
rock of Annaya. He tells every Lebanese in the diaspora that your holiness
begins where you are, but your roots remain in the land of the cedars.
3. The Holiness of Unity: Charbel is Maronite, but he became a saint for all
Lebanese: Christians and Muslims, beloved by all faiths. His body has gathered
Lebanese around him more than politics ever has. He is proof that holiness
unites and politics divides. Saint Charbel is heaven’s answer to Lebanon’s
despair. If a simple peasant from the poorest village could become a light for
the world, then Lebanon is capable of rising again.
A Prayer for the Intercession of Saint Charbel for Peace in Lebanon
O Wonder-Worker Saint Charbel, O son of Bekaa Kafra and hermit of Annaya, O you
who carried Lebanon in your heart and prayed for it for 23 years in your
hermitage, we beseech you today while our Lebanon is wounded, divided,
suffering, groaning under the weight of wars, divisions and emigration.
You who poured oil as light, pour upon our land the oil of peace. You who healed
the blind, open the eyes of our leaders to see the pain of the people. You who
kept long silence to hear the voice of God, teach us to be silent from hatred
and insult, that we may hear the voice of our brother.
O Saint Charbel, intercede for us before the Lord Jesus, whom you loved unto
death, that He may grant Lebanon a peace that cannot be bought with weapons, a
unity not built upon interests, and a hope that never dies despite all
hardships. Protect our cedars, protect our families in the homeland and in the
diaspora, and bring the children of Lebanon back to love one another, so that
Lebanon may remain as God willed it: a message of peace and light for the East
and for the world. Amen.
May the intercession of Saint Charbel be with us and with Lebanon.
Note: The information contained in this study is compiled from numerous
authenticated ecclesiastical, theological, research and media sources.
The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website:
https://eliasbejjaninews.com
Etienne Saqr – Abou Arz: The Sleeping State
October 12/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158247/
Issued by the President of the Guardians of the Cedars – Lebanese Nationalist
Movement
The Sleeping State
Had the truck not accidentally overturned in front of the security checkpoint at
Dahr al-Baydar last week, the shipment of explosives it was carrying would never
have been discovered.
This means that the state was asleep, as usual, and that Divine Providence once
again intervened to save Lebanon from a series of assassinations that the forces
of evil may have been preparing. This is particularly concerning given that the
nature of these materials and the intensity of their explosive force raise
suspicions that they may have been intended for assassinations inside the
country rather than for fighting Israel.
The state now faces a decisive test:
Will it dare to arrest the carriers of these materials, who are suspected of
being linked to Hezbollah, and take the necessary legal measures against them
and those behind them?
Will it dare to confiscate these dangerous materials and retain them, or will it
return them to the party, as we have come to expect from it in the past?
We will follow this case through to the end and warn against any attempt to
conceal the truth or manipulate the investigations.
The bottom line:
A people does not pledge allegiance to a state that does not protect them.
At your service, Lebanon!
Etienne Saqr – Abou Arz
Retired Brigadier General Tony Abi Samra Unravels the
Explosives Mystery… and Reveals Their Real Destination!
Youssef Abdel Nabi/Al-Kalima Online/October 12, 2026 (translated by AI from
Arabic)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158243/
Was the seized shipment of explosives intended for use against Israel, or was it
headed somewhere entirely different? The question arises from the nature of the
seized materials and reports circulating about their potential use in drones,
particularly amid discussion of developing FPV drones capable of carrying
heavier explosive payloads. However, in a different military assessment, retired
Brigadier General Tony Abi Samra rules out this scenario, suggesting that the
shipment was intended for use inside the country.
In an exclusive interview with Al-Kalima Online, Abi Samra provided a military
analysis of the nature of the explosives, explaining that explosive materials
can be used in various ways, ranging from car bombs and roadside improvised
explosive devices to ambushes and other methods of detonation. Therefore, the
intended target cannot be determined solely from the type of explosives
involved. However, in his assessment, their composition and weight raise serious
questions about the narrative linking them to the use of drones against Israel.
Abi Samra believes that promoting the possibility that this shipment was
intended for use in FPV drones appears, in his view, to be an attempt to justify
the nature of the seized materials rather than offer a convincing technical
explanation. These drones are small, and carrying large quantities of explosives
on them is not easy. Other materials that are lighter and better suited to this
purpose could instead be used.
Another point he highlights is the presence of steel balls, nails, and metal
components, alongside reports of molds used to shape explosive charges. He
explains that what are known as shaped charges rely on a specific design that
directs the explosive force toward a particular direction. In his view, these
characteristics are inconsistent with the assumption that such explosives could
easily be used in small drones.
Regarding the southern front, Abi Samra links his rejection of the theory that
the explosives were intended to target Israel to the absence of the close-combat
conditions that would require fighters to approach Israeli forces. He points out
that Hezbollah no longer has the same opportunity to engage in this type of
confrontation in a manner that would permit the use of these materials,
particularly following the events associated with Ali al-Taher and amid Israel's
avoidance of direct, close-range engagements.
Apart from this assessment of the situation on the ground, Abi Samra believes
that indications pointing toward an intended domestic use have become
increasingly evident. In his view, intentions that had previously remained
concealed have become overt in light of recent security developments.
Based on the shipment's weight, composition, and the nature of the potential
confrontation, Abi Samra reaches a clear conclusion: he believes the explosives
were intended for use inside the country, rather than against Israel. However,
their actual destination and the target for which the shipment was intended
remain subject to what the official investigations will reveal.
Seizure of C-4 Explosives Rekindles Fears of
Assassinations in Lebanon/Army Thwarts Attempt to Smuggle 200 Kilograms of
Explosives from Syria
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 12, 2026
The Lebanese Army announced the seizure of a shipment of explosives that
smugglers had attempted to transport from Syrian territory, sparking fears of
assassinations in the country. In a statement, the Army explained that this was
the third such shipment since the beginning of the month; it weighed
approximately 200 kilograms and included the highly explosive C-4 material. The
Army stated that the shipment—packed in bags and prepared for smuggling from
Syria into Lebanon—was intercepted, noting that the smugglers fled back into
Syrian territory. The shipment was seized in the Hermel area of the Bekaa
Valley while en route to Beirut; notably, C-4 was the explosive used in the
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and several other political
assassinations in Lebanon over the past two decades. For his part, Lebanese
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed that there would be "no leniency or turning
a blind eye" regarding the pursuit of anyone involved in smuggling explosive
shipments, stressing that his government would not tolerate any weapons existing
outside the framework of state legitimacy. Salam stated that the government
would be uncompromising in pursuing and expanding the investigation "with the
aim of identifying all those involved and the parties behind them, uncovering
their plots and objectives, and referring them to the judiciary to receive the
punishment they deserve."
Lebanese Army Seizes More Explosives as PM Vows Firm
Response
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 12, 2026
Lebanon's army said it seized explosives on Monday, after Prime Minister Nawaf
Salam vowed to deal firmly with illegal weapons, days after security forces
seized a truck carrying materiel suspected of belonging to Hezbollah.The army
said soldiers in the northeastern Hermel region "seized around 200 kilograms
(around 440 pounds) of explosive material packed in bags and ready for smuggling
from Syrian territory" into Lebanon, adding that the smugglers fled back into
Syria.A judicial official told AFP that the C4 explosives were being smuggled
"on a mule through an illegal crossing in the town of Qasr".The announcement was
the third of its kind this month, and came days after a judicial official told
AFP that authorities detained two suspected members of Iran-backed Hezbollah at
a security checkpoint in Dahr al-Baidar as they headed to Beirut. The official
said they were transporting half a ton of explosives -- 250 kilograms of TNT and
250 kilograms of C4 -- when they were stopped near a road linking Syria to the
Lebanese capital. Salam on X confirmed that "it has become known that a few days
ago a truck was stopped" in Dahr al-Baidar "carrying hundreds of kilograms of
explosive materials" including C4."We will not be lenient in following up and
expanding the investigation in order to identify all those involved in this
criminal operation, and those behind them," he said. "We will deal with weapons
outside the legal framework will the required firmness," he added, whether
regarding their possession, transportation or use. Salam also said that he
understood "Lebanese worries" over the C4, particularly as it "has been used in
a number of political assassinations" in Lebanon's history.
Detonators -
Earlier this month, Lebanon's army said it had seized "approximately 245 kg of
TNT, four explosive devices, eight detonators and electrical wiring for the
detonators", which were being "smuggled from Syrian territory into Lebanese
territory", adding that the smugglers fled towards Syria. Lebanon and Syria
share a 330-kilometer (205-mile) border known for being porous. Hezbollah until
recently was the most influential political and military force in Lebanon,
enjoying key support from Iran and longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad.The
group has been accused of carrying out assassinations of political figures who
opposed Damascus, particularly between 2005 and 2008. A UN-backed court in 2020
sentenced a fugitive Hezbollah member for the 2005 assassination of former
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, with the court subsequently sentencing
two more Hezbollah members in absentia. Lebanese authorities last year committed
to disarming Hezbollah, after hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah erupted
in 2023 and culminated in all-out war the following year, decimating the group's
leadership. The 2024 toppling of Assad also severed the group's key weapons
supply line from Iran, and Syria's new authorities regularly say they have
seized weapons headed for Lebanon.However, Hezbollah this year drew Lebanon into
the Middle East war with rocket fire at Israel, which responded with airstrikes
and a ground invasion. The cash-strapped Lebanese army faces enormous challenges
in carrying out its mission of disarming Hezbollah and deploying in south
Lebanon, including under an Israel-Lebanon framework reached in June this year.
New explosives shipment seized, this time on a 'donkey'
Naharnet/October 12, 2026
The Lebanese Army seized over the past few hours a shipment containing 200
kilograms of C-4 explosives being transported on a donkey crossing the mountains
between Syria and Lebanon, a judicial source told MTV. The Lebanese Army later
issued an official statement saying its units “continue to carry out missions to
monitor and secure the Lebanese-Syrian border in order to prevent smuggling and
illegal infiltration attempts.”“In this context, an army unit in the al-Qasr
area in Hermel seized approximately 200 kilograms of explosive materials packed
inside bags and prepared for smuggling from Syrian territory into Lebanese
territory. The smugglers fled back into Syrian territory,” the army added. “The
seized items were handed over to the competent authorities, and follow-up and
coordination are underway to arrest those involved," it said. The development
comes a few days after hundreds of kilograms of explosives were seized at the
Dahr al-Baidar checkpoint while being transported in a car by two suspected
Hezbollah members. It also comes after the army seized another shipment of
explosives on Syria’s border.
Report: Detainees in Hezbollah explosives case belong to Resistance Brigades
Naharnet/October 12, 2026
The two detainees held in the so-called Hezbollah explosives case belong to the
Hezbollah-affiliated Resistance Brigades, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported
on Monday.
It identified them as Haitham Amhaz, who hails from the town of Nabha, and Ali
al-Kurdi, who hails from the town of Saadnayel, noting that the latter is the
brother of the Brigades’ top official in Saadnayel. The newspaper added that
Hezbollah is “gathering explosive materials that were in the possession of
groups from the Resistance Brigades because there is a need for them at this
stage.”The decision to create the Resistance Brigades was taken in 1997 by
Hezbollah’s leadership. The group comprised Lebanese young men seeking to fight
the Israeli occupation of south Lebanon without having to officially join
Hezbollah. The group, made up of largely non-Shiite members, was not disbanded
after Israel’s withdrawal from the South in the year 2000 and Hezbollah’s rivals
have in recent years accused the Brigades of recruiting “thugs” and individuals
who have criminal records.
Report: Explosives case puts Lebanese authorities under
int'l lens
Naharnet/October 12, 2026
The case of the explosives seized in the possession of two Hezbollah members
puts Lebanese authorities under increased international scrutiny, making the way
they handle it a subject of close observation, a diplomatic source said. “Any
leniency in uncovering the network behind the explosives, or settling for
holding only the transporters accountable without reaching the decision-makers,
will put the state's credibility and the extent of its commitment to the
exclusivity of weapons to a new test,” the source warned in remarks to the Nidaa
al-Watan newspaper.
The source also noted that even if the shipment was bound for the South to be
used against Israel, this “does not diminish the gravity of the matter.”“Rather,
it exposes the state to additional accountability, because transporting this
shipment to the South … means the Lebanese Army and security forces must fulfill
their duties in extending state authority over all of its territory, most
importantly the South,” the source added.
Man killed by explosive remnant of war in Ain Ebel
Naharnet/October 12, 2026
A man was killed on Monday by an explosive remnant of war near his home in the
southern town of Ain Ebel. The man was a member of the Internal Security Forces
and was working in his land when a foreign object exploded and killed him, the
National News Agency said.
An engineer was also killed on Sunday by an explosive ordnance as he and others
tended their trees in Froun. An Israeli drone targeted Monday the southern town
of Kfartebnit while overnight shelling hit Harees, Wadi Slouqi, Kfartebnit, al-Mansouri,
Yater, Beit Leef, Sarbine, Mayfadoun, Marjaayoun and Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh.
Two killed during olive harvest in south Lebanon
Agence France Presse/October 12, 2026
Two men were killed in south Lebanon on Sunday, one by Israeli fire and the
other by an explosive remnant of war, as they took part in the annual olive
harvest, according to state media and local officials. South Lebanon has been
the scene of two wars since 2023 between Israel and Hezbollah, and Israeli
troops still occupy a band of territory 10 kilometers wide running along the
border. The official National News Agency (NNA) said one of the men was killed
in Yater, in Bint Jbeil district, when Israeli "shelling targeted the outskirts
of the town while he was inspecting his land and olive harvest".The Lebanese
army blamed Israeli tank fire and called the ongoing attacks "a flagrant breach
of existing agreements". Afterwards, the Yater municipality urged residents "to
avoid the outskirts of the town and refrain from crossing the earthen barrier
separating some unsafe neighborhoods" for fear of Israeli attacks. In the
village of Froun, in the same district, the NNA reported that "a foreign object"
left over from previous Israeli operations exploded and killed an engineer as he
and others tended their trees. The engineer had come down from Beirut, where he
lives, for the harvest, Froun mayor Hassan Bazzi told AFP.
The incident prompted local residents to call off the harvest and wait for "the
Lebanese army to complete the decontamination of the village", Bazzi said. Since
a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel was struck in June, the
violence in the south has diminished but not stopped.
Israel continues to carry out sporadic strikes and demolitions in and around the
territory it occupies, while Hezbollah refuses to submit to government plans to
disarm it.
About eight kilometers (five miles) away, in Jibshit, volunteers from the north
came to help locals with the harvest in a show of solidarity. "From north to
south, one people and one land," said organizer Ahmad Chahhal. As workers
swatted at branches to make the olives fall, an AFP photographer saw drones and
heard fighter jets overhead, and explosions could be heard in the distance. The
framework deal between Israel and Lebanon involves Hezbollah's disarmament, a
gradual Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the
region.
Student killed, 24 people hurt by suspected leftover
Hezbollah cluster bomb in north Israel
Agence France Presse/October 12, 2026
An Israeli high school student was killed and two dozen other people injured
Monday by a suspected leftover Hezbollah bomb as they hiked near the Lebanese
border, Israeli officials said. The Israeli military, which dispatched
helicopters to the scene, said an initial review showed the explosion was likely
caused by an unexploded munition from Hezbollah. The explosive, which was likely
a cluster bomb from a round of fighting three years ago, went off in the hands
of a student who picked it up, Israeli police said. Police said that school
authorities had received the green-light for the outdoor excursion in the
region, which Hezbollah has hit in successive rounds of fighting as Israel
pounds the Iran-backed group. "I share in the heavy grief of the family of the
boy who was killed in the explosion during the trip near the northern border,
and I wish a swift and full recovery to all the injured," Defense Minister
Israel Katz posted on X, adding that the incident was being investigated.Israeli
authorities said the victim was 14 or 15 years old. The Magen David Adom (MDA)
emergency services said 24 other people were wounded in the blast, including two
teenage boys who were seriously hurt with shrapnel injuries.
MDA emergency medical technician David Radko said that upon arriving at the
scene, he saw that "casualties were scattered along the road, some holding and
trying to help their injured friends.""Everyone tried to help their friends as
much as they could. Some even applied tourniquets to their friends to stop the
bleeding," he was quoted as saying in a statement. The MDA said the injured were
transported to three medical centers in northern Israel. AFP footage from Ziv
Hospital in the northern city of Safed showed paramedics wheeling the injured
out of ambulances and into the facility on stretcher trolleys.
'Dangers that cannot be ignored' -
The incident injured both students and staff from a religious high school as
they were on an outing, the municipality of the northern city of Maalot-Tarshiha
said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scrapped plans and was holding
assessments over the "severe incident," his office said. "The Prime Minister
asked to ensure that the injured are being evacuated as quickly as possible to
hospitals and is continuing to hold ongoing assessments," Netanyahu's office
said in a statement. The incident comes ahead of October 27 elections in which
Netanyahu is facing a tough race for a new term. The opposition is accusing him
of not doing enough to ensure Israelis' security after three years of war,
despite recent quiet from Gaza, which Israel has devastated since the October 7,
2023 attack by Hamas. Gadi Eisenkot, who is the principal challenger in the
elections, said he was "praying together with all Israelis for the swift
recovery of the wounded" and wished strength to rescue teams. Yair Golan, head
of the center-left Democrats party, said three years of periodic fighting with
Hezbollah had left Israel's northern border area with "dangers that cannot be
ignored." He called for "a thorough and comprehensive inspection of the hiking
areas in the north," including removing unexploded ordnance. Earlier this year,
Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war with rocket fire at Israel in
solidarity with its backer Iran, which was attacked by Israel and the United
States. Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion into Lebanon,
where authorities say more than 4,300 people have been killed since March.
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a framework deal that involves the disarmament of
Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of the
Lebanese Army to the region. Violence in the border area has since decreased.
Israel last month carried out a massive explosion in Lebanon to destroy a tunnel
complex where it said Hezbollah kept weapons and fighters.
From Iran to Lebanon: Israel braces for possible
escalation on multiple fronts
LBCI/October 12, 2026
Israel is monitoring what it views as European and U.S. efforts to support the
Lebanese army and strengthen its ability to regain control of areas currently
occupied by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Israeli military
has begun preparing for large-scale exercises in the Galilee amid concerns over
a possible resumption of fighting on multiple fronts.These developments were at
the center of a security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
with discussions focusing primarily on Iran and the possibility of launching a
military operation against it. According to an Israeli security official,
Israeli authorities have expressed concern that a miscalculation could trigger a
broader escalation, prompting the military to maintain a heightened state of
alert indefinitely. The concerns come amid uncertainty in Israel over U.S.
President Donald Trump's next steps toward Iran. Despite the focus on Iran, the
security meeting also addressed diplomatic efforts involving Lebanon. Israel is
awaiting possible announcements from the U.S. State Department regarding
negotiations between the two countries. According to information cited by an
Israeli official, one of Washington's main objectives is to finalize monitoring
mechanisms for designated areas in southern Lebanon. Israel has insisted that
these mechanisms be approved before it makes any further decisions. Meanwhile,
Israeli threats of escalation against Lebanon continue after the Israeli
military claimed it had activated its defense systems in response to two objects
launched toward its forces in Israeli-occupied areas of southern Lebanon.
From Baalbek to Beirut's southern suburbs: Lebanon probes
explosives shipment
LBCI/October 12, 2026
Hezbollah has issued no statement regarding the seizure of 800 kilograms of
explosives, most of it highly explosive C-4, as information available so far
indicates that the two men found in a van carrying the material admitted to
working as contractors for the group to transport weapons.
They were reportedly tasked with moving the shipment from Baalbek to Mcharafieh,
in Beirut’s southern suburbs. In the absence of an official comment from
Hezbollah, media platforms and sources close to the group have circulated calls
for the two detainees to be released and the explosives returned, arguing that
the material would be used against the Israeli occupation in South
Lebanon.Meanwhile, the military judiciary has decided to expand the
investigation into the case. The decision was taken by Government Commissioner
to the Military Court Judge Claude Ghanem, under the follow-up of Prosecutor
General at the Court of Cassation Rami El-Hajj. According to sources, Hajj and
Ghanem have asked army investigators to question the detainees further to
clarify details of the transportation operation, identify those who delivered
and received the explosives, determine who was directing them, and establish the
purpose of moving the shipment from Baalbek to Mcharafieh. The military
judiciary is also expected to issue investigative requests aimed at identifying
other people who may have been involved, particularly amid references to two
individuals known as Hajj Sajed and Hajj Zulfiqar. It will also seek to review
the phone records of the two detainees in an effort to identify their contacts
and uncover the wider network involved. The case has drawn local and
international attention, putting the seriousness of Lebanon’s security agencies
and judiciary in handling the investigation under scrutiny. In this context,
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stressed that there would be no leniency in pursuing
the investigation, expanding its scope and dealing firmly with any weapons held
outside the authority of the state.The seizure of explosives in Dahr El Baydar
follows earlier announcements by the Lebanese army that it had intercepted
attempts to smuggle approximately 500 kilograms of TNT from inside Syria toward
the northern Bekaa Valley on October 1, 9 and 12. No smugglers were arrested in
those operations.
EU Establishes New Lebanon Support Mission
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday to establish a new support
mission in Lebanon aimed at advising and training the country's military and
internal security forces. The mission "will advise and assist the Lebanese Armed
Forces and Internal Security Forces to strengthen territorial control, border
security, and internal security," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a
statement, adding that "Europe is invested in Lebanon's future". The Council
of the EU said the mission would have an initial mandate of three years and
include both a civilian and military pillar. "The military pillar will provide
advisory support and training to strengthen the capabilities of the Lebanese
Armed Forces, for border security and maritime security," it said, while the
civilian pillar would provide training for Lebanon's Internal Security Forces
in areas such as cybercrime and anti-smuggling. Kallas said last month that
more than 10 EU members were willing to contribute resources and people to the
mission. More operational planning is expected before the bloc makes a decision
to launch the mission's work. An EU official said on Monday that the bloc
hoped to deploy personnel under the new mission in the coming months. The
mission stems from the EU studying ways to strengthen Lebanese forces to help
free up the Lebanese army to focus on disarming the Hezbollah group. The mandate
of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon is set to expire at the end of 2026, when it
is expected to begin a year-long drawdown and withdrawal.
President Aoun welcomes EU decision to establish new
security support mission in Lebanon
LBCI/October 12, 2026
President Joseph Aoun welcomed a decision by European Union foreign ministers to
establish a new three-year mission in Lebanon to provide advice and assistance
to the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces (ISF). Aoun said the decision
reflects the EU's continued commitment to Lebanon's security and stability, as
well as its confidence in the Lebanese army and ISF as legitimate institutions
responsible for protecting the country and its citizens, alongside other
official security agencies. He said the mission would provide expertise,
training and advisory support to strengthen Lebanon's security institutions,
extend state authority across the country's territory and improve border
control. Aoun stressed that these efforts align with the Lebanese government's
decisions and its stated commitment to ensuring that weapons remain exclusively
in the hands of legitimate state forces. The president thanked the EU and its
member states for the initiative, pledging Lebanon's full cooperation to ensure
the mission's success. He added that the support would further strengthen
stability and the role of state institutions, while reinforcing Lebanon's
partnership with its international allies.
Salam vows to punish those behind Dahr al-Baidar smuggled
explosives
Associated Press/October 12, 2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam vowed Monday to punish those involved in secretly
transporting half a ton of explosives into Lebanon. Two suspected Hezbollah
members were caught Thursday afternoon at a security checkpoint in Dahr al-Baidar
in Lebanon's east, near a road linking the country with Syria. Salam described
the incident as a "criminal operation" and praised security forces for capturing
the truck. "Our government will not be lenient with anyone who dares to tamper
with the country's security, safety, and stability," Salam said during a cabinet
session, adding that his government will act firmly against the possession,
transport or use of weapons outside state control. Lebanon's Information
Minister Paul Morcos said two people detained in the truck have been referred to
judicial authorities and that security agencies will go after other people
involved in the case. The truck was carrying 780 kilograms (1,720 pounds) of
explosives, including 250 kilograms (550 pounds) of TNT and 250 kilograms (550
pounds) of C4 plastic explosives, judicial officials told The Associated Press.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations,
said the two people who were detained have said they were only told to take the
material from the northeastern region of Baalbek to Beirut without being told
what it would be used for. They were supposed to hand it over to a man south of
Beirut whom they identified by his nom de guerre, Zulfiqar, the officials said.
Hezbollah has declined comment.
For years, Hezbollah has moved weapons freely in parts of Lebanon. That changed
in March, when the Lebanese government declared all military activities by the
Iran-backed group "illegal." That decision came hours after Hezbollah fired
rockets into northern Israel, triggering a three-month war that killed nearly
4,000 people in Lebanon. The group fired the rockets two days after Israel and
the United States launched a war on Iran. Morcos quoted Salam as saying he
understood people's concerns about the shipment, noting that C-4 explosives had
been used in several "infamous political assassinations in Lebanon's modern
history." It was unclear whether Hezbollah planned to use the explosives and
pebbles in the fiber-optic drones it has been deploying against Israeli troops
occupying parts of southern Lebanon. Salam said during the meeting that Lebanese
people should be confident the government would not hesitate to pursue and
broaden the investigation to identify "all those involved in this criminal
operation and those behind them."
Berri says national unity key to resolving Lebanon's crises
Naharnet/October 12, 2026
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called Monday for national unity, saying he is in
constant communication with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf
Salam. Berri told An-Nahar newspaper, in remarks published Monday, that his
relationship with Aoun and Salam is "good" and that "communication with both is
ongoing." He said Lebanon has no choice but to rely on "national unity" to face
all its problems and crises.
Geagea says Hezbollah chain of command must be dismantled over explosives bust
Naharnet /October 12, 2026
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said the hundreds of kilograms of explosives
that were busted at the Dahr al-Baydar checkpoint "were probably intended to be
used inside Lebanon," called on the state to continue its investigation "even if
it should include (Hezbollah chief Sheikh) Naim Qassem." In an interview with
French-language daily L'Orient-Le Jour, Geagea said the incident is "the most
dangerous in years," calling on the state to take a firm stand and complete its
efforts to establish a monopoly on weapons. "It's not just a dangerous incident.
It's the most dangerous incident in years. Especially since the weapons seized
included C-4, which is generally used in assassinations," Geagea said. "Then
there is another indicator that must be taken into account: the shipment was
headed from the Bekaa to Beirut. If the weapons in question were really intended
for use against Israel, the vehicle could have taken another route to reach
south Lebanon.""All this leads me to say that these weapons were probably
intended for use inside Lebanon," he added. "The military institution announced
about two weeks ago that it had seized 250 kilograms of explosives. If the Dahr
al-Baydar case were now to end with just two arrests, it would be a real
scandal," Geagea said. He added: "It's not just the car's driver and his
companion who should be arrested. The investigation should continue until the
entire chain of command is dismantled, even if it includes Naim Qassem," he
said. "This time, we will not accept the case ending with two minor arrests."
Asked what message he wanted to send President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister
Nawaf Salam after the incident, Geagea replied: "What happened shows that it is
dangerous not to act." He called for state institutions to be "cleansed of
elements close to Hezbollah," arguing that "they cannot stand up to the
militia."
Lebanese Judiciary Widens Probe into
Hezbollah Explosives Shipment
Beirut: Youssef Diab/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13, 2026
Lebanese judicial authorities have expanded their investigation into a shipment
of explosives seized in Dahr al-Baydar, on the Bekaa-Beirut highway, seeking to
establish its origin, intended recipients and purpose amid renewed fears of
political assassinations.
The investigation is being overseen by Prosecutor General Ahmad Rami al-Hajj and
Military Court Government Commissioner Judge Claude Ghanem. Ghanem returned the
preliminary investigation files of two detainees, identified as Ali K. and
Haitham A., to military police investigators, requesting further questioning
about the explosives and their intended destination. He also ordered security
agencies to identify two individuals known as Sajed and Zulfiqar, described by
the detainees as Hezbollah officials. A senior judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat
that preliminary confessions indicated Sajed had handed over the shipment in the
Bekaa Valley, while Zulfiqar was awaiting its delivery in Beirut’s southern
suburbs. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified Ali K. as
the son of a Resistance Brigades official in central Bekaa. Both detainees
admitted belonging to Hezbollah, the source added. Investigators were instructed
to identify other suspects, amid suspicions that a larger group trained in
handling explosives was involved. “The quantity and dangerous nature of the
shipment suggest the operation involved more than those responsible for handing
over, receiving and transporting it,” the source explained.
Fears of Renewed Assassinations
Identifying the two alleged Hezbollah officials could help determine whether the
seized explosives were part of a broader weapons trafficking operation.
According to the judicial source, the shipment is believed to have contained
more than 500 kilograms of explosives, packed in cardboard boxes alongside small
metal balls and nails designed to penetrate vehicle bodywork when propelled by
an explosion. The discovery has revived fears of a return to the wave of
assassinations Lebanon experienced between 2005 and 2012, the source warned.
However, the official cautioned that establishing the existence of a security
plot would require evidence beyond the seizure itself.
Calls to Disband Hezbollah’s Military Structure
The case has prompted political demands for the dismantling of Hezbollah’s
military and security apparatus. Lebanese Kataeb Party leader MP Sami Gemayel
urged the state to dismantle Hezbollah’s military and security infrastructure
immediately, warning against a recurrence of the assassinations that struck
Lebanon between 2004 and 2008. Gemayel recalled the 2005 explosives truck case,
arguing that the failure to intercept it had led to the assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. MP Ashraf Rifi, a former senior security official,
described the seizure as an extremely serious development and a test of state
authority and institutional credibility. He demanded that investigators uncover
the entire network, prosecute everyone involved, including any implicated
leaders, and examine possible links to previous assassinations without political
interference or compromise. Rifi also called for eliminating Hezbollah’s
military and security structures operating outside state authority. Justice
Minister Adel Nassar, meanwhile, pledged that the investigation and all related
inquiries would continue to their conclusion. In a post on X, he stressed that
disarming unauthorized groups and combating terrorism were non-negotiable
objectives, adding that efforts to achieve them would be stepped up.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
October 12-13/2026 (Some of the News reports below are
translated from Arabic by AI)
US and Allies Warn Iran of
"Unacceptable" Behavior Following "Fairford" Incident
Over 25 countries back London's accusation that Tehran was involved in the
airbase security breach
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 12, 2026
The United States and its partners—including Britain, Australia, Canada, France,
and Germany—warned Iran on Monday against carrying out hostile actions on their
soil, following an incident that caused significant concern at Britain's RAF
Fairford airbase, which London believes was directed by Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In a joint statement published by the U.S. Department of State and signed by 29
entities, it stated that "any attempt by Iran to threaten, silence, intimidate,
harass, harm, or coerce individuals on our soil, whether through proxies or by
any other means, is completely unacceptable."British Prime Minister Andy Burnham
stated on Monday that there is a "high probability" that the suspected plot
targeting RAF Fairford was coordinated in Iran and almost certainly directed by
the IRGC, according to Reuters. Speaking before Parliament, he added: "We will
not tolerate these threats on our soil. We will resolutely counter Iran's use of
criminal networks, use our full powers to target these networks and their
sources of funding, and impose further sanctions to curb Iran's and the IRGC's
capacity to inflict harm on us."On Monday evening, the British Foreign Office
issued a joint statement signed by more than 25 countries, including the United
States, supporting Britain's accusation of Iranian involvement in the Fairford
incident. In a related context, Britain announced sanctions on two Iranian
nationals, with the government stating that one of them is involved in Iranian
activities aimed at threatening, planning, or executing attacks in Britain or a
third country. The Fairford incident dates back to September 27, when British
police arrested five British men near the airbase—which American bombers have
used during the conflict to launch strikes on Iran—on suspicion of involvement
in a plot targeting the facility. Authorities later detained two others, one
holding dual British and Iranian citizenship, before all seven suspects were
released on bail while investigations continued. U.S. President Donald Trump
said last week that an Iran-linked threat prompted Washington to withdraw U.S.
B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford. U.S. officials told Reuters that there was a
suspected drone attack plot involving Iran.
Iran has previously rejected any suggestion of involvement in the Fairford
incident, calling it "unfounded and malicious speculation." The official Iranian
news agency IRNA reported on Monday that Iran's Ambassador to Britain, Seyed Ali
Mousavi, denied any Tehran role in the suspected plot targeting the Royal Air
Force base, stating that Iran is prepared to cooperate with British authorities
in investigating the case. British authorities have accused Iran of involvement
in numerous plots inside Britain. In July, London invoked new powers to halt the
use of state-sponsored proxies, aimed at banning any support for the IRGC and an
affiliated group accused of orchestrating attacks on sites in the country
associated with Jews, Israelis, and Persian-language media.
Burnham Deems Iranian Involvement in Fairford Likely...
While the Guards Attack a Tanker in Hormuz
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 12, 2026
As tensions remain high in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's relations with the
outside world faced a new crisis after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham
stated that the "RAF Fairford incident was likely coordinated in Iran under the
direction of the Revolutionary Guard." Burnham confirmed that Britain will
impose new sanctions on Iran. In this context, Reuters reported that "the latest
package of British sanctions includes an Iranian citizen involved in hostile
state-linked activity outside Iran."Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry
Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that his country is still studying a U.S.
response to its proposal regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and
will reply to Washington through intermediaries once the study is complete. On
Sunday, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Mohsen
Rezaei, said that the U.S. response to the seven conditions put forward by
Tehran to reopen the strait was "insufficient." Tensions have escalated in the
Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman with renewed Iranian attacks on commercial
vessels and oil tankers, causing traffic through the strait to drop to its
lowest level in over two months, according to Reuters. This follows a surge in
attacks on oil tankers last week to the highest level since the outbreak of the
war.The IRGC announced Monday that its forces targeted a vessel attempting to
cross the Strait of Hormuz, causing it to catch fire. The IRGC Navy stated that
"a giant oil tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire." The
statement added that the targeted ship attempted to cross "after disabling its
automatic identification and tracking systems" and ignored "warnings issued by
the IRGC Navy."
Iran: IRGC Announces Attack on Vessel in Strait of
Hormuz/Tehran stated that the targeted ship attempted to cross "after disabling
its identification and tracking systems"
Tehran: Agencies/October 12, 2026
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Monday that its forces
targeted a vessel attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a fire
onboard. The IRGC Navy said in a statement published on its website, Sepah News,
that "a giant oil tanker was struck in the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire."
The statement added that the targeted ship attempted to cross "after disabling
its identification and tracking systems" and ignored "warnings issued by the
IRGC Navy," according to its claims. Iran has restricted navigation in this
vital strait since the Middle East war began on February 28. In response,
Washington imposed a blockade on Iranian ports. Navigation in the strait and
control over it have become central points of friction between Tehran and
Washington, with the former insisting on managing traffic through a designated
corridor, a stance rejected by Washington and numerous other parties.The United
Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Monday that a tanker, a
crude oil tanker, a product tanker, and a container ship were attacked by
unidentified projectiles on Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz. Late Sunday into
Monday, the agency reported that an oil tanker was attacked by a drone near the
anchorage of Sohar in Oman, noting that local authorities assisted in evacuating
the crew.Since the beginning of the war, Iran has repeatedly targeted ships
attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz without securing its permission. Over
the weekend, the commander of the IRGC naval forces, Ali Azamayi, warned that
any vessel turning off its tracking devices to evade detection while crossing
the strait would be considered a "hostile target."
Iran Demands Britain Provide Evidence Supporting
Fairford Accusations/Following Burnham's remarks, the Iranian Ambassador in
Tehran renewed denials of any Tehran role in the incident
Tehran: Agencies/October 12, 2026
Iran renewed its denial on Monday of any involvement in an incident that
occurred in late September at a military base in England used by the U.S.
military in its war against Tehran, after Prime Minister Andy Burnham suggested
Iranian complicity. According to IRNA, "Iranian Ambassador to London Ali Mousavi
once again categorically rejected accusations regarding Tehran's role in the
Fairford military base incident." The official Iranian agency added that the
diplomat "demanded that the British government provide evidence supporting its
accusations, if any exist." This followed accusations leveled Monday by the
British government blaming the IRGC for the incident, which triggered a major
security alert at the U.S.-utilized Fairford airbase. Alongside its allies,
Britain warned Tehran against carrying out hostile actions on their soil.
Speaking about the security event in the House of Commons, Prime Minister
Burnham said: "Our assessment is that it is highly likely to have been
coordinated in Iran, with near-certain direction from the IRGC." Last week, the
United States abruptly announced the withdrawal of all B-1 bombers from the
Royal Air Force base following the incident. Burnham added: "We will not
tolerate these threats on our soil. We will resolutely counter Iran's use of
criminal networks, using our full powers to target them and their financial
channels." Shortly after his remarks, 29 countries—including the United States,
Britain, Australia, Canada, France, and Germany—issued a joint statement
condemning "in the strongest possible terms Iran's use of violent attacks." The
statement noted that these attacks included "planning for lethal operations,
arson, sabotage, cyberattacks, and other multi-faceted activities against us and
our partners."The text continued: "Any attempt by Iran to threaten, silence,
intimidate, harass, harm, or coerce individuals on our soil, whether through
proxies or by any other means, is unacceptable."British Foreign Secretary David
Miliband stated: "We are also announcing the designation of two Iranian
nationals for their role in facilitating or engaging in hostile activities on
behalf of the Iranian regime, with the clear intent to threaten, plan, or
execute attacks abroad." His ministry noted that one of the individuals is
Ruhollah Bazghandi, head of IRGC counterintelligence operations, who "is now
subject to immediate measures including asset freezes and travel
bans."Significant speculation has surrounded the incident since police were
called to the base in southwest England on September 27 after a group of men
with white pickup trucks were reported engaging in "suspicious" activity.
Although counterterrorism police conducted an extensive investigation, the seven
suspects arrested over several days—including a British-Iranian citizen—were
released on bail, and no charges have been filed. British authorities initially
classified the incident as "major," prompting the evacuation of a village
adjacent to the base, though the source and nature of the threat remained
shrouded in mystery. Investigators found no explosives in the pickup trucks, but
recovered a quantity of gasoline, according to officials.
Saudi energy minister says attacks testing
infrastructure, vows response
Agence France Presse/October 12, 2026
Saudi Arabia's energy minister acknowledged on Monday that the kingdom's
infrastructure and resilience had been tested, as he vowed a firm response
following a wave of deadly attacks by Yemen's Houthis. The Houthi attacks over
the weekend marked a sharp escalation in the Yemen war, where Saudi Arabia has
long supported the internationally recognized government. On Sunday, a strike
hit Riyadh's international airport, killing one person, just hours after another
Houthi-claimed attack on the site killed 13 people and left hundreds of others
wounded, forcing authorities to suspend operations there. The attacks on Saudi
Arabia, a regional powerhouse and the world's top oil exporter which has poured
billions of dollars into its military, were the deadliest to hit the kingdom in
a decade. "For Saudi Arabia, these circumstances have tested our infrastructure,
our institutions, our people, and our resilience. They have also tested
decisions made long before present crises, because resilience is built before
crises begin," Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said."Energy security
can't be taken for granted," he told a high-profile conference in Riyadh. "The
events of recent weeks are serious, our response must be equally serious."
'The whole house shook'
The Houthis on Sunday claimed multiple attacks over the last 24 hours, including
on the airport, and threatened to keep targeting the kingdom's transit hubs,
calling them "a theatre of operations for our forces".Hours later, the Saudi-led
coalition fighting the group reported that a projectile struck the capital's
King Khalid International Airport, sparking a fire. Air defenses also
intercepted a missile nearby, it added. AFP journalists and locals reported
hearing multiple blasts in the city on Sunday. "The whole house shook," said one
resident of the Al-Aarid neighborhood in the city's north. Authorities extended
the suspension of operations at the airport, even as Saudi Arabia's high-profile
convention and entertainment season kicks off this month. Riyadh usually hosts a
packed calendar of events, including its flagship investment conference drawing
foreign leaders and business titans. The airport was not the only one in the
country to be targeted: the civil aviation authority also reported another
attack on Dammam airport in the east. The Saudi-led coalition said Monday it had
also "intercepted and destroyed" a Houthi ballistic missile heading for the
southern city of Khamis Mushait, home to a major military base.
'Full-fledged war crime'
Although Saudi Arabia has poured billions into its military, Houthi attacks
continue to slip through. "Saudi air defenses have been able to intercept some
Houthi missile and drone attacks, but Saudi Arabia is so large that it's simply
impossible for them to consistently defend themselves," said Thomas Juneau,
security analyst at Ottawa University. The anti-Houthi coalition called
Saturday's attack a "full-fledged war crime" and vowed to "respond decisively".
Houthi media reported two Saudi strikes in Yemen's Houthi-controlled Sanaa
governorate on Sunday. A spokesman for the Houthi-run health ministry said on X
that one of the strikes killed a civilian and wounded five others. Saturday's
attack on Riyadh drew condemnation from the United Nations and leaders around
the world, including US President Donald Trump, who said he was considering
joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, whose country does not have diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia,
also denounced the "horrific terrorist attack". Iran, which backs the Houthis,
said Monday it was "deeply concerned" over the escalation. Four Saudi citizens,
two Bangladeshis, one American, one Egyptian, one Jordanian, one Syrian, one
Palestinian and one Sudanese were killed, the civil aviation authority said,
with 309 people wounded. The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia also said one of its
citizens died on Sunday after being wounded the day before.
Chaos
Witnesses to Saturday's strike described chaos in the aftermath. "Some had lost
a hand or an arm. People were running while carrying injured people, covered in
blood," a 32-year-old Riyadh resident told AFP. The US, Canadian, German and
Spanish embassies in Saudi Arabia have warned their citizens to avoid Riyadh
airport. Saudi Arabia leads an international coalition that has supported
Yemen's government militarily since 2015, including by seeking to exert control
over Yemeni airspace and the airport in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa. Ottawa
University's Juneau said the Houthis now "want to do to Saudi Arabia what Saudi
Arabia does to them".On the ground in Yemen, Saudi-supported government forces
were advancing in their counter-offensive against the Houthis around the Bab al-Mandab
strait, a key shipping route, military sources said Saturday.The Houthis claimed
to have repelled them.
Claims by both sides have been impossible to independently verify, with the
situation moving fast on the ground and access for journalists difficult.
India Announces Two Sailors Missing Following Attack on
Vessel off Oman Coast
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 12, 2026
India's Minister of Shipping announced that two Indian sailors are missing after
a commercial vessel was attacked by a "drone" on Sunday off the coast of Oman.
Minister of Shipping Sarbananda Sonawal stated that the oil tanker MT Petro
Dolphin, carrying 11 Indian crew members, was targeted by a drone while located
in an area belonging to the port of Sohar in northern Oman. He added: "We are
coordinating continuously with all relevant stakeholders to provide full support
to ongoing rescue efforts and ensure every possible action is taken."In a post
on the X platform, Sonawal wrote: "While 9 of our Indian crew members have been
successfully rescued and are safe, two Indian nationals remain missing." He
added that search and rescue operations by local authorities are ongoing to
locate the missing crew members and return them safely. Sonawal also noted that
the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Valthira, carrying 11 Indian sailors, was
struck by a projectile on Sunday while navigating the Strait of Hormuz, causing
a fire onboard, though he confirmed that all Indian crew members are safe. India
is one of the largest contributors of seafarers to the global commercial
shipping sector, with their number exceeding 320,000 in 2025, according to the
Indian Ministry of Shipping. Several Indian sailors have been killed in attacks
targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz since the United States and Israel
launched strikes on Iran on February 28. The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
condemned an attack last Tuesday on a Panama-flagged ship hit by a projectile
off the coast of Oman while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The ministry stated
that "ongoing incidents targeting ships in the region continue to be a source of
grave concern," adding: "We renew our call for an immediate halt to these
attacks to preserve peace and stability in the region."
Trump: Houthis Behaving Badly and Unacceptably/US President reiterates
condemnation of Houthi attack on Riyadh airport
Riyadh: AlArabiya.net/October 12, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his condemnation of Houthi attacks against
Saudi Arabia on Monday, describing the group's behavior as "bad." Responding to
a question from a correspondent for Al Arabiya and Al Hadath channels, Trump
stated that the Houthis "are behaving badly," adding that the attack targeting
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday was "terrible." The U.S.
President's remarks follow Houthi attacks on King Khalid Airport in Riyadh and
King Fahd Airport in Dammam. Meanwhile, the Arab Coalition to Restore Legitimacy
in Yemen announced Monday that it intercepted a ballistic missile launched by
the Houthis toward Riyadh. Coalition spokesperson Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki
posted on X: "Interception and destruction of a ballistic missile launched by
the terrorist Houthi militia toward Riyadh." Later, the coalition announced in a
statement the interception and destruction of two ballistic missiles launched by
the Houthi militia toward Khamis Mushait. "Giant Brigades" Reinforce Al-Mudharabah
Front in Lahj Amid Clashes with Houthis
The Giant Brigades praised the fighting spirit of the Al-Subeihi tribes in
defending their land
AlArabiya.net: Awsan Salem/October 12, 2026
The frontlines in northwestern Lahj, western Yemen, witnessed fierce battles on
Monday between government forces and Houthi militia fighters in the Al-Mudharabah
district. Field sources reported that clashes concentrated in the Al-Aghabarah,
Al-Mansoura, and Al-Mahawilah fronts—located 48 kilometers east of Bab
el-Mandeb—following a Houthi attack on "Giant Brigades" forces stationed there
since Sunday. Field sources indicated that Houthi military build-ups and heavy
artillery and drone cover were deployed across these fronts in an attempt to
breach the area and reach the strategic Mount Hawab. The Giant Brigades
announced Monday that they reinforced the Al-Mudharabah district front in Lahj
Governorate—adjacent to the Al-Wazi'iyah district in Taiz Governorate—to counter
the Houthi militia and block any advances toward the Al-Subeihi regions. In a
post on X, the Giant Brigades praised the Al-Subeihi tribes for fighting to
defend their land, affirming their "shared destiny in the existential battle
against the Houthis." They also expressed appreciation for coalition air
support. The Giant Brigades published footage of dozens of Houthi prisoners
receiving medical care at a hospital.
Yemeni Armed Forces Target Houthi Positions and Build-ups
in Marib and Al-Jawf/Yemeni warplanes targeted militia reinforcements and
fortifications in Marib
Riyadh: AlArabiya.net October 12, 2026
The Yemeni Armed Forces targeted Houthi militia positions and build-ups across
various areas in Marib Governorate on Monday using artillery and drone strikes,
inflicting personnel and equipment losses. Units of the Yemeni Armed Forces
within the Third Military Region operational zone carried out successful raids
targeting militia positions on the southern fronts, resulting in the death and
injury of a number of Houthi elements. This comes as Yemeni Armed Forces within
the Seventh Military Region operational zone continue to clash with the Houthi
militia on the northern front. Yemeni warplanes carried out three airstrikes
targeting Houthi reinforcements and fortifications on the southern fronts, and
seven strikes on the northwestern fronts. In the same context, Yemeni warplanes
executed strikes targeting Houthi positions and build-ups east of the Al-Hazm
district in Al-Jawf Governorate.
Coalition: 3 Ballistic Missiles Launched by Houthis Toward Riyadh and Khamis
Mushait Intercepted
Riyadh - AlArabiya.net/October 12, 2026
The Arab Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen announced the interception and
destruction of a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia
toward Riyadh. The Saudi Civil Defense had earlier announced the activation of
early warning sirens in Riyadh, urging residents to monitor alerts issued via
official channels and adhere to instructions and guidelines for their safety.
Later, the coalition announced in a statement the interception and destruction
of two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi militia toward Khamis Mushait.
Scholars and Muftis from 70 Countries Condemn Houthi
Terrorism and Call for Decisive International Action/They affirmed that the
security of the Two Holy Mosques and the safety of pilgrims is a concern for
Muslims worldwide
Riyadh: Asharq Al-Awsat/October 12, 2026
One hundred seventy-six ministers, scholars, muftis, heads of associations,
universities, and Islamic institutions from more than 70 countries worldwide
expressed strong condemnation and profound denunciation of the attacks carried
out by the Iran-backed Houthi militias against Saudi Arabia. They highlighted
these acts as a threat to the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the safety of
pilgrims, as well as an assault on civilian and vital airports and facilities,
affirming their full solidarity with Riyadh in all measures taken to protect its
territory, safeguard its security and stability, and defend Islamic sanctities.
In statements and cables sent to Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and
Guidance Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif Al Al-Sheikh, they affirmed that these attacks
represent a flagrant violation of the sanctity of Islamic holy sites, an assault
on human and moral values, and a disregard for the sanctity of life protected by
Islamic law. They stressed that the Houthi militia's actions reveal a total lack
of human and moral values, underscoring the grave danger of practices that
threaten regional security and stability and demand a decisive international
stance holding perpetrators accountable under international laws and
regulations. They also emphasized that deliberately endangering innocent lives,
terrorizing civilians, and obstructing guests of God from reaching their
destinations demonstrates the militia's contempt for human life and Islamic
principles, constituting a grave violation of international laws and norms that
requires serious international action to protect civilian facilities and ensure
traveler safety. Standing with Saudi Arabia against these attacks is a
religious, moral, and humanitarian duty, they stressed, affirming that the
security of the Two Holy Mosques and the safety of pilgrims is not a matter
concerning the Kingdom alone, but a cause for Muslims across the globe given the
immense status of Makkah and Madinah. They noted that harming the Kingdom's
security or threatening Islamic sanctities constitutes an assault on the
sentiments of the entire Islamic nation. Participants concurred that the
Kingdom's measures to protect its territory, defend its security and stability,
and safeguard the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims enjoy appreciation and support
from Muslims and rational people worldwide, affirming the Kingdom's legitimate
right to take all measures guaranteeing its sovereignty, the security of its
citizens and residents, and the defense of Islamic sanctities and civilian
facilities. They commended the historical and pioneering role of Saudi Arabia,
led by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown
Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, in serving Islam
and Muslims, caring for the Two Holy Mosques, and harnessing resources to serve
pilgrims. They stressed that these great efforts are a source of pride for
Muslims worldwide and that targeting the Kingdom cannot be separated from its
Islamic standing and noble responsibilities in patronizing holy sites.
They called upon the international community and relevant organizations to
shoulder their legal, humanitarian, and moral responsibilities in confronting
these attacks, and to take firm positions and measures to deter perpetrators,
hold them accountable, and prevent recurrence. They reiterated their unwavering
solidarity and full support for the Kingdom, its leadership, and its people
against all threats to its security, stability, and Islamic sanctities.
Widespread Denunciation. The Muslim World League received cables, letters, and
communications from prominent Islamic figures, including muftis and senior
scholars, strongly denouncing and condemning Houthi terrorist crimes against
Saudi Arabia. The muftis and scholars expressed full solidarity with Saudi
Arabia in all measures taken to preserve the security and safety of Islamic
sanctities in Makkah, Madinah, and across the Kingdom. They also pointed out
that the militia has become a threat to international peace and security, and a
danger to energy supplies and the global economy. They expressed great
confidence in Saudi Arabia's ability to confront this terrorism, noting that
responsibility for its repercussions now extends to the international community.
For its part, Al-Azhar condemned in the strongest terms the criminal attack
targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which resulted in deaths
and injuries among innocent civilians and Umrah pilgrims. It affirmed that
targeting civilian facilities and visitors to the Two Holy Mosques provokes the
sentiments of Muslims, constitutes an unacceptable violation of human values and
international norms, and directly impinges upon the Kingdom's security and
territorial integrity. In a statement, Al-Azhar renewed its complete rejection
of repeated criminal attacks, warned against the consequences of such
persistence, and stressed that safeguarding regional security requires the
immediate cessation of these attacks and full respect for state sovereignty and
territorial integrity.
Pakistan Urges Afghanistan’s Taliban to Prevent
Cross-Border Militant Attacks/Pakistani Foreign Minister warns that these
militant groups may ultimately threaten the Taliban's own rule
Islamabad: Agencies/October 12, 2026
Pakistan urged the Afghan Taliban administration on Monday to prevent militants
from using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan, renewing its
warning that these same militant groups could ultimately threaten the Taliban's
own rule. Tensions have escalated between the neighbors amid frequent border
clashes and Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan, deepening a long-running
dispute over militant activity. In September, the United Nations Assistance
Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that it had documented more than 1,100
civilian deaths and injuries due to cross-border violence in Afghanistan this
year. Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, speaking at a think-tank
event broadcast on Pakistani television, stated that he had previously issued a
warning to the Prime Minister of the Afghan Taliban administration, Mullah
Mohammad Hassan Akhund, during a visit to Kabul in July 2025.
"I gently reminded him that if the Afghan authorities fail to take appropriate
action against terrorist groups operating from their soil, the day will come
when these groups will threaten his government as well," Ishaq Dar added. He
provided no details regarding Afghanistan's response, and there was no immediate
comment from Kabul. Ishaq Dar warned that the Afghan Taliban regime will
ultimately face the consequences if it fails to take action against "terrorists"
operating from its territory. Speaking at an international conference hosted by
the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) on the theme of "Evolving
Terrorist Landscape in Pakistan," Dar was quoted by Pakistani news channel Geo
News as saying: "If the Afghan government does not take action against
terrorists, it will face the consequences itself one day."According to Geo News,
Pakistan has recorded a sharp rise in "cross-border terrorist incidents,"
particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban
returned to power in 2021. Burnham: Closer UK-Europe Ties Essential to Counter
Russian Interference
UK Prime Minister: Failing to pursue stronger relations
with the European Union would amount to a "dereliction of duty"
London: Agencies/October 12, 2026
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham argued on Monday that Russia's attempts to
interfere in the European political landscape demonstrate why Britain must forge
a stronger relationship with the European Union, emphasizing that "the status
quo is no longer acceptable." Burnham stated that what he termed "Russian
attempts to interfere in democratic voting" across Europe—including the 2016 UK
membership referendum—highlight the importance of strengthening the United
Kingdom's ties with its neighbors following years of erosion resulting from
Brexit.
He told lawmakers in the House of Commons that failing to pursue stronger
relations with the 27-member EU, which the UK left in 2020, would amount to a
"dereliction of duty."These remarks follow Burnham's statement at the annual
Labour Party conference last month that "Brexit has done far more damage than it
has achieved benefits," and that the slim trade deal binding Britain to the EU
is hindering the country's progress. He added that he will seek political
consensus on a new relationship, with future options including the possibility
of rejoining the bloc.
European Union Expands Accession Talks with Ukraine and
Moldova/The European bloc has opened discussions with both countries regarding
the single market and inclusive growth
Luxembourg: DPA/October 12, 2026
The European Union has decided to expand accession negotiations with Ukraine and
Moldova, as representatives of the 27 member states agreed in Luxembourg on
Monday to open talks on two additional substantive negotiation areas. The Irish
Presidency of the Council of the European Union stated that these two areas
specifically concern the single market, as well as competitiveness and inclusive
growth. The single market encompasses the free movement of goods, services,
capital, and labor, while competitiveness covers topics such as economic and tax
policy, education, and research. The decision to expand talks is viewed as an
important signal to both countries that their reform initiatives are bearing
fruit. For Ukraine in particular, which has been at war with Russia for a fifth
year, these two areas require an immense effort. The EU accession negotiation
process is designed to ensure that candidate countries meet all membership
requirements. To make the process more manageable, it has been divided into 35
chapters. Of these chapters, 33 are allocated to six thematic areas known as
clusters. Talks, particularly regarding Ukraine, are not expected to conclude
before the next decade. According to experts, Ukraine remains a significant
distance away from meeting EU standards, particularly in areas such as
anti-corruption enforcement.
Merz and Zelenskyy Hold Russia Responsible for Agreeing to
an "Energy Truce"/The Ukrainian President stresses the need "not to give Russia
any chance to break Ukraine and Europe"
Berlin: Agencies/October 12, 2026
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
expressed their belief that Russia is obligated to agree to a ceasefire with
Ukraine covering the entire energy infrastructure of both countries. This
statement was made on Monday evening by German government spokesperson Steffen
Cornelius following a telephone conversation between Merz and Zelenskyy.
Cornelius explained that Zelenskyy briefed the German Chancellor on the
"intensive Russian airstrikes targeting civilian targets and energy
infrastructure in Ukraine over the past weekend." Merz reiterated Germany's
solidarity with Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump had previously claimed that
both Ukraine and Russia would halt attacks on each other's energy sectors.
Zelenskyy expressed openness to the proposal, but stressed that Russia has not
yet responded to it. Zelenskyy confirmed holding talks with Merz and several
high-ranking foreign political officials, including NATO Secretary General Mark
Rutte and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. In a video message, Zelenskyy said:
"Everyone's position is absolutely clear: Ukraine must be supported, and Russia
must not be given any chance to break Ukraine and Europe." Zelenskyy expressed
gratitude for the support his country has already received, stating: "The most
important thing is having aid packages that help strengthen our defense and
protection." The "Diesel Deal" and Ukraine’s Elections: Will Putin Reaping New
Gains?
New European sanctions against Moscow aimed at mitigating
Trump's momentum
Moscow: Raed Gabr/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 12, 2026
Ever since U.S. President Donald Trump announced the "diesel deal" with Russia,
the Russian-Ukrainian war appeared to enter a new turning point defined by a
re-evaluation of priorities among key parties—directly or indirectly involved—in
light of domestic electoral interests in the United States and the U.S.
administration's readiness to exert greater pressure on Ukrainians in the
upcoming phase. Although the deal sparked noisy controversy inside the United
States and drew angry reactions in Europe and within Ukraine itself, it was
noticeable that the Kremlin did not rush to announce official stances regarding
it. Instead, it limited itself to silently directing relevant departments within
the country to create favorable conditions for its success, given that it
undermines one of the fundamental pillars of sanctions imposed on Russia's oil
sector. This prompted Energy Minister Alexander Novak to announce the lifting of
the ban on diesel exports while attempting to reassure the domestic market that
the deal "will not harm domestic consumer needs," noting that Russia internally
faces a severe shortage of fuel and diesel supplies. Moscow took a second step
toward cementing its gain by conditioning the implementation of the deal's terms
on the lifting of restrictions imposed on Russian companies. However, the most
significant dimension emerged with the political fallout of the deal and the
revival of U.S. discussions regarding the necessity of holding presidential
elections to choose a new leader for Ukraine. This followed an angry reaction
from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who viewed the diesel deal as an
"investment in war" and vowed to continue targeting Russian energy facilities as
long as Moscow continues to target energy infrastructure in his country. This
development poses a new dilemma for all parties supporting Ukraine. Elections,
which have been delayed for two years, cannot be held under fire, as Ukrainians
argue; rather, a comprehensive ceasefire of at least two months must be declared
to successfully hold the electoral process, according to Zelenskyy's demand.
This appears highly unlikely under current circumstances, especially since
Washington failed even to impose a temporary truce in the energy sector, and
mutual strikes between Moscow and Kyiv on this sector continued even after the
announcement of the diesel deal. How, then, will Washington succeed in
persuading the Kremlin to accept a comprehensive truce of at least two months?
This may be one of the most prominent files on the table of U.S.-European
dialogues, which prompted Trump's advisors Steve Witkof and Jared Kushner to
cancel their anticipated visit to Moscow and Kyiv to focus on talks with
Europeans.
An Unlikely Truce
However, conditions do not appear ripe for launching a broad truce and preparing
for Ukrainian elections—at least this became evident immediately after the
Kremlin's stern response to the two-month truce demand, when it announced
Putin's readiness to halt bombardment only on the day voters head to the polls,
and only if Kyiv demonstrates seriousness in conducting the elections. In
response to a question regarding its stance on Zelenskyy's readiness to hold
elections in Ukraine upon reaching a 60-day ceasefire with Russia, the Kremlin
stated: "The Kremlin has repeatedly stressed—both by President Putin and at
other levels—that we do not want a ceasefire, but rather a long-term peace, and
we are ready to do everything in our power to achieve it." Between Zelenskyy's
demands and the Kremlin's conditions, the "diesel deal" maneuver and its
aftermath appeared to bring new gains for Putin. It forcefully resurrected the
file of the legitimacy of the Ukrainian presidency without obligating Moscow to
make concessions or stop the war. Moreover, the Kremlin has grown increasingly
convinced that U.S. sanctions on the oil sector are on a path toward gradual
dismantling. This prompted Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov to
announce Moscow's "gratitude" for the efforts of U.S. negotiators to resolve the
crisis in Ukraine, contrasted with a fierce campaign against Europeans, accusing
them once again of being part of the problem rather than the solution. Peskov
stated that Europe continues to do everything in its power to prevent a
settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, adding that Europeans lean more toward
war and seek to prolong the conflict—repeating his country's stance that
Europeans "are not part of the peace party; rather, they are closer to the war
party."
U.S.-European Dialogue
This rhetoric preceded new rounds of U.S.-European talks designed to formulate a
joint position on the issues of the deal and Ukrainian elections. Days ago,
Miami hosted talks between representatives of the United States, Ukraine, and
the "European Troika" (comprising Britain, Germany, and France), alongside the
European Commission and NATO. On the following morning, it was announced that
the talks had concluded ahead of schedule and that the second day, which had
been planned, was canceled. Media sources reported that the talks aimed to
discuss a comprehensive new proposal to end the Ukrainian conflict, noting that
they halted prematurely after the U.S. President announced, following a
telephone call with his Russian counterpart, that an agreement had been reached
with Russia regarding diesel fuel.
According to sources cited by Axios, Witkof and Kushner informed the Ukrainian
side during the meeting that Washington could cut off Kyiv's access to its
intelligence information if it fails to make concessions. Following recent
developments, the parties appeared to be preparing to resume talks to discuss
mechanisms for handling the new situation. Axios reported that Witkof and
Kushner postponed their visit to Moscow until the extent of Kyiv's and European
nations' willingness to support a new unified peace proposal becomes clear
before presenting it to Russia. Axios had previously reported that Witkof and
Kushner intended to visit the Russian capital before the end of the current
month. Meanwhile, Peskov indicated that Moscow has no information on whether
Witkof and Kushner's visit to Moscow will take place this month.
Will the Truce Succeed? While clarity is awaited regarding potential
understandings between Washington and European capitals, questions have arisen
over Trump's ability to enforce the energy truce he announced without consulting
the Russian and Ukrainian sides.
On Sunday, Zelenskyy accused Russia of targeting energy facilities in Ukraine
following Trump's surprise announcement. Speaking after a conversation with
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Zelenskyy said: "The
Russians struck a power plant in Kyiv, and later, strikes targeted energy
facilities in the Kharkiv region. All of this happened after the U.S. President
made his statement about a ceasefire in the energy sector." Shortly thereafter,
he noted a strike targeting the CHP-5 power plant in the eastern city of Kharkiv,
adding that "Ukrainian skies were swarming with Shahed drones all day
long"—referring to Iranian-designed UAVs.
The Ukrainian president warned that his country will retaliate against Russia if
Moscow refuses to agree to an energy truce during the winter. Speaking Monday at
the Warsaw Security Forum, he stated that the U.S. President's announcement
regarding an energy truce sparked genuine interest and hope that the initiative
could succeed, affirming that Ukraine expressed its support for the idea as soon
as it was floated. He added: "If Russia does not agree to an energy truce this
winter, we will respond."
In a related context, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for expanding
the scope of the energy truce so that it is not limited to oil refineries,
thereby enhancing opportunities to protect more vital facilities from attacks.
She also noted that the EU is preparing sanctions targeting 1,600 entities
linked to the Russian defense industry as part of efforts to increase pressure
on Moscow over the war. The success of the energy truce remains contingent upon
Russian consent and adherence by both parties to halt attacks on targeted
facilities. Kallas emphasized on Monday via the X platform that "this is the
largest expansion of our sanctions list since Russia began its war, and Europe
is once again showing its unity," pointing out that "more than half of those
targeted by sanctions are linked to the ballistic missile production chain."
Alongside blacklisting individuals and entities, the EU has imposed multiple
sets of sanctions affecting broad sectors of the Russian economy. However,
growing concerns persist regarding a waning momentum for broad new sanctions as
EU member states face mounting difficulties in agreeing on measures that do not
severely harm their own economies.
UN: War and Drought Exacerbate Famine Risk in Sudan/Worsening situation in South
Darfur, particularly among displaced persons
AFP/October 12, 2026
UN experts warned on Monday that the risk of famine is growing in several
war-affected regions of Sudan, noting that an El Niño-induced drought is
compounding an already dire situation. The situation remains of grave concern
across most areas classified as facing a risk of famine according to the
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis issued in May 2026,
while new data indicates worsening rates of acute malnutrition in other areas.
This classification is issued by a UN-backed group of experts that measures
global hunger and malnutrition levels. "Despite growing indicators of
catastrophic deterioration, humanitarian intervention efforts are increasingly
curtailed due to severe funding shortages, insecurity, and access restrictions
across Kordofan," the experts said. In South Darfur, investigations revealed a
worsening situation, particularly among displaced populations. Acute food
insecurity also remains critical in North Darfur, where delayed rainfall has had
a devastating impact on crops, forcing many displaced farmers to rely on markets
for food rather than their own production, according to the experts' statement.
The IPC indicates that food stocks in North Darfur have reached critical levels,
and rising food prices reflect growing shortages. For its part, the World Health
Organization (WHO) expressed regret in a statement that healthcare is extremely
limited and frequently unavailable altogether, while drinking water is
increasingly scarce, leaving malnourished populations highly vulnerable to
disease and death. The experts and the WHO called for an end to the fighting,
enhanced humanitarian aid, and long-term funding for Sudan amid the ongoing war
between the Rapid Support Forces and the army that began in April 2023.
From Australia to Dubai: The "My Centre" Thread Opens a New Chapter in the
FlyDubai First Officer Case!
Janoubia/October 12, 2026
An Islamic center in the Australian city of Melbourne has entered the fray in
the case of an Omani FlyDubai first officer detained in the United Arab Emirates
on suspicion of attempting to assault the aircraft captain during a flight bound
for Israel, following the appearance of the center's name within details of the
investigation announced by the UAE Public Prosecution.According to media
reports, an official at the center denied any direct connection between the
institution and the suspect, rejecting what he described as false accusations
leveled against the center and affirming his objection to having its name linked
to the case. In a video published on social media, Abu Hamza—whom local media
also identified as Samir Mohtadi—stated that righteous figures throughout
history have faced attacks, accusations, and imprisonment, adding that he
sometimes prefers not to comment. Abu Hamza did not directly address what the
UAE Public Prosecution announced regarding the suspect's introduction to the
organization during his stay in Australia. According to official state media
reports, the UAE Public Prosecution announced that investigations examined the
suspect's intellectual and professional trajectory, indicating that signs of his
drift toward extremism began during his studies in Australia in 2017 when he
followed content related to extremist ideas. Investigations added, based on
published information, that the suspect met an organization in Australia known
as "My Centre," run by a Lebanese individual known as Abu Hamza. In contrast,
reports noted that the center and Abu Hamza do not face criminal charges in the
case, placing their denial within the framework of responding to reports
concerning the link between the center and the suspect's ideological path,
without implying any formal charges against them. In a related context, New
Zealand police stated that the suspect spent a period in New Zealand under a
six-month student visa, during which he completed part of his flight training.
This information forms part of wider investigations into the incident aboard the
FlyDubai flight, which led to the first officer's arrest and referral for
investigation in the UAE, amid close monitoring of his personal, professional,
and ideological trajectory and the circumstances surrounding the event. The case
continues to raise questions regarding the incident's details and potential
motives, while maintaining a necessary distinction between official statements
regarding the suspect and the Islamic center's denial of any direct connection
to the case.
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on October 12-13/2026
Riyadh Airport Attack: When a Strategy Backfires
Ghassan Charbel//Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13, 2026
The horrific crime committed against travelers at Riyadh Airport requires little
investigation or scrutiny. There is no need to collect fingerprints. The
perpetrator had already threatened to carry it out. Such an act is hardly out of
character, given its rhetoric, methods and history. It is, after all, an arsenal
in search of a confrontation to justify its existence and convince its sponsors
that it is worth the money spent on it. An arsenal that has brought about
repeated wars and airstrikes, as though it can survive only in the turbulent
waters of conflict. It instinctively understands that peace is its foremost
enemy and that stability leaves it no place. It was created to fight both peace
and stability. The crime came after the Houthi militia lost its ability to
maintain a presence in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Control of the waterway would
have greatly enhanced the militia’s value to its sponsors. It had hoped to offer
Iran a way to compensate for the serious damage inflicted by the US military on
Tehran’s plans to close the Strait of Hormuz. But the Houthis’ push into the
wider region proved to be something of a booby-trapped role that exploded in the
hands of those playing it. Rarely in the history of warfare has a civilian
airport crowded with passengers been the target of an attack. Committing a crime
of this magnitude most likely reflects the perpetrator’s panic. By seizing Bab
al-Mandab, the militia had hoped to establish itself as a player whose existence
or role could no longer be ignored. It may even have hoped to secure some
rewards in exchange for assurances to the “Great Satan” that it would not target
its ships. But events took a different turn. The militia may have panicked when
Yemen’s internationally recognized government launched Operation Dawn of Yemen,
presenting it as a campaign extending well beyond the recapture of the strait
and its surroundings. The offensive was given a broader objective: to
destabilize and weaken the Houthis’ mini-state, paving the way for its eventual
downfall. Another factor may have alarmed the Houthis: the exposure of the
militia’s true role before the region and the world. Forces that had previously
urged caution in confronting the militia and sought mitigating circumstances for
its actions came to recognize beyond doubt that the Houthis had deliberately
squandered every opportunity for a settlement. Their very existence is
inseparable from the regional mission assigned to them under Iran’s broader
agenda for the Middle East. The Houthis raised thunderous slogans, including
“Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” Yet their actions made clear that
these slogans were merely a cover for their primary mission: targeting Saudi
Arabia.This is hardly surprising. Over the past decades, Saudi Arabia has stood
as a formidable barrier to the objectives of the coup in Yemen and the much
larger upheaval engineered by Iran across the region. Saudi Arabia’s political,
economic and regional weight prevented the entire region from falling into the
grip of that broader Iranian project, which succeeded in making inroads in
certain countries but failed to wrest control of the Gulf’s decisions or the
region’s destiny.
The nature of Saudi Arabia’s role stands in direct opposition to the foundations
of this sweeping campaign to overturn the regional order. The Kingdom is a force
for stability, committed to the principles of international legitimacy and the
peaceful settlement of disputes through negotiation. It also acts with the
highest degree of responsibility toward the stability of the global economy, the
flow of energy and the security of supply chains. Saudi Arabia has never
conceded to the architects of this broader upheaval the right to reshape the
regional balance of power according to their interests. It opposed their
strategy of undermining governments and transferring decision-making authority
to militias. It remained committed to supporting legitimate authorities in
Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine. The Kingdom responded positively to every
effort by successive Iraqi governments to rebuild state institutions and extend
their authority across the country. It adopted the same approach toward the
Lebanese state’s efforts to reclaim decisions of war and peace and ensure that
weapons remain exclusively in the hands of legitimate authorities. The
importance of this Saudi role has grown considerably following the series of
shocks that struck several countries in the aftermath of the earthquake
unleashed by October 7.It is no exaggeration to say that the region is heading
into decisive weeks. This is not only because of the elections scheduled in
Israel and the United States, but also because of the uncertainty surrounding
the situation in Iran. Reading the Iranian political landscape was easier under
Khomeini, who held all the strings of power. It was also easier under Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei, who skillfully managed Iran’s game of regional “conquests”
while maintaining a balance among the country’s institutions. Under the third
era, that of Mojtaba Khamenei, the picture is more difficult to decipher. The
current supreme leader has yet to make a public appearance, reinforcing the
impression that war could erupt at any moment despite ongoing mediation efforts.
This situation raises an important question about who makes decisions in Iran
today. Does the final word rest with the supreme leader and his office? Or does
decision-making emerge from an alignment between the supreme leader’s wishes and
those of the generals of the Revolutionary Guard Corps? Do the generals believe
that Iran’s enormous losses from the naval blockade and economic strangulation
make it imperative to seek a way out? Or do they regard another round of war as
inevitable? Do they believe that the role of Pezeshkian and Araghchi is merely
to buy time until the next confrontation? And do they believe that Iran’s
regional “arms” must play their part if another round of fighting breaks out,
regardless of the hardships their countries face as a result of previous
adventures? The Iranian regime went too far in shaking the foundations of
regional stability. It expanded its reach across the region and eventually came
to need a nuclear umbrella to prevent its own campaign of upheaval from being
overturned. It was precisely at this point that the role backfired on its
player, as US aircraft struck Iran’s nuclear facilities. Excessive uranium
enrichment was a gamble fraught with danger, just as the Houthi seizure of Bab
al-Mandab and the crime at Riyadh Airport were. This is what happens when a role
explodes in the hands of the one playing it.
Where Is the Compass on the Security of the Waterways?
Sam Menassa/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13, 2026
Operation Dawn of Yemen, launched last week by Yemeni government forces with air
support from the Saudi-led coalition, aims to recover the institutions of the
state and end Houthi control of Sanaa. It raises a question that goes beyond
military confrontation to the capacity of international and Arab parties to
build a common position toward the threat posed by the group and by Iran behind
it. The Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and on navigation through Bab al-Mandab
reveal a predicament that reaches the whole world: an armed insurgent group,
tied to the Revolutionary Guard, is able to press on the security of its
neighborhood and on wide commercial interests, while the approaches to
confronting it diverge. Between those who give priority to direct deterrence,
those who wager on mediation, and those who seek to insulate their own
interests, the question arises of how to prevent these divergences from becoming
a gateway to expanding Iranian influence. The problem has as much to do with the
dispersion in identifying the source of the threat and the terms for dealing
with it as with the instruments of protection.
Dispersion does not mean the absence of action, just as joint work does not
presuppose identical interests among states. Geography, capabilities, and
foreign relations make the cost of confrontation different in each case, and
explain the variety of options. But each state's particular position should not
prevent agreement on a basic political rule: no armed group has the right to use
the Yemeni coast to threaten its neighbors or to impose conditions on
navigation. The means of applying that rule may be disputed, without any
indulgence toward the rule itself, and without treating the Houthis' capacity to
do harm as a source of legitimate authority. The group benefits from the
divergence of approaches when it deals with states one at a time, or grants some
of them a de-escalation while maintaining pressure on others. Not every separate
understanding is harmful; it may reduce escalation and open a path to a wider
settlement. But its value is tested by its effect on common security and by how
far it prevents the threat from being transferred to the neighbors. If
protecting national interests becomes the sole aim, the incentives for
cooperation may recede, and the Houthis' ability to control the rhythm of
escalation will remain intact, allowing them to widen their influence and
exploit the differences. Saudi Arabia occupies a pivotal position in overcoming
this predicament, and it faces direct Houthi attacks on its security and its
facilities. Its political and economic weight and its Arab and international
relations allow it to push toward a consensus linking the protection of
navigation to the security of states and to Yemeni sovereignty. But the success
of that role requires turning the confrontation with the threat from a burden
the Kingdom bears into a shared responsibility. Targeting Saudi Arabia also
touches the stability of energy, investment, and trade, and cannot be reduced to
a confrontation that concerns it alone.This calls for a Saudi initiative for
consultation on defined objectives- which may already have begun- met by an Arab
response that takes part in shaping the priorities and sharing the
responsibilities. Joint work does not require everyone to engage in military
operations; it requires a distribution of roles linking mediation to diplomatic
pressure, protection, and support for Yemeni institutions. States that maintain
channels of communication with the Houthis or with Iran can put them to use in
the service of agreed objectives. But if those channels turn into arrangements
separate from the interests of the partners, the multiplicity of roles becomes a
factor weakening the Arab position rather than strengthening it.
Here the importance of defining the relationship with Iran stands out.
Diplomatic openness and the reduction of tension do not preclude demanding that
it halt the military and financial support used in the attacks carried out by
groups tied to it, nor do they justify separating bilateral relations with
Tehran from the effects of its regional policies. What is required is a position
that makes respect for the security of states an element in assessing the
relationship with Tehran, because Arab cooperation cannot hold if one state
bears the consequences of the threat alone.
Disruption to navigation makes the region's development resources and economies
hostage to the decisions of an armed group, which calls for cooperation to
protect the sea lanes that goes beyond commercial and investment competition,
since alternative ports and overland corridors are not enough to remove the
threat or to guarantee their own security. Nor is the security of the waterways
separable from Yemen's future. Supporting the Yemeni state and reaching a
political settlement that preserves the rights of its citizens strengthen its
sovereignty and limit the use of its territory in the service of outside
conflicts and interests. This does not mean holding Yemenis responsible for the
Houthis' choices, or reducing their country's settlement to the security of its
neighbors. It means refusing to grant the group a monopoly over military
decision-making, and tying stability to a legitimate authority and to
institutions capable of protecting the population, the coast, and the ports.
What is required is not the abolition or erasure of particular positions, but
preventing them from turning into a contradiction that undermines everyone's
security. Saudi Arabia is able to lead this course, but its effectiveness
depends on its partners' readiness to turn interdependent interests into mutual
commitments, and on international partnerships, American above all, that support
Arab priorities and strengthen the capacity to protect navigation. When the
instruments of protection, mediation, and pressure are integrated within a
strategic vision and a clear political position, armed groups' ability to
exploit differences recedes. If the confrontation remains divided among separate
responses, these groups can exploit the absence of a compass to impose their
terms on the region's security and on the interests of its states- indeed on the
states of the world as a whole.
The Failure of 'Endings' Narratives
Abdulah bin Bijad Al Otaibi/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 12, 2026
The Middle East is one of the world’s most volatile and turbulent regions,
politically and socially, culturally and in the media. It is also one of the
regions most rife with conflicting interests and contradictory alliances. Here,
ideas can lead to their very opposites, and political orientations can swing in
the opposite direction. This is how things have always been, and how they remain
today. One can only hope they will not remain so for much longer.
In recent years, talk of the end of some of our region’s chronic problems has
become strangely and remarkably widespread. There has been talk of “the end of
the Awakening (Al-Sahwa),” “the end of violence,” and “the end of terrorism,”
along with declarations of an end to problems of every kind and description. It
is as though we seek to overcome our old problems and deep-seated complexes by
simply ignoring them and forgetting them, as if they had never existed. In the
familiar imagery of Arab heritage, this is the story of the ostrich burying its
head in the sand to escape danger.
Those promoting and supporting these narratives of endings are well known, as
are their objectives. They have either grown weary of confronting facts or
proved unable to achieve their goals. They have therefore begun to substitute
dreams and illusions for hard-won awareness and clear, undeniable facts. This is
particularly so given that the concepts of the end times, the end of the world,
and the end of the universe have been explored in a wide range of religious and
philosophical traditions, some grounded in scientific and realistic thought,
others steeped in superstition and delusion.
Those who lack knowledge are easily deceived by those who possess it when the
latter fail to enlighten them about history and reality, ideologies and
conflicts, and the contradictions between political agendas and competing
creeds. They are also misled by the broader climate, which withholds
information, erases history, disparages it, and diminishes its value, as well as
the place of its wisdom and logic in understanding the present and anticipating
the future.
Today's terrorists are a modern offshoot of the Kharijites, the group known from
the early days of Islam, although differences and distinctions between the two
can be identified and explained. The early Kharijites and their modern
counterparts share the same rhetoric, even if their methods of implementation
differ. The rhetoric of the early Kharijites is well documented in the formative
period of Islam, with prophetic traditions, historical accounts, stories, and
narratives describing them. They are said to “pass out of Islam as an arrow
passes through its target,” and to “fight the people of Islam while leaving the
idol worshippers alone.” They are the perpetrators of the atrocities described
by Ibn Hazm in his renowned book Al-Fisal fi al-Milal wa al-Ahwa wa al-Nihal.
They slit open the bellies of pregnant women, assassinated Ali ibn Abi Talib,
may God be pleased with him, and attempted to assassinate Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan,
but failed. They also attempted to assassinate Amr ibn al-As, who escaped
assassination when he appointed the Companion Kharija ibn Hudhafa to lead the
congregational prayer in his place. The Kharijite who killed Kharija said, “I
intended Amr, but God intended Kharija,” a saying that subsequently became a
proverb. As successive historical accounts tell us, the early Kharijites split
into sects and factions, some declaring others unbelievers and cursing one
another. Over the course of Islamic history, these factions disappeared, and
only one sect survived.
That was the situation in the past. Today, the Kharijites are represented by
religiously motivated violent groups that emerged from political Islam
movements. They arose through a fully developed ideological framework and
carefully planned organization, originating in the Muslim Brotherhood and the
organizations that branched off from it. The clearest examples in terms of
organizational structure are Al-Qaeda and ISIS, among many others that emerged
both before and after them.
The Flydubai aircraft incident raises legitimate questions, and every proposed
answer and solution must be approached with the utmost patience, care, scrutiny,
and rigor. These questions, the answers offered, and the urgent search for
solutions cannot be treated with unwarranted complacency. The danger is real and
imminent. The Awakening could, God forbid, return in full force, and terrorism
could flare up again under one name or another, triggered by this incident or by
another. Only those who fail to grasp the power of history and understand its
logic can feel secure against the unpredictable turns of time and the
machinations of history. Finally, if history has taught us anything, it is that
ideas do not die. They are always capable of reviving and repeating themselves
unless the temporal and spatial conditions that sustain and give rise to them
change. Many organizations and groups have subsided and gone underground, only
to reappear when the time came. The historical record offers ample evidence of
this.
Le Moyen-Orient et l’absence de repères?
Dr. Charles Chartouni/Ici Beyrouth/October 12/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158241/
Le Moyen-Orient avance de crise en crise alors que les démarches diplomatiques
s’épuisent les unes après les autres. Rien ne semble tenir au moment où les
effondrements sur les plans sécuritaires et stratégiques prennent le devant de
la scène. Les négociations entre l’Iran et les États-Unis sont au point mort,
celles entre le Liban et Israël sont remises aux calendes grecques. Par ailleurs,
les équilibres homéostatiques en Irak sont remis en question, et la stabilité du
Golfe est réévaluée avec la reprise des hostilités entre l’Arabie saoudite et
les rebelles houthistes.
C’est un contexte où les impasses institutionnalisées semblent définir un ordre
régional où plus rien ne fonctionne. Les dysfonctionnements se structurent au
croisement de l’intérieur et de l’extérieur dans lequel les États démontrent
leur ineptitude et leur incapacité à pouvoir se défaire des verrouillages qu’ils
imposent. Comment aborder les négociations étatiques alors que les hypothèses
posées par les politiques de puissance définissent en amont les prémisses
diplomatiques et leurs limites? Les États soi-disant indépendants se retrouvent
en état de dépendance, ce qui en fait des relais et des auxiliaires aux
politiques impériales.
Les désarticulations profondes qui caractérisent l’ordre étatique dans cette
partie du monde, les rend particulièrement vulnérables aux politiques
interventionnistes et à leurs modulations dans une région aux marqueurs fluides.
Les conflits du Yémen attestent la fragilité dudit État et sa malléabilité
vis-à-vis des politiques de domination régionale. L'observation rudimentaire du
conflit en cours nous renvoie aux extraversions d’une scène yéménite qui sert de
théâtre opérationnel auxiliaire où les faillites d'État et les effets conjugués
d'un civisme inexistant exacerbent les conséquences délétères dans un contexte
en pleine décomposition. Le Yémen n’est abordé que par le biais de ses fonctions
supplétives dans le cadre des conflits régionaux indéfiniment extensibles.
Ce schéma se reproduit à l’identique dans les cas irakiens et libanais. Les
velléités indépendantistes y sont neutralisées au profit des politiques de
domination chiite et de leurs modulations et incidences sur les équilibres des
États et des équilibres géopolitiques qui leur sont corollaires. La fragilité
des États les rend perméables à tous les défis posés à leur souveraineté
territoriale, leur gouvernance et leur aptitude à se positionner sur l’échiquier
diplomatique, alors que leur consistance et leur constitutionnalité ne sont que
des prétéritions.
En quoi consiste la diplomatie dans des États profondément déstructurés où
l’agenda de négociation ne fait que répercuter les contradictions d’un ordre
politique subjugué et instrumentalisé par les politiques de tutelle alternées et
aux permutations continues? La stabilisation passe inévitablement par le
changement des rapports de force dans un environnement régional dont la fluidité
met au défi toute tentative de réencadrement géopolitique ou nomothétique. On ne
voit pas comment une diplomatie peut opérer dans un environnement aussi
déstructuré et assujetti à des luttes meurtrières qui en définissent la trame.
La commémoration du pogrom du 7 octobre 2023 nous renvoie aux relents
génocidaires et aux mutations géostratégiques et géopolitiques qui en ont
résulté. Les équilibres stratégiques et les frontières géopolitiques sont en
question et les dynamiques politiques sont en pleine redéfinition. Les élections
en Israël sont symptomatiques à maints égards. En effet, le pogrom et ses
multiples résonances dans les milieux israélien et juif soulèvent à la fois des
questions d'arbitrage électoral et des enjeux liés à une existence nationale
menacée dans sa raison d’être.
Ils soulèvent aussi des enjeux liés aux équilibres d’une communauté régionale
aux multiples fragilités et aux extrémismes générés par une modernité arabe et
islamique défaillante. Ce contexte d’insécurité diffuse, matiné de messianisme
politique en Israël, a finalement créé des conditions propices à une
radicalisation juive. L'identité israélienne de l’État est alors remise en
question au profit du messianisme politique qui accentue les clivages au sein
d’une société israélienne profondément secouée par le pogrom et ses multiples
connotations et conséquences. Actuellement, il n'est pas question uniquement
d'alternance démocratique dans un pays en paix et dans une démocratie apaisée;
nous sommes plutôt confrontés à un climat d'incertitude où les exigences de
sécurité, ainsi que la comptabilité morale et stratégique, définissent les
contours d'une dynamique politique en pleine évolution.
Le marasme politique et géostratégique qui prévaut dans la région est
préoccupant et influence les dynamiques politiques en cours. Cette atmosphère
délétère nous confronte à des défis cruciaux. Il s'agit de l'absence d'un
équilibre régional consensuel, de l'improbabilité de son établissement, et des
effets destructeurs qu'elle engendre dans des pays aux institutions étatiques
fragiles. Elles exacerbent les enjeux d'une entropie évoluant dans tous les sens.
Quelles sont les perspectives d'une paix négociée dans un contexte évoluant au
gré des vides cumulés du désordre et de ses anomies mutantes?
The Middle East and the Absence of Bearings?
Dr. Charles Chartouni/Ici Beyrouth/October 12, 2026 (translated by AI from
French)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158241/
The Middle East is moving from one crisis to another as diplomatic initiatives
become exhausted one after the other. Nothing seems to hold together as security
and strategic collapses take center stage. Negotiations between Iran and the
United States have reached a standstill, while those between Lebanon and Israel
have been postponed indefinitely. Meanwhile, the homeostatic balances in Iraq
are being called into question, and Gulf stability is being reassessed as
hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels resume.
This is a context in which institutionalized deadlocks appear to define a
regional order where nothing works anymore. Dysfunction takes shape at the
intersection of domestic and external dynamics, in which states demonstrate
their ineptitude and their inability to free themselves from the constraints
they impose upon themselves. How can interstate negotiations be approached when
the assumptions underlying power politics predetermine diplomatic premises and
their limitations? So-called independent states find themselves in a state of
dependency, turning them into intermediaries and auxiliaries of imperial
policies.
The profound dislocations characterizing the state order in this part of the
world make these states particularly vulnerable to interventionist policies and
their shifting variations in a region whose defining parameters remain fluid.
The conflicts in Yemen attest to the fragility of that state and its
susceptibility to regional domination policies. Even a rudimentary examination
of the ongoing conflict points to the externalization of the Yemeni arena, which
serves as an auxiliary operational theater where state failure and the combined
effects of an absence of civic culture exacerbate the destructive consequences
of a context undergoing complete disintegration. Yemen is approached solely
through the auxiliary functions it serves in regional conflicts that can expand
indefinitely.
This pattern is reproduced identically in the Iraqi and Lebanese cases.
Aspirations for independence are neutralized in favor of Shiite domination
policies, their various manifestations, and their impact on the balance within
these states and the corresponding geopolitical equilibrium. The fragility of
these states makes them susceptible to every challenge to their territorial
sovereignty, governance, and ability to position themselves on the diplomatic
chessboard, while their institutional substance and constitutional legitimacy
amount to little more than empty formalities.
What does diplomacy mean in deeply dysfunctional states where negotiating
agendas merely reproduce the contradictions of a subjugated political order,
instrumentalized by alternating systems of tutelage that undergo continuous
permutations? Stabilization inevitably requires a change in the balance of power
within a regional environment whose fluidity challenges every attempt at
geopolitical or normative reordering. It is difficult to see how diplomacy can
function in such a dislocated environment, subjected to deadly struggles that
define its very fabric.
The commemoration of the October 7, 2023 pogrom brings us back to the genocidal
undertones and the geostrategic and geopolitical transformations that followed.
Strategic balances and geopolitical borders are being called into question,
while political dynamics are undergoing a profound redefinition. The elections
in Israel are symptomatic in many respects. Indeed, the pogrom and its multiple
reverberations within Israeli and Jewish circles raise questions both about
electoral choices and about the challenges surrounding a national existence
whose very raison d’être is under threat.
They also raise questions about the balance within a regional community marked
by multiple vulnerabilities and by extremisms generated by a failing Arab and
Islamic modernity. This climate of pervasive insecurity, infused with political
messianism in Israel, has ultimately created conditions conducive to Jewish
radicalization. The state's Israeli identity is consequently being called into
question in favor of political messianism, which deepens divisions within
Israeli society—a society profoundly shaken by the pogrom and its multiple
implications and consequences. At present, this is not merely a question of
democratic alternation in a peaceful country with a stable democracy. Rather, we
are confronted with a climate of uncertainty in which security requirements,
together with moral and strategic accounting, define the contours of a political
dynamic undergoing profound change.
The political and geostrategic quagmire prevailing in the region is alarming and
influences the political dynamics currently unfolding. This destructive
atmosphere confronts us with crucial challenges: the absence of a consensual
regional balance, the improbability of establishing one, and the destructive
effects this absence generates in countries with fragile state institutions.
These conditions intensify the challenges posed by an entropy unfolding in every
direction. What prospects remain for a negotiated peace in a context evolving
according to the accumulated voids of disorder and its ever-mutating forms of
anomie?
Where Do the Houthis Get Their Supplies?
Meshari Al-Thaidy/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 12, 2026 (Translated from Arabic by
the AI)
In December 2022, the US Navy intercepted a shipment of weapons in the Gulf of
Oman destined for the Houthis. At the time, the Navy stated that the shipment of
Iranian weaponry included over 50 tons of ammunition rounds, fuses, and missile
propellant. The arms route to the Houthis begins at Iranian ports—such as Jask
on the Gulf of Oman and Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz—before being
transported by ship across the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the shores of
Yemen. In December 2017, a report by UN sanctions monitors suggested that the
ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis at Saudi Arabia were designed and
manufactured in Iran. Reports identify three sources for Houthi missiles and
drones: first, Iran; second, smuggling via arms dealers; and third, stockpiles
seized from the Yemeni army—dating back to the era of the late President Saleh—after
the Houthis took power in 2014. While Iranian "experts" have trained the Houthis
to assemble and manufacture certain components, the question remains: who
trained the Iranians in the first place and supplied them—and continues to
supply them—with the necessary components? There are sources such as North
Korea, whose missile designs Iran has replicated and passed on to its proxies in
Yemen and Iraq (indeed, some missiles that struck Saudi Arabia originated in
Iraq); yet, is North Korea the only source? Should we speak frankly with China
and Russia about this matter and explore this avenue—especially if there is
something suspicious afoot? After all, the confrontation between these two
giants and the US-led West is truly global in scale. Evidence that the Houthis’
capabilities are not of their own making includes the following: On May 4, 2025,
Israeli air defenses failed to intercept the "Palestine-2" missile, which struck
Ben Gurion Airport. On July 19, 2024, Iron Dome radars failed to detect or
intercept a drone launched by the Houthis toward Israel—dubbed "Jaffa"—resulting
in a building explosion, one fatality, and multiple injuries.
These examples illustrate the introduction of "external" capabilities into the
Houthi arsenal—alongside the "localization" of certain technologies and
manufacturing processes—enabling them to reach such a dangerous level.
Consequently, the incident at King Khalid Airport in Riyadh serves as a
continuing testament to the severity of the threat posed by Houthi weaponry. The
question arises: Is it accurate to label this merely as "Houthi weaponry"? Where
did the Houthis acquire their diverse array of missiles and drones? Where did
they obtain the target coordinates? Where did their naval weaponry come from?
Is it purely a product of indigenous Houthi manufacturing? The point is that the
Houthis lack the strength and sophistication to possess such advanced
weaponry—let alone the capacity to deploy it with such intensity and
precision—otherwise, they would have become the region's greatest power, second
only to Israel! I believe that tracing the root of the affliction is the true
solution; if the source is blocked, the channels run dry. Moreover, those with
knowledge possess far more information than the rest of us.
Iran, Hezbollah, and Arab Peoples
Dr. Mustafa Rashed/Al-Masry Al-Youm/October 12, 2026 (Translated from Arabic by
the AI)
One of the most serious challenges facing Arab nations is the emergence of
movements and figures who prioritize political allegiances and the interests of
foreign powers over the interests of their own homelands. This raises critical
questions regarding Arab national security and the region's future. Support for
Iran, Hezbollah, and the Houthis within certain Arab societies constitutes a
political issue worthy of study and debate—particularly when such support aligns
with foreign interventions or policies that destabilize Arab states and
undermine their national institutions. The danger posed by Iran and its militia
proxies in the Arab world stems from their relentless pursuit of regional
influence and destabilization, as well as their targeting of Arab nations'
infrastructure and symbols of national sovereignty. Furthermore, considering the
destruction and havoc Iran and its proxies—Hezbollah and the Houthis—have
wreaked across Arab lands, the reality is that they have offered Arabs no
inventions, civilizational advancement, improved living standards, factories, or
educational institutions; instead, they have brought only ruin and devastation.
One need only look at the current state of Yemen or the ruined, occupied state
of Lebanon. These militias are exploited as political and military bargaining
chips, leading to the destruction of state institutions and the fueling of
sectarian and humanitarian conflicts. Additionally, Iran and its proxies have
effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, halting Arab oil exports and driving
up global prices—with impoverished Arab nations suffering the greatest harm. The
region is also witnessing an escalation in missile and drone attacks targeting
Arab nations—such as the Gulf states, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the Kurdistan
Region of Iraq. Through these actions, Tehran seeks to plunge the region into
chaos and turmoil to alleviate the international and regional pressures bearing
down on it, rather than directing its weaponry against the United States and
Israel. The issue lies not merely in citizens disagreeing with their governments
or holding specific political views—for freedom of opinion is a right that must
be respected—but rather in evidence of prioritizing the interests of foreign
powers over national interests, or engaging in clandestine activities that
undermine state security and stability. Arab peoples have paid a heavy price due
to regional conflicts, foreign interventions, and sectarian divisions; it has
therefore become imperative for Arab states to re-evaluate their policies to
safeguard national security, strengthen citizenship, and address any acts of
espionage or sabotage through the rule of law.
Confronting the "fifth column" requires holding accountable those proven to be
involved in illegal activities or in supporting the nation's enemies—actions
that fracture national unity. Building a strong state relies on the rule of law,
justice, equality, and the prioritization of the nation's supreme interests over
any personal affiliations. Ultimately, nations are safeguarded by strong
institutions, political awareness, justice, and the ability to distinguish
between legitimate dissent and actual collaboration with entities seeking to
harm the nation's interests. Unfortunately, since assuming power in Iran in
1979, the *Velayat-e Faqih* (Supreme Leader) regime has deliberately instigated
profound crises and widespread destruction affecting both Iran itself and
numerous Middle Eastern nations; it transformed the Iranian people—who were
prosperous during the Shah’s era—into an impoverished population, with a quarter
of them now refugees scattered across the globe. Furthermore, this repressive
regime has curtailed political and social freedoms as well as freedom of
expression, imposed strict censorship on the internet and media, and killed
peaceful protesters.
America Cannot Turn a Blind Eye to the Houthis
Ali Shihabi/Fox News/October 12, 2026 (Translated from Arabic by the AI)
Some in Washington would like to believe that the Houthi problem is an issue for
other parties to handle, and the reason for this is easily understood: America
is already deeply embroiled in a conflict with Iran, and there is little
appetite for expanding the scope of direct confrontation on the ground as the
congressional midterm elections approach. Furthermore, the Houthis have
opportunistically given Washington a reason to limit its involvement by
signaling that U.S. shipping would not be a target of their attacks.
However, the conflict in Yemen does not exist in a vacuum. The Houthis—designated
by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization allied with Iran, from
which they receive arms and support—are waging a campaign against the
Saudi-backed Yemeni government; this campaign is part of the broader regional
confrontation. The good news is that the war is beginning to shift in a positive
direction for the Yemeni government—though the battle ahead will undoubtedly be
arduous, marked by the usual fluctuations and challenges. Government forces,
backed by Saudi air power, have succeeded in driving the Houthis out of
strategically important areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, demonstrating their
ability to operate effectively. While these gains remain vulnerable, the
momentum on the ground inspires optimism and is altering the calculus regarding
U.S. involvement. The United States already provides Saudi Arabia with
intelligence and logistical support for target identification—short of
conducting direct strikes—and this assistance is highly valuable; U.S.
satellites and other surveillance systems can help pinpoint the locations of
missile batteries, drone facilities, command centers, and mobile launchers.
Direct U.S. air power could make such intelligence significantly more effective,
as U.S. aircraft can operate seamlessly within American intelligence,
surveillance, and targeting networks, enabling the rapid transmission of data
from satellites and sensors through the "sensor-to-shooter" chain. While Saudi
aircraft can also receive advanced targeting data from the U.S. and its
allies—including via interoperable systems—intelligence shared with a partner
may require additional processing steps regarding dissemination, authorization,
and command before reaching the strike aircraft. Even brief delays are critical
when a mobile missile launcher can fire, relocate, and vanish within minutes.
Consequently, directly involving U.S. aircraft in the operational loop linking
sensors to launch platforms—spanning the process from detection to
engagement—could shorten the interval between spotting a target and striking it.
The U.S. role could remain limited to targeting mobile missile launchers, drone
facilities, and other time-sensitive targets, rather than expanding into a broad
or open-ended military campaign; this would also allow for faster, more
effective use of the intelligence Washington already collects and shares.
Thus, while direct U.S. Air Force participation would be highly beneficial, it
is not a decisive factor for the campaign's success. Saudi Arabia possesses the
necessary aircraft, intelligence capabilities, and resources to support the
Yemeni government, and Yemeni forces have demonstrated their ability to conduct
ground operations independently. However, Washington could make the campaign
faster and more effective without assuming responsibility for the war itself.
This distinction is crucial: the justification for U.S. support should not rest
on the claim that Saudi Arabia and Yemen cannot succeed without it, but rather
on the fact that the United States has a clear interest in helping them achieve
that success.
Geography makes it difficult to overlook Yemen; the Houthis have fortified their
positions along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab al-Mandab Strait—one of the
world’s most critical strategic maritime corridors, or maritime chokepoints.
Their ability to threaten Saudi shipping carries implications that extend far
beyond Yemen’s borders; With approximately 22% of global maritime container
trade passing through the Red Sea, any disruption to this route forces ships to
sail around Africa, thereby extending voyage times and driving up shipping and
insurance costs. Another alarming development is the Houthi movement’s forging
of ties with Al-Shabaab in Somalia—an affluent Al-Qaeda affiliate in East
Africa; US officials have warned of arms transfers, training in the use of
drones and explosives, and tactical coordination between these groups. This
raises the prospect of an armed network operating on both sides of the Gulf of
Aden; while their current targets may be Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government,
there is no reason to assume their priorities will remain static.
This issue is of great importance due to its connection to energy security.
Saudi Arabia exports oil through the Strait of Hormuz, but it also owns the
“East-West Pipeline” that transports crude oil across the Kingdom’s territory to
the city of Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. This line provides an alternative route
if navigation through the Strait of Hormuz becomes risky, but its strategic
value declines sharply if the Houthis are able to threaten the Red Sea at the
same time. Therefore, Iran and its allies can exert pressure through two crucial
strategic points: Tehran in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, The Houthis
are in the vicinity of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and this problem is not limited
to Saudi Arabia or Yemen only. China relies heavily on energy flows coming from
the Gulf, Europe depends on the trade system through the Red Sea and the Suez
Canal, and American energy production does not insulate American consumers from
fluctuations in global oil prices. The ongoing battles also reveal the extent of
the mistake committed in Hodeidah in 2018. As Yemeni forces, backed by Saudi
Arabia and the UAE, advanced towards the outskirts of the city, putting the
Houthis’ main port on the Red Sea under intense pressure, Western governments
feared that the battles around the port would disrupt supplies of food, fuel and
medicine. Despite the legitimacy of these fears, the solution that was imposed
was strategically disastrous.
The attack was halted under intense Western pressure, and the “Stockholm
Agreement” froze the fighting and called for the redeployment of forces away
from Hodeidah, but that withdrawal did not take place as planned. The Houthis
retained the port and their economic and military lifeline, and used the
following years to consolidate their rule, strengthen their relationship with
Iran, and acquire increasingly advanced missiles and drones.
Stopping the Hodeidah offensive was a huge mistake; He saved the Houthis in a
moment of weakness, and turned what could have been a containable Yemeni
rebellion into a strategic threat to the kingdom and international shipping. The
lesson here is not to ignore humanitarian concerns, but rather to stop a
successful military campaign without an implementable political settlement does
not achieve peace, but rather allows the weaker party the opportunity to
recover. A ceasefire that preserves the military infrastructure of the aggressor
party may only postpone the suffering, leading later to a larger and more
dangerous war. This mistake must not be repeated; The Yemeni government and its
Saudi allies now enjoy strong momentum, which they will use to push the Houthis
away from the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, deprive them of the ability to threaten
international shipping, and exert continued pressure on the infrastructure that
allows them to launch their campaigns using missiles and drones. It would be
beneficial to provide US intelligence support, as well as limited air support
when required; The Yemeni government is demonstrating its ability to succeed
when its forces are unified, equipped, and consistently supported by Saudi
Arabia, so Washington should support this effort, since the outcome directly
impacts American interests. The Houthis are not only a problem for other
parties, but at the same time they do not pose a threat that can only be
defeated by American forces. Local forces are increasingly demonstrating their
ability to confront them, while the deliberate and controlled use of American
air power would constitute a powerful factor in doubling the effectiveness of
this confrontation.
It would later lead to a larger and more dangerous war. This mistake must not be
repeated; The Yemeni government and its Saudi allies now enjoy strong momentum,
which they will use to push the Houthis away from the Bab al-Mandeb Strait,
deprive them of the ability to threaten international shipping, and exert
continued pressure on the infrastructure that allows them to launch their
campaigns using missiles and drones. It would be beneficial to provide US
intelligence support, as well as limited air support when necessary; The Yemeni
government is demonstrating its ability to succeed when its forces are unified,
equipped, and consistently supported by Saudi Arabia, so Washington should
support this effort, since the outcome directly impacts American interests. The
Houthis are not only a problem for other parties, but at the same time they do
not pose a threat that can only be defeated by American forces. Local forces are
increasingly demonstrating their ability to confront them, while the deliberate
and controlled use of American air power would constitute a powerful factor in
doubling the effectiveness of this confrontation.
Deep Within French Anxiety
Antoine Douaihy/Asharq Al-Awsat/October
13, 2026
Observing France in the early autumn of this year, one senses the profound
turmoil and uncertainty gripping its society as it confronts the present and the
near future. This state of affairs extends beyond the French context to
encompass the whole of Europe. The era of stability enjoyed by the "Old
Continent" for over half a century—which once seemed the definitive conclusion
to the long saga of wars that scarred its past and collective memory—no longer
offers reassurance or promise. The dramatic rift plaguing the West—between the
open-border internationalist camp (represented by the Left and the radical Left)
and the nationalist-conservative camp centered on national identity (represented
by the hard Right)—has entered a decisive phase, whether in Europe or America.
Compounding this on the European continent is another critical destabilizing
factor: the Russia-Ukraine war, which is casting its shadow over every nation
across the European landscape, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains.
Amidst all this, France has long been the country that sparks transformation—a
shift that invariably spreads across the continent's societies. This ranges from
the Great Revolution of 1789—the "mother of revolutions" in Europe and the
world—to the youth uprising of 1968, which profoundly altered the systems of
thought, values, and behaviors in France, Europe, and many other parts of the
globe; indeed, when one picks up an intellectual work today, one often checks
whether it was published before or after 1968. To this day, revolutions and
uprisings continue to champion the ideals of liberty and equality first
proclaimed in 1789, while perhaps justifying their own violence by pointing to
the horrific violence that accompanied that earlier revolution. It is therefore
worth paying close attention to current events in this land of surprises and
momentous, potentially contagious transformations. The first major surprise was
the massive crowds that turned out to welcome Pope Leo XIV with such fervor that
his procession down the Champs-Élysées was reminiscent of Charles de Gaulle’s
march there following the liberation of Paris in 1944. Does this signal a return
of "Catholic France"—a nation long thought to have vanished into the past? This
was immediately followed by the surprise of widespread unrest ignited by high
school students across the country—accompanied by violence, vandalism, and the
burning of schools and public facilities—a situation that continues to escalate
as the state appears powerless to confront it. What makes these phenomena
critically important is that they are unfolding during a volatile transitional
period—marked by internal and external crises—sandwiched between the twilight of
Macron’s term and the upcoming French presidential election this coming spring;
an event that has sparked widespread anxiety and upon which all eyes are already
fixed. Why? Because the next French presidential election represents the most
perilous electoral test since the end of the Second World War eighty years ago.
As things stand—and as the most credible public opinion polls indicate—there is
a distinct possibility, for the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic,
that Marine Le Pen could win and bring the hardline French
nationalist-conservative movement to power. Should this occur, it would trigger
a genuine political earthquake in France, with direct repercussions extending to
the very foundations of the European bloc. The scenario pointing to this outcome
is as follows: among the many presidential hopefuls, three names stand out for
the first round. Marine Le Pen leads by a wide margin, followed by a near-dead
heat between Jean-Luc Mélenchon—leader of the radical internationalist Left—and
Édouard Philippe, representing the center and moderate Right. It is certain that
if Le Pen and Mélenchon were to face off in the second round, Le Pen would
secure a landslide victory. However, the striking and unprecedented twist this
time is that if Le Pen were to face Philippe in the runoff, she would likely
still win—albeit by a narrower margin—a phenomenon France has never witnessed
before. Whenever these two sides have clashed in the past—as has happened
repeatedly during the Fifth Republic—the traditional Right, the Center, the
traditional Left, and the radical Left would set aside their differences to cast
their votes against the far-right candidate, ultimately defeating them. However,
numerous signs suggest that this pattern of polarization will not hold this
time, given the collapse in popularity of the traditional Right and Center, as
well as that of the traditional Left. Will the majority of the French people
overcome their deep-seated fear of the far Right and the consequences of its
rise to power? Current projections suggest they might. It appears that security
concerns, anxieties regarding identity, economic hardships, and the persistence
of the same recurring issues are driving a willingness to take a risk. Will this
risk-taking prove to be a path to salvation—as Al-Niffari suggests—or will it
lead to a major collision?
Selected Face Book & X tweets
on October
12/2026
Ambassador Yechiel (Michael) Leiter
While the populists of the world may tout anti-Israeli propaganda, make no
mistake:
The real U.S. is made of people like Gov. @SarahHuckabee, who understands the
true nature of the American-Israeli friendship, its long history and its
benefits to Americans.
Arkansas is a great example of that - a U.S.-based production line will now be
manufacturing “Tamir” interceptors for the Iron Dome, that will protect both the
people of Israel, countless Americans and American allies in the Middle East.
Dani Blekman
Israel leveled most of Gaza and reduced Hamas, one of the most terrifying
terrorist organizations on earth, into a bunch of rats fleeing for their lives.
It has turned southern Lebanon into a parking lot and transformed Hezbollah, the
most powerful proxy Iran has ever conjured, into a joke. It has wiped out the
modern Syrian army, and eliminated its enemies’ leadership from Tehran to Yemen
and everywhere in between. But Saudi Arabia, the heart of the Muslim world, with
its population of 35 million people and a defense alliance with Turkey and
nuclear Pakistan, can’t handle a few missiles and drones from Yemen. It’s
incredible to see how powerful tiny Israel is compared to the entire Muslim
world.
Benny Johnson
BREAKING: Ilhan Omar’s home was RAIDED by the Department of Homeland Security
this morning as part of a criminal immigration fraud investigation. The probe is
into her immigration paperwork, which was filled out by her father. A DOJ
spokesperson said: “Today in the Washington, D.C., area, Homeland Security
Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the
Department of Justice. This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal
investigation” It’s finally happening…
Kim Ghattas
Between this and the seizing of large quantities of explosives, Hezbollah is not
only regrouping for the war but also potentially readying to carry out
assassinations inside Lebanon. Deeply worrying return to their favorite playbook
which began in 1980s. x.com/lorienttoday/s…
Seth Frantzman
It will never be explained why, in 2025 when Lebanon had a new government and
Hezbollah was at its weakest point in years...that the government didn't move to
disarm it...and then in 2026 when it was again weakened...once again they didn't
either.
In every case where the Iranian-backed groups exist...there is a chance to
finally break the cycle. In Gaza with Hamas but instead it is left to remain in
Gaza in charge of 2 million people so it can revive. In Lebanon...but instead
Hezbollah is allowed to remain and re-arm. And Iran itself, bludgeoned but then
allowed to rebuild its missile and drone program...and the Houthis...
The best chance in decades to have a changed region.
And Iraq...the pressure on the militias to disarm but now the US is gone and
militias remain and pretend they might disarm by June 2027
Hiba Nasr
The State Department readout says the two reiterated their shared commitment to
safeguarding transit in the Strait of Hormuz and the importance of holding Iran
to account for its actions and of continued collaboration to secure U.S. assets
in the United Kingdom.
Readout added that Secretary Rubio reaffirmed the value of US UK close
partnership to stabilize global energy markets while also bringing the
Russia-Ukraine conflict to an end through a negotiated settlement.
Nadim Koteich
The Houthi terrorist missiles and drones targeting Saudi Arabia and choking Red
Sea shipping today are the delayed bill for a 2018 British/western blunder.
Just as the Saudi Emirati Coalition was poised to liberate Hodeidah port and
sever Iran's weapons and funding artery, UK-led efforts derailed the decisive
military push. They saved the militia via the Stockholm Agreement, driven by
shortsighted politics and domestic appeasement masked as "humanitarian concern."
The result today?
▪️ Yemen's humanitarian suffering never ended.
▪️ Hodeidah was left as a military lung for Tehran.
▪️ A local proxy was allowed to metastasize into a dagger at the throat of
global trade.
Decisive military action in 2018 carried risks, but choosing to "manage" the
crisis rather than end it engineered a strategic catastrophe. The world is
paying the price of miserable British politics and policy.
Quote
Al Arabiya English
Sachin Jose
Pope Leo XIV’s brother, Louis Prevost, who is undergoing cancer treatment, has
asked the faithful in an interview with Corriere della Sera to pray for the Pope
ahead of his surgery. He expressed confidence that the Pope will make a full
recovery and continue in his mission to lead the Catholic Church.
Nadim Koteich
Want to understand why Britain looks like an exhausted, ageing version of
itself? Look at Heathrow. Government backing in 2003. Approval in 2009.
Parliamentary endorsement in 2018. Possible opening: 2039. Thirty-six years. A
child born when the government backed it could be approaching forty before the
first plane takes off. Britain can produce generations of consultants, ministers
and growth strategies while failing to produce the runway.
Now investors want clarity and the prime minister won’t commit. The country that
gave the world the jet engine has perfected the holding pattern. What a shame.