English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News &
Editorials
For October 15/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2026/english.october15.26.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
He will dwell with them; they will be his
peoples, and God himself will be with them; & will wipe every tear from their
eyes.
Book of Revelation 21/01-12.14: “Then I saw a new heaven and a
new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea
was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of
heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud
voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will
dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he
will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying
and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’ And the one
who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he
said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’Then he said to me,
‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the
thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those
who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be
my children. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the
murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their
place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second
death.’Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven
last plagues came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of
the Lamb.’And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and
showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It has the
glory of God and a radiance like a very rare jewel, like jasper, clear as
crystal. It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve
angels, and on the gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of the
Israelites; And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the
twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Titles For The English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on October 14-15/2026
The Martyrs of October 13, 1990: Michel Aoun’s Betrayal of Them and of
Lebanon, and His Descent into the Illusions of Power and Money/Elias Bejjani/October
13/2026
A Prayer to Saint Charbel for the Healing of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV/Elias
Bejjani/October 13/2026
Thanksgiving Day: Obligations, Prayers & Gratitude/Elias Bejjani/October 12,
2026
Etienne Saqr-Abu Arz: A Repeated Warning
Netanyahu: We will eradicate Hamas, Hezbollah within next two years
Katz threatens Hezbollah with 'severe blow' if it joins any Iran attack on
Israel
US laments judicial complaint against Moawad over reports she consoled Israeli
envoy
Israeli artillery shells south Lebanon
Aoun urges senior U.S. officials to prevent Israeli yellow zone expansion,
report says
US: Hezbollah funds from criminal activities, disarmament must come before
reconstruction
Iranian deputy foreign minister arrives in Beirut
Aoun, Araghchi agree diplomatic solutions needed in phone call
Washington: Reports of $200 Million Hezbollah Funding Are False; Billions in
Reconstruction Aid Ready, Contingent on Disarmament
The Dahr al-Baidar Truck Loaded with Explosives: Key Indicators
Uncertainty surrounds the upcoming “Tampa” negotiations: Lebanese anticipation
of Netanyahu’s moves and presidential efforts to curb the escalation in the
south
Messages Warn Lebanon of All-Out War; Two Scheduled Negotiation Meetings at Risk
of Cancellation!
US State Department: Anyone Undermining Lebanese Sovereignty Is Now Subject to
Warning
Will the explosives case be referred to the Judicial Council?
UN peacekeeping chief meets top Lebanese leaders as UNIFIL mandate nears end
A Radical Shift in Hezbollah’s "Environment": 66% Support Surrendering Weapons
It Won't Operate Without Washington's Approval... European-US Coordination
Before the Mission Launches!
Tehran Evades Beirut While Washington Confronts It Decisively on the Arms Issue
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on October
14-15/2026
Netanyahu says he is not seeking to attack Iran again before Israel
election
Colombia opens embassy to Israel in Jerusalem
US says destroyed Iranian-linked vessel targeting Navy ships in Gulf of Oman
Two security personnel killed in attacks in southeast Iran
Container ship sinks near Hormuz after being hit by projectile
Yemen FM says battle against Houthis is a must, rules out return to failed
ceasefires
Saudi says Houthi attacks sparked Aramco fire, wounded 4 in Riyadh
Saudi coalition says intercepted Houthi missile fired towards Riyadh
One person injured in Riyadh by debris from intercepted Houthi missile: Civil
defense
Houthis say targeted Saudi oil giant Aramco, airport, refinery
Iraqi PM condemns attacks on Saudi Arabia during meeting with MBS
UK PM Burnham looks to ‘repair bridges’ between Trump, Zelenskyy
Kremlin says Ukrainian drones hit two Russian oil refineries, Kyiv denies
Rubio tells Ethiopia’s Abiy that countries must respect neighbors’ sovereignty
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on October 14-15/2026
Lebanese security forces seize explosives shipment reportedly bound for
Hezbollah in Beirut/David Daoud/ FDD's Long War Journal/October 13, 2026
Between the straits: The world cannot afford to yield to Iran/Jacob Nagel/The
Jerusalem Post/October 14, 2026
A most ignoble Nobel Peace Prize/Navi Pillay deserves denunciation, not
accolades/Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/October 14, 2026
Where is the outrage for civilians in Saudi Arabia?/Joseph Haboush/Al Arabiya
English/14 October ,2026
Saudi Arabia will remember who stood with it/Joe Walker-Cousins/Al Arabiya
English/14 October ,2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on October 14/2026
Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on October 14-15/2026
The Martyrs of October 13, 1990: Michel Aoun’s Betrayal of
Them and of Lebanon, and His Descent into the Illusions of Power and Money
Elias Bejjani/October 13/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/112651/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ovkF-d5XA
The martyrs blessed us with their sacrifice and freely and
joyfully gave us their lives because they believed in the words of the Lord
Jesus Christ: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life
for his friends” (John 15:13). Surely, the heroic martyrs of October 13, from
their graves, are crying out in thunderous voices: “Not a single leader has ever
passed by our graves without each one of us shouting in his face: ‘Where is my
blood, you man? Where is the justice for which I died?’”
The height of hypocrisy is for some people to commemorate the martyrs of October
13 and raise their banners while, today, they are allied with those who killed
them, slaughtered them, and desecrated their bodies. This is self-deception,
political depravity, deadly narcissism, and a desecration of the sanctity of
martyrdom. Today, with sorrow and grief, we remember the righteous martyrs who
fell on October 13, 1990, along with all the heroic martyrs of the Land of the
Cedars, who watered Lebanon’s soil with their pure blood.
We remember the civilians and military personnel who were martyred with courage
and bravery as they confronted the invading and occupying Syrian Baathist army,
accompanied by its columns of Trojan collaborators and local mercenaries. They
fought in defense of the Land of the Cedars, its mission, history, humanity, and
independence. Today, we also remember, with bitterness and anguish, the hundreds
of our people—monks, military personnel, and civilians—who were abducted by the
Syrian occupation army and its mercenaries and transferred to the Nazi-like
detention centers of the Assad regime. Their fate remains unknown to this day.
We recall their heroism and imagine them today, in our hearts and minds, turning
restlessly in their graves in anger and sorrow over what has become of their
beloved homeland, whose soil they watered with their blood and for which they
sacrificed their lives.
The martyrs of October 13, and all the martyrs of the Land of the Cedars who
preceded and followed them, must surely be cursing, from their resting places as
they await the Resurrection, every ruler, politician, party official, power
broker, and citizen who has forgotten their sacrifices and failed to honor their
blood. These modern-day Judases trade in the blood of the martyrs to serve their
own agendas of power rather than the interests of the homeland and its people.
These Judases among the rulers and the merchants of political parties have
trampled over the blood of the martyrs, sold out dignity and independence,
bartered sovereignty for political seats, and surrendered to the fait accompli
in humiliation and submission. They have learned to coexist with the Iranian
occupation, its weapons, and its state within a state, their consciences
anesthetized after losing their national and spiritual compass. They have sunk
into the mire of tribal instincts and collaboration, following the broad roads
against which the Holy Gospel warned us.
Yet, thanks to the sacrifices of these righteous martyrs, including those who
fell on October 13, 1990, and despite all the hardships and suffering, as well
as the reality of the Iranian occupation and the terrorism imposed upon our
homeland, we continue to enjoy complete freedom within ourselves, in our
consciences, and in our faith. Our dignity remains intact, and our heads remain
held high.
The martyrs are the grain of wheat that fell into the earth and died to bear
much fruit. They are the leaven that continually renews the determination,
pride, conscience, and spirit of Lebanon’s free people, enabling them to
continue, with faith, courage, piety, and dedication, along the path of
martyrdom, Calvary, crucifixion, and Resurrection.
Lebanon, the Land of the Cedars, is the land of holiness, redemption, and
mission; the den of the free and the martyrs, and a refuge for every oppressed
and weary soul. This is what Lebanon has always been, and this is what it shall
remain until the last day and the Resurrection.
It is the duty of every believing and freedom-loving Lebanese citizen to bear
witness to the truth without fear or hesitation and to raise high the banners of
faith, brotherhood, freedom, love, generosity, and tolerance.
Saint Paul the Apostle says in his Letter to the Romans (8:31–32):
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against
us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things?”
In conclusion, yes, God is with us, and Lebanon is in His heart. He stands with
every free and sovereign-minded Lebanese citizen confronting the Iranian
occupation, its Trojan collaborators, and its local instruments.
Therefore, no matter how varied their colors and weapons may be, the wicked, the
demonic factions, the terrorists, the fundamentalists, and the isolationists
will never succeed in breaking our spirit, imposing their diabolical will upon
us, or forcing us to accept their rigid and intolerant way of life.
Thank you to every martyr who took up the arms of love and offered his life as a
sacrifice upon the altar of the Land of the Cedars so that Lebanon might remain
free, sovereign, and independent.
Thank you to the families of these great martyrs, distinguished by their faith
and patriotism, for bringing such righteous heroes into the world. And thank you
to Lebanon’s sacred soil, which gave birth to martyrs and embraced their pure
remains.
Note: This article and its accompanying video are from the 2025 archive.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com
A Prayer to Saint Charbel for the Healing of His
Holiness Pope Leo XIV
Elias Bejjani/October 13/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158257/
O Saint Charbel, holy monk, man of prayer, penance and holiness,
O Saint whose tomb faithful hearts seek for the grace of healing and hope, we
humbly beseech you.
O beloved Saint of Lebanon, before whose statue His Holiness Pope Leo XIV knelt
in Lebanon, we ask you to intercede before our Lord Jesus Christ, the Divine
Healer of our souls and bodies, for our Holy Father.
We lift up His Holiness Pope Leo XIV into the Lord’s loving hands as he
undergoes surgery. O Saint Charbel, intercede for our beloved Pope. Ask the Lord
for him the grace of a successful operation, complete healing, and the
restoration of his health and strength, so that he may continue his sacred
mission of serving the Church and the faithful. Heavenly Father, surround him
with Your divine protection, send Your holy angels to watch over him, and bless
the hands of the surgeons, doctors, and nurses caring for him. Blessed Virgin
Mary, Mother of Mercy, place our Holy Father under your loving maternal
protection and intercede for him before your Divine Son in this hour of need.
Lord, throughout his ministry he has offered countless prayers for others,
carrying their suffering in his heart. He has prayed for the sick, the
suffering, the poor, and all those in need of Your comfort. Today, it is our
turn to lift him up in prayer. O Saint Charbel, pray for him that the Lord may
fill his heart with peace and hope, grant him a peaceful and speedy recovery,
and restore him to good health with renewed courage to continue proclaiming Your
message of love and peace.Holy Father, you have prayed for us countless times.
Today, we pray for you. You are in our hearts and in our prayers. We ask this in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website:
https://eliasbejjaninews.com
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.
Etienne Saqr-Abu Arz: A Repeated Warning
October 14, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158296/
The following statement was issued by the leader of the Guardians of the Cedars
Party – Lebanese Nationalist Movement:
A Repeated Warning
The most dangerous recent development in Lebanon concerns the explosive
materials seized by security forces while being transported from the Bekaa
Valley to Beirut’s Southern Suburbs.
What the Lebanese people fear most is that this case will be hushed up, the
investigation diluted, the detainees released, the explosives returned to their
owners, and the file shelved alongside the records of major crimes—ranging from
the 1977 assassination of Kamal Jumblatt to the 2021 assassination of Lokman
Slim—following the pattern established during the era of Syrian occupation and
persisting to this day.
Now—following the end of the Syrian occupation, the waning of the Iranian
occupation, and the state’s liberation from the shackles of fear and
subservience—it is the state's duty to reveal the facts to its people. The
public demands and has the right to know every detail regarding these highly
dangerous explosive shipments: who is behind them, the purpose of transporting
them to the Southern Suburbs, and whether a series of internal assassinations is
being secretly orchestrated, among other questions.
All eyes are fixed today on the hidden details and implications of this case;
the state’s credibility hangs in the balance. It must either reveal the full
truth—regardless of obstacles or the identities of those involved—and thereby
regain the people's trust, or succumb to cowardice and continue its descent into
the abyss of failure and betrayal.
At your service, Lebanon,
Etienne Saqr – Abu Arz
Netanyahu: We will eradicate Hamas, Hezbollah within next
two years
Naharnet/14 October ,2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Iran on Wednesday, warning:
"If Iran attacks us, it will receive a blow it never imagined.""As long as I am
Prime Minister, I will not allow Iran to become a nuclear state," he told the
Israeli army radio. Asked about the fronts that are still active, Netanyahu
stated that Israel has completed “90 percent of the work, but there is still
more to be done.”"Within the next two years, we will eradicate Hamas and
Hezbollah, and we will bring down Iran," he vowed. In response to a question
regarding the possibility of launching an attack on Iran, Netanyahu said that
initiating an attack on Iran is not convenient for Israel before the elections.
Katz threatens Hezbollah with 'severe blow' if it joins any Iran attack on
Israel
Naharnet/14 October ,2026
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Wednesday that Israel is prepared to
expand its “permanent” security zone in south Lebanon, evacuate Beirut’s
southern suburbs and displace more than one million Shiites in Lebanon if
Hezbollah joins any Iranian attack on Israel.
“As the prime minister and I have made clear, we will not withdraw from the
security zones,” said Katz during a visit to the occupied part of south Lebanon.
“If Hezbollah joins Iran in an attack on Israel, it will suffer a severe blow
and lose additional territory in south Lebanon, in the areas of Nabatieh and the
Litani River, which will become part of Israel’s permanent security zone. The
IDF (Israeli army) is prepared to carry out the maneuver,” Katz threatened. “The
entire Shiite population up to the Awali and Zahrani rivers will be evacuated
northward to enable a powerful strike against terrorist infrastructure in the
area and push the drone threat away from northern Israeli communities,” he
added. He said that “Beirut’s Dahiyeh district will also be evacuated” and its
“terrorist infrastructure” will be struck. “More than one million Shiites will
become displaced in Lebanon,” Katz cautioned. Slain Hezbollah chief Sayyed
Hassan “Nasrallah destroyed Lebanon’s Shiite community before he was eliminated,
and (Hezbollah chief Sheikh) Naim Qassem could destroy it completely before he,
too, is eliminated and sent to meet Nasrallah and his predecessor in the depths
of hell,” Katz went on to say.
US laments judicial complaint against Moawad over reports she consoled Israeli
envoy
Naharnet/14 October ,2026
A U.S. Department of State spokesperson has confirmed that Washington is aware
of a judicial complaint filed by a pro-Hezbollah lawyer against Lebanese
Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad. The lawyer, Hassan Bazzi, filed the
complaint in Lebanon over unconfirmed reports that Moawad had contacted Israeli
Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter to inquire about the health of his son who
was seriously wounded in a Palestinian car ramming attack in the occupied West
Bank. Moawad and Leiter have participated in several rounds of Lebanese-Israeli
diplomatic talks since June -- the first between the two sides since 1983. In
remarks to Al-Arabiya television, the spokesperson said that it is disappointing
that a military court is considering a complaint against the Lebanese ambassador
in Washington for carrying out the policy of her legitimate government and
participating in U.S.-led negotiations.
The spokesperson emphasized that the Lebanese military judiciary should employ
its limited resources to prosecute Hezbollah members who “conspire against the
government and people of Lebanon, rather than prosecuting those working on their
behalf."The spokesperson also stressed that laws and practices that enable this
type of “politicized targeting,” while providing “systematic protection” for
Hezbollah members, must be repealed, noting that Washington "no longer has any
patience for such obstruction."LBCI television has reported that, based on a
formal complaint filed by Bazzi with the Public Prosecution, the Public
Prosecutor, Judge Ahmad Rami al-Hajj, decided to refer the complaint to the
Government Commissioner to the Military Court, Judge Claude Ghanem, for review
and to take the appropriate legal measures. Lebanon’s boycott law, adopted in
1955, prohibits direct and indirect dealings with Israeli individuals or
entities, including commercial, financial, and cultural institutions. It carries
prison sentences ranging from several years to harsher penalties under the
broader criminal code. Israel and Lebanon have technically been in a state of
war since May 1948, when Lebanon joined surrounding Arab nations in a war
against the newly-established Israeli state. Israel has since waged several wars
on Lebanon, resulting in around 40,000 deaths and massive material damage.
Israeli artillery shells south Lebanon
Naharnet/14 October ,2026
Israeli artillery shelled Wednesday Shaqra, al-Mansouri, Majdalzoun, al-Khiam,
Wadi Slouqi and al-Arayesh between Harees and Hadatha in south Lebanon. Other
town and villages in the south were shelled overnight, including Mayfadoun, Beit
Yahoun and Marjaayoun. Israeli forces also carried out detonations in Khiam
overnight.Later in the day, strikes targeted Kfartebnit and the outskirts of
Hadatha amid heavy gunfire towards the town.
Aoun urges senior U.S. officials to prevent Israeli yellow
zone expansion, report says
Naharnet/14 October ,2026
President Joseph Aoun is communicating with senior U.S. officials to prevent
Netanyahu from expanding the Israeli-declared yellow zone in south Lebanon,
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported Wednesday. The daily said that Aoun received
U.S. guarantees that Netanyahu will not be given the green light to do so. It
said it has learned from a political source that Hezbollah, on the other hand,
should not give Israel a pretext to strike Iqlim al-Tuffah and Jabal al-Rihan.
The source claimed that Aoun is not currently in contact with Hezbollah but is
instead exchanging messages with them through Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
US: Hezbollah funds from criminal activities, disarmament
must come before reconstruction
Naharnet/14 October ,2026
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State has reiterated that the funds
Hezbollah claims to have received from Iran simply do not exist. The
spokesperson added that the money that Hezbollah does get comes from criminal
activities, such as drug trafficking and partnerships with drug cartels in Latin
America. “This is yet another false announcement aimed at saving Hezbollah's
reputation, rather than helping the people it dragged into war from the very
beginning,” the spokesperson said about the press conference that was held by
Hezbollah official Sheikh Ali Daamoush to announce about $200 million in aid to
the displaced. The spokesperson added that Hezbollah “must stop its false claims
and misleading press conferences, and realize that its time is up.”“Hezbollah
dragged Lebanon into war with suicidal recklessness. Even if it had any money,
it would use it to buy weapons to threaten Israel and intimidate its growing
number of opponents. Hezbollah's weapons have brought nothing to Lebanon but
misery and destruction,” the spokesperson went on to say. “Contrary to
Hezbollah's false claims, we are actively working with our partners in the Gulf
states and Europe on a plan that would release billions of dollars in aid to
rebuild Lebanon, but disarmament must come first. Conditions will improve when
peace prevails, and peace will only be achieved when Hezbollah is disarmed,” the
spokesperson stated. They added that the trilateral framework remains the only
viable path to achieving long-term peace and security for both Lebanon and
Israel.
Iranian deputy foreign minister arrives in Beirut
Naharnet/14 October ,2026
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh and an accompanying diplomatic
delegation arrived Wednesday at the Rafik Hariri International Airport, where
they were received by a delegation from the Amal Movement led by senior official
Khalil Hamdan, representing Speaker Nabih Berri, and MP Ali al-Meqdad,
representing the leadership of Hezbollah. Hamdan conveyed to the Iranian
official greetings from Berri and the leadership of the Amal Movement, welcoming
him to Lebanon, the National News Agency said.
Aoun, Araghchi agree diplomatic solutions needed in phone
call
Naharnet/14 October ,2026
President Joseph Aoun has received a phone call from Iranian Foreign Minister
Abbas Araghchi, during which they discussed the current situation in the region
in light of recent developments, the Presidency said on Wednesday. “There was
agreement on the necessity of supporting diplomatic solutions as the best means
to put an end to the conflicts in the region,” the Presidency added.
Washington: Reports of $200 Million Hezbollah Funding Are
False; Billions in Reconstruction Aid Ready, Contingent on Disarmament
Janoubia/ October 14, 2026
US State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott affirmed the US administration's
commitment to continuing work within the tripartite framework involving the
United States, Lebanon, and Israel. He noted that talks between the Lebanese and
Israeli sides have reached a high level—unseen in their relations for
decades—though he acknowledged that "no one is saying things are easy." In an
interview with Sky News Arabia, he stated that technical discussions are ongoing
and that Washington is in regular contact with officials in both countries to
advance the implementation of understandings, emphasizing that the US views this
path as an opportunity to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity in Lebanon.
Responding to a question regarding Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s call
for a mechanism to verify the Israeli withdrawal, Pigott explained that the
issue of verification is already on the table in the ongoing technical talks,
noting that verification mechanisms are part of the tripartite framework
Washington is working to implement. He reiterated US support for implementing
the agreed-upon framework and confirmed that consultations with both sides are
continuing. He also revealed that Washington is communicating with its Gulf and
European partners to mobilize billions of dollars in funding for the
reconstruction of damaged areas in southern Lebanon. He linked the feasibility
of proceeding with reconstruction to the disarmament of Hezbollah, noting that
while Lebanon has an opportunity to secure broad international support, the
persistence of the party’s arsenal hinders the achievement of stability and the
return of displaced persons. He further accused Hezbollah of taking directives
from Tehran, burdening the Lebanese people with the consequences of recurring
conflicts, and using proceeds from illicit activities—including drug
trafficking—to fund its military infrastructure; he also dismissed reports
claiming Hezbollah had received $200 million as false. Regarding the ongoing
Israeli strikes and the destruction of homes and villages in southern Lebanon,
Bigot indicated that Washington’s message emphasizes the necessity of achieving
peace and stability. He noted that U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of
State Marco Rubio have held communications and meetings with high-ranking
officials from both Lebanon and Israel. He reiterated that the U.S.
administration is working to implement understandings through talks with both
sides. Concerning military, financial, and logistical support for the Lebanese
Armed Forces, he announced the United States' commitment to bolstering the
army's capabilities and upholding Lebanese state sovereignty. He highlighted
that the tripartite framework encompasses various forms of support—including
financial, humanitarian, and security aid—alongside a conflict-resolution
mechanism. He stated, "We are committed to supporting the capabilities of the
Lebanese Army." He emphasized that Washington continues to support the Lebanese
government and state institutions, affirming that the United States wants to see
a sovereign and stable Lebanon.
The Dahr al-Baidar Truck Loaded with Explosives: Key
Indicators
Marwan Al-Amin/Nidaa Al-Watan/October 15, 2026
The interception of a Hezbollah-owned truck laden with explosives at Dahr al-Baidar—on
the road connecting the Bekaa Valley to Beirut—along with the manner in which
official authorities handled the incident, reveals a series of political and
security implications. These extend beyond the danger of the shipment itself,
raising fundamental questions regarding state prestige, the ability of state
agencies to assert their authority, and Hezbollah’s continued operation beyond
the reach of any genuine accountability. First, available information indicates
that the truck was intercepted purely by chance, rather than through
intelligence tracking, security investigations, or a well-planned operation
executed by official agencies. Thus, we are faced with an incident that reveals
not only the peril of what was being transported on Lebanese roads but also the
absence of proactive security initiatives in dealing with Hezbollah’s military
and security apparatus. Second, the fact that Hezbollah was able to transport
over seven hundred kilograms of high explosives along an international highway
linking the Bekaa to the capital demonstrates that the group operates with
confidence, anticipating no serious obstruction from security or military
agencies. The issue is not merely about a single truck; rather, it reflects a
reality that allows Hezbollah to transport explosives without anxiety or fear of
being held accountable. Thirdly, more than a week has passed since the incident
without the Lebanese people hearing an official account from any political,
security, military, or judicial official explaining the truth of what occurred.
This silence is neither a mere administrative detail nor a technical delay;
rather, it reflects confusion within state institutions. As is customary
whenever a security issue involving Hezbollah arises, these institutions appear
preoccupied with finding a way out that neither provokes the party nor causes
them embarrassment before the international community.
Fourthly, the official response was limited to a statement by Prime Minister
Nawaf Salam, which merely reiterated themes and positions the Lebanese public
has heard since the beginning of the current presidential and governmental term.
Yet, the statement omitted the most crucial elements: a clear account of the
events and an explicit identification of Hezbollah as the party involved in the
incident. An authority that hesitates to name Hezbollah—or to take political and
legal action against it, even in the face of a serious security incident—cannot
convince the Lebanese people that their protection and security are among its
priorities. Fifthly, experts have confirmed that this type of explosive material
is used in assassinations—materials previously employed in operations where
Hezbollah was accused of involvement. Thus, a truck laden with over seven
hundred kilograms of high explosives is circulating on the roads among the
Lebanese population, intended to carry out assassinations and threaten lives and
stability, while the Lebanese people are left to grapple with anxiety and fear
for their own lives and those of their families. Sixth, Hezbollah has promoted
the narrative that these explosives are intended for confronting Israel. Quite
apart from the fact that Hezbollah’s entire military apparatus operates outside
the law—and that the outcome of its war with Israel demonstrated its failure to
protect even its own leaders, let alone Lebanon—the transport of such a quantity
of explosives to the Southern Suburbs and their storage within densely populated
areas underscores the group’s disregard for people’s lives and livelihoods. This
practice not only endangers civilian lives and property but also exposes the
population to the risk of Israeli strikes. Hezbollah does not merely usurp the
State’s authority to decide on war and peace; it effectively uses the public as
human shields for its weaponry and explosives. The State’s silence and its
pursuit of political workarounds will only entrench the status quo: Hezbollah
operating with its arsenal while the State merely looks on, leaving the people
to pay the price for the "Party’s" choices and the State’s abdication of
responsibility.
Uncertainty surrounds the upcoming “Tampa” negotiations:
Lebanese anticipation of Netanyahu’s moves and presidential efforts to curb the
escalation in the south
Janoubia/14 October ,2026
The political and field prospects in Lebanon fluctuate between intense
diplomatic efforts and uncertainty surrounding the date of the new round of
military talks expected in the American city of Tampa between Lebanon and
Israel. While the official Lebanese authorities seek to reduce the escalation
and complete the negotiating path to end the state of hostility, a state of
anticipation and caution prevails for fear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu will exploit the time gap extending until the Knesset elections and
the American midterm elections to expand his field aggression on Lebanese
territory. As Lebanese-American contacts continued regarding the upcoming
military talks in Tampa, Nidaa al-Watan newspaper indicated that the meeting
held by the Lebanese Ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamada Moawad, at the US
State Department dealt with the situation in the south and the negotiation file,
but it did not lead to anything new or achieve tangible progress. The newspaper
pointed out that the absence of practical results may push towards postponing
the talks, especially since Lebanon has not been officially informed of the date
of their holding, so that the coming hours remain crucial to determine whether
the intentions to hold them between 20 and 22 October will be announced, or will
be postponed for further preparation. On the other hand, “Nidaa Al Watan” quoted
political sources as confirming that the military meeting is still taking place
in principle within the expected period during this month. In the same context,
a Lebanese official source confirmed that the date for the Tampa negotiating
round has not yet been set, explaining that preliminary contacts will take place
during this week in light of which the fate of the negotiations will be
determined whether they will be held or postponed. In turn, Al-Liwaa newspaper
reported that Lebanon is considering setting the exact official date from the US
administration to resume the negotiations reported in Tampa on the 20th and 22nd
of this month, amid communications to find out whether the round will be held or
postponed at an American-Israeli request. The newspaper reported information
from Washington stating that Ambassador Nada Hamada Moawad’s visit to the US
State Department focused on following up on the issue of forming monitoring
committees and the mechanism for verifying the Israeli withdrawal in the south,
without reaching any agreement on this mechanism until now.
Meanwhile, President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed the constants of the Lebanese
position, saying: “We went for the option of negotiations because war will not
lead us to a result,” stressing that “the decision was taken to save what was
left of Lebanon.”
Aoun acknowledged that “the agreement we reached is not an ideal agreement, but
it has limited the expansion of Israeli attacks,” adding: “The strikes are still
continuing in the south, and we are trying as much as possible to mitigate them
and reach the final and ultimate goal that I announced, and I still say and will
continue, which is to end the state of hostility with Israel.”On the field and
politically, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported that a state of anticipation
is prevailing in southern Lebanon following the postponement of the
Lebanese-Israeli military meeting, under American sponsorship, until after the
Israeli Knesset elections scheduled for October 27, and the American midterm
elections. The newspaper explained that this deportation required the
development of a proactive plan to keep pace with the possibility of Benjamin
Netanyahu tending towards expanding the “security zone” by targeting the
highlands and hills extending between Iqlim al-Tuffah and Jabal al-Rayhan.
Asharq Al-Awsat learned from a political source directly involved in the
negotiations that President Joseph Aoun is making contact with senior officials
in the US administration to put pressure on Netanyahu and block any attempt to
expand the security zone under the pretext of using it as a “political lever” to
ensure his return to head the Israeli government.
Messages Warn Lebanon of All-Out War; Two Scheduled Negotiation Meetings at Risk
of Cancellation!
Al-Markaziya/October 14, 2026
Reports from *Al-Jadeed* indicate that statements by Israeli Defense Minister
Israel Katz coincided with the arrival of diplomatic messages to Lebanese
officials—messages similar to those that preceded the launch of the six
missiles. Diplomatic sources conveyed that any intervention from Lebanon against
Israel would throw the doors to war wide open, with no international guarantees
to prevent strikes from extending to Beirut and the Southern Suburbs. The
sources added that the two military negotiation meetings scheduled for October
20 and 22 are effectively cancelled, as the concerned nations are preoccupied
with other issues and Israel is focusing on its electoral and security
priorities.
US State Department: Anyone Undermining Lebanese Sovereignty Is Now Subject to
Warning
Al-Markaziya/October 14, 2026
A US State Department spokesperson, speaking to MTV, affirmed that Hezbollah
poses an obstacle to peace and security in Lebanon, calling for its disarmament
and urging that the Lebanese government be allowed to lead reconstruction
efforts and assist displaced persons. He noted that the funds Iran has promised
to the group are unavailable, observing that the policy of "economic exclusion"
is cutting off Iranian financial support to Tehran’s allies in the region. He
added that Washington is holding talks with Gulf and European partners regarding
the potential provision of billions of dollars for the reconstruction of the
South, emphasizing that disarming Hezbollah is essential for achieving peace and
prosperity. Regarding the issue of sanctions, the US State Department
spokesperson stated: "Washington will not preempt the announcement of any new
measures." However, he emphasized that the United States has demonstrated its
readiness to act, warning that anyone undermining Lebanese
sovereignty—regardless of the sector to which they belong—has now come within
the scope of US warnings.
Will the explosives case be referred to the Judicial
Council?
Al-Markaziya/October 14, 2026
MTV has learned that ministers from the Lebanese Forces party will request,
during tomorrow's Cabinet session, the referral of the case involving explosives
seized from two Hezbollah members to the Judicial Council, given the gravity of
the matter.
UN peacekeeping chief meets top Lebanese leaders as UNIFIL
mandate nears end
Naharnet/14 October ,2026
President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon’s wish to keep the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in south Lebanon, as he met with U.N.
Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix. Aoun hoped
that the U.N. Security Council would approve Lebanon’s request to renew UNIFIL’s
mandate for the coming year. Lacroix, for his part, emphasized the necessity of
hearing Lebanon's wishes. "I believe discussions in the Security Council will
begin now, and it is vital — indeed imperative — that Lebanon’s voice be heard
on this matter, as the country directly concerned," he said. The United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon, which now counts some 7,500 personnel from nearly 50
countries, has been in place since 1978, although its presence has not prevented
repeated outbreaks of conflict. Under U.S. pressure, the U.N. Security Council
voted last year to end UNIFIL's mandate on December 31, 2026. Lacroix later met
with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, who
stated that the official Lebanese position is unanimous. "There is a consensus"
in Lebanon regarding UNIFIL’s extension, Berri said, adding that Lebanon will
press ahead with efforts to "safeguard its sovereign rights, protect its
borders, and liberate every last inch of its land from Israeli occupation."
A Radical Shift in Hezbollah’s "Environment": 66% Support
Surrendering Weapons
Al-Markaziya/October 14/2026
In a striking shift within what is known as Hezbollah’s "environment" [support
base], a recent opinion poll conducted by "Statistics Lebanon" revealed that
66.4% of Shiite respondents in Lebanon supported handing over Hezbollah’s
weapons to the state, compared to 29.6% who preferred the party retain its arms
under the status quo. The survey, conducted last September, also showed that
67.4% of participants believed Hezbollah failed to achieve its objectives in the
war with Israel—or achieved only some of them—while 42.1% expressed negative
sentiments regarding the party leadership's handling of the war and its
repercussions.
Decisions on War and Peace
Regarding security institutions, the poll showed that 78.5% of participants
trust the Lebanese Army, while 71.1% believed that the decision to go to war or
make peace should be the exclusive prerogative of the Lebanese state.
Concerning security arrangements with Israel, 17% supported the possibility of
reaching a security agreement that guarantees border security, while 24.9%
favored a security agreement sponsored by a third party. The survey covered 800
Lebanese citizens from the Shiite community, aged 18 and older, across various
regions of the country, according to data published by the conducting
organization. These results come as Lebanese authorities continue to emphasize
their commitment to the policy of restricting arms—as well as the
decision-making power regarding war and peace—solely to the state. These results
emerged against the backdrop of widespread destruction inflicted upon dozens of
villages in southern Lebanon following the conflict initiated by Hezbollah in
early March—triggered by rocket fire into Israel in retaliation for the
assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Israel responded with
extensive airstrikes targeting the south, the Bekaa Valley, and the capital,
Beirut, along with its southern suburbs. Israeli forces also advanced into a
broad border zone encompassing dozens of Lebanese towns, engaging in the
large-scale razing of villages, homes, civilian facilities, and schools.
Following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli settlements and military
bases near the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah opened a front in southern
Lebanon—ostensibly in solidarity with the Palestinian territory—prompting
fierce, widespread Israeli strikes across various parts of Lebanon that caused
significant material damage and loss of life. This further intensified the wave
of criticism directed at the Iranian-backed group.
It Won't Operate Without Washington's Approval...
European-US Coordination Before the Mission Launches!
Lara Yazbeck/Al-Markaziya/October 14/2026
Al-Markaziya – On Monday, European Union foreign ministers adopted a decision to
establish a new support mission in Lebanon. The mission is tasked with providing
advice and assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Internal
Security Forces (ISF) to enhance territorial control, border security, and
internal security; the mission's initial mandate is set for three years.
President General Joseph Aoun welcomed the decision, viewing it as a reflection
of a steadfast commitment to Lebanon's security and stability, as well as
confidence in the LAF and ISF as legitimate institutions charged with protecting
the nation and its citizens. He also emphasized Lebanon's readiness to provide
the necessary cooperation to ensure the mission's success, expressing
appreciation for the EU and its member states and underscoring the importance of
continued international partnership in supporting stability and bolstering the
role of legitimate institutions. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced
that the mission represents a significant upgrade in security relations between
the EU and Lebanon, falling within the framework of supporting state
institutions to restore full sovereignty and achieve stability. However, the
mission's inception does not guarantee a smooth or certain transition from paper
to the field. Its formation comes at a critical juncture, coinciding on one hand
with the US-brokered framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, and on the
other with the year-end expiration of the UNIFIL mandate in the south. According
to informed political sources speaking to Al-Markaziya, this convergence
complicates the mission's path, introducing multiple factors and parties into
the equation. According to sources, Washington does not wish to see the
deployment of UNIFIL—or any alternative foreign force—in the south during the
upcoming phase. Its goal is for Lebanese-Israeli negotiations to succeed,
leading to the establishment of additional pilot zones and further Israeli
withdrawals, thereby resulting in the deployment of the Lebanese Army alone
along the border. Washington seeks direct coordination between the Lebanese and
Israeli armies. However, Europe has clarified that the mission will not deploy
to the south nor replace UNIFIL; instead, it will assist the Lebanese Army with
other tasks and bolster its capabilities, readiness, and proficiency, enabling
it to carry out its duties in the south effectively. In any case, the sources
add, these points will be the subject of coordination in the coming period among
the European Union, the United Nations, and international stakeholders in the
security sector—foremost among them Washington—to dispel any ambiguities,
clarify the situation, and pave the way for the mission to begin its work.
Everyone acknowledges that without an American green light, the operation of
this force would be neither feasible nor easy, the sources conclude.
Tehran Evades Beirut While Washington Confronts It
Decisively on the Arms Issue
Nidaa Al-Watan/October 15/2026
Political developments surrounding Lebanon are accelerating amidst a frantic
race between de-escalation efforts and the risk of a military explosion. Israel
is raising the stakes of its threats to expand the war southward, while
Washington intensifies pressure on the Lebanese state. Meanwhile, Iran offers
Beirut sweet diplomatic rhetoric while keeping the "Hezbollah" card as a dagger
plunged into the backs of the Lebanese people. In this context—and coinciding
with Tehran’s announcement of the arrival of Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister
Kazem Gharibabadi at Rafik Hariri International Airport—*Nidaa Al-Watan* learned
that the call between President Joseph Aoun and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi was calm and diplomatic in tone. After reviewing the regional
situation, Araghchi explained to Aoun that his country remains committed to
dialogue and negotiation and does not wish for a return to war, affirming the
continuation of talks and adherence to the US-Iran understanding. He also
outlined the obstacles facing this path and the potential consequences of a
breakdown in negotiations, stressing that Iran supports Lebanon's stability and
desires its recovery from its ordeal, just like other nations in the region. For
his part, Aoun emphasized that wars have yielded nothing but ruin and
destruction, necessitating the adoption of the negotiating path that Lebanon
supports. Amidst Iranian evasiveness, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz
warned Hezbollah that joining Iran in an attack on Israel would expose the group
to a severe blow and result in the loss of further territory in the
south—specifically in the Nabatieh and Litani regions. During a visit to Israeli
troops stationed in areas occupied by the Israeli army in Lebanon and Syria, he
emphasized that his forces would not withdraw from these zones. Katz went
further, threatening to force the evacuation of the population northward—up to
the line of the Awali and Zahrani rivers—to pave the way for massive strikes on
infrastructure and to eliminate the drone threat facing northern Israeli towns.
He also raised the prospect of evacuating Beirut’s southern suburbs and
targeting their infrastructure. Meanwhile, Washington is urging Lebanese
authorities to take decisive action regarding sovereignty; US sources told *Nidaa
Al-Watan* that the era of ambiguity is over and American demands are now clear.
These demands include formulating a concrete disarmament plan, clearing
sensitive areas of weaponry, arresting members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps (IRGC), and reforming the judiciary to ensure that violators linked
to "the Party" are held accountable rather than shielded. Amidst these
pressures, Lebanon is fighting a "last-ditch" battle to prevent the loss of the
international protective umbrella over its south, as a critical decision
regarding the future of UNIFIL approaches. In this context, the President of the
Republic—while receiving UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations
Jean-Pierre Lacroix—affirmed Lebanon’s commitment to the continued presence of
international forces, in recognition of the role they have played since the
start of their mission and the sacrifices made by their personnel. He warned
that their withdrawal—amidst ongoing Israeli raids, most of which occur within
their operational zone—would create a security vacuum with negative
repercussions for stability in the South, in addition to resulting in a lack of
international oversight regarding developments on the ground. For his part,
Lacroix noted that his visit—which also included stops at Ain el-Tineh, the
Grand Serail, and Yarzeh—comes at a critical juncture, given the complexities of
the situation on the ground, the continuation of military activities, and the
impact on the local population. He explained that the Security Council is set to
begin discussing the future of the UN presence, emphasizing the necessity of
hearing and considering the Lebanese position, as the matter directly concerns
Lebanon’s security and sovereignty. He confirmed that the United Nations is
aware of the request to extend the UNIFIL mandate for a temporary period,
highlighting the importance of reaching a formula that contributes to enhancing
stability, restoring full Lebanese sovereignty, and supporting security in the
region.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
October 14-15/2026 (Some of the News reports below are
translated from Arabic by AI)
Netanyahu says he is not seeking to
attack Iran again before Israel election
Reuters/14 October ,2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that he was not in
favor of a preemptive strike against Iran before Israel’s October 27 election
but also warned Tehran and its proxies against striking Israel. “It is not
convenient for us, it’s no good,” Netanyahu said in an interview on Israel’s
Army Radio, when asked about the possibility of a preemptive strike and
allegations by his political rivals that he was seeking a military confrontation
ahead of the election. “Even if Iran fires missiles at us they will blame me,”
Netanyahu said, though he also repeated his previous warnings to Iran, saying
Israel would respond forcefully if attacked. He would not elaborate on the
possibility of a preemptive strike after the election or about his recent
discussions with Washington about Iran.The United States and Iran have been at
war since February 28 when the US and Israel attacked Iran and Tehran responded
with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states. Israel and Iran have not traded
fire since June. Asked whether Israel was assisting Saudi Arabia against attacks
by the Iran-aligned Yemeni Houthis, Netanyahu said: “I don’t get into those
matters. I can only tell you that many countries in the Middle East are turning
to us following our massive success and tremendous achievements.”Saudi Arabia
has faced widening Houthi strikes over the past week, including an attack on
Riyadh airport on Saturday that killed 13 people. Netanyahu said that Iran’s
proxies were also looking to launch attacks on Israel before the election.
Defense Minister Israel Katz, speaking from the self-declared security zone
Israeli forces are occupying in southern Lebanon, warned Iran-backed Lebanese
group Hezbollah against attacking Israel. “Hezbollah will suffer a severe blow
and lose additional territories in southern Lebanon within the Nabatieh and
Litani regions, which will become part of Israel’s permanent security zone. The
IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is prepared to carry out the manoeuvre,” Katz said.
Katz said that a million Shi’ites would be displaced and that Hezbollah’s
stronghold in Beirut would not be spared. Israel launched air strikes and a
ground invasion in southern Lebanon this year in parallel with the war in Iran,
after Hezbollah fired into Israel in revenge for the attacks against Tehran.
Hundreds of thousands of people from Lebanon’s Shia Muslim community, from which
Hezbollah draws its support, were uprooted by the fighting.
Colombia opens embassy to Israel in Jerusalem
Agence France Presse/14 October ,2026
Colombia on Wednesday officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem, joining a
small but growing list of countries to do so while most other embassies to
Israel remain in Tel Aviv. "This is an important date for the State of Israel.
It's also an important date for the city of Jerusalem," Israeli Foreign Minister
Gideon Saar said during a ceremony while signing the embassy's guest book.
US says destroyed Iranian-linked vessel targeting Navy
ships in Gulf of Oman
Al Arabiya English/15 October ,2026
US forces destroyed an Iranian-affiliated dhow in the Gulf of Oman on October 6
after determining it was conducting surveillance and targeting US Navy warships,
the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday, adding that the vessel’s crew
had been safely evacuated before its destruction. In a statement posted on X,
CENTCOM said the vessel had been involved in surveillance and targeting
activities directed at US naval ships operating in the region. “On Oct. 6, US
forces destroyed an Iranian-affiliated dhow conducting surveillance and
targeting US Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman,” CENTCOM said. The military command
confirmed that all crew members had been safely removed from the vessel before
it was destroyed.It added that efforts to repatriate the crew were ongoing,
without specifying the number of people aboard or their nationalities. The
command also accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of repeatedly
targeting civilian and military vessels in regional waters over the past seven
months. “Over the past seven months, [the IRGC] has continued to
indiscriminately target thousands of civilian mariners transiting regional
waters in addition to US Navy warships,” CENTCOM said.
The incident comes amid heightened maritime security tensions in the Gulf
region, where commercial vessels and military ships have faced threats to
navigation. The Gulf of Oman connects the Arabian Sea to the Strait of Hormuz, a
strategically important waterway through which a significant share of global oil
shipments passes.
Two security personnel killed in attacks in southeast Iran
Al Arabiya English/14 October ,2026
Two members of state security forces were killed Wednesday in two separate
attacks carried out by gunmen in southeast Iran, a region plagued by violence,
state media reported. “A police officer was killed in an armed attack on a
police vehicle in Mehrestan County, in Sistan-Baluchistan,” state television
announced. In the same area, a female commander from the Basij, a paramilitary
force affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed by
“members of enemy mercenary terrorist groups,” the report said. In recent weeks,
clashes between security forces and gunmen have multiplied in the historically
volatile region. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday
claimed “terrorist groups” operating in the east were acting within a framework
of “plans devised by Israel and the United States to destabilize the country’s
borders.”The US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran in late February,
triggering the Middle East war that has claimed thousands of lives. Sistan-Baluchistan,
which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long seen clashes between Iranian
security forces, insurgents and drug traffickers.
Container ship sinks near Hormuz after being hit by
projectile
Reuters/14 October ,2026
A Singapore-flagged container ship has sunk near the Strait of Hormuz after
being hit by a projectile, while a dry bulk carrier damaged in an earlier attack
is also reported to be sinking, maritime security sources said on Wednesday.
Attacks around the waterway have surged over the past 10 days. The
Singapore-flagged GFS Pride, a small container vessel with capacity for 2,824
twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), sank while sailing through the strait, the
sources said. “GFS PRIDE sustained damage and a fire on board and has since
sunk. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated. No injuries have been
reported,” the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a
statement on Wednesday, adding that the vessel had been sailing through the
strait on Tuesday. The loss of the GFS Pride marks the second vessel to sink
since the US-Iran war began on February 28, according to data from the UN
shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization. “MPA is deeply
concerned about the continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of
Hormuz,” the Singapore authority said. “Such attacks are unprovoked,
unjustifiable, and a breach of international law.” GFS Pride’s United Arab
Emirates-based manager, GFS Ship Management FZE, could not be immediately
reached for comment. The latest incident comes amid a sharp escalation in
threats to commercial shipping in and around the strait, through which about a
fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade passed before the war.
Tehran has sought to tighten its grip on the waterway since US and Israeli
strikes on Iran on February 28, restricting transit in an effort to gain
leverage over Washington. The United States, meanwhile, has imposed a naval
blockade on Iranian ports and expanded sanctions to intensify economic pressure
on Tehran. Iran is increasingly deploying new tactics against vessels transiting
the strait as it seeks to keep oil prices elevated and influence US midterm
elections, two senior Iranian officials told Reuters. While Iran and the US have
focused their attacks on tankers, cargo and container vessels have also been
attacked, immobilized or sunk.In a separate incident, the Antigua and
Barbuda-flagged Cape Dao was reported to be sinking close to the strait after
being struck by a projectile on September 23, the maritime security sources
said. “The Antigua & Barbuda flagged bulk carrier CAPE DAO, originally hit on
the 23 September, is reported to be sinking after an unsuccessful rescue
attempt,” British maritime risk management group Vanguard said in a note on
Wednesday. The vessel’s UAE-based manager Peonies Shipmanagement FZE could not
be immediately reached for comment. The Maltese-flagged container ship Safeen
Prestige was hit by a projectile in March and later sank north of the strait.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked and seized the container ship
MSC Francesca in April.
Yemen FM says battle against Houthis is a must, rules out
return to failed ceasefires
Al Arabiya English/15 October/2026
Referring to Hezbollah as “a state inside the state,” the foreign minister said
Yemen did not want to replicate the Lebanese experience. Yemen’s foreign
minister Wednesday described the ongoing offensive against the Iran-backed
Houthis as a necessity and rejecting a return to previous ceasefire arrangements
that allowed the militia to strengthen its capabilities. “It’s not an easy
battle, but it’s a must,” Afrah al-Zouba told reporters during a call, insisting
that Yemen’s internationally recognized government had no alternative but to
continue operations aimed at restoring control over its territory.
Al-Zouba said the government was seeking expanded sanctions targeting Houthi
weapons procurement, financial networks and access to dual-use equipment,
alongside stronger maritime interdiction efforts and intelligence-sharing to
improve military targeting. She also called for additional training and
equipment for Yemeni forces, greater support for the country’s coast guard and
coordinated international assistance to complement operations on the ground. The
offensive, she stressed, was being conducted under a unified Yemeni military
command, with Saudi Arabia and other coalition partners providing support rather
than replacing Yemeni forces. Al-Zouba emphasized that the objective of
international assistance was to strengthen Yemen’s own military capabilities.
The minister said Washington remained in regular communication with the Yemeni
government and had expressed its commitment to continued support. She said there
was contact with the US chargé d’affaires approximately weekly and had met
American officials in New York last month.
No return to failed ceasefire
On prospects for negotiations, the minister said the government remained
committed to a peaceful settlement but would not accept another agreement that
failed to address the Houthis’ military capabilities. “We are not calling for
ceasefire. We are not calling for starting any negotiations with Houthis,” al-Zouba
said, adding that any future political process must include conditions
guaranteeing a durable peace.Drawing a parallel with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the
minister warned against allowing the Houthis to become an entrenched armed group
operating outside state authority. Referring to Hezbollah as “a state inside the
state,” she said Yemen did not want to replicate the Lebanese experience. She
accused the Houthis of exploiting previous truces to accumulate weapons, expand
their missile and drone capabilities and threaten international shipping. The
minister also warned that the Houthis’ efforts to control the Bab al-Mandeb were
linked to Iran’s broader strategy of exerting pressure on international trade,
particularly amid disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Asked by
Al Arabiya English what the international community misunderstands about the
Houthis and their popularity in Yemen, al-Zouba rejected claims that the group
represents the Yemeni people, accusing Iran and Hezbollah of helping spread a
misleading narrative portraying the militia as marginalized and oppressed. “They
are not representing Yemenis,” she said, arguing that the Houthis have
deliberately misrepresented restrictions on travel and access to humanitarian
assistance to gain international sympathy. She pointed to the continued
operation of the Port of Hodeidah and accused the Houthis of obstructing efforts
to restore commercial flights from Sanaa airport. Al-Zouba said international
attitudes were shifting as governments increasingly recognized the Houthis as a
threat not only to Yemen, but also to regional stability and global trade. She
described the humanitarian situation in Taiz as critical, warning of severe
shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies, including dialysis materials.
Despite the difficulties facing government forces, she insisted the campaign
would continue. “We don’t have options,” she said, describing the fight as
essential to protecting Yemenis and preventing their country from becoming a
base for threats to regional and international security.
Saudi says Houthi attacks sparked Aramco fire, wounded 4 in
Riyadh
Associated Press/14 October ,2026
A limited fire broke out Tuesday in an administrative building at Aramco, one of
the world's largest oil facilities, that was targeted in an attack in the
country's Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy said. The ministry
said no injuries were reported.
The attack came as the Iranian-backed Houthis and the Saudi coalition fighting
them exchanged attacks Tuesday night. The fighting marked a fresh escalation in
the widening Middle East crisis and came shortly after the Saudi coalition
reported a series of alerts for incoming missiles heading for the Eastern
Province, a major oil-producing region, and the capital Riyadh. Saudi Arabia's
Civil Defense said debris from two intercepted Houthi missiles fell on
residential areas in Riyadh, injuring four people and damaging 15 homes. The
coalition of forces in Yemen led by Saudi Arabia carried out new airstrikes
Tuesday on the Houthi rebel-held Yemeni capital, the Houthi-run broadcaster Al
Masirah and residents said. The strikes came shortly after a coalition spokesman
urged residents to evacuate the area for their safety. Witnesses reported
hearing strong explosions in Sanaa hours after the coalition struck the Subaha
fuel facility west of the city. In a rare statement earlier, the coalition had
urged civilians in the Houthi-controlled capital to leave the Yemeni Oil Company
site, on a hill overlooking the capital, and nearby storage areas ahead of a
possible strike. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki accused the
Houthis of using the facility and its underground fuel depots for their arsenal
of missiles and drones. Houthi officials appeared to have anticipated the
attack. The oil company said its storage facilities were empty and that a Saudi
strike would not affect oil reserves or supplies for residents. Still, witnesses
in the city said lines of cars formed at some gas stations amid fears of a
shortage. Shortly after the warning, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya
Saree said on Telegram that any Saudi attack on Sanaa would be met with a "firm
and painful" response in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Hours later, Saudi Arabia issued alerts for incoming missiles heading for Riyadh
and the Eastern Province but quickly said the danger had passed. The coalition
said it had intercepted a series of Houthi-launched ballistic missiles, drones
and cruise missiles in multiple areas in the country, including Riyadh and the
southern province of Wadi al-Dawasir. Riyadh residents reported hearing loud
explosions. Airlines moved a number of their planes out of Riyadh on Tuesday on
the advice of insurers and government officials because of the threat of
additional attacks. They needed to transfer the planes to other airports in the
country so they can keep flying passengers to their destinations, said Osprey
Flight Solutions Chief Intelligence Officer Matthew Borie, whose company advises
airlines, insurers and countries on flight threats. "It's not abnormal for this
to occur especially in this day and age with the types of conflict zone
situations that have occurred in the region," Borie said. More than 3,120
flights scheduled to depart from airports across Saudi Arabia since Oct. 8 have
been canceled or listed as not operating, representing about 41% of scheduled
departures, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. That includes more than
300 flights that had been scheduled to depart Wednesday. Several airlines have
suspended service to the kingdom because of the Houthi attacks on airports. It
was unclear whether the Tuesday strike in Yemen was a signal of military
escalation or a carefully measured response to recent deadly attacks on the
Riyadh airport.
The warning and the attack show "the Saudis' aims of upping the ante and
striking deep in the heart of Houthi-controlled territory while attempting to
control the narrative by presenting themselves as more careful and humanitarian
actors than the Houthis," said Adam Baron, a fellow at the Washington-based New
America institute. "It may be a warning — or it may be a sign of things to
come," he said.
Fighting surged over control of key waterway
Saudi Arabia is still scrambling to determine how its air defenses failed to
intercept a barrage of missiles and drones fired by the Houthis, including an
attack on Riyadh's international airport on Saturday that killed at least 13
people and wounded over 300. The latest conflict between the Saudis and the
Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab
el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway for the transport of Gulf oil and other
goods at the southern end of the Red Sea off Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition,
backing forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognized government, has
been trying to retake them. Saudi Arabia's Cabinet on Tuesday warned the Houthis
they would "face consequences" for their repeated attacks on the kingdom. "The
Kingdom will not allow any threat to its security or to freedom of maritime
navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait," the Cabinet said in a
statement carried by Saudi state-owned Al-Ekhbariya television. The Bab
el-Mandeb is another area key to the flow of oil out of the Persian Gulf.
The fight for a major Yemeni city
On Tuesday, Yemen's interior ministry said in a statement on X that Houthi
strikes over the past day on Taiz, a major city in the country's southwest, had
killed six people and injured 18 amid ongoing battles in the region. A commander
with the Saudi-backed forces said rebels had fought through fierce resistance to
reach the edges of Taiz, and some had entered the city. The fight was now
critical for Taiz, which has long been a sought-after prize, he said. The
commander, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe battlefield details,
said rebel forces were surprisingly large, and bolstered by medium and
short-range ballistic missiles. That fighting is leading to the large-scale
displacement of people and growing shortages of food and other supplies, U.N.
spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday, with cooking gas largely unavailable
and food prices that have reportedly risen about 50%.
Saudi Arabia has been pushing for the U.S. military to provide more direct
support in the fight against the Houthis. The U.S. has provided intelligence
sharing, target identification and planning for a Saudi-led offensive, but has
held off on carrying out strikes against the Houthis.
A U.S. intervention could prompt the Houthis to try to halt shipping through the
Bab el-Mandeb.
Saudi coalition says intercepted Houthi missile fired
towards Riyadh
Agence France Presse/14 October ,2026
Loud explosions were heard in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Wednesday, AFP
journalists in the city reported, as Yemen's Houthis step up attacks in an
escalating war. Messages were received on phones in Riyadh warning people of an
"aerial threat" and urging them to take shelter. The alert was lifted a few
minutes later. The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis later said it
had intercepted a missile fired by the group towards Riyadh. "Interception and
destruction of a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia
towards Riyadh," coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki wrote on X.
One person injured in Riyadh by debris from intercepted Houthi missile: Civil
defense
Al Arabiya English/14 October ,2026
One person was injured in Riyadh by falling debris from an intercepted ballistic
missile launched by Yemen’s Houthis earlier on Wednesday, the Saudi Civil
Defense said. The injured person was an Arab national residing in the Kingdom,
the agency said, adding that the falling debris caused minor damage to a house
and a car. The Saudi-led coalition said on Wednesday morning that Yemen’s
Houthis had launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh.“A ballistic missile
launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Riyadh has been intercepted and
destroyed,” coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Malki said in a post
on X. Saudi authorities issued emergency aerial threat alerts for the capital
Riyadh and the governorate of al-Kharj, south of the capital. Follow-up alerts
later announced that the threats had ended. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have
recently stepped up attacks on civilian targets inside the Kingdom.
Houthis say targeted Saudi oil giant Aramco, airport,
refinery
Agence France Presse
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said on Wednesday they had targeted facilities
belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco as well as Riyadh airport, as they vowed to
conduct more attacks. "The Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a high-quality
military operation targeting Aramco in Dhahran, in the Eastern Province, King
Khalid International Airport, and the Aramco refinery in Riyadh. This was
carried out using a large number of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and
drones," military spokesperson Yahya Saree said, adding "operations toward Saudi
depths will continue in the coming days, targeting Saudi enemy airports and oil
facilities".
Iraqi PM condemns attacks on Saudi Arabia during meeting
with MBS
Al Arabiya English/14 October ,2026:
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi strongly condemned recent attacks targeting
Saudi Arabia, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, during a
meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday, reaffirming that
Baghdad would not allow its territory to be used to threaten the Kingdom’s
security. The two leaders met at al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, where they
discussed regional developments and ways to coordinate efforts to strengthen
security and stability, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Al-Zaidi
expressed the Iraqi government’s strong condemnation of the attack on King
Khalid International Airport and other strikes targeting civilian facilities and
vital infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.He described the attacks as a threat to
regional security and stability. The Iraqi prime minister reiterated his
government’s firm position against allowing Iraqi territory to be used as a
launching point for attacks or activities threatening Saudi Arabia or other
countries in the region. He also emphasized Baghdad’s commitment to
good-neighborly relations and respect for the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia and
other countries. relations, with MBS reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s commitment to
strengthening coope
UK PM Burnham looks to ‘repair bridges’ between Trump, Zelenskyy
AFP/14 October ,2026
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Wednesday he will seek to “repair bridges”
between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid
strained ties between the pair. Burnham made the comments before he was due to
welcome Zelenskyy to his official Downing Street residence, in a show of support
for Ukraine’s president following new criticism by Trump. In recent days, Trump
has announced a diesel-supply deal with heavily sanctioned Russia, and
blindsided both sides in the almost five-year conflict by announcing an “energy
ceasefire.”He has also angrily hit out at Zelenskyy over Ukrainian long-range
attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, suggesting he should be replaced as
president. “What I have to do in my role is try and repair bridges so that the
support comes back,” Burnham told the British parliament. “Therefore, I should,
at this moment in time, be careful in terms of laying the ground to bring people
back together. That is the role I intend to play,” he added. Zelenskyy’s visit
to London comes as Ukraine accuses the US of helping Russia, saying Washington
failed to warn it of incoming missile strikes and has slowed the Starlink
satellite internet system it relies on for its battlefield communications and
frontline logistics. Trump insisted on Tuesday that Washington was still helping
Ukraine, while a US official told AFP on Wednesday its policy had “not changed”.
The EU also said there were “no indications” intelligence sharing had stopped.
“I will listen to President Zelenskyy carefully, but he won’t be going away from
Britain today empty-handed,” Burnham told MPs. The prime minister is due to tell
Zelenskyy that Britain will quicken the delivery of British lightweight
multirole missiles, which Ukraine has used against Russian jet-powered drones.
He is also expected to pledge yet more sanctions aimed at Russia.
Kremlin says Ukrainian drones hit two Russian oil refineries, Kyiv denies
AFP/14 October ,2026
Russia claimed Wednesday that Ukraine had used drones to attack two oil
refineries on Russian soil, accusing it of violating an “energy ceasefire”
declared by US President Donald Trump -- an allegation Kyiv denied. “Two oil
refineries were attacked today by the Kyiv regime, in the Saratov and Ryazan
regions,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Alexander Novak was quoted as
saying by Russian news agencies. Dmytro Lytvyn, an advisor to Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied the accusation as “fake,” saying other
sites had been hit, “but the refineries were not.”
Rubio tells Ethiopia’s Abiy that countries must respect
neighbors’ sovereignty
Al Arabiya English/14 October ,2026
The top US diplomat on Wednesday told Ethiopia’s prime minister that all sides
need to de-escalate amid heightened tensions and clashes with Eritrea. Secretary
of State Marco Rubio told Abiy Ahmed Ali that the only sustainable solution
would be achieved through dialogue and engagement as agreed to in the 2018
Ethiopia-Eritrea peace framework. “The Secretary stressed that all countries in
the Horn of Africa must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
their neighbors and avoid cross-border incursions,” the State Department said in
a readout of the call. “The Secretary emphasized that the region cannot tolerate
more conflict.”
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on October 14-15/2026
Lebanese security forces seize explosives shipment reportedly bound for
Hezbollah in Beirut
David Daoud/ FDD's Long War Journal/October 13, 2026
Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) intercepted a vehicle carrying nearly
800 kilograms of explosives and related materials on October 5 at the Dahr al
Baidar checkpoint on the Bekaa–Beirut highway in central Lebanon. Lebanese
reporting linked the shipment to Hezbollah, whose military activities the
government prohibited in March while directing security agencies to act against
violators. Two men were arrested in the incident.
Interior Minister Ahmad al Hajjar said on October 13 that officers searched a
gray Dodge Caravan because its unusually heavy load raised suspicions. The
Lebanese daily Al Joumhouria reported that the officer had just begun his shift.
The available accounts do not establish that police were conducting a planned
operation against Hezbollah or had advance intelligence about the shipment.
Reports differ over the cargo’s weight and composition. The Beirut-based news
outlet Al Modon reported approximately 780 kilograms, as did the Associated
Press. Al Joumhouria reported that the seized inventory included 281 kilograms
of PETN, a powerful high explosive; 206.16 kilograms of C-4 plastic explosive;
five empty metal molds for shaped charges; and 305 kilograms of small metal
balls. Other reporting identified part of the load as TNT, while another account
identified tetryl, a different high explosive. No official inventory has
publicly reconciled these accounts.
Al Joumhouria identified the detainees as Haytham Amhaz and Ali al Kurdi. Citing
security sources, Al Modon reported that the men acknowledged belonging to
Hezbollah and said they collected the materials in Baalbek from an alleged
Hezbollah commander known as “Sajed,” after receiving orders from the group.
They were instructed to deliver the shipment to another alleged Hezbollah
operative known as “Dhulfiqar” in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah
stronghold.
The Lebanese news website Lebanon Debate reported that the detainees denied
Hezbollah membership or having received transport orders from the group. The men
reportedly also denied knowing the materials’ origin or intended use. The
Lebanese news outlet L’Orient Today reported that a judicial source said the
detainees did not know the recipients’ identities, while Al Modon reported they
were given the alias “Dhulfiqar” and an address. Two sources cited by L’Orient
Today linked the suspects to Hezbollah, while three others declined to confirm
their affiliation. The shipment’s intended use remains unknown.
The detainees and seized materials were transferred to the Military Police on
judicial instructions. On October 12, Al Modon reported that Lebanon’s chief
military prosecutor, Judge Claude Ghanem, had instructed security services to
expand the investigation, trace the shipment’s movements, and identify “Sajed”
and “Dhulfiqar.” On October 13, Hajjar said that the Lebanese Army’s
Intelligence Directorate and the ISF’s Information Branch would expand the
investigation at the request of Lebanon’s prosecutor general’s office. The
Lebanese broadcaster MTV reported that investigators were also questioning the
wife of one detainee, through whom the alleged instruction to transport the
explosives may have been relayed.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam publicly endorsed the investigation on October 12. He
called the episode a criminal operation and promised to pursue those
responsible. Salam also noted that C-4 had figured in Lebanon’s past political
assassinations, while pledging to act against unauthorized possession,
transportation, and use of weapons. Justice Minister Adel Nassar said he had
requested referral of the matter to Lebanon’s Judicial Council, which hears
exceptional cases involving state security. A referral had not yet been
announced.
Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim Al Mousawi said on October 12 that if reports that
the vehicle belonged to the “resistance” were true, the group had nothing to be
ashamed of. He rejected insinuations linking Hezbollah to assassinations or
internal conflict and defended the organization’s right to confront Israel.
Mousawi’s conditional response did not confirm that the shipment belonged to
Hezbollah.
Al Joumhouria reported the same day that Hezbollah had sought the explosives’
return, saying they were needed to fight Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. The
newspaper further claimed that unspecified international parties had warned
Lebanese authorities against handing over the cargo. A security source quoted by
Al Modon said the confiscated material would not be returned under the
government’s current restrictions, despite approaches by Hezbollah officials. No
decision has been made to return the shipment.
In December 2024, the Lebanese daily Nidaa al Watan reported that security
forces had intercepted two vans carrying Hezbollah explosive drones and that
military prosecutor Maya Kanaan ordered the confiscated material returned to the
organization. Kanaan’s attorney disputed the allegations about the cargo and its
recipient. Citing a November 9, 2024, police investigation that took place
before the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, he said the vans contained
only electronic equipment and batteries, which Kanaan authorized to return to
their owner.
The interception also coincided with three Lebanese Army announcements about
attempted smuggling from Syria. On October 1, troops seized 245 kilograms of
TNT, four explosive devices, and detonators. On October 9, they reported
confiscating rockets and 24 kilograms of TNT near al Qasr in Hermel. On October
12, they announced another seizure of approximately 200 kilograms of explosives
in the same border area. The army did not identify Hezbollah as the recipient in
those cases, and no public evidence establishes that the shipments were
connected.
*David Daoud is Senior Fellow at at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs.
Between the straits: The world cannot afford to yield to
Iran
Jacob Nagel/The Jerusalem Post/October 14, 2026
The US and its allies have no alternative but to prove to Iran-backed terror
groups that closing straits to influence the global economy and political and
operational decisions will not succeed.
Around the end of August, the Houthis began another round of fighting against
the Saudis, the most intense since 2022, by attacking the city of Mocha. This
was not, of course, just a struggle over the city itself. Mocha lies on the Red
Sea coast, south of Hudaydah and north of Bab al-Mandeb. As later events showed,
its fall led to a chain of conquests that left the Houthis in temporary control
of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
This is just one part of a global struggle to control several critical maritime
passages and straits that are decisive to the world economy. By seeking control
of the straits in its vicinity, Iran is trying to influence its war with the
United States and Israel, the balance of power in the Persian Gulf, and
inevitably, future conflicts around the world. There is no doubt that Iran is
behind the Houthi aggression and their effort to gain control of Bab al-Mandeb.
In recent days, the Saudis have decided not to exercise restraint anymore and
have launched a heavy attack on the city of Sanaa and the Houthi rebels, in
cooperation with the official government in Yemen, whose relative power is quite
weak.
Most surprisingly, which still needs to be closely monitored and whose true
significance on the ground should be checked, the countries that make up the
recently signed Mecca Joint Defense Agreement (Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and
Turkey) have declared that they are operating the alliance in practice, meaning
that they will send armed forces to join Saudi Arabia’s war against the Houthis,
in light of the fact that they attacked one of the alliance’s members, Saudi
Arabia.
This article, and its intentionally ambiguous title, Between the Straits,
explains where these exotic-sounding straits are located and the current impact
and future danger of continuing to “yield” to Iranian and Houthi aggression.
This is especially concerning as the perception of “American weakness” grows
around the world, in the wake of the lack of an immediate response to this
aggression, given the risk that other actors in conflict zones will imitate it.
Trump simultaneously threatens regime while open to talks
US President Donald Trump is still threatening to eliminate Iran’s current
regime, while also saying he remains open to diplomatic talks, on his terms, of
course. The Iranians rejected the President’s overture, and after meeting his
envoys, Witkoff and Kushner, on the sidelines of the United Nations General
Assembly in New York, they sent an insulting proposal that amounted to a demand
for America’s total “surrender.”
There is no doubt that some of Iran’s arrogance stems from the Houthis’
temporary seizure of Bab al-Mandeb and the lack of any meaningful American
response to it. It also stems from the warm reception given to Iranian President
Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at the UN conference in
New York by dozens of countries, including the entire European leadership and
the American negotiating team, not to mention some UN representatives, who
humiliated themselves by effectively bowing before the Iranian delegation.
This led the Iranians to conclude that the United States and the West did not
want to confront them in an all-out war, so they set 7 humiliating conditions
for the United States. The Iranians set out seven humiliating conditions for the
United States as a prerequisite for opening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump
immediately rejected the conditions, which resemble those Iran has presented in
the past in exchange for opening the strait. But the fact that Iran presented
them at all reflects its view that it and its allies are choking the world
economy, not the other way around.
So, what straits is everyone talking about? This article presents some of the
world’s main maritime passages, their importance to the global economy, and the
nearby actors who could affect freedom of navigation through them.
The strait that has been in the headlines over the past year or more, and that
everyone has been discussing since the war between the United States and Israel
and Iran, is of course the Strait of Hormuz. It is one of the world’s most
important chokepoints for oil and gas. Before the Iranians turned it into a
bargaining chip, about 20 million barrels of oil passed through it each day,
roughly 20% of global oil consumption.
Iran lies north of the Strait of Hormuz and has long influenced traffic through
this strategic passage. It continues to try to block the strait by attacking oil
tankers, while the US Navy carries out a counteroperation to protect ships, keep
oil flowing to global markets, and bring down its price, which has remained
relatively high for now.
According to the latest reports, including posts by Trump quoting Mark Dubowitz,
CEO of the Washington-based FDD, the United States has so far won this campaign
because the Gulf is almost completely open to oil traffic, with the exception,
of course, of Iranian oil. This is putting Iran’s leadership under great
pressure, because closing the Strait of Hormuz was its main, and almost last,
bargaining chip in its struggle against the US, short of entering an all-out
war.
This makes it clear why I wrote that there is no doubt that the Houthi
aggression, which led to their temporary control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait,
was directed, pushed, and supported by Iran.
The Houthis conquered Yemen’s southwestern coastline, giving them temporary
effective control over ship traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The strait
connects Europe and Asia via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, and its strategic
importance has grown considerably since the war with Iran and the Iranians’
actions to close the Strait of Hormuz on the other side of the Arabian
Peninsula.
The Houthis also attacked a Saudi Aramco facility at the port of Yanbu on the
Red Sea coast. During the war with Iran, Yanbu has served as an alternative
route for Saudi Arabia to export oil around the Strait of Hormuz, which is
blocked. But this alternative route has already been disrupted by an earlier
attack by pro-Iranian militias in Iraq on the strategic pipeline that carries
oil from the eastern Arabian Peninsula to Yanbu on its western coast.
The most significant scenario is not necessarily the closure of a single
passage, but the simultaneous disruption of several points along the route:
Hormuz → Indian Ocean → Bab al-Mandab → Red Sea → Suez Canal
This creates a series of pressures on the movement of energy supplies from the
Persian Gulf to markets in Asia and Europe.
A disruption in the Strait of Hormuz affects energy supplies and prices. Further
disruption at Bab al-Mandeb and/or the Suez Canal increases shipping sailing
times, insurance premiums, and transport costs, putting greater pressure on the
entire supply chain.
Other groups may attempt to imitate Iranian, Houthi approaches
Beyond these facts, as I have already noted, the main problem may be the risk of
others imitating this approach, and the lessons America’s rivals around the
world may draw from the ability to disrupt the global economy by closing
straits, as well as from their perception of how this affects US military
decisions.
Consider, for example, the Strait of Malacca or the Taiwan Strait (given the
limited scope of this article, I will not discuss the other straits listed
above). From conversations with officials in Singapore and Taiwan, it is clearly
understood that closing the straits in their respective regions would pose an
existential threat, and they would be unable to withstand the consequences of
such an offensive move. The danger is that hostile states in the region will use
this tactic, based on the lessons they draw from what has happened in recent
years, and especially from what happens in the Gulf in the coming period.
The Strait of Malacca connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans and is a major
route for energy supplies and East Asian trade. In the first half of 2025, for
example, about 23 million barrels of oil passed through it each day, more than
through Hormuz. Singapore depends entirely on keeping this strait open. A
prolonged disruption could significantly affect the supply chains of China,
Japan, South Korea, and other Asian countries, especially Singapore’s economy.
A similar analysis can be made of the Taiwan Strait. Possible Chinese actions,
including a blockade, would significantly impact Taiwan’s economy and the global
economy, which depends on Taiwanese supply chains for semiconductors and other
products.
It is also important to highlight a point of relevance to Israel, which emerged
recently after the Israeli Navy received its sixth submarine, significantly
enhancing its capabilities.
In an interview, Israel Navy Chief of Staff Rear-Admiral Guy Levy emphasized the
connection between the capabilities the new submarine adds to the navy and
events in the Gulf. Here are several relevant quotations from the interview:
“Rear-Admiral Levy said in the interview that the submarine can operate
independently and in close cooperation with other forces. It can carry special
forces and provide an integrated response together with other branches of the
military. The submarine fleet does not operate in isolation; the navy is
undergoing a significant transformation in response to the threats on the
ground. The Houthis’ actions at Bab al-Mandeb and the Iranians’ actions at
Hormuz are emboldening terrorist organizations and other countries to turn their
attention to the maritime domain, and we are seeing that clearly. We are now
preparing a Navy that will be more lethal, have greater range, and operate with
complete stealth ahead of the next rounds of fighting Israel will face.
“Look at what is happening in the world right now. This war shows us just how
essential maritime control is. All the discussion around the submarine took
place even before the war. Its importance is now clearer than ever, given what
is happening in the Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb straits. I know the navy’s missions
and the tasks the political leadership and the General Staff have assigned to
us. These capabilities are critically necessary, and more than that, the navy
needs to be expanded in response to the emerging threats from neighboring
countries in the East.”
What has happened, and is happening, in the Gulf, at Hormuz and at Bab
al-Mandeb, as well as the way the conflict ends, will have a significant impact
on global behavior in these areas. The United States and its allies therefore
have no alternative but to prove to Iran and Houthi-backed terrorist groups that
closing straits to influence the global economy and political and operational
decisions will not succeed. There is simply no other choice.
*Brig.-Gen. (res.) Prof. Jacob Nagel is a senior fellow at the Foundation for
Defense of Democracies (FDD) and a professor at Technion. He served as National
Security Advisor and as acting head of the National Security Council.
**Published on October 09/2026
A most ignoble Nobel Peace Prize/Navi Pillay deserves
denunciation, not accolades
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/October 14, 2026
The Norwegian worthies who serve on the Nobel Prize Committee have demonstrated
dubious judgment in the past.
For example, in 1994, they gave Yasser Arafat a share of the Peace Prize for his
“efforts to create peace in the Middle East.” Six years later he walked away
from the Camp David talks and the second intifada followed.
In 2009, they gave their gold medal to Barack Obama “for his extraordinary
efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”
The prize came less than nine months into his presidency, when even ardent
admirers would have been hard-pressed to cite achievements.
In 2019 the committee honored Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for his peace
initiative with Eritrea. About a year later he sent troops into Tigray,
alongside Eritrean forces, to wage a war in which as many as 600,000 people died
from violence, starvation, and disease.
This year, however, the committee sank below the dimmest expectations of its
critics by giving the prize to Navanethem “Navi” Pillay “for her efforts to
promote peace and international law.” Really? Let’s review the last 30 years of
her career.
In 1995, she was one of the first six judges on the International Criminal
Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), and she was its president from 1999 to 2003. More on
that in a moment.
She was a judge on the International Criminal Court from 2003 to 2008 whose
first trial didn’t start until January 2009. When the court did get moving, it
“fast became a vehicle for transnational bureaucrats to accuse the U.S. and
Israel of imagined crimes,” as the Wall Street Journal noted.
In 2008, Ms. Pillay became UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. According to a
2011 study by the Geneva-based UN Watch, she spent the next couple of years
turning “a blind eye to most of the world’s worst abusers,” including Cuba,
North Korea, Eritrea, Sudan, and Belarus. Her sins of omission were accompanied
by sins of commission. In 2013, Emma Reilly, a human rights lawyer who worked
under Ms. Pillay, reported that staff were instructed to give Chinese officials
information on individuals planning to speak out about Beijing’s human rights
abuses. She says the list grew to more than 50 Uyghur, Tibetan, Hong Kong, and
Chinese dissidents. Some, she said, later “testified under oath to their family
members being intimidated, arbitrarily detained, tortured, disappeared, and even
killed in concentration camps.”
Ms. Reilly’s whistleblower protection, she told me, proved to be “absolutely
meaningless.” In the end, all UN staffers “who directly handed over names were
promoted. I was fired for speaking up.” On X last week Ms. Reilly put it
bluntly: Ms. Pillay was “quite literally complicit in the Uyghur genocide.”
In 2010, despite the urgings of dozens of NGOs, Ms. Pillay declined to attend
the Nobel ceremony for recipient Liu Xiaobo, then imprisoned in China. Mr. Liu
died in state custody seven years later. Allegations of Ms. Pillay’s hostility
toward Israel are numerous and longstanding. In 2010, UN Watch sent Ms. Pillay a
letter demanding that her office stop publishing a Libyan-linked organization’s
false charges that “Israeli doctors stole Palestinian organs and that ‘Jews
everywhere’ were complicit in a Holocaust against Palestinians.” This request
was refused. From 2021 to 2025, she chaired the tendentiously named “Independent
International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, and Israel.” Abbreviated as the COI, it was sponsored
by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a 57-member
bloc of Muslim-dominated states. Unlike other inquiries, it was given no end
date: a perpetual show trial.
In that position, according to the ADL, she “mainstreamed anti-Zionist
antisemitism inside the UN.” In 2025, her COI issued a report claiming Israel
had committed genocide in Gaza.
That required concluding that the only reasonable explanation for Israel’s
conduct was an intent to destroy Gaza’s Palestinians – not to destroy Hamas,
which had just murdered 1,200 men, women, children, and infants, and had taken
251 hostages.
As the war progressed, Israel allowed tons of food and other aid into Gaza and
agreed to pauses in the fighting so the WHO could vaccinate Gazan children
against polio. Does that sound like what the Nazis did to Jews Europe or the
Hutu extremists did to Rwandan Tutsis?
At any point, Hamas could have surrendered – or merely agreed to release all the
hostages and accept a ceasefire. Does anyone seriously believe Israel would not
have agreed?
In fact, one year ago this week, Israel’s cabinet approved a U.S.-brokered
agreement that entailed Israeli forces halting offensive operations and
withdrawing to agreed lines. Three days later, Hamas released the last 20 living
hostages.
One more point: As a judge on the ICTR, Ms. Pillay co-authored the landmark 1998
international ruling recognizing rape and sexual violence as constituent acts of
genocide and crimes against humanity, rather than just an unregulated byproduct
of war.
What about Hamas’s well-documented and numerous cases of sexual violence? In its
first post-Oct. 7 report, UN Watch’s legal adviser, Dina Rovner, noted that
while the COI acknowledged those atrocities, it was reluctant to attribute them
to Hamas policy or classify them as crimes against humanity. The Norwegian
worthies must have known all this. They could have honored Jimmy Lai, the Hong
Kong champion of free speech imprisoned by Beijing, or Volodymyr Zelensky, who
is defending Ukraine against Vladimir Putin’s neo-imperialist war.
Instead, they chose a lawyer whose UN office, a whistleblower says, gave Beijing
the names of Uyghurs protesting a real genocide, and whose libelous genocide
finding against Israel last week received Hamas’s applause.
When Hamas gives you its approval, peace is not what you’re promoting.
*Clifford D. May is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD), a columnist for The Washington Times, and host of the
“Foreign Podicy” podcast.
Where is the outrage for civilians in Saudi Arabia?
Joseph Haboush/Al Arabiya English/14 October ,2026
There is no shortage of moral outrage in Western commentary. Civilian deaths in
Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and Ukraine have inspired countless opinion columns,
television debates and demands for accountability. Much of that outrage is
justified. But as Iran-backed Houthi attacks strike Saudi Arabia’s airports and
civilian infrastructure, killing innocent people and terrifying families, where
is that same moral urgency? The attacks have received news coverage. What has
been conspicuously absent is sustained outrage from opinion editors, human
rights advocates and foreign policy analysts who are otherwise quick to condemn
attacks on civilians elsewhere. I know Americans, Saudis and other expatriates
living in the Kingdom. Friends and colleagues with families and young children,
not characters in some distant geopolitical struggle. Some now face the prospect
of driving six hours or more to alternative airports with infants and toddlers
to fly to the United States to visit relatives for the holidays. Others have
children too young to understand why warning alerts suddenly sound on their
parents’ phones in the middle of the night. Over the years, I have met countless
ordinary Saudis, some of the warmest and most hospitable people I have
encountered anywhere in the region. Earlier this month, that hospitality was on
full display when a FlyDubai flight carrying Israeli passengers bound for Tel
Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after an attempt by
the co-pilot to crash the plane. The Saudis welcomed the shaken passengers,
provided medical care and assistance, and looked after them until they could
continue their journey home.
I think of Saudi and other Gulf students I met during my college years more than
a decade ago, when few expressed a desire to return home permanently. Today,
that has changed dramatically.
Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s transformation have given many a renewed desire to
build their futures and raise families at home, a shift several current and
former US officials have also observed. They want to bring back the best of what
they experienced in America while embracing the culture, safety, community and
quality of life they increasingly value in Saudi Arabia.Their excitement is
infectious. The Houthi attacks may have shaken their immediate sense of
security, but not their belief in their country’s future.
What has also shaken them is the absence of empathy abroad. They see the double
standards and selective outrage. Perhaps Saudi Arabia’s wealth and recent
success make it difficult for some to recognize its people as vulnerable.
Perhaps longstanding hostility toward its leadership, or resentment of its
transformation, has blinded critics to what is actually happening on the ground.
One can disagree with Saudi policies without dismissing the profound changes
taking place or denying its citizens and residents basic compassion.The same
selective understanding shapes perceptions of Yemen. I am no Yemen expert. But
the country has tens of millions of people, and the Houthis do not speak for all
of them. Territorial control should never be confused with popular legitimacy.
Like other Iranian-backed militias, the Houthis have mastered propaganda,
portraying themselves as defenders of Gaza, Palestinians and Muslims while
repressing Yemenis and attacking civilians elsewhere. They have targeted
airports and launched missiles toward areas near Islam’s holiest cities. Their
attacks have killed Muslims, including pilgrims.
Rather than accepting slogans or filtering Yemen through hostility toward Saudi
Arabia and the Gulf, more commentators should listen to Yemenis and those with
genuine experience on the ground. Meanwhile, Washington’s discussion of
defending Saudi Arabia often revolves around containing Iran or advancing
Saudi-Israeli normalization. These are legitimate policy discussions. But must
Saudi civilians become strategically useful before their suffering deserves
sympathy? The Gulf has hosted American forces and supported US military
operations, even while questioning Washington’s decisions to wage war.
Destabilizing these countries serves neither their people nor American
interests. The Houthis’ threats against America and attacks on international
shipping should also remind us that their hostility extends well beyond Saudi
borders. I witnessed that threat firsthand in 2024, while aboard a US aircraft
carrier in the Red Sea as American forces faced attempted Houthi attacks. I
write as a proud American, not to defend any government, but because civilian
lives should matter regardless of nationality or politics.
If we can condemn attacks on civilians in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and Ukraine, we
can condemn them in Saudi Arabia.Humanity should not depend on geography,
political preferences or whose government we happen to dislike.
Saudi Arabia will remember who stood with it
Joe Walker-Cousins/Al Arabiya English/14 October ,2026
The attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport are a stark reminder
that Saudi Arabia is not a passing regional story. Britain’s relationship with
the Kingdom cannot be managed through a series of short-term reactions. Britain
needs a long-term strategy for the Gulf and the political leadership to deliver
it. I know King Khalid International Airport well. I have traveled through it
countless times as it has transformed into a modern gateway to Saudi Arabia and
the wider world. On Saturday, a missile attack killed 12 people and injured 309.
Among the victims were Saudi citizens and foreign nationals from seven other
countries. One of my housemates was preparing to fly when the missile struck the
terminal and passengers were taken off their aircraft and returned to the street
outside. The immediate disruption was clear; the longer-term consequences may be
more significant. An attack on a major international airport threatens more than
lives and infrastructure. It threatens confidence in the connectivity, security
and stability on which Saudi Arabia’s economic future depends.
The FCDO was advising against all but essential travel to the Riyadh region,
alongside warnings concerning other parts of Saudi Arabia. Yet Britain’s
strategic interests demand not merely continued engagement with the Kingdom, but
a deeper and more enduring partnership.
No doubt, we will expect to see clear words of solidarity and support for the
Kingdom from the British Government, but solidarity is not measured by the
warmth of a communiqué, but by the practical capabilities partners are prepared
to bring to bear.
A changing regional balance
The British and American defense relationships with Saudi Arabia are well
established, and the UK has stepped up its defensive support over the past year.
But the regional balance is also changing. The conflict with Iran and the
Houthis has added urgency to Saudi Arabia’s relationships with other regional
powers. The emerging Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey relationship is strategically
significant with their challenge being the translation of political solidarity
into practical cooperation in air defense, intelligence, logistics, military
coordination and deterrence.
And yet, the danger is that this conflict could become something much wider than
a contest between states and armed groups; a regional struggle increasingly
framed in sectarian terms, with consequences far beyond the immediate
battlefield. Such an outcome would threaten the cohesion and stability of the
wider Islamic world, while creating opportunities for other regional powers to
advance their own interests as their rivals become consumed by conflict.
Britain mustn’t allow for strategic drift
Saudi Arabia is not a temporary feature of Britain’s foreign-policy calculations
or simply one factor of an ever-evolving region. It is a major regional power
whose influence will continue to shape the security and prosperity of the wider
region and Britain must decide whether it intends to remain a serious partner in
the future. Strategic partnerships are tested in difficult moments. Trust
established, or lost, during a crisis can shape relationships for decades. In
1951, as Britain struggled to bring the Malayan Emergency under control, Field
Marshal Montgomery sent Colonial Secretary Sir Oliver Lyttelton a
characteristically terse note; “We must have a plan. Secondly, we must have a
man. When we have a plan and a man, we shall succeed: not otherwise. Montgomery
(FM).”We are again now at a similar juncture where we need to unify the entirety
of the British State’s approach to Saudi Arabia, to develop a clear vision of
where we want to be with this relationship in the next 10 years and then to
articulate it to the British Public and back it up with action. We need our man
and our plan now and the onus is upon the likes of the UK Minister of State for
the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan Stephen Doughty MP, to
step and ensure this vision, strategy, plan and trust is realized. Beyond
mealy-mouthed communiqués and craven, half-hearted soundbites, the Government
must move beyond the administratively diluted language designed to placate
ideologically entrenched voices on the left, reflexive liberal sceptics and a
civil service establishment seemingly resigned to Britain’s managed
decline.Stephen Doughty needs to communicate clearly to the British public why
Gulf security matters to them; through trade, energy, maritime routes and the
cost of living. He must explain what Britain can contribute through defense,
intelligence, maritime security and military planning; how the UK will work
diplomatically with Saudi Arabia and other regional partners; and, most
importantly, what enduring relationship Britain wants with Saudi Arabia and the
Gulf once the immediate crisis passes.
A man and plan
If the Minister for the Middle East or his boss Ed Miliband, the Secretary of
State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, can articulate that
strategy and secure the action to deliver it, we will have both the man and the
plan. If not, the Prime Minister must take personal ownership. These are
strategic opportunities that may arise only once in the lifetime of a
government. Britain cannot afford to become so absorbed in its domestic
arguments that it neglects its international interests. Global Britain requires
a global outlook and the capacity to both ‘rub our tummies and pat our heads’
and at the same time to both manage domestic pressures and invest in the
partnerships that will shape our security and prosperity for decades to come.
Saudi Arabia will remember who stood with it when the stakes were high. Britain
must decide what sort of partner it intends to be.
Selected Face Book & X tweets
on October
14/2026
Nadim Koteich
A government that talks like a great power should expect to be judged on whether
it can protect the ground beneath its feet. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards plot
against RAF Fairford, is an extraordinary test in this regard. The questions
that require answers rather than adjectives: Which networks have been
dismantled? What protection has changed? Who will report the results to
Parliament? It is true that some operational details must remain secret, but
accountability cannot disappear behind the same curtain.
Sovereignty and greatness need something sturdier than ministerial stationery.
Elizabeth Tsurkov
Shocking poll results of the Shia community in Lebanon. If the survey was not
conducted by a reputable company, Statistics Lebanon, I would have dismissed it
because the results show a truly stunning collapse of support for Hezbollah
among the Shia community. This collapse is an undeniable fact based on my
conversations with Shia friends in Lebanon, following social media production by
Shia (including videos and thousands of comments on popular Facebook pages for
Shia communities), and the testimonies of Shia journalists and scholars. Still,
the numbers are surprising.
The most shocking results:
- 42% of Shia feel disappointed, angry or worried about the conduct of the
leadership of Hezbollah
- 37% trust in Hezbollah greatly, 22.4% trust to some extent, 23.6% do not trust
Hezbollah much, 15% do not trust Hezbollah at all. Previously 85% expressed
trust in Hezbollah
- 52% do not trust Hezbollah's social & service institutions (likely due to
favoritism in distribution)
- 52.4% do not trust the media outlets affiliated with Hezbollah.
- Only 2% would prefer to send their children to schools run by Hezbollah (Mehdi
and Mustafa schools)
- 42.3% believe Hezbollah has not achieved any of its goals and that the costs
of the war were exceedingly high
25% believe Hezbollah achieved only part of its goals and the costs of the war
were exceedingly high. A total of 67.4% put together.
14% say it's too early to tell
- 63.3% support a deal with Israel (either direct talks, through mediation, or a
total regional agreement)
- 9% support a deal that will be sponsored by Iran
- 66.4% support handing over Hezbollah's weapons to the state
29.6% support preserving Hezbollah's weapons
- 51.1% see he Lebanese Army as the biggest contributor to guaranteeing security
in the long run
16.5% see Hezbollah this way
- 71% Believe war & peace decisions should only be made by Lebanon's leadership
12% Support Hezbollah making its own decisions on these matters
- Only 5% believe using force is legitimate to express opposition to the
government's position on disarming Hezbollah
- 80% see their Lebanese identity as more important than their sectarian or
partisan affiliation
Source: al-Jadeed TV discussion with the CEO of Statistics Lebanon
Hiba Nasr
In an unusual development, one of the leading figures on Lebanon’s negotiating
team with Israel is facing what could be seen as an attempt at intimidation.
Lebanese lawyer Hassan Adel Bazzi has filed a complaint against Lebanon’s
Ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, following a September 27 report
by Beirut Review alleging that she contacted the Israeli Ambassador to the
United States to inquire about his son, who was injured in an attack in the West
Bank.
According to Beirut Review, Lebanon’s Prosecutor General has referred the
complaint to the Government Commissioner to the Military Court for appropriate
legal action.
While the complaint may ultimately be dismissed or shelved, the broader concern
is that similar actions could target anyone involved in negotiations with
Israel, further complicating an already delicate diplomatic mission in a country
marked by years of fear, intimidation, and political assassinations.
The development comes amid growing concerns over Hezbollah’s increasingly
assertive posture. The group has announced the availability of funds, a claim
disputed by the United States, with the State Department insisting that the
purported money from Iran does not exist.
Meanwhile, Lebanese authorities have reportedly intercepted a shipment of
explosives. Two suspected Hezbollah members allegedly smuggled the explosives in
a truck from eastern Lebanon to Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Together, these developments underscore the complex challenges facing the
Lebanese government as it seeks to strengthen state authority while navigating
mounting political and security pressures.
·
@IsraelVive@IsraelVive1948
THE JEWISH BOY WHOM JOHN PAUL II REFUSED TO BAPTIZE.
Krakow, Poland, 1942.
Helen and Moses Hiller, confined in the Jewish ghetto, understood that they
would probably be murdered by the Nazis.
Before dying in Auschwitz, they managed to save their son Shachne, who was only
two years old, by entrusting him to a Catholic couple.
They left them with a request: if they did not return, they wanted their son to
grow up as a Jew.
When the war ended, the parents did not return. The family that had saved the
little boy wanted to adopt him and baptize him.
In 1946, they went to a young Polish priest.
The priest asked what the parents' wishes had been.
When he found out, he refused to baptize him and recommended handing him over to
his Jewish relatives.
That priest was named Karol Wojtyła.
32 years later, he would become Pope John Paul II.
Shachne survived, grew up as a Jew, and started his own family.
In 1978, he discovered that the priest who had protected his identity was the
new pope.
In a Europe that had tried to erase the Jewish people, a Catholic priest chose
to honor the final wish of two parents murdered in Auschwitz.
In a Europe that today persecutes Jews, this is a story that deserves to be
remembered and emulated, and it shows us the existence of a Pope who honored
that designation, one whom we miss greatly.