English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For October 26/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
The Judgment Day: Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 25/31-46/:”‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’”

Titles For The English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 25-26/2026
Statement of Condemnation and Denunciation Regarding the terrorist attack on Hammoud Church in Karak – Jordan And the terrorist attack in Hebron – West Bank/Elias Bejjani/October 23/2026
Why Is Benjamin Netanyahu’s Re-Election a Strategic Interest for Lebanon?/Elias Bejjani/October 23/2026
Elias Bejjani’s Writings and Commentaries/Joseph Hanna/October 24/2026
A Testimony of Faith: The Story of the Three Massabki Brothers and Enduring Sacrifices/Elias Bejjani/July 10/2026
American Report Warns: Israel Heading Toward Imposing Open Occupation in Southern Lebanon
Israeli Army Continues Its Aggressions in the South… Targeting Kfar Tebnit with Missiles and Heavy Machine-Gun Sweeping in Aita al-Jabal
Israeli Shelling and Airstrikes in the South… and a Massive Explosion in Yahmor al-Shaqif
Report: Hezbollah tells Berri it won't intervene if war is waged on Iran
President Aoun offers condolences to Jordan's King Abdullah II over deadly church attack
Patriarch al-Rahi warns of worsening living conditions, calls for tighter border controls and state monopoly on arms
Saudi Arabia, Lebanon Discuss Bolstering Security Cooperation
Nassar: I Will Again Propose Referring the Explosives Truck File to the Judicial Council
Al-Hajj Hasan: American Intervention Has Gone Beyond Tutelage and Reached Occupation of Political Decision-Making
Metropolitan Bishop Audeh: What Happened Inside the Church in Al-Karak Has Nothing to Do with Religion
Open letter to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam/Ronnie Chatah/Now Leba non/October 25/2026
The Envoy Who Confuses Ankara’s Talking Points with American Values/Makram Rabah/Now Leba non/October 25/2026
Lebanese growing increasingly impatient with leaders/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/October 25, 2026

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 25-26/2026
Trump weighs more strikes or a deal with Iran
Eleven Shot near Florida A&M University in Tallahassee
Obama Blasts Trump's 'Chaos and Cruelty' While Campaigning for Democrats
Tehran Strikes Iranian Kurdish Base in Iraq with Drones
Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
CENTCOM chief visits Hormuz Strait, says US helped export 1.5 billion barrels of oil
Qatari mediators reportedly in Tehran in US-coordinated effort to ease tensions
Iran says resumption of war would not change its stances
Iran Parliament Speaker Calls for Cutting Gas Consumption by 10 Percent as Winter Nears
Iran President to Visit Moscow Next Week for Talks with Putin
Iran Says Resumption of War Would Not Change Its Stances
Iran Judiciary Says Chief Holds Rare Meeting with Supreme Leader
Large Public and Official Turnout at Funerals of Jordan Church Attack Victims
Shock and Grief in a Jordanian Village after Church Attack
Katz boasts that Israel has displaced around 2,000 Palestinians in Hebron
Israel holds major military drill as election tensions rise over security and economic fears
Netanyahu Warns Iran May Try to Disrupt Election, Says ‘Don’t Test Us’
Days before Israeli Election, Military Conducts Massive West Bank Operation
Israel to Close All Land Crossings with West Bank on Election Day
Mourners react during the funeral of three Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli strike,
Iraq to Rehabilitate Border Crossing with Saudi Arabia
Syrian Govt Accuses ‘Outlaw Groups’ of Blocking Sweida-Damascus Highway
Houthi Attacks on Taiz Leave Bloody Toll on Civilians
Taiz Withstands Houthi Attacks and Siege

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 25-26/2026
Putin's Peace Talks: Half a Country Now, the Rest Later, The Art of Running Out the Clock/Pierre Rehov/Gatestone Institute/October 25, 2026
Netanyahu's Elections... Between Luck and the Conspiracy/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 25/2026
Donald Trump’s moment between deception and delusion/Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya English/October 25/2026
The Karak Tragedy... Terrorism Celebrates Its Re-emergence/Fahid Suleiman al-Shoqiran/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 25/2026
Jordan?/Samir Atallah/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 25/2026
Who Votes, and Who Funds?/Jumah Boukleb/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 25/2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on October 25/2026

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 25-26/2026 (Some of the News reports below are translated from Arabic by AI)
Statement of Condemnation and Denunciation Regarding the terrorist attack on Hammoud Church in Karak – Jordan And the terrorist attack in Hebron – West Bank
Elias Bejjani/October 23/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158518/
Today October 23, 2026, two cowardly terrorist crimes were committed that warrant the strongest terms of condemnation, denunciation and revulsion:
First: The massacre at Hammoud Church of the Greek Orthodox in Karak Governorate – Southern Jordan
The fact that an armed group of terrorists stormed a house of God in a vehicle, and opened fire indiscriminately and continuously for five minutes inside Hammoud Church and at its entrance, during a funeral ceremony attended by between 150 and 200 people, resulting in at least 7 martyrs and 34 wounded, most of them elderly between 50 and 70 years of age, is a barbaric, savage, jihadi, takfiri, criminal, satanic act that has nothing to do with humanity, religion, or morality.
Turning a burial ceremony into a bloody massacre inside a sacred place dedicated to prayer, peace and mercy reveals the true ugly face of jihadi terrorism, and confirms that political, terrorist, jihadi Islam in both its Sunni and Shiite wings constitutes an existential danger not only to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and its Christian-Muslim national fabric, but also to international peace and security and to human civilization in every country of the world.
This vile and cowardly act targets Jordanian national unity, targets the authentic Christian presence in the Mashreq, and targets all values of coexistence and peace.
Second: The terrorist operation at a checkpoint near Hebron
In the same terrorist context, severe condemnation is recorded for the treacherous terrorist operation that took place on Friday morning at a temporary checkpoint at the exit of the city of Hebron, where two armed Palestinian gunmen, armed with an assault rifle, a pistol and a large quantity of ammunition, opened fire on the checkpoint, leading to the killing of two Israeli soldiers and the wounding of three others with varying injuries.
Targeting soldiers while performing their security duty, while preliminary investigations by the Israel Defense Forces indicate that the terrorists were planning to carry out a larger attack against civilians on Route 35, is a cowardly terrorist act condemned by all standards, especially after the terrorist Hamas movement described the operation as “heroic”.
The Principled Position
Although different in location, both crimes stem from one swamp, the swamp of global jihadi terrorism, and this calls for the following positions:
Political, terrorist, jihadi Islam, in its Sunni wing represented by Hamas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram, and its Shiite wing represented by the Iranian regime, Hezbollah, the Houthis and the rest of the militias, is the number one enemy of human civilization. There is no peace or stability in the Middle East and the world without uprooting this dark, takfiri ideology from its roots.
The downfall of the criminal terrorist regime in Tehran, as the mastermind, financier and central supporter of global terrorism, has become an urgent international necessity to protect world peace.
The complete and final elimination of the terrorist organizations Hamas, Hezbollah, Boko Haram, ISIS and all of Iran’s arms, militarily, financially and ideologically, is a human and civilizational demand that tolerates no settlement, appeasement or containment.
Holding accountable, exposing and pursuing the states and regimes that finance, arm and harbor jihadi terrorism, led by Iran, Qatar and Turkey, and every regime that seeks to strike civilization and its values by exporting extremism, is the responsibility of the free international community.
The pure blood that was shed in Hammoud Church in Karak, and the blood that was shed at the Hebron checkpoint, cries out to the world: Enough silence, enough complicity, enough justification of terrorism.
Mercy to the innocent martyrs, a speedy recovery to the wounded, and shame and disgrace to the murderous jihadi terrorists and their supporters and financiers forever.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com

Why Is Benjamin Netanyahu’s Re-Election a Strategic Interest for Lebanon?
Elias Bejjani/October 23/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158503/
As a Lebanese citizen who believes in state sovereignty, the independence of national decision-making, and Lebanon’s distinctive national identity, I view the re-election of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next Tuesday, and his ability to form the next Israeli government, as an option that directly aligns with Lebanon’s supreme national interests at this critical juncture. Over the past several years, Netanyahu has demonstrated that he is among the Israeli leaders most determined to confront Iran’s regional project. This project, which involves supporting and arming Hezbollah and turning southern Lebanon into an advanced military platform, has for decades constituted the principal obstacle to restoring Lebanon’s full sovereignty. Treating Hezbollah as an illegitimate armed force linked to Tehran and seeking to dismantle its military infrastructure are consistent with international resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 1701, as well as with the aspirations of Lebanese citizens who want to establish a single state that monopolizes weapons and the decisions of war and peace.
Netanyahu’s position is not limited to confronting the Iranian axis and its regional allies. He also embraces a political, regional, and international vision that regards ideological extremism, represented by hard-line political Islam and destructive terrorist and jihadist organizations, whether Sunni or Shiite, as a common source of threats to stability in countries around the world, particularly in the Middle East. Accordingly, the military campaign against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad following the events of October 7, along with the determination to disarm these organizations and prevent them from rebuilding their military capabilities, clearly reflects this approach. His efforts to weaken the Iranian regime itself are likewise rooted in the firm conviction that the regime’s continued existence means the continued financing and support of armed networks in Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen. This position rejects selective distinctions between forms of extremism and seeks to protect the region from a culture of violence and militias.
In this context, the existential risks associated with Iran’s nuclear capabilities emerge as a central threat that cannot be ignored. The Iranian regime’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, or its attempt to approach the nuclear threshold, threatens not only Israel but also poses a grave danger to the stability of the entire region, particularly Lebanon. If Tehran acquires nuclear weapons, it will gain a deterrent shield that could enable it to escalate its support for its militias in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq without genuine fear of effective retaliation. It would also turn Hezbollah into an even bolder instrument for imposing a foreign agenda on the Lebanese people. Furthermore, nuclear proliferation in the Middle East could open the door to a devastating regional arms race, increase the likelihood of proxy wars or direct confrontations, and undermine any prospect of building a genuinely sovereign Lebanese state. Preventing the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear capabilities is not merely an Israeli interest; it is a shared Lebanese, regional, and international interest, because an Iranian nuclear arsenal would increase the risks of chaos, blackmail, and the erosion of sovereignty in neighboring countries.
On the diplomatic front, Netanyahu has played a pivotal role in the Abraham Accords, which opened new horizons for cooperation between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. These agreements were not merely a symbolic normalization of relations; they represented the beginning of a process of practical cooperation among countries that share opposition to Iranian expansionism and ideological and jihadist extremism. In this context, the presence of an Israeli leadership committed to this course strengthens the prospects for expanding the circle of regional stability, an outcome that serves Lebanon’s interests in both the medium and long term.
Consequently, any weakening of Israel’s resolve to confront Hezbollah and the Iranian regime would give both parties an opportunity to regroup and restore their capabilities. For Lebanon, this would mean prolonging the existing situation: a weak state, illegitimate weapons, borders exposed to persistent tensions, and a collapsed economy. Therefore, the continuation of firm Israeli leadership, capable of maintaining military and diplomatic pressure, could help create more favorable conditions for restoring Lebanese sovereignty.
Noteworthy in this context is the public support that President Donald Trump has expressed for Netanyahu, whom he has described as a strong and courageous leader and a partner in confronting the Islamic Republic. This position reflects a convergence of views on the priority of containing the Iranian threat and preventing the regime from acquiring nuclear capabilities that could endanger regional and international peace.
In conclusion, this is not a matter of blindly supporting any external party, but rather of making a realistic assessment of the balance of power and the interests at stake. Lebanon needs a regional environment in which foreign-backed militias have less ability to impose their agendas on states and peoples. In this context, Netanyahu’s re-election and his ability to continue his policies toward Iran and Hezbollah appear, in my view, to be the option most consistent with the Lebanese people’s goal of building a free, independent, and fully sovereign state.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com

Elias Bejjani’s Writings and Commentaries
Joseph Hanna/October 24/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158522/
Elias Bejjani’s writings and political commentaries represent a sustained, highly committed, and ideologically consistent body of work devoted to Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, national identity, and future. Through years of persistent writing, publishing, documenting, and political commentary, Bejjani has established a recognizable voice within the Lebanese diaspora, particularly among those who advocate restoring the Lebanese state’s full authority and ending Iran’s influence through Hezbollah.
Publishing extensively in both Arabic and English through his website, eliasbejjaninews.com, Bejjani has demonstrated an exceptional level of personal dedication to his work. His output encompasses political analysis, historical documentation, commemorations of martyrs, religious reflections, and commentaries on developments in Lebanon and the wider Middle East. He frequently supplements his articles with videos and multimedia material, extending the reach of his message to Lebanese readers at home and throughout the diaspora, as well as to English-speaking audiences.
What distinguishes Bejjani’s work is not simply the firmness of his political positions, but also the persistence with which he continues to research, write, publish, and defend them. His journalism reflects a deeply held conviction that Lebanon’s independence is not merely a political objective, but a national and moral responsibility. His tone is often urgent, uncompromising, and confrontational, reflecting his belief that the country’s sovereignty, identity, and future are at stake.
I. His Core Ideological Framework
Bejjani approaches Lebanon’s crises through a clear distinction between the sovereign Lebanese state and what he considers successive forms of foreign domination and internal complicity. In his interpretation of modern Lebanese history, the country has endured successive periods of external interference, beginning with Palestinian armed organizations, followed by the Syrian Baathist regime, and culminating, in his view, in the Iranian regime’s influence through Hezbollah.
He regards Hezbollah not simply as a Lebanese political party or resistance movement, but as an Iranian-backed military organization operating according to the doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih. He argues that its independent military structure has undermined the authority of the Lebanese state, compromised national decision-making, and contributed to Lebanon’s repeated involvement in regional conflicts. He also maintains that Hezbollah’s influence constrains the freedom of the Lebanese Shiite community, whose members, like other Lebanese citizens, should enjoy the right to determine their political future without coercion or armed domination.
Iran occupies a central place in Bejjani’s political analysis. He views the Iranian regime’s regional strategy and its support for armed proxies as fundamental threats to Lebanese sovereignty, regional stability, and the security of the wider international community.
These convictions have led him to advocate consistently for:
Full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1559, 1680, and 1701, particularly regarding Lebanese sovereignty, the authority of the state, and the disarmament of armed groups outside its control.
Severing diplomatic relations with Iran and expelling its ambassador from Lebanon.
Ending Lebanon’s transformation into what he frequently describes as a permanent battleground or a regional mailbox for conflicts driven by foreign powers.
Establishing peace and mutual recognition between Lebanon and Israel under international auspices, which he considers a potential pathway toward resolving outstanding border issues, restoring stability, and enabling national recovery.
These positions form the foundation of his political writing and provide continuity across a substantial body of work produced over many years.
II. The Major Themes of His Writing
1. A Persistent Campaign Against Hezbollah and Iranian Influence
Opposition to Hezbollah and Iran is the most consistent theme in Bejjani’s political commentary. He repeatedly examines the consequences of Hezbollah’s military autonomy, its regional alliances, and its influence over Lebanese political institutions.
He attributes substantial responsibility to Hezbollah and the wider political system surrounding it for Lebanon’s political paralysis, recurring wars, displacement, and erosion of state authority. In some of his writings, he also addresses political assassinations, the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings, and the 2020 Beirut port explosion within his broader critique of armed organizations, political impunity, and Iranian influence.
A notable feature of his work is his refusal to accept the argument that Hezbollah’s weapons are indispensable to Lebanon’s protection. He instead maintains that genuine national security requires a sovereign state, a unified chain of command, and an army capable of defending the country under constitutional authority.
Bejjani also insists on distinguishing Hezbollah from the Lebanese Shiite community as a whole. He argues that no political or religious organization should claim exclusive authority to represent an entire community or determine the fate of its members through an independent armed structure.
His sustained attention to these issues reflects a long-term commitment to a single central objective: restoring the Lebanese state’s exclusive authority over weapons, security, and decisions concerning war and peace.
2. Criticism of Lebanon’s Political and Religious Leadership
Bejjani’s criticism extends beyond Hezbollah to political leaders, public officials, and religious figures whom he believes have failed to defend Lebanon’s sovereignty with sufficient determination.
He is particularly critical of leaders who, in his assessment, accommodate Hezbollah’s armed dominance, accept foreign interference, or avoid confronting the fundamental question of state authority. His language can be severe, and he sometimes employs terms such as subservience, political dependency, and dhimmitude to express his opposition to what he considers the surrender of national principles.
His criticism also reaches Christian politicians and clergy whom he believes bear a particular responsibility for defending Lebanon’s historical identity, constitutional pluralism, and independence.
This aspect of his writing demonstrates that his commitment to Lebanese sovereignty is not confined to criticizing one political organization or foreign power. He also directs his scrutiny toward those within Lebanon’s established political and religious institutions whom he considers responsible for the country’s continuing weakness.
For Bejjani, defending sovereignty requires more than declarations and patriotic rhetoric. It demands political courage, consistency, accountability, and a willingness to confront powerful interests when national principles are at stake.
3. Opposition to Political Islam
Another recurring element in Bejjani’s work is his opposition to political Islam when religious doctrine is used to justify political domination, armed expansion, or the subordination of national institutions to ideological authority.
His criticism encompasses both Shiite and Sunni expressions of political Islam that he considers incompatible with Lebanese sovereignty and pluralism. He frequently invokes painful episodes in Lebanon’s history, including the Aishiyeh massacre and the assassination of Dany Chamoun and his family, to underline his condemnation of political violence and the failure to achieve accountability for past crimes.
Historical remembrance occupies an important place in this work. Bejjani returns repeatedly to the experiences of victims, the sacrifices of martyrs, and the consequences of political extremism. His objective is not simply to recall past events, but to argue that national reconciliation cannot be built on forgetting victims, concealing responsibility, or denying historical suffering.
His approach reflects a belief that the preservation of Lebanon’s pluralistic identity requires both the defence of individual freedom and the rejection of any political project that places an ideological authority above the state.
4. His Position on Israel and the West
Bejjani’s support for Western engagement and his advocacy of Lebanese-Israeli peace distinguish his political outlook from that of many Lebanese and Arab commentators.
He has supported Israeli military actions when he believes they weaken Hezbollah or Iran’s regional influence. He also argues that direct negotiations and a peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel, conducted under appropriate international auspices, could help resolve longstanding border disputes and remove Lebanon from the cycle of recurring wars.
His position rests on the conviction that Lebanon should pursue its own national interests rather than remain subordinated to regional conflicts or the strategic priorities of Tehran.
At the same time, Bejjani criticizes Western governments, particularly certain US Democratic administrations, when he believes their policies have accommodated Iran or failed to confront the expansion of Iranian influence through armed proxies.
These views remain politically contentious in Lebanon and across the Arab world. Nevertheless, they form an integral part of his broader political project: a sovereign Lebanon, oriented toward democratic institutions and international partnerships, capable of determining its own future without armed coercion by domestic or foreign actors.
5. Lebanese Christian Identity, Faith, and Historical Memory
Beyond daily political developments, Bejjani devotes considerable attention to Lebanon’s Christian heritage, particularly its Maronite tradition, and to the historical experiences of Lebanese Christians.
His articles commemorate martyrs, national anniversaries, religious figures, and tragic events that have shaped the collective memory of Lebanese communities. Saint Charbel and other figures of Christian spirituality also appear in his religious writings, alongside biblical reflections and appeals to prayer, conscience, forgiveness, and moral responsibility.
These articles reveal another dimension of his commitment. For Bejjani, Lebanon is not merely a geographical territory or a political system; it is a historical and cultural homeland whose identity has been shaped by generations of sacrifice, faith, and attachment to freedom.
He frequently presents Lebanon’s Christian communities as important contributors to the country’s pluralistic character and historical connections with the West. His writing emphasizes the preservation of this heritage against ideological and political forces that he believes threaten Lebanon’s diversity and independence.
His commemorative and religious work also serves a personal and national purpose: keeping the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for Lebanon alive for younger generations, including Lebanese expatriates who may be geographically distant from their ancestral homeland.
6. Advocacy for International Action to Restore Sovereignty
Bejjani’s frustration with Lebanon’s prolonged political paralysis has led him, in some of his more forceful articles, to advocate stronger international involvement in restoring the authority of the Lebanese state.
He has described Lebanon as a country whose institutions have been weakened or effectively held hostage by armed and political interests. In this context, he has raised the possibility of international supervision or robust enforcement mechanisms under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter if Lebanese institutions prove unable to implement their obligations concerning sovereignty and security.
Such proposals are controversial and raise serious questions about national independence, constitutional legitimacy, and the practical limits of external intervention. They nevertheless illustrate the extent of Bejjani’s concern about the gap between Lebanon’s formal sovereignty and the state’s ability to exercise effective authority throughout its territory.
His willingness to advance such proposals also reflects his conviction that the crisis cannot be resolved through declarations alone. He calls for concrete implementation of international commitments and measures that, in his view, would allow Lebanon to recover the functions of a normal sovereign state.
III. The Characteristics of His Work
1. A Consistent and Uncompromising Voice
Bejjani writes with a sense of urgency and conviction. His vocabulary is frequently forceful, employing terms such as terrorism, occupation, betrayal, criminality, and the culture of death to describe what he considers threats to Lebanon’s independence.
This style reflects his belief that the country faces a fundamental struggle over its identity and future rather than a routine disagreement among political parties.
His uncompromising approach has helped establish a recognizable editorial identity. At the same time, the intensity of his language can limit opportunities for dialogue with those who disagree with his interpretations or policy proposals.
2. Sustained Publishing in Arabic and English
One of the most significant characteristics of Bejjani’s work is the persistence of his publishing activity. Through his website and associated media platforms, he maintains a substantial record of articles and commentaries in both Arabic and English.
This bilingual approach enables him to address two important audiences: Lebanese readers who follow political developments in their native language and international readers who seek perspectives on Lebanon’s internal crisis, Hezbollah, Iran, and the wider Middle East.
The combination of written articles and video material further expands his reach. It also reflects a willingness to adapt his publishing methods to changing media habits while maintaining his central editorial priorities.
Maintaining such a body of work requires sustained personal effort: identifying developments, formulating arguments, preparing articles, publishing material, and preserving a continuing record of political and historical events. His output demonstrates a long-term commitment to keeping Lebanese affairs in public discussion, even when the subjects are controversial or the political circumstances discouraging.
3. A Strong Moral and Religious Dimension
Bejjani’s political writing is frequently informed by Christian theology, biblical references, and appeals to conscience, shame, justice, and accountability before God and history.
He treats political responsibility as a moral question as well as a matter of constitutional order. In his view, silence in the face of injustice, the abandonment of victims, and the acceptance of political subordination are not merely strategic errors; they can also constitute failures of conscience.
This moral framework connects his political commentary with his religious and commemorative writings, giving his work a broader character than conventional daily political reporting.
4. Persistence, Volume, and Long-Term Commitment
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Bejjani’s publishing career is its continuity. Over many years, he has returned to the same fundamental questions: Who exercises authority in Lebanon? Who controls the weapons? Who determines whether the country goes to war? And what must be done to restore genuine independence?
His continued engagement with these questions demonstrates a level of dedication that extends beyond occasional commentary or reaction to breaking news.
He has maintained his publishing work across political crises, regional wars, changing governments, and successive periods of uncertainty. Rather than abandoning his central concerns when public attention shifts elsewhere, he repeatedly returns to them, documenting events and connecting current developments to Lebanon’s longer historical experience.
Supporters of his outlook may regard this persistence as evidence of principle and personal commitment. Critics may see the same continuity as an indication that his analysis remains confined within a relatively fixed ideological framework. Both observations are relevant to understanding the nature of his work.
IV. Strengths and Criticisms
Strengths from a Sovereignty-Oriented Perspective
Bejjani’s principal contribution is his sustained insistence that Lebanon cannot function as a fully sovereign state while an armed organization maintains an independent military structure and exercises substantial influence over national decisions.
His criticism of Hezbollah’s relationship with Iran and his advocacy of state control over weapons and decisions of war and peace overlap with the positions of several Lebanese opposition figures and governments that regard Hezbollah’s military role as incompatible with full state authority.
He has also consistently drawn attention to United Nations resolutions, the importance of national accountability, and the need to prevent Lebanon from being drawn into conflicts driven by external interests.
Equally important is his commitment to documentation and remembrance. By repeatedly publishing articles about political developments, historical tragedies, religious occasions, and the sacrifices of Lebanese individuals and communities, he contributes to a continuing written record of the issues that shape his understanding of the country.
His bilingual publishing activity gives this record a wider potential audience and allows his arguments to circulate beyond Lebanon’s geographical boundaries.
Limitations and Criticisms
A balanced assessment must also acknowledge several limitations of his approach.
First, the centrality of Hezbollah and Iran in his analysis can leave less room for examining other causes of Lebanon’s crisis, including sectarian power-sharing arrangements, corruption across political communities, financial mismanagement, institutional weakness, and the responsibilities of the wider political establishment.
Second, his sharp language can make constructive engagement with opposing viewpoints more difficult. Political disagreement does not necessarily demonstrate disloyalty, and the distinctions between political compromise, ideological disagreement, and collaboration deserve careful examination.
Third, his support for Israeli military operations in certain circumstances and his advocacy of international supervision remain deeply controversial. These positions require consideration of civilian suffering, international law, Lebanese national interests, and the practical consequences of proposed security arrangements.
Finally, his emphasis on Christian historical memory, while central to his identity and editorial interests, may leave some readers seeking a broader account of the experiences and historical narratives of Lebanon’s other communities.
These criticisms do not erase the significance of his sustained publishing effort. Rather, they help distinguish the value of documenting a committed political viewpoint from the separate question of whether every interpretation or policy proposal within that viewpoint is persuasive.
V. Overall Assessment
Elias Bejjani can be described as a dedicated Lebanese expatriate writer, journalist, and political activist whose work is driven by a strong commitment to national sovereignty, independence, and the preservation of Lebanon’s distinctive identity.
His writing is advocacy journalism rather than detached academic analysis. It combines political argument, historical remembrance, religious reflection, and calls for action, all organized around a relatively consistent set of convictions.
What merits particular recognition is the persistence with which he has pursued these subjects over many years. He has continued to write, publish, document, and comment on Lebanon’s crises in both Arabic and English, seeking to keep questions of sovereignty, accountability, national identity, and foreign interference before the public.
His work reflects a belief that journalism should not merely record events but also challenge prevailing narratives, preserve historical memory, and defend principles that the writer considers essential to the nation’s survival.
At the heart of Bejjani’s political project is the conviction that Lebanon cannot recover its independence while decisions about war and peace remain outside the effective authority of its constitutional institutions. He therefore calls for the restoration of state sovereignty, the implementation of international resolutions, the end of Iranian political and military domination, and the establishment of a stable Lebanon capable of determining its own future.
His positions on Hezbollah, Iran, Israel, and international intervention remain open to legitimate debate and criticism. Yet his sustained commitment to expressing and documenting those positions is an important part of understanding his place within Lebanese diaspora journalism.
Ultimately, Bejjani’s body of work represents more than a series of isolated political commentaries. It is a continuing personal and editorial undertaking shaped by his attachment to Lebanon and his determination to keep its sovereignty and future at the centre of public discussion.
Whether readers agree or disagree with his conclusions, the consistency of his efforts, the breadth of his publishing activity, and his continued engagement with Lebanon’s political and historical struggles demonstrate a longstanding commitment to the causes he has chosen to defend.

A Testimony of Faith: The Story of the Three Massabki Brothers and Enduring Sacrifices
Elias Bejjani/July 10/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/145053/
In the bright pages of history that is filled with faith and sacrifice, shines the story of the three Massabki brothers: Francis, Abdel Moati, and Raphael. In Damascus in 1860, they wrote with their blood a powerful testament to spiritual heroism. These Maronite martyrs, all over sixty years old, refused to abandon their Christian faith despite threats of death. They became living examples of what faith means in Christianity, proving that those who kill the body cannot kill the believing soul. This heroic testimony still resonates today, connected to similar sacrifices recently witnessed in Damascus, such as the bombing of St. Elias Greek Orthodox Church.
The 1860 Massacres and an Unwavering Faith
On the night of July 10, 1860, Damascus saw bloody events targeting Christians. The Massabki brothers, along with many other Christians and Franciscan priests, sought refuge in a church. But the attackers broke in, demanding they change their religion. It was then that the brothers' strong faith shone through. Francis spoke unforgettable words, showing their courage and resolve: "We don't fear those who kill the body... Our crown awaits us in heaven, and we have but one soul, which we will not lose. We are Christians and we want to die Christians."
Francis was a silk merchant known for his good Christian life; he'd never start work without first visiting the church. Abdel Moati had left trade to teach at the Franciscan school, while Raphael helped the brother in charge of the sacristy. This good character and Christian commitment weren't just outward show; they were deeply rooted in their hearts, allowing them to face death with unshakeable resolve. The three brothers were killed in the church before the altar, their blood becoming a living testament to the power of their faith.
The Meaning of Faith in Christianity: "Whoever Acknowledges Me Before Others"
The story of the Massabki brothers clearly shows what faith means in Christianity. In Christianity, faith isn't just believing intellectually that God exists. It's a complete and total trust in God, involving surrender to His will, obedience to His commands, and a readiness to sacrifice for Him. It's a living, personal relationship with God, built on love and hope.
The Bible verse: "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33), highlights the importance of publicly declaring one's faith. Acknowledging Christ isn't just words; it's a way of life—a willingness to face challenges and persecution for the truth. This verse emphasizes a core principle: eternal life is the fruit of this confessed faith, and witnessing for Christ in this world is the key to being acknowledged by God in heaven.
 Another important verse: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28), points to the truth that physical death cannot end spiritual life. For believers, physical death is a doorway to eternal life with Christ. The Massabki brothers deeply understood this, so they didn't fear death; instead, they saw it as a path to the crown prepared for them in heaven.
The Continuation of Sacrifice: From the 1860 Massacres to the St. Elias Church Bombing
Tragic events, such as the bombing of St. Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus, show that the spirit of persecution for faith has not ended with time. Despite the significant time gap between the martyrdom of the Massabki brothers and this horrific crime, there are strong and deep-rooted connections between them:
Sacred Space as a Target: The Massabki brothers were martyred inside a church. The same occurred at St. Elias Church, where terrorists stormed the building while worshippers were inside, and one detonated an explosive belt, killing and injuring dozens, including children, elderly, and women. In both incidents, a house of God was turned into a scene of brutal violence against believers.
Targeted Because of Faith
The Massabki brothers paid the ultimate price for refusing to abandon their faith. In the St. Elias Church bombing, the targets were Christian worshippers gathered for prayer, confirming that the primary motive behind the attack was to target the Christian faith itself. Both crimes aimed to terrorize Christians and force them to abandon their religious identity.
Continuous Witness
The victims of St. Elias Church, like the Massabki brothers, made the ultimate sacrifice. They became martyrs for their faith, not necessarily for verbally refusing to deny Christ, but because they were killed for being Christians exercising their right to worship. This embodies the profound meaning of the verse: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body," for despite the killing and destruction, faith remains alive and triumphant. Connected History of Persecution: What happened at St. Elias Church reminds us of the persecutions that occurred in 1860 and others throughout history. It confirms that Christian communities in the region continue to face existential challenges that demand steadfastness and resilience in the face of violence and extremism.
Ecclesiastical Honor: Saints on the Altar of God
In recognition of their heroic sacrifice, the Catholic Church beatified the three Massabki brothers. On October 10, 1926, Pope Pius XI declared their beatification. Then, on October 20, 2024, Pope Francis declared them saints, placing them on the altar of God.
Today, the Lebanese Maronite Church, along with the entire Catholic Church, remembers the testimony of these brothers who never abandoned Christ or their faith in Him. They accepted martyrdom because of their unwavering belief. Their remains are still kept in the Maronite church in Damascus, serving as a lasting reminder of their sacrifice and unshakeable faith.
The story of the three Massabki brothers, and the sacrifices of the martyrs of St. Elias Church, call every believer to reflect on the meaning of true faith and to be ready to bear witness to Christ in all circumstances, understanding that the believing soul is stronger than any attempt to destroy it. These stories highlight that faith is not just a belief, but a life lived and sacrificed for.
The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com

American Report Warns: Israel Heading Toward Imposing Open Occupation in Southern Lebanon
Janoubia/October 25, 2026
An extensive report published by the American magazine The National Interest has warned that Israel is moving rapidly toward imposing and consolidating a long-term occupation of large parts of southern Lebanon. It affirmed that the upcoming Israeli elections may push toward expanding the scope of military operations rather than ending them, amid the deadlock in negotiations and the absence of real American pressure to force Tel Aviv to withdraw.According to the report, prepared by foreign policy analyst Alexander Langlois, the Israeli military presence in the south is gradually transforming into an open occupation that could recreate the experience of the “security belt” that lasted 18 years (1982–2000), but in a more complex and dangerous regional environment.The report noted that the eighth round of the Lebanese-Israeli trilateral negotiations under Washington’s sponsorship ended without any breakthrough, while Israel continued its field aggressions and turned the ceasefire agreements into mere “ink on paper.”Langlois pointed out that Tel Aviv has effectively established what it calls a “buffer zone” by destroying entire villages and preventing residents from returning to them, leaving more than 350,000 Lebanese in a state of forced displacement.Although the negotiations formally aim at Israel’s withdrawal and the sustainable disarmament of Hezbollah, these two goals clash with the party’s rejection of negotiations in which it does not participate, and its bet on its ability to withstand the Lebanese authorities under President Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam, benefiting from the Israeli presence as a primary justification for clinging to its weapons.On the Israeli side, the report explained that the post-October 7, 2023 strategy is based on carving out buffer zones in Lebanon and Syria, supported by the backing of about 80% of Israeli society for the continuation of military operations. With elections approaching, parties from both the Zionist and ruling camps are competing to present more hardline rhetoric, meaning that the absence of a real political alternative will be reflected in an expansion of the Israeli military presence regardless of the identity of the winner.The analysis also addresses Israeli accusations against the Lebanese army of negligence in order to pressure the Lebanese negotiating position, exploiting its field ability to control the timing of withdrawal and disrupt implementation mechanisms.The report added that the administration of President Donald Trump, despite its ability to pressure Benjamin Netanyahu, remains biased toward Tel Aviv. It is likely that American electoral calculations and the expected escalation against Iran will marginalize the Lebanese file and entrench a permanent reality governed by war and occupation.

Israeli Army Continues Its Aggressions in the South… Targeting Kfar Tebnit with Missiles and Heavy Machine-Gun Sweeping in Aita al-Jabal
Janoubia / October 25, 2026
The Israeli war machine continues to expand the circle of its field aggressions against southern Lebanon, as the morning and previous night hours witnessed a series of airstrikes and direct artillery shelling, in a step accompanied by field military pressure on residents and farmers during the olive harvest season.These escalating field developments coincide with political and security held breath in Lebanon in anticipation of the outcomes of the Israeli elections and the specter of expanding the regional war, especially after the deadlock in military negotiations and Washington renewing its warnings to its citizens to leave Lebanon.On the ground, the town of Kfar Tebnit was targeted this morning by an airstrike from a warplane, followed by another strike carried out by an Israeli drone with a guided missile. On the direct confrontation line, two Merkava tanks were observed positioned on the outskirts of the town of Aita al-Jabal, where they carried out intensive sweeping operations with heavy machine guns, coinciding with the presence of residents in the orchards for the olive harvest, with no casualties reported.Military vehicle movements were also recorded in the town of Hadatha, during which a Merkava tank fired a shell into the town while simultaneously conducting medium machine-gun sweeping and artillery shelling that hit various areas. The outskirts of the town of Braachit were subjected to intermittent artillery shelling.In the central and eastern sectors, a massive explosion overnight caused a state of alert in the town of Hula in Marjayoun, while overnight airstrikes destroyed several buildings in Wadi al-Hujair. With the arrival of morning, artillery shelling hit the towns of Mansouri, Majdal Zoun, and the adjacent valleys, in addition to targeting Wadi al-Salouqi.In the context of the continuous air violations, dense low-altitude flights by an Israeli drone were recorded over the city of Sidon and its eastern and southern suburbs.Politically and diplomatically, Lebanon is watching with concern the course of the Israeli elections scheduled for the beginning of the week, amid expectations of escalatory scenarios that may push Israel to launch broader military campaigns targeting Hezbollah and Iran. These fears come after the failure of the Lebanese-Israeli military negotiations held under American sponsorship in Tampa last week without achieving any tangible results.In this regard, the U.S. State Department updated its travel warnings for Lebanon to include risks of regional expansion of Houthi attacks, renewing its strict call for its citizens not to travel to Lebanon and urging them to immediately leave the southern suburbs, the south, the eastern border with Syria, and refugee camps.

Israeli Shelling and Airstrikes in the South… and a Massive Explosion in Yahmor al-Shaqif
Al-Markazia / October 25, 2026
An Israeli drone dropped two shells on the roof of a house in the town of Mayfadoun, southern Lebanon, while Israeli artillery targeted the Marjayoun plain, where four artillery shells fell in the area.Israeli aggressions continue in the south, as the Israeli army carried out a large explosion in the town of Yahmor al-Shaqif – Nabatieh district, which caused tremors and a massive boom that echoed across various southern areas.An Israeli drone dropped two shells on the roof of a house in the town of Mayfadoun. Israeli aircraft also carried out two airstrikes targeting the outskirts of the towns of Braachit and Tallousa in southern Lebanon, and a violent airstrike on the town of Kfar Tebnit whose echoes reached the city of Sidon and its east. An Israeli drone had carried out a guided missile strike on the town of Kfar Tebnit this morning.Artillery shelling also targeted the Braachit nature reserve in Bint Jbeil district. An Israeli airstrike on Wadi al-Hujair was reported, and machine-gun fire targeted the town of Qantara – Marjayoun district.Israeli artillery shelled the towns of Mansouri, Majdal Zoun, and the adjacent valleys this morning. Hadatha and the outskirts of the towns of Zoutar al-Sharqiyeh, Mayfadoun, and Braachit are being subjected to intermittent artillery shelling from Israeli army positions.Military vehicle movements by the Israeli army were also recorded in the town of Hadatha, where a Merkava tank fired a shell into the town while simultaneously conducting medium machine-gun sweeping. Two Merkava tanks were observed this morning positioned on the outskirts of the town of Aita al-Jabal; they carried out a heavy machine-gun sweeping operation coinciding with the presence of residents in the orchards for the olive harvest season, with no reports of casualties.A massive explosion had occurred overnight in the town of Hula, Marjayoun district. The airstrikes that hit Wadi al-Hujair overnight led to the destruction of a number of buildings.Amid these conditions, Israeli aircraft carried out mock low- to medium-altitude raids along the northern border in Akkar and Hermel. Drones are also flying at low altitude over the Zahrani area and the capital Beirut.

Report: Hezbollah tells Berri it won't intervene if war is waged on Iran
Naharnet/October 25/2026
Hezbollah has once again informed Speaker Nabih Berri that it will not intervene this time in support of Iran if war breaks out, which Berri has conveyed to President Joseph Aoun, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported.Furthermore, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh was "candid" with a group of MPs from the Shiite Duo during his recent visit to Beirut. "He told them that his country would not ask Hezbollah to intervene if Iran came under an attack from the United States in execution of Trump's threats, because Iran is capable of confronting it on its own and "has made significant strides in preparing to prevent him from achieving his goals," the report said. Lebanese parliamentary sources also told Asharq al-Awsat that Khatibzadeh "was clear in his stance regarding not asking Hezbollah for assistance, given the shift in the balance of power between the group and Israel, as its intervention would not alter the course of the confrontation." They noted that Iran, according to Khatibzadeh’s words to the MPs, appreciates the delicate situation in Lebanon and has no intention of asking Hezbollah to plunge itself into an unbalanced confrontation. The sources added that the group cannot bear the burden of the reaction from its popular base, which prompts it to take a cautious approach by positioning itself behind Berri. "It would be unable to absorb a new wave of displacement resulting from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's threat to expand the security zone in the South -- reaching as far as targeting the Dahiyeh -- and displacing nearly one million Shiites, as Hezbollah works to absorb and house displaced individuals by offering them financial aid" to alleviate the impact of the recent war, the sources added. They also stressed that "the general Shiite public sentiment will not remain silent if the group decides to intervene for a second time in support of Iran -- as happened last March -- contrary to its pledge to Berri not to intervene."

President Aoun offers condolences to Jordan's King Abdullah II over deadly church attack
LBCI/October 25/2026
President Joseph Aoun spoke by phone with Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday afternoon to offer his condolences over the victims of a terrorist attack targeting mourners during a funeral at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hammoud, in Karak Governorate, southern Jordan. Aoun renewed his condemnation of the attack, reaffirming Lebanon's solidarity, at both the official and popular levels, with Jordan's king, leadership and people. He also praised King Abdullah's measured response and the widespread public solidarity shown toward residents of the village targeted in the attack.

Patriarch al-Rahi warns of worsening living conditions, calls for tighter border controls and state monopoly on arms
LBCI/October 25/2026
Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi warned of Lebanon's worsening economic and social conditions, stressing that citizens are bearing the brunt of the country's hardships. "What do we say to a family that can no longer afford basic necessities? To a young person searching for a job and a future? To a citizen who feels the burden growing heavier every day?" al-Rahi asked. Al-Rahi stressed that the state, its institutions and civil society share responsibility for supporting those in need and ensuring that families can live with dignity. Addressing the increasing sale of land in Lebanon, the patriarch urged Lebanese citizens not to rush into selling their properties, warning that land represents their history, roots, identity and future. "What Lebanese people give up today may be impossible for their children to recover tomorrow," he cautioned. Turning to border security, al-Rahi expressed concern over repeated attempts to smuggle weapons and explosives into Lebanon, warning that weaknesses in border controls could threaten national security and stability. He emphasized that securing Lebanon's borders is essential to protecting the country as a whole. Al-Rahi also reiterated that weapons must remain exclusively under the control of the state and its institutions, describing this as a fundamental requirement for establishing a capable and just state responsible for maintaining peace and security. He concluded that Lebanon needs a state that protects its citizens, secures its borders, enforces the law equally and safeguards national sovereignty and rights, rather than one that exercises authority over citizens while remaining powerless in the face of disorder.

Saudi Arabia, Lebanon Discuss Bolstering Security Cooperation
Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz received on Sunday a telephone call from his Lebanese counterpart Ahmad Al-Hajjar. Al-Hajjar condemned the blatant attacks targeting Saudi Arabia by the terrorist Houthi militia, stressing his country’s solidarity with the Kingdom. The two sides discussed the latest developments in the region and stressed the importance of strengthening security cooperation within the framework of their partnership.

Nassar: I Will Again Propose Referring the Explosives Truck File to the Judicial Council
Al-Markazia / October 25, 2026
Justice Minister Adel Nassar revealed in an interview on the program “W Hallaq Sho” that Presidents Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam supported his proposal to refer the explosives shipment file to the Judicial Council during the latest Cabinet session. However, the disagreement between them and him centered on the timing of the referral.Nassar clarified that he did not withdraw from the session, out of concern that his opposition to postponing the referral would be interpreted as casting doubt on the judiciary. He affirmed that he will again raise the issue of the explosives truck before the Cabinet, with the aim of referring it to the Judicial Council, in two weeks’ time

Al-Hajj Hasan: American Intervention Has Gone Beyond Tutelage and Reached Occupation of Political Decision-Making
Al-Markazia / October 25, 2026
Hezbollah’s public relations in the Fifth Sector organized a political meeting in the town of Labweh in the northern Bekaa. It was attended by Hussein Al-Hajj Hasan, head of the Baalbek-Hermel parliamentary bloc; Dr. Ahmad Raya, public relations official in the Bekaa; Sheikh Khadr Al-Dirani; a public relations delegation; as well as a number of the town’s residents.During the meeting, Al-Hajj Hasan responded to “those who accuse Hezbollah of raising the political ceiling and escalating tensions in the country,” saying: “There are those who say that Hezbollah raised the ceiling and issued warnings. The truth is that the one who raised the ceiling, overreached, and aggressed is the Israeli, together with the American, and the authorities are responding. It is not Hezbollah that is escalating matters in Lebanon; rather, those escalating are the Americans and the Israelis, and the authorities contribute to the escalation through their response.”He affirmed that “Hezbollah wants stability for Lebanon,” adding: “We want Lebanon to emerge from all these crises, but to emerge sovereign, free, independent, and dignified—not submissive, not compliant, not dependent, and with no tutelage over it.”He considered that “what the American embassy is doing is tutelage and occupation of political decision-making,” saying: “When we speak of tutelage, it has reached the point with the American ambassador who wants to amend the laws himself—that is, to take the place of the Speaker of Parliament and of the deputies, gather the deputies, and demand that they cancel the law boycotting Israel. Is this tutelage or what? This is more than tutelage; this is occupation of political decision-making.”He added: “When American officials—whether the Secretary of State or the American ambassador, or through statements and statements by members of the U.S. Senate—interfere in the matter of the explosives truck in Dahr al-Baidar, or in the matter of the complaint filed against the Lebanese ambassador in Washington, and specify for the judiciary what is acceptable and what is not, what is this? This is interference in the judiciary. As far as we know, the judiciary in Lebanon is independent of the political authority, and it will soon become subordinate to the American embassy and to the U.S. State Department in pursuit of Israeli interests.”He stressed that “the party’s positions proceed from the standpoint of sovereignty, freedom, independence, the dignity of Lebanon, and the preservation of its interests, while the American pressures, speaks, and demands from the standpoint of Israel’s interests,” clarifying: “When they speak of American interests in the region, they are in reality Israeli interests.”Al-Hajj Hasan concluded by affirming that “the party has issued positions warning the authorities of the high risks of responding to American pressures and dictates for the Lebanese situation, for stability and national cohesion, and for Lebanon’s strength. We hope this authority will realize the dangers that would result from any submission to American dictates.”

Metropolitan Bishop Audeh: What Happened Inside the Church in Al-Karak Has Nothing to Do with Religion
Al-Markazia / October 25, 2026
Metropolitan Elias Audeh, Metropolitan of Beirut and its dependencies for the Greek Orthodox, presided over the Divine Liturgy at Saint George Cathedral. After the reading of the Holy Gospel, Metropolitan Audeh delivered a sermon in which he said:“I wish first to express the depth of the sorrow, anger, and disgust generated by the terrorist incident that occurred in the church in Jordan, in which innocent people who were praying for the repose of the soul of a relative of theirs fell victim. What happened inside the church has no connection whatsoever to religion, morals, or values. Rather, it expresses the extent of the savagery lurking in the heart of the human being of this age, who no longer grants any importance or respect to religion, morals, or humanity. Wretched are these days in which we live nothing but wars, killing, terrorism, and extremism. We ask the Lord God for mercy upon the souls of the victims, healing for the wounded, and forgiveness and guidance for the perpetrators of this massacre and of every massacre that targets human beings. We also ask Him for peace for our region and for the entire world.”He added: “Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus came to the region of the Gerasenes (and a man from the city who had had demons for a long time met Him… he did not live in a house but among the tombs). He was naked and troubled; no one could bind him, and he had become a prisoner of a power that had destroyed his humanity. But Christ, when He meets him, does not see in him merely a possessed man or a hopeless case; rather, He sees a human being who must recover his image, his dignity, and his freedom. For this reason, He commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man, because it had seized him for a long time, in order to restore to this man his humanity, his name, and his identity that had been stolen from him.”He continued: “This incident is not merely a story of a miracle that happened in the past; it is an image of the human being who may live today among people, yet inwardly dwells in the tombs. Our tombs may not be of stone, but they may be tombs of sin, addiction, hatred, anxiety, despair, pride, revenge, lusts, and vanity, or wounds that we refuse to acknowledge. A person may laugh in front of others, speak, work, and post his pictures on social media; he may boast and claim strength, while something broken deep within him cries out seeking salvation. When that man possessed by evil spirits saw Jesus, he cried out: ‘What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?’ This phrase may also be the cry of the contemporary human being who may say: What relation do I have with Christ? And what need do I have of Him? I can manage my life by myself. But the Gospel reveals to us a different truth: that a person can fill his life with many things and still feel emptiness in his depths and remain looking toward salvation. He can possess money, knowledge, fame, and power, and surround himself with means of comfort, yet he cannot save himself from within, or prolong his life by a single moment. Christ does not intervene to beautify our chains, but to break them; He does not seek to make us more successful and prosperous according to the world’s standards, but to restore our humanity to us.
When the Lord cast the demons out of the man, he was found sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. Salvation in Christianity is not merely the removal of evil, but the recovery of the mind, the heart, dignity, and peace. For a person to sit at the feet of Christ means that he has found the place to which he belongs, and in it he finds rest and peace. The painful paradox is that the people of the region, after they saw the man who had been destroyed become whole, and the demons that had dwelt in him enter a herd of pigs ‘and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned,’ asked Jesus to depart from them. They preferred the presence of the pigs and their own interests over the presence of Christ. This may also happen with us. We may ask Christ to save us, but not at the expense of our interests. We want Him to free us from pain, provided He does not touch our sin; to grant us peace without asking us for repentance; and to bless our choices without any change in our lives.”He said: “The Apostle Paul tells us in today’s Epistle: ‘Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus.’ Justification is not a human achievement that we place before God saying to Him: Look at what we have done; therefore we deserve salvation. Salvation is a gift granted by faith, but true faith does not remain an abstract idea; it becomes a new life and good works. Therefore the Apostle Paul says: ‘I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.’ This is not a poetic phrase; it is the essence of the Christian life. The Christian believer does not merely say: I love Christ; rather, he allows Christ to live in him, so that his will changes, his view of the other, and the way he deals with difficulties, money, the body, power, forgiveness, weakness, and death. Saint John Chrysostom teaches, in speaking about the life of the believer in Christ, that faith is not separated from life, and that the grace a person receives calls for a conduct that corresponds to it. What is required is not that we carry the name of Christ on our lips while our life remains captive to the old passions. Saint Irenaeus summarizes the purpose of God’s work in the human being by saying that He wants to restore the human being to life, because the glory of God, as he says, is ‘the living human being’—that is, the human being who truly lives in God.”He added: “The greatest danger in our spiritual life may be that we become accustomed to our tombs. A person may grow used to his anger until he thinks it is part of his personality; grow used to his sin until he justifies it; grow used to his loneliness until he rejects love; and grow used to his pride until he thinks humility is weakness. But Christ does not look at us according to what we have become, but according to what we can become by His grace. Therefore, when the man who had been healed asked to remain with the Lord Jesus, the Lord said to him: ‘Return to your house and tell what God has done for you.’ He sent him to the place to which he belongs, and this is very important, because grace does not make us flee from the world, but makes us witnesses to Christ in the world; it makes each of us return to his world as a new human being.”Metropolitan Audeh concluded: “Let us entrust our whole life to the Lord, because He does not want us to be alive in the body and dead in the spirit. He wants for us the freedom of the children of God, a life that does not dwell in the tombs, and a heart that finds its rest at His feet. And when Christ lives in us, our past is no longer a prison, our wounds are no longer an identity, and our sins are no longer an inevitable fate. For He who freed that man from the demons and from dwelling in the tombs will raise up in us the new human being, so that we may live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. Amen.”

Open letter to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam
Ronnie Chatah/Now Leba non/October 25/2026
Mr. Prime Minister.
Turn this crisis around. Stop trying to manage it. And mark its resolution as your legacy.
Leadership does not require making everyone happy. Insistence on state procedure is impossible under these circumstances. The President and Speaker are buying time. The army commander will not take confrontational orders. If you have any role today it is to overcome their obstacles.
And take a stand. Demand a summit with one goal in mind: getting Iran out of Lebanon. Through international protection and guarantees for a full restoration of Lebanon’s sovereignty and neutrality.The Israelis will leave when Iran’s proxy can no longer fight them. But their occupation is irrelevant to Hezbollah fighting us. And Hezbollah’s survival depends on a Lebanese government that coordinates – and when needed – protects them. Your tenure may be limited. In this closing window of opportunity do not compromise with a group that plunged Lebanon to hell. Do not accept their red lines as they transport explosives to kill more of their opponents.This is not a political struggle, but a security war. And our security agencies are compromised. Remember your allies assassinated by the same group. They took greater risk under far worse conditions. They did more than say the right thing then retreat out of precaution.
They set the foundation for a better future, only to have it destroyed by a militia you cannot control. And a generation of Lebanese that abandoned this country will not return despite your best intentions. Academic credentials, constitutional expertise and judicial experience do not matter here. Accept your limitations. You are the prime minister of a country that is ungovernable and paralyzed. Demand help. Use every instrument you have. And do not fade to failure.
**Ronnie Chatah is a political analyst, Saint Joseph University lecturer and host of The Beirut Banyan podcast.

The Envoy Who Confuses Ankara’s Talking Points with American Values
Makram Rabah/Now Leba non/October 25/2026
Tom Barrack is supposed to speak for the United States. Listen to him long enough and you start wondering who he is speaking for. Take his latest sit-down with an influencer. America’s man on Syria told his host that what worries him in the south is not Israel but a Druze sheikh exploiting the illusion of Israeli and American backing to persecute other Druze. He added that the Sweida-to-Daraa belt is a global captagon hub, and that the trade lets some Druze arm themselves. Look at what this does. A community that has just lived through a massacre is recast as a narco-militia problem, and the victims become suspects.
The record on Sweida is not ambiguous. A UN investigation found more than 1,700 people, mostly Druze civilians, were killed and over 155,000 displaced in Sweida during last year’s violence. There were reports of government-aligned forces carrying out scores of summary executions of Druze. So what did the envoy offer? He suggested the atrocities may have been committed by Islamic State militants disguised in government uniforms, not Syrian forces. That is not diplomacy. It is public relations for a client, delivered with the confidence of a man who has never been made to answer for anything. The pattern runs well beyond the Druze. Barrack seems to see the Middle East’s communities as obstacles to a plan. Those who fit the plan are “partners.” Those who don’t are gangs, smugglers, or “toxic” actors. That is why the Druze, the Kurds and anyone else outside the arrangement being engineered keep ending up in his crosshairs.
Then there is Hezbollah. On a Beirut visit pressing for disarmament, Barrack called it a “political party” that “also has an armed wing.” At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum he said Lebanon’s ceasefire is fragile because everyone has been “equally untrustworthy,” meaning Israel and Hezbollah alike, and that the path with Hezbollah must be “not killing Hezbollah.” He has even remarked that Hezbollah “runs the best municipalities.” Washington designates Hezbollah a terrorist organization, and the group has the blood of Americans, Lebanese and Syrians on its hands. An envoy who spends his time looking for its redeeming features has lost the plot. Notably, his critics included two Senate Republicans, not just partisans of one side.
Then there is the Orientalism, which is not subtle. Barrack told Lebanon that if it didn’t act, it would become Bilad al-Sham again, a line that sounded to many Lebanese like a threat to their sovereignty, and he was forced to walk it back. He mused that the region “has never had peace for 5,000 years.” After a Baabda press conference, he had to explain that his use of the word “animalistic” toward reporters wasn’t derogatory. This is a man who treats an ancient, plural, sophisticated region as a tribal squabble to be managed from a hotel lobby. Lebanese, Syrians and Druze are not extras in his story.
Washington designates Hezbollah a terrorist organization, and the group has the blood of Americans, Lebanese and Syrians on its hands. An envoy who spends his time looking for its redeeming features has lost the plot. Follow the incentives. Barrack is simultaneously ambassador to Turkey and envoy for Syria, and critics, including fellow Republicans, have long pointed to his perceived closeness to Erdoğan’s government. The Syria file therefore sits in the hands of someone whose day job is keeping Ankara happy. When he repeats the Turkish line on the SDF and shows unlimited patience for Damascus’s new rulers, we are entitled to ask whose interests are being served, and whether they are American ones.
And why is he still there? Barrack is a billionaire real estate investor and long-time Trump donor, rewarded with a diplomatic posting in 2025. Strip away the friendship with the president and the résumé looks like that of someone who would have been quietly replaced a long time ago. Diplomacy is not deal-making over a golf-club lunch. Consequences in this region are measured in graves. Anyone who calls himself an ally of the United States should be insulted by this. Allies are told that American power stands behind pluralism, protection of minorities and accountability for atrocity. Barrack’s version offers none of those: minorities are managed, massacres are explained away, and terrorist groups are given “paths.” If that is American policy, it should be debated openly. If it isn’t, the president should find an envoy who understands the difference between mediating and carrying water.
The Druze of Sweida, the Kurds of the northeast and the Lebanese deserve better than a salesman. So does America’s reputation.
*Makram Rabah is the managing editor at Now Lebanon and an Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut, Department of History. His book Conflict on Mount Lebanon: The Druze, the Maronites and Collective Memory (Edinburgh University Press) covers collective identities and the Lebanese Civil War. He tweets at @makramrabah

Lebanese growing increasingly impatient with leaders
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/October 25, 2026
Lebanese social media users are growing increasingly impatient with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. The two rallying points are the lack of solutions in the wake of the banking crisis of 2019 and the plan to disarm Hezbollah, which was decided last year. In both cases, the pause button has been hit. If the problems with electricity, security and a deteriorating economy are added, many Lebanese feel that this government is more of the old, wrapped in new packaging. In the case of the banking crisis, the first point is that, besides Riad Salameh, the former central bank governor, no other responsible party has been questioned. It must be remembered that the initial restrictions on depositors accessing their funds were unilaterally imposed by commercial banks, not by the central bank or through any formal government-imposed capital controls law. The banks took these measures to avoid bankruptcy and the collapse of the financial system. Here, too, the sovereign institution enabled the system that led to people’s complete loss. This is why it is time for the central bank and the current government to take on their responsibilities in the broader crisis. It is ironic that, after allowing the banks to make their own decisions when the crisis started, the government and lawmakers are now in a maze of legal back-and-forth between state institutions. When it comes to bureaucracy, it is the only place where the Lebanese state is omnipresent. The Constitutional Council last week annulled a key article of the bank restructuring law, leaving important questions about the central bank’s powers unresolved.
There are other issues to be decided as well. Yet, this is the key point: there is no political decision-making. The current government, despite its early promises, is incapable of breaking through the interests of all the stakeholders. Hence, like their predecessors, they are playing a balancing act to please the various minority leaders and their entourages instead of looking for a way to solve the situation. There has been no real progress toward disarmament. The opposite might even be true, as it is business as usual for Hezbollah.
The reality is that when it comes to the banks, there are not many ways forward and we can look at the Greek crisis as an example. The government needs to clean up the system. This means that each bank’s losses must be assessed independently and the state must hold shareholders and those responsible accountable. There is also the need to restructure and liquidate banks that are, in fact, insolvent. And, like in Greece, they should establish a transparent deposit recovery plan that respects the hierarchy of claims, with shareholders bearing losses before depositors. It is the only way to restore confidence through enforceable decisions and a real timetable. It should not be another promise without implementation.
Credibility has also been lost on international debt markets, where Lebanon is still in sovereign default after suspending eurobond payments in 2020. Unfortunately, the numbers are much worse than Greece’s. Public debt was estimated at 176.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2024 by the World Bank. And here, too, because it is favoring the interests of the minority leaders, the government is unable to negotiate with creditors, as Athens did, and regain access to financial markets. Lebanon must negotiate substantial debt relief and establish a fiscal plan. But more importantly, it needs to distribute losses transparently and fairly. And this is clearly something it is unable or unwilling to do. Until now, there is no clarity regarding the debts owed by the state and the central bank to the banking system. We can hence not separate resolving the sovereign debt from restructuring the banks.
This slap to sovereignty is complemented by another when it comes to the plan to disarm Hezbollah. The Lebanese are increasingly disappointed and vocal on social media regarding the government’s failure to disarm the militant group. Most Lebanese want to see the state restore its monopoly on weapons. Yet, what we are noticing on the ground is that there has been no real progress toward disarmament. The opposite might even be true, as it is business as usual for Hezbollah.
The Lebanese security forces this month seized a vehicle carrying 780 kg of explosives. And the reaction of Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said it all. He acknowledged ownership and demanded the explosives’ return. This is not the declaration of a group complying with a government plan.
Another example highlighting the wrong direction being taken by Lebanon’s current leadership involves Mihrac Ural, a former pro-Assad militia leader accused of involvement in a 2013 massacre in Syria, who was abducted and transferred to Syria. This should raise questions about the networks that enabled him to remain in Lebanon. Rather than focusing solely on investigating how he was abducted, the Lebanese government should establish how he was able to remain protected in the country, who provided that protection and whether Hezbollah-linked networks helped him evade justice. This is another example of the group being a state within a state and still carrying on with business as usual. This level of impunity will never allow the state to be rebuilt and to thrive. Both problems, and the inability of Aoun and Salam to solve them, are a clear indication that there have always been two states in Lebanon and that nothing will change that. The minority leaders, along with Hezbollah, have carved out their own territories and there are no rules that apply to them. Yet, for many citizens, Lebanon regaining its sovereignty is not simply a question of security or economic recovery but a matter of daily survival.
**Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is the CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 25-26/2026 (Some of the News reports below are translated from Arabic by AI)
Trump weighs more strikes or a deal with Iran
Associated Press/October 25/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump has bristled when asked how far he was from a possible attack on Iran. He recently said on social media he would not hit Iran again before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. “Do you really think I’m going to tell you if I’m going to do it?" Trump responded. “And there’s a possibility I will. There’s also a possibility we’ll have a nice, big, beautiful agreement.”Trump also repeated his assertion that Iran wants to make a deal, “but the problem is, will they hold the deal?”

Eleven Shot near Florida A&M University in Tallahassee
Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
A shooting near a Florida university campus in Tallahassee on Saturday night left 11 people with gunshot wounds and another injured, authorities said. The shooting took place near Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University's campus on Perry Street, the university said, while police counted six ‌adults and six ‌juveniles among the injured, reported Reuters. "At ‌least ⁠three of the shooting ⁠victims have sustained serious injuries, while nine others are reported to be in stable condition," the Tallahassee police said in a statement. Initial findings showed a "physical altercation" preceded the ⁠shooting, police said, without elaborating. "It ‌is especially ‌heartbreaking to know that children are among ‌those injured," said police chief ‌Lawrence Revell. The youngest of those shot was 11, the NY Post newspaper said, but police did not immediately respond ‌to a Reuters request for comment. An altercation at a homecoming party ⁠escalated ⁠into gunfire and a fight between two or three individuals led to shots being fired just before 8 p.m., the paper added. Police said their violent crimes unit was investigating the circumstances."The safety and security of our students, faculty, and staff remain our highest priority," Florida A&M said on X.

Obama Blasts Trump's 'Chaos and Cruelty' While Campaigning for Democrats
Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Former US president Barack Obama delivered scathing criticisms of current leader Donald Trump at rallies Saturday in Ohio and Michigan to support Democratic candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Democrats are attempting to wrest back control of one or both chambers of the US Congress, which are currently controlled by Trump's Republican party, said AFP. Obama retains considerable popularity among the Democratic base, which he is keen to leverage to support his party's candidates. In both states, the 65-year-old former president blamed the Trump administration for the rising cost of living, a top voter concern."The current president chose to make a series of bad decisions," Obama said in Cleveland, Ohio, where he rallied in support of former Democratic senator Sherrod Brown. "Most importantly, he decided to start an unnecessary war that nobody asked for." The war on Iran has sent oil prices soaring as Tehran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz after being attacked. "After two years of chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence, the likes of which we have not seen in the modern era, you get a chance to say, 'Enough is enough,'" Obama declared. "We are voting for change right here in Ohio."Later, in Michigan, Obama campaigned for Abdul El-Sayed, from the party's left wing, who is in a close race with Republican Mike Rogers for the US Senate. "Imagine the power duo of Abdul and Elissa," Obama said, referring to the incumbent Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin, who is not up for election this year. "You got a Muslim man, you got a Jewish woman fighting for you in the United States Senate. That's something, Michigan, you can be proud of." Trump slammed Obama's campaign in Michigan in a post on Truth Social on Sunday, urging voters to choose Rogers. "Obama was a grossly incompetent President! He paid off Iran with $Billions, and gave them a road to a Nuclear Weapon," Trump said, referring to a 2015 deal negotiated under Obama that offered Iran sanctions relief in return for drastically scaling back its nuclear work.
Trump withdrew from that deal during his first term and imposed sweeping sanctions, including on countries that bought Iranian oil. Western countries accuse Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, something Tehran denies, defending its right to what it insists is a civilian nuclear program.
'Don't procrastinate' -
Obama also urged voters to cast their ballots as soon as possible since early voting is already open in both states."Don't procrastinate, don't equivocate," Obama said. In Ohio, Brown will attempt a comeback against incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted, while the race for governor will be contested between Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate in 2024. Polls for Ohio give Democrats a slight lead in both those races, but the results are expected to be close. Obama also took digs at Trump's renovation projects across the US capital, including his botched renovation of the National Mall's Reflecting Pool, his construction of a massive White House Ballroom and the gilded decorations he has adorned the Oval Office with during his second tenure. "He's got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory," Obama said, referring to the popular but indulgent American restaurant chain. Nationally, polls also suggest that Democrats could regain control of the House of Representatives but face a much more competitive contest for the Senate.

Tehran Strikes Iranian Kurdish Base in Iraq with Drones
Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Iran's armed forces attacked bases belonging to an Iranian Kurdish opposition group in Iraq's Kurdistan region using drones, a media outlet in Tehran reported on Sunday. "As part of a drone operation carried out by the Revolutionary Guards' ground forces, the headquarters of the terrorist and separatist group Komala, located in the Balisan region, was targeted last night," the Mehr news agency said. The semi-autonomous region hosts camps and bases belonging to several groups of Iranian Kurdish militants, which Iran has targeted repeatedly since the start of the Middle East war in February. The Revolutionary Guards have not immediately claimed responsibility for the strikes on these fighters, whom Iran accuses of being supported by Israel, its sworn enemy. In the most deadly recent attack, nine Komala members were killed on July 17 near the city of Sulaymaniyah.

CENTCOM chief visits Hormuz Strait, says US helped export 1.5 billion barrels of oil
Al Arabiya English/25 October/2026
The commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, visited the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday as the US military announced it had helped regional partners export more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since the summer, despite continued tensions with Iran.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said Cooper flew over the strategic waterway aboard a US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter to assess the operational environment. More than 3,000 commercial vessels have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz with support from US forces over the past six months, according to CENTCOM. “We continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Gulf partners and the shipping industry,” Cooper said. “This visit underscores our strong commitment to continued freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.” CENTCOM said the visit followed a US military operation to clear international shipping lanes in the strait of sea mines it said had been laid by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).During the visit, Cooper met US service members involved in the mine clearance operation and thanked them for their efforts. “Today, primary transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz remain free and clear of Iranian sea mines thanks to incredible efforts by our people,” Cooper said. “We remain intensely focused on keeping commercial traffic flowing as we work with our teammates in the US interagency, Gulf Cooperation Council, and shipping industry.”
CENTCOM said more than 95 percent of vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz had passed through safely in recent months, despite what it described as continued IRGC aggression. The command also asserted that the United States and its regional partners maintained control of the international waterway. The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints for oil shipments. Iran has claimed control over the strait since the outbreak of its conflict with the United States and Israel earlier this year and has repeatedly targeted vessels attempting to transit without its authorization. Washington has opposed Tehran’s restrictions on maritime traffic and maintained a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports. The latest CENTCOM announcement comes amid renewed concerns over a potential escalation between Washington and Tehran, despite an April 8 ceasefire that brought an end to the most intense fighting. US President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington could launch another military operation against Iran, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Sunday that renewed fighting would not alter Tehran’s positions.

Qatari mediators reportedly in Tehran in US-coordinated effort to ease tensions
Al Arabiya English/25 October/2026
Qatari mediators were in Tehran on Sunday as part of an effort to de-escalate regional tensions in coordination with the United States, Reuters reported, citing an official briefed on the situation. This comes amid mounting US and Israeli threats of renewed attacks on Iran, as President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington “may do another little Epic Fury,” referring to the US-Israeli campaign on Iran that began on February 28. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that a potential resumption of war with Israel and the United States would not change his country’s positions. “Recently, there has been talk of a new war, but I am already thinking about the post-war period. Whether there is war or not, our policies remain the same,” said Araghchi during a televised event in Tehran. “They have already done so twice and have seen the results. If they want to try again, they know they will achieve no different outcome from those of the past.”An April 8 ceasefire between Iran and the United States put an end to the most intense fighting, apart from sporadic exchanges of fire in and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. These military flare-ups have lulled in recent weeks.
Iran has claimed control over the strait since the outbreak of the war and has regularly targeted vessels that attempt crossing without its authorization – moves strongly opposed by Washington and countries in the region. In response, the US has been maintaining a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports. In June, Iran agreed with the United States to a memorandum of understanding laying out a pathway to a permanent settlement of the conflict, only for the deal to later unravel as each side accused the other of violating it. Tehran has since called for a return to the accord to end the conflict. “The current war has changed everything. We must accept that new realities are taking hold. Shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same, and the management of the strait will no longer be the same,” said Araghchi. “To achieve peace and stability, our region must move towards the complete absence of foreign forces.”

Iran says resumption of war would not change its stances
Agence France Presse/25 October/2026
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that a potential resumption of war with Israel and the United States would not change his country's positions. The remarks come amid mounting US and Israeli threats of renewed attacks on Iran, as President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington "may do another little Epic Fury," referring to the U.S.-Israeli campaign on Iran that began on February 28. "Recently, there has been talk of a new war, but I am already thinking about the post-war period. Whether there is war or not, our policies remain the same," said Araghchi during a televised event in Tehran. "They have already done so twice and have seen the results. If they want to try again, they know they will achieve no different outcome from those of the past." An April 8 ceasefire between Iran and the United States put an end to the most intense fighting, apart from sporadic exchanges of fire in and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. These military flare-ups have lulled in recent weeks. Iran has claimed control over the strait since the outbreak of the war and has regularly targeted vessels that attempt crossing without its authorisation -- moves strongly opposed by Washington and countries in the region. In response, the U.S. has been maintaining a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports. In June, Iran agreed with the United States to a memorandum of understanding laying out a pathway to a permanent settlement of the conflict, only for the deal to later unravel as each side accused the other of violating it.Tehran has since called for a return to the accord to end the conflict. "The current war has changed everything. We must accept that new realities are taking hold. Shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same, and the management of the strait will no longer be the same," said Araghchi. "To achieve peace and stability, our region must move towards the complete absence of foreign forces."

Iran Parliament Speaker Calls for Cutting Gas Consumption by 10 Percent as Winter Nears
Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday called for a campaign to cut gas consumption by at least 10 percent, with officials anticipating shortages as winter approaches. While a major producer, Iran has long suffered shortages of natural gas, essential for powering heating systems, which have been exacerbated by war with the United States and Israel that began in February. During the most intense phase of the fighting, which lasted nearly 40 days, the two countries struck key Iranian infrastructure including natural gas refineries, according to Tehran.Winter in Iran often sees temperatures drop below freezing, especially in the country's north. "To get through the approaching winter, a nationwide effort is essential ... to reduce gas consumption by at least 10 percent," said Ghalibaf in a video carried by Iranian media. "Anyone who saves gas, regardless of the amount, will immediately receive the corresponding proceeds in their bank account, allowing everyone to see the tangible impact of those savings on their household budget." Earlier in October, First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref said the government anticipated a daily "gas shortfall of 100 million to 250 million cubic meters during the cold season because of the damage caused by the war," according to the official IRNA news agency. He added that he hoped to restore the supply of around 100 million cubic meters by the start of winter. An April ceasefire brought an end to the initial phase of intense bombardment, but the two sides have continued to vie for control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas used to travel. Iran has claimed control over the strait since the outbreak of the war and has regularly targeted vessels that attempt crossings without its authorization. In response, Washington has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports and in August announced what it called an "economic asphyxiation" campaign on Iran aimed at strangling its already battered economy.

Iran President to Visit Moscow Next Week for Talks with Putin
Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that President Masoud Pezeshkian will travel to Moscow next week to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as part of ongoing consultations between the two countries regarding bilateral cooperation and regional developments. Araghchi noted, in a message addressing the recent visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Tehran, that the talks focused on developing political and economic cooperation, implementing joint agreements, and strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and Russia. The state-run Mehr News Agency quoted Araghchi as saying: "During this visit, we stressed the importance of continuing consultations to protect mutual interests and enhance regional peace and stability. This dialogue and these consultations will continue next week in Moscow in the presence of the presidents of both countries." Lavrov visited Tehran on Monday, marking his first visit to Iran since the eruption of the war on February 28, where he met with Pezeshkian and Araghchi. In a joint press conference with Araghchi, he said that Pezeshkian might visit Moscow "in the coming days," without specifying a date. Lavrov called for a return to the pre-war status quo in the Strait of Hormuz, including the "restoration of freedom of navigation and guarantees against a recurrence of aggression," adding that Russia was ready to search for a way to resolve the crisis. Russia "has no intention of abandoning the implementation of economic and investment agreements with Iran" despite the "difficult situation," he said, revealing that Russian experts are "gradually returning to the Bushehr nuclear plant".Trade exchange between Moscow and Tehran grew by 21 percent last year, he added. Pezeshkian and Putin recently met in Turkmenistan. Putin had informed Pezeshkian in early October of Moscow's readiness to contribute to mediation efforts.

Iran Says Resumption of War Would Not Change Its Stances
Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that a potential resumption of war with Israel and the United States would not change his country's positions. The remarks come amid mounting US and Israeli threats of renewed attacks on Iran, as President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington "may do another little Epic Fury," referring to the US-Israeli campaign on Iran that began on February 28. "Recently, there has been talk of a new war, but I am already thinking about the post-war period. Whether there is war or not, our policies remain the same," said Araghchi during a televised event in Tehran. "They have already done so twice and have seen the results. If they want to try again, they know they will achieve no different outcome from those of the past." An April 8 ceasefire between Iran and the United States put an end to the most intense fighting, apart from sporadic exchanges of fire in and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. These military flare-ups have lulled in recent weeks. Iran has claimed control over the strait since the outbreak of the war and has regularly targeted vessels that attempt crossing without its authorization -- moves strongly opposed by Washington and countries in the region. In response, the US has been maintaining a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports. In June, Iran agreed with the United States to a memorandum of understanding laying out a pathway to a permanent settlement of the conflict, only for the deal to later unravel as each side accused the other of violating it. Tehran has since called for a return to the accord to end the conflict. "The current war has changed everything. We must accept that new realities are taking hold. Shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same, and the management of the strait will no longer be the same," said Araghchi. "To achieve peace and stability, our region must move towards the complete absence of foreign forces."

Iran Judiciary Says Chief Holds Rare Meeting with Supreme Leader
Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Iran's judiciary said on Saturday that its chief held a rare meeting with the country's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to appear in public since being appointed. Mojtaba was chosen in March to succeed his father and longtime ruler Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes in central Tehran alongside senior military commanders at the start of the Middle East war, and was said to have been injured in the same attack. Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and the supreme leader discussed issues including "securing public rights, and effectively combating corruption and its bottlenecks", the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported. They held talks on "pursuing the recovery of rights and compensation for material and moral damages arising from the crimes of American-Zionist criminals", it said. The younger Khamenei has only communicated through written messages since his appointment, some of them published in handwriting attributed to him. No video message from him has been released, and the time and location of his meeting with Ejei were not disclosed, as has been the case with previously reported meetings. Earlier this week, Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also reportedly met with the supreme leader to discuss "the latest developments" in the war. President Masoud Pezeshkian was reported to have met Mojtaba Khamenei in May, in what was among the first publicly reported meetings with the new leader. Ali Abdollahi, then head of the Khatam al-Anbiya command center overseeing Iran's military operations, also met him later. Abdollahi was subsequently appointed chief of the staff of Iranian armed forces while retaining his previous position.

Large Public and Official Turnout at Funerals of Jordan Church Attack Victims
Amman: Mohammed Khair al-Rawashdeh/Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Thousands of Jordanians on Sunday laid to rest eight of the nine victims killed on Friday in a terrorist attack that targeted the Hamoud Church in the southern governorate of Karak, amid a large public and official turnout that underscored the principles of coexistence. On Friday, gunmen suspected of being "takfiris" opened fire on churchgoers, killing nine and wounding about 25 others. The ninth victim will be buried Monday in the Sahab cemetery south of Amman, AFP reported, citing the victim's family. The funerals extended far beyond the immediate tragedy at the church, as the village of Hamoud witnessed a national consensus that underscored Christian-Muslim fraternity and cast the terrorist crime as a catalyst for solidarity rather than strife. An official presence dominated the funeral, with the heads of the constitutional authorities leading the ranks of mourners. Most of the governorate’s prominent figures, both Muslim and Christian, stood alongside the families of the church victims to receive condolences. By order of Jordanian King Abdullah II, the Royal Hashemite Court undertook the arrangements and protocols for the massive funeral service, which drew thousands of people from across the kingdom.
In a reflection of the area's deep-rooted coexistence, the Christian victims killed at the church included Dr. Mohammad Al-Qassous. A member of the Al-Halsa clan, his parents chose his Muslim name out of a profound conviction that no distinction exists between the residents of a shared village. Widely recognized in the community, Al-Qassous was known as the "doctor of the poor."Among the wounded in the terrorist attack were four Muslims, two of whom had arrived to help upon hearing the sound of gunfire. Informed sources stated that "the past hours witnessed a continuation of search operations on a broader scale" for the attackers, noting that investigators are close to mapping and tracking the communication networks of the terrorist cell behind the church massacre. According to the sources, the delay in announcing preliminary investigation results stems from search and tracking operations navigating the mountainous terrain east of the Karak governorate. They noted that the challenging topography of the search sites demands caution, particularly amid concerns that the militants may have cached weapons for use in further operations. Authorities are continuing to raid locations where suspects are believed to be hiding.Prime Minister Jafar Hassan stated Sunday, during a cabinet meeting that opened with a recitation of Al-Fatiha for the victims, that "all state agencies are working to apprehend the terrorists behind the Karak crime so they face the punishment they deserve." "This is not merely a security battle; this is a battle of awareness and ideology. Nations and homelands collapse when strife, bigotry, racism, and extremism spread within their societies,” he added. During the funeral ceremonies, Asharq Al-Awsat observed striking scenes that encapsulated feelings of grief, anger, and a commitment to national unity. As Muslim clerics stood alongside Christian clergy around the church, the victims' coffins were placed at the beginning of the farewell ceremony on a white cloth bearing a message of peace and adorned with flowers, before being carried in a solemn military funeral on the shoulders of general security personnel, draped in Jordanian flags. Another scene encapsulated the depths of anger, as young Jordanian men wore the Shemagh (a red Jordanian headdress) upside down - a tribal custom that symbolizes a demand for revenge - expressing their outrage over the crime. Following the burials, the ululations of the victims' mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters filled the air, blending with the tears of farewell in a scene that united the pain of loss with immense pride in the departed.

Shock and Grief in a Jordanian Village after Church Attack
Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Workers were cleaning the last traces of blood from St George's Church in Jordan's Hammoud the day after a deadly attack, when visitors arrived to express their solidarity amid an atmosphere of shock and grief. At noon on Saturday, the bells of the Greek Orthodox church in Jordan's Karak Governorate, south of Amman, rang in unison alongside churches across Jordan, mourning the victims of the unprecedented attack against Christians in the kingdom, which left nine dead and 25 wounded according to the latest toll from the authorities. Sayel al-Khaitan, a doctor who was inside the church when the attack, which took place during a funeral, began, described what happened as a tragedy. "It is a criminal, dark, spiteful, Daesh-style attack", he said, referring to the ISIS group, saying it targeted Jordanian society as a whole. He described coming under heavy gunfire, saying, "It was likely that we would have fallen as martyrs in the massive attack, but, by a miracle, we survived".Jordan's Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya said the attackers were extremists.They are still on the run.
'Hunting people' -
Bullet holes marred the church's walls and wooden pews, with windows shattered and glass shards gathered into a pile outside. Security forces have been deployed at the entrances and exits of the church in the small, predominantly Christian village. Christians make up about three percent of the Muslim-majority kingdom. On Saturday, preparations were underway for the victims' funerals the following day and church officials have dug a mass grave, which will become a memorial. Father Yohanna Hamati told AFP about 170 to 200 people taking part in the funeral of a woman from his parish when the volley of bullets began outside shortly after 2 pm. He said the mourners "at first did not grasp what was happening". But as people fled into the church, "we began to realize there was an attack". "They were hunting people," he said. "Nothing like it has ever happened, neither to a church nor to a mosque." He said some of the wounded mourners were Muslim, adding "we make no distinction between Muslim and Christian" and stressing that what happened "does not reflect Jordanian morals". In the village's guest hall, condolences were pouring in from clerics, military officials, the Vatican ambassador to Jordan and local dignitaries.
In the provincial capital Karak, dozens of people visited Prince Ali Military Hospital, where most of the wounded were taken, to donate blood or express solidarity. Youth activist Murooj Al-Nuwaysa, wearing a pink hijab, said she came with about 25 young men and women, carrying a bouquet of flowers with a card reading, "Our loss is one".
'Shock and pain' -
Nuwaysa says she was at the hospital on Friday visiting a patient at the time of the attack. "I didn't have my phone with me, and I didn't know what was happening." "Ambulances were arriving in large numbers... It was very strange. Then there was the sight of the blood and the people... We later heard there had been an attack on a church," she said. She said the youth delegation's visit on Saturday was an expression of "solidarity and our feeling of shock and pain." "Our friends, colleagues and relatives, Muslims and Christians, live together and share each other's occasions. It is a huge shock." Jordan's King Abdullah II visited the injured in the hospital, dressed in military fatigues and carrying a pistol on his hip.
"We will show them," he vowed to the victims.
Outside the hospital, Majed Jaafar, dressed in traditional Arab robes and the red-and-white Jordanian keffiyeh, said with a mix of sadness and anger: "We cried for them. Christians are cousins, neighbors and relatives. There is nothing between us but love.""This is the first time something like this has happened in Jordan," he said. Wisam al-Burqan, one of the villagers, said he arrived at the site of the attack minutes after the assailants fled. "These people are not a danger to Christians alone... they are a danger to society as a whole," he said, demanding the government "strike with an iron fist, uproot them and show them no mercy".

Katz boasts that Israel has displaced around 2,000 Palestinians in Hebron
Agence France Presse/October 25/2026
Israel's defense minister said that about 2,000 Palestinians had been displaced in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank in an Israeli military operation following the killing of two Israeli soldiers. "About 2,000 have been displaced. Selected army units are now operating there," Israel Katz said in an interview with public broadcaster Kan. "They will not be allowed to return to their neighborhood until we've finished dealing with all the Hamas issues in Hebron," he added.

Israel holds major military drill as election tensions rise over security and economic fears
LBCI/October 25/2026
Israelis woke up to the roar of aircraft and the sound of artillery fire, just 48 hours before parliamentary elections described as the most consequential in the country's history. The sounds did not come from an actual conflict but from a large-scale military exercise across northern and central Israel, simulating a surprise attack on multiple fronts involving coordinated strikes and cross-border infiltrations — a scenario that has become a major concern for both Israeli authorities and the public.Security fears have become a key element of the election campaign, alongside heated verbal exchanges between rival candidates during televised appearances. Beyond security concerns, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised another issue on Friday when he suggested turning to cryptocurrencies to protect Israel's economy from potential international sanctions. His remarks drew sharp criticism from political opponents and more than 100 economists, including several Nobel laureates. Israel's central bank also issued a rare statement, warning that cryptocurrencies are not a means of circumventing sanctions. Instead, it stressed that Israel should seek to avoid sanctions and preserve its economic relationships with international partners.Concerns over Israel's global economic standing and the risk of international isolation have become prominent election issues, adding to challenges linked to Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Iran and Syria. Regarding Syria, Israel issued a warning to the Syrian government that it would not tolerate any attempt to harm the Druze community in Sweida. The issue is another element Netanyahu is relying on to attract votes from Israel's Druze community and improve his electoral prospects.

Netanyahu Warns Iran May Try to Disrupt Election, Says ‘Don’t Test Us’
Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran and its allies might try to disrupt Tuesday's Israeli elections, warning the Islamic republic against any hostile acts. The premier has campaigned heavily on his security credentials, touting the war he launched against Iran in February alongside the United States and suggesting that he alone can see it through. "We have intelligence signs that our enemies, Iran and its proxies, could challenge us with attacks in order to disrupt the elections," Netanyahu said in a video released by his office on Sunday. "Don't test us. You will suffer disproportionate blows," he added, noting the military was ready for both defensive and offensive operations. Earlier in the day, the premier posted an AI-generated image of a mushroom cloud engulfing Tel Aviv, alongside text attributed to a right-wing political commentator calling Iran an existential threat and arguing that all the other issues discussed this election season were trivial in comparison. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, has focused heavily on hawkish national security statements in the final days of the campaign. On Wednesday, he said he had sent a directive to Israel's security forces to topple Iran's clerical state. A day earlier, he posted a video of himself in front of a fighter jet speaking to US President Donald Trump by phone saying they would "finish the job" together.

Days before Israeli Election, Military Conducts Massive West Bank Operation
Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
The Israeli military continued a massive military operation in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, displacing hundreds of Palestinians and placing major restrictions on movement in response to a gun attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others in Hebron on Friday.
The operation comes as Israel enters the final days before a tense election, which is largely seen as a referendum on current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and security policies during the past three years of war, The Associated Press said. Most Palestinian workers with permits will not be allowed to enter Israeli settlements for work in the occupied West Bank on Sunday and Monday, and crossings into Israel will remain closed until after Israel’s elections on Tuesday, the Israeli military said. The military said it operated in more than 400 different locations over the weekend and arrested 40 Palestinians it claimed were affiliated with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It said the operation is continuing at the same intensity on Sunday.
Thousands of Palestinians displaced from Hebron
The Hebron municipality said the operation displaced more than 2,200 people, including nearly 300 children under the age of 18. The military said that troops were conducting searches in the area where the gunmen operated, and warned residents to evacuate Deir Bahha, the suspected gunmen’s neighborhood. After Friday’s attack, Israel’s military said it found weapons in the gunmen’s car and that they were likely planning to attack Israeli civilians before being stopped at the checkpoint. All entrances and exits to the city remained sealed, with the epicenter of the operation in Deir Bahha and another part of the city called Al-Jalda, according to Hebron Mayor Yousef Zuhair Al-Jabari. “People cannot reach or enter the city, and they cannot leave it. The blockade has affected every aspect of life,” Al-Jabari said. He added that the blockade is forcing businesses to close and has also shuttered a mosque. “The army told us that this area would be closed for 12 days. Now they’re saying 12 days, but maybe they’ll leave the area after two or three days,” said Shadi al-Qawasmi, a Hebron resident who was displaced with his family. “This may be because of the elections or some political matter no one knows except God Almighty.”
The operation forced some families to navigate crossings on foot in order to leave Hebron after the roads were closed to traffic. At some military gates, people passed sacks of flour and gas canisters through the gates, while an elderly man pushed his wife in a wheelchair through an opening beside one of them. Another family attempted to navigate the gate to access medical appointments. Netanyahu vows a strong response as elections loom Hebron municipal officials said families had been displaced from nearly 500 apartments in Deir Bahha and surrounding neighborhoods. Six Israelis have been killed this year in attacks in the West Bank, which is experiencing a surge of violence. During the same period, 112 Palestinians have been killed, including the suspected gunmen, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry. The attack sparked outrage in Israel, with Netanyahu and three members of his right-wing government giving statements from the site of the attack on Friday afternoon, vowing to respond forcefully. “We warned a few weeks ago about attempts by our enemies to harm us, our citizens and our soldiers ahead of the election,” Netanyahu said. “We will act to destroy this place.”
Netanyahu is under pressure to demonstrate a strong show of force against Palestinian attackers to bolster his image for Israelis concerned with security. Roughly 3 million Palestinians and 540,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Mideast war. Hebron is one of its most tense cities and the only place where Jewish settlers live in the heart of a densely populated Palestinian area under Israeli military protection.

Israel to Close All Land Crossings with West Bank on Election Day
Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Israel said Sunday all land crossings with the West Bank will be closed on the day of next week's election, as it pledged a harder line on militancy after Palestinian gunmen killed two soldiers in the territory. The announcement came a day after Israeli forces pushed into the occupied West Bank city of Hebron and displaced around 2,000 residents, with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying, "they will not be allowed to return... until we've finished dealing with all the Hamas issues in Hebron". Hamas, while not claiming credit, hailed Friday's killings at a checkpoint near the Palestinian city, in which attackers shot dead two Israeli soldiers and wounded three more. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to exact a heavy price for the attack just days before polls and said he was planning an operation on a scale not seen since Israel first occupied the West Bank in 1967. The Israeli army said that, from Sunday, Palestinians would "not be permitted to enter Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley for work", using terms many in Israel use to refer to the West Bank. The army also said it would enforce "a ban on the entry and exit of Palestinian workers throughout Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley, including industrial zones, as well as the closure of all land crossings throughout Election Day" on October 27, it added. The Palestinian Authority, the semi-autonomous body that governs parts of the West Bank in cooperation with Israel, called for international pressure on Israel to protect residents affected by the military operation. The Israeli army said that over Friday and Saturday, it operated in 40 areas throughout the territory, with locals reporting that soldiers announced evacuations over loudspeakers late at night. Israeli forces said they "apprehended approximately 40 suspects, including terrorists affiliated with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations".
'Painful price' -
In the Hebron neighborhood of Ein Deir Baha, nestled between two hills, vacated buildings were marked by X's and the streets were deserted, save a pair of Israeli military vehicles. Israeli flags were draped on a house on the slope apparently taken over by troops. Higazi Shawer al-Tamimi, 70, a shopkeeper who plays a leadership role in the neighborhood, said he was awakened at 1:00 am by soldiers and a senior officer who said he had to leave. "I asked them how long the evacuation would last. They said: 'Until further notice.'"He told AFP he had only a short time to pack, adding that for some residents, getting out of the neighborhood was an ordeal. "For example, my wife's mother, who is 90 years old and lives in the area, had to be carried out because she is ill," he said. Right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds a position in the defense ministry overseeing civilian affairs in the West Bank, said he personally ordered "the immediate demolition of a row of illegal structures" following Friday's shooting. "Anyone who messes with us will quickly understand that he will pay a painful price," he wrote on X. To Tamimi, the West Bank operation is only happening because Netanyahu wants to win the election on "the blood of the Palestinian people". He said people were not going anywhere. "I have lived through all the stages of the occupation, and I will die here." But Tamimi's brother, Khaled Shawer al-Tamimi, 68, said he and his son left after the evacuation order rang out. "The army was announcing through loudspeakers: 'Leave the area.' So we left." He told AFP he was surprised to hear Friday's assailants came from the neighborhood, which he described as middle-class and law-abiding. "We have never seen or even heard a single gunshot being fired," he said from his son's sitting room as children flitted about. The Israeli military said the operation would last several days, but Netanyahu suggested bigger action was coming.

Mourners react during the funeral of three Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli strike,
AFP/25 October/2026
An Israeli strike on a university in Gaza City killed three people on Sunday, staff and a local hospital said, while the civil defense agency reported four others killed elsewhere in the territory. Reached for comment, the Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. Al Shifa hospital said it received three bodies and treated eight people who were wounded in the Gaza City drone strike, with two sources at the Islamic University saying those killed were administrative staff and the injured were students.Gaza’s education ministry said in a statement that the students had been present for classes. It went on to condemn the strike and said, “the global silence regarding attacks on students and universities serves as encouragement for the continuation of these crimes”.“This strike occurs at a time when the higher education sector is facing total annihilation, with 95 percent of the buildings belonging to academic institutions having been damaged as a result of the war,” it continued. “This heinous assault is part of a continuous series of attacks on education; over the past six days, 10 students and educators have been killed by the occupation’s fire.”A truce has been in effect in Gaza for over a year but has failed to completely halt the violence there. Gaza civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said four other people were killed on Sunday, two in an airstrike in the southern city of Khan Younis, one in central Deir al Balah and one in the north of the Strip.

Iraq to Rehabilitate Border Crossing with Saudi Arabia
Baghdad: Hamza Mustafa/Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has approved funding for the construction of facilities and buildings at the al-Jamima border crossing with Saudi Arabia. The move aims to complete the requirements for its expected opening in 2027 and boost trade ties between the two neighbors.
In a statement on Saturday, Governor of Al-Muthanna Tawfiq Al-Hassani said that rehabilitating the highway linking the city of Samawah to the border crossing with Saudi Arabia, alongside the construction of its facilities, will help stimulate trade activity and boost the local economy.
The project will also enable the governorate to benefit from border crossing revenues in accordance with established legal frameworks, he added. The local government, in cooperation with the provincial council, is working to complete the requirements necessary to operate the crossing, he said, noting its economic and developmental significance for al-Muthanna.Former MP Haider al-Mulla said the move reflects the Iraqi government's efforts to build economic relations with neighboring Arab and non-Arab countries through trade, energy, and transportation. Al-Mulla added that developing relations with Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Syria through economic cooperation and energy transit serves Iraq's interests. Iraq and Saudi Arabia are linked through the Arar border crossing, located within the boundaries of al-Anbar Governorate, which was reopened in 2020 after a closure lasting about 29 years. Al-Jamima crossing, located in the desert of al-Muthanna Governorate, is historically considered one of the main pilgrimage routes. In a related context, a local official in the Najaf Governorate announced that the security situation in the border areas with Saudi Arabia is stable, saying that no breaches have been recorded along the border fence. In an interview with state television on Friday, PM al-Zaidi said that Baghdad is keen to "establish good relations with Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries."

Syrian Govt Accuses ‘Outlaw Groups’ of Blocking Sweida-Damascus Highway
Damascus: Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
The Syrian government on Saturday accused “outlaw groups” of completely blocking the Sweida-Damascus highway, while websites affiliated with Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri reported that relatives of detainees from Sweida had blocked the road to demand the immediate release of their family members. Qutaiba Azzam, director of media relations at the Sweida Media Department, said the groups had closed both directions of the highway at the Um al-Zaytun checkpoint, which they control. He added that internal security forces continued to facilitate passage at the al-Matouna checkpoint. The "outlaw groups", affiliated with Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri reportedly blocked around 100 employees from reaching their workplaces in northern Sweida on Wednesday and had previously prevented students from travelling to sit for general certificate examinations. Tensions persist in southern Syria amid Israeli incursions and attacks, with the risk of escalation growing between government forces and the groups controlling Sweida. Remarks by US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, criticizing al-Hijri sparked anger among his supporters, whose media office said in a statement published on its official accounts late Friday that the comments amounted to “systematic and unacceptable targeting.” The statement rejected describing Sweida’s Jabal al-Arab region as a “center for captagon production,” claiming that captagon production networks were controlled and protected by transnational forces, security agencies, and sectarian and regional militias, which it accused of using drugs to destabilize the region and finance chaos. Al-Hijri’s office rejected Barrack’s claims that the Druze leader was exploiting perceived Israeli support and US backing, saying the leadership had never sought support from Washington or elsewhere. Barrack also accused al-Hijri of persecuting fellow Druze and described the Sweida-Daraa area as a major hub for captagon production and trafficking. He defended Israeli operations in southern Syria on security grounds and praised Damascus for exercising restraint to avoid wider escalation. Barrack said an understanding between Syria and Israel remained possible.Meanwhile, Sweida Governor Mustafa al-Bakour said residents of the province were struggling with deteriorating living conditions and lawlessness under the control of “outlaw groups.” He cited threats and kidnappings and accused the groups of obstructing solutions to protect their own interests.

Houthi Attacks on Taiz Leave Bloody Toll on Civilians
Aden: Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Yemen's Taiz governorate is facing a relentless Houthi military escalation that continues to deepen the suffering of its residents. Ongoing shelling targets residential neighborhoods and villages, while tightening restrictions choke civilian movement and block essential supplies. Human rights reports documented hundreds of civilian casualties and abductions, and widespread damage to homes and vehicles. The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms documented 1,891 crimes and violations committed by the Iran-backed Houthi group against civilians and civilian objects in the governorate from September 1 to October 22. This toll coincided with the network monitoring 21 additional crimes and violations within a 24-hour period, along with the firing of around 213 projectiles into residential areas. In its report, "Taiz... Bloody Invasion and Systematic Killing," the monitor said the violations resulted in the killing of 212 civilians, including 38 children - seven of whom were infants - and 27 women, as well as the wounding of 319 civilians, including 29 children and 46 women. The report documented 23 cases of field executions, five massacres, and 314 instances of abduction and enforced disappearance, including 14 children held hostage to pressure their families. Additionally, 516 homes were raided in search of individuals suspected of being linked to government forces. Houthi attacks damaged 356 homes, including 98 that were completely destroyed, while three others were blown up. According to the report, Houthi shelling and sniper fire extended to the villages of Kahlan and al-Shaqb, the old airport neighborhood. The repercussions are not limited to casualties and destruction; the network said the Houthis fired around 9,876 projectiles during the period covered by its report, tightened the siege on the governorate since September 3, and established 26 illegal checkpoints and barriers. The report accused the group of obstructing the entry of food, medicine, fuel, oxygen cylinders, and drinking water, as well as blocking relief convoys and commercial supplies, including chronic disease medications and child vaccines. It warned that blocking the fuel required to operate generators for hospitals, cancer treatment centers, and kidney dialysis units threatens patients' lives, noting that the escalation has caused the displacement of around 280,000 people from the governorate. The network said the Houthis also turned five schools into operations rooms and detention centers. It demanded that Taiz be declared a disaster city, calling for an end to the attacks, the lifting of the siege, the opening of roads, and guaranteed access to aid.

Taiz Withstands Houthi Attacks and Siege
Aden: Asharq Al Awsat/October 25/2026
Yemeni government forces are intensifying counterattacks and warplanes are expanding strikes on Houthi positions across Taiz's countryside and the besieged city's outskirts, as fierce resistance halts militant assaults despite relentless bombardment, a tight siege and steady reinforcements.
Elsewhere, troops repelled Houthi attacks on the Kahboub front overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and blocked militant advances into the al-Maqatirah district toward southern Lahj. The Iran-backed Houthi group, which has seized vast parts of the Taiz countryside, is attempting to expand its field gains and pressure the besieged city. However, it is facing stiff resistance from government forces and the popular resistance, as clashes spread to the al-Aqrud, al-Shaqb, and Kahlan fronts. In the latest developments, government forces targeted a command-and-control center and two tanks inside the abandoned Sofitel Hotel in Taiz, according to official spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces Majed Al-Nuzaili. The Houthis had used the building as a launchpad to target civilians in the city, and that the strike aimed to disrupt this activity and protect residents, he added. Government forces made advances in southern Taiz, carrying out counterattacks against the Houthis and amid clashes in al-Shaqb and al-Kahlan districts. The Houthis are reportedly sending more reinforcements to the area. On the western front, local Yemeni sources said Houthi commander Mohammed Qiran, known as Abou Hashem, was killed, along with seven of his companions, during clashes on Friday. Another commander, Mohammed Ismail al-Darb, and several of his companions were also killed in the al-Aqrud front. Military sources said he was overseeing operations to invade Taiz. Government airstrikes hit several regions in the Taiz countryside, targeting Houthi positions and leaving dozens of fighters dead and injured and destroying heavy weapons and military equipment. On the Kahboub front, the Giants Brigades and National Shield forces repelled Houthi attacks, including an offensive that lasted 30 hours. The Brigades said the fierce fighting forces the attackers to retreat, while leaving several of their members dead. The Giants Brigades forces repel Houthi attacks on the Bab al-Mandeb front. (Military media) Kahboub is significant because of its proximity to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
In Lahj, field reports said an ambush left dozens of Houthis dead and injured and stopped an attempt to advance on new regions. The armed forces announced that they carried out 1,392 operations in the past 24 hours across various fronts. The attacks targeted Houthi gatherings, fortifications, military equipment and sources of fire. Preliminary figures said 620 militants were neutralized and 190 vehicles were destroyed.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 25-26/2026
Putin's Peace Talks: Half a Country Now, the Rest Later, The Art of Running Out the Clock
Pierre Rehov/Gatestone Institute/October 25, 2026
At the upcoming "summit," there will be photographers, interpreters, handshakes and much talk of peace. One man will apparently have to make do with just the television coverage: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose country Russian forces are still trying to dismember. Putin has a considerable talent for turning a war of his own making into a dispute that others are invited to settle at his convenience.
Zelenskyy merely happens to represent the country invaded, Ukraine, after Russia violated the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, in which Russia — and the United States — agreed to respect Ukraine's sovereignty if it forfeited its stockpile of nuclear weapons. Ukraine complied. Russia obviously did not. Why should any upcoming agreement be different?
For Putin, diplomacy is already paying off — bigly. On October 16, just before new measures were due to take effect, Trump issued an open-ended waiver covering virtually all the major sanctions and tariffs....
So far, however, there is neither a ceasefire nor the slightest evidence of Russia conceding anything apart from releasing an elderly, ill American schoolteacher, Stephen Hubbard, wrongfully detained in Russia for more than four years. Russia is still holding hostage at least nine more Americans.
Meanwhile, Russia is doing its best to make Ukraine's winter miserable.
Zelenskyy has proposed a 30-day halt to attacks on Russian refineries in exchange for help defending Ukrainian skies, but says that Washington has offered no encouragement. For people living under the bombardment of Russian missiles, the distinction between a political delay and a logistical one offers little consolation.
Putin knows how much time can be consumed by negotiations about negotiations. The Minsk agreements of 2014 and 2015 were followed by years of arguments over implementation, violations and blame.
Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, in violation of Russia's commitment in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum not to invade Ukraine, however, gave ample evidence of the value he places on his neighbor's sovereignty when it obstructs his ambitions. Any agreement bearing his signature deserves particular scrutiny, preferably before sanctions are lifted or celebrations arranged.
NATO's 2024 Washington Summit Declaration described China as a decisive enabler of Russia's war, pointing to Beijing's vast purchases of Russian oil as well as continuing support for China's defense-industrial base.
A summit would also confer on China something Beijing has long coveted: recognition as a power entitled to help settle the affairs of Europe. Perhaps Trump is trying to give rewards now in the hope of receiving concessions later. The author of The Art of the Deal should know better.
Diplomacy could conceivably be helpful, but only provided it asks something of the man who started the war.
Putin is betting that Trump's determination to secure peace will keep him at the table long after Moscow has stopped offering anything of value. Trump should know about negotiating with men who promise more than they deliver; he should demand evidence before rewarding this one with a diplomatic triumph. The simplest evidence would come from Russian commanders ordered to stop firing at Ukrainian cities. Until then, Putin's invitations deserve all the suspicion his conduct has earned. A seat beside the American and Chinese presidents in Shenzhen would essentially give a mass-murdering KGB goon the prestige of international statesmanship, courtesy of the United States, a country he has spent years trying to threaten.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed another meeting with US President Donald Trump, this time with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the table. Pictured: Putin and Xi shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on August 31, 2026. (Photo by Kristina Solovyova/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed another meeting with US President Donald Trump, this time with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the table.
At the upcoming "summit" there will be photographers, interpreters, handshakes and much talk of peace. One man will apparently have to make do with just the television coverage: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose country Russian forces are still trying to dismember. Putin has a considerable talent for turning a war of his own making into a dispute that others are invited to settle at his convenience.
Zelenskyy merely happens to represent the country invaded, Ukraine, after Russia violated the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, in which Russia — and the United States — agreed to respect Ukraine's sovereignty if it forfeited its stockpile of nuclear weapons. Ukraine complied. Russia obviously did not. Why should any upcoming agreement be different?
Putin reportedly raised the idea of a summit in an October 9 telephone call with Trump. The suggested venue is Shenzhen, where the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit is scheduled for November 18-19. Putin reportedly sees the gathering as a kind of new Yalta, with European leaders excluded, along with Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the subject came up, while stressing that no concrete arrangements had been made. Beijing claims to have no information about a meeting, although Chinese representatives have indicated they would not oppose one if Trump agreed.
Trump said on October 19 that he would attend if Xi wanted him there, and that the main subject would be nuclear weapons. He also remarked that "Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine." It has? Hours earlier, Russian forces had launched 16 ballistic missiles at Kyiv and the surrounding area. Whatever diplomatic opening Trump sees, Putin's generals have shown little inclination to celebrate it by giving their missile crews any time off.
At the Shenzhen meeting, Russia will be treated as an indispensable architect of European security. China will have a voice in settling a European war. Ukraine will discover which parts of its future had been discussed or carved up in its absence. Even Peskov conceded that a final agreement cannot be reached without the participation of someone in Kyiv -- carefully avoiding the name of a president Putin calls illegitimate. Trump, for his part, has said Zelenskyy "doesn't know what he's talking about" and that it is "time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine." Once the great powers have reached an understanding, the pressure on Kyiv to accept it could be immense. It is not hard to see why the Kremlin likes the arrangement. A third of Ukraine would be better than no Ukraine. China may well conclude from the summit that a third of Taiwan would be better than no Taiwan.
On October 21, the Kremlin announced that Putin had agreed in principle to resume separate trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and the United States after November 10. Those negotiations, unlike the proposed Shenzhen meeting, would include Ukraine. So far, however, there is neither a ceasefire nor the slightest evidence of Russia conceding anything apart from releasing an elderly, ill American schoolteacher, Stephen Hubbard, wrongfully detained in Russia for more than four years. Russia is still holding hostage at least nine more Americans.
For Putin, diplomacy is already paying off — bigly. On October 16, just before new measures were due to take effect, Trump issued an open-ended waiver covering virtually all the major sanctions and tariffs in the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, signed into law on September 18. Previous sanctions remain, but the new penalties have been set aside. A US Treasury Department license issued on October 9 also permits imports of Russian diesel until April 2027.
Moscow has escaped another round of economic pressure without making a single verifiable concession on the battlefield. Trump has understandable reasons to worry about fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections. The Kremlin knows how to exploit an American president's domestic concerns.
Meanwhile, Russia is doing its best to make Ukraine's winter miserable. The October 19 attacks damaged more than 10 energy facilities, leaving over half a million people without electricity, heating or running water. Zelenskyy complained that Ukraine had again received no advance warnings from partners that had previously provided them. Washington denied changing its policy and attributed the failure to a technical problem. After talks in Oslo with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff on October 20, Zelenskyy confirmed that the early warnings had resumed. Ukraine has also attacked Russian refineries to cut the revenues financing the invasion; Washington has urged it to scale back those strikes. The newly authorized diesel trade makes that request especially awkward.
Then there are the Patriot missiles. Countries prepared to transfer American-made interceptors to Ukraine are still awaiting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's approval. Zelenskyy says his country has almost exhausted its supply of American interceptors. On October 20, Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that deliveries might be delayed because the weapons could be "needed somewhere else," while denying any deliberate effort to deprive them to Ukraine.
The war with Iran has indeed strained the American stock market. Zelenskyy has proposed a 30-day halt to attacks on Russian refineries in exchange for help defending Ukrainian skies, but says that Washington has offered no encouragement. For people living under the bombardment of Russian missiles, the distinction between a political delay and a logistical one offers little consolation.
Putin knows how much time can be consumed by negotiations about negotiations. The Minsk agreements of 2014 and 2015 were followed by years of arguments over implementation, violations and blame. Responsibility for their failure remains disputed. Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, in violation of Russia's commitment in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum not to invade Ukraine, however, gave ample evidence of the value he places on his neighbor's sovereignty when it obstructs his ambitions. Any agreement bearing his signature deserves particular scrutiny, preferably before sanctions are lifted or celebrations arranged.
Xi would bring complications of his own. NATO's 2024 Washington Summit Declaration described China as a decisive enabler of Russia's war, pointing to Beijing's vast purchases of Russian oil as well as continuing support for China's defense-industrial base. China rejects that assessment and presents itself as a champion of peace. Yet its commercial and strategic partnership with Moscow gives Xi little incentive to impose terms that would seriously damage Putin. A summit would also confer on China something Beijing has long coveted: recognition as a power entitled to help settle the affairs of Europe. Perhaps Trump is trying to give rewards now in the hope of receiving concessions later. The author of The Art of the Deal should know better.
Trump's desire to end the killing deserves respect. He has spoken with genuine disgust about the needless deaths on both sides and prefers bargaining to a wider war. His interest in nuclear-arms reductions is serious as well. Putin, however, can be expected to bring Ukraine's borders and military future into any discussion of strategic weapons. Those questions cannot reasonably be settled over the head of the country whose survival depends on the answers. Before committing to a summit, Washington ought to know exactly what Moscow is prepared to discuss, and what Putin is willing to do rather than merely promise.
President Trump has reason to trust his instincts as a negotiator. The Abraham Accords succeeded where years of conventional diplomacy had failed. The Accords established constructive relations between Israel and Arab governments without waiting for a settlement of the Palestinian question. The Accords produced diplomatic ties and commitments that could be identified, implemented and tested. So far, Putin is offering dates, venues and a place for himself among the world's most powerful men. His armies are offering a rather different program in Ukraine. Even if he agrees to settle the conflict, how long can anyone expect that committee to last? Until the day after Trump leaves office?
Diplomacy could conceivably be helpful, but only provided it asks something of the man who started the war. A ceasefire would require a timetable, independent monitoring and severe consequences for renewed attacks. Questions of occupied territory and prisoner releases would have to involve Ukraine's elected government. Sanctions relief should only follow measurable Russian action and remain reversible. Defensive missiles should be supplied to Ukraine according to military needs, without allowing Putin to turn the protection of Ukraine's cities into another bargaining chip. And — always the sticking point - all those conditions have to be enforced.
Putin is betting that Trump's determination to secure peace will keep him at the table long after Moscow has stopped offering anything of value. Trump should know about negotiating with men who promise more than they deliver; he should demand evidence before rewarding this one with a diplomatic triumph. The simplest evidence would come from Russian commanders ordered to stop firing at Ukrainian cities. Until then, Putin's invitations deserve all the suspicion his conduct has earned. A seat beside the American and Chinese presidents in Shenzhen would essentially give a mass-murdering KGB goon the prestige of international statesmanship, courtesy of the United States, a country he has spent years trying to threaten.
**Pierre Rehov, who holds a law degree from Paris-Assas, is a French reporter, novelist and documentary filmmaker. He is the author of six novels, including "Beyond Red Lines", "The Third Testament" and "Red Eden", translated from French. His latest essay on the aftermath of the October 7 massacre " 7 octobre - La riposte " became a bestseller in France. As a filmmaker, he has produced and directed 17 documentaries, many photographed at high risk in Middle Eastern war zones, and focusing on terrorism, media bias, and the persecution of Christians. His latest documentary, "Pogrom(s)" highlights the context of ancient Jew hatred within Muslim civilization as the main force behind the October 7 massacre.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.

Netanyahu's Elections... Between Luck and the Conspiracy
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 25/2026
These are grim and deeply concerning hours, yet they do not require us to repeatedly fall back on conspiracy theories. We are undeniably trapped in a state of enduring despair and painful backwardness, the repercussions of which are far worse than any conspiracy. Alongside these twin blights of despair and backwardness, we are targeted by a brutal, fierce, relentless, and highly favored enemy that enjoys unlimited global backing. What took place yesterday at a security checkpoint in the Palestinian city of Hebron and in the village of Hamoud in Jordan's Karak governorate is unjustifiable, as it is catastrophic by all measures. This catastrophe only compounds the ongoing turmoil across the eastern and southern Arabian Peninsula, Israel's military actions in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, and the broader open bleeding wounds that continue to inflame the Arab world. Consequently, the events in the vicinities of Hebron and Karak- sister cities across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea - reinforce a highly "promising" and "suitable" climate for the Israeli fascist right-wing project, which is predicated on dividing and humiliating the Arab region. Benjamin Netanyahu, currently preoccupied with the obsession of retaining the Israeli premiership following the current elections, was undoubtedly dreaming of additional free gifts from his Arab enemies on the eve of an election that is fateful for him. Netanyahu, who some time ago became Israel's longest-serving politician in governance, is an intelligent politician. Naturally, he is also fortunate in his alliances and enmities, and an expert in the strengths and weaknesses of those he deals, bargains, and exchanges favors with - both inside and outside Israel.
Inside Israel, Netanyahu has never hesitated to extend a hand of cooperation to the most horrific, eliminationist extremists, whom his right-wing predecessors, such as Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon, disdained to include in their coalition governments. Yet today, he relies on the likes of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, unleashing their hatreds, militias, and settler mobs, everywhere his army reaches.
Outside Israel, Netanyahu's strategic exploitation is striking in forging alliances across Europe with neo-fascists and neo-nazis, capitalizing on their newly minted priority centered on combating third-world immigrants, particularly Muslim communities. It is perhaps one of the greatest ironies that the doctrines of Netanyahu's new European allies, and their teachers before them, such as antisemitism, were the very roots of the afflictions that the Israeli leader currently exploits and uses to blackmail the world. On the other hand, in the American continent, both north and south, Netanyahu's lobbies are currently joining forces with the efforts of hardline Evangelicals within the Republican Party in the United States and across Latin America. While the relationship between the Israeli prime minister and the occupant of the White House has traditionally been more than excellent, Netanyahu's recent breakthroughs in Latin American countries warrant close attention and monitoring. In recent years, the predominantly Catholic nations of the continent have witnessed major victories for the far-right. Protestant Evangelicals have taken over the historical role that traditional Catholic Church leaders used to play during the Cold War. Consequently, their votes, funds, and ties with high-ranking military officers have become the backbone of their electoral campaigns and of financial and weapons mafias.
Meanwhile, as tens of millions head to polling stations in Europe and America, two important shifts must be noted:
The first shift is that despite the apparent decline in Israel's popularity across most Western societies, specifically in the US and Western Europe, particularly after 2023, this decline is less robust and influential than figures alone suggest. The "deep state", which encompasses the financial environment, opinion makers (the written, visual, and audio press alongside their funding sources), and the "institutions of power" with their agencies, parties, and organizations, remains deeply and intensely loyal to Israel.
As for the voices of dissent, even if they reach millions in street and square demonstrations, they remain a soft power and "vocal phenomena" with little influence on the decision-making mechanism.
The second shift is connected to the immense technological advancement and its influential role in political, economic, and social life, not only in the European and American West, but across the entire world. This influential change has several dimensions, including:
1- The monopoly of a tiny, radical oligarchy of billionaires over the advanced technology sector - most recently artificial intelligence - who increasingly control not only the world's industrial and consumer landscapes, but also ways of thinking, concepts, cultural exchange, privacy, and the determination of lifestyles.
2- Due to immense technological advancement, long-held axioms in human life and societies are collapsing one after another. Indeed, some high-tech billionaires now frankly declare that the concepts of work and jobs we are accustomed to have become things of the past, to the point that "there may no longer be a need for humans."
3- The decline of the human being's central role in the world of tomorrow, as a result of technological progress, will inevitably eliminate the need for social and systemic causes, and with them, the existence of political parties, trade unions, governments, and judiciaries.
Faced with this terrifying scenario, whose architects are already living in the 22nd century, we find that the armed mindsets gripping our impoverished region are either thinking with a 10th-century mentality or acting as deaf and mute tools serving their masters - the clique of the 22nd century.

Donald Trump’s moment between deception and delusion
Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya English/October 25/2026
As October draws to a close, it’s evident that a deal between the US administration and Iran has reached a dead end. Tehran’s ruling Revolutionary Guard wagers on its “victory” over President Donald Trump in America’s midterm elections. For Iran’s rulers, victory and defeat hinge on regime survival, whatever the cost to Iran. They’re now investing in politically defeating Trump, who thought sparing their regime would earn him a deal. They wager that pressure and energy prices will return Democrats to control of Congress, obstructing Trump. Ahead of the November 3 midterms, it’s not clear whether Trump will remain hesitant to deliver his threatened massive strikes as the Guard stakes its hopes on the Democratic Party. Or if he will pull the rug from under the Guard, overturning the equation of his political defeat versus the Tehran regime’s downfall?
This is Donald Trump’s critical moment between deception and delusion. He may intend deception over whether and when to strike if Iran rejects his demands. Or he may be deluded, having lost his bearings in reading the centrality of survival for Tehran’s regime, and with them his own prospects aa indecision persisted. He wagered on a deal and promises from his personal team, US envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Was he deceived by the promise of a deal? Is he now contemplating deception over a strike?
Trump wagered on appeasing China and Russia and “buttering them up” over Iran. That wager falters against Tehran’s fundamental principle: its nuclear program must continue, whatever the price. Tehran will not offer the concession he needs electorally, even cosmetically to please Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Its rejection of exporting enriched uranium was deliberate during Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit. The timing, the messenger, and the substance of the message are noteworthy. Washington sought de-escalation but wants its nuclear demands met. Tehran tells intermediaries it will not concede so the American president can return to voters with a deal.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s Tehran visit produced no announced nuclear concession Putin could deliver to Trump. Russia’s offer to receive the uranium stands, despite Iran’s foreign ministry denying its transfer was discussed. The principal outcome was reaffirming the strategic partnership and continuing nuclear cooperation, with Russian experts gradually returning to Bushehr: consolidating the relationship Trump had wagered Moscow would redirect.
Russia plays both sides, retaining Iran while courting Trump’s help in Ukraine. It lacks the means for this bargain and is unwilling to abandon Tehran to please Trump.
Trump erred in downplaying Russian and Chinese military assistance to Iran, including reported intelligence and military components, and Chinese companies’ provision of satellite information to Iran and the Houthis. Downplaying such assistance encourages Tehran to believe it can relax and act as it pleases while Trump boxes with shadows. Beijing cannot continue to hide behind corporate activities while maintaining its strategic relationship with the Islamic Republic. Arab Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia, must confront it about where it stands on Gulf security.
Trade-offs with Russia compound the dilemma. Instead of firmness toward both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump and his two envoys appear to flatter Moscow and turn the tables on Ukraine and Europe. Putin wants both continued pressure on Zelenskyy and US-European discord. Willingness to negotiate does not mean willingness to accept a ceasefire or end the war except on his terms. Here, too, Trump misread the landscape, deceiving himself as he tried to escape forward. Returning to Iran: as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasizes economic strangulation, and published images of Kharg Island to support his argument that the blockade cuts Iran’s oil lifeline.
He said tankers previously filling the loading terminal had vanished. He shifted attention to Kharg, the export gateway, rather than the elimination of Iran’s ability to threaten the Strait of Hormuz. Reports also described depleted floating oil stocks in Asian waters that Tehran had been selling to China.This financial loss does not mean the regime’s treasury is empty or the Revolutionary Guard cannot fund its priorities. Is Bessent selling the blockade’s success to justify postponing major military operations which were prepared for Kharg that could transform Iran’s oil infrastructure? Is this “deception” to avoid a dangerous operation, or has the blockade achieved enough to make waiting preferable? His words cannot settle that question. They return us to the fundamental issue: Complete economic encirclement requires Chinese and Russian cooperation, or serious American sanctions on both to close the openings. “Economic Outcast” will remain porous while support channels survive and Washington keeps appeasing Beijing and Moscow. Reduced revenues have not compelled the regime to change its decisions or doctrine. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to Israel signals military coordination, an updated target list amid concern over Iran’s rebuilding of missile and drone capabilities, and executable options. Potential targets include nuclear facilities, including Pickaxe Mountain, missile and drone arsenals, and energy infrastructure, in a short, intensive campaign. Washington wants to lead, not follow an Israeli decision on Iran. Military coordination makes any major Israeli attack difficult to separate from American decision-making, whatever division of roles or differences in timing the parties display.
The dispute concerns waiting: should sanctions, blockade and encirclement intensify while Iranian capabilities erode, or is today’s weakness of the Islamic Republic of Iran the right moment to strike? Planning is not execution; timing is the crux. If deception belongs to the art of war, pre-midterm operations cannot be ruled out. Trump may overturn the Guard’s wager on weakening and electorally defeating him. Operations could begin within days, changing the equation by publication of this column. Tehran has no guarantee the American president will allow it to choose how to intervene in America’s elections.
The unfinished war and porous economic strangulation have not toppled Tehran’s regime, nor are they guaranteed to do so. Survival matters most to its rulers, from the Supreme Leader to the Revolutionary Guard which retains the power on the ground. The regime uses reprieves to recover, boasts of rebuilding its arsenal, and sneaks official calls for Iran’s right to nuclear weapons- not only the nuclear program. These are dangerous, even without an officially declared aims of the nuclear doctrine. More dangerous are open threats to extend Iranian retaliation to economic and civilian interests in Arab Gulf states in revenge of an American attack. The Guard and its instruments have made clear they consider destroying Arab Gulf states a legitimate price for regime survival.
Activating proxies is part of this equation. Yemen’s Houthis pressure Saudi Arabia and Bab al-Mandeb; Iran’s overlapping influence with Iraqi armed factions compounds the danger. Europe’s economic and strategic shipping interests give it a stake, including in Washington’s treatment of Gulf allies’ security. American intelligence assistance and stronger defenses are insufficient if Tehran still considers targeting oil and civilian facilities an available card. The Houthis and their master in Tehran must be told this is unacceptable, and aggression carries a clear cost beyond the victim alone. Lebanon also faces imminent danger. American efforts to help and restrain Israeli escalation do not absolve its government’s wavering, hesitant official positions. Israel exploits circumstances for its objectives. Yet failing to confront Hezbollah’s role in Iran’s project, and burying heads in the sand over its weapons and tunnels, exposes Lebanon’s infrastructure to catastrophe. Here, too, lies the delusion and deception of the Lebanese government in trying to convince Lebanese citizens that avoiding confrontation with this reality protects the State. Hesitation risks giving Israel the pretext and opportunity, while Lebanese citizens pay for a project determined to hold their state hostage.
Arab Gulf states prefer de-escalation and want major powers to take principled positions against Iranian and Houthi threats and attacks. Part of the problem is the absence of a decisive American response to threats against Gulf energy facilities and economic assets. What is needed is for the United States to have an integrated military strategy to protect its allies if Iran takes its revenge of American military operations to their countries. It behooves a great power like the US not to make of its allies convenient scapegoats for its unfinished war, porous economic policy, and navigation between hesitation and action that characterizes Donald Trump, and perhaps the American establishment underlying decision-making itself.

The Karak Tragedy... Terrorism Celebrates Its Re-emergence
Fahid Suleiman al-Shoqiran/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 25/2026
For half a century, the Jordanian state has been locked in a relentless, back-and-forth war against terrorist organizations. This prolonged conflict has allowed Jordan to institutionalize its counterterrorism efforts, transforming the fight against terror into a cornerstone of its domestic national security while exporting its expertise to neighboring and Western countries. In addition to Jordanian expertise in the war on terror, which formed the core of regional cooperation, there is massive, advanced counterterrorism cooperation with the United States. This partnership was most recently highlighted by the announcement of an advanced joint center established nearly a decade ago. This is because Jordanian security is a vital cornerstone for both the region and the world. Terrorists are well aware of this reality; in fact, they have explicitly stressed the need to fracture Jordan’s stability by employing two mechanisms. The first entails targeting state assets and attempting security and intelligence breaches to carry out large-scale operations that facilitate access to vital targets. The second strikes at national cohesion. Immediately following the announcement of the Karak crime, some voices began stoking tribal divisions in Jordan - a malicious terrorist ploy, even though Jordanian coexistence among tribes and religions remains unbreakable. Far more dangerous, however, were those who sought to exploit the symbolism of the crime's location, a church, and its day, Friday. These maneuvers are the ploys of ideological and media terrorism, which run parallel to lethal, bloody field terrorism. A close examination of the nature of the terrorist crime reveals that it was executed using methods standard to terrorist organizations, mirroring dozens of operations carried out in Arab countries, as well as in Türkiye, Russia, and Europe. It follows the "lone wolf" tactic, which relies on rapid intelligence to deliver precise, devastating strikes.
Regardless of whether the terrorist organization possesses an established history like Al-Qaeda and ISIS, or if we are witnessing newborn organizations bearing the same ideology but with evolving members, structures, and rhetoric shaped by regional developments, the name matters little. The core unifying and founding element among these groups remains closely aligned and practically identical, as every organization, with every passing decade or more, proves capable of giving birth to its counterpart.
While the history of terrorism in the region and the world shares certain similarities, it follows a specific strategy in each country based on the organization's objectives. Because Jordan possesses a unique geographic location and an unparalleled importance to regional countries, it has been a priority for terrorists who have attempted to find any loophole to exploit. In other words, any terrorist success in Jordan means a successful strike against all of its regional and global allies. For this reason, the Karak incident was described as an "earthquake," as it did not merely target a church, but rather served as a declaration of the "re-emergence" of violence after years of "tactical latency."These terrorist groups found a golden opportunity to reorganize their ranks and declare their re-emergence within the regional conflict that began around six months ago, triggered by the US and Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent repercussions on neighboring countries.
With the escalation of Houthi terrorism, these groups found that all conditions were ripe to launch an attack on the quickest possible target. Their selection of Jordan carried both strategic and organizational dimensions, as the crime conveys two messages: first, that it was executed within a Jordan that is heavily fortified and resilient - both security-wise and socially - against terrorism; and second, that underground and overt organizations, regardless of their sectarian affiliations, will not leave the Houthis isolated, but will instead support them in their bloody terrorist practices.
The "Karak" crime must be deeply scrutinized, along with its expected repercussions on other countries. Terrorism is currently celebrating the reorganization of its ranks, announcing its departure from the caves to the battlefields, which demands that we confront it with utmost strength and resolve. A painful incident like the Karak massacre, with hallmarks that entirely point to organized terrorist involvement, demands our total vigilance. Terrorism sheds its skin at the turn of every decade or two, appearing under new names and varied banners, but its catastrophic, bloody ideologies remain exactly the same.
Comprehensive readiness is the ideal path to safeguarding our nations from these cunning beasts and rogue organizations. And God is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of those who show mercy.

Jordan?
Samir Atallah/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 25/2026
Hussein bin Talal left behind a formula for governance that seems utterly simple: Jordan is present everywhere and absent from every Arab dispute. During his reign, King Hussein was exposed to the worst that an official could face, demonstrating an incredible resilience in endurance and perseverance. By the time King Abdullah II came to power, a royal school in the affairs of governance had been fully realized before him. Jordan is no ordinary country: Jordan is the Jordanian issue, the Palestinian issue, historical sensitivities of the Jordan River and its role as Jerusalem's immediate neighbor and custodian of its holy keys. Abdullah II has sailed through all these accumulating clouds and darkened skies. For the pilot officer, there is neither a "dilemma" nor conditions. There is only one thing: Jordan.
Thus, the reign of Abdullah II proceeded quietly while most of the Arab world faced various forms of turmoil. Jordan undoubtedly felt a sense of relief being absent from the chaos of breaking news headlines. This tranquility was shattered last Friday by an evil hand in a crime with multiple objectives and motives. The horrific attack on the Karak church was deliberately planned in all its details to cause a shock that instills fear in the hearts of Christians, and Jordanians in general.
Striking Jordanian stability in this manner resembles striking the stability of Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. This sudden assault threatens to usher in a wave of changes, all of them negative. Who is trying to drag Amman into the fray at this moment?

Who Votes, and Who Funds?
Jumah Boukleb/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 25/2026
Why are growing numbers of wealthy figures in technology, cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence gravitating towards populist right-wing parties, when Silicon Valley has historically been associated with liberals and Democrats? Is it a matter of direct economic self-interest, in the form of less regulation and lower taxes? An ideological belief in accelerating technological development without legislative or ethical constraints? Or a political bet on the stronger side?
In recent weeks, this relationship has been particularly visible in Britain, where a £72 million donation to the populist Reform UK party by two wealthy cryptocurrency investors unleashed a political storm. It was the largest donation in British political history, dwarfing the previous record of £10 million given to the Conservative Party. The two British donors, who made their fortunes abroad before recently returning to live in Britain, have raised questions about political funding rules and prompted calls for new legislation to be fast-tracked to ensure a clear separation between political parties and wealthy financiers, preventing the latter from interfering in the democratic political process. As large as that sum is by British standards, it pales in comparison with the billions flowing annually to America's two major parties. Recent British media reports have also highlighted a group of wealthy businesspeople, most of them from the artificial intelligence industry, who made substantial donations to the governing party, while only one billionaire contributed to the opposition.
Looking back to the 1920s and 1930s, we find a picture that may seem familiar: an alliance between fascist and Nazi movements and industrial capitalists, including arms manufacturers. We know the devastation that alliance ultimately produced. But are we witnessing a repeat of the same scenario, or a different phenomenon, driven by different motives and circumstances, that deserves to be understood on its own terms?
The industrialists' motives back then were clear: to ward off the threat of communism and trade unions. But what are today's technology tycoons afraid of? Perhaps government intervention, or restrictions that could slow a race they believe will determine the fate of their companies. This context helps explain President Donald Trump's opposition to calls to curb AI development, despite warnings from some people working in the field itself. Trump justifies his position by pointing to competition with China, arguing that any intervention in the sector would cost America the race. Many share this argument, but the question remains: is it genuinely in the national interest, a cover for the interests of political donors, or both?
Money has long played an important role in politics and party financing, with both sides benefiting from an enduring exchange of interests. Yet the assumption that money buys electoral victory is contradicted by numerous election results. In the 2016 US presidential election, official figures showed that Hillary Clinton's campaign raised substantially more money than Donald Trump's, yet Trump won the presidency. This was not an isolated case; the same pattern was repeated in Britain's 2024 election. The money that failed to buy victory in America in 2016 did not wield the same power it does today. Back then, technology tycoons were not lined up behind Trump as they are now, nor did many of them possess the tools of influence they command today. In my view, the new alliance between the populist right and technology magnates is not betting on buying votes on election day. It is betting on shaping public opinion in the days and years leading up to it. The danger of "digital money" lies not merely in the vast sums deposited into party coffers, but in the fact that its owners now control the tools that shape public opinion: platforms and algorithms. Elon Musk is a case in point. In the 1930s, industrial capital financed those who defended its interests. Today's technology capital owns both the means of communication and the message itself. This is the fundamental difference between the two situations, and it presents Western democracies with an unprecedented challenge. It also demands that we reframe the question posed in the title, "Who votes, and who pays?" The more pertinent question is: Who owns the space in which voters' minds are shaped before they cast their ballots?

Selected Face Book & X tweets on October 25/2026
Al-Jazeera says Christians of Jordan call their sons Muhammad because they are proud of their Arab identity
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/X platform/October 25/2026
Al-Jazeera says Christians of Jordan call their sons Muhammad because they are proud of their Arab identity. Christians even invite Muslim Brotherhood leadership to break their fast during Ramadan inside their churches, and Muslims built a mosque on a land owned by Christians.
Al-Jazeera calls it tolerance and coexistence but every element in the story points in the direction of Christians Islamizing (because they need to prove their Arab patriotism or else be suspect of treason and taking the side of the imperial Christian West or Israel). By doing so, Christian numbers have been dwindling, their communities vanishing and their towns turning Muslim (always remember that Bethlehem turned from predominantly Christian to Muslim only a few decades ago).
Perhaps story should have explained how Amman was, until 1920, a Christian majority town, and now the Christians who live in it are a tiny minority who have to stop eating in public during Ramadan.

Nadim Koteich
Dearest @mb_ghalibaf
You silently witnessed (as a senior official, SNSC member, and parliament speaker) the killing of at least 15,000 Iranians in roughly four days during the 2025–26 crackdown. That rate dwarfs the Gaza figures by every standard. Gaza’s ~70,000 deaths over three years work out to roughly 64 deaths per day. At the rate achieved in those four days (15,000 / 4 = 3,750 per day), the same intensity sustained for three years would have produced approximately 4.1 million deaths.
None of this minimizes the tragedy in Gaza. It simply puts the scale and intensity of what your forces did in a different category. You’re free to be inaccurate about any of this. It doesn’t matter. You’re politically irrelevant. A disposable Mickey Mouse figurehead for the IRGC government that actually runs the country. They almost certainly don’t even brief you on what’s really taking place. When was the last time Mohamad Jaafari told you anything of substance!?