English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News &
Editorials
For October 28/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2026/english.october28.26.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: You
wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged
me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you
Matthew 18/23-35/ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many
times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven
times?”Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts
with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand
bags of gold[h] was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master
ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to
repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient
with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took
pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.“But when that servant went out,
he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He
grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.“His
fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will
pay it back.’“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into
prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had
happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had
happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said,
‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have
had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master
handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he
owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive
your brother or sister from your heart.”
Titles For The English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related
News & Editorials published on October 27-28/2026
Re-electing Benjamin Netanyahu Is a Lebanese, Regional, and International
Strategic Interest: He Is Fighting Political Islam in Both Its Forms on Behalf
of a Complacent West and Its Threatened Civilization/Elias Bejjani/October
26/2026
Report: ISF pursuing 3 men who escorted Hezbollah explosives truck
Report: Hezbollah rebuilding defensive, not offensive, capabilities
Hezbollah sources say Iran told group not to join any upcoming war
Report: Hezbollah 'has not given guarantees' it won't intervene in war
Hezbollah disabled surveillance cameras after explosives truck seized in
Lebanon: Source
Hezbollah’s Pledge to Stay Out of Iran War Met with Skepticism in Lebanon
War-Weary Hezbollah Supporters Press Group to Stay Out of New Conflict
Aoun warns of security vacuum if UNIFIL departs without replacement
Rajji fears Hezbollah may be preparing for new war at Iran's request
US official says Jumblat has 'little regard' for principle and Lebanon's future
Bassil hopes Hezbollah won't join new war, warns against civil strife
The Shia of Lebanon: A Stricken Community/Colonel. Charbel Barakat/October
27/2026
Kuwait: “Hezbollah” plotted to assassinate the Minister of Interior/Naif Salem –
Kuwait/Asas Media website/Oct 28, 2026
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on October 27-28/2026
More than 60 Christians killed in Ethiopia 'massacre', church official
says
Alvin Tedjo,The New Mayor Of the city Of Mississauga/Ontario/Canada
Israel/Opposition declares Netanyahu's defeat... and exit polls show no clear
winner... Eisenkot: I will work to replace Netanyahu's government
Closing of ballot boxes in Israel... and opinion polls: no clear winner
US Forces Ready to Launch Operations Against Iran Within 96 Hours of Trump Order
Iran Says Supreme Leader Met with Security Chief Over Hormuz
Qatar Urges 'Good Faith' from Iran as Talks Renew
Iran army says oil tanker on fire after hitting mines in Hormuz
Egypt parliament authorizes al-Sisi to bolster Saudi defenses amid regional
attacks
Two men charged in UK with helping Iran over RAF Fairford incident
Kuwait Sentence 3 to Death for Collaborating with Iran, Plotting to Assassinate
Interior Minister
Jordan Says its Strikes on Syria Killed More Than 20 ISIS Militants
Syria Condemns Jordan Strikes that Kill at Least 6
Syria Al-Qaeda Affiliate Commander Among 3 Dead in Strike, Says Defense Ministry
Source
Arrest Warrant Issued against Iraq’s Maysan Provincial Chairman for Refusing to
Shut Crossing with Iran
Iraq PM Dismisses Shatri as Head of Intelligence
Coalition Intercepts Ballistic Missiles Fired Towards Saudi Arabia's Eastern
Region
Yemen’s Ibb Becomes Houthis’ Main Source for Recruits
Houthi Attacks Displace 270,000 Yemenis in Two Months
Libya Says International Aviation Restrictions Lifted After 11 Years
Israeli Military Says It Detained Egyptian Who Crossed into Its Territory
Palestinians protest against military demolitions in West Bank as Israelis vote
US-Brokered Truce Begins in Ukraine City Occupied by Russia
Bolsonaro’s Party Says It Recognizes Lula’s Election Win in Brazil
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on October 27-28/2026
How Israel and Ukraine Are Guiding the Next Generation of Air
Defense/Seth J. Frantzman/The National Interest/October 27/2026
Iraq’s Currency Crisis Exposes the Economic Cost of Iran’s Endless Wars/Hussain
Abdul-Hussain/Middle East 24/October 27/ 2026
Europe: The New Totalitarians/Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/October
27/2026
The Middle East Between Two Elections/Hussein Shobokshi/Asharq Al-Awsat/October
27/2026
Iraq Between Self-Sufficiency and the Gasoline Supply Crisis/Walid Khadouri/Asharq
Al-Awsat/October 27/2026
An Inevitable Test/Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2026
He who Besieges Taiz is Not Defending Gaza!/Yousef Al-Dayni/Asharq Al-Awsat/October
27/2026
War crimes by the Houthis: The world cannot look away/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al
Arabiya English/27 October/2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on October 27/2026
Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 27-28/2026
(Some of the News reports below are
translated from Arabic by AI)
Re-electing Benjamin Netanyahu Is a
Lebanese, Regional, and International Strategic Interest: He Is Fighting
Political Islam in Both Its Forms on Behalf of a Complacent West and Its
Threatened Civilization
Elias Bejjani/October 26/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158590/
I see that the continuation of resolute leadership of the stature
of Benjamin Netanyahu, the international leader who fights terrorist political
Islam in both its Shiite and Sunni forms, and who fights on behalf of a
complacent West infiltrated by extremism, is the option most compatible with the
goal of the Lebanese to build a free state with full sovereignty, and a
strategic interest for Lebanon, the region, and the free world.
As a Lebanese citizen who believes in state sovereignty, independence of
national decision-making, and the distinct Lebanese identity, I state it clearly
and without equivocation: I support the re-election of Benjamin Netanyahu on
Tuesday, October 27, 2026, because I see in him an exceptional international
leader, and direct support for the cause of a free, independent Lebanon,
liberated from the occupation of Iran and its terrorist arm, Hezbollah.
The re-election of Netanyahu and enabling him to form the next Israeli
government directly intersects with Lebanon’s supreme interests at this critical
and existential juncture.
Netanyahu is not just an ordinary candidate. He is the longest-serving Prime
Minister in the history of Israel, the statesman who led Israel through multiple
wars, managed complex international relations, and enjoys clear and explicit
support from U.S. President Donald Trump, who described him as a strong,
courageous leader and partner in confronting the Islamic Republic. This support
reflects a convergence of vision on the priority of containing the Iranian
threat and preventing the regime from acquiring nuclear capabilities that
threaten world peace.
Netanyahu has proven over the past years that he is the most determined Israeli
leader to confront the Iranian project in the region. This project, embodied in
supporting, arming, and transforming southern Lebanon into an advanced military
platform for Hezbollah, has for decades been the main obstacle to Lebanon
regaining its full sovereignty. Treating Hezbollah as an illegitimate occupation
force linked to Tehran, and seeking to dismantle its military infrastructure, is
consistent with international resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 1701,
and with the aspirations of Lebanese who want one state that monopolizes weapons
and decision-making.
But my support for Netanyahu goes beyond the narrow Lebanese dimension. I
support him because I see in him an international leader who fights political
Islam in both its criminal forms, Shiite and Sunni, without selective
discrimination and without hypocrisy.
He does not fight the Iranian Shiite axis alone, but adopts a comprehensive
local, regional, and international vision that sees political extremism,
represented by destructive terrorist and jihadi political Islam, whether Sunni
or Shiite, as a common source threatening stability in all countries of the
world, especially in the Middle East. The military campaign against Hamas and
Islamic Jihad after the events of October 7th, and the insistence on disarming
these organizations and preventing their rebuilding, clearly reflects this
approach. His pursuit of weakening the Iranian regime itself stems from a firm
conviction that the survival of the Mullahs’ regime means continued feeding of
armed networks in Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen.
And here lies a fundamental point: Netanyahu is fighting on behalf of a
complacent West. While Islamic extremism has spread within Western societies
themselves, and their capitals suffer from a culture of violence, militias, and
ideological extremism, Netanyahu stands almost alone waging the civilizational
battle against this danger. He understands that the danger is one, whether it
comes with a Shiite turban from Tehran or a Sunni jihadi flag from Gaza.
In this context, the existential threats of Iranian nuclear capabilities emerge
as a central danger that cannot be ignored. The Iranian regime’s pursuit of
nuclear weapons does not threaten Israel alone, but poses an existential threat
to Lebanon in particular. If Tehran acquires a nuclear weapon, it will gain a
deterrent umbrella enabling it to escalate its support for its militias in
Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq without fear of real deterrent responses, and will
transform Hezbollah into an even bolder tool for imposing a foreign agenda on
the Lebanese. Preventing the Mullahs from acquiring nuclear capabilities is not
just an Israeli interest, but a common Lebanese, regional, and international
interest.
On the diplomatic level, Netanyahu played a pivotal role in achieving the
Abraham Accords, which opened new horizons for cooperation between Israel and
several Arab countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. These
agreements were not merely formal normalization, but represented the beginning
of a practical alliance between states that share a rejection of Iranian
expansion and Sunni and Shiite jihadi Islamic ideological extremism. The
existence of an Israeli leadership committed to this path enhances the chances
of expanding regional stability, which is in Lebanon’s interest in the medium
and long term.
Politically, despite the media noise and close polls showing a race of between
48 and 55 seats for his camp, Netanyahu’s chances remain the highest in reality.
His electoral base in Likud and the religious and right-wing parties remains the
most cohesive and disciplined, and has repeatedly proven to surprise the polls
with high turnout on election day. Israeli history shows that right-wing voters
are often undercounted in polls. Moreover, his unique experience in building
coalitions and coalition negotiations gives him a clear advantage over a divided
opposition camp suffering from internal divisions over reliance on Arab parties.
In conclusion, this is not about blind support for any external party, but about
a realistic assessment of the balance of power and interests. Lebanon needs a
regional environment in which the ability of foreign-backed militias to impose
their agendas is reduced. Any retreat in Israeli resolve toward Hezbollah and
the Iranian regime would give both parties an opportunity to regroup and restore
their capabilities, and for Lebanon this means prolonging the current situation:
a weak state, illegitimate weapons, borders open to tension, and a collapsed
economy.
Therefore, I see the continuation of resolute leadership of the stature of
Benjamin Netanyahu – the international leader who fights terrorist political
Islam in both its Shiite and Sunni forms, and who fights on behalf of a
complacent West infiltrated by extremism – as the option most compatible with
the goal of the Lebanese to build a free state with full sovereignty, and a
strategic interest for Lebanon, the region, and the free world.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email:
Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website:
https://eliasbejjaninews.com
Report: ISF pursuing 3 men who escorted Hezbollah
explosives truck
Naharnet/27 October/2026
The Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces has identified three
young men from Hezbollah who were escorting the Dahr al-Baidar explosives
shipment aboard a Kia vehicle, MTV reported. According to the report, the three
men fled toward Beirut after the explosives vehicle was intercepted at the Dahr
al-Baidar checkpoint. The Information Branch meanwhile “continues to pursue them
to arrest and bring them before the competent judiciary," the report added. The
truck’s driver and a companion, both Hezbollah members, were arrested by the ISF
at the checkpoint. The truck was carrying 780 kilograms of explosives, including
250 kilograms of TNT and 250 kilograms of C-4 plastic explosives, according to
judicial officials. Hezbollah has said that the explosives were intended for use
against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, as rivals voiced fears that the
shipment might be used in assassinations of domestic opponents at a time when
the group is under increasing pressure to disarm. The incident has highlighted
growing tensions between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government. For years,
Hezbollah had moved weapons freely in parts of Lebanon. That changed in March,
when the Lebanese government declared all military activities by the Iran-backed
group "illegal."That decision came hours after Hezbollah fired rockets into
northern Israel, triggering a war that has killed nearly 4,000 people in Lebanon
and resulted in Israeli forces occupying a large swath of southern Lebanon. The
group fired the rockets two days after Israel and the United States launched a
war on Iran, its main backer. Hezbollah has refused to recognize the government
decision outlawing its military wing.
Report: Hezbollah rebuilding defensive, not offensive,
capabilities
Naharnet/27 October/2026
A senior Lebanese security source has commented on the growing speculation that
Hezbollah has begun restoring its military capabilities to offset the losses it
had incurred while supporting Gaza and Iran. The source told Asharq al-Awsat
newspaper that these claims are deliberately exaggerated. He explained that the
party's current activities are strictly limited to fortifying its remaining
defensive outposts, which would allow it to hold its ground should Israel choose
to expand its security buffer by striking the highlands between Iqlim al-Tuffah
and Jabal al-Rihan.
The security source stressed that Hezbollah is currently in a posture of
self-defense, noting that the group has no intention of entering a renewed
military confrontation with Israel. This assessment of Hezbollah’s military
strength mirrors remarks made to Asharq al-Awsat by a source from the Shiite
Duo, who stated that Hezbollah's top priority right now is rebuilding enough
military capacity to defend its last remaining positions north of the Litani
River. The source, who is in contact with Hezbollah’s leadership, pointed out
that while the party continues to repair its military infrastructure and
reinforce its defensive lines, it has not regained its former military might. "I
do not believe it has recovered its past military capabilities," he said, adding
that "what is being said in this regard is part of a media inflation of its
military readiness."Ultimately, the source concluded that Hezbollah is entirely
focused on rehabilitating its forces solely to withstand potential Israeli
strikes on these elevated regions. He firmly stated that the party will not drag
itself into a reckless military venture, especially since it “lacks the
political backing of Speaker Nabih Berri and the support of the wider Shiite
community for such a move.”
Hezbollah sources say Iran told group not to join any
upcoming war
Naharnet/27 October/2026
Tehran has informed Hezbollah that it does not want its participation in any
upcoming war that may be waged by the U.S. and Israel, sources close to
Hezbollah said. The sources told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel on Tuesday that
Iran "does not need anyone to support it in any potential war because it
possesses the necessary capabilities," emphasizing that "the Iranians have not
asked the party to participate in any upcoming war." However, they noted that
"Hezbollah will not stand idly by if Israel crosses the current lines."
Furthermore, the sources quoted Hezbollah as stating that its "participation in
the Second Support War (in March in response to the assassination of Iranian
supreme leader Ali Khamenei) yielded fundamental results, most notably the
Islamabad Agreement, which led to de-escalation and restricted the rules of
engagement to the South, which is an achievement in itself." Hezbollah added
that "had the Lebanese authorities engaged openly with the Islamabad process, a
comprehensive ceasefire would have been reached." The sources concluded by
stressing that "the party is in a position of reacting to Israeli attacks."
Report: Hezbollah 'has not given guarantees' it won't
intervene in war
Naharnet/27 October/2026
It is “not true” that Hezbollah gave guarantees that it would not enter the war
if a confrontation broke out between Iran and the United States and Israel, a
senior Hezbollah official has been quoted as saying. "We have not given, and
will not give, guarantees to anyone in this regard, because the decision of
whether or not to enter the war is linked to what happens on the battlefield and
what the Israeli enemy might do. Therefore, there is no benefit in confirming or
denying this matter," al-Liwaa newspaper quoted the official as saying in
remarks published Monday. "As for those who demand that we definitively declare
our stance and pledge in advance not to enter the war, they must ask the Israeli
enemy about its threats," he added. "This position of ours does not contradict
with our concern for Lebanon and for preventing any escalation," he noted.
Moreover, al-Liwaa reported, citing “credible information,” that visiting
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh “did not mention in any way”
the leaks suggesting Iran has asked Hezbollah not to intervene. “Rather, he
accurately affirmed his country's readiness to face threats and aggression
alone, without going into any further details,” al-Liwaa added.
Hezbollah disabled surveillance cameras after explosives
truck seized in Lebanon: Source
Al Arabiya English/27 October/2026
Investigations are ongoing into a truck carrying explosives belonging to
Hezbollah that was intercepted by Lebanese security forces two weeks ago at the
Dahr al-Baidar checkpoint in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon. The case has
yet to be referred to the Judicial Council, as requested by the justice minister
during last week’s Cabinet meeting, pending the completion of investigations.
Following the arrest of the truck’s two drivers, who admitted to being members
of Hezbollah, further details have gradually emerged about the vehicle’s journey
from the Bekaa Valley toward Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold,
and the events surrounding the shipment before it was intercepted by security
forces.
From Baalbek to Beirut’s southern suburbs
A security source told Al Arabiya that the truck departed from the city of
Baalbek in eastern Lebanon after being loaded with C4 and TNT explosives at a
warehouse, before heading toward Beirut’s southern suburbs. The source explained
that the Dodge truck traveled along the highway from Baalbek toward Dahr al-Baidar,
accompanied by another vehicle that drove ahead of it to secure the route and
conduct reconnaissance. The source added that by the time the explosives truck
was stopped at the Dahr al-Baidar checkpoint, the escort vehicle had already
passed through the checkpoint toward Beirut, after which its occupants
disappeared from sight.
Surveillance cameras disabled
The source also revealed that when the explosives truck was intercepted at the
Dahr al-Baidar checkpoint, members of Hezbollah’s security coordination
committee quickly moved to disable surveillance cameras along the road
connecting Baalbek to Beirut. However, security agencies managed to obtain
footage from other cameras that Hezbollah had been unable to disable.
The source said investigators are now focusing on the technical examination of
the footage and extracting any information that could prove useful. They are
also analyzing telecommunications data to establish the full identities of those
who were traveling in the vehicle escorting the truck.
Political intervention led by Berri
During its meeting last week, Lebanon’s Cabinet put on hold the justice
minister’s request to refer the explosives shipment case to the Judicial
Council, following political contacts led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
Berri stressed the need to exercise caution and wait for the judicial and
security investigations to be completed. Meanwhile, Hezbollah acknowledged
through one of its lawmakers that the truck belonged to the group, saying it was
intended to transport military equipment to fight Israeli forces occupying
southern Lebanon. The group denied allegations by its opponents that the
shipment was intended to carry out assassinations inside Lebanon. Hezbollah also
demanded the return of the shipment and the explosives it contained, but
Lebanese authorities rejected the request.
Calls for terrorism charges against Hezbollah members
Observers, citing previous experiences in Lebanon, argued that any action taken
by the Lebanese judiciary in the case of Hezbollah’s explosives shipment should
include terrorism charges against those detained, as well as anyone else found
by investigators to have been involved.
They argued that Hezbollah had violated a March 2026 Cabinet decision banning
the group’s military activities. Lebanon judge calls in two Hezbollah officials
over explosives shipment: Judicial official
Hezbollah’s Pledge to Stay Out of Iran War Met with Skepticism in Lebanon
Beirut: Caroline Akoum/ Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/ 2026
Hezbollah’s pledge to stay out of any new US or Israeli war against Iran has
raised doubts in Lebanon over whether the Iran-backed group can resist Tehran’s
influence or avoid dragging the country into another conflict. The reported
decision has revived memories of March 2026, when Hezbollah opened the Lebanese
front despite earlier promises not to intervene, raising questions about whether
domestic pressures or Iranian calculations will determine its next move.
On Monday, Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah insisted that the group’s
military decisions were made independently. “The resistance’s decision is a
Lebanese decision taken by its leadership. No one, whether abroad or at home,
dictates it,” he said.
Fadlallah maintained that this approach had remained unchanged under former
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and his successor, Naim Qassem. He said the
group’s position reflected its own assessment of the national interest and its
commitment to defending southern Lebanon and liberating occupied territory.
“Iran has never asked us, either in the past or today, to support it against
American-Israeli aggression,” he stressed. Ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat
that Fadlallah’s reference to the national interest was noteworthy but
insufficient to dispel concerns.
They said Lebanon’s president had been indirectly informed that Hezbollah would
not join Iran in another war, but warned that the position could change with
developments on the battlefield.
They recalled a similar commitment that collapsed within 48 hours during the
March conflict.
The sources argued that Hezbollah, which continues to reject government
decisions, ultimately “remained subject to the calculations of Iran’s
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with limited room to act against Tehran’s
wishes.”They also cited “reports of disagreements within the IRGC over a
possible war, with some favoring confrontation and others opposing it, adding to
uncertainty over the consequences for Lebanon.”
‘Tactical political maneuver’
The destruction, displacement and reconstruction costs of the previous war,
particularly in Hezbollah’s support base, could weigh on the group’s
calculations. Another conflict could also deepen domestic divisions over who has
the authority to decide on war and peace, amid government efforts to establish
exclusive state control over weapons.
But Imad Salamey, a political science professor at the Lebanese American
University, described Hezbollah’s position as a “tactical political maneuver.”He
told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Such statements often sought to contain domestic
tensions, reassure the Lebanese public and ease pressure on the group without
providing genuine guarantees about its military or political conduct.”
Salamey added that “Hezbollah was not bound by rules of engagement imposed by
the Lebanese state or subject to an independent national authority overseeing
its military decisions.”
“Nor were there legal or international mechanisms to ensure compliance with its
commitments,” he noted. “The gap between Hezbollah’s promises in 2025 and its
military actions in 2026 had reinforced doubts about their credibility,” he
remarked. “While domestic pressures could influence the timing and tone of
Hezbollah’s political statements, its strategic decisions remained closely tied
to Iran’s regional interests,” Salamey said. Any decision to stay out of a
conflict could therefore be reversed if Tehran’s calculations changed,
potentially leaving Lebanon exposed to unilateral military decisions outside
state institutions.
Pledge broken
Hezbollah had previously told Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that it would not
intervene in a US war against Iran. Berri subsequently relayed that position to
Lebanese officials. The group nevertheless fired six rockets toward Israel in
March 2026. Reuters reported at the time, citing sources, that Berri felt he had
been deceived. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also said at the time that the
government’s guarantees that Hezbollah would stay out of the conflict “did not
last more than 48 hours.”
War-Weary Hezbollah Supporters Press Group to Stay Out of
New Conflict
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/ 2026
Fears of another devastating war with Israel are fueling discontent among
Hezbollah’s supporters in Lebanon, amid concerns that the Iran-backed group
could again enter a conflict in support of Tehran.Hezbollah’s opponents say the
growing frustration has become increasingly difficult to contain, particularly
amid Israeli threats to strike Beirut’s southern suburbs and fears that up to
one million Shiites could be displaced. Anger has intensified since the latest
war, which saw Israeli forces enter around 60 towns and villages in southern
Lebanon and destroy another 20, preventing residents from returning and forcing
many to rebuild their professional and educational lives elsewhere.
Hezbollah Rebuilds Military Capabilities
Despite the domestic pressure, Hezbollah has spent three months preparing for a
possible resumption of hostilities with Israel after receiving cash funding from
Iran, Reuters reported, citing Lebanese security officials familiar with its
activities. One security source and another close to Hezbollah told Reuters the
group had received tens of millions of dollars from Tehran to strengthen its
military capabilities. Four sources familiar with its operations said Hezbollah
was rebuilding command-and-control structures that had collapsed during major
battles. However, the group has yet to fully replenish its weapons stockpiles or
restore its fighting forces, according to Reuters.
Hezbollah acknowledged this month that explosives seized by Lebanese authorities
belonged to it and were intended for use against Israel. A Hezbollah official
and a Lebanese security source told Reuters the explosives were specifically
intended for explosive drones. The group will also need to repair
command-and-control capabilities after losses on key fronts, including the
flashpoint town of Bint Jbeil and the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge, according to
one of the Lebanese sources and three security officials. They said Hezbollah's
tactic of operating in small units and rationing the use of anti-tank rockets
left some units isolated on those fronts, struggling to confront Israel's
remotely operated systems including weaponized drones and armed
remote-controlled vehicles.
Hezbollah has not explicitly said whether it would take part in the eruption of
fresh hostilities, but its media office said it was wary of giving Israeli
leaders any justification to escalate in Lebanon, particularly as the group was
concerned about its constituents being displaced once more.
‘We Cannot Be Displaced Again’
Opposition to another war extends beyond Hezbollah’s political rivals to
families and individuals within its own support base. In Beirut’s southern
suburbs, residents express growing frustration over the prospect of renewed
fighting. Some say the previous war failed to change the situation and instead
deepened the crisis and expanded Israeli occupation. Others are exhausted by
repeated displacement, fear and the prospect of returning to temporary shelters.
“We cannot be displaced again,” said Nada, 48, who spent three months with her
children in a Beirut shelter during the last war.
Displacement Fears Shape Decisions
Sources familiar with Hezbollah’s internal discussions told Asharq Al-Awsat that
the risk of Israeli retaliation had been central to the group’s deliberations
over responding to Israeli attacks and demolition operations in southern
Lebanon. They said Hezbollah had considered the possibility of strikes on
Beirut’s southern suburbs and towns deeper inside southern Lebanon. According to
the sources, the decision to delay retaliation reflected concern over the
consequences of an Israeli response, rather than an inability to inflict damage.
Avoiding another wave of displacement now takes precedence in decisions
involving military action, they added. Hezbollah official Nawaf Mousawi,
responsible for the group’s resources and borders portfolio, echoed that
position in an interview with a local platform. “At this stage, the resistance
prefers to spare its people Israeli brutality,” he said.
New Rules of Engagement
Hezbollah’s opponents argue that the latest war has fundamentally altered
deterrence and established new, undeclared rules of engagement. Shiite sources
opposed to Hezbollah told Asharq Al-Awsat that an attack on Israeli forces in
occupied Lebanese territory could trigger heavy Israeli bombardment, forcing
residents to flee southern Lebanon. They said attacks on northern Israel or
targets deeper inside the country could prompt strikes on Beirut’s southern
suburbs.According to the sources, efforts to spare Beirut from bombardment were
linked not only to US-Iranian understandings but also to American pressure on
Israel to avoid undermining direct US-sponsored negotiations between Lebanon and
Israel. They argued that pressure from Hezbollah’s own community had become a
driving factor in its military decisions, particularly after the latest war and
restrictions on Iranian financial transfers had alienated a significant portion
of its supporters.
Widening Military Gap
The same opposition sources pointed to the growing military imbalance between
Hezbollah and Israel. They argued that Hezbollah had been unable to restore its
former capabilities after the war, partly because of restrictions imposed by the
Lebanese state. Israel’s advantages in firepower and technology, they said,
further undermined Hezbollah’s prospects of launching another conflict that
could force an Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory or halt
Israeli operations against the group. The sources maintained that Hezbollah’s
political explanations for avoiding another war in support of Iran overlooked
the military constraints now shaping its decisions.
Aoun warns of security vacuum if UNIFIL departs without
replacement
Naharnet/27 October/2026
“There is fear that any vacuum in the South as a result of UNIFIL's departure
could have negative repercussions on stability in the region. President Joseph
Aoun on Tuesday told the visiting Irish Foreign and Defense Minister Helen
McEntee that "Lebanon desires the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
to continue its operational mission during the upcoming year designated for its
withdrawal under the Security Council resolution.”“This is given the importance
of its presence in the South to monitor the situation on one hand, and to assist
the Lebanese Army when it deploys up to the southern international borders
following Israel's withdrawal, as well as the importance of the humanitarian,
social, and health missions carried out by UNIFIL forces to assist the residents
of southern villages, who welcome the presence of peacekeepers on their land,"
Aoun said. He added that "in the event of a lack of response to the Lebanese
request to extend UNIFIL's mandate, Lebanon welcomes the participation of any
European force according to a formula agreed upon with the European Union or
with the concerned countries in cooperation with the United Nations.”“There is
fear that any vacuum in the South as a result of UNIFIL's departure could have
negative repercussions on stability in the region," Aoun warned, noting that
"the logistical and technical support that a replacement force for UNIFIL could
provide would have a positive impact in facilitating the Lebanese Army's mission
and the lives of the southern community." Aoun also lamented that "Israel has
not abided by the agreement reached in the negotiations in Washington and
continues its attacks on southern villages and towns through bombing,
destruction, and bulldozing of homes," noting that "the contacts Lebanon made
with the U.S., in its capacity as the sponsor of the agreement, to put an end to
these attacks remain without result.”“Furthermore, Israel is placing obstacles
in the way of implementing the agreement, which further complicates matters and
prevents the Lebanese Army from extending state sovereignty up to the
international borders, preventing armed appearances, and restoring stability,"
the president added. He said that "Lebanon looks forward to the support of
friendly nations, including Ireland, to pressure Israel to stop its attacks,
withdraw from the South, return Lebanese prisoners, and enable the state to
rebuild the destroyed villages and towns and return their residents to them."
Rajji fears Hezbollah may be preparing for new war at
Iran's request
Naharnet/27 October/2026
Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji met Tuesday with Irish Foreign and Defense
Minister Helen McEntee and thanked her for “her country's role in the UNIFIL
forces and the sacrifices made by its soldiers.”“We agreed on the necessity of
maintaining an international presence in the South, and we discussed the role
that the European Union, whose presidency her country currently holds, can
play,” Rajji said in a post on X. “I expressed our fear of a new war that
Hezbollah might be preparing for at the behest of Iran, and reiterated the
necessity of Israel's withdrawal and the cessation of its attacks. I also
pointed to the government's decisions regarding the restriction of arms and the
banning of the party's military and security activities, and I stressed the role
of the Lebanese Army and the importance of supporting it so that it can carry
out its mission," the minister added.
US official says Jumblat has 'little regard' for principle
and Lebanon's future
Naharnet/27 October/2026
A U.S. State Department spokesman has snapped back at Druze leader Walid Jumblat
over remarks voiced in his latest interview. “In keeping with his long record,
Walid Jumblat will do and say whatever is best for Walid Jumblat, with little
regard for principle, his own constituency, or the future of his country,” the
spokesman said. “Hezbollah and their friends thought the so-called Islamabad
track could serve as license for Hezbollah to retain its arsenal while Israel
withdraws again. That was never a realistic option,” the spokesman stressed. He
added that the U.S.-backed Trilateral Framework is an agreement between two
sovereign states, with “a clear, reciprocal, sequenced process.” “Israel has
already agreed to withdraw, contingent on Hezbollah disarmament and the LAF
(Lebanese Army) moving into pilot zones,” the spokesman went on to say, warning
that “relying on Iran to disarm Hezbollah is a mechanism for preserving Tehran's
veto over Lebanese sovereignty.”“Hezbollah has dragged Lebanon into two suicidal
wars on behalf of Iran. In the end, until they are disarmed, Hezbollah will do
whatever their puppet-masters in Tehran tell them to do and the people of
Lebanon will be forced to pay the price,” the U.S. spokesman added. He
concluded: “As (U.S.) Ambassador (to Lebanon Michel) Issa has said, the United
States is prepared to engage Hezbollah only through the Lebanese state, and only
on the topic of disarmament.”In the interview broadcast on Sunday, Jumblat
warned that Israel has expansionist goals and said Lebanon should have endorsed
the American-Iranian Islamabad track instead of choosing direct negotiations
with Israel, which he believes will be fruitless and "lead to nowhere." He said
Lebanon's government has mistakenly thought that the Americans could pressure
the Israelis to withdraw from south Lebanon. "The Israelis are trying to
eradicate all the memories of south Lebanon. They might be preparing for
settlements," he warned. The Druze leader said the U.S. can help Lebanon by
sending "better diplomats" and changing its policy, and said Lebanon should hold
talks with Iran as well because Hezbollah's decisions are taken in Tehran.
Bassil hopes Hezbollah won't join new war, warns against
civil strife
Naharnet/27 October/2026
Free Patriotic Movement chief Gebran Bassil has cautioned that "the upcoming
phase carries significant risks for Lebanon and the region," warning of the
potential escalation of Israeli attacks and the repercussions of Hezbollah
entering a new war. In an interview on LBCI television, Bassil stressed "the
necessity of sparing Lebanon a military confrontation and preventing the
conflict from moving to the Lebanese internal front." The FPM leader warned that
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be harsher after the elections
if he wins," noting that "this is evident from the ferocity with which he is
currently acting." He expressed hope that Hezbollah would not enter a new war
for a third time since 2023, saying: "We ask them again, just as we asked (slain
Hezbollah chief) Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, not to enter the war." He added: "In
terms of military capability, Hezbollah is currently unable to defend against
further Israeli occupation, so how can it launch an attack?" Bassil maintained
that "the priority must be to protect Lebanon and prevent the expansion of the
confrontation." Regarding the role of the military institution, Bassil praised
the “wisdom and patriotism” of Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal,
emphasizing that "undermining the army is a prescription for civil war" and
recalling the events of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975. “The campaign against
the Army Commander is accompanied by a campaign by certain parties in the U.S.,"
Bassil warned. As for the negotiations with Israel and the framework agreement,
he asserted that Lebanon "gave everything without receiving anything in return,"
pointing out that officials could “continue talks without signing,” in order to
preserve leverage in negotiations. Bassil stated that "current conditions might
be more suitable for launching a meaningful internal dialogue," pointing to "the
commitment of the government and the president to present a paper concerning the
protection of Lebanon," and stressing "the importance of this document achieving
its intended purpose."Regarding the relation between the Free Patriotic Movement
and Hezbollah, Bassil noted that it is "not good," but underscored his
"rejection of turning political disagreement into internal enmity that could
lead to an internal explosion."In this context, he praised the stances of Druze
leader Walid Jumblat, considering that he is handling the current phase with
"rationality and awareness," despite his "dismay at Hezbollah," and that his
approach "stems from a concern for society and the country."Bassil stressed the
"necessity of bringing various political forces together," warning against "the
risks of war" and pointing out that "the absolute minimum required is to prevent
the outbreak of an internal war among the Lebanese."
The Shia of Lebanon: A Stricken Community
Colonel. Charbel Barakat/October 27/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158631/
A Legacy of Isolation and Rejection
The plight of Lebanese Shia Muslims can be traced back to the persecution they
suffered during the Mamluk era, reportedly spurred by the fatwas of Ibn
Taymiyyah. In response, their religious scholars turned toward Safavid Iran,
where many played a central role in formalizing and propagating Twelver Shiism.
However, when Shah Ismail I was defeated by Ottoman Sultan Selim I, the Shia of
Jabal Amel realized they had backed the losing side. Consequently, they could
not join in celebrating the Ottoman victory over the Mamluks at the Battle of
Marj Dabiq in 1516. Instead, they remained anxious and hesitant, fearful of
Ottoman retribution for having supported a religious ideology that threatened
the Sunni-led Ottoman Caliphate.
To survive, the Shia withdrew from public life and retreated into the hills of
southern Lebanon. There, they pledged allegiance to local Druze emirs who
offered them protection from Ottoman reprisal—a testament to how Lebanon's
rugged geography has historically shielded its religious and intellectual
diversity.
Navigating the Mount Lebanon Emirate
During the era of the Emirate, the Shia maintained a low profile through Taqiyya
(precautionary dissimulation), choosing to stay out of high-stakes political
decisions. Following Ottoman commander Ibrahim Pasha’s 1584 expedition against
the Druze, the Shia refrained from openly siding with them. This reluctance
paved the way for the Maronites to emerge as the Druze's primary political
partners under Emir Fakhreddin II. Over time, the Shia gradually offered their
support to Fakhreddin II and enjoyed full rights under his rule.
When the Ottomans eventually moved against the Emir, the Shia again avoided
taking a definitive stance. This neutrality allowed them to maintain their
policy of Taqiyya under the Sunni Shihabi emirs who succeeded the Maans. Despite
internal conflicts—such as Sheikh Mushrif’s clash with the Shihabi emir over
regional authority—the Shia later sought to safeguard their region against the
expansionist ambitions of Daher al-Omar, the Bedouin ruler of Safed.
Led by Sheikh Naseef al-Nassar, the Shia fought several battles against Daher
al-Omar before eventually forging a tactical alliance with him. But following
Daher’s death, Jezzar Pasha seized Acre and subjected the Shia of southern
Lebanon to brutal subjugation, forced conscription, and hard labor. The
resulting economic ruin left the region lawless and impoverished.
Stability only returned with Jezzar’s death and the gradual rise of Emir Bashir
II, who restored
law and order. Throughout this period, the Shia interacted primarily with the
Lebanese Emirate rather than directly with Ottoman authorities.
Foreign Interventions and the Ottoman Divide
This dynamic changed when Emir Bashir II allied himself with Ibrahim Pasha—son
of Egypt’s ruler, Muhammad Ali Pasha—in his military campaign against the
Sublime Porte. Earlier the Emir’s army marched into Damascus and Nablus in
support to Suleiman Pasha the Wali of Acre, demonstrating a military capability
that led Muhammad Ali to view him as a key regional ally.
Ibrahim Pasha’s forces advanced into Cilicia, directly threatening Istanbul.
Alarmed, the Ottoman Sultan enlisted the aid of European powers to force an
Egyptian withdrawal from the Levant. In exchange, Muhammad Ali was recognized as
the hereditary ruler of Egypt, on the condition that Ottoman authority be
restored in Lebanon and Emir Bashir II be removed.
With Emir Bashir II deposed and exiled to Malta, the Ottomans sought to reassert
control over Lebanon without risking open rebellion from those who had supported
the Emir. Their strategy was to sow division between the two pillars of the
Emir’s army: the Maronites and the Druze. They exploited long-standing rivalries
between the Jumblatt clan and the Shihabi dynasty to fracture the alliance
underpinning the Emirate.
Simultaneously, the Ottomans moved to co-opt the Shia leadership. They granted
the title of Bey to Hamad al-Ahmad—a prominent leader from the Wa'ili family in
Jabal Amel—and tasked him with raising a militia answerable directly to the
Governor of Damascus. These maneuvers dismantled the unified Emirate, paving the
way for the creation of the Dual Subprefecture (Qāʾim-maqāmiyya) system and,
ultimately, the Mutasarrifiyya governorate—administrative shifts that severed
the South, the Bekaa, and Tripoli from Mount Lebanon.
The Myth of Greater Lebanon and the Shift Toward External Allegiances
Although the Shia of Jabal Amel were formally integrated into the Ottoman
administrative fold for the first time, they did not share in the stability and
economic prosperity enjoyed by the Mutasarrifiyya. Subjected to heavy Ottoman
taxation and the whims of Turkish officials, a deep sense of marginalization
took root among them.
This discontent reached a boiling point during World War I due to forced
conscription. Seeking relief, many Shia leaders advocated for their regions to
be incorporated into the newly proposed state of Greater Lebanon in 1920.
Pro-Ottoman elements attempted to frame this move as a betrayal of King Faisal
I’s Arab Kingdom in Damascus. However, Faisal’s proposed state was intended as a
decentralized federation under Allied supervision that would have accommodated
regional autonomy—including for Mount Lebanon, the diverse Syrian provinces, and
Palestine (including Jewish areas designated for integration, as outlined in the
Faisal–Weizmann agreement).
Instead, former Ottoman officers who had joined Faisal's movement—such as
Minister of Defense Yusuf al-Azmeh—pushed a radical agenda. They forced a direct
military confrontation
with the French in Syria and the British in Iraq, while orchestrating armed
attacks in southern Lebanon using Shia and Bedouin militias.
The involvement of figures like Adham Khanjar and Sadiq Hamza with pre-WWI
Ottoman intelligence influenced Sayyid Sharaf al-Din’s loyalty to Damascus and
his association with Yusuf al-Azmeh (who had served as secretary to Ottoman War
Minister Enver Pasha). This tarnished the reputation of the Shia community,
prompting the prominent Shia leader Kamil Bey al-Assad to issue his famous
lament following the 1920 massacre of Christians in Ain Ebel: "It is true that
Ain Ebel lost its youth, but the Shia lost their honor."
The Path to Ideological Captivity
The sense of disenfranchisement among the Shia persisted long after the
establishment of Greater Lebanon. Over the decades, various political movements
exploited these grievances:
· Leftists & Pan-Arabists: Marxist parties and Gamal Abdel Nasser’s pan-Arab
movement framed the Lebanese state as an oppressive, Western-backed entity that
neglected the Shia.
· Baathists: Both the Syrian and Iraqi factions of the Baath Party further
alienated the Shia from the concept of a sovereign Lebanese state.
This cycle of marginalization culminated with the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Guided by Ayatollah Khomeini’s ideology and fueled by Iranian financial and
military support, Tehran established ideological dominance over the Lebanese
Shia political landscape.
This raises an important question: If the Shia leadership of Jabal Amel claims
to act in defense of Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet's family), why did they fail to
support King Faisal when he ruled Iraq, or his brother King Abdullah I in
Transjordan—both direct descendants of the Prophet? Instead, they have aligned
themselves with Tehran’s regional ambitions, echoing the historical precedent of
Abu Muslim al-Khurasani, whose forces helped bring the Abbasids to power only
for the Abbasids to turn on their Shia supporters once control was consolidated.
Have the historic families of Jabal Amel, the Harfoushes, and the Hamadis
surrendered their independence to serve the interests of the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard?
A Community at a Crossroads
Today, the Shia of Lebanon find themselves in a disastrous position—not only
because an armed party has subjugated their leadership for self-serving
interests, but because that leadership failed to build upon Israel’s withdrawal
from southern Lebanon in 2000. Instead of cultivating peace and state
sovereignty, they initiated a cross-border conflict in 2006 whose economic and
political fallout was largely absorbed by the Arab Gulf states.
Subsequently, this leadership antagonized those same Gulf nations, enabling
illicit drug trafficking across the region and seeking to destabilize friendly
governments. Now, even after subsequent Israeli withdrawals, they continue to
dominate the Lebanese state and drag the
country into ruinous conflicts, displacing their own people solely to execute
orders issued by Iran's Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist).
While we grieve for Lebanon and the collapse of its state institutions, we
grieve even more for those who falsely believe that Tehran or the Revolutionary
Guard will rebuild their shattered towns or restore their dignity. True
prosperity cannot be built on hatred, division, and foreign dependency, but only
on peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and national integration.
Will Lebanon ever recover from this crisis? And will leaders emerge from within
the Shia community who prioritize statehood, genuine friendship, and lasting
national reconciliation over endless conflict?
Kuwait: “Hezbollah” plotted to assassinate the Minister
of Interior
Naif Salem – Kuwait/Asas Media website/Oct 28, 2026
(Translated from Arabic by AI)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158635/
Wars and leaderships have changed, but the methods that Kuwait knew in the
eighties are returning to the forefront: secret cells, directives from abroad,
and planning for bombings and assassinations. More than four decades after the
operations linked to Iran and the Lebanese “Hezbollah” at the time of the
Iraqi-Iranian war, a new security case reveals a plot to assassinate one of the
most prominent symbols of the state in the aftermath of the killing of Iranian
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei with the outbreak of the American-Israeli war on
Iran. What was known last March about cells targeting Kuwait’s security has now
become clearer: an attempt to transfer the confrontation inside, with tools
reminiscent of an old chapter that has not been completely closed.
Last Monday, the Kuwaiti State Security Criminal Court sentenced three
defendants to death, and eight others to five years in prison, in the case of
plotting to assassinate the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Interior, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Al-Sabah. The ruling, which was only a first end
to a judicial path, opened a window on what had remained mysterious since last
March, when Kuwait was successively announcing the thwarting of security plots
linked to “Hezbollah” and Iran.
Revenge for the Supreme Leader
The most significant detail came in the reasoning and the indictment: the
defendants communicated with Iran and with “Hezbollah, which works for its
benefit,” to carry out hostile acts against Kuwait “in the aftermath of the
killing of the Supreme Leader” Iranian Ali Khamenei. In this temporal link lies
the specificity of the case. The Supreme Leader was killed on February 28 with
the start of the American-Israeli strikes, and after a period the Kuwaiti
security agencies were uncovering cells planning acts of sabotage and
assassinations. Which puts the assassination plot in the context of a possible
retaliatory response, which also includes acts of sabotage and destabilization.
It was not talk of a general threat or a vague desire to destabilize.
Investigations showed the target: the Minister of Interior, as also the First
Deputy Prime Minister. According to investigations, 3 defendants located outside
Kuwait directed 7 others to plan the operation, so these held meetings to
determine how to implement it and divide roles. The charges included “attempting
to use and bring explosives,” to carry out the assassination and spread panic.
Thus the plot appeared as a transition from organizational association to
preparing for an act directly targeting the head of the security institution.
The court chose, in its reasoning, to shed light on the sovereign meaning of
what happened, affirming that the security of the homeland is a right for the
whole society, and that the sovereignty of the state does not accept “that a
foreign will disputes it,” or that symbols of authority become targets for plots
managed from abroad. The phrase here goes beyond the specific crime to a broader
problem: an attempt to impose the logic of regional conflict on another state by
means of local security tools.
Cells with different roles
Last March, Kuwait successively announced the dismantling of 3 cells linked to
“Hezbollah.” The first was accused of planning to spread chaos and disturb
public order, the second of collecting coordinates of vital installations and
passing them to external parties, and the third of planning to assassinate
symbols and leaders in the state. Security data indicated training outside the
country on weapons, drones and surveillance, and seizures that included
communication equipment and weapons. These facts alone are not enough to prove
that the three cells were receiving a single operational order, but they show
multiple forms of threat in the first weeks of the war, from sabotage to
information gathering to assassination.
This type of activity is not new to Kuwait. In 1983, the country witnessed
simultaneous bombings targeting embassies and vital installations, linked to
organizations loyal to Iran, including groups close to “Hezbollah” in its
beginnings and “youth.” In 1984 and then 1988, two Kuwaiti planes were hijacked
in two operations linked to attempts to pressure for the release of prisoners in
bombing cases. Kuwait at that time was living the repercussions of the
Iraqi-Iranian war, while airports, planes and civilian installations became
pressure tools that go beyond the limits of military confrontation.
Then came the case of the “Abdali cell” in 2015, with what the rulings revealed
of links to Iran and “Hezbollah” and storing weapons and military clothing for
ten thousand members and receiving training. What is new in the current case is
that the main defendant sentenced to death, Sheikh Hussein Al-Maatuq, who is
described as having been the representative of the Iranian Supreme Leader in
Kuwait, had previously been convicted in the case of covering up members of that
cell, before it was included in an amiri pardon in 2021. As for the other two
defendants sentenced to death, Hassan Hajiyah (non-Kuwaiti) and Abdul Reza
Dehghani (Iranian), the indictment indicates that previous final judgments were
issued against them in the same “Abdali cell” case. These connections do not
make the two cases a single file, but they show the return of some persons and
connections to the heart of a security case after years.
What is notable is that the ruling traces the period of the facts attributed to
the group back to 2017, without meaning that the planning for the assassination
began nine years ago. It is a necessary distinction to understand what the file
reveals: an older history of associations, and an assassination plot that
appeared in a specific war circumstance.
After the war
The American-Iranian war, whatever its results, will reach an end at some point.
But Iran will remain, by virtue of geography, a neighbor to the Arab Gulf
states, and the need to manage the relationship with it will remain. However,
returning to normal relations is not just a matter of borders and embassies, but
requires a minimum of trust that differences between states are not managed by
cells, bombings and assassinations.
Here the Kuwaiti facts pose a difficult question before any attempt to open a
new page with Tehran. After more than 4 decades, the same methods that Kuwait
knew in the eighties return to the judiciary and security files, even if
circumstances and persons differed. Geography makes coexistence a necessity, but
does this mentality reflected by these facts open the door, even minimally, with
the current Iranian regime?
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on October 27-28/2026
(Some of the News reports below are
translated from Arabic by AI)
More than 60 Christians killed in Ethiopia
'massacre', church official says
Ondiro Oganga/BBC/October 27/2026
More than 60 people have been killed in a series of attacks on Christians in
Ethiopia's Oromia region, according to the country's Orthodox Church. One
resident, whose 75-year-old father was killed, described it as an ambush. "We
were completely unprepared and had no prior knowledge. They surrounded us from
all four directions," he told BBC Amharic. The regional government said that it
would take action against those responsible.A local official blamed the attacks
on a newly formed rebel coalition, the Alliance for Survival, which includes the
Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The OLA has not commented but has denied carrying
out previous such attacks. A statement from the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian
Orthodox Tewahedo Church said that 20 houses were burnt to the ground in the
attacks. It did not say who was responsible. Eyewitness told BBC Amharic that
five of those killed were children. A church official described the attacks on
three areas in the Shirka district as a "massacre", saying security forces
arrived at the scene but were unable to stop the assault. Many residents have
now fled the area.
Alvin Tedjo,The New Mayor Of the city Of
Mississauga/Ontario/Canada
LCCC/October 27/2026
Alvin Tedjo is the new mayor-elect of Mississauga. He won the municipal election
held Monday, October 26, 2026, with results reported this morning, October 27.
It was a major upset:
He won with about 39.2% of the vote - 74,479 votes
He defeated incumbent mayor Carolyn Parrish (27.3%, 51,853 votes) and former
mayor Bonnie Crombie (22.7%, 43,191 votes)
He is the first person to oust an incumbent mayor in Mississauga since Hazel
McCallion ousted Ron Searle in 1978
Who he is
Age and family: Born in 1982 or 1983 (age 43-44), father of three. His profile
lists him as Mississauga City Councillor, Dad of 3. He is described in local
coverage as a 41-year-old father of three who has been Ward 2 councillor since
2022.
Roots in Mississauga: He was born to parents who immigrated from Indonesia and
settled in Mississauga when he was four years old. He went to Father Michael
Goetz Secondary School, where he was students' council president for two years.
His background is often cited as reflecting the multicultural character of
Mississauga: immigrant family story, education at Queen's University and Harvard
University, experience in government and higher education. He completed
undergrad at Queen's University in Kingston and a master's at Harvard.
Political career
Student politics and Queen's Park: After undergrad he worked for the Ontario
Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), then as senior aide to four successive
higher education ministers - Glen Murray, John Milloy, Brad Duguid and Reza
Moridi. Later worked in public affairs for Sheridan College and Toronto
Metropolitan University.
Provincial politics: Carried the Ontario Liberal banner in Oakville
North-Burlington in the 2018 general election. It was the most disastrous
Liberal result in Ontario history, and he finished third by 9 votes. He ran for
Ontario Liberal leader in 2020, campaigning on basic income and inclusive growth
- noted for sharing his speaking time with a robot - and placed 5th out of six.
Steven Del Duca won.
Mississauga Council: Won his first elected office in 2022 for Ward 2 - Clarkson
and Lorne Park, an open seat, with 41% of the vote. Currently serves on
Mississauga City Council and ex-officio on Peel Regional Council.
Mayoral runs: Ran in the June 2024 mayoral by-election after Bonnie Crombie
resigned to become Ontario Liberal leader. He placed second with 25% against
Carolyn Parrish's 31%. He declared again in April 2026 and registered on the
first day nominations opened.
He will assume office as mayor on November 15, 2026, succeeding Carolyn Parrish.
His 2026 campaign centered on property taxes and affordability, community
safety, housing, economic development and municipal government, including a
two-year freeze on the city's share of residential property taxes and a
permanent freeze for qualifying seniors.
Israel/Opposition declares Netanyahu's defeat... and
exit polls show no clear winner... Eisenkot: I will work to replace Netanyahu's
government
Riyadh - Al Arabiya.net / Oct 27, 2026
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said that the camp of Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu suffered a harsh defeat, in his first comment after the
closing of the ballot boxes in the Israeli elections. Lapid added, on his page
on the X platform, that the public sent a clear message to Netanyahu's camp,
adding that what happened represents a "complete collapse."
Netanyahu betrayed public trust
For his part, the leader of the Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, said that the
initial results show that the government headed by Netanyahu does not have the
public's trust. Eisenkot added that he "will work immediately to implement the
Israelis' decision and replace Netanyahu's government."
In the same context, the leader of the Israeli "The Democrats" party, Yair
Golan, said that the public has brought down Benjamin Netanyahu's government,
considering that the results give the opposition a historic opportunity to form
a real change government. Golan stressed that his party will not squander this
opportunity, adding that his party is ready to work with all its partners,
overcome differences and bear responsibility in order to form the government.
Golan stressed that the next phase requires transforming what he described as
the public's message into practical political steps.
For his part, the leader of the "Blue and White" party, Benny Gantz, said that
the Israeli public chose change, calling on the leaders of the Zionist parties,
which he described as nationally responsible, to begin immediate negotiations to
form a unity government that transcends divisions between political camps. Gantz
added, via his account on X, that Israel faces major challenges from inside and
outside, considering that forming a unity government is the appropriate solution
to avoid going to new elections.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority had announced, according to polls, a tie in
seats, where the opposition got 51 seats versus 51 for Netanyahu's camp and 18
for the Arab parties. The Al Arabiya / Al Hadath correspondent clarified that
the Israeli elections closed with a turnout of 77.7%, noting that the turnout is
the highest since 2001, while the Israeli Elections Committee announced that the
voting results will be announced gradually.
On the same level, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated that the left's
celebrations are early and it is clear that Likud is the largest party,
according to his statements. Sa'ar wrote on X: "The celebrations on the left are
premature. The arrogance of biased commentators is ridiculous." The Israeli
Foreign Minister added: "There is one thing fairly clear: Likud (led by
Netanyahu) is the largest party in Israel," attaching to his post a video clip
showing Likud's first electoral victory in 1977. For his part, the head of the
Arab Movement for Change, Ahmed Tibi, told Al Arabiya / Al Hadath that the list
he represents will present its demands to the Israeli opposition parties,
stressing that "our hand is extended for change," in reference to its readiness
to communicate with the opposition regarding arrangements for the next phase and
forming the government.
Ballot box closing polls
The statements of opposition leaders come in conjunction with ballot box closing
polls, which showed the opposition blocs advancing, as estimates by Israel's
Channel 13 indicated the possibility of opposition parties obtaining about 50
seats out of 120 in the Knesset, while Channel 12 polls said there is no clear
winner so far.
These elections are considered the first electoral test for Benjamin Netanyahu
since the events of October 7, 2023, and the war that followed on multiple
fronts, amid political division over the government's performance and the files
of security and military service.
The main knot lies in the ability of any camp to secure 61 seats out of 120 to
form a government, in light of the fragmentation of opposition votes and the
multiplicity of small parties capable of tipping the balance of negotiations.
Under the proportional electoral system, lists must exceed the electoral
threshold of 3.25% to enter the Knesset, while negotiations to form a government
may take weeks if no camp is able to achieve a clear majority.
Closing of ballot boxes in Israel... and opinion polls: no clear winner
Al-Markaziya / Oct 27, 2026
Ballot boxes closed in the Israeli Knesset elections, on Tuesday night,
according to local media.
Exit polls conducted as voters left polling stations showed that the elections
did not seem to produce a clear winner. Polls predicted that neither Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main rival Gadi Eisenkot would obtain a
majority in the 120-seat Knesset. But polls showed a slight lead for the
opposition coalition over Netanyahu's coalition, but it remains far from the
majority threshold of 61 seats in parliament, heralding long and arduous
negotiations after the end of the elections. Celebrations for the Israeli
opposition filled the streets of Tel Aviv after the closing of the ballot boxes.
According to sample results for Israeli TV channels 11, 12 and 13, the coalition
led by centrist Eisenkot gets between 52 and 53 seats out of 120 seats in the
Knesset, while the coalition of the outgoing Prime Minister gets 50 seats.
According to a sample poll conducted by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, the
matter has not yet been decided, but Eisenkot's bloc is the largest with 53
seats, compared to 50 seats for Netanyahu's bloc. The Arab parties have,
according to the Broadcasting Authority poll, 18 seats. In a related context,
the head of the United Arab List, Mansour Abbas, announced celebrating the
electoral achievement and his party harvesting decisive seats, pledging to
"translate this parliamentary strength into a new reality and an influential
role in building the next political phase," according to the newspaper "Israel
Hayom."According to the sample of the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, the
ranking of the parties came as follows:
Likud party led by Netanyahu is the largest with 25 seats.
Yashar party led by Eisenkot 21 seats.
Together party led by Naftali Bennett 14 seats.
The Democratic Party led by Yair Golan, and the Joint List led by Yousef
Jabareen, 10 seats each.
Yisrael Beiteinu party led by Avigdor Lieberman 8 seats.
Otzma Yehudit party and Ra'am party 7 seats each.
United Torah Judaism, Shas, and Religious Zionism - Identity parties, 6 seats
each.
US Forces Ready to Launch Operations Against Iran Within 96 Hours of Trump Order
Washington: Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/ 2026
US forces in the Middle East are prepared to launch new, potentially major,
military operations against Iran “within 96 hours of receiving” an order from
President Donald Trump, two US officials told CNN on Monday. Sufficient forces
are now deployed in the region to carry out the potential attacks, the sources
said. The scope of new US military operations would likely go beyond efforts to
simply “mow the lawn” or maintain the status quo by striking radars, launchers
and other Iranian assets that can be quickly reconstituted — as has been the
case since Trump halted full combat operations earlier this year, the sources
added. “It will be a big effort,” one of the officials told CNN. That view has
been echoed by other current and former US officials familiar with internal
military planning discussions — some of whom say it is a question of when, not
if, Trump will issue a go-order. They believe it could come any time before the
end of the year, though most likely after the US midterm election.
Potential Targets Include Energy, Nuclear Facilities
Iranian forces are now more familiar with US tactics, and it would therefore be
harder for the American military to effectively destroy all potential intended
targets. However, leaders in US Central Command and the Pentagon have been
developing a wide-ranging target list, which includes Iranian energy
infrastructure, military sites and nuclear facilities.Officials say that Trump
has not made up his mind on what he will do after the midterms but that he
appears to be leaning toward ordering major action. But officials also caution
that Trump has appeared in the past to lean toward certain actions only to back
off at the last moment.
The White House declined to comment.
A senior Pentagon official told CNN in a statement, “The Department is a
planning organization, and its job is to develop and execute military options
ordered by the President.”
Recent US intelligence assessments indicate Iran and Houthis are taking the
possibility of renewed attacks by the US and potentially Israel very seriously,
according to two additional sources familiar with the matter. If the US and
Israel launch new military operations against Iran, Tehran and the Houthis would
likely retaliate immediately by targeting American personnel and facilities
around the region — and potentially beyond, the sources familiar with those
recent US intelligence assessments said. An unclassified October 23 memo from
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio
says US intelligence has found that “Iran has substantially increased efforts to
target US personnel” and plotting efforts “have reached advanced stages in both
the Middle East and certain other countries,” CNN previously reported. US
intelligence officials believe Iran and the Houthis are unlikely to carry out
preemptive escalatory attacks against American personnel or Israel at this point
but would not hesitate to respond if Iran is targeted first by US or Israeli
forces, one of the sources familiar with the latest American intelligence
assessments noted. Amid these developments, Admiral Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM
commander, visited the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday as the US military maintains
its blockade on Iranian ports and assists shipping traffic through the critical
waterway. Cooper “observed the current operational environment” while flying
over the strait in a helicopter, CENTCOM said, adding that he met with service
members who cleared the waterway of Iranian mines. “We continue to stand
shoulder to shoulder with our Gulf partners and the shipping industry,” Cooper
said in a news release. “This visit underscores our strong commitment to
continued freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.” Despite the
increase in tankers transiting the strait, oil prices remain high, partly due to
the threat of possible Iranian attacks. One US official acknowledged the status
quo around the strait is “untenable” for the long term, and barring a
last-minute diplomatic breakthrough, is one reason Trump may turn to military
action — despite questions about whether the White House has a broader strategy
for ending the conflict.
Netanyahu Pushing For More Strikes
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing to carry out new
attacks against Iran, but US officials have requested he delay until the Trump
administration is ready to conduct joint operations, according to two US
officials and an Israeli security source. “Netanyahu really wanted and tried to
convince Trump for a joint attack in Iran before the elections, and Trump did
not give a green light,” the Israeli security source told CNN. The prime
minister’s office said this was “fake news.”Israel was preparing for the
possibility of launching additional attacks against Iran in the last week or so
and had been lobbying US officials to support and complement those new strikes,
a source briefed on the matter told CNN. But senior US officials — including
Trump — told Israel to hold off, instead signaling the two countries would
launch joint operations soon.
Israel seemed to agree to delaying new strikes on Iran in part because it needs
US support for missile defense, the source briefed on the matter added.
Israel Will Not Attack Before Elections
Israeli army chief of staff Eyal Zamir told US General Dan Caine, chairman of
the Joint Chiefs, that it would harm the elections in Israel and lead to their
postponement, the Israeli security source added. Israel’s Channel 12 News
reported Sunday there was an “unprecedented” confrontation between Zamir and
Netanyahu fewer than 48 hours before Tuesday’s vote. According to the report,
Zamir received a directive from the political echelon related to Iran but
requested an in-depth discussion and legal authorizations before carrying it
out, fearing the action could lead to a miscalculation that could trigger an
immediate conflict. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the report was “completely
baseless and false.”Tehran: Outcome of Israeli Elections ‘Makes No
Difference’Iran's foreign ministry said Monday that the outcome of the Israeli
elections in which Netanyahu is facing a tight race will make “no
difference.”“It makes no difference to us who, in these elections, takes the
helm of a regime that has brought nothing but violence and massacres to our
region,” said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a weekly press briefing.
Tuesday's legislative elections will take place amid mounting threats by Israel
and the United States to renew attacks on Iran after they launched their war in
late February. Netanyahu has in recent days repeatedly said the only way to
remove the threat posed by Iran is to topple its government.
Iran Says Supreme Leader Met with Security Chief Over
Hormuz
Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2026
Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to appear in public since he
took office in March, has met with security chief Mohsen Rezaei to discuss
regional security and the Strait of Hormuz, his office said Tuesday. Mojtaba was
chosen in March to succeed his father and longtime ruler Ali Khamenei, who was
killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28 in central Tehran alongside senior
military commanders, and was said to have been injured in the same attack. He
has only communicated through written messages since his appointment, some of
them published in handwriting attributed to him. During the meeting, the first
publicly announced encounter between Rezaei and the leader, they discussed
"strengthening bilateral relations with neighboring countries" and "safeguarding
national and regional security through the management of the Strait of Hormuz,"
Khamenei's office said in a statement. Khamenei "emphasized the need to
safeguard the rights and interests of the Iranian nation and the resistance
front by adhering to the conditions set by the country's authorities, with the
aim of ending the war and the state of neither war nor peace," it added. Neither
the date nor the location of the meeting was disclosed.
Iran claims control over the Hormuz strait and regularly targets vessels that
attempt to cross without its authorization, while the United States has imposed
a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports. Diplomatic efforts to resolve the
crisis remain stalled, especially since the collapse of a June deal which laid
out a pathway to a permanent settlement. Several Iranian officials, including
Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and parliament speaker Mohammad
Bagher Ghalibaf, have in recent days said they held rare meetings with the
supreme leader.
Qatar Urges 'Good Faith' from Iran as Talks Renew
Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2026
Qatar on Tuesday said Iran must show good faith with its neighbors to prevent
further escalation, following renewed efforts to end the US-Iran war. The
comments came a day after senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and
Pakistan held talks with Iran in an attempt to stop the Middle East war from
reigniting. Qatari foreign ministry official Ibrahim Al-Hashmi said the region
needed a new security framework to prevent further violence. "The ball is now in
Iran's court to commit to these principles and demonstrate good faith," he said.
"We have heard positive statements from the Iranian side... but they still need
to demonstrate good faith, stop threatening countries of the region, and reopen
the Strait of Hormuz so that all those efforts can go towards having a safe and
prosperous region," he added. Monday's talks in Tehran included Saudi Defense
Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan's army chief General Asim Munir and
Türkiye's intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. Iran described them as "very good".
They followed warnings by the United States, Iran and Israel that hostilities
could restart in the eight-month war, which saw Tehran strike US allies in the
region including Qatar. US-Iran mediation efforts have been led by Qatar and
Pakistan. A Qatari delegation visited Tehran on Sunday, Iran's foreign ministry
spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said. Asked for details on the Qatari visit to Tehran,
Hashmi said "messages are ongoing and the exchange of ideas continues through
the mediators".
Iran army says oil tanker on fire after hitting mines in Hormuz
AFP/27 October/2026
The Iranian army on Tuesday said an oil tanker hit mines and caught fire while
attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz via a route not authorized by Tehran.
“A few hours ago, an oil tanker in breach of regulations, having switched off
its tracking systems and attempted to cross a prohibited and dangerous area east
of the Strait of Hormuz, struck naval mines, causing damage and a fire,” the
army said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency. Iran claims
control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy conduit, and has
targeted vessels that attempt to cross without its authorization since the
outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28. The Iranian military has
reported on multiple occasions that tankers struck naval mines while attempting
to transit areas Tehran considers off-limits.
Egypt parliament authorizes al-Sisi to bolster Saudi defenses amid regional
attacks
Al Arabiya English/October 27/2026
Egypt’s parliament voted by a two-thirds majority on Monday to authorize
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to take measures, in coordination with Saudi
Arabia, to strengthen the Kingdom’s defenses amid escalating regional attacks.
The approval came during a parliamentary session chaired by Speaker Hisham
Badawi, following a request from al-Sisi for authorization to undertake
defensive measures in coordination with Riyadh. The vote was conducted by roll
call after lawmakers held discussions over two sessions last week, hearing from
parliamentary representatives and members across the political spectrum.The
authorization was approved under constitutional provisions governing the
deployment of Egyptian armed forces on combat missions outside the country’s
borders. Article 152 of Egypt’s constitution requires the president, as supreme
commander of the armed forces, to consult the National Defense Council and
obtain the approval of two-thirds of parliament before declaring war or
deploying troops on combat missions abroad. The decision follows a meeting of
Egypt’s National Defense Council, chaired by al-Sisi last Sunday, which reviewed
regional developments, particularly attacks targeting Saudi Arabia.
The council expressed Egypt’s full solidarity with the Kingdom, stressing that
Saudi national security was closely linked to that of Egypt and the wider Arab
world. It also pledged to provide all necessary and feasible support to
strengthen Saudi defenses while continuing diplomatic efforts with regional and
international partners to reduce tensions and resolve conflicts peacefully.Saudi
Arabia has faced repeated missile and drone attacks amid heightened regional
tensions.
Two men charged in UK with helping Iran over RAF Fairford incident
Reuters/27 October/2026
British prosecutors said on Tuesday they had charged two men under the National
Security Act over an incident last month at the RAF Fairford airbase, with
police saying the two were suspected of assisting Iran. RAF Fairford had been
used by US bombers to carry out strikes on Iran, but they were withdrawn on
security grounds shortly after five British men were arrested outside the
military base in southwest England in the early hours of September 27. The Crown
Prosecution Service said it had charged Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, with engaging in
conduct that was likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service.
Nouman Essghir, 24, was charged with one offence of entering a prohibited place
for a purpose prejudicial to the UK on August 22. The pair will appear in court
later on Tuesday. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, Head of National
Counter Terrorism Policing in the UK, said police believed the country
Abdulkarim was assisting was Iran.
Kuwait Sentence 3 to Death for Collaborating with Iran, Plotting to Assassinate
Interior Minister
Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2026
The Kuwaiti Criminal Court, represented by the State Security Circuit, sentenced
on Monday three defendants to death and eight others to five years in prison, in
a case involving espionage for Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah, and plotting to
assassinate the Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior,
Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf, along with other state figures. The court, presided over
by Counselor Nasser Al-Badr, convicted Sheikh Hussein Abdullah Al-Matouq, Hassan
Abdulhadi Hajieh and Abdulreza Haidar Dehqani, an Iranian national, with harming
Kuwait's national interests, spying for foreign entities, and joining the
Lebanese Hezbollah group. The Public Prosecution charged the defendants with
committing acts that would undermine the independence, unity, and territorial
integrity of the country, as well as seeking and communicating with Iran and
Hezbollah to carry out hostile acts against Kuwait, which included plotting to
assassinate the Minister of Interior and other leading figures. Case documents
revealed that remaining defendants held meetings to plan the assassination and
assigned roles among themselves. An eleventh defendant was tasked with providing
the necessary equipment to execute the plot, acting under instructions from the
first three defendants who received death sentences. The court stressed that
"national security is not the interest of an individual or a faction, but a
right of society as a whole," adding that state sovereignty cannot be contested
by a foreign power.
Jordan Says its Strikes on Syria Killed More Than 20 ISIS Militants
Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2026
Jordan said its air force killed more than 20 ISIS militants in strikes on
southern Syria on Monday night. The attacks - which the kingdom said on Monday
were conducted in coordination with Damascus - avoided known civilian areas,
Jordan's Government Communication Minister, Mohammed al-Momani, said on X on
Tuesday.In Syria, officials said the Jordanian operation killed several
civilians and was carried out without notifying Syrian authorities. A deadly
attack struck the Greek Orthodox Church during a funeral in Karak, about 90
kilometers south of the capital, Amman, on Friday. Karak is home to a minority
Christian population. Earlier on Monday, Jordanian authorities arrested three
men for the attack that killed nine and wounded more than two dozen people. The
arrests followed a dawn shootout, and all three men were wounded, officials
said. Later on Monday, the Public Security Directorate identified the three
arrested men as brothers Hazzah Zaidan Mohammad and Mishal Zaidan Mohammad, and
their brother-in-law Ahmad Sami Hussein. All three are Jordanian. They were
taken into custody in Karak.
Syria Condemns Jordan Strikes that Kill at Least 6
Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2026
Syria on Tuesday condemned strikes on the country's south by Jordan a day
earlier that Amman said targeted the ISIS group in retaliation for a deadly
church attack last week. A foreign ministry statement expressed "condemnation
and rejection, in the strongest terms", calling the strike "an unacceptable
violation and breach of Syrian airspace without any prior coordination". It also
said the attack was "a blatant violation of the principles of
good-neighborliness and Syrian national sovereignty". Earlier, Syrian
authorities said at least six people were killed in the strikes on Monday in the
country's south. In a statement, the government stressed that the military
operation was conducted without prior coordination or notification with the
Syrian side. In an updated statement, health authorities in Daraa province
reported "six martyrs, including three children and a woman", after earlier
reporting eight victims. Amman has said the strikes were coordinated with
Damascus. The Syrian government “expressed its full solidarity with the affected
Syrian families and extended its heartfelt condolences to the martyrs’ families,
wishing a speedy recovery for the injured. ”It confirmed that relevant national
authorities are closely monitoring the situation to assess the needs of the
affected population and provide immediate required support and humanitarian
relief. The statement noted that competent authorities have launched
comprehensive investigations to establish the full circumstances of the
targeting.Simultaneously, Syria has opened direct channels of communication with
officials in Jordan to review the incident. The Syrian government “underscored
the imperative of joint field and security coordination regarding any actions
along the border region, underlining the need to uphold the sovereignty of Syria
and preserve the security and stability of both brotherly nations.”
Syrian authorities later shut the Nasib border crossing with Jordan in wake of
the strikes.
Jordan said on Tuesday it was keen to safeguard its ties with Syria.
"Jordan holds great respect for the Syrian state and its brotherly people, and
coordination between Jordan and Syria in fighting terrorism and weapons and drug
smuggling is ongoing and has been for years," government spokesman Mohammad Al-Momani
said. On Friday, gunmen killed nine people during a funeral service at the
Greek Orthodox St George's Church in the village of Hammoud in Karak
governorate, southern Jordan. Major General Abdullah al-Maaytah, Jordan's
director of public security, on Monday named the three detained suspects as
Hazza Zaidan Mohammed, Meshal Zaidan Mohammed and Ahmad Sami Hussein. The trio,
two of them brothers and the other related by marriage, were cornered at an
abandoned house where they had barricaded themselves inside and opened fire on
security forces. "All three terrorists have been injured. They have been taken
to hospital and are still receiving treatment," Maaytah told a press conference.
One of the suspects was in critical condition, Jordan's state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka
reported. There were no casualties among the security forces, it added. Jordan's
King Abdullah II said in a post on X that security forces "chased them to the
very end"."We vowed the terrorists would not escape punishment, and no proponent
of dark ideologies that divide Jordanians will be tolerated," he wrote. Earlier,
the king visited wounded victims of the church attack in hospital.
Syria Al-Qaeda Affiliate Commander Among 3 Dead in Strike,
Says Defense Ministry Source
Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2026
A Syrian defense ministry source told AFP that three people including a
commander from Syria's dissolved Al-Qaeda affiliate were killed in a strike on a
highway northeast of Damascus on Monday. State news agency SANA had reported
that "an explosion took place inside a car on the Damascus-Homs road in the Al-Qastal
area", adding that emergency workers removed "the bodies of victims". A Syrian
defense ministry source told AFP on condition of anonymity that "a strike by a
drone of unidentified provenance targeted the car", killing three people. Among
the dead was a leader from the Hurras al-Din group known as Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Libi,
the source said, adding that the other two had not yet been identified. A
government source had earlier told AFP that three people were killed. Syria's
Al-Qaeda affiliate Hurras al-Din had announced in January last year that it was
dissolving, weeks after an opposition offensive toppled longtime Syrian ruler
Bashar al-Assad. The group, which is on Washington's list of terror groups and
whose members included foreign extremists, had been based in mountainous areas
of northwest Syria. Last year, the United States said it killed several Hurras
al-Din commanders in Syria's northwest.
Arrest Warrant Issued against Iraq’s Maysan Provincial
Chairman for Refusing to Shut Crossing with Iran
Baghdad: Fadhel al-Nashmir/Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2026
An Iraqi court issued an arrest warrant for Maysan Provincial Council Chairman
Mustafa Duair al-Muhammadawi over his refusal to close the al-Sheeb border
crossing with Iran. The Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported on Monday that the
Third Al-Karkh Investigation Court issued the warrant against the council chief
in accordance with the Penal Code. A court document showed that the warrant
stems from a complaint filed by the Office of the Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi,
following statements by al-Muhammadawi threatening civil disobedience and
roadblocks, alongside a three-day ultimatum for the government to reopen the
border crossing. Al-Zaidi's office had on Sunday ordered a probe into the
chairman’s statements that had been deemed as “harmful”. In a statement, it
stressed that the move underscores the need to respect the law. The arrest
warrant was issued in accordance with the provisions of "Article 224 - Second
Section" of the "amended Iraqi Penal Code No. 111 of 1969," which carries a
penalty of up to "life imprisonment; a punishment applied to anyone who resorts
to violence, threats, or any other illegal means against the head of state or
whoever acts in his place."A member of the pro-Iran Asaib Ahl al-Haq faction,
al-Muhammadawi had given the government until Thursday to reopen the crossing.
During a press conference at the crossing, he threatened to "declare civil
disobedience and block all roads linking Maysan to other Iraqi cities if the
demand to open the crossing is not met."He also threatened to "secede the Maysan
governorate from Iraq if its demands are not fulfilled and the movement of trade
and passengers is not restored." He said that the technical justifications cited
by the government for the closure "inflicted severe harm on the governorate's
residents, drove up the prices of goods and construction materials, crippled
commercial activity, and disrupted travel for medical patients." Dozens of truck
drivers in Maysan staged a protest on Sunday against the closure of the
crossing. Al-Muhammadawi also took part. Baghdad decided last Tuesday to close
the Sheeb crossing until further notice. Government spokesperson Haider Al-Aboudi
said the decision stemmed from an inability to complete the technical,
technological, and developmental requirements necessary to operate the facility.
However, the Prime Minister's Advisor for Tribal and Marsh Affairs, Abdul Amir
Al-Taiban, said the closure was due to the smuggling of narcotics and
counterfeit currency from Iran. The Iranian Embassy in Iraq slammed his remarks
as "false allegations" and demanded that relevant Iraqi authorities take a stand
against statements it claimed harm bilateral relations.
Iraq PM Dismisses Shatri as Head of Intelligence
Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2026
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi dismissed on Monday Hamid al-Shatri as chief
of national intelligence. The PM will assume the position in an acting role
until a replacement is appointed. Al-Shatri was appointed to his position on
December 19, 2024, by then PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. Al-Shatri was born in Dhi
Qar in southern Iraq. He held several positions, including Director General of
Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism at the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, a role he
assumed in January 2021. In November 2021, he was appointed deputy head of the
National Security service, later becoming its head - a position he held until
July 2023, when he was transferred to the National Security advisory.
Coalition Intercepts Ballistic Missiles Fired Towards Saudi Arabia's Eastern
Region
Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2026
The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen announced in an official statement
that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles
launched by the Houthi militia toward Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region early
Tuesday morning. Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Coalition
also said that air defenses intercepted and destroyed four unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs) launched by the Houthi militia toward the Southern Region, the
Saudi Press Agency reported. Earlier, Al-Malki announced that air defenses had
intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis
toward the Eastern Region, SPA said. On Monday, the Coalition said it had
conducted a targeted military operation to destroy and neutralize legitimate
military targets in areas under Houthi militia control. The operation targeted
five tunnels used to store ballistic missiles, four missile launch platforms,
and missile depots, in response to repeated attacks targeting civilians and
civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Al-Malki, said the operation
also focused on disrupting supply lines between areas under Houthi control and
targeted the militia’s fortifications, personnel concentrations, and military
equipment along front lines inside Yemen.
Yemen’s Ibb Becomes Houthis’ Main Source for Recruits
Aden/Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2026
The terrorist Houthi militia is depleting the population in Yemen's Ibb
governorate by thrusting them onto the Taiz fronts, while expanding its use of
local military sites and mountain ridges as ballistic missile launchpads,
deepening the risks facing residents. Local sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that
the group has dispatched new military reinforcements from Ibb toward the Taiz
fronts for the third time in less than a month. This reflects its ongoing
reliance on recruiting the residents to offset human losses and replenish
frontlines with new fighters as it faces mounting difficulties in mobilizing
more residents and tribes across its territories. Meanwhile, thousands of
families are left to endure the loss of their sons and breadwinners, alongside
the broader economic and social fallout of the continuous deployment of young
men into combat. Informed sources said that Ibb has become the primary source of
fighters relied upon by Houthis to reinforce the Taiz fronts, followed by Dhamar,
the Houthi-held capital Sanaa and its countryside, and the Amran governorate. A
young man from Ibb city, who escaped from a Taiz combat front days ago,
recounted the recruitment tactics used by the militia to enlist youth and deploy
them into battle under misleading slogans. He revealed that he joined a military
training course after being misled into believing it was preparation to confront
Israel, only to find himself dispatched to Taiz to fight residents of a
neighboring governorate who share fraternal bonds with the people of Ibb. “They
told us that the fighting in Taiz was part of the training and that we would
later head to Palestine. Days passed and none of that happened,” he recalled.
Ibb has also been used as a launchpad for attacks on Taiz and other regions,
said residents and local sources. Activists warned that persisting with these
policies threatens to spill the conflict's repercussions from the battlefields
into the social fabric of both Ibb and Taiz, whose populations are bound by
proximity, history, and shared interests. Transforming these organic bonds into
channels for mobilization and combat compounds local suffering, exposes more
families to bereavement, and stokes divisions within communities, they said. The
activists called on notables and families in Ibb to resist Houthi recruitment
drives and protect their sons from being lured to the frontlines, warning
against the exploitation of ideological slogans to enlist youth and thrust them
into clashes where families and local communities ultimately bear the human and
social toll. They also stressed the need of preventing residential areas and
their vicinities from being transformed into military installations and
ballistic missile launch sites, given the potential dangers such actions pose to
civilians and their property.
Houthi Attacks Displace 270,000 Yemenis in Two Months
Yemen: Mohammed Nasser/Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2026
Caught between displacement camps that lack even the most basic necessities and
perilous sea crossings, hundreds of thousands of Yemenis are facing yet another
journey of displacement as the Houthis' military escalation has expanded since
September of last year.
The crisis has extended far beyond the front lines, placing increasing pressure
on governorates hosting displaced populations and spilling across Yemen's
borders, all amid dwindling humanitarian funding and a declining capacity to
meet growing needs.
As of October 23, more than 268,000 people had been displaced, almost all of
them since the beginning of September, the International Organization of
Migration (IOM) said. Displaced families are now sheltering in 62 districts
across ten governorates.
As of October 17, 3,836 Yemenis have arrived in Djibouti, half of them children,
including 282 under the age of five. These figures reflect the growing scale of
displacement from conflict zones, particularly in western Taiz, Lahj, and
southern Hodeidah, where families have been forced to flee their homes in search
of safety. At the same time, host areas are increasingly struggling to absorb
the rising numbers of displaced people and provide for their basic needs. The
wave of displacement due to Houthi attacks has expanded, exacerbating the
humanitarian situation (Local media) In Aden, the number of displaced people has
more than doubled since October 7 to more than 42,000, while Lahj now hosts
around 67,000. The flight from violence has not been limited to land routes.
Yemeni families have also taken to the sea in an attempt to escape areas of
escalating conflict. Some boats reached shore before arriving at their intended
destinations after running out of fuel, highlighting the dangers civilians face
as they seek safer refuge. As the number of arrivals continues to grow, families
who fled their homes in haste are struggling to secure shelter, safe drinking
water, healthcare, and other essential services.
At the same time, pressure is mounting on host communities that already suffer
from limited resources, while humanitarian needs are increasing at a pace that
far exceeds the capacity of available response efforts. The suffering of the
displaced does not end once they leave conflict zones. Many families are forced
to take shelter in overcrowded public buildings, while others sleep in the open
due to a lack of adequate accommodation.
Continuous flow of displaced persons from the outskirts of Lahij governorate
(Local media)
The shortage of sanitation facilities and basic services further compounds their
hardship. These conditions heighten the risks faced by children, women, the
elderly, and people with disabilities. "The scale and speed of this displacement
is leaving families in desperate need of help, and our response is struggling to
keep pace," said IOM Yemen Chief of Mission Abdusattor Esoev. "Our teams are
reaching people every day, but funding is falling far short. Without urgent
support, more families will go without assistance that could save their lives."
With 44,736 families displaced, many are struggling to access clean water,
health care and basic services amid severe fuel shortages and skyrocketing
prices for basic food items and medicine. Humanitarian access constraints in
Taiz continue to slow aid delivery and the IOM faces a critical funding gap of
$30 million over the next six months to provide shelter, emergency cash,
protection, health care, clean water and sanitation, and to track displacement.
"Many families have had to flee more than once, each time facing the struggle to
find somewhere safe to stay and access the support they need," said Esoev.
"Support must reach both displaced families and the communities hosting them
now, before more lives are put at risk."Since August 1, IOM has worked with
local authorities, UN partners and local organizations to reach 11,178
conflict-affected households with emergency shelter, household items, water,
sanitation and hygiene supplies and multi-purpose cash assistance. IOM has also
provided protection services to 6,757 migrants and displaced people and carried
out 56,863 primary health care consultations. The organization urged donors “to
urgently scale up support to keep pace with rapidly growing needs, and on all
parties to protect civilians and humanitarian workers and to ensure safe,
unimpeded access to people in need.”
Libya Says International Aviation Restrictions Lifted After
11 Years
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2026
Libya's Ministry of Transport said on Monday that airspace restrictions issued
by the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization in 2015 during the
country's civil war have been removed. The ministry said the decision, which was
formally issued on October 23, was announced by ICAO Secretary General Juan
Carlos Salazar at the opening of a meeting of civil aviation officials from the
Middle East in Doha. "This measure comes as a result of the notable progress
made and the confidence placed in the capabilities of the Libyan civil
aviation sector in recent times," the Tripoli-based Ministry of Transport said
in a statement on its verified Facebook page. The ministry, in a separate
statement, said the North African country has received requests for permits to
transit Libyan airspace that it characterized as "unprecedented demand from
international airlines.""The total number of permits registered for 2026-2027
winter season has surged to 61,968 flights per month, effective from this
November," the ministry said, calling it a significant jump from an average of
2,000 transit flights per month during the 2025-2026 season. "Such an increase
will generate substantial financial revenues using Libyan airspace," it added.
Libya slid into chaos after the fall of Moammar al-Gaddafi in a NATO-backed
uprising in 2011. Three years later, a civil war broke out between armed
factions vying for power and divided the country between eastern and western
administrations. The war caused damage to up to 20 aircraft, including Airbus
models, at Tripoli International Airport in 2014. There are currently few
airlines operating flights in and out of Libya, with destinations such as
Tunisia, Jordan, Türkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.The ICAO's decision
would be circulated to all 193 member states for their implementation, the
ministry added.
Israeli Military Says It Detained Egyptian Who Crossed into Its Territory
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2026
The Israeli military said on Tuesday it apprehended an Egyptian civilian
overnight after he crossed a border fence from Egyptian territory into
Israel near Nitzana. He was transferred to security forces for further
questioning, the military said, without providing additional details. Egypt
and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979, but cultural and popular ties are
limited and marked by distrust.
Palestinians protest against military demolitions in West Bank as Israelis vote
Reuters/27 October /2026
Israeli troops fired a stun grenade on Tuesday to disperse Palestinians who
gathered to protest against an Israeli military operation that has displaced
thousands of residents from a neighborhood in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied
West Bank. The unrest, which follows the deaths of two Israeli soldiers shot by
Palestinian gunmen at a checkpoint last week, unfolded as Israelis were voting
in an election in which the country’s posture in the West Bank has been a major
political issue. Some Palestinian officials have accused Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu of launching a crackdown in the West Bank to coincide with the vote,
as a way to energize his right-wing supporters. The government says its
operation is a response to the attack on its soldiers. A group of Palestinian
men, women, and children gathered at Tuesday’s protest. One elderly man held a
placard that said: “No to collective punishment, no to closures, and no to
displacement.”The military said it had fired a stun grenade to disperse them so
that its operation could continue. On Monday, the United Nations said that over
3,000 Palestinians had been forced from their homes by the Israeli military
operation, which targeted neighborhoods near the checkpoint where Palestinian
gunmen killed the two Israeli soldiers on Friday. “Collective punishment is a
grave violation of international law,” said UN human rights chief Volker Turk in
a statement. “Threats to empty and erase entire neighborhoods also raise serious
concerns of ethnic cleansing.”The Israeli military said in a statement on Sunday
that troops would carry out demolitions in the area. It said soldiers had not
located any weapons in searches of the houses. Since Friday’s attack on the
checkpoint, Israel has blocked the entrances to most Palestinian cities and
towns across the West Bank, severely curtailing Palestinians’ freedom of
movement. Noura Nassar, a displaced resident who attended the protests, said she
had struggled to get medical treatment because of the blockages. “Where is the
democracy in all of this? Their elections are today, sure, but what about us?
Aren’t we human beings? We want to go out, we want to visit the doctor,” said
Nassar. Netanyahu and his main rival Gadi Eisenkot both oppose the creation of
an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Residents expelled from the
Hebron neighborhood said Tuesday’s election in Israel would do little to change
the reality on the ground in territories Israel has occupied since 1967. “Among
themselves they will elect who is the oppressor and who will destroy the
Palestinian people. That is their election,” said Sana’ Salman Abu Sneineh,
another expelled resident. Netanyahu’s government has presided over a rapid
expansion of Israeli settlements, which are deemed illegal by UN bodies and most
countries, though Israel disputes this. Under Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition
there has also been a surge of militant settler violence against Palestinians.
US-Brokered Truce Begins in Ukraine City Occupied by Russia
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2026
A truce between Ukraine and Russia aimed at allowing humanitarian aid into the
Russian-occupied city of Oleshky entered into force early Tuesday, after it was
announced by US First Lady Melania Trump last week. Both sides said they would
observe the truce starting at 3:00 am local time (0100 GMT). AFP was not able to
immediately verify whether there had been a decrease in fighting. The
war-ravaged city in Ukraine's southern Kherson region has been caught in middle
of the fighting since 2022, when it was seized by Russian forces at the start of
their invasion. Former residents told AFP earlier this year that those remaining
in the city were starving, lacked medicine and could not easily leave. The
Russian Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday that the truce was in effect. "In
connection with preparations for a humanitarian operation in the area of Oleshky,
Kherson Oblast, (Russian forces) have ceased fire in the Kherson sector and
introduced a 'regime of silence'," the ministry said on its Telegram channel.
Ukraine's human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said the country was
"fulfilling its commitments" to the ceasefire. "The sides are adhering to the
agreements that we reached," he said on Telegram.
Kyiv continued to be a target for Russian strikes. On Tuesday morning, the
Ukrainian air force command issued nearly a dozen messages warning of ballistic
missiles fired toward the capital. Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said a strike hit the
Southern Bridge -- one of Kyiv's main bridges -- and damaged its metro
infrastructure.
Ceasefire brokered -
The ceasefire, which applies to a limited area, comes as the Ukraine war grinds
through its fifth year. Three-way peace talks between Washington, Moscow and
Kyiv are set to resume in November after a months-long hiatus. Neither Russia,
Ukraine nor the United States have said who would monitor the truce or given
details about the humanitarian operation set to accompany it. Announcing last
Friday that she had brokered the ceasefire, Melania Trump said civilian
officials from both Russia and Ukraine would visit residents in their homes and
"determine the level of assistance they require". "Residents who wish to
evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred
destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine,"
she said. Newsmax, a right-wing US cable network, has said it had been granted
"exclusive television access" to accompany observers entering the city on
Thursday.
- 'Forgotten what bread is' -
Neither Russia nor Ukraine have said how long the truce would last. The Russian
defense ministry said on Friday it would halt fire in the "Kherson sector" for
the duration of the ceasefire, without giving details. "To ensure the safety of
the population and the delivery of essential humanitarian supplies... the safe
passage of a humanitarian convoy to the settlement of Oleshky, Kherson Region,
will be facilitated," it quoted army chief Valery Gerasimov as saying. Ukraine
has accused Russia of blocking residents from leaving, a charge Moscow has
denied. The city, on the southern bank of the Dnipro River, was seized by
Russian troops in 2022. The population has since dropped from about 24,000
before Moscow's invasion to around 2,000 today, including as many as 50
children, according to Ukrainian and US estimates. Russia's human rights
commissioner, Yana Lantratova, alleged Monday that most of those who wished to
depart had already done so -- "entirely of their own volition."Former residents
told AFP earlier this year that remaining residents were starving, forced to
hunt pigeons or subsist on whatever they had in their garden. "They've forgotten
what bread is. You need flour for bread, and there's not even flour left," said
Olga, who was in touch with two families still in Oleshky. The city was heavily
damaged by the 2023 destruction of the Kakhovka dam, which unleashed major
flooding along the Dnipro River.
Videos show destruction -
The Ukrainian army said Friday it would do "everything possible to assist the
residents of Oleshky and will make every effort to ensure the safety and rescue
of our fellow citizens."The Ukrainian military has released drone footage of the
town showing rows of empty apartment blocks, some charred by fire or partially
destroyed by fighting.Other videos have shown Ukrainian authorities using drones
to dispatch medicine and food to remaining residents. The Russian military does
not routinely grant international media access to areas under Russian
occupation, including Oleshky. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians
have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since Russia invaded
Ukraine in February 2022, a conflict that has spiraled into Europe's deadliest
since World War II. Russia, which denies targeting civilians, now occupies
around a fifth of its neighbor: the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014,
most of the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk -- collectively referred to
as the Donbas -- and large parts of the southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson
regions. US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine are set to resume in
November, having been effectively frozen since the United States and Israel
launched joint strikes on Iran in February.
Bolsonaro’s Party Says It Recognizes Lula’s Election Win in
Brazil
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2026
Flavio Bolsonaro's Liberal Party on Monday recognized the outcome of Brazil's
presidential runoff, despite the candidate's objections to the poll won by
leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.Lula, who turns 81 on Tuesday,
pulled off a dramatic comeback after trailing Bolsonaro in a first-round vote, a
defeat which fired up the left on the streets and social media to secure him a
fourth term in office. In the end, Lula pulled around 4.4 million more votes
than his rival on Sunday. Bolsonaro, a right-wing senator and 45-year-old son of
far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, cried foul after polling was extended
nationwide for two hours, at Lula's request, due to transport problems in some
cities. Though Bolsonaro maintained that he will seek annulment of the
presidential election, his party later distanced itself from that position and
opted to accept the official vote. "We recognize the presidential election
results, as proclaimed by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), but we believe
that the concerns raised need to be sufficiently addressed within a balanced and
democratic political debate," the party said in a statement late Monday. Flavio
Bolsonaro had also requested polling stations stay open in some regions due to
heavy rains, but he described the vote extension as "unacceptable" and a "dirty
trick." While congratulations rolled in for Lula from world leaders on both
sides of the political divide, Trump, an ally of the Bolsonaro family, said the
election "looked terrible to me.""I didn't take sides, but it looked like
another rigged election frankly," he told reporters in Washington. "It looked so
corrupt." In a video posted to social media on Monday afternoon, Flavio
Bolsonaro said police had ordered he surrender his passports, adding "I am now
prohibited from leaving the country."
Leader of the opposition -
He said the decision came from a Supreme Court justice, and was based on a
comment by his US-based brother Eduardo Bolsonaro, who told a US podcast two
days before the election that "if my brother does not win, I am in favor that he
would leave the country."Eduardo cited investigations against his brother.
Brazilian police are probing Flavio Bolsonaro for corruption over the financing
of the biopic "Dark Horse" about his father. "I never had any intention of
leaving the country. I will surrender my passports and defend myself against
this travesty," Flavio Bolsonaro said. The right-wing candidate also took up the
mantle as "leadership of the opposition" in a separate statement. Brazil's
markets tumbled nearly 17 percent and the dollar surged against the real in
response to leftist Lula's re-election, as investors worried about fiscal
discipline.
Flavio slammed Lula for "an unprecedented abuse of both political and economic
power," over a flurry of social spending announcements during the campaign.
'Rebellious youth'-
The left was triumphant after securing a historic turnaround in the vote, with
thousands pouring into the streets to celebrate Lula on Sunday night. Lawyer
Julio Canelo, 42, hailed a victory for "the entire democratic spectrum.""It was
the result of the people mobilizing, in the streets and online," he told AFP.
Lula's re-energized campaign to the cry of "Never Again Bolsonaro," urging
people to go out and vote, saw the abstention rate fall from 21 percent to 19
percent in the runoff. The proportion of spoiled and blank votes also decreased.
"I owe this victory to the rebellious youth who rose up to defend democracy,"
Lula told jubilant supporters Sunday night. European nations, Russia, China,
India, South Africa and others congratulated Lula. Several right-wing
governments in Latin America -- who are close with Trump -- accepted the
victory, with Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella saying even though
he had backed Bolsonaro: "When the people speak at the ballot box, their will
must be respected."
Echo of father's loss -
Bolsonaro's rejection of the results echoed his father's refusal to acknowledge
losing to Lula in the 2022 elections. Tension over that result led to hundreds
of Jair Bolsonaro's supporters storming government buildings a week after Lula's
inauguration to demand military intervention. Jair Bolsonaro is serving a
27-year sentence under house arrest for an attempted coup to stop Lula from
taking office.Electoral court chief Kassio Nunes Marques, a Bolsonaro appointee
to the Supreme Court, hailed the "successful polls" and said there "were no
changes" resulting from the decision to extend voting, even if it did create
difficulties.
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on October 27-28/2026
How Israel and Ukraine Are Guiding
the Next Generation of Air Defense
Seth J. Frantzman/The National Interest/October 27/2026
The proliferation of air defense threats is prompting a rethink of conventional,
expensive, and hard-to-restock air defense systems. Israel’s air defense system
is attracting interest and imitation worldwide. In early October, the United
Kingdom’s main opposition party, the Conservatives, pledged to invest $13
billion in a new air defense system dubbed “Britannia Shield.” This has sparked
debate over what a multi-layered system, similar to Israel’s famous “Iron Dome,”
means for British air defense. Numerous other countries are also debating
adopting similar defense systems, often with a spin on the original name. These
include the United States’ proposed “Golden Dome,” Turkey’s “Steel Dome,”
Italy’s “Michelangelo Dome,” and Greece’s “Achilles Shield.”Although the Iron
Dome is the lower tier of Israel’s multi-layered air defense system, defense
commentators sometimes mistakenly use it to refer to Israel’s air defense as a
whole. Israel developed Iron Dome to confront short-range threats that it faced
from its neighbors and works in concert with other layers of air defenses.
Nonetheless, Israel offers critical, practical lessons on emerging air threats
and how to counter them.
The war in Ukraine has also shown the tactical opportunities and dangers of
drones and loitering munitions. Russian drone threats have emerged in Germany
and across Eastern Europe. The exponential growth of unmanned aerial systems and
loitering munitions, which combine drone and cruise-missile features, means
traditional air-defense approaches are no longer sufficient. Israel has
cooperated with the United States for five decades to develop intermediate- and
long-range air defenses. The Arrow system was initially designed to confront
ballistic missiles, such as the Iraqi Scuds Israel encountered during the 1991
Gulf War. Arrow complemented systems such as the Patriot missile system. Israel
and the United States began developing David’s Sling, a medium-range
interceptor, in the early 2000s. Arrow has been in operational use since 2017,
and especially since 2023.
Iron Dome was developed in response to the 2006 Lebanon War, when Hezbollah
fired large barrages of rockets into northern Israel. While Israel had faced
rocket attacks dating back to the late 1970s, the scale of the threat from
Hezbollah and Hamas spurred the creation of a unique short-range system. Iron
Dome achieved its first interception in 2011 and has maintained impressive
results over the years, with reported interception rates of around 90 percent
against threats it engages.
Israel’s multi-layered approach to air defense was not fully tested against the
range of threats it was designed to confront until the war that began with the
Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Prior to that attack, the main threat
Israel faced was from Hamas rockets in Gaza. Although some of these rockets were
long-range, Iron Dome handled most of those threatening populated areas
Israel used the David’s Sling and Arrow systems relatively little until 2023 and
2024. The interception of massive salvoes of Iranian ballistic missiles and
drones in 2024 illustrated that Israel’s systems worked as expected. Israel
didn’t succeed alone. Decades of cooperation with the United States made this
possible. In addition, Israel enjoyed support from US Central Command and other
partners in Europe and the region during the Iranian attacks in 2024. Subsequent
conflicts with Iran in June 2025 and beginning in February 2026 have enabled
Israel to adjust and update its air defenses.
As countries look to Israel for an air defense “dome” concept, they are also
looking at Ukraine’s success against Russian drone and missile attacks. Ukraine
has used a variety of systems to confront these threats and has shown impressive
results despite facing many challenges. Ukraine has also shown that it can
develop its defense industrial base under wartime pressure, rolling out mass
quantities of drones for increasingly deep strikes within Russia.
Iran supplies the Shahed-136 drone model to Russia, and Russia has used
thousands of these drones to wreak havoc in Ukraine. Many air defense systems
designed to deal with aircraft and missile threats have been pressed into
service against emerging drone and loitering munition threats in recent years.
This is not only the case in Ukraine, but also across the Middle East. Saudi
Arabia, for instance, is dealing with missile and drone threats from the
Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.
This has been a wake-up call for many companies that manufacture air defense
systems. They now understand that threats are evolving quickly and growing
exponentially. Daily drone attacks in the Ukraine War have numbered in the
hundreds and thousands per day. The high number of attacks has raised concerns
about a shortage of traditional interceptors, such as Patriots and THAAD.
This realization has shifted air defense strategy and fueled a desire to procure
large numbers of systems. It has also prompted countries to look to Israel and
Ukraine as examples of what the future holds. Discussions about acquiring a
“dome” defense have become increasingly common in many countries.
The first question for many countries going forward is where to invest in buying
or developing the right types of air defenses. The second question is how to
knit them all together in a multi-layered approach. This means the UK discussion
about investing in a new protective “dome” should focus on what such a system of
systems will look like. Israel understands this. It has continuously adapted and
upgraded the Iron Dome and other systems to counter new threats, including
developing laser systems that complement existing defenses against shorter-range
targets. When first-person view (FPV) drone threats emerged from Lebanon, Israel
moved to address the problem. The rise of lasers, microwave weapons, and various
counter-drone systems shows how multi-layered air defenses are evolving daily.
These technologies combine jamming, electro-optical systems, and interceptor
drones designed to shoot down or ram incoming threats. Several of these new
systems were on display at the AUSA defense show in Washington in mid-October.
European efforts to adapt air defenses to this changing reality are critical.
The key challenge is designing an architecture that absorbs Israel’s and
Ukraine’s lessons while preparing for what comes next. Historically, some
countries have failed by planning to “fight the last war” rather than the next
one. France built the Maginot Line under the assumptions that had guided World
War I, and it proved ineffective against Germany’s 1940 invasion. Similarly,
large battleships built around earlier naval doctrines played a diminished role
in World War II due to the expanded role of air power. What does this tell us
about multi-layered air defenses and learning from Israel and Ukraine to develop
various “domes” for other countries? A critical task is preparing for how the
battlefield will evolve in the next decades. Existing air defenses such as
Patriot or Arrow took decades to develop. The rapid evolution of one-way attack
drones, drone swarms, and the exponential increase in cheap drones makes it hard
to predict what comes next. This means preparing for long-range drone strikes,
as well as short-range drone operations launched from within a country. Drones
could be smuggled in through shipping containers or similar means and then
launched near their targets, as happened with Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb.
Countries must also prepare for confronting growing numbers of loitering
munitions and cheap cruise missiles that arrive from different directions.
As the volume of deployed munitions grows, expensive, gold-plated systems
focused on ballistic missiles will need to become more cost-effective. Countries
building their own dome approaches must address this operational bottleneck as
soon as possible. The discussion in the UK and other countries is relevant and
requires a serious approach.
**Seth Frantzman is the author of Drone Wars: Pioneers, Killing Machine,
Artificial Intelligence and the Battle for the Future (Bombardier 2021) and an
adjunct fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He is the acting
news editor and senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem
Post. Seth has researched and covered conflict and developments in the Middle
East since 2005 with a focus on the war on ISIS, Iranian proxies, and Israel’s
defense policy. He covers Israeli defense industry developments for Breaking
Defense and previously was Defense News’ correspondent in Israel. Follow him on
X: @sfrantzman.
Iraq’s Currency Crisis Exposes the Economic Cost of Iran’s
Endless Wars
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Middle East 24/October 27/ 2026
As Baghdad devalues the dinar and Gulf governments confront mounting fiscal
pressures, the Middle East faces a reckoning over oil dependence, Iranian proxy
warfare, and the economic cost of perpetual conflict. Iraq is one of the world’s
richest countries in oil, yet its government is struggling to pay its bills. On
October 7, Baghdad devalued the Iraqi dinar from 1,320 to 1,500 per US dollar,
an emergency measure designed to stretch dwindling oil revenues across an
enormous public payroll. With the Strait of Hormuz severely disrupted by the war
with Iran, Iraq’s oil-dependent economy has been pushed toward a fiscal breaking
point. The government is delaying payments, the cost of imports is rising, and
ordinary Iraqis are paying the price for decades of economic mismanagement and
regional instability. The numbers reveal the magnitude of the problem. Iraq’s
draft 2027 budget projects a deficit of roughly $33 billion, while public
spending continues to expand despite shrinking revenues. The government has
struggled to meet obligations to contractors, farmers, and public employees.
Devaluing the currency may provide temporary relief to the treasury, but it does
little to address the underlying problem: a state that distributes oil wealth
without generating enough productive economic activity to sustain itself. Iraq’s
crisis is more than a domestic financial emergency. It is an early warning of a
much broader economic reckoning across the Middle East, where population growth,
expanding government obligations, and dependence on energy exports are colliding
with the enormous costs of perpetual warfare. For decades, the region’s rentier
states operated according to a deceptively simple formula: pump oil, collect
dollars, and redistribute the proceeds through public salaries, subsidies, and
patronage networks. Governments purchased social stability with hydrocarbon
revenues rather than building economies capable of generating sustainable
prosperity. That model is coming under increasing strain. And nowhere are its
contradictions more visible than in Iraq, where enormous natural wealth coexists
with dysfunctional institutions, bloated government payrolls, and armed factions
that undermine the state’s authority.
Iraq’s Fiscal Crisis Is Decades in the Making
Iraq’s immediate predicament stems from the disruption of its most important
economic lifeline. Oil accounts for the overwhelming majority of the
government’s revenues, and most of its exports depend on shipping routes through
the Persian Gulf. As the war with Iran disrupted traffic through the Strait of
Hormuz, Baghdad found itself earning fewer dollars while facing financial
obligations that could not easily be reduced. The consequences have been severe.
According to reporting on Iraq’s October currency devaluation, Baghdad has
delayed salary payments in some provinces, deferred payments to farmers and
construction companies, and relied on short-term borrowing from state banks. The
Finance Ministry warned that existing revenues were insufficient to sustain
government spending without adjustments. The draft 2027 budget illustrates how
deeply entrenched the problem has become. Proposed spending stands at
approximately 217 trillion dinars, against a projected deficit of 50 trillion
dinars. Even amid this crisis, the budget envisions additional public
employment, perpetuating the very economic structure that has placed the
government under such pressure.
Currency devaluation offers a short-term accounting solution. By exchanging each
dollar of oil revenue for more dinars, Baghdad can temporarily cover more of its
domestic obligations. But it also makes imported food, medicine, equipment, and
consumer goods more expensive. The government gains purchasing power in local
currency while ordinary citizens lose purchasing power in the marketplace. The
deeper problem is that Iraq has failed to transform its enormous oil wealth into
a diversified economy capable of providing jobs, attracting investment, and
supporting a growing population without relying on government employment.
Corruption, weak institutions, unreliable infrastructure, and political
patronage have all contributed to this failure. Yet another obstacle is
inseparable from Iraq’s relationship with Iran: the persistence of powerful
armed factions operating beyond the effective control of the Iraqi state.
Iran’s Proxies and the Price of Lost Sovereignty
For years, Tehran-backed militias justified maintaining their weapons as
necessary to resist the presence of American forces. But as the United States
reduces its military footprint, the continued power of armed factions raises an
increasingly uncomfortable question: Were American troops ever the real reason
these organizations insisted on retaining their independent military
capabilities?
There have been important developments. As Middle East Journal previously
reported, several powerful Iran-backed Iraqi militias agreed to place their
weapons under state authority, although other factions continue to resist
disarmament. Whether these commitments translate into meaningful government
control remains uncertain.
The distinction matters enormously for Iraq’s economic future.
Foreign investors are unlikely to commit substantial capital to a country where
armed organizations can operate independently of elected institutions, challenge
government authority, and potentially draw the country into conflicts it did not
choose. A functioning investment environment requires enforceable contracts,
dependable institutions, physical security, and confidence that the government
exercises effective control over its territory. Iraq cannot guarantee these
conditions while powerful militias maintain parallel military and political
structures.
The result is a vicious cycle. Weak institutions discourage private investment,
leaving citizens dependent on government employment. The expanding public
payroll increases the state’s dependence on oil revenues, while militia
influence and political dysfunction make the reforms necessary to escape that
dependence even more difficult.
Tehran’s influence over Iraqi armed factions is therefore not simply a question
of national security. It is an obstacle to Iraq’s economic development and its
ability to function as a sovereign state.
The Gulf’s Growing Fiscal Pressures
Iraq is the most acute example of this economic vulnerability, but the broader
Gulf is not immune. Saudi Arabia, the region’s largest economy, is confronting
rising fiscal pressures as it pursues an ambitious transformation under Vision
2030. Riyadh now expects a 2026 budget deficit of approximately $65 billion,
substantially higher than originally projected. The kingdom retains significant
financial resources, but its spending commitments illustrate the difficulty of
simultaneously financing economic diversification, maintaining public services,
and absorbing the consequences of regional instability.
Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar face different combinations of fiscal challenges and
hydrocarbon dependence. Their economies are not approaching bankruptcy, nor are
their financial positions comparable to Iraq’s. Nevertheless, the wider economic
pressures are unmistakable.
The World Bank’s October 2026 regional economic assessment projects that Gulf
Cooperation Council economies will contract by an average of 4.3 percent this
year, while the broader Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan
region will contract by 2.1 percent. Unlike previous energy crises, when rising
oil prices often enriched Gulf exporters, the disruption of shipping through
Hormuz has sharply reduced export volumes and imposed heavy economic costs on
producing countries themselves. The damage extends well beyond oil revenues. The
International Monetary Fund has warned that regional warfare is undermining
trade, aviation, tourism, business confidence, and non-oil economic activity,
precisely the sectors on which Gulf governments are counting to reduce their
long-term dependence on hydrocarbons.
There is an important distinction between Iraq and its wealthier neighbors.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are actively attempting to replace the
old rentier bargain with more diversified economic models. Their investments in
logistics, tourism, technology, infrastructure, and private enterprise represent
efforts to prepare for a future in which oil revenues alone can no longer
sustain national prosperity.
Yet even successful diversification requires something that money cannot
purchase indefinitely: regional stability.
Iran’s War Machine Is Undermining the Region’s Economic Future
The central contradiction facing the Middle East is that its governments need
peace and economic integration to prosper, while Iran’s regional strategy has
long depended on armed confrontation and the cultivation of militias operating
across sovereign borders.
For decades, the Islamic Republic has devoted substantial resources to the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its network of armed partners in Iraq,
Lebanon, Yemen, and the Palestinian territories. Tehran presents these
organizations as instruments of deterrence and resistance. In practice, their
activities have repeatedly helped turn neighboring countries into arenas of
confrontation, undermining sovereignty and imposing enormous economic costs.
Lebanon offers perhaps the clearest example. Hezbollah’s independent military
capabilities have repeatedly exposed a country already devastated by corruption,
financial collapse, and institutional failure to the consequences of war. In
Yemen, Houthi attacks on commercial shipping have threatened one of the world’s
most important maritime corridors. In Iraq, militia influence complicates
efforts to restore government authority and attract the investment needed for
economic recovery. These conflicts do not remain confined to the countries in
which they originate. They increase shipping costs, discourage tourism, deter
foreign investors, disrupt supply chains, and force governments throughout the
region to divert resources toward security instead of development. Iran itself
has paid a devastating economic price. Decades of sanctions, domestic
mismanagement, international isolation, and costly regional military commitments
have eroded the country’s economic potential. A nation possessing enormous
energy reserves, an educated population, and considerable industrial capacity
has watched its currency weaken and living standards deteriorate. Rather than
serving as an engine of regional economic growth, Iran’s leadership has
prioritized a strategy of military confrontation that imposes costs on its own
citizens and its neighbors.
The region’s fiscal problems cannot all be blamed on Tehran. Iraq’s corruption,
Saudi Arabia’s spending decisions, and the structural limitations of
resource-dependent economies have domestic causes that require domestic
solutions. But Iran’s system of proxy warfare adds an extraordinary burden to
economies already facing difficult demographic and financial transitions. The
economic damage is no longer theoretical. It is visible in Baghdad’s currency
crisis, the Gulf’s lost export revenues, and the billions of dollars diverted
from productive investment toward managing regional insecurity.
The Middle East Cannot Afford Endless War
Economic reforms, currency adjustments, and austerity measures may help
governments manage immediate financial emergencies, but they cannot by
themselves create the conditions for lasting prosperity. The Middle East needs
institutions that protect investment, governments that enforce the rule of law,
productive private sectors, and open trade routes connecting the region to
international markets. Most importantly, it needs sovereign states capable of
making economic and security decisions without interference from armed
organizations answering to foreign powers.
These objectives are fundamentally at odds with the Islamic Republic’s
longstanding regional strategy. Attempts to contain or manage Tehran’s ambitions
through periodic negotiations and temporary understandings have not eliminated
the underlying problem. As long as the Iranian regime views armed proxies as
essential instruments of its regional influence, governments from Baghdad to
Beirut will struggle to consolidate sovereignty and build stable economic
futures.
The political transformation of Iran would not automatically solve the Middle
East’s economic problems. Corruption, inefficient public sectors, and dependence
on oil require difficult reforms regardless of who governs Tehran. But removing
the Islamic Republic’s machinery of regional confrontation would eliminate a
major obstacle to those reforms and create new possibilities for regional
integration. Ultimately, the people of Iran must be free to reclaim their
country from a regime that has repeatedly prioritized ideological confrontation
over national prosperity. The dismantling of Tehran’s regional proxy network,
alongside genuine domestic reform, would allow countries such as Iraq and
Lebanon to strengthen their institutions and pursue investment and economic
development without the constant threat of another war.
The economic choice facing the Middle East is becoming increasingly stark.
Governments can continue spending their wealth managing crises, maintaining
enormous public payrolls, and financing perpetual confrontation, or they can
redirect their resources toward building productive economies and a more
integrated region. Iraq’s currency crisis is a warning of what happens when
those choices are postponed for too long. The Middle East possesses the
resources, geographic advantages, and human capital to become one of the world’s
most dynamic economic regions. What it increasingly lacks is the luxury of
time.Oil wealth can finance governments, but it cannot indefinitely compensate
for weak institutions, declining productivity, and endless war. Unless the
region abandons the politics of perpetual confrontation, its mounting fiscal
pressures will become a much deeper crisis of economic and political stability.
*Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD).
Europe: The New Totalitarians
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/October 27/2026
[German] Chancellor Friedrich Merz has made it clear that he wants to end
anonymity on the internet.
Internet anonymity makes it harder to arrest people for inconvenient speech --
"hate speech" and "insults" -- and Germany's police have been raiding the homes
of such internet participants for years. Merz himself has filed hundreds of
criminal complaints against ordinary German citizens perceived to have insulted
him online, including against a 71-year-old pensioner who committed the
unconscionable crime of calling him "Pinocchio" on Facebook....Meanwhile, in the
United Kingdom, the totalitarian strain has become just as strong, if not worse.
The government has been making examples of citizens who protest the mass
migration, which has been continuing across the UK's open borders. By contrast,
the men who were arrested on September 27 for what is believed to have been an
Iranian-orchestrated attempted attack on England's RAF Fairford air base, used
by U.S. warplanes to carry out strikes on Iran, were all released on bail the
next day.[T]he UK government has released more than 70,000 criminals early since
2024 under the Labour government's plan to "combat jail overcrowding." So far,
since their release, a third of those released have committed new crimes. One
man sexually assaulted a woman the day he was freed. Some of the victims of the
criminals released early have fled the country. The room they are eager to make
in prisons seems to be for ordinary citizens fed up with how their country is
run and had the gall to state it. That is how it works in totalitarian systems.
Criminals are freed so that dissidents can take their places.
Over three years of pro-Hamas protests inciting violence in the form of calling
for a "global intifada" and "intifada revolution is the only solution" on the
streets of Britain, not a single protester even came close to that kind of
sentencing, even though Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organization in the UK.
Protesters who wore the Hamas paraglider symbol or the Hamas headband were
convicted of terrorism offenses but discharged by friendly judges and never
served any time in prison.
It is evidently all right to be carried away by emotion in favor of Hamas' mass
slaughter, dismemberment and rape of Jews. The judge even seems to be saying
that their view is understandable... When it comes to trying to protect your
family from predatory third-world illegal male migrants arriving by the
thousands on the shores of your country, that is not all right.
This seems to be how the UK "justice" system works. If you support Hamas, a
terrorist organization, it is considered either not really support at all, or
not to cause "serious harm." Instead, protesting illegal immigration must
immediately be punished with unconditional prison sentences. If this is not an
example of the state emboldening terrorism, it would be hard to say what is.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has made it clear that he wants to end
anonymity on the internet. "I want to see real names on the internet. I want to
know who is speaking," he said. In other words, he wants the government, and the
big tech companies, to know exactly who is behind every single comment, tweet,
and meme on the internet. Pictured: Merz delivers a speech in Munich on October
24, 2026. (Photo by Alexandra Beier/ AFP via Getty Images)
Germany's governing coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Social
Democratic Party (SPD), increasingly desperate to cling to power as the
Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) continues to hammer them in the polls, is
turning ever more totalitarian.
For a start, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has made it clear that he wants to end
anonymity on the internet. "I want to see real names on the internet. I want to
know who is speaking," Merz said back in February. "In politics, we engage in
debates in our society using our real names and without visors." In other words,
Merz wants the government, and the big tech companies, to know exactly who is
behind every single comment, tweet, and meme on the internet.
Internet anonymity makes it harder to arrest people for inconvenient speech --
"hate speech" and "insults" -- and Germany's police have been raiding the homes
of such internet participants for years. Merz himself has filed hundreds of
criminal complaints against ordinary German citizens perceived to have insulted
him online, including against a 71-year-old pensioner who committed the
unconscionable crime of calling him "Pinocchio" on Facebook, and others who
called him "Lügenfritz" ("Lying Fritz") and "Lackaffe" (a poseur or slick
monkey).
Insulting a politician is considered an especially monstrous crime in Germany –
it carries a sentence of up to three years in prison or a fine. German police
have entire specific departments, whose task it is to comb through the internet
to detect people who dare to insult the Great German Leader or engage in other
incommodious speech.
It appears that the end of internet anonymity in Germany may be fast
approaching. On October 14, the government officially approved a policy
framework establishing a roadmap to block children under 13 from major social
media networks. This ban, however, would most likely to make it impossible for
anyone to access social media without first identifying themselves. The most
logical outcome will be identification taking place by means of a "Digital ID,"
which the European Union has demanded that every member country implement by the
end of 2026.
The desire to see an end to internet anonymity is rife among European
governments. The European Commission itself is currently working on a bill,
known as the EU KIDS Act, that will ban social media for teenagers under a
certain age, "to restrict social media platforms' access to children in the EU."
Paired with the Digital ID, it is the easiest road to end anonymity on the
internet. It may not happen immediately, but the EU train is barreling towards
that goal. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, the totalitarian strain has become
just as strong, if not worse. The government has been making examples of
citizens who protest the mass migration, which has been continuing across the
UK's open borders. Most recently, Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, was
arrested for criminal damage after he slashed an inflatable dinghy at sea, the
kind of boat in which illegal migrants arrive. The government did not simply
arrest him, but locked him in prison and refused to release him bail until his
trial 17 months from now -- in March 2027. By contrast, the men who were
arrested on September 27 for what is believed to have been an
Iranian-orchestrated attempted attack on England's RAF Fairford air base, used
by U.S. warplanes to carry out strikes on Iran, were all released on bail the
next day. Then again, the UK government has released more than 70,000 criminals
early since 2024 under the Labour government's plan to "combat jail
overcrowding." So far, since their release, a third of those released have
committed new crimes. One man sexually assaulted a woman the day he was freed.
Some of the victims of the criminals released early have fled the country. "The
early release scheme is necessary because without it prisons would get so full
that police would not be able to make arrests" stated Jake Richards, the
parliamentary under-secretary of state for sentencing. "Without intervention we
risk running out of prison places, leaving courts unable to sentence offenders
and police unable to make arrests."
The room they are eager to make in prisons seems to be for ordinary citizens fed
up with how their country is run and had the gall to state it. That is how it
works in totalitarian systems. Criminals are freed so that dissidents can take
their places. In addition to Tommo, a man was recently arrested who protested
against the arrival of a large dinghy carrying illegal immigrants by throwing a
small empty plastic bottle into the air at a police line and then shouted "f--k
off" at them. For this outrage he was arrested; his case was processed through
the justice system at record speed, and he was sentenced to an unconditional two
years in prison. "Throwing a plastic bottle is simply about inflaming the
actions of others. He lobbed it in that general direction. He is chucking
something," the judge ruled. "It is important to distinguish the right to
peaceful protests and offences when people cease to protest peacefully. Many of
those were wearing face coverings adding to the air of intimidation. The
community impact of that night's violence has been profound.... this offence is
so serious that the only punishment can be immediate imprisonment."
You don't say.
Over three years of pro-Hamas protests inciting violence in the form of calling
for a "global intifada" and "intifada revolution is the only solution" on the
streets of Britain, not a single protester even came close to that kind of
sentencing, even though Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organization in the UK.
Protesters who wore the Hamas paraglider symbol or the Hamas headband were
convicted of terrorism offenses but discharged by friendly judges and never
served any time in prison.
Judge Tan Ikram told the three women who used the paraglider symbols:
"You crossed the line, but it would have been fair to say that emotions ran very
high on this issue. Your lesson has been well learned. I do not find you were
seeking to show any support for Hamas."
It is evidently all right to be carried away by emotion in favor of Hamas' mass
slaughter, dismemberment and rape of Jews. The judge even seems to be saying
that their view is understandable, not a sign of support for terror. When it
comes to trying to protect your family from predatory third-world illegal male
migrants arriving by the thousands on the shores of your country, that is not
all right.
"The offence here was Mr Hajsaad wearing a bandana at a demonstration," Judge
Nina Tempia ruled in a Hamas headband case.
"In respect to harm, I agree with the prosecution that there was harm as the
conduct linked to support of a proscribed organization. The offence was
committed after (the October 7 attacks). Not days or weeks later, but seven
weeks later. I would not classify the harm as serious." The terrorist supporter
was spared both prison and fines "on account of his 'extremely limited budget'
of £49 per week used for food and travel."
This seems to be how the UK "justice" system works. If you support Hamas, a
terrorist organization, it is considered either not really support at all, or
not to cause "serious harm." Instead, protesting illegal immigration must
immediately be punished with unconditional prison sentences. If this is not an
example of the state emboldening terrorism, it would be hard to say what is.
When ordinary citizens are imprisoned for standing up for the safety of their
families and their country, while terrorist supporters are coddled, you know
that your country is being ruled by what the late Polish psychiatrist Andrzej
Łobaczewski, in his book Political Ponerology: The Science of Evil, Psychopathy,
and the Origins of Totalitarianism, labeled them: "psychopaths."
*Robert Williams is based in the United States.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22942/europe-new-totalitarians
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
The Middle East Between Two Elections
Hussein Shobokshi/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2026
The future of the Middle East now appears closely tied to two elections
scheduled only days apart: the Israeli elections on October 27, 2026, the first
to complete a full electoral cycle since 1988, and the first to be held after
the October 7, 2023 attack and the subsequent wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
The second is the US midterm election, set for November 3, which will determine
all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate. As
always, it will take place on the Tuesday following the first Monday in
November.
Why are these two elections jointly important for the Middle East? It is a
highly legitimate question.
The first question is: Where is Israel headed?
Current indicators suggest that no single party is capable of winning an
outright majority. Israel's proportional representation system requires a
coalition to secure 61 of the Knesset's 120 seats in order to form a government.
Current polls give the anti-Netanyahu bloc 59 seats, Netanyahu's camp 51 seats,
and Arab parties 10 seats, meaning that no side currently holds the necessary
majority. The real divisions are not merely personal. They are profound and
strategic. Should the war continue along its current course, or should ceasefire
and reconstruction agreements be pursued? What about mandatory military service
for the ultra-Orthodox Haredi community and its implications for social cohesion
inside Israel?
How should judicial reform be handled while safeguarding the judiciary's full
independence from political interference? And how should Israel address the
increasingly contentious issues of the West Bank and settlement expansion?
These are just some of the key challenges that any new Israeli government will
have to confront. In addition, there is the question of how Israel will manage
relations with its regional neighbors.
The second question is: Where is America headed?
The answer will be central to understanding many of the region's future
developments. Congress directly influences three issues that affect the Middle
East: the scale of military aid to Israel and Ukraine, sanctions on Iran, and US
policy toward the Gulf states.
Historically, the party in power tends to lose significant seats in midterm
elections. If the White House loses control of the House of Representatives,
passing major foreign policy initiatives and international agreements will
become considerably more difficult.
In Israel, one possible scenario is continuity: the current governing coalition
remains in power while Republicans retain control of Congress. This would likely
mean increased pressure on Iran, a freeze on the Gaza file, and faster progress
on economic corridor projects linking India, the Middle East, and Europe.
What about a scenario of change? A centrist government in Israel coupled with
Democratic control of the House of Representatives could create greater
opportunities for a long-term ceasefire in Gaza, a renewed focus, at least on
paper, on a two-state solution, and a return to nuclear negotiations with Iran.
However, stricter domestic political constraints in the United States could make
all of these objectives largely theoretical. The coming month is therefore
expected to be a period of intense caution. No major player is likely to take
far-reaching decisions before knowing who will govern in Tel Aviv after October
27. In Washington, all eyes will be on who emerges dominant after November 3.
The region is waiting to see the results. Yet many are equally concerned about
the economic costs of this prolonged uncertainty, a matter of profound
importance and potential consequence.
Iraq Between Self-Sufficiency and the Gasoline Supply
Crisis
Walid Khadouri/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2026
The fact that Iraq continues to import certain petroleum products, despite
rising crude oil output and expanded refining capacity through the construction
of new refineries, has raised questions about its ability to achieve sustainable
self-sufficiency. Long queues at gas stations during the past summer have once
again highlighted the challenges of ensuring adequate supplies of petroleum
derivatives for the local market, particularly during periods of high
consumption. In a study published by the Al-Bayan Center for Planning and
Studies in Baghdad, Thamir Al-Ghadhban, Iraq's former Deputy Prime Minister and
Oil Minister, examined the reasons why the suspension of gasoline imports could
not be sustained, despite government announcements that the country had achieved
self-sufficiency in key petroleum products. On November 4, 2025, Prime Minister
Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced that Iraq had achieved self-sufficiency in
major petroleum products, describing it as an important step toward energy
independence. He subsequently directed the government to halt imports of
gasoline, diesel, and kerosene while exporting any surpluses, citing domestic
production levels that exceeded demand. In a separate announcement, al-Sudani
also projected that Iraq would begin importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) by
2028. However, according to Al-Ghadhban, the decision to stop importing gasoline
proved difficult to maintain due to a number of operational factors that did not
receive sufficient attention when the policy was adopted.
The first factor relates to gasoline blending requirements. A significant
portion of imported gasoline had been used to blend with locally produced fuel,
particularly at the Baiji refinery, in order to achieve the required octane
ratings. As a result, the availability of domestically produced gasoline does
not necessarily eliminate the need for imported volumes used in blending
operations.
The second factor concerns seasonal fluctuations in demand. The surplus on which
the import ban was based appeared in November, a month when gasoline consumption
typically declines. Al-Ghadhban notes that this seasonal pattern has been well
known in Iraq for decades, including during the 1990s.
A third factor involves the management of strategic inventories. For years, the
Ministry of Oil has followed a practice of building reserves of gasoline and
diesel during the autumn and winter, when seasonal surpluses are available.
Conversely, reserves of kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are
accumulated during the summer, when demand for those products weakens.By halting
gasoline imports, Iraq was forced to draw down its stockpiles to meet rising
demand, which eventually contributed to acute shortages during the summer.
According to Al-Ghadhban, this experience demonstrates that a surplus recorded
during a specific period is not, by itself, sufficient to guarantee supply
availability throughout the rest of the year. In addition to operational and
seasonal factors, smuggling and leakage of petroleum products from the domestic
market reduced the amount of fuel available to consumers. Al-Ghadhban identifies
two channels: an internal one, involving the movement of products to the
Kurdistan Region due to significant differences in retail prices, and an
external one, involving exports to neighboring countries, also driven by price
disparities.
Supply forecasts were further complicated by delays in commissioning the fluid
catalytic cracking unit at the Basra refinery, which is expected to produce
approximately five million liters per day of high-octane gasoline. According to
Al-Ghadhban, the unit had been undergoing trial operations but had not entered
service after the contractor left in the wake of regional conflict.
Al-Ghadhban concludes that these combined factors indicate Iraq had not yet
achieved sustainable self-sufficiency in key petroleum products. In his view,
self-sufficiency should not be judged by a temporary production surplus, but
rather by the continuous ability to meet demand, supported by sufficient
refining capacity, appropriate gasoline blending components, strategic reserves,
and effective measures to curb product leakage from the domestic market.
Regarding liquefied natural gas, Al-Ghadhban believes Iraq will face significant
difficulty in beginning LNG imports by 2028. He points out that Iraq has
historically flared vast quantities of natural gas due to inadequate equipment
for capturing and utilizing it, making it one of the world's largest gas-flaring
countries. However, he expects flaring rates to decline as ongoing gas-capture
and utilization projects come online.
These challenges place Iraq's energy sector at a crossroads. The country must
ensure year-round availability of refined petroleum products while
simultaneously expanding its ability to utilize associated gas, reduce flaring,
and prepare to secure additional gas supplies through imports if necessary.
An Inevitable Test
Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2026
What is happening inside the area beyond the so-called “Yellow Line” in southern
Lebanon?
The question resurfaced when Israel conducted early voting for soldiers deep
inside the occupied area of southern Lebanon. The Israeli command selected the
city of Bint Jbeil and the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiya as two main polling
centers.
While the event was portrayed as reflecting Israel's sense of confidence and
ease, it constitutes an unprecedented development in the south, which had
previously endured a long occupation between 1978 and 2000. Yet the event drew
neither condemnation nor serious objection from Lebanon's political
establishment. The New York Times investigated the situation within the “Yellow
Line” area and found that 48 towns and villages have suffered extensive
destruction that is still ongoing. The damage extends beyond homes and
infrastructure, including roads, water, and electricity networks, to
agricultural lands, particularly olive groves that have been bulldozed or
destroyed by fires. The newspaper also documented an increase in Israeli
military sites and the construction of a network of roads and bridges linking
the area to northern Israel, creating the initial impression that Tel Aviv is
preparing for a long-term occupation.
Considering that approximately 270,000 Lebanese residents have been forcibly
displaced, the violations taking place on the ground suggest that Israel intends
for this displacement to become permanent.Among the most alarming findings
highlighted by the newspaper is that the destruction has not been limited to
geography, buildings, and farmland. It has also affected the area's religious
and demographic composition. The 48 towns now deemed uninhabitable and lacking
even the minimum conditions for normal life were predominantly inhabited by
Shiite citizens, whom Tel Aviv accuses of providing a support base for
Hezbollah. These residents remain barred from returning despite ceasefire
announcements. Meanwhile, other towns inhabited by members of different sects,
located west, central, and east of the occupied zone and in the Arkoub region,
have become isolated enclaves. Once the mandate of the United Nations Interim
Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ends in the south, their fate may be left exposed to
the dual criminality of the Israeli enemy and proxy militias backed by the
Iranian regime.Even more dangerous is Israel's intention to expand the occupied
area in pursuit of what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called a “deeper
and more robust security zone.” The justifications remain available as long as
illegal weapons have not been removed. Under this rationale, the Israeli
military could advance from areas such as Shaqif and Ali al-Taher toward Jabal
al-Rayhan, the Sajd Hills, and Iqlim al-Tuffah to destroy what Tel Aviv claims
are Hezbollah tunnels and weapons depots. Such moves would represent practical
steps toward implementing Israel's new security doctrine, recently announced by
Netanyahu, which advocates shifting directly from containing threats to
confronting them before they become an immediate danger. The doctrine endorses
preemptive operations whenever Israeli national security is deemed to require
them.
The danger of what is happening behind the “Yellow Line” lies in what it may
signal: preparations for Israel to annex this occupied territory as a form of
“forward defense area.” More troubling still is the fact that the longer the
occupation persists, the harder it becomes to recover the land.
Given the accelerating pace of events, the question is no longer whether war
will occur, but when. The most likely scenario is one involving enormous
destruction, with all possibilities remaining open.
Although reports suggest that Washington prevented Tel Aviv from launching
strikes on October 10, the Israeli Air Force has continued military exercises
reaching as far as Iran's borders. The latest drills coincided with a meeting
between Netanyahu and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Shortly afterward, US
President Donald Trump stated that Washington is not currently negotiating with
Iran and added that “something is going to happen one way or another soon.”
The next war would involve Iran and its regional axis, and from a Lebanese
perspective it may not lead back easily to the “framework agreement” that Israel
accepted reluctantly. Hesitation and ambiguous policies have slowed serious
implementation of that agreement, which is based on a formula that leaves no
room for compromise: “land in exchange for weapons.”Accordingly, the real test
for rescuing Lebanon goes beyond decisions to limit arms possession. It requires
the army to dismantle military and security structures outside state control,
while the government must dismantle the financial, economic, and educational
networks of the “state within a state,” ending the abnormal situation that has
weakened the Lebanese state and removing Israel's stated justifications. US
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was reportedly explicit with Lebanese Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam, emphasizing that the framework agreement established a
three-step sequence: disarmament first, then the deployment and empowerment of
the Lebanese Army, followed by Israel's withdrawal beyond the border.
Disarmament, he stressed, applies to all of Lebanon.
In this context, the official handling of a shipment of explosives seized in
Dahr al-Baydar, more than three weeks after its confiscation, exposed a deep gap
between commitments and implementation. It also raised questions about the
authorities' reluctance to use state legitimacy against those operating outside
it.
“Disarmament and the dismantling of the infrastructure associated with it” are
the only path to freeing Lebanon from both Israel's occupation of its territory
and Iran's efforts to preserve its armed regional proxy.
He who Besieges Taiz is Not Defending Gaza!
Yousef Al-Dayni/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2026
This is a simple and revealing truth that requires neither proof nor
elaboration: the steadfast city of Taiz has exposed the reality of the Houthi
terrorist militia, which cynically exploits the Palestinian tragedy while
subjecting Yemenis to killing and starvation.
Those who deny their fellow citizens food and medicine, and threaten their water
supplies and the lives of their sick, expose through their criminal conduct the
falsehood of their slogans. The Houthis have turned Palestine into a cover for
their crimes and Gaza into a pretext for expanding their influence and
justifying their weapons.But profiting from Palestinian blood will never cleanse
their crimes against the people of Yemen, nor should it serve as an excuse for
remaining silent about them. This propaganda collapses in the face of the
reality of besieged Taiz, where the essentials of life are breaking down. On
October 20, the United Nations warned that the healthcare system was nearing
collapse and that fuel shortages were threatening medical oxygen supplies,
calling on the Houthis to open a safe humanitarian corridor.
Yet the disaster has failed to provoke a response commensurate with its gravity.
This reflects a deeper structural flaw in the mindset of politicized masses,
rooted in Arab political culture, which can be described as a “camp mentality.”
Conscience is awakened when the perpetrator is an external enemy, but replaced
by silence, and sometimes even justification, when the crime is committed by a
militia or organization that raises ideological slogans appealing to popular
emotions.
In reality, the targeting of Taiz goes beyond revenge against a city that has
refused to submit. It strikes at a cultural and symbolic pillar of Yemen's
political identity, to the point that Taiz can be regarded as the identity
capital of modern Yemen. It served as the capital of the Rasulid State and later
became the seat of power for Imam Ahmad after the events of 1948 until the
establishment of the republic in 1962.
The transfer of government authority there revealed its importance in balancing
Yemen's competing centers of influence. Through its connection with Aden, Taiz
consolidated its place as a center of commerce, education, and modern political
activity. Ahmad Muhammad Noman emerged as one of the leading figures of the
national movement, and the city's sons carried the banner of statehood and the
republican project. The assassination of Abdul Raqib Abdul Wahab in the
aftermath of the republican conflict of 1968 revealed the limits of traditional
power centers' willingness to share authority with the emerging elite from Taiz.
During the rule of Ali Abdullah Saleh, Taiz continued to oscillate between its
central role in administration and the economy and its limited influence within
political and military decision-making circles. After Yemeni unification, the
city became the birthplace of cost-of-living protests in 1992, before emerging
as one of the principal centers of the 2011 protest movement during the wave
known as the “Arab Spring.”
Geography, a factor often overlooked in interpreting history and political
change, has given Taiz additional significance. Its highlands connect Yemen's
interior to the Red Sea coast, while its roads extend southward toward Aden and
westward toward Mokha, forming a land corridor leading to Bab el-Mandeb.
From a geopolitical perspective, Taiz can be described as a “strategic hinge
city” because of its ability to connect or separate battlefronts and influence
the balance of power. Securing control of the coast is linked to controlling the
highlands and access routes, while any advance toward southern Yemen inevitably
encounters this geographic and military chokepoint. These realities place Taiz
at a decisive position in Yemen's war. The continuation of its siege grants the
militia advantages that extend beyond merely surrounding the city. It forces
government-aligned forces to devote resources to defending access routes and
protecting positions, reducing their ability to take the initiative. The Houthis
thus use pressure on Taiz to ease pressure on their positions elsewhere, turning
the siege into a tool of war management, at a tremendous humanitarian cost borne
by the city's residents and affecting a governorate with a population exceeding
four million people. Taiz also represents a test of the ability of Yemenis to
unify military and political decision-making. Forces opposed to the militia
possess extensive human and military resources, but their effectiveness depends
on overcoming fragmentation and transforming those resources into coordinated
action. Lifting the siege and securing links between the city, Aden, and the
coast would expand the options available to the legitimate government and reduce
the Houthis' ability to isolate and wear down one front after another.
In this sense, breaking the siege of Taiz becomes a gateway to breaking the
militia's grip and restoring the state. It is difficult to imagine lasting
stability in Yemen while this vital national hub remains under siege and subject
to coercion.
The siege of Taiz is a crime against Yemen and its people. The militia has
compounded that crime by targeting and attacking the Land of the Two Holy
Mosques and by provoking more than 1.5 billion Muslims who turn toward Makkah,
may God honor it, five times a day in prayer.
This has exposed the falsehood of the Houthis' claims of supporting Gaza and
laid bare, before the eyes of the world, their use of extortion and coercion to
impose influence. The blood of Yemenis cannot be erased by the “scream,” and the
crimes of the militia cannot be washed away by slogans, even if it invokes the
name of Palestine a thousand times.
War crimes by the Houthis: The world cannot look away
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya English/27 October/2026
One thing is clear: if the international community, the United Nations, and the
wider world truly respect justice, security, human life, and human rights, the
war crimes committed by the Houthis cannot simply be forgotten or left
unanswered. International organizations must take concrete action. The human
cost has been severe. In Taiz governorate alone, the Yemeni Network for Rights
and Freedoms documented 1,891 crimes and violations by Houthi forces against
civilians and civilian infrastructure between September 1 and October 22, 2026.
These included the deaths of 212 civilians – among them 38 children (seven
infants) and 27 women – and injuries to 319 others. Reports detail sniping of
women and children, attacks on markets, schools, health facilities, and places
of worship, field executions of the wounded, mass killings in populated areas,
abductions and enforced disappearances (including children held as hostages),
and the recruitment of children and others for combat. The siege and shelling
forced roughly 280,000 people to flee. The United Nations and aid agencies have
corroborated the broader toll. The World Health Organization reported more than
800 people killed and thousands wounded or displaced in the renewed fighting
since early August. UNHCR and OCHA figures put new internal displacement above
250,000-260,000 since the escalation, with Taiz at the center. Hospitals face
critical shortages of fuel, oxygen, and supplies; food prices have surged; and
access to aid has been obstructed. Amnesty International has called on the
Houthis to reopen vital roads into Taiz, warning that hundreds of thousands face
grave risk as medical facilities and basic supplies run low.
Cross-border attacks on civilians and infrastructure
Cross-border attacks have compounded the picture. Houthi missiles and drones
have repeatedly struck civilian airports and energy infrastructure in Saudi
Arabia. Strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in killed at
least 13 people and wounded hundreds – the deadliest attack of its kind in the
Kingdom in over a decade – while other assaults hit Abha, Dammam, and energy
facilities, causing civilian casualties, fires, and disruptions. Amnesty
International has stated that deliberate targeting of civilians or civilian
infrastructure, including airports, is prohibited under international
humanitarian law and can amount to a war crime. Rights monitors and UN officials
have condemned these attacks as violations that endanger non-combatants. Inside
Yemen, the pattern includes systematic child recruitment. Multiple reports from
the National Commission to Investigate Alleged Violations of Human Rights,
Yemeni rights groups, UN statements, and media investigations document Houthi
recruitment of children, often through summer camps, schools, financial
inducements exploiting poverty, or coercion. Recent fighting has produced new
cases of children killed, captured, or missing on the front lines – estimates in
the hundreds for September–October alone in some field reports – alongside
longer-term documentation of thousands recruited since the conflict began.
Recruiting and using children under 15 in hostilities is a war crime under the
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; even older minors are
protected under broader international humanitarian and human rights law.
Arbitrary detention of UN staff and civil society workers, reported by Human
Rights Watch and Amnesty, further erodes humanitarian space.
International law and case for accountability
These acts engage core rules of international law. The Geneva Conventions and
Additional Protocols prohibit intentional or indiscriminate attacks on civilians
and civilian objects, starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, and the
recruitment or use of child soldiers. Sieges that prevent impartial humanitarian
relief violate obligations to allow and facilitate aid. The UN Charter’s
principles of sovereignty, peaceful dispute resolution, and the prohibition on
the threat or use of force are also implicated by cross-border strikes and
threats to navigation.
The UN Security Council has the authority to refer situations to the ICC, as it
has done in other contexts. Past ICC proceedings against senior leaders for war
crimes and crimes against humanity (for example, cases arising from situations
in Sudan, Libya, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo) demonstrate that
command responsibility can reach those at the top when evidence of widespread or
systematic attacks exists.
What the international community must do
The Security Council has already adopted multiple resolutions on Yemen,
including measures designating Houthi leaders, imposing an arms embargo, and
demanding an end to attacks that threaten peace and security. It has condemned
escalations and cross-border strikes. Yet enforcement has been limited, and
accountability for specific violations remains elusive. Stronger action is
required: a clear Council resolution affirming that documented patterns
constitute war crimes and demanding investigations; support for
evidence-gathering by UN mechanisms and independent experts; and referral or
other pathways that enable the ICC or hybrid tribunals to examine individual
criminal responsibility. Leaders who plan, order, or fail to prevent these acts
must face consequences. An international military coalition focused strictly on
protecting civilians, securing aid corridors, and deterring further cross-border
and maritime attacks would not be without precedent in responding to mass
atrocities or threats to international shipping. The alternative is continued
impunity. Allowing documented killings of civilians, sieges, child recruitment,
and attacks on civilian infrastructure to pass without consequence erodes the
credibility of international law itself. The victims in Taiz, the displaced
families, the children forced onto front lines, and the civilians killed or
maimed in airport in Saudi Arabia and infrastructure strikes deserve better.
Justice delayed is justice denied; the international community must ensure that
Houthi war crimes are neither forgotten nor unanswered.
Selected Face Book & X tweets
on October 27/2026
Nadim Koteich
The problem with this line of thinking, @FirasMaksad, is that it treats Iran and
Israel as equivalent political monoliths.There is one Iran to balance against,
despite its unity being imposed by a regime that suppresses its society’s
diversity and competing ambitions. Israel, on the other hand, contains competing
visions of what the country should be, fought over, and are fighting now,
through elections, courts, journalism and protest. That distinction matters.
What exactly are they balancing against? The current Israeli government? A
particular expansionist agenda? Israeli military power? Or Israel’s very
existence? Each implies a profoundly different strategy.Israel’s pluralism makes
defining the purpose of balancing essential. A workable balance needs a clear
answer: which Israeli ambitions are they seeking to constrain, and which Israeli
interests can a regional order accommodate?
Firas Maksad
The Mecca Defense Accord is in Tehran.
The message to #Iran:
• We opposed this war from the start. We won’t join US-Israeli strikes.
• Attack #Saudi interests, and you may force us into action. Don’t.
• We’ll help broker a diplomatic off-ramp.
The bigger picture:
Trump’s full-throated endorsement of Netanyahu & threats to expand the war is
widening the rift with regional partners. They fear a postwar vacuum: an
unchecked #Israel, a wounded but dangerous Iran, and a retreating US.
The result?
A race to reshape the region’s security architecture, with competing coalitions
and middle powers rushing to fill the void.
Vali Nasr
The meeting in Tehran was a big PR win for Iran. Major regional powers went to
Tehran to ask for help on Yemen. And Iran likely laid out it terms for that
help. It could yield results.
Inviting Iran to join Mecca Alliance as some had anticipated did not happen. In
fact Iran is calling the meeting the Tehran Summit. It sounds like Iran is
envisioning a different regional arrangement one that Iran wants to define and
play a central role in. And per Rezaie’s comments after the meeting Iran’s
vision which is clearly aimed at keeping US out if the region does not easily
square with the relations of the three Mecca Alliance partners with US.
U.S. Embassy Beirut
On October 23, U.S. Embassy Beirut Marines and Embassy personnel gathered for a
solemn ceremony to commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the October 23, 1983,
Marine Barracks bombing in Beirut, honoring the 241 American service members who
lost their lives.
We read their names yet another time, laid a wreath, and stood together in
silence. We honored the men and women we lost, and we promised to keep their
memory alive and never forget what they gave. Speaking at the event, Ambassador
Issa said, "They came in peace”... Those words remind us why American service
members were sent here as part of a multinational force at a time of conflict.
And they carry a challenge that reaches beyond 1983: peace is never guaranteed.
It depends on people who are prepared to protect it, and leaders willing to
choose it.
Gadi Eisenkot - גדי איזנקוט
The preliminary poll results point to complete distrust in Netanyahu and the
government of October 7, of the Zionist majority and of the majority of Israeli
citizens.
If these are the final results, this is a victory for the statist-Zionist
majority in Israel.
I will act immediately to realize the decision of the people, to replace the
Netanyahu government and to establish a Zionist mobilization government, at the
earliest possible time.
amos hochstein
Not clear how this will play out yet but one thing is clear
A remarkable rejection of PM Netanyahu’s extremist government. Jews and Arabs
all came out in huge numbers (almost 80% voter turnout) to send Bibi home. A
major collapse in his support.
Hopefully here at home, the American people will issue a similar rejection of
Trump policies next week!
Hiba Nasr
A Senior State Department Official: The State Department will issue visas to
Flavio Bolsanaro and his family and allow them entry into the United States.