English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News &
Editorials
For September 23/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2026/english.september23.26.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I
tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of
Christ will by no means lose the reward.
Mark 09/38-50: "John said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons
in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’But
Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name
will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is
for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because
you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. ‘If any of you put
a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be
better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were
thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is
better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to
the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is
better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into
hell.+t,+u And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for
you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be
thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
‘For everyone will be salted with fire."Salt is good; but if salt has lost its
saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with
one another.’"
Titles For The English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published on September 22-23/2026
The Riachi Incense Burner and Patriarch Al-Rai Who Boasts of Ignoring
Criticism While Adoring Food and Sleep/Elias Bejjani/September 22/ 2026
Faith Reflections on the Meanings and Concepts of Humility/Elias Bejjani/September
21, 2026
Video link & text for an interview with Dr. Charles Chartouni from Spot Shot
Youtube website
Katz says displacement, destruction and occupation are the 'language' that
Hamas, Hezbollah understand
Aoun says Lebanese must draw strength from one another, not from abroad
Salam meets leaders on UN sidelines, says 'no state with two armies'
Lebanon needs international force after peacekeepers leave, PM tells UN chief
Hundreds on hunger strike in Roumieh as amnesty stalled
On International Peace Day, UNIFIL reaffirms shared aspiration for peace,
despite ongoing conflict
Report: Qatar, Turkey leading efforts to resolve situation in south Lebanon
Argentine judge charges 7 Iranians, one Lebanese over 1994 attack on Jewish
center
EU rewards journalists from Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Iraq at 2026 edition of
Samir Kassir Award
What’s Left of Hezbollah Two Years after the War?
No change, no reshuffle: PM Salam government set to remain intact
FM Raggi meets Lebanese community in New York, highlights ties to homeland
Lebanon's fuel prices continue to increase
The Shia in Lebanon – Part 2 – By Col Charbel Barakat/Colonel Charbel Barakat/September
22/2026
UN: Paris Wants to Replace UNIFIL With a 'Different Type' of Presence/Sylviane
Zehil/LevantTime/September 22, 2026
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on September 22-23/2026
Trump Says US and Iranian Officials Met Tuesday, Shortly After Warning He
May ‘Annihilate’ Iran
Trump warns in UN speech he could ‘annihilate’ Iran without peace deal
Trump says US held ‘very productive’ three-hour meeting with Iran
Trump Renames AI ‘Super Intelligence’ as Leaders Jostle Over Dangers
Iran hardened demands for ending war with US after June deal collapsed, IRGC
says
Iran Ready to Reopen Strait of Hormuz if US Eases Military Pressure, Lifts
Blockade
Baghdad, Muscat stop accepting Iranian flights, Iranian agency says
China says opposes 'illegal' US sanctions on Iran airlines
G7 Foreign Ministers Call on Iran to Stop Arming Houthis
Turkey’s Erdogan urges world to ‘immediately’ start rebuilding Gaza
UN Farewell, Macron Denounces Trump’s Gaza Diplomacy as Spectacle of Shame
FMs of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, Türkiye Condemn Houthi Attacks on Saudi
Arabia
Far-Right Israeli Minister Seeks Defense Post in Next Government
Katz vows to force out all of Gaza City if any Israeli abducted
Zelenskiy Says He Discussed Energy Truce, Efforts to End Russia War with Trump
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published
on September 22-23/2026
China Is Not Our Friend/Drieu Godefridi/Gatestone Institute/September 22,
2026
Who Is More Powerful: Saudi Arabia or Iran?/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al
Awsat/September 23/2026
The Mecca Agreement and the Emergence of a Fourth Regional Balance?/Nawaf
Kabbara/LevantTime/September 22, 2026
AI economy: Between American capitalism and Chinese communism/Yousef Algoos/Al
Arabiya English/22 September ,2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on September 22/2026
Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on September 22-23/2026
The Riachi Incense Burner and Patriarch Al-Rai Who Boasts
of Ignoring Criticism While Adoring Food and Sleep
Elias Bejjani/September 22/ 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/09/157715/
https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gbhq3RVhcTI6Zg00aK8lOF
Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to
come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to
be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one
of these little ones to stumble. (Luke 17:01-06)
On the fifteenth of this current month (September 2026) the website of the
Municipality of Hamalaya published a report on Facebook covering the proceedings
of a ceremony held in the town, apparently related to Saint Rafqa, the daughter
of the town, attended by MP Melhem Riachi and Patriarch al-Rai.
Attached is the Video link and text of the video which is the subject of the
commentary… and it seems it was deleted from the municipality’s website after
the criticism it received.
Literal text of Melhem Riachi’s praise for the Patriarch and the Patriarch’s
reply:
Melhem Riachi: “Anyone who thinks or dreams of thinking that we want to change
Sayyidna Bshara and bring another Patriarch, must know that Sayyidna Bshara is
the Patriarch of the Catholics before the Maronites. We are with Sayyidna Bshara
at the bottom of the river and at the top of Mount Sannine. Long live you, long
live Sayyidna Bshara, and long live Lebanon”.
Patriarch al-Rai: “I want to thank you for your love. I want to thank you for
everything in which you express your love for the Church, for Saint Rafqa, for
me personally. And especially I want to thank His Excellency the MP, you made it
very precious. Thank you, thank you for your love. I know your love is great and
I know this talk comes from your heart. In any case, there is nothing new.
People write whatever they want to write. Today the media and means of
communication write whatever they want. I will tell you something, a secret: I
don’t read anything. I don’t know, I don’t know what they are writing.”
I know they tell me someone wrote, they tell me they wrote. What did they write?
I don’t know, I don’t read. I tell them I want to keep eating with a clear
conscience. I want to keep sleeping soundly seven hours, eight hours, and I want
to wake up to my work and keep my mind at ease.
I know my job, I know when I have to submit my resignation.
Personally, I was not at all surprised by the theatrical performance of both
Riachi and Sayyidna, but certainly, certainly many of the sons of our flock did
not know that the new standard of holiness announced in Hamalaya, the birthplace
of Saint Rafqa who lived in pain, fasting and prayer, is “the ability and
appetite to eat with a clear conscience no matter how harsh and painful the
circumstances are, and to sleep seven and eight hours” soundly without caring
about what befalls the flock and the nation.
And as shown in the video and its text, MP Melhem Riachi, known for his
Rasputin-like style and specialized in incense-burning, boot-licking, and vulgar
praise, presented us with one of his usual acts of flattery and sycophancy: “at
the bottom of the river and at the top of Sannine.” Words that no politician who
respects himself and his position as an MP for Metn would say, but rather a
doorkeeper at the palace gate would say. An MP of the Lebanese Forces, who is
supposed to represent the project of a state of law and institutions, announces
to us that the Patriarch is the Patriarch of the Catholics before the Maronites,
as if the Patriarchate has become a Vatican province and not an Antiochian See.
As for the major calamity, it came from the mouth of His Beatitude Sayyidna
himself. The Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Beshara al-Rai, informs and
announces to his people and flock with all pride and without shame or fear that
he does not read, does not know, and does not want to know what is written. And
he tells us about his open appetite for eating and his deep sleep soundly.
O Your Beatitude the Patriarch, O Sayyidna al-Rai who does not read, does not
hear, and does not want to know what the flock says, he is not a shepherd, he is
merely a hired hand who sleeps while the wolf devours the sheep.
The Patriarch who boasts of his isolation from people, that is from his flock,
and boasts of his appetite for eating, indifferent to their concerns and their
opinions about his role and practices and that he does not read, insults first
and foremost his own position before insulting the flock. And it seems that due
to lack of faith and despair, it escaped Sayyidna’s mind that the position of
Patriarch is not a restaurant where he fills his stomach with delicious foods,
nor a hotel where he sleeps soundly seven-eight hours, but rather a position of
prayer, fasting, holiness, serious faithful work, preaching, staying awake,
anxiety and responsibility.
From the Holy Bible we borrow the following verses that narrate the concept and
culture of irresponsibility and isolation from the flock and selfishness and
death of conscience as is unfortunately the condition of Sayyidna.
Faith Reflections on the Meanings and
Concepts of Humility
Elias Bejjani/September 21, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/09/157698/
Humility is not weakness, nor artificial brokenness, nor a
garment we wear before people. Humility is truth. The truth that a person knows
himself before God, before himself, and before his fellow human being. And the
truly humble person is the one who knows that everything he has is a free gift,
so he does not boast and become arrogant and tyrannical as if he had not
received all that he has freely from his Creator.
For this reason, Saint Jacob of Serugh distinguishes between two kinds of
humility, saying: "There is a humility that comes from the fear of God, and
there is a humility that comes from God Himself. There is one who is humble
because he fears God, and there is one who is humble because he knows joy.
He who is humble because he fears God finds sweetness in his body, balance of
the senses, and a broken heart at all times. But he who is humble because he
knows joy finds great relief and an open heart and joy, so nothing restrains him
or weighs him down." The first humility is the beginning of the road, a holy
fear of being lost. The second humility is the summit of the road, the joy of
one who has realized that God loves him freely.
The Servant Returning from the Field
At the foundation of the moral theology of humility, the Lord Jesus lays down a
golden rule that demolishes every philosophy of human arrogance. In the Gospel
of Luke He says: "And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep,
will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down
to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper,
and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you
will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that
were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those
things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done
what was our duty to do.’" (Luke 17:7-10).
This parable is shocking to the ethics of this world.
In the logic of the world, he who does his duty we lift up, applaud, thank, and
we may even erect a statue for him. In the logic of the Gospel, he who does his
duty has no special merit. Why? Because duty is not a favor. The servant who
plowed and tended sheep and then prepared supper for his master and waited until
he finished, and then went to eat himself, deserves no thanks because he did
what he was supposed to do. So he said: I am a lowly servant, I have done my
duty and that is enough. And herein lies the dangerous moral and social disease
in our societies: We thank the official because he did not steal, and we thank
the employee because he came to work, and we thank the ruler because he
performed his most basic duties, and we thank the clergyman because he prayed,
and we thank the father because he raised his children. And this is a wrong and
value-destroying human behavior. When we thank someone for doing his duty, we
turn duty into a favor, and right into a gift, and faithfulness into heroism. So
we teach people that the norm is negligence, and that doing one's duty is an
exception that deserves a reward. And this is the very essence of moral
corruption.
The truly humble person does not wait for thanks because he completed his duty.
Rather, he says in his heart: "We are unprofitable servants." Not out of
self-contempt, but out of realization of the truth: that life itself, and
health, and talent, and the opportunity to serve, are all free gifts from God,
so how can I ask for a wage for what was given to me freely? And here comes the
decisive saying of Christ: "Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew
10:8). We received salvation freely, we received talents freely, we received
gifts freely. So how can we sell what we received freely for the price of
thanks, praise, and power?
The Arrogant and the Humble: Two Opposite Schools
The arrogant lives in a constant argument: Who is the greatest? And this is what
the Lord revealed in Capernaum: "Then He and His disciples came to Capernaum;
and when He was in the house He asked them, 'What was it you disputed among
yourselves on the road?' But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed
among themselves who would be the greatest." (Mark 9:33-34).
This is the arrogant person; even the Apostles before the coming of the Holy
Spirit upon them fell into it. He wants to sit at the right and at the left:
"Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in
Your glory." (Mark 10:37).
The arrogant wants glory before the cup, the chair before the cross, thanks
before work. He lives to be served, not to serve. And the Lord says about the
arrogant rulers of the nations: "Those who are considered rulers over the
Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them."
(Mark 10:42).
To lord over and to exercise authority. This is the language of arrogance. As
for the humble, his school is completely different — the school of the child:
"So Jesus sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'If anyone desires to
be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.' Then He took a little
child and set him in the midst of them." (Mark 9:35-36). "Let the little
children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little
child will by no means enter it." (Luke 18:16-17).
The child does not argue about who is the greatest. The child does not ask for
thanks because he breathed or ate or played. The child receives freely and gives
freely with simplicity and joy. Therefore the Lord said: "Yet it shall not be so
among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son
of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom
for many." (Mark 10:43-45).
Practical Humility: Freely Give
The Lord instructs His twelve disciples when He sent them to preach the Bible:
"Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel... Heal the sick, cleanse
the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely
give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts." (Matthew
10:5-9).
This is the ethic of humility: Carry no gold. The humble does not trade with his
service. Heal freely. Do not ask for thanks or reward because you did your human
and evangelical duty. Enter the house and greet it. And if they reject you,
shake the dust off your feet and go on.
The humble does not impose himself, nor does he emotionally blackmail people to
thank him. As for the arrogant, Saint Jude says about him: "There will be
mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.
These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit." (Jude
1:18-19).
The arrogant causes division because he always seeks the first seat, the thanks,
and the glory. The humble builds, as the Apostle says: "But you, beloved,
building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep
yourselves in the love of God." (Jude 1:20-21).
Conclusion
Humility is not to say with your tongue "I am lowly" while your heart waits for
people to tell you, "No, you are great." Humility is to do your duty in silence,
like the servant returning from the field, preparing the food for your master,
serving, then eating yourself in hiddenness, and saying in your heart with joy:
I have done what I had to do. And that is enough.
When we stop thanking people because they did their duty, we restore to duty its
sacredness. And when we ourselves stop waiting for thanks because we did our
duty, we become free.
So do not ask for thanks if you are a good father, for that is your duty.
And do not ask for thanks if you are a watchful mother, for that is your duty.
And do not ask for thanks if you are a faithful employee or an honest official,
for that is your duty.
Say with the Lord: I am an unprofitable servant, I have done what was my duty to
do.
And live with the joy of one who knows that everything he received freely, he
gives freely.
**The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email:
Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Video link & text for an interview with Dr. Charles
Chartouni from Spot Shot Youtube website addressing the deadlock of the
US-Lebanese-Israeli Framework Agreement and Lebanon's position in the new
regional map, in addition to the failure of the Lebanese state and its rulers
due to their absolute and humiliating subservience to Hezbollah's dictates
September 22, 2026'
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/09/157739/
Note/Transcription, summarization, formulation of texts, titles and translation
to English by Elias Bejjani with full freedom
Introduction
In light of the diplomatic deadlock, Dr. Chartouni places Lebanon in the
category of "nowhere" for the Americans. The American initiative that
crystallized in the so-called Framework Agreement has stalled at a certain point
and has not produced an executive mechanism, and Washington today - according to
him - is dealing with Lebanon with a logic of accepting the fait accompli.
The interview goes beyond the internal Lebanese file to link it to three
intertwined axes:
1- The retreat of the Lebanese ruling authority from its commitments,
2- Iran's attempt to revive the policy of unity of fronts through its proxies,
3- A new regional repositioning that is pushing Saudi Arabia to communicate
under the table with Israel after the failure of its other bets.
General Summary of the Interview
Dr. Chartouni considers that the fundamental problem is not Israeli, but an
internal Lebanese one. Israel says it is committed to the Framework Agreement on
the basis of parallelism: a gradual Israeli withdrawal in exchange for confining
weapons to the state and ending sovereign exceptions. While the recent speech of
President Joseph Aoun - who spoke of a unilateral Israeli withdrawal first and
then the state doing its job - is a clear retreat from what he pledged at the
White House, in his words. He interprets the praise of US President Donald Trump
for President Aoun as a process of stimulation and recording an achievement for
himself as the sole mediator, and not an actual adoption of Lebanese policy.
On the internal level, Dr. Chartouni describes the Lebanese governance as
completely fragmented - contradictory positions between the President of the
Republic, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and his deputy Tarek Mitri, and the
ministers of Hezbollah, Amal, and the Lebanese Forces. He calls President Aoun
the "king of paradoxes and contradictory positions" because he believes he is
able to play on the contradictions of the axes, while Lebanon's size as a state
does not allow it to do so. He believes that Lebanon still deals with Hezbollah
as a legitimate partner and counterpart to the state, while coexistence between
the state and the party has ended from the American perspective since Secretary
Marco Rubio pulled the Lebanese file from the Iranian track to the
Lebanese-Israeli track.
Militarily, Dr. Chartouni says that Hezbollah's military leadership ended after
the liquidations, and whoever is running operations today directly is an officer
in the Iranian intelligence named Mohammad Reza al-Shaibani and the leadership
of the Revolutionary Guard, and this is what explains in his opinion the
non-implementation of the Council of Ministers' decision related to the army
leadership.
On the regional level, Dr. Chartouni talks about information about negotiations
at the level of intelligence agencies between Saudi Arabia and Israel, because
Riyadh - after the failure of its bet on China, direct negotiations with Iran in
Muscat, and the expanded Sunni alliance with Turkey and Pakistan - realized that
the only one capable of resolving the confrontation with the Houthis and Iran is
Israel. He considers that we are facing three axes: an American-Israeli axis, an
Iranian axis, and a Turkish axis, and Lebanon must choose clearly.
As for Israel, he confirms that its new strategy after October 7, 2023 is a
complete Israeli consensus - whether Netanyahu stays or someone like Gadi
Eisenkot comes - and it stipulates fixing the security borders in Gaza, the West
Bank, Lebanon and Syria, and it will not change.
Internally, he warns of an internal explosion due to displacement from the South
and the Bekaa, criticizes the governmental situation and corruption, and the
control of what he calls the "Shiite mafia" over administrations through
Christian facades, and he strongly attacks Army Commander Rodolph Haykal
describing him as working for Hezbollah and that he must be isolated, and
considers the army support conference in Paris with Macron a "empty balloon and
empty maneuver" because there is no arming without a change in policy.
Finally, regarding the anticipated Salam - Rubio meeting, he believes that
Washington will not hide anything and will put the government before the fait
accompli: either commitment to the Framework Agreement and transferring
political and military decision-making from Hezbollah to the state, or bearing
the consequences of playing on the margins.
Table of the most important axes raised by Dr. Chartouni
Lebanon in the American nowhere: No serious diplomatic discussion about Lebanon
in Washington, the Framework Agreement has reached a dead end
Retreat of Lebanese governance: Aoun and the government retreated from the
principle of parallelism between confining weapons and Israeli withdrawal.
Trump's praise for Aoun: Just stimulation and recording an achievement for Trump
as a mediator, not an adoption of Lebanon's policy
Who is Israel talking to?: Israel does not know who it is talking to: the state,
Hezbollah, or Iran. Lebanese governance is fragmented and contradictory.
Joseph Aoun, king of paradoxes: Aoun plays on the contradictions of the axes,
but his size and Lebanon's size do not allow him to play.
Iran and unity of fronts: Hezbollah takes orders from Iran. Iran is trying to
revive its arms from Bab al-Mandab to southern Lebanon.
Saudi Arabia and Israel: Saudi-Israeli intelligence negotiations. Saudi Arabia's
alliance with Turkey and Pakistan and the Muscat negotiations failed.
The equation of axes: Either in the American axis or outside it. Lebanon cannot
play both sides
Israeli consensus after October 7: The strategy of staying in Lebanon, Syria and
Gaza is an Israeli consensus that will not change with Netanyahu's departure.
Danger of internal explosion: Continuation of the situation on the lines of
contact will lead to an internal explosion due to displacement and the flabby
political situation.
Lebanese Army leadership Rodolph Haykal: Clear information that he works for
Hezbollah voluntarily and sabotages the state's capability. Must be isolated.
Paris conference is an empty balloon.
The Shiite community and organized crime: Hezbollah turned the community into
organized crime (smuggling and money laundering) so disengagement is difficult
PM Salam - Rubio meeting: Washington will demand explicit commitment to the
Framework Agreement: transferring decision-making from the party to the state
Katz says displacement, destruction and occupation are
the 'language' that Hamas, Hezbollah understand
Agence France Presset/22 September 2026
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday said that displacement of the
population, destruction of infrastructure and occupation of territory are the
“language” that Hamas and Hezbollah understand, defending Israel’s actions in
this regard.
The destruction of infrastructure and the forced displacement of civilians
constitute war crimes under the Geneva Conventions. "I hereby warn the terrorist
organization (Hamas) and its supporters, from Iran to (Turkish President Recep
Tayyip) Erdogan -- if a single Israeli soldier or civilian is kidnapped, the
entire city of Gaza … will be evacuated southward with its million residents,"
Katz said at a memorial for the 1973 Israeli-Arab war.
"This is the language that the jihadist terrorist organizations in Gaza and
Lebanon understand, and this is the language we speak -- evacuation of the
population, destruction of infrastructure and taking over the territory," he
said, referring to Lebanon’s Hezbollah.Katz, known for his outspoken remarks,
recently said that Israel agreed to an October 2025 U.S.-brokered ceasefire
declaration in Gaza only to free the remaining hostages and that he expected
Israel, which has kept up strikes at a lower pace, to return to full-scale war
in Gaza.The comments come ahead of October 27 elections in which Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu is facing criticism from the opposition that he failed both
to prevent the attack and to deliver military success afterwards. In his latest
remarks, Katz again also threatened to return to war with Iran, whose cleric-run
government supports Hamas."The work is not yet finished and if we need to, we
will strike a third time until the terrorist regime is overthrown and
eliminated," Katz said. The United States and Israel jointly attacked Iran in
late February, with an initial Israeli strike killing supreme leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei. Israel reluctantly halted its campaign
in April after U.S. President Donald Trump entered a ceasefire and sought a
negotiated settlement to the war, which has sharply raised oil prices and been
highly unpopular among U.S. voters.
Aoun says Lebanese must draw strength from one another, not
from abroad
Naharnett/22 September 2026
President Joseph Aoun said Tuesday that the time has come for all Lebanese to
realize that “our homeland cannot be built by a single group, sect, or
party.”“It is our destiny to live together; hatred does not build a nation, and
division serves only those who wish for Lebanon to remain weak. Dialogue, on the
other hand, is what builds trust among the people of the same nation,” Aoun
added. He emphasized the necessity of “fortifying national unity to confront
regional and global challenges -- thereby mitigating their impact -- and
ensuring that settlements are not reached at Lebanon's expense.”“With its
inherent potential and assets, Lebanon is capable of rising again once its
people decide to draw strength from one another rather than from abroad, to
speak a unified language -- the language of Lebanon -- and to place the national
interest above all else. Let us put an end to seeking strength from abroad
against one another at home -- a practice that serves Lebanon’s enemies -- and
instead draw strength from each other to face the outside world,” the president
urged.
Salam meets leaders on UN sidelines, says 'no state with
two armies'
Naharnet t/22 September 2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly
in New York with U.N. chief António Guterres, King Abdullah II of Jordan,
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Finnish President Alexander Stubb,
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Iraqi PM Ali
Faleh Al-Zaidi, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Salam’s meeting with Erdogan addressed the latest
developments in Lebanon and the region, as well as efforts to de-escalate
tensions and enhance regional security and stability.
The two leaders also followed up on agreements reached during Salam’s visit to
Istanbul last July regarding the strengthening of Lebanese-Turkish relations and
the expansion of bilateral cooperation -- particularly in the fields of trade,
investment, energy, and infrastructure -- as well as projects for electrical and
railway interconnection between Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon.
Discussions continued regarding the issue of prefabricated housing and
the support Turkey could provide for the return and recovery process in the
South. This support aims to facilitate the residents' return and bolster their
resilience in their towns and villages, alongside backing reconstruction efforts
and the rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure.Salam thanked Turkey for
standing by Lebanon and supporting its institutions, emphasizing the importance
of continued coordination and cooperation between the two countries in the
coming period. Salam’s meeting with Iraq’s premier meanwhile addressed bilateral
relations and the latest regional developments, as well as follow-up on the
outcomes of Salam’s visit to Baghdad last July -- specifically regarding joint
projects in energy, transport, and regional connectivity.
“In light of the shared challenges facing Lebanon and Iraq, both leaders
affirmed their commitment to strengthening state authority and institutions, and
to proceeding with the process of monopolizing arms solely under state control
--viewing this as a fundamental pillar for safeguarding sovereignty and
cementing stability,” the National News Agency said.
Salam also delivered a speech at the Lebanese Consulate General in New York
during a meeting with the expatriate community. "Regarding the issue of arms, we
have taken important and decisive decisions, and we are pressing ahead with
their implementation regardless of the difficulties. Our goal is clear: for the
State alone to hold authority over its entire territory; for the decision on war
and peace to rest solely with the State; and for the army and legitimate forces
alone to be responsible for the security of the Lebanese people,” Salam said.
“There can be no state with two armies, nor a state with two decision-making
authorities. This is not merely a slogan; it is a fundamental prerequisite for
the existence of the State and for restoring confidence in it -- the confidence
of the Lebanese people both at home and abroad," the PM added. "In parallel, we
are working to achieve an Israeli withdrawal, secure the return of our people to
the South, and launch the recovery and reconstruction process. There is no
economy without stability, and no investment without a state," Salam went on to
say.
Lebanon needs international force after peacekeepers leave,
PM tells UN chief
Agence France Presset/22 September 2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Monday
that Lebanon needed a U.N.-sponsored international force to stay in the
country's south after the current U.N. peacekeeping mandate expires. The U.N.
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which currently counts around 7,500
peacekeepers from 46 countries, has acted as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel
since 1978. But under U.S. pressure, the U.N. Security Council voted last year
to halt the force's mandate at the end of this year. Meeting Guterres at the
U.N. headquarters in New York, Salam "stressed the importance of maintaining an
international presence under the umbrella of the United Nations in the south in
the post-UNIFIL phase", according to a statement from the premier's office. This
should be in a way that "ensures the continuation of the functions of
monitoring, reporting and liaison, contributes to preserving stability, and
supports the process of extending the Lebanese state's authority over all its
territory", Salam added, according to the statement. UNIFIL's looming departure
comes as Israel maintains troops in a self-declared "security zone" running
around 10 kilometers deep inside south Lebanon along the border. Last week,
President Joseph Aoun told AFP that Lebanon wanted a new force, European or
otherwise, to prevent a security vacuum after the peacekeepers depart, but that
"the best and most optimal option remains extending UNIFIL's mandate".The
creation of a new force to succeed UNIFIL was also on the agenda of a meeting
last week in Paris between Aoun, French President Emmanuel Macron and King
Abdullah II of Jordan. France and Italy have said they want to set up a
multinational coalition to succeed UNIFIL.In a June report, Guterres said
peacekeepers would be needed after UNIFIL's mission expires. Salam also told
Guterres that around 329,000 people are still displaced in Lebanon since the
latest conflict erupted, urging support for the humanitarian response.
Hundreds on hunger strike in Roumieh as amnesty stalled
Agence France Presset/22 September 2026
Hundreds of inmates at Lebanon's central Roumieh Prison have been on hunger
strike for 10 days over the stalled implementation of an amnesty law supposed to
benefit them, a judicial official told AFP on Tuesday. Lebanon's parliament last
month passed the sweeping amnesty law, the first since 1991 after the country's
civil war. The legislation is meant to help thousands of prisoners and wanted
people, many of them Islamists. But a group of lawmakers has since lodged an
appeal with Lebanon's Constitutional Council seeking to overturn the law,
leading to a suspension of its implementation on September 10. At the
overcrowded Roumieh prison near the capital Beirut, the country's largest jail,
"400 mostly Islamist detainees have been on hunger strike since September 12" in
protest at the suspension, the official said, requesting anonymity.
The Constitutional Council, which verifies whether laws are in line with
the Lebanese constitution, is expected to announce its decision next month.
According to the official, prison administrators are monitoring the health of
the striking prisoners, 80 of whom suffer from chronic illness. For years,
Lebanon's parliament had been trying to pass the amnesty law, largely as a way
to reduce overcrowding in prisons, which has been exacerbated by slow-moving
trials and the detention of suspects for years without judicial proceedings. In
a report last year, the country's National Human Rights Commission said the
prison population had reached 300 percent of capacity, with more than 6,200
inmates by the end of March. Some Islamist detainees have been held for years,
in some cases without trial.The prospect of granting amnesty to some of these
detainees, accused of carrying out bombings and attacks against the Lebanese
Army, polarized the debate around the law before it was passed. The legislation,
which experts say was the result of political horse-trading, is supposed to also
benefit other factions and religious communities.
On International Peace Day, UNIFIL reaffirms shared
aspiration for peace, despite ongoing conflict
Naharnett/22 September 2026
As the world marked the International Day of Peace and communities in south
Lebanon continue to grapple with the consequences of conflict, peacekeepers
marked the day with a small ceremony at UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura on Monday
evening.
“Peace is not something we address once a year; it is an enduring
responsibility,” said UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General
Diodato Abagnara in a short speech for the occasion. “We patrol, we keep
channels of communication open with the parties to reduce the risk of
misunderstanding and escalation. We work with the Lebanese Armed Forces as they
assume greater responsibilities in the south.”Hostilities between Hezbollah and
the Israeli army have had a profound human and physical impact in south Lebanon.
The current conflict has forced thousands of people from their homes, with many
remaining displaced. It has disrupted livelihoods, caused widespread damage to
homes and infrastructure, and resulted in civilian deaths and injuries, UNIFIL
said, noting that “civilians on both sides of the Blue Line have found
themselves living in tension and fear.”
“Today, peace in south Lebanon remains elusive, but the hope for peace endures.
It is this aspiration that peacekeepers affirmed on the International Day of
Peace. Lasting peace requires political commitments and solutions from the
parties themselves. Peacekeepers can help restore stability, avoid
misunderstandings, and reduce the risk of escalation – but they cannot replace
the political will and decisions needed to end the conflict permanently,” UNIFIL
added. “The responsibility for a political solution remains with the parties,”
said Major General Abagnara. “UNIFIL will continue to do its part, keeping
communication open, reducing the risk of escalation, and supporting diplomatic
efforts.”Turning to United Nations Security Council resolution 1701, Major
General Abagnara said that “its full implementation remains the objective and
the basis for lasting peace and stability in south Lebanon.”
He noted that continued cooperation between the Lebanese Army and peacekeepers
remains central to maintaining stability and supporting the extension of state
authority in the south. The International Day of Peace
was established by the U.N. General Assembly in 1981. It is dedicated to
ceasefire and non-violence and is an occasion during which all promote
tolerance, justice, and human rights. In 2001, the General Assembly unanimously
voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and ceasefire. The
ceremony marks UNIFIL’s last International Day of Peace before its mandate
expires at the end of the year, following the Security Council's 2025 decision
to conclude the mission.
Report: Qatar, Turkey leading efforts to resolve situation
in south Lebanon
Naharnett/22 September 2026
Qatar and Turkey are spearheading secret contacts and efforts to resolve the
situation in south Lebanon and subsequently address Hezbollah’s status, the
Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Monday.“Indications suggest that each side
is acting independently, with no unified initiative in place. The initial phase
of these contacts focuses on de-escalating tensions in the south, with the aim
-- should these efforts succeed -- of moving on to discuss the future of
Hezbollah’s arsenal,” the daily said.Furthermore, Nidaa al-Watan said there is a
proposal led by several nations -- foremost among them France and Germany -- to
extend the mandate of UNIFIL by six months. “This move seeks to explore the
trajectory of developments in Lebanon, Iran, and the wider region, while
averting any security vacuum. The proposal is currently awaiting the respective
positions of the United States and Israel,” the newspaper added.
Argentine judge charges 7 Iranians, one Lebanese over 1994
attack on Jewish center
Agence France Presset/22 September 2026
An Argentine judge on Monday formally charged seven Iranians and a Lebanese
citizen for their alleged involvement in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community
center in Buenos Aires. The decision marks another
step toward a possible trial in absentia over the attack on July 18 that year,
which killed 85 people and injured 300 more. No one has ever been arrested over
the bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA), which is
considered one of the worst tragedies in the South American country's history.
"The decision to carry out the attack was made in August 1993 by the highest
echelons of the Iranian regime and entrusted to Hezbollah," Judge Daniel Rafecas
wrote in a statement. Seven of the defendants held
high-ranking positions in the Iranian state when the attack occurred. The
Lebanese national was a member of Hezbollah. Two other
defendants were removed from the case due to lack of evidence.
A trial is now a real possibility, but the charged individuals may appeal
the indictment. "There's still a whole process to go
through," Rafecas told AFP, noting other necessary procedural steps before a
trial could happen.Argentine President Javier Milei, a staunch ally of Israel,
celebrated the decision on social media."Morality as State Policy," he wrote on
X. Argentina and Israel have long pointed the finger at Iran as the perpetrator
of the attack, which the Islamic republic has always denied.
In a move backed by Milei's right-wing administration, Argentine courts
authorized the possibility of a trial in absentia last year. The attack on AMIA
occurred just two years after a bomb at the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires
claimed 29 lives. Monday's ruling suggested that the two incidents could be
related. It sought the Argentine Supreme Court's opinion on potentially linking
the two cases given Hezbollah's alleged involvement in both.
Argentina is home to Latin America's largest Jewish community.
EU rewards journalists from Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Iraq
at 2026 edition of Samir Kassir Award
Naharnett/22 September 2026
The Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon and the Samir Kassir Foundation
have announced the results of the 21st edition of the Samir Kassir Award for
Freedom of the Press, at a ceremony held at the Sursock Palace Gardens in
Beirut.
Established with funding from the European Union, the Award is internationally
recognized as a flagship prize for press freedom and the most prestigious
journalism award in the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf region. Since 2006,
the ceremony has been held annually to commemorate the assassination of Lebanese
journalist Samir Kassir on 2 June 2005 in Beirut, and to celebrate his life,
values, and intellectual and professional struggle.The Samir Kassir Award is
open to professional journalists from eighteen countries in North Africa, the
Middle East and the Gulf. This year, 300 journalists entered the competition,
from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria,
Tunisia and Yemen. The entries comprised 66 opinion pieces, 194 investigative
articles and 40 audiovisual news reports. The winner in each category receives a
prize of €10,000, while each shortlisted finalist receives €1,000.
The winners of the 2026 Samir Kassir Award are: -
Opinion Piece Category (joint winner): Ahmad Al-Agha, from Palestine, born in
1989, for his article “The Tent”, published by Raseef22 on 23 February 2026.
Through the experience of displacement in Gaza, the article shows how a home has
become a tent identified by a number for aid distribution, and how prolonged
displacement has stripped Palestinians of stability, privacy and a sense of
belonging.
- Opinion Piece Category (joint winner): Fatima Ahmad, from Syria, born in 1988,
for her article “Seeds of Hate, Harvest of Wounds”, published by Sot-Sy on 8
October 2025. The article explores how language and multiple identities become
pretexts for accusations of treachery and exclusion, warning against
perpetuating hate speech during Syria’s political transition and calling for
education in diversity and dialogue to protect pluralism and civil peace.
- Investigative Reporting Category (joint winner): Mariya Talal Al-Samarrai,
from Iraq, born in 2003, for her investigation “Don’t Drink Water Before Going
Out… The Search for Women’s Toilets in Iraq”, published by Jummar on 20 November
2025. Through the experiences of Iraqi women in schools, universities and
workplaces, the investigation exposes how the absence of safe, clean toilets
denies women basic rights to health, privacy and dignity, and limits their
opportunities for education and employment in a society whose infrastructure and
attitudes overlook their needs.
- Investigative Reporting Category (joint winners): Ali Al-Ibrahim, born in
1988, and Mais Katt, born in 1980, from Syria, for their investigation “Stolen
Children of Syria”, published on 11 September 2025 by the Syrian Investigative
Journalism Unit (SIRAJ), in collaboration with Lighthouse Reports, The Observer,
BBC Eye, Der Spiegel, Trouw, Women Who Won the War, Sowt and Al-Jumhuriya. The
investigation reveals how the Assad regime concealed hundreds of detainee
children in care homes, with government institutions involved and international
care organizations complicit or failing to act, while the fate of many children
remains unknown. This is Ali Al-Ibrahim’s second Samir Kassir Award, following
his first win in 2019.
- Audiovisual News Reporting Category: Antoni Barakat, from Lebanon, born in
1998, for his report “Two Prisons of Roumieh”, released by Naqd Media on 31
August 2025. The report exposes the class disparities, bribery and privileges
that shape life in Lebanon’s Roumieh prison, and the danger of housing a
juvenile facility inside an adult prison. Antoni Barakat also won the Students’
Prize, a special distinction awarded by a jury of journalism and media students
from Lebanese universities.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon,
Sandra De Waele, said: “For the past twenty-one years, the Samir Kassir Award
has stood as a concrete expression of the European Union’s commitment to press
freedom, a commitment that does not stop at Europe’s borders. We stand for it in
this region and across the world, because a free press is not optional. It is
what allows people to know what their governments do in their name and to hold
them accountable for it.”
Malek Mrowa, President of the Samir Kassir Foundation, said: “Journalists in
this region need a space that puts their work in the spotlight, protects their
professional values, and allows their stories to cross borders. This Award has
created an opportunity for an annual gathering that goes beyond the moment of
recognition. It has become a meeting point for journalism that sees freedom as a
shared identity, accuracy as a stance, and independence as a condition for
trust.”
An independent seven-member jury from Arab countries and European Union member
states selected the winners. This year’s jury comprised Alex Rowell (United
Kingdom), writer and editor at New Lines magazine and the Samir Kassir
Foundation’s representative on the jury; Hanene Zbiss (Tunisia), investigative
journalist, vice-president of the Tunisian Press Council, and winner of the 2014
Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press; Daisy Mohr (the Netherlands),
Middle East correspondent for Dutch public broadcaster NOS; Aida Al-Kaisy
(Iraq), founder and editor-in-chief of Iraqi platform Jummar; Farea Al-Muslimi
(Yemen), research fellow at Chatham House and founder of the Sana’a Center for
Strategic Studies; Monika Borgmann (Germany), filmmaker and director of UMAM;
and Nabil Wakim (France), journalist at Le Monde.
More information about the 2026 edition of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of
the Press, the winning articles and audiovisual report, as well as biographies
and works of winners from previous years, is available on the website:
www.samirkassiraward.org
What’s Left of Hezbollah Two Years after the War?
Asharq Al Awsat/22 September 2026
The expanded war in Lebanon, which erupted with widespread Israeli bombardment
on September 23, 2024, and led to intense clashes and battlefield shifts, has
forced a new reality on Hezbollah. The Iran-backed group's military
capabilities, supply lines, and political influence have significantly declined
following severe losses within its senior leadership ranks. Furthermore,
Hezbollah's deployment on the ground and operations have fundamentally changed
compared to its pre-war positioning. Two years later, the group is navigating a
far more complex military landscape. While the loss of a vast portion of its
leadership, declining drone and missile capabilities, and shrinking supply lines
through Syria have severely weakened its position, the party still retains
enough military capacity to continue operating. It is actively attempting to
reorganize its ranks and adapt to an altered battlefield reality - one that
stretches from north of the Litani River into broader territory across southern
Lebanon and the Western Bekaa. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, security and defense
expert Riad Kahwaji estimated that Hezbollah's capabilities have significantly
declined between 2024 and today across its leadership, military structure,
political influence, and supply lines, evaluating the scale of this drop to have
"exceeded nearly half."He explained that the group has lost the vast majority of
its first- and second-tier leaders, while most of the leaders present today were
classified within the third tier in 2024.Hezbollah supporters carry posters of
slain Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei during a rally coinciding with his
funeral in Iran in Beirut's southern suburbs. (EPA file) The nature of
management within the group has also changed, as "management in 2024 was local
under Iranian guidance, whereas today management and guidance have become
directly Iranian," he added. On the military level, Kahwaji said that "the
party's forces have become stationed north of the Litani, after having
previously been present directly on the border.""Nabatieh has practically become
the separation line of contact between the group's presence and the Israeli
forces," he noted. Regarding the military arsenal, he said that "missile and
drone capabilities still exist, but they have become less than half of what they
were before."He added that Hezbollah's political influence within Lebanon has
significantly weakened from its previous levels, noting that one of the most
prominent shifts affecting the group is the severe disruption of its supply
lines through Syria, which have now been largely cut off. Since the November
2024 ceasefire up to the current stage, retired Brigadier General Dr. Khalil
Helou told Asharq Al-Awsat that the party’s "capabilities have dropped compared
to what they were before the war, but it has not lost its military capacity and
still possesses capabilities that allow it to continue."Its limited responses to
Israel during the current stage may be a sign that it has entered a new "phase
of reorganization and rebuilding of combat readiness," he added. Helou explained
that the period following the November 2024 ceasefire was marked by ongoing
Israeli assassinations targeting Hezbollah operatives, while the group largely
refrained from retaliating. This pattern underscores a significant drop in
Hezbollah's capabilities compared to its pre-2024 strength, while simultaneously
indicating that the group has been undergoing a phase of reorganization,
rearmament, and rebuilding of its combat readiness, he noted. Helou stressed
that the strategic landscape shifted following the outbreak of the US war on
Iran at the end of February, which Hezbollah joined in early March.
"From that point until the second ceasefire on June 17, the party engaged in the
fighting, launching effective retaliatory operations in certain areas and firing
missiles into both the Israeli interior and Israeli-occupied territories," Helou
said. He remarked that during that phase, Israel "advanced, made incursions, and
established its presence on the ground," while Hezbollah continued to carry out
military responses, though the situation following the latest ceasefire has
returned to a pattern similar to the period that followed November 2024.
"Today, we have virtually returned to the previous phase, as Hezbollah's
responses to Israeli attacks have become almost nonexistent," he stated. "If we
review operations over the past two and a half months since the ceasefire, the
military operations carried out by the group against Israel are highly limited
and can be counted on two hands. This stands in sharp contrast to dozens of
daily Israeli operations, including airstrikes, shelling, and assassinations."
No change, no reshuffle: PM Salam government set to
remain intact
LBCI/September 22/2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government appears set to remain unchanged for now,
with neither a new Cabinet nor a reshuffle currently gaining political support.
The government secured the confidence of 68 MPs just days ago, strengthening its
position in Parliament. Sources close to Salam say replacing the government is
not under consideration.
Saudi Arabia, which supported the government’s formation and helped secure the
political balance behind it, also opposes a change amid current domestic and
regional conditions. Another factor is the lack of guarantees that Salam would
be renamed prime minister if a new government were formed. Talk of a limited
reshuffle involving three or four ministers has also circulated amid reported
dissatisfaction with their performance. However, the political forces concerned
say such a move is not currently on the table.
The Lebanese Forces denied plans to replace Energy Minister Joe Saddi. Instead,
the party is calling on the government to pay public institutions’ outstanding
dues to Electricité du Liban and allow Saddi to raise electricity tariffs to
increase power supply and reduce residents’ reliance on private generators. The
party said it could consider other options if those measures are not taken. Amal
and Hezbollah have also ruled out a reshuffle for now, saying current
circumstances do not allow for one. For the time being, political forces appear
to favor keeping the government intact to avoid further disruption amid
heightened regional tensions.
FM Raggi meets Lebanese community in New York, highlights
ties to homeland
LBCI/September 22/2026
Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi met with members of the Lebanese community in New
York during a reception at the Lebanese Consulate General attended by Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam.In a post on X, Raggi said that despite the distance,
Lebanon remains close to the hearts of Lebanese expatriates.He added that they
continue to believe in a strong and just state capable of protecting its
citizens both at home and abroad.
Lebanon's fuel prices continue to increase
LBCI/September 22/2026
On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the prices of 95 and 98 octane fuel increased by
LBP 24,000, while diesel rose by LBP 55,000 and gas surged by LBP 28,000.
The current prices for hydrocarbon derivatives are as follows:
- Gasoline 95 octane: LBP 2,834,000
- Gasoline 98 octane: LBP 2,852,000
- Diesel: LBP 2,823,000
- Gas canister: LBP 1,249,000
The Shia in Lebanon – Part 2 – By Col Charbel Barakat
Colonel Charbel Barakat/September 22/2026
In the previous article, we mentioned that certain families arriving from Iraq,
who claimed descent from the Prophet’s Household (Aal al-Bayt), chose Southern
Lebanon for settlement to escape the reign of oppression. Lebanon’s natural
geography supported human freedom and sustained survival despite the surrounding
scarcity, fostering a greater focus on spiritual values and metaphysical
aspirations.
During the Abbasid era, religious movements and sects multiplied, most of which
called for the right of Aal al-Bayt to the caliphate. They based their claims on
the fact that the establishment of the Abbasid state was born out of
mobilization against the Umayyads—who, in their view, had usurped power from Ali
ibn Abi Talib during the time of Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan. However, Abbasid
bloodshed surpassed even the actions of Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, who had crushed
revolts during the reign of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan with utter severity and
violence. This brutality tarnished the image of the new ruling authority,
despite Caliph Al-Ma'mun’s efforts to soften it through generous patronage of
translation and the sciences. This environment terrified smaller groups and
dissenters, driving them to seek safer havens.
These smaller groups and families viewed Lebanon as a safe haven, far removed
from the eyes of authorities, where they could preserve their distinct doctrines
due to the region's intellectual pluralism and diverse demographics.
Intentionally or otherwise, they prompted the peaceful local population to focus
heavily on the injustice that had befallen Aal al-Bayt, justifying their
propositions with a natural simplicity that lacked critical scrutiny or
challenge. Matters pertaining to the divine are typically accepted without
opposition, as they transcend basic physical needs centered around securing
daily sustenance. Nevertheless, the locals contributed with genuine warmth and
cooperation to provide for these guests, as they did with anyone residing among
them, routinely sharing their bread in line with their deeply held values.
Later, over time, these voluntary contributions were transformed into obligatory
duties imposed on poor residents in the name of the religious sect. To justify
the continuation of these levies—which reached a fifth (Khums) of
production—these Sayyids devised a theory asserting that the native population
originated from the Arabian Peninsula, making them part of those designated in
the Quran as "the best nation produced for mankind." To merit this distinction,
they were expected to accept the leadership of these families and pay the
required fifth. Consequently, this turned into a lucrative affair that
encouraged many who claimed kinship with Aal al-Bayt to migrate and settle in
these lands. On one hand, it was far from the eyes of the ruling power, which
would not demand a share of their wealth; on the other, the population was
compliant, accepting this tax that secured a dignified and comfortable life for
these leaders, even among the impoverished.
However, leadership sometimes demands commitment. Anyone wishing to maintain
their role had to demonstrate active protection of morals and values and attempt
to secure justice to retain the community's respect. Additionally, they had to
champion a political cause to justify their position and authority. Hence, there
was a continuous focus on the role and history of Aal al-Bayt, an emphasis on
their tragedy, criticism of state administration, and adherence to religious
commands as they interpreted them. This also drove their outreach to similar
religious groups to
keep abreast of emerging philosophical trends that could be taught, allowing
them to appear as those most faithful to executing divine commands.
Looking toward Egypt during the Fatimid era was a natural course, given that the
state there claimed the sovereignty of Aal al-Bayt. However, opposing the rulers
of the Levant carried severe consequences, leading to the adoption of Taqiyya
(precautionary dissimulation) and a reluctance to speak out publicly. Despite
the failed experience in achieving justice for Aal al-Bayt and the general
population alike—whether under Abbasid or Fatimid rule—and the heavy reliance on
violence and retribution, this climate of rivalry between those claiming
knowledge or noble descent produced nothing but further injustices. Thus, when
the Frankish Crusaders arrived, the land was ready to accept any different ruler
who might bring a degree of stability.
The Franks relied on the administrative systems prevalent in their homelands and
on taxes already established during the Fatimid era, supplemented by levies on
pilgrims to safeguard their journeys, as well as volunteer efforts that
initially led them to join forces attempting to secure pilgrimage routes.
Furthermore, the climate allowed local farmers far easier agricultural work than
in Europe—despite slight variations due to lower rainfall—which contributed to
higher output. Open sea trade routes then proved decisive in increasing revenues
and introducing a wider variety of goods to enrich local markets, alongside
local products exported to Europe aboard Mediterranean-faring vessels,
particularly those of Venice and Genoa.
The economic situation in the region improved compared to earlier periods,
leading to an acceptance of and adaptation to the status quo. When Saladin
overthrown Fatimid rule and reattached Egypt to the nominal authority of the
Abbasid Caliph, this move met neither objection nor support from the local
population; their daily lives were tied to the Frankish principalities and their
laws, which made little distinction among locals. This state of affairs
continued back and forth throughout Ayyubid rule, with civilian travel between
the coastal European principalities and the Levantine interior remaining
accessible without major obstacles. The Sayyids did not dare criticize the
ruling authority during this period due to the altered circumstances; after all,
these Franks had no connection to the historic oppression of Aal al-Bayt, even
if they were outsiders. Before they could fully grasp the unfolding political
and military shifts, conditions were changing without their input.
Hence, acceptance of the situation occurred, albeit reluctantly. This was later
interpreted by the Mamluks—who overthrew Ayyubid authority—as allegiance to
foreign powers that posed a threat to the state. They retaliated against the
population, treating them as supporters of either the Franks or the Ayyubids
indiscriminately. The ruthless methods used by the Mamluks to consolidate power
even among themselves, along with their policy of terror to assert dominance,
drew no distinctions among dissidents and viewed them all as enemies.
Consequently, the pervasive fear of shifting regimes—and the changing legal
rulings that accompanied them—led to deeper isolation and a reluctance to take
explicit stances. This prompted fanatic clerics seeking pretexts to consolidate
Mamluk rule to revive religious decrees (fatwas) and rulings that escalated to
mass exterminations and the depopulation of entire areas, starting from the
Galilee and Jabal Amel and extending to other Lebanese regions wherever they
could reach. (To be continued)
UN: Paris Wants to Replace UNIFIL With a 'Different
Type' of Presence
Sylviane Zehil/LevantTime/September 22, 2026
As France holds the presidency of the UN Security Council in September, the
General Assembly’s “high-level week” is taking place against a backdrop of
existential crises and growing questioning of multilateralism. In this context,
Paris intends to defend an international system “based on the rule of law rather
than the law of the strongest.” Among the sensitive issues on the agenda is
Lebanon, with an increasingly pressing question: what should be done about
UNIFIL and, above all, how can a “security vacuum” be avoided if its mandate
cannot be extended for the long term?
Lebanese leaders who are in New York for the occasion will hold crucial meetings
to address the issue, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has already discussed it
with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly is entering its most
intense political phase as France holds the presidency of the Security Council,
which it assumed at the beginning of September, while also holding the G7
presidency this year.
Ukraine, Palestine, Iran, Sudan, Lebanon, the Red Sea and Yemen: French
officials will address a series of ongoing crises in New York, as well as
broader issues ranging from artificial intelligence to international
humanitarian law, not to mention the succession of António Guterres, which is
already being worked out behind the scenes.
The political framework Paris intends to set for the week is one of defending
multilateralism. “At a time when multilateralism is being criticized in
different ways, we remain strongly committed to multilateralism in general and
to the United Nations in particular,” a senior French diplomat said during an
off-the-record briefing on French priorities.One principle is expected to be
reaffirmed in New York: “We believe in the strength of an international system
based on the rule of law rather than the law of the strongest.” It is against
this broader backdrop that the Lebanese issue must be viewed, as the question of
UNIFIL’s future is now being raised directly at the Security Council.
Maintain UNIFIL or Prepare for Another Presence?
Asked during the briefing about Lebanon’s wish to keep the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon in place for longer, despite the resistance this option
faces, the senior French diplomat initially confirmed Beirut’s request. “Lebanon
has indeed asked for the Force to remain in place for a longer period.” France
plays a particular role on this issue because it is the penholder at the
Security Council. “France is the penholder on this issue, which means that we
are the ones who draft and negotiate the text concerning UNIFIL,” he recalled.
In the previous negotiations, Paris had succeeded in extending the Force’s
mandate by a year and a half. But the diplomat pointed to a shift in positions
within the Council. “There is a feeling within the Council that we should now
consider a new United Nations presence rather than extend UNIFIL’s mandate.”
Beirut, by contrast, is calling for UNIFIL to remain. And France says it is
prepared to support that option if it remains politically possible. “If there is
a possibility of extending the mandate – and France has expressed this position
– we can support such an extension.”
According to the French diplomat, the problem now lies in the balance of forces
within the Security Council. “I fear there will not be sufficient support for a
long-term extension or for maintaining a full mandate.” This assessment
therefore opens the door to another possibility: a shorter extension that would
allow the Force to remain for an additional period without prejudging the
arrangement that might eventually succeed it. “If there is a possibility of
extending UNIFIL’s mandate for a short period and with a sufficiently broad
mandate, we will do so,” the diplomat said. But the briefing revealed above all
that the discussion is already moving beyond the simple choice between
maintaining UNIFIL and ending its presence. “I think the discussion is now
moving more toward something broader: a United Nations presence, but also
another type of presence, perhaps an ad hoc international presence.” The French
diplomat, however, immediately brought the various options back to the objective
being pursued rather than their modalities. “What is our objective here? Perhaps
I should have started with that rather than with the modalities.” The answer can
be summed up in a few words: “Our objective is to ensure that there is no
security vacuum in Lebanon, in order to guarantee the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of (Lebanon)…” For now, therefore, the common denominator
put forward by France remains the one articulated by the diplomat himself:
preventing the emergence of a “security vacuum in Lebanon.”
A French Presidency Facing Multiple Fronts
The Lebanese issue is part of a much broader agenda. On Iran, high-level
meetings are expected in various formats, with the Iranian president and foreign
minister present at the meetings. The French diplomat’s briefing placed the
issue within a regional context encompassing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz,
developments in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as well as the
situation involving the Houthis in Yemen. A Security Council meeting is also
expected to focus on Ukraine, “given the situation and its deterioration,”
particularly following the recent strikes near the Polish border mentioned by
the French diplomat. Sudan will also be on the agenda of meetings in New York.
Palestine: Two-State Solution Among French Priorities
Palestine will rank “very high among the priorities of French officials.” Paris
sees this engagement as a continuation of the New York Declaration and the
resolution adopted by the General Assembly with 142 votes in favor of a text
endorsing the declaration on the two-state solution. France considers
developments on the ground to have made the issue urgent. “Given the challenges
facing the two-state solution on the ground, this issue is one of the concerns
of French officials,” the senior diplomat said.
Artificial Intelligence, Another Major Issue at UNGA81
Beyond the crises, artificial intelligence ranks “very high on the French
agenda,” with two distinct concerns. The first relates to the impact of AI and,
more broadly, digital technology on children. “There is no question of denying
the benefits of artificial intelligence, but we are seeing serious concerns
about its impact on children,” the diplomat explained. The second aspect is much
more directly related to security. Paris wants to open a discussion on the risks
associated with the development of AI, particularly “the existential threat that
AI could pose to humanity as a whole.” In this regard, the senior diplomat
pointed to concerns expressed by several executives of technology companies
specializing in AI about both this potential threat and cyber risks.
Humanitarian Law Amid a Proliferation of Conflicts
International law and human rights are another area of concern for France. Paris
is working with Jordan, South Africa, Brazil, China, Kazakhstan and the
International Committee of the Red Cross on an initiative aimed at promoting
respect for international humanitarian law.
The initiative stems from a particularly troubling assessment: “Not only are we
seeing an increase in the number of international conflicts, but we are also
seeing an extremely worrying rise in non-compliance with international
humanitarian law.” The law, the diplomat recalled, lays down the “fundamental
rules applicable to war.” A summit on the issue is scheduled to take place in
Amman in December.
Veto Use in Cases of Mass Atrocities
France also intends to use the General Assembly to give fresh impetus to its
joint initiative with Mexico to encourage permanent members of the Security
Council to voluntarily limit their use of the veto in situations involving mass
atrocities.
Launched in 2013 after Security Council deadlocks despite atrocities being
committed on the ground, the initiative had, the diplomat acknowledged, “fallen
relatively dormant in recent years.” But renewed Franco-Mexican efforts have
helped revive the momentum. Some 123 of the UN’s 193 member states now support
the initiative. “Symbolically, we would like to surpass the threshold of 129
states,” the diplomat explained – the equivalent of two-thirds of the General
Assembly. The aim is also to secure the support of permanent members of the
Council, although this remains, he acknowledged, “obviously more delicate.”
Guterres’ Succession in the Background
Finally, another upcoming deadline is likely to be at the center of
consultations in New York: the selection of the next United Nations
secretary-general. António Guterres’ term will end on December 31. The Security
Council is therefore in the midst of consultations and indicative votes, known
as straw polls, intended to gauge support for the various candidates. The
succession is expected to be a central topic of discussions on the sidelines of
the official meetings.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on September 22-23/2026
Trump Says US and Iranian Officials
Met Tuesday, Shortly After Warning He May ‘Annihilate’ Iran
Asharq Al Awsat/23 September 2026
President Donald Trump said US and Iranian officials met Tuesday, an unexpected
engagement that came even as he threatened in his address to the UN General
Assembly that he may “annihilate” the country if a deal isn’t reached soon to
end the nearly seven-month war.
Trump told reporters that his chief envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met
with the Iranian officials on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world
leaders but he offered few details about how the discussions transpired or the
substance of the exchange.
“It was a very good meeting,” Trump said. The president later added that the
Iranian officials were “not the highest level, but it’s something.” The
engagement comes after months of US-Iran communications languishing following
the collapse of a short-lived ceasefire that was brokered in June. US and
Iranian negotiators met separately with Qatari and Pakistani mediators in Doha
in early July for indirect talks. Earlier Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco
Rubio said that Trump is open to meeting with Iran’s president, Masoud
Pezeshkian, while he’s in New York for the General Assembly. “This is a
president that will meet with anybody for the most part, because he believes
that engaging with people is important if you’re going to solve problems,” Rubio
said on NBC’s “Today” show. “It doesn’t mean you’re going to end up agreeing
with them, but it’s important.” Trump also met on Tuesday with leaders and
senior officials from Gulf Cooperation Council nations — Saudi Arabia, Bahrain,
Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates — as well as Jordan to discuss the
way ahead with the war in Iran. In his address to the General Assembly, Trump
made the case that he's shown fortitude while other leaders have equivocated as
he defended his decision to start a war with Iran. But Trump also suggested that
he could be at a crossroads in the conflict even as he called on Iran to fully
reopen the Strait of Hormuz and return to the negotiating table to find a
settlement to end the conflict.
“I have a big decision to make,” Trump said. “Will a deal be made with Iran that
lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before,
maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world. Or do I
annihilate Iran and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and
destroy people and countries again?” The president's comments came in his
wide-ranging address to the international body in which he also celebrated this
year's US military operation to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from
power, a new agreement to expand the US military presence in Greenland, and
pushed back against calls for greater regulation of the artificial intelligence
industry. But at the heart of the address was a fulsome defense of the war and
pushback on the notion that Iran has shown a measure of resilience. “The
terrorist regime is behaving badly, not because they are strong and confident,
but because they are weak and desperate," Trump said. Most of Iran's delegation
walked out of the chamber as Trump railed against Tehran.
Trump's speech began a busy day of diplomacy
After his speech, Trump gathered with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen
and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on the sidelines of the
General Assembly to sign a new security agreement. The deal, announced last
week, came together after Trump repeatedly threatened to “take over” Greenland,
a territory of NATO-ally Denmark, by military force if necessary. Trump said
Tuesday the US will immediately begin the process of developing a larger
military presence in Greenland including “building two very major military
bases.”
Under the deal, Greenland remains Denmark’s territory. Trump also held talks
with new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae
Takaichi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He's expected to hold a
more informal meeting on Tuesday evening with Venezuela's acting President Delcy
Rodríguez, according to the White House. Trump also took part in an event on the
Shield of Americas, an initiative Trump launched with Latin American countries
earlier this year focused on combatting violent cartels. Iran war looms large at
General Assembly . The visit to the UN comes as Trump's foreign policy approach
— particularly his decision to start a war with Iran — has become a drag on his
fellow Republicans' hopes of retaining control of both chambers of Congress
during the coming midterm elections. Nevertheless, Trump made the case in his
speech that the world is better off for his leadership. “I have no interest in
leaving dangers to grow for another day,” Trump said. In last year's address at
the UN, Trump claimed the US had “demolished” Iran's nuclear capabilities after
he ordered the June 2025 bombardment of three key facilities.
He returned to the General Assembly nearing the seven-month mark of a new war
against Iran that he insists is necessary to address a nuclear threat posed by
Iran. The war has grown more complicated even though strikes by the United
States and Israel have killed much of Iran's top leadership and destroyed its
air force and navy, while a US blockade of Iranian oil has left Tehran in
economic shambles. The energy market continues to be spooked by the war and oil
prices remain elevated. At the same time, territorial grabs by the Yemen-based
Houthi militants, another Iranian-backed group, near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait
has now made it treacherous for oil carriers to use that Red Sea shipping lane.
Trump's frustration with Russia-Ukraine war mounts
In his address, the president also touched on Russia's continuing war against
Ukraine — a conflict that during his 2024 campaign he predicted would be
resolved on Day One of his second term. He once again expressed hope that the
conflict will soon be resolved.
Trump hasn't obscured that his patience is being tested by Ukraine's targeting
of Russia's diesel refineries — an issue that's added to the global oil markets'
volatility — and Russia's targeting of Ukraine's energy grid. Trump last week
asserted that he got the two sides to agree to not target each other's energy
infrastructure. Zelenskyy had said he was willing to go along with Trump's plan
if Russia abided by it. Russia said it could only go along with Trump's energy
truce proposal if Western energy sanctions on Moscow were lifted first.
The two sides have continued carrying out strikes on refineries and other energy
infrastructure. Trump noted that last week he signed a new sanctions bill
targeting Moscow. It empowers him to impose up to 100% tariffs on the top five
importers of Russian oil or natural gas.
The legislation includes an exception for countries that import less than 15% of
Russia’s natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those
imports. Trump, however, has yet to enact the stiff penalties. “If necessary, I
will have to use them,” Trump said. “It’s time to stop the killing.”
Trump warns in UN speech he could ‘annihilate’ Iran
without peace deal
Reuters/22 September ,2026
US President Donald Trump used his UN General Assembly speech on Tuesday to
argue that the war with Iran prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon
and warn that he could “annihilate” Iran if no deal is reached to end the
conflict.
While predicting his administration would strike a peace deal with Iran
following the November 3 US midterm elections, Trump called on other nations to
join America in isolating Iran economically to force it to the negotiating
table.
“I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them
rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?” Trump said.
“Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a
chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?”Trump added: “Do I drive
them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or
generations? But I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election.”
The speech marked the latest justification Trump has offered for the war with
Iran. He has previously cited a range of reasons for the February US-Israeli
strikes, including Tehran’s nuclear program, its support for regional proxy
groups and the prospect of regime change.
Iran has consistently denied seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Outside the UN headquarters, dozens of anti-Iranian government demonstrators
gathered, a few of them holding up signs calling for freedom and democracy and
decrying dictatorship.
“I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election because it doesn’t make
sense for them not to. They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election,”
Trump said during a speech to the United Nations General Assembly. In addition
to defending the decision to attack Iran, Trump was expected to use his speech
to criticize the UN, highlighting his administration’s efforts to prevent the
organization and other international bodies from encroaching on US sovereignty
or advancing what it views as a left-wing agenda, according to a White House
official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump last year caused a stir with
a combative speech at the UN, saying that other countries were “going to hell”
for, among other things, climate policy and mass migration. The speech kicked
off a day of high-level diplomacy at the United Nations, where Trump was due to
meet more than a dozen world leaders as wars in the Middle East and Ukraine
continued to test his foreign policy agenda. After his speech, Trump is
scheduled to meet with no fewer than 11 world leaders, bilaterally or in group
settings.
Later on Tuesday, Trump will meet with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham,
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy
Rodriguez, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenland Prime Minister
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and the representatives of the Gulf states of Saudi
Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. In the
evening, he may meet dozens more leaders, albeit briefly, during a leaders’
reception. Trump met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday. Additions
to his Tuesday schedule are possible.
Trump says US held ‘very productive’ three-hour meeting
with Iran
Al Arabiya English/22 September ,2026
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that US officials held a “very good”
and “very productive” three-hour meeting with Iranian representatives in New
York, a rare direct encounter that could provide a fresh opening for efforts to
end the nearly seven-month war.
“It was a meeting that lasted for three hours,” Trump told reporters on the
sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. He added that another meeting
was scheduled “in the very near future.”Trump did not identify the Iranian
officials who took part, but referred to his special envoys Steve Witkoff and
Jared Kushner, who were sitting alongside him as he spoke.“I feel very good
right now,” Witkoff said when asked by a reporter about the talks. Iranian state
television later reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had met Witkoff
on the sidelines of the UN gathering, citing an unnamed source. According to the
report, the meeting took place at Witkoff’s “insistence,” with Tehran agreeing
to the talks to convey its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran
told the US that its conditions included the immediate lifting of Washington’s
naval blockade, the immediate release of all frozen Iranian assets and an end to
the war on what Tehran calls all “resistance fronts,” state television reported.
The report said Iran’s “firm positions” were conveyed to Witkoff during the
meeting.The encounter comes as the Trump administration signals a renewed push
to end the war in the Middle East. Trump has said he expects the conflict to end
around the November US midterm elections, if not before. The US president used
his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to threaten to “annihilate”
Iran if its officials failed to reach a deal. Before arriving in New York, Trump
had also indicated that he was open to meeting Iranian President Masoud
Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN gathering.
Trump Renames AI ‘Super Intelligence’ as Leaders Jostle
Over Dangers
Asharq Al Awsat/September 23/2026
President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that the US government would rename
artificial intelligence "super intelligence" in official communications, as
world leaders jostled over how to address the dangers of the fast-advancing
technology. AI has become a major topic at the UN General Assembly after
incidents of the technology falling out of the control of humans and warnings by
company insiders drew global alarm and calls for better government supervision
of the industry. Speaking to the assembly, Trump stood by his firm opposition to
regulating AI, while arguing the word "artificial" undersold the technology and
voicing hope the rest of the world would adopt the new term. Super Intelligence
"sounds much better" and "it's much more accurate," he said. The rebrand is the
latest in a series of renamings pursued by the Trump administration, which
changed the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" via executive order last
year and, in August, renamed Lake Ontario "Lake America" amid a trade dispute
with Canada.The US leader also compared the warnings of AI safety advocates to
warnings about climate change, whose human causes are affirmed by the
overwhelming consensus of the scientific community. "The United States totally
rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme to control... artificial
intelligence," he said. "Every major new technology brings challenges, and
superintelligence is no exception," he added. "The very same people who said
we'll all be dead in 12 years because of global warming... are now saying that
AI is going to kill us all, that robots are going to attack us, and that
everything is going to be a total disaster."Ahead of the UN assembly, leaders of
more than 20 mostly European countries urged binding safety measures for
advanced AI, warning that the technology's development could outpace the ability
to control it. AI superpowers China and the United States did not endorse the
idea.
'Vassals' -
Speaking on the sidelines of the UN meeting, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he
planned to use Britain's role as host of the Group of 20 next year to push for a
"single set of global principles and standards" around AI, according to
Bloomberg. French President Emmanuel Macron proposed building AI technology
independent from the great powers. "I don't want anyone to become the vassal of
one of the great powers," Macron told the UN General Assembly, apparently in
reference to China and the US. "Our investment capabilities must be pooled to
build a cutting-edge open-source AI model, which we will share. We should not
depend on somebody else." The US-based AI giants themselves are increasingly
asking for global coordination on AI safety, with OpenAI's Sam Altman set to
address the UN Security Council on Wednesday. Anthropic chief Dario Amodei and
Hugging Face co-founder Clement Delangue will also participate remotely, a
French official said Tuesday. France, which holds the Security Council
presidency this month, initiated the meeting and believes AI's threat to
international peace and security has not been sufficiently discussed at the UN.
UN chief Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, called for the US and China to start a
dialogue on the technology's future akin to US-Soviet engagement at the height
of the Cold War. "Governments with the greatest AI capabilities have the
greatest responsibilities to humanity, to establish channels for dialogue,"
Guterres said in his address to the assembly. "At a pivotal moment during the
Cold War, strategic rivals came to recognize the need to manage shared
existential risks." China and the US are currently discussing creating a
communication channel for AI concerns in anticipation of a Washington summit
meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.
Iran hardened demands for ending war with US after June
deal collapsed, IRGC says
Al Arabiya English/22 September ,2026
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman Hossein Mohebi said on
Tuesday that Iran had hardened its conditions for ending the war with the United
States following the collapse of a June deal, adding Washington now had “no
choice” but to accept its demands.
Iran had previously agreed with the United States to a memorandum of
understanding laying out a pathway to a permanent settlement of the conflict,
only for the deal to later unravel as each side accused the other of violating
it. “They broke the agreement and committed another vicious act. We have
therefore toughened our conditions,” Mohebi told AFP in an exclusive interview
in Tehran, noting that if the US persisted with its current course, “they will
only make things difficult for themselves.”“We are not their playthings, and
they cannot unilaterally violate an agreement they signed whenever they
please.”During the interview, Mohebi outlined Iran’s view of the nearly
seven-month Middle East war and the prospects for ending it as diplomatic
efforts stall. “We believe we have won this war, and we are currently
consolidating that victory into a total deterrent force,” he added. The June
memorandum of understanding included Iranian demands on the lifting of US oil
sanctions, removing its naval blockade on Iranian ports, unfreezing Iranian
assets abroad, and ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. Since it
fell apart, however, Mohebi said Iran had toughened its demands, including by
seeking the release of the full $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets up front
before negotiations, rather than in stages. “The issue of Yemen was not on the
agenda of the previous agreement. We are now demanding that the lifting of the
blockade on Yemen be included in the agreement,” he said.Recently Yemen’s
Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of areas around the strategic Bab
al-Mandeb Strait, posing a threat to shipping there.Mohebi insisted that the
Houthis were acting independently around Bab al-Mandeb, saying the militia
“makes its own decisions and does not need to coordinate with us for anything in
the world.”
‘Offensive posture’
While the heaviest phase of the Middle East war has subsided, sporadic attacks –
mainly near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for energy shipments from the
Gulf – have dimmed prospects for peace.Since the war erupted, Iran has required
vessels transiting Hormuz to coordinate with its authorities, while Gulf states
have sought alternative routes to bypass the waterway.“There will be no
alternative to the [Arabian] Gulf strait for at least the next 20 years. After
all, it is not just about oil,” said Mohebi, adding that the strait was also a
vital conduit for other essential products such as fertilizers. In recent weeks,
US has shifted toward a campaign of what it calls “economic asphyxiation” of
Iran, targeting foreign banks over alleged links with Tehran, and recently
announcing tighter sanctions on Iranian airlines. “The United States will not
achieve its objectives through an economic blockade – even though it harms us –
and we will undoubtedly retaliate,” said Mohebi.He also warned that Iran would
step up its response if the United States launched new attacks, but insisted
Tehran was “not seeking to expand the war.”“If they act recklessly and history
repeats itself, our resistance will undoubtedly intensify, bolstered by the
experience we have gained,” he said. “This time, we will not merely retaliate;
we will adopt an offensive posture, and America will come to regret its actions,
suffering greater humiliation than ever before.” He added that the United States
had tried to establish contact with the IRGC, but said it had rebuffed the
effort. “The Americans have tried to contact us but we refuse any such contact.
Our dealings with the enemy – as long as they remain hostile – are conducted
solely through arms,” Mohebi said. With AFP
Iran Ready to Reopen Strait of Hormuz if US Eases Military Pressure, Lifts
Blockade
Asharq Al Awsat/22 September 2026
Iran can reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States
eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, a senior
Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday. On Sunday, Iran's military central
command said it was informed the US was preparing to restart military operations
with the support of regional countries, and warned this would lead to Tehran's
retaliation "without limitations and considerations.”"The US needs to announce
that it wants to resolve the issue diplomatically, make that official, and then
agree on a timeline for how the process will move forward,” the senior Iranian
official said, adding the Iranian delegation to the United Nations General
Assembly is in New York and has full authority to revive diplomacy with the
United States. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, who left Tehran for New York
on Tuesday morning, will not meet US President Donald Trump at the UN
headquarters in New York, the official told Reuters. The Iranian official said
details on an agreement to end hostilities with Washington can be discussed in
New York via mediators, explaining that Tehran's proposal was delivered to the
US through mediators on September 16. "The UN General Assembly is a golden
opportunity for the US to return to diplomacy," the official said, adding that
Tehran would welcome a revival of diplomacy if Washington takes tangible steps.
Baghdad, Muscat stop accepting Iranian flights, Iranian
agency says
Al Arabiya English/22 September ,2026
Airports in Baghdad and Muscat will stop accepting flights from Iran from
midnight local time, Iran’s state-linked Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday,
citing a spokesperson for Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization. Iranian aviation
authorities are coordinating with their counterparts to redirect flights bound
for Baghdad to Iraq’s Najaf airport, the spokesperson said. Other international
flights from Iran, including those to Istanbul, will continue operating as
scheduled, with no current disruptions, according to the spokesperson. The
development comes as Iranian airlines face growing restrictions abroad amid a US
campaign to further isolate Tehran economically. Foreign companies providing
Iranian airlines with services including refueling and ground handling risk
being cut off from the US financial system under measures taking effect
Wednesday.US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on Monday that companies
servicing Iranian aircraft would face consequences under the measures. “If they
land, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing
services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar
system,” Bessent told CNBC. The latest restrictions are part of Washington’s
broader effort to increase economic pressure on Iran amid the ongoing conflict.
Earlier this month, Bessent said the US was looking at airlines, the maritime
sector and digital assets as potential targets as it sought to further squeeze
Tehran’s economy. Washington has accused Iranian commercial airlines of helping
transport weapons and fighters. The US has also blacklisted agents linked to
Mahan Air and designated 27 smaller Iranian carriers as part of its latest
measures targeting the aviation sector. The aviation pressure comes alongside a
US naval blockade targeting traffic through Iranian ports, which has sharply
disrupted Tehran’s seaborne trade. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called on
countries at the UN General Assembly to help enforce the complete economic
isolation of Iran.
China says opposes 'illegal' US sanctions on Iran
airlines
Agence France Presse/22 September 2026
China said on Tuesday it opposed "illegal" U.S. sanctions on Iranian airlines, a
day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened potential measures in a
televised interview. Bessent told CNBC that "all the Iranian airlines will be
shut down around the world" in a matter of days under the weight of American
sanctions, as the Trump administration seeks to ramp up pressure on Tehran.
Beijing -- a top economic partner and diplomatic backer of Iran -- slammed the
threats on Tuesday, calling such measures "illegal". "China consistently opposes
illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law or
authorization from the UN Security Council," foreign ministry spokesman Guo
Jiakun told a news conference. The criticism comes just before U.S. President
Donald Trump's summit starting Thursday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The
United States and Iran have been at war since late February, when U.S.-Israeli
strikes killed the Islamic republic's supreme leader and senior military
officials at the start of a broad offensive. Tehran countered by blocking the
Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for energy transit, causing global oil prices
to surge as the conflict spread in the Middle East. The United States imposed
sanctions this month on "all remaining Iranian airlines" that had yet to face
such penalties. The Treasury Department also took aim at targets for supporting
Iran's aviation sector, including firms based outside Iran. If they land, you
cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services,
you cannot sell them tickets or you will be knocked out of the dollar system,"
Bessent said in the interview. He had previously vowed the United States would
declare "economic D-Day" on Iran and pledged to choke off Tehran financially.
Bessent's comments came a day after he met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng
for economic talks, laying the groundwork for the meeting between the two
countries' leaders this week.
G7 Foreign Ministers Call on Iran to Stop Arming Houthis
New York: Asharq Al Awsat/22 September 2026
G7 foreign ministers on Monday called on Iran to end its arming and support of
Houthis in Yemen, which they said constituted a dangerous pattern of escalation
that risked undermining international trade and creating global instability.“We
condemn in the strongest terms the unacceptable continued strikes carried out by
the Houthis in Yemen and against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the ministers of
Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States said in a
statement after a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. “We call
on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions, all threats and
attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in
good faith,” they added. The G7 statement comes ahead of the annual General
Assembly in New York, where senior Iranian officials are due to speak. On
Monday, the United Nations condemned the continued cross-border attacks by the
Houthis against the Kingdom, including an attempted attack on Riyadh and attacks
on civilians and energy infrastructure, calling on all parties to exercise
restraint and prevent any further escalation. During a press briefing,
spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric expressed deep concern
over the ongoing military escalation in and around Yemen, including Houthi
offensives in Taiz, Lahj, and Marib, and their grave consequences for civilians
in Yemen and across the region. Dujarric stressed the need to uphold obligations
under international humanitarian law, including the prohibition of direct
attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Turkey’s Erdogan urges world to ‘immediately’ start
rebuilding Gaza
AFP/22 September ,2026
The world must immediately start the reconstruction of the devastated Gaza
Strip, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. We must begin the
reconstruction of Gaza immediately,” he told the United Nations General
Assembly, urging world leaders to “exert greater pressure on Israel.”Since Hamas
militants launched their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, triggering a massive
response, the tiny Palestinian territory has been devastated by countless
Israeli airstrikes, which by October 2025 had left 84 percent of all structures
damaged or destroyed, UN figures show. Despite a US-brokered ceasefire in
October 2025, Israel has continued its airstrikes and restricted entry of
equipment that international NGOs say are needed for the territory’s
reconstruction, which has yet to begin. According to a joint assessment
published by the United Nations, the World Bank and the European Union in April,
Gaza will require $71.4 billion in recovery and reconstruction spending over the
next decade.
UN Farewell, Macron Denounces Trump’s Gaza Diplomacy as
Spectacle of Shame
Asharq Al Awsat/September 23/2026
France's President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday dismissed US President Donald
Trump's claims of having secured peace in Gaza, saying not a single humanitarian
corridor had been reopened in the enclave despite the proclaimed peace. In his
final address to the United Nations before leaving office next year, Macron said
the world was witnessing a spectacle that should shame everyone, rebuking
Trump's portrayal of his Gaza peace plan as a diplomatic triumph. He spoke at
the United Nations General Assembly hours after Trump had from the same rostrum
hailed his Gaza peace plan as a diplomatic triumph. "A year ago, here in this
very hall, about a dozen states had recognized Palestine. I hear the cynicism of
some people: 'Recognition is just a piece of paper, look at the reality,'"
Macron said, banging his fist on the podium in his last speech at the United
Nations before stepping down next May. "But what credibility do we have if we
continue to remain inactive in the face of Gaza? Some boast of a supposed peace.
But that peace has not reopened humanitarian access for a single second. Are we
simply to stand by and watch this spectacle that should shame us all?"
WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS
In response to Macron's criticism, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said:
“President Trump ended the war between Israel and Hamas, freed all living
hostages, returned the bodies of the deceased to their loved ones, and is now
leading the implementation of the 20-Point Plan for Peace in Gaza. While others
talk, this President took this complex problem head on. No one has done more
for peace and stability in the region.”Macron has faced criticism among some
politicians and activists in France that he has done little since recognizing a
Palestinian state last September. Despite the criticism, Paris has toughened
its stance on settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, imposing
some national sanctions and launching a process to ban products from Israeli
settlements in the occupied West Bank. "Look at what is happening in the West
Bank, where every day violations are committed. In whose name? Hamas has never
operated in the West Bank," Macron said. "What is happening there is building,
day by day, the impossibility of a project that should be based on respect for
the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to exist."
France's ties with Israel have been particularly strained over the last year.
Macron said those who believed that violating the sovereignty of all of Israel's
neighbors would ensure its security were mistaken. "They are weakening Israel's
security, both today and in the future," he said.
'LONG LIVE THE UNITED NATIONS'
Seven months from France's next presidential election, Macron was making his
last appearance after first taking to the rostrum in 2017. Often showing a keen
eye for the trappings of diplomacy — the grand settings, the symbolism, the
personal connections — he has at the same time failed to translate this into
lasting strategic gains, analysts say. However, he has always been a staunch
defender of the multilateral system and the United Nations. Macron warned
against a global "return to the law of the jungle", saying countries faced a
choice between a world governed by power and coercion and a "civilized
international society.""Our duty, more than ever, is to stand alongside the
United Nations. We cannot accept the new order of impunity that some would like
to build," he said. He ended his speech with "Long Live the United Nations!"
FMs of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, Türkiye Condemn Houthi Attacks on Saudi
Arabia
Asharq Al Awsat/September 23/2026
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Türkiye stressed on
Tuesday that dialogue and diplomacy were the only ways to reach sustainable
solutions in the region, expressing their deep concern over the continued
hostilities.The FMs met in New York on the margins of the 81st Session of the
United Nations General Assembly. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange
views on recent regional and international developments. The ministers
“reaffirmed the importance of continued consultation and coordination among the
four countries in support of peace, security, stability and prosperity in the
Middle East and the broader region,” said a statement.Expressing deep concern
over continued tension and hostilities in the region, the ministers underscored
that “dialogue and diplomacy remain the only path towards sustainable
resolution,” and in this context they underscored the need for upholding the
Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding for lasting peace and stability. “The
ministers strongly condemned all attacks against Saudi Arabia, including the
recent Houthi attacks, and reaffirmed their unwavering support for the
sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the Kingdom,” added the
statement.
They further affirmed “the Kingdom’s inherent right to defend itself, its
territory, and its people, in accordance with international law and the Charter
of the United Nations.”They also stressed the importance of safeguarding the
safety and freedom of maritime navigation. The ministers reaffirmed their
“unwavering support for the legitimate Yemeni Government and the Presidential
Leadership Council in their efforts to achieve security, stability and
development in Yemen through a political process and an inclusive Yemeni –
Yemeni dialogue involving different parties.”Reaffirming the centrality of the
Palestinian cause to the achievement of peace, security and stability in the
Middle East, the ministers reiterated their support for “the legitimate rights
of the Palestinian people, including their inalienable right to
self-determination and to establish an independent, sovereign, viable and
contiguous State of Palestine on the basis of the 4 June 1967 lines, with East
Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant United Nations Security
Council resolutions.”The ministers underscored “their unwavering support for the
sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Sudan, and
stressed the importance of preserving its legitimate national institutions, and
rejecting any parallel entities that undermine Sudan's sovereignty and
unity.”They stressed the necessity f halting the illicit flow of weapons,
mercenaries and foreign fighters into Sudanese territory. The ministers agreed
to maintain close coordination and continue their consultations on regional and
international developments, with a view to strengthening collective security and
promoting long-term regional stability.
Far-Right Israeli Minister Seeks Defense Post in Next
Government
Asharq Al Awsat/September 23/2026
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Tuesday he
will seek the post of defense minister in the next government, as the country
prepares for next month's elections. Ben-Gvir, who is a key minister in the
right-wing coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, regularly sparks
international outrage with his provocative statements and political stunts."The
reason I am putting myself forward is that the time has come to change the
mindset within the army," Ben Gvir said, at a press conference in Jerusalem.
"The time has come to transform the State of Israel's security doctrine with a
single objective -- decisive victory on every front," he added. The firebrand
minister put forward a "security plan" that includes the "encouragement of
voluntary emigration" of Palestinians from both Gaza and the occupied West Bank,
disarming what he called the "terrorist" Palestinian Authority, and increased
support for Israeli soldiers. Earlier in September, Ben-Gvir presented a
detailed plan to "encourage" Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to move abroad.
Although members of the ruling right-wing coalition have made multiple
statements about transferring Palestinians out of Gaza, it is unclear to what
extent their remarks will be followed by action. Forced displacement of
civilians in occupied territory is considered a war crime under the Geneva
Conventions. Ben-Gvir's announcement that he is seeking the defense post caused
an uproar among Israeli opposition leaders. Gadi Eisenkot, a key contender for
the premiership, accused his main rival Netanyahu on X of having "lost it" by
accepting "criminal Ben-Gvir" in his coalition. In his youth, Ben-Gvir was
charged more than 50 times for incitement to violence or hate speech, but boasts
he was cleared in the vast majority of those cases. According to Israeli media,
he was not drafted into the military due to his involvement in extremist
far-right groups. The October 27 vote is expected to be close, and there is no
guarantee that the parties currently in power will remain so after then.
According to a Channel 16 survey published Sunday, Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit
(Jewish Power) party is polling at seven percent, which would grant it eight out
of 120 seats in Israel's parliament, the Knesset.
Katz vows to force out all of Gaza City if any Israeli
abducted
Agence France Presse/September 23/2026
Israel's defense minister threatened Tuesday to force out all of Gaza City's
residents and displace a million people in the war-ravaged territory if any
Israeli is abducted in the future. Speaking at a memorial for the 1973 Yom
Kippur War, Defense Minister Israel Katz also threatened the destruction of
infrastructure, which, like the forced displacement of civilians, constitutes a
war crime under the Geneva Conventions. "I hereby warn the terrorist
organization and its supporters, from Iran to Erdogan -- if a single Israeli
soldier or civilian is kidnapped, the entire city of Gaza, with its houses and
terror towers, will be evacuated southward with its million residents," Katz
said, referring to Hamas and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an
outspoken critic of Israel's Gaza campaign.
Zelenskiy Says He Discussed Energy Truce, Efforts to End
Russia War with Trump
Asharq Al Awsat/September 23/2026
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he discussed with US
President Donald Trump efforts to end the 4-year-old war with Russia, including
a potential bilateral ceasefire on energy-related targets. Speaking to the media
after a 40-minute meeting with Trump at UN headquarters in New York, Zelenskiy
said Kyiv was ready for any format of an energy ceasefire with Moscow, but there
had been no discussion of Ukraine unilaterally halting its attacks on Russian
oil refineries. Trump, whose approval ratings have slumped to a record low amid
high gas prices ahead of the US midterm elections in November, had expressed
concern in recent days over the extensive damage done to Russia's
fuel-processing capacity, which he said was stoking diesel prices globally.
Zelenskiy reiterated that he was ready to meet Russian President Vladimir
Putin at a trilateral meeting with Trump, adding that he hoped the US would find
a way to bring Moscow back to the negotiating table after talks unraveled
earlier this year. Zelenskiy, however, said he had seen no indication that Putin
was ready to talk. "I'm ready for a trilateral meeting. It means that I'm agreed
to end the war," Zelenskiy said. Before their meeting, Trump told reporters that
he and Zelenskiy would discuss Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries. "It is a
serious hit on the Russians. It's also a serious hit on the price of diesel,"
said Trump. He said he and Zelenskiy would also talk about solutions for ending
the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
"I think it's going to happen," Trump said. The US leader announced last week
that Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to strike energy targets, but any
semblance of a truce disappeared when Russia hit petrol stations in Kyiv the
following day and Ukraine bombed a Russian oil refinery. Zelenskiy also met with
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who said he lobbied Trump to press for a
Ukraine-Russia energy ceasefire in his meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart.
Burnham also promised further financial support to Kyiv for infrastructure.
AERIAL ATTACKS
Intensifying aerial attacks by both sides in the Ukraine war in recent weeks
have battered ports, warehouses, ships and energy infrastructure, as well as
crippling Black Sea grain exports.
Amid fears in Ukraine that Russia will once again pound its heating and power
facilities as winter approaches, Zelenskiy said he had discussed preparations
with Trump and asked the US for a package of Patriot air defense missiles — the
only weapon in Ukraine's arsenal capable of downing Russia's ballistic missiles.
The US war in Iran and the Ukraine war have depleted global supplies of
Patriots, including US inventories. Zelenskiy said that, in return for Patriots
from US stockpiles this winter, Ukraine would swap future supplies of
interceptors from its deal with Germany, which has agreed to provide Ukraine
with 600 Patriots in 2027 and 2028. He told reporters it was a "good step" that
the idea was not rejected but acknowledged that Trump had not yet agreed to the
proposal. Zelenskiy said that discussions for Ukraine to begin licensed
production of Patriots itself were still ongoing, and a member of his team had
held a positive meeting with Raytheon, a US producer of Patriots.
The Latest LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on September 22-23/2026
China Is Not Our Friend
Drieu Godefridi/Gatestone Institute/September 22, 2026
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22871/china-is-not-our-friend
Even if Chinese technological theft is less frequent in Europe than in the
United States —there is far less technology to steal from Europe than from the
US — it is nevertheless all too present.
The practice follows what the current director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, long
ago called the business model of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP): "Rob,
Replicate, Replace." They steal the technology and know-how for a product, copy
it, then flood it back into the marketplace at a far lower price, thereby
putting the product's original manufacturers out of business. When the CCP
believes its hold on the market share has been consolidated into something
resembling a monopoly, the prices go back up.
Watch out! The same will be true for computer chips.
Currently, the German car industry is being potentially demolished with this
practice by Chinese electric vehicles. Only US President Donald J. Trump is
saving America's car industry by banning Chinese vehicles as well as by offering
financial incentives to anyone planning to manufacture cars -- or just about
anything else -- in the US.
In Belgium, for instance, BelGaN, a flagship Belgian semiconductor company, was
bought by the Chinese regime, robbed of its intellectual property, technology
and know-how for the benefit of a "mirror company" in China, and then eliminated
in Belgium.
GaN technology makes it possible to produce electronic components that are
smaller, more energy-efficient and capable of operating at higher frequencies
than comparable silicon-based devices. Its applications are numerous: electric
vehicles, chargers, solar-power systems, data centers, aerospace and space
systems, and military applications such as radar and electronic warfare.
The real "suspect" in the entire affair is, and always has been, the CCP, whose
economic development model rests on one simple principle: the constant,
systematic and unrelenting theft of Western intellectual property. How much of
that is on us for letting them?
[W]hen the Flemish government realized that a Flemish company had become
Chinese, it stopped subsidizing it.
BelGaN was declared bankrupt on July 31, 2024, and more than 400 employees lost
their jobs.
As part of the bankruptcy proceedings, BelGaN's assets were divided into
approximately 1,800 auction lots — individual machines or groups of equipment
and other factory assets — and sold online by court-appointed liquidators to
raise money for creditors. The auction generated approximately €23 million, with
Chinese companies acquiring roughly one-third of the assets, including about
€8.5 million worth of high-tech equipment.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office and the Federal Judicial Police of East Flanders
are now investigating the matter as part of the bankruptcy case. H.L. was
arrested on May 10, 2026, at Zaventem Airport as he was preparing to board a
flight to Beijing.
The charges against H.L. are serious: espionage, participation in a criminal
organization, misuse of corporate assets, unlawful disclosure of trade secrets
and bankruptcy-related offenses. The prosecutor's office states that there are
serious, precise and consistent indications of unlawful transfers abroad of
specialized intellectual property and trade secrets relating to the production
of GaN chips.
Alan Zhou, BelGaN's last CEO and a Chinese national, is currently being sought
by Belgian authorities.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe long ago described the business model of the Chinese
Communist Party as "Rob, Replicate, Replace." They steal the technology and
know-how for a product, copy it, then flood it back into the marketplace at a
far lower price, thereby putting the product's original manufacturers out of
business. In Belgium, flagship Belgian semiconductor company BelGaN was bought
by the Chinese regime, robbed of its intellectual property, technology and
know-how for the benefit of a "mirror company" in China, and then eliminated in
Belgium.
Even if Chinese technological theft is less frequent in Europe than in the
United States —there is far less technology to steal from Europe than from the
US — it is nevertheless all too present.
The practice follows what the current director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, long
ago called the business model of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP): "Rob,
Replicate, Replace." They steal the technology and know-how for a product, copy
it, then flood it back into the marketplace at a far lower price, thereby
putting the product's original manufacturers out of business. When the CCP
believes its hold on the market share has been consolidated into something
resembling a monopoly, the prices go back up.
Watch out! The same will be true for computer chips.
Currently, the German car industry is being potentially demolished with this
practice by Chinese electric vehicles. Only US President Donald J. Trump is
saving America's car industry by banning Chinese vehicles as well as by offering
financial incentives to anyone planning to manufacture cars -- or just about
anything else -- in the US.
In Belgium, for instance, BelGaN, a flagship Belgian semiconductor company, was
bought by the Chinese regime, robbed of its intellectual property, technology
and know-how for the benefit of a "mirror company" in China, and then eliminated
in Belgium.
The BelGaN site in Oudenaarde, East Flanders, dates back to 1983, when it
operated under the name Mietec and was regarded as one of the flagships of
Flanders' "third industrial revolution." It subsequently came under AMI
Semiconductor and then ON Semiconductor (ONSEMI). In 2021-2022, ONSEMI,
Belgium's last industrial-scale chip manufacturing facility, was sold to BelGaN
for approximately $13.6 million.
BelGaN Group BV, incorporated on September 30, 2021, was a joint venture between
Rockley Management (HK) Ltd and Wuxi Group Ltd, two companies registered in
China. That should have set off alarm bells among the Belgian authorities,
notoriously among the most naïve and credulous in Europe.
Belgium, however, did not bring an interfederal foreign-investment screening
mechanism into force until July 1, 2023. Meanwhile, the acquisition of the plant
had been completed in February 2022. Today, semiconductors are explicitly listed
among the strategic technologies subject to screening... a bit late.
Rockley Management (HK) Limited forms part of a technological and financial
network long active between the United Kingdom and China. The Hong Kong company
is linked to brothers Andrew and Robert Rickman, central figures in the Rockley
Group, based in Oxford and also established in Shanghai. The group developed
several semiconductor investments in China, notably through a Rockley China Fund
and stakes in Chinese technology companies. Andrew Rickman was also appointed an
honorary professor at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information
Technology, which comes under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Rockley
Management was therefore not an isolated Hong Kong vehicle but part of a
technology-investment network already deeply connected to the Chinese ecosystem.
Alan Zhou (also known as Alan Zhen Zhou or Zhou Zhen) an experienced industry
executive, was appointed CEO of BelGaN. The stated goal was to transform its
plant into a foundry for 6- and 8-inch gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor
wafers, create a "GaN Valley" in Belgium and align the company with the European
Chips Act.
GaN technology makes it possible to produce electronic components that are
smaller, more energy-efficient and capable of operating at higher frequencies
than comparable silicon-based devices. Its applications are numerous: electric
vehicles, chargers, solar-power systems, data centers, aerospace and space
systems, and military applications such as radar and electronic warfare.
Approximately 400 to 440 employees were retained.
Creation of a "Mirror Company" in China
A few months after BelGaN was acquired, a new Chinese company called Fuzhou GaGu
Semiconductor Co. (福州镓谷半导体有限公司) — also known as Gankool, GaNkool and Gancool —
was created in the Fuzhou development zone, Fujian Province. It produces exactly
the same GaN technology, under the same conditions, using the same machines and
processes. Fuzhou GaGu Semiconductor is financed by a purely Chinese investment
fund, "partnering," as all businesses are required to do, with the Chinese
government.
The timing is important. On February 8, 2022, ONSEMI finalized the sale of its
Oudenaarde plant to BelGaN Group BV. On July 20, 2022, Fuzhou GaGu Semiconductor
was incorporated in Fuzhou.
This timing demonstrates the existence of an overall plan from the very first
Chinese move toward BelGaN. One does not improvise a semiconductor company, its
model, methods and technology, in a matter of months. The timing also reveals
the Chinese regime's feeling of impunity when confronted with naïve Belgium, or
most likely anyone else who complies.
The Principal Suspect: H.L.
H.L., whom several public sources have identified as probably the GaN specialist
Hu Liang (梁琥), is a 52-year-old Belgian-Chinese national residing in Leuven.
Around August 2022, H.L. took up a senior research position at BelGaN.
Before joining BelGaN H.L. had previously worked at the Belgian nonprofit
research and development organization Imec ("the chip lab of the world"), where
he headed its epitaxy activities – the process of placing crystalline layers of
foundation on which to build semiconductor devices. Chinese publications
simultaneously present him as general manager, CTO and chief scientist of Fuzhou
GaGu Semiconductor. The Belgian federal prosecutor's office and most Belgian
media outlets continue to identify him only by the initials H.L.
In March 2023, H.L. was presented as a director of Fuzhou GaGu Semiconductor at
a conference in China, alongside Alan Zhou. His LinkedIn profile mentioned only
BelGaN.
There was still no reaction from the Belgian authorities, even though all the
elements of the "transfer" were plainly in place.
When one speaks of the principal suspect, what must obviously be understood is
the linchpin of the totalitarian Chinese Communist regime. The West needs to be
reminded, relentlessly, that there is no Chinese government, only the Chinese
Communist Party. Likewise, every Chinese company is merely one of the estimated
100 million faces of the CCP, whose members make up roughly 7% of China's
population. The real "suspect" in the entire affair is, and always has been, the
CCP, whose economic development model rests on one simple principle: the
constant, systematic and unrelenting theft of Western intellectual property. How
much of that is on us for letting them?
Financial Difficulties, Bankruptcy and Sale of Assets
In 2023, BelGaN recorded a net loss of €8.3 million on revenue of €55 million.
Meanwhile, the company was unable to raise enough financing for its planned
conversion from conventional silicon-chip production to GaN manufacturing, which
required substantial new capital investment.
The Flemish government examined the company's Chinese links – a review that
likely contributed to the decision not to provide rescue subsidies. Put
differently, when the Flemish government realized that a Flemish company had
become Chinese, it stopped subsidizing it.
BelGaN was declared bankrupt on July 31, 2024, and more than 400 employees lost
their jobs.
As part of the bankruptcy proceedings, BelGaN's assets were divided into
approximately 1,800 auction lots — individual machines or groups of equipment
and other factory assets — and sold online by court-appointed liquidators to
raise money for creditors. The auction generated approximately €23 million, with
Chinese companies acquiring roughly one-third of the assets, including about
€8.5 million worth of high-tech equipment. Other buyers came from Germany, the
United States and elsewhere. Some of the machinery bound for China required
export licenses because of potentially military or defense-related applications.
Investigation, Arrest and Charges
The Federal Prosecutor's Office and the Federal Judicial Police of East Flanders
are now investigating the matter as part of the bankruptcy case. H.L. was
arrested on May 10, 2026, at Zaventem Airport as he was preparing to board a
flight to Beijing. He remains in pretrial detention at Oudenaarde Prison.
The charges against H.L. are serious: espionage, participation in a criminal
organization, misuse of corporate assets, unlawful disclosure of trade secrets
and bankruptcy-related offenses. The prosecutor's office states that there are
serious, precise and consistent indications of unlawful transfers abroad of
specialized intellectual property and trade secrets relating to the production
of GaN chips.
Alan Zhou, BelGaN's last CEO and a Chinese national, is currently being sought
by Belgian authorities. According to Belgian media, Zhou played a decisive role
in transferring BelGaN's intellectual property, technology and know-how to
Fuzhou GaGu Semiconductor. This is plausible, to say the least, given that he
was the CEO of BelGaN from its inception until its bankruptcy.
H.L.'s lawyer, Dimitri de Beco, denies all the allegations against his client
and stresses the presumption of innocence. He argues that, even if the facts
were established, they would not amount to espionage but possibly instead to the
unlawful disclosure of trade secrets.
Technological and Strategic Stakes
Belgium's State Security Service, in its "Intelligence Report 2025," describes a
Chinese strategy using "mirror companies" that it calls "copy to China":
"Chinese firms invest in Belgian companies, research centres or spin-offs –
preferably small entities developing promising technologies but facing funding
challenges – to gain access to specific technologies. They then establish a
'copy to China' company in China to produce the same technology on a larger
scale. The original parent company is subsequently sold, ideally at a profit."
The investigation is ongoing. No conviction has been handed down to date.
*Drieu Godefridi is a jurist (University Saint-Louis, University of Louvain),
philosopher (University Saint-Louis, University of Louvain) and PhD in legal
theory (Paris IV-Sorbonne). He is an entrepreneur, CEO of a European private
education group and director of PAN Medias Group. He is the author of The Green
Reich (2020).
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Who Is More Powerful: Saudi Arabia or Iran?
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/September 23/2026
In the midst of the current war, a question is frequently raised as to why Iran
- a country with fewer financial resources and under siege - is more capable of
fighting than Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, and whether there is something
amiss behind that. This conclusion, that Iran represents a model of
"superiority," has been repeated for many years due to military "victories" it
achieved against more than half of the region's countries, and not just Israel.
Partially, this is true; it is a dangerous regional power. Over the past 30
years, the reach of its influence and militias to the borders of the
Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, and its hegemony over Lebanon, Syria, Iraq,
and Yemen, have demonstrated that it is a regional offensive power that has
historically surpassed the influence of Nasserite Egypt and Baathist Saddam's
Iraq at the peak of their power.Saudi Arabia and Iran are two major
oil-producing nations, but they have chosen two different paths to build power.
Each country has a different vision for success: Saudi Arabia primarily invests
in the strength of its economy and the state, while Iran has primarily invested
in the power of weapons and external influence.
Saudi Arabia views the source of strength as a superior economy, advanced
infrastructure, modern cities, and global investments. Iran, on the other hand,
finds its definition of success and power exclusively in the military sphere,
comprising missiles, drones, a nuclear program, and the recruitment of tens of
thousands of Afghans, Iraqis, Lebanese, and Yemenis as a massive proxy army that
it trains, finances, and directs to serve its strategy and fight for its
ambitious expansion. At a time when Saudi Arabia hosts Yemenis and supports them
economically and their livelihoods, Iran recruits tens of thousands of
impoverished Yemenis and uses them to fight on its behalf, as it did with the
Zainabiyoun, Fatemiyoun, Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and the rest of the
militias in the region and its allies in Africa. It recruited them for military
purposes, exploiting the wretched humanitarian conditions in which they live.
In contrast, Saudi Arabia has absorbed more than ten million people who came
from such countries to support their families, improve their incomes, and take
part in the development there. Just as Saudi Arabia builds giant railway and
metro networks between its regions and cities, Iran digs trenches and carves
through mountains to build and store its regionally directed weapons. And while
Saudi Arabia boasts of its products - most recently this week, its CEER electric
vehicles - Iran proudly announced a new military drone carrier named "Shahid
Bagheri," a commercial ship it converted into a platform for transporting and
operating combat drones.Saudi Arabia is a massive economic power, while Iran is
a major offensive power. This does not diminish Saudi defensive strength, as it
possesses a superior combat air force; however, it has not transformed into an
aggressive political project. Saudi Arabia's foreign projects are economic,
whereas Iran's projects are military, having spent billions of dollars on the
Lebanese Hezbollah over four decades at a time when its population suffers from
poverty and a deteriorating currency, which has plummeted to two million tomans
to the dollar.
In the past few years, the discussion and work in Riyadh have centered on how to
save the economy for the post-oil phase and planning for alternatives. There is
no doubt that the steps Saudi Arabia has taken after 2015 are what are saving it
today from the collapse of current oil revenues caused by the war.
In Iran, however, the question and the thinking have remained the same since the
1990s: how to build greater power, expand influence even further across the
region, and harness all of the country's capabilities solely for war?
The truth is that the Iranian model is not new to the region; it is an imitation
of what Saddam Hussein began, who inspired the Tehran regime to make the
military project the focal point, with all state capabilities serving it rather
than the reverse. Saddam succeeded in achieving missile capabilities and a
million-man army, fought Iran fiercely for eight years, threatened Syria,
invaded Kuwait, and threatened Saudi Arabia, only to be destroyed after his
invasion of Kuwait. Saudi Arabia itself is one of the largest spenders on
defense; however, this spending is part of a broader state project whose goal is
to protect the economy, facilities, and cities, rather than expansion,
occupation, and a sense of excessive power.
Declared Iranian military spending may appear significantly lower, but numerical
comparison is misleading due to low production costs and wages in Iran, the
multiple funding channels for the Revolutionary Guard, proxy funding, and a lack
of budget transparency. Iran spends most of its revenues on the war machine and
neglects other sectors.The truth lies not in the budget difference between the
two neighboring countries, but rather in how it is spent. Saudi resources go
toward tourism, mining, energy, industry, technology, sports, and aviation,
while a larger portion of Iran's resources goes to the Revolutionary Guard,
enrichment, missiles, drones, and armed groups outside its borders.It is not
difficult to know who is stronger as a state, rather than as an aggressive
power. Most of Saudi Arabia's activities involve building new companies and
projects, such as Riyadh Air, the Red Sea projects, Diriyah, Qiddiya, and AlUla,
alongside expanding into mining, renewable energy, hydrogen, and technological
industries.
Meanwhile, the focus of Iranian spending is on projects such as developing its
nuclear program, which was the largest project it spent on in the country's
history and was destroyed in June 2025. We must not mistake the true meaning of
power and actual success for today and the future. All countries that have
exclusively adopted the project of an aggressive military state have ended up in
weakness or destruction, and Iran today is a striking example, preceded by Cuba.
There is also North Korea, a fearsome military power that is, at the same time,
considered one of the poorest and worst-off countries in its region.
There is no doubt that the war involving Iran, Iraq, and Yemen prompts Saudi
Arabia to accord greater attention to its defensive capabilities, unless the
region awakens to a change that brings an end to tension and wars.The final
question remains: why does Saudi Arabia not want a major war with Iran? I
believe the reason is clear. Riyadh has an interest in peace and understandings
because it has built economic assets and a great infrastructure, and it will not
enter a war unless forced to do so. As for Iran, it has nothing to fear for; its
assets are military, and it has hidden them underground.
The Mecca Agreement and the Emergence of a Fourth
Regional Balance?
Nawaf Kabbara/LevantTime/September 22, 2026
If the Middle East is now the scene of a confrontation between Israeli, Turkish
and Iranian projects, the Mecca agreement on joint defense between Saudi Arabia,
Turkey and Pakistan could signal the emergence of something different: not
necessarily a fourth hegemonic project, but a new project for regional balance.
The significance of the agreement lies in the fact that the three countries
bring together remarkably complementary sources of power.
Turkey has a powerful military, is a member of NATO, and has a rapidly expanding
military and technology industry, as well as advanced capabilities in drones and
electronic warfare.
Pakistan is a major military power. It is the only Muslim state to possess
nuclear weapons. It also has extensive military and strategic experience.
Saudi Arabia, for its part, has economic and financial power, as well as energy
resources, alongside its central position in the Arab and Muslim worlds and its
growing political weight on the international stage. The combination of Saudi
financial power, Turkish military and industrial power, and Pakistani military
and nuclear capabilities thus creates, for the first time in decades, the
possibility of a regional power center emerging that would not be entirely under
the American umbrella. This does not mean that the three countries have decided
to break with the United States. Turkey remains a member of NATO, while Saudi
Arabia and Pakistan maintain important ties with Washington. But the new element
is that these states are now making clear, in practice, that regional security
can no longer remain exclusively dependent on the guarantees of an outside
power.The agreement is thus part of a broader international transformation. The
order that emerged after the end of the Cold War, in which the United States was
the virtually sole power capable of setting the rules of the game in the Middle
East, is beginning to evolve toward a more multipolar system.China is present
both economically and strategically. Russia, despite the decline of some of its
influence, remains an international power. India is emerging as an increasingly
important global power. And Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan no longer want to
be mere states operating within an order shaped by others; they now seek to
participate in shaping it.
Beyond an Alliance Against Iran
It would be wrong to view the Mecca agreement as a simple Sunni alliance
directed against Iran. The three countries themselves have stressed the
defensive nature of the agreement, emphasizing that it is directed against no
particular state. More importantly, their strategic interests extend far beyond
the confrontation with Tehran. To be sure, they want to prevent the return of
Iranian hegemony, but they do not want the collapse of Iranian power to
automatically lead the region toward Israeli hegemony.The agreement thus becomes
an instrument of balance with a dual purpose:
Containing Iran, on the one hand, and preventing Israel from becoming the sole
regional power capable of imposing the rules of the system, on the other.
The distinction is fundamental.
If, in previous decades, the Iranian project sought to build an axis stretching
from Tehran to Baghdad, Damascus and Beirut, and if the current Israeli project
seeks to establish a strategic supremacy that would make Israel the power no one
could challenge, the Mecca agreement could usher in a third logic:
Neither Iranian hegemony nor Israeli hegemony, but a regional balance among
several powers. What If Egypt Joined the Agreement?The question then takes on an
entirely different significance. The agreement is open to other countries
joining, and Egypt has already been mentioned as a natural potential candidate.
If that were to happen, the very nature of the alliance would be radically
transformed. The grouping would then bring together Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey
and Pakistan. In other words, the Gulf’s economic power would be combined with
the Arab world’s most populous country, one of the Middle East’s largest
military powers, and the Muslim world’s sole nuclear power. At that point, we
would no longer be looking at a simple tripartite defense agreement, but at a
potential nucleus of a new regional security order. That order could
subsequently take various forms and extend to other Arab and Muslim countries.
From a Joint-Stock Company to a New Board of Directors. And it is at this point
that we can return to the image I put forward in 1988. I said then that the
Middle East would be transformed into a joint-stock company, with the United
States at the head of its board of directors, and that the struggle would
henceforth be over who would take charge of running it.
Perhaps it is time to revisit that image.
The company still exists, but the chairman of the board is no longer in a
position to make decisions on his own. Israel wants to become the most powerful
regional executive. Turkey wants to be an indispensable partner in running the
company. Iran is trying to preserve the share it holds, even as that share
continues to erode.As for Saudi Arabia, together with Pakistan and perhaps Egypt
and other countries, it appears to have begun asking a different question: Why
should a single actor have to run the region? This is where the Mecca
agreement’s potential historical significance lies. For if it evolves from a
simple joint-defense agreement into a broader political, economic and security
system, it could form the nucleus of a regional order based on a balance of
power rather than the hegemony of a single power.From Regional Balance to
International Balance
But the most interesting aspect of this shift is that this grouping does not
need to fully align itself with any of the major international blocs. Turkey is
a member of NATO but maintains relations with Russia and China.
Saudi Arabia is a longstanding partner of the United States, but in recent years
has deepened its relations with China, Russia and other Asian powers. Pakistan,
for its part, has a deep strategic relationship with China, while maintaining
important channels with the United States and the West. This means that,
collectively, these three countries have a network of relations stretching from
Washington to Beijing, via Moscow, Europe and the Muslim world. The true value
of this axis would therefore lie precisely in the fact that it is not a
subordinate component of any international bloc, but is capable of moving
between the different poles.And this may be the defining feature of the
international order to come: Power will not belong solely to those who align
themselves with the strongest camp, but to those capable of dealing with all
camps without ever becoming subordinate to any of them.
If Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan succeed in doing so, the Mecca agreement
could go far beyond the question of joint defense. It could become one of the
first building blocks of a regional balance within a multipolar world order.The
Middle East would then have begun, for the first time in a long while, to move
from a stage where others compete for influence to a region where some of its
own powers seek to participate in shaping the very rules of the international
game.
AI economy: Between American capitalism and Chinese
communism
Yousef Algoos/Al Arabiya English/22 September ,2026
A sanctioned power is supposed to make what its adversary needs scarce and
expensive. Beijing is doing the reverse. Instead of restricting access, China is
flooding the market with open-weight AI models and rock-bottom inference prices,
targeting not America’s technology itself but the economics of scarcity that
make its AI boom profitable. On July 27, that strategy seemed to surface across
all three broad layers of the AI stack: models at the top, logic and memory
chips underneath, and chipmaking tools such as deep-ultraviolet (DUV) and
extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines at the base. China sent signals
across all three layers that day.At the chip layer, CXMT, China’s largest DRAM
chipmaker, surged 466 percent in its Shanghai debut on July 27, lifting its
valuation from $85.5 billion to nearly $488 billion, almost half of Micron’s.
Over the following two trading days, SK Hynix, Samsung and Micron fell roughly
23 percent, 18 percent and 18 percent, respectively. At the model layer that
same day, China’s Moonshot AI released the weights of Kimi K3, a
2.8-trillion-parameter model competing near the American frontier, free to
download and run behind a private firewall. OpenAI and Anthropic are not
publicly listed, so there was no stock-price reaction to observe. But just three
days later, OpenAI cut prices on some models by up to 80 percent as competition
from lower-cost Chinese models intensified.The third signal that day came from
chipmaking tools. Aishengna, a Chinese lithography-tool maker, had begun
producing domestic DUV lithography machines. In turn, ASML, Europe’s most
valuable technology company and a key chokepoint in Washington’s strategy, fell
10 percent over two days. The timing was striking. Days earlier, Chinese
President Xi Jinping had called for “open source, openness, cooperation and
sharing” at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC). The strategic
contrast is clear: Washington is trying to preserve the value of scarcity
through restriction; Beijing is trying to destroy that value through openness
and abundance.
The bigger question is whether China is simply chasing market share, or
deliberately commoditizing AI to expose the fragility of America’s
trillion-dollar AI boom.
From hokepoints to commoditization: America closes the door, china finds the
window
Washington’s bet on scarcity is not irrational. Frontier AI depends on a supply
chain defined by indispensable bottlenecks. Nvidia dominates advanced
accelerator chips. TSMC makes most of the world’s leading-edge chips. ASML is
the only commercial supplier of EUV lithography. Advanced memory chips sits with
SK Hynix, Samsung and Micron. Chip-design software and large parts of
manufacturing equipment remain American. The United States therefore built its
policy around those chokepoints. Restrict access to accelerators, equipment and
memory, and the cost of building frontier AI inside China rises. That much has
worked. The strategy rests on one assumption, never stated because it never had
to be: that scarce computing power means scarce intelligence.China’s answer is a
strategic substitution map, layer by layer: SMIC for TSMC, Huawei for Nvidia,
CXMT and YMTC for Micron and SK Hynix, and Aishengna’s DUV tools, alongside
China’s reported EUV “Manhattan Project,” for ASML. Beijing reinforced the shift
in 2026 by slow-walking approvals of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips, steering domestic
companies toward Chinese alternatives.
At the AI-model layer, hardware constraints became a design philosophy,
embodying the adage that necessity is the mother of invention. Chinese labs
learned to extract more capability from less compute through mixture-of-experts,
quantization and inference optimization. At first, DeepSeek, Z.AI and Qwen
released increasingly advanced open-weight models under permissive
American-origin licenses such as MIT and Apache 2.0. Then, Moonshot went further
with its own “Kimi K3 License,” signaling a shift from imitation toward
innovation through a licensing architecture of its own.
Here is the strategic distinction. Washington tried to keep China off the
frontier by making advanced compute scarce and expensive. Once China gained a
foothold at the frontier, it did not mirror that strategy. It shifted the battle
from access to economics, eroding the premium on advanced compute through
open-weights and lower prices. That shift is visible in cheaper application
programming interface (API) access and falling token prices, with tokens serving
as the basic unit of AI usage. DeepSeek gave the first warning. Its January 2025
launch wiped 17 percent from Nvidia in a single day and sent the Philadelphia
Semiconductor Index (SOX) sharply lower. Markets recovered within weeks and
treated DeepSeek as a shock that had passed. But the steady advance of Chinese
models since then has shown it was not an exception. Kimi K3 now competes
directly with leading American models and surpasses them on some benchmarks.
What looked like a one-off disruption has become sustained, head-to-head
competition.The contrast is simple: Washington restricted entry into a market it
controls; Beijing answered by compressing the margins inside it. Where China
controls supply, it can either restrict supply or flood the market. Where
America relies on scarcity and premium pricing, China can attack that advantage
through abundance. If America’s AI boom rests on high margins across models,
chips and infrastructure, China does not need to stop the boom directly. It can
squeeze those margins from inside the market.
The off switch: How Washington made AI open-weights irresistible
On June 12, 2026, the US government ordered Anthropic to suspend
foreign-national access to Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 on national-security
grounds. The suspension lasted nearly three weeks. For a ministry in Asia or a
bank in Europe, the lesson went beyond Anthropic: commercial frontier AI could
come with an off switch, and that switch sits inside another country’s
regulatory system.Kimi K3 arrived a month later with the opposite proposition:
take it, it is yours. The value proposition was sovereignty. Run a
frontier-class model behind your own firewall and no foreign provider can
withdraw the weights or see your prompts. US closed-model AI providers had long
asked customers to “trust us with your data.” Open-weights changed the
proposition entirely: trust no one, keep the weights, and run the model
yourself. It is the logic that moved governments from closed foreign operating
systems toward Linux, now applied to intelligence. But “yours” is expensive.
Kimi K3 is a 2.8-trillion-parameter model, and loading its weights alone would
require roughly 16 Nvidia B200 GPUs (~$1.2 million), a theoretical memory floor
with no headroom for the model’s context window or serving throughput. Even
before operating expenses (OPEX), self-hosting only begins to make economic
sense at sustained usage measured in billions of output tokens per month,
leaving Kimi’s API cheaper for most users. Moonshot’s license turns that
openness into a commercial funnel: internal use is free, Model-as-a-Service
businesses above $20 million in annual revenue must negotiate with Moonshot, and
products above 100 million monthly users must display the Kimi brand. The
companies large enough to make self-hosting economical are also the ones
Moonshot can monetize.As adoption of Chinese models grows and becomes part of
the digital infrastructure powering American businesses, it increasingly
collides with Washington’s national-security scrutiny and strategic-dependency
concerns. Congressional committees opened investigations into Airbnb and
Anysphere over their use of Chinese models, citing data, cybersecurity and
national-security risks. But the data-security argument weakens when the model
runs behind the customer’s own firewall, while an 80 percent to 95 percent cost
advantage makes abandoning Chinese models a difficult sell. The next inversion
may be sharper still. Smaller firms unable to self-host Kimi K3 could access it
through American clouds. Reuters reported that Moonshot is discussing hosting
deals with Microsoft, Amazon and Google. That is the sanctions paradox in
reverse: after restricting China’s access to American compute, Chinese model
economics could return through American clouds, powered by American GPUs.
The Korean mirror: A warning for the AI-driven US market
Within 48 hours of July 27, Seoul showed what happens when a concentrated market
faces intensifying Chinese competition. CXMT’s debut challenged the economics of
the global memory market, where it currently accounts for about 10 percent of
global DRAM. Investors, however, were pricing not just its current share, but
its trajectory: a projected 18 percent share by 2028 and a growing push into the
global HBM market.From July 27 to 29, South Korea’s KOSPI fell roughly 16
percent, erasing about $600 billion in market value. With Samsung and SK Hynix
together accounting for roughly half of the market, a repricing of memory
becomes a repricing of the Korean market. Concentration created the shock;
leverage amplified it into a market disaster. Americans could have dismissed
this as foreign news. But the same concentration risk was already visible in
their own markets. Over July, the SOX fell 21 percent, its worst month this
decade, compared with 22 percent in October 2008, wiping out about $2.2 trillion
in market value. The damage became tangible in one of the most dramatic fund
collapses in US market history. Situational Awareness LP had roughly 56 percent
of its disclosed US equity portfolio concentrated in Micron and SanDisk. As
those stocks fell sharply in late July, leverage magnified the losses and forced
liquidation. The fund collapsed from a peak near $45 billion to roughly $10
billion, wiping out about $35 billion. The July shock also spread to US
semiconductor-equipment makers: between July 27 and 29, Applied Materials, Lam
Research, and KLA all fell by roughly 13–16 percent.The dependency runs deeper
than one index, one fund or a small group of companies. By April, Goldman Sachs
estimated that AI-linked stocks accounted for about 45 percent of the S&P 500’s
total market capitalization. AI is no longer just driving technology markets; it
is increasingly driving US economic growth itself, with AI-driven investment
accounting for roughly half of first-quarter 2026 GDP growth. Now imagine the
next Chinese breakthrough comes in chipmaking lithography, moving from DUV to
the far more advanced EUV systems. What happens, then, if China’s reported EUV
“Manhattan Project” succeeds? The consequences would move quickly across the
AI-chip stack. SMIC gains leading-edge fabrication capability, Huawei gains
greater access to advanced chips, and pressure reaches Nvidia, the world’s most
valuable company, representing roughly 8 percent of the S&P 500. The exposure
extends to Washington’s partners: ASML represents roughly 45 percent of
Amsterdam’s equity market, while TSMC accounts for about 42 percent of Taiwan’s.
That is how a breakthrough in one layer of the AI-chip stack, in one country,
can move markets across three continents.
AI buildout paradox: Today’s CAPEX vs. tomorrow’s token prices
Strip away the geopolitics and the exposed position is financial. According to
the Financial Times, four American hyperscalers are spending about $725 billion
on AI infrastructure in 2026, up 77 percent in a year, while Goldman Sachs
estimates roughly $7.6 trillion in global AI investment through 2031, with US
hyperscalers already at the center of the buildout. Yet every dollar of this
buildout rests on the assumption that the intelligence it produces will retain
enough value to earn the capital back. Think of it this way: in the oil age,
refinery economics ultimately came down to the price of a barrel. In the AI era,
data-center economics increasingly come down to the price of a token.That makes
the investment equation highly sensitive to price, utilization and efficiency.
Epoch AI estimates that a typical 1 GW AI data center costs about $38 billion
upfront and $0.9 billion a year to operate. But the silicon clock runs faster.
Goldman Sachs and Epoch AI both put the useful life cycle of GPUs and related
hardware at roughly five years. Of the $38 billion upfront cost, Epoch AI
estimates that about $21 billion, or 55 percent, is tied to the GPU server
fleet. At $10 billion in annual revenue, the project can recover its initial
investment within the GPUs’ five year life. But if revenue falls to $8 billion,
it generates only $35.5 billion after OPEX in five years, short of the original
$38 billion CAPEX. Another $21 billion is then needed to replace the GPUs,
raising cumulative CAPEX to about $59 billion and stretching payback to roughly
8.3 years.
If revenue falls further to $6 billion, five year cash generation drops to just
$25.5 billion. After the first GPU replacement, payback stretches to about 11.6
years. But before reaching that point, a second $21 billion GPU replacement
arrives around year ten, pushing break even beyond the facility’s 14 year life.
Over those 14 years, the project generates about $84 billion in revenue against
roughly $92.6 billion in total costs, leaving a lifetime shortfall of about $8.6
billion.Yet obsolescence is gradual, not binary. Think of an airline fleet. As
newer generations arrive, older GPUs remain useful but shift down the value
chain, from frontier training to inference, then to smaller models and
eventually to less demanding workloads. The hardware keeps working, but its
earning power declines. This creates a capital treadmill, forcing operators to
fund the next generation of compute before the previous one has fully paid for
itself.On the other side of the equation, Chinese models are resetting the price
benchmark. They do not need comparable revenue or valuations to exert pressure.
They need only deliver capable intelligence at prices low enough to become the
marginal price setter without becoming the market leader. That pressure is
already visible: Jefferies tracked enterprise inference prices falling 43
percent in just 10 weeks, from $2.04 to $1.16 per million tokens, citing Chinese
open-weight models as a primary driver. That competitive pressure is exemplified
by OpenAI cutting prices just three days after Kimi K3’s open weights were
released. GPT-5.6 Luna pricing fell by 80 percent, followed weeks later in
August by a cut in Sol output pricing from $30 to $20 per million tokens.
Market share is beginning to follow price. OpenRouter reported that Chinese
models, led by DeepSeek, had overtaken American models in token volume by early
June. The shift is happening first where cost matters more than peak
performance. Think of demand as an inverted pyramid: if good-enough open models
capture 60 percent to 80 percent of routine workloads, the broad base
commoditizes while premium American models are left competing for the narrow
peak, a much smaller share of the market. The frontier may remain American, but
the premium segment could become too small to justify infrastructure built for
the entire pyramid.Even so, Jevons’s paradox offers the standard rebuttal:
cheaper AI drives more usage. But more usage does not guarantee higher returns
on the capital already invested in capacity that has already been built. A data
center already running near 100 percent utilization cannot run at 500 percent.
What matters, then, is revenue per installed GPU. If token prices fall faster
than utilization can rise, additional demand cannot fully offset the decline. A
data center built around $100 tasks cannot earn the same return in a $20 market.
The risk grows as the American AI ecosystem becomes more interconnected, while
the economics come under pressure from three directions: on the capacity side,
oversupply can lower utilization; at the software level, better quantization can
reduce compute needs; and at the hardware level, newer chips can deliver the
same workload with fewer accelerators and less power. Together, these forces can
depress utilization and weaken the economics of existing capacity. If a major
investor falters, circular financing and off-take agreements can then transmit
the shock across the sector before end-customer demand catches up.Ultimately,
the risk to America’s AI buildout is not that demand disappears, but that the
price of intelligence falls faster than the infrastructure built to produce it
can recover its cost.
Conclusion: The AI bubble question
For now, much of the attention remains on the Formula One race between AI
models, with new releases arriving almost monthly. Kimi K3 arrived in July,
followed by new DeepSeek and Z.AI models in August, then Fable 5.1, Gemini 3.8
and GPT Astra 6 in September. But the race is no longer confined to models; it
is moving into capital markets as well. Reuters reported that Moonshot has filed
to go public, putting its valuation and revenue economics into direct comparison
with the anticipated IPOs of Anthropic and OpenAI, resulting in OpenAI delaying
its planned IPO this year to beyond 2026.
Behind that race, the fragility of America’s AI boom is becoming harder to
separate from the risk of an AI bubble. Seen in sequence, the shocks are
building: DeepSeek delivered an efficiency shock in January 2025, when SOX fell
9.2 percent. Kimi K3 delivered a capability shock in July 2026, amid a 21
percent monthly fall in SOX. The question may no longer be whether a third shock
comes, but how large it could be. If Chinese competition keeps pushing token
prices down while trillions of US dollars remain committed to data centers, GPUs
and power infrastructure, rising demand may not be enough to protect returns.
The risk deepens if compute supply begins to outrun demand, lowering utilization
while software and hardware efficiency reduce the capacity needed for each
workload. If those pressures converge, the financing structure could amplify the
fallout: debt, circular financing and off-take agreements could spread falling
returns across the same network that helped finance the AI boom.As the AI boom
takes on the characteristics of a bubble, the historical parallels are becoming
harder to ignore. In 2000, the dot-com bubble was driven by overbuilding and
inflated valuations: fiber-optic networks expanded ahead of demand, while
valuations outran revenues. Today, data centers face a similar risk if
competition intensifies and newer technology reduces compute demand, while AI
valuations continue to outrun proven returns. In 2008, the problem was
deteriorating unit economics: house prices fell below the assumptions supporting
mortgages and expected returns. In AI, falling token prices could similarly
weaken the economics behind trillions committed to infrastructure.The worst case
is no longer unimaginable. As the 100th anniversary of the 1929 crash
approaches, the comparison some are beginning to reach for is no longer the
crises of 2000 or 2008, but the one that preceded the Great Depression. That is
not a forecast; it reflects how far the risk calculus has shifted. AI-linked
companies now represent roughly half of the S&P 500, while US federal debt
exceeds $40 trillion. A major AI correction could therefore hit a highly
concentrated market when Washington has less fiscal room to respond. In 2025,
stabilizing a single chipmaker took an $8.9 billion federal equity stake in
Intel; rescuing an AI ecosystem measured in the trillions would be a different
order of magnitude.
The question, then, is whether a bursting AI bubble could become America’s
defining financial shock of the century and, in the darkest scenario, open the
door to a “Great Depression 2.0.”
Now imagine Washington waking one morning to news that China has cracked
commercially viable EUV lithography. That would remove the backbone chokepoint
constraining China’s advanced AI-chip stack and expose a paradox in Washington’s
strategy: restrictions meant to preserve US technological leverage may also have
accelerated China’s push to localize the entire stack, leaving China the only
country with the core AI-chip stack end to end within its own borders. Beijing’s
commoditization strategy could then extend from models and pricing into the
semiconductor layer itself.
At that point, would China still be merely squeezing margins inside the AI boom,
or would it be triggering something larger: the bursting of America’s AI bubble?
Selected Face Book & X tweets
on September 22/2026
Syrian Response
Thousands of Christian families are returning home to Syria.
One sign of that return: the Holy Land schools in Qunaya and Yaqubiya have
reopened after nearly 60 years of closure under Baathist rule. Families are
returning. Schools are reopening. Christian communities are rebuilding their
future in Syria. 🇸🇾
Nadine Barakat
https://x.com/nadinebarakatlb/status/2102195535100997781/video/1
Clown MP Hussein Hajj Hassan, claims that Hezbollah infiltrated Israel
We suggest Israel picks them all up (Hezbollah MPs) ,throw them in an
underground unit & question them about what those claims on TV!
BTW, No need to send them back.
Let us know how it goes!
Alberto Miguel Fernandez
"Washington has explicitly identified reconstruction and commercial contracting
[in Lebanon] as potential channels through which Hezbollah-linked networks can
generate or divert money."
Masih Alinejad
Mayor Mamdani, you said war criminals who set foot in New York should be
arrested.
Good news. One is in New York city this week.
The president of the Islamic Republic is coming to the United Nations, right
here in New York.
He heads the regime that massacre innocent protesters. They gunned down unarmed
protesters in the streets, hanged our children, and sent its agents to Brooklyn
to kidnap and kill a New Yorker.That New Yorker is me. The FBI files and federal
indictments are public. Look them up.
If you have the courage to talk about arresting those responsible for crimes
against humanity, start with the man sleeping five miles from your office.
Are you willing to act, Mayor? Or do Iranian lives not count?
Cathryn Papadopoulo
@CathrynPapa
Your Excellency,
After 48 years of transitional mandate, continuous efforts to prolong UNIFIL’s
deployment represent an abdication of sovereign responsibility and a perpetual
evasion of state obligations.The Lebanese Armed Forces bear an exclusive
constitutional mandate and an absolute legal duty to assert undivided
sovereignty and authority over southern Lebanon. Relying on interim
international forces has ceased to be a stabilization strategy; it has become a
mechanism for delaying necessary national action.The international community's
role has run its course. True statehood demands that Lebanon cease outsourcing
its security architecture, confront its foundational responsibilities, and
permanently deploy the national military to secure its sovereign borders.