English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For September 27/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, "I am the Messiah!" and they will lead many astray
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 24/01-14/:"As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’Jesus answered them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, "I am the Messiah!" and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs. ‘Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But anyone who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come."

Titles For The English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 26-27/2026
The Theatrical Walkout of Cowards: 77 Hypocritical Nations Applaud Terrorism, Flee the Truth, and Boycott Netanyahu’s Speech/Elias Bejjani/September 26, 2026
An Attack on Peace: Praying for the Recovery of the Son of Israel’s Ambassador to Washington, Mr. Yechiel Leiter/Elias Bejjani/September 24, 2026
Saint Takla (Thecla) the Martyr: Bride of Christ, First of the Women Martyrs, and Equal-to-the-Apostles/Elias Bejjani/September 24, 2026
The cowards who secretly support Israel for what it does, and publicly reject it/Abu Arz - Etienne Sakr/September 26, 2026
Video link and text (A/E) of a very important interview with Father Tony Khadra
Parish Priest of Rmeich: We Feel Despair and Anxiety; No One Has Told Us Whether the Situation Will Remain Unchanged or Shift
Raids, Explosions, and Incursions: Israeli Escalation Hits Multiple Southern Fronts Ahead of Nasrallah Commemoration
Two Israeli battalions have left the South and Nabatieh—the contact line"... What is the status of Hezbollah?
Deir Mimas Municipality: Do not head to the olive groves!
Israeli Army: We Attacked a Hezbollah Weapons Depot in Sajd
Judiciary Orders Removal of "Iranian Flag" from House in Southern Lebanon
Israeli Patrol Positions on the Outskirts of Deir Mimas; Concussive Explosions Strike Sajd
Transcontinental Criminal Network Under Pressure: Are Potential Hezbollah Links at the Heart of Investigations?
Israel targets Hezbollah infrastructure as new phase begins in south Lebanon
At UN, Salam stresses need to avert 'vacuum' if UNIFIL leaves
Fadlallah hits back at Bassil, says he lacks 'loyalty'
A new law could reshape property sales in southern Lebanon’s occupied towns
$150 to $300 for a way into Lebanon: Inside the illegal crossings from Syria
The Shiites in Lebanon – 4/Colonel Charbel Barakat/September 27/2026
Leadership Crisis in Hezbollah After Nasrallah's Assassination/Paul Astih/Asharq Al Awsat/September 26/2026

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 26-27/2026
I Reject their Proposal, Says Trump after Iran’s Offer on Hormuz
France Working on UN Resolution to Restore Freedom of Navigation in Strait of Hormuz
Golan Spat Exposes One Reason Israel-Syria Talks Stalled
US Teams Scour the Globe to Isolate Iran; Bessent Reveals Details
Trump Predicts Cuba and US Will Make a Deal
Saudi Arabia calls on international community to reject Houthi practices
GCC Condemns Attempted Houthi Attacks on Riyadh and Khamis Mushait
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Affirm Continued Joint Efforts to Confront Attacks
Pakistan PM Says Makkah’s Security is a 'Red Line'
Saudi Coalition Says it Intercepts Missiles, Drones
Iraq Seeks Exemption from US Ban on Iran Airlines
At Least 16 Killed in Russian and Ukrainian Strikes
Iraq seeks exemption from US ban on Iran airlines
China, US Agree to $30 Billion Tariff Cut, AI Dialogue
Four American tourists among six killed in Athens building blast

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 26-27/2026
American Voters, Beware an Islamist Takeover in America...Do Not Let What Happened to My Birth Country Happen Here/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/September 26, 2026
The Plight of Education in Syria/Fayez Sara/Asharq Al Awsat/26 September 2026
America and Iran: A Tango Danced to a Silent Rhythm/Abdel Rahman Shalgham/Asharq Al Awsat/26 September ,2026
Two Competing Projects in the Middle East/Mohammed al-Rumaihi/Asharq Al Awsat/26 September ,2026
Libya in Captivity... and Citizens Are Tired of Going Nowhere/Dr. Jebril El-Abidi/Asharq Al Awsat/26 September ,2026
The Toll of the Jihadist War/Abdel Moneim Said/Al-Ahram/September 26, 2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on September 26/2026

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 26-27/2026
The Theatrical Walkout of Cowards: 77 Hypocritical Nations Applaud Terrorism, Flee the Truth, and Boycott Netanyahu’s Speech
Elias Bejjani/September 26, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/09/157859/
What took place in the United Nations General Assembly hall during the speech of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not so much a political position as it was a moral and political scandal in every sense of the word. Seventy-seven countries chose to walk out of the hall in a cheap, submissive, theatrical, and foolish display. It was a walkout with no value, no weight, and no impact whatsoever on a single word Netanyahu said. They walked out—but what changed? Nothing. The speech remained, the facts remained, and Israel continued fighting in defense of the free world against barbarians, jihadists, and the foolish left, while these countries continued playing the role of heroes before their oppressed populations.
These 77 countries are the great hypocrites. They are the very same countries that deal with Israel both secretly and openly in the fields of science, military affairs, intelligence, medicine, technology, and security. Most of them maintain diplomatic, commercial, and security relations with Israel at the highest levels, including Turkey, which fills the world with anti-Israel rhetoric while its intelligence services remain closely coordinated with Israel. In the media, however, they transform into revolutionaries. Like parrots, they repeat stale and rotten slogans that mean nothing: criminality, killing children, Zionism, expansionism, occupation, racism. It is an entire dictionary of falsehoods that they have memorized in order to deceive and anesthetize their peoples.
The overwhelming majority of these countries are underdeveloped and failed states. They exploit their peoples, impoverish them, and deprive them of electricity, water, education, healthcare, freedom, and dignity. Their citizens dream of enjoying even a quarter of the level of services and per-capita income available to Israeli citizens. If the gross national product of two-thirds of the countries that walked out were combined, it would still not equal that of Israel alone. Yet they walk out in order to lecture the world on morality.
The Arab States That Walked Out: Cheap Populism and Exposed Hypocrisy
Among the 77 countries that walked out were 18 Arab states that participated in this cheap spectacle: Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, Sudan, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Somalia, and the Comoros. What is particularly revolting is that most of these states either recognize Israel or deal with it behind the scenes, while publicly delivering hollow populist speeches about Palestine and Palestinian rights. As for the Lebanese government, its walkout represented the height of populism, cowardice, and hypocrisy. It claims to seek Lebanon’s liberation and sovereignty while simultaneously protecting the Iranian jihadist occupation and remaining silent regarding its illegal weapons that have destroyed the Lebanese state.
What kind of hypocrisy is this? O rulers of Lebanon, practitioners of hypocrisy and submissiveness, you walk out of the United Nations in protest against Netanyahu, who is fighting the terrorism that occupies your country, while remaining silent about the crimes and terrorism of Hezbollah, which occupies your country and drowns it in destruction, corruption, and bloody jihadism. Your walkout was not a patriotic position. It was a submissive, sectarian, and unmistakably Iranian position. It sent a clear message that your government and your president are nothing more than followers of Hezbollah, obedient to its orders and directives. Had you been genuine statesmen, you would have remained in the hall and confronted Netanyahu with arguments and logic. Had you truly respected Lebanon’s national interest, you would not have boycotted the man who struck and destroyed the arsenal of your enemy, Israel’s enemy, and humanity’s enemy—the organization falsely and hypocritically called “Hezbollah.” Instead, you chose to become part of the herd—the herd of cowards whom Netanyahu accurately described.
The walkout of these countries did not affect Netanyahu in any way. On the contrary, it confirmed the accuracy of his description of them as cowards. He said: “If there is another coward who has not yet left, I advise him to leave now.” A coward does not confront; he withdraws. And he was right.
From the bottom of my heart, I salute the countries that respected themselves. A salute to Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, which did not walk out. They did not behave like sheep following the herd. Rather, they respected themselves, their peoples, and the intelligence of their citizens, while other countries that recognize Israel and maintain various forms of relations with it preferred deception, demagoguery, and cheap populism.
Let me say this clearly: Netanyahu is a historic Israeli national hero—a hero in every sense of the word. Through his determination, strategic vision, and resolve, Israel and the United States struck Iran’s nuclear reactor and destroyed the terrorist project of the mullahs that threatened the entire world.
In my view, he is the man who defeated the barbaric and savage forces of political Islam represented by Hamas, ISIS, and Hezbollah. He worked to eliminate Hezbollah’s leaders—from Nasrallah to Safieddine and the rest of the symbols of murder and terrorism—and targeted much of the first and second tiers of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership.
As a Lebanese Christian, the son of a six-thousand-year-old civilization, I can do nothing but salute Netanyahu and thank the State of Israel for what it has done—and continues to do—to help liberate Lebanon from the terrorism, criminality, Persian domination, and jihadist ideology of Hezbollah. Hezbollah occupies Lebanon and has transformed it from a civilized country, once known as the Switzerland of the East, into a destitute, dark, and hungry nation without electricity, water, or medicine—a failed state on every level. Had it not been for Israel’s military strikes, Lebanon today would have become a full Iranian province.
As for Lebanon’s current rulers and much of its political and religious establishment, they are products of occupation. They are agents and beneficiaries of successive occupations. They continue promoting the perpetuation of Hezbollah’s domination, weapons, and mini-state because Hezbollah’s disappearance would mean their own disappearance as well. They survive on Iran’s leftovers and on dubious funds, while selling Lebanon’s sovereignty every day in the marketplace of political servitude. The walkout of 77 countries will not liberate the Palestine they exploit for political gain. It will not restore electricity to Lebanon, nor will it build a hospital in Yemen, Sudan, or Syria—countries whose destruction was aided by the very Iran they applaud.
From a Lebanese perspective, there can be no salvation for Lebanon and no restoration of its independence and sovereignty without ending the state of war with Israel, completely dismantling Hezbollah, prosecuting its leaders, dismantling all of its structures, recognizing Israel, and living in peace.
The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com

An Attack on Peace: Praying for the Recovery of the Son of Israel’s Ambassador to Washington, Mr. Yechiel Leiter
Elias Bejjani/September 24, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/09/157770/
I share the deep pain of Israel’s Ambassador to Washington, Mr. Yechiel Leiter, following the serious injuries sustained by his son in a vehicle-ramming attack in Israel yesterday. Ambassador Leiter had previously lost another son during the war in Gaza.
I pray for his son’s full and speedy recovery and for his safe return to his family.
Ambassador Leiter is known for his commitment to peace and currently leads his country’s delegation in the peace talks with Lebanon. What occurred was not only an attack on an individual, but also an attack on the very spirit of peace and on those who strive to advance it.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

Saint Takla (Thecla) the Martyr: Bride of Christ, First of the Women Martyrs, and Equal-to-the-Apostles
Elias Bejjani/September 24, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/09/157776/
Note: The information contained in this study is compiled from numerous documented ecclesiastical, theological, academic, and media sources.
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution?” (Romans 8:35)
Saint Takla’s Annual Feast – September 24 in the Eastern Churches
The Eastern Church in all its families – Orthodox, Syriac, Coptic, Maronite, and Melkite – commemorates Saint Thecla on the twenty-fourth of September each year. This date is fixed in the Byzantine and Maronite Synaxaria, where she is recorded under her official title: “The Great Holy Martyr Thecla, First of the Women Martyrs and Equal-to-the-Apostles.” On this day, festive Divine Liturgies are celebrated and her famous Troparion is chanted: “O holy God-bearer Thecla, thou wast taught the Word by Paul, the God-inspired Apostle, and wast established in the faith, O glorious one. Wherefore we celebrate thee and venerate the divine and venerable memory.”

The cowards who secretly support Israel for what it does, and publicly reject it
Abu Arz - Etienne Sakr/September 26, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/09/157856/
In his speech before the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu presented his position on the war on terrorism, affirming that Israel has been fighting on seven fronts for three years, and that in doing so it is defending itself and the free world, with support from the United States of America alone.
But instead of Israel receiving praise and appreciation for the immense sacrifices it has made and continues to make, harsh criticism poured in on it from all sides, and some delegations left the hall in protest.
The irony is that many regional and global countries are terrified of the danger of Iranian terrorism and its nuclear project, and then rush to condemn those who confront and fight it.
As for the cowards who secretly support Israel for what it is doing, and publicly reject it, they can leave my X page now and thank you.
Labbayk Lubnan

Video link and text (A/E) of a very important interview with Father Tony Khadra
 Father Tony Khadra reveals, with numbers, facts, names and dates, the systematic attack on Christians by the Shiite Duo and the deep state in all positions of the state and the private sector to exclude them and strike partnership, and also a dangerous attack to change demography and marginalize the Christian presence, and most dangerously, that the Christian leaderships are either conspiring, or afraid, or indifferent.
The interview was conducted by journalist Fadi Shahwan from Nidaa Al-Watan newspaper website
September 25, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/09/157843/
Note/The transcription, drafting, titling,translation to English and tabulation of the interview was done by Elias Bejjani with complete freedom
Introduction
Crying alone in the wilderness - this is the state of Father Tony Khadra, President of the Labora Association concerned with employment and protecting the Christian presence in state institutions.
The interview conducted by journalist Fadi Shahwan with Father Khadra is not an ordinary interview about employment, but a serious indictment document that deals with what Father Khadra describes as "the systematic conspiracy to exclude Christians" from state positions in Lebanon. Father Khadra starts from a shocking number: In Lebanon there are 210 Director General positions that must be on a parity basis according to the Constitution after Taif, i.e. 105 for Christians and 105 for Muslims. Today the number of Christian Directors General is only 72, after it was 68. That means there are 33 Christian positions usurped in the first category alone. The danger, as he says, is not only in the number, but in the methodology: ministers who empty their ministries completely of Christians and replace them with members of their own sect, and Christian ministers who remain silent out of fear or self-interest, and Christian parties that consider that a clash with the Shiite duo or with the Sunnis "is not worth it for 10 Christian employees." Father Khadra goes further, to say that the conflict today over state jobs is a Sunni-Shiite conflict, and the Christian is "put aside." And he reveals that this issue has gone beyond the local framework and has become an international project, after parties close to the administration of President Trump in America, then in France and Italy, asked him to translate the Labora report into English to include the clause of "participation in the state" in any negotiations about Lebanon, because it is no less important than the sovereignty of the state over its lands and its weapons. The most dangerous thing in his words is the transfer of the battle from the public sector to the private sector and real estate and demography, and his talk about systematic demonization of institutions owned by Christians, and about demographic change in Ashrafieh and at the entrances of Keserwan and Matn, and systematic obstruction of 32 out of 36 global companies owned by Christians that wanted to return and invest in Lebanon in 2018.
Interview Headlines
A cry in the wilderness: an existential threat to Christians in the state.
What are the Christian parties doing? No insistence and no accountability.
Ministers emptying their ministries: example of the Ministry of Public Works - 4 general directorates have become Shiite.
Violation of constitutional parity: from 105 Christian directors general, 72 remain.
The position of the Presidency of the Republic: We raised our voice and the answer was "don't outbid us on Christianity."
When we scream we achieve results: appointment of 12 heads of departments on a parity basis after pressure.
The conspiracy is international: the Labora report reached Washington, Paris and Rome.
Participation equals sovereignty: No state without a diverse and honest administration.
Why parity? Because it creates security and safety, as in General Security.
The deep state: 43 judicial rulings to reinstate employees not implemented.
Appointment scandals: the farce of the Civil Service Council and pre-cooked appointments.
Logic of intimidation: a Director General expelled from his office because he refused an illegal employment.
A strong era in words, weak in deeds: Nothing achieved to restore Christian positions.
Financial ambitions: preventing World Bank and European Union aid from reaching Christians.
Logic of quotas: Each leader reserves his share, and the Christian "gets what's left."
Imprisoning the decent: The honest employee who does not pass corruption is imprisoned for 4 and 6 months.
Competence is the solution: Clean employment reduces the hegemony of parties.
Civil Service Council under pressure: Centers for parties at the door of the examination hall.
It cannot continue like this: Warning of a state in which the Christian does not feel it is his state.
The attack on the private sector: demonization of Christian institutions.
Demographic change: buying real estate and converting it into commercial institutions to close the institutions of the area.
Economic war: Transition from a war of weapons to a war of money and real estate.
Obstructing Christian investment: 32 Christian companies prevented from investing in Lebanon.
We want a just state: All sects must participate, not just help their own sect.
Our cry will not be in vain: Call for a Christian-national conference on partnership.
Full Interview Text - Q&A
Q: Father, I want to start not with the description, I want to start with the reaction of the Christian parties. What are the Christian parties doing to protect Christians?
A: I want to take an example that affected me a lot. A message addressed by MP Waddah Sadek titled "To my Sunni brothers in Beirut" telling them "reduce criticism of the Prime Minister." He tells them the Prime Minister from the moment he arrived, his main concern is to return Sunni positions to Sunnis. This is a witness. I said to myself, I wish we would take some centers for Christianity as the Prime Minister is doing for the Sunnis. I don't care if we are against the parties or they are against us, I care that we continue to cooperate. But what I see is that there is no insistence from our parties to preserve our positions in the state. How does insistence happen? In the past, someone's job, and I might refuse it, that a minister in his ministry removed all Christians and took the centers for his sect, another Christian minister comes and does the same thing in his ministry. We are not like that.
Q: Let's agree in this episode, don't tell me "no one" you have to name. Which minister took all centers for his sect and which Christian minister remained silent?
A: Minister Ali Hamieh in the Ministry of Public Works. There are 4 general directorates in the ministry: Urban Planning, Railways, Beirut Airport, Director General of the Ministry. All four became Shiite during the previous minister's time. Is there any Christian minister who stood up and said I want to take a stand because we are emptying the Ministry of Public Works of Christians? Not one minister.
Why? Supposedly for fear or for interest. I say I don't know if it's fear, but surely they have an interest not to defend Christian rights, they have an interest to defend their rights as parties to remain present. Even some Christian leaders told me: "It's not worth having a dispute with X in the Shiite duo or with the Sunnis for 10 Christian employees more or less."
Q: In which category?
A: He didn't tell me in which category. He told me I am not ready to make a problem for 10 employees. And we must make a problem for any employee in any category.
Q: On the subject of categories, some say Taif abolished sectarianism in jobs?
A: This is a lie. I spoke with 21 deputies who attended Taif and I made documented documents with them. The 21 deputies say, and the last one I spoke with was Hussein El-Husseini, may God have mercy on him, they say sectarianism in jobs was not abolished in Taif. It was agreed in Taif to abolish political sectarianism and form a national committee, on condition that after that parity be abolished from the second category and below, and first category parity between Christians and Muslims be kept according to Article 95 of the Constitution amended after Taif.
If I apply this, it means parity was not abolished. We have 210 directors general in the state, according to the law they must be 105 by 105. Now the number of Christian directors general is 72, they were less, they were 68 but now the electricity director and others were appointed. Instead of being 105 we are 72.
Q: If this parity is enshrined in the Constitution, why is it not implemented?
A: They say by proxy and tomorrow etc. But when you put a director general by proxy for 4-5 years, all decisions he takes are legitimate. Who supervises his decisions?
Q: Today with the new appointments, where is the Christian Maronite President of the Republic? Do you hold him responsible?
A: I got news to the President of the Republic and we sent him reports in this regard and told him we are not satisfied with what is happening. The response from his people was: "Don't outbid us on Christian rights." That's the only answer we got.
Q: What does participation in the state mean?
A: Participation in the state is the basis. We are not talking about 10 or 20 more. If now I have 200 million dollars from the World Bank project, and if 52 million dollars came to UNESCO 3 years ago, and the money that will come to Lebanon will come through the state, its distribution must be fair.
Christian families come to me, a family once a widow receiving 400 dollars from the Ministry of Social Affairs, a project from the World Bank for a poor family, they come and cancel her 400 dollars, why? They said they sent an inspection to the house, it turned out she sleeps on the sofa, she has a couch she sleeps on, they said she does not meet the conditions. I gave them a list of names who have cars and televisions in their house and a fridge and everything, why are you paying them? Fair distribution begins with real participation.
Q: Is your cry bringing results?
A: I want to extend thanks through your platform. Last Friday, 12 heads of departments were appointed. And here I want to give proof to those who criticize us that there are no Christians in the second and third categories. The second category is 850 other jobs in the Lebanese state, only 140 are appointed and the rest are vacant. Now they started, the Ministry of Industry, the Minister of Industry appointed 6 by 6, the Minister of Public Works also appointed 10, five by five, meaning our voice is reaching. The Minister of Agriculture appointed 13 to 11 because now they want to re-appoint someone in Zahle who is Christian to return to 12-13 by 13. Meaning the cry is working and Lebanon is a pluralistic country, I cannot in my ministry put all jobs for my sect.
Q: This attack on Christian positions, is it targeting their existence, destiny and future or ambitions for positions and wealth of the state?
A: Let me tell you what happened. We were contacted through Trump's people in America and they asked us to translate the report into English, and then we had a phone intervention with France and two days ago with the Italians. What does this talk mean? It means these three countries until now are convinced. Because when Lebanon is talked about, only Hezbollah's weapons and the sovereignty of the state over its lands are talked about. Today we at Labora have introduced the topic of participation in the state. I was talking with an important party leader in Lebanon, I told him this thing must be included in your politics, the topic of participation in the state is no less than the sovereignty of the state over its lands. Because if the lands are good but the public administrations and centers if they don't have sovereignty and don't have freedom and don't have professionalism, who will collect taxes and where will they go? All collection if today I make a report for a decent person if he doesn't pay electricity, and the thug covered by parties doesn't pay.
Q: Some say Christians are 30%, why are they demanding parity?
A: I ask a question with an answer: Why the insistence of the Army Commander, Brigade Commander, Internal Security Forces, General Security, State Security, Customs, Civil Defense, why the insistence by the leaderships on parity? Go ask them, all these leaderships insist on parity. General Security released the cycle 3 weeks ago, they took 750 employees in General Security, 375 Christian and 375 Muslim. 700 Christians applied and 13,000 Muslims. Why insistence on parity? Because they know that this parity creates security in the country, security and safety, participation.
Q: What about competence?
A: Brother, I don't want to insist on participation and parity, I want to insist on competence. Make me competent exams. In the third report that we will hold a press conference for, the first paragraph in the report is an answer to many criticisms that came to us in the wrong place, we will give you a list of all the rulings that came out in the state: Civil Service Council, Central Inspection, and State Shura Council. How many rulings came out that this employee must return to his place, this employee must be in this center. 43 rulings not implemented. Who prevents implementation of rulings? The deep state.
Q: Who is the deep state today?
A: My brother Berri may not be handling the issue as someone in Hezbollah told me, but in general the Shiite duo. And now something is happening and I say it and I bear its responsibility: The conflict today in state jobs is between Sunni and Shiite and the Christian is being put aside. As happened at the airport: We have a Shiite director, the Sunnis insist on having a Sunni director. If in all ministries we did like this, Christians were out.
Q: Are all employees who enter not subject to the principle of competence?
A: There are competent people, shame, there are employees in the state who are competent and I know their salary is not enough, but many employees came to me wanting to resign, I didn't let them because they are decent. But these enter by thuggery and sectarianism, they are the ones destroying the state. Who brings them into the state? Their parties and sects.
Q: There are problems in appointments?
A: I give you an example: Head of the airport authority, a name proposed they want a name from 4-5 months ago. Why did you torture the Civil Service Council to do interviews and why did you torture the minister to present 4 names to the Council of Ministers, in the end the same name came out completely camouflaged? Just appoint him, don't do all this procedure, abolish state institutions.
Q: What is the scandal you are hinting at?
A: One of the three presidents sends for a senior employee in the state telling him you have to bring these people in for me and they all happen to be from one sect. The official is talking to the director general, he told him I can't bring them in against the law, he kicked him out of his office. A big director general. I have a big problem that I am not aspiring for politics nor aspiring for money, there are things I cannot say. I gather debtors I have, they kill each other to come back to agreement and they come out reconciled. I hope you keep this thing for me a little, Father, they respect me because they come to me on foot, and for 19 years in Labora I never once said a word or stirred strife between person and person.
Q: Two eras described as strong, what did they do to restore the Christian presence?
A: Things backwards. Things worse than before. When I went to President Joseph Aoun, he shouted to the assistants and told them see, put cooperation with Labora in front of everyone in the palace, and I met him twice inside the monastery. But cooperation is very little. I feel there is fear, I always hear it: We are a center for all Lebanon, we cannot demand only Christian rights. Okay why doesn't the Shiite feel ashamed to demand nor the Sunni feels ashamed to demand, I should feel ashamed? Why does the Shiite and Sunni want to be for his sect and I the Christian want to be for everyone? Participation is our right, a duty imposed on all officials.
Q: Is there a conspiracy or ambitions?
A: There are ambitions in the state, there is money coming to the state they don't want it to reach Christians. I notice because every time I do a campaign for a project brought by the World Bank or a ministry brought from the European Union, always I never find encouragement from the concerned ministries that bravo you are helping Christians. Once I did 11 workshops for Christian farmers in all governorates, we gathered 8000 farmers. Christians want to participate but I go I have 100 people who must win this land or this contribution they select selectively because the socialist leader wants this much and the leader of Amal movement wants this much, we don't get any because no one is demanding our rights.
Q: What about Beirut Municipality?
A: In Beirut Municipality there is a Christian head of department center. I talked with the governor, I went to him, he told me this is not such and such and don't put your hand under his tile, accused of theft. I told him okay sue him and I am with you against him, open a trial for him and remove him from his center until the trial result comes out. The trial result came out 100% innocence, they didn't return him to his center. They say no, we gave the center to the Druze, they don't have a center, they didn't return him.
Q: Why do they remove a Christian employee and put in his place someone from another sect?
A: Because there are interests that need to pass, they need to pass things. I have corruption files, they pass things and the decent man who doesn't want to walk is imprisoned. I have people imprisoned 6 months and 4 months in the state unjustly. You cannot build a state like this.
Q: What about the private sector?
A: There is an attack on real estate in areas changing its demography. If you like I invite you, you are a pioneer in media, go to the notables of Ashrafieh let them tell you what is happening in Ashrafieh. There is something scary. The demographic change is not that a poor family is coming to live, shops, institutions. Recently a bakery was to be opened about 5 months ago in Amsheet at the entrance of Naccache at the entrance of Rabieh, the world rose up, the big bakeries came to us known: Father what is happening we want to close.
There is as much money as you want to buy real estate and therefore this change started to hurt the institutions that are working on the ground. Do research how many restaurants from the days of Qalaat Faour until now closed or were inspected or burned, show me how many non-Christian restaurants? There are no institutions other than Christian that are violating? There are no Christian institutions that have a problem with finance? This is not a coincidence. I am afraid we will move from a war of weapons and cannons to an economic war, the strong and who has money buys.
Q: And is there demonization of Christian institutions?
A: There is demonization, defamation of private Christian institutions or those headed by a Christian. Do you want me to name for you? Tanourine, Zeid, Paul, Wooden Bakery, Mimosa, all false accusations came out. These institutions cannot be said to be Christian because they work in the south and north, they are for all Lebanese.
Q: What is the solution?
A: Politicians must remedy, not only Christians, all of them together, issue a law in Parliament from now for two years until the situation stabilizes: Selling is prohibited even from Muslim to Muslim to preserve this diversity. But we are eating each other.
Q: What about large companies?
A: In the year 2018, 36 companies whose owners are Christian contacted me coming from abroad wanting to open their institutions in Lebanon. Out of 36 institutions, 32 institutions' requests to open in Lebanon were rejected because their owners are big Christian businessmen, either obstructed in Finance or Industry or Ministry of Interior.
In the past there was a market of understanding between President Rafik Hariri, may God have mercy on him, and Patriarch Sfeir. I went to Hariri to talk to him about the topic, he tells me I was upset with His Beatitude the Patriarch because many times he goes to the diaspora and mourns Lebanon and I am doing the impossible to bring back Christians because a Christian without Lebanon will not return to build. Okay if this saying is correct, Christians of Lebanon are the ones who built Lebanon, make for us a just state, participation in jobs, diversity in jobs.
Q: Will your cry go in vain or must we go to expanded decentralization?
A: Nothing will go in vain. We are now preparing for a conference, we will call for a conference first Christian on the subject of partnership, all Christians and we are thinking of making it from the first time national, i.e. heads of religions and sects and parties who love to talk about this topic, because for us this is the most important topic. If the military and security phase and the issue of sovereignty is over, this is the most important topic that must be raised today.
You have the files of the Lebanese University standing because of sectarianism because there is hegemony of professors over professors. You want to build a country as you are doing, it will be ruined, it won't reach anywhere. You want to build a country, rely on competence and professionalism and we are the first Christians to be facilitating these matters and I open Labora to all people but on the basis of competence and professionalism not on the basis of thuggery and hegemony by weapons and by shouting and by finger. You want to build a country, we are ready to make a joint country but with this spirituality, otherwise, peace be upon Lebanon.
Conclusion from Father Tony Khadra's Cry
This interview puts the dots on the letters in the most dangerous file facing Christians today: the file of partnership.
Father Khadra concludes with 4 conclusions:
Exclusion is systematic and not coincidence: Numbers speak, from 105 to 72 directors general, and entire ministries emptied, and 43 judicial rulings not implemented, and a civil service council subjected to direct pressure from parties.
Christian complicity is the problem: The problem is not only in other sects that demand their shares shamelessly, but in Christian leaderships that are ashamed to demand their right under the pretext that they are "for all Lebanon" while others work only for their sects, and consider that defending 10 employees "is not worth it."
The danger is existential and economic: The issue has gone beyond public employment to preventing international aid from arriving, to imprisoning the honest employee, to buying real estate and changing the demography of Ashrafieh and Rabieh and entrances of Keserwan and Matn, to demonizing and obstructing private Christian investment, which portends Lebanon's transition from a war of weapons to an organized economic war.
The solution is competence or soft separation: Father Khadra proposes two solutions with no third: either a real state of competence, honest exams and rotation and accountability, or if the sectarian logic remains prevailing, then let there be a law preventing real estate sale for years to preserve diversity, otherwise going towards expanded decentralization that protects each region, because with this current spirituality "peace be upon Lebanon."

Parish Priest of Rmeich: We Feel Despair and Anxiety; No One Has Told Us Whether the Situation Will Remain Unchanged or Shift
Al-Markaziya/ September 26, 2026 (Translated from Arabic by AI)
Father Najib Al-Amil, the parish priest of Rmeich, noted that they had managed to preserve their villages, hold fast to them, and insist on staying despite the shelling. He expressed his sorrow regarding the towns of Al-Qawzah and Yaroun, adding: "Israel makes no distinction between Christian and non-Christian." "We feel a sense of despair and anxiety; no one has told us whether the situation will remain as it is or change," the client added in a television interview. He emphasized that job opportunities are essential for their ability to hold on, yet they remain unavailable. "We have two schools, but parents cannot afford the tuition fees—so how are we supposed to pay the teachers' salaries?"

Raids, Explosions, and Incursions: Israeli Escalation Hits Multiple Southern Fronts Ahead of Nasrallah Commemoration
Janoubia/September 26, 2026 (Translated from Arabic by AI)
As the second anniversary of the assassination of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah approaches, southern Lebanon witnessed a significant field escalation today. The activity ranged from airstrikes, explosions, and artillery shelling to machine-gun fire, coinciding with an incursion by an Israeli force into the outskirts of Halta–Kafarchouba. Field reports indicated explosions in the town of Mays al-Jabal and in the Mashaa al-Mansouri area. Meanwhile, the town of Al-Qantara was subjected to machine-gun fire, and heavy artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of Baraachit, as well as Wadi al-Salouqi. Concurrently, Israeli warplanes launched a raid on the outskirts of Al-Khiam and another on the town of Al-Mansouri, while a third strike targeted the Shanouh farm south of Kafarchouba.
Incursion at the Outskirts of Halta–Kafarchouba
In the same area, an Israeli force comprising approximately four to five vehicles advanced into the outskirts of Halta–Kafarchouba, accompanied by machine-gun fire and the launching of illumination flares. This development unfolds as attention turns to the south, with Hezbollah preparing to commemorate the assassinations of Nasrallah and his successor, Hashem Safieddine, this Sunday in Beirut’s Southern Suburb. Available field data does not indicate a direct, declared link between the anniversary and the escalation; however, the coincidence of security developments with the approach of the date adds a sensitive dimension to the situation in the South, where Israeli operations continue across multiple axes.
The "Naqiyat Shaqra" Pond Incident
This escalation follows an incident at the "Naqiyat Shaqra" pond that nearly resulted in fishermen being targeted before their true identity was established. The Israeli army had notified the coordination mechanism of the presence of armed individuals near the pond—threatening to strike them—before it was revealed that the people on-site were actually fishermen, who were subsequently informed and moved away from the area. Consequently, the South witnessed a series of simultaneous field developments within a span of hours—ranging from airstrikes and explosions to shelling, sweeping operations, and incursions—all while Lebanon awaits the commemoration of Nasrallah amidst heightened security measures and a southern landscape that remains open to further developments.

Two Israeli battalions have left the South and Nabatieh—the contact line"... What is the status of  Hezbollah?
Al-Markaziya/September 26, 2026 (Translated from Arabic by AI)
An Israeli security source revealed that Hezbollah is working to rebuild its strength in light of the new reality in southern Lebanon, noting a shift from a conventional military force to small, dispersed groups operating across various areas. The source added that while Hezbollah is significantly weaker than before, its capabilities still "pose a threat," noting that the group is reorganizing its military deployment, with the bulk of its forces now concentrated north of the Litani River. The source also indicated that the Nabatieh area in southern Lebanon has become a zone of direct contact with Israeli forces, adding that the Party's weakened state has increased its reliance on Iran, which is working to rebuild its capabilities. Additionally, the source stated that four Israeli army battalions have withdrawn from southern Lebanon, with two battalions taking their place.

Deir Mimas Municipality: Do not head to the olive groves!
Al-Markaziya/September 26, 2026 (Translated from Arabic by AI)
The Municipality of Deir Mimas issued the following statement: "We urge everyone not to head to the fields or olive groves at this time due to security concerns. Please adhere to this directive until the 28th of this month; a further announcement will be issued after that date, depending on the situation. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation." An Israeli force had previously advanced toward the outskirts of the town of Deir Mimas (Marjeyoun District) from the south—specifically toward the olive groves—where it remains stationed to this day.

Israeli Army: We Attacked a Hezbollah Weapons Depot in Sajd
Al-Markaziya/September 26 (Translated from Arabic by AI)
The Israeli army announced that it had attacked a Hezbollah weapons depot in the Sajd area of ​​southern Lebanon. Army spokesperson Ella Waweya wrote: "Earlier today (Saturday), the IDF attacked a weapons depot belonging to the Hezbollah organization in the Sajd area of ​​southern Lebanon." She added: "The strike was carried out to eliminate a threat, as the depot contained weaponry used to target our forces operating in the security zone and to hinder their activities." Waweya affirmed that the Israeli army would continue to work to eliminate immediate threats, stressing that any use of force originating from Lebanese territory aimed at targeting Israeli citizens or IDF forces would be met with significant force. She also emphasized her country's army's continued commitment to the agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

Judiciary Orders Removal of "Iranian Flag" from House in Southern Lebanon
Al-Markaziya/September 26 (Translated from Arabic by AI)
The judiciary issued a decision ordering the removal of an "Iranian flag" that had been raised over a house in the town of Houmine El Faouqa, in the Nabatieh district. Judicial sources explained that the incident began following altercations between supporters of the Amal Movement and Hezbollah regarding the raising of flags. In terms of details, supporters of the movement raised its flag on a plot of municipal common land; however, supporters of the party removed it. The movement's supporters then acted to raise the flag again, this time securing it with a concrete base. The counter-response was the raising of the Iranian flag on the roof of a nearby house. The dispute escalated, eventually reaching the local police station, whereupon the Public Prosecutor of Appeal in Nabatieh, Judge Najat Abu Chakra, issued a decision ordering the removal of both the movement's flag—from the common land—and the Iranian flag, citing the law prohibiting the display of foreign state flags on Lebanese territory, whether on public or private property. The judge's decision was complied with, and the flags were removed through the cooperation of all parties. In response to criticism directed at the judge regarding flags of other nations displayed in Beirut and along the Airport Road, sources clarified that the judge handling the case has jurisdiction only over the Nabatieh area.

Israeli Patrol Positions on the Outskirts of Deir Mimas; Concussive Explosions Strike Sajd
Al-Markaziya/September 26, 2026 (Translated from Arabic by AI)
Reports indicated the advance of an Israeli force toward the southern outskirts of the town of Deir Mimas in the Marjeyoun District, specifically near the olive groves. A massive Israeli-caused explosion shook the town of Al-Tiri, while another violent blast rocked Majdal Zoun. Artillery shelling targeted the Wadi al-Salouqi area—specifically the vicinity of Shaqra and the outskirts of Zoutar al-Sharqiya. Israeli forces opened fire on a shepherd near the Al-Hammam area on the outskirts of Al-Khiam. After contact with the shepherd, Iyad al-Badawi, was lost for approximately two hours, it was confirmed that he was safe and unharmed, having taken cover in the area during the shooting; Al-Badawi managed to leave the site safely with his flock. This afternoon, the Israeli army carried out another explosion in the town of Majdal Zoun and targeted the town of Hadatha in the Bint Jbeil District with artillery fire. Later in the afternoon, the outskirts of Hadatha—specifically the Al-Arish area—came under heavy-caliber hostile artillery fire. Artillery shelling also struck the outskirts of the towns of Zoutar al-Sharqiya and Mifdoun. The Israeli army launched an airstrike on Jabal al-Rafie in Sajd (Jezzine District), while artillery fire targeted the towns of Baraachit (Bint Jbeil District) and Kfar Tebnit (Nabatieh). An explosion was heard this evening in the town of Al-Taybeh (Marjeyoun District), and the Israeli army conducted a two-stage demolition operation in the town of Al-Mansouri. Israeli artillery fire targeted the town of Al-Mansouri, coinciding with machine-gun fire directed at the town by enemy forces. Artillery shelling was also reported targeting the towns of Bani Hayyan (in the Marjeyoun District) and Kafr Tibnit (in the Nabatieh District). A series of intense airstrikes targeted Jabal al-Rafi' and Al-Rihane—located between the Iqlim al-Tuffah region and the Jezzine District—with the sounds of the blasts heard as far away as the city of Sidon and its vicinity. Additionally, three airstrikes involving concussion missiles were reported on the outskirts of the town of Sajd; the impact of these strikes was felt as far as Zahrani. Earlier today, at dawn and during the morning, Israeli forces shelled the areas of Al-Mansouri, Majdal Zoun, and Wadi Hassan. Following midnight, they also carried out massive detonations in Baraachit, Hadatha, and the area surrounding the town of Beit Yahoun. Since this morning, the sound of violent explosions has been heard across the South, reaching the city of Sidon and areas to its east. Meanwhile, Israeli aircraft are flying at low altitudes over the South—particularly over the city of Tyre and the villages and towns of its district—as well as over Sidon and its surrounding areas.

Transcontinental Criminal Network Under Pressure: Are Potential Hezbollah Links at the Heart of Investigations?
Janoubia/September 26, 2026 (Translated from Arabic by AI)
Latin American nations and the United States are moving to tighten the net around organized crime networks, amidst reports of potential links between some of the targeted cartels and networks associated with Hezbollah. Countries participating in the "Shield of the Americas" alliance signed a joint statement to blacklist 24 gangs and criminal groups, a move that enables the freezing of assets, the imposition of visa restrictions, and the prosecution of entities providing them with material support. According to a report by Erem News, the list includes some of the continent's most prominent criminal organizations, such as Venezuela’s "Tren de Aragua," Mexico’s "Sinaloa" and "Jalisco New Generation" cartels, and "MS-13," as well as Brazil’s "First Capital Command" (PCC) and "Red Command." The alliance comprises the United States, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and El Salvador; notably absent are Brazil and Mexico, despite the significant influence of cartels in both countries. This escalation occurs against the backdrop of rapidly evolving security developments in Latin America. In Brazil, prosecutors in São Paulo state have accused the "First Capital Command" (PCC) gang of infiltrating the public transport sector and controlling 12 of the 22 companies operating the city's bus network; the allegations further claim that some of these companies were used for money laundering operations linked to the drug trade.
Meanwhile, in Colombia, tensions escalated in the Santa Marta region following the killing of José Luis Pérez Villanueva—known as "Cholo," the second-in-command of the "Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces"—during a security operation that also resulted in other casualties. Concurrently, the United States has intensified operations against vessels suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific as part of its crackdown on transnational trafficking networks. An *Erem News* report links these developments to networks that security sources say are connected to, or intersect with, Hezbollah in Latin America. The Brazilian gang "First Capital Command" (PCC) figures prominently in this context, amidst ongoing investigations and past allegations regarding ties between criminal networks on the continent and individuals linked to Hezbollah. The report also highlights the "Triple Frontier" region—where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay meet—which has long been the subject of security monitoring and investigations due to smuggling and money laundering activities, as well as US and Argentine allegations regarding the presence of Hezbollah-linked financing networks. According to the report, the tightening of financial and legal measures against major cartels could impact cross-border smuggling and financing networks—including entities the United States accuses of operating on behalf of Hezbollah. However, the data in the report does not imply that every organization listed under the "Shield of the Americas" initiative is linked to the party; rather, the focus is on intersections or alleged connections within specific cases and networks. Thus, the security operation appears to extend beyond merely targeting drug trafficking and organized crime; it encompasses the tracking of financial flows, smuggling activities, and cross-border ties, aiming to dismantle structures that could benefit various actors—including networks Washington accuses of links to Hezbollah.

Israel targets Hezbollah infrastructure as new phase begins in south Lebanon
LBCI/September 26/2026
From the heart of Haifa, where the Israeli Navy received its sixth German-made submarine, the INS Drakon, political and military leaders issued direct threats against Iran and nearby fronts. Israeli military chief of staff Eyal Zamir announced that the military had begun a new phase of fighting in southern Lebanon, following the destruction of infrastructure in the Ali al-Taher area and a compound in Mansouri. The phase includes completing the destruction of Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the Yellow Line area and preparing for a long-term defensive phase based on establishing and completing a new line of positions in the area. The military intends to use these positions to secure defensive depth and operational freedom, including continuing to target Hezbollah members and preparing for a war with Iran. According to the Israeli military, the steps toward Lebanon come against the backdrop of what it described as a notable change in Hezbollah’s deployment map in the south. An Israeli report said Hezbollah has intensified efforts to move weapons depots and military equipment toward the Iqlim al-Tuffah area and the Jabal al-Rihan and Jabal Safi regions. According to the report, some Hezbollah commanders have also moved to these areas as part of a redeployment aimed at establishing more fortified rear positions and avoiding locations within the range of Israel’s broad “belts of fire,” according to the Israeli military.

At UN, Salam stresses need to avert 'vacuum' if UNIFIL leaves
Agence France Presse/September 26/2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam insisted at the U.N. on the need to "avert the vacuum" that would be caused by withdrawing the peacekeeping mission deployed in the country's south without a viable replacement. Under U.S. pressure, the U.N. Security Council decided last month to fix December as the end of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has been deployed since 1978. "What we wish to stress here and today is the need to avert the vacuum that UNIFIL's withdrawal could create, were it to take place without agreement on a new international force to replace it," Salam said in a speech to the U N. General Assembly. UNIFIL currently has 7,500 peacekeepers from around 50 countries. They are deployed in southern Lebanon along the Blue Line, which stretches for 120 kilometers, marking a de facto border between Lebanon and Israel. Salam also stressed the need for Israel to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory and for Lebanon to move forward in extending state authority over its entire territory, ensuring "weapons (are) held by the state alone."Hezbollah, backed by Tehran, has so far opposed disarmament. Lebanon and Israel concluded a framework agreement in June under U.S. auspices, providing for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the disarmament of Hezbollah, but its implementation has stalled. It is intended to end a conflict that has lasted for decades. The U.N. force reported extensive Israeli military ground activities in its area of operation and repeated violations of Lebanese airspace and territorial waters, between Monday and Thursday. The peacekeepers recorded 195 airspace violations involving Israeli drones, fighter aircrafts and helicopters, according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Fadlallah hits back at Bassil, says he lacks 'loyalty'
Naharnet/September 26/2026
MP Hassan Fadlallah of Hezbollah on Friday snapped back at Free Patriotic Movement chief Gebran Bassil over recent remarks criticizing the Iran-backed group and the recent wars it has fought. “Lebanon is in dire need today of honesty, loyalty, and words that unite rather than divide -- a national discourse free from incitement and deception. These qualities have been lost among many who disowned the most fundamental values of loyalty and allegiance to a single homeland, bargaining them away for the cheapest price,” Fadlallah said, apparently referring to Bassil. “They turned insult toward the pain of our people and the blood of our martyrs into a tool for begging at embassy doors, seeking satisfaction steeped in humiliation. They believed we had grown weak and that the time had come to strike at our people, but they fell victim to their own miscalculations,” Fadlallah added. “Our resistance remains as firmly rooted as our presence in this land -- as unyielding as Jabal Amel, the Bekaa, our southern suburbs, our capital, our north, and our mountain. The voice of our people will remain the voice of dignity, honor and pride,” the MP went on to say. He added that those who are “morally bankrupt” will find no place “among the great.”“Though these people may be displaced and their homes destroyed, they are rich in history, sacrifice, and authentic belonging -- strong in their resistance and unity of purpose. This is something that those accustomed to living off the scraps of others will never understand,” Fadlallah added. Bassil had recently said that Hezbollah and its supporters are still present in the wake of the latest two wars with Israel but have become “destitute, displaced, emigrant and bankrupt.”“Unfortunately, a large portion of our people have fallen into surrender and despair … Is this the outcome? Is this the victory that we want?” Bassil added. “I’m blaming Hezbollah because it implicated us in a war that we should not have engaged in, because it is not managing to get out of it and because it is not helping us to get out of it,” the FPM chief and former Hezbollah ally added.

A new law could reshape property sales in southern Lebanon’s occupied towns
LBCI/September 26/2026
Under a proposed law approved by the Cabinet on Sept. 10, 2026, owners of land, buildings, subdivided units, or property shares in Israeli-occupied towns in southern Lebanon would be barred from selling their property until the occupation of Lebanese territory ends, if the measure is approved by Parliament.
What are the details of this proposed law?
Any power of attorney to sell, promise of sale, or notarized sale contract for a property, apartment, or share in the occupied villages and towns executed between Oct. 8, 2023, and the date the law is published would not be eligible for completion or registration with the land registry without approval from a specialized committee. The committee would be established by a decision of the justice minister and headed by a judge. It would include two additional judges, a civil engineer, a sworn real estate appraiser, and two judicial assistants, if the draft law becomes law. The committee’s decisions could be appealed before the civil Court of Appeals in the district where the property or apartment is located. Decisions by the Court of Appeals would be final and not subject to further appeal or cassation. Sales excluded from the proposed law would include sale contracts and agreements, as well as irrevocable powers of attorney, executed before Oct. 8, 2023.The law would also exclude subdivided buildings, buildings undergoing subdivision or construction, and properties offered for sale by real estate developers and building contractors.Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, who proposed the legislation, told LBCI that its aim is to preserve the identity of southern Lebanon and the area’s demographic makeup, prevent the exploitation of the war and occupation to sell land at low prices and, most importantly, prevent the transfer of land ownership to Israelis who could potentially use real estate companies as a front to purchase villages and towns facing Israeli settlements. This comes particularly in light of contacts received by some Lebanese citizens from people living outside Lebanon who expressed interest in buying land in areas such as Naqoura. The draft law has been referred to Parliament. Since no political faction has opposed it, it is expected to be swiftly reviewed by the relevant committees and put to a vote so that it can take effect as soon as possible.

$150 to $300 for a way into Lebanon: Inside the illegal crossings from Syria
LBCI//September 26/2026
From Tartus and Homs in Syria to Hekr Jenine in Akkar, a group traveled in an attempt to enter Lebanon illegally on Saturday morning. The group was spotted by the LBCI team on the banks of the Nahr al-Kabir River, which separates Lebanon and Syria, while the team was preparing a report on human smuggling from Syria into Lebanon. LBCI spoke to some of those who crossed, away from the camera. They included both Sunnis and Alawites. Some had sought refuge in Lebanon in search of work, while others were driven by the difficult economic situation and fears of persecution to leave their country. As for the smuggler, he abandoned them midway after the Lebanese army arrived. They said the smuggler charged between $150 and $300 per person. Some came to try their luck, while others had already secured jobs in Lebanon. The Lebanese army intercepts such cases daily along the northern border with Syria, which stretches for about 100 kilometers, before handing those who entered illegally over to General Security.But despite the army's strict measures, risking illegal entry remains an option for many because of the difficult living conditions in Syria, as a Syrian worker who entered Lebanon illegally told LBCI.As a result, illegal entry remains the less costly option, sparing migrants the fees required for legal residency and the difficulty of securing a sponsor. It is a crisis that cannot be addressed through border controls alone. It also requires tighter enforcement against illegal employment, particularly by local authorities.

The Shiites in Lebanon – 4
Colonel Charbel Barakat/September 27/2026
The era of Emir Fakhr al-Din II the Great was truly an era of organizing and building a state that came close to becoming somewhat independent of the Ottoman Empire, particularly regarding its relationship with governors and their whims. The Emir's openness to the other components of Lebanese society, and his sharing of trust, opinions, and decision-making with them through their local leaderships, contributed to a drive to fortify the regions on one hand and cooperate among them on the other. This alarmed the Sublime Porte and rendered Ottoman decrees ineffective in Lebanon—decrees that typically made governors mere puppets in the hands of the Sultan, manipulated at will to execute expansionist plans. Instead, Lebanon's Emir opened up to Italian emirates whose ships patrolled the Mediterranean, trading goods, commodities, and occasionally expertise with Lebanese maritime ports.
Ottoman policy, much like its predecessors, relied on tax farmers—known as feudal lords—but this "feudalism" was mostly limited to an annual tax-collection commitment. This effectively turned them into salaried quota-holders rather than feudal lords in the sense of continuous local leadership. Such continuous leadership, by virtue of its longevity, fosters long-term projects for both the region and its subjects. However, Fakhr al-Din inherited a leadership built on the subjects' recognition of the Ma'n family's right to lead. This practically translated into continuity, far-sightedness, and prospective planning for the future, ensuring sustained production to meet the demands of the Sublime Porte while boosting development. This reality alarmed certain Ottoman administrators because continuity ran counter to their "divide and rule" strategy, which relied on temporary governors serving the Sultan who had to be routinely replaced to foster service-based competition.
Consequently, Emir Fakhr al-Din viewed Shiite leaderships, such as the Harfoush or Ali al-Saghir clans, as local families representing the regions they managed rather than mere seasonal employees tasked with extracting state-mandated taxes from the subjects. He encouraged the settlement of families possessing agricultural expertise, which locals utilized to stimulate production and help pay a portion of the taxes. This genuine cooperation between him and these local families enabled him to extend his influence southward toward Safed, and subsequently Baniyas and Ajloun. In the north, not forgetting the aggression of the Saifa clan against Deir el-Qamar, he resolved to humble them, thereby capturing the Bsharré region followed by Tripoli. He later extended his influence toward the plains of northern Syria—Homs and Hama, reaching as far as Aleppo. This undoubtedly enriched the emirate's treasury and helped thwart many plots hatched against him by regional governors. Among these was the Damascus governor's attempt to instigate a rift between Fakhr al-Din and the Harfoushis, which escalated into their joint participation alongside the troops of Governor Mustafa Pasha in the Battle of Anjar—a battle the Pasha lost, resulting in his capture. Alongside the Druze of the Shouf, Matn, and Wadi al-Taym, the Emir's forces in that battle included Sunni Shihabs, Maronites who had become his allies, and groups of Shiites from Jabal Amel and Bilad Beshara.
During the reign of Murad III, the Ottoman Empire began to weaken due to fighting two wars on distant fronts: the first in the east against the Safavid Persians, and the second in the west against the Austrian Empire. Simultaneously, the Janissaries preferred raids and plundering over winning battles, which eroded discipline and weakened fighting military strength. This presented a golden opportunity for the young Emir to plan for independence and cast off the Ottoman yoke. It gave him a chance to prove his administrative control over the land as he expanded his tax-collection domains. When he was appointed governor of Sidon and its dependencies as far as Safed, these regions were integrated into the Lebanese Emirate. Thus, Bilad Beshara and Jabal Amel became an essential part of his direct rule—administratively part of Lebanon, much as they had been prior to the Mamluk era when they were annexed to the governor of Damascus.
The opportunity remained favorable for Emir Fakhr al-Din until Sultan Murad IV ascended the throne and successfully negotiated a treaty with Austria, securing peace in the west, followed by neutralizing the Safavid threat in the east. This granted him the time to rein in the chaos caused by the Janissaries within the army, which he chose to command personally rather than through the Grand Vizier. Once his domestic authority was firmly established, he turned his sights toward Lebanon and resolved to eliminate the Emir who had imposed himself on the governors and defied obedience—especially fueled by a constant stream of malicious slanders. This led to a final condition set by the Emir to halt the war: that he travel with a large entourage to Istanbul in a final attempt to appease the Caliph. However, his detractors managed to persuade the Sultan to have him hanged and to hand over the Lebanese emirate to Emir Ahmad al-Ma'n.
This was a harsh ending for the Lebanese people, including the Shiites of Jabal Amel and Bilad Beshara, who had begun growing accustomed to coordinating with the Emir on managing their affairs—especially regarding fair taxation rates, and the profound sense of belonging to an emirate and regions that reflected their identity. Within these pluralistic societies, whether ideological or ethnic, the value of the diverse individual and the respect for their privacy were prominently recognized.
During the Ma'n era, the Greek Orthodox traditionally belonged to the Patriarchate of Antioch based in Damascus, which in turn coordinated with the Greek Patriarch residing in Istanbul for direct communication with the Sultan regarding any dispute or issue. The Ottoman state had recognized this community since the conquest of Constantinople, prompting many of its followers to work in trade within major cities where they built relationships with government officials. However, a large number of followers were scattered across Lebanon, sheltered by its natural terrain, which allowed them to survive from the Islamic conquest onward through various shifts in rulers. They formed the majority of the population in the eastern Beqaa Valley, along both sides of the Anti-Lebanon mountains down to Wadi al-Taym, as well as in parts of Matn, Koura, and Akkar. They maintained connections with their brethren in Hauran, the Ghouta of Damascus, and the Valley of the Christians (Wadi al-Nasara) in northern Syria.
During the time of Emir Fakhr al-Din, the Bishop of Beqaa attempted to split from the Damascus Patriarchate and align with the Church of Rome to sever ties with Istanbul. Efforts in this direction forced Emir Fakhr al-Din to intervene and persuade the bishop and locals to exercise patience for fear of Ottoman retaliation, keeping the status quo until around 1750. At that time, the schism materialized under Bishop Atiyah II (nephew of Atiyah I), leading the Ottoman state to withhold recognition of the new community for several years. Consequently, many followers in regions like the eastern ranges were forced to migrate toward Lebanon. The eastern Beqaa regions—and later the city of Zahle—became major congregation centers for this community. Following subsequent Ottoman recognition, its members spread throughout Lebanon as skilled artisans in construction, manufacturing, carpentry, blacksmithing, and, of course, trade.
It is worth noting that the Greek Orthodox supported Emir Fakhr al-Din's vision of independence from the Ottoman Empire, just like the rest of the Lebanese—particularly the Shiites. They sought a form of self-administration that granted every group the right to practice its beliefs and rituals with full respect in a land composed, much like its hills, mountains, and valleys, of diverse population groups bound by opinions, beliefs, or blood ties. Above all, they sought a sense of distinction and mutual respect shared by co-patriots, safeguarded by the rule of law to protect their values and practices. In modern governance terminology, this closely resembles a system of broad federalism.

Leadership Crisis in Hezbollah After Nasrallah's Assassination
Paul Astih/Asharq Al Awsat/September 26/2026
Two years after the assassination of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, the group has not fully overcome the absence of the man who led it for more than three decades and transformed the secretary-general's office into a center of political, organizational, military, and popular influence that is difficult to replace. Hezbollah will mark the second anniversary of the assassinations of Nasrallah and his successor, Hashem Safieddine, on Sunday with a public rally at Nasrallah's shrine in Beirut's southern suburbs. Its new Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, will speak at the event. Security measures will include closing roads leading to the shrine from the direction of the old airport road and Ziad Rahbani Highway and diverting traffic to other routes. According to people close to the group and its opponents, current Secretary-General Naim Qassem does not appear to have succeeded in filling the vacuum left by his predecessor. At the same time, there has been an increasing shift in the center of decision-making within the group, with the room for internal initiative narrowing in favor of decisions coming directly from Iran. The group's opponents say the issue is not simply a matter of the difference in charisma and popular presence between the two men, but also the nature of the role Nasrallah played within Hezbollah. He combined political, organizational, and military leadership, and served as the principal link with the group's supporters and its Iranian ally. Hezbollah today, by contrast, appears to have a more collective and structured leadership, but with a more direct Iranian role in shaping its choices and decisions. While people close to Hezbollah believe that, despite the blows it has suffered, the group has managed to reorganize its ranks and maintain its cohesion under Naim Qassem, its opponents argue that the period following Nasrallah has exposed a leadership crisis and a decline in its ability to mobilize supporters, as well as internal divisions resulting from Qassem's performance.
A New Approach to Confronting the Challenges
Political writer Dr. Qassem Qassir, who is closely familiar with Hezbollah's position, acknowledges that after Nasrallah, the group "faced many internal and external obstacles" following a long period of centralized leadership during which Nasrallah held the reins of the organization for about 33 years, from 1992 until 2024, before his assassination under extremely difficult circumstances. He notes that despite losing both of its secretaries-general, Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, along with a number of its cadres and leaders, Hezbollah succeeded in reorganizing its ranks and putting its security and organizational affairs in order under Sheikh Naim Qassem. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Qassir says Hezbollah now faces new challenges, which has prompted it to adopt a different approach at both the domestic and external levels. He adds that while Hezbollah was previously a major regional player, it is now focusing to a much greater degree on its internal situation, southern Lebanon, and confronting Israel. He continues that while Hezbollah is no longer the strongest political player on the domestic scene as it once was, it remains a major political force, and domestic and external actors continue to treat it as a key party in the Lebanese equation. Asked about the charisma Nasrallah possessed, which many believe Qassem lacks, Qassir says there is no doubt that Nasrallah's charisma was distinctive. However, he describes Sheikh Naim as a highly important organizational and administrative figure who succeeded in reorganizing the group's ranks and preserving its cohesion during an extremely difficult period, given that Hezbollah is entering a new phase that requires a new approach at the political, military, and militant levels.
A Missing Leadership
Jad Al-Akhawi, head of the Lebanese Democrats Coalition and a Shiite opponent of Hezbollah, takes a different view. He says it is difficult to argue that Naim Qassem has so far succeeded in filling the vacuum left by Hassan Nasrallah. The issue, he says, is not solely about charisma, but about the nature of the leadership Nasrallah built over more than three decades and his ability to combine organizational, political, and military leadership while maintaining direct communication with the group's supporters. Qassem, by contrast, came from a more organizational and ideological background than a popular one and spent decades serving as deputy secretary-general rather than as the group's primary center of gravity. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Akhawi says what stands out about Qassem's appearances is their format. He appears on screen, but without the direct interaction with supporters that was an essential part of Nasrallah's public image. Some of Qassem's appearances, he adds, appear to be so tightly controlled and produced that they can at times give the visual impression of an image or persona generated by artificial intelligence rather than that of a political leader interacting directly with his supporters. He adds that Nasrallah was not merely a secretary-general, but for Hezbollah's supporters he was part of the mechanism for mobilization, persuasion, and decision-making. Naim Qassem, by contrast, has not yet demonstrated that he can inherit all of these functions collectively. The question, therefore, is no longer simply whether Qassem can fill the vacuum left by Nasrallah, but whether Hezbollah itself can produce a comparable leadership after the collapse of a significant part of its former leadership structure.
The Decision-Making in Iran
Political activist and Lebanese University psychology professor Dr. Mona Fayad, for her part, focuses on Hezbollah's ability to mobilize people. She considers that ability to have declined significantly under Qassem's leadership, pointing to internal divisions within the group between those who support Qassem and those who oppose him, which she says have affected the way decisions are made and the current phase is managed. Fayad believes Qassem's current performance "serves Israel," making it not in Israel's interest to target him. She also believes that decisions within Hezbollah now come directly from Iran, with the scope for Lebanese decision-making reduced to a minimum. In this context, Fayad speaks of an Iranian "determination" to keep the Iranian ambassador in Beirut, saying his role goes beyond diplomatic work to include security responsibilities. She describes him as an "intelligence operative" whom Tehran seeks to keep in place to complete his missions.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 26-27/2026
I Reject their Proposal, Says Trump after Iran’s Offer on Hormuz
Washington: Asharq Al Awsat/September 27/2026
US President Donald Trump on Saturday rejected a truce deal proposed by Iran that Tehran said could have reopened the Strait of Hormuz to shipping within a week if Washington met certain conditions.The waterway is key to the world's energy supply and is now central to the conflict between the US and Iran, which is at a stalemate after nearly seven months. "I reject their proposal," Trump told reporters outside the White House before leaving for a college football game. "They want to make a deal where they open the Strait immediately because they're losing so badly. "They want to make a deal and I think that's fine. I like making a deal too," he said. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, who was on his way back to Tehran after attending the UN General Assembly in New York, told CBS News the proposal had been developed "in coordination" with supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, according to an excerpt from the video interview shared by Iranian media. Iran's plan calls for a cessation of all hostilities in the Middle East, including in Lebanon, according to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who met earlier in the week with Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff. He said the conditions were the same as those laid out in a memorandum of understanding signed with the US earlier this year, which called for the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil and an end to the US naval blockade. On the seventh day of the truce, Iran would reopen Hormuz. Pezeshkian told CBS that the "process will begin from the very day they accept it."In New York, Pezeshkian met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to his office, and said: "Iran has not walked away from the negotiating table but, given past experiences, it no longer trusts the United States."Araghchi said at the UN: "Iran has conveyed to the United States, through Qatar, a concrete seven-day plan. If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened, and normal maritime passage restored within seven days.""The choice now rests with the United States. Iran does not accept coercion, threats or intimidation, and Iran will not surrender its sovereign rights under pressure," he added.However, within hours of his comments The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was skeptical that Tehran would meet his demands and expects to renew the US bombing campaign. Trump also posted an image to his Truth Social platform of a map showing the Strait of Hormuz circled and labelled "Trump Strait."Hossein Mohebi, a spokesman for Iran's Revolutionary Guards, was quoted by Tasnim news agency as saying: "We will not cease punishing the US until Iran's seven conditions are met."

France Working on UN Resolution to Restore Freedom of Navigation in Strait of Hormuz
New York: Asharq Al Awsat/26 September 2026
France is working on a draft United Nations Security Council resolution backing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a UN diplomat said on Friday. The resolution would reaffirm the need to respect freedom of navigation in the strait, a flashpoint in the war in Iran, citing its importance for global shipments critical for food and energy security, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions on the measure have been private. The proposed UN resolution would recall the need to respect the Law of the Sea and support peaceful initiatives aimed at ensuring safe passage in the strait, the UN diplomat added. Iran’s disruption of the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas transited before the war, has emerged as its main point of leverage. The effects have been felt far beyond the Middle East and pose political problems for US President Donald Trump and his Republican Party ahead of November’s midterm congressional elections. Paris has unsuccessfully attempted in the past to put a resolution together on the subject, but the latest move follows talks between France's President Emmanuel Macron on Monday evening and Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. “Trump and Macron discussed the topic on the sidelines of this week’s annual UN gathering of global leaders,” the diplomat said. It also was discussed with Arab nations and Iran. After his meeting the ⁠US president at Trump Tower in New York, Macron said: “Several options were discussed. We will be working on diplomatic solutions over the coming hours, which could make it possible, even without a comprehensive agreement, to find ways of allowing more container ships and oil tankers to transit.”

Golan Spat Exposes One Reason Israel-Syria Talks Stalled
Tel Aviv: Nazir Magally/Asharq Al Awsat/26 September 2026
The exchange over the Golan Heights between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the UN General Assembly exposed part of what has stalled talks between Israel and Syria. The negotiations began two years ago but stopped after an Israeli attack on Abu al-Duhur airport in Idlib province a few weeks ago. To Netanyahu’s critics, his hard-line stance at the United Nations revealed how wary Israel’s current leadership is of peace with Damascus. Al-Sharaa told the General Assembly in New York that Syria wants peace, but at a price: the return of the Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since 1967. Knowing Israel is not ready to pay that price today, he pressed instead for security agreements that would pull Israeli forces out of areas they occupied after Bashar al-Assad’s fall in December 2024 and restore the framework of the 1974 disengagement agreement.
Israel knows Syria’s position from the talks held so far. Al-Sharaa’s government has signaled its willingness to keep negotiating, rebuild trust and eventually reach a full peace agreement, with embassies, good-neighborly relations, trade and cooperation across various fields, according to accounts circulating in Tel Aviv. Israel’s leadership, unwilling to pay a price for peace, responded sharply. Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the Golan under Israeli sovereignty is an inseparable part of the State of Israel forever.”Israel, he added, will not withdraw from Mount Hermon or the security zone. He also warned: “Any territory we take this time will remain ours forever, in accordance with the laws of war.”Netanyahu followed from the UN podium with what appeared to be a history lesson for al-Sharaa, according to his own reading of that history. “Mr. al-Sharaa, you should know the Jews have been on the Golan Heights since the days of Moses,” he said. “You can read it in the Bible.”But the region’s history does not establish the claim Netanyahu sought to make. His remarks gave a religious and historical cast to Katz’s statements about occupation. Archaeological sites show that people inhabited the Golan long before the time of Moses and the Israelites. Evidence of settlement dates to the Copper and Bronze Ages, alongside stone structures, burial sites and other remains left by communities that lived there thousands of years ago. Critics of Netanyahu’s account say that even if Jews lived in the Golan, they did not live there alone; others may have outnumbered them. Those critics also accuse Israeli governments of hiding a central fact about the Golan’s occupation: Israel displaced as much as 90% of the Syrian plateau’s population in 1967. They say 140,000 people lived there at the time, compared with just 8,000 today. Israel still prevents disclosure of the reasons for their displacement, while people from the Golan recount crimes and massacres that drove them out, the critics say. Under Assad, the Syrian government agreed to lease the Golan to Israel for 15 years, with an option to extend the lease.
Netanyahu now rejects even proposals he once accepted. He wants to use what he sees as a new balance of power and what Katz calls the laws governing the outcome of war. Yet al-Sharaa’s Syria did not start a war with Israel.
The Israeli military, instead, took advantage of Assad’s fall to launch thousands of strikes on Syria, destroy 85% of the Syrian military’s defensive capabilities and occupy new areas in the south. Israelis confirm al-Sharaa’s assertion that the two sides had agreed on 90% of the issues in a proposed security arrangement. They explain Israel’s retreat from the talks by claiming that Syria is becoming a sphere of Turkish influence and that Syrian territory could be used to attack Israeli settlements in the Golan, as Hamas attacked communities around Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023.
Syrians offered far-reaching security guarantees in the negotiations: demilitarization in southern Syria and a secure trade corridor that would allow Druze communities in Israel and the Golan to send aid to Sweida province. They also agreed to joint security coordination under US supervision, including intelligence sharing and Jordanian participation in monitoring the entire border area. Israel wanted more: to keep Mount Hermon’s peaks and parts of a security belt, and to retain the freedom to enter Syria in pursuit of armed cells. The prevailing sense is that Israel has little interest in successful talks and entered them only because US President Donald Trump wanted it to. Trump alone is seen as stopping Netanyahu from using the situation in Syria to launch further military attacks. The US president appears to be waiting for the Israeli election results before deciding where he stands on the government’s policies. Trump issued a presidential proclamation in March 2019 recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. UN resolutions, however, affirm that the Golan is occupied territory and reject Israel’s declaration that it has imposed its laws and administration on the Syrian plateau.

US Teams Scour the Globe to Isolate Iran; Bessent Reveals Details
Riyadh – Al Arabiya.ne/September 26, 2026
Following US President Donald Trump’s rejection of Iran’s "seven-day proposal," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent affirmed that Washington is pressing ahead with pressure on the Iranian regime by targeting the financial and aviation sectors and urging other nations to adopt similar measures. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Bessent announced that—under his direction—Washington had dispatched teams worldwide to engage with governments and call for action against the Iranian regime, noting that "these efforts have borne fruit." He stated, "Following the launch of 'Operation Economic Pariah,' the US Treasury imposed targeted financial measures against banks and aviation service providers. At my direction, teams were sent globally to engage with nations and urge them to take action against the Iranian regime." He pointed out that Turkey and the Sultanate of Oman had announced the suspension of Mahan Air flights to their territories, while the UAE had halted all flights by Iranian airlines. Bessent also noted that the Iranian leadership has acknowledged the economic repercussions of the conflict, amidst the Iranian rial’s plunge to record lows, adding, "We will continue our work, as there is still more to be done to prevent Tehran from carrying out its terrorist agenda." US Siege of Iran
Bessent’s remarks came as the US administration intensifies its use of economic pressure tools against Iran, alongside military and diplomatic pressures linked to the conflict. Trump had previously rejected an Iranian proposal to halt attacks for seven days, while Washington seeks to leverage sanctions and financial measures to pressure Tehran into making concessions regarding the course of the conflict. In response, Tehran is offering diplomatic initiatives to alleviate economic pressure, even as the Iranian currency continues to depreciate under the weight of sanctions and war-related turmoil. Meanwhile, the repercussions of new US sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector are rapidly unfolding; countries, airports, and airlines have rushed to reconsider their dealings with Iranian carriers for fear of facing secondary sanctions from Washington, leading to the suspension and cancellation of numerous international flights and disrupting Iran’s air transport network. In a speech delivered this week at the UN General Assembly, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the painful impact of the sanctions but affirmed that his country would withstand the pressure. He stated, "Sanctions will only strengthen the Iranian people's resistance. We will never bow our heads or kneel."The US Treasury Secretary had previously confirmed that, starting September 23, Iranian airlines would face sweeping restrictions on their global operations, as aviation service providers dealing with them face the threat of secondary sanctions. Several countries subsequently announced the suspension of incoming Iranian flights—including the UAE, the Sultanate of Oman, and Iraq, as well as Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Trump Predicts Cuba and US Will Make a Deal
Asharq Al Awsat/26 September 2026
President Donald Trump predicted on Saturday that the US and Cuba will reach an agreement and that he does not think military action will be necessary. "I would say that Cuba and us will make a deal. I don't think ⁠we'll need the ⁠military," Trump told reporters at the White House. The Trump administration has openly stated that its goal is to change Cuba's government. ⁠A US-imposed oil blockade implemented earlier this year has put the country under severe strain as it contends with fuel shortages and blackouts exacerbated by failing infrastructure. "We want to help Cuba," Trump said before departing for Tennessee, according to Reuters. "We want to open Cuba ⁠up ⁠to our people."In an address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump called Cuba a failed state and said "freedom will be coming" to the island nation.The Cuban delegation walked out of the hall during that speech. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said at the UN later on Saturday ‌that Cuba will always be open for dialogue with the United States. ⁠He ⁠did not reference Trump's comments specifically. "We are open to commercial and business relationships with US companies, just as we are with any other country," said Rodriguez, while also strongly condemning the US trade embargo on Cuba. The US has maintained the embargo on Cuba for more than 60 years and the Trump administration has been stepping up pressure after using ​the military in ​January to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Saudi Arabia calls on international community to reject Houthi practices
Al Arabiya English/26 September ,2026
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan at the United Nations General Assembly called on the international community to reject the Houthi practices, stressing that the Kingdom is committed to global energy security Prince Faisal condemned Houthi attacks and their threat to security, while stressing the need for stability in Yemen and the protection of civilians.

GCC Condemns Attempted Houthi Attacks on Riyadh and Khamis Mushait
Riyadh: Asharq Al Awsat/26 September ,2026
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi “strongly condemned” on Saturday the latest attempts by Yemen’s Houthi militias to target Saudi Arabia. Official Spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki said early on Saturday that the Coalition had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones launched by the Houthis towards the Kingdom. He said in separate statements that the missiles were headed towards Khamis Mushait and the drones towards the capital, Riyadh. Albudaiwi described the latest attempted Houthi attacks as a “grave escalation and threat to regional security.”Albudaiwi stressed that GCC member states stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom, backing all measures it undertakes to safeguard its security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. He also called on the international community to adopt a decisive stance to end these recurrent terrorist attacks and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Affirm Continued Joint Efforts to Confront Attacks
Riyadh: Asharq Al Awsat/26 September 2026
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz said early on Saturday that he had affirmed with Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, in Riyadh continued joint efforts to confront attacks against the Kingdom in accordance with the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.The pact was signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye last month. Prince Khalid met with Munir to discuss the attacks on Makkah and on civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Press Agency reported. They commended the outcomes of the meeting of the chiefs of staff of the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement states and stressed the continuation of joint efforts to confront the attacks under the agreement, SPA said. The meeting was attended by Minister of State, Cabinet Member, and National Security Adviser Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban; Chief of the General Staff Gen. Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili; and Adviser to the Minister of Defense for Intelligence Affairs Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif, along with several Pakistani officials. Hours earlier, the military chiefs of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye reviewed threats facing Saudi Arabia at ⁠a ⁠meeting in the Saudi capital.

Pakistan PM Says Makkah’s Security is a 'Red Line'
New York: Asharq Al Awsat/26 September 2026
Pakistan's Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said at the UN Friday that attacks on the holy city of Makkah would be a "red line" for Islamabad. "We once again condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the recent deplorable attacks by the Houthis against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Sharif said at the UN's gathering of world leaders in New York. "The attempted drone attack on the holy city of Makkah al-Mukarramah has outraged Muslims across the globe. Any threat to safety and sanctity... is a red line that must never be crossed. No Muslim can even dare to think of committing such a heinous (act)."
He said that the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement—bringing together Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan—is not directed against any nation, but rather aims to bolster peace, security, and stability across the region. Sharif noted that expanding conflicts in the Middle East have disrupted critical maritime shipping lanes and weighed heavily on the global economy, underscoring the vital necessity of keeping the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab open to international navigation and trade. He highlighted Pakistan's ongoing diplomatic initiatives to ease regional tensions, including fostering dialogue between the United States and Iran, reaffirming Islamabad's dedication to advancing regional de-escalation and peace. On the Palestinian issue, the Prime Minister stressed Pakistan's firm support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 border. He condemned the forced displacement of Palestinians, characterizing it as part of an Israeli genocidal agenda, and reiterated his condemnation of Israeli military aggression in the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and Syria.

Saudi Coalition Says it Intercepts Missiles, Drones
Riyadh: Asharq Al Awsat/26 September 2026
Official Spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki said early on Saturday that the Coalition had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones launched by the Houthis towards the Kingdom. Al-Malki said in separate statements that the missiles were headed towards Khamis Mushait and the drones towards the capital, Riyadh, adding that the Coalition was monitoring the missile threat and drones launched at the Kingdom. The Saudi civil defense had ⁠sent alerts overnight ⁠for Khamis Mushait and Abha.

Iraq Seeks Exemption from US Ban on Iran Airlines
Asharq Al Awsat/26 September 2026
The Iraqi government said Saturday it was holding talks with the United States to secure exemptions from sanctions on Iranian airlines, which has disrupted travel for patients, students and pilgrims. All Iraqi airports enforced the ban this week, resulting in major disruption at the airport of the holy city of Najaf, the main destination for Iranian flights to Iraq. "The Iraqi government is holding direct talks with the American side to exempt certain Iraqi airports from these measures," the prime minister's media office said. An exemption would allow flights to resume "for humanitarian reasons, including medical treatment, education, religious visits, and for the interest of civilians," it added. Iranian airlines mainly carry Iraqi Shiite pilgrims to Iran's holy cities or Iranians visiting sacred sites in Iraq. The flights also serve Iraqi students studying in Iran and patients seeking medical treatment there. Iraq has joined several countries in enforcing the US ban, after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iranian airlines would be "shut down" on Wednesday.

At Least 16 Killed in Russian and Ukrainian Strikes
Asharq Al Awsat/26 September 2026
Russian and Ukrainian strikes killed at least 16 people over the last 24 hours, both countries said Saturday, with the war still raging in its fifth year. Both Moscow and Kyiv have stepped up attacks after the deadliest summer since 2022 -- the year Russia launched its invasion, starting Europe's worst war since World War Two. US-led talks to end fighting have not led to a breakthrough and the Kremlin has repeatedly said it intends to seize the rest of east Ukraine. Kyiv said Russian strikes had killed at least six people -- in northeastern Sumy, in Zaporizhzhia and in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where a 17-year-old girl was among the victims. And in Kyiv, several people were wounded a day after a day-time Russian attack killed seven people. Moscow has intensified strikes on the capital as the city prepares for another winter of war.Russia said Ukrainian strikes had killed four people in its Krasnodar and Belgorod regions.
Vladimir Saldo, appointed by Moscow to lead occupational authorities in the Kherson region, said a Ukrainian drone had hit a cafe in the village of Askaniya-Nova, near Crimea, Friday evening. "Under the rubble, rescuers found the bodies of two young girls -- born in 2004 and 2006," he said on Telegram, adding that a man had also been killed in the same area. Moscow-appointed official Yevgeny Balitsky said night-time Ukrainian strikes killed three more people in the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region. United Nations officials have warned about the increasing numbers of civilian victims in the war.
At the UN General Assembly this week, US President Donald Trump once again said that a deal between Moscow and Kyiv to end the war was "going to happen". For many observers however, that prospect appeared distant, AFP reported. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Russia was "escalating every single day". In Kyiv's Solomianskyi district, residents of a typical Soviet-era apartment bock hit by a Russian drone were cleaning up their building -- already worried about what might come next. Oleksandr Gorlachov, 43, had gone to his allotment plot outside the city Friday night.
Early Saturday morning however, he was woken up by a video call from his elderly parents -- who are both deaf -- and rushed back to help. "I watched as my mother is standing there in her nightgown, my father in his underwear, outside the building in tears... and there are flames, everything is burning," he told AFP."The apartment is completely smashed up."His mother, he said, is a seamstress. "Her sewing machine was there. She was in tears because it's broken now. So, well, it's a tragedy. But in my family everyone is alive and for that I thank God," he said. With mounting Russian attacks on the capital, his family is in "constant stress" and he tries to distract himself by planting tomatoes. "They don't have enough land," he said, mocking Russia -- the world's largest country. "They want to simply wipe out our nation."Despite Russia making life in Kyiv increasingly tough, Gorlachov said he "wasn't going anywhere".But fellow resident Anastasiia Grygorovych -- woken up when her window "fell on me" -- had already fled her home-town of Gorlivka, now occupied by Russia. Now she was considering leaving Ukraine altogether. "In general, I'm already thinking that I need to leave," she said.Russia's invasion has forced millions to flee their homes.Kyiv also hit Russia with retaliatory strikes Saturday. Ukraine has struck deeper inside Russia this year, hitting as far as the Urals and Siberia.Zelensky said Kyiv hit an oil refinery in the southern Russian Krasnodar region and a plant "supplying the occupiers" in the neighboring Rostov region. The Ukrainian leader called on allies to adopt more sanctions on Moscow.

Iraq seeks exemption from US ban on Iran airlines
Agence France Presse/September 26/2026
The Iraqi government said Saturday it was holding talks with the United States to secure an exemption from then ban on Iranian airlines, which has disrupted travel for patients, students and pilgrims. All Iraqi airports enforced the ban this week, resulting in major disruption at the airport of the holy city of Najaf, the main destination for Iranian flights to Iraq. "The Iraqi government is holding direct talks with the American side to exempt certain Iraqi airports from these measures," the prime minister's media office said. An exemption would allow flights to resume "for humanitarian reasons, including medical treatment, education, religious visits, and for the interest of civilians," it added. Iranian airlines mainly carry Iraqi Shia pilgrims to Iran's holy cities or Iranians visiting sacred sites in Iraq. The flights also serve Iraqi students studying in Iran and patients seeking medical treatment there. Several Iraqis told AFP that enforcing the US sanctions has left them scrambling for solutions, with some fearing they would lose access to treatment in Iran or others stranded there with little choice but to take the more than 12-hour journey home by land. Iraq has joined several countries including the United Arab Emirates in enforcing the U.S. ban, after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iranian airlines would be "shut down" on Wednesday. Relations between between Iraq and neighbouring Iran, both Shia-majority countries, have long been close, due to religious kinship as well as political and economic interests. Iraqi airlines stopped flying to Iran at the start of the Middle East war in February.

China, US Agree to $30 Billion Tariff Cut, AI Dialogue
Asharq Al Awsat/26 September 2026
China and the US have agreed to a $30 billion reciprocal tariff-reduction arrangement and to launch dialogue on AI, under an eight-point consensus reached during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the US, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The two sides recognized the work of their economic teams and endorsed steps including the establishment of a trade council, the tariff-reduction arrangement and an extension of outcomes from earlier talks in Kuala Lumpur, the ministry said. The United ⁠States and China ⁠had earlier agreed to extend by two months a trade truce that was due to expire on November 10, allowing more time to work on a potentially bigger trade deal, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday. The leaders of ⁠the world's two largest economies ended a three-day summit that showcased personal diplomacy rather than big public breakthroughs. Xi has since landed in Beijing, Chinese state media Xinhua reported on Saturday. On artificial intelligence, the two sides agreed to establish a dialogue to discuss the technology's risks and benefits, with the next round of discussion set for November, and to set up a communication channel for AI-related incidents, according to the ⁠ministry. They ⁠also agreed to support each other in hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting and the Group of Twenty summit, with both leaders signaling their intention to attend the gatherings hosted by the other, Reuters reported. On foreign policy, the leaders agreed that Iran should fulfil its commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, and that no country or entity should impose transit tolls on international waterways, the ministry said. They also recalled that China and the United States fought as allies in World War Two.

Four American tourists among six killed in Athens building blast
AFP/26 September ,2026
Four American tourists visiting Greece were among six people confirmed dead Saturday after a blast brought down the small Athens residential building they had been staying in near the Acropolis, officials said. The explosion, which occurred at dawn on Friday in the popular Plaka district filled with tourist lodgings, was likely caused by a gas leak, according to the capital’s mayor, Haris Doukas. The other two people killed were an elderly British man and his Greek wife who lived on the second story of the three-story building, Greece’s state broadcaster ERT reported. The American family of four had been renting an apartment on the first story and were preparing to go to the airport hours later Friday for their return to the United States when the blast occurred, according to the Kathimerini newspaper. The explosion brought down the residential building and damaged properties and vehicles along the street.The New York Times reported that the US family was composed of a couple, their son and his girlfriend. Greek authorities did not immediately give their identities, ages or where in the United States they came from.
‘Incredible disaster’
On Saturday, AFP reporters saw mechanical diggers moving debris at the site and thermal-imaging cameras deployed.“We are talking about an incredible disaster,” mayor Doukas said. Two nearby buildings were left in a dangerous state, he added, with inspections under way “to determine if they can remain standing or if they also have to be demolished.” The owner of the ground-floor apartment, Mathaios Artavanis, told the Kathimerini daily he was absent at the time of the blast. He said he had tried afterwards to contact the UK-Greek couple who lived there, without success. A year ago, locals in the Plaka neighborhood had warned the city and utility companies about the risk of gas leaks or short circuits, according to a letter by the residents’ association published by Kathimerini. The residents had urged a fire drill to identify possible weaknesses in the emergency response plans for the district. A citizens’ group said on social media that one resident in the street where the explosion happened had alerted authorities after smelling a possible gas leak. The neighborhood is one of Athens’s most popular tourist areas. The nearby Acropolis, one of Greece’s best-known landmarks, welcomed 4.6 million visitors last year.

The Latest LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 26-27/2026
American Voters, Beware an Islamist Takeover in America...Do Not Let What Happened to My Birth Country Happen Here
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/September 26, 2026
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22883/islamist-takeover-in-america
A dangerous trend is unfolding in America: please do not let what happened in my home country happen here. Many people refuse to see the gradual creep of Islamist ideology into nearly every sector of American society: media, politics, community organizing, education, and public discourse. These are what the stages of an Islamic revolution look like. It advances quietly and methodically -- an ideology that prioritizes its religious doctrine over national identity, Sharia constitutions over non-Islamic ones that are made by made by man, not by Allah.
"The Ikhwan [Muslim Brotherhood] must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and 'sabotaging' its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers..." – Mohamed Akram, for the Shura Council of the Muslim Brotherhood, "An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Muslim Brotherhood in North America."
Today, some of the most prominent voices rising in American politics and culture are far more open about placing Islamic identity, community priorities, or sharp criticism of the United States above national and American loyalty.
Hasan Piker, the influential streamer who has campaigned alongside candidates including Abdul El-Sayed, said on a 2019 livestream, "America deserved 9/11, dude."
An Islamist, however, regards religious doctrine as the only high authority. Religious projects take precedence, and the country's broader interests -- freedom, prosperity, women's rights -- are subordinated. Iran is the clearest modern example.
Sadly, these promises have often accompanied movements whose real aims were quite different. Look at the former Soviet Union, Cuba and Venezuela. Once in power, the core ideology does not dissolve. It asserts itself.
Every vote for these jihadists sends the country hundreds of years backwards -- just as happened in Iran after 1979, when they seized power in a matter of months and imposed their full Sharia rules. They evidently would like to do the same in the US.
Islamist-leaning influence is growing in America, in media, activism, local projects, and electoral politics. Consider figures such as Zohran Mamdani, now mayor of New York City; Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Michigan; Imtiaz Mohammad, a Republican candidate for the Florida House; and the influential streamer Hasan Piker, who has campaigned alongside these kinds of candidates. Pictured: El-Sayed speaks at a press conference on September 22, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
A dangerous trend is unfolding in America: please do not let what happened in my home country happen here. Many people refuse to see the gradual creep of Islamist ideology into nearly every sector of American society: media, politics, community organizing, education, and public discourse. These are what the stages of an Islamic revolution look like. It advances quietly and methodically -- an ideology that prioritizes its religious doctrine over national identity, Sharia constitutions over non-Islamic ones that are made by made by man, not by Allah.
If some will say that an Islamic takeover is impossible in the United States, that is just what they said about Iran before 1979. In the years leading up to the Islamic Revolution, even the sharpest experts -- both Western leaders and ordinary Iranians -- failed to grasp what was lying in wait for them. The forces that eventually seized power did not, carefully, declare their intentions from the start. They worked from the bottom up -- through mosques and civil society organizations, gradually gaining influence. They presented themselves as socialists, reformers or defenders of the people. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic Republic of Iran through a revolution, originally promised democracy, equality for religious and ethnic minorities, women's rights:
"Islam cares more for women than men: it has given women more rights than men. What this means is that women have the right to vote. What we grant women is better than what West grants. Women have the right to vote and they have the right to be elected. All this will exist. Women will have authority over their own affairs ... they are free to work if they so choose."
IranWire comments:
"The Islamic Republic then imposed the hijab on women and today opponents of forced hijab are routinely prosecuted."
The change, when it finally came, was swift. Within months, a modernizing country was transformed into a medieval theocracy. Sharia rules were imposed on every aspect of life -- especially on women. The world was shocked. Those men who had been dismissed as "marginal" had prepared carefully for years.
In Shiite Islamist traditions a key concept is taqiyya -- dissimulation or concealment. They is religiously permissible in the when it serves the higher goal of furthering Islam, "Until the cry, 'There is no god but Allah' resounds over the whole world...."
That is part of what made them so effective at taking over of Iran: the ability to say what people wanted to hear while advancing rather a different long-term agenda. Once power was secured, religious law and "exporting the revolution" ranked above economic progress, any individual freedoms, or the welfare of ordinary citizens. Iran, a country rich in resources, has spent decades in poverty, with its leaders repressing its own people as a result.
A similar movement can now be seen in parts of America. Islamist-leaning influence appears in media, activism, local projects, and electoral politics. Consider figures such as Zohran Mamdani, now mayor of New York City; Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Michigan; Imtiaz Mohammad, a Republican candidate for the Florida House; and the influential streamer Hasan Piker, who has campaigned alongside these kinds of candidates.
What is especially striking is that these figures are not even attempting to hide their priorities the way the architects of the 1979 Islamic revolution did. In Iran, the Islamists practiced careful deception, taqiyya, presenting themselves as moderate reformers until they held power. Today, some of the most prominent voices rising in American politics and culture are far more open about placing Islamic identity, community priorities, or sharp criticism of the United States above national and American loyalty. Look at the record.
Imtiaz Mohammad, the Republican nominee for Florida's House District 103, stood in 2018 at the Darul Uloom Institute and declared, "America run on hate... And the American people are the most uneducated nation in the world." When the clip resurfaced years later, he stood by the statement.
Hasan Piker, the influential streamer who has campaigned alongside candidates including Abdul El-Sayed, said on a 2019 livestream, "America deserved 9/11, dude. Fuck it, I'm saying it."
Zohran Mamdani, now mayor of New York City, has made his Muslim identity central and public: he visited dozens of mosques during his campaign, took his oath of office on the Quran, and has framed Islam itself as "a religion built upon a narrative of migration," using these texts to denounce ICE and President Trump's deportation of illegal and criminal migrants.
The EPIC project in Texas (rebranded "The Meadow" after Governor Abbott accused the group of attempting to bring Sharia into the US) was openly marketed as a purpose-built community "to serve the growing needs of a Muslim community," complete with a mosque and Islamic school -- drew intense scrutiny from state officials, who warned against parallel societies and legal systems.
These are not hidden agendas. They are public statements, campaign choices, and project designs that place Muslim identity, Islamic framing, or deep criticism of America front and center. That openness is what makes the current moment dangerous, as in 1979 Iran. For those who remember how quickly Iran changed once the mask came off, the openness is also more alarming.
For many who hold a strong Islamist worldview, religious identity and the goal of advancing Islamic norms rank above national loyalty. An American leader, such as President Donald J. Trump, who places the country's founding principles and prosperity first will defend the Constitution, individual rights, and equal citizenship under US law. An Islamist, however, regards religious doctrine as the only high authority. Religious projects take precedence, and the country's broader interests—freedom, prosperity, women's rights -- must be subordinated. Iran is the clearest modern example of that.
Voters, especially young voters, would do well to be extremely careful. Promises of free services, economic justice, or "representation" sound irresistibly appealing. Khomeini used similar language before 1979. He spoke of benefits for the people. Sadly, these promises have often accompanied movements whose real aims were quite different. Look at the former Soviet Union, Cuba and Venezuela. Once in power, the core ideology does not dissolve. It asserts itself.
America is heading down an extremely dangerous and scary path, one that closely resembles how my birth country, Iran, and so many other places -- Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, to name just a few -- were suddenly overtaken by Islamists or an Islamic revolution. If voters continue supporting and electing them, they will soon transform this country as is the plan as stated in "An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the [Muslim] Brotherhood in North America":
"The Ikhwan [Muslim Brotherhood] must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and 'sabotaging' its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers..."
Every vote for these jihadists sends the country hundreds of years backwards -- just as happened in Iran after 1979, when they seized power in a matter of months and imposed their full Sharia rules. They evidently would like to do the same in the US (see here, here and here). They will use deception if they believe it might help to get there, and they will always prioritize their version of Sharia, their religious ideology, over American law and values to reach the heaven they believe their doctrine promises. Every such vote works against freedom, democracy, and the nation's founding values. It has happened elsewhere – after the quiet creeping stage, with a speed that is shocking.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on the US foreign policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
**Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

The Plight of Education in Syria
Fayez Sara/Asharq Al Awsat/26 September 2026
Most Syrians are familiar with the outlines of the catastrophe that has afflicted education in Syria over the past decade and a half, but they do not know its full depth. The crisis began to unfold with the start of the revolution against the Assad regime, which sought freedom, justice, and a better future. The regime responded by pushing Syrians into an armed conflict aimed at reasserting control over them and subjugating them by force. As policies collided and their consequences unfolded, infrastructure was destroyed, and the damage inflicted on education was among the most severe, with devastating consequences both in the present and for the future. During that period, the destruction of the education system expanded across three levels. The first affected its human resources, including teachers, professors, educational and administrative staff, and experts. Some were killed, arrested, or forcibly disappeared, while others suffered injuries and disabilities. A small number were forced, under a range of complex circumstances, to go to the fronts of the armed conflict. The majority were displaced or emigrated, while those who remained became trapped in the realities of war, authoritarianism, and poverty.
The second level involved the destruction of the physical infrastructure of education. Universities, institutes, and schools were damaged, with most being completely or partially destroyed, including their equipment, libraries, and other facilities. What remained of the contents and structures of educational institutions was looted and stripped of its usable assets across Syria.The third level of destruction involved the erosion of a large part of the ideas, values, philosophy, and objectives underlying education. These had been developed through experiences, trials, and debates over the course of a century of educational institutions in the state, which were established during the first quarter of the 19th century. This legacy established the universality and free provision of education, the central role of the state in education, and the connection between education and economic and social development plans. These are among the defining features of education in many developed countries around the world. This educational legacy was subjected to violations, perhaps the most serious of which was the spread of racial, religious, and sectarian tendencies into many educational experiences in areas controlled by de facto authorities. These tendencies also extended into educational experiences involving Syrian refugees and displaced people in some countries of migration and asylum, as happened in Turkey.
Developments over the past decade and a half shattered the structure of Syrian education. This is one of the reasons the new authorities have turned toward rebuilding education within a new context, with new values and considerations, based on the ideological and political distinctions separating the vision of the new authorities from the background and educational content of the previous authorities. The transformation of the ideological and political environment of education according to the perspective of the new authorities represents one of the first challenges facing education, given its contradictions, and at times its points of continuity, with what came before. The second challenge is rebuilding and rehabilitating educational institutions, including universities, institutes, and schools. This is a difficult and complex process. Although it forms part of the broader reconstruction effort, it should take precedence, because any delay would deprive millions of Syrians enrolled in different stages of education of educational opportunities. This requires a special form of partnership involving local communities, civil society, Syrian state institutions, and relevant regional and international institutions. The process should not be halted or delayed even if some parties are late to participate or hesitate to take part in rebuilding and rehabilitating educational institutions, under the supervision and direction of the Syrian state.
Redesigning educational curricula and content, and renewing teaching methods and practices, also represents a significant challenge. This requires reviewing and reforming curricula by introducing new content that emphasizes the values of tolerance, citizenship, justice, and equality, while combating others, including the glorification of the individual ruler, justification of one-party rule, glorification of militarization, and promotion of hate speech. All of these contributed to the catastrophes that befell Syrians after the two Assad regimes entrenched them in Syrian life and planted their seeds at the foundation of the educational process through curricula and practices. The time has come not merely to amend and reform them, but to change them. The first steps should include moving teaching methods away from traditional approaches toward digital transformation, creating online platforms and interactive channels that offer recorded lessons and provide learners with access to education in all regions.
The challenges outlined above, despite their importance and the need to address them seriously, must proceed in parallel with confronting the human challenges facing education, whether concerning the educational workforce of professors, teachers, experts, and administrators, or students, who are the ultimate focus of the educational process. All of them need assistance to participate in the educational process and make it successful through the simplest possible means and at costs appropriate to the circumstances facing Syrians.
More than twenty months have passed since the fall of the previous regime and the establishment of the new authorities, during which many steps have been taken. Yet more than steps and policies are needed. They must be designed and implemented to make education in Syria both acceptable and effective, and both remain distant goals for now, because there are influential figures and decision-makers raising issues whose time has passed, while others debate points that are not fundamental and have little to do with education.

America and Iran: A Tango Danced to a Silent Rhythm
Abdel Rahman Shalgham/Asharq Al Awsat/26 September ,2026
Better the enemy you know than the friend you do not. Wars between states build bridges of shifting relationships. The dialogue of power, despite all its human and material losses, creates another language of communication, one with a complex and thorny melody.
War and peace are inseparable from the course of human affairs and have always determined the movement of nations throughout history. The First and Second World Wars redrew the maps of a new and unprecedented era. Iran has fought many wars throughout its long history, shaping its religious, linguistic, and political identities. Its war with Iraq, following the fall of the Shah's regime and the establishment of the Islamic Republic, lasted eight years and cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars in losses. After international mediation and UN resolutions, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini faced what he described as a bitter reality and accepted a ceasefire, likening the decision to “drinking a cup of poison.”Iran's most recent war with the United States crossed borders and affected people around the world, hitting both wallets and dinner tables. In Iran, the currency collapsed, and food and medicine became scarce and bitter necessities under the weight of sanctions. Citizens already exhausted by aerial and naval warfare awoke and went to sleep with the burdens of hardship. In the United States, the effects of the war were felt through gasoline and oil prices and even approached the ballot box. Napoleon Bonaparte once said, "Armies march on their stomachs," but today one could also say that peoples do as well.
After hundreds of statements by US President Donald Trump, filled with promises and threats, and amid ongoing diplomatic efforts by countries whose leaders shuttled between Tehran and Washington, talk began to emerge of direct communication between the two adversaries.
Each side has more than one reason to move toward dialogue and step back from armed confrontation. President Trump keeps his eyes on the hourglass, counting down to the upcoming midterm congressional elections scheduled for November 3.
Only a few days remain, but they are heavy with the surprises for which American elections are famous. Trump cannot forget two defining moments that shaped the course of his life. The first was his victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, despite opinion polls suggesting she would win. Although Clinton won the popular vote, the Electoral College delivered the presidency to Trump.
Surprises also marked the contest between Democratic candidate Joe Biden and Trump in 2024. A debate exposed President Biden's frailty due to age, forcing Democrats to put forward Vice President Kamala Harris to face Trump in the presidential race, which Trump won decisively. Iran, too, has its own winds that guide its decisions in war and peace. From the first day of Khomeini's revolutionary triumph, when he descended from the aircraft arriving from France to be greeted by massive crowds, chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" never ceased. Revolutionary Iranian youths stormed the US diplomatic mission in Tehran, seized American diplomats, lowered the Israeli flag from the Israeli embassy, raised the Palestinian flag in its place, and called for Palestine's liberation from what they described as Zionist occupation.
Since then, official and popular voices in revolutionary Iran have consistently declared hostility toward both the United States and Israel, making this stance a foundational element of the Islamic Republic's identity.
The new Islamic Republic did not conceal its ideological and sectarian regional ambitions. It moved swiftly to support allied entities in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and elsewhere with financial, military, and political backing. Following the signing of the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, Iran became Israel's principal regional adversary. On June 13, 2025, Israel launched extensive attacks against Iran that continued until June 23. During the conflict, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, several members of his family, and numerous religious and military leaders were reportedly killed.
The United States later joined the war and bombed Iranian nuclear facilities. As the conflict between Washington and Tehran continued, Israeli military operations diminished.
In response to US attacks, Iran's military retaliation increasingly targeted the Gulf states and Jordan with near-daily missile and drone strikes. The war acquired a third arena, involving countries that were not direct participants in the conflict. These Arab states, which maintain extensive ties with the United States, suffered significant economic damage as a result of Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz, which also disrupted global economic activity.
Therefore, any serious discussion of a settlement to the armed conflict between Iran and the US cannot produce meaningful results on the ground unless these Arab parties also participate in shaping the peace process.
In conclusion, war builds mountains whose heights can be seen for generations, and its roots extend deep into the collective memory of nations. Its winds may rise again even after periods of calm. There is therefore no alternative to constructing a foundation for coexistence, good neighborly relations, and peace based on trust, goodwill, and shared security. The goal must be to move from a state of suspicion and apprehension toward a living reality governed by peace and serving the common interests of all.

Two Competing Projects in the Middle East
Mohammed al-Rumaihi/Asharq Al Awsat/26 September ,2026
The Iranian regime has planted its proxies in more than one Arab country to the point of eclipsing the state itself. The objective was to dominate the region. The Houthis, meanwhile, have attacked neighboring countries and disrupted the global economy in support of that goal. So who is the aggressor, and who is the victim? In the current conflict, those who light the fire also seek to monopolize the truth. They choose the starting point that suits their narrative and then demand that the audience condemn the side that was struck.
Should anyone challenge this version of events, they are quickly moved from the category of "dissenter" to that of "conspirator." The slogan was "Death to America, Death to Israel," yet the world eventually discovered a Houthi pledge not to target either Israeli or American ships.
It is a scene we have seen before. In the 1950s and 1960s, during what became known as the "Arab Cold War," radio stations handed out certificates of patriotism and divided Arabs into "progressives" and "reactionaries."
It is time to ask the advocates of that ideology: What did you do for people's lives? I believe this similarity stems from two different schools of thought regarding the modern state and its relationship with its surroundings. The first is revolutionary. It imagines itself as carrying a divine mission that gives it the right to reshape neighboring countries by force. The second is developmental. It believes that a state's success begins with improving people's lives and engaging constructively with the world. This helps us understand the nature of the current conflict. Most supporters of the theocratic narrative belong to the revolutionary wing of political Islam, wherever they may be. The revolutionary current draws selectively from tradition to serve its authority. It presents its interpretation of religion as if it were religion itself, and treats the leader as sacred because he supposedly speaks on behalf of God. It shields itself behind a "holy mission."
From there, it becomes easy to claim guardianship over others and extend influence beyond national borders. A neighbor's sovereignty becomes an obstacle, and refusing to interfere in other countries' affairs becomes evidence of hostility toward the sacred cause.
The developmental school, on the other hand, starts with questions that are closer to people's daily lives: How are our children educated? Where do they work? How do they receive medical care? It seeks a state whose environment allows planning, whose laws reassure citizens, and which engages with the world in a healthy and constructive way.
This is why the two narratives are fundamentally at odds. The advocates of the revolutionary expansionist project need to keep the public in a state of ignorance and attached to myths, because awareness opens the door to long-postponed questions, such as: Why are people's living conditions deteriorating? By contrast, the developmental project requires peace and relationships that do not collapse every morning.
What one side sees as an opportunity to widen confrontation may be viewed by the other as a waste of resources that could have gone to a university or a hospital. Iran spent on its proxies what, if invested at home, could have made it a second South Korea, as Faezeh Rafsanjani said and Mohammad Javad Zarif suggested. Ironically, supporters of the revolutionary discourse sometimes appear more active than defenders of stability. They have a ready-made accusation, a clear enemy, and a single answer that explains everything. Others tend to believe that achievements speak for themselves. That attitude must change. Advocates of peace and development need people who can explain their choices and articulate their arguments. The public sphere should not be left to those who raise their voices and turn concern for human lives into a charge against others. Nor is it enough to counter the revolutionary narrative with self-congratulation. A convincing defense of development and stability requires a voice that speaks without apology.
The flaw in the revolutionary project runs deeper than its inflammatory rhetoric. It seeks to force diverse societies into a supernatural interpretation of reality in a world whose progress is built on science. As a result, it has little tolerance for citizens who ask questions, protest, or compare their living standards with those of others. And when argument fails to persuade people to embrace the revolutionary, quasi-mystical project, accusations of treason emerge, and even violence and assassination can follow.
Violence is its specialty. Here, violence serves to protect the monopoly on truth and prevent people from testing grand promises against the poverty and oppression they experience every day.Nor should we confuse possession of modern tools with possession of a modern project. The use of drones and missiles does not change the nature of a system that regards the ideal citizen as a silent one. Modernity is not reflected in weapons; it is reflected in the place of the individual within society, not in the sophistication of the weapon used to enforce obedience.
This is why confronting the revolutionary narrative requires a counter-narrative that presents the facts and asks: Who made the decision for war in Iran and Yemen? Who bears its costs?
Do citizens in either country have the right to oppose it? Slogans must not be allowed to obscure these questions, nor should the aggressor be transformed into a victim.
In conclusion: the strongest response to advocates of revolutionary politics is to expose the distance between two competing projects: one that ignites wars, and another that builds nations.

Libya in Captivity... and Citizens Are Tired of Going Nowhere
Dr. Jebril El-Abidi/Asharq Al Awsat/26 September ,2026
The Libyan crisis, with its intertwined local, regional, and international actors and interventions, remains deadlocked. There is nothing new to report and nothing from the past that has proved useful. The UN mission continues to search for a solution in the Libyan desert, while political fragmentation and division continue to strike different parts of the country. More alarming still is that time is passing quickly. Countries are building and developing, while Libya is not. Libya has chosen to remain stuck in 2011, with everything left in ruins.
There is no doubt that negative external intervention is what has prolonged the Libyan crisis and transferred international disputes onto Libyan territory. After the state and its institutions were dismantled in 2011 under the pretext of protecting civilians, NATO left Libya for years at the mercy of the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliated organizations. It then returned through a succession of international envoys, most of whom had failed in previous assignments. Why, then, are they sent in the first place to address a crisis as complex as Libya's? Thus, Libya became engulfed in a quagmire of terrorism and armed groups that infiltrated the country as a result of the chaos of the Arab Spring and the collapse of the state and its institutions, before the Libyan Army rose and regained control of most of the country.
The Libyan crisis today reflects internal political divisions among different currents, some of which do not believe in the country's national geography. One such current is that of the isolated Grand Mufti, along with remnants of the Muslim Brotherhood, which uses the funds it obtained during the upheaval of the Arab Spring and its infiltration of centers of power and the Central Bank during the events of February 2011. It was able to rule for a period as a result of the political and presidential vacuum.
The Libyan crisis requires the participation of the genuine parties that represent the Libyan people, not artificial parties, most of which are little more than numbers that do not exceed the number of their founders, without genuine popular representation. Nor should those currently holding power be treated as representative, foremost among them the remnants of the National Congress, whose legitimate mandate had expired, and which was transformed into the State Council, becoming a partner in the legislative authority alongside the elected Parliament. This was where the political error began: bringing together an elected body and one whose mandate had expired. The Libyan political scene consequently became populated by hybrid bodies created through political agreements rather than by the ballot box, such as the current Presidential Council and Government. Even under the political agreement that created them, their mandates and the political legitimacy they acquired through an agreement that most Libyans did not accept have expired.
The Libyan crisis has been dominated by a flawed reading of its reality, while rushed and incomplete solutions have contributed to making it more complicated and keeping it at a standstill, without making the slightest progress. Instead, it has become increasingly complex as it struggles along difficult and treacherous paths, amid a political quagmire that grows larger every day. As a result, the Libyan crisis has become mired in difficulties, and so have the Libyans, exhausted by wars, displacement and forced migration, rising prices, the collapse in the value of the Libyan dinar, and the high cost of living, after Libya had once been among the least expensive countries in the world in terms of living costs.
The Western conflict among France, Italy, and Britain over Libya's oil wealth was not unrelated to the worsening and growing complexity of the Libyan crisis, particularly because each of the parties competing over Libyan oil refused to accept partnership with the others. Instead, each believed in excluding the other and that only the strongest would prevail. This was despite Germany's attempts to bring the parties competing over the Libyan prize together through Berlin 1, Berlin 2, and Berlin 3, as well as Paris 1 and Paris 2. None of these efforts succeeded in narrowing the gap between the competing parties. This was despite the exclusion of the Libyan side from Berlin 1, even though the stated purpose of the conference was to "resolve the Libyan crisis." In reality, however, it proved to be an effort at reconciliation among the Western parties competing over the Libyan crisis. For this reason, the solution can only be Libyan. Waiting for a solution from abroad will come at the expense of many things, including the loss of national sovereignty and placing the national economy at the mercy of external powers.
The Libyan crisis has moved through many stages, all of them external, yet not a single track has succeeded. This confirms that the solution lies inside Libya, not outside it, by bringing together the actors who have influence on the ground with the genuine components of Libyan society, namely the tribes, rather than the artificial political parties that the UN mission insists on including. These parties represent the views of individuals rather than groups with coherent political visions that can be relied upon in the democratic process.
A democratic process does not necessarily require the existence of political parties. Parties are simply groupings that can participate in and enrich the democratic process, provided that the foundations of their formation and financing are sound. Today, however, Libya has more than one hundred political parties whose identities, sources of funding, and affiliations are unknown. How can the democratic process, or even the political process, be put in order amid components whose identities and affiliations are unknown? Indeed, the most prominent of these political groupings in terms of organization is the Muslim Brotherhood. Therefore, given the weakness of the other parties, the organized Muslim Brotherhood party would have the advantage, openly declaring allegiance to its leader and its organizational affiliation, while its leaders do not believe in the country's national geography.
To move the Libyan crisis out of its stalemate and end its cycle of going nowhere, the answer is not to beat the drums of war between the two strongest sides at present, but rather for them to sit down together and share temporary power in order to lead the country toward forthcoming elections, after the State Council, Parliament, and Presidential Council have delayed the implementation of the electoral process. The political deadlock must come to an end.

The Toll of the Jihadist War
Abdel Moneim Said/Al-Ahram/September 26, 2026 (Translated from Arabic by AI)
In just a few days, the third anniversary of October 7, 2023, will arrive, bringing with it the images of the horrors that have unfolded from that fateful date to the moment of writing. The toll on the Palestinians has been catastrophic; while Israel has suffered the tragedy of 1,200 deaths and the loss of 255 hostages, Palestinian casualties have exceeded 73,000—two-thirds of whom are women and children. This devastation has been accompanied by the destruction of the entire Gaza Strip, leaving nearly two million Palestinians held captive within it, living on less than 40% of the territory, while Israel occupies 60% and imposes its will on the remainder. The war drags on, awaiting difficult outcomes—such as Hamas surrendering its arms or an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. In reality, however, Israel has launched its own separate war to occupy, absorb, and subjugate the West Bank—moving from Area A to Area C through land seizure and settlement expansion. Israel had its own agenda, which it began implementing amidst the "jihadist follies." Syria was the first victim; Israeli forces crossed the 1974 lines and approached Damascus after securing the acquiescence of the Druze community, facing no dilemma in launching strikes there in search of Turkish bases. The "support fronts" that were emboldened to stand with Hamas began in Lebanon with Hezbollah, which boasted of participating in the "battle of destiny." The rest of the battle’s story is well known, unfolding as fate took its course with Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah following the "pager" incident—an event that claimed thousands of victims, leaving them dead, injured, or blinded. The Lebanese front remains ablaze, and Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah defies state authority, steadfastly refusing to surrender its weapons. Then there are the other "support" fronts: in Iraq, with the Popular Mobilization Forces and various other factions; and the Houthis, who—since the initial outbreak—have been controlling the Red Sea at the Bab al-Mandab Strait, targeting commercial vessels or sparing them based on the rhythm of other battles, the most cataclysmic of which is the conflict involving Iran. Palestine is no longer merely a memory awaiting a meeting of a "Peace Council."

Selected Face Book & X tweets on September 26/2026
Faraj Alexandre Rifai פרג’ אלכסנדר ריפאעי
Joulani Applauded, Netanyahu Boycotted: The Strange World of the UN
We live in a strange world.
A former Al-Qaeda jihadist—an organization that carried out the September 11 attacks—who once swore by the death of America and the West, whose path is tied to years of jihadism in Iraq and Syria, and whose militias are today accused of massacres against minorities in Syria.
A man who allows chants to ring out, in the streets, universities, and even within the ranks of certain armed forces, slogans calling for the death of the Jews.
Well, this man is welcomed with honors at the UN General Assembly. Not a single representative ostentatiously leaves the room when he speaks.
And then you have the Prime Minister of Israel, a country that fights organizations claiming its destruction. One can criticize Netanyahu and certain decisions of his government. One can and must deeply regret the thousands of Palestinian civilian victims.
But Israel has always sought to spare civilians. I’ve seen it with my own eyes: the leaflets dropped over Gaza asking residents to take shelter and indicating the areas to evacuate toward.
And yet, the Israeli Prime Minister, whether one agrees with his political choices or not, is boycotted by some of those who applaud a former jihadist whose change of discourse and ideological break with his past remain precisely to be demonstrated.
Strange world. In my view, we have gone beyond selective outrage.
One cheers a man from a movement that sought our own death, while vilifying the one who leads a country engaged in a war against organizations that want its destruction.
That’s where we stand.

Commentary: Israel News
US fighter jets are reportedly already in the air for a possible strike on Iran
The situation is escalating quickly and tonight could mark a major moment in the conflict
Pray for the safety of US forces and everyone caught in the fighting

Doron
Israel takes note.
A member of the Israeli delegation walked through the UN hall taking note of which countries left the room during Benjamin Netanyahu's speech. Of those who stayed and those who chose to stand up and leave. And the next time any of them need SOMETHING from Israel—intelligence, technology, security, cooperation, or help in an emergency—it's worth remembering a small detail: the memory of Israel and the Jewish people is the most ancient of all.

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
If you didn’t know, among the Israeli hostages Hamas took were a few Arab Israelis. Israel moved heaven and earth to get all its citizens out of captivity, and these Muslim Arab Israelis were on top of the list, and got out of Hamas’s dungeons at the same time as their Jewish compatriots.

Humberto Salazar
DOMINICAN AND ZIONIST
One of my few childhood memories was that day in 1967 when my father, an old man for the times at 67 years old, rushed to pick me up from the evangelical school in Santo Domingo to take me home, informing me that his only brother, Jacobo, who lived in New York City, had told him that the state of Israel was under attack.
The truth is that it's just a memory, of how hell broke loose around an Israel that I had an idea of from the mentions made to me, but which I didn't understand at all, and it wasn't even considered important to us, though today I think that my mother, a fervent Christian, taught me to love that distant and enigmatic land through reading the Bible.
It was the era, I remember that too, when labeling someone as “Jewish” was just another insult in the DR, something like spitting in the face of a person who was one of those guilty of “killing” Christ, and it's in my childhood memories, of how this was recalled every Holy Week, whether the Catholic Church wanted it or not.
Years passed and I lived from afar the “Six-Day War” in 1967, the attack on the Jewish athletes in 1982, the “Yom Kippur War” in 1973, the “Lebanon War” in 1982, up to the massacre of October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed more than 1,200 Israelis and forcibly took over 220.
All of this happened simply because in 1947 the nascent United Nations (UN) voted for the partition into two states of what they call the Palestinian peninsula, the Dominican Republic has always voted in favor of Israel, and that day in 1948 was no exception.
Israel accepted the UN resolution and on May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was proclaimed, that dream of a Zion, that sacred place where, like every nation, the Jewish people should have as their own space, after having been expelled from the Middle East by the Roman Empire almost 2,000 years ago, became a reality.
On this issue, Dominicans, my nationality, have always supported the Jews, even before the founding of Israel, when they were rejected by all the countries of America, all of them included, and were received with open arms on this Caribbean island.
And that's what it's about, Zionism is nothing more than the conviction that the Jewish people had and has the right to exist, just like the other peoples of the earth, and that place is called today the state of Israel, but moreover, it has every right to self-defense and to fight with weapons, if necessary, for its existence.
That's why I've always confessed my Zionist position, an inheritance from the son of a migrant who arrived from northern Spain to the island in the 19th century and a woman daughter of Canary Island migrants, whose lives and memories were lost among the many anonymous ones who dared to cross the ocean and populate America more than a century ago.
I am a Zionist and I am from the Dominican Republic and I've always confessed it with great pride, turning a deaf ear to foolish words.