Lübnan Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanı
11 killed in deadliest Israeli strikes on Lebanon since June
• Three children among the dead • Lebanese PM Salam says slain women, children were not ‘military infrastructure’; President Aoun calls strikes a ‘clear message’ ahead of Rome talks • Hezbollah vows ‘appropriate’ response, rejects direct negotiations BEIRUT: At least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, including three children, Lebanon’s health ministry said, marking the deadliest raids since deals in June eased hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. Seven people were killed when Israeli warplanes struck a house in the southern village of Ansar. Four others were killed and 17 were wounded in a strike on the village of Deir Zahrani, raising an earlier toll, Lebanon’s official National News Agency said. The attacks wounded a total of 19 people. The strikes came as Israel and Lebanon were set to hold an eighth round of US-sponsored direct negotiations early next month in Rome. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Saturday’s strikes were a “clear message” aimed at the negotiations and American efforts to implement the framework agreement. Aoun condemned the “ongoing Israeli attacks” on the south and “repeated violations of the framework agreement … and international law on protecting civilians, which led to the death of an entire family in the village of Ansar,” according to a statement from his office. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam echoed the condemnation, urging Israel to halt the “extremely dangerous” escalation. “The martyrs of the Israeli raid on the village of Ansar are not ‘military infrastructure’, and the women and children killed in it are not military targets,” Salam said in a post on X. Hezbollah said the Israeli attacks on Lebanon would be met with an “appropriate” response, urging authorities to halt “humiliating” negotiations with Israel. Israel “must clearly understand that its attacks, violations and attempts to impose a fait accompli cannot continue and will be met with an appropriate response,” the group said in a statement. Hezbollah added that Lebanese authorities “must not insist on continuing along the humiliating path of direct negotiations and providing the enemy with free concessions.” The group said the escalation reflected a desire by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to escalate the war in order to strengthen his domestic political position”. The Israeli military said the early morning strikes in the areas of Nabatieh and Ansar were in retaliation for an attack by Hezbollah on its troops inside an agreed security zone, which resulted in three injuries. The zone is a strip of territory about 10 kilometres deep inside Lebanon where Israeli forces operate. In a statement on X, Netanyahu’s office appeared to acknowledge that civilians were hit. The military said it killed Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, and others when it struck a central headquarters in Ansar. “At the time of the strike, Hassan’s family was also present with him inside the military headquarters and, according to the claim, was harmed in the strike,” the statement added. The National News Agency reported the strike near Ansar, roughly 20 kilometres from the border, was the deepest into Lebanon in two months. The agency also reported a series of airstrikes targeting the Ali al-Taher ridge, a strategic hill overlooking the Nabatieh area. The Israel-Lebanon framework deal includes the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region. At least 4,300 people have been killed in Lebanon since the latest round of hostilities began in March. Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2026
İsrail'in 1915 Kararına Ankara ve Bakü'den Sert Tepki: 'Kendi Suçunu Örtbas Çabası'Trump wants to talk to Hezbollah. Will they pick up the phone?
For decades, U.S. policy in Lebanon has focused on the elimination of Hezbollah, or at least its military wing. But the Trump administration has taken this effort to new heights. The State Department is sponsoring the first ever direct talks between Lebanon and Israel since the Madrid peace talks, with the disarmament of Hezbollah being a central objective of those talks. Washington has also taken the unprecedented step of sanctioning individuals from outside the party whom it accuses of undermining the campaign against Hezbollah, including members of Lebanon’s state security apparatus. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Israel are engaged in an unprecedented financial crackdown on Hezbollah, as the New York Times reported this week. Ironically, however, Donald Trump is also the first sitting American president to express a willingness to hold direct talks with the Lebanese Shiite movement. “I would speak to Hezbollah. I speak to everybody. I’ll speak to people that a lot of people think I shouldn’t be speaking to, and things work out,” Trump told reporters during an oval office meeting with his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun last month. While it would be easy to dismiss these remarks as typical Trumpian grandstanding, there appears to be more to the story. Multiple reports have recently emerged indicating that serious attempts have been made to open direct channels between Washington and Hezbollah. According to Middle East Eye, Trump told Beirut’s ambassador to Washington last May that he wanted to talk to the group in a bid to salvage a shaky ceasefire with Israel. The Lebanese presidency reportedly turned down the request over concerns that holding such talks would undermine Aoun by bypassing the Lebanese government. That same report quotes senior Lebanese officials saying that both the Trump administration and some of its predecessors have attempted to open direct channels with Hezbollah, but the group rejected these advances. Another recent report by the Lebanese daily Aljoumhouria revealed that senior Iraqi officials told a visiting Hezbollah delegation that Iraq was ready to sponsor and host direct talks between Washington and the Lebanese Shiite movement. The offer, the report noted, was made shortly before Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s recent visit to Washington, only to be turned down by Hezbollah. Sources from within the Lebanese Shiite movement confirm that there has been a recent push to establish direct channels between the two sides. “The Americans have made several attempts through a number of intermediaries to engage directly with Hezbollah”, a Hezbollah source explained to RS. “It’s true that al-Zaidi pursued such efforts, but certainly not at our request.” Interestingly, however, senior Hezbollah officials refused to clarify the group’s stance on the issue despite media reports that it had flatly rejected such offers. “Hezbollah wants to keep its stance concerning this issue out of the media, without giving any indication as to how it will respond to such initiatives,” a political official in the Lebanese Shiite movement told RS. “Our policy is to not reveal how we intend to approach this issue”. This suggests that Hezbollah is not necessarily rejecting dialogue with Washington out of hand. Talks “will happen if there is an opportunity that presents itself,” said Muhanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. “But there will be an ambiguity because the organization basically tries to avoid acknowledging that they’re discussing anything with the ‘Great Satan,’” Hage Ali said, referencing a term Iran and its allies use to label the United States. According to Hage Ali, who has authored numerous publications about Hezbollah, the group stands to benefit from such dialogue in more ways than one. “Direct contact between the U.S. and Hezbollah would eventually undermine the Lebanese government track,” he explained, in reference to the direct talks Lebanon’s government is holding with Israel. “This is useful for Hezbollah”. Hezbollah could also use talks with Washington to make a deal under which any measures related to its weapons and military activities would be conditioned on amending Lebanon’s constitutional system to “grant Lebanese Shiites a bigger share of power,” Hage Ali said. Still, it is difficult to see Hezbollah negotiating away its weapons absent an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and a genuine guarantee that Israel will permanently end military operations in Lebanon. This stems from the fact that the group was founded as a resistance movement against Israel back in the early 1980s, long before it became a political party in 1992. Meanwhile there is little to suggest that Israel is willing to take any steps that would encourage Hezbollah to take a more flexible stance. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told a recent cabinet meeting that he will not succumb to American demands to withdraw troops from Lebanon. Israel’s Foreign Ministry even published a map where parts of southern Lebanon appeared incorporated into Israel. The map, which Israel posted on X, stirred an uproar in Lebanon before it was taken down. (Israeli officials described the controversial map as the result of “an artificial intelligence error.”) There is also the issue of Iran which has only doubled down on its support for its Lebanese ally. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mujtaba Khamenei has framed support for Hezbollah as a “strategic mandate” for the Islamic Republic, while underscoring that any deal with the United States is contingent on respecting Lebanon’s territorial integrity and an end to Israeli military operations in the country. That Khamenei casted his country’s support for Hezbollah in strategic terms — and not merely as an ideological obligation — supports the notion that the Iranian leadership believes supporting the group has become a greater necessity in the wake of the recent conflicts, not least given how Israel has directly attacked Iran in these wars. In other words, rather than weakening the bonds between Tehran and Hezbollah, Israeli attacks on Iran have apparently strengthened these bonds, giving them a stronger strategic rationale. Against this backdrop, it is far more plausible that, at least for now, Hezbollah is pinning its hopes on what comes out of a potential agreement between Washington and Tehran, as opposed to riskier paths like direct talks with the Trump administration. “The objective behind the American attempts to establish direct channels with us is to remove Lebanon and Hezbollah specifically from the Islamabad talks,” explained the first Hezbollah source, referencing U.S.-Iran negotiations in Pakistan. Holding talks with the United States as a separate track from Islamabad would place Hezbollah in a weaker position, he argued, while being part of a framework with Iran which “hold strong cards” means that any agreement reached “will have guarantees.”
Son dakika... Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan, Mekke Savunma Anlaşması'nın amacını açıkladı: Bölgede paradigmayı değiştirecek
HABER MERKEZİ- Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan üçlü Mekke Anlaşması fikrinin nasıl ortaya çıktığı ve bu anlaşmaya giden süreçte hangi gelişmelerin etkili olduğu yönündeki soruya şöyle cevap verdi: "Mekke Ortak Savunma Anlaşması fikri, bölgemizde yaşanan gelişmeler karşısında ortaya çıkan yeni şartların ve ortak sorumluluk anlayışının bir neticesidir. Biz her zaman bölge meselelerinin bölge ülkelerince sahiplenilmesi ve çözüme kavuşturulmasından yana olduk. Bizim temel yaklaşımımız hep buydu. Bölgenin meselelerini bölgenin kendi aktörleri çözmeliydi, bunun ilk adımını attık diyebiliriz. Son dönemde yaşananlar, kardeş ve dost ülkeler arasındaki dayanışmanın ne kadar önemli olduğunu bir kez daha gösterdi. Türkiye olarak, anlaşmazlıkların derinleşmesini değil, diyalog ve istişare kanallarının güçlendirilmesini savunduk. Çünkü biliyoruz ki kalıcı barış, sadece çatışmaların sona ermesiyle değil; karşılıklı güven, siyasi irade ve ortak gelecek perspektifi ile mümkün. Mekke Ortak Savunma Anlaşması da işte bu anlayışın bir sonucu. Burada üç ülkenin bir araya gelmesinin ötesinde bölgemizin istikrarı, kardeş halkların huzuru bakımından tarihî bir sorumluluk üstlendik. Şunu da özellikle vurgulamak isterim ki bu anlaşma bölgemizde huzur ve istikrar isteyen tüm kardeş ülkelere de açık. Türkiye olarak biz, geçmişte olduğu gibi bugün de barıştan, istikrardan ve kardeşlikten yana tavır koymaya devam ediyoruz. "TARAF ÜLKE SAYISINI ARTIRMAKTAN ÇEKİNMİYORUZ" Mekke Ortak Savunma Anlaşması’nı da bu iradenin somut bir tezahürü olarak görüyor ve taraf ülke sayısını artırmaktan da çekinmiyoruz. İnşallah Suudi Arabistan, Pakistan ve Türkiye olarak bölgemizde yeni bir iş birliği ve dayanışma döneminin kapısını araladık. Bu kapıyı hep açık tutmak, barış ve istikrarın güçlenmesine katkıda bulunmak iradesine sahip ülkeleriz." "VİZYONUMUZ BİR GÜN BÖLGEDEKİ BÜTÜN ÜLKELERİN BU ÇATININ ALTINDA TOPLAMAKTIR" Anlaşmanın, ABD ile İran arasındaki gerilimin seyriyle bağlantılı olup olmadığı yönündeki bir diğer soruyu Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan şu şekilde yanıtladı: "ABD ile İran arasındaki gerilimin seyri elbette bölgesel gelişmeler bakımından önemli. Ancak Mekke Ortak Savunma Anlaşması’nı da yalnızca bu gerilimin ortaya çıkardığı konjonktürel bir gelişme olarak değerlendirmek ülkelerimizin siyasetini ve niyetini doğru anlamamak olur. BM Şartı’nın 51’inci maddesinde tanımlanan savunma hakkını da teyit eden anlaşma, hiçbir ülkeyi hedef almadığı gibi bölgemizin huzurunu, refahını ve istikrarını amaçlayan bütün kardeş ülkelerin katılımına açıktır. Nitekim bizim vizyonumuz üç ülkeyle sınırlı kalmayarak daha da büyümek ve mümkünse bir gün bölgedeki bütün ülkelerin bu çatının altında toplanmasını sağlamaktır. Bu, bölgeye kalıcı istikrarı getirecek en önemli adım olacaktır. Bugün attığımız adımın da evveliyatı elbette vardır. Çok uzun zamandan beri bu anlaşma, birlikte imza attığımız ortaklar ve diğer bölge ülkeleriyle görüşmelerimizde ele aldığımız konulardan birisini oluşturmuştur. Bölgemizde barışın, istikrarın ve güvenliğin güçlendirilmesi için ilgili ülkelerin düzenli istişare içerisinde olması gerektiğini uzun zamandır ifade ediyoruz ve buna göre hareket ediyoruz. Çünkü bölgenin meselelerinin çözümünde dışarıdan dayatılan reçetelerin ne gibi felaketlere yol açtığını biliyoruz. Bu yüzden de Türkiye olarak her zaman bölge ülkelerinin kendi iradesi ve ortak aklı belirleyici kılma yönünde politika yürütüyoruz. Dolayısıyla Mekke’de ortaya çıkan üçlü mekanizmayı, günübirlik gelişmelere verilmiş bir tepki olarak göremeyiz. Attığımız adım değişen bölgesel şartlar karşısında ortaya konulan stratejik bir iradedir. Türkiye olarak her zaman gerilimin değil diplomasinin, çatışmanın değil diyaloğun, ayrışmanın değil bölgesel iş birliğinin güç kazanmasından yana olduk. Biz, bütün taraflarla konuşabilen ve gerektiğinde zor meselelerde sorumluluk üstlenebilen bir ülke olarak, bölgemizde kalıcı barış ve istikrarın tesisi için üzerimize düşeni yapmaya devam edeceğiz." "BU ANLAŞMA İLE HİÇBİR ÜLKEYİ HEDEF ALMIYORUZ" Anlaşmanın, savunma niteliği taşımakla birlikte, taraflardan birine yönelik herhangi bir saldırının üç tarafa birden yapılmış sayılacağıyla ilgili maddesinin sorulması üzerine Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan şunları aktardı: "Evet, Mekke Ortak Savunma Anlaşması, isminden de anlaşılacağı üzere ortak bir savunma yaklaşımını temel almakta. Mekke-i Mükerreme’de, kardeş ülkeler olarak böyle bir anlaşmaya imza atmış olmanın ayrıca bir önemi var ve bunun mutluluğunu yaşıyoruz. Mekke Ortak Savunma Anlaşması her şeyden önce kolektif caydırıcılığı temel alan bir anlaşma. Güvenlik ve savunma iş birliğimizi ilerletecek, savunma sanayiinde ortak projeler geliştirecek ve terörizmle mücadelede bizlere güç verecek bir anlaşma. Bu anlaşma ile hiçbir ülkeyi hedef almıyoruz, amaç sadece bölge huzuru, istikrarı ve halklarımızın refahı. Anlaşma maddelerinde de açık, net ifade edildiği gibi burada esas olan, taraflardan herhangi birinin güvenliğine yönelik bir tehdidin diğer taraflarca da ortak bir güvenlik meselesi olarak değerlendirilmesidir. Ancak bunu yalnızca askerî bir hüküm şeklinde değerlendirmemek gerekir. Anlaşmanın asıl amacı caydırıcılığı güçlendirmek, tarafların güvenliğini karşılıklı dayanışma anlayışı içerisinde tahkim etmek ve bölgesel istikrarı korumaktır. Türkiye’nin son yıllarda savunma ve güvenlik alanındaki atılımları herkes tarafından takdir ediliyor. Bunları yaparken de kardeş ve dost ülkelerle iş birliklerimizi, anlaşmalarımızı yaparak, bölgenin barış ve istikrarını güçlendiren bir mahiyet kazandırıyoruz. Aynı zamanda, bu ittifaka imza atan ülkeler olarak birbirimize tehdit teşkil etmeyeceğimiz, aksine birbirimizin güvenliğini garanti etme taahhüdünde bulunduğumuz ve içeride birbirimizle dayanışma hâlinde olduğumuz mesajını veriyoruz. Mekke Ortak Savunma Anlaşması’nın mesajı gayet açıktır, birimizin güvenliği hepimizin güvenliğidir. Bu anlayışı bölgemizde kapsayıcı bir yaklaşımla hayata geçirdiğimiz takdirde kalıcı barış, istikrar ve refah ortamını hepimizin faydasına olacak şekilde hayata geçireceğimize inanıyoruz." "BÖLGENİN GELECEĞİ, BÖLGE ÜLKELERİNİN İRADESİNDEN BAĞIMSIZ OLARAK ŞEKİLLENDİRİLEMEZ" Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan, Orta Doğu'daki bölgesel güçlerin, daha önce büyük güçlerle sınırlı görülen güvenlik ve istikrarı sağlama sorumluluğunu üstlenmeye karar verdikleri söylenebilir mi? şeklindeki soruyu şöyle cevapladı: "Artık bölge ülkeleri kendi güvenlikleri, kendi istikrarları ve kendi geleceklerinin sorumluluğunu daha fazla üstlenmek durumundalar. Bizim öteden beri savunduğumuz yaklaşım da zaten aynen budur. Bölgenin meselelerini en iyi bilenler, o bölgenin ülkeleri ve halklarıdır. Bölgemizde yaşanan gelişmeler elbette küresel etki yaratacak sonuçlara yol açabilmektedir. Bölgesel sahiplenmenin, bölgesel dayanışmanın ve ortak iradenin güçlendirilmesi küresel istikrarın güçlenmesine de katkıda bulunacaktır. Türkiye olarak, bölge ülkelerinin kendi aralarında daha güçlü mekanizmalar kurmasını, güvenlik ve istikrarı birlikte tesis etmesini son derece önemli buluyoruz. Biz bölge ülkelerinin hemen hemen hepsiyle çok iyi düzeyde ilişkiler yürütmekteyiz. Bununla birlikte, bölge ülkeleriyle mevcut iş birliklerimizi daha kalıcı hâle getirmenin faydalı olduğu düşüncesi içindeyiz. Bu çerçevede, bölge ülkelerinin kendi güvenlik ve ekonomik istikrarlarını kendi aralarında kurumsal hâle getirecek ilişkiler vasıtasıyla garanti altına almaları gerektiğine inanıyoruz. Bugün ortaya çıkan tablonun en net gösterdiği durum da şu, bölgenin geleceği, bölge ülkelerinin iradesinden bağımsız olarak şekillendirilemez. Bizim hedefimiz, dışlayıcı bloklaşmalar değil, egemenliğe ve toprak bütünlüğüne saygıya, karşılıklı güvene ve ortak çıkarlara dayalı bir bölgesel iş birliği düzenidir. Türkiye bu anlayışla hareket etmeye, gerektiğinde sorumluluk almaya ve bölgemizde barışın, istikrarın ve güvenliğin güçlendirilmesi için diplomatik girişimlerini kararlılıkla sürdürmeye devam edecektir." Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan şöyle devam etti: "Mekke Anlaşması'nın, Körfez bölgesinde güvenliğin güçlendirilmesine katkı sağlayacağına inanıyorum, inanıyoruz. En başından beri ifade ettiğim üzere bölgenin refahına, huzuruna ve güvenliğine hizmet edecek bir anlaşmaya imza attık. Körfez bölgesinin güvenliği yalnızca bölge ülkeleri açısından değil, küresel ekonomi ve uluslararası ticaret bakımından da büyük önem taşıyor. Enerji arz güvenliğinden deniz yollarının emniyetine, ticaretin sürekliliğinden küresel ekonomik istikrara kadar pek çok başlık doğrudan bu bölgenin huzuruyla bağlantılı. Bu teorik bir ifade değildir, son birkaç ayda yaşanan gelişmeler bize bunu gösterdi. Dolayısıyla Körfez’de güvenlik ve istikrarın güçlendirilmesine yönelik her adımı, yalnızca bölgesel değil, küresel barış ve refah bakımından da değerli buluyoruz. Mekke Ortak Savunma Anlaşması’nın, bölgenin ortak güvenlik ve dayanışma anlayışına büyük katkı sağlayacağına ve bölgede paradigmayı değiştireceğine inanıyoruz. Güvenlik ile ekonomik kalkınma birbirinden ayrı düşünülemez. Siyasi istikrar ve ekonomik kalkınmanın da at başı ilerlediğini hep ifade etmişimdir. Avrupa yaşadığı büyük savaşların ardından önce birlikte istikrar ve güvenlik sonra ekonomik entegrasyon ve refah noktasına geldi, biz bu kadar acıyı yaşamadan bu noktaya birlikte gidebiliriz. Huzurun olmadığı yerde ticaretin, yatırımın ve refahın sürdürülebilir olması mümkün değil. Körfez’in istikrarı, aynı zamanda Asya, Avrupa ve Afrika arasındaki ekonomik bağlantıların güvenliği bakımından da stratejik bir meseledir. Körfez’in barış ve istikrarını kendi güvenlik ve bölgesel barış perspektifimizden ayrı görmüyoruz. Bu nedenle üzerimize düşen her türlü sorumluluğu almaya ve yapıcı diplomatik çabalarımızı sürdürmeye devam edeceğiz." "HÜRMÜZ BOĞAZI, KÜRESEL EKONOMİNİN ADETA ATAR DAMARLARINDAN BİRİDİR" Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan, Hürmüz Boğazı'ndaki durumla ilgili bir soruya cevaben şunları aktardı "Hürmüz Boğazı, bölgesel değil küresel önemi haiz bir nokta. Küresel enerji arzı ve uluslararası ticaret bakımından da son derece stratejik bir geçiş noktası. Dolayısıyla burada yaşanabilecek herhangi bir gerilimin, etkileri itibarıyla yalnızca bölge ülkeleriyle sınırlı kalmadığını petrol fiyatlarıyla tüm dünya gördü, hissetti. Hürmüz Boğazı, küresel ekonominin adeta atar damarlarından biri olduğunu kanıtladı. Bizim temennimiz ve beklentimiz, mevcut gerilimin bir an önce sona ermesi ve Hürmüz Boğazı’nın yeniden güvenli, istikrarlı ve kesintisiz bir şekilde uluslararası ticarete hizmet etmesi yönünde. Bunun da gerçekleşmesi, tarafların sağduyulu davranmasına ve diplomasi kanallarının açık tutulmasına bağlı. Hiçbir zaman gerilimin tırmanmasından yana olmadık, aksine bütün taraflarla diyalog kurarak sorunların müzakere yoluyla çözülmesini savunduk. Tarafları aynı masada buluşturmaya gayret ettik. Çünkü biliyoruz ki Hürmüz’de ya da Ukrayna’da, Filistin’de kalıcı çözümün yolu çatışmadan değil, diplomasiden geçiyor. Böylesine kritik bir su yolunun güvenliği konusunda bölge ülkelerinin sorumluluğu büyük. Biz, bölgesel sahiplenmenin ve ortak güvenlik anlayışının güçlendirilmesinin, Hürmüz Boğazı’nın istikrarına önemli katkı sağlayacağına inanıyoruz. Hedef, Hürmüz Boğazı’nın yeniden güvenli ve istikrarlı normal seyrine dönmesi ve bunun kalıcı hâle gelmesi olmalıdır." Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan Suudi Arabistan ile ilişkilerle ilgili olarak şunları aktardı: "Suudi Arabistan ile ilişkilerimizi, ortak tarihimizin, kardeşlik bağlarımızın ve karşılıklı çıkarlarımızın şekillendirdiği stratejik bir ilişki olarak değerlendiriyoruz. Türkiye ile Suudi Arabistan, yalnızca dost ve kardeş değil, aynı zamanda bölgesel barış, istikrar ve refah bakımından önemli sorumluluklar taşıyan iki ülkedir. Son dönemde ilişkilerimizde yakaladığımız ivmeden memnuniyet duyuyoruz. Siyasi diyaloğumuzu güçlendirirken, ekonomi, ticaret, yatırım, savunma sanayii, enerji ve turizm başta olmak üzere pek çok alanda iş birliğimizi de geliştiriyoruz. Suudi Arabistan ile ilişkilerimizi dönemsel gelişmelerin ötesinde, uzun vadeli ortak menfaatler ve karşılıklı saygı temelinde ele alıyoruz. Bölgemizin çok ciddi sınamalardan geçtiği bir dönemde, Türkiye ve Suudi Arabistan arasındaki yakın istişare ve iş birliği daha da önem kazanmış durumda. Mekke Anlaşması’nın, savunma iş birliği başta olmak üzere, ilişkilerimizin birçok alanda daha da güçlenmesine vesile olacağına inanıyoruz. Bölgemizin huzuru ve istikrarı bakımından ortak sorumluluklarımızın bilincindeyiz ve ona göre hareket ediyoruz. Türkiye olarak, Suudi Arabistan’ın ve bölgedeki diğer ülkelerin istikrarını ve güvenliğini önemsiyoruz. Zira, bölgemizdeki en ufak bir krizin, başta göç ve terör olmak üzere, yarattığı etkileri tüm bölge ülkeleri hissediyor. Önümüzdeki dönemde de iki ülke arasındaki ilişkileri çok daha ileri seviyelere taşıyacak adımlar atacağımıza inanıyorum." "ARZUMUZ, LÜBNAN’IN YENİDEN İSTİKRARA KAVUŞMASIDIR" Lübnan'daki son gelişmelere ilişkin görüşleri sorulan Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan şunları ifade etti: "Lübnan, bizim için yalnızca coğrafi olarak yakın bir ülke değil; tarihsel bağlarımızın da bulunduğu dost ve kardeş bir ülkedir. Lübnan’ın huzuru, güvenliği ve istikrarı, bütün bölgemizin istikrarı bakımından büyük önem taşımaktadır. Bölgenin diğer ülkeleri gibi Lübnan’ın egemenliğinin, siyasi birliğinin ve toprak bütünlüğünün de korunması gerekmektedir. Lübnan’ın iç meselelerinin dış müdahaleler veya askerî yöntemlerle daha da karmaşık hale getirilmesine, ülkenin dış güçlerin rekabet alanına dönüştürülmesine de karşıyız. Ülkenin geleceğine ilişkin kararları Lübnanlıların kendi iradeleriyle alabilmesi gerektiğine inanıyoruz. Saldırgan ve yayılmacı politikaları bölgedeki temel sorunu teşkil eden İsrail’in Lübnan’a yönelik saldırılarının ivedilikle sona erdirilmesi gerekmektedir. Bu çerçevede, Lübnan’da ateşkesin temin edilmesi için devam eden görüşmeleri olumlu buluyoruz. Lübnan’ın güvenliği ve istikrarı bölgesel barıştan ayrı düşünülemez. Orta Doğu’nun kaderi sürekli çatışmalarla, yıkımlarla ve acılarla yazılmamalı. Bu bölge, barışı, huzuru ve refahı da hak ediyor. Türkiye olarak bizim bütün diplomatik çabalarımızın merkezinde de bu anlayış yatıyor. Bölgemiz uzun yıllardır savaşla, göz yaşıyla anılıyor. Bunun değiştirilmesi için elimizden geleni yapmalıyız. Bizim arzumuz, tabiatıyla, Lübnan’ın yeniden istikrara kavuşması, kurumlarının güçlenmesi ve halkının güven içerisinde geleceğine bakabilmesinden yana. Bu çerçevede, her türlü teknik desteği sağlamaya ve iş birliğini tesis etmeye hazırız. Bu yöndeki irademizi yakın zamanda ülkemizde konuk ettiğimiz Sayın Cumhurbaşkanı Aoun ile Sayın Başbakan Selam’a da ifade ettik." Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan "Suriye'deki değişim sürecini bugüne kadar nasıl değerlendiriyorsunuz?" Şeklindeki soruyu ise şu şekilde yanıtladı: "Suriye’de yaşanan değişim sürecini, Suriye halkının kendi geleceğini belirleme iradesi bakımından tarihî bir dönüm noktası olarak değerlendiriyoruz. Türkiye olarak en başından beri Suriye’nin toprak bütünlüğünü, siyasi birliğini ve egemenliğini savunduk. Suriye’nin maruz kaldığı savaş, terör ve istikrarsızlık, bütün bölgeye ağır bedeller ödetti. Şimdi önümüzde yeni bir dönem var. Bu dönemin kalıcı barışa, istikrara ve yeniden imara vesile olması en büyük temennimiz. Suriye’nin kuzeyinde veya başka herhangi bir bölgesinde Türkiye’nin güvenliğini tehdit edecek yapılara da müsaade etmeyeceğiz. Suriye’nin toprak bütünlüğü bizim için ne kadar önemliyse, Türkiye’nin millî güvenliği de o derece önemli. Sürecin en başından beri arzumuz, Suriyeli kardeşlerimizin kendi ülkelerinde güven ve huzur içerisinde yaşayabilmesidir. Suriye, esasen Aralık 2024’ten bu yana ülkede güvenlik koşullarının iyileştirilmesi, ekonomik kalkınma zemininin hazırlanması ve toplumsal uzlaşının tesisi sürecinde önemli mesafe katetmiştir. Bu sonucun alınmasında tabiatıyla bölgesel sahiplenmenin ve Suriye Hükûmetinin arkasında tesis edilen bölgesel desteğin önemli rolü olmuştur. Bölgesel ve uluslararası toplumla iyi ilişkiler geliştirmiş olan Suriye Hükûmeti, sürdürülebilir istikrar ve güvenlik gündemine odaklanmak suretiyle ilave çatışmaların dışında kalma maharetini de göstermektedir. Bugün Suriye’nin normalleşmesi esasen tüm bölge açısından stratejik önem taşıyan bir konu hâline gelmiştir. İstikrarsızlık kaynağı olmaktan ziyade Suriye’nin adı artık bağlantısallık ve kalkınma projeleri ile anılmaya başlamıştır. Türkiye, bugüne kadar olduğu gibi bundan sonra da Suriye’nin istikrarı, yeniden ayağa kalkması ve bölgesel barışıngüçlenmesi için üzerine düşen sorumluluğu yerine getirmeye devam edecektir. Bu istikamette Türkiye bölgesel ve uluslararası ortaklarla iş birliği içinde hareket etme iradesine de sahiptir. Suriye’de yeni bir sayfa açılmışken, bu sayfanın yeni acılarla değil, barış, kardeşlik, egemenlik ve ortak gelecek anlayışıyla yazılması gerekir."
Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan: Mekke Savunma Anlaşması bölgede paradigmayı değiştirecekHezbollah chief, Lebanese PM trade barbs over talks with Israel
• Qassem says talks will bring Lebanon ‘nothing but shame, humiliation’ • Salam accuses group of ‘helping Israel’ • Talks between both sides continue in Rome BEIRUT: Hezbollah’s chief said on Tuesday that direct talks between Lebanon and Israel would bring only “humiliation” for Lebanon and accused authorities of helping Israel, prompting Lebanon’s prime minister to hit back. The statement came as Lebanon and Israel were preparing to hold a fresh round of direct talks in Rome under US sponsorship, the seventh such meeting since the outbreak of the US-Iran war. “All the direct negotiations will bring Lebanon nothing but shame, humiliation, disappointment and successive concessions,” Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said in a televised address. He said Lebanese President Joseph Aoun “has not acted as an arbiter, nor as a unifying figure, but has become biased and divisive, which is incompatible with his role and with Lebanon’s strength”. The head of the Iran-backed group also accused Lebanese authorities of having “helped Israel instead of helping Lebanon’s sovereignty” by continuing with negotiations that he said had handed Israel “political gains”. PM Salam’s riposte Prime Minister Nawaf Salam hit back on X, saying “the greatest help to Israel was provided by those who unilaterally drew Lebanon into the adventures of futile wars… and granted it pretexts to attack our country”. “Those who unilaterally take the decision of war and try to continue to seize the state’s decision-making, and to tie Lebanon to foreign calculations and axes, ignoring the interests of their community and the Lebanese in general, are not fit to lecture on patriotism, not to mention on sovereignty,” Salam added. “Lebanon has no sovereignty except for the sole independent decision of the state with one army which extends its authority over all its territory,” Salam added. Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected the direct talks and refuses to surrender its weapons. Violence has decreased since the Lebanon-Israel deal, but Lebanon continues to report intermittent Israeli strikes, shelling and heavy demolitions in southern villages and towns. “Shouldn’t the systematic destruction of southern villages and towns… be reason for the political authorities to say, ‘We don’t want dialogue with the Israeli entity’”, Qassem said. He vowed “to make the utmost effort to provide the means for shelter, repairs and reconstruction”, cautioning however that this would require “patience”. Direct talks Meanwhile, Lebanon and Israel held a fresh round of US-sponsored talks in Rome on Tuesday, with Beirut seeking Israel’s phased withdrawal from the south. This week’s negotiations are the seventh round of Washington-mediated talks since the outbreak of the US-Iran war on Feb 28. On Monday, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani urged Lebanon and Israel to “continue in a constructive spirit, identifying shared solutions that will allow for the full implementation of the framework agreement”. After talks last month, Israel’s military withdrew from the outskirts of the village of Zawtar al Gharbiya, one of the first pilot zones. The Lebanese army deployed to the area and has allowed residents to inspect their homes and businesses. Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2026
Chehlum observed in Islamabad amid extraordinary security
ISLAMABAD/ RAWALPINDI: A large number of mourners attended the main procession of Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), held on Monday in the federal capital amid extraordinary security due to a surge in terror activities in recent times. Meanwhile, the Chehlum will be observed in the garrison city on Tuesday (today), with all arrangements finalised, while the district administration has announced a public holiday within the municipal limits from Faizabad to Marrir Chowk. The Metro Bus service will also remain partially suspended between Saddar and Faizabad. All educational institutions, shops and banks along Murree Road and Raja Bazaar will remain closed. Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Nasir issued a notification for the public holiday, stating that Tuesday would be a holiday for all public and private educational institutions within the municipal limits of Tehsil Rawalpindi. However, the holiday would not be applicable to Cantonment areas. Pindi administration announces public holiday as mourning procession routes sealed The leaders of Tehreek Nifaz Fiqh-i-Jaferia (TNFJ) and Shia Ulema Council (SUC) have on the othjer hand demanded the Islamabad administration gradually reduce security arrangements and allow the locals to participate in the procession openly. Allama Arif Wahidi, leader of SUC said that the recent aggression by US and Israel against Iran has proven one thing that the people and the leadership of the country will not fall into any conspiracy of the West and would remain united. “We as a nation are able to beat the aggression of the enemy, may it be the external foes or local terrorists,” he added. He added that the recent phenomenon of registering cases against the organisers of mourning processions was totally unethical mainly by Punjab government and it would only encourage the extremists. The main procession of Chehlum Imam Hussain (AS) was taken out from Imam Bargah Asna Ashri G-6/2 and culminated at the same place after passing through Service Road G-6, Lal Quarter, G-6/1-2 and Melody. The residents of G-6 too demanded ending of restrictions on the procession route as they too wanted to participate in the procession to distribute ‘niaz’ and set up sabeels for the participants. The Rawalpindi district administration and local police have finalised security arrangements for the participants of the procession. Control rooms have been activated at Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation offices, while monitoring is being carried out through CCTV cameras of the Safe City Project. The main procession in Rawalpindi will begin from Imambargah Ashiq Hussain, Imambargah Hifazat Ali Shah and Imambargah Colonel Maqbool Hussain. The Zuljanah processions emerging from Imambargah Shohada-e-Karbala, Tyre Bazaar and the shrine of Sakhi Shah Chan Chiragh will also join the central procession. Tehreek-i-Nifaz-i-Fiqh-i-Jafaria (TNFJ) Pakistan chief Allama Agha Syed Hussain Muqaddasi will visit the sacred relics during the central procession. Zanjeer Zani will be performed at Habib Bank Chowk during the procession. Mukhtar Students Organisation and Mukhtar Organisation (MO) will establish mourning camps at Fawara Chowk on Jamia Masjid Road. Personnel of Ibrahim Scouts, Mukhtar Force and members of the TNFJ Arbaeen Committee will accompany the procession and perform volunteer security duties. According to Dr Syed Aoun Kazmi, convener of the TNFJ Arbaeen Hussaini Committee, the procession will follow its designated route through Tyre Bazaar Chowk, Jamia Masjid Road and Pul Shah Nazar Diwan before concluding at the historic Qadeem Imambargah at night. Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2026
Trump's Lebanon fantasy is running smack into reality
On June 26, two official delegations — one from Israel and one from Lebanon — signed a framework agreement with great fanfare in Washington. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, openly enthusiastic, framed the event as paving the way toward “lasting peace and security” between Beirut and Tel Aviv. A month later, President Donald Trump received Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House. Once again, Rubio welcomed the visit and reiterated the goal of disarming Hezbollah and achieving a complete and definitive peace between Lebanon and its southern neighbor. Like Tel Aviv, Rubio favors a top-down approach that centers on force and coercion. To neutralize both Tehran and Hezbollah, this camp hopes to combine strong military action against Iranian territory with maximum pressure on the government in Beirut. The goal is two-fold: to strong-arm the Lebanese government into sidelining Hezbollah and to permanently separate the Lebanese and Iranian equations. Within the Trump administration, not everyone is convinced that this roadmap is the most effective approach. Vice President JD Vance has for some time now made clear that he no longer believes that Washington’s interests and those of Tel Aviv are perfectly aligned, and he openly favors a de-escalation on the Iranian front. While Vance has not laid out a clear vision for his ideal end state, it would likely include an agreement with Tehran to keep its allied armed groups in the Middle East — Hezbollah foremost among them — in check. Incidentally, this would help stabilize oil prices and maritime traffic in the Gulf while preventing the war against Iran from becoming even more unpopular among American citizens ahead of the midterms. In this competitive landscape, the political and media buzz surrounding the Israeli-Lebanese issue offers an opportunity to bolster the supporters of Rubio and Israel at the expense of the vice president’s apparent preferences. All the same however, the Israeli-Lebanese process has very little chance of succeeding. In Lebanon, first of all, any agreement with Israel would face several legal and constitutional stumbling blocks. The consociational system, under which authority is largely divided up between the three main communities (Sunnis, Shia, Christians), leaves the president with little executive leeway. Since the 1990 signing of the Taif Accords, which marked the end of a 15-year-long civil war, the religious communities must adhere to a distribution of powers that determines the legality of political decisions. While Article 52 of the constitution authorizes the president to “negotiate and ratify treaties,” he may do so “only in agreement with the head of government,” and ratification will be validated “only after approval by the Council of Ministers.” The problem is that no government decision is constitutionally valid unless it is endorsed by all the major communities. Since the Shia parties expressed their opposition to the terms of the framework agreement from the outset, it is difficult to consider any future agreement viable. Similarly, any peace agreement with Israel will ultimately have to be ratified by the parliament. Given the body’s current make-up, the probability that the text will be approved by a majority of members is exactly zero. The Lebanese institutional framework is not the only problem. Trust in Israeli good faith is also a highly problematic issue. On November 27, 2024, Tel Aviv and Hezbollah signed a ceasefire. While Hezbollah adhered to it until March 2026 (that is, for nearly a year and a half), Tel Aviv never honored the deal: it violated the ceasefire agreement it signed in 2024 more than 12,000 times in less than a year. A new joke even emerged: “What does ‘ceasefire’ mean in Hebrew? ‘They cease, we fire.’” The systematic, large-scale destruction of the country’s south and the massive killings of civilians did not produce Israel’s desired results. Tel Aviv had ideally hoped for a polarization of Lebanese society that would lead to a civil war, in which Shiites would come under fire from their compatriots — or, at the very least, for a majority of Lebanese to condemn and permanently exclude Hezbollah from governance. The Israeli army’s brutal campaign had the opposite effect, adding fuel to Hezbollah’s fire rather than extinguishing it. In practice, the Israeli army has re-legitimized the Lebanese organization’s narrative that it has a special (if self-assigned) mission to defend the territory against the enemy to the south. This represents an extraordinary failure for the pro-Israel position on the issue. In January 2025, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia (alongside Israel behind the scenes) had pressured the Lebanese political parties to elect President Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who were said to embody a “new era” for Lebanon. The new leadership promised, far and wide, that the United States was working to turn the Lebanese army into a military force capable of defending the country’s territory, which would render Hezbollah’s defensive rhetoric obsolete. They also tried to reassure skeptics by asserting that “diplomatic friendships” were enough to deter Israel’s potential trouble-making. A year and a half later, the Lebanese army not only still lacked the resources to carry out its mission but was openly fleeing, on orders from Aoun himself, in the face of the Israeli advance in the spring of 2026. Hezbollah, which Tel Aviv claimed to have decimated in the fall of 2024, was back in action as early as March of the same year. And there were no signs of any external “friend of the Lebanese government” to keep Israeli military force in check. The initial support of Salam, a Sunni, for direct talks with the Israelis in Washington quickly put him in an uncomfortable position within his own community. While Lebanese Sunnis may have internal disagreements with Shiite parties and, in particular, with Hezbollah, the majority of the community remains sympathetic to its pan-Arab, pro-Palestinian, and anti-Zionist heritage. This explained the stance of the Sunni elites, which, at first glance, seemed inconsistent but was in fact the work of a master of balance: as several MPs from the community explained to me in late March, they support the prime minister’s decision to send a delegation to Washington, but not the agreement that will result from it. Sure, there would be loyalty to the leader, but not necessarily to the outcome of his initiatives. Since the signing of the framework agreement, Salam has hence quietly distanced himself from the process and embarked on a tour focused on building closer ties with rising regional powers, led by Syria and Turkey. When asked about the status of the agreement, he tends to bristle and refer the questioner to the presidential palace. Worse, the head of the Lebanese army himself, General Rodolphe Haykal, was so openly critical that the American administration asked Aoun to let him go. And on signing day, the Lebanese military personnel who were part of the delegation refused to be in the commemorative picture. In other words, pressured by the U.S. and Israel to the point of defending options they themselves know to be unrealistic, the Lebanese authorities quickly found themselves losing legitimacy and credibility among their own people. Apart from the Christian far-right — namely the party of the Lebanese Forces, heir to the militia of the same name that embodied during the civil war years a brutal militia that collaborated with Israel — no Lebanese truly believes in what is being cooked up in Washington with the Israeli representatives. This helps explain why Hezbollah emerged from the 2025 municipal elections as the clear winner in every town and city where it fielded candidates. This reality check led Western governments to pressure Lebanese political parties into postponing the parliamentary elections scheduled for spring 2026 by two years. Little wonder, then, that even Rubio’s optimism has cooled somewhat. Commenting on Aoun’s recent visit, he merely cautioned that this was “only the beginning of the beginning.” One thing is certain: it was a rather isolated Lebanese president who took off from Beirut last week to accept Trump’s invitation. In most of the Lebanese capital’s political salons, regardless of sectarian affiliation, the prevailing sentiment is: “Good luck, my dear. It’ll all be over in November 2028!”
Lebanon, Israel to hold next round of talks in Italy on Aug 4
LEBANESE Prime Minister Nawaf Salam places a national flag along a damaged street in the southern village of Zawtar al-Gharbiya.—AFP BEIRUT: Lebanon and Israel plan to hold their next round of US-brokered talks in Italy on Aug 4, a Lebanese official said on Wednesday, as the two countries began implementing a plan for Israeli withdrawals and Lebanese army deployment in the south. The two countries have held more than three months of face-to-face talks, billed as a way to put a permanent end to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, triggered by the wider US-Iran conflict. The ambassador-level direct meetings are unusual for countries that remain formally at war and have had no normal diplomatic relations through decades of invasion, military occupation and cross-border conflict. Five meetings hosted by the United States produced a framework deal late last month which foresees the disarmament of Hezbollah, the progressive withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon and the deployment of Lebanese troops. The ambassador-level talks have since moved to the Italian capital so that delegations could discuss the technical details and guidelines of the pilot zones – the term for the geographical areas where that phased process would be implemented. Beirut hails Israeli pullback from areas in the south, but says it wants full withdrawal ‘Full Israeli pullout’ The first Israeli withdrawal under the pilot zone programme took place this week. Israeli forces pulled out of the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh and the Lebanese army began deploying troops there, but asked residents to delay their return until the town was cleared of unexploded ordnance. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh on Wednesday and planted a Lebanese flag there, saying the state would work to reopen roads, clear rubble and restore public services so that residents could return. Salam said Israel’s withdrawal was a significant first step, but Lebanon wanted a full Israeli withdrawal. Israel continues to occupy what it describes as a buffer zone about 10 kilometres inside Lebanon along the length of the border, where Israeli troops have ordered local residents to leave and razed villages. Despite a ceasefire that came into force last month, controlled demolitions have continued. Tens of thousands of Lebanese people remain displaced, unable to return home because their villages remain occupied by Israeli troops or have been destroyed. Israeli officials have said they will remain in southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remains armed. The group has rejected Beirut’s direct talks with Tel Aviv and has refused to disarm in full. During his first official trip to Washington, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon could remove “the root cause that Hezbollah has long cited as its justification”. Only then could Hezbollah be disarmed, Aoun told guests at a reception at the Lebanese embassy in Washington, according to comments shared by his office. ‘Heads held high’ The war has caused widespread destruction, mainly in the south, though violence has declined since the signing of a framework agreement between the United States and Iran last month and the Lebanon-Israel deal. According to the UN, more than 700,000 people have returned home over the past few weeks. In Zawtar al-Gharbiya, dozens of residents waited at the village’s entrance for permission to go check on their homes. “We will enter the town with our heads held high, thanks to the presence of the Lebanese army,” Abbas Yaghi, 73, said. The military has told residents to avoid entering the village “until the security situation stabilises”. The army is conducting a sweep of the town, which is geographically contiguous with its Israeli-occupied neighbour, Zawtar al-Sharqiya. Israeli troops still launch intermittent strikes in surrounding towns, the latest on Nabatieh al-Fawqa. Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2026
Trump says US-Lebanon flights can resume, pledges help for that country after meeting its president
US President Donald Trump pledged to help Lebanon “a lot” during a White House meeting Tuesday with the country’s leader, Joseph Aoun, who came to push for long-term calm after months of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. The US has championed peace in Lebanon but has been increasingly distracted by new escalation of the war in Iran, which has destabilized much of the Middle East. Trump says he now has little interest in talks with Iran’s leaders to end the war. In
Trump says US will 'take care of' Houthis if they impose Red Sea blockade
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States would 'take care of' the Iran-backed Houthi militia if it presses ahead with a blockade in the Red Sea, as concerns grew that if the waterway is blocked, it could further strain global energy supplies. Trump made the remarks during a press availability with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House. On Monday, the Houthi militia announced a blockade on Saudi Arabia, deepening fears that the Red Sea, an alternative energy export cor
Joseph Aoun in Washington: Bilal Saab firmly believes 'this meeting couldn't have gone any better'
François Picard is pleased to welcome Bilal Saab, Senior Managing Director of the Trends Research Group and a close friend of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. Mr. Saab offers a cautiously optimistic assessment of a pivotal moment in Lebanese diplomacy, arguing that President Aoun's visit to Washington represents an important opportunity to consolidate international backing for Lebanon's sovereignty and state institutions. While acknowledging the formidable structural challenges posed by Hezbollah, regional tensions, and extremely complex Israeli-Lebanese security challenges, Mr. Saab contends that success will not come from military coercion, but rather a focus on the gradual strengthening of the Lebanese state. According to Mr. Saab, Lebanon is both a testing ground for American regional diplomacy and a fragile experiment in state-building that will require sustained political support and not symbolic declarations.
Aoun'un Washington Ziyareti: Toplantı Daha İyi OlamazdıLübnan ordusu, İsrail ile varılan anlaşma sonrası güney bölgelerine konuşlanıyor
Beyrut yönetimi, Cumhurbaşkanı Joseph Aoun'un Washington ziyaretinin son gününde salı günü ABD Başkanı Donald Trump ile yapacağı kritik görüşmeye hazırlanırken, Lübnan'ın güney bölgelerine yönelik askeri konuşlanmanın başladığını duyurdu.
Iran targets American military assets in Gulf, warns of more attacks as US strikes Iran for 10th consecutive day
Iran targeted US radar and air defence installations in the Gulf on Tuesday, warning Washington of “more decisive and powerful” attacks to come as the US military completed a fresh round of strikes on the country. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had attacked and stopped two “non-compliant oil tankers” attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, part of an effort to tighten its grip on the vital waterway while the war reignited. Following the deaths of at least three US soldiers in the past several days, the United States launched a new round of attacks against Iran late on Monday which it said were “designed to further degrade Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping” in the strait. It later said that it had completed the strikes during which US forces “struck Iranian military command centres, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defence systems to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial vessels flowing through the Strait of Hormuz”. “Commercial vessel transits through the vital international maritime corridor continue,” it said. “American forces remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression toward civilian mariners seeking to freely and openly transit the strait,” it added. Hours after the first statement, the Iranian army said it had targeted US assets in Kuwait and Bahrain, including air defence systems, radar installations and administrative buildings. “With this radar sweep, the enemy should prepare for even more decisive and powerful waves of drone and missile attacks,” the Guards said in a statement carried by state news agency IRNA. US President Donald Trump warned Monday that Iran would pay “many times over” for every American soldier killed, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the conflict had become “a full-scale war”. Nearly 100 US servicemembers have been wounded since July 7, the Pentagon said on Monday, most with minor concussions. Diplomatic exchanges In the Strait of Hormuz, meanwhile, the Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday two tankers attempting to transit the strait “were hit by explosions, resulting in massive fires that brought them to a standstill”. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) earlier reported that an “unknown projectile” struck a tanker off the coast of Oman. On Tuesday, UKMTO reported another tanker off the coast of Oman had been struck by a projectile. Despite the latest fighting, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said diplomatic exchanges with Washington via mediators were ongoing. Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni is in Islamabad for a two-day visit during which he will meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to the interior ministry. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is set to meet with Trump in Washington on Tuesday as pressure builds for Beirut to disarm Hezbollah, Israel’s key condition before withdrawing from south Lebanon. Red Sea threat Yemen’s Houthi rebels entered the fray on Monday, announcing an immediate maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, opening a new front in the conflict. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree declared the embargo effective immediately, framing it as retaliation on an “eye-for-an-eye” basis against Saudi Arabia. The naval blockade, if enforced, could further strain Saudi Arabia’s economy by cutting off access to its Red Sea ports, which have been vital for oil exports as renewed fighting limits passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade is also expected to hurt global markets that rely on Saudi Arabia — the world’s leading crude exporter, producing over 10 million barrels per day — for their energy imports. The announcement follows an exchange of fire between the Houthis and Saudi forces last week, the first direct clash between the two sides in years. The Houthis have previously tried to cut off shipping through the Red Sea, leveraging the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a chokepoint at its southern tip which vessels must navigate when travelling to or from the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. They previously launched drone and missile attacks on ships transiting the strategic waterway beginning in November 2023 during the Gaza war, forcing vessels to take lengthy detours around Africa instead of travelling directly from Europe. Yemen shares a border and coastline with Saudi Arabia, whose Red Sea port of Yanbu has been crucial for exporting oil, bypassing Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz during its war with the US. Saudi’s foreign ministry condemned the Houthi maritime blockade and a reasserted Riyadh’s backing for Yemen’s Aden-based government.
Burgenstock Barışı Çöktü, ABD-İran Savaşı 13. GecesindeLebanese army begins takeover of ‘pilot zones’
WASHINGTON: The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages on Monday, the United States said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground. The US State Department said operations had started in “pilot zones” in Froun, Srifa and Zawtar al-Gharbiya “in accordance with the Trilateral Framework and under the auspices of the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon.” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott described the step as “a direct outcome” of talks held between Israeli and Lebanese delegations in Rome last week, adding that Washington would keep working with both sides “to implement the framework to a successful conclusion.” The framework, signed by Lebanon, Israel and the United States on June 26 after several rounds of direct negotiations, envisions a phased Israeli pullback from positions in south Lebanon. Rubio hails peace efforts after meeting President Aoun In exchange, the Lebanese Armed Forces are to assume sole security control of vacated areas and certify that they have been cleared of Hezbollah weapons and infrastructure. The pilot zones are intended to trial the approach in a handful of villages straddling the Litani River before it is extended to other areas. Hezbollah has rejected the framework, with the Iran-backed group insisting any arrangement in Lebanon be linked to wider negotiations between Washington and Tehran. It has not said whether it will resist implementation in the designated areas. The agreement does not set a timetable for Israel’s withdrawal. Israeli officials have also vowed that their forces will remain in a “security zone” 10 kilometres (six miles) deep along the frontier for as long as Hezbollah remains armed. Lebanon and Israel, which have no formal relations, started negotiations after Iran-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the broader Middle East war by attacking Israel in March. Lebanon’s military said last week that troops had begun intensifying patrols in several villages adjacent to areas occupied by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, including Froun. Israeli forces are however present on the outskirts of Zawtar al-Gharbiya. In a statement shared following the state department’s announcement, the Lebanese military said troops “continue to carry out their missions in the southern regions, including the towns of Froun and Srifa.” “In parallel, coordination is underway with the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L) to begin deployment in the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya,” awaiting Israel’s withdrawal from there, the army added, warning citizens against heading to the town. The framework agreement was reached following a fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war. Israel still launches occasional strikes in southern Lebanon and carries out detonations in villages it occupies near the border. Rubio hails peace efforts US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington on Sunday, praising the country for its “move towards peace” after the latest round of Lebanon-Israel talks. It was the first trip to the US capital by a Lebanese head of state since Michel Sleiman was received by Barack Obama in 2009. Aoun and Rubio held talks at the State Department, and Lebanese officials said Aoun is due to meet with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2026
Lebanon's Aoun to meet Trump as pressure builds to disarm Hezbollah
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is set to meet with his US counterpart Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday, as pressure builds for Beirut to disarm Hezbollah, Israel's key condition before withdrawing from south Lebanon. Aoun, who has staunchly criticised Hezbollah's decision to pull Lebanon into war, is now hoping Trump will further pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied Lebanese lands.