Mufti Kabalan calls on Lebanese state to 'closely monitor the geopolitical earthquake impacting the region'
In a statement, the religious dignitary stated that 'the entire region is rocked by an earthquake that will spare no one' and by 'existential regional threats,' adding that the government must take responsibility in light of this situation because 'we cannot improvise at the edge of the abyss.'
Monitoring the 'geopolitical earthquake' in the Middle East is crucial, according to him, to 'avoid new structural catastrophes affecting Lebanon,' which is 'composed of communities living in coexistence' and must be protected from any tension based on sectarian grounds. The solution to these threats lies, he said, in 'the consolidation of a national discourse reassuring for all components, taking into account the concerns and sensitivities' of each.
The 'chaos projects' of Israel in Syria and Lebanon
For Sheikh Kabalan, Lebanon is at risk because it is 'at the heart of a U.S. and Israeli project that seeks to exploit sectarian sensitivities.' 'National security involves protecting communities, their coexistence, guaranteeing their social security, strengthening citizenship, fostering dialogue, safeguarding pluralism and diversity,' he wrote. He also argued that Syria is 'a crucial regional balance point' that must be protected against Israel's 'chaos projects.'
The Israeli army announced on Saturday that it had 'deployed' in southern Syria in order, it says, to 'protect Druze villages' after deadly clashes during the week between fighters linked to the new power and members of this religious minority. The gravity of the situation has prompted numerous reactions from Druze and Christian leaders in Lebanon, as Beirut seeks to avoid repercussions from the tensions in Syria.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Ya Libnan
an hour ago
- Ya Libnan
Iran's rulers face existential choice after US-Israeli strikes: Diplomacy or defiance
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with Judiciary Officials in Tehran, Iran, July 16, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Weakened by war and diplomatic deadlock, Iran 's clerical elite stands at a crossroads: defy pressure to halt its nuclear activity and risk further Israeli and U.S. attack, or concede and risk a leadership fracture. For now, the Islamic Republic establishment is focusing on immediate survival over longer-term political strategy. A fragile ceasefire ended a 12-day war in June that began with Israeli air strikes , followed by U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear installations. Both sides declared victory but the war exposed the military vulnerabilities and punctured the image of deterrence maintained by a major Middle East power and Israel's arch regional foe. Three Iranian insiders told Reuters the political establishment now views negotiations with the U.S. – aimed at resolving a decades-long dispute over its nuclear ambitions – as the only way to avoid further escalation and existential peril. The strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets, which included killings of top Revolutionary Guard commanders and nuclear scientists, shocked Tehran, kicking off just a day before a planned sixth round of talks with Washington. While Tehran accused Washington of 'betraying diplomacy', some hardline lawmakers and military commanders blamed officials who advocated diplomacy with Washington, arguing the dialogue proved a 'strategic trap' that distracted the armed forces. However, one political insider, who like others requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter, said the leadership now leaned towards talks as 'they've seen the cost of military confrontation'. President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that resuming talks with the United States 'does not mean we intend to surrender', addressing hardliners opposing further nuclear diplomacy after the war. He added: 'You don't want to talk? What do you want to do? … Do you want to go (back) to war?' His remarks were criticized by hardliners including Revolutionary Guards commander Aziz Ghazanfari, who warned that foreign policy demands discretion and that careless statements could have serious consequences. Ultimately, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei holds the final say. Insiders said he and the clerical power structure had reached a consensus to resume nuclear negotiations, viewing them as vital to the Islamic Republic's survival. Iran's Foreign Ministry said no decision has been made on the resumption of nuclear talks. DYNAMICS AND EXTERNAL PRESSURE U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have warned they will not hesitate to hit Iran again if it resumes enrichment of uranium, a possible pathway to developing nuclear weapons. Last week, Trump warned that if Iran restarted enrichment despite the June strikes on its key production plants, 'we'll be back'. Tehran responded with a vow of forceful retaliation. Still, Tehran fears future strikes could cripple political and military coordination, and so has formed a defense council to ensure command continuity even if the 86-year-old Khamenei must relocate to a remote hideaway to avoid assassination Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington D.C., said that if Iran seeks to rapidly rebuild its nuclear capacity without securing diplomatic or security guarantees, 'a U.S.–Israeli strike won't just be possible – it will be all but inevitable'. 'Re-entering talks could buy Tehran valuable breathing room and economic relief, but without swift U.S. reciprocity it risks a hardline backlash, deepening elite divisions, and fresh accusations of surrender,' Vatanka said. Tehran insists on its right to uranium enrichment as part of what it maintains is a peaceful nuclear energy program , while the Trump administration demands a total halt – a core sticking point in the diplomatic standoff. Renewed United Nations sanctions under the so-called 'snapback' mechanism , pushed by three European powers , loom as a further threat if Tehran refuses to return to negotiations or if no verifiable deal to curb its nuclear activity results. Tehran has threatened to quit the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. But insiders say this is a pressure tactic, not a realistic plan – as exiting the NPT would telegraph an Iranian race for nuclear bombs and invite U.S. and Israeli intervention. A senior Western diplomat said Iran's rulers were vulnerable as never before, and any defiance was a gamble liable to backfire at a time of rising domestic unrest, impaired deterrence power and Israel's disabling of Iran's militia proxies in wars around the Middle East since 2023. MOUNTING ANXIETY Among ordinary Iranians, weariness over war and international isolation runs deep, compounded by a growing sense of failed governance. The oil-based economy, already hobbled by sanctions and state mismanagement, is under worsening strain. Daily blackouts afflict cities around the country of 87 million people, forcing many businesses to cut back. Reservoirs have receded to record lows, prompting warnings from the government of a looming 'national water emergency.' Many Iranians – even those opposed to the Shi'ite theocracy – rallied behind the country during the June war, but now face lost incomes and intensified repression. Alireza, 43, a furniture merchant in Tehran, said he is considering downsizing his business and relocating his family outside the capital amid fears of further air attack. 'This is the result of 40 years of failed policies,' he said, alluding to Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Western-backed monarchy. 'We are a resource-rich country and yet people don't have water and electricity. My customers have no money. My business is collapsing.' At least 20 people across Iran interviewed by phone echoed Alireza's sentiment – that while most Iranians do not want another war, they are also losing faith in the establishment's capacity to govern wisely. Despite broad discontent, large-scale protests have not broken out. Instead, authorities have tightened security, ramped up pressure on pro-democracy activists, accelerated executions and cracked down on alleged Israeli-linked spy networks – fueling fears of widening surveillance and repression. However, sidelined moderates have resurfaced in state media after years of exclusion. Some analysts see this as a move to ally public anxiety and signal the possibility of reform from within – without 'regime change' that would shift core policies. (Reuters)
LBCI
3 hours ago
- LBCI
Israeli airstrikes hit multiple sites across southern Lebanon and West Bekaa
Israeli airstrikes hit multiple locations in Lebanon, including Zellaya and the Jabour Heights in the West Bekaa, as well as Jarmaq and Berghoz in the south. A series of strikes also targeted an open area between Jarmaq and Mahmoudiyeh.
L'Orient-Le Jour
12 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Finance minister announces funds for the Higher Relief Committee and contractors' debts amid 2026 budget planning
Finance Minister Yassine Jaber made several announcements related to public finance topics, according to a statement published Thursday by his ministry following a Cabinet meeting dedicated to various files. The minister also chaired a meeting with the relevant senior officials "to examine the latest measures related to preparing the 2026 budget, so that it can be presented within the constitutional deadlines." To remain on schedule, the finance minister must submit the draft budget for the following year before the end of August, so it can be reviewed by the Cabinet and then sent to Parliament. Among the other announcements, the minister first indicated that an initial release of LL 200 billion from the public treasury would be allocated to the Higher Relief Committee "to begin repairing the damage in the southern suburbs of Beirut." He also said he had been authorized by the government to "sign a loan agreement with the World Bank for an amount of $250 million intended for the reconstruction of infrastructure in areas affected by the Israeli aggression against Lebanon." Jaber also said that the Cabinet approved Wednesday "a draft law aimed at opening a credit line in the 2025 budget to pay LL 12 million ($134) per month to all public sector retirees." He stated that "this measure, which still needs to be ratified by Parliament, is part of a process aimed at correcting the salaries and compensation of all current and retired public employees, in order to adapt them to living conditions and the state's financial situation, while maintaining balance and ensuring the dignity of employees in this sector." The minister said that the government approved a plan to settle debts owed to contractors carrying out work for the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), an issue that regularly comes up for discussion. "These payments will be staggered annually in installments agreed upon financially and temporally, after years of freeze on this issue, which had blocked several vital projects," the minister said, specifying that this plan was "the result of an agreement between his ministry, the CDR, and the public works contractors' union."
