Israel considers Lebanon a strategic threat

Amidst the complex political landscape, Washington is gradually revealing the extent of its blatant interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs through statements that ignore reality and disregard the will of the people.

On its X account, the US embassy in Beirut posted a photo of President Donald Trump, along with a quote from his recent statement in which he expressed his great appreciation for Lebanon and its people.

“Lebanon is a great place with brilliant people. You know it was known for their professors and doctors and it had an incredible history, hopefully we can bring it back again…We’re with Lebanon all the way,” Trump said.

These statements reveal nothing but the true face of American policy in West Asia, which seeks to impose its hegemony and influence by force, without the slightest regard for the rights and sovereignty of the people.

Despite its claims of commitment to Lebanon’s stability, Washington is in fact seeking to fragment Lebanon and weaken its resistance force, serving the interests of the Israeli occupation.

Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad revealed during an interview with Al-Mayadeen TV that America is exerting pressure on the Lebanese government regarding the issue of the resistance's weapons, noting that “the US is seeking to impose a timetable for the withdrawal of these weapons in a bid to blackmail Lebanon.”

“The Americans say they are awaiting an answer from the Lebanese government next week, applying the principle of step-by-step,” Fayyad said, stressing that the issue of the resistance’s weapons will be addressed with the Lebanese state “after the full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories is completed.”

Meanwhile, UNIFIL Sector West Commander, Nicola Mandolesi, revealed that the UN force’s freedom of movement is “a prerequisite for implementing its mandate, including the ability to operate independently and impartially,” noting that “supporting the Lebanese Army is a fundamental pillar of UNIFIL’s work, through contributing to deployments and joint missions.”

Throughout the history of conflict, Lebanon, without exaggeration, may be the next Arab country after Palestine to be harmed by Israel, a real threat to Israel’s entire existence.

Undoubtedly, the enemy is aware of this reality and even deals with Lebanon accordingly. This is the reason it firmly believes that Lebanon, as a strategic competitor, must not be stable or prosper!

The enemy, with the help of Washington, is working in various ways to prevent the building of a capable state of institutions in Lebanon.

It is no coincidence that sell-out voices calling for normalization, federalism, and the resettlement of Palestinian and Syrian refugees are rising.

These local anti-resistance tools of the US forces and individuals have recently been coherently and synchronously renewing the false claim that the Shebaa Farms are not Lebanese.

They are carrying out instructions aimed at dividing the country and carving out areas of it to serve Israel’s expansionist colonialist vision, whenever possible.

Undoubtedly, and like most peoples of West Asia, the state of hostility between the vast majority of Lebanese and “Israel” is greater, more distant, and deeper whether the war is renewed or continues as a cold war.

 

Pakistan assumes UN Security Council presidency

As the world grapples with escalating conflicts, deepening geopolitical rifts, and growing doubts over the efficacy of multilateral institutions, Pakistan assumes the presidency of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, taking on a symbolic but strategic role at a particularly fraught moment.

This marks Pakistan’s eighth term on the 15-member body and its first presidency since 2013. Islamabad began its current two-year term as a non-permanent member in January 2025 and will serve through the end of 2026.

Talking to Dawn, Pakistan’s Permanent Rep­resentative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, noted the challenges that define the current international landscape.

“Pakistan is going to assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council at a time of global tumult marked by growing instability, escalating conflicts, complex geopolitical and geostrategic landscape, and serious threats to international peace and security,” he said.

While the presidency rotates monthly and does not carry executive authority, it allows the presiding country to influence the Council’s agenda and tone — a platform that matters at a time when the UNSC is increasingly seen as deadlocked, especially on issues like Gaza and Ukra­i­­ne. With global trust in multilateral mechanisms under strain, Pakistan’s leadership — even if brief — will be closely watched.

The ambassador underscored Pakis­tan’s commitment to its long-held positions on peaceful conflict resolution. “Pakistan has been a staunch and consistent advocate of dialogue and diplomacy… We will bring a principled and balanced perspective to the work of the Security Council,” he said, pledging to strengthen multilateralism and deepen cooperation with other UNSC members.

“We seek to promote transparency, incl­u­sivity and responsiveness during Pakis­tan’s presidency,” said Ambassador Ahmad. “We will closely work with other Cou­ncil members in a spirit of cooperation for collective and timely action… in line with the UN Charter and corresponding to the exp­ectations of the international community.”

 

 

Barham Salih joins MEI as Distinguished Leadership Fellow

The Middle East Institute (MEI) is honored to welcome Dr. Barham A. Salih, former President of the Republic of Iraq, as its inaugural Distinguished Leadership Fellow. A veteran Iraqi Kurdish statesman and founder of the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, Dr. Salih brings decades of high-level public service and thought leadership to MEI’s growing network of distinguished experts.

“Dr. Salih has played a defining role in shaping Iraq’s post-2003 political landscape and has long been a voice for moderation, reform, and inclusion in the region,” said Ambassador (ret.) Stu Jones, President of MEI. “We are privileged to welcome him to MEI, and we look forward to the insights and perspectives he will bring to our work.”

From 2018 to 2022, Dr. Salih served as the eighth President of Iraq. Over the course of his career, he held a range of senior positions in both the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal Iraqi government, including two terms as Prime Minister of the KRG (2001-2004 and 2009-2012), Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq (2004-2009), and Minister of Planning in the transitional government (2005). He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

Dr. Salih joins MEI as the first member of its newly launched Distinguished Leadership Fellows expert cohort, which is planned to include prominent former public officials — primarily from the Middle East — whose careers reflect exceptional leadership outside of the diplomatic service or armed forces. The Distinguished Leadership Fellows complement MEI’s existing Distinguished Diplomatic Fellows and Distinguished Military Fellows, offering unique expertise and real-world experience to MEI’s convenings, publications, and strategic dialogues.

“Barham Salih embodies the very purpose of this new fellowship,” said Dr. Kenneth M. Pollack, MEI’s Vice President for Policy. “He is a statesman of the highest caliber, whose voice is deeply informed by both democratic ideals and the practical challenges of governance. We are proud to have him affiliated with MEI.”

Dr. Salih earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Cardiff and his PhD in statistics and computer applications in engineering from the University of Liverpool. He is married to Dr. Sarbagh Salih, a botanist and women’s rights advocate. He is fluent in Kurdish, Arabic, and English.

Trump lifts sanctions on Syria

According to media reports, President Donald Trump signed on Monday an executive order terminating a US sanctions program on Syria, allowing an end to the country's isolation from the international financial system and building on Washington's pledge to help it rebuild after a devastating civil war.

The White House said the administration would continue to monitor Syria's progress on key priorities including "taking concrete steps toward normalizing ties with Israel, addressing foreign terrorists, deporting Palestinian terrorists and banning Palestinian terrorist groups."

The move will allow the US to maintain sanctions on Syria's ousted former president Bashar al-Assad, his associates, human rights abusers, drug traffickers, people linked to chemical weapons activities, the Islamic State and ISIS affiliates and proxies for Iran, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters in a briefing.

Assad was toppled in December 2024 in a lightning offensive by Islamist-led rebels and Syria has since taken steps to re-establish international ties.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said Trump's termination of the Syria sanctions program would "open door of long-awaited reconstruction and development."

He said the move would "lift the obstacle" against economic recovery and open the country to the international community.

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Trump met in Riyadh in May where, in a major policy shift, Trump unexpectedly announced he would lift US sanctions on Syria, prompting Washington to significantly ease its measures.

Some in Congress are pushing for the measures to be totally repealed, while Europe has announced the end of its economic sanctions regime.

"Syria needs to be given a chance, and that's what's happened," US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack told reporters in a briefing call. He described Monday's move as "the culmination of a very tedious, detailed, excruciating process of, how do you unwrap these sanctions."

The White House in a fact sheet said the order directs the Secretary of State to review the terrorism designations of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a rebel group that Sharaa led that has roots in al Qaeda, as well as Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

 

Hundreds of families displaced by Israeli air strikes on Gaza

According to media reports, Israel has carried out a wave of air strikes across the Gaza Strip, triggering displacement of hundreds of Palestinian families. The bombardment follows one of the largest evacuation orders issued since the war resumed in March. It comes amid increasing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refocus efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement.

Residents in Gaza City said dozens of Israeli air raids targeted densely populated eastern neighborhoods, including Shujaiya, Tuffah, and Zeitoun. Videos posted by activists on social media captured scenes of chaos and explosions illuminating the night sky, followed by flames and thick plumes of smoke rising above the skyline.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had earlier ordered residents to leave large parts of northern Gaza, in anticipation of the attacks. Most of those displaced overnight moved westwards within Gaza City rather than to the southern region as instructed by the IDF.

"We had no choice but to leave everything behind," said Abeer Talba, a mother of seven who fled Zeitoun with her family.

"We got phone calls recordings in Arabic telling us we were in a combat zone and must evacuate immediately.

"This is the seventh time we've been forced to flee," she added. "We're in the streets again, no food, no water. My children are starving. Death feels kinder than this."

Amid the growing humanitarian crisis, fears are mounting that the evacuation orders and sustained air strikes are part of a broader Israeli plan to expand its ground offensive deeper into Gaza.

But there is also speculation in Israeli media that some generals are close to concluding that military operations in Gaza are near to being achieved.

That is also the view of many former army leaders who fear that the descent of the Gaza campaign into more attritional, guerilla-style warfare would lead to more deaths – of hostages, civilians and soldiers.

The Israeli prime minister's next moves are being closely watched. While Benjamin Netanyahu's instincts have always been to continue the war and defeat Hamas, he is coming under increasing pressure at home and abroad to pursue a new ceasefire agreement.

US must promise not to attack Iran before talks begin

The United States must rule out any further strikes on Iran if it wants to resume diplomatic talks, Tehran's deputy foreign minister told the BBC.

Majid Takht-Ravanchi says the Trump administration has told Iran through mediators it wants to return to negotiations, but had "not made their position clear" on the "very important question" of further attacks while talks are taking place.

Israel's military operation, which began in the early hours of June 13, scuppered a sixth round of mainly indirect talks set to take place in Muscat two days later.

The US became directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran last weekend when it targeted three Iranian nuclear sites in a bombing raid.

Takht-Ravanchi also said Iran will "insist" on being able to enrich uranium for what it says are peaceful purposes, rejecting accusations that Iran was secretly moving towards developing a nuclear bomb.

He said Iran had been "denied access to nuclear material" for its research program so needed "to rely on ourselves".

"The level of that can be discussed, the capacity can be discussed, but to say that you should not have enrichment, you should have zero enrichment, and if do you not agree, we will bomb you — that is the law of the jungle," the deputy foreign minister said.

Israel began its attacks, targeting nuclear and military sites as well as assassinating commanders and scientists, in Iran on June 13, claiming Tehran was close to building a nuclear weapon.

Iran responded by attacking Israel with missiles. Hostilities continued for 12 days, during which the US dropped bombs on three of Iran's nuclear sites: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.

The extent of the damage caused to Iran's nuclear program by US strikes has been unclear, and Takht-Ravanchi said he could not give an exact assessment.

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the strikes caused severe but "not total" damage, while US President Donald Trump declared that Iran's nuclear facilities were "totally obliterated".

Grossi also said Iran had the capacity to start enriching uranium again in "a matter of months". In response, Takht-Ravanchi said he did not know if that would be the case.

Iran's relationship with the IAEA has become increasingly strained. On Wednesday, its parliament moved to suspend cooperation with the atomic watchdog, accusing the IAEA of siding with Israel and the US.

Trump has said he would "absolutely" consider bombing Iran again if intelligence found that it could enrich uranium to concerning levels.

Takht-Ravanchi said no date had been agreed upon for a possible return to talks and he did not know what would be on the agenda, after Trump suggested discussions could take place this week.

Iran's deputy foreign minister said "right now we are seeking an answer to this question: are we going to see a repetition of an act of aggression while we are engaging in dialogue?"

He said the US had to be "quite clear on this very important question" and "what they are going to offer us in order to make the necessary confidence required for such a dialogue".

Asked if Iran could consider rethinking its nuclear program as part of any deal, possibly in return for sanctions relief and investment in the country, Takht-Ravanchi asked, "Why should we agree to such a proposal?"

He reiterated that Iran's program, including enriching uranium to 60%, was "for peaceful purposes".

Under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran was not permitted to enrich uranium above 3.67% purity — the level required for fuel for commercial nuclear power plants — and was not allowed to carry out any enrichment at its Fordo plant for 15 years.

However, Trump abandoned the agreement in 2018 during his first term as president, saying it did too little to stop a pathway to a bomb, and reinstated US sanctions.

Iran retaliated by increasingly breaching the restrictions — particularly those relating to enrichment. It resumed enrichment at Fordo in 2021 and had amassed enough 60%-enriched uranium to potentially make nine nuclear bombs, according to the IAEA.

Pressed on European and Western leaders having a lack of trust towards Iran, Takht-Ravanchi accused some European leaders of a "ridiculous" endorsement of US and Israeli strikes.

He said those who are criticizing Iran over its nuclear program "should criticize the way that we have been treated" and criticize the US and Israel.

He added, "And if they do not have the guts to criticize America, they should keep silent, not try to justify the aggression."

Takht-Ravanchi also said Iran had received messages through mediators that the US did "not want to engage in regime change in Iran" by targeting the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on Iranians to "rise for their freedom" to bring down the clerical rule of Khamenei, but, after last week's ceasefire was reached, Trump said he did not want the same.

Takht-Ravanchi insisted it would not happen and the idea "tantamount to a futile exercise".

He said although some Iranians "might have criticism of some actions by the government, when it comes to foreign aggression they would be united to confront it".

The deputy foreign minister said it was "not quite clear" if the ceasefire with Israel would last, but Iran would continue to observe it "as long as there is no military attack against us".

He said Iran's Arab allies in the Arabian Gulf were "doing their best to try to prepare the necessary atmosphere for a dialogue". Qatar is known to have played a key role in brokering the current ceasefire.

He added, "We do not want war. We want to engage in dialogue and diplomacy, but we have to be prepared, we have to be cautious, not to be surprised again."

Mari Energies EPS declines 10%YoY

Mari Energies (MARI) held its corporate briefing session on Monday to discuss 9MFY25 results. MARI announced 9MFY25 profit after tax of PKR46.3 billion (EPS: PKR38.54), down 10%YoY.

Key takeaways from the briefing:

MARI has the second highest reserve base in Pakistan, with 2P and 2C reserves currently at 816mmboe, boasting a reserve life of 17 years.  

MARI reported production of approximately 30mmboe during 9MFY25. However, output continues to face headwinds due to gas curtailment stemming from pipeline bottlenecks, a challenge likely to intensify as more gas based captive power plants transition to the national grid. Management is actively engaging with the government to address and resolve the issue.

Update on Waziristan Block:

Production from the Shewa field commenced on March 23, 2025, and is currently yielding around 50mmcfd of gas and 450bpd of oil. However, these figures remain significantly below the tested flow rates of 70mmcfd of gas and 700bpd of oil, primarily due to production curtailments.

MARI has announced a major discovery at the Spinwam well in the Waziristan Block, reporting promising hydrocarbon potential across multiple reservoirs. The company estimates total recoverable reserves at around 799bcf and is currently in the process of finalizing the field development plan.

Update on Mari D&P:

MARI has drilled a total of nine wells in the Ghazij formation, including one exploratory, four appraisal, and four development wells—all of which have been brought online and are currently producing around 35mmcfd of gas. To complete Phase 1 of the development plan, the company intends to drill additional development wells in FY26.

MARI made Shawal discovery in April 2024 which is producing 15mmcfd of gas, 8bpd of oil and 290bpd of water. MARI has planned to drill appraisal wells during FY26 and management expects to increase production to 30mmcfd of gas and 50bpd of oil. 

Management expects production from the HRL reservoir to remain stable over the near to medium term. However, periodic fluctuations may occur due to planned turnarounds at fertilizer plants. Regarding a potential price revision for HRL gas, management noted that the field remains economically viable at current rates, making a price increase unlikely from the government’s perspective.

Update on Offshore Block 5 – Abu Dhabi:

A Production Concession Agreement (PCA) has been signed between PIOL, ADNOC, and SCFEA, under which ADNOC assumes operatorship of the block with a 60% working interest, while the remaining 40% is held by PIOL.