At last, he has secured a victory. The US Supreme Court has granted him the green light to continue building the ballroom at the White House. And on that dancing stage, Trump may finally fulfil his wish of leaving a permanent mark on Washington. But will it be his final dance there — a victory or a defeat after the midterm elections?
November is approaching, and the US president is racing against the clock for votes, hoping for a “deal” whose raw materials he seeks to extract from the depths of the Strait, and turn to the advantage of the Republican camp. Yet neither military strikes nor economic pressure have produced the desired results with Iran, as events moved against the course Trump had hoped for in the Strait of Hormuz.
The countries sharing the shores of the repercussions have instead united. The Shanghai Summit concluded by reaffirming support for Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while calling for a diplomatic settlement. The Mecca Alliance, meanwhile, concluded its meetings in Istanbul by supporting efforts aimed at reducing escalation and exercising restraint in a way that encourages a peaceful solution.
In between, the roles were divided today. The Chinese president carried regional and international issues of mutual concern into his meeting with the Egyptian president. Meanwhile, the Russian-Iranian alliance was on display as Putin received Pezeshkian, reaffirming the Russian people’s solidarity with the Iranian people in defending their interests, while adding another dimension: preserving economic relations between the two countries despite the current military and political circumstances.
Jeddah then stole the spotlight from the meetings, with the visit of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman to Saudi Arabia and his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two leaders discussed developments in the region and efforts aimed at preserving its security and stability.
In parallel, Doha and Islamabad are seeking to breathe new life into the memorandum of understanding, as a more viable path towards achieving lasting peace and stability, based on the belief that leaving the Strait of Hormuz crisis unresolved would harm everyone and lead to further escalation.
And even if that escalation remains calculated, measured by the rhythm of strike and counterstrike, and beneath the threat of an oil spill, the US president has described the situation in Hormuz as “great.”
Amid all this regional and international movement, Lebanon alone continues to fight its own battles.
Between Athens and efforts to end the state of hostility with Israel, and Rome, where another round remains pending without a timetable, Army Commander Rodolph Haykal stepped in to fill the vacuum. After Italy, he travelled to Amman, where he met Jordan’s King Abdullah II to discuss the possible role the Hashemite Kingdom could play alongside Lebanon, particularly in efforts to push for the renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate — or, failing that, to secure an alternative monitoring presence capable of documenting Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon.
Shortly after returning from Amman, Haykal headed to the Grand Serail, where he met Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and briefed him on the results.
Attention now turns to عين التينة.
Following the front of rejection formed in Nabih Berri’s speech marking the anniversary of Imam Moussa al-Sadr’s disappearance, and after a closer reading of Berri’s many “noes,” it became clear that half of the message was justified, while the other half did not completely burn bridges with the presidency.
Berri’s latest press remarks therefore confirmed that there is no rupture with the president, and that the current phase requires the combined efforts of all sides to confront Israeli attacks and challenges.
And because the south remains at the forefront of attention, amid the aggression it continues to endure, today more than ever it must remain at the forefront.
For Greater Lebanon, which today completes its 106th year since its establishment, is small without the south.