Wednesday, April 15, 2026

04/14 Links Pt1: Seven Myths About the Iran War; Western European Leaders Betray the West; What If Trump Hadn't Attacked Iran?; Israel, Lebanon agree to negotiations in first direct talks since 1993

From Ian:

Michael Doran: Seven Myths About the Iran War
The media elite refuse to credit President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu with a win. They portray the operation in Iran as aimless adventurism. In doing so, they advance the very arguments that serve America's enemies, undermining the credibility of a successful deterrent action.

Opponents of the Trump administration have repeatedly called this "a war of choice," a conflict the president launched without cause or coherent purpose. The administration has, in fact, made a clear and compelling case. As the president has stated repeatedly for years, "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. It's very simple."

Moreover, at the outset of the war, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described another factor that drove America to act. "They are producing, by some estimates, over 100 ballistic missiles a month. Compare that to the six or seven interceptors that can be built a month." Iran would soon have enough missiles and drones to overwhelm the defenses of Israel and every American base in the region. America could let Israel attack alone, in which case Iran would attack American forces and cause significant casualties; or work together with Israel to eliminate an intolerable threat to both countries.

During the Biden administration, between Jan. 2021 and Jan. 2025, Iranian-backed forces launched hundreds of attacks on American personnel and assets across the Middle East, including over 170 strikes on U.S. bases in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan, plus dozens of attempts against U.S. Navy vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In any previous era, a sustained campaign of this magnitude against American bases and naval vessels would have been called open war.

The American-Israeli campaign achieved its core strategic objectives: halting Iran's advance toward nuclear weapons capability and significantly degrading its ballistic missile program, which together had posed a growing existential threat to Israel and the region. Prior to the operation, Iran was rapidly advancing both programs, with much of its critical infrastructure on the verge of being buried too deeply underground for effective strikes. The result was a decisive disruption of Iran's most dangerous capabilities, while leaving Iran economically crippled.

In the end, Israel and the U.S. entered the conflict facing a severe and imminent threat and emerged with that threat meaningfully and verifiably reduced. That is the fundamental measure of victory in war. The window for effective action was closing. Trump acted before it slammed shut.
What If Trump Hadn't Attacked Iran?
By mid-2025 Iran was assessed to have had nearly a thousand pounds of 60%-enriched uranium. This is so close to weapons grade that American intelligence said the Iranians could have fuel for a bomb in under a week. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) thought it could make enough for nine weapons. They were likely days, not years, from the bomb.

Now, picture what would have happened if they had actually crossed that line. A nuclear Iran doesn't just get a weapon. It gets a shield. The IRGC and the Houthis could control the Strait of Hormuz (as well as the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden) and forever dictate terms to ships with infinitely more certainty than their threats today are armed with.

In addition, Hizbullah operates with nuclear cover. The Gulf states face a simple choice: bow or build their own bombs; Saudi Arabia has already said it would. A nuclear cascade across the most volatile region on Earth would follow. Worst of all, the conflict we have just seen to defang the regime suddenly becomes impossible. This is exactly why the ayatollahs wanted nuclear weapons in the first place.

Tehran executed a brilliant strategy, with extraordinary patience, over two decades. The regime's genius was to make confrontation always seem premature. There was always another round of talks, another sunset clause, another International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection to wait for. A so-called hardliner would be replaced by a so-called moderate.

Each delay bought another year of nuclear enrichment, another generation of drones (used to such devastating effect by Russia in Ukraine), another $1 billion flowing to proxies.

So when we assess the conflict, we must consider the counterfactual of inaction. What would be the effect on our energy security, our trade and investments - and above all the safety of our people - if this intervention had not happened?
Western European Leaders Betray the West
Iran's regime -- not to be confused with its tormented people, many of whom have sacrificing their lives since 1999 trying to oust it -- has, since its installation in 1979, threatened "Death to America" ("the Great Satan") and "Death to Israel" ("the Little Satan").

For 39 years running, Iran has boasted the prestigious label, conferred on it by the US State Department, of the "world's leading state sponsor of terrorism." Iran, along with Qatar, is reportedly a principal financier of international Islamic terrorism as well as a leading agent of global destabilization.

Israel and the United States seem to have concluded, as US President Franklin Roosevelt had regarding the Third Reich in 1941, that, "When you see a rattlesnake poised to strike, you do not wait until he has struck to crush him."

The Iranian regime's "a week to 10 days" must have sounded sufficiently like an "imminent threat" and a "clear and present danger" to have the Trump Administration decide that it would be preferable to neutralize the regime before the regime neutralized the United States.

[The] "sunset clauses" in Obama's 2015 JCPOA "nuclear deal"... would have enabled Iran legitimately to have as many nuclear weapons as it liked by October 2025. When Trump cancelled the JCPOA in 2018, that was the bullet he skillfully dodged.

Other American politicians have wrongly accused the Trump administration of violating the arguably unconstitutional 1973 War Powers Act.

There was no point in allowing Iran to become another North Korea. "You want to see the stock market go down?" Trump asked on Fox News. "Let a couple of nuclear bombs be dropped on us."

Most of these politicians in Europe never condemned decades of atrocities committed by Iran's regime. On January 9, 2026 — at the very moment Iran's regime was slaughtering more than 30,000 of its unarmed people on the streets — Starmer, Macron and Merz published a joint statement heroically expressing "deep concern." That was it.

The immigration to Western Europe of increasingly large Muslim populations, who never assimilated and seem quite devoted to a hatred for Israel and Jews -- as well as for Christians -- has contributed to a resurgence in antagonism toward Jews among political leaders seeking votes throughout Western Europe.

"Western Europe is profoundly afflicted by a political and sociological death wish," wrote Conrad Black last month. "The United States will not save them from that; only they can."

Israel — which most West European leaders in power seem to hold in contempt — is clearly the most reliable ally of the United States; it is these West European leaders who deserve to be held in contempt. Under their dismal and unprincipled leadership, and their wanton surrender to demanding newcomers, Western Europe as we know it may well be heading toward collapse.


Israel Will Fight On
The six-week war with Iran has dramatically changed the strategic picture for the better.

But nobody in Israel is under the illusion that the struggle against evil is over, and nobody should dare question the morality of Israel's need for ongoing and crushing victories over its adversaries.

Israel will not return to the containment policies of recent decades that prioritized restraint and diplomacy over enemy degradation and military triumph.

Israel's changed security paradigm involves proactively asserting dominance along its borders and strategic ascendancy against threats farther away. Israel will hunt down its enemies, not be hounded by them.

Jerusalem knows that its neighbors will seek true reconciliation only when Israel is strong.

Additional Abraham Accord-style peace treaties are possible and desirable, but these will be based on muscular defense partnerships, not mushy notions of goodwill.
Iran Has No Cards
An armada of 121 empty oil tankers is heading toward the U.S., compared with 24 the week before the Iran war began in February, as Asian buyers look to offset the loss of Iranian exports by turning to U.S. suppliers, according to oil research firm Kpler.

Many of these empty tankers are traveling through the Panama Canal. With Chevron now importing 250,000 barrels of Venezuelan crude oil a day after the ouster of dictator Nicholas Maduro, U.S. supply is abundant.

"We think we can take that up another 50%," Andy Walz, president of downstream, midstream and chemicals at Chevron's operations in Mississippi, told BBC last week.

Preventing Iran from selling its oil, which accounts for 40% of its government revenue, will bankrupt the country.

Saudi Arabia announced this weekend it has restored full capacity on its East-West oil pipeline, allowing it to divert exports out of the Red Sea. The UAE can partially bypass the Strait of Hormuz by using its Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline.

The Iranian regime thought blocking the Strait of Hormuz would trigger global economic chaos that would pressure Mr. Trump to halt U.S. operations against it. It hasn't.


‘You will not force us into ghettos again,’ Smotrich tells German chancellor after Judea-Samaria criticism
Israeli officials on Monday slammed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after he warned against “de facto annexation of the West Bank” in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The days when Germans dictated to Jews where they were permitted or forbidden to live are over and shall not return,” tweeted Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a Samaria resident who heads the Religious Zionism Party. “You will not force us into ghettos again, certainly not in our own land.”

“On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the German Chancellor should bow his head and apologize a thousand times on behalf of Germany, rather than daring to preach morality to us on how to conduct ourselves against the Nazis of our generation—who murdered, raped, slaughtered and burned women, the elderly and children in the most horrific massacre perpetrated against the Jewish people since the terrible Holocaust,” Smotrich stated.

Established in 1951, Israel’s Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah) is observed annually on the 27th of the Hebrew month of Nissan. The national day of remembrance started at sundown on Monday with a prerecorded state ceremony broadcast on television stations.

The Jewish state “will not accept instructions from hypocritical leaders in Europe, a continent that is once again losing its conscience and its ability to distinguish between good and evil,” Smotrich wrote.

“Our return to the Land of Israel—our biblical and historical homeland—is the answer to anyone who tried or tries to destroy us, and we do not apologize for it for a single moment,” concluded Smotrich, adding: “Am Yisrael Chai [The People of Israel live].”
Italy suspends defence agreement with Israel amid Middle East conflict
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said her government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of a defence agreement with Israel, citing ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

“In light of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,” Meloni was quoted as saying by several Italian news agencies, without giving details of the deal.

Meanwhile, on Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz voiced “grave concern” over the situation in the Palestinian territories, saying a “de facto partial annexation of the West Bank” must be prevented.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke by phone today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

During the conversation, the chancellor expressed his deep concern about developments in the Palestinian territories.

“There must be no de facto partial annexation of the West Bank,” government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in a statement.

“The chancellor encouraged Prime Minister Netanyahu to begin direct peace talks with the Lebanese government. He called for an end to hostilities in southern Lebanon,” Kornelius added.

In Italy, a 2003 Memorandum of Understanding was signed under Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi, and set the stage for cooperation in defence and scientific research.

The MoU was ratified by Italy in 2005 and is renewed automatically every five years.

Since Israel’s response to the October 7 Hamas attacks, Meloni’s right-wing government has been put under pressure over its position on the conflict.


South Korean president compares IDF actions to the Holocaust, drawing Israel condemnation
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung drew condemnation from Israel’s Foreign Ministry after comparing Israeli military actions to the Holocaust in a social media post.

Lee’s X post on Thursday reposted a video showing an Israeli soldier pushing the body of a Palestinian man off a building in the West Bank in 2024. The leader wrote that he needed to “look into whether this is true, and if so, what measures were taken.”

He then called the issue of “forced sexual servitude of ‘comfort women,’” which South Korea resents the Japanese for practising during World War II “no different from the Holocaust or wartime atrocities.”

The video was posted by an account whose bio reads “Unapologetic Muslim Palestinian.” Lee later clarified that he had learned that the incident had taken place in September 2024 and that Israel had “conducted an investigation into the matter and taken appropriate measures.”

But the damage was done. The Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned Lee’s post on X on Friday, writing, “The remarks by the President of Korea, Lee Jae Myung, including the trivialisation of the massacre of Jews on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel, are unacceptable and warrant strong condemnation.”

Charging that the account amplified by Lee was “notorious for spreading anti-Israeli disinformation,” the ministry questioned why he had not spoken up about attacks on Israelis.

“The event was thoroughly investigated and addressed two years ago,” the ministry wrote. “Yet we have not heard a single word from the President about the terrorists who were at the centre of this event. Nor have we heard a word from the President regarding the recent Iranian and Hezbollah terror attacks against Israeli citizens. Mr President, it’s always better to check before posting.”

South Korea maintains diplomatic relations with Israel, but a June 2025 survey by the Pew Research Centre found that 60% of South Korean adults view Israel unfavourably. Last year, a group of Christian Zionists in South Korea opened the country’s first Holocaust museum, a project that was driven by “growing extremism” in the country during the Gaza war.

Both Lee and the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the criticism by saying Lee did not mean to trivialise the Holocaust, with the ministry saying the Israelis had “misunderstood the intent” of his remarks.
Could Somaliland base emerge as US foothold against Iran, Houthis in key sea lanes?
A strategically important air base and port have been offered to the U.S. as a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz begins and Iran-backed threats target the key Red Sea choke point of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Top U.S. military officials, including the commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), Gen. Dagvin Anderson, recently visited facilities being offered in Somaliland. Somaliland is a pro-U.S. outpost, having broken away from war-torn Somalia in 1991.

Bab-el-Mandeb, which is Arabic for "gate of tears," has become the main route for oil to ship out of the Middle East to Asia since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed. Bloomberg News reported that Saudi Arabia has switched to shipping potentially up to 7 million barrels of oil a day from its port at Yanbu on the Red Sea through the strait. It’s reported that up to 14% of the world’s shipping passes through the 16-mile-wide strait.

Enter the controversial offer to the U.S. of an air and naval base at Berbera in Somaliland. The official Republic of Somaliland site on X extolled Berbera’s virtues last month, boasting that it has "a deep water port along the artery connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean", and "one of Africa’s longest runways, originally developed as a NASA emergency landing site."

"Berbera obviously has huge strategic potential," for sea and air operations, Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former U.K. ambassador to Yemen and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital.

The U.S. does have another Red Sea base in Djibouti, but Fitton-Brown told Fox News Digital the government there is increasingly uncomfortable with some administration’s policies: "Djibouti becomes an increasingly reluctant, unwilling ally to the U.S. in helping enforce sanctions on the Houthis. Somaliland, which is almost equally well-placed to address issues on the western and southwestern coasts of Yemen, can help the U.S., Israel and the UAE combat the Houthis."

The controversy comes over the question of U.S. recognition of Somaliland.


The Impact on Iran of a U.S. Naval Blockade
A U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would cost Iran about $276 million/day in lost exports and disrupt $159 million/day in imports, a combined economic damage of about $435 million/day, or $13 billion/month.

Over 90% of Iran's $109.7 billion in annual trade transits the Persian Gulf.

Iran was exporting about 1.5 million barrels/day of crude oil. A blockade zeroes this out.

Iran has roughly 20 million barrels of spare onshore oil storage capacity. With the 1.5 million that it normally exports, storage will fill up in 13 days. After that, Iran must shut-in wells.

When mature oil wells shut down, bottom water rushes in, reducing the oil that can be recovered. Forced shut-ins could permanently destroy production capacity worth $9-15 billion a year.


Israel, Lebanon agree to negotiations in first direct talks since 1993
The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States agreed on Tuesday that their countries would hold direct negotiations following the first meeting between the two sides since 1993.

After more than two hours of talks that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted in Washington, D.C., the ambassadors emphasized different goals for direct engagement between the two countries that have been in a formal state of war since Israel declared independence in 1948.

According to a readout provided by the State Department, Israel will seek to “resolve all outstanding issues and achieve a durable peace,” while Lebanon said it wanted “a ceasefire and concrete measures to address and alleviate the severe humanitarian crisis that the country continues to endure as a result of the ongoing conflict.”

Unlike the U.S. and Israeli sections, the Lebanese portion of the readout did not refer to a permanent peace agreement.

The conflict in Lebanon resumed in early March after Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel after the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Israel in turn has carried out ground operations in southern Lebanon and a massive bombing campaign directed against Hezbollah targets throughout much of the country.

Israeli ground troops have also begun to hold extensive territory in southern Lebanon between the Blue Line and the Litani River.

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said that the most important outcome of Tuesday’s talks was that Israel and Lebanon are “on the same side of the equation.”

“We are both united in liberating Lebanon from an occupation power dominated by Iran called Hezbollah,” Leiter said. “Lebanon is under their occupation, and we are suffering from their constant barrages of missiles and terror attacks trying to cross our border.”

“We talked about a number of things, most importantly the long-term vision where there will be a clearly delineated border between our countries and where the only reason we’ll need to cross each other’s territory will be in business suits to conduct business or in bathing suits to go on vacation,” Leiter said.


IDF soldier KIA in Southern Lebanon
Israel Defense Forces Master Sgt. (res.) Ayal Uriel Bianco, 30, from Katzrin, was killed in action in Southern Lebanon, the military said on Tuesday.

Bianco was a firetruck driver in the IDF’s (188) Armored Brigade.

A reservist was moderately wounded and two others were lightly injured in the same incident, according to the IDF. They were evacuated for treatment, and their families have been notified.

The death and injuries resulted from a military Humvee overturning, according to Hebrew media reports, which said the circumstances are under investigation.

“Together with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I send our heartfelt condolences to the family of Sgt.-Maj. (Res.) Ayal Uriel Bianco, of blessed memory, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “We embrace Ayal’s family in their difficult hour and share in their profound grief. We all salute our heroic fighters and will continue to act to ensure the security of the residents of the North. May his memory be a blessing.”

According to Israeli military figures, 938 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border assault. Thirteen troops have fallen since Israel expanded ground operations in Southern Lebanon in early March.

Separately, the IDF announced later on Tuesday that 10 soldiers were injured—three severely, one moderately and six lightly—in a “close-quarters encounter” in Southern Lebanon overnight Monday. The IDF added that the soldiers were evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment and their families were notified.

Five days ago, Staff Sgt. Touvel Yosef Lifshiz, 20, from Beit She’an, was killed fighting Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists in Southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah began firing rockets and suicide drones at Israel on March 2, in retaliation for the Jewish state’s targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes of “Operation Roaring Lion/Epic Fury” against the regime on Feb. 28.
Commentary Podcast: Swalwell That Ends Well
Today we discuss dubious reports on the Americans offering Iran to suspend uranium enrichment for 20 years, and how the ongoing naval crisis might affect Trump's upcoming summit with Xi Jinping. Plus, Eric Swalwell resigns from congress over sexual misconduct allegations, the Israeli-Lebanese talks in DC, and the online feud between the White House and the Vatican.


Steve Eisman: John Spencer on What the Headlines Get Wrong About the Iran War | The Real Eisman Playbook Ep 55
On episode 55 of The Real Eisman Playbook, Steve Eisman sits down with retired U.S. Army officer John Spencer to discuss what is actually happening in the Iran war. John breaks down the four official objectives of the United States and also explores the broader geopolitical implications of the war. They also discuss the Iranian strategy, the Strait of Hormuz, NATO, and much more.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:02:50 - What's True and What's Not True?
0:10:00 - Where We're At Right Now
0:17:14 - Iran's Strategy
0:19:14 - The Strait of Hormuz
0:23:51 - The Official Objectives of the United States
0:37:45 - Israel's Objectives
0:41:16 - NATO
0:44:38 - Implications Beyond the Middle East
0:51:09 - Uranium
0:56:29 - Implications Within the Middle East
1:01:22 - The Final Word
1:02:31 - Outro


Iranians try to see through fog of war amid internet blackout
After 40 days of combat, the Iran war has reached a restive calm.

On April 8, Iran and the U.S. announced a two-week ceasefire aimed at enabling negotiations to end the war. There has been no shortage of ongoing issues — the Strait of Hormuz remains largely blocked, while Israel continues to bombard Iran’s ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. But the pace of the conflict has decreased markedly since the announcement.

Those in Iran itself, however, have seen little change. The rate of strikes may have slowed but the regime’s iron hand remains in place, with little sign of wavering.

Leila is a 40-year-old physician from a small city in northern Iran, near the Caspian Sea. Speaking to CBC via VPN-enabled voice messages, she said that the crackdown on communications in the country is so severe that few risk even messaging their close friends.

"There are almost no options for communication except for SMS messages and phone calls, and those are closely monitored by the regime," Leila said. "There’s almost no internet connection except through Starlink, and access is very expensive. I didn’t see any of my friends until almost three weeks into the war, because we were so afraid to text each other under this surveillance."

CBC has withheld Leila’s last name and exact location out of concern for her safety, owing to threats by the Iranian government against citizens speaking to foreign media.

Iranian authorities launched a full internet blackout during protests in January and the brutal repression that ended them. This was lifted somewhat in the weeks that followed, only to be reimposed in full following the war’s start on Feb. 28. Internet traffic in Iran dropped 98 per cent as a result, shattering income streams for many web-dependent businesses and entrepreneurs.

What little internet access is available these days mostly comes through Starlink terminals, of which there may be as many as 100,000 in the country. Locals who find someone with a terminal purchase data at exorbitant prices: one gigabyte reportedly goes for 10 million Iranian rials (roughly $10.50 Cdn), in a country where the monthly minimum wage is 166 million rials ($175).

The Iranian government has criminalized possession of the Starlink terminals and is actively hunting for them.

The result has been a near-total information blackout. The paucity of information means many Iranians didn't learn about the scale of the January massacres until weeks later — in a country nearly the size of Western Europe, there is little way for news to spread by word of mouth.


The Brink: ‘Hezbollah is the enemy of humanity’ | Lebanese expert Makram Rabah
In this episode of The Brink, Andrew is joined by Lebanese historian and political analyst Makram Rabah for a deep dive into Hezbollah, Iran’s regional influence, and the fragile state of Lebanon.

The conversation explores how Hezbollah has evolved from a militant group into a dominant political and military force within Lebanon, and what that means for the country’s sovereignty. Rabah explains how Hezbollah operates not just as a proxy of Iran, but as a parallel state, shaping institutions, security, and everyday life.

We examine the wider regional picture, from Iran’s strategic ambitions to the role of proxy warfare across the Middle East. Rabah argues that Lebanon has effectively become a frontline in a much larger geopolitical struggle, with consequences that extend far beyond its borders.

The discussion also turns to the internal collapse of Lebanon itself. From economic breakdown to political paralysis, Rabah outlines how corruption, sectarianism, and external influence have hollowed out the state, leaving ordinary citizens to bear the cost.

Finally, we ask what comes next. Is there a path back to sovereignty for Lebanon, or has the balance of power shifted too far? And what does this mean for Israel, the wider region, and the future of Western policy in the Middle East?

A sharp and sobering conversation on power, proxy conflict, and the realities shaping the modern Middle East.


Jonathan Sacerdoti: Is trump ideological, pragmatic, or chaotic? Jonathan Sacerdoti explains the US president's actions
What is really driving the current Middle East crisis? In this conversation, journalist and broadcaster Jonathan Sacerdoti explains the growing tensions around Iran, the strategic pressure in the Strait of Hormuz, and the wider power struggle involving the United States and Israel.

The discussion explores how Donald Trump is approaching the situation, combining ideology, unpredictability, and economic pressure to push Iran towards negotiations. It also examines whether this is a calculated strategy or a high-risk gamble, and why Iran remains such a difficult negotiating partner.

Beyond geopolitics, the conversation highlights the real-world impact on energy prices, inflation, and the UK economy, showing why this conflict matters far beyond the region. With negotiations largely happening behind closed doors, the outcome remains uncertain, but the stakes could not be higher.




French company Lafarge found guilty of paying $6.54 million to jihadists in Syria
A Paris court on Monday found cement maker Holcim’s Lafarge unit guilty of charges that its Syrian subsidiary financed terrorism and breached European sanctions to keep a plant operating in northern Syria during the country’s civil war.

The case was the first time a company has been tried in France for financing terrorism. Sherpa and ECCHR, two organizations that filed the initial lawsuit, in a joint statement called it “a historic decision in the fight against multinational corporations’ impunity.”

Eight former Lafarge employees were found guilty, including former CEO Bruno Lafont, who was sentenced to six years in jail. His lawyer told Reuters he would appeal.

A lawyer for Christian Herrault, the former deputy managing director of the Lafarge group who was sentenced to five years in jail, said Herrault would also appeal.

Judges determined that Lafarge paid, in total, 5.59 million euros ($6.54 million) to jihadist groups, including Islamic State and the al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, both designated as terrorists by the European Union, between 2013 and September 2014.

The presiding judge, Isabelle Prevost-Desprez, said the payments made by Lafarge helped to strengthen jihadist groups that carried out deadly attacks in Syria and beyond.
Framing and omission in BBC reporting
To date, the BBC News website has not produced any stand-alone reporting on the topic of the significance of those demonstrations or later developments. A report by Samantha Granville that appeared on the BBC News website on the evening of April 13 under the interestingly worded headline “Israel steps up strikes on Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks continue as talks loom” tells readers that:
Lebanese, Israeli and US officials are due to hold talks in Washington on Tuesday.

The Lebanese president’s office told the BBC that the discussions would focus on conditions for a ceasefire, and that formal negotiations could follow if an agreement was reached.

Hezbollah, however, has rejected the initiative and has held protests in central Beirut, where supporters waved Hezbollah flags and pictures of the group’s late leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel in 2024.

Analysts have noted that a Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper has accused the Lebanese government of treason and that a Hezbollah official has threatened to “topple the Lebanese government.” AP has reported that it was told by a Hezbollah official that the terrorist organization would not abide by any agreements that may result from the talks between Israel and Lebanon.

BBC audience understanding of the upcoming talks between Israel and Lebanon – and any future developments – would of course be greatly enhanced were the corporation to focus less on framing of the story and actually provide information concerning the stance of the terrorist organization that brought about the need for them in the first place and is apparently intent on ensuring that they do not succeed.




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