On June 26,2026 Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh Moawad, the Israeli and Lebanese Ambassadors to the United States, signed an agreement with the United States outlining a framework for security and joint cooperation between the countries. (US Dept of State, here, AP Here)
History was made.
Beneath the surface, this demonstrates the loss of power and influence that the Islamic Republic of Iran has experienced since October 7, 2023.
According to the agreement, Lebanon formally recognizes the state of Israel, which is kind of ridiculous considering Israeli military and economic power today and Middle Eastern history of the past 3,500 years. In addition, Lebanese army take over southern Lebanon, which also sounds absurd since southern Lebanon is within Lebanon, and will prevent Hizballah from attacking Israel. Israel will leave southern Lebanon when Hizballah is neutralized, when it is safe for Israel.
The agreement also recognizes that Lebanon, the country from which Hizballah operates, considers it a terrorist organization financed, trained, and controlled by a foreign power, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the people of Lebanon want independence from both Iran and Hizballah.
As noted above, history was made.
Beneath the surface, this demonstrates the loss of power and influence that the Islamic Republic of Iran has experienced since October 7, 2023.
Before October. 7, the Islamic Republic controlled Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, the PA, Iraq, and Yemen.
Today Assad is in Russia, and Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hizballah, which means “Party of God”, and their fellow travelers have lost their senior leadership and most of their seasoned fighters, Iran which pulled the strings, and paid for them, has lost nuclear scientists, engineers, fighters, political apparachiks and its previous Supreme Leader. It’s current Supreme Leader has not been seen in public since February 28.
Is history is repeating itself?
Between 1922 and 1991 Russia controlled the Soviet Union from the border of Finland and from Estonia to Kazakhstan, and the border with China; from the North Sea to the Pacific. It ruled Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, etc. After World War II, it added Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Romania, and other countries in eastern and central, Europe. Today those countries are independent, Ukraine is taking back Crimea, and China is taking over eastern Russia.
Just as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, it appears to be only a matter of time before the IRGC falls.
We in the United States and our allies must recognize this historic moment, and ask what we can do to help the people of Iran accelerate the collapse of the IRGC and establish a free country when it falls. If Israel and Lebanon can recognize each other and work together then we all must do the same. We must work to unite America and lead us into a future where, to paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “All men and women are judged by the content of their character not the color of their skin.” (here) We must fight the racist hatred mobilized against Jews and Israelis from self-described progressives and from white supremacists.
Map of Middle East, worldatlas.com