HOMS, SYRIA - OCTOBER 28: 11 million Captagon pills, smuggled from Lebanon, are being seized during an operation in the southern countryside of Homs province in Syria, as announced by The Syrian Ministry of Interior, on October 28, 2025. Abobaker Alsaka / Anadolu (Photo by Abobaker Alsaka / ANADOLU / Anadolu via AFP)
Former consul general to Michigan, Ibrahim Charara, left the US last week after he was declared persona non grata by the US. Social media posts from 2021 reappeared in which he allegedly praised a deadly Hezbollah bombing in 1983, which killed 241 American service members.
The State Department condemned the bombings and declared him persona non grata last Friday. “Terrorists murdered Americans and our colleagues in the bombings of the US embassy compounds in Beirut in 1983 and 1984, and we will never forget them,” a statement by the State Department said.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Rajji said on Sunday that another diplomat would take on Charara’s responsibilities in a few days and replace him.
In Lebanon
Drug smugglers busted between Lebanon and Syria: The Syrian Border Guard Forces seized 280 kilograms of hashish and 28,000 Captagon pills in rural Damascus last week. The drugs had been smuggled from Lebanon to Syria.
Eisenkot denied reports about withdrawal from southern Lebanon: Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has denied news reports that he is considering withdrawing from southern Lebanon. He called the reports a “lie.” Eisenkot has also been tasked with forming a government since Sunday. Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced yesterday, after a meeting with Eisenkot, that he has 28 days to form a coalition.
In the Region
Syrian troops on Yemeni border: On Saturday, the AFP reported that Syrian troops were set to be sent to the Saudi-Yemeni border to potentially fight against the Houthis in Yemen. One Syrian official first denied the reports, while another later said Damascus is planning to send 600 fighters to Saudi Arabia next week.
Houthis attack Aramco tower: The pro-Iranian Yemeni rebels claimed responsibility for the attack on the business tower on Sunday.
Flash floods in Erbil: Two people have been killed after flash floods swept through parts of Erbil, and infrastructure was destroyed in the city over the weekend.
What We’re Reading
“How, Then, Did You Try to Rebel?” Charles H. Al-Hayek looks at the revolts that brought an end to the feudal order in Mount Lebanon and that paved the way for the establishment of the Mutasarrifiyya in 1861.
Politics Everywhere but Lebanon. Mohammed El Sahily argues that Lebanon often focuses on elections in other countries — like the U.S. and Israel — while forgetting its own parliamentary elections, which were postponed due to the onset of the war this year.
Turks openly joining the circus, “Ya Hala”! Elissa El Hachem criticizes that Lebanon often relies on foreign actors to call the shots on Lebanon’s future. She argues that Beirut should be the only actor deciding on war and peace.
Lebanon Stays on the FATF Grey List. Khalil Gebara argues that Lebanon is still on the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list because the country only made limited progress in dealing with the flaws in its financial regulations. This, he argues, is due to a lack of political will.
A Spare Room for the Next War. Ramzi Abou Ismail writes about how families are preparing for a new wave of conflict, including possible displacements and looking for alternative places to temporarily move into.
