Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Lebanon has been thrust into the epicenter of a widening regional war begun by the unprovoked attack on Iran carried out by Israel and Iran resulting in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, on February 28. Hezbollah, a Lebanese resistance group supported by Iran, began a series of cross-border exchanges, which quickly transformed into a high-stakes military confrontation, marked by Israeli ground incursions, intensive aerial bombardments, and a landmark—yet controversial—decision by the Lebanese government to ban Hezbollah’s military activities. The current wave of Israeli attacks surged after Hezbollah launched a high-profile missile…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On March 3, the American Embassy in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was hit by a drone, not fired from Iran, but fired from Iraq. Previously, Iraqi militias aligned with Iran had claimed 16 operations using military drones aimed at hitting enemy targets both inside Iraq and beyond. These Iraqi militias follow hardline positions against American allies in the Middle East. The Iraqi militias are standing with their ally Iran, after the unprovoked February 28 attack by the US and Israel on Iran that resulted in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Saudi Arabia has planned to designate Syria as the primary transit country for the East-to-Mediterranean Data Corridor (EMC), a major fiber-optic cable project linking the Kingdom to Greece and Europe. This marks a significant shift from the original route, which was planned to pass through Israel. The EMC project was announced in 2022 as a partnership involving Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Greece’s Public Power Corporation (PPC), Greek telecommunications firms, and satellite applications companies. Originally, the cable route was designed to pass through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel before reaching Greece. However, normalization talks between…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On February 13, dozens of Palestinians were injured as Israeli settlers carried out attacks across the occupied West Bank, destroying olive trees and vandalizing property. The Israeli military protected the settlers as they wounded about 54 Palestinians in attacks in several towns and villages. Near Talfit, Palestinian farmers were attacked by Israeli settlers south of Nablus in the West Bank. Israeli troops attacked Palestinians with tear gas and live ammunition after some had come to the aid of the farmers. Homes in the village were left with broken windows and cars were left with…

Steven Sahiounie, lournalist and political commentator On February 14, Saad Hariri addressed a crowd of tens of thousands gathered at the Beirut gravesite of his father, Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated exactly 21-years earlier. Saad Hariri announced the return of the Future Movement (Tayyar al-Mustaqbal) in the upcoming parliamentary elections in May, after disbanding the party four-years ago. However, he did not specify if he will run for office. Hariri, a former MP and Prime Minister, has been living abroad since bowing out of the political scene in 2022, which left the Sunni community fractured in parliament, where seats are…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Newly released files related to the late American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein reveal activities that go far beyond his well-documented sexual crimes and relationships with global political and financial elites. According to the documents, Epstein was involved in an organized network that financially supported Israeli military institutions, Zionist organizations, athletes presented as “ambassadors” for Israel, as well as academic and media bodies working to improve Israel’s Image abroad. Was Epstein working as a foreign agent for the State of Israel? An American working as a foreign agent for Israel—or any foreign principal—must report this to…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On February 1, Israel attacked Lebanon with chemical weapons. The Agriculture and Environment Ministries announced the toxic chemical was very high concentration of glyphosate. “The concentration in some samples ranges between twenty and thirty times the normally accepted levels,” they specified in a statement. President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack by Israeli planes, calling it “a flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty, as well as an environmental and health crime against the Lebanese people and their land.” Videos of the planes delivering the chemical attack appeared on TV and social media, while residents witnessed the…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Lebanese authorities have reported a chemical attack on February 1 carried out by Israeli aircraft over southern Lebanon, targeting forested and agricultural areas near the border. The attack caused environmental, health, and security concerns. The laboratory analysis confirmed Israel had used glyphosate. The Netherlands, Belgium and France have banned its household use. Germany forbids the use of glyphosate in public spaces. This development follows similar incidents reported in southern Syria, particularly in the Quneitra governorate, where Syrian authorities said Israeli aircraft sprayed chemical on three occasions last week. On Nov 26, 2025, the Jerusalem…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator In a seismic shift for the Syrian geopolitical landscape, Syrian Internal Security forces began their official entry into the city of Qamishli on February 3. This movement marks the operational phase of a landmark agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), effectively signaling the end of years of administrative fragmentation in the country’s northeast. The entry into Qamishli follows a similar deployment in Al-Hasakah on February 2. These strategic maneuvers are the direct result of a comprehensive treaty signed on January 18 by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which mandates the permanent…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Saif al-Islam, 53, Muamar Gaddafi’s son, was killed in Zintan where he had been based since 2011. The 2008 PhD holder from the London School of Economics had in June 2011 announced that his father was willing to hold elections and to step down if he did not win; however, NATO rejected the offer, and the bombardment of Libya continued. Saif al-Islam’s father and brother, Mutassim, were killed in Sirte on October 20, 2011. On January 30, documents released by the US government included an email to Jeffrey Epstein dated July 2011 describing the…