Anthony Samrani

⚡️Très ému de la sortie de mon @TractsGallimard le 5 décembre VU DU LIBAN, la fin d’un pays, la fin d’un monde ? Un texte très personnel, qui doit beaucoup à @LOrientLeJour et qui tente de tracer un chemin, de défendre une ligne de crête, au milieu des monstres.

EXCLUSIVE - Yemen's Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia this week from Iraqi territory in coordination with Iraqi armed groups, according to assessments by Saudi Arabia & regional partners, reflecting growing coordination among Iran-aligned militias, two officials in the region said.

🔴Épisode 2: Antoun Sehnaoui, les années fastes du Golden Boy. Développements à l'étranger, mécénat, production de films, amitié avec Julie Gayet...À 1ère vue, rien ne semble pouvoir arrêter la course du banquier vers les sommets.#Liban lorientlejour.com/article/1542856 @LorientLeJour

Heureuse et honorée d'avoir pu présenter l'avant-première de notre film "4 août : Anatomie d'une catastrophe annoncée" au Metropolis #Beyrouth. Retracer la chaîne de responsabilités qui a mené à ce drame toujours impuni. Ne rien oublier. Bientôt sur @LOrientLeJour #BeirutPort

À lire absolument ! Notre premier épisode sur l’un des hommes les plus influents du Liban. Par @HayekCaroline et Cyrille Nême Antoun Sehnaoui, une ombre sur le Liban : premier volet de notre enquête lorientlejour.com/article/1542573 via @LorientLeJour

@BeirutCalling Thank you Michael. With my colleague Cyrille Nême

First of a five-part series on the Sehnaoui family, with a focus on Antoun, who invited Benjamin Netanyahu to dinner yesterday, by @HayekCaroline. Antoun and his father Nabil tried to get a judge to ban publication of the story, but their request was rejected. lorientlejour.com/article/154257…

🔴#AntounSehnaoui, une ombre sur le Liban. Notre portrait du banquier libanais. Contacté par @LOrientLeJour , il a tenté d'obtenir une interdiction de publication. Sa requête a été rejetée par la justice aujourd'hui. thread 👇#Liban lorientlejour.com/article/1542573

‼️ The news is who isn’t in the meeting.

🇺🇸🇮🇱🇱🇧Lebanese businessman and banker Antoun Sehnaoui and former U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus hosted a dinner in memory of Sen. Lindsey Graham at the Four Seasons in Washington, D.C., on Monday night 🇮🇱The event was attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu and Graham’s family - new Senator Darline Graham and her husband Larry and their daughter 🔴Other participants were Republicans Senators Wicker, Cruz, Lankford, Britt, Ernst, Risch and McCormick, Hoeven, Blackburn, Cramer and Hagerty. 🔵Several Democratic Senators also attended: Coons, Shaheen, Whitehouse and Fetterman 🏛️Trump’s senior adviser Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also attended. 🔴Other participants: Facebook’s Dina Powell-McCormick, Katie miller and Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter

Gut feelings and threats won't solve this. After nearly six months of conflict with Iran in one form or another, the Trump administration still appears to underestimate the nature of the regime it is confronting. U.S. policy should begin with a basic working assumption: Iran is unlikely to capitulate simply because military pressure increases. The key question is what Washington expects to achieve. Does it believe Tehran will abandon its missile program, give up its right to enrich uranium, or relinquish what it sees as its strategic position in the Strait of Hormuz? There is little evidence to suggest the regime is prepared to make concessions on issues it considers fundamental to the Islamic Revolution. On the contrary, Tehran appears convinced that, over time, Washington's political resolve will weaken first. If that is the underlying assumption behind the current strategy, disappointment is almost inevitable. Iran is not going to plead for an agreement or surrender its core strategic assets. Instead, the likely consequences are continued upward pressure on global oil prices and growing frustration in Washington as expectations collide with reality. Retaliation is not a strategy, and a bombing campaign without a clearly defined political objective is unlikely to produce the desired outcome. If the goal is to force Iran back to the negotiating table in a significantly weaker position, that objective appears increasingly unrealistic. Policymakers should be clear-eyed about the costs. A strategy centered on coercing Iran into submission risks imposing substantial economic and strategic costs on the United States and its allies without achieving its intended political objectives. Iran is far from invulnerable. It has significant military, economic, and social vulnerabilities that can be exploited. But one reality remains unavoidable: confronting Iran requires time, sustained political commitment, a willingness to absorb casualties, major economic costs, and enormous military resources. As long as the administration is unwilling to bear those costs, extending the current campaign, even if it produces tactical successes, is unlikely to bring Iran to the point of strategic defeat. If anything, a prolonged campaign without the resources or political will necessary to achieve decisive results risks strengthening Tehran's belief that it can simply outlast Washington. #iran

There has been an extraordinary amount of U.S. military activity overnight, with combat aircraft, bombers, tankers, special-operations personnel, and medical support moving from the continental United States through Europe and toward the Middle East.

❓ Pourquoi l’Iran a torpillé l’accord-cadre avec les États-Unis @LaureMaissa vous explique lorientlejour.com/article/154228…

Signs of a Major Escalation in the U.S.-#Iran War 🔹Multiple developments over the past several hours suggest that the U.S. war on #Iran may be approaching a significant escalation. 🔹Last night’s U.S. strike on the Shalamcheh border crossing between Iran and Iraq has been interpreted as a possible preparatory move for the deployment of special operations or ground forces. Alternatively, the strike may have been intended to facilitate the advance of armed insurgent groups. 🔹In the same context, the drone strike on the Al-Abdali border crossing between Iraq and Kuwait was likely carried out by Iran or its Iraqi allies in an effort to disrupt the U.S. logistical corridor linking the two countries. 🔹Meanwhile, reports indicate that shelters have been opened at multiple locations across Israel. Similar measures preceded earlier escalations, including the 12-Day War and the 40-Day War, suggesting that Israeli authorities are preparing for possible Iranian missile attacks. 🔹France and the United Kingdom have also reportedly evacuated their embassies in Iran as of today. 🔹Trump, for his part, has declared that he holds Iran responsible for Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. This statement could provide a pretext for intensifying U.S. strikes against Iran in response to future Houthi operations. 🔹The warning should be viewed alongside Trump’s earlier statement on Wednesday that any future Iranian attack on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would be met with a U.S. strike on an Iranian bridge or power plant. He has also indicated that a U.S. attack on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities at “Pickaxe Mountain” is inevitable. 🔹At the same time, the United States appears to be reducing its military presence at bases closer to Iran, including in Qatar. Open-source reporting also points to a large-scale transfer of military equipment from the United States and Europe to Israel, along with increased activity by reconnaissance, command-and-control, and electronic warfare aircraft across the region. The United States has also deployed B-1 strategic bombers to the theater. 🔹Iran has warned that any attack on its infrastructure or nuclear facilities will be met with comparable strikes against regional targets. Several Iranian analysts also argue that, should the United States substantially intensify its campaign, Iran would likely strike strategic targets inside Israel regardless of whether Israel is directly involved in the operation. 🔹Overall, these developments suggest that the conflict may be entering a more dangerous phase, potentially comparable to the peak of the 40-Day War.

Les disparus de Wadi Slouki : un survivant, trois cadavres, et une vallée pleine de zones d’ombre lorientlejour.com/article/1542020 via @LorientLeJour @gab_blondel

رفع علم اسرائيل على قلعة دوبية اليوم، وقبلها على قلعتي شمع والشقيف، عمل عدائي مستفز يستحق التنديد والرفض. قلاع جبل عامل جزء لا يتجزأ من لبنان، يعتز بها ويفخر. ولن يألو جهداً لاستعادة سيادته عليها ولجعل العالم يعترف بتلك السيادة.

La BDL réclame à l’État 600 millions de dollars par an et un quart des recettes de privatisation lorientlejour.com/article/1542102 via @LorientLeJour @Mouniryouniss

Reuters: Saudi, UAE ministers use social media to signal unity after months of tension reuters.com/world/middle-e…

‼️ A puzzle is coming together here: • Saudi Arabia secured a civilian nuclear agreement with Trump administration: WSJ • Trump and MBS hold a call, followed by a call between Vice President Vance and MBS. • MBS spoke with Aoun while Aoun is in Washington. • Signs of a rapprochement with the UAE emerge. As the pieces come together, the bigger picture will be worth watching.

De Washington à Beyrouth : le véritable défi de Joseph Aoun lorientlejour.com/article/1541838 via @LorientLeJour

Scoop: The Trump administration notified Israel it is sending dozens more refueling planes to the country ahead of a potential expansion of military operations against Iran, three U.S. and Israeli officials said. My story on @axios axios.com/2026/07/17/tru…