Situation in southern Lebanon as of May 9, 2026 - Western Sector:

The IDF has intensified their ground operations in southwestern Lebanon, making new progress in three different areas.

In the northwest, Israeli forces cleared the remaining part of Chamaa while other forces captured the two hills south of the village.

To the east, the IDF cleared the eastern outskirts of Tayr Harfa and advanced east, capturing the neighbouring village of Jebbayn, thereby linking up with forces operating in Yarine and Oum Touteh. From there, they pushed further east down the road to Chihine and the fields to the east in the direction of Salhaneh, where demolitions are now ongoing.

To the south, Israeli forces crossed the international border from Arav Al-Aramsha, capturing the southern ruins of Dhayra opposite the border, and clearing the hills in the pocket to the east.

+ ~16.67 km² in favour of the IDF.

Interactive map link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=117K6_EiFdWYEK7LQKHjRSsjsHK7xVN8&ll=33.132269609333946%2C35.51827932442546&z=13

— 🇮🇱 It’s now 2026, a reality check for Israel after 3 years of war:

🇵🇸 Gaza front:

– Hamas has not been disarmed after almost three years of war.

– Tunnel infrastructure in Gaza is intact, rocket arrays being slowly rebuilt.

– Al-Qassam has approximately 25,000 fighters, the same amount as before Oct 7th.

– No sign of an interim government, Hamas is still politically in control of Gaza.

🇱🇧 Lebanon front:

– Hezbollah has not been disarmed, neither North nor South of the Litani.

– Hezbollah’s leadership has successfully reorganized and decentralized, and is now more resistant to assassination strikes than before.

– Hezbollah retains the capability to launch long-range and medium-range rockets, drones and missiles into Israel.

– The increasing use of FPV drones has rendered northern Israeli settlements into ghost towns, and significantly degraded the IDF’s freedom of movement in southern Lebanon.

🇮🇷 Iran front:

– The Islamic Republic is still firmly in power, and perhaps even more entrenched than before.

– Iran’s ballistic missile program, drone force, and conventional capabilities are almost entirely intact and capable of threatening Israel.

– Iran still possesses a large stockpile of highly-enriched uranium, nuclear breakout time is still at ~6 months to a year.

– The Strait of Hormuz is now under Iranian control.

– Most U.S. bases in the region have been rendered unusable and Israel’s Gulf allies are in the weakest position they’ve ever found themselves.

🇾🇪 Yemen front:

– Ansarallah (Houthis) still control the majority of Yemen.

– Houthis still possess hundreds of ballistic missiles and thousands of drones, capable of targeting Israel.

– The Bab Al-Mandab can be closed at any moment.

@Middle_East_Spectator

🔋 🇺🇸 🛢 How the oilman’s president boosted a green transition

Donald Trump’s Iran war has made fossil fuels expensive and unreliable


France has some of the greenest energy on Earth – all thanks to its decision, after the oil shock of 1973, to stop relying on expensive fossil fuels from the unreliable Gulf. Now, others could follow.

Now, especially if the current energy crisis lengthens, many other countries could follow France in turning away from fossil fuels. Even if the crisis ends now, the memory of the turmoil of recent weeks will surely hasten the green transition.

But with long-term supplies of oil and gas increasingly unpredictable, they may have to. About 80 per cent of the world’s population lives in countries that are net importers of fossil fuels. Those prices have jumped while renewables keep getting cheaper. Last year, they accounted for 85.6 per cent of all new capacity in global power plants. The green transition has already begun. This crisis will accelerate it.

Europe and the Asia-Pacific need a reliable energy base. That now requires abandoning fossil fuels, and electrifying their economies. They will gladly pay premiums to predictable suppliers like Canada, Norway and Australia, which aren’t about to invade anyone or renege on trade deals because their leader is upset. The biggest winner will be China, chief global supplier of electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels and most other components of the green economy. Cannily, it has remained a reliable trade partner. True, going green will make us more dependent on Beijing. But buying panels or EVs is a softer dependency than needing daily Gulf oil.

The longer the crisis lasts, the stronger government action will become. After all, France only announced its nuclear plan five months after the 1973 shock. But consumers today are already leaping. Desperate for cheap energy, they are switching to solar panels and electric cars. Cutting emissions isn’t the aim, just an accidental byproduct.

A fast green transition seemed an impossible dream. Trump may have found the way to achieve it.

📎 Financial Times