More from Aya Iskandarani
Earlier this month, the US introduced the largest set of sanctions and proposals against Iran and its allies in the Middle East.
The 111-page proposal by Republican Congressmen recommended a plethora of measures to curb Iran's influence in the Islamic Republic and beyond. Some of these measures include designating Yemen's Houthi rebels as terrorists, aid cuts to Iraq's Ministry of Interior, the Lebanese Army and sanctions on Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, Hezbollah members and, for the first time, on some of their political allies – including former Lebanese foreign minister Gebran Bassil and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri.
If passed into law in its current form, the proposal would send shockwaves throughout the region. Yet the bill largely went unnoticed. Renewed protests across Lebanon and Suweida, in regime-held Syria, two countries where an economic crisis is brewing, dominated headlines, in addition to the rolling out of the Caesar Act.
Some of the document’s recommendations were long expected. For instance, the proposition to designate Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, such as the Badr Corps, as terrorist groups, comes as no surprise. It was unlikely that the attacks these groups had launched earlier this year on the US embassy in Baghdad and on American troops would go unpunished. The intention to clamp down on Hezbollah was also foreseeable. The US had already sanctioned two of their sitting members of Parliament last July.
More surprising, however, is that the bill suggests imposing sanctions on state institutions in Iraq and Lebanon, a move that was preceded last April by designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps a terror group.
The bill recommends that US funding be blocked for the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and Federal Police, which the authors of the bill believe are under the influence of the Badr Organisation.
Under the new Cabinet of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi, the Ministry of the Interior is run by Othman Ali Farhood Musheer Al Ghanimi, who is close to Tehran. Additionally, former prime minister Adel Abdul Mahdi oversaw a bloody crackdown on peaceful demonstrations, allowing pro-Tehran militias to kill hundreds of protesters since last October, another reason for the US to slash funds (although an investigation into the matter, ordered by Mr Al Kadhimi, is now underway). The bill also recommends that special waivers, usually granted for Iraq to buy Iranian electricity and gas, are not renewed. Such a move may prompt Iraq to seek alternative solutions with its Arab neighbours, potentially pushing Baghdad further away from Iran’s orbit.
The same cannot be said, however, about some of the bill’s recommendations on Lebanon. Cutting US aid to Lebanon's military will undermine the only secular institution that can stand up to internal and external threats in a country on the brink. The committee that drafted the bill believes the Lebanese army is under the sway of Hezbollah, an assumption supported by Israeli intelligence. It is problematic, to say the least, that the Congressmen are basing their recommendations on information obtained by Israel, a country still technically at war with Lebanon.
It is also important to note that the Lebanese army has wiped out terrorist groups with the potential to compromise US interests in the region. Since the early 2000’s, the Lebanese Armed Forces fought back extremist incursions in the country from the likes of Islamist leader Ahmad Al Assir and his followers in the Southern city of Sidon, and the terrorist group Fatah Al Islam in Nahr Al Bared Palestinian refugee camp to the north. For the past decade, it has also thwarted several attempts by ISIS, Al Nusra Front and others to take root in Lebanon, in a spillover from Syria’s civil war.
Part of the military’s success in repelling these groups is the aid it receives. The US alone has given the Lebanese army more than $2 billion in funding since 2005, armament and training. This support has allowed the army to remain Lebanon’s last secular institution and endow it with popular support. And while the army has to accommodate Hezbollah, which controls the government and a large chunk of parliament, the two are far from being allies. They are in fact competitors. For instance, Hezbollah supporters allege that the group single-handed defeated ISIS, when it had set up a tiny enclave in the north in 2017. In reality, it was the army that fought the battle. The group also promotes the idea that the army pleaded for its help to beat ISIS but it was never asked to participate in the first place.
While the Republican committee backs its proposal by stating that aid cuts aim to support Lebanese protesters demanding the end of sectarian rule, it fails to truly listen to what those same protesters have to say. Throughout Lebanon’s mass demonstrations that began last October, people on the streets have expressed support for the army, with some protesting in cameo uniforms and holding pro-army banners. This support was particularly apparent in the early days of the uprising and is owed to the army’s special role in Lebanese society.
It is the only state institution still relatively unscathed by sectarianism and political manoeuvring. The army is largely still seen as a neutral, stabilising force and a symbol of Lebanese unity. Denying the Lebanese army any US aid is a highly symbolic gesture that simply sends out the wrong message. It signals to the Lebanese people that the US is seeking to undermine the only unifying institution in their country.
Cutting aid to the army is also dangerous because it feeds into Hezbollah’s propaganda machine. A common trope used by the group to justify its existence is that the army is too weak to protect the country, making Hezbollah and its vast weapons arsenal Lebanon’s sole line of defence. This argument resonates with many in Lebanon’s south, a region occupied by Israel for more than 15 years, where many still have painful memories of having been failed by a collapsed Lebanese state and its fractured army during the war.
The bill also suggests that US taxpayer money must not go to a potential International Monetary Fund bailout of Lebanon at a time of economic crisis. The government of Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab, which claims to be an expert-led Cabinet, is aligned with Hezbollah, opening the door for IMF funds to fall into the wrong hands. Protesters want to see the back of Mr Diab's government and the fall of a ruling sectarian elite that has mismanaged the country's finances, precipitating economic collapse and normalising large-scale corruption.
Cutting aid to the army is also dangerous because it feeds into Hezbollah's propaganda machine
Many experts, however, hold hope that an IMF deal conditioned on substantial reforms would force the country to enact much-needed reforms and curb Hezbollah’s influence.
Yet, for the past three decades, successive sectarian-based governments have been unable to affect change. Even today, at the height of a financial and banking crisis, Beirut is unable to unlock $11 billion in funds pledged at the 2018 Cedar Conference because the money is conditioned on structural reforms.
There is no guarantee the new sanctions and aid cuts will pass in law. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has supported renewing waivers for Iraq in the past, as well as providing military aid to Lebanon. But the bill in its current form contains recommendations that, if passed, will take a toll on Lebanon’s security and may push Beirut further away from Washington than ever before.
Aya Iskandarani is a staff Comment writer at The National
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Salem Rashid, Mohammed Al Attas, Alhassan Saleh
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Yahya Nader, Ahmed Barman, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
UAE rugby in numbers
5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons
700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams
Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams
Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season
Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
More from Aya Iskandarani
