Muscat talks raise realistic hopes after decades of delusion

The Houthi youth cannot believe what he is reading. Positive messages have emerged from the Iranian-US meeting in Muscat. He had never expected that the supreme leader would allow Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to meet with Steve Witkoff, the envoy of the man who ordered the killing of Qassem Soleimani.

Yemen is going through some tough times. The American jet resembles a phantom and may even almost resemble fate. It roams the skies as it searches for the rockets and drones that were engineered by Soleimani and concealed in Yemen’s mountains and valleys. The Houthi youth secretly acknowledges to himself that the US jets are not being shot down and the US fleet still stands, despite the excited statements of the armed forces spokesman.

The youth begins to have doubts. Is it time to set aside the Houthi arsenal and put an end to the Houthis’ time in power? Will the rocket attacks on ships sailing the Red Sea come to a halt, or is this just time for a truce? Is there truth to the statements that said the proxies are mere fuel for the fire that needed to be lit to prepare for the negotiations? He cannot believe it.

The Lebanese youth can’t believe his eyes. The Lebanese civil war erupted on April 13, 1975. The country that was deluded in believing that it was a player became an arena where several wars played out. Tough Lebanese and regional warriors fought it out in this small country. The flood of funerals started and has never really stopped. Lebanese groups made gambles and came up with delusions that were far greater than the fragile country could stand. The Lebanese turned to foreign allies that are more powerful than them and they ultimately became fighters in a battle that turned them into mere pawns, not partners.

Funerals, funerals, funerals.

Kamal Jumblatt was assassinated after committing miscalculations related to geography while Hafez Assad was in power in Syria. Jumblatt once told former secretary general of the Lebanese Communist Party George Hawi: “It appears that we have launched a cause that is bigger than us.” Hawi would later tell me: “If only we hadn’t fired a single bullet.” The parties fought long and hard, and were defeated. They would later celebrate false victories.

The Lebanese gambled with their children and country

Ghassan Charbel

Bashir Gemayel also made miscalculations when he relied on regional forces to upend internal balances. A president-elect, he was killed before he even stepped foot in the presidential palace. Rene Moawad was killed for committing the sin of seeking to implement the Taif Accord on the basis of moderation, treating wounds and easing concerns. He was assassinated weeks into his presidency.

Rafik Hariri. The man who tried to help the country emerge from under the rubble, and who tried to restore Lebanon’s standing as it grappled with the Assads in Syria and Iranian influence. He was assassinated in Beirut. He was killed for trying to steal Lebanon away from the feast of wars, roles, and sizes. He was killed on the regional front line.

Hassan Nasrallah was killed in the Israeli war on Lebanon after the US and Israel retaliated to the Oct. 7 attacks by destroying Iran’s regional proxies.

Funerals, funerals, funerals.

The Lebanese youth browses the news. Dreams have turned into rubble. Lebanon is losing its youth and children. The Lebanese are either buried, in exile, or watching the region burn by the barbaric Israeli jets and living in anticipation of the full implementation of resolution 1701 and following Deputy US Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus’ recommendations.

The youth wonders: Is it time for Hezbollah to retire its arsenal? Was sacrificing the proxies necessary to fuel the fire for the negotiations and improving Iran’s conditions at the talks? What about those who have been killed and left behind scores of widows, orphans, and decimated villages? It has been 50 years since the eruption of the first of the Lebanese wars. What good was it for southern Lebanon to turn into a front for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? What good was it for southern Lebanon to turn into a front for the Iranian-Israeli conflict? The Israeli jet resembles a phantom; it may even resemble fate.

Trump is quick to remind everyone of America’s might

Ghassan Charbel

The youth can barely believe his ears. Donald Trump says he wants Iran to become a “great and happy nation.” But it can’t be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. The youth knows that Trump’s America is not like Obama or Biden’s America. Trump may make soft statements, but he is quick to remind everyone of America’s might if negotiations over the nuclear program fail.

The days are painful. The Lebanese gambled with their children and country. Did they learn the lesson? The Lebanese have no better home than Lebanon. It is the best home for Walid Jumblatt and his supporters, Samir Geagea and those counting on him, and Naim Qassem and the supporters of his party and sect. The same applies to those who continue to recall Rafik Hariri.

The Lebanese state alone can protect the Lebanese people. This is not about the success of Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam’s terms in office. But it is about Lebanon coming back from wars, and focusing on achieving stability and peace. Lebanon is our last and only hope.

The Iraqi youth can’t believe his eyes. The failure or success of the Muscat talks will have several implications for his country. Iran is not a charity. It is a serious state that knows how to flirt on the edge of war with the US without actually being dragged into conflict. Its primary concern is achieving its national interests. So, is it time to retire the arsenal of the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq? Is it time for Iran to reduce its influence and clear the way for the US and its regional arrangements? How difficult it is for Iraq to walk the delicate line between Washington and Tehran. Is it time to trim the claws of the armed factions and their delusions?

The situation is bitter from Baghdad to Gaza. The only way to fend off Israel’s barbarism lies in appeasing the Americans. The Israeli jet resembles a phantom, while the American influence resembles fate.

The painful journey has been long in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Gaza. A sea of blood and scores of missing people. Despair is everywhere. Have the wars deceived the fighters? Have our geographies been fuel for celebrations where the only role we can play is the victim? Will Iran abandon the major coup that it launched in the region back when the Khomeini revolution was victorious? When will the time come for the emergence of normal states whose only source of exhaustion is their dedication to achieving progress and development, and pursuing technological advancement? When will they emerge from the dark tunnels and head toward hopeful horizons?

• Ghassan Charbel is editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. X: @GhasanCharbel

This article first appeared in Asharq Al-Awsat.