Following Operation al-Aqsa Flood in Gaza, Iran’s influence saw significant setbacks, especially in Syria and Lebanon, raising questions about the fate of the weapons and arms factories it had established across the Arab world since the 1980s.

Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt dropped a major bombshell by announcing the handover of the Progressive Socialist Party’s weapons to the state, calling it an “encouraging step” for other parties to centralize arms under Beirut’s authority.

Lebanon faces escalating political tensions as PM Nawaf Salam pushes to centralize military authority and disarm Hezbollah, whose refusal and allied resistance deepen divisions and threaten the fragile ceasefire and national stability.

Although the regime of Bashar al-Assad, which oversaw drug production and smuggling, has fallen, remnants of his networks are still active and continue to pose a threat to Syria’s neighbors, especially Jordan.

Lebanon’s Shiite duo—Hezbollah and Amal Movement—proved they still hold significant sway over their Shiite base, securing strong support in any electoral contest.