Mohamad Bazzi

@mbazzi

NYU journalism professor | Director, NYU Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies | Guardian US columnist | Former Middle East bureau chief, Newsday.

280 Folgt3.578 Follower331 Posts

Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir mbazzi.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· 1d

Trump hid in a catering container to switch planes secretly because he was afraid of an Iranian assassination attempt. Iran’s leaders, meanwhile, continue heading to negotiations knowing they’re targeted for assassination by Israel and the US.

Screenshot of Guardian article with a photo of Air Force One on an airport runway with the headline:

“Trump reportedly hid in catering container to board secret flight in Turkey amid Iran threat. Elaborate ruse was used to transport president to military flight from Air Force One in July”

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· 5d

“In Gaza, genocide extending to miscarriages” — front page of @humanite.fr

Front page headline of French newspaper L’Humanite: “In Gaza, genocide extending to miscarriages.” Backdrop photo of a woman looking over a large collection of tents in Gaza

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· 8d

25 years after the tired American cliche of “why do they hate us,” helped instigate two forever wars (Afghanistan + Iraq), this is how @nytimes.com chooses to explain Iran’s political system:

Screenshot of text extract from NY Times article: “But in a political system premised on hatred of the United States, none show interest in a larger reconciliation with the United States.”

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· 10d

“Today, Saudi Arabia’s tenuous ceasefire with the Houthis is in danger of collapsing – yet another casualty of Trump’s disastrous war against Iran” — my latest for @theguardian.com | www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Screenshot of text from Guardian article:

“While Saudi Arabia's crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, has tried to steer clear of a direct confrontation with Iran, his latest conflict with the Houthis risks reopening a painful chapter in recent Saudi history. In 2015, Saudi Arabia, with US weapons and political support, led a coalition of Sunni Arab states to intervene in Yemen's long-running civil war. The Saudis tried to dislodge the Houthis from Yemen's capital, Sana'a, and restore the country's internationally recognized government to power. By the end of 2021, the United Nations estimated that the conflict had killed 377,000 people in Yemen, nearly 60% of whom did not die from direct warfare. Rather, they died from food shortages, cholera outbreaks and destruction of Yemen's healthcare system.

Despite thousands of airstrikes over seven years, the Houthis remained in control of the capital and the two sides agreed to a UN-brokered ceasefire in
2022. But negotiations over a permanent peace deal, which would recognize Houthi control over parts of Yemen and provide some form of Saudi reparations, stalled after the militia started attacking ships in the Red Sea in 2023.

Today, Saudi Arabia's tenuous ceasefire with the Houthis is in danger of collapsing - yet another casualty of Trump's disastrous war against Iran.

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· 20d

“Trump’s grandiose promises turned out to be the latest chapter in a long history of American imperial hubris” — my latest for @theguardian.com | www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Screenshot of text from Guardian article:

As Donald Trump launched a war of a
aggression against Iran nearly five months ago, he insisted Washington would achieve a decisive victory within weeks.
Trump and his advisers scoffed at any suggestion that they were breaking repeated campaign promises not to start new conflicts, and to end America's legacy of forever wars, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In early March, a week into the war, Trump declared he would only agree to "unconditional surrender" by Iran's theocratic government. He vowed to destroy much of Tehran's military, called for a popular uprising and touted the overthrow of the regime that rose to power after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. Of course, Trump's grandiose promises turned out to be the latest chapter in a long history of American imperial hubris.
Not to mention that Trump contradicted multiple pledges he had made to a weary US public that he wouldn't start new wars during his second presidency. In November 2024, in his election night victory speech from Florida, Trump confidently told Americans: "I'm not going to start a war. I'm going to stop wars."

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· 22d

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun met with Trump at the White House today. His big accomplishment? Trump promised to restore direct flights between the US and Lebanon. Meanwhile, Israel has been systemically razing entire villages in south Lebanon, with the Lebanese government helpless to stop it

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun shakes hands with Donald Trump during their meeting at the White House today

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Jul 8

“We write for Palestine with our blood” — Ghassan Kanafani, Palestinian writer and resistance leader assassinated in Beirut by Israeli agents 54 years ago today

Photo of Palestinian intellectual Ghassan Kanafani, holding a pen in one hand, and a cigarette in the other

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Jul 4

The death toll from Israel’s war on Lebanon has surpassed 4,300. Since March 2, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health: — Israel has killed at least 4,303 people throughout Lebanon. — More than 12,000 injured. — 135 health workers killed; 17 hospitals damaged.

Chart (in Arabic) from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, showing the number of deaths and injured:

Overview of Israeli War in Lebanon 2026:

Deaths and Injuries from 02/03/2026 to 04/07/2026

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Jun 26

“Trump doesn’t like to admit any failure, and he may eventually blame his botched Iran war on Netanyahu” — my latest for @theguardian.com | www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Screenshot of text extract from Guardian article:

"Trump has more incentive to impose limits on Netanyahu, after the Israeli leader spent months persuading Trump to launch a war aimed at toppling the Iranian regime. But the gambit backfired as Iran withstood weeks of severe bombing by the US and Israel, two of the world's most powerful militaries. Tehran also retaliated with missile strikes against American military bases across the Middle East; it targeted the energy infrastructure of its Gulf neighbors; and it threatened to trigger a global recession by closing the strait of Hormuz.

Trump doesn't like to admit any failure, and he may eventually blame his botched Iran war on Netanyahu. But to do so, Trump needs an agreement with Tehran that allows him to declare victory and move on from the conflict. And that deal will be at risk as long as Israel continues its war in Lebanon."

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Jun 20

The death toll from Israel’s war on Lebanon has surpassed 4,000. Since March 2nd, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health: — Israel has killed at least 4,057 people throughout Lebanon. — More than 12,000 injured. — 135 health workers killed; 17 hospitals damaged.

Chart from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, showing the number of deaths and injured:

Overview of Israeli War in Lebanon 2026:

Deaths and Injuries from 02/03/2026 to 20/06/2026

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Jun 19

“Brawndo’s got what plants crave!”

Screenshot of tweet from X:

Green water flows from an outflow pipe as crews remove algae in the Reflecting Pool
REUTERS/ Aaron Schwartz

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Jun 11

Seems accurate

Book cover showing a shouting Donald Trump, with the headline: “The Boy who Cried Peace Deals”

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Jun 2

21 years ago today, Samir Kassir — a Lebanese-Palestinian journalist and leftist intellectual — was assassinated in Beirut, by the Assad regime. Samir’s writing inspired a generation.

Photograph of Samir Kassir, the Lebanese-Palestinian journalist and intellectual. He is sitting in a chair at his home editing a manuscript.

He is holding a pen in one hand, and a cigarette in the other.

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· May 31

US media outlets are willing to butcher the English language — along with common sense and human decency — to avoid stating a basic fact: Israel is expanding its occupation of southern Lebanon

Twitter/X screenshot of CNN news headline with photo of Israeli soldiers outside Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military has captured the Crasader-era Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, a site it hasn't held for 26 years, as it expands its incursion deeper into its neighbor's territory.

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· May 26

Israel is targeting and killing healthcare workers in Lebanon nearly every day. Since March 2nd, Israeli attacks have killed 124 health care workers. The total death toll in Lebanon now stands at 3,185. — Lebanese Ministry of Health

Screenshot of chart produced by Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health:

Overview of Israeli War in Lebanon 2026: Deaths and Injuries from 02/03/2026 to 25/05/2026.

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· May 25

Have you considered not starting illegal wars of aggression?

Screenshot of New York Times opinion article, headlined: "Iran Is Trolling Us and Were Not Doing Anything About It" May 25, 2026

Under the headline is an illustration of a missile that is about to launch.

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· May 19

Syria's Ahmad Al-Sharaa is trying hard to rekindle his bromance with Trump

Screenshot of tweet by Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa.

Full text of tweet:

"Some meetings leave an impression; ours apparently left a fragrance.
Thank you, Mr. President @realDonaldTrump, for your generosity and for topping up this precious gift. May the spirit of that meeting continue to shape a stronger relationship between Syria and the United States."

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· May 19

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 3,000 people since March 2. And Israel is occupying and demolishing dozens of towns in south Lebanon. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister is spending his time complaining about a plaque in NYC commemorating Arab writers as part of “Little Syria.”

Screenshot of a tweet by Lebanon's Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi. Full text:

"I followed up, in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, on the issue of the plaque attached to the memorial in New York dedicated to commemorating the first Lebanese immigrants, after it included an ambiguous description of the identity of some of Lebanon’s most prominent Mahjar writers, notably Gibran Khalil Gibran, Mikhail Naimy, Ameen Rihani, and Elia Abu Madi.

I gave my instructions to Lebanon’s Ambassador in Washington and the Consul General of Lebanon in New York to carry out the necessary contacts with the relevant authorities, with the aim of correcting the text in a way that is consistent with the known historical, cultural, and geographical facts, and that confirms the original and authentic Lebanese origins of these writers, who formed a main part of Lebanon’s cultural heritage in the world.

I also stressed the importance of preserving accuracy in documenting the contributions of the pioneers of the Lebanese diaspora, because of the literary and civilizational value they represent in the national memory and in the particularity of the Lebanese identity."

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· May 17

Al Jazeera English isn’t afraid to call it what it is: A “so-called ceasefire” in Gaza that Israel has violated repeatedly by killing more than 870 Palestinians

Screeshot of Al Jazeera English website headline, showing a funeral procession in Gaza today.

The headline reads:

Three community kitchen workers among five killed by Israel in Gaza

Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 871 Palestinians since the so-called ceasefire began last year.

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· May 7

“How Israel is wiping Southern Lebanon off the map” — front page of today’s @liberation.fr

Front page of French daily newspaper Liberation showing large scale destruction with the headline:

“How Israel is wiping Southern Lebanon off the map”

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· May 5

Israel is carrying out a systematic campaign to demolish and erase Bint Jbeil, my hometown in southern Lebanon — an interview with @tcambanis.bsky.social for his “Order from Ashes” podcast | thecenturyfoundation.podbean.com/e/erasing-bi...

Aerial view of large scale destruction inflicted on the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, with an Israeli tank parked in the center of the photo.

Text of podcast promotional poster:

ORDER FROM ASHES

Erasing Bint Jbail:
What War Is Like Now
Mohamad Bazzi

Listen wherever you find podcasts

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· May 3

On World Press Freedom Day, let's remember that Israel is the most prolific killer of journalists in our time. According to @pressfreedom.bsky.social, at least 129 journalists and media workers were killed in 2025 — two-thirds of them by Israel.

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· May 2

Despite a “ceasefire,” Israeli forces carried out widespread airstrikes and artillery shelling across southern Lebanon on Friday and Saturday, killing dozens. Over the past 24 hours, Israel has killed 41 people — bringing the total killed by Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2 to 2,659.

Text of screenshot:

Lebanon death toll in two months of Israeli attacks reaches 2,659

Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health has provided the latest casualty figures since the start of Israeli attacks on Lebanon exactly two months ago.

Between March 2 and May 2, Israeli attacks across Lebanon killed 2,659 people and wounded 8,183, the ministry said.

It added 41 people were killed and 11 others wounded in Israeli raids over the past 24-hour reporting period.

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Apr 28

I did an interview with Sharif Abdel Kouddous of @dropsitenews.com on how Israel’s “Dahiyeh doctrine” during its 2006 war on Lebanon helped pave the way for Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Apr 24

I wrote for @theguardian.com on the parallels between Israel’s wars on Lebanon and Gaza | www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

Extracted text from Guardian article, headlined: "Is this what war looks like now?"

"Is this what war looks like now? Our world has changed over the past two and half years. In the weeks after the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023, Israel set in motion a machinery of genocide - largely enabled by unwavering US support and powered by impunity and denial - against Gaza, unleashing one of the most destructive military campaigns targeting civilians in modern times.
Israel has repeated the Gaza playbook in its war on Lebanon: intense aerial bombardment and illegal mass evacuation orders that lead to the large-scale displacement of civilians; the destruction of civilian infrastructure and border towns to make way for so-called "buffer zones" occupied by Israeli troops; the targeting of hospitals and healthcare workers; and the killing of journalists. And, as it did with Gaza, the west largely looks on with indifference.

Gaza represents a new pinnacle for this type of wholesale destruction as a military strategy, of using overwhelming and disproportionate force against civilians and infrastructure. But the seed of this strategy was planted two decades ago - in a previous Israeli war on Lebanon. That war resulted in Israel's Dahiyeh doctrine, which calls for the deliberate targeting of civilians and infrastructure as a means of collective punishment that seeks to turn local populations against armed militias. That doctrine played out in full force in Lebanon - and also has made multiple rhetorical appearances in Donald Trump's threats to destroy societies and civilizations on a large scale."

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Apr 21

“The Nakba of South Lebanon” — front page of L’Orient-Le Jour today

Front page of Lebanon’s L’Orient Le Jour newspaper, with a photo of the Israeli flag flying over a town in southern Lebanon. The headline: “The Nakba of South Lebanon”

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Apr 19

“The Lebanese army has been kept weak and ineffective on purpose. That’s part of the Israeli-US strategy” — my conversation on Lebanon with Adam Shatz and Joelle Abi-Rached for @lrb.co.uk podcast | www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and...

Scene of destruction in southern Lebanon, with two Israeli tanks in the foreground moving along demolished homes and buildings.

Text Block:

THE LRB PODCAST
The War in Lebanon
With Adam Shatz, Joelle Abi-Rached and Mohamad Bazzi

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Apr 11

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 2,000 people, and wounded more than 6,400, since March 2nd: — 165 children killed. — 248 women killed. — 85 healthcare workers killed. (Source: Lebanese Ministry of Health)

Infographic (in Arabic) from Lebanon's Public Health Emergency Operation Center showing the number of Lebanese killed and wounded since Israel intensified its attacks on March 2nd.

2020 people killed
6436 people injured

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Apr 10

Beirut, 1982 — being bombed by the Israeli military during its invasion. Your reminder that Israel has been bombing Lebanon since before Hezbollah existed. (Photo by Yan Morvan)

Photo of a seafront section of Beirut being bombed by Israeli forces during the Israeli invasion of 1982.

Buildings in the background, and a ferris wheel in the foreground.

Mohamad Bazzi@mbazzi· Apr 10

With unwavering US support under both Biden and Trump, is it any surprise that Netanyahu concluded that Israel can bomb virtually anyone and anywhere in the Middle East, with impunity? — my latest for @theguardian.com | www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...