— 🇸🇾 NEW: Sectarian killings and murders of civilians in other areas of Syria have been reported as the conflict in As-Suweyda went on

Unidentified armed men reportedly shot an Alawite man and his son in the eastern Hama countryside of Syria.

Additionally, in the northern Deir Ezzor countryside, Kurdish SDF-controlled territory, a civilian was shot dead and his body was found on the side of the road.

@Middle_East_Spectator

I'm just reading a bit about Druze theology for the first time.

This was not a good decision.

So, listen, the way I understand it, and very simplified:

– They believe that Al-Hakim Bi Amr-Allah, the 16th Ismaili Shia Imam & 6th Fatimid Caliph, is actually the final reincarnation / manifestation of Allah (???) and that he did not actually die, but went into occultation.

– This belief was first expressed by a guy called Hamza ibn Ali, a Persian who lived in the 11th century in Cairo, and even Al-Hakim himself made fun of this belief.

– This guy, Hamza, wrote some letters, stating that Al-Hakim will eventually come back and spread 'Druze wisdom' throughout the world. These letters are called the 'Epistles of Wisdom'.

– Some additional letters were written by another guy called Baha Al-Din Al-Muqtana, nobody knows anything about him except that he was born in Syria and was likely a Christian. He announced his retirement and disappeared to a random unknown place.

– The Druze believe that Plato, Socrates and other Greek philosophers were actually Prophets, and they generally believe in astrology and other stuff.

– They believe it's forbidden to share their beliefs with 'ignorants' (those who are non-religious Druze)

And many more things.

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 President Trump: 'All three nuclear sites in Iran were completely destroyed and/or OBLITERATED. It would take years to bring them back into service and, if Iran wanted to do so, they would be much better off starting anew, in three different locations, prior to those sites being obliterated, should they decide to do so.

Thank you for your attention to this matter!'

@Middle_East_Spectator

How many more times will he say this?

Negotiations with America, a slippery slope — Ayatollah Khamenei explains:

First, they'll demand the dismantlement of Iran's nuclear technology. Then, they'll want us to limit our ballistic missile program.

Once that is done, they will make the demand to stop funding resistance movements like Hamas and Hezbollah. But, as expected, they still won't be satisfied.

They'll somehow bring up the issue of 'human rights', freedom, and democracy. Eventually, they will finally demand that religion and state become seperate.

Their demands will never end.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸 President Trump, speaking to reporters about the Epstein files:

'I don't understand why people are so interested in Epstein, he's been dead for a long time, he was never a big factor in terms of 'life'. I really don't understand the interest or the fascination. It's all fake.

I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody. It's pretty boring stuff. It's sorted, but it's boring. Why does it keep going? Only bad people and Fake News wants to keep it going.'

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸 President Trump: 'The Wall Street Journal is a pile of garbage'

@Middle_East_Spectator