Bitter Victory or Sweet Defeat in the Middle East, But Whose?

June 16, 2026 World News

People make their way through the heavily damaged historic market of Nabatieh as residents displaced by the fighting return to southern Lebanon on June 15, 2026. Israel’s defence minister said on June 15, that Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza indefinitely, hours after the United States and Iran agreed to end the Middle East war, including in Lebanon.

COMMENTARY: The consequences of this war will only be revealed over time, months and even years into the future.