Lebanon

Iraq Reverses Hezbollah, Houthi Asset Freeze, Calls It ‘Mistake'

This is Beirut 04/12 11:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon Banks Gulf United Kingdom Iraq Houthis

Iraq's central bank on Thursday said the appearance of Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis on a frozen assets list was a mistake, and ordered the correction of the official announcement, according to a document seen by AFP. An official gazette issue dated November 17 published a decision about Iraq freezing the assets of ...

Op-edAn Opportunity for Lebanon to Join the Abrahams Accords

Hanin Ghaddar 04/12 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Peace Joseph Aoun Morgan Ortagus Abraham Accords

“We affirm today that the survival of this Lebanon, gathered entirely around you, is a condition for peace, hope, and reconciliation among all the children of Abraham.” With these words to Pope Leo XIV during the pontiff’s visit to Lebanon, President Joseph Aoun signaled a possible willingness to bring his country into the ...

Op-edThe Next Israel–Hezbollah War Could Be Inevitable — and Crippling for Hezbollah

Salam El Zaatari 04/12 09:00 - Reading : 8 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Hezbollah War Peace

When Israeli jets struck Beirut’s Haret Hreik on 23 November 2025 and killed Haitham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff and the man responsible for rebuilding its shattered military infrastructure, the message was unmistakable. Israel was not simply targeting a militant; it was signaling that the post-war “ceasefire” is dead, that ...

FocusIsrael Accuses Hezbollah of Assassinations in Beirut Port Blast Case

Tylia El Helou 03/12 19:05 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Lebanon Beirut Port Israel Hezbollah

New and highly sensitive allegations emerged on Tuesday after the Israeli army accused a specialized Hezbollah cell—Unit 121—of assassinating four Lebanese figures who allegedly held information implicating the Shiite militia in the August 2020 Beirut port explosion. The claims, made by the army’s Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee ...

14th Meeting of Mechanism: Civilian Participants Added to Enhance Stability and Success

This is Beirut 03/12 16:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel UN Security Council USA

Senior officials convened for the 14th iteration of the Pentalateral on December 3 in Naqoura to assess ongoing efforts to reach an enduring cessation of hostilities arrangement in Lebanon, reported the US Embassy in Beirut in a statement. To support a durable peace and shared prosperity of both sides, former Ambassador Simon Karam of Lebanon ...

Op-edLebanon Must Answer the Pope’s Call for Peace

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 03/12 16:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Peace

From the heart of Lebanon—a biblical land living under Hezbollah’s shadow—Pope Leo XIV issued a clarion call for genuine peace, not merely a ceasefire, between longstanding adversaries. Although he refrained from naming Israel directly, the implication was unmistakable: the pontiff was urging Lebanon to pursue normalization with its southern ...

Kanaan Warns of “Constitutional Violation” in Unaudited State Accounts

This is Beirut 03/12 15:15 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Ibrahim Kanaan Budget 2025 Finance and Budget Committee

Following a Finance and Budget Committee meeting on Wednesday, its chairman, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, issued sharp warnings over the state’s continued failure to produce audited financial accounts, describing this as a “clear constitutional violation” of Article 87. Kanaan stressed that Lebanese citizens are required to submit their accounts for ...

FocusA Historic Day: Lebanon and Israel Hold First Direct Talks in Decades

This is Beirut 03/12 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Joseph Aoun

Lebanon and Israel held their first civilian-led direct talks in decades on Wednesday, in a meeting hosted by UNIFIL in Naqura as part of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism established in November 2024. The shift from military to political dialogue marks a historic rupture in Lebanese policy—driven by President Joseph Aoun’s bold ...

Syrian Security Forces Foil Hezbollah Landmine Smuggling Operation

This is Beirut 03/12 12:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Syria Hezbollah Lebanon

Syrian authorities said on Wednesday they had killed a man and arrested four others who were attempting to smuggle hundreds of landmines to Hezbollah. In a statement, the interior ministry said it launched a raid in Al-Jebbe, near the capital Damascus, during which "four people were arrested and a fifth neutralized after a clash." Khaled Abbas ...

SpotlightA Historic Decision by Joseph Aoun… Lebanon on the Path to Joining the Abraham Accords

This is Beirut 03/12 11:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Pope Vatican Joseph Aoun Israel

The news of appointing former ambassador Simon Karam to head the Lebanese delegation to the “Mechanism” meetings—and the Presidency’s confirmation of his participation in today’s session in Naqoura—can only be understood within the context of the bold steps President Joseph Aoun is taking to move toward direct negotiations to resolve ...

Pope Leo XIV: The Church Proposed That Hezbollah Lay Down Arms and Pursue Dialogue

This is Beirut 02/12 22:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah pope Leon XIV

Pope Leo XIV revealed on Tuesday, during a press conference aboard the plane returning him to Rome after his visit to Beirut, that “the Church has put forward a proposal” calling on Hezbollah to “abandon its weapons and prioritize dialogue.” He said he had been informed of a message sent by the Shiite movement during his stay in ...

Port Explosion: Israeli Army Claims Hezbollah Eliminated Four Key Witnesses

This is Beirut 02/12 18:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel port explosion Lebanon Beirut

The Israeli army accused on Tuesday a Hezbollah unit of assassinating four Lebanese figures who allegedly possessed information implicating the Shiite movement in the Beirut port explosion of August 2020, according to its Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, on X (formerly Twitter). According to the Israeli army, Hezbollah’s Unit 121 ...