Op-edHezbollah vs. the State: A Sisyphus Moment at Raouche

Natasha Metni Torbey 26/09 15:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah Amal Government

In a bold display of power that lays bare Lebanon’s fragile balance of forces, Hezbollah flouted every law and directive, trampling both state decisions and promises to its own allies. On Thursday evening, despite an explicit ban from Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud, the Pigeon Rock in Raouche, an iconic national and tourist landmark, was ...

SpotlightThe End of an Era: Hezbollah Without Its Anchor

Natasha Metni Torbey 26/09 12:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah Lebanon

September 27, 2024, marked a turning point for Hezbollah. At 6:30 PM, a powerful shockwave tore through Beirut’s southern suburb and its surroundings, but the deeper tremor was political. In a matter of seconds, the “Party of God” entered free fall. Hassan Nasrallah, the movement’s towering figure, its uncontested leader and the symbol of ...

Former BDL Governor Riad Salameh Released on Reduced Bail

This is Beirut 26/09 11:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Banque du Liban Riad Salameh

Former Central Bank (BDL) Governor Riad Salameh was released on Friday evening. He was discharged from Bhannes Hospital after completing all legal formalities, with his legal representative, lawyer Mark Habka, overseeing the release under tight security supervision. Habka pointed out that “Salameh's release marks a new chapter in his ...

Israel Strikes Hezbollah 'Precision' Missile Site in Beqaa

This is Beirut 26/09 11:10 - Reading : less than a minute

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Hezbollah Békaa Beqaa

The Israeli Army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, announced on Friday that Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah “precision missile production site.” The statement came after Israeli warplanes carried out multiple raids on positions in the Beqaa’s eastern mountain chain, targeting areas in Jerd al-Shaara, Nabi Shit and ...

Syrian Army Clashes with Narcotics Smugglers on Lebanese Border

This is Beirut 26/09 09:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Damascus Syria Homs captagon

The Syrian Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that army units clashed with a group of narcotics smugglers near Dabousiya, west of Homs, along the Lebanese-Syrian border. In a statement, the ministry said the confrontation led to the seizure of a batch of drugs, which was handed over to the competent authorities. It added that operations to ...

Berri: No Cause for Concern...

Johnny Kortbawi 26/09 09:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Nabih Berri Speaker Shia

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri speaks only when circumstances demand it or when a message must be conveyed, whether on domestic or external fronts. He has mastered the art of choosing his words, his audience, and the medium through which they are delivered. This is the result of forty years of political shrewdness, which has taught him how to ...

Salam Condemns Hezbollah for Defying State Decisions, Calls for Legal Action

This is Beirut 25/09 21:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hassan Nasrallah Hezbollah USA

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called on Thursday on the ministers of Interior, Justice and Defense to take “immediate action” and arrest those responsible for projecting images onto Beirut’s iconic Raouche Rock, in defiance of an official ban. In a post on X, Salam urged that the perpetrators be referred for investigation and “punished in ...

Boulos: Hezbollah Disarmament a 'Red Line' for Washington

This is Beirut 25/09 20:10 - Reading : less than a minute

Hezbollah Washington Donald Trump Lebanese Army Massaad Boulos

US President Donald Trump’s advisor on African affairs, Massaad Boulos, underscored that the disarmament of Hezbollah and the exclusive control of arms by the Lebanese state constitute a “red line” for Washington. In an interview with Al Jazeera on Thursday, Boulos reiterated US support for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), highlighting ...

EditorialHezbollah: 'I Am the State'

Marc Saikali 25/09 19:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah

Hezbollah has once again crossed a red line. Defying an explicit state ban, the Pigeon Grotto was illuminated with portraits of Nasrallah and Safieddine, a symbolic act of defiance that speaks volumes. The message is clear: this militia takes orders only from Tehran and openly disregards both Lebanese law and international resolutions. Since the ...

Jounieh Highway: When Public Land Becomes Private Property

Liliane Mokbel 25/09 15:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon economy infrastructure Jounieh Highway expropriation

Widening Jounieh Highway will not happen overnight. The project is expected to take 36 to 40 months. As the saying goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Funding for the project is secured, Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny told the press, though he provided no further details. Sources close to the ...

SpotlightRebuilding to Restore Control? Hezbollah’s $3 Billion Gamble

Natasha Metni Torbey 25/09 15:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah

Three billion dollars. That is the amount estimated by Hezbollah for the reconstruction of war-torn areas through its Waad project and the Jihad al-Bina association. Yet such a figure immediately raises questions. The group is widely believed to be strapped for cash—squeezed by US sanctions and by a land, air and sea blockade meant to choke off ...

Aoun Calls on US Diaspora to Engage More in Lebanon

This is Beirut 25/09 12:05 - Reading : less than a minute

Joseph Aoun New York Diaspora Legislative Elections UN General Assembly