Lebanon

SpotlightWashington Draws the Line: Iran Must Comply

Philippe Abi-Akl 29/04 08:30 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Washington Donald Trump UN Security Council Iran

Washington and Tehran are moving on starkly opposing trajectories in the Middle East. Under President Donald Trump, the United States has prioritized dismantling any armed presence operating outside the framework of state legitimacy and eradicating terrorism from the region. This approach is part of a broader strategy to prepare the ground for a ...

Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem Sets Three Priorities for Lebanon’s Stability

This is Beirut 28/04 21:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Naim Kassem Lebanon

In a televised speech broadcast by Al-Manar on Monday, Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem outlined three major priorities he said were essential for Lebanon’s stability, recovery and development as the country prepares for upcoming municipal elections. Qassem emphasized that the first priority is ending Israeli aggression. He called for ...

LAF Foils Sea Smuggling Attempt and Arrests 8 Suspects

This is Beirut 28/04 17:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Baalbeck Lebanese Army

A Lebanese Army (LAF) navy patrol successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle 27 Syrians illegally across the sea, off the coast of Arida (northern Lebanon), the Army’s Directorate of Orientation announced on Monday. The statement also detailed a series of coordinated raids carried out by army units, supported by the Intelligence ...

Army Retirees Threaten to Escalate Pressure for Better Pension

This is Beirut 28/04 13:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

lebanon military retirees Military Retirees Movement government

Amid growing frustration over deteriorating living conditions, the Military Retirees Movement announced a shift to a new phase of confrontation, warning of wide-ranging protests if the government fails to meet their demands. “After exhausting all means of dialogue and peaceful expression, and facing deafening silence and humiliating disregard ...

Aoun Stresses Need for Israeli Withdrawal to Boost Border Security

This is Beirut 28/04 12:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Joseph Aoun Lebanese Army Israël Syria France

President Joseph Aoun underscored the urgent need for Israeli forces to withdraw from five strategic points in southern Lebanon to facilitate the full deployment of the Lebanese Army (LAF) along the border. “This withdrawal is essential to enable the state to assume full responsibility for border security,” Aoun stated. Following the ...

Salam: Municipal Elections, First Step Towards Decentralization

This is Beirut 28/04 10:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Nawaf Salam Ahmed Hajjar Interior Ministry Taif Accord

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed on Monday that municipal elections will be held as scheduled, calling the vote a “democratic constitutional entitlement” and a promise the government is determined to fulfill. Speaking from the Ministry of Interior during the launch of the central operations room dedicated to overseeing the elections, ...

Geopolitical Variations and Political Challenges

Charles Chartouni 28/04 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Pope Francis Donald Trump Hezbollah Middle East Iran Israel

The past week was replete with events that cannot be overlooked if we are to address critical conflicts around the world: the death of Pope Francis and its reverberations ; the evolutions of the Ukraine war ; the ultimate scope of the US-Iranian negotiations; the shifting facades of Turkey’s Islamic authoritarianism; and the normalization ...

Samy Gemayel: 'The Decentralization Law Is Almost Complete, Only Political Will Is Missing'

This is Beirut 27/04 12:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Samy Gemayel Decentralization Kataëb

After 76 sessions and nearly 200 hours of work, Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel announced that the draft law on decentralization is practically finalized and now only awaits political will for its adoption. Speaking at the third Tajaddod Lel Watan participatory conference, titled “Decentralization: The Time Has Come,” Gemayel urged ...

VideosInside MEA’s Cockpit: Between Sky and Reality

Yara Germany 27/04 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute

PILOT cockpit MEA Flight

Exclusive – This is Beirut boards MEA’s cockpit. Pilots and cabin crew open their doors to us, share their passion, and recount how they kept Lebanon flying — even in times of war. Between sky and ground, an immersive report.

Municipal Elections in Batroun: A Shifting Political Landscape

Samar El-Kadi 27/04 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Gebran Bassil Hezbollah municipal elections Batroun

Nine years after they were last held—after a hiatus marked by repeated postponements—municipal elections in Lebanon are scheduled to take place over four consecutive Sundays beginning on May 4. The conditions under which the 2016 elections were conducted have changed dramatically. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group, has lost significant ...

'The Constitution First', New Political Gathering Calls for Sovereignty, Reform, and Judicial Independence

This is Beirut 26/04 20:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanese Army United Nations Lebanon 'Constitution First' Fares Soueid

A new political gathering, led by ex-MP and former Secretariat General Coordinator of the March 14 Alliance, Fares Soueid, was launched on Saturday under the name "The Constitution First." The main highlights of the group’s manifesto included: -The enactment of a new electoral law, including the redrawing of electoral districts ...

Washington: Hezbollah’s Financing and Disarmament are Interconnected

Bassam Abou Zeid 26/04 18:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah International Monetary Fund Qard al-Hassan World Bank Lebanon US treasury

Combating the financing of terrorism was a central topic for the official Lebanese delegation at the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Washington. The most significant discussions were held with US Treasury Department officials, particularly involving Finance Minister Yassine Jaber and Central Bank ...