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Escalation in Southern Lebanon Intensifies Amid Regional Diplomatic Efforts with Iran

Military activity sharply escalated in southern Lebanon on Saturday despite ongoing diplomatic signals of potential breakthroughs in regional negotiations involving Iran and the United States. The Arabic spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, issued two separate evacuation warnings covering a total of 15 towns and villages in southern ...

Alleged Iranian-Linked Plot Targeted Ivanka Trump in Failed Assassination Attempt

In a statement posted on social media, House Republicans claimed that Ivanka Trump had been targeted in a failed assassination attempt tied to “Iranian terror groups,” adding that she remains safe. The statement said that the alleged plot demonstrates what Republicans described as Iran’s hostility toward the U.S. and renewed ...

Rubio Says Iran Talks Show Progress but Key Issues Remain Unresolved

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday indicated that diplomatic discussions with Iran remain active, suggesting that developments could emerge within days while reaffirming Washington’s core demands on Tehran’s nuclear program. Speaking during a visit to India, Rubio said that “there might be some news later ...

Iran Reaffirms Support for Hezbollah and Calls for Lebanon-Inclusive Regional Ceasefire Proposal

Hezbollah claimed that it’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, received a message from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi outlining Tehran’s position on regional developments and ongoing diplomatic efforts related to the conflict. According to the statement, Iran reaffirmed its continued support for what it described as “movements ...

Iran Chief Negotiator Vows 'Crushing' Response if U.S. Resumes Attacks

Iran's chief negotiator on Saturday warned of a "crushing" response if U.S. President Donald Trump resumed attacks on the country, saying Tehran had rebuilt its armed forces during the six-week-long ceasefire in the Middle East war. "Our armed forces have rebuilt themselves during the ceasefire period in such a way that if Trump commits another ...

Two Airports, Two Realities: Beirut's Airport Under Hezbollah’s Shadow, Qlayaat Under State Control

Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny on May 19 announced the opening of bids for the public tender to operate and invest in Lebanon’s northern Rene Mouawad Airport, in a move aimed at reviving a second civilian airport after years of stagnation. The contract was awarded to Sky Lounge Services following a tender process conducted ...

Iran Weighs Peace Proposal, Accuses U.S. of 'Excessive Demands'

Tehran accused the United States of "excessive demands," Iranian media said on Saturday, as U.S. media reports raised the prospect that Washington was mulling new strikes and leaders of the Islamic republic considered the latest peace proposal. Pakistan's powerful army chief arrived in Tehran on Friday to bolster mediation, and U.S. President ...

U.S. Sanctions on Hezbollah and Amal's "Deep State": Implications for the Duo and the State

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on nine individuals in Lebanon accused of supporting Hezbollah and obstructing efforts to disarm the Iran-backed group, in one of Washington’s clearest moves yet to counter Hezbollah’s influence over Lebanon’s political and security institutions. The sanctions, announced by the U.S. Treasury ...

Pakistan Army Chief in Tehran as Iran Weighs U.S. Peace Offer

Pakistan's powerful army chief arrived in Tehran on Friday as diplomacy around the Middle East war gathered pace, with Iran weighing a new US peace proposal while warning that deep divisions still stand in the way of a deal. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei cautioned that the visit did not mean "we have reached a ...

No Turning Back in Lebanon-Israel Talks

Amid a fraught ceasefire, preparations are underway for the next phase of the U.S.-mediated Lebanon-Israel diplomatic process, which analysts describe as a major turning point. Security talks between Lebanese and Israeli military delegations are scheduled to begin at the Pentagon on May 29, while a parallel political track is set to reconvene in ...

EU Expands Iran Sanctions Over Strait of Hormuz Navigation Threats

The Council of the European Union on Friday expanded its sanctions framework against Iran to include individuals and entities involved in actions deemed to threaten freedom of navigation in the Middle East, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement, the Council said the amended legal basis would allow the EU to impose restrictive ...

Lebanese Army Responds to U.S. Treasury Allegations Against Intelligence Officer

The Lebanese Army Command issued a statement on Friday in response to a decision released by the U.S. Department of the Treasury concerning the alleged involvement of a Lebanese Army officer in the leaking of intelligence information during the current year. The Army Command noted that it had not been notified of the matter through the ...

Iran Condemns U.S. Sanctions as Washington Expands Pressure on Hezbollah’s Institutional Network

Iran on Friday strongly condemned new U.S. sanctions targeting Iranian Ambassador-designate to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Sheibani, as well as several Lebanese political, military, and security officials accused by Washington of supporting Hezbollah. In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry described the sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury ...

Why Lebanon Still Lacks a Viable Shia Alternative

An important question is increasingly being raised among sovereigntist political circles in Lebanon and within regional and international forums, particularly in Washington: where is the Shia alternative to the Hezbollah-Amal political alliance? Some parties ask this question in good faith, based on the conviction that any meaningful path toward ...

U.S. Sanctions Lebanese Officials and Hezbollah Affiliates Over Alleged Obstruction of Disarmament Efforts

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on nine individuals in Lebanon accused of supporting Hezbollah and obstructing efforts to disarm the Iran-backed group, in a move Washington described as part of a broader campaign to reinforce Lebanese sovereignty and weaken Hezbollah’s influence over state institutions. The sanctions, announced ...

Khamenei Orders Iran’s Enriched Uranium Stockpile to Remain Inside Country: Report

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a directive that the country’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remain inside Iran, according to two senior Iranian sources cited by Reuters on Wednesday. The directive directly challenges one of the key American and Israeli demands in the talks: the removal of Iran’s ...

Displaced Residents Back State-Led Camp Relocation in Beirut

Displaced residents told This is Beirut that they were being relocated from private property in Biel to state- and municipality-owned land under a government-supervised plan coordinated by security forces and the Beirut Municipality.  Several residents expressed support for the move, saying they backed the state-led relocation effort, while ...

Lebanon Pursuing State “Free From Illegal Weapons,” Foreign Minister Says Amid Talks With Israel

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said Wednesday that Lebanon had taken what he described as a “courageous decision” to enter direct negotiations with Israel in pursuit of a permanent ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, and the establishment of a state “free from occupation and illegal weapons.” The remarks, ...

Iran Claims U.S. Seeking to ‘Start a New Round of War’ and Threatens ‘Forceful Response’ 

Iran accused the United States on Wednesday of seeking to reignite the regional war, after President Donald Trump renewed threats of military action against Tehran while Washington continues tightening its naval blockade around Iranian shipping routes. The escalation came as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it had forced 90 commercial ...

Iran Guards Say Allowed 26 Ships to Transit Hormuz Since Tuesday

Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy on Wednesday said they allowed over 25 vessels, including oil tankers, to transit the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours. Iran has largely blocked shipping through the strait, a vital global energy conduit, since the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel on February 28. Iran, which has been under ...

Lebanese Politicians and Activists Advocate “Just and Lasting Peace” Through State Institutions

Multiple Lebanese parliament members joined political activists and civil society representatives Wednesday at a conference titled “For the Lebanese State to Negotiate for a Just and Lasting Peace,” which brought together advocates of Lebanese sovereignty and exclusive state authority over war and diplomacy amid renewed debate over the ...

NATO Considers Securing Hormuz Shipping Routes

As tensions continue to disrupt global shipping lanes, NATO is weighing the possibility of escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should the strategic waterway remain blocked beyond early July, according to a senior NATO official cited by Bloomberg. The issue is expected to dominate discussions during a meeting of NATO leaders ...

Israel Claims Hezbollah Used Church as Cover for Attack That Killed Reservist

According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Major (Res.) Itamar Sapir, 27, was killed in what it described as a Hezbollah terrorist attack launched from a church in southern Lebanon. Israeli authorities alleged that Hezbollah had once again transformed a religious site into a military stronghold, accusing the group of violating international law ...

U.S. Signals Readiness for New Military Action Against Iran While Leaving Door Open for Diplomacy

U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States was “one hour away” from launching strikes on Iran on Monday before deciding to delay military action to allow more time for negotiations. Speaking during a White House press briefing alongside Vice President JD Vance, Trump revealed that several Gulf countries had contacted ...

Lebanon Awards Contract to Reopen Qlayaat’s René Mouawad Airport

Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny announced the opening of bids for the public tender to operate and invest in René Mouawad Airport in a move aimed at reviving Lebanon’s second civilian airport after years of stagnation. The contract was awarded to Sky Lounge Services following a tender process conducted under the ...

U.S. Tightens Economic Grip on Iran With Sanctions Surge and Global Security Push

The United States on Monday announced new sanctions targeting Iranian financial intermediaries, exchange houses, and maritime assets, as part of an intensified effort to disrupt what Washington describes as Tehran’s “shadow financial system” used to fund regional operations and evade international restrictions. According to a statement by ...