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Who Rises Next? Sunni Perspectives on the Muslim Brotherhood and President Al-Sharaa
Claudia Groeling 06/02 23:25 - Reading : less than a minute
In Lebanon today, the Sunni streets are largely leaderless, and many are searching for new direction. This Is Beirut went on the ground in Sunni areas to ask residents about the Muslim Brotherhood’s designation as a foreign terrorist organization and whether the Brotherhood or President Ahmed al-Sharaa can fill the leadership void. Many ...
U.S. Pulls Troops From Northeastern Syria Amid SDF-Damascus Integration
This is Beirut 06/02 23:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Damascus United States Washington
The U.S. has begun its withdrawal of troops from the Shaddadi base in northeastern Syria this week as part of a broader drawdown of direct U.S. military presence in Syria. This event occurred amid the incorporation of civilian and security sector responsibilities to Damascus to replace the SDF and the U.S. as the primary force monitoring the ...
White House Official to TIB: 'Nothing We Heard Today Reduces Our Concern About Iran’s Current Trajectory'
This is Beirut 06/02 21:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
United States Iran Nuclear Talks Exclusive
In an exclusive statement given to This is Beirut, a senior official in the White House expressed growing impatience with Iran regarding today’s nuclear talks. The official said that “we did not go into these talks expecting easy answers, and nothing we heard today reduces our concern about Iran’s current trajectory, especially ...
Syria Says It Arrested Terrorist Cell and Seized Hezbollah-Linked Drones and Missiles in Rif Dimashq
This is Beirut 06/02 21:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Syria’s Ministry of the Interior announced that it cracked down on terrorist cells in the Rif Dimashq Governorate and captured military hardware and weapons linked to Hezbollah, according to a report from Nidaa al-Watan. In the operation, internal security forces arrested all members of the cell and seized Hezbollah drones, missiles, and ...
U.S. Expands Sanctions on Iran’s Shadow Fleet Following Nuclear Talks in Oman
This is Beirut 06/02 19:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
United States Iran Sanctions Nuclear Talks
The U.S. State Department announced on Friday that it would impose new sanctions against Iranian individuals and assets with a stated goal of interrupting the capital flow that the regime uses to “support terrorism” domestically and abroad. The statement expresses that the “Department of State is sanctioning multiple entities, ...
Senior Hezbollah Official Wafiq Safa Steps Down as Qassem Reshapes Leadership
This is Beirut 06/02 18:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Wafiq Safa Naim Qassem Hezbollah Lebanon
Wafiq Safa, the head of Hezbollah’s liaison and coordination unit, resigned from his position on Friday as Secretary General Naim Qassem has pushed to reshape the organization’s leadership, sources close to Reuters confirmed. Safa has maintained a senior position within Hezbollah since 1987 and was appointed to his role as a powerful ...
Iran FM: U.S.-Iran Talks Held In a “Very Positive Atmosphere”
This is Beirut 06/02 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
USA Donald Trump Gulf Israel Middle East Abbas Araghchi Iran Tehran Oman
Iran and the United States held indirect, high-level talks in Oman on Friday over Tehran’s nuclear program, in their first such encounter since the June Israel-Iran war, amid sharp disagreements over the agenda and growing fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks were held in a “very ...
Lebanon and Syria Ink Deal on Prisoner Handover
This is Beirut 06/02 15:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon Damascus Hezbollah Lebanese Forces
Lebanon signed an agreement with Syria on Friday to hand around 300 convicts over to Damascus, a move seen as key to helping turn a new page in ties between the countries. Overcrowded Lebanese prisons host more than 2,200 Syrians held on various charges. Many of them are still awaiting trial, while hundreds accused of "terrorism" or ...
NYT: Satellite Imagery Shows Iran Repaired Missile Sites Hit in 12-Day War
This is Beirut 06/02 15:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Israel Middle East New York United States
The New York Times reported on Friday that satellite imagery suggests Iran has rapidly repaired several ballistic missile facilities damaged during last year’s 12-day war, but has made only limited fixes to major nuclear sites struck by Israel and the United States. The report suggests that the regime's immediate priority is a working ...
The Council of the South: Hezbollah and Amal’s Tool for Clientelism
Marwan El Amine 06/02 12:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
The Council of the South was intended to be one of the Lebanese state’s key mechanisms for addressing the damage from wars with Israel, but it effectively became a partisan tool serving the Amal Movement and Hezbollah. It was established in 1970 primarily to help residents of southern Lebanon repair their homes and rebuild what had been ...
Turkey Arrests Two on Charges of Spying for Israel
This is Beirut 06/02 11:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Israel Turkey Europe Hamas Palestine
Turkish intelligence has arrested two people on suspicion of spying for Israel's Mossad and providing information that helped the spy agency target its enemies, state news agency Anadolu reported Friday. Security sources said Mehmet Budak Derya and Veysel Kerimoglu had been arrested in Istanbul, saying they had long been on the radar of ...
Iran–U.S. Talks Begin in Oman as Tehran Warns Against “Excessive Demands”
This is Beirut 06/02 10:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
USA Donald Trump Israel Tehran United States
Iran and the United States began talks on Friday in Oman, with discussions limited to Iran’s nuclear programme, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing a source described as knowledgeable about Middle East affairs. The source said Washington accepted Iran’s conditions after mediation by regional countries, including Qatar, ...
French FM: Iran Must Stop Being a 'Destabilizing Power'
This is Beirut 06/02 09:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanese Army Emmanuel Macron Lebanon Internal Security Forces Joseph Aoun Michel Issa France United States
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said during a visit to Lebanon that Iran should stop being a "destabilizing power", citing its nuclear program and support for "terrorist" groups that threaten regional and European countries. During a press conference in Beirut, where the government has committed to disarming the ...
Lebanon's Oldest Lock on Power Is the Speaker's Chair
Salam El Zaatari 06/02 09:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Fortunate countries see their leaders come and go; in hapless ones, time ravages everything but their rulers. Lebanon is trapped in the latter camp, with one politician freezing his grip on power and the country’s chance for reform. The country’s banks collapsed and its currency crashed, the port exploded, half the youth emigrated, and whole ...
Graham Cuts Haykal Meeting Short After LAF Chief Refuses to Label Hezbollah Terrorist
This is Beirut 06/02 00:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon United States Rodolphe Haykal Lindsay Gram Hezbollah
Lebanese Armed Forces Chief of Defense Gen. Rodolphe Haykal’s Thursday meeting with Senator Lindsay Graham ended early after Haykal stated that he did not consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization. In a post on X describing his meeting, Graham stated that “I asked [Haykal] if he believes Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. He ...
Israeli Strikes Target Alleged Hezbollah Positions in Jezzine and Hasbaya Districts
This is Beirut 05/02 18:10 - Reading : less than a minute
Israel Hezbollah Lebanon Strikes
Israeli aircraft struck sites in al-Mahmoudiya and Wadi Barghaz in southern Lebanon’s Jezzine and Hasbaya districts on Thursday targeting alleged Hezbollah positions. The IDF stated that the attack was carried out due to “Hezbollah’s repeated violations of the ceasefire understandings."
Iran Open to Discussing Missile, Proxy Issues Ahead of U.S. Talks in Muscat
This is Beirut 05/02 17:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Iran United States Nuclear Talks
Iranian officials have indicated on Thursday that they have agreed to discuss the ballistic missile and proxy group issues at Friday’s nuclear talks with U.S. officials in Muscat, Oman, according to the Jerusalem Post. On Wednesday, the U.S. briefly signaled that it would cancel talks with Iran, with a stated reason that Iranian officials ...
Iran Guards Seize Two Foreign-Crewed Tankers in Gulf: News Agency
This is Beirut 05/02 13:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have seized two oil tankers with their foreign crews in Gulf waters for "smuggling fuel," the Tasnim news agency reported Thursday. It was not immediately clear what flags the tankers were carrying nor the nationalities of the crew. The seizures took place amid heightened tension after Washington dispatched a naval ...
Khamenei Adviser Sends Message to Hezbollah
This is Beirut 05/02 11:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
In remarks carried by state-affiliated media, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, sent a message on Thursday to Hezbollah affirming Tehran’s willingness to face external threats. Velayati addressed the message to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem following the death of Abdul Karim Nasrallah, ...
UN Warns Islamic State Threat Is Growing More Complex Worldwide
This is Beirut 05/02 11:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
UN ISIS CounterTerrorism Terrorism MiddleEast
The United Nations warned on Wednesday that the global threat posed by Islamic State has increased steadily since mid-2025 and is becoming more sophisticated, as the group adapts its tactics and expands its reach across multiple regions. Briefing the UN Security Council, Alexander Zuev, Acting Assistant Secretary-General at the UN Office of ...
Hezbollah Parliamentary Bloc Head Meets President Aoun in Bid to Ease Tensions
This is Beirut 05/02 11:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Baabda Iran USA
Senior Hezbollah parliamentarian Mohammad Raad met President Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace on Thursday as Hezbollah moved to de-escalate its dispute with the presidency. The visit, requested by Raad himself, marks a notable shift in tone following a period of near-freeze between the two sides and comes amid heightened regional ...
Vance: Preventing Iran From Acquiring Nuclear Weapons Is a “Red Line”
This is Beirut 05/02 10:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
NuclearTalks Iran Vance Trump USIran USA
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said Wednesday that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains a top priority for Washington, stressing that President Donald Trump has repeatedly made clear that Tehran crossing that threshold would constitute a red line for the United States. Speaking on The Megyn Kelly Show, Vance said the Trump ...
U.S. to Resume Iran Nuclear Talks After Brief Cancellation Signal
This is Beirut 04/02 23:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
United States Iran Trump Oman Nuclear Talks
Senior U.S. officials said on Wednesday that they will proceed with plans to convene in Muscat, Oman on Friday to discuss the nuclear issue after reports earlier in the day signaled a cancellation of the talks. The U.S. has modified its position on the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks after nine Arab and Muslim countries lobbied for U.S. participation ...
Chevron Signs Agreement with Syria and Qatari Conglomerate for Syrian Energy Exploration
This is Beirut 04/02 19:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Syria United States Qatar Energy
Chevron has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Syrian Petroleum Company and UCC Holding, a Qatari conglomerate, on assessing offshore oil and gas exploration off Syria’s coast, according to a Reuters report on Wednesday. U.S. Syria envoy Tom Barrack also attended the signing of the agreement, signaling U.S. approval as the ...
Aoun Orders Inquiry Into Israel’s Spraying of Unknown Substance in South Lebanon
This is Beirut 04/02 18:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
President Joseph Aoun instructed the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday to investigate Israel’s spraying of an unknown substance on southern Lebanese land to document the violations for international bodies. He declared that “these dangerous practices…require the international community and relevant United ...
US-Iran Talks Expected in Oman, but Scope Under Discussion: Arab Diplomat
This is Beirut 04/02 16:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Talks between the United States and Iran are expected to take place in Oman, but the scope of the discussions still needs to be agreed, an Arab diplomat told AFP on Wednesday. "A meeting is requested in Oman by the Iranians, and the Americans have approved the location, but the parameters of discussions are still being worked on," the diplomat ...
Turkey Again Blocks Aid Convoy for Kurds in Syria: NGO
This is Beirut 04/02 11:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Syria Kurds Kobane SyriaConflict HumanRights Turkey
Turkish authorities have blocked for a second time an aid convoy from reaching the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane that's been overwhelmed by people fleeing fighting, a local NGO said on Wednesday. As the Syrian army and Kurdish forces clash in Syria, Kobane has been inundated by people trying to escape the hostilities. Last week, Turkish ...
Iran Formally Allows Women to Ride Motorcycles
This is Beirut 04/02 11:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Iran HumanRights WomenRights IranProtests WomenFreedom
Women in Iran can now formally obtain a license to ride a motorcycle, local media reported Wednesday, ending years of legal ambiguity surrounding two-wheelers. The law previously did not explicitly prohibit women from riding motorbikes and scooters, but in practice authorities refused to issue licenses. Due to the legal grey area, women have ...
U.S. Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Sanction Election Interference in Lebanon
This is Beirut 04/02 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Amal Elections Sanctions
U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation on February 2 that would authorize President Trump to impose sanctions on foreign individuals or entities accused of interfering in Lebanon’s electoral process, including efforts to obstruct voting by Lebanese citizens living abroad. The legislation would allow the president, in consultation with senior ...
U.S. Downs Iranian Drone Flying Toward Aircraft Carrier
This is Beirut 04/02 09:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday. The drone “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent” and kept flying toward it “despite deescalatory measures taken by ...