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After Khamanei: What the Fall of Iran’s Regime Would Mean for the Region

The fall of Iran's Islamist regime would mark one of the most seismic shifts in Middle Eastern geopolitics since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought it to power. As massive protests grip the country, sparked by economic collapse and hyperinflation, the prospect of regime change grows more tangible.  Unlike the 1979 revolution, which ushered ...

Turkey Again Blocks Aid Convoy for Kurds in Syria: NGO

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 ...

Lebanon, Jordan Seek Solutions After Damascus Bans Non-Syrian Trucks

Lebanon and Jordan are seeking a solution with Syria after the latter barred foreign trucks from entering its territory, officials from both countries told AFP on Tuesday. Damascus had issued a decision on Saturday stipulating that "non-Syrian trucks will not be allowed to enter" the country, and that goods being imported by road must ...

Iran–U.S. Talks Begin in Oman as Tehran Warns Against “Excessive Demands”

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, ...

U.S. Delegations Meet in Jordan on Lebanon-Israel Relations as Karam Floats Tel Aviv Talks

The U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee convened in Jordan on Monday to discuss the steps needed for a sustainable peace between the two countries as former ambassador Simon Karam expresses further willingness for direct talks between Lebanon and Israel.  On Sunday, Simon Karam, Lebanon’s ...

Egypt-Lebanon Gas Deal: Israeli Gas at the Heart of the Agreement

Two eastern Mediterranean natural gas deals announced twelve days apart highlight shifting energy dynamics amid dramatic geopolitical transformations in the region, with Lebanon aiming to benefit.  On December 17, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a $35 billion gas deal with Egypt, describing the agreement as ...

Saudi Arabia Condemns "Dangerous" UAE Moves in Yemen, Bombs Arms Shipment

Saudi Arabia declared a UAE-backed separatist advance in Yemen a threat to the kingdom's national security on Tuesday and called Abu Dhabi's actions "highly dangerous," as the rivalry between the Gulf monarchies boiled over into an open dispute. The strongly worded foreign ministry statement came hours after the Saudi-led coalition fighting in ...

Deadly Clashes in Aleppo as Turkey Urges Kurds Not to Be Obstacle to Syria's Stability

The Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces on Monday ordered their fighters to cease fire following deadly clashes that came as Turkey's top diplomat urged the Kurds to integrate into the Syrian army. At least three people were killed in the clashes, which came ahead of a deadline for implementing a March 10 agreement between Damascus and ...

Lebanon Could Face ‘Indirect but Serious’ Fallout from Venezuela, Warns Senior Official

A senior Lebanese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the fallout from Venezuela could have “indirect but serious consequences” for Lebanon, particularly if pressure on Iran intensifies, according to Nidaa Al-Watan.  “The collapse or weakening of this axis does not stop at one country,” the official stated. “If Iran is ...

Golden Globes 2026: 'One Battle After Another' Dominates, 'Hamnet Shocks' as Best Drama

One Battle After Another reigned supreme at the Golden Globes on Sunday, winning best comedy, while Hamnet sprung a surprise by taking best drama film at the splashy Hollywood ceremony. Paul Thomas Anderson's screwball thriller One Battle, which centers on an aging revolutionary played by Leonardo DiCaprio, led the night by winning four of its ...

Iran Rejects Pressure on Uranium Enrichment, Floats Dilution if Sanctions Lifted

Iran conveyed its position on the issue of uranium enrichment on Monday, stating that it would not be coerced to scale back its nuclear program but would be willing to dilute its enriched uranium if sanctions are lifted. The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, signaled the country’s willingness to dilute its ...

Israeli Defense Officials: Hundreds of Iranian Cyberattacks Thwarted in Recent Months

Hundreds of Iranian cyberattacks targeting Israelis, including senior government and defense officials, academics, and journalists, were detected and foiled in recent months, the Shin Bet security agency and National Cyber Directorate said Wednesday. In a joint statement, the Shin Bet and the National Cyber Directorate reported a significant rise ...

Brigitte Bardot’s Last Goodbye: Actress and Activist Laid to Rest

Well-wishers lined the streets in Brigitte Bardot's hometown of Saint-Tropez on Wednesday for the funeral of the French screen icon, who was buried in a seaside cemetery after dying last month of cancer. A day of commemorations for the renowned animal rights activist began with a Catholic service at the Notre-Dame de l'Assomption ...

U.S. Treasury Sanctions Hezbollah-Linked Gold and Cash Network

The U.S. Treasury Department released a statement on Tuesday outlining new sanctions that target Hezbollah’s cash-based financial network. Elaborating on the sanctions, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent stated that the “Treasury will work to cut these terrorists off from the global financial system to give Lebanon a chance to be ...

Israel Foils Two Lebanon-Linked Cells in West Bank

The Israeli Army’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee revealed on Tuesday that Israel’s Shin Bet security agency had thwarted the activity of two alleged terror cells operating in the West Bank under direct guidance from operatives based in Lebanon, as part of plans to carry out attacks against Israeli targets. In a post on X, Adraee said ...

German President Urges Swift Hezbollah Disarmament

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday called for the “swift” disarmament of Hezbollah, stressing during talks with President Joseph Aoun that restoring full state authority in Lebanon is essential for long-term stability. In his remarks following their meeting, Steinmeier said Israeli forces must also withdraw from ...

Syria Moves Military Reinforcements East of Aleppo After Telling Kurds to Withdraw

Syria's army told civilians to stay away from Kurdish military positions east of second city Aleppo on Wednesday, after it moved reinforcements to the area following deadly clashes last week. The deployment comes as Syria's Islamist-led government seeks to extend its authority across the country, but progress has stalled on integrating ...

The Law of Financial “Massacre”: When Nawaf Salam and “Kulluna Irada” Strip Depositors of Their Savings

At one of the darkest moments in Lebanon’s national life, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is promoting a so-called “financial gap law” as a technical solution, while in reality it legalizes suffering and formalizes the confiscation of Lebanese citizens’ savings. The so-called “Kulluna Irada” law does not merely steal money; it also ...

Gap Law: A Legalized Expropriation of Deposits

Wrapped in the technical language of financial restructuring, the Gap Law is presented as a necessary step to correct the imbalance of Lebanon’s banking system. Behind this rhetoric lies a far more serious reality: the legalization of a massive expropriation of bank deposits, in blatant disregard of property rights, legal certainty, and the very ...

Trump Says Diplomacy With Iran Still Possible

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday diplomacy remains an option with Iran, even as Washington ramps up its military presence in the Middle East and warns that the situation remains volatile. In an interview with Axios published Monday, President Trump said Tehran has signaled a desire to engage in talks, describing repeated outreach from ...

Aoun Orders Inquiry Into Israel’s Spraying of Unknown Substance in South Lebanon

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 ...

Trump Warns of 'Traumatic' Future for Iran as U.S. Increases Naval Presence

President Donald Trump stated his renewed position regarding Iran on Friday as he green-lit the transfer of a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. When asked about regime change in Iran, Trump commented that it “seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.” Earlier on Friday, the Trump administration ordered the ...

Fresh Clashes Kill Six in Iran Cost-of-Living Protests

Protesters and security forces clashed in several Iranian cities on Thursday, with six reported killed, the first deaths since the cost-of-living demonstrations broke out. The protests began on Sunday in Tehran, where shopkeepers went on strike over high prices and economic stagnation, and have since spread to other parts of the country. On ...

Tens of Thousands Rally against Surging Arab-Israeli Crime

Tens of thousands of people gathered in northern Israel on Thursday to protest what they said was the police's inaction on curbing soaring violent crime in Arab-Israeli communities. The march in the city of Sakhnin coincided with a general strike in Arab cities and towns across the country, calling for action on the same issue. Under a grey sky ...

Lebanon and Syria Reach One-Week Deal to Resume Truck Transit

A temporary Lebanese-Syrian agreement was reached on Thursday to restore normal truck traffic through the Masnaa border crossing for one week, until February 20, 2026, following days of disruption and protests. The understanding was concluded during a joint meeting between Lebanese and Syrian delegations at the Lebanese Customs Center in the ...

Israeli Strike Eliminates Hezbollah Member in Southern Lebanon

An Israeli drone strike killed a Hezbollah member on Monday morning in the southern Lebanese town of Hannin, in the Bint Jbeil district. The strike eliminated Mohammad Tahsin Hassan Qashqash after targeting two vehicles parked outside his home with multiple missiles. According to local reports, Qashqash was preparing to start a van parked in ...

U.S. Weighs Full Military Withdrawal From Syria

The United States is considering a full military withdrawal from Syria, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal, which said Washington is reassessing its presence amid rapidly changing conditions on the ground. The newspaper reported that internal discussions within the Trump administration are exploring multiple scenarios to reduce, or ...

Israeli Arrested for Spying on Ex-Defense Minister Gallant for Iran

The Israeli General Security Service filed charges Monday against an Israeli man for allegedly gathering intelligence on former defense minister Yoav Gallant on behalf of an Iranian agent. The defendant, Fares Abu al-Hija, 32, was arrested in late January after taking photos of streets near Gallant’s home in Amikam for his handler, ...

Iran Protest Toll Mounts as Government Stages Mass Rallies

A violent crackdown on a wave of protests in Iran has killed at least 648 people, a rights group said on Monday, as Iranian authorities sought to regain control of the streets with mass nationwide rallies. The government's call for rallies in support of the Islamic republic drew thousands on Monday, a turnout supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ...

Gap Law: The Programmed Destruction of the Banking Sector

Presented as a restructuring measure, the Gap Law organizes a methodical liquidation of the Lebanese banking sector. Behind complex technical mechanisms—loss hierarchy, balance-sheet cleanup, recapitalization—lies a clear political choice: to sacrifice banks to settle a public crisis that the state refuses to assume. This text does not reform ...