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

This is Beirut 21/05 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran USA Nuclear Israel USIranWar UAE Gulf

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 ...

No Turning Back in Lebanon-Israel Talks

Samar El-Kadi 22/05 15:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Amal Hezbollah negotiations

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 ...

Iran Warns Deal With U.S. Not Yet Close, Despite Some Progress

This is Beirut 25/05 13:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu US Secretary of State Bahrain

Iran warned Monday that, while some progress had been made, it was not yet close to striking a deal with the United States to end the Middle East war, after a weekend of mixed messages from Washington and Tehran. World oil prices tumbled on renewed optimism about an agreement, after top US diplomat Marco Rubio suggested a deal could be reached ...

Trump Warns Iran ‘There Won’t Be Anything Left’ as US-Israeli Strike Preparations Intensify

This is Beirut 18/05 03:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel USA Iran Trump Netanyahu Hormuz Negotiations USIranWar

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new warning to Iran on Sunday evening, declaring that Tehran must move quickly toward a peace agreement or face devastating consequences. “For Iran, the clock is ticking, and they better get moving FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The ...

Finally, a Year of Choice for Lebanon

David Hale 26/05 09:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Lebanese Army Damascus Hezbollah Israel

For the first time in decades, Lebanon has a year of choice. With the dramatic reversal of fortunes of Iran, the Assad regime, and their Lebanese proxy, Lebanon is finding long-lost freedoms. A key attribute of freedom is choice. With the restoration of sovereignty, the Lebanese face, a sovereign choice between war or peace. Since the 1980s, ...

How Hezbollah's Coordination Unit Continues to Influence Lebanese Security

Ralph Atrach 06/05 20:10 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon Amal Lebanese Army Internal Security Forces

The Lebanese Armed Forces’ (LAF) recent raids in a southern suburb of Beirut to apprehend gunmen were coordinated with Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit, a security source told This Is Beirut, highlighting the unit’s continuing influence over security measures in Lebanon. In a tense standoff Sunday, Hezbollah supporters blocked ...

Hezbollah’s Constitutional Contradiction

Kaline Antoun 27/05 12:01 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon Taif Constitution Israel

In a statement issued on the centennial of the Lebanese Constitution, Hezbollah presented itself Monday as a defender of constitutional legitimacy, national unity, and Lebanese sovereignty, while simultaneously reaffirming that armed “resistance” remains a protected and legitimate right beyond any governmental decision. The statement ...

Saudi Arabia’s Voodoo Diplomacy Is Sabotaging Middle East Peace

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 26/05 09:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia Lebanon Donald Trump Gulf Hamas

While Iran has strangled Kuwait and Qatar’s ability to export energy and fund repairs for costly damage inflicted by Iranian attacks, Saudi Arabia has done nothing to challenge Tehran. Instead, Riyadh—the self-anointed leader of the Gulf—prioritized denouncing the opening of a Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem. Saudi foreign ...

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

This is Beirut 19/05 21:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Gulf Israel Middle East Tehran

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 ...

Behind Netanyahu’s Calculus on Lebanon Escalation Amid Potential U.S.-Iran Deal

Claudia Groeling 26/05 19:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanon Donald Trump Hezbollah Israel

Israel launched a widespread wave of overnight strikes across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, targeting more than 100 Hezbollah sites, according to the Israeli military. The IDF said the strikes hit weapons storage facilities, command centers, observation posts, and infrastructure allegedly used by Hezbollah militants to coordinate attacks ...

Netanyahu Orders Escalation Against Hezbollah as Strikes Intensify Across Lebanon

This is Beirut 26/05 10:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Lebanon Hezbollah Netanyahu Escalation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that he had ordered the Israeli military to intensify operations against Hezbollah, as Israeli airstrikes expanded across southern and eastern Lebanon amid a sharp rise in Hezbollah drone attacks targeting northern Israel. “We are at war with Hezbollah,” Netanyahu declared in ...

President Trump Vows ‘Complete Victory’ Over Iran as Diplomatic Deadlock Deepens

This is Beirut 11/05 20:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Iran USA Trump Hormuz Negotiations USIranWar

U.S. President Donald Trump declared Monday that Washington remains determined to achieve “complete victory” over Iran, signaling a sharp hardening of the American position as negotiations with Tehran appear increasingly deadlocked and the fragile regional ceasefire edges closer to collapse. “We’re going to have a complete ...

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

This is Beirut 22/05 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Washington Amal Lebanon Israel

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 ...

Hezbollah’s Qassem Attacks Lebanese Government and Opposes Direct Talks with Israel

This is Beirut 24/05 20:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon IDF Israel Disarmament

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Sunday launched a sharp attack against the Lebanese government, rejected direct negotiations with Israel, and reaffirmed that the Iran-backed group would continue its armed confrontation despite growing domestic and international pressure for Hezbollah’s disarmament. Speaking during a televised ...

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

This is Beirut 20/05 18:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Hezbollah United Nations Ceasefire Negotiations

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, ...

Hezbollah’s Disarmament Takes Center Stage Ahead of Lebanon-Israel Talks

Claudia Groeling 11/05 09:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army Donald Trump

With the U.S. set to mediate a third round of Lebanon-Israel talks on May 14 and 15, Washington has made clear that Hezbollah’s disarmament will be central to efforts to reach a broader security and peace arrangement between the two countries. “Comprehensive peace is contingent on the full restoration of Lebanese state authority and the ...

Lebanon, Israel to Hold New Direct Talks in Washington as Ceasefire Nears End

This is Beirut 14/05 13:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Washington Ceasefire Donald Trump

Lebanon and Israel are set to hold a new round of peace talks in Washington on Thursday as their latest ceasefire agreement, which remains formally in effect, approaches its expiration. Israel's military said it was striking Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon on Thursday after warning residents of several towns and villages there and in the ...

Iran Fires 'Warning Shots' as U.S. Navy Says Its Ships Entered Gulf Via Hormuz

This is Beirut 04/05 17:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Gulf Donald Trump Middle East Tehran United Arab Emirates USIranWar

Iran's navy fired 'warning shots' at U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, state media said, after the American military sent cruisers into the Gulf as part of a plan to help trapped commercial vessels leave. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had announced a plan to guide ships from neutral countries out of the Gulf, saying it was a ...

Pentagon Talks Test Lebanon’s Commitment to Disarming Hezbollah

Samar El-Kadi 29/05 09:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Lebanese Army Israel Washington

As Israeli strikes intensified across southern Lebanon ahead of Friday’s U.S.-mediated security talks between Lebanon and Israel at the Pentagon, expectations remained low that the Lebanese delegation could offer convincing guarantees on Hezbollah’s disarmament. Lebanon’s delegation arrived in Washington with a presentation detailing the ...

Lebanon Faces Defining Moment in Talks With Israel

Marwan El Amine 18/05 10:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Lebanese Army Hezbollah Joseph Aoun

President Joseph Aoun’s decision to engage in direct negotiations with Israel marks a strategic turning point. For the first time in years, the Lebanese state is attempting to reclaim its diplomatic sovereignty after long being subordinated to regional calculations, foremost among them Iran’s influence. The direct negotiations represent the ...

Rubio Says Iran Talks Show Progress but Key Issues Remain Unresolved

This is Beirut 23/05 17:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Gulf Tehran United States US Secretary of State

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 ...

U.S.-Iran Ceasefire on Brink as UAE Reports Attacks

This is Beirut 05/05 04:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

United Arab Emirates Ceasefire United States Iran

A ceasefire between Iran and the United States was teetering Monday as the two countries traded fire over the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the United Arab Emirates reported attacks for the first time since the truce was declared nearly a month ago. A day after President Donald Trump announced an operation to escort trapped vessels through the ...

Rubio Says Iran Deal Still Days Away as U.S. Balances Diplomacy and Military Pressure

This is Beirut 26/05 11:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanon Gulf Hezbollah

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that reaching an agreement with Iran may still require “a few days.” His remarks came one day after U.S. forces carried out what Washington described as defensive operations in southern Iran. According to Rubio, the strikes targeted missile launch sites as well as vessels allegedly ...

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

This is Beirut 19/05 18:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Middle East Tehran Turkey United Arab Emirates

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 ...

IRGC Downplays Chances of Renewed War With U.S. Amid Fragile Iran Ceasefire Talks

This is Beirut 27/05 12:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran USA Doha Negotiations Hormuz

A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official said Wednesday that the likelihood of renewed war with the United States remains low, while warning that Tehran remains fully prepared to respond militarily to any new attack. “The possibility of war is low because of the enemy’s weakness,” Mohammad Akbarzadeh, deputy ...

Israeli Forces to Expand Past ‘Yellow Line’ As Operations in Lebanon Intensify

This is Beirut 26/05 19:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Benjamin Netanyahu Amal Hezbollah Israel

The Israeli Army has started to operate on the ground past the “Yellow Line” in southern Lebanon on Tuesday as Israeli officials express their intent to intensify operations against Hezbollah amid persistent threats. According to AFP, citing an Israeli military official, the Israeli Army began to expand its operations in southern ...

Prime Minister Salam: No Retreat on State Authority as Lebanon Moves to Enforce Weapons Monopoly in Beirut

This is Beirut 04/05 18:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Ceasefire Disarmament Beirut

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared on Monday in a joint press conference with the Lebanese Interior Minister that the government will move forward with enforcing full state control over Beirut, stressing that there will be “no retreat” from the decision to restrict weapons to state institutions. Speaking after a meeting of ...