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Iran Rejects Military Pressure as Nuclear Talks Resume Under Shadow of U.S. Naval Buildup
This is Beirut 12/02 15:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Gulf Israel Tehran United States Trump NuclearTalks
Jalal Dehqani Firouzabadi, secretary of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, said Thursday there is “no military solution” to Iran’s nuclear file, arguing that recent history has already proven the limits of force. Speaking to Iran’s ISNA news agency, Firouzabadi said the current talks differ fundamentally ...
U.S. Official Tells TIB that Iran Talks Still Possible After Geneva, but Major Gaps Remain
This is Beirut 17/02 21:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
United States Iran Nuclear Talks Geneva
In a statement to This is Beirut, a U.S. senior official stated that there is still a diplomatic path with Iran after Tuesday’s dialogue in Geneva, but many key points on the nuclear issue remain unresolved. The official stated that “today’s Geneva talks showed that a diplomatic path still exists, but it will move forward only ...
Lebanon’s Disarmament Gamble: Fragile Gains and Uncertain Path Forward
Amal Chmouny 15/01 13:30 - Reading : 9 minute(s)
Lebanon Donald Trump Lebanese Army Benjamin Netanyahu Hezbollah
Lebanon is preparing to confiscate Hezbollah’s weapons north of the Litani River, a step that will test whether the state has the capacity to follow through on the government’s stated commitment to disarm the group. On January 8, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) announced that it had completed the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani. ...
From Armed Deterrence to Durable Peace: Rethinking Shiite Security in Lebanon
Marwan El Amine 30/01 09:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army Shia
Despite failing to instill ideological allegiance to Iran's Wilayat al-Faqih among Lebanon's Shia, Hezbollah has succeeded in forging a sense of collective belonging to Iran’s political project. The party achieved this more consequential outcome by recasting its weapons as a political doctrine and overarching identity, portrayed as superior to ...
Wafiq Safa’s Exit: Internal Shake-Up or Political Pivot for Hezbollah?
Marwan El Amine 13/02 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Hezbollah Lebanon Hassan Nasrallah Israel Tehran
Hezbollah has initiated a comprehensive restructuring of its military, security, and political apparatuses to consolidate its ranks after Israel’s military campaign caused severe disruptions, including the assassination of its former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and numerous top commanders. Officers from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ...
Most Families of Foreign Fighters Left IS-Linked Camp in Syria: Sources
This is Beirut 12/02 14:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Most foreign families have left northeast Syria's Al-Hol camp, which holds relatives of Islamic State group fighters, since the departure of Kurdish forces who previously guarded it, humanitarian sources told AFP on Thursday. The defence ministry meanwhile announced that the army had taken control of the Al-Tanf base after the withdrawal ...
Lebanon Cabinet Weighs Army Plan to Limit Weapons North of Litani
This is Beirut 16/02 17:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon Disarmament Hezbollah Litani
The Lebanese Cabinet met on Monday at the Baabda Palace to deliberate an army plan to restrict weapons north of the Litani River, according to Nidaa al-Watan, directly addressing Hezbollah’s stockpile. General Rodolphe Haykal, head of the Lebanese Armed Forces, stated that this phase of Hezbollah disarmament will last roughly four to ...
Trump Warns Iran of Consequences if Diplomacy Fails
This is Beirut 03/02 10:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Israel USA Trump Iran Netanyahu NuclearDeal
The United States and Iran are set to resume nuclear talks on Friday in Turkey, officials from both sides told Reuters, as President Donald Trump warned that “bad things” would likely happen if negotiations fail, with U.S. warships moving closer to Iran amid heightened regional tensions. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign ...
Lebanese Neutrality: The Strategic Interest Shared by Beirut and Jerusalem
Hussain Abdul-Hussain 28/01 09:05 - Reading : 7 minute(s)
Lebanese Army Lebanon Bahrain Hezbollah Israel
Lebanon's neutrality in regional conflicts is the single most important strategic choice it can make today, serving its core national interests and those of Israel in equal measure. If the Lebanese understand this, their country will be well on its way not only to recovery but to an economic boom. More than a year after the November 2024 ...
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 ...
Iranian Diplomats Allegedly Smuggled Millions in Cash to Hezbollah via Beirut
This is Beirut 11/02 15:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Iran Hezbollah Lebanon USA Syria
Iranian diplomats used diplomatic passports to ferry large sums of U.S. dollars to Lebanon in recent months, allegedly channeling cash directly to Hezbollah as the group struggles to recover from heavy military and financial losses, according to an investigation published by Iran International. The outlet reported that at least six senior Iranian ...
Syria Says 7 Soldiers Killed, Accuses Kurdish Force of Truce Breach as Army Enters IS-linked Camp
This is Beirut 21/01 16:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Damascus Syria Daesh Al-Hol Jihadists
Syria on Wednesday accused Kurdish-led forces of breaching a ceasefire after seven soldiers were killed in a strike, while authorities entered a camp holding suspected relatives of Islamic State jihadists. The government announced a new truce with the Kurds on Tuesday after taking swathes of north and east Syria that had long been under the ...
A Month of Crisis in Syria and Its Regional Ramifications
Seth J. Frantzman 01/02 19:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Damascus Donald Trump Israel Turkey USA
Syria has experienced another dramatic transformation. After a month of clashes that began in Aleppo and spread to eastern Syria, Damascus announced on January 30 that it had reached an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for a ceasefire and its military integration. The Syrian transitional government now controls most of the ...
The IMF Sets an Example Through Lebanese Depositors: Unpacking One the Most Dangerous Laws in the Country’s History
This is Beirut 2025-12-21 15:40 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Lebanon Banque du Liban International Monetary Fund economy banking system banks
What the government presented as the ‘Financial Gap Law’ is not merely a piece of financial legislation; it is a text that lays the foundations for the post-adoption economic order. It does not conceal its objective but states it calmly: ending a crisis that has lasted for years instead of resolving it, writing off deposits instead of ...
U.S. Steps Up Tracking of Iranian Funds as Nuclear Talks Loom
This is Beirut 09/02 14:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Iran USA NuclearDeal USIran Sanctions
The U.S. Treasury Department said on Sunday it was ramping up monitoring of Iranian financial networks, alleging that the Iranian government is transferring funds overseas to shield assets from soaring domestic inflation and long-standing American sanctions. The United States has intensified efforts to track Iranian money flows, accusing Tehran ...
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 ...
Qassem Warns Lebanese Government Against Disarmament Push
This is Beirut 16/02 17:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Banks Ceasefire Hezbollah Israel
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Monday sharply criticized the Lebanese government’s growing focus on restricting weapons outside state control, calling it a “major mistake” that serves Israeli interests, as he reaffirmed the group’s refusal to disarm under pressure. Qassem called on the Lebanon’s ...
Anti-Khamenei Chants Erupt in Tehran as Iran Marks Revolution Anniversary
This is Beirut 11/02 10:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Iran IranProtests HumanRights IslamicRepublic IslamicRevolution
Residents in several neighborhoods of Tehran chanted slogans against Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, late Tuesday, in a rare resurgence of public dissent on the eve of the Islamic Republic’s most symbolic national commemoration. Videos circulating on social media showed voices ringing out from apartment balconies with chants including ...
Who are the Shia Opposition Seeking to Break Hezbollah’s Stranglehold?
Claudia Groeling 16/01 19:29 - Reading : 9 minute(s)
Lebanon Shia Opposition Hezbollah Amal Disarmament Israel
Lebanon’s upcoming parliamentary elections, coming on the heels of the 2024 Hezbollah–Israel war that devastated the organization and its core constituencies, have reopened the question of Shia political representation. For decades, Lebanese political discourse has treated the Shia community as a unified political bloc, electorally ...
Syria Starts Evacuating IS-Linked Al-Hol Camp: Officials to AFP
This is Beirut 17/02 14:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Syria began evacuating remaining residents of Al-Hol camp, which long housed relatives of suspected Islamic State group fighters, as it empties the formerly Kurdish-controlled facility, two officials told AFP. Al-Hol, located in a desert region of Hasakeh province, had been Syria's largest camp housing relatives of suspected IS ...
Qassem: Israeli-U.S. Aggression Is Lebanon’s Core Challenge
This is Beirut 09/02 17:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Hezbollah Lebanon Iran Israel USA Trump
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said on Monday that Lebanon has preserved its independence through resistance and possesses “real capabilities,” arguing that the country’s central challenge remains what he described as ongoing Israeli and American aggression. Speaking during a public address, Qassem said that sustained Israeli ...
Israeli Approval of West Bank Land Registration Draws Outrage
This is Beirut 16/02 18:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Israel's government has approved a process to register land in the West Bank as "state property", drawing condemnation from Arab nations and critics who said it would accelerate annexation of the Palestinian territory. Israel's foreign ministry said the measure, approved late on Sunday, would enable "transparent and ...
Lebanon to Decide Next Week on Disarming Armed Groups, Minister Says
This is Beirut 12/02 10:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Israel LebaneseArmy NorthLitani
Lebanon’s government will decide next week how to proceed with the second phase of its plan to bring all weapons under state control, including arms held by Hezbollah, extending the process to areas north of the Litani River, Information Minister Paul Morcos said on Wednesday. Speaking in Kuwait on the sidelines of an Arab meeting, Morcos said ...
How Would Hezbollah Respond to U.S.-Iran Escalation?
Claudia Groeling 27/01 22:40 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Hezbollah Donald Trump Lebanon Israel Middle East
On Tuesday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said in an address that the pro-Iranian militant group would not remain neutral in the event of any aggression against Iran, stressing that Hezbollah is prepared to defend itself and would determine the timing and nature of any response. Hezbollah “will not remain silent about ...
Iran President Confirms Talks with US After Trump's Threats
This is Beirut 03/02 11:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
IranNuclear Iran USA USIran NuclearTalks
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed on Tuesday that he had ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, after his counterpart Donald Trump threatened "bad things" if no deal is reached. The US leader has talked of military action and sent an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East following anti-government protests in ...
After the Vote: Exposing the Gap Law’s Broken Promises
Claudia Groeling 2025-12-29 19:30 - Reading : 7 minute(s)
Nawaf Salam International Monetary Fund Lebanon Banque du Liban Gap Law Banks
Lebanon’s cabinet on December 19 approved one of the most controversial pieces of legislation since the country’s financial collapse in 2019, adopting the so-called “Gap Law” in a narrow vote that has reignited public anger and raised serious concerns among economists, legal experts, and international observers. Backed by 13 ministers ...
This Is Beirut and MIND Israel Make History at Munich Security Conference 2026
This is Beirut 15/02 02:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Israel Lebanon Munich Security Conference
In an unprecedented moment at the Munich Security Conference 2026, Lebanese organization This Is Beirut and Israeli organization MIND Israel co-hosted a landmark panel discussion on regional integration, marking the first-ever formal cooperation between Lebanese and Israeli civil society groups at the conference. The event, titled “Conversation ...
Secretary of Iran's Top Security Body Says to Visit Oman Tuesday
This is Beirut 09/02 12:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Iran Oman USTalks USA USIran NuclearTalks
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s top security body and a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, will visit Oman on Tuesday, Iranian media reported, following renewed indirect talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program. Larijani will head a delegation that “will meet with senior officials of ...
Son of Last Shah Calls on Trump to 'Help' Iranian People
This is Beirut 14/02 14:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The exiled son of Iran's last shah called on U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday to help the Iranian people, a day after the American leader said a change of power would be the "best thing". U.S.-based Reza Pahlavi, who has not returned to Iran since before the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the monarchy, added it was "time to end the ...
Israel Pushes Back as Trump Unveils ‘Board of Peace’
This is Beirut 19/01 11:55 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Donald Trump Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Ceasefire GazaWar Gaza
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s proposed plan for Gaza on Monday, calling it “bad for Israel” and urging a full reoccupation of the enclave. Reportedly, as Washington promotes a post-war governance plan for Gaza, Israel has been signaling resistance not only diplomatically ...