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Trump Hails Tehran's Move to Open Strait of Hormuz, Blockade on Iranian Ports to Continue

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Iran’s announcement that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would remain open to maritime traffic for the duration of a ceasefire, signaling a potential easing of tensions in one of the world’s most critical corridors. “THANK YOU!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding ...

Blurring the Lines: How Hezbollah Obscures Civilian and Combatant Deaths

Since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported 1,268 dead in Israeli strikes as of March 31, but offers no breakdown between civilians and Hezbollah fighters, leaving the real human toll shrouded in uncertainty. Dr. Joseph Helou, head of the Medical Care Directorate at the Ministry of Public ...

U.S. Continues Naval Blockade Amid Precarious Ceasefire

The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect overnight on Tuesday into Wednesday morning as the rocky U.S.-Iran ceasefire holds. The naval blockade was initiated on Monday as U.S. President Donald Trump warned that “if any of these ships come anywhere close to our blockade, they will be immediately eliminated, using the same system of ...

Beirut State Security Raid Met With Protests, Investigation Ordered

A violent clash in Beirut’s Saqiet al-Janzir, a sunni majority area, on Saturday triggered public outrage and a wave of protests across the capital, following a controversial security operation targeting a private generator owner identified as Hassan Itani. According to a security source, the case dates back four days, when a complaint was ...

Rubio Calls Israel-Lebanon Talks a 'Historic Opportunity' for Lasting Peace

At the opening of direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese Ambassadors at the U.S. State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the negotiations as a pivotal moment that could ensure stability and peace for residents of Lebanon and Israel.  “We are very honored to be joined by partners with whom the United States seeks strong ...

Beirut Lodges Unprecedented U.N. Complaint Against Tehran

Lebanon has lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations against Iran in what has been described as an unprecedented diplomatic step, according to Independent Arabia. Beirut accuses Tehran of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs, and drawing the country into a destructive war ...

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 ...

Trump Says U.S. Military to Stay Deployed Near Iran Until 'Real Agreement' Reached

U.S. President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that U.S. forces deployed near Iran would remain stationed in the area until a "real agreement" is reached, as Washington enters a fragile two-week ceasefire with Tehran. The truce reached Tuesday showed signs of unravelling, with Israel bombarding Lebanon and Washington contradicting some of Iran's ...

Ceasefire Efforts Collapse as Iran Rejects Talks: Report

Efforts to broker a ceasefire between the United States and Iran have collapsed, as Tehran rejected direct engagement with Washington and regional mediation initiatives stalled, signaling a deepening deadlock as the war enters its sixth week. According to The Times of Israel, Iran has informed mediators it will not participate in proposed talks ...

Hegseth Hails Iran Victory as U.S. Military Presence Continues

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that American forces have achieved a “historic and overwhelming victory” against Iran, while stressing that U.S. troops will remain deployed in the region to ensure compliance with a tentative peace agreement. Speaking at a Pentagon press conference, Hegseth underscored that despite President ...

Iran Hangs Former Nuclear Employee on Spying Charges: NGOs

Iran hanged a man on Wednesday convicted of links to Israel's Mossad spy agency, the judiciary said, with two NGOs based outside the country saying he worked for the Iranian atomic energy organization. The execution of Mehdi Farid was the latest in a number of hangings of high-profile convicts in an accelerating trend that has alarmed rights ...

Hezbollah Says Reinforced Fighters in South Lebanon Despite Disarmament

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has brought reinforcements and weapons to the south of the country since the start of the war with Israel on March 2, the organization's director of media relations said on Friday. The Lebanese army said in January it had finished disarming the group near the Israeli border in southern Lebanon, the scene of ...

U.S.-Brokered Ceasefire in Lebanon Shows Early Strains

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah remains formally in place, but continued military activity, warnings to civilians, and exchanges of fire are raising questions about its durability just days into its implementation. The ceasefire, which came into effect on April 16 under U.S. mediation, allows Israel to take necessary measures in ...

Israeli Defense Minister Says Lebanese President is 'Gambling' Country's Future

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz met with UN special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, on Monday, telling her that "if the Lebanese government continues to shelter under the shadow of the Hezbollah terror organization, fire will burn the cedars of Lebanon."  Earlier in the day, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon ...

Iran Releases Prize-Winning Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh

Iranian authorities on Wednesday released on bail the prize-winning rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh following her latest arrest last month, her daughter said. Sotoudeh was arrested at her home on April 1 as part of what activists say is a crackdown on civil society during Iran's war with Israel and the United States. "Mum was temporarily released ...

IDF Exposes Hezbollah’s Use of Ambulances and Civilian Sites for Military Operations

Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Friday that the Israeli military identified what it described as new evidence of Hezbollah using ambulances and civilian infrastructure for military purposes in southern Lebanon.  In a series of posts published on X, Adraee alleged that Hezbollah has “repeatedly and systematically” used ...

IDF Delivers Aid to Christian Border Towns in South Lebanon

Humitarian supplies were deposited by the Israeli Army near several Christian southern Lebanese border towns on Saturday, including Rmeish, Ain Ebel, and Debel, in a cross-border arrangement organized to avoid direct contact with Lebanese citizens, local officials told This Is Beirut. Ayoub Khreish, mayor of Ain Ebel, a border town currently on ...

South Korea to Review Joining U.S. Hormuz Operation

South Korea said Tuesday it will "review its position" on joining U.S. operations in the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump urged Seoul to take part following an apparent Iranian attack on one of its ships. An explosion and fire were reported on a South Korean cargo vessel on Monday in the key waterway, which has been effectively ...

Iran Supreme Leader's Adviser Threatens to Sink U.S. Ships in Hormuz Strait

The military adviser to Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Wednesday warned that Iran would sink American ships in the Strait of Hormuz if the United States decided to "police" the key shipping bottleneck. The U.S. is imposing a military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran blocked shipping during over six weeks of war in a conflict ...

UAE Signals Willingness to Join Military Effort in Hormuz: Report

The United Arab Emirates is preparing to support a potential military operation led by the United States and its allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Arab officials told the Wall Street Journal. If confirmed, the move would mark the first time a Gulf state has formally entered the conflict with Iran. Emirati officials are pushing for a United ...

Israel Strikes South of Beirut as Hezbollah Launches Rockets at Israel

Two Israeli strikes on Wednesday hit vehicles south of Beirut, state media reported, while Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, soon after Lebanon and Israel agreed to continue holding direct talks.  The Israeli military also renewed its call for residents of a swathe of southern Lebanon to leave as it continues to bomb the area. Despite its ...

White House Hosts Second Round of Direct Lebanon-Israel Talks

On Thursday afternoon, Secretary of State Marco Rubio convened with Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter in the second round of talks in the first series of direct Lebanon-Israel dialogue since 1993. The talks were planned to take place at the State Department, but prior to the ...

CENTCOM Briefs Trump on Potential Large-Scale Strikes on Iran

The commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM) briefed President Donald Trump on potential large-scale strike options against Iran, including what was described as a possible “final blow,” according to a report by Fox News on Thursday. Admiral Brad Cooper presented the plans during a high-level meeting in the White House ...

Unified Message from Beirut MPs: Exclusive State Control and "weapons-Free" City

  In a show of cross-sectarian unity, Beirut MPs on Wednesday called for the capital to be placed fully under state control and declared a “weapons-free city” under the exclusive authority of the Lebanese Armed Forces and security agencies. “Beirut must be free of weapons, and we want to see the Lebanese army deployed in all the streets ...

Ship Struck by Projectile Off Coast of Qatar: Maritime Agency

An unknown projectile struck a ship off the coast of Qatar early Sunday morning, a UK maritime agency reported, after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards threatened to target U.S. vessels in the region. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said a bulk carrier had reported being hit 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha by an "unknown ...

Iran Military Vows to 'Soon Respond' After U.S. Destroyer Hits Cargo Ship

Iran's military has vowed to respond after a U.S. destroyer on Sunday fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade a U.S. naval blockade. "We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the U.S. military," said a spokesperson for the ...

Syria Says Foiled Cross-Border Attack by Assad Remnants, Hezbollah

Syria's interior ministry said Sunday that security forces thwarted an alleged cross-border attack from the country's territory planned by remnants of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad and cells linked to Iran-backed Hezbollah. From March 2 until a 10-day ceasefire went into force on April 17, Hezbollah was battling Israel after drawing Lebanon into ...

Israel-Lebanon Negotiations: Who Are the Key Participants?

As Israel and Lebanon enter their first direct diplomatic talks in decades, a group of senior diplomats and officials have taken center stage in Washington. Hosted by the United States, the meeting brings together representatives from all three sides amid ongoing war and deep political tensions. Below is a profile of each key participant, their ...

Trump Agrees to Ceasefire Following Day of Threats and Diplomatic Oscillation

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran on Tuesday evening following a day marked by sharp escalation, stalled diplomacy, and last-minute re-engagement. Earlier in the day, Trump dramatically escalated his rhetoric, warning on Truth Social that “a whole civilization will die ...

Trump Announces Temporary Ceasefire in Lebanon

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, set to take effect at 5 p.m. EST, following what he described as “excellent conversations” with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Trump, both leaders agreed the temporary ...