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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 ...
How Syria Can Begin Integrating the SDF
Seth J. Frantzman 2025-12-24 10:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Turkey Syria SDF Kurds Ahmad al-Sharaa
Clashes erupted December 22 in Aleppo between Syrian government troops and the local Kurdish security forces (Asayish), killing at least three people and underscoring the challenges facing efforts to unify armed factions under the Syrian transitional government. Even as Damascus seeks to consolidate nationwide security and integrate armed ...
Brooklyn Man Sentenced in Iran-Linked Plot to Kill Exiled Journalist
This is Beirut 29/01 12:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Iran PressFreedom IranProtests USA HumanRights
A Brooklyn man was sentenced on Wednesday to 15 years in prison for his role in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Masih Alinejad, a prominent Iranian journalist and critic of the Islamic Republic, in a case U.S. authorities say was directed by Iran’s elite military and intelligence apparatus. Carlisle Rivera, 50, pleaded guilty to conspiracy ...
Qatar Pledges $480 Million and Plans to Rebuild Three Destroyed Villages in South Lebanon
This is Beirut 24/01 17:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon South Lebanon Lebanese Army Nawaf Salam Hezbollah
Qatar has decided to allocate $480 million to fund projects and investments in Lebanon, while preparing to rebuild three destroyed villages in the south, according to information obtained by daily An-Nahar. The initiative is reminiscent of Doha’s role in post-war reconstruction following the 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The ...
Why was Sharaa Invited to Washington, but not Aoun?
Hussain Abdul-Hussain 2025-12-23 10:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Washington Lebanon Lebanese Army Syria Joseph Aoun Ahmad al-Sharaa
Until late 2024, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was a U.S.-designated terrorist with a $10 million bounty on his head for leading the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. By contrast, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who served as commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) until his election in January 2025, was widely regarded as one of ...
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 ...
White House Official to TIB: ‘Redeployment of U.S. Troops From Al-Tanf…Following a Comprehensive Operational Reassessment’
This is Beirut 12/02 23:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Syria United States White House al-Tanf Jordan
In an exclusive statement given to This is Beirut, a senior official in the White House elaborated on their transfer of troops from al-Tanf in Syria to Jordan. The official said, “the redeployment of U.S. troops from the al-Tanf position in Syria to Jordan was carried out following a comprehensive operational ...
Iran Escalates Crackdown on Opposition Figures, Detains Prominent Reformists
This is Beirut 11/02 00:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Iran has ramped up its crackdown on opposition figures on Sunday and Monday, arresting activists and reformists weeks after its brutal suppression of January’s anti-regime protest movement. Tehran has stated that the arrests were made against people seeking to disrupt the country’s social order, claiming that they were acting as ...
LAF Commander General Rodolphe Haykal Meets with Officials in Saudi Arabia
This is Beirut 10/02 21:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon Rodolphe Haykal Saudi Arabia LAF
General Rodolphe Haykal, commander of the LAF, met with officials in Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Monday during the World Defense Show. The meeting occurred in preparation for the upcoming March 5 French-Saudi-led conference in Paris to garner support for the LAF. Haykal’s dialogue with Saudi officials was carried out to discuss avenues for ...
U.S., Syrian Top Diplomats Meet at Munich Conference
This is Beirut 14/02 10:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus United States US Secretary of State
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday and they discussed Damascus's recent agreement with the Kurds. A post by the Syrian foreign ministry included pictures showing that the head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum ...
Iran Sentences Nobel Peace Laureate Mohammadi to Six Years in Prison
This is Beirut 08/02 18:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
An Iranian court sentenced Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi to a six-year prison term, her lawyer told AFP on Sunday. "She has been sentenced to six years in prison for gathering and collusion to commit crimes," lawyer Mostafa Nili said, adding that she had also received a two-year ban on leaving the country. Mohammadi was also handed a ...
Iran Fortifies Natanz Nuclear Site as U.S. Weighs Expanded Military Posture
This is Beirut 12/02 18:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Iran United States Natanz Nuclear Talks
Despite both the U.S. and Iran stating their preference for diplomacy over escalation, both sides are preparing for the possibility of violent escalation. Iran has reportedly been rapidly fortifying their underground mountain complex at the Natanz nuclear site as seen in satellite imagery, according to the Jerusalem Post. According to the ...
Israel President Says Hopes U.S.-Israel Talks Can Undermine Iran's 'Empire of Evil'
This is Beirut 11/02 10:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Israel Iran USA Trump Netanyahu NuclearTalks
Israel's President Isaac Herzog said Wednesday he hoped talks between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump in Washington later in the day would help fight Iran's "empire of evil". Netanyahu, making his sixth visit to the United States since Trump took office, has said he will urge the US leader to take a harder line on ...
Netanyahu Joins Gaza Board of Peace Despite Misgivings
This is Beirut 23/01 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Benjamin Netanyahu Donald Trump Hamas Israel Gaza USA
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to take part in the U.S.-led Board of Peace overseeing postwar Gaza, despite mounting unease within Israel’s leadership over the structure and membership of the body, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Thursday. The decision, the official said, reflects the reality of Israel’s ...
ABL Secretary General Warns Against Risks of Unrealistic Implementation of the Gap Law
This is Beirut 29/01 13:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
ABL Banks Banque du Liban Lebanon Central Bank of Lebanon
The Secretary General of the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL), Fadi Khalaf, warned against the risks of an unrealistic implementation of the Gap Law in the introduction of the ABL’s January 2026 monthly report. According to Khalaf, this draft law, which aims to unlock the issue of bank deposits, can only succeed if the liquidity required ...
Rubio Vows to Eliminate Hezbollah from Venezuela After Maduro Capture
This is Beirut 05/01 09:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Israel South Lebanon
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Sunday that Hezbollah will no longer have operations in Venezuela after elite U.S. forces captured wanted narco-terrorist and former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. Speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," Rubio said, "It's very simple, OK? In the 21st century, ...
Rubio: U.S. Satisfied With Overall 'Trajectory' in Syria
This is Beirut 16/02 11:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Donald Trump US Secretary of State Damascus United States USA
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that Washington is pleased with the "trajectory" in Syria, which has launched talks with Kurdish minority groups, despite troubles. "There's been some days that have been very concerning, but we like the trajectory," Rubio said on a brief visit to Bratislava. "We have to keep it on that trajectory. ...
After Khamanei: What the Fall of Iran’s Regime Would Mean for the Region
Hussain Abdul-Hussain 12/01 16:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanon Hezbollah Israel USA Iran
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
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 ...
Lebanon, Jordan Seek Solutions After Damascus Bans Non-Syrian Trucks
This is Beirut 10/02 18:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
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”
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, ...
U.S. Delegations Meet in Jordan on Lebanon-Israel Relations as Karam Floats Tel Aviv Talks
This is Beirut 26/01 21:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Israel Lebanon Jordan Simon Karam
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
Claudia Groeling 09/01 12:50 - Reading : 83 minute(s)
Lebanon Benjamin Netanyahu Donald Trump Hezbollah Israel Syria Egypt
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
This is Beirut 2025-12-30 14:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Yemen SaudiArabia UAE GulfCrisis
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
This is Beirut 2025-12-22 22:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Syria Syrian Democratic Forces Aleppo
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
This is Beirut 05/01 13:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Trump Venezuela Iran Hezbollah Lebanon IranAxis
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 ...
Gap Law: How the Lebanese State Erases Its Responsibility
This is Beirut 2025-12-20 18:05 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Banks Lebanon Economy Gap Law IMF
Every financial crisis raises a central question: who should bear the losses? In a liberal economy grounded in responsibility, the answer is clear: those who decided, spent, borrowed, and ultimately failed. The Gap Law, however, offers a radically opposite answer. It methodically organizes the erasure of the Lebanese state’s responsibility and ...
Golden Globes 2026: 'One Battle After Another' Dominates, 'Hamnet Shocks' as Best Drama
This is Beirut 12/01 18:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Film Television Golden Globes Winners US Culture
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
This is Beirut 09/02 23:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Iran United States Nuclear Issue Abbas Araghchi Steve Witkoff
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 ...
Gap Law: Nawaf Salam and the IMF, Architects of a Legalized Spoliation
This is Beirut 2025-12-20 16:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
By claiming on Monday a commitment to “deliver justice to depositors,” Prime Minister Nawaf Salam did more than distort reality: with the active backing of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he sealed one of the greatest financial and moral abdications in Lebanon’s history. The Gap Law, presented as a lifesaving legal framework, is in ...