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The WhatsApp War: How Hezbollah Manufactures Reality

In Lebanon today, the battlefield is no longer confined to the south; it has also moved to WhatsApp, where closed, encrypted groups spread information without scrutiny, and most importantly, without accountability. This is where Hezbollah has quietly built one of its most effective influence machines—not on television, where narratives can be ...

Lebanon Declares Iran's Ambassador Unwelcome, But Can It Make Him Leave?

The Lebanese state has formally expelled Iran’s envoy to Beirut, its latest step to curb Tehran’s influence as the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah intensifies. On March 24, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said he had instructed his ministry to inform Iran’s chargé d’affaires in Lebanon, Toufiq Samadi Khoshkou, ...

Lebanese President: Lebanon Waiting for U.S. to Set Date for Negotiations

Lebanon is waiting for the United States to set a start date for delegation-level direct negotiations with Israel, according to remarks by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday. Speaking before a gathering of economic bodies, the President discussed ongoing progress toward ending the war, reiterating the sovereignty and unity of the ...

Lebanon Says 13 Killed in Israeli Strikes in South

Lebanon's health ministry said 13 people were killed on Friday in Israeli strikes in the south, including in a town where Israel's army had issued an evacuation order despite a ceasefire. The strikes in Habboush killed eight people, including a child and two women, and wounded 21 others, the ministry said, raising an earlier toll. Other strikes ...

Trump Threatens to Restart War if Iran Fails to Honor Ceasefire Terms

Donald Trump warned that the United States is prepared to resume full-scale military operations against Iran if Tehran fails to comply with what he described as a “real agreement,” casting new doubt on the durability of the recently announced ceasefire. In a late-night statement, Trump said all U.S. military assets, including ships, aircraft, ...

Lebanon Awards Contract to Reopen Qlayaat’s René Mouawad Airport

Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny announced the opening of bids for the public tender to operate and invest in René Mouawad Airport in a move aimed at reviving Lebanon’s second civilian airport after years of stagnation. The contract was awarded to Sky Lounge Services following a tender process conducted under the ...

Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz, Blames U.S. Blockade

Iran on Saturday closed the Strait of Hormuz again after briefly reopening it, saying the move is a response to the ongoing US naval blockade. Tehran accused Washington of breaking its commitments and warned that traffic through the strait will remain restricted until the blockade is lifted. The potential for the resumption of transit had lifted ...

Israeli Army Issues New Evacuations, Destroys Hezbollah Tunnels

The Israeli Defense Forces issued new evacuation orders Tuesday on sixteen towns northwest of the Israeli forward defense zone, saying Hezbollah violations had necessitated “forceful” action. Later, following alerts to northern Israeli towns, the IDF destroyed two underground tunnels in Qantara, southern Lebanon, detonating over 450 ...

Netanyahu: Lebanon Held ‘Hostage’ by Hezbollah and Iran

In an interview with 60 Minutes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Israel seeks peace with Lebanon but argued that Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has effectively taken control of the country and holds the Lebanese people “hostage.” Netanyahu claimed Hezbollah had planned an October 7-style attack on Israel’s Galilee ...

Israel Strikes Litani Bridges to Pressure Lebanese Government

As Israel presses its ground invasion of south Lebanon, it has destroyed several bridges spanning the Litani River, saying Hezbollah was using the crossings for military purposes. Analysts told This Is Beirut that the strikes also form part of a broader pressure campaign on the Lebanese state. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the bridges ...

Lebanon Says at Least Two Killed in Israel Strikes on South

Lebanon said at least one person was killed in Israeli strikes on the country's south on Saturday despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah, after Israel's army issued an evacuation warning to several villages. Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah have traded fire daily, mostly in southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire agreement in effect since ...

Israel Sent Iron Dome Batteries, Personnel to UAE: U.S. Ambassador to Israel

Israel sent Iron Dome air defense batteries and personnel to operate them in the United Arab Emirates during the war with Iran, the U.S. ambassador to Israel said on Tuesday. "Can I say a word of appreciation, deep appreciation and admiration, for the United Arab Emirates?" Mike Huckabee said during a conference at Tel Aviv University. "They ...

Gulf Allies Privately Urge Trump to Press War on Iran: Report

Gulf Arab allies are privately urging President Donald Trump to intensify the war against Iran and avoid a premature settlement, even as the White House considers scaling back its military campaign without securing full control over the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by the Times of Israel. According to U.S., Gulf, and Israeli officials, ...

From Baghdad to Beirut: Tehran’s Strategy to Set the Region Aflame

In December 2017, Hezbollah hosted Iraqi militia leader Qais al-Khazali on a tour of Lebanon’s border with Israel. At the time, Israel was careful not to provoke Hezbollah, and Khazali seemed confident that he could threaten the Jewish state from the frontier. Nearly a decade later, Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have become ...

UAE Blacklists 21 Individuals and 5 Lebanon-Based Entities, Including Al-Qard Al-Hassan

The United Arab Emirates has expanded its domestic terrorism sanctions list, designating 21 individuals and five Lebanon-based entities over alleged links to Hezbollah, according to a cabinet resolution issued this week. The decision, under Cabinet Resolution No. 63 of 2026, is part of what the UAE described as efforts to strengthen regional and ...

Netanyahu Warns Israel Can Strike Anywhere in Iranian Airspace

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday in a recorded speech that Israel is capable of striking “anywhere in Iranian airspace" in a renewed warning to Tehran as indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States continue through Pakistani mediation. Netanyahu emphasized that Israeli pilots are “ready” to ...

Trump Says Deal Is Days Away, Iran Accuses Him of ‘Lies’

U.S. President Donald Trump said that a deal with Iran could be reached “within days” and that negotiations have “no sticking points,” while Iranian officials on Saturday rejected his claims and said key issues remain unresolved. Trump said talks with Iran could resume as early as this weekend, possibly in Islamabad, and ...

Vance Arrives in Pakistan for Iran Talks

US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Islamabad on Saturday for talks with Iran that the Pakistani premier hosting the warring sides called a "make or break" effort to permanently halt weeks of fighting in the Middle East. An Iranian delegation led by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is also in the city, having arrived ...

Israeli Military Reveals ‘Active Horizon’ Rapid Targeting System

An Israeli military reserve unit says it has developed a system known as the “Active Horizon” designed to rapidly identify and strike what it describes as “time-critical targets” linked to Hezbollah, including fighters and financial infrastructure, in some cases within 30 minutes of detection. According to a report published by the ...

Iran Says Has 'Right to Respond' After Kuwait Arrests Four Citizens

Iran's foreign minister said Wednesday that Tehran had the right to respond after he accused Kuwait of attacking an Iranian boat and arresting four of its citizens in the Gulf, calling for their release. "In a clear attempt to sow discord, Kuwait has unlawfully attacked an Iranian boat and detained 4 of our citizens in the Persian Gulf. This ...

Disarming Hezbollah's Ideology to Protect Lebanon's Future

The Iranian regime’s threats against U.S. educational institutions in the Middle East have raised alarm across the region, including in Lebanon, where a pro-Hezbollah journalist even spoke of the “benefits” of a potential attack on students in Beirut. Tehran’s bellicose language has been taken seriously by Washington. “Iran and its ...

Trump Rejects Iranian Proposal, Says Naval Blockade Will Continue Until Nuclear Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would maintain a naval blockade on Iran until Tehran agrees to a deal addressing Washington’s concerns over its nuclear program, rejecting a proposal that would have prioritized reopening the Strait of Hormuz. In an interview with Axios, Trump dismissed the Iranian offer, which reportedly sought ...

Lebanon Says Israel Talks Set for Tuesday in U.S.

Lebanon's presidency said Friday that a meeting would be held with Israel in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war and the start of negotiations between the neighbours. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has repeatedly expressed readiness for direct talks with Israel since Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle ...

Israel Says Will Strike Lebanon-Syria Border Crossing

The Israeli military said on Saturday it would strike an area near the main crossing between Syria and Lebanon, urging residents to evacuate immediately as it continued its attacks across Lebanon. Israel has carried out strikes across Lebanon and launched a ground invasion in the south since March 2, when Hezbollah entered the war in the Middle ...

What Went Wrong for the Shia

The Shia have a problem. While many Sunni-majority states, from the Gulf states to Turkey, have achieved varying degrees of governance success and economic growth, Shia-led political projects have little to show for themselves. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, they have been at the center of wars, terrorist networks, and state failure even as ...