Search


Latest news

Search : 500 result(s)

Trump Declares Emergency Over Cuba, Targets Oil Exports, Cites Hamas, Hezbollah Ties

This is Beirut 30/01 02:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States Cuba Iran Russia Sanctions

President Trump issued an executive order on Thursday declaring a national emergency over Cuba and detailing a policy of implementing secondary sanctions on countries exporting oil to Cuba.  In the executive order, the Trump administration claims that Cuba hosts and cooperates with “dangerous adversaries” on its territory: ...

Parliament Budget Debate Highlights Weapons Issue and Criticism of Gap Law

This is Beirut 28/01 15:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Joseph Aoun Lebanese Army Nabih Berry Raji al-Saad Sami Gemayel

Lebanon’s parliament continued its debate on the 2026 budget on Wednesday, with lawmakers focusing on the financial gap law, the rights of depositors, and the need to restrict weapons as key obstacles to the country’s recovery. The session, chaired by Speaker Nabih Berri, marked the second day of discussions on the draft budget, which was ...

Turkey Calls EU Statements on Syria 'Misguided'

This is Beirut 14/02 10:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Damascus European Union Turkey

Ankara on Friday accused the EU of adopting "misguided" resolutions condemning violence in Syria and Turkey and said the bloc was interfering in Turkish affairs. European Union lawmakers had on Thursday voted in favour of two resolutions, one condemning violence against civilians in northeastern Syria and calling on regional actors, particularly ...

Druze Leader: Qassem's Statements are "Irresponsible"

This is Beirut 28/01 15:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Lebanon Gebran Bassil Hezbollah

On Tuesday, Former President of the Progressive Socialist Party and Druze leader, Walid Jumblatt, attacked the most recent speech delivered by Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, describing it as “irresponsible, irresponsible, irresponsible,” according to L’Oreint Today.  Jumblatt said, “I do not know why he wants to drag part of ...

Khamenei Adviser Sends Message to Hezbollah

This is Beirut 05/02 11:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran Hezbollah Lebanon USIran

In remarks carried by state-affiliated media, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, sent a message on Thursday to Hezbollah affirming Tehran’s willingness to face external threats. Velayati addressed the message to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem following the death of Abdul Karim Nasrallah, ...

U.S. Pulls Troops From Northeastern Syria Amid SDF-Damascus Integration

This is Beirut 06/02 23:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Damascus United States Washington

The U.S. has begun its withdrawal of troops from the Shaddadi base in northeastern Syria this week as part of a broader drawdown of direct U.S. military presence in Syria.  This event occurred amid the incorporation of civilian and security sector responsibilities to Damascus to replace the SDF and the U.S. as the primary force monitoring the ...

Khamenei Warns "Rioters," Threatens Put Them "in Their Place"

This is Beirut 03/01 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iran Ali Khamenei Protests

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday acknowledged the economic demands of protesters in Iran, where demonstrations have spread to more than two dozen cities, even as he warned there would be no quarter for "rioters." But Khamenei nonetheless warned that while "authorities must have dialogue with protesters, it is useless to have ...

Israel Warns Strike on Iran ‘Inevitable’ Without Missile Deal

This is Beirut 2025-12-26 14:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran Israel IRGC

A senior Israeli military official warned that an attack on Iran would become “inevitable” if the U.S. fails to reach an agreement limiting Tehran’s ballistic missile program. The official, speaking to Israel’s Ynet news site, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to present U.S. President Donald Trump with ...

Iran Guards Seize Two Foreign-Crewed Tankers in Gulf: News Agency

This is Beirut 05/02 13:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Tehran Iran IRGC Gulf

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have seized two oil tankers with their foreign crews in Gulf waters for "smuggling fuel," the Tasnim news agency reported Thursday. It was not immediately clear what flags the tankers were carrying nor the nationalities of the crew. The seizures took place amid heightened tension after Washington dispatched a naval ...

Who Rises Next? Sunni Perspectives on the Muslim Brotherhood and President Al-Sharaa

Claudia Groeling 06/02 23:25 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon USA Washington

In Lebanon today, the Sunni streets are largely leaderless, and many are searching for new direction. This Is Beirut went on the ground in Sunni areas to ask residents about the Muslim Brotherhood’s designation as a foreign terrorist organization and whether the Brotherhood or President Ahmed al-Sharaa can fill the leadership void. Many ...

KSA-Backed Forces Reclaim Eastern Yemen as Rift with UAE-Allied STC Deepens

This is Beirut 05/01 11:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Gulf Houthi Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates USA Yemen

Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have regained control of the eastern governorates of Hadramout and al-Mahra from the United Arab Emirates–supported Southern Transitional Council (STC), marking a major shift in the balance of power as tensions among Gulf allies intensify. Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership ...

Israel's Security Cabinet Approves 19 New Settlements in West Bank

This is Beirut 2025-12-21 13:16 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel West Bank Israeli Settlements Palestinians

Israel's security cabinet approved the establishment of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move the country's far-right finance minister said on Sunday was aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state. The decision brings the total number of settlements approved over the past three years to 69, according to a ...

Trump Says U.S. Will Stop Helping Iraq if al-Maliki Returns to Premiership

This is Beirut 27/01 23:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iraq United States Elections Nouri al-Maliki

President Trump expressed on Truth Social on Tuesday that the U.S. will cease helping Iraq if former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki returns to power.  Trump asserted that “because of [Nouri al-Maliki’s] insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq.”  Al-Maliki was ...

From Gaza to Iran: Trump and Netanyahu Review Regional Flashpoints

This is Beirut 2025-12-30 11:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Trump Netanyahu MiddleEast Gaza Iran Lebanon Syria Turkey

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held wide-ranging talks in Florida on Monday, addressing key regional crises including Gaza, Iran, Syria, and broader Middle East stability, as both leaders signaled continued strategic alignment despite ongoing regional tensions. The meeting, held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago ...

Trump Warns of “Overwhelming Force” if Iran Carries Out Assassination Threats

This is Beirut 21/01 21:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Trump United States Iran

President Trump escalated his rhetoric against Iran on Wednesday, vowing to respond with crippling force in the event that assassination attempts are carried out against him or other U.S. officials. Speaking to the press, Trump stated that “if anything happens, the whole country is going to blow up. I will hit them so hard, and I have given ...

Rubio Praises Iraq’s Detention of ISIS Members, Warns Against Iranian Influence

This is Beirut 26/01 11:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

US Secretary of State Middle East USA Washington Marco Rubio Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani Iraq Iran ISIS

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday praised the Iraqi government’s “initiative and leadership” in accelerating the transfer and detention of ISIS terrorists to secure facilities inside Iraq. According to a U.S. Department of State press release, Rubio held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani in light of recent ...

Trump Wants to Create Conditions for ‘Regime Change’ in Iran: U.S. Sources

This is Beirut 29/01 10:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Israel Middle East United Nations Washington

U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing options against Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces and leaders to inspire protesters and wants to create conditions for “regime change”, multiple U.S. sources familiar with the discussions told The Times of Israel.  To do so, he was looking at options to hit commanders ...

Chalamet Wins Best Actor at Critics Choice Awards, Boosting Oscars Bid

This is Beirut 05/01 12:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Cinema Critics Choice Awards Timothée Chalamet US Culture

Timothée Chalamet's Oscars campaign earned a major boost Sunday as he scooped the best actor prize for Marty Supreme at the Critics Choice Awards, the first major gala of this year's Hollywood awards season. He defeated rival Leonardo DiCaprio, whose raucous political thriller One Battle After Another took the night's top prize for best ...

Khamenei Issued No Mercy, 'Shoot to Kill' Orders

This is Beirut 26/01 15:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

New York Tehran UN Security Council

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered Iran's Supreme National Security Council to suppress the protests on January 9 by using "any means necessary," The New York Times reported on Sunday, citing two officials familiar with the matter.  According to the officials, security forces were then deployed to the streets with ...

Washington Hosts Saudi and Israeli Officials to Weigh Possible U.S. Strikes on Iran

This is Beirut 29/01 13:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Washington Donald Trump Israel Saudi Arabia US Secretary of State

The Trump administration is hosting senior defense and intelligence officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia for talks on Iran this week as President Trump considers military strikes, two U.S. officials and two other sources with knowledge told Axios. The Israelis came to D.C. to share intelligence on possible targets inside Iran. Israeli military ...

Netanyahu to Ask Trump for Green Light on Lebanon Escalation

This is Beirut 2025-12-29 11:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Lebanon Trump Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to make Lebanon a top priority in talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday in Florida, with reports indicating he will seek Washington’s approval to escalate Israeli military strikes there. According to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu will seek U.S. approval to intensify military ...

Aoun: Exclusivity of Weapons Is a Non-Negotiable

This is Beirut 03/02 13:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Joseph Aoun Nabih Berry Nawaf Salam Parliament

President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday said that the renewed confidence and support of foreign countries toward Lebanon is a natural outcome of ongoing efforts to rebuild the state on solid foundations, stressing that the rule of law and the exclusivity of weapons remain irreversible pillars of his agenda. In his remarks during a meeting with a ...

Explosion Reported at Building in Iran Gulf City, Cause Unknown: State Media

This is Beirut 31/01 15:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Iran Gulf Explosion BandarAbbas

An explosion took place on Saturday at a building in the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas on the Gulf Coast, state media reported, though the cause of the blast was as yet unknown. State television said the explosion occurred at an eight-story building, "destroying two floors, several vehicles, and shops" in the area of Moallem Boulevard in the ...

Seven Dead as Saudi Coalition Strikes UAE-Backed Forces in Yemen

This is Beirut 02/01 15:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Saudi Aabia UAE Yemen

Seven separatist fighters died in air strikes Friday as the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen hit back against a sweeping advance by the UAE-backed Southern Transition Council that threatens to spiral into a major confrontation. The deaths are the first from coalition fire since the secessionist STC seized swathes of Hadramawt and Mahra provinces last ...

An Unprecedented Christmas Message and a Call for Peace in the Levant

This is Beirut 2025-12-25 15:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Benjamin Netanyahu christians christmas

For the first time since returning to office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a Christmas message to Christians around the world last night. Broadcast from Jerusalem, his address carried symbolic weight, signaling a notable shift in rhetoric that extended far beyond a traditional seasonal greeting. By highlighting the ...

Iran Announces Enquiry Team to Investigate Deadly Protests

This is Beirut 13/02 13:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel United States USA Iran Protest

The Iranian government announced on Friday the establishment of a commission of enquiry to look into protests against the high cost of living that turned into anti-government rallies that left thousands dead. "A fact-finding committee has been formed with representatives from relevant institutions and is collecting documents and hearing ...

Festive Lights, Security Tight for Christmas in Damascus

This is Beirut 2025-12-24 17:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Damascus Syria Christmas christians

Christmas lights illuminate Damascus's Old City while government forces patrol its shadows as security fears haunt Syria's Christian community. They recall the shooting and suicide attack in June at the Saint Elias church in the Syrian capital that killed 25 people and wounded dozens more. "People are going home early, and are afraid," said Tala ...