Ethiopia's Tola Wins Olympic Men's Marathon, Kipchoge Drops Out

2024-08-11 13:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Ethiopian Tamirat Tola delivered a masterclass in solo front running to win the Olympic men's marathon in Paris on Saturday as Eliud Kipchoge's bid for a third gold went up in smoke. Tola clocked an Olympic record of 2hr 06min 26sec for victory, finishing 21 seconds ahead of Belgium's Bashir Abdi, whose silver marked an upgrade from his bronze ...

Trump Pushes for Expanded Abraham Accords Amid Iran Negotiations

This is Beirut 25/05 16:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Bahrain Israel Middle East Saudi Arabia Abraham accords

U.S. President Donald Trump has called for a major expansion of the Abraham Accords, urging several Middle Eastern and Muslim-majority countries to join the framework normalizing relations with Israel as part of a broader regional settlement linked to ongoing negotiations with Iran. In a lengthy statement published on Truth Social, Trump said he ...

U.S. Sanctions Lebanese Officials and Hezbollah Affiliates Over Alleged Obstruction of Disarmament Efforts

This is Beirut 21/05 17:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Iran LAF United States

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on nine individuals in Lebanon accused of supporting Hezbollah and obstructing efforts to disarm the Iran-backed group, in a move Washington described as part of a broader campaign to reinforce Lebanese sovereignty and weaken Hezbollah’s influence over state institutions. The sanctions, announced ...

Iran Condemns U.S. Sanctions as Washington Expands Pressure on Hezbollah’s Institutional Network

This is Beirut 22/05 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Washington Amal Lebanon Israel

Iran on Friday strongly condemned new U.S. sanctions targeting Iranian Ambassador-designate to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Sheibani, as well as several Lebanese political, military, and security officials accused by Washington of supporting Hezbollah. In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry described the sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury ...

Lebanese Army Responds to U.S. Treasury Allegations Against Intelligence Officer

This is Beirut 22/05 13:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanese Army Lebanon Hezbollah Israel US Treasury

The Lebanese Army Command issued a statement on Friday in response to a decision released by the U.S. Department of the Treasury concerning the alleged involvement of a Lebanese Army officer in the leaking of intelligence information during the current year. The Army Command noted that it had not been notified of the matter through the ...

EU Expands Iran Sanctions Over Strait of Hormuz Navigation Threats

This is Beirut 22/05 14:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

European Union UN Security Council Gulf Israel Middle East

The Council of the European Union on Friday expanded its sanctions framework against Iran to include individuals and entities involved in actions deemed to threaten freedom of navigation in the Middle East, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement, the Council said the amended legal basis would allow the EU to impose restrictive ...

No Turning Back in Lebanon-Israel Talks

Samar El-Kadi 22/05 15:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Amal Hezbollah negotiations

Amid a fraught ceasefire, preparations are underway for the next phase of the U.S.-mediated Lebanon-Israel diplomatic process, which analysts describe as a major turning point. Security talks between Lebanese and Israeli military delegations are scheduled to begin at the Pentagon on May 29, while a parallel political track is set to reconvene in ...

U.S. Sanctions on Hezbollah and Amal's "Deep State": Implications for the Duo and the State

Claudia Groeling 23/05 01:50 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Amal Hezbollah Lebanese Army Lebanon Israel

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on nine individuals in Lebanon accused of supporting Hezbollah and obstructing efforts to disarm the Iran-backed group, in one of Washington’s clearest moves yet to counter Hezbollah’s influence over Lebanon’s political and security institutions. The sanctions, announced by the ...

Iran Chief Negotiator Vows 'Crushing' Response if U.S. Resumes Attacks

This is Beirut 23/05 15:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Middle East Tehran Iran Pakistan Trump USA Gulf

Iran's chief negotiator on Saturday warned of a "crushing" response if U.S. President Donald Trump resumed attacks on the country, saying Tehran had rebuilt its armed forces during the six-week-long ceasefire in the Middle East war. "Our armed forces have rebuilt themselves during the ceasefire period in such a way that if Trump commits another ...

Iran Reaffirms Support for Hezbollah and Calls for Lebanon-Inclusive Regional Ceasefire Proposal

This is Beirut 23/05 17:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Ceasefire Nawaf Salam Lebanon Joseph Aoun

Hezbollah claimed that it’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, received a message from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi outlining Tehran’s position on regional developments and ongoing diplomatic efforts related to the conflict. According to the statement, Iran reaffirmed its continued support for what it described as “movements ...

Alleged Iranian-Linked Plot Targeted Ivanka Trump in Failed Assassination Attempt

This is Beirut 23/05 19:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Europe Hezbollah Middle East New York

In a statement posted on social media, House Republicans claimed that Ivanka Trump had been targeted in a failed assassination attempt tied to “Iranian terror groups,” adding that she remains safe. The statement said that the alleged plot demonstrates what Republicans described as Iran’s hostility toward the U.S. and renewed ...

Escalation in Southern Lebanon Intensifies Amid Regional Diplomatic Efforts with Iran

This is Beirut 23/05 23:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon South Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army

Military activity sharply escalated in southern Lebanon on Saturday despite ongoing diplomatic signals of potential breakthroughs in regional negotiations involving Iran and the United States. The Arabic spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, issued two separate evacuation warnings covering a total of 15 towns and villages in southern ...

Lebanon Civil Defense Says Israeli Strike Destroys its Nabatieh Facility

This is Beirut 24/05 05:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel

Lebanon's civil defence agency said early on Sunday its regional facility in the southern city of Nabatieh had been destroyed by an Israeli strike. The Directorate General of Civil Defence said the building had collapsed and a large number of vehicles and equipment had been damaged by a "direct hit in a hostile Israeli ...

Hezbollah’s Qassem Attacks Lebanese Government and Opposes Direct Talks with Israel

This is Beirut 24/05 20:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon IDF Israel Disarmament

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Sunday launched a sharp attack against the Lebanese government, rejected direct negotiations with Israel, and reaffirmed that the Iran-backed group would continue its armed confrontation despite growing domestic and international pressure for Hezbollah’s disarmament. Speaking during a televised ...

Saudi Arabia’s Shadow Over Lebanon's Path to Peace

Ralph Atrach 25/05 08:55 - Reading : 8 minute(s)

Lebanon Saudi Arabia Nawaf Salam Lebanese Army Banque du Liban

As Lebanon prepares for new rounds of security and political talks with Israel in Washington in the coming two weeks, Saudi Arabia’s position on peace with Jerusalem looms over decision makers in Beirut. In a May 10 interview with Al-Arabiya, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Lebanon is open to peace with Israel within the framework ...

Qassem Escalates Against Lebanese State as Hezbollah Faces Growing Pressure Over Weapons and Negotiations

Kaline Antoun 25/05 20:40 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon Amal Israel Lebanese Forces

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem sharply escalated his rhetoric against the Lebanese government on Sunday, openly rejecting direct negotiations with Israel, defending the group’s weapons, and warning that “the people have the right to overthrow the government if authorities fail to protect Lebanon’s sovereignty.”  The speech, ...

Displaced Residents Back State-Led Camp Relocation in Beirut

Ralph Atrach 20/05 20:35 - Reading : less than a minute

Amal Hezbollah Internal Security Forces

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 ...

Saudi Arabia’s Voodoo Diplomacy Is Sabotaging Middle East Peace

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 26/05 09:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia Lebanon Donald Trump Gulf Hamas

While Iran has strangled Kuwait and Qatar’s ability to export energy and fund repairs for costly damage inflicted by Iranian attacks, Saudi Arabia has done nothing to challenge Tehran. Instead, Riyadh—the self-anointed leader of the Gulf—prioritized denouncing the opening of a Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem. Saudi foreign ...

Finally, a Year of Choice for Lebanon

David Hale 26/05 09:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Lebanese Army Damascus Hezbollah Israel

For the first time in decades, Lebanon has a year of choice. With the dramatic reversal of fortunes of Iran, the Assad regime, and their Lebanese proxy, Lebanon is finding long-lost freedoms. A key attribute of freedom is choice. With the restoration of sovereignty, the Lebanese face, a sovereign choice between war or peace. Since the 1980s, ...

Netanyahu Orders Escalation Against Hezbollah as Strikes Intensify Across Lebanon

This is Beirut 26/05 10:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Lebanon Hezbollah Netanyahu Escalation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that he had ordered the Israeli military to intensify operations against Hezbollah, as Israeli airstrikes expanded across southern and eastern Lebanon amid a sharp rise in Hezbollah drone attacks targeting northern Israel. “We are at war with Hezbollah,” Netanyahu declared in ...

Iran Supreme Leader Says Region Will 'No Longer Serve as Shields' for U.S. Bases

This is Beirut 26/05 11:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Tehran United States USA Washington Khamenei USIranWar Hormuz

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said on Tuesday that regional countries would no longer be shields for U.S. bases in a written statement carried by state television. "What is certain in this regard is that the hands of time will not turn backwards, and the nations and lands of the region will no longer serve as shields for ...

Rubio Says Iran Deal Still Days Away as U.S. Balances Diplomacy and Military Pressure

This is Beirut 26/05 11:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanon Gulf Hezbollah

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that reaching an agreement with Iran may still require “a few days.” His remarks came one day after U.S. forces carried out what Washington described as defensive operations in southern Iran. According to Rubio, the strikes targeted missile launch sites as well as vessels allegedly ...

Iran Executes Man Over Cooperation with Israeli Spy Agency

This is Beirut 26/05 13:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran Human Rights USA Israel Iran Regime

Iranian authorities on Tuesday executed a man after convicting him of cooperation with and espionage for Israel's Mossad spy agency, the judiciary said. "Gholamreza Khani Shakarab was executed on charges of intelligence cooperation and espionage in favor of the Zionist regime," the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported, adding that his ...

Behind Netanyahu’s Calculus on Lebanon Escalation Amid Potential U.S.-Iran Deal

Claudia Groeling 26/05 19:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanon Donald Trump Hezbollah Israel

Israel launched a widespread wave of overnight strikes across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, targeting more than 100 Hezbollah sites, according to the Israeli military. The IDF said the strikes hit weapons storage facilities, command centers, observation posts, and infrastructure allegedly used by Hezbollah militants to coordinate attacks ...

Israeli Forces to Expand Past ‘Yellow Line’ As Operations in Lebanon Intensify

This is Beirut 26/05 19:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Benjamin Netanyahu Amal Hezbollah Israel

The Israeli Army has started to operate on the ground past the “Yellow Line” in southern Lebanon on Tuesday as Israeli officials express their intent to intensify operations against Hezbollah amid persistent threats. According to AFP, citing an Israeli military official, the Israeli Army began to expand its operations in southern ...

Hezbollah’s Constitutional Contradiction

Kaline Antoun 27/05 12:01 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon Taif Constitution Israel

In a statement issued on the centennial of the Lebanese Constitution, Hezbollah presented itself Monday as a defender of constitutional legitimacy, national unity, and Lebanese sovereignty, while simultaneously reaffirming that armed “resistance” remains a protected and legitimate right beyond any governmental decision. The statement ...

IRGC Downplays Chances of Renewed War With U.S. Amid Fragile Iran Ceasefire Talks

This is Beirut 27/05 12:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran USA Doha Negotiations Hormuz

A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official said Wednesday that the likelihood of renewed war with the United States remains low, while warning that Tehran remains fully prepared to respond militarily to any new attack. “The possibility of war is low because of the enemy’s weakness,” Mohammad Akbarzadeh, deputy ...

Hezbollah Says Clashed With Israeli Troops North of Lebanon's Litani River

This is Beirut 27/05 13:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon Netanyahu IDF

Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with Israeli forces in a town north of the Litani river on Wednesday, a day after Israel's military said it was expanding its ground operations. Israel intensified the scope of its strikes on south and east Lebanon on Tuesday despite a ceasefire, killing at least 31 people, Lebanese authorities said, as ...

Israel Unveils First KC-46 “Gideon” Tanker Aircraft

This is Beirut 27/05 16:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Palestine United States

The Israeli Air Force received its first Boeing KC-46 “Gideon” aerial refueling and transport aircraft on Wednesday during a ceremony held at Nevatim Airbase, marking a major milestone in Israel’s long-range military capabilities and strategic air power modernization. The ceremony was attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and ...

U.S. Military Conducts New Strike in South Iran

This is Beirut 28/05 04:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

USA

The U.S. military shot down four Iranian drones and struck a control center in the southern city of Bandar Abbas, an American official said Wednesday, describing the actions as "purely defensive." "Today, U.S. Central Command Forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz," ...