When Aoun Meets Netanyahu

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 21/04 14:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanese Army Palestine Lebanon Banks

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in the coming weeks, according to President Trump, who said he would invite both leaders. However, Aoun appears poised to follow a political path that will be rejected by Israel. Lebanon has vilified Israel for so long that a Lebanese ...

Netanyahu Lauds Opportunity for 'Historic Peace' Between Israel, Lebanon

This is Beirut 24/04 18:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanon Israel Hezbollah Middle East

A day after the second meeting of direct negotiations between Lebanese and Israeli Ambassadors in Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had “begun a process to achieve a historic peace” between the two countries. The Prime Minister’s pre-recorded video on ‘X’ comes after talks in ...

U.S. Offers $10 Million Reward for Leader of Iraqi Armed Group

This is Beirut 24/04 09:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

USA Hezbollah Israel Middle East Tehran

The US State Department is offering up to $10 million for information on the leader of the Tehran-backed Iraqi armed group Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), which Washington designates as a terrorist organization. US officials said in a social media post Thursday they were seeking information on KSS leader Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, also known ...

Iran Says Won't Reopen Hormuz as Long as U.S. Blockade Remains

This is Beirut 23/04 08:05 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron Lebanon Amal Gulf

Iran's vow not to reopen the Strait of Hormuz -- so long as a U.S. naval blockade remained in place -- was held into Thursday despite a ceasefire extension, as the Gulf nation announced the seizure of two ships trying to cross the strategic waterway. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said late Wednesday that it had also "directed 31 vessels ...

Al-Akhbar Journalist Killed in Airstrike in Southern Lebanon

This is Beirut 23/04 01:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon South Lebanon Amal Hezbollah Israel

A Lebanese journalist working for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar News was killed in an Israeli airstrike and another was wounded on Wednesday while they were working near the border with Israel, according to their employer and rescuers. The civil defence agency's press office said rescuers were "able to recover the body of martyred journalist ...

Israel President Says He Dreams of ‘Driving Straight to Beirut’

This is Beirut 22/04 14:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Bahrain Middle East United Arab Emirates

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Wednesday he hopes Israelis will one day be able to travel freely to Beirut, speaking to foreign diplomats in Jerusalem ahead of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon. Speaking to a gathering that included envoys from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Herzog said Israel was “eager” to help shape a ...

U.S. Reportedly Blocked $500m Cash Shipment to Iraq Over Pro-Iran Attacks

This is Beirut 22/04 12:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA US Treasury Banks Middle East Iran

The United States blocked a plane carrying nearly $500 million in banknotes from delivering the cash to Iraq, US media reported on Tuesday, piling pressure on Baghdad to fight Iran-backed militant groups. The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington has suspended cash shipments to Iraq and frozen funding for security programs following ...

Hezbollah MP Says Group Will Break Israel's 'Yellow Line' in South Lebanon

This is Beirut 20/04 19:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon Israel Ceasefire United States

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said Monday that his group would work to break the "Yellow Line" that Israel established in southern Lebanon, adding that no one could disarm the Iran-backed group. Still, he also maintained that his group wanted to see the current ceasefire last, even as he slammed Lebanese efforts to engage Israel ...

If Boycotting Israel Requires a Law, Is It Truly Popular?

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 27/04 11:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Hassan Nasrallah Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanon Hezbollah

Hezbollah and its global Intifada allies claim that the overwhelming majority of Lebanese, Arabs, and people of conscience view Israel as pure evil, a cancer to be eradicated. Yet if this hatred is truly so deep and universal, why does Lebanon still need to enforce its heavy-handed law boycotting Israel? The statute criminalizes any contact with ...

No Date Set for Next Round of Iran-U.S. Talks: Iran Deputy FM

This is Beirut 18/04 15:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iran USA USIranWar Israel Negotiations Pakistan

No date has been set for the next round of Iran–U.S. peace talks brokered by Pakistan following the failure of an initial round, Iran's deputy foreign minister said on Saturday. "Until we agree on the framework, we cannot set a date," Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists on the sidelines of an annual diplomatic forum in Turkey's southern Antalya ...

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

This is Beirut 18/04 13:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Ceasefire Gulf Hamas Hezbollah Iran USA Negotiations

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 ...

Turkey Hosts Latest Diplomatic Push on Middle East War

This is Beirut 17/04 08:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Turkey Lebanon Israel United States Iran

Turkey hosts a high-stakes forum Friday bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as Islamabad pushes diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East war. Pakistan's powerful army chief met senior negotiators in Tehran on Thursday as Washington and Iran considered a fresh round of talks to end the six-week ...

Beirut: A Safe and Weapon-Free City

Claudia Groeling 16/04 17:10 - Reading : less than a minute

Amal Hezbollah

In Beirut, MPs from across political lines met to discuss declaring the capital a weapons-free city and restricting arms exclusively to state control. MP Fouad Makhzoumi: Called for army deployment in Beirut and the southern suburbs and activating coordination mechanisms to keep the capital free of weapons. MP Ghassan Hasbani: Said effective ...

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

This is Beirut 16/04 13:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Beirut Sovereignty

  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 ...

U.S. Says Ball in Iran's Court as Push Grows to End War

This is Beirut 14/04 12:20 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron Gulf New York

The United States said "the ball is in the Iranian court" on ending the Mideast war, as diplomats accelerated efforts on Tuesday towards a new round of peace talks after weekend negotiations failed to produce a deal. US Vice President JD Vance had left talks hosted by Pakistan on Sunday, saying he had handed Tehran the "final and best offer".Iran ...

Lebanon Charts a Separate Path from Tehran in Israel Talks

Samar El-Kadi 14/04 09:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Tehran Benjamin Netanyahu Nawaf Salam

Lebanon is set to begin talks with Israel in Washington on Tuesday, the first direct negotiations since 1983, as Beirut seeks to reassert its role in regional affairs and prevent the country from becoming a bargaining chip in broader international negotiations. Political activist and former MP Fares Souaid described the move as a historic break. ...

Lebanon Says Israel Strikes Kill 14 in Deadliest day Since Truce

This is Beirut 27/04 01:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Benjamin Netanyahu United Nations Hezbollah

Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country's south on Sunday killed 14 people, the deadliest day since a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war came into force over a week ago. It came as Israel and the Iran-backed group traded fresh accusations of breaching the fragile truce, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the ...

Trump Warns Iran Better 'Get Smart Soon' and Accept Nuclear Deal

This is Beirut 29/04 15:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Tehran Washington

President Donald Trump warned Tehran on Wednesday that it should "get smart soon" and capitulate to Washington's demands for tight controls on its nuclear programme, as a US naval blockade turned the screws on Iran's economy. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth was due to testify before Congress later in the day, but US press reports ...

Vance Arrives in Pakistan for Iran Talks

This is Beirut 11/04 12:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Lebanon Gulf Israel

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 ...

Trump Threatens Iran with “Total Destruction” if It Targets U.S. Forces in Hormuz Operation

This is Beirut 04/05 20:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Trump USA Iran Hormuz Negotiations USIranWar

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday issued a stark warning to Iran, vowing it would be “blown off the face of the Earth” if it attacks American vessels involved in the ongoing “Project Freedom” operation in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump escalated his rhetoric as tensions deepen around the strategic ...

Trump Threatens 'Higher Level' Bombing of Iran if Deal Not Agreed

This is Beirut 06/05 15:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Trump USA Iran USIranWar Negotiations Pakistan

President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum Wednesday for Iran to accept a deal to end the war or face renewed, more intense U.S. bombing, in the latest of a series of abrupt policy shifts. "Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is perhaps a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end," Trump posted on ...

Trump Says Pausing Hormuz Operation in Push for Iran Deal

This is Beirut 06/05 09:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump US Secretary of State Gulf Israel Middle East

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was halting the US military operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after just one day, in a bid to reach a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war. Trump's so-called "Project Freedom" to help vessels leave the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint to the Gulf where Iran has seized control ...

U.S. Announces $10 Million Reward for Iraqi Militia Leader

This is Beirut 05/05 20:10 - Reading : less than a minute

The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program announced on Tuesday a reward of up to $10 million for information on Akram ‘Abbas al-Kabi, identified as the founder and leader of the Iraqi militia group Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN). In its official statement the program said, “Akram ‘Abbas al-Kabi is the founder and leader of ...

Hegseth warns of ‘overwhelming’ response as Hormuz tensions rise despite ceasefire

This is Beirut 05/05 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Middle East Tehran United States Washington strait of Hormuz

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday a ceasefire with Iran remains in place despite rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Washington has deployed forces to protect commercial shipping. Speaking at the Pentagon alongside Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, Hegseth said the United States is “not seeking a wider conflict” in ...

U.S.-Iran Ceasefire on Brink as UAE Reports Attacks

This is Beirut 05/05 04:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

United Arab Emirates Ceasefire United States Iran

A ceasefire between Iran and the United States was teetering Monday as the two countries traded fire over the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the United Arab Emirates reported attacks for the first time since the truce was declared nearly a month ago. A day after President Donald Trump announced an operation to escort trapped vessels through the ...

U.S. Downs Iran Missiles and Drones, Destroys Six of Tehran's Boats

This is Beirut 04/05 22:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA Iran Hormuz CENTCOM Trump USIranWar

The United States shot down multiple Iranian missiles and drones fired at U.S. Navy and commercial vessels and destroyed six of Tehran's small boats, a top U.S. admiral said on Monday. The hostilities occurred as American forces sought to facilitate the transit of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz in an effort dubbed "Project ...

Iran Fires 'Warning Shots' as U.S. Navy Says Its Ships Entered Gulf Via Hormuz

This is Beirut 04/05 17:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Gulf Donald Trump Middle East Tehran United Arab Emirates USIranWar

Iran's navy fired 'warning shots' at U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, state media said, after the American military sent cruisers into the Gulf as part of a plan to help trapped commercial vessels leave. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had announced a plan to guide ships from neutral countries out of the Gulf, saying it was a ...

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

This is Beirut 29/04 17:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Nawaf Salam European Union Joseph Aoun

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 ...

U.S. Military: U.S. Destroyers Cross Strait of Hormuz, Enter Gulf

This is Beirut 04/05 17:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Iran USA Hormuz Gulf USIranWar

U.S. Navy-guided missile destroyers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf as part of a new mission to restore maritime traffic in the vital waterway, the U.S. military said Monday. The warships "are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom," U.S. Central ...

Hezbollah Signals Openness to Indirect Talks with Israel

This is Beirut 04/05 12:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanon negotiations

In a notable shift in tone, Hezbollah’s Secretary General Naim Qassem signaled for the first time openness to indirect negotiations with Israel, framing diplomacy as a viable path—while firmly rejecting any form of direct talks. “We support diplomacy that stops the aggression and enforces agreements,” Qassem said in a statement on Monday, ...