Trump: U.S. has 'Nothing Left to Target' in Iran

This is Beirut 11/03 16:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Israel Middle East Tehran USA Iran USIranWar

Conflicting signals emerged Wednesday over the trajectory of the war between Iran and the U.S.-Israeli alliance, as leaders in Washington, Tehran, and Tel Aviv offered different assessments of how long the conflict could last. U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the campaign could end soon, saying American forces have largely exhausted their ...

When the State Decides but Cannot Enforce

Marwan El Amin 09/03 12:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanese Army Lebanon Hezbollah Israel

After Hezbollah once again turned Lebanon into a battlefield at the behest of the Iranian regime, all eyes turned to see whether the Lebanese state could undertake tangible measures to counter this existential risk. Hours after Hezbollah lobbed rockets into Israel on March 2, the Lebanese government convened an emergency meeting at the ...

Why Lebanon–Israel Diplomacy Remains Frozen

Ralph Atrach 02/04 12:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Lebanese Army Hezbollah Washington

As the U.S. signals readiness for a negotiated settlement to the regional war with Iran, a key question is resurfacing: could a broader diplomatic reset in the region revive the prospect of talks between Lebanon and Israel? Since Hezbollah plunged Lebanon into war with Israel on March 2, Beirut has reiterated its willingness to enter direct talks ...

Trump Says Decision to End Iran War Will Be “Mutual” With Netanyahu

This is Beirut 09/03 10:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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U.S. President Donald Trump said the decision on when to end the ongoing war with Iran will ultimately be made in coordination with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while emphasizing that the final call will rest with the United States. In a phone interview with The Times of Israel published Sunday, Trump described the decision-making ...

Karoline Leavitt to TIB: Operation Epic Fury Expected to Last Four to Six Weeks

This is Beirut 06/03 22:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Hezbollah United States Washington White House

The United States is on track to meet its objectives in Operation Epic Fury, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told This Is Beirut and other reporters on Friday, as Washington continues efforts to weaken Iranian military capabilities following recent esclation. Speaking to reporters, Leavitt emphasized that she would not get ahead ...

Strikes Hit Iranian Kurdish Groups in Iraq

This is Beirut 05/03 20:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Iraq Kurds Iran Strikes

Fresh strikes on Thursday hit Iranian Kurdish opposition group targets in northern Iraq, officials from two exiled groups told AFP. Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdish region hosts camps and rear-bases operated by several Iranian Kurdish rebel groups, which Iran has struck repeatedly since the start of the war in the Middle East. "Two ...

Lebanese Cabinet to Index IRGC Members Ahead of Deportation

This is Beirut 05/03 14:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Nawaf Salam Paul Morcos Council of Ministers Iran IRGC

Following a session held Thursday, the Council of Ministers committed to verifying the presence of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members in Lebanon, with a view to their ultimate expulsion, according to the Information Minister Dr. Paul Morcos. The step, the Cabinet said, aims to safeguard national security, assert state ...

Qassem: ‘As Long as Occupation Exists, Resistance and its Weapons Retain a Legitimate Right’

This is Beirut 04/03 22:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Naim Qassem Hezbollah Israel Lebanon United States Strikes

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem delivered televised remarks amid Israeli strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Qassem’s speech marked his first appearance since Hezbollah opened fire on Israel on Monday morning. He spoke on issues including the ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes in the region, the internal displacement of ...

U.S. Claims Air and Maritime Dominance Over Iran as War Intensifies

This is Beirut 04/03 15:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The United States said it has established full control of Iranian airspace and key maritime corridors, as Washington signals a major expansion of its military campaign against Iran. Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, the U.S. Secretary of Defense said American forces now have “complete control over Iranian airspace” and are ...

The Moment of Decision: Will Lebanon Choose Peace?

Marwan El Amine 04/03 09:50 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Nawaf Salam Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun

The return of war to Lebanon was neither sudden nor unexpected. On the contrary, it appeared almost inevitable, a consequence of Hezbollah’s rigidity and denial on one hand, and the Lebanese state’s hesitation and accommodation on the other. It followed the trajectory of the political and security developments since the ceasefire that ended ...

Beirut Port Explosion Investigation Concludes

This is Beirut 30/03 13:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Beirut Port Hezbollah Lebanon

Judge Tarek Bitar, the judicial investigator in the Beirut port explosion case, has concluded his investigations and referred the entire file to Deputy Public Prosecutor General Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar for review, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported on Monday. The refered defendants, all of whom have been questioned since early 2025, ...

Inside the High-Risk U.S.-CIA Operation to Rescue a Downed Airman in Iran

This is Beirut 06/04 10:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Israel United States Washington White House

The United States carried out a high-risk, coordinated operation involving both the U.S. military and the Central Intelligence Agency to rescue a missing crew member of a fighter jet shot down over Iran. The mission, described as both dramatic and politically sensitive, successfully brought the serviceman home, marking the end of a tense episode ...

Drone Strikes Blamed on Iran Hit Iranian Kurdish Camp in Iraq: Official, Exiled Group

This is Beirut 03/03 09:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Drone stikes blamed on Iran hit on Tuesday a camp hosting Iranian Kurdish fighters and family members in northern Iraq, a local official and an exiled opposition group said. Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdish region hosts camps and rear-bases operated by several Iranian Kurdish rebel groups, which have repeatedly faced cross-border strikes ...

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

This is Beirut 18/04 10:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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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 ...

Ancient Greek Artifacts: Athenian Vase's Historic Journey

2023-12-09 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Acropolis Museum Athenian Vase

This week, the Acropolis Museum in Athens commenced the display of a remarkable Greek vase, hitherto housed in the British Museum for a quarter of a millennium. This venerable artifact, dating back 2,500 years, is part of a rare loan arrangement. On Tuesday December 5, organizers of the exhibit unveiled this historic piece. Nikolaos Stampolidis, ...

Lebanese PM Pushes Border Crackdown and Security Coordination During Damascus Visit

This is Beirut 09/05 17:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Syria Smuggling Economy Cooperation Hezbollah

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam concluded his visit to Damascus on Saturday by emphasizing tighter border controls, anti-smuggling efforts, and expanded Lebanese-Syrian security coordination, signaling a shift in Beirut’s approach toward Syria amid growing pressure over Hezbollah-linked activity along the border. Speaking at the end of ...

Why Iran’s Influence in Lebanon Persists Despite Hezbollah’s Losses

Marwan El Amine 04/05 11:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army Tehran

Israel’s military blows to Hezbollah and its seizure of a strip of territory in southern Lebanon have not changed Tehran’s strategic calculus. The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to regard its influence in Lebanon as a strategic priority, despite the scale of casualties among Lebanon’s Shia population, the waves of displacement, and the ...

Bound to Tehran: How Hezbollah Is Unraveling Lebanon's Ceasefire

Samar El-Kadi 01/05 12:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Ceasefire UN Security Council AUB Hezbollah

The ceasefire in Lebanon remains fragile amid the state’s inability to fully assert control on the ground. Hezbollah is continuing its military operations, while Israeli retaliation for the group’s attacks keeps Lebanon caught in a cycle of escalation with no clear end in sight. The Lebanon-Israel truce announced by the U.S. on April ...

Rubio: Strong Lebanese Army Key to Disarming Hezbollah

This is Beirut 28/04 03:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanese Army Lebanon Israel US Secretary of State

In a Fox News interview on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel and Lebanon both sides ultimately “seek peace,” with the long-term solution centered on empowering the Lebanese Armed Forces to “go after and disarm and dismantle Hezbollah.” He described the situation as “a very ...

Beyond Mediation: How Washington Is Recasting Lebanon–Israel Negotiations

Jeremy Brecher 22/04 21:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

United States Lebanon Israel Negotiations Trump

The U.S. is set to mediate a second round of direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials on Thursday as part of the first such series of direct negotiations between the two sides since 1993. These diplomatic engagements come nearly a year and a half after the previous Lebanon-Israel ceasefire framework. In November 2024 under the Biden ...

From War To Business Suits: What Peace with Israel Could Mean for Lebanon's Economy

Ralph Atrach 17/04 23:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Nawaf Salam Gulf Hezbollah

As Lebanese and Israeli officials met face to face in Washington for the first time in decades, the war with Hezbollah dominated headlines, but the prospect of future economic ties between Jerusalem and Beirut came into view. Following the meeting, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter brought up the potential windfalls of peace. “The ...

Decapitation of Iranian Military and Intelligence Leadership: Timeline and Structure

Ralph Atrach 06/04 23:40 - Reading : 8 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Middle East Tehran

Since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran on February 28, a series of coordinated strikes by both countries has dramatically reshaped Iran’s military and political command structure. The U.S.-led Operation Epic Fury and Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion have systematically targeted senior Iranian officials, top advisors, ...

Hundreds Return South After Ceasefire Despite Lebanese-Israeli Warnings

This is Beirut 17/04 10:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Ceasefire

Early reactions to the ceasefire in Lebanon were chaotic, with celebrations in the capital and a large number returning to the south over the Litani river, despite Israeli and Lebanese warnings to the contrary. After fragile ceasefire took effect at midnight April 16-17, celebratory small arms and RPG fire was reported throughout the southern ...

What Went Wrong for the Shia

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 15/04 10:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Gulf Hezbollah Israel Turkey

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 ...

Rubio Calls Israel-Lebanon Talks a 'Historic Opportunity' for Lasting Peace

This is Beirut 14/04 18:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Hezbollah United States US Secretary of State

At the opening of direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese Ambassadors at the U.S. State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the negotiations as a pivotal moment that could ensure stability and peace for residents of Lebanon and Israel.  “We are very honored to be joined by partners with whom the United States seeks strong ...

Netanyahu Conditions Talks on 'Real Peace Agreement' With Lebanon

This is Beirut 11/04 23:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Benjamin Netanyahu Iran

In a statement to the press on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s military campaign has reshaped the regional landscape, revealing that Beirut had approached Israel in recent weeks to pursue direct negotiations, something he described as unprecedented. He confirmed approving the talks but set clear conditions, ...

Senior U.S. Official to TIB: “Serious Consequences” if Lebanon Fails to Disarm Hezbollah

This is Beirut 10/04 20:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Tehran United States

A senior U.S. official told This is Beirut that Washington has urged Israel to move toward a diplomatic track with Lebanon, adding that Israel has agreed and discussions could be convened as early as next week. The official said the United States expects the Lebanese government to take concrete steps to address and ultimately disarm Hezbollah, ...

U.S.-Iran Truce Hangs in Balance as War Flares in Lebanon

This is Beirut 09/04 01:40 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Bahrain Gulf

The fragile two-week truce between Iran and the United States was hanging in the balance on Wednesday, with Tehran threatening to resume hostilities as Israel launched a major bombardment of Lebanon. Washington and Tehran both claimed victory after agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and negotiations aimed at ending a war that has killed thousands ...

Hezbollah Emerged from Iran’s Revolution, Not “Resistance” to Israel

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 07/04 11:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army Lebanon Amal

A false claim, now common in Western media and academia, portrays Hezbollah as having emerged in response to Israel’s 1982 invasion and subsequent occupation of Lebanon. In reality, Hezbollah arose in the wake of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution as part of an effort to establish an Islamic state in a Lebanon fractured by warring militias. Since ...

Has Iran Been Militarily Exposed?

Natasha Metni Torbey 03/03 12:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Gulf Middle East Iran US Israel regional war

More than 2,000 bombs dropped in just thirty hours. That is the estimate cited by several Israeli and American security sources to illustrate the scale of the opening wave of strikes against Iran — a level of firepower rarely directed at a country of 88 million people and home to the Middle East’s largest ballistic missile arsenal. In less ...