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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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, ...

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: “We Are Strangling the Regime”

This is Beirut 03/05 19:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Sunday that Washington has intensified its crackdown on all entities attempting to financially support Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He stressed that the United States is “strangling the Iranian regime” economically, claiming that Tehran is now struggling to pay its ...

'Angry Birds'-Style Video Caricaturing Hezbollah Draws Rebuke

This is Beirut 03/05 05:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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A video published by a Lebanese TV outlet caricaturing Hezbollah's leaders and fighters as characters from the "Angry Birds" mobile phone games drew a rebuke from the group, which called the clip "offensive" on Saturday. On social media, Hezbollah's supporters condemned what they considered the ridiculing of leader ...

MP Makhzoumi Backs State Sovereignty and Direct Talks with Israel

This is Beirut 02/05 19:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Nawaf Salam Lebanon Hezbollah Lebanese Army

Parliamentarian and founder of the National Dialogue Party Fouad Makhzoumi on Saturday stressed the primacy of state sovereignty and endorsed direct negotiations with Israel as key to ending the country’s current crisis, saying “the exclusive right of the state to decide on war and peace” must be upheld.  Speaking at a ...

Iran Offers New Proposal Amid Stalled U.S. Peace Talks

This is Beirut 01/05 17:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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According to Iranian state media reporting on Friday, Iran delivered a new proposal for peace talks with the U.S. via mediator Pakistan, with negotiations between the two sides frozen despite a weeks-long ceasefire. The text of the proposal was handed to Islamabad on Thursday evening, the IRNA news agency reported. The war, launched by the ...

Trump Weighs Military Options on Iran as U.S. Drafts Strike Plans and Hormuz Strategy

This is Beirut 30/04 21:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Senior U.S. military commanders will brief President Donald Trump on Thursday on potential military action against Iran, including strike scenarios and options related to the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official told Reuters. The briefing, expected at the White House, will include Central Command chief Brad Cooper, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, ...

After Islamabad

David Hale 13/04 10:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Gulf Israel Tehran United States

Whatever different people may think about the Trump Administration's approach to Iran, 21 hours of talks led by the American vice president demonstrated a seriousness of diplomatic purpose.  However, it was never likely that the wide gap between the goals of Washington and those of Tehran would be bridged in a day.  Eight American presidents ...

Iran Delegation Arrives in Pakistan Capital Ahead of U.S. Talks

This is Beirut 11/04 01:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Tehran

A delegation of top Iranian officials has arrived in Islamabad ahead of ceasefire talks with the United States in the Pakistani capital, Iranian state television reported Friday. The delegation was led by Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other security and economic officials, ...

Lebanese Should Not Despair

David Hale 07/03 21:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Ceasefire Donald Trump Hezbollah Middle East

Once again, Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah, have dragged Lebanon into a war. Once again, Hezbollah has shown that its loyalty is to its paymaster in Tehran, not to the Lebanese people or state, whose well-being and security are matters of indifference to them. Once again, Hezbollah's practice of using human shields to protect its facilities and ...

European Countries Seek Non-Involvement in Hormuz Strait as U.S. Pushes International Participation

This is Beirut 16/03 18:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron Europe Gulf White House

The U.S. has encouraged its allies in Europe and the Gulf to increase their military participation in the Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian threats to close the waterway, prompting European countries to establish positions of non-involvement. On Monday, U.S. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called on the Gulf and Europe to do more to help ...

UAE-Iran Ties Deteriorate as Tehran-Linked Hospital Ordered Shut in Dubai

This is Beirut 21/03 17:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The United Arab Emirates has ordered the closure of an Iranian state-linked hospital in Dubai, three employees at the facility told AFP, as ties between the two neighbors deteriorate and Tehran continues its aerial campaign against Gulf states. Since the United States and Israel began striking Iran on February 28, Tehran has launched waves of ...

Mossad Chief Tells Israeli Leadership Regime Change in Iran is Possible, Sources Say

This is Beirut 20/03 17:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Mossad Director David Barnea reportedly assessed in meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government prior to the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran that it could be possible to topple the Iranian regime, according to Israeli media. Citing multiple unnamed sources, Barnea outlined that if the operation achieved ...

After the War: Why Lebanon's Shia Must Be Freed from Tehran

Marwan El Amine 20/03 12:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Tehran Donald Trump Hezbollah Israel

Unlike the June 2025 conflict, the current U.S.-Israeli military campaign against the Iranian regime is poised to reshape the region, with significant consequences for Tehran’s proxies, foremost among them Hezbollah. The fates of Iran and Hezbollah have become defining questions of the regional war. Hezbollah did not hesitate to open a front ...

Syrian President Says Working to Keep Country out of Regional War

This is Beirut 20/03 10:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Friday he is working to keep his country away from conflict, against the backdrop of the Middle East war, stressing that his government is on good terms with all regional countries. In a speech delivered after the Eid al-Fitr prayer in the presidential palace in Damascus, Sharaa said: "We are calculating our ...

Shiite-Majority Region Rejects Amal, Hezbollah Aid Role

This is Beirut 19/03 13:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Amal Baalbeck Hezbollah Hermel Aid Council of the South

The Union of Associations of Baalbek-Hermel, along with several NGOs assisting displaced people, has voiced opposition to transferring displacement aid to the Council for the South, citing concerns over corruption. In a statement, the union pointed to what it described as the council’s poor track record over the past two decades, arguing that ...

Time for Lebanon to Partner with Israel Against Hezbollah

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 17/03 12:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel UN Security Council Nawaf Salam

Now that Lebanon and Israel’s interests are so clearly aligned in disarming Hezbollah, the time has come for the two states to cooperate toward this shared goal and lay the groundwork for peace. On March 2, Lebanon’s cabinet convened an emergency meeting and declared Hezbollah’s military and security activities illegal, ordered it to ...

Oil Dips Under $100, Stocks Back in Green Tracking Mideast War

This is Beirut 13/03 17:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Oil dipped under $100 Friday, but remained far above pre-Mideast war levels with no end in sight to the disruption in supplies of crude. With the conflict heading towards its third week, equity markets were back in the green, having earlier lost ground amid investor worries about an extended crisis that could fan inflation and hammer the global ...

Explaining the U.S. Troop Buildup as Trump Pushes Iran Talks

Claudia Groeling 27/03 10:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Donald Trump Middle East Tehran United States USA

Amid escalating rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump, including threats of further strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island, Washington has signaled openness to negotiations with Tehran.   While Trump has not formally indicated plans to invade Kharg Island, through which 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports flow, he has made ...