The Maghreb: The Muslim Brotherhood and the Challenge of Power

Marie de La Roche Saint-André 2025-11-12 10:55 - Reading : 9 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Covid-19 Hamas Middle East Turkey

As the Arab Spring unfolded, several political movements inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood sought to rise to power across the Maghreb. In Tunisia, it was Ennahda; in Morocco, the Justice and Development Party (PJD); and in Algeria, the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP). The period proved favorable to the Muslim Brotherhood and its ideology, ...

Sharaa in Washington: A Turning Point for Syria

Seth J. Frantzman 2025-11-12 16:00 - Reading : 8 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Syria Washington United States Donald Trump Ahmad al-Sharaa

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited the White House on Monday for a historic meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump that capped a year in which Damascus has rapidly come in from the cold and reintegrated into the international community. Sharaa has helped steer Syria through this complex path, beginning with pushing the Assad regime out of ...

Hezbollah, Iran and Israel with Brian Katulis

Tylia El Helou 2025-11-12 22:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Nawaf Salam Lebanon United States Iran Hezbollah Lebanese Armed Forces

On this week’s episode of This is America, we cover Ahmad Al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House and the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.  We also feature an exclusive interview with Brian Katulis, who shares his insights on the disarming of Hezbollah and the prospects for peace in the region.

Ten Years After Paris Attacks, Jihadist Threat Has Evolved

This is Beirut 2025-11-13 09:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Europe Paris Islamic State Attacks

A decade on from deadly attacks in Paris, the world's two most notorious jihadist groups Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda have significantly evolved and their branches still pose a global security threat, especially from Africa, analysts say. With strong central leadership, the groups were once able to train and then send commandos into Europe ...

Defense and Israel at the Heart of MBS’s Washington Visit

This is Beirut 2025-11-16 14:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel Washington Donald Trump Bahrain Saudi Arabia USA

The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), is expected in Washington on Tuesday November 18 for a meeting with United States President Donald Trump. The visit is seen as crucial for the US administration and is meant to revive and broaden the Abraham Accords while strengthening strategic and economic ties between Washington and ...

Syria to Help US Fight Iran-Backed Armed Groups, Envoy Says

This is Beirut 2025-11-13 11:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA Damascus Hamas Hezbollah Iran

Syria will play an active role in assisting the United States in fighting armed groups including Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Hamas and Hezbollah, US special envoy Tom Barrack said on Thursday. Islamist interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, himself a former jihadist, became the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since his country's ...

The LAP Turns Back Time: Lebanon’s First International Stamp Exhibition

Makram Haddad 2025-11-14 11:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Exhibition Stamps

A Century of Stamps, a Memory on Gummed Paper The Lebanese postage stamp appeared for the first time in 1924–1925, with the issue of a series featuring the eternal cedar of Lebanon, but inscribed with the words “Grand Liban” (“Greater Lebanon”). Until 1918, the year the Ottoman armies withdrew, the territory used Ottoman stamps or ...

Jeita Grotto: The Hidden Truth the State Refuses to See

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-11-14 16:05 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Instead of properly closing a case that should never have existed, the report published on November 13 about the Jeita Grotto incident only deepens the concern, revealing a far more troubling reality. Institutional and scientific oversight is disturbingly lax. Procedures are improvised, responsibilities evaporate, decisions are made without a ...

YouTube Star MrBeast Brings 'Beast Land' to Riyadh Season Festival

This is Beirut 2025-11-14 17:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

YouTuber Superstar MrBeast Entertainment Saudi Culture

MrBeast, the world's most followed YouTuber with over 450 million subscribers, opened a temporary amusement park in Riyadh on Thursday, the latest celebrity drawn to Saudi Arabia as it aspires to become a major entertainment hub. Eager for a chance to meet the social media star, families and teenagers gathered at "Beast Land," a venue featuring ...

Money Laundering: BDL Introduces Next-Generation KYC

Liliane Mokbel 2025-11-14 18:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Central Bank of Lebanon Lebanon Hezbollah US Treasury economy money laundering

On November 14, 2025, BDL issued Decision No. 13769, Circular No. 3, introducing a new “Know Your Customer” (KYC) form for all cash, foreign exchange, and money transfer transactions of $1,000 or more, and their equivalent. The measure applies to all non-banking financial institutions under BDL’s supervision, including financial companies, ...

Washington's New Ambassador, Michel Issa, Lands in Lebanon... Who is He?

This is Beirut 2025-11-14 20:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Donald Trump Banks United States Michel Issa Ambassador

The new United States ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, landed in Beirut on Friday to begin a particularly delicate mission. His arrival comes at a time when Washington is seeking to redefine the scope of its engagement in a country caught in a deep institutional crisis, latent tensions in the south, and growing international pressure over ...

Saudi Prince, Eyeing Defence Pledge, to Meet Trump After Long US Absence

This is Beirut 2025-11-15 12:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Bahrain Gulf Hamas Israel Saudi Arabia

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will press for security guarantees while US President Donald Trump will urge him to normalise ties with Israel when the de facto Saudi ruler breaks a seven-year absence from Washington this week. Saudi Arabia is unlikely to agree to normalisation at this stage, with Prince Mohammed's priority set for firmer US ...

US Museums Reopen as Tourists Celebrate Washington’s Cultural Revival

This is Beirut 2025-11-15 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Museum Culture Art US Washington

Nick Adams couldn't help but smile as he showed his son the planes hanging in Washington's Air and Space Museum, which reopened Friday after a month closed due to the US government shutdown. "We had been planning this trip for a little while and were nervous with everything shut down, but were excited to see everything open up again," said the ...

'Michael' Sparks Jackson Fever Ahead of Release

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-11-15 19:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Michael Jackson Michael Biopic Movie Culture Music

At dawn on November 7, the numbers made headlines. Less than 24 hours after its release, the trailer for the biopic Michael had already racked up 116 million views worldwide. The figure is more than a digital milestone. It underscores Michael Jackson’s enduring presence in popular memory, fifteen years after his death, and places the King of Pop ...

Ambassador Issa Commends Lebanon’s Progress Toward Peaceful Regional Engagement

This is Beirut 2025-12-04 14:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Pope Francis United States Washington

The United States’ Ambassador to Lebanon, Michael Issa, issued a statement Thursday praising Lebanon and Israel for opening a channel of dialogue at a sensitive moment, signaling “a sincere willingness to pursue peaceful, responsible solutions grounded in good faith.” Ambassador Issa emphasized that durable progress can only be achieved ...

Families of Beirut Blast Victims Pressure Authorities After Pope’s Visit

Hala Abdallah 2025-12-04 20:35 - Reading : less than a minute

Beirut Port explosion victims justice

Beirut blast families held their monthly gathering on Thursday, renewing calls for action from the authorities. They said that Pope Leo XIV’s visit serves as a powerful reminder that the case cannot be forgotten.

Egypt Unveils Grand Egyptian Museum Near Ancient Pyramids

This is Beirut 2025-11-02 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Egypt Museum Culture Art Giza Egyptian museum

Egypt officially opened on Saturday the Grand Egyptian Museum, a long-awaited, billion-dollar showcase of pharaonic grandeur that Cairo hopes will revive tourism and boost its battered economy. "Today, as we celebrate together the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, we are writing a new chapter in the history of the present and the future," ...

Lebanese President Calls for Truce While Receiving French Foreign Minister

This is Beirut 19/03 20:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Emmanuel Macron Lebanon Hezbollah Israel

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday renewed his call for a truce and the opening of negotiations with Israel to stop the war between it and Hezbollah, during a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. Lebanon was brought into the regional war on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israel in response to the killing of ...

Iran Missile Fire Sparks Explosions over Tel Aviv

This is Beirut 06/03 01:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Iran Missiles Strikes

The latest round of Iranian missile fire caused explosions across Tel Aviv and damage in central Israel on Thursday, but there were no reported casualties and residents have been cleared to leave shelters. Iran's state broadcaster reported that Tehran had fired missiles "against targets in the heart of Tel Aviv," after Israel's ...

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 ...

Iran War Sends Oil Price Soaring

This is Beirut 09/03 14:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron Benjamin Netanyahu USA Lebanon

Global energy markets surged Monday as the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel entered its tenth day, pushing oil prices above $100 per barrel and triggering sharp declines in global equity markets amid fears of supply disruptions across the Middle East. The spike in prices came as Iran marked the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba ...

Israel Renews Beirut Strikes as Netanyahu Vows Hard Line on Hezbollah

This is Beirut 13/03 09:05 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Hezbollah Israel Nawaf Salam Lebanon

Israel renewed its strikes on Beirut on Thursday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning that if the Lebanese government did not disarm Hezbollah, Israel would do the job "on the ground". "You are playing with fire," Benjamin Netanyahu said to Lebanese authorities during a press conference, as Israeli jets carried out three strikes on ...

Israel Cuts Bridge Over Litani River

This is Beirut 13/03 12:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanon Hezbollah Middle East

Israel expanded its strikes in Lebanon on Friday, targeting multiple areas including a bridge over the Litani river that it said Hezbollah had been using as a passageway for its fighters. The raids came after Israel threatened to also carry out a ground operation to disarm Hezbollah if the Lebanese government does not do so. The Lebanon-based ...

Israel Strikes North Beirut Suburb, South Lebanon

This is Beirut 14/03 10:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel South Lebanon United Nations Hezbollah

An Israeli strike hit an apartment building in Al-Nabaa, a northern Beirut suburb that had been targeted a day earlier, Lebanese state media said on Saturday, also reporting strikes in the country's south. An overnight Israeli strike killed a dozen medical staff at a clinic in south Lebanon, health authorities said earlier Saturday, after ...

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 ...

Ali Larijani, Iran’s strategic mastermind and de Facto Ruler

This is Beirut 17/03 12:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Tehran United States Ali Larijani Iran

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Tuesday that the Israeli army had killed Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in an airstrike in Tehran as part of its operation against Iran. Larijani’s death comes amid an open war following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in late February—an event that ...

Pakistan Hosts Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt for Talks on Mideast War

This is Beirut 29/03 19:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Turkey Donald Trump Gulf Israel Middle East

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey on Sunday held talks about trying to end the war in the Middle East, as Islamabad acts as a go-between between the United States and Iran. The four-way meeting between the top diplomats of the Muslim nations lasted several hours in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Pakistan has emerged as a key facilitator ...

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 ...

Israel Strikes Tehran as Trump Says Iran Deal May be Reached 'Soon'

This is Beirut 30/03 09:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Israel Tehran United Nations USA

Israel said Monday it was striking military targets across Tehran, a day after US President Donald Trump insisted a deal could "soon" be reached, while not ruling out ground operations. Iran also launched fresh strikes on Israel, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia after its electrical facilities came under attack at the weekend, cutting power to parts of ...

On the Streets of Tehran: Teenagers Armed With Machine Guns

This is Beirut 01/04 14:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran USA Israel Teheran USIranWar HumanRights

In the security crackdown ordered by Iranian authorities since the start of the war, an unsettling new sight on the streets of Tehran has put residents on edge: teenagers armed with machine guns. During the first weeks of the war against the United States and Israel, checkpoints sprang up around the capital, often comprising police or military ...