The Seven States that Will Decide the US Presidency

This is Beirut 2024-10-29 12:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA Kamala Harris Donald Trump

US Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump are hurtling toward their November 5 election showdown, one of the closest contests in modern American history. And in the handful of critical states framing the 2024 race, there is little daylight between the rivals with barely a week before Election Day. Under the US ...

War in the Middle East: Casualty Figures from Across the Region

This is Beirut 16/03 21:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Middle East

Since the United States and Israel unleashed strikes on Iran on February 28, war has spread across the Middle East, with casualties reported in countries across the region. AFP has not been able to independently verify all of the following tolls. The figures are based on numbers released by governments, militaries, health authorities and rescue ...

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 ...

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, ...

Lebanon Reclaims its Diplomacy from Hezbollah

Marwan El Amine 16/04 18:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Tehran Washington

The April 14 diplomatic meeting between Lebanon and Israel in Washington signals, however partially, a reassertion of Lebanese state authority over its own decision-making, while challenging Iranian influence in the country. Most significant is the fact that the meeting took place at all, a historic step given the ongoing war between Hezbollah and ...

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 ...

Lebanon Has Another Opportunity of a Lifetime

David Hale 20/04 10:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Lebanese Army Donald Trump Hezbollah Israel

As Lebanese, Israeli, and American teams prepare for their first-ever trilateral leaders summit, it is time to reflect on this opportunity and lessons from the past.   Most Lebanese have yearned for decades for a restoration of state sovereignty and peace. There are a host of reasons why they have been deprived of what most people around the ...

Oil Extends Gains, Stocks Sink as Peace talk Hopes Fade

This is Beirut 24/04 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Lebanon Hezbollah Israel

Oil prices extended gains Friday, and stocks struggled as investors worried about a lack of progress in ending the Middle East crisis, with Tehran keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed and the US maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports. A week that started with hopes the two sides would eventually hold peace talks was set to end on a negative note, ...

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 ...

Seoul Reports 'Explosion and Fire' on S. Korean Ship in Hormuz Strait

This is Beirut 04/05 17:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hormuz Iran SouthKorea USA Trump USIranWar

Seoul said on Monday that an "explosion and fire" had struck a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial Middle Eastern waterway effectively blocked following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. The foreign ministry said that, at around 8:40 pm in Seoul (11:40 GMT), "an explosion and fire occurred on a vessel operated by a South Korean ...

South Korea to Review Joining U.S. Hormuz Operation

This is Beirut 05/05 09:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Trump Seoul USA Iran Hormuz USIranWar

South Korea said Tuesday it will "review its position" on joining U.S. operations in the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump urged Seoul to take part following an apparent Iranian attack on one of its ships. An explosion and fire were reported on a South Korean cargo vessel on Monday in the key waterway, which has been effectively ...

Gulf Clash Threatens Hopes for Quick U.S.-Iran Deal

This is Beirut 08/05 13:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran USA Trump Hormuz Negotiations Lebanon Hezbollah USIranWar

A new clash between U.S. and Iranian forces in the Gulf dented optimism for a negotiated peace Friday, despite President Donald Trump insisting a shaky truce was still holding while the sides inch towards a deal. U.S. Central Command said Iranian forces had launched missiles, drones, and small boats at three U.S. warships overnight but that none ...

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, ...

Israeli Ministry of Defense Signs Deal to Extend Range of F-35I Adir Fleet

This is Beirut 14/05 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel

The Israeli Ministry of Defense has signed a new contract with Cyclone, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, to develop an extended-range capability for Israel’s fleet of F-35I Adir fighter jets. The agreement, valued at more than $34 million (over 100 million shekels), includes the development and integration of external fuel tanks intended to ...

Breaking the Myth of Hezbollah's Captive Constituency

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 19/05 10:35 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon Amal Baalbeck Israel

Israel’s Alma Center is wrong about Lebanon’s Shia population. In a recent article, the institute claimed that Hezbollah’s Shia constituency is a “captive audience” chained by dependency, fear, and ideology. In reality, Hezbollah’s committed ideologues are a minority, while dependency and fear can be reversed. Those dependent on ...

Iran Weighs Peace Proposal, Accuses U.S. of 'Excessive Demands'

This is Beirut 23/05 12:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran Pakistan Trump USA Israel Hezbollah Lebanon Negotiations

Tehran accused the United States of "excessive demands," Iranian media said on Saturday, as U.S. media reports raised the prospect that Washington was mulling new strikes and leaders of the Islamic republic considered the latest peace proposal. Pakistan's powerful army chief arrived in Tehran on Friday to bolster mediation, and U.S. President ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Emmanuel Macron: Lebanon Faces Grief and Fear Once Again

2024-09-20 12:58 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron shared a message of support to the Lebanese on X (formerly Twitter) after the country was hit by an unprecedented technological attack that resulted in dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries. On Thursday, September 19, Macron posted a video on his X account, reiterating the urgent need for Lebanon to elect a ...

UAE Leader Seeks to Deepen 'Strategic' Ties in US Visit

This Is Beirut 2024-09-22 11:17 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United Arab Emirates United States USA

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is due on Monday in Washington for a first official visit at a time of soaring tensions in the Middle East, seeking to highlight economic and technological cooperation. Presidential advisor Anwar Gargash said the Emiratis, who want to reorient their economy away from oil and towards new ...

Amal Boycotts Hezbollah-Backed Protests Amid Rising Tensions in Lebanon

This is Beirut 11/04 17:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Amal Nawaf Salam Lebanon Joseph Aoun

Following a wave of protests by supporters of Hezbollah throughout the week, culminating on Saturday, the Amal Movement announced it would not participate in the demonstrations and urged its supporters to boycott them. In a statement, Amal warned that insults directed at state leadership risk fueling internal unrest, stressing that political ...

Hezbollah’s Grip on Displacement Centers Threatens Civilians and Aid

Claudia Groeling 10/04 09:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanese Army Lebanon Israel Lebanese Forces

More than a million Lebanese have been displaced since Hezbollah plunged Lebanon into war with Israel, with many now seeking refuge in communal shelters draped in Iranian flags and guarded by the militant group’s fighters. Hamed Abou Zahr, head of the Aamalouna displacement center in Sidon, warned that other shelters were “openly ...

Behind the (Secret) Scenes of Lebanese Sports (17)

This Is Beirut 2024-09-23 15:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

- The president of a well-known federation and his treasurer succeeded in removing the federation's general secretary from his post. They informed a president of an individual sports federation and a sports activist of their position. The activist was not satisfied with what he heard from the two officials. - A businessman from a large club in a ...

Temporary Immunity, Ongoing Strikes: Inside the Parallel Tracks of War and Diplomacy in Iran

This is Beirut 25/03 10:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iran USA Israel Trump USIranWar

Even as the war between Iran, the United States, and Israel intensifies on the ground, reports emerging Wednesday, suggest that Washington and Tel Aviv have granted temporary targeting immunity to two senior Iranian officials, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, for the duration of the current ...

Oil Prices Climb as Fresh Strikes Target Infrastructure

This is Beirut 17/03 14:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iran OilPrices Israel USA USIranWar Asia

Oil prices surged Tuesday as Iran launched fresh attacks on crude-producing neighbors, while several countries pushed back against U.S. President Donald Trump's demand to help secure the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Prices rebounded from the previous day's sharp losses, which came after the head of the International Energy Agency said more ...

Facts About Strait of Hormuz War Blockage

This is Beirut 18/03 14:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Gulf Israel Middle East USA Iran Hormuz

Key facts and figures about the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route virtually paralyzed by the Middle East war. Around a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas pass through the waterway in peacetime. The war erupted on February 28 when the US and Israel began bombing Iran, prompting it to retaliate with ...

Israel Continues to Expand Attacks on Hezbollah-Linked Sites in Lebanon

This is Beirut 18/03 18:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Lebanon

Israel has increased its pressure on Hezbollah’s economic infrastructure in Lebanon as it broadens its attacks in southern Lebanon and the Beirut area. Following Hezbollah’s launching of its “Operation Khaybar 1” on Tuesday, launching over 60 missiles across Israel, the Israeli army has increased its focus on ...

Pro-Iran Iraqi Armed Group Says Will Stop U.S. Embassy Attacks, Under Conditions

This is Beirut 19/03 03:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Tehran Turkey USA

An influential pro-Iranian armed group in Iraq pledged early Thursday to stop attacking the US embassy for five days, subject to several conditions including that Israel stop strikes on parts of Beirut. AFP reported no drone or rocket attacks so far on the US embassy in Iraq's capital Baghdad between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The ...

Limited Passage Resumes at Gaza-Egypt Border Crossing

This is Beirut 19/03 11:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Palestine European Union Hamas Israel United States

Gaza's border crossing with Egypt reopened on Thursday for a limited number of people, Palestinian and Egyptian officials told AFP, for the first time since Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran. An Egyptian Red Crescent official, speaking anonymously to AFP, said the Rafah crossing had reopened in both directions to allow a ...