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Rubio: Lebanese State Must Be Empowered to Confront Hezbollah

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered sharp remarks from Rome on Friday, accusing Hezbollah of acting as an Iranian proxy and stressing that Washington’s priority is strengthening the Lebanese state rather than engaging with the group.  Rubio said Washington will not negotiate with Hezbollah, describing the group as “an Iranian ...

Saudi Bases Open to U.S. Despite Hormuz Operation Disagreement

U.S. forces have access to Saudi airspace and bases despite being told not to use them for the now suspended operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, two Saudi sources told AFP on Friday. Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a pause in the two-day-old "Project Freedom" to guide ships through the Strait after a flare-up with ...

Iranian Attacks on UAE Continue Amid Hormuz Crisis

The United Arab Emirates said Friday that Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting the country injured three people, marking another serious escalation despite the ceasefire that took effect last month between Iran, the United States, and Israel. In a statement posted on X, the UAE Ministry of Defense said its air defense systems intercepted ...

Iran Creates Agency to Collect Strait of Hormuz Tolls: Shipping Journal

Iran has created an authority to approve transit through the Strait of Hormuz and to collect tolls from vessels, a shipping journal said Friday, even as Washington pushed for a deal to reopen the strategic waterway that Tehran has closed. "The Persian Gulf Strait Authority has already introduced a new framework requiring ships to obtain transit ...

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

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 ...

U.S. Awaits Iran Response to Latest Deal Offer

The United States was waiting on Thursday for Iran to respond to its latest proposed deal to end the war in the Middle East and to reopen the key shipping lane out of the Gulf. Oil prices tumbled five percent after U.S. President Donald Trump said once again that an agreement could be near after positive talks and Iran said it would pass on its ...

U.S. Sanctions Iraqi Oil Officials and Iran-Linked Militias in Major Crackdown

The United States Treasury Department announced sweeping new sanctions targeting Iraqi oil officials and Iran-backed militias accused of exploiting Iraq’s oil sector to finance armed groups aligned with Tehran. At the center of the measures is Ali Maarij Al-Bahadly, Iraq’s Deputy Minister of Oil. In the press release, the department accuses ...

Hezbollah Radwan Commander Killed Amid Widening Israeli Military Operations

The Israeli military said on Thursday that it has significantly expanded operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire began on April 16, claiming it has killed more than 220 operatives and commanders during ongoing strikes and ground activity in the area. According to the Israeli army, the campaign targets individuals and ...

Majd Harb Calls for Reform of Lebanon’s Boycott Law with Israel

Lebanese attorney and political activist Majd Harb announced on Thursday that he is preparing two draft laws aimed at amending Lebanon’s legislation related to “collaboration with Israel,” saying he intends to present the proposals to supportive MPs and parliamentary blocs following the conference. Harb said the first proposal seeks to ...

Senior Hezbollah Commander Killed in Israeli Strikes in Beirut Suburbs: Source Close to Group

A senior commander from Hezbollah's elite force was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday, the first on the area in nearly a month, a source close to the group said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military had targeted "the commander of Hezbollah's Radwan force". The source close to Hezbollah ...

U.S. Says Warplane Disabled Ship that Tried to Break Iran Port Blockade

A U.S. Navy warplane fired on and disabled the rudder of an oil tanker that tried to break Washington's blockade of Iranian ports, the U.S. military said on Wednesday. It is the second time the U.S. military has fired on a ship it said was attempting to violate the blockade, which has been in place since April 13. U.S. forces warned the ...

Israel Strikes Beirut’s Southern Suburbs for First Time Since Ceasefire

Israel carried out a strike Wednesday night on Beirut’s southern suburbs, marking the first attack on the Dahiyeh since the ceasefire that came into effect on April 17 and was later extended under U.S.-backed mediation efforts. The strike targeted a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, according to a joint statement issued by ...

How Hezbollah's Coordination Unit Continues to Influence Lebanese Security

The Lebanese Armed Forces’ (LAF) recent raids in a southern suburb of Beirut to apprehend gunmen were coordinated with Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit, a security source told This Is Beirut, highlighting the unit’s continuing influence over security measures in Lebanon. In a tense standoff Sunday, Hezbollah supporters blocked ...

Beirut to Further Develop Plan for State Control of All Weapons, Says PM Salam

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced Wednesday that Beirut will “review and further develop” its plan to place all weapons under state control.  The remarks came as Salam also confirmed on Wednesday that the tender process for the long-delayed René Moawad Airport project in Qlayaat, northern Lebanon, will ...

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

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 ...

Crude Falls for Second Day as Trump Signals Possible Iran Deal

Oil prices fell for a second straight session on Wednesday as easing geopolitical tensions and renewed hopes for a U.S.-Iran agreement raised expectations that constrained Middle East supply could soon return to global markets.  Brent crude futures dropped $1.69, or 1.5%, to $108.18 a barrel as of 06:40 GMT, after falling 4% in the previous ...

Trump Says Pausing Hormuz Operation in Push for Iran Deal

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 ...

Syria Announces Dismantling of New Hezbollah-Linked Cell

The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday the dismantling of a cell linked to Hezbollah that was allegedly preparing the assassination of government officials, while the pro-Iran Lebanese movement denounced what it called repeated “baseless accusations.” In a statement, the ministry said Syrian security forces had foiled “a ...

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

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 ...

Israeli FM: Israel Seeks Normalization with Lebanon

At a joint press conference on Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel intends to pursue a diplomatic track with Beirut, stating, “We will work with the Lebanese government toward a path of peace and normalization.” He also underscored Israel’s security priorities in the north, stating, “We are ...

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

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 ...

UN Chief Urges Iran to Provide Medical Care to Nobel Laureate Amid Abuse Reports

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called on Iran to ensure urgent medical care for imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, amid mounting reports of severe health deterioration and alleged abuse in custody. Guterres expressed concern over Mohammadi’s condition, urging Iranian authorities to guarantee she receives ...

Lebanese Army Arrests Suspects in Beirut's Southern Suburbs After Gunfire at Funeral

The Lebanese Armed Forces carried out arrests in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday, a stronghold of Hezbollah, detaining several individuals accused of opening fire during a funeral procession on Sunday. In a statement, the army said its units raided the homes of those involved in the gunfire, arresting two individuals in the southern ...

South Korea to Review Joining U.S. Hormuz Operation

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 ...

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

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

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 ...

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

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 ...