This is Beirut

Yemen Declares State of Emergency as Separatist Conflict Flares

This is Beirut, 2025-12-30 10:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United Arab Emirates Gulf Houthi Saudi Arabia Yemen

The leader of Yemen's presidential council declared a state of emergency and cancelled a security pact with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday after Abu Dhabi-backed separatists seized swathes of territory. "The Joint Defence Agreement with the United Arab Emirates is hereby cancelled," a statement said, while a separate decree announced a ...

Iran Guards Warn US Vessels During Drill in Gulf

This is Beirut, 2025-12-04 16:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Gulf USA Israel Tehran United States

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps on Thursday kicked off naval wargames in the Gulf, issuing warnings to US warships in the area, more than five months after the 12-day war with Israel that briefly drew in American forces. State TV said the drill showcases the "sacrifice and spirit of resistance" of the IRGC's naval forces ...

Iraq Reverses Hezbollah, Houthi Asset Freeze, Calls It ‘Mistake'

This is Beirut, 2025-12-04 11:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iraq's central bank on Thursday said the appearance of Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis on a frozen assets list was a mistake, and ordered the correction of the official announcement, according to a document seen by AFP. An official gazette issue dated November 17 published a decision about Iraq freezing the assets of ...

Trump and MBS Seal Major Economic and Military Partnerships

This is Beirut, 2025-11-18 18:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Donald Trump received Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on Tuesday with full protocol honors, marking his first visit to Washington since 2018. The U.S. president and the de facto leader of the Saudi kingdom made multiple announcements during a joint press conference, covering massive investments, the sale of advanced weaponry, and ...

Red Carpet and Big Deals: Trump Welcomes MBS to Washington

This is Beirut, 2025-11-18 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Gulf Israel Middle East Palestine MBS

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will receive a lavish welcome from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, signing defense and nuclear deals during his first visit to the United States since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump is expected to roll out the red carpet for the prince with a fly-by, cannon fire, and a gala dinner ...

Saudi Arabia-Lebanon: A Major Trade Thaw Begins

Liliane Mokbel, 2025-11-17 20:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Signs of warning relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia are becoming increasingly evident. Many see it as long overdue for Lebanon to reclaim its place within its natural sphere: the Arab world. On Monday, Prince Yazid bin Farhan, advisor to the Saudi Foreign Minister, visited Beirut with a technical delegation. The visit aimed to explore ...

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

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

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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 ...

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the Emirates: The Anti–Muslim Brotherhood Crusade

Malo Pinatel, 2025-11-12 10:55 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia Europe Gulf Turkey United Arab Emirates

Among the major ideological fault lines in the Arab world, few are as decisive as the one between conservative authoritarian and self-proclaimed “secular” regimes and the Muslim Brotherhood. Today, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates form the core of a determined anti-Islamist front, seeking to neutralize the Brotherhood’s ...

Turkey and Qatar: Key Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood?

Marie de La Roche Saint-André, 2025-11-12 10:55 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

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The outbreak of the Arab Spring in many Middle Eastern countries gave the Muslim Brotherhood a major opportunity to assert itself within newly emerging governments, most notably in Egypt and Tunisia. Behind this rise, Qatar and Turkey were accused by critics of actively supporting and promoting the movement through financial backing, diplomatic ...

From Cairo to the World: The Global Rise of the Muslim Brotherhood

Malo Pinatel, 2025-11-12 10:55 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Europe Gulf Hamas Middle East

Founded in 1928 in Ismailia by Hassan al-Banna, the Muslim Brotherhood swiftly expanded beyond Egypt’s borders to become a major transnational force across the Arab and Muslim world. Its reach was enabled by exile networks, grassroots activism, and a doctrine flexible enough to adapt to diverse political and cultural contexts. From its ...

Syria and Israel in Direct Talks, Sharaa Says Damascus Ready for ‘New Chapter’ With U.S.

This is Beirut, 2025-11-12 09:00 - Reading : 8 minute(s)

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Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa confirmed that Syria and Israel have begun direct negotiations for the first time in half a century, signaling a major diplomatic shift in the Middle East as Damascus also seeks to rebuild relations with the United States after decades of hostility. In an interview with The Washington Post after his meeting with ...

Cutting Off Hezbollah’s Iranian Lifeline

Liliane Mokbel, 2025-11-10 16:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Beirut International Airport Banque du Liban Central Bank of Lebanon Gulf

The time has come to deprive Hezbollah of its footing and halt its systematic effort to dismantle what remains of the Lebanese state. John Hurley, the Under Secretary of the U.S. Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated last week that there is now a favorable opening in Lebanon to disrupt Iranian funding to Hezbollah and exert ...

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