Hezbollah

Senior U.S. Official to TIB: “Serious Consequences” if Lebanon Fails to Disarm Hezbollah

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, ...

Beirut Weapons Ban: Too Late to Restore State Control?

Lebanon’s government on Thursday instructed security forces to restrict weapons in Beirut exclusively to state institutions. The move came one day after Israel launched its most intense and coordinated wave of airstrikes on Lebanon since the start of the war, hitting more than 100 targets across the country. "The army and security forces are ...

Hezbollah’s War Role Challenged as Ministers Cite Legal, Constitutional Violations

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, along with Ministers Joseph Saddy, Joe Issa El Khoury, and Kamal Shehadeh submitted a legal memorandum to the Council of Ministers of Lebanon, signed on Wednesday ahead of the Cabinet meeting, calling for immediate action to restore state authority and hold accountable those responsible for involving the ...

Iran's Supreme Leader Says Does Not Seek War in Written Message

Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in his latest written message the Islamic republic did not want war with the United States and Israel, but would protect its rights as a nation, state television reported Thursday. "We did not seek war and we do not want it," he said in the message read out on state TV, weeks after his ...

Hezbollah’s Grip on Displacement Centers Threatens Civilians and Aid

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 ...

Senior U.S. Official to TIB: 'Next Week's Talks in Washington... A Critical Moment For Lebanese Government to Assert Control'

A senior U.S. official confirmed to This is Beirut that “next week’s talks in Washington will be a critical moment for the Lebanese government to assert control, take responsibility, and move toward the disarmament of Hezbollah,” refering to upcoming direct, civilian negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. The official ...

Israel, Lebanon to Hold Direct Talks, Says Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement Thursday saying he had ordered his cabinet to open direct talks with the Lebanese government while Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that proposals to include Lebanon in a regional ceasefire were gaining traction among international partners. The statements follow a general confusion ...

Lebanese Cabinet Issues Orders to Remove Non-State Weapons From Beirut

The Lebanese government decided on Thursday to ban weapons held by non-state groups in Beirut, a day after deadly Israeli strikes on the capital. “Out of concern for citizens’ safety,” the government “requests that the army and security forces immediately extend state control over the Beirut area and restrict the carrying of weapons there ...

Trump Threatens to Restart War if Iran Fails to Honor Ceasefire Terms

Donald Trump warned that the United States is prepared to resume full-scale military operations against Iran if Tehran fails to comply with what he described as a “real agreement,” casting new doubt on the durability of the recently announced ceasefire. In a late-night statement, Trump said all U.S. military assets, including ships, aircraft, ...

Netanyahu Affirms Strikes on Hezbollah as Southern Ground Incursions Continue

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel will keep hitting Iran-backed Hezbollah "wherever necessary,” the day after Israeli strikes pummelled Lebanon. "We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with force, precision, and determination," Netanyahu said on his personal X account. "Our message is clear: ...