This is Beirut

Hezbollah’s Threats to Israel: Can They Still Deliver?

Mario Chartouni, 10/07 17:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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As tensions persist in southern Lebanon, with Israel carrying out regular targeted strikes, Hezbollah maintains a firm stance toward Tel Aviv. The threats are mounting – yet they never materialize. Now, the group’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, warns that the patience of the pro-Iranian party is wearing thin. But behind the rhetoric lies a ...

From Nasser to Khamenei: The End of Resistance Politics in the Middle East

Pierre Nahas, 10/07 11:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

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For decades, the Palestinian cause served as both a rallying banner and a political tool, used by leaders from Cairo to Tehran not always to uplift Palestinians, but to build empires. Radicalism on the Palestinian issue was once a measure of legitimacy for Middle Eastern leaders. Now, something is shifting. With Arab states striking deals with ...

How Lebanon Missed Its Future While Syria Negotiates Its Own

Salam El Zaatari, 10/07 08:00 - Reading : 9 minute(s)

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I have always believed that geography makes history. But in the Middle East, history tends to repeat itself with a sectarian accent and a militia soundtrack. And this is tragically evident in Lebanon, a country that once had everything, and today, has nothing but memory and myth. While the world watches US envoy Tom Barrack shuttle between ...

Invisible at Sea: Sanctions-Evading Ghost Fleets

Chelsea Al Arif, 09/07 17:10 - Reading : less than a minute

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They are invisible yet omnipresent. Hundreds of oil tankers sail in the shadows, without insurance, without rules, off the radar… These are the ghost fleets. Script by Élie-Joe Kamel

Saudi Arabia and Iran Hold Talks After Tehran’s Truce With Israel

This is Beirut, 09/07 05:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iran's foreign minister has held talks with Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, the Saudi foreign ministry said, two weeks after a ceasefire between regional rivals Iran and Israel began. Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his country hoped the truce would contribute to regional stability, and emphasised Riyadh's position "in ...

MBS Receives Araghchi to Discuss Regional Stability and Ceasefire Efforts

This is Beirut, 08/07 23:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met on Tuesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his accompanying delegation at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). During the meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations and discussed the latest regional developments and efforts to address them. The ...

Iran President Faces Backlash Over 'Soft' US Stance

This is Beirut, 08/07 12:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian came under fire Tuesday after voicing support for renewed talks with the United States, with critics accusing him of being "too soft" in the wake of last month's attacks on the country. The backlash followed the release of an interview with US media personality Tucker Carlson, in which Pezeshkian said Iran had ...

Is Iran’s Economy on the Brink?

Christiane Tager, 07/07 17:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The war may be over in Iran, the missiles silenced — but another battle rages on: the economy. After decades under crippling sanctions, battered by soaring inflation and a plunging currency, Tehran is still holding on. But for how long? While the military front has quieted, the economic one remains on high alert. For years, the Islamic Republic ...

Netanyahu’s Washington Visit: Navigating Middle East Issues

Mario Chartouni, 07/07 16:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in Washington this Monday for his third meeting at the White House with Donald Trump in just six months. Against the backdrop of a fragile truce with Iran, ongoing conflict in Gaza, and indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Doha under Qatari mediation, this visit could significantly ...

Israel Says Apprehended Members of Iran-Backed Cell in Syria

This is Beirut, 07/07 11:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Israel's military said Monday it had apprehended members of an Iran-backed cell in southern Syria, the second such operation it has announced in the past week. Since the December overthrow of Syria's longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes primarily on military sites and carried out cross-border ground ...

The Peace Riddles Between Lebanon and Syria

Charles Chartouni, 07/07 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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The destruction of the operational platforms of Iranian subversion politics in the Near East is not yet complete, as none of the concerned countries has been able to oversee a path to stabilization. Syria, with its overwhelming reconstruction and national reconciliation assignments, has a long way to go before steadying its course. Lebanon is ...

Mass Influx of Afghans Expelled from Iran Before the July Deadline

This is Beirut, 06/07 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Afghanistan Iran Migration

Tens of thousands of Afghans streamed over the border from Iran in the days before a return deadline set for Sunday, the United Nations said, sparking an "emergency" situation at border points. In late May, Iran said undocumented Afghans must leave the country by July 6, potentially impacting four million people out of the six million ...

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