This is Beirut

Iraq PM Vows Monopoly on Arms as Parliament Approves Government

This is Beirut, 15/05 11:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Iraqi lawmakers approved a new government on Thursday led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who vowed to ensure a state monopoly on weapons amid growing US pressure to dismantle Tehran-backed groups. Iraq has long walked a tightrope between the competing influences of its allies, neighboring Iran and the United States. Iraq's parliament voted ...

Iran Says Has 'Right to Respond' After Kuwait Arrests Four Citizens

This is Beirut, 13/05 21:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iran's foreign minister said Wednesday that Tehran had the right to respond after he accused Kuwait of attacking an Iranian boat and arresting four of its citizens in the Gulf, calling for their release. "In a clear attempt to sow discord, Kuwait has unlawfully attacked an Iranian boat and detained 4 of our citizens in the Persian Gulf. This ...

U.S. Expands Pressure on Iran as Warplanes Patrol Over Hormuz

This is Beirut, 13/05 20:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The United States military announced Wednesday that it has intensified enforcement of its naval blockade on Iran, saying American forces have redirected dozens of commercial vessels and continue military patrols near the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said 67 commercial ships attempting to enter or leave ...

Beirut Lodges Unprecedented U.N. Complaint Against Tehran

This is Beirut, 13/05 16:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Lebanon has lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations against Iran in what has been described as an unprecedented diplomatic step, according to Independent Arabia. Beirut accuses Tehran of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs, and drawing the country into a destructive war ...

Iran Releases Prize-Winning Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh

This is Beirut, 13/05 16:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iranian authorities on Wednesday released on bail the prize-winning rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh following her latest arrest last month, her daughter said. Sotoudeh was arrested at her home on April 1 as part of what activists say is a crackdown on civil society during Iran's war with Israel and the United States. "Mum was temporarily released ...

Reports Point to Expanding Israeli-UAE Security Coordination During Iran Conflict

This is Beirut, 13/05 15:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Cooperation between Israel and the United Arab Emirates reportedly deepened during the recent conflict involving Iran, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg detailing high-level intelligence coordination and joint security measures between the two countries. According to The Wall Street Journal, David Barnea, the head of ...

Israel Sent Iron Dome Batteries, Personnel to UAE: U.S. Ambassador to Israel

This is Beirut, 12/05 14:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Israel sent Iron Dome air defense batteries and personnel to operate them in the United Arab Emirates during the war with Iran, the U.S. ambassador to Israel said on Tuesday. "Can I say a word of appreciation, deep appreciation and admiration, for the United Arab Emirates?" Mike Huckabee said during a conference at Tel Aviv University. "They ...

Oil Prices Jump, Stocks Retreat on U.S.-Iran Deadlock

This is Beirut, 12/05 14:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Oil prices rallied and stock markets fell Tuesday as investors braced for further volatility after talks appeared to stall on ending the war in the Middle East and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to tanker and cargo ship traffic. Iran's chief negotiator said Tuesday that Washington must accept Tehran's latest peace plan or face failure after U.S. ...

Kuwait and Bahrain Announce New Cases Linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards

This is Beirut, 12/05 13:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Kuwaiti authorities announced Tuesday the arrest of four suspected infiltrators allegedly linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accusing them of attempting to enter the country by sea to carry out “hostile acts” against the Gulf state. According to Kuwait’s Interior Ministry, the suspects admitted ...

U.S. Deploys Nuclear Submarine as Trump Considers Return to Iran Escalation

This is Beirut, 12/05 11:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The U.S. Navy confirmed Tuesday that an Ohio-class nuclear submarine had reached a British naval port near the entrance of the Mediterranean, in a rare public disclosure involving one of Washington’s most sensitive strategic military assets. The U.S. Sixth Fleet said the deployment demonstrates America’s “capability, ...

Iran Hangs Man for Armed Rebellion Amid Wave of Executions

This is Beirut, 12/05 10:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iran on Tuesday executed a man convicted of armed rebellion, the judiciary said, the latest in a wave of hangings since war broke out with Israel and the United States. "The death sentence for Abdoljalil Shahbakhsh, son of Jalal, a trained member of the Ansar al-Furqan terrorist group, was carried out this morning," the judiciary's Mizan Online ...

U.S. Sanctions 12 Iran-Linked Individuals, Entities Over China Oil Sales

This is Beirut, 11/05 23:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The United States on Monday issued sanctions against 12 individuals and entities that it said facilitated the sale and shipment of Iranian oil to China, days ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing. In a statement, the U.S. Treasury alleged that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) "relies on front companies in ...

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