This is Beirut

Trump and MBS Seal Major Economic and Military Partnerships

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

Donald Trump Gulf Israel Middle East Palestine

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 ...

Washington Cancels General Rodolphe Haykal's Visit

This is Beirut, 18/11 17:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Washington Hezbollah Israel United States US Congress

Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal’s planned visit to the United States on Tuesday was cancelled at the last minute, after Washington notified Beirut that the program would not be maintained. The cancellation of the visit was reportedly due to the Lebanese army's statement regarding the Israeli army's shooting of two UNIFIL soldiers, in ...

One Killed, Three Wounded in West Bank Attack: Israel Emergency Service

This is Beirut, 18/11 15:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel West Bank Hamas Palestine

One person was killed and three were wounded in a stabbing attack in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Israeli emergency services said. Paramedics and an army medical force "established the death of a man aged 30 with a stab wound and referred three injured people" to two Jerusalem hospitals, Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's equivalent of the ...

Sale of F-35s to Riyadh: A New Test for U.S. Alliances in the Middle East

Mario Chartouni, 18/11 14:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Middle East Donald Trump Israel Saudi Arabia Mohammed ben Salman US

On the eve of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington, Donald Trump announced Monday his intention to approve the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. “We are going to sell F-35s,” the president declared from the White House, praising ties with Riyadh and describing the kingdom as “a great ally.” The announcement ...

Israel Says US Plan for Gaza to Deliver 'Peace and Prosperity' After UN Vote

This is Beirut, 18/11 11:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United Nations Israel Palestine USA Donald Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Tuesday hailed a US-drafted plan for Gaza after it was endorsed by the UN Security Council, saying it would lead to "peace and prosperity." The Palestinian foreign ministry also welcomed the 13-0 vote at the United Nations in New York and called for the resolution to be swiftly implemented on ...

Why Normalization with Israel Will Revive Saudi Arabia

Hussain Abdul-Hussain, 18/11 10:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia Israel United States MBS Donald Trump Qatar LAF

Saudi Arabia is rapidly losing regional relevance, with Sunni rivals Qatar and Turkey encroaching on its traditional leadership roles. The Kingdom’s economy remains mired in second gear, unable to transition from oil dependency to a knowledge-based model. Riyadh’s repeated promises of financial windfalls to the U.S. now appear to be ...

UNIFIL Begins Withdrawal as Europe Weighs Replacement Force

Bassam Abou Zeid, 18/11 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Europe Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Palestine UNIFIL

No one can predict what southern Lebanon will look like after UNIFIL withdraws at the end of 2026. Will Lebanon have succeeded in disarming Hezbollah? Will it be able to fully control the south, particularly the area south of the Litani River? And what role will the international presence play in the region? UNIFIL has already begun reducing its ...

Red Carpet and Big Deals: Trump Welcomes MBS to Washington

This is Beirut, 18/11 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 ...

UN Security Council Votes for International Force for Gaza

This is Beirut, 18/11 08:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

UN Security Council Palestine Donald Trump Hamas Israel

The UN Security Council voted Monday in favor of a US-drafted resolution bolstering Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan that includes the deployment of an international force and a path to a future Palestinian state. There were 13 votes in favor of the text, which US President Trump said would lead to "further Peace all over the World," with only ...

Naim Kassem Criticizes the State and “American Financial Tutelage”

This is Beirut, 17/11 18:05 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Banks Hezbollah Israel

Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Kassem continued his comments on the Lebanese government, urging it to adopt a firmer stance toward Israel. During the first commemoration of the assassination of Mohammad Afif and his companions, he once again took it upon himself to remind the Lebanese state of its “responsibility” to put in place a “plan ...

Germany to Lift Curbs on Arms Exports to Israel

This is Beirut, 17/11 13:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Palestine Germany Arms

Germany is to remove restrictions it placed in August on arms exports to Israel which could be used in the Gaza Strip, the government announced Monday. "The restrictions on arms exports to Israel... will be lifted," government spokesman Sebastian Hille told reporters, adding that the decision "will take effect on 24 ...

Israel Warns Lebanon of an Imminent Strike on Aitaroun

This is Beirut, 17/11 12:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Lebanese Army United Nations Hezbollah

In a first since the cease-fire agreement of November 27, 2024, Israel on Monday reportedly warned the Lebanese Army – through the established monitoring mechanism – of a potential strike on Aitaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district, as tensions continue to escalate along the country’s southern border. The Lebanese military promptly informed the ...

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