This is Beirut

Lebanon Charts a Separate Path from Tehran in Israel Talks

Samar El-Kadi, 09:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Lebanon is set to begin talks with Israel in Washington on Tuesday, the first direct negotiations since 1983, as Beirut seeks to reassert its role in regional affairs and prevent the country from becoming a bargaining chip in broader international negotiations. Political activist and former MP Fares Souaid described the move as a historic break. ...

Kiryat Shmona Mayor Tells This Is Beirut Israel Wants Peace With Lebanon

Selena Ryan, 08:25 - Reading : less than a minute

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In an exclusive interview with This Is Beirut, Avichai Stern, mayor of the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, said Israel seeks peace with Lebanon.

Qassem Urges Lebanese Government to Cancel Negotiations with Israel

This is Beirut, 13/04 20:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem delivered a televised address tonight, his sixth since the militant group initiated this round of fighting on March 2. He spoke one day before Lebanese and Israeli envoys are set to begin negotiations at the U.S. State Department on April 14, a watershed moment in the history of ties between the two ...

Lebanese FM: Direct Talks With Israel Reinforce Separation From Iran Track

This is Beirut, 13/04 14:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said that Beirut is pursuing direct negotiations with Israel aimed at reaching a ceasefire, while stressing what he described as a growing separation between Lebanon’s diplomatic track and Iranian influence in the region. In a post on X following a call with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, ...

Israeli Foreign Minister Calls for “Severing Iran’s Influence” Over Lebanon Ahead of Talks

This is Beirut, 13/04 12:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Israel’s Foreign Minister said on Monday that Iran must be cut off from Lebanon, arguing that Tehran exerts effective control over the country through Hezbollah, ahead of anticipated diplomatic discussions between Israel and Lebanon set to begin in the coming days. In a statement, the Israeli minister said the upcoming talks “are ...

IDF Says It Has Encircled Bint Jbeil, Expands Ground Offensive in Southern Lebanon

This is Beirut, 13/04 11:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The Israel Defense Forces said over the past week its troops “completed the encirclement and began an offensive in the town of Bint Jbeil,” a locality long considered a stronghold of Hezbollah. The IDF announced on Monday that its forces have intensified ground operations in southern Lebanon, particularly around ...

After Islamabad

David Hale, 13/04 10:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Whatever different people may think about the Trump Administration's approach to Iran, 21 hours of talks led by the American vice president demonstrated a seriousness of diplomatic purpose. However, it was never likely that the wide gap between the goals of Washington and those of Tehran would be bridged in a day. Eight American presidents ...

U.S. Oil Benchmark Jumps 8%, Surpasses $100 After Failed U.S.-Iran Talks

This is Beirut, 13/04 10:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The US oil benchmark rebounded above $100 a barrel on Monday after peace talks between the United States and Iran failed to make a breakthrough, and with US President Donald Trump ordering a blockade of Iranian ports. Shortly after trading began, a barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May delivery rose around eight percent to $104.50, ...

Iran Executes Over 1,639 People in 2025: Report

This is Beirut, 13/04 09:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Iranian authorities executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, the highest number since 1989, two NGOs said Monday, warning it risked using capital punishment even more extensively after protests in January and the war against Israel and the US. The number of executions represented an increase of 68 percent on the 975 people Iran put to death in ...

Israel Prepares for Rapid Return to War with Iran as Talks Collapse

This is Beirut, 12/04 17:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The Israeli military has moved to an unprecedented level of combat readiness amid growing expectations that the war with Iran could resume within days, following the collapse of U.S.-Iran negotiations in Pakistan. According to Israeli media reports citing military sources, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has ordered a sweeping escalation in operational ...

Israel PM Slams Erdogan After Comments on Iran Ceasefire

This is Beirut, 11/04 23:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply criticised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday after comments he made about the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, vowing that Israel would continue fighting Tehran and its regional proxies. Shortly after the United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire earlier this week, Erdogan warned U.S. ...

Proxy, Not Priority: Iran Leaves Hezbollah on the Sidelines

Ralph Atrach , 11/04 23:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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As Iran and the U.S. begin negotiations in Islamabad while Israel continues its military campaign in Lebanon, analysts say Tehran is prioritizing its own interests over those of its proxy, Hezbollah. “Iran has its priorities as a state,” political analyst Ali al-Amine told This is Beirut. “Today, its main interest is to avoid a ...

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