This is Beirut

Lebanon's State Security Chief: “Cleansing Institutions” and Rule of Law Essential to Survival of the State

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

Lebanon’s State Security Director General, Major General Edgar Lawandos, pledged to intensify efforts to combat corruption, purge state institutions of corrupt officials and strengthen coordination among Lebanon’s security agencies, while warning that the survival of the state depends on enforcing the rule of law. Lawandos said the ...

Lebanon Faces Defining Moment in Talks with Israel

Marwan El Amine, 10:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Lebanese Army Hezbollah Joseph Aoun

President Joseph Aoun’s decision to engage in direct negotiations with Israel marks a strategic turning point. For the first time in years, the Lebanese state is attempting to reclaim its diplomatic sovereignty after long being subordinated to regional calculations, foremost among them Iran’s influence. The direct negotiations represent the ...

Why Hezbollah’s Use of FPV Drones Against Israel Will Backfire

Seth J. Frantzman, 09:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Lebanon Benjamin Netanyahu Gulf

Hezbollah has begun using first-person view (FPV) drones against Israel, causing casualties among Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops deployed along the Lebanese border. While the threat is growing, it will also backfire for Hezbollah. Israel is already mobilizing its defense technologies against drones across multiple fronts, which will result in ...

Trump Warns Iran ‘There Won’t Be Anything Left’ as US-Israeli Strike Preparations Intensify

This is Beirut, 03:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel USA Iran Trump Netanyahu Hormuz Negotiations USIranWar

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new warning to Iran on Sunday evening, declaring that Tehran must move quickly toward a peace agreement or face devastating consequences. “For Iran, the clock is ticking, and they better get moving FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The ...

UAE Air Defenses Intercept 3 Drones Entering From Western Border

This is Beirut, 17/05 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United Arab Emirates Gulf Israel Saudi Arabia Tehran

The United Arab Emirates announced Sunday evening that its air defenses intercepted three drones that entered the country from the western border direction, with two successfully neutralized while a third struck an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra region. The UAE Ministry of ...

Iran Media Says 'No Tangible Concessions' in U.S. Response to Iran Proposal

This is Beirut, 17/05 15:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Lebanon Israel Tehran United States

Iranian media said Sunday that the United States had failed to make any concrete concessions in its latest response to Iran's proposed agenda for negotiations to end the war. The Fars news agency said Washington had presented a five-point list which included a demand for Iran to keep only one nuclear site in operation and transfer its ...

Israeli Strikes Hit Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and South Lebanon

This is Beirut, 17/05 13:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon South Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Washington

Israeli strikes hit multiple areas across southern and eastern Lebanon on Sunday, including the western Bekaa Valley and villages in Tyre and Bint Jbeil districts. Two Israeli strikes hit the town of Sohmor in the western Bekaa Valley, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) said, adding that additional raids struck multiple areas across ...

Hezbollah Rejects Peace Talks With Israel, Warns Lebanese State Against ‘Concessions’

This is Beirut, 16/05 20:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon Israel Iran USA Ceasefire Disarmament

Hezbollah on Saturday escalated its rhetoric against ongoing Lebanese-Israeli negotiations, rejecting any path toward a “comprehensive peace agreement” with Israel and warning Lebanese authorities against what it described as a “concessionary track” imposed under American pressure. In a lengthy statement released on the ...

Israel Announces Killing of Senior Hamas Commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad

This is Beirut, 16/05 12:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Palestine

The Israeli military and Shin Bet security agency announced on Saturday that they had killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a senior commander in Hamas’s military wing whom Israeli officials described as one of the last high-ranking leaders involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks. In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet ...

Lebanon-Israel Talks to Resume June 2 as Ceasefire Extended by 45 Days

This is Beirut, 15/05 21:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Ceasefire Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu

The United States announced Friday that Lebanon and Israel concluded two days of “highly productive” talks in Washington, agreeing to extend the April 17 ceasefire by 45 days as negotiations continue amid ongoing cross-border tensions. In a statement, the State Department said the talks, held on May 14 and 15, focused on ...

Iran FM Says U.S. Willing to Continue Talks, Open to China's Help

This is Beirut, 15/05 15:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iran USA China Israel Pakistan Hormuz

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday he had "received messages" from the United States saying it is willing to continue talks and that he was open to any support, including from China. "We received messages again from the Americans saying that they are willing to continue the talks and continue the ...

IDF Intensifies Strikes in Southern Lebanon and Bekaa Valley as Washington Hosts Third Round of Talks

This is Beirut, 14/05 21:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Washington Ain el-Tineh Hezbollah Israel

On the same day that the third round of indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel reportedly began in Washington, the Israeli military announced a significant escalation of operations in southern Lebanon. In an official statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that over the past 24 hours it had struck approximately 65 targets ...

Israel