Israël

Aoun to Meet Jeffers Before UAE Trip for Talks

The Lebanese Presidency announced on its X account that President Joseph Aoun will travel on Wednesday to the United Arab Emirates for a two-day official visit at the request of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Emir of Abu Dhabi. According to the statement, Aoun will hold talks with Sheikh Al Nahyan and other senior ...

Regional Messaging Between Israel and Iran

The hands of the clock have frozen in the Middle East as the region waits out the deadline set by US President Donald Trump and his administration to conclude negotiations with Iran—before a potential military escalation that would decisively tip the balance in Israel’s favor. But everything unfolding in the region during this lull amounts to ...

Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem Sets Three Priorities for Lebanon’s Stability

In a televised speech broadcast by Al-Manar on Monday, Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem outlined three major priorities he said were essential for Lebanon’s stability, recovery and development as the country prepares for upcoming municipal elections. Qassem emphasized that the first priority is ending Israeli aggression. He called for ...

Iranian Nuclear Talks: Improbable Peace, Unlikely Agreement?

In April, negotiations between the United States and Iran on the Iranian nuclear program took a notable step forward, with three rounds of talks mediated by Oman. The goal of these discussions is to limit Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for a partial lifting of the economic sanctions imposed by Washington. The third round of talks took ...

Aoun Stresses Need for Israeli Withdrawal to Boost Border Security

President Joseph Aoun underscored the urgent need for Israeli forces to withdraw from five strategic points in southern Lebanon to facilitate the full deployment of the Lebanese Army (LAF) along the border. “This withdrawal is essential to enable the state to assume full responsibility for border security,” Aoun stated. Following the ...

Fires Rage 2 Days After Iran Port Blast Killed 46

Firefighters in Iran battled raging fires on Monday at the country's largest commercial port, two days after a massive explosion killed at least 46 people, state TV reported. The blast took place on Saturday at Shahid Rajaee Port in Iran's south near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil output ...

Salam: Municipal Elections, First Step Towards Decentralization

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed on Monday that municipal elections will be held as scheduled, calling the vote a “democratic constitutional entitlement” and a promise the government is determined to fulfill. Speaking from the Ministry of Interior during the launch of the central operations room dedicated to overseeing the elections, ...

Top UN Court to Open Hearings on Israel’s Aid Obligation to Palestinians

The UN's top court will on Monday open a week of hearings on Israel's humanitarian obligations towards Palestinians, more than 50 days into its total blockade on aid entering war-ravaged Gaza. United Nations representatives will start the five days of sittings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague at 10:00 am (0800 GMT), followed by ...

Geopolitical Variations and Political Challenges

The past week was replete with events that cannot be overlooked if we are to address critical conflicts around the world: the death of Pope Francis and its reverberations ; the evolutions of the Ukraine war ; the ultimate scope of the US-Iranian negotiations; the shifting facades of Turkey’s Islamic authoritarianism; and the normalization ...

Conflicts spur 'unprecedented' rise in military spending

Worldwide military expenditure saw its steepest rise in 2024 since the end of the Cold War, reaching $2.7 trillion as wars and rising tensions drove up spending, researchers said Monday. Military spending rose worldwide with particularly large increases in Europe and the Middle East, according to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace ...

Lebanon Condemns Israeli Airstrike on Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

An Israeli airstrike targeted a Hezbollah warehouse in the southern suburbs of Beirut late Sunday afternoon. Thick smoke rose into the sky and was visible from various parts of the capital. The attack was preceded by three mock strikes, following an earlier evacuation call issued by the Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichai ...

Lebanese Agriculture Between Challenges and Hope: The Central Role of Olive Oil and Partnerships for the Future

Amidst the many crises facing Lebanon, Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani confirmed that Lebanese olive oil remains widely available on the market at affordable prices. He encouraged citizens to consume more of it to support local farmers and boost the national economy. Regarding soil quality in the south, the minister stated that ongoing tests ...