This is Beirut - Lebanon

Iranian Diplomats Allegedly Smuggled Millions in Cash to Hezbollah via Beirut

This is Beirut, 15:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iranian diplomats used diplomatic passports to ferry large sums of U.S. dollars to Lebanon in recent months, allegedly channeling cash directly to Hezbollah as the group struggles to recover from heavy military and financial losses, according to an investigation published by Iran International. The outlet reported that at least six senior Iranian ...

LAF Commander General Rodolphe Haykal Meets with Officials in Saudi Arabia

This is Beirut, 10/02 21:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Rodolphe Haykal Saudi Arabia LAF

General Rodolphe Haykal, commander of the LAF, met with officials in Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Monday during the World Defense Show. The meeting occurred in preparation for the upcoming March 5 French-Saudi-led conference in Paris to garner support for the LAF. Haykal’s dialogue with Saudi officials was carried out to discuss avenues for ...

Lebanon, Jordan Seek Solutions After Damascus Bans Non-Syrian Trucks

This is Beirut, 10/02 18:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria Lebanon Jordan

Lebanon and Jordan are seeking a solution with Syria after the latter barred foreign trucks from entering its territory, officials from both countries told AFP on Tuesday. Damascus had issued a decision on Saturday stipulating that "non-Syrian trucks will not be allowed to enter" the country, and that goods being imported by road must ...

U.S. Rep. LaHood to This Is Beirut: “No Progress, No Support,” Lebanon Must Act Now

Amal Chmouny, 10/02 18:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

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When Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal arrived in the U.S. capital during the first week of February, he entered a fundamentally transformed strategic landscape. The meetings that unfolded—from tense political exchanges to a dramatic walkout by Sen. Lindsey Graham—crystallized a stark reality: Lebanon’s decades-long balancing act ...

Lebanese Forces Party Delegation Meets Syrian Officials in Damascus

This is Beirut, 10/02 16:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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A delegation from the Lebanese Forces, one of Lebanon’s main Christian political parties, held talks in Damascus on Tuesday with Syria’s Information Minister Hamza Mustafa, Lebanese media reported. According to MTV, the delegation included Lebanese MP Melhem Riachi, a former information minister, and the party’s head of foreign relations, ...

Israel Foils Two Lebanon-Linked Cells in West Bank

This is Beirut, 10/02 15:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The Israeli Army’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee revealed on Tuesday that Israel’s Shin Bet security agency had thwarted the activity of two alleged terror cells operating in the West Bank under direct guidance from operatives based in Lebanon, as part of plans to carry out attacks against Israeli targets. In a post on X, Adraee said ...

UNIFIL to Withdraw Majority of Troops in Lebanon by Mid 2027

This is Beirut, 10/02 14:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is preparing to withdraw most of its troops from Lebanon by mid-2027, following the expiration of its mandate, spokesperson Kandice Ardiel told AFP on Tuesday. UNIFIL, which has served for decades as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon, has recently been supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces ...

Will Hezbollah Turn to Political Assassinations Again?

Iftah Burman, 10/02 13:00 - Reading : 10 minute(s)

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As Hezbollah faces mounting pressure, the risk is growing that the group could once again turn to assassinations to preserve its fragile military, political, and financial positions. In December 2025, fresh revelations about the activities of Hezbollah’s assassination squad, Unit 121, brought the group’s use of political violence back ...

Northern Israeli Residents Tell This Is Beirut They Hope for Peace With Lebanon

Selena Ryan, 10/02 10:05 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Israel

Israeli independent journalist and political analyst Selena Ryan traveled across northern Israel to speak with residents of border communities about peace with Lebanon. From Metula to Shlomi, Malkia, Hanita, and Adamit, she interviewed coffee cart owners, farmers, teachers, students, couriers, and artisans. Despite their different backgrounds and ...

Kuwait Targets Hezbollah’s Health Network With New Terrorism Designations

This is Beirut, 09/02 21:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Kuwait added eight Lebanese hospitals to its national terrorism list on Monday in an effort to target service sectors that Hezbollah incorporates into its cashflow. This development grows the list of sanctioned Lebanese entities by the Kuwaiti government, which notably includes the Hezbollah-affiliated financial apparatus Al Qard Al Hassan. The ...

Qassem: Israeli-U.S. Aggression Is Lebanon’s Core Challenge

This is Beirut, 09/02 17:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said on Monday that Lebanon has preserved its independence through resistance and possesses “real capabilities,” arguing that the country’s central challenge remains what he described as ongoing Israeli and American aggression. Speaking during a public address, Qassem said that sustained Israeli ...

What the LAF Chief’s Visit to the U.S. Revealed

Hussain Abdul-Hussain, 09/02 14:35 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanese Army Hezbollah Israel Rodolphe Haykal Washington Lebanon US

Lindsey Graham portrayed his meeting with Rodolphe Haykal, which collapsed within minutes, as a complete debacle. The U.S. senator asked the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) chief if Hezbollah was a terrorist organization. Haykal’s reply—“not in the Lebanese context”—prompted Graham to walk out in fury, insisting that any group responsible ...

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