This is Beirut - Lebanon

Vance Says Progress Made as U.S.-Iran Deal Awaits Trump Green Light

This is Beirut, 16:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Washington and Tehran are close to agreeing to a deal to extend their ceasefire in the Middle East war, but the potential breakthrough still hangs on President Donald Trump's approval. Trump remained notably silent into Friday morning, despite U.S. sources telling AFP a deal just needed his sign-off, underscoring ...

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter: Hezbollah Must be Dismantled for Israel-Lebanon Peace

This is Beirut, 14:05 - Reading : less than a minute

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Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter, in an exclusive interview with This is Beirut, said Israel is pursuing a two-track approach that includes strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces with U.S. support so they can gradually take on Hezbollah and restore full state authority. He said Israel has no interest in remaining in Lebanon and ...

Hezbollah Rockets Hit Church in Jdeidet Marjayoun Amid Israeli Advance

Ralph Atrach, 13:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel

Rockets launched by Hezbollah on Thursday struck Saint George Church in the predominantly Christian town of Jdeidet Marjayoun, according to local sources, amid escalating clashes and an Israeli military advance in the Marjayoun district. The incident came after residents received warnings from the Israeli army instructing civilians to remain in ...

The Hidden Costs of a U.S.-Iran Deal Involving Lebanon

Marwan El Amine, 09:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Amid U.S. and Iranian efforts to forge an agreement to end their conflict, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a letter to Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on May 23 pledging that Tehran would press for a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon. Hezbollah quickly welcomed Iran’s determination to keep Lebanon within its sphere of influence. The ...

Washington Can Pressure Hezbollah, But Only Lebanon Can Disarm The Militia

Amal Chmouny, 09:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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As Lebanese and Israeli officials return to Washington for another round of U.S.-brokered talks, attention is focused on the diplomatic process, including the Pentagon’s security channel, the State Department’s political track and hopes that careful sequencing can address Hezbollah’s arms and prevent wider war. However, the more ...

Pentagon Talks Test Lebanon’s Commitment to Disarming Hezbollah

Samar El-Kadi, 09:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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As Israeli strikes intensified across southern Lebanon ahead of Friday’s U.S.-mediated security talks between Lebanon and Israel at the Pentagon, expectations remained low that the Lebanese delegation could offer convincing guarantees on Hezbollah’s disarmament. Lebanon’s delegation arrived in Washington with a presentation detailing the ...

From Baghdad to Beirut: Sadr’s Break with the Peace Brigades Amid Regional Disarmament Pressure

Claudia Groeling, 28/05 22:25 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

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Muqtada al-Sadr, Iraq’s leading Shiite cleric, announced on Wednesday a complete break between his political movement and its armed wing, Saraya al-Salam, a faction within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which he said will be integrated into the Iraqi state security apparatus. Al-Sadr called on “the remaining factions in the Popular ...

Israel Strikes Tyre After Declaring 'Combat Zones' in South Lebanon

This is Beirut, 28/05 09:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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The Israeli military said on Thursday it had begun new strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure around the southern Lebanese city of Tyre after issuing an evacuation warning to its residents. Israel the previous day had declared all areas south of Lebanon's Zahrani River - an area roughly 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the border and including Tyre - ...

Iran Says War Unlikely as Trump Warns He May 'Finish the Job'

This is Beirut, 28/05 01:35 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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Oil prices tumbled Wednesday on hopes of a US-Iran peace deal, even as President Donald Trump warned he may have to "finish the job" and Tehran said its forces were still "lying in wait with full magazines." The mixed signals underscored the fragile state of talks aimed at ending a Middle East war that has shaken global energy ...

Israel Unveils First KC-46 “Gideon” Tanker Aircraft

This is Beirut, 27/05 16:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The Israeli Air Force received its first Boeing KC-46 “Gideon” aerial refueling and transport aircraft on Wednesday during a ceremony held at Nevatim Airbase, marking a major milestone in Israel’s long-range military capabilities and strategic air power modernization. The ceremony was attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and ...

Hezbollah Says Clashed With Israeli Troops North of Lebanon's Litani River

This is Beirut, 27/05 13:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with Israeli forces in a town north of the Litani river on Wednesday, a day after Israel's military said it was expanding its ground operations. Israel intensified the scope of its strikes on south and east Lebanon on Tuesday despite a ceasefire, killing at least 31 people, Lebanese authorities said, as ...

Israel Seeks To Defeat Hezbollah Again, What Might Be Different this Time?

Seth J. Frantzman, 27/05 10:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Benjamin Netanyahu US Secretary of State Lebanon

Facing an increasingly deadly threat from Hezbollah’s first-person view (FPV) drones, Israel is back on the offensive in Lebanon. Since the night of May 25, the Israel Defense Forces have launched large-scale airstrikes across southern Lebanon while pressing ground advances. As Israel once again turns to military force, amid U.S.-Iran talks, the ...

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