This is Beirut - Middle East

U.K. Defence Secretary: Britain Commits £115 Million, HMS Dragon and Typhoon Jets to Hormuz Security Mission

This is Beirut, 12/05 20:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

The United Kingdom has announced a significant military contribution to a planned multinational maritime mission aimed at securing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor frequently exposed to regional security tensions. Speaking during a virtual multinational summit of defence ministers, UK Defence ...

U.S. War Costs Against Iran Rise to $29 Billion as Pentagon Seeks Additional Funding

This is Beirut, 12/05 19:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The United States has spent an estimated $29 billion on military operations tied to the war with Iran, according to testimony delivered Tuesday before Congress, as senior Pentagon officials defended both the financial and strategic costs of the ongoing campaign. Appearing on Capitol Hill for a series of budget hearings, Jules Hurst III, the ...

Iran's Guards hold military drills in capital as ceasefire teeters

This is Beirut, 12/05 17:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards held military exercises in the capital, Tehran, to prepare for any confrontation, state media reported Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump warned a ceasefire in the Middle East war was on the brink of collapse. The drills involved the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC, the ideological arm of Iran's ...

Netanyahu: Lebanon Held ‘Hostage’ by Hezbollah and Iran

This is Beirut, 10/05 19:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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In an interview with 60 Minutes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Israel seeks peace with Lebanon but argued that Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has effectively taken control of the country and holds the Lebanese people “hostage.” Netanyahu claimed Hezbollah had planned an October 7-style attack on Israel’s Galilee ...

CENTCOM says U.S. Forces Disabled Iranian-Flagged Tankers in Gulf of Oman Blockade Enforcement

This is Beirut, 08/05 17:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced U.S. forces disabled multiple Iranian-flagged oil tankers this week as part of ongoing blockade enforcement measures aimed at preventing vessels from entering Iranian ports via the Gulf of Oman. In a statement, CENTCOM said the operation targeted the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda on May 8, as both vessels ...

Rubio: Lebanese State Must Be Empowered to Confront Hezbollah

This is Beirut, 08/05 15:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered sharp remarks from Rome on Friday, accusing Hezbollah of acting as an Iranian proxy and stressing that Washington’s priority is strengthening the Lebanese state rather than engaging with the group. Rubio said Washington will not negotiate with Hezbollah, describing the group as “an Iranian ...

Crude Falls for Second Day as Trump Signals Possible Iran Deal

This is Beirut, 06/05 11:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Oil prices fell for a second straight session on Wednesday as easing geopolitical tensions and renewed hopes for a U.S.-Iran agreement raised expectations that constrained Middle East supply could soon return to global markets. Brent crude futures dropped $1.69, or 1.5%, to $108.18 a barrel as of 06:40 GMT, after falling 4% in the previous ...

Trump Says Pausing Hormuz Operation in Push for Iran Deal

This is Beirut, 06/05 09:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was halting the US military operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after just one day, in a bid to reach a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war. Trump's so-called "Project Freedom" to help vessels leave the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint to the Gulf where Iran has seized control ...

Hegseth warns of ‘overwhelming’ response as Hormuz tensions rise despite ceasefire

This is Beirut, 05/05 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday a ceasefire with Iran remains in place despite rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Washington has deployed forces to protect commercial shipping. Speaking at the Pentagon alongside Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, Hegseth said the United States is “not seeking a wider conflict” in ...

Iran Fires 'Warning Shots' as U.S. Navy Says Its Ships Entered Gulf Via Hormuz

This is Beirut, 04/05 17:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Iran's navy fired 'warning shots' at U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, state media said, after the American military sent cruisers into the Gulf as part of a plan to help trapped commercial vessels leave. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had announced a plan to guide ships from neutral countries out of the Gulf, saying it was a ...

Iran Foreign Ministry Says U.S. Must 'Abandon its Excessive Demands'

This is Beirut, 04/05 12:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that the United States must reduce its demands on the Islamic republic, with negotiations stalled over ending the two-month-long Middle East war. "At this stage, our priority is to end the war," he said in a briefing broadcast by state television. "The other side ...

Tanker Hit by 'Unknown Projectiles' off UAE Coast: UK Maritime Agency

This is Beirut, 04/05 04:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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A tanker was hit by unidentified projectiles off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, a British maritime agency reported Monday, as the United States said it would escort ships through the blocked Strait of Hormuz. "A tanker has reported being hit by unknown projectiles," the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, ...

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