This is Beirut - United States

Graham Cuts Haykal Meeting Short After LAF Chief Refuses to Label Hezbollah Terrorist

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

Lebanon United States Rodolphe Haykal Lindsay Gram Hezbollah

Lebanese Armed Forces Chief of Defense Gen. Rodolphe Haykal’s Thursday meeting with Senator Lindsay Graham ended early after Haykal stated that he did not consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization. In a post on X describing his meeting, Graham stated that “I asked [Haykal] if he believes Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. He ...

Iran Open to Discussing Missile, Proxy Issues Ahead of U.S. Talks in Muscat

This is Beirut, 05/02 17:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran United States Nuclear Talks

Iranian officials have indicated on Thursday that they have agreed to discuss the ballistic missile and proxy group issues at Friday’s nuclear talks with U.S. officials in Muscat, Oman, according to the Jerusalem Post. On Wednesday, the U.S. briefly signaled that it would cancel talks with Iran, with a stated reason that Iranian officials ...

U.S. to Resume Iran Nuclear Talks After Brief Cancellation Signal

This is Beirut, 04/02 23:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Iran Trump Oman Nuclear Talks

Senior U.S. officials said on Wednesday that they will proceed with plans to convene in Muscat, Oman on Friday to discuss the nuclear issue after reports earlier in the day signaled a cancellation of the talks. The U.S. has modified its position on the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks after nine Arab and Muslim countries lobbied for U.S. participation ...

Chevron Signs Agreement with Syria and Qatari Conglomerate for Syrian Energy Exploration

This is Beirut, 04/02 19:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria United States Qatar Energy

Chevron has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Syrian Petroleum Company and UCC Holding, a Qatari conglomerate, on assessing offshore oil and gas exploration off Syria’s coast, according to a Reuters report on Wednesday. U.S. Syria envoy Tom Barrack also attended the signing of the agreement, signaling U.S. approval as the ...

US-Iran Talks Expected in Oman, but Scope Under Discussion: Arab Diplomat

This is Beirut, 04/02 16:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States Iran Talks Oman

Talks between the United States and Iran are expected to take place in Oman, but the scope of the discussions still needs to be agreed, an Arab diplomat told AFP on Wednesday. "A meeting is requested in Oman by the Iranians, and the Americans have approved the location, but the parameters of discussions are still being worked on," the diplomat ...

Iraq PM Candidate Maliki Says Majority Bloc Has Final Say on Nomination

This is Beirut, 04/02 09:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States USA Washington

Iraq's main candidate for the premiership, Nouri al-Maliki, said Tuesday that withdrawing his candidacy would jeopardise Iraqi sovereignty after US threats and he would only step aside if his electoral bloc asks him to. Last week, US President Donald Trump, in his latest intervention in another country's politics, issued an ultimatum, ...

U.S. Tanker Approached by Iranian Gunboats in Strait of Hormuz

This is Beirut, 03/02 21:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States Iran

A US-flagged tanker was approached and challenged on Tuesday by Iranian gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz, before continuing on its way, US Central Command said. CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said two Iranian boats and a drone approached the US-flagged ship M/V Stena Imperative "at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the ...

‘Moment Could Be Fleeting’: U.S. Congressional Hearing on Curbing Hezbollah

This is Beirut, 03/02 19:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Lebanon Hezbollah Disarmament Reform

Policy experts told the U.S. Congress that dismantling Hezbollah’s malign influence in Lebanon will require leveraging Washington’s support for Beirut to secure measurable progress on the militant group’s disarmament, as well as political and financial reforms, thereby strengthening state sovereignty. On Tuesday, the House Foreign Affairs ...

Hezbollah’s Qassem Rejects State Authority, Frames Conflict as Existential Battle

This is Beirut, 03/02 15:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army United States Naim Qassem

Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem on Tuesday adopted a defiant tone toward Lebanese officials and state institutions, rejecting any internal pressure on the group and reaffirming Hezbollah’s commitment to armed confrontation, while framing regional tensions as an existential battle against what he described as American and Israeli ...

UAE Senior Official Says Iran Needs to Reach Deal with U.S.

This is Beirut, 03/02 09:20 - Reading : less than a minute

United Arab Emirates United States

Iran needs to reach a deal with the United States, a senior United Arab Emirates official said on Tuesday, ahead of talks between the two sides after repeated threats of American military action. "Iran today needs to reach a deal," presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said during the World Governments Summit in Dubai, adding that Iran ...

Jordan Rejects Use of Its Territory in Any Military Action Against Iran

This is Beirut, 02/02 18:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Jordan signaled its position on a U.S.-Iran conflict scenario, stating on Monday that it would not take part in hostility against Iran and it would not allow use of its territory for launching attacks. Ayman Safadi, the Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated on X that “Jordan will not be a battlefield for any party in any regional ...

Iraq Opens Probe Into ISIS Detainees Transferred From Syria

This is Beirut, 02/02 12:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus United States ISIS Syria Iraq

Iraq’s judiciary announced on Monday that it has begun investigations into more than 1,300 suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) group who were recently transferred from Syria as part of a U.S.-led operation. In a statement, the judiciary’s media office said investigative proceedings had started against 1,387 members of the “Daesh ...

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