United States

White House Official to TIB: ‘Redeployment of U.S. Troops From Al-Tanf…Following a Comprehensive Operational Reassessment’

In an exclusive statement given to This is Beirut, a senior official in the White House elaborated on their transfer of troops from al-Tanf in Syria to Jordan. The official said, “the redeployment of U.S. troops from the al-Tanf position in Syria to Jordan was carried out following a comprehensive operational ...

U.S. Covertly Delivers Starlink Devices Into Iran as Regime Escalates Arrests

The U.S. purchased and smuggled over 6,000 Starlink satellite internet devices into Iran, U.S. officials revealed on Thursday, as the regime ramps up its repression against opposition figures. The devices were sent with the goal of providing anti-regime activists alternative ways to connect to the internet, despite the fact that Starlink ...

Iran Fortifies Natanz Nuclear Site as U.S. Weighs Expanded Military Posture

Despite both the U.S. and Iran stating their preference for diplomacy over escalation, both sides are preparing for the possibility of violent escalation. Iran has reportedly been rapidly fortifying their underground mountain complex at the Natanz nuclear site as seen in satellite imagery, according to the Jerusalem Post. According to the ...

Iran Rejects Military Pressure as Nuclear Talks Resume Under Shadow of U.S. Naval Buildup

Jalal Dehqani Firouzabadi, secretary of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, said Thursday there is “no military solution” to Iran’s nuclear file, arguing that recent history has already proven the limits of force. Speaking to Iran’s ISNA news agency, Firouzabadi said the current talks differ fundamentally ...

Syria Defense Ministry Says Army Has Taken Control of Al-Tanf Base After U.S. Pullout

Syria's defence ministry said on Thursday that the army had taken control of the Al-Tanf base after the withdrawal of US forces deployed there as part of the coalition against the Islamic State group. "Through coordination between the Syrian and American sides," army units have taken control of the base "and have begun ...

Iran Says Ready for Inspections to Prove It Isn’t Seeking Nuclear Weapons

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday that his country would "not yield to excessive demands" on its nuclear program after Tehran resumed talks with the United States. He also said Iran was ready for "any verification" of its nuclear program and insisted it was not seeking an atomic weapon. Iran and the United States resumed ...

U.S. Treasury Sanctions Hezbollah-Linked Gold and Cash Network

The U.S. Treasury Department released a statement on Tuesday outlining new sanctions that target Hezbollah’s cash-based financial network. Elaborating on the sanctions, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent stated that the “Treasury will work to cut these terrorists off from the global financial system to give Lebanon a chance to be ...

Iran Rejects Pressure on Uranium Enrichment, Floats Dilution if Sanctions Lifted

Iran conveyed its position on the issue of uranium enrichment on Monday, stating that it would not be coerced to scale back its nuclear program but would be willing to dilute its enriched uranium if sanctions are lifted. The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, signaled the country’s willingness to dilute its ...

U.S. Pulls Troops From Northeastern Syria Amid SDF-Damascus Integration

The U.S. has begun its withdrawal of troops from the Shaddadi base in northeastern Syria this week as part of a broader drawdown of direct U.S. military presence in Syria.  This event occurred amid the incorporation of civilian and security sector responsibilities to Damascus to replace the SDF and the U.S. as the primary force monitoring the ...

White House Official to TIB: 'Nothing We Heard Today Reduces Our Concern About Iran’s Current Trajectory'

In an exclusive statement given to This is Beirut, a senior official in the White House expressed growing impatience with Iran regarding today’s nuclear talks. The official said that “we did not go into these talks expecting easy answers, and nothing we heard today reduces our concern about Iran’s current trajectory, especially ...

U.S. Expands Sanctions on Iran’s Shadow Fleet Following Nuclear Talks in Oman

The U.S. State Department announced on Friday that it would impose new sanctions against Iranian individuals and assets with a stated goal of interrupting the capital flow that the regime uses to “support terrorism” domestically and abroad. The statement expresses that the “Department of State is sanctioning multiple entities, ...

NYT: Satellite Imagery Shows Iran Repaired Missile Sites Hit in 12-Day War

The New York Times reported on Friday that satellite imagery suggests Iran has rapidly repaired several ballistic missile facilities damaged during last year’s 12-day war, but has made only limited fixes to major nuclear sites struck by Israel and the United States. The report suggests that the regime's immediate priority is a working ...