This is Beirut - United States

Iran FM Says Not Responded to U.S. Plan, 'No Negotiations'

This is Beirut, 01/04 10:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there were no negotiations with the United States and that Tehran had not responded to a reported 15-point proposal from Washington to end the war. "We receive messages from the American side, some direct and some through our friends in the region, and whenever necessary we respond to these messages," ...

American Journalist Abducted in Baghdad as Iraqi Forces Launch Search Operation

This is Beirut, 31/03 20:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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An American freelance journalist, Shelley Kittleson, was abducted by unidentified individuals in Baghdad on Tuesday, according to Iraq’s Interior Ministry, prompting an urgent security operation to locate her and apprehend those responsible. The ministry said authorities acted swiftly on what it described as “precise ...

From Baghdad to Beirut: Tehran’s Strategy to Set the Region Aflame

Seth J. Frantzman, 31/03 15:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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In December 2017, Hezbollah hosted Iraqi militia leader Qais al-Khazali on a tour of Lebanon’s border with Israel. At the time, Israel was careful not to provoke Hezbollah, and Khazali seemed confident that he could threaten the Jewish state from the frontier. Nearly a decade later, Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have become ...

Iran Executes Two More Convicted of Links to Banned Opposition

This is Beirut, 31/03 09:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iran executed two men on Tuesday convicted of membership in a banned opposition group and plotting to overthrow the Islamic republic, the judiciary said, a day after two others were hanged on similar charges. "Babak Alipour and Pouya Ghobadi... were executed by hanging on Tuesday after legal procedures were completed and their sentences ...

Senior U.S. Official to TIB: ‘The United States Supports the Sovereignty and Authority of the Lebanese Government’

This is Beirut, 30/03 22:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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In an exclusive statement to This is Beirut, a senior U.S. official conveyed support for the Lebanese government’s authority and expressed concern for Iranian infractions against Lebanese sovereignty. The official said that “the United States supports the sovereignty and authority of the Lebanese government to make decisions ...

Iran Confirms Death of IRGC Navy Commander Following Israeli Airstrike

This is Beirut, 30/03 11:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iran confirmed on Monday that Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ navy (IRGCN), had been killed, days after Israel announced it had targeted him in an airstrike. A statement published by the Guards’ Sepah News website said Tangsiri “succumbed to severe injuries” from the attack, according to AFP. Israeli ...

Power Outages Hit Tehran After Strikes on Energy Infrastructure

This is Beirut, 30/03 10:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Parts of Tehran and the neighboring Alborz Province were plunged into temporary darkness on Sunday night after strikes damaged elements of the local electricity grid, according to Iranian state media and international reports. The disruptions followed a new wave of airstrikes attributed to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), targeting areas in and ...

Iran Hangs Two Convicted of Links to Banned Opposition

This is Beirut, 30/03 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Iranian authorities executed two men on Monday after convicting them of membership in a banned opposition group and attempting to overthrow the Islamic republic, the judiciary said. "After confirmation and final approval of the sentence by the Supreme Court, Akbar Daneshvarkar and Mohammad Taghavi-Sangdehi were hanged this morning," the ...

U.S. Weighs Limited Ground Operation in Iran: Report

This is Beirut, 29/03 19:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The United States Department of Defense is preparing potential military options involving limited ground operations in Iran, according to a report by The Washington Post. The plans, which fall short of a full-scale invasion, could involve thousands of troops and last from several weeks to a few months. U.S. officials stated that no decision has ...

Iran Parliament Speaker Says U.S. Plots Ground Attack Despite Diplomatic Efforts

This is Beirut, 29/03 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Sunday that the United States was plotting a ground attack despite publicly engaging in diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war. Yesterday, CENTCOM announced that the amphibious assault vessel USS Tripoli had joined the military concentration in the region. "The enemy publicly ...

Israel Strikes Iranian Energy Infrastructure Before U.S. Diplomacy Deadline

This is Beirut, 27/03 20:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Israel struck infrastructure targets across Iran on Friday, with Iranian officials saying the attacks hit two major steel factories, a power plant and multiple nuclear-linked sites as the campaign widened beyond purely military targets. The IDF claimed credit for the strikes on nuclear related facilities, just days after President Trump extended ...

Iran's Gulf Islands: Are They in Trump's Crosshairs?

This is Beirut, 27/03 15:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Iran has warned the United States about attempting to seize any of its strategic islands in the Gulf -- a move that President Donald Trump is reported to be mulling. AFP looks at potential targets. Kharg A strip of scrubland located in the northern Gulf, about 30 kilometres from the coast, Kharg is home to Iran’s largest oil ...