This is Beirut - United States

Aoun Hails State Control of Arms and Pledges Continued Reforms

This is Beirut, 20/01 13:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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President Joseph Aoun stressed on Tuesday that the Lebanese government last year took a historic step by endorsing a plan aimed at confining weapons to state authority and extending state control over Lebanese territory exclusively through its own forces, calling the move a major turning point despite the challenges of implementation. Addressing ...

Iran FM Says Davos Appearance Cancellation Based On 'Lies'

This is Beirut, 20/01 13:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi hit out at the World Economic Forum in Davos for cancelling his appearance over a crackdown on recent protests, saying the decision was based on "lies and political pressure". Protests in Iran sparked by economic strain in late December exploded into the biggest challenge to the Iranian leadership in years, ...

Iraq Announces Complete Withdrawal of U.S.-Led Coalition From Federal Territory

This is Beirut, 19/01 09:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iraq said on Sunday US-led coalition forces had finished withdrawing from bases within the country's federal territory, which excludes the autonomous northern Kurdistan region. "We announce today... the completion of the evacuation of all military bases and leadership headquarters in the official federal areas of Iraq of advisers" of the US-led ...

Khamenei Accuses Trump of "Incitement, Destruction"

This is Beirut, 17/01 20:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday alleged U.S. President Donald Trump was responsible for the slaughter of protesters in Iran, saying "We see the president of the United States as a criminal, because of the deaths, destruction and incitement he has committed against the Iranian nation.” “We do not intend to lead the country to ...

Syria Army Takes Territory East of Aleppo After Kurdish Forces Withdraw

This is Beirut, 17/01 14:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Syria's army said Saturday that its forces had taken control of swathes of the region east of Aleppo city after Kurdish forces agreed to withdraw following recent clashes. The advance comes a day after President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree declaring Kurdish a "national language" and granting the minority official recognition in ...

Exclusive: Trump States U.S. Decision Not to Attack Iran Due to Cancelled Executions

This is Beirut, 16/01 22:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Speaking to the press on Friday, President Trump stated that his decision not to attack Iran was not influenced by Arab and Israeli officials, but rather due to Iran cancelling the mass-execution of 800 protesters. When asked why he made this decision, he stressed that “nobody convinced me, I convinced myself. [Iran] had yesterday scheduled ...

U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Iranian Officials Over Crackdown on Protests

This is Beirut, 16/01 16:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The U.S. on Thursday unveiled a new round of sanctions targeting Iranian officials accused of involvement in the violent suppression of nationwide anti-regime protests that have swept across Iran and directly challenge the country’s theocratic leadership. Among those sanctioned is the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, ...

Iran Protest Movement Subsides In Face Of "Brutal" Crackdown

This is Beirut, 16/01 14:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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The protest movement in Iran has subsided after a crackdown that has killed thousands under an internet blackout, monitors said Friday, one week after the start of the biggest protests in years challenging the Islamic republic's theocratic system. The threat of new military action by the United States against Iran has also appeared to have ...

Syria's Leader Set to Visit Berlin With Deportations in Focus

This is Beirut, 16/01 13:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected in Berlin on Tuesday for talks, as German officials seek to step up deportations of Syrians, despite unease about continued instability in their homeland. Sharaa is scheduled to meet his counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German president's office said. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's office ...

U.S. Halts Issuing Immigration Visas for 75 Countries, Including Lebanon

This is Beirut, 14/01 21:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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On Wednesday, U.S. State Department issued a memo directing consular officers to cease issuing immigration visas to citizens of 75 countries deemed likely to incur “public charges” in the United States, including all Middle Eastern and North African countries except Saudi Arabia, Oman, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and ...

Syria Moves Military Reinforcements East of Aleppo After Telling Kurds to Withdraw

This is Beirut, 14/01 12:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Syria's army told civilians to stay away from Kurdish military positions east of second city Aleppo on Wednesday, after it moved reinforcements to the area following deadly clashes last week. The deployment comes as Syria's Islamist-led government seeks to extend its authority across the country, but progress has stalled on integrating ...

U.S. Designates Muslim Brotherhood Branches in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon as 'Terror' Groups

This is Beirut, 13/01 21:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The United States designated three Middle Eastern branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations on Tuesday, including on the group’s Egyptian, Jordanian, and Lebanese branches, alleging they pose a threat to U.S. interests. The State Department designated the Lebanese branch as a "foreign terrorist ...

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