This is Beirut - Washington

U.S. Military Says Struck More Than 30 IS Targets in Syria

This is Beirut, 14/02 16:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

The U.S. military said Saturday that its forces had struck more than 30 Islamic State group targets in Syria this month, maintaining pressure on the jihadists after a deadly attack on US troops last year. The strikes also came as the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) in recent weeks transferred thousands of IS detainees from Syria to Iraq, ...

U.S. Completes Transfer of IS Detainees From Syria to Iraq: CENTCOM

This is Beirut, 13/02 15:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The United States Central Command said on Friday it had completed the transfer of thousands of detained Islamic State group suspects held in Syria to Iraq. The detainees had been held in Syria for years in camps overseen by Kurdish-led forces, but the recapture of surrounding territory by Damascus prompted Washington to step in. CENTCOM said it ...

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

This is Beirut, 12/02 14:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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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 ...

Turkey Says Washington and Tehran Showing New Flexibility as Nuclear Talks Resume

This is Beirut, 12/02 14:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Turkey’s foreign minister said the United States and Iran are displaying rare signs of pragmatism in efforts to revive negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, suggesting Washington may now be prepared to tolerate limited uranium enrichment under strict conditions. In an interview with the Financial Times published Thursday, Hakan ...

What the LAF Chief’s Visit to the U.S. Revealed

Hussain Abdul-Hussain, 09/02 14:35 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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Lindsey Graham portrayed his meeting with Rodolphe Haykal, which collapsed within minutes, as a complete debacle. The U.S. senator asked the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) chief if Hezbollah was a terrorist organization. Haykal’s reply—“not in the Lebanese context”—prompted Graham to walk out in fury, insisting that any group responsible ...

Who Rises Next? Sunni Perspectives on the Muslim Brotherhood and President Al-Sharaa

Claudia Groeling, 06/02 23:25 - Reading : less than a minute

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In Lebanon today, the Sunni streets are largely leaderless, and many are searching for new direction. This Is Beirut went on the ground in Sunni areas to ask residents about the Muslim Brotherhood’s designation as a foreign terrorist organization and whether the Brotherhood or President Ahmed al-Sharaa can fill the leadership void. Many ...

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

This is Beirut, 06/02 23:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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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 ...

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

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

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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, ...

Can a New Round of U.S.–Iran Talks Avert Escalation?

Natasha Metni Torbey, 03/02 12:45 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

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Amid elevated military tensions, the U.S. and Iran are now cautiously opening diplomatic channels, indicating an interest in averting a major conflict with potentially uncontrollable consequences for the region. In recent days, a series of mixed signals—from hawkish statements and regional warnings to indirect exchanges via ...

U.S. Policy Toward Lebanon: Obstacles to Dismantling Hezbollah’s Grip on Power

This is Beirut, 03/02 09:00 - Reading : less than a minute

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At 10:00 a.m. EST, the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa will convene a hearing titled “U.S. Policy Toward Lebanon: Obstacles to Dismantling Hezbollah’s Grip on Power” to assess the political, security, and institutional challenges confronting U.S. policy in Lebanon. The hearing will feature ...

Haykal’s U.S. Visit Signals Bid to Translate Military Gains into Political Trust

This is Beirut, 02/02 10:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Lebanese Army (LAF) Commander General Rodolphe Haykal kicked off an official visit to the United States on Monday with a stop at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in Tampa, in a trip that goes beyond routine military protocol and carries clear political implications. At CENTCOM, Haykal met with Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, presenting detailed maps and ...

Turkey Urges U.S. to Resist Israeli Pressure to Strike Iran

This is Beirut, 30/01 11:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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In a joint press conference held on Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated their commitment to diplomacy and warned against any military intervention in Iran, as tensions in the region continue to rise. Fidan emphasized Turkey’s opposition to military action, stating that Ankara ...

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