Washington

Iran Condemns U.S. Sanctions as Washington Expands Pressure on Hezbollah’s Institutional Network

Iran on Friday strongly condemned new U.S. sanctions targeting Iranian Ambassador-designate to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Sheibani, as well as several Lebanese political, military, and security officials accused by Washington of supporting Hezbollah. In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry described the sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury ...

Why Lebanon Still Lacks a Viable Shia Alternative

An important question is increasingly being raised among sovereigntist political circles in Lebanon and within regional and international forums, particularly in Washington: where is the Shia alternative to the Hezbollah-Amal political alliance? Some parties ask this question in good faith, based on the conviction that any meaningful path toward ...

NATO Considers Securing Hormuz Shipping Routes

As tensions continue to disrupt global shipping lanes, NATO is weighing the possibility of escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should the strategic waterway remain blocked beyond early July, according to a senior NATO official cited by Bloomberg. The issue is expected to dominate discussions during a meeting of NATO leaders ...

Washington Hardens Stance on Tehran Amid Rising Regional Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to harden his posture toward Tehran during a phone interview with the New York Post, signaling that Washington is no longer willing to soften its position in ongoing negotiations with Iran. Trump said he was “not open to any concessions” following what he described as a disappointing Iranian ...

Lebanon's State Security Chief: “Cleansing Institutions” and Rule of Law Essential to Survival of the State

Lebanon’s State Security Director General, Major General Edgar Lawandos, pledged to intensify efforts to combat corruption, purge state institutions of corrupt officials and strengthen coordination among Lebanon’s security agencies, while warning that the survival of the state depends on enforcing the rule of law. Lawandos said the ...

Israeli Strikes Hit Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and South Lebanon

Israeli strikes hit multiple areas across southern and eastern Lebanon on Sunday, including the western Bekaa Valley and villages in Tyre and Bint Jbeil districts. Two Israeli strikes hit the town of Sohmor in the western Bekaa Valley, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) said, adding that additional raids struck multiple areas across ...

Trump Says Patience With Iran Is Running Out Over Strait Closure

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that his patience with Iran was wearing thin and claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Tehran should reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though Beijing gave no sign it intended to intervene directly. Speaking aboard Air Force One while returning from Beijing after two days of talks with Xi, Trump ...

Can the Lebanese Army Move Against Hezbollah Before Washington Loses Patience?

In the windowless corridors of the Rayburn House Office Building and the high-stakes briefing rooms of Foggy Bottom, Washington’s long-standing consensus on Lebanon is fracturing. For years, U.S. policy toward the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) was treated as a "sacred cow," a low-cost investment to keep a fragile state from collapse. But as of ...

IDF Intensifies Strikes in Southern Lebanon and Bekaa Valley as Washington Hosts Third Round of Talks

On the same day that the third round of indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel reportedly began in Washington, the Israeli military announced a significant escalation of operations in southern Lebanon. In an official statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that over the past 24 hours it had struck approximately 65 targets ...

State Department Offers $15 Million Reward Targeting IRGC Financial Networks

The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program announced a reward of up to $15 million for information that could help disrupt the financial mechanisms of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. According to the statement, the initiative specifically targets financial channels linked ...

Lebanon, Israel to Hold New Direct Talks in Washington as Ceasefire Nears End

Lebanon and Israel are set to hold a new round of peace talks in Washington on Thursday as their latest ceasefire agreement, which remains formally in effect, approaches its expiration. Israel's military said it was striking Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon on Thursday after warning residents of several towns and villages there and in the ...