ceasefire

Iran Strikes UAE in First Breach of Ceasefire

The United Arab Emirates confirmed on Monday that its air defense systems intercepted missiles and drones launched from Iran, marking the first direct attack on the country since the ceasefire took effect on April 8, according to official Emirati statements. The UAE Ministry of Defense announced that four cruise missiles were detected heading ...

Prime Minister Salam: No Retreat on State Authority as Lebanon Moves to Enforce Weapons Monopoly in Beirut

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared on Monday in a joint press conference with the Lebanese Interior Minister that the government will move forward with enforcing full state control over Beirut, stressing that there will be “no retreat” from the decision to restrict weapons to state institutions. Speaking after a meeting of ...

Lebanon Ceasefire Opens a Diplomatic Window, Now Comes the Hard Part

When the ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel met at the White House on April 23, it was the kind of image that would have seemed unthinkable just months earlier. Their joint appearance alongside President Donald Trump — to announce a three-week extension of the cessation of hostilities — was a shift from decades of indirect, back-channel ...

Bound to Tehran: How Hezbollah Is Unraveling Lebanon's Ceasefire

The ceasefire in Lebanon remains fragile amid the state’s inability to fully assert control on the ground. Hezbollah is continuing its military operations, while Israeli retaliation for the group’s attacks keeps Lebanon caught in a cycle of escalation with no clear end in sight. The Lebanon-Israel truce announced by the U.S. on April ...

CENTCOM Briefs Trump on Potential Large-Scale Strikes on Iran

The commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM) briefed President Donald Trump on potential large-scale strike options against Iran, including what was described as a possible “final blow,” according to a report by Fox News on Thursday. Admiral Brad Cooper presented the plans during a high-level meeting in the White House ...

Lebanese President Aoun Accuses Hezbollah of National 'Betrayal'

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday accused Hezbollah of “betrayal” and openly challenged the group’s decision to take Lebanon to war, asking whether it had secured national consensus before doing so. “Did you have national consensus when you went to war?” Aoun questioned, in a direct message to Hezbollah, as ...

Israeli Army and Hezbollah Clash in Bint Jbeil

Israeli Army spokespeople said six Hezbollah fighters were eliminated in a firefight in Bint Jbeil on Friday, over a week since Israel said it had encircled the town on April 13, and just a day after a Lebanon-Israel ceasefire was extended by three weeks. Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army continues to hold a forward ...

Berri Navigates Lebanon’s Ceasefire Opening

A fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire has opened a narrow political window for Lebanon, with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s stance on the talks evolving amid diplomatic contacts with Saudi Arabia. The latest came in a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud hours before a second round of talks with Israel on ...

Lebanese President Pushes to Extend Ceasefire Ahead of Washington Talks

On the eve of talks in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Beirut would seek an extension of the 10-day, U.S.-mediated ceasefire, which is set to expire on Sunday. The talks, set to continue on Thursday at the U.S. State Department, represent a diplomatic track that has so far paused strikes in ...

Trump Extends Iran Ceasefire While Maintaining Blockade

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would hold off on new strikes against Iran at the request of Pakistani officials, effectively extending the ceasefire as diplomatic efforts continue. In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the United States agreed to delay further attacks on Iran following a request from Pakistan’s ...

Sarit Zehavi: We Need a Lasting Peace Agreement, Not Just Ceasefire

In an exclusive interview with This Is Beirut, Sarit Zehavi, president of the Alma Research and Education Center, said Israel’s actions against Hezbollah are driven by security concerns. She emphasized the need to establish a peace agreement rather than repeated ceasefires, arguing that lasting stability depends on building Lebanese state ...