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Lebanese President Says Aiming to End Hostilities With Israel Talks

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday that planned talks with Israel aim to end hostilities and the occupation in southern Lebanon, even as Hezbollah and its supporters rejected the negotiations. Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has sharply criticised the Lebanese government's negotiations with Israel, which are set to enter a second ...

Will Lebanon Finally Break Its Cycle of Inaction?

As Lebanon and Israel prepare to deepen diplomatic contact amid a 10-day truce, attention is shifting to what comes next, including the fate of Hezbollah’s weapons and whether the ceasefire marks a temporary pause or a strategic shift. During the war, both President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam navigated a perilous political ...

U.S., Iran Warn Ready for War as Talks in Limbo

The United States and Iran each warned they were ready for war as the clock ticked down Tuesday on a ceasefire, with uncertainty on talks that President Donald Trump had announced would resume in Pakistan. The White House said Vice President JD Vance was ready to fly back to the Pakistani capital Islamabad, which was preparing for a second round ...

A State Decides: Lebanon's Bet on Direct Talks with Israel

For the first time in decades, the U.S. has brokered direct talks between Lebanon and Israel, beginning with a 10-day cessation of hostilities and a commitment to negotiate in good faith. Washington says lasting calm will require the Lebanese state to reassert sovereignty over non-state arms. President Donald Trump said the initiative had created ...

President Aoun Assigns Simon Karam to Head Talks With Israel

The Lebanese presidency announced that upcoming direct negotiations with Israel will be conducted through an official delegation headed by Ambassador Simon Karam, according to a statement attributed to President Joseph Aoun on X. In remarks addressed to a delegation from the “Sovereignty Front,” President Aoun stressed that Lebanon ...

Lebanon Has Another Opportunity of a Lifetime

As Lebanese, Israeli, and American teams prepare for their first-ever trilateral leaders summit, it is time to reflect on this opportunity and lessons from the past.   Most Lebanese have yearned for decades for a restoration of state sovereignty and peace. There are a host of reasons why they have been deprived of what most people around the ...

Iran Says 'No Decision' on Whether to Attend Next Round of U.S. Talks

Iran's foreign ministry said Monday it has yet to reach a decision on whether to attend the next round of talks with the United States. "As of now, while I am at your service, we have no plans for the next round of negotiation, and no decision has been made in this regard," said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a weekly press ...

Iran Military Vows to 'Soon Respond' After U.S. Destroyer Hits Cargo Ship

Iran's military has vowed to respond after a U.S. destroyer on Sunday fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade a U.S. naval blockade. "We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the U.S. military," said a spokesperson for the ...

Iran Says Final Deal Still Far Off as Hormuz Strait Shuttered

The strategic Strait of Hormuz was again closed on Sunday in the stand-off between Iran and the United States, with Iran's powerful parliament speaker signalling a final peace deal remained "far" off despite some movement in negotiations. As mediation efforts continued following high-level talks in Pakistan that failed to reach a deal, Iran said ...

Qassem Affirms Hezbollah’s Rejection of Ceasefire Deal

Secretary-General of Hezbollah, accused Washington on Saturday of dictating the terms of the recently announced ceasefire agreement to the Lebanese government, sharply criticizing what he described as official Lebanese acquiescence to U.S. pressure. His remarks come as the terrorist organization continues to reject direct negotiations between ...

Trump Says Deal Is Days Away, Iran Accuses Him of ‘Lies’

U.S. President Donald Trump said that a deal with Iran could be reached “within days” and that negotiations have “no sticking points,” while Iranian officials on Saturday rejected his claims and said key issues remain unresolved. Trump said talks with Iran could resume as early as this weekend, possibly in Islamabad, and ...