This is Beirut

Unholy Alliance: The Dark Forces of Iran and Russia Undermining the Middle East

Amal Chmouny, 2024-12-07 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

The relationship between Russia and Iran has always piqued interest, often characterized as a unique alliance shaped by the complex geopolitics of the Middle East. This partnership has been notably reinforced through their mutual support for the Assad regime in Syria, enabling both nations to strengthen their military and economic connections. ...

Syria: Despite Assad's Appeal, Russian and Iranian Support Remains Shy

This is Beirut, 2024-12-06 18:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Syria Iran war Russia Bashar al-Assad

As Islamist rebel forces from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) approach the city of Homs, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad desperately needs the help of his Russian and Iranian allies. However, Moscow and Tehran's military resources are already stretched thin due to the war in Ukraine and numerous conflicts in the Middle East. According to experts ...

Iran Launches Heaviest Space Payload Into Orbit

This is Beirut, 2024-12-06 10:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Iran space

Iran successfully launched on Friday its heaviest space payload, which includes a satellite and a space tug, using a domestically developed satellite carrier, official media reported. Weighing 300 kilogrammes (660 pounds), the payload consisted of the Fakhr-1 telecommunications satellite and the Saman-1 space tug, according to state ...

U.S. Targets Iran’s “Ghost Fleet” in New Sanctions Over Oil Exports

This is Beirut, 2024-12-04 18:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United States US Secretary of State Iran

The United States imposed economic sanctions on Tuesday targeting 35 vessels from the "ghost fleet" that allows Iran to export its oil to foreign markets while circumventing Western restrictions, the U.S. Treasury Department announced. "Oil revenues provide the Iranian regime with the resources needed to fund its nuclear program, develop advanced ...

Russia Finds Itself Caught Off-Balance in Syria

Cian Ward, 2024-12-04 18:02 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Hezbollah Turkey Syria Russia Iran

Syria’s 12-year Civil War has surged to the top of global news bulletins this week after rebel fighters – largely under the banner of Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – seized control of Aleppo, the country’s second largest city, advancing to the outskirts of Hama, a key node linking Damascus to Syrian President Bashar ...

Iran Grants Nobel Laureate Mohammadi Temporary Release on Medical Grounds

This is Beirut, 2024-12-04 16:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iran

Iran has released Nobel Peace laureate Narges Mohammadi, jailed since November 2021, for three weeks on medical grounds, her lawyer, Mostafa Nili, posted on social media. Over the past quarter century, Mohammadi, 52, has been repeatedly tried and jailed for her vocal campaigning against Iran's widespread use of capital punishment and its ...

Iran Declares Readiness To Study Any Syrian Request For Troops

This is Beirut, 2024-12-03 22:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Iran Syria Abbas Araghchi

Iran will consider any request from its Syrian ally for troops to help tackle a sweeping rebel offensive in the north, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday. "If the Syrian government asks us to send forces to Syria, we will study their request," Araghchi said in an excerpt from an interview published on his official Telegram ...

Armed Factions in Syria: Identity, Affiliations, and Strategic Positioning

Natasha Metni Torbey, 2024-12-02 20:00 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Syria Iran USA Turkey Aleppo

Over thirteen years since the beginning of the war, Syria remains a stage for complex conflicts, with numerous factions vying for control over different zones of influence. Last Wednesday, following the establishment of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, Syrian opposition forces led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Cham launched an offensive from their ...

Journalist Daoud Rammal Files Complaint, Advocates for Press Freedom

This is Beirut, 2024-12-02 12:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hezbollah Iran Lebanon

Journalist Daoud Rammal announced on Monday that he has filed a formal complaint with judicial authorities after being assaulted on Saturday by what he described as "an outlaw partisan group." Rammal’s announcement was made at a sit-in held in his support outside the Palace of Justice in Beirut. The incident reportedly occurred in Doueir, a ...

The End of an Era

Charles Chartouni, 2024-12-02 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran Lebanon Middle East Hezbollah Israel Hamas

The Iranian revolutionary imaginary and its strategic projections are gradually coming to an end with the unraveling of the proxies tapestry, the destruction of its operational platforms and the debunking of its political mythologies. The conjunction of internal crises with the demise of the imperial dominion is no hazard; it’s the outcome of ...

US, Russia, Iran, and Turkey Address Escalation in Syria

This is Beirut, 2024-12-01 10:04 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Turkey Syria Russia Iran

The United States on Saturday said Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad lost control of Aleppo because of his reliance on Russia and Iran. Syria's "reliance on Russia and Iran," along with its refusal to move forward with a 2015 peace process outlined by the UN Security Council, "created the conditions now unfolding," National ...

Ceasefire or Reload: The Uncertain Path Ahead

Salam Zaatari, 2024-11-28 09:00 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Lebanon Iran Israel USA Hezbollah Ceasefire

I'm relieved that the bombing and the killing have ceased, offering a much-needed moment of respite for all Lebanese. Displaced families, despite their hardships, have found humor even in adversity, joking about missing Avichay Adraee's daily tweets. This reflects the resilience of the Lebanese spirit. However, as the adrenaline from war subsides, ...

iran