This is Beirut

Lebanon and Syria Agree to Tighten Border Control Amid Rising Regional Tensions

This is Beirut, 10/03 16:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa agreed Tuesday to strengthen coordination between their countries and tighten security along the Lebanese-Syrian border, as the escalating regional war raises fears of spillover instability. The agreement came during a telephone conversation between the two leaders in which they ...

Pentagon Chief Says U.S. Intensifying Strikes on Iran

This is Beirut, 10/03 15:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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U.S. attacks on Iran will hit a new intensity Tuesday, and the war will continue as long as President Donald Trump decides, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said. "Today will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran," Hegseth told a news conference at the Pentagon more than 10 days into the U.S.-Israeli war against the Islamic ...

Israel Prepares for Extended Campaign Against Hezbollah as Iran War Continues

This is Beirut, 10/03 13:50 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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Israeli officials are preparing for a potentially prolonged military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon that could continue even after the current war with Iran ends, according to officials and diplomatic sources familiar with internal discussions. The planning reflects a growing view within Israel’s security establishment that the ...

Qatar Says Iran Pressing Attacks on Its Civilian Infrastructure

This is Beirut, 10/03 13:20 - Reading : less than a minute

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Iran has pressed its attacks against Qatar's infrastructure, the Gulf state's foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, over a week after Iranian drone strikes forced a halt to Qatari gas production. "The targeting of civilian infrastructure continues... and we rebuke any justification that the Iranians are offering for these attacks," Qatar's ...

Oil Giant Saudi Aramco Says Annual Profits Down 12pct

This is Beirut, 10/03 12:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Saudi Aramco on Tuesday reported a 12.1 percent decline in net income in 2025 as higher supply, U.S. tariffs, and other economic headwinds weighed on revenues. The Middle East war could be disastrous for oil markets, and it is vital to reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping route, Saudi Aramco's CEO and president Amin H. Nasser said on ...

U.S. Moves Missile Defense Components From South Korea to Middle East Amid Escalating Iran War

This is Beirut, 10/03 12:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The United States has begun transferring components of its advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system from military bases in South Korea to the Middle East, according to a report published Tuesday by The Washington Post, citing two U.S. officials familiar with the operation. The move comes as Washington seeks to ...

Iran Says Missile Attacks to Continue, U.S. Talks 'Not on Agenda'

This is Beirut, 10/03 10:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iran's foreign minister said Tuesday that talks with the United States were not on the agenda as their war entered its 11th day. "I don't think talking with the Americans would be on our agenda anymore," Abbas Araghchi told PBS News, saying Tehran had a "very bitter experience" during previous negotiations with the U.S. On February 28, the U.S. ...

Iraq PM Tells U.S. Rubio Iraqi Airspace Must Not Be Used Against Neighbors

This is Beirut, 10/03 10:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Tuesday that Iraq should not be used as a launchpad for attacks in the Middle East war. Iraq neighbors Iran, against which the United States and Israel launched massive strikes on February 28, as well as the Gulf, which the Islamic republic has hit with missile ...

Ankara Says Patriot Defenses Being Deployed in Central Turkey After Latest Iran Missile

This is Beirut, 10/03 09:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Turkey said Tuesday a Patriot missile defense system was being deployed in the country's center, a day after NATO intercepted a second ballistic missile fired from Iran in Turkish airspace. "Necessary measures are being taken for the security of our borders and airspace, and consultations are being held with NATO and our allies. In addition to ...

War in the Middle East: Casualty Figures from Across the Region

This is Beirut, 10/03 05:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Since the US and Israel unleashed strikes on Iran on February 28, war has spread across the region and casualties have been reported in countries across the Middle East. Due to reporting restrictions, AFP has not been able to independently verify all of the following tolls. The figures are based on numbers released by governments, militaries, ...

Strike Hits Former Paramilitary Base Near Iraq's Mosul: Officials

This is Beirut, 09/03 15:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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An airstrike on Monday hit a base belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi coalition in northern Iraq, according to officials from the former paramilitary alliance, which includes pro-Iran factions. One of the officials blamed the strike on the United States, saying it hit a base in the Bartella area near the city of Mosul in Nineveh province. Another ...

Kurdish Rebels Say Ready to Resist Iran, Await Uprising

This is Beirut, 09/03 13:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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From their hideouts in the Iraqi mountains near Iran, leftist Kurdish rebels say they are ready to fight the Islamic republic but hope for an uprising before they intervene, with or without U.S. support. After saying that he would be "all for" a Kurdish offensive on Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to backtrack Saturday, saying he did ...

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