This is Beirut

Iran not Planning to Attend Talks With U.S. in Pakistan

This is Beirut, 09:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Iran is not currently planning to attend talks with the United States, state media said, after President Donald Trump ordered US negotiators to travel to Pakistan on Monday, just days before a ceasefire in the Middle East expires. The ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports has been a significant sticking point, an issue further complicated by an ...

Iran Executes Two Men Over Links to Israeli Intelligence

This is Beirut, 09:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iran executed two men on Monday who had been convicted of links to Israeli intelligence services, the judiciary announced, marking the latest in a series of executions since the start of the war with Israel and the United States. “The death sentences of Mohammad Masoom-shahi and Hamed Validi were carried out at dawn,” the judiciary’s news ...

Israel Draws “Yellow Line” in Southern Lebanon as Ceasefire Takes Hold

This is Beirut, 09:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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On Monday, Avichay Adraee, the Arabic-language spokesperson of the Israeli army, issued a public warning on X to residents of southern Lebanon, outlining new movement restrictions along the so-called “yellow line” in areas where Israeli forces remain deployed. In what was described as an “urgent message,” Adraee stated ...

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

This is Beirut, 06:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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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 ...

Israel Says to Use 'Full Force' in Lebanon Despite Truce if Soldiers Face Threat

This is Beirut, 19/04 18:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that the military had been instructed to use "full force" in Lebanon—even during the ongoing ceasefire—should Israeli troops face any threat. Under the U.S.-brokered 10-day ceasefire, Israel agreed to halt “offensive” military operations against Lebanese targets ...

Syria Says Foiled Cross-Border Attack by Assad Remnants, Hezbollah

This is Beirut, 19/04 17:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Syria's interior ministry said Sunday that security forces thwarted an alleged cross-border attack from the country's territory planned by remnants of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad and cells linked to Iran-backed Hezbollah. From March 2 until a 10-day ceasefire went into force on April 17, Hezbollah was battling Israel after drawing Lebanon into ...

Iran Says Final Deal Still Far Off as Hormuz Strait Shuttered

This is Beirut, 19/04 08:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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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

This is Beirut, 19/04 00:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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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 ...

UN Peacekeeper Killed in Southern Lebanon Attack, France Points to Hezbollah

This is Beirut, 18/04 15:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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France on Saturday accused Hezbollah of being behind a deadly attack on United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon after a French soldier was killed and three others wounded in what the UN described as a “deliberate attack.” French President Emmanuel Macron said that “everything points to Hezbollah being responsible,” ...

No Date Set for Next Round of Iran-U.S. Talks: Iran Deputy FM

This is Beirut, 18/04 15:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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No date has been set for the next round of Iran–U.S. peace talks brokered by Pakistan following the failure of an initial round, Iran's deputy foreign minister said on Saturday. "Until we agree on the framework, we cannot set a date," Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists on the sidelines of an annual diplomatic forum in Turkey's southern Antalya ...

Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz, Blames U.S. Blockade

This is Beirut, 18/04 10:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Iran on Saturday closed the Strait of Hormuz again after briefly reopening it, saying the move is a response to the ongoing US naval blockade. Tehran accused Washington of breaking its commitments and warned that traffic through the strait will remain restricted until the blockade is lifted. The potential for the resumption of transit had lifted ...

From War To Business Suits: What Peace with Israel Could Mean for Lebanon's Economy

Ralph Atrach, 17/04 23:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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As Lebanese and Israeli officials met face to face in Washington for the first time in decades, the war with Hezbollah dominated headlines, but the prospect of future economic ties between Jerusalem and Beirut came into view. Following the meeting, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter brought up the potential windfalls of peace. “The ...

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