This is Beirut

Lebanon Bans Hezbollah’s Military Activities, But Stops Short of Terrorism Label

Amal Chmouny, 22:10 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Nawaf Salam Lebanese Army Israel

In an unprecedented move, Lebanon’s government on March 2 banned all Hezbollah’s military and security activities and instructed the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to immediately move forward with its plan to disarm the militia. The decision came hours after a Hezbollah rocket barrage into Israel, which triggered a widescale military ...

Israel Initially Planned to Strike Iran in Mid-2026: Minister

This is Beirut, 17:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Iran Strikes

Israel had initially planned to strike Iran in mid-2026, but developments inside the Islamic republic and shifting regional dynamics brought the timetable forward to February, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday. "An operation was planned for the middle of the year with the same target set," Katz said in an address to ...

Hezbollah and Iran Strike Israel as Israel Continues Attacks

This is Beirut, 17:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Iran

Hezbollah and Iran carry out further strikes in Israel as Israel continues to expand its operations in Lebanon. Hezbollah struck two Israeli military vehicles in the town of Houla in southern Lebanon, saying that it hit with “appropriate weapons, achieving a direct hit.” The organization also stated that it hit an Israeli Merkava ...

Israel Is Preparing a Buffer Zone in Southern Lebanon

Bassam Abou Zeid, 16:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Hezbollah Joseph Aoun buffer zone south lebanon

The President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam informed the ambassadors of the Quintet that the government’s decision banning all military and security activities of Hezbollah will be fully implemented. According to diplomatic sources, including U.S. ambassador Michel Issa, there will be no cessation of Israeli ...

U.S. Claims Air and Maritime Dominance Over Iran as War Intensifies

This is Beirut, 15:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA Trump Iran Israel War RegionalWar

The United States said it has established full control of Iranian airspace and key maritime corridors, as Washington signals a major expansion of its military campaign against Iran. Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, the U.S. Secretary of Defense said American forces now have “complete control over Iranian airspace” and are ...

Israel Army Begins New Strikes in Southern Lebanon

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

Hezbollah Israel Lebanon Iran USA RegionalWar

Israel's military said on Wednesday it had begun striking southern Lebanon after issuing a call to evacuate all areas south of the country's Litani River. "The Israeli military has begun a wave of strikes in the southern Lebanon area," the military said in a statement. Later in the day, Hezbollah said it had targeted an ...

Turkey Says Missile Launched from Iran Destroyed by NATO

This is Beirut, 14:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Turkey Iran Israel USA RegionalWar NATO

A ballistic missile launched from Iran and heading toward Turkish airspace via Iraq and Syria was destroyed by NATO air defence systems, Turkish officials said Wednesday. The defence ministry said it had been "engaged and neutralised by NATO air-and-missile defence assets deployed in the eastern Mediterranean". It did not specify the ...

Syria Strengthens Military Presence on Borders with Lebanon, Iraq

This is Beirut, 14:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Syria Lebanon Iraq Iran Israel USA RegionalWar

The Syrian army reinforced its presence along the borders with Lebanon and Iraq on Wednesday, both of which have been dragged into the regional war with Iran. A Syrian government source told AFP that the Syrian army had sent reinforcements to the border with Lebanon. "Syrian military forces are heading toward the Lebanese-Syrian border near Homs ...

Crackdown on Unlicensed Weapons Amid Displacement Wave

This is Beirut, 13:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Internal Security Forces Israel USA Iran Ali Khamenei

A decision issued Wednesday following coordination between Adel Nassar and Public Prosecutor Judge Jamal Hajjar warned that any Lebanese citizen found in possession of an unlicensed firearm, regardless of its type, will be immediately arrested, referred to the military court, and have the weapon confiscated. The Public Prosecutor at the Court of ...

U.S. in Talks With Iranian Kurdish Groups Over Potential Uprising Against Tehran

This is Beirut, 11:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran USA Israel IranKurds Iraq RegionalWar

The United States has held discussions with Iranian Kurdish armed groups about the possibility of launching attacks against Iranian security forces in the country’s western regions, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks. The discussions, first reported by Reuters and confirmed by several media outlets, come as the U.S.-Israeli ...

Caught in Escalation: Lebanon's Displaced Say They Want Peace

This is Beirut, 10:40 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel

Rockets fired from Hezbollah into Israel triggered Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and nearby villages. As the violence escalated, residents from predominantly Shia neighborhoods fled their homes. Many had a common message: they want peace. By Claudia Groeling and Kaline Antoun

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Claim “Full Control” of Strait of Hormuz as Oil Traffic Plunges

This is Beirut, 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran USA Israel StraitOfHormuz Gulf RegionalWar

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Wednesday that it has taken “full control” of the Strait of Hormuz, the critical maritime chokepoint through which a significant share of the world’s oil supply passes. According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, senior IRGC naval official Mohammad Akbarzadeh said ...

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