This is Beirut

Israel Strikes Key Iranian Naval Facility as U.S. Considers Troop Buildup in Middle East

This is Beirut, 12:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Israel on Friday struck a key Iranian naval weapons facility, escalating Middle East tensions as the United States weighs a major troop buildup in the region. The Israeli military announced that it has carried out a major airstrike targeting what it described as Iran’s most central facility for the production of naval missiles and sea ...

Lebanon Expels Iran’s Envoy, but the IRGC Still Looms Large

Marwan El Amine, 11:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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While Lebanese authorities’ decision to expel Iran’s envoy to the country marks a significant attempt to restore state sovereignty and redefine the bounds of ties between Tehran and Beirut, its practical impact on the ground remains limited. Beirut’s move comes amid an escalating war between Israel and Hezbollah that has underscored the ...

Lebanon’s Paralysis, Hezbollah’s Impunity, and a War Without Exit

Amal Chmouny, 10:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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Hopes for a swift end to Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon have all but faded, as Jerusalem signals it is preparing to establish a buffer zone up to the Litani River until Hezbollah is no longer a threat. At the same time, U.S. policymakers privately acknowledge that de-escalation is not possible without a fundamental shift within Lebanon ...

Israel Political Unity on Iran War Fractures, Opposition Warns of 'Security Disaster'

This is Beirut, 04:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Israel's opposition on Thursday signalled an end to the political consensus over the war against Iran — a conflict the military now says requires far more combat troops, particularly on the Lebanese front. "I want to warn the citizens of Israel. We are facing another security disaster," the country's main opposition leader and head of the ...

Hamas Operates Under Hezbollah Tutelage in Lebanon, Documents Reveal

This is Beirut, 26/03 18:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The IDF released a cache of Hamas internal documents found in the Gaza Strip, giving formal proof that Hamas operates under Hezbollah supervision in Lebanon. The documents, dated to the period prior to Hamas’s October 7th terror attacks, show that Hezbollah agreed to assist the group with “equipment, training, and facilities" and that Hamas ...

Lebanon to Appeal to the UN Security Council Over Israeli Attacks

This is Beirut, 26/03 18:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The Lebanese government has decided to “immediately” appeal to the UN Security Council over Israeli actions that “threaten Lebanon’s sovereignty,” its spokesperson announced Thursday, as Israel says it intends to intensify its military campaign against Hezbollah. Following a cabinet meeting, Information Minister Paul Morcos said the ...

Hezbollah Boycotts Cabinet Session Over Iran Ambassador Expulsion

This is Beirut, 26/03 17:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Ministers from Hezbollah and its ally Amal boycotted Lebanon's cabinet session on Thursday in protest after the government declared the Iranian ambassador persona non grata, a Lebanese official told AFP. The two Shia parties have a combined four ministers, while one independent Shia minister was instead present at the meeting, the official said, ...

What is Israel’s Invasion Calculus in Lebanon?

Jeremy Brecher, 26/03 16:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Israel appears poised to dramatically expand its invasion in southern Lebanon, with troops pushing deeper into the country as officials increasingly adopt rhetoric about establishing a buffer zone. On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told local officials in northern Israel that the military was working to expand a “security ...

Oil Jumps, Stocks Drop on Uncertainty Over U.S.-Iran Talks

This is Beirut, 26/03 14:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Oil prices jumped and equities slid Thursday as hopes for a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran wavered after Tehran rejected Washington's bid to wind down the nearly four-week war. Markets had been buoyed this week by U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that strikes targeting Iran's energy infrastructure would be postponed, adding that ...

Israel Kills IRGC Navy Commander in Precision Airstrike

This is Beirut, 26/03 13:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Thursday that an Israeli airstrike killed Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ navy. “Last night, in a precise and lethal operation, the IDF eliminated the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ navy, Tangsiri, along with senior officers of the ...

Turkey Relays Messages Between Washington and Tehran

This is Beirut, 26/03 11:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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A senior official in the party of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday that Turkey is relaying messages between the United States and Iran, as efforts intensify behind the scenes to contain a widening regional war. Harun Armagan, deputy head of foreign affairs in the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), confirmed that Ankara ...

IDF Soldier Killed in Lebanon Gunfight as Hostilities Increase

This is Beirut, 26/03 10:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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An Israeli soldier, Staff Sergeant Ori Greenberg of the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, was killed during a gunfight in southern Lebanon, while four additional IDF troops were injured by Hezbollah mortar fire and another soldier was wounded in a separate incident, according to The Times of Israel. Meanwhile, tensions escalated further as ...

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