israel

Israeli Drone Strike Kills Three in Southern Lebanon

Israel struck a vehicle in the southern town of Yanouh, in the district of Tyre on Monday. Shortly after the strike, the Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said the operation targeted a Hezbollah member in southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s state-run news agency (National News Agency) said the raid resulted in the death of ...

Iran FM: U.S.-Iran Talks Held In a “Very Positive Atmosphere”

Iran and the United States held indirect, high-level talks in Oman on Friday over Tehran’s nuclear program, in their first such encounter since the June Israel-Iran war, amid sharp disagreements over the agenda and growing fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks were held in a “very ...

NYT: Satellite Imagery Shows Iran Repaired Missile Sites Hit in 12-Day War

The New York Times reported on Friday that satellite imagery suggests Iran has rapidly repaired several ballistic missile facilities damaged during last year’s 12-day war, but has made only limited fixes to major nuclear sites struck by Israel and the United States. The report suggests that the regime's immediate priority is a working ...

The Council of the South: Hezbollah and Amal’s Tool for Clientelism

The Council of the South was intended to be one of the Lebanese state’s key mechanisms for addressing the damage from wars with Israel, but it effectively became a partisan tool serving the Amal Movement and Hezbollah. It was established in 1970 primarily to help residents of southern Lebanon repair their homes and rebuild what had been ...

Turkey Arrests Two on Charges of Spying for Israel

Turkish intelligence has arrested two people on suspicion of spying for Israel's Mossad and providing information that helped the spy agency target its enemies, state news agency Anadolu reported Friday. Security sources said Mehmet Budak Derya and Veysel Kerimoglu had been arrested in Istanbul, saying they had long been on the radar of ...

Iran–U.S. Talks Begin in Oman as Tehran Warns Against “Excessive Demands”

Iran and the United States began talks on Friday in Oman, with discussions limited to Iran’s nuclear programme, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing a source described as knowledgeable about Middle East affairs. The source said Washington accepted Iran’s conditions after mediation by regional countries, including Qatar, ...

Aoun Orders Inquiry Into Israel’s Spraying of Unknown Substance in South Lebanon

President Joseph Aoun instructed the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday to investigate Israel’s spraying of an unknown substance on southern Lebanese land to document the violations for international bodies.  He declared that “these dangerous practices…require the international community and relevant United ...

Turkey's Erdogan Visits Saudi as Ties Between Former Rivals Warm

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Riyadh on Tuesday in his first visit in more than two years, as ties warm between Saudi Arabia and its rival-turned-ally. Ankara hopes to "finalise negotiations towards a free trade agreement between Turkey and the member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)", the Turkish presidency said. "The two ...

Hezbollah’s Qassem Rejects State Authority, Frames Conflict as Existential Battle

Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem on Tuesday adopted a defiant tone toward Lebanese officials and state institutions, rejecting any internal pressure on the group and reaffirming Hezbollah’s commitment to armed confrontation, while framing regional tensions as an existential battle against what he described as American and Israeli ...