middle east

Stabilization in the Middle East: Necessary, but Not Sufficient

Michel Touma, 12/05 12:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Middle East Donald Trump Hamas Hezbollah Houthi

The Lebanese are understandably focused on the upcoming municipal elections, but they remain deeply unsettled by regional developments. As the situation evolves, it often feels as though little changes. Today, the primary concern is the ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran, and, more critically, the fate of various Iranian proxies ...

Beirut 1945: De Gaulle Is Near

Moncef Ait-Kaci, 09/05 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Europe Middle East United States

Before becoming the leader of Free France, the founder of the Fifth Republic or the symbolic figure of Gaullism, Charles de Gaulle was an officer stationed in the Levant, where he lived, commanded, observed. Lebanon always held a special place in his worldview—a relationship shaped by history, war and a certain idea of France. Between 1929 and ...

What Trump’s 'Good News' Could Mean for the Middle East

Salam El Zaatari, 08/05 09:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump United States Middle East

Don't listen to what he says if you want to understand how foreign policy works under Donald Trump in 2025. Watch who gets fired, what trip doesn’t happen, and where the “very good news” is going to land. Because when President Trump teased an “earth-shattering” announcement ahead of his May 13 Middle East visit—skipping Israel in ...

Trump Says Will Make 'Very, Very Big Announcement' Before Mideast Trip

This is Beirut, 06/05 21:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States Middle East

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday teased that he will make a major announcement ahead of his trip next week to the Middle East, without revealing what it would be. "We're going to have a very, very big announcement to make. Like, as big as it gets, and I won't tell you on what. And it's very positive," Trump said in the Oval Office. "It'll be ...

Witkoff: 'Further Progress Expected on Abraham Accords'

This is Beirut, 06/05 14:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Donald Trump Bahrain Israel Middle East Palestine

US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced that several major declarations concerning the expansion of the Abraham Accords are expected “very soon,” just days before Trump embarks on a high-stakes diplomatic tour of the region. Scheduled for May 13-16, Trump’s visit will include stops in Saudi Arabia, the ...

Regional Messaging Between Israel and Iran

Johnny Kortbawi, 29/04 13:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel Donald Trump Hezbollah Middle East Lebanon

The hands of the clock have frozen in the Middle East as the region waits out the deadline set by US President Donald Trump and his administration to conclude negotiations with Iran—before a potential military escalation that would decisively tip the balance in Israel’s favor. But everything unfolding in the region during this lull amounts to ...

Iranian Nuclear Talks: Improbable Peace, Unlikely Agreement?

This is Beirut, 28/04 17:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Israel Middle East Tehran

In April, negotiations between the United States and Iran on the Iranian nuclear program took a notable step forward, with three rounds of talks mediated by Oman. The goal of these discussions is to limit Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for a partial lifting of the economic sanctions imposed by Washington. The third round of talks took ...

Geopolitical Variations and Political Challenges

Charles Chartouni, 28/04 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Pope Francis Donald Trump Hezbollah Middle East Iran Israel

The past week was replete with events that cannot be overlooked if we are to address critical conflicts around the world: the death of Pope Francis and its reverberations ; the evolutions of the Ukraine war ; the ultimate scope of the US-Iranian negotiations; the shifting facades of Turkey’s Islamic authoritarianism; and the normalization ...

Conflicts spur 'unprecedented' rise in military spending

This is Beirut, 28/04 08:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Europe Israel Middle East Palestine Ukraine

Worldwide military expenditure saw its steepest rise in 2024 since the end of the Cold War, reaching $2.7 trillion as wars and rising tensions drove up spending, researchers said Monday. Military spending rose worldwide with particularly large increases in Europe and the Middle East, according to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace ...

Servant of the World: The Heavy Mantle Facing the Next Pope

Marie de La Roche Saint-André, 24/04 21:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Pope Francis Banks Europe Middle East

Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, a conclave is set to convene in early May to elect his successor as the leader of the Catholic Church. The 267th pope will face formidable challenges in continuing the mission of this 2,000-year-old institution and spreading the message of Jesus. This responsibility is particularly daunting in a ...

Gold: The Unsteady Safe Haven

Christiane Tager, 24/04 15:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Middle East

  Christiane Tager   Since the beginning of the year, gold has been on a rollercoaster ride, swinging between sharp rallies and sudden pullbacks. On April 22, gold soared more than 2% in a single day—only to face an unexpected correction less than 24 hours later. This dramatic back-and-forth raises a pressing question: what’s happening in ...

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