War in the Middle East

AnalysisIsrael Strikes Litani Bridges to Pressure Lebanese Government

Ian Stettner 01/04 15:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Israel Lebanon Lebanese Army Hezbollah USA

As Israel presses its ground invasion of south Lebanon, it has destroyed several bridges spanning the Litani River, saying Hezbollah was using the crossings for military purposes. Analysts told This Is Beirut that the strikes also form part of a broader pressure campaign on the Lebanese state. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the bridges ...

Stocks Rally, Oil Dives as Trump Says War to End 'Very Soon'

This is Beirut 01/04 11:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Benjamin Netanyahu Gulf Israel

Equities rallied and oil tumbled Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said the Middle East war would be over in up to three weeks and his Iranian counterpart said Tehran had "the necessary will" to bring it to an end. The remarks came as the economic impact of the conflict worsens, with average US gasoline prices topping $4 a gallon for the ...

Iran FM Says Not Responded to U.S. Plan, 'No Negotiations'

This is Beirut 01/04 10:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA Israel Tehran Turkey United States

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there were no negotiations with the United States and that Tehran had not responded to a reported 15-point proposal from Washington to end the war. "We receive messages from the American side, some direct and some through our friends in the region, and whenever necessary we respond to these messages," ...

Iranian Missile Barrage Hits Israel, Reports Indicate Use of Cluster Munitions

This is Beirut 01/04 09:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel

Israel reported renewed missile launches from Iran on Wednesday targeting central and northern areas, causing multiple casualties and damage across several sites, with reports indicating the possible use of cluster munitions that pose long-term risks to civilians. The military stated it had “identified missiles launched from Iran toward the ...

U.S. Defense Secretary Warns of Intensified Strikes Against Iran

This is Beirut 31/03 17:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Hezbollah Israel Tehran

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held a press conference Tuesday at the Pentagon alongside Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, providing an update on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran. Hegseth described the campaign as a “laser-focused, maximum authority mission” employing overwhelming ...

Israeli Forces Will Occupy Swathe of South Lebanon After War: Defense Minister

This is Beirut 31/03 15:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Middle East south buffer zone

Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday said Israel's military would occupy a swathe of southern Lebanon even after the end of the current war against the Hezbollah armed group. "At the end of the operation, the IDF will establish itself in a security zone inside Lebanon, on a defensive line against anti-tank missiles, and will maintain security ...

Army Withdrawal Sparks Anxiety in Southern Border Villages

This is Beirut 31/03 14:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Lebanese Army USA

Residents of the predominantly Christian southern villages of Rmeish, Debel, and Ain Ebel are experiencing growing anxiety following the sudden withdrawal of security forces and the closure of local police stations on Tuesday, according to local officials and community leaders. Concerns intensified after units of the Lebanese Army redeployed from ...

Iran Executes Two More Convicted of Links to Banned Opposition

This is Beirut 31/03 09:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

European Union Israel Tehran United States US Supreme Court

Iran executed two men on Tuesday convicted of membership in a banned opposition group and plotting to overthrow the Islamic republic, the judiciary said, a day after two others were hanged on similar charges. "Babak Alipour and Pouya Ghobadi... were executed by hanging on Tuesday after legal procedures were completed and their sentences ...

Leavitt Says U.S. Talks with 'More Rational' Iranians are Ongoing

This is Beirut 30/03 21:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Donald Trump White House

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke on the status of U.S. operations in Iran in a press conference on Monday She said that talks with Iranians are ongoing and making good progress. Remnants of the regime are inclined to negotiate. The U.S. is currently speaking with “more rational” Iranians to reach an ...

Israel Maintains High Pressure in West Bank Amid Iran War

This is Beirut 30/03 19:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Banks Israel West Bank

As war with Iran and its proxies touches most of the region, Israel maintains pressure in the West Bank as violence mounts, while the Knesset approved a bill setting the death penalty on charges of deadly acts of terrorism. On Monday, 2 Palestinians in the West Bank were killed by Israeli soldiers in separate incidents, according to ...

Iran Says Not Seeking Nuclear Weapons but Non-Proliferation Treaty Under Review

This is Beirut 30/03 14:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Tehran

Iran said on Monday it was not seeking nuclear weapons but the issue of whether to remain part of the non-proliferation treaty was under review in parliament. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has never sought and does not seek nuclear weapons," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a weekly press briefing. "Regarding membership in this ...

Iran Confirms Death of IRGC Navy Commander Following Israeli Airstrike

This is Beirut 30/03 11:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Gulf Israel United States

Iran confirmed on Monday that Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ navy (IRGCN), had been killed, days after Israel announced it had targeted him in an airstrike. A statement published by the Guards’ Sepah News website said Tangsiri “succumbed to severe injuries” from the attack, according to AFP. Israeli ...