Middle East

U.S. Downs Iran Missiles and Drones, Destroys Six of Tehran's Boats

This is Beirut 04/05 22:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

The United States shot down multiple Iranian missiles and drones fired at U.S. Navy and commercial vessels and destroyed six of Tehran's small boats, a top U.S. admiral said on Monday. The hostilities occurred as American forces sought to facilitate the transit of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz in an effort dubbed "Project ...

Trump Threatens Iran with “Total Destruction” if It Targets U.S. Forces in Hormuz Operation

This is Beirut 04/05 20:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday issued a stark warning to Iran, vowing it would be “blown off the face of the Earth” if it attacks American vessels involved in the ongoing “Project Freedom” operation in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump escalated his rhetoric as tensions deepen around the strategic ...

Lebanese President: “No Turning Back” on Negotiations Track

This is Beirut 04/05 20:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday that Lebanon will not reverse course on ongoing U.S.-backed negotiations with Israel, declaring that diplomacy remains the country’s only viable option amid the ongoing conflict. “There is no turning back from the negotiations track because there is no other choice for us,” Aoun said, ...

Iran Strikes UAE in First Breach of Ceasefire

This is Beirut 04/05 20:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The United Arab Emirates confirmed on Monday that its air defense systems intercepted missiles and drones launched from Iran, marking the first direct attack on the country since the ceasefire took effect on April 8, according to official Emirati statements. The UAE Ministry of Defense announced that four cruise missiles were detected heading ...

Prime Minister Salam: No Retreat on State Authority as Lebanon Moves to Enforce Weapons Monopoly in Beirut

This is Beirut 04/05 18:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared on Monday in a joint press conference with the Lebanese Interior Minister that the government will move forward with enforcing full state control over Beirut, stressing that there will be “no retreat” from the decision to restrict weapons to state institutions. Speaking after a meeting of ...

Seoul Reports 'Explosion and Fire' on S. Korean Ship in Hormuz Strait

This is Beirut 04/05 17:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Seoul said on Monday that an "explosion and fire" had struck a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial Middle Eastern waterway effectively blocked following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. The foreign ministry said that, at around 8:40 pm in Seoul (11:40 GMT), "an explosion and fire occurred on a vessel operated by a South Korean ...

Iran Fires 'Warning Shots' as U.S. Navy Says Its Ships Entered Gulf Via Hormuz

This is Beirut 04/05 17:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Iran's navy fired 'warning shots' at U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, state media said, after the American military sent cruisers into the Gulf as part of a plan to help trapped commercial vessels leave. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had announced a plan to guide ships from neutral countries out of the Gulf, saying it was a ...

U.S. Military: U.S. Destroyers Cross Strait of Hormuz, Enter Gulf

This is Beirut 04/05 17:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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U.S. Navy-guided missile destroyers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf as part of a new mission to restore maritime traffic in the vital waterway, the U.S. military said Monday. The warships "are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom," U.S. Central ...

Iran Foreign Ministry Says U.S. Must 'Abandon its Excessive Demands'

This is Beirut 04/05 12:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that the United States must reduce its demands on the Islamic republic, with negotiations stalled over ending the two-month-long Middle East war. "At this stage, our priority is to end the war," he said in a briefing broadcast by state television. "The other side ...

Hezbollah Signals Openness to Indirect Talks with Israel

This is Beirut 04/05 12:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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In a notable shift in tone, Hezbollah’s Secretary General Naim Qassem signaled for the first time openness to indirect negotiations with Israel, framing diplomacy as a viable path—while firmly rejecting any form of direct talks. “We support diplomacy that stops the aggression and enforces agreements,” Qassem said in a statement on Monday, ...

U.S. Ambassador Issa: Aoun–Trump Meeting Would Not Be a Concession

This is Beirut 04/05 11:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said Monday that a potential meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should not be viewed as a loss or concession for Lebanon. Speaking in a live address, Issa stressed that such a meeting would provide an opportunity for ...

Op-edWhy Iran’s Influence in Lebanon Persists Despite Hezbollah’s Losses

Marwan El Amine 04/05 11:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Israel’s military blows to Hezbollah and its seizure of a strip of territory in southern Lebanon have not changed Tehran’s strategic calculus. The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to regard its influence in Lebanon as a strategic priority, despite the scale of casualties among Lebanon’s Shia population, the waves of displacement, and the ...