This is Beirut 11:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Syria Kurds Kobane SyriaConflict HumanRights Turkey
Turkish authorities have blocked for a second time an aid convoy from reaching the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane that's been overwhelmed by people fleeing fighting, a local NGO said on Wednesday. As the Syrian army and Kurdish forces clash in Syria, Kobane has been inundated by people trying to escape the hostilities. Last week, Turkish ...
This is Beirut 11:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Iran HumanRights WomenRights IranProtests WomenFreedom
Women in Iran can now formally obtain a license to ride a motorcycle, local media reported Wednesday, ending years of legal ambiguity surrounding two-wheelers. The law previously did not explicitly prohibit women from riding motorbikes and scooters, but in practice authorities refused to issue licenses. Due to the legal grey area, women have ...
This is Beirut 09:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday. The drone “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent” and kept flying toward it “despite deescalatory measures taken by ...
This is Beirut 09:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Donald Trump United States USA Washington
Iraq's main candidate for the premiership, Nouri al-Maliki, said Tuesday that withdrawing his candidacy would jeopardise Iraqi sovereignty after US threats and he would only step aside if his electoral bloc asks him to. Last week, US President Donald Trump, in his latest intervention in another country's politics, issued an ultimatum, ...
This is Beirut 09:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Turkey Gulf Israel Palestine Saudi Arabia
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 ...
This is Beirut 03/02 21:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
A US-flagged tanker was approached and challenged on Tuesday by Iranian gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz, before continuing on its way, US Central Command said. CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said two Iranian boats and a drone approached the US-flagged ship M/V Stena Imperative "at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the ...
This is Beirut 03/02 19:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
United States Lebanon Hezbollah Disarmament Reform
Policy experts told the U.S. Congress that dismantling Hezbollah’s malign influence in Lebanon will require leveraging Washington’s support for Beirut to secure measurable progress on the militant group’s disarmament, as well as political and financial reforms, thereby strengthening state sovereignty. On Tuesday, the House Foreign Affairs ...
This is Beirut 03/02 13:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
January 2026 marked a sharp escalation in Israeli military activity in Lebanon, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducting 87 airstrikes, more than double the number recorded in December 2025. It was the most active month since the ceasefire of November 27, 2024, underscoring a shift in operational tempo even as Israel maintains that its ...
This is Beirut 03/02 13:35 - Reading : less than a minute
Intensive diplomatic efforts are taking place between Iran, Qatar, and other countries in the region, Doha's foreign ministry spokesman said Tuesday, after Tehran confirmed talks with the U.S. "I can confirm that efforts are continuing very intensively in these hours and days," foreign ministry ...
Natasha Metni Torbey 03/02 12:45 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Donald Trump Israel Tehran Iran United States Washington
Amid elevated military tensions, the U.S. and Iran are now cautiously opening diplomatic channels, indicating an interest in averting a major conflict with potentially uncontrollable consequences for the region. In recent days, a series of mixed signals—from hawkish statements and regional warnings to indirect exchanges via ...
This is Beirut 03/02 12:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Israel Iran USA Trump NuclearTalks Turkey USIran
Israel is seeking firm assurances from Washington ahead of anticipated U.S.-Iran talks on Friday in Turkey, with Israeli officials signaling that any agreement falling short of dismantling Tehran’s nuclear capabilities would be unacceptable. The issue will be central to meetings in Jerusalem on Tuesday, as U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle ...
This is Beirut 03/02 11:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
IranNuclear Iran USA USIran NuclearTalks
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed on Tuesday that he had ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, after his counterpart Donald Trump threatened "bad things" if no deal is reached. The US leader has talked of military action and sent an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East following anti-government protests in ...