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 ...
This is Beirut 03/02 11:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
HumanRights IranProtests Iran Protests
Iranian authorities arrested 139 foreign nationals in central parts of the country during recent anti-government protests, local media reported Tuesday. Iran's Tasnim news agency quoted the police chief in the city of Yazd as saying those arrested were involved "in organising, inciting and directing riotous actions, and in some cases were in ...
This is Beirut 03/02 10:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Israel USA Trump Iran Netanyahu NuclearDeal
The United States and Iran are set to resume nuclear talks on Friday in Turkey, officials from both sides told Reuters, as President Donald Trump warned that “bad things” would likely happen if negotiations fail, with U.S. warships moving closer to Iran amid heightened regional tensions. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign ...
This is Beirut 03/02 09:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Ukraine European Union Kyiv Tehran Volodymyr Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Monday that Ukraine has formally designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, describing the decision as final. He said the European Union has effectively agreed to take the same step, with procedural processes currently underway. “All ...
This is Beirut 03/02 09:20 - Reading : less than a minute
United Arab Emirates United States
Iran needs to reach a deal with the United States, a senior United Arab Emirates official said on Tuesday, ahead of talks between the two sides after repeated threats of American military action. "Iran today needs to reach a deal," presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said during the World Governments Summit in Dubai, adding that Iran ...
Hussain Abdul-Hussain 03/02 09:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Middle East Lebanon Bahrain Damascus Gulf
The Middle East has finally arrived at the grim reckoning long barreling toward it: a ruinous collapse of oil revenues that renders government deficits utterly unsustainable. Among the wealthy Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, four are running persistent annual budget deficits that are eroding their sovereign wealth reserves and plunging ...