Middle East

Israel Prepares for Rapid Return to War with Iran as Talks Collapse

This is Beirut 17:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

The Israeli military has moved to an unprecedented level of combat readiness amid growing expectations that the war with Iran could resume within days, following the collapse of U.S.-Iran negotiations in Pakistan. According to Israeli media reports citing military sources, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has ordered a sweeping escalation in operational ...

Kuwait Says 24 Arrested Over 'Financing of Terror'

This is Beirut 13:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Kuwait has arrested 24 people as part of an investigation into the "financing of terrorist entities," authorities said late Saturday, without revealing who was involved. A security source told AFP that five former Kuwaiti lawmakers were among those detained. Since Iran began attacking Kuwait and other Gulf states last month as part of the Middle ...

Iran's Ex-FM Zarif Blames Talks Failure on U.S. Push to 'Dictate' Terms

This is Beirut 11:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iran's former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who led his country's delegation at 2015 nuclear talks, on Sunday blamed the failure of negotiations to end the Middle East war on U.S. attempts to "dictate" its terms. "No negotiations, at least with Iran, will succeed based on 'our/your terms,'" said Zarif, one of the architects of the ...

U.S. Vice President JD Vance: ‘We Were Unable to Reach an Agreement’ With Iran

This is Beirut 06:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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On Sunday morning, U.S. Vice President JD Vance held a press conference following 21 hours of negotiations with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, announcing that “we were unable to reach an agreement.” He emphasized that “Iran decided not to accept our terms” as U.S. negotiators sought to adhere to the agenda and demands it set ...

Israel PM Slams Erdogan After Comments on Iran Ceasefire

This is Beirut 11/04 23:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply criticised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday after comments he made about the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, vowing that Israel would continue fighting Tehran and its regional proxies. Shortly after the United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire earlier this week, Erdogan warned U.S. ...

Netanyahu Conditions Talks on 'Real Peace Agreement' With Lebanon

This is Beirut 11/04 23:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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In a statement to the press on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s military campaign has reshaped the regional landscape, revealing that Beirut had approached Israel in recent weeks to pursue direct negotiations, something he described as unprecedented. He confirmed approving the talks but set clear conditions, ...

AnalysisProxy, Not Priority: Iran Leaves Hezbollah on the Sidelines

Ralph Atrach 11/04 23:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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As Iran and the U.S. begin negotiations in Islamabad while Israel continues its military campaign in Lebanon, analysts say Tehran is prioritizing its own interests over those of its proxy, Hezbollah. “Iran has its priorities as a state,” political analyst Ali al-Amine told This is Beirut. “Today, its main interest is to avoid a ...

Op-edIran Sacrifices Lebanon on the Altar of Its Own Interests

Marwan El Amine 11/04 22:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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The U.S. and Israel have entered a two-week ceasefire, an arrangement that paves the way for negotiations aimed at resolving a wide range of complex and contentious issues. Yet Lebanon, despite Iran’s rhetoric, appears to remain a marginal concern in the talks for Tehran, which has shown little care for the suffering of Lebanese Shia. Despite ...

Amal Boycotts Hezbollah-Backed Protests Amid Rising Tensions in Lebanon

This is Beirut 11/04 17:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Following a wave of protests by supporters of Hezbollah throughout the week, culminating on Saturday, the Amal Movement announced it would not participate in the demonstrations and urged its supporters to boycott them. In a statement, Amal warned that insults directed at state leadership risk fueling internal unrest, stressing that political ...

Hezbollah-Linked Cell Foiled in Damascus Plot Targeting Religious Figure

This is Beirut 11/04 14:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Syrian authorities said Saturday they foiled a planned attack in Damascus, arresting a five-member cell allegedly linked to Hezbollah that was preparing to target a religious figure near a church in the capital. In a statement, the Syrian Interior Ministry said its Counter-Terrorism Department, in coordination with security forces in the ...

Vance Arrives in Pakistan for Iran Talks

This is Beirut 11/04 12:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Islamabad on Saturday for talks with Iran that the Pakistani premier hosting the warring sides called a "make or break" effort to permanently halt weeks of fighting in the Middle East. An Iranian delegation led by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is also in the city, having arrived ...

Iran Delegation Arrives in Pakistan Capital Ahead of U.S. Talks

This is Beirut 11/04 01:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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A delegation of top Iranian officials has arrived in Islamabad ahead of ceasefire talks with the United States in the Pakistani capital, Iranian state television reported Friday. The delegation was led by Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other security and economic officials, ...