Middle East

CENTCOM says U.S. Forces Disabled Iranian-Flagged Tankers in Gulf of Oman Blockade Enforcement

This is Beirut 17:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced U.S. forces disabled multiple Iranian-flagged oil tankers this week as part of ongoing blockade enforcement measures aimed at preventing vessels from entering Iranian ports via the Gulf of Oman. In a statement, CENTCOM said the operation targeted the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda on May 8, as both vessels ...

Rubio: Lebanese State Must Be Empowered to Confront Hezbollah

This is Beirut 15:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered sharp remarks from Rome on Friday, accusing Hezbollah of acting as an Iranian proxy and stressing that Washington’s priority is strengthening the Lebanese state rather than engaging with the group. Rubio said Washington will not negotiate with Hezbollah, describing the group as “an Iranian ...

Saudi Bases Open to U.S. Despite Hormuz Operation Disagreement

This is Beirut 15:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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U.S. forces have access to Saudi airspace and bases despite being told not to use them for the now suspended operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, two Saudi sources told AFP on Friday. Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a pause in the two-day-old "Project Freedom" to guide ships through the Strait after a flare-up with ...

Iranian Attacks on UAE Continue Amid Hormuz Crisis

This is Beirut 15:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The United Arab Emirates said Friday that Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting the country injured three people, marking another serious escalation despite the ceasefire that took effect last month between Iran, the United States, and Israel. In a statement posted on X, the UAE Ministry of Defense said its air defense systems intercepted ...

Iran Creates Agency to Collect Strait of Hormuz Tolls: Shipping Journal

This is Beirut 14:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iran has created an authority to approve transit through the Strait of Hormuz and to collect tolls from vessels, a shipping journal said Friday, even as Washington pushed for a deal to reopen the strategic waterway that Tehran has closed. "The Persian Gulf Strait Authority has already introduced a new framework requiring ships to obtain transit ...

Gulf Clash Threatens Hopes for Quick U.S.-Iran Deal

This is Beirut 13:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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A new clash between U.S. and Iranian forces in the Gulf dented optimism for a negotiated peace Friday, despite President Donald Trump insisting a shaky truce was still holding while the sides inch towards a deal. U.S. Central Command said Iranian forces had launched missiles, drones, and small boats at three U.S. warships overnight but that none ...

U.S. Expands Massive Arms Package to Israel and Gulf States

This is Beirut 12:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved $25.8 billion in missile interceptors and other weapons sales to Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates last week, according to a Bloomberg report, significantly expanding a package that Washington had publicly described days earlier as worth roughly $8.6 billion. The sales ...

U.S. Awaits Iran Response to Latest Deal Offer

This is Beirut 07/05 18:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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The United States was waiting on Thursday for Iran to respond to its latest proposed deal to end the war in the Middle East and to reopen the key shipping lane out of the Gulf. Oil prices tumbled five percent after U.S. President Donald Trump said once again that an agreement could be near after positive talks and Iran said it would pass on its ...

U.S. Sanctions Iraqi Oil Officials and Iran-Linked Militias in Major Crackdown

This is Beirut 07/05 17:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The United States Treasury Department announced sweeping new sanctions targeting Iraqi oil officials and Iran-backed militias accused of exploiting Iraq’s oil sector to finance armed groups aligned with Tehran. At the center of the measures is Ali Maarij Al-Bahadly, Iraq’s Deputy Minister of Oil. In the press release, the department accuses ...

Senior Hezbollah Commander Killed in Israeli Strikes in Beirut Suburbs: Source Close to Group

This is Beirut 06/05 23:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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A senior commander from Hezbollah's elite force was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday, the first on the area in nearly a month, a source close to the group said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military had targeted "the commander of Hezbollah's Radwan force". The source close to Hezbollah ...

U.S. Says Warplane Disabled Ship that Tried to Break Iran Port Blockade

This is Beirut 06/05 20:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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A U.S. Navy warplane fired on and disabled the rudder of an oil tanker that tried to break Washington's blockade of Iranian ports, the U.S. military said on Wednesday. It is the second time the U.S. military has fired on a ship it said was attempting to violate the blockade, which has been in place since April 13. U.S. forces warned the ...

Israel Strikes Beirut’s Southern Suburbs for First Time Since Ceasefire

This is Beirut 06/05 20:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Israel carried out a strike Wednesday night on Beirut’s southern suburbs, marking the first attack on the Dahiyeh since the ceasefire that came into effect on April 17 and was later extended under U.S.-backed mediation efforts. The strike targeted a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, according to a joint statement issued by ...