Middle East

AnalysisIran at the Edge: Uprising, Exhaustion, and the Fate of the Islamic Republic

Salam El Zaatari 08/01 23:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran Protests Tehran Donald Trump United States Pezeshkian

Amid growing protests, Iran’s rulers face one of their most dangerous moments since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with the pillars that have long sustained the regime now visibly cracking. Protests that erupted in late December 2025 over imploded living conditions have evolved into a nationwide revolt against the ruling system itself, fueled by ...

Trump Says US Will Hit Iran 'Very Hard' if Protesters Are Killed

This is Beirut 08/01 22:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to take severe action against Iran if its authorities "start killing people" who are protesting in the country, where an economic crisis has led to mounting civil unrest, according to AFP. "I have let them know that if they start killing people, which they tend to do during ...

Aleppo Clashes Between Syria Govt, Kurdish Forces Rage into Third Night

This is Beirut 08/01 22:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Damascus European Union Israel Turkey United States

Clashes between Syrian government and Kurdish forces in Aleppo raged into the night Thursday on the third day of fighting, as Syrian Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi warned the violence undermined talks with Damascus. Global Response Washington's special envoy to Syria on Thursday issued an "urgent appeal" to the Syrian government and ...

Syria Tells Civilians to Leave Aleppo's Kurdish Areas

This is Beirut 08/01 13:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus Israel Turkey United Nations Syria

Syria's military warned civilians in two besieged Kurdish neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo to leave on Thursday, as it prepared to conduct a fresh wave of strikes targeting Kurdish positions. Thousands have already fled the area following clashes between the army and Kurdish-led forces that have killed more than a dozen people. The violence ...

LAF Completes First Phase of Weapons Plan, Israel Deems Efforts “Insufficient”

This is Beirut 08/01 08:50 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanese Army Israel Lebanon LAF Hezbollah

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) announced on Thursday the official end of the first phase of the weapons control plan, which aimed to bring all weapons south of the Litani River under state control by the end of 2025. According to the statement, the first phase focused on “expanding the Army’s operational presence, securing vital areas, ...

Syria Settles Status of Top Businessman Under Assad

This is Beirut 08/01 08:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus European Union US Treasury USA

Syrian authorities said Wednesday they had reached a settlement with Mohammad Hamsho, a prominent businessman accused of ties to Bashar al-Assad's rule and of profiting from the country's war, their first such announcement since taking power. Two sources told AFP that Hamsho, a former lawmaker, had benefited from links to Qatar, a key ...

Iraq-Based Kurdish Opposition Calls for Strike in Iran

This is Beirut 08/01 08:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Tehran

Several Iraq-based Iranian Kurdish opposition parties have called for a general strike on Thursday in Iran in support of the protests in the Islamic republic, one of the exiled parties told AFP. The protests began on December 28 when shopkeepers in Tehran staged a strike over high prices and economic stagnation, but they have since spread to ...

Iran Police Officer Killed in Stabbing During Unrest Near Tehran: Local Media

This is Beirut 08/01 08:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Tehran

An Iranian police officer was killed in a stabbing during unrest near the capital, local media reported on Thursday, as protests over the cost of living in the country entered a 12th day. Shahin Dehghan, a member of the police force in Malard county west of Tehran, "was martyred a few hours ago after being stabbed during efforts to control ...

Yemen Separatist Leader Fled to UAE: Saudi-Led Coalition

This is Beirut 08/01 08:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United Arab Emirates

Yemen's separatist leader Aidaros Alzubidi has fled to the United Arab Emirates, the Saudi-led coalition said on Thursday, after an attempt to seize swathes of territory and move towards independence. Alzubidi was accused of high treason and removed from Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council on Wednesday, while the coalition bombed his ...

Israeli Media: Trump Gives Netanyahu ‘Green Light’ for War Against Hezbollah

This is Beirut 07/01 21:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Hezbollah Lebanon Washington

Israel’s public broadcaster reported Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told senior ministers he had received an American “green light” to carry out a military operation in Lebanon, amid a sharp uptick in Israeli strikes and renewed diplomatic pressure on Beirut to accelerate steps aimed at curbing Hezbollah’s ...

Hamas Says Search Resumes for Last Israeli Hostage Body in Gaza

This is Beirut 07/01 15:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Palestine

Hamas officials told AFP that search operations for the remains of the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza resumed on Wednesday after a two-week pause due to bad weather. Israel has previously said it is awaiting the return of Ran Gvili's body before beginning talks on the second phase of the fragile ceasefire agreement with Hamas which came ...

Aleppo Shuts Down As Clashes Between Syrian Government And Kurdish Forces Intensify

This is Beirut 07/01 11:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Aleppo Kurds Syria

Schools and public institutions were shut in north Syria's Aleppo on Wednesday, as sporadic clashes between government troops and Kurdish-led forces continued into their second day, according to state media. Tuesday's clashes, which killed nine people, were the worst between the two sides, who have so far failed to implement a March deal ...