Middle East

White House Hosts Second Round of Direct Lebanon-Israel Talks

This is Beirut 02:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel White House Donald Trump Hezbollah

On Thursday afternoon, Secretary of State Marco Rubio convened with Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter in the second round of talks in the first series of direct Lebanon-Israel dialogue since 1993. The talks were planned to take place at the State Department, but prior to the ...

AnalysisBerri Navigates Lebanon’s Ceasefire Opening

Samar El-Kadi 23/04 21:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Ceasefire Amal Donald Trump Ain el-Tineh

A fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire has opened a narrow political window for Lebanon, with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s stance on the talks evolving amid diplomatic contacts with Saudi Arabia. The latest came in a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud hours before a second round of talks with Israel on ...

ExclusiveMajd Harb: 1955 Israel Boycott Law Should Be Repealed Immediately

Kaline Antoun 23/04 20:25 - Reading : less than a minute

Israel

Attorney and Legal Activist Majd Harb told This is Beirut in an exclusive interview that the 1955 Israel Boycott Law should be abolished immediately, arguing it has been misused as a political tool. He said the law is hindering economic development while exposing individuals, including journalists and business professionals, to disproportionate ...

Trump Orders U.S. Navy to Destroy Vessels Laying Mines in Hormuz

This is Beirut 23/04 17:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States USA

President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed the United States would destroy any vessel laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as he ratchets up pressure on Iran to reopen the crucial sea passage. "I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, small boats though they may be... that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait ...

Iran Executes Another 'Political Prisoner,' NGO Says

This is Beirut 23/04 16:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel USA

Iran on Thursday hanged a man convicted of membership in a banned opposition group, the judiciary said, with an NGO describing him as the latest "political prisoner" to be executed in an unprecedented trend. Sultan Ali Shirzadi Fakhr was hanged on charges of membership of the People's Mujahedin (MEK) and "collaboration with the Israeli regime's ...

Severe Injuries to Mojtaba Khamenei, Power Consolidates Among Military Elite: Report

This is Beirut 23/04 15:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

New York

According to a report by The New York Times, decision-making in Iran has narrowed to a small circle of senior military figures following a recent attack that left Mojtaba Khamenei severely wounded and reportedly killed members of his immediate family. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the newspaper said his injuries are more extensive than ...

Israel Expands Precision Strike Capability, $200 Million Deal Awarded to Elbit Systems

This is Beirut 23/04 10:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel

Elbit Systems announced on Thursday that it has been awarded a series of contracts worth approximately $200 million by the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) for the supply of advanced airborne munitions. The contracts, disclosed in an official company statement, cover the delivery of air-launched weapon systems, reinforcing Elbit’s role as a ...

Iran Says Won't Reopen Hormuz as Long as U.S. Blockade Remains

This is Beirut 23/04 08:05 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron Lebanon Amal Gulf

Iran's vow not to reopen the Strait of Hormuz -- so long as a U.S. naval blockade remained in place -- was held into Thursday despite a ceasefire extension, as the Gulf nation announced the seizure of two ships trying to cross the strategic waterway. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said late Wednesday that it had also "directed 31 vessels ...

Al-Akhbar Journalist Killed in Airstrike in Southern Lebanon

This is Beirut 23/04 01:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon South Lebanon Amal Hezbollah Israel

A Lebanese journalist working for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar News was killed in an Israeli airstrike and another was wounded on Wednesday while they were working near the border with Israel, according to their employer and rescuers. The civil defence agency's press office said rescuers were "able to recover the body of martyred journalist ...

AnalysisBeyond Mediation: How Washington Is Recasting Lebanon–Israel Negotiations

Jeremy Brecher 22/04 21:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

United States Lebanon Israel Negotiations Trump

The U.S. is set to mediate a second round of direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials on Thursday as part of the first such series of direct negotiations between the two sides since 1993. These diplomatic engagements come nearly a year and a half after the previous Lebanon-Israel ceasefire framework. In November 2024 under the Biden ...

Iran Hangs Former Nuclear Employee on Spying Charges: NGOs

This is Beirut 22/04 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran HumanRights Israel USA USIranWar IranHumanRights

Iran hanged a man on Wednesday convicted of links to Israel's Mossad spy agency, the judiciary said, with two NGOs based outside the country saying he worked for the Iranian atomic energy organization. The execution of Mehdi Farid was the latest in a number of hangings of high-profile convicts in an accelerating trend that has alarmed rights ...

Iran Says Seized Two Ships Seeking to Cross Strait of Hormuz

This is Beirut 22/04 14:55 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Lebanon Gulf Hezbollah

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday their naval forces had seized two container ships seeking to cross the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, despite US President Donald Trump announcing he was extending a ceasefire to allow more time for peace talks. UK-based maritime security monitors confirmed that three commercial vessels had reported ...