Middle East

Prime Minister Salam: No Retreat on State Authority as Lebanon Moves to Enforce Weapons Monopoly in Beirut

This is Beirut 18:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared on Monday in a joint press conference with the Lebanese Interior Minister that the government will move forward with enforcing full state control over Beirut, stressing that there will be “no retreat” from the decision to restrict weapons to state institutions. Speaking after a meeting of ...

Seoul Reports 'Explosion and Fire' on S. Korean Ship in Hormuz Strait

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

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Seoul said on Monday that an "explosion and fire" had struck a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial Middle Eastern waterway effectively blocked following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. The foreign ministry said that, at around 8:40 pm in Seoul (11:40 GMT), "an explosion and fire occurred on a vessel operated by a South Korean ...

Iran Fires 'Warning Shots' as U.S. Navy Says Its Ships Entered Gulf Via Hormuz

This is Beirut 17:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Iran's navy fired 'warning shots' at U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, state media said, after the American military sent cruisers into the Gulf as part of a plan to help trapped commercial vessels leave. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had announced a plan to guide ships from neutral countries out of the Gulf, saying it was a ...

U.S. Military: U.S. Destroyers Cross Strait of Hormuz, Enter Gulf

This is Beirut 17:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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U.S. Navy-guided missile destroyers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf as part of a new mission to restore maritime traffic in the vital waterway, the U.S. military said Monday. The warships "are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom," U.S. Central ...

Iran Foreign Ministry Says U.S. Must 'Abandon its Excessive Demands'

This is Beirut 12:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that the United States must reduce its demands on the Islamic republic, with negotiations stalled over ending the two-month-long Middle East war. "At this stage, our priority is to end the war," he said in a briefing broadcast by state television. "The other side ...

Hezbollah Signals Openness to Indirect Talks with Israel

This is Beirut 12:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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In a notable shift in tone, Hezbollah’s Secretary General Naim Qassem signaled for the first time openness to indirect negotiations with Israel, framing diplomacy as a viable path—while firmly rejecting any form of direct talks. “We support diplomacy that stops the aggression and enforces agreements,” Qassem said in a statement on Monday, ...

U.S. Ambassador Issa: Aoun–Trump Meeting Would Not Be a Concession

This is Beirut 11:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said Monday that a potential meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should not be viewed as a loss or concession for Lebanon. Speaking in a live address, Issa stressed that such a meeting would provide an opportunity for ...

Op-edWhy Iran’s Influence in Lebanon Persists Despite Hezbollah’s Losses

Marwan El Amine 11:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Israel’s military blows to Hezbollah and its seizure of a strip of territory in southern Lebanon have not changed Tehran’s strategic calculus. The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to regard its influence in Lebanon as a strategic priority, despite the scale of casualties among Lebanon’s Shia population, the waves of displacement, and the ...

Tanker Hit by 'Unknown Projectiles' off UAE Coast: UK Maritime Agency

This is Beirut 04:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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A tanker was hit by unidentified projectiles off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, a British maritime agency reported Monday, as the United States said it would escort ships through the blocked Strait of Hormuz. "A tanker has reported being hit by unknown projectiles," the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, ...

Israel Expands Air Power with F-35I and F-15IA Deal Following Lessons from Iran Conflict

This is Beirut 03/05 23:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Israel has approved the acquisition of two additional fighter jet squadrons from the United States. The deal includes a fourth squadron of F-35I stealth fighters and a second squadron of F-15IA strike aircraft, both supplied by U.S. defense manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The announcement, made by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, ...

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: “We Are Strangling the Regime”

This is Beirut 03/05 19:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Sunday that Washington has intensified its crackdown on all entities attempting to financially support Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He stressed that the United States is “strangling the Iranian regime” economically, claiming that Tehran is now struggling to pay its ...

ExclusiveArab Christians in Israel Invite Lebanese to Holy Sites, Call for Peace

Selena Ryan 03/05 18:10 - Reading : less than a minute

Israel

Across Haifa, Bethlehem, and Nazareth, Christians describe unrestricted worship, extend invitations to Lebanese visitors, and voice hopes for lasting peace between the two countries.