Middle East

Iran Denies Reports of Interim Agreement with U.S., Says Talks Remain Preliminary

This is Beirut 11:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Tehran United States NuclearTalks Trump USIran

Iran on Monday rejected reports suggesting that it has reached an interim agreement with the United States, describing such claims as unfounded and premature. During a weekly press briefing in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed circulating rumors about a provisional deal between Tehran and Washington, saying ...

U.S. Forces to Complete Withdrawal From Syria Within a Month: Three Sources to AFP

This is Beirut 11:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United States

The United States began withdrawing on Monday from a major base in Syria still under the control of Kurdish forces, a Kurdish official who requested anonymity told AFP. An AFP team saw a convoy of dozens of trucks, loaded with armored vehicles and prefabricated structures, on a road linking the Qasrak base in Hasakeh province to the border with ...

Iran May Activate Regional Allies if U.S. Launches Major Strikes

This is Beirut 10:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iran USA Hezbollah Houthis NuclearTalks Trump

Iran could direct allied armed groups to target U.S. interests worldwide if President Donald Trump authorizes large-scale military action against Tehran, according to U.S. and Western officials cited by The New York Times. The newspaper reported that while no specific attack plans have been identified, intelligence services have detected an ...

Iran Reshuffles Command Structure as Nuclear Talks with U.S. Set for Thursday

This is Beirut 09:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Israel Middle East Tehran United States

The next round of talks between the United States and Iran will be Thursday in Geneva, Oman’s foreign minister said Sunday. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said on social media that he was pleased to confirm the development “with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalizing the deal.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas ...

Iraq-Based Kurdish Iranian Parties Unite to Defy Islamic Republic

This is Beirut 09:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Tehran

Several Iraq-based Kurdish-Iranian groups announced on Sunday a political coalition to seek the overthrow of Iran's Islamic republic and ultimately to secure Kurdish self-determination. Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region hosts camps and rear bases operated by several Kurdish-Iranian factions, which have repeatedly faced cross-border strikes from ...

IS Urges Members to Fight Syria's New Government

This is Beirut 22/02 16:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Palestine USA Washington

The Islamic State group on Saturday urged its fighters to confront Syria's new authorities, in its spokesperson's first audio message in two years. In a recording posted online, Abu Huzaifa al-Ansari said IS members in Syria must fight "the new Syrian regime, with its secular government and national army" and "make that ...

Arab, Islamic Blocs Condemn U.S. Ambassador's Remarks on Israel's Right to Mideast Land

This is Beirut 22/02 16:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates USA

Arab and Islamic states condemned on Sunday remarks by US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, after he suggested Israel would be justified in controlling vast tracts of Middle Eastern land on biblical grounds. A joint statement led by the United Arab Emirates and backed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan and others ...

Hamas Official Says Group in Final Stage of Choosing New Chief

This is Beirut 22/02 16:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas Banks Israel Kuwait Palestine

A senior Hamas official told AFP on Sunday that the Palestinian Islamist movement was in the final phase of selecting a new leader, with two prominent figures competing for the position. Hamas recently completed the formation of a new Shura Council, a consultative body largely composed of religious scholars, as well as a new political ...

Student Protests Reported Across Iranian Campuses

This is Beirut 21/02 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Tehran IranProtests HumanRights NuclearTalks

Student-led demonstrations were reported Tuesday at several major Iranian universities, with opposition outlet Iran International documenting protests in Tehran and Mashhad as discontent continues to ripple through academic institutions following last month’s deadly nationwide crackdown. According to the outlet, students at Shahid Beheshti ...

Hezbollah Intensifies Internal Military Meetings Under IRGC Supervision

This is Beirut 21/02 15:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel USA

Hezbollah has ramped up military and security preparations amid fears of a potential Israeli or U.S. strike, with sources telling Al Arabiya and Al Hadath that senior IRGC personnel recently arrived in Lebanon to oversee the buildup. These officers are reportedly holding regular meetings with Hezbollah operatives across Lebanon, offering direct ...

Hezbollah MP Urges Lebanese State to Rethink Security Approach After Deadly Israeli Strikes

This is Beirut 21/02 12:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel IDF RegionalWar

Lebanon’s fragile security situation came back into sharp focus Saturday after Israeli air and naval strikes killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens of others in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, prompting renewed condemnation and government criticism from Hezbollah MPs. Rami Abu Hamdan, a member of parliament affiliated with Hezbollah, ...

Iran and Qatar Discuss U.S. Talks as Tehran Reaffirms Commitment to Diplomacy