Middle East

Khamenei Orders Iran’s Enriched Uranium Stockpile to Remain Inside Country: Report

This is Beirut 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a directive that the country’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remain inside Iran, according to two senior Iranian sources cited by Reuters on Wednesday. The directive directly challenges one of the key American and Israeli demands in the talks: the removal of Iran’s ...

Iran Media Say Mediator Pakistan's Army Chief Due in Tehran

This is Beirut 10:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iranian media reported that Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir was due in Tehran on Thursday, with Islamabad mediating as Iran examines the latest US proposal to end the Middle East war. Iran's ISNA news agency said Munir's visit was aimed at continuing "talks and consultations" with Iranian authorities, but did ...

Lebanon Pursuing State “Free From Illegal Weapons,” Foreign Minister Says Amid Talks With Israel

This is Beirut 20/05 18:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said Wednesday that Lebanon had taken what he described as a “courageous decision” to enter direct negotiations with Israel in pursuit of a permanent ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, and the establishment of a state “free from occupation and illegal weapons.” The remarks, ...

UAE Urges Iraq to Prevent Attacks Launched From Its Territory 'Immediately'

This is Beirut 20/05 18:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The UAE demanded on Wednesday that Iraq "immediately" prevent further attacks from its territory, following an accusation by Abu Dhabi that a drone targeting a nuclear plant was launched from there. The foreign ministry, in a statement, called on "Iraq to prevent all hostile acts originating from its territory urgently and without ...

Iran Claims U.S. Seeking to ‘Start a New Round of War’ and Threatens ‘Forceful Response’

This is Beirut 20/05 17:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Iran accused the United States on Wednesday of seeking to reignite the regional war, after President Donald Trump renewed threats of military action against Tehran while Washington continues tightening its naval blockade around Iranian shipping routes. The escalation came as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it had forced 90 commercial ...

Iran Guards Say Allowed 26 Ships to Transit Hormuz Since Tuesday

This is Beirut 20/05 16:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy on Wednesday said they allowed over 25 vessels, including oil tankers, to transit the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours. Iran has largely blocked shipping through the strait, a vital global energy conduit, since the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel on February 28. Iran, which has been under ...

NATO Considers Securing Hormuz Shipping Routes

This is Beirut 20/05 09:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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As tensions continue to disrupt global shipping lanes, NATO is weighing the possibility of escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should the strategic waterway remain blocked beyond early July, according to a senior NATO official cited by Bloomberg. The issue is expected to dominate discussions during a meeting of NATO leaders ...

U.S. Signals Readiness for New Military Action Against Iran While Leaving Door Open for Diplomacy

This is Beirut 19/05 21:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States was “one hour away” from launching strikes on Iran on Monday before deciding to delay military action to allow more time for negotiations. Speaking during a White House press briefing alongside Vice President JD Vance, Trump revealed that several Gulf countries had contacted ...

U.S. Tightens Economic Grip on Iran With Sanctions Surge and Global Security Push

This is Beirut 19/05 18:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The United States on Monday announced new sanctions targeting Iranian financial intermediaries, exchange houses, and maritime assets, as part of an intensified effort to disrupt what Washington describes as Tehran’s “shadow financial system” used to fund regional operations and evade international restrictions. According to a statement by ...

Lebanese Parliamentary Committees Approve Amendments to Controversial General Amnesty Law

This is Beirut 19/05 17:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Lebanon’s joint parliamentary committees on Tuesday approved amendments to a long-debated draft general amnesty law. Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri called for a plenary legislative session on Thursday, May 21, to review the amended draft. Under the amendments, death sentences would be commuted to 28 years in prison, life sentences reduced ...

U.S. Treasury Secretary Calls for Global Crackdown on Terror Financing

This is Beirut 19/05 16:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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On Tuesday at the “No Money for Terror” conference in Paris, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called for stronger international coordination against terrorist financing networks, particularly those linked to Iran. Speaking on behalf of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Bessent argued that economic sanctions are ...

Oil Prices Retreat as Trump Delays Iran Strike Amid Diplomatic Push

This is Beirut 19/05 15:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Global oil prices fell on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he had postponed a planned military strike on Iran, opting instead to give diplomacy another chance in an effort to end the escalating conflict in the Middle East. In a statement posted on social media Monday evening, Trump said a U.S. attack initially scheduled for ...