Middle East

AnalysisA State Decides: Lebanon's Bet on Direct Talks with Israel

Amal Chmouny 13:55 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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For the first time in decades, the U.S. has brokered direct talks between Lebanon and Israel, beginning with a 10-day cessation of hostilities and a commitment to negotiate in good faith. Washington says lasting calm will require the Lebanese state to reassert sovereignty over non-state arms. President Donald Trump said the initiative had created ...

President Aoun Assigns Simon Karam to Head Talks With Israel

This is Beirut 13:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The Lebanese presidency announced that upcoming direct negotiations with Israel will be conducted through an official delegation headed by Ambassador Simon Karam, according to a statement attributed to President Joseph Aoun on X. In remarks addressed to a delegation from the “Sovereignty Front,” President Aoun stressed that Lebanon ...

Israel Says Exposed Iranian “Covert Terror Network” Targeting Officials and Strategic Sites

This is Beirut 12:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The Israeli government released a statement Monday announcing that its intelligence services have uncovered a secret Iranian-operated network responsible for planning attacks against Israeli officials and strategic infrastructure worldwide. According to a post on X by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has for the first ...

Iran Says 'No Decision' on Whether to Attend Next Round of U.S. Talks

This is Beirut 09:40 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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Iran's foreign ministry said Monday it has yet to reach a decision on whether to attend the next round of talks with the United States. "As of now, while I am at your service, we have no plans for the next round of negotiation, and no decision has been made in this regard," said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a weekly press ...

Iran Executes Two Men Over Links to Israeli Intelligence

This is Beirut 09:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iran executed two men on Monday who had been convicted of links to Israeli intelligence services, the judiciary announced, marking the latest in a series of executions since the start of the war with Israel and the United States. “The death sentences of Mohammad Masoom-shahi and Hamed Validi were carried out at dawn,” the judiciary’s news ...

Israel Draws “Yellow Line” in Southern Lebanon as Ceasefire Takes Hold

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

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On Monday, Avichay Adraee, the Arabic-language spokesperson of the Israeli army, issued a public warning on X to residents of southern Lebanon, outlining new movement restrictions along the so-called “yellow line” in areas where Israeli forces remain deployed. In what was described as an “urgent message,” Adraee stated ...

Iran Military Vows to 'Soon Respond' After U.S. Destroyer Hits Cargo Ship

This is Beirut 06:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iran's military has vowed to respond after a U.S. destroyer on Sunday fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade a U.S. naval blockade. "We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the U.S. military," said a spokesperson for the ...

VideosAfter Ceasefire, South Lebanon Residents Back Negotiations for Peace

Claudia Groeling 19/04 19:25 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Ceasefire South Lebanon

Residents across Nabatieh in south Lebanon voiced deep exhaustion from repeated cycles of war, stressing the need for the Lebanese state and army to restore security and stability. As talks continue, many see direct negotiations as the only viable path to lasting peace.

Iran Says Final Deal Still Far Off as Hormuz Strait Shuttered

This is Beirut 19/04 08:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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The strategic Strait of Hormuz was again closed on Sunday in the stand-off between Iran and the United States, with Iran's powerful parliament speaker signalling a final peace deal remained "far" off despite some movement in negotiations. As mediation efforts continued following high-level talks in Pakistan that failed to reach a deal, Iran said ...

Qassem Affirms Hezbollah’s Rejection of Ceasefire Deal

This is Beirut 19/04 00:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Secretary-General of Hezbollah, accused Washington on Saturday of dictating the terms of the recently announced ceasefire agreement to the Lebanese government, sharply criticizing what he described as official Lebanese acquiescence to U.S. pressure. His remarks come as the terrorist organization continues to reject direct negotiations between ...

UN Peacekeeper Killed in Southern Lebanon Attack, France Points to Hezbollah

This is Beirut 18/04 15:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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France on Saturday accused Hezbollah of being behind a deadly attack on United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon after a French soldier was killed and three others wounded in what the UN described as a “deliberate attack.” French President Emmanuel Macron said that “everything points to Hezbollah being responsible,” ...

No Date Set for Next Round of Iran-U.S. Talks: Iran Deputy FM

This is Beirut 18/04 15:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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No date has been set for the next round of Iran–U.S. peace talks brokered by Pakistan following the failure of an initial round, Iran's deputy foreign minister said on Saturday. "Until we agree on the framework, we cannot set a date," Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists on the sidelines of an annual diplomatic forum in Turkey's southern Antalya ...