Middle East

Oil Giant Saudi Aramco Says Quarterly Profits Up as Crude Prices Surge

This is Beirut 10/05 12:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Saudi oil giant Aramco said Sunday its net profit rose by 25.5 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, after the Middle East war sent oil and gas prices soaring. The result comes as uncertainty plagues global markets over the conflict's trajectory, with Iran restricting the passage of hydrocarbons through the strategic ...

Trump Says Iran Still Wants a Deal as U.S. Awaits Tehran’s Response

This is Beirut 09/05 22:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that Iran still appears eager to reach an agreement with Washington, adding that the United States expects Tehran’s response to the latest American proposal “very soon” while military and economic pressure on the Islamic Republic continues to intensify. According to remarks cited by ...

Lebanon Sees Fiercest Escalation Since Ceasefire as Israeli Strikes Reach South of Beirut

This is Beirut 09/05 22:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Lebanon witnessed its most severe military escalation since the April ceasefire on Saturday, as Israeli airstrikes expanded beyond southern border areas and struck locations south of Beirut for the first time since the truce took effect. The escalation came amid growing uncertainty surrounding the fragile ceasefire agreement and only days before ...

Iran Keeps U.S. Waiting for Response on Peace Plan

This is Beirut 09/05 17:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Iran questioned the seriousness of American diplomacy on Saturday in the wake of renewed naval clashes in the Gulf, while keeping Washington waiting for a response to its latest negotiating position. U.S. President Donald Trump had said on Friday that he was expecting Iran's response to Washington's latest proposal for a deal to extend a fragile ...

Lebanese PM Pushes Border Crackdown and Security Coordination During Damascus Visit

This is Beirut 09/05 17:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam concluded his visit to Damascus on Saturday by emphasizing tighter border controls, anti-smuggling efforts, and expanded Lebanese-Syrian security coordination, signaling a shift in Beirut’s approach toward Syria amid growing pressure over Hezbollah-linked activity along the border. Speaking at the end of ...

Lebanon Says at Least Two Killed in Israel Strikes on South

This is Beirut 09/05 14:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Lebanon said at least one person was killed in Israeli strikes on the country's south on Saturday despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah, after Israel's army issued an evacuation warning to several villages. Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah have traded fire daily, mostly in southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire agreement in effect since ...

Bahrain Dismantles IRGC-Linked Cell

This is Beirut 09/05 12:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Bahrain

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior announced Saturday that security authorities have dismantled an organization allegedly linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), arresting 41 individuals accused of involvement in activities threatening the Kingdom’s national security. In an official statement, the ministry said ...

Hezbollah Claims Launched Missiles, Drones at Military Bases in Israel

This is Beirut 09/05 00:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Hezbollah claims that it launched missiles and drones at military bases in Israel in retaliation for a recent attack on Beirut and ongoing strikes in the south, where Lebanese authorities reported 11 people killed on Friday. Israel has kept up its attacks in Lebanon despite a truce agreed last month, and its strike on the capital's southern ...

Syria Says Arrested Assad-Era General Over Chemical Attack

This is Beirut 09/05 00:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Syria's interior ministry on Friday announced the arrest of a general from ousted president Bashar al-Assad's era, accusing him of involvement in a 2013 chemical attack on a suburb of the capital, Damascus. In August 2013, the army under Assad's rule was accused of using chemical weapons to target areas then under rebel control, ...

CENTCOM says U.S. Forces Disabled Iranian-Flagged Tankers in Gulf of Oman Blockade Enforcement

This is Beirut 08/05 17:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced U.S. forces disabled multiple Iranian-flagged oil tankers this week as part of ongoing blockade enforcement measures aimed at preventing vessels from entering Iranian ports via the Gulf of Oman. In a statement, CENTCOM said the operation targeted the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda on May 8, as both vessels ...

Rubio: Lebanese State Must Be Empowered to Confront Hezbollah

This is Beirut 08/05 15:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered sharp remarks from Rome on Friday, accusing Hezbollah of acting as an Iranian proxy and stressing that Washington’s priority is strengthening the Lebanese state rather than engaging with the group. Rubio said Washington will not negotiate with Hezbollah, describing the group as “an Iranian ...

Saudi Bases Open to U.S. Despite Hormuz Operation Disagreement

This is Beirut 08/05 15:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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U.S. forces have access to Saudi airspace and bases despite being told not to use them for the now suspended operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, two Saudi sources told AFP on Friday. Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a pause in the two-day-old "Project Freedom" to guide ships through the Strait after a flare-up with ...