Middle East

AnalysisWhat Iran’s Fate Could Mean for Hezbollah and Lebanon

Marwan El Amine 16/01 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah Iran Protests Lebanon Muslim Brotherhood Tehran

As Iran’s nationwide protest movement intensifies, a key question is dominating regional and international discourse: what lies ahead for the Islamist regime if unrest continues, and how might its potential collapse impact Middle Eastern states shaped by four decades of Iranian policy? Since Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in 1979, Iran has ...

Exclusive: Lindsey Graham Says Arab States are “Not a Very Good Ally”

This is Beirut 15/01 21:05 - Reading : less than a minute

Donald Trump Hamas Hezbollah Tehran

Lindsey Graham U.S. Senator (R-South Carolina) and Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said that if Arab countries intervened on Iran’s behalf to block U.S. military action in Tehran, then “they are not a very good ally,” warning that such behavior would call future partnerships into question. He added that he believes “the regimes ...

Yemen Presidential Body Sacks Last UAE-Backed Member

This is Beirut 15/01 16:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Yemen United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia

Yemen's eight-seat presidential body on Thursday dismissed its last UAE-backed member, a southern separatist, consolidating Saudi Arabia's full control over the country's decision-making body. In December, forces from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council briefly captured two key provinces, infuriating Saudi Arabia, which rolled back their ...

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman Convince Trump to ‘Give Iran a Chance:’ Senior Saudi Official

This is Beirut 15/01 15:35 - Reading : less than a minute

Donald Trump Gulf Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman led efforts to talk U.S. President Donald Trump out of an attack on Iran, fearing “grave blowbacks in the region,” a senior Saudi official told AFP on Thursday. The Gulf trio “led a long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good ...

Hamas Says Technocratic Committee Key to Consolidating Gaza Truce

This is Beirut 15/01 15:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas Palestine Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Israel

A senior Hamas official on Thursday welcomed the formation of a technocratic committee to govern post-war Gaza, saying it would help consolidate the ceasefire and prevent a return to fighting. Egypt, a mediator in indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, announced the formation of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee that ...

AnalysisLebanon’s Disarmament Gamble: Fragile Gains and Uncertain Path Forward

Amal Chmouny 15/01 13:30 - Reading : 9 minute(s)

Lebanon Donald Trump Lebanese Army Benjamin Netanyahu Hezbollah

Lebanon is preparing to confiscate Hezbollah’s weapons north of the Litani River, a step that will test whether the state has the capacity to follow through on the government’s stated commitment to disarm the group. On January 8, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) announced that it had completed the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani. ...

Trump Says Killings in Iran Subsiding

This is Beirut 15/01 09:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Middle East Tehran White House

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he had received assurances that the deadly crackdown on protests in Iran had come to an end. The U.S. president nevertheless maintained ambiguity over a possible American military intervention, as the international community remains on high alert in the face of a major crisis in the Middle ...

Yemen Separatist Chief Calls for Protests in First Message Since Disappearance

This is Beirut 15/01 09:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United Arab Emirates Gulf Houthi Saudi Arabia

The UAE-backed leader of a Yemeni separatist movement on Thursday called for protests in Aden in a message to a TV channel, his first public statement since his disappearance over a week ago. Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, the leader of the Emirati-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), called for "the people of South Arabia to rally in the ...

U.S. Says Gaza 'Phase Two' Beginning With Goal of Hamas Demilitarization

This is Beirut 14/01 20:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Trump Gaza Hamas Ceasefire Palestine

President Donald Trump's envoy said Wednesday that a plan to end the Gaza war was now moving to Phase Two with a goal of disarming Hamas, despite a number of Israeli strikes during the ceasefire. "We are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President's 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, ...

Palestinian Factions Offer Support for Gaza Technocratic Committee: Statement

This is Beirut 14/01 19:15 - Reading : less than a minute

Fatah Hamas Palestine

The majority of Palestinian factions and the presidency offered their support for the Palestinian technocratic committee meant to govern Gaza, after mediator Egypt announced on Wednesday that all parties had agreed on its members. In a statement, Palestinian factions including Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they had agreed "to support the ...

U.S. Evacuating Forces From Key Bases in Middle East

This is Beirut 14/01 14:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Middle East Tehran Washington

The United States is evacuating forces from several of its key military bases across the Middle East, amid preparations for a possible strike on Iran, an official American source told Reuters news agency. A number of personnel have been told to depart the United States' Al Udeid military base in Qatar "in response to the current regional ...

AnalysisThe Iranian Diaspora: A Key Force in a Globalized Protest

Sana Richa Choucair 14/01 12:55 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Iran Tehran Diaspora Pahlavi

As Iran’s authorities scramble to repress a growing uprising through violence and information blackouts, the country’s diaspora has emerged as a crucial front in the confrontation with the regime, combining media outreach, international lobbying, and economic leverage. Since December 28, 2025, Iran has been gripped by a wave of protests of ...