This is Beirut

Renewables and Diversification: The Gulf’s Strategy

Alexandre Baz, 29/06 12:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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After decades of prosperity built on fossil fuels, the Gulf monarchies are increasingly turning toward green hydrogen, pursuing a dual goal: diversifying their economies and demonstrating a credible commitment to tackling climate change. As Karim Elgendy, an ecological transition specialist, told AFP, “The Gulf states want to lead the global ...

Qatar Urges Israel, Hamas to Seize ‘Window of Opportunity’ for Gaza Truce

This is Beirut, 28/06 11:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Gaza mediators are engaging with Israel and Hamas to build on momentum from this week's ceasefire with Iran and work towards a truce in the Palestinian territory, Qatar foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said. Israel and Iran on Tuesday agreed to a ceasefire brokered by the United States and Qatar just hours after the Islamic republic ...

Lebanese Leaders Condemn Iranian Missile Attack on US Base in Qatar

This is Beirut, 23/06 22:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Lebanese officials strongly condemned Iran’s missile attack on the United States’ al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, denouncing it as a dangerous escalation and a violation of Qatari sovereignty. President Joseph Aoun voiced firm opposition to the assault, calling it “a violation of the sovereignty of a brotherly country and a step that would ...

The Mullahs’ Regime: A Legacy of Irrational Decisions

Michel Touma, 23/06 09:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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This may apply to individuals, but it is especially true when the future of a nation hangs in the balance. In moments of acute existential crisis, the need for self-examination becomes unavoidable — a time to evaluate past decisions and their consequences. In the uniquely complex case of the Islamic Republic of Iran, this means asking ...

Trump’s Thunderbolt: America Attacks, Iran Shakes, the World Waits

Marc Saikali, 22/06 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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A night that will be etched into Middle East history has just come to an end. In the early hours of June 22, 2025, Donald Trump launched a strike. Six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers took off from a US base and dropped twelve GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s underground Fordow nuclear site, while 30 Tomahawk missiles targeted facilities in ...

Emirates to Resume Flights to and from Lebanon Starting Monday

This is Beirut, 21/06 16:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Emirates will resume operating flights to and from Lebanon, according to information obtained by This is Beirut from the Ministry of Transport. LBCI confirmed that the resumption will start on Monday, June 23. Gulf airlines canceled several flights starting Friday, June 13, 2025, to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran and Syria. The day after ...

US Strikes on Fordo: Britain’s Strategic Dilemma

Ali A. Hamadé, 21/06 14:10 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

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For days now, the Middle East has been gripped by a geopolitical crisis of extraordinary intensity. The open conflict between Israel and Iran – ignited by a sweeping Israeli military offensive – shows no sign of abating and is already reshaping the region’s balance of power. Not only has the balance tipped decisively toward Israel, but ...

UN Refugee Chief Calls for Support to Syria to Facilitate Refugee Returns

This is Beirut, 20/06 21:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Friday urged the international community to support Syria’s recovery in order to speed up reconstruction and allow more refugees to return home, fourteen years after the start of the war. “I am here to appeal to the international community to provide more aid and support to the Syrian ...

Lebanon’s Tourism: The Endless Summer That Fails to Deliver

Christiane Tager, 19/06 23:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Since June 13, the travel sector in the Middle East has faced severe turbulence following clashes between Iran and Israel. And as always, Lebanon — true to its role as the region’s perennial bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time — ends up paying the price, once again caught in the center of the storm. “The sector has suffered ...

Tehran’s Shadow Arsenal: Chemical, Biological and Radiological Threats

Mario Chartouni, 19/06 21:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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Despite Iran’s largely nominal commitments to international treaties, mounting evidence suggests the existence of an active or developing chemical, biological and radiological weapons program. Long-sidelined concerns are resurfacing as regional tensions escalate, and a Damoclean sword hangs over the mullah’s regime. On one side, Israel claims ...

Gulf States on Iran's Doorstep Scramble for End of War

This is Beirut, 19/06 10:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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As Iran and Israel trade strikes and the US weighs joining in, wealthy Gulf states on the conflict's doorstep are engaged in frantic diplomacy to halt the war -- but solutions remain elusive. A spillover of the conflict or the Iranian government's collapse are both worrying outcomes for the energy-rich region, which hosts several major US ...

Fordow: Deep Inside Iran’s Nuclear Core

Mario Chartouni, 17/06 20:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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Deep in the Iranian mountains, near the holy city of Qom, lies one of the most heavily guarded nuclear facilities in the world: the Fordow uranium enrichment site, a pivotal hub of Iran’s nuclear program. Shielded by the Mountain Buried nearly 90 meters beneath solid rock, the Fordow facility symbolizes Tehran’s nuclear determination and ...

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