This is Beirut

Boosting the Agricultural Sector: Joint Efforts Between Economic Organizations and Minister of Agriculture

This is Beirut, 24/03 21:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Economic organizations, led by former Minister Mohammad Choucair, discussed strategies to revitalize and modernize Lebanon's agricultural sector with Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani on Monday. The meeting was held at Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, in the presence of representatives of the main agricultural associations. Choucair ...

Digital Revolution in Lebanon: The Ministry of Technology's Plan to Revitalize the Economy

This is Beirut, 24/03 21:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Facing economic and technological challenges, Lebanon is turning towards a digital revolution to reshape its economy and services. In an interview with Akhbar al-’An, Kamal Shehadeh, Minister of the Displaced and State Minister for Technology Affairs and Artificial Intelligence, outlined an ambitious plan to modernize the country’s digital ...

Houthis Claim fourth Attack Against US Warships

This is Beirut, 19/03 09:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA Gulf Hamas Israel Houthis

Houthis claimed on Wednesday to have carried out a fourth attack in 72 hours on an American fleet in the Red Sea, as the US military said its campaign against the Iran-backed rebels was ongoing. The Houthis' military spokesperson said cruise missiles and drones targeted the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group in an attack that was "the fourth ...

Centcom, the American Leviathan Watching Over the East

Mario Chartouni, 18/03 18:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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The United States has escalated its military involvement in Yemen by bombing Houthi positions on Saturday, causing dozens of casualties among the fighters of the Iran-backed movement. Behind these strikes is the United States Central Command (Centcom), a crucial component of the American military strategy in the Middle East for ...

Huthis Claim new Attack on American Warships, Report new US Strikes

This is Beirut, 18/03 10:17 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Yemen's Huthis on Tuesday claimed their third attack on American warships in 48 hours, despite US strikes on the Iran-backed rebels that have sparked mass protests organised by the group. The rebels also condemned Israel's wave of strikes on Gaza, which the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said killed at least 330 people, vowing ...

US Raids on the Houthis: A Militia Seeking a Crushing Blow

Michel Touma, 17/03 09:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Gulf Hezbollah Houthi

There are times when one must confront reality and acknowledge the truth, however harsh it may be. In certain parts of the MENA region and the Gulf, specific politico-sociological factions — shaped by a distinct mindset — remain entrenched in rigid denial. The well-known “ostrich policy,” in other words. This is particularly evident in the ...

Iraq Says Seeking Alternatives to Iran Gas

This is Beirut, 13/03 13:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Iraq is exploring alternatives to Iranian gas imports, including options in the Gulf, a government official said, as it seeks to reduce dependence on its sanctions-hit neighbor. The administration of US President Donald Trump announced over the weekend its decision to end a sanction's waiver that had allowed Iraq to buy electricity from Iran, ...

The Ben Gurion Canal Project: A Viable Alternative to the Suez Canal?

Paul Guillot, 13/03 10:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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As geopolitical and economic issues in the Middle East continue to dominate global discussions, a concept from the 1960s is resurfacing: the Ben Gurion Canal project. Named after David Ben Gurion, Israel's first prime minister and a key figure in the creation of the Jewish state, this ambitious initiative proposes linking the Gulf of Aqaba at ...

Iran, Russia, China to Hold Joint Military Exercises

This is Beirut, 09/03 22:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The navies of Iran, Russia and China will hold military drills off the coast of Iran this week in a bid to boost cooperation, Iranian media reported on Sunday. The three countries, which share a common desire to counter what they characterise as American hegemony, have held similar exercises in the region in recent years. The drills "will begin ...

Hezbollah’s Qassem Admits Security Failures, Promises Accountability

This is Beirut, 09/03 21:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, acknowledged security lapses within the group while claiming again its continued strength despite the heavy blows it suffered in its recent war with Israel, during an interview on Sunday with al-Manar TV, affiliated with the pro-Iran formation. Qassem stated that an internal investigation is ...

Partition of Syria, the 'David Corridor'… What’s Really at Stake?

Élie-Joe Kamel, 04/03 17:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Banks Damascus Gulf Hezbollah

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Israel has ramped up its operations in Syria, seemingly seeking to assert itself as the dominant player against Turkey, which is trying to fill the vacuum left by Iran’s retreat. It has carried out strikes on military positions of the former regime and pro-Iranian militias, expanded its presence in ...

Saudi Aramco Profits Drop 12%

This is Beirut, 04/03 13:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Oil giant Saudi Aramco posted a drop in annual profits on Tuesday as lower prices and volumes hit the linchpin of the Kingdom's ambitious economic reform plans. The world's biggest crude exporter said profits were down more than 12% to $106.25 billion in 2024, the second annual drop following a surge in oil prices in 2022. Expected dividends for ...

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