This is Beirut - Hezbollah

Ex-Presidents, Premiers, Back Government Position On Weapons Control

This is Beirut, 15/08 18:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Weapons Government Hezbollah Israel

Two former Lebanese presidents, Amin Gemayel and Michel Sleiman, along with three former prime ministers, Najib Mikati, Fouad Siniora and Tammam Salam, issued a joint statement on Friday backing the government’s position over the state’s exclusive control of weapons. The leaders praised the government’s efforts to restore full state ...

Qassem’s Speech Sparks Political Firestorm in Beirut

This is Beirut, 15/08 14:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah

Hezbollah’s chief, Sheikh Naim Qassem, made unacceptable and controversial remarks, in which he threatened civil strife and linked the survival of Lebanon to the presence of their weapons. These remarks have triggered a wave of condemnations from political and institutional figures committed to defending Lebanese sovereignty. Minister ...

Hezbollah: The Coup d’État

Marc Saikali, 15/08 11:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Coup d’État

In Lebanon, some speeches go beyond conveying information, they amount to declarations of war. On Friday, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General delivered a statement so incendiary it pushed the nation to the edge. “The army is incapable of protecting the nation,” he declared. “The government is selling the country to Israel and the ...

Naim Qassem: “No Life in Lebanon if Government Confronts Resistance”

This is Beirut, 15/08 10:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Naim Qassem

Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Naim Qassem, once again made a show of defiance on Friday, intensifying threats against the Lebanese state and its people. In a speech more aggressive than his previous ones, Qassem bluntly tied Lebanon’s fate to his group’s weapons. “Lebanon can only be built with all its components. If it ...

Larijani and the Original Sin

Johnny Kortbawi, 15/08 09:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Iran Israel Hezbollah

Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, is among the closest officials to the Supreme Leader Khamenei and a successor to figures like Qassem Suleimani, who shaped Iran’s regional security and political influence. Larijani’s latest visit to Lebanon, coming after recent Lebanese government decisions and ...

Iran’s Shadow in Beirut: Larijani’s Visit and Lebanon’s Tightrope Walk

Salam El Zaatari, 14/08 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Iran Hezbollah Joseph Aoun

On August 13, 2025, Beirut became the stage for one of the most charged diplomatic performances in years. Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, arrived at Rafic Hariri International Airport to a reception that looked less like a state visit and more like a triumphant homecoming. Thousands of Hezbollah supporters ...

I Could Have Told You… But You Already Know

Marc Saikali, 14/08 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Tehran UN Security Council

When putting together an editorial, you spend a lot of time mulling things over before settling on what we in the business call an “angle.” But sometimes, there are so many angles, overlapping in every direction, that you end up going in… circles (I know, not the most mathematically precise image). I could have told you about Ahmad ...

Lebanese Officials Stress Sovereignty as Iran’s Larijani Maps Out Suggestions for Lebanon

This is Beirut, 13/08 13:55 - Reading : 8 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun Iran Ali Larijani

The Lebanese government’s message to Tehran was crystal clear on Wednesday: Beirut will not tolerate any interference in its internal affairs, let alone intrusions into its sovereign decisions, most notably, the state’s monopoly on arms. This unequivocal stance was delivered first by President Joseph Aoun and then by Prime Minister ...

Iran’s Top Security Chief Ali Larijani Lands in Beirut Amid Fierce Debate Over Weapons Monopoly

This is Beirut, 13/08 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Amal Hezbollah UN Security Council Ali Larijani Beirut

Amid heightened political tensions in Lebanon, marked by increased mobilization of Hezbollah supporters and strong reactions to the government’s decision to reserve arms exclusively for the Lebanese Armed Forces, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary, Ali Larijani, arrived in Beirut on Wednesday. Larijani began his ...

‘Axis of Resistance’ Calculations Come Up Short

Johnny Kortbawi, 12/08 20:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Hezbollah Lebanese Forces

The entire “Axis of Resistance” has a recurring problem with numbers and calculations – a game it has often played and lost, sometimes with almost absurd results. If Hezbollah’s closest ally before its recent distancing to gain favor ahead of the elections – the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) – cannot get the numbers right, what hope ...

Larijani’s Controversial Mission to Iraq and Lebanon

Soumia Benmerzoug, 12/08 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon Iraq Iran Ali Larijani

Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has set off on a three-day visit to Iraq and Lebanon amid growing political and security challenges tied to the armed Shia militias in both countries. Appointed just last week to lead the Supreme Council, Larijani signed a security agreement with Baghdad on Monday. His ...

LAF Denounces Leaks of Officer Reshuffle Details

This is Beirut, 12/08 12:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanese Army Beirut southern suburb intelligence lebanon

The Lebanese Army (LAF) addressed circulating reports following Monday’s announcement of a major reshuffle affecting 107 military positions. In a statement released Tuesday, LAF indicated that some media outlets, news websites, and social media platforms shared a leaked memo detailing the transfers and dismissals of officers, accompanied by ...

Hezbollah