This is Beirut

Trump Travel Ban in Effect, Citizens from 12 Nations Barred From US

This is Beirut, 09/06 09:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

President Donald Trump's sweeping new travel ban came into effect early Monday immediately after midnight, barring citizens from a dozen nations from entering the United States and reviving a divisive measure from his first term. The move is expected to disrupt refugee pathways and further restrict immigration as the Trump administration expands ...

Tehran Warns Will Reduce Cooperation with IAEA if Anti-Iran Resolution Passed

This is Beirut, 08/06 17:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Tehran on Sunday warned it would reduce its cooperation with the United Nations's nuclear watchdog if an anti-Iran resolution is passed at an upcoming meeting of the world body. "Certainly, the IAEA should not expect the Islamic Republic of Iran to continue its broad and friendly cooperation," Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for ...

Iran Obtained 'Sensitive' Israeli Intelligence

This is Beirut, 07/06 16:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iranian state television reported on Saturday that Tehran had obtained a trove of "strategic and sensitive" Israeli intelligence, including files related to Israel's nuclear facilities and defense plans. "Iran's intelligence apparatus has obtained a vast quantity of strategic and sensitive information and documents ...

The Enrichment Gamble: Iran, Israel, and the Brinkmanship of 2025

Salam El Zaatari, 05/06 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Let me tell you something that every Israeli general, Iranian ayatollah, and American diplomat knows — but hopes you don’t: The next big war in the Middle East won’t start with a ground invasion. It will begin with a whisper in the desert and end with fire in the sky — and the trigger might be buried deep in the Natanz nuclear ...

Khamenei Says US Nuclear Proposal Against National Interest

This is Beirut, 04/06 12:33 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iran US Nuclear Diplomacy

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Wednesday a US proposal for a nuclear agreement was against the national interest, amid sharp differences over whether Tehran can continue to enrich uranium. The longtime foes have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new accord to replace the deal with major powers that US ...

On the Brink of Nuclear Capability, Iran Challenges Red Lines

Mario Chartouni, 04/06 09:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Under growing international scrutiny, Iran is enriching uranium at levels unseen since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal. While Washington publicly hardens its rhetoric, more flexible proposals are reportedly being floated behind closed doors. Amid firm statements, covert negotiations and ongoing inspections, Iran’s nuclear program has ...

President Aoun Stresses Sovereign Ties with Iran Based on Mutual Respect

This is Beirut, 03/06 20:31 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Joseph Aoun Nawaf Salam Lebanon Iran Abbas Araghchi

During a meeting with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday, President Joseph Aoun stressed that Lebanon seeks to strengthen formal state-to-state relations with Iran based on mutual respect and non-interference in domestic affairs – marking a departure from decades of Tehran’s exclusive backing of Hezbollah. Aoun also ...

Iran Says US Nuclear Proposal Contains 'Ambiguities, Questions'

This is Beirut, 03/06 19:26 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that a US proposal for a new nuclear agreement submitted through mediator Oman has "many ambiguities and questions." "The written proposal we received from the US contains many ambiguities and questions. Many issues in this proposal are not clear," Araghchi said while on a visit to Lebanon. On ...

UN Sees 'Alarming' Surge in Afghan Families Deported from Iran

This is Beirut, 03/06 17:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The UN migration agency on Tuesday voiced concern over a surge in Afghan families deported from Iran, recording a more than two-fold increase in May from the previous month. There was a "sharp rise in the forced return of Afghan nationals" from Iran in May, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement. "Particularly ...

As Iran Retreats, Islamist Turkey and Qatar Surge in Lebanon

Hussain Abdul-Hussain, 03/06 10:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, a Sunni, entered the stadium of Beirut’s Sports City to watch the classic football game between the two rival teams Nijmeh and Ansar. When the Shia supporters of Nijmeh saw Salam, they started shouting slogans in support of Hezbollah and its late chief Hassan Nasrallah. The Sunni fans of Ansar fired back, ...

Witkoff’s Proposal Could Break Deadlock on Iran Nuclear Deal

This is Beirut, 02/06 20:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran Nuclear Sanctions Diplomacy Enrichment MiddleEast

As global attention shifts back to Tehran, the Iranian government is reportedly reviewing a far-reaching US proposal aimed at reviving the stalled nuclear talks. The plan, relayed via Oman, was drafted by Steve Witkoff, the US President’s special envoy to the Middle East. According to diplomatic sources quoted by Kuwait’s Al-Jarida, the ...

Iran Says No Nuclear Deal if Deprived of 'Peaceful Activities'

This is Beirut, 02/06 17:57 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Iran said Monday it will not accept a nuclear agreement that deprives it of what it called "peaceful activities," a reference to uranium enrichment, as it pressed the United States for guarantees it would drop sanctions. Uranium enrichment has remained a key point of contention between the foes in talks to seal a nuclear deal, ongoing ...

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