This is Beirut

Stalemate Over Iran’s Nuclear Program Raises Fears of Another War

This is Beirut, 10/11 11:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump Tehran Ali Khamenei Iran Nuclear

With negotiations stalled and no clarity over Iran’s nuclear stockpiles, regional experts warn that another conflict with Israel could be inevitable, according to The New York Times in an article published on November 9. The 2015 nuclear deal, designed to limit Iran’s enrichment, expired last month. Sanctions have been reinstated, and ...

US Treasury Aims to Cut Hezbollah’s Funding

This is Beirut, 09/11 13:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah USA Treasury Iran funding

The US Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, John Hurley, said the United States wants to seize a “favorable moment” in Lebanon to cut Iranian funding to Hezbollah and push the group to disarm. “There is a moment now in Lebanon. If we can get Hezbollah to disarm, the Lebanese people could get their country back,” ...

Tehran to Restrict Water as Iran Battles Drought

This is Beirut, 08/11 20:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Tehran Water Climate Iran

Iran was laying plans on Saturday to cut off water supplies periodically to Tehran's 10-million-strong population as it battles its worst drought in many decades. Rainfall in the capital has this year been at its lowest level in a century, local officials say, and half of Iran's provinces have not seen a drop fall in months. Now, to save ...

Parliamentary Elections: Iraq Set to Vote on November 11

This is Beirut, 07/11 14:15 - Reading : less than a minute

Irak Elections Parliament Iran United States

On November 11, Iraqis head to the polls amid a tense climate marked by boycotts, regional interference, and hopes for change.

New U.S. Sanctions Target Hezbollah Financial Intermediaries

This is Beirut, 07/11 09:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah United States Washington sanctions Iran

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on Thursday new sanctions against several individuals accused of transferring tens of millions of dollars from Iran to Hezbollah in 2025 through Lebanese money exchange houses. According to the Treasury, these networks exploit Lebanon’s largely cash-based and informal financial system to fund the ...

Has the Countdown for Collapse Started in Iran?

Salam El Zaatari, 07/11 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Iran Tehran Moscow Beijing

A seismic shift appears to be underway in the Middle East. The tremors so far are faint but detectable, hinting at an upcoming eruption along the region’s geopolitical fault lines. Iran's ruling clerical regime is showing signs of great vulnerability, not just those pointing to potential unrest but also to the beginnings of a systemic collapse. ...

Iran: “Hostage Diplomacy,” an Intractable Dilemma for the West

This is Beirut, 05/11 21:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran France Cécile Kohler Jacques Paris

For researchers, aid workers, and even tourists, Iran’s use of detention to extract concessions has become a serious dilemma for Western governments, which so far have failed to stop the practice. This so-called “hostage diplomacy,” consistently denied by Tehran, re-emerged just after the release on Tuesday of French nationals ...

Iran Releases New Details on Ismail Haniyeh’s Killing

This is Beirut, 05/11 16:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Ismail Haniyeh Iran

Ismail Haniyeh, the former leader of Hamas, was killed by a missile tracked to his mobile phone, according to Iranian officials. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has rejected claims that internal sabotage facilitated the assassination in Tehran. On November 3, Iran released new details on the death of Ismail Haniyeh, the former Hamas leader killed in ...

French Pair Released after 3-year Iran Jail Ordeal

This is Beirut, 04/11 21:22 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

France Iran Emmanuel Macron Cecile Kohler Jacques Paris

Iran has released from prison a French pair held for more than three years and sentenced to lengthy jail sentences on espionage charges their families always rejected, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday. Cecile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Paris, 72, both retired teachers, were both on a tourist visit to Iran when they were arrested ...

Iran: a Regime Trapped in Its Past

This is Beirut, 04/11 17:45 - Reading : less than a minute

Iran Tehran IranianRevolution USEmbassyCrisis Khomeini

On November 4, 1979, Islamist students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 American diplomats hostage for 444 days. 46 years later, Iran’s regime continues to commemorate this defining episode of the Islamic Republic, portraying it as a symbol of “resistance” against the West. Since then, the Islamic Republic has lived in ...

Hezbollah Activity Rises as Israel Watches and Tehran Calls for Vigilance

This is Beirut, 03/11 11:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Hezbollah Tehran Iran Beirut

Israeli intelligence services have reported unusual activity by Hezbollah in several parts of Lebanon, while Tehran is urging vigilance and the defense of Lebanese sovereignty, highlighting the fragile balance in a region already on edge. According to the Israeli daily Maariv, the Israeli army has observed intensified movements by Hezbollah ...

Iran Banking on Iraq Vote to Retain Regional Influence

This is Beirut, 03/11 09:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hezbollah Tehran Iran Iraq

Iraq will hold parliamentary elections on November 11, with analysts saying Iran will be watching closely as it hopes to retain influence over its neighbor after losing regional leverage during the Gaza war. The past two years have seen Iran-backed groups including Palestinian militants Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Huthis in Yemen suffer ...

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