Lebanon

Zebqine Explosion: Rising Speculation Following the Death of Six Soldiers

Six Lebanese soldiers lost their lives on Saturday, August 9, in a powerful blast in the Zebqine valley near Majdel Zoun, in the Tyre district. The soldiers, who were part of the Engineering Unit, were carrying out a mission to dismantle an ammunition depot alongside members of the Fifth Brigade when the explosion occurred. This tragedy comes at ...

Army Arrests Drug and Arms Smugglers in East Lebanon

The Lebanese Army announced on Monday that it conducted a series of security operations, resulting in multiple arrests and the seizure of illicit materials, including drugs and arms. In a raid in the town of Brital in Baalbeck, an army unit, supported by a Directorate of Intelligence patrol, arrested a Lebanese national and a Syrian for ...

Aoun Offers Condolences to Wadi Zebqine Blast Victims, Checks on Wounded Soldiers

President Joseph Aoun visited on Monday Minister of Defense Maj. Gen. Michel Menassa and Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal at Yarze to extend condolences for the soldiers killed in the Wadi Zebqine incident and checked on wounded troops. At Geitaoui Hospital, Aoun checked on the condition of a wounded soldier, met the medical team and the ...

US Envoy to Visit Beirut as Lebanon Pushes Ahead with Disarmament Plan

Lebanese political leaders in contact with US envoy Tom Barrack confirmed he will visit Lebanon on August 18 to follow up on the decision to place all weapons under the state’s exclusive authority, as outlined in the US proposal negotiated with Lebanese authorities, particularly Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Official sources voiced confidence ...

Geagea Warns of Iranian Threat to Lebanon’s Sovereignty, Urges Arab and UN Action

Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea lambasted Iran on Monday, accusing it of posing a “direct threat” to Lebanon’s sovereignty. He cited Tehran’s recent criticism of Beirut’s plan to disarm non-state actors, including Iran’s ally Hezbollah. Geagea voiced strong support for the government’s decision taken on August 5 and 7 to ...

Finance Minister Yassin Jaber Faces Hezbollah's Wrath Over Disarmament Stance

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, who is affiliated with Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement, came under scathing attack by Hezbollah supporters on social media over his recent remarks in support of the state’s “exclusive control of weapons.” His position, which reflects Amal’s approach to disarming Hezbollah, is viewed as a departure ...

The Institutionalized Impasses 

Eight months after the Presidential election and the formation of a new cabinet, Lebanon is still debating the decommissioning of Hezbollah and the restoration of the state’s sovereignty. The constitutional terms and the international mandates were not enough to sway the recalcitrance of the government, to dissuade Hezbollah and to stop the ...

Hezbollah: A Legacy of Lies, Manipulation and Deception

For many years, Hezbollah has faced a cascade of criticism and direct attacks. However, one must acknowledge the party’s remarkable feat—an important factor that could be listed among its “assets” (forgive the figure of speech…). The pro-Iranian group has indeed mastered the art of deception and the manipulation of well-established ...

Asian Cup: Lebanon Falls to Korea, Eyes Now on Japan

In Jeddah on Sunday night, Lebanon ran into a Korean side in peak shooting form from beyond the arc. Yu Kisang, 24 years old and playing in his first Asian Cup, delivered his breakout performance: 28 points, including an impressive 8-of-12 from three-point range. The Barrage from the East Right from the first quarter, the Koreans piled on ...

Walid Joumblatt Calls for National Unity and Neutrality

During a tour of Baalchmay and Aley alongside political and religious leaders, former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt addressed the regional situation, warning of a “great conspiracy” whose outcome remains uncertain. Joumblatt stressed that in light of the painful events unfolding in the region, Lebanon’s role is limited. ...

Audi: Trust in the State to Avoid Sinking

During Sunday Mass at Saint George Cathedral in Beirut, Metropolitan Elias Audi, head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut, called on citizens to place their trust in the state. In his homily, he urged people not to be “distracted by things that make us sink into the waves of perdition,” adding that “the nation’s boat will not ...

Lebanon Condemns Iranian Official’s Remarks as 'Blatant Interference'

The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants on Saturday sharply criticized recent comments by Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, denouncing them as “a blatant and unacceptable interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs.” In a statement, the ministry said Velayati’s remarks were the latest in a series ...