Middle East

The Maronite Church, Prisoner of Its Own Memory

For some Lebanese Christians, the 1860 massacres remain an open wound — a persistent thorn in their collective memory. The painful recollection of this brutality resurfaced during the canonization of the Massabki brothers, who were martyred in Damascus on the night of July 9-10, 1860. How did it come to pass that over 20,000 Christians — half ...

Blinken Ends Latest Round of Shuttle Diplomacy Without Resolution

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday ended his eleventh round of the Middle East shuttle diplomacy without achieving a Gaza ceasefire. But after persistent disappointment, Blinken this time is trying a new approach that starts by figuring out what happens after the war ends. When he last visited Israel in August, Blinken publicly said ...

The Support Front in a Tight Grip!

The title of the nightmare could well be "Support Front." A major strategic mistake that will haunt generations of Lebanese for the next 50 years. How could the perception of events have become so distorted that the decision of a few ended up plunging an entire population into the abyss? For a whole year, the warnings were repetitive and clear: ...

Putin Warns of Attempts to Defeat Russia Ahead of BRICS Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday against "illusory" attempts to defeat Russia on the battlefield, ahead of his first meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in more than two years, for talks set to focus on the conflict in Ukraine. Putin was speaking in the Russian city of Kazan on the final day of the BRICS summit, ...

Qlayaat Airport: It's Time to Open It to Air Traffic!

“The Qlayaat René Mouawad Airport could be opened for air traffic in emergencies to reduce the risks faced by crews and passengers at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport,” stated Sajih Attieh, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Works and Transport, in an interview with This is Beirut. The President of the Private Pilots ...

Abboud: Decreased Bookings at BIA

Jean Abboud, President of the Lebanese Tourist and Travel Agency Owners’ Union, revealed that flight bookings departing from Beirut, via Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, have decreased over the last ten days by around 20-30% compared to the previous period. In a press release on Wednesday, he stated that the number of flights will ...

Hochstein's Proposal: A Beacon of Hope or a Harbinger of Diplomatic Failure?

On Monday, the US special envoy visited Beirut as part of yet another diplomatic initiative aimed at reinforcing stability in Lebanon amid heightened tensions on the southern border with Israel. American demands—ranging from the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 to separating Lebanon's situation from the war in ...

BRICS Group of Emerging Economies Gather in Russia for Summit

The summit is the largest such meeting in Russia since it ordered troops into Ukraine and comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to demonstrate that Western attempts to isolate Moscow over the two-and-a-half-year offensive have failed. Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip ...

Oil Prices Rise Amid Geopolitical Tensions

Oil prices have surged amid renewed concerns over a potential Israeli retaliation against Iran following Tehran’s missile attack on Israel on October 1. Brent North Sea crude for December delivery rose by 1.68%, reaching $74.29 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for November delivery increased by 1.94%, settling at $70.56 a ...

Blinken Heads to Middle East to Push for Gaza Truce

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left for the Middle East Monday on a new push for an elusive Gaza ceasefire two weeks before US elections, seeing a new opportunity from Israel's killing of Hamas's leader. It will be the 11th trip to the Middle East by the top US diplomat since war broke out a year ago, with Blinken on his last visit to ...

Blinken Back in Middle East to Push for Ceasefire Deal

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads back to the Middle East Monday on a new push for an elusive Gaza ceasefire two weeks before US elections, seeing a new opportunity from Israel's killing of Hamas's leader. It will be the 11th trip to the Middle East by the top US diplomat since war broke out a year ago, with Blinken on his last visit to ...

The Dynamics of a Changing Middle East 

The Israeli counter-offensive is going far beyond the immediate national security concerns and setting the path for a new geostrategic configuration. The progressive destruction of the geopolitical platforms of Iranian regional expansionism is the inevitable outcome of a renewed political vision and its incidence on military strategizing and ...