This is Beirut - Middle East

Lebanon Faces Eight-Month Deadline to Tackle Illegal Weapons

This is Beirut, 25/05 12:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Citing high-ranking political and security sources, Kuwaiti daily Al-Anbaa reported that Lebanon has been given an eight-month deadline to address the long-standing issue of illegal weapons on its soil and to assert full state authority across the country. During this period, international economic aid and reconstruction support will reportedly be ...

Tom Barrack Appointed US Special Envoy for Syria

This is Beirut, 23/05 19:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The Trump administration announced on Friday the appointment of Tom Barrack, the current US ambassador to Turkey and a longtime ally of the president, as the new Special Envoy for Syria. The announcement marks a significant shift in US engagement in the Middle East following the fall of the Assad regime. Barrack is a billionaire real estate ...

Iran Says 'Fundamental Differences' Remain With U.S. Ahead of Nuclear Talks

This is Beirut, 22/05 23:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Iran warned it would hold the United States responsible if Israel attacks its nuclear facilities, but President Donald Trump's administration voiced optimism for a peaceful solution Thursday before new talks. Trump spoke about his diplomacy on Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said, in a telephone call ...

EU Reaffirms Support for Lebanon’s Reform Efforts During Visit to Grand Serail

This is Beirut, 22/05 13:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The European Union has reiterated its support for Lebanon’s reform process during a visit to the Grand Serail in Beirut by Stefano Sannino, Director-General for the Middle East and North Africa at the European Commission. Speaking Thursday after his meeting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Sannino reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to its ...

Mullahs Wearing Sombreros: Hezbollah in Latin America

Mario Chartouni, 21/05 18:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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The so-called “tri-border area,” at the junction of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, has long attracted tourists, notably thanks to the famous Iguaçu Falls. But behind this idyllic setting lies a much more troubling reality: this region is also a strategic hub for transnational criminal networks, including Hezbollah. Washington, which is ...

Iran says Open to Regional Nuclear Fuel Consortium

This is Beirut, 19/05 14:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Middle East Iran

Iran on Monday said it was open to establishing a regional nuclear fuel consortium, reiterating that it would not stop enriching uranium. Tehran and Washington have held four rounds of Omani-mediated nuclear talks since April 12, the highest-level contact between the two foes since the United States abandoned the 2015 nuclear accord. US ...

Ortagus Urges Full Disarmament of Hezbollah

This is Beirut, 15/05 20:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Deputy United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus delivered a strong message on Thursday, declaring that the path to peace and prosperity lies in the full disarmament of Hezbollah, not just in southern Lebanon, but across the entire country. In an interview with LBCI, Ortagus emphasized the unified stance of the US, Saudi ...

From Riyadh to Doha: Trump Nurtures His Middle East Alliances

This is Beirut, 15/05 12:40 - Reading : less than a minute

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Greeted with pomp in Saudi Arabia, Donald Trump then continued to Qatar, where a $200 billion contract with Boeing was announced—underscoring a tour framed by economic power and deliberate diplomatic pragmatism.

Donald Trump Reshapes the Middle East: A New Geopolitical Era

Mark Saikali, 15/05 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Donald Trump had promised that his visit to the Gulf would be historic — and he delivered. From the moment he stepped off the plane, a series of announcements followed swiftly. Let’s start with the numbers — and they’re staggering: $300 billion in signed deals spanning industry, research, defense, space, and even civilian nuclear energy. ...

Trump to Close Deal-Making Gulf Tour in UAE

This is Beirut, 15/05 09:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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US President Donald Trump on Thursday closes a Middle East tour in the United Arab Emirates as he focuses squarely on seeking deals after billions of dollars of pledges from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The first major trip of his second term had been scheduled to end Thursday but Trump, always ready with surprises, did not rule out continuing on to ...

Trump’s Middle East Visit: AI Dreams, Petrodollars and the Rebirth of Broken States

Salam El Zaatari, 15/05 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Trump’s first major foreign trip in his second term didn’t start in Jerusalem, Cairo or Baghdad, it began in Riyadh. That alone says a lot. This wasn’t about Abraham Accords 2.0 or sermonizing about “shared values.” This was pure transactional diplomacy, wrapped in the glossy skin of petrodollars and lined with AI circuits. The visuals ...

Trump Calls for a Free Lebanon and a Cooperative Syria Before Leaving for Qatar

This is Beirut, 14/05 17:40 - Reading : less than a minute

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On his second day in Saudi Arabia, Trump called for a Hezbollah-free Lebanon and a Syria committed to the Abraham Accords. A vision for a peaceful Middle East before his departure for Qatar.

Middle East