This is Beirut

Aoun Stresses Lebanon’s Commitment to Renewing UNIFIL's Mandate

This is Beirut, 19/08 14:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Joseph Aoun Lebanese Army UN Security Council lebanon UNIFIL

A week ahead of U.N. talks on extending UNIFIL’s mandate, and with some Security Council members questioning the usefulness of renewing the peacekeepers’ mission, President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to maintaining the multinational force in the south “for as long as necessary” to fully implement UN Resolution ...

A Negotiating Margin Out of Reach

Johnny Kortbawi, 19/08 14:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel United Nations Tom Barrack Morgan Ortagus

Lebanon still has much to accomplish. Despite the government’s declarations, practical steps remain limited, leaving doubts about whether the country is honoring its commitments in the eyes of the international community. This was the core message conveyed during Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus’ meetings with Lebanese officials. The points ...

Mediators Await Israeli Response to New Truce Offer

This is Beirut, 19/08 12:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas Israel Palestine United Nations

Mediators were awaiting an Israeli response Tuesday to a fresh Gaza ceasefire plan, a day after Hamas accepted the proposal and signalled its readiness for a new round of talks aimed at ending nearly two years of war. The foes have held on-and-off indirect negotiations throughout the war resulting in two short truces and the releases of Israeli ...

Beirut Port Shows Strong Performance in First Half of 2025

This is Beirut, 19/08 09:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Beirut Port Israel Imports Traffic Results

Despite Israel’s military escalation in Gaza and southern Lebanon, as well as Lebanon’s ongoing political, financial and social turmoil, the Port of Beirut continued to deliver strong results in the first half of 2025. According to Elie Zakhour, vice-president of the Arab Union of Maritime Navigation Chambers and former head of the ...

UN Debates Future Withdrawal of Lebanon Peacekeeping Force

This is Beirut, 19/08 09:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

UN Security Council Hezbollah Israel United States UNIFIL

The United Nations Security Council began to debate Monday a resolution drafted by France to extend the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon for a year with the ultimate aim to withdraw it. Israel and the United States have reportedly opposed the renewal of the force's mandate, and it was unclear if the draft text has backing from Washington, ...

Iran Warns War with Israel Could Resume at Any Time

This is Beirut, 18/08 19:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran Israel

A senior Iranian official warned Monday that war with Israel could erupt at any moment, describing the current lull after June's 12-day conflict as only a temporary halt. "We must be prepared at every moment for confrontation; right now, we are not even in a ceasefire (agreement); we are in a cessation of hostilities," said First Vice President ...

Lebanon’s Sovereignty Tested at the Syrian Border

Mario Chartouni, 18/08 17:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel Syria Lebanon Borders Demarcation

Since mid-August, a viral social media video has shown a man claiming to represent “Syrian tribes” issuing a stark warning to Lebanon: “We will invade Lebanon within 48 hours if Syrian detainees are not released,” referring to Syrians held at Roumieh prison. The threat follows the death of a Syrian inmate on August 14, which sparked ...

Beirut Blast Victims' Families Reject Treason Allegations Against William Noun

This is Beirut, 18/08 14:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Beirut Port Hezbollah Israel lebanon August 4 William Noun

The families of the Beirut Port explosion victims denounced on Monday “certain paid voices affiliated with parties that have already threatened and obstructed the investigation.” They accused these groups of targeting William Noun, brother of firefighter Joe Noun, who was killed in the August 4 blast, with allegations of “collaboration with ...

Barrack and Ortagus End Tour On a Hopeful Note for Lebanon

This is Beirut, 18/08 10:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun Tom Barrack lebanon

US envoy and ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, accompanied by Deputy U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, and U.S. Ambassador to Beirut Lisa Johnson on Monday held a series of meetings with Lebanese officials focused on Washington’s plan for disarming Hezbollah, following the government’s endorsement of the ...

Terrorists' Brinkmanship

Charles Chartouni, 18/08 09:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Gaza Syria Hamas Hezbollah Israel

The riddled negotiations taking place in Lebanon and Gaza and the equivocations of the Syrian transition are quite compelling since they convey the ambiguities undermining political stability in these different environments. Nonetheless, they illustrate the difficulties of political transitioning in countries partially or totally controlled by ...

Iran’s GPS Jamming Hits Daily Life, Leaving Drivers Lost in Tehran

This is Beirut, 17/08 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran Israel GPS Tehran

The streets of Tehran have become a confusing maze for driver Farshad Fooladi amid widespread GPS disruption, still ongoing nearly two months after the end of Iran and Israel's unprecedented 12-day war. "For weeks I have been unable to work," said Fooladi, who uses Iran's homegrown ride-hailing app Snapp to find customers. "Most of the time was ...

Mass Rally in Tel Aviv Calls for End to Gaza War, Hostage Deal

This is Beirut, 17/08 16:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Gaza Hamas Hostages

Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered on Sunday evening in Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages, one of the largest demonstrations in Israel since the start of the fighting in October 2023. The rally was the culmination of a day of nationwide protests and a general strike to pressure the government to ...

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