Middle East

U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Iranian Officials Over Crackdown on Protests

This is Beirut 16:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States USA Sanctions Tehran Iran Protests Treasury

The U.S. on Thursday unveiled a new round of sanctions targeting Iranian officials accused of involvement in the violent suppression of nationwide anti-regime protests that have swept across Iran and directly challenge the country’s theocratic leadership. Among those sanctioned is the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, ...

Witkoff: Prefers Diplomacy With Iran But Warns of Consequences

This is Beirut 14:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Speaking Thursday night at the Israeli-American Council conference in Florida, Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy for Middle East diplomacy, was asked during an onstage interview whether he believes a U.S. military strike against Iran is likely. He signaled a renewed preference for diplomacy with Iran while pointedly warning that failure to ...

$Iran Protest Movement Subsides In Face Of \$

Iran Protest Movement Subsides In Face Of "Brutal" Crackdown

This is Beirut 14:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran HumanRights United States Donald Trump protests manifestations

The protest movement in Iran has subsided after a crackdown that has killed thousands under an internet blackout, monitors said Friday, one week after the start of the biggest protests in years challenging the Islamic republic's theocratic system. The threat of new military action by the United States against Iran has also appeared to have ...

Syria's Leader Set to Visit Berlin With Deportations in Focus

This is Beirut 13:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Damascus United States USA

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected in Berlin on Tuesday for talks, as German officials seek to step up deportations of Syrians, despite unease about continued instability in their homeland. Sharaa is scheduled to meet his counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German president's office said. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's office ...

Mossad Director Visits U.S. for Iran Consultations, Axios Reports

This is Beirut 13:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The director of Israel's Mossad spy agency, David Barnea, arrived in the U.S. on Friday morning for talks on the situation in Iran, according to an Israeli source and another source with knowledge of the meeting. Barnea is expected to meet in Miami with White House envoy Steve Witkoff, who is managing the direct channel of communication ...

U.S.-Led Coalition Meets With Kurds to Ease Tensions With Damascus: Kurdish Spokesman

This is Beirut 12:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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A US-led coalition delegation met with Kurdish forces east of Syria's Aleppo on Friday in a bid to ease tensions with Damascus following clashes over the past week, a Kurdish spokesman said. Farhad Shami, spokesman for the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, told AFP the meeting took place in Deir Hafer, as Syrian government ...

Trump Announces 'Board of Peace' Formed for Gaza

This is Beirut 11:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the formation of a Gaza "board of peace," a key phase two element of a US-backed plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory. "It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, adding that the members of the body will be ...

Yemen Prime Minister Quits, Replaced by Foreign Minister

This is Beirut 11:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The prime minister of Yemen has been replaced by his foreign minister after the premier submitted the government's resignation, the country's Saudi-backed presidential body said. The move comes after weeks of tensions between Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates following a failed push by Abu Dhabi-backed separatists to seize ...

AnalysisWhat Iran’s Fate Could Mean for Hezbollah and Lebanon

Marwan El Amine 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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As Iran’s nationwide protest movement intensifies, a key question is dominating regional and international discourse: what lies ahead for the Islamist regime if unrest continues, and how might its potential collapse impact Middle Eastern states shaped by four decades of Iranian policy? Since Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in 1979, Iran has ...

Exclusive: Lindsey Graham Says Arab States are “Not a Very Good Ally”

This is Beirut 15/01 21:05 - Reading : less than a minute

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Lindsey Graham U.S. Senator (R-South Carolina) and Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said that if Arab countries intervened on Iran’s behalf to block U.S. military action in Tehran, then “they are not a very good ally,” warning that such behavior would call future partnerships into question. He added that he believes “the regimes ...

Yemen Presidential Body Sacks Last UAE-Backed Member

This is Beirut 15/01 16:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Yemen United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia

Yemen's eight-seat presidential body on Thursday dismissed its last UAE-backed member, a southern separatist, consolidating Saudi Arabia's full control over the country's decision-making body. In December, forces from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council briefly captured two key provinces, infuriating Saudi Arabia, which rolled back their ...

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman Convince Trump to ‘Give Iran a Chance:’ Senior Saudi Official

This is Beirut 15/01 15:35 - Reading : less than a minute

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Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman led efforts to talk U.S. President Donald Trump out of an attack on Iran, fearing “grave blowbacks in the region,” a senior Saudi official told AFP on Thursday. The Gulf trio “led a long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good ...