Israel on Thursday accused its Lebanese arch-foe Hezbollah of expanding observation posts along the border under the cover of an environmental NGO, in what it called a “dangerous provocation”. The Israeli military published pictures of a building near the frontier supposedly controlled by an organisation called Green Without Borders. “Hezbollah is thus conducting observation missions … Read more
The head of Israel’s air force said Wednesday that in any future conflict with Lebanon the Jewish state will have “unimaginable” military power at its disposal. Major General Amir Eshel told a security conference that Israel’s armed forces now have far more punch than they did in the 2006 war against Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah. … Read more
Lebanon’s government announced a new election law after a cabinet session Wednesday, ending months of tense discussions and paving the way for the first parliamentary elections in nine years. The deal comes after a stalemate that has seen the country’s parliament extend its term twice since the last elections in 2009. Under the agreement, the … Read more
Lebanon’s government announced a new election law after a cabinet session Wednesday, ending months of tense discussions and paving the way for the first parliamentary elections in nine years. The deal comes after a stalemate that has seen the country’s parliament extend its term twice since the last elections in 2009. Under the agreement, the … Read more
The head of Lebanese movement Hezbollah said Thursday he was unfazed by “threats” of attacks or fresh sanctions, days after US President Donald Trump slammed the group and its sponsor Iran. On his visit to Riyadh last week, Trump blamed Iran for destabilising the Middle East and called for a crackdown on its allies, including … Read more
US President Donald Trump made a 30-minute speech on Sunday in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on his first foreign visit since taking office. Trump’s speech, preceded by a traditional Koranic reading, held Iran responsible for global extremism, urged Arab and Muslim nations to freeze channels of funding for groups including the Islamic State and … Read more
A Hezbollah leader blacklisted this week by the United States and Saudi Arabia on Sunday branded the administration of President Donald Trump as “crazy”. Just before Trump flew to Saudi Arabia on Friday, Washington and Riyadh issued their first “joint terrorist designation” blacklisting Hashem Safieddine, head of Hezbollah’s executive council. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite movement … Read more
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad lauded his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani Saturday on his election victory and vowed to continue cooperating with Tehran, a key Damascus supporter. Assad congratulated Rouhani on winning a second term and for earning “the trust the Iranian people gave him to continue bolstering Iran’s position and role,” according to a statement … Read more
As US President Donald Trump prepared to head to Saudi Arabia on Friday, Washington and Riyadh issued their first “joint terrorist designation” — blacklisting a Hezbollah leader. Hashem Safieddine was described by US officials as a key member of the executive council of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese armed movement which Washington has branded a “foreign … Read more
Iran will maintain its support for the Syrian government despite the deaths of hundreds of its advisers and volunteers in the six-year civil war, a commander said in comments published Tuesday. Shiite Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah are the Syrian regime’s most important military supporters after Russia in its battle against mainly Sunni rebels. … Read more
Israel shot down what it identified only as “a target” over the occupied Golan Heights on Thursday, hours after Syria accused it of hitting a military position near Damascus airport. “The Patriot Aerial Defence System intercepted a target above the Golan Heights,” the official Israeli army Twitter account said, without elaborating. A military spokeswoman refused … Read more
A huge blast which struck near Damascus airport early on Thursday was caused by Israeli missiles hitting a “military position”, Syria’s state SANA news agency reported. “A military position southwest of Damascus International Airport was targeted at dawn today by an Israeli aggression using several missiles fired from occupied territory, sparking explosions in the area,” … Read more
A massive explosion struck near Damascus International Airport early today setting off large fires, a monitoring group said, without specifying the cause. The blast was outside the airport itself. It was not immediately clear whether it was the result of an air strike or a ground attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. But Israeli … Read more
A large explosion has hit an area near Damascus international airport, a monitoring group says. “The blast was huge and could be heard in Damascus,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The airport lies about 25 km (15 miles) south-east of Syria’s capital. The explosion was reportedly followed … Read more
A huge explosion hit near Damascus International Airport early Thursday setting off large fires, with Syrian regime ally Hezbollah saying it was “probably” the result of an Israeli air strike. The Lebanese militant group’s Al-Manar television said the raid hit a warehouse and fuel tanks, without specifying whether they were its own or belonged to … Read more
US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis visited Israel on Friday for talks expected to focus on Iran, Syria and the two countries’ close strategic relations despite recent tensions with Barack Obama’s adminstration. Mattis held talks with Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Friday morning, to be followed by meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven … Read more
Lebanon’s Hezbollah sought Thursday to show that Israel is building up defences in anticipation of another conflict, after a string of statements from Israeli officials warning of a potential confrontation. The powerful Shiite group, which fought a devastating war with the Jewish state in 2006, brought dozens of journalists on a rare and highly-choreographed trip … Read more
The United States on Thursday urged the UN Security Council to devote less attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and make Iran’s “incredibly destructive” activities a priority in the Middle East. US Ambassador Nikki Haley branded Iran the “chief culprit” of conflicts in the Middle East and vowed to work with Washington’s partners to demand Iran … Read more
Any new US action in Syria “will not go unanswered”, Iran’s Defence Minister Hossein Dehgan warned Tuesday after America threatened to follow up a strike last week with more attacks. The United States last week fired a volley of cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack that killed … Read more
Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr on Tuesday warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that he risked suffering the same fate as slain Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi if he did not step down. The maverick cleric had last week condemned the suspected deadly use of chemical weapons by Assad’s forces against civilians, becoming a rare Shiite leader to … Read more