The Lebanese Army Goes Rogue
The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), under its commander Rodolphe Haykal, has defied the state it is sworn to serve, effectively siding with Hezbollah at a moment when Lebanon teeters on the edge of the abyss. After...
Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport
Histories of Hezbollah’s assassinated top military commander, likely candidates to replace him
On Sunday, September 23, 2025, an Israeli airstrike targeted the third and fourth floors of a residential building on Al Arid Street in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut’s southern Dahiyeh suburbs...
Op-eds
Hezbollah continues exploiting Canadian vehicular theft and money-laundering schemes
Last week, the Canadian government issued its 2025 report assessing money laundering and terrorist financing risks in Canada. The report noted that Hezbollah was using both illicit and otherwise...
Op-eds
Lebanon Should Take a Cue from al-Sharaa – and Talk to Israel
A joke has it that Syria’s self-proclaimed president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, offered to build a Trump Tower in Damascus to make up for the two New York towers that Al-Qaeda, al-Sharaa former organization,...
Op-eds
Israel kills Hezbollah Unit 4400 deputy commander amid allegations of continued smuggling
Israel continued its targeted killings of Hezbollah operatives and commanders this week, assassinating a senior commander of the group’s Unit 4400 on Sunday. Unit 4400 is Hezbollah’s body...
Op-eds
Iran reportedly smuggling weapons to Hezbollah via Beirut port
An unnamed “Western security source” told Al Arabiya and its Al Hadath sister channel that Hezbollah is using the Port of Beirut to smuggle weapons into Lebanon from Iran. The source told...
Op-eds
Nasrallah’s funeral was Hezbollah’s desperately needed lifeline
Hezbollah is in a crisis. The group suffered an unprecedented drubbing by Israel, which decimated most of its arsenal, eliminated a substantial number of its fighters, and killed its iconic Secretary-General...
Op-eds
Lebanon seizes funds bound for Hezbollah at Beirut airport
On February 28, Reuters, quoting three anonymous and unidentified sources, reported that authorities at Lebanon’s Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport seized $2.5 million in cash destined for Hezbollah.
Op-eds
Lebanese Prime Minister Demands IDF Withdraw From 5 Defensive Points
Salam Demands IDF Withdraw Fully From Lebanon: Newly elected Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam demanded a full IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon during a February 28 visit...
Flash Briefs
Is Iran poising itself for escalation with Israel?
Tehran seized on the funeral of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah as a stage to reaffirm its steadfast commitment to revitalizing its Lebanese proxy and potentially escalating its attacks...
Op-eds
Hezbollah is the Antithesis of Shia Islam
A video went viral of a Lebanese woman standing at the Beirut Airport and berating other passengers, shouting: “We sacrificed our blood, this is our country, and whoever does not like it should emigrate.”...
Op-eds
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem’s “Martyr Leaders Day” speech
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem delivered the secretary-general’s customary address on the group’s “Martyr Leaders Day” on February 16.
Op-eds
Hezbollah Supporters Block Beirut Roads After Iranian Plane Prohibited From Landing
Beirut Airport Entrances Blocked: Lebanese civilians blockaded roads surrounding Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on February 13 after Lebanese aviation authorities...
Flash Briefs
Lebanon’s Mahan Air theater was meant to cover ceasefire deal non-performance
A false narrative has emerged claiming Lebanese authorities searched an Iranian plane last week at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport over suspicion the aircraft was smuggling...
Op-eds
Iran attempts to insulate itself from possible Trump sanctions
With Trump returning to office, Iran is likely concerned it could be under “maximum pressure” again with the using sanctions and other methods to cut off Tehran’s economy.
Op-eds
Iran Is Using Lebanon’s Airport to Fund Terrorism; The World Must Respond
The Lebanese government has a choice to make — reclaim effective control of its main international airport from Hezbollah, or see that air hub destroyed by the Israel Defense Forces. As government ministers...
Op-eds
Hezbollah’s Beirut Airport Powder Keg
Lebanon could be setting itself up for a repeat of the disastrous 2020 Beirut explosion.
Op-eds
Hezbollah Drone Intercepted After Penetrating Deep Into Lower Galilee
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted an apparent Hezbollah drone over the Lower Galilee on June 23. The drone threat from Lebanon set off sirens in numerous Israeli communities...
Flash Briefs
10 Things to Know About Hezbollah
1. Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Islamist terrorist organization Hezbollah (also spelled “Hizballah”) is a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and a political party based in Lebanon. The...
Insights
Missing the Mark
Reassessing U.S. Military Aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces