Beirut

Hezbollah Explosives Debunk Lebanon’s Sovereignty Myth

In reality, the state fears Hezbollah, abides by its diktats, and actively dismantles its own rule of law to accommodate the Iranian proxy.

Iraq’s Currency Crisis Exposes the Economic Cost of Iran’s Endless Wars

As Baghdad devalues the dinar and Gulf governments confront mounting fiscal pressures, the Middle East faces a reckoning over oil dependence, Iranian proxy warfare, and the economic cost of perpetual conflict.

Qatar’s Lebanon Assistance Cannot Excuse Beirut From Disarming Hezbollah

Qatar is preparing — for the second time this year — to help Lebanon turn the lights back on. On October 16, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced plans to modernize Lebanon’s...

Lebanon’s Call for Another Extension of UNIFIL’s Mandate Won’t End Hezbollah’s Threat

Lebanon’s government is becoming increasingly nervous as the expiration date for the mandate of UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, draws closer. Meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel...

Lebanon revokes Iranian bank’s license amid US pressure over Hezbollah financing

Lebanon’s central bank, Banque Du Liban (BDL), has revoked the operating license of Bank Saderat Iran, an Iranian financial institution with documented ties to Hezbollah financing. The move comes amid...

Hezbollah accuses Lebanese police of violating security coordination procedure after supporters reportedly obstruct raid

Men identifying themselves as Hezbollah supporters reportedly surrounded a Lebanese police patrol on October 16 during a raid on a warehouse containing unfit pharmaceuticals in Galerie Semaan, near Beirut’s...

Lebanon Revokes Bank Saderat’s License, but Hezbollah’s Financial Network Remains

Lebanon has revoked the operating license of Bank Saderat, an Iranian lender implicated in financing Hezbollah. Karim Souaid, the governor of Banque du Liban, Lebanon’s central bank, confirmed the...

Profile: Hezbollah’s new liaison to the Lebanese state and society

Hussain al Abdallah, who succeeded Wafiq Safa as head of Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit in February, reportedly sought the return of explosives seized this month by Lebanese security forces....

Sporadic Weapons Seizures Won’t Stop Hezbollah’s Rearmament

Hezbollah is still smuggling weapons across the Syrian-Lebanese border. On October 12, the Lebanese army seized approximately 200 kilograms of explosives being transported from Syria into Lebanon...

Lebanon’s False Claims of Disarming Hezbollah

A seemingly routine traffic mishap in Lebanon on Friday exposed the Lebanese government as either unwilling or unable to disarm Hezbollah, even as it publicly pretends to have done so in line with the...

Hezbollah announces ‘Promise and Commitment’ housing and reconstruction program

Hezbollah announced a yearlong housing-assistance program on October 13, offering eligible families displaced by the 2024 and 2026 wars with Israel up to $14,000 for rent and furniture. Lebanese Prime...

Lebanese security forces seize explosives shipment reportedly bound for Hezbollah in Beirut

Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) intercepted a vehicle carrying nearly 800 kilograms of explosives and related materials on October 5 at the Dahr al Baidar checkpoint on the Bekaa–Beirut highway...

Hezbollah’s New Leader Naim Qassem Is No Hassan Nasrallah

Hezbollah is trying to keep its head down and recover its strength. As a result, Naim Qassem is providing a more muted leadership than his predecessor.

Hezbollah’s Financial Lifeline Extends Beyond Iran’s Cash Transfers

U.S. sanctions have strained Iran’s finances and disrupted some funding channels to its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. Yet sanctions have not eliminated the group’s access to outside funding, including...

IDF shifts southern Lebanon forces toward ‘forward-defense’ posture as troops prepare for winter

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is shifting forces in southern Lebanon toward what Israeli security officials described as a “forward and offensive defense” posture. The officials said the IDF is also...

Who Will Do Lebanon’s Job?

The Trilateral Framework can move forward only after a third party that independently verifies, for Israel, that Lebanon has fulfilled its responsibilities in a pilot zone.

Nasrallah is Dead. Hezbollah’s Social Lifeline is Not.

Two years after Israel killed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah is weaker but not finished. WaTaawanou, a crowdfunded charity outside Hezbollah’s formal hierarchy, exemplifies one way Hezbollah endures: outsourcing...

Hezbollah’s Shadow Economy in Post-Assad Syria

Opposing Peace With Israel Helps Preserve Hezbollah’s Power

Lebanese Shia activists claiming to oppose Hezbollah have made their way to Washington, where they met U.S. decision-makers who believed that their guests were advancing peace. The catch is that these...

Lebanon’s Pretend Peace with Israel Revives Arafat’s Playbook

What is the point of strengthening the LAF if internal dialogue is the only tool Beirut intends to use to restore state sovereignty?