Hezbollah Reneging on Surrendering Its Arms
Hezbollah and its allies – Speaker Nabih Berri, former Minister Najib Mikati, and Hezbollah ministers in the previous cabinet – all signed the ceasefire agreement with Israel that ended the war and...
Joseph Aoun
Syrian Army Deaths Lead to Overnight Clashes Across Syria-Lebanon Border
Syrian Troops Allegedly Kidnapped: Clashes erupted across the Syria-Lebanon border on March 16 after the Syrian transitional government accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of kidnapping...
Flash Briefs
Hezbollah’s Comeback Plan and How to Counter It
If the glass at your house got shattered during Hezbollah’s war with Israel, the Iran-backed militia would pay you $1,200 to fix it, a hefty sum by Lebanese standards. Reports, perhaps exaggerated, suggest...
Op-eds
Lebanon’s new government, the absent “resistance” Clause, and Hezbollah’s fate
Lebanon officially has a new government. On January 13, 2025, Nawaf Salam was appointed prime minister-designate and tasked with cobbling together a cabinet. He accomplished this task by February...
Op-eds
A comparison of IDF and LAF activities in Lebanon post-November 27 ceasefire
The state of ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, which went into effect on November 27, 2024, has now officially expired. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has withdrawn from almost all areas occupied...
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 Must Relearn Democracy, Debate Peace with Israel
Druze lawmaker Wael Abou-Faour said that U.S. officials have broached the subject of peace between Lebanon and Israel with top Lebanese leaders, but argued that peace would spark clashes...
Op-eds
Lebanon May Be Ready for Peace With Israel. Both Sides Need to Prepare
With Hezbollah sidelined, both Israelis and Lebanese must start thinking beyond security and cease-fire arrangements and start saying the word peace, louder and louder. The more the P word is uttered, the more normal it becomes
Op-eds
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
‘Death to Israel, Death to America’: Hezbollah Flexes at Massive Nasrallah Funeral Buzzed by Israeli Jets
IAF Warplanes Buzz Funeral, Strike Lebanese Targets: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on February 23 that the Israeli Air Force flew low passes in the skies over the...
Flash Briefs
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
‘Deployed Temporarily’: IDF Details Lebanon Lookout Posts It Will Keep Post-Withdrawal
Pullout Nearly Complete: Ahead of its February 18 deadline to withdraw from southern Lebanon, the IDF said that it would withdraw the majority of its troops from south Lebanon per...
Flash Briefs
Israel to Reportedly Maintain Key Defensive Positions in South Lebanon Beyond Withdrawal Date
Israel To Maintain Troop Presence at Key Positions: Israel will reportedly maintain the IDF’s presence at five defensive posts in southern Lebanon beyond the deadline for withdrawal...
Flash Briefs
Disruptions and Challenges in the Middle East
Significant challenges await the Trump administration’s attention.
Op-eds
Syria’s crackdown on smuggling sparks tensions with Hezbollah and Lebanon
The border between Lebanon and Syria has witnessed intense clashes in recent days as the newly formed Syrian army deployed reinforcements to Al Qusayr in the western Homs Governorate.
Op-eds
Naim Qassem’s most defiant speech yet as Hezbollah secretary-general
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem’s last speech, delivered on Monday, was his most defiant to date. Qassem spoke one day after the expiration of the November 27 Israel-Lebanon ceasefire deal’s...
Op-eds
Lebanon’s prime minister-designate is unlikely to confront Hezbollah
After a two-year vacancy, Lebanon finally has a president. On January 9, Joseph Aoun was swept into office as its fourteenth holder to Lebanese and international acclaim. More importantly, if...
Op-eds
‘Not Written in Stone’: Israel Set to Extend Lebanon Truce Deadline
LAF Takeover Incomplete: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on January 24 said that the IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon is not likely to be completed in full by the...
Flash Briefs
Israel’s Dilemma in Lebanon
The 60-day ceasefire in Lebanon will end on January 26, six days after President Trump takes office. While Hizbullah suffered heavy losses during the two months of fighting from late September to...
Op-eds
Trump Doctrine 2.0: What It Means for the Middle East
Countries across the Middle East are making moves and preparing for President Donald Trump’s incoming United States administration. Many of the region’s leaders were in power during the first...