Najib Mikati

A Deal with Teeth: Lebanon Agrees to Disarm Hezbollah or Lose Territory

Lebanon can either disarm Hezbollah or lose its depopulated southern border region to Israeli control.

Hezbollah at War: What Comes Next for Lebanon and the Region

What if Israel Was Right and the Arabs Were Wrong?

For over five decades, many Arab leaders have blamed Israel’s alleged intransigence, belligerence, and unfulfilled promises for the persistent failure to achieve Arab-Israeli peace. Yet, Lebanon’s...

Pretending to Disarm Hezbollah Won’t Work

Lebanon is pretending to disarm Hezbollah and thinks that the world believes it. Then, when the world calls Beirut out, Lebanese officials engage in collective delusion and blame “Israeli aggression”...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

Good news and bad news from Lebanon as Nawaf Salam elected premier

Israel-bashing president of the International Court of Justice hardly seems the one to bring peace with neighbor

Lebanon Chooses Nawaf Salam, an Adversary of Israel, as New Prime Minister

International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam Named as Prime Minister: ICJ President Nawaf Salam has been nominated as Lebanon’s next prime minister after consultations...

With No Power or Constitutional Authority, Lebanon’s New President Won’t Disarm Hezbollah

After two years of deadlock, the proverbial white smoke has emerged from Lebanon’s parliament in Beirut’s Nejmeh Square. Former Lebanese Armed Forces commander Joseph Aoun has been elected...

Lebanon is not serious about disarming Hezbollah

Topping the list of reasons for lack of Lebanese interest, all presidential hopefuls need Hezbollah votes

Don’t bet on the Lebanese Army to restrain Hezbollah

The Assad regime has fallen. Meanwhile, the dreaded Third Lebanon War, during which Israel gave Hezbollah an unprecedented drubbing, is either over or in a ceasefire-induced lull. But the Iranian-backed...

Naim Qassem on Hezbollah’s post-ceasefire posture

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem delivered two speeches—one on November 29 and another on December 5— after the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that took effect on November 27. Most...

‘Within Our Grasp’: U.S. Envoy Hochstein Reaches for Lebanon Truce

U.S. Envoy Back in Beirut: Amos Hochstein, a senior advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden, returned to Beirut on November 19, hours after several news outlets reported that Lebanon and the Iran-backed terrorist...

A Message for America: A Free Lebanon Is the Only Path to Truly Stopping Hezbollah

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7 Israelis killed by Hezbollah rocket fire as Israel hosts US envoys

Seven Israelis were killed on October 31 by Hezbollah rocket fire, one of the worst days for civilian casualties in northern Israel since Hezbollah’s rocket attacks began on October 8, 2023. Five people,...

Israel Is Hurting Hezbollah. But It Can’t Rely on Lebanon to Finish the Job

The Iranian-backed group has deep popular roots, and its degradation or elimination will have to rest equally on military defeat coupled with political and social pressure

Lebanese Prime Minister Issues Rare Complaint Over Iranian ‘Interference’

Responding to comments made by a senior Iranian official regarding Iran’s willingness to negotiate with France over the implementation of a key UN Security Council Resolution concerning...