Newsletter: Business & Tech Iran keeps Hormuz reopening on hold Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remained low, with only five commodity vessels transiting the waterway on Tuesday, according to data from maritime tracking firm Kpler. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Large UAE delegation set to arrive in Lebanon in major investment push A large Emirati delegation of around 70 business leaders and government officials is heading to Beirut, in the latest sign of thaw between the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. Lebanon
Newsletter: Daily Briefing US lifts Syria's terror designation Pakistan and Iran report “significant progress” in talks on ending conflict; Lebanon’s Transport Minister Rasamni visits Damascus; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
In shift, Lebanon grants Iranian ambassador residency extension Mohammad Reza Sheibani’s visa was set to expire early Tuesday morning and he was first ordered to leave in March. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Syria, Israel hold US-mediated talks By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran threatens ‘devastating’ response as US ramps up sanctions By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Lebanon army, Syrian traffickers clash as anti-smuggling efforts ramp up Authorities in Lebanon and Syria have stepped up their fight against the Captagon trade following the fall of the Assad regime, which heavily relied on the industry as one of its major sources of income. Lebanon
France’s Macron in Lebanon as Beirut port blast probe resumes New developments following the election of Western-backed Joseph Aoun as president perhaps offer hope for generating political momentum and restoring the international community's confidence in Lebanon. Lebanon
Analysis Eyeing reconstruction, port investment, UAE resets Lebanon ties A weakened Hezbollah and a new government in Beirut give room for the Emirates to play a big role, politically and economically, in Lebanon. By Jennifer Gnana In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics
Al-Waleed bin Talal announces Four Seasons to reopen in Beirut, Lebanon The planned reopening of the hotel, which was damaged in the 2020 port explosion, follows Saudi-backed Gen. Joseph Aoun's becoming president of Lebanon. Lebanon
Top US general in Mideast meets Lebanon's Aoun in bid to shore up ceasefire with Israel CENTCOM commander Gen. Erik Kurilla's final diplomatic tour of the region under President Joe Biden came as the outgoing president defended his foreign policy legacy in a speech from Foggy Bottom. Lebanon
Kuwait sentences 13 to prison over Hezbollah financing: What we know Kuwait has had tense relations with Hezbollah in the past and the ruling comes as Saudi Arabia is reportedly pushing for the Iran-backed group to be disarmed. Kuwait
Nawaf Salam secures enough votes to be Lebanon's next prime minister The ICJ president is not a Hezbollah favorite, but has secured the backing of more than 70 parliamentarians to be Lebanon's next prime minister. Lebanon
Analysis With US-Saudi backing, can Lebanon’s new president rein in Hezbollah? With top general’s election, the United States and Saudi Arabia aim to draw Lebanon further from Iran. To do that, a new government has to convince Hezbollah that their days of armed resistance are over. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Lebanon's Mikati set to meet Sharaa in Syria in wake of Aoun's election Najib Mikati’s visit, the first in 15 years, comes amid pressure in Lebanon to release Islamists imprisoned during the civil war and just after the election of President Joseph Aoun. Lebanon
From Saudi to US, congrats pour in for Lebanon's new President Aoun Lebanon's parliament elected Gen. Joseph Aoun as president on Thursday, ending the country's two-year presidential vacuum. Lebanon
Joseph Aoun elected president of Lebanon, ending two-year void The election of army commander Gen. Joseph Aoun garnered rare consensus among the Lebanese, backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia in the first presidential election for Lebanon following the fall of the Assad regime. Lebanon
Joseph Aoun emerges as front-runner for Lebanon president on eve of vote Hezbollah’s candidate dropped out and endorsed the Lebanese Armed Forces leader on Wednesday, as Lebanon seeks to elect a president after more than two-year void. Lebanon