Analysis Israel’s Lebanon dilemma: Confront Hezbollah without angering Trump, triggering Iran Israeli sources point out that the pilot project for Israel's withdrawal and the Lebanese military taking control over the area is not working because of the government's reluctance to search for Hezbollah's weapons in private homes. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran sets conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz Syria, Saudi Arabia to establish joint bank; Lebanon, UAE ink deals, deepen economic ties; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Lebanon, UAE ink deals, deepen economic ties on Emirati Beirut visit An Emirati business delegation signed the agreements in Beirut and met with President Joseph Aoun, indicating the UAE's interest in deepening economic ties with Lebanon. Lebanon
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
Newsletter: Daily Briefing US lifts Syria's terror designation By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
As Assad’s Forces Take Control Of Qusair, What Comes Next? Now that the Syrian regime’s forces control half of the city of Qusair near Lebanon’s northern border, the balance seems to once again be shifting in the Syrian conflict. Israel
Uncertainty Over Electoral Law Prolongs Lebanon Political Crisis The Lebanese parliament remains incapable of putting forth legislation amid prevailing uncertainty about the electoral law and the standing Taif Agreement, which influence the representation of different sects in the government. Lebanon
Palestinian Refugees From Syria Especially Vulnerable Palestinian refugees from Syria often fall outside of the international safety net, which is already strained because of the war. Jordan
Geneva II Is Just a Start for Syria What are the conditions for the success of the Geneva II conference? Lebanon
Lebanon: An Intolerable Delay Lebanon must settle the dipute over its electoral law and form a new government. Lebanon
Jabhat Al-Nusra Shows Its Cracks What appears to be divisions among the leadership of terrorist allies Jabhat al-Nusra and al-Qaeda in Iraq may signal greater difficulties in controlling radical jihadists in Syria. Iraq
Lebanese Elections Will Not Happen in September While the debate continues over the so-called Orthodox Gathering law, along with other governmental roadblocks, it is unclear when parliamentary elections will be held in Lebanon. Lebanon
Does Lebanon’s Political System Need an Update? As Lebanon’s governmental crisis moves forward, traditional alliances may be shifting as inefficiencies in the old confessional system come to the surface. Lebanon
Why Did Iran's Foreign Minister Visit Jordan? Did Jordan's King Abdullah II charge Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi with sending a "friendly message" to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad? Jordan
Saudi-Qatar Honeymoon In Lebanon Is Over Seemingly eager to turn the regional unrest to their advantage, both Qatar and Saudi Arabia are carefully strategizing their diplomatic efforts in the Mideast. Saudi Arabia
Lebanon Army Prohibits Nakba Demonstration in Maroun al-Ras To avoid a repeat of last year, when Palestinian demonstrators breached the Israeli border fence, the Lebanese army has prohibited Palestinian demonstrators from going to Maroun al-Ras to commemorate Nabka Day. Palestine
Palestine and Syria Vie For Center Stage in Region Does the media’s preoccupation with Israeli-Palestinian negotiations overshadow developments in Syria? Palestine
