Lebanon - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Lebanon

Lebanon

June 20, 2026

Beirut 10:14 pm

25°C

US President Donald Trump holds a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Palm Beach, Florida, Dec. 29, 2025.

Analysis

How Netanyahu used Lebanon strikes to push back on Trump’s Iran deal

The latest ceasefire in Lebanon leaves Netanyahu squeezed between Washington and domestic pressure.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Marada Movement leader Suleiman Frangieh (L) meets with Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi (C) and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea (R), Bkerke, north of Beirut, Nov. 14, 2018.

Who is Lebanon’s Suleiman Frangieh, sanctioned by US for Hezbollah ties?

The politician and Marada Movement leader has a close relationship with the Syrian Assad family and staunchly supports Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah.

Lebanese soldiers man a check point beside a Hezbollah flag at the entrance to Nabatieh on June 15, 2026.

Analysis

Fears in Lebanon that US-Iran deal boosts Hezbollah without restraining Israel

The deal that ended the war between the United States and Iran has left Hezbollah feeling empowered, which could mark a setback for the Lebanese government’s efforts to disarm the group and move forward with its talks with Israel.

Beatrice Farhat

By Beatrice Farhat

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

Latest News

Lebanon President Joseph Aoun to visit White House this month, Trump says

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a government meeting at the Presidential Palace in Beirut, Lebanon, on September 5, 2025.

Who is Fahd Al-Dosari, Saudi Arabia’s new ambassador to Lebanon?

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji meets with Fahd bin Abdulrahman bin Hathloul Al-Dosari, the new Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, in Beirut on June 17, 2026.

Analysis

Why Trump’s push for Syria to confront Hezbollah is an unlikely bid

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa is welcomed by Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia on April 24, 2026, on the sidelines of a European summit.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Beatrice Farhat

Associate Editor (Lebanon)

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

Joyce Karam

Editor-in-Chief

Ali Hashem

In Doha, reporting on Iran, regional politics, conflict

Hanna Davis

In Beirut, reporting on politics, migration, human rights

Rodayna Raydan

In Boqaata, reporting on culture

Women break their silence at Lebanon's monodrama festival

The Lebanon International Women Monodrama Festival, which opens on International Women's Day, provides a platform for female voices to be heard without interruption or suppression.

Lebanese architect blazes new path

For Beirut-born architect Amale Andraos, it is still surprisingly difficult to operate as a woman in architecture.

Civil marriage resurfaces as hot topic in Lebanon’s politics

Newly appointed Minister of Interior Raya al-Hassan recently said she will engage a serious dialogue on civil marriage in Lebanon, which sparked backlash from religious authorities.

Academy fights discrimination with art, music in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley

Peace of Art, a humanitarian organization and fine arts academy, offers the people of the northern Bekaa Valley an artistic and pacifist outlet in a region plagued by conflict.

Meet the women in Lebanon’s government

All eyes are on the four women appointed to Cabinet positions in Lebanon's new government, a record high in the country plagued by economic and other longstanding issues.

As sanctions loom, Syria looks to retrieve funds from abroad

Damascus wants the country's banks to develop incentives to bring Syrian funds back, especially those deposited in Lebanese banks.

Lebanese youth open zero-waste market

Active during the 2015 trash crisis, Lebanon’s younger generation are pushing for environmentally friendly products, seen in the opening of Recycle Lebanon’s EcoSouk.

Revolution at 40: Have Iranian regional policies come full circle?

Forty years after the Islamic Revolution, the shah’s view of Iran and its role in the region is paradoxically echoed in the foreign policy debate by those with a more revolutionary perspective.

Competition brings green to Beirut

The “I Green Beirut” competition brought together designers, urban planners and artists to present ideas for transforming three areas around the city into new green spaces.

Palestinian students stripped of US scholarships

Palestinian students studying abroad on US-sponsored scholarships have found themselves in limbo after the Palestinian Authority declined further US assistance following enactment of the US Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act.

The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) Leaders are seen ahead of their Summit meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 9, 2018. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC1819A5F470

GCC states boxed in by US sanctions on Syria

The United States creates dilemmas for GCC in Syria; Qatar steps up with $500 million Lebanon investment; Netanyahu seeks Arab photo-op in Poland.

Why is Fatah getting cozy with Hezbollah?

A senior Fatah official recently met with Hezbollah officials in Beirut to discuss security and other developments in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.