Category: Middle East
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Lebanon is close to completing the first phase of Hezbollah’s disarmament south of the Litani River, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said, as Beirut moves to meet ceasefire commitments with Israel before a year-end deadline. “Prime Minister Salam affirmed that the first phase of the weapons consolidation plan related to the area south of the Litani…
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Egypt has reiterated efforts to prevent further escalation between Lebanon and Israel, amid tensions linked to the disarmament of Hezbollah. During a visit to Beirut, Mustafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt, said Cairo would continue working to keep Lebanon away from conflict. He spoke alongside Nawaf Salam, Prime Minister of Lebanon. Egypt, which signed a…
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The United States says it has carried out a large-scale military operation against Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria following a deadly ambush on US forces. US Central Command said Operation Hawkeye Strike began at 16:00 ET on Friday (Dec. 19), involving fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery striking more than 70 IS sites across…
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Israel has approved an export licence allowing up to $35bn worth of natural gas sales to Egypt from the Leviathan gasfield, ending a months-long delay that drew pressure from the United States on behalf of co-owner Chevron. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision would deliver around $18bn in tax revenues and strengthen Israel’s role…
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Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has addressed renewed speculation over a possible Israeli attack, warning that such claims form part of a broader campaign of psychological warfare aimed at generating fear and tension inside Iran. In an interview with Al Jazeera’s Hind Hassan, Araghchi said Iranian society has long been accustomed to threats from the…
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An Emirati-backed separatist force in southern Yemen has launched a new military advance, raising concerns over renewed instability in the country’s long-running conflict. The Southern Transitional Council (STC) said its armed wing, the Southern Armed Forces, has begun operations in Abyan province, a strategic area linking southern cities to Mahra on the Omani border. Key…
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Israel carried out a targeted strike in Gaza City on Saturday (Dec. 13) in one of the most significant incidents since a US-brokered ceasefire took effect two months ago. An Israeli military official said the strike killed Raed Saad, a key architect of Hamas’s 7 October attack and deputy head of its military wing. Hamas…
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A new militant umbrella group, the People’s Resistance Front, has announced its formation in Iran, claiming responsibility for an attack on an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) convoy in Sistan-Baluchestan that reportedly killed four soldiers. State media say the group brings together marginal factions, including PADA Baluch, Harakat al-Nasr, and Jebhe Mohammad Rasoulallah, though early…
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Iran has expanded its cloud-seeding operations as the country faces its most severe water crisis in six decades, according to Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi. New rounds of weather-modification flights, drone missions and ground-based generators began this water year, running from October to September. Officials say cloud-seeding can increase rainfall by 15–20% under suitable conditions, and…
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Saudi Arabia and Qatar have agreed to build a high-speed electric railway linking Riyadh and Doha, signalling a major step in the deepening rapprochement between the two Gulf states. The project will connect King Salman International Airport with Hamad International Airport, with stops in Al-Hofuf and Dammam. The train is expected to exceed 300km/h and…
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