Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran warns US against planned Hormuz escort mission By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Under US pressure, will Lebanon repeal Israel Boycott Law? The 1955 law criminalizes all dealings with Israel, raising questions about how far Beirut can even go with its current engagement, currently at the ambassadorial level. Lebanon
Analysis Without exit strategy, Israel faces emboldened Hezbollah, limited options on Iran While President Donald Trump remains undecided on striking Iran again, the Israeli military is sinking deeper into its Lebanon quagmire with a reinforced Hezbollah. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
US seeks to train Lebanon army units to disarm Hezbollah: What to know Funding for such a program remains unclear, though the Pentagon has requested $36 million for fiscal year 2027 to support Lebanon’s army. Lebanon
Analysis Despite Trump pressure to limit Israel's Lebanon attacks, Aoun-Netanyahu meeting still unlikely By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Lebanon Needs Viable Solutions For Displaced Syrians Just as it is inevitable that displaced Syrians will continue to flow across the Lebanese border, it is also inevitable that the Lebanese state’s inability to keep up with the burden will drag Lebanon into a crisis of its own. Lebanon
EU Decision Leaves Hezbollah More Resolute Than Ever At a critical time in Lebanese politics, the EU decision to classify Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist organization has reopened debate about the party’s participation in government and its right to possess arms. Lebanon
Peace Talks in Need of Clarity Legal clarity will be crucial as the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks resume. Palestine
The Coming Rapprochement Between Iran and the Brotherhood As both Sunni and Shiite groups in the Middle East are targeted by the West and its allies, some predict a forthcoming Sunni-Shiite rapprochement. Egypt
Turkey's Egypt Question Turkey's role in the Middle East will turn on how it handles the crisis in Egypt. Egypt
No Separation in Hezbollah Political and Military Wings Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah mocks the EU’s misunderstanding of the inseparable nature of the party’s military and political branches. Lebanon
How Will Terror List Decision Affect EU-Hezbollah Ties? The European Union’s decision to add Hezbollah’s military wing to the list of terrorist organizations could compromise key security coordination between the two sides. Lebanon
Does Hezbollah Seek Cold Peace With EU? Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is working to contain the fallout from the EU decision. Lebanon
Islamic Clerics Oppose Lebanese Law Protecting Abused Women The death of Roula Yaacoub, a Lebanese mother of five who was beaten to death by her husband, has drawn attention to Lebanese activists’ fight to ensure women’s rights in the face of religious conservatives. Lebanon
Hezbollah Dismisses EU Terror Designation Although Hezbollah claimed indifference to the EU listing, many fear the GCC may follow suit, with negative consequences for Lebanese communities in the Gulf. Lebanon
Is Saudi Arabia Targeting Hezbollah? As attacks against Hezbollah targets escalate in Lebanon, some within the party accuse Saudi Arabia of having a direct role in the violence. Lebanon
EU Decision on Hezbollah A Signal to Iran The EU decision to add Hezbollah to its terrorism list, and the fact that the EU was keen to distinguish between Hezbollah’s military and political wings, may be part of the EU’s desire to restart negotiations with Iran. Lebanon