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Lebanon

Lebanon

September 18, 2026

Beirut 11:46 pm

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Hibatullah Barakat / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Lebanon charges 5 in alleged Hezbollah operation to train Assad loyalists

A Lebanese military court has charged the five, including an Assad-era Syrian officer and Hezbollah members, with running a cross-border security network planning attacks in Syria’s coastal region.

ISRAEL-ENTERTAINMENT-TELEVISION-POLITICS-GOVERNMENT-MASS-MEDIA-D (L to R) Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, co-creators of the hit Israeli TV show "Fauda", attend a demonstration against the Israeli government's plans to shut-down public broadcaster KAN, in Israel's Mediterranean coastal city of Tel Aviv on January 25, 2023. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Culture

Israeli show ‘Fauda’ tops Netflix in Lebanon, hits top 10 across Arab states

The show was created by Israeli journalist Avi Issacharoff and actor Lior Raz, drawing on their experiences serving in the Israeli military’s elite Duvdevan unit.

UN peacekeepers stand next to an armored vehicle during a patrol in southern Lebanon, Feb. 22, 2026.

Explainer

Why France is pushing to keep UNIFIL in Lebanon beyond 2026

Showing its support for Lebanon, Paris is backing Beirut’s request at the UN for a short-term extension of UNIFIL’s mandate, although French sources acknowledge that the chances of the request being approved are slim.

A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Nabatieh shows smoke as it rises from the site of Israeli strikes that targeted the hilltops of the mountainous area of the strategic Ali al-Taher Ridge on Aug. 14, 2026.

Israel says it destroyed Hezbollah tunnels in Ali al-Taher ridge: What to know

The ridge has become a flashpoint in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon due to its extensive tunnel network Israel says is utilized by the Iran-backed group.

Latest News

Israeli escalation in south Lebanon leaves 27 dead in 3 days as talks stall

Kawnat HAJU / AFP via Getty Images

Lebanon says at least 12 killed in Israeli strikes as tensions rise in south

An excavator digs as rescuers search for survivors amid the rubble following an overnight Israeli airstrike on the village of Kfar Roummane, southern Lebanon, Sept. 7, 2026.

Analysis

Playing for time: Despite US pressure, Israel stalls Lebanon talks until after election

Ammar Ammar / AFP via Getty Images

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

Why Ali al-Taher ridge is emerging as Israel-Hezbollah flashpoint

A flare fired by the Israeli military lands over the highlands of the area of Ali al-Taher as seen from nearby Marjayoun (Marjeyoun) in southern Lebanon on June 14, 2026.

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

Lebanese commandos take part in a military parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Lebanon's independence in downtown Beirut November 22, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir (LEBANON - Tags: ANNIVERSARY POLITICS MILITARY) - RTX15OGS

Lebanese independence from 1943 pact to Baabda Declaration

In Lebanon’s 70th year as an independent republic, the series of treaties and agreements to overcome internal disputes can all contribute to a more comprehensive solution to the question of national unity.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to the media about the deal that has been reached between six world powers and Iran at the International Conference Centre of Geneva in Geneva November 24, 2013. Iran and six world powers reached a breakthrough deal early on Sunday to curb Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for limited sanctions relief, in what could be the first sign of an emerging rapprochement between the Islamic state and the West. REUTERS/Carolyn Kaster/Pool (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS EN

Obama going big in the Middle East

The "first step agreement" with Iran is a giant step toward recasting the strategic landscape in the Middle East for the better, including for US allies Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu take part in a joint news conference in Moscow's Kremlin November 20, 2013. Putin said after talks that both sides hoped a "mutually acceptable resolution" could soon be found over Iran's nuclear ambitions. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX15M33

Netanyahu's nuclear blind spot

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reaction to the Iran nuclear deal shows a blind spot in his thinking — and a bit of hypocrisy.

Women mourn during a funeral of a victim killed in a bomb attack, in Najaf, 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad, November 14, 2013. A suicide bomber blew himself up during a Shi'ite Muslim religious ritual in the eastern Iraqi city of al-Sadiya on Thursday, killing at least 35 people and wounding 75, a senior official and security sources said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which came on the day of Ashura, a holy ritual when Shi'ites commemorate the death of Imam Hussein, a gra

Where is 'Democracy Brigade' to fight sectarian terrorists?

The proliferation of sectarian violence overwhelms the region, which needs a democratic backlash.

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah (R) meets Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman in Riyadh in this June 1, 2012 handout picture released by the Saudi Press Agency. REUTERS/Saudi Press Agency/Handout (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: POLITICS ROYALS) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RTR32YK4

The Syrian shadow on Lebanon-Saudi ties

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman reviews Lebanon-Saudi ties in an official visit to Riyadh.

ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUAL COVERAGE OF SCENES OF INJURY OR DEATH
Soldiers, policemen and medical personnel gather at the site of explosions near the Iranian embassy in Beirut November 19, 2013. Two explosions targeting the Iranian embassy hit the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, security sources said, killing at least seven people and damaging buildings in the embassy compound. REUTERS/ Mohamed Azakir (LEBANON - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS)
TEMPLATE OUT - RTX15JO7

Crisis in Lebanon requires urgent action

The Nov. 19 bombing of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut underscores Lebanon's need for a cabinet.

A soldier (in green, 2nd L) and policeman gesture at the site of the explosions near the Iranian embassy in Beirut November 19, 2013. Two explosions apparently targeting the Iranian embassy hit the capital Beirut on Tuesday, security sources said, damaging at least six buildings in the embassy compound. REUTERS/Mahmoud Kheir (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX15JOA

Lebanon in crisis from spillover of Syria conflict

Difficulty accommodating the exorbitant numbers of Syrian refugees pouring into the country, as well as growing sectarian tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, highlight Lebanon’s dire situation.

Civil Defence personnel extinguish a fire on cars at the site of the explosions near the Iranian embassy in Beirut November 19, 2013. The cultural attache Ebrahim Ansari at the Iranian embassy in Beirut was among at least 23 people killed in two explosions on Tuesday, Lebanese sources said. Lebanese Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said the explosions wounded 146 people. REUTERS/Ahmad Yassine (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX15JQX

Iran Embassy bombing: Repeat of Iraqi model in Lebanon?

The suicide bombing targeting the Iranian Embassy in Beirut on Nov. 19 shows that al-Qaeda has established both tactical and ideological cells in Lebanon.

Soldiers, policemen and medical personnel gather at the site of explosions near the Iranian embassy (L) in Beirut November 19, 2013. Two explosions targeting the Iranian embassy hit the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, security sources said, killing at least seven people and damaging buildings in the embassy compound. REUTERS/ Mohamed Azakir (LEBANON - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS MILITARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX15JOF

Lebanon enters 'third stage' of suicide bombings

Tuesday’s suicide attack on the Iranian Embassy in Beirut represents a new stage of violence in Lebanon, with Lebanese citizens targeting their compatriots at home.

U.S. President Barack Obama walks out after speaking about the violence in Egypt while at his rental vacation home on the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard in Chilmark August 15, 2013. REUTERS/Larry Downing (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX12MDQ

Israel, Egypt, Gulf fear US betrayal

Israel has become part of an unexpected alliance with the Gulf countries, Egypt and Jordan, all disappointed by the US administration's lack of Middle East understanding.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) speaks next to European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton during a news conference at the end of the Iranian nuclear talks in Geneva November 10, 2013. Zarif and Ashton said on Sunday they hoped Iran and six world powers would reach an agreement when they gather again in 10 days, adding that the latest round of talks on Tehran's nuclear programme was something all delegations can build on.REUTERS/Jason Reed (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX157

Saving the Iran deal – and the Syrian state

Ratcheting up sanctions on Iran risks a chance to end the war in Syria.

Orthodox Christian worshippers gather before the start of a procession outside Jerusalem's Old City September 5, 2013. About two hundred Orthodox Christians took part in an annual procession in which an icon of the Virgin Mary is carried from a church at the foot of the Mount of Olives believed by Christians to mark the tomb of the Virgin Mary back to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM - Tags: RELIGION) - RTX137SV

'Culture of fear' for region's minorities

Conferences recently dedicated to the plight of Middle East Christians need to be understood in broader context.