Hezbollah supporters marched in the streets of Beirut today, expressing opposition to US demands that the Lebanese government fully disarm the movement. It comes as the Lebanese cabinet is meeting to discuss possible avenues to such disarmament. The government is...
Syrian Forces Clash With Kurdish SDF in Aleppo Governorate
Despite the ongoing integration deal between the Kurdish SDF and the Islamist HTS-dominated government, government forces attacked SDF positions in the Aleppo Governorate today, sparking a number of substantial battles. Government-linked forces attacked SDF positions...
IDF Admits to Hundreds of Ceasefire Violations as Finance Minister Vows Israel Won’t Withdraw From Lebanon
The Lebanese government has documented several thousand ceasefire violations by Israeli forces since the ceasefire went into effect in late November. Today, the Israeli Army bragged about launching around 500 strikes against Lebanon since then, so they’re admitting to...
SDF Spurns US Demands: Laying Down Arms ‘Non-Negotiable’
The Kurdish SDF has rejected the US demand to fully disarm and withdraw from key areas and border crossings in northeast Syria, saying that the idea of laying down arms is “non-negotiable.” SDF representative Sihanouk Dibo said that the group’s long-term vision was to...
Syria, Israel Hold ‘De-Escalation’ Talks in Paris, Agree To Hold Second Round
With US envoy Tom Barrack in attendance in Paris, Syrian and Israeli government ministers met in what is being called “de-escalation” talks aimed to reduce the growing tensions amid the ongoing Israeli invasion of southwestern Syria and the sectarian violence in the...
US Envoy Barrack Gives Lebanon 90 Days to Disarm Hezbollah, Says Israel Set the Deadline
Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack continued throughout the week to make increasingly conflicting demands and pledges to Lebanon. On Wednesday, he brought back the demand for disarmament of Hezbollah, now insisting that not only does this have to happen within 90 days,...
US Envoy Barrack Threatens to Withdraw Lebanon File If Hezbollah Isn’t Disarmed
US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack continued on his rather confusing visit to Lebanon, making it even more difficult to pin down exactly what the US position on the country is at any given time with a combination of threats and reassurances. Barrack met with...
US Envoy: Disarm Hezbollah or Israel, Syria Will Conquer Lebanon
In comments in an interview with The National, US Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack warned that Lebanon faces an “existential” crisis if they don’t give in to US demands to fully disarm Hezbollah and all other armed factions by November. “You...