Author: Steven Sahiounie

In a significant development, Israel reportedly hacked into the communication frequency of Beirut Airport’s control tower to issue a warning to an approaching Iranian civilian aircraft. According to An-Nahar, Lebanese caretaker Minister of Public Works, Ali Hamieh, confirmed that the Israeli military intercepted the communication line, threatening to use force unless the plane changed its course. Israeli Warning to Iranian Plane Minister Hamieh stated that the swift intervention prevented the aircraft from landing at Beirut’s airport. Speaking to Reuters, he elaborated that Israel directly warned Lebanon’s aviation authorities, indicating that any Iranian plane attempting to land at the airport would…

There are too many people who think the Kremlin is bluffing and they can behave with impunity towards Russia Vladimir Putin’s decision to update Moscow’s nuclear doctrine isn’t a knee-jerk reaction to current events. Unlike, for example, the threat to attack deeper inside Russia with long-range missiles. The changes were flagged by the Russian president several months ago, and from yesterday’s speech we learned that the Strategic Deterrence Commission meets twice a year, which means that the document itself is constantly being re-read and re-thought. The merits of strengthening nuclear deterrence became clear more than two years ago, when the…

The prime minister of the Middle Eastern nation says American troops are no longer needed in the countryWashington will conclude the American-led international mission in Iraq over the next 12 months, according to a joint statement from Iraq and the US. The decision comes amid escalating tensions in the wider Middle East, with Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah exchanging fire and threatening to expand the Gaza conflict. After intensive discussions between the Iraqi Higher Military Commission, the US, and the international coalition, the American military mission will transition to a bilateral security partnership, according to the joint statement published…

In the early hours of Saturday, the Israeli military launched intense airstrikes on various locations in the southern suburbs of Beirut. According to Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV, the strikes targeted areas including Kafaat, Hadath, Lailaki, Shweifat, and Burj al-Barajneh. Videos from the scene revealed massive fires and thick columns of smoke billowing from the bombarded areas. At the outset of the latest attack, the Israeli military announced that it was “currently striking buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah stores anti-ship missiles.” The military statement added that they were “conducting precise strikes on Hezbollah weaponry stored beneath civilian buildings…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently used the metaphor “spider web” in a statement discussing the Israeli military strike on Hezbollah’s stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday. Reports suggest that the strike targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, sparking speculation about his possible death after communication with his group was lost. Speaking from his residence in New York before returning to Israel, Netanyahu said, “Our enemies thought we were like a spider web. That’s what one of them used to say.” Netanyahu was referencing a term frequently used by Nasrallah, who has often described Israel as a “spider…

Norway will no longer grant automatic asylum to refugees from six “safe” regions Norway has announced that Ukrainians who come from six regions that it has classified as “safe,” mainly in the west of the country, will no longer be granted automatic asylum. The NATO member has welcomed 85,000 Ukrainians over the past two and a half years, according to the government in Oslo. The number of arrivals has decreased by 40% over the past twelve months, which Norway credited to a series of cutbacks to benefits and accommodations, but has risen again in recent weeks. “Immigration to Norway must be controlled…

India, Brazil, and South Africa have stressed that making global institutions more representative of today’s world is a top priorityThe foreign ministers of Brazil, India, and South Africa have reiterated their commitment to expanding the UN Security Council (UNSC) to enhance the influence of developing countries in global governance and economic decision making. Mauro Vieira, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Ronald Lamola – the foreign ministers of Brazil, India, and South Africa, respectively – met on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday. In a statement after the meeting, the ministers expressed “frustration with the…

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell expressed regret on Friday, stating that no power, including the United States, seems capable of stopping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking to a small group of journalists during the United Nations General Assembly, Borrell said, “What we are doing is applying all possible diplomatic pressure to achieve a ceasefire, but it appears that no one has the ability to stop Netanyahu—neither in Gaza nor in the occupied West Bank.” Borrell voiced support for the French-American initiative to establish a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon—a proposal that Israel ignored as it intensified strikes across…

Hezbollah has denied what it described as “false claims” by Israel regarding the presence of weapons caches in civilian buildings targeted by Israeli airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs in the early hours of Saturday. In a statement distributed by its media office, Hezbollah stated, “There is no truth to the Zionist enemy’s false claims about the existence of weapons or weapons caches in the civilian buildings that were targeted by the bombing in the southern suburbs a short while ago.” The Israeli military announced that it conducted strikes early Saturday, targeting Hezbollah weapons storage sites located beneath residential buildings in…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented two maps of the Middle East on Friday during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, conspicuously omitting any reference to Gaza or the occupied West Bank. Speaking on the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict, which raises fears of escalating into a full-scale war potentially involving other nations, Netanyahu used the maps to make his points. The first map illustrated a logistical bridge from India to Southern Europe via the Middle East, a concept he previously showcased last year. The second map depicted countries with Iranian influence in the region. Netanyahu contrasted the two…