Lebanon: Saudi Arabia-Iran rivalry finds a new battlefront
The resignation of Saad Hariri as Lebanon’s prime minister has upended the country’s political establishment and escalated a war of words between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Hezbollah
Saudi Arabia orders citizens to leave Lebanon as tensions rise
Saudi Arabia has ordered its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately, escalating a regional standoff with Iran centred on the fragile state, which it claims is being run by Tehran’s proxy, Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s plunge into political crisis raises specter of war with Israel
Even for a country often used as a battleground by regional powers and their proxies, the sudden resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri has opened a new period of political uncertainty and fear in Lebanon.
Op. Harpoon: How the Mossad and an Israeli NGO destroyed terrorist money networks
Former government sources have told The Jerusalem Post that Israel’s Operation Harpoon, carried out by a range of Mossad, Shin Bet and other operatives, was revolutionary in that it was ‘not just about following the money, but about destroying terrorists’ money networks.’
EU, US affirm Lebanon support, diverging from Saudi
The European Union on Wednesday affirmed support for Lebanon following the resignation of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, echoing U.S. backing for the Beirut government which Saudi Arabia has accused of declaring war.
A Saudi-orchestrated resignation throws Lebanon into turmoil
Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s abrupt resignation over the weekend was bizarre even by the often twisted standards of Lebanese politics: He made the surprise announcement from the Saudi capital in a pre-recorded message on a Saudi-owned TV station.
After air strike, Israeli minister warns against arms shipments to Hezbollah
A senior Israeli minister on Thursday declined to comment on reports that Israeli aircraft had struck a target in Syria the night before but repeated a threat to hit arms shipments to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas.
Report: Hezbollah to leave Syria to prepare for conflict with Israel
Hezbollah is planning to withdraw its forces from Syria in 2018 in order to bolster its presence along the border with Israel, Lebanese news site Lebanon 24 reported on Tuesday.
US House of Representatives Passes Tough New Measures Targeting Hezbollah, ‘Iran’s Leading Terrorist Proxy’
The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee declared on Wednesday that the US had sent an unmistakable message to Iran’s Lebanese Shia proxy, Hezbollah, with the passage by the House of Representatives of three new measures targeting the terrorist organization’s financing and recruitment operations.
US ‘Can’t Allow’ Iranian IRGC Supply Lines Through Middle East, Sen. Tom Cotton Declares
A leading member of the Senate Armed Services Committee has warned that the danger posed by Iran towards Israel is only increasing as the Tehran regime extends its political influence and military footprint across the Middle East.
Report: Russia agreed to move Iran, Hezbollah forces away from Israeli border
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has told Israel that Moscow has agreed to expand a buffer zone along the Israeli-Syrian border, where Iranian and Hezbollah forces will not be allowed to enter.
Russian defense minister lands in Israel for talks on Syria, Iran
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman on Monday told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, that Israel will take action against Iran and its proxies if they continue to entrench themselves along the Syrian border.
Israel’s defense minister says Hezbollah runs Lebanese army
Israel’s defense minister says the Hezbollah militant group controls Lebanon’s army.
U.S. officials ramp up rhetoric against Iran-backed Hezbollah
U.S. officials elevated their public condemnation of Hezbollah on Tuesday, adding two of the Iran-backed terror group’s top operatives to a special State Department most-wanted list and asserting that all of the group’s factions — even those holding political office in Lebanon — are part of the same terrorist operation.
Israel sees Assad winning Syria war, urges more U.S. involvement
Israel’s defense minister said on Tuesday President Bashar al-Assad was winning Syria’s civil war and urged the United States to weigh in as Damascus’s Iranian and Hezbollah allies gain ground.
Abbas vows not to let Hamas keep armed forces in Gaza
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that he would not be prepared to accept Hamas keeping its armed forces in Gaza like Hezbollah does in Lebanon and demanded ‘full control’ of the Strip, including over the border, security and all the ministries.
Hezbollah says Israel pushing region to war
Lebanon’s Hezbollah accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on Sunday of pushing the region to war in Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, and said nowhere in Israel would be safe if such a conflict were to erupt.
Israel Is Going to War in Syria to Fight Iran
Israeli officials believe that Iran is winning its bid for dominance in the Middle East, and they are mobilizing to counter the regional realignment that threatens to follow. The focus of Israel’s military and diplomatic campaign is Syria. Israeli jets have struck Hezbollah and Syrian regime facilities and convoys dozens of times during Syria’s civil war, with the goal of preventing the transfer of weapons systems from Iran to Hezbollah. In an apparent broadening of the scope of this air campaign, on Sept. 7 Israeli jets struck a Syrian weapons facility near Masyaf responsible for the production of chemical weapons and the storing of surface-to-surface missiles.
Russian defense minister to make first official visit to Israel next month
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will make his first official visit to Israel in mid-October to discuss the Jewish State’s ongoing concerns regarding Iran’s presence in Syria.
Israeli jets reportedly strike weapons convoy outside Damascus
Israeli warplanes early on Friday morning struck a Hezbollah weapons convoy outside Damascus, Arabic-language media outlets reported.