Lebanese diplomat, jurist and politician, prime minister since 2025
Israeli forces have captured Beaufort Castle and surrounding high ground in southern Lebanon, advancing their deepest into Lebanon since 2000. The military has issued wide evacuation warnings for large areas south of the Litani and says the operation targets Hezbollah launch infrastructure; one Israeli soldier has died and heavy fighting and airstrikes have continued around Nabatieh and Tyre.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has accused Iran of using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the United States, describing it as unacceptable. He has pressed for peaceable disarmament of Hezbollah and has called for diplomacy over war, amid renewed US-mediated talks and a fragile ceasefire in the region.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has urged Iran to refrain from interference and pushed Hezbollah toward diplomacy, saying the conflict with Israel requires a negotiated settlement. Israeli strikes continue across Lebanon as a US-brokered truce process unfolds amid ongoing clashes and casualties.
Lebanese army says two officers and a soldier have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle on the Khardali‑Nabatiyeh road. Israel says the vehicle was moving toward its forces and that Hezbollah was preparing to fire. The attack comes as regional ceasefire efforts continue under US mediation; Lebanon reports broader Israeli strikes and Hezbollah retaliation.
Lebanon has begun rehabilitation on a second airport in Akkar with aims to be operational in weeks and full service by November 2026. Officials say the project will create jobs in a poor province; the airport could host flights to Mersin, Istanbul and Dubai, with plans for further destinations.
Clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah have resumed in southern Lebanon since 20 June. Israel has struck positions around Nabatieh and the Beqaa Valley; Lebanese officials report dozens killed. Negotiations in Washington over a ceasefire and a US‑Iran memorandum are continuing while both sides blame the other for violations.
The United States, Iran, and Pakistan have brokered a memorandum of understanding to pause hostilities across fronts, including Lebanon. Iran is expected to boost funds to Hezbollah if assets remain unfrozen, while Hezbollah and Lebanon's government confront ongoing violence and displacement amid a fragile ceasefire.
Israeli forces have carried out strikes and patrol operations in southern Lebanon since a US‑brokered framework was signed, killing and wounding civilians and soldiers and prompting Hezbollah to warn of retaliation. Washington and Tehran have pushed ceasefire mechanisms and talks, but Israel is keeping troops in a south Lebanese security zone while Lebanon resists disarming Hezbollah.
The memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran has been signed digitally and is guiding a 60-day window of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program. The Strait of Hormuz is to reopen, with sanctions relief tied to benchmarks. While leaders in Washington, Tehran and Tel Aviv offer mixed signals, officials stress that concrete actions will follow the signing.
CENTCOM says US aircraft have struck Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar sites after Tehran’s drone attack on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responds with attacks on US positions. The ceasefire framework and interim deal are under renewed strain as global oil flows through Hormuz face new uncertainties.
U.S. Central Command has carried out strikes on Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar sites after Iran allegedly attacked a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. The move follows a fragile, recently signed framework aimed at unlocking Lebanon-Israel diplomacy and stabilizing the region. Escalating exchanges threaten the Ceasefire and freedom of navigation in the waterway.
Syria has invited Lebanese figures and met key Lebanese leaders, signalling a shift in Damascus-Beirut relations. Damascus rejects military intervention in Lebanon while seeking economic and security cooperation. Western leaders have floated unprecedented ideas about Syria taking a role in disarming Hezbollah, but Syria’s new government has dismissed such plans.
Rights groups warn the US-brokered Lebanon-Israel framework agreement could block victims from pursuing accountability for war crimes, with Clause 3 and Clause 13 cited as limiting access to international courts. Lebanese officials defend sovereignty while thousands remain displaced. The debate centers on accountability, justice and the future path to peace.
The Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at 74. Officials declare days of mourning; tens of thousands attend funeral prayers in Doha before burial at Lusail Cemetery. Sheikh Hamad abdicated in 2013, leaving a legacy of rapid development and international influence.
A US-brokered framework envisions an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon with Hezbollah disarmament as a precondition. Lebanon’s political divide is intensifying as tensions rise, roadblocks persist and fears of civil strife grow amid daunting regional dynamics.
Lebanon, Israel, and the United States have established pilot zones in southern Lebanon as part of a framework to manage sovereignty, security, and Hezbollah disarmament. The Lebanese armed forces will clear zones of Hezbollah weapons as Israel withdraws, with verification ongoing and potential expansion dependent on security progress.
Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem has criticised Lebanon’s participation in US-mediated talks with Israel in Rome and has rejected a June framework that ties Israeli withdrawals to verified disarmament and Lebanese army deployments in pilot zones. Technical teams have met in Rome while Israeli strikes, demolitions and clashes in southern Lebanon are continuing and Beirut is pressing Washington for verification guarantees.
Lebanon says it will pursue legal action over Israeli actions in southern Lebanon as negotiations in Rome aim to move forward on the June framework. Human rights figures warn of potential war crimes amid continued demolitions and displacement.
Authorities enforce a pilot-zone withdrawal plan in southern Lebanon as residents return to damaged homes. Some families seek shelter in local shops while awaiting full rebuilding after fighting linked to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Lebanese army clearance and water deliveries are under way as the town awaits wider Israeli withdrawal.
Israeli airstrikes have hit southern Lebanon early on Saturday, killing at least seven people in Ansar and four in Deir al-Zahrani, Lebanese authorities and state media have reported. Israel has said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in response to an attack that wounded Israeli soldiers; Lebanese leaders have condemned the civilian deaths. Talks under a US-backed framework are continuing.
Lebanon and Israel continue US-brokered negotiations over a June framework aimed at Hezbollah disarmament and Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Reports detail ongoing Israeli strikes, displacement in pilot zones, and Lebanese Army deployment, with authorities warning of persistent violence despite talks.
Israel has stated it will maintain a long-term security presence in southern Lebanon as part of the U.S.-brokered framework to disarm Hezbollah and gradually withdraw Israeli forces. The Lebanese army will deploy in pilot zones, while negotiations in Rome aim to advance the agreement.
A BBC-led reporting shows Israel is consolidating positions in southern Lebanon, building bases and expanding a security zone near the border. Human rights groups warn of possible war crimes as villages are demolished and civilian infrastructure is targeted; displacement remains widespread as Unifil documents new bases and ongoing occupation.