Lebanese diplomat, jurist and academic serving as the 53rd prime minister of Lebanon since Feb 2025; coordinates Lebanon’s response to regional tensions and pushes for Israeli withdrawal agreements.
Lebanon and Israel have held their first direct talks in over 30 years in Washington, mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The discussions focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing long-term security, despite ongoing Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah's intensified attacks on northern Israel. Lebanon demands a ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal, while Israel insists on Hezbollah's disarmament and rejects a ceasefire.
A US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has taken effect since April 16, pausing hostilities including Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets. Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah has not formally endorsed the truce and insists on Israel's withdrawal. The ceasefire aims to enable peace talks, with US President Trump inviting both leaders to the White House.
A French UN peacekeeper has died from wounds sustained during an ambush in southern Lebanon while clearing a route to an isolated UNIFIL post. France and the UN have blamed Hezbollah, which denies involvement. Lebanese authorities have launched an investigation. The UN is considering a smaller peacekeeping presence after UNIFIL's mandate ends in December 2026.
Amal Khalil, a reporter for Al-Akhbar, has been killed after an Israeli strike hit a house in al-Tiri while she and Zeinab Faraj sought shelter. Rescue efforts were hindered by further fire, and Lebanon's health ministry says two others died in the initial strike. The incident occurs amid a 10-day ceasefire and renewed clashes with Hezbollah.
Israel has struck Hezbollah-held southern Beirut suburbs, killing a senior Radwan commander, while U.S.-brokered Israel-Lebanon talks are being scheduled in Washington for mid-May. Lebanon has urged a full halt to Israeli attacks before high-level meetings, and the ceasefire that began in mid-April has been strained by continued strikes and exchanges in southern Lebanon.
Israel has pressed strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon as exchanges intensify and the ceasefire frays. Lebanese authorities report fatalities; the IDF says it has destroyed Hezbollah sites while warning civilians near Hezbollah facilities remain at risk. Cross-border drone and rocket actions continue, with security measures tightened in northern Israel.
Saudi Arabia is pressuring Lebanese leaders to present a unified stance on negotiations with Israel, as internal rifts and external mediation shape the path to potential talks. Washington and Riyadh seek stability, while Beirut’s top officials navigate divergent views on direct engagement and security arrangements amid ongoing hostilities with Hezbollah.
Since mid-April's US-brokered ceasefire, Israel has continued air and drone strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon and near Beirut while Hezbollah has been firing explosive drones and rockets at Israeli forces. Lebanese authorities have reported rising civilian casualties and infrastructure damage as US-facilitated Israel–Lebanon talks proceed in Washington (25 May 2026).
The Israeli military has issued evacuation orders for nine southern Lebanon villages amid ongoing strikes despite a truce, while the United States says it will facilitate talks between Israel and Lebanon next week. Reports indicate casualties in Nabatiyeh and along the Burj Rahhal–Abbasiyeh corridor, with Hezbollah-linked targets and a widening humanitarian impact as talks loom.
The April 16 cessation of hostilities has been extended by 45 days to allow further progress in talks between Lebanon and Israel. The extension follows a third round of negotiations in Washington, with a goal of restoring sovereignty, returning the displaced, and securing lasting border security.
The Israel-Hezbollah conflict has intensified with Israeli strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon amid a renewed ceasefire and negotiations in Washington. Hezbollah is engaging with drone and rocket attacks, while evacuation warnings and civilian displacement increase in Nabatieh and other towns. The United States and Iran are pursuing a broader deal as clashes continue near the Lebanon border.
Israel has deepened its ground advance in southern Lebanon, seizing Beaufort Castle and expanding operations near Nabatiyeh, while evacuation warnings remain in place for dozens of villages as clashes with Hezbollah continue. The fighting has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands since the conflict began in March.
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.
Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have escalated as U.S. and Iranian forces exchange strikes after Iran targeted shipping in the Gulf. The United States has launched airstrikes on Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar sites, while Iran has declared it will continue to defend its shipping routes. Bahrain and Kuwait report drone and missile activity without immediate damage. The situation follows a fragile ceasefire agreement signed last month and ongoing debates over regional security and commercial navigation.
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.
Qatar has announced four days of national mourning after the death of Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who ruled from 1995 to 2013 and transformed the small emirate into a major regional power. Crowds and dignitaries have gathered in Lusail for funeral prayers and tributes, while the new emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, receives mourners and foreign leaders.
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework envisions Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, with Hezbollah disarmament as a precondition. Lebanon’s political divide deepens as tensions rise, roadblocks persist, and concerns of civil strife grow amid daunting regional dynamics.
The United States has sponsored talks among Lebanon and Israel, with a framework proposing pilot zones in southern Lebanon. Lebanon must align with an Israeli withdrawal and disarm Hezbollah, a move that faces domestic criticism and Hezbollah’s rejection. Washington positions support as a path to sovereignty, but concerns about Lebanese sovereignty linger as tensions persist.
Lebanon’s army has begun deploying in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh as part of a pilot-zone plan under a US-brokered framework with Israel. Israel is withdrawing from parts of southern Lebanon, while Lebanese forces assume security control in designated villages. The move follows a White House meeting between President Trump and Lebanon’s President Aoun and a broader push to disarm Hezbollah and restore Lebanese sovereignty.