Latest news with #Lebanon
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
‘Very bad decision' if Hezbollah joins Iran-Israel war, says US official
Hezbollah was severely weakened by the war with Israel, losing senior figures, thousands of fighters, and strategic sites in southern Lebanon. (AP pic) BEIRUT : A top US official visiting the Lebanese capital on Thursday discouraged Tehran-backed armed group Hezbollah from intervening in the war between Iran and Israel, saying it would be a 'very bad decision'. US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack, who also serves as ambassador to Turkey, met Lebanese officials in Beirut as Iran and Israel traded more strikes in their days-long war and as the US continues to press Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah. After meeting Lebanon's speaker of parliament Nabih Berri, a close ally of Hezbollah, Barrack was asked what may happen if Hezbollah joined in the regional conflict. 'I can say on behalf of President (Donald) Trump, which he has been very clear in expressing as has special envoy (Steve) Witkoff: that would be a very, very, very bad decision,' Barrack told reporters. Hezbollah has condemned Israel's strikes on Iran and expressed full solidarity with its leadership. On Thursday, it said threats against Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would have 'dire consequences'. But the group has stopped short of making explicit threats to intervene. After Israel began strikes on Iran last week, a Hezbollah official told Reuters the group would not launch its own attack on Israel in response. Hezbollah was left badly weakened from last year's war with Israel, in which the group's leadership was gutted, thousands of fighters were killed and strongholds in southern Lebanon and near Beirut were severely damaged. A US-brokered ceasefire deal which ended that war stipulates that the Lebanese government must ensure there are no arms outside state control. Barrack also met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday and discussed the state's monopoly on all arms. Barrack is a private equity executive who has long advised Trump and chaired his inaugural presidential committee in 2016. He was appointed to his role in Turkey and, in late May, also assumed the position of special envoy to Syria.
LBCI
2 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Hezbollah's Naim Qassem backs Iran, says group is not ‘on the sidelines'
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem declared Iran a global symbol of resistance and vowed unwavering support for its leadership amid rising tensions with the United States and Israel. In a statement issued Thursday, Qassem praised Iran for championing the oppressed and backing regional resistance movements, particularly in Palestine and Lebanon, adding that Tehran's support for liberation movements has come at a high cost but remains principled and consistent. He dismissed U.S. and Israeli claims that Iran's nuclear program poses a threat, calling the program peaceful and legitimate under international law. 'Their only pretext is uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes—something that poses no harm and serves the Iranian people,' he said. Qassem warned that American threats against Iran's leadership represent a broader attack on the region's people and on global freedom movements. "The U.S. is dragging the region into chaos and instability, but it will gain nothing but shame and failure,' he stated. Hezbollah, he stressed, does not stand on the sidelines. 'We are not neutral between Iran's legitimate rights and the aggression of the United States and Israel,' he said. 'We stand firmly alongside Iran against this global injustice.' Qassem called on 'all free people, the oppressed, and voices of reason' to publicly support Iran and rally around its leadership. 'Unity is the only way to block the path of domination and stop the goals of this aggression,' he declared. He concluded by stating that neither the U.S. nor Israel would succeed in bringing down the Iranian people or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Here in Israel, it's very clear: Iran cannot seriously damage this nation
Hezbollah was the dog that didn't bark when its Iranian masters came under attack. That's because it had been muzzled by Israel. Over decades Tehran had built up a massive arsenal of missiles in Lebanon using its number one proxy, Hezbollah. That had a specific purpose which was to deter Jerusalem from attacking Iran, and if it did, to unleash hell across the length and breadth of Israel. But Hezbollah's fighting capabilities were severely written down last year with huge numbers of missiles and launchers taken out by attacks from ground and air. And Mossad decapitated the terrorist organisation in a breathtaking wave of attacks against terrorist leaders with explosive-laden pagers. The IDF eliminated many others with precision air strikes, including the long-standing Secretary General, Hasan Nasrallah. Perhaps the ayatollahs should have paid more attention to both elements of Israel's operations against Hezbollah, because they gave a devastating foretaste of what was to come on their own territory. Now, reeling from strike after strike over the last week, its military rudderless and deprived of its primary deterrent, Tehran is having to rely exclusively on an armoury of ballistic missiles to hit back. Its fleets of drones – considered by many to be the future of warfare – have achieved nothing. Of 1,000 launched, not one impacted on Israeli territory. I have been in various parts of Israel since the start of this war and can confirm that the most widespread effect of Iran's missile campaign has been sleep deprivation, with most salvoes fired during the night and citizens repeatedly sent running to their bomb shelters. That is not to understate the tragic deaths of 24 Israeli civilians, the wounding of many others and destruction and damage to buildings, the most recent being a direct hit on Soroka Hospital in Beersheba. As with all Iranian missile impacts in this war which have struck civilian population centres, firing at a hospital is a war crime. Tehran claimed that it was aiming at a nearby army base but there are no military installations within 2 kilometres. With all the patients inside shelters, fortunately there were only light casualties. That is one reason why Iran's barrages have had only limited effect so far. Israel has engineered a highly-developed alert and shelter system, and it is estimated that, had every citizen taken cover as instructed, the death toll would have been only three. There are two other reasons for Tehran's failed counteroffensive. First, a very sophisticated intelligence and surveillance system that has been able to provide up to half an hour's warning of most missile launches. Second, ground, air and sea based air defences. The US Navy and Air Force have made a significant contribution, and Israel's Arrow ballistic missile defence system has been backed up by America's Thaad and Patriot launchers based inside Israel. Then there has been the relentless air campaign against Iran's weapon stocks, launchers and production facilities which has taken out an estimated 40 per cent of launchers and many missiles. Iran has only managed to fire some 400 missiles since the war began, with at least 80-90 per cent successfully intercepted. Just 23 have hit urban areas. Tehran had by far the most powerful ballistic missile capability in the Middle East, with an arsenal of 2,000-3,000, although many of these did not have the range to reach Israel. Tehran was estimated to have the capability to produce 50 missiles per month which is not adequate to meaningfully replenish its ever-dwindling stocks. In any case, probably nothing like that number can be achieved now following Israel's attacks on production facilities. With their military strategy failing, the ayatollahs might decide to change tack, and start using some of their short-range missiles against energy facilities or US military targets in the Gulf. Iran also has anti-ship missiles capable of attacking maritime targets in the region. It has threatened to block the Straits of Hormuz to strangle global oil trade. Any of these moves would increase the chances of President Trump's direct intervention in the war, something that may be imminent in any case. Khamenei, now in a desperate situation, with his most trusted military advisers all dead and the IDF rampant in his skies, seems to fear that the most. His request for a meeting in the White House has been rejected and his foreign ministry is about to meet its appeasement-seeking European counterparts to discuss nuclear disarmament. Although that will achieve nothing, the last thing the Europeans should be doing now is to throw this tottering terrorist regime any kind of lifeline. Instead they should be joining forces with Israel, at least diplomatically, to hasten the end of Iran's war on the West, which began at the dawn of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The best outcome is not a badly wounded Khamenei who can lick his wounds and live to fight another day, as the Europeans might like, but a more enlightened Iran under new management that does not have the arrogance to provoke a militarily stronger power and believe it can prevail.
LBCI
6 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Tom Barrack meets Lebanese leaders as US-Lebanon talks stall on Hezbollah arms
Report by Bassam Abou Zeid, English adaptation by Mariella Succar There is no agreement between Lebanon and the United States regarding the approach to addressing Hezbollah's weapons. Washington, through its presidential envoy Tom Barrack, reiterated the urgent need to implement the state's commitment to disarmament, regardless of the developments in Lebanon and the region. Lebanon, which previously linked disarmament to Israel fulfilling its obligations—such as withdrawing from occupied areas, halting violations, and releasing detainees—tied the issue during Thursday's talks to the ongoing regional situation. According to a statement posted on the Presidency's official X account, President Joseph Aoun told Barrack that communications to achieve the principle of exclusive weapons control on both Lebanese and Palestinian levels are ongoing and will intensify once the regional situation stabilizes amid the escalating Israeli-Iranian conflict. Aoun also noted that the army's mission in southern Litani to implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement has been hindered by Israel's continued occupation of the Shebaa Farms and its surroundings. In this context, Aoun reportedly reiterated the 'step-for-step' approach, meaning Israel must take steps on issues such as withdrawal, violations, and detainees, which would be met by corresponding Lebanese steps related to Hezbollah's weapons. The U.S. envoy also heard from President Aoun that Lebanon does not wish to be drawn into the ongoing war between Israel and Iran. Barrack urged Lebanese authorities to intensify cooperation with the new Syrian regime, particularly regarding border control and demarcation between the two countries. From Ain al-Tineh, the headquarters of the Parliament Speaker, Barrack said in response to a question that Hezbollah's involvement in the current war would be a very bad decision. Reports indicate that the message Barrack received from Speaker Nabih Berri was similar to that conveyed by President Aoun in Baabda. Berri emphasized that Lebanon has fulfilled its responsibilities, while the problem lies with Israel, which continues to violate U.N. Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement, and maintains occupation, attacks, and assassinations. At the Grand Serail, Tom Barrack continued talks with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. They agreed on keeping Lebanon out of the war and on continuing state efforts to assert sovereignty, address Hezbollah's weapons, and resolve issues with Israel. They also agreed to pursue reforms and strengthen communication with Syria. Barrack, who has officially and temporarily taken charge of Lebanon affairs following his work on Syria, is expected to return to Beirut soon after briefing President Donald Trump on the results of his initial visit.
LBCI
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- LBCI
TikTok turns Iran-Israel war into viral trend as young people document conflict online
Report by Ghida Fayad, English adaptation by Mariella Succar As the conflict between Iran and Israel escalates, its impact is no longer confined to the battlefield. On platforms like TikTok, the war has taken on a new dimension—becoming a source of viral content for a generation that documents everything in real time. Despite government warnings in both countries against filming and posting during wartime, social media is flooded with firsthand footage. In Israel and Iran, civilians are using their phones to turn life under fire into daily vlogs, offering raw, often unsettling views of missile strikes, shelter conditions, and scenes of displacement. Many of these clips show the kind of destruction and fear that traditional media rarely captures. Some videos circulating from Israel depict moments when foreign workers and others were denied access to bomb shelters due to overcrowding. From Iran, others show families fleeing targeted areas, giving viewers an unfiltered look at life during wartime. The trend is not limited to the countries directly involved. In Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria—countries over which many of the missiles pass—audiences have begun tracking the timing of Iranian strikes. In some areas, the sight of missiles overhead has become a daily event. In Lebanon, the experience has taken on an almost surreal tone. Many residents, witnessing the conflict from a distance, have described it as the first time they feel like spectators to a war unfolding around them. Videos of missiles streaking across the night sky have appeared above rooftop parties and bustling nightlife scenes. Some restaurants and bars even leaned into the moment, adding menu items jokingly labeled 'sky missiles view,' referring to the view of incoming rockets from their outdoor terraces. Across cities from Beirut to Damascus, Baghdad, and Amman, social media users have begun incorporating war footage into romantic or stylized posts—using missile imagery in videos to express affection or flirtation. The online phenomenon underscores a generational shift in how wars are witnessed and narrated.
