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☆ Explainer: What you need to know about Hezbollah, the group backing Hamas against Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Members of Hezbollah march with party's flags during a rally marking al-Quds Day, (Jerusalem Day) in Beirut, Lebanon May 31, 2019. Backed by Iran, Hezbollah has said it is ready to help when the time comes in the war between Israel and Hamas, which is also backed by Tehran. While other groups disarmed after Lebanon's civil war, Hezbollah kept its weapons to fight Israeli forces that were occupying the predominantly Shi'ite south of the country. Hezbollah demonstrated its military advances in 2006 during a five-week war with Israel, which erupted after it crossed into Israel, kidnapping two soldiers and killing others. Hezbollah's influence is underpinned by its sophisticated arsenal and the support of many Lebanese Shi'ites who say the group defends Lebanon from Israel.

Persons: Aziz Taher, Israel, Bashar al, Assad, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Tzachi Hanegbi, Benjamin Netanyahu, Hanegbi, Lebanese Shi'ites, Rafik al, Hariri, Michel Aoun, Imad Moughniyah, Nasrallah, Tom Perry, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Hamas, Guards, United, Islamic, West, Maronite Christian, Marine, U.S ., European Union, Thomson Locations: Quds, Jerusalem, Beirut, Lebanon, Rights BEIRUT, Israel, Palestinian, Iran, Tehran, Lebanese, United States, Syria, ISRAEL, Gaza, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, LEBANON, Saudi, U.S, Arab, Argentina, Buenos Aires

☆ Explainer: What is Hezbollah? The Lebanese group backing Hamas in its war with Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

☆ Iran's foreign minister meets Hezbollah leader in Lebanon on Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Friday discussed Israel's war against Hamas with the head of the powerful Tehran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which has launched its own cross-border attacks on Israel. Amirabdollahian, who arrived in Beirut late on Thursday, said he had met Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as well as Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib. Local media outlet Al-Mayadeen said the Iranian minister and Nasrallah had discussed Hamas' attack on Israel. Iran also supports Hamas, and has lauded the group's attack on Israel but has denied any involvement. On Thursday, Amirabdollahian said Israel's actions against the Palestinians would receive a response from Iran's allies and that Israel would have to bear the consequences.

Persons: Hossein Amirabdollahian, Amirabdollahian, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Najib Mikati, Abdallah Bouhabib, Mayadeen, Nasrallah, Israel, Maya Gebeily, Alex Richardson, Miral Organizations: Iran's, Hezbollah, United Nations, Thomson Locations: BEIRUT, Tehran, Lebanese, Israel, Beirut, Iranian, Iran, Gaza, Egypt, Gaza City, Amirabdollahian, Syria, Damascus, Aleppo

☆ Hezbollah says calls for it not to intervene in war 'will have no effect'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

We are prepared and ready, fully ready," Qassem said. "The question being asked, which everyone is waiting for, is: what Hezbollah will do and what will its contribution be?" Qassem spoke at a rally where hundreds of people had gathered in solidarity with Palestinians, waving the flags of Palestine and of Hezbollah. Other rallies were organized in Palestinian camps as well as cities across southern and eastern Lebanon where Hezbollah has a strong presence. He met on Friday morning with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian to discuss the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Persons: Sheikh Naim Qassem, Zohra, Naim Qassem, Qassem, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Amirabdollahian, Laila Bassam, Gebeily, Alex Richardson, Christina Fincher Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, Palestinian, Hezbollah, Lebanese, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Beirut, Lebanon, Rights BEIRUT, Palestine

☆ Why have guns gone quiet on the Israel-Lebanon border?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

After five days of near constant crossfire between fighters in Lebanon and Israeli forces, the guns seem to have largely gone quiet. Hezbollah’s political stance has unambiguously supported the Palestinian militants. Hezbollah has fired back at Israeli border positions with precision-guided missiles. Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP via Getty ImagesThree Hezbollah militants and three Israeli soldiers have been killed in the nearly week-long exchange of fire here. Thursday’s calm on the Lebanon-Israel border – interrupted occasionally by Israeli interceptions of rockets from Palestinian militants – begs many questions.

Persons: Israel’s, Mahmoud Zayyat, Gerald R Ford, Houthi, Bashar al, Assad, Syria’s, Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, Lebanon's, Emilie Madi, Hassan Nasrallah, – Organizations: Lebanon CNN, Palestinian, United Nations Interim Force, UNIFIL, Getty, ISIS, Reuters Hezbollah, Revolutionary Guards Locations: Marjeyoun, Lebanon, Israel, East, Iran, Gaza, Kfar Kila, AFP, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Beirut

☆ Lebanon's Hezbollah on war footing but moves carefully as conflict widens
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Iran-backed group is on a war footing, deploying special forces and priming its rockets in preparation for the possibility of war. Tensions are higher than at any point since it fought a 2006 conflict with Israel, the sources said. Hamas ignited the war on Saturday when its gunmen infiltrated Israel from Gaza, killing 1,200 people and abducting dozens more. Palestinian and Hezbollah flags flutter in Khiam, near the border with Israel, in southern Lebanon October 9, 2023. All-out war would likely derail Lebanon's offshore oil and gas exploration efforts, for which Hezbollah has voiced strong support.

Persons: Israel, Aziz Taher, NASRALLAH, Mohanad Hage Ali, Hezbollah's, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Ibrahim al, Amin, Tom Perry, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Hezbollah, Islamic, Iran's, Guards, United, Embassy, Reuters, State Department, REUTERS, Carnegie Middle East Center, Palestinian, Lebanese, Thomson Locations: Israel, Iran, Lebanon, BEIRUT, Lebanese, Gaza, Syria, Hamas, Tehran, United States, U.S, Palestinian, Beirut

☆ Hamas and Iran are longtime allies. Did Tehran help with its attack on Israel?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It’s something that we’re going to keep looking at closely.”Yet Iran’s evolving relationship with Hamas and its Palestinian militant partners, the Islamic Jihad, is well documented. Israel says Iran supports Hamas to the tune of some $100 million dollars a year. (Much of the Western world and some Arab countries consider Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad to be terrorist groups.) Therefore Iran is an asset for Hamas and Hamas is an asset for Iran,” Michael said. In April, Hamas’ senior political leader Ismail Haniyeh visited the Lebanese capital for meetings with Nasrallah.

Persons: Jon, ABC’s, Jihad –, Bashar al, Assad, Israel, Hezbollah –, Kobi Michael, ” Michael, Saleh Al, Ziad al, General Hassan Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Nasrallah, Haniyeh, Marwan Naamani, “ Christian, ”, Khaled Elgindy, ” Elgindy Organizations: CNN, United Nations, –, US State Department, Hezbollah, Palestinian, Islamic, Tel, for National Security Studies, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, Gaza, ”, United Arab, Revolutionary Guards, East Institute, Palestinian Affairs, Lebanese Locations: Israel, Iran, Tehran, United States, Jihad, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Lebanon, Lebanese, Sidon, Jerusalem, Hamas, Islam, Syria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Yemen, Palestine

☆ What is Lebanon's Hezbollah?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

ORIGINSIran's Revolutionary Guards founded Hezbollah in 1982 to export its Islamic Revolution and fight Israeli forces that had invaded Lebanon. Lebanese parties opposed to Hezbollah say the group has undermined the state and accuse it of unilaterally leading Lebanon into conflicts. Hezbollah fighters took over parts of Beirut after the government vowed to take action against the group's military communications network. Referring to those attacks and hostage-taking, Hezbollah leader Nasrallah said in a 2022 interview they were carried out by small groups not linked to Hezbollah. TERRORIST DESIGNATIONSWestern countries including the United States designate Hezbollah a terrorist organisation.

Persons: Aziz Taher REFILE, Israel, Bashar al, Assad, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Saudi Arabia spiralled, Syria, Rafik al, Hariri, Michel Aoun, Imad Moughniyah, Nasrallah, Tom Perry, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Guards, Islamic, POWER Hezbollah, United, West, Marine, U.S ., European Union, Thomson Locations: Halta, Lebanon, Israel, Rights BEIRUT, Gaza, Iran, Lebanese, United States, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, LEBANON, Beirut, Saudi, U.S, Arab, Argentina, Buenos Aires

☆ Israel’s democracy is at a crossroads as its top court debates a law limiting its power. Here’s what to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“The Supreme Court and the government alike possess a credible nuclear threat against the other side … if both sides are rational actors, they will … disarm themselves. That leaves the Supreme Court as the only check on the executive and legislative branches of government. Striking down a Basic Law would be uncharted territory for the Supreme Court, although it has examined and commented on Basic Laws before. Thousands of military reservists and even some active duty soldiers have vowed not to serve if the judicial overhaul went into effect. Or for the Supreme Court that might say we have a right to demonstrate, the right to strike by our so to speak legal system,” Tomer said.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN —, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, –, Netanyahu, “, ”, Amit Segal, Netanyahu’s, Biden, Israel doesn’t, Esther Hayut, Aryeh Deri, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Ohad, Yariv Levin, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, ” Segal, it’s, Banks, Haim Tomer, Hassan Nasrallah, ‘, ’ ” Tomer, Joe Biden, Tomer, ” Tomer, he’s, Isaac Herzog’s, Isaac Herzog, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ronen Zvulun, Ben Gvir Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Jerusalem CNN — Israel’s, Israel’s, Supreme, CNN, of Defense, United, National Security, United Nations General Assembly Locations: Jerusalem, Israel, United Kingdom, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia

☆ UN vote on Lebanon peacekeeping force delayed as France, US, UAE argue
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) - established in 1978 - patrols Lebanon's southern border with Israel. France has drafted a U.N. Security Council resolution to extend the peacekeeping mission for another year, but the United States and the United Arab Emirates argue it has weakened some language on the ability of U.N. troops to move freely. Lebanon's caretaker foreign affairs minister Abdallah Bou Habib has said that the new Security Council resolution should stipulate that UNIFIL coordinate with the Lebanese army. That has sparked friction with Hezbollah, which effectively controls southern Lebanon despite the presence of the Lebanese army. In December, an Irish peacekeeper was killed when his UNIFIL vehicle came under fire in southern Lebanon.

Persons: Aziz Taher, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Gilad Erdan, Abdallah Bou Habib, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Michelle Nichols, Dan Williams, Laila Bassam, Gebeily, David Holmes Organizations: Lebanese, UN, REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, Nations, United, Interim Force, Security, Security Council, Reuters, Israel's Army Radio, Irish, UNIFIL, Thomson Locations: Israel, Lebanon, France, United States, Emirates, Iran, UAE, Lebanese

☆ Factbox: Lebanon's Hezbollah rises from shadows into regional force
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Governments including the United States deem it a terrorist organisation. ORIGINSIran's Revolutionary Guards founded Hezbollah in 1982 to export its Islamic Revolution and fight Israeli forces that had invaded Lebanon. The United States estimates Iran has allocated it hundreds of millions of dollars annually in recent years. Hezbollah fighters took over parts of Beirut after the government vowed to take action against the group's military communications network. TERRORIST DESIGNATIONSWestern countries including the United States designate Hezbollah a terrorist organisation.

Persons: Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Aziz Taher, Imad Moughniyah, Bashar al, Assad, Nasrallah, Critics, Saudi Arabia spiralled, Syria, Rafik al, Hariri, Michel Aoun, Tom Perry, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Guards, Islamic, United, Marine, U.S ., POWER Hezbollah, West, European Union, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Houla, Israel, Rights BEIRUT, Lebanese, United States, Syria, Beirut, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, LEBANON, Saudi, U.S, Arab, Argentina, Buenos Aires

CNN —Authorities in Lebanon moved to ban the “Barbie” movie from cinemas on Wednesday, saying it promotes homosexuality and violates the nation’s values. The minister said the movie also “promotes sexual deviance and transsexuality,” by Lebanese state-run media on Wednesday. “Sexual deviance” is a term commonly used in the Middle East to refer to homosexuals. The ban comes amid heightened anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by some politicians and government officials in Lebanon and the wider Middle East. He referred to homosexuality as “sexual perversion” and identified same-sex relations as a “threat” to Lebanon.

Persons: Barbie, Mohammad Mortada, ”, Hassan Nasrallah, Hussain bin Ali, Prophet Mohammed’s, Nasrallah, “ Barbie ” Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Rights Watch Locations: Lebanon, ”, Lebanese, East, Kuwait, Iraq, Denmark, Sweden, Vietnam, South China

☆ Lebanon moves to ban 'Barbie' film for 'promoting homosexuality'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Lebanon's culture minister moved to ban the film "Barbie" from cinemas on Wednesday, saying it "promotes homosexuality" and contradicts religious values. Mortada's decision said the film was found to "promote homosexuality and sexual transformation" and "contradicts values of faith and morality" by diminishing the importance of the family unit. Lebanon was the first Arab country to hold a gay pride week in 2017 and has generally been seen as a safe haven for the LGBT community in the broadly conservative Middle East. Mawlawi last year took a decision to ban events "promoting sexual perversion" in Lebanon, understood to refer to LGBT-friendly gatherings. In a speech last month, Nasrallah called on Lebanese authorities to take action against materials he deemed to be promoting homosexuality, including by "banning" them.

Persons: Mohammad Mortada, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Mortada's, Bassam Mawlawi, Mawlawi, Nasrallah, Lebanon's, Bechara Boutros, Rai, Ayman Mhanna, Samir Kassir, Mhanna, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, Ken, Mattel, Laila Bassam, Gebeily, Toby Chopra, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hezbollah, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BEIRUT, Lebanon

The threat is unprecedented in its scope, experts say, and the military has pleaded with reservists to remain in their posts. Members of Israeli security forces guard the al-Aqsa Mosque compound following clashes that erupted during Islam's holy fasting month of Ramadan in Jerusalem on April 5. Nearly 10,000 military reservists said before the passage of the controversial “reasonableness” bill on Monday that they would refuse to volunteer for duty if it was passed. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke by phone with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and reiterated the US’ commitment to Israel’s security. “He (Netanyahu) is willing to pay any price to move forward with this.”Golov sees reservists threatening not to serve as a sign of something much bigger.

Persons: Daniel Hagari, ”, Ahmad Gharabli, General Staff Herzi Halevi, Defense Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Chuck Freilich, Freilich, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yiftach, ” Golov, Golov, Israel, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Mahmoud Illean, Netanyahu, ” Freilich, Nasrallah, “ Organizations: CNN, IDF, Israel Defense Forces, Getty, General Staff, Defense, The Institute for National Security Studies, Brothers, Israeli Air Force, West Bank, Palestinian, ” Reuters, Arms Locations: Israel, Jerusalem, AFP, Tel Aviv, Lebanon, Syria, East Jerusalem, Gaza, “, Iran

☆ Israel judicial overhaul: protests mount against Benjamin Netanyahu after bill passed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The bill curbing Supreme Court review of some government decisions passed in a stormy Knesset parliament on Monday after a walkout by lawmakers. Protest leaders said growing numbers of military reservists would no longer report for duty if the government continued with its plans. First elected to top office in 1996 and now in his sixth term, Netanyahu, 73, is facing his biggest domestic crisis. A Lebanese source familiar with the development said the men were members of a Hezbollah elite unit on a patrol that had nothing to do with Israel's domestic crisis. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Monday said Israel's domestic crisis showed it was on a "path of collapse and fragmentation".

Persons: Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yair Lapid, Zion Hagay, Kan, Corinna Kern, striding, Hassan Nasrallah, Bezalel Smotrich, Dan Williams, Ari Rabinovitch, Henriette Chacar, Andrew MacAskill, Laila Bassam, Tom Perry, Andrew Cawthorne, Nick Macfie Organizations: Israeli Democracy, Israel Bar Association, Israel Medical Association, Health Ministry, REUTERS, BANK, Orthodox Jewish, West Bank, Hamas, Hezbollah, Finance, Army Radio, Thomson Locations: JERUSALEM, Israel, Histadrut, United States, Britain, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Washington, Nablus, Palestinian, Lebanese, Iran, London, Beirut

☆ Lebanon's Hezbollah sees Israel on path of 'collapse'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIRUT, July 24 (Reuters) - The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah said on Monday its arch-foe Israel was on a "path of collapse and fragmentation," referring to divisions in Israeli society over a contested overhaul of its judiciary. "Today, in particular, is the worst day in the history of the entity, as some of its people say," Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech, referring to Israel. "This is what puts it on the path of collapse, fragmentation, and disappearance, God willing," he added. Shi'ite Hezbollah has fought numerous conflicts with Israel since being established by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982. Reporting by Laila Bassam in Beirut Writing by Tom Perry Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Netanyahu, Laila Bassam, Tom Perry, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Monday, Iran's, Guards, Thomson Locations: BEIRUT, Iran, Lebanese, Israel, Beirut

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said staff at the Swedish embassy in Baghdad were safe but Iraqi authorities had failed in their responsibility to protect the embassy. Thursday's demonstration was called by supporters of Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to protest at the second planned Koran burning in Sweden in weeks, according to posts in a Telegram group linked to the influential cleric and other pro-Sadr media. He stood by the embassy storming on Thursday, telling a press conference the U.S. "has no right to condemn the burning of the Swedish embassy but should have condemned the burning of the Koran". "Yes, yes to the Koran," protesters chanted. Sweden has seen several Koran burnings in recent years, mostly by far-right and anti-Muslim activists.

Persons: Tobias Billstrom, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Mohammed Shia Al, Billstrom, Muqtada al, Moqtada al, Read, Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Timour Azhari, Anna Ringstrom, Supantha Mukherjee, Johan Ahlander, Marie, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Ahmed Rasheed, Tom Hogue, Tom Perry, Lincoln, Bernadette Baum, William Maclean, Alison Williams, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: NATO, Sweden's Ericsson, State Department, Telegram, Turkish, Sweden's, Islam, Marie Mannes, Thomson Locations: Iraq, BAGHDAD, STOCKHOLM, Swedish, Stockholm, Baghdad, Iraqi, Sweden, Tehran, Turkey, Washington, Sadr, Copenhagen

☆ Hezbollah members wounded in flare-up on Lebanon border with Israel -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A Lebanese army vehicle drives in Khiam, near the border with Israel, in southern Lebanon July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Aziz TaherBEIRUT/JERUSALEM, July 12 (Reuters) - Several members of Lebanon's powerful armed Hezbollah group were wounded on Wednesday in a flare-up on the southern border with Israel, two Lebanese security sources and a source briefed on the developments told Reuters. The Lebanese source briefed on developments described the incident as an attack and said several Hezbollah members had been wounded, but could not immediately provide more details. A Lebanese security source said Israeli troops had fired "something like a grenade" that emitted shrapnel and hurt three Hezbollah members. A Lebanese parliamentary delegation planning on visiting the southern border on Thursday indefinitely postponed the visit "due to the security developments on the border".

Persons: Aziz Taher, Hassan Nasrallah, Israel, Maya Gebeily, Laila Bassam, Dan Williams, Toby Chopra, Howard Goller, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, United Nations, Hezbollah, Lebanese, Thomson Locations: Lebanese, Khiam, Israel, Lebanon, Aziz Taher BEIRUT, JERUSALEM, U.S, New York, Ghajar, Syria, Beirut, Jerusalem

☆ Saudi Arabia, Iran to reopen embassies 'within days'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, April 28 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and Iran will reopen embassies in each other's capitals "within days," Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Friday in a sign of warming relations after the two countries closed their missions seven years ago. "During the last phone call between the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia on Eid al-Fitr, we agreed to work in the next coming days on the reopening of the Iranian and Saudi embassies in Tehran and Riyadh," Amirabdollahian said, according to an official Arabic translation. Their relationship started deteriorating in 2015 following the intervention of Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the Yemen war, after the Iran-aligned Houthi movement toppled the Saudi-backed government and seized control of the capital Sanaa. The Iranian foreign minister confirmed President Ebrahim Raisi would visit Syria in "the near future" without providing details. The visit would be the first by an Iranian president to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since war broke out in Syria in 2011.

☆ Iran foreign minister says embassies in S.Arabia, Iran to open 'within days'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, April 28 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and Iran will open embassies in each other's capitals "within days," Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Friday as the relationship between the two regional rivals warms up after years of hostility. The Iranian and Saudi embassies in the respective countries have been closed since 2016. Saudi Arabia accused Iran of providing weapons to the Houthis who attacked Saudi cities with armed drones and ballistic missiles. Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed last month to end their diplomatic raw and restore diplomatic missions under a deal brokered by China. The visit will be the first by an Iranian president to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since war broke out in Syria in 2011.

Bitar told Reuters on Wednesday that Oweidat "had no right" to file the charge or release detainees because Oueidat himself was charged over the explosion. Oweidat told Reuters he had summoned Bitar for questioning but did not say whether he had charged him. Oweidat had earlier recused himself from any involvement in the blast probe as Bitar had issued an arrest warrant for his brother-in-law, former public works minister Ghazi Zeaiter. "Instead of me appearing before him, he'll be appearing before me," Oweidat told Reuters by text message. He met with French investigators visiting Beirut last week as part of a French probe into the explosion, whose victims included two French nationals.

☆ Lebanon blast investigator charges public prosecutor, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIRUT, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The judge investigating the 2020 Beirut port explosion has charged Lebanon's top public prosecutor and three other judges in connection with the catastrophic blast, two judicial sources said on Tuesday. Judicial sources said interrogations had been scheduled for February for 15 people, including the top security officials, Oweidat, two former ministers, and Hassan Diab, who was the prime minister at the time of the blast. Bitar met French judges visiting Beirut last week as part of a French investigation into the explosion, whose victims included two French nationals. Bitar resumed work on the basis of a legal interpretation challenging the reasons for its suspension, the judicial sources said. Hezbollah has campaigned against Bitar as he sought to question its allies and accused Washington of meddling in the probe.

☆ Hezbollah chief says armed group's mobilization to end
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

CAIRO, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The leader of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, announced the end of his armed group's mobilization on Thursday, after Lebanese and Israeli leaders finalised a U.S-brokered maritime demarcation deal. Nasrallah said in a televised speech that the signing of the deal is a "very big victory for Lebanon," adding that the Lebanese government was careful not to take any steps "that even smelled of normalization" in the indirect deal with Israel. Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Writing by Enas Alashray; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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