Youssef Diab

Youssef Diab
Arab World In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with US deputy special envoy for Middle East peace Morgan Ortagus in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)

US Warning over Hezbollah Upends Lebanese Govt Formation Efforts

US deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus’ warning on Friday that Hezbollah should not be part of the new Lebanese government has upended efforts to form a…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World The Lebanese Foreign Minister meets with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahid Jalalzadeh and the accompanying delegation (Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Iran Seeks to Protect Syrians Fleeing to Lebanon After Assad’s Fall

Lebanese political and security circles were surprised by Iran’s apparent concern for Syrian refugees who fled to Lebanon after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World A statue of the late Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani stands in front of a Qard al-Hasan center targeted by Israeli airstrikes (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Hezbollah’s Qard al-Hasan Halts Payouts: Technical Issues or Cash Crunch?

The Qard al-Hasan in Lebanon, widely regarded as Hezbollah’s de facto central bank, has suspended payments for housing displaced individuals and repairing…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World People gather in front of army soldiers after being barred from returning to the village of Aitaroun, Bint Jbeil District, southern Lebanon, 27 January 2025. (EPA)

Hezbollah Refuses to Extend Lebanon Ceasefire with Israel

Hezbollah used the return of residents of southern Lebanon to their homes and their confrontations with Israeli forces to portray itself as still in control of…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World The Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee meets at the government headquarters. (Dialogue committee)

Palestinians Receptive to Lebanon’s Call to Limit Possession of Weapons in Refugee Camps

Lebanon has started to exert serious efforts to restrict the possession of weapons inside Palestinian refugee camps in the country in line with President…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam at the Presidential Palace (Reuters)

Arab, International Momentum to Support Lebanon Kicks Off with Macron’s Visit

The election of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and the designation of Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam to form the first government of the new presidential…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World President Joseph Aoun meets with US Central Command Commander General Kurilla on Monday. (EPA)

Israel Committing Increasing Violations in South Lebanon, the Bekaa

The Israeli military has intensified its attacks on Lebanon - despite the ceasefire – expanding its operations beyond the Litani River to the Iqlim al-Tuffah…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World Newly-elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun poses for a picture with his family at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, January 9, 2025. Dalati Nohra/Handout via REUTERS

Lebanese President Faces Domestic, Foreign Challenges

The election of a new president in Lebanon does not mean the country has come out of the economic and political crises which have gutted it for years. Yet…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)