Youssef Diab

Youssef Diab
Arab World A woman arriving from Syria walks with her luggage into Lebanon through the northern crossing of Al-Arida on December 10, 2024. (AFP)

Former Syrian Officer Killed in Mysterious Circumstances in Lebanon

Lebanese security agencies discovered the body of former Syrian officer Ghassan Naasan al-Sakhni in the Keserwan region. Authorities are investigating whether…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World Israeli pilot Ron Arad, who went missing in southern Lebanon in 1986. (Israeli Air Force)

Lebanon Probe Points to Israel's Abduction of Officer Tied to Arad Case

A senior Lebanese judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that investigations into the disappearance of a retired General Security officer a week ago are…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (center), Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi (left) and Iranian FM Abbas Araqchi meet in Lebanon in June. (Lebanese Presidency)

Political Tensions between Lebanon and Iran Reach New Heights

Tensions between Lebanon and Iran have reached unprecedented levels, reflecting a shift in how Beirut views its ties with Tehran, especially when it comes to…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World Prisoners stroll through a yard inside Roumieh prison, northeast of Beirut, on April 7, 2006. AFP

Talks Fail on Transfer Mechanism for Syrian Prisoners in Lebanon

A Lebanese judicial delegation has returned from Damascus empty-handed, failing to secure the breakthrough it sought on a new treaty governing the transfer of…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Features People raise the Syrian flag during the one-year anniversary marking the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in Tripoli, Lebanon.

New Political, Military Reality in Lebanon a Year after Assad’s Ouster 

The collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria in December 2024 created major political, security and economic changes in Lebanon. Beirut also rid itself of…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa receiving Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri at the People’s Palace (SANA)

Beirut, Damascus Lay Groundwork for a New Relationship

Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri returned from Damascus with what officials described as significant results, after meeting Syrian President Ahmed…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World A portrait of the president is defaced at Syria’s Palestine Branch prison, where piles of documents of interrogations and reports, and its dark, dank collection of cells, shows the systematic cruelty of the toppled regime of Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria on December 17, 2024. (Getty Images)

Lebanon Receives French Legal Request to Arrest Wanted Senior Syrian Regime Figures

The Lebanese judiciary received on Monday a legal request from France demanding assistance in tracking down officials from the ousted Syrian regime and their…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar meets with Syrian Deputy Interior Minister Major General Abdel Qader Tahan and his accompanying delegation. (NNA)

Lebanon and Syria Reach Security Agreement to Tighten Border Control and Combat Crime

Lebanon and Syria have agreed to deepen security coordination on shared borders, fighting organized crime, and curbing illegal migration. The understanding was…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)