Supreme leader says Iran dealt enemies 'dizzying blow'
Iran's Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Friday the country had dealt its enemies a "dizzying blow" in the war with the United States and Israel, as fresh blasts hit Tehran on the...
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Impact from missile debris in Jerusalem's Old City
A blast left a crater in a hillside just inside Jerusalem's Old City on Friday, spraying debris across a road, after a warning of incoming missiles fired from Iran. AFP journalists at the...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
Netanyahu denies insulting Jesus by comparing him to Genghis Khan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected accusations on Friday that he had intended to offend Christians when he said the previous day that Jesus had "no advantage" over Genghis...
20 March 2026
Israel claims killing of another Iranian military official
Israel said Friday that it had killed Ismail Ahmadi, identified as the "chief of the intelligence branch of the Basij," a paramilitary militia tied to the Revolutionary Guard. Ahmadi was...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
White House threatens US could 'take out' Iran's Kharg Island any time
The White House threatened on Friday that the United States could "take out" Iran's Kharg island whenever it wanted, after a report that President Donald Trump's administration...
AFP/L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
U.S. Treasury sanctions 'global network funneling funds to Hezbollah'
The U.S. Treasury announced Friday that it has sanctioned "a global network funneling funds to Hezbollah." The network consists of "16 people and entities and is headed by Hezbollah...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
Hezbollah denounces 'biased positions in favor' of Israel by UN coordinator for Lebanon
Hezbollah on Friday denounced the briefing by the United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, before the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, criticizing her for taking...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
Human toll of the US-Israeli war against Iran: How many have been killed so far?
Thousands of people have been killed across the Middle East since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28 and Tehran retaliated with strikes against Israel, U.S. bases in the region,...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
Michel Issa from Bkirki: Washington 'insists on peace prevailing in Lebanon'
The United States ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, said Friday from Bkirki, where he was welcomed by Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai, that Washington "insists on peace prevailing in...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
War in the Middle East: Latest developments
Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war: Trump: NATO allies 'cowards' U.S. President Donald Trump branded the United States' NATO allies "cowards" for not...
AFP, 20 March 2026
Airfare price hikes are 'inevitable,' says IATA chief
An increase in airfare prices is "inevitable" given the surge in hydrocarbon prices caused by the war in the Middle East, the director general of IATA, the world's leading airline...
20 March 2026
Trump calls NATO 'cowards' over lack of support in war
President Donald Trump assailed NATO allies on Friday over their lack of support for the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, calling the longtime U.S. allies "cowards." "Without the...
Reuters, 20 March 2026
After Israel talks, French minister sees no obvious short-term end to war
France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Friday he did not see an obvious end to the war in the Middle East in the short-term, but that France and its allies would continue to work...
Reuters, 20 March 2026
'Adjusting' Iraq mission
NATO said Friday it was "adjusting" its mission in Iraq, after officials in the country said the non-combat force had been temporarily withdrawn due to the war in the Middle East....
AFP, 20 March 2026
Police arrest 2 suspected Iranian spies near submarine base, Sun newspaper says
Two suspected Iranian spies have been arrested after attempting to enter Britain's nuclear submarine base in Scotland, the Sun newspaper reported on Friday. Police Scotland said they had...
Reuters, 20 March 2026
In Cairo, Matariya’s giant iftar or the popular neighborhood’s revenge
When asked where they’re from, Salah, Mohamed and their group of friends stick out their chests and answer in unison: "We’re from Matariya!" All of them sport their neighborhood’s colors...
Jeanne GORIN and Martin DUMAS PRIMBAULT, reporting from Cairo, 20 March 2026
'An assassination attempt': Sheikh accuses party of shooting at his home
BEIRUT — Shiite Sheikh Abbas Hoteit, known for his criticism of Hezbollah, has accused the party of shooting at his home Thursday night in Choukine, (Nabatieh district) describing it as an...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
Abu Dhabi police arrest over 100 for filming, posting 'misleading' info during war
Police in the United Arab Emirates said Friday they had arrested over 100 people for filming and posting "misleading" information during the Middle East war, as Gulf countries crack down...
AFP, 20 March 2026
Pentagon sends 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to Middle East, WSJ reports
BEIUT — The U.S. Pentagon has deployed the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, a rapid-response force of roughly 2,200 Marines, to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran, according to The...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
Russia summons Israeli ambassador after strike injures RT journalists
BEIRUT — The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Israeli Ambassador Oded Joseph to Moscow on Friday, a day after an Israeli strike wounded a Russia Today (RT) television crew reporting in southern...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
Strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs: What exactly is Israel targeting?
At least 115 strikes have hit the southern suburbs of Beirut since the start of the war in Lebanon, on the night of March 2. That’s an average of more than six strikes per day in this residential...
Malek Jadah, 20 March 2026
Trump mulls Kharg Island takeover to force Iran to open Hormuz Strait
The Trump administration is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported on Friday, citing four sources with...
Reuters, 20 March 2026
Foreign affairs ministry condemns Hezbollah's involvement in UAE 'terrorist plot'
BEIRUT — The foreign affairs ministry on Friday condemned "the terrorist plot that targeted the United Arab Emirates." It denounced "Hezbollah's involvement in this plot,"...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
Sharaa says working to keep Syria out of conflict
BEIRUT — Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Friday that he is working to keep his country away from any conflict, emphasizing that Damascus maintains good relations with all countries in the...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
Is Lebanon on the path to a prolonged war?
The intensification of Israeli attacks in Lebanon, reaching as far as Beirut, signals the worst, possibly a catastrophic scenario for the country’s future. The ring of fire targeting Beirut's...
Naji ABOU KHALIL, 20 March 2026
Norway's crown princess says she was 'manipulated and deceived' by Epstein
Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit said on Friday she regretted her friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, seeking to contain one of the biggest scandals to hit the...
Reuters, 20 March 2026
Three weeks of war: Air travel in the region still faces turbulence
In this third week of the war sparked by Israel and the United States in Iran, the aviation sector is facing growing uncertainty and restrictions, the long-term effects of which are starting to...
Philippe HAGE BOUTROS, 20 March 2026
Iran FM told British counterpart UK complicit in US, Israel 'aggression'
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his British counterpart Yvette Cooper in a phone call that any U.S. use of British bases would be seen as "participation in aggression"...
AFP, 20 March 2026
Spokesperson for Iran's Revolutionary Guards killed in strike
A spokesperson for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its deputy of public relations, Ali Mohammad Naini, has been killed in strikes launched by the U.S. and Israel, Iranian state TV...
Reuters/L'Orient Today, 20 March 2026
BDL's foreign currency reserves are under pressure
Banque du Liban’s foreign currency reserves came under increasing pressure in the first half of March. During that period, they fell by more than $200 million. Between mid-February and mid-March,...
Mounir YOUNES, 20 March 2026
Israel closes access to Al-Aqsa Mosque for Eid al-Fitr prayer
BEIRUT — The Jerusalem prefecture has condemned the prolonged closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, which prevented Palestinians from performing the Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
National unity messages: Aoun and other leaders extend greetings amid war
President Joseph Aoun and several Lebanese political and religious figures spoke Friday to extend their greetings on the occasion of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, as the country is once again...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
2026 budget set at around $10.5 billion, Sharaa says
Syria's President Ahmad al-Sharaa said on Friday the 2026 budget was set at around $10.5 billion, nearly triple last year's level, state TV reported. He said GDP is estimated to reach $60...
Reuters, 20 March 2026
Walid Joumblatt: Yes to negotiations with Israel, but not without Berri
In the face of what he considers “decisive” issues, Walid Joumblatt is proceeding with caution.About 10 days after President Joseph Aoun called for direct negotiations with Israel to end the war,...
Yara ABI AKL, 20 March 2026
Israel claims strikes on 2,000 'targets' in Lebanon; Hezbollah claims more than 30 attacks on Israeli military targets
BEIRUT — Nearly three weeks into the escalation of war between Israel and Hezbollah which followed the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28, Israel continues to pummel villages, towns, and...
L'Orient Today staff, 21 March 2026
Israeli attacks on Lebanon kill over 1,000, Netanyahu claims Hezbollah and Iran 'defeated': Everything you need to know this Friday
Want to get the Morning Brief by email? Click here to sign up.Friday, March 13, 2026Compiled by Abbas Mahfouz. Some key things to watch for today: 10 a.m.: Minister of Interior, Ahmad Hajjar, holds...
Abbas Mahfouz, 20 March 2026
Israel launches more attacks on Iran as crisis deepens
Israel launched further attacks on Tehran on Friday, a day after President Donald Trump told it not to repeat its strikes on Iranian natural gas infrastructure, which sharply escalated the...
Reuters, 20 March 2026
Mojtaba Khamenei claims 'enemy is defeated' | LIVE
00:42 Beirut Time First contracts for oil deliveries from US Strategic Petroleum Reserve The US Department of Energy announced on Friday that it had awarded contracts to companies for...
Muntasser Abdallah, Sarah ABDALLAH, Renee Robledo-Davis, Yara Malke, 20 March 2026
Israel says it struck Syrian government targets after attacks on Druze civilians
The Israeli military struck infrastructure sites belonging to the Syrian government overnight in response to attacks against Druze civilians in Sweida, the Israeli military said on Friday. The...
Reuters, 20 March 2026
UAE announces dismantling of 'terrorist network' operated by Hezbollah
Emirati authorities announced Friday that they have dismantled a "terrorist network" financed and operated by Hezbollah and its sponsor, Iran. According to the official news agency, the...
L'Orient Today staff, 20 March 2026
Gulf petromonarchies seek to strengthen regional cooperation, from Gulf to Levant
As foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries met Thursday in Riyadh, Iran launched missiles toward the Saudi capital.Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan then called his Iranian...
