Recent moves by Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Imam Ali expose a growing inconsistency in U.S. policy toward Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq and Lebanon. By Hussain Abdul-Hussain Map of Iraq Iraq's Militias Begin Surrendering Their Weapons Two of Iraq's most powerful Iran-backed militias, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Imam Ali, recently agreed to place their weapons under state authority, marking the most significant step yet toward dismantling Tehran's network of armed prox

By Dr. Walid Phares AI photo with the flags of Israel, Lebanon and Iran As Israel intensifies military pressure on Hezbollah in Lebanon, a strategic question is emerging across the region: could ongoing negotiations with Iran eventually limit Israel's campaign against Tehran's most powerful regional proxy? While Washington and Jerusalem remain aligned in their opposition to Hezbollah, recent developments suggest that their priorities may not be identical. For Israel, prevent

The new U.S.-brokered Lebanon-Israel agreement aims to weaken Hezbollah's hold over southern Lebanon, strengthen Lebanese sovereignty, and create a path toward lasting security and stability along the Israeli-Lebanese border. By Hayvi Bouzo AI generated photo of the flags of Israel and Lebanon For the first time in four decades, Lebanese and Israeli diplomats sat across from each other at the U.S. State Department and negotiated directly. No proxy messengers, no back channels

Twenty-five years after Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, Hezbollah continues to celebrate May 25 as a historic victory. Yet for thousands of Lebanese families who fled across the border, it marked the beginning of exile, displacement, and a story Lebanon has never fully confronted. By Tony Boulos AI generated image with the Lebanese flag For more than a quarter century, Hezbollah has portrayed May 25, 2000—the day Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon—as a historic

Is Israel Annexing South Lebanon? Or has it devised a new strategy to defeat Hezbollah and Hamas? By: Dan Feferman Map of the current Israeli buffer zone in southern Lebanon On April 19, nearly 2 months after Hezbollah launched missile and drone strikes on Israel, in defense of its patrons in Tehran, the IDF issued a map showing its new “forward defense line”, a buffer zone some 8-10 kilometers into South Lebanon. Contrary to claims by Hezbollah propagandists and apologists,

AI generated photo with the Lebanese and Hezbollah flag By: Abdulaziz AlKhamis The party has lost its leaders, its base, and its Iranian umbrella. Now it is fighting a different war over who gets to define defeat. On April 14, for the first time in thirty-three years, a Lebanese ambassador and an Israeli ambassador sat across from each other at the U.S. State Department. The meeting, brokered by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was brief and ceremonial. It produced no agreemen

AI generated image of the Israeli and Lebanese flags A surprising poll offers real hope for normalization between Lebanon and Israel. Conducted by an anti-Western, anti-Israel website with a sample of 500 respondents, the survey found that only 42 percent of Lebanese oppose peace with Israel. Thirty-two percent support normalization, while 25 percent remain undecided. Imperfect as the poll may be, these numbers are remarkably encouraging for advocates of Lebanese-Israeli peac

Tony Boulos is a Lebanese journalist and political analyst specializing in Middle East security and geopolitics. A frequent commentator on Arab and international TV, he provides expert insights into the region’s complex landscape. Boulos is a regular ME24 contributor, delivering strategic analysis on the most pressing issues in the Middle East.