BEIRUT
Lebanese families flood back as Israel pulls out
23,000 civilians return to bombed villages in first 72 hours of ceasefire, testing fragile truce that lacks enforcement
Israel & Iran
30 dispatches from The Meridian's correspondents
BEIRUT
Lebanon bans Hezbollah ops, group calls gov 'traitors'
PM Salam crosses three red lines enforced since 1980s. Hezbollah threatens to 'turn country upside down' as May 15 Israel vote looms.
PRISTINA
Kosovo sends 350 troops to Gaza, first Muslim nation
Parliament vote breaks deadlock as Pristina commits ground forces where Arab states won't. Deployment tests Trump's burden-sharing push.
RAMALLAH
Abbas cancels EU talks as leaked cables kill Palestine state
Western powers privately plan Israeli control over Gaza and West Bank with no Palestinian sovereignty, diplomatic documents show
JERUSALEM
Israel strikes Lebanon hours after Trump ban, tests limits
Three Hezbollah positions hit in buffer zone as Netanyahu government claims self-defense exception to presidential prohibition
JERUSALEM
IDF engineers blow 1,000 Hezbollah sites in 5 weeks
Battalion 603 finds 'endless' underground networks in Lebanon hills — different terrain, different war from Gaza tunnels
HAIFA
Israel Navy fires 26,000 hours in 47 days, guides US strikes
Israeli commandos at sea longer than most navies work all year, providing targeting data for 68 US attacks on Iran
WASHINGTON
Pentagon burns $720M in aircraft as Iran war drags on
Loss rates exceed Vietnam as Iranian air defenses prove more resilient than expected. Industrial base can't keep pace.
TYRE
Israel kills 4 medics in Lebanon, targets rescue crews
Sequential strikes hit ambulance teams responding to casualties, revealing systematic targeting of emergency workers
JERUSALEM
Lebanon declares 7-day ceasefire, oil barely moves
Hezbollah pause timed to Iran-US talks expiry as Mojtaba Khamenei tests pragmatic approach. Markets see tactical move, not peace.
TEHRAN
Iran's young commanders adapt, extend war into month 7
28-year-old IRGC major represents shift as Tehran's military learns from Ukraine tactics, defying expectations of quick collapse
TEHRAN
Iran rebuilds bombed rail bridge in 47 hours, defies US
Tehran's repair crews restore infrastructure faster than allied forces can plan next strikes, turning destruction into propaganda
NAHARIYA
Hezbollah rocket buries 1,500-year Byzantine mosaic
Ancient Christian church floor survives Persians, earthquakes — then takes direct hit from Katyusha in northern Israel
BEIRUT
Lebanon's Aoun meets Israel envoy but can't deliver
President negotiates ceasefire he cannot enforce as Hezbollah operates independently of Beirut's control
BEIRUT
Israel kills Hezbollah money man with bunker-buster
Hassan Qassem managed $2.3B in Iranian transfers. His laptop held cryptocurrency keys worth $89M. Now Hezbollah can't pay fighters.
LONDON
Lebanon Bleeds As US-Iran Truce Excludes Key Player
182 killed in Israeli strikes hours after Washington-Tehran ceasefire. Beirut demands inclusion or threatens wider war.
BEIRUT
Israel Hits Lebanon Emergency Workers In New Strike
Ten killed as Israeli forces target paramedics in systematic campaign that signals wider escalation beyond Gaza conflict.
TEL AVIV
Why Iran's Opposition Now Regrets Backing Israeli Strikes
Once-supportive Iranians face harsh reality as infrastructure crumbles and regime survives intact
LONDON
Trump Iran Ceasefire Leaves Netanyahu Facing Crisis
Pakistan-brokered truce exposes Israel's strategic failures as Iran emerges stronger from 40-day confrontation
BEIRUT
Hezbollah Victory Claims Signal Lebanon War's End
Iranian proxy declares 'historic victory' as displaced residents told to wait for official ceasefire with Israel
ISTANBUL
Istanbul Attack Signals Iran-Israel Shadow War Goes Global
Gunman's death outside Israeli consulate marks dangerous escalation as regional conflict spills into NATO territory
TEL AVIV
Iran Strikes Back: War Crimes Claims Rock Trump Doctrine
Tehran accuses US-Israel of systematic violations as regional powers abandon diplomatic restraint for direct confrontation
TEL AVIV
Gaza School Strike Kills 10 as Medical Crisis Spirals
Israeli airstrikes target shelter as Palestinian health system collapses under siege — what this means for ceasefire hopes
TEL AVIV
Why Pakistan's Iran-Israel Truce Plan Won't Work
Islamabad's two-stage proposal faces Tehran's refusal to reopen Hormuz strait during temporary ceasefire talks
PARIS
Israel Launches Eighth Strike on Beirut Today
Heavy warplane activity signals escalation as Lebanon's capital faces unprecedented bombardment in single day
TEL AVIV
US-Israel Strike Kills 13 in Iran Bridge Attack
Double-tap bombing of Iran's tallest bridge marks dangerous escalation as Tehran vows retaliation against joint operation
LONDON
Oil Hits $118 as Trump's Iran War Sends US Gas Lines Soaring
Free fuel giveaways emerge in Chicago as escalating Middle East conflict pushes energy costs to crisis levels nationwide
MUSCAT
Iran, Oman Hold Emergency Talks on Strait of Hormuz
With 20% of global oil flowing through the waterway, diplomatic push comes as Trump weighs military response to Tehran
LONDON
Israel Strikes Lebanon as Trump's Iran Strategy Unfolds
New airstrikes on southern Lebanon signal escalation as Washington reshapes Middle East policy with energy markets watching
LONDON
Israel's War Economy Hits Breaking Point After 18 Months
From tech brain drain to military spending at 8% of GDP, Israel faces economic transformation that may outlast the conflict itself.