Lebanon’s parliament elected a new president on January 9 after a two-year political deadlock and 13 failed attempts. Joseph Aoun met the threshold for victory in the second round of voting after his rival, a Hezbollah-backed candidate called Suleiman Frangieh, withdrew from the race.

Iraq is trying to convince powerful armed factions in the country that have fought U.S. forces and fired rockets and drones at Israel to lay down their weapons or join official security forces, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said.

Then, a Saudi delegation headed by the kingdom’s envoy, Prince Yazid bin Farhan, flew into Beirut for the second time in a week. It held a blitz of meetings with various political parties. By the time they left, there was only one candidate left: the US-backed Aoun.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a comprehensive 20-year cooperation agreement in Moscow on Friday, deepening military and economic cooperation between their two countries.

With Iran's proxies weakened, vehicles with missiles, artillery parade streets, black-clad women carry rifles; Pezeshkian lauds Aoun’s election, says Lebanon unity will ‘defeat’ Israel

The fall of the Syrian regime and loss of Iranian influence opens the door for the Lebanese to finally take their fate into their own hands.

MOSCOW - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Moscow on Friday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the signing of a strategic partnership treaty involving closer defence cooperation that is likely to worry the West.

In Lebanon, many saw the election on Thursday of Gen. Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese military, as a crucial step toward bringing stability to the country. It was also seen as a concession by Hezbollah and, some analysts said, an acknowledgment that the group was no longer in a position to paralyze the state.

Iran this month launched its most extensive military exercises in decades, flying thousands of drones, parading rocket launchers and ballistic missiles, and thwarting a simulated assault on a nuclear facility that involved “a multitude of air threats,” according to state television coverage.

The ceasefire in Gaza represents a "great victory" for the Palestinian resistance, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday, warning against any possible breach by Israel. Palestinian armed group Hamas and Israel reached a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza that mediators said would take effect on Sunday.

The stance of those who have deliberately thwarted Hezbollah’s political victory in the presidential race and who openly declare their absolute loyalty to Washington is not shocking. What is shocking,