Testimony submitted to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. February 3, 2026
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Lebanon’s political theatre has reached a new low with parliamentarians opposing any sale of the country’s gold reserves at the Banque…
Lebanon’s 2026 state budget was approved in parliament with a razor-thin majority that failed to reach even half of the…
Barak Ravid, Zachary Basu Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman (KBS) said in a private briefing on Friday in Washington that…
I met with Camille Abousleiman who was mentioned in the Article. In keeping with my journalistic integrity and the…
The Middle East is reorganizing itself in real time—and Syria is once again the proving ground. This week’s developments…
The panic did not announce itself with sirens. It crept in quietly, through WhatsApp messages, television panels, and hastily arranged…
For years, Lebanon’s banking sector appeared to function not as an arm of public policy, but as the financial playground…
(Greek 1974 coup d’etat deposed Cyprus first president, Archbichop Makarios III) * Recent commentary written to support Greek Cypriot views…
Taking military action is risky. Falsely encouraging freedom fighters would be shameful. The fate of a 2,500-year-old nation and its…
Western realism masks a deeper cynicism: deference to gas flows has prolonged Iran’s illegitimate theocracy. When…
The most destabilizing threats to security alliances rarely come from outside assault alone. More often, they emerge from internal contradictions,…
Cyprus is approaching one of the most consequential political moments since the collapse of the Crans-Montana talks in 2017. On…
Lebanon is witnessing something unprecedented: a senior official at the central bank launching a two-front war of accountability.…
By The Editorial Board The Iranians demonstrating against their government are displaying awe-inspiring bravery. In the past quarter-century, protest movements…
New information indicates that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), as shareholders…
Cyprus politics has always excelled at a particular acrobatic trick: governing provisionally while speaking permanently. The corruption…
I, recently, returned to Saida, that predominantly sunni city south of Beirut — sentimental to me and politically charged for Lebanon. My…
Shaffaf had published the Arabic version of this article, by Yemeni writer Hussein Al-Wadi‘i, on November 22, 2025.…
As Arctic ice retreats and new maritime routes open, Europe risks repeating one of its most damaging strategic errors: confusing…
Recent leaks made public by Al-Jazeera suggest that this is the case, but the story may be more complicated. The…
METRANSPARENT EXCLUSIVE The demonstrations that started late December 2025 in the Bazaar in Tehran have grown to a full blown…
The forcible seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States did not merely shock Latin America. It exposed,…
Lebanon’s Stabilisation and Deposit Repayment Act (FSDR) aims to resolve one of the most consequential financial collapses of modern times:…
During the Israeli preparations for the renewed round of talks with the new Syrian regime of AlSharaa, Israeli intelligence has…
The U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him to New York did more than topple a…
On December 26, 2025, the Lebanese government passed the Financial Stabilization and Deposits Repayment Act (FSDR), a law that aims…
From Somaliland to the Eastern Mediterranean: Israel’s new diplomatic assertiveness and Türkiye’s deepening concerns Israel’s decision on 26…
Lebanon has always suffered from corruption, but what is being attempted today risks something even more dangerous: the institutionalisation…
I am sitting at the breakfast table. Beyond the window, a man-made lake is partially frozen, carrying the quiet dignity…
Beirut December 23, 2025 Statement by the BDL Governor Position of the Governor of Banque du Liban on…
Ankara may seek to annul a maritime deal with Cyprus and expand its influence in the next parliament Since the…
Over time, the rotating presidency in the Cyprus negotiations has gradually shifted from being discussed as a tool of political…
More than a year has passed since the end of the Israeli war against “Hezbollah,” and today we stand only…
In an interview, Ibrahim Jalal discusses the Southern Transitional Council’s recent takeover of Hadhramawt and Mahra. Ibrahim Jalal was…
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s December 19 address unveiling the Gap Law marks a pivotal moral and political reckoning in…
I woke up to one of those rare mornings in Weesp: No clouds, no haze, no rain. The sun had…
(Lt. Col. A, head of the Political and Strategic Branch at Military Intelligence: “she was among the officers who advocated…
Lebanon’s proposed gap resolution law is being marketed as a serious attempt to solve the country’s deposit crisis. In reality,…
As Hanukkah lights flicker against the winter darkness of December 2025—illuminating menorahs from New York synagogues to Paris apartments—Walter Benjamin’s…
Lebanon’s cash economy has proven remarkably resilient, even as the rest of the world accelerates toward digital payments, traceable financial…
A potent new fusion of old-style human spycraft with cutting-edge technology is having a big impact on high-stakes conflicts. …
In Lebanon, the hawala system is no longer confined to the margins of the economy. Based on direct observations inside…
The problem with any Financial Rescue law in Lebanon is brutally simple. Everyone wants someone else to pay. Start…
As the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy Maria Angela Holguín Cuéllar prepares to test the waters on December 11 at what…
Follow the black trail. Key dates summing up the capture and cartelisation process: The Zahrani refining capacity reached…
Argentinian president Javier Milei ordered the declassification of a series of 1850 documents about Nazis and their activities in Argentina,…
Just days before the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, the government of Lebanon announced that it would provide official…
The latest decision taken by the central bank to raise the withdrawal limits under Circular 158 from $800 to $1,000—of…
A billboard displays an image of Pope Leo XIV, ahead of his upcoming visit to Lebanon, near the grain silos…