|   | Shou el akhbar — and what a week it was. President Aoun went on CNN to tell Iran, to its face, that Lebanon is not its bargaining chip. Ceasefire talks with Israel completed a fourth round, with pilot zones agreed upon and the next session slated for late June. Meanwhile, more than 3,500 Lebanese have now been killed in the ongoing conflict, and over a million remain displaced. Pour yourself a Sunday morning coffee — here's everything that mattered this week. |
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Which country did Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accuse of using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in peace talks with the US? Scroll to the bottom for the answer — or play all 10 at sobhiye.news/games/news-quiz |
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- Aoun to Iran: Back Off: In a rare CNN interview with Christiane Amanpour on Friday, President Joseph Aoun accused Iran of using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in its negotiations with the US, telling the IRGC directly: "It's not your country, it's our country." He called diplomacy the only path forward.
- Fourth Ceasefire Round: Lebanon and Israel, via US mediation, reached an agreement after talks on June 2–3, including the establishment of pilot zones — starting with Western and Eastern Zawtar and Beaufort Castle — where the Lebanese Army would exercise exclusive control. Both sides are set to reconvene the week of June 22.
- Trump Dials It Back: President Trump announced Monday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to reduce fighting after he spoke with Netanyahu and communicated with Hezbollah through mediators. Rockets were launched from Lebanon moments later, and Israel's military said it would continue operations in the south.
- South Speaks Up: Residents of Tyre and Nabatieh — including roughly 220 signatories in Nabatieh alone — issued separate appeals calling for their cities to be declared weapon-free and placed under Lebanese state protection, marking the first organized political challenge to Hezbollah from within the southern community.
- Interfaith Unity Summit: Lebanon's top Christian and Muslim religious leaders gathered Tuesday at the Druze House in Beirut, issuing a joint declaration that Lebanon's defense must happen exclusively within the framework of the state. Maronite Patriarch Raï called for "a strong state that exercises authority over its entire territory."
- Ministers on Holiday: Political circles circulated reports that roughly 13 Lebanese ministers left the country for the Eid al-Adha holiday while Israeli strikes continued in the south — a lapse one commentary called a "national scandal" and a symbol of state absence at a critical hour.
- BDL Governor on the Crisis: Banque du Liban Governor Karim Souaid told a public forum this week that Lebanon faces roughly $80 billion in banking sector losses, and outlined a five-track recovery plan spanning 2026–2030. He also confirmed that officials transferred funds abroad around the October 2019 crisis.
- Qlayaat Airport Revival: The Lebanese Army's long-dormant air base in Qlayaat, near the Syrian border, was set to be officially relaunched Saturday as a civilian airport, with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam expected to arrive aboard a Sky Lounge aircraft — the first plane to land there in 37 years.
- Beatification Date Set: Pope Leo XIV approved July 25 as the date for the beatification ceremony of Patriarch Elias Hoyek — the "father of Greater Lebanon" — to be celebrated at the patriarchate's summer seat in Dimane. The Vatican recognized a miracle attributed to him: the healing of a Druze Lebanese Army officer.
- Fairuz Meets Piaf: Lebanese artist Rouba El Ghoul used AI and handmade costumes to create a viral tribute imagining Fairuz and Édith Piaf together in front of the Eiffel Tower, with tributes stitched in to the border villages of southern Lebanon. A month in the making — and worth every stitch.
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That's your week. Take a breath, and we'll be back in your inbox tomorrow. |
Aoun told CNN that Iran is using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in its talks with the US. Read the full story → |
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