Dana Halawi| The Daily Star BEIRUT: The Syrian opposition’s capture of a main crossing point between Syria and Jordan could deal a major blow to Lebanese exports to Gulf states, experts warned Friday. “If [the] Nassib crossing remains closed, agricultural exports will drop by 60-70 percent because Lebanese traders rely on this route mainly to… اقرأ المزيد
The most compelling argument President Barack Obama made for the nuclear framework deal with Iran was also the simplest one: The pact, once concluded, would be preferable to any realistic alternative. It’s not a perfect agreement, and certainly not a permanent solution to the threat an aggressive Iran poses for Israel and other nations in… اقرأ المزيد
The agreed parameters of a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear program that were reached Thursday between the Islamic Republic and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany represent a monumental achievement that affirms the power of reason and diplomacy over the ravages of fear and warfare. The… اقرأ المزيد
BEIRUT: The Cabinet emerged unscathed Wednesday from a crisis sparked by Hezbollah’s criticism of Prime Minister Tammam Salam’s speech at the Arab summit, with ministers opting to set their differences aside over the Yemen war and stressing the need for the government to work in unity. “The ministers voiced their viewpoints on the issues under discussion.… اقرأ المزيد
The British diplomat Harold Nicolson observed in 1960 that “a good negotiation takes about as long as it takes an elephant to have a baby.” That has been true in the protracted Iran nuclear talks, although in this case, the baby may turn out to be stillborn. Negotiators were still haggling over the framework as… اقرأ المزيد
Agencies LAUSANNE, Switzerland: The United States abandoned late Tuesday a midnight deadline to agree the outlines of a nuclear deal with Iran but insisted that “enough progress” merited extending marathon talks into Wednesday. “We’ve made enough progress in the last days to merit staying until Wednesday. There are several difficult issues still remaining,” State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said. The announcement… اقرأ المزيد