Iran warns U.S. over Strait of Hormuz

A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said on Thursday the United States was not in a position to tell Tehran “what to do in the Strait of Hormuz,” state television reported, after the U.S. said it would preserve oil shipments in the Gulf. (more…)

Comment by chief of Arab League observers in Syria is criticized

The head of an Arab League observer mission came under fire Wednesday for describing conditions in the strife-torn Syrian city of Homs as “nothing frightening” despite the release of amateur video that seemed to show monitors witnessing gunfire and meeting with victims of a violent crackdown against dissent. (more…)

Adbullah Azzam Brigades denies responsibility for Damascus suicide attacks

The Abdullah Azzam Brigades, an affiliate of al Qaeda in Iraq that operates throughout the Middle East, has denied all involvement in the recent suicide attack in the Syrian capital that killed 40 people. The terror group accused the Syrian government of attempting to deflect attention from its brutal crackdown on protesters that has killed more than 5,000 people. (more…)

Crude Oil Falls on Reduced Iran Concern

Oil declined for the first time in seven days as a surge in the European Central Bank’s balance sheet to a record highlighted the growing risks of the region’s debt crisis.

Oil declined for the first time in seven days (more…)

Mikati: No solid evidence of Qaida cells presence in Arsal

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Wednesday there is “no solid evidence” that proves the presence of Al-Qaeda terrorist cells in Lebanon.

“Talking about Al-Qaeda presence in the town of Arsal does not mean that it is a reality,” Mikati told reporters, a few days after Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn warned of the existence of such groups. (more…)

Explosion rocks a Restaurant in Tyre for serving alcohol

An explosion Wednesday rocked the southern port city of Tyre, causing only material damage and no casualties, Lebanese police said.

A two-kilogram bomb made of TNT went off near the seaside Tyros restaurant, which serves liquor, the police said. (more…)

Syria ‘releases 755 detained during unrest’

Syrian state TV says the authorities have released 755 people detained during the nine-month-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

The prisoners had been involved “in recent incidents” but their “hands were not stained with blood”, a report said.

The UN says more than 14,000 people are in detention and 5,000 have been killed as a result of the state’s crackdown. (more…)

Wadi Khaled protests against the killing of Lebanese by Syrian troops

The people of north Lebanon town of Wadi Khaled protested against the killing of three Lebanese men by Syrian security forces, MTV channel reported on Wednesday.

They also protested against the recurrent Syrian army incursions into Lebanese territory and were chanting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. (more…)

Activists alarmed over Syria mission’s Sudanese head

The choice of a Sudanese general to head an Arab League mission in Syria has alarmed activists, who say Sudan’s own defiance of a war crimes tribunal means the monitors are unlikely to recommend strong action against Syria’s Bashar al-Assad. (more…)

Syria activists don’t trust pullback in Homs as observers visit

Beirut, Lebanon – For a few hours Tuesday, it looked as if Syria might be starting to ease a crackdown on dissent that has turned parts of the country’s third-largest city into a virtual war zone. (more…)