The Levant Files

Tehran announces a "suspension" of operations after the first direct exchange since the truce; Trump demands both sides "immediately stop shooting" Iran and Israel exchanged direct fire for the first time since their April truce on Monday, in a sharp escalation that has all but collapsed the US-brokered ceasefire and revived fears of a full regional war. The latest round began when Israeli warplanes struck the southern suburbs of Beirut — the heartland of the Iran-backed group Hezbollah — without warning and over explicit American requests to hold off. Israel said the strike was retaliation for Hezbollah fire on its northern towns. Iran answered with multiple waves of missiles aimed at northern Israel and Tel Aviv, its first direct attack on Israeli soil since the ceasefire took hold in April. Tehran cast the barrage as a "warning," insisting that any continued assault on Beirut's suburbs crossed a red line it would not abandon. Israel then struck back...

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's ruling Civil Contract party won Armenia's parliamentary election held on Sunday, 7 June 2026, according to preliminary results published by the country's Central Electoral Commission, handing the incumbent a renewed mandate to press ahead with his westward foreign-policy turn. Preliminary figures showed Civil Contract leading comfortably, with early official tabulations putting the party at roughly 57 percent of the vote. Samvel Karapetyan's pro-Russian Strong Armenia alliance trailed in second place with about 21 percent, followed by former president Robert Kocharyan's Armenia Alliance at around 9 percent and the Prosperous Armenia party, which crossed the electoral threshold at just over 4 percent. Voter turnout was reported at about 59 percent. In an early-morning press briefing, Pashinyan hailed what he called a "historic victory" for his party, describing the outcome as a major political achievement, though he acknowle...

On June 7, 2026, the fragile ceasefire that had anchored regional hopes since April shattered under the weight of renewed conflict. With Israeli airstrikes hitting Beirut’s southern suburbs and Iranian ballistic missiles raining down on northern Israel, the Middle East finds itself once again trapped in a high-stakes cycle of escalation. President Donald Trump’s immediate plea to "get back to the table" and his assertion that "each of them had their fun" highlight the urgency—and perhaps the desperation—of current diplomatic efforts. Yet, as the smoke clears, the strategic reality remains grim: neither Jerusalem nor Tehran appears capable of securing a decisive military victory. This conflict has evolved into a strategic stalemate. Israel’s tactical strikes against command centers and Iran’s retaliatory missile salvos are not resetting the board; they are merely deepening the entrenchment. For Israel, military pressure has failed to compel a total cessation of hosti...

In a significant escalation of regional tensions, Iran has fired multiple missile barrages at Israel for the first time since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 8. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that an additional wave of missiles was identified targeting northern Israel shortly after the initial strike. To date, the military reports that all launched missiles have been successfully intercepted, with no immediate reports of major structural damage or casualties from the attack itself. The attack has triggered sirens across northern Israel and even in Jordan, where state television reported alert sirens sounding as projectiles transited the kingdom's airspace in an attempt to reach their targets. In response to the threat, Israeli authorities have cancelled school classes nationwide and ordered the cancellation of a major basketball game in Tel Aviv involving 4,000 spectators. Iranian state media confirmed a "second barrage" without providing spec...

The Levant Files Sunday Movie Nights continues tonight at 20:00 Cyprus time (GMT+3) with the second part of the special BBC documentary on the Iranian Revolution of 1979. This is the long-awaited conclusion following last week's premiere. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Source: Youtube - Shahzad Raja Channel Please note: The Levant Files does not host films or documentaries. It only shares publicly available links and fully respects copyright rules.

Voting in Armenia’s parliamentary elections has concluded, with all 2,005 polling stations across the country closing at 8:00 p.m., including nine polling stations operating in penitentiary institutions. The vote-counting process has now begun. As reported by the Armenpress, the final turnout reached 48.92% by 5:00 p.m., with 1,224,957 of the 2,503,976 eligible citizens casting their ballots. This marks a decisive moment for the nation as it moves from the polling booth to the counting center, where the results will determine the composition of the next National Assembly. The election day was marked by a mix of smooth operations and isolated criminal incidents. Law enforcement agencies quickly acted on reports of electoral misconduct. In a significant development, the Investigative Committee of Armenia launched criminal proceedings against A.H., an authorized representative of the Strong Armenia party. He was detained for allegedly directing a group of individuals to vote for his party...

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated sharply following a reported Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) airstrike on Hezbollah's stronghold in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut. The attack, which involved the dropping of at least ten one-ton bombs on a command center, has drawn an immediate and fiery response from Iranian officials. Ebrahim Rezaei, an Iranian lawmaker and the military secretary to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, took to the social media platform X to condemn the move. In a post that has since garnered significant attention, Rezaei stated that Tehran would deliver a "painful" response to Israel's actions. He specifically warned the Israeli public, urging them to "Look at the sky over the occupied lands tonight," signaling a potential retaliatory strike or escalation from Iran or its proxies. The airstrike occurred on Sunday afternoon, just days after US President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon on June 1. Accordi...

Just as UN Secretary-General António Guterres labours to breathe new life into stalled Cyprus reunification talks, France and Cyprus have chosen to ink a defense pact that stations French troops on the island. The timing could scarcely be worse. The Turkish Cypriot side has already raised serious objections, warning that any military presence without their consent is “null and void under international law.” Rather than building trust, Nicosia and Paris are pouring fuel on the fire. The move further militarizes an already heavily armed island — one of the most tense patches of Mediterranean real estate, dotted with rival garrisons and a UN buffer zone. Adding French boots to the mix does nothing to lower the temperature; it raises the risk of miscalculation. Moreover, one must question what French protection actually guarantees. Paris’s track record on coming to the aid of either Cyprus or its close ally Greece in a genuine military crisis is, at best, uncertain. Rhetoric about European...

Agreement will allow French troops to be stationed on Cypriot territory for humanitarian purposes France and Cyprus will sign a status of forces agreement on Monday allowing Paris to station troops on the Mediterranean island, two senior Cypriot government officials told POLITICO. The agreement will be signed by French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin and Cypriot Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas in Nicosia, as both will attend the informal European Foreign Affairs Council meeting in its defense configuration the same day, according to the Cyprus News Agency. The agreement "will provide for the presence of French forces on Cypriot territory, strictly for humanitarian purposes, as part of the enhanced cooperation we have with the French government," according to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides (POLITICO, June 7, 2026). Scope of the Agreement The pact will define the terms under which French forces can be stationed, train and operate in Cyprus while respecting nati...