Shots in the dark

Dear  readers,

The Middle East has been living on edge this week, awaiting news of what Israel’s response would be to Iran’s retaliatory drone and missile strikes on Saturday. Indeed, retaliation already began as of writing on Friday morning, with explosions reported in central Iran.

Meanwhile, our journalists have been tracking how Hezbollah seems to have escalated their response to Israel’s ever deepening strikes on Lebanon. For the first time, Hezbollah used its third-generation drones, showing Israel that it still has « plenty of surprises in store, » according to a military expert we interviewed. Read more here. And as our journalist, Mounir Rabih reports Hezbollah’s latest escalation sends a message to Israel: that Iran is not alone this time.

Meanwhile Lebanese travelling through Dubai witnessed streets « drowned with water » as flash flooding caused chaos in the Emirates. Read their stories, by Wael Taleb, here.

Amid another grim week of news, there is cause for hope: something we must never lose sight of after six months of war, and nearly five years of economic crisis in Lebanon.

This week, members of Lebanon’s hospitality industry told our reporter, Sally Abou AlJoud that they are cautiously optimistic for the summer. Hotel and restaurant owners say support from the diaspora continues to be key to sustaining their industries amidst ongoing instability in the country. Read more here.

Plus, two Lebanese businessmen have made Forbes Middle East’s Top 30 Asset Managers. Find out who they are, here.

And finally… This winery has seen it all, starting with the end of the Ottoman Empire, the French mandate, two world wars and endless Lebanese conflicts. Explore the story of Lebanon's oldest vineyard, Domaines Des Tourelles.

Thank you once again for reading and supporting our journalism. More tense days lay ahead of us. We’ll be there reporting it all.

Very best,

Olivia Le Poidevin

Head of News - L’Orient Today

In case you missed them, here’s our coverage from this past week: