Today in Beirut…

This morning, a double explosion hit the Iranian Embassy here in Beirut. So far, twenty-three people have been reported killed and 146 people injured–but the numbers are quickly rising. The Iranian cultural attaché was among those killed in the attack.

It’s surreal to see a building I’ve visited before surrounded by dead bodies, fire and debris–from the double blast of a suicide bomber and car bomb. Once, when I was inside of that building, an Iranian television program playing on the second floor was claiming that Iran had captured a U.S. drone–which was shown in the middle of a large crowd that was chanting “Death to America.” This made it a bit awkward when the consular officer asked me to hand over my U.S. passport for a visa to travel to Iran…

For more details on today’s deadly bombing here in Beirut, please click here.