Rania Khalek Dispatches

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has entered its second month, and despite repeated assassinations, attacks on infrastructure, and growing civilian casualties, Iran has not collapsed.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is threatening to take Iran “back to the Stone Age,” floating the seizure of oil infrastructure, Kharg Island, and even a military reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, all while claiming negotiations may be underway.

So what is actually happening inside Iran? Is Tehran looking for a way out, or preparing for a longer war? How is Iranian society responding to mounting destruction and civilian targeting? And what would any eventual settlement mean for Lebanon and the wider region?

To discuss all this, Rania Khalek is joined by Foad Izadi, Associate Professor of World Studies at the University of Tehran.

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Journalist and lawyer Dimitri Lascaris just returned from Iran, where he traveled from Tehran to the Strait of Hormuz, witnessing firsthand the impact of the US-Israeli war.
From hospitals treating the wounded to the world’s most important oil chokepoint, Lascaris saw a side of this war that Western media is barely covering.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most critical waterways on earth, responsible for a massive share of global energy flows.  But today, it has become a frontline in a rapidly escalating conflict. Trump says only with its opening would he consider a ceasefire.
In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek speaks with Dimitri Lascaris about:
What he witnessed inside Iran during wartime
The situation on the ground at the Strait of Hormuz
Civilian infrastructure and the human toll of the war
Whether US and Israeli actions constitute war crimes
How Iran is responding and what comes next
This is a rare, on-the-ground account from inside a country under attack.
You can follow Dimitri’s work on his YouTube channel Reason2Resist https://www.youtube.com/@reason2resist 
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Speaking from Tehran, Al Jazeera correspondent and columnist Ali Hashem explains how Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq are all part of a single, interconnected battlefield, a coordinated confrontation between the axis of resistance and the United States and Israel.

That means what happens in Lebanon is directly tied to what happens in Iran, and vice versa.

Despite months of attacks, Hezbollah remains operational and has restored its ability to strike deep into Israel, underscoring that this front is far from contained.

At the same time, the war is becoming increasingly unpredictable.

With no clear endgame and contradictory signals coming from Washington, both sides appear to be embracing escalation, what some describe as a “madman strategy”, signaling they are willing to go to the brink with no limits.

So what happens when multiple fronts become one war?

And what happens when no one is playing by predictable rules?
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As the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran escalates into a second month, the situation is becoming increasingly unpredictable and uncontrollable.

Iranian missiles are hitting Israeli targets at higher rates than expected, while the U.S. is deploying massive firepower, including 2,000-pound bombs.

At the same time, conflicting signals are emerging from Washington, with reports that Trump may be seeking an off-ramp even as the war intensifies.

So what is the strategy? Who is actually winning? And how far could this go?

In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek speaks with Trita Parsi to break down:

-The real military balance in the war
-Whether the U.S. has a coherent strategy
-Iran’s position and whether it’s overplaying its hand
-The risk of regional escalation
-And whether there is any off-ramp left

As Israel expands its war across the region, Lebanon is once again in the crosshairs.

Israeli officials are openly calling for pushing the border to the Litani River, annexing southern Lebanon, and preventing displaced civilians from returning. At the same time, the country is being bombed, depopulated, and pushed toward internal collapse.

So what is Israel actually trying to achieve?

In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek speaks with Karim Makdisi, co-host of the Makdisi Street podcast and Associate Professor of International Politics at the American University of Beirut.

They discuss: 

-Israel’s long-term ambitions in southern Lebanon

-Whether this is a plan for annexation or permanent control

-Hezbollah’s actual strength after 2024

-Lebanon’s internal divisions and the role of the army

-The risk of civil strife and regional escalation

This isn’t Israel’s first invasion of Lebanon, but the stakes may be higher than ever.