On July 30, an Israeli strike near Beirut, Lebanon killed a senior Hezbollah commander. The next day, a Hamas political figure was killed in Tehran. Iran quickly threatened to retaliate against Israel for the deaths of key leaders from two of its most important proxy groups, but so far has not followed through on the threat.
This period of heightened tension comes several months after an Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria killed senior officers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps and Iran responded by launching hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel—an attack that was effectively neutralized. But how do these periods when tensions spike fit within the broader regional rivalry between Israel and Iran. How does that rivalry shape—and how is it shaped by—the Middle East’s geopolitical landscape. And how do Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hamas in Gaza and the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that frequently flare up play into the rivalry?
To address those questions and more, John Amble is joined on this episode of the MWI Podcast by Jonathan Panikoff. He spent years in key positions in the US intelligence community, including serving as the deputy national intelligence officer for the Near East at the National Intelligence Council, and he is now the director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council. He brings that depth of knowledge about the region and the actors to this discussion.
The MWI Podcast is produced through an endowment generously funded by the West Point Class of 1974. You can listen to this episode of the podcast below, and if you aren’t already subscribed, be sure to find it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app so you don’t miss an episode. While you’re there, please take just a moment to leave the podcast a rating or give it a review!