S9 Ep4: Hezbollah Decapitated, Israel Invades, and Iran Attacks with Phillip Smyth

In this special episode, Matt welcomes back Phillip Smyth just
days after his last appearance to analyze another major
development in the Middle East: the assassination of Hezbollah’s
secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, in a targeted Israeli
airstrike. Nasrallah’s death has sent shockwaves across Lebanon,
Iran, and the wider network of Iran-backed militias, raising
pressing questions about Hezbollah’s future and its role in
regional power dynamics.

Phillip returns to help unpack the key players, their motives,
and the potential fallout from this strike. Together, they
examine Israel’s strategic objectives, Iran’s retaliatory
actions, and the broader implications for the already fragile
situation in the Middle East. They also explore the ongoing
Israeli ground offensive and Iran’s ballistic missile strikes in
response.

It’s a rapidly evolving situation, so join Phillip and Matt as
they break down the latest developments and consider what might
come next.

Phillip’s work for West Point’s Combatting Terrorism Center:
https://ctc.westpoint.edu/authors/phillip-smyth/.

Phillip’s work at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy:
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/phillip-smyth

Follow Phillip on Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/PhillipSmyth

Relevant articles and reporting

"Iran’s Strikes on Israel Look Calculated to Shore Up Regional
Alliance" by Erika Solomon | The New York Times

"A Wider War in the Middle East, From Hamas to Hezbollah and Now
Iran" by David E. Sanger | The New York Times

"Israel Has Destroyed Half of Hezbollah’s Arsenal, US and Israeli
Officials Say" by Edward Wong, Julian E. Barnes & Eric
Schmitt | The New York Times

"Deep intelligence penetration enabled Israel to kill Hassan
Nasrallah" by Dan Sabbagh | The Guardian

"How Israel's bitter 2006 war with Hezbollah could shape possible
Lebanon invasion" by Robert Tollast | The National

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