Rania Khalek Dispatches

The World Has Turned Against Israel, w/ Ali Abunimah 12.06.2026 53min

Ali Abunimah joins Rania Khalek on Dispatches to discuss the dramatic collapse of global support for Israel, the growing backlash against Western support for genocide in Gaza, and why governments are increasingly resorting to repression as public opinion shifts in favor of Palestine. In this episode they discuss: New polling showing Israel’s popularity collapsing across the worldWhy propaganda and celebrity endorsements aren’t working anymoreThe crackdown on Palestine solidarity activists in ...

They Want You Hopeless: The Psychology of Empire & Resistance, w/ Lara Sheehi 26.05.2026 1godz 3min

As Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues and Lebanon faces ongoing aggression and political pressure to capitulate, many people are grappling with fear, exhaustion, and despair. But what if hopelessness itself is part of the strategy? Psychoanalyst and author Lara Sheehi joins Dispatches with Rania Khalek to discuss the psychological dimensions of fascism, empire, colonial violence, and resistance — from Israeli psychological warfare and sexual humiliation as a tool of domination, to the weapon...

Iran Didn’t Collapse — And Now Trump Is Cornered, w/ Trita Parsi 12.05.2026 34min

The U.S. and Israel launched a massive war on Iran expecting quick capitulation. Instead, Iran absorbed the assault, retaliated across the region, and exposed major limits to American and Israeli power. Now the Trump administration appears to be searching for an off-ramp while Israel continues pushing for escalation, including in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz crisis, sanctions, economic warfare, and the risk of a wider regional conflict continue to threaten the entire Middle East...

U.S.-Iran War About to Explode Again? w/ Navid Zarrinnal in Tehran 04.05.2026 1godz 8min

The Trump administration has announced a new military operation in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran is warning that any unauthorized U.S. presence will be treated as hostile. At the same time, Washington is rejecting key parts of Iran’s proposal to end the war, including sanctions relief and limits on the blockade. So what is this “ceasefire,” really? Is Iran actually weakened, as Trump claims — or has the war strengthened internal support for resistance? And is the next round already underwa...

Are Israel & the US Failing in Lebanon and Iran? w/ Jon Elmer 14.04.2026 1godz 6min

As war spreads across Lebanon and Iran, the U.S. and Israel claim they are making progress. But on the ground, the picture looks far more complicated. After a supposed pause in fighting and failed negotiations, Israel escalated dramatically, launching massive strikes on Beirut while continuing its ground invasion in southern Lebanon. At the same time, Iran has held firm in negotiations, raising questions about whether Washington’s strategy is working. So who’s actually winning? In ...

Before Hezbollah: The Leftist Resistance Israel Crushed in Lebanon 10.04.2026 1godz 8min

As Israel escalates its war on Lebanon, one narrative dominates: that Hezbollah is the cause of the conflict. But that story erases decades of history. Long before Hezbollah existed, southern Lebanon was already a frontline of anti-colonial struggle led by Palestinian fighters, Lebanese leftists, and marginalized communities resisting Israeli aggression and internal neglect. In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek speaks with scholar Nate George about: THE ORIGINS OF RESISTANCE IN SOU...

Iran Defiant as Trump Threatens ‘A Civilization Will Die Tonight,’ w/ Mouin Rabbani 07.04.2026 58min

Donald Trump has issued a shocking ultimatum to Iran: submit, or face the destruction of its civilian infrastructure and the total devastation of the country within hours. As Washington and Tel Aviv escalate their war threats, Iran says it will retaliate in kind with potentially catastrophic consequences for Israel, the Gulf, and the wider region. Meanwhile, Israel continues its assault across the region: threatening Tehran with the Dahieh doctrine, demanding unilateral disarmament from eve...

Trump Threatens to Take Iran ‘Back to Stone Age.’ Here’s Why It May Backfire. | w/ Foad Izadi 02.04.2026 32min

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, ...

Inside the Strait of Hormuz: Eyewitness to US-Israeli War Crimes in Iran | w/ Dimitri Lascaris 01.04.2026 32min

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...

One War Across Many Fronts: Iran, Lebanon & the ‘Axis of Resistance’ | w/ Ali Hashem 31.03.2026 25min

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 fr...

The War On Iran Is Spiraling Out of Control, w/ Trita Parsi 31.03.2026 26min

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 ...

Israel Wants to Annex South Lebanon — But Hezbollah Isn’t Defeated, w/ Karim Makdisi 27.03.2026 59min

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 podca...

Iran Won’t Back Down — And Is Ready to Escalate If the US Does, w/ Mohammad Marandi 24.03.2026 34min

The United States and Israel are pushing the region toward a dangerous escalation with Iran, threatening strikes on energy infrastructure and even raising the possibility of a ground invasion. But Iran isn’t backing down. As the war expands across the region and the global economy, the risk of a wider conflict is growing by the day. So what is the real strategy here? Is this brinkmanship, or the early stages of a war that could spiral far beyond anyone’s control? Have the U.S. and Israel f...

Fate of Global South Hinges on Iran War, w/ Marxist Economist Prabhat Patnaik 23.03.2026 53min

In week 4 of the U.S.-Israeli war of aggression on Iran, the global economy has been pushed to the brink. Iran’s disruption of the Strait of Hormuz shows just how key it is to global energy markets, supply chains, and food systems, putting millions at risk. So what happens when the U.S. no longer has a monopoly on economic coercion? Has Trump overplayed his hand? Are we witnessing the limits of American power and the beginning of a more chaotic global order? To break it all down, Ra...

Iran Plays the Long Game Against Trump — And It’s Working 20.03.2026 47min

Three weeks into the war on Iran, the conflict is expanding more than ever. The Strait of Hormuz is closed, energy infrastructure is under attack, and U.S. bases are increasingly vulnerable. Israel and Washington are escalating. According to Middle East expert Vali Nasr, this is actually all part of Iran's strategy. Iran isn’t trying to win quickly. To “win” is to survive — and for that it wants to make the war longer, more expensive, and politically unsustainable for the United States. I...

Israel Invades Lebanon Again: The Greater Israel Project That Keeps Failing 17.03.2026 1godz 9min

Israel has expanded its war across the region, bombing Lebanon and Iran while preparing a potential ground invasion into southern Lebanon. Israeli officials claim the goal is simply to create a “buffer zone” for security. But many Israeli politicians and commentators are openly discussing something much bigger: territorial expansion to the Litani River and beyond. This is not about security, it’s part of much longer historical Greater Israel project On this live episode of Dispatches, Rani...

War on Iran Could Crash the Global Economy: Yanis Varoufakis Explains 11.03.2026 51min

The war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran could send shockwaves through the global economy. Energy markets, shipping routes, fertilizer supply, and cloud infrastructure are all at risk. Even a short disruption could drive inflation, food shortages, and economic instability worldwide. Rania Khalek speaks with economist Yanis Varoufakis, former Finance Minister of Greece, about why this conflict could become one of the most economically disruptive wars in decades.

Military Analysis of Iran’s Strategy + U.S. Soldiers’ Growing Opposition to the War 09.03.2026 1godz 23min

As war between Iran, Israel, and the United States escalates, what’s actually happening on the battlefield, and how is the conflict being viewed inside the U.S. military itself? On this live episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek is joined by two guests to break down both the military realities of the war and the growing opposition to it inside the United States. Jon Elmer, contributing editor at The Electronic Intifada, joins the show to analyze the military dynamics of the US-Israeli war on Ir...

Iran Prepared for a Long War. Vali Nasr on Trump’s Miscalculation 03.03.2026 42min

As Israel expands its war on Iran and U.S. officials float the possibility of American boots on the ground, what is really happening behind the headlines? Iran expert at Johns Hopkins Vali Nasr joins Rania Khalek to explain: Why Iran prepared for decapitation strikesWhy “regime collapse” is far from guaranteedHow global oil supplies “have become a battlefield” Why Trump may already be looking for an off-rampThe growing divide between U.S. and Israeli war goalsThe chances this conflict co...

Huckabee Admits Insanity of Christian Zionism on Tucker: Israel Can Take ‘All’ of Middle East 24.02.2026 34min

Mike Huckabee’s reference to borders stretching “from the Euphrates to the Nile” has sparked a diplomatic firestorm across the Middle East. Even governments that normalized relations with Israel — including the UAE — publicly condemned the remarks. Why did this rhetoric hit such a nerve? And is it really new, or just unusually blunt? At the same time, tensions between Israel and Saudi Arabia are rising, fractures between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are deepening, and the risk of a U.S.–Iran war lo...