Generation Jihad

Exploring recent Israeli strikes on Iranian assets in Lebanon, the intensity of conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah, the pervasiveness of the IRGC in Lebanon, challenges of understanding Iran's proxy strategy, analyzing Hezbollah's multifaceted nature, and navigating cognitive dissonance in policy making.

In this podcast, Bill and Joe discuss the latest news from the Middle East, including US pressure on Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli casualties in Gaza, Israeli strikes in Lebanon, and the ongoing challenge of countering the Houthis. They also analyze the hostage situation between Israel and Hamas, the need for victory over Hamas, and the Iranian threat in the region. The podcast provides insights into the complexities of the conflicts in the Middle East.

Bill and Behnam discuss the recent attacks in Iraq as well as the latest string of Houthi incidents and U.S.-led coalition's response. 

Bill and Joe discuss stats released this week by the IDF pertaining to its operations in Gaza and why escalation at Israel’s northern border with Lebanon is "just a matter of time.”

Bill and Behnam unpack the details they’ve been able to gather so far surrounding the U.S. and UK-led coalition strike against Houthi targets inside Yemen and whether this will restore deterrence. Accurate preview courtesy of Behnam: “We like to say ‘freaky Fridays’ here [we do not] — it can’t get freakier than the first-ever, historic use of force since October 7 by the U.S. and UK against the Houthis.”

Joe just returned from Israel and joins Bill to share insights from his trip which included a sobering visit to Nir Oz, one of the kibbutz communities along the Gaza border that was brutally attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Included in Joe’s haunting description of a scene “almost untouched since October 7” and frozen in time: “There’s still blood on the ground. There’s still blood on the walls. There’s glass everywhere. You can still smell burnt wood; a lot of these homes were burned with people still inside of them. There is still the smell of death.” His visit was also marked by the constant hum of heavy artillery and gunfire, apache helicopters, and the incessant buzzing of drones (AKA “the lawnmower of the sky”). Also discussed: being on sustained high-alert for shelling from rockets, mortars, and drones; spending time at Israel’s northern border with Lebanon to observe Israel’s management of the Hezbollah threat; takeaways from conversations with Israelis — from cab drivers to government officials — about the resolve of Israelis and the still-standing solidarity between them, whether or not they share the Biden administration’s insatiable appetite for a ceasefire, and why one Israeli official told him that on October 7, “Israel shrunk.”

Bill and Behnam unpack this week's headlines from the Middle East, including the assassination of Hamas deputy Saleh al-Arouri; the U.S. strike that killed Iran-backed militia commander Abu Taqwa Al-Saedi in Iraq (and subsequent drama with the Iraqi government); the U.S.-led coalition dubbed Prosperity Guardian’s “final warning” to the Houthis; and the ISIS bombings at a memorial in Kerman, Iran for slain IRGC-QF commander Qassim Suleimani.

Bill and Behnam are back for what has been dubbed by Behnam as the first and last Freaky Friday of 2023 to discuss news of an alleged Israeli assassination of an IRGC general, context of U.S.-launched strikes against the Hezbollah Brigades after the group targeted U.S. forces at an airbase in Erbil, the latest string of Houthi maritime attacks (remember Operation Prosperity Guardian… yeah…), and the painful irony of a million dollar missile shooting down a thousand-dollar drone, AKA Iran’s asymmetrical warfare strategy. 

Discussion on the controversial Operation Prosperity Guardian and the countries involved. Exploration of Houthi tactics, Iran's military means for political goals, escalating tensions between US and Iran, and concerns regarding striking in Iranian territory.

Discussion on the formation of Operation Prosperity Guardian to counter Houthi threat. Formation of multinational coalition and absence of certain nations. Analysis of US treatment by Saudi Arabia and UAE, and India's neutrality. Exploration of US standing, unreliable allies, and vulnerabilities. Challenges faced in Afghanistan and limitations on providing assistance. Speculation on the mission of Operation Prosperity Guardian and concerns about escalation.