Iran, Lebanon, and the Destruction of Civilian Life

Summary

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Drop Site News Podcast Summary

Episode: Iran, Lebanon, and the Destruction of Civilian Life
Date: April 7, 2026
Hosts: Sharif Abdul Kuddus, Mortaza Hussein, Lila Yunus
Additional guests: Sina Azodi

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Main Theme

This episode offers an urgent, on-the-ground look at escalating warfare in Iran and Lebanon, with a focus on the devastation of civilian life, the rhetoric and tactical realities shaping the conflict, and the broader geopolitical implications. The hosts provide independent reporting and expert analysis on U.S. and Israeli aggression, Iran’s response, last-ditch diplomatic efforts, and the impact on ordinary people. The second part pivots to Lebanon, examining Israel’s ongoing invasion, tactics of collective punishment, the toll on journalists and medical workers, and a clear-eyed view of how sectarian tensions are being exploited.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. U.S. Escalation Against Iran: Rhetoric and Realities

• Extreme Presidential Threats: President Donald Trump’s social media post threatens “a whole civilization will die tonight,” referencing an 8:00pm ET deadline for Iran to “open the [Strait of Hormuz],” or face intensified attacks, including on civilian infrastructure.
  • “Now that we have complete and total regime change…maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen. Who knows? We will find out tonight…” — Trump, quoted by Sharif Abdul Kuddus [02:00]
• Current Bombardment: Prior to the deadline, at least 17 civilian areas across Iran have already been struck, with dozens of civilian deaths, destruction of vital infrastructure (bridges, trains, a synagogue in Tehran), and attacks on the main Iranian oil terminal at Kharg island. [04:00]

2. Trump’s Strategy: Negotiating Tactic or Real Risk?

• Mortaza Hussein frames the stakes: “This could be a negotiating tactic by Trump… But also at the same time, it seems in many cases, Trump is actually delivering on his threats.” [06:39]
• Genocidal Implications: Trump and members of his administration (such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth) have used phrases such as "send [Iran] back to the Stone Age", with some commentators warning about possible tactical nuclear weapon use. [05:33-07:10]
• Diplomacy at the Brink: Last-minute negotiations, mediated by Pakistan, include a 15-point proposal and a possible temporary 45-day ceasefire. Iran, however, has flatly refused any temporary halt, insisting only a permanent end to hostilities and recognition of control over the Strait of Hormuz would suffice. [08:15-10:17]
  • “Their belief is that if they were to accept a temporary ceasefire, that it would merely be used as an opportunity for Israel and the United States to reposition forces and rearm to hit Iran even harder.” — Mortaza Hussein [08:43]

3. The Situation within Iran: Fear and Panic Among Civilians

• Psychological Impact: Ordinary Iranians are experiencing genuine panic, reflected in mass flight from cities and families saying their goodbyes. Trump’s threats feel existential rather than rhetorical. [13:16-14:42]
  • “For people in Iran, they’re actually facing [these threats]… people are fleeing the city, worrying about their children, worrying if such an attack may come, if the power is cut out, or if a nuclear weapon is used...” — Mortaza Hussein [13:20]
  • “I know someone personally who contacted their loved ones and said goodbyes in case something happens to them… a terrifying situation.” — Sina Azodi [14:42]
• Experts’ Mixed Reading: Azodi expresses some comfort from the extremity of Trump’s threat, hoping it is a bluff, but warns “with this president, anything can happen.” [14:42-16:00]

4. Iranian Government’s Perspective and Calculations

• No Capitulation: Iran refuses to respond to threats with submission, seeing demands as attempts to force humiliation rather than genuine negotiation. [17:03]
  • “[Iranians] will not, under these circumstances, agree to a deal because it would make them look weak and desperate.” — Sina Azodi [17:03]
• Willingness to Endure: Iran expects to survive a war of attrition, counting on its greater ability to absorb suffering compared to the U.S. and expecting, ultimately, the U.S. will be forced to leave the region. [18:42-20:33]
  • “They endured eight years of war with Iraq... the Iranian capacity to absorb punishment is its advantage.” — Sina Azodi [18:42]
• Different Time Horizons: Iranian policymakers think in decades, in contrast to U.S. politicians’ focus on short-term election cycles. [19:40-20:22]

5. U.S. Military Operations and Claims of Covert Actions

• Downed U.S. Jets, Rescue, and Suspicion: After two U.S. airmen were shot down over Iran, Iran’s Foreign Ministry suggests the prolonged rescue operation may have been cover for a mission to seize highly enriched uranium. [21:39-22:59]
• Enriched Uranium and Hormuz as Leverage: Iran’s unaccounted-for stock of highly enriched uranium is leverage both for possible bomb-making (political, not military use) and in negotiations. Control over transit through the Strait of Hormuz is another non-negotiable. [23:38]

6. Regional Fallout: The GCC’s Splintering and Retaliatory Strikes

• GCC Split: Countries like Qatar and Oman take a more conciliatory approach towards Iran, while the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and, to some degree, Saudi Arabia harden their rhetoric, fearing Iran's newly demonstrated regional power. [26:34]
• Retaliatory Logic: If heavily attacked, Iran will not back down but will target U.S. interests in the region with the capacity to cause widespread blackouts, seeing survival at stake. [28:27-29:20]
  • “If Iran goes dark, the entire region is going to face a regional blackout.” — Sina Azodi [28:34]

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7. Israel’s Scorched Earth Policy in Southern Lebanon

Massive Civilian Impact

• Systematic Destruction: Israeli forces are systematically demolishing entire villages along the Lebanese border using dynamite, reminiscent of tactics seen in Gaza. [31:22-32:30]
  • “What they’re doing is they’re kind of sewing all these homes with dynamite, and then they’re kind of exploding them all at once.” — Lila Yunus [31:50]
• Targeting Civilian Infrastructure and Displacement Orders: At least seven bridges over the Litani River destroyed; sweeping orders for residents south of the Litani and Zohrani rivers to flee north; targeted attacks on the UN peacekeeping force and Lebanese army. [29:41-31:22]
• Assassinations: Strikes kill civilians and migrant workers in Beirut; targeting includes a Christian party leader and his wife in an area never previously struck, interpreted as an effort to inflame sectarian tensions. [33:40]

Targeting of Journalists

• Assassinations as Policy: Journalists such as Ali Shaib (Al-Manar) and Fatima Ftouni (Mayadeen) killed in targeted strikes, seen as efforts to stifle resistance coverage and demoralize displaced populations. [36:26-39:40]
  • “He was a fearless reporter. He really was someone who I think gave people a lot of hope... to see these reporters on the ground in the south, it really gives people… a sense they’ll be able to go back someday.” — Lila Yunus [37:18]

Military and Sectarian Strategy

• Buffer Zone Goal: Israeli military aims to occupy territory up to the Litani River (10% of Lebanon), with shifting control zones and "buffer" areas but has difficulty holding land amid ongoing resistance. [40:07-42:12]
• Sectarian Manipulation: Israeli and U.S. officials overtly seek to exploit sectarian divides, for example by pressuring the Lebanese army to protect Christian villages, threatening the Lebanese state if Hezbollah is not disarmed, and demanding appointment of more "hawkish" army leaders. [43:51-51:41]
  • “They want a hawk, they want someone who’s not going to push for unity, who’s going to fan those flames of sectarianism, who’s going to say, yes, we will pursue Hezbollah. And we know what that means in Lebanon. That looks like civil war.” — Lila Yunus [50:10]

Siege Conditions in Christian and Shia Villages

• Abandonment & Aid Crisis: Withdrawal of Lebanese army from Christian villages leaves them vulnerable; aid and medical care nearly impossible for thousands cut off by the conflict; residents forcibly expelled based on sect background. [45:45-49:32]
• Deliberate Targeting of Displaced Shia: Shia Lebanese displaced by violence are threatened to leave Christian villages or face lethal consequences; similar tactics now applied against Sunnis in other villages. [48:15-49:32]

Attacks on Medical Workers

• Systematic Targeting: Paramedics, especially the Islamic Health Authority (affiliated with Hezbollah but providing broad civilian care), are hit relentlessly, with over 57 medical staff killed since March 2.
  • “The Islamic Health Authority...while it does have the affiliation, it is a civilian group, it is a civilian institution. And so its targeting is completely against international law.” — Lila Yunus [52:44]
• No Evidence for “Terror” Claims: Amnesty International finds no evidence that medics or ambulances are being used for military purposes, condemning the attacks as collective punishment in violation of international law. [54:10-55:10]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trump’s Threats:

  • “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.” — Trump, quoted at [02:00]

• On Iranian Resolve:

  • “The Iranian capacity to absorb punishment is its advantage... The regime didn’t change, they’re going to survive this. And it will be the United States that will ultimately be forced to leave the region after the war.” — Sina Azodi [18:42]-[20:33]

• On the Scorched Earth Campaign in Lebanon:

  • “They’re really trying to destroy the urban fabric in order to reduce the amount of places that Hezbollah fighters are able to fight from, and obviously as a form of collective punishment.” — Lila Yunus [32:00]

• On Killing of Journalists:

  • “He was a fearless reporter... to see these reporters on the ground in the south, it really gives people…a sense that they’ll be able to go back someday.” — Lila Yunus on Ali Shaib [37:18]

• On Targeted Sectarianism:

  • “They want a hawk... who’s going to fan those flames of sectarianism... that looks like civil war. We’ve been there before.” — Lila Yunus [50:10]

• On Collective Punishment of Health Workers:

  • “No evidence…that any of these vehicles or…infrastructure were being used for military purposes. Even if one ambulance is used by Hezbollah...doesn’t mean you can target all ambulances.” — Lila Yunus, citing Amnesty report [54:10]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:48] — Trump’s threats and the looming deadline
• [04:00] — Current state: U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in Iran
• [05:33] — Analysis of Trump’s tactics and real risk of escalation
• [08:15] — Diplomatic efforts and mediation via Pakistan
• [13:16] — Psychological impact on Iranians; panic and displacement
• [14:42] — Iranian-American perspective on the threat
• [18:42] — Iranian government calculation: war of attrition, long-term thinking
• [21:39] — Shot down U.S. jets and uranium theft allegations
• [23:38] — Nuclear material and strategic significance of Strait of Hormuz
• [26:34] — Division within GCC; implications for regional order
• [29:41] — Israel-Lebanon war: Scorched earth, forced displacement, and war crimes
• [31:22] — Lila Yunus reports from Beirut on destruction in Lebanon
• [36:26] — Targeting and assassination of journalists
• [40:07] — Israeli military goals and buffer zone strategy in Lebanon
• [43:51] — Siege conditions in Christian villages, aid crisis
• [47:28] — Expulsions: sectarian targeting of displaced Shia and Sunni
• [50:01] — How Israel tries to provoke sectarian conflict in Lebanon
• [52:44] — Systematic targeting of medics and healthcare facilities
• [54:10] — Amnesty International’s findings: No basis for targeting medics

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Tone and Language

The discussion remains grounded in precise, often clinical reporting but is interspersed with clear expressions of alarm, empathy, and direct testimony from those witnessing or affected by violence. The language, while factual, conveys the urgency and gravity of ongoing events and the systemic nature of harm to civilians, journalists, and medics.

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Conclusion

This episode powerfully documents the accelerating humanitarian catastrophes in Iran and Lebanon, drawing out both the immediacy of civilian suffering and the deep structural and geopolitical drivers at work. It delivers a rare, unvarnished account of both the on-the-ground and high-level diplomatic fallout as the region stands on the brink.

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Transcript

[Lila Yunus]

Sam ra. Sam foreign.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

Good morning, I'm Sharif Abdul Kuddus. Welcome to our weekly drop site Live Stream. It is Tuesday, April 7th. This morning, President Donald Trump reiterated his extreme threats against all Iranians in a post on social media today. He wrote, quote, a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will. It was an extreme and rambling post. It went on to say, quote, now that we have complete and total regime change, where different, smarter and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen. Who knows? We will find out Tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world. 47 years of extortion, corruption and death will finally end. God bless the great people of Iran. End quote. Now, Trump had previously given a deadline of Tuesday, today, 8:00pm Eastern Time to, in his words, open the fucking straight, you crazy bastards. End quote. Or he would heavily target civilian infrastructure in Iran, power plants, bridges. That deadline looms even larger Now, Iran's Revolutionary Guard today warned that if Trump carried out that threat, they would, quote, deprive the U.S. and its allies of the region's oil and gas for years. And they went on to say, we have exercised great restraint and had considerations in choosing retaliatory targets. But from now on, all these considerations have been removed. Last ditch diplomatic efforts are underway to avert a further escalation of the war. The Iranian government has repeatedly and consistently laid out its own demands for an agreement which would set out a permanent end to the war. They will not agree to any kind of temporary ceasefire, and they would trade concessions on its nuclear program for sanctions relief and recognition of Iran's ability to exercise control over the Strait of Hormuz. But a deal does not appear to be anywhere in sight. As we speak, US And Israeli airstrikes are pounding targets across Iran. At least 17 civilian areas have been bombed across the country alone today, according to the Iranian Red Crescent, including many neighborhoods in the capital. At least 18 people were killed, including two children, in an attack on residential areas in Alborz Province. A synagogue was destroyed in a US Israeli airstrike in Tehran. Multiple railway bridges have been blown up across the country. This came after the Israeli military issued a warning telling Iranians to avoid using trains until 9pm local time today. And there's also been reports of explosions on Kharg island, which is Iran's primary oil export terminal in the Persian Gulf. And all of this is happening before Trump's threats to escalate even further with him saying a whole civilization will die tonight. So a little later in the program, we're also going to go to Beirut. We're going to speak with Dropside contributor Lila Yunus about Israel's ongoing invasion and bombardment of Lebanon. But first, I'm joined by my colleague Martazah Hussein, who's been closely following and reporting on what's happening in Iran. Maz, can you just explain what this latest threat this morning came from President Trump? I mean, if that's possible to explain, but what is at stake now and what do we expect to happen?

[Mortaza Hussein]

Yeah. So Trump's post comes in anticipation of a deadline he'd set for Tuesday, 8pm Eastern to start, you know, very widespread attacks in Iran on specifically civilian infrastructure. And you mentioned some of those attacks on bridges that have already taken place today even before the deadline. So that that seems to be a implication of the broader campaign that may be waged by the US And Israel later tonight if that deadline passes. And likewise, there have already been attacks on petrochemical facilities and steel plants and other major core nodes of the Iranian economy. Trump suggested, he has suggested that he would target power plants specifically as well. To quote, you know, to deliver on this threat. He said to deliver Iran back to, quote, the Stone Age. He's used that phrase many times. So was the secretary of war, Defense secretary, Peace Hegseth. So his post threatening to completely eradicate Iranian civilization comes in that context. But, you know, in addition to that, there have been warnings by people, including quite vocally Tucker Carlson, that Trump or people in his orbit have been considering the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons against Iran in the context of the conflict. Now, that may not be the first option or that may not be the implication of a statement. But, you know, as you mentioned, he said that they're planning to he may do something that results in Iran as a civilization being wiped out entirely and not recovering as well, and that that would go far beyond, by implication, attacks on power plants, as devastating as that is. Now, all that said, this could be a negotiating tactic by Trump. And he has a history of using this rhetorical embellishment and extreme threats in the context of trying to pressure a deal. And in this case, he wants the Iranians to capitulate in some form, open the straight of form moves, give him something else. It's not exactly clear what he's asking for. So that that may be the case as well. But also at the same time, it seems in many cases, Trump is actually delivering on his threats. He's issuing threats to attack Iran, which he's delivered on twice now, and other escalations, including attacks on bridges and other infrastructure that have already taken place. So I think that his threat is very serious and the sweeping nature of it and the frankly genocidal implications are something that should be taken very seriously.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

And what do you think about these last ditch diplomatic efforts to try and secure a deal? We saw a 15 point proposal being put forward. Just the other day we saw another proposal for a temporary 45 day ceasefire. Can you lay out what these different proposals are, what Iran is saying and the likelihood of any kind of deal being reached?

[Mortaza Hussein]

So there's currently a diplomatic process being mediated by Pakistan, the Pakistan, Pakistani government or military government, to ostensibly find a last minute negotiated solution that would avert a war and avert this 8pm deadline that Trump has sent. The issue is that from the Iranian side, they've made repeatedly clear, and we reported this yesterday as well too, that they will not accept any temporary ceasefire in the war. And the reason for that is that their belief is that if they were to accept a temporary ceasefire, that it would merely be used as an opportunity for Israel and the United States to reposition forces and rearm to hit Iran even harder. In Iran's view, they as much damage as they're taking right now, they have the initiative in a sense because they're firing missiles. Still, after over a month of fighting, Israeli and GCC and US missile defenses seem to be drained or draining from these missile attacks. More impacts are happening in Israel on a day to day basis. And their view is that as painful as it is now, it would be worse if they stop fighting and then we're attacked again in a month or six months or a year or what have you. So they will not stop, except they will not agree to a ceasefire unless it's a permanent end to the war with guarantees not to renew attacks on Iran. Now, it's not clear that the Trump administration is willing to grant that request. And likewise there's the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, because if the Iranians were to open it up merely in exchange for a temporary ceasefire, they would have given up their strongest point of leverage to protect themselves against future attacks. So all these sort of factors are militating against being able to find a negotiate solution on such a tight time frame. And I mentioned the Pakistani government is mediating this. They've been mixed signals from these talks, indicating that leaks, journalists and so forth, indicating that they're going very well or they may be on the cusp of something or even suggesting by some reports that the US has made concessions or changes position somehow. I wouldn't take any of those leaks at face value at all because the Pakistani government has own motivations for potentially framing the talks more optimistically than they may be. And we, you know, they may be going well, we don't know, but they certainly have no interest in that. And likewise, Pakistan also was very implicated in the course of this conflict because it has a defense treaty with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has been attacked by Iran, US Military bases, but also petrochemical facilities in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Iran. So, you know, Pakistan, we're forced to potentially join the war in some capacity, potentially or take other steps. It doesn't really want to do vis a vis Iran. So these things are all playing out in the background. And, you know, I think that unfortunately, while it's not impossible, it'd be very difficult to see the incredible gaps between the two sides being bridged in such a short time frame unless one of them makes an extraordinary commitment to end the war, to limit the economic fallout on the US Side or stop the attacks on the Iranian side. So that's kind of the state of play right now. The negotiations are still going on and mediation is still happening, but with diminishing time left to find an off ramp.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

Well, Martaso, we're joined also right now by Sina Azoda, the assistant professor of Middle east politics at the Elliott School of International affairs at George Washington University and program director for MA And Middle East Studies. Thank you for joining us this morning. We were just discussing, and I'm sure you saw the additional threat from President Trump this morning about the 8pm deadline tonight for Iran to what he said is open the strait. He said a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will. How would you assess the situation right now? What's happening on the ground and what are the prospects for this escalation being avoided? I think you're muted or oh, no. Now. Okay, try again. Okay. We can't hear you. Brad can. Maybe you can work on that. And there was another While we wait for Professor Azada to come back,

[Lila Yunus]

you

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

filed a piece or a reporter contributor for Dropside News filed a piece yesterday that you worked on, Maz, about how these latest threats have really resonated and landed for Iranians in Tehran. You know, Trump has been threatening since the very beginning, you know, kind of an annihilatory and genocidal language in certain ways. But this latest Threat that he issued a few days ago, giving the APM deadline, really cause panic in the capital and elsewhere. Why do you think that is?

[Mortaza Hussein]

Yeah, you know, Trump, as you mentioned on Truth Social, has been escalating these threats, making very disturbing, disgusting statements in some cases. And, you know, one can imagine we're all discussing this post he did right now. And I'm sure the vast majority of people are disturbed by it and they're anxious and horrified by it, but for people in Iran, they're actually facing. These posts on Truth Social are directly impacting their lives in the sense that people are fleeing the city, they're worrying about their children, they're worrying if such an attack may come, if the power is cut out, or if a nuclear weapon is used in extreme circumstances, it affects them directly. So our story, which was filed by a reporter in Tehran, was about sort of the impact of these statements psychologically on ordinary people, many with families, young people as well, too, who are trying to decide if they should flee the city, if they should stay. Some of them have to stay in the midst of these, you know, increasingly bellicose threats. And, you know, one would hope that there are guardrails around Trump's actions such that, you know, even if you were threatening something like this, there were institutions there to stop him. But I think the executive presidency has kind of made it a bit more dangerous. I think I'll bring Sina back on.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

Yeah, yeah. Professor Azodi, are you. Can you hear us now?

[Sina Azodi]

Yes, I can hear you, and I'm sorry for the technical problem. I think it was the browser I was using.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

Oh, no, no problem. Go ahead, give us your analysis of. Of what's happening and the prospects for the coming days.

[Sina Azodi]

Well, I was just listening to Mortazo and I. I hear the same thing. A lot of people are seriously afraid. I know someone personally who had contacted their loved ones and they had said goodbyes in case something happens to them, which, again, it's a terrifying situation to be in. I'm in Washington. I cannot have a good sense of what the people are going through. I can listen to them, I can hear them, but I cannot feel what they're going through. But I know that a lot of people are afraid now with this president, whether he's threatening to end the civilization in Iran that has been there for thousands of years. I don't know how he's going to do that. But my sense was that after I saw that tweet or True Social post, I was rather. It gave me some more comfort, rather than this is a bluff. I hope that I'm right. I hope that he does not decide to escalate because already there's so much destruction to Iran's civilian infrastructure. Bridges, universities. A synagogue was attacked this morning in Tehran. So I really don't know what else he's going to do. Iran has already been under heavy bombardment for 40 days. I don't know where this is headed. With this president, anything can happen. He, at 7:50pm he can do another post and say Iran backed down. Great news and the war is over. And at 8:01, he can do something completely irrational.

[Mortaza Hussein]

Yeah. And Sina, how is the Iranian government approaching the negotiations right now, or what negotiations may be taking place, the mediation and interpreting Trump's statements. I saw some posts, online, reports quoting Iranian officials anonymously that they would cut off contacts in retaliation for these threats against Iran by Trump. What are you hearing or what do you understand is their interpretation of these statements?

[Sina Azodi]

I saw the same thing. I think that this is not going to work well on them. It's not something that, you know, would coerce Iranians to put their hands up and say, uncle. And this is exactly what Donald Trump wants, and he has said it. But I don't think that Iranians would, under these circumstances, agree to a deal because it would make them look weak and desperate for a deal. And this is what Trump wants to do. What Trump really likes to do is to humiliate others and then force them to sign a deal. And, and for a country of that background, historical background, I don't think anyone would agree to such a, a demand.

[Mortaza Hussein]

You know, you mentioned that Iran has been under bombardment for 40 days, and, you know, it's still firing missiles as well, too. Iran has not stopped its own operations against Israel, the US or the Gulf Arab states. And it seems as though, look, judging by statements by Iranian officials even before the war, that it's already accepted this will just be a war of attrition. So while maybe it seems that Israel and the US May have more compelling reasons to end the war immediately, economic reasons or depletion of missile interceptors, which are resulting in increasing missile hits in Israel and elsewhere from the Iranian side, there is also this destruction and these escalating threats. But what is their calculation vis a vis how they would be willing to terminate the war or not? And then do they view a longer war as being in their interest, despite the damage it's inflicting?

[Sina Azodi]

Well, I believe that they think that they can absorb the punishment. I mean, they endured eight years of War with, excuse me, with the Iraqis. And the Iranian capacity to absorb punishment is its advantage. Meaning that the US doesn't have that much capacity. The images of American soldiers, the coffins of American soldiers coming back

[Mortaza Hussein]

will put

[Sina Azodi]

a lot of pressure on this administration. Whereas for the Iranian side, as I said, they can absorb a lot more casualties, a lot more punishment. So they think that ultimately they're going to stay there. The regime didn't change, they're going to survive this. And it will be the United States that will ultimately be forced to leave the region after the war. They think that again, 20 years from now, 30 years from now, once everything is reconstituted, they can go back to kind of restore their influence in the region. We have to keep in mind there's a fundamental difference between Iranian thinking and, and American thinking. An average American foreign policymaker thinks in election cycles four years from now. So if there's a problem, you know, you find a solution for it, you kick the can down the road and then that's it. Iranians don't think like that. They don't think in terms of election cycles. They think in terms of 10 years from now, 20 years from now, 30 years from now. And this is, this goes back to what I was, what I was just saying that they think that ultimately they can, they survive this and it's the US that would be forced to leave the region.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

Well, speaking of U.S. soldiers, you know, we saw this very dramatic development over the weekend with two airmen being shot down, that their fighter jets, US an F15E being shot down over Iran and apparently a rescue operation involving this 36 hour search and rescue operation that costs multiple US aircraft to get both pilots to rescue both of them. But we then saw accounts online and then also by the Foreign Ministry of Iran claiming that the operation may have been a cover to steal enriched uranium from Iran. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, you know, the possibility that this was a deception operation to steal enriched uranium should not be ignored at all. I don't know which one of you wants to take this, but what do we. Can you explain what those claims are and how likely that is to be true?

[Sina Azodi]

They're very, very much possible. And what raised my concern or the question I was asking myself was that what were those planes doing in Isfahan? The planes that were based on the American account were destroyed. And based on Iranian account, Iranians destroyed them. Why were they in Isfahan where the allegedly the highly enriched, highly enriched uranium is located and why there was so much firepower brought to Iran to rescue An American pilot. Technically, I'm not a military expert, but technically the search and rescue teams are usually much smaller than a military, rather invasion of that scale. So that raised a lot of questions for me. I don't know the answer. Both of them could be true. It could be a cover up. They tried. The American side tried and failed. But they got the weapons systems officer. Because of its secrecy, we don't really know.

[Mortaza Hussein]

Stina, I wanted to ask you two things. One is about the highly enriched uranium, and then the second question is about the Strait of Hormuz, because it seems like in the termination of this conflict, if it does terminate anytime in the foreseeable future, these two issues will be at the core for determining how the war ends, how it's perceived in Iran to have ended and so forth. What is the significance of that highly enriched uranium to the Iranian government now? And what is the significance of the final status of the state of Hormuz in terms of who controls it or who has rights to charge fees and so forth? How does that all pertain to how they may or may not choose to end the conflict?

[Sina Azodi]

Well, the highly enriched uranium, the 400 kilos that it is out there unaccounted for, can be used in two different ways. One, you can produce a not very efficient crude nuclear device. It's not going to be effective. But the political shockwave of Iran testing a bomb would be very consequential for the region. So that's one significance. The second significance is that in any potential deal with the iaea, with the us, Iran could use that highly enriched uranium to get concessions in other arenas. So perhaps sanctions, relief, perhaps commitment to sell nuclear fuel, anything, anything. You can use that as a leverage, as a playing card in the final status of Iran's nuclear file. Secondly, on the straight and foremost, I think that it will turn Iran. Excuse me, I have a bit of a cold. At the end of the war, Iran will come out as the regional power that can determine the fate and the transit through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the Arabian Sea. I think ultimately, regardless of what happens to this war, I think Iran's show of force in allowing selected transit through the Strait of Hormuz makes it a power. And I think it will change the regional dynamics, Iran's relationship with the gcc.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

Mortaza, I want to ask you also about the gcc. I mean, we've seen, as you've said, these attacks, continuing retaliatory attacks, and Kuwait being hit particularly hard. We just saw 15 US servicemen apparently being injured in an attack on a base today or yesterday, and retaliatory strikes today on US Companies in Saudi Arabia in response to a petrochemical facility attack in Iran. You know, I feel like these countries at some point in the beginning felt that they were put into this kind of difficult situation where they're coming under attack. They feel like they've been abandoned by the US in some ways and are suffering economically and politically. But now there seems to be a hardening of rhetoric from some of these governments against Iran. Where do you see this kind of playing out?

[Mortaza Hussein]

Yeah, I think that there's a split taking place in the GCC right now. You can see in some of the rhetoric and the responses to these attacks. On one hand, there is Qatar and Oman to a greater degree, who seem to be taking more diplomatic or conciliatory approach towards Iran, especially Oman in this case. On the other hand, there's uae, Bahrain, Kuwait, and to a degree, Saudi Arabia, who have to various degrees been vocal expressing their anger over these attacks. I think UAE and Bahrain in particular, and UAE has been calling for basically regime change in Iran as a result of. So I think that to Sina's point, there's going to be a change in relationship between Iran and the GCC states. But I think we're at the very early stages of knowing what the change will be, and it may not be universal for all of them, because I think for some of these countries, these attacks and the possibility of Iran having this determinative control over the strait along with Oman, who they seem to be partnering with in that regards, it would have a potentially huge impact on their political future and economic future. Would have. They'd have to reorient themselves from being US clients or US Partners or however you want to put it, to being basically Iranian clients. Iran would have be the de facto power there. And before we finish, I want to ask Cena, you know, one last question. You know, we're now in this phase where we may be on the cusp of this major escalation. How do you see the Iranian calculation in responding to Trump if he, if he does escalating the point of maybe attacking Iranian energy facilities or more bridges and more transport facilities and so forth, what may their attack response be and how would that response, what cost would it be trying to inflict on Trump to deter him or to re. Establish a balance of returns?

[Sina Azodi]

Well, I think given that the Iranians cannot attack the US Mainland, they're going to start attacking US Interests in the region. They will try to cause a, let's say if the US Attacks Iran's power plants, they're going to start attacking power plants in the region, cause a regional blackout. There was an Iranian account that I saw that if Iran goes dark, the entire region is going to face a regional blackout. I think this is how they're going to respond. And I think they've been preparing for this for a while. And I don't, I don't think they will back down. They believe that it's a fight for their survival and their very existence is at is at hand. They have, they have to fight for it. And this is why they will not, in my opinion, they will not back down.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

Well, Professor Sina Azodi, thank you very much for joining us. Professor Sinazodi is assistant professor of Middle east politics at the Elite School of International affairs at George Washington University. And of course, we're going to continue to cover Iran and see what happens tonight with this deadline of 8pm thank

[Sina Azodi]

you for having me.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

Thank you. And we're going to turn now to Lebanon, which is the other major theater of war over the past month. And just today we've seen Israel continue its invasion and bombardment of Lebanon. At least eight people were killed today in various strikes across the country. We've also seen reports of phosphorus shells again being used on a town in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said it destroyed yet another bridge over the Latani River. That brings it to, I believe, seven bridges that have been destroyed. It has issued sweeping displacement orders for all Lebanese residents south of not only the Litany river but the Zohrani river to flee to the north. So these massive displacement orders and these attacks are continuing. And at the same time, we've seen continued resistance attacks by Hezbollah targeting the Israeli military on the ground in Lebanon, attacking tanks and so forth, and also firing rocket barrages into northern Israel. We're joined now also by Lila Yunus, who is a reporter based in Beirut who has reported extensively for Dropsite News on what's happening in Lebanon. Lila, thanks for joining us. Can you just tell us what's the latest happening right now? What are you hearing on the ground? And we can get into maybe some of the specific reporting that you've done?

[Lila Yunus]

Sure, yeah. Thanks for having me. So right now, I think the big updates here are the kind of, well, it's not exactly new, but the scorched earth policy that Israel seems to be carrying out in the south is really in full force. And so the Israeli military has begun releasing footage of these villages that it's able to reach along the border. And what they're doing is they're kind of sewing all these homes with dynamite, and then they're kind of exploding them all at once. We saw footage of Deir Sidien, the southern border. We also saw some footage from Naura also. These are villages that I think it's. It's important to remember. They were sustained extreme damage during the 2024 offensive. I spent a lot of time in these villages over the past year, and, you know, especially a village like Haitha Shai, where they've also sort of been kind of detonating the remaining homes. It's. It's. It's really been laid to waste. So that's definitely something that we're seeing a lot of now is the kind of destruction of the civilian infra. The, you know, Israeli defense minister has said is there is a tactic, I think, that they're really trying to destroy the urban fabric in order to kind of reduce the amount of places that Hezbollah fighters are able to fight from, and also, obviously, as a kind of form of collective punishment. Some other updates from the ground targeting of the UN peacekeeping force here, I think is. Is a big one. There have been three Indonesian peacekeepers killed across two separate attacks, and they continue to experience attacks. I think they're sort of hunkering down in a bunker right now, and they're based in Naua, and there's a lot of fighting around them. So they've reported, you know, injuries. And then obviously, also the Lebanese army has at least seven soldiers have been killed since the escalation on March 2. So we've seen the Lebanese army now actually, like, fully pull out of multiple areas near the border, including this kind of series of Christian villages, which I wrote about in my last story, and we can get into that later. There have been a number of assassinations in Beirut. Those kind of are. Those are really strong bombs that usually shake the entire city. There was a recent one in Jena, killed civilians. You know, they're usually referred to as assassinations, these kind of strikes that happen without warning, you know, from Abkay on Twitter. But, you know, we saw some Sudanese migrant workers killed in that strike, a young woman, you know, no military targets, so to speak. And then the other news that we've gotten the past few days is the Israeli targeting of an empty apartment in the Metin region, in which is a Maronite village. So not an area that's ever been targeted before, certainly not an area where there is any resistance operations. And so what basically happened there is they targeted this apartment. They killed a man, Pierre Maawad, and his wife Flavia. And they. Pierre Mawad is actually a leader in the Lebanese forces, which is a, you know, conservative Christian party here in Lebanon that has historic ties, actually, or has historically aligned itself with Israel and Western states. And so, you know, call it faulty Israeli intelligence, call it, you know, whatever you want to call it, it's kind of joining this accumulation of events which really point to, you know, Israeli intentions to kind of fuel sectarianism in Lebanon. And there's also a lot more to say there, but I'll stop there for now.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

Well, and mentioning, as you said earlier about the scorched earth campaign with. Yeah, we're seeing these. These videos which are very reminiscent of Gaza, where Israeli military will lay out dynamite and completely demolish an entire village and broadcast it and brag about it, showing that this demolition is happening. And, you know, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz promised this. He said, we're going to make parts of southern Lebanon. And then he compared it to Rafah in southern Gaza, which has been completely raised, compared it to Beit Hanon in northern Gaza, which also has been completely razed. And so that seems to be playing out. And another tactic that seems to be coming from Gaza and being used in Lebanon is the open targeting and assassination and bragging about the killing of journalists. And we saw a very, very prominent journalist be assassinated just last week, Ali Shwaib, and a colleague of his, Fatmaf Tuni, as well as her brother, who is a photographer as well, in what seemed to be multiple hits on their car. Can you explain just the significance of who these reporters were operating in southern Lebanon and the impact on the journalist community of their assassination?

[Lila Yunus]

Yes, definitely. Ali Shaib was a veteran correspondent and kind of one of the, I would say, kind of the faces of resistance media in the region, really. He has been around forever. We all kind of know his face. He covered the liberation of southern Lebanon in 2000. He covered the prisoner exchange of 2004. He covered the Israeli aggression of 2006. And then we obviously saw him on the ground in the previous war. And this one, there's a. There's a. Some footage that's been circulating a lot lately of him kind of standing in front of some IDF soldiers in Southern Lebanon in 2024. Remember, you know, I think a lot of people in the south, they thought that when they were going back to their villages at the end of the. The last war, during the ceasefire in November 2024, they were. They were kind of maybe imagining they were going back to a liberated land, as they did in 2000, but in fact, there were Israeli soldiers still occupying that land. And so he kind of really kind of pushed ahead of the people and was reporting on those conditions and stood in front of an Israeli soldier and is telling him, get away. You know, get off. You're not, this is not, you can't be here. This is our land. So, so, you know, he was a fearless reporter. He really was someone who I think gave people a lot of hope because, remember, majority of, you know, more than half of southerners, they're not home right now. They fled. You know, 1.2 million people displaced. And so to see, to see these reporters on the ground in the south, it really gives people kind of a sense of like a promise of return, you know, a sense that they'll be able to go back someday. So Harish was really, he was quite, quite a voice. And then Fatima Ftune and her brother Mohammad, the cameraman. Fatima, she's been kind of an up and coming reporter for Mayadeen, which is another resistance outlet here in Lebanon. She's really been on the front lines since the beginning of the war. She hasn't kind of, she's young. She hasn't been on the scene for a very long time, time. But she's someone who everyone has begun to recognize, especially after earlier in this war and in early March when seven members of her family were killed in an Israeli strike, she actually went and reported. I don't know why I'm doing this, as if I'm carrying a microphone. She wouldn't actually report it on, on, on that strike. And, and she kind of said, you know, my family was just killed right here. And, you know, but we will, we will kind of, we will win. We will push out the enemy. So this is kind of the, the, the rhetoric that I think a lot of people in the south have been following, and it's very encouraging to them. And she also, she had like a video that she also, you know, she's really been very outspoken about the connection between the Lebanese, the Lebanese fight and the Palestinian one. And she's really expressed a lot of solidarity between Lebanon and Palestine. That's another kind of point that she's often brought up. So, yeah, I would say that, you know, this, this is not the first time that Israel targets these journalists. Israel said that, you know, Ali Shahaib is a Hezbollah operative. It's very clear that this is false. You know, they even admitted to Fox News of photoshopping a photo of him Split image between him carrying a microphone and him, you know, in military fatigues. You know, they admitted openly to photoshopping this image. It really there his assassination. I do think it's reminiscent of kind of what we saw happen in Gaza with Hussem Shabbat, you know, these kind of trying to justify these murders and these really silencing of the people who are on the ground, who are closest to the front lines and who are really trying to kind of report on the oppression of their people. You know, I think that's really what happened.

[Mortaza Hussein]

Lila, can you tell us a bit about how deeply into southern Lebanon the Israeli military has penetrated? I know they're trying to create a buffer zone or try to create some sort of depopulated zone inside the country. How deep is their presence and what have they stated about how long they plan to stay and what they plan to do in southern Lebanon in terms

[Lila Yunus]

of how long they plan to stay? You know, they've said we will stay until the north is secure. And I think that that's kind of code for or. And they've actually said openly like this is also, you know, really the disarmament of Hezbollah is their goal in southern Lebanon. And so they will stay until. Until that goal is met. And they said they want. They want to occupy until the Litany river, which is, you know, more than 10% of the country. It's a huge amount of land where they've been able to reach so far. It's harder to say because they're kind of coming in and they're going out every day. Right. So, for example, you know, they pushed in. One of the forefronts of the battle is the village of Kiem on the southern border. And so they've pushed in. Into the city. And then these rocket barrages and fighting from the resistance has pushed them back out. They have been able to push in pretty deeply into the. More the, you know, the side of southern Lebanon closer to. To the sea. So that's the area of the Bintish Ben district of southern Lebanon. And they've been able to push up into these Christian villages, which I wrote about in my last story for Drop Site News. So Debad and, you know, almost reaching right. The outskirts of Bintajbil. So, you know, we're getting. We're about like 8km in at that point. But, you know, to. To say that they've actually been able to hold 8km of land, I don't think that we can say that yet definitively. It doesn't seem like they've really been able to. It seems like they're kind of doing these in and out movements. And we're also seeing them do incursions literally in the middle of the night, kind of coming in, either kidnapping someone or doing some sort of operation and then. And then pulling back out. So. Including with helicopters. Right. So it's a little hard to say at this point what they're really holding, but they are penetrating. You know, I would say at least, you know, 8 kilometers or so in and then. And then pulling out.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

Yeah. And I'd just like to point out earlier this week, an Israeli military official is quoted across multiple Israeli media outlets, outlets as a senior official saying that admitting that their goal of disarming Hezbollah is unrealistic and that they couldn't actually hold and occupy the area all the way up to Latani. And, you know, for, I'm sure many of our listeners and viewers know that Israel occupied that part of Lebanon from 1982 until 2000 when it was liberated and it was liberated by resistance by Hezbollah. And arguably this might be the only time that Israel was forced to give up land through force actually ever. And so this was a major victory. But the senior military official then went on to say that the plan is to occupy or what they call create a buffer zone a few kilometers in along the border, but then to kind of control and I guess that will mean forever war in this area up to Latani. But Lila also wanted to ask you about some of your reporting about these areas and especially this cluster of Christian villages in the south that you reported on where both we saw the Lebanese army withdraw from and the Israeli military attack. So can you talk about just a little bit of what's happening there and why, you know, these Christian villages are supposedly being spared, but, you know, especially Debalit, it's like under siege right now with no supplies and no way of getting food.

[Lila Yunus]

Right, right. So, you know, another way that the, the U.S. kind of Israeli alliance has been fueling the sectarianism in Lebanon and kind of trying to, you know, push the Lebanese state to disarm Hezbollah, something that the Lebanese state obviously doesn't have the capacity to do. And we can talk about that as well. But, you know, they, they've been the US Ambassador to Lebanon, Michelle Issa, said in an interview, he said, you know, we are going to, we've asked the Lebanese army to spare the Christian villages and to the, and to remain in the Christian villages. And I think that, you know, I think there was a sense of safety among the residents of those Villages that, hey listen, there's no resistance activities out of our land. And so, you know, if we stay put and there are certain guarantees from the Americans that we're going to be spared, that we'll be able to stay here, that we'll be safe. Obviously what happened was not that. So the, the Israeli, I mean the, the Lebanese army, sorry, basically said that we're going to be withdrawn from this area. They cited being surrounded in certain. Having their supply lines cut off, being surrounded by the Israelis, persistent attacks. There have been, like I said earlier, seven Lebanese Armed Forces members killed since March 2. And so they citing all of this, they said we're pulling out, we're pulling north. Our members, our, our soldier are from these villages are allowed to stay, but they have to wear civilian clothing and they cannot be, they cannot carry arms essentially they cannot really defend the villages.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

Well, I also want to be clear that it wasn't as if the Israeli, sorry, the Lebanese army was fighting the Israeli soldiers or was putting up any kind of resistance. But you know, village residents that you spoke with basically said, but they still, they provided some kind of layer of, of well being just having them there, there was someone that they could appeal to if something happened. So, so their presence, what did matter to these people?

[Lila Yunus]

Well also they were, they were accompanying these convoys, these aid convoys that were coming into these villages. I think that's really important because now, you know, it's going to be a lot harder to get aid convoys to come now. The only aid that's coming to them, right, because as you said, they're besieged, they're cut off, they can't leave, the roads aren't safe. Is now the International Committee for the Red Cross and they kind of come whenever they get approval and they can. Right. It's not like the people of the village are like, we desperately need gas, we desperately need water and so please come and do a delivery. You know, they kind of have to make do with what they have. And so one of the individuals that I spoke with is from the village of which is right next to Debel and he is a Red Cross member, a volunteer with the Red Cross and also a local official. And he told me he was like, you know, he was taking a resident who was ill to say that day and it took him a long time to permission to even do that. Two days earlier someone had a heart attack and wasn't able to get any medical care. He was a young 40 something year old father. He died in the village unable to get to a hospital. We also Saw in the same village a woman lose her child because a pregnant woman lose her child, you know, went into labor and wasn't able to get help. And so, you know, that's the reality in these villages because they don't. You know, and the other thing that we wrote about in that story was because Ramesh is a bigger village and Dibel is smaller, people were kind of making this trip to Ramesh to get supplies whenever they needed them, emergency supplies. On one of the last trips, you know, that was taken, a father and son coming back through that path from the Mish were gunned down by the Israelis. And now even that road is cut off. So the people of this village, they. You know, we're talking about thousands and thousands of people. I think it's about 6,000 people there, right?

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

And they were getting calls from the Israeli military at home or, sorry, on their cell phones telling them, you have to expel any this, quote, unquote, displaced people. Which.

[Lila Yunus]

Which was. Yeah, this was the other side of. Of the south. So this is in the southeast. There's the chain of villages actually near Kiem. So, so. These villages, they. They got calls several weeks ago from the Israelis telling them, you know, all displaced people in your village, anyone who's not from your village has to leave. And again, back to what we were saying with the scorched earth campaign from 2024, you know, people from many of them lost their homes, so some of them were living displaced. You know, these are families, civilians living displaced in these Christian villages. They basically.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

These are mainly. Mainly Shia Lebanese.

[Lila Yunus]

Right.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

This is basically like a thinly veiled reference to. To expel Shia residents from this Christian village. Shia displaced presidents.

[Lila Yunus]

Yeah, yeah. The resistance activity is all, you know, out of these Shia villages. Of course, Hezbollah is a Shia force, and so, you know, they actually did expel their residents. And then just last week, right, another series of calls to the Sunni villages, Shiva and Kifar Shuba, telling them, you know, we're watching you. One of these calls, the Israelis actually asked the local official they called to record the call and basically, basically circle it. You know, we're watching you. You know, don't let anyone into your village that. That isn't from there. If you do, you know, we will target you. These villages, again, are already being targeted, right. We're seeing there was just a night incursion by the Israelis and they kidnapped a young man from a. From a farming family in Shiba. And so, yeah, these. These areas where people are living, these non Shia communities, technically, they've been allowed to stay. Right. But there's immense pressure on them, them from the Israelis.

[Mortaza Hussein]

And Lil, you mentioned that these Israeli policies are deliberately aimed at fomenting sectarian differences inside Lebanon and the, in most recently this specific explicit targeting of Shia displaced people in the south. What other ways do you see that the Israelis are trying to play on these sectarian divisions or exacerbate them to achieve their own objectives? Obviously, during the civil war, they did that tremendously. And in Lebanese history, what's taking place right now and how effective or ineffective are those attempts?

[Lila Yunus]

Right. So I mean, I, one of the ways that they're doing it is they're kind of threatening the, the Lebanese state and they're saying, we're going to target the state if you don't, you know, if you don't disarm Hezbollah. They're basically trying to push the army to disarm Hezbollah. Remember, Lebanon is first of all a very poor state, a state whose army is funded by the, the United States military, actually by the United States government. Sorry. And a state, a deeply divided one. Right. So they're kind of making these claims. The head of the Lebanese army, Commander Haikal, said after, you know, the first round of these threats from the Israelis, he said, you know, we're, we're, our goal is Lebanese unity. That's kind of what we, that's what our policy is. And that obviously was at the great consternation of the Israelis and also certain parties within Lebanon that have, again, like the Lebanese forces that have kind of historically been more pro Western, pro Israeli. You know, their kind of main line policy, line is the disarmament of Hezbollah. And so, you know, pushing the Lebanese states, threatening to target civilian infrastructure. And, and even now the Israeli military said, I think it was either yesterday or the day before yesterday, they said one of our major new kind of demands in Lebanon is the, the dismissal of Rudolph Hayek from the Lebanese army. They want, they want a hawk, they want someone who's not going to push for unity, who is going to fan those flames of sectarianism, who is going to say, yes, we will pursue Hezbollah. And we know what that means in Lebanon. That looks like civil war. We've been there before and it's the great trauma of the Lebanese people. And so the fact that they're pushing for kind of a more hawkish army chief I think is quite telling.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

And we saw at the very beginning of this a month ago that the prime minister for the first time banning outright military activities of Hezbollah, obviously not something that he could Ever enforce, but it did indicate these tensions and pressures growing in Lebanon. Just before we let you go, Leela, I just wanted to ask you about one more thing. You reported on the concentrated attacks on healthcare workers, on medical facilities in Lebanon. This is also something that we saw much of in Gaza and before in Lebanon as well, but this time appears to be very kind of severe, with also the Israeli military openly saying that they're going to target ambulances and announcing that and then going ahead and doing it. Can you talk about. And also there's different types of paramedic groups in, in. In Lebanon. Can you talk about who's being targeted the most and the effect of these. These attacks?

[Lila Yunus]

The Islamic Health Authority, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, has been targeted the most. Now, of course, Hezbollah is. Hezbollah has multiple things, or Hezbollah is a party, is a big part of the Lebanese government, provides civilian services to the state, especially after the occupation and after 2006, right. Hezbollah became kind of the main group providing civil services, health care, education. Right. Like these sorts of amenities to two people. And so the Islamic Health Authority, while it does, you know, obviously have the affiliation, it is a civilian group, it is a civilian institution. And so its targeting is completely against international law. The Islamic Health Authority, as I said, has been targeted the most. During the last round of fighting in 2024, over 130 medical personnel were killed by Israel in southern Lebanon, and the majority of them were the Islamic health authority. Since March 2, over, I think the number is about 57 now. I saw this morning have been. Been killed. And it's been relentless. You know, almost every day we hear about the targeting of, you know, medical personnel on a, in an ambulance, you know, rushing to a scene or at one of their medical centers being targeted or even, you know, the really tragic story from last week, this very young paramedic who was with the local civil defense, who wasn't with the IHA, Jude Slayman, who's 16 years old, and Ali Jaber, 19 years old. They're on a, a clearly, you know, a motorcycle, clearly marked as medics were wearing their uniforms and they're going to deliver aid. And they were struck and killed. So this is just one of so many stories that we're seeing, you know, like I said, nearly daily. And I think it's also the last thing that I'll know is just it's important to remember that in my story for Dropsight, we interviewed Amnesty International and they did a report on the last round of targeting of medical workers in Lebanon. They found no evidence that any of these vehicles or, or, you know, medical infrastructure were being used for military purposes. And you know, they said even if. Right. No evidence of this happening. Even if an ambulance, one ambulance is used by Hezbollah, that doesn't mean the humans target all ambulances. It's completely legal under international law. You know, you have to actually prove that a single ambulance and a single day and a single event and a single right was actually, actually was, was a military target. And they've never been able to prove that. You know, they just create these kind of blanket statements in order to justify and manufacture consent for this kind of mass slaughter. And that's ongoing here and it's what we saw in Gaza and it's happening here now too.

[Sharif Abdul Kuddus]

And in fact did the Lebanese army accused the Israeli military of using an ambulance as cover during a raid into Lebanon when they were trying to recover the remains of supposedly of an Israeli soldier. That's been there for decades. But Lila Lyunis, thank you so much for joining us and thank you for all your work and we'll, you know, look forward to more of your reporting at Dropsite. Lilianas is a investigative journalist based in Beirut. That does it for this live stream. We're here Tuesday mornings. If you want to support our work, you can [e-mail] you can also make a 501c3 tax deductible donation to our work by going to dropsitenews.com and clicking on Ways to Give. We also are now live on WhatsApp. You can get our latest reporting podcast, Breaking News, delivered directly there. Just go to our website to be able to sign up and that's it. On behalf of everyone at Dropside, thanks for joining us. I'm Sharif Abdul Qutus,

[Lila Yunus]

Sa.