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Independent reporting on war and politics in the U.S. and across the world, delivered by Jeremy Scahill, Ryan Grim, and the Drop Site team. www.dropsitenews.com

  1. Lebanon’s Surrender Agreement: Hezbollah Expert Amal Saad on Beirut’s “Framework” With Israel

    32 min ago

    Lebanon’s Surrender Agreement: Hezbollah Expert Amal Saad on Beirut’s “Framework” With Israel

    In mid-June, the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding that was formally intended to bring a halt to the war and open a path for negotiations on a range of issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran, however, made clear that it would not proceed to any long-term deal unless the U.S. compelled Israel to end its war against Lebanon. Since the signing of the MOU, Israel has maneuvered to ensure its forces can remain entrenched in Lebanon and worked with the Trump administration to delink Hezbollah from the Iran deal. Hezbollah formally entered the war on March 2 and Iran has insisted that the ceasefire must apply not only to Iran, but to southern Lebanon as well. Israel and the U.S., however, embarked on an alternative path aimed at enlisting the Lebanese government as their local partner in a campaign aimed at disarming and dismantling Hezbollah. A subsequent “framework,” signed on June 26, between Israel and Lebanon appears to have succeeded in laying the foundations. The text portrays Hezbollah as an illegal insurgent movement and enables Israeli forces to remain indefinitely in Lebanon until Lebanese Armed Forces enact the “successful disarmament of non-state armed groups and dismantlement of their infrastructure.” Only after this is accomplished, would Israeli occupation forces “progressively redeploy out of the Lebanese territory.” As the U.S. and Iran continue indirect technical talks, there are mounting concerns in Tehran that Trump is simply using the negotiations to prepare for a resumption of the war. Tehran has also said that it will not stand idly by as Israel continues its attacks on Lebanon, pointing out that the MOU explicitly commits the U.S. to end the war. Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill spoke with Amal Saad, a lecturer on international relations and politics at Cardiff University in the UK who is writing a book on Hezbollah and the Axis of Resistance. In a wide-ranging discussion, Saad offers a comprehensive analysis of the U.S.-Israeli campaign to co-opt the Lebanese government into the war against Hezbollah. They also discuss Iran’s regional and global position in the post-October 7 world, and Saad explains why she believes another war on Iran is inevitable. To subscribe to all our journalism, visit https://www.dropsitenews.com. Support us at https://givebutter.com/support-dropsite. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe

    59 min
  2. From Lake Lucerne to Lebanon, U.S.-Iran Talks Stumble Forward

    23 Jun

    From Lake Lucerne to Lebanon, U.S.-Iran Talks Stumble Forward

    The United States and Iran continue to push forward with talks building on their recently signed MOU to end the current war and resolve outstanding differences between the two countries related to sanctions and the Iranian nuclear program. Following the failure of the joint U.S.-Israeli attack against Iran, Tehran has put forward what amount to victors’ terms in ongoing negotiations; including full relief from the U.S. sanctions regime, a recognized right to uranium enrichment, and a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Despite ongoing attempts at foiling the negotiations and restarting the war by Israel and neoconservatives in Washington, the Trump administration has pressed ahead with talks led by Vice President JD Vance. The negotiations now underway are taking place effectively on Tehran’s terms, with the U.S. forced back to the negotiating table after a weeks-long air campaign failed to suppress Iranian ballistic missile strikes and allowed Tehran to to take control of the Strait of Hormuz. Drop Site’s Ryan Grim, Jeremy Scahill, and Murtaza Hussain discuss the recent round of talks in Switzerland, the emerging strategic landscape in the Middle East after the war, and the prospects for a settlement in Lebanon. Additionally, Grim and Hussain discuss today’s primary election in New York and growing challenges to the influence of pro-Israel lobby groups in U.S. domestic politics. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe

    1hr 14min
  3. The State of War and Diplomacy: Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza

    16 Jun

    The State of War and Diplomacy: Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza

    The United States and Iran reached an initial agreement early Monday to extend the ceasefire for 60 days and open the Strait of Hormuz. The text of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) has not been released, but Iran has publicly indicated that the deal includes a permanent cessation of military operations across all fronts, including Lebanon specifically. The signing of the agreement is set for Friday in Switzerland, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance saying he plans to attend and leaving open the possibility President Donald Trump could as well. In the first 24 hours after the MOU was formally announced, the Israeli military carried out drone strikes, artillery fire, ground incursion attempts, and road demolitions across south Lebanon, killing at least three civilians and wounding several others. Despite this, thousands of displaced Lebanese have begun making their way south looking to return to their homes. Drop Site’s Ryan Grim, Jeremy Scahill, Murtaza Hussain, and Sharif Abdel Kouddous discuss the MOU between the U.S. and Iran, its geopolitical implications, how Lebanon is a pivotal part of the deal, and why Palestine is not specifically named in the agreement. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe

    1hr 5min
  4. Erratic Fury: Trump and Iran—On the Precipice of More War or a Return to Diplomacy

    9 Jun

    Erratic Fury: Trump and Iran—On the Precipice of More War or a Return to Diplomacy

    President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed over the past two months that a deal with Iran is imminent. Following an exchange of military attacks between Iran and Israel this week, Trump is treading in familiar narrative waters. Iran has made clear it remains open to a deal and charges that the basic contours of an agreement were in place weeks ago. Trump, Iranian officials charged, sabotaged an agreement by continuing the military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, striking Iran and allowing Israel to intensify its scorched earth attacks in southern Lebanon. After Iran hit back, launching missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Beirut, Trump’s tone shifted back to diplomacy. On the Drop Site live stream, Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim speak to Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor of Amwaj.Media, about the state of diplomacy and war, as well as Israel’s covert operations in Iran and whether Tehran will continue to define a ceasefire in Lebanon as a red line for any deal. Then, international law expert Maryam Jamshidi and political analyst Negar Mortazavi discuss the future of Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz and how international law has been attacked since the Gaza genocide began. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe

    1hr 20min
  5. Why the Iran Talks Now Hang on Lebanon

    2 Jun

    Why the Iran Talks Now Hang on Lebanon

    Tehran suspended ceasefire negotiations over Israel’s escalating attacks in Lebanon and U.S. strikes on Iranian shipping, as any prospect of a deal grows increasingly remote. Iran’s Foreign Ministry says a permanent Lebanon ceasefire is now a prerequisite for any agreement, while Strait of Hormuz closures send fertilizer and diesel prices soaring. At the same time, Israel is pursuing a systematic campaign to empty entire communities across southern Lebanon and has destroyed approximately 60 villages near the southern border. Amnesty International warns the displacement orders “don’t constitute lawful advance warnings” and amount to the war crime of unlawful transfer. * Drop Site’s Ryan Grim and Maysa Mustafa kicked off this week’s livestream speaking with Dr. Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon and U.S. veteran who performed surgeries in Gaza, and is now the frontrunner in New Jersey’s 12th congressional district in a primary where U.S. support for Israel’s wars in the Middle East have been defining issues. * Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute joined to break down whether the Iran deal is collapsing in real time. * Sean Vitka of Demand Progress discussed Rashida Tlaib’s Lebanon War Powers Resolution and Democratic Party inaction on the war. * And Drop Site contributor Lylla Younes also joined live from Beirut, speaking on her reporting of the ethnic cleansing of southern Lebanon—including her latest report on the Ain Arab village, where soldiers went door to door telling residents: “You either leave right now or you die.” Stay INFORMED on our latest reporting: DropSiteNews.comWATCH our weekly live show, streaming every TUESDAY morning, on Substack, YouTube, and FacebookLISTEN to the show as a podcast on Apple, Spotify, RSS, or wherever you get your podcasts.SUBSCRIBE to Drop Site News. Our reporting is FREE, and we are committed to keeping it that way.To help support our work, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription, it’s what fuels our reporting: https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribeDONATE to support Drop Site's independent journalism. Help us continue our work with a tax-deductible contribution at donate.dropsitenews.com. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe

    1hr 35min
  6. U.S.-Iran Negotiations in the Balance, Israel Escalates Attacks Against Gaza and Lebanon

    26 May

    U.S.-Iran Negotiations in the Balance, Israel Escalates Attacks Against Gaza and Lebanon

    Iran on Tuesday denounced U.S. strikes a day earlier as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations for a framework for a deal to end the war hang in the balance. The U.S. military confirmed that it had struck vessels near the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on Monday in what called “self-defense strikes,” while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it shot down a MQ-9 Reaper drone that entered Iranian airspace.  Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati traveled to Doha on Monday evening for continued talks with mediators. A senior Iranian official told Drop Site on Friday that Tehran had put forward a set of terms as a framework for a deal, including the provisional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz—contingent on an end to the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, and a plan to compensate Iran for damages incurred in the war. The official also stated that the Iranian framework would require an agreement to permanently end the war first, followed by immediate negotiations to reach a deal over the nuclear program. Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill speaks with Dr. Foad Izadi, professor of American studies and international relations at University of Tehran, about the latest. Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Jeremy also speak with Eyad Amawi of the Gaza Relief Committee in Deir al-Balah about the escalating Israeli assault on Gaza and the growing hunger crisis. Sharif also discusses the latest in Lebanon as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalates Israeli attacks, and Jeremy outlines how President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace has unilaterally rewritten the Gaza ceasefire agreement in an effort to compel Palestinians to surrender their liberation cause and institutionalize Israeli domination over the future of the Gaza Strip. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe

    1hr 12min
  7. The State of Trump’s Iran Quagmire and a Look at the War in Sudan

    19 May

    The State of Trump’s Iran Quagmire and a Look at the War in Sudan

    As President Donald Trump struggles to find a path to declare victory in his war of choice against Iran, he now claims he called off a resumption of military attacks he said were planned for Tuesday. Trump announced Monday that a planned military strike on Iran had been postponed at the personal request of the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, because “serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond.” While Iranian leaders said they are engaged in good faith negotiations, they have also said they have their own red lines and are prepared for a resumption of the war. Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill and Negar Mortazavi of the Center for International Policy discuss the latest developments. Then, Ryan Grim discusses how the war in Sudan has become the world’s largest humanitarian crisis while receiving far less global attention than Gaza or Ukraine. Researcher Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, said the conflict has entered a new phase defined by drone warfare, with both the Sudanese army and the RSF increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure as the rainy season begins. He also warned that the RSF is militarily fragile and heavily dependent on UAE supply lines, arguing that pressure campaigns targeting the UAE’s business ties—especially through the NBA and Manchester City—could have more impact than diplomacy. Humanitarian and world-renowned photographer Misan Harriman stressed the need for athletes, celebrities, and protest movements to connect Sudan to broader anti-war and anti-colonial struggles alongside Gaza and Congo. FOLLOW Drop Site News for more independent news on war and politicsStay INFORMED on our latest reporting: DropSiteNews.comWATCH our weekly live show, streaming every TUESDAY morning, on Substack, YouTube, and FacebookLISTEN to the show as a podcast on Apple, Spotify, RSS, or wherever you get your podcasts. To help support our work, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription, it’s what fuels our reporting: https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe DONATE to support Drop Site's independent journalism. Help us continue our work with a tax-deductible contribution at donate.dropsitenews.com. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe

    1hr 45min
  8. From Iran to Nebraska: Ripple Effects of US-Israeli War plus updates on Epstein files

    12 May

    From Iran to Nebraska: Ripple Effects of US-Israeli War plus updates on Epstein files

    The ongoing deadlock between Iran and the U.S. over the Strait of Hormuz is now triggering a global economic crisis whose impacts are increasingly being felt at home. Any prospect of negotiations at present appears remote, as Donald Trump claims that the ceasefire between the two countries is on “life support,” while Iran maintains control of the vital waterway. The impact of the war has already been felt across Asia, but now threatens looming shortages on critical inputs like fertilizer in the U.S. as well. Drop Site’s Murtaza Hussain, Maysa Mustafa and Julian Andreone discuss the impacts of the shutdown and the current outlook on the Iran-U.S. standoff. At the same time, Israel is pursuing an aggressive military campaign across southern Lebanon, destroying entire communities as the country’s leaders openly threaten to replicate the tactics of wholesale destruction employed in the Gaza Strip against the Lebanese people. Journalist Courtney Bonneau joins the stream live from south Lebanon amid an ongoing wave of Israeli strikes in the region. Additionally, a new story on Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to the U.S. Treasury Department and its Iran sanctions program published in Drop Site sheds light on his quiet role in helping shape the political and economic landscape that gave rise to the current crisis. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe

    55 min
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Independent reporting on war and politics in the U.S. and across the world, delivered by Jeremy Scahill, Ryan Grim, and the Drop Site team. www.dropsitenews.com

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  • Creator
    Drop Site News
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    104
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Drop Site News, Inc.
  • Show Website
    Drop Site News

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