Rania Khalek Dispatches

Rania Khalek
  • 4.9 (231)
  • Politics
  • Updated Daily

Catch Rania Khalek's Dispatches for insight, analysis, investigations, interviews and on the ground reports on global issues from a left perspective.

  1. 3d ago

    They Want You Hopeless: The Psychology of Empire & Resistance, w/ Lara Sheehi

    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 weaponization of sectarianism in Lebanon, the role of media propaganda, and why revolutionary optimism is itself a political act. Sheehi also discusses her new book, From the Clinic to the Streets: Psychoanalysis for Revolutionary Futures, and explains why the work of Frantz Fanon is more urgent than ever. Topics include: Psychic militancy and psychological warfareHow fascism reshapes society psychologicallyIsraeli violence, humiliation & dominationLebanon, sectarianism & capitulation politicsWhy empire depends on despairThe limits of liberalismThe politics of the wellness industryMedia propaganda and psychological controlRevolutionary optimism and resistance🎥 The full episode is available to Breakthrough News members. Become a member at: https://www.patreon.com/BreakthroughNews  Follow Lara’s podcast Psychic Militancy on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicMilitancy And on IG: @psychicmilitancypod https://www.instagram.com/psychicmilitancypod/#  Follow Lara on IG: @psychoanalystactivist https://www.instagram.com/psychoanalystactivist/

    1h 4m

  2. May 12

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

    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. To break down the latest developments, the shaky ceasefire negotiations, Trump’s contradictory messaging, and whether this war is entering a dangerous new phase, Rania Khalek is joined by Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute.

    35 min

  3. May 5

    U.S.-Iran War About to Explode Again? w/ Navid Zarrinnal in Tehran

    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 underway? In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek is joined from Tehran by Iranian-American academic Navid Zarrinnal, to discuss: Whether the war is actually over — or just pausedThe escalating standoff in the Strait of HormuzIran’s real military capacity vs. U.S. claimsPublic opinion inside Iran after the attacksThe economic pressure of sanctions and warIran’s 14-point proposal — and why Washington is rejecting itWhy nuclear enrichment is a red lineThe role of Lebanon in any regional settlementGulf state positioning behind the scenesChina, Russia, and Pakistan’s roleHow Iran may be winning the information war online — especially in EnglishWhat the left’s position should be — and why opposing U.S. aggression means defending Iranian sovereigntySupport independent media — become a BreakThrough News member today:  👉 http://Patreon.com/BreakthroughNews  Follow Navid on Instagram @navidwahraman: https://www.instagram.com/navidwahraman/

    1h 8m

  4. Apr 14

    Are Israel & the US Failing in Lebanon and Iran? w/ Jon Elmer

    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 this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek speaks with journalist Jon Elmer of The Electronic Intifada to break down the military realities: -Israel’s war in south Lebanon and the battle for Bint Jbeil -Hezbollah’s resurgence and military capabilities -The U.S.-Israel strategy against Iran -What the failed negotiations reveal -Whether this war is escalating toward a second phase

    1h 6m

  5. Apr 10

    Before Hezbollah: The Leftist Resistance Israel Crushed in Lebanon

    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 SOUTH LEBANON THE ROLE OF THE LEBANESE LEFT AND THE PLO HOW ISRAEL, THE US, AND REGIONAL POWERS CRUSHED THAT MOVEMENT THE SHIFT FROM SECULAR REVOLUTION TO ISLAMIST RESISTANCE WHY HEZBOLLAH EMERGED — AND WHAT IT REPLACED This conversation challenges the dominant narrative and reveals a deeper truth: 🎥 The full episode is available to Breakthrough News members. Become a member at: https://www.patreon.com/BreakThroughNews

    1h 9m

  6. Apr 7

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

    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 every force that resists it, and pushing Lebanon toward collapse and capitulation. To break down what this moment means, Rania Khalek is joined by Mouin Rabbani, co-editor of Jadaliyya. They discuss: Trump’s ultimatum and the threat of massive war crimes against Iran Iran’s response and what Tehran is demanding The US-Israeli divide over war aims How the Strait of Hormuz could become Washington’s Suez Israel’s campaign for regional military supremacy Lebanon, displacement, and the attempted “Shia Nakba” Whether Israel’s regional hegemony is beginning to crack What this war reveals about American decline The global costs of Israel’s unchecked power

    59 min

  7. Apr 2

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

    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, or preparing for a longer war? How is Iranian society responding to mounting destruction and civilian targeting? And what would any eventual settlement mean for Lebanon and the wider region? To discuss all this, Rania Khalek is joined by Foad Izadi, Associate Professor of World Studies at the University of Tehran. Support independent media, become a Breakthrough News member today:  Patreon.com/BreakthroughNews

    33 min

  8. Apr 2

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

    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 a rapidly escalating conflict. Trump says only with its opening would he consider a ceasefire. In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek speaks with Dimitri Lascaris about: What he witnessed inside Iran during wartimeThe situation on the ground at the Strait of HormuzCivilian infrastructure and the human toll of the warWhether US and Israeli actions constitute war crimesHow Iran is responding and what comes nextThis is a rare, on-the-ground account from inside a country under attack. You can follow Dimitri’s work on his YouTube channel Reason2Resist https://www.youtube.com/@reason2resist  Support independent media, become a Breakthrough News member today:  Patreon.com/BreakthroughNews

    32 min
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4.9
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About

Catch Rania Khalek's Dispatches for insight, analysis, investigations, interviews and on the ground reports on global issues from a left perspective.

Information

  • Creator
    Rania Khalek
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    308
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Breakthrough News
  • Show Website
    Rania Khalek Dispatches

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