BLUF
Since the missile strikes that killed Ayatollah Khamenei in late February, the Iran War has spilled over into a larger regional conflict, affecting several Gulf states and wide swaths of the Southern Levant. But as new as this war is, it has also revealed long-standing underlying regional tensions, notably the fight between Israel and Iran-backed militia Hezbollah based primarily in Lebanon. Israel had been planning an operation against Hezbollah for over a year, when Israeli intelligence officials had determined that the ceasefire between two was crumbling and the group’s disarmament had not come to fruition. Now, Hezbollah is engaged in what seems to be an existential last stand against Israel, while the strategy from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz in response to this is to establish a buffer zone in southern Lebanon much like the one in Gaza. Lebanon is facing a humanitarian and refugee crisis, with over 1 million citizens displaced and daily life obliterated for the country’s most vulnerable.
Today, I sit down with Katharine Sorensen, a reporter for The Beiruter, who has been covering these stories from the ground since October 2025. We talk about the political and religious structures that underpin Lebanon’s position within the wider war. More specifically, she breaks down why these structures make it functionally difficult for the country to escape spillover effects from regional conflicts, let alone act for itself.
About the guest
Katharine Sorensen is a reporter for the Beiruter, an English-language online news platform, and has been covering news from the ground in Beirut since October 2025. Previously, she worked as researcher at the Hoover Institution, as well as at Bain & Company in Dubai. Katharine holds a B.A. from Stanford University. To read more of her work, visit The Beiruter.
