Trump’s Lebanon dilemma: Why Israel can't win this war

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met US President Donald Trump in Washington this week with a historic proposal: end the war between Lebanon and Israel, force an Israeli withdrawal from the south, and disarm Iran’s proxy group Hezbollah. Could it work? On today’s bonus episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to Lama Amine, arts director at local charity Seenaryo, about the reality for civilians caught up in the conflict in Lebanon, how people are worried the latest escalation in Iran will spillover, and why Hezbollah would just be replaced by a similar group if it was disarmed. Plus, first-person accounts of what it’s like to live under the shadow of war. Excerpts from pieces written for Seenaryo by Syrian refugee Eman Fisal Almodhi, read by Irish actor Jessie Buckley, and a WhatsApp conversation between Lebanese women displaced in south Lebanon, read by British-Lebanese-Palestinian actor Sirine Saba. HighlightsTrump’s Lebanon dilemma: Why Israel can't win this warVoices from Lebanon on life under the shadow of warCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyLama Amine, director of arts at SeenaryoWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Lebanon’s leader seeks Trump’s help to end occupation and insurrectionhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/21/lebanons-leader-seeks-trumps-help-end-occupation/ITL Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026The Telegraph Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026ITL Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026Producer: Max BowerVideo Producer: Peter ShevlinResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive Producer: Venetia Rainey ► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.