By MidEast Rules: Trump Promised, So He Had to Attack Iran + Hezbollah Takes a Risk

Dan's guest expert is Sarit Zehavi, a retired lieutenant-colonel in the IDF (Israel's army) -- mostly in Military Intelligence.  She founded and directs a non-profit think tank in northern Israel -- The Alma Research and Education Center -- that specializes in gathering and explaining information about Lebanon and Syria.In this conversation recorded Feb. 24 (80 hours before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran), Zehavi analyzed what might prompt Hezbollah to join Iran in retaliating against Israel. As a close watcher of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia and political faction in Lebanon, she said the key was what Tehran might order, if Tehran's leaders were to feel desperate.Zehavi reflects the political and strategic culture of the Middle East, when she said that President Trump had to come through -- having pledged support for the anti-regime protesters in Iran -- or America would lose credibility in the eyes of the region.Please comment on X at @danraviv. Also on BlueSky, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Dan's most recent book -- with Israeli espionage/defense expert Yossi Melman -- is a low-priced e-book, "Target: Iran -- How the Mossad Penetrated Iran to Smash the Nuclear Program."  For Kindle: https://levantbooks.short.gy/hGLRKs Also the Raviv-Melman history of the Mossad is "Spies Against Armageddon: Inside Israel's Secret Wars" -- You may purchase it at http://bit.ly/41j1Sc3 in Kindle or paperback (and on all e-book platforms).  AND: Dan Raviv is co-author of a new book --with social psychologist Prof. Arie Kruglanski -- "The Quest for Significance: Harnessing the Need that Makes the World Go Round." It explains how every person has a need for respect and dignity, and the book advises how you can figure out yourself and the people around you, to give them a measure of Significance. To buy: https://amzn.to/3Y2cawj (You can watch or listen, also, to THE QUEST FOR SIGNIFICANCE PODCAST series.)Our music for THE MOSSAD FILES podcast is Clock is Ticking, by Braden Deal, from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/braden-deal/clock-is-ticking -- License code: YY2MEPOUFX6P7MIH.