Fragile Lebanon Is Disintegrating Under Weight Of Israeli War, US Pressure (S01E105)

Friday, July 10, 2026, IstanbulIsrael continues to occupy a huge swath of Lebanon, attacking Lebanese civilians in horrific atrocities taking place regularly.In the latest edition of the badlands podcast, Lebanon-based journalist Habib Battah, founder of the Beirut Report, joins in for a discussion about how the country has been further fragmented along both sectarian and class lines as Israel continues its military operations against Hezbollah.The war is furthering the country’s collapse, with everything from traffic lights to security forces failing to function. The government is unable to accede to US and Israeli demands that it get Hezbollah under control.“This is a country that has been disintegrated, fragmented by decades and decades and decades of wars and so it’s in no it’s in no position really to take any massive control of the situation in this country,” he said.Habib also details his groundbreaking reporting on the massive new US embassy being built up, one that sounds like a vast fortress meant to effectively run Lebanon rather than represent US interests in the country.You can follow Habib on his Instagram or on X.badlands is a listener-supported podcast. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe