In this episode of Orion Talks, host Marta Furlan is joined by Kawa Hassan to discuss the Israel-Lebanon war and its implications for the region. The conversation starts with a reflection on the implications of the death of Hassan Nasrallah and other top Hezbollah leaders may have on Hezbollah as an organization. It then moves to a discussion on the implications that the most recent confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah may have on Iran’s regional strategy, with a particular focus on its Axis of Resistance and its preference for acting through proxy armed groups. From there, Kawa proceeds to explain how this new war between Israel and Hezbollah/Iran may affect the still ongoing war in Gaza, arguing that global attention is being diverted away from Gaza towards Lebanon. Finally, the conversation moves on to whether a region-wide war may be getting closer. Here, Kawa argues that – depending on the definition that one may adopt – a regional war is already occurring.
Kawa Hassan is a Nonresident Fellow with Stimson’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Program and a consultant on MENA affairs. From March 2021 to February 2023 he was also Executive Director of Stimson Europe, Director of the MENA Program & Senior Fellow. Prior to joining Stimson, Kawa was Vice President of the MENA Program and Director of the Brussels Center at the EastWest Institute (EWI). Kawa is a member of NATO Mission Iraq Strategic Assessment Capability (NMISAC) where he provides strategic insights to the NATO Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), senior commanders, and staff about Iraq and the region. Furthermore, Kawa was a visiting/non-resident scholar at Carnegie Middle East Center, and a knowledge officer at Hivos, he held management positions at UNDP. Kawa is the author and editor of numerous publications and an international speaker, and he regularly provides interviews to global media outlets. He holds a Master of Science in International Relations/ Political Science from the University of Amsterdam.
