SBS Chief International Correspondent Ben Lewis on the state of play in the Middle East

We speak with Ben Lewis reporting from Israel about the rapidly shifting dynamics of the Israel–US campaign against Iran. As the conflict escalates, Lewis examines the strategic objectives behind the military pressure on Tehran, the question of succession surrounding Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and how ordinary Iranians are coping with the backdrop of war. Our conversation also explores the differences in American and Israeli expectations about what comes after the campaign, the risk of a widening regional conflict with Hezbollah and what an escalating northern front could mean for the Gaza Strip.

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) Source: AP / Hassan Ammar/AP