Episode 23

Ceasefire or Escalation? Israel, Iran, and the U.S. After the Brink

Published on: 9th April, 2026

In just two days, we've gone from President Donald Trump threatening to destroy all of civilization in Iran, to a ceasefire agreement and vice President JD Vance now headed to Islamabad, Pakistan for negotiations with the Iranians.

But in the meantime, Israel is pounding Lebanon. On April 8th, the IDF conducted 100 strikes across Lebanon in 10 minutes scenes of absolute terror and carnage. Iran says that it will not go through with the negotiations as long as Israel continues to conduct these strikes. Israel and Vice President Vance are saying that Lebanon was never part of the deal. The Pakistani Prime Minister, as the mediator is saying it was. So what happens now?

I'm Jasmine El-Gamal, and this is the view from here where every week we take you behind the headlines and into the lives of the people living them.

To unpack all of this, I spoke to Israeli analyst Danny Citrinowicz. Danny spent 25 years in Israeli defense intelligence studying Iran and Hezbollah. He now works at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel.

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About the Podcast

The View From Here
The View From Here with Jasmine El-Gamal
The View From Here is a brand-new weekly podcast hosted by former Pentagon official and foreign policy analyst Jasmine El-Gamal.

Each Thursday, Jasmine connects the dots between global headlines and the human stories behind them.

From war rooms to conflict zones to refugee camps, she draws on her experiences to examine how policy decisions impact real lives, uncovering the unseen costs of power.

The View from Here is foreign policy, reimagined: from the people shaping it, to those it impacts.

Get in touch with us with your thoughts and questions! You can find us at jasmine@viewfromherepod.com.

Disclaimer: The View from Here aims to showcase a wide range of views and opinions, which do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast or its host.

About your host

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Jasmine El-Gamal

Jasmine El-Gamal is a foreign policy analyst and former Pentagon official who cares deeply about building bridges and changing the way we talk and think about policies that affect us all.

In this polarized, tribal environment, we've lost something essential. We've lost our ability to see each other's humanity across political and cultural divides.

As a first-generation Arab-American who's navigated cultures across North America, the Middle East, and Europe, Jasmine knows what it's like to live between worlds. To see how the same event can be understood completely differently depending on where you're standing.

The View from Here is her brand new podcast where she will break down foreign policy, and the news, and their impact on the humans behind the headlines.