'Mostly symbolic': Does Aoun's White House visit signal a 'new containment strategy towards Iran'?

Summary

Eve Irvine is pleased to welcome Nadim Houry, Executive Director of the Arab Reform Initiative. He offers a nuanced assessment of Lebanon's diplomatic and long-term strategic challenges, arguing that President Joseph Aoun's visit to Washington is less about immediate policy breakthroughs than about repositioning Lebanon within an evolving regional order. Houry  highlights the interconnected nature of Lebanese politics, Israeli security calculations, U.S. regional strategy, Iranian influence, and Hezbollah's evolving role, suggesting that none of these issues can be understood in isolation.