According to an Israeli military source, Hezbollah assists Hamas with bomb production. After the 1989 Taif Accords, which ended Lebanon’s civil war, the group was rebranded as a kind of an Islamic resistance. Moreover, Hezbollah operatives, including Mustafa Badre al-Dine, stand accused by the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon at The Hague of assassinating former prime minister Rafik Hariri, who was the de facto leader of the Sunni community. The strategy envisaged to penetrate the Arab world from the ideological, political or social point of view. So the Bulgarian investigation is only the first shoe to drop in Europe. For Israel and Hezbollah, the defeat of ISIS and the resulting shifts in focus will clarify the increasingly complex and dangerous relations between them. email: [email protected], Vishnu Raja Because of that, Iran had tremendous faith in him. Also, the Secretary General of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah is called the legitimate agent for Ayatollah Khamenei. Hezbollah, which translates to “The Party of God,” is an Iran-backed, Shiite-dominant political and military group that began in Lebanon in 1982, following the Israeli occupation. Part of that has to do with the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh in 2008, who led Hezbollah’s military wing. Hezbollah’s Nasrallah welcomes talks between ally Iran and Saudi Arabia 13 hours ago Hamas said to reject Israeli deescalation message sent via Egyptian mediators What Is the World Doing to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccines? Hezbollah has long stockpiled weapons in Syria, and the Assad government has long provided some of these weapons to Hezbollah. Look back at Hezbollah’s support of Shiite militants in Iraq during the Iraq war; look now today to Hezbollah helping to ferry Iranian weapons to houthi rebels in Yemen; look just recently to Hezbollah’s flying a drone near the Israeli nuclear reactor in Dimona. Africa in Transition, Gendered Disinformation, Democracy, and the Need for a New Digital Social Contract, Blog Post In recent years, the partnership between Hezbollah and Iran has tightened to the point that the group’s allegiance to Khamenei is paramount, he says. Farjo is the best and most original islamic gift we could find!! Hezbollah, also known as The Party of God, is a radical Shia Muslim group fighting But production challenges, vaccine nationalism, and new virus strains are all presenting hurdles. There’s a tremendous amount of activity going on and none of it can be described as being in Lebanon’s interests, or in the interest of Hezbollah’s political aspirations in Lebanon. Now, the group can raise money through illicit means and funnel it through financial hubs in Central and South America. Backgrounder Ibrahim Al Ameen, spokesman of Hezbollah, replied to a question about the relationship between Iran and Hezbollah by saying: “We don’t say that we are part of Iran, rather we are Iran itself in Lebanon.”. Both sides of this conflict, the more radical Sunni extremists embedded with the rebels and the Shiite extremists aligned with Hezbollah and Iran, are setting up militias who will be loyal to them after the fall of the Assad regime. The group is also Lebanon’s largest militia. Contributor/CTO Techbillies As events in Syria turn worse for the Bashar al-Assad regime, Hezbollah is going to--as we’ve already seen--try to move as much of its weapons to safer ground. Is Beirut a thriving city now? Because Lebanon is located at the heart of the region and is one of the most important global centers, when Lebanon comes to the influence of the Islamic Republic, other countries will follow it. In recent years, the partnership between Hezbollah and Iran has tightened to the point that the group’s allegiance to Khamenei is paramount, he says. Beijing has tightened its grip on Hong Kong in recent years, dimming hopes that the financial center will ever become a full democracy. Beirut isn’t a thriving city; it’s a divided city. The Bulgarians recently concluded that Hezbollah operatives carried out the July 2012 bus bombing in Burgas. Corpus ID: 142964218. https://techbillies.com. One of the snippets that almost nobody’s picked up on was that the individual responsible for overseeing Hezbollah’s activities in Syria is Hassan Nasrallah himself, the group’s long-time leader. by Lindsay Maizland It was re-listed by Treasury just a couple of months ago for its support of the Assad regime and for its undermining security and stability in Syria. The alliance between Hamas and Hezbollah is a direct result of the renewed relations between Iran and Hamas. With Iran and Hezbollah’s firm footprint in Syria, they are able to exercise tight control over the Lebanese-Syrian border. But it’s not just an American or European effort: the Yemenis right now are tremendously concerned about recent arms shipments from Iran that they have seized destined for houthi rebels. Venezuela serves as Iran's entry point into Latin America, a foothold the Iranians are unlikely to cede without putting up a fight. It claims it is financed by donations, but the donations are nothing like what it receives from Iran." Women Around the World. As the geographic link to Lebanon, Damascus leveraged Iran’s quest for influence in Lebanon to enhance its own power and position. Counterterrorism expert Matthew Levitt says that Hezbollah has closely aligned itself with Iran’s Quds Force, an elite paramilitary group linked directly to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while fighting alongside the Assad regime. There is also the issue of Iran. Therefore, the strategic partnership has become even closer. Ayatollah Khomeini’s idea is the creation of a Shiite Crescent, as explained by Abu al-Hassan Bani-Sadr on Al-Jazeera TV in an episode of “Private Visit” titled “The Iranian Revolution, America and the Arabs” on January 17, 2000. by Marc R. DeVore . Iran has given a great interest for Hezbollah party, and ensured financial support for it. by Melanne Verveer and Lucina Di Meco Iran exploited the chaos of Lebanon’s Civil War and the subsequent 1982 Israeli invasion to catalyze the rise of Hezbollah. The relationship between Iran and Syria is based on a unique convergence of interests. President Biden pledges a new approach as pressures mount along the boundary. Iran created mutinies within the Amal Party – a nationalist Lebanese Shiite party founded by Imam Musa al-Sadr – splitting off a faction (known as Islamic Amal) that would later become the nucleus of Hezbollah. Nasrallah has declared his support for the al-Aqsa Intifada. Without question the U.S. has a role to play, especially when it has partners that are willing to work with it. White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan made an excellent point speaking in Ireland last October, where he said one of the reasons Washington wants the Europeans to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist group is that some European countries cannot or will not open counterterrorism investigations into the group until this distinction is made. And once he became the master of this belt, he would use oil and the Persian Gulf to dominate the rest of the Islamic world. But his successors, his cousin Mustafa Badre al-Dine in particular, are nowhere near Mughniyeh in stature, so Iran doesn’t have the same trust in him. Stephen Biddle explains how nonstate military strategies overturn traditional perspectives on warfare. However, the political understandings reached by Hezbollah with Israel, including that of July 1993 and April 1996, indicate that Hezbollah’s resistance is political in nature and that the relationship between Hezbollah and Iran is on a political and religious plank; as some Lebanese Shiites who represent Hezbollah cadres bound together by Iranian religious and spiritual links consider the Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei to be the biggest religious authority for them. It is a project that draws on the intelligence, political skill, publicity and media so as not to raise suspicion about the intentions. According to him, Imam Khomeini wanted to establish a Shi’ite belt spread across Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon so as to dominate the Islamic world. Consider Hezbollah’s involvement in the … Although Iran maintains strong support of Hezbollah, Pollack agreed with Semati's comment that Hezbollah has increasingly begun to make decisions on its own. Iran provides political and financial support and weapons to Hamas, an organization committed to the destruction of Israel by Jihad. This financial support was the first and most important factor in attracting fighters into it; especially Shiites, who were relatively poorer at that time. That means pressing the Europeans to take Hezbollah more seriously. The relationship between Iran and Hezbollah can be described as a reciprocal system. Executive Editor So, there’s a lot that can be done to a) counter Hezbollah’s actual terrorist operations, and b) frustrate the group’s ability to procure weapons and fundraise worldwide. Middle East Program, Book Hezbollah is a role model to Hamas in terms of its military, political, and media operations. Hezbollah and Hamas both emerged during the 1980s, regard themselves as Islamist resistance organizations, and are long-time allies. Exploring the Iran-Hezbollah Relationship: A Case Study of how State Sponsorship affects Terrorist Group Decision-Making @article{Devore2012ExploringTI, title={Exploring the Iran-Hezbollah Relationship: A Case Study of how State Sponsorship affects Terrorist Group Decision-Making}, author={Marc Devore}, journal={Perspectives on terrorism}, year={2012}, … First, state support has a powerful, yet indirect effect on violent non- Article For advertising opportunities please contact: Pan Asian Group, Office No. In recent years, the strategic alliance between Iran and Hezbollah has grown to the point where the Lebanese militant group’s fealty to Tehran is paramount, a dynamic currently on display in Syria, says counterterrorism expert Matthew Levitt. “Iran and Hezbollah have planned that for now other proxies be used.” The main reason Hezbollah is forced to take a back seat is the absence of provocation from Israel. What’s going on in Lebanon? Exploring the Iran-Hezbollah Relationship: A Case Study of How State Sponsorship Affects Terrorist Group Decision-Making . How Have The United States and Other Countries Treated The Group? If he was told to do something by Iran, he could hold them off a little bit. Matthew Levitt, Interviewee Bernard Gwertzman, Interviewer, In recent days, U.S. and Mideast officials have reported that Iran and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group, are making military preparations for the sectarian chaos likely to engulf a post-Assad Syria. The Yemenis have said there’s evidence that Hezbollah is involved. Between 2008-2012, CTP tracked Hezbollah’s interactions with Iranian officials, information regarding the organization’s funding transfers of arms and material, militant operations, meetings and relations with groups and countries, and Hezbollah’s official statements. Hezbollah’s relationship with Syria has changed much over the past 16 … The relationship between Iran and Hezbollah is religiously and politically interrelated. February 16, 2021 In addition, Iran has often supplied weapons to Hezbollah through Syria. "At the end of the day, the group’s commitment to Iran trumps its identity as a Lebanese political movement.". The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon said in 1984: Lebanon is considered a good hope for the export of the Islamic revolution, and Lebanon now is similar to Iran in 1977. 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For years, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro maintained a close relationship with Hezbollah and Iran, which empowered Hezbollah in terms of both money and influence. by Claire Felter So, Hezbollah was established from Shiite elements that originally belonged to the Amal movement. This series tracks Hezbollah’s relationship with Iran. However, the political understandings reached by Hezbollah with Israel, including that of July 1993 and April 1996, indicate that Hezbollah’s resistance is political in nature and that the relationship between Hezbollah and Iran is on a political and religious plank; as some Lebanese Shiites who represent Hezbollah cadres bound together by Iranian religious and spiritual links consider the Iranian … Hezbollah is backed by a regime in Tehran that provides it with upward of $700 million annually, according to some estimates. People tend to misunderstand the relationship between Hezbollah and Iran, which has changed over time but is now extremely close. Does the United States have any role to play in combating Hezbollah? It would also empower European countries to do more to prevent the travel of Hezbollah operatives to Europe, which Hezbollah treats as its near abroad, and to raise funds there, which Hezbollah does today hand over fist. “We don’t say that we are a part of Iran; but we are Iran in Lebanon, and Lebanon in Iran. Only a year after the new coronavirus emerged, the first vaccines to protect against it are being administered. In the founding statement of the party, entitled “Who we are and what is our identity?” dated February 16, 1985, the party identified itself by the following:” We are the sons of Hezbollah nation that God issued its forefront in Iran, and founded the nucleus of the central state of peace in the world. When the State Department released that designation, it included --as State and Treasury always do in these press statements--a little bit of declassified intelligence. Israel considers Iran an "existential threat", but the two countries were once firm allies. the Hezbollah-Syria relationship developed as Iran 1attempted to export its Islamic revolution. with Gabriel A. Salguero and Moshe Hauer. Yet they have different religious orientations. by Steven A. Cook Conflict over Taiwan also has the potential to be a flash point in U.S.-China relations. with Gabriel A. Salguero and Moshe Hauer February 17, 2021. Mughniyeh led Hezbollah and is believed to have had close ties with the Iranian Quds force. "What we see now is that Hezbollah is going to do things today that are in Iran’s interest even if they expressly run counter to the interests of Lebanon and Hezbollah’s own interest there.". Axis of Resistance: The Hezbollah-Iran-Syria Relationship. Israeli warplanes recently bombed a truck convoy in Syria, reportedly carrying antiaircraft missiles to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The political trend of “Amal Movement” was to follow Syria. Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars, Transition 2021 Series: The U.S. Posted On: December 11, 2018 6 minutes read The 35-year relationship between Iran and the Lebanese branch of Hezbollah has transformed what was once a small isolated armed faction into the spearhead of Tehran’s regional policy. Senior Fellow Gayle Tzemach Lemmon tells the extraordinary story of the women who took on the Islamic State and won. They want to set things up so they are positioned to continue to have influence in Syria even after Assad is gone and a Sunni majority remains. SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 23 April 2021 -, SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 23 April 2021, News Summary:Webex customers can preview real-time translations from English, K. Raveendran Second, the establishment of Hezbollah and its role in the Iranian strategy. They are now more sharply at odds than ever over Iran's nuclear programme, and engaged in a shadow war across the Middle East. Matthew Levitt Fromer-Wexler fellow and director of the Reinhard program on counterterrorism and intelligence at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. by Amelia Cheatham, Claire Felter and Zachary Laub With the help of Hezbollah, Iran … It may be concluded that Hezbollah or the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon is a political, military Shiite organization, which is classified by many Western and Arab countries as a terrorist organization. At different times, Hezbollah’s and Syria’s agendas contradicted one another, leading to short periods of violence. How has Hezbollah been helping out Syria in this civil war? Though Hezbollah was at first under Iranian control and mentoring in the 1980s, it began to operate more independently in the 1990s to position itself as a legitimate player in Lebanon's restored political system. Some of the Shiite militant groups that Hezbollah trained to fight coalition forces in Iraq have now turned up in Syria, fighting alongside Hezbollah and supporting the Assad regime. Abstract. Differences over Taiwan’s status have fueled rising tensions between the island and the mainland. The Iranian strategy is cloaked in secrecy and disguised in an Islamic dress. Since Hezbollah’s inception, Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah insists on denying the group’s growing global footprint in the world of transnational organized crime in order to maintain legitimacy in Lebanon—even to the point of admitting Hezbollah’s financial support from Iran in order to distract from its other illicit sources of revenue. Hezbollah has lost nearly 2,000 fighters in Syria, damaged its reputation through unfettered support for the regimes in Iran and Syria, and is rumored to face financial trouble. It is the Lebanese Hesbollah’s allegiance to the Wali al-Faqih that brings Iran and Hezbollah together. with Paul J. Angelo, Mauricio Mesquita Moreira and Celina Realuyo [email protected] Tel: +971506259940, Saifur Rahman Ever since Iran has established its covert operations in Venezuela, Hezbollah has come along, as its proxy. There’s tremendous amount of evidence that Hezbollah has been aiding the regime, especially with training. A Proxy for Iran. Approach to Latin America and the Caribbean, Virtual Event Here is a recap of their volatile relationship over the past half-century: How evident is Hezbollah’s presence? Iran’s support for the Syrian regime is one of the key elements safeguarding the survival of Syria’s embattled President Bashar al-Assad, who has been fighting a fierce anti-government uprising since Spring 2011.. The nature of the relationships between Hezbollah and Iran are: First, the religious and political subordination to Iran’s Supreme Leader. There’s a lot of tension because Hezbollah has recently been accused of doing things that are not in Lebanon’s interest. “That does not mean that ours is an Iranian party on a Lebanese land. National Security and Defense Program, COVID-19 Vaccines and the Faith Community, Webinar The signs of Hezbollah are all over the place, especially where the group is dominant, like south of the airport. May 6, 2021 According to Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, "Hamas is funded by Iran. At the end of the day, the group’s commitment to Iran trumps its identity as a Lebanese political movement. May 10, 2021, In Ethiopia, Peace Requires Domestic Reconciliation, Blog Post So you think Hezbollah now has come to the conclusion that Assad is not long for the world? And we see Hezbollah’s activities elsewhere as well. The Venezuelan government has been infiltrated by transnational organized crime for more than a decade. If we work carefully and patiently, by God willing, it will come to our influence. Women and Foreign Policy Program, Advancing the Rights of Women and Girls in the Middle East: An Analysis of Current Trends and U.S. Policy, Testimony President Trump sent U.S. troops to the border with Mexico to supplement the work of authorities there. by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon Some of its stockpiles [are] in Lebanon where it has dug caves into mountains. Hezbollah Backgrounder The Transition 2021 series examines the major foreign policy issues confronting the Biden administration. Mugniyeh, who was instrumental in establishing Hezbollah's military wing, was a constant presence in both Tehran, where he worked closely with senior members of Iran… Hezbollah is no longer a national consensus issue in Lebanon, and its activities and positions are scrutinized by harsh critics who accuse Hezbollah of being the ultimate source of … May 7, 2021 The Secretary General is Lebanese, and all cadres of the party are Lebanese, and the party exercises its activities on the Lebanese land, defends and offers martyrs for the liberation of the Lebanese land, and all of this clearly shows that the party is Lebanese and not Iranian.”. The Natanz Blackout: Can the Iran Deal Talks Still Succeed. We are committed to the orders of the fair and wise leadership, represented by the Wali al-Faqih, and presently embodied in the Imam Ayatollah Khomeini, who is the protagonist of the Muslim revolution and its glorious renaissance. What we’re seeing is the stockpiling of weapons for that second phase of conflict. A week before the Burgas bombing, an individual Hezbollah operative with dual Lebanese-Swedish citizenship was arrested in Cyprus for carrying out surveillance on Israeli flights and tourists. For this reason, it was difficult for Iran to dictate its policies on “Amal Movement”. April 2, 2021 By the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1990, however, things had changed. by Michelle Gavin Steven Ward Former Senior Analyst, CIA. What confirms the subordination of Hezbollah to Iran is that the party supports the Houthis in Yemen, like Iran, which has led to the exacerbation of the current crisis in Yemen. Iran-Hezbollah relations have always had to factor in Syria. Understanding the impact of state sponsorship on the decision-making of violent non-state actors is among the … Six months earlier, [there was] another Hezbollah plot targeting an Israeli tour bus on its way to Bulgaria for a skiing trip --an attack that was thwarted. Hezbollah as Iran’s multi-purpose tool For Iran, Hezbollah is a strategic asset that extends Iranian influence to the Mediterranean. If you look at Hezbollah’s attacks against Israeli tourists worldwide, there’s no way they can be described as in Lebanon’s interests in any way. … Hezbollah has a tight relationship with Iran. The European Union designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist group would be a shot across the bow, telling the group that it needs to make a choice to be either political or militant. It focuses on the role of Hezbollah in the Iranian scheme of things. What is Driving the Future of Connected Living in the GCC? Hezbollah was designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. government in 1997; it’s on the State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations and on the Treasury Department’s list of global terrorist entities. They came to that conclusion a little while ago. But Syria also often limited Iran’s role for two reasons: First, in order to maintain paramount Syrian control over Lebanon. by Stephen Biddle Interview by April 6, 2021 535A, Al Ghurair Centre, Al Riqqa, Deira, Dubai, UAE. For Hezbollah, this means the Iranian leadership is also their leader--not for every foot soldier, but for Hezbollah’s senior leaders absolutely. To preview its conclusions, there are two main perspectives to consider with regard to the terrorist group – state sponsor relationship. Venezuela is submerged in crime and corruption. So what we see now is that Hezbollah is going to do things today that are in Iran’s interest even if they expressly run counter to the interests of Lebanon and Hezbollah’s own interest there. Women and Foreign Policy Program, Backgrounder Why is the United States still struggling to figure out what to do about the Assad regime? None of this is in Lebanon’s interest. But people don’t fully appreciate Hezbollah’s ideological commitment to the concept of "velayat-e faqih," or guardianship of the jurists, which holds that a Shiite Islamic cleric should also serve as supreme head of government. by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon Panelists discuss how the Biden administration will approach relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, including issues pertaining to trade, migration, climate, and challenges to democratic governance. But, in spite of the political and financial support that Hezbollah receives from Iran, Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah is trying to show some distance. December 2, 2020 Since 2013, Iran has been trying to arm Hezbollah in Lebanon with precision guided missiles. Moreover, the arming of the party by Iran enabled it to possess more military assets than the Lebanese state itself, which enabled the party to have a bigger say, and led to the creation of a state within the Lebanese state, leading to political and sectarian problems that are hindering the political process in Lebanon. Managing Editor While Iran is a benefactor of Hezbollah, giving it weapons, money, training, and advice, and while the two parties consult on strategic matters, they are separate entities with interests that do not always coincide. The two groups share common tactics and common goals as well as close ties to Iran. Hezbollah’s connection to Iran is more organic than an equal partnership, and there have been a number of occasions throughout the group’s history where Tehran either directly influenced its decisions or blatantly gave it specific orders. issue by examining the relationship between Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. |By Hanan Alsuraihi| “Hezbollah and the Iranian regional strategy” is considered one of the hottest themes debated today in the Arabic and Islamic world. May 3, 2021. It still is, but Hezbollah is multiple things: Hezbollah is one of the dominant political parties in Lebanon, as well as a social and religious movement, catering first and foremost to Lebanon’s Shiite community. April 27, 2021, Nonstate Warfare The Military Methods of Guerillas, Warlords, and Militias, Book April 6, 2021 Just last week, a Hezbollah member was arrested for the July 2012 attempted assassination of Bourus Harb, a member of parliament; and the group has also been implicated in the killing of Wissam al-Hassan a few months later. April 12, 2021, Backgrounder There are also reports of snipers trying to hold key pieces of territory, especially along the border with Lebanon.