In the wake of the Iranian ballistic-missile attacks on Israel, it’s possible that Hezbollah may be emboldened. The terrorist group had felt pressure from the US-Israel talks and also from Israel’s continued military campaign in Lebanon.
It has now received a kind of lifeline from Iran. Tehran is trying to preserve Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon. It views Hezbollah as an important card in the Iranian regional deck of cards that it uses to control the Middle East.
Hezbollah has cheered the Iranian attacks. It is now trying to shift the focus to Lebanon and persuade Beirut to repair its ties with Iran.
Lebanon has tried to expel the Iranian ambassador in recent months, while Lebanese leaders have been more outspoken about the negative roles of Iran and Hezbollah.
“Hezbollah called on the Lebanese state to correct its relations with Tehran and to take advantage of the new political developments to achieve its national demands,” Beirut-based newspaper Al Akhbar, which is pro-Iranian, reported, adding that “Iran supports Lebanon, not the other way around.”
Hezbollah wants Lebanon to change course. Rather than courting Israel, Hezbollah wants Beirut to shift back toward a pro-Iranian stance or at least allow Iran to retake control of its affairs.
The axis of 'resistance' against Israel
“The Iranian missile response against the Zionist entity in defense of our Lebanese people is a message of moral, political, and field commitment from the Islamic Republic to Lebanon,” Hezbollah said.
In essence, Hezbollah is once again claiming that it is “resisting” Israel, and that Iran is helping Lebanon to “resist.” Iran calls the terrorist group and its other proxies the “axis of resistance.”
The Iranian stance coincided with “the appreciated support from the Ansar Allah [Houthis] movement in Yemen,” Hezbollah said.
This means Iran is trying to rebuild its multifront threat against Israel.
Hezbollah criticized what it described as “baseless accusations” made by some Lebanese officials against Iran. It was referring to a recent interview by Lebanon’s president with CNN.
Hezbollah called on the Lebanese authorities to “correct their official relationship with the Islamic Republic in a way that serves the interests of both countries.”
The statements show that Hezbollah will try to exploit the recent Iranian attacks by using them to its advantage.
It remains to be seen whether the terrorist group can return to its former position of power in Lebanon. Beirut will need to stay the course in its talks with Israel and the US to prevent that from happening.