Tehran Rising: Persian Power in an Unstable Region

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In The Media

Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Tehran Rising: Persian Power in an Unstable Region

Hezbollah is a key ally to Iran and a chief player in Tehran's agenda to expand its influence and advance its interests throughout the Middle East.

By Paul Salem

Published on Apr 13, 2011

Source: America Abroad Media

In May 2008, Hezbollah took up arms to impose a new power-sharing agreement on the Lebanese government. Believing that outside parties were trying to restrain its power, pro-Hezbollah militias took over the capital Beirut. For the first time, the Shiite movement used its weapons not against Israel but against fellow Lebanese. This deadly campaign enabled Hezbollah to gain veto power in a new deal, therefore allowing Syria and Iran to also have asay in Lebanese internal politics, explained Carnegie's Paul Salem to America Abroad Media.

“It is in Iran and Syria’s interest to keep supporting Hezbollah as a very effective armed force, using it as a deterrent against any possible Israeli or U.S. attack,” Salem said. In this proxy war, Iran and Syria both have an interest in undermining the work and findings of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, argued Salem. This international jurisdiction, set up after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005, is expected to indict senior Hezbollah members. Having already warned that anyone who would want to arrest a member of Hezbollah “would have his hand cut off”, the party managed to topple the government in last January in order to allow a new one to publicly reject the tribunal.

“Usually all that Hezbollah needs is to be left alone but this time it felt it needed to gain more influence to actually blunt the tribunal,” Salem concluded.

About the Author

Paul Salem

Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute

Paul Salem is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.

Recent Work

Paper
Iraq’s Tangled Foreign Interests and Relations
- Paul Salem
Article
Bracing for Impact in Syria
- Paul Salem

Levant

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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