The Iran-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah has emerged as a clear winner from the battle in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State.
But the rise of Hezbollah is also creating a rise tensions in the region, as fears of a new war with Israel or even Saudi Arabia grow:
Israel fears Iran and Hezbollah will keep permanent garrisons in Syria and has called for action against “Iranian aggression”. With Hezbollah stronger than ever, war with Israel is seen by many in the region as inevitable, sooner or later.
“Hezbollah has gained from the experience of working with armies and managing numerous weapons systems simultaneously – air power, armored vehicles, intelligence, and drones: all specialties of conventional armies,” said a commander in a regional alliance fighting in Syria.
“Hezbollah is now a dynamic army, bringing together guerrilla and conventional warfare.”
The United States says Iran is “applying what you might call a Hezbollah model to the Middle East – in which they want governments to be weak, they want governments to be dependent on Iran for support,” White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said in late October.
“So, what is most important, not just for the United States but for all nations, is to confront the scourge of Hezbollah and to confront the scourge of the Iranians and the IRGC who sustain Hezbollah’s operations,” he added. [source]
Information in this article helps satisfy Priority Intelligence Requirement 2: What is the current situation report and risk of war in each of the four flashpoints?
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