Original scientific paper
Hezbollah: An Iranian Project?
Ante Lucic
Abstract
Hezbollah, which in Arabic stands for the “Party of God,” has over the last few decades grown into one of the most influential Lebanese political organizations and militias. Hezbollah was conceived in the midst of the violent civil War of Lebanon, and in its early stage it often resorted to terrorist acts. However, over the years it has gradually transformed into a legitimate political current. The Party differs from the other Middle Eastern factors in that it has never been defeated or severely weakened by Israel. Hezbollah is a Shiite fundamentalist party and thus it is strategically supported by the Shiite Islamic Republic of Iran. By observing the Party’s dynamics, actions, agenda, hierarchy, structure, and rhetoric, one can identify many direct links to the Islamic Republic. This implies that Iran had been heavily involved in the Party’s founding and organization. Furthermore, since the Party keeps being politically,
ideologically, financially, and logistically dependent upon Iran, it is valid to wonder whether it is, likewise, controlled by Iran. When the mentioned elements are taken into account, it becomes rather apparent that Hezbollah is most probably the Iranian proxy in Lebanon, serving as the extended arm of influence in a deeply divided country of Lebanon, and in the vicinity of the State of Israel. There have been numerous speculations, mostly in the media, about whether Hezbollah is indeed an Iranian project. However, the notion of Hezbollah being the Iranian creation has been somewhat avoided in the academic circles, and a properly composed academic analysis has been lacking. Yet, as this brief paper will show, there is a number of undeniable facts which point into this direction. If it is true that Hezbollah is an Iranian tool, this knowledge will greatly impact future analyses and research on the subject, especially when regional power relations and Iranian foreign policy are concerned. Also, this phenomenon is explainable in terms of the politics of realism, since it is most likely the Iranian rational interest to keep investing into and to sustain the grip on this Shiite group for geopolitical and religious purposes. On the other hand, whenever asked about this possible feature, Hezbollah’s leadership has energetically denied it, asserting that the Party is exclusively a Lebanese creation—a result of the Lebanese sociopolitical realities. However, bearing in mind the Party’s sustained successes and power in Lebanon, as well as its mentioned “Iranian” features, does spark curiosity as to whether a much bigger sponsor (or a controller) stands in its shadow.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
59143
URI
Publication date:
14.9.2009.
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