Iran's Ties to Hezbollah Unchanged

TEHRAN — Hours after Hassan Rouhani assumed office in Iran, news from south Lebanon emerged; four Israeli soldiers were wounded after being ambushed inside Lebanese territory. Both Israel and Hezbollah maintained silence over the attack, as Al-Monitor published on Aug. 9, but sources in Lebanon confirmed that the ambush was newly prepared. Given the organic relationship between Tehran and Hezbollah, several questions were raised on Iran's new leadership's view and its approach toward Hezbollah.

Iranian officials smile when asked about Hezbollah: “Whoever the president is, whoever the ministers are, Hezbollah will still be the same Hezbollah to Iran,” said an official in Tehran on condition of anonymity. The source, an official who has visited Lebanon on several occasions, believes that those who think Iran will change its view and ties with Hezbollah because of presidential change are “either naive or daydreamers — Hezbollah to Iran isn't a card to play with.” The source added, “Hezbollah today is the crown jewel of the resistance bloc; presidential moderation doesn't mean giving up the nation's strengths." According to the source, “Hezbollah is defending the resistance bloc against Israel and the takfiris (radicals) — this means there should be more support for it." The source added that Iran's “main enemy in the region is Israel, and Hezbollah defeated Israel in 2006, and is capable of defeating it once again if a war sparked.”