A Proxy for Iran

Posted: July 14th, 2016

By Matthew Levitt

Dr. Matthew Levitt is the Fromer-Wexler fellow and director of the Reinhard program on counterterrorism and intelligence at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. An adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s security studies program, Levitt previously served as Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis. Twenty years ago, Levitt led the FBI analytical team for flight UA175 as part of the PENTTBOM investigation. Levitt is the author of Rethinking U.S. Efforts on Counterterrorism: Toward a Sustainable Plan Two Decades After 9/11, part of The Washington Institute’s Transition 2021 series. Find him on Twitter: @Matt_Levitt

The Cipher Brief sat down with Matt Levitt, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis at the Treasury Department, to discuss Hezbollah’s roles in Lebanon, Syria and as a proxy for Iran. According to Levitt, despite losses in Syria, Hezbollah remains a threat to Israeli security and U.S. interests in the Middle East, particularly due to an expected increase in financial support from Iran. “A newly enriched Hezbollah should be expected to act more aggressively at home and abroad, challenging less-militant parties across the Lebanese political spectrum and boosting its destabilizing activities outside Lebanon,” he says.

The Cipher Brief: How did Hezbollah emerge as an influential group in Lebanon?

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