Hezbollah Calls the Shots in Iran’s Syria Policy

By Tony Badran

Tony Badran is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where he focuses on Lebanon, Hezbollah, Syria, and the geopolitics of the Levant. Born and raised in Lebanon, Tony has testified to the House of Representatives on several occasions regarding U.S. policy toward Iran and Syria. His writings have appeared in publications including The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, and The Weekly Standard, and he is a regular contributor to Tablet and a columnist for NOW.

By Amir Toumaj

Amir Toumaj is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies specializing in Iranian affairs. His research focuses on the nexus between Iranian economic and security policy-making, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, domestic politics, nuclear non-proliferation, and Tehran’s policies across the Middle East. Born and raised in Tehran, Amir received a BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois and an MA in International Affairs with concentrations in International Economic Affairs and Middle East from the Elliott School at the George Washington University. Prior to joining FDD, Amir was part of the Iran team at the American Enterprise Institute.

President Donald Trump is reportedly about to extend a terrorism designation to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in its entirety. The IRGC is both the dominant force inside Iran and the instrument through which the Islamic Republic projects power abroad. Operating throughout the region, the IRGC is deeply entrenched in Lebanon; the domain of Hezbollah.

For years, while acknowledging that Lebanese Hezbollah is backed and “inspired” by Iran, many policymakers and analysts have treated the group as an independent actor driven by its “resistance” to Israel and one that would not fight on behalf of Syria’s Bashar al Assad for fear of compromising its stature as the premier anti-Israel resistance group.

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