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Why Hizbullah Sat Out Iran's War with Israel
(Ha'aretz) David Daoud - Iran spent decades building Hizbullah as its first line of defense to deter Israel or the U.S. from attacking the Islamic Republic and its nuclear capabilities, and for retaliation in case that deterrence failed. Yet, the first direct Iran-Israel war came and went, but Hizbullah was nowhere to be found. Hizbullah, with Iran's blessing, is prioritizing survival and desperately wants to avoid renewed conflict with Israel. Domestic factors influenced Hizbullah to remain inactive. The overwhelming majority of Lebanese, except for the Shiites, are fed up with the group arrogating to itself exclusive control over Lebanon's foreign policies, including when and with whom their country goes to war. They are calling for Hizbullah's disarmament. The Trump administration upheld the American letter of assurance to Israel attached to the ceasefire deal with Hizbullah of Nov. 27, 2024, which grants the Israelis freedom to act against Hizbullah if Lebanon did not. This allowed Israel to continue relentlessly targeting Hizbullah's assets and personnel throughout Lebanon and stymie its efforts at regeneration. This left Hizbullah too vulnerable to intervene on Iran's behalf. The writer is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.