[74481] Lebanon in Focus: Hezbollah Under Internal Pressure and Changes in Iranian Strategy

{"topic_header": "The Focus of Tension: Iran, Lebanon, and Hezbollah", "content": "According to an analysis by Yoni Ben Menachem from the [Jerusalem Center for Foreign and Security Affairs, Tehran has decided to place Lebanon and Hezbollah at the top of its strategic priority list, at the expense of Hamas and Gaza. Ben Menachem explains that in Iran, they understand that Hamas has significantly weakened, while Hezbollah is perceived as the primary asset for managing a regional conflict against the US and Israel.\n\nWithin Lebanon, criticism against the organization is intensifying. In an interview with Spot Shot channel, the Lebanese [citizen] Rouad Nassar claimed that Hezbollah has turned Lebanon into a hostage of Iran. Nassar clarified that for a portion of the Lebanese public, removing the Hezbollah threat outweighs the fear of conflict with Israel: \"As far as I'm concerned, let IDF tanks reach northern Lebanon, as long as they hit Hezbollah.\"\n\nDruze leader Walid Jumblatt added his own criticism in an interview with 'Libération' (as reported in The Unity of Arenas), claiming that since the elimination of Nasrallah in 2024, the organization's new leadership is under complete Iranian influence. Interesting data emerging from an 'Al-Jadeed' channel poll indicates that 84.2% of the Druze community in Lebanon support an agreement with Israel and 77.2% support disarming Hezbollah.\n\nAgainst this backdrop, LBCI channel reports that a Lebanese delegation has begun coordination talks ahead of military and political negotiations in Washington. Simultaneously, Epoch Magazine notes that the threats by Hezbollah official Naim Qassem to topple the Lebanese government reveal a political system struggling under the organization's power."}]