Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps strengthens ties with Hezbollah

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Accuses Iran’s IRGC of Directing Hezbollah’s Operations Against Israel

Beirut, Lebanon - In comments made on Sunday to Saudi Arabian television station al-Hadath, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam alleged that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is commanding Hezbollah’s military operations against Israel. According to analysts, Salam’s claims are supported by evidence and expert analysis.

Salam stated that the IRGC was directing Hezbollah in its fight against Israel, as well as launching drones at Cyprus from Lebanon. The situation has led to significant human suffering, with over 1,000 people killed and at least 1.2 million displaced since March, accounting for more than 20% of the country’s population.

Human Rights Watch researchers have noted that the mass displacement could be considered a war crime. Salam also accused IRGC officials of entering Lebanon using false passports and firing a drone at a British Air Force base in Cyprus earlier this month.

Hezbollah fired six rockets across the border on March 2, reportedly in response to the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28, as well as Israeli aggression on Lebanon. The move was met with shock from much of Lebanon’s population and political establishment.

The Lebanese government has responded by banning Hezbollah’s military activities and asking some Iranians believed to have links to the IRGC to leave. However, this action has had limited impact on the ground, where Hezbollah continues its operations against Israel.

Ties between the IRGC and Hezbollah are longstanding, with the group being founded in 1982 in coordination with the IRGC. Iran has been Hezbollah’s benefactor and spiritual guide since its inception.

Analysts agree that the IRGC is playing a crucial role in Hezbollah’s preparations for reentering the war against Lebanon, which began in 2023. Nicholas Blanford, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council, stated that sources within Hezbollah and the Lebanese government have confirmed that the original rocket attack on March 2 was conducted by the Islamic Resistance, possibly in direct coordination with the Quds Force.

On Tuesday, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji declared the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon a persona non grata and gave him until Sunday to leave the country.

Source: Al Jazeera