Hezbollah

Syria: Various Indicators of an Imminent Collapse

A new dawn breaks over Syria, liberated from the man who has been known at times as “the tyrant of Damascus,” and at other times as “the executioner.” After the fall of Homs on Saturday night into the hands of opposition rebels, the collapse of Damascus and Bashar al-Assad’s regime was just a matter of hours. Since the surprise ...

The Fall of Assad: Another Major Setback for Hezbollah and Its Allies

The collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime delivers a major blow to the Iranian axis in the region, with Hezbollah bearing the brunt of the impact. Assad's departure signals the disintegration of the once-aspired "Shia Crescent," which aimed to connect Tehran to Beirut via Baghdad and Damascus. As a new Middle East takes shape ...

Syria: The Middle East’s Berlin Wall Has Fallen

It only took a few days for the "rebels" to overthrow one of the world's most tyrannical regimes—almost without a fight. At this point, it’s still difficult to understand how such a heterogeneous group, mostly armed with light weapons—at least according to the images we've seen—managed to bring down the Assad regime, which has been in ...

The Quest to Turn Hezbollah into a Political Group

After Nazism devastated Germany and Europe, leaving a trail of death across the Mediterranean basin and beyond, the war ended on May 8, 1945, with Nazi Germany’s surrender, followed by Japan’s capitulation on September 2, 1945. In the aftermath of the Allied victory, there was never any consideration of integrating the Axis powers – Nazi ...

The Assad Dynasty in Syria: Autocratic Legacy, Repression and Challenges

Syria has been under the rule of the Assad dynasty for more than half a century. Hafez al-Assad, the founder, seized power in 1970, followed by his son Bashar, who took control in 2000 after his father's death. Belonging to the Alawite minority, the Assads established an autocratic regime over a predominantly Sunni population, portraying ...

Near Tyre, a Shiite Maqam Dedicated to Saint Peter

The medieval castle of Chameh, near Tyre, and the “maqam” of Shimon el-Safa that it houses are among the archaeological treasures for which Lebanon requested “enhanced protection” from UNESCO against the risks of war. However, the ground fighting in November between Hezbollah and the Israeli Army overran the request in question. The ...

Six Dead in Israeli Strikes on Southern Lebanon

The health ministry said on Saturday that Israeli strikes killed six people in southern Lebanon, 10 days into a ceasefire between the Hezbollah and Israel. "The Israeli enemy's air strike on the town of Beit Lif resulted in the martyrdom of five people and the injury of five others," a health ministry statement said, adding that in a separate ...

Hochstein: Hezbollah Has Been Weakened

The US special envoy to Lebanon, Amos Hochstein, believes that “the war in Syria is not directly related to Lebanon, but it will have an impact on the country.” He declared, “I don't think we've eliminated or defeated Hezbollah, but it may no longer be strong enough to attack Israel or support President Bashar al-Assad.” In fact, he ...

Violent Explosions in Khiam on Saturday

On Friday night, several houses and buildings were destroyed in the village of Khiam, which was rocked by violent explosions. On Saturday morning, columns of smoke continued to rise near a mosque in the heart of the village. In the southern suburb of Beirut, a low-flying Israeli drone was reported overhead. Shortly afterward, a thud sounded, ...

Syria: Government Forces Retreat on All Fronts

According to a security source in Damascus, rebels have taken control of three army and police posts in Sweida, and most of Deraa is no longer in the hands of the regime. Rebel forces pressing a lightning offensive in Syria aim to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad's rule, their Islamist leader said in an interview published on Friday. The ...

Samir Geagea: A Military Hezbollah Is No Longer Valid

Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea asserted on Friday that the ongoing offensive against the Syrian regime is aimed at rooting out Iran and its allied militias, calling on Hezbollah to acknowledge that fact and give up its so-called armed resistance. “The military Hezbollah no longer exists today, and the triptych 'army, people, ...

Syria: Despite Assad's Appeal, Russian and Iranian Support Remains Shy

As Islamist rebel forces from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) approach the city of Homs, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad desperately needs the help of his Russian and Iranian allies. However, Moscow and Tehran's military resources are already stretched thin due to the war in Ukraine and numerous conflicts in the Middle East. According to experts ...