Is the tide turning on the Iran regime in the Middle East?

Recent developments in the Middle East show that the Iranian Regime is becoming increasingly isolated as countries like Lebanon and Yemen are turning away from them but could this be the beginning of the end for Iran’s interventionism?

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri unexpectedly resigned in a shock conference from Saudi Arabia at the beginning of the month, only one day after Hariri met with Ali Akbar Velayati, international affairs advisor of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, citing Iran’s malign influence over Hezbollah ( a terrorist group which has major sway in Lebanon) and a potential assassination plot.

He accused Iran of taking Lebanon hostage and making it impossible for him to carry out his duties as Prime Minister.

HOW LEBANESE PM'S RESIGNATION AND NEW US SANCTIONS AFFECT IRAN-BACKED HEZBOLLAH

By INU Staff

INU -Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned from office in Riyadh last Saturday. When he declared the decision, he cited Iranian influence across the region and threats to his life, and followed a thwarted assassination attempt against him in Beirut.

According to reports, the Iranian regime called Hariri’s resignation a Saudi-backed plot, and accused Riyadh of having taken the Lebanese Premier as hostage.

The government assembled in Lebanon 11 months ago, granted premiership to Hariri but gave political advantages to Hezbollah.

According to an article in Riyadh Daily, by political analyst Shahriar Kia, “This had given Iran a seemingly legitimate political façade to increase its violent meddling in the country and to boost its intervention in neighboring Syria, where it has been propping up the Assad regime against democratic opposition forces. Without Hariri, the entire Iran-backed government loses its legitimacy and its real nature becomes clear to everyone.”

He adds that this is especially significant as Tehran faces setbacks on the international front, such as The U.S. Congress recently ratifying three measures against Hezbollah by voice vote and without opposition. The third resolution calls on the European Union to designate Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist entity. The U.S. placed the Hezbollah in its list of foreign terrorist organizations in 1997.

Kia writes that Hezbollah was founded and nurtured by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), and “has been Tehran’s main implement in its regional forays in the past four decades. It is responsible for carrying out many terrorist attacks against Iran’s opponents and has also played an active role in on fighting on Iran’s behalf Syria."

ANALYSIS: Is Iran’s influence fading in Lebanon and Yemen?

Recent developments across the region are signaling increasing isolation for Tehran. Despite investing for decades, Lebanon and Yemen are literally slipping out of Iran’s hands.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad sent shockwaves across the region by announcing his resignation. The recent missile attack by the Iran-backed  in Yemen targeting Riyadh crossed a costly red line for Tehran.

Turning point in Lebanon

In Hariri’s own words, Iran and Hezbollah had literally taken the entire country of Lebanon hostage, making it impossible to carry out his duties.

Evidence also revealed an assassination plot threatening his life. Western and Arab intelligence services unveiled how his entourage was targeted, in a blueprint similar to his father’s assassination.

“Those who planned to assassinate prime minister Hariri deactivated the observation towers while his motorcade was passing by,” Reuters wired citing Al Arabiya.

Three issues related to this development are worth pondering over:
1) Hariri announced his resignation from Riyadh only one day after his meeting with Ali Akbar Velayati, international affairs advisor of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in Beirut. 
2) The United States launched a new Iran policy targeting this regime’s destabilization and terrorism across the region.

The waning power of Iran and Hezbollah

By: Shahriar Kia (Political analyst) 

The waning power of Iran and Hezbollah

The recent resignation of Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri dealt a serious blow to the Lebanese Hezbollah and its Iranian masters.
Hariri, who declared the decision in Riyadh last Saturday, cited Iranian influence across the region and threats to his life if he remained at the helm of the government. His resignation came on the heels on a thwarted assassination attempt against him in Beirut. Hariri’s father, Rafiq, was assassinated by the Hezbollah in 2005.
This will put an end to a year-long campaign that had seen the Iranian regime further its evil ends through Hezbollah and its political clout.
Quite unsurprisingly, the Iranian regime reacted by calling Hariri’s resignation a Saudi-backed plot and accused Riyadh of having taken the Lebanese Premier as hostage, which is ironic coming from a state that has taken the entire Lebanese politics hostage for the past year.
11 months ago, after two years of impasse, a government was assembled in Lebanon which granted premiership to Hariri but effectively gave political and military sway to Hezbollah.
This had given Iran a seemingly legitimate political façade to increase its violent meddling in the country and to boost its intervention in neighboring Syria, where it has been propping up the Assad regime against democratic opposition forces.
Without Hariri, the entire Iran-backed government loses its legitimacy and its real nature becomes clear to everyone.

But what makes this especially significant is that it takes place against the backdrop of other setbacks Tehran is facing on the international front, it will put a serious strain on the regime’s plots in the region.
The U.S. Congress recently ratified three measures against Hezbollah by voice vote and without opposition. The US Congress passed resolutions slap sanctions against the group for its use of defenseless civilians as human shields and target Hezbollah’s international financial sources.
A third resolution calls on the European Union to designate Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist entity. The U.S. placed the Hezbollah in its list of foreign terrorist organizations in 1997.

ANALYSIS: Is Iran’s influence fading in Lebanon and Yemen?

Recent developments across the region are signaling increasing isolation for Tehran. Despite investing for decades, Lebanon and Yemen are literally slipping out of Iran’s hands.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri sent shockwaves across the region by announcing his resignation. The recent missile attack by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen targeting Riyadh crossed a costly red line for Tehran.

Turning point in Lebanon

In Hariri’s own words, Iran and Hezbollah had literally taken the entire country of Lebanon hostage, making it impossible to carry out his duties.

Evidence also revealed an assassination plot threatening his life. Western and Arab intelligence services unveiled how his entourage was targeted, in a blueprint similar to his father’s assassination.

“Those who planned to assassinate prime minister Hariri deactivated the observation towers while his motorcade was passing by,” Reuters wired citing Al Houthis

(AFP)

Three issues related to this development are worth pondering over:
1) Hariri announced his resignation from Riyadh only one day after his meeting with Ali Akbar Velayati, international affairs advisor of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in Beirut. 
2) The United States launched a new Iran policy targeting this regime’s destabilization and terrorism across the region.
3) Hezbollah has come under severe sanctions, including three bills passed by the US House of Representatives on October 25th.
a. H.R. 359 calling on the European Union to designate Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization
b. H.R. 3342 sanctioning Hezbollah for using innocent civilians as human shields
c. H.R. 3329, known as HIFPA, targets Hezbollah’s international financial support

In short, Hariri’s resignation changed all calculations for Iran in Lebanon.

Lebanon ex-PM meets French, UK, EU, U.S. diplomats in Riyadh: PM's office

X-Prime Minister of Lebanon met with EU and US officials

BEIRUT (Reuters) NOVEMBER 9, 2017 - Saad -Hariri, who resigned as Lebanon’s prime minister last weekend, met the French ambassador to Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on Thursday, Hariri’s office said in a statement.
Hariri, who quit in a video broadcast from Saudi Arabia on Saturday but has not yet returned to Lebanon, also met diplomats from the European Union , Britain and United States in the past two days.