Iran's influences over Middle East in the new millennium: The case of Lebanon

Lebanon territories which hosted many conflict were annexed to Ottoman Empire from 1516 till 1914. The Ottoman Empire was defeated by Allied Power in First World War. So it's territories were shared between them. After the First World War France took the control of Lebanese lands. During the Second World War, France occupied Lebanon and Syria. In 1943 Lebanon gained its independence against France and joined the independent states. A major conflict began in Lebanon by 1975. The people who has different sects and lived together in the Lebanon for many years started to fight each other. This çivil war caused great destruction in the country. The civil war ended with the Taif Agreement which signed in 1989. As a result of this agreement all military groups were disarmed except Hezbollah. In this environment foreign powers could intervene Lebanon easliy. Iran which has a new mission about the Middle East region, gained the right to intervene through the Lebanese Shiites. While Syria was a dominant country in Lebanon, she was seen as responsible for the assassination of Rafik Hariri in 2005 and had to leave Lebanon. This development has had an impact on Lebanon's current political life. After the assassination of Hariri, Lebanese political life was divided into two groups as March 8 and March 14, which continue today. Hezbollah which is a party of the March 8 group, has become an important organization in Lebanon, supported militarily and economically by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran which is trying to increase its influence in the region, continues to support Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Palestine and Houthis in Yemen. The success of Hezbollah against İsraeli attacks provide it admiration of the Lebanese people. However, its involvement as an actor in the Syrian civil war has led to questioning whether Hezbollah is a Lebanese party. The statements made by the leaders of Hezbollah as well as the leaders of Iran prove the close relationship between Hezbollah and Iran. While this relationship is welcomed by some segments, it is met with uneasiness by Israel and Western countries. Keywords: Lebanon, Islamic Republic of Iran, Hezbollah, Foreign Policy, Velayet-i Fakih