Experts from United Against Nuclear Iran weigh Iran’s options in the wake of Israel’s stunning move to eliminate the leader of Hezbollah, Iran’s key anti-Israel proxy. Tehran’s choices are all fraught with peril.
As the death of Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah is confirmed, the immediate question is not whether Iran will respond, but how.
Hezbollah is a creation of the Islamic Republic, built on decades of effort, and billions of dollars of support. Formed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 1982, Hezbollah remains the regime’s primary proxy.
Iran’s leadership cannot simply sit back while Hezbollah endures these levels of humiliation and harm. To do so would not only result in the weakening or loss of its most important proxy, but could signal the start of the unraveling of its entire regional strategy of eradicating the state of Israel, empowering Islamist groups, and expelling U.S. forces from the Middle East.
Given that this unraveling cannot be allowed, Khamenei and his regime have three options to consider.
First, provide logistical advisory and propaganda support, as in 2006, the last time there was a direct war between Hezbollah and Israel.
