Ksenia Fomina exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The conference on the Iranian nuclear problem, after which both Tehran and the six international mediators admitted progress in the negotiations, took place in Geneva. However, Israel still has a tough position on the Iranian problem. Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu stated that to eliminate the Iranian nuclear program, pressure on Tehran should be stepped up. One of the key moments in the Iranian-Israeli dispute is the Palestinian issue.
The Palestinian direction of the Middle East foreign policy of Iran is traditionally based on the non-recognition of Israel’s right to exist and the insistence on establishing a Palestinian state which should involve the current Hebrew and Christian population of Israel. Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s policy toward the Arabic-Israeli conflict was relevant to the general position of Iran on the problem. Moreover, under Ahmadinejad Iran took a radical position on the possibilities of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations and mutual concessions. Iranian top officials made it clear that Tehran saw no options for a peaceful settlement of the crisis in the Middle East.
Along with the traditional ideological line, the reason for providing such a policy was the following: a possibility of progress in the peacemaking process between Palestinian Arabs and the Israelis could cause wide-scale geopolitical changes in the region in disfavor of Iran. Thus, Tehran supported the forces of Islamic resistance in the south of Lebanon and in Palestine. One of central forces of the resistance was pro-Iranian Shiah union Hezbollah which was established after the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran as a new “weapon” against Israel. The idea of jihad against Zionism and Imperialism determined the political-ideological course of Hezbollah.
Soon Hezbollah accumulated strength in the region and turned into a terrorist training center which was aimed at destabilization of the political situation in the Middle East to start a series of Islamic revolutions. Hezbollah’s methods included direct military operations, terrorist attacks, sabotage, and so on. The organization actively used suicide bombers for achieving its goals.
By the beginning of the 21st century Hezbollah’s activity became less intensive, but the organization continued being the Iranian outpost in the Middle East conflict. It should be noted that there was no consolidation in Hezbollah in that period – it included both radical and moderate members of the organization. There was ambiguous attitude toward Hezbollah in the countries where it had bases – in Syria and Lebanon. Iran provided Hezbollah with various aides, including financial and diplomatic support, human resources, armaments and military machinery.
Moreover, Iran showed support and encouragement to radical Palestinian groups who resisted cooperation with Israel – Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades (through Hezbollah or directly). All these groups resisted approaching between the Palestinian and Israeli sides of the conflict. Iran’s support and aide to Hezbollah and other anti-Israeli organizations of the region were traditionally focused on several directions. It was the political-ideological support, i.e. struggle of these groups for legitimacy in the eyes of the international society and insults of “Zionist occupants”; propaganda support, spreading ideas of Hezbollah; socio-economic aide, the success of radical Islamist organizations in the conflict centers; direct financing; military aide.
A bright example of cooperation between Iran and Hezbollah was Iran’s influence on the second Lebanese war where Israel’s rival was Hezbollah. One of the longest wars in Israeli history didn’t bring victory to any side of the conflict. The war was a result of Hezbollah’s sabotage activity when a clash between Shiah militants and Israel was inevitable. The war was a good chance for Iran to support Hezbollah openly without any of the previous conspiracies.
