Iran's Support for Hezbollah & Hamas - Article Example

Iran’s Support for Hezbollah and Hamas Iran’s Support for Hezbollah and Hamas “Other Arab and Islamic s also support us…but the Iranian backing is in the lead, and therefore we highly appreciate and thank Iran for this.”-Khaled Meshaal (Zanotti, 2011) This statement from the Politburo chief of Hamas explains the core essence of this research based analytical paper. The Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas are two mainstream Islamic resistance organizations officially designated as the most threatening “Foreign terrorist organizations” by the US State Department. According to the State Department, these two groups have unprecedented financial, political, military, and ideological support from Iran. It could be said that their actions may be attributed to Iran too. Iran supports a number of similar terrorist organizations all over the world, so much so that such a support has now become the cornerstone of Iran’s foreign doctrine. The reasons behind Iran’s misdemeanors and the huge support it provides to such organizations are multiple that need to be evaluated and understood. This paper is an attempt to understand the reasons, methods, and the extent to which Iran supports Hamas and Hezbollah and the outcome of its support. The ideology behind the creation of Hezbollah and Hamas: Hezbollah (party of God) was founded in Lebanon in 1982 at a time when Israel invaded Lebanon. It is headed by Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, who himself has been declared as a terrorist by the US. It’s a Shi’ite Muslim organization and the basic theology underlying Hezbollah’s creation is to fight against US and Israeli imperialism. This party of God accommodates both fanatics and moderates (Cambanis, 2010). It has positioned itself now as the most vigorous and dynamic Islamist entity in the Arab world. Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist political party that has a military wing and has been governing the Gaza strip since June 2007. It was founded by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Mahmoud Zahar in the 1960s (during the first Intifada) as an outgrowth of the Muslim Brotherhood, with non-violent attributes. But in the late 1980s, its ideology took a more aggressive direction and became a synthesis of both religious Islamic Fundamentalism and Palestinian nationalism. It could be now defined as Palestine’s call for national sovereignty. Hamas’s Charter, released in 1988 declared that its main aim was to create an Islamic state in Palestinian territory including all modern Israel, and to destroy Israel through violent Jihad. Reasons for Iran’s support for Hamas and Hezbollah: Iran is an ardent supporter of Islamic fundamentalist or militant groups. The main reasons behind Iran’s increasing support are very clear; Iran aims at increasing its dominance in the Middle East, limiting Sunni Arab’s influence; the destruction of Israel, and elimination of USA’s influence from the Middle Eastern region. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hossayni Khomeini stated in 2006 “Wiping out the Zionist regime is not only a religious and national duty but a humane one. Political, logistical and arms support for Hamas and Hezbollah, and sending combatants to the front is the minimum cost that the Islamic countries must pay for safeguarding their security and independence” (Petty, 2008). The key aspect of Iran’s unparalleled support is for wiping out the Israeli and American dominance from the region, and to establish or expand its own influence in the Levant, Egypt, and Jordan. It has developed a Resistance Axis with Syria and using the aggressive groups of Hamas and Hezbollah to exploit Arab-Israel tensions, with the cooperation of Syria (Mulaj, 2010). How does Iran support Hamas and Hezbollah: Iranian government has been rather sophisticated in their approach, and methods of advancing towards facilitating these intentions. Its support has always been political, social, and indirect outwardly, while sends heavily armed shipments regularly undercover, and provides funding, safe haven, training, and weapons to both. It is due to Iran’s support, that Hezbollah has become a sophisticated political military-social organization, a key player in the Lebanese government, a dominant force in southern Lebanon, a potent militia, a trainer for regional terror groups, and an avid supporter of terror (Cordesman & Seitz, 2009). Iran helped Hezbollah to fight, recover, rearm, and regroup before and after its 2006 confrontation with Israel. Iran supplied Hezbollah small arms, short-range missiles, long-range missiles, and advance surface-to-air missiles during the war. High-end weaponry, including Strela-2/2 M, Strela-3, Igla-1E, Mithaq-1, 500 Zelzal missiles with a range of 186 miles along with training sessions and an aid of $150 million were part of this package (Cordesman & Seitz, 2009). Weapon shipments between Iran and Hezbollah are exchanged by land, sea or air, often via Damascus. In mid-2004, the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) forces reportedly unloaded 220 missiles with a 250-350 km range for Hezbollah at an airfield near Damascus. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) estimated that between 1992 and 2005, Iran supplied Hezbollah 11,500 missiles/rockets, 400 short and medium ranged artillery; Aresh, Nuri, and Hadid rockets along with Transporters/Launchers (Cordesman & Seitz, 2009). Their calculations declared that in 2005, Iran had sent a shipment of large Uqab missiles with 333-mm warheads, and an enormous supply of SA-7 and C-802 missiles, two of which were used in the July 14, 2006 attack on an Israeli ship. In the past five years, this military aid has been phenomenal and the package aid has exceeded $100 million per annum. The most-recent shipments to Hezbollah from Iran contained Fajr and Khaybar rockets, and over 10,000 Katyusha rockets along with the Misad UAVs. The Hezbollah combatants receive in-depth training from IRGC forces and hundreds of Iranian engineers contributed in the construction of underground storerooms in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, to hold missiles and ammunitions. Iran has applied similar tactics to influence Hamas and uses it as a tool to expand its domination within the Middle East and Palestine. Iran openly supported Hamas during the Gaza war fought between Israeli forces and Hamas militants from December 27, 2008 to January 17, 2009. It supplied Hamas with arms, provided military training, and after the Gaza conflict was over, it helped Hamas to rearm. Israeli and Canadian intelligence estimated that Iran transfers $3 to $18 million aid to Hamas every year. According to a Palestinian intelligence report confiscated by Israeli authorities in December 2000, Iran transferred $400, 000 directly to Hamas’s Qassam Brigades to specifically support the Hamas military arm in Israel, and encourage suicide operations (Levitt & Ross, 2007). More recent assessments indicate that this funding has increased significantly after Hamas’s electoral victory in January 2006. In November 2006 amidst an international embargo against Hamas, Iran provided it around $250 million to compensate for the Western boycott (Tabarani, 2008). How did Hamas and Hezbollah benefit from Iran: It was due to Iran’s enormous support that these organizations could establish their identities as violent militant groups, and successfully accomplished various heinous acts of violence in different parts of the world. Hezbollah has been reportedly involved in attacks on Israeli Embassy in Argentina between 1992 and 1994, armed conflicts with Israel and Hezbollah cross-border raid in 2000, the Lebanon war in 2006, the bombing of a U.S Embassy vehicle in Beirut in 2008, and the supposed murder of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq-al-Hariri in 2009. Its greatest triumph was the successful withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in 2000, after a long guerrilla war. Hezbollah receives unabated generous funding from Iran and Syria since its inception, and has now become so well established that its political wing members now hold seats in the Lebanese parliament. In fact, it is a parallel political and military organization to Lebanon’s duly elected government (Petty, 2008). It is now being referred to as the greatest guerrilla group and the most successful terrorist organization in modern history (Burns, Peterson & Kalistrom, 2005). Hamas is also not very far behind Hezbollah in terrorism, and its modus operandi includes suicide bombings, assassination, raids, and bombings, etc. Its primary goal is Israel’s destruction, and mostly uses its own homemade Qassam rockets to attack Israel, for the production of which it heavily relies on Iran. Due to Iran’s support, Hamas was successful in attempting 425 attacks on Israel between 2000 and 2004. More severe attacks on Israel were materialized using 3000 Qassam rockets, and 2,500 mortar attacks from 2005 through 2008. The new Qassam-2 rocket is wider ranged, and can easily target as far as the Ashkelon city in Israel from Gaza. Hamas was involved in various suicide attacks on civilians as well, and its prominent targets have always been the Jews. The deadliest example in this regard would be the Passover massacre, i.e., the Netanya Hotel attack in 2002, on the night of Jewish Festival. Such attacks ceased to exist in Hamas’s policy post 2005, and their focus now is on Israel and Gaza strip. Since 2010, it has been actively involved in various violent attacks, to derail the resumed peace talks between Israel and Palestinian authorities. Last words: The alliance with Hezbollah and Hamas is a key aspect of Iran’s larger Levant strategy to acquire powerful regional clients, for achieving its goal of an Islamic revolution, and to spearhead a pan-Islamic Jihad against the west, most notably the USA and Israel. It should be understood that Iran is only supporting such non-state militant groups to serve another purpose, which is of expanding its influence in the Middle East and to overpower USA. Iran’s ultimate desire is to achieve the status of a World Islamic Power. This not only poses threat to the west, but challenges the moderate states of the Middle East too. Through this Sunni-Shiite military alliance being backed by Iran, the future prospects of an Iran-sponsored Radicalism spanning the region, and a probable battle between Islam and West cannot be overlooked. References Burns, V., Peterson, K. D., & Kalistrom, J. K. (2005). Terrorism: A documentary and reference guide. Greenwood Publishing Group. Cambanis, T. (2010). A privilege to die: Inside hezbollahs legions and their endless war against israel. Simon and Schuster. Cordesman, A. H., & Seitz, A. C. (2009). Iranian weapons of mass destruction: The birth of a regional nuclear arms race?. ABC-CLIO. Levitt, M., & Ross, D. (2007). Hamas: Politics, charity, and terrorism in the service of jihad. Yale University Press. Mulaj, K. (2010). Violent non-state actors in world politics. Columbia University Press. Petty, K. A. (2008). Veiled impunity: Iran’s use of non-state armed groups. The War Against Hizballah and the Battle Against Hamas, 36(2), 194, 205. Retrieved from Tabarani, G. G. (2008). How iran plans to fight america and dominate the middle east. AuthorHouse Zanotti, J. (2011). Hamas: Background and issues for congress. DIANE Publishing. Read More

How does Iran support Hamas and Hezbollah: Iranian government has been rather sophisticated in their approach, and methods of advancing towards facilitating these intentions. Its support has always been political, social, and indirect outwardly, while sends heavily armed shipments regularly undercover, and provides funding, safe haven, training, and weapons to both. It is due to Iran’s support, that Hezbollah has become a sophisticated political military-social organization, a key player in the Lebanese government, a dominant force in southern Lebanon, a potent militia, a trainer for regional terror groups, and an avid supporter of terror (Cordesman & Seitz, 2009).

Iran helped Hezbollah to fight, recover, rearm, and regroup before and after its 2006 confrontation with Israel. Iran supplied Hezbollah small arms, short-range missiles, long-range missiles, and advance surface-to-air missiles during the war. High-end weaponry, including Strela-2/2 M, Strela-3, Igla-1E, Mithaq-1, 500 Zelzal missiles with a range of 186 miles along with training sessions and an aid of $150 million were part of this package (Cordesman & Seitz, 2009). Weapon shipments between Iran and Hezbollah are exchanged by land, sea or air, often via Damascus.

In mid-2004, the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) forces reportedly unloaded 220 missiles with a 250-350 km range for Hezbollah at an airfield near Damascus. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) estimated that between 1992 and 2005, Iran supplied Hezbollah 11,500 missiles/rockets, 400 short and medium ranged artillery; Aresh, Nuri, and Hadid rockets along with Transporters/Launchers (Cordesman & Seitz, 2009). Their calculations declared that in 2005, Iran had sent a shipment of large Uqab missiles with 333-mm warheads, and an enormous supply of SA-7 and C-802 missiles, two of which were used in the July 14, 2006 attack on an Israeli ship.

In the past five years, this military aid has been phenomenal and the package aid has exceeded $100 million per annum. The most-recent shipments to Hezbollah from Iran contained Fajr and Khaybar rockets, and over 10,000 Katyusha rockets along with the Misad UAVs. The Hezbollah combatants receive in-depth training from IRGC forces and hundreds of Iranian engineers contributed in the construction of underground storerooms in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, to hold missiles and ammunitions. Iran has applied similar tactics to influence Hamas and uses it as a tool to expand its domination within the Middle East and Palestine.

Iran openly supported Hamas during the Gaza war fought between Israeli forces and Hamas militants from December 27, 2008 to January 17, 2009. It supplied Hamas with arms, provided military training, and after the Gaza conflict was over, it helped Hamas to rearm. Israeli and Canadian intelligence estimated that Iran transfers $3 to $18 million aid to Hamas every year. According to a Palestinian intelligence report confiscated by Israeli authorities in December 2000, Iran transferred $400, 000 directly to Hamas’s Qassam Brigades to specifically support the Hamas military arm in Israel, and encourage suicide operations (Levitt & Ross, 2007).

More recent assessments indicate that this funding has increased significantly after Hamas’s electoral victory in January 2006. In November 2006 amidst an international embargo against Hamas, Iran provided it around $250 million to compensate for the Western boycott (Tabarani, 2008). How did Hamas and Hezbollah benefit from Iran: It was due to Iran’s enormous support that these organizations could establish their identities as violent militant groups, and successfully accomplished various heinous acts of violence in different parts of the world.

Hezbollah has been reportedly involved in attacks on Israeli Embassy in Argentina between 1992 and 1994, armed conflicts with Israel and Hezbollah cross-border raid in 2000, the Lebanon war in 2006, the bombing of a U.S Embassy vehicle in Beirut in 2008, and the supposed murder of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq-al-Hariri in 2009.

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