Iran IRGC tightens Hezbollah grip as U.S. weighs military strike options
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
According to reports, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has tightened its control over Hezbollah in the Middle East amid the looming possibility of a potential US attack.
according to Jerusalem PostThe tactical shift comes as Hezbollah and Iran prepare for military conflict in the region. Analysts warn that Hezbollah is ready to be “activated” if Washington specifically attacks the regime.
“If the regime in Tehran feels threatened, the likelihood of Hezbollah being unleashed against Israel and US regional assets increases significantly.” Ross HarrisonA senior fellow at the Middle East Institute told Fox News Digital:
“Hezbollah will not operate immediately unless the attack immediately targets the leadership of the Islamic Republic. But as part of a gradual response, Hezbollah will likely be viewed as an asset,” he said.
“If faced with existential risk, Iran could throw caution to the wind and seek to deploy Hezbollah at maximum levels,” Harrison said.
IRAN SHOWS NUCLEAR PROGRESS IN GENEVA AS TRUMP CALLS FOR COMPLETE DISSOLVENCTION
“As part of the gradual response, Hezbollah will likely be seen as an asset,” Ross Harrison, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital. (Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
President Donald Trump had previously given Iran a 10- to 15-day deadline to respond to the deal, raising questions about what steps Washington could take if Tehran does not comply with the deal.
A new round of talks is scheduled for Thursday in Geneva and is expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear program, including uranium enrichment levels and sanctions relief.
“The decision-making circle on Iran in the White House is very small, and the President is following everything closely,” Harrison said.
He added that any decision to directly target the Iranian regime would likely be within Trump’s inner circle of advisors.
“Normally there is input from the National Security Council and the broader intelligence community,” Harrison said. “It’s hard to know how much of this is happening because the decision-making process in the White House is not transparent.”
WITKOFF WARNED THAT IRAN WAS ‘ONE WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ WHILE WELCOME TO TRUMP’S ACTION
A new round of talks between the United States and Iran will be held in Geneva on Thursday. (Getty Images)
“If the US engages with the Saudis and Emiratis, they are receiving warnings about the possibility of this war spreading to the wider region, which could be detrimental to the US and its allies,” he added.
Harrirson also warned that there was “the potential for attacks to spread throughout the region, to Israel through direct Iranian ballistic attacks and Hezbollah, to Gulf Arab states directly via Iran and possibly through the Houthis from Yemen.”
Reports in the regional media claim that Iran’s ties with Hezbollah have strengthened. Sources told Al Arabiya and Al Hadath that Revolutionary Guard officers are rebuilding Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and managing strategic war plans.
Harrison explained that the coordination follows changes in Hezbollah’s leadership.
“Since the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by Israel last year, ties and operational coordination have been re-established to some extent,” he said.
“The IRGC has supported Hezbollah in Lebanon for decades,” he said, adding that efforts to reestablish ties appear to be occurring “particularly in light of the destruction of Iran’s nuclear sites last June.”
IRAN DRAW A MISSILE RED LINE WHILE ANALYSIS WARNED THAT TEHRAN HAS STOPPED TALKS WITH US
“Since the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by Israel last year, ties and operational coordination have been re-established to some degree,” Harrison said. (Marwan Naamani/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)
“Iran is trying to revive lost assets like its missile program and its ties to Hezbollah,” Harrison said.
“Hezbollah has for decades been viewed by Iran as a deterrent asset against Israeli or American attacks. Since Hezbollah has its own interests, linked to but separate from Iran, it is unknown whether its leadership will extend to Tehran.”
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
The developments around Hezbollah and the Revolutionary Guard come as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed his close ally Ali Larijani as the country’s de facto leader. to reports.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
