Iran: Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah

Mehran Riazaty: Iran Analyst

On February 24, 06- State run Mehr news agency reported that Hamas Political Bureau chief Khaled Mashaal, in meeting with the grandson of late Ayatollah Khomeini, Hassan Khomeini, said that the members of Hamas are the grandchildren of Imam Khomeini. Mashall noted that Imam Khomeini’s role in awakening of the Islamic movements is undeniable. In respond to Khaled Mashall, Hassan Khomeini said that defending Palestine is still one of the unalterable policies of the Islamic Republic, so the Iranian government will remain one of the supporters of the Palestinian nation. READ MORE

On November 28, 05- Baztab news agency reported that the Secretary of Lebanon’s Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said that the Ayatollah Khamenei’s ideology is a key to resolve the problems of the Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Nasrallah, by referring to his recent trip to Iran, said the advice of Ayatollah Khamenei which was “Until Israel’s threats exist, Hezbollah’s resistance will exist”, was a great guidance to us (Lebanon’s Hezbollah) and the Lebanon’s government.

Mecca, January 7, 06- Islamic Republic news agency reported that the Supreme Leader's representative for Haj Affairs, Hojatoleslam Mohammad Mohammadi Reyshahri, said that the prestige achieved by the Lebanese Hezbollah has come as a result of Jihad, resistance and obedience to Imam Khomeini's calling and that of his rightful successor. Reyshahri made the remark at a meeting with the head of the Lebanese Hezbollah's representative office in Mecca, Sheikh Mohammad Yazbok.

In the past, both Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah have said that they will defend Iran if US or Israel attack Iran. On Feb 22, 06 -Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said that the Islamic Republic of Iran will help the Palestinian nation frustrate the U.S. aggression against the Palestinians. Today, Islamic Republic of Iran broadcasting reported that yesterday Khaled Mashaal said that Hamas is not worried by Western threats to cut funding to the Palestinian Authority once it forms a new government because it is sure of getting money elsewhere.

It have been said that the Iranian authorities have promise Mashaal US $250 Million. In regard to Lebanese Hezbollah, on September 19, 2003, in an interview with Al Jazeera TV broadcast, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran’s Chairman of Expediency Council, said we really like Hezbollah in Lebanon and they are one of our good friends. They are Shiite and we have same ideology. Therefore, there is no doubt that we are helping them, but they do everything independently and won’t get orders from us.

The Middle East Forum (Winter 2006, Volume XIII, Number 1) reported that the experts and analysts have estimated the Lebanese Hezbollah rocket force somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000 missiles. The heart of this arsenal remains rooted in Hezbollah's massive stocks—perhaps 7,000 to 8,000—of 107mm and 122mm Katyusha rockets, virtually all of which were supplied directly from existing Iranian army stocks. Of far greater concern to Israel than these antiquated and relatively short-range projectiles are Hezbollah's growing stocks of Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 rockets. Iran began large-scale delivery of the Fajr-3 in 2000 and the Fajr-5 in 2002, with the approval of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Iranian cargo and passenger jets transport the weaponry from Iran to Damascus International Airport where they can be off-loaded by Hezbollah agents and members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The weapons are then trucked to the Bekaa Valley. Other reports suggest some Iranian cargo flights land at Beirut International Airport, providing Hezbollah with a more direct supply route although this process may have changed with the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon and the change in Lebanese government.

Analyst Comment: So far the west has only been trying to contain the Iranian nuclear activities, but have done not enough to stop spread of Iran’s extremes Ayatollah’s terrorist ideologies such as Khamenei, Janati, Kashani, Mesbah Yazdi, around the world. The Iranian authorities strongly believe that Iran is carrying the flag of the Islamic movement resistance in the world.

Mehran Riazaty: a former Iran analyst for the Central Command of the Coalition Forces in Baghdad.