SETH J. FRANTZMAN
The airstrike on Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on September 27 is a major game-changer in more than 11 months of war. It has the potential to upset Iran’s plans and weaken Hezbollah. Here are five ways the strike may affect the war and the region.
Iran’s most experienced ally targeted
Hassan Nasrallah was Iran’s most experienced ally in the region. The Hezbollah leader had been key to Iran’s plans in the region for decades. In the last several years, he had grown even more powerful. Iran sought to create a multi-front war against Israel in the wake of the October 7 attack, and Nasrallah helped lead that war.
Nasrallah had grown to become the senior leader of Iran’s numerous proxies. He would often host Iranian officials and would also invite representatives from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to Lebanon to coordinate their attacks on Israel. He also sought to muster the Houthis in Yemen to threaten Israel, and he coordinated with Iraqi militias.
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