According to recent reports, Hizbullah has appointed a new chief military commander to fill the position left open after the assassination of master terrorist Imad Mughniyeh in a car bombing in Damascus eight months ago.
The new military commander Muhammad Riza Zahdi, aka Hassan Mahdawi, served in the Iranian Embassy in Beirut in the late 1980’s.
His appointment points to a determined Iranian plan to restructure Hizbullah in the wake of the Second Lebanon War.
Zahdi will be in charge of coordinating weapons smuggling to Hizbullah from Syria as well as the construction of military positions in southern Lebanon.
Mughniyeh, who had been one of the world's most wanted men for decades, met his demise last February. Since his assassination, Hizbullah had entrusted his duties - including international operations as well as relations with Iran and Syria - to a council of several officials.
Since the Second Lebanon War, Iran has solidified its control over Hizbullah and has instituted a number of structural changes to the group under which Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah no longer enjoyed exclusive command over the military wing.
The changes included increased Iranian involvement in Hizbullah's decision-making process and changes to the guerrilla group's hierarchy under which Nasrallah now has to get Iranian permission prior to certain operations.
Reports of Iranian discontent with Nasrallah began to surface following the 2006 war, which Teheran reportedly was not interested in seeing erupt at that time.
Several reports in the Arab press claimed that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had ousted Nasrallah from his post as Hizbullah secretary-general and replaced him with the Naim Qassem, Hizbullah's second in command. Iran has denied the reports.
Iran's consolidation of its control over Hizbullah is seen as an attempt to gain the ability to fully direct its military forces in the event of a conflict in the Middle East. If Iran is attacked by the US or Israel, it may now be able to order Hizbullah to retaliate on its behalf. 10/10/08
The new military commander Muhammad Riza Zahdi, aka Hassan Mahdawi, served in the Iranian Embassy in Beirut in the late 1980’s.
His appointment points to a determined Iranian plan to restructure Hizbullah in the wake of the Second Lebanon War.
Zahdi will be in charge of coordinating weapons smuggling to Hizbullah from Syria as well as the construction of military positions in southern Lebanon.
Mughniyeh, who had been one of the world's most wanted men for decades, met his demise last February. Since his assassination, Hizbullah had entrusted his duties - including international operations as well as relations with Iran and Syria - to a council of several officials.
Since the Second Lebanon War, Iran has solidified its control over Hizbullah and has instituted a number of structural changes to the group under which Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah no longer enjoyed exclusive command over the military wing.
The changes included increased Iranian involvement in Hizbullah's decision-making process and changes to the guerrilla group's hierarchy under which Nasrallah now has to get Iranian permission prior to certain operations.
Reports of Iranian discontent with Nasrallah began to surface following the 2006 war, which Teheran reportedly was not interested in seeing erupt at that time.
Several reports in the Arab press claimed that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had ousted Nasrallah from his post as Hizbullah secretary-general and replaced him with the Naim Qassem, Hizbullah's second in command. Iran has denied the reports.
Iran's consolidation of its control over Hizbullah is seen as an attempt to gain the ability to fully direct its military forces in the event of a conflict in the Middle East. If Iran is attacked by the US or Israel, it may now be able to order Hizbullah to retaliate on its behalf. 10/10/08
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