Non-state actors will continue to resist Israel during its offensive in the Gaza Strip, and Tehran has no plans to directly get involved in the conflict in the Middle East, an Iranian academic has told Sputnik India.
According to Dr. Amir Hossein Vazirian, a researcher of Iran's foreign and defense policies, currently serving as a lecturer at the country's Islamic Azad University, things, however, could change if Hamas experiences one setback after the other against the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
In that case, Hezbollah would open the northern front against Israel.
According to Dr. Amir Hossein Vazirian, a researcher of Iran's foreign and defense policies, currently serving as a lecturer at the country's Islamic Azad University, things, however, could change if Hamas experiences one setback after the other against the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
In that case, Hezbollah would open the northern front against Israel.
Hezbollah to Open Northern Front if Israel Tastes Military Success Against Hamas
"If the war in Gaza intensifies and Hamas needs help, it is Lebanon's Hezbollah that can open the northern front against Israel. So far, Hezbollah has not launched any serious attacks and mostly rockets have been used, not missiles," Vazirian told Sputnik India on Friday.
Perhaps, this is the reason why Israel does not have the desire to launch strong attacks against Lebanon and only limited conflicts are going on in the border areas. Along with Hezbollah, the Houthis can also target Eilat port with long-range missiles and can also target Israeli ships in the Red Sea, he stated.
Vazirian opined that in the coalition known as the axis of resistance (Palestinian militant groups, the Syrian Government, and Hezbollah), each group has its own duties and special tasks.
Vazirian opined that in the coalition known as the axis of resistance (Palestinian militant groups, the Syrian Government, and Hezbollah), each group has its own duties and special tasks.
In this context, he noted that contrary to some propaganda, Hamas is neither the closest nor the most powerful group allied with Iran. Don't forget that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are traditional in terms of ideology, and in terms of political thinking, they are close to the movement of the Muslim Brotherhood*.
Furthermore, the strategic affairs pundit explained that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are part of the campaign of unification of arenas by the axis of resistance to confront Israel.
Hezbollah - Chief Coordinator of the Axis of Resistance
However, Vazirian pointed out that contrary to perceptions, it is Lebanon's Hezbollah that is in charge of the coordination of the axis of resistance. Basically, the command of the axis of resistance is with Hezbollah.
He added that it was the same in the Syrian war. The reason for this is the position of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Lebanon's Hezbollah is the strongest and oldest non-state actor of the axis of resistance which has more experience of war with Israel than the rest of the members of the axis.
"Therefore, unlike other fronts of the axis of resistance in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, the philosophy of forming the Lebanese Hezbollah has been to confront Israel. It is also militarily stronger than other players, and according to the evaluation of many institutions, it has the most accurate weapons," Vazirian opined.
Tehran Would Support Hamas Through Hezbollah, Expert Says
Against this backdrop, it seems that if Iran wants to directly support Hamas, it is through Hezbollah, the international relations analyst affirmed.
In Vazirian's view, the analysis of the axis of resistance is that Hamas can counter Israel's ground attack to a large extent. The publication of several videos by Hamas targeting Israeli tanks confirms this hypothesis to some extent.
"All in all, I assess that the non-state actors of the axis of resistance can fight on their own and do not need the direct presence of Iran. Especially Hezbollah and the Houthis, who have a history of long and hybrid wars," he asserted.
Moreover, neither Israel nor America wants to escalate the war in the Middle East, the analyst said. However, in only one scenario, Iran may enter the war directly, when Hezbollah and Houthis cannot do anything and Israel deals a huge blow to them militarily. Though this scenario seems unlikely due to the various factors mentioned earlier, Vazirian summed it up.
* The organization banned in Russia