(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Dr. Shimon Shapira - On Jan. 30, 2018, Sayyed Ebrahim Raisi, a member of Iran's Assembly of Experts who is thought to be Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's successor, toured Lebanon's border with Israel, escorted by Hizbullah military commanders and Iranian officers. In 2017, Raisi lost the elections for the Iranian presidency to Hassan Rouhani. During his visit, Raisi proclaimed that "Jerusalem's liberation is near." It would appear that this visit by a senior Iranian figure close to Khamenei was meant to convey to Israel that Iran is determined to help Hizbullah strengthen its military capabilities in Lebanon. The writer, a senior research associate at the Jerusalem Center, served as Military Secretary to the Prime Minister and as Israel Foreign Ministry chief of staff.
2018-02-05 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive