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Why Hizbullah Wants Lebanon's New President to Succeed

(UnHerd) Michal Kranz - Joseph Khalil Aoun, head of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), is the new Lebanese president. It would be in Hizbullah's interest for Aoun to succeed because his foreign backers are their only path toward funding reconstruction in the war-battered Shia south. With Iran retreating across the region, Hizbullah can hardly rely on Tehran to help rebuild shattered towns and villages in its strongholds, making Aoun's connections to Gulf financiers absolutely critical. With over 99,000 homes destroyed or damaged and around $2.8 billion in looming reconstruction costs across the country, Hizbullah's ability to facilitate the recovery of its community will be central for its political future. Hizbullah's fundamental promise to be a guarantor of economic and political security for Lebanon's Shia may start to come apart as Lebanon suffers under the combined weight of economic disaster and the ravages of war. Bowing to Western demands, at least in part, Hizbullah acted to keep its reputation to its base alive and well.
2025-01-16 00:00:00
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