Iran could ‘activate’ Hezbollah if US targets regime, Trump’s inner circle to decide: expert

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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has tightened control over Hezbollah in the Middle East amid looming prospects of potential U.S.strikes, according to reports.

According to theJerusalem Post, the tactical shift comes as Hezbollah and Iran prepare for military confrontation in the region, with analysts warning that if Washington specifically strikes the regime, Hezbollah is ready to be “activated.”

“If theregime in Tehranfeels threatened, the likelihood of unleashing Hezbollah against Israel and U.S.regional assets increases substantially,”IRAN SIGNALS NUCLEAR PROGRESS IN GENEVA AS TRUMP CALLS FOR FULL DISMANTLEMENT

“As part of a graduated response, Hezbollah will likely be seen as an asset,�(Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

PresidentDonald Trumppreviously gave Iran a deadline of 10 to 15 days to respond to a deal, raising questions about what steps Washington could take if Tehran fails to comply.

A new round oftalks is now scheduledfor Thursday in Geneva and expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear program, including uranium enrichment levels and sanctions relief.

“The decision-making circle in theWhite Houseis very small regarding Iran, with the president keeping a close hand on it all,” Harrison explained.

He added that any decision to directly target the Iranian regime would likely rest within Trump’s inner circle of advisers.

“Normally there is input from theNational Security Counciland the wider intelligence community,” Harrison said.“Since the decision-making process in the White House is opaque, it is hard to know how much of this is getting through.”

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Another round of talks between the U.S.and Iran is slated for Thursday in Geneva.(Getty Images)

“If the U.S.is engaging withthe Saudis and Emiratis, they are getting warnings about the possibility of this war spreading to the broader region, which would be deleterious to the U.S.and its allies,” he added.

Harrison also warned that there was “potential for attacks to spread across the region, to Israel through direct Iranian ballistic attacks and via Hezbollah, and to the Gulf Arab states through Iran directly and possibly via the Houthis from Yemen.”

Regional media reports also suggest Iran’s ties with Hezbollah are strengthening.Sources told Al Arabiya and Al Hadath that IRGC officers have been rebuilding Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and managing strategic war plans.

The coordination follows changes within Hezbollah’s leadership, Harrison explained.

“Since the killing by Israel of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last year, ties and operational coordination have to some degree been reestablished,” he said.

“The IRGC has supported Hezbollah in Lebanon for decades,” he said, adding that efforts to reestablish ties appear to be occurring “particularly in light of thedestruction of Iran’s nuclear siteslast June.”

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A poster showing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is displayed in Beirut, below a flag bearing the image of assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

“Since the killing by Israel of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last year, ties and operational coordination have to some degree been reestablished,” Harrison said.(Marwan Naamani/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

“Iran is trying to resurrect lost assets, such as its missile program and its connections to Hezbollah,” Harrison said.

“Hezbollah has been seen for decades by Iran as a deterrence asset against an Israeli or American attack.Since Hezbollah has its own interests, connected to but separate from Iran, whether its leadership will go all the way for Tehran is unknown,” he concluded.

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The developments surrounding Hezbollah and the IRGC came as Supreme Leader AyatollahAli Khameneihas appointed close ally Ali Larijani as the country’s de facto leader, accordingto reports.

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