Iran’s Tasnim News last week highlighted the increasing Hezbollah threat to Israel, stressing that the terrorist organization has set up 15 observation posts along the Lebanon-Israel border.
The importance of Tehran highlighting this issue, especially based on reports from Israeli media, should not be underestimated. In this case, Iran is trying to show that it can threaten Israel via the Lebanese terrorist group.
Hezbollah often uses civilian homes, innocuous sheds or other nondescript buildings from which it can observe Israel or show off its presence. Hezbollah – which controls a swath of southern Lebanon and has stockpiled missiles and drones – fought a war with the Jewish state in 2006. Tensions have ebbed and flowed ever since. Hezbollah has also moved forces to Syria and threatens Israel from the Syrian side of the Golan Heights.
A Hezbollah post pretending to belong to an environmental organization was exposed last month. In 2018, The Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF accused Hezbollah of once again violating United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, after it uncovered an observation post used by the terrorist group along Israel’s northern border.
The current report noted that these posts are manned by Hezbollah and include towers and other structures. Iran’s media reported that the posts are similar to those used by Hamas, both groups being backed by Tehran.
The report also said that a telecommunications tower had been established. “In another picture, Hezbollah has established its observation point only five meters away from the border fence,” Iranian media said.
Iran's pattern
This is part of a recent pattern in the Islamic Republic’s media of not only relying on Israeli media to selectively report on stories about which Tehran can brag, but also to pretend it is doing something, while not actually carrying through on its threats.
Iran has been increasing its threats against Israel in the last year, via drones and warnings to Israeli citizens abroad. However, it has not been very successful in this regard.
Instead, Tehran has lashed out in Iraq and Syria in other ways. Iran carried out 29 attacks on US forces in those two Islamic countries. It has also attacked the Kurdistan autonomous region in Iraq.
Now with the increasing number of Hezbollah outposts along the Lebanon-Israel border, Iran is upping its threat to the Jewish state even more.