The Israeli-Lebanon border is reaching a flashpoint again. Hezbollah has replenished itself with new rockets and arms from Syria after the hammering Lebanon received last year from Israeli bombardments. .
Hezbollah’s defiant posturing last year, when Israeli guns were pounding Lebanon, has increased its reputation amongst Arabs as an outfit which can stand up to Israel. During the Israeli invasion Hezbollah had kept up a steady barrage of rockets strike on Israeli targets.
Hezbollah leader Nasrallah is itching for a fight with Israel. Perhaps he wants to earn more laurels from Arabs. He has taunted the US for failing to break the regions into bits ruled by outfits pliant to it. He has made gibes at Israeli saying its soldiers kidnapped last year still remain in captivity.
Hezbollah has withdrawn support from the US backed Lebanese government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.Meanwhile US has raised the heat by accusing Iran of stoking unrest in Iraq through its agent-Hezbollah. It has claimed it has captured a Hezbollah man who was training Iraqi militants and had links to the Iranian army.
All these developments portend ill for the war-torn Middle East. With temperatures raised in all quarters a renewed bout of strife between Israel and Hezbollah is very likely. It is only a matter a time before fighting flares up again. It is very likely that the prevailing heatwave is the handiwork of Iran who wants to keep the US entangled so that attention is diverted from its ongoing nuclear programme. Iran has great influence on Syria and on Hezbollah. Iran wants to demonstrate to the world the influence it wields in the region.
