Many of the Shi’a in Lebanon are now looking for a political alternative to Hezbollah, that has dragged them into a disastrous war with Israel. Hezbollah’s war against Israel that began on October 8, 2023, has led to the destruction of many buildings of the Shi’a stronghold in Dahiyeh, southern Beirut, and hundreds of thousands of Shi’a have now been displaced from eastern Lebanon. They seek an alternative to Hezbollah, one that will not be a proxy of Iran, but reflect only the interests of Lebanese Shi’a. More on the diminished support for Hezbollah in Lebanon can be found here: “Economic strain weakens Hezbollah support base in Lebanon, ITIC assessment finds,” by Danielle Greyman-Kennard, Jerusalem Post, June 21, 2026:
The economic consequences of Hezbollah’s decision to drag Lebanon into another war on behalf of the Islamic Republic have the terror group’s Shiite support base increasingly looking to ideological alternatives, according to an assessment published by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC).
Still recovering from the cost of Hezbollah’s decision to attack Israel on October 8, 2023, in support of its terror ally Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel, confidence in Hezbollah’s ability to pay the cumulative cost of damage is quickly dampening, and some of its supporter base are beginning to look for political alternatives.
Many want to see a group emerge that is loyal to Beirut, seeking to reduce Iran’s control over Lebanon, though such desires have yet to materialize into a real alternative, ITIC noted in its assessment.
The Forum of Shi’ite Lebanese, established in June 2025, has manifested as a potential future alternative, emphasizing the need to return the powers of security, war and peace to the Lebanese state, strengthen the Lebanese army, and establish a broad national partnership of all components of Lebanese society. The group advocated for positive, but not subordinate, relations with Iran.
Lieutenant-Colonel (res.) Dr. Moran Levavoni, a researcher with the Institute for National Security Studies, explained to The Jerusalem Post that there was still very much a “standstill” in Lebanon, especially given Iran’s recent success in negotiations with the United States.
“We are in a sort of a standstill. While Hezbollah supporters are celebrating the victory of Iran and especially the approval of Trump to the Iranian victory and patronage over Lebanon, its opponents are very strict with the notion that they don’t want to have Iranian sovereignty over Lebanon,” Levanoni highlighted.
The Islamic Republic asserted during negotiations that it expected a ceasefire on all fronts, including Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The agreement with Washington came as Beirut negotiated its own agreement with Israel through the United States, a course of action that had Hezbollah threatening civil war….
Israel, under pressure from Trump, and most reluctantly, agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon, which Hezbollah immediately broke, and as a consequence, the IDF has again been bombing terror targets in Lebanon. Perhaps the next ceasefire will hold, but that is up to Hezbollah. Israel cannot be expected not to respond to attacks by the terror group.
Even as Hezbollah sinks in support among the Lebanese Shi’a, because of the economic distress its attacks on Israel have provoked, the Americans now will come to the terror group’s rescue. The lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil sales means that tens of billions of dollars will almost immediately start flowing to Iran, and many more billions will be given to Iran when its assets are unfrozen. Iran has already promised that with these huge sums coming in, its first order of business will be to send a large infusion of cash to Hezbollah, which can be used to buy support among disaffected Shi’a. Trump’s deal will rescue Hezbollah just as its political base in Lebanon was dissolving. Quite a feat by the Trump administration, scoring this diplomatic own goal.
Billy says
Islam is a Criminal-Terrorist-Gang Enterprise against all Non-Muslims using discrimination, deceit, segregation, violence, and terrorism as taught in Islamic Law and in Islam’s Qur’an(Qur’an 9:5, 29, 111; 49:15, etc.). Allah in Qur’an 8:39 says, “And engage in war with them[Non-Muslims] until there will not be sedition and the religion will be completely to Allah…”
Islam is the daily practice of Islamic Law by Muslims, and Allah commands Muslims to fight Non-Muslims to establish Islamic Law, Sharia DBA Islam, using Islam’s ideological animus against Non-Muslims so that Islam reigns supreme. Allah in Qur’an 9:29 commands, “Engage in war with those who do not believe in Allah nor in the last day[Non-Muslims]. Nor forbid what Allah and his messenger forbid[in Islamic Law], nor believe in the religion of the truth[Islam] among those who have given the book[Jews and Christians] until they pay the jizyah[Extortion Payment] out of hand and they are subdued[disgraced].”
ploome says
finding the pony, under the poop
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/06/trump_walks_iran_into_a_trap.html
And here you thought Trump was being naïve, trusting Iran to adhere to the MOU (Memo of Understanding.). It’s not a treaty or an agreement or a promise. It’s just a memo. Here is what I think Trump is doing, four steps ahead of everyone else, as usual.
Trump made a big deal out of signing the MOU publicly. Cameras, people standing around, a worldwide press event of the signing.
But Trump knew, and still knows full well, that the Iranians have no intention of adhering to the memo or to any future deal. They will cheat. And when they do, Trump will be able to say, “The U.S. signed the MOU in good faith. The Iranians signed it, too. Now, world, you can see clearly that Iran alone on the world stage cannot be trusted to adhere to any agreement.” (China and Russia are another story for another time.)
Trump’s tactic here is a weird and convoluted Alinsky move of “freezing the target,” isolating it (Iran), and then destroying it. Make no mistake that Trump is fully prepared to bomb them into particles if they break the MOU and any subsequent treaty/deal they will sign in the future.
have faith and pray for the President and the country
Rarely says
You are most likely giving Trump too much credit for foresight.
This is not going to end well.
ploome says
one can hope
40 rounds says
Boy, I hope you’re right but I’ll believe it when I see it
ploome says
me too
James Lincoln says
ploome,
I did see that article.
Yes, possible.
Likely?
I’m not so sure.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I do happen to think that Trump is running a convolutedly complex Machiavellian operation. I do hope that it works out in a way that permanently solves this issue
Josh says
This is delusional cope. Followed by telling me to have faith in the POTUS and the country. Which is outright heretical nonsense. My faith has nothing to do with the President (who himself is not a man of faith, I should add) or any political position. Nor does my faith have to do with nationalism, any country, nation state, union state, kingdom, etc. Mixing religion with nationalism is not only pure evil, there’s a heresy called Americanism you may want to acquaint yourself with, it’s what the Iranian mullah regime does.
You’re literally instructing me and everyone else to be more like the totalitarian Islamic Iran and their faith-based apocalyptic Twelverism mixed with Persian nationalism. No thanks!
As for the other comments, it’s tragic to see so many people believe Trump is not only playing 4D chess here but playing it against Iran. Alas, he isn’t, on both counts.
President Trump is a self-absorbed narcissistic clown incapable of loving anyone or anything but the man in the mirror. He might be the most narcissistic person I’ve ever known of…if not for the entirety of the Hollywood film industry. A film industry he spent decades rubbing shoulders with and felt at home in, until they hated him for the 2016 campaign and “stealing” the election from their anointed HRC.
Stop mixing religion with political position, offices, or persons. Stop mixing religion with nationalism. That’s what Iran does and what the Iranians meant when they said back in January that the protestors “opposed God”. Anyone who opposes the mullah regime “opposes God”. You just lust for an American version of the regime in Tehran.
Pray Hard says
That seems to be how it always goes. Get the moslems on the ropes, then walk away. I’ve watched it my entire life. I though Trump would be different. Guess not.
gravenimage says
Trump’s Deal Rescues Hezbollah Just As Its Political Base in Lebanon Was Dissolving
………………………………………………………………………….
Hamas redux…