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Analysis

Mehr News on Lebanon: “The Cradle of Resistance”

The November 17 edition of the Iran Media Review highlights a report on alleged Lebanese public support for Palestinian militant groups and war with Israel.

Ali Alfoneh

2 min read

Lebanese Hezbollah’s political leadership does not appear to have any interest in getting entangled in the Israel-Hamas conflict. And Iran appears to perceive Hezbollah principally as a deterrent against potential Israeli attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities. Meanwhile, the Iranian public seems “indifferent” to the war in Gaza. Mehr News, however, reported November 8 on the alleged popularity of Hamas in Lebanon and the willingness of the Lebanese to fight another war with Israel. Who is Mehr News trying to convince of Lebanon’s readiness for war?

  • November 8: Mohammad-Ali Takht-Ravandeh of centrist Mehr News reported from Beirut:
    • “With regard to the popularity of the Palestinian resistance in Lebanon, Hamas appears to top the list, followed by the Islamic Jihad Movement, Fatah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine … Remarkably, Fatah or Palestine Liberation Organization members who are based in Lebanon do not follow the line of some of their leaders within Palestine who are in favor of collaboration” with Israel, “and there is not the slightest inclination toward collaboration and peace with the Zionists among them.”
    • “In my conversations with the Lebanese, I discovered that the people of Lebanon are moving according to the strategic guidelines issued by their leader, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, Lebanese Hezbollah’s secretary general. This is to the extent that we can call Beirut the cradle of resistance … Talking with the young people, they said they are counting the minutes until the opening of a Lebanese front so they can participate in this war, and they are convinced and believe that in this war, too, the Axis of Resistance will defeat the Zionist regime.”

The views represented herein are the author's or speaker's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of AGSI, its staff, or its board of directors.

Ali Alfoneh

Senior Fellow, AGSI

Analysis

Under Mojtaba, the IRGC Will Reign Supreme

Iran may still call itself an Islamic Republic. In practice, however, it increasingly resembles a state in which the military governs from behind clerical robes.

Ali Alfoneh

6 min read

Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, attends the annual Quds Day rally in Tehran, Iran, May 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Political Life and Legacy of Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in his office in Tehran at age 86, leaving behind a country in ruins and on the verge of civil war and potential disintegration.

Ali Alfoneh

15 min read

In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in a meeting in Tehran, Iran, February 17. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

Iranian Regime Fighting for Survival

Iran is signaling that it will not absorb attacks passively. But whether this strategy ensures the regime’s survival, seals its fate, or accelerates a broader catastrophe will shape the region for years to come.

Ali Alfoneh

4 min read

Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, February 28. (AP Photo)

Iran’s 2025-26 Protests in Perspective

The erosion of the regime’s legitimacy across broad segments of society, combined with the breadth of the 2025-26 protest coalition, raises the possibility that a new confrontation could trigger renewed anti-regime mobilization.

Ali Alfoneh

9 min read

In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8. (UGC via AP)
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Events

Apr 21, 2026

9:30am - 10:30am

Inside Iran’s Wartime Leadership: Power, Succession, and Regime Stability

On April 21, AGSI will host a discussion on the evolution of Iran's leadership during the war.

Register
In this photo released by the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, center right, and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, center left, are greeted by Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, right, and Army Chief Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir, left, upon their arrival at Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, April 11. (Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)
In this photo released by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, Iranian Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, center right, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, center left, are greeted by Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, right, and Army Chief Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir, left, upon their arrival at Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, April 11. (Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)

Mar 18, 2026

In Its Conflict With the United States and Israel, Does Escalation Favor Iran?

On March 18, AGSI hosted a discussion on the escalation of the Iran war.

Firefighters try to extinguish flames at the site of a direct hit by an Iranian missile strike in Holon, central Israel, March 13,. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Firefighters try to extinguish flames at the site of a direct hit by an Iranian missile strike in Holon, central Israel, March 13. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Mar 2, 2026

After the Shock: Implications of the U.S.–Israeli Strikes and Iran’s Leadership Transition

On March 2, AGSI hosted a discussion on the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 1. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA via REUTERS)
Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 1. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA via REUTERS)

Jan 8, 2026

Outlook 2026: Prospects and Priorities for U.S.-Gulf Relations in the Year Ahead

On January 8, AGSI hosted a virtual roundtable with its leadership and scholars as they look ahead and assess trends likely to shape the Gulf region and U.S. foreign policy during the coming year. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a meeting with the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council states as part of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the Lotte Palace Hotel in New York, September 24. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, Pool)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a meeting with the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council states as part of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the Lotte Palace Hotel in New York, September 24. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, Pool)
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