Foreign involvement in the 2006 Lebanon War

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Foreign involvement in the 2006 Lebanon War refers to the supply of military aid to combatants during the course of the 2006 Lebanon War, which has been an important aspect of both the hostilities and the diplomatic wrangling surrounding them, including figuring prominently into UN Security Council resolutions on the topic.

Contents

Support of Hezbollah

Iran's help to Hezbollah in preparation for the war was invaluable. According to Israeli journalist Ze'ev Schiff, Iran supplied most of Hezbollah's arms, "including modern antitank weapons and its thousands of rockets." Iranian advisors spent years helping Hezbollah train and build fortified positions throughout southern Lebanon. [1] The U.S., British, and Israeli governments have said that Iran provides military aid to Hezbollah, specifically for this conflict. [2]

Iranian Secretary-general of the "Intifada conference" Ali Akbar Mohtashami Pur then retracted the denial, explicitly telling the Shargh newspaper that Hezbollah is in possession of the long-range Zelzal-2. [3] He also claimed that Iran transferred the missiles so that they could be used to defend Lebanon. [4]

Iran provides between US$50–100 million annually, [5] [6] [ irrelevant citation ] and Hezbollah received Iranian-supplied weaponry, including 11,500 rockets and missiles already in place. Three thousand Hezbollah militants have undergone training in Iran, which included guerrilla warfare, firing missiles and rocket artillery, operating unmanned drones, marine warfare and conventional war operations, and 50 pilots have been trained in Iran in the past two years. [7]

A grenade launcher with a symbol of Iran displayed by Israel as "found in Lebanon during the 2006 Lebanon War" Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Iranian RPG Found in Lebanon (1).jpg
A grenade launcher with a symbol of Iran displayed by Israel as "found in Lebanon during the 2006 Lebanon War"

Iranian Revolutionary Guards were believed to have directly assisted Hezbollah fighters in their attacks on Israel. Multiple sources suggested that hundreds of Revolutionary Guard operatives participated in the firing of rockets into Israel during the war, and secured Hezbollah's long-range missiles. Revolutionary Guard operatives were allegedly seen operating openly at Hezbollah outposts during the war. In addition, Revolutionary Guard operatives were alleged to have supervised Hezbollah's attack on the INS Hanit with a C-802 anti-ship missile. The attack severely damaged the warship and killed four crewmen. It is alleged that between six and nine Revolutionary Guard operatives were killed by the Israeli military during the war. According to the Israeli media, their bodies were transferred to Syria and from there flown to Tehran. [8]

During the conflict, the August 7, 2006 edition of Jane's Defence Weekly reported that Iran answered Hezbollah's August 4 call for "a constant supply of weapons to support its operations against Israel". [9] According to Western diplomatic sources, Iran will supply advanced Russian, Chinese, and Iranian designed Surface-to-air missile systems, in addition to Hezbollah's current stock of Iranian-delivered Strela 2 MANPADS. [10] As recently as November 19, 2006, US and Lebanese intelligence are concerned that Hezbollah is re-arming itself with longer-range missiles via Iran and Syria in defiance of the cease-fire and disarmament agreement. [11]

Support to Lebanon

The US State Department announced a financial assistance package of $10 million US to the Lebanese Armed Forces on 29 July 2006. The previous level of assistance was $1.5 million US. A spokesman indicated that the aim of the aid was "finish the work of [UN] Resolution 1559," and that the additional assistance would go towards "some very basic issues, such as providing spare parts and maintenance and other kinds of things for trucks and personnel carriers and other vehicles". [12]

On August 21, 2006, President George W. Bush announced that US reconstruction aid to Lebanon would be boosted to 230 million dollars. [13]

Security Council Resolution 1559

On September 2, 2004, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1559 calling for the disbanding of all Lebanese militias, among other things, and an armed Hezbollah in South Lebanon is seen by many to be a contravention of the resolution, though the Lebanese government differs on its interpretation. [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]

Iran has been accused by the head of the Israel Defense Forces Intelligence Division, Major General Amos Yadlin, of masking illegal transfers to Hezbollah as “humanitarian aid”. [19]

British Prime Minister Tony Blair claimed in a speech on 1 August 2006 that Hezbollah was armed by Iran, [20] and US President Bush has repeatedly blamed Iran and Syria for supporting Hezbollah. [21]

Support of Israel

As the campaign in Lebanon began, on 14 July, the U.S. Congress was notified of a potential sale of US$210 million worth of jet fuel to Israel. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency noted that the sale of the JP-8 fuel, should it be completed, will “enable Israel to maintain the operational capability of its aircraft inventory....The jet fuel will be consumed while the aircraft is in use to keep peace and security in the region.” [22]

According to Reuters and The New York Times , the Bush administration authorised the expedited processing and shipment of precision-guided bombs, already allotted for sale in 2005, to Israel to support the Israeli campaign, but it did not announce the increased haste publicly. [23]

It was reported on 24 July that the United States was in the process of providing Israel with “bunker buster” bombs, which would be used to target the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrilla group and destroy its trenches. [24]

It was reported in the 3 August edition of Salon.com that the US National Security Agency (NSA) was providing signals intelligence to the IDF allowing them details on whether Iran and Syria were supplying new military aid to Hezbollah. [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hezbollah</span> Lebanese political party and militant group

Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led since 1992 by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps</span> Military organization to protect the political system of the Islamic Republic in Iran

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also called Sepah or Pasdaran, is a multi-service primary branch of the Iranian Armed Forces. It was officially established by Ruhollah Khomeini as a military branch in May 1979, in the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution. Whereas the Iranian Army protects the country's sovereignty in a traditional capacity, the IRGC's constitutional mandate is to ensure the integrity of the Islamic Republic. Most interpretations of this mandate assert that it entrusts the IRGC with preventing foreign interference in Iran, thwarting coups by the traditional military, and crushing "deviant movements" that harm the ideological legacy of the Islamic Revolution. Currently, the IRGC is designated as a terrorist organization by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fateh-110</span> Iranian tactical short-range ballistic missile

The Fateh-110, also known as NP-110 is an Iranian solid-fueled surface-to-surface ballistic missile produced by Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization since 2002. It is single-stage, road-mobile and can carry high-explosive warhead up to 500 kg. It was developed into four generations successively improving range and accuracy. In the latest version, it has a range of 300 km and a "pinpoint accuracy".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fajr-5</span> Iranian long-range multiple launch rocket system

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zelzal-2</span> Artillery rocket

Zelzal-2/Mushak-200 is an Iranian unguided long-range artillery rocket. The Zelzal-2 is a 610 mm truck-launched rocket that has a payload of 600 kg and a range of about 200 km. Development of the Zelzal series began in 1990 and the Zelzal-2 was first shown in 1998. It is developed from the Zelzal-1 and was developed into the Zelzal-3. It has been exported to Syria, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, and has seen combat use in the Syrian Civil War and Yemeni Civil War.

This is a timeline of events related to the 2006 Lebanon War.

Military operations of the 2006 Lebanon War refer to armed engagements initiated by Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah during the 2006 conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hezbollah armed strength</span> Military

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zelzal-3</span> Artillery rocket

Zelzal-3 is an Iranian-made solid propellant guided artillery rocket with a range of 200 km. It is an upgrade of the Zelzal-2 rocket with slightly improved range and was first shown to the public in 2007. A variant, the Zelzal-3B, has a smaller warhead and a range of 250 km. The shape and dimensions of the Zelzal-3 are nearly identical with previous versions except that the nosecone is cone shaped rather than the dome shaped Zelzal-2 and Zelzal-1. The Zelzal-3 has received little use as the much more accurate Fateh-110 missile was also developed from the Zelzal-2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Lebanon War</span> Armed conflict primarily between Israel and Hezbollah

The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War, was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Golan Heights. The principal parties were Hezbollah paramilitary forces and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The conflict started on 12 July 2006, and continued until a United Nations-brokered ceasefire went into effect in the morning on 14 August 2006, though it formally ended on 8 September 2006 when Israel lifted its naval blockade of Lebanon. Due to unprecedented Iranian military support to Hezbollah before and during the war, some consider it the first round of the Iran–Israel proxy conflict, rather than a continuation of the Arab–Israeli conflict.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 is a resolution that was intended to resolve the 2006 Lebanon War. The resolution calls for a full cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon to be replaced by Lebanese and UNIFIL forces deploying to southern Lebanon, and the disarmament of armed groups including Hezbollah. It emphasizes Lebanon's need to fully exert government control and calls for efforts to address the unconditional release of abducted Israeli soldiers.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Akbar Mohtashamipur</span> Iranian cleric and politician (1947–2021)

Ali Akbar Mohtashamipur or Mohtashami was an Iranian Shia cleric who was active in the 1979 Iranian Revolution and later became interior minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He is "seen as a founder of the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon" and one of the "radical elements advocating the export of the revolution," in the Iranian clerical hierarchy.

The funding of Hezbollah comes from Lebanese business groups, private persons, businessmen, the Lebanese diaspora involved in African diamond exploration, other Islamic groups and countries, and the taxes paid by the Shia Lebanese. Hezbollah says that the main source of its income comes from its own investment portfolios and donations by Muslims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iran–Israel proxy conflict</span> Ongoing conflict in Western Asia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iranian intervention in the Syrian civil war</span>

The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Syrian Arab Republic are close strategic allies, and Iran has provided significant support for the Syrian government in the Syrian civil war, including logistical, technical and financial support, as well as training and some combat troops. Iran sees the survival of the Syrian government as being crucial to its regional interests. When the uprising developed into the Syrian Civil War, there were increasing reports of Iranian military support, and of Iranian training of the National Defence Forces both in Syria and Iran. From late 2011 and early 2012, Iran's IRGC began sending tens of thousands of volunteers in co-ordination with the Syrian government to prevent the collapse of the Syrian Arab Army; thereby polarising the conflict along sectarian lines.

Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist political party and militant organization that was established in Lebanon in 1985, has been involved in a long-running conflict with Israel as part of the Iran–Israel proxy conflict and the Israeli–Lebanese conflict. The two sides' first engagement occurred during the Lebanese Civil War, as Iran became increasingly involved in Lebanon's internal affairs. With funding from the Iranian government and training and supervision from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah was built up in Syrian-occupied Lebanon by various religious clerics amidst the 1982 Lebanon War, primarily as a Khomeinist force opposed to the Free Lebanon State and the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hezbollah–Iran relations</span> Bilateral relations and Iranian support for Hezbollah

The Islamic Republic of Iran is a key patron of the Lebanese Shia Islamist militant group and political party Hezbollah. Iranian support, including financial aid, deployment of Revolutionary Guards, and training, has played an important role in Hezbollah's formation and development. Hezbollah has functioned as Iran's proxy since its inception, and is considered to be part of the "Axis of Resistance".

References

  1. ↑ "Israel's war With Iran" by Ze'ev Schiff, Foreign Affairs, November–December 2006, p.23
  2. ↑ "Iran denies giving aid to Hizbullah".[ dead link ]
  3. ↑ "Interview with Ali Akbar Mohtashami". Shargh. 2006-08-03.
  4. ↑ Katz, Yaakov (August 4, 2006). "Iran: We supplied Zelzal-2 to Hizbullah". Jerusalem Post . Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved 2006-08-13.
  5. ↑ "Hezbollah: "A-Team Of Terrorists" - CBS News". CBS News . 2006-08-20. Archived from the original on 2006-08-20. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  6. ↑ "Hizballah (Party of God)". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  7. ↑ "Iran Provider of Hezbollah's Weaponry". Asharq Alawsat. July 16, 2006. Archived from the original on March 2, 2007.
  8. ↑ Klein, Aaron (27 July 2006). "Iranian soldiers join Hizbullah in fighting". Ynet. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  9. ↑ [ permanent dead link ]
  10. ↑ "Iran answers Hizbullah call for SAM systems". Jane's Defence Weekly. 2006-08-07.
  11. ↑ "Breaking News, World News, US and Local News - NY Daily News - New York Daily News". New York. Archived from the original on 2019-12-11. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  12. ↑ https://archive.today/20130125011638/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/744015.html. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved 2006-07-29.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ↑ "Press Conference by the President". White House. 2006-08-21.
  14. ↑ "Who are Hezbollah?". BBC. 2006-07-13.
  15. ↑ "SECURITY COUNCIL NOTES SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN LEBANON, INCLUDING WITHDRAWAL OF FOREIGN FORCES, HOLDING OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN 2005". 2006-10-06. Archived from the original on 2006-10-06. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  16. ↑ "Draft truce calls for 'full cessation of hostilities'". NBC News . 2006-08-06.
  17. ↑ "SECURITY COUNCIL DECLARES SUPPORT FOR FREE, FAIR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN LEBANON; CALLS FOR WITHDRAWAL OF FOREIGN FORCES THERE". 2004-12-07. Archived from the original on 2004-12-07. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  18. ↑ "Hezbollah rejects call to disarm". ABC (AU). 2005-04-27. Archived from the original on 2008-03-08. Retrieved 2006-08-25.
  19. ↑ "Iran supplying weapons to Hizballah as humanitarian aid". Israel today magazine. August 7, 2006. Archived from the original on 2017-07-31. Retrieved 2006-08-13.
  20. ↑ "Blair says Syria, Iran risk confrontation" [ permanent dead link ]
  21. ↑ "Bush says Iran must stop support for armed groups". Reuters. 2006-08-14. Archived from the original on 2006-08-22.
  22. ↑ "Israel- JP-8 Aviation Jet Fuel" (PDF) (Press release). United States Department of Defense. July 14, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2006-08-13.
  23. ↑ "US rushes precision-guided bombs to Israel: paper". Reuters. July 22, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-13.[ dead link ]
  24. ↑ "Israel to get U.S. "bunker buster" bombs - report". Reuters. July 24, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-08-08. Retrieved 2006-08-13.
  25. ↑ "The neocons' next war - Salon.com". 2012-10-19. Archived from the original on 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
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