The message is clear. Iran wants Israel and the region to believe Hezbollah is strong and ready for a possible future war.
How does Hezbollah communicate this?
Hezbollah often makes broad claims about its abilities or relies on foreign media reports to boost its claims.
This often takes the form of relying on Israeli media reports. For instance, on June 30, the Iranian state media website IRNA reported that “a former Zionist official says Hezbollah in Lebanon is one of the five superpowers in terms of the number of rockets it possesses, media outlets have reported.”
This is a way for Hezbollah to boast, via Iranian media, about its capabilities. It uses the foil of Israel and Israeli quotes to boost its own claims. This form of laundering information is familiar in the region, especially with Iranian media. However, the Hezbollah context of tensions with Israel is important to watch here. READ MORE
