In the entrance hall of the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the head of French diplomacy, has just finished his speech, devoted to the economic tornado sweeping the country of the Cedars and to aid that Paris is willing to bring, that a local journalist apostrophes it: “Minister, what do you think of Hezbollah’s domination of Lebanon? “ The question remains open. His recipient dodges and disappears behind a door, along with his counterpart, Nassif Hitti.
This scene observed Thursday July 23, the first day of Jean-Yves Le Drian’s visit to Beirut, says a lot about the political climate that prevails in Lebanon in these troubled times. The disarray caused by the collapse of the national currency and the tilting of entire sections of society into poverty has rekindled political tensions around the pro-Iranian Shiite movement. The rhetoric presenting Hezbollah, a government party and an over-armed militia, as the source of the calamities befalling the country, is gaining strength in a part of the population, mainly Sunni and Christian.
“ Even if this is only partially true, this perception is increasing in part of the public opinion as the crisis worsens ”, remarks Tarek Mitri, former interim foreign minister. In question, the membership of the movement to the “axis of resistance” led by Tehran. In addition to playing a pivotal role in the ruling coalition, the “Party of God” commands an army bis, deployed on the border with Israel, fighting in Syria alongside pro-Assad forces and training the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
“Maximum pressure” driven by the United States
In response, the United States put Hezbollah under financial sanctions, measures whose chilling effect was felt beyond the movement. At the end of June, Dorothy Shea, the American ambassador to Lebanon, increased the pressure on the Shiite formation by accusing it “To prevent any economic solution” and to have “Siphoned off billions of dollars that should have gone into government coffers”. Statements in line with the policy of “maximum pressure” driven by the United States against Iran.
After a time of hesitation, for fear of falling into a trap, Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of the movement, nevertheless rallied to the idea of requesting a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the condition set by the donor countries, such as France, to reopen their check books. The establishment of an audit of the banking sector, demanded by the institution in exchange for its support, does not worry “the sayyed”, the nickname of Nasrallah.
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