How Hezbollah and Iran Connected

 Nadene Goldfoot                                         

                         Hezbollah, Houthis, Hamas, PIJ (PLO)        

Picture Iran as an octopus.  Hezbollah is one of its arms. Iran's primary helpers and proxy forces in the Middle East—collectively known as the Axis of Resistance—include the Houthi movement in Yemen, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. In addition to these groups, Iran backs several armed Shia militias in Iraq and Syria, which include the Popular Mobilization Forces. Together with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah's first attacks against Israel occurred shortly after the group was founded in 1982, following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. 

Iran and Hezbollah officially connected and began receiving arms in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Shortly after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) deployed approximately 1,500 personnel to Lebanon to organize, train, and arm various Shiite militant factions, which formally merged to become Hezbollah.

Israel invaded Lebanon in June 1982 with the stated goal of halting Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) attacks across the northern Israeli border and pushing militants 40 km north. The catalyst was the attempted assassination of Shlomo Argov, Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, by gunmen. The assassination attempt on Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Argov in London on June 3, 1982, was actually carried out by the Abu Nidal Organization, a renegade Palestinian splinter group that was a bitter, violent rival to Yasser Arafat's PLO.  Despite Argov being targeted by a rival splinter group, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin's cabinet ultimately held the PLO responsible as a whole. Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes against Palestinian positions in Lebanon, which escalated into the 1982 Lebanon War three days later. It was the 2nd invasion of Lebanon by Israel following the 1978 South Lebanon conflict.  Israelis tried to end Palestinian attacks from Lebanon and destroy the PLO in the country and install a pro-Israel Maronite Christian government.  Israeli forces attacked; and overran PLO positions in southern Lebanon, clashing with Syrian Army who occupied the NE.  Israel and South Lebanon armies took control of southern Lebanon and sieged Beirut.  The timeline of Iran and Hezbollah's early connection and weapons transfers features a few key milestones:

• 1982: Iran's newly established regime sent IRGC forces to the Bekaa Valley to begin training Lebanese militants, marking the birth of the group.
• 1985: Hezbollah released its "Open Letter," officially aligning itself with Ayatollah Khomeini's leadership and cementing its status as an Iranian proxy. 
• 1980s–1990s: With Iranian funding—initially estimated between $36 and $100 million annually—Iran supplied Hezbollah with the equipment and tactical support necessary to carry out a guerrilla campaign in southern Lebanon.

For a detailed analysis of how this military and political partnership evolved into a central pillar of Iranian regional strategy, you can review the Brookings Institution Article or the Council on Foreign Relations Analysis. Furthermore, a complete historical record of their association is maintained on The Iran Primer for further reading. 

Formed with Iranian backing, the militant group of Hezbollah  began launching guerrilla warfare, roadside bombings, and rocket strikes against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in southern Lebanon throughout the 1980s and 1990s.  The Lebanese had a clandestine alliance with Israel but refused to join the war because Bachir Gemayel viewed direct involvement to assist an  invading army. 

So the PLO and allies  got a ceasefire, and left Lebanon with help of a multinational peacekeeping force.  Israel hoped for "40 years of peace."

Support for regional nonstate actors has been a pillar of the Iranian government's foreign policy since the 1979 founding of the Islamic Republic. Iran supports these groups to advance its foreign policy aims, including to position itself as the defender of Shia Muslim communities and other groups that the Iranian government characterizes as oppressed, such as the Palestinians. Perhaps preeminent among these aims is reducing threats that Iran may face stemming from the regional influence of the United States and its regional allies, with which the Iranian government "sees itself as locked in an existential struggle," according to a public assessment by the U.S. intelligence community.

Resource:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezbollah%E2%80%93Iran_relations

https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12587

IRGC and Hezbollah Threatening Israel In Tyre, Lebanon

 Nadene Goldfoot

                       

    Iran's huge fighting force of elite soldiers operates in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in a parade.  The ⁠Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is an elite, ideological branch of Iran's Armed Forces. Established after the 1979 revolution, its primary purpose is to safeguard Iran’s Islamic regime from internal and external threats, serve as a counterweight to the regular military, and project Iranian power abroad.The Guards wield massive political influence, holding key parliamentary seats and de facto managing vast sectors of the Iranian economy (such as oil and construction). Because their own wealth and survival depend entirely on the regime, they view any democratic revolution as an existential threat. Reports coming out is that a few are joining today's revolution, though.               

Netanyahu is following his awareness that Hezbollah must be stopped and yes, destroyed.  Israeli airstrikes are heavily targeting the southern Lebanese city of Tyre and towns in the Nabatieh region, killing at least eight people in Tyre and thirteen overall. The bombardment continues despite evacuation warnings and falters a newly brokered U.S. cease-fire, escalating tensions as Iran threatens further retaliation.  Of course, Iran has been trying to wipe out Israel ever since 1948 when it was re-born. 

 Tyre Airstrikes: Heavy bombardment struck housing districts in the ancient coastal city of Tyre, including the Christian quarter. Forcible displacement orders were issued to thousands of residents  At least eight people were killed and over thirty wounded in Tyre, with an additional five killed by drone and artillery strikes across nearby villages. Do they not have bomb shelters and siren warnings?

Tyre was a wealthy Phoenician maritime city located on the Mediterranean coast of modern-day Lebanon. In the Bible, it is famously known for supplying cedars and skilled craftsmen to build King Solomon's Temple, and later became a focal point for powerful prophetic judgments and early Christian ministry .                                              

     Hezbollah shooting missiles into Israel.  Iran has warned it will launch further attacks on Israel if the offensive in Lebanon does not cease. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump is urging all parties to halt escalation, stating that a final peace deal could be close, but they've heard that one before. Hezbollah acts under the orders of the Iranian regime.                            

       Shahab 3 missile of Iran:  The Shahab-3 is a road-mobile, liquid-fueled medium-range ballistic missile developed by Iran, based on North Korean Nodong-1 technology. With a range between 1,000 and 2,000 kilometers, it serves as the backbone of Iran's strategic deterrent, bringing targets like Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East within range.  Because its payload capacity was sized from the beginning to accommodate nuclear weapons, it remains a focal point of ⁠U.S. intelligence and international defense monitoring.  

   In Iran, hatred is for the big Satan (USA) and little Satan (Israel)

Not the West: AI Has Discovered Tousi's Evaluation of Revolution Going On In Iran (2nd Try)

  Nadene Goldfoot                                     

  Iranian Youth hit the streets;  would rather die standing than die bending their knees;  Police and others are joining them in the Revolution.  They are not about to shoot their own families and children who are doing so.  

Current Situation (As of early 2026):
Despite the lack of major US media coverage, reports indicate that anti-regime protests have escalated into a serious uprising, with thousands of deaths reported during a "two-day bloodbath" in January 2026, according to human rights groups and leaked information. US government-funded media, such as the Voice of America's Persian-language service, has increased its coverage, adding hours of live, specialized programming. However, mainstream television coverage has not matched the severity of the crisis. That's one reason why I can't say "The West" finally is telling about

the Revolution going on in Iran.  I thought AI telling it was happening was 

enough of a fact to related to others.  I didn't mean to be misleading but 

factual.  

As of early February 2026, a intense,, widespread uprising is challenging the Iranian regime following severe economic crises, with thousands protesting and reports of significant casualties and over 18,000 arrests. The movement, featuring "Death to Khamenei" chants, is met with brutal state repression, including internet blackouts, though protests persist across various cities.  

• Scale and Scope: The unrest, which began around late December 2025, involves diverse social classes protesting inflation, high prices, and the clerical establishment.
• Regime Response: Authorities are employing violent suppression, resulting in thousands of deaths and detentions, described as a "massacre". The government has also imposed severe internet blackouts to stifle mobilization. (Tousi.tv got through)
• Economic Drivers: Protests were triggered by a crashing currency and high inflation, with the regime initially suggesting economic relief before switching to a hardline crackdown. (they offered each person $7 dollars.)  (Money is zilch!  Jobs are gone.  So is food and water).  
• Outlook: While some analysts see the potential for a revolution, others suggest the regime's intense, violent crackdown may crush the movement, or it could lead to a, more militarized, IRGC-led, state, Fortune.  (This time the Revolution is taking;  Crown Prince Pavlovi is leading it.  It's a  happening. ) 
• International Context: The U.S. has maintained a travel advisory warning against travel to Iran, while CNN reported a U.S. carrier strike group moving to the region. 

  US carrier strike group is now in the Middle East region, sources say.

• The situation remains highly volatile, with the

•  regime's survival

•  appearing more uncertain than in previous uprisings, though it 

• retains strong, coercive control. (on the record, Trump has 

• engagements with IRGC about

•  nuclear arms still in the planning.) 

The question still remains:  Why hasn't the West-meaning the abc, CNN,

NBC, etc, well known websites picked up the Revolution?  Do they have

reporters there?  The Ayatollah of Iran closed down their internet but can't

American reporters get their own facts on this?  If not, why?  Are they all

rooting for the Ayatollas's regime?  It looks like it to me.  

Resource:

AI through google-excited to find this information, maybe too excited  

https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/26/middleeast/iran-carrier-strike-group-indian-ocean-intl

Pardon to people reading my copy under a different title.  I was called on it as not being correct.  I

have been trusting Tousi.tv.  I still do until proven wrong.  Again, this world is upside down.  Nada

Israel's Operation Rising Lion Helps Iranian Lion

 Nadene Goldfoot                                       

        Israelis are helping again the young people of Iran freeing themselves.  Israel is right there.  May we continue to have a freedom of caring for each other and helping out like the lions above.  Shalom Tousi, I love you, too, and that's from an old Israeli Jewess living in USA's Portland, Oregon, former teacher, now a blogger.   I know we haven't had good relations; horrid ones with Ayatollahs, but good with your former Shah. What's all the listed meetings with IRGC people  their nuclear international continental rockets about ? Looks like they're all in hiding or Moscow!  Let's make it even better today!!! 

Based on the biblical and national symbolism of Israel, the lion (specifically the Lion of Judah) is found on the Emblem of Israel (the state emblem), which features a menorah surrounded by olive branches, framed by a shield with a lion on it. It is also represented in various Israeli, governmental, and military insignia representing strength and the Tribe of Judah. 

                                  Emblem of Jerusalem

                                                    

                                     Emblem of Israel 

                                                                               

     Flag of freed Iranians, going back to original flag of Shah of Iran

In June 2025, Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion," with IDF forces conducting intense, targeted strikes against Iranian military, nuclear, and regime infrastructure. That was only 7 months ago.  

These operations, including airstrikes and specialized attacks, killed over 30 senior IRGC commanders, destroyed missile launchers, and damaged nuclear sites at Natanz and Fordow. 

Operation Rising Lion (June 2025) was a 12-day Israeli aerial campaign targeting Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure, featuring over 300 airstrikes and 12,000+ intelligence images. Visuals include MAXAR satellite imagery showing damage at the Natanz enrichment facility, IDF, Facebook photos of IAF jets taking off, and images of female navigators, such as Maj. Shin. 

Major Shin (often referred to as Major Sh.) is a female combat navigator in the Israeli Air Force (IAF) who gained public attention for her role in historic, long-range airstrikes against Iran in June 2025. Flying over 1,500 kilometers, she emphasized the mission's goal of removing existential threats to Israel for a safer future. 

Iran's Quds Force and What Israel and USA Are Doing About It

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                    

     Iranian Soldiers

Israel Dealing with Hezbollah of Lebanon That Hurts Iran:

 Thomas Joseph Barrack Jr. (born April 28, 1947) is an American private equity real estate investor and the founder and executive chairman of Colony Capital, a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT). Barrack has for decades been a close friend of and fundraiser for U.S. President Donald Trump, representing him in television news appearances.  In December 2024, Barrack was nominated by then President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the United States ambassador to Turkey.

The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed that Qassem Al-Husseini, a Lebanese terrorist affiliated with Iran’s Quds Force, was killed in an Israeli airstrike near Beirut. Al-Husseini was a Lebanese terrorist involved in advancing terrorist plots against Israeli civilians and IDF troops on the northern front on behalf of Iran's Quds Force.                                               

Commander in Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps;, June 13, 2025

The Quds Force  (lit. 'Jerusalem Force') is one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It specializes in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations. 

U.S. Army's Iraq War General Stanley McChrystal describes the Quds Force as an organization analogous to a combination of the CIA and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the United States.

 Responsible for extraterritorial operations, the Quds Force supports non-state actors in many countries, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Houthi movement, and Shia militias in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.

Qassem played a key role in smuggling Iranian weapons through Syria into Lebanon and the West Bank, and was involved in planning terror attacks. IDF forces struck multiple Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon today.  

US envoy Thomas Barrack is in Beirut for meetings with Lebanese officials on a proposal to disarm Hezbollah.

Resource:

israelAM

https://www.yahoo.com/news/security-forces-kill-terrorist-qassem-192048015.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Barrack