Middle Eastern expert Prof. Eyal Zisser, from Tel Aviv University, estimates that the assassination of the senior IRGC officer Mohammad Reza Zahedi in Syria will not lead Hezbollah to intensify the attacks against Israel on the Lebanon border.
"In my opinion, Hezbollah has no interest in dragging Lebanon into a full-scale war, because it was Iran who was attacked in Syria. It has no way to explain that to the Lebanese. On the other hand, we need to be prepared and ready, as developments can happen at any moment," Zisser said to Kan News.
He added that "It's about a person who was connected to Hezbollah, built the organization, and his death is a blow to the organization. Nonetheless, Hezbollah is careful to differentiate between Syria and Lebanon. It has responded to attacks on its members in Syria in the past, and since the war, it has been shooting at the north every day, so nothing it is doing is truly a response".
Prof. Zisser emphasized that the assassination itself is an achievement. "It's a dramatic assassination because it involves a person from Iran in Syria and Lebanon. Since the assassination of Qassem Soleimani by the Americans four years ago, Zahedi was his successor and built the Iranian presence in the region. Hezbollah was his project along with Soleimani, and he was actually managing the events on behalf of Iran leading up to October 7th."
"The ongoing Israeli activity over the years has hindered the Iranian attempt to gain a foothold in Syria. Had we not acted, there would be Iranian militias in Syria with a missile system like Hezbollah's. This is a battle that has been ongoing for years and actions like this assassination are of great importance. If we don't do anything, or make mistakes, the situation could be worse."
He concluded with a warning: "This assassination will bring peace to the northern border."