ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the causes and consequences of Hizbollah’s military intervention in Syria. It argues that Hizbollah’s intervention in Syria was due to the changing military balance in Syria in late 2012, which threatened to overthrow its ally, the Asad regime, and to dismantle the three-decade old alliance, the “Resistance and Refusal Axis,” which ties Hizbollah to Iran and Syria. The emergence of the “Islamic State” and other al-Qaida-affiliated movements in Syria reinforced, but did not cause, Hizbollah’s strategic intervention in Syria. Whilst Hizbollah’s intervention succeeded in preserving Asad’s regime, it generated political and ethical quandaries for the Islamist movement.
