ABSTRACT
Since its foundation, Hezbollah has drawn considerable attention from scholars of politics and the social sciences. As such, there is a growing body of research into “the Party of God” (the Party), especially after its involvement in the bombing of the American Embassy in Beirut in 1984. This chapter aims to identify how Hezbollah is transitioning from a Lebanese political party to an influential regional actor, using the Party’s involvement in the Syrian conflict as a case study. It then discusses the implications of this shift for US foreign policy and its homeland security interests. As a regional actor, Hezbollah has been able to successfully merge its religious identity with its political objectives and this has allowed the Party to present itself as a role model for other jihadist movements such as Hamas. The transition of Hezbollah’s regional identity away from the restrictive “jihadist movement” is arguably not hindered if it is not able to improve relations with the West.
