Columnist

Hanin Ghaddar

Hanin Ghaddar is the inaugural Friedmann Visiting Fellow at The Washington Institute.

Latest Articles

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    The US-Russia-Israel Summit: Can Russia Push Iran Out of Syria?

    Earlier this month, The White House announced that U.S., Israeli and Russian national security advisers would meet in Jerusalem in June to discuss regional security issues. According to the White House press release, United States National Security Adviser Ambassador John Bolton, Israeli National...

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    When Hezbollah Lost its Sacredness

    For Hezbollah to establish itself as the strongest faction in Lebanon, and then transform into a regional arm for Iran, a strategy of popular support had to be carved. The Iranian regime understood that without vast popular support and loyalty, Hezbollah will always be confronted with Lebanon’s...

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    Will Iran Retaliate to the US’s Extreme Pressure? 

    It is no longer debatable that Iran is hurting from the extreme pressure policy that the Trump administration launched against the Iranian regime and its regional proxies. Right before Washington revoked waivers to Iran’s five remaining oil export markets, the administration declared Iran’s Revo...

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    Hezbollah-Iran Dynamics: A Proxy, Not a Partner

    As the United States increases sanctions on Iran and its proxies, conventional debates surrounding Hezbollah’s designation as a partner or proxy of Iran have resurfaced in Beirut and Washington. Should Washington consider the group a Lebanese actor or an Iranian military subsidiary?...

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    Lebanon’s Tough Choice

    US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s warning to Lebanon was controversial, as expected. It came amidst two major events. The night prior to his Beirut trip, US President Donald Trump declared US recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which it captured from...

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    Hezbollah’s Financial Crisis

    */ Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria has depleted the group’s resources. Salaries increased, services – mainly health services – became in demand more than ever, and more significantly, the community had to suffer more isolation and unemployment challenges. Moreover, the US sanctions on Iran is...

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    U.S. Sanctions Are Hurting Hezbollah

    Despite Hezbollah’s repeated claims that foreign sanctions would not affect its capabilities, evidence suggests that the group is facing a serious financial crisis. Its leaders have already implemented harsh new austerity measures, and sources close to the group believe these efforts will become...

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    UK to Ban Hezbollah: What are the Repercussions?

    */ The United Kingdom is set to ban Hezbollah, along other groups such as Ansarul Islam and Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam Muslimeen (JNIM), the UK's Home Office said in a statement earlier this week. Like European countries, the UK previously distinguished the Lebanese Shia group’s military and politi...

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    The New Lebanese Government: The Devil is in the Details

    It took the Lebanese prime minister nine months to form a government. The period was filled with challenges that cast a dark shade over Lebanon and its people. And now that the government has been formed it appears poised to make things worse. To begin with, it is not a “national unity govern...

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    What Comes Next in Syria

    Nearly eight years into Syria's civil war, President Trump’s announcement that he would withdraw U.S. troops from the region had many worried about repercussions, and pushed some to rethink their strategies and short-term plans. Although US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had rushed to the region...

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Interviews
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We Respect Arab Leaders Who Put Their Predominantly Youthful Populations First

Opinion

Iran’s Possible Covert Tactics
By Dennis Ross
Democrats, Republicans at Odds Over Gulf Tensions
By Joseph Braude
Iran Arouses Fear in the Arab Gulf
By Joseph Braude
Hezbollah-Iran Dynamics: A Proxy, Not a Partner
By Hanin Ghaddar
The Deal to End All Deals
By Dennis Ross
US Policy Towards Lebanon
By Elie Fawaz