Columnist

Hanin Ghaddar

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

Latest Articles

  • 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 becom...

  • 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 po...

  • 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...

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    Hezbollah’s Tunnels into Israel are Part of a Bigger Threat

    A few days after Israel launched an open-ended operation “Northern Shield” to expose and thwart tunnels built by Hezbollah aimed at infiltrating Israel, The United Nations Security Council decided to hold a meeting next Wednesday to discuss the attack tunnels. The tunnels, of which Israel has...

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    Will a US Democratic Congress Influence Trump’s Middle East Foreign Policy?

    The Republican Party might have lost the US House of Representatives in midterm elections to Democrats, but the US Senate – the legislative arm that usually influence foreign policy – remains under Republican’s control. ...

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    First Government of Iran in Lebanon 

    Since May 6 - the recent parliamentary elections in Lebanon – PM designate Saad Hariri has been trying to form a government that is supposed to be a national unity government, with fair representation by all the parties that constitute the Lebanese political scene. However, as one complication i...

  • By Hanin Ghaddar

    How US Sanctions are Impacting Hezbollah

    Sanctions that the United States re-imposed on Iran have been more effective than expected, according to top US administration officials. These sanctions are not only causing Iran’s own economy to suffer, it has also affected Iran’s main proxy: Hezbollah. With HIFPA 2 (Hezbollah International F...

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Opinion

The Deal to End All Deals
By Dennis Ross
US Policy Towards Lebanon
By Elie Fawaz
Hardliners Consolidate in Tehran, Face International Pushback in Bid to Evade Sanctions
By Joseph Braude
U.S. Sanctions Are Hurting Hezbollah
By Hanin Ghaddar
Pressure Mounts on Hezbollah
By Elie Fawaz
The U.S. and Europe Increasingly Aligned to Contain Iran
By Joseph Braude