Hawzah News Agency- These conditions are taking shape amid the declining ability of the United States and its allies to control the rhythm of developments—as they did in previous decades—and the emergence of powerful regional actors who have redefined the concepts of deterrence and influence in the comprehensive struggle against the “Israeli” project.
In this context, Jihad Al-Samad, a member of the Lebanese Parliament, emphasized in an interview with Islam Times that the Islamic Republic of Iran has today become a central and balancing element in regional equations. He noted that the events of recent years have not merely been temporary developments; rather, they constitute a strategic turning point that has redrawn the maps of influence and the boundaries of regional and international impact.
Al-Samad began his remarks by stressing that Iran has faced one of the most concentrated international pressure campaigns of recent decades in terms of sanctions, political pressure, and economic and political isolation. Nevertheless, Tehran succeeded in consolidating its position as an influential regional power and, beyond that, managed on multiple fronts to move from a defensive posture to a position of initiative and active engagement.
The Lebanese politician added that Iran never viewed challenges merely as existential threats; rather, it transformed them into opportunities to strengthen its inherent capabilities and expand the scope of its regional presence. This approach has manifested itself both in the development of relations with regional powers and through effective engagement in the Middle East’s complex political files.
Al-Samad pointed out that this transformation has had a direct impact on the balance of power in the Middle East. As a result, the region is no longer dominated by a unilateral equation but has instead become a multipolar arena with diverse centers of influence—a reality that has compelled all parties to reconsider their political and strategic calculations.
According to him, Washington is no longer capable of dictating its conditions through the same methods it employed in the past.
He added that this reality demonst”ates’the shrinking margin of maneuver available to the United States, particularly after repeated efforts to alter Iran’s behavior or Isolate it from Its regional environment ended in failure.
He explained that developments in Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq have demonstrated that efforts to break this axis through direct wars, economic blockades, or political pressure have failed to achieve their objectives.
He added that Iran and its allies in the region have successfully managed to impose this new form of deterrence—an achievement attained through the combination of indirect military presence, political capacity for influence, and popular support across multiple fronts.
Assessing the domestic political climate, Al-Samad stated that some Lebanese political forces continue to treat the resistance and its weapons as though they constitute the country's principal problem. These groups ignore the fact that the Israeli occupiers remain the greatest threat to Lebanon and that, despite all regional developments over recent years, aggressions and violations have never ceased.
Concluding his remarks, he firmly emphasized that Lebanon can confront the challenges ahead only by holding fast to its national unity and its sources of strength. Al-Samad warned that what the Israeli occupiers failed to achieve through war and military aggression must not be accomplished through political pressure or internal divisions. The national interest, he argued, requires safeguarding the factors of strength in the face of continuing threats and adhering to the principles that protect Lebanon’s sovereignty and the rights of its people.
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