Israel Captures Alleged Iranian Arms Ship

(NEWSER) - Anti-Israel protesters gathered in the Arab world and beyond today to protest Israel’s bombing campaign against Gaza, the AP reports. At the largest protest, in Lebanon, tens of thousands of Hezbollah supporters listened as the group’s leader warned Israel of the futility of a ground invasion. "Israel's air force will fail to destroy the will of the fighters firing rockets," Hassan Nasrallah said by video link from an undisclosed location. More»

Officials fear they will be executed

(NEWSER) - More than a dozen CIA spies have been caught in Lebanon and Iran over the last six months, and the US worries they’ll be executed—or already have been. "If they were genuine spies, spying against Hezbollah, I don't think we'll ever see them again," an ex-CIA officer tells ABC News . The capture of the spies—who ABC describes as paid informants recruited by the CIA—marks a major setback for US intelligence efforts related to Hezbollah's plans and Iran's nuclear ambitions. And while some insiders point to the inherent risk of such work, others say "sloppy" methods are partially to blame. More»

GOP seeks to block appointment of US ambassador to Damascus

(NEWSER) - Syria has been supplying Hezbollah militants in Lebanon with long-range Scud missiles capable of hitting Israeli cities and nuclear installations, US and Israeli officials say. The accusations threaten to upend the Obama administration's efforts to reach out to Syria, and if true, stand to upset the military balance of power in the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Hezbollah defeat bodes well for Iranian election this Friday

(NEWSER) - Voters in Lebanon had many reasons for backing American allies over a Hezbollah-led coalition in Sunday's bellwether elections, but political analysts say that Barack Obama's efforts to reach out to the Muslim world played a significant role in the outcome. For the first time in years, being linked to Washington was seen as a benefit rather than a hindrance. As Michael Slackman of the New York Times writes, the Lebanon vote may foreshadow another key election: the Iranian presidential vote this Friday. More»

One pushes liberal economy, the other Islamic militancy

(NEWSER) - Hezbollah is inching towards greater control in Lebanon as the nation gears up for June’s parliamentary elections. The Shiite group, which favors spurning the West and resisting Israel with arms, is in a minority coalition, but winning a handful of seats could change that, GlobalPost reports. Its opposition, led by Sunni leader Saad al-Hariri, opposes arming Hezbollah and envisions an open-market, liberal society. More»