That was certainly the case the last time Israel and Hezbollah engaged in all-out conflict back in July 2006. Hezbollah emerged from that fight — which lasted just over a month — battered but defiant after standing up to the most powerful military in the Middle East. But beginning in July, the Israeli military and intelligence campaign against Hezbollah ramped up drastically. As a result, Hezbollah, long the most powerful member of Tehran’s Axis of Resistance, has found its ability to operate across borders constrained. Israel has successfully weakened both Hamas and Hezbollah over the past year — and its archrival Iran in the process.

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Persons: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Organizations: Hezbollah ramped Locations: Israel, Lebanon’s Parliament, Gaza, East, Iran