Abstract

Immediately after the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini proclaimed his intention to export the Islamic revolution to the Arab and Islamic world. Khomeini appointed Ayatollah Hosein ʿAli Montazeri to implement this policy. Lebanon, considered by Khomeini as “the forward strategic position located in a unique geographic region with access to Jerusalem,” was Khomeini's first target for exporting the Islamic Revolution. In late December 1979, as part of Khomeini's strategy to export the revolution, Montazeri's son was behind an attempt to bring Iranian volunteers to Lebanon to fight alongside the Palestinian organizations in southern Lebanon, a region he defined as the “center of the Middle East's volcanic eruption, and the only place where people are fighting against Israel.” This review essay presents a brief history of Hizballah's origins and documents the continuous bond that exists between the group's leadership and Iran.

The text of this article is only available as a PDF.
You do not currently have access to this content.