Lebanon, Iran's sanctions: intensifying internal political dispute?
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U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution last week to impose a fourth round of sanctions against Iran over its suspected nuclear program.
The resolution was approved by the 15-member council, with 12 countries voting for and Brazil and Turkey voting against it. Lebanon abstained.
Observers said Lebanon's position suggested an internal political conflict, reflecting the country's division between two political camps, the first allied to Iran, while the other opposing its policies in the region.
A dispute over 'Iranian' arms
Lebanon holds close economical and security ties with Iran. The main source of that connection comes from Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed powerful Shiite group.
Hezbollah is backed by Iran, and Israel, the Jewish state that fought a devastating war against the militia in 2006, suggests that Tehran is arming Hezbollah, with even more sophisticated arms that the Shiite group had on the eve of the last war.
Hezbollah, which holds two portfolios in Lebanon's unity government, is sparkling an internal debate concerning the purpose of its arms. The group defends its arms by saying that it is for defending the country against Israel, while some politicians say that the arms are for internal use.
National dialogue sessions are being hold to discuss Hezbollah's arms.
Hady Amr, director of Brookings Doha Center, told Xinhua that "in the context of tensions heating up between Iran and the United States over the nuclear program, Israel will want to clarify how it can and should deal with Hezbollah's most powerful weaponry if the war starts again."
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