THREAD: #Hezbollah quagmire between #Idlib #Iran and the #coronavirus:
First, various reports coming from Idlib indicating major losses within Hezbollah forces, against Turkish and Turkish-supported #Syrian rebels 1/9
First, various reports coming from Idlib indicating major losses within Hezbollah forces, against Turkish and Turkish-supported #Syrian rebels 1/9
Second, some of the recordings made by #Hezbollah fighters indicate that the #Russians have abandoned them. See this video 👇🏼2/9
Third, many of #Hezbollah fighters receiving military training in #Iran and a number of Lebanese Shia residing or visiting Iran have been exposed to #coronavirus and are sent back to #Lebanon. 7 cases have been reported in Lebanon so far, all linked to travel from Iran 3/9
Fourth, After allowing flights from Iran to enter Lebanon, Lebanese government finally suspended flights from Iran. However, they’re still coming via the Syrian-Lebanese crossing at Al Masnaa. This video👇🏼alleges that gov is doing nothing to monitor entry at the border 4/9
Fifth, Hezbollah seems to be hiding many unreported cases in its own hospitals. A number of recorded WhatsApp messages from the Shia community - first personal accounts - indicate cases of infected people at Al Rasool Al A3tham hospital 5/9
Sixth, sources within the Shia community tell me that a number of Iranian officials and significant figures have been brought to #Beirut to be treated at Hezbollah’s hospitals. It seems they have more trust in these hospitals that their own healthcare system 6/9
Implications: Idlib is #Hezbollah’s second #Aleppo, which was a crossroad in 2016 for Hezbollah in terms of shrinking of popular support and widening discontent of the community. Without a victory, and with #coronavirus coming from Iran, there’ll be more discontent 7/9
Add to that the current financial crisis in #Lebanon, it doesn’t look like Hezbollah has anything left to reassure or quell it’s street, which is now surrounded by poverty, more death coming from #Idlib, and the #coronavirus coming from #Iran 8/9
Opportunity: addressing the Shia community at this stage, and the Lebanese people in general - via humanitarian and political support - is vital. 9/9
