Iran deal ‘nuclear nightmare’ for Lebanon

The chairman of Lebanon’s secular-liberal Option Party says that a bad nuclear deal will enable Iran to funnel millions of dollars to Hezbollah, which is currently in dire financial straits.

Ahmad Al-Assaad writes in the Wall Street Journal:

The Obama administration is negotiating a flawed nuclear deal with the Iranian regime that will see Tehran get a windfall of up to $150 billion. With so much cash on hand, Tehran would surely create new Hezbollah franchises elsewhere in the Middle East and order all these radical proxy groups to wage even more wars in the region.

At the very least, Tehran would be eager to give a good boost to its pride and joy—Hezbollah—and help it buy its way out of the problems it is facing in Lebanon now.

Over the past two years, more than 1,000 Hezbollah fighters have died in the Syrian war, and the Lebanese people’s resentment toward the group has increased.

I recently met in Washington D.C. with senators, members of Congress and think-tank analysts. When I shared my worries with those close to the Obama administration, the response was, “Let’s get a deal now on the nuclear issue and then we’ll work out a plan on how to stand up to this Iranian invasion of the Middle East.”