The result of the upcoming US presidential election on Nov. 3 could conceivably determine the extent of the threat Hezbollah poses to Israel, former Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren says in an interview to The Media Line.
Oren highlighted that the IDF should be preparing for Hezbollah responses to both a victory by incumbent US President Donald Trump, which Hezbollah does not want, and Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
"Hezbollah takes its orders from Iran and Iran is waiting to see what happens with the election, because if Donald Trump wins, Iran can do one of two things. It can negotiate under Trump's humiliating terms or it can pick a fight with Israel," Oren told The Media Line.
The former ambassador noted that if Iran did pick a fight, it would not do so using either conventional Iranian forces or even its Revolutionary Guard Corps. Instead, it would almost certainly opt to mobilize a proxy force – in this case, Hezbollah.
Assessment of Hezbollah's missile arsenal put its stockpile at some 130,000, many of which are precision-guided.
The organization's missiles have been secreted in, near, and under up to 200 villages in southern Lebanon. Locating and neutralizing these stockpiles might require house-to-house searches and close-quarter combat.
Oren's assessment came as the IDF was conducting one of the largest drills in its history. Dubbed "Lethal Arrow," the exercise simulated a situation of war with Israel's enemies over the northern border, where tensions are increasing.
Hezbollah has vowed revenge for the targeted killing of one of its operatives in Syria, while the recent White House-led push for normalization deals between Israel and Arab nations could also be a catalyst for a response.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
