How oil price slump is squeezing Hezbollah, Iran's Shi‘ite ally
(The Christian Science Monitor) Hezbollah, a Shi‘ite militant group, is facing a new enemy: financial austerity.
A slump in global oil prices and nuclear-tied sanctions are squeezing the group’s patron Iran, which has already funneled billions of dollars to the Syrian regime. As Iran tightens its belt, Hezbollah has had to impose salary cuts on personnel, defer payments to suppliers, and reduce monthly stipends to its political allies in Lebanon, according to a wide range of political and diplomatic sources in Beirut, including friends and foes of the powerful Shi‘ite party.
The financial difficulties do not pose an immediate threat to Hezbollah’s political and popular standing in Lebanon. Moreover, the flow of Iranian largesse is controlled by Ayatollah Ali Khameini, Iran’s supreme leader, and isn’t part of the government’s oil-dependent budget.
