The Impact of U.S. and France Interests on Iran - Lebanon Relations: The Case Study of Rafik Hariri's Assassination

Ever since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran until now, for reasons such as geopolitical position, geographical proximity to Palestinian occupied territories, fighting the Zionist Regime face to face and cultural affinity - most notably the presence of Shiite population and political and cultural influence of Hezbollah - Lebanon has had a special place in the Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy. Due to the specific political and social conditions, Lebanese groups and clans are dependent on outside forces for keeping and expanding their power. This in turn brings about the presence and influence of transregional powers, such as U.S. and France; two countries that on many pretexts are trying to keep and expand their influence. In this regard, They see Iran’s influence in the region as an obstacle in their path to gain their regional objectives and also name it as a threat (in explicit) and a strong rival (in tacit). Consequently, they oppose every action for enhancing Iran’s role in Lebanon. In this article, it is tried to examine the policies and interests of both U.S. and France in Lebanon, particularly at the time of this assassination and its implications on Iran- Lebanon relations. Furthermore, we seek to answer this main question that “what was the effect of U.S. and France’s policies, goals and reactions to Hariri's assassination on Iran-Lebanon relations?”