STRATFOR is closely tracking increasing tensions between Iran and Syria as Damascus is working toward reclaiming power in Lebanon. Syria's moves have included attempts to contain Iranian militant proxy Hezbollah. Iran, on the other hand, is trying to strengthen Hezbollah and its influence in the Levant. One way Iran has sought to protect its interests in Lebanon is by steadily increasing the number of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) troops in the country. Estimates of the size of the IRGC presence in Lebanon are difficult to come by and cannot be exact, but based on interviews STRATFOR has conducted with a variety of sources in Lebanon, it is readily apparent that the number of IRGC troops in Lebanon has risen significantly since 1982 — when the Islamic republic first adopted Hezbollah — from roughly 1,000 to 4,000 troops in 2009-2010. This STRATFOR map shows the approximate locations of IRGC facilities.
