Lebanon: Syria's Plan to Preempt Iran and Hezbollah

Syria's slow and deliberate moves against the Iranian-Hezbollah nexus come with the risk of retaliation by Iranian and Hezbollah forces against Damascus. But Syria is trying to stay one step ahead, making clear to both Hezbollah and Iran that it has the militant and intelligence assets to back Hezbollah against a wall — and thus deprive Iran of a key deterrent — should it be sufficiently provoked.