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Decades as a Foreign Correspondent Have Taught Me: Iran Knows Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold
Allegations Iran accidentally shot down a Ukrainian jet will limit Iran’s response to the Soleimani assassination — but only temporarily
In order to understand how Iran will respond to Qassem Soleimani’s death, it helps to begin with an anecdote.
One very cold and wet cold night in December 2013, two men shot Hassan Lakkis, a top technical expert for Hezbollah, to death as he stepped out of his parked car in an apartment complex outside Beirut. After some initial confusion as to whether the attack was related to Hezbollah’s efforts to assist President Bashar al-Assad in defending against an insurgent rebellion, it became clear the killing was, in fact, carried out by Israeli forces that had quietly entered Lebanon through a port. Vows of revenge flooded Hezbollah’s media outlets and supporters.
I was living in Lebanon at the time, covering Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies in the region. The group’s officials granted me permission to attend Lakkis’ funeral in his hometown of Baalbek, about two hours outside of Beirut. “Don’t take any photos, keep your mouth shut, and don’t call me if you get arrested,” the Hezbollah official told me. “But if you behave yourself and stay quiet, we give you permission to attend.”
Hezbollah events are generally accessible to the media, but this funeral wasn’t going to be an official production in Beirut managed by the group’s press office. That this one was held in Baalbek meant it would be secured by Hezbollah units far less used to Western media. But following my source’s instructions, nobody noted my presence.
At the start of the funeral, Lakkis’ family and close colleagues carried his coffin around Baalbek. Throughout the procession, they chanted about seeking revenge against Israel; when the coffin was placed in the grave, the public spectacle ended. The crowd dispersed, and Lakkis’ family and Hezbollah colleagues were left to quietly pay their respects. The scene was calm, respectful, and brief.
A few days later, I asked a Hezbollah commander about the muted funeral. “Lakkis’ revenge will be others taking up…
