In 2008, Azerbaijani authorities thwarted a Hezbollah plot to target an Israeli Independence Day celebration and kidnap the Israeli ambassador in Baku. Two Hezbollah operatives were arrested, tried, and convicted, but the group was not deterred by this setback. By 2011, Hezbollah and Iran had formulated “a jumble of overlapping plots” that officials discovered to be part of a coordinated campaign to assassinate foreign diplomats in at least seven countries, including in Azerbaijan.

Guests:

• Ambassador Arthur Lenk, former Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan (2005-2009)
• Mahammad Mammadov, Research Fellow at the Topchubashov Center in Baku, Azerbaijan
• Zohar Palti, Viterbi International Fellow at The Washington Institute
• Joby Warrick, national security reporter at The Washington Post

Breaking Hezbollah’s Golden Rule is hosted by Dr. Matthew Levitt from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

It is produced by Anouk Millet from Earshot Strategies, and written by Dr. Levitt, Lauren von Thaden, and Camille Jablonski, research assistants at The Washington Institute.

Explore my map and timeline of Hezbollah’s Worldwide activities.

For a full transcript of the episode, a list of sources, recommended reading, and information on our guests, visit our website.

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