Rethinking Realism in the Age of Non-State Power

Abstract

This paper examines the evolving role of Hezbollah as a non-state actor within the Middle East, analyzing its dual identity as both a resistance movement and a political entity through the framework of realist theory. Initially formed in the 1980s as a militia to resist Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah has transformed into a powerful political and military force that challenges the Lebanese state's monopoly on violence and operates as a proxy for Iran in regional conflicts. This study investigates how Hezbollah's military strategies, including asymmetric warfare and guerrilla tactics, align with realist principles such as power consolidation, survival, and strategic advantage. By exploring Hezbollah's role in Lebanese politics, its intervention in the Syrian Civil War, and its broader geopolitical alignment with Iran, the paper argues that Hezbollah's actions challenge traditional, state-centric models of realism. The analysis suggests that non-state actors like Hezbollah are no longer peripheral players but central forces in regional power dynamics, necessitating a reevaluation of the realist framework to incorporate the agency of non-state actors in shaping security, influence, and sovereignty in the Middle East.

Keywords: Hezbollah, Non-state actors, Middle East, Geopolitics, Iran