"Diplomacy" and Legitimacy: Hezbollah's International Engagements (2006-2024)

• Grant number: 24/20040-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - International Politics
• Principal Investigator: Reginaldo Mattar Nasser
• Grantee: Karime Ahmad Borraschi Cheaito
• Host Institution: Instituto de Políticas Públicas e Relações Internacionais (IPPRI). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Since the end of the Cold War, armed non-state actors (ANSAs) have drawn the attention of researchers and policymakers. Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed organization and political party, was described as the most heavily armed non-state actor in the world in a July 2024 publication by Foreign Affairs. Beyond its activities within Lebanese territory, the organization has been engaging regionally and internationally with a variety of actors, exercising a form of "diplomacy" that highlights a contradiction with those who recognize it as a terrorist organization. From this issue arises the question: how has Hezbollah engaged externally, and what are its motivations? This investigation aims to analyze Hezbollah's external connections. The focus of the research will be the alliance formed between the organization and the so-called Axis of Resistance, an informal bloc led by Iran and composed of other regional ANSAs, identified as the most solid alliance Hezbollah is part of. The hypothesis is that, through its projection within the Axis of Resistance, Hezbollah has utilized political and military means to engage internationally. It is further argued that its primary motivation is linked to its quest for legitimacy and, most importantly, the legitimization of its armed wing. To conduct this investigation, primary and secondary sources will be used, employing bibliographic and documentary research methods, as well as case studies. Additionally, path dependence and legitimacy measurement methods will be applied to analyze the process and test the hypothesis.