Why is Hezbollah still important for Iran?

The situation in the Middle East remains tense, with a fragile ceasefire in the Iran war looking more and more tenuous as all sides exchange threats and fire .

On Monday, the US blamed the crash of an attack helicopter off Oman on Iran and carried out strikes on Iranian sites. Strikes have continued into Tuesday. Iran has responded with attacks of its own on US sites in Bahrain and Kuwait.

But the conflict is not limited to the US and Iran. Despite an ostensible ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, the Israeli army struck targets in the suburbs of Beirut over the weekend following new Hezbollah rocket attacks. Shortly thereafter, Tehran responded with missile strikes on Israeli territory. Israel, in turn, responded with attacks on targets in Iran.

The continued fighting between Hezbollah and Israel has disrupted attempts by US President Donald Trump to negotiate a deal with Tehran to end the conflict.

Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon, is an Iran-backed Shiite militant group, designated as a terrorist organization by Western states, Israel, Gulf Arab nations and the Arab League.

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"From Iran's perspective, a key priority at present is ensuring that Hezbollah is included in any potential political agreements and peace negotiations," said Middle East expert Arman Mahmoudian at the University of South Florida. Any agreement would require mutual concessions.

For Tehran, however, it is crucial that Hezbollah not become a bargaining chip . For Iran, the issue at stake is its regional influence.