Distant Relations

The most dramatic product of Lebanese-Iranian relations today indelibly marks the Middle East: Hezbollah. But Iran and Lebanon have touched each other's fortunes, on religious, political and cultural levels, for over five hundred years. Beginning with the emigration of Shi'ite ulema from Jabal Amil to Safavid Persia in the 16th century, Beirut later became a major destination for young Iranians seeking a liberal education. After the Iranian revolution, in the midst of Lebanon's civil war, Iran played a hugely influential role inside the increasingly powerful Shi'ite community. This is the first definitive study of the centuries-long contact between these countries.