Iran's new president is described in the media as a moderate, but the US doesn't expect this will change Iran's belligerent behavior in the region.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, "We have no expectation that this election will lead to a fundamental change in Iran's direction or its policies."

Election 'Not Free or Fair'

The State Department labeled the Iranian election "not free or fair," which earned a rebuke from the radical Islamic regime in Tehran.

Nasser Kanaani, spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, "Such politically motivated and meddling remarks are condemned and rejected by the Iranian government and the Iranian people."

Iran's foreign ministry says if a full-scale war breaks out between Hezbollah and Israel, it will weigh-in on the side of Hezbollah. Kanaani said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran considers supporting Lebanon—its security, government, people and resistance—a key principle. When necessary, Iran will not hesitate to support Lebanon and its security."

Hezbollah a Formidable Foe

Amiad Cohen is a major in the IDF on the Israeli-Lebanese border and founded the Herut Center, an Israeli conservative think tank. He warns the Iranian-backed Hezbollah is a formidable adversary.

"Basically, we need to think about Hezbollah as the ground troops of Iran on the northern border with Israel. That's the only way to think about it. They're funded, supported, and trained by Iran," Cohen told CBN News.

Where it matters most, he says Hezbollah is extremely well-armed.

150,000 Rockets that Can Range 'Across all of Israel'

"Hezbollah is a real army. It doesn't have tanks; well, it has a handful of them. But that's not what's important," Cohen stated. "It first of all has 150,000 rockets that range from 10 to 500 kilometers—that's across all of Israel. And tens of thousands of them are accurate, which can hurt Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and other cities inside Israel. This is a different war."

Hezbollah's missile and rocket arsenal is larger than most European nations, and Cohen says Hezbollah's troops are well-trained and battle-ready.

"There are special units—the Radwan forces and other units—they have soldiers who are experienced from the war in Syria," Cohen explained. "They're Shiites, so let's say suicidal soldiers who believe religiously in what they do. And that's challenging: all their experience. And they're all backed up with the Iranian army with its technology. Iran has a very good technological army. We know that. To be honest, we're better. We can win this war. But we need to understand who the enemy is. Hamas is a piece of cake compared to Hezbollah."

More Missiles Coming

Reuters released new satellite photos that show Iran is expanding its missile production facilities. These facilities can supply Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen with more missiles and rockets.

Since October 8th, Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets and missiles into Israel, leaving dozens of communities in the north deserted, and tens of thousands of Israelis forced from their homes and livelihoods. So many believe it's just a matter of time before a full-scale war will break out between Israel and Hezbollah. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Chris Mitchell is CBN News' Middle East Bureau Chief.

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