Why is there fighting in Lebanon? | CNN

Persistent fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon is threatening a tentative deal reached between the United States and Iran to end their war. Their memorandum of understanding includes a ceasefire in Lebanon that would protect Iran’s long-time ally Hezbollah from Israeli strikes, so long as it doesn’t fire at Israel. The fighting had already led to the postponement of US-Iran talks that would begin the difficult process of resolving long-term issues like Tehran’s nuclear program and sanctions – and the closure of the crucial Strait of Hormuz by Iran’s military brass. With fighting continuing in southern Lebanon, and looming over resumed negotiations between US and Iranian officials in Switzerland on Sunday, here’s how we got here: Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shiite Islamist movement with one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East, has engaged in conflict with Israel for decades, after establishing itself as a force in Lebanon in the 1980s. It has long been committed to Israel’s destruction and has built up a powerful arsenal of rockets, missiles and drones with Iranian help. Israel has launched frequent campaigns again