IRPO: LITTLE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR HIZBALLAH IN IRAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBAI 005462

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/28/2016
TAGS: IR IS LE PGOV PINR PTER
SUBJECT: IRPO: LITTLE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR HIZBALLAH IN IRAN

REF: DUBAI 0730

CLASSIFIED BY: Timothy M. Brys, Acting IRPO Chief, Dubai, UAE.
REASON: 1.4 (b)

1.(C/NF) Summary: Anecdotal evidence garnered from Iranian visa
applicants and other ConGen Iranian contacts in Dubai in
late-July and early-August indicate public support in Iran for
Hizballah is very low. The Iranian government reportedly induced
people to join public rallies in support of Hizballah in
late-July. End summary.
Iranians "Disgusted" by Hizballah
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2.(C/NF) The head of a management consulting firm in Tehran told
Conoff on July 31 that the Iranian people were "disgusted" by
Hizballah. She said the Iranian people did not support Hizballah
against Israel and do not like war of any kind. A key Iranian
defense attorney, who has defended the likes of Akbar Ganji and
Abbas Abdi, echoed these sentiments during an August 26
discussion with Conoffs. He claimed that Iranians do not support
Hizballah and have historic ties to Israel. He clarified that it
was mainly the "intellectuals" and upper class Iranians who
question the government's support for the group, while the
"lower class" believe the government's propaganda regarding
Hizballah and the necessity of supporting the group. He
clarified, however, that Iranians in general neither condone nor
want war.
3.(C/NF) A Tehran-based businessman told Acting CG on July 15
that people are becoming resentful that the government is
funding Hizballah and Palestinian groups when Iranian people are
"starving." According to a key Iranian AIDS doctor, the Iranian
government has offered 15,000 dollars to every Lebanese whose
home was destroyed during the recent conflict. He claims that
12,000 dollars of this money is for rent, while the other 3,000
is for furniture. The government has docked the pay of every
government employee 30,000 tomans (approx. 30 dollars) to help
fund this effort. The doctor, who works at a government hospital
linked to Shahid Beheshti University, claims that although 60
percent of his colleagues at the hospital support Ahmadinejad,
they question why they should have to give up their hard-earned
money to support "Hizballah" when they are struggling to make
ends meet. Iranians interviewed for a July 22 New York Times
article echoed these sentiments. For example, Ali Reza Moradi, a
35-year old portrait artist with a small booth in downtown
Tehran stated, "We Iranians have a saying. . . We should save
our own house first and then save the mosque. A lot of people
think this way. The government should help its people first, and
then help people in Lebanon."
4.(C/NF) An ophthalmologist from Tehran told Conoff on July 29
that "things are getting really bad in Iran." She stated that
support for Hizballah is very low. Iranians would rather see the
money that is currently being used to support Hizballah help
those in Iran who are in need.
Iranian Government Bribes People to Rally
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5.(C/NF) A medical student from Tehran told Conoff that Iranians
are not supportive of Hizballah. He reiterated the Tehran-based
businessman's comments to the Acting CG and the New York Times
article. In addition, he claimed on August 6 that the majority
of participants in the rallies in support of Hizballah were
actually members of the Iranian military in plainclothes who
were bussed in for the rally. He alleged that the Iranian
government also uses the promise of free food as an enticement
for people to show up for rallies and protests. This tracks with
information provided to Conoff during the protests in Tehran in
February in response to cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed which
appeared in several European newspapers (Reftel). At the time,
an Iranian visa applicant who lives close to the British Embassy
in Tehran told Conoff that she saw buses bring people - mainly
young Iranian men - to the protests.

BRYS