Chairman Poe on the hearing: “Iran’s support for terrorist and militia groups across the Middle East has been a major source of instability for decades. With the rise of ISIS, the chaos of the Arab Spring, and disengagement by the United States over the past eight years, Iran has seized new opportunities to significantly expand its influence in key strategic areas. The surge of Iranian proxies directly threatens U.S. interests and imperils our allies across the region as the mullahs in Tehran seek to remake the Middle East in Hezbollah’s image. This hearing will provide Members with the opportunity to examine the extent of Iran’s control over local militias, as well as the role of Hezbollah in advising these groups, and explore new strategies to counter Iran’s growing influence in the Middle East.”

Opening Statements

Full text of Chairman Ted Poe’s opening statement

Witnesses

Michael Knights, Ph.D.
Lafer Fellow
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

Mr. Aram Nerguizian
Senior Associate
Burke Chair in Strategy
Center for Strategic and International Studies
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

Kenneth Pollack, Ph.D.
Resident Scholar
American Enterprise Institute
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

Ms. Melissa Dalton
Senior Fellow and Deputy Director
International Security Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

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Hearing transcript (PDF)