Middle East expert Mona Yacoubian says diplomatic moves in the Middle East indicate that various parties are becoming "increasingly alarmed" about regional volatility.

Recent unrest in Lebanon spotlights Hezbollah's domestic political aspirations and growing regional influence.

Counterterrorism expert Daniel L. Byman says Hezbollah is "the most powerful single political movement in Lebanon" and remains a potent guerrilla force.

Lebanese leaders agreed on steps toward political reconciliation, but experts say the road ahead contains many potholes.

Mohamad Bazzi argues that while some of the blame for the conflict between Sunnis and Shiites in Lebanon can be placed on their “external masters” like the U.S. and Iran, most of the blame rests with the Lebanese themselves and their antiquated power-sharing pact.

Michael Young, a political analyst in Lebanon, says the recent "Doha compromise" is not necessarily a cave-in to Hezbollah, but rather a "classic Levantine compromise."

Lebanon’s political future is uncertain, the country is on the verge of civil conflict, and Hizbollah is playing an increasingly larger role, says Mohamad Bazzi.

CFR’s Mohamad Bazzi describes the scene in Beirut, where fierce fighting has broken out between Hezbollah fighters and supporters of Lebanon’s government.

Mohamad Bazzi, former Middle East correspondent for Newsday, says evidence suggests Israel’s intelligence agents as the most likely source of the bomb that killed Hezbollah terrorist chief Imad Mugniyah, but other scenarios also are feasible.

Imad Mughniyeh's killing “was the first major attack against a Hezbollah leader since Israel assassinated the group’s secretary-general in 1992,” reports Mohamad Bazzi.

Listen to CFR experts discuss Lebanon's most serious political crisis since the end of the 1990 civil war.

Mohamad Bazzi details the current conditions on the ground in Lebanon.

Steven A. Cook, CFR’s Douglas Dillon fellow and an expert on the Middle East, says a sense of normalcy pervades Beirut despite the continuing political standoff.

Mohamad Bazzi, former Middle East bureau chief for Newsday, hopes the shock caused by the assassination of General Francois Hajj might accelerate a compromise among Lebanon’s factions.

Mohamad Bazzi, former Middle East bureau chief for Newsday, says there will likely be more haggling ahead of a new deadline for Lebanon’s political parties to agree on a compromise candidate to become the country’s next president.

CFR Murrow Press Fellow Mohamad Bazzi discusses the precarious prospects for Lebanon's upcoming presidential election and the impact of a recent assassination on that vote.

Political violence in Lebanon could spell the return of civil war.