Hezbollah’s emphatic defence of the political status quo in Lebanon has exposed it since the deadly Beirut blast to levels of public contempt and anger it was once shielded from.

Now that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has ruled that a terrorist with the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah was responsible for the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the challenge for Lebanon is to end the malign influence Iran continues to exert over its political system.

As many have noted, you can’t change geography. According to an Arab saying, “The neighbor comes before the home,” meaning that choosing good neighbors is more important than buying the best house. Similarly, Iranians say, “A good neighbor is far better than a distant brother.”