Circle the area on this map
D. Lebanon is bordered by Israel to the south, the Mediterranean Sea to the west and Syria to the north and east. Iran and the Hezbollah militia have been supporting the government in Syria while the Saudis have been a major arms supplier to various rebel groups. In Yemen, Saudi-led troops have been fighting rebels who have been supplied by Iran.
A. The Shia and Sunni sects formed after a dispute over who would succeed the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam. Iran’s population is overwhelmingly Shia while most Saudis are Sunni Muslims. In Lebanon, the Sunni prime minister had formed a unity government with the Shia Hezbollah group.
B. Russia has long supported the government in Syria. In the civil war, Russia deployed its warplanes in Syria where they regularly bombed Sunni rebels and were accused of killing civilians. Russia also has sent in “non-combat” ground troops. U.S. planes and special forces have supported some of the rebel groups. Both powers backed fighting against Islamic State forces in Syria.
C. A multinational force composed of U.S. Marines along with French, Italian and British units went to Lebanon to secure a cease-fire during the civil war. But President Reagan withdrew the Marines after a terrorist bombing killed 241 U.S. and 58 French soldiers in 1983. Iran established a base in Lebanon in 1982 where it founded, trained and supplied the Hezbollah Shia militia.