A recent Israeli attack on a Hizballah convoy in Syria killed high-ranking members of the terrorist organization and an Iranian general. Although Hizballah has issued the usual threats of revenge, Walter Russell Mead argues that Israel has the clear upper hand:
Spread thin in Syria, and with all its combat energy focused on propping up [Bashar] al-Assad, Hizballah is probably not ready to take on the Israelis in a big way. But if Hizballah follows through with its threats and responds to the Israeli attack with a counterattack, the inevitable devastating Israeli response will degrade Hizballah’s war-making capacity and quite possibly tilt the battle in Syria against the [Hizballah-Assad-Iran alliance]. . . .
The Israeli strike [also] leaves Iran with nothing but ugly choices. The war in Syria is turning into a war of attrition, and the combination of sanctions and a collapsing oil price make it harder for Iran to keep propping up its clients. Serious hostilities between Hizballah and Israel would likely change the balance of power in Syria, further undercutting Assad, and inflicting damage on Hizballah that Iran will be hard put to make good.
Read more on American Interest: http://www.the-american-interest.com/2015/01/18/israel-calls-hezbollahs-bluff/