At the same time, the Iranian government was losing its enthusiasm for Hizballah. After Khomeini died in June of 1989, the new Iranian president, Hashemi Rafsanjani, changed his country s stance toward the Western nations. Rafsanjani needed to rebuild his country after the long war with Iraq. For this, trade with the West was essential for the Iranians and this was a fact that they must understand. Iran convinced Hizballah s kidnappers to free their British, French, German, and American hostages. Terry Anderson, the last hostage, was released on December 4, 1991.
As the Lebanese civil war came to an end in the late 1980 s, an agreement between the Lebanese government, the Syrian government, and many of Lebanon s private militias ended the open warfare. With the civil war at an end and the Iranian government pressuring the group for the release of the hostages, Hizballah gradually lost its influence in the Middle East.
Although Hizballah survived in sough Lebanon, the movement now has only a few hundred guerrillas. While its terrorist acts are fewer, Hizballah has thrived as a political organization. In fact, several of the Hizballah leaders won election to Lebanon s parliament in 1992, after a cease-fire came into effect.