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Another Hezbollah speech, another bellicose anti-Israel rant, just as you might expect from the militant group founded in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. And Hezbollah's closest ally and biggest backer Iran has restated its official position too: if Israel attacks the Islamic Republic over its alleged nuclear weapons programme, Hezbollah will retaliate on its behalf -- leader Hasan Nasrallah claims that targets will not just be within Israel, but that they'll hit American military bases across the Middle East too.

But is the rhetoric more overblown than usual? Here at Hezbollah's propaganda playground, the 'Museum for Resistance Tourism' in southern Lebanon, you'd be forgiven for thinking not. Collected Israeli tanks and weaponry are displayed as easy trophies, showing astute political and military disdain for the militant organisation's raison d'etre and enemy number one [Israel]. Mleeta also displays Hezbollah's own weaponry, and the site itself played an integral part in the militant group's history: it used to be home to a series of fortified hideouts for some of Hezbollah's most dedicated warriors, including deadly suicide brigades.

Yet many in Lebanon think that Hezbollah's influence is on the wane. This summer a Sunni cleric brought the southern city of Sidon to a standstill for a month with sit-in protests and roadblocks calling for Hezbollah to disarm.

Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmad Assir: "Many times before we have asked to discuss the weapons issue, we find lots of people say it's not the right time. But we have reached a point where we can no longer stand the assault on our honor, our religion, our economy and our existence."

Hezbollah is a Shia Muslim group, and sectarian tensions in Lebanon are rife at the moment, driven higher by the nearby conflict in Syria, where Alawite Shiites and Sunni rebels are fighting for control of the war-torn country. Experts say that if Syria's government under Bashar al-Assad falls, the likelihood of Hezbollah actually being able to strike Israel may crumble too.

Middle East researcher Professor Fadi al-Amar: "The power of Hezbollah against Israel depends on military support. If the Syrian regime is destroyed, this military support will not arrive. It will not be easy to support Hezbollah with arms, missiles and other things."

Hence perhaps the cautious note sounded by Nasrallah in last week's interview. He played down the chances of Israel striking Iran, citing differences among Israeli officials. Whatever the true state of affairs, people in Lebanon are sure to be watching events in both Syria and Iran in order to predict Hezbollah's willingness and ability to hit Israel -- if, of course, it attacks Iran.