Israel's onslaught against Hezbollah in Lebanon is reassuring for Turkey, which could seize the opportunity to strengthen its regional influence in the face of its rival Iran, analysts told AFP.

Despite being one of Israel's fiercest critics, Turkey has been measured in its response to the blows struck against the Shiite militant group, armed and financed by Tehran, including the killing of its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

"Hezbollah's decapitation diminishes the influence of Turkey's topmost regional rival, Iran, and is not something Turkey would cry over," said Asli Aydintasbas, a Turkey expert at the Brookings Institution, a US think tank.

Turkey's Sunni President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been unsparing in denouncing Israel since the start of its devastating assault on Gaza last year following a deadly attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

But he has not directly reacted to Hezbollah's recent........

© International Business Times