Iranian, Hezbollah, and Lebanese flags line the streets of Lebanon. They are everywhere, from Beirut down to the southern border with Israel–and so is Iran’s growing influence in Lebanon.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on the second day of his visit to Lebanon, addressed a crowd of supporters in the town of Bint Jbeil, in the country’s south.

During the 2006 war with Israel it was the site of heavy clashes between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah fighters.

According to some estimates, Iran has paid as much as $1 billion to help with reconstruction efforts.

“We consider him a hero,” said Mahmoud Arabi, 72, from Bint Jbeil. “He stood with us in all difficult times and he has a big heart.”

In a videolink appearance on Wednesday night, Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah praised Ahmadinejad’s effort to rebuild Lebanon, adding that Iran has never told Hezbollah what to do.

But many in Lebanon and the west disagree. The White House on Wednesday expressed concern over Ahmadinejad’s visit.

“I think that it also suggests that Hezbollah values its allegiance to Iran over its allegiance to Lebanon,” said Robert Gibbs, White House Spokesman.