Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, a leading Shi‘i theologian based in Beirut, was a controversial political actor. He took divisive stances on theological issues and on Lebanese and regional politics while exerting wide influence in both domains. This paper focuses on the position Fadlallah acquired as a symbol of opposition to American power in the Middle East, examining the relationship between Fadlallah’s resistance to U.S. power and his theological and political thought. The paper considers the consequences of Fadlallah’s activism, including the relationship between his ideas and the political activity of others, such as Hizbullah. A critical event in Fadlallah’s career was the assassination attempt directed against him outside his home in 1985, which implicated the CIA and other intelligence services. The assassination failed and ended in atrocity. This paper considers what made Fadlallah appear so threatening to some U.S. national security elites. It speculates on the relationship between the effort to assassinate him and broader U.S. strategy in the Middle East, taking stock of its consequences for U.S.-Middle East relations.