PHOTO- According to an announcement that was made in Tehran on Jan 25, 2025 Hezbollah’s leader Sheikh Naim Qassem (L) is now an employee of. of Iran as Ayatollah Khmanei’s Rep in Lebanon
BEIRUT – Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem revealed that the Iran-aligned Lebanese movement had been approached by multiple intermediaries in recent months seeking assurances that it would not intervene should the United States and Israel launch a war against Iran, underscoring mounting regional fears of a wider conflict.
In a televised address on Monday, Qassem said mediators had made it clear that Washington and Tel Aviv were weighing several military scenarios, including striking Hezbollah before Iran, targeting Iran first, or attacking both simultaneously.
“In all these scenarios, we are included,” Qassem said. “They want to know whether fragmentation, striking one side before the other, could lead them to a result.”
He stressed that Hezbollah views itself as directly targeted by any such plans, adding: “Faced with these intertwined possibilities, and with aggression that does not distinguish between us, we are concerned by what is happening, we are targeted by potential aggression, and we are determined to defend ourselves.”
Qassem said any decision on how and when the group might act would be taken according to circumstances at the time, but made clear that neutrality was not an option.
“We will choose in due course how to act, whether to intervene or not, and in what form,” he said. “But Hezbollah is not neutral.”
His remarks come amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States following a harsh crackdown on protests across Iran in recent weeks, in which thousands were reportedly killed. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran of possible military action, prompting regional efforts, including by Arab states, to persuade Washington to avoid direct strikes on Iran. It remains unclear whether Trump has backed away from the option of force.
On Monday, the US military announced that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group had arrived in the Middle East, significantly boosting American firepower in the region. US Central Command said the deployment was intended to “enhance regional security and stability” amid rising tensions with Iran.
Hezbollah, long regarded as Iran’s most powerful regional ally, has been badly weakened following its most recent confrontation with Israel. During cross-border fighting in 2024, the group lost much of its frontline leadership, including its long-time secretary general Hassan Nasrallah, and saw significant parts of its military arsenal destroyed.
Despite these setbacks, the United States and Israel continue to view Hezbollah as a major security threat. Both have intensified pressure on Lebanon to disarm the group. While Hezbollah has shown some flexibility regarding dismantling its military infrastructure south of the Litani River, it has firmly rejected calls to give up its weapons entirely, despite what analysts say is a clear erosion of its deterrent power.
Qassem warned that a war on Iran would have far-reaching consequences, saying it could “ignite the entire region” this time. He reiterated Hezbollah’s ideological allegiance to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying the group follows the doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih “in belief and in method.”
“Any threat to assassinate the leader Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, whether it comes from President Donald Trump or anyone else, is a threat to millions, tens of millions and more, and is something that cannot be tolerated,” Qassem said.
He argued that such a threat imposed a duty on all believers to confront it, adding that Hezbollah was making “all necessary preparations” to do so. An assassination, he warned, would amount to “the assassination of stability in the region and the world”, and said the group reserved the right to act as it sees fit.
Qassem said surrender would mean “losing everything without limits,” while choosing defence, despite its costs, “opens the door to hope and many possibilities.”
He explained, in his speech during a public gathering in solidarity with Iran at the Sayyed al-Shuhada complex, that “for us, Khamenei is the one in charge, he is the deputy of the infallible Imam, and therefore all those who believe in the leadership of this leader must always ensure that they are…” “Under his wing and under his command,” he said, adding that “Hezbollah believes in the leadership of the Supreme Leader both in principle and in practice. The connection to the Supreme Leader is an intellectual, doctrinal, and faith-based connection. Everyone seeks the correct and righteous ideology that will improve their lives, no matter where they are in the world. The matter is not about procedures; procedures are the responsibility of those in the country, but rather it is about ideas and faith.” he emphasized that “we act in a patriotic manner, we possess high moral standards, and we conduct ourselves in politics in this way. We are a driven, active, and influential resistance movement capable of achieving accomplishments on the ground… because of our connection to the Supreme Leader,” noting that “the connection between Islam and citizenship is realized through the relationship with, the connection to, and the obedience to the Supreme Leader, because this is an intellectual, faith-based, cultural, educational, and moral obedience, related to methodology, and not to the detailed executive performance that is usually found in any country.”
Qassem, pointed out that “after Imam Khomeini, the Iranian Supreme Leader Imam Ali Khamenei is our guardian and our leader. He is the one who legitimizes our positions regarding the challenges and regarding our legitimate responsibility. We cannot shed our blood, and we cannot carry out our resistance without legitimate permission, because blood is a responsibility, and the guardian is the one who determines the path of the nation in general.”
Hezbollah did not intervene directly in the 12-day war launched by Israel with US backing in June, which aimed to weaken Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes. Analysts say a potential US-led war on Iran would be fundamentally different, with regime change rather than deterrence widely seen as its ultimate objective.
In Lebanon, speculation about such a conflict has fuelled deep anxiety. Many Lebanese fear that Hezbollah could be drawn into a confrontation the country cannot withstand, as it struggles with economic collapse, political paralysis and institutional decay.
With US military assets now deployed and rhetoric hardening on all sides, Qassem’s comments highlight the fragile and volatile balance that could determine whether a confrontation with Iran remains contained, or spirals into a regional war.
The Arab weekly
