Hezbollah, a proxy of Iran refused to hand over its arms at the end of the civil war in Lebanon in 1990 unlike all the other militias in Lebanon
A Hezbollah official told AFP on Wednesday that the party does not intend to intervene militarily if the United States launches limited strikes against Iran, while warning that targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is a red line.
According to AFP the official, who requested anonymity, said, “If the American strikes on Iran are limited, Hezbollah’s position is not to intervene militarily. But if their aim is to topple the Iranian regime or target Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei personally, then the party will intervene.”
This development comes after Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji on Tuesday urged the Iran-backed militant group not to get involved in any fighting between the United States and Iran, expressing concerns about a new possible conflict with Israel.
Rajji told journalists in Geneva that Lebanese officials had been warned that in the event of another Israel-Hezbollah war, Israel would strike harder against civilian infrastructure across Lebanon than in the previous round of fighting.
The appeal comes amid growing concerns that the U.S. might carry out new strikes against Iran. Iran held annual military drills with Russia on Thursday as a second U.S. aircraft carrier drew closer to the Middle East.
Hezbollah was established by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982.
Hezbollah’s new leader Naim Qassem said in a televised address last month that the group was “not neutral” in the standoff between Washington and Tehran”.
“”We are determined to defend ourselves. We will choose in due course how to act, whether to intervene or not,” Qassem said.
Hezbollah suffered a major military defeat by Israel in the 2024–2025 conflict, resulting in significant degradation of its leadership, personnel, and infrastructure. Israel’s 2025 invasion of Lebanon saw the elimination of top leaders including Hassan Nasrallah, destruction of key missile capabilities, and deep intelligence penetration, forcing a ceasefire and retreat from the bordeR
El Nashra/ YL
