An official stated on Wednesday that Hezbollah will refrain from engaging in any confrontation between the United States and Iran should President Trump decide to execute “limited” military actions against Iran, the group’s patron state.
However, the Hezbollah representative conveyed to AFP that any offensive targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would cross a “red line” for the Lebanon-based movement.
“If the US conducts limited strikes on Iran, Hezbollah will choose to remain militarily uninvolved,” the official elaborated, noting that the group would consider taking up arms if it perceives an intention by the US to destabilize the Iranian regime or specifically target the supreme leader.
This announcement coincided with a warning from Israel to Lebanon, as reported by two senior Lebanese officials to Reuters on Tuesday. Israel cautioned that it would target Lebanon, including its civilian infrastructure if Hezbollah decided to engage in a conflict between the US and Iran.
In a newspaper interview released on Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urged Hezbollah to avoid dragging the country into “another adventure.”
In 2024, Israel inflicted substantial damage on Hezbollah during a short-lived war, resulting in the deaths of thousands of fighters, including the former secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, and decimating much of the group’s weaponry.
Tension in the Middle East has been palpable over a possible conflict breaking out between Washington and Tehran. The US has been building up its military presence in the region.
Trump signaled Tuesday that Iran isn’t coming around on dumping all of its nuclear enrichment, telling network news anchors that the regime “desperately wants a deal” — but “can’t say” it despite the massive US naval firepower assembled offshore.
“Iran desperately wants a deal. But Iran just can’t say the sacred phrase ‘We won’t build nuclear weapons,’” Trump said at the traditional pre-State of the Union lunch, Fox News anchor Bret Baier reported.
The commander-in-chief had also previously warned Tehran that he would fire on them over the slaughter of anti-regime protesters.
Hezbollah’s new leader, Naim Qassem, said in a televised speech last month that it was “not neutral” in the faceoff 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.
A third round of negotiations between Iran and the US was set for Thursday on Tehran’s nuclear program.
With Post wires
