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Hezbollah Maneuvers, Calls for ‘Unconditioned Dialogue’ to Elect President

Jihad Azour is a former minister and the director of the International Monetary Fund’s Middle East and Central Asia department. (AFP/File)
Jihad Azour is a former minister and the director of the International Monetary Fund’s Middle East and Central Asia department. (AFP/File)
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Hezbollah Maneuvers, Calls for ‘Unconditioned Dialogue’ to Elect President

Jihad Azour is a former minister and the director of the International Monetary Fund’s Middle East and Central Asia department. (AFP/File)
Jihad Azour is a former minister and the director of the International Monetary Fund’s Middle East and Central Asia department. (AFP/File)

Hezbollah party in Lebanon is maneuvering around the country’s presidential crisis, one time resorting to tactics of threats, and another to calling for dialogue to agree on a candidate for the top state post.

Hezbollah deputies and officials have not shunned away from addressing this major entitlement in their statements now that the opposition has named former minister Jihad Azour as their candidate for the post, facing the party’s candidate, Suleiman Franjieh.

The political scene has shifted after bringing Azour forward to the forefront. The Shiite duo (Hezbollah and AMAL Movement) have shown some confusion which became evident in the latest statement of the party officials.

Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem and Hezbollah official Sheikh Nabil Qaouq have recently called for “unconditioned dialogue”, refusing to say that the party wishes to impose its own candidate.

Qassem called for “unconditioned dialogue in order to elect a president,” and for a “dialogue session without any conditions or reservations on any party or side in Lebanon in a bid to discuss the whole options publicly...in order to reach results”.

Qassem added that “no political party in Lebanon is capable of imposing its candidate this way. Don't be afraid of dialogue, in the end you will choose what you want and what you are convinced of, and we will pick what we want and what we are convinced of.”

Qaouq on the other hand, said on Wednesday that Hezbollah “has not imposed a president on anyone”, and similarly "refuses to have anything imposed on it".

“Hezbollah is not looking for shares in ministries and administrations, but wants a president who embodies national consensus to sail the salvation ship with the help of everyone”, he noted.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Lebanese Forces spokesman Charles Jabbour commented on Hezbollah’s latest positions.

He said that through its rhetoric, Hezbollah is distributing roles among its officials in order to impose their own candidate (Suleiman Franjieh). “This has become impossible”, remarked Jabbour.

“There is confusion inside the party as the result of the opposition’s agreement on a single candidate”, he stated.

When Hezbollah calls for dialogue, it does so to garner agreement on its own candidate, added the LF spokesman.

Lebanon, plagued by a major economic crisis since 2019, has been without a president since the term of Michel Aoun ended in October.

 

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Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
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Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Thursday called on major powers to “exert greater efforts to end the war in Palestine and Lebanon.” Meanwhile, an Iraqi government official urged the United States to “prevent any attacks on the country,” referring to potential Israeli strikes.
During a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Al-Sudani stressed the importance of ensuring the conflict does not escalate “to a level that threatens regional and global stability.”
The Iraqi prime minister’s appeal comes amid reports suggesting that Israel may launch strikes on Iraq in retaliation for attacks by Iraqi armed factions targeting Israeli positions.
The Iraqi government is striving to assert its exclusive authority over weapons and war-related decisions. However, armed factions affiliated with the Axis of Resistance openly claim responsibility for near-daily rocket attacks on Israel. This has provided Israel with a justification for potentially targeting Iraqi territory, especially after it filed a complaint with the UN Security Council against six Iraqi factions and held Baghdad responsible for the attacks.
These factions have also openly declared their involvement in the ongoing conflict with Israel in Lebanon and Gaza. The Iraqi government has been unable to take decisive action to halt the activities of these factions, which many believe could soon expose Iraq to an Israeli strike.
According to media reports, Washington has warned Baghdad that Israeli airstrikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless the Iraqi government curtails attacks by Iranian-backed factions on Israel. The Times of Israel cited sources indicating that the United States has “exhausted all means of pressure on Israel” and urged Iraq to act swiftly to prevent such attacks.
Despite repeated assurances from the Iraqi government—including its recent adoption of 12 measures by the National Security Council to counter Israeli threats and complaints—the situation remains tense. These measures include monitoring Iraq’s western borders, preventing factions from launching attacks, and maintaining Iraq’s neutrality in the ongoing conflict.
On Wednesday, Abu Hussein Al-Hamidawi, Secretary-General of Kata’ib Hezbollah, made a striking statement on the role of resistance factions in the war and their commitment to the Unity of Fronts doctrine frequently mentioned by Axis of Resistance groups.
In an interview published by the faction’s media arm, Al-Hamidawi said: “The continuity of the Unity of Fronts concept depends on what the Lebanese Hezbollah decides.”
Al-Hamidawi also emphasized that resistance factions are constantly coordinating internally and with external partners such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Palestinian resistance leaders.
“We aim to ensure that the Palestinian people are not left alone and that the Unity of Fronts remains intact,” he stated.
Fadi Al-Shammari, a political advisor to Sudani, reiterated that Israel’s threats “are not new,” citing the recent complaint filed by Israel with the UN Security Council as part of its pattern of issuing threats.
In media statements, Al-Shammari reaffirmed the Iraqi government’s long-standing position: “The decision of war and peace lies solely with the Iraqi government.”
He noted that the factions’ attacks are being launched from areas outside Iraq’s borders, specifically from Syria. However, he stressed that the Iraqi government is working through its security and military agencies to prevent Iraq from becoming a battlefield for external or internal parties.
Al-Shammari also called on the United States to fulfill its responsibilities under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with Iraq, emphasizing the need to deter and respond to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.