Iran FM: Opening of Lebanese-Israeli Front in Hezbollah’s Hands

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a press conference in Beirut. (AFP)
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a press conference in Beirut. (AFP)
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Iran FM: Opening of Lebanese-Israeli Front in Hezbollah’s Hands

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a press conference in Beirut. (AFP)
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a press conference in Beirut. (AFP)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that the opening of the Lebanese-Israeli front, in the event of continued Israeli aggression, was in the hands of Hezbollah.

Despite his assertion that Lebanon’s security is “important to everyone and to Iran,” the Iranian official warned that “it was possible to imagine the opening of a new front in a way that suits the circumstances.”

Speaking on Saturday during a press conference at the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, Abdollahian said: “During my meetings with some of the leaders of the resistance in Beirut, I found that the resistance is in a very excellent situation and is fully prepared to respond to the criminal actions of the Zionist entity.”

He added: “The resistance has the energy and high capabilities to respond to the war crimes of the Zionist entity and the continued siege of Gaza.”

According to the FM, a political opportunity is available to prevent the war from expanding, but he warned: “Perhaps, in the coming hours, it will be too late.”

In light of the high number of casualties in Gaza, Abdollahian announced that his country “proposed holding an urgent meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,” stressing that Lebanon’s “security is important for everyone and for Iran.”

Iran’s top diplomat spoke about an agreement between his country and Saudi Arabia over the war on Gaza.

“A few days ago, a telephone call was held for the first time between Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. These discussions took place in light of the new atmosphere of good relations between Tehran and Riyadh,” Abdollahian told reporters in Beirut.

He stressed that the two sides “agree to support Palestine and condemn the war crimes committed by the Zionist entity,” adding: “The majority of leaders of the countries of the region and Arab states currently agree that Al-Aqsa Storm operations came as a spontaneous response to some of the crimes and extremism committed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”

Experts, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat, noted that Abdollahian’s strong rhetoric contradicted the facts on the ground.

Dr. Riad Kahwaji, CEO of the Near East and Gulf Foundation for Military Analysis (INEGMA), said the situation in South Lebanon is limited to clashes and operations, stressing that both parties did not want a major escalation on the front.

He noted that Hezbollah sought to “keep Israel on alert over the possibility of opening the northern front, which has made it mobilize half of its army in the north instead of deploying it on the front with Gaza.”



Top Houthi Leaders Flee Sanaa Amid Trump-Ordered US Strikes

Top Houthi leaders disappear from Sanaa, communication cut off (Houthi Media)
Top Houthi leaders disappear from Sanaa, communication cut off (Houthi Media)
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Top Houthi Leaders Flee Sanaa Amid Trump-Ordered US Strikes

Top Houthi leaders disappear from Sanaa, communication cut off (Houthi Media)
Top Houthi leaders disappear from Sanaa, communication cut off (Houthi Media)

Senior Houthi leaders have disappeared from public life in Sanaa, gripped by fear of US airstrikes ordered by President Donald Trump, now entering their third week, sources in Yemen said.

The first-tier leadership of the Iran-aligned group is believed to have fled the capital, which remains under Houthi control, seeking shelter in remote areas of Saada and Amran provinces.

According to informed sources, the group’s leaders have severed traditional communication channels and several have either gone into hiding or relocated to undisclosed locations as a precaution against possible targeted strikes.

Since the launch of US airstrikes on March 15, senior and mid-level Houthi leaders have vanished from public view and social media platforms, Yemeni sources say, as fear of targeted attacks continues to grow within the group’s ranks.

Informed sources confirmed there has been no trace of the group’s top two tiers of leadership - neither in the institutions under Houthi control in Sanaa, nor on the streets and neighborhoods they once frequented in luxury vehicles.

Even the sectarian events that Houthi leaders were known to regularly attend have reportedly gone on without their visible presence.

The Houthi group has remained tight-lipped about the extent of its human and military losses following US airstrikes ordered by Trump.

However, sources say several leaders not belonging to the ruling family of Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi are still believed to be in Sanaa.

Many of these figures have adopted strict security measures to avoid detection, including travelling in vehicles with tinted windows and covering their faces with cloaks when leaving temporary residences, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The precautions reflect growing fears of betrayal or being targeted by further strikes.

A source in Sanaa revealed that third-tier Houthi officials—mostly tribal figures and field supervisors—were instructed to flee to the northern provinces of Saada, Amran and other areas as US air raids intensified.

According to the source, mid-level Houthi officials have lost all direct contact with the group’s senior leadership after the latter switched locations and shut down their communication lines.