Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem's statements that the party will not remain on the sidelines should Iran come under attack sparked outrage in Lebanon over dragging the country yet again into regional conflicts.
He made his remarks as the Lebanese state has been under intense international and internal pressure to come up with a plan to impose state monopoly over arms, including Hezbollah's arsenal, to avert a new conflict.
Qassem's statements, however, undermined those efforts by declaring that the party will come to Iran's aid in a new war.
Ministerial sources close to the presidency questioned Qassem's statements, saying they give Israel an excuse to escalate its attacks against Lebanon.
They told Asharq Al-Awsat: "He is obviously speaking of a new 'support war'... Hasn't Qassem seen what the first support war did to Lebanon and his party's environment in particular?"
Lebanon is still suffering from the consequences of that war, added the sources, asking: "Should it be dragged into another destructive conflict?"
Hezbollah launched its support war against Israel in 2023 in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza. Israel escalated its attacks against the party in 2024, turning into an all-out war that decimated Hezbollah's leadership. The war ended in a November 2024 ceasefire.
Qassem's statements give Israel an excuse to continue to violate the ceasefire that will in turn delay reconstruction efforts and the return of the displaced to their homes, warned the sources.
Outrage
Officials were quick to slam Qassem's renewed war threat. During a parliament session on Tuesday, MP Firas Hamdan urged against "using the residents of the South and Lebanese people for Iran's interests."
Head of the Kataeb party MP Sami Gemayel said on X: "You want to defend your master [Iran], then go there. You want to commit suicide, then do so alone, but just leave Lebanon alone!"
Kataeb MP Ziad Hawat said: "Sheikh Naim Qassem did not learn anything from the support war and the catastrophe that he brought to Lebanon."
"The time of dragging Lebanon to ruin and destruction is over."
Dismissed
Political analyst and Hezbollah critic Ali al-Amine said Qassem wants to wage a new support war this time in support of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat: "He is proving that his party is helpless against the humiliating blows it has been receiving from Israel for over a year."
"He is declaring his embarrassing helplessness against the Israeli attacks on his party and Lebanon, while at the same time saying he is ready to support Iran. This demonstrates that his party is nothing more than an Iranian pawn," he went on to say.
On how Qassem's speech was received by Shiites, who form Hezbollah's widest support base, al-Amine said: "Some Shiites believe that such statements can no longer be taken seriously and that they no longer have any actual impact."
"There are others who react with real concern over such statements, not because they believe them," but because they could drag Lebanon and its people to a new war, he added.
He said that on the surface, Shiites may still be supporting Hezbollah, but this support has not reached the extent to demand it to seriously retaliate to Israel's repeated violations against Lebanon and the party.
"So how would they possibly react to dragging Lebanon to a new conflict because of Iran? Such a step will be met with greater resistance," he noted.
"In general, it's safe to say that the Lebanese people, especially the Shiites, are in agreement that they do not want to be fodder in the wars of others. This position played out on social media where users were quick to dismiss and mock Qassem's statements," al-Amine said.
"Ultimately, Qassem's speech was not convincing to Hezbollah's immediate supporters or Shiites in general. He appeared to be carrying out foreign orders, more so than expressing Lebanon's national interest or even the actual concerns of the environment he should be addressing," he stated.
