Hezbollah After Khamenei's Assassination: "We Will Not Leave the Field of Honor Without a Response"
In a serious development that exacerbates tensions in the region, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Naeem Qassem, announced yesterday, Sunday, that the party "will fulfill its duty to confront aggression," following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an unprecedented Israeli-American attack that continued for the second consecutive day on Iran.
Qassem stated in a statement mourning Khamenei: "We will fulfill our duty to confront aggression," emphasizing adherence to the "field of honor, resistance, and confronting American tyranny and Zionist criminality to defend our land."
He added that the assassination of Khamenei and several Iranian leaders represents "the pinnacle of crime and a stain on the forehead of all humanity."
Despite the threats, Hezbollah has not intervened militarily since the start of the attack, but it organized a gathering for its supporters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, under the slogan "Loyalty to the Great Leader and Support for Iran," and called for the recitation of the Quran and the establishment of mourning councils in mosques and husseiniyahs.
In a subsequent statement, the party emphasized the continuation of its resistance and standing "firmly and steadfastly alongside the Islamic Republic, its leadership, government, Revolutionary Guards, army, and people, as it has done in all challenges and crises, to defeat the arrogant and aggressive tyrants until achieving complete and final victory."
The Lebanese National News Agency reported that rockets were fired from southern Lebanon towards Israel on Sunday, accompanied by explosions and the flight of Israeli warplanes to chase and shoot down drones over Lebanese territory.
As a precautionary measure, the U.S. embassy in Lebanon announced the closure of its doors on Monday, without clarifying the reasons.
For his part, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated during a meeting of the Supreme Defense Council that "the decision of war and peace is solely in the hands of the Lebanese state, exercised through its constitutional institutions," amid fears of any intervention by Hezbollah using its arsenal of heavy and long-range missiles against Israel.
It is noteworthy that the party did not take any military steps during the Israeli attack on Iran last June, which included targeting Iranian nuclear sites with American participation.
In contrast, U.S. President Donald Trump predicted that the military operation against Iran could last up to four weeks, indicating a potential escalation in the region.
