Lebanonupdated 1h ago2 min read
Hezbollah Tells Nabih Berri It Won’t Intervene If U.S. Attacks Iran
“the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon issued a statement Saturday denying media reports”
“it will not intervene this time in support of Iran if war breaks out”
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Hezbollah told Speaker Nabih Berri it will not intervene if war targets Iran. Berri conveyed Hezbollah’s pledge to not intervene to President Aoun.
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Hezbollah signals non-intervention
Hezbollah told Lebanon’s Speaker Nabih Berri that it would not intervene this time in support of Iran if a new war breaks out, Asharq Al-Awsat reported. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told MPs during a recent visit to Beirut that Iran would not ask Hezbollah to intervene if the United States attacked Iran in execution of President Donald Trump’s threats.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told lawmakers that Iran had made significant strides in preparing to prevent Washington from achieving its objectives. The message was framed as a response to the shift in the balance of power between Hezbollah and Israel, with parliamentary sources saying Hezbollah’s intervention would not alter the course of the confrontation.
Berri, Aoun, and the pledge
Asharq Al-Awsat said Hezbollah conveyed the position to Berri, who then relayed it to President Joseph Aoun. Elsiyasa said Berri was informed that Hezbollah would not intervene this time, and it added that Berri conveyed the message to Joseph Aoun.
Elsiyasa described a prior episode in March when Hezbollah fired six rockets at Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader علي خامنئي. Elsiyasa said sources argued that Hezbollah does not want to be blamed for a reaction from its popular base, and it pointed to Israeli Defense Minister יسرائيل كاتس threatening to expand the security zone in the South, reaching the Dahiyeh and displacing nearly one million Shiites.
Lebanon watches for consequences
Lebanon’s political circles described a “blind spot” created by Berri distancing himself from Hezbollah and announcing a de facto end to the “big brother–little brother” relationship, while Beirut watched to see whether Hezbollah would engage in a second war to support Iran. Hezbollah’s involvement in any potential war would be determined by Iranian considerations tied to whether a new war would crush the regime in Iran or transform the February 28 round toward a harsher scenario.
Hezbollah’s involvement would be shaped by whether it would make a difference, especially after its diminished role as a pillar of strategic deterrence transferred to the Houthis. The report warned that any new war against Iran would reflect back on Lebanon’s choices and Hezbollah, and it argued that losing Hezbollah as the head axis would force a rethink of the equation used to resist surrendering its weapons.