Hezbollah warns over threats to Iran
Group says it may act if Iran or its leader is attacked
The leader of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, said that they reserve the right to act in the face of a potential attack on Iran, which has been threatened by the United States, and warned that his organization is also a target in this same context.
Sheikh Naim Qassem warned that the movement will not remain silent if threats are made against Iran’s Supreme Leader, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, saying any harm would destabilize the region and beyond. Speaking at mass solidarity rallies across Lebanon, Sheikh Qassem framed threats against Khamenei as attacks on millions of followers and vowed that Hezbollah has the authority and readiness to take “all necessary measures” to confront such dangers. He cautioned that a war on Iran “this time could set the entire region ablaze,” and confirmed the group would decide if and when to intervene based on battlefield circumstances.
Qassem portrayed Iran as resilient in the face of long-standing U.S. hostility and economic pressure, crediting Khamenei’s leadership with thwarting external efforts to undermine the Islamic Republic. He described past attempts to destabilize Iran—through sanctions, proxy conflicts and alleged infiltration of protests—as having failed, and asserted Iran’s right to defend itself, including maintaining a peaceful nuclear program and missile capabilities.
Speakers at solidarity gatherings—including religious and political figures from Lebanon—condemned threats to Khamenei and warned of broad repercussions for Shiite communities worldwide if the leader were attacked.
Qassem said international mediators had inquired whether Hezbollah would remain neutral if the United States and Israel struck Iran, relaying that planners had considered various sequencing options for attacks.
Meanwhile Kataib Hezbollah, the most powerful Shiite militia in neighboring Iraq, urged its fighters to prepare for a potential war in a statement, and said that if the conflict escalated, its clerical leaders could decide to declare “martyrdom operations.”
