Hezbollah's Qassem praises Iran, rejects disarmament in remarks on regional deal

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem praised Iran's role in supporting the resistance in Lebanon, saying Tehran helped force Israel to halt its military campaign and linking recent regional developments to what he called the failure of a broader U.S. project in Iran.

In remarks addressing the emerging regional balance after the U.S.-Iran agreement, Qassem said Iran’s position had grown stronger and now carried significant weight in the region, arguing that power dynamics were shifting in favor of regional peoples.

He said Israel had failed to achieve its “Greater Israel” project, claiming that Hezbollah had “broken” it on the battlefield.

Qassem also called for taking advantage of the current regional moment following the U.S.-Iran agreement to push for Israel’s withdrawal.

He warned that Israel’s objective of eliminating Hezbollah would amount, in his view, to “genocide” and the targeting of a large segment of the Lebanese population, adding that Israel seeks to keep Lebanon weak in order to occupy it.

Reiterating Hezbollah’s position, Qassem said the ceiling of any negotiations with Israel is “mutual security,” adding that any proposal aimed at disarming Hezbollah would not be accepted.

 

"There are no experimental zones or yellow zones. Israel must leave, and it will leave. The fundamental demand in any negotiations is the restoration of Lebanese sovereignty. Israel has no right to interfere in our internal affairs," he added.

 

The Secretary-General called upon the Lebanese president and political authorities to "assume their responsibility for unifying the group's ranks, engaging in dialogue and calm discussion, and reaching an agreement among themselves."

 

"We are ready to cooperate, and we have demonstrated this by facilitating the Lebanese army's deployment in the south," he said.