Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said Wednesday that Iran has become a major global and regional power and that the balance of power is shifting in favor of the 'axis of resistance.' He thanked Iran for linking the Lebanese front to its own fight, claimed Israel seeks to 'disable' Lebanon in order to conquer it, and asserted that Hezbollah has foiled the 'Greater Israel' project. The speech, delivered at 19:21 Jerusalem time, continues a series of statements Qassem has made this evening, as The Zioneer reported earlier.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem escalated his rhetoric in a Wednesday evening Ashura address delivered at 19:21 Jerusalem time, adding claims that Israel seeks to 'disable' Lebanon in order to conquer it. The comment builds on a sequence of statements Qassem made throughout the evening, as tracked by The Zioneer: at 18:52 he urged exploiting the reported US-Iran deal to force an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and rejected pilot zones; by 19:01 he had thanked Iran for including Lebanon in the diplomatic framework; at 19:07 he accused Israel of planning to destroy southern Lebanon. The latest speech, from a single Hezbollah-affiliated channel, also lauds Iran as a major global and regional power and asserts that the balance of power is shifting in favor of the 'axis of resistance.'
Earlier thread items show a rapid intensification of Qassem's messaging over approximately 30 minutes. The first version (18:52) reported his endorsement of the US-Iran deal and gratitude to Iran for linking the Lebanese front. A second, also at 18:52, added the demand for full implementation of the November 2024 ceasefire and rejection of 'yellow lines.' By 19:01 The Zioneer had confirmed the pattern of leveraging the deal. At 19:07 the accusation of an Israeli plan to destroy southern Lebanon appeared. The source throughout has remained a single Hezbollah-affiliated channel; no independent corroboration has been reported.
As The Zioneer reported on June 4, Qassem previously stated that disarming Hezbollah would destroy Lebanon, underscoring the group's firm opposition to any political settlement involving disarmament. On June 5, he formally rejected US-brokered talks. The broader context, as The Zioneer noted on June 8, is that the Lebanon theater has transitioned into a direct regional conflict, even as a diplomatic pause affects direct strikes on Iran.
Qassem's specific claim about an Israeli plan to 'disable' and conquer Lebanon remains sourced to a single Hezbollah-affiliated channel, with no independent verification. The extent to which the reported US-Iran deal is finalized or operational also remains unconfirmed by independent sources.
5 developments
- DevelopingHezbollah chief Qassem accuses Israel of existential threat to Lebanon, rejects 'safe zones'
- StrongHezbollah chief Naim Qassem writes to Iran speaker, thanking Khamenei and IRGC
- DevelopingQassem: Iran Resists Overthrow Attempts and Sanctions
- DevelopingQassem: Disarming Hezbollah will destroy Lebanon
Source and signal
- Internal intake