Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said Friday that the group, with Iran's assistance, has created deterrence against what he called an attack by the Zionist regime, claiming the Zionists sought to expel Hezbollah from its homes. The statement was attributed to Qassem via the source reporting what he said, without specifying the venue or audience. The remark resembles a familiar rhetorical pattern from Qassem, who has repeatedly praised Iran and claimed Hezbollah has blocked Israeli objectives.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said Friday that Iran's backing has enabled the group to create deterrence against Israel, claiming the 'Zionist regime' sought to expel Hezbollah from its homes. The statement was published via a source affiliated with Hezbollah's media operations, without specifying a live venue, audience, or a particular incident to which Qassem was referring. The remark builds on Qassem's Ashura speeches earlier Friday (published at 11:41 Jerusalem), in which he declared the defeat of the 'Israeli-American project' and demanded full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory — themes echoed in the new claim about deterrence and expulsion.
Since mid-June, Qassem has repeatedly asserted Hezbollah's partnership with Iran as a decisive factor in shifting the regional balance. On June 16, he wrote to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, thanking Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the IRGC for taking Hezbollah under their patronage. On June 17, he delivered two speeches: one urging exploitation of a U.S.-Iran deal to drive Israel from Lebanon (published 19:01 Jerusalem), and another claiming Iran would reshape the regional order (published 19:24 Jerusalem). On June 21, he rejected any ceasefire that grants Israel freedom of action; on June 22, he reiterated that Iran had emerged stronger. The single-source reporting has remained consistent throughout: each statement attributed to Qassem via a Hezbollah-affiliated channel or Al-Manar, without independent verification.
As The Zioneer reported on June 24, Qassem declared a shift from 'strategic patience' to 'active confrontation' alongside Iran, claiming Tehran conditioned any ceasefire on a full end to the war in Lebanon. This Friday's claim — that Iran helped create deterrence preventing Hezbollah's expulsion — extends that narrative of Iranian-enforced resilience, though no new evidence or specific operational details were provided.
The claim remains unverified independently. No transcript or full address context was provided; the sole source is the source linked to Hezbollah. While the rhetoric is consistent with Qassem's established pattern, the absence of a live audience, specific occasion, or corroborating reports leaves the substance open to question.
4 developments
- StrongHezbollah chief Qassem declares 'active confrontation' alongside Iran, thanks Tehran for linking ceasefires
- StrongHezbollah chief Qassem: Iran ’s power will reshape regional order, Israel seeks to 'disable' Lebanon
- StrongHezbollah leader Qassem vows victory 'on the path of Hussein'
- DevelopingHezbollah chief Qassem vows to launch 'project to eliminate Israel', rejects Israeli presence in Lebanon
Source and signal
- Internal intake