Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's deputy leader, said the group is closely watching U.S. threats to Iran and is especially concerned about any move perceived as targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He reported mediators warned the U.S. and Israel might consider strikes on Hezbollah if Iran were attacked and cautioned such a conflict could engulf the region. Qassem also noted Hezbollah's weakened condition after 2024 cross-border fighting with Israel despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
Hezbollah Deputy Leader Warns U.S. and Israel Could Target Group If Iran Is Attacked — Says War Could Engulf Region
FILE PHOTO: Lebanon's Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem gives a televised speech from an unknown location in this still image obtained from a video released December 5, 2025. Al Manar TV/REUTERS TV/via REUTERS/File Photo
Naim Qassem, the deputy leader of Lebanon's Iran-aligned Hezbollah movement, said on Monday the group is closely monitoring Washington's threats toward Iran and is particularly alarmed by any action perceived as targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Qassem said mediators had warned Hezbollah that the United States and Israel might consider strikes against the group if Iran were attacked.
"We are concerned with what is happening and targeted by potential aggression. We are determined to defend ourselves. We will choose in due course how to act, whether to intervene or not... but we are not neutral," Qassem said in a televised address.
Tensions between Tehran and Washington have risen after a harsh crackdown on protests across Iran that reportedly left thousands dead in recent weeks — a situation U.S. President Donald Trump said could lead to a U.S. response. Tehran has warned that any strike on Khamenei would provoke a "holy war."
Qassem warned that direct strikes on Hezbollah could spark a wider regional conflict, saying a war on Iran this time could ignite the entire Middle East. He also acknowledged that Hezbollah was significantly weakened during 2024 cross-border fighting with Israel, which the group said was carried out in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel and Lebanon reached a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in 2024, but both sides continue to trade accusations of violations, leaving the northern border volatile.
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