Hezbollah Sets Clear Trigger for Rejoining US-Iran Conflict
Lebanese officials say the group will only intervene if the Iranian regime faces survival risks, while reports indicate Tehran has funded a major rearmament effort.
By Ethan Cooper ·
Hezbollah has set a specific condition for rejoining a potential military conflict between the United States and Iran. A senior Lebanese official told the UAE-based news outlet The National on Saturday that the group will only intervene if the survival of the Iranian regime is at stake. The official described this as an explicit red line drawn during the previous conflict.
The trigger for this stance was the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli strike on February 28. The anonymous official stated that Hezbollah knew it would join the fighting if Khamenei were killed. The official added that this condition was previously communicated to American counterparts.
Despite its weakened military capacity, Hezbollah is preparing for a return to hostilities. Two Lebanese security sources told Reuters that the group has used the lull in fighting since June to rearm. The focus of this effort has been procuring explosives and producing drones capable of entering the security zone.
Lebanese security personnel briefed on the group's activities said Hezbollah has spent at least three months preparing. One source and another individual close to Hezbollah said the organization received tens of millions of dollars from Iran to boost its capabilities. This recent infusion comes in addition to approximately $200 million reported earlier this month. The group is also working to restore command-and-control structures that failed during key battles, according to one source and three other security officials.
Hezbollah's media office rejected the idea that its command-and-control systems had broken down. Meanwhile, a US State Department spokesman said Washington would continue to target the group's finances through sanctions. A US Treasury spokesperson stated that Iran is running out of money and methods to move it.
Diplomatic efforts are also underway regarding the region's stability. A senior Gulf diplomatic source told the Lebanese newspaper Ad-Diyar that US President Donald Trump pledged a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon if Beirut joins the Abraham Accords. The source described these promises as official commitments, though the newspaper provided no documents or White House confirmation to support the claim.
Senior Israeli officials responded to the report by insisting that Israel will not withdraw its forces before Hezbollah is disarmed. KAN news reported last month that Hezbollah operatives have maintained a presence in southern Lebanon's pilot zones to gather intelligence and recuperate.
