A Weakened Hezbollah Remains Central to Iran’s Security Strategy

Despite the near destruction of Hezbollah as a result of Israel’s September 2024 electronic device attacks and subsequent military campaign – and the group’s inability to contribute meaningfully to Iran’s defense against Israeli and U.S. attacks – Hezbollah remains central to Tehran’s security strategy. This is evident in an open letter Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei wrote to Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem. Iran’s position may reflect less confidence in Hezbollah’s future capabilities than a desire to reassure other Iranian allies that Tehran will not abandon them. At the same time, Iran’s sensitivity regarding Hezbollah provides Israel with a means of sabotaging any potential agreement between Washington and Tehran.

• July 26: In an open letter to Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem that was released by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Mashregh News, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei wrote:
  • “Now that Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as the vanguard of the jihadist groups, is standing like an impregnable rock against the savage onslaught of the Zionist regime and its supporters, this steadfastness has become an inspiring message to the world’s freedom-loving peoples in their struggle to liberate themselves from the oppression and tyranny of global arrogance and its proxies. Undoubtedly, a significant share of this great achievement is owed to the patience, dignity, sacrifice, and solidarity of the Lebanese people, particularly those of southern Lebanon.”
  • “In accordance with the policies of the revered leader and martyr of the revolution, Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei – may God’s blessings be upon him – the Islamic Republic of Iran has likewise designated the defense of these oppressed yet powerful fighters as a strategic policy. It has also made the preservation of Lebanon’s territorial integrity and the complete and unconditional cessation of the Zionist regime’s aggression the foremost condition of the memorandum of understanding to end the imposed war with the aggressor, the United States.”

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