Naim Qassem, the new leader of Hezbollah, has highlighted the support that Hezbollah received from “Iran and Iraq,” according to a new article in Iran’s IRNA state media.
It has always been well known that Hezbollah received support from Iran’s regime and that Hezbollah is an ally and kind of proxy of Iran. However, Hezbollah’s links to Iranian-backed militias in Iraq are not always as public.
“Sheikh Naim Qassem made the remarks in a televised speech from Beirut on Monday, adding that victory in Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, the regional nations that supported them, and all freedom-seeking individuals worldwide,” Iran’s IRNA state media noted.
The Hezbollah leader is emerging after around two months of relative silence. Hezbollah has been recovering from the blows of the war. Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on November 27 after two months of intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah chose to enter the war against Israel on October 8, the day after Hamas attacked Israel. The group launched some 7,5000 rockets and hundreds of drones at Israel between October 2023 and August 2024. Israel began to increase retaliation in September 2024.
“The objectives of the large-scale Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, launched by Gaza’s resistance groups on October 7, 2023, have been met,” the Hezbollah leader said in a recent interview, IRNA noted.
‘Israeli enemy failed’
“Sheikh Qassem further said that the Israeli enemy failed in honor and humanity, revealing itself as a criminal entity intent on extermination. The Hezbollah chief condemned the US and certain Western governments for their unconditional support for the Israeli regime’s aggression against Lebanon and Gaza.”
“The US and Israel aimed to dismantle the resistance, but it prevailed through remarkable resilience and sacrifices that have yielded significant results,” the Hezbollah leader said.
The report did not elaborate on his comments about Iraq. There are a number of Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. Many of them have backed Hezbollah over the years and have close ties to Hezbollah. These include Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq, which is closely tied to Iran’s IRGC.
In addition, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba and Asaib Ahl al-Haq are there. The head of Asaib once went to southern Lebanon several years ago to emphasize how the Iraqi militias would back Hezbollah in time of war.
Source » jpost