Iran’s religious leader sees no signs of defeat for Lebanon’s Shiite militia Hezbollah, despite the deaths of senior commanders in Israeli attacks.
“It was undoubtedly a loss for Hezbollah, but it was not a loss that would entail defeat,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 85, said Wednesday at a veterans’ meeting in Tehran, adding that Hezbollah’s organizational and human strength was much greater.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned against underestimating Hezbollah. “It is more than capable of destroying the bases and colonies of the Israeli regime,” he wrote on the X platform.
Hezbollah has long been seen as Iran’s main ally in the Middle East. However, observers say Tehran is unlikely to come to Iran’s aid in the event of a war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Iran’s new government, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, is facing a severe economic crisis and is trying to restore ties with the West. The military and political leadership in Tehran has so far only issued threats against Israel and the West, but has not carried out direct attacks.
